Friday, October 31, 2008

Cities preach unity


By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

The cities throughout Blaine County need to continue to work together during tough economic circumstances—that was the theme expressed during the State of the Cities and County Breakfast, held at the Limelight Room in the Sun Valley Inn on Wednesday.

Leaders from Bellevue, Carey, Hailey, Ketchum, Sun Valley and Blaine County took the opportunity to discuss the challenges faced over the past year and to be faced in the near future.

About 100 city officials, local businesspeople and members of the public listened to the presentations, which did not offer any new revelations but gave further insight into the leadership throughout the county.

County Commission Chairman Tom Bowman started off the morning by pointing out that the county's $13 million public safety facility was completed on schedule in July, $100,000 under budget.

He said the SwiftReach program, a reverse 911 system that allows the county to call, e-mail or text residents in the case of an emergency, such as the Castle Rock Fire, is available to all who sign up on the county Web site.

Bowman said the county and cities need to cooperate to build a replacement for Friedman Memorial Airport, since, in his opinion, all commercial flights will stop arriving there within 10 years. If a new airport is indeed built, Bowman said, the mayors should work together to create a new governance board that would give the cities equitable representation.

Mayor Randy Hall also mentioned the Castle Rock Fire, thanking the other city officials for coming to the aid of his city last August and promising to return the favor should the roles be reversed.

Hall also delved into the successes that have been achieved in Ketchum over the past two years, including the downtown master plan and form-based code, adopted to provide a vision for the city's core.

Hall said progress is being made on hotel applications before the city, including the recently approved Hotel Ketchum, the proposed Warm Springs Ranch Resort and the Ketchum Lodge, planned for the Simplot lot across from the post office and yet to be heard by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Hall also said upcoming discussions with Sun Valley Co. on annexation and development plans for River Run could help the Ketchum's economy.

Carey Mayor Rick Baird, who has served for the past 11 years, said that while his city is sometimes overlooked, it has a lot to offer. Baird said a developer has been in discussions with the city about building a business park, though plans are still at an early stage.

Bellevue City Council President Tammy Eaton, standing in for Mayor Jon Anderson, said Bellevue has changed dramatically during her eight years as a public official. She said the city is deliberating on an annexation in Slaughterhouse Canyon that would bring over 150 residential units into the city. Last year, two large annexation applications, for a total of about 550 acres, were pulled. However, Eaton said those proposals forced the city to develop planning tools that will prove valuable in the future. Eaton also noted that while the city has a relatively small budget, improvements are still possible, as evidenced by a new $6 million wastewater facility.

Mayor Wayne Willich, who took his seat last January, said working on the budgeting process during a period when a gallon of gas cost nearly $4 helped the City Council, half of which are also new, to learn to work together.

With the budget reduced by over 10 percent, Willich said, it is important to work with Sun Valley Co., the "economic engine" of the Wood River Valley.

Willich said that the downturn in the economy gives Blaine County the opportunity to get ahead of competing resort communities, if officials get creative.

"I want to pop out of the back side of this economic situation and have other people say, 'We should have down what they did in Blaine County,'" Willich said.

Like Willich, Hailey Mayor Rick Davis is also nearing the end of his first year in office and noted that he still has a lot to learn, but is seeking input from city residents.

As with the other cities in the county, Hailey was forced to reduce its budget by 10 percent, saving money by leaving positions unfilled and increasing the responsibilities of existing staff members.

However, Davis said Hailey has managed to remain vibrant, thanks in part to the chamber of commerce and the South Valley Merchants Alliance, which help organize events like the Arts Walk and the Halloween Hoopla.

Breakfast conversation

"Do I think a new airport will ever be built? The answer has to be yes or we will lose all commercial flights in the next decade."

County Commission Chairman Tom Bowman on replacing Friedman Memorial Airport

"We need to honor the pedestrian experience."

Ketchum Mayor Randy Hall regarding the construction of the Fourth Street Heritage Corridor

"Carey is poised, cautious and ready."

Carey Mayor Rick Baird on his city's development and plans for the future

"We're thinking outside the box, but we're still in the box."

Bellevue City Council President Tammy Eaton on finding ways to improve the city on a limited budget

"Sun Valley Co. is the anchor of the area and the economic engine. It's our job to stimulate that engine."

Sun Valley Mayor Wayne Willich on working with Sun Valley Co. to help boost the economy of the Wood River Valley.




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