Was something missing at the Albert Lea City Council meeting Monday?

Yes. Discussion on one of the biggest questions on the minds of Albert Lea residents:

Should Fountain Lake go untreated for this summer?

Is it too late in the summer to treat it anyway? Is it worth spending $12,000 the city failed to budget? Is anyone planning to do something for next year? Is having blue waters important for Albert Lea tourism and the summer economy?

Someone — whether it is the city, the county, a partnership or a nonprofit organization — should plan to pay for treating the lake in 2009. It is the city that holds the bag on this issue, and it is the city that needs to spearhead the search for a solution. That could be either funding it outright or holding fundraisers to get the money or partnering with other governments, agencies or organizations to get it done.

There is more than one way to accomplish this goal.