Dan Carscallen |
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(candidate for 2003 Moscow City Council (4 year seat)) |
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1. Do you believe the bequest from the Hamilton estate was spent wisely in
the construction and maintenance of the new gym? If not, why not—and how
would you avoid a similar problem in the future?
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I am in favor of the new gym, but maybe not the way it all came out, or how it is arranged. It seems the city council may not have been completely forthcoming in letting the public know how the gym was going to be arranged, but I'm sure the process was followed so as to stay legal, but maybe the city council could have let the public know via press releases rather than just announcements in the legal section of the paper. If I am elected, you can be sure I won't keep my mouth shut about how the city spends its money, especially the Hamilton bequest, since (by my understanding) that is supposed to be earmarked for recreational opportunities for the kids. |
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2. As a Council member, what would be your questions, concerns, and
requirements if you were asked to vote for a zoning variance that would allow a large business (employing 100 workers) to be built on the outskirts of Moscow? Use that example to define your vision of economic growth for Moscow.
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I would probably be in favor of a large employer locating themselves on the outskirts of town. Any influx of jobs is a good thing, as far as I'm concerned. There may be some issues as to water/sewer use, L.I.D.s, and other various concerns, but I personally would be in favor of any new employers. I have some issues, though, with the city's area of impact. I think there needs to be more communication between the City of Moscow, Latah County, and the North Latah County Highway District. As an employee of the Highway District, I have noticed the frustration of our Highway Commissioners by some of the problems encountered because of the City's area of impact. |
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3. Are you concerned with the continuing depletion of the Grande Ronde
aquifer, and if you are, what specific steps would you want the city to take
to conserve that water source?
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There is always some concern about the availability of clean water, but there is more than one aquifer serving the city, and I have seen evidence that the upper aquifer has not been depleted, but has actually been increasing in size. I'm no hydrologist, but I would tend to believe one more than someone with an alarmist viewpoint. I would like to see all the facts before making any drastic decisions such as water rationing, since education about water use is a better first step. I do believe that the voluntary cutbacks by the Moscow citizenry has made quite a difference, and the city should continue to make water saving devices available to the public. Every little bit helps. |
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4. Should Moscow encourage, and begin planning now for, the creation of a new route for Highway 95 that bypasses the city?
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This may not be popular with some voters, but I have always been in favor of the proposed route 10A for Highway 95 South. I think it is the safest option, and it does a lot less damage than people are contending. I think its another case of the people not paying attention to the process until everything is almost over, and now they've just cost the Idaho Transportation Department a lot more money, and set back the process at least another year. As far as a bypass is concerned, I have looked at the 2010 Moscow Urban Area and Functional Classification Map and I like some of the options for a bypass, while I'm skeptical of others. We not only need a "beltway" for the Highway 95 traffic, but something for the East-West traffic on Highway 8. I am in favor of the planning for such bypasses, since decreasing thru traffic in the downtown area seems like a good idea to me. |
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5. As a Council member, how would you use email, websites, or any other
communication tools to inform Moscow residents about city programs or to gather input from those residents?
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I would use email extensively, probably thru Vision2020, to keep residents apprised of what's going on in the city council. I don't have a website, but my I'd make my phone number available to any that want it, at least for people to leave me a message so I can get back to them. |
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6. Please include biographical information about yourself and any other
message or contact information you want to share with Moscow voters.
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I've lived in Moscow my entire life, I'm married with two kids in elementary school, and I work for the North Latah County Highway District as the Secretary/Treasurer. I like how Moscow has a small town feel to it, and I'd like to keep that feeling, but I am not against growth as long as it's done responsibly. I'm in favor of businesses that will provide new higher paying jobs to Moscow residents, and I'm also in favor of taking care of our city employees who are working on the streets and in the offices that haven't received a well-deserved raise for quite some time. I'm not so much in favor of the large raises for the higher ranking city employees recently, while the people who take care of all the day-to-day maintenance of our streets and parks and keep the offices running received none. I'm not going to lobby to cut anyone's pay, since that damage is done, but I would like to see some changes made for those who I believe have not been compensated fairly. I would also like to see some traffic issues taken care of, most specifically some work done to make Mountain View safer for pedestrian travel. With Mountain View Park, the Eggan Youth Center, the Hamilton-Lowe Aquatic Center, the new MHS ballfields out off of Joseph Street, and the Palouse Ice Rink and Latah County Fairgrounds, there is a need for sidwalks all along the entire length Mountain View. I would like to continue support for the youth activities, and I would also like to see the city help out with some of the other youth sports and activity programs, such as the Micro Soccer leagues (which I believe Parks and Rec has teamed up with) and the Tikes Tee-Ball league that a few people keep going with little help from the city.
I can be contacted via this email (predator75@moscow.com), and I'm in the phone book.
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