Ecret wants to plan for city needs

MOSES LAKE — Incumbent Councilmember Bill Ecret is running for re-election to Moses Lake City Council position 1 because he wants to continue contribution to planning for the future of the city.

“I would like to see a stronger focus on seniors, the handicapped and those with special needs in Moses Lake,” he explained.

Ecret stated his experience on council and service to other groups helps him to serve the city.

“I am a former planning commission and parks and recreation commissioner for the City of Moses Lake,” he stated. “I am a member of the National League of Cities, an organization that helps to strengthen and promote cities as centers of opportunity. I am president of Vision 2020 in Moses Lake which encourages businesses, individuals and groups to participate in positive activities that will encourage tourism, economic growth and make Moses Lake a better place to live and visit.”

He is a board member of Loving Hands; a group helping youth with special needs and serves the marketing team for SkyWest Airlines.

Ecret has several goals for the position.

“With the continued development in and around the city, even more change will come,” he explained. “For Moses Lake, this is a great opportunity to continue combining retail and service based businesses with public open space and community activities. I would like to maintain Moses Lake’s small city environment while enjoying the benefits of more retail and service businesses. I would like to offer the seniors, the handicapped and those with special needs more overall in our city.

He wants the council to meet with those types of group to understand their needs.

“I would like to see the city offer a recycling program to its residents, complete with education and specific information on what is recyclable and what isn’t. It’s time to recycle, reduce and reuse waste when possible,” Ecret stated.

A challenge facing the position is addressing gangs in the city.

“We as a city need to provide our law enforcement officials the tools they need to identify and prosecute violent gang members,” he stated. “Education programs for young offenders, anti-gang violence classes and opportunities for offenders to turn their life around are just a few examples of how out city can help combat the problem. Enforcement and prevention need to work hand in hand and we as a city need to see that our law enforcement officials have what they need to do their job.”

He asks people to vote for him because he will address citizen concerns.

“I have the time, energy and enthusiasm to tackle the challenges and opportunities for the City of Moses Lake and have made it my life’s ambition to provide the best possible quality of life for the citizens of Moses Lake and will continue to do so. I encourage the residents of Moses Lake to contact me anytime. I will provide the information I have on any issue and if I don’t have answer, I will research the issue until I do.”

Ecret explained his views on several city issues including the placement of signs on city property.

“I believe signs in general should continue to be allowed in city right-of-way with permission from the City of Moses Lake,” he stated. “I would like to see our sign ordinance be clear enough to have all permission be granted administratively, rather than by the council. I would like the citizens to be able to place signs on city property in certain areas if legally possible, on a temporary basis with a time limit and conditions for what type of sign is placed. Nobody wants to see a sign flapping in the wind, unable to read and possibly a hazard if it flies in your path whether walking or driving.”

He voted in favor of allowing political signs on some city property.

Ecret explained his stance on regulating certain dog breeds.

“The responsibility of a dangerous or vicious animal ultimately falls on the owner of said animal,” he stated. “The safety of the public has to come first when dealing with this issue. I am still against banning any specific breed. The ordinance in my opinion can still be looked at and revised to help the owners who want to keep an identified hazardous animal. It’s not the responsible dog owners that are the problem. It’s those that are not responsible that need to be brought to the forefront and penalized if they do not comply.”

He supports photo enforced intersections to monitor speeding and drivers who do not stop at stop signs.

Ecret supports code enforcement on private property.

“First impressions are lasting impressions,” he explained. “We want to make the best possible impression for not only the visitors to our city, but for our citizens. Managing weeds particularly in our city is a tough job.”

He stated code enforcement on weeds must continue. He explained any vehicle should be allowed on someone’s property as long as they are licensed and maintained, but junk vehicles should be removed. Pets must be cared for properly while the owner follows city ordinances.

Ecret explained the federally mandated stormwater treatment plan should be funded in a manner that treats business owners and citizens equally.

“There is no reason our commercial and industrial property owners should get hit unfairly hard, just because they are bigger, especially if their stormwater is already contained,” he stated.