Party lines were nonexistent Monday night as the candidates in the Moscow City Council candidate forum spoke to student and community members in the Vandal Ballroom of the Bruce Pitman Center. The city council forum covered topics from gun control to marijuana, affordable housing and harassment.
Marijuana policing in Moscow is not going to have roadblocks anytime soon, Mayoral candidate William Lambert said. Lambert said the Moscow city police force is smarter than roadblocks and checking cars.
Mayoral candidate Linda Pall said if students know the rules there should be no problem.
Guns also presented another hot button issue at the forum. Lambert said he believes in the second amendment, but he wants to get rid of AK-47s in Moscow. All the candidates at the forum agreed, gun control was necessary to some degree.
City council candidate Anne Zabala said she wanted Moscow to have the ability to make its own rules regarding gun control.
Candidate Bettge said he wanted stricter background checks. He also said assault weapons have no place in Moscow.
Candidate Angela Taruscio said she supported screenings and called for national attention to mental health.
Affordable housing prompted another discussion, as all the candidates chimed in.
Candidate Walter Steed said building affordable housing in Moscow goes in cycles — developers build like crazy and then nothing. Bettge said he wants to urge developers to build up not out as to save space and provide more housing.
The candidates also touched upon environmental sustainability visions they have for the city. Bettge said he wanted to urge business to stop using pesticides which harm pollinators.
Candidate Deborah Sullivan said she wants to start curbside compost for the city and provide charging ports for electric cars. Pall said she wants to reduce carbon by 20 percent by 2050, and create a bike share program.
Kali Nelson can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @kalinelson6