High energy meeting for Adams County council

ADAMS COUNTY - What's good for Othello is good for Lind.

What's good for Ritzville is good for Washtucna.

What's good for Hatton is good for all of Adams County.

So said Stephen McFadden, chairman of the new Adams County Development Council, as he addressed the audience during the council's kickoff meeting Thursday afternoon in Othello, and spoke about the need for synergy amongst all the communities in the county.

All cities and towns in Adams County have voted to partner with the council.

"I was a nervous wreck when we decided to create this organization," McFadden said following the meeting, which was held at the Pilgrim Lutheran Church. "But what has inspired me is the cross-county participation on the council. When we decided in a fairly short amount of time to put this together, we decided we needed to do that, because we needed to get out and introduce ourselves, and we needed to create some energy."

McFadden estimated about 90 people were in attendance for the meeting, designed to introduce the organization to the Adams County business community and build excitement around the notion of economic development.

"I've got to say, at the end of two hours, I think there was some energy today," he said. "It was a good cross-section of people, because we had elected leaders, city and county government employees that play key roles, members of the community, small and large business representation. Diverse participation to try and tap all the energy and excitement we can find."

Speakers included Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville; Bill Gillis, director of the Washington State University Center to Bridge the Digital Divide and George Sharp, marketing manager for the state's Community Trade and Economic Development Department education and outreach program.

The speakers talked about the different characteristics required in economic development, such as patience, passion, people and a willingness to embrace change.

Gillis said it's realistic to expect a Renaissance in the country's rural areas these days.

"More and more people are wanting to move back to rural America," he said. "The number of people moving back to rural America has doubled compared to the past … People are returning to their roots for a reason."

He pointed to more diversified businesses and agriculture, new technology opportunities and a positive trend in agriculture, and said he was pleased to see neighboring Grant County also represented at the meeting.

"Nothing is more important than regional collaboration," Gillis said. "Competition should be left on the football fields and basketball courts. In the competition for economic development, you win by working together."

McFadden said the council is looking for committee members and to fill two positions remaining to be filled in the 21-member council.

The council next meets Thursday at 6 p.m., at the Adams County Public Works Building in Ritzville and officially creates its list of committees and begins to divide responsibilities amongst council members so they can begin to determine their responsibilities and which tools are available.

"Because the board is split geographically, we're trying to respect that by meeting every other month in Othello, and the opposing months in Ritzville," he said. "Before we're done, we will meet in Washtucna, Lind and Hatton, so we do have a presence in all of those places. We don't want to have a singular emphasis on any one community more than all the rest."

Curiosity compelled Ritzville farmer Steve Taylor to attend the meeting.

"There's some new energy," he said. "There wasn't a thing missing. A well-worthwhile meeting."

Taylor said he would continue involvement with the council, participating when he sees something going on.

Hatton Mayor Michael Pherigo said his city doesn't have any "real" businesses in it, because it primarily supports the farming industries and industries like potato storage and French fry production.

"We have people that work in two or three different towns in our county, but none in our town at all," he said. "We tried to figure out what kind of improvements we can make in our town."

Hatton has experienced slow growth over the years, he said.

"It's just interesting to see how much the whole county has changed in 30 years since I moved down here," he said. "I wanted to see what they were going to do and see what's going on."

Pherigo said he felt the meeting went well.

"It's a good starting and jumping off point," he said. "We were well represented. You always have to go forward, to see what we can do in each of our own communities."