MAYOR’S HOTLINE May 29 to June

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City Government

MAYOR’S HOTLINE May 29 to June

June 6, 2006 ⋅

5/26/2006
Alisa Rettfchlage
2804 Taft
Boise, ID 83703
Kastera: I am calling because I am very concerned about the Kastera
subdivision that is going in between 36th street and Bogus Basin. I
walk there every day and it is a recreation area for me, my husband
and my family. To take that away you are taking something very vital
from our community. I was under the assumption that the council was
working for the best interest of the community but it seems like
their more concerned about development. Isn’t there someway that the
foothills levy can help us pay for buying that land from Kastera?
Isn’t there anything we can do at this point? Thank you.
M/CC PDS
Response needed

5/26/2006
Paul Isley
Hyde Park Area
BPD: We have lived here since 1944. The Hyde Park restaurant/bar
scene up here is just getting ludicrous. I know you put cops downtown at 6th and Main all the time, but I have never seen one up here. Some of the problems are, last night I was walking down the alley right next to Goody’s where small children and women are and there were two drunks standing outside there, peeing in the alley. Also, there are motorcycles parked on the side walk, and people standing around with bicycles on the side walk. The restaurant on the corner of 13th and Eastman, they have moved their restaurant out onto the sidewalk so you have to walk in the street to get around it. They have iron rails out there. I thought that was public property.

The bicycles on the
sidewalks and all the drunks pouring out of Parilla Grill, just all
over the place. Parilla Grill doesn’t have bathrooms so people are
just peeing in the alley, too. And, the motorcycles are roaring up
and down the streets all night. Maybe once a month or something if
the cops aren’t too busy, they could come out and address this. I
know you have to be downtown every Saturday night, but this is Boise,
too. Thank you.
M/CC BPD

5/27/2006
Kathryn J. Allen
2011 S. Penninger Dr.
Boise ID 83709
336-1394
Code Enforcement: My question has to do with a car canopy that is in
our drive way, they are saying it is against the code. Could you
please look at our car canopy and see if it is in violation? We had
it put up before we were in the city limits; we were still in the
County. Please get back with me by mail. I would appreciate a response.
M/CC PDS

5/26/06
Amber Grant
861-8050
Sewer: She requested a date when her sewer line would be repaired.
Because it has been dysfunctional since March, she has not been in
residence since then.
M/CC PW
Action Taken: PW contacted her with dates.

5/30/2006
Burning Issue: I won’t leave my name or address or phone number
because I don’t want my name to be published in the newspaper. This
is an issue I have called about over the years, occasionally. I live
in the North End off of 27th St. by Jerry’s Market. I am housebound
most of the time, but I was out tonight with some friends. I don’t
drive or I would go around driving. When we came home about nine
o’clock the air was filled with burning something, wood smoke or
someone burning trash outside. This has been going on all winter
long, and I thought it would quit when the weather was nice. You can
check the weather it has been beautiful all day. The evening is
beautiful. Somebody is out there burning trash. Now, I thought it was
close to where I live down Stewart from 27th from Jerry’s Market. We
have smelled this about two blocks away, approaching Jerry’s Market
coming from Main Street as we were coming off the connector. If I had
a car I would go drive around until I found out who it was and then
report them.

I think you need to send cops or somebody out and stop
this from happening. The people driving me live clear up on the bench
and said, “What in the world is that?” I said, “We’re having it all
the time. It may be people burning trash in a wood stove or they’re
fire place or even outside”. But, I think it’s time to begin tracking
them down and arresting them. We can’t have of thousands of people’s
area polluted by some selfish stinkers who are burning things. I
would say it is covering an area of six to ten square blocks, from
27th, I think was just going West and South of Jerry’s market. I
would love to call every time I smell it but sometimes I keep my
place closed up because the airs not good. I hope you can do
something about it. A lot of poor people think they have the right to
burn wood stoves, fire places and things and burn all kinds of junk
in them.

These people are polluting just like smokers do, they are
polluting the air that all of us have to breathe. This has occurred
in this area repeatedly and seems like it was going on last summer,
too. So maybe you can track them down, and offer a reward. If I were
out there, I would be glad to call if I knew who it was. Sorry to be
finding out about this but I think its becoming a more of a serious
health issue all the time. I have allergies and things so I am
especially sensitive when I see that someone is doing this. Anyway, I
just thought I would call this in and I hope that we can track them
down. Thank you so much.
M/CC CE

5/30/06

Scott Hyder
FOOTHILLS DEVELOPMENT: Mr. Hyder urges the Mayor to protect the
foothills area north of Hill Rd near 36th from development. He
suggested he look into whether this could be incorporated into Sen.
Craig’s Senate Bill 1131.

M/CC BPR

5/30/06
Kip Losew
Fresca Mexican Foods
Electrical Inspection: Can you please speak with someone about the
way that electrical inspector, Jim Schmerer, is interpreting city
code. Because my machinery was built in Europe and elsewhere, it does
not have the UL listing. He is being denied approval because of that.
He would like to speak to the department director

M/CD PDS

May 31, 2006
Gordon Simpson
859-4135
Graffiti: I would like to report some graffiti on the back of the
Rite Aid building between Vista and Kootenai.
M/CC, BPD

6/1/06
Bart Archibald
BPD Complaint: Called to report harassment from the police and he
wants an investigation to take place. He would like a response back.
M/CC, BPD

6/1/2006
Don Borchers
3590 Jullion St
Boise, ID 83704
City Property Tax Issue/Complaint: I just got my 2006 assessment
notice of taxes, today, for the first part of the year. I thought we
would get a break because we had a $75,000 home exemption, wrong. I
will be paying 15% more taxes this year then I did last. They
assessed my property 131% more than it was last year. I bet you guys
are ripping us off. I went up and testified at the tax commission. I
think your tax assessor must be smiling to the bank thinking we were
going to get any relief. So, I will be working harder to see that tax
reform comes. I am 70 and I live alone. I have a house payment due to
my situation. I am handicapped and I could be losing my home because
I can’t pay my bills. I think somebody needs to step in and take a
look at this reevaluation. I think it is a total rip off. I will be
getting together with the governor, I will be getting together with
the radio stations and I am going to work to get some tax reform. It
sure would be nice to get some help from City Hall. Bye.
Action taken: Forwarded to Ada County Tax Assessor via email on 6/2/06.

6/1/2006
Donna Hiller
2700 Hillway Dr
Boise, ID 83702
Kastera Development Issue: I am calling regarding Kastera homes
purchasing the land in the foothills. I wish the city could go back
and try to negotiate the other deal. There are so many trails up
there that are so wonderful and I think it goes along with the
reserve area and the Hulls Gulch and Camels Back. Those are all such
fabulous areas for people and it gives them an outlet close to the
city. I am certainly not against all foothills development but I wish
they would leave this an island because there are so many trails and
so many people use it. It’s part of being in Boise. I know the
homeowners and I certainly would be willing to put up some money to
try to keep that island and try to keep those trails available to the
public. I think there have been a lot of really good forefathers in
Boise that have kept the greenbelt and kept a lot of the foothills
and it has been really fabulous and made it the area it is. I think
this is one more area that should be preserved. So, thank you for
listening.

6/1/2006
Terry Dugle
Ustick Road
ACHD Issue/Complaint: I am worried because ACHD is still trying to
contact me with regard to purchasing the front of our property and
yet they are supposed to be in a mediation mode. I would like to find
out when the mediation is scheduled because it has been weeks. If we
are not getting any response we need to pound on them because they
are still bugging us to buy our property when it’s supposed to be on
hold. Please let me know or do something about it. Thank you.

6/2/2006
City Property Tax Issue/Complaint: This is a message for the mayor
and the city council. My name is not important because every time I
have left it before I just get a form-type of a postcard back and I
never really get an answer back for anything. My biggest concern is I
just got my private property tax bill. I got my $25,000 more
exemption and my taxes still went up $300 after another $25,000. The
biggest tax increase was, of course, in the City of Boise. It was the
property tax, I mean, on the school and the city tax. The county and
everything else was very little compared to what the city is. The
city is just pricing everybody out.

I voted for the school bond. I
voted for other things for the city. This is the last time I will. I
am a business owner, so this will also increase the taxes on my
business which I have to pay to the landlord as far as my business
extends. This just broke over the back of anything, or any bond, I
will ever vote for again for the City of Boise. This property tax has
just gotten out of hand. I will do everything I can to help roll the
property tax back, like they did in Prop 13 in California which
rolled everything back. This tax is just at the end. It’s not saying
that its the county because every time the city says it’s the county.
The county has its taxes too just like the city but it seems like the
city keeps increasing theirs. The school bond that has passed, of
course it increases because they increased the property value so the
amount went $250, $300. This is just ridiculous. The city is spending
too much money. I don’t know what people are going to do at the City,
but I am going to do everything I can to get a bill passed and
contact the senators to roll the taxes back. This is just got to end.
You are probably going to get a lot more phone calls from the
government and the governor. You know, you guys should have done
something a long time ago, instead of taking this deal and talking
about school bonds and promoting libraries. Bonds like these will
never pass in this city again because there are too many people
upset. Good bye.

6/2/06
Gary Butts
7408 Camas Street
Boise, ID 83709

Investment information on Clean and Sober Housing: Gary called
because he was looking at making an investment in Boise for clean and
sober housing. He has participated in Boise’s addiction recovery
center and wanted some more information on supporting this. He has
already called the Oxford House and they couldn’t provide him any
information.

6/2/06
Bart Archibald
342-4074
Problem with BPD: The other day I was speaking with one of the
mayor’s assistants and they were going to try and rectify a problem
with the BPD and get back to me. I haven’t heard back so I was
wondering if I can have one of the assistants call me and we can
rectify the situation. I am being harassed by a police officer. You
can ask Theresa, the secretary to the Mayor, and she knows me.
Someone give me a call back.

6/3/06
Construction Complaint: Hello Mayor, this is Tim Herring with the
Walden Pond Subdivision. I’m getting calls this morning because the
construction began before 8am and Vern Bisterfeldt put into the
conditions that it not begin before 9am on Saturdays, it might be 8.
Regardless, they started before 8am, they’ve got 3 big trucks hauling
gravel and using back up beepers before 8 on Saturday morning. I’ve
left a message with code enforcement also and I’d like you to follow
up on this. Thank you.

6/1/2006
Kristine Bouer
2748 Terrace Way
Boise, ID
Graffiti: I don’t know why it keeps saying the Mayor’s hotline when I
call. I actually looked it up in the phone book and this number was
for the graffiti hotline, 384-4404. Anyway, I am just calling to
report graffiti on the bottom of our hill on Hill Road and Lancaster.
There is some light graffiti along the cement retaining wall over
there. I just wanted to let you know. If this isn’t the right number
please pass it on to the people who need to know. Thank you.
M/CC, BPD

Jan & Andy Peterson
3361 Forsythia Dr
Boise, ID 83703
Graffiti Clean-up Thank You: I would like to thank the police
department or whoever else is responsible for painting out the
graffiti on the retaining wall running from Stone Creek to North 28th
Street on hill road. We very much appreciate the beautiful gray
paint. Thank you very much.
M/CC, BPD

May 31, 2006
Sue with Larry Knapp’s Office
Graffiti: I just wanted to let you know that we did get graffitied
down the alley between 8th and 9th and Bannock and Idaho Street. It
is all over the alley, the walls and the dumpsters. Thank you.
M/CC, BPD

May 31, 2006
John Church
726 Pierce St
Boise, ID
Graffiti: I have noticed that on the old armory building, for some
time, there has been graffiti on the east end of it. We called it in
before, but I don’t know if this message just didn’t get around. We
thought it would be helpful to have that removed right away. Our
daughter’s trailer, here in the east end, got graffitied and there is
evidently some type of gang activity going on. I use to be chief of
police here many years ago. I think the city, overall, is doing a
really good job.
M/CC, BPD

5/30/2006
Justine Aarons
428 W. Oak Hampton Dr
Graffiti: This is my fifth call regarding graffiti at 4920 Emerald
Street in Boise. I have also called five times on graffiti at 5020
West Franklin Road. How many times does a person need to call in
order to get graffiti handled? I have called the police department,
and they say they are very frustrated with the mayor and his graffiti
hotline because it does nothing. Hello, graffiti looks bad in your
city. Can someone please take care of the graffiti? You guys have a
job to do and you are not doing your job. I think someone is going to
have to do something and challenge the mayor to a race considering
the fact that he can’t even take care of a simple task like graffiti.
You should be ashamed of yourselves.
M/CC Graffiti Team
Action Taken: These are privately owned businesses and have been
notified. They are repeatedly hit. Msj left w/ her.

5/30/2006
Peter Thimm
Graffiti: I am calling to report some graffiti in the downtown area.
It is along Hays and Fort Street. Basically, all the silver utility
boxes along both streets have been tagged. Specifically there is
graffiti at Hays and 8th, Hays and 9th, Hays and 16th, and then Fort
street and 13th. It is black and red graffiti on the silver utility
boxes.
M/CC Graffiti Team

5/26/2006
Jordan Thiel
1221 W. Idaho
Boise, ID 83702
Graffiti: I worked contract security at Idaho Power headquarters,
downtown Boise. The building in question is across the road from us,
it is the Plaza II for Idaho Power, the address for that is 1325 W.
Idaho. The problem is that we have some recent markings on it from
graffiti. One of them is legible and is in quotation marks “SYN”.
Then on the other side, on the south side, there is another marking
that is illegible. We think it is of gang nature but we are not sure,
because we can’t understand what it says. Please contact me or Jim
Whitehead, the security consultant for Idaho Power, his number is
384-2378. Thank you.
M/CC Graffiti Team

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