Some steps to build successful new city

David Letterman is the king of Top 10 lists. His are creative and funny.

I've got a Top 10 list, too. Mine isn't going to knock Letterman off his humor throne. On the other hand, he's never had much to say about the Spokane Valley - funny or otherwise.

So I'm going to take this opportunity to offer my Top 10 goals for our new city.

Here goes:

1. Protect our greatest asset, the Spokane River and its environs. The river itself isn't ours. It gets passed to us and we pass it on. The land surrounding the river is ours, though.

We can turn it into a larger version of Riverfront Park, and build the buildings right next to the river or we can do something better for our children and their children.

We can leave them a Centennial Trail that is a place of quiet beauty and family fun.

This doesn't mean no growth around the trail. I'm a realist. It's going to happen, especially with the local economy needing any shot in the arm it can get.

But I do think there is room for compromise between the pro- growth and the no-growth camps.

2. Death to meth. Our new city has to adopt and vigorously enforce local drug laws, making our neighborhoods and schools areas of no tolerance for drugs.

With penalties that fit the crime, we can say "Welcome to Spokane Valley" in one sentence and "Leave your drugs behind" in the next. Who are we worried about offending?

3. Restore the Sprague Avenue business corridor.

In embracing the Valley couplet, it seems we have abandoned the businesses along Sprague. Traffic counts for Sprague westbound are way, way off from the counts prior to the opening of the couplet. Check out the abandoned and under-utilized buildings along Sprague near University Road. That's our "downtown," good Valley folks.

For years, we voted for projects to help the city of Spokane's downtown core. Are we to abandon our own in favor of a Valley downtown on Indiana, next to the Spokane Valley Mall?

4. Bring Broadband to the average Valley home.

It's unconscionable that the main area providers of Broadband have bypassed the Valley. This affects small businesses, kids doing their homework, people who want to work from home - anybody who is relegated to a dial-up Internet connection.

5. Enforce traffic regulations. I know this might not be a popular topic, but I've seen the cars speeding daily past the elementary school next-door to my home.

An accident a month makes a regular appearance at my corner (Broadway and McDonald) - often because somebody ran a red light. This has to change.

6. Use our schools and parks more effectively.

We have an opportunity now to create a vital parks and recreation department, which would keep our parks clean and our kids and adults active in healthy participatory pursuits.

7. Save small businesses.

We're losing some of our best assets - small, locally-owned businesses - because they are unable to compete with the national chains.

These small businesses are our neighbors. They pay taxes here, and hire us and our children.

Sometimes, one of these locally owned small businesses grows up to become a big business. Think Itron, ISC, Telect or American Sign and Indicator. Think local jobs.

Let's help them with incentive programs or maybe use some of the surplus we heard so much about during the campaign to start creative programs like "tax free sales" day at our local businesses.

8. Create a partnership between the new city and our helping-hand programs.

We could be the community with a heart, partnering with established charities such as the Valley Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity.

9. Enforce noise ordinances. Ever heard a car radio in your bedroom late at night, when you live 300 yards off the road? We could stop it if we wanted.

10. Get everyone involved.

I think the city backers have done a good job of setting out the olive branch, asking for involvement from all Spokane Valley citizens.

The best leaders are intelligent, creative, honest, evenhanded, and open minded. We have plenty of these people in the Valley.

That's it. That's my Top 10 list.

It may not get laughs like Letterman's lists. But that's not my motivation.

I want to help build our successful new city - and that's no joke.

Copyright 2002 Cowles Publishing Company
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