City Government
Idaho Growth Defies Logic
By DAVE FRAZIER, editor I have lived in Boise for 50 years. All but two of those years in the same house. I am the oldest guy on the block and number two for length of residency behind a neighbor who was born here. I have pretty much lived my entire adult life in Boise […]
Boise Real Estate Speculation
When Mayor Dave Bieter “just happened to have some spare time to meet with a developer pal who ran “J & M Land” during a visit to Palo Alto,” the GUARDIAN QUESTIONED methods used by the City of Boise to swap land, and speculate on development of the city-owned armory building while flipping industrial park […]
Boise Needs a “NO TEXTING” Ordinance
NOTICE TO CITY COUNCILORS. PEOPLE ARE WATCHING YOU! Polite society doesn’t text at the movie theater, the Shakespeare Festival, or at church. Most parents don’t let their kids text at the dinner table. Teachers don’t allow texts during class, and it is suicide to text while driving. Boise City Councilor Holli Woodings got busted by […]
Team Dave Favored Business Over Citizens In Library Deal
Our top researcher and reader, “Clancy,” gets credit for dredging up an old GUARDIAN story and a Cynthia Sewell Statesman piece from 2011 calling into question the decision to lease the Boise Library warehouse and parking area to a private company, even though future library plans were well known. Some seven years ago the GUARDIAN […]
Boise Is losing Its Sense Of Right And Wrong
The time has come for Boiseans to step up and CARE about what is happening at City Hall! Dave Bieter won his first race for mayor with a campaign based on ethics. That was after the previous mayor lost his moral compass, traveled the world, abused his expense account, and forgot he had been elected […]
Boise City Gov’t Awash In Cash
Boise’s City Councilors held the budget hearing last night and it looks like they are awash in cash, thanks to massive growth and a law that allows them to raise the budget 3% per year. With the growth factored in, Boise’s general fund budget will increase 8% for a total of $236,000,000. They tried to […]
Open Space Advocate On Bike Park Decision
GUEST OPINION BY Katie Fite Public Lands Director WildLands Defense The Boise City Planning and Zoning Commission failed to uphold two separate Appeals of permits for Hillside Grading and Flood Plain development to allow construction of a two million dollar Mountain Bike Park in Military Reserve. The Albertson’s Family Foundation would pay for construction, taxpayers […]
No End To Local Tax And Budget Hikes
As the budget season reaches full swing it is downright frightening how local officials are conditioning folks for tax and budget hikes. It is also a bit frightening how glibly the legacy media offers reports like this one from the Idaho Press and Idaho Statesman regarding the proposed new Boise Library: “On top of the […]
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 […]
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