Council names David Skaug to fill vacant seat

MOSES LAKE — At a special meeting on Tuesday, the Moses Lake City Council appointed David Skaug to fill a council seat left vacant when former Mayor Dean Hankins resigned at the end of August.

Skaug was one of 10 residents to submit applications to the council to fill the open position, with council members voting 5-1 to approve his appointment. Skaug, 69, is a lifelong resident of Moses Lake who, along with his brothers, runs a clutch of businesses.

“I just decided it was time to get involved in a more positive way,” he said after the meeting. “I’ve been here all my life, so I kind of have a good feel for where Moses Lake has been. And I want to have a commitment to where it’s going. I’m excited about that, to be a part of that process.

Skaug will serve the rest of Hankins’ term, which expires at the end of 2023, meaning he will need to run for election next fall if he wishes to keep the seat.

As part of the initial interview, council members asked the 10 applicants — Skaug, former council member and retired physician David Curnel, Grant County Public Utility District Account Manager Jeremy Nolan, Moses Lake Municipal Airport Board member Rod Richeson, former council member James Liebrecht, Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District board member Richard Teals, Restore City Church Pastor Sabrina Valdez, Peter Steffans, Ervin Andrew and Elisia Dalluge — a series of three questions regarding how they have educated themselves about the job, what their top priorities would be as council members, and their ideas about how city council members should work with others and maintain relationships.

“I’ve talked to other council members about what it would take to be an effective council member,” Skaug said.

As for his top priorities, Skaug said having done business in Moses Lake his entire life, he remembers a time when downtown Moses Lake was “shoulder-to-shoulder” people doing Christmas shopping, and believes it should be possible to revitalize the city’s downtown. Skaug said one of the goals of the council should be to do what is needed to help make business succeed in Moses Lake.

“I’m very pro-business,” he said.

Council members selected four finalists — Skaug, Valdez, Nolan and Curnel — and asked them another series of questions about how they would gather information and set their personal opinions aside to make decisions, how they would manage their time to best fulfill their council duties, including attending community events, and the best way for the city to deal with homelessness.

Skaug told council members that successfully running a complex collection of family businesses for the last 50 years with brothers who sometimes disagree deeply about matters has given him the experience to deal with people whose views differ sharply and work together for a shared goal.

“That’s a challenge,” he said. “Not everybody thinks the same way.”

Skaug cited something his father, Otto, said once, that it’s important to remain calm even when talking about difficult subjects, since whoever raises his voice has lost the argument.

However, Skaug told council members that managing his schedule as a member of the city council would be a challenge.

“I do have a busy schedule. I do a lot of things,” he said. “I think I can make accommodations, but it will take juggling. Things seem to get busier, not slower.”

As for dealing with homelessness, Skaug said all levels of government should help those who can be helped and want to be helped but should also stop enabling addiction, theft and violence. Drug addicts should be jailed so they can kick the habit, as should those who steal, he said.

“We confuse the homeless with criminals and drug addicts,” Skaug said. “I don’t feel responsible for people who choose to be homeless.”

At the same time, Skaug said housing costs have gone up far faster than wages, making it harder for low-wage workers to find places to live.

“Rent is too high,” he said. “There needs to be more affordable housing.”

While Skaug himself has never served in an elected or appointed position, his father Otto was a member of the city council and served as Moses Lake mayor from 1970 to 1973, and his older brother also served on the city council, he said. He also said he was a little surprised that he was selected.

“When I listened to other responses to the questions, I think there were some high-caliber people throwing their hat into the ring,” he said. “I’m honored that I was selected for this position, and we’ll see how it goes. It’s a time commitment that I’m willing to make.”

“And I’m just excited to be a part of Moses Lake,” Skaug added.

Skaug will be sworn in at the next regular city council meeting on Oct. 11.

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