City officials from Pasco, Richland and Kennewick have been meeting privately for more than three years in an effort to build a regional public facility, such as an aquatic center or performing arts center.
Known as the Regional Facilities Oversight Committee, the group has not agreed on what to build or how Tri-Citians will pay for it. Still, Matt Watkins, the committee chairman and a Pasco city councilman, says they've been making progress.
"We are far along," Watkins said, explaining that the three cities -- represented by city managers and city council members -- "realize our similarities are greater than our differences."
Watkins says the committee is poised to agree on two major issues:
A regional project is better than having the three cities pursuing separate proposals, such as Pasco seeking an aquatic center, Richland wanting a Columbia River interpretative center or Kennewick looking to expand the Three Rivers Convention Center.
"This will be for one big project, not individual projects," Watkins said.
The project will be achieved through a "super" public facilities district that encompasses all the cities.
"The prevailing consensus is the super PFD with a portion of sales tax (as the funding source)," said Watkins, who has been chairman of the committee since its inception three years ago.
There is some disagreement. Kennewick Mayor Tom Moak and Marge Price, mayor pro tem, presented a letter of concern at last month's committee meeting expressing some concern.
"We still appear to be at least one or two years away from bringing any type of regional or local facilities to the voters," the Kennewick leaders said in their letter, adding that the Kennewick council had "a sense of frustration" about the lack of progress.
The letter also suggested that a Metropolitan Parks District, which is allowed by state law, might be considered in place of forming a super public facilities district.
"The Kennewick city council believes (the committee) needs to more thoroughly investigate the advantages and disadvantages of the Metropolitan Parks District and the super public facilities districts, to have the facts available to present in a public forum. We believe it should be the public that should weigh in to a greater extent as to which funding mechanism is more advantageous for reaching the goal of regional facilities," the letter said.
The call for a public forum and input is what Vic Epperly, former Kennewick mayor and proponent of the Metropolitan Parks District, wants.
"To say (the committee) hasn't done much in three years is an understatement," Epperly said.
"This committee has a preconceived notion and is set on a super PFD and having sales tax to fund it," he said.
Epperly said he believes a Metropolitan Parks District can do more and cost taxpayers less. He's crunched numbers in an attempt to prove his point, but hasn't been able to show his argument to the committee because they've kept all sessions closed to the public except for last month's session.
Committee meetings, generally held once a quarter, had not previously been open to the public, were not recorded, and did not have anyone taking minutes as a permanent record.
Watkins said all future meetings will be open to the public, but no testimony will be allowed.
A Metropolitan Parks District isn't what the committee wants, Watkins said.
"It is sub-optimal. Most of the committee thought it was a no-brainer," he said.
Epperly, who gave a pitch for the Metropolitan Parks District to the Kennewick City Council this summer, says he's been invited to do the same at Thursday's Richland Parks and Recreation Commission meeting.
"(The Regional Facilities Oversight Committee) should give the people the opportunity to see what this is about, in a public forum. They also should show the public what they have, which is nothing," Epperly said.
Moak and Price also want the public to be engaged in deciding what project and funding method to pursue.
"We believe it is the proper time to take a step back and open dialogue with the public," their letter said.
Watkins said he has a good feel for what the committee consensus is.
"We've spent two years on how to govern and fund this. It's been long and tedious," Watkins said.
The next meeting of the regional oversight committee will be at 4 p.m. Oct. 28 at Pasco City Hall, in one of the recreation meeting rooms.
The Kennewick City Council will hear a report from Moak during its 6:30 p.m. workshop Tuesday at city hall about the Regional Oversight Committee's response to the letter.