Way to go, Moscow

Moscow issues cease-and-desist order for ice rink

County has until Jan. 25 to reach agreement on use permit

Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - Page Updated at 05:41:27 PMThe city of Moscow has issued a cease-and-desist order for the Moscow Rotary Veteran’s Memorial Pavilion ice rink at the Latah County Fairgrounds.

A letter signed by City Attorney Randy Fife outlining the order was presented to county commissioners during their Wednesday meeting.
The ice rink will be forced to close Jan. 25 at 5 p.m. unless county commissioners can reach an agreement with the city. Commissioners have scheduled a public meeting for 2:30 p.m. Friday to discuss the situation.

The city recently notified Latah County it was in violation of its special use permit to operate the ice rink and the Latah County Fairgrounds because it had not defined its parking area around the facility and failed to pave the rink’s parking lot by the specified date.
The ice rink operates under a special use permit in the R3, or duplex zone.
The county had until Sept. 30 to complete the paving project under stipulations of the special use permit it signed in October 2005.

The county has sought permanent status for the fairgrounds for years. Every two to five years it must reapply for a special use permit to keep the grounds open.
The county has put down more gravel in the parking lot and plans to install parking bumpers to show the city it is serious about meeting the special use permit requirements.
Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney said Fife signed the cease-and-desist order Wednesday afternoon.

“I think it’s in keeping with enforcing the city’s laws. It did not slam the door for possibilities of the ice rink,” she said. “This is a wake-up call and I hope for the best.”
Chaney said the previous warnings had not resulted in compliance by the county.
“I am hopeful that a workable, mutually agreeable solution may be the end result,” she said.
The City Council voted 3-2 Tuesday to try to organize a meeting with Latah County and Palouse

Ice Rink Association officials to work toward a solution.

Chaney said the meeting is still being planned, but a time has not been set.
County commissioners Jack Nelson and Tom Stroschein declined comment on the matter Wednesday evening. Both said they hadn’t had a chance to read through the cease-and-desist order.

Way to go, Mayor and Council members. Kick those rowdy, Wal-Mart shopping yahoos and their lowbrow sports right out of your fair city. Who needs the kind of problems brought on by healthy exercise in a controled environment. Who needs a bunch of kids whooping and hollering at play in a safe location rather than playing video games or running the streets? It's much more important that you impose your will on those poor non-progressives simps over at the county. I'm sure you worked as hard as you could on finding a solution to this sticky problem. It would have been WAY beyond reason to expect you to simply remove the requirement for a paved lot or revoke the permit and reissue one without it. Great work!