Pearce ends two decades on Moses Lake council

MOSES LAKE - It was a night of firsts and lasts for the Moses Lake City Council.

The council's inaugural meeting in the new Moses Lake Civic Center chambers Thursday was also their last meeting of the year.

Mayor Jon Lane took the oath of office for another term in position 7 and Dick Deane for position 6 term, while council newcomer Jason Avila was sworn in to position 3, taking the place of departing council member Richard Pearce.

Much was said about Pearce's 20 year tenure on the council, a time in which he served alongside numerous council members and five mayors as well as completing a mayoral term himself from 1998 to 2001.

Lane presented Pearce with a plaque recognizing his service to the city, noting Pearce holds the record as the longest serving council member in Moses Lake's history.

"We're really going to miss your history, your contributions to our city and all you've done," Lane told him.

Pearce reminisced over his early days on the council, when the major issues concerned the city's new aquatic center.

"If you think back on what the city's accomplished since then, you know they've accomplished a lot and I like to think I've been a part of that," he said; adding his proudest accomplishment was helping tack city utility rates to the Consumer Price Index, assuring city solvency while preventing dramatic rate hikes for residents.

He served on both the planning commission and the airport commission, which he said allowed him to help secure the future of the city's municipal airport.

Councilman Dick Deane highlighted Pearce's role in helping establish the city's many parks and recreation offerings.

While parks were never his primary focus, Pearce said he "was always glad to vote yes" in support of more attractions for visitors and residents alike.

"I've always said the best tourists are your own people so you don't build things for people to come from out of town to see, you build things for people in town to do here," he said.

Council members Karen Liebrecht and Bill Ecret both noted how Pearce helped them learn the ropes when they were new to their positions.

"Richard was a real good mentor to me when I was first elected to council," Ecret said. "If you ever wanted to know how the council voted on a particular issue, right wrong or indifferent, whether he voted for it or not, he was the guy you went to because he knew the history."

Pearce expressed his faith in the upcoming council and his gratitude to the city.

"It's been a great 20 years and a just want to thank the council and the staff for helping me out for all these years," he said. "I can't think of a better way I could have served my community; I've had a great time doing it."