Moses Lake Mayor Dean Hankins listens to city residents

MOSES LAKE — Mayor Dean Hankins is clear about the power he has.

“Before I became mayor, I was one vote out of seven on the city council,” Hankins said. “After I became mayor, I was one vote out of seven.”

It was something Hankins wanted to remind people of as he sat Thursday in a chair in the center of the Smith-Martin Building as he met with city residents from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to listen to their concerns in the first of what he intends to be many conversations with the mayor events.

“For right now, I plan on doing it every Thursday, and if it is well attended, I’ll keep doing it forever,” Hankins said. “I’m very open to talking to people. I don’t enjoy public speaking, but I enjoy speaking with the public.”

And speak with public he did, for 90 minutes, listening to concerns from more than a dozen people on everything from homelessness and drug addiction to the city’s relationship with the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District, taking notes and compiling a list of things he said he wants to look into.

Most of the suggestions for the homelessness problem involved what Hankins called “not in my backyard,” that people should be incarcerated or hospitalized or simply removed so they are out of the way and not bothering everyone else.

“I understand that attitude. I understand that reaction,” said Hankins, an Air Force veteran and retired physicians assistant. “But what do you do about it?”

Based on his experience as a medical practitioner, Hankins said there simply isn’t enough mental health treatment available for those in need — a problem exacerbated when people start taking drugs to self-medicate.

“A lot of homeless are there because they’re on drugs and they’re on drugs because they have a mental problem,” he said. “Then once they’re on drugs, that becomes its own problem.”

Hankins said he doesn’t have an answer the the challenge of addressing homelessness in Moses Lake, but is open to suggestions.

Still, Hankins said he enjoys meeting people, listening to the concerns and hearing their ideas.

“It may not change how I see something, but it may give you a different viewpoint. So I think it’s good,” he said.

For those interested, Hankins will be holding his next public gathering on Thursday, May 5, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Smith-Martin Building at 102 E. Third Ave.

Hankins said he chose the small lobby at the center of the Smith-Martin building as a gathering place because it was a neutral setting, though he said he has looked into holding the conversations elsewhere if they get bigger. He’s also going to ask other city council members and City Manager Allison Williams to join him from time to time.

“We’ll just have to see how it works out,” he said.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com.