WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2017
Volume 42 | Number 86 | 4 Sections | 4 4 Pages s u n
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iDahO mOuntain
Developer plans big project in Bellevue
F LOOD RELIEF Valley residents aid victims Page 6
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Ketchum to study moving city hall
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What’s happening for Homecoming? Page 18
R A N K E D N O . 1 F O R L O C A L N E W S B Y T H E N AT I O N A L N E W S P A P E R A S S O C I AT I O N A N D I D A H O P R E S S C L U B
Idaho PUC approves new transmission line idaho Power plans to build second line from Hailey to Ketchum By PETER JENSEN Express Staff Writer
express photo by roland lane
FOR VALLEY, A LATE-SUMMER SHOCK snow blankets the summit of bald mountain and nearby seattle ridge, left, on tuesday morning, after the passing of a cold and wet end-of-summer storm. although summer does not officially end until Friday, the warm temperatures that dominated the region for numerous weeks have given way to frosty conditions. in fact, more snow could be on the way. the national Weather service office in Pocatello issued a forecast tuesday afternoon that predicted 2 to 6 inches of snow could fall above 6,000 feet of elevation through thursday night. above 8,500 feet, 6 to 12 inches of snow could accumulate.
County approves boost to 911 surcharge increase opens up statewide grants for county dispatch Heading into 2018, only Blaine, Bennett, Bonneville, Ada and Idaho counties had opted out of the grant—and the accompanying fee, according to communications commission 911 Program Manhe Blaine County commissioners on Monday approved a ager Craig Logan. 25-cent increase to the county’s 911 phone surcharge, raisBut with the entire country—Idaho included—moving toward ing it to $1.25 per line. The added fee makes the county eli- internet-based “Next Generation” 911 systems, the commissioners gible for much greater funding, allowing it access to a state- thought it necessary to tap into the funding. wide grant pool for emergency communications programs. “This is the right time,” Greenberg said Monday. “We were one of The unanimous decision wraps up several weeks of discus- the few [counties] that was ahead of the game, so we waited for everysion—and, more broadly, an eight-year proone else to play catch-up. Now they have.” cess by the Idaho Public Safety CommuniGrants for fiscal 2018 have already been cations Commission to get Blaine County doled out, so the county will have to wait on board. The communications commission until next September to see any money. At has approached the county commissioners that time, Logan estimates that there will annually since the fund was established be around $5 million available. Last week, prior to the 2010 fiscal year. the state paid out more than $1.5 million for Back then, Blaine County was one of the upcoming year. Jacob Greenberg the few in Idaho operating on a “Phase II” Currently, every line capable of calling commissioner enhanced 911 system, which can locate wire911, including landline, wireless and voiceless calls. Since then, the state has paid out over-Internet phones, pays $1 per month on more than $14 million for upgrades to get 39 of the state’s 44 coun- top of the bill. Of that, the county keeps 98 cents to pay for the Blaine ties up to speed. County Emergency Communications Center, while a penny goes to Because grant allocation is based in part on need, Blaine was fund the state communications commission, and another penny unlikely to see much immediate benefit, Commissioner Jacob goes to pay vendors for collection. Greenberg said. See DISPATCH, Page 12
By MARK DEE
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Express Staff Writer
“This is the right time. We waited for everyone else to play catch-up. now they have.”
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has approved a second power transmission line between Hailey and Ketchum. Idaho Power Co. wants to build the line as a redundant power source to back up the existing line through the valley. That line is currently the sole source of electricity to the northern Wood River Valley, aside from individual power sources such as a backup generator. In an order issued Friday, the threemember commission determined that Idaho Power had proved the need for the redundant line. Idaho Power wants to break ground on the project in 2019, spokeswoman Stephanie McCurdy wrote in an email. The existing line was built in the 1960s but has been reliable. It has experienced 3.3 hours of outage since 1980, according to the Sierra Club, which opposes the project. That line runs north from Hailey toward the East Fork drainage, where it branches east and extends north into Elkhorn. It eventually connects with a substation on Sun Valley Road east of Ketchum. The new line would run north from Hailey and hug state Highway 75 until it reaches Elkhorn Road, where it would go underground. In its application to the PUC, Idaho Power determined the project would cost $30 million and its ratepayers would cover it. Local ratepayers will not face extra costs with that option. The commissioners agreed and approved that configuration. Some Wood River Valley residents have advocated for a plan to put the line underground farther to the south, but that plan would cost significantly more. Idaho Power predicated its case on how vulnerable the northern Wood River Valley is during an outage. The commissioners agreed with its arguments. “The company provided evidence that a major outage could take days or weeks to repair, particularly given the line’s mountainous terrain and access limitations,” the commissioners wrote. “An outage of days or weeks could have devastating impacts, particularly if it occurred in the middle of winter.” Their ruling stated that the risk is too great. See LINE, Page 12