Respectfully, I think Dave and others underestimate the volume of contacts the city gets, and the scope of what’s on their plate. The metro area is approaching a million people and Boise is the nerve center. My experience with city hall is that everyone is drinking from a fire hose, needs help badly, and is essentially doing two jobs at once. That’s true of (some of) of our council members as well.

EDITOR NOTE–Lawyer, I will stipulate on the growth issue. However, the growth is promoted by the politicos and they seem to have time to make building permits an easier process, promote the city, give tax breaks, create apartments on every corner and generally accommodate zoning changes and use permits for developers. Over the years the GUARDIAN has caused crooked city workers to go to jail, prevented illegal expenditures, changed insider tool lending deals, etc. The list is huge after 15 years. If not holding councilors to account, give us an office that has authority to handle low level issues and direct citizens to a human being who can resolve questions.

And the City Council should have its OWN support staff (how about cutting the ‘Outreach staff’ in half and giving the Council a handful of peeps)?

Good luck, Boise.

EDITOR NOTE–Have you tried to talk to any of the councilors recently? Give me some numbers that will get a human voice. Unless things have changed, anytime you email a councilor, the mayor’s staff reads it. That was especially true when you wrote to “mayor and council.” Even if you try to send a “contact” message via the council web page, you don’t get their email address. There is nothing wrong with working together, but Boise considers mayor and council as a single entity.

Sandpoint is using this and while much of their reports are road department based, you can see how it works. https://seeclickfix.com/sandpoint

ACHD could also use something like this as their system is slow and not transparent.

Are ghettos being created through out the treasure valley? Looks that way.
Out of town investors have convinced the mayor of Boise that affordable housing for our WORKERS is building apartments on publicly owned land and renting units? The property doesn’t go back on the tax role, the tenants don’t have ownership in ware they reside and the only one prospering is the investor and probably the mayor? The investor would refer to this as workforce housing not affordable housing.
We pay for way to many yes man and women as it is. In all our government levels.

Concerned neighbor if we banned common sense on democrats wouldn’t they become republicans?

EDITOR NOTE–Frank, regarding city councilors. You will soon be limited to a SINGLE representative on the council for your new district. Since you cannot currently make personal contact with your council rep, how about giving the new crop of councilors cell phones and publishing the numbers so constituents can contact them?

Rarely post…,. but this borders on absurd. Had a few years dealing with city hall people in my career. Did not hold any in high regard. Always wondered how they could get elected without any knowledge of anything.

Realized quickly it had nothing to do with intelligence, just simply who was paying their way, with reciprocal favors (so to speak)! If you get my drift.

Running away from responsibility of which you were duly elected. Seems like your zip code makes no difference anymore. Makes me wonder who the h*ll is electing these people? It ain’t me…