They have posted a couple of proposed change options at the ACHD SITE, but there will be little noticeable change since no incumbents will be affected.

Option A seems to come close to the suggested “balance” of population (proportional perfection) per district and Option B has more straight lines.

Regardless of how it ends up, the fact remains that 80% of voters are disenfranchised because we get to vote for only one (20%) of the five commishes–despite the fact most of their decisions affect 100% of the populace.

It is the only countywide highway district in the state and the “district representation” got lobbied through the legislature by Boise City when the district expanded from three to five commish seats…it was a political move to oust a liberal ACHD member. Idaho Code 40-1404 (a) is the applicable law.

We would like to see the statute changed to allow countywide voting, but there is little appetite among incumbents to campaign countywide when they can do it on the cheap in their own neighborhood, but still influence the entire county.

Related posts:

1. ACHD Commish To Challenge Ullman For Ada Seat
2. ACHD Turns 40, Birthday Party Wednesday
3. ACHD Spends Tax Dollars On Lobbyist

Related posts:

1. Eagle Council Wants Greenbelt Open To Bikes In G.C.
2. Garden City To Eagle: “Go Peddle Your Pedal Plans Elsewhere”
3. Megaload Group Curtails Use Of Idaho Official Seal

Currently Case represents the southwest part of the county for ACHD, but if elected to the Ada County Commission he would serve countywide.

Larry Rincover has apparently also announced he is running against Jim Tibbs for the other vacant commission seat, but we haven’t heard from him yet. The filing period for candidates runs from Feb. 27 to March 9.

As with the city races, the GUARDIAN will provide space for all candidate press releases and announcements.

Related posts:

1. Tibbs Goes After Sharon Ullman’s Empty Seat
2. Commish Ullman Talks Probation Issues
3. Ullman Ousted, Case In Line For Appointment

The agency turns 40 this week and–not surprising–had its genesis in bad government. They like to say the issue was potholes, but it was much deeper.

When each city had its own street department and the county had a road department, there was always the issue of ANNEXATION.

The city wouldn’t fix roads outside the city limits and the county officials were loath to make improvements only to be gobbled up by the city. Hence, a 1971 election created what is touted as a “model system” to place road planning, construction, and maintenance under one countywide district.

Along with the highway system, ACHD began a commuter ride van program that now claims 900 riders aboard 94 vans from Oregon to Mountain Home. The brag an estimated 13.8 million miles were saved by the program.

The cities and ACHD have had their differences over the past 40 years, but taken as a whole, the roads, bike paths, traffic signals, and van pool are valuable additions to the community.

If we could get the same expertise and cooperation on a bus system, we could have something.

There will be a “birthday party” at noon Wednesday at the ACHD HQ building , 3775 Adams in Garden City. If weather predictions are correct, many of the staff will be manning sand trucks and snow plows by that time.

UPDATE 4:30 p.m. Tuesday–
CHD Crews Prepare for Incoming Winter Storm

Ada County Highway District (ACHD) Winter Street Service crews are ready to take on what has the makings of this winter’s first snow storm. Crews got a jumpstart on pre-treating Ada County roadways with de-icer this morning (Jan. 17) in advance of the evening commute and forecasted snow. Thirty five de-icer trucks took to the streets, with a focus on major intersections, hills and heavily traveled roads.

Using de-icer on the roads before the evening commute will allow the rush hour traffic to help spread the product over the road, which will provide for good coverage before the snow starts falling. De-icer works as a pre-treatment to help prevent snow from sticking to the roads and forming ice and also works to melt snow once it’s on the ground.

Tonight, crews will attach plows to trucks and will have sand and de-icer trucks staged and ready to go. ACHD will closely monitor the weather conditions over night and crews will be called in before the morning commute if necessary.

So far this season, crews have been out just three times to treat the roads for winter weather. ACHD’s Winter Street Service supplies are fully stocked with sand and de-icer.

ACHD uses a priority system when responding to winter storm events. Major intersections, bridges, schools and hills are among the top priorities. ACHD staff monitors weather forecasts and road conditions in the early morning hours and throughout the day during weather events. ACHD also works closely with Ada County Dispatch on requests for sand or anti-icing applications from police or sheriff deputies.

ACHD provides Winter Street Services to more than 2,200 miles of local roads in Ada County. State highways including Eagle Road, Chinden Boulevard as well as the Interstate and the Boise Connector are managed by the Idaho Transportation Department.

No related posts.

Citizens along NW Boise’s Collister lane opposed plans to widen their street and install curb and sidewalks–75% were happy with status quo and told the Ada County Highway District to leave it alone. At a public hearing Wednesday described by one and all to be “engaged, civil, and informative” the ACHD commishes agreed with the citizens and permanently abandoned the $2 million plan to install sidewalks.

In 25 years there have been no incidents involving car-pedestrian conflicts. The GUARDIAN has heard several calls for increased traffic enforcement, but not much interest in spending money on sidewalks.

Concerns voiced by residents along the road ranged from cost of acquiring right-of-way to diminishing the size of yards and lengths of driveways forcing elimination of parking in private driveways.

No doubt this set very well with commish Sara Baker who was elected to the board after her own residence was subjected to a similar road widening project despite her opposition.

Boise’s Team Dave sent the following letter to the ACHD which we take as urging them to not base their decision on the will of the people and to keep the issue open:

No related posts.

This disturbing trend reenforces the notion that citizens have little voice in their government. Even government officials rely on hired guns to get their views know at the next level of government.

We briefly discussed the issue recently at the GUARDIAN.

No related posts.

PERSI is full of flaws that cost taxpayers millions and is in danager of foundering. It is a defined BENEFIT plan rather than a defined CONTRIBUTION plan. In short, that means former public workers get a specific payout even when the stock market and other investments take a dump. If it stays as is, look for even more contribution hikes which could also mean tax increases. PERSI will certainly be a topic of concern during the next legislative session.

The GUARDIAN’s biggest problem with the system is the abuse by elected officials. At all levels of government we have commishes, councilors, legislators, and others who serve for years at elected jobs paying a mere stipend–say $5,000 a year. When retirement nears they magically get appointed to positions paying upwards of $90,000.

One of the hidden treasures for these elected officials is the retirement boost they get.
Because the state retirement (PERSI) is based upon length of service at ANY pay rate with any participating agency. Their retirement checks are based on the highest pay for any 42 consecutive months…that’s also why politicos in formerly high paying jobs stick around for minor jobs if voted out of office as well.

The “rule of 90” requirement means their years of service plus age must equal 90 for them to retire with benefits based on their highest 42 months of pay…pretty nice if you can get appointed or elected to a four year term at high pay.

Former Gov. Phil Batt tried to get the law changed to read “full time employment” to no avail. A tough task when you see how many legislators end up working for the state at high salary after leaving the part time legislature with 20 years under their belts.

Here is a link to a well done PERSI VIDEO aimed at informing new legislators. While not in a crisis mode, the plan will need some increased contributions.

Related posts:

1. Occupier On Banks, No Confidence In System
2. County Probation System May Be Unconstitutional

PRESS RELEASE FROM ACHD

ACHD Commissioners are expected to adopt a hold-the-line budget for 2011 that avoids an increase to the amount of property taxes collected while maintaining the core traffic operations and maintenance activities.

Commissioners take up the $84 million spending plan at the Wednesday, August 25, 2009 meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. in the Ada County Highway District Auditorium, 3775 Adams St., in Garden City.

For the second year in a row, Commissioners opted to not take the three percent increase in the property tax rate allowed by law or the increase allowed for growth (newly improved properties) on the tax roll. As a result, the total amount of property tax proposed to be collected is $31.7 million – the same amount as the prior two years.

To help contain costs, the District will continue with 10 unfilled positions, will forgo employee merit raises for a third year, and will strictly control the use of overtime or temporary employees.

Property taxes represent the largest revenue source for ACHD, followed by state gas taxes ($19.7 million), the vehicle registration fee ($8.4 million) and impact fees ($7 million).

A list of upcoming construction projects follows

Construction projects account for roughly half of the proposed spending. Major projects moving ahead in the coming budget year include:

• The widening Ten Mile Road, between the old Overland Road intersection and Interstate 84, to five lanes. The $1.5 million project will also improve the Ten Mile/Overland intersection.
• The reconstruction and widening of intersection of McMillan and Locust Grove roads. The $2.8 million project includes a new traffic signal.
• The reconstruction, relocation and signalization of the State Highway 44/Old State Street/Ballantyne Lane intersection. The $1.3 million project will move the intersection 1,300 feet to the west, greatly improving safety at a high-speed accident location.
• The completion of the Eagle, Victory to the Ridenbaugh Canal, project. The project is widening the roadway from two to five lanes with curb, gutter, sidewalks and bike lanes, and the expansion and signalization of the Victory/Eagle intersection. The $2.6 million project began in 2010 and will conclude in May.
• Right-of-way (land) purchases for Five Mile Road ($2.1 million), Franklin to Fairview, and for second phase of the Meridian Split Corridor – Meridian and Main streets ($2.4 million), from Franklin Road to Cherry Lane. Having right-of-way will allow these projects to progress in 2013.
• Design of the 30th Street Extension ($400,000), from Fairview to State, and of Five Mile Road ($300,000), from Fairview to Ustick, which will allow these projects to progress to construction in 2013 and 2015, respectively.
• Thirty-five projects to increase safety for pedestrians and provide neighborhood enhancements, largely funded by Ada County Vehicle Registration Fees – $4.4 million. The fees were approved by voters in the fall of 2008.

ACHD’s fiscal year begins in October and runs through the end of September 2011.

Related posts:

1. County Hikes Spending By 11%, No Tax Jump
2. Kudos To ACHD For Honoring Will Of People
3. More Questionable Spending By Politicos

Most of these major downtown structures pay NO TAXES to city, county or schools.

Even the Republican Party has a plank to bring the UR agencies into line with a state constitutional requirement that local governments must seek voter approval for debt. Current law declares urban renewal agencies to be “independent bodies corporate and politic.”

Once a district is created–usually by a city council–all the taxes on improvements and appreciation are diverted from the coffers of cities, counties, school and highway districts. Meanwhile the rest of the taxpaying public living OUTSIDE the district has to make up the lost revenue.

Worst of all, urban renewal districts have NO OVERSIGHT of any elected governmental body and are totally apart from cities, counties or the State after they are created by a city council.

Nearly all the taxes are diverted from BoDo, the Grove Hotel, and all of the downtown towers built in the past 25 years. The widow on fixed income, families, and others are forced to make up the shortfall in taxes to pay for the police, fire, and municipal services to the area within the urban renewal district.

It may be a noble cause to “renew” blighted areas, but it should be done with assent of those of us who pay the bills and not serve to benefit a select number of developers as is often the case.

Related posts:

1. Jerome Seeks To Go Around Voters For Debt
2. Ada Seeks Taxes On Church Rental Property

David Klinchuch has filed for the District 4 seat on the Commission in the November 2010 election.

Mr. Klinchuch is an Idaho product, having graduate from Kuna High School in 1962 and the University of Idaho (Class of 1966), College of Engineering.

For questions please contact David Klinchuch at 208 922 5770 or DavidK4ACHD@gmail.com

Related posts:

1. ACHD Spends Tax Dollars On Lobbyist
2. Kudos To ACHD For Honoring Will Of People