City Government
Plug To Be Pulled on Poop Farm Pool
December 9, 2005 
Whoever gets the job as resident manager of Boise’s Twenty Mile South “Poop Farm” will probably have to manage without an indoor swimming pool.
The Boise Public Works Commission met Thursday at the farm residence and toured the pool & hot tub prior to their regular meeting. Before you have visions of a wild pool party with officials in speedos and bikinis, we have to tell you it was pretty grundgey.
Public Works Director Chuck Mickelson has made it clear he wants to do away with the indoor pool and he asked the commission to view the area first hand to make his point. It would be fair to describe it as “faded elegance.”
The city-owned home is perched on a knoll in the desert nearly 20 miles south of Boise. It is surrounded by nearly 4,000 acres of farmland used as a “bio solids waste disposal site.”
Which means whoever lives in that house is surrounded by thousands of acres of poop-covered crops. The residence was built by the original owner who sold the site to the city.
The poop farm popped up prominently when people proclaimed problems concerning proper procedure with city finances. The GUARDIAN learned of the problems and brought them to the attention of city leaders.
After repeated stories were posted on the GUARDIAN, City Councilors ordered an intense audit and criminal investigation of the poop farm operation. To date, the audit has taken about 4 months and so many irregularities (financial that is) have been uncovered the audit has been declared part of a “criminal investigation” and kept secret.
So far, the manager has resigned and a mechanic has been placed on paid administrative leave.
The GUARDIAN’s first hint of serious trouble came when we obtained copies of contracts for two tractors totaling about $143,000–purchased without competitive bids or approval of the city council. These transaction were illegal and were hidden using false monthly “rental” invoices to cover the payments.
One of the City’s tractors simply disappeared. It has “turned up” at another location and detectives are investigating those circumstances to determine how it got there. The tractor has since been recovered.
City officials at all levels downplayed the situation calling it a “personality conflict” or “personnel problem.” One councilor even berated the GUARDIAN for posting “false information.”
To insure more advertising-free Boise Guardian news, please consider financial support.
Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Dec 9, 2005, 12:29 pm
Let’s see if I’ve got this straight: if a city employee purchases $143,000 worth of tractors and covers up the purchase by using phony rent invoices, the employee is subject to a criminal investigation.
When Ada County Commissioners and attorneys — in conjunction with members of Boise City’s CCDC (urban renewal agency) Board — purchased a courthouse and agreed to pay over $100 MILLION in lease payments to cover up the purchase, then various groups (the Boise Chamber of Commerce, Idaho Statesman, etc.) hailed them as heroes for having brought the project to fruition?!
Silly me, but I just can’t agree.
Dec 9, 2005, 3:12 pm
……”Before you have visions of a wild pool party with officials in speedos and bikinis, we have to tell you it was pretty grundgey.”
My My if only Brandi would have been elected to the City Council… and she could have gone to that meeting! Bikinis would have been in order. But then again Vern in a speedo would have been something to see
Dec 10, 2005, 7:40 pm
If one of the members of our elite, high and mighty city council is offended by the fine work of the Guardian regarding the poop farm then they clearly must be comfortable with city employees miss-using city funds.
Seems like I remember another city employee going to jail for a similar action.