A Focused Vision
Vision
Meridian, Idaho is a vibrant community whose
vision is to be the premier city to live, work and raise
a family.
Mission
The City of Meridian's mission for 2025 is to continue
to be a safe, attractive, and inviting community
that is full of diverse activities. Meridian delivers
quality service, planning, and fiscal responsibility
with open spaces, strong partnerships, and various
educational opportunities. Culture, unique busi-
ness, venture, and an abundant choice of jobs
make Meridian not just a destination, but a lifestyle.
C.A.R.E Values
We provide our best for the community we serve.
We will provide quality service to our customers and
positive development of our staff that promotes
and expects accountability, respect and excel-
lence.
This Annual Report
is published by the
City of Meridian
33 E. Broadway Avenue
Meridian, ID 83642
(2089) 888-4433
www.meridiancity.org
Customer Service Accountability Respect Excellence
Mayor’s Welcome
Each year I look forward to this opportunity
to reflect on our community’s recent achievements
and innovations. This year’s State of the City
Address theme – Building Meridian Together –
perfectly captures the pride I feel for Meridian and
our shared accomplishments, as well as our chal-
lenges, of the past year.
This report is an opportunity to celebrate the
contributions made by our citizens, elected
officials, City staff, volunteers, and community part-
ners who work side-by-side to improve our city in so
many ways.
We strive to make Meridian a city you can
be proud of with our focus on providing excellent
services and fiscal responsibility; beautiful neighbor-
hoods and strong business support; family-friendly
parks and meaningful community events; strong
leadership and open communication. We are
focused on safety and being responsive to you.
Meridian has so much to be proud of — the
energy continues to be in Meridian! This last year,
2013, brought us continued economic growth,
improved traffic flows to and through downtown
Mayor Tammy de Weerd
Keep in touch
City Departments
Visit Our Website - www.meridiancity.org
Subscribe to the City E-Newsletter - www.meridiancity.org/register.aspx
Find Events on the Community Calendar - www.meridiancity.org/calendar.aspx
“Like” Meridian City Hall on Facebook
“Follow” @MeridianIdaho on Twitter
In Case of Emergency Dial 9-1-1
Meridian City Hall (208) 888-4433
City Attorney’s Office (208) 898-5506
City Clerk’s Office (208) 888-4433
Community Development (208) 884-5533
Finance/Accounting (208) 888-4433
Fire (Non-Emergency) (208) 888-1234
Human Resources (208) 898-5503
Information Technology (208) 888-4433
Mayor and City Council (208) 489-0529
Parks and Recreation (208) 888-3579
Police (Non-Emergency) (208) 888-6678
Public Works
(208) 898-5500
Utility Billing (208) 888-4439
152
Community Profile
Meridian, Idaho — the population and geographic center of Idaho’s Treasure Valley — is
located just minutes from Idaho’s state capitol and is a dynamic and thriving city built for busi-
ness and designed for living.
History: Established 1893; incorporated 1903
Land Area: 27 square miles
Elevation: 2,605
Climate: Semi-arid with four distinct seasons
Population Estimate: 81,380
Number of Households: 26,899
Number of Persons per Household: 2.84
Workforce: 38,560
Gender Split: 51% Female / 49% Male
Median Age: 32.8 Years
High School Graduate or Higher: 94.5%
Bachelors Degree or Higher: 32.3%
Median Annual household Income: $65,343
Cost of Living: 94% of National Average
Median Home Value: $198,200
Home Ownership Rate: 83.8%
Mean Travel Time to Work: 21.8 minutes
Parks: 20 parks covering over 240 acres
Pathways: 14.3 miles
and even expanded our community represen-
tation adding two City Council seats.
The City Council and I, along with City
staff are committed to you. We strive to make
wise decisions that will maintain our utility infra-
structure, public facilities, and parks for current
and future generations to enjoy and cherish. I
encourage you to get involved in your govern-
ment by staying informed, letting us know what
you think about our services, becoming a City
volunteer, or by serving on one of our many
boards or commissions.
Meridian’s future has never looked
brighter and we greatly appreciate your
ongoing participation and support as we are
building Meridian together.
Pictured Left to Right: President Charlie Rountree, Vice-President Keith Bird,
Joe Borton, Luke Cavener, Genesis Milam, David Zaremba
DEPARTMENT
DIRECTORS
Community Development
Bruce Chatterton
finance
Stacy Kilchenmann
Fire Department
Chief Mark Niemeyer
Human Resources
Patti Perkins
Information Services
Jaycee Holman
Legal
Bill Nary
Parks & Recreation
Steve Siddoway
Police Department
Chief Jeff Lavey
Public Works
Tom Barry
Meridian City Council
14 3
The Place
For
Families
needs of the young as well as the young-at-
heart. Meridian prides itself on being a caring
community where individuals and families
feel welcome, safe, and have fun.
Public safety remains a top community
priority and it shows through the city’s low
crime rate and responsive police and fire
services. In fact, CQ Press recently named
Meridian the safest city in Idaho. By using
technology to share data between agencies
and create real time crime mapping, the
Meridian Police Department is continuing to
move the bar higher to ensure our
community’s safety.
Firefighters and police officers respond
to emergencies but they also spend a lot of
time in the community teaching people what
they can do to stay safe.
To keep young drivers safe on the
road, the Meridian Police Department
teaches “Alive at 25,” a driving course for 15
through 24 year olds. During 2013, more than
1,250 participants completed this course.
Through Project SAFE, the Meridian Fire
Department has distributed more than 3,800
free smoke alarms and bed shakers for the
hearing impaired. Two of the homes
equipped with these devices by the fire
department recently experienced fires and
homeowners were alerted to danger in time
to escape to safety.
Trunk or Treat & Dance to the Beat
Children and young families are
crucial to community sustainability.
Meridian is dedicated to fulfilling the
134
Accolades
Meridian City Hall Earns Energy Star Award
The City of Meridian’s Public Works Department implemented facility improve-
ments and presented the documentation necessary to achieve the Energy
Star rating for Meridian City Hall. Compared to other buildings across the coun-
try, Meridian City Hall is in the 88th percentile for energy efficiency.
Meridian Named Safest City in Idaho
CQ Press, a publication focused on American government, named Meridian as Idaho’s Safest
City in 2013 according to its crime ranking.
Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council Named Idaho’s Brightest Star
Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter and First Lady Lori Otter named the Meridian Mayor’s Youth
Advisory Council as a top winner in the Idaho’s Brightest Star recognizing Idaho’s best commu-
nity volunteers.
Meridian Projects Win City Achievement Award
During 2013, the IT Department’s Meridian Enterprise Addressing Database (MEAD) and the
Meridian Fire Department’s Project S.A.F.E. each received a City Achievement Award from the
Association of Idaho Cities. This annual awards program recognizes Idaho cities for programs or
projects that improve quality of life, solve community problems, reduce costs of government,
and increase municipal service.
Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park Earns State and National Awards
The City of Meridian’s newest park — JuliusM. Kleiner Memorial Park — received
a trio of awards in 2013, including:
National Recognition Award from the American Council of Engineering
Companies, 2013 Engineering Excellence Awards Competition
2013 Outstanding Facility & Parks Award for the State of Idaho from the Idaho
Recreation & Parks Association
2013 Merit Award for General Design from the American Society of Landscape
Architects Idaho/Montana Chapter
Working
For You
As good fiscal stewards of the public’s
money, the City continues to take a conserva-
tive approach to budgeting. The City oper-
ates with a balanced budget of $89 million
while maintaining services at the level the
community expects. The City budget com-
promises of the General Fund of $44M and the
Enterprise Fund of $45M.
The Enterprise Fund pays for water,
sewer, and related services and is supported
by rate payers. The General Fund pays for all
other City services - Police, Fire, Parks, Com-
munity Development, and Administration -
with revenue from property tax, state
revenue-sharing and sales tax, as well as other
sources. property tax for 2104 is forecasted at
$21.9M; sixty-three percent of the total Gen-
eral Fund revenues. Public safety (Police and
Fire), the City’s top priority, totals $27.4M from
General Fund Revenues.
Whether building a new park, hiring
additional police officers, or building a new
well; the Mayor and City Council ensures proj-
ects are fully funded before they start.
Input from citizens and business owners
is important. In 2013, a focus group asked the
City to increase representation by an addi-
tional two seats. Citizens voted in May to
expand the council and in November seats
five and six were elected for the first time.
Meridian prides itself on staying true to
its small-town roots. Like early settlers who
depended on one another to create a
thriving city, the City works with community
partners to accomplish shared goals.
It is this type of cooperation which
enabled the creation of an Emergency
Services Joint Powers Agreement between
cities and emergency services providers in
Ada County. This agreement is transforming
the way all agencies do business in order to
bring better emergency medical services at
reduced costs to all taxpayers.
City Finance Department
Meridian isn’t just a great commu-
nity because it’s safe. People love calling
Meridian home because of all there is to
do.
There are more than 240 acres of
parks to explore, including Meridian’s
award-winning Julius M. Kleiner Memorial
Park. The City offers community sports
leagues that continue to grow in popular-
ity; in fact 4,538 participated last year. Our
Recreation Division offered 162 different
classes and camps to help children and
adults cultivate new talents.
The Mayor makes sure teenagers
can get an up-close look at many aspects
of the community through the Mayor’s
Youth Advisory Council (MYAC). In 2013,
Governor Otter and First Lady Lori picked
MYAC as a top winner for “Idaho’s Bright-
est Stars” because of the many volunteer
hours the teens gave to the community.
The quality, breadth and depth of
education offered by our community part-
ner, the Joint School District No. 2, also con-
tinues to expand, most notably with the
addition of eight new STEM programs offer-
ing curriculums heavily weighted in
science, technology, engineering, and
math for K-12 students.
These programs are just one way
Meridian’s school system is offering real
world education designed to prepare
children for future workplace success.
Free Family Fishing Day at Settlers Park
512
Partners in business
In Meridian, the City doesn’t just view
itself as a place to do business but also as a
partner in business success. The City works hard
to encourage local economic growth by
streamlining processes, meeting regularly with
business leaders and planning for industry clus-
ters accommodating job growth.
Meridian is home to small family-owned
businesses, company headquarters, and multi
-million dollar companies with ties around the
globe. With Idaho being ranked by KPMG as
the state with the lowest cost of doing business
in the Pacific Northwest, Meridian is an attrac-
tive place for companies to grow. In fact, there
was $125 million in commercial project value
developed in the City in 2013.
Businesses in Meridian enjoy accessibility
to the City. The Mayor is committed to helping
the economy grow and meets with a number
of different companies each month. She listens
to what their leaders have to say and uses that
information to help make Meridian the most
responsive City to do business within the Trea-
sure Valley. When our small businesses were
being impacted by road construction in down-
town, the City organized a handful of cash
mobs to help give the companies an extra
boost. To encourage small business growth,
Meridian recently developed a Small Business
Village Ribbon Cutting
Scentsy Commons
year, but contractors worked long hours to
open the road 33 days ahead of schedule.
The City realizes there are more ways
to get around than just hopping in your car.
The City worked closely with Valley Regional
Transit and the Senior Center to expand
senior transportation options. With more
residents looking to get around Meridian on a
bike or lacing up a pair of sneakers, the City is
making progress in expanding its more than
14 miles of pathways through prioritizing our
needs with ACHD. In 2013 we added four
sidewalk projects, two pedestrian HAWK
signals, and installed green wayfinding signs
along bike routes improving the mobility in
our community.
ITD has recently begun preparations
to replace the I-84 Meridian Road Inter-
change with a new Single-Point Urban Inter-
change (SPUI) which will reduce congestion,
improve safety, and make way for a fourth
lane on I-84.
Safe, well-lit streets benefit everyone
Walking the dogs in Kleiner Park
116
moving
You
Forward
With all that Meridian has to offer,
and all that Meridian residents and busi-
nesses have to do, the City realizes how
important it is for people to easily get from
one side of town to the other. The Meridian
Transportation Commission was formed in
2013 to advise the Council on traffic safety
and transportation issues within the commu-
nity. So, no matter how you want to travel,
the City is working with our partners to make
it safer and easier for you to get to your desti-
nation.
The City’s partnerships with Ada
County Highway District (ACHD), the Idaho
Transportation Department, and developers
make Meridian’s roads more efficient. Since
Meridian’s population has more than
doubled in the last 10 years it is not an easy
job, but numerous miles of roads have been
improved and five intersections which were
once controlled by stop signs have been
recently upgraded to signalized intersec-
tions.
This past year, traffic flow greatly
improved in downtown Meridian with the
completion of the Meridian Split Corridor
Phase 2 Project. During construction, Merid-
ian Road was widened to handle increased
traffic and the Public Works Department
replaced the old sewer and water mains in
downtown making the systems more reliable
to our citizens and businesses in this area. The
$9.5 million project was expected to take a
Meridian
Split Corridor
Grand Opening
10 7
Coordinator to help guide entrepreneurs through
the process of opening a business in Meridian.
We listen and respond. We are on their team as
they go through the permitting and public hear-
ing process.
Partnerships between the City and busi-
nesses are paying off. Companies are realizing
growth and the community benefits in services
and jobs. Meridian’s 5% unemployment rate is
well below the national average and jobs con-
tinue to be added to the economy. As business
expands, more people move to the area. In 2013,
we had 1399 new residential units and it looks like
that momentum will carry though the next year.
Meridian is more than just a place for businesses
to locate; it is a place where successful partner-
ships are formed.
The following are just a few of the many
successful companies located in
Meridian and include some of
Meridian’s largest employers:
Blue Cross of Idaho
ESI, Inc.
United Heritage Insurance
St. Luke’s Meridian Medical Center
Citi Cards
Power Engineers
Crucial Technology
Saint Alphonsus Meridian Health Plaza
Western States Equipment
Scensty
PKG User Interface Solutions
D.L. Evans Bank
Idaho Dept. of Law Enforcement
Food Services of America
Swire Coca-Cola
Jackson’s Food Stores
Micro 100 Tool Corporation
Bank of the Cascades
Republic Services
Woodland Manufacturing
Anderson & Wood Construction
Blac Rac Manufacturing
Dutch Bros. Coffee
Babichenko Dental Labs
Polymer Systems
Forward Movement Training
Idaho State University – Meridian
BlackHawk
Meridian Companies
Meridian Business Day at Meridian City Hall
out on the Town
Boredom is not an option as
Meridian’s dining, shopping, and entertain-
ment scene has never been more vibrant
and diverse.
Downtown Meridian offers a growing
blend of small shops and restaurants. Efforts
continue to create a more pedestrian-
friendly heart of the community with walk-
able streets containing information kiosks,
completed sidewalks, and improved lighting
for easier access to outdoor dining, public art
projects and community events.
By hosting a variety of events in down-
town, such as Concerts on Broadway, the
Public Works Expo and the new Winter Lights
Parade, the City remains committed to being
a partner in creating a positive environment
for the redevelopment of downtown and the
success of its businesses.
Community events are an important
part of Meridian life. While traditional favorites
such as Dairy Days, CableOne Movie Night in
Meridian, the Firefighters’ Annual Chili Cook-
Off and the Community Block Party remain
popular, several new events have taken
shape during the past year. These included
MYAC's formal charity dance - a prom for
Concerts on Broadway at City Hall
8 9
The Village At Meridian
parents - called “The Ball at the Hall,” and
“Trunk or Treat & Dance to the Beat” a new
community Halloween favorite.
For those seeking a more metropoli-
tan experience, The Village at Meridian is an
inviting new destination. With approximately
600,000 square feet ofupscale shops; trendy
restaurants and state-of-the-art entertain-
ment facilities meld in a unique indoor-
outdoor setting reminiscent of a European
village.
Fountain Square is the place to find
families ice skating, outdoor fireplaces, lush
landscaping and a Bellagio-style fountain
show with 67 animated vertical jets capable
of 30’ in height set to music which adds to
the ambience of this rapidly growing
lifestyle center.
Whether taking in stock race races at
Meridian Speedway, practicing their back-
hand at the new tennis complex at Settlers
Park, browsing downtown’s vintage shops,
or riding one of the new slides at Roaring
Springs, Meridian residents and visitors have
plenty of places to go for dining, shopping,
entertainment and fun.
80 Acres
Project cost: $300 million
1,020,000 sq ft of entertainment, retail and
commercial space
15-screen cinema with bistro
4,100 Parking Spaces
400-600 contractors employed daily during
construction for more than a year
1,800 new jobs created by mid-Oct. 2013
1,000 additional new jobs by early 2014
60,000 plants and 200 ornate lamp posts
