When the Capital City Development Corporation's Board of Commissioners meet today, they'll be asked to approve an agreement for a new operator of the agency's six downtown parking garages.

Ampco System Parking has been chosen to take over the operations from Republic Parking Northwest when the current contract expires on March 31.

Currently CCDC pays $1,982,430 annually for the Republic Parking operations. The new proposed agreement with Ampco would establish an annualized budget of $1,725,187.

The initial terms of the proposed agreement would have Ampco manage operations until September 2012, with four one-year extensions at CCDC's option. The agreement allows Ampco to sub-contract with the Car Park to supply a general manager and staff to manage the day-to-day operation of the parking garages.

When the Capital City Development Corporation's Board of Commissioners meet on Monday, they'll be considering how best to manage the agency's six downtown parking garages. The contract will be considerable. For Fiscal Year 2012 the parking system is budgeted to generate $3.8 million in annual revenue, or 25 percent of CCDC's total annual revenue.

But it appears that CCDC may be interested in changing who manages its garages. The current operator, Republic Parking Northwest, is under a contract that expires on March 31. A review panel has been analyzing new bids from Republic and three competitors, and the panel has opted to rank Ampco System Parking as its first choice for a new operating agreement. Republic was its fourth choice. On Monday, CCDC commissioners will be asked to authorize staff to begin negotiations for a new operator agreement

While many eyes may be focused on the Statehouse today, with Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter giving his State of the State address and the 2012 Idaho Legislature convening, another meeting of significance will get under way across town at just about the same time.

The first meeting of the Capital City Development Corporation's Board of Commissioners will convene at noon, ushering in a new era for Boise's urban renewal agency. Today will mark the first board meeting for Anthony Lyons, the new CCDC director.

"It is always an interesting time, starting a new position, and this has been no exception," Lyons wrote in his opening remarks to be delivered later today. "The first month has been rewarding and filled with a lot of listening and learning."

We did a bit of our own listening, sitting down with Lyons for his first interview, which you can read in the current issue of BW.

In our conversation, Lyons spoke about how he never charts his own career, why you'll never see awards or degrees on his office wall, and how his desk is made of saw-horses, weather stripping and a huge piece of glass from a windshield repair shop.

Interestingly enough, we couldn't help but notice that our interview with Lyons is included in today's information packet to be distributed to the CCDC board.

Boise's urban renewal agency has a new chief executive to oversee some of the most eagerly-anticipated projects in recent memory.

Anthony Lyons was selected from a cadre of national candidates to take over as executive director of the Capital City Development Corporation. Lyons comes from a similar position in Gainesville, Fla.

Lyons replaces Phil Kushlan, who retired as CCDC's executive director in July. Lyons is slated to start his new position on Monday, Dec. 5. His salary is expected to be between $125,000-$150,000, plus benefits and relocation.

In his first year, Lyons will see construction on a number of projects that will transform the city's inner core, including 8th and Main, JUMP and Whole Foods (which began construction earlier today).

Just this morning, at 9 a.m., the House Revenue and Taxation Committee opened up debate on House Bill 672, the first overhaul of urban renewal statutes since the '60s. If you're not on the up and up about urban renewal, check this week's coverage.

Unda' the Rotunda caught up with Phil Kushlan, executive director at Boise's urban renewal agency (URA), the Capitol City Development Corporation. The CCDC worked closely with the Urban Renewal Subcommittee, which penned a bill of its own.

"That’s the current conversation we’re having over there, we kinda agreed that the rule book we’re playing with hadn’t been updated since 1965," said Kushlan. "There were some changes proposed to modernize the issue."

Rep. Phil Hart of Athol pushed several bills that sought to bring the public into the process, providing for elections of the commissioners on URA boards. However, his provisions didn't make it into the final draft brought by the subcommittee, a la 672.

A dozen people, most of them attorneys, showed up to testify this morning, including Larry Helzel of the Sun Valley City Council, and Jack Sibbach of Sun Valley Corp. The two separately expressed concern about the language of the bill, citing the need for a tax increment financing structure at Bald Mountain.

Rep. Scott Bedke queried Sibbach: "Where's the blight there?" referring to the the reason urban renewal came about in the first place: to refresh blighted areas.

"It's a gravel parking area," responded Sibbach.

Helzel spoke at length about the provision of the bill which stops Urban Renewal districts from expanding. Helzel hopes to utilize Ketchum's existing urban renewal district, annexing the proposed resort location in order to fund the project.

"Please eliminate the restrictive language," said Helzel. He also said:

"It's all about jobs. Ours is a resort-based economy, in an increasingly complex market. New development means more population. 672 exacerbates our problem."

Ada County Commissioner Sharon Ullman also showed up to testify, citing her residence as 200 W. Front St., which lies within the CCDC's Revenue Allocation area, (a quick Google Maps search shows that's really the Ada County Courthouse where she works.)

Ullman expressed, "great concern about urban renewal agencies, and urban renewal agencies run amok."

Ullman then moved to the "streetcar to nowhere," as she called it, referring to Boise's streetcar debate. Funding for the streetcar had been proposed through a Local Improvement District option, as opposed to urban renewal. [UPDATE: Ullman called to clarify that her point to the committee was that CCDC is in fact involved in Boise's streetcar and has pledged significant funds toward the project.]

Wayne Hoffman of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, who introduced himself to the committee as a lobbyist-who-doesn't-lobby, testified, stating:

"If you're looking to limit government, this does not get there."

Ultimately, Committee Chairman Rep. Denis Lake of Blackfoot decided to hold the bill in committee, subject to call of the chair, suggesting the committee review the issues brought up. [UPDATE 2: Bedke tells citydesk that the bill is not going to be revived this session.]