Nampa’s new mayor focuses on ‘objectives’ of predecessor, who died in March

Darl Bruner was sworn in as mayor of Nampa on Monday night. Within hours, his priorities were on full display at a City Council meeting.

“I am honored to be in this position. I wish it had not happened, but we’re going to follow his path,” Bruner told the Idaho Statesman in an interview.

Bruner was sworn in alongside family members. His wife of 50 years, Paula Bruner, administered the oath. Bruner asked attendees to pray for the city as he prepares to lead until the position is filled again.

Bruner arrived at the mayor’s office following a contentious City Council meeting last week, at which members voted to have him carry out the remainder of late Mayor Rick Hogaboam’s term, through November 2027. Hogaboam died in March.

“I’m only going to be here for a year and a half, but we’re going to do everything we can to accomplish the objectives and goals that (Hogaboam) was striving for,” Bruner said.

Bruner was selected over former two-term Mayor Debbie Kling and current City Chief of Staff Clay Long.

A former City Council member who worked directly with Kling and Hogaboam, Bruner said his priorities as mayor will reflect what he and city officials are hearing from the public.

“Time and again, the No. 1 priority we’re hearing from people in Nampa is public safety,” Bruner said.

Less than an hour after being sworn in, Bruner presided over his first council meeting. Members unanimously approved a new three-year contract with Brinc/Motorola to procure drone first responders for the Nampa Police Department, worth $560,000.

Bruner said that based on the information he’s received, the drones are fast, efficient and help officers respond to serious calls in a timely manner.

“Another critical issue for the city is managing growth,” Bruner said.

That issue came to a head Monday night when the council considered approving the annexation, zoning and preliminary plat for Highline Estate, a 93-acre development at the corner of Linden Road and Franklin Road. The subdivision includes 355 single-family homes, 33 common lots and one commercial lot.

The project had received a continuance from an initial public hearing April 20, at which City Council member Natalie Jangula and others raised concerns about a lack of open space. Jangula also asked city staff to determine how many subdivisions had been approved within a mile of the site and how many lots remained vacant.

Staff said they found 12 subdivisions in that area — many approved and completed “many years” ago — with 970 individual lots still empty as of Monday night.

“What I’m having a difficult time with (is) not necessarily this application, but the future applications in general,” City Council member Sebastian Griffin said. “I think we really need to get a true comprehensive number of what it costs to build in Nampa and how much is the city of Nampa subsidizing to be able to make sure that we’re meeting our public service standards.”

Griffin said previous discussions had put the city’s subsidy at between $700 and $1,200 per rooftop to maintain service standards.

“One way or another, we’ve got to come to an agreement with our Planning and Zoning folks so that developers can understand the comprehensive plan,” Bruner told the Statesman. “When they come in and look at Nampa, they should know exactly what to expect, and what they can do and what they cannot do.”

The council approved the plan 3-2. Bruner said he looked forward to working with the City Council to develop the comprehensive overview for developers that Griffin described.