Meridian's Volunteers are some of Idaho's Brightest

Meridian is an amazing community made up of a variety of talented individuals, many who use their talents to benefit our community in a number of ways. Often referred to as “silent leaders,” these individuals are the faces you see countless times in our community at a variety of projects and events, serving not for recognition, but rather to make their home a better place. It is rare that these people are recognized for their services, so when they are it is certainly cause for celebration. Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter and First Lady Lori Otter presented their 11th Annual Governor’s Brightest Star Awards at the Egyptian Theater on November 13th. The annual awards ceremony hosted by Serve Idaho had over 500 in attendance in an effort to honors Idaho volunteers who selflessly provide outstanding public service within their communities. Individuals and groups throughout Idaho were recognized for their volunteer efforts, in categories which included corporation, small business, organization, school, student, senior and individual. Several dedicated Meridian volunteers shined brightly in this awards program. Among those honored from Meridian were Pastor Mark Thornton of Capital Christian Center; Mary Pridmore of Be Kind Idaho; Spencer Martin, a Meridian Police & Fire volunteer; nine-year-old Angelyn Wade; Scentsy; Creative Balloons of Idaho; and the Meridian Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council. Pastor Thornton, Creative Balloons, and Scentsy were honored on stage as top-three winners in their respective categories, and the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council took home one of the afternoon’s top volunteer awards –“First Lady’s Choice” winner. This dynamic group of students in grades 9 -12 is dedicated to serving their community. Through events, volunteerism, and advocacy, MYAC is working to tackle issues impacting our youth and adults alike such as texting while driving, bullying, and serving those in need. Governor Otter said he appreciated the opportunity to give some well-deserved credit to the folks who make a real difference in our communities, and in our lives, and I couldn’t agree more. In fact, I encourage and challenge each of you to emulate these local volunteers by becoming more involved in Meridian. Find your passion and use it to make a difference in our community. Congratulations to all the individuals, organizations, and businesses honored as Idaho’s Brightest Stars. You set a shining example for us all!

Meridian Takes Action Against E-Cigarettes

Recently, the Meridian City Council voted unanimously to bring consistency to our no smoking policy in City parks and public facilities, such as Meridian City Hall, to include e-cigarettes. There has been much debate among public health officials regarding e-cigarette use; the City of Meridian felt that smoking cigarettes – of any type – should be treated the same. In case you’re unfamiliar with e-cigarettes, they look very similar to a normal cigarette, cigar, or pipe. However, the product is divided into three sections – a cartridge containing a liquid nicotine solution, an atomizer which is attached to the cartridge and creates vapor, and a slim tube-shaped piece which holds the battery and LED light that comes on during inhalation. Instead of smoke from burning tobacco, e-cigarette users breathe in water vapor with nicotine and flavorings, which enters their blood stream through the lungs. Currently, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not exercised the same oversight on e-cigarettes as it does on the traditional cigarette market. Last month, 40 U.S. state attorney generals, including Idaho’s Lawrence Wasden, wrote to the FDA urging immediate regulation of the sale and advertising of e-cigarettes. The FDA is set to decide if they’ll place restrictions on e-cigarettes in the coming weeks. According to public health officials, a growing number of people – including an alarming number of young adults and teens – are regularly using or experimenting with e-cigarettes. In fact, Meridian Police officers working in our middle and high schools say the use of “e-cigs” has skyrocketed among local students, even though it is illegal to sell them to children in Idaho. Over the past several years, both the Mayor’s Anti-Drug Coalition and the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council have worked hard to discourage our community’s youth from smoking. We are concerned this trendy new device might reverse the progress we’ve made in reducing the use of cigarettes particularly among our youth. We felt it was important to have a consistent policy and message regarding our no smoking policy. By having healthy places for everyone to enjoy and limiting smoking to parking lots, we can help ensure that smoking is not the example we set for our community’s children.

Meridian Split Corridor Project Nears Completion

We are inching closer to the completion date of the Meridian Split Corridor Project. That means every day we are getting closer to having a quicker and more efficient way to travel to our downtown and through to the rest of the community. While the final product will be a great addition to Meridian’s roadways, the road construction from which we all will benefit has made it difficult for many of our downtown businesses.

In an effort to help these downtown business during this project we have been organizing monthly cash mobs and only have two left! Our next on is on August 29 and we will focus on our furnishings and antiques businesses at the south end - and throw in something tasty as well. These businesses include: St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, Loyal to One Thrift, Vintage Home Décor, the Idaho Youth Ranch and Little Kitchen Pastries. I would encourage everyone to come out this Thursday and show your support for these local businesses!

When construction is over, you will notice a few changes in downtown. Our community development department has been working with downtown businesses to help this important part of our community, currently focused on your dining experience - I am so excited to share their ideas with you. During specific weekends in September, the city is going to transform parking spots into mini patios creating outdoor dining spaces for restaurants. The spaces are officially called parklets and they can be found in major cities across the country, just type parklet into Google and you’ll be amazed by what you see.

We are working with a couple downtown restaurants to test the parklet idea and see how it works in downtown Meridian. The idea is to try this out and get your feedback before permanent change is considered. We hope this new idea will attract visitors to Meridian and will give a refreshing new look to this heart of our community. We are still working to finalize all the details but keep a close eye on our website for upcoming dates and locations. We can’t wait to see these demonstration projects pop up. If you haven’t been downtown for a while, much is changing. I encourage you to come downtown on Thursday, August 29 and show your support to these businesses. If we each support a little it can make a real difference.

Congratulations to the Meridian Police Department!

Earlier last winter during my State of the City Address, I shared that Meridian continues to be one of the safest cities in Idaho. We’ve seen system improvements in almost every aspect of our law enforcement program and police response times have improved in every category. Better staffing coverage and crime tracking certainly contributed, as has the ongoing work of our Impact Team. These efforts have resulted in significant decreases in crimes against society, drug offenses, and crimes of opportunity. In a nutshell, the hard work of our men and women at the Meridian Police Department (MPD) is paying off for each and every one of us in the community.

Recently, the MPD achieved a milestone as they received accreditation from the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association (ICOPA). Meridian Police Chief Jeff Lavey accepted the accreditation plaque during a brief ceremony held during last week’s Meridian City Council meeting. The plaque was presented on behalf of the ICOPA by retired Blackfoot Police Chief David Moore, a long-time accreditation evaluator who called the MPD one of the “best run ships” he’s seen in his many years of law enforcement and serving as an evaluator.

Becoming an accredited police department - long considered an essential component of establishing professional excellence in other professional fields - is a relatively new concept for law enforcement agencies. Set to the same professional tone as accreditation programs required for universities and hospitals, the law enforcement accreditation program through ICOPA is recognized as a means of maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.

Attaining accredited status demonstrates to the community that the MPD is fully committed to maintaining the highest standards of professional law enforcement service. This has been an intensive three-year process during which the policies, procedures, practices, and facilities of the MPD were carefully scrutinized, measured, and evaluated by experts in the field. Areas evaluated included administration, internal affairs, operations, training, investigations, patrol, personnel, traffic, use of force, and other areas of policing.

Congratulations to all the men and women of the MPD on this accomplishment, but a special credit to Chief Lavey whose leadership and professionalism sets the expectations of our entire department. Join me in thanking them for their service and celebrating this accomplishment.

Soak up the Last Days of Summer

As summer gradually begins to wind down and students begin to contemplate their return to the classroom, there are still plenty of ways families can enjoy the final weeks of summer and sunshine in Meridian.

If you haven’t already, come join us for CableONE Movie Night. Every Friday night through the end of August, free outdoor movies will be shown at dusk at Settlers Park. Grab the entire family, some blankets, food and come out and enjoy this great Meridian tradition on our 30-foot inflatable screen.

While you and your family still have a few days off together, go out and spend some time exploring Meridian’s parks. You could play tennis, soccer, horseshoes or bocce ball or maybe you’d rather cool off at our splash pad or try your hand at fishing in one or our ponds. With 20 unique parks in our community there is a nearly endless combination of amenities, activities and unique atmospheres for everyone to enjoy.

In addition to CableOne Movie Night and enjoying our tremendous parks, I invite you to join us on August 2nd at the Speedway Dairy Barn for the 34th Annual Meridian Firefighter’s Association Salmon BBQ. This is truly one of my favorite events of the year as our firefighters serve up some delicious salmon! All proceeds go to the Meridian Firefighters Association and the Meridian Burn Out Fund, which provides emergency assistance to families and individuals who are impacted by fire and other disasters. This is certainly a cause worth our time and support.

These are just some of the great things taking place in our community as we close out the summer and head into fall. To learn more about the events taking place in our community, be sure to check out our This Week in Meridian videos or the community calendar on our website at www.meridiancity.org. Liking us on Facebook is also an excellent way to stay in touch and see all of the fun things to do in our community this fall.

New Development Coming to North Meridian

Whew, these days it appears that new construction is around every corner in Meridian. From ‘The Village at Meridian’ to Scentsy’s corporate campus, to new homes and expanded roadways built throughout our community, the landscape of our beloved City is ever changing.

Meridian has changed from a dairy community, 'back in the day’, to a thriving full-service economic center. You can still see the strong roots to our past - just drive down Eagle Road. On one side of the roadway you see lush farmland but just yards away there is a construction site with new commercial buildings going up. Often I have residents ask me what is the new building going up ‘here’ or being built over ‘there’. In most cases the projects were approved years before construction began.

As construction activity continues to pick up in our community, we want to make everyone understands how the development process works from the beginning to the end. We will discuss this subject in detail at this week’s Town Hall Meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, July 24th, at 6:30 p.m. at the Challenger School located at 2020 West Everest Lane in north Meridian.

The development process can be confusing for those who are not familiar with it. But understanding this process gives you the ability to get involved and comment and influence the look and feel of Meridian. It is especially important for homeowners to take notice of the “Public Hearing Notice” signs on property which helps notify the community that change could be coming in the future. By understanding the process you’ll know how to find out about any large construction projects in your area and how and when you can get involved.

In addition to learning about the development process, we also wanted to let you know about projects planned in the northwest section of Meridian. Projects include the Wal-Mart moving forward on the corner of McMillan and Ten Mile Roads, the future Latter Day Saint Temple, the 50 acre Aldape Park along the Boise River in Meridian, residential subdivisions and so much more. Along with development, there are also transportation improvements that are coming to the area which will be highlighted. This Town Hall Meeting will be a great opportunity for residents to ask questions about what is coming to our community and how to be ‘in the know’ on future projects.

This is an exciting time in Meridian as the landscape continues to change. I urge you to come out this Wednesday for an opportunity to learn about the process of change and how to become involved in it.

It's Your Money - Get Involved with the City's Budget Process

There is a famous proverb that reads, "It takes a village to raise a family." The same holds true in local government - it takes an entire community to make Meridian the wonderful, unique place we all love to call home. Whether you realize it or not, you are so important to everything our City does. Our citizens’ engagement and input has helped shape us into the vibrant community we are today.

The City is focused on our citizens and our service to you. We work hard to make sure you live in a safe community where police and firefighters are just a call away, a community where you are never far from wonderful parks, open space and pathways, and a City with a thriving economy. While our City Council members are elected to make the decisions which impact us all, the City wants - and needs - your input when it has important decisions to make.

An important part of what we do to provide services is done through our extensive budget process. We begin preparation in February where Finance and I, along with the specific City Council liaison, where we scrutinize each department's budget line by line, looking at budget performance, under/over variances, asset maintenance and replacement, how programs are meeting strategic goals and associated ROI. Budget enhancements are then considered relating to needs versus wants and to the City's five year capital improvement plan. Our Senior Management Team then presents their respective budget which is then discussed and the budget balanced. The 'Mayors Budget' is then given to the City Council several weeks prior to the budget workshops for their review and eventual adoption.

This week, each department director will go before the City Council to present their budgets and proposed enhancements for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts on October 1, 2013. These budget workshops, held on July 9 and 10, are the community’s first chance to hear where money may be allocated and what projects the City wants to fund. With this information City Council will be setting the budget for the 2014 fiscal year, a process that will be finalized during the August 20th meeting where public testimony will be taken.

We firmly believe it is important that the public is involved in the budget process. At the end of the day, this is your money! The budget helps guide the projects the City will deliver over the coming year. If you can’t attend these meetings, we will stream them live and post the video on our website at meridiancity.org/videos. If you have any questions or want more details about the budget process and how to get involved please call my office at 489-0529.

The financial decisions the City Council makes will impact our community, and most importantly, you. That is why I am asking you to get involved in this process. Public dollars make up our City budget and we would appreciate your involvement.

 

Teen RSA

Summer is traditionally the deadliest time for teen drivers as they spend more time on the road. As a community it is important we educate our teens on the dangers that exist when getting behind the wheel so they can make informed decisions while navigating our city’s streets. One way we are doing this is by creating strategies for driving success through the Teen Roadway Safety Advocates (TeenRSA) program.

The TeenRSA program was started as a way to engage youth in improving road safety near their schools and in their communities. The program is modeled after a process that has been used for years around the world to systematically look at roadway safety issues from a multi-disciplinary approach. Through this process, students not only learn about the roadway environment, but also about how drivers and other road users behave in those areas.

In performing road safety assessments, teams are formed to look at existing or potential roadway safety problems with a “fresh set of eyes,” often tapping into the personal knowledge of members of the community who may not have roadway or transportation expertise. In the TeenRSA Program, students equipped with cameras, measuring devices, clip boards and safety vests will look at roadways, bike paths, sidewalks, bus stops, and parking lots in and around their schools and neighborhoods. Working with the guidance of advisors from the Meridian Police Department, the youth teams collectively identify potential problems and document what they find, develop ideas for potential solutions, and advocate for improvements.

The majority of the high school students participating in Meridian’s initial TeenRSA are members of the Mayors Youth Advisory Council ( MYAC), a group that has successfully lobbied against texting while driving, advocated seat belt use, and explored other teen safety issues. By involving our MYAC members, it is our hope to build continuity into the teen safety programs and instill a positive culture built around being safe and smart.

So, as you are out and about this summer near Rocky Mountain, Meridian or Mountain View high schools, I encourage you to be on the lookout for a TeenRSA near you! The work they are doing just might have an impact on someone you know or love during the 100 deadliest days of summer.

Association of Idaho Cities Awards

Last week the Association of Idaho Cities (AIC) held their annual conference. This conference allows city officials from across the state of Idaho to get together to learn and share information. We know that by working together we can keep up-to-date on the issues affecting cities and how we are addressing these items. Through sharing information about programs or the services we offer to our citizens’, we can experience either cost savings or innovation or both.


The City of Meridian brought forward ten such programs and services we felt would be beneficial to share with other communities around the state. They included the Community Recycling Fund, Customer Water Confidence Report, Initial Point Gallery, Meridian Enterprise Addressing Database, Project S.A.F.E., Parks & Recreation Recycling Program, Warranty Surety Program, Youth Art Display, Youth Safety Programs, and the Youth Work Life Skills Internship Program. As you can see, we have a lot to be proud of in Meridian! While I would love to talk about all of these programs and services, let me briefly tell you about two.

A few months ago a family woke up to the sound of smoke alarms going off and discovered a fire in their garage. The three people inside the home in South Meridian were all able to get out of the house safely and call 911. Firefighters arrived in time to keep the fire from spreading to the rest of the home. Less than a year ago, there were no smoke alarms in this particular home. The family was given free alarms through Project S.A.F.E. -- "Smoke Alarms for Everyone" from our Fire Department. In addition to the smoke alarms, 450 deaf/hearing impaired residents will receive a bed shaking device that is designed to help awaken them by shaking their mattress in the event the smoke alarm activates. Lives are being saved through this program.

The Meridian Enterprise Addressing Database (MEAD) is the second program I will highlight. For years, addressing information within the City has been created and maintained by multiple people, in multiple departments, within multiple databases. As a result, the inconsistencies in addressing information has made data-sharing with other outside agencies increasingly difficult. With MEAD we are able to streamline the addressing process and remove many of the roadblocks that stood in the way previously. This allows for less cost to our citizens and quicker responses from our staff.

Both of these programs were awarded an AIC City Achievement Award and together represent the hard work of our City staff to meet the ever-growing needs of our community. With dedicated staff we are working hard towards our goal as a premiere city to live, work and raise a family.

Meridian Dairy Days

Each year, Meridian Dairy Days gives us an opportunity to reflect on our past and celebrate our heritage as a community. Since the opening of the Meridian Creamery in 1929, our City has taken time each year to time to honor and celebrate the important role the dairy industry played in our community’s history and development.


While the Creamery is gone, agriculture still has an important and valuable role in and around Meridian. Last week, I got to see this first-hand as I toured the agricultural region southwest of our city with other City leaders. We were able to learn about a few of the crops growing in the area, the unique needs of farmers, such as irrigation, and the economic impact farming has on our community and region. I’d like to thank Drew and Brenda Eggers for taking the time to engage the City on this important topic. The information we gathered will help us make informed decisions as Meridian continues to grow.

We also toured Black Cat Dairy where we witnessed Rocky Row's impressive dairy farm. We arrived during milking time - which I think is 24/7 - and witnessed why he has such high quality milk. This operation is one of the cleanest and cared for dairies I have seen! We were also just minutes short of seeing a calf born.

We may not have the same level of dairy activity as in days past we still have a strong connection to our community’s roots. And celebrating our heritage makes Dairy Days that much more enjoyable for all. I encourage you to come out this week and enjoy the much improved carnival, the Dairy Princess Pageant, the pancake feed, Old McDonald’s Farm and other pastime favorites. We also get to look forward to new events this year like the Fast Lane Kow Karts, stroller parade and the pool bash. For a full list of everything taking place during Dairy Days, please visit www.dairydays.org.

As a reminder, the Dairy Days Parade has been canceled this year due to the construction taking place on Meridian Road. It has been a community tradition that many look forward to. I can say we are all disappointed that we won't have a parade this summer. We know how much this parade means to Meridian families and we will assist the Meridian Dairy Board in any way we can to bring the parade back bigger and better than ever in 2014.

2013 Meridian City Scholarship Winners

Recently, seniors from high schools across Meridian donned caps and gowns to accept their hard-earned diplomas. This was a great accomplishment for all and we are excited to see each student set out on their next journey. Many of these students have contributed in a number of ways to the vibrancy and energy of our community through countless hours of community service, all the while balancing their studies and school activities. As a City we express our gratitude to our amazing students by presenting four outstanding graduating high school seniors with $1,000 scholarships to be used at accredited colleges or vocational education programs this fall. These scholarships are funded by the businesses that sponsor the annual State of the City address.

This year’s winners were selected by a panel of Meridian citizens and business leaders based on criteria including service to others, academic merit, and personal growth as a result of community involvement.

Here’s a brief description of each of our 2013 City of Meridian Scholarship winners:

Katherine Fleming is a 2013 graduate of Meridian High School. She was president of her school’s National Honor Society and was involved in TRIO, Idaho Drug-Free Youth, the Buddy Walk, Rake Up Meridian, Red Cross blood drives, Backpacks for Kids, and many other community service projects. Katherine is also active with her church’s youth ministry and lent her voice to her school’s varsity choir. She will begin college in the fall and intends to pursue a career in social work.

Melissa Goetz is a 2013 graduate of Meridian High School, although she spent the majority of her high school years studying at Renaissance High School. She has been involved in Girl Scouts, 4-H, the Meridian Lions Club, FFA, and the National Honor Society. She excels at horsemanship and will start college this fall to study pre-veterinary sciences.

Mikayla Payne is a 2013 graduate of Renaissance High School. She was active with the Leo Club and National Honor Society, and assisted Boise and Meridian firefighters with fundraising activities for their burn-out funds. Mikayla has coached youth gymnastics for four years, volunteered at an assisted living center, and is currently completing a CNA program. She is graduating from high school with a 2-year associates degree already under her belt and is looking forward to beginning pre-med studies in biology at Idaho State University this fall

Brett Wilder is a 2013 graduate of Meridian High School where he was a member of the National Honor Society and served on student council. He is an accomplished pianist and band percussionist. Brett is proud to be part of the 6th generation of his family involved in Idaho agriculture, and has been in 4-H for 11 years and a participant in FFA. He plans to study Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Education.

Please join me in wishing congratulations to our winners and best wishes to all of our graduates!

Public Works Week

The other day my granddaughter asked me where the water came from that is delivered when turning on the faucet; how would you answer that? What if she asked more questions like where water goes after it’s flushed down your drain or who turns on the streetlights every night? We expect that when we turn on our facets, clean water will come out. We expect that used water will go down the drain and leave our house. And we have come to assume that each night street lights will guide us safely back to our homes. All of these things are a vital part of our quality of life and here in Meridian we have the Meridian Public Works Department to thank for providing these essential services.


This week, we are celebrating Meridian’s Public Works Week. It is not only a chance for us to thank the men and women who help keep our crucial City services running but it’s also a chance for us to understand the complexities of the Public Works Department and all the services it provides for us.

For example, did you know the Meridian Public Works Department is responsible for maintaining 492 miles of sewer line? These pipes carry all the dirty water from your house and take it all the way to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. There the water is cleaned before it enters the water cycle again. Public Works employees also oversee the City’s 18 wells that ensure Meridian residents can have clean drinking water. Both of these services are critical to our community’s health and overall safety.

The majority of services that our Public Works Department provides are paid for through your water and sewer bills. It is important to understand where your money is going and what it is paying for. That is why I would encourage all of you to attend one, or all, of the events during Public Works Week. It is beneficial to know about and understand the quality services the Public Works Department provides, we can then help do our part to sustain the quality of services we have come accustomed to.

I personally want to thank every single employee who works in Meridian’s Public Works Department. Their dedicated service to our community is deeply appreciated and does not go unnoticed. If you would like to find more information about Public Works Weeks events, including a free expo on Wednesday night and a fun run on Saturday, please visit meridiancity.org.