Boise News

public transit, Detox center, more jobs, no graffiti, and jazz

Boise Mayor Bieter Gives State of the City Address

By J. Gelband, 9-28-07

Boise is going to launch an anti-graffiti program called TAG, Boise Mayor Dave Bieter announced at the annual State of the City address on Thursday morning.

Graffiti contributes to the degeneration of a city, he explained. And though it doesn’t seem to be a significant problem in Boise, he wants to fight it before it becomes a major issue. That kind of forward thinking was the general theme of the mayor’s speech given before hundreds of Boiseans at the Boise Centre on the Grove.

Like last year, the mayor ditched his notes and had no prepared speech for his State of the City. He meandered casually across the stage and spoke with passion about his stance on some of the issues facing the city and the residents.

Some of the highlights:

- Boise-based supermarket chain WinCo Foods is planning the construction of a new 700,000 square-foot distribution center in southeast Boise. The facility will employ 200 people at “family-wage salaries,” meaning an average of $19 per hour.

- Bieter endorses the idea of a Valley-wide rail transit program, similar to that in Salt Lake City. Those of us who also support it have to make sure all the local lawmakers know we do.

- A regional detoxification hoping to settle in Boise is short the money it needs to set up shop. Bieter encouraged local businesses to support it.

- Popular jazz musician Curtis Stigers performed with the local jazz outfit the Frim Fram Four, which was a truly special way to start the day at 7:30 a.m.

This was Bieter’s fourth State of the City address; he’s up for reelection.

Local business officials packed the downtown conference room, but just as Bieter has done in the past, the event offered free seating for anyone who wanted to attend.

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