"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."

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Invade 'Em

A post from the Vision 2020 message board:

Hello, Visionaires:

Please excuse what may seem extraordinary naïveté in asking this. Why could not the City of Moscow, in cooperation with State of Idaho, purchase the Hawkins site from the State of Washington, and therewith adjust the boundary line between the two states? Yes, the closing paperwork for such a transaction would be somewhat more extensive in that it would involve two states, and I presume federal, approval, but aside from the extra levels of paperwork, and the subconscious idea that "you just can't buy part of another state", I don't understand why, with effort and cooperation, this advanced real estate transaction could not be done to the benefit of all parties involved.

(As an aside, I understand that Latah County was created by an act of Congress, so there is some precedent for them revisiting the boundary.)

Didn't the idea of "we don't like what they are doing in that state so let's impose our will upon them" become passe' around 1861-1865? How would this be beneficial to Whitman County? Or the state of Washington for that matter? The state stands to collect approximately 3 times as much sales tax from the Hawkins development as the county, somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 million a year.

Remember, hemp is for wearing, not smoking.

My buddy Jeff Harkins, as always, has a great response:

Interesting idea, but the economics favor a purchase of Moscow by Washington. Maybe you could spearhead that project. Pullman has industry, a PAC10 University, an airport, a new four lane highway and a desire to expand their opportunities for prosperity.

Heh.

"Hawkins decision was best for all"

I've never met Art Schultheis, but I'd like to. He has quite the way with words.

From yesterday's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

First of all I would like to congratulate the new City Council in Moscow for accepting the mediated settlement with the Hawkins Companies. Finally, sound minds understood that the Hawkins development was going to move forward, whether the city of Moscow continued to fight it or not. I think the council made the only decision it could, stop spending money on lawsuits and attorneys, and help the process along. I think it realized that getting something out of the deal (water and sewer revenue) is a lot better than nothing.

I was unable to attend the Moscow council meeting, due to another meeting, but I was able to watch it live on the Internet when I got home. When I tuned into the meeting they were in the middle of a public hearing on a new subdivision development that is being proposed within the city limits of Moscow. For 1 1/2 hours, I listened to testimony regarding the new development. Arguments were presented regarding building heights, view sheds of existing homes, increased traffic, and safety concerns for children and pedestrians. Not once while I was watching during the public hearing was it brought up about what effect the new homes would have on the aquifer the city of Moscow draws from.

Once the discussion of the Hawkins water rights settlement began, environmentalists came out of the woodwork to complain about what these new businesses would do to their precious aquifer. I find it ironic that only businesses that will provide jobs and might make a profit will cause irreversible damage to the water table.

If you want to stop economic growth in the city of Moscow, that is your decision. Just keep your attitudes and lawsuits out of Whitman County and the state of Washington.

Art Schultheis, Colton

Amen, Art.

"Moscow helps clear way for Hawkins development"

Gazette publisher Gordon Forgey is as pleased as I am about Moscow's decision to drop its appeals of the Hawkins water rights transfers.

From yesterday's Whitman County Gazette:

Moscow, Idaho, has water!

After undue delays and undue expense, it turns out that there is enough water on the Palouse to support a commercial development on the Pullman/Moscow corridor in Whitman County.

In fact, the water that the development will use will come directly from Moscow, piped in across the state line into Whitman County.

The development, which is being created by Hawkins Company, has been on the drawing boards for a couple of years. One of the delays in advancing the project has been the refusal of the city of Moscow to recognize the availability of water for such a project despite unbridled growth on its side of the border.

Several Whitman County water rights were transferred to get the project underway. Moscow, especially its mayor, protested the transfers and appealed them, citing the lack of water on the Palouse and the destructive nature of the development.

It was all about the environment, said the mayor.

Then, some new members of the city council were sworn in. Suddenly, Moscow not only drops the appeal on the transfers but also offers to sell some of its water for the development.

This is a major turn around and clears the way not only for the development but also some mature dealings with Moscow.

Whitman County and Moscow are neighbors and now they may be able to deal with one another as such. They share many of the same problems. Their futures are intertwined.

It is a great step forward that Moscow has removed its roadblocks from the Hawkins projects. Moscow and Whitman County may now be able to work cooperatively in each other’s best interest.

"Moscow rescinds appeals, agrees to sell water to Hawkins"

From yesterday's Whitman County Gazette:

The blowing winds of politics have cleared the way for development of a state line strip mall.

The Moscow City Council voted 5-1 Monday night to sell water to Boise-based Hawkins Companies shopping center site just west of the Idaho state line.

“We’re very happy at how this worked out, and are ready to build a shopping center,” said Hawkins Spokesman Jeff DeVoe.

The Moscow city council took on a new look after last fall’s election, when three pro-business candidates were elected to the board.

The settlement agreement was put together during nearly 22 hours of mediation between Moscow, Hawkins, Colton and the state Department of Ecology last week in Spokane.

As part of the agreement, the city will also drop its appeal of the transfer of three water rights to the development site.

Whitman County officials were delighted upon hearing news of the agreement Tuesday morning.

“It just gets better from here,” said Commissioner Michael Largent. “I’ve got to applaud their council at this point for realizing this is in Moscow’s best interest.”

By providing water to the development, Largent noted, the city could add to its water and sewer funds. He added the development adjacent to Moscow would draw more shoppers to the city’s west end retail stores.

“This was going to go in, anyhow,” said Commissioner Jerry Finch. “I guess they just realized it’s better to get something out of it than to continue to fight it and get nothing.”

In October, Moscow appealed Ecology’s decision to approve the transfer of three water rights to service the shopping center. A fourth transfer was denied by Ecology and appealed by Hawkins.

The accord ensured the town of Colton would get its right to draw 100 acre-feet of water from Union Flat Creek.

Hawkins acquired that right from the Maleys at LaCrosse, but could not apply that water to the shopping center, as it is nowhere near Union Flat Creek.

The creek enters Washington from Idaho near Uniontown, and flows through Colton before heading west to the Palouse River at the Adams County line.

Colton was in the process of acquiring a 22 acre-feet right from the McKiernan Bros. of Pullman when Hawkins approached the town about a swap.

Under the terms of the agreement, Hawkins must relinquish the approved water rights, and drop its appeal of the overturned water right.

Those water rights will now be owned by the state.

If the Idaho Department of Water Resources approves the city’s plan to provide water across the state line, Moscow will provide up to 45 acre-feet of water for use inside the stores in the development. One acre-foot is equivalent to 325,851 gallons of water.

Another 20 acre-feet will be provided for irrigation purposes, and the city will provide approximately 2,500 to 3,000 gallons per minute for fire flow.

Hawkins will be charged Moscow’s standard fees for water and sewer service.

Hawkins is on the hook for extending pipes from the city to the development. The company will be reimbursed for those costs by the county. The county will then own and be responsible for those pipes.

Commissioners Monday announced they would issue up to $9.1 million in bonds to buy the public infrastructure from Hawkins.

“We agreed to our worst-case scenario,” said Largent. “The price can only drop from here.”

Moscow’s provision of water cuts more than $4 million from the projected costs of installing infrastructure at the site.

The county estimated a sewage treatment facility would cost $2 million, installing wells and pumping structures would cost $900,000, and building a water tank to store fire flow would cost $1.5 million.

"County signs on to fund Hawkins project"

From yesterday's Whitman County Gazette:

County commissioners Monday unanimously approved a preliminary development agreement to fund infrastructure improvements for Boise-based Hawkins Companies’ 714,000 square-foot shopping center on the Idaho state line.

“Mr. DeVoe, let’s build a shopping center,” said Commissioner Jerry Finch.

If all goes according to plan, the company will break ground this June and open the doors on the development possibly as soon as fall 2009.

“We’re convinced that this is going to be a successful center,” said Hawkins Spokesman Jeff DeVoe.

Under the terms of the agreement, Hawkins will build roads, a water system and a sewage treatment facility at the site. The county will then pay for that infrastructure with the issuance of up to $9.1 million in revenue bonds. The county is considering a 20- year bond issue.

After the company is paid, the county will own the infrastructure.

“I’m so excited about this,” said Finch. “Since I have been a commissioner, this is, without a doubt, the happiest day I have had.”

In return, the county anticipates sales and property tax revenues from the site to fund bond payments and then some.

“This investment will not only return the cost, but will return extra to the taxpayers for services right now that are difficult to fund at their current levels,” said Commissioner Michael Largent.

Largent hailed the development as a win-win for the county and Hawkins.

Commissioner Greg Partch said clearing the way for the retail development is an example of good economic development.

“It only takes five minutes and two votes to raise taxes,” said Partch. “But it takes years to develop the economic base.”

Partch added expanding that base will provide a layer of financial stability for the county. That means it will be able to provide services without relying on state grants, he said.

“We just can’t depend on the state for services anymore,” said Partch.

Largent added other taxing districts will benefit greatly from the increased tax base.

“If you support schools, if you support rural libraries, you’re going to have to think hard about supporting this revenue stream,” said Largent.

Increased property taxes from the site are expected to generate more than $4.2 million in revenue for the Pullman School District, over $400,000 for the county’s rural library district, $1.2 million for Rural Fire District 12 and $350,000 for the Port of Whitman.

The agreement sets a $9.1 million cap on how much money the county will bond for the improvements.

Largent said Tuesday that number could go down.

Hawkins also provided a guarantee that the county will not be stuck if bonds are issued and the project does not develop.

The company will pay the difference if sales and property tax revenues do not meet the bond payment amount in years three through seven of the deal.

The company expects to have the development in place by year three and to have it completely built in seven years.

The deal hinges on the company’s ability to receive a signed commitment from an anchor tenant and to acquire water for the site.

Lowe’s Home Improvement stores has signed a letter of intent to put a store at the site. Finch said last week another company has expressed interest.

Providing the development with water was the only stumbling point, but the Moscow city council Monday night voted 5-1 in favor of providing water to the development from its municipal system.

Nancy Regina Delenda Est

Doc Holliday: In vino veritas.
Johnny Ringo: Age quod agis.
Doc Holliday: Credat Judaeus apella, non ego.
Johnny Ringo: Eventus stultorum magister.
Doc Holliday: In pace requiescat.
Tombstone Marshal Fred White: Come on boys. We don't want any trouble in here. Not in any language.
Doc Holliday: That's Latin darlin'. Evidently Mr. Ringo's an educated man. Now I really hate him.

Tombstone, 1993

April noticed something very interesting on above Queen Nancy's signature on the City of Moscow's settlement agreement with the Hawkins Companies:

Chaney wrote the Latin phrase Cedo voluntati huius consilii above her signature. This translates to "Yielding to the will of this council." Legal requirement or secret dig at the Moscow City Council?

"No free lunch, or Whitman County retail mall"

Petitio principii is Latin for "begging the question". It is a logical fallacy in which an argument is assumed to be true without evidence other than the argument itself. Take Jim Fisher's latest anti-capitalist rant in today's Lewiston Tribune. Fisher asks us to assume that private developers somehow belong in the water and sewage utility business. In his mind, the only conclusion is whether the Hawkins Companies should pay or whether Whitman County taxpayers should be bamboozled into paying for Hawkins to get into the utility business.

Clearly, Fisher's argument is absurd. Since the Classical Age, it has been the government that has been in the water and sewage utility business. In the case of the Hawkins corridor development, the county is contracting with Hawkins to build the infrastructure, which the county will then own and operate. The only question here is how all this gets paid for, as there is no "free lunch" for anyone. The county has to pay for this necessary infrastructure and Hawkins has to pay to construct its shopping center. Does every county taxpayer have the cost added to his/her property tax bill or does the cost get paid voluntarily by those who choose to shop at the Hawkins development through sales taxes, many of them likely not even residents of Whitman County? Of course the latter is the best possible solution.

And Fisher's contention that somehow county taxpayer's are being robbed of $9.1 million is also completely fallacious. Imagine that you buy a stock for $500, then you sell it for $3,500. Your original investment has been paid back and you have received a six times return. But according to Fisher's logic, that would be a bad deal, because you could have an additional $500 to spend if only the company issuing the stock had just given it to you for free. Luckily for everyone, Fisher is only a newspaper editorialist and not a businessman or government official.

From today's Lewiston Tribune:

Seen one way, the assurance from Whitman County officials that county-issued bonds financing infrastructure for a new mall near the Idaho state line won't cost county taxpayers anything is completely accurate.

The trouble is, in order to see it that way you have to be wearing blinders. If you aren't, you might cast your eyes at the services that tax dollars from the Hawkins Companies of Boise could be used for other than repaying the bonds.

Seen that way, the deal county commissioners approved Monday will cost county taxpayers the price of the bonds themselves, $9.1 million.

If Hawkins were doing what other developers have done in paying the cost of its own development, county revenues from sales and property taxes on the new mall would begin flowing immediately into county coffers. There, they could be used for essential services like roads, parks and law enforcement.

Thanks to commissioners' largess, however, the first $9.1 million in taxes from the development, plus interest, will go to redeeming the bonds.

That makes the so-called public-private partnership the deal represents less cost-free than Administrative Services Director Sharron Cunningham makes out, when she says it "won't cost taxpayers anything." It remains a public subsidy to a private developer, and there's no getting around that fact.

That does not automatically mean it's a lousy idea, of course. The argument can be made, and county commissioner Jerry Finch has made it, that without the subsidy Hawkins would not build in Whitman County at all. And maybe Whitman County residents are, like their commissioners, so eager to see additional retail development, even if it is closer to Moscow than to Pullman or Colfax, that they are willing to help pay for it.

But those residents should not be gulled into thinking they aren't paying part of the cost. They are paying in forgone tax revenue, and that's assuming Hawkins is able to deliver the revenue being projected. Only after the 20-year life of the bonds, or only if tax revenues exceed what is needed to repay them, will county government benefit financially from this arrangement.

And by then, who knows how many other developers will have their hands in county taxpayers' wallets?

"Moscow council takes heat over Hawkins vote; Councilors voted 5-1 to provide water and sewer to developer; some question closed-door talks"

The Moscow City Councilman shouldn't sweat the "heat" very much. People like Bill French and Betsy Dickow are the usual suspects who are always against everything. That crowd had their shot at the polls last November and lost big time.

From today's Lewiston Tribune:

MOSCOW - Members of the Moscow City Council voted 5-1 late Monday night to provide water and sewer services across the state line to the proposed Hawkins Companies shopping center.

Members also agreed to drop the city's appeal against Hawkins' attempts to secure its own water rights to drill wells.

The action, taken shortly before midnight, stems from an agreement hammered out last week during 22 hours of closed-door mediation in Spokane. The agreement calls for the city to provide a total of 65 acre-feet of water annually to the development in Whitman County.

Mayor Nancy Chaney, who initiated and signed the earlier appeals, said after the vote that she would have given thumbs-down to the agreement if a tie had resulted between the six councilors. [Like that was going to happen - tf] But councilors Bill Lambert, John Weber, Wayne Krauss, Walter Steed and Dan Carscallen approved the measure, while Councilor Tom Lamar voted against it.

The entire council took a verbal lashing from several citizens who voiced their displeasure with the behind-doors negotiations that led to an agreement that they feared could change the area economy and threaten groundwater resources.

"By conducting our business in secret, you are taking away our government," said Bill French of Moscow, a self-described water watchdog on the Palouse. "And far beyond whatever you're poised to decide about our water resources, the damage to our government by this action I think is the real issue."

Betsy Dickow of Moscow echoed those sentiments. "I'm disappointed that the council would agree to consider something in confidentiality. I'm concerned that the city is willing to do things in secret. It concerns me greatly and I don't think it brings the confidence of the populace."

Steed responded that the confidentiality and secret nature of the mediation process was thrust upon the city. "We didn't ask for it," he said, explaining that he and other newly elected council members inherited an existing legal action. "We didn't start it. We didn't have anything to do with it. But we were handed it as new council members."

The water appeals came last year after members of the old city council and Chaney met in executive session. No vote was taken in the session, but Chaney came out of it with enough approval, apparently, to exercise her executive authority to file the appeals.

"The objective was not secrecy," Chaney told the Lewiston Tribune after the meeting. "I don't think there was any effort by any of the council members previous or present to keep the public in the dark." [Riiiight - tf]

By law, the council can meet in executive session to discuss legal matters. Whether city-initiated legal actions can or should stem from those talks, especially with no prior public discussion, seems to be the area of concern for citizens.

"We sought legal advice in this and it was advised to handle it in this manner," Chaney said. "It was not any effort to usurp the public process."

Chaney reiterated that the appeals were filed because of concerns for groundwater, not to stop economic development.

But Whitman County officials have said Moscow's leap into the legal arena across a state line had the potential effect of stopping retail development in the Moscow-Pullman corridor. The Whitman County commissioners earlier Monday, in fact, agreed to issue bonds in the amount of $9.1 million to help Hawkins get infrastructure, including water and sewer services, to the construction site.

"It's like voting for something and holding your nose while you're doing it," Lambert said. "That's what I'm doing here in this process. At least we're getting some type of control factor out of this." He warned that if Hawkins continued to move ahead and drill its own well, Moscow would have no control whatsoever. "At least we've got the right to determine how much water we can give them."

According to the agreement, Moscow will provide 45 acre-feet of water annually to the 14,000-square-foot shopping center for indoor use.

Another 20 acre-feet annually will be provided for irrigation. In addition, the agreement allows for 2,500 to 3,000 gallons per minute to be available for fire protection. Hawkins would become a water utility customer of the city.

The agreement also allows for Hawkins to receive sanitary sewer treatment service from Moscow. Water and sewer rates for the shopping center, according to the agreement, will be made according to the city's regular fee schedule.

The agreement also bars the city from protesting or appealing any construction permits sought by Hawkins for the project. Hawkins, according to the agreement, will not challenge the city's plans to drill a new well near the shopping center site.

Lamar said he could not, in good conscience, vote in favor of the agreement. In addition to groundwater concerns, Lamar has maintained since being appointed to the council last year that he's against retail development in the corridor. He wants the eight-mile stretch to remain a transportation corridor only between the two university communities.

"I'm concerned about this proposal and I don't see clearly that this will benefit the residents of Moscow," Lamar said. "It makes me uncomfortable to not even be able to discuss the details of it with the public before making a decision."

While concerns continue to be voiced on the Idaho side of the border, officials in Whitman County keep touting the Hawkins shopping center as the beginning of retail development throughout the corridor that will provide shopping for consumers and tax dollars for government.

Hawkins spokespeople have said they plan to begin construction this year. The proposal calls for a Lowe's home improvement center to anchor the development, with room for at least two additional big-box stores.

"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.

"Hawkins to tap into Moscow's water; City to sell services to development company looking to build retail center in Pullman-Moscow corridor"

That's a headline I never thought I would post here!! Hawkins and Colton get their water and the Department of Ecology can no longer hold up our development! The Border War is over and Moscow and Whitman County can start cooperating again on issues that matter.

From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

The city of Moscow has changed its stance on a proposed development in Whitman County.

The City Council voted 5-1 Monday to sell water to Hawkins Companies for use at its proposed 700,000-square-foot retail development, which would be situated just across the state line in the Pullman-Moscow corridor.

The city also agreed to drop its appeal of a water rights transfer by Hawkins.

A settlement agreement between the entities was developed during two days of mediation between Moscow, Hawkins, the Washington State Department of Ecology and the city of Colton last week in Spokane.

The council had to vote on the settlement without disclosing its content to the public because of a confidentiality requirement of the mediation.

Councilmen Walter Steed and Wayne Krauss, Mayor Nancy Chaney and Public Works Director Les MacDonald attended the mediation. The full council discussed the settlement in a private session before Monday night's meeting.

Tom Lamar was the only council member to vote against the agreement.

The agreement states that, pending permitting by the Idaho Department of Water Resources, Moscow will provide up to 45 acre-feet of drinkable water per year and up to 20 acre-feet of irrigation water per year, unless Hawkins uses reclaimed water for irrigation. The city also will provide water for fire protection for the development.

The city also is offering Hawkins sewer treatment services. Hawkins has 90 days to decide whether to accept the services and must build a sewage treatment facility on its property if it does not accept the deal with Moscow. Hawkins has estimated it will cost $2 million to build a sewage treatment plant at the site.

If Moscow develops a reclaimed water supply for irrigation, Hawkins can negotiate a deal to use it. Steed said the 20 acre-feet designated for irrigation will be removed from the deal if Hawkins uses reclaimed water, whether from Moscow or its own treatment plant.

The city will charge Hawkins rates that are "fair and reasonable and consistent with rates and charges set for similarly situated customers of the city," the agreement states.

According to the agreement, Hawkins is responsible for the capital costs of extending water utilities from the city to the development. Whitman County has agreed to sell bonds to pay for public infrastructure at the site.

Moscow will withdraw the appeals of three Hawkins water rights that it filed with the Washington State Pollution Control Hearings Board.

Hawkins will withdraw its appeal of one water right, an annual 63-acre-feet draw from the Wanapum aquifer, that was rejected by the board.

Colton will get 100 acre-feet of annual water rights it negotiated in a deal with Hawkins.

Hawkins will have the right to exercise two of its water rights until city water service begins, at which time Hawkins will relinquish its rights and retire them permanently.

Krauss said he went into the mediation knowing the final decision would make some people unhappy, but it had to be reached.

"This a real case of being caught between a rock and hard spot when you do something like this and you make a decision," he said.

Steed said the agreement provides revenue for Moscow and causes no net increase in withdrawals from the Grand Ronde aquifer.

He said Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee officials believe the agreement will create a net decrease in water usage compared to the usage that could happen if Hawkins had all its water rights approved and Moscow lost its appeal.

"We believe there are benefits to the city of Moscow and its citizens in the agreement," Steed said.

Lamar said he voted against the proposal because he doesn't see a clear benefit for Moscow and its residents. [Waaahhhh. Get used to being the single "No" vote Lamar - tf]

"Personally, I'm concerned with the details and the precedent that may be set with decisions if we are to accept this," he said.

He said he doesn't think the city should sell water rights across the state line because Moscow has no ability to annex or tax the development. The development also could have negative ramifications for Moscow businesses.

"Once we decide to sell water to Hawkins, it's no longer just the water issue, it's the city of Moscow helping to make that development happen," he said.

Chaney said she would have voted against the agreement if given the chance. [Of course she would have. Luckily Mayor Moonbat has become Mayor Irrelevant - tf]

She said the agreement saves Hawkins money, which will expedite additional development in the corridor that will draw even more water from a declining aquifer.

"I'm not comfortable that we have all the information in hand yet," she said.

Several Moscow residents who spoke before the vote on the agreement said they were upset with the confidentiality.

"The people here are concerned (about water issues). They are interested," Moscow resident David Pierce said. "The fact that you are willing, it appears, to approve a mitigation and a compromise on this thing without involving the people of the area I think is a great travesty to the people of this area."

Several people also were concerned that the council is jeopardizing the future of Moscow's water resources by agreeing to extend services to Hawkins.

"I also am concerned that the city is willing to mortgage our children's future and put their water rights at risk and destroying possibly two existing wells and our downtown in order to put money in other people's pockets," Moscow resident Betsy Dickow said.

Moscow resident David Hall said selling water to Hawkins causes Moscow to lose its credibility as a city concerned about water.

"Moscow needs to do a full water budget before it can even consider providing water to outside entities," Hall said.

Many council members said they were uncomfortable about not being able to discuss the agreement before the vote.

Steed said confidentiality "was placed upon us. We didn't ask for it. We didn't particularly want to do it that way."

Lamar said Moscow residents will have the chance to share their opinions about the agreement during the Idaho Department of Water Resources permitting process, which will be conducted by the state.

Lambert said Moscow's representatives at the mediation could have just walked away, but it would have left the city with no control over how Hawkins uses its water rights.

"This issue is not a cut-and-dried issue where we've got the right to stop what they're doing over there, and everybody in this town needs to understand that," Lambert said. "At least we've got the right to determine how much water we can give them."

Whitman County Commissioner Jerry Finch said Moscow's decision takes "a big impediment off the process."

"I think it is a win-win for both the county and the city of Moscow," Finch said. "We've come a long way. Six months ago I would have never thought they would sell Hawkins water."

"Whitman County will sell bonds to pay for public infrastructure at site of proposed Hawkins development"

From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Years of work and deliberation culminated with a 10-minute meeting in Colfax on Monday, the result of which is expected to have a profound effect on Whitman County's economy.

County commissioners approved a preliminary development agreement to enter into a public-private partnership with Boise-based Hawkins Companies, which plans to build a 700,000-square-foot retail development just west of the Idaho border.

According to the agreement, Hawkins will construct public infrastructure - including water and sewer systems - at the development site, and the county will reimburse the company for its costs through the sale of $9.1 million worth of bonds.

The county will assume ownership of the public infrastructure once it's completed, according to the agreement.

Commissioner Greg Partch said the development will change the face of Whitman County and will help secure the financial stability of the county.

"It's a good day for us - a long day in coming," Partch said. "It's time to move forward on this. The timing is right for us and the people of Whitman County.

"I know in two or three years we are going to see major changes in Whitman County," he added. "Today is going to put things in motion."

Commissioner Jerry Finch agreed that the county will reap the benefits of the deal for years to come.

"We have been talking about this a long time," Finch said. "I am so excited about this. This is going to set the tenor for the corridor and it's going to help the county financially long-term."

Commissioner Michael Largent said the agreement will be a win-win for both the county and Hawkins, but most importantly it will benefit the county residents.

"From my perspective I am interested in one thing - a win for Whitman County taxpayers," Largent said.

Largent said revenue generated from the development will help the county's budget, as well as provide money to junior taxing districts such as library, fire and school districts.

"If you are going to support schools, you are going to have to think real hard about supporting this revenue stream," Largent said.

Partch stressed that taxpayers won't see an increase in their taxes because of the bond, which will be repaid through sales and property taxes generated directly from the project.

"It's really important for the people of Whitman County to realize when we enter into a bond this will not end up on their taxes," Partch said.

The deal comes with a guarantee from Hawkins. The company will cover the difference if the county doesn't receive enough sales and tax revenue from the development to cover the expense of the bond payments during years three through seven of the deal.

Aside from extra tax revenue, the county also will see several other perks from the agreement, including a new rural fire station that will be donated by Hawkins.

Hawkins representative Jeff DeVoe said he's thrilled at the approval of the agreement, but more work is ahead, specifically finalizing a deal with Moscow regarding water and receiving a signed commitment from a major retailer to locate at the development.

"It's not finished quite yet," DeVoe said. "The preliminary agreement is finished, but there is still work ahead."

According to the agreement, a final development agreement for the partnership must be reached by June 1.

The securing of water rights was the only significant obstacle left to clear, but that appeared to be resolved at Monday's Moscow City Council meeting, after the council voted 5-1 to approve a settlement agreement between Moscow and Hawkins over disputed water rights.

The agreement should clear the way for Moscow to sell water and sewage services to Hawkins for use at the development.

Even before the agreement announced Monday in Moscow, Finch said he had little doubt the project was a done deal.

"I think we are pretty much certain it is going to happen now," he said

Hawkins/Whitman County Preliminary Development Agreement

You can view a copy of the Preliminary Development Agreement between the Hawkins Companies and Whitman County here.

Hawkins Settlement Agreement with the City of Moscow

Hot off the press. Click on picture to view larger image:

"Whitman County steps in to move Hawkins project forward; Shopping center has been embroiled in water rights disputes with Moscow"

From today's Lewiston Tribune:

A proposed shopping center in the Moscow-Pullman corridor is expected to generate enough tax dollars on its own to pay for $9.1 million worth of infrastructure financed through Whitman County, officials said Monday.

"It won't cost the (other) taxpayers anything," Sharron Cunningham, the county's director of administrative services, said after commissioners Michael Largent, Greg Partch and Jerry Finch signed a preliminary development agreement with Jeff De Voe of Hawkins Companies.

The development hinges, among other things, on whether a water source can be secured.

Hawkins, a Boise-based company, wants to build a 714,000-square-foot shopping center, with a Lowe's home improvement center as the initial anchor, on 204 acres abutting the Idaho border and Moscow city limits. Because of delays revolving around water rights disputes with Moscow and resulting rising construction costs, Hawkins asked the county last month to foot the bill for water and sewer service, roads, curbs and gutters.

The commissioners agreed to the request during their Monday morning meeting.

In addition to detailing financing of the infrastructure, the preliminary agreement hints of possible cooperation with Moscow officials. Construction might be modified, the agreement reads, "if an alternative water and/or sewer system is found and both parties agree to this change."

There had been early talk of Moscow providing water and sewer hookups to the shopping center. But that potential appeared to evaporate when the city failed to act and Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney later signed an appeal of Hawkins' attempts to secure water rights to drill its own wells.

Members of the Moscow City Council were expected Monday night to take action on the appeals after formal mediation with Hawkins representatives last week. However, any decision by the Moscow City Council on the issue occurred after press time. All negotiations have been behind closed doors.

The agreement calls for the company to build all improvements and then be reimbursed by the county. The county, in turn, will issue bonds. The bonds, Cunningham explained, are purchased by a private entity or entities intending to make a profit off interest. "They're purchasing the debt," she said.

Cunningham said Hawkins, upon start of the project, will immediately begin paying construction taxes to the county, plus property taxes and eventually sales taxes in amounts expected to pay the $9.1 million bond plus interest.

De Voe said Hawkins wants to begin construction this year.

Finch, one of the most vocal advocates of the Hawkins development, said the shopping center could be the beginning of more retail construction throughout the eight-mile corridor between the two university towns. Cunningham confirmed that success of such development could translate into much-needed county revenue stability and even a possible surplus.

"We can project all we want," she said, "but we have to cover the debt first."

According to county estimates, tax revenues over the 20 years of the bonds will exceed $9 million above costs in principal and interest. If the Hawkins development fails, according to county documents, other money sources are available, including money from the state and real estate excise taxes.

The infrastructure agreement will be null and void, according to the preliminary agreement, if Hawkins fails to secure water rights, or "firm commitments from Lowe's (or reasonably suitable replacement) to either lease or purchase a portion of the development."

All the infrastructure improvements and water rights for the development will be transferred from Hawkins to the county at no charge, according to the preliminary agreement. The county is exploring the creation of a water district to supply the development, according to the agreement. In addition, Hawkins has agreed to build a rural fire station on the site, according to the agreement, and donate the land and building to Whitman County Rural Fire District 12.

All of this, Finch said, wouldn't have happened if Moscow officials had simply agreed to supply water and sewer service to Hawkins. Moscow's water rights appeals further impeded progress, said Finch, to the point where he feared Hawkins Companies might abandon the project if Whitman County hadn't stepped in with help.

Details from Hawkins Preliminary Development Agreement

Some interesting details from the Hawkins Companies/Whitman County Preliminary Development Agreement signed today:

Item 1.a....while both parties currently anticipate that the Improvements will include water and sewer systems, the list of Improvements to be built and purchased under this agreement may be modified, if an alternative source of water and or sewer(s) is found and both parties agree to this change.

Hmmmmmmmm. Now I really believe that the Moscow City Council will vote tonight to extend water and sewer services to the Hawkins development.

Item 1.c. County shall reimburse Hawkins for the cost of the Improvements...

Item 1.d. The Improvements shall be the property of the County....

Item 1.e. The Final Development Agreement referenced above shall terminate upon completion of the Improvements and acceptance thereof by the county...

Item 3. Hawkins will dedicate to the County without reimbursement all roads shown and labeled as "Right of Way" on the site plan.

Item 4. Hawkins will transfer its interest in sufficient water rights for use in the Development to the County at no charge to the County.

Item 6. Hawkins will guarantee, during years 3 through 7 after the start of construction for the Development ("Guarantee Period"), that one percent (1%) of the yearly sales tax, when combined with $1.50 per $1000.00 of assessed value of Real Property Tax in the Develpoment shall be adequate to service the Bond Debt. This guarantee will take the form of a personal guarantee of Mr. Gary Hawkins, the Owner of the Hawkins Companies LLC. If the sales tax and property tax are not sufficient to service the Bond Debt during any year within the Guarantee period, Mr. Gary Hawkins will pay such insufficiency in a cash payment to the County due within 60 days of the date that it is determined that the revenue for the year has not met the guaranteed level. If Mr. Gary Hawkins does pay some amount to the County pursuant to this guarantee, the County shall pay that amount back to Mr. Gary Hawkins within 60 days of the date that funds in excess of the funds needed to service the bond debt are received by the County.

Item 7. On the Development site, Hawkins will build a rural fire station and donate the land and building to Fire District 12.

"Mr. DeVoe, let's build a shopping center"

The commissioners voting on the Hawkins development agreement

With those words, Commissioner Jerry Finch closed today's proceedings after the Whitman County Commissioners voted unanimously to enter into an infrastructure development agreement with the Hawkins Companies for a corridor retail development. Following the vote, the commissioners then signed the agreement with Jeff DeVoe signing on behalf of Hawkins. It was all smiles at the courthouse afterwards. I had a chance to personally thank the Hawkins Companies for their patience on behalf of all Whitman County residents.

This day will long be remembered in Whitman County as an economic turning point.

Finch stated this was his "happiest day as a commissioner."

Commissioner Greg Partch said this is the "timing is right to move forward. When we asked the state to improve SR 270, this is what we expected. This bond will never show up on tax statements."

Commissioner Michael Largent said he is only interested in a "win for the Whitman County taxpayer... a win for Whitman County. We're not going to raise taxes. We need to have economic development to keep services at a level the public expects. The ultimate goal is to return money to taxpayers."

The commissioners are to be commended for their bravery and foresight in reaching this decision. Now let's see what Moscow does tonight.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT HAWKINS BOND MEASURE

Two important pieces of information concerning the infrastructure bond for the Hawkins development have been posted on the Whitman County website.

For those of you number crunchers, there is a spreadsheet with estimated project revenues and expenditures here.

Then, there is an informational memorandum here that contains a draft letter of intent and some questions and answers. These questions and answers set the record straight with regard to the all the lies the no-growth leftists have been spreading.

THERE WILL BE NO TAXPAYER IMPACT WITH THIS BOND!!!!!!

Some quotes from the questions and answers:

If the County enters into this project to build infrastructure, will my taxes go up?

Answer: No. As explained below in more detail, the County expects the increased sales and property tax revenue that this development will generate will more than pay for the costs to the County.

What if the unexpected happens and the projected revenue falls short? How will the County pay the bond?

Answer: The payment of the bond is not solely dependent on the expected revenue from the development. Even if the expected revenue falls far short of the estimate, the County has other sources of revenue to pay any bond it may issue.

How much will the County pay to operate the water and sewer system?

Answer: The County’s estimates are that the fees that would be generated from water and sewer utility payments that Hawkins and its tenants will pay would cover the costs of running and maintaining the water and sewer system.

How much will the County pay to maintain the roads, once they are built, and where will that money come from?

Answer: The County estimates a cost over a time period of 20 years of $1.3 million to maintain the roads. That includes the cost of resurfacing the roads and the cost of equipment to clean and maintain the roads. During the same 20-year period the County estimates that Hawkins and its tenants will pay $1.9 million in new property taxes which are by law devoted solely to road construction and maintenance. That $1.9 million will be used to pay the $1.3 million maintenance cost.

Will the County have to pay more for police protection?

Answer: The development will fall under the jurisdiction of the County Sheriff. The County estimates that it may have to employ an additional full time Sheriff’s deputy and an additional corrections officer at the jail. Both those positions may not be needed, but the County is budgeting for them in case they are needed. The costs of those two positions for a 20-year time are estimated at $4 million, including patrol car, equipment, and other associated costs. The estimated revenue from the project which is dedicated to funding of the jail and juvenile justice (1/10th of 1% sales tax) is $2.5 million. That leaves $1.5 million over a 20-year period that would be an added cost to the County. The County estimates that the additional sales and property tax general revenue generated by the project will more than pay for the $1.5 million.

What will be the cost of fire protection and who will provide it?

Answer: The Hawkins development will be within Fire District #12’s jurisdiction. In this Draft, Hawkins will donate land on-site and construct a fire house for the fire district. Part of the property tax paid by Hawkins and its tenants is by law dedicated to the Fire District. That is projected to be $1.1 million over the next 20 years. The County estimates that money will more than cover the costs to Fire District 12.

Show Your Support for the Hawkins Development

The Whitman County Board of County Commissioners will be taking more public comment on the proposed infrastructure bond for the Hakwins retail development in the corridor on Tuesday, January 22, at 2:30 PM in the Commissioners Chambers at the Whitman County Courthouse in Colfax. If you can't make it, you can still show your support by e-mailing the commissioners (please keep it relatively short and to the point) at the addresses below:

Commissioner Jerry Finch: District2@co.whitman.wa.us
Commissioner Greg Partch: District1@co.whitman.wa.us
Commssioner Michael Largent: MichaelL@co.whitman.wa.us

This is "Selective?"

In August 2007, Queen Nancy proclaimed that "Selective growth means knowing what type of growth is right for Moscow and encouraging it."

Chaney stated that having the focus of development "on the automobile, the strip development with shoulder-to-shoulder big-boxes would encourage homogeneity in the community" and that Moscow needed to maintain its "artsy, quirky edge."

Enter Shari's Restaurant.

According to Saturday's Moscow-Pullman Daily News, a Shari's Restaurant will open off Pullman Road on the west side of Moscow near Applebee's. The 5,000 square-foot will seat 180-185 people and be open 24/7.

What? So you mean that Shari's, on the far-edge of town away from any housing is NOT "automobile development" and NOT "shoulder-to-shoulder" with big-box Wal-Mart a few yards away?

What about sustainability? Where do you think the "half a million cups of coffee, cracks a quarter million eggs, fries over five miles of sausage links and toasts nearly 150,000 pieces of bread" that according to the article the average Shari's serves every year will come from? How many truck trips do you think that will generate? How much gas will be used to ship in those supplies and how much carbon emissions will be generated?

What about "homogeneity?" Shari's already has 98 other stores in six states. In what way does a chain restuarant maintain Moscow's "artsy, quirky edge?"

Don't even get me started on "living wages." I've worked retail and I've worked the early shift at a Shari's type restaurant washing dishes. Restaurant work is worse.

And let's not forget Mayor Moonbat's mantra: water.

According to the Idaho Department of Water Resources Restaurants with bar/lounge, toilet facilities use 9-12 gallons per day per patron. The Southwest Florida Water Management District estimates that resturants use use an average of 5,800 gallons per day (GPD) of water, half of that in the kitchen area (ice machines, dishwasher, etc.) That adds up to a whopping 2,111,700 gallons a year!

Of course, all this folderol about sprawl, homogeneity, sustainability and water ise silly. And I could care less about the hypocrisy of what Chaney states she wants and what is actually allowed to happen in Moscow. BUT THESE SAME ARGUMENTS ARE BEING USED BY MOSCOW TO STOP THE HAWKINS DEVELOPMENT IN WHITMAN COUNTY, JUST A FEW HUNDRED FEET AWAY FROM SHARI'S!!

Darrell Keim, executive director of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce, was quoted in the paper as saying, "I'm excited to see the growth of business at the Warbonnet Plaza. Regardless of what happens with the Hawkins development we'll see growth in that part of town ... it seems to be the natural spot."

Of course it is. Hopefully, the new Moscow City Council will recognize this, drop their water rights transfer appeals and extend utility service to the Hawkins development.