vision2020
City leaders and the 1912 Center
Visionaries,
On Saturday, the Daily News ran a good front page
story headlined "Moscow leaders plan for future." In the article, Ted
McDonough reported on the city's two-day
strategic planning process. He paraphrased Steve Busch, council president,
who said he hopes the process will enable the council to anticipate city needs,
rather than reacting to situations. For example, he said the city's
project to turn the 1912 High School into a community center arose out of the
building's availability rather than city leaders determining a need for the
facility.
On one hand, Steve is right. It is certainly
true that the building itself has been a catalyst for incredible
energy and financial resources. The building itself inspired people to
dream about -- and work hard for -- a place where members of the community could
come together. So in a way Steve is right. City leaders responded to a great
opportunity.
On the other hand, I wonder who Steve is thinking
about when he says city leaders didn't identify the need for a community
center. Mayor Comstock has provided real leadership on the 1912
Center, as have Council Members Linda Pall, Peg Hamlett, and Jack Hill. I
admire their willingness to step forward on a project that has, admittedly, not
had unanimous support.
I commend the City Council for working on
strategic planning. I hope that council members will use the process
to reach consensus and seek input from the community, rather than as a platform
for their particular positions on public policy.
Priscilla Salant
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