Though Hailey officials had called a "town hall" meeting primarily to address the city's budget crunch, most comments made by residents focused on transportation issues.
About 130 people attended the meeting, hosted by Mayor Susan McBryant and the City Council, at the Wood River Middle School's auditorium on the evening of Thursday, Aug. 11.
Virtually all the important issues facing Hailey stem from its rapid population increase. The city finds itself in a worsening financial bind because while its population is growing by about 4.5 percent per year, state law limits the increase in its property tax revenue to 3 percent per year. Thus, officials say, city services are unable to keep pace with demand.
The U.S. Census projects Hailey's population will rise from its current 7,800 to more than 10,000 by 2010.
Adding to that dilemma, the cost of housing is outpacing a relatively modest rise in average wages. That not only makes living in Hailey more difficult for residents to afford, but reduces the pool of applicants for city administration, police and fire fighting positions, as well as for teaching jobs in public schools.
Population growth, exacerbated by longer commutes forced on workers by high housing costs throughout the Wood River Valley, is creating more and more traffic through downtown Hailey.
"We've been pursuing what options we may have to meet these challenges," McBryant told residents at the meeting.
One possibility is to implement a local option tax, available by state law to help resort towns offset the cost of tourists' visits on city services. LOT revenues would not be subject to the 3 percent annual budget increase limitation.
A citizens' committee concluded that the city could raise $326,000 a year through a 1 percent sales tax on food, a 3 percent tax on rental cars, a 3 percent tax on hotel rooms and a 2 percent tax on liquor by the drink. The City Council has not yet decided whether to put the issue before voters.
In response to questions involving transportation, City Engineer Tom Hellen said the city is holding off on such projects until completion of a transportation master plan in September 2006.
Hailey received a $150,000 grant from the Idaho Transportation Department this summer to conduct the study, which is expected to cover transportation issues for the next 20 years. The Transpo Group, a transportation planning consultant, is coordinating the process and will write the plan and submit it to the City Council for its approval.
According to The Transpo Group's "Scope of Work" document, it will collect population and employment forecasts, and existing vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian counts at about 24 major intersections.
Among other things, the plan will:
· Identify road-grid deficiencies.
· Analyze vehicle and pedestrian crash data to identify dangerous locations.
· Identify where new streets might be needed to accommodate growth or provide better traffic flow.
· Propose sidewalk and bike path improvements.
· Examine funding options.
· Suggest changes in the transportation policies of the Hailey Comprehensive Plan and zoning and subdivision ordinances.
The city is forming a transportation advisory group, consisting of city officials and knowledgeable citizens, which will meet five times during the 14 months of the plan's development. Three public meetings will also be held.
"That's where everybody else who has something to say can do so," Hellen said in an interview.
At Thursday's meeting, loud applause greeted resident Mary Ellen O'Leary's comment that further annexations should be put on hold until the transportation plan is completed.
Resident Bert Redfern said traffic lights are needed on state Highway 75 at Countryside and Woodside boulevards. Hellen told her the ITD plans to install lights there as part of its planned highway expansion project.
In response to comments that Hailey needs a local bus system, Councilwoman Carol Brown said the valley's municipalities are studying the possibility of creating a regional transportation authority. The authority would combine operations of the Peak Bus, which runs between Bellevue and Sun Valley, Ketchum Area Rapid Transit in Ketchum, Sun Valley Co.'s buses and a possible local bus in Hailey.
In an interview, Brown said there has been no date set for completion of the study.
"Is it worthwhile? Is it effective? We have a lot of questions right now," she said. "We'll present the facts to the valley and say, 'Here's the cost, here's what it'll do for you.'"
Discussion at the meeting also addressed relocation of Friedman Memorial Airport. Councilwoman Martha Burke, who chairs the Friedman Memorial Airport Authority, said that if it is not moved, it would have to be substantially expanded to receive continued funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. McBryant said the Airport Authority had heard little from Hailey citizens.
Jim Spinelli, a member of the airport site selection committee, urged residents to attend an Airport Authority public hearing on Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Community Campus.
"We're not saying anything to the people making the decisions," Spinelli said. "They're listening to everybody else."
Several residents expressed objections to the city's policy of directing growth to the city's downtown.
A flyer distributed at the meeting by residents Kimberlee Johnson and Peter Lobb criticized the city's recently passed Townsite Overlay Zoning District, which is intended to fight sprawl by encouraging 4,500-square-foot lots and high-density construction downtown.
"The city passed this overlay with very little public input or awareness," the flyer states. "It is very poorly planned and is leading to the destruction of the character of Old Hailey with the Hailey taxpayer footing the bill. Most people will not be aware of the impacts until the buildings are gone and replaced by high-density construction."
The flyer contends that taxpayers will have to fund added water and sewer services to support an increase in density.
The authors of the flyer advocated that a public hearing be held to consider revisions to the district.
Susan McBryant, Hailey mayor
