Carey marches to a different beat
By TRAVIS PURSER
Express Staff Writer
Carey's recently purchased city hall. Carey originally incorperated in the
early 1900's, according to city clerk Mary Ann Hennefer; however, she said, "for most
of that time, they didn't even realize they were a city."
No mice here; Indy the cat came with the building.
Carey is a town for people who reject the jet set pace of resort town
life.
Located just a few miles south of the Wood River Valley, and with a
population of less than 400, the community is a world away from skyrocketing real estate
prices, debilitating traffic congestion and the ever-increasing urbanism of Hailey,
Ketchum and Sun Valley.
It’s often said the people who move to resort cities bring with them
the problems they were trying to escape. Eventually, as the north county fills up, as
newcomers are priced out or old-timers simply get fed up, common wisdom suggests
they’ll start migrating south where things are cheaper and simpler. And, once again,
they could bring with them the problems they were trying to escape.
At least that’s what some city officials in the four-year-old Carey
city government anticipate, and they’ve been gearing up over the last several years
to do what they can to "take control of the city’s destiny," to use one
councilman’s words.
Beginning in 1996, the fledgling city government held its first public
meetings in the city clerk’s living room. Later, it held meetings at the local public
school. Last week, however, Carey realized a major goal by meeting in a city-owned
building for the first time ever.
Formerly known as the "Rock Shop," the new city hall is a
wooden, single-story, 1920s-era structure that sits on about a quarter acre of land in the
center of town. Carey purchased the building in December for $20,000 (that’s not a
typo).
Last Tuesday evening, about a dozen residents, six city government
officials, one photographer and one reporter gathered at the Rock Shop.
After welcoming everyone to "the first city council meeting of the
millennium, so to speak," Mayor Rick Baird declared the new building is not just a
city hall, but a community center, and he hopes, it will eventually serve as a senior
citizens’ center as well.
Granted, there’s a lot of work to be done before any of that happens.
Major items of discussion Tuesday night included how to make the building
handicapped accessible, how to connect the building to the city’s sewer system and
how to accommodate a city history museum.
At one point, a cat that came with the property knocked over a piece of
plywood, which fell on a councilman’s head to the hilarity of everyone in attendance,
including the councilman.
Mayor Baird then thanked the building’s previous owner for selling
the structure at such a reasonable price and asked if anyone wanted to make a speech.
There’s little doubt the building has a long way to go, but everyone
seems determined to enjoy the process of getting there.
In other business, Mayor Baird very professionally swore in recently
elected councilman Dan Parke.
"That’s great," city attorney Jim Phillips said,
"except the city clerk does that."
City clerk Mary Ann Hennefer then swore in newly elected councilman Craig
Adamson, who was obliged to relinquish his previous position on the city’s planning
and zoning commission to take up his new council seat. And Hennefer again swore in Dan
Parke.
Later in the evening, the council unanimously passed two new city
ordinances, expediting the process by waiving the usual three public readings before
taking a vote.
One ordinance allows for subdivided lots that don’t border dedicated
public streets, and the other ordinance defines driveway standards.
There was no public comment regarding either decision.
Phillips and Baird gave an update on the status of the county-owned and
operated Carey airport, of which the Blaine County commissioners have asked the city to
assume ownership and operation.
At a little over 23 acres, the grass strip and decades-old
hangers—used to a large degree in the summer by crop dusters—costs the county
about $5,800 a year to operate.
Council members seemed reluctant to take on that added financial burden;
however, Baird reminded them that in all likelihood, Carey could operate the airport at a
discount. Also, he said, "Keep in mind, the county would be deeding 23 to 24 acres
unrestricted to the city of Carey."
In other words, Carey would not be obliged to continue using the land for
aviation.
Like some of the previous discussions that evening, which broke down over
minor and major glitches, pieces of the system that weren’t quite in place or
hadn’t yet been properly tuned, progress toward an airport decision was derailed over
the question of who owns the hangars.
It was only after a few minutes of discussing that question that Craig
Adamson claimed they belong to him.
Did Adamson have a lease agreement with the county or a document to show
ownership, Baird asked?
Well, no, Adamson said.
To be sure, the city of Carey is a work in progress.
