Ketchum's 10 City Council and mayoral candidates addressed business-related questions at a forum Wednesday hosted by Wood River Economic Partnership, an alliance of local businesses, at the Wood River Community YMCA.
Despite WREP's focus on business, questions hit on issues most voters are concerned about this election: the local economy, the replacement airport, hotel development and the Urban Renewal Agency.
The seven council candidates were the first ones up to bat, and the first question pitched to them addressed how they'd improve the city's economy. The candidates all took a similar stance, saying Ketchum needs to work with the entire valley.
"From Carey to Ketchum, we're all in this together," said candidate Jan Hegewald, head of Ketchum's Community Development Corp. leadership development team.
Candidate and local contractor Carter Ramsay said Ketchum may be the destination in the valley, but "Ketchum can't survive as a microcosm all by itself."
Candidate and former Mayor Ed Simon made a similar point.
"When we catch a cold, the rest of the valley starts to sneeze," Simon said.
All seven agreed that the valley would have to be restored for Ketchum to be restored. For that same reason, they all voiced support for Sustain Blaine—a countywide effort to promote an improved economy—in a later question. How candidates would swing at the valley's economic problem differed.
Incumbent Baird Gourlay, Clarion Inn owner Peter Lewis, and Jan Hegewald suggested the town work together with Sun Valley to "leverage the Sun Valley brand" in an extensive marketing effort. Gourlay brought up working with local athletes and their sponsors, and also mentioned his longtime connections with Tim Silva, Sun Valley Co.'s general manager.
Lewis said Ketchum should hire a marketing company to get the word out about Ketchum and the valley, and also emphasized a need to be more accessible, suggesting a free shuttle traveling from the airport to Ketchum.
Improving accessibility was a priority for candidate and Rickshaw restaurant owner Nina Jonas, who also said she liked Gourlay's idea of working with athletes.
Ramsay said the city needs to participate in Sustain Blaine's "GoBlaine" strategy to create a thriving, diversified, year-round economy for the valley.
Candidate and software engineer Lee Chubb described Ketchum as a "tired town" that's "getting more generic these days," as tourist destinations go.
"We need to find the spark in Ketchum," he said. "And it comes down to the arts."
He suggested more festivals and concerts to draw people here, make money and improve residents' morale.
For WREP's last question, the business alliance brought up hotels, wanting to know if the candidates support hotels, granting waivers to hotel developers whose projects exceed height and mass restrictions, and providing incentives to developers.
All candidates voiced support for hotels, but Chubb and Simon said the city shouldn't so easily cater to developers, especially for Warm Springs Ranch Resort. Chubb said he's for hotels but not the current emphasis on "enormous" hotels like Warm Springs.
Jonas also said the city needs to accommodate growth, which is a "reality," but the council needs to be responsible to its citizens.
Hegewald said he lives across the street from the Warm Springs property and doesn't see the proposed 90-foot-tall hotel as a problem. He said it would economically and aesthetically benefit Ketchum.
Clarion Inn owner Lewis has been an outspoken supporter of hotels this election, and at the forum said the permitting process needs to be "streamlined" so city meetings aren't stretched out with months inbetween.
"I think that's ridiculous," he said.
Lewis also said waivers are needed because in real estate, buildings are all different.
Simon argued that too many waivers have been given under the current council, and developers don't even need incentives because the council gives them "whatever they want."
In defense, Incumbent Gourlay said waivers have been looked at "very carefully."
The three mayoral candidates were next to take the stage and were also hit with a hotel question. But they were asked how they'd stimulate hotel development.
Candidate and longtime resident Phyllis Shafran said that's a difficult job for the mayor, who doesn't have a vote in hotel permitting. It's left up to the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council, where the mayor votes only in the case of a tie. But she did suggest that the mayor "draw" developers here by creating a healthy business environment.
Incumbent Randy Hall made a similar statement and underscored the current importance of hotels.
"Right now, hotels are the only show in town," he said.
Candidate and longtime resident Mickey Garcia answered the question of how he'd stimulate hotel development with a joke and then got to brass tacks.
"If elected, I'd hand out free Cialis and Viagra to everyone," Garcia said. "That would stimulate everything, including hotels."
Garcia blamed the slow pace of hotel development on "baby boomers" who nit-pick to stop any kind of growth.
"Everybody comes out and beats the hell out of developers until they all go away," he said. "A mayor can cut the crap."
Garcia's main platform has been that he'd reduce the mayor's annual salary from $36,720 to within council members' salaries of $20,400.
When the topic changed to the city's Urban Renewal Agency, Garcia and Hall defended the agency, which has been greatly scrutinized for its $5.56-million debt.
Hall, URA chairman, said the debt is within reason, referring to the URA's estimated value of $100 million over its 24-year span. Garcia said the URA is "not mismanaged" and it's a "good thing."
Shafran agreed that URAs are worthwhile, but said Ketchum hasn't been as "conservative" or "cautious" as it should be. She also said the loans aren't within reason.
Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com
Election Day
Ketchum voters will have from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 to vote at City Hall. The deadline for filing absentee ballots to the city is Monday, Nov. 2. For election results, look on www.mtexpress.com Tuesday night or in the Wednesday, Nov. 4, edition of the Idaho Mountain Express.
City Council incumbent Baird Gourlay, far right, answers a question Wednesday. With him at the table are candidates, from left to right, Carter Ramsay, Nina Jonas, Lee Chubb, Ed Simon, Jan Hegewald and Peter Lewis. Photo by David N. Seelig
