What's on Tap - Update

At the regular Commission meeting on June 24, 2009, ACHD approved the 20 year $1.116 Billion CIP. I voted for it because under state law, we have to have a Capital Improvements Plan, without which we cannot charge impact fees.

But I did point out that I think that we should go to the Legislature and have the law changed so that it isn't so burdensome and so unrealistic. Ada County will NEVER be able to afford the projects in the CIP and in fact, we acknowledge right off the bat that over 30% of the projects are not funded. I believe and stated so, that we as a County also need to have a conversation regarding our expectations v. the reality of the situation. We must tell the public that we cannot do everything and that choices must be made.

Commissioner Sherry Huber did not agree with me that we needed to make hard choices and basically said that we needed to either raise impact fees or taxes to fund the projects.

Commissioner Rebecca Arnold said that ACHD has made these choices for years and mentioned that it was done through the Alliance for Growth and the Blueprint for Good Growth. Both mechanisms were formed as ways of dealing with the issues of how we want development to occur. Laudable goals certainly, but what Rebecca failed to mention was that under the aegis of ACHD the Blueprint endeavor foundered and has been taken over by COMPASS and that as little as 2 months ago 4 ACHD Commissioners wanted to blow up the Alliance because their feelings were hurt by the cities in Ada County.

Hmmmmm.

Regarding the parking on State St behind the Statehouse, the Commission decided on a 3-2 vote to disregard the concerns of businesspeople in the area and the City of Boise and only provide 4 spaces for St Michael's on the NW corner of the block. Four spaces may not seem like a lot, but when there are none, it's better than nothing. Not in this case however.

Huber, Arnold and McKee voted to not provide the parking. I and Franden voted to require the parking.