City, county officials get educated on land management
As more people and businesses relocate to eastern Idaho, county and city officials want to reach a common ground concerning land disputes. Wednesday the city of Idaho Falls hosted an Area of City Impact boot camp for Bonneville County and cities that lie within its borders.
County and city leaders took note as members from Idaho Smart Growth and legal representatives explained AOCI on a legal basis, policies, future growth patterns, and processes that could improve communication between county and cities when dealing with land disputes.
“Winning isn’t at the core of this at all, it’s about cooperation and there are statutes that enable cooperation, but what we are talking about is going beyond those statutes,” said attorney Jerry Mason.
Wednesday city and county officials explored who is responsible for certain services, how those services can be provided fairly and economically for taxpayers, and the value each entity can provide to the community.
“There are boundaries on a map that denote jurisdictions, but people cross them every day and so where you live, where you work, and where you recreate is a shared responsibility and a shared experience,” said Mason.
“Counties do a lot of valuable services and they control farmland that is frankly a third of Idaho’s economy,” said Elaine Clegg, with Idaho Smart Growth. “Cities are the places where exchanges happen and trade happens, where you get the opportunity to get your stuff to market, and we have to have enough support in cities to make that happen and make it happen easily.”
