Nampa City Council Development Services Workshop - May 6, 2026

This workshop provided annual updates from the Development Services division, including Planning and Zoning, Development Engineering, Building Safety, Code Compliance, and Economic Development. Staff highlighted operational efficiencies, budget savings, customer service metrics, and upcoming priorities. No formal votes were taken, but council members provided direction on several items.

Discussion Items

Development Services Overview (Mark Stoyer)

• Mark Stoyer, Senior Director of Development Services, presented the annual update, noting that fiscal year 2026 was the inaugural year under the current organization. He reported an overall budget savings for Development Services in FY27, with no new positions requested.
• A customer service metric using a "Happy or Not" kiosk in the lobby showed 84% "very happy" responses (goal: 70%) based on over 200 responses. The tool costs less than $2,000 per year.
• Development trends: New single-family home sales prices in Canyon County increased by $10,000 over March 2025. Building permits issued and permit revenue are outpacing 2025. Planning applications remain steady, while annexed acres increased due to master plan communities.

Planning and Zoning (Rodney)

• Rodney presented the department's vision and goals. For FY26, 99% of applications were processed within seven days of completion, and first public hearings were scheduled within 90 days (target met).
• Recent achievements: Hosted the 2025 APA Idaho conference in Nampa, won two APA Idaho awards (downtown plan, public engagement), adopted the city's first form-based code for downtown, and began phase two of the Nampa 2050 comprehensive plan update.
• Priorities for FY27: Complete the comprehensive plan adoption by spring/summer 2027, implement state-mandated code changes for ADUs and starter home subdivisions, expand standard operating procedures, and develop a public dashboard for units approved but not constructed.
• Council member Bills suggested using utility connection data (new meters) to track actual residential growth. Staff agreed to cross-reference building data with utility billing.
• Budget: No additional staff requested; application revenue projected at $170,000 (down from $177,000 actual in FY26 due to expected slowdown in large annexations). Total budget decrease of $330,000.

Development Engineering (Daniel Badger)

• Daniel Badger, City Engineer, reported on the department's support role and uptick in calls from fiber optic providers. A second right-of-way technician position is being filled.
• Goals: Complete initial reviews of commercial permits within 20 days (on track). Recent achievements focused on damage prevention education to reduce utility strikes.
• Priorities for FY27: Update development inspection fees and right-of-way permit fees.
• Discussion on line locate tickets: Councilman Reynolds suggested exploring a fee for re-locates (second or third trips) to recoup costs from contractors. Staff noted that initial locates are federally mandated to be free, but re-locates could be considered. Staff will explore with the Damage Prevention Board or local legislators.
• Budget: No new staff; two vehicle replacements (F-150s with smaller SUVs) and a plotter replacement (shared with GIS). Total budget reduction of approximately $100,000.

Building Safety (John Nielsen)

• John Nielsen, Director of Building Safety, reported on plan reviews (average 32/day), permits (5,912 issued in FY26), and inspections (average 175/day). All plan reviews now have a 10-day turnaround, kept in-house, saving approximately $450,000 previously spent on outsourcing.
• Customer satisfaction survey score improved to 3.47. Implemented Citizen Connect software (Tyler product) to provide public access to permit and inspection data.
• Priorities: Maintain current timelines, improve education and compliance for certificates of occupancy (COs), and increase public outreach. Councilman Bills suggested involving commercial brokerage firms to remind tenants that new occupancy requires building and fire inspections.
• Discussion on vacant buildings: Councilman Reynolds raised concerns about life safety in abandoned buildings. Staff noted state statute limits ability to enforce without owner consent or a warrant. Councilwoman Scog inquired about a vacant building code; staff reminded that prior legal research found state law restricts fines.
• Code compliance coordinator position: John Nielsen redefined the role to be more building-code-focused, moving Sean (assistant building official) to support plan review and having the new coordinator do field work.
• Budget: No increased operations or FTEs; requests three vehicle replacements (10-year cycle) and plotter ($5,000). Operational budget cut by about $70,000.

Code Compliance (Kent Lovelace)

• Kent Lovelace, Code Enforcement Supervisor, presented the department's mission of voluntary compliance. FY26 goals included 24-hour response for priority one hazards (health/safety), 97% voluntary compliance rate (achieved 99%), and weekly inspection rate of 12.
• Statistics: 79 complaints, 869 cases closed, 5,621 total actions, only 11 abatements and zero citations. Priority categories explained (priority one: open sewage, vision triangle obstructions; priority two: weeds, debris; priority three: vehicles on road; priority four: backyard violations not visible from public right-of-way). Drones are not used.
• Recent achievements: Hired a parking officer (downtown and by Nampa High), deployed iPads to officers to increase efficiency (on-site data entry).
• Discussion on enforcement: Councilman Rodriguez proposed assigning a new employee to code compliance to help close gaps (though no request in budget). Councilwoman Scog asked about a chronic violator with cars and debris. Kent explained the process of letters, abatement, or misdemeanor citation. Staff noted that enclave properties (unannexed) are subject to county codes, limiting city enforcement. Council President Bills indicated a council mindset to pursue forced annexation of enclaves.
• Budget: No request for additional personnel; slight increase in operating costs for fuel and training. Postage expected to rise 23%.

Economic Development (Robin)

• Robin presented department overview: business attraction/retention, downtown redevelopment, CDBG program administration. Staff vacancies: downtown analyst and another position being filled.
• FY26 goals: Serve 187 households via RakeUp (achieved 168), 3,000 volunteer hours, and 400 individuals served by CDBG public service programs (achieved 408). Business sponsorship for community projects: $3,100 cash, $1,000 in-kind.
• Recent achievements: Ribbon cuttings for Johnson Thermal Systems, Intermountain Ice and Cold, Semicinetics; groundbreaking for Tractor Supply distribution center (500 jobs); Amazon same-day facility added groceries; 400 million in private investment in North Nampa from $26 million infrastructure investment; commuter pattern shifted—more people now working in Nampa instead of commuting.
• Priorities: Downtown redevelopment (including opportunity zone designation by August/September 2026), continued industrial development along Highway 16, business retention, and updating the five-year consolidated CDBG plan.
• Amazon drone delivery will go through a conditional use permit process; a demonstration is scheduled for Thursday night. Councilman Griffin expressed support but raised concerns about conflicts with Nampa Airport. Staff noted it has been vetted in 13 other metros.
• Discussion on transportation for VIP tours: Councilman Rodriguez proposed a new vehicle for economic development. Councilman Griffin suggested comparing the cost of a vehicle vs. a VIP transportation service for the few annual occasions. Robin agreed to provide cost comparisons.
• Budget: Flat; savings from a new contract administering the auditorium district and from the home loan program. No new personnel requests.

Key Outcomes

• Directives and Next Steps:
  • Staff (Rodney, John Nielsen) will develop a public dashboard for units approved but not constructed, cross-referencing with utility billing data.
  • Development Engineering will explore the feasibility of a fee for re-locates (line locate tickets) and discuss with the Damage Prevention Board or legislators.
  • Building Safety will improve certificate of occupancy compliance through education of the commercial brokerage community and consider expanding the code compliance coordinator role.
  • Code Compliance will gather data from neighboring jurisdictions to potentially raise abatement fees and address chronic violations; council expressed willingness to pursue forced annexation of enclaves.
  • Economic Development will research costs of a dedicated vehicle vs. VIP transportation service for investor tours and report back.
• No formal votes were taken, but council consensus supported the staff's proposed budgets and directions. The meeting was adjourned by consensus.