Moses Lake bids for new Dept. of Ag position
Office in town would bring decision makers closer
A newly created position in the Washington State Department of Agriculture could open many doors for the city of Moses Lake.
The department is receiving funding to provide for a new domestic marketing and economic development position.
Alan Heroux, president of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce, and William Riley, director of the Big Bend Economic Development Council, sent letters to department director Valoria Loveland expressing their wishes that Moses Lake be chosen as the location for the new position.
Both the BBEDC and the Washington State Potato Commission have offered a desk, telephone, computer access and other office amenities at no charge.
"The creation of the new position would allow the state to have a full time person on the ground here to promote agricultural products and agricultural development in the area," said Pat Boss, executive director of the Potato Commission. "It gives Moses Lake a state position for a state office to help farmers and companies with agricultural marketing issues as well as economic development issues."
Boss said that the Tri-Cities and Yakima both have offices, from the State Department of Trade and the State Department of Agriculture, respectively, and that both of those areas have benefited.
"If the state puts an office in an area, that shows outsiders that that is an important area to do business in," Boss said. "I think, given the fact that Boeing almost located a facility here, Moses Lake is more recognized as a place to do business. Having an office here would help complement that image of Moses Lake."
Having an office in Moses Lake would also give the Department of Agriculture a person on site that could help area agricultural businesses and farmers, and be a direct conduit to decision makers in Olympia.
"The one thing that we need to help those people on the West Side realize is the importance of ag commodities, not only to the state economy, but to the eastern part of Washington, more specifically," said William Riley. "Many people on the west side don't have exposure to ag and the jobs that it generates. We've learned that from some of the legislation that's passed, impacting ranchers, farmers and fruit processors. I think with the location of a marketing and economic development person over here on the east side, that exposure would really help us all immensely."
Boss and Riley also said that it was important to realize that Moses Lake is not the only area asking to have the position located in its area.
"There are other communities vying for the position, so it's hard to say, but I think we have a good case to make," Boss said, adding that the time line for a decision to be made is up to the director Loveland's discretion, since the legislature and Gov. Gary Locke have already approved the money for the position.
"Given the fact that Tri-Cities has an economic development office that the state maintains, and Yakima has a marketing office that the state maintains, it seems to me that this would be a good fit and complement," Boss said. "Moses Lake being in a central location is a good fit, and the Columbia Basin is becoming a huge agricultural center."