Nils Ribi’s Blog

For two years now the City of Sun Valley has contracted with the Wood River Valley Community YMCA to provide recreational services for its residents and visitors. This has been done because the City does not have its own comparable recreational facilities and it is more economical to contract for them with an organization such as the YMCA. The City also contracts for recreational services with the City of Ketchum Parks and Recreation Department.

The contract with the YMCA has been quite a contentious issue with many of our residents because of the nature of the YMCA (a private, non-profit organization), considerable community misunderstanding about the City’s relationship with the YMCA (was this a pledge, a commitment, a charitable contribution, etc.?), use of local option tax receipts to fund recreation (is it appropriate and legal?), and some unfortunate statements and implications made in the past by certain officials (reinforcement of the mistaken notion of a pledge, commitment, etc.).

During the City’s mid-year budget review and our review of the current year contract for services with the YMCA this May, we had the opportunity to finally air those issues in a public forum. As a result of a public process, I believe we can put those issues to rest and continue an open, honest discussion about the City’s future relationship with the YMCA. The decks have been cleared of the former baggage and the stage has been set for a much better public dialogue about future funding of recreation services. There are no longer any perceived strings attached.

This exercise brought to light problems in the way the City has conducted its budgeting in general. It will most certainly help the Council in its future budgeting processes; something for which I have long argued. We need to create more accountability and a clearer set of deliverables from all those we hire to provide services. I insisted on that last year in our contract with the Chamber of Commerce and we made some headway in that process. Much more needs to be done in all our contracts and I believe we now have a Council and Mayor committed to those goals in future budgets.  Although I was unable to convince my fellow Council members to agree to a more precise set of deliverables in the YMCA contract for the current year, I am hopeful they will agree to tighter accountability in any future agreements, should we pursue them.

I also discovered recently that there have been abuses over the past several years in our Community Support Grant Program which funds smaller projects. Many citizens complained that the Council was handing out money right and left to virtually any good cause that came along. After an investigation, we found that their claims were not completely off base. The problem is, that in several cases, certain grants were made in direct violation of City policy as they were never approved by the City Council. They were approved and paid administratively by senior staff or the former Mayor.

As a result of this abuse, the Council has decided to put a moratorium on all further Community Support Grants and has zeroed out all remaining funds in that budget line item for the rest of this fiscal year. We have agreed to take a very close look at the Community Support Grant Program policy and determine where it can be modified and improved so there is complete transparency and greater accountability in the program. This review should also be another way to improve the City’s budgeting process.

In March I wrote about transparency (at this link), how it was a campaign promise in 2005 (at this link), and how I was following through on that promise. The process we are going through now is a continuation of my commitment to the voters of Sun Valley that I am deeply concerned about the financial future of our City. My commitment to our City’s future, by working to ensure we have a strong and vibrant economy with the appropriate infrastructure to meet resident and tourist needs while treating our tax dollars in a responsible, businesslike manner, go hand in hand. That is the careful balancing act we must always weigh.

It is an honor to serve you.

We have two City Council meetings in Sun Valley the week of May 12th.

On Monday, May 12, 2008 at 4:00 pm we have a Special Council meeting. The purpose of this special meeting is to finalize the Council’s and Mayor’s goals for the coming year. Due to time constraints at our May 1, 2008 meeting we did not get to this item. As I mentioned in a previous blog, the finalization of our goals will allow us to establish priorities and a work plan for implementation for the rest of the fiscal year and help set budget priorities going forward. I have mentioned my recommended list of 2008 priorities before, and you can see them in this Memorandum which we will discuss along with the other members’ priorities at the meeting on the 12th.

On Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 4:00 pm we have our regular monthly Council meeting. Along with normal business, we have another full agenda this month. The principal items of consideration include:

• Potential appointment of a City Administrator.
• Consideration of an Ordinance to regulate noise levels for leaf blowers.
• Third reading of the International Building Code with local modifications.
• Review and approval of Mid-year Budget Adjustments (scheduled to be heard at 6:30 pm).
• Consideration of YMCA Contract for Services (scheduled to be heard after the Budget Adjustments).
• Request for funding by Sustain Blaine economic study.

To see the full agenda and Council packet for the 5-15-08 meeting click here.

You can always see the full Council schedule and additional information at my website.

For many, seeing the first robin (turdus migratorius) signifies the start of spring here in this part of the Rockies…

For others, seeing the sprinklers turned on at the golf course signifies the start of spring…

On Thursday, May, 1 2008 at 2:00 pm we have a special City Council meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to finalize the Council’s and Mayor’s goals for the coming year, make a preliminary review of potential mid-year budget adjustments, and discuss the Community Grant process. The finalization of our goals will allow us to establish priorities and a work plan for implementation for the rest of the fiscal year and help set budget priorities going forward. I have mentioned my recommended list of 2008 priorities before, and you can see them in this Memorandum which we will discuss along with the other members’ priorities at the meeting on the 1st. To see the Council packet and agenda for the meeting click here.

You can always see the full Council schedule and additional information at my website.

With the success of the wolf reintroduction program here in Idaho and a recent issue with a wolf-dog found in the City of Sun Valley (click here for a 2-27-08 Idaho Mountain Express story), it was time to learn more about these subjects from some folks who have some excellent experience.

We were fortunate the program “Mission: Wolf” from Colorado came to town earlier this week and put on a series of programs on wolf education for the public (click here for Mission: Wolf’s website). Patti and I attended a public program this past Monday at the Community School in Sun Valley. Part of the program included a face to face meeting with a wolf and a wolf-dog cross.

This is my photo of Magpie, Mission: Wolf’s “Ambassador”, who has met people from across the country:

Kent Weber, a co-founder of Mission: Wolf, gave this straight forward explanation of the ecological “cascade of benefits” of wolf reintroduction already observed in Yellowstone National Park:

“With wolves present again, deer and elk herds are moved and scattered frequently. This not only strengthens the herd but the movement is also vital to young tree survival. As elk run from wolves, they allow baby trees to grow and aerate the ground with their hooves. This provides more shade for grasses to grow and thus yields more water retention in the ground. The result is cooler water for fish because wolves chase elk. Wolves also reduce coyote numbers dramatically, which provides more food for raptors and other small carnivores. More trees allow for more birds. The list goes on…and on.”

Kent Weber also discussed the numerous problems faced when people keep wild animals like wolves and wolf-dogs as pets in confined spaces. Following the meeting I had the opportunity to discuss in more detail with Weber how this issue affects cities and other local governments.

Jason Kauffman of the Idaho Mountain Express wrote a story about Monday’s program, and my encounter with Magpie (click here for the 4-16-08 Idaho Mountain Express story). The Express‘ ace photographer Willy Cook captured Magpie giving me a big kiss on the lips:

 Photo by Willy Cook, Idaho Mountain Express

Update (4-18-08): After a lengthy discussion of the facts and a good debate, the Sun Valley City Council voted unanimously at its April 17, 2008 meeting to reject the consultant’s recommendation for total consolidation with the Ketchum Fire Department. The Council found that it was not in the best interest of the City at this time. I presented an analysis of the total effect the proposed consolidation would have on the taxpayers of the City of Sun Valley, something the consultants left out of their report. You can click here to see my financial analysis. We also heard testimony from citizens regarding the considerable intrinsic value our fire department brings to the City. The one proponent of the consolidation failed to provide evidence that it would improve the level of service or save the taxpayers of Sun Valley any money in the long term. The Council also accepted certain recommendations of the consultants dealing with improvements which can be made to the Sun Valley Fire Department, many of which are already underway.

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Every ten years or so the issue of consolidation of the Sun Valley and Ketchum fire departments comes up and is studied. In 2006 the Mayors and City Administrators of both cities hired a consultant and studied the possibility of consolidating the fire departments. That study was completed in August of 2007. With significant changes at Sun Valley City Hall following last November’s city election, we have now had the opportunity to do an in depth evaluation of the consolidation study. I got my first chance to see the consolidation report right after the November, 2007 election.

At the April 17, 2008 City Council meeting we will discuss the fire consolidation report and the direction the Council and Mayor wish to go on the issue. The City Staff Report on the consolidation is available at this link.

When I ran for my seat on the Council in 2005, I was very clear about how I would evaluate various consolidation issues. I wrote about it in a blog on October 29, 2005. You can read it in the blue at the bottom of this blog, or at this link.

The decision for me on fire consolidation will boil down to what is best for the taxpayers and residents of the City of Sun Valley:

• Will consolidation improve the level of service we receive in the city, or
• Will consolidation save the taxpayers of Sun Valley money?

I have set that threshold high because, from my personal experience living in the city for 20 years, and from conducting a thorough financial analysis of the consolidation report, if a decision is made to consolidate, it is clear we cannot go back to what we have now.

The cost to operate the Sun Valley Fire Department is only about 22% of what it costs to run the Ketchum Fire Department. The two departments have a good working relationship and operate under “auto-aid” and “mutual-aid” agreements. When either city has a fire call, the auto-aid agreement automatically sends manpower and equipment such as our jointly owned aerial tower to the other city. Under the mutual-aid agreement, either department can ask for specific additional resources if they are needed from any department in the valley. In addition, our staff has been assisting lately at the Ketchum fire station when they have had manpower shortages.

It is critical to always take a financially conservative approach to these types of decisions because they will have long-term consequences to the taxpayers of our City. It becomes even more important in this situation because the issue goes to the core of what we must deal with in the City - health, safety and welfare. Sun Valley currently has a highly cost efficient fire department that provides a high level of service to our citizens. That is something we can be proud of. Please plan to attend the Council meeting on April 17th at 4 p.m. and participate in the discussion on the possible consolidation.

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Here is my blog entry from October 29, 2005:

Nils Ribi on Consolidation of Services With Ketchum

Concerning the proximity and potential cost savings, I was asked if I would consider consolidation of any Sun Valley and Ketchum city services. Each City has unique requirements, situations and an identity. In most cases, previous studies have indicated that outright consolidation would not be cost-effective. Several joint cooperative relationships exist including EMT and ambulance service, police, fire, consolidated dispatch and KART. As our circumstances change with the growth expected in Sun Valley, we should continually evaluate consolidation and joint relationship possibilities for the benefit of each community. We should also be keenly aware of opportunities for consolidation as they arise, such as regional transportation.

I fully support the consolidation effort currently being pursued to bring KART and the Peak Bus under one regional transportation authority throughout the valley. It will also make sense to try to bring the resort’s transportation system under this authority. The regional authority will have the ability to tap into Federal funds to purchase rolling stock at very affordable rates. This will also help us work toward a fully integrated transportation system that could link to a potential new airport.

We have our one regular monthly City Council meeting in Sun Valley the week of April 14th.

On Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 4:00 pm we have our regular monthly Council meeting. Along with normal business, we have another fairly full agenda this month. The principal items of consideration include:

• Consideration of the Fire Department consolidation with Ketchum (click here to see my blog on this subject).
• Second reading of the International Building Code Ordinance.
• Approval of road and path work for this summer.
• Consideration of an Ordinance to lower the speed limit along Trail Creek Road  to Boundary Campground from 45 mph to 35 mph.
• Purchase of a wildland fire support vehicle from the BLM.
• Planning and Zoning Commission Appointment.

To see the full agenda and Council packet for the 4-17-08 meeting click here.

You can always see the full Council schedule and additional information at my website.

I find that writing my occasional blogs here serves two purposes. First they give me an opportunity to share important information with you that relates to our City. Second, it gives me the chance to get feedback from you and refine my thinking on subjects. That’s the beautiful thing I see about blogging as an elected official in this modern electronic communications era.

Then there is another world of blogging that came to the surface in this The New York Times article today titled “In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop.”  It appears there is a growing problem of websites with multiple bloggers dependant on income paid by the piece who are literally “blogging” themselves to death just to be first with a story. As one internet content editor pointed out, the evolution of the “pay-per-click” economy has put the emphasis on reader traffic and financial return, not journalism.

It really opened my eyes that there are two distinct worlds of blogging out there.

The City of Sun Valley announced that, since it does not have an official City Seal or official City Flag, it is sponsoring a contest asking students and citizens for their ideas. This is an excellent opportunity for students, especially, to learn more about civics and participate first hand in the democratic process of government.

Here is a link to the City’s announcement of the contest and rules. It begins on Monday, April, 14th and concludes on Friday, June 6, 2008. The City Council will pick the flag and seal winners at our June 19, 2008 meeting. You can go to the City of Sun Valley website by clicking here to get the contest entry forms and final rules.

The City of Nampa has this Official Seal, which they also use as a lapel pin:

The City of Coeur d’ Alene has this Official Seal:

The City of Boise has this classic Official Seal:

Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter and First Lady Lori Otter, on Thursday, March 27th recognized the 2008 Idaho “Brightest Stars” nominees in a ceremony in Boise. Over 100 nominations from around the state were made in the following categories: Individual, Youth, School, Organization, Small Business, Corporation, and Community. These Idaho “Brightest Stars” were all acknowledged for their outstanding volunteerism and service to others.

The Governor’s Brightest Star Awards program was established in 2001 to promote volunteerism that positively impacted citizens working on behalf of Idaho’s families and children. It was designed to affirm and encourage active civic engagement by citizens of all ages and focuses specifically on volunteerism. The program is now under the direction of Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism.

Among the three nominations in the “Community” category was our very own Wood River Valley community. The “Castle Rock Fire Community” was a grand prize award winner, receiving the First Lady’s Choice Brightest Star Award.

First Lady Lori Otter, in presenting the award, recited these words prepared by Cindy Jesinger in the nomination about our community. The First Lady added that she was very impressed with the volunteerism in the community while visiting during the fire:

“The Wood River Valley Community provided for food, shelter and safety during the Castle Rock Fire. 700 people volunteered shelter for evacuated families, food, animal care for small pets and large animals, automobile/RV/boat parking spaces, food for Command Center volunteers, coats, sunglasses and massages for firefighters, storage of valuables, and support of the Wildland Firefighters Fund. The Castle Rock Fire Community in Blaine County created a national model of volunteerism during disasters. From individuals answering telephones; to teams walking neighborhoods preparing residents for evacuation; to restaurants providing food for members of the Incident Command. Residents united to support efforts so save their community. Local, state and federal elected officials rallied to support and join the efforts of local residents. Thanks to all who helped during the time of need.”

From my personal experience during the fire, I can confirm this community redefined the term “volunteerism.” Every person, whether a full-time resident, second-homeowner, occasional tourist, business owner, you name it, stepped up to the plate to make the effort a success. The responses I received from down the street or from the other side of the world to my fire reports on this blog were heartwarming. So many offered to help in countless ways and fortunately we were able to take them up on those offers. Even those working on various aspects of the fire because it was their job went way beyond the call of duty and volunteered countless hours of personal time to the community. It shows the deep love everyone shares for our community.  

Blaine County Disaster Services Director, Charles Turner, led a group of valley residents to Boise to represent the 700+ volunteers who earned the Brightest Star Award. Chuck and Cindy Jesinger, who nominated the community for the Award, were congratulated by Governor Otter during the ceremony.

Earlier in the day, the contingent from Blaine County had its picture taken with the Governor and First Lady.

To see some of the volunteers in action, you can click here to view my slide show from the Castle Rock Fire.

“ Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants…”

- Justice Louis Brandeis 

Last week was National Sunshine Week, and while I probably should have blogged about it then, I was rather busy working to make the Sun Valley City Hall a little more open to the “sunshine.” As a matter of fact, I think every week ought to be National Sunshine Week.

There were a number of excellent stories about National Sunshine Week. NewWest.net News had a good story with some western regional rankings on key open government issues. The website Sunshine Week had a series of interesting stories. And the Sunlight Foundation, which mentioned this blog last year, also had some good coverage on the week.

One of the three key points of my campaign for City Council just over two years ago was the need for positive change on the City Council. Part of that entailed my belief in an absolute commitment to open and transparent government and to honestly value citizen input. My belief in these principals goes back to my days in Boy Scouts and the time I spent learning the importance of democracy participating in student government. The use of this blog and my website are also tools in that commitment.

Last week our City Council made the final commitment of money toward upgrading the Council Chamber so we can begin the process of broadcasting our meetings to the public in real-time, and at the same time create an easy-to-access on-line record for our constituents. This is the culmination of a process I have been championing ever since I was elected to the City Council. Initially the Council and Planning and Zoning meetings will be broadcast in an audio format and once we have a little experience with that, we will broadcast live in full video format.

In addition, under the leadership of a new Mayor, we are making quick progress in opening up the City’s financial records and making them much more transparent for our citizens. This is another project I have been working on for some time and now have the full support of the City administration and Council to make it happen. Our City’s monthly bills are now included in each Council meeting packet and are available on-line at the City website for all to view.

I am extremely pleased to be working as your City Council President with new Mayor Wayne Willich. He has brought a truly refreshing approach to City Hall and is committed, as am I, to making sure we have open, honest and transparent government in Sun Valley, not just in words, but in actions.

We have our one regular monthly City Council meeting in Sun Valley the week of March 17th.

On Thursday, March 20, 2008 at 4:00 pm we have our regular monthly Council meeting. Along with normal business, we have a fairly full agenda this month. The principal items of consideration include:

• Consideration of a request by the Sun Valley Company to operate construction activities 24 hours per day, 7 days per week on the new Symphony Pavilion until September 30, 2008.
• Approval of funds to finish the Council chamber improvements.
• Continuation of rezoning applications to bring properties into line with the Comprehensive Plan.
• Implementing the International Building Code with local modifications.
• Consideration of two Community Grant requests.

To see the full agenda and Council packet for the 3-20-08 meeting click here.

You can always see the full Council schedule and additional information at my website.

The Community Advisory Committee which has worked with Idaho Power to develop a “Wood River Electrical Plan” over the past year has finished its final report and will present it to the public this coming Wednesday evening in Hailey. The meeting will start at 6:00 p.m. in the Community Campus auditorium with a presentation on the recommendation and will follow with an open house.

As I have stated in my previous reports on this process, the purpose of the project is to create a clear and documented electrical energy plan to serve the load needs of the Wood River Valley from now through build out of the valley. Our goal was to make sure the report is clear and concise - something that will make sense to the public in terms of need, reliability, redundancy, cost, and protection of view corridors. You can read our Final Report by clicking here, and get the Appendices by clicking here.

The challenge of course, and of particular interest for the people I represent, is getting reliable sources of power into the upper Wood River Valley where it is heavily used to support the tourism and second home industry. With only one 138 kV transmission line serving this end of the valley from Hailey, reliability is a major concern, especially during the peak winter season. As the use of electrical power continues to increase with housing and hotel growth, expanded snowmaking, chairlifts and gondolas, so does the need for an additional transmission line. Because we value the beauty of our area, there are visual considerations which we must take into account as well. All of these factors went into the Committee’s recommendation which is to follow Highway 75 along the existing right-of-way to Ketchum.

It was felt that the visual impacts of a new 138 kV transmission line from Hailey to Ketchum can be minimized to the largest extent in this highway corridor as opposed to running it along steep hillsides and ridgelines. This route provides many options for underground or above ground lines or combinations of both. It is also good to know that such a line does not have to be like the massive structures of the existing Hailey to Ketchum transmission line.  Here are a couple photo renderings of what some above ground options might look like along Highway 75 near East Fork Road, with a picture of the existing distribution line for comparison (note that “distribution” circuits are those which bring power to your neighborhoods and homes and “transmission” circuits are the ones which move power from city to city):

The meeting this Wednesday, March 12, 2008, in Hailey is just the beginning of a public process which will give all of us the opportunity to weigh in on how and when this plan may eventually be implemented.

My seven previous reports on the WREP are available here (#7), here (#6), here (#5), here (#4), here (#3), here (#2), and here (#1).

As always, I will continue to report on the progress of this plan and you can also follow it at the Wood River Electrical Plan website provided by Idaho Power. The website has a great deal of information, including copies of all the presentations and minutes of our meetings.