Can I golf? Visit a library? As Boise reopens, what McLean says you can (and can’t) do
Come Friday, you’ll be able to visit many of your favorite stores once again — and if you live in Boise, you’ll be able to pick up some compost on the way home.
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean shared her plans Thursday for what would be reopening in the first stage of Boise’s plans to reopen the economy and the city. The first stage starts May 1, the same day as the initial stage of Gov. Brad Little’s statewide reopening plans.
What do I need to know?
Like Little, McLean plans a staggered reopening of city business and relaxation of city rules. But unlike Little, she has not proposed even tentative dates for the stages, saying that officials will decide only after reviewing the latest health data.
McLean said at a news conference Thursday that she has signed a new public health order effective Friday. It requires that you stay 6 feet away from others anywhere in public for at least the next 30 days.
The 6-foot social-distancing standard is unevenly met, but McLean said education, not enforcement, would remain the city’s policy. Like Little, Boise city officials say it appears social distancing measures are working.
“The data is showing that we are slowing down and we are buying ourselves time,” City Council President Elaine Clegg said at the news conference. Speaking to Boiseans, she said, “All of you have done a great job in protecting not just yourselves but the entire community, and often at great cost to yourself, so we so appreciate that.”
What can I do right away?
In Boise, compost pickup sites will reopen, along with glass collection sites and household hazardous waste mobile collection sites.
You’ll also see maintenance and restoration services increase at airports, parks and other public spaces.
Doug Holloway, the city’s parks director, told the Statesman on Wednesday that the maintenance team has been operating with a much smaller crew than usual but will slowly start returning to normal.
Warm Springs Golf Course will partially reopen, while Whitewater Park will reopen in full.
At the city level, public meetings, including citizen testimony, will still be online-only. Building inspections will increase.
You’ll have to wait for almost everything else.
Stage 2: Library curbside pickup, dog parks
Based on tentative city plans, the Boise Public Library plans to open the book drop again and offer limited curbside pick-up and appointments to use technology in Stage 2.
Dog parks will reopen in full.
The second stage is also when Quail Hollow Golf Course, the bike skills park and some park restrooms will reopen, and it’s when the Boise Depot and other facilities will take reservations for groups of 10 people or less.
Stage 3: Playgrounds reopen
Park playgrounds will reopen in Stage 3. Play camps from the parks and recreation department may open at that point with limited participants.
Stage 3 is also when you’ll see the full reopening of park restrooms, tennis and pickleball courts, and golf concessions.
The James Castle House, 5015 Eugene St., will open with advance appointments, and reservations for city facilities will allow up to 50 people. It’s at this point the city starts planning to enforce parking once again.
Stage 4: Libraries, zoo reopen
Stage 4, which is the final stage planned before a COVID-19 vaccine is available, will see most public facilities open.
Libraries will open with social distancing requirements, and Zoo Boise will open with a “managed visitor flow.” Programs from the Parks and Recreation department will resume, and boards and commissions will start meeting with physical distancing measures in place.
The fourth stage will end once a vaccine is available. At that point, Boise will “return to pre-COVID status quo,” which means no restrictions.
It’s possible that public meetings may look a little different, however — Boise may allow for continued remote options for attendance and testimony.
Pools closed: The outlook for summer, fall
Public pools will not reopen this summer, a move city leaders attribute to public safety concerns as well as cost evaluations based on a shortened season.
“After taking into consideration the continued protocols surrounding physical distancing and limited group gatherings that will be in place for the foreseeable future, and understanding the impact that would have on our admissions and fiscal accountability, we believe it is the right decision for the city and the community,” Holloway said in a news release Friday.
The move, which affects the city’s six outdoor pools, means there will be no Youth Summer Recreational Swim Team or swim lessons from the Parks Department.
McLean says it is too soon to say for sure what events scheduled for the fall will look like, but she hopes continued social distancing through the summer will allow scheduled events to occur.
This story was originally published April 30, 2020 at 6:27 PM.
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