$885,000 in public funds. No public hearing.
18 non-public or restricted-access meetings.
That is how much Moscow is spending to replace a park stage that volunteers built and maintained for 40 years. The money comes from the City's Capital Fund.
That is roughly $35 for every man, woman, and child in Moscow.
March 23, 2026 Budget Workshop. City Administrator Bill Belknap presented the FY2027 financial outlook to City Council. He did not mention the stage. He did not need to. The numbers speak for themselves.
"Before we even look at those, we're 50 to 80,000 in the hole."
On the FY2027 structural deficit before any non-personnel inflation is counted.
"We've had seven positions that we've held vacant since 2023... We won't have funding for bringing those."
Three years of frozen positions. No restoration in sight.
"We're going to have to give up a patrol position in order to retain that."
On losing the forensic detective after Attorney General funding was cut.
"Don't want this to be a downer, but... We have to be really mindful of what our limitations are."
New annual revenue: $315,000-$355,000. Payroll increases alone: ~$408,000. The city is underwater before it pays for anything beyond salaries. The stage draws from the same finite pool.
On March 23, 2026, the City shelved the $26M Downtown Streetscape project. Downtown got $250K for design only. The park stage got $885K for full construction. Here is what the city cannot afford while building a stage:
In Fall 2022, the City conducted a formal scoring process to identify its highest-priority strategic initiatives. The City Administrator told Council the process ensures "our finite resources" are focused on "our most important issues." Thirteen initiatives made the list:
The East City Park Stage is not on this list.
It was never submitted, scored, or ranked through the process the City Administrator described. The same administrator who told Council "we really do need to be focused on a fairly limited number of items" is overseeing an $885,000 stage project that bypassed his own prioritization framework.
"The stage is old and needs replacing."
It was repaired by volunteers for $818 after the 2010 fire and is still in use today. The question is not whether to replace it. The question is whether $885,000 from the Capital Fund is the right approach when the city cannot fund D Street repairs, has shelved Downtown, and has 7 frozen staff positions.
"The money is already budgeted."
Budgets can be amended. That is what the public hearing process is for. The August 17 formal budget hearing is the place to request a reallocation. No public hearing has been held on this project.
"This is just political."
Every fact on this page is sourced to public records. The source documents are linked above. Read them yourself and draw your own conclusions.
Copy this and send it. Or write your own. Either way, show up in their inbox.
Attend the next City Council meeting. Mondays, 7:00 PM, Moscow City Hall (206 E 3rd Street).
Email the Council: council@ci.moscow.id.us
Request the records: Moscow Public Records Request Form
View the source documents: All Records Received (Dropbox)
Share this page.
On June 17, 2024, City Council reached consensus on three commitments before proceeding with the stage project. Here is what the records show happened:
| June 17, 2024 Council Consensus | What the Records Show |
|---|---|
| "More community outreach" | 6 private meetings, 1 comment-card-only open house (14 responses), 3 unadvertised display boards |
| "Community input" | No survey, no formal Q&A, no referendum, no public hearing |
| "Financial comparison of locations" | No alternative site analysis found in any reviewed public record |
From arson fire to construction contract. Each key decision point in the record.
These are the ten organizations invited to participate in stakeholder meetings.
| # | Organization | Representative | Nov 15, 2024 | Jan 23, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rendezvous in the Park | Daryle Faircloth | Attended | Attended |
| 2 | Renaissance Fair | LuAnn Scott | Attended | Attended |
| 3 | Earth Day | Stevie Steely-Johnson | Attended | Did NOT attend |
| 4 | Hemp Fest | Arlene Falcon | Attended | Attended |
| 5 | Palouse Pride | Kathy Sprague | Attended | Attended |
| 6 | Moscow Community Band | Albert Miller | Did NOT attend | No record |
| 7 | Festival Dance | Rachel Winchester | Attended | Attended |
| 8 | Latah Recovery Festival | Sam Martinet | Attended | Did NOT attend |
| 9 | Parks Department | David Schott | Attended | Attended |
| 10 | Arts Department | Megan Cherry | Attended | Attended |
A minimum of 18 private, closed, or invite-only meetings have been identified in the public record between 2010 and 2026. This list is drawn from council minutes, City records, and direct statements from meeting participants.
| # | Date | Meeting Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb 2010 | Invite-only stakeholder | City Parks, City Arts, event reps. No public notice. |
| 2 | Jun 16, 2010 | Internal selection committee | Unnamed committee reviewed RFQ responses. Members not disclosed. |
| 3 | Aug 9, 2010 | Administrative Committee review | Design West contract reviewed before consent agenda placement. |
| 4 | Aug 18, 2010 | Stakeholder Meeting #1 | Invite-only, 12:00-2:00 pm. |
| 5 | Aug 25, 2010 | Stakeholder Meeting #2 | Invite-only, 1:30-3:30 pm. |
| 6 | Sep 7, 2010 | Executive Session | 11:10-11:46 pm, Idaho Code 67-2345(1)(c). Topic not public. |
| 7 | Sep 15, 2010 | Stakeholder Meeting #3 | Invite-only, 12:30-1:30 pm. |
| 8 | 2011 | Grant application approvals | Both grant applications placed on consent agenda. No discussion. |
| 9 | 2012 | Scope reduction decision | Restroom-only direction set. Stage deferred without public hearing. |
| 10 | Nov 5, 2012 | Expedited bid award | Normal committee review bypassed at Council request. |
| 11 | May 6, 2024 | Design West PSA | $18,700 paid. Scope and authorization basis not fully documented in public record. |
| 12 | Nov 14, 2024 | Individual meeting | City staff met individually with Rachel Winchester (Festival Dance). |
| 13 | Nov 15, 2024 | Stakeholder Meeting | Described by a former Arts Commission member as "private, closed, unpublicized." |
| 14 | Jan 23, 2025 | Stakeholder Meeting | Invite-only. Second formal stakeholder meeting (see attendance table). |
| 15 | Mar 6, 2025 | Open House (restricted format) | Comment cards only, no Q&A. Not a public hearing. 14 responses. |
| 16 | Nov 25, 2025 | Fee proposal meeting | Warnick (Design West) to Riddle (City). Not a public meeting. |
| 17 | Dec 15, 2025 | Council approval (no hearing) | $72,700 contract approved unanimously. No dedicated public comment period. |
| 18 | Mar 25, 2026 | 60% Design Review | Designated "invitation only." General public excluded. |
| Date | Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2010 | Emergency repairs (donated) | $409.16 | Council minutes |
| Apr 2010 | Emergency repairs (City share) | $409.16 | Council minutes |
| 2010 | Insurance proceeds received | $58,000 | Council minutes |
| 2010 | Conceptual design - basic estimate | $495,150 | Design West presentation |
| 2010 | Conceptual design - enhanced estimate | $698,925 | Design West presentation |
| FY2012 | Budget allocation (donations) | $242,000 | FY2012 Budget |
| 2011 | Grant applications (both failed) | Up to $400,000 | Council minutes |
| 2012 | Design West - restroom contract | $17,000 | Council minutes |
| Oct 2012 | Big Sky Development - restroom low bid | $167,000 | Council minutes |
| CIP 2025-2034 | Stage replacement estimate (Project 108-024) | $360,500 | CIP document |
| May 6, 2024 | Design West PSA | $18,700 | City records |
| Dec 15, 2025 | Design West - design through construction | $72,700 | Council vote |
| FY2026 | Stage replacement budget (Capital Fund) | $885,000 | FY2026 Budget |
| FY2026 | 1% Public Art (shared with City Shop) | $150,000 | FY2026 Budget (Art Fund) |
| Mar 2026 | T-Mobile grant application | Up to $50,000 | Grant Review Form |
| Current | Stage rental fee | $26.75 / shelter | Fee Schedule |
| Design West total paid to date | $91,400 | ($18,700 + $72,700) | |
| Cost escalation: CIP to FY2026 budget | +$524,500 (+145%) | $360,500 to $885,000 | |
| Cost escalation: 2010 basic to FY2026 budget | +$389,850 (+79%) | $495,150 to $885,000 | |
| Phase | Amount | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Schematic / Design Development | $18,175 | 25% |
| Construction Documents | $29,080 | 40% |
| Bidding or Negotiation | $7,270 | 10% |
| Construction Phase | $18,175 | 25% |
| Total | $72,700 | 100% |
| Milestone | Target Date |
|---|---|
| Program verification | January 30, 2026 |
| Design development | February 27, 2026 |
| 60% Construction Documents | March 20, 2026 |
| 90% Construction Documents | April 10, 2026 |
| Final bid documents | May 10, 2026 |
| Construction | September 7, 2026 - March 31, 2027 |
Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS/RFQ). Design West prepared the original 2010 concept plan and the 30% design set, then won the RFQ for the full design-through-construction contract. The contract acknowledges this: "based upon the Concept Plan prepared by CONSULTANT under a prior separate contract." No other firm had the same project history before the RFQ was issued.
The listed hourly rates are "valid through December 2025." Work extends to March 2027.
A former Moscow Arts Commission member submitted a signed letter with 15 co-signers to City Council. Co-signers include: Walter Hesford, Lynn, Logan Morris, Alan Rose, Nicole Rose, Laura Putsche, Ken Faunce, Jo Hamilton, Joanne Reece, Holly McCollister, Kathy Dawes, Fran Rodriguez, Elizabeth Hillman, Dale Gentry, and Monique Lillard.
Opposition letters were published in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News on:
Council member Bryce Blankenship sent nearly identical form-letter responses to at least four residents who wrote individually to oppose the project. All four letters were dated December 23, 2025, with nearly identical content across all responses.
Two newly seated council members (Scott Sumner and Sage McCetich) were not receiving emails sent to council@ci.moscow.id.us due to an IT configuration error. At least 9 constituent emails were missed during a critical period of public input.
Mayor Lewis voted against this project. Councilmembers Holmes, Sumner, and McCetich are new. This is their first real budget fight. The question for Moscow: will the new council honor the promises the old council broke?
Attend the next City Council meeting. Mondays, 7:00 PM, Moscow City Hall (206 E 3rd Street).
Email the Council: council@ci.moscow.id.us
Request the records: Moscow Public Records Request Form
View the source documents: All Records Received (Dropbox)
Share this page.
Every fact on this page comes from official City of Moscow public records obtained through formal records requests under the Idaho Public Records Act (Idaho Code 74-102). Source documents are available for public review.