Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling outlined her city’s latest successes and challenges in her 2022 State of the City Address.
Speaking before the Nampa Chamber of Commerce, she said residents have been clear about what they want.
“The community has consistently said three things. They have said that infrastructure, safety and economic opportunity are important.
Nampa is Idaho’s third-largest city and is undergoing significant construction within its busiest corridors. That includes improvements to the southbound interstate exit at the Karcher Interchange, installing several new roundabouts and increasing connectivity to North Nampa.
The city will also soon host an open house to get feedback on a redesign of how traffic flows downtown.
Another win for the city, Kling said, is the progress made in Phase II of upgrading Nampa’s wastewater treatment plant, despite the pandemic.
“Construction is on-time and within budget and that’s massive considering the world that we’re in today,” she said. “As you guys know, supply chains are very challenging. Costs have risen considerably.”
Kling did acknowledge a recent uptick in the city’s violent crime, something she relates to drugs and gangs.
Nampa Police Chief Joe Huff told KTVB in August the department had more than a dozen positions to fill and hiring has been a struggle. Kling says police are working to address the issue, but she gave no specifics.
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