Letters

OVIC stance

We write to emphasize that neither as individuals nor as the Board of Directors of the Organization to Void Illegal Conduct (OVIC) are we opposed to the Hawkins project. We favor economic growth in this area and the opportunity for any entity that is willing to make the effort to have the right to take the risk.

What we are opposed to is the attempted underwriting of this project with public funds. Entrepreneurs, business people, need to bear the risk for their proposals, and if successful, reap the reward. It is not the taxpayers’ role to fund private development.

Don Deen

Joe Henderson

Richard Appel

Robert Schultz

Karen Johnson

Rest of the story

The front page article in the February 16, 2012 Gazette about the storage shed fire needs to have the rest of the story applied. I do not know where Aaron Cooper got his information so that he could make the statement “They had this fire contained, but guess what, they ran out of water.”

It was true that we ran out of water and this only reinforces the necessity of fire hydrants for adequate fire protection. However running out of water had little to do with the outcome of this fire. The building was completely full of fire when we arrived and there was no way we could have saved his Porsche because it was destroyed before the first drop of water was applied to the building.

After fighting fires for 43 years, I have seen fire’s destruction, and I hope that no one would ever have to go through the experience. It can be painful and that is why you have insurance to help with the losses.

The fire department did a commendable job with very adverse conditions. There was a car on the west side of the building, a shop on the east side of the building and a home on the north side of driveway and we were able to keep fire from spreading to any of them.

Without the help of the Steptoe, Albion and Diamond Fire departments the outcome of this fire may not have been as good as it was. Also, Colfax Assistant Police Chief Dave Szambelan arrived before Engine 1 and took a series of pictures of the fire which helps us establish a time line on the events of the fire.

James Krouse,

Colfax

Incident command for Colfax Fire & Rescue

Imperative

While there are many reasons to question the Commissioners’ decision to approve the Hawkins request for up to 15 million dollars in infrastructure improvements, it is imperative that county residents understand why the decision was made. I have read the relevant contract and amendment and believe the following points are correct:

1. The commissioners had a short opportunity to make a decision they believed is in the best interests of the county. The open meeting in December was intended for public input, the following meeting in January was a business meeting, open to the public, but not advertised for additional public input.

2. The project has been in the planning stages for several years and all the pros and con of proceeding were well known to the commissioners. Each commissioner was briefed independently by the public works director.

3. The county money involved is only for county owned roads and infrastructure, and will be repaid once the businesses are in operation. No pubic funds will be paid to the developer. About one-third of the funds need by the county had already been secured by the LRF grant.

4. The county is strictly limited in its ability to increase tax revenue. Only a 1% increase per year, about $40,000, may be added to the budget without a vote. County residents have clearly indicated no willingness to approve a high rate of taxation.

5. Therefore, revenue increases will depend on tax receipts from existing businesses operating outside of city boundaries within the county and on new business or private construction within the county.

6. For several years county operations have requested significantly higher budgets than the commissioners have been able to fund. Necessary budget cuts have led to deferred maintenance of county facilities and to reduced levels of service to county residents.

7. Even in the current economic recessions, inflation, at a rate of between two and three percent, is outpacing the increase of county revenue receipts.

8. Without the Hawkins development, as soon as next year, our commissioners will be faced with significant decreases any county expenditures that are not mandated by law and also significant cuts in law enforcement and office personnel.

9. Not only will the Hawkins development reduce the strain on the county budget, it will provide additional tax revenues to other taxing districts, including the Pullman Schools and the Rural Fire District. These revenues will decrease the likelihood that such taxing districts will need to request residents to approve increases tax levies.

I enjoy the primarily rural nature of Whitman County, and I would generally oppose new development. The Hawkins project is the only viable option available to maintain the services and facilities we currently enjoy, and it will likely allow restoration of some of the items that have been cut or deferred over the last several years.

Daniel Leonard,

Johnson