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Hi Saundra, <br><br>
I drop down to the point you brought me in to the post.<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">In the meantime, Mr. Harkins,
since you seem to think both (e) and (f) justify exceptions to the Open
Meeting Law with respect to the Hawkins settlement agreement, perhaps
you’d care to share how you envision the sewer services negotiations as
meeting the exception criteria.<br>
</blockquote><br>
While somewhat technical, I am going to respond according to the
applicable professional standards for this issue. The sewer division of
the water and sewer services provided by the city of Moscow are operated
as and accounted for as an Enterprise Fund. Under Governmental
Accounting Standards Board [GASB] protocols, proprietary funds are used
"... to account for governmental activities that are similar to
activities that may be performed by a commercial enterprise. For
example, a hospital may be operated by a governmental unit, such as a
city, or by a profit-oriented corporation. The accounting and
reporting standards used by a proprietary fund and a business enterprise
are similar because the activities performed are basically the
same." [GAAP Guide, 2003, Sec 25.02]<br><br>
Moscow City currently serves the sewer needs of Moscow as a
monopoly. It might be interesting if Whitman County decided to get
competitive with Moscow by constructing their own sewer treatment
facility. Not all that much of a reach - if we fail to meet EPA
standards (and as I am told, we are operating on an extension of
standards), it is conceivable that Whitman could build a state of the art
facility and offer that facility to Moscow. I know if I were
working with the economic planners on the west side of our border, I
would certainly advise them to do a business plan. If they can
treat sewage better than we can, we might be forced to up our investment
to meet standards or buy from them. The protocol reached by the
Moscow City Council seems to have diverted that pressure - at least in
the near term. <br><br>
Furthermore, it makes more sense (and cents) to me to cooperate and
collaborate with Whitman County to share in developing appropriate waste
treatment. The dollars on both sides of the border would go farther
and we would get better waste treatment for all. It seems that the
protocol moves us in that direction.<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""> <br>
<br>
Saundra Lund<br>
Moscow, ID<br>
<br>
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.<br>
~ Edmund Burke<br>
<br>
<b>***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2008 through
life plus 70 years, Saundra Lund. Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or
reproduce outside the Vision 2020 forum without the express written
permission of the author.*****<br>
</b> <br>
<b>From:</b> vision2020-bounces@moscow.com
[<a href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com" eudora="autourl">
mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Sue
Hovey<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, February 14, 2008 1:15 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> vision2020@moscow.com; Jeff Harkins<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Vision2020] (no subject)<br>
<br>
Well e involves competition with other public bodies and f involves
imminant litigation, so how do those fit? Certainly none of the
other options do, but even so, looks like a stretch to me.<br>
<br>
Sue H<br>
<br>
<br>
<dl>
<dd>----- Original Message ----- <br>
<dd>From:</b> <a href="mailto:jeffh@moscow.com">Jeff Harkins</a> <br>
<dd>To:</b>
<a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</a> <br>
<dd>Sent:</b> Wednesday, February 13, 2008 7:13 PM<br>
<dd>Subject:</b> [Vision2020] (no subject)<br>
<dd> <br>
<dd>To those interested, it would appear that items e and f of the state
statute for executive sessions would be applicable.<br>
<br>
<dd>(e) To consider preliminary negotiations involving matters of
<br>
<dd>trade or commerce in which the governing body is in competition with
<br>
<dd>governing bodies in other states or nations;<br>
<dd>(f) To communicate with legal counsel for the public agency to
<br>
<dd>discuss the legal ramifications of and legal options for pending
<br>
<dd>litigation, or controversies not yet being litigated but imminently
likely to be<br>
<dd>litigated. The mere presence of legal counsel at an executive <br>
<dd>session does not satisfy this requirement;<br>
<hr>
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