What a deal! It must be Christmas and Black Friday for Jail Beds. Canyon County just got to rent jail beds for $40/day. It now costs Canyon County $84/day to run our jail per comments made by Commissioner Kathy Alder to a public service group [...]
Mayor Dale and the Urban Renewal crew are, for the moment, stalled out on building a new police station and library for the city of Nampa without voter approvals. Team Tom is content to not have voters weigh in on the projects and wants to cloak [...]
THE GUARDIAN is finding freedom of information is not so free in the City of Caldwell. We have filed several public records requests asking to see the due diligence records with the TVCC project and the relationship with Oppenheimer Development.
THE GUARDIAN had the pleasure of meeting with Wayne Hoffman of the Idaho Freedom Foundation today. Mr. Hoffman is a very interesting guy with lots of insights into the workings of pork and waste in our government at all levels.
Regional Jail Could Solve Crowding Woes November 9, 2009 by David R. Frazier
Instead of asking Canyon voters to pony up for a new jail, we would suggest that Sheriff Chris Smith follow his own advice and go for a regional jail somewhere [...]
THE GUARDIAN could not help but notice the full page ad in the IPT this Sunday about 35 square miles of prime agricultural land about to be put on the block as an ENTERPRISE ZONE. The Coalition for Agriculture's Future paid for the advertisement and and' [...]
THE GUARDIAN asked Caldwell's Finance Director how much the impact of Urban Renewal has on all property taxes in Caldwell and got the following answer in December of 2008.
Caldwell property taxes are 22% higher in Caldwell and everyone in Canyon County pays 3.5%' [...]
The low voter turnout in Caldwell screams NOBODY CARES! Given the clear choices between the incumbents and the challengers along with the unbelievable minority who took the time and effort to actually vote. We don't hold much hope out for Caldwell ever pulling out of the doldrums it has been' [...]
Today is the day we all get to decide on the incumbents up for election as well as the jail bond. It will be interesting to see how much interest there is in this election. Typically, only people who are adamantly for or against take [...]
The title of this post is also the title of a book by Mark Kleiman. More threats and less force may be the answer. A study done in High Point, North Carolina points out you can reduce crime by making credible threats, without having to lock [...]
THE GUARDIAN fielded a call from a reader that has some interesting implications. This reader has posed the question to the Commishes but no answer yet. The question asked was do the Canyon County Commissioners intend to reimburse the county general fund for all the money [...]
THE GUARDIAN got the below Canyon County Jail Booking numbers from a ticked off motorist in Nampa who had just been recently pulled over. Copper said he was "weaving and didn't signal long enough when he changed lanes". This creates probable cause to pull over' [...]
THE GUARDIAN is a full fledged member of the Baby Boomer Generation. Here we are in our 60's, the beginning of our time swirling around the drain of life and the one conclusion I have come to is most Boomers are going to probably outlive their' [...]
Saturday, October 24th by David R. Frazier(aka Boise Guardian) "Canyon Prosecuting Attorney John Bujak reacted quickly and properly Friday when he learned local on-duty coppers in uniform attended a rally advocating a “yes” vote for a jail bond issue on the November 3 election" [...]
Mayor Garret Nancolas asked Mr. Kohler to tell folks at the IPT candidate forum about his work history. Mr. Kohler was more than accommodating with the name and times of his employment for a million dollar company in Southern California prior [...]
The following GUARDIAN comment was rejected by the local paper REGARDING the ACLU article in today's paper. We are offering it as submitted for your review and comments.
Please note for clarification: There is an A budget and a B budget for the Sheriff's [...]
It has been reported to THE GUARDIAN the immediate and long range prospects of the jail will be to become a REGIONAL JAIL funded at Canyon County taxpayer expense. This explains the build out design of 2,000 beds. It has also been reported to THE [...]
THE GUARDIAN, in a previous post put forth a schedule of local Mayoral candidates to be interviewed on the KIDO AM 63 radio show, NORTHWEST LIVE. We cited the dates and times for Mayor Tom Dale and Helmut Kohler. Also we noted incumbent Mayor Garret Nancolas [...]
The last public candidate forum was held last night at the Caldwell Police Station public meeting room and was sponsored by the Idaho Press Tribune. We will try to summarize what we got out of these forums.
THE GUARDIAN received a rather intimidating letter via CERTIFIED MAIL RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED (postage was $5.54) from the City Clerk of Caldwell today (Saturday 10-10).
In what can only be described as an attempt to limit free speech, the Caldwell city clerk has sent [...]
The Chamber of Commerce candidate forum held at the College of Idaho last night demonstrated there are differences and choices for Caldwell voters this election cycle. The issues before the voters are TVCC downtown, Urban Renewal accountability and transparency, sprawl and growth management, economic development, [...]
THE GUARDIAN read with interest today the article by Mike Butts of the local paper "COUNCIL WILL INVESTIGATE CLAIM AGAINST CHAMBER". The brouhaha stems from the allegation by Scott Wallace of Copy Cats and Shipit businesses in downtown that he was put on notice by [...]
Citizens who brought a law suit against the Commishes for spending tax dollars on a new jail project will be decided at the District Court level this Thursday at 1:30 PM. Commishes have been pumping your tax dollars into this for a couple of years [...]
THE GUARDIAN received the poll conducted of downtown business owners on the issue of TVCC in Downtown Caldwell. The Results came out 82.4% against locating TVCC downtown and 17.6% in favor of locating TVCC downtown. This serves to remind us all that "in God we" [...]
Mr. and Mrs. Guardian went to the new Vanburen School open house last week. What a swell place for our kids to go to school. We can't wait for new Washington school to open as well. While we were there a school official was complaining' [...]
THE GUARDIAN has been made aware of a level of service for the Oregon based TVCC project that no developer has ever received by Caldwell city officials. The following is an excerpt from an email that went out to city officials:
It has been reported to THE GUARDIAN the Mayor is using BLACBALLING and ARM TWISTING to intimidate candidates as well as a local businessman via a former city councilman talking directly to people and making intimidating calls.
Caldwell Planning and Zoning Commissioners met last night and approved a text amendment to the Caldwell East Urban Renewal Agency plan. The text change clarifies the equality of of the terms educational facility and college.
The next steps will be to acquire additional properties in [...]
THE GUARDIAN received the following letter from Mr. Eugene Smith of Caldwell. Mr. Smith submitted the below letter to the local paper per their stated requriements. He received a call from the Opinion Page Editor that his letter would not be published.
Caldwell Planning and Zoning will hold a "special meeting" Monday September 14th to fly this request below the radar of Caldwell Citizens. One has to ask why this request could not wait until the regularly scheduled meeting.
The Wall Street Journal had a front page article this weekend about the tough choices faced by the State of Michigan due to the implosion of the auto industry. Michigan is now forced to shut down entire prisons and release thousands of inmates.
Caldwell East Urban Renewal is calling a special meeting to pass a one agenda item. This will be to let the contract for demolition of the site for TVCC in downtown Caldwell.
Meeting will be held September 8th at high noon to pass [...]
The Downtown Caldwell Revitalization Strategy Phase II Report was officially released to the public on October 25th, 2006. The report cost the city of Caldwell $140,000 and was prepared by the Leland Consulting Group, Mc Kibben & Cooper Architects and Urban Designer and Planning Management Services. [...]
THE GUARDIAN keeps hearing Canyon County Commishes can get $18 million in Obama stimulus money for their jail project. The reality is that won't happen. Commissioner Alder agrees with THE GUARDIAN that the presentation of how this works did not go over very clearly at' [...]
Tuesday evening THE GUARDIAN attended the public forum held at the Canyon County courthouse. Bonding costs were covered very well. Property taxpayers will be asked to fund an additional $3 million a year in taxes to pay for $46 million in borrowed funds over 20 years. [...]
The Commissioners did a good job of presenting the construction and financing costs of the new jail but were more than sketchy on day in and day out operational costs.
Bonding cost of the jail is the least of my concerns as I am sure the county can find [...]
Two Town Hall Meetings have been scheduled to gather input and provide information regarding jail issues.
The first meeting will be Tuesday, Aug. 25, in the Public Meeting Room at the courthouse, and the second will be Wednesday, Aug. 26, in the Nampa [...]
Caldwell East Urban Renewal Agency has just put together Resolution 2009-3 telling one and all their actions with respect to financing TVCC are legal and within their authority to fund.
There is a very hasty movement by Urban Renewal and the City of Caldwell [...]
I would like to comment on the Canyon County Fair "pulling up Stakers and leaving Caldwell". I am not sure where the comment from someone close to the Fair Board came from, but it is far from correct. Mayor Nancolas has been a tremendous supporter of [...]
THE GUARDIAN has taken items 8 and 9 from the Caldwell City Council agenda for 8-17-2009: 8. Continued Public Hearing to discuss the proposed transfer of City-owned real property to Canyon County known as the land underlying the Canyon County Fair Building. The underutilized property is part of a larger [...]
The Board of County Commissioners signed the tentative budget for Fiscal Year 2010 Aug. 13. The budget is for just over $69 million, down $9 million from the previous fiscal year, and $14 million from the FY08 budget of $83.3 million.
Mayor Garrent Nancolas stated publicly this past spring he would allow citizens of Caldwell to vote on the TVCC project to be built in downtown Caldwell. Today we have another announcement we're going to try a project concept that failed in downtown Boise right here in Caldwell. Government and retail' [...]
Debbie Holm wrote a guest opinion in the IPT today (8-11-09) about the New Library project for downtown Nampa. Friends of the Library are holding all manner of fund raisers from used book sales to you name it to raise money for the library. Meanwhile [...]
Caldwell Urban Renewal Agency board approved a draft resolution to "loan" $297,700 to TVCC this past week. The "loan" will be interest free and the repayment details very sketchy.
Under terms of the resolution money from the loan will go to remodel the [...]
I'll be taking a break for a couple of weeks. The summer doldrums are here and when the budgets are ready we will be ready with review and comments. Until then enjoy the summer weather..
Taxpayers in Caldwell have no legal way of getting Transparency and Accountability with Caldwell East Urban Renewal Agency. Caldwell Urban Renewal has spent tens of millions of dollars with no voter oversight in the process.
Money is handed out and projects taken on with no [...]
THE GUARDIAN learned tonight a major big box retail store will not locate in Caldwell. The reason given was a sense of not wanting to be the "retail pioneer" in Caldwell nor could they seem to be able to get the current city administration to [...]
Not very many people will deny the health care system in this country is broken and in need of a huge fix. The interesting part of all this is the big health insurance companies know they are going to lose this battle but they want to lose it as slow [...]
GOING NOWHERE FAST.. sums up the one hour we spent at the Caldwell Budget Workshop held at the Caldwell Police Station 7-8-2009. THE GUARDIAN stayed for about an hour and not a single number, handout or budget item was discussed in numerical terms. We are not [...]
By David R. Frazier Those sneaky politicos are at it again!
Idaho Superintendent of Education Tom Luna is packaging an attempt to dilute the power of the people as a boon to education. His proposal would create additional taxes on businesses that don’t have [...]
The following has been taken from the Boise Guardian Blog. The Comment was submitted by a reader and we would like to share it with you. If the past is any indicator of the future this guy has it right.
THE GUARDIAN loves to sit down the the Sunday paper and ruminate through page by page with a few cups of coffee in my recliner, feet up, shoes off, and no interruptions.
Today the OUR VIEW editorial deserves some comments regarding the balanced budget [...]
Monday, June 29th by Dave Frazier The folks at Lincoln Road and Middleton Road were visibly grateful to a Canyon County Highway District Driver who saved their home from advancing flames Monday afternoon.
It appeared that a weed burning project got out of [...]
Wise Voters Behind New Library, Police Digs Saturday, June 27th Thanks to the wisdom of Boise citizens dedicated to fiscal responsibility, a new library is set to open Tuesday at Ustick and Cole for under $5 million. It joins recently opened store front facilities [...]
THE GUARDIAN learned today the Canyon County Assessor and his crew have had a change of heart on the initial commercial property assessments that reflected anywhere from 150% to 400% over what they were last year. Adjustments are now being made by Assessor staff to [...]
Mayor Nancolas called a special meeting to get approval of "COOPERATING TECHNICAL PARTNERS PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT" from the Caldwell City Council on 6-19-2009. No media coverage of this meetins has been reported in any of the legacy media.
Boise Bicycle Nerd Survives On Attention Tuesday, June 23rd by David R. Fraier To say Bob Tencate likes attention is an understatement. When he hits the street it is impossible to NOT notice him and that’s the way he wants it. He really stands [...]
THE GUARDIAN has had more than a few discussions about how and why the City/Urban Renewal paid so much for the property they bought and how the purchases have impacted assessed values for all Caldwell Commercial property.
Mayor Nancolas and Canyon County Assessor Gene Kuehn met with irate taxpayers last night at the Library meeting room. About 50 property owners showed up angry over their latest assessed valuations handed down from the County Assessor.
First question asked was about the City/Urban Renewal [...]
Mayor Nancolas and Team Garret along with Caldwell East Urban Renewal have upset the market forces for propety values in downtown Caldwell. The Following has been taken directly off the County Assessors website.
Mayor Nancolas has call for a meeting to explain why [...]
Mayor Nancolas and the Urban Renewal Team have the following request to consider form the Oppenheimer Group for downtown Caldwell. It appears the city with no plan remains the city with no plan. The following is a quote from the May 6, 2009 Urban Renewal minutes
THE GUARDIAN has been following the debacle called a $42 Billion deficit in California for some time. They are in trouble (short list) for the following reasons:
1. Budgets and new taxes take a 2/3 majority in their legislature to enact. This let's the' [...]
THE GUARDIAN has been following the debacle called a $42 Billion deficit in California for some time. They are in trouble (short list) for the following reasons:
1. Budgets and new taxes take a 2/3 majority in their legislature to enact. This let's the [...]
You have probably received your 2009 property tax assessed valuation and noted the reduced valuations. Don't hold your breath for lower taxes. All the various taxing districts set their budgets and that is what drives taxes. All we can expect is taxes are going to go up by 3% allowed' [...]
The Following is taked directly from the May 6th, 2009 Caldwell East Urban Renewal Board meeting:
"Bruce Schultz, TVCC, presented a revised funding request in the amount of $297,158 to address the projected enrollment growth and sustain the enrollment momentum during 2009-2010. Enrollment grew over 38% during the" [...]
Mayor Nancolas had the following to say about Urban Renewal property taxes paying for YMCA memberships for CEURA board members. (Perhaps Mayor Nancolas should also seek a legal opinion on his family membership paid for by CEURA.)
"GENERAL DISCUSSION Mayor Nancolas advised the board that" [...]
The following has been taken from the May 6, 2009 Caldwell East Urban Renewal Agency Minutes. You can draw your own conclusions on what actually happened but it looks like downtown Caldwell will remain in FEMA's flood zone.
"FEMA has tentatively announced their findings on the City’s'" [...]
The following are Mayor Nancolas comments on how to improve Caldwell Urban Renewal Agaency Board efforts:
"The Caldwell East Urban Renewal Agency is also trying to strenghten their already positive relationship with the educational community by inviting a board member from each area school district to sit as" [...]
According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Canyon County lost 25 percent of its agricultural acreage to development and Ada County lost 7 percent in just the five years from 1997 to 2002. To get a broader perspective of urban growth into traditional Canyon County [...]
The following was taken from the City of Caldwell website. Mayor Nancolas would have us believe funding TVCC is a FREEBIE! Property taxes fund Urban Renewal. This is a direct quote from the Mayors message to the community....
Two Rivers Detention Facility in Hardin, Montana is another brand new jail sitting empty with no money to operate the place and a city in default on $27 million in bonds. Hardin, Montana passed a bond measure to build this $27 million state of the [...]
It has taken months and months of hard work and modifications to irrigation lines, utilities and encroachement onto residents front yards but the sigalization of 10th and Linden is now fully functional.
Traffic at this intersection has been intolerable for years at certain [...]
The below quote is taken from the September 6, 2005 Caldwell East Urban Renewal Agency minutes. It would appear the Caldwell Urban Renewal Agency went into the land speculation business with our tax money. The intent appears to be in a position to sell the property to the FAA at [...]
The number one problem is urban renewal boards can spend our property tax money without our input or votes. That's the bottom line. It's taxation without representation.
Urban renewal (property tax increment financing) raises every one's property taxes and benefits only a few at the expense of the many' [...]
State DMV Fails At Computer Upgrade Friday, May 1st by David R. Frazier
The BOISE GUARDIAN has it on good authority the Idaho Transportation Department has spent about $2 million in a failed attempt to modernize its computer system.
THE GUARDIAN has obtained a DEED OF TRUST that places Caldwell East Urban Renewal Agency as part legal owner in a large apartment complex near Walmart. The instrument is dated April 28th, 2003.
"the Caldwell East Urban Renewal Agency (the "CEURA"), a public body corporate and politic of" [...]
GUARDIAN TEAM REPORT By Paul Alldredge, Caldwell GUARDIAN and David R. Frazier, Boise GUARDIAN
While the legislature and governor are locked in a funding battle over transportation, the GUARDIANS have learned of $300,000 that seems to have slipped through the cyber cracks of [...]
The Caldwell YMCA project may have been well intended, but it may be facing some legal funding obstacles.
While conducting record searches on the operation of the Urban Renewal agency, the GUARDIAN observed an emerging pattern that shows funds intended for URA capital projects are being used for operation [...]
Mayor Tom Dale, Chief of Police Bill Augsburger and others from Nampa Development Corporation met with Canyon County Commissioners on Thursday (4/23). Team Tom wants to put a second floor on the yet to be built Nampa Public Safety building and rent 10,000 sq. [...]
The Guardian learned three District Court Judges, the Trial Courts Administrator, County Prosecutor and the Commissioners exchanged words over the recent termination of the Juvenile Probation Director.
Not only was the Director terminated but the Commishes said they were taking over the responsibility [...]
It has been reported to The Guardian our Canyon County Commishes meet with Eric Herringer of Seattle Northwest Securities last Thursday about underwriting bonds to build a new jail. $50 million is the figure tossed around for public consumption.
The Guardian is amazed at all the "free stuff" around all us in this elections year courtesy of our local elected officials. Urban Renewal is still tyring to sell us the notion all their spending is "at no cost to taxpayers".
The following is from Rep. Schaefer's weekly update on the legislative session:
"If you or I have a drop in income, what do we do? If you are responsible, you'd reduce spending. if you are irresponsible, you'd continue spending and running up credit cards.'" [...]
In a shameful act of disdain for the constitutional rights of citizens, The Idaho legislature is trying to strip voters of authority currently guaranteed by the Idaho Constitution. At issue is Article VIII, sec 3 of the the constitution which gives [...]
THE GURADIAN learned today at a local service club lunch Caldwell School District is making the effort to have uniforms manditory for all elementary school children.
Jennifer Swindel, Public Information Officer for Caldwell School District gave an impressive presentation in all the features, [...]
Actions by our elected and appointed government officials at the local levels hearken back to the French Revolution and the famous phrase "let them eat cake". The people had no bread to eat and the Queen responded.."let them eat cake".
It looks like the efforts to incite a lawsuit from the ACLU by County Sheriff and Commishes may have backfired! ACLU is not suing for a new jail but to clean up the jail and put the right people behind bars!
