Great article in the post register dated April 14th, 2013.  It is good to see the public and media agree with our postion and presure city officials to do the same.

Idaho Falls' new city attorney, Randy Fife, has been on the job a couple of weeks. By now, the Skyline High School graduate and former Moscow city attorney must understand he's coming in at a politically unstable time with elections looming and a lame duck mayor at the helm. He also knows why he's here -- the abrupt resignation of his predecessor, Dale Storer.
Before things get hot and heavy and Fife finds himself immersed in equal rights ordinances, airport hangar contracts and transmission line lawsuits, allow us to humbly offer a little advice, five points that could ensure a long and successful tenure:
1. Encourage transparency
Idaho Falls city government has an abysmal record in this area. There was an open meeting violation in 2006 and another last year for an impromptu gathering in the hallway during a budget hearing. Nobody should forget the effort to hide the investigation of a former library director 10 years ago or that Storer somehow determined that certain council members could attend only certain public meetings.
Idaho Falls city government views transparency as a necessary evil rather than the foundation of representative government. Our new city attorney needs to be willing to speak up when his clients stray from either the letter or spirit of Idaho's Sunshine Laws.
2. Relationships matter
Storer poisoned an already tenuous relationship between Idaho Falls and Bonneville County by helping Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Bone, and former state Sen. Stan Hawkins sue the county in a road dispute.
Bonneville County and Ammon are not Idaho Falls' adversaries, Mr. Fife, no matter what you might hear at City Hall.
3. Know your stuff.
Idaho Falls Power officials moved forward on the North Loop transmission project with one certainty in their back pockets: If all else failed, they could condemn the county land needed to complete the project.
As it turns out, a federal judge disagreed with that legal advice and now the city finds itself out hundreds of thousands of dollars, dealing with angry landowners, pursuing a fruitless appeal and no closer to increasing the city's power supply.
4. Don't stray.
Unlike Storer, Fife is an in-house attorney. But things change. If ever he gets tempted to bring in a few extra bucks by taking on outside clients, Fife should remember how Storer's side jobs went wrong -- from suing some of the very people who paid his six-figure salary to representing a Blackfoot School District that showed contempt for its constituents and the rule of law.
5. Remember who you work for.
Storer became known to insiders as the seventh city councilman, a man so confident in his unelected position that he criticized one of his bosses, Councilwoman Sharon Parry, on this page.
The city attorney should take his orders from the elected officials hired by taxpayers to administer city government. That chain of command has been distorted in a city where power has long flowed down from unelected division directors and the former city attorney.
We're counting on you, Mr. Fife, to help restore a balance lost long ago.
Welcome home, and good luck.
Corey Taule

Excellent Post Register editorial written by Rebecca Casper.

Idaho Falls' city leaders cannot be content to wait and see whether a federal appeals court allows it to move forward with the North Loop power project, writes Rebecca Casper.
As a west side resident of Idaho Falls, I've watched with interest the proposed North Loop expansion of the city of Idaho Falls' power grid. In light of recent federal court decisions, I've concluded the city must formulate an alternative to the current western route, a Plan "B."
The purpose of the North Loop project is to connect two city substations -- one on the west side with another on the east side -- with high-tension power lines, traversing about 18 miles. There is no doubt we need to upgrade the infrastructure undergirding Idaho Falls city power. Currently, on days of high power demand, we're risking brownouts or worse.
That is unacceptable. Ours is a growing city. Dependable, affordable power is not just an advantage, it is critical as we compete for and attract relocating businesses and desirable development.
The North Loop project has drawn particular opposition from county residents on 35th West. A group of impacted property owners, under the aegis of the Alliance for Property Rights and Fiscal Responsibility, have sued in federal court to block the use of eminent domain.
Last September, Judge Winmill, the chief federal judge in Idaho, ruled against the city of Idaho Falls on a summary judgment, stating the city lacked the power to condemn property outside its boundaries (much of the project is in the county). As the losing party, the city of Idaho Falls was ordered last week to pay $72,000 in legal fees to the prevailing property owners. Currently, the city is pursing an appeal with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The ultimate result of the city's appeal is uncertain. But given the adverse decisions at the district court level, it is distinctly possible the city may not prevail. This is why we need a backup plan.
Our city should move aggressively to develop alternatives to the disputed west-side portions of the project. Obvious options include choosing an alternative route or possibly partnering with Rocky Mountain Power on a regional power grid. All reasonable options should be on the table. Citizens and those impacted must be willing to find a solution. Sans a solution, we can surely expect decreased service, increased costs or both.
Eyes throughout the state are watching to see how our energy issue will play out. If we can't come together to address a problem that is in all of our best interest to solve, it doesn't bode well for other, more complicated energy infrastructure problems facing the state and region.
One thing is clear: Our city's future could be put in jeopardy by an adverse court ruling. Waiting until the 9th Circuit decides the issue is risky. Developing Plan "B" is the smart thing to do.
Casper is a mother of four, Ph.D., community volunteer, adjunct faculty at EITC and owner of Omnia Strategies, a political and professional consulting and strategy firm. You can reach her at rcasper@byu.net.

Copy of a letter to the editor published in the Post Register - It is easy to see that the public support the position of the Alliance for Property Rights.

Received Feb. 22
Yes, one down and six to go. The way this city administration has been going, the only way now is up. Thankfully, we have an election coming up and as Corey Taule expressed it, some of them need to be looking for nursing homes.

Ida Hardcastle said she didn't have any problem paying $70,000 for losing the North Loop project. Of course not, it's not her money. Other people's money is really easy to spend. I have lived in Idaho Falls since 1949 and never have I seen such underhanded, behind-the-back, non-committed people running a city of this size. But, Idaho Falls residents just keep voting them in. Pay attention, people.

What's to do for kids here? Look at Rexburg, Pocatello and other towns smaller than us.
It took five years to get a skate park because Idaho Falls' officials stalled long enough that the company that would built it for free left town. Also, now that we have a new police chief, maybe he will instruct his officers to start enforcing city ordinances that they took an oath to uphold. It might take quite some time to undo all the harm Linda Milam had started and just continued to this day.
Good luck to our next mayor. Kick butt! (Word count: 210)
Bill Craig
Idaho Falls

An open letter to Mayor Jared Fuhriman and the Idaho Falls city council.

We have requested meetings with city officials to discuss ideas and options to help solve the energy distribution problem Idaho Falls is facing.   Our requests have been denied over and over again by proud individuals hiding behind expensive attorney’s and unwilling to face facts.  Therefore we will try to communicate our thoughts through this letter.

It has been obvious that Idaho Falls Power is focused on a forty year old loop concept rather than working on obtainable ideas to update the city power grid.  We understand the loop design has been the only thought since it was conceived in 1973.  Nevertheless, quoting Judge Winmill; “I cannot see that burdening the backs of citizens who receive no benefit from this power makes sense”.  The court has interpreted the law to not allow condemnation by a city municipality extraterritorially.  And property will not be acquired by negotiation at this time due to the insolent actions of IFP officials.

The open houses your electrical division held as a way to show they reached out to county residents were a charade.  They solved nothing but pitting neighbor against neighbor.  Then the west side route was placed on the most densely populated road.  We were told this option was chosen because that was the line that Rocky Mountain Power needed updating.  The dense housing of 35^th West goes against your first criteria to reduce the impact on homes.    We then received offers which were grossly undervalued and informed us to either accept or Idaho Falls would condemn.  Many mistakes have been made by IFP.    Those mistakes have hurt your credibility and bring us to this point. 

It is now time for solutions.  Eminent domain is not an option.  This decision will not be overturned; Judge Winmill took great care in his decision because he knew it would be challenged.  IFP lost the option to use eminent domain ever again because they chose to push the question to court.  We cautioned Mayor Fuhriman this would happen.  Therefore the only option now is to upgrade its aging power system through internal, legal or respectful means to acquire property. 

Mayor Fuhriman told us he wanted all the information so he did not have an ‘Ah-ha’ moment when they realized a mistake was made.  Well, this ‘Ah-ha’ moment has happened over and over again.  It is now time to accept this fact and move to a solution. 

We encourage Idaho Falls elected officials to move past the mistakes and find a viable solution.  You are elected as problem solvers, leaders who can see the future and make adjustments when needed.  Always agreeing does not solve a problem.  Which one of you now will lead out and move this ongoing problem to a solution before more money and time are wasted?  We invite you to contact us to again open the channels of communication.

Sincerely,

Alliance for Property Rights