Good evening.

It's great to see you all here this evening.

I think we're gonna get started, and I'm waiting for my phone to say 459 to 5.

It went.

Okay, so we could officially start.

It's great to have you all here this evening.

We have a big evening ahead, and thank you for joining us this evening.

So we have a tradition here, and that tradition is that we open in a prayer with a local pastor.

And uh before we open, I'm gonna just make a quick comment this evening.

Tomorrow um is the anniversary of the state of Israel and the attack that took place on October 7th, 2023.

And I recently heard that that was the single most deaths in it in a day since the Holocaust, which is totally amazing.

Um we also recently had the Charlie Kirk incident and his murder, and uh that was another uh I'm gonna say life-changing event in our country.

It was kind of a wake-up call, and then we had the LDS Chapel in Michigan that with four died in that attack.

But I tell you, I think about the kids that were in that church when it was set ablaze and the families and the horror and the emotional impact that happened that day.

And then we had the young Kippur Kippur uh attack in England with again the loss of life, and we're in such a season in history that uh because of social media, we know what's happening, but it's very unfortunate, it's tragic, and it breaks my heart.

And so as we pray, I would just like to encourage us all to be thinking about those that because they're from their different denominations, different faiths a little bit, but you know what?

It's all important, and so I would like us just to be mindful of that as we pray.

But I thank you to Matt Richie with Grace Bible Church for coming tonight and praying and opening us in prayer and the pledge.

So let's stand in.

Matt, you have the floor.

Let's pray together.

Our Father in heaven, we look at those words on the wall that say, in God we trust, and we're grateful for those words.

And we place our trust in you tonight.

Lord, you are our ultimate authority.

You are over every person in this room.

There's a lot of important people here, and we thank you for each one of them that have influence in our city and in our community.

But Lord, it's a comfort to know that there is authority higher than ours that we can put our faith and our trust in tonight.

Lord, I ask that you would bless this meeting, and I pray that you would preside over the business and all the decisions that are made here.

May they be done and made in line with your will and your purpose.

God, these decisions go outside of this room and they touch families and hearts and children, and and uh as the mayor has mentioned, um, we see a lot of brokenness in our in our world.

We see a lot of things happening on a global stage, a national stage, and even in our backyards.

And Lord, again, I return to that confidence that we have in you so that we can put our trust and faith in a God who loves us and is walking closely beside us.

So, Lord, may our hearts have the desire to do our part to do um something in our world to play our role, to bring change, peace where there is brokenness, love where there is hate, light where there is darkness.

And I pray that it would start with us.

Again, I thank you for those in this room that are gathered here tonight, and again, I give this meeting to you.

In your name I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray.

Amen.

Let's say the pledge together.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Matt, thank you so much.

Appreciate it.

Let's go ahead and start with Ropal.

Rodriguez.

Here.

Bills.

Reynolds.

Griffin.

Here.

Hi, present, one absent.

Thank you.

I am unaware of any proposed amendments to the agenda.

Council, are you aware of any?

Okay, I would stand to motion, stand for a motion to adopt the agenda as stated.

So move.

Second.

All in favor?

Any opposed?

Thank you.

And then I stand for a motion to adopt the or to approve the consent agenda as provided.

So moved.

Second.

It's been moved and seconded.

All in favor?

Right.

Any opposed.

Thank you.

Okay.

So that was a long consent agenda as I'm flipping pages here.

Page six.

Yes.

The next item we have on our agenda are staff communications, and we're going to start with Rodney Ashby and his team.

I tell you what, I am so proud of the team.

They have been given an award from the American Planning Association.

And I would like for Rodney to come forward and share what that award was, and then we'll take a photo.

I think he's trying to bring up a slide.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

Thank you for this opportunity.

This is two wards from the American Planning Association of Idaho.

That's the IDO chapter of a national organization.

And we have ethics and rules that we have to follow, and then a lot of training that we do to get to become professional planners and follow the principles that are outlined in the National Association.

So it was such an honor to receive these two awards from the American Planning Association.

And the first one is the GEM Award for Best in Show, and it was to recognize the plan's forward thinking vision for a walkable people first, people first in the downtown NAMPA.

And so the I wanted to just give a little bit of history here.

So we started out with blueprint NAMPA blueprint for our downtown years and years ago.

And then we added some detailed design guidelines.

We changed some codes based on those.

Then we had a North Nampa plan that was developed that connected into the downtown.

And then we had the NAMPA Downtown Historic District Streetscape Standards.

And then we added the downtown outdoor dining standards and the downtown wayfinding study, and then the uh first and front pedestrian concept designs, and then the downtown parking implementation and action plan, and then we have the NAMPA Wall Street Alley Extension Concept.

And you can get a sense here if you're a downtown business and you're coming to your downtown and you want to know where do I go for information about how to develop or to improve my property in the downtown.

Well, I'm in the past, I would say look at all these.

Look at all of these studies and plans.

Um, and you have to comb through them to get to it.

But now I can say, once it's adopted, it's coming before you soon.

Um you can go to the downtown NAMPA implementation plan.

And what we've done is we've taken taken all those plans and we basically uh created one plan to highlight the vision for downtown and strategy strategies to achieve that vision.

We've taken over 200 previous strategies and goals and prioritize them into 40 strategies.

We've scheduled uh we have a schedule now of prioritized tasks with responsible parties assigned, um, and we have authority and process guides for downtown development or property improvements, and you can find that all in the downtown uh implementation plan.

I think this is just a kickstart of a lot of projects that that can be done in the future to revitalize and um and make our our downtown a vibrant vibrant place to live and and work and uh recreate and and eat.

So that was the first one.

The second one was the American Planning Association of Ida Idaho Chapters Public Engagement Award.

And you've heard this one before we did receive an award from the AIC Association of Idaho Cities, but this is also the same same plan it was to recognize us for strong community involvement and vision.

And this pretty simple you've seen this before it's on our website it's in a magazine and on YouTube on Facebook or else I'm yeah next door the mayor's newsletter it's all over the place.

So it was such a pleasure to present this to the public because it's it's been a passion of ours in the in planning to help the people of Nampa understand planning better and how they can get involved in our community and make a difference.

And so this is a guide to help them to do that and uh and the association of the American Planning Association recognized us for that effort.

And I just want to say it was fun to hear all these planners come up to me at the meeting and say hey we're we're gonna use your magazine or we're gonna we're already using your uh online um videos to help our public understand planning better and that's the goal here it's not to bring attention to NAMPA it's just to help people understand planning better and so we were awarded that uh that uh award at the the conference this last week and just really appreciated a couple of people I need to call out is you know our staff is Amy Bowman and Brianna uh how who has done just an amazing job uh putting this together both of them have just been instrumental in in doing this and that that's all I have well Rodney we're so proud of you so Amy and Mark if you guys want to come up for a photo and here are your awards there you go do I have that facing the right direction no there we go congratulations guys really great job we're proud of you okay and next we have our public works staff communication and I think that Crystal has some things to share with us also I think we're gonna get more pictures so just be ready good evening mayor and council uh Rodney may say he does not like praise uh but I am happy to get it for my team and and congratulate them so thanks for setting that up not to be outdone but we also wanted to report out from the 45th national equipment rodeo this is the second time that Nampa has been able to go on May 8th we had our third uh heavy equipment rodeo here for our staff members and let me tell you about the exceptional people that we have I'm gonna bring Steve Overweg up he's our assistant superintendent over on streets to give this presentation because you guys get to hear my voice quite a bit but I'm gonna have him brag and if he doesn't brag enough then I'm gonna come back and brag some more about our team all right well good evening mayor counsel um I just want to invite up some of the guys that were over there competing so we have Doug Eakin Brent Cox Brad Farner and then Sean Swainston who's our assistant superintendent over at Fleet so these guys went down and just to give you a little bit of context here the we went to the 45th Western snow and ice conference and there it was 25 different states showed up there was a total of over a thousand contestants showed up throughout the nation to go compete and some of this heavy equipment and so what these guys did is pretty amazing here um for yeah it's a good presentation just clicked the thing so some of the vents here we go technical difficulties but we're back on track um tandem axle plow truck so this is the plow truck with the sander in the back and we took sixth place in the entire nation which is which is pretty pretty awesome and that was Brad Farner and Sean Swainston in the loader course we took eighth placeon he kind of knocked it out of the park an animal and uh Doug Eakin took 13th place out of a thousand

So some of the vents, here we go, technical difficulties, but we're back on track.

Um tandem axle plow truck.

So this is the plow truck with the sander in the back.

And we took sixth place in the entire nation, which is which is pretty pretty awesome.

And that was Brad Farner and Sean Swainston.

Um in the loader course, we took eighth place.

Sean Swainston, he kind of knocked it out of the park, guys.

An animal.

And uh Doug Eakin took 13th place out of a thousand.

Out of a thousand tests, that's incredible.

This is the best of the best.

Yeah.

So in the skiz tier event, we took 11th place overall, and in the grader, we took 23rd place overall.

So overall, as a uh they don't give agency awards, but if we were to tell tally all of our scores together, we would have taken home about fifth place, so the entire nation out of a thousand contestants and over a hundred different agencies.

So these guys are pretty talented in what they're doing, and it's pretty pretty remarkable.

Um not only was there value in attending that for these guys and boosing some of the morale, but the other thing was there's a lot of seminars that was awesome to go to.

Um, some of those included work and family balance, uh, AI and the workforce, um, interdepartmental cooperations, navigating leadership and building a culture for the future, and the leadership, how to build a well-oiled uh team.

So part of that as being the leadership role and being able to go, it definitely helps us learn new opportunities and ways to guide the city and keep it moving forward with the street division.

So we really appreciate that, and also just the networking.

Um, we met with ACHD, and part of what we're trying to do here is build a construction crew, and ACHD is currently doing that.

So talking with their superintendent there, he offered once we get up and running and we get some of the equipment to come down, do some free training for our guys, and for us to go down there and watch what they're doing.

So that's kind of invaluable just information for us.

The other thing is with ITD, met with their guys, and they're running the same serious controls that we're gonna put into our system, and they offered us to be able to go down there and learn and kind of not have to face the same gremlins that they did starting that up.

So that'll save us a lot of time and money and be able to kind of hit the ground running a little faster.

So I just want to say thank you guys again for supporting us.

And this Thursday, October 9th, we have our interagency competition.

So what we're doing is we're having a rodeo here in the city of Nampa.

It'll be October 9th, 7 a.m.

I think we sent you guys calendar invites and the itinerary, and there'll be the top four people that went to go compete in nationals are from ACHD and IT are gonna come down to the street division and so kind of do a little interagency competition and allow these guys to kind of get to know each other more because I think that's really important.

So just thank you again, and we do appreciate it.

Before you guys sit down, let's do a photo.

Good job.

Oh, I'm not oh just that oh my god.

Okay, Crystal.

Do you want to be Crystal?

Come on up and be with your team.

Maybe you'll get it.

Okay.

Thank you guys, congratulations.

Great job.

Okay.

We're ready to move into our new business items for the evening.

We're gonna start with five-one.

Five-one is an action item.

This is to authorize the senior director of public works to offer the property owners up to 205,000 to acquire right-of-way for construction on the 11th Avenue two-way conversion.

This budget is uh pending an agreement with an AMPA development corp.

Um, do you have any questions?

Stand for a motion if madam, may I move the approve this item?

Second, it's been moved and seconded.

Is there any discussion?

Roll call.

Rodriguez.

Yes, yes, Griffin.

Yes, yes, Reynolds.

Yes, all in favor, motion carries.

Five two is an action item.

It's to authorize the mayor and the senior public works director to sign a task order amendment with Jacobs Engineering Group for design permitting and engineering construction services for the Carcher constructed wetlands in the amount not to exceed 675,000.

And it was approved in the FY26 budget.

It's been moved and seconded.

Is there any discussion?

Roll call.

Rodriguez.

Yes.

Yes.

Griffin.

Yes.

Reynolds.

Yes.

All in favor, motion carries.

53 is an action item.

This is to authorize the chief financial officer to sign the audit engagement letter with Id Bailey for fiscal fiscal year 25 audit in the amount of 105,060.

This is for the audit fee plus 12,000 for the first single audit of federally funded programs and 9,500 for any additional audits.

And it was approved in the FY25 budget.

It's been moved and seconded.

Discussion?

Roll call.

Rodriguez.

Yes.

Yes.

Griffin.

Yes.

Ingula.

Yes.

Reynolds.

Yes.

All in favor, motion carries.

54 is an action item.

This is to allocate the 2026 opioid funds to the sub-recipients as follows.

Southwest District Health to receive $18,540, $50, excuse me, I'll say that one more time.

$18,457.50.

The NAMB NAMPA Family Justice Center to receive $37,000 four dollars and 25 cents.

NAMPA NARCAN initiative, $23,250.

Southwest Idaho Recovery Community Center, $30,000 for a total allocation of $108,711.75s.

This was approved in the FY26 budget, but a little less than the 108.

So the remainder, which I think is around 8,000, it's in our packet, is pending uh approval in the FY26 budget amendment.

Are there any questions on this one?

Mayor.

Yes.

Uh for staff or their recommendation.

Can you explain to me the procedure that we were able to allocate specific dollars?

Was it just based off of the request from each agency, or is it showed through explanation of the amount of people they help service or the region that they cover?

How do we get to those dollar amounts?

Thank you for the question.

This is Chris Boaz.

I'll let you introduce yourself.

Just for the record, Chris Boaz, Capital and Grants Manager.

Councilman Griffin, uh, that's a great question.

So we received a total request in the amount of 209,000.

Obviously, we can't fund all of that.

We would dry up that our opioid funds very quickly.

So the four programs that we did decide to move forward with.

What we did is we decided to scale them down to 75%.

I believe the total ask was about between those four programs was about 140, 150,000 with scaling them back.

We did a couple things.

First, we checked with uh each entity to make sure that their programs were scalable.

Um and all of them confirmed yes, they would just have to do just a little bit less, but it would still allow them to be operational.

And on the second hand, uh it allows us to engrow uh to grow the opioid fund kind of as an endowment, meaning uh that the funds we receive will outlast the 18 years that we're receiving them if we're not spending them to the amount we receive every year.

In addition to that, I might say, could you speak to the group that provided the oversight for the review of this and the recommendations?

Of course, Mayor.

Uh so we started out with our opioid advisory committee, uh, and that involves everyone who's um just involved with opioid um with the opioid community uh here in NAMPA and Canyon County, and we get together once a year and we discuss the issues they're facing and how we can best tackle those issues from there in July.

We put out a request for application, and with those um, we created this uh standard application that we sent out to uh everyone who is interested, and we received I think seven applications back and from our opioid advisory committee, we um created a review committee, and it was um myself, Kim and the mayor's office, a couple outside um representatives as well, and we reviewed the applications individually.

We got together, we discussed okay, um what's the best way to go about this?

Obviously, again, there the request was greater than the funds we had, and from there, that's how we request, or that's how we came up with our um suggestions for allocation.

Thank you.

Yes, uh, just in consideration uh NAMPA dollars focusing on NAMPA needs.

Um other municipalities contributing to Southwest Districts amounts and Southwest Idaho Recovery Community Center's amounts, or are we the sole funder of that?

Another great question, Councilman.

I'm not able to speak to that.

I do know that is one thing we did clarify with each of the recipients that NAMPA dollars would be going to NAMPA individuals.

And uh the only reason as a last follow-up, I would like to see the need of the NAMPA Justice Center and the NAMPA Narcan Initiative hitting their 100% need if they're if they're able to quantify the return on investment and saying these are the number of individuals that we're receiving, and we can utilize 100% of our dollars right now for needs in the community.

Uh I'd either be in support of funding that or scaling back from the other two entities to make sure it's specific to those two entities.

So that just for consideration.

Well, ultimately it is up to council if that's what you guys so choose, then we can do that.

Okay, thank you.

Any further discussion or suggestions?

Can we call up Jeannie at all to speak to the issue from I know she's an applicant, so maybe she's giving her more opportunity than the other three?

I hope not, but at 75%, what does that affect the actual goal that you were trying to receive and getting 100% of your monies?

So we were wanting to we were wanting to support some of the advocacy work that are working with people that are having the um substance use issues.

Um so there was about $10,000 or so that was going to go toward that, and the the remainder was going to be toward um the contract that we have with Jacob Evans to help and coach in the recovery process.

Um so it would qualify, the funding would qualify for serving both of those, but because we were scaled back, it will just support um Jacob Evans and that work as and that is our priority, uh, making sure that that happens.

So we're we are um not gonna be able to use that funding toward the advocacy.

In your opinion, would the advocacy significantly change the direction of open point use?

Is losing that money a significant detriment or yeah, can we get by for another year with just 75%?

So um what that means is that we have to find that money somewhere else.

So because it is essential.

Jacob will never see the people if the advocates aren't working with them first.

So that's it's the deficit that we then have to look for funds somewhere else.

So we are uh pursuing grants, federal grants.

Um we always pursue local um foundation grants um to provide that and supplement that, and we don't have a guarantee of that if that happens or not, but we have a lot of hope.

So thank you.

So, Chris, I have a question for you.

I know that we push this back up to tonight.

If we push this back to the next meeting, um to help provide a little bit more clarity and some information and have some discussion, will that negatively impact these programs?

I know that they won't have the funds.

Yeah, unfortunately it will, Mayor.

Um because we're already pushed back one council agenda.

Um now because after we have the approval, we have to send out MOUs for signatures, then it's still a a week or two process to actually get the funds in their hands, and then from there, then they can start the work.

So if we push it back another two weeks, um we're pushing into November until they actually get funds in their hands.

And could I just for clarity?

I think you shared that one of the prerequisites of this funding is that is used in NAMPA.

Can you speak to it?

I'm sorry I can't write off the top of my head.

Speak to the Southwest District Health 18,000 and the recovery center at 30.

Their um use in NAMPA.

Uh that is a great question.

Unfortunately, I don't have the I don't have the applications in front of me.

Uh, can I continue to that for the recovery?

So that's for the Southwest.

Okay.

So um well, we don't have a lot of time.

So uh so that would be fine, or can you speak to it with her using her notes as a staff report?

So she's from the Southwest Idaho Recovery Center.

Recovery center.

That's fine.

If you want to real quickly tell us what I guess the question has to do with it really impacting NAMPA.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Hi, Margie Potter, 1811, North Coupaway, NAMPA.

And uh Mayor and Um Councilman Griffin, the uh funds stay in NAMPA that we have.

We have other funding as well from the millennial funds from the state of Idaho, and um this will just scale back, but um the program manager has uh created a system that will track NAMPA residents exclusively.

The money that we requested wouldn't even fund all of the NAMPA um clients that we have, and just to answer your other question, we are working with Jacob Evans as well, and um we coordinate with him, so we are um this the funding that we have will help um as well.

Okay, does that help?

Thank you.

Yes.

Um just reading this uh right up and then what was in our packet.

This touches uh NAMPA residents and just different uh agencies.

So I'm gonna make a motion to approve this as it's written.

Second.

Okay.

It's been moved and seconded to approve this as it's been recommended by the committee.

Um and I will say it was a good committee, and the oversight was excellent that that did this review.

I feel very confident with their recommendation.

But is there any further discussion?

Mayor, I I know that we have six hundred and nine thousand dollars in that fund balance.

I'd I'd like if the council's willing that we uh satisfy one hundred percent of the need that Nampo Family Justice Center is needing.

Obviously, they stated that they're gonna have to find funding elsewhere to be even be able to get the people the resource that they need.

And so I don't want to leave that up to uh the potential that they allocate thirty-seven thousand dollars is something that they can't fully uh complete because they don't have the advocacy view portion of it.

So that'll be my reasoning.

So I would recommend that we bring that forward that we'll look at the budget and we'll bring that forward at a future meeting and we can readdress that for you.

Does that work?

Okay.

Is there any further discussion?

Roll call.

Rodriguez.

Yes.

Yes.

Griffin.

Yes.

Yes.

Reynolds.

Yes.

All in favor, motion carries.

Five five on the agenda is an action item.

This is to authorize the mayor to sign the Canyon County prosecution contract for the period beginning October one through September thirtieth, twenty twenty-six to provide legal prosecution services for misdemeanor offenses and criminal infractions for the city of Nampa in the amount of nine hundred thousand.

This was approved in the FY26 budget.

So moved.

Second.

It's been moved and seconded.

Is there any discussion?

Roll call.

Rodriguez.

Yes.

No.

Griffin.

Yes.

Reynolds.

Yes.

Four in favor, one opposed, motion carries.

Thank you.

Okay.

So um we are going to adjourn into executive session.

We will be back in like 20 minutes max, and we'll resume the meeting at that time.

And the public hearing will start promptly at six.

Hopefully, that that all works.

I would stand for a motion to adjourn into executive session pursuant to Idaho Code seven four two oh six one J to consider labor contract matters authorized under the section one A and B.

So moved.

Roll call.

Rodriguez.

Yes.

Bills.

Yes.

Reynolds.

Yes.

Griffin.

Yes.

All in favor, motion carries.

We will be back.

Okay, I think we're gonna get started.

Um thank you.

Oh city council, I need a motion to adjourn out of executive session.

Okay, all in favor?

Thank you.

So the next item on the agenda is a proclamation, and it is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

And I think, Jeannie, hi, how are you?

I will read this and thank you for coming forward.

So, whereas domestic violence impacts women, men, and children of every age, background, and belief.

And whereas nearly one in three women and one in four men in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, andor stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

Victims are deprived of their autonomy, their liberty and security, and face tremendous threats to their health and safety.

Whereas since November 2005, the NAMPA Family Justice Center has received nearly 109,000 client visits, providing hope and services to adults and children suffering from abuse, and each year they have served more than the previous year.

Whereas the NAMPA Family Justice Center, one of the original 15 centers funded by the President's Family Justice Center Initiative of 2003, continues to mold its programming and services to provide the best services for safety, self-sufficiency, hope, and healing in one location for clients and help them successfully maneuver through the justice system.

And whereas the NAMPA Family Justice Center rightfully prides itself on the strong partnership it has created within the community in collaboration between government and nonprofit organizations to provide coordinated services to women, men, and children suffering from family violence.

Whereas it is fitting to acknowledge that in the year 2025, the Nampa Family Justice Center is commemorating 20 years of providing services to survivors of domestic violence.

Now, therefore, IW Clay Mayor of the City of Nampa, Idaho, do hereby proclaim October in the city of Nampa as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

And Jeannie, I just want to say Jeannie Stromeyer is the executive director of the Nampa Family Justice Center.

We are truly blessed to have you and your leadership and your team that works tirelessly making a difference.

Why we serve at the Family Justice Center.

When people walk into our building, we know they have been emotionally, verbally, and physically harmed.

And sometimes all always in every case, there's always verbal emotional abuse.

That is the things that they hear all the time, every day.

And when they come into our building, that is what they believe about themselves, that they are worthless.

And we want them to know the truth, and that they are wanted, loved, and of great value.

And everything we say and everything we do when they walk into our building, all the services we provide, and everything we say when they walk into our building is to help them know that they are wanted, loved, and of great value.

It is because the services are important, the what we do is important, but the why and the how we do it is even more important.

And we get to see lives changed because of the work that's being done.

And not just the everyday business people, the people with money, but they care about the people that have none.

They care about the people that are being abused, the countless children that we are seeing that are being sexually and physically abused.

You care about them.

And that is why we can do the work we do is because of support that the city provides.

So we are a people.

We are a city that brings hope to the hopeless, that brings light to the darkness, and that brings life to the dying.

So thank you so much.

It is the work of this community, and it is a work of the council and the mayor that is making this happen.

And we thank you.

Yes.

Jeannie, thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Okay, the next section on the agenda is the public forum.

And do we have anyone signed up for the public forum this evening?

Madam Mayor, we do have the fill the boot.

I'm not seeing our our firemen here tonight.

Am I missing?

Aha, there you are.

Elijah, are you gonna come up too?

Come on up.

Besides this.

Okay.

Good evening.

Good evening.

I'm not as tall as uh most of these people.

Uh good evening, Mayor Kling and City Council.

My name is Ivy Dennon.

I am a firefighter with Nampa Fire Department.

Um, and I'm here tonight to um speak on fill the boot.

It's a 30-year-plus tradition that we've been doing for a very long time, raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Um, this year we do it every October, so uh times are leaves are changing, and we're drinking pumpkin spice lattes and fill the boots coming out.

So we are requesting this year um to do big news.

We're trying to do two locations.

Um in the past we've done North Side and the Boulevard.

Um this year we're looking to expand a little bit because we've um added more members to our department, and we've also added more um citizens to the city of Napa.

So we're looking to expand a little bit.

Last year we raised more than 28,000 dollars, which is 4,000 more dollars than the year prior.

So we are growing and we are raising more money for this association, which is a huge deal, and I'm looking to expand that to a larger population.

Um my second location this year is going to be hopefully at Gardy and the 11th interchange.

Um, if we are able to put firefighters at that corner and we can hit more of the people maybe coming from the Ada County side, um, and we can also be on that north side corner and hit all those coming from Canyon County or Caldwell-ish would be super awesome.

Um, if not, we are totally fine with just staying on North Side, but wanted to get that feedback from you guys and also walk around the boot a little bit tonight.

Yes, quick question.

What are the payment options that people have at the streets and potentially at the dais if they forgot cash because they're 24 years old?

Yeah, uh time times are Bitcoin.

Uh perfect.

Times are changing.

You know, last year we're still getting a lot of ashtrays dumped, which is super cool.

People just just drive by and dump their ashtray in those boots get super heavy heavy.

So we're still getting coins and cash.

Um we do have a QR code now.

So it goes good idea.

It goes directly to a Venmo.

So if you have Venmo Cash, you can also um throw that in there.

Last year we only got five dollars in the Venmo, so it didn't, it wasn't as much of a hit as I thought it was gonna be.

But we're gonna try again and try to do stickers and all the things this year.

Um, but we still we still try to get the weight behind our boots.

Okay, I think it's awesome.

So I think you should come stand up here, hold your boot that way so everybody can get the Venmo, and then I can put my cash in as you're up here.

There you go.

Is it fill the boot lamp on it?

Yeah, yeah.

Where are we looking?

Well, they're just they're just doing it.

And Amy, you can show you can grab a photo hit.

We're gonna do a photo too.

We've got to give your walk around each side.

Yeah.

Okay, so let's do a photo real quick, and then you can walk around and have everybody fill your boot.

Oh my god.

Okay, in just a minute, she's gonna walk around and she'll you guys can fill it.

So we're gonna start here.

Here we go.

Ready?

Come on, Eli.

Yeah.

Yeah, there you go.

Just want to say in advance to all the citizens, thank you guys very much for being a part of this.

You guys have done this.

I've been part of the department for 18 years.

And I know it's a very good thing.

So you can just walk around if anybody else wants to give.

You guys can fill the boot right now.

Thank you.

Streets for a couple couple hours.

Awesome.

Okay, so we do have two more people signed up for public forum, and we have confirmed that they're just talking about other issues than the agenda tonight.

Correct, Madam Mayor.

So our first speaker is Hubert Osborne.

And on deck is David Ferdinand.

So Hubert is not speaking regarding Hubert, you're not speaking about the public forum.

The public hearing, I mean.

Only incidentally.

Okay.

I might slip a word or two in.

Okay.

If you could just state your name and address, please.

Hubert Osborne.

4199 East Switzerway, Nampa, Idaho.

83686.

Transparency.

It has long been talked about, and I believed it was being practiced.

But recent events have made it made me take another look.

The debacle and mishandling of the Idaho Center is well known.

But recent actions involving executive sessions need explaining also.

On what the council was deciding on by deferring to executive sessions.

So I asked the question.

Mayor, if I may, Mr.

Mr.

Mayor, and with all due respect, Mr.

Osborne, the matter being raised here is one which we promptly noticed of for executive session, Mayor.

Given the substance of it, there's a reason why the law allows us to go into executive session.

There's a lot of practical points when it comes to acquiring property, not to mention the competition with other governmental entities.

So I think influencing the decision of the Idaho Center.

No, it has nothing to do with the Idaho Center.

No, I know it does the money does.

It's an inappropriate conversation.

I want to listen to legal.

Yeah, I'm sure you will.

He has your back door.

Hubert, no, he doesn't, and you're being disrespectful, and at that, I don't appreciate the disrespect.

I don't appreciate the discount.

And you do not listen one bit.

That's not true, and it's extremely disrespectful.

I want to defer to legal.

Um, and with that, I think we'll we'll cease our this particular time.

Yeah.

Thank you.

In fact, I would like though, because of the nature of the discussion, I would like for you to explain.

One, we've had a shift in our agenda, and it is not unlike any other city.

We usually just put one item on.

We've given ourselves the latitude in case so we don't have to change the agenda, but we follow state statute.

We do not deviate from state the state statute.

There is a reason why the legislature has provided opportunity for cities to meet in executive session.

We are extremely strict about that.

Extremely strict about that.

And there are reasons why we do that.

But I would like our legal counsel to maybe explain a little bit more about that element of the state statute.

Uh mayor, I'd be happy to do so, and I may retread ground.

I did uh during the public forum here, but uh as you noted, um state statute authorizes cities to go into executive session.

There's a reason for it.

This law doesn't isn't just purposeless or aimless.

Uh Nampa is a city with $300 million budget, 800 employees.

It is a massive municipal corporation that's involved in some very large, complex and complicated transactions at time.

The legislature recognizes that, and so they authorize and give the latitude to cities uh to conduct their business in private on a limited basis.

We're well aware that government is being conducted in the public.

That is the default, and there's narrow exceptions that if you fit into, we can't operate lawfully within that.

We're very careful, we're really diligent in that.

And we were reminded often of the confidentiality of it.

And as uh the reason why, you can imagine for a number of reasons for certain transactions.

If word got out about it, it may alter the market.

We're on a tax dollar basis.

We're trying to be good stewards of that.

If word gets out that the city's in for it, the price can go up and therefore prevent the city from acquiring a valuable asset.

And so there's a lot of rational reasons for it.

And I can understand that everyone has an opinion and they're entitled to it when it comes to how the government uses its funds.

But when it comes to executive sessions, we follow the law.

There's no ifs, ands or but about it, and we do a commendable job at that, Mayor.

Thank you.

I'm also gonna say that as we step into this public forum, no disrespect will be tolerated.

I just it's that straightforward.

If you're going to be disrespectful, don't even bother to stand up because you will be escorted out.

That was disrespectful, and it's inappropriate.

You have elected servants, myself included, that are trustworthy.

That we do, and I know I see those smiles, and I see that I see the attitude already, and I'll just tell you there's no room for attitude.

We need to be respectful of one another.

And I'll just say that simple.

We need to be respectful of one another.

And I say I'm gonna say one other thing, and I am gonna preach a little bit here, but I tell you what, most of everybody sitting in this room is an adult, right?

The example that we are setting for our kids is horrendous, and we don't want our kids to bully one another, yet we as adults bully one another.

We don't want our kids on social media to say things that are inappropriate to one another, yet we on social media call people out, we're disrespectful, we're rude.

That is absolutely not what NAMPA has been and not what NAMPA should be.

We may not all agree on something, but we should listen to one another and we should be respectful to one another.

That is the expectation tonight is that we need to respect one another, whether we agree or disagree.

The only way that we get to a good outcome is if we take time and give place for that to hear that.

You will see council will give place to everyone tonight to get to share what they want to share.

There is a place for that, but we need to do it respectfully.

So and I'll give you kind of the guidelines in a minute.

I believe we had one other person that was here to testify.

Yes, madam mayor.

Uh, we have David Ferdinand that wanted to speak during public forum.

Good evening, David Ferdinand, 2419 West Heron Loop, and good old Nampa.

I uh I just wanted to uh give my comments to the city council and mayor for providing the forum for the public to give input.

Uh when this first came up, it it was all of a sudden uh there were several pain saying, whoa, wait a minute.

We need an opportunity to hear what is really happening.

Uh especially with a venue that brings millions of dollars and thousands of people to our community with a with a uh a great inside look at what we can provide from the city of Napa.

So I just wanted to thank you for giving us the opportunity tonight to give our input and to be a part of uh this most important uh opportunity for our community.

David, thank you.

Thank you.

So that concludes the public forum time, and we're gonna move into our public hearing.

So at this time, I believe we have how many people signed up.

We have 25 people signed up.

Are there people in the room that have not signed up?

There's one, okay.

So at okay, well, you are welcome.

So once we get through the 25, we will give opportunity for someone if they did not sign up but would like to speak.

There's opportunity for that, and we will give that opportunity.

So as we get going tonight, we're gonna ask that, and for those of you that are kind of regulars, we ask people to kind of line up so that we're not taking time to get out of our chairs, and so we will give you like three or four names in a row.

Go ahead and stand up and be ready to go, and it just helps move our process forward.

As most are aware, we have three minutes, uh, three minute time frame.

We have a timer here.

There's one on the bench right there on the podium, so you'll be able to see your time as it goes down.

At the end of the the three minutes, we are going to ask you to end.

Now, different than the town hall, some of you were maybe here for the town hall.

There was a little bit more liberty at the town hall.

This is a public hearing.

We will not be giving the liberty to go over.

We're gonna stay within our three minutes.

We're also going to not defer your time to someone else, right?

So someone can't stand up and take six minutes and say, Well, I'm giving them your time.

We're not doing that.

We're everybody has three minutes, and everybody here will have their opportunity to speak for three minutes, but it will be an individual coming up.

Please state your name and your address.

Then you'll have three minutes.

Tonight, if you we'll let you finish your statement if you're mid-sentence, finish your sentence.

But if you continue to go on, the mic will go off.

So, and then we'll just move right on to the next person.

Um, another thing that I want to remind everyone in a public hearing, there's no cheering, there's no jeering, no booing, no applauding.

We just are here to listen to that testimony and to do it respectfully and move forward.

So I don't think that I have missed anything.

I think it's all there.

So, with that, I think we're ready to get started.

And so let's give the names of the first four people.

I'm sorry.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I am so ready to go to public hearing.

I forgot the most important part.

There is a presentation to start.

I appreciate.

I'm so sorry.

I'm like, I'm there, I'm ready to go.

Okay, this is a Clay Long is our chief of staff uh here at the City of Napa, and he's going to begin with the traditional staff report, which will be an overview of what we're doing tonight.

Clay, thank you.

You're welcome.

Uh Mayor Council for the record, Clay Long, Chief of Staff for the City of Nampa.

This evening I'm going to walk through a staff report on the Fort Idaho Center, uh, leading with uh what got us to here, what we've been doing, and then the options that are in front of council for this evening as we go forward with the public hearing.

The original concept uh regarding the Fort Idaho Center took began about a year ago when proposals were brought forward from our venue management company, the Oakview Group, to do and a desire to expand the utilization of the amphitheater space.

Um with tightening of our budget, anticipated costs uh to move for this size of a project forward.

The question really began on the honing in the city's core public purpose and services to be provided to the city.

Do we put additional funds into the Fort Idaho Center or amphitheater, or do we fund additional police officers, parks, or infrastructure?

Thinking through the core purposes, embarked really an exploration phase to see what the options could be.

What could we do to meet those needs?

After an initial conversation with the College of Western Idaho, uh an expression of interest, we transition into a several month-long feasibility phase.

As with any idea, feasibility focus and time is always needed to see if an idea makes sense to both entities and if there would be the ability for a long-term success of such a treasured asset.

During the feasibility phase, we investigated would this concept conveying to the College of Western Idaho be feasible.

Once it was identified that yes, in fact, it was feasible to move forward.

A public amount a public announcement was made, and we moved into the fourth and our final stage, which was public engagement and feedback.

We knew this would be a topic which many would want to learn, understand, and provide their feedback.

The public the community conversations began in July.

And shortly after the community conversations began, we heard and listened to the community and the desire to expand our public outreach and engagement and to slow the process.

We worked diligently to increase the number of public outreach opportunities, built the website to host relevant documents, and published the public hearing back and pushed the public hearing back three months, all in response to public feedback.

In each of these events, we have remained true to listening to the feedback and the input.

Retaining the Fort Idaho Center, selling the Fort Idaho Center at a minimum of $75 million, subject to certain deed restrictions and final authorization of purchase and sale agreement, or conveying the Fort Idaho Center to the College of Western Idaho, again, subject to certain deed restrictions and final authorization of terms in the conveyance agreement.

It is important to note that council declared the property underutilized at the September 26th council meeting.

A little background that again to talk about why we came to embarking the idea to start with about what can we do to continue to keep a treasured asset available for community use.

Right.

Correct.

I don't believe I said that.

I didn't, I don't think I agreed with that.

So your statement of the council made it to that.

Not quite right.

But go ahead.

Yeah.

Yeah, Mayor, I'd be happy.

Councilman Regis, I I think I get your point here for the public's benefit.

On September 15th, a majority vote of the council found that the Ford Idaho Center was underutilized or not used for a public purpose.

So as a matter of a formal official act of the city council, it's governed by a majority decision.

So therefore, a statement that the council found is accurate.

Yes, thank you.

I just needed that clarified.

I hear you.

Thank you, sir.

Yep.

Thank you again.

All right, Glee.

Thank you.

Over the past roughly 20 years that the city has been the custodian of the Ford Idaho Center complex.

There has yet to be a year where the complex has had a net positive before city contributions.

I'm but on the screen, just a few things to highlight.

That range per year of losses is a high of 2.845 million to a low of 90,000.

The total investment from the city over those 20-ish years is 22,313, 768 dollars.

To provide that visually, this is looking at FY2018 through FY2025, where the city over that period of time contributed $5,09,000 332 in operational support to and $2,964,849 in capital.

As we review the options ahead of us this evening, it is important to note that options two to sell the property and option three to convey, revert the operational fund back to the city.

The operational fund is used similar to a checkbook and fluctuates as the facility invests and realizes revenue in future events and covers regular operational costs.

Option one.

Some items of importance to consider with this option.

A, the city would need to renegotiate or renew a contract with the Oakview group, wrapping back around to the request to consider the expansion of the amphitheater.

And two, in the city in the current city budget, there is no allocation to support the complex.

And as a reminder, council decided in August not to pursue a levy override.

Again, to visualize those numbers, this is looking specifically at 2026 fiscal year through 2030.

Again, these are projections and estimated if the city were to keep the facility what we should be considering or looking for.

On an average, there's two million dollars of deferred maintenance.

This is taking the 20 million out of a up to 25 million dollar professional report that was provided at a $2 million a year, $3.2 million over five years.

These are capital items separate from the Jacobs report that was provided by the Fort Idaho Center Management Team.

And then also taking the average of city operational support over the last five years, or excuse me, over the last eight years, and that average is 539,667.

So that gets us to those total amounts.

It does fluctuate on the 3.2 million.

At this point, I'm gonna pause on this option and see if Doug has any additional comments from the budget perspective.

Thanks, Clay.

Um council, uh most of you know I try to live in the world of facts, and I try to help you make the best decision by delivering facts in ways that are understandable.

But I wanted to add a little bit of flavor to what Clay has shared here.

The operational support, just the operational support we've received, we would give to the Fort Idaho Center because their operations have improved, the need for the city's operational support has decreased.

And it decreased to the point in 25.

We didn't budget for any money to go for the operational support.

Now that's a strong positive.

But it can also go the other way.

Should operational results decrease, there I can see the need coming back where the city would have to resume operational support.

And if concert and bookings change materiality or if competition opens up, we would see a decrease in revenues and therefore another re another need for support from the city.

The capital support needs from 2026 to 30 reflect pretty much just the the green line, pretty much the bare minimum to maintain, not to grow, not to uh replace nice to have just to keep the city or to keep this the facility operating.

Um exact project descriptions are available.

Uh the um average annual capital between 26 and 2030, just for the ones identified by OVG would fund about five and a half officers per year.

So it becomes a choice in priorities.

The uh Ford Idaho Center fund balance, as Clay referred to as a checking account, um, essentially will go up and down as the uh Fort Idaho Center uses funds uh in advance of concerts or events, and as their need for wages and salaries to pay ongoing costs, you'll eat into some of those funds in in years or not quite as productive in the concerts.

Um, in essence, we become down to a choice and a priority.

Where does the council wish to use our funds?

And for clarity, these funds we're talking about here would come from the realm of property taxes and sales taxes.

That's where the choice lies.

Do you want the funds?

Uh does the council and the public want the funds to be paid to uh maintain the Fort Idaho Center out of property and tax, and this would have to be new taxes because our our base is pretty much used.

It's tapped out to to feed public safety.

Public safety is the largest single use of uh taxpayer funds, and um if we were to divert from that, you'd you'd have challenges, but this becomes an option of where to get the money and it would come from public funds.

So those are my brief comments.

And mayor, just to add, on the operational, we did take into account zero dollars for FY25 when we built that average.

If we hadn't, it would have gone up a couple hundred thousand ish over that eight-year average.

Uh, option two.

Um prior to opening of the solicitation of interest, the city had heard a lot of ancillary comments about uh that so-and-so may be interested to purchase the fund or or the facility, or there was an idea we could do with part of the property.

In order to capture those, the city went through and provided the solicitation for interest, which was an opportunity for anyone with that interest to purchase the property or explore that uh to submit.

During that window of period, the city received no notifications of interest uh during that solicitation window.

I'll also note at council's direction, staff began the process to identify a company to complete an appraisal of the property after initial exploration and reports by staff to council, it was determined to discontinue with those appraisal efforts.

Also, I'll point out that during conversations with companies that we'd look to to see about getting appraisals.

Um, there were verbal comments made, acknowledging that the city may be disappointed in the low value that could come back because of the event uh because of the fact that there were deed restrictions to the property.

Mayor.

Should I save comments to the end or should as the slides go just ask clarifying questions?

Uh no comments.

Um at this time of this period.

It's fine.

Do you have a question?

If you have a question, yes.

Thank you.

On the solicitation of interest, just for the sake of transparency for those that have asked me in the passing weeks.

How was that administered and how was that distributed?

Was it by publication?

Did we reach out to statewide publication, nationwide publication?

What was the process to receive uh solicitations of interest?

We sent it out to all of our key contacts that we send any type of press release that went out to.

Um our procurement director also sent it out to the OVG group specifically.

Um, and then I don't know if beyond that what more was was shared or forwarded out.

Those were the efforts we did from the press release perspective in getting it out.

I believe there was some attempt to utilize some national associations.

Unfortunately, they weren't willing to push out a can a property sale.

It wasn't part of their association mission.

Thank you.

I believe we also reached out to a few of commercial brokers in the air in this market.

Um and then finally, during the council fifth September 15th council meeting, uh, council did elect to set the sale price to a minimum of 75 million dollars.

Um throughout this process, we have continued to hear from our citizens the FIC is that treasured asset.

If the city does proceed with the sale option, it's important to reiterate that the city will be required to sell to the highest bidder.

Option three.

Unlike the prior option of sale, the conveyance option does allow the city to identify who the custodian will be.

A few notes to keep in mind for this option.

Conveyance has to be made to an organization that is tax-supported governmental entity, and conveying to the College of Western Idaho.

Uh, the selection for that was because of the unique proximity and location of the institution, uh, the recognized and committed assurance to keep the importance and valued of the community asset with respected events and things that happen at the properties, and the ability to maximize the utilization of the facility.

At this time, I'm gonna defer to cities legal to provide an overview of the legalities around conveying city-owned property.

Thank you, Clay.

I'll have you advanced slides for me.

Thank you.

And for the record, Preston Rutter, city attorney for City of Nampa.

Um, thank you for this opportunity.

Um I want I thought it'd be helpful to give a good backdrop of how we got here and kind of what the governing sideboards are legally for the city's action here.

And I'll start here where it usually starts.

It's with Idaho's constitution and their statutes.

Um a city will have powers in the state of Idaho based off what the legislature has given them.

So we look to what IDO statute is authorized cities to do and not to do.

Uh, most notably is Title 50, Section 301.

Um, often known by city attorneys that cities can contract and be contracted with, acquire, hold, lease, and convey property real or personal.

So a basis of authority to sell its properties found statute.

Um similarly, there's actually an entire chapter dedicated to cities on how they sell their property.

That's found chapter 14 and Title 50.

And that has been governing the city's actions for these many, many months.

Next slide, please.

So diving more into that specific statute, right, that governs how this city and any city in Idaho would sell or convey its real property.

It states that cities have the general authority uh to manage the property they own in ways that which, in their judgment of the council, they deem in the public interest.

Um I would note that same section 1401 also has a threshold question.

Before a city sells its real property, um, it makes a finding that the property is either underutilized or not used for a public purpose.

And I know that there's been um a lot of uh a lot of vocalization, um, some opposition about well, is the city found it to be underutilized, or is it not used for a public purpose?

If you just look at one sentence in an entire chapter of statute, you're gonna get to the wrong conclusion.

For decades and decades, Idaho's Supreme Court has reminded anybody that you have to look at the totality of the statute and read it in its context.

So just to focus on underutilization or not used for public purpose may be too narrow.

You need to zoom out a little bit.

And the first sentence up there, I think is vital here.

Um again for NAMPA and any city, it the Idaho legislature has granted express authority to the city to say if it's in the public interest as you deem, that is a defensible action.

It doesn't even say in the best public interest or the highest public interest, just the public interest.

So it authorizes a lot of discretion to the city council.

Again, further down, uh 5014034.

This is specific to conveyances.

Um it states again that the city council can convey the property if it's in its best interest.

And this is explicit statutory discretion.

Next slide, please.

So, as this council knows very well, from time to time, I give legal advice that they do not like, because that's my job.

I am the hired pessimist, I am the wet blanket, and that is my job.

And uh see directors here nodding in agreement with that.

So my job is to go scour what the law says and give it to them straight so they can make an informed, defensible decision.

I will not stretch the law to satisfy a political objective.

I'll make that very clear.

And a reminder that the validity of legal advice is not determined on whether you like it or not.

The validity of legal advice is what is the Idaho Supreme Court announced, okay?

So what have they announced when it comes to these type of decisions?

I am quoting directly from a 2023 Idaho Supreme Court decision.

This is fresh law.

This is fresh on the minds of our current Idaho justices.

It pertained to the city of Sandpoint, where, like some of you, there was opposition to the city's actions.

This is what the court had to say, and this these are the cold hard facts that I conveyed to our city council guiding them.

When describing a city's authority for selling or conveying its real property, it the court describes it at this is not the lawyers, this is the court.

It says cities have sweeping authority, vast discretion.

They will not second guess their decisions.

There are few limits and broad discretion.

That is what the law says, and we take it as it is and we govern accordingly.

Next slide, please.

What I would say here is again just highlighting more context of how what the court has said governs this type of action.

It is held, I'm looking at the highlighted yellow portion, that a city's power to lease property, and that includes the conveyance, the cell, it is purely discretionary.

It's a it's a function entrusted to elected officials, and absent a clear abuse of discretion, which is a very high bar, by the way, to show that.

Absent that or short of it, any decision they make will not be overturned on appeal.

And if you read Supreme Court decisions, anytime they repeat themselves, they they are very careful that every word is used deliberately.

They're not there to be superfluous or redundant, but when they say the word reiterate, you perk up and you listen.

Later in that decision, they state we reiterate that leaders of Idaho's municipalities are invested with vast discretion to make decisions they consider in the city's best interest when leasing or conveying property.

Those are the rules of this action.

And I have guided the city and they have acted appropriately within those sideboards.

And I think it's very important to understand here.

Next slide, please.

Furthermore, on cases that touch on um city's authority when it comes to selling or conveying its real property, it has said that these discretionary decisions, meaning they can have some judgment calls here, right?

It says that when they're considering the financial, political, economic, and social effects of a policy, it's gonna be discretionary.

And where governmental entity makes that discretionary decision, it is immune from liability under the Idaho Tort Claim Act.

So there's an express protection that our Idaho legislature has granted all cities that if they're acting within those sideboards of discretion, there is no basis for a claim from the Idaho tort act.

They are immune as a matter of law.

Next slide.

So some may challenge the substance, some may challenge the procedure.

It's good to know how we get here.

And so if there's a glaring informality, for example, we don't hold the public hearing, that would probably be a basis, but we are here satisfying that procedural uh requirement.

The court says we will not disturb the city's determination.

Next slide, please.

And so for those who have followed and been with us through this uh for this journey, um, you'll recall that the city made its formal declaration back on September 15th.

After multiple prior rounds of public input and town hall listening sessions, that's because it's required by statute.

Uh and we have followed that procedure.

We are here tonight under item two for a public hearing, again, satisfying what the law requires.

Next slide, please.

Uh depending on the outcome of uh tonight's uh deliberation and vote by the council, uh the next steps may entail an adoption of an ordinance if a conveyance is all the ultimate prevailing vote.

Um if a cell is the prevailing vote, there'll be a public auction.

Again, we would hold the public auction as outlined by law.

And obviously, if there was a vote to retain the Idaho Ford Center statute has no direction on that, it would be uh ongoing business as we've usually done.

And then obviously, if other option to convey or sell is had uh to be had, uh, the final terms would be negotiated and the transfer and recording of the new deed would take place.

Next slide.

Just to summarize um what's been stated already.

Um all the requirements are set forth in Idaho statute.

We've been following those.

Um what action will take place today will fit squarely within that explicit grant of authority, and the courts have given broad deference and vast authority to city councils in this discretionary choice, right?

They're given a lot more latitude here than they would for an individual public hearing for your individual property.

And the court has made it clear it's not gonna second guess their judgment, absent a clear abuse of discretion or a glaring informality, none of which uh I have seen today, and nor do I expect Mayor, that concludes the staff report.

Could you pull that up?

Thank you.

Mayor, that concludes the staff report for this item.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Um I I will pause for just a second, counsel, before we step into public hearing.

Do you have any questions for Clay for Doug or for legal counsel?

I do, Mayor.

Just one question.

And then I think Councilman Griffin does also.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um, Preston, I see that this is uh well directed information, but one thing that I see that's missing is input from the community.

Where is that in there?

I don't see it.

So the court doesn't recognize the community's input or opinion.

Is is that what I get from your uh Mayor?

If I if I present uh if I'm understanding the question, you're wondering where did the court take in the public's opinion in those decisions?

That's correct.

I I think it's implied, Councilman uh Rodriguez.

The people that are voted to those seats, that's the public input.

And the court has said they have vast discretion.

And they actually, I guess it's the public hearing is required, and we've done multiple public outreaches, but that's this final public hearing.

The when the court is acknowledging that a public hearing must take place, that is that.

Yes.

Yeah.

No.

I get that.

Okay, thank you.

It's a matter of disparate interpretation, because I'm thinking these folks have a say so through us.

Right.

You're absolutely correct on that.

But but I'm just wondering about what whether the Supreme Court did mention that and give better direction to making this decision.

Now the Councilman Rodriguez, the court was very clear in um unmenced terms, uh, that the discretion is given to you, and there's always a public hearing held uh for that reason for meaningful opportunity, uh, which is here tonight, among others.

Okay.

Hello.

Yeah.

Okay.

Can everybody hear me?

We are ready to get started.

So we're going to get started now.

Oh, sorry.

There we go.

Thank you.

Okay, so this is okay.

So we are getting ready to step into our public hearing.

And as noted, Brandy Haverfield has a right, so we'll make note of that.

Um, and we'll move into public testimony.

So going back, I think everybody remembers what I said.

I don't think I want to say it again.

I don't think you want to hear it again, would be my guess.

And so uh do remember to line up, be ready to go, and remember to state your name and address.

It's an easy thing to forget as you get started, and then your time will start after you give your name and address.

So the first person, Madam Mayor, our first speaker is Gordon Jones.

On deck is Jim Reims, Denise Alberley Canada, and Mike Penya.

And guess what?

You guys need to set the example.

You're gonna get in line, literally.

You guys get to set the example, stand in line.

It's gonna be like being in school.

And this is guys, this is how we're gonna function tonight.

We're gonna be all ready to go lined up like this.

So when one ends, we just step right into the next one.

So even though we know you go ahead and give your name and address.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

My name is Gordon Jones.

I am the president of College of Western Idaho, located here in Nampa at Fifty Five Hundred East Opportunity Drive.

Thank you for my three-minute time slot.

I'm here to briefly build on prior remarks and reaffirm College of Western Idaho's continued interest in and support for the idea of transferring the Ford Idaho Center to the College of Western Idaho.

For those that may need a refresher CWI is serving over 31,000 students last year alone.

We estimate that puts us within the top 100 community colleges in this country at only 16 academic years old.

We're deeply rooted in our local community.

98% of our students are from Idaho, Idaho residents.

And last year alone, we served over 6,000 students who have NAMPA addresses and therefore by default are NAMPA residents.

In recent years, CWI has been on a journey of building out the campus to support this large and rapidly growing school.

We've made an investment in our main campus in NAMPA to fulfill our mission of providing affordable career focused education that fuels our local economy.

Although our taxing district spans two counties and multiple cities, our main campus and our heart is right here in NAMPA.

We see ourselves as a central part of this community, and we believe will be an integral part of this future.

A vote to convey the Fort Idaho Center to CWI in the event you were to do that would allow us to expand and academically activate across 200 acres, effectively doubling our current footprint.

This would create new opportunities for experiential learning for enhancing the vibrancy of our campus, deepening our integration with the NAMPA community, and we believe long-term supporting the ongoing growth of this institution.

Equally important, we are committed, and I commit to you to preserving beloved community events such as the Snake River Stampede, Horse Park activities, and other events such as local high school graduations and other activities.

We also see tremendous potential if we look forward to ways in which these events through engagement with CWI can expand and vision how it can have even further impact as well as student involvement.

As we all know, and I believe firmly that Treasure Valley is experiencing rapid change and to be more clear, rapid growth.

At CWI, I believe deeply that as institutions, and my responsibility is to think about how we navigate into the future and nurture the growth.

We would bring this focus to the Ford Idaho Center.

Thank you again for your time and consideration.

Thank you very much.

Council, do you have any questions?

Mayor, Councilman Griffin.

President Jones, thank you for being here tonight.

And just a few questions on the financial side if you're able or if there's trustees better positioned or anybody part of your staff.

In consideration of the possibility of conveying, can you outline for the sake of the audience and the public online what the most viable and most likely forms of funding would be to be able to cover the deferred maintenance that's gotten us to this point?

Well, I think uh council uh Mayor Clinton Council Member Griffin.

Um, as I've brought up in town halls and open forums over the last few months, CWI has a number of different sources of revenue, some of which are shared in the event the city were to keep the Fort Idaho Center.

We've talked about the nature of the relationship and the financial relationship with the Oakview group.

Um we also know that there is visioning that may enable uh various leased properties to be occurring in that facility that are designed to be supporting the academic work, but also have community benefit and the student experience at CWI.

Perhaps the most powerful vehicle we think would be brought to bear is also our fundraising capability as a school.

Uh we are in the process and have the mechanisms to fundraise people in this valley, many people in NAMPA are excited to be investing in this school as individuals, as foundations, corporations, as well as our own individual members of our foundation who commit personally as well as promoting others to fund and support the activities of the school.

There are other levers around whether it be sponsorships or other opportunities, but fundamentally we believe that we have the clarity of leadership, the vision as a school, and mechanisms such as those that I've outlined.

There are certainly other vehicles that are not part of our plan, but certainly sit out there.

There is an auditorium district.

There is who knows where the future holds public benefit for our state or other vehicles, whether there be needs for public safety facilities or you know what, who knows what that might bring in other dollars.

But at the end of the day, I think that's at this level of granularity for giving people a sense of what levers a college would turn to.

That would be my answer.

Mayor, follow-up.

Yes.

So it's been speculated or stated, so just once again, for the sake of clarity and transparency, is it part of your plan or has it been part of your plan to levy that amongst the two counties or ask for an increase from the state legislature, which the school is also funded by?

First of all, I want to be clear, I don't have the decision-making ability to choose the levy rate or take a levy up or down our board of trustees, believe is the authority there, but I would not be proposing to our board that any uh change to the levy rate that we have, other than any other everyday needs that the school would have, but it would be independent of any demands of this facility.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other questions?

Mayor Kling?

Yes.

Thank you.

Uh, and I apologize for being late tonight uh Zen Phoenix for five hours waiting for my flight.

Um but uh we got here, and thank you for coming tonight so that we can ask you some questions.

And I think these are important questions to ask of you.

Um from the beginning, uh my concern has been for CWI um the ability to take on such an asset like this, um, knowing that uh if we're gonna talk about numbers tonight, uh, because up until to today, I hadn't heard a number stated as far as deferred maintenance.

I heard it stated uh as I was able to listen to the staff report of two million a year.

Uh does CWI have the capability to fund maintenance of the Ford Idaho Center property uh at a rate of two million a year.

I I heard you say that you have funding sources, but I didn't hear anything specifically identified.

And I'll follow that up by saying, too, that I just returned from the Notre Dame campus.

Uh there were several Boise State fans down there enjoying the game up until the second half, uh, which wasn't as uh as fun.

Um but that campus has an athletic um has several athletic uh veins that uh one being the stadium itself that it has 80,000 people being able to sit in it, they can fund sports, they can fund things that we cannot.

You as a two-year institution would have a hard time trying to come up with uh a sports program that would have the ability for us to get behind and support.

It takes time to do that.

So I'm wondering, and especially in light of Governor Little's reduction of your budget by three percent starting out, uh, how you're gonna come up with the funding that we're saying that we can't for some reason.

And so I'm again of the mindset as you know to retain the facility.

I think that we have the capability of doing that, but that's my personal opinion.

Uh, but as a council, you know, that's uh we'll make that decision.

But my question to you is do you have specific sources that you can go to that you can say we need two million a year going forward that we can uh put towards facility uh maintenance.

Uh Councilmember Howerfield, I think what I've attempted to do is outline the sources of funding.

I assure you is, and first of all, thank you for your care and concern for our school and our health of our school.

I assure you as president that I think every day about how to make sure that this is a school that is sustainable for generations.

I would be putting to our board of trustees a plan that our board would consider that I believe would take into account the things that you're referencing.

And I think for the purposes of your question, I would just refer back to my answer with Councilmember Griffin, the various levers that I've outlined that we would be turning to, but we certainly believe we would step into this with eyes wide open.

Okay.

Thank you for your answer.

And again, thank you for your your service to our community.

I I have two individuals that work for me that both took classes and uh so I believe in vocational technical education I do, um, and I believe that uh CWI is offering us that uh direct uh market ability for students to be able to get into the workforce.

So thank you for that.

Thank you.

Councilman um Rodriguez and then Councilman Griffin.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, so President Jones, I have just a couple of questions here.

Um will CWI accept our contract that was written by by the city to install the training police facility and a recreation center.

Because I see the contract is kind of not really, and you haven't really said yay or nay yet, other than maybe.

What is your plan for that, sir?

Uh Councilman Rodriguez, I think I am uh I'm going to allow, I guess my comments would just center on at the end of the day, I would refer to the current draft agreement as representing what we are have have agreed in principle to those terms.

I I don't know in the event this evening were to go towards a conveyance.

I suspect there would need to be final um finalization of those terms.

But in those you'll see various commitments of different levels.

You'll see us talking about various intent.

But at the end of the day, we believe that academic activation can be uh is that the core at the kernel of where we see ourselves coming forward, we would step forward with eyes wide open into the management of these facilities.

We think the facilities themselves have academic benefit that is not currently being utilized.

But um I'll just let this the draft of the terms speak for themselves in terms of what various levels of commitment are reflected in there.

Okay, follow up, Mayor, please.

Also, the other thing is is what I wonder.

Um, have you in Oakview Group come to a com to an agreement somewhat of a handshake or even verbal of what your next should this occur that uh what you and Opiar Group would do to modernize or to enhance uh the Port Idaho Center property?

No.

Okay.

One more thing.

The thing I see is very important to our community is the Snake of a Stampede, that's by far one of the best in the country.

But the other thing is the Idaho Horse Park Foundation.

And even though a lot of the events come to NAMP because of them, I believe it's been secondary.

And uh more more maybe because of the profit, I don't know why, but that's what I see in my opinion only.

It so is there any ability for you as the new well I'm not gonna say anyway because I'm gonna I'm gonna vote against it, but but um for you to see in your vision uh remodernizing all the property of the Idaho Horse Park.

I mean, property that involves Idaho Horse Park, because that's a viable, really uh beneficial to our community.

Councilman Rodriguez, uh I have personally participated in at least two discussions with uh groups of representatives from the Horse Park Association.

I think I have consistently conveyed that I uh am excited to hear about the vibrancy as they share with me.

I'm excited to see that continue.

I believe we've continued to talk about, and you heard in my remarks, my testimony that I continue to be excited to have those activities.

There's no plans to be somehow stopping or being in the way of those.

Um I'm excited for the vibrancy of what those bring.

And um, and I guess I'll leave the remainder of that to the various conversations we've had with the very principal individuals themselves rather than engage in um dias-based negotiation on that.

Okay.

I I I worry about that sometimes because I think in the contract it says that if they if they aren't fulfilling their part that you don't have to accept them any longer.

So I kind of worry about that.

Representative Rodriguez, thank you.

Um I don't I have not recalled by chapter and verse every word that's in the draft of the agreement, but uh at the end of the day, we are engaging with the various constituencies that have been using this property.

I think at a concept level, it's very normal that people engage in in entities have uh anticipated roles, responsibilities.

Um there is no situation where um you know we convey what we intend to do, and and I think whatever language is in there is designed to try to have an appropriate amount of relationship between the two parties, but I can't recall specifically chapter and verse the actual words you're referencing, but I too care about a community.

We to be honest with you, uh our name says College of Western Idaho.

I think of the West.

I think about conversations that I've had in this case with the Stampede Board, talking about uh a rodeo, and I believe by extension, the act the very roles that have made the West the West to me includes things like the activities that go around horses, horses have helped build the West, and fundamentally understanding how we as a community can continue to engage in both the professions, the recreation, and fundamentally introduce new residents moving in who don't come from areas where that is.

I myself didn't grow up in that community.

I happen to have taught high school at a rural Arizona school on a 30,000 acre cattle ranch that did have tremendous horse activity, and I can tell you that I certainly have no interest in saying goodbye, and I do have interest in saying hello to making sure these are activities that are relevant, but I do require and benefit from the organizations themselves to bring that expertise.

I can't bring it, and so therefore you see these agreements and these various in statements within these agreements around either relationship or formalized agreements that reflect that.

But I wanted to share a little bit of where I come from personally on that.

Yes, I know that I I know your premier resulted, but thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Councilman Griffin.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just uh going down the vein of the vision again.

I think you did the high level.

Uh can you express to the people online and here what the next five years looks like at that facility and potentially 10 years.

I know it's very preliminary, this is very premature.

Uh unlike the last two council members, I'm not, I don't have a position at this point, and I'm really am on the fence.

So I I'd like to hear more clarification on an understanding of what that looks like either way this goes, retaining or conveying.

So you're the best person for that, the conveyance picture, I think, and explaining that.

Yeah, I think um council member Griffin, I appreciate the question.

I think first of all, I only anticipated three minutes up here, and uh and have had the benefit of many questions and thank you.

I think that from the standpoint of um articulating that vision, I think there's always going to be a desire for levels of precision, certainty, certainty, and clarity.

Fundamentally, what I can tell you is that first and foremost, we will work very closely to make sure that the activities of today have a model that is sustainable that we can support because as you've seen, there is work to be done.

No matter who owns this property, there is work and resources that need to be deployed.

I've called out, I believe, different sources, but fundamentally, what's happening today needs to be uh strategically designed in a way to make sure that it can be sustainable.

Within that, you will see a school, and I have several colleagues here tonight who may themselves have an opportunity, I believe, to share their three minutes that will reflect academic enthusiasm for how we would utilize this property, where our board and leadership conviction can lend that clarity of support to me and my attempts to bring vitality to 95 full acres, married with a hundred acres that sits across those railroad tracks that I referenced for that roughly 200-acre campus.

As we grow from 31,000, I am designing a campus, as I mentioned earlier, that's going to be intending to support upwards of 50,000, more than we are likely to be dealing with a contracting enrollment.

We're growing, and I think part of that is because what we do, it's incredible affordable.

Uh over 6,000 NAMPA residents benefit you yourself, I believe.

I I mean that in a positive way, I'm not calling it out, but I there's many graduates here.

Our fill the boot, one of our fire graduates was just talking, she was talking about things.

This is this is a community that I think um people respond to that affordability, that workforce design, and I think you'd see us continue to activate that.

That could look like expanded academic space that could look like employers who are able to locate and create internship opportunities that looks like resources our community could be participating in.

We are very eager to step into that.

But to sit here and the practicality of saying in five years, blank blank, blank and blank, it's just not realistic with where the market.

I don't know where our market will go, I don't know where world events will go, I don't know where interest rates will go.

But I do know that we wouldn't be stepping into this without a clear sense for how a school that's on the move can try to continue to serve the public and activate it.

Thank you.

Unless there are further questions, thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, next person.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Jim Reims, and on deck is Denise Amerly Canada, Mike Pena, Victor Miller, and Curtis Homer.

Good evening, and go ahead and give us a name and address.

Mayor Council Jim Reams, uh 204, South Dudley Lane, Namp, Idaho.

I'm representing our board trustees.

I am the chair.

Which also means we don't have a formal vote, we don't have something to dialogue and convey over this can or discuss over this conveyance quite yet.

So uh I'm coming probably from more of a neutral space than a lot, as I don't want to speak on the rest of my fellow trustees' behalfs.

But me personally, I call this home.

I grew up here.

I'm a St.

Luke's kid.

I've called NAMPA home since 1996 where I started my time at NU.

Had lots of opportunities to move and leave, but I still have an AMP address today.

And I I was here when the Ford I.O.

Center went up.

I remember the excitement and the buzz around it.

I've taken my family to monster truck rallies there and everything else in between.

We've celebrated birthdays there.

We've hung out the rodeo room and had big parties with my parents.

You guys have a big decision ahead of you.

There's a lot of weight on your shoulders.

I want you to know CWI supports you whichever way you go.

You each bring something unique and dynamic to the table, and we thank you for the friction, even though we may not always agree with it.

And we look forward to your next steps, and we welcome the opportunity.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Council, do you have any questions?

Mayor, I have a question.

Yes.

Thank you.

Jim, thank you for coming tonight.

Um it's been stated several times by this council, members on this council, anyway, that we shouldn't be in the entertainment business.

Why would CWI want to be in the entertainment business?

Uh because that's basically what the Ford Idaho Center is.

Can you speak to that?

Yeah, councilman, thank you for the questions.

I really cannot speak to that in depth.

Why look at other venues across the state, be at Boise State, or CSIs, or up north, or even oh man, Vandal Nation, I guess, or Idaho State.

They all have venues of different sorts that produce and have entertainment coming in.

I think there's a big opportunity there.

So a follow-up mayor, then that poses a problem for me to try to justify why CWI would be a better purveyor of that entity that's a city isn't already been uh taken care of for the last 30 years.

Uh it's been spoken of earlier.

I I listened to it on the way in about the dollars that were not generated.

Um again, I and I can speak to that later on as far as what my understanding was from the beginning.

It was never intended to be in the black.

It was always expected to be in the red.

That was the bigger picture of what would be growing around it that made the the greater impact to our community.

So again, I I asked the question: why would CWI be a better um manager of the entertainment side of it?

And it's I'm not hearing that CWI would be, it'd be Oakview Group, or it'd be an event manager like Oakview Group that would be the ones that would be responsible for that.

You don't have any sports programs, that's where I mentioned uh Notre Dame BSU.

That was a pretty major uh competition that took place on that field, but it took hundreds of years to get it to that point.

You're a very young institution, so again, I'm wondering why CWI would be a better uh manager of that facility than the city of Nampa.

Yeah, great questions.

I'm gonna probably actually defer back to either President Jones or one of my folks that are at CWI running the day-in-day operations from my chair.

Again, presentations coming to us, just as you guys are asking me questions.

We'll also go to our executive group and field similar questions.

But I think that is a fair question.

Thank you.

And and you don't need to bring them back.

Uh maybe it'll be answered by someone else in line.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Yes.

I do just have one and real simple.

Uh I tried to get President Jones and it got divert deferred to trustee.

You're aware that this has a potentially 20, 15, 20, 25, 28 million dollar deferred maintenance ticket on that.

Does that make you nervous?

Does that make you hesitant, or is it something that you're willing and ready to embrace and chip away at fixing that problem that has become a problem through the city while we've retained it?

Councilman, yes, that is a significant real question and real concern.

We've been fortunate because we have a foundation, and we've gotten good feedback from foundation members and folks who donate to us.

Donate to the city of NAMPA versus donating a CWI has a different feel about it.

And people are more what we have found are more excited to donate to us because of who we are and less likely to donate to the city of NAPA to help perpetuate and do what's occurring now.

That is a real number.

And I have tore apart the financials back to 97, and I've gone through every of them, every single thing, tooth and nail.

It's there's some numbers there that when the presentations come to us, we'll look at them, we'll go through it, and we'll come to a conclusion of how to best execute on it.

But there are lots of people who are very interested in helping CWI see this be successful.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Denise Aberley Canada, and on deck is Mike Pena, Victor Miller, Curtis Homer, Sherry Boardman, and Mitch Manetti.

Thank you, Mayor Kling and Council.

Denise Auberley Canada, the provost and vice president of academic affairs at the College of Western Idaho, 5500 Opportunity Drive in NAMPA.

I'm here to speak from an academic perspective, and also address as President Jones stated, we've had 6,000 graduates of NAMPA residents who've earned certificate in various degrees.

In addition, several employers from the NAMPA area serve on our tactical advisory committees.

Several employers in the NAMPA area hire the graduates from CWI.

And many of you can see or you've heard the new facilities that we've just opened up that have allowed us to move some of our programs back to NAMPA and to grow those programs.

And with the conveyance of the Ford Center, we look at another opportunity to do some strategic looking into the future for the next five to ten years.

What does that landscape look like?

What are the programs that are emerging today?

What can we expand at CWI that would cover some of the not the entertainment perspective, but we have digital marketing, hospital, excuse me, hospitality, IT, event management, business degrees, all of which would lend themselves to possible internship apprenticeship positions for our students to be able to expand and as businesses come around the Idaho Ford Center, it would also increase additional opportunity, perhaps for some of our healthcare students and other programs that we have at CWI to support that.

So I stand down for any questions you may have.

Thank you very much.

Mayor?

Yes.

Um thank you, Denise.

I didn't get your last name written down, but got your first name.

That was what's important.

Um the indoor activity center and the sports facility are both large facilities.

They don't have classrooms per se.

How do you how do you see the ability to have those type of um areas within an established um event center and an indoor, you know, uh basically for horse purposes and the and the horse park?

How do you see that being used in the way that you described it without having to have major remodeling done?

Councilman Haverland, what I perceive is that we teach the students at CWI, and they would be able to go during an event.

They might shadow somebody, they might be an intern there to watch the real life, how it's done.

In a classroom, we can do theory and we can do lab, but in an actual facility, for example, some of our horticulture students, maybe they're gonna be doing groundskeeping at the Idaho Ford Center, you know, seeing from other people being able to do work study or apprenticeship.

Our um IT individuals might be able to assist in setting up an event at the Idaho Ford Center to where they learn how to work in a big venue, how things are different.

So they're getting actual practical hands-on experience with these things, but for the immediate future, not looking for classroom space, but opportunity for our students.

Okay, so you don't actually see any remodeling needed as far as of the current center as it's sits today.

I would defer to others on that, but in my folder here, I have done a five-year outlook to see what are some potential opportunities that would possibly require that.

But as of today, I'm trying to, you know, stay within the vision of if you were to convey that, what would be the primary opportunities that we could execute on with our current programs and students.

So five years out, there could be the potential for the need to remodel, is what I've just heard you say.

Is that a correct statement?

If we were to go that way and add additional programs or extensions of the programs that we offer.

Okay.

Um all right, thank you.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

Are there any other questions for Denise?

Seeing none, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Mike Pena, and on deck is Randy Hammerfield and William Rex.

We'll pause real quickly.

Randy, I think you had signed up, but you can speak later from the bench.

Oh, okay.

Is that good?

I I did that.

I did that because I didn't know if I was going to make it back in time.

I was still in Phoenix at that time.

Yeah, you can remove me there because I'll talk from here.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Good evening, Mike.

Good evening.

Madam Mayor, Honorable Council.

Uh, Mike Pena, 2659 West Primal Drive.

I'm not uh within the NAPA city limits.

I am here on the behalf of I'm a volunteer and I serve in the role in my fourth year as foundation president um for CWI.

If the Ford Idaho Center is conveyed by the city and accepted by the Board of Trustees, the CWI foundation board board is poised to jump into action to support fundraising and donor relations in concert with the advancement department.

The foundation has a past history of success and has a minute has many leaders that can offer professional experience and expertise in making this a successful endeavor.

If we find that different skill sets are needed, we are nimble and are able to reach out to other community members that may have that need that we need to fill.

CWI will secure funding through the foundation with private donations, public-private partnerships.

The college has no plans to increase property taxes or tuition to support the Fort Idaho Center.

As it stands now, only Napa City taxpayers shoulder the responsibility for the Idaho Center, where CWI has more financial options through its foundation.

CWI ownership furth the highest and best use of the property, preserving NAPPA traditions like the State River Stampede, while keeping the asset in public hands and under the direction of locally elected boards.

The venue cannot be sold by CWI.

If conditions change, it would be reverted back to the city.

The center's infrastructure also opens up new doors for the college to explore further athletic programs, including potentially building their rodeo team.

Additionally, the Fort Idaho Center becomes a platform for innovative academic expression.

The college could advance new degree programs in equine studies and hospitality management, leveraging the facility's unique resources for hands-on learning and internships and partnerships with venue businesses and regional employers.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Are there any other questions?

Any questions?

Mayor.

Sorry, I'm gonna ask several questions.

Thank you.

Uh Mike, thank you for coming tonight.

Um couple of questions for you.

I asked President Jones as far as on the fundraising fundraising side.

Um you've mentioned private donations, you mentioned um public-private partnerships.

Uh, that caught my attention.

Uh, are you talking about lease properties?

Are you talking about what are you talking about when you talk about public-private partnerships in the regard as far as fundraising for the Fort Idaho Center?

Um, they could look at things like potentially land that is bordering the Idaho Center Boulevard, which has a high commercial value.

We could potentially, of course, the Board of Trustees and the President would have to approve it, but there's a potential that a portion of that land could be put into a foundation type enterprise zone, or we could do a long-term land lease, like you and I have talked before, councilman our council member Haverfield and previous meetings, where there could be potential long-term leases where CWI owns the adjacent land.

One of the issues would be when you take that that prime frontage away to maybe do a lease for a development.

Um that parking could be moved to adjacent land that CWI owns because parking is very important.

We could do a long-term land lease on that, similar like we did on the downtown Boise Whitewater Center, which would bring additional revenue.

And I think it would also enhance the experience experience when you go to the Idol Center.

There could be restaurants there or other amenities where people go to enjoy a sporting event or a rodeo or a concert or a graduation, or they could get a meal, a cocktail, stay on campus, and it would uh enhance that experience.

That revenue there's there's many um other entities that have done similar things.

Uh we're not going to try to recreate their wheel.

Arizona State has an enterprise zone that's run by their foundation that is very similar to similar to this thinking, and that is one potential way to do that.

Thank you for um stating that again.

That's again the path that we were talking about as far as uh part of my um trying to come up with means to be able to come up with the dollars needed as far as for long-term revenue source.

Um you've just substantiated that.

So whether it's the city of NAMPA or CWI that's pursuing that, it's land that's being retained by the owner of the property and not being sold off to developers.

And then as far as the revenue as far as and the improvements as well that would come back as a in addition to the tax base.

I think as I've talked to developers, um they stated that from the beginning it should have been a joint venture approach, a common uh joint use agreement that might have been a path to go down between CWI and the city of NAMPA.

We never did discuss that as a council.

That's again, I'm I'm just bringing that forward as something that was offered as a solution.

The public-private partnership aspect of it was uh talked about as well.

So I think that there are um there are ways to to look at the funding from CWI standpoint from uh city of NAMPA standpoint.

So that's I'm just trying to get to the point where I understand uh the true value of what we're talking about here and how we can preserve this facility.

My last question for you it's five years from now, if uh CWI does look at remodeling and renovating and doing different things, and things don't work out ten years from now, and the city has to take back this facility.

Do you put it back to where it is today?

Uh as far as I know that's what's in the conveyance agreement.

Um, what takes place at that point from a standpoint of of obligation by CWI to return to the city of Nampa?

Uh is that in that conveyance agreement, Preston?

Maybe that's a question for you.

Uh Mayor, Councilman Averfield, uh it does address that.

Uh again, the document speaks for itself.

Um I can summarize though, uh, but I refer to it to speak for itself, um, that it would be returned in good condition upon an event of um they're wanting to sell it without a written consent.

That's as drafted right now, but the document will speak for itself.

Well, they can't sell the property, right?

That's what's in the agreement.

It's a proposed term, that's correct.

Yep.

Um so again, I mean, um I'm just trying to vet out all of the aspects of it.

I'm not trying to put you on the spot or anybody else.

I'm just trying to understand on the behalf of the of the people that we represent, uh, what we're talking about here, because there's a lot of moving parts to it, and we need to make sure that we're making uh a good decision.

So thank you.

Appreciate your time.

Are there yes, Councilman Rodriguez?

Mike, I have a question for you.

You talked about the enterprise zone.

Does CWI have access and ability to pursue an enterprise zone?

Because you're not a government entity.

I think the city is, so what that equals is taxes.

Right.

Not sure what your definition is, Councilman Rodriguez, but um the foundation, I believe, as a as a as a nonprofit, um, and I'm certainly not a attorney and would defer to legal counsel with CWI um on the proper structure of that, but I believe there's been other models out there where the there's an enterprise zone that's controlled by the foundation, and um as far as managing it.

And you know, like I said, the intent would be to um potentially look at that that frontage on Idaho Center where the most value of the land is.

Um the I think the challenge with the city doing that is the loss of parking that the the that facilities already um parking-wise is very tight for the large event.

So if that land were to be removed and developed, um I think the challenge the city would have is you know, where where does the the parking go?

Where CWI owns the adjacent land next to it, a lot of it's not being utilized.

We we could we could pave that land and have um additional parking available.

And if I could follow up on the enterprise zone from a taxation standpoint, so whether it be the city or CWI, neither of which pay property tax.

However, if a building were to be put on the property with a long-term land lease, that tax revenue would come to the city.

Oh, it would.

Yes, it would come back.

I don't think it goes to CWI.

Correct, it would come to the city.

Right, is that okay?

That's what I'll do.

Yeah, so if there's a restaurant that's built on that land lease, the value of the structure would be taxable and would go into the city of Napas coffers, is my understanding.

That is correct.

Yes.

So for the people out here, let me tell them what the definition is.

Is a specifically designated geographic area where governments offer economic incentives, such as tax breaks and financial concessions to stimulate investment, job creation, and community revitalization in economically distressed areas.

So I just want to tell the people that's what it is.

So but the clarification, thank you, Mayor, that we would be receiving those taxes.

Yes, if I may.

This is always one that I think is a little tricky to get around.

Um in Idaho, an enterprise zone is a concept.

It's not a legal entity, like you see an auditorium district or something like that.

Um at the federal level in 2017, I believe uh the Trump administration created an economic zone, and that was designated certain areas.

There's some in NAMPA.

This particular site is not part of that.

Um but what was described here, the ground lease idea, that concept can have an enterprise value, it's just a concept.

So just so the public's aware, um, that's really what the issue or the operation is.

But enterprise zone is is not a something I don't legislature is created by statute as a tool in the city's tool bill.

That's not it's not a thing, but the concept is I think what's hitting on here, Mayor.

Thank you, Council.

I'm just a humble servant.

Uh that's a fundraiser.

So yeah.

Thank you, Mike.

Thank you, Mike.

Are there any other questions for Mike?

Mike, thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Victor Miller, and on deck is Curtis Homer, Sherry Boardman, Mitch Manetti, William Rex, and Joe Hallows.

Mayor Klingon Council members, I'm Victor Miller.

I am at 7009 North Sperring Rim Place in Meridian, lover of the Fort Ido Center, and I've covered the media business on Wall Street for 21 years.

Please pause and study the decision to can sell conveyor keep the Ford Ido Center, because important questions are still unanswered, and concrete financial analysis comparing each alternative has not been done.

For those that wish to retain FIC, Oakview Group, AEG, Live Nation and Legends Hospitality are leaders in live entertainment.

With OVG's September 2027 contract expiration approaching, has a request for proposal been initiated to explore whether the city might get a better deal.

Is the council and the public aware of OVG's May 2024 proposal to invest $8 million to renovate FIC's amphitheater to world class standards by June 2025, which should have locked in Live Nation artists, contributed a dollar per ticket sold at the amphitheater for the CapEx plan for the arena and horse park and potentially increase net profits to FIC.

Could the city make more for naming rights?

Could FIC sell its ticketing service to a major ticketing player rather than convey could CWI become another FIC client?

According to the October 2nd, 2025 conveyance and acquisition agreement just released, CWI can revert the title back to the city, quote, in the event that CWI abandons the real property, or if CWI conveys or sells the title to another party without the city's consent.

That is new language, the abandonment.

Well, FIC should be in good operating condition, similar to the condition at the time of conveyance.

There's no recourse should FIC be in worse condition when reconveyed.

In reality, this gives the city a 100% risk, non-long-term solution, and how will the city recover the 35 million it already invested in FIC.

If FIC could be sold, and the value could be 75 million, and a recent appraisal suggests that maybe selling could be a very constructive option.

So would it be more prudent to entertain selling FIC closer to OVG's September 30th, 2027, end of contract date?

Where AEG, Legends, and Live Nation, part of the recent bidding process you just did.

Is the mayor of the staff or this council aware of any specific discussions to purchase any portion of FIC, the horse park arena or amphitheater?

The bottom line is NAMPAS citizens own FIC and wants what's best for their asset.

Consult experts, fully vet each option, and come back to the public with specific side-by-side comparisons of the financial impact to the city, that each option can already that can clearly be presented and make your case there.

There's been no financials presented at all, no side-by-side comparisons.

You can't really tell definitively which option is the best.

Therefore, I would say retain to the point that you can clearly tell the public which is the superior option.

I'm not against any of the options.

Just now.

Thank you.

Mayor.

Yes.

Who were the groups that you had listed?

So AEG, which is owned by Irving A.

Zoff.

He's the manager of the Eagles.

He's one of the largest players.

Live Nation is the largest national player in live entertainment.

And Legends Entertainment, which is owned by Jerry Jones, who owns the Cowboys.

He just bought the largest worldwide entertainment business.

So those three players are major players, even bigger than OVG, I believe.

And they should have been consulted and should have been part of the bidding process before we gave up on the selling of this property.

So I'd like to just speak to that.

So Live Nations is in business and does a ton of business with OVG.

They are not the same business type at all.

OVG is a management company, Live Nation, as he's mentioned, is with a AEG and Live Nation are managing the acts.

But we work directly with Live Nation.

OVG does.

And a lot of our acts are coming from Live Nation, very strong relationship there.

They are aware of this.

It isn't that we haven't spoken with them.

OVG is very well aware, and Live Nation is very well aware.

So they're competitors.

Right.

So Live Nation owns a ton of amphitheaters themselves.

They develop them.

And Live Nation right now is exclusive relationships with three players, BSU at the stadium and with the Taco, well, it used to be Taco Bell.

And then also with the ICCU center and with you guys for different types of acts.

If I if they bought this, they would probably exclusively more towards uh coming to the amphitheater over everybody else and the arena.

I can say I'm very familiar with all of that with all of them and the the relationship and the did all four people bid on this property.

We we put the opportunity in a request out there.

They did not.

And we mentioned to OVG was very well aware of it.

They worked very closely.

The promoters that you're referring to all work with OVG and with the arena.

They're all well aware of it.

It is not a surprise.

And they could have put in, but no one did any gave us any interest in our solicitation for interest.

I was just saying I worked on Wall Street for 21 years in the media business, and I would have retained a Wall Street firm or somebody when you talk about a 75 to 150 million dollar asset.

It should be the a world class person who's retained.

Okay.

Thank you.

Yes.

Councilman Haverfield.

Just a quick question for you, Mr.

Miller.

I in my conversations, I've understood that a lot of these the uh the AEG Live Nation Legends, they don't look to own, they would rather lease.

No, they absolutely own.

They do own yeah, I used to cover Live Nation on when I was on Wall Street, helped take it public.

They absolutely own amphitheaters.

Just the amphi theaters.

No, they own they own talent amphitheaters, they want to be vertically integrated.

Ticketing, ticket master, all was owned by Clear Channel at one point.

So are you saying that a solicitation to these four for the potential could be a good idea?

They're aware of it though.

I will say, so Randy, this is not some I'm with all due respect.

This is not new.

They are very well aware of it.

They would be aware of it through OVG.

The owners and the leaders of OVG are very closely aligned here.

They're very well aware of it.

And those opportunities can present themselves, but they're very well aware of it.

Mayor, I was gonna ask you what was the window of time offered to the community or basically to the world uh purchase.

How long it was September 2nd through October 1st.

I would have to look, is that correct?

I think we released it on Clay has it in his thing.

It was one month.

It was a month.

I reached out to the International Association of Venue Managers, talked to them about it.

That is the organization that has the it's the association related to every large stadium arena in the nation.

And but they did not pursue it because they that's not what they do.

But what's important is a OVG is very well aware.

Peter Luco, who is one of the top players in the nation that is at the top of OVG, very involved with Live Nation.

All these guys know one another.

It's it's a it's a big world, but it's a small world.

They are aware.

This is not a surprise.

Well, that again, our local promoters maybe were less aware, but the ones that we're working with closely, which I know that uh Victor knows them, um, they're yeah, aware.

Well, you've you've confused me.

Uh, because again, my conversation was that they aren't interested in purchasing.

Now I'm hearing that they totally are.

So no, what I'm saying is that I would have approached all four specifically with the opportunity because they all own, they all are in the amphitheater business, the live entertainment business.

I think that this would be a very true event.

This is the largest venue in the state of Idaho.

It's a very attractive asset.

Right.

Which we will talk about when we're done.

So now's not the time to, we will have a discussion if we want to sell this facility.

And what we've heard from the community thus far is there's not an interest, but that discussion will come.

Thank you.

Yes.

Could could Andrew or is Rick Kennedy in the room to be able to attest to that.

That also sparked your piqued my curiosity, is the amount of information that they received in the solicitation process, and that's why before I we had gone through the slides, that sparked my interest, and now hearing it again, it's sparking my interest.

The solicitation for interest was in our packet.

And so I'm not sure if Rick Kennedy is here.

I'm not seeing him at the moment.

But the solicitation of interest was in our packet.

We talked about that a little bit ago.

That how we put that out, and it was out for almost a month.

Specifically, we put that out, and we did specifically reach out to OVG to ensure that they had it and that the leadership.

And I'm sure that Peter Luco and Rick and your leadership team all had that yes.

Seeing the yes they did.

So the people that you're referencing are very well aware.

We did not go to competitors, but we also had not talked about selling the property because the what we're hearing back from the citizens is they don't want to give this property away.

They don't want to sell it.

And we we'll come back to that when we discuss the selling, but the communication has taken place.

Okay, Mayor.

Can you speak to it now, or should I wait till the end after?

Either way, if he can stick around and are you gonna be here later?

So when we get to that portion on the agenda, when we talk about the retain, sell, or can they we'll come back to this discussion and Andrew will have ask him up.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Curtis Homer, and on deck is Sherry Boardman, Mitch Manetti, William Rex, Jill Hallows, and Debbie Bartlow.

Mayor, council, thank you for having us tonight.

I'm Curtis Homer, 14316 Inspiration Place.

The uh, as you all know, I don't talk real fast, but I read even slower.

So uh what we're doing tonight is trying to decide, and you have to make that decision on what path you want to take.

I will cover a couple of things in in our past that may help.

Uh I'm not here representing the snake river stampede, even though I have my red shirt on, but uh it was that or bib overalls, okay.

And the Idaho Horse Park.

The information I'm offering now is a citizen of Napa.

I've been a citizen and my family's been here for over 40 years.

Retired chief of police and former city council members.

So I've sat in those seats before.

Uh back in the 90s, 92 to 95, a group of people here in town, uh, Steve Tester, Ken Harwood, so and so forth, they were looking for uh a new location to move the old rodeo grounds.

It was on Garrety.

We had 23 acres there that uh the city ended up with.

The um they were looking at that time to move it because of the condition of the old arena.

It was a wooden structure and it was it was needing to be replaced.

So they found the land out there where the Fort Idaho Center is now.

I think it's 109 acres.

I could be wrong on that.

But um while they were making plans, it originally was going to be for a rodeo grounds.

They spent over 200,000 just building the amphitheater, the berms out there.

And during that, the planning time, Steve told me I talked to him again this morning.

He was on that uh he was a banker at the time, and he said that uh they decided to to build an indoor so they could have winter uh events and also um uh community events.

So at that time, Gardy was two lane, and the city limits kind of ended out there about King's Road.

So if you look at all the businesses that's out there since we built the Idaho Center, I mean just look at the taxes that that brings in.

Just the horse shows and the rodeo brings in 20 to 25 million dollars a year times 24 years, and you got a lot of money coming at the city of Napa.

And that goes to build new businesses.

It goes to build the CWI.

And I've had meetings with CWI with uh President Jones, and uh I'm convinced that we're covered that we'll go ahead and have a rodeo regardless of it's owned by the city, or if it's owned by uh CWI.

I think we're covered in that for horse shows and so forth.

It's in your agreement.

And that's a that's a fluid thing right now, the agreement, so we can get all the wording just right.

But I I look forward to I look forward to working with them.

Whoever's city or CWI.

Quick question.

Is Steve Tester here?

No, he had uh he has surgeries afternoon, so he said he wouldn't be here.

If I remember correctly, he is very supportive of this, and he was part of the initial land transaction.

Is that correct?

Right.

He was part of that uh North Nappa uh urban renewal back then.

They started, he said they started that uh and purchase the land and then turned that over to the city.

And then later on, some of the buildings out there, like the ticket office was actually built by the NAMPA Industrial Commission that was in there.

And then that was uh that building was put there so that they could have as kind of a tourist thing to draw tourists in.

And he said they would uh arrange that building, and that's the one as you go into the Idaho Center where our office is.

And that was built uh so that they could provide a place for people to come to to catch buses to go on tours to build the area.

So I think they did their job really well as far as building up this city because it's it's a wonderful place to live, and um we understand all the boards that I serve on and people I talk to understands that for the 23 acres that the rodeo board uh provided, then uh we we got it for two weeks a year.

We get the the Fort Idaho Center to use, and CWI has agreed to continue that contract, and uh we pay the rodeo board pays every bill that's during that two-week period.

So, from the garbage to the salary, you know.

Thank you for sharing that.

Council, do you have any questions?

Okay, thank you again.

Thank you very much.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Sherry Boardman, and on deck is Mitch Manetti, William Rex, Jill Hallows, Debbie Bartlow, and David Ferdinand.

Hi, Sherry Boardman.

Uh president of the Idaho Horse Park Foundation, 999 Cow Horse Drive, Cuna, Idaho, 83634.

So, Madam Mayor, members of the City Council, thank you for the opportunity to speak about a subject that's very dear to my heart, the Idaho Horse Park.

My foremost concern is for the Idaho horse industry and the many benefits it brings to the state and this community.

We have worked very hard to develop the Fort Idaho Horse Park, and as we all know, it generates a tremendous amount of economic impact.

Many of our local businesses depend on this income.

In addition, the horse park participants contribute a significant portion of the tax revenue for the newly created auditorium district.

The horse park is not an entertainment venue.

It is an essential part of our community and our state's equine industry.

It supports tourism business and the preservation of our Western heritage.

The Fort Idaho Center is a multi-use facility with diverse purposes.

One side functions as an entertainment entity while the other represents an industry that drives economic impact and tourism.

Balancing both interests under one ownership can be quite challenging.

And but with careful management and understanding of the two different worlds, it can be done and it can be maintained successfully.

And the ownership, whoever that is, needs to juggle these diverse interests with fairness and foresight.

While there are many concert venues in our area and more being proposed, I understand that the Ford Idaho Center's need to stay competitive.

However, there's not another horse facility of this caliber in the Northwest anywhere.

This is what truly sets Nampa apart and makes the horse park a tourism destination and a source of community pride because it is part of the Idaho Ford Idaho Center facility.

I believe its importance in our community kind of gets overlooked at times.

I have had the privilege of meeting with the representatives from CWI and offering input on what the horse park is and what it represents to this community.

If they are granted ownership, CWI has committed to maintaining the horse park show season, preserving all current events and allowing for the development of new shows uninterrupted for 10 years with an option for renewal.

I also want to thank the current city leaders and Madam Mayor for the genuine support you have shown the horse park.

And to note that if the decision is to keep the property, we look forward to continuing our positive relationship.

We must be very careful to recognize the tremendous benefits the horse park provides and ensure what whoever assumes ownership understands its value, supports its mission, and remains committed to improving and maintaining this world class facility.

We need ownership that views the horse park as the incredible community asset it is, one worthy of preservation, growth, and building.

We also need assurances from the city that this asset, these shows, this part of the facility remains intact for the future.

Tonight I ask you to be thoughtful and deliberate in this decision.

Let's carefully consider what outcome will best preserve this asset, protect its tourism value, uphold our Western heritage, and sustain the economic vitality it brings to this community.

Thank you.

I made it.

Yes.

You did it.

I was watching that.

You did so good.

That was a push to the minute to the second.

Yes, Councilman Griffin.

Thank you.

Sherry, you've been one of the ones I've been sitting on my hands waiting to hear from.

So I'm glad you're here.

Is 10 years sufficient in the agreement that you feel comfortable if we did move to convey that that term is sufficient for the needs of the uh horse park facilities?

Oh boy, that's a very good question.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um Councilman Griffin.

That would be great to think.

Let me just say that in a perfect world, I would prefer that I didn't have any limitations because I would love to grow the horse park to being even bigger than it is today.

I would love to see it expand more.

Um, I feel that under the circumstances, I felt that CWI is being very gracious and kind to allow us that 10-year limit that assures the horse shows that are currently at the horse park and even some that we may cultivate that there is a future there.

Follow up.

Yes.

Do you have any hesitation or concern that CWI having the ownership go to CWI?

You personally and the whole the foundation.

I have had such a good experience with CWI and speaking with CWI and the people that are on staff there.

I think they're amazing people and very pro forward thinking and that kind of thing.

Of course, I have hesitancies, but I'll be perfectly honest with you.

I have hesitancy staying in the city too because every four years we have a new administration, and every four years there's something that comes up that we're always having to re-educate.

So I'm gonna say it's 50-50.

I'm gonna be Switzerland right here.

That doesn't help this Switzerland, so I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Haverfield.

Sherry, thank you for coming tonight.

Um in the past 12 years, as I've been sitting on this council, there have been nights where there's a sea of red shirts that show up in the room, the Idaho Horse Foundation uh folks show up.

Uh, you get our interest, obviously, because of the support that you have and the money that you've invested out there.

My concern for you, um, concern for the process is to make sure that you re you stay whole.

I'm what I'm hearing, and I guess I need clarity on is this 10-year time frame and what it means to you, and if in 11 years, CWI finds that they might need some of that property back there for dorm buildings or something, and you end up losing something.

It's already been stated tonight that the potential for land leases along Canada can take away some parking area.

Now that volume can be uh picked up with other parking areas in and around off of the Ford Idaho Center property.

I'm just wondering from your perspective, what's the 10-year and what happens after 11 years where something starts happening where you're not comfortable any longer, and are you thinking that you're looking to have to find another location after 10 years or work with something less than what you currently are working with today?

Because I know that we've spent a lot of money to help you have uh full service RV spots and it's just underground facilities, but what does that mean to you 10 years, 11 years from now?

Uh can you share that so that I understand?

Thanks, Councilman Haverfeld.

That's a very intricate question and something that's rather difficult, but I'll do my best.

It would break my heart to see the horse park dismantled or not be used utilized for the intention that we have obviously invested so much time and effort and finances for.

Um so it it challenges me with a couple of things.

Would I when if I could see that the horse park was going away, would I be interested in developing a larger horse park or being in you know involved in that?

Definitely.

And I think there's an interest because this area is prime.

It's a prime location for huge shows to locate based on the fact that it's it's close to California, it's close to all sorts of places, and people from Texas come all over, they like it here.

The climate is good for us in the summer, that kind of thing.

If this is conveyed, is to try to show CWI that this is a viable operation, and it's something very good for the community.

My concern is of course for the economic impact and for the businesses and that kind of thing.

I think the horse park is an amazing amazing facility asset to this city.

So I would have a difficult time with it going away.

You know, I never it's always it's not in my hands.

You know, all I can do is is try my hardest, which we've done since 2001.

And I'm getting older.

You asked me 10 years.

I'm telling you, I might not be here in 10 years.

But I'll do my darnedest for 10 years.

And I'd like to say that um I just made note in CWI Clay.

This is a question that we're gonna give because the answer really is CWI's answer.

So please put that on the docket as something you guys respond to to answer the question about 10 years, not right now, but with later on.

So any other questions?

Yeah, it's just um it's fortunate on the way back from Phoenix to hear we uh were able to sit with a young team roper from Homedale and uh 18-year-old, and and he's just he's all in for uh for rodeo.

I mean, he's uh he's one of those guys you you're gonna see him uh on TV one of these days, and he's competed already at the Stake River Stampede.

Um wonderful, uh respectful young man, and that's what I've seen so much uh come out of the Snake River Stampede.

Uh how you set a model and with the horse foundation as well, the equestrian side, how important it is to our community because we are an agricultural based community.

So again, I would not want to see any changes.

But if it's outside of our control, we we can't control that.

And what's best for CWI then takes the day.

So that's where I have a concern.

Right.

And the horse industry in Idaho is a huge industry, it's a large industry, and not having full use of the horse shows at the horse park would definitely impact the horse industry in Idaho.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

Sherry, thank you so much.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Mitch Manetti, and on deck is William Rex, Joe Hallows, Debbie Bartlow, and David Ferdinand.

Good evening, Mayor and Council Friends, Mitch Manetti, 16740 North Gentry Drive.

Uh, just for clarity, that's about a half a mile from both CWI campus and the Fort Idaho Center.

Um I'll be brief.

I just want to remind us all two and a half, three hours ago we all stood for the pre the pledge and the prayer.

And so far the comments have been great, and I challenge and encourage my friends following to do the same.

We quickly forget when we stand and do the prayer and the pledge, and then we get into disagreements on on beliefs and thoughts.

Um so I first and foremost commend each one of you.

I know this is a very tough decision.

Uh my day job is at the NAPA Chamber of Commerce.

We've had we play a direct role with tourism in the community.

We have a great relationship with CWI.

We have a great relationship with the city of NAMPA.

Um my challenge to you, my encouragement, my hope for you is to come to a decision tonight.

Um just for the sake of our community.

I think more time does not um provide more opportunity.

I think we're going we're dividing versus coming together.

Um I have sat in town halls and I've heard parking lot meetings afterwards, I've been in coffee shops, I've heard from CWI, I've heard from many of you in this room, and I don't like NAPA not coming together.

I see as being more divided.

So I'm not sure somebody can convince me otherwise, but I'm not sure more time is going to bring more clarity and bring us together.

So I know it's a heavy decision for you all.

Um you just heard directly the two friends in front of me, Sherry the Horse Park and Chief Curtis Homer, Snake River versampede that both said that they have full confidence in CWI.

Um I have not yet heard anybody else come with any better idea to the table.

Um, and so the chamber of commerce encourages you to be brave and bold and make the decision that you need to make so that we can move forward.

You already know no matter what decision you make, you're gonna make some people happy and some people are not gonna be happy based on your vote.

Um, but I think uncertainty is is creating division, and at some point we just need to make the decision and then support that.

Um, you have my full support no matter what the outcome, and I think a lot of people in this room would feel the same way.

Yes, people have to process it and figure out the dynamics once a decision's made, but I think in this case, uncertainty is bringing division, and I don't like that for our NAMPA community.

And so um, on behalf of the NAPA chamber, um we will support either one.

And so um on behalf of the NAMPA chamber, um, we will support either one, but again, you only have one once in a life a lifetime opportunity here.

Um this is a major decision, but it this this is right in front of you to do something significant for NAMPA.

Um doing nothing, I think is unacceptable.

We've heard that.

Um, so now is the time.

We're not gonna have a lot of these opportunities.

So with that, the NAPA chamber encourages you.

We have full support in College of Western Idaho.

Um we've done two ribbon cuttings there, about 65 million dollars worth of buildings under construction currently, and we've done two urban cuttings in the last 60 days there, so um, I see no reason why we shouldn't have full confidence in them.

So with that, I will stand and I'll end with um thank you for your service.

You have a very tough job, and we stand behind you no matter no matter the outcome.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council, do you have any questions?

Thank you very much.

Appreciate it.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is William Rex, and on deck is Jill Hallows, Debbie Bartlow, David Ferdinand, and Stuart Heidman.

Good evening.

My name is William Langdon Rex.

1216 Holly Street, Nampaido.

I came here on July the 4th, 1980.

I lived here ever since.

The situation is uh very simple, it's local.

You have a local college that needs more room, needs more future.

So convey the property to the college.

That's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions?

Thank you so much for taking the time to be here tonight.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Our next speaker is Joe Hallows, Debbie Bartlow, David Ferdinand, Stuart Heidman, and Noreen Newes.

And if I could just um request that people start lining up behind the podium to make this go faster.

Thank you.

My name is Jill Hallows, 603 West Crimson Loop Nampa.

Um there has been so much conflicting information.

Um the auditorium district will provide funds for the FIC, and then well, no, it won't.

Uh the FIC is underutilized versus oh OVG is doing a great job.

Um there's 25 million in deferred maintenance according to CWI's estimate.

I don't know that we've ever heard any real actual numbers.

Um it it just feels like there's been a lot of research and um time given to the CWI conveyance versus having uh an objective outside person to represent the citizens and the city of NAMPA to do like Victor Miller said, a side-by-side comparison.

Um there's I would I would like to have someone present in behalf of the city.

There are contract finalizations details that need to be worked out still.

I would hope that you as a council aren't going to vote before those details are worked out.

There just are things that haven't been done yet, and I don't know why we're in such a hurry to make a decision when it feels like the job isn't complete for now analysis of this side by side.

Um I would admonish you to postpone any decision until you've consulted with experts, fully evaluated every aspect of keeping the FIC.

And um I've even thought that we're going to have a new mayor soon, and perhaps since the new mayor will inherit this whole thing wherever it goes, that that person should be involved in this.

So anyway, I would just like to see a little bit more fairness.

Honestly, I don't I'm not in favor or against at this point, but it just doesn't sit right with me that it hasn't been equally assessed.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, I I'd like to ask, is Debbie Bartlow here?

Okay.

If we again, if we could have people start lining up to make this go faster for everyone.

That was only three steps away.

Okay, so we are asking people to line up so it can go quickly.

Uh if we could have David Ferdinand, Stuart Hydman, Noreen Nunes, and Gary Bartlow on deck, please.

Thank you.

I'm Debbie Bartlow.

I live at C51418 away.

Now I don't.

I just have two points.

Much like the previous speaker.

I don't believe we've had uh a discussion, a real discussion of options.

I believe it was decided by um some of the council before it was even presented to the people what they were going to do.

And I believe with all my heart that all these community sessions have just been uh like a box, I don't believe a box to check.

I don't believe you've taken in and wrote down things, ideas to pursue and ways to look at it, and options that we could look at.

I believe that my heart, I believe in government.

I've run for office.

I believe in government, but I do not believe my voice has had any merit in any of decisions in this regard.

I believe it was already decided, and it's now your job to convince us to make it happen, to uh force it on us, and I do not believe that is representative government in our country.

We've had a whole previous administration nationally that did this constantly.

We're kind of sensitive to it, and I believe there's enough objections that it deserves more time.

You cannot have you cannot bring people together when you're just pushing one solution and abandoning all others.

Please wait, hold off, give public.

You ask for public um plans, but you never gave much time to get those together.

I feel this is being rammed down our throat.

Whether it's right or wrong, I'm not even sure.

But I do know this is not listening to your public.

You might hear us, but you are not taking what we say and say, okay, you value this enough that we need to look at it deeper and involve more of you with us and get you to understand why we're doing this.

We want you on board instead of we're going to do this, and this is why.

So the other so I don't think you need to rush through this decision, and if you want your people with you, which is we are the ones that put you here.

We care about government, but I don't feel it's being representative of our of your people.

If you've had way more people against this than for it, and I don't think it's being considered.

Thank you.

Any questions?

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is David Ferdinand, and on deck is Stuart Heidman, Noreen Newes, Gary Bartlow, and Jeff Agenbard.

David Ferdinand, 2419, West Hair and Loop in Nampa.

Action.

Public hearing regarding city-owned real property.

The city owns this, the Ford Idaho Center, to consider whether to convey the real property to a tax-supported government unit, namely the College of Western Idaho, or sell the real property to the highest binner at public auction with a minimum price of 75 million, or retain the property.

And that's the question.

The um there was a previous speaker that got my attention when he said we need to lay the numbers out.

We need to take a look at this and see just exactly out of those three situations.

And I think it was one of the councilmen that also agreed that we really need to look hard at those numbers.

Um I remember uh Ken Harward coming up with this grandiose idea of all the things that Mayor Gehring and Ken Hardwood were coming up with for the Ford Idaho Center area.

I mean, they had all kinds of ideas.

The 200 million in economic impact that the Ford Idaho Center created is tremendous for any community.

To make a decision like this, uh, you need to look at the numbers.

And you need to look at what would each one of those do to our community, and how will it affect our future?

Thank you.

Mayor.

Yes.

David.

I I apologize in advance.

But I'm process I think you had a very compelling testimony.

One of the things that I'm trying to flesh out here is if CWI owned the property, how would that affect our economic impact in the area?

You're a commercial broker.

You do real estate.

Does do you see the hand that holds title changes the ability for us to be a driver in the area if we protect the Snake River Stampede?

The Snake uh the horse foundation for 10 years.

Do you see that as positives, as negatives?

And I I ask you that very open-hearted to hear your response.

Sure.

And I appreciate it.

Mayor Councilman Griffin, the real estate market is dependent, I think it's a good question, dependent on what happens in that community and how it develops.

Uh you know, we've got a lot of real estate guys in here, and they'll tell you, boy, if you if you make it, if you make sewer and water available and you build roads, they will come.

And they'll they'll build.

Uh how fast do we want to build out those particular areas?

The uh CWI campus, if they had another hundred acres and and they were allowed to build commercial structures, it would add to the development of that community, and also I think may impact it uh more rapidly than than a lot of the people living in that community would want.

However, it is an important part of any community's future to lay plans, which is what I believe this is all about, to lay plans for the development of that area in a uh in a way that can provide for the future of CWI and the Ford Idaho Center, and even provide those those ideas of building out the Idaho Center Boulevard that would bring more uh more people to that area for that entertainment process, without damaging the future of transportation and of sewer and water and all the things that you need in order to expand.

I know that's a long answer, but that that's what I would do.

I think Councilman Haverfield, I want to say that Doug, I would like for you to be preparing numbers and be ready to speak to the numbers because we have had David, wait just a minute.

There is a question coming for you.

I just want Doug you to be prepared because I think we're gonna talk about numbers.

So if you could be pulling those up at the end of this public hearing, we'll be talking those.

Councilman Haverfield.

Good.

That's a good segue because Doug needs to answer this question.

Uh but David, you've been a former commissioner, you've been a leader in our community for a while.

Um as we look at, well, you look at even ICrimp's reports, the the numbers come in uh above 150 million for facilities, just replacement costs.

That's a very large number that currently is all paid for, city owns it.

If we were to take that large of an of an asset off of our what of our we own, and then uh it's no longer there, what are the impacts in the event that we want to borrow money, uh say as a bond?

What's our bond rating uh at the end of that process?

Obviously, CWIs is improved by that that dollar amount.

Where's ours has gone down by that dollar amount?

This is a question my wife has even asked me to ask.

That's how intuitive she is, she wants to know.

So if you can answer that question for me from your perspective, I'd appreciate it.

Okay, knowing that you are not bond counsel as a realtor, I uh that's a no, it's it's more of a question because of his uh background as being a a commissioner.

I mean, he's been dealing with these, and then as a realtor, he's been dealing with this.

I want to know what the impact is to the city by that asset no longer being on our rolls.

Okay.

And then Doug, I would like for you to answer that same question.

And I will answer it very neutrally.

Oh, you can answer it however you need to answer it.

I just want to make sure that's the question.

Brandy, that's it's a great question.

However, everything that you do within a community affects the market.

It does.

And so if uh the city of Nampa were to uh uh make a change with the uh the ownership, the obviously the values uh change uh for the city.

As far as as far as uh if you were in uh the uh personal, it'd be like changing your personal real estate assets it does make a change.

Now it's collateral, basically.

You're talking about collateral.

I'm talking about collateral, but it also affects how uh how those entities would look at the city of Nampa.

I can tell you, as a as a former Canyon County Commissioner, uh we uh obviously all make decisions.

You as council and and mayor make decisions that have far reaching effects.

And this is one of those decisions that that it would it would affect uh how uh how those entities would look at the city of Napa.

Now uh CWI uh also would receive an advantage uh so you know you would have to weigh those two to see just exactly how it would affect the overall position of the city.

Hopefully, Doug can give us some insight then as far as what that decision is.

But it definitely would affect it.

Thank you, Doug.

I done speak to the bond rating.

Um difficult question.

Um let me step back a couple years when we did the uh recent attempt at a bond issuance a couple years ago.

In all of the discussions we had with bond council, uh the Fort Idaho Center did not factor into those calculations.

If it was a revenue generator that delivered significant revenue to the city, um it might factor in because our our bond rating is related to how reliable you are in repaying our debts.

And we are very reliable in paying our debts, but we're also at the same time funneling money over to pay for the FIC, which diverts from our capacity to pay the debts even faster.

So my belief is that if the Ford Idaho Center were not part of our asset base, it would not change our bond rating.

It may have it may in fact possibly improve it because we no longer have to pay that cost, which is an additional cost on top of the cities.

Um but I've never heard it come up.

Uh the only part that really comes up on the asset base is when auditors are testing our assets, they use the value of that asset to determine materiality, but that's about the only time.

I just know as far as when we've had conversations about the bond rating that the city has, uh very you know solid.

Yeah, NAPA development corporation, not so much higher interest to be able to borrow money.

Um so I I know that there's a difference.

I just don't know how that's factored and figured out.

That's why I asked the question.

I mean, I know that if I had that large of an asset and I needed to either sell part of it or borrow against it or do something with it, it's collateral that we could that I could use.

So I I would imagine the city would be similar.

I know that you're talking about being able to repay a loan.

Uh that's important that we have that.

Um a lot of the times if you're looking at debt uh and repayment, it's liquidity.

Could we easily convert the Ford asset Ford Idaho Center into liquid assets?

No.

That won't really enable us to repay any debt faster.

And like I said, the reality is it's it's a draw on our finances right now.

I'm not saying it's a bad draw.

I'm saying it's it's a good community investment, but I don't think it would have much of a positive or negative impact on our credit rate.

Thank you.

Okay.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Stuart Heidman, and on deck is Nareen Newton, Gary Bartlow, Jeff Agenbroad, Arlene Hacker, and Ed McNellis.

Very good.

Madam Mayor, City Councilman, I've spoke here before, and I'm going to go back to what I said the first time around.

Could you state your name and answer?

Stuart Heinman, 621 North Midland Boulevard here in Nampa.

CWI was voted into existence by Ada County, not by Canyon County.

Canyon County said no, 62%.

62% also came out of NAMPA and said no for CWI.

Four years later, CWI asked for a quarter of a billion dollars to expand their organization.

That included the interest.

It was only 190 million that they wanted.

They wanted the interest also paid for.

And Canyon County again voted over 60% against giving them the money.

Ada County also voted no, and it didn't happen.

In this case, where you're gonna give away over a hundred million dollars worth of assets.

I fully expect the people of NAMPA to say no to CWI, simply for the fact that other than pulling money out of my checks every year when I pay property tax, I get absolutely no value out of CWI.

And for most people out here, yeah, they're trying to change their mission.

You know, we're gonna have a rodeo team.

Uh we're gonna have four-year degrees.

Uh they're a tech school, supposedly, a community college that prepares people to go on someplace else.

That's not their plan.

It's obvious from their conversations here.

I do not believe it's time for NAMPA to give up over a hundred million dollars worth of assets that the community has earned for an empty bucket.

And it's gonna be empty as long as you give it to them.

That leaves two other options.

You can either sell it or you can f learn how to run it yourself.

Thank you very much.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Noreen Nunes, and on deck is Gary Bartlow, Jeff Eganbroad, Arlen Hacker, Ed McMellas, and Cheryl Beamer.

Hi, I'm Nori Nunes.

I live at 5547 East Victoria Falls Drive in Nampa.

And if you any of you got my paper, a lot of things have changed because they've I've learned different things tonight.

So I'm not gonna probably go in order as I as it is here.

I just had a question.

Um, my first question was did you go?

Did you just stay in state or did you go out of state to um advertise for this sale?

Well, and we'll just keep it running.

If you're gonna ask questions, okay, I'll read for the end if there's time.

Okay.

So I had that question, because it really it doesn't seem like one month is very long to have that place set for sale.

Um I was just wondering where you got the 75 million dollar amount when you were just gonna give it away to begin with.

Had you come up with a 75.

Um have you ever updated the NAMPA census to see the increase in the population?

The more people we have, maybe the lowering future of taxes owned, because it would be divided more, and that wouldn't be that would make you not so much in debt every year for it, because you'd have more people, future taxes to be paid.

Um if we if it does get sold or given to CWI, I think we need to make sure any them or any potential buyer keep the Ford Idaho Center as it is regarding the functions that presently take place there, and that should be in the contract.

And then lastly, um, as long as this issue has taken place, and I this is something I said before, it would seem like it could have been put on the ballot for election, wherein all the citizens of Nampa could be involved and voted.

That would have been the right thing to do.

That would have been the fair thing to do.

Um I just think this whole thing has gone too fast.

I don't know what the hurry is.

Um, but I hope you guys like a few people said, you maybe take some more time and think about this.

And then um the discussion about maybe building some uh food places, drink places along the boulevard there for revenue.

Well, when you have a function at um Fort Idaho Center, there's vendors there who sell food, who sell drinks, who sell things.

That's their livelihood.

That's what they do to earn their money.

So to put something up in front that might take away from their getting money, they're earning it, but they're trying to earn, I don't think is a good idea at all.

So that's what I have to say.

So Noreen, thank you for your comments.

Just to answer a couple of questions on the ballot.

We were not allowed to put it on a ballot in November.

It it only can happen on general election year, so the soonest it could go on a ballot would be next November, a year from now.

So that's why it wasn't on the ballot in November, because we we weren't allowed to.

So no special elections can take place anymore.

There it's a state statute on certain questions.

Questions cannot go on the ballot.

And so it's very specific to questions that we're not allowed to go on.

Um I wrote down keep it as is, and I can't remember what uh you said about that.

Um I I don't remember what I was gonna say on that one, and I apologize.

I didn't want to mention it.

Did we reach out?

That's what I how I wrote it down, and I'm sorry.

Um regarding out of state, we did reach out, and OVG is out of state, the Live Nation is out of state, IAVM is out of state that we reached out to, and so we did and then we did do the press release.

Um, and I'm not sure where all that went.

Um, the 75 million number, it's been interesting because we did not have an appraisal, uh, but we've had a lot of feedback because of the deed restrictions that has been confirmed as we've listened.

People do not want us to give that away without or sell it without deed restrictions.

One of which is that the rodeo has to go on.

The value um, you know, sometimes you get valuations, but people don't like what they hear, so they don't believe it.

And so um, and that's uh anyway, I'll leave it at that.

So that's the valuation numbers were uh kind of interesting on that.

I think I meant by leave it as it is is leave it as it is under the city.

Under the city, and that's what I would be.

That's what I would like to see that there wouldn't be any changes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Gary Bartlow, and on deck is Jeff Agenbroad, Arlan Hacker, Ed McNelless, Cheryl Beamer, and Lynette Hill.

Do you want that many standing up?

A few.

We'll come back to it.

Thank you.

Okay, good evening.

Gary Bartlow, Deer Sky Ranch Trail, Nampa.

We live out in the county so that we can have over three thousand horses.

I just made that last part up.

Okay, number one.

I strongly suggest the city maintain ownership of the Ford Idaho Center.

And rather than discuss all the pros and cons as we've heard tonight, I offer a couple potential suggestions that may help.

Number one, create a citizens committee tasked with formulating the revenue path for ongoing operations and maintenance of the Ford Idaho Center, including NAMPA Auditorium District, Oak View Group, City of Napa, and civic leaders.

You folks could do that.

Number two, open dialogue with CWI to discuss a joint venture cooperative agreement for mutual use of the Ford Idaho Center.

The City of Napa will retain ownership.

You folks could do that one too.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Any questions?

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Jeff Agenbroad, and on deck is Arlen Hacker, Ed McMellas, Sheryl Beamer, and Lynette Hill.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council.

My name's Jeff Agenbroad.

Um address is 3615 Portland Drive in Nampa.

Tonight I'm speaking on behalf of the Snake River Stampede Rodeo.

Before I get started, I want to thank the City of Napa for honoring its long-standing agreement with the Snake River Stampede without fail.

Our binding agreement began in 1992 when the stampede deeded our rodeo grounds, along with our two 200,000 savings account to the city.

This gift provided the foundational investment for one of NAMPA's gems, the Ford Idaho Center.

Since inception, the Stampede has invested over $8 million in the Ford Idaho Center, and we intend to continue to invest in the facility going forward.

Our partnership and use of this world-class facility is a key component of our ability to build NAMPA's 110-year-old rodeo in into one of the largest premier rodeos in the world.

I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention the importance of our working relationship with Andrew and Gary and Curtis and the OVG crew that have also helped us meet our goals.

Several months ago, the city informed the Stampede that it would no longer fund deferred maintenance or improvements to the IDO Center, now or in the future.

Due to tight budgets, the city must prioritize essential services like public safety and infrastructure.

The city is a good partner.

The city is a good partner, shared the unfortunate news with us, along with the potential alternative, transferring the Fort Idaho Center to our local community college, CWI.

After considering this, it makes sense.

CWI just isn't any college.

There are community college with property on both sides, the Fort Ido Center, and the fastest growing community college in U.S.

history with a track record of success.

Through many conversations and meetings, we believe CWI has the leadership vision and resources to preserve and enhance NAPA's Primus Premier facility for the benefit of the community and the rodeo.

What's often overlooked is that this won't be the first time the Fort Idaho Center has changed hands.

It was originally built and owned by the Napa Urban Renewal Agency on behalf of all Canaan County taxpayers and remained under their ownership for the first 10 years of its life.

In 2004, it was transferred to the city of Napa, which is owned it for the past 21 years.

If transferred again, ownership would return to the broader community, Cannon County Taxpayers, along with Ada County taxpayers.

Both owners have been great partners to the Stampede on our net agreements and working together on behalf of the community.

We have no reason to believe CWI won't also be a good garden partner for the rodeo.

Madam Mayor, time thank you.

Regardless of the decision, we will support NAMPA in its path forward.

Thank you.

Did you have any other statistics or something you wanted to finish?

I did just have one more statement.

Well, the Stampedes heard several alternatives and potentially viable alternatives to funding the Fort Idaho Center.

To date, we're not aware of any of them that are more comprehensive and financially sustainable than the CWI alternative.

Thank you.

Councilman, do you have any questions?

Did you have a question?

No.

Okay.

Council Haverville.

Jeff, in your statement, did I hear you say that the city said that they would no longer fund maintenance of the Ford Idaho Center?

Councilman Haversfield, it was uh my understanding when I was at the meeting that that is the message that we heard that the city was unable to continue to form to uh fund deferred maintenance and let alone enhancements of the Fort Idaho Center.

And who who from the city made that statement?

That was made in a meeting with the city council.

And I believe you were at the meeting.

It was a public hearing where it was not a public hearing.

Okay.

Councilman.

I believe it's a workshop, I think is what it was considered.

Okay.

That was not something I understood.

If that was stated, it was not with my approval, but again, there's been several decisions made that didn't have a full uh majority vote by this council.

So if that was a decision that was made by the council, it's not one that I would have supported by any means.

Thank you.

Councilman Bills.

Uh for clarification, it was a discussion at a workshop where it was a joint council meeting.

Lean in to your computer, please.

I'll lean in.

Thank you.

So it was a joint workshop with uh the Snake River Stampede Board and City Council.

And I believe it took place last December.

Was that an executive session or was it an open workshop?

That was a workshop.

And that was one you attended.

Yes.

I remember when you guys came.

And it was in this room.

But again, I didn't I didn't catch the gravity of that type of a decision.

So I apologize if I missed it, but I wouldn't have supported it at the time.

But uh again, decision.

Well, it wasn't a we'll let Councilman Bills finish.

It wasn't a vote, it was a comment about our financial status.

But Councilman Bills, did you have any further comment?

Yeah, it's real simple.

City of Napa has not been funding and has difficulty funding the deficit both on capital and on operations.

And that discussion took place in explanation to the Stampede Board, why City Council was exploring other alternatives to uh what to do with Fort Ido Center.

Okay.

We we that could be something we can discuss later.

Thank you, Jeff, for your you're bringing that to light.

Um we can talk about this later then.

Council, do you have any additional questions for um Jeff Hackman?

Jeff, thank you very much.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Arlene Hacker, and on deck is Ed McNellis, Cheryl Beamer, Lynette Hill, and Doris Phillips.

Good evening.

Good evening.

My name is Ireland Hacker.

I live at 43 South Pitt Lane in Napa, Idaho.

I'm here to support the transfer to CWI.

I'm really very concerned about having that happen.

The Idaho Center is beloved in the community.

Not just the stampede and the Stampede Auditorium.

But on the lesser lever, and what has gotten less attention is the horse park and the horse events at the horse park.

They are central to our community.

They're not only central to our community, they're central to our whole nation.

This horse park and the center is one of the premier centers in the nation.

We're not just talking local.

We're talking national.

We have major events coming into here.

We could have more major events coming here.

We have a situation where we have the potential of losing all of that because while the stampede is protected by their agreements, the horse park is not.

If that was taken and sold, it must go up to public auction to the highest bidder.

Who's going to have the money to buy that?

It is going to be a developer.

And we're going to see the day after that sale goes just like we saw in Caldwell, where it went to a hotel.

The next day there were fences, and everything was coming down.

We will see that just bulldozed right down.

And we will lose this treasure, not only to the community, but to the whole equine industry.

Now we have a potential here with CWI.

Not only do they want to continue the horse events, they want to expand about them.

I have talked to the president.

I talked very early on.

CSI had a horse degree, technology degree.

Unfortunately, that ended with the retirement of their director.

We're in desperate need of the same equine industry education here.

Yes, they have some in Treasure Valley, but that's far away enough that it is not in competition.

What would happen to here?

But we have the potential to take and have strong equine education here through uh with a wonderful facility that is already uh set up for the equestrian industry.

We have the stalls, we have the arena, we have everything CWI needs to step in a very short period of time to take and do this.

So that's what I have to say.

Thank you.

Please.

Thank you.

Are there any questions?

I will make a quick comment, and this is not that I'm uh pro-keeping, pro-selling, or conveying, just a comment as a follow-up that the economic impact of the horse park is about 28 million every year.

It's a considerable economic impact to the city of Napa.

It's a it's very valued in that regard.

So and I can I ask a quick question.

I know we've got a few more people.

Do we need a break?

Council, are you doing okay?

I see some yeses.

I see some break.

Okay, I'm okay.

I'm seeing that we do need a break.

I apologize.

Thank you.

I'm so sorry, but I think we've got how many more people to testify?

Seven.

We have seven more people to testify, so I think we're gonna go ahead and take a short break.

Let's see how fast we can be.

Okay, thank you all.

Okay, we're gonna get back to our seats, and um and I'll get city council.

So we're gonna start in just a minute.

Okay, so city council.

I'm not sure where City Council is.

Thank you for turning it up.

I think we're ready to get started.

We need our city council.

Okay, City Council.

I love having a clerk that knows how to use the gavel because I don't use the gavel, so she does it.

And I think council will ready to get started so we can get done.

So we had how many more people to seven?

Okay, seven times three.

Here we go.

So we're gonna be about twenty-five to thirty more minutes in, depending on how many questions we ask.

And then we step into discussion.

So we've got a ways to go.

And I think we're only missing two people.

Thank you.

And don't forget your address.

God bless Sherry Boardman.

The project is critical.

It draws sizable economic activity that has been discussed here.

Each new dollar that comes into a community turns over five to seven times before it lives.

Stephen Covey wrote seven high habits of highly effective people.

And he stated seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Following that advice, I've spent a good amount of time studying at college and the city.

I've concluded that the strategic partnership that has been proposed is key to the future of the area.

Selling it is out of the question.

When sold, we lose all control, economic benefits, and opportunities related to that program.

That agreement calls for the return to the city if the college should ever have issued.

It will serve us very well and will be a win-win for everyone.

Look around at other cities without an area like this.

They're struggling to develop such a program.

They have no resources like the college willing to step in and establish a joint venture to benefit everyone.

We are in a position to keep it.

And it will remain a huge growing asset for the city and surrounding area.

The college will continue to grow and provide a large economic base for the area.

We should give a huge thanks to the visionaries who led in the development of all this and look at the city and the college to carry it from here on.

I'm focusing my efforts toward helping development of the equine program at the college, which are badly needed in our state.

I intend to stay involved and make sure the vision and direction is not lost.

Thank you.

Can I just clarify?

So you're supportive of the conveyance?

I'm supportive of convey of the conveyance, just to make sure.

And thank you for all that you shared.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Cheryl Bimer, and on Dakas Lynette Hill, Doris Phillips, and Ivan Castillo.

Good evening, Mayor Clink, City Council members and NAMPA taxpayers.

I'm Cheryl Beamer and live at 452 West Whitecliffe Drive, NAMPA, Idaho.

I moved to NAMPA in 1971 to attend Northwest Nazarene University and graduated with degrees in elementary education and music.

I taught in Meridian and the NAMPA Public and Charter Schools.

In addition, I have taught piano to hundreds of students from NAMPA and the surrounding areas for 43 years.

What a sense of pride and joy I felt when the Idaho Center was built in 1997.

It became one of NAMPA's greatest assets.

My family and I soon attended graduations, concerts, rodeos, car shows, conventions, and sporting events.

Now, fast forward to October 2025, and I'm wondering what percentage of NAMPA's tax-paying citizens are even aware of the likelihood of Mayor Kling and a few council members giving away our 150 million dollar asset.

Since July 15th, only two and a half months ago, I have attended three city council meetings.

It was a complete shock to me how fast this very important decision was being pushed through.

For what reason?

Why were the taxpayers of NAPA not informed months ago?

Where was the transparency to the taxpayers regarding such a monumental and consequential decision?

Where could I find a financial document detailing the yearly costs for the upkeep, repair, and maintenance of the Idaho Center?

Do you have proof the numbers are accurate?

At a public meeting like this, I would appreciate a detailed fact sheet explaining the pros and cons of this important decision.

I'm very concerned about the negative impact of losing a 150 million dollar piece of property on our asset ledger.

At every meeting, it was obvious how the majority of the taxpayers felt.

They were totally against it.

I like what one gentleman stated at the August 18th meeting.

I've been involved with a lot of bad deals over the years, but this would be the grand champion of them all.

I don't believe three council members and a tie-breaking mayor should be able to make such an overwhelmingly significant and impactful decision without respecting the wishes of the taxpayers.

This Idaho Center giveaway issue needs to be postponed until after the November 5th city election.

I suggest that every polling place, each voter can answer this survey question on a piece of paper, and I don't know if that's legal or not, because we've talked that's been brought up some tonight, but um I think it would give us an idea as to what some of the our taxpayers feel on this issue.

Do you approve of the NAMP?

Well, this is what I was going to ask on the piece of paper like survey.

Do you approach Madam Mayor time?

Can I finish?

Um how long is your finish?

It's almost done.

I said um I want to put on this pay uh paper piece of paper ballot.

Do you approve of the Napa City Council giving away the 150 million dollar Idaho Center to CWI?

Yes or no, and see what the voters that come to the polling place say.

Okay.

Thank you.

So we have to stop there because I promised I wouldn't go over on time since it's not just finishing your sentence.

I do have a quick question for you.

Are you familiar with the FAQs that are on the website?

Because we had the FAQs on the website, we had the budget on the website, all of that is on the website.

Have you been able to research that information?

I have looked at the actual meetings themselves.

But I have looked at one of them on the website as well.

But I said all the documents you're referring to, though, are up on our website.

So it's if you go to our city website, they're all there.

The financial information is there, and the FAQs are there.

So I just wanted to see if you had had the opportunity to see it.

But I was hoping, like uh, when we have our HOA meetings, we have a breakdown that people can pick up the um homeowners can pick up when they walk through the door, and it's not do you have those on our website?

But can you have those like at a meeting like this?

You we you probably could have requested them, and we could have given them to you, but they're all out there on our website.

We have a ton of information out on our website that anybody could go see.

So I just wanted to make sure you were aware of that.

Okay, I appreciate that.

Thank you very much.

Well, I wanted to can I give you a suggestion though?

Actually, we can't because we're out of time, and I'm sorry, but if I let you, then I have to let everybody in.

I didn't let anybody else.

So I this is one of the things I'm trying to be fair on.

And we yeah, so yes.

I have a question for Cheryl.

Maybe you can ask her her question and she can.

Carol, uh, I don't know what you're we're gonna say, so I can't ask that question.

My question is what you you stated that three council members in the mayor, a tie-breaking mayor uh on the vote.

How how do you know that?

Well, I know like uh Dale Reynolds and Natalie Tangula and and um perhaps uh Sebastian depends on who uh David Bills.

Well Sebastian goes either way, he usually okay.

Let's just go with okay.

So that three the three uh people would be David Bills, Dale Reynolds, and um and and what makes you say that?

I'm just curious because I'm Dale Reynolds, and I certainly have been listening to all the public testimony and the town halls and everything for uh for many, many, many meetings, and we've been talking about this for over a year, and we're sitting here at a public hearing.

I haven't I certainly haven't voted.

I haven't put on a on uh Facebook post that I voted a certain way.

I don't even have Facebook, so but I'm just curious.

I don't think that's fair of you to say that.

So I think you should check yourself.

Well, I just know that I even at the meetings that I was at, those three meetings, even the one at the Hispanic Cultural Center, it was obvious which people were in favor of conveyance at the cultural center.

I was there.

I know, and what I made was a clarification on an executive session item.

That's the only thing I said that night.

Okay.

Well, I just know that uh even just sitting in the front or watching the expressions on the faces and the nodding in agreement and so on, I can tell which way people feel sometimes, at least I'm you know, but I I do believe that Dale and Natalie and David, and David was the one who the last meeting he brought up the fact that he was the one who initiated this, if I'm correct.

Remember, you said I'm the one that you need to point fingers at.

Thank you for answering the question.

Uh and thanks for making up my mind for me.

I appreciate that.

Mayor Cling.

Um Councilman.

I'm sorry, just a minute.

Councilman Bills wasn't up next.

Okay.

Yeah, looking at the NAPA's budget after being appointed on this council.

And asking questions about deficits, and asking questions about not maintaining our assets.

And why are we not doing so?

Council wasn't approving or was up against budget issues.

So having heard from Parks Department, having heard from other departments, the challenges going on within the city, asked to sit in on meetings.

I did initiate some discussion.

How could we have uh certain things on the north side of Napa?

And could we put those things at the Idaho Center?

Furthermore, how are we going to take care of the years of lack of maintenance at the Idaho Center?

Was there going to be cash?

Was there money?

And I was told no.

And so you start pursuing.

Well, then is it an asset?

Or is it a liability?

And how are we going to take care of the quote asset?

And how are we going to continue to fund the issues of the city?

And so that's why I conveyed in one of the meetings that yes.

I initiated those discussions and began asking those questions.

Furthermore, I questioned other council members about being in the entertainment venue business.

And how long is NAMPA going to continue to subsidize the entertainment venue?

Some folks make good money by having the Idaho Center operate.

Survive and/or receive benefit.

There's others that doesn't mean anything to them.

Well, then what are we doing there?

And if we have opportunity to do something different, should we not pursue it?

And so that's what all this is about.

So I would like to see you postpone the decision till after the election.

I understand.

We've had multiple emails that convey that thought, and there's other people saying it's time to make a decision.

Why are you dragging it out?

It's a huge, huge consequential decision.

So we're we won't engage in dialogue back and forth.

Councilman Haverfield, did you have a question before we move on?

No, I was just going to make an observation.

She's been lives here for over 50 years.

And is this a comment because this is a time for a question?

We'll save our comments.

Well, it get it it kind of bothers me where there's jokes being made about someone.

Um I watched some of the dialogue back and forth that was on the back and forth nature of some of the answers that she received, and it was very unfair, uh, very wrong.

She does so much, has done so much for the youth of our community.

My own daughter took classes from her when she was young, and um the fact that she she comes here tonight, comes to because she's representing a part of the community.

We need to be listening to her voice and the others, and uh to try to make light of her.

I don't think anyone was making light of the case.

I think that's the way that I read it.

No, I didn't read that, and I just want to say, Cheryl, thank you.

Thank you for coming, thank you for being here.

We don't mean to make you a challenge in the middle.

Um, your voice does matter, and thank you, as does every voice, because with as many voices we have sharing what you're sharing, we have an equal number of voices sharing something different, and that's what we have a responsibility to carry.

But thank you for being here.

So thank you very much.

Thank you.

Okay, so our next speaker is Lynette Hill.

On deck is Doris Phillips, Ivan Castillo, and Lily Guthrie.

My name is Lynette Hill.

I live at 631 Whisperwood Place.

I'm a 52-year NAMPA resident with 41 years teaching experience and concluded my experience, my educational uh career with 11 years teaching and graduate program at Northwest Nazarene University.

I'm going to be reading a letter tonight that was written in response to an email that our former speaker, Cheryl Beamer, sent to all of you, and um, she received a couple of brief responses, but she received a full-page letter from Natalie Jangula, and I'd like to share that right now with you.

Cheryl, I'm responding to your email because I made good faith efforts.

I make good make efforts to respond to every citizen who reaches out to me.

I recognize that we were a community, and I have a great deal of respect for the seat I sit in, as it doesn't belong to me, but rather the citizens of NAMPA.

Admittedly, emails like this are not productive and rather annoying.

If you want to make a difference, don't come yelling at us.

What good do you think you're doing with that approach?

Shaming us when quite honestly reading through your email goes to show how little you actually know about the depth of the issues offensive and are offensive and irritating.

I'm going to do my best to be polite, despite your unhinged approach.

You asked for what reason are we pushing this through.

Since you have attended and listened to the past three council meetings, I'm puzzled why you were asking that.

We have been publicly discussing for months now where we are, where we are going, the threats of other venues.

CW's abilities, et cetera.

If this is still unclear to you, I suggest you watch the mayor's video on our website for further clarification, stating that it's obvious how most taxpayers feel based on the couple of public meetings you have attended is vastly unsupported.

The same group of people who continue to show up and say the same things on repeat, do not speak for the 120,000 people who live in Nampa.

It would be remiss to not acknowledge that angry voices shout the loudest.

We have received an abundance of positive feedback that you and others are not aware of because happy people are less likely to show up and state that they are happy and in support.

I have been doing this for four years now, and that has been my experience with every controversial topic.

Once you listen to the meeting we had last night, you will know that we did vote for independent appraisal to be done, myself included.

You will also be aware that it will be extremely difficult to get, as even the top appraisers in the valley have rejected our ask.

So if you don't end up, if you don't and end up getting a bid from a willing appraiser, don't come lashing out at us again for not having one because you are unaware of the opportunity complexity of this.

Feelings can only carry so far.

We are respecting the wishes of the NAMPA taxpayer as we are being proactive and looking forward to the future, fully knowing that this isn't taxpayer and sustainable.

What we can do now is to help keep the asset of the community without bleeding the taxpayer.

Um I think I'm stating that this decision should not be a council and a mayor decision and to wait until after November election is conflicting.

I just have one more sentence.

I am all ears for objective and for productive conversation, Cheryl.

But should you reach out to me again with this same tone, the invitation will no longer be valid.

Wow.

Mayor.

I won't read the sh very shouty and very forward email that we did respond or that we did receive, but I'm happy to support it to the public record so that people can read the initial email.

She has I have for the record.

There's only five seconds.

We all received it.

We have so long people.

And I think the important thing that's stated tonight is that's somewhat of the feedback they're getting from council.

Larry Dan uh Larry Omstead yesterday got a similar type of an email that we all received as well.

That type of feedback is not becoming of us of a council member trying to work with a community.

That's I guess what we're hearing here.

That's why it's important that you're made aware of that's what is being filtered out there.

It's not good.

We'll have discussion.

Yeah, all right.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Doris Phillips, and on deck is Ivan Castillo, Lily Guthrie, and Cheryl Higley.

Good evening.

Um, thank you for taking the time to listen to the citizens and what we have to say this evening.

My name is Doris Phillips.

I live at 220 South Ivy Street in NAMPA.

Um I have a lot lifelong NAMPA.

And um I just want to comment on uh a couple of the approaches.

One of them is um I definitely don't want to see conveyance to CWI to give away what so much of our tax money has gone, you know, to purchase and sustain um when there are some possible options.

Um the second one, the bid for the 75 million um seems very low.

Um I um there's nothing to really tell us what that was exactly what that was based on.

Um my understanding is that there was no uh no appraisal.

Um so we'd like to know where that where that number came from.

Um we we definitely, if we're you know, were to sell Night O Center, we don't want to um sell it for such a low number that that we still are almost giving it away.

Um I appreciated the things that Mr.

Miller had to say.

Um he indicated that there was still some interest um out there and possible alternatives.

Um I understand, Mayor, that you said that there was not a response from some of the people that he had listed, but I am um also saying that this is not an urgent emergent uh matter that has to be settled right this minute to the detriment of the citizens of NAMPA and our um Fort Idaho Center.

So I would strongly um but respectfully ask you to reconsider um putting that out there again.

Umler has has offered to help uh with getting that information out to some of the people that need it that could get some give us some feedback, um and um and then lay out numbers and reconsider.

And um I would like for uh if not willing to do that to table it for the time until after the next election.

Thank you for your time.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Ivan Castillo, and on deck is Lily Guthrie and Cheryl Higley.

What's not just good evening?

My name is Ivan Castillo, 2115 West Habitat Street in NAMPA, Idaho.

I've been a NAMPA resident for 26 years.

I have four children, been married for just about 30 years, and I have two beautiful grandchildren.

And this is the reason why I'm here tonight.

Um, I'm also happened to be a volunteer at the CWI foundation board.

Uh, and I have to tell you, you know, it it is difficult, Madam Mayor and Council uh people.

I just have to tell you it is it is a hard decision, but I will have to tell you that the way that I go about doing this, which by the way, my wife happens to be a better making decisions right away than I am, so I learned a lot from her.

Uh and I'm a happy person, by the way, too.

So uh so and I will tell you this is uh to me it happens to be simple in the effect of you know there's noise versus signal, and a lot of the people that they're high on making decisions in this life, they're figure out a way to take all the noise out and just go through signal of understanding what's going on that we're doing here.

So the way I look at it, there's three different things to go about.

Number one is the city being able to retain this.

Uh you know, there's a rule.

I've been also a real estate agent, I'm a builder as well, uh, for 15 years or so, and I will tell you that an asset that does not cash flow is not a good investment, period.

But I will tell you also is that if it's not gonna be you, the question is who's gonna be better?

What's the alternative?

Okay.

We know that if somebody comes over, the highest bidder, and they purchase this, this is not a NAMPA decision anymore.

It's gonna be somebody else's.

Obscure, we don't know what agenda they will have, so it's not the way to go.

I will tell you that CWI, we're talking about NAMPA and Idaho residents, and I will go at bet for each and every one of them, because I am one of them as well.

And I will tell you, if it's scare you enough, it's worth pursuing.

And I will tell you that I am here to let you know that this was not taken lightly.

You know, there was comments also that were meant and say about all they're gonna take uh you know, like uh the footprint and how's it gonna be everything's gonna change, but I have to tell you that the comprehensive and the way they're looking at this is actually meant in a way that we are looking to enhance what's it's already there, we're not looking to change it.

But we also understand that there's beautiful minds in this group of people that have seen far beyond what you and I can do, and they know and understand what it will take to create the solvency necessary, and also with the public responsibility to make sure that this becomes a success.

We've always said this before.

The past is a good predictor of what the future will bring.

And let me tell you something.

I've been in CWR for quite some time.

All you have to do is drive by, and guess what?

You see everything and the good things are happening out there, what's that to tell you that everything's gonna change?

We have the right leadership, we have the ability to make a difference and to keep it NAMPA, to keep it local, and to stop trying to listen to the noise.

Let's focus on that signal.

Mayor, can you have a question?

Thank you very much.

Yes.

Ivan, you're in real estate, aren't you?

That is correct.

Would you buy a house without knowing how much it would cost?

Will I buy a house without knowing how much would it cost?

Uh we understand and there's studies out there that shows what are the you know the estimates when it comes to what you're talking about.

Yes or no, would you buy a house without knowing what it would cost you?

I have to tell you that I have the knowledge and expertise, and I see the house in the picture, I will tell you buy it.

Why?

Because I do have the knowledge and you have the experience supported by the ability to know the market.

Without knowing what you would have to fix.

Again, I've done this before.

I can give you a couple of examples that I'm flipping in houses right now.

That I saw them, I buy them, and I understand because it was uh because guess what?

I have the ability, the knowledge and the understanding.

And I will tell you that the team that we have around is a team that knows what's going on.

I see.

Okay, thank you.

And we know I know how good you are.

Appreciate it.

Mayor quick question.

Yes.

Um Mr.

Castillo.

Did you say you're on the foundation board?

Yes, sir.

I can you speak to the equestrian um is there a veterinary practice or a veterinary degree that's going to be offered through CWI?

You know, I will have to pass that along to the people that really know.

What I will tell you is that in conversations and based that you and I have here, you were here on time, weren't you?

Pardon me.

Were you here on time for the all the testimony or no?

Uh no, I was like, Oh, you were a little late.

You were in Notre Dame.

That's awesome.

Anyways, what I will tell you is that I'm from BS.

I do know that based on the conversations that we have had with the people from the Idaho Stampede and the question is that I will tell you they will have the ability to enhance whatever it is.

Have you seen a horticultural?

Have you seen everything that we're doing right now with CWI?

This is nothing but a great opportunity to keep on enhancing what's out there and what's important for the citizens of Nampa Coldville and the Treasure Valley.

Well, maybe somebody else can speak to that.

I I just uh with the Horace Foundation folks concerned about uh being able to provide equestrian related uh courses uh dealing with horses, large animals.

Um that would be something that would be unique and special for the C.

Well, and and I appreciate you saying that.

I have to tell you the reason why I am so passionate about CWI is the fact that we get to be um architects on their future and our ability to actually empower our community to make it a better one yet.

You can look to your left left and to your right, and you will see people that have had some kind of contact with CWI that has always been positive.

And that's why so important.

That's what I'm telling you.

It's like, trust me, when we get together, there's a lot of great things that will happen.

And I'm speaking as a citizen because guess what?

I have to answer to my wife and to my kids.

So if I don't come and do this, by the way, they're waiting for me for supper.

But again, folks, thank you so much.

You have a hard decision, but I have to tell you, get rid of that noise and just listen to that signal.

The answer is obvious.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Lily Guthrie, and on deck is Cheryl Higley.

Uh hello.

Uh my name is uh Lily Guthrie.

I live at 428 West Dakota Avenue.

Um, this is my first city council meeting, so I'm sorry if my demeanor isn't quite formal.

I'm a little nervous.

Um, but I am currently a student at CWI.

Um, and when I hear people talk when I've heard people talk here today, I hear a lot of uh pride for the Ford IDO Center, and I have a lot of similar pride for uh CWI.

Um they have given me a lot of opportunities to explore my career path, and I know a lot of my classmates.

Um there was a question of whether or not uh there was uh veterinarian degrees offered at CWI.

I can say for sure that there are a lot of my classmates are pursuing veterinarians, uh a veterinarian degree.

Um I know that a lot of my classmates uh they grew up here in Idaho myself.

I have grown up in Idaho all my life.

All of my siblings and I are born and raised.

Um, excuse me.

Uh and I know that I myself and a lot of my classmates intend on staying here in Idaho.

Um, people who intend on becoming nurses, veterinarians.

Um, thank you.

I appreciate it.

Um intend on becoming nurses, veterinarians, teachers to directly impact our community.

Um I know that I have like a lot of anxiety about um private investors coming into our state.

Um uh buying out our property and uh making it impossible for people like myself who were born and raised here to uh pursue ownership of our home.

Um another thing that I had considered is um uh with the um having the uh Idaho Ford Center being given to or sold to CWI um the uh possibility of um work studies.

Um I know that myself and a lot of my classmates uh the idea of living our adult lives debt-free is becoming more and more of a it feels more and more like an impossibility and having more opportunities for work studies that uh contribute to our paying for our tuition is uh very very attractive.

Um I feel like I'm kind of all over the place, and I really apologize.

Um but I I guess I'll give up the rest of my time.

Thank you all.

I appreciate it.

I just want to say thank you so much for having the courage to stand up and speak.

I know it's really hard, but thank you for speaking on behalf of students.

It's greatly appreciated.

Council, do you have any questions?

Probably more for Denise, I believe, uh, if she was just there.

Um large animal veterinary practice.

Is that something that uh CWI is pursuing?

I'm I the reason I ask this is I'm an architect and I've done a lot of small uh veterinary practices for small animals because that's where the money is.

And uh a lot uh several veterinary practice um owners that I've worked with in the past have gone away from large animal care because maybe even hay fever issues that they have themselves, and so and there's more cost associated with probably trying to do that.

Is that something CWI plans on implementing more of because of its proximity to the Snake River Stampede?

Thank you, Councilman Haverfield.

That's we have a process that we go through to look at programs and the fact that we now have a fully functional agricultural science facility on our property at CWI, it opens up the opportunity to explore different avenues like vet tech, but we've only been operational since August, and if we were to get the you know, Ford Idaho Center, that would be something on our strategic plan.

We'd have to do a needs assessment and feasibility to determine you know the cost to start the program, the interest in the community to attend the program, and then it is something that we do a three-year plan that we can put on our plan.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

I have visited with a student that is graduating going to CWI.

She is pursuing a degree.

She is going to start two years, and I think there are a number of them that have an ag focus that begin at CWI and move on to U of I with that ag and so um I appreciate the fact that CWI does have a relationship with the U of I for their ag programs.

For large animal care.

I yes, okay.

I don't know, but what a great opportunity, right?

We do provide pathways, and there's a veterinary program at the U of I along with VETEC.

So again, with the facility, I I'm not in a position to say that we're gonna start that program, but we are in constant communication with our other partners as well on partnership options as well.

And getting the Idaho Ford Center would cause us to go back and research and determine what other program offerings we may expand into.

Thank you.

Good job, Lily.

Thank you.

Madam Mayor, our next speaker is Cheryl Higley.

Good evening, Madam Mayor and Council.

I'm Cheryl Higley at 12441 South Abbott Downing Way here in NAPA.

After doing much research, I am firmly opposed to the cash-free conveyance of the Ford Idaho Center to CWI.

Even though I do not necessarily think it's prudent for the city to own entertainment venues due to the potential liabilities during an economic downturn, I think it's even less prudent to give away such a valuable asset for very little in return.

Many of the benefits it would purportedly provide are conditional and therefore cannot be relied upon because there is no assurance whatsoever that they will come to fruition, such as in the event CWI constructs recreation facilities, then public use will be allowed, if not disruptive to CWI.

In the event CWI constructs a public safety training facility, then NPD will be provided office-based access, etc.

CWI intends to allow horse pop horsepark events subject to events and scheduling approvals of FIC managers.

A contract with so many conditions and good intentions is an extremely poor one.

This contract needs to be shored up.

Next, the basis for the sale or the conveyance of the Ford Idaho Center is questionable.

People are shaking their heads in disbelief at the notion that without substantiation, the venue has been declared underutilized and that it's not used for public purposes because most events are ticketed.

Using this logic, could the city give away the civic center, recenter, and golf courses next.

In addition, there have been financial contradictions regarding the Ford Idaho Center, and the city has lost the public's trust.

An Idaho Press article dated July 2 quotes Mayor Kling saying as saying that the Ford Idaho Center is doing really well, that it made a profit of 1.2 million dollars in 2022 and over 800,000 in 2023.

But Doug Racine's capital investments sheet dated August 11th shows that without city support, the FIC has been in the red every year.

Also the promotional materials for the conveyance stated that the city would realize $5 million in a return to the general fund.

But at the a city council meeting recently, we were told that's not the case.

It's mostly been used up.

Can you see why the public's trust has been eroded?

Lastly, it's my understanding that the city is hoping to purchase land near the Boise River in order to have a stakehold there to prevent STAR from getting to it first.

If the Ford Idaho Center is sacrificed on the basis that we cannot afford to keep it, and yet the city manages to find 10 million dollars or so to purchase land on the outskirts of NAPA's area of impact, this will be terrible optics for the mayor and the council.

In closing, with the November elections fast approaching, please table this decision and let the new administration be involved before this critical and irreversible decision is made.

Thank you.

Mayor.

Cheryl, can I ask where you heard that land use information from?

I will defer to legal counsel.

That's not answering the question.

She asked a specific question.

There's no deferring to our legal counsel.

That the question is where did you that's where I heard it from?

Tonight.

From our legal?

You didn't hear it from our legal counsel.

Yes.

Mayor what Ms.

Sigley is getting at.

I was invited to the breakfast, which I've shared with you with a group of passionate citizens, and they had raised this topic there, and I talked in very generalities of it.

No details whatsoever.

And what I'm hearing tonight is far more detailed than anything I provided there.

So, with all due respect, I I disagree with the representation made by Miss Higley tonight.

Well, there are others were present that would vouch for what I just testified.

Mayor.

Yes.

What what breakfast was this?

Was this a city event?

Darl Brunner's breakfast that he invites people to come to.

And it's our normal, the normal group of people that are there.

And uh needless to say, um we'll leave it at that.

I have a question for legal.

Okay, so I'm confused.

Either you didn't say it or you did, but the but the perception of the community is that that information has been disclosed.

So I'm not sure what here.

Mayor, Councilman Rodriguez, uh there's there's no confusion here.

This was a topic brought to my attention that was caught me off guard because it has only been discussed in confidential executive session items, and so in response to it, um, no details were provided, and just responded in general terms and moved on with the rest of the morning's discussion with the group.

So that's as much as I can represent.

Um that's an accurate representation of it.

So that's an executive session, though.

The question is, why was it brought forward at this meeting by someone else?

That's the question.

Well, the question is why why did you disclose that?

Knowing that it was in an executive session.

Mayor Rodriguez, there was no disclosure of any kind.

I gotta make that unequivocally clear.

This was a topic brought to me, which for me caught my attention and by surprise because it was disclosed to me by parties that I would never suspect to know about it.

So with that, I don't know that we have any more questions, so thank you, but I do want to say just something real quickly in response.

So there was a an insinuation of well, if we would give this away, would we give away the civic center?

Would we give away the golf course?

Well, first of all, um, and the rec center, I guess it was the recenter.

So the golf course is self-funding.

It is not supported by tax dollars, it's supported by golf golfers and user fees.

The rec center is self-funding, it is funded by users.

It is not funded by tax dollars.

That is very different than the Civic Center and the Fort Idaho Center that are funded by tax dollars.

And so in this discussion coming up, um, there's um the trust eroded.

Um I'm just gonna say something.

So, for example, the five million dollars that has been brought forward as a question, like we said there was five million in the fund and there isn't today.

That's because there's a there's a line which is end of fiscal year financial report, the end of the FY24 financial report, we had five million in that fund.

We don't have five million in that fund today.

When we audit and close the books for FY25, we will have a good idea of where we land in that fund.

We couldn't tell you today.

I mean, today there's there was a couple weeks ago there was two million something, then there was three million because the work is still happening, the events are coming and going, that is a fluid fund.

We will be able to speak to what the end fiscal year-end fund amount is.

But to say that we're not being transparent or trustworthy because of a fund balance is absolutely ridiculous.

I mean, because the city, we have been extremely transparent.

I don't know when there has been a deal, but it's actually all the documents, including the contract, is out online for the public to see.

Typically, that's not done.

It's not done in the private sector.

We've done that, we've been transparent.

You've gotten varied information because different people, even sitting at this bench, give information that's different.

That makes it very difficult, and I understand because the people in this room there are people that want to trust certain council members more than they want to trust our finance director.

We have our budget, transparent, trustworthy.

Our finance director is a good steward and extremely trustworthy, and we rely on him for our financial documents.

There is no misrepresentation.

I find it extremely unfortunate uh that we have um just because we don't like something, we want to accuse and demean people.

That said, um just in response to the last testimony.

I think we have one more testimony to go.

No, um, Madam Mayor, we do not have any more advanced signups.

Okay.

So this is an opportunity to, I think you must be saying you want to testify, and so thank you for sharing your name and address, and you'll have three minutes.

Thank you.

My name is Patty Evans.

I live at three or three six one six East Rolling Green Place, Nampa, Idaho.

I um have been while following this, and I there's a missing piece in the puzzle, and I've kind of heard two different times tonight about this land uh purchase up near STAR.

And it just makes me wonder where if we convey the CWI or convey the Idaho Center to CWI, what is going to be happening with the money that would be freed from that?

So that's my question, but I don't want you to take into my time uh for that.

So I find that interesting.

I extremely interested to hear more from Victor Miller, because I think he's a brilliant man and he has some experience that none of us have.

And I think that we need to stop where we are and go to somebody who is an expert, just like he said, we can't sell this, we can't convey it without having an actual appraisal.

And I do believe that there are a lot of solutions to keeping the Idaho Center.

If uh Oakview Group wants to invest money into it, they see the potential in it, and we shouldn't just throw it away from our city.

Plus, there are taxpayers in here who have paid on this for their entire time since it's been up, and their investment should be recognized, not with CWI.

Also, CWI also mentioned 50,000 students.

I went to a 40,000 univers for 40,000 school, 40,000 student school university.

That school ran the town, and I don't want to see that happen to NAMPA.

I don't want CWI to run NAMPA.

I think we need to step back and take a better look at that.

And that's all I have to say about CWI.

Mayor Kling, you started the night out reminding us to be kind and and nice to each other, and that's good.

And so I just want to say, Cheryl, I am so sorry that my representative responded to you in correspondence the way she did.

That was inappropriate behavior on her part.

And Mayor Kling, I hope you have a conversation with Natalie Jangola.

And Natalie, I would suggest that you possibly resign your position because that is not the way you should speak to any constituent that you represent.

That is extremely inappropriate.

No matter what they say to you, you do not respond like that.

That was ugly and rude.

And that's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Nick All right.

Nick Miller.

I'm uh the vice president of strategy and operations at the College of Western Idaho on Opportunity Drive.

And so I'd just like to take a couple of moments first of all to say thank you to the mayor and council and city staff.

Um throughout this process, I've had the chance to work with almost all of you that are up uh on the dias, and I just appreciate the opportunity.

I'd also like to say thank you to the Snake River Stampede, Jeff Agenbroad, Curtis Homer, um, also to Sherry Boardman and the Idaho Horse Park Foundation and Lily Guthrie, uh, our CWI student that spoke earlier.

Um my role in this process has been a few different things, but uh specifically I've engaged uh the groups that I mentioned earlier, as well as uh an outside party, Jacobs, uh, who did the facility conditions assessment throughout that process?

Uh we provided the city with information, we provided the city the chance to ask questions to provide to uh provide feedback, um, and I was in charge of CWI's due diligence throughout that process.

The reason I wanted to speak tonight was just to offer uh a few clarific clarifications to questions that have come up.

Uh, first of all, um regarding the the 10 years in the Idaho Horse Park Foundation.

That 10 year window came up as a result of discussion uh with the horse park foundation board.

That was their request.

Um we we looked at it and said we think that that is reasonable, and that's something that we wanted to honor.

One thing I will point out is that today they don't have a 10-year guarantee, they don't have a 10-day guarantee.

There's no agreement between Horse Park Foundation and the city, and that is something that they brought to us that was concerning to them, and we wanted to address it uh going forward, should the convenience go through.

Also note that uh as was stated earlier, six out of the eight higher ed institutions in Idaho have a facility similar to this.

The only one that doesn't, uh, or the only two that don't are CWI and CEI, who's the only institution younger than CWI.

Uh I would also know when we talk about potential for future development.

When we hire people, when we procure services, we really look at the past as a future predictor of performance.

And what I would say is CWI has a proven track record of making things happen, whether it's our NAMPA campus, whether it's a public-private partnership in Boise for our campus there, we have been able to bring things to fruition.

And in the past many years with the Fort Idaho Center and potential development uh with the city, it just hasn't come to fruition.

And I would say that CWI is in a position for all the reasons you heard earlier tonight uh to make those things happen.

So these are the reasons why uh we're here tonight and appreciate the opportunity to speak to you about those things, and my time's out.

Thank you.

Council, do you have any questions?

Mayor quick question.

Yes.

Um, you you mentioned uh a public-private partnership in Ada County.

Who is that with?