‘More reasons to love Idaho Falls,’ says mayor in State of the City address
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IDAHO FALLS — There are “more reasons to love Idaho Falls,” according to Mayor Rebecca Casper, citing things like the high-speed fiber network, additional flight offerings at the airport, and an expansion of electric vehicle fast-charging stations.
Casper spoke at the State of the City luncheon on Wednesday at the Holiday Inn & Suites. She talked about the accomplishments of 2024 and some of the projects that will be taking place in 2025.
Watch the State of the City address below.
GIFT, the Greater Idaho Falls Transit, has proven to be one of the best initiatives the city has ever launched, Casper said.
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“Since its inception (in 2022), GIFT has provided 234,000 rides, including 91,000 in 2024 alone. Over 40,000 of those rides directly benefited seniors and more than 3,000 served U.S. veterans,” she said. “The crowning achievement was GIFT’s induction to the Idaho Transportation Department’s Hall of Fame for innovation in public transit.”
She then talked about how exciting progress has been made at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport. Alaska Airlines added a year-round flight to Seattle in 2024 and United Airlines did the same for a Denver route.
“Allegiant (Air) will begin offering year-round service to Portland this year, and Allegiant is also going to launch twice weekly flights to Denver,” Casper said.
But she said all of the growth does come with challenges. The airport is overdue for significant upgrades. Behind the scenes, she said staff work in cramped spaces that are not properly suited for the volume of luggage they have to process. The lobby needs to be expanded to accommodate more ticket counters.
Casper said fixing this would be expensive. An improvement project will cost roughly $65 million.
“We are making some incredible strides in funding. In 2024, our airport director, Ian Turner, shattered records by obtaining 21.4 million federal dollars for this project, and that’s his first year on the job,” she said.
As for a topic that has been controversial among residents in the city of Idaho Falls, which is the water tower project, Casper said the city will complete construction on the new water tower in 2025 and put it to use.
“Coinciding with that will be the respectful demolition and thoughtful commemoration of the existing tower,” Casper said.
RELATED | Construction of new Idaho Falls water tower moving forward after months of delays
The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho will have a water tower tribute art exhibit in February. The public open house is scheduled for Feb. 6 at 5:30 p.m.
Among other accomplishments, Casper said Idaho Falls Fiber reached a major milestone last year.
“We are no longer constructing the infrastructure needed for fiber. What started as a pilot project, which was announced in October 2019 — it has in under five years — covered the entire city, making it the largest open access network in Idaho,” she said. “If you want Idaho Falls Fiber service, you just have to make a phone call and get scheduled to get connected.”
She then discussed how Idaho Falls Power secured a $3 million grant from the Department of Energy to expand EV infrastructure in Idaho Falls.
“This spring, we are going to construct 16 DC fast-charging stations and eight level two stations at four key locations throughout the city. This project is going to cut greenhouse gas emissions or at least help with that, enhance charging reliability and support the region’s growing tourism industry,” she said.
Idaho Falls Power is also investing $44 million in a Peaking Plant and Energy Research Park to provide on-demand energy during peak usage periods. Click here to read more about it.
The Idaho Falls Police Department moved into its new building in 2024, the first standalone police facility in the city’s 160-year history. IFPD created several community-oriented policing initiatives, including a victim advocate program and neighborhood police officer program.
The Idaho Falls Fire Department expects to break ground on a new fire station that will be located off of North 15th East.
Casper also shared some news about the Idaho Falls Public Library, which will be adding a drive-thru component in 2025. This will make it easier for parents to swing by on their way to or from work to pick up books for their children.
“Even in this electronic age, usage of our public library continues to increase. We had a 12.6% increase in circulation of library materials in 2024,” Casper said.
Casper announced that the city has rolled out a “strategic plan” that captures the community’s vision for Idaho Falls. Residents and community leaders developed it. Click here to view the interactive plan.
This is Casper’s 12th and final year as mayor. She is grateful and proud of the city.
“My fellow citizens, as I have said every year, the state of our city is strong, and Idaho Falls’s future continues to be very bright. I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this great community. Thank you for letting me have this opportunity to serve the city that I love,” Casper said with tears.