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I'm just saying.
I really can't speak for anyone's motivations, but Ms. Ziel-Dingman is a strong civic booster much along the same lines as most of the long-serving Council Members of the past and present have always been.
I believe Paul Menser has to have Southern irish blood in him. He can sure make the verbiage drip with honey, and he can schmooze the birds out of the trees. Darn good guitar player, too.
Paul knows more about idaho Falls than anybody. I knew Joe Marker as an old man- he lived down the block from me with his mother- and while I didn't know Quincy Jensen as well or see him as often as Joe, I knew him too. I always thought Quincy was the better historian of the 2, but Paul beats them both by a long mile.
I'm just saying.
I really can't speak for anyone's motivations, but Ms. Ziel-Dingman is a strong civic booster much along the same lines as most of the long-serving Council Members of the past and present have always been.
I believe Paul Menser has to have Southern irish blood in him. He can sure make the verbiage drip with honey, and he can schmooze the birds out of the trees. Darn good guitar player, too.
Paul knows more about idaho Falls than anybody. I knew Joe Marker as an old man- he lived down the block from me with his mother- and while I didn't know Quincy Jensen as well or see him as often as Joe, I knew him too. I always thought Quincy was the better historian of the 2, but Paul beats them both by a long mile.
Mike,
Change can be good. Anyone running against Michelle Ziel-Dingman has a very qualified candidate to run against. She is an accomplished, polished, self-made woman. I like Sharon Parry ' s spun and ability to vote no. However, with Mayor Casper, they fundamentally have different ideology of how governing should work.
It's certainly a pleasure to know in the I.F. sub-forum we all may not see things the same, but we aren't so rigid we can't review different views
I'll cross post this. I'd watch the airport. What is going on that the airport budget is requesting $2.3 million more next year? Keep that thought and watch development.
I'll cross post this. I'd watch the airport. What is going on that the airport budget is requesting $2.3 million more next year? Keep that thought and watch development.
The airport sure needs to do something about its short-term parking problem. Whenever a flight comes in, the traffic lines up past the entrance with folks who are coming to stop just long enough to pick up the incoming passengers.
My bro had to come back suddenly while away last year, and I thought I would go a little early so he wouldn't have to wait for me to pick him up.
I though an hour would be enough, but it sure wasn't. By then, the line was so long that I couldn't have entered the sort term lot if I had wanted to- the waiting cars partially blocked the entrance. As it was, I became so trapped in the traffic line he found me after walking through the short-term lot.
Such a mess is inexcusable for a regional airport like ours.
I can only imagine how bad a calamity could be if there was an aircraft fire or something that happened close to the terminal just when passengers were de-planing. How could our fire trucks get through that mess?
The airport sure needs to do something about its short-term parking problem. Whenever a flight comes in, the traffic lines up past the entrance with folks who are coming to stop just long enough to pick up the incoming passengers.
My bro had to come back suddenly while away last year, and I thought I would go a little early so he wouldn't have to wait for me to pick him up.
I though an hour would be enough, but it sure wasn't. By then, the line was so long that I couldn't have entered the sort term lot if I had wanted to- the waiting cars partially blocked the entrance. As it was, I became so trapped in the traffic line he found me after walking through the short-term lot.
Such a mess is inexcusable for a regional airport like ours.
I can only imagine how bad a calamity could be if there was an aircraft fire or something that happened close to the terminal just when passengers were de-planing. How could our fire trucks get through that mess?
How bad is it Mike. For incoming passengers and where are the car rental Agencies located?
Does that make a lot of the traffic also?
How bad is it Mike. For incoming passengers and where are the car rental Agencies located?
Does that make a lot of the traffic also?
All the rental agencies are inside the terminal. There's a lot to the side of the terminal where the rentals are parked. The rental is easy, but the departing rental cars add to the problem.
There is a short-term parking lot that's gated across the street from the terminal, but no short-term parking on the street. A car is allowed to stop to allow passengers to get out and get their luggage, but the car cannot be left unattended.
The front area of the terminal is long enough to accommodate about 8-12 cars at a time. If an incoming flight is discharging passengers while outgoing flights are taking passengers on, there's a big jam.
No one wants to pay the $2.00 short-time parking fee for what was once a 4-minute pickup, so the cars form a line on the rightmost edge of the street. Some are dropping late arriving passengers off, some picking them up.
Before passengers were required to go to the terminal so long before a flight, this never happened. Many folks still arrive much later than they should, but once inside the terminal, there is very little of the crowding that happens in bigger cities.
Not all the flights are prone to creating the mess, but there are several afternoon-early evening flights that all come in one after the other, making the situation pretty bad. The early morning and late night flights don't have the problem so much.
During those jams, even if someone parks in the short-term lot, it's still a hassle. A passenger has to thread through all the cars hauling luggage, and then can get blocked trying to get out of the lot once in the car. The lot tickets are paid at a kiosk that's located at a central point in the traffic loop, and the line of cars may be so long it blocks the kiosk.
Each car is trying to weave back into traffic at different rates of time. Some only pick up one passenger, others pick up a family, so there's no one length of time spent, causing everything to move slower than necessary. The loop has been re-routed exiting, but it's not sufficient.
It's all a huge mess that needs a complete re-design. All was constructed before the current high security regulations, and I can't see how a minor re-route will fix the problems.
I never even knew the problem existed until a year ago, when I had to pick up a family member who arrived around 6:00 pm. I arrived at 4:45, joined the line, and became stuck in it. After a while, I wanted to just go pay the fee so I could get out of there quickly, but I realized I was better off just staying where I was.
The flight arrived, discharged, loaded and left while I was still waiting in line, although it was moving slowly. In the end, my family member ended up hoofing his way through the short-term lot and found me before I ever got to the front of the terminal. By then it was around 6:30. Over half the line was still behind me. I'm sure those folks would have finally gotten to the terminal around 7:00.
The line behind me was longer than the one in front of me. If I had parked my car blocks away from the terminal loop and walked to the terminal, I wouldn't have waited as long, and we both could have gotten home quicker, walking back to the car.
And it happens every week day! Part of it, of course, is just Idaho.
A lot of people, including me, almost never fly anywhere, so we don't go to the airport often, and the airport is regional, so there are always a lot of folks from all the small towns who don't want to do anything but a quick drop-off or pickup and get back down the road. For many, I'm sure years go by before a visit to the airport.
Lots of folks here would rather have a tooth pulled than pay a parking lot fee, too. It's just how we are.
Last edited by banjomike; 07-21-2015 at 09:36 AM..
This isn't the airport budget. That is being carefully hidden currently. But last websiteyear the City of Idaho Falls voted to change signage and designs for key city amenities. Here's the link, courtesy of Bizmojo Idaho, for the new Signage and link to the airport. To the best of my memory, I've never seen a stand alone website for the airport. I think this will help so access is easier than going through the City of Idaho Falls.
We all talk about wanting more service to different locations. Supporting flights out of IDA is the best way, IMO. Airlines look at
annual number of passengers.
I've written this before but will add it again. I was slightly surprised that more passengers flew to Phoenix than Vegas. However, Phoenix is a hub for airlines that code share in the PNW. There may be good flight connection times from Phoenix to eastern and southern cities, IDK.
The City Council Meeting last week officially changed my position about Sharon Parry. I've appreciated much of what she added and wanted to protect the city legally. There is a full-time city attorney, with four attorneys in that office, to ensure legal compliance.
I use to appreciate the different POV Sharon Parry offered. Somehow, that has gone too far, imo. I've heard that feedback from others but still appreciated her asking some questions. Her vote against I.F. providing EMS /Paramedic coverage for all of Bonneville County instead of Swan Valley having two ambulances and a paid volunteer crew, when needed, was the deal breaker for me. It's not like the Bonneville County Commissioners are unaware They asked I.F. to design a budget. Ms. Parry objected because there was no memo of understanding etc. between I.F. and Swan Valley. It's the County re-allocating resources and personnel. I think voting "no" is too easy for her now.
Ironically, I was waiting near Channing and Coronado and saw AIR transport a patient from the Swan Valley/Driggs/Teton area. They approach directly from the east. I was thinking about the 8B Commissioners moving one ambulance to Idaho Falls and leaving one in Swan Valley. As bizarre as this was within 15 min. the Swan Valley ambulance arrived too and the opposition of some to not having a second ambulance waiting in Swan Valley entered my mind. There is a great comment from someone on KIFI about this. Nope, it wasn't me. Scroll down to the comments.
I.F. averages having all ambulances out on calls and getting another call so fire fighters/EMTs staff a back up ambulance or two to provide service two times each day this year. I.F. needs more than one ambulance added to the fleet, imo, but it is a start. They cover S. Jefferson County probably including Rigby and they cover North Bingham County, Shelley and all the residents in S. Bonneville County. Do Bingham and Jefferson kick in any $, staff or equipment?
Bonneville County is estimated to be 110,000 with Idaho Falls reaching 60,000+.
It takes more equipment and staffers to cover the increasing population. I know 10 more paramedics were approved for hire. I suspect we'll see more requests for equipment and personnel, especially after Fire Station #1 is built. I think taxes have to increase at some point (Mayor Casper has a 3% increase in next year's budget). At least Sharon Parry isn't the sole no vote, Barbara Ehardt joined her. The City didn't do a lot of needed things during the recession to keep taxes flat. Now that the economy is building it's way back, with what will probably be a record tourism quarter or two, it's time to start addressing these needs and others like the P.D. building, imo.
Fire Station #1 's contract went to Morgan Construction. A committee selected Morgan, I don't know if this was really what they wanted to add this fall as construction should start within seven weeks (per terms of the contract). Some recall Morgan Construction had indicated the annexing, zoning and more of Jackson Hole Junction should have been approved by fall so they could start to develop and build the first buildings of their projected seven year project. Maybe Matt Morgan had to hire his third crew this year when asked to submit a bid on the Fire Station, IDK. But, what a vote of confidence when the committee decided Morgan Construction was the best for the job.
Finally, think about this for a minute and tell me if you realized there will be six fire stations in the area. Currently downtown is listed as fire prevention, not a station. There is no Fire Station #1 currently. Headquarters have been moved to the F.S. #6 on eighth street, F.S. #2 is close to Lincoln Road, F.S. #3 is at the airport, F.S. #4 is Woodruff and Sunnyside and F.S. # 5 is on Bellin Road. Do you think the city will operate six Fire Stations when construction is done on F.S. #1? Or will prevention etc. go back to 8th Street and the #6, along with equipment moved?
The Fire/EMS Department is growing!
Last edited by Mtn. States Resident; 08-17-2015 at 03:07 PM..
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They asked I.F. to design a budget. Ms. Parry objected because there was no memo of understanding etc. between I.F. and Swan Valley. It's the County re-allocating resources and personnel. I think voting "no" is too easy for her now.
Scroll down to the comments. 
