Paula Forney, November 17, 2010
Scope and Contents
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
- November 17, 2010
Biographical / Historical
Paula Forney spent her childhood in Fairfield, Idaho, and attended Boise State University. She worked in Washington, D.C. for Jim McClure’s campaign. Forney also operated her own special events business. She was appointed to the Boise City Council and then ran for reelection. Forney served on the City Council from 1991 to 2003.
Extent
608.2 Megabytes
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Abstract
Paula Forney served on the Boise City Council during the 1990s and 2000s. Boise during the 1990s saw very little conflict; money was not tight at the city level; and the general feeling from the community was positive. Boise was growing quickly, and development was on the fringes of the city as well as in the downtown core. Brent Coles was mayor, and focused on transportation, fighting drugs, and neighborhood reinvestment. After the Coles’ controversy, Forney continued to serve and experienced many of the changes that resulted from the controversy.
In an interview with Brandi Burns on November 17, 2010, Paula Forney discusses her experiences in public service, which included working on Jim McClure’s campaign, and her volunteer work in Boise. She describes the difference between being appointed to the City Council for her first two years and running for reelection. She discusses the many aspects of a city council position as well as special projects she worked on, which included curbside recycling. Forney touches on many of the issues facing Boise, including relationships between Boise and other local governments, planning initiatives, and the Foothills Levy.
Time Index
Track One
00:00 Introduction
00:21 Forney discussed her life before she joined the city council. She was born in Fairfield, Idaho and attended Boise State University. She had children and stayed home as a mom.
01:01 Forney discussed working in Washington D.C. for Senator Jim McClure. She described him as being hardworking and very involved with his staff and constituents. It was a great experience which prepared her for city government.
01:51 Forney spoke of running a special events and also of getting her degree in education. These experiences helped to better prepare her to serve in city government. She also mentioned that volunteer worked encouraged her to become more involved in her community.
02:36 Forney explained what prompted her to join city government. She mentioned doing an internship at the state legislature and her longtime interest in government. When there was an opening on the council, she decided to run and was appointed.
03:15 Forney described the difference between being appointed to the council and having to run for election. She spoke of having to learn the intricacies of city management.
04:40 Forney explained that after two years on the council, she felt that she had learned quite a bit about the city and was valuable to the city. This is why she decided to run for reelection.
05:37 Forney explained that there are so many different aspects of the city which one had to be aware of, including maintaining the airport, libraries, and sewer districts as well as building a relationship with the highway district.
06:47 Forney explains the importance of curbside recycling. She worked with fellow council member Sara Baker to make recycling more accessible.
07:33 Forney spoke of her involvement with and support of the art community in Boise. She mentioned the need to give support to local artists whom help to build the city. She served on several committees which chose the art projects the city would support, including the art on the Grove Hotel.
10:24 Forney explained that she worked as the council liaison to many different departments, including the mayor’s Transit Advisory Agency, the Public Works department, the library, and the police department.
13:34 Forney discussed the issue of transportation in Boise. She explained that the Ada County Highway District controlled the roads, making it difficult for the council to approve developments without any control over public streets. She also discussed the need to improve public transportation in Boise.
17:02 Forney further described the complex relationship between the city of Boise and the Ada County Highway District. She expressed her belief that the Highway District should be a function of the county government, controlled by county commissioners.
22:08 Forney discussed alternative transportation methods explored by the city. She spoke of fellow council member Anne Hausrath’s efforts to make Boise and more bike friendly community. Forney described the difficulty of bringing a train or street car system to Boise, noting the cost and low population density of the area.
24:40 Forney explained that air quality was becoming an issue for Boise in the 1990s. She spoke of the threat of loosing federal funding if Boise failed to improve its air quality. There were numerous ideas as to what was really responsible for the deteriorating quality of air in Ada County and the whole Treasure Valley region.
26:45 Forney spoke of the planning initiatives undertaken by the council. This included the parks comprehensive plan as well as regional planning. Experts were brought in and interviews were conducted to help create a cohesive direction for Boise’ future.
28:41 Forney discussed the growth and expansion of Boise. This included building the new mall and creating a strong economic base for the city. The addition of the mall caused a surge of development in west Boise.
31:15 Forney spoke of the development taking place in the foothills and the need to encourage the city to grow while also taking care not to destroy its cultural identity. Similarly, she spoke of the need to preserve the charm and personality of Boise’ neighborhoods.
34:03 Forney explained the involvement of neighborhood associations when it came to city planning and expansion in their area. This gave the citizens a voice in the direction of their neighborhoods.
35:43 Forney discussed the revitalization of Boise’ downtown. She mentioned new parking garages and the improvement of streets and infrastructure. They had wanted to attract more business to Boise as well as to improve the over all streetscape of downtown. There was also an effort to bring more affordable housing to the downtown area.
39:00 Forney described the Open Space Project and the foothills levy. The foothills levy was designed to protect the charm and natural identity of the area. She mentioned the issue of finding funding for the preservation effort and the responses they received from the community.
43:56 Forney discussed the Boise Visions Project. She spoke of this as a good base for the work that she did on the council.
45:48 Forney spoke of the dynamic of the council during the time that she served. She spoke of former Mayor Kempthorn as wanting the council to work together to achieve their goals as opposed to simply arguing. Former Mayor Coles, she said, was more difficult to work with after he brought in outside advisors.
48:48 Forney discussed what it was like to work with Former Mayor Carolyn Terteling-Payne after Brent Coles resigned as mayor. She discussed how Terteling-Payne had a good understanding of the emotions of the city council and worked hard to open up the lines of communication among city employees. She spoke of the atmosphere of distrust that surrounded former mayor Brent Coles.
53:01 Forney spoke of the highlights of her time on the council. She said that she felt respected for her knowledge and her amount of preparation. She was proud of the recycling program that she put in place as well as her involvement in the public pools of Boise.
55:53 Forney discussed some of the issues that surrounded the police department during her time on the council. She spoke of remedying these problems as a highlight of her time in city government.
track two
00:11 Forney discussed her defining moments for Boise. These included watching the city grow and helping to ensure a bright future for Boise.
END OF INTERVIEW
Names and Places Index
Source
- Forney, Paula (Narrator, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Collections Repository