City Government
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 […]
Boise Councilors Rotate, Reader Questions
Boise’s City Council will take on two new members and see a female majority as the new year begins. Maryanne Jordan, without question the most knowledgeable member, has now devoted her political efforts to the Idaho Legislature. While legal, we have always questioned the ethics of holding two elected offices simultaneously. Ben Quintana, who we […]
Semi-Auto Parking Detective
Following up on a reader’s query: “Cars with Boise City logos seen with multiple cameras on the front and rear. What are they for and what city program is it a part of? How much does it cost us?” The GUARDIAN learned that Boise’s parking Czar has come up with yet another way to monetize […]
The Foxes Guard The Hen House
UPDATED 1/16/18 KTVB STORYUPDATED 2p.m. 1/5/18 (Law citation) Our friend Don Day at BOISEDEV posted a story that got our attention and caused us to shake our head. Developer Scot Ludwig plans to build a pair of towers, nine and eleven stories tall, in downtown Boise that will require approval of the development services office […]
Looking Ahead At 2018
We will start by grouping the standard resolutions: diet, exercise, lose weight, be tolerant of idiots, reduce road rage, work together for the greater good, etc. That said, here are some GUARDIAN resolutions. POWER TO THE PEOPLE–We would like to see more citizen activists working to preserve our city, county, and state. Victories over the […]
What Was Top GUARDIAN 2017 Story?
This is the traditional time to look back at the past year’s news and vote for the top stories. From this side of the computer, the F-35 story wins hands down. The effort and expense to expose the clandestine efforts of the local politicos to land the noisy fighter jet was massive. Other topics we […]
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