Ketchum city council hears media motivates housing issue

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That was one theme of Monday night’s Ketchum City Council meeting.

A full, varied and long agenda of city business and administrative issues managed in one way or another to be dominated by the issue that has been central to Ketchum city government for the past year: affordable housing.

Barry Irwin of Ketchum read a long, prepared statement in which he castigated the Diagnostics Plus Citizen Survey results, the conclusions drawn by the council from those results in voting for affordable housing and the entire Fields at Warm Springs project.

The survey, commissioned by the city council, is intended for use in setting priorities to manage growth. Sawtooth Development LLC, developers of the Fields at Warm Springs, won approval for a 41-unit project on 2.2 acres. The plan includes 14 "affordable" housing units.

Irwin, who is involved in the campaign to recall the city council as a result of the approval for that high-density planned unit development, claimed it is the citizens of Warm Springs who will pay for the it.

"The entire (affordable housing) issue was motivated by the media," Irwin said.

He accused the Idaho Mountain Express and the Wood River Journal of publishing "one-sided editorials" concerning the Warm Springs project.

"This is a perfect example of the media distorting the issue," he said.

FULMER RESIGNS

Karl Fulmer, the Ketchum and Blaine County housing coordinator behind the Warm Springs project from concept to city council vote, submitted his resignation, effective Dec. 4.

Speaking before the council Monday night, Fulmer outlined his recommendations for a timeline and process in searching for and selecting his replacement.

Councilwoman Chris Potters, a consistent critic of and lone council member to vote against the Fields at Warm Springs, questioned whether Fulmer’s position should even be continued.

"I find it somewhat arrogant that an entire timeline has been outlined before any of it was brought before the council," she said.

Potters said the issue of affordable housing is more suitably handled by Blaine County and situated south of Ketchum where land is more affordable.

Other council members spoke in Fulmer’s behalf and defense and voted to seek a replacement for Fulmer. The motion was passed, noting Potters’ reservations.

OTHER BUSINESS

The council also heard the 1997-98 Ketchum city audit report from Dennis Brown, CPA. Brown reported that the city spent less than its budget and commended the city for its "healthy budget."

Next on the agenda, the council heard from Baird Gourlay of Paul Kenney’s, representing the entire Warm Springs business community.

Problems with traffic, parking, police and KART buses at Warm Springs during ski season prompted a council vote to implement unrestricted parking on Ritchie Road.

"You’ll find this council sympathetic to Warm Springs businesses," Mayor Guy Coles said to Gourlay.

NEW P&Z MEMBER

Peter Gray’s nomination by Mayor Coles to fill the empty slot on the Ketchum Planning and Zoning Commission was passed unanimously.

Following the appointment, Dale Bates of Living Architecture presented a proposed schedule for architectural services for a Street Department storage building for the city. The council voted to accept the first step of Bates’ proposal. He will return to the council on Nov. 16 with a program and notes concerning the structure along with a proposal for schematic design services.

POST OFFICE SITE

The council discussed four potential sites for a new postal facility in downtown Ketchum.

It rejected the proposed site of the present Bald Mountain Motel and Headwaters.