Re: Alturas Technology Park

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

>there's a plan and it's usually updated every few years
I've gone over the Comp. Plan, but it's not truly a "development" plan, 
but rather a set of specifications about what's allowable or possible 
within the incorporated city boundaries. I'm referring to objectives for 
the economic, recreational and institutional uses of property, how those 
objectives are intended to be met, and the financial capabilities of the 
funding sources to reach them. This is the job of council, in cooperation 
with the related depts., other public/private agencies and, most of all, 
the tax-paying citizenry (who, folks say all the time, don't have any 
spare time to get involved!). It's also the job of the media to get the 
information out of city hall and other places. It now appears that the 
Mayor is going to create an advisory council, and that's a great move. 
But rumor has it that he's sending out "invitations" to a small number of 
people (whom?) to participate. Why not announce it in the newspaper?  The 
school supt. is apparently also about to create an advisory committee of 
sorts, but how will its members be selected/appointed, etc.?  What is a 
"fair". representative process for such actions?
   As for rational planning, why is the city spending $4 million on a 
3-month use swimming pool, up to $3-4 million on a retrofitted community 
building, when  combining these funds into an overall $8 million "master 
plan" for a major recreational and social center, maybe on the Joseph St. 
property, could provide a multi-faceted facility? Would that make more 
sense, or not? I don't know, but perhaps a better planning mechanism 
involving a broader spectrum of the community could come up with some 
different and more functional designs?  It might just be possible, but 
we'll never know the way "planning" occurs around here. Certainly there's 
talent at both universities to help out on such issues, and less costly 
that $1000 a day consultants from some place else.  Just a thought.  Ken 
M. 

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