Letters - Feb. 3, 2011

Include TAC

I urge Whitman County residents to request the inclusion of a Technical Advisory Committee in the requirements of the Conditional Use Permit for wind power energy generation companies doing business in Whitman County.

Certainly in the permitting process for wind power generation, any process that insures the public’s ability to comment and suggest, but not to rule, is positive. Only the inclusion of a TAC does that.

This committee creates a working partnership and diverts frustration and anger that can result in lawsuits. For that reason alone I believe the TAC is the best friend our county commissioners can have. And I believe that all Whitman County taxpayers deserve such protection from the likelihood of lawsuits for which taxpayers are required to pay any damages awarded, as well as legal fees charged to defend Commissioners’ actions.

The provisions of a TAC are reasonable and fair. The requirements are not a burden yet provide a venue for answering questions, assessing unforeseen impacts and perhaps even offering alternate solutions to problems that arise.

Please join me in urging the County Commissioners to issue a conditional use permit that requires a Technical Advisory Committee be included before operation commences.

Karen Kiessling, Pullman

Wait it out

As I read this last issue, January 27th, 2011, of The Whitman County Gazette, “County still unsure about future of CETC,” I read about the future possibility of tearing down the (Elks)/CETC building.

The Port of Whitman gifted the “Elks/CETC” building to the County for $1 during Jerry, Greg and my time in office at Whitman County.

It was and is a great asset to the County and also to the City of Colfax. I remember the night the Elks building burned down. The new Elk’s building has been there since 1972, 37 years.

When Hollis, Nora Mae and I bought the Harrison building Dane Dunford told us, “once it’s sold you’ll never be able to expand your County campus again.” He was right.

We moved the Weed Board there; the Maintenance office was used as an office and storage; the basement was used for storage for our Sheriff’s and our emergency services supplies; and we got out of the expense of paying monthly storage payments, savings of around $400 a month.

After buying the building from Harrison Electric, we then leased it back to Harrison Electric until they moved to the former County shops on the North Flat.

After they moved out, we rented it out to Greg Harazin Electric as a business on Main Street and helped us pay off the debt.

Now part of the remaining space of the Harrison building is going to be used for the elections office.

Yes, I know that money is an issue.

In my opinion, you could hold the property of the Elks/CETC building for 3 to 5+ years until it is in your best interest to make it a sound building again. The decision doesn’t need to be made now or next year.

There are a lot of Whitman County Nurses who got their Nursing degrees in that building and it was used by Spokane Community College for a lot of classes for Whitman County residents. It has been used for years for lots of meetings since the County bought it for $1; Income coming to the county for weddings, and family reunions; we also rented the Community Building at the Fair grounds for weddings and boat storage and other occasions to help with the fairgrounds budget.

The 1880s courthouse in Colfax was torn down by the Commissioners of the 50s because it was said that it was old and needed heating and cooling and that the electrical system was in bad shape and they needed to have more space.

The Whitman County Courthouse was just like the Spokane County courthouse.

That issue is still in the air with Whitman County citizens about the commissioner’s decision to tear it down in the 50s.

Another issue still in the air in the county is the commissioners’ decision in the 1980s, to tear down our Fair’s “Covered Grandstands.” The commissioners could have rebuilt the weak supports and repaired the grandstand for around $40,000 and we could still have our grandstand today. The commissioner’s put up a bond twice after it was torn down, and it was voted down both times.

I encourage the commissioners to make the decision to keep the Elks/CETC building and just wait it out for a few years until the time is right and not be in a hurry to tear it down. It is an important building for the county and has been a great asset to downtown Colfax. I have shared this issue with the commissioners.

I encourage the county commissioners to not make the decision of tearing down the Elks/CETC Building for their legacy in the “2010” decade.

Colfax doesn’t need another gravel parking lot on Main Street.

Les Wigen, Couer d’Alene