City Government
Tax Hike Due This Year AND Next!
The GUARDIAN has received several inquiries regarding property taxes following the assessment notices recently sent out by county assessors. The short version is this. YOUR TAX BILL WILL BE HIKED! Local politicos will brag they have “lowered the levy rate,” but when the value is increased the only way to profit is to sell your […]
Growing To Death Like Cancer
Growing Like Cancer Idaho is experiencing a growth spurt unequaled since the days of homesteading, free mining claims, free cattle grazing, and water rights. Guess what? The modern version of those government give aways come in all sorts of “economic incentives” which has local citizens PAYING corporations to move businesses to the Treasure Valley and […]
Citizens Say Boise Sky Is “No Fly Zone”
UPDATE 5/3/18 The meeting outlined here had the same players and same issues as the one TWO WEEKS AGO. The DAILY PAPER finally attended and we offer a LINK to their coverage. The U.S. Air Force has scheduled an additional Boise scoping meeting at the Boise Library main auditorium to ensure max participation from the […]
Alto Via Settlement Is Slippery Slope Of Muddy Facts
When the GUARDIAN heard news reports last week that Boise City officials had entered into a settlement with property owners in the Alto Via subdivision regarding costs of demolition of houses deemed uninhabitable and a danger, we took notice. What got our attention was the refusal of city officials to reveal how they were spending […]
Hot Time At Bandshell, No Music
Boise firefighters battled a stubborn blaze Monday night at the 90 year old bandshell in Julia Davis Park. The bandshell was named in honor of the late jazz pianist Gene Harris a few years ago. The historic structure presented a challenge because they didn’t want to damage the structure as the flames began peeking out […]
Greenstone Properties Operating Illegally?
After a GUARDIAN reader commented about Greenstone Properties, the developer seeking to build the downtown stadium and related housing and commercial complex, we decided to check the law regarding doing business in Idaho. Here is what the Idaho Constitution has to say about “foreign” (out-of-state) corporations: ARTICLE XI, SECTION 10. REGULATION OF FOREIGN CORPORATIONS. No […]
Crowd Jeers Stadium Guy Like An Umpire
Dressed in a dark blue blazer and light blue shirt, Geoff Wardle, local counsel for the developer who wants to build a ball park on Americana looked remarkably like a baseball umpire and the crowd treated him like one. They jeered him and challenged most of his statements, cutting him off in mid sentence when […]
Boise Coppers Get Civilian Advisory Board
For the first time in its history, the Boise Police Department has a board of citizens offering advice. While not an official “Police Commission,” Top Copper Bill Bones has called upon a dozen citizens of diverse backgrounds to form a “Community Advisory Panel” (CAP) so the department can have a better communication with the citizens. […]
Growth In Star Causes Zoning Issues
Guest Opinion By NILES NORDQUIST, Star resident “What is the rush?” The City of Star is in the middle of very important decisions regarding the future of the City, Northwest Ada County, and Northeast Canyon County. A proposed annexation and zoning of a 1500 acre development by Willowbrook has brought hundreds of people to public […]
Report On Air Force Range Plans Over Boise
We attended the Friday 13th meeting with the U.S. Air Force delegation conducting the “scoping meetings” for an Environmental Assessment about using Boise as the site for “close air support” training in an urban setting. An EA is less demanding than an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), but so many acronyms were floating around the room […]
Retired Educator Adresses Mayor, Councilors
Most of the following testimony was presented at last night’s Town Hall meeting, but with just a few seconds left to present, Mr. Neil Parker was cut off by Mayor Dave Bieter at the three minute time limit. The entire presentation is posted here as it seems to be an eloquent statement echoing the thoughts […]
Most Speakers Oppose Growth At Town Hall
In a respectful “town hall” meeting at Boise Fire Station #4 on Ustick Road Wednesday night, speaker after speaker told the Boise Mayor and Council they were tired of the growth or the rapid pace of growth. Describing idyllic scenes of the past being blotted out with high density apartments, about 90% of those speaking […]
Wildlife Advocate Cries Foul On Bike Plan
Local wildlife and wildland activist offers alternative to bike park. “The Fate of Boise’s Military Reserve: A Valued Natural Area, or Bike Mecca?” Guest Opinion By KATIE FITE A year’s worth of secretive, closed door meetings between Boise City and the J.A. and Kathryn Albertsons’ Family Foundation hatched a plan to construct an “All Skills” […]
Citizens Fighting Boise City Hall
We received no fewer than three alerts from the growing cadre of citizen activists seeking to preserve some remnants of what many of us remember as “Old Boise.” The big concern was about a proposal to allow the planning director to make more decisions without council approval and to reduce the number of “invitations” for […]
For Profit School Uses ISU Foundation For Donations
This is an updated version with new information added 4/9/18 We have hit a veritable stone wall when it comes to shining light on the new Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM) at Meridian. The GUARDIAN has raised questions, but can’t get answers to some serious finance issues. The latest one to cross our desk […]
Boise Councilors To Hold Town Hall Meets
Boise’s city council is planning to host a series of town hall meetings around the city in the coming year. They hope to create an opportunity to connect directly with citizens and to engage with them on the future of our city. Each citizen who wishes to address the mayor and council will be given […]
F-35 Meet Like Watching A Bad Movie Twice
If the Tuesday public meeting at the Wyndham Convention Center on Vista had been an aerial combat mission, the Idaho Air National Guard would have suffered a major ambush from the group opposing the F-35 being based in Boise. Citizens For a Livable Boise managed to set up a giant “information table” complete with maps, […]
GUARDIAN Library Plan Still Valid After 11 Years
We cannot stress it strongly enough. The citizens of in Idaho are empowered by the State Constitution to control the purse strings of public debt. Boise City and Team Dave have once again launched a public relations blitz to create support for a $70 million edifice to replace the main Library on Capitol Blvd. near […]
Police Evicted From Capitol Blvd. Due To Mold
Boise coppers have been evicted from their substation at 1025 S.Capitol Blvd. across from Boise State University due to hazardous mold and probable asbestos contamination. The former motel and restaurant is owned by the City of Boise and has been used for low cost housing for years. Police moved in after the new apartments were […]
Guardian Back On Duty
Apologies to loyal readers of the GUARDIAN for the lack of topics recently. Editor Dave Frazier was in Florida for two months looking for warmth and it turns out the place for that has been Boise. Florida had record cold snap. –We notice Boise is quietly hiring an architect to design a new Main Library […]
Recent Comments