Two months ago, the City of Moscow elected Bill Lambert as mayor — replacing incumbent Nancy Chaney. On Jan. 6, the election results were made official and Lambert began his four-year term.
The City Council held their first meeting of the year on Jan. 6, during which Art Bettge and John Weber also took up their official positions on the City Council.
City Council President Walter Steed said Lambert appeared ready-to-go at the council meeting, though he will have to get used to the position.
“He’s seems energized,” Steed said. “He had on a new gray suit, shirt and tie … and (looked) excited to be there and ready to get going. I think he’s, you know, there’ll be a matter of the staff getting used to him and him getting used to the staff, and the job.”
Lambert said adjustment to the position and city activity is what he will be working on in the coming months.
“Well, you know, (I’ll be) getting used to all the players within the city, getting acquainted with people … familiar with the different things going on,” Lambert said.
Because of this need for adjustment, Steed said he thinks Lambert will focus more on style than substance in his first days as mayor.
“I think the biggest immediate change is going to be style over substance,” Steed said. “He will operate differently than Mayor Chaney did for her 10 years. He will emphasize things that she never emphasized, and he will never emphasize
things that she thought were so important. So, there’s going to be an adjustment period for the city staff and the citizens to get used to the new mayor.”
However long the period of adjustment may last, Steed said economics remain a priority with Lambert.
“I meet with the mayor weekly,” Steed said. “We met and, you know, the first thing out of his mouth was economic development. But, no specifics.”
While Lambert might not have specifics drawn up at this point for Moscow’s economy, he said there is a need to be more open toward business, due to the city’s unimpressive rate of growth.
“We don’t even grow a percent a year,” Lambert said. “And so, what we need to do is find out ways, open the doors for people to do business and everything to go along with that.”
Lambert expressed his optimism for Moscow’s future and said there are many possibilities that will come to Moscow.
“As we progress down — it’s kind of like a building block. You cannot change things quickly, but what you can change quickly is perception and attitudes in the direction we’re heading, and then you build upon that,” Lambert said. “And the exciting thing here in Moscow is I don’t think we know what we cannot do yet, because I don’t think we’ve done it. So I think there’s all kinds of possibilities for us. I think as time goes on and things happen, more possibilities will come to us based on what we’re currently doing and have had completed with the past.”
Andrew Jenson
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