IF Mayor Gives State Of The City Address

Idaho Falls Mayor Jared Fuhriman outlined an ambitious to-do list for 2012 in his State of the City address on Thursday night.

He said there will be no shortage of activity in the city.

One of the biggest, and most anticipated items is the start of construction to remodel Memorial Drive. That’s scheduled to kick off right after Fourth of July events on the greenbelt.

The mayor said he would have done it sooner, but the city had to save money first. That’s part of Idaho Falls’ “pay as they go” philosophy, which is why it’s financially stable, said Fuhriman.

In front of a full crowd, Fuhriman took a look back at the successes of 2011: a slight increase in traffic at the airport, local company Melaleuca reaching $1 billion in annual sales and the completion of projects, such as Ryder Park.

Coming up in 2012 are a number of infrastructure needs, including construction on the D Street underpass and Pancheri bridge over Interstate 15, as well as upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant and downtown sidewalks.

There will be some remodeling at the library, including a drive-through book drop and electronic books online.

Fuhriman said Idaho Falls is still the hub of Eastern Idaho, and while jobs are always a concern, he’s optimistic.

“The city itself has been somewhat insulated compared to what we’re seeing throughout the rest of the country,” said Fuhriman. “And I think the reason why we’re able to do that is because we have such great communities and we’re continuing to grow. We’re already seeing those numbers.”

The mayor said every project is a priority, but also on that list is finding an air carrier for consistent and reliable flights to Boise.

Three re-elected council members were also sworn in at Thursday’s meeting, since it was the first of the new year.