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City Government

Mayor Hotline April 18 to 24

 April 29, 2009 ⋅  Post a comment

LOTS OF FUN STUFF: NO DOUBLE ENTENDRE SIGNS, GUNS AND ELECTRIC MOWERS, SHAGGY DOG BARKING STORY, TRASH TALK

4/21/09
Jenny Hampton
Meridian, ID
Boobie’s Restaurant: I’m calling because there is a business on Ustick Road, a restaurant
called Boobies located between two elementary schools and their reader-board is getting more and more inappropriate. Today it reads: “It takes two hands to enjoy a double boobie”. It’s extremely inappropriate; I’ve gone in and politely talked to the owner and they kicked me right off their property, yelling and very unprofessional. I’ve got three kids and I travel that road three times a day bringing my kids to school. School buses are passing that sign and I can only imagine how funny those little boys on buses think that is, and the girls too. It’s inappropriate and I shouldn’t have to see it; I shouldn’t have to explain that to my kids. So, I just would love to see that toned down, and I didn’t get any results trying to speak with them directly, so that’s my complaint. If you could call me back, that would be wonderful. Thank you.
PDS

4/20/09
Juanita Hepler
230 S. Strawn Ave.
Boise, ID 83712
Amtrack: I would like to leave a message encouraging the City Council, encouraging the
Mayor to do everything you can to get Amtrak back into Boise. It provides a wonderful service
for the citizens, and I think an economic benefit also. I’ve had many friends who would have
come to visit us if they could have gotten the train into Boise. If you would let the citizens know
in the paper or on TV if there’s anything we could do to help facilitate getting the train back into Boise. Thank you so much.

4/21/09
Anonymous
Electric Lawn Mowers: Mr. Mayor, no need for a return phone call. Please do not record the
name or the number onto the transcription; I don’t care to have it released to the media. Mr.
Mayor, I have read in one of the local media outlets a comment you made with regard to
electrical lawn mowers and the pollution given off by the gas powered lawn mowers. I do agree with you, they did pollute quite a lot, but I think your numbers are off by a considerable amount. Eighty-seven pounds of green house gases and fifty-four pounds of other pollutants would add up to a minimum of twenty-three gallons of gasoline. There’s no way I put twenty-three gallons of gasoline through my lawn mower in a summer. So, something’s wrong with your numbers there. The other thing I would like to point out is these little scooters that you have encouraged the use of by giving free parking in the downtown area, they also pollute a huge amount because they also have unrestricted exhaust on those as well. There’s no kind of pollution control devices on those scooters whatsoever, just like these lawn mowers that you’re talking about. So, it looks like a PR thing, but not a whole lot else. Have a good day.
PW

4/22/09
Doug Coffin
384-1998
Retaining Wall(FREEWAY SOUND BARRIER) & Electric Lawn Mowers: I just wanted to make a couple of comments.
I don’t know if this is state or city. I know they’re trying to increase the gas tax for highways, and I just think that retaining wall they stuck up around the city of Boise is the biggest waste of money I’ve ever seen in my life. I know that costs a lot. I also wanted to comment on that electric lawn mower. When I was a little boy and I got my first lawn mower I was so happy and I’ve always liked mowing the lawn just because I like my lawn mower. I think those electric lawn mowers are a joke. It’s kind of like they take our guns away from us and all these other good things, and now they want to take our lawn mowers away from us. You want comments on what I think – I think that retaining wall around Boise sucks and I think electric lawn mowers suck. I’ve got a lot more things that I could comment on, but I don’t think you people take it seriously; I don’t think you listen to us. That’s my opinion. If you want to call me I’ve got more to say.
PW
4/22/09
Jason Johnson
1833 W. Grand Teton Ct.
Meridian, ID 83646
631-8595
Raising Taxes: I’m wondering why our constituent, Butch Otter, is trying to raise taxes again
when our motor vehicle tax just doubled and was voted in not that long ago. Now he wants
more money and we’re in a recession. You know in a right to work state when we have this
many unemployed people, why would he be charging us more money for something that has
already been doubled? I think he needs to put his rubber stamp away and find some new ways to fix problems. I would appreciate someone giving me a call back.
Action Taken: contacted

4/22/09
Floyd Strain
405-5545
Green: Dave Bieter was talking about making the house green and I have some ideas that I
have sent to Obama and about 8 senators. So, have Dave Bieter give me a call. It looks like he is very interested in helping our country and so am I. I think together we can help put a
tremendous amount in one day’s time. Thanks.
Action Taken: left msj
4/22/09
Sandra Davis
7837 W. Ustick Rd. Apt. H101
Boise, ID 83704
377-1726
Ustick Library: The reason I’m calling is because I see this tremendous problem with the new
library being put in on Ustick Rd. I live about 1/-block down the street and they put in a
crosswalk right there by the library so people can cross back and forth across Ustick, but they have kind of an unusual type of light there. I cross that several times a week and if I go out before I come back home whether it’s crossing one way or another, someone blows through that red light. What that means is the light is turning red; cars are going right through it while pedestrians have the right-of-way to walk across. The problem is if you’ve got cars running red lights where children are supposed to be walking across the street to get to or from the library, a child is going to get killed. Day after day after day I see cars blowing through that light, so I’m trying to find out some way to get somebody’s attention. They need to possibly replace the kind of light. They put a light in on Ash Park and Ustick, only this one is green most of the time; when you push the button it turns to yellow, then red, then after a little while it turns back to green. If they did that where if you cross to the library, it would be less likely for people driving right through that light, but they do and somebody’s going to get killed. I don’t know who to call or who to talk to have somebody come down and look at that. As long as those cars are zipping through that area where little children are supposed to be walking across when it’s green, well I’m just worried that somebody will die and I don’t know how to prevent it. I’m talking to you and I left an email to the Library, and I think I sent an email to Vern Bisterfeldt; somebody please, please, please look into that. Thank you.
Library BPD
Action Taken: tried unsuccessfully to contact

4/22/09
Lorraine Graves
7586 N. Peppermill Way
Boise, ID 83714
Dog Barking: Pursuant to your comments regarding dog nuisance, a young male attorney
called me and recited the list of witnesses I had raised relative to my dog-barking complaint. He
seemed pleased that each one had denied my allegations. The individuals had no recollection
and/or denied any conversations or observations took place. I can at least cancel out one
denial with evidence, as I have an email from Jeff Rosenthal, the Director of the Humane
Society, who wrote at length on subject of the dog ordinance and answered many of my
questions. He commented that even though one may have video and audio recordings as
evidence some judges will decide in favor of the defendant because they don’t like the law.
Secondly, in the case of Sheriff Heidi Frutel, who does not recall speaking to me or any other
details of her visit, nevertheless did write citation number 1331316 in my home, which I signed.
Her response is just a little fishy. Secondly, the young new attorney told me that my case was
not dismissed and that Jill Musser had said nothing of the sort. Well, Jill Musser told me she
had burden of needing to prove my complaint beyond a reasonable doubt and she was unable
to do so and could go no further. You’ll have to draw your own conclusion from that. Next, the
young male attorney began to lecture me on what it means to live in a community and the
enormity of a misdemeanor complaint. I stopped his insult to my intelligence by telling him not
to patronize me. So, let’s counterbalance my experience by considering my daughter, who is a
district attorney, and what some of her remarks were. She tells me she tries a large number of
“he said, she said” cases largely on the basis of common sense and her perceived belief in the
credibility of the victim. She said she wins 90 percent of those cases. She also said that
refusing to act unless an attorney feels that he can prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt, is
not in keeping with the intent of the law. She believes it her duty to represent the victim. She
said she never speaks to a victim or witness on the telephone, but always meets face to face.
She also remarked that the sheriff who came to my home was derelict in her duty not to have
produced written notes of what had transpired. She said the sheriff was clearly a primary
witness and keeping written notes is standard procedure for any professional with that
responsibility. She also said that this could constitute grounds for a law suit against the city.
Remember, this is a misdemeanor case regardless of the lack of seriousness with which you or
your city attorneys may approach it. Of course, making excessive dog barking a misdemeanor
is basically absurd in my opinion. It could be handled by a panel with the authority to issue
small, then incrementally larger fines, and then ultimately could include removal of an animal if
necessary. So, as to credibility, I am a female, 64 years of age, I hold a college degree, and I
am retired. I worked in the public service sector for the federal government and Lane Council of
Governments in Oregon. Every contact I made over the years, whether in person or on the
phone, was recorded; detailed notes were taken. You could go back years, find those notes
and know exactly what took place, yet you have a sheriff, which now I understand is not really a
sheriff, but represents that she is a sheriff, who can’t recall what took place two months ago.
You also have a Humane Society that has no record of my submitting complaints. It clearly
makes me wonder if they ever acted on my complaints. Maybe the defendant never received
warnings. These failures are all pieces of evidence on my behalf gone down the drain due to
incompetence. As far as I am concerned, this whole unfolding of events leaves me not only a
victim of excessive noise from a continually loud barking dog that has destroyed my ability to be
at peace in my own home, but now in addition, I am the victim of a poorly conceived ordinance
and unprofessional handling of the matter from beginning to end. I submit that this problem is
not going away; complaints have increased, I am told by the Humane Society, the dog
population is very high in this community, and it’s a problem that’s not going away. You can
stick your head in the sand or you can come up with a reasonable, efficient way to deal with it to
give relief to the people who are suffering in this way.
Legal
4/22/09
Anonymous
Greenbelt Water Fountain: I would like to first thank the city for turning the water fountains on around the bike path in the Greenbelt areas. But, the one thing Boise City Parks took a water fountain out at Mile Post 1.6 on the south side of the river by the Albertsons’ complex and they haven’t put it back. It is my understanding they were going to put it back; that’s kind of an important t water fountain for a lot of people on that side of the river because there really are no parks or no other water fountains. So, is there any way you can let the Parks Department know that they need to get that water fountain back in. The other thing is it would be really nice if they could get any kind of water fountain around the new East Parkcenter Bridge that is coming in.

There are really not any water fountains around there and it would be nice for runners and
bikers to have a place to drink. Thank you
BPR
4/23/09
Floyd Strain
405-5545
Green Ideas: Have the Mayor Dave Bieter give me a call. I can give him some information that
will really make this a green area all over the United States. I’ve given it to Obama too and 6
senator too, so have him give me a call. Thank you.
Action Taken: left msj
4/23/09
Michelle Bradley
H-336-8792 C-631-7132
Utility Billing: My question is in regard to a Boise City Utility bill that I received. My Account #
on this is DELETED and it’s concerning a piece of property that we purchased. We received a
billing on it; there hasn’t been any water in there for like 2 years, no trash or anything. We got a
bill for $102 and when I called to dispute this, they said I should have made it known at closing
that nobody lived there and that they couldn’t remove part of these fees. I have a big problem
with that. Please have someone contact me. Purchased property 2/09 2223 Manitou 06
No one has lived here for 2 years. Will take off fee for April not March.
Action Taken: contacted
4/23/09
Anonymous
Spring Clean: I would like to make a comment to the Mayor and the all the people down there.
It’s trash day on the bench area where I live. I have heard about this Spring Clean Boise and I
noticed this morning when I was driving through my neighborhood how much different type of
trash than I’ve seen out than the normal cans or the big gray things. I’m seeing work benches
and all kinds of excessive stuff. I would imagine the garbage boys aren’t real happy with all the
extra stuff, but that’s the way it goes. I wanted to compliment the Mayor’s group on how nice it is that we’re going to get this all done and it sounds like this Spring Clean has really taken on. I think the gentleman who kind of spearheaded it on, Jerry Todd, should be given an “attaboy” because without his great efforts, I think I might not be seeing what I’m seeing in the neighborhood. I would like to remain anonymous, but good job. Thank you.
PDS
4/23/09
Roma Huck
713-2605
Child Abuse Marathon: I am one of your citizens and I just wanted you to know about this
gentleman who is part of the radio stations, 1033, he goes by Kiki Love, and he has been
running marathons this week to highlight child abuse and hopefully help prevent it. I just
thought it would be nice to reward him in some way; I’m hoping others are calling in about this
too. He finished his fifth marathon today and he has two more ending on Saturday evening.
Thank you.
Action Taken: left msj
Lady from Sacramento called: 4/18/09 AM, 4/19/09 AM, 4/20/09 AM, 4/21/09 PM, 4/22/09 AM,
4/23/09 AM, and 4/24/09 AM

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