Comments on: Engineering Consultant Runs For ACHD Seat

By: Foothills Rider

Foothills Rider — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 21:29:41 +0000

The Statesman sidebar states Bob is a Registered Professonal Engineer. If so, for what state? He is NOT licensed through the Idaho Board of Licensure of Professional Engineers…I am hoping this is not another politician with spin. Nowhere does he state that he is an engineer…just that he has worked in the field for years (the sidebar is from the Statesman). His Masters is in Public Administration, not Engineering. He might be a fine candidate, but I wish all politicians would be more transparent on skills/qualifications.

By: Easterner

Easterner — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 23:58:38 +0000

consolidating function and services is much more likely than dividing.

Ada County Jail
Ada County Landfill

Lots of other cities/counties are doing it. It’s “trending”.

By: Easterner

Easterner — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 23:47:18 +0000

Cynic, that consolidation has some merit. Economy of scale vs bureaucracy. Not sure the Commission would have to expand. Big committees are usually inefficient and too vague.

Boise has engulfed Garden City, and merged with Meridian, nearly Eagle..

44 counties. 44 school districts-44 fire departments- right on down the line. An efficient model repeated in each county based on a standard local level of taxation.

What does a city do that a county can’t do?

By: erico49

erico49 — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 19:49:39 +0000

When you think about it… other than the fact that the County government has been a zoo—consolidation is not a bad idea. At least for most services. Fire and police could be first. ACS already does the County, Eagle, and Kuna. City fire has expanded to areas outside the city. That would leave parks (maybe that would be the third thing), water, wastewater, and P&X to the cities. The county already has solid waste and courts. No objection to changing the structure of County government. Part-time commissioners.. maybe five of them?

By: boisecynic

boisecynic — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 17:46:07 +0000

Easterner, then let’s disband the 6 Ada County cities and ACHD and run everything through a strong Ada County government. Of course it would mean expanding the commission and even changing its format to a strong County Executive with veto power over the commission.

Even so, Boise City has numerous agencies with occasional conflicting criteria. I’ve seen P&Z call for Class II street trees under power lines.

By: Easterner

Easterner — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 21:05:51 +0000

TF Boy, the ACHD special purpose district wants to do more than just ‘roads’, like handing out bicycle lights with “ACHD” printed on them.

Zippo, you may be happy all the planning is not under one agency- until you have to get something approved by several conflicting agencies.

By: costaprettypenny

costaprettypenny — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 01:50:00 +0000

He is a salesman of engineering services.

By: Zippo

Zippo — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 20:06:33 +0000

TF Boy. You may have noticed that both poorly planned roads and poorly planned irrigation projects have caused lots of land use issues later on. They need to be planned together. But I’m happy all the planning is not under one agency.

One thing is for certain in this town… if the road has fresh pavement, they’ll rip it up within a few months to put in the utilities… so it’s time they do better with coordination.

Editor: Is he and engineer and just throwing the term around?
NOTE–We don’t know, but this leads one to conclude engineer: “An engineering consultant, Bruce is a project principal for Stanley Consultants, Inc. and previously a vice president at CH2M HILL and HDR Engineering, Inc. and a project development manager at Morrison Knudsen.”

By: TF Boy

TF Boy — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 06:26:02 +0000

Good lord. Bob Bruce and Paul Woods are both worthy candidates. ACHD needs to focus on roads and not land use planning. It is a special purpose district. No different than an irrigation district.

By: boisecynic

boisecynic — Sat, 28 Jun 2014 02:01:29 +0000

“I am unaware of ACHD having taken a position specifically on population density.”

Of course not, it’s not their job. But it should be apparent to anyone that some Commissioners/candidates have taken a position with respect to urban planning. That position is to make auto travel more difficult as a means to an end to force bicycle travel. Bruegmann talks about it with respect to Jeff Speck. It’s an ideological position not unlike religion and their aim is to seize control of the regulatory machinery to further their agenda. I’d have more respect for them if they’d just come out and admit it.

It’s good that ACHD is separate from the cities it serves. It makes them more honest and less subject to the whims of city administrations that come and go over the years. It makes for a more integrated metropolis and gives them economies of scale.

Boisebiker: I bicycle downtown too. I just don’t see how you can say Idaho and Main were safer. To me, they were less safe for everyone, cars, bikes and pedestrians. We have Bannock, Grove, 8th and 10th. Those are good enough for me though they could be improved. Idaho and Main caused more problems than they solved, by a long shot.

Regarding the trial period, I think it was long enough. There shouldn’t have even been a trial period. It wasn’t rocket science to figure out bike lanes buffered by parking on Idaho and Main by removing a lane was a bad idea. And after I rode them and drove them just once it only reinforced for me that which I already knew.