Nampa Council votes 4-2 to convey Fort Idaho Center to College of Western Idaho

The Nampa City Council voted 4–2 Tuesday to convey ownership of the Fort Idaho Center to the College of Western Idaho (CWI), approving a conveyance that city staff and the college say is intended to preserve the site’s community uses while shifting long-term operating and capital responsibility away from city taxpayers.

The council’s vote followed a three-hour public hearing that drew more than two dozen speakers and extensive presentations from city staff, legal counsel and CWI leaders. The motion to convey — which the council placed conditionally on final legal review and the inclusion of deed restrictions and a facilities‑use agreement — passed on a roll call of Rodriguez: no; Bills: yes; Haverfield: no; Griffin: yes; Anguilla: yes; Reynolds: yes.

City staff framed the vote as a fiscal and operational choice. Clay Long, the city’s chief of staff, told the council the venue has required significant city support over two decades: “Over the past roughly 20 years that the city has been the custodian of the Fort Idaho Center Complex, there has yet to be a year where the complex has had a net positive before city contributions,” Long said during a staff presentation. Long’s slides and staff presentations cited roughly $22.3 million in cumulative city funding for operations and capital over the life of the facility and identified deferred-maintenance needs the city estimated in the budget scenario at about $2 million annually in the near term.

Why it mattered

The Fort Idaho Center complex — which includes the amphitheater, arena and the Idaho Horse Park — has been an anchor for local events including the Snake River Stampede, equestrian competitions and concerts. Supporters of the conveyance argued that CWI, as a growing regional college with a large campus in Nampa and an active foundation, is better positioned to secure private fundraising, long-term partnerships and land‑lease development that could generate new revenue to stabilize the site and broaden educational opportunities for local students.

Gordon Jones, president of the College of Western Idaho, told the council the college would preserve community programming and “is committed to preserving beloved community events, such as the Snake River Stampede, horse park activities, and other events such as local high school graduations and other activities.” Nick Miller, CWI’s vice president for strategy and operations, and Mike Pena, president of the CWI Foundation, outlined fundraising and partnership strategies, including long‑term land leases and private development near the site to support revenue generation.

What supporters said

CWI officials said ownership would let the college assemble a mixed strategy — philanthropy, partnerships and commercial leases — to underwrite capital repairs and program expansion. “The college could advance new degree programs in equine studies and hospitality management, leveraging the facility’s unique resources for hands-on learning and internships and partnerships with venue businesses and regional employers,” Mike Pena told the council.

Several local business and civic leaders, including the chair of CWI’s board and representatives of the Nampa Chamber of Commerce, urged the council to accept the conveyance so the college could pursue those investments immediately.

What opponents said

Opponents warned that conveying the property — even with deed restrictions — would risk transferring public control of a long‑held community asset. Speakers asked for an independent, side‑by‑side financial analysis comparing the city’s options (retain, sell, convey) and urged the council to delay a final decision until after the November municipal election. Victor Miller, a commentator who described background in media and finance, said the city had not presented “side by side comparisons” sufficient to determine the best option.

Horse‑park stakeholders also sought specific protections. The Idaho Horse Park Foundation’s president, Sherry Boardman, said the group had negotiated a 10‑year guarantee in draft terms and asked for continued commitments to preserve the horse park season and the economic benefits the park brings to Nampa.

Council action and conditions

The conveyance approved Tuesday was explicitly conditioned on several elements the council and staff said would remain to protect community uses: - Deed restrictions and a facilities‑use agreement spelling out continued access for events identified as community priorities, including the Snake River Stampede and other long‑standing equestrian events; testimony in the hearing referenced a commitment to preserve existing events for at least 10 years. - A reversion clause giving the city the right to re‑acquire title if the college “abandons” the property or conveys title to another party without the city’s consent; city attorney Preston Rudder said the proposed terms require CWI to return the property in comparable condition in such circumstances. - Final approvals of a conveyance and acquisition agreement, as well as separate implementing documents (advisory commission, facilities‑use agreement), all subject to legal review and subsequent council action.

“Those protections were negotiated to address the core concerns,” city attorney Preston Rudder told the council during the hearing, citing Idaho law that gives municipalities broad discretion to sell or convey property but also allows the council to set conditions.

Budget context and next steps

City figures presented at the hearing showed the Fort Idaho Center fund has fluctuated and that the city has subsidized operations and invested in capital. Staff said the city faces choices: continue annual subsidized support and budget new capital needs, deplete fund balance, or transition operating responsibility. Doug Ritchie, the city’s finance director, told the council that retaining the venue would require an immediate allocation in the next fiscal budget and that absent new revenue the city would have to reassign funds from other services or increase taxes.

CWI leaders said the college intends to use a mix of foundation fundraising, public‑private partnerships and land‑lease revenue to fund deferred maintenance and program expansion. They also reiterated a commitment that CWI would not increase tuition or levy additional property taxes to pay for the center if the conveyance proceeds.

Provenance

This article is based on the staff report and the public hearing in the Nampa City Council meeting. The staff report introducing the Fort Idaho Center review began at the staff presentation: “For the record, Clay Long, chief of staff for the city of Nampa. This evening, I'm gonna walk through a staff report on the Fort Idaho Center...” (transcript block starting at 4968.6953). The council motion to convey and the subsequent roll call were recorded later in the meeting when the council voted to convey the property to CWI: “I move to convey the Fort Idaho Center to the College of Western Idaho...” followed by the roll call (transcript block starting at 22662.854; roll call and vote recorded at 22671.814). Provenance excerpts: topicintro — Clay Long staff report (transcript 4968.6953; evidence excerpt: "...Clay Long, chief of staff for the city of Nampa. This evening, I'm gonna walk through a staff report on the Fort Idaho Center..."); topicfinish — motion and roll call (transcript 22662.854; evidence excerpt: "I move to convey the Fort Idaho Center to the College of Western Idaho..." and roll call recorded starting at 22671.814).

Speakers

The principal speakers and their roles who are quoted or attributed in this article are the following: Gordon Jones, President, College of Western Idaho (education); Nick Miller, Vice President for Strategy and Operations, College of Western Idaho (education); Mike Pena, President, CWI Foundation (nonprofit/fundraising); Clay Long, Chief of Staff, City of Nampa (government); Preston Rudder, City Attorney, City of Nampa (government); Doug Ritchie, Chief Financial Officer, City of Nampa (government); Jeff Egenbroad, representative, Snake River Stampede (community organization); Sherry Boardman, President, Idaho Horse Park Foundation (nonprofit); Victor Miller (commentator; media/finance background); Jim Reams, chair, CWI Board of Trustees (education). Quotations in this article are drawn from those speakers’ remarks in the meeting record.

Discussion, direction, decisions

Discussion points: staff financial overview of long‑term city support and deferred maintenance; public comment split between CWI supporters (fundraising, program expansion, retention of events) and opponents (loss of public control, need for independent financial comparison, calls for delay).

Directions: the conveyance was approved subject to deed restrictions, a facilities‑use agreement, and final legal authorization of the conveyance terms; city staff were directed to finalize implementing documents for return to council.

Decision: conveyance to the College of Western Idaho — approved 4–2 on roll call. The final conveyance documents must return to the council for approval and the deed will include reversion and use restrictions as noted.

Ending

Council members expressed differing views about timing and process but emphasized the conveyance was designed to keep major community events in place while moving operating and capital responsibilities to an entity that, by the council’s vote, will now assume them subject to negotiated protections. The council’s formal action will be followed by drafting and legal review of the final conveyance and facilities‑use agreements before the transfer can be recorded.