A) From the discussions I've had with Mr. Hamilton's friends and acquaintances (I never had the pleasure of personally meeting Mr. Hamilton), it was clear that had Mr. Hamilton lived he would have funded an indoor recreation facility of some kind.

B) The public input collected by the committee appointed by the Mayor (Dream Team I) to study how to spend the bequest found very strong support to building an indoor recreation facility. Over about a twelve month period, the Committee conducted a statistically valid citizen survey, we requested and received information from students at every Moscow school. We had numerous public meetings. Concept drawings and displays were placed at shopping Malls. Although not everyone was pleased with the outcome, we did conduct a very public process and it is my hope that we can continue to work together to meet our goals for Moscow's children.

C) I received numerous comments from the public with the general theme "Don't spend all of the money. Keep some to start an endowment".

D) The decision of the Council to build the facility with certificates of participation (COP) dedicating some of the investment returns to the support of maintenance and operation (MO) of the building is in the best interests of the Moscow tax payer. Having someone give you the money to build a new building is great but how to pay for the MO is a real issue. It was my opinion we should not ask the tax payers to pay for the MO of this facility because either taxes would have to go up or some worthy program would have been cut. Money is tight!

E) The decision to use COP to fund the project took advantage of the historic low interest rates and gives future councils complete flexibility with how the balance is utilized. We had financial experts advising us that the timing was excellent for COP financing. Future councils have the flexibility to do whatever they want. They may or may not choose to keep all of the investment returns (and principal for that matter) for MO. I personally support the use of some of these funds to help build additional outdoor recreation fields once a good plan is developed and we have a local organization leading the way.

F) The public input received by Dream Team I made it clear the indoor recreation facility should not be just an athletic facility. Not all of the youth in Moscow are athletically oriented. Other spaces were added (the multi purpose room in particular) to make it a recreation facility not just a gym. The gym itself can be divided into two 3/4 size basketball courts allowing good flexibility of use.

The rezone process requires two public hearings. The first is in front of the Planning and Zoning Commission or P&Z (a group of citizens appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Council). After conducting a hearing, the P&Z makes a recommendation to the Council. The Council then holds another public hearing and can either accept, reject or modify the P&Z's recommendation. The Council may send it back to the P&Z with instructions for reconsideration. Since I've been on the Council, all three of these have happened.

When a rezone comes before the Council, I always carefully read the minutes from the P&Z meeting. The recommendations of the P&Z carry a lot of weight with me. I am reluctant to reject their recommendations unless I have what I think are very sound reasons. I also listen very carefully to any public testimony given at the Council public hearing.

I base my decisions on a number of things: What impact does this rezone have on the surrounding neighborhood? What are the impacts to City services? Has the property owner done all that City code requires? Is the use in compliance with the zoning codes? Does the rezone cause conflicts with surrounding zones? The P&Z will have considered all of these things before it gets to the Council. Their recommendation will be based upon their opinion of the answers to these questions as well as others. It is often a balancing act between the need for the City to grow and the needs of established neighborhoods or business areas. Moscow is going to grow. The rezone process provides a mechanism for orderly growth. It does not eliminate conflict. A vote either way in the rezone process often makes one side or the other unhappy.

For the past several years Moscow has grown at an annual rate of about 2% per year. Using the Moscow 2000 census population of about 21,000 people, we are adding 420 people a year. Moscow has been able to accommodate this historic growth rate. A new business with 100 jobs would bring an estimated 300 to 400 people to town. If they all came at once, it would put pressure on the system but in my opinion it would not cause serious problems.

A) Continue to fund PBAC and the research it conducts. Specifically PBAC is researching where and how natural recharge occurs to the deep and shallow aquifers. Once this is better understood, it is possible to use surface water to enhance natural recharge. This is already being done in a number of areas across the nation. Obviously, it has to be done very carefully and with a lot of planning. We have plenty of water to do this. In five days time during the Spring, an entire years supply of water flows out of Paradise Creek. The water quality isn't ideal but the water is there. We wouldn't do it in five days. The point is we live in a water rich area and have resources at our disposal.

B) Continue the citizen water conservation education program under way in the City of Moscow including supplying water conservation devices to Moscow citizens.

C) Continue to contribute to the capital projects fund in the Moscow water department with the expectation that significant capital expenditures will be required in the future. If we add to the fund in small increments each year, we won't have to come up with the money all at once. We have the time if we maintain what the Council started two budget cycles ago.

D) Work with PBAC and the City of Pullman to develop a water rate structure in both Cities that encourages the conservation of our deep aquifer. Both Cities pump from the deep aquifer. We should work with our friends to the West and come up with a plan that shares the burden on an equitable basis. The City of Moscow is in the process of hiring consultants to help with water conservation efforts and develop conservation oriented water rate structures. This information should be shared with PBAC and the City of Pullman in particular. I think the citizens of Moscow will embrace a water conservation rate structure if they feel everyone in the area is doing their part. New rates must be structured to accommodate fixed income homes.

E) Make evening hours watering mandatory during the summer months.

F) Enact odd/even watering days.

G) Work with State and Federal officials to find money to help solve our water management issues.