Blaine County Commissioners District 1
By PETER BOLTZ
Express Staff Writer
In the race for the County Commission District 1 seat, incumbent Dennis
Wright, a Democrat, emphasized continuity, while challenger Jim Super, an Independent,
touted his plans to streamline the countys planning and zoning application process.
Wright was elected in 1996 to a four-year term on the commission.
Because terms are staggered, he and Super are vying this election for a two-year
commission seat.
Wright told the audience in his opening statement there were few
decisions he had made as commissioner that he would change.
He said the most important thing for the county to do is "maintain
continuity."
Super, a Bellevue outfitter, assured the audience that if elected, he
will work to preserve agriculture and open space. He said he believes agricultural and
other open space can be preserved by negotiating with developers and using mechanisms such
as TDRs (transfer of development rights).
An issue that clearly marked a difference between Super and Wright was
their opinions on how well the county processes development applications.
Super said it is the perception of farmers, developers and property
owners that the countys application processing system is "cumbersome," and
that the staff "doesnt assist them in answering questions."
"The horror stories of the approval process taking anywhere from
six months to a year is just incomprehensible to me," he said.
Wright responded that he doesnt think the countys staff is
"lacking in public service."
He agreed the time element in the countys planning and zoning
process is cumbersome, but stressed that applications have to be filled out correctly
"Time buys a good plan," he said. "If you force a good plan, youll
have a good development."
Ten years from now, Super said, he envisions an "evacuation of the
working class" from Ketchum and Sun Valley, with an accompanying increase in the
densities of Hailey, Bellevue and Carey.
Wright said population shifts in the county have to be managed
carefully to preserve the valleys character.
"I dont want to see the cities touch," he said.
He said he prefers "four distinct cities without crawling sprawl
between them."