Hansen seeks district seat

MOSES LAKE - Former Democratic state Representative Mick Hansen wants to run the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District like a business.

Hansen, 70, is facing off against former Moses Lake Mayor Ron Covey in the Dec. 14 election.

If elected, Hansen believes district projects could continue if the property tax was lowered to 50 cents per $1,000 assessed property value, instead of the current $1.

He claims the district was very efficient until the new manager was hired.

The property tax jumped by 75 cents per $1,000 value and overhead expenses followed, Hansen claimed.

As far as he's concerned, running the pump across the lake and spraying weeds is the only work that's been done.

He wants to continue the pumping and weed-spraying, but take a second look at other lake projects, like the future dredging and the use of the weed harvester.

The district is in the permitting process to start dredging to remove 60 years of sediment from the lake's bottom.

Hansen takes issue with the expense, which he says exceeds more than $1 million budgeted, and the large ponds and time he believes are required to do the job.

Another project, the weed harvester, may be spreading weeds, he claimed.

The public brought up the concern during a prior meeting with the district in October.

As a result, irrigation manager Curt Carpenter told the Columbia Basin Herald that staff examined an area and found an indigenous American pond weed. The weed was choked out for many years by milfoil and reemerged.

Hansen denies running in retaliation over a disagreement his family had with the district over a property lease in 2008.

He and his wife inherited a gravel business located on leased district property.

There were issues over the amount of time his father-in-law had to clear the land of equipment and gravel, Hansen said.

His father-in-law already had health problems, but passed away a few days after an alleged argument with district staff over the matter, Hansen said.

He said they are not accusing the district of anything regarding the death.

"It was settled in a logical matter," he said. "If people are thinking that's the reason I'm running, no, not at all. I'm looking forward, not back."

Hansen said he has no intention of firing staff if elected, but says the board may be cutting back.

"I question the wisdom of keeping everyone on all winter long," he said.

But there will be terminations if he's denied information to carry out his director duties, if elected, he said.

He also acknowledged that if he wins, he believes himself and board member Rich Archer "can get much better cooperation and take care of a lot of things."

Hansen accused the district of illegally paying nearly $1,000 per month per director for health insurance and illegally raising the property tax without going before voters.

At the last district board meeting, board member Norm Benson said they consulted their attorney before raising the tax.

Hansen also talked about the qualifications that set him apart from his opponent.

"I go out in the field," he commented. "I've been a person that gets things done all my life. I'm hands on, whether it's moving dirt or building buildings. I have experience in a lot of different areas."