Sun Valley City Council Meeting August 9, 2011

UPDATED 8-5-11

On Tuesday August 9, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. we have a Special Sun Valley City Council meeting. This is the fourth in a number of meetings we are holding to establish the City’s Fiscal Year 2012 Budget (October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012). At this meeting the Council will hold its formal Public Hearing on the Tentative Budget for FY12 we adopted on July 12, 2011.

You will note that the Public Hearing on the FY12 Budget was to be held on August 2, 2011, a date the Council established back in April and which is indicated on your tax statement. Unfortunately, the City’s Administrative staff  did not follow proper notice procedures and the August 2^nd Public Hearing could not be held on that date. It had to be moved to August 9^th. I hope this does not cause an inconvenience to the taxpayers of Sun Valley. I am also waiting for the City to post a copy of the Tentative Budget on the City’s website. When that happens, I will put a link to it here. The Tentative Budget is now available online at the City website. Click here to view it.

During the July 12, 2011 Special Council Meeting, I was able to convince the Council to agree to my proposal to forego raising property taxes by 3% in the FY12 Tentative Budget. It makes no sense to increase property taxes when the draft budget showed revenues over expenditures greater than the increase in property taxes. We are still able to fund necessary operations and meet our obligations.

The City has not posted the Agenda or Council Packet for the 8-9-11 meeting yet. When they do, I will put a link to it here. The Agenda and Council Packet for the 8-9-11 meeting is now available online at this link. You will note that the Mayor has now added several additional items to the Agenda for this Special Meeting.

You can also listen to any of our Council meetings live, or later on the internet at this link.

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

Sun Valley City Council Meeting July 12, 2011

On Tuesday July 12, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. we have a Special Sun Valley City Council meeting. This is the third in a number of meetings we are holding to establish the City’s Fiscal Year 2012 Budget (October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012). Click here to see the complete list of our budget meetings.

At this meeting the Council is expected to adopt a “Tentative Budget” for FY12. The purpose of the Tentative Budget is to set a ceiling on the level of expenditures and the city property tax levy. This information will then be put in the notice for the public hearing on the budget which will be held on August 2, 2011.

During the June 21, 2011 Special Council Meeting, we made significant expenditure reductions in the Mayor’s original proposed draft FY12 Budget ($6,055,000 down to $5,166,000). The Council modified version is available online at this link. We will be using this version as we consider our “Tentative Budget” at the July 12^th meeting. Input from the citizens of Sun Valley will be important at this meeting.

To see the full Agenda and Council Packet for the 7-12-11 meeting, click here.

You can also listen to any of our Council meetings live, or later on the internet at this link.

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

Special Sun Valley City Council Meeting June 3, 2010

On Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 10:00 am we have a Special City Council meeting.

At this meeting, the Mayor will present his proposed Fiscal Year 2011 Draft Budget. We will also hear presentations from organizations requesting funds under external contracts for service.

Presentations will be made by:

• Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber and Visitors Bureau
• Marketing Exploration Committee
• Mountain Rides Transportation Authority
• Blaine County Housing Authority
• Ketchum Parks and Recreation Department
• Sustain Blaine
• Fly Sun Valley Alliance

To see the Agenda and Council packet for this meeting, click here.

At our last Council meeting we established the following calendar for the remaining FY11 Budget meetings. All meetings will be at Sun Valley City Hall at 10:00 a.m.

June 14, 2010 – Discussion on Draft Budget

June 28, 2010 – Adopt Tentative FY11 Budget

August 3, 2010 – Public Hearing on Tentative FY11 Budget, First Reading of Budget Ordinance

August 10, 2010 – Second Reading of Budget Ordinance (if necessary)

August 17, 2010 – Third Reading of Budget Ordinance (if necessary)

You can also listen to any of our Council meetings live, or later on the internet at this link.

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

Sun Valley City Council Meeting January 21, 2010

On Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 4:00 pm we have our regular monthly Council meeting.

Along with normal business and reports, the principal items of consideration this month include:

• Authorization to allow the Mayor to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding regarding public safety communication governance.
• Amendments to City Council Powers and Authorities, and Code of Ethics.
• Action on Ordinance 425 regarding rezoning around Harker Center.
• Action on Ordinance 421 regarding water conservation regulations proposed by the Water & Sewer District.

To see the full Agenda and Council Packet for the 1-21-10 meeting, click here.

You can also listen to this or any other Council meeting live, or later on the internet at this link.

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

USGS Water Study Presentation 1/23/08

Last month I wrote on the progress of the USGS water study underway here in the Wood River Valley (click here to read that blog). Two public meetings have now been scheduled for this coming week to discuss the results of the first phase of the project.

Both meetings will be held on Wednesday, January 23, 2008. The first meeting will be in the Ketchum City Hall Council Chamber room at Noon. The second meeting will be at 6:00 p.m. in the upstairs meeting room at the old Courthouse Building in Hailey. Click here to read the Blaine County press release announcing the meetings.  

Clean Water for a Healthy Community

For the past year and a half the City of Sun Valley has been involved in a regional project to get a grasp on the water quantity and quality of the Wood River Valley. I am pleased to be involved in this important project. Earlier this week the U.S. Geological Survey issued its report on the first phase of the project.

With the growth we are seeing in Sun Valley and the entire Wood River Valley, we are obviously deeply concerned about the supply of clean water in the area. This comprehensive study is underway in cooperation with the USGS, local governments, private landowners and NGOs to assess ground and surface water quality and quantity. The goal is to provide local governments with information so we can make informed decisions about land and water resource management.

On March 16, 2006 the Sun Valley City Council voted to participate in this valley-wide study to assess ground and surface water quality and quantity by approving a financial commitment to the first phase of the study. All local governments and several other entities including the Sun Valley Water & Sewer District, Blaine County Citizens for Smart Growth, The Nature Conservancy, and Blaine Soil Conservation District have committed funds to for first phase of the study in cooperation with the USGS. The first phase was completed in late 2007 and the official report from the USGS was issued this month.

To download and read the official USGS report on the first phase, click here.

I also have a link to the USGS website that has more information on the upper Big Wood River work plan. You can click here to go to that website.

The water study is ongoing and the City of Sun Valley has committed to continue to be involved in that effort. I will keep you posted on the progress here on my blog and at this page on my website.