Good evening commissioners and MDC staff. My name is Brendan Mahoney and I reside at 160 Fairfield Ave in Hartford. I am a ratepayer, cyclist and frequent user of the MDC trails. I urge you to maintain status quo at the various MDC facilities in regards to recreational access. The recent adverse lawsuit was an aberration and should not result in a policy change.

Evidenced by the resolution passed in Hartford and the submitted resolution in West Hartford, as well as the people here tonight and the countless letters and emails that the MDC has no doubt received, the will of the people is to keep the trails open to public use. The Commission must listen to the myriad who have spoken up. The MDC was chartered by the General Assembly as a quasi-public corporation, providing potable water and sewage service to member towns. And to that end is a steward of vast land holdings required for their water and sewage activities. Its commissioners are appointed by member towns, the legislature and the Governor to govern this municipality without boarders in a representative fashion. We, your constituents, are in solidarity that we want public land to remain public and open to recreational use.

There are many, many personal reasons why people want these trails kept open. I’m a mountain biker and that’s my personal connection.

To close, there are times when policy makers must make unpopular decisions to do what’s right, but this is not one of those times. The obvious wrong decision would be fence off thousands and thousands of acres of public land to the public.

Thank you.