This is the third in a series of articles on the state of the cities in Blaine County.
Before the first Sun Valley City Council meeting of 2017, Mayor Peter Hendricks said to his colleagues: “Before we start with the formal proceedings, I would like to note that it has been one year since I took this seat. I would like to thank Council and staff for all of their hard work, concern, diligence and indulgence in 2016. Unfortunately, we had to deal with a number of negative issues, not the least of which was regarding the former city treasurer and the ongoing Hammer lawsuits. Both of these issues are near resolution and will be behind us. There is a sentencing hearing on Feb. 7 and the Idaho Supreme Court has ruled in the City’s favor in the Hammer suits.
“In 2017, we will concentrate on positive matters, such as dealing with employee housing and improvements in infrastructure. We move forward, leaving the past and its problems behind. Again, thank you for all of your efforts.”
In 2013, Hendricks decided to become involved in Sun Valley politics after observing what he termed the “vitriolic discourse” of city council meetings. He wanted to bring respect, courtesy and collaboration into city government. After two years as a member of the Sun Valley City Council and one year as its mayor, Hendricks is still working on and refining that strategy.
Hendricks told The Weekly Sun that discussions and debates within the Sun Valley City Council are now being carried out in a “cooperative, collegial and collaborative manner. Debate with respect is the best way to find the right solution to problems. Council members are very accomplished people; they address each other by their first name, which was not the case in the past, and it is very rewarding to work with them.”
Two of the primary issues the City of Sun Valley will address in 2017 are infrastructure, starting with road maintenance in Bitterroot, and to find a way to alleviate the shortage of affordable housing. The city has set aside $730,000 to fix roads in Bitterroot this year.
“We had a meeting with citizens impacted by the Bitterroot area rehab—more than just Bitterroot Road—and listened to concerns and suggestions from them to be considered by the city and its engineers,” Hendricks said. “There will be more meetings to follow before the construction trucks arrive on the roads, and we will form an advisory committee made up of full- and part-time residents to discuss other priorities of the city, which will certainly address infrastructure issues like roads.
“This is the protocol we will use to address major concerns: identify issue, citizen input, collaborative solution, implementation, everlasting happiness. (Wouldn’t that be nice?)”
Hendricks said that the City of Sun Valley owns two Elkhorn condominiums that are for sale. The money from those sales will be devoted to helping alleviate the problem of affordable housing.
“As a city, we can help alleviate this problem, but we can’t completely solve it,” he said.