For the week of April 9 - 15, 2003

Attorney selected
for fifth housing
authority seat

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By PAT MURPHY
Express Staff Writer

Impasses over nominating a fifth and final member to the Blaine-Ketchum Housing Authority were broken Thursday, April 3, when the board’s four members found common agreement on a selection.

They picked 37-year-old Ketchum attorney James Laski, a partner in the law firm of Lawson & Laski.

The housing authority’s charter required a unanimous vote on a candidate for the vacancy. Now Laski’s nomination goes to the Blaine County Commission and the Ketchum City Council for approval by a majority, a requirement of the authority’s joint powers agreement.

The four candidates--Laski, former authority member Sue Noel, real estate office manager Sunny Grant and business administrator Jeannie Catchpole--were interviewed for 15 minutes apiece behind closed doors by the authority board last week. The vote was by paper ballot during Thursday’s meeting.

If and when Laski is confirmed, then the board will elect a permanent chairman. Board member David Kipping is acting chairman.

Because of her former service on a previous housing board and her outspoken support of affordable housing, Noel had been the favorite candidate in some quarters for the seat. But she could not muster a unanimous vote of support during previous meetings of the authority.

But after Laski’s victory, Noel, who was sitting in the front row of the Ketchum City Council chambers at the sparsely attended meeting, turned and congratulated Laski, who was in the last row, commenting that he obviously had impressed housing board members with his interview.

Thereafter, Blaine County Commissioner Sarah Michael, who was attending as an observer, asked for time to "thank Sue for her years of service" and her current membership on the Blaine County Regional Transportation Committee.

The meeting was brief by authority standards: In addition to nominating Laski, the board discussed several housekeeping matters, a meeting schedule and possible by-law amendments, then went into executive session to finalize the employment agreement with its new executive director, Dick Duncan.

 

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