Walhalla Greenway build contract approved

The Greenway construction contract for Walhalla goes to a local contractor who is said to have experience recreation trail building.  Local builder HDH Construction gets the task at a price tag of $972 thousand which Brandon Burton, administrator, said came in below estimate.  Division over whether this is the time for Walhalla to pump big money into a recreation amenity remained evident during the December council meeting.  The opposition was voiced by Grant Keehn, the first term councilman.  He said the remaining debt from the water plant construction, coupled with the city’s inability to offer high enough pay to fill key utility positions, make this the wrong time for a greenway.  Keehn’s position has him at loggerheads with Mayor Danny Edwards.  The mayor is one of the strongest proponents of the recreation, tourism, and economic benefits that a greenway offers – by connecting the downtown with a dedicated path from the popular Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel and Bike Park and the nearby Issaqueena Falls.