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November 16, 2014
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Federal funding shortfall falls on other projects
Nampa still accepting streetscape comments Public has until Thursday to provide input on plans By CHRISTINA MARFICE cmarfice@idahopress.com
© 2014 Idaho Press-Tribune
NAMPA — Nampa is one step closer to developing a streetscape plan for downtown. Business owners and community members gathered at an open house this week at Lloyd Square to vote on options for sidewalk width and aesthetics, tree placement and street parking. “Downtown Nampa is on a roll,” said LaRita Schandorff, who is with Bike-Walk Nampa and chairs the Nampa Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. “It’s doing great. I think if we do the right thing, it’ll just get better.”
Please see Streetscape, A4
Adam Eschbach/IPT
Rush hour traffic at the intersection of Karcher and Middleton in Nampa. Average daily traffic counts increased by about 3,000 vehicles for 2009 to 2013 at this intersection.
Is the future of transportation funding dependent on city coffers? By CHRISTINA MARFICE cmarfice@idahopress.com
© 2014 Idaho Press-Tribune
NAMPA — Since 2009, average daily traffic on Karcher Road between the intersections of Caldwell Boulevard and Middleton Road has increased nearly 20 percent, from 16,000 daily drivers in 2009 to 19,000 in 2013. In the same span of time, the intersection at Karcher and Middleton roads saw 135 traffic crashes, 87 of them involving injuries — 43 in the intersection and 92 in the area around it. The Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho, or COMPASS, calls the Karcher-Middleton intersection “critical,” in need of more lanes and other safety improvements. Those improvements are coming this year, but a shortfall in federal funding jeopardized the project and the city of Nampa had to
make up the difference — to the tune of $541,000. More and more, state and local agencies are struggling to balance diminishing federal funds with rising costs and failing infrastructure, causing local agencies to wonder if they will be forced to bear more costs in the future. Idaho’s apportionment of federal funding had the Karcher-Middleton safety improvement project fully funded at the start of the fiscal year. But when Idaho received only about 95 percent of the federal funding it had anticipated, the Karcher-Middleton project was one of three statewide projects that became unfunded. To keep the project moving forward, the city of Nampa contributed $541,000 — the amount of the federal shortfall. Later, Idaho received more federal money, returning statewide federal funding
to 100 percent of what had been budgeted at the start of the year. However, because Nampa had accessed $475,000 of urban area-allocated federal funds earlier in the year, ITD said, the city would not be reimbursed for what it had contributed to the KarcherMiddleton project, and the extra federal funding would go to other areas of the state.
FEDERAL FUNDING IS STAGNANT AT BEST “We’re running into this nationwide,” said Matt Stoll, executive director of COMPASS. “We’re not able to fund as many projects as we used to with the money that’s coming into our region and our state.” Stoll said a combination of factors contribute to shortfalls in federal funding: less revenue and increasing costs.
Please see Funding, A4
TIMELINE Aug. 22: ITD contacted COMPASS to report it had determined there was a shortfall in federal funding and that the Karcher-Middleton intersection safety improvement project, along with two projects in Ada County, would not be fully funded in 2014. Idaho’s federal obligation authority — the amount of federal transportation funding it received for 2014 — was about 95 percent of what it had originally budgeted. Sept. 5: COMPASS determined the funding for the Karcher-Middleton project was short $541,486. Based on COMPASS board meetings and communication with ITD, it was determined that the project could still move forward if the city of Nampa provided that funding. Sept. 10: The city of Nampa delivered a check for $541,486 to ITD. Sept. 11: Redistribution funds restored Idaho’s federal funding to 100 percent obligation authority, but redistributed funds were given to other state projects
School trustees push for bond relief Group calls on Legislature to eliminate supermajority By CLARK CORBIN Idaho Education News
© IdahoEdNews.org
BOISE — Idaho school trustees threw their support behind two measures to offset districts’ financial concerns, while rejecting a third. But first, before the Idaho School Boards Association’s business session could get under way Friday morning, a resolution opposing the tiered teacher licensure plan was pulled abruptly. The resolutions that were approved Friday are considered formal policy of the ISBA for two years. The group will lobby on these issues at the Idaho Capitol Building for the next two sessions. One resolution has a familiar ring. By a 2,691 to 1,116 vote margin, trustees supported calling on the Legislature to reduce the supermajority threshold for school facility bonds. For the past eight years, the ISBA has pushed for the elimination of the supermajority threshold, without success. The previous resolution expired this year, so the idea was again brought forward.
Please see Bond, A4 Deaths Charlene Gamel Lloyd Lyle
Vernon Michael Peggy Stoddard
Obituaries, A7
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