No funding for Moses Lake crossing

Various solutions discussed

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake City Council sees a need for an additional lake crossing but struggles with a way to make it happen.

Councilmember Brent Reese said the need for an additional lake crossing is huge and if the council does not act soon, the chance to obtain one might pass them by.

"Eventually that's something we're going to be in a bind (with)," he said.

The cost for a bridge is in the millions of dollars and is unaffordable to the city so they discussed ways to deal with the funding issue.

Reese suggested a lake crossing fund permitting the council to put a specified amount of money away each year for the project.

Finance Director Ron Cone said the fund is feasible but if a new council came in with different views, the fund could be depleted toward something else.

"It's not locked in," he said.

Cone suggested passing a tax to fund the project because if it is a specific tax, the fund can be dedicated to the project permanently.

Reese suggested the city purchase properties from various sites where a potential bridge could go. The city should buy the property now before they are turned into residential lots and before the price continues to climb, he said.

"It's a lot harder to put money away than buy the lots," Councilmember Richard Pearce said. "If those lots are available, maybe we should think about it."

Eventually the city will be stuck, traffic will be congested and citizens will wonder why the council never acted on the issue, Reese said.

City Manager Joe Gavinski said he would begin to look into the cost of property on various sites including the Mae Valley area, Crestview Drive, Marina Drive, Paxon Drive and Sage Bay Drive.

Gavinski expects the funding might be through a bond.

In the 1980s a survey was conducted with Moses Lake citizens, he said. An overwhelming number of people said they wanted a bridge while an overwhelming number of people who wanted the bridge did not want to pay for it.

Pearce said the project needs to get on Grant County's six-year plan to be eligible for funding including grants.

"The county is not willing to do that at this time," Mayor Ron Covey said.

In order to have it on the plan, there needs to be funding appropriated for the project, but there isn't, he said.

"To put it on the six-year plan is a stroke of a pen, not an act of Congress," Pearce said about the procedure.

Reese said he would begin writing a letter to district legislators to see if they can do anything about the issue.