Covey wants to continue work

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake Mayor Ron Covey is running for re-election to the city council because he wants to continue representing the needs of the citizens.

“We continue to be proactive and progressive in providing a good place to live, a quality environment to raise a family and jobs that pay a good wage,” he stated.

Covey said he is involved with the downtown revitalization project, water park expansion, ice skating rink and a program to maintain city streets. He stated there are several more projects to be done.

He is a retired chiropractor, served the Moses Lake Planning Commission for nine years, served the city council for 13 years, five of which he’s been mayor.

“I have been able to involve myself with many facets of growth and development within the city, county and Columbia Basin area,” Covey stated. “The experience I have gained has been of great value in the continuation of organized growth in this community.”

He explained the growth includes expanding city hall, the Moses Lake Museum and Art Center, building a new library and continuing the Moses Lake branding plan.

“In order to accomplish these goals, it requires someone with a vision, someone with tenacity, someone with a proactive attitude and yet someone willing to compromise when the need exists,” he stated. “I am that person.”

Covey explained a challenge facing the council concerns providing services to the community during this time in the economy.

He explained his stance on several issues facing the council.

“One of which is placement of political signs on city property and adjacent right-of-way,” he explained. “At issue here is that if we allow some signs, we must allow all signs. We have to consider signs as content neutral.”

Covey explained the city hired consultants to give them a plan to make the city more attractive for people to visit to increase revenues. The consultants advised against signs displayed along gateways to Moses Lake.

“Please understand, I am not referring to professionally constructed and painted signs depicting place of business,” he stated. “I am referencing the small cardboard placard signs, the small banner signs, the small temporary signs that appear along streets as you enter Moses Lake that perhaps advertise the sale of cigarettes, gasoline or beverages.”

Covey stated he favors political signs on private property and adjacent right-of-way with the land owner’s permission. Recently Covey voted to allow placement of political signs on some city property.

“Because of my own personal feelings about this issue, I don’t plan to use signs for my political campaign,” he stated.

Covey is donating money he would have spent on signs to the Boys & Girls Club of the Columbia Basin.

He explained his stance on regulating dog breeds.

“Because of a very serious mauling that occurred to a young child in the Longview Tracts area, it came to the attention of the city council that perhaps something needed to be done to protect our citizens from these vicious, mauling animals,” he stated. “We did not ban any dogs. We did take certain precautionary measures to restrict and curtail the ability of certain dogs to be able to attack individuals or other pets.”

Covey supports the use of photo enforcement intersections to monitor speeding and drivers failing to stop at red lights.

“If drivers were more conscious of signal lights and school zones and would then obey the law, there would be no need for these cameras,” he stated.

He explained, police can’t be at the intersections monitoring drivers at all time. He stated although the cameras were not installed to create revenue, there was some revenue accumulated. The funds were put toward the cost of paying for an additional police officer.

He shared his stance on funding the federally mandated stormwater plan.

Covey stated the city is seeking funds outside the city to apply toward the cost.

“Many local businesses are extremely concerned because of the additional cost involved and how that additional financial burden will be passed on to them,” he explained. “The council is aware that there is no 100 percent fair way to address this issue. We are looking at a tiered proposal that may be the most equitable approach to financing this program for all our citizenry.”

Covey explained his views on retail locating to the city.

He stated large businesses only locate to cities with a specific population. He explained it’s important for Moses Lake to have an increased population so retailers such as Costco, Target and Fred Meyer look to locate in the area.

“We continue to make attempts to encourage people to move to Moses Lake, work in Moses Lake, raise their families in this community, knowing well that if the numbers finally reach the required marketing levels, they will come and establish themselves to do business in the city,” Covey stated.