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Produced & Maintained by Idaho Mountain Express, Box 1013, Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 
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Copyright © 2002 Express Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 

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For the week of July 3 - 9, 2002

Editorials

From a distance


Worker housing initiatives are dead in the water in the Wood River Valley.

While Ketchum and rural fire districts quietly acquire housing for a few essential workers, action on the larger long-term shortage is stalled, perhaps permanently.

Ketchum’s mayor and council members say they will look for a replacement for its departing housing administrator, who also works with the Blaine County Housing Authority. They have their work cut out for them.

Writing a description for the administrator’s job is going to be like writing a job description for the Maytag Man, who is famous for having nothing to do.

A county ordinance that would stimulate development of worker housing is stalled, with no end in sight.

Ketchum itself has no plan to stop the migration of middle-income workers that has clogged it with commuter traffic during the day and has left once lively neighborhoods deserted. Its energy for the issue seems exhausted after dozens of fruitless meetings.

It’s going to be interesting to see the impacts of doing nothing. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens to the valley’s businesses and culture as worker housing becomes scarcer and scarcer.

Of course, most people will have to watch from a distance.

 


The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.