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<DIV><FONT size=2>The following is posted on behalf of Wayne
Fox</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">March 18, 2008</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">To:<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 2">
</SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Moscow</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">City</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> Councilperson Walter Steed</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">From:<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 2">
</SPAN>Wayne A Fox</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Re:<SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 2">
</SPAN>Response to Email on Hawkins Procedure</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Thank you for expending your time and your response to
issues raised by my letter of Monday morning.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This letter is in response to an email
from you which reads as follows:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Mr. Fox, the statement we have made regarding avoiding
costly legal fees comes from information we were given about not mediating or
not reaching an agreement in mediation and continuing the appeals.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow">I have no doubt what you say
about had we just dropped the appeals there were not have been the large
costs.</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Had we done that,
however, we believed Hawkins would just drill its wells and taken the
water.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Instead we are selling it to
them.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">What no one seems to acknowledge is that the original
appeal was filed by the Mayor and the "process" to continue the appeals to
mediation was also the Mayor's.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We
newly elected officials were lobbied by the Mayor prior to taking office to
proceed with the mediation process.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The Hawkins Five, as you label us, were told this was the process and we
did the best we could with it; i.e., my analogy of having to jump on a moving
train that had been started from an earlier "station" (Mayor and prior
council).<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">I have not "lied" to anyone but have attempted to relate
the events as I know them.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Thank you for your questions and
comments,<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #0080ff; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Handwriting'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Walter</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #0080ff; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Handwriting'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">
Steed<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #0080ff; FONT-FAMILY: 'Lucida Handwriting'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Walter Steed<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Moscow</SPAN></st1:PlaceName><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">City</st1:PlaceType></SPAN></st1:place><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">
Councilor<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">First of all, thank you for your frank acknowledgement
that the city council could have simply dropped the appeals and thus avoided the
costs of those appeals, costs of mediation, further attorney fees,
etc.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">I
hope that in what follows you do not mind that I will be repetitive, but perhaps
I wasn't clear the first time.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Let's first address your statement:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">"Had we done that, however, we believed Hawkins would
just drill its wells and taken the water.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Instead we are selling it to them."</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">There are two parts of this statement that form the basis
of the large amount of disagreement by the community with decision of the
Hawkins Five and part of the community's perception of their integrity,
judgment, etc.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">First, "<SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">Instead
we are selling it to them.</SPAN>"</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">This
statement raises several serious questions.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Here are just a few:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Why
should a city sell water to anyone except its residents?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Doesn't selling water to anyone impose
liabilities and obligations on the city?</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Doesn't selling water to others outside the city limits
create a liability problem when conditions might occur that would limit the
amount of water available to city residents in the event of a water shortage,
whether due to natural or mechanical causes?</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Why
should a city sell water to an out-of-state organization when its previous
concerns about water availability and conservation have wrought the enactment of
conservation measures such as restricted use of water on lawns (restrictions
with which many city residents do not agree, and who are enraged that water they
might have been able to use on their lawns will now go to an out-of-state
commercial venture)?</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Why
should a city supply a copious amount water from an aquifer known to be
undergoing depletion to an out-of-state commercial venture, that should it fail,
could leave the city with a huge unpaid bill?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Why would a city take that risk?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Is such a risk-taking venture by a city
with an out-of-state entity even within the State of <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State>'s statutory
framework?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Is there even statutory
authority for the city to any services of any kind to an out-of-state private
entity?</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Why
should a city sell water outside its limits when it appears that the city cannot
by law make a profit on such sales, but only at best break even and then likely
incur the possibility of more problems and system-wide maintenance
costs?</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Why
should a city sell water to an out-of-state commercial venture which will be in
direct competition with city based businesses, businesses whose taxes and
patronage helped to build the water extraction, treatment, and delivery
infrastructure?</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Why
should a city supply water to an out-of-state commercial venture which will
compete with city business, thus making it less expensive for the developer to
build than otherwise, and thus less expensive for competing businesses to pay
rent in the out-of-state venture, thus making it possible for them to offer
lower prices than otherwise*?</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">[*The cost of drilling a new well, creating the pumping,
treatment, testing, etc, facilities with its continual required maintenance
would be far greater for Hawkins than simply laying a few hundred feet of water
main.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Also, the cost to Hawkins for
building a sewage disposal facility would be much, much greater than laying a
few hundred feet of sewer pipe.]</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Why
should a city sell water to an out-of-state commercial venture competing with
city businesses when the result most likely will be a loss of revenue for many
city businesses and thus a loss of sales tax and possibly other tax revenue to
the State of <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State>, a state with a continual shortage of
funds?</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Shouldn't a city try to help, not hinder city businesses,
instead of directly enabling and aiding the development and operation of
competing out-of-state businesses**?</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">[**By agreeing to provide water and sewer services to
Hawkins, the city council made it more probable that the competing mall will
actually be. built.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Malls are not developed on "if we build it, they
(businesses tenants) will come."<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Instead there is a long period of floating the mall proposal and
soliciting possible tenants.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Many
would-be tenants are reluctant to commit until many of the more difficult issues
and problems inherent in developing a large mall, especially in a semi-rural
area, are successfully dealt with.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">By
agreeing to provide water and sewer services the city council has removed a
large barrier for Hawkins.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Hawkins
is now able to tell prospective tenants that the largest and most important
infrastructure and environmental barriers have been removed.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Thus, it will now be easier for them to
get tenant commitments, and thus the probability is increased that the
out-of-state mall competing with City of <st1:City w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City>
businesses will be built -- thanks to the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> city council.]</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">I am
by far not the only one to be raising questions like those above.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And if you think that some of my prose
has been pejorative and provocative, you should hear that of some of the
<st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> business
people, particularly those likely to adversely impacted by an out-of-state mall
that their city council using their tax dollars is helping to enable.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">You
state:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">"</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">we
believed Hawkins would just drill its wells and taken the
water."</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Now
we get into the area that really stretches city the council's credibility with
its residents and others adversely impacted by the council's decision in the
Hawkins matter.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">If
the city had simply dropped the appeals and refused to enter into secret,
apparently uninformed negotiations via mediation, then Hawkins would have had
two choices.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">The first choice</B>, as you point out,
would have been be for Hawkins to drill a well for themselves.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">So
what if Hawkins had chosen this alternative?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Hawkins would be incurring the expense,
the liabilities, etc for water extraction, treatment, and delivery.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The City of <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> would incur no
expenses and would not incur any further liability in this matter.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Further, the city council would not have put themselves
into the traitorous position of enabling a large amount of out-of-state
competition with city businesses, the resulting loss of business and tax
revenue, and consequently the loss of the things that such city based business
revenue and taxes pay for in the city and the state.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The
city apparently thinks that by selling water to Hawkins they are somehow able to
control or to limit Hawkins's water usage from the regional aquifers.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Wrong.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">If
Hawkins expands or even needs more water under its current plans than
anticipated, what is to prevent them from having a neighboring/nearby property
owner acquire water rights, drill a well, and sell its output to Hawkins?<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If Hawkins needs more water than the
city can supply, they most likely will find a way to procure it; if no other way
can be found, <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Whitman</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType> has agreed to fund in principle bringing water
from <st1:City w:st="on">Pullman</st1:City> or elsewhere in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Whitman</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">The second choice</B>, would have been for
Hawkins to apply to the City of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> to provide water and sewer
services.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">If
this had happened then the whole process would have been an open, public process
where the comments, wisdom, sentiments, etc of city residents could have been
considered.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The
decision whether to sell water to an out-of-state commercial venture that
competes with city businesses is a complex matter.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are serious and far-reaching
economic, financial, legal, public policy, and environmental impacts that need
to be addressed.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Much information
needs to gathered and evaluated before an informed decision can be
made.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">It
is a matter in which all city residents and those impacted by city actions have
a stake.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is not something that
should be or even could be done correctly in secret or done in a
rush-to-judgment manner with insufficient information.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">I am
speaking from experience.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have
participated in many public processes.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>I have been on both sides of the administrative chasm.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have been an informed, commenting
member of the public.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I have also
been a county planner in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Idaho</st1:place></st1:State> and a member of semi-public boards such
as a volunteer fire association and an economic development
organization.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Here
is one very important lesson I have learned:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>No one person or small group of people
can think of everything involved in a complex public matter.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Many
times in hearings and information gathering parts of public processes I have
been amazed at what can be learned from the public.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Doubtless some of what is heard at public hearings has
little cognitive value, save that it is emotional communication about public
values.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However even this emotional
communication has a role in demonstrating public sentiment.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">I
have many times seen public policy decisions altered, sometimes greatly, by the
consideration of comments sometimes from what some might consider the most
unlikely sources.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">If
any city councilperson thinks they know more than the collective voices of the
public when it comes to complex matters of public policy without first hearing
from those voices, then in my opinion that councilperson extremely arrogant,
fails to understand the power and processes of representational government, and
is seriously delusional.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Let
us now examine your statement:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">What no one seems to acknowledge is that the original
appeal was filed by the Mayor and the "process" to continue the appeals to
mediation was also the Mayor's.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We
newly elected officials were lobbied by the Mayor prior to taking office to
proceed with the mediation process.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The Hawkins Five, as you label us, were told this was the process and we
did the best we could with it; i.e., my analogy of <SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow">having to jump on a moving
train that had been started from an earlier "station"</SPAN> (Mayor and prior
council).<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">This
statement does nothing to change my belief that the present city council must
think that city residents and others like myself are rubes that just fell off
the potato wagon.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">A
new predominantly <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">new
city</st1:place></st1:City> council is not obligated to continue an unfinished
public policy making process in </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">thes
exact format that its predecessors or the current mayor put into motion.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They have no obligation to <SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow">"having to jump on a moving
train that had been started from an earlier station"</SPAN> as you have
characterized it.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Far
from it.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">In
reality, the new council could have stopped the train, dead cold.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The
new council had a unique opportunity.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>They could have started by simply asking:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">"What are all our options at this
point?"</B> with respect to the Hawkins matter.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Such a question is one that anyone with
all or most of their there wits would have or should have asked.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In fact, it's a question almost mandated
by a conscientious councilperson's oath of office and statutory
duties.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Had
the new council asked the simple question, <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">"What are all our options at this
point?"</B> they would have discovered that the city's appeals could have simply
been dropped, and then they could have let things develop as described above
instead of rushing to judgment and making a decision with far reaching
consequences without the counsel of public input and without all the necessary
information to render an informed decision.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Perhaps, the council even did ask the above
question.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">However, what followed was that the new council, in
particular, the Hawkins Five, chose to deal very quickly with this complex
matter with its far reaching consequences for the community in secret and
consequently deal with it without being well informed.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The
truth:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">new city</st1:City></st1:place> council whether by
tacit agreement with the mayor and/or for their own individual reasons had
already decided to provide Hawkins with water and sewer services.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They decided this without having full
knowledge of the impacts and without knowing public sentiment.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The
secret mediation was actually the second secret decision.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Most
outrageously and arrogantly, <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">the first
secret was the decision to provide Hawkins with water and sewer</B> , a decision
made prior to and a prerequisite for entering and/or continuing mediation with
Hawkins:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Daily News</I>, February 8,2008:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Krauss and Steed said they decided
it was best to go ahead with the mediation.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"I went up there to reach a
settlement to conclude the Hawkins situation," Steed said.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Daily News</I>, March 5 2008, Krauss
quoted:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"I was under the very strong
impression that Hawkins was not going to talk about it any
longer."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"When you see Jeff DeVoe and his
attorney sit back in their chairs and cross their arms and they say (a section
of the settlement) stays like it is, that's it, you pretty much understand where
they're at."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">To
repeat from a previous letter:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">The consequences, if the council simply withdrew the
city's appeal from the Washington administrative agency with a letter costing
less than $5.00 to post to all the parties:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>no expensive mediation fees, no further
attorney fees for the city, no attorney fees due Hawkins.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Further and much more important consequences:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Having disposed of the administrative appeal, which the
Hawkins Five considered ill-advised, without further financial consequences to
the city, the council could have then considered an application from Hawkins for
water and sewer services.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Then the council could have gathered reliable, correctly
and carefully researched information about all the consequences of such a
proposal.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They could have discussed
the matter totally in public.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They
could have even held public hearings on such a serious matter with far reaching
consequences to learn public sentiment and perhaps consider challenges to the
accuracy of some of the information upon which they might base their
decision.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Instead, the Hawkins Five lied big time and made a
sweetheart deal with Hawkins in secret.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">They purposely excluded the public from any participation
and denied the public any opportunity to challenge the so-called factual and/or
value bases on which the Hawkins decision was allegedly made.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Then they gave GMAer Steve Busch a
serendipitous big present to boot.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>In addition they spent city funds lavishly on mediation services and on
Peter Scott, a <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Coeur
d'Alene</st1:City></st1:place> attorney.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Refresher:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The Hawkins Five claiming they acted as they did "to avoid attorney fees"
was/is simply a lie.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A lie.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A big lie.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And a really stupid big lie.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Had the Hawkins Five acted honestly, and this matter was
handled openly, legally, and a decision reached after full public consideration,
then this whole thing would be a different matter.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Even if the decision reached would be the same, the
Hawkins Five would not look like sneak-thieves and would not look like they
considered themselves immeasurably smarter than those they serve.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">While a decision reached in an open, and hopefully
open-minded, manner might not be acceptable to all, it would not be tainted with
dishonesty, gullibility, the odor of secret conspiracy, and
arrogance.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">A
decision reached in this open, fact-finding way would not make the Hawkins Five
look like arrogant, secretive, omniscient know-it-alls who do not want their
wills to be tainted by real facts, and, for God's sake, certainly not by public
input and sentiment.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">And who knows?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Maybe after a full, open, and open-minded consideration of the facts and
public sentiment, a different decision might have been reached by the
council.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">From
your letters I take it that you are denying the truth of my provocative
statement:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">"Refresher:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>The Hawkins Five claiming they acted as they did 'to avoid attorney fees'
was/is simply a lie.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A lie.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A big lie.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And a really stupid big lie."</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Please recall your admission from above:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">"<SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow">I have no doubt what you say
about had we just dropped the appeals there were not have been the large
costs.</SPAN>"</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Let's examine some of the evidence.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">As
recent March 5, 2008 in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Daily
News</I>, councilperson Krauss was quoted in an attempt to justify the actions
by the Hawkins Five by saying:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"Peter Scott, an attorney hired by
the city of <?xml:namespace prefix = ns0 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><ns0:City><st1:City
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City></ns0:City> who specializes in water issues,
recommended <SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow">taking the
settlement to avoid costly litigation over the appeals that
</SPAN><ns0:place><ns0:City><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow">Moscow</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City></ns0:City></ns0:place><SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow"> likely would have
lost.</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"We paid a lot of money for his
recommendation, and I thought it was probably a good idea to do it,"
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">If
the appeals had simply been dropped, as you have graciously acknowledged could
have been done, there would have been no costly litigation and its attendant
expenses (nor the expense of further mediation and attorney Scott).<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Instead there would have been time for a
thorough and thoughtful exploration of the entire issue in an open, public
manner.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Even
if the matter was already in mediation, the city could have withdrawn from that
mediation at any time that it found that what was offered was not satisfactory
enough to be in the best interests of the residents of <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> or decided that
mediation was a mistake in the first place.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Mediation is not binding
arbitration.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Had
councilperson Krauss not made his outrageous statements at such a late date, I
would have not been angered to the point of publically entering this
fray.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">From
the same article, more of Krauss's statements:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"Krauss said at a forum Tuesday that
the actions of company representatives during mediation led him to accept a
controversial settlement agreement.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"I was under the very strong
impression that Hawkins was not going to talk about it any
longer."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"When you see Jeff DeVoe and his
attorney sit back in their chairs and cross their arms and they say (a section
of the settlement) stays like it is, that's it, you pretty much understand where
they're at,"</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">How
gullible and dull-witted can you get?</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Hawkins had nothing to lose in this whole process.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If no agreement could be reached with
the city during this secret mediation (prior to which the city council had
already secretly agreed to provide water and sewer service to Hawkins), Hawkins
was no further behind than they were from the beginning.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Hawkins had no chips in the pot.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Hawkins ran a bold, but obvious bluff
and the city council fell for it a first time poker player gambling with a
seasoned cardsharp.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Hawkins walked
away with the jackpot.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Hawkins's
development expenses were reduced significantly and a major barrier to
committing tenants-to-be was removed.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">I
think it highly likely that the Hawkins team left the mediation very, very
pleased with the outcome and also laughing up their sleeves and the credulity of
the city council.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Next, councilperson Bill Lambert wrote in a column on
February 22, 2008 in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Daily
News</I>:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">"<SPAN
style="BACKGROUND: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow">Scott told us litigation would
cost hundreds of thousands of dollars with an uncertain outcome. I am not
willing to spend tax dollars fighting decisions</SPAN> that are made by the
state of <st1:State w:st="on">Washington</st1:State> and <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Whitman</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. Those thousands of dollars should
be spent on streets, sidewalks, and services for our residents. We have already
spent thousands of dollars of your money fighting this."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Here
is the big lie again, manifestly undeniable:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Moscow City Council President Lambert
attempting to justify his actions by claiming he was heroically saving city
residents hundreds of thousands of dollars.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Just
more aggravating, condescending bullshit.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Not
only could the council simply dropped the appeals, but it could have also
withdrawn from the mediation process with no harm, no foul, no further expenses
of consequence.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A big lie coming
from the council president is not likely to enhance the council's credibility
with <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>
residents or anyone else.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Next, from a posting by on Vision 2020 by councilperson
Dan Carscallen:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P><PRE style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt; tab-stops: 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=2>1.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="BACKGROUND: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow">I felt that protracted litigation would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.</SPAN><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I would much rather spend that money on paving our gravel streets, building sidewalks, and possibly even investing in the affordable housing fund that was brought forward by Rick Beebe, plus some plans our Affordable Housing Commission is going to bring forward in the future.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></PRE>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Here
is the big lie again, manifestly undeniable.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There was no need for protracted
litigation</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Carscallen further writes:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P><PRE style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt; tab-stops: 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=2>2.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We are going to be able to charge a premium rate for the water.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If Hawkins chooses to buy sewer service, we can charge a premium rate for it as well.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When treated effluent becomes available, we can charge for it as well (the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Idaho</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> currently uses it for free).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is my hope that we can take that which we make off of the development and put it into a fund to facilitate the exploration of alternative sources of water.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></PRE>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">I
have not researched this myself, but it appears that it would not be lawful for
the city to make a profit (which it should not be in the business of doing
anyway) or to charge a premium rate to anyone for water outside its normal
expenses.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are serious
questions about the legality of providing <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Idaho</st1:State></st1:place> water <I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">en masse</I> to an out-of-state user.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are also questions about the
legality of the city selling its effluent to Hawkins.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">At
any rate, making a deal in secret without having simple legal questions answered
beforehand seems not only arrogant but extremely irrational and foolish.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Such an action, in my opinion,
demonstrates a lack of commitment by the council to conscientiously explore
issues, demonstrates the lack of exercising critical thinking, and demonstrates
a dangerous propensity to act in a very simple-minded manner.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The
Hawkins matter is one of complexity.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>It is not a decision to be taken by "the seat of one's pants."<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A careful examination and weighing of
correct quantitative and qualitative information is need. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Besides having manifested alarming
ineptitude in the Hawkins matter, the totality of the actions by some council
members also has exhibited inexcusable mental lassitude, which obviously negates
the claim for some councilpersons that "they were doing their best" in this
matter.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">If
the time had been taken to conduct this entire Hawkins business in a
no-rush-to-judgment, open, public manner, then there would have been time to
find the correct answers to all the legal and other questions.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Carscallen further writes:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P><PRE style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt; tab-stops: 458.0pt 503.8pt 549.6pt 595.4pt 641.2pt 687.0pt 732.8pt"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=2>4.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I did see this development as an inevitability, since the Whitman County Commissioners are doing all they can to make this happen.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I would much rather see us sell the water to Hawkins, have the control over it, and get paid for it instead of the City of Pullman piping water all the way through the corridor, thereby increasing the chance of further development through there, or allowing Hawkins to drill a well and have no commitment from them regarding conservation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This will at least slow things down a bit.</FONT></SPAN></PRE>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">I do
not know if the Hawkins mall is inevitable or not.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Given the contingencies involved, I
sincerely doubt at this point if anyone on the council knows for sure
either.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, I do not think
that the city of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> should be using its residents taxes to
make that competing-with-local-businesses, out-of-state development more
probable.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">If
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Whitman</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType> is going to foster development in the corridor,
development which will compete directly with <st1:City
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City> businesses, then <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Whitman</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType> should pay for the supporting infrastructure,
not the City of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The
City of Moscow at worst on behalf of its business community should be neutral,
and not be an enabler of competing Whitman County businesses using City of
Moscow funds, part of which are collected from Moscow's business community
itself.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are even many in
<st1:City w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City> who think that the city council should not
be neutral on these matters, but operate under public policies that are business
friendly to the <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> business community.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Carscallen's statement 4 above, reflecting basically a
view of all the Hawkins Five, contains other serious fallacies:</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">As
noted above, the City of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City> has no control over the amount of water
Hawkins will drawn in total from the aquifer.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is very foolish to claim
otherwise.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">If
Hawkins cannot get enough from the City of <st1:City
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City>, then they will find a way to get it elsewhere,
including piping it in from somewhere in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Whitman</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">By
providing Hawkins with water and sewer and thus saving Hawkins and
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Whitman</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType> the expense of providing the same, the City of
<st1:City w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City> has made it possible for <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Whitman</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> to spend in some way the money
originally allocated for infrastructure for Hawkins on other corridor
infrastructure by tying it in some way to the Hawkins development.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Hence, <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>'s providing water and sewer to Hawkins
has increased the likelihood of further and faster corridor development, not
decreased it as councilperson Carscallen claims.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Thank you for graciously entering this dialog despite my
sometimes inflammatory but heartfelt rhetoric, and despite the fact that I am
not a city resident.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">I
have taken the time to write this letter to express some of the thoughts held by
many in the community who are not only befuddled and angered by the Hawkins
decision, but especially by the way it was reached in secret, excluding from
comment those most affected by it, and without the council having anything
approaching the necessary knowledge of the consequences and legalities.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Fueling that anger is the big lie
perpetuated by several councilpersons that the council was heroically acting to
save "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in attorney fees pursuing an appeal that
could simply been dropped.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">It
is extremely unlikely that my words will have any affect at all on the any
councilperson's opinions with regard to the Hawkins matter.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It may even go unread by certain
councilpersons or all of them.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I
have, however, a very faint, miniscule hope that, perhaps only subliminally, a
tiny civics lesson has been imparted to one or two of the council.</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Wayne A. Fox</FONT></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>