[Vision2020] The GWPZ Hearing

[Carl Westberg]

Dianne writes:  "I don't play golf.  I think golf courses are a colossal 
waste of resources and unnecessary."  May I suggest a simple, elegant 
solution for the golf course/water management issue?  Do like I have, 
purchase an Xbox and the latest copy of Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf.  I have 
played every golf course from Pebble Beach to St. Andrews to the Resort at 
Coeur d'Alene, sometimes on a daily basis, and have not wasted a single drop 
of precious water in doing so.  As far as irrigating the course is 
concerned, my friends and I find that a 12-pack of Henry's Pale Ale does the 
trick quite nicely.                                                          
                                                                             
                                                                             
                                                                   Carl 
Westberg Jr.

>From: "French" <dfrench at moscow.com>
>To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: [Vision2020] The GWPZ Hearing
>Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 10:53:09 -0700
>
>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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