Boise Mayor Dave Bieter focused more on his record than new ideas in Wednesday’s state of the city address.
The speech was in stark contrast to last year’s address, where Bieter unveiled several new proposals. Those included halting new development in the Boise Foothills and creating a $20 million land trust to ease the affordable housing crunch.
That trust has yet to come to fruition.
Bieter said he wanted to find homes for the 166 families experiencing homelessness in the city, but he didn’t say how he’d do it.
“$6,000 is the difference between a child sleeping in a shelter or having their own bed at night,” he said.
Bieter pointed to two housing projects offering 67 permanent homes to the chronically homeless, New Path Community Housing and Valor Pointe, as examples of past successes.
Climate change also featured prominently in the speech. Next year, the city is expected to roll out six new garbage trucks with electric engines, paid for through grant funds.
“If we can do electrics in busses and solid waste trucks and our own cars and city fleets, we can make a real difference in this,” Bieter said.
The move dovetails with his goal of having the city powered by renewable energy by 2030.
The mayor also awarded Boise Police Chief Bill Bones, who announced his retirement Tuesday, the key to the city for his role in helping cut crime significantly over the past few years.
Bieter faces a crowded field of opponents as he seeks a fifth term in November.
Follow James Dawson on Twitter @RadioDawson for more local news.
Copyright 2019 Boise State Public Radio
