When Richard moved to Spokane in 1994, one of his first acts of civic engagement was participation in the Horizons process, the initial stage of creating the City’s Comprehensive Plan. That process was a very inspiring and empowering one for Richard and it made him thankful that he had found a home in a city where the citizens were engaged and planning for their future.
When the Plan was finally adopted in 2001, Richard was very eager to see it implemented and began attending neighborhood council meetings. The Plan promised elements that would make Spokane one of the most desirable, livable cities on earth: a walkable community, one with a thoroughly connected bicycle network, urban centers and corridors that would allow residents easy access to services without requiring a car trip, protection of our parks and natural resources and an urban landscape that was “near nature, near perfect.” He has since learned that a comprehensive plan is only as good as the elected officials who stand behind it and that some at City Hall regard our Plan as a ‘guideline’ rather than a matter of public policy.
Richard is seeking a seat on the City Council to see the covenant made six years ago between city government and the people is upheld, that the future envisioned when the Comprehensive Plan was adopted becomes a reality.