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Boise council adopts CPACE financing, confirms youth climate council and approves multiple housing projects; debate over sidewalk and tree on Bogart Lane
Summary
The Boise City Council confirmed the Youth Climate Action Council cohort, adopted a city CPACE financing program enabled by Idaho House Bill 624, and approved multiple subdivision and zoning items — including a contested Bogart Lane annexation where council allowed a short sidewalk jog to preserve a large spruce tree now, conditioned on future reconstruction if the tree is removed.
The Boise City Council confirmed members of the Youth Climate Action Council, adopted a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) program by resolution, and approved several residential plats and zoning changes — including an annexation and subdivision on Bogart Lane that drew the most discussion after neighbors and applicants disagreed about saving a large spruce tree adjacent to the proposed sidewalk.
The Youth Climate Action Council (YCAC) cohort was introduced by Jenny Wolf, education coordinator at the Watershed Climate and Education Center, who said the center reopened in 2025 "as the nation's first center dedicated to both climate and water education." The mayor and council confirmed the students en masse for terms ending June 30, 2026 via unanimous consent. Co-chairs Aria Pangarkar and Denny Juarez Lopez briefly described last year’s projects and outreach, including a temporary park conversion and a youth climate summit that organizers said has engaged more than 560 students and produced more than 2,500 volunteer hours.
In separate action, the council adopted Resolution 14-25 to establish a CPACE program for Boise. Bree Brush, a city staff member presenting the item, summarized the financing tool: "CPACE stands for Commercial Property Assessed Capital Expenditure." Brush and Katie O'Neil, energy program manager in Public Works, said the program was enabled statewide by House Bill 624 during the 2024 Idaho legislative session and allows commercial building owners to borrow for energy- and water-efficiency projects and repay the loan via a voluntary assessment on the property tax bill. Brush cited an Idaho example — a Rexburg multifamily project that used $15,000,000 in CPACE financing for building-envelope upgrades — and told council the city would charge application fees to recover administrative costs. The council voted unanimously to adopt RES 14-25 and open the program to applications immediately.
Council members also approved several land-use items and plats. Highlights include:
- Abracadabra…
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