Walktober

City of Ketchum
P.O. Box 2315
480 East Avenue N.
Ketchum, Idaho 83340
"Small Town, Big Life"

Inform. Celebrate. Involve.
October 13, 2017
In This Issue
A Message From Mayor Nina Jonas

Walktober
Hemingway Elementary School Principal
Tish Short and Mayor Nina Jonas
The walking challenge is underway and the Hemingway children are ready to place their votes.
 
The last newsletter described the annual Mayor's School Walking Challenge, which takes place during the month of October, Children's Health Month. Mayors walking the most miles during the month win money to support healthy projects for kids.
 
The money (that I plan to win) will be donated to one of 4 options that have been presented to the children last Wednesday during their walking program.
 
They will learn about each of these during their daily HTV morning show in order to cast an educated vote.
 
Here are the choices:
 
Books for the Hemingway School's STEAM program. STEAM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math, has been introduced this year. This approach to learning is to lead the children to become innovators, educators, leaders and learners in the current world.
 
Funds for the "Know Before You Go" avalanche education program. This avalanche awareness program the Sawtooth Avalanche Center plans to offer, teaches kids to be mindful and have fun in the mountains.
 
Rainbow Day. The kids will dress up in many colors and decide the colors and types of healthy foods to offer during a special luncheon. Depending on the season, the children could include this activity while preparing which vegetables to plant in the Watch Me Grow Garden.
 
Mini-Golf. I have appropriated $5,000 in the fiscal year 2018 budget to put toward the planning of a mini-golf course. The funds would be designated toward this project and the kids would help with the design.
 
I finished eighth last year and have been holding second place until today, where I find myself in third place with 267,936 steps. But, I don't intend to let down my walking buddies at Hemingway Elementary. I plan to just keep walking.
 
It's an honor to serve you.
 
Nina 

 COUNCIL AGENDA - MEETING INFORMATION - COMMENT
Stay involved in your community. Included here are links to the Monday, Oct. 16, Council agenda and Council meeting information. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. At this meeting, Council will consider approval of several contracts, including several related to snow removal, and the first reading of the amendment of the off-street parking and loading ordinance.   
 
Please take a look at the survey link below. The city is working toward refining its special event process to better serve the community, visitors and producers. Your input is appreciated. 
   
It is the responsibility of the City to inform the public and gain public input. We encourage you to provide the City with your opinion and comments by attending Monday's meeting at 5:30 p.m. in Ketchum City Hall, 480 East Ave. N., or by sending an email to: participate@ketchumidaho.org.

Agenda  
Info 
Survey 
BY THE NUMBERS: SNAPSHOT OF A BUSY CITY
Stock
The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. At its end, the heads of various city departments have dived into the numbers to provide a glimpse of their activities over the past year. Please note that some departments track their information based on a calendar year to satisfy the state's recording requirements.
 
The city and its staff work hard to keep our city clean and safe and maintain a variety of services, from logging long hours clearing snow from our streets and sidewalks to keeping pace with the busy summer season.
 
To learn more about your government at work, check out Ketchum "By the Numbers" below.
 
Administration
Keeping things running. During the 2017 fiscal year, City Administration staff coordinated over 264 agenda items for City Council consideration. This includes 182 staff reports and public hearing items.
 
Facilities Maintenance
Through all kinds of weather, the facilities crew is outdoors keeping Ketchum beautiful with tasks ranging from planting flowers to hanging holiday lights to providing 44,000 dog waste bags and hauling away an estimated 5-6 tons of dog waste.
 
Finance and Internal Services
Between January and October of 2017, the department assisted over 30 new businesses as they applied for permits and licenses to operate in Ketchum. During fiscal year 2017, over $2.3 million in base LOT revenues was collected by the city. This is an increase of 9.2% over fiscal year 2016.
 
Fire Department
In calendar year 2016, the department responded to 931 calls for service, up 1.7 percent from 2015. Of those, 610 were for emergency medical service, while 321 were related to fire response.
 
Parks and Recreation
It's about the kids, right? Well, each year more than 1,000 kids enroll in youth recreation programs. This translates into 15,000 participant days per year for all city enrolled youth programming.
PLANNING AND BUILDING
Growth in Ketchum is showing no signs of slowing down. Whether it's residential construction, remodels or new commercial buildings, we know this is a subject that always draws interest from those tracking growth, new businesses and the cost of building in town. So, here are some of the key facts and figures we can report from the first three quarters of 2017:
  • As of mid-October, the department has received 109 building permit applications. That compares to 111 received in calendar year 2016.
  • New commercial construction projects reported construction costs ranging from $273 to $302 per square foot.
  • New residential construction projects reported construction costs ranging from $122 to $354 per square foot.
Police
The city's department is a division of the Blaine County Sheriff's Office. During calendar year 2016, the staff responded to 7,219 calls for service, up 3 percent from the previous year. So far in 2017, the department has responded to 5,478 calls for service between January and September.
 
Streets Department
What a snow year! Overall, between Nov. 2016 and the final weeks of this year's snow season, a total of 136 inches - or more than 11 feet - of snow was measured by department staff. Snowplows and haulers were called to service 44 times. In terms of man-hours, more than 4,420 hours were spent hauling more than 398,000 cubic yards of snow. Remember the floods? Volunteers worked with the department staff to fill more than 12,500 sandbags to protect from the rising waters.
 
Water and Wastewater
This year, the department received the Idaho Award for Leadership in Commercial Energy Efficiency. The results of the department's efforts to reduce energy saved over 2 million kWh of electricity, a 37.2% reduction, and over $100,000 in energy savings.
 
While responding to emergency flooding issues during the spring, the Water Division continued to make long-term investments in the city's water system by abandoning close to 5,000 feet of the old Ketchum Springs Water System and converting customers to the Municipal Water System.

WINTER INSPIRATION: ANNUAL CALL FOR ART IN CITY HALL 2018
Art in City Hall
   Art in City Hall: Will Caldwell, Pure Horsepower  
The Ketchum Arts Commission is currently accepting works of art as part of their annual Art in City Hall call for submissions. This year's theme, "Winter Inspiration," celebrates Ketchum's glorious winter season: its recreational pursuits, wildlife and landscapes.
 
The call is open to all artists, regardless of their place of residence. There is no entry fee, and artists are welcome to submit up to 5 works of art for consideration. Pieces should meet the following requirements:
  • All artwork must be original and two-dimensional
  • Outside dimensions of framed work must not be smaller than 16" x 16" and must not exceed 60" x 60".
  • All work must be framed and ready for hanging with D-ring hangers mounted to the frame.
In demonstrating why ArtPlace in 2012 named the city one of the top twelve small-town arts places in the U.S., Ketchum will host the exhibition over six months, from December 5, 2017 to May 31, 2018.
 
The winners' artwork is displayed in the Art in City Hall exhibition in the Ketchum City Hall City Council meeting room. Winners will receive a $350 honorarium.
 
Applications are due November 10, 2017. More information can be found here

MEET NEW KETCHUM EMPLOYEE MAUREEN PUDDICOMBE
Maureen Puddicombe Maureen Puddicombe and her husband, Rich, moved to Ketchum in March, the tail end of the remarkable 2016-17 winter season. After settling in to their new residence and enjoying a full Ketchum summer, Maureen joined city staff in September. She is the newest face at the City's Planning and Building Department and is responsible for a range or duties, from initiating the process for permit applications and design reviews to sending out public notices on upcoming projects.
 
As part of our ongoing series focused on "getting to know" city staff, we sat down to learn a little bit more about Maureen, her public service experience and new role as Planning Technician with the Planning and Building Department.
 
Q: You and your husband moved here from California's Bay Area earlier this year, so we have to ask about the decision to trade life in the Golden State for Ketchum?
 
We've loved this city and area for a long time and have visited a couple of times each year for the last 30 years. My mother has lived in Sun Valley for the last 15 years. She and my father owned a condo here for 30 years, and when my Dad passed away she stayed. So, we've felt a connection here that way for a long time.
 
We've spent a lot of winters here skiing. My kids grew up skiing on Baldy and Dollar. In the summers we always enjoyed biking, fly fishing and whitewater rafting. We've always appreciated and valued the recreational opportunities here.
 
When we made the decision to move away from the Bay area, and started to think about the places we'd like to live, Ketchum was on the short list.
 
Q: In your new role with the city, you've entered the world of public and government service. What appeals to you about working for local government?
 
What I really like about public service is the opportunity to help people and to be in a position to really be a part of the community. In California, I worked for 12 years for the Superior Court of San Mateo County. I worked in the civil and criminal clerk's office and with the jury division. In that job, in that office, I really enjoyed dealing with the public and making people feel a little bit better about having to deal with some of the tough aspects of interacting with the courts or being called for jury service. The challenge was trying to solve problems for people, for coming up with solutions that would help fit each person's circumstances as they engaged with the court system.
 
Q: What aspects of your current position do you enjoy or find satisfying, either professionally or personally?
 
I really enjoy seeing all the projects and ideas that are coming into the city, learning about all the improvements people are trying to make to Ketchum. I thought I knew quite a bit about Ketchum before this job, but I realized a few weeks in that I didn't know as much as I thought. When you view things from the perspective of being outside of city government, you only see the tip of the iceberg of all the things going on and being planned. For me, it's satisfying to see how the city is evolving and the care that goes into how decisions are being made.
 
Q: The transition of moving to a new community can be interesting and challenging. How has the change been for you and your husband?
 
It's been very nice, honestly. One of the things we've truly enjoyed is being in a place where you can watch the seasons change. We didn't have seasons so clearly defined before. We like the slower pace here, how I can walk to work every day. We walk everywhere we go and rarely use our car anymore. The beauty of the surroundings is also remarkable. It's funny, I keep telling my husband it's hard to believe we actually live here, that we don't have to pack up our bags and go back home.

BUSINESS NEWS
Visit Sun Valley Releases September DestiMetrics Report
Click to view the Daily Occupancy Report. Look forward to an improved report as the DestiMetrics team continues to collect historical data from participating properties. The Sun Valley Executive Summary, pertaining to the Reservations Activity Outlook, can be viewed here. 
 
Fall Programs Continue at KIC  
The Ketchum Innovation Center's (KIC) program schedule continues through Nov. 30. All programs are open to the public and are held at the KIC building, 311 N. First Ave. View the calendar of events here.
 
KIC programming is  funded in part by the City of Ketchum.  
 
Sun Valley Air Service Board Update
Click here to find out who the board members and staff are for the Sun Valley Air Service Board. The board meets monthly, rotating locations between the cities of Ketchum, Sun Valley and Hailey.  
 
SVASB is funded through a joint powers agreement with the cities of Ketchum, Sun Valley and Hailey.  
WHAT WE'RE READING
Mayor Nina Jonas
NEWS AT A GLANCE
RFP for Development at City-Owned 6th St. and Leadville Ave. Property
The City is requesting proposals for a development project that could consist of rental community housing and public parking, a public parking structure or a land swap for its property at 6th St. and Leadville Ave. Visit ketchumidaho.org/rfp for full description. Submittal deadline is Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.   
 
Invitations to Bid
The city has two opportunities to bid; Ford F-350 Single Cab Pick-up Truck (or equivalent) and a 2017 Bobcat Toolcat 5600 (or equivalent). Visit ketchumidaho.org/rfp for detailed request. 
 
Join the Ketchum Team
Apply for a job with the City of Ketchum. Visit ketchumidaho.org/jobs to view job postings.  
 
Skate Park Nearing Completion
Stay tuned for upcoming information on the ribbon cutting at the Guy Coles Skate Park to celebrate the new expansion.   
 
Snow is About to Fall 
The City would like to emphasize the change in the type of snow stakes that should be used this winter. Steel snow stakes can be dangerous to pedestrians, vehicles and snow removal equipment. Please eliminate the use of steel snow stakes and replace them with fiberglass poles. 
 
Voter Information Available 
Visit ketchumidaho.org/election for registration and absentee ballot deadlines, and other voter information. Mayor and two city councilmember positions are open. Each position serves a 4-year term. The election will take place on Nov. 7.
MEETING INFORMATION
City Council 
Attend the next City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 16. City Council meetings are held on the first and third Monday of each month in Ketchum City Hall. Click here to see the agenda and staff reports or scan the QR code.

Planning and Zoning Commission 
Attend the next Planning and Zoning Commission meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13. P&Z meetings are held on the second Monday of each month in Ketchum City Hall. Click here for agendas and staff reports or scan the QR code.

Public Comment 
If you cannot attend the Council or P&Z meetings and would like to express an opinion, please submit your comments via email to participate@ketchumidaho.org. Your input and engagement is encouraged. All comments will be reviewed. 
Subscribers
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City of Ketchum
208-726-3841