<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>David,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Thank you for the update on the bike topic. My children
are out of training wheels but I still would not want to see them only allowed
on the street. At age 10 and younger they still make a great deal of poor
decisions. When it comes to a game of tag between a car and a bike the car will
always win. I would like to see the city council allow bikes all the
right of pedestrians when they are on sidewalks as the state law dictates and
devote educational dollars providing courtesy training to bike riders on
sidewalks and traffic law training for streets riders.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>On the other topic I have seen the amount of time the Council
members spend on issues and I am grateful for the work that they do and the business
that gets accomplished. My concern is that it appears that a great deal
of time and energy lately has been put into cell phone ordinances, banning
homeless from the downtown, discussing the appropriate locations for bike
traffic and creating more rules for the citizens of Missoula to live by.
It does not appear that making Missoula “The desired place for new and
expanding business” or creating a means that will make Missoula the
leader in the economic recovery for our state is being discussed or allocated much
time by the City Staff and Council. It would be refreshing to see the
full power and time of the city staff and Council on this issue so it was
making the news each week. From my perspective these topics have been a black
hole of effort by our government and body of leaders. This may be an incorrect
view but it has not been getting much press coverage if it is occurring. As the
Chair of the Public Safety and Health I am sure you have a great deal of
influence on what could benefit Missoula’s citizens Health Care expenditures
and still make sure our Medical industry is vibrant and growing. That
would be a nice change in priority focus at this time or an issue worth
allocating more time to. Maybe issues that are not life threatening, not taxable
and do not create increases or stabilize the citizens’ revenue generation
could take a back seat for a while.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>David V. Gray<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>