For the week of December 4 - 10, 2002

County’s elected officials to hold summit

Meeting set for Dec. 11 
at River Run Lodge

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"We need to discuss how all of us can work together on the issues."

— DAVID WILSON, Sun Valley mayor

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

In an unprecedented move, Sun Valley Mayor David Wilson has called a summit of Blaine County’s mayors, city council members and county commissioners to discuss issues of common interest between the city and county governments.

The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the River Run Lodge in Ketchum. The gathering has been individually noticed by cities throughout the county as a special city council meeting.

The event is open to the public, but public comment will be limited.

Wilson last week said the summit will be facilitated by Bob Werth, of Ketchum-based Werth and Werth Counseling. He noted that the meeting will essentially be conducted as a discussion between the various elected officials who choose to attend.

"I want to improve the dialogue between all of us," Wilson said. "We need to just sit at the table together and discuss what the common issues are. I don’t think that’s ever been done before."

Wilson explained that he decided to call the meeting for two primary reasons.

He said regular meetings between the mayors of Sun Valley, Ketchum, Hailey and Bellevue in recent months have been productive, but that open dialogue between city officials and county officials has been limited.

In addition, he said he believes growth in Blaine County has made it increasingly important for governmental agencies to share information, concerns, and ideas for planning the future of the region.

Wilson said that while he has not developed an agenda for the meeting, he believes the city and county officials need to discuss several matters. He noted that key issues include the implementation of the recently approved E-911 emergency-dispatch system, construction of affordable housing, planning the future of the Highway 75 corridor, and advancing discussions about the proposed area of city impact for cities such as Hailey and Bellevue.

"We need to discuss how all of us can work together on the issues," he said.

Wilson said a definitive list of elected officials planning to attend had not yet been compiled.

"I’m hoping they all come," he said. "I think it’s a great opportunity."

 

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