[Vision2020] Idaho Senate Approves Water-Sale Bill

[Tom Hansen]

It is truly pitiful to see local democracy take such a pitfall at the 
hands of a select few.

Perhaps we should re-erect the sign . . .

http://www.tomandrodna.com/photos/Moscow_sign.jpg
 
Courtesy of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

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Idaho Senate approves water-sale bill
House expected to consider legislation early next month
By Mark Williams, Daily News staff writer
 
Legislation that would allow the city of Moscow to sell water to the 
Hawkins Companies development in Whitman County received unanimous 
approval from the state Senate.

The Senate passed the bill sponsored by Sen. Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow, by 
a 35-0 count earlier this week. The bill has now been sent to the House 
Resources and Conservation Committee, where it awaits a hearing.

Committee Chairman John Stevenson, R-Rupert, said a hearing probably will 
be scheduled for sometime in early March.

"It will probably be a couple of weeks," he said. "We have to get through 
all the House bills first, but a hearing will be held on it."

The proposed legislation would amend state code to make it clear Idaho 
cities can expand water service areas to adjacent, out-of-state areas 
without any special agreements. 

Moscow has been trying since February 2008 to find a way to sell water to 
Hawkins for use at its planned 700,000-square-foot shopping center in 
Whitman County, just across the state line from Moscow.

The Idaho Department of Water Resources previously indicated Moscow 
couldn't sell water directly to Hawkins and had to form an 
intergovernmental agreement with Whitman County to complete a sale.

Moscow's attempts to form an agreement with the county fell through in 
October, when a sale price could not be agreed upon.

Schroeder, who is chairman of the Senate Resources and Environment 
Committee, said the Idaho Department of Water Resources still would have 
to approve any water sale, regardless of the legislation.

Hawkins already drilled two commercial wells this fall, but if the 
legislation passes those wells would be capped and the water rights would 
be returned to the state of Washington, as per the original agreement with 
the city.

City Councilman Walter Steed, who was the driving force behind creating 
the bill, said the legislation essentially would ensure that any water 
sold would only serve the Hawkins development.

Steed said he was pleased that the bill passed unanimously but remains 
cautious until he knows the House has passed it as well.

"It's worked OK to this point but ... we've got more to do," he said.

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It's a shame, you know.

It really is.

Seeya round what's left of town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
 
"For a lapsed Lutheran born-again Buddhist pan-Humanist Universalist 
Unitarian Wiccan Agnostic like myself there's really no reason ever to go 
to work."

- Roy Zimmerman


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