Residents need to speak up about rezoning
While the Whitman Port Authority’s rezoning proposal was ineptly presented and included egregious misrepresentations, just reference Ed Schweitzer’s KQQQ radio interview the next day, March 2. It just might not be all bad news. Fortunately, the process allows abundant public involvement, even if it is after the presentation.
The reality is, since the rezoning has been submitted, now all of the public’s comments must be put on the public record. So, if we email Pullman’s mayor and city council, each and every comment now, and through the months of the rezoning consideration, must be entered on the public record and noted for consideration.
There are almost 7,000 signatures on the petition to oppose the Whitman Port Authority, and thousands more voiced oppositions across various resident groups. Now is the time to channel that opposition.
While there was no proper vetting of the rezoning, nor any adequate public involvement, particularly on the included bio-diesel plant, the zoning requirement now goes through three stages. First the environmental review, then the Pullman Planning Commission review, then the vote by the mayor and Pullman City Council.
At any point now, any local resident can send an email or letter to the reviewers, with a copy to the decision makers, i.e., the mayor and city council. Their opposition will be considered as part of the formal process. So, this looks like an instance where poorly considered actions by our public port authority can be defeated by simple good resident involvement. Sample letters, emails and “how-to-do” can be found on any number of opposition website and social media. One is Whispering Hills HOA: bit.ly/3ZMrY4S.
Let’s make public participation in our public processes work for us and correct this awful mistake by the Whitman Port Authority.
Michael Mielke
Pullman
‘Words fail me’
Idaho legislator Tammy Nichols thinks that vaccination against COVID-19 should be a crime. As a retired chemistry professor, I am used to people being ignorant of science in general and chemistry in particular, but this is a whole new dimension of scientific ignorance. Words fail me.
Don Matteson
Pullman
