This was first suggested by Gov. Jerry Brown who let his distaste for these agencies be known when he went after way to cut the state deficit.

Here’s the entire L.A. TIMES article.

The abuses and waste in California are similar to what is going on in Idaho. Look for some legislation during the current Idaho session.

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Every survey over the past few years predicts a homerun when it comes to building a new baseball park, but when it comes to financing they all strike out. The DAILY PAPER published a box score round up of the efforts which does a pretty nice job of explaining the various options.

Most of the options rely on taxpayers, but one will “sell” foreigners a a green card if they invest and create 10 jobs–perhaps this would include popcorn and peanut vendors.

The GUARDIAN finds it disturbing that “civic leaders” will be hosted at a meeting that will cost common citizens $45 to attend.

The details according to the STATESMAN:
The Better Boise Coalition will discuss next steps with civic leaders during a meeting Tuesday hosted by the Urban Land Institute, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Owyhee Plaza Hotel, 1109 W. Main St.

Tickets are $30 for ULI members, $45 for nonmembers with discounts for public sector/nonprofit employees, students and “young leaders” under age 35. Registering at the event is an additional $5. For information, visit www.idaho.uli.org.

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This is the stuff the “Occupy” crowd loves to hear about.

Like about everything else these days, business can’t seem to make it without tapping into the public coffers. The IDAHO REPORTER offers details of the deal between Boise’s urban renewal agency, Capitol City Development Corp.(CCDC) and the Gardner Company. At issue is the infamous “hole in the ground” which has been the subject of numerous botched construction and financing deals.

Gardner is the builder on behalf of Zions Bank which claims its Idaho operations will be housed in the building.

Seems CCDC voted to approve the funds at its September 22 meeting. Total amount of the gift from the citizens of Boise will depend on the total size of the proposed structure–currently set at 253,000 square feet.

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Issues of concern to candidates and citizens alike:

–Fire department has taken over the North Ada County Fire district, absorbed their firefighters on the city payroll, but closed a station and gets about $1 million less than promised at the start of the contract.

–Transit station is set for downtown with no assurance the property owner will sell. Is this the place for a parking garage and bus station? How about building the facility at Eagle Road and the freeway to keep cars out of downtown?

–Hawks Stadium. Do these ball players need a “state of the art clubhouse” and new stadium at taxpayer expense?

–Should the city be in the business of “attracting business” when in the past the biggest issue was growth?

–Trolley will cost millions and be used by few. Why no major investment or push for a decent bus system?

–City has spent many thousands on PR programs aimed at influencing public opinion. F-35, numerous surveys, trolley study, the constitutional amendments, ball park. Are these all needed?

–Should the city continue to use a 500 person telephone marketing survey to set buget priorities when the results are always in favor of police, fire, transit, and parks?

–Depot is closed to the public and has been for at least 8 years. Would you open it to the public daily in the summer and on weekends during off season?

–State historical society has done some improvements to Table Rock Vista Point. Would you favor partnering with the state to increase the access to this spectacular view of the city and valley?

–CCDC owns much of downtown Boise and acts as an “Independent Body Corporate and Politic” apart from city government. Property taxes on improvements and appreciation within their districts goes to this private agency and is diverted from the city revenue stream for police, fire, schools, etc. Would you continue and expand this unregulated authority?

–Boise PD has 310 sworn coppers with a total staff of 388. They have 317 vehicles and a $48,000,000 budget.

–Police offricers drive about 150 cars home every day…most of them are unmarked. There are coppers with the rank of patrolman making as much as $139,000 thanks to overtime and many coppers earn in excess of $100,000. One who just involuntarily left the force was making $120,000.

–Boise Fire has 251 firefighters in 19 stations with a total staff of 289 and a budget of $45,000,000

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A feasibility study is planned to decide just WHAT to build. If the Gardner Company wants to insure success, they will look toward something with affordable housing, expanded convention space, a library, ample parking, an exterior color that is anything but beige or brown (possible orange and blue), topped off with a baseball park and high end condominiums.

IT would be a sure deal with massive government subsidies if they can figure how to include a transportation hub or at least a trolley station.

So far, they admit the deal still has some kinks to work out, but the DAILY PAPER headline claims they INTEND to build. Lest we forget, Larry Craig INTENDED to resign too.

The Statesman quotes Chief Operating Officer Tommy Ahlquist Wednesday saying Gardner has signed a contract to acquire the site from Capps Holdings LLC. Capps is a Lake Tahoe, Calif. developer which acquired the property in 2009 in a foreclosure auction.

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The Sunday DAILY PAPER has a story by Cynthia Sewell detailing the the “options” for a new convention center. One of the ideas would involve demolishing a newly constructed county family advocacy facility.

The latest expenditure for a “consultant” yielded at least two potential locations for a new convention center, but neither is for sale and voters have repeatedly voted down any new center. Lest we forget, there is another move by Boise Mayor Dave Bieter and Team Dave to build a baseball park as well–despite the pending construction of a ball park, track, athletic field at the site of the old East Junior High by BSU.

Despite the incestuous relationship between the G-BAD boys and the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau (a non-profit ad agency), there is anything but agreement as to the future goals of the Greater Boise Auditorium District.

We think one of the options would be NO EXPANSION and live within our means, providing a first class moderate sized facility (present structure) and perhaps explore the potential of a future expo at the Fairgrounds–sort of like having Obama and the Repubs work together on a balanced budget.

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–The GUARDIAN detailed how Boise motorcycle coppers make $56 an hour using city equipment to patrol Boise County. It is all legal, but of no benefit to Boise taxpayers.

–The Idaho World in Idaho City has a story of former emergency services employee Gordon Ravenscroft sending a private firm consulting work when he owned the private outfit. The commishes dumped the guy and now he is suing for unlawful termination, claiming former commishes had approved the deal.

“According to Ravenscroft’s filing, the County asserts that Ravenscroft performed grant writing and administration work directly related to his duties as Emergency Management Director.  Ravenscroft was a full-time, regular county employee paid $44,773 annually. 

According to records obtained from the county clerk, Boise County has paid invoices totaling $94,711.64 to MCL Consulting for grant services since Ravenscroft was hired in April, 2004.”

–Former Idaho Dept.of Environmental Quality staffer Jorge Garcia, 50, and Karen Damberg Garcia, 47, were sentenced Monday in federal court in Boise for conspiring to defraud the DEQ of grant funds that were intended to install diesel emission reduction equipment on school buses. Jorge Garcia was a project manager for the DEQ responsible for the bus diesel emission reduction project. Idaho DEQ paid the couple’s company more than $339,000.

–City of Kuna created an urban renewal district ahead of the July 1 date new laws go into effect in order to avoid a public vote. The tiny city consulted with Boise’s CCDC director Phil Kushlan prior to creation of the district. Now Kushlan, who is being paid $114,000 by Boise’s district as a consultant following his retirement, is a leading contender to direct the Kuna urban renewal program. The other candiate is former Boise City Councilor Jerome Mapp.

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TVCC and students attending the Caldwell campus were going to bring “synergy” and critical mass to downtown Caldwell. An informal survey suggests the only downtown businesses to see any increase in business have been Vern’s Tavern and the Waldorf Bar. Interesting to see if the Urban Renewal Agency finds another operator for what appears to be a food service operation without adequate customers to keep the doors open.

Had the Caldwell urban renewal geniuses talked to the Boise CCDC geniuses, they would have found that after years of trying, they were unable to lease commercial space in the Ada Courthouse.

We recall a recent controversy in Ketchum over a publicly owned java joint in a visitor center as well.

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The GUARDIAN thinks it is simply inappropriate for taxpayer dollars to be spent for membership in the exclusive private ARID CLUB for CCDC Director Phil Kushlan.

MAY 16, 2011
That post of four years ago pales in comparison to the latest tip: Phil Kushlan is about to retire and get a $114,000 “golden parachute” for a one year consulting contract at the CCDC. They may have taken away his Arid Club membership, but it cost taxpayers $114,000 in the end.

Under terms of the CCDC-KUSHLAN agreement, “the Parties seek to memorialize CONSULTANT’S retirement from his employment with CCDC after twelve years of exemplary service as CCDC’s Executive Director and agree to the terms of CONSULTANT’S provision of administrative services to CCDC on a consultive basis for a specified term to assist in the selection of a replacement Executive Director and in the transition of the replacement Executive Director hired by CCDC, to fully engage in those activities.”

In a press release quoted March 31 by the STATESMAN, CCDC board chairman John May said, A committee of CCDC board members will search for a new director, with the help of a national search firm. “We anticipate that the CCDC Board will select and announce Phil’s replacement prior to his July 8 departure,” May said.

Seems the agency is so poorly (or craftily) managed they had to wait for the director to retire before looking for a replacement according to the golden parachute agreement, but they say it will take not only a committee, Kushlan’s $114,000 services, but ALSO a national search firm. Pretty intensive search for someone to supervise a staff of 12!

Kushlan was making $128,000 in 2007. These days his salary is $144,200. The agency’s website shows an annual budget of $13.4 million and a dozen employees. For comparison, Boise Police has a budget of $48 million and a staff of 388. The chief is paid about the same as Kushlan’s 2007 salary.

The terms of the deal are so loose, Kushlan doesn’t have to do anything more than send the CCDC a monthly bill….”CCDC agrees that it will have no right to control or direct the details, manner, or means by which CONSULTANT accomplishes the results of the services performed hereunder. CONSULTANT has no obligation to work any particular hours or days or any particular number of hours or days. CONSULTANT agrees, however, that his other contracts and services shall not interfere with the performance of his services under this Agreement. CCDC agrees to coordinate project schedules, respective commencements and deadlines with CONSULTANT.”

Records also indicate this golden parachute deal is totally apart from his retirement pay.

The names, photos and e-mail addresses of the board–all appointees of Mayor Dave Bieter–are on the CCDC SITE.

The agreement was duly posted in the four hundred pages of documents sent to board members in the April 25 agenda packet. It is unclear if the board, Kushlan, or one of his 12 staff presented the agreement which was obviously drafted by legal counsel.

One can only wonder how the legislature would have viewed recent bills if they had been made aware of this golden parachute prior to voting on measures aimed at more accountability for urban renewal agencies.

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At least 10 bills were considered during the session–most aimed at allowing citizens some sort of vote to either create UR districts, approve debt, or elect members of the boards. The legislators denied citizens any of those rights.

The political tact employed by the cities was, “Without urban renewal we won’t have jobs or new businesses.” The thrust of nearly all the bills was ACCOUNTABILITY and it is still lacking.

As close as they got was a rule to hold a hearing–lotta good that does!

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