To the editor:

As reported in the Journal-World, during its meeting on Tuesday, the City Commission approved $17 million in industrial revenue bonds and a tax break for Dover Construction to build an assisted living and memory care facility. This is despite the fact that when Commissioner Lisa Larsen (who did not support the measure) asked the Dover representative about whether the firm had taken the environment into account when planning the facility, she was told, “with the current construction market and the cost increases, this is not something that we focus on in our facilities.”

Really? In a city that prides itself on its environmental consciousness and climate change awareness, how can a majority of the City Commission support a company that ignores those aspects in building a new facility? That seems remarkably out of step and calls into question the priorities of the commissioners who voted to approve the proposal and whether they truly represent their constituents. I have come to expect better decisions from our city leaders.

Chris Haufler,

Lawrence