Empty promises

Nostalgic resident, Ermelo:
It is with a heavy heart that I ask, “What has become of Ermelo?”
The pretty, neat and tidy town we all knew has fallen into a shambles with potholes in the streets, sewage running everywhere and weeds and grass taking over the pavements and gutters.
Now let us talk about the Pet Dam and the municipal swimming bath. Rather I must say that embarrassment for our town that used to be the Pet Dam and swimming bath.
The Pet Dam is a disgrace for our town and the council does not seem to worry, in spite of announcing plans to clean the dam and renovate the swimming bath.
The municipal spokesman announced these plans earlier this year and an article in this regard appeared in the Highvelder of 9 May 2014.
The article stated that requests for interested parties to put forward proposals to renovate the entire Pet Dam area were even advertised in a national Sunday newspaper.
Now I ask, what has become of these plans? Was this all simply talk and empty promises just to get the hounds off of their backs?
On the same subject I would like to know why in the world was the grass and reeds on the perimeter of the Pet Dam sprayed with weed killer recently? Was this done on so-called expert advice?
Besides leaving and ugly brown ring of dead grass right around the dam, the natural habitat and hiding place of the few remaining water birds has been destroyed. What happens when the poison is washed into the dam when it rains is another question.
Is this not helping to drive the final nail into the coffin of the Pet Dam?