Looks as though the financial settlement with former Idaho Transportation Department director Pam Lowe has cut into the state highway maintenance budget.
Caldwell Mayor Garret Nancolas has made several attempts to get the ITD to cut unsightly and dangerously tall weeds in the I-84 median within Caldwell City limits to no avail. The worst area is near the Caldwell Airport.
Nancolas recently reported the following to a citizen:
“We have again contacted ITD and they state that this will be all they do now. They assert that even if they mow the weeds the cut weeds present the same fire hazard. They also assert this is the directive of the new Director!!
PHOTO and reporting: Paul Aldredge, Caldwell GUARDIAN
UPDATE 10/30/12
From Mayor Nancolas: “I have spoken again with the District Engineer from ITD and explained my concerns from a Code Enforcement standpoint. He understood and committed to have the weeds cut within the City Limits of all cities within his jurisdiction. He could not give me an exact date, but said he would assign the work to be done.”
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Oct 21, 2012, 5:34 pm
Oh, but but we have no money to mow them with… we are spending all that money on our employee’s pay and bennies.
Kinda like the removal of crossing guards from the schools, agencies are systematically not doing their duty in the most visible places so as to punish the public for not giving more freely to their cause. This is in fact a tactic which is taught to government manager types at all those seminars they go to in all the nice vacation spots.
Oct 22, 2012, 6:39 am
If the Mayor wants them mowed down then why not send his own crew out?
Oct 22, 2012, 10:36 am
Weeds this size are a real safety hazard as well as visual blight. Welcome to Idaho where we just don’t care.
Oct 22, 2012, 11:42 am
Good project for the Canyon County chain gang.
Oct 22, 2012, 3:24 pm
speaking of chain gang, wonder why this county is crying that there is no money, when they hand out felonies like Christmas presents, and the money gained from “convictions” goes right to the coffers.
I hold no sympathy for a county, (or city) that looks upon its citizens as cash cows, to be thrown to the slaughter for the benefit of the local government,
I say let the weeds grow, it matches the character of their leaders.