Nampa City Council Meeting – May 20, 2026 – Public Works Reports & Charter School Traffic Agreement
Nampa City Council Meeting – May 20, 2026
The Nampa City Council met on May 20, 2026, beginning at 1:28 PM (UTC). The meeting included a presentation from Public Works administration, including the GIS and Transportation divisions, and a special agenda item regarding a traffic impact mitigation agreement for the proposed Bravian Academy charter school. Council recognized Public Works Week and highlighted a recent 12-inch water line break that underscored infrastructure needs.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were noted in the meeting.
Public Works Administrative Report – GIS (Craig Tarter)
- GIS Manager Craig Tarter presented an overview of the Geographic Information System division. The GIS budget is approximately $1.3 million, funded through allocations: 72% from Public Works, 22% from Development Services, and 6% from the General Fund. The division maintains an open data site that receives over 114 views per day (40,000 views per year). Key goals include increasing citizen satisfaction and sustaining excellence. A drone replacement is planned for FY28, and a plotter replacement (12 years old) is requested for FY27. Council questioned integration costs with other software systems (e.g., Tyler, NextGen) and confirmed that GIS provides foundational data at no extra cost to those systems.
Transportation Division Reports (Crystal Craig, Director of Transportation)
Airports
- The Nampa Municipal Airport, established in 1928, covers 249 acres and generates $106 million in total economic output for Idaho. Achievements include six new land leases and 35 city rental spaces filled. A two- to three-year waiting list exists for city-owned hangars. Proposed rental rate increases: 2.7% for land leases (CPI) and 4.9% for city-owned hangars. Council members expressed support for increasing rates further to fund terminal improvements and deferred maintenance. The division is operationally self-sustaining; only $82,000 in capital expenditures comes from airport revenues. Upcoming events include the Warbird Roundup (August 2027) and the 99s Air Race Classic terminus in Nampa (2027).
Fleet Services
- Fleet maintains city assets with 12 FTEs. A new fleet building (21,000 sq ft, plus mezzanine) is at 75% design and will provide additional repair bays. A goal is to insource maintenance for outside agencies to generate revenue. Council discussed mechanic salaries and retention; no new personnel are requested.
Traffic Division
- Traffic manages 78 signalized intersections, over 15,000 signs, 7,000 street lights, and other assets. In FY26, the division responded to 179 online traffic submissions, 136 after-hours call-outs, and 27 traffic accident claims. A new red light running data collection system (detection-based, no ticketing) provides monthly reports to police for targeted enforcement. The division aims to reduce travel time on targeted roadways by 10%. Signal timing improvements are ongoing around Library Square. Council questioned a stalled grant for a pedestrian crossing at 16th and 6th; approximately $50,000–$70,000 has been expended but not yet reimbursed.
Streets Division
- Streets maintains 1,020 lane miles, 5,400 catch basins, and 180 miles of stormwater line. The average pavement condition index (PCI) is 72% overall but 61% for core areas; some roads have a PCI as low as 9. The division is building an in-house construction crew to reduce costs (half the cost of outsourcing). Equipment requests include two street sweepers ($850,000), a farm tractor ($130,000), a steel drum asphalt roller ($275,000), and two F550 pickups (cost not specified). A major concern is retention of heavy equipment operators: Nampa staff maintain 45 lane miles per person, compared to 38 for ACHD and 18–19 for the Nampa Highway District. Council acknowledged the need to address wage competitiveness (options from $143,000 to $287,000 over current budget). A waste pit is nearing capacity (2–4 years left); future options include a county landfill or partnering with a private gravel pit.
Discussion Items: Bravian Academy Charter School Traffic Impact Mitigation Agreement
- Council considered a proposed agreement with Bravian Academy, a charter school planning to occupy a former Xilog building on 11th Avenue North. The school needed a tenant improvement (TI) permit to close on a bond by May 22. The city’s traffic impact study (TIS) had not been finalized, and potential safety improvements (turn lanes, signage) were identified. The school’s head of school, Brandon Durst, and CEO Dr. Greg Wiles spoke, emphasizing community demand (200+ waitlist families) and the urgency of the permit. Council expressed concerns about waiving standard processes and potential liability if safety improvements were not completed before occupancy. City Attorney Preston had reviewed the draft agreement; the school had accepted all city redlines except one request: a clause allowing a temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) for non-safety improvements. Council debated liability and precedent. Councilman Reynolds moved to table due to incomplete information. Councilman Griffin moved to approve the agreement subject to legal finalization of a clause allowing Daniel Badger (city engineer) discretion to issue a TCO only for non-safety related improvements. That motion passed 4-1, with Reynolds dissenting.
Key Outcomes
- Council voted 4-1 to authorize the City Attorney and City Engineer to finalize a traffic impact mitigation agreement with Bravian Academy, including a clause that permits a temporary certificate of occupancy for non-safety improvements, subject to Daniel Badger’s approval. The TI permit may be issued before the TIS is fully resolved. The school must complete all safety-related improvements before occupancy.
- Council directed staff to explore increasing airport rental rates above CPI to generate revenue for capital needs.
- Council acknowledged the need to address heavy equipment operator wages to improve retention; further budget discussions are anticipated.
- No formal action on streets equipment requests; council indicated support for moving forward with wage adjustments and equipment purchases as part of budget talks.
Meeting Transcript
So it looks like it's here, but not on the screen. It must have just happened when you have to pass. I did. There was only one pop on scene when I got there. Yeah. Oh yeah. Okay. So we just call it. Good morning. We appreciate uh you being here this morning. And uh so we're going to uh call the meeting to order. And uh if you would if you join me in standing for the invitation and the pledge of allegiance. Lord, we're thankful for the day. We're thankful for the wisdom that is provided as we come together as a team here at the city of Napa that you would continue to guide and direct these deliberations or continue to give us wisdom. Servants of the citizens right by the money that are entrusted to us. Thank you very much. Roll call. Scog. Here. Here. Reynolds. I'll give him a minute. He is online. Rodriguez. Here. Griffin. Reynolds. When we can we'll right now we're at five. Yeah. So potentially that that will come. Um hold for a moment. I wanted to acknowledge uh Councilman Griffin. And say uh congratulations on uh obtaining the masters in uh accounting and tax and receiving that. Also congratulations on the jurisdictorate and uh looking forward to forty days, sixty days, whatever it is that you're able to pass the bar. And so I just think those are two accomplishments like many in the room who have engineering degrees and other degrees and certs and so forth. That we value education and we value the uh coming forward and the information. I mean, it's the learning curve you're on, we appreciate. So I just wanted to make sure that's fighting. Tom, you're up, thank you. Uh Council President, Council, thank you. Um especially on public works week. This is public works week and we have a picnic at the park today. If you're welcome to join us, it'd be great to have you there. Um had a major twelve inch line irrigation break. So they're home resting right now, but um it kind of goes leads into this presentation on the need for infrastructure. Right. We've got a lot of old infrastructure, and this just shows that it was uh the cause of the break. Uh, we had a spike in one of our um stations, which caused the pressure in the line to get up to 100, but it should be okay if it because that's you should be able to get to 125 PSI pretty easily. It's just a 50-year-old pipe, it just didn't make sense. Yes, we couldn't hold up.
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