 
Dear Friends -
September has arrived with welcome rain and cool nights, the campers
are home from their Labor Day excursions, and the kids are back in
school. On Labor Day, America honors its workers; those people who have
made our nation what it is today, those who serve in the present day,
and those who are building for the future. The American worker has a
proud history of being among the most productive in the world.
In Nampa, the unemployment rate is at 6.7%, the lowest it has been in
six years. Most of the jobs lost during the recession have returned or
been replaced, and for that, we thank the businesses and industries that
have invested in Nampa. We have seen many new businesses move to
Nampa, and existing businesses expand their operations, both bringing
new opportunities for employment for our citizens. And there are more on
the way. Under the leadership of our new Economic Development Director,
Beth Ineck, we are approaching Economic Development with a much more
aggressive attitude, and are looking forward to positive results.
Speaking of work, you will notice ESI is hard at work on Library
Square. Currently, they are working on the footings for the Library, as
well as infrastructure items – water, sewer, and electric lines - that
need to be in place. This is all below the surface work, that doesn’t
get the headlines, but is essential for a solid foundation from which
the Library will rise.
It is exciting to see the vision for a new Nampa Public Library
becoming reality. This vision was born many years ago, and has been
shared by thousands in our community. I’ve heard it said that a vision
without a plan is just a dream; and a vision without a funding source is
a hallucination.
Eight years ago a large group of Nampa citizens, with help from expert
consultants and city staff, began crafting a plan to turn vision into
reality. They worked for more than a year, weighing alternatives,
formulating strategic plans, exploring funding options. In 2006, the
Nampa City Council formally adopted their plan which we have been
following, which included utilizing an Urban Renewal District as the
funding source. The Gardner Company has come along side us in this
project as the developer, and will be building restaurant, retail, and
private office space on the block. The cost of the Library is around $18
million, and will be paid for over the next 17 years with tax dollars
generated by new growth in the district. No tax increases were needed to
make this vision a reality.
This is an exciting time for Nampa. This is the first new
construction in downtown Nampa in nearly 50 years. You can watch the
progress via a construction camera on site, click here to access through a link on the Nampa Public Library’s website.
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