Congratulations to Sam Linnet and Juan Martinez on their recent election
to the Hailey City Council. Their fresh
outlooks and vitality will help move the city of Hailey forward with a broader representation of our whole community. While benefiting from the long and broad experience of Mayor-elect Martha Burke, they will have a chance to bring new perspectives to the continuing issues of Hailey’s growth and management while addressing the time-sensitive issue of transitioning to clean, efficient energy use throughout our community.
I believe the promise of focus and leadership on our climate crisis had much to do with both candidates’ strong wins this year, and their focus and concern are seriously needed. While Councilwomen Kaz Thea and Martha Burke provided the strong voices needed last year to hire our present, five-hour-per-week resiliency coordinator, our new council now shows promise of working together effectively to hire and support a more meaningful staff position to direct our local transition.
It is also our hope that the election of Juan Martinez, the first Latinx elected official in our valley, will broaden public participation and voice between the city and the 30 percent of our population that has been so seriously under-represented.
The results of this election are exciting and indicate that our city is ready for meaningful change and our City Council can now better reflect the entire community.
Rob Lonning and Elizabeth Jeffrey, Hailey
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(9) comments
It will be interesting watching these whipper snappers maintain that " small town charm". Business, real estate and the omni present Idaho Maintain Excess will certainly be pressing for more and more growth. Remember Hennesy has 300 more lots out Quigley,
It's going to be interesting how these whipper snappers handle the on slough of development people and business interest and still say they've preserved that "small town charm". Remember Hennsey has his eye on 300 more lots out Quigely.
Prediction: The new clean energy requirements that will be proposed will make the unaffordable affordable housing a lot less affordable.
I agree that nuclear energy is not the path to a safer future. But I believe the Federal Reserve's and military's assessment of the financial and security risks involved in global climate change that we're already experiencing and the scenarios of it getting worse in the decade to some. The person the city hires needs to be able to work effectively and knowledgeably with Public Works and every other department while addressing the urgency of this unprecedented crisis. We continue to live in a weather bubble and haven't had a serious wildfire for a whole year so it's easy to become comfortable but I think a new plow is going to be a lot less important than increasing our energy conservation efforts and developing more clean energy answers.
Fires are a problem. More at issue with your effort for "energy conservation" and "developing clean energy " ,in Hailey, would be the airport.
.."to hire and support a more meaningful staff position to direct our local transition". Why not let our elected officials do their job and lead the way? Hailey does not need another (economic development) "shadow government".
I don't think City staff represents a "shadow government" but represents the experts hired by our elected officials to help them make good policy and budget decisions. Just like the Director of Public Works or the Police Department, the knowledge and skills necessary to make the transition to clean energy are more than our elected officials can do without the committed focus of appropriate and educated staffing. It's a new area of concern for our small community but I think it's as necessary for our continued safety, livability and economic viability as any department in town.
Of what priority is your cause? I rather hire Jeff a new patrol/person. Or Public Works a new plow.
My fear is that the "Path to Clean Energy" becomes a "Freeway to Nuclear Energy".
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