Boise On The Map With Home Page

Anyone who wants to know the life stories of Boise Mayor Brent Coles or City Council members can find it on the Internet.

There also is a city of Boise home page and pictures of the snowcapped Foothills, an aerial shot of Boise State University, and a picture of a moonlit Idaho capitol.

Coming soon are home pages for every city department, as well as information on the parks and library.

“This is the wave of the future,” said city spokeswoman Suzanne Burton. “Eventually, we’d like to have the kind of systems where you could pay your utility bill, or get a dog license, or get a building permit electronically.”

That may take a little time. Officials are moving slowly to save money.

“The city of Boise has done all of this development with virtually no city tax money,” said Lynn Melton, library director and chair of the mayor’s Internet task force.

While other cities spend up to $250,000 to set up home pages and Internet access, Boise is relying on existing staff, plus one part-time summer employee. “We have to do things that are free or cheap,” Melton said. The home page can be accessed at http://www.jart.com.