[Vision2020] Latah Commission Candidates See Changes Ahead

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (October 31, 2006) Lewiston Tribune -

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Latah commission candidates see changes ahead


By DAVID JOHNSON
of the Tribune


MOSCOW -- Jack Nelson said change can be good. But not the kind Linda Pike
wants. She hopes to oust him from office. 

The decision, Pike said, is up to Latah County voters -- do they want to
retain someone such as Nelson, who she said has a history of indecisiveness,
or elect someone like her, who understands the need for timely decisions? 

Nelson said he stands on his six-year record and is only one vote among
three commissioners. He insisted some decisions warrant extra review to
guard against rash outcomes. 

Pike also claims Nelson reneged on a promise. 

"Two years ago Mr. Nelson told me he didn't plan to run again." 

Nelson said he remembers the conversation, but a bit differently. "I said
it's a good chance it was my last term, but I know one thing, never say
never." 

The two are locked for a second time in a race for the District 3 Latah
County Commission seat. In the 2004 general election, Nelson defeated Pike
with 54 percent of the votes. 

Pike, a local attorney, said she's back in the hunt because little or
nothing has changed for the better, despite the many changes that keep
coming to Latah County. 

"Basically, he's let things go." 

Nelson agreed that decisions, when it comes to county government, are
sometimes elusive. "If I took this long to make a decision on the farm, I'd
be harvesting last year's crop," he quipped. But Nelson said he and the
other two commissioners have been saddled with issues that demand careful
listening, deliberation and decision-making. 

Pike singled out recent scale-backs at Latah Health Services as an
indication of Nelson's failure to act in a timely fashion. "It's been
struggling for some time," she said of the county-owned care facility. 

"Maybe I could have pushed harder for some kind of bond issue," Nelson said.
"But there's no quick fix." 

Both Pike and Nelson said they would make Latah Health Services a priority
and try to at least keep the therapy pool open. 

Water issues of a different sort have tended to separate the two candidates.
Nelson was part of the unanimous commission vote for an overlay zone that
prohibited land uses in the Moscow basin that could have threatened
groundwater supplies. But a judge threw the ordinance out after ruling the
county had waded illegally into a water management arena where only the
Idaho Department of Water Resources has authority. 

"I think it could be tweaked," Pike said of the ordinance. She said the
wording could be changed to pass legal muster. And more importantly, Pike
said, the county needs to work toward managing both land uses and water
consumption because the two go hand-in-hand. 

"I probably wasn't as big a fan of the groundwater overlay ordinances as my
other two commissioners," Nelson said. "We may have been overreacting a
little bit on things that don't have anything to do with water." But he said
he stands behind the vote because there were unanswered questions, coupled
with public concern, that warranted some sort of local control. 

The situation developed after the Naylor Farms family applied for state
water rights and attempted to mine for clay, sand and gravel within a
636-acre tract two miles north of Moscow. Ultimately, the Naylor plan failed
when the commissioners denied an application for a conditional-use permit. 

Pike said the groundwater issue underscores the fact that Latah County is a
diverse area with people who deserve something more than a
"one-size-fits-all" way of doing business. She said county government should
be shaped around the diversity, with ordinances and regulations that are
"reasonable" for everyone. 

"It sounds good, and I know what she's talking about," Nelson said. "I'm not
a real fan of all kinds of government ordinances being passed. We need to
proceed with caution and ask, 'do we really need more?' " 

Nelson said part of his reason for running again is the county has so much
unfinished work ahead. He said facility needs, the potential for a joint
Latah County-Moscow law enforcement center, revamping of the comprehensive
plan and other issues remain as challenges he's anxious to handle. He said
Pike's challenge has been good for him and the county. 

"I think she's worked really hard. Evidently she wants the job quite badly,
and I do, too." 

"I'm going to be much more proactive," Pike said. "I really feel like I've
been a pseudo county commissioner. I just want to get in there and get
things done."

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For the complete audio of this debate, go to:

http://www.LatahElection2006.com

Seeya at the polls, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho


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The right choice for the future of Latah County.

Linda Pike for County Commissioner

For details, go to http://www.LindaPike.com

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