Can We Afford "Smart Growth?"

A new UW study of Seattle housing prices says "No":

Between 1989 and 2006, the median inflation-adjusted price of a Seattle house rose from $221,000 to $447,800. Fully $200,000 of that increase was the result of land-use regulations, says Theo Eicher — twice the financial impact that regulation has had on other major U.S. cities.

What land-use regulations you say?

A key regulation is the state's Growth Management Act, enacted in 1990 in response to widespread public concern that sprawl could destroy the area's unique character. To preserve it, the act promoted restrictions on where housing can be built. The result is artificial density that has driven up home prices by limiting supply, Eicher says.

And who is it that pushes for these onerous regulations?

According to the Wharton study, cities such as Seattle that have high median incomes, high home prices and a large percentage of college-educated workers tend to have the most land-use regulations.

Sjoblom says that makes sense: "People with higher incomes want the kind of amenities that regulation provides," he says. "If you're a homeowner and growth controls are imposed and housing prices shoot up, you're grandfathered because you own the place. In theory people will say it's [rising prices] a bad thing, but in practice it's not hurting them."

[...]

In the final analysis, Eicher believes Seattle's regulatory climate exists because its residents want it. "My sense is land-use restrictions are imposed to generate socially desirable outcomes," he says. "We all love parks and green spaces. But we must also be informed about the costs. It's very easy to vote for a park if you think the cost is free."

Ah, now I see. The same old unholy alliance of left-wing no-growthers and selfish NIMBYists.

Pullman suffers from the same sort of problem as Seattle does to a lesser extent: artificially high home prices created by regulations created by snobby eltitists. For example, the PARDners say they want affordable housing while at the same time pressing for even more restrictive land use regulations. And let's not forget Cheryl Morgan and the League of Women Voters who also work to do everything they can to make development more difficult in Pullman.

"City still trying to solve parking problem"

At last Saturday's GOP caucus, one of our elected officials told me that his wife had found a news story published back in the Fifties in the Pullman Herald. It was about downtown parking. He said it could have been written today. It was a problem then and it's a problem now. There is no easy solution. Geography has dictated that downtown will never be able to have a lot of retail or a lot of housing.

From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Round-table discussion brings stakeholders together to share ideas, potential solutions

The Pullman Planning Commission mixed things up Wednesday, opting for a round-table discussion to fuel solutions to the city's downtown parking issue.

Stakeholders in the downtown area - including business owners, residents and developers - led the conversation, which was designed to create more open dialogue than has been possible at the commission's testimony-based public meetings in the past.

"I think we've all found out we're on the same team and want something good for Pullman," Commission Chairman Stephen Garl said. "Where it all shakes out, I can't say."

The City Council set a March deadline for the commission to recommend formal solutions to the parking issue. The council voiced a desire for more definitive ideas after it was presented in December with broad short-term suggestions such as better identification of public parking areas, the possibility of a downtown residential parking permit program, and increased enforcement to discourage long-term parking.

The downtown area - bordered roughly by State Street to the west, Spring Street to the east, Whitman Street to the north and McKenzie Street to the south - is in the city's central business zone.

Parking currently is not mandated with downtown development, even if it includes living space - an issue some have said creates competition for spots between downtown retail customers and residents.

Wednesday's meeting yielded solutions ranging from increased parking enforcement by police to asking the public for money to create a long-term parking structure. The group also discussed how to better utilize a Washington State University parking lot near Reaney Park, decreasing the central business zone and extending two-hour parking limits to three hours.

City Planner Pete Dickinson said the committee may have rehashed some of the same ideas, but the meeting garnered more of a consensus and a desire to remedy the parking issue with a long-term plan before it escalates.

"It shows that all are in understanding," he said. "It was good to get them all in the same room."

Dickinson said the commission is free to suggest any solutions it sees fit, but he urged members to address one issue in particular. In past meetings, the commission has debated altering city code to mandate new residential development in the district provide off-street parking.

Such a move would ensure that residents living in the downtown area have some off-street parking for their vehicles.

The City Council also has discussed the issue at length, and Dickinson said the commission should formally give its opinion regarding a possible code change.

"That's something ... I will insist upon. That's been the elephant in the room," Dickinson said. "It'll be a yes or no, but it'll have to be explained."

The commission is expected to revisit the issue Feb. 27. Garl said commission members and the public are encouraged to take the next several weeks to let the issues digest, and then bring solutions to the table. The group will then reconvene and begin to discuss feasible solutions.

"The solution will be a multi-set of suggestions to be considered," he said. "There is no silver bullet."

"We called them 'chicken'"

As you know, outspoken liberal Lewiston Tribune columnist and apparent Pullman/Whitman County hater Jim Fisher, has been bashing the Hawkins development and the Whitman County Commissioners. The latest subject of his ire, in a column last Sunday, was the WSU golf course. Fisher implied there should be some sort of linkage between the golf course and the Hawkins development:

Next for Palouse water talks: WSU golf course

Now that a reconfigured Moscow City Council has demonstrated its willingness to cooperate with other Palouse governments on water use, it is in a position to seek reciprocity on one of the least defensible projects to threaten the region's underground water sources.

That project is the new 18-hole golf course that Washington State University is building, and watering, before the water reclamation system intended to keep it green is even begun. The school projects it will pour 60 million gallons of water on the course each year, and until the system that is years off goes on line, each of those gallons will come from the aquifers whose sustainability is in question.

The school's rush to complete the course without a wastewater irrigation system like the one the University of Idaho uses has raised objections from more than local water watchdogs. It even became an issue in the election that seated new Moscow City Councilors Wayne Krauss, Dan Carscallen and Walter Steed.

All three ran in opposition to the former council's reluctance to approve substantial increases in water consumption.

During the contested election, Krauss told people attending a candidate forum he objected to "the idea for us to try to save water here in Moscow so it can be used downstream." And a newspaper advertisement for the three candidates said, "In Pullman they're developing a new golf course. In Moscow we've raised water rates to cut consumption."

The promise to help end such a disparity no doubt helped elect the three challengers. And the other day, all three helped reverse Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney's objection to providing water to a new shopping mall on the Washington side of the state line along the Pullman-Moscow traffic corridor.

None of the three has claimed the Palouse sits on an infinite supply of water, however. And their willingness to negotiate a water agreement with Whitman County for the mall for which county commissioners have obligated taxpayers to the tune of $9.1 million in bonds gives them the right, and the credibility, to seek discussion of other water issues in the region.

The first of those issues should be WSU's rush to waste water.

I could rebut Fisher's arguments, but Idaho Rep. Bob Nonini (R- Coeur d'Alene), another target of Fisher's temper tantrums, did it best in a "Turnabout" column from Tuesday's Tribune:

Turnabout: Cheap shots, no warning

As some of my colleagues tell me, if the editorial writers at the Lewiston Tribune are criticizing you then you must be doing something right.

Well, I must be doing something right. In the last couple of weeks, I've been branded as being anti-education, and more recently the Tribune editors lend the impression that I'm leading a one-man crusade to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The criticism doesn't bother me. Anyone who serves in this body, or in any other elected office, is subject to criticism. What is troubling is the methods employed by the editorial writers.

I don't know Jim Fisher or Tom Henderson, and they don't know me. All I know about them is when I pick up the Tribune and occasionally read editorials taking me to task. Again, I don't mind the criticism. I'm only disputing the antiquated method.

Mr. Fisher and Mr. Henderson are living examples of why newspapers are dying, and why newspapers are losing credibility. They read what somebody else writes, dish up a few cheap shots and present them as "cutting-edge" editorials. The tactics might have worked during the 1960s or 1970s, when Bill Hall was writing editorials. But the method strikes me as outdated by today's standards.

During Bill Hall's day, when the only practical way to contact someone was by telephone, contacting an individual was not always possible. But in 2008, when e-mails are used at least as much as telephones, there's no excuse for not making that effort.

It's my understanding that some of the nation's leading newspapers, including the Washington Post, have a policy to make every effort to contact an individual before criticizing him in print - if for no other reason than to give that person a heads-up. A conversation with a source may or may not change the direction of an editorial, but giving a fair warning shows that a newspaper has professional standards and a degree of class.

I'm sure that nothing I said will make a difference, so Mr. Fisher and Mr. Henderson can criticize me all they want. That's OK. I was born and raised in Wallace and put up with a lot worse than that in the school yards.

But in Wallace, we had a name for people who said or did something without first confronting you.

We called them "chicken."

"Newest City Council member ready to get rolling; Wright says her community involvement over the years will come in handy"

I like Pat's attitude. I think she'll fit right in on the council.

From yesterday's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Pat Wright moved to Pullman site unseen.

She moved to town from California in 1975 when her husband, Ray, accepted a job at the Washington State University Department of Animal Sciences. The couple arrived on the Palouse in the sleepy days of late summer - just after harvest and shortly before the university opened for fall classes.

"I just wasn't prepared," said Wright, 60. "We'd go in a restaurant and we were the only ones there."

Wright said Pullman was supposed to be a temporary home for the couple, but community involvement and the birth of their two children kept them in town.

"It was only going to be a few years ... but here we still are," she said. "We just made the conscious decision to stay."

Her time and commitment to Pullman paid off Tuesday, when Wright was appointed to the Pullman City Council Ward 3 position. Her list of community service and business accomplishments was impressive to the council, which chose her to join the bench from a list of candidates that included Terence Day and Dave Gibney.

The Ward 3 seat came open when it was determined that Devon Felsted, elected to the seat in November, would have to step down due to a conflict of interest. David Stiller, who was voted into the position in 2003, did not seek re-election.

Since her arrival in Pullman, Wright has worked at General Telephone and Electronics handling student accounts and most recently was the manager of The Bookie - a position she retired from last year. She now works as a campus relations consultant for Barnes and Noble, which allows her more time for community involvement on the Pullman Chamber of Commerce and Pullman Education Foundation boards. She also is active in the Pullman Civil Service Commission and the Pullman Regional Hospital Auxiliary.

Wright joked that her long résumé is a testament to her inability to say no, but added her roles in local business and service groups have prepared her for the council position.

"Little bits and pieces of the jobs I've done have given me a look at the big picture," she said.

Wright said she applied for the City Council position with an open mind and no agenda, but is a proponent for planned growth and a continued partnership with WSU.

She said the city is playing catch-up for missed business opportunities in the 1970s and 1980s that "ended up going to Moscow."

"Since then, we've tried to equalize that with projects like Bishop Boulevard," she said. "Any time we have a chance to keep that revenue here, I think we should capitalize on that."

Wright said planned growth includes ensuring available amenities to create a livable community.

"We need to make it a community that's livable for everyone," she said. "Livability is shopping. Livability is good schools. Livability is good health care.

"We need to continue to make it a destination rather than a place people come to four for years and then leave."

WSU also benefits from increased livability, Wright said, "because the more amenities, the easier it is to recruit students here."

Wright said a strong partnership between the city and university is essential to the health of the community.

"Can you say Pullman and not think of WSU?" she asked. "As much as we don't like to say it, Pullman is WSU and WSU is Pullman. We have to make sure Pullman and WSU are working together for what they both need."

For now, Wright said she's going to ease into her new position. After all, it will take some time to read up on city policy and current hot topics.

"I want to take my time to learn what the issues are," she said. "Probably the scariest part is going to be the accelerated learning curve to get into it."

In her down time, Wright said she enjoys traveling with Ray, to whom she's been married for 37 years. In previous years, they have visited New York City and Bermuda, among other places, and they are scheduled for an adventure in Tahiti in May.

She's also a fan of football and her two springer spaniels.

"SEL announces plan to add 300 new jobs; Most of the new positions will be located in Pullman"

If it were not for Schweitzer Engineering both the City of Pullman and Whitman County would likely be facing negative population, jobs, and income losses. Because of the underdeveloped retail trade, service, and housing sector in Pullman, Moscow may be benefiting as much from the growth of Schweitzer Engineering as Pullman.

- Steve Peterson, "Moscow at a Tipping Point: An Economic Analysis of the Retail Trade Sector, the Local Economy, and the Effects of Locating a Super Wal-Mart in the Moscow, Idaho Regional Economy"

Thanks to the courageous efforts of the Whitman County Commissioners and the Hawkins Companies, the development logjam created by the unholy alliance of local NIMBYists and left-wing nutjobs has been broken up. Whitman County will now start to benefit from the expansion of SEL. Now, all we need is for the Appeals Court to dismiss PARD's pointless appeal of Wal-Mart, and Pullman can start to benefit as well and we will have total victory!! What a great day for Whitman County!

From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories plans to expand operations and add hundreds of new jobs in Pullman.

The Pullman-based company announced Monday that more than 300 new employees will be needed to help the growing company.

Susan Fagan, SEL director of public affairs, said "most" of the open positions will be needed in Pullman. She said about 100 positions already are listed online, while nearly 200 more will be added during the next two quarters.

In 2007, SEL added 248 new positions and now employs about 1,000 people at its Pullman headquarters.

With roots in manufacturing parts used in generating electric power, SEL introduced the world's first digital relay in 1984. Since then, the company has created products used in oil refineries, wind farms and high-voltage substations. Its products include clocks that are accurate to the microsecond, encryption equipment used to protect secure equipment and systems for the U.S. Navy that allow ships to run on electrical power rather than steam power.

The company's products are sold in 120 countries.

Fagan said the new batch of open positions are a reflection of growth caused by "new products, new locations and new companies."

"Hiring these new people will help us grow and continue to meet the demand of our customers," she said. "We're creating new markets by inventing, designing and manufacturing new products."

Fagan said the company seeks employees to work in the flight department, production, engineering, manufacturing, administration and more. Open job listings can be viewed at www.selinc.com.

In 2006, SEL's manufacturing facilities doubled to more than 200,000 square feet, which allowed for new equipment, expanded lines and room for additional employees. More than half of the company's Pullman employees work in manufacturing operations.

Fagan said the increase of employees will equate to more products for vendors and more business for shipping companies. She said the impact will resonate in the local economy.

"It's an exciting time for our company ... and it's exciting for our economy in our area," Fagan said. "There will be more families, and they'll need homes. They'll have kids that go to schools. They'll need services."

Pullman Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Fritz Hughes agreed. He said the SEL employee expansion will be a benefit to the entire region.

"It's a good quality of life that SEL provides for the community and that's a big benefit," he said. "It's a tremendous asset to our community.

"This brings in people and gives good stable employment for people so they don't have to leave" the area.

SEL was founded in Pullman in 1982 and employs more than 1,500 people in 64 locations around the world.

"Clarkston Wal-Mart plans steaming ahead"

Meanwhile, kookless Clarkston will have a Wal-Mart Supercenter summer after next...

From today's Lewiston Tribune:

Wal-Mart could open across the street from Costco in Clarkston by June 2009.

That's the prediction of Jim Martin, Clarkston public works director, who has been working with the nation's biggest retailer on its plans to open a super center there.

Much is taking place behind the scenes, even though little activity is happening at the proposed 26-acre site on Fifth Street that has yet to be purchased by Wal-Mart, Martin says.

Consultants with the big-box chain continue to follow the schedule that's been developed in communication with city officials and has been happening for about a year, Martin says.

Wal-Mart has completed a traffic study. Comments about the study are due soon from the Washington Department of Transportation and the architecture and engineering firm USKH, Martin said.

The city of Clarkston hired USKH with money from the Lewis-Clark Metropolitan Planning Organization, Martin said.

The city will look at the information provided by all those parties and then negotiate with Wal-Mart about what kinds of changes it will require.

City building officials also will be sending out notices to agencies such as the Department of Ecology and Fish and Wildlife as part of following the State Environmental Policy Act. Those agencies will be invited to comment on any additional pollution Wal-Mart might create, such as more lighting, noise and car exhaust. The city might request additional mitigation based on those remarks, Martin said.

But Martin doesn't expect any of those steps in the process will present major obstacles. The property is located in a zone that allows big-box stores and he's not aware of any significant environmental issues. "The consultants for Wal-Mart do not leave any stone unturned. They've been going over the property with a fine-tooth comb."

Once Wal-Mart gets its building permit, which could be as early as June, Martin expects it will take between 12 and 18 months to complete. "This isn't their first time at the prom. So I don't imagine it will be a slow process."

Opening super centers in other communities has taken longer.

Wal-Mart has discussed seeking a super center site in Lewiston since at least 2001, but any steps the retailer has made toward that goal have never been made public.

In Pullman, Wal-Mart has acquired 28 acres in the 400 block of Bishop Boulevard. Plans for a super center there were first announced in October 2004, said Pete Dickinson, city planning. But plans for the store continue to be stalled in litigation.

Three judges in Washington's Division III Court of Appeals in Spokane heard arguments in the case on Dec. 19. Typically the judges take three to six months to issue their opinions, according to an employee in the office of the court's clerks.

The case involves an appeal by the Pullman Alliance for Responsible Development of an initial decision by the city of Pullman to allow the super center.

Wal-Mart also examined opening a super center in Moscow, where it already has a discount store. But that idea was put on the back burner because it found the city's process for a proposed site too cumbersome.

The recent shift in Moscow's city council doesn't seem to have changed Wal-Mart's stance. "We'd still like to serve our customers there with a super center, but at this point, it's kind of on hold," says Karianne Fallow, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart in Boise.

Farther north, in Hayden Lake, the process has been complicated too. City Manager Jay Townsend estimates Wal-Mart has been working on its plans for at least five years.

Initially Wal-Mart wanted to locate on two parcels of land, but only one of them was zoned for the development. The city denied a request to rezone one of the parcels after a packed public hearing, and Wal-Mart went back and redid its design so it could use a single parcel, Townsend says.

Doing so is costing Wal-Mart hundreds of thousands of dollars in mitigation, such as replacing a sewer lift station that has to be moved and creating an additional travel lane on U.S. Highway 95, Townsend says.

The city of Hayden also successfully negotiated with Wal-Mart to make the facade of the store tan and brown with rock veneer instead of the standard gray with red, white and blue. The idea is to blend with the rustic flavor Hayden Lake is trying to develop as part of a revitalization project. "We wanted something that was going to fit within the community itself," Townsend says.

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"Something Wal-Mart this way comes"

God bless Gerard Connelly. He's all for a Wal-Mart, just so its near one of his stores and not in Pullman.

The naivete of Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson and Pullman Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Fritz Hughes is simply stunning with respect to the effect a Wal-Mart Supercenter will have on the community of Pullman.

- Gerard Connelly, "Mayor's reaction to Wal-Mart naive," Moscow-Pullman Daily News, December 14, 2004

Depending on the price of real estate, you like to be as close to Wal-Mart as you can get.

- Gerard Connelly, "Something Wal-Mart this way comes," Lewiston Tribune, February 3, 2008

From today's Lewiston Tribune:

One, two, three or four.

That's about as specific as Wal-Mart officials are willing to get about how many super centers the nation's largest retailer might locate in the Quad Cities.

Karianne Fallow, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, points to a news release from the company's June annual shareholders meeting that states the retailer is getting pickier in setting its criteria for new super centers. "They're doing a lot of due diligence to make sure we're making the right decisions," Fallow said.

The national chain expects to add 190 to 200 super centers in the present fiscal year, down from a previous estimate of 265 to 270, according to the news release. The number will drop to 170 for the next three fiscal years.

"The priority for a potential store is selecting a location that makes the most efficient use of capital resources and aligns with market growth priorities," according to a Wal-Mart executive quoted in the news release. "We also have been focused this year on reducing cannibalization of existing stores via our more strategic selection of U.S. real estate properties."

Assuming Wal-Mart moves ahead with super center plans in this region at a number of three or fewer, a University of Idaho economist believes the outcome will be positive for existing businesses.

Steve Peterson, a research economist at the UI, did a study about the issue for the Moscow Chamber of Commerce.

Wal-Mart could put one in Clarkston, another in Lewiston and a third in Pullman. Or it might choose Pullman, Moscow and Clarkston.

Regardless of the combination, super Wal-Marts would attract shoppers from at least as far away as Grangeville, the Montana border, Pomeroy, Potlatch and Colfax. They will shop at Wal-Mart first and then make other stops, Peterson says. "If you look at retail trade partners, it is the large stores and shopping centers that draw the customers."

Numerous residents of the Palouse visit Clarkston to shop at Costco, which, incidentally, Peterson believes won't be hurt by having a Wal-Mart across the street.

The stores serve completely different demographics, Peterson says. Nationally, the average household income of a Costco customer is $80,000 and higher, compared with about $35,000 for a Wal-Mart shopper. "Costco is one of the biggest sellers of fine wines. You're not going to find fine wines at Wal-Mart."

And Wal-Mart already has stores in Lewiston and Moscow, so the only new elements of competition the super centers would bring would be for tires and groceries, Peterson says.

One of the businesses in Clarkston that will likely be hardest hit is the Albertsons because of the similarity of its products and its proximity to the store, Peterson says.

A spokeswoman from Albertsons declined to comment for this story.

But even those kinds of businesses could find successful ways to compete as long as they're not trying to beat Wal-Mart on price, Peterson says.

Les Schwab operates numerous tire dealerships in places with super Wal-Marts. It does so by offering outstanding customer service, such as free road-side repairs for tires, Peterson says.

Safeway in Moscow seems to compete with Winco by having a larger selection of upper-end products in a more relaxed environment where shoppers can get in and out quickly, Peterson says.

Similarly, some grocery stores in Lewiston or Clarkston will likely keep customers because they're in a different part of town or because people don't want to fight Wal-Mart crowds, Peterson says.

"The opening of a Wal-Mart doesn't necessarily guarantee success," says Bill Wertz, a spokesman for Wal-Mart in Denver. "Customers make a choice as to where they want to shop and only if they find good value, good service and good products at a Wal-Mart do they give us their business."

It started as a mom-and-pop store carving out a niche in the face of the giants of that era such as Sears, Wertz says. "We succeeded even though we were small because we offered something of value to the customer."

Gerard Connelly, president and majority owner of Tri-State Distributors, employs a strategy similar to the one Peterson recommends. Nothing in the shoe department of his stores can be purchased at Wal-Mart.

Achieving that is easier than it sounds. Numerous manufacturers will not sell to Wal-Mart, such as North Face, Adidas, Keen, Under Armour, Patagonia and Mountain Hardware, Connelly says.

Companies fear Wal-Mart's purchase practices, Connelly says. One of the most famous examples is Rubbermaid.

It raised its prices to Wal-Mart after the cost of a key ingredient in plastic containers increased, according to a U.S.A. Today story from Jan. 23, 2003. Wal-Mart gave more shelf space to less expensive items from competitors, helping drive Rubbermaid to merge with a rival.

Consumer demand for the types of brands not available at Wal-Mart is strong, partly because they often offer higher quality, Connelly says.

He runs five days a week - never in $30 shoes - because he would rather avoid the injuries that happen when people do so in shoes not designed for that kind of activity.

He observed what skiers were wearing on a recent trip to Schweitzer. "I can guarantee you that not one single coat up there was one someone bought at Wal-Mart."

A Wal-Mart spokesman declined to respond specifically to Connelly's comments. Wal-Mart works cooperatively with its suppliers to make sure its customers can buy quality goods at the lowest possible price, Wertz says. "Wal-Mart considers itself an agent for the customer. In order to do that effectively for the customers, we have to be a good negotiator."

Even Connelly acknowledges Wal-Mart has helped him in some ways. Its sales associates have referred customers to him for heavy-duty tools and outdoor gear.

Tri-State's Lewiston store is within view of Wal-Mart by design. "Wal-Mart does choose good retail real estate," Connelly says. "Depending on the price of real estate, you like to be as close to Wal-Mart as you can get."

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"Arguments finished in WSU water rights appeal"

"...the appellants have been unable to meet their burden of proof." Where have we heard that before? From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board expected to render decision within 90 days

Attorneys for a group of area water activists had one last chance to state their case during Thursday's closing arguments in a hearing regarding Washington State University water rights.

Attorney Patrick Williams said the Washington State Department of Ecology erred when granting the university the ability to consolidate - an act that will decrease the water levels in the region's Grand Ronde aquifer.

"Every expert witness ... testified to the historic decline of the Grand Ronde aquifer," he said.

The hearing before the state Pollution Control Hearings Board was a continuation of two days of proceedings last week in Pullman. The closing arguments were made via videoconference.

The Palouse Water Conservation Network, the Palouse Group Sierra Club and Pullman-area resident Scotty Cornelius - claim the consolidation will allow the university to pump more than three times as much water per year as it currently does. They argue that the university has contributed to the dropping levels in the Grand Ronde aquifer, and point to an 18-hole golf course under construction as a project that will create more drawdown of the area's primary water source.

Cornelius, who lives outside Pullman, has said his well is decreasing at a rate of 10 inches per year.

WSU currently has the rights to operate seven wells, though two large wells pump a majority of the water needed on campus at 2,500 gallons per minute. The consolidation allows the university to pump up to 5,300 acre feet, or 1.72 billion gallons, of water each year.

Williams said the state should have done more strenuous pump tests to ensure the university's consolidation would not harm domestic wells in the area. He added that equations used by a responder's expert witness to estimate WSU's potential effect on Cornelius' well were inaccurate.

The method used assumes the aquifer is not confined to an infinite area, and it is not isotropic or uniform in thickness, among other things - most of which do not pertain to the Grand Ronde. University of Idaho hydrogeologist James Osiensky testified last week that with WSU continually pumping water the aquifer will decrease 1.95 feet in 10 years. The aquifer will decrease only another half-inch in the same time frame with WSU operating wells under the consolidation.

"If Ecology will not act now ... under what circumstances will they act?" Williams asked.

It has been up to the appellants to prove the state was wrong to grant the university the consolidated water rights in 2006, and that WSU is interrupting or interfering with the availability of water in the Grand Ronde aquifer for residents throughout the Palouse. The general decline of the aquifer is not relevant to the appeal, nor is the estimated water use on the golf course.

Alan Reichman, who represented the state, said Ecology would not have granted the consolidation if the university would impair the water rights of others in the area

Reichman said "everyone knows there's a decline" in the aquifer, but that the appellants have been unable to meet their burden of proof.

"They have not met the first test, which is that the changing of the water configuration (at WSU) ... will affect Mr. Cornelius' ability to draw water," he said.

The three-member board is expected to issue a decision on the case within 90 days.

Mixed Econuts: The Moonbat Open

Even after appellant Scotty Cornelius stated "I can't say it's because of anything WSU did ... There's not enough data for me to draw any conclusion." and after being eviscerated by a Palouse hydrogeology expert from the University of Idaho who testified that the golf course will not be a threat to existing wells, the attorney for the aquinuts opposing the Palouse Ridge Golf Course at WSU "said she plans to take the case to the Washington Supreme Court regardless of the outcome of the hearing." Can someone please tell me where in the hell these people are getting the money for all these lawsuits and appeals?

From last Thursday's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Expert: WSU wells not threat to nearby wells

Opponents will have opportunity to rebut testimony of UI professor

A local hydrogeologist said Wednesday the well system at Washington State University should not impair the wells of neighboring domestic properties.

James Osiensky, a professor at the University of Idaho, testified on behalf of WSU and the Washington State Department of Ecology during the second day of an appeal hearing over the state's decision to allow WSU to consolidate its water rights.

The first two days of the appeal to the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board took place at the Lighty Student Services building at WSU. Each side was given six hours to present testimony, and the board will render a verdict within 90 days after the hearing is complete.

That could be some time after a board decision allowing the group of appellants to provide rebuttal to Osiensky's testimony.

The appellants - the Palouse Water Conservation Network, the Palouse Group Sierra Club and Pullman-area resident Scotty Cornelius - claim the consolidation will allow the university to pump more than three times as much water per year as it currently does. They argue that the university has contributed to the dropping levels in the Grand Ronde aquifer, and point to an 18-hole golf course under construction as a project that will create more drawdown of the area's primary water source.

Cornelius, who lives outside Pullman, has said his well is decreasing at a rate of 10 inches per year.

WSU currently has the rights to operate seven wells, though two large wells pump a majority of the water needed on campus at 2,500 gallons per minute. Additional wells can be used in case of emergency.

Wednesday's testimony was dominated by expert witnesses who said measures were taken to ensure the university's consolidation would not decrease water availability on neighboring properties.

Osiensky said he has determined the drawdown of the Grand Ronde aquifer should not exceed two feet every 10 years through any combination of the university's seven wells pumping water. His research has shown that the aquifer will decrease 1.95 feet in 10 years if WSU continually pumps water. The aquifer will only decrease another half-inch in the same time frame with WSU operating its wells under the consolidation.

"Drawdown is a necessary evil," he said. "You can't get water without drawdown."

Rachael Paschal Osborn, the appellants' lead attorney, made a motion to strike Osiensky's testimony from the record. She said the respondents pulled a "bait and switch" by bringing in Osiensky when another expert witness could not take the stand due to a scheduling conflict. She added that the respondents did not disclose Osiensky's testimony and strayed from questions relevant to his deposition, which was taken last fall.

"We think allowing Dr. Osiensky's testimony is a violation " Osborne said. "They come in and it's trial by surprise."

Board members met in private to discuss the motion. Board Chairwoman Andrea McNamara Doyle said Osiensky's testimony does violate the respondent's duty to disclose, but instead of striking the testimony from the record she allowed the appellants to provide rebuttal to his testimony at a later date.

The board will have a conference call this afternoon with attorneys from both sides to set a time and place for closing arguments and the appellant's rebuttal to Osiensky's testimony.

The appellants agreed to proceed with the cross examination of Osiensky on Wednesday, questioning the equation he used to formulate the data from his testimony. They argued the method he used assumes the aquifer is not confined to an infinite area and is not isotropic or uniform in thickness, among other things - most of which do not pertain to the Grand Ronde.

Osiensky said there may be "some discrepancies" because the data used in his method was not spot-on regarding the Grand Ronde. He noted that the drawdown would be slightly more in some cases, although the "relative impact would stay the same."

Osiensky said the drawdown in Cornelius' well is a sum of drawdowns from all pump wells in the Pullman-Moscow area.

Guy Gregory, a senior hydrologist with the Department of Ecology in Spokane, testified that he did an analysis of wells that could be affected by the consolidation. He found no evidence that the change would impair the water rights of other wells.

"We know there's water in the area," he said.

Osborn said she plans to take the case to the Washington Supreme Court regardless of the outcome of the hearing.

She said the appeal in front of the board only addressed whether WSU was impairing the water rights of other residents in the region. It's on more-complex issues, such as the university allegedly "water hording" unused water rights and the interpretation of the municipal water law, that demand an appeal to a higher court.

"This isn't over," she said.

Mixed Econuts: No Growth Worms

I love this quote: "The giant Palouse earthworm and the Palouse habitats that it depends on are on the edge of extinction and will be lost forever if we don't act soon."

Is it any wonder people can't take the filthy, treehugging econuts seriously? Where is the science? We don't know where the giant Palouse earthworm's habitat is. We don't know how many there even are. They could all already be dead or there could be millions. BUT WE MUST ACT NOW AND HALT ALL DIGGING OR THEY WILL BE GONE FOREVER!!!! Everyone can see that this is a embarrasingly transparent attempt by the dopey local hippies to halt growth on the Palouse.

From last Friday's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Environmental group files suit to save earthworm

Group suing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over decision not to list the giant Palouse earthworm as endangered

The battle over the giant Palouse earthworm is heading to the courts after an environmental group filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over its October decision to deny protection for the worm under the Endangered Species Act.

The environmental group - which includes the Palouse Prairie Foundation, the Palouse Audubon Society, Friends of the Clearwater, the Center for Biological Diversity and three private citizens - sought protection for the earthworm in August, claiming that the threat of destruction and modification of habitat, disease and predation, the inadequacy of regulatory mechanisms, and other natural and man-made factors make the earthworm a prime candidate for the Endangered Species List.

In its denial, the Fish and Wildlife Service indicated the group's petition did not contain enough information regarding the range, distribution and population size, and that data on the earthworm was too limited to add it to the endangered list. There also was not enough data to conclude the potential threats discussed in the petition posed a risk to the existence of the species now or in the future.

In a news release issued Thursday, Friends of the Clearwater board member Steve Paulson stated there may not be much time to waste if the earthworm is to be saved.

"The giant Palouse earthworm and the Palouse habitats that it depends on are on the edge of extinction and will be lost forever if we don't act soon," Paulson stated. "The earthworm needs the protection of the Endangered Species Act to survive."

The giant Palouse earthworm is the largest and longest-lived earthworm on the continent and can reach a length of three feet. It has a pinkish-white color and is reported to have a flowery smell. It lives in permanent burrows as deep as 15 feet and has been reported to spit at attackers.

The earthworm's only known habitat is the grassland of the Palouse in west-central Idaho and southeastern Washington, much of which has been destroyed by agricultural development, invasive species and pesticides.

The earthworm was described as very abundant in 1897, but has not been sighted since May 2005. Before that, it had not been sighted since 1988.

Mixed Econuts: Unfunded Mandates

Get ready to reach into your wallets to protect the non-existent Palouse River salmon. Dino Rossi needs to clean house at the Department of Ecology after he is elected. From last Wednesday's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Pullman accepts state money for stormwater work

Pullman City Councilman Keith Bloom doesn't mind being a rebel.

Bloom cast the lone opposing vote Tuesday as the council voted to accept $50,000 in state funding to help the city institute elements of statewide municipal stormwater permits issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology in February 2007.

The permits have been viewed locally as a heavy-handed way to manage runoff from development and control stormwater discharges into sewer systems, with a goal of reducing pollution and contamination of downstream waters. Permits also require municipalities to manage construction stormwater, detect and eliminate illegal discharges, create good housekeeping practices for existing systems and educate the public.

The council and city staff have protested the permits because of the city's unique topography and because Pullman already has many protective measures in place.

The cost to implement the five-year permit is expected to exceed $4 million. The city was given a $75,000 grant from the state in 2007, and the council has discussed creating a stormwater utility district to help pay for the permit costs.

The city is appealing the permits along with several other members of the Washington Association of Cities.

Bloom said his opposing vote was meant to be symbolic.

"A vote 'yes' means we begin the process to raise taxes. It's blood money," he said. "It's giving us $50,000 so we can turn around and pay them $500,000 (in fees). ... I'm not going to march lock step with the DOE on this."

Public Works Director Mark Workman said the money likely will be spent to organize a fee schedule for the proposed utility district. Representatives from the city's stormwater consultant, Otak, Inc., soon will begin to evaluate the impervious surfaces on about 200 residential properties throughout Pullman. The numbers will be averaged and used to generate an Equivalent Residential Unit - a fee structure for the stormwater utility customers. Fees for industrial and commercial businesses will be tabulated individually.

The council also voted in favor of upping the city's contribution to appeal the permit to $33,333.33.

Pullman joined forces with 32 other Washington cities last year to appeal the permit, arguing it is too restrictive and goes beyond what is required by the Clean Water Act and the Ecology Construction Stormwater Permit. The city originally pledged to chip in $8,333.33 for the appeal.

Workman said the increased amount is needed for the cities to battle a cross-appeal filed by the Puget Sound Alliance, which claims the stormwater permits are not restrictive enough.

Chris Lupke: Working Class Hero

Fear not, gentle reader, The PARD of Avon is back. He wrote the following on the Daily News website last Friday:

I am pleased to see Alice Schroeder speak out against this ill-conceived plan to prop up the Hawkins Project on the back of Whitman county residents. It was shocking to me to read the coverage in this newspaper that mis-lead the reader to believe that residents support this boondoggle. There has been one half-hour meeting and another is scheduled for next week. Both are in Colfax. For those of us who work for a living, it is difficult to take time out of the middle of the work day to drive so far. But even if we did, what is the message being sent by the county government by scheduling only a half-hour for such a meeting?

Apparently, however, working stiff tenured professor Lupke did find the time to take out of his busy work day to drive home this afternoon and post this on the Daily News website at 1:19 PM (ironically, the approximate starting time of the first hearing in Colfax on Hawkins):

Lobo,

I'm still waiting for you to publicly reconcile a government handout to the Hawkins corporation with your expressed libertarian beliefs.

The good news is that after a small amount of fanfare by a couple radicals and the conservative editorial board of this paper, it now looks certain that this half-baked idea is going nowhere. It is even being vocally opposed by major, local developers, because it unfairly supports one corporate interest while ignoring local businesses in Pullman and the county who could use the subsidy too.

Of course, there are other problems with the project too.

I am assuming, of course, that Lupke, taxpayer champion that he is, drove home to post his personal political views from his own computer rather than utilizing the taxpayer-funded network and computer provided to him by WSU.

Say What? Part Three

Does anyone who attended Tuesday's Whitman County Commissioners meeting know if any of the no-growth moonbat PARDners actually showed up to comment, or are they just going to content themselves with chucking arrows from the sidelines? I guess there is no union willing to haul Hawkins Companies into court, which just makes them powerless, insignificant buzzing little gnats in this case:

If you lived in Whitman county and you knew that your tax dollars were subsidizing sprawl, you would likely feel differently about the matter.

- PARDner Chris Lupke, online comment at Moscow-Pullman Daily News website, January 22, 2008

Mr. Forbes insinuates that I am left wing and maybe even a communist, but what he fails to point out is that I have previously advocated encouraging Costco to build in Pullman. This would make a lot more retail sense to me than Wal-Mart. That being said, many people in the community actually stand to the left of me on this issue, opposing any further big box development at all. This illustrates the fact that actually I am in the mainstream not on the radical left, as Mr. Forbes’ so desperately wishes to paint me.

- PARDner Chris Lupke, online comment at Moscow-Pullman Daily News website, November 29, 2007

To that end, we should develop a regional plan for retail growth that attracts Moscow residents to Pullman not because we wish to replicate them but, as the C.L.U.E. study concludes, because we are adding new and unique “products and services not currently available within the region.”

- PARDner Chris Lupke, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, June 16, 2006

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Say What? Part Two

We don't want any of our tax money subsidizing development, retail or housing.

- PARDners Janet and Leroy Damm, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, January 21, 2008

An interesting idea that emerged from the discussion was that of a community trust that could work with groups like the Community Action Center to help families in Pullman find homes in their price range, keeping these homes in trust to ensure that when the owners decide to move, these homes remain affordable. It’s a win for the community, a win for the home owners and a win for Pullman.

- Deirdre Rogers, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, December 14, 2007

Susie Law-Godat, with the Portland Community Land Trust, discussed how the program helps provide people with home owner opportunities in the Portland-area. Through the program, people purchase their homes but the agency owns the land.

The idea, she said, is to keep the land to be used for affordable housing.

"It's a lot of bang for your buck," she said. "It's a great way to keep your subsidy in the same property."

Because the agency owns the land, the family's mortgage payments are lower. When and if a family decides to move, they often have acquired enough equity that they can purchase a home on the open market.

- "PARD forum tackles issue of affordable housing in Pullman," Moscow-Pullman Daily News, November 30, 2007

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Say What? Part One

Break out your shovels and hip waders. The PARDners are at it again, this time going after the Hawkins corridor development:

The "2006 Idaho Job Gap Report" noted that a living wage in Idaho for a family of three is $22.23 per hour. No business associated with Hawkins will ever pay that hourly wage. Again, there is no addition to the overall economy.

- PARDner Don Orlich, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, January 24, 2008

I also have been asked the question, “If Target was planning to build in Pullman would there be the same opposition?” The answer is no. I think Pullman would welcome Target with open arms.

- PARDner Leilani Alamillo, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, January 11, 2006

A Target, if of modest size and located away from Bishop Boulevard, will cause far less disruption and will actually accomplish the stated goal of super-center backers to bring people in from Moscow and even Lewiston.

- PARDner TV Reed, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, November 2, 2005

Target pays between $6.25 an hour to $8 an hour for entry-level, hourly positions in its Twin Cities stores, according to a recent survey of local Target workers by the UFCW. That's in line with what Wal-Mart pays in this market, though some starting-level Wal-Mart workers can earn $9 to $10 an hour, the UFCW said.

Both companies offer health care insurance to employees, but Target's is considered more restrictive. Two years ago, Target dropped health care insurance coverage for all part-time workers. By contrast, Wal-Mart makes its medical plan available to all workers, full- and part-time.

Union groups that have analyzed the two companies' policies maintain that Wal-Mart's also is more equitable.

All Wal-Mart's employees, from store cashiers to chief executive Lee Scott, are covered under the same medical plan. All employees can choose from the same four deductible options and receive unlimited coverage for catastrophic expenses -- such as organ transplants or cancer treatments -- that can financially ruin an employee.

Target, however, offers multiple health care plans to its employees that vary by geographic location, according to the company's employee handbook. At Target, store employees do not receive catastrophic coverage and deductible levels vary, according to former and current employees.

Wal-Mart estimates that 56 percent of its employees receive health care coverage. Target declined to disclose its percentage of insured workers, but the UFCW estimates based on surveys of Twin Cities employees that less than half the company's workers receive coverage under its plan.

- Chris Serres, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, May 22, 2005

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"Pullman Wal-Mart decision months away; Court of appeals hears final arguments from giant retailer, PARD"

Today's "news story" in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News about the Wal-Mart appeal hearing reads more like a PARD press release.

The reporter let stand, without any rebuttal whatsoever, propagandistic statments from PARD's union hired gun overexaggerating the amount of time that it will take to reach a decision, telepathically reading the judges' minds, conjuring frightening images of dead school children in the streets, and the outrageously false assertions that Wal-Mart will somehow steal business from non-existent Mom-and-Pop retail stores and that sales tax revenue will not increase. But my favorite quote is when Bricklin, who lives in Seattle, arrogantly states, "I think the citizens of Pullman deserve more than that." What we deserve, Mr. Bricklin, is the truth behind who is paying your fees and forcing the REAL taxpayers in Pullman to waste our hard-earned money on this fight.

And at last TV Reed finally 'fesses up about the whole Bishop Blvd. location red herring when he said: "I can't imagine a worse site to build on, but I can't imagine many better, either."

Sure, Chuck Maduell (of the Davis Wright Tremaine law firm - what happened to McCullough Hill?) had nothing to say. But what about contacting the city or the grassroots group in Pullman backing Wal-Mart, Businesses & Residents for Economic Opportuniy (BREO). Certainly there was time to do that. Speaking of the city, why didn't Laura McAloon present oral arguments? That's something that could have been covered in the article besides giving PARD even more space to spout their lies.

Oh well. Luckily, biased reporters don't decide if we get Wal-Mart, the Court of Appeals does. And I am confident they will make the right decision. Let us remember the words of Epicetus:

Nothing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig. I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.

From today's Daily News:

SPOKANE - Pullman Alliance for Responsible Development attorney Dave Bricklin said it could take three to six months before a decision is rendered by the Division III Court of Appeals regarding Wal-Mart's plans to build a super store in Pullman.

Bricklin and Wal-Mart attorney Chuck Maduell voiced their final arguments regarding the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter on Bishop Boulevard in front of a panel of three judges in Spokane on Wednesday. Each side was allowed 15 minutes and no new information was permitted, as only facts outlined in previously submitted briefs could be argued.

Bricklin said he hopes the judges' silence during the 30-minute proceedings were a good sign.

"They didn't say much, but maybe that's because they favor our side," he said.

Wal-Mart announced plans to build on Bishop Boulevard in October 2004 and a site plan for the store was later approved by Pullman Public Works Director Mark Workman. PARD appealed the city's approval of the retail corporation's environmental checklist and site plan on the grounds that the store would impact stormwater run-off, traffic and negatively affect Pullman's local economy.

Washington state law allows only one public hearing on a proposed development. Spokane attorney John Montgomery - who acts as Pullman's hearing examiner - was called to oversee PARD's initial appeal. Montgomery compiled a findings of fact document from Wal-Mart, PARD and Pullman and concluded the retail giant's site plan and environmental checklist was sufficient. Montgomery's decision was upheld by Whitman County Superior Court Judge David Frazier and PARD's appeal was dismissed.

PARD then took the case to appellate court.

Bricklin pointed to Montgomery's findings of fact document Wednesday to show the store would have significant effects on traffic, the environment and the local economy. Bricklin argued that Montgomery's document was not comprehensive, as a Wal-Mart-sponsored traffic study was taken at face value and was not questioned.

As examples, Bricklin said the traffic study focused on weekdays only and provides no results on potential customers accessing the store on weekends, "Wal-Mart's busiest shopping days." He noted that the study also did not identify how the increased traffic would effect police, roads or pedestrians, particularly students from nearby Franklin Elementary School and Lincoln Middle School.

"There was no mitigation of the effects on schools and no analysis of it," Bricklin said. "We don't think the impact on 800 school kids is inconsequential."

Maduell also pointed to Montgomery's findings of fact and said despite the absence of some facts - such as how much traffic the stores generate on weekends - Frazier found the document to be adequate.

"It may not have been perfect, but the code does not require that," he said.

Maduell said it is up to PARD to prove Wal-Mart's plan would not meet Pullman codes.

"The burden is on them," he said.

Maduell declined comment after presenting his oral arguments.

Bricklin said the fact that Maduell admits Montgomery's findings are "not perfect" should be a red flag that the corporation didn't do all its homework.

"I think the citizens of Pullman deserve more than that," he said.

Bricklin also argued that Pullman Financial Director Troy Woo's "assumption" that the city would benefit from a Wal-Mart store is insufficient.

Wal-Mart may generate sales tax for the city, but would do so by taking away revenue from current Pullman businesses, he said.

"While Wal-Mart may benefit, the city's tax revenue will not increase," Bricklin said.

PARD Spokesman T.V. Reed said he's glad the case is back in motion.

"I'm glad things are moving along," he said. "Now all we can do is wait. We'd like to win and get this over with."

Reed said he hopes judges will side with PARD, which would force Wal-Mart to conduct more extensive studies of the store's impact on traffic and the environment. He would not say whether PARD would accept the retail giant locating at a different site in Pullman.

"It does not make sense on Bishop Boulevard," he said. "I can't imagine a worse site to build on, but I can't imagine many better, either."

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"Pullman firm to design WSU hotel; Duane Brelsford's Corporate Pointe Developers will take lead on $20 million conference center project"

Congratulations to WSU for supporting a local business. And congratulations to Duane Brelsford, Jr. and his partners. They earned the win. Now the speculation begins as to what company will operate the hotel. From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Pullman-based Corporate Pointe Developers has been chosen to design a hotel and conference center on the Washington State University campus.

Ryan Ruffcorn, a project manager for WSU Capital Planning and Development, said Corporate Pointe President Duane Brelsford and his team were selected from the pool of four finalists because of their impressive presentation to the university.

The fact that Brelsford and his team have ties to Pullman also was a benefit. In addition to Brelsford, the project design will include general contractor Bob Askins, Tom Sheldon from the architecture firm GGLO of Seattle, and Yogi Hutsen of Coastal Hotel Group. Brelsford, Sheldon and Askins all are Pullman High School graduates.

"They're all invested in WSU and Pullman," Ruffcorn said. "They have a good grasp on the area - they understand the market."

Ruffcorn said the university began to investigate the need for a hotel and conference center in 2002. Independent analysis identified a need for such a development and a campus group survey indicated many conferences and professional seminars happen outside of Pullman because of a lack of facilities.

Ruffcorn said the research results were received before the Schweitzer Engineering Laboratory Event Center was constructed in 2006.

"We're excited about it," he said. "After five years, we're ready to get something rolling."

Brelsford said the approximately $20 million project will likely be constructed on university property on Fairway Drive and include a 120-room hotel and 20,000-square-foot conference center. Construction isn't expected to begin until late 2008 or early 2009.

Brelsford hopes for his company to own and manage the hotel and conference center upon its completion and lease the land from the university. He added that he soon plans to launch a marketing analysis on a group of condominiums proposed for an adjacent property, which may draw WSU alumni to "come back to Pullman and participate in the amenities."

Brelsford said his company's long-term plan for the project probably worked in its favor. Companies competing with Corporate Pointe included: Spokane-based ANA Construction and Development; Concord Eastridge, a company with headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Arlington, Va.; and Chicago-based Johnson & Partners Development and Co. in partnership with Columbia Hospitality in Seattle.

"We're not just here to do it and turn it over to a flagship company to operate it," Brelsford said. "We know there's a market out there and we want to address that market as soon as possible."

Ruffcorn said the university has not yet made any funding or operations decisions regarding the project. University officials will work with Corporate Pointe to draft a letter of intent, which will bind the two entities together as far as scope and vision of the project, followed by the initial design phase.

Any other discussions regarding possible land leases or other opportunities on the property will come later, though Ruffcorn said condominiums are something the university "sees as a possibility" in the project.

"We're open to just trying to find the right relationship," he said. "We'll just see how this all plays out."

Brelsford said the hotel and conference center will be in an attractive location, especially with the university's 18-hole golf course, tennis arena and recreation center within walking distance.

"We're looking to attract a lot of conferences. We're trying to keep those local," he said. "I've always had a love for the hotel industry. It's fun to get back into it."

Corporate Pointe has built about 1,400 apartments, 150,000 square feet of office and retail space and theaters that house more than 40 movie screens in Pullman, Lewiston and Spokane. Before Brelsford began developing, he was a project engineer and project manager for the construction of nine Embassy Suites hotels and oversaw the renovations of two inns.

"City points to delicate balance as state, federal money dries up; Initiatives and mandates clash with increased costs and public demands"

Increased taxes or increased sales tax revenue? Which do you think the residents of this town prefer? I have never seen a better case laid out for a Pullman Wal-Mart Supercenter than in the article below. Do you think the PARDners will get it? No, I don't either.

Of course, I made this same case two-and-a-half years ago. Wal-Mart will generate somewhere around $1 million a year in sales and property tax revenue.

From yesterday's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Former Pullman Mayor Mitch Chandler remembers when his position as city leader was easy. The city was booming with projects and money was in place to fund them.

"In government, it's a lot more fun when there's money to spend," said Chandler.

Chandler and the City Council weren't aware that two controversial state initiatives loomed a few years down the line that would cause a near budgetary catastrophe for the city. Pullman has never quite regained its fiscal balance, and city officials are desperate to increase funding.

Finance Director Troy Woo said the problem is deeper than simply rearranging the budget.

"There isn't a lot of room to be creative," he said. "Each year we've gone through the same types of actions to control our expenditures."

Chandler was elected in 1996 at a time of relative fiscal certainty. The city was recovering well from the 1987 elimination of the General Revenue Sharing - a 14-year federal program that provided $4 billion in unrestricted money to municipalities across the country.

City Supervisor John Sherman points to former President Ronald Reagan's term as an era when states and local governments were expected to begin fending for themselves. In addition to the elimination of GRS, the role of the federal government as a mechanism for local projects was diminished.

As an example, Sherman said in the early '80s the federal Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Ecology once provided funding for 90 percent of Pullman's wastewater treatment plant costs. The funding was later lowered to 75 percent. Now, it's zero.

"That was a change," Sherman said.

Intergovernmental contributions provided 32 percent of the city's $7.4 million general fund revenue budget in 1991. The $14.1 million 2008 budget was adopted by the City Council earlier this month and includes 9 percent revenue from intergovernmental sources.

The devolution of funds wasn't necessarily a bad thing, Sherman said. The city was able to repair blows to the budget relatively quickly, as the city looked have more local control and to initiate its own taxes to pay for future projects.

"The incentive is that you don't have the choice," Sherman said.

Washington cities were allowed to increase sales tax by one-half a percent to replace lost federal money, and Pullman voters agreed to increase the tax on gas, electricity and telephone bills by 2 percent.

Chandler said during the late 1990s, "the city was running sound. There were no problems."

Enter Initiative-695, which lowered vehicle taxes from 2.2 percent of a vehicle's value to a flat $30 fee. The initiative later was declared unconstitutional, but the Legislature enacted the $30 fee provision during its next session. Woo said Pullman lost approximately $1.3 million in revenue.

Following the passage of I-695, city hiring freeze was instituted and all expenditures had to be approved. The city's public services director, switchboard operator and public communication specialist positions were eliminated in 2002 and remain unfilled.

"That was very hard," Chandler said of the layoffs. "Those are people's livelihoods."

The city hasn't fully bounced back from I-695 and Pullman officials now must look to year-end savings to balance the budget. The creation of the Real Estate Excise Tax has helped fill some of the gaps left by I-695. Pullman, for instance, receives about $102,000 in backfill funding from the state, which is better than nothing but still a dramatic decrease.

"We'll always feel the effects of 695," said current Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson.

Initiative 747, which limits local governments from increasing property taxes more than 1 percent a year, was another low blow to cities in 2001.

"It was limited to Washington state. It was one more example of funding sources drying up in the state of Washington," Woo said. "This has the potential to be a long-term problem. There's the potential that we're in a continual state of reduction."

Sherman said despite a 1982 comprehensive plan goal to increase Pullman's retail tax base rather than implement taxes, the city went to residents for help.

Woo said since 1999, voters agreed to increase the property tax levy to $3.60 per $1,000 in order to hire three fire and three police employees. Property owners also approved a 50 cent property tax levy to help fund Emergency Medical Services and a 50 cent per $1,000 levy to create the Metropolitan Park District. City fees have increased and a gambling tax was passed. Washington State University students voted to increase fees by $15 to keep Pullman Transit operating, and residents approved a $2 million bond in 2006 to improve city parks and paths.

Sherman said the city is now at its maximum taxing ability without having to go for voter approval.

I-747 is an example of an unfair mandate, he said.

"It would be preferable to not have restriction. Those are the types of strings that really kill us. It's burdensome," he said. "We need additional funding to sustain current operations. Let our City Council as decision makers for our voters determine what is best for the city of Pullman."

Former Mayor Karen Kiessling agreed. She said during her 1976-1980 term, brainstorming sessions and public meetings paved the way for a mix of grants and taxes to pay for needed city projects.

"Pullman is at its best when we can solve our own problems," she said.

Johnson said in the last several years, the city has not increased the burden on Pullman residents beyond the allowable 1 percent yearly property tax increase.

"I understand they don't want to raise taxes, but then in the same breath, they say 'we want these services,' " he said. "We're a council that is trying to keep everything intact and we don't have any another way."

Woo said Pullman provides services for a population of approximately 27,000, though revenue reflects that of a much smaller city. The property tax exempt status of the university and small retail base in Pullman decrease the city's per capita property assessed value at 30 percent of the state average, while sales tax generation is 47 percent of the state average per capita.
Woo said an increased assessed value of more than $50 million to the city due to new construction has helped postpone further financial woes.

Much of the construction has taken place on the WSU campus and includes renovations to Martin Stadium and the Compton Union Building. Many of the projects will be wrapped up by 2008, and Woo has warned the council that when construction projects are complete, the funding stream will be, too.

Until the budget is better under control, the city will still have cutbucks. Spending requests for 2008 that included a handful of new police staff and a parks maintenance worker were denied, and the city pulled more than $800,000 out of reserves to balance the $14.1 million budget.

"We haven't been able to address some very justifiable needs for service," Woo said, adding that increasing cost of living, medical premiums and benefits are inflating the city's expenditures.

Kiessling said the city needs to be more assertive by letting legislators know not enough funding could be disastrous to cities and counties.

"We just don't let the disaster happen. We promise it ... then the climate of the whole governmental function will have to improve. Those who speak louder will get most," she said.

Johnson said federal and state money is available, but mostly through competitive grant programs or low-interest state loans.

"It's not the case that they give you money and say 'this is for the benefit of the public,' " he said.

When grants do come in, Woo tries to keep the money in capital projects, such as the grant used to expand the Pullman Transit maintenance facility.

"That way, if the funding's gone the next year, we don't have to cut operations," Woo said. "The keyword there is 'competitive.' The grants are very limited."

Unfunded mandates also don't help.

Sherman pointed to the stormwater management permits issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology to manage the quality and quantity of runoff from development and to control stormwater discharges into sewer systems statewide. The DOE has provided $75,000 so the city can begin to institute the estimated $4 million, 5-year program.

"If you're going to give us the money, you can put some restrictions on it. But if you aren't giving the money, who are you to tell us what to do?" he said.

Sherman said the city is still driven to achieve the comprehensive plan goal to increase the retail sales tax base. In the 1980s, the Pullman Industrial Park was developed with the Port of Whitman County and Bishop Boulevard was created as an attractant to new commercial businesses. Recently, the city helped the port expand the industrial park, and city officials have hopes that a super Wal-Mart will soon locate on Bishop Boulevard. New retail spaces also have been constructed and await tenants.

"That's the most attractive way of doing it. If you increase taxes, you risk driving away all your residents and businesses. It's a delicate balance," Sherman said.

Woo said he doesn't see the city's financial woes lifting anytime soon without increased taxes or increased sales tax revenue.

"Every year the departments present budgets to the mayor that include various issues that we simply aren't able to fund," he said. "Right now, with revenue and expenditures going in opposite directions, it's kind of a recipe for disaster."

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"Water dominates Pullman meeting of public officials; Council, legislators discuss effects on growth"

We have an excellent legislative team for Pullman. They all understand that environmental regulatory overkill causes the lack of affordable housing for working people and stifles economic development in Pullman. From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Water issues dominated much of the discussion in a town hall meeting between the Pullman City Council and Washington's 9th District legislators Tuesday.

Council members were joined by Sen. Mark Schoesler, Rep. Steve Hailey and new Rep. Joe Schmick to discuss state issues of concern to Pullman leaders. Other topics of conversation included funding for infrastructure, support for Washington State University projects and affordable housing.

Hailey said the solution to many of the concerns relates to water.

"It's a very high priority for me," he said. "If you run out of water, you've got nothing."

Hailey said water issues often slow the construction of new homes - especially those considered affordable housing. Water rights and environmental studies are expensive, and questions regarding recharge of the Palouse's two aquifers are seen as a roadblock by some developers.

He said research efforts must be increased to determine how to maintain water levels and support growth.

Legislators will convene for their 2008 session Jan. 14. Much of the agenda will revolve around the state's supplemental budget, but Hailey said he plans to push the need for more water research in the coming months.

"You have to have sufficient water to support more housing," he said. "I see that as a hurdle that has to be crossed in relatively short order ... In my mind, if we can solve the water issue, we can tackle the affordable housing issue."

Hailey also said a multimillion dollar water reclamation project - a joint effort between the city and WSU - could be funded in 2009-2011. The project would treat citywide wastewater for irritation.

"It's very doable," he said.

Schmick said he plans to defend the city's needs for funding in order to meet what he considers obscenely high requirements pertaining to stormwater management.

Earlier this year, the Washington State Department of Ecology issued statewide permits designed to manage the quality and quantity of runoff from development and to control stormwater discharges into sewer systems. Implementation of the requirements are expected to cost more than $4 million for Pullman. The city has received a grant for $75,000 and may be issued an additional $50,000 to jump-start the five-year permit program.

"There has to be a balance between environmental concerns and those of the cities and towns," Schmick said. "Our side of the aisle is very sympathetic to that."

Hailey agreed that the Department of Ecology has set unrealistically high standards for cities like Pullman.

"We'll try to get you some relief," he said. "I don't know what the answer is, but we'll keep pecking away at it."

Schmick, who was recently appointed to his position, said the meeting with Pullman leaders was helpful.

"We're here to represent the 9th District," he said. "We take this information back to Olympia."

QUICKREAD

WHAT HAPPENED: The Pullman City Council met with Washington's 9th District legislators Sen. Mark Schoesler, Rep. Steve Hailey and Rep. Joe Schmick for a meeting Tuesday. Water issues dominated much of the conversation which also inlcuded affordable housing and Washington State Department of Ecology requirements.

WHAT IT MEANS: Legislators and the council agree that water is a major issue of concern in Pullman and Whitman County.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: Legislators will convene for their 2008 session Jan. 14 in Olympia. Schoesler, Hailey and Schmick said they will pass along their constituents' concerns to other state leaders.

My Own Private Idaho

Camera shy "WSU Student" states on the Daily News website:

Can I add something to what you wrote? I emailed in about a week ago or so about this second Walmart in the area. It makes no sense. I live in the NE WSU apartments area. It's about 6 miles from there to the Moscow Walmart. A straight shot. It's about 2 miles from my apartment to where the new Walmart is supposed to be. Right through Pullman and all its traffic. That's a difference of only 4 miles. Plus, the thing this Forbes doesn't admit is that sales tax is lower in Idaho. I'm a student. I'm on a budget, as most of us are. There is no way a student like me living up here is going to drive across Pullman to pay more, with taxes, than driving from here to Moscow and not fighting traffic and stop lights. It just doesn't make sense.

The biggest allure of a Supercenter to students is discount GROCERIES. And the thing this Forbes DOES admit is that there is NO SALES TAX ON FOOD in Washington as opposed to Idaho. I think "students on a budget" will appreciate that fact, don't you? I think that is worth driving across Pullman "fighting traffic and stop lights" for. As far as sales tax on retail items go, there is a whopping 1.7% difference between Washington and Idaho. On a $100 purchase, you would save $1.70 at the Moscow Wal-Mart and spend $2.48 in gas to make the 15 mile round trip to Moscow with a vehicle getting the average of 20 MPG. Do the math.

Plus, a Supercenter is not merely "another Wal-Mart" It is a beast of a different color. Clearly these snobs have never been in one. Outside of food, a Supercenter has on average twice as many SKUs as the Wal-Mart in Moscow has. For exampe, the Pullman Supercenter will have an electronics section three times the size of the Moscow store. These offerings will bring in shoppers from a wide radius, much more than the "2 miles to my apartment."

But what would that matter to "WSU Student" anyway? He posted on an older thread:

And I like going to downtown Moscow because it is so much better than the sorry excuse for a downtown that Pullman claims to be.

Nothing like that "Cougar Pride," eh?

Then "WSU Student" writes:

It would be good to TRY to get a Target here. I mean REALLY try, not these mythical references from some time back when Reagan was alive or something that a few pot bellies wrote a letter to Target. I mean really put it together as a community to try to get a Target.

Here's a mindblower to "WSU Student" and all the other left-wing false dilemma crowd who say it's either Wal-Mart or Target. If you really, really want a Target so bad, what if you found out that efforts are underway to get Target in Pullman but that Target will come only AFTER Wal-Mart has been opened? What if your efforts to delay/stop Wal-mart are also delaying/stopping Target as well?

Then Chuck "Mr. Civil Discourse" Pezeshki chimes in:

I still don't get it. We have a Walmart 6 miles away. For some of us in Pullman, it's shorter and easier to get there than across to Safeway.

Why are you being deprived? How is not having a Walmart across from Safeway depriving you of Walmart goods?

Hmmmm. Let's see. What are we being deprived of? I'll let the No SuperWalMart-funded retail study from the CLUE Group answer that:

Pullman is experiencing sales leakages in almost all major retail categories, including a leakage of $4.0 million in groceries, $7.6 million in furniture/home furnishings, $9.6 million in apparel, and $1.3 million in pharmaceuticals/medical supplies (the only major retail category in which Pullman is experiencing a sales surplus is dining out).

While it is impossible to state with certainty without conducting consumer surveys where Pullman's residents currently shop for various things, it is highly likely, given Moscow's high per capita sales performance relative to Pullman's and the region's relatively isolated location, that Pullman residents often shop in Moscow for groceries and other consumer staples.

The 223,000 square foot Wal-Mart Supercenter that has been proposed to be built in Pullman will attract approximately $100 million in sales - roughly the equivalent of all current sales in major retail categories in Pullman - according to Wal-Mart's current national sales averages. This will have an enormous impact on retail activity in the region - in Pullman, in particular, but also in Moscow, as some sales currently being captured by Moscow businesses will almost certainly gravitate to the new Wal-Mart Supercenter. Grocery sales are particularly vulnerable, as the proposed Supercenter will likely capture approximately $35 million in area grocery sales.

Do you get it now? Does that "stir" you? It certainly "stirs" our local merchants. Do you "feel sorry" for them? It's a hell of a lot more than "cheap toothpaste" at stake. And yes, people will not only come from Pullman to shop at Wal-Mart, they will come from Moscow and all over the surrounding area.

Remember, Chuck, how you PhDs butter our bread? How do you expect Pullman to get a slice if you all go over to Moscow to shop? Don't you love the Wal-Mart haters "Buy Local" program? "Buy Moscow" is more like it. And didn't you serve on the Jefferson Elementary PTA? Just having the Wal-Mart building in Pullman means an extra $112,784 a year to the Pullman School District from property taxes. Lastly, Chuck, aren't you an environmentalist? Does your disdain for Wal-Mart extend so far that you recommend more car trips to Moscow versus a Pullman Wal-Mart that would be accessible to shoppers via walking, bike paths and public transportation? By my simple estimate, every less trip to Moscow to shop is 20.9 pounds less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We could conceivably save millions of pounds of carbon emissions a year by having a Wal-Mart in Pullman!

Here's another mindblower that "shifts the paradigm." What if Wal-Mart doesn't keep the store in Moscow open after the Pullman Supercenter opens? That is an extremely likely possibility, as Wal-Mart is attempting to convert all their discount stores to Supercenters. That pretty much blows all the "One Wal-Mart is Enough" arguments right out of the water. And please don't cry for Moscow, They had their fair shot to get a Supercenter and Queen Nancy and her moonbats ran it out of town, with PARD's assistance. By the way, thanks for that PARDners! If you had not helped create the No SuperWalMart group, Moscow may have gotten a Supercenter and Wal-Mart would be less interested in Pullman.

Chuck follows that with:

Pursuing things in the courts is also part of the checks and balances set up by our Founding Fathers. It is legal, and it is part of the process. The courts are a resort that I've used very successfully many times to change public policy, and there have been a few of my efforts that have resulted in change of national policy (don't you love how these guys love to toot their own horns in these comments? Pezeshki is "changing national policy" and Lupke is a "national expert on China and Chinese culture." *LOL* - tf)

That's right, Chuck, there is no such thing as frivilous lawsuit designed to delay and manipulate the legitimate process. That never happens in the land of the free and the home of the brave. A group like Wal-Mart Watch, for example, would never advocate something like this:

Appealing a Pro-Wal-Mart Rezoning

If you can appeal a rezoning, or a special permit decision in your state—do it. It will allow you to gain half a year to a year’s worth of delay—during which time, land deal can fall apart of expire, Wal-Mart can move on, etc. Delay always works to your benefit as a citizen’s group.

Chuck concludes:

My concerns have always been local-- how any community could build a huge, high-traffic retail facility next to their new hospital, to provide essentially replacement services, is beyond me. And so it remains.

Boy, it's a really good thing they didn't decide to put the hospital right by the main entrance to campus where 18,000 students and 6,000 faculty and staff go to school and work each day. Oh, wait a minute......

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