Joy Buersmeyer , July 12, 2010 and July 27, 2010
File
Scope and Contents
From the Collection:
This collection contains recorded interviews with Boise citizens. Notable topics include Boise Bench history, Greenbelt history, Foothills Levy history, Boise Fire Department history, Boise Police Department history, and personal and political histories of former mayors and councilmembers.
Dates
- July 12, 2010 and July 27, 2010
Biographical / Historical
Joy Buersmeyer grew up in Hartford, Connecticut and Chicago, Illinois. She briefly attended medical school, and in 1965 she moved with her family to Boise, Idaho. She worked for the Salvation Army for fourteen years as a business administrator, grant writer, financial developer, and in the community relations arena. Buersmeyer also worked as the project coordinator/administrator for the Nampa Family Shelter & Community House. Her government experience included serving on the Boise City Council from 1976 to 1984; the chair of the West Boise Sewer Commission; and a member of the Ada County Boise City Housing Authority Board.
Extent
1.09 Gigabytes
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Abstract
Joy Buersmeyer served on the Boise City Council during the 1970s and 1980s, which was the heart of the urban renewal era. By 1976 few developments in the downtown core were occurring, and the BRA was continuing to fight for an enclosed mall to locate into the downtown. It was not until 1986 that this vision for downtown changed. Dirk Kempthorne was elected as mayor, and many council members were voted out.
In two interviews with Brandi Burns on July 12 and 27, 2010, Joy Buersmeyer discussed her role and activities in the League of Women Voters, including the League persuading the local government to allow Kindergarten in school, and her time on the Boise City Council. She described the issues that she worked on in local government, including fair housing practices, urban development, population growth, and sewer and airport infrastructure. She discussed the repeal of Boise’s charter and the frustration that she felt with urban renewal. Buersmeyer also discusses the vision for the Historic Preservation Commission and the Arts Commission.
Time Index
Track One
Minutes Summary
00:00 Introduction
00:44 Buersmeyer discussed the beginnings of the life in Hartford, Connecticut and Chicago, Illinois, and briefly attending medical school. Speaks of meeting her husband, having her children and moving to many different states for her husband, Clarence’s’, military job. Buersmeyer also describes how their family ended up in Boise in 1965.
3:53 Buersmeyer discusses what she recalls to be major events occurring in Boise during her first years in the city. These include annexing the charter, and her families move outside the city boundaries to county land, which later became obsolete.
5:07 Buersmeyer discusses her roles and activities in the League of Women Voters. She became President of both the Boise Chapter and the State Chapter. During this time she drafted a publication describing local politics. Buersmeyer mentions that the thing that got her most interested in politics was her children not being able to go to Kindergarten; eventually the League persuaded the local government to allow Kindergarten in school.
6:40 Buersmeyer discusses the process of claiming her seat in City Council. Once told by Dick Eardly that one woman on council was enough – referring to Ms. Marge Ewing – Buersmeyer officially ran for a chair in council. Also speaks of what led her to city-wide politics.
7:32 Buersmeyer goes into more detail about the League of Women Voters. She discusses their role in society v. their role in politics, dealing with local and state issues, education, voter education, and lobbying; though this is not all that is discussed.
9:07 Buersmeyer describes one of the major undertakings of the League. The details of their Statewide Housing Conference are described here. Speaks of statewide coalitions, housing committees, and so on. Describes the timeline and success of said housing conference.
12:14 Buersmeyer spends this time speaking of her time as Executive Director of the Idaho Mental Health Coalition, the decline of the League, and her thoughts on the matter.
14:26 Buersmeyer briefly discusses further her political positions. These include her eight years on city council, running for Ada County Commissioner and where she was most highly voted. Briefly mentions the Republican to Democrat ratio. Also discusses her running for school board during her first years in Boise.
16:40 Buersmeyer discusses the basics of the Sunshine Law. The law involves the idea of an open government, statewide legislative declaring and tracking a expenditures; further details on interview. Briefly discusses personal views and other philanthropic activities participated in.
18:23 Buersmeyer describes the basics of the tenant-landlord law. This has to do with tenant rights, specifically the landlord having to have a good reason to evict and giving proper notice. Also shared views on the success, or lack thereof, of the law.
20:03 Buersmeyer mentions that her main focus at one point was the vehicle emissions law. She was also on the boards on the Historic Preservation Council and Airport Expansion. Buersmeyer also discusses involvement in growth and development boundaries, sewer lines, geothermal lines, and irrigation. Further detail in audio recording.
26:07 Buersmeyer discusses that most of her interest in city government was her work with the League, urban development, and her work on the Ralph McAdams committee. Recalls cities surrounding Boise going “crazy” when expanding boundary lines was being discussed.
28:18 Buersmeyer recalls the majority of her phone called being related to barking dogs and garbage. When she was on city council there was no limit to how much garbage could be put out; discusses detail on the subject.
29:44 Buersmeyer discusses the topic of the detox center and the difficulty of establishing one. Mentions that many groups have tried, including the Salvation Army, but all that was successful was a rehabilitation center. Also discusses that there were about five attempts and hospitals pulled out at the last minute.
30:30 Buersmeyer goes on to discuss the other boards she has served on. These include the Program Director for the local community house and Nampa shelter, and one of the founders of the Boise Homeless Coalition. More detail in audio recording.
32:07 Buersmeyer discusses redevelopment, describing it as a sore subject. Notes that there was a lot of empty space when she and her family first moved to Boise. As a council representative to the Redevelopment Agency, she notes that having a plan and land don’t matter if “no one comes to the party.” Goes on to discuss the details of why anchor stores moved to where the Towne Square Mall currently resides and how Downtown Boise became more of a financial area.
37:39 Buersmeyer answers the question of what led to the creation of the Historic Preservation Council. Speaks about there being many things left in Boise after urban redevelopment that needed to be recognized and preserved.
40:41 Discusses the zoning changes that moved the mall and why it was so detrimental to downtown Boise.
41:20 When asked about her priorities while serving on City Council, Buersmeyer responds by explaining that, because she was on the city’s Redevelopment Board, her time was equally split between that and her cause of vehicle emissions. Also discussed is funding for other entities that were counting on specific tax bases.
43:01 Buersmeyer discusses the frustration of serving on the BRA Board, explaining “you knew what you wanted to do, but couldn’t get it done.” Discusses a desire for more inter-county projects to create unity; another opinion discussed was her though of uniting cities with one council, containing representatives from each city. Further information on ideas and double-taxation on audio recording.
45:54 Buersmeyer discusses how ACHD stemmed from a League of Women Voters study. Different districts made people unhappy due to paying for services they were not receiving, i.e. road work. Explains that this all occurred prior to her council days and that it was never difficult for her to work with different departments and agencies.
48:23 Buersmeyer describes the jobs she held while working for the League or on City Council, though she never worked the two simultaneously. Her jobs included the Mental Health Association, The Salvation Army, a statewide project for the League, and a self-owned catering business.
50:55 Buersmeyer discusses her feelings and thoughts on redevelopment then versus now. While she was involved it seemed like the right thing to do and no one expected the expansion that has occurred since. Today she feels the council members are over rambunctious as they are expanding further out than was ever perceived; discusses this as a possibility of their growing role in the city.
52:15 Buersmeyer discusses the CCDC and the city/county properties. While describing her appreciation for regional planning, she states that she does not understand CCDCs involvement. Buersmeyer also comments that the city did not turn out the way she thought it would; that it was a larger entity than she ever imagined.
54:22 Conclusion of interview.
Minutes Summary
00:00 Introduction
00:44 Buersmeyer discussed the beginnings of the life in Hartford, Connecticut and Chicago, Illinois, and briefly attending medical school. Speaks of meeting her husband, having her children and moving to many different states for her husband, Clarence’s’, military job. Buersmeyer also describes how their family ended up in Boise in 1965.
3:53 Buersmeyer discusses what she recalls to be major events occurring in Boise during her first years in the city. These include annexing the charter, and her families move outside the city boundaries to county land, which later became obsolete.
5:07 Buersmeyer discusses her roles and activities in the League of Women Voters. She became President of both the Boise Chapter and the State Chapter. During this time she drafted a publication describing local politics. Buersmeyer mentions that the thing that got her most interested in politics was her children not being able to go to Kindergarten; eventually the League persuaded the local government to allow Kindergarten in school.
6:40 Buersmeyer discusses the process of claiming her seat in City Council. Once told by Dick Eardly that one woman on council was enough – referring to Ms. Marge Ewing – Buersmeyer officially ran for a chair in council. Also speaks of what led her to city-wide politics.
7:32 Buersmeyer goes into more detail about the League of Women Voters. She discusses their role in society v. their role in politics, dealing with local and state issues, education, voter education, and lobbying; though this is not all that is discussed.
9:07 Buersmeyer describes one of the major undertakings of the League. The details of their Statewide Housing Conference are described here. Speaks of statewide coalitions, housing committees, and so on. Describes the timeline and success of said housing conference.
12:14 Buersmeyer spends this time speaking of her time as Executive Director of the Idaho Mental Health Coalition, the decline of the League, and her thoughts on the matter.
14:26 Buersmeyer briefly discusses further her political positions. These include her eight years on city council, running for Ada County Commissioner and where she was most highly voted. Briefly mentions the Republican to Democrat ratio. Also discusses her running for school board during her first years in Boise.
16:40 Buersmeyer discusses the basics of the Sunshine Law. The law involves the idea of an open government, statewide legislative declaring and tracking a expenditures; further details on interview. Briefly discusses personal views and other philanthropic activities participated in.
18:23 Buersmeyer describes the basics of the tenant-landlord law. This has to do with tenant rights, specifically the landlord having to have a good reason to evict and giving proper notice. Also shared views on the success, or lack thereof, of the law.
20:03 Buersmeyer mentions that her main focus at one point was the vehicle emissions law. She was also on the boards on the Historic Preservation Council and Airport Expansion. Buersmeyer also discusses involvement in growth and development boundaries, sewer lines, geothermal lines, and irrigation. Further detail in audio recording.
26:07 Buersmeyer discusses that most of her interest in city government was her work with the League, urban development, and her work on the Ralph McAdams committee. Recalls cities surrounding Boise going “crazy” when expanding boundary lines was being discussed.
28:18 Buersmeyer recalls the majority of her phone called being related to barking dogs and garbage. When she was on city council there was no limit to how much garbage could be put out; discusses detail on the subject.
29:44 Buersmeyer discusses the topic of the detox center and the difficulty of establishing one. Mentions that many groups have tried, including the Salvation Army, but all that was successful was a rehabilitation center. Also discusses that there were about five attempts and hospitals pulled out at the last minute.
30:30 Buersmeyer goes on to discuss the other boards she has served on. These include the Program Director for the local community house and Nampa shelter, and one of the founders of the Boise Homeless Coalition. More detail in audio recording.
32:07 Buersmeyer discusses redevelopment, describing it as a sore subject. Notes that there was a lot of empty space when she and her family first moved to Boise. As a council representative to the Redevelopment Agency, she notes that having a plan and land don’t matter if “no one comes to the party.” Goes on to discuss the details of why anchor stores moved to where the Towne Square Mall currently resides and how Downtown Boise became more of a financial area.
37:39 Buersmeyer answers the question of what led to the creation of the Historic Preservation Council. Speaks about there being many things left in Boise after urban redevelopment that needed to be recognized and preserved.
40:41 Discusses the zoning changes that moved the mall and why it was so detrimental to downtown Boise.
41:20 When asked about her priorities while serving on City Council, Buersmeyer responds by explaining that, because she was on the city’s Redevelopment Board, her time was equally split between that and her cause of vehicle emissions. Also discussed is funding for other entities that were counting on specific tax bases.
43:01 Buersmeyer discusses the frustration of serving on the BRA Board, explaining “you knew what you wanted to do, but couldn’t get it done.” Discusses a desire for more inter-county projects to create unity; another opinion discussed was her though of uniting cities with one council, containing representatives from each city. Further information on ideas and double-taxation on audio recording.
45:54 Buersmeyer discusses how ACHD stemmed from a League of Women Voters study. Different districts made people unhappy due to paying for services they were not receiving, i.e. road work. Explains that this all occurred prior to her council days and that it was never difficult for her to work with different departments and agencies.
48:23 Buersmeyer describes the jobs she held while working for the League or on City Council, though she never worked the two simultaneously. Her jobs included the Mental Health Association, The Salvation Army, a statewide project for the League, and a self-owned catering business.
50:55 Buersmeyer discusses her feelings and thoughts on redevelopment then versus now. While she was involved it seemed like the right thing to do and no one expected the expansion that has occurred since. Today she feels the council members are over rambunctious as they are expanding further out than was ever perceived; discusses this as a possibility of their growing role in the city.
52:15 Buersmeyer discusses the CCDC and the city/county properties. While describing her appreciation for regional planning, she states that she does not understand CCDCs involvement. Buersmeyer also comments that the city did not turn out the way she thought it would; that it was a larger entity than she ever imagined.
54:22 Conclusion of interview.
Time Index
Interview Two
Minutes Summary
00:00 Introduction
00:27 Buersmeyer explained the process of building the new city hall building. She spoke of the need for more space and the past city hall buildings.
03:46 Buersmeyer discussed the Greenbelt and the role of Don Onweiler and Gay Davis-Hammer.
04:46 Buersmeyer discussed the Boise City Arts Commission. She explained the role of the Historical Preservation Council. The goal was to provide an outline for historical preservation.
07:46 Buersmeyer mentioned some of the key issues during her time on the city council, including an emissions program and redeveloping downtown.
08:33 Buersmeyer spoke about the expansion of geothermal energy. The goal was to expand geothermal heating as far as possible within the city. She mentioned financing as a obstacle to that goal. She also cited concerns about the water table.
11:29 Buersmeyer discussed the building of a waste water treatment plant. This required the expansion of Landers street. She describes the role of sewage lines in controlling the direction of growth.
12:37 Buersmeyer discussed the multiple sewer districts in Boise. The city desired to have one all encompassing sewer district. The multiple districts arose after a hepatitis outbreak encouraged groups to form their own sewage district.
19:48 Buersmeyer spoke about the redevelopment of downtown as being a turning point for Boise. She also mentioned the expansion of the airport and the emissions program as being important to the city and their able to control its growth.
21:27 Buersmeyer described the expansion of the Boise Airport. She mentions expanding the buildings and adding new runways.
22:30 Buersmeyer spoke about her time after the city council. She talked about working with the Boise Housing Authority as well as finally seeing a detox center opened in Boise.
25:48 Buersmeyer discussed the role of the Boise Homeless Coalition in addressing the cause of homelessness. She mentioned her work with homeless shelters around the city as well.
27:23 Buersmeyer spoke positively about the Catch Program.
End recording.
Minutes Summary
00:00 Introduction
00:27 Buersmeyer explained the process of building the new city hall building. She spoke of the need for more space and the past city hall buildings.
03:46 Buersmeyer discussed the Greenbelt and the role of Don Onweiler and Gay Davis-Hammer.
04:46 Buersmeyer discussed the Boise City Arts Commission. She explained the role of the Historical Preservation Council. The goal was to provide an outline for historical preservation.
07:46 Buersmeyer mentioned some of the key issues during her time on the city council, including an emissions program and redeveloping downtown.
08:33 Buersmeyer spoke about the expansion of geothermal energy. The goal was to expand geothermal heating as far as possible within the city. She mentioned financing as a obstacle to that goal. She also cited concerns about the water table.
11:29 Buersmeyer discussed the building of a waste water treatment plant. This required the expansion of Landers street. She describes the role of sewage lines in controlling the direction of growth.
12:37 Buersmeyer discussed the multiple sewer districts in Boise. The city desired to have one all encompassing sewer district. The multiple districts arose after a hepatitis outbreak encouraged groups to form their own sewage district.
19:48 Buersmeyer spoke about the redevelopment of downtown as being a turning point for Boise. She also mentioned the expansion of the airport and the emissions program as being important to the city and their able to control its growth.
21:27 Buersmeyer described the expansion of the Boise Airport. She mentions expanding the buildings and adding new runways.
22:30 Buersmeyer spoke about her time after the city council. She talked about working with the Boise Housing Authority as well as finally seeing a detox center opened in Boise.
25:48 Buersmeyer discussed the role of the Boise Homeless Coalition in addressing the cause of homelessness. She mentioned her work with homeless shelters around the city as well.
27:23 Buersmeyer spoke positively about the Catch Program.
End recording.
Names and Places Index
Hartford, Connecticut; Chicago, Illinois; Boise’s charter; Annexation; League of Women Voters Boise Chapter; League of Women Voters State Chapter; Kindergarten; Dick Eardley; Marge Ewing; Statewide Housing Conference; Idaho Mental Health Coalition; Ada County Commissioner; Sunshine Law; Vehicle Emissions; Historic Preservation Council; Boise Airport; Ralph McAdams; Detox Center; Salvation Army; Boise Homeless Coalition; Redevelopment; Towne Square Mall; Boise Redevelopment Agency; ACHD; Mental Health Association; CCDC; Don Onweiler; Greenbelt; Boise City Arts Commission; Geothermal energy; Sewer Districts; Boise Housing Authority; Catch Program.
Source
- Buersmeyer, Joy (Narrator, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Collections Repository