The other day at the Community Comprehensive Planning Session held at the Limelight Hotel mayor Bradshaw had the audacity to lecture our table on why we were all wrong about our perception that there was an issue with parking in the downtown core. This is not an indication of a public servant listening to the feedback the community is giving him. I think the idea of a recall is an interesting idea, that if nothing else would signal to the city council that many of its constituents think we’re going in the wrong direction.
This City Council is tone deaf on the issues the public has with their plans to turn Ketchum into Aspen. They must be prevented from further destroying the character of this wonderful mountain town.
I think the community narrative regarding the future of Hemingway Middle School is running far ahead of the BCSD's very deliberate planning process. Superintendent Foudy tried to clarify the situation with an email to all BCSD school families. He wrote:
Dear Families,
Recently, there have been concerns that the board is considering closing the middle school at Hemingway STEAM School in the near future. This is categorically inaccurate. My intent is to clarify the facts and context.
The Board recently held a work session looking at the financial forecast for the next five years. The fundamental issue is a pattern of declining enrollment, due to county birth rates. We currently have approximately 275 students in each grade level 9-12. We have 175 kindergarten children projected to start this year. Next year, we project 156. This will significantly impact revenues several years from now.
At the work session, the Board started a conversation that will be ongoing for years to come. Many options were discussed. For example, we talked about increasing the minimum number of secondary students required to open, or maintain, a course. We talked about leasing district property to private entities to generate revenue streams for the district. We talked about sharing “specials teachers” between Hailey and Bellevue Elementary Schools. We talked about consolidating the district office and technology staff at the Community Campus and leasing or selling the current facilities. And, given the current and project enrollment at all schools, we talked about the long-term viability of the middle school at Hemingway.
Complicating this discussion is a significant unknown variable: we don’t know what state revenue will look like in five years, let alone next year. Obviously, the Hemingway middle school solution would have to be evaluated very carefully, because it has the greatest impact on students and families. The board is planning over the next two years to continue discussing all options for reducing expenses and increasing revenues.
All of these decisions require research, discussion, and an evaluation of the impact on students, families, staff, and district finances, which will take time. None of the decisions will be taken lightly.
I hope this clarifies the facts and serves to alleviate unnecessary anxiety or concerns. If you have any questions or additional concerns, please contact me directly. I’m happy to take a phone call or meet in person with you or any member of our community.
James Foudy
Superintendent
No decision to change the programmatic offering at EHSS will occur without extensive community input in open meetings where all inputs, including enrollment and financial modelling, and most importantly, impact on local families will be publicly debated.
Any implication that BCSD land would land in Ketchum city hands to further their housing initiatives is categorically false. We are bound by statute and land patents that would preclude any such transaction. Our assets will be utilized strictly for the benefit of our students and the staff who support them.
Dan, thank you for this very thoughtful comment. LMK if it's okay for me to re-state it in a future post. That being said, it probably makes sense for someone from BCSD to get the IME to understand this, as that was not only my source but, I presume, the broad source for the community on this issue. Thanks for all you do for the community!
I can not support a recall. It is not the long term solution that Ketchum needs for good governance.
A recall takes time and a dedicated group of committed people to collect the needed number of signatures of registered Ketchum voters to get the issue on a ballot. It has to be done in person, one signature at a time, To recall all 5 of the elected officials is even tougher, each one requires an individual petition and individual vote; there is no “blanket” vote to remove the entire council and mayor. There are timelines and deadlines for collecting the signatures and the actual vote can only be put on a ballot before the voters two times a year, either in May or November. It’s too late to get this on this November’s ballot, so May 2025 would be the first opportunity. Since the mayor and 2 council seats will be on the November 2025 ballot, even if successful, it would be a huge effort without much gain. And the recalled officials would be replaced not by the voters, but by appointment from the remaining elected officials and the Governor of Idaho if necessary. Historically if the recall effort is not successful, the elected officials interpret that as a message from the voters that they are doing a good job.
I believe the best solution is to move to a Council - Manager Form of Government. This takes the same process as a recall of collecting signatures to get on the ballot in either May or November. One big difference is at the same time the question of the form of government is on the ballot, so are candidates for all of the 5 elected seats giving the voters the choice of representation.
The Council - Manager Form of Government is a more professional form of government leaving politics out of the day to day running of the city. The professional, educated manager is responsible for the department heads and staff and works at the pleasure of all 5 elected officials, rather than just the mayor. This frees up the focus of the 5 elected officials to make policy and interacting with the voters. It is the preferred form of government for cities of all sizes across the country, and most resort communities.
Thank you for this comment, Anne. Your specifics about the process are so helpful.
Perhaps just as important to remember, recalls can negatively affect reputations on all sides? They also divert from the worthy goals of building civic spirit and capacity, strengthening social fabric, etc.?
You're right. Recalls usually happen when the elected officials are not communicating on large policy changes and use backroom politics rather than taking the time to build trust and partnerships with the public they serve. Both sides end up being attacked on a personal level rather than on the basis of the disagreement.
Read "Bargaining For Eden" by Stephen Trimble where the grassroots efforts of the passionate citizens in the Ogden Valley went up against the public land swap with a private entity with huge political pull (Snowbasin). After a dozen years of going up against the "big guns" to save the heritage of their valley, the deflated emotions were described by one individual at the end. "How did it happen? It's all awry, it's frightening. This is just such a tremendous loss --- to give public land to a private individual. I can't believe adults would do that to future generations. If this had gone through legitimately, I'd have a broken heart. But it wouldn't have left this sense of betrayal."
It is this sentiment that leads the public to pursue the only measures they have left, in many cases that's a recall, which often comes too late.
The other day at the Community Comprehensive Planning Session held at the Limelight Hotel mayor Bradshaw had the audacity to lecture our table on why we were all wrong about our perception that there was an issue with parking in the downtown core. This is not an indication of a public servant listening to the feedback the community is giving him. I think the idea of a recall is an interesting idea, that if nothing else would signal to the city council that many of its constituents think we’re going in the wrong direction.
This City Council is tone deaf on the issues the public has with their plans to turn Ketchum into Aspen. They must be prevented from further destroying the character of this wonderful mountain town.
I think the community narrative regarding the future of Hemingway Middle School is running far ahead of the BCSD's very deliberate planning process. Superintendent Foudy tried to clarify the situation with an email to all BCSD school families. He wrote:
Dear Families,
Recently, there have been concerns that the board is considering closing the middle school at Hemingway STEAM School in the near future. This is categorically inaccurate. My intent is to clarify the facts and context.
The Board recently held a work session looking at the financial forecast for the next five years. The fundamental issue is a pattern of declining enrollment, due to county birth rates. We currently have approximately 275 students in each grade level 9-12. We have 175 kindergarten children projected to start this year. Next year, we project 156. This will significantly impact revenues several years from now.
At the work session, the Board started a conversation that will be ongoing for years to come. Many options were discussed. For example, we talked about increasing the minimum number of secondary students required to open, or maintain, a course. We talked about leasing district property to private entities to generate revenue streams for the district. We talked about sharing “specials teachers” between Hailey and Bellevue Elementary Schools. We talked about consolidating the district office and technology staff at the Community Campus and leasing or selling the current facilities. And, given the current and project enrollment at all schools, we talked about the long-term viability of the middle school at Hemingway.
Complicating this discussion is a significant unknown variable: we don’t know what state revenue will look like in five years, let alone next year. Obviously, the Hemingway middle school solution would have to be evaluated very carefully, because it has the greatest impact on students and families. The board is planning over the next two years to continue discussing all options for reducing expenses and increasing revenues.
All of these decisions require research, discussion, and an evaluation of the impact on students, families, staff, and district finances, which will take time. None of the decisions will be taken lightly.
I hope this clarifies the facts and serves to alleviate unnecessary anxiety or concerns. If you have any questions or additional concerns, please contact me directly. I’m happy to take a phone call or meet in person with you or any member of our community.
James Foudy
Superintendent
No decision to change the programmatic offering at EHSS will occur without extensive community input in open meetings where all inputs, including enrollment and financial modelling, and most importantly, impact on local families will be publicly debated.
Any implication that BCSD land would land in Ketchum city hands to further their housing initiatives is categorically false. We are bound by statute and land patents that would preclude any such transaction. Our assets will be utilized strictly for the benefit of our students and the staff who support them.
Dan, thank you for this very thoughtful comment. LMK if it's okay for me to re-state it in a future post. That being said, it probably makes sense for someone from BCSD to get the IME to understand this, as that was not only my source but, I presume, the broad source for the community on this issue. Thanks for all you do for the community!
I can not support a recall. It is not the long term solution that Ketchum needs for good governance.
A recall takes time and a dedicated group of committed people to collect the needed number of signatures of registered Ketchum voters to get the issue on a ballot. It has to be done in person, one signature at a time, To recall all 5 of the elected officials is even tougher, each one requires an individual petition and individual vote; there is no “blanket” vote to remove the entire council and mayor. There are timelines and deadlines for collecting the signatures and the actual vote can only be put on a ballot before the voters two times a year, either in May or November. It’s too late to get this on this November’s ballot, so May 2025 would be the first opportunity. Since the mayor and 2 council seats will be on the November 2025 ballot, even if successful, it would be a huge effort without much gain. And the recalled officials would be replaced not by the voters, but by appointment from the remaining elected officials and the Governor of Idaho if necessary. Historically if the recall effort is not successful, the elected officials interpret that as a message from the voters that they are doing a good job.
I believe the best solution is to move to a Council - Manager Form of Government. This takes the same process as a recall of collecting signatures to get on the ballot in either May or November. One big difference is at the same time the question of the form of government is on the ballot, so are candidates for all of the 5 elected seats giving the voters the choice of representation.
The Council - Manager Form of Government is a more professional form of government leaving politics out of the day to day running of the city. The professional, educated manager is responsible for the department heads and staff and works at the pleasure of all 5 elected officials, rather than just the mayor. This frees up the focus of the 5 elected officials to make policy and interacting with the voters. It is the preferred form of government for cities of all sizes across the country, and most resort communities.
Anyone interested in learning more, let me know.
1. Excellent points. We are doomed for the next 14 months!
2. Would love to have you do a guest piece on pros/cons of City Manager form for The Ketchum Sun :-)!!
Thank you for this comment, Anne. Your specifics about the process are so helpful.
Perhaps just as important to remember, recalls can negatively affect reputations on all sides? They also divert from the worthy goals of building civic spirit and capacity, strengthening social fabric, etc.?
You're right. Recalls usually happen when the elected officials are not communicating on large policy changes and use backroom politics rather than taking the time to build trust and partnerships with the public they serve. Both sides end up being attacked on a personal level rather than on the basis of the disagreement.
Read "Bargaining For Eden" by Stephen Trimble where the grassroots efforts of the passionate citizens in the Ogden Valley went up against the public land swap with a private entity with huge political pull (Snowbasin). After a dozen years of going up against the "big guns" to save the heritage of their valley, the deflated emotions were described by one individual at the end. "How did it happen? It's all awry, it's frightening. This is just such a tremendous loss --- to give public land to a private individual. I can't believe adults would do that to future generations. If this had gone through legitimately, I'd have a broken heart. But it wouldn't have left this sense of betrayal."
It is this sentiment that leads the public to pursue the only measures they have left, in many cases that's a recall, which often comes too late.
I am.
What can I do?