Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Ketchum priorities focus on economy

City goals include attracting businesses and completing marketing shift


By TREVON MILLIARD
Express Staff Writer

Ketchum is tackling eight goals this fiscal year, which started Friday. Economic stimulus is the common thread flowing through half the priorities.

The City Council unanimously approved the list Monday, making it Ketchum's official policy to pursue these things this fiscal year. Councilman Baird Gourlay and Mayor Randy Hall were not present.

One of the most prevalent priorities is to "reorganize community marketing." The council already set aside $400,000 in its approved budget to give to the marketing board, which has since merged with the Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau to form the Sun Valley Marketing Alliance.

Sun Valley's budget also outlines $400,000 to the marketing board, but two of its four council members have said they don't think it worthwhile to fund the alliance, claiming the merger is a step backward. However, Ketchum's council and mayor have said they support giving $400,000 to the alliance, which still retains the marketing board within it.

But none of the money has been handed over yet. The cities are waiting for the alliance to bring forth its plan for spending taxpayers' money. At that point, the cities could either approve the plan and distribute the money, or back out.

<

Another economic initiative is to make an "economic-development plan." This includes several specific projects, such as reaching out to second-home owners, something started this summer with a campaign to attract businesses to relocate here. The campaign claims Ketchum offers employees "clean air, pristine mountains, [and] immediate access to stellar trails, streams, and world-class skiing," not to mention "excellent schools and a vibrant arts community."

"We also afford your brand the panache of an authentic mountain town," the campaign states.

The city has also pointed out that Idaho's per-capita taxes, property taxes, electricity costs and crime rate are all lower than they are in Oregon, Washington and California.

On the topic of economic stimulus, the council agreed the valley has a trove of nonprofit groups, such as Wood River Economic Partnership and Sustain Blaine, all working toward a similar goal, and efforts need to be coordinated.

The city's comprehensive plan, written in 2001, also needs updating. The chapter of economic development will be the section taken on this year.

The council is erring on the side of caution and wants the city's general fund balance to be kept between 17 and 20 percent of total revenues, in case the economy doesn't start recovering. The Government Finance Officers Association, a professional group of 17,500 local government finance officers in the United States and Canada, advises that a resort town's general fund be 15 percent or more of revenues.

As for the other goals, the city is working on rewriting its building code to require new construction to be more energy-efficient. The city is also rewriting its ordinance regulating signs and will be redesigning its website to better communicate with the public

Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com

Ketchum's goals for the year

- Maintain general fund balance between 17 and 20 percent of revenues.

- Reorganize marketing of the community.

- Pursue a green building code.

- Develop an economic-development plan and timeline.

- Outreach to second-home owners.

- Start updating city's comprehensive plan.

- Improve appearance of town (rewrite sign code).

- Build trust with community (rebuild website).




 Local Weather 
Search archives:


Copyright © 2024 Express Publishing Inc.   Terms of Use   Privacy Policy
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 

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.