Collective groups seeking similar vision for area

Group of six to meet quarterly

MOSES LAKE — The greater Moses Lake area needs to be a prime destination for jobs and development, and area groups need to band together to achieve more ground and support that development at the grassroots level.

That was the message Moses Lake Mayor Ron Covey wanted to bring to the table when he called a meeting of six area agencies at the Moses Lake Fire Station Wednesday. More than 20 representatives from the City of Moses Lake, Grant County Public Utility District, Grant County, the Port of Moses Lake, Grant County Economic Development Council and Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce spent four hours discussing and bandying about ideas for future economic growth in the area.

Covey cited a message first used by visiting speaker and developer Roger Brooks, who used the example of nine golf courses in Nevada who banded together to and became more successful than they would have on their own.

Whether their goal should be to attract tourists to Moses Lake from the Grand Coulee Dam or Cave B Winery or lure large industry and more jobs through companies like Solar Grade Silicon, the groups seemed in agreement about supporting cooperative coordination of such development and growth.

Port of Moses Lake Com-missioner Larry Peterson echoed the words of GCEDC President Ralph Kincaid in commenting on where that growth should come from.

"It all starts with jobs and if we can attract companies here that can attract reasonable employment, everything else comes," Peterson said.

Covey and Gavinski brought to the group a draft of a policy or vision statement to support economic development in the greater Moses Lake area. The various groups will now take the statement back for tweaks and approval at their respective boards, and hope to come back and meet quarterly to discuss economic development and growth issues.

The group met at a time when many are in hopes of an expanded Solar Grade Silicon facility coming to the area. Peterson told those assembled that an announcement on the facility could come by the end of the month, but said that competition remains for the facility in Eastern Europe.

Kincaid mentioned the checklists businesses have when they are looking to relocate. He said other states and other locales have economic incentives that Grant County doesn't, leaving the area at a very competitive disadvantage in many situations. He said the local groups should latch on to the good things they can in the area to bring those industries here.

Port Commissioner Kent Jones said that they need not get into a group think with regard to economic development, and likened prospective business to shopping for a home.

"The people that own the home talk about all the things that they have, the people that are looking at it to buy it are always talking about all the things that it doesn't have," Jones said.

Economic development wouldn't be fully discussed without hitting on roads, and chamber and PUD representative Lon Topaz suggested the groups take a stand on the gas tax and the initiative that could repeal it.

"If you don't think that's going to affect economic development," Topaz said, "you're nuts."

Topaz said the average person on the street does not know what road improvement projects are included in the gas tax package for Grant County. Grant County Commissioner LeRoy Allison responded, saying that gas tax monies from the legislature are coming for roads in Grant County for the first time in 20 years.

One transportation project the group discussed as a long-term need was that of a second crossing over Moses Lake. Kincaid and Port industrial manager Albert Anderson said the issue is one that needs to be addressed, and one with impacts for businesses locating north of Moses Lake as well.

"It's not an insurmountable, unaffordable project," Kincaid said of the project, "and it's going to be essential if you're going to grow."

Anderson said regional traffic definitely would be impacted if the bridge across the lake on Interstate 90 was forced to close. While congestion is increasing on downtown streets, Covey said such a second lake crossing should be placed in a location that will benefit the entire area, not just downtown Moses Lake.

But not all groups had the same solutions for every economic development issue. Different solutions were posed about further development of fiber optics in Grant County, or about how to turn the Grant County Fairgrounds into a year-round facility.

But Moses Lake City Councilman Dick Deane said the Moses Lake area has a magnetic effect, and the more successful the area is, the more successful the outlying areas will be. He pointed to the high school wrestling program and the city's aquatic center as successful Moses Lake draws.

The group of six has called another meeting for Jan. 11 to again discuss economic development issues, and to possibly finalize the policy or vision statement proposed to coordinate the groups in their support of grassroots development.

Covey said that by signing such a statement, the group would also show companies that come to the area that the government agencies are working together to promote the area as a great place to set up a business.

"I think we were fairly successful with this meeting," Covey said, "establishing a visionary relationship with the six entities involved."