I hate to brag, but…

Sometimes a little bragging is in order. This is one of those times.

Every year, COMPASS staff develop population estimates for Ada and Canyon Counties and cities, with input from the COMPASS Demographic Advisory Committee (DAC). Those estimates are based on the most recent Census data, plus a variety of other factors, including household vacancy rates, average household size, and other information.

There are a variety of sources of these data, and sometimes those sources do not agree. COMPASS staff and DAC members carefully consider the different data sets and choose which to use to estimate the area’s population.

Census data are collected every 10 years. In the first years following data collection, the Census data are likely still fairly accurate. However, as years pass and we get further from a Census year, the data are less accurate. What that means is it gets harder and harder to develop an accurate population estimate as we get further away from the most recent Census year. Year 10 (2010 in this case) is always the hardest.

In fact, knowing how difficult it is to develop an accurate estimate in Year 10, the COMPASS Board chose not to adopt the COMPASS staff recommended estimates for 2010 and to wait for Census numbers to be released instead.

Census numbers for 2010 were released last month. How did those COMPASS recommended estimates for 2010 compare to the actual Census numbers?

This is where the bragging comes in.

Overall, COMPASS estimates were off (high) by 0.9% for Ada and Canyon Counties combined. For Ada County, COMPASS over-estimated by 1.4%; for Canyon County, COMPASS under- estimated by a mere 0.1%.

These numbers are impressive by any standards. Given the fact that the baseline Census data were 10 years old and considering the rollercoaster decade that was the 2000s, they are downright phenomenal.

Congratulations to Carl Miller, COMPASS Principal Planner for Demographics, and the entire COMPASS Demographic Advisory Committee. Your efforts, and results, are to be commended.

(Want to see the numbers I'm talking about? Click here and navigate to page 28.)

All Dressed Up and No Way to Get There?

“Do more with less” seems to be the mantra these days. Communities and many agencies suffer budget and staffing cuts, while simultaneously facing increased demands for services.

COMPASS is working to help ease some of these issues for small rural communities with its “All Dressed Up and No Way to Get There” toolkit. The toolkit was funded through a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The toolkit is designed to provide ideas, resources, and easy-to-use templates for rural communities and others working to help residents find ways to get where they need to go with or without access to a personal vehicle.

It is specifically designed for agencies with limited funding and staff time. The items in the toolkit are easy to use, low-tech, and free or inexpensive to implement.

The toolkit contains background information and lists of ideas for facilitating and promoting carpooling, walking/biking, using community vehicles, and creating ordinances to promote land use that supports these. Templates can be downloaded and customized for many of the items discussed, including model lease agreements, a model ordinance, and a variety of promotion materials. The toolkit also provides links to transportation resources available in southwest Idaho.

Who would use this toolkit? One example might be a senior center that runs a van into Nampa once a week for seniors to shop. The van runs half-full and is struggling financially. The operator sees an opportunity to open the service to non-seniors. By charging a nominal fee this could help offset costs, as well as provide a community service to other residents. However, the operator is a part-time volunteer with no marketing budget or background, and very limited time. This toolkit can provide that volunteer with the resources to market that expanded service.

Check it out online at www.compassidaho.org/prodserv/mobility_toolkit.htm or order a CD of the materials by emailing litkonen@compassidaho.org.

COMPASS on the Move

On Monday, March 21, the Meridian Development Corporation, COMPASS, and Valley Regional Transit broke ground on a new building in downtown Meridian that will soon serve as the headquarters for COMPASS and Valley Regional Transit. Meridian Development Corporation owns the downtown lot where the building will be built and will sell the building to COMPASS and Valley Regional Transit upon completion. COMPASS will own the second floor of the two-condo building; Valley Regional Transit will own most of the first floor. The remainder of the first floor will be meeting rooms jointly owned by the two organizations.

This move is an important step forward in the life of COMPASS, and will help us better serve you and fulfill our mission more efficiently and effectively.

After 26 years of renting office space, first in Boise then in Meridian, COMPASS will own its office. Per direction from the COMPASS Board, we have been setting aside funds since 2006 specifically for this purpose, which will allow us to pay cash. Freeing up money that has been used for rent in the past, coupled with the ability to pay cash, saves public money. COMPASS will be able to weather cost increases in other areas of our budget without raising member dues, which is the portion of the COMPASS budget that comes from local tax dollars via our member agencies.

COMPASS has not raised dues since 2008 and cut dues in 2009 to help member agencies as they struggled with decreasing revenues.

This move supports the goals and vision of Communities in Motion, the regional long-range transportation plan for Ada and Canyon Counties, which COMPASS develops. The building location in downtown Meridian is consistent with the plan vision for compact growth in an already developed area. An additional bonus is that it should also help revitalize downtown Meridian. The office will be in walking distance of goods and services and is located near the current rail line, which may someday be a corridor for public transportation in the valley. The building will be built to LEED silver standards, which will contribute to a more sustainable community.

COMPASS and Valley Regional Transit already work closely on many issues. Sharing a building will increase our efficiency and strengthen communication and coordination between the agencies.

I appreciate the foresight of the COMPASS Board in planning ahead to allow us to make this move, which ultimately will allow us to serve you better.

Please plan to visit us at our new office after we move in next fall.

Join Me at the COMPASS Education Series

Each spring, COMPASS presents an educational speaker series, where we bring in experts from around the region and around the county to speak on issues affecting transportation, land use, funding, and other related items.

The purpose of the series is not to promote one “right” answer or a singular way of thinking, but to stimulate discussion and encourage thinking “outside the box” through looking at issues and solutions from a variety of perspectives, learning from what others have done, and examining new technologies.

We’ll be exploring “lessons learned” from others as we delve into the role of transportation in emergency planning in February. Our speaker has worked on major disasters, including Ground Zero and Hurricane Katrina, and undoubtedly has stories to tell and lessons we can learn.

In April, we’ll learn about new “solar roads” technology being developed right here in Idaho. Will this be part of our transportation future? I honestly don’t know, but am eager to hear more.

Other topics we’ll be discussing this spring include streets as public spaces (March), bike and pedestrian safety (May – tentative), and transportation demand management (June – tentative).

Typically, our speakers give two presentations – one in the evening for a general audience and one during the work day for professionals working in fields related to the topics. However, anyone is welcome to attend either presentation. All the presentations are free.

For details, visit http://www.compassidaho.org/comm/publicevents_2011_ed_series.htm.

I hope to see you there!

Congratulations Leadership in Motion Award Winners!

Yesterday COMPASS presented our annual Leadership in Motion awards, recognizing businesses, individuals, and projects that demonstrate leadership in supporting the Treasure Valley’s regional long-range transportation plan, Communities in Motion.

Reviewing the nominations has quickly become one of my favorite parts of my job. Even though I try to keep up on what is happening around the valley, as I read the nominations I am amazed by the innovative projects that are moving forward and being completed despite the tough economic times, and by the dedication and energy of the individuals who are nominated for their leadership.

I’ve listed the winners below and provide a link where you can learn more about each, but I’d briefly like to highlight one particular winner here.

Joe Luppens of Kuna was awarded the “Leadership by Example, Individual” award. Joe served as chairperson of the Kuna 2010 Census “Complete Count Committee,” a group whose purpose was to encourage all citizens of Kuna to complete their Census forms and be counted.

The committee was highly successful. Kuna had an 82% Census return rate, well above Ada County’s average, the national average, and Kuna’s 2000 rate. The additional participation is estimated to bring in nearly $400,000 per year more to the community from federal government appropriations, compared to funding based on the 2000 Census return rate.

However, while this success is to be commended, Joe didn’t receive the award because of the success of the committee. What was truly impressive was Joe’s work and dedication. Joe spent countless hours and chaired this committee completely as a volunteer – not as a city employee, not as part of another job – strictly his own time. Joe also spent his own money to promote the census – even buying T-shirts for outreach out of his own pocket. Joe’s selfless dedication is a great example of leadership by example by an individual and is something we can all strive to emulate. Thank you, Joe.

2010 Leadership in Motion Winners:

• Leadership by Example Award, Canyon County
• City of Caldwell, Pathways and Bike Routes Master Plan

• Leadership by Example Award, Ada County
• Boise State University, for programs that encourage transportation alternatives and wise land use planning

• Leadership in Private Business Award, Canyon County
• J-U-B Engineers, Inc., for design work on a federal aid rehabilitation project on Homedale Road

• Leadership in Private Business Award, Ada County
• Downtown Boise Association, for a program to place artwork on traffic signal controller boxes in downtown Boise

• Leadership by Example Award, Individual
• Joe Luppens, citizen volunteer, Kuna Census Complete Count Committee

• Leadership by Example Award, Elected Official (2 winners)
• Councilmember Elaine Clegg, City of Boise City
• Mayor Tom Dale, City of Nampa

Visit www.compassidaho.org/comm/awards.htm to learn more about each recipient.