NAMPA, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
Over 300 people were in attendance at Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling’s State of the City Address on Tuesday, with familiar faces all around.
As city employees thanked the mayor, they organized the crowd and asked them to sing. In unison, the crowd sang “Happy Birthday,” with the mayor’s birthday coincidentally the day after.
“It’s like a homecoming; this is a family,” Kling said, addressing the crowd.
The past six years of Nampa’s annual community survey have relayed similar priorities among residents: infrastructure, safety and economic opportunity.
With these concerns in mind, the city has listed its strategic initiatives: maintaining a safe and healthy community, improving traffic flow through Nampa, creating economic opportunity and excellence in city government.
“It’s important to have measurable goals,” Kling said.
For the seventh year in a row, Nampa was recognized as the “Best-Run City” in the nation by WalletHub. The ranking is based on a mix of the quality of city services and the total budget per capita.
Kling largely credited the continuing achievement to the Nampa City Council for maintaining a balanced budget.
PARKS AND RECREATION PROGRESS
Kling highlighted projects and construction that have enriched Nampa residents’ downtime.
Nampa has 27 parks and has seen 500,000 people come through the Harward Recreation Center this past year. The center has over 16,000 members.
A long time coming, according to Kling, Nampa has finalized the purchase of Centennial and Ridgecrest golf courses, a total of nearly 500 acres. Future renovations are expected, with both courses now under the control of the city.
The Centennial Golf Course will add 60 golf carts, redo its parking lot and remodel its clubhouse. Eventually, a golf simulator will also be added at Centennial.
The Ridgecrest Golf Course will see the construction of a well.
Set to open in spring 2024, Nampa’s second dog park has been named Huckleberry Dog Park as voted by residents. Kling said the park’s cost has mostly been covered by impact fees.
In line with community survey results, Kling said the city plans to focus on bringing amenities to existing parks.
Lakeview Park has been renovated the past year with accessibility in mind.
Midway Park has recently added a splash pad, an outdoor gym, sports courts and more parking. In the future, the park will extend its walking paths and add additional baseball diamonds, shelters and bathrooms.
INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRESS
Kling praised Nampa’s Public Works Department as being the largest in Idaho. In the past year, the department has accomplished the following:
- 11 miles of new streets
- 12 miles of pressurized irrigation lines
- 14 miles of domestic water lines
- 10 miles of sanitary sewer lines
- 28 miles of chip sealed this summer
- 155 potholes filled
More information on the department’s work can be seen in the 2023 Public Works magazine online.
Nampa’s wastewater treatment plant upgrades have been underway since the city secured a permit from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality to allow the city to reuse treated wastewater for irrigation. Kling said this program is the first of its kind in Idaho.
Kling said the $200 million project remains on time and within budget.
Nampa Fire Station 6 opened in August, the first station added since 2007. Kling said the city has already been seeing its effect. In September, the station accounted for 16% of responses by Nampa Fire. In addition, response times have gone down by an average of 1 minute and 9 seconds.
When it comes to traffic concerns, “let’s talk roundabouts,” Kling said.
A primary concern highlighted by many residents has been traffic congestion, something the city is seeking to remedy as the population grows.
A new roundabout is under construction at Center Boulevard and Cherry Lane. Kling said the construction will end soon after delays, with a set of metal horse statues at the center of the roundabout.
“When we have to close for construction, it impacts business,” Kling acknowledged.
The city’s water tower has needed repairs, and with a growing population, additional capacity.
“That tower is kind of an icon,” Kling said about the landmark.
While it has been in the works for some time, Kling said a new water tower will be built with a capacity of 1.5 million gallons, three times larger than the original at half a million gallons.
A Midland Boulevard and Iowa Avenue roundabout is set to begin construction in early 2024, with hopes to conclude construction by mid-August. A roundabout on Franklin and Karcher roads as well as one on Northside Boulevard and Cherry Lane are expected to begin construction next year.
NEW TO NAMPA
Reflecting on Nampa’s developments, Kling listed some growing businesses and new developments.
At the College of Western Idaho’s Nampa location, the school will be opening two new buildings in fall 2025, for health sciences and agricultural science.
In job growth, the Stow Company has set up in Nampa, bringing 230 manufacturing jobs to the city, according to Kling.
GoGo squeeZ is also seeing expansion at its facility. Kling commended the company for sourcing a lot of its fruit locally.
In Nampa’s downtown, the city is welcoming a new The Stil location and Syringa Lounge and Coffee. Mesa Tacos + Tequila will also be expanding its restaurant.
The former Karcher Mall will be replaced with 252 new apartments in a move to provide high-density housing.
CHALLENGES
The city’s main concerns lie with public safety, congestion, housing affordability and funding, according to Kling.
“Nampa’s not a wealthy city; we do not have the same kind of budget Meridian and Boise have,” she said.
With inflation and supply chain shortages, costs for projects today have increased significantly. For example, a mile of pipe that previously cost $2 million to lay now cost up to $10 million, Kling said.
The prominence of fentanyl has also been a growing issue that Kling hopes to address through collaboration.
“Communication between the agencies is key,” she said of battling the potent drug that has fueled an epidemic of opioid overdose deaths.
When it comes to crime, Kling said that judges should be more selective with plea deals. Too often, the Nampa Police Department is dealing with repeat, serious offenders.
At the same time, Kling said, police funding is down.
“Funding for our police has been severely impacted,” Kling said. “And it really has to do with some state legislation.”
New state legislation limits the collection of construction revenue that was being used to fund police, Kling said.
As budgets tighten, the city’s needs still need to be met.
“We will continue to stretch every dollar, we will continue to be innovative,” Kling said. “We’ll continue to seek out private and public partnerships.”
KYANNE GUEST
Kling took a moment to remember the passing of 4-year-old Kyanne Guest, who was killed while crossing Midland Boulevard in 2020. Kyanne’s mother, Kyla Guest, sat in the crowd.
“She was a fireball,” Guest, said in a video played for the audience. “She loved harder and bigger and more aggressive than most.”
Kyanne’s passing has inspired the community and city to bring awareness to mindful driving and pedestrian safety. Guest said she once feared her daughter would be forgotten but is now proud of the impact Kyanne has left.
“A little girl’s life was lost that day,” Kling said, choking up. “Kyla has inspired me with her amazing grace, her ability to move forward from a very tragic situation, her selfless attitude and (her) desire to positively impact others’ lives.”
In concluding remarks, the city reminded attendees to vote in the upcoming elections. The city is seeking feedback on livability as well as housing in two separate surveys that can be accessed on Nampa’s website.
“Our work is just beginning,” Kling said near the end of her address. “We have a strong community that wants to make a difference.”
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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