Nampa town hall hears divided public on possible conveyance of Fort Idaho Center to College of Western Idaho

Nampa elected leaders and residents spent a packed town-hall session debating whether the city should transfer ownership of the Fort Idaho Center to the College of Western Idaho, with legal counsel, a neutral facilitator and civic groups answering questions about authority, costs and protections for long-running events.

The meeting focused on three practical questions: whether the city may legally convey the property; how much deferred maintenance and other costs the venue needs; and whether the council should put a levy override before voters to keep the asset under city ownership.

The issue matters because the Fort Idaho Center hosts long-standing events that officials said bring economic and cultural activity to Nampa. At the same time, city officials say maintenance and capital needs exceed available routine revenue and have proposed considering a transfer or other funding options to avoid a larger tax burden.

Mayor Kling opened the meeting by stressing that "the decision has not been made" and that the town hall is part of a public, phased process to gather input. Shannon McGuire, an independent facilitator hired by the city, summarized community workshops and public comments that showed mixed views: many respondents called the center a "treasure" and urged preservation of rodeo…