[Vision2020] The GWPZ Hearing

[French]

Donovan, those hard-working, time-pressed volunteers who were selected from a variety of segments of the community crafted an ordinance for the overlay zone that had to address not only current but also future potential uses of that land area.  That they have addressed golf courses in the ordinance does not mean there are any nor necessarily that there will be any in the future.  They have anticipated a possibility and made provisions for it.  I don't play golf.  I think golf courses are a colossal waste of resources and unnecessary.  But my view of golf courses is not shared by many, therefore, I'm glad to see willingness to provide restrictions on how golf courses should be managed with regard to water use.

Phil Nisbet makes valid points about the ordinance and I agree with him on some of those.  The ordinance is not perfect, but it is moving in the right direction and will be modified over time as additional studies are completed.  Do I wish we had better tools in the toolbox for fixing this problem?  You bet.  But we work with what we've got.

One of the reasons water problems and water crises are having to be dealt with by emergency ordinances and other means today is that previous elected officials and others did not want to deal with such an important, and often overwhelming, subject.  It's not politically expedient to ask for conservation or to raise water rates. Citizens want their resource protected, but seem unwilling to make any allowances personally.  I appreciate the Latah County Commissioners for their willingness to be the first of the entities that make up the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee (PBAC) to take a bold step toward sustainable use of our water resource.

If people would like to see the cities of Moscow and Pullman reduce their water consumption, then they must ask their city councils for good policy with regard to water use, development, and so forth.  Then when councils propose such policies we need to support them not nitpick them to death.  If we want to provide livable communities for our own future and future of our kids, grandkids, and others, then NOW is the time to adopt strong conservation measures (many water-saving techniques are easy to adopt, inexpensive, simple, and do not mean "doing without"), water rates that reward those that are water-efficient and a clear signal to others to improve their habits, and a comprehensive plan that allows for reasonable growth while AT THE SAME TIME consistently reducing our overall demand for the water resourse.  Is this all possible?  YES!  Just ask Seattle.  They keep growing, but are using less water now than they did 20 years ago.  Is Moscow up to this task?  I sure hope so since I plan to be living here for many decades to come.  

This fall, Moscow will have a chance to elect a new mayor and 4 council persons.  Let's ask the tough questions, listen thoughtfully to the answers and elect LEADERS who will take bold, decisive steps in solving this and other community issues.  As other councils and commissions have elections, pay attention, elect good people, and then help them work toward solutions.

Dianne French

From: Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] The GWPZ Hearing
To: Mark Solomon <msolomon at moscow.com>, Phil Nisbet
<pcnisbet1 at hotmail.com>, vision2020 at moscow.com
Message-ID: <20050812091227.5594.qmail at web30813.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

"At least as far as golf courses go, the ordinance 
says it will either be a water conserving course 
or not at all. The only parts of the course 
allowed to be irrigated with groundwater are the 
driving tees and putting greens."--Mark Solomon

Mark, how is this golf course saving water? The only
way I see saving water is not to build it. It really
pisses people off when they are told that they cannot
water their lawns because there is no water but there
seems plenty for golf courses, ballparks, and rows and
rows of brand new three story 8 bedroom 5 bath homes.

Donovan J Arnold

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