The Nampa City Council voted on Nov. 9 to declare the Fort Idaho Center city property underutilized and to set a public hearing for Dec. 1, 2025 on the city's intent to convey the property to the College of Western Idaho.

City legal staff told the council that during title review for the proposed conveyance an "omnibus transfer" document recorded two decades earlier lacked a legal description and an older deed had not been recorded. The city recorded a corrective quitclaim deed and a properly recorded deed on Oct. 29 to address those defects. "In an abundance of caution," Preston Rudder, the city attorney, told the council, staff proposed re-running the statutory steps required for public disposition of surplus or underutilized property (the neutralization step and a public hearing) so there could be no lingering legal question about the property's chain of title at the time of any conveyance vote.

Council discussion ranged from concerns about process and public trust to practical questions about long-term operation and funding of the Fort Idaho Center. One councilmember said the question of underutilization could set a broader precedent for other city-owned facilities; others said a transfer to College of Western Idaho would help secure broader use and a connection to local students. The council voted to declare the property underutilized and to give public notice of the Dec. 1 hearing. The roll call showed a 3–3 split among councilmembers and the mayor provided a tie-breaking affirmative vote for the motion.

The resolution and the required statutory steps do not convey the property; they merely reopen the neutralization and public-notice process so the council can vote on conveyance after the Dec. 1 hearing. Staff said the record of prior public hearings and the Oct. 29 title corrections will be part of the public record ahead of the hearing.