Looking at the proposed purchase price itself, it appears city officials did not engage due diligence necessary for a $7.2 million transaction. Perhaps because there would be no public vote on the transaction, an outside appraiser was not hired to determine if the purchase price was a fair price. Instead of making arrangements to pay for the purchase of Eagle Water Company through bonds paid for by the revenues of the water company, which would have required a vote of the people, Eagle city leaders chose to force the $7.2 million purchase price on the affected residents, and then to place liens on the properties of those owners who did not pay within thirty days of their assessment notice.The assessments also fundamentally were unfair, as they were not based on actual water usage, but on the size of the water pipe on the properties. Those owners who farmed their land and were not current water company customers were assessed by the city more unfairly. Their assessments were to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars on the assumption they were going to sub-divide their properties into high-density lots.

Eagle city’s actions caught the attention of the state legislature in March of this year and a Bill to prevent the seemingly outrageous overstepping of city government authority passed through the House of Representatives but failed to get out of the Senate Committee, thus it never reached the Senate Floor. Senator Bastian was not representing the people of Eagle in his District 14 in the Senate during the committee hearing on March 18, which I attended and he did not.

Luckily for those facing very large assessments in Eagle, the newly elected and appointed City Council members acted responsibly at the Council’s April 8^th meeting and repealed the LID city ordinance, apparently against the wishes of current Mayor Bandy and Councilman Guerber. After voting to rescind the ordinance, the latter stated “for the record” that the former Council on which he and Bandy served “did nothing wrong” in forming the LID on its own in order to purchase a water company and levy assessments on properties.

In the meantime, Senator Bastian, who is running for Senate re-election this year, has switched to damage control mode. In recently published statements, he has stated he actually was not in favor of the LID as written which he helped to create in 2007, and that “at the time” of the previous Council’s vote he “had stated…I prefer a vote of Eagle citizens on this issue.” Are those true statements? Not according to a review of approved City Council Minutes from October 24, 2007. Those Minutes reveal Senator Bastian was the Councilman who made the Motion to create the Eagle LID, seconded by Bandy. Is Senator Bastian’s double-talk what voters want representing Eagle and District 14 in the State Senate?

According to the water company purchase contract, Eagle had until March 31 of this year to get the financing in order. The city failed in that effort and currently no purchase contract exists, as Eagle Water Company has to date refused to allow a contract extension. Therefore, the ordinance allowing a public vote on a city revenue bond to raise monies for the purchase was not passed, as it is no longer needed. The city’s opportunity to purchase Eagle Water Company seems to be gone and it is unclear whether Eagle will have another opportunity to do so.

The questions remain: Has Eagle lost a beneficial opportunity for its citizens because Senator Bastian, Mayor Bandy and Councilman Guerber tried to circumvent the people’s right to vote, or has Eagle’s new city leaders averted a fiscal and bureaucratic disaster?

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Post from: Saundra McDavid

An Opportunity Lost or a Disaster Averted?

LaMonte, embarrassed and angry, left the bar and waited outside for his friends. Evidently while he was waiting his friends were finishing their beers and telling everyone in the bar that their friend had been racially discriminated against. A man then approached LaMonte as he waited for his friends outside the bar and stated that he had known the bartender for many years. He told LaMonte “Well dude, you just got to realize where you are.” LaMonte replied “In Star, Idaho?” The man said yes. LaMonte replied, “Isn’t Idaho in the United States?” The man said yes. LaMonte then told him “Then I deserve a drink just like you.” The man offered to go back into the bar with LaMonte and talk to the bartender. LaMonte had the impression that the man was telling him that if he went back into the bar with that man, he would be “accepted” and served.

I think the patrons and employees of that popular bar in Star, Idaho could use a refresher on the law that applies to ALL cities in the United States. In case you missed that day in history class, back in 1964 the Civil Rights Act was passed (due to the very actions in which you just engaged). This Act prohibits you from refusing to provide a service to a person based upon his race. Specifically section 42 of the United States Code, Section 2000 (a) states: All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin.

What is truly unfortunate, is the fact that LaMonte moved his two small children to our community because he wanted to move away from a large city in order to raise his children in a smaller one; one which was supposed to provide a better quality of life. Star, you represent one of the cities in our State – a state which is represented by one of the stars on our American Flag. I hope that your community works together to fix this problem. America should represent zero tolerance for racial discrimination.

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Post from: Saundra McDavid

Racial Discrimination in Star, Idaho

On the day I filed the election forms, I was a relatively unknown citizen of Eagle; however I emerged from this election as the chosen leader of a large group of residents who wanted change. 48% of the voters. Thank you for your faith in me. I have never been afraid to speak out and represent others who share my views and I am committed to continue to do so.

I will be using this blog to share my thoughts on a number of topics; from changes I would like to see to the election process, addressing some of the rumors that were spread during the campaign, and providing my opinion on a number of issues that affect our community.

Please visit often and feel free to comment. I welcome all views, both for and against my own opinions. My only requirement for posting comments is that you post under your real name.

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Post from: Saundra McDavid

Thank You!