By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
Opponents of the proposed beef harvesting plant project in Junction City were direct in their comments to the Junction City Commission Tuesday night.
Kelsey Mann called for transparency on what city and county leaders have looked at as they do their due diligence. "Your actions tell us that you are moving forward with this. " She pointed to soil samples and a request for a base grant. "So as a community member I am asking for transparency on what you have looked into and what you have learned doing your due diligence."
Mann noted that she had about 500 signed petitions and asked what it would take for the leaders to hear their voice that they do not want the project in the community. "We do not want this in our residential neighborhoods. We do not want to live next to this."
Mann also pointed out that when approached with a petition many of the city and county employees expressed that they are against the slaughterhouse but fear signing it due to retaliation against their employers. "That's so disappointing that that is the type of leadership we have when we have, that they fear expressing their opinion because they could lose their job."
Mayor Jeff Underhill responded by noting that the State is putting another interchange ( Taylor Road ) in. "It's not for any specific project but Junction City is getting another interchange so we have to pursue all funding aspects to get water, utilities and roads and that sort of thing out there regardless of what could come. " Underhill said the base grant is not because anything is moving forward. "We want to be prepared and utilize all the assets at our disposal."
Susan Kamm said she has been doing due diligence on this project. "And I want to make sure all of you are. I was born and raised here. This is not what we want for our community. I don't know how desperate we must be as a community to even consider having this. "
Kamm said her father, Don Sjoholm, served as mayor in Junction City for many years. "And again I've had many employees say I can't sign this, I can't give my opinion. There will be retaliation. Come on guys you can't do that. This is our home and we are entitled to have an opinion.
Kamm observed that Junction City has changed the reputation of this city. "If you go on the world wide web people aren't calling us junk town. We are getting military families wanting to settle here. Do you think that we're going to get those military families if the housing development that they're living in is less than three miles from the slaughterhouse. No you're not!
Kamm added that opponents are not going to stop. "I won't stop and I will fight you on this until the bitter end, so I'm not going anywhere and I really hope you do your due diligence.