Re: Alturas Technology Park

[Ken Medlin <dev-plan@moscow.com>]

> Does the City Council 
>feel that Moscow is competing with Spokane or Couer d'Alene? 
In fact, Spokane developers and politicians consider Moscow-Pullman 
within their sphere of economic expansion, according to a WSJ report in 
October. When it comes to venture capital, they'll most likely begin to 
call the shots, as some CA financial interests are already working in 
Spokane. I think that's why our two communiites, and  esp. Moscow, ought 
to reach some kind of consensus, citizen-based, as to goals, quality of 
life, urban boundaries, saving downtown, etc. A little of this was 
discussed during the campaign, but when you ask the average citizen what 
the election was about, it usually boils down to personalities, name 
recognition, etrc. -- not issues and principles. Maybe the Alturas 
project is, from these perspectives, not a bad concept, but does it have 
broad public support, is it soundly based on some planning theory and 
methodology, is it attracting the "right" kinds of enterprises (other 
than a new law firm), is it good for downtown, does it relate to local 
human resources rather than to skills that must be imported, etc. etc.? 
These kinds of questions ought to be raised by the community if citizens 
are expected to risk underwriting new ventures about which they know 
little or nothing!
  For me, City Council and EDC have a lot of questions to answer, and the 
sooner the better. I advocate a public hearing on the matter involving 
all elected and appointed officials having anything to do with this 
scheme. After, all, I'm paying a big tax bill today, and I'm wondering 
how much of it is already mortgaged.  Ken M.

------------------------
William K. Medlin
Dev-plan associates
930 Kenneth Street
Moscow ID 83843
208/892-0148
dev-plan@moscow.com