Nampa City Council Meeting - September 8, 2026

The Nampa City Council met on September 8, 2026, at 5:00 PM. The meeting opened with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the approval of the consent agenda and a series of public hearings, action items, and staff reports. Key topics included the adoption of a utility rate study, the annexation and zoning for Grace Bible Church, and a discussion on a Motorola Solutions master service agreement. Several proclamations were also presented.

Consent Calendar

• Approved subdivision final plat for an assisted living facility at Carter Road and North Middleton Road.
• Approved annexation and zoning to RS4 and a conditional use permit for duplexes (Southside IT Mod) - recommended for approval.
• Approved annexation and zoning to IL for industrial buildings southeast of East Victory Road and North Happy Valley Road.
• Approved a conditional use permit for a non-commercial kennel license (denied by commission but later approved with conditions on appeal? The transcript states: "four in favor and two opposed, and so it was approved with some conditions").
• Approved annexation and zoning to RS4 and BC for a master plan community (Lone Star 110 LLC) - recommended for approval.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jeff Hatch (architect, 5119 Briar Crest Drive) expressed concerns about the development of the Elite RV property, questioning whether self-storage is the highest and best use for the site. He suggested a well-planned industrial area would better serve the community for long-term growth and job creation. He stated he was not asking for action on the pending reconsideration.
• Justin Reynolds (Club Storage Condos, 4751 Eustach Road) updated the council on road changes to Eustach, Star, and Awahi. He described hardships caused by a closed median with a signalized intersection, forcing large vehicles to travel 1.5 to 4 miles to make U-turns. He proposed allowing a curb cut for direct access to a consolidated driveway to improve safety. Crystal Craig (Transportation Director) responded that the corridor study was published in 2022 and that a state grant funded the signal, not a roundabout. She did not recommend a curb cut due to safety concerns near the signal.

Proclamations

• Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15, 2026) – presented by Mari, representing the Idaho Hispanic Community Center. She invited the community to a celebration on Sunday.
• Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month (September 2026) – presented by Caden, who emphasized the importance of mental health support and suicide prevention collaboration.
• National Recovery Month (September 2026) – presented by Marty Cooper of Southwest Idaho Recovery Community Center (SIRCC). He reported that last year's rally had 94 vendors and over 2,000 attendees and stressed collaboration among recovery providers.

Discussion Items

• Motorola Solutions Master Service Agreement (Item 1-6D): Councilman Griffin raised concerns about data privacy, specifically regarding anonymized data retention and the definition of "anonymized customer data" in the addendum. Lieutenant Napoleon and City Attorney Preston Radder explained that cloud storage necessitates data being held by Motorola and that the agreement is a boilerplate template that can be amended for specific services. Motion to approve passed 4-1 (Griffin opposed).
• Deferred Maintenance Presentation (Tom Points, Public Works Director): Points reported that the city has $600 million in deferred maintenance projects (transportation and water) and an ongoing need of $55 million per year. He proposed a first phase of $36 million using $5 million in one-time funds, with a design-build approach to manage 118 projects. He also noted that a registration fee ballot measure is set for November 3, 2026. Council President Bills added that buildings have $100 million in deferred maintenance, with $20 million acute.
• New City Attorney Introduction: Blair was introduced as the new in-house attorney, bringing 17 years of local government experience and a JD/MPA from BYU.
• Utility Rate Study (Item 5-5): The council considered whether to adopt the final report and continue with the current three-tiered rate structure or move to a flat (uniform) rate. John Spencer (Water Resources Director) and Chris Gonzalez (FCS consultant) explained that the tiered structure encourages conservation and provides relief for low users. Councilman Reynolds argued that a flat rate is more equitable, while Councilman Griffin supported tiered rates. After a motion to hold a joint meeting with the Board of Appraisers failed (2-3), a subsequent motion to adopt the study and continue with tiered rates passed 3-2 (Reynolds and Rodriguez opposed).
• Grace Bible Church Annexation and Zoning (Item 6-1): A request to annex and rezone two parcels at Midway and Lake Lowell for a new church campus (88,479 sq ft, 1,300 seats, 690 parking stalls, 7.5 acres open space). Pastor Keith Wagner noted the church has outgrown its current location and is using Lone Star Middle School for overflow. Staff reported unanimous P&Z recommendation. Public testimony included support and concerns about traffic, wildlife (near Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge), and infrastructure. Multiple council members disclosed conversations with the pastor. Condition of approval included a future traffic impact study. Motion to approve passed 5-0.
• Code Amendments (Item 6-2): Adopted text amendments to align city code with new state legislation on accessory dwelling units, starter home subdivisions, and other provisions, effective February 2027. Passed unanimously.
• Emergency Access Easement Vacation (Item 6-3): Approved vacation of an easement on Mossy Rock Court, with retention of a public utility easement. Passed unanimously.
• Airport Annexation and Zoning (Item 6-4): Approved annexation and rezoning to IL (light industrial) for city-owned parcels near the airport. Passed unanimously.
• Motorola Security Camera Upgrade (Item 5-6): Approved $195,280 contract for citywide camera upgrades (fixed building security, not traffic cameras). Passed unanimously.
• Franklin Road and McDermott Road Intersection Project (Item 5-7): Approved interagency agreement up to $500,000. Passed unanimously.
• Garrety Traffic Safety Design (Item 5-8): Approved task order amendment $170,820 for design completion. Passed unanimously.
• PLC Controllers Procurement (Item 5-9): Approved sole source contract $162,639.83 for proprietary controllers, with a comment from Councilman Reynolds about avoiding future proprietary lock-in. Passed unanimously.
• Idaho Hispanic Community Center Boiler Replacement (Item 5-10): Approved $217,000 contract. Passed unanimously.
• East Canyon Community Annexation (First Reading, Item 7-1): Passed under suspension of rules for annexation and zoning of 357.17 acres into RS4, RS6, RMH, and BC designations. Passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Motorola Solutions Master Service Agreement approved 4-1.
• Deferred maintenance program initiated with $5 million one-time funding; further bonding to be considered in May.
• Utility rate study adopted with recommendation to continue tiered rate structure (vote 3-2).
• Grace Bible Church annexation and zoning approved 5-0; traffic impact study required at building permit stage.
• Several consent agenda items, proclamations, and other action items approved unanimously.
• Council entered executive session to discuss acquisition of real property for parks and recreation (Idaho Code 74-2061).