law
City Vows To Enforce Fireworks Laws
Last year Boise officialdom sort of threw in the towel when it came to enforcing fireworks law over the July Fourth holiday. Police Chief Mike Masterson said it is nearly impossible to enforce city laws when they differ from state law. In 2005 he said the answer was to complain to the legislature–not the Boise […]
Airport Parking To Go For Vote
It looks like Boise is going to ask voter permission to sell $37 million worth of bonds to build a new airport parking facility. They say the rental companies will fund 40% of the financing for the five story facility–two floors will be for rental cars. Boise’s airport Commission and City Council had a joint […]
Commishes Legal Bills Rise
The Attorney General’s office turned up the heat a notch this week when he filed a bill for nearly $13,000 in legal fees incurred by the state of Idaho prosecuting the Ada County Commishes for an open meeting violation. We can’t properly use “conviction” and “prosecution” in their common context because this case is a […]
Supremes Rule For Citizen Rights
In a history making decision Thursday the Idaho Supreme Court ruled against Boise City’s attempt to go around the voters to finance a parking garage at the airport. The crux of the argument was whether or not the proposed expense was “ordinary and necessary.” The court noted that parking at the airport may be an […]
Costly Closed Meetings Considered
Illegal closed meetings could be a bit more costly for local Idaho officials if proposed amendments in the OPEN MEETING LAW are enacted by the legislature. House Bill 620 would raise the fine for violation from $150 to $500 for a first offense and top out at $1,000 for a second offense. Representative Russ Matthews […]
Contractor Registration Law
Looks like some Idaho building contractors stand a chance of being “hoisted by their own petard,” thanks to a contractor registration law the Associated General Contractors lobbied through the past legislative session. (For non library types: hoist with (or by) one’s own petard means to have one’s plans to cause trouble for others backfire on […]
He Said, She Said, They Said
New motions filed in court over the Ada County Commishes alleged illegal meeting are going to end up with a legal conclusion that somebody isn’t telling the truth. The latest filing includes an affidavit of Boise City Councilor Vern Bisterfeldt who flatly says, “There was no discussion of pending litigation…Additionally…I was not aware of pending […]
Inquest: Too Many Cooks
Too many cooks “spoil the broth” and the same is true for investigations. In the the case of the tragic police shooting death of 16-year-old Matthew Jones it is time to start serving up “the broth” from the inquiries. The FBI has been called in for a civil rights investigation and we figure that move […]
Best Defense is Good Defense
A GUARDIAN EXCLUSIVE Those three Ada County Commissioners facing charges filed by the Idaho Attorney General for allegedly violating the open meeting law know a good thing when they see it. The lengthy legal battle with Lariat Productions over the lease at Les Bois Park had many legal turns and twists navigated by Lariat’s lawyer, […]
Jailhouse Lawyer
Jeannie Braun, the lady lawyer who was recently convicted of falsifying legal documents is sitting in the Ada County jail and she may sit longer if she doesn’t write a letter to the Idaho State Bar–a condition of her plea bargain. It may sound oxymoronic (for you non-library types that means contradictory) but some honest […]
Developer To Make Own Laws
Young developer David Hale has made his mark in Boise cramming tiny two story houses into existing neighborhoods to the delight of growth advocates and the consternation of some preservationists. Now he has aimed his creative sights on some older buildings on the western edge of downtown in a newly created urban renewal district managed […]
A River Runs Through It
The City of Boise is apparently claiming to have annexed the Boise River into the city along with the right to impose city ordinances on those who use it. The GUARDIAN thinks city officials may have overstepped their boundries when they claim to have annexed the Boise River. It may be city on both sides […]
DRY RIVER
It looks like the Boise City Council is telling the cops to keep the river dry–no booze this long hot summer when you float to cool off. It will be like a movie without popcorn. Like so much in this community, it will be a contest to preserve “community standards and traditional values” versus accomodating […]
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