By Samuel Strait – Reporter at Large – March 30, 2022 In a recent meeting this month the City is faced with the unimaginable experience of being flush with cash and no where to spend it on, at least that represents something useful, and beneficial for the community.. As such, the City in its infinite wisdom chose the least likely benefit to the community as a whole, in favor of their collective obsession with Beach Front Park and Front Street. Much of the money from the latest craze will come from: *a bit over a half million dollars from Build Back Better funding, *Measure "S" surplus funding, *$516.000, *three quarters of a million dollars from the general fund of the city, *mostly bed tax money and *surplus sales tax income, *and a levy from the local transportation commission of $400,000. What is it for you might ask? Several decades ago the City's dreamer team came up with a master plan that included an architect's dream world of Front Street just short of the requirements for a Ferris Wheel and carnival rides which has now become the City Council's priority for spending the excess cash. According to the City's Manager, Eric Wier, finishing what was started at the West end of Front Street is what is the most pressing matter of what is "most" important to be addressed by the City's fathers. Say What? A two lane road with eight blocks of new parking lots is of the most importance to the City's residents? Broken up with a cutesy, cutesy "meandering section" near the entrance to Beachfront Park with landscaping and sidewalks? An archway near K Street? All to the tune of $10.8 million, plus another million plus to be thrown at the City's pool. No mention of the cost of maintaining such extravagant spending in the future, $400,000 for the pool ongoing, but what about Front Street maintenance, and the other "projects" scheduled to be added to the park. It continues to defy logic that the current City Council is so focused on something that will only escalate its financial issues in the future. Rather than address more sensible and beneficial issues with money allocated to the park dreamers, our City fathers continue with the obsession of making Crescent City into something that isn't likely to end well . Truly not a wise move. Barring Del Norte Local Transportation Commission's refusal to grant $400,000 for the project the charade will continue. The City has already indicated it would be gathering necessary construction materials, putting out bids and going through the initial planning stages, project to commence in August. Is this what the local citizens in the City actually had in mind? Perhaps the overwhelming support for Measure "S" is some indication that most of the County's dreamer population lives in the City. Perhaps most of that affirmation came as a result of unrealistic expectations that locals would actually enjoy and use the Park not previously entertained. For much of the year the park is virtually empty and provides no benefit whatsoever that does not already exist in the Park's current lay out. Aside from events that have utilized the park in past years, of what benefit will the new and improved version bring to the table? Will the expense of $25 million to the intended "showcase" for visitors and locals be the ticket to solving any of the City's numerous issues. Time will tell, as what is being proposed will not end with the expenditure of the $25 million. It will just be the beginning of an endless line item on the City's future budget…..