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 35th 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
