Moses Lake dredging halted for a year

MOSES LAKE - A revised budget cutting $69,000 for Moses Lake's dredging was approved by the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District's Board of Directors.

There is now $14,000 left in the 2012 budget for dredging.

The new budget reduced the district's $1.4 million budget to $830,250.

It was proposed by new district board Chairman Mick Hansen and seconded by board director Rich Archer Tuesday night.

Board director Ron Covey voted against the revised budget.

Hansen announced plans to put the project on hold for at least one year after overhauling it.

"We will still have several years of work for the dredge, working in areas where it is too wet to work in the dry, also opening up any bowls we may create while working in the dry, trapping fish during the next draw-down of the lake," he said.

The district will immediately start seeking a revision to the present dredging permit.

"The City of Moses Lake has asked for a backup plan, maybe this will qualify," he commented.

To complete the job, he plans to surplus smaller pieces of equipment for larger equipment.

He announced the plans as part of a mission statement for the district, which Covey called "Mick's mission statement."

Hansen presented the document at the district's board meeting and told Covey it would catch him cold.

He later told the Columbia Basin Herald he typed Covey's name on the statement, rather than leave it off, and that Archer agreed with it.

A woman in the audience asked Hansen what just happened, pointing out he came up with a mission statement his board hadn't seen. She didn't identify herself to the audience.

Another female audience member said it "slayed her" that Hansen had the audacity to put Covey's name on the mission statement.

Curt Carpenter, the district's general manager, said his big concern involved the amended budget meeting the district's assessment formula as approved by the state Attorney General.

He said the budget needed to be looked at more in depth, as it wouldn't meet an audit

The district's attorney, Chris Ries, clarified that a certain amount per assessed authority has to be used for certain items.

"I think what Curt is saying, is we have to avoid dipping into restricted funds," Ries said.

Audience member Laurie Odegaard said she didn't vote, but was involved with the irrigation district's Water Quality Institute for school-aged children. She asked the board to reconsider its plans to cut the entire $8,000 in funding for the institute. The board later decided the program would keep $4,000 of its funding.             

Odegaard pointed out the institute served more than 90 kids annually, including students in public and private school. The institute isn't a school district issue, she contended.

Through the institute, kids learn about plants, wildlife and fish.

"Kids are doing real science on our lake," she commented.

Community donors contributed toward student scholarship money, she said.

Archer said he would like to see Odegaard, as an educator, to ask the Moses Lake School District to join the irrigation district to pay assessments and help fund the program.

He said it costs the irrigation district a lot of money to put on the institute.

The new budget included substituting a water main and well approval plans at Connelly Park with $90,000 for a new mobile home for a park ranger.

The park ranger would be allowed to live at the park rent free, in exchange for possible maintenance or security duties and keeping the park open for longer hours.

The meeting was continued to 7 p.m., Tuesday, at 932 E Wheeler Rd., Moses Lake, to hear reports. It is estimated to be about two hours, Hansen said.