For the week of December 24 - 30, 2003

Charlat reflects on Ketchum issues

Councilman says city needs
‘vision for the future’

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"Ketchum remains, in my mind, the queen city of the Wood River Valley. As Ketchum goes, you can expect that’s how the rest of the valley will go."

— MAURICE CHARLAT, Ketchum city councilman

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

Ketchum City Councilman Maurice Charlat, who sat with the council for the final time Dec. 15, said this week he has no regrets about his October decision to retire from service on the four-person panel.

"Regrets?" Charlat said in an hour-long interview at Sun Valley Lodge. "None whatsoever."

However, the councilman—whose term on the legislative panel officially expires on Jan. 4—said he remains interested in city affairs, and will continue to stay involved in civic projects in the Ketchum-Sun Valley area.

In discussing an array of issues facing Ketchum, Charlat expressed a mix of optimism and quiet reservation about the future of the city and its surrounding areas.

 

Growth looms large

Foremost, Charlat said he believes the city’s elected officials should look farther into the future when making decisions, particularly when considering the potential myriad of projects related to growth.

"Unless something fantastic changes, there will be 40,000 people in the Wood River Valley in 20 years," he said. "That’s a situation that deserves good ideas. We’ve been dealing in a more immediate time frame."

Charlat said Ketchum administrators and elected officials should consider developing a "20-year plan" that includes guidelines for city officials to appropriately address growth-related issues.

"There’s a list a mile long," he said, noting that issues pertaining to housing development, ground transportation, land annexation and air service in and out of Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey all loom large. "That list must be rationalized into some sort vision for the future."

Charlat—who was known among his peers for his hard work in preparing for council meetings—said he believes the task can be handled with adequate dedication from public officials. "I’m positive it can be done," he said. "Is this the council that can do it? Time will tell. Is this the mayor who can do it? Time will tell."

With all public agencies in Blaine County grappling with growth-related issues—from Sun Valley to Carey—Charlat said he believes Ketchum officials must serve as leaders. "Ketchum remains, in my mind, the queen city of the Wood River Valley. As Ketchum goes, you can expect that’s how the rest of the valley will go."

 

Challenges in Ketchum

The continuing development of downtown Ketchum will be a crux issue in the next four years, Charlat said.

The councilman said he believes that special attention should be paid to ensuring that the relatively small inventory of valuable land in the central Ketchum area is developed to its "best use."

"That inventory is not going to get any bigger," he noted.

Charlat said the City Council in the last four years has made accomplishments, but noted he would be reluctant to individually take credit for any progress the city has made.

He said the adoption of a new city comprehensive plan—which is useful but perhaps too general to adequately address some forthcoming challenges—was the most important accomplishment realized in his four-year tenure.

As for disappointments in the last four years, Charlat said they came primarily when he felt that city government was becoming stagnant. "I think everybody on the council is frustrated that they’re not generating a (long-term) plan," he said.

 

Campaign ended abruptly

After commencing a campaign for re-election to the council last fall, Charlat announced on Oct. 20 that he was pulling out of the race.

The councilman, a retired food-service-industry executive, said he was withdrawing from the race because he was "not getting the psychic reward" or the "intellectual reward" that he seeks from his work. "I do not feel satisfied," he said in an announcement to the council and Mayor Ed Simon.

In making the announcement, Charlat said the catalyst for his decision was an apparent abundance of public anger expressed toward incumbent council members during a pre-election political forum at Ketchum City Hall.

Despite his departure from elected office, Charlat said he will stay involved in public affairs.

He expects to continue service on the governing boards of Ketchum Area Rapid Transit and the Ketchum-Sun Valley Chamber and Visitors Bureau.

He is the chairman of the Blaine County Republican Committee, a post he will continue to hold through 2004, he said.

 

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