Issue #50 : Troika to KBAC: Go F!3k Yourself
I know—I should watch my tone. But that is what happened on Monday
On 11/18/23, the Ketchum Council decided to move forward with what you see above to replace the parking lot at Washington/1st.
Glossary:
KBAC = Ketchum Business Advisory Council. A group of local businesses feeling the pain of the Troika’s re-make of Ketchum.
Troika = Mayor Bradshaw + Council Members Breen + Hamilton. They tend to vote as a block and thus decide…everything.
KURA = Ketchum Urban Renewal Agency. It was founded to cure the “urban blight” of Ketchum’s retail core. Two of the three Troika members sit on it; the Mayor appointed the rest. Used as a tool for the Troika Aspenization program.
Aspenization Program: the policy pursued by the Ketchum City Council to replace low-revenue locals with high-revenue tourists and to keep wages depressed for tourism companies by taxing locals to promote tourism growth and to pay for income-capped housing projects that depress wages to keep profit margins up.1
BCHA: Blaine County Housing Authority. Or Ketchum Housing Department. Same people. 100% Ketchum taxpayer paid. The people who keep Ketchum essential workers out of Bluebird.
No Parking For YOU
If you ever thought that elected and appointed officials in Ketchum listen to the needs and desires of their constituents, you were disabused of that view at the November 18th joint meeting of KURA (Ketchum Urban Renewal Agency) and the Ketchum City Council.
After a lengthy meeting about the development of the Washington Lot where the community showed up in force to protest the project, the majority of KURA and the Council members indicated that they are proceeding with the original plan of a four-story lot-line-to-lot-line box with 66 apartments and 44 parking spots. They recognize that this will probably not be acceptable to the Planning & Zoning Commission, but that doesn’t matter.
The Troika of Bradshaw/Breen/ Hamilton said a housing project is what they want on that lot, and they don’t want to pay for parking. So, if P&Z denies the building, the developers can appeal to the Council, and if they can be taken at their word, the Troika will approve it. 2
I could walk you through how Mr. Hutchinson laid out a well-reasoned case for why that was a mistake and why we would rue the lack of parking and commercial activity at this location or how Mr. Cordovano talked about getting community buy-in for a building with parking that was consistent with the new Comprehensive Plan, but it would waste your time, as it doesn’t matter what they think so those things aren’t going to happen.
We Are Ruled, Not Represented
As the Troika has done for decision after decision over the past almost seven years, Bradshaw/Breen/Hamilton have decided what will happen in Ketchum, and no one can stop them. As Ms. Breen said when she voted with Ms. Hamilton to approve the Marriott, to them, it doesn’t matter what the community wants—they got elected; they get to decide. In this meeting, she said: “No more delays. It’s going to P&Z.”
So, we will get another housing project, this one even bigger than Bluebird, while permanently eliminating 65 parking spots valued at over $8 million.3 It’s actually worse than that, as the housing development will have fewer than one spot per unit, putting 30 or so resident cars on the streets of Ketchum. Parking demand goes up by 30, while parking supply goes down by 65.4
Trust Us: This Time Will Be Different
Ms. Hamilton said we needed this development on this spot, as it will house the teachers, first responders, and healthcare workers rejected by BCHA for housing in Bluebird.
This was the first time I heard her admit that Bluebird was not built for local essential workers. Yet, when she voted for Bluebird, she insisted it WAS for these people. Did she lie? Is she lying now? 5
As I noted in my last post, despite hundreds of people on the BCHA housing waitlist, Bluebird isn’t full, it isn’t housing for essential workers, and it is recruiting homeless people from three counties away. NOT workforce housing. NOT locals housing. If she lied about that one, should we trust her about this one?
This is the outcome I expected, but we did learn one interesting thing…
The LID Comes Off: Expect Yet ANOTHER Tax!
The City has devised another way to raise Ketchum taxes beyond a LOT tax. They have found a way to raise property taxes in the commercial district with something called a LID—Local Improvement District.6
One idea was to pay for the parking part of the Washington Lot project by imposing a LID tax on all the businesses in KURA’s area. However, they don’t need to limit themselves to that area—they could tax every business location in Ketchum.
The sneaky part of a LID is that it is one tax that does not require the consent of the taxed. Unlike a LOT, which has to pass with 60% of the votes in a referendum, the Council can adopt a LID with a simple majority. You can protest all you want—your voice does not matter.7 It is an example of “taxation without representation.” If the Troika wants us to have a LID, a LID we will have.
They decided not to use a LID in this instance, but they are considering how to use it to raise taxes and pay for other things.8
What do they have in mind?
What Will KBAC Do Now?
Local businesses formed the Ketchum Business Advisory Council (KBAC) in response to the need for more attention paid to local businesses by the Ketchum City Council. KBAC collected 2,045 signatures asking the Council to delay this project until the community could consider it in the context of the new Comprehensive Plan. They figured their voice could not be ignored if they organized and rallied the community.
They were wrong.
The Troika dismisses anything or anyone that interferes with its Aspenization plan. KBAC wanted parking as part of this development. The Troika does not. There will be no parking!
Score: Troika 1 KBAC 0
Actually, KBAC's score is worse than that. They won’t get any parking relief, and they now know the Council plans to raise taxes twice—a LOT increase on short-term beds in May and a future LID. Plus, the Council handed the parking near them to 5B Productions for the World Cup.
This meeting clarified that businesses do not have representation in the City Council. To them, KBAC is about as relevant as a mosquito—annoying but easily squashed.
What will KBAC do now?
Elections matter
You can show up at meetings. You can send in public comments. You can participate in focus groups. You can write letters to the Mountain Express. You can do all of that, but your voice will not be heard in Ketchum.
If you want to get Ketchum off the Troika’s Aspenization program, you have to get three votes on the City Council.
We need some local heroes to step up and run.
Some readers have objected to me attributing this plan to them as none of the Troika have ever said they have this plan. Whether this is their intent or not, it is the inevitable outcome of their actions. If they were against Aspenization, they would behave very differently.
One of my favorite lines was from Ms. Hamilton: She said she “won’t force anything down people’s throats.” Watch her do precisely that!
At $124,000 per spot, which was the lowest estimate the City used at the meeting.
That does not include the recent elimination of 27 parking spots in the Main Street Project.
Is calling her a liar necessary? She gets to decide what happens to us, so ascertaining her veracity is in the public interest. I think we have to judge her by what she accomplishes rather than what she says, as she has not been honest with us. Take a good look around Ketchum for the impact of her “accomplishments.”
The statute does require a council to listen to all the protests. But the council is free to ignore them.
The specific things that can be paid for with a LID do not include housing, but money is fungible. Raising a LID to pay for ANYTHING, frees up money for the Council to spend on whatever they want. This is another sneaky way to raise taxes—just like they did with the Fire District.
I’m getting a lot of inbound about a recall. I all for it. But you need a leader and a well thought out plan lest you do. A lot of work for little change in outcome. The fisrt step is to find someone who has the time to step up for the Mayor seat and who will recruit a couple of people for the council who will represent the interests of the residents. If they had any cojones, it would be Spencer or Tripp. They have been totally shut out by the Troika so are irrelevant on the council. They have achieved nothing of significance and can achieve nothing while the troika is there. But neither seem to have the leadership ability to take the reins.
The public needs to get vocal. I hear it all day long at the shop that nobody wants this to be built in this location. I asked people to sign, they did. Now I am asking folks to actually speak out loud to their elected officials.
The council completely disrespected us business owners and our customers. They disrespected the people - you.
KBAC did ask the city to sharpen their pencils on the First and Washington Ave project. And the city staff did. They took the time to find parking options.
Option 6 is 'spend-y' but the only way to plan ahead for our future parking needs. We appreciate their efforts (maybe we didn't say so in the meeting and their feelings were hurt) but at the end of the day, it did not seem to matter.
Neil actually looked at us and said; "We don't care what the business community wants or thinks, we are going to do this thing anyway. Even though we know P&Z will shoot down the first renderings of the building."
The city does not want us on any of their panels and boards. - We have asked over the last six months.
The city does not want citizens participating in their plans. - We have asked.
They do not want anyone's agendas but their own prefixed agenda.
The city folks do not run small businesses, they get paid by us!
Just FYI the LID tax will only happen if we build subterranean parking on the lot. It would be part of the funding package and keep the parking free to the public.
This is not a democracy anymore...
My ass is sore from bending over.