A long-discussed topic in Carroll, train horn mitigation, was back up for debate among the candidates running for city office during the Carroll Rotary’s forum on Monday. The issue was brought up by former Carroll City Mayor, Adam Schweers.
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JJ Schreck, who is running for the At-Large council seat on the Nov. 2 ballot, has lived and worked in Carroll for more than 14 years and notes train noise is one of the first things new residents notice when they move to town. It has never been a huge issue for her, but she would support the effort if that is what residents want.
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Downtown business owner and Ward One candidate, Tom Bordenaro, says he is not opposed to the idea. However, the estimated $800,000 to $1.5 million cost associated with noise mitigation is more of an issue for him, especially for a problem that has existed since Carroll was founded. Mayoral candidate, Jerry Fleshner, says train noise has been studied extensively, including during his time on the city council, with the results not as clear-cut as you might think.
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Fleshner adds city officials are expecting the latest study’s results in the near future, but he does not anticipate changing his position on the issue. The other mayoral candidate, Mark Beardmore, says a recent survey shows only a slim majority of Carroll residents view train noise as a significant concern.
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Ward Three Councilman, Clay Haley, says he has and will continue to support train horn mitigation efforts while Kyle Bauer, who is also running for the Ward Three seat, says he does not oppose the idea. However, Bauer believes there are better things to use that money for rather than train noise. Monday’s forum was hosted by the Carroll Rotary Club. Full audio can be found included below.
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