Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Does tourism amplify life in the valley?

Chamber-funding debate embroils Ketchum council and audience

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

Do the influences of tourism enhance the lives of Ketchum residents or disrupt the quiet existence of citizens wanting to preserve a small-town atmosphere?

That was the primary question at issue Thursday, July 15, when the Ketchum City Council considered a six-figure funding request from the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau.

The Chamber, which acts as the region’s chamber of commerce and primary tourism promoter, has asked the city of Ketchum to allocate $390,000 to fund its marketing budget in the 2004-2005 fiscal year.

The sum requested from Ketchum is an approximately 5 percent increase over the $370,000 the city will issue to the Chamber in the current fiscal year.

In considering the request, City Council members heard an outcry of support for the Chamber’s efforts, coupled with a hint of opposition to its primary charge of attracting throngs of tourists to the Wood River Valley.

Carol Waller, executive director of the Chamber, told council members that her organization helps drive the Ketchum economy and provide incomes for thousands of area residents.

"We do help improve the quality of life for everyone in the valley," she said.

Waller argued that a $20,000 increase in funding for the Chamber is justified, in light of the fact that the city is forcing the organization to relocate its visitor center in central Ketchum. The city has decided to trade the Main Street parcel the center is located on, prompting the Chamber to look at leasing space in Ketchum at an annual cost of $15,000 to $20,000.

With a crowd of Chamber supporters looking on, Councilwoman Christina Potters set off a firestorm of debate by stating that she wants the voices of those who oppose the Chamber’s efforts to be heard.

"There are people in town who … don’t want to worry about all this stuff, don’t want to pay for all this stuff," Potters said. "There are people on the street who come up to me and say, ‘Don’t give the Chamber a dime.’"

Council President Randy Hall conceded that he has witnessed a change in the demographics of Ketchum, with some new residents not sharing the same interests in tourism as many pre-existing residents and most members of the business community.

In reaction, Waller said "all that marketing stuff" is why the city has some 80 restaurants and numerous high-profile cultural events, such as the Sun Valley Center for the Arts Wine Auction.

Tourism, Waller said, through its ability to sustain businesses and bring in tax dollars for public projects, provides a distinct quality of life that most residents in the Ketchum area want to see maintained.

Tourists supply approximately 80 percent of revenues in Blaine County from local option taxes, the Chamber has estimated.

Jerry Seiffert, former Ketchum mayor, gave an impassioned plea for the city to be more supportive of tourism and the local business community.

"From my experience, this budget is too damn small," he said.

Debbie Burns, owner of Burnsie’s Boca clothing store and president of the Ketchum Retailers’ Alliance, said the increase of second-home ownership in the city—coupled with a correlating loss of full-time residents—has unquestionably had a negative impact on the business environment.

"Because of our secondary homeowners, we are suffering," she said. "You can see the shrinkage occurring here … The second homeowner is going to kill us."

Indeed, many mountain-resort communities have been assessing the impacts of increased second-home ownership, with questions often focusing on whether absentee homeowners drive away working residents and fail to support local businesses.

Eldridge French, owner of Sagebrush Interiors and a Chamber supporter, said second homeowners are highly supportive of his furniture business.

Chip Atkinson, president of Atkinsons’ Markets, said tourism "allows us to keep a community we like to live in."

Ed Simon, Ketchum mayor, has proposed to honor the Chamber funding request, calling the $390,000 allocation "well justified."

Meanwhile, the city of Sun Valley is considering a Chamber funding request for $330,000.

Neither Ketchum nor Sun Valley has committed funding to the Chamber at the requested amounts, but legislators in both cities have indicated they are likely to do so.

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.