Hailey enters ‘pizza
and politics’ fray
Mayoral candidates debate performances
By MATT FURBER
Express Staff Writer
Running unopposed for re-election in
Hailey Nov. 4, council member Carol Brown and council president Rick Davis
kicked off the 2003 Idaho Mountain Express Pizza and Politics night, Wednesday,
Oct. 15, by sharing their views on urban growth and why they want people to come
out and vote anyway.
"The growth issue is right in our face,"
Brown said. She’d like to know that she has voters’ support to continue to
address the challenges of rapid growth in the community.
"If I lose this election this time, it’s
time to quit," joked Davis, who was born in Hailey and has grandchildren here.
He said he feels a strong sense of duty to the community that has offered him so
much. He also expressed the value of his experience guiding growth having served
in city government much of the last 20 years.
The evening debate was not all humor and
sentimental reflection, however. There is a mayoral race this year.
Mayoral race heats up
Gathered for the election season
tradition, people packed the meeting room at the old Blaine County Court House a
year after former mayor Al Lindley’s hasty resignation and Mayor Susan
McBryant’s appointment to his position. Many were eager to get further
explanation for the sudden change last year when Lindley submitted a letter of
resignation after hearing that city staff members had alleged sexual harassment
grievances to voice.
Lindley claimed the council acted
inappropriately and held an illegal vote of no confidence ensuring his being
removed as mayor. McBryant said no such "vote" ever took place before his
resignation.
"I did talk to Al (about the alleged
grievances) before he resigned," said Davis. "I didn’t want him to be blindsided
in a public forum."
McBryant said city attorney Ned Williamson
advised her to hear the grievances, which is in line with the city’s grievance
policy and Idaho code. A person having a grievance is supposed to take the
complaint to his or her department head. In Lindley’s case, since the two
grievances were directed against him, McBryant as council president was the
appropriate person to address. McBryant said she asked Lindley to call an
executive session to discuss the matter, but Lindley said he was upset because
of the alleged council meeting of no confidence and because executive sessions
cannot be called to discuss elected personnel.
In any case Lindley, having submitted a
resignation could not rescind it under Idaho code, said Williamson. Because
Lindley then was no longer part of the city government, he was not able to hear
the grievances, said McBryant, who said a requirement of the process of
responding to the grievances is that the specifics not be discussed.
"There is no gag order on him," she said
of the former mayor.
"There was a vote of no confidence after
he resigned," said Davis.
"I said some things that made people
uncomfortable and I am sorry about that," Lindley said.
The two candidates have not battled over
the controversy during this year’s mayoral campaign, but they have addressed the
issue when asked. Both have said they want to leave the past behind and move on
with the business of managing city business.
Lindley said he responded in anger to what
he viewed as an inappropriate meeting of the city council, who shared a vote of
no confidence in him, but he feels that he can work with anyone if they are
working for the same people, meaning the citizens of Hailey.
"Lindley is talking about how there is no
long term planning, but the comprehensive plan was just finished and he had ten
months as mayor to put something in place," McBryant said expressing some of the
contention between the candidates. "I went out and negotiated $71,000 for the
city in the (planned unit development) for Copper Ranch."
"I see a lot of nodding heads as opposed
to bringing up different problems," countered Lindley.
Costs of development?
The costs to the city and impacts on city
services associated with development, whether in the city’s current boundaries
or as a part of coming annexation, were a main thread for many citizens at the
Pizza and Politics event.
"Where is threshold between providing a
sense of place and convenience?" Planning and Zoning Commissioner Trent Jones
asked the candidates, expressing a common sentiment about the pitfalls of
urbanization.
"I’m not a proponent of the big box
convenience store," McBryant said, acknowledging that increased convenience is a
part of growth in the community.
Lindley said growth was going to occur and
still impact the city, but the limitations of a the federal land surrounding the
city had been good for protecting the sense of place, but other than sewer he
thought long range planning was still lacking.
He believes the comprehensive plan is used
more to patch problems as they come along.
McBryant argues that the plan like zoning
ordinances can always be reworked.
Drawing new businesses
Both candidates are proponents of
fostering businesses operating in the community.
Lindley stresses the importance of
fostering cooperation between city government, the economic development
committee, the Chamber of Commerce and the school district as a means to success
in the central business district. He emphasizes that he has a good working
relationship with each of the groups.
McBryant said she already has a good
working relationship with the groups.
In closing McBryant said it is an honor
for her to serve as mayor. "At the end of the day I think I have done something
and I’ve improved it."
Lindley, who had the last word at the
debate, said there had been no leadership in the last 10 months and that
McBryant had never met with the economic development committee before she became
mayor.
"That’s what leadership does," McBryant
said. As mayor she has met with the economic development committee that Lindley
has chaired, but since their meeting she has heard nothing from them, she said.
Lindley said he is concerned that the city
budget that has jumped 17 percent and that if elected he is committed and will
put in all the time it takes to do the job. He wants to give the voters a
choice.
McBryant explained that the city is
growing at a rate of about 7 percent, which is a cycle that she believes will
slow with changes in the economy, but she believes that the budget is in line
with the unparalleled growth, especially, commercial growth in Hailey. Part of
the size of the budget for fiscal year 2003-2004 is accounted for by large
one-time expenditures like the $2.4 million for a new city water tank up Quigley
Canyon.
As more signs pop up in support of each
candidate, one thing is certain. Hailey has its first mayoral race since former
mayor Brad Siemer defeated Davis six years ago.