Hailey unveils growth ordinance

Hailey city attorney Susan Baker unveiled the first draft of a growth ordinance Monday night, sparking discussion and debate during the regular city council meeting.

Baker asked for advice and input on the ordinance, which would tie growth to the number of available equivalent sewer hookups at the city’s new waste water treatment plant. Baker said she wanted to insure the ordinance had rational relations and wasn’t exclusionary.

To insure sewer hookups are available throughout the life of the new treatment plant in Woodside, the number of connections granted each year would be limited to approximately 114 for 20 years. A hundred hookups per year are needed to meet payments for the new plant.

The council was in favor of a formula that allocates a base of 114 equivalent hookups for each fiscal year, with unused connections up to 100 carrying over to the next year. The remaining hookups would carry over to 2019, or the end of the 20 years.

The equivalent hookups would be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. City staff also proposed an annual audit to review the process.

Council members also discussed allocating a number of hookups for such uses as a homeless shelter or retirement home, as well as including a provision for affordable housing.

"We need to ask what are the needs of the community; we want to make sure the ordinance doesn’t stand in the way," said Mayor Brad Siemer.

"This is complex enough that we’ll be working on it for some time," said Baker.

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