Council approves interim budget changes for Redwood Park art and Spoils Bank pathway design

Boise City Council on Tuesday approved two interim budget changes: a $70,000 internal reallocation for the Redwood Park Passage art installation in the Ustick townsite, and a $522,000 capital project to fund design of a new public bicycle and pedestrian pathway along the Spoils Bank Canal in northwest Boise.

Alicia McGandridge, the city’s budget director, told the council the $70,000 is a budget-neutral transfer that moves percent-for-art funding to the Office of Community Engagement so the project’s manager can administer the money. "This move aligns the funding source with the project manager and allows for efficient financial oversight," McGandridge said.

The council was told the Redwood Park project is a collaboration among the Department of Arts and History, the Neighborhood Investment Program and the West Valley Neighborhood Association. McGandridge said the Ustick project budget already includes $40,000 from percent-for-art and $167,000 from the Neighborhood Investment Program; the installation is expected to be completed this summer and any unused funds will be returned to the arts-and-history percent-for-arts fund.

Council members praised the park art and the pathway plan during discussion. McGandridge described the pathway design request as the first step in a larger plan to build 1.65 miles of dedicated bicycle and pedestrian pathways linking Horseshoe Bend Road to Hill Road Parkway and Pierce Park Lane to Castle Drive. The design will improve access to three schools, three parks and two community activity centers and supports the Boise Pathways master plan, she said.

Dane, a city staff member who answered a council question about the grant source, said the pathway construction was awarded $3.7 million in federal formula funds through the COMPASS call for projects. "These are federal funds. They are formula funds," Dane said, noting the design-phase request would be largely reimbursed by the grant.

City staff told the council the $522,000 request covers only the design phase; over 92 percent of the design cost will be reimbursed by the federal grant. The local match for the design phase is $38,000 from the existing pathways capital budget; a future local match of about $235,000 will be required for the construction phase. Staff said design is expected to begin later in this fiscal year and construction is anticipated in fiscal year 2028.

A council motion to approve the interim budget changes passed; the clerk recorded the motion as carried.