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City Government

Mayor Hotline July 5 to 11

 July 17, 2008 ⋅  Post a comment

LIVABLE CITY UNBEARABLE FOR BUSINESS, CAL GAL IS BACK, GOOD & BAD FIREWORKS, ANIMAL PROBLEMS, WRITING ON THE WALL

7/11/08
Marty Gofin
Michael’s Furniture Show Place
623 Americana Blvd.
861-5712
We have called the police on numerous occasions, but I wanted to bring this to the
Mayor’s attention that in the past month we have had three bicycles abandoned on our property; we have had an employee set her lunch down so that she could come in the back door, go back out and two guys had stolen her lunch and run down the alley, which she ran after them and yelled at them and they dropped it; we have had a miscellaneous crutch in our bushes and we have had people sleeping in the grass on the back yard by our office. We have also had three individuals smoking drugs outside of our door, and we have had the phone line to my store completely cut with wire cutters. This is all in the last 30 – 45 days.

There are always people hanging around from the homeless shelter, walking back and forth, lots of litter, people sleeping in the dumpster, and other issues, as well as graffiti on my Black Beauty truck, which is a semi-trailer, and also on the back door of the store. All of this has been reported to the police, but now it’s getting to where it’s a daily, or at least several times a week, issue that this homeless shelter is bringing undesirable people through our parking lot and our property on a continuous basis, creating problems.

7/2/08
Eden Rodriguez
16440 N. Asbury Dr.
Nampa, ID 83651
461-2253
Going Green: I am a teacher from Valley View. This summer I will be teaching in
Wilder, Idaho and our theme is “Going Green”. I was calling to see if you had any
booklets, information, or anything available to the students so that we could kick off our
summer plans. The school starts on the 7th and it will go through the 31st and we don’t
have school on Fridays. If you could contact me as soon as you can with any
information you have on going green and what Idaho is doing to go green, any
information on environment, etc.
PW
Action Taken: left msj
7/4/08
Pam Frazier
342-1262
Graffiti: I’m reporting some graffiti I saw yesterday, July 3, at 1001 Idaho St. in
downtown Boise. It’s a concrete retaining wall or just wall behind the Washington
Federal Plaza facing the alley between Main and Idaho Streets. Lots and lots and lots of
graffiti. Thank you.
Graffiti Team
7/4/08
Steve Schulin
240 751-7286
10 Commandments: I’m calling about Bryan Fischer. I read that he and Brandi
Swindell are being sued or their home is being taken away because they won’t pay the
legal fees of a town in association with moving the Ten Commandments monument in
the Julia Davis Park. This seems incredible to me and I urge the Mayor of the town, as
the executive, to take a stand for the Constitution of the United States. These people
are allowed to petition the government for redress of grievances and I can’t believe that
the City of Boise is going after them in this way. Please, step in and stop this injustice. I
do not live in Boise; I do not live in Idaho, but I do live in the United States of America
and I’m saddened to hear this story coming out of my dear Idaho.
7/5/08
Bertha Ruckman
1726 Pomander Rd.
Boise, ID 83705
343-1344
Fireworks: I’m calling in regard to all the illegal fireworks last night. I live on Pomander
Rd. and this is the fourth year we’ve had them and they seem to be getting worse every
year. It’s not just young kids that are doing it; at 10:00 the adults, and some of them are
professional people, are out setting them off. They are illegal, and they even have the
ones that are under a bottle. This went on the last I heard of in the neighborhood. Other
streets are doing it on Hervey, Shoshone and way south of me. They say if the people
on Pomander Rd. can get by with it, they should be able to, so there was fireworks
everywhere. I think it’s high time something was done to enforce this. I have had heart
surgery and I had heat exhaustion, and I don’t have any medication and all this smoke
gets to my breathing. I guess maybe other people have concerns for others. I know the
lady across the street called the police and they came out and checked on the younger
kids last night, and evidently didn’t find them illegal, but they had illegal ones because
afterwards they were lighting them and sticking them down the sewer manhole in front of
my house. That is something. I think maybe we should consider doing what Colorado
Springs has done. I have friends who moved from here in Boise to Colorado Springs
and they are completely outlawed in that city. I think it’s high time people got on the
band wagon or got off their you know what and did something for the City of Boise or
we’re going to be just down in the I don’t know what. I hope you guys get off your duffs
and do something finally.
BPD
Action Taken: contacted

7/6/08
California Dreamin’: Hello, this is the lady from Sacramento that has been calling all
around the country trying to get some assistance about the valleys and of the
Sacramento sheriff’s and police department that it doesn’t know how to run things
properly with a big mess of people that keep coming from New York supposedly, and
from some other places. They are saying that they are letting the people do whatever
they want to; they’re leaving them open to do it; they’re making excuses for the people
being there and they are letting people pile up too much. There are times when they
could have got the mess over with. They are letting the people’s wheel chairs get in
people’s body mind set and hooking them up to wheel chair machines and doing sexual
things. The wheel chairs are supposed to be killed but violation equals death with the
military machines and anybody else that’s doing. They have inmates, governors, staff
from New York that think they’re supposed to be in mind set with the whole town and
they’re not properly civilized and a whole lot of people out of New York City are not there
being pooled because they can never stop the out of date minds that they have and the
parts that don’t match occur in civilized life. The 50 states, California, New York have
some similar things going on, so the two states are targeted and need help from other
states. Military and officials need to look into the governor’s office and what they’re
saying and doing in California and New York. So they’re causing a whole lot of people
to be there and they’re saying they doing have any room the people. They have room at
the police and sheriff’s department and they have other population of the other prisons of
the towns. So hopefully they can get some help. They had some kill units kill some
people; they’re doing spot things still and it doesn’t match with people’s minds because
they have real quick minds, etc. etc. etc.
7/6/08

Anonymous
New Library: You know, the article in the paper this morning about how successful it is
for the branch library that has been put in where the old Mike’s Restaurant was out in
Hillcrest Shopping Center brings to mind something I wanted to suggest to you for some
time. The old Kmart store is still empty on the corner of Apple and Parkcenter, leaving
that shopping center, which is a very good location for people, just sort of in a state of
quiet and I’m sure it’s not as prosperous. That is really the place, I believe, where the
library should go out in southeast Boise. It’s a perfect location and would revitalize that
shopping center and be a better location for people than Bown Crossing out there where
there is not going to be the parking, it’s further out of the way for most people, and
doesn’t have simple conveniences around like the grocery store, the cleaners, hair
dressers, etc. I would really like you to consider leasing that and using that as the
Southeast Boise Library Branch. It would be so beneficial to people from a number of
standpoints, much more so than locating it out in Bown Crossing, which a lot of us
regard it as a way Bown Crossing wanted it put in there to get people to buy homes out
there. So anyway, just think about it – old Kmart, new branch library.
Library

7/7/08
Judith Bantz
1421 E. Bannock St.
Boise, ID 83712
336-7481
Traffic Light Synchronization: I’m calling about traffic lights and have been meaning to
do this for a while. The article in today’s paper about hyper-miling reminded me. The
lights going down Broadway at Front and Myrtle are timed so that as one, for me is going
south, so anyway, as the light on Front St. turns green, the light ahead of me at Myrtle is
turning red. There is no way to hit those lights, both of them if you are doing this, and I
think it would save everybody time and gas if you would time them so you can get
through both of them. Thank you.
ACHD
Action Taken: contacted
7/7/08
Graffiti: This is Officer Griffin with Boise PD calling in reference to graffiti at the end of
the Garden St. intersection of the rim; several of the concrete barricades have got spray
paint on them. They just need to be cleaned up.
Graffiti Team

7/7/08
Jill Parker
700 Cunningham Place Apt. 1403
Boise, ID 83702
Cell Towers: I’m calling to say that I don’t want any wireless towers built on Broadway;
that would make Broadway look like, and Boise look like a town of towers not trees. We
just don’t need that kind of effect in this neck of the woods. So, no towers on Broadway
– trees, trees, trees. Thank you.
7/8/08

Debbie Sahara
345-1667
Fireworks: I do not need a call back, but just wanted to let you know that I thought you
did a great job on the fireworks this year. We were up at the Boise Train Depot and
people were applauding at the end. They were fantastic and thanks for spending the
money.

7/8/08
Barbara Shaw
333-1477
This message is for Kris. I left a message last week and you returned my call about the
trash on Table Rock Road. I thought I was clear in my message; I’m not referring to the
monument; I’m not referring to the dirt road leading up to the monument; I’m talking
about the city road, Table Rock Road itself, where both sides of the street are just
littered with trash up and down. It’s just disgusting. So, again, I’m just wondering if the
city does anything about that or what can be done about that. Thank you.
7/8/08

Kelly Grange
Graffiti: I was looking for a different number in the phone book and saw this thing about
the graffiti hotline. I just wanted to report there is some graffiti on Ustick Road; it’s about
a half mile east of Cole Road right by that shopping center that is being renovated. It
should be cleaned up.
Graffiti Team

7/8/08
Peter Angleton
345-6101
Street Light Construction Noise: I’m calling as a resident of Warm Springs Avenue
where we’re being subjected to very loud construction noises in the wee hours of the
night between 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. This, to me, is outrageous and incredible. I’m told
that the city will not allow these trucks on the street during the day time to perform this
very loud construction activity related to putting in these street lights. I’m sure there’s a
very good reason but I can’t imagine what it is and would appreciate an explanation as
to why we have to be woken up between 3:00 and 5:00 in the morning. Having our
sleep disrupted interferes with our ability to function the next day in our various jobs and
capacities, so that we can have a truck out there at those hours of night instead of a
more reasonable hour during the day or even later in the morning. So, I would
appreciate some feedback. Thank you.
7/9/08

Anonymous
Code Enforcement: I have a couple of code violations for you – 2619 Fairview, the
Riverside Medical Center, has weeds all over a large area. Also, 2700 Regan, the
corner of 27th and Regan, has weeds on the south side of the building over a foot high.
Thank you.

7/9/08
Bill Robins
383-0409
Graffiti: I’m not a victim of graffiti, but some buildings down the block from me have
been graffitied and I just wondered if anybody had reported them, and if any action is
going to be taken on them. One building is on the north side of Main St. between 10th &
11th and the other is around the corner on 11th and is on the back side of the building that
the OK Bar is in, along that alley way. I would appreciate it if somebody could check on
that and get back with me on this. Thank you.
Graffiti Team

Action Taken: Contacted
7/9/08
Jennifer
Sommerset Hills Condominium Complex
Off 8th St. & Brumback
Humane Society: On Friday, July 4th the Police Department shot an injured deer and
wrapped it up in a tarp and dragged it across the street. Since Friday, it has still been
sitting there. We are just trying to call to see if we can get someone to actually remove
the deer since it’s still there, and it’s hot outside and probably full of maggots and stuff.
If you could either contact the appropriate person or contact me, that would be great.
IHS (Kris, see email to Humane Society)

7/11/08
Jo Kirkpatrick
North End
383-0548
I’m complaining about the prolific use of leaf blowers. They are a disturbance of the
peace and they don’t accomplish anything. A guy was going down a curb blowing
leaves out of the curb today. Those leaves are going to blow right back to the curb.
They’re also a waste of energy. I think leaf blowers should be banned. The city goes
around with their trucks and they pick up leaves and stuff off the pavements at least
once a month. That should be enough for all of us. Thank you very much.
7/11/08

Charles Westfall
1802 1/2 N. 26th St.
Boise, ID 83702
965-0378
I requested with the City Engineer Public Works Office to have an address change.
We’ve had trouble with the 1802 1/2 designation on our home that existed when they split
this property in the 70s between 1802 and 1082 1/2 and built an infill property that is a
split level home. We requested that our address be changed to 1802 and that the
property at the corner of the street be changed to 1800, and the person to the north side
of us is 1804 currently. These are all small residential lots with very, very low
opportunity for greater infill; but Chris Pichardo at the Address and Sewer counter, and
the Public Works office has arbitrarily informed us that our address will be changed to
1808 and that the property to the north of us will be changed to 1814, leaving room for
further infill in the years to come. My concern is this: I did not think that even within
Zoning and Ordinance anyone of the three of us would be allowed to further subdivide
our properties because there are certain allowances that need to take place between
household dwellings. None the less, in the present state emergency vehicles would be
much more responsive to a sequential numbering scheme that is 1800, 1802, and 1804,
not 1802, 1808, and 1814, because if an emergency vehicle hits the corner at Irene and
26th and thinks they need to be at 1814 where my neighbor to the north of me is a widow
who lives alone and has lived there by the way since these two properties were split
back in the 70s; she’s lived at 1804 her whole life, they could go well down the block and
have to circle back. That kind of time is not the kind of time I want her to have to deal
with. I think it’s in her best interest, my family’s best interest, and the best interest of the
family that lives on the corner that the numbering sequence be as we recommended.
Now Mr. Chris Pichardo tells us we can pay 25 additional dollars for a variance request
and submit that on top of the $7 I’ve paid to have the address change request that they
arbitrarily granted to us that does not improve the situation, in fact as I’ve mentioned
worsens it in the minds’ eye of all of us here. I feel as though the office is being
capricious and I have to think that they’re just being punitive in their efforts because of
our initial request, and perhaps even trying to use the city of Public Works as a revenue
generating stream because it’s $25 to pursue the variance. I have tremendous respect
for the City Council and for the Honorable Mayor Bieter; I live the wonderful things that
go on in this city; I moved my family 2,000 miles to Boise seven years ago, and I would
really love for somebody to just call me and talk to me about this. I have tried to talk to
Mr. Pichardo about it and he is very cavalier and very insensitive to the needs of the
community. He sites things regarding addresses further down the street, on the other
side of the street that are complete acreages, and some are actually multiple acreages
that have no bearing on the density that we’re talking about when we look at the three
properties in question. He won’t even look at it on Googler; it’s 2008, look at it on
Googler people, and if in the fact in the year 2030 somebody decides to buy any or all of
these properties and further infill, a renumerating scheme at that time would be great,
but we’re talking about the health, well-being, and the emergency response of the three
families that reside here now and it is not the best sequencing or the best sequential
solution to leave six spaces which generally would lead anyone who is responding to
think these addresses are much further down the block. I think that goes without stating;
I think anyone listening to this or reading this record will understand how streets have
traditionally been numbered. Again, I would appreciate a call, I do not appreciate the
way I was just notified via mail when my recommendation was not accepted, and an
arbitrary renumeration scheme was put in place to protect the city from what could occur
in the year 2035. We don’t live in 2035 people; it seems like for the last 35 years you’ve
allowed a 1/2 space to reside between us numerically, why can’t we just have the
traditional even spaces between us for the next 35 years until this hypothetical infill
possibly can occur? I would love for Mr. John Tensen, the City Engineer, to take a look
at it; I’d love for Mr. Rob Bousfield to work with Mr. Chris Pichardo on his customer
service skills if he’s going to be the person who talks to citizens as a first responder, and
I’d love for the Mayor’s office and the honorable members of council to consider this
because this is about citizens and citizen safety. I will use the Mayor’s office to solve
this; I don’t want to have to go to the media to talk about the insanity that this is about,
and I certainly don’t want to have to issue a request of variance or retain a lawyer to get
this resolved. I have a tremendous amount of confidence in the officials that we have
elected. Thank you.

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