City Government
Judge: Boise Acted Frivolously Withholding Documents
August 25, 2011 
Fourth District Judge Thomas Neville has ruled the City of Boise acted frivolously when it withheld 7 of 10 public record request filed in a contract dispute between the city and Clearview Cleaning.
The court has ordered Boise to pay $4,137 in attorney fees to Clearview. The city has a history of refusing to provide public records and previously lost a case to the GUARDIAN over release of a video showing “strip hockey” at the city owned Ice World.
Clearview president Sylvia Hampel told the GUARDIAN she has decided not to pursue her case against the city over revocation of a contract she won for cleaning services in the amount of $368,000. The deal was cancelled on the eve her firm was to have begun cleaning the city hall, library, and city hall west police headquarters.
She said she didn’t want to waste anymore citizen tax money, had recently won another big contract, and wished to bid for the city contract in the future without repercussions. The apparent reason for revoking the contract was because a relative of an employee was suspect in criminal activity and the coppers didn’t want the employee at police headquarters.
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Comments & Discussion
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Aug 26, 2011, 8:41 pm
This will not change the practice of the City stonewallin the public. Not surprised to see them loose – again. Hopefully this will not be the last time either. The city bets that no on will sue them so they hide behind the lack of lawsuits.
Aug 27, 2011, 11:52 am
In somewhat related news, the city continues to allow an unpaved parking lot at Esther Simplot Park in violation of the city’s own zoning codes. And yet another unpaved parking lot has cropped up at 27th and Fairview, the site of failed Riverside Medical Center.
Those of you developing properties and are forced to pave X amount of land for parking and provide X amount of storm water retention basin should be outraged.
Aug 27, 2011, 2:43 pm
We are stuck with what we get because no sane person would run for city council or mayor, unless of course they are in the pocket of big business.
Aug 27, 2011, 3:55 pm
um, Mr. Cynic; neither of the above mentioned lots are developed. If the city put in the dollars at the Clocktower existing lot to pave, stormwater retention etc. and then proceeded to rip it out after the park is fully developed, you’d be screaming bloody murder on that too. It is actually fiscally responsible for the city to wait to pave the Clocktower ponds until the ES park is fully developed. That way the taxpayers aren’t paying for it twice.
You don’t honestly think that the current parking arrangement at the Clocktower site is going to remain exactly the same once ES Park is finalized do you?
Aug 30, 2011, 6:30 am
Way to go, Sylvia!
From Board of Ada County Commissioners Agenda, Aug. 23, 2011
Agreement No. 9381 – Agreement Between Ada County and Clearview Cleaning Service, Inc. for Custodial Services (10/1/11-9/30/12)