SOAP LAKE - Dave Ready is challenging incumbent Soap Lake Councilwoman JoAnne Rushton for position 7 because he wants the city to take a more pro-active approach to growth.

"We are in need of a sweeping change in our local governance," he said. "I want to put things in motion to help grow Soap Lake into a thriving community."

A general contractor for the past 30 years, Ready said he understands the importance of planning and building a solid foundation for the future.

"It seems to me that what the city of Soap Lake is in need of, at present, is a complete re-habilitation," he said. "I think that my experience dealing with sub-contractors, suppliers and project management should be well suited to the immense and long-term project of the virtual building of a small town."

"In addition to those items I believe the number one issue facing Soap Lake is revenue," he said.

In the coming years Ready said Soap Lake will need to rely on county, state and federal grants as well as low-interest loans to maintain its existing infrastructure while developing long range plans for a city wide revitalization.

The city should first complete a study of its immediate needs, long term needs and state and federal mandates in addition to defining citizens' desires, Ready said.

"Once accomplished we could prioritize our immediate needs for a year or two, using current revenues, to allow us the breathing room to develop a long term planning mentality," he said.

Ready believes Soap Lake should have a designated employee with grant writing experience whose sole function would be to help explore and track all available revenue sources.

"This can be the beginning of a city department dedicated to increasing our city revenues," he said.

Soap Lake can create more of its own revenues by increasing its population and its small business footprint, he said. The city should also do everything they can to facilitate private or public enterprises to bring in tourism, including the Lava Lamp project.

"Presently we are in a 'chicken-and-the-egg' situation; to increase our revenues we need to increase the livability of our town, so as to attract more residents, more business and more tourism," he said. Ê

Ready called tourism "the lifeblood" of cities such as Soap Lake and said having an administration supportive of promotion would go a long way to improving the local economy.

"From my own observations and from input I have received from residents and property owners in Soap Lake ... we currently have a governing body that is unfriendly to change," he said. "They seem to put obstructions in front of any and all individual efforts aimed at bringing in new revenue from events, construction and new business."

Ready said city council should instead practice "full disclosure" and actively pursue citizen input on as many issues as possible.

"I think the results of being involved in your town's future will bring a feeling ofÊpersonal pride, giving each person bragging rights as to how they were involved in turning our town around," he said.

Incumbent JoAnne Rushton didn't respond to questions asked by the Columbia Basin Herald.