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City Government

Mayor Hotline June 19 to 25

 June 30, 2010 ⋅  Post a comment

CITY SPENDING CONCERNS, WEEDS, THREATENED SUIT, RECYCLE DOWNTOWN, NEIGHBORHOOD INMATES

6/19/10
Deborah Miller
Boise Trolley Tours
602 Julia Davis Dr.
Julia Davis Park

Boise Trolley Tours: I would like to register a complaint with the road closures that have been going on every weekend in this city. I’m trying to operate a tour company here and my business is being impeded by all of these road closures. If it’s not in the park with races going on every weekend with the Parks Dept., then it’s downtown. Last weekend it was the Iron Man, they closed Capitol Blvd., today on the 19th they have closed and barricaded off Idaho St. from 8th St. to 9th St., which is where I go through with my tour company, and I have a lease that you signed, Mayor Bieter, to operate a tour company in this city, and I am getting fed up with the roads being closed here because I cannot operate a tour company when you’re closing public highways and allowing people to do this. There are other businesses in town besides the ones downtown, so I would like to file this complaint formally with you and I would like you to return my phone call; we need to work this out or I’m going to seek litigation against the city. Thank you.
BPD ACHD

6/18/10
Traci Irons
13967 W. Wainwright Dr.
Boise, ID 83713
Eagle Rd.: I am a new small business owner off of Eagle Road in Boise. My complaint is as being a new business owner off of Eagle Rd., the speed limit is extremely high, it’s extremely dangerous, and I know that the road when it was first set up was to go out to farming communities, but now there are schools off the road. I found my son riding his bike down Eagle Rd. which terrified me. There are cars doing 55 mph down the road, there are wrecks daily, our clientele is afraid to be able to cross the road to get into our business, and it really is becoming an issue. People are being hurt and there are wrecks on this road daily. Anyway, my hope is that somebody will hear me and lower the speed limit back down to where it needs to be. There are too many businesses, there are too many people, too many children, and it is too populated to have a freeway pretty much running through where we live. The hope is again, that, I know they’re doing construction on the road right now and it would be a perfect time to re-evaluate and decide if this is a safe speed limit for a community. Thank you, I hope you take into consideration my concern and hopefully lower the speed limit. Thank you very much.
Action Taken: unable to contact

6/18/10
Andrew Newman

Weeds & Illegal Parking: I’ve actually got two things I would like to talk about; they’re kind of complaints. I don’t even know if there’s anything I can do about it, but my neighbor has three-four foot tall thistles growing in his back yard and I would like to know if there’s anything I can do. The other concern I have is that on Boise Avenue between Law and Betsy Ross, people are parking in the bike lane on the south side of the road. I had called the cops about it once but I feel kind of bad because it’s a waste of their time. I was wondering if somebody could put up a bike lane sign there because people are parking in the bike lane and I don’t like riding in the middle of the street.
BPD ACHD
Action Taken: left message

Action Taken: contacted
6/19/10
Anonymous
Running Event: Okay, first let me say I run on the Greenbelt a lot and I do a lot of races on the Greenbelt; but why did the C.J. Run and half-marathon and 10K today have to use pink spray paint for their miles and arrows. Every other race uses either chalk or flour. I mean it just looks terrible on the Greenbelt. You should make them go take that off; nobody else uses spray paint; that’s just stupid. I hope you can get something done about that.
BPR

6/23/10
Anonymous
Recycling: Good Morning. I live here in Boise and I’m at 83707. I just really came back from Oregon where state parks and the downtown core does a lot better job recycling. I was staying with some friends last night in BODO and they have the recycling thing way off to the side. No one even knows where it is and uh in the downtown core area recycling doesn’t seem to be a big priority. I’d like to see the city step up and get different containers, number one and either people don’t know or they aren’t marked well for recycling. Please improve your recycling program in Boise.

6/23/10
Judy Peavey-Derr
3100 Crescent Rim Dr.

Boise, ID 83706
Budget: I think that it’s very important that you understand the economy as it currently is. People aren’t getting raises; I think it’s ridiculous to be giving raises under these circumstances in this climate, and also increasing property taxes which are very difficult to currently pay, let alone what you’re proposing even at $1.90. So please reconsider, reduce fast, live within your means, and don’t raise taxes. Thank you.
Action Taken: No contact number

6/23/10
Gary Evans
2401 N. Keystone
Boise, ID 83704

Budget: I had read an article in the newspaper today; this is Wednesday, about the new Boise Budget hold. I was kind of disturbed on some of the things I read. Let’s start with the good things – I do think it’s a good idea they hold off on the East Boise Branch Library at Bown Crossing. The rest of the things in here I don’t think somebody is looking at right – renovation of city hall, new counter space on the first floor. With the way the economy is right now and people are having problems as far as money, social security recipients didn’t get a raise this year, taxes have been going up, the city wants to increase their portion of the property tax, other charges on electrical and heating bills, sewer, and garbage. Consumers only have so much money, especially people on fixed social security, even business owners and so on.

I don’t understand where they think their money is going to come from. The more they tax people, the less people have to spend. So, the bottom line is that reduces the tax base. The article I read in there also talked about only giving city employees a 2% raise instead of I believe it said a 4% raise based on I guess their performance. Now social security benefits aren’t getting a raise, most people are having a hard time and not getting a raise, teachers took a pay cut, so how does it justify certain city employees getting a raise? I don’t understand the reality of that. It sounds more like the people discussed that the way our federal government is, there’s going to be a big shake-up in November and people are going to be out; the House and Senate are going to be changing over to control by the Republican Party instead of the Democratic Party.

If the city can’t realize what they’re doing by raising different taxes, paying people more instead of holding on to what their salary is, people should be fortunate that they have a job instead of getting raises, maybe with the City Council and Mayor we need to do a shake up and clean the house on everyone. I just can’t understand the reality of giving a raise with this type of economy. People under the new Obama Health Plan have got to pay more co-pay now as far as insurance wise; I just don’t understand. The one big thing in the City Council and the Mayor’s office, the Mayor needs to realize – you work for us, we don’t work for you. Until the City Council and Mayor realize this, there’s going to be a problem and there will be a big house cleaning at the next election. You don’t go and do whatever you want – the City Council and the Mayor – you are elected by the people to do what the people want, but it seems like you do what you want and not what’s good for everybody else, just like the streetcar thing, trying to do what he wants. As far as getting a response, generally the city does not do a response; they put a pre-printed card out because they don’t have time. When I talk to my legislators in Congress that I personally happen to know I always get a letter back.

They seem to have time but it doesn’t seem like the City Council or the Mayor have time to do anything except stamp a pre-printed post card and that goes right back to who the City Council and Mayor work for; they work for the people. They need to start to realize that. Generally I have never even gotten a pre-printed post card back when I have left a response; I left a response a month or so ago and I haven’t heard anything. I asked questions on my representative in the Senate and I had a response back from him in about two weeks, so it tells you who works for who.
Action Taken: looked up phone # and left message

6/23/10
Jane Walker
Pierpointe Subdivision in Southeast Boise

I would request the Mayor come to our National Night Out on August 3rd between 7:00 and 8:30 if that’s possible. I don’t even know if I have the right number or if I need to contact somebody else. I’m hoping you will return my call and point me in the right direction. Thank you very much.
Action Taken: contacted

6/23/10
Tim Sheehan
Hillcrest Dr.
Boise, ID

Work Release: I am a resident of Boise. I’ve lived here for over 20 years. I just saw the sheriff’s work release program with known criminals come down my street. I have no idea why the sheriffs are bringing known criminals down residential streets; they shouldn’t be on residential streets, they should be on the highway. I want to know what actions would need to be taken to get the sheriffs to comply because this is ridiculous. My second question is, if I get robbed and they take fingerprints and it’s one of these idiots, one of the convicts or prisoners from this work release that did it, can I take legal action, and who do I sue, the sheriffs or the city, or Ada County? If you could call me back and answer those questions for me, I would really, really appreciate it, because as of right now, I’m really worried about my house being broken into because one of the guys I saw in the work release is a known drug addict. I would appreciate a response. Thank you.
Action Taken: contacted

6/23/10
Carolyn Tanko
8th St.
Boise, ID 83702

GBAD & VCB: I’m calling in regard to possible changes for the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau. I have been working very closely with Mary Michael Rogers and a couple of other people for the last year or year and a half. We are planning a regional convention for American Guild of Organists which will be held next July, 2011 and they have been extremely helpful to me in getting out some early brochures, giving me suggestions and ideas about things to include in packets that we will be having for our convention. I just wanted to put in a good word for leaving that bureau the way it is; they’ve been extremely helpful. I’m not sure how any new form of that would work, but I know what has worked, so that’s my comment. Thank you very much for this opportunity.
Action Taken: left message

6/24/10
Kevin Saxton
Powder Horn
Boise, ID
Budget: Hey, I don’t know how you people think you can just raise taxes when you get low on cash. We’re in a recession, depression; you need to start cutting back. I don’t know what it is, but the day is going to come that you ain’t going to be collecting taxes. People don’t have any money to pay taxes. You need to start cutting back and cut the spending. Thank you.
Action Taken: left message

6/25/10
Robert Broock
8078 Leber Rd.
Indianapolis 46260

I’m calling about two things. Right next door to me a tree got hit by lightening two weeks ago. DOT came out, chopped it down and half the tree is still laying in the street and now it’s dead and brown and it’s taking up part of the street. It goes from my driveway to my neighbor’s driveway on the south, and then on the sidewalk between my house and my neighbor’s house, again at 8078 Leber Rd., ever since I’ve been here the sidewalk is like a skateboard ramp; it’s kind of bowed up in the middle on both sides and some kids race on their skateboards and fly over it, and it’s very dangerous and I think the city is responsible and should get this fixed before some kid gets hurt. Hopefully they will remove that tree soon because it’s an eyesore on our street.

6/25/10
Robin Grupe

Graffiti: About a month ago, the 24th of May, I called and spoke with Rick Nielson with the Boise Police Department regarding graffiti that we had on the sidewalk in front of our home. He called me back and left a message that he had no further information, but to call if I found anything else. It just so happens that I was walking on the south side of our street, Jefferson between 26th and 27th St. and on the sidewalk, directly in front of the little, there’s no address but it used to be the Trolley House now owned by the Greek Church (gray and blue building), on the sidewalk just a couple of squares east of 27th St. on the south side of the street I see some graffiti that looks like STO and if that helps, I hope that does. That is my latest report and if I find anything else in the neighborhood that is similar I will give you a call.

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