Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Learn more about today's speakers by clicking here.
2:00 - 3:00 pm
Form, Fit, Function: Reimagining Density through Place Types
Miriam McGilvray, Morgan Bessaw
South Banquet Room
Plans/Housing
Caldwell’s freshly adopted Comprehensive Plan introduces new place types that right-size form, density, and land use transitions across the city. This session explores how these place types, along with a new Density Bonus Program, replace outdated tools like PUDs to better guide growth. The bonus program incentivizes affordability, housing variety, quality design, and connectivity through clear, enforceable criteria. The plan also recommends targeted use of conservation developments to preserve open space and maintain rural transitions. Learn how Caldwell is reimagining planning tools to meet today’s housing needs while setting a strong foundation for future growth that benefits the whole community.
View the Slide Deck for Form, Fit, Function: Reimagining Density through Place Types
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It's Not Just About Cars
Aaron Berger, Hunter Mulhall
Home Federal Room
Transportation
Building livable communities within the Treasure Valley includes expanding infrastructure for non-auto traffic. While the experiential benefits of new trails, paths, bike lanes, reliable transit, improved air quality, and reduced auto travel seem both tangible and obvious, traditional transportation analysis tools are not well equipped to quantify infrastructure project benefits beyond auto and freight travel. COMPASS has developed and implemented a cutting-edge scenario planning tool, VisionEval, to quantify these non-traditional project benefits, providing an avenue for Treasure Valley communities to secure the funding needed to encourage and serve all modes of travel, particularly walking, cycling, and transit.
[Slide Deck Coming Soon]
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Economic Development, Community Revitalization, Infrastructure through Urban Renewal
Diane Kushlan, Brad Cramer, Jenah Thornborrow, Shawn Barigar
Pacific Source Room
Economic Development
This session will highlight the urban renewal success stories from across the state. As one of the few financing tools local governments have for community revitalization, economic development and infrastructure improvements; and even under continuous legislative restrictions, communities have witnessed sensational outcomes with this tool. The session will provide a basic primer on urban renewal followed by case studies from Idaho Communities. Panel members will describe the diverse ways in which urban renewal was used in their communities, highlighting the successes and the pitfalls.
[Slide Deck Coming Soon]
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3:15 - 4:15 pm
Moo...and a lot of poo - CAFO Review Challenges
Elizabeth Allen, Mitra Mehta-Cooper, Angie Michaels, Mauri Knott
South Banquet Room
Economic Development
Idaho hosts more than 375 Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) and they generate more than $7 billion in state revenue. As instrumental as these operations are to the state's economy, many rural counties struggle with their land use regulations. That is because these operations are heavily dependent upon state regulations and agencies for mitigating their environmental impacts on local air and waters. This session discusses how a Land Use and Building Director, Engineer, and Environmental Planner navigated these regulations for the land use approval of one such operation in Elmore County, Idaho and how the University of Idaho, Agriculture Chat Committee, could assist.
[Slide Deck Coming Soon]
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Planning for Agriculture - Idaho Planners Leading Efforts to Protect and Enhance Agriculture
Panelists: Mauri Knott, Mary Huff, Jennifer Reibe, Keri Smith
Facilitator: David Anderson
Home Federal Room
Agriculture
Please join us for a lightly facilitated panel conversation with a group of planning colleagues partnering to protect the viability of Idaho working lands and the agricultural economy. We will share current topics, issues, and stories from the field. Time will be reserved for Q&A with attendees.
[Slide Deck Coming Soon]
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Main Street Magic: Strategies that Work in Idaho
Jenny Hemly, Susan Jacobson, Doug Self
Pacific Source Room
Economic Development
Downtowns are back—and Idaho communities are leading the charge! Join us for an energizing panel discussion spotlighting real-world success stories and lessons learned from local leaders revitalizing their Main Streets. With Idaho Commerce reinvigorating the Idaho Main Street program, this session will explore how proven strategies are being adapted to fit hometown character and spark economic vibrancy across the state. Whether you're just getting started or looking to level up your efforts, come get inspired by practical insights, collaborative ideas, and the magic that happens when Main Street principles meet Idaho spirit.
[Slide Deck Coming Soon]
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Mobile Tour: Deer Flat Ranch - Mixed Uses by Lake Lowell
Kristi Watkins, Charlie Kido
Mobile Tour, 3:00-5:00 pm
Econ. Development
Deer Flat Ranch is a recently approved mixed use development that includes single-family homes, event venue, ag education, open spaces, commercial uses and wildlife appreciation with a beautiful view of the lake. This development has been proposed by a family that has lived in Nampa for many generations, they are not typical developers and they have a vision for preserving the lavender fields and creating a Japanese Garden to reflect their family culture and vision.
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4:30 - 5:15 pm
People Powered Flags
Elijah Davis, Edinson Bautista
South Banquet Room
Transportation
Pedestrian safety is one of the most pressing roadway safety concerns for communities. Municipalities are always looking for creative and cost-effective ways to enhance pedestrian safety. This presentation discusses the findings from ACHD’s deep dive into pedestrian crossing flags as a viable interim treatment. Through ACHD’s Planning Internship program, staff were able to explore pedestrian crossing flags in a wholistic manner using the academic skills and knowledge of its student interns and compile the findings into a white paper. This white paper draws on current literature and real-world experience from cities across North America.
[Slide Deck Coming Soon]
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Modernizing Idaho’s Transportation Fiber Optic Network
Jennifer Switzer
Home Federal Room
GIS/Fiber Optics
Gateway Mapping, Inc. (GMI)/J-U-B Engineers was selected by the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) to lead a statewide effort to inventory and modernize GIS data for existing fiber optic infrastructure. Although a digital network was created in 2014, it had not been maintained over the years, which prompted the 2025 initiative to build a comprehensive, up-to-date GIS database. GMI redesigned the database schema and, using almost 100 engineering plan sets in various formats, began the detailed georeferencing and digitization process. Extensive quality control was performed using a three-tiered review process involving GMI analysts, J-U-B engineers, and ITD engineers. To facilitate collaboration, an interactive GIS dashboard was developed that enables real-time progress tracking and spatial communication among project stakeholders across all six ITD districts. In this presentation, we will demonstrate the interactive dashboard, discuss the challenges of mapping such a unique system of utilities, and go through the functionality of the final GIS product we created.
[Slide Deck Coming Soon]
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Combating Misinformation through Public Engagement and Education
Breanna Howe, Amy Bowman, Parker Bodily
Pacific Source Room
Community Engagement
Nampa's "Citizen's Guide to Planning," a magazine and video series is an initiative designed to combat misinformation about planning and zoning processes, providing clear, accurate, and accessible information to citizens. The session will discuss how the Guide serves as a tool for educating residents about the complexities of urban planning and zoning regulations; specifically the strategies employed to effectively communicate planning concepts and counter misinformation, community feedback and its impact on the planning process, and future initiates to enhance engagement. Join us to learn how Nampa is facilitating a well-informed citizenry that actively contributes to the future of their community.
View the Slide Deck for Combating Misinformation through Public Engagement and Education