Amid dissension over the future of land surrounding the new St.
Luke’s hospital, chairwoman Sandra Sullivan was dismissed from the Blaine County
P&Z last week — an action county commissioners say is part of the "ongoing
process" of government, but which has Sullivan crying foul.
Citing letters and statements from elected officials and staff, which she
called misleading, Sullivan said she was blindsided by her dismissal.
"This is a really poor way to do business," she said. "I
wonder how much of the rest of the county’s business is done this way."
Board of Commissioners chairperson Mary Ann Mix said she decided to
replace the 58-year-old Sullivan because she wanted more south county representation on
P&Z.
Sullivan, who was P&Z chief since May 1996, lives in Hailey.
As chairperson, Mix alone can decide whether to reappoint a P&Z
member. The other two commissioners then vote on the reappointment.
Mix denied she fired Sullivan, declaring, "she wasn’t replaced,
she just wasn’t reappointed."
The action has raised questions among elected county officials and staff
about established procedures for appointing P&Z members—procedures some say are
ambiguous.
Sullivan’s dismissal followed her request nearly two weeks ago for a
two-month leave of absence from the commission.
During an interview at her Ketchum office Friday, Sullivan said the
two-month absence was originally approved by P&Z administrator Linda Haavik.
On Monday of last week, however, Commissioner Mix, during a telephone
call, told Sullivan not to return to the P&Z because she had been replaced, according
to Sullivan.
Mix said during an interview Tuesday she chose to replace Sullivan in an
effort to "coalesce" the south county with other county areas and to give other
people an opportunity to serve.
The person replacing Sullivan, Lynn Naber, also is a Hailey resident and,
additionally, a south county rancher, who Mix hopes will help establish some sort of
north-south county unity.
Sullivan, claiming the "coalescence" issue to be a smoke scene,
suggested Mix is padding the P&Z with like-minded people to rubber stamp the board of
commissioners’ projects—especially plans for rezoning the McHanville area
surrounding the new St. Luke’s Hospital.
"She has a very strong political agenda," Sullivan said of Mix.
"The fewer the blips, the smoother it will be for her."
With McHanville currently zoned as a special planning area because
existing development doesn’t fit with established zoning designations, it seems
likely that a rezoning will take place in the future to allow land use complimenting the
new hospital.
To what degree the hospital will have a say in that rezoning and what
exactly the new zoning will be has been a subject of debate.
Sullivan said she believes she was replaced because of her "vocal
opposition" to Commissioner Len Harlig’s and Mix’s desire to give
"carte blanche" approval to St. Luke’s rezoning wishes without regard for
the county’s needs.
An ad hoc committee formed last summer to gather input on future uses for
McHanville was evidence of that desire, according to Sullivan.
Sullivan complained to county prosecutor Douglas Werth and others that the
committee represented at least two conflicts of interest.
For one, Sullivan said, including McHanville landowners on the ad hoc
committee was a bad idea because it meant they could make recommendations to
decision-making bodies in the absence of public input.
Mix, however, argued that even though Sullivan and the rest of the P&Z
said it was inappropriate to include the landowners on the committee, it was necessary to
do so to "move the process forward."
"The thing had been sitting on the table for 20 years," Mix said of the
McHanville zoning debate.
Sullivan said Mix and Harlig including themselves on the ad hoc committee
created a second conflict of interest, because they represented a quorum of the
three-member board of commissioners, which has the final say concerning zoning matters.
Mix and Harlig were "making recommendations to themselves,"
Sullivan said, which she called "an odd procedural approach."
Responding to Sullivan’s claims, Mix said, "If there had been a
conflict, I’m sure our attorney would have warned us. . . . We like to stay out of
trouble."
Appointed to the P&Z in May 1996, Sullivan’s three-year term was
up for renewal in October 1999.
At the request of P&Z administrator Haavik, Sullivan said she
submitted a letter requesting her reappointment to another three-year term.
Sullivan said she was led to believe that new term had been approved.
In a Nov. 2 letter, Haavik encouraged Sullivan to remain on the P&Z,
then wrote, "Your contributions have been very effective and I would like to see that
continue."
The letter did not explicitly state Sullivan had been approved for a new
term. However, because the letter discussed difficulties in replacing another P&Z
member—and not Sullivan—it implied that Sullivan would continue serving for
another three years.
Mix said she wasn’t aware until Monday of last week that Sullivan
thought she had been approved in November.
The confusion is partly rooted in the fact that it is common practice for
outgoing P&Z members to continue serving after their terms have expired until the
board of commissioners approves a replacement.
Mix said it took until last week to get a commitment from the
commissioners on Sullivan’s replacement.
Sullivan’s asking for a two-month leave of absence made it more
comfortable for Commissioners Harlig and Wright to finally approve Naber, Mix
said—otherwise, the replacement would have happened sooner.
Mix denied the replacement had anything to do with McHanville. Mix also
denied ever disagreeing with Sullivan on McHanville issues.
When asked if she was padding the P&Z, Mix laughed, calling it the
"most ludicrous statement she has ever heard in her life.
"My objective is participation," she said. "The greater
good for the greater number—that’s my philosophy."
