Gooding Chamber of Commerce strives to improve and support our community.

Current Projects:

Flower pots on Main Street – The current flower pots are not working as well as planned. The chamber has purchased 10 whiskey barrels and will place those on Main this fall, removing the current plastic pots. The barrels will be lined with plastic, have gravel and dirt placed in them and will be planted each spring by the chamber. It was discussed to consider perennial ornamental grasses & flowers for the pots that are more tolerant to the dry climate and wind.

Several months ago, Shellie visited with Todd Bunn and received approval to have the barrels on Main Street year round. She will follow up with businesses that currently host the flower pots and make sure they have no objections to hosting a year round barrel.

Christmas Decorations – The Christmas decoration project is 50% complete. All the pole mounted decorations have been purchased and will be up this year. An additional $5500 is needed to complete the street line project. The chamber submitted a grant application to the Idaho Community Foundation and should receive notice this winter if any money was awarded for the project. The team will continue to work on fundraising ideas with the hope of completing this project in 2010.

Entry signage at the South end of town - This is not a chamber project but it was reported that the hospital and the city are working together to complete a grant application to have an entry sign at the south end of town. The hospital has donated land for the signage and landscaping.

Upcoming Projects:

Paint Gooding – This project was in place many years ago and resulted in 3-4 homes being painted each summer. The beautification committee agreed this would be a great project to start back up. Shellie will contact the Paint Twin Falls project for some input and guidelines.

Project Ideas:

Main Street Banners – The idea was discussed to have seasonal banners that businesses could sponsor. The banners would be changed each season and would therefore last several years longer. The banners would enhance the downtown area.

Maintenance of Trees - The mayor reported that the City is working to enforce maintenance of personal property and is having some success. Trees, on personal property, are difficult to handle as the property owner is responsible for maintenance or removal of dead trees. As it deals with personal property, this is not a project the committee can address but will certainly support the City’s efforts.

Awards for Appearance - The idea of awarding a monthly business for having a well-maintained business front was discussed. This could go along the lines of the Business of the Month but the focus would be on the beautification efforts of the business. A sign could be created and posted outside the business along with a feature in the monthly newsletter and presentation at the monthly chamber meeting. Also, the Mayor discussed having a monthly Mayor’s award for a well-maintained personal property and a most-improved award.

Restoration of Historical Frontage - The team discussed ways to assist businesses with improvement of historical buildings. At this time, we are not certain how to go about this but feel it is important to preserve the history of Gooding and its buildings.

River Wall & Activities – The team discussed the river wall and the idea to make the river a floating destination with drop in and pull out points. The Mayor reported that the first stage of help for improving the wall is in progress. It is a complex issue when addressing the river. Any changes will be costly and must be approved my many entities including the Army Corp of Engineers, Department of Environmental Quality, and the Historical Registry. The main goals for the river will be to improve safety of the river and hopefully remove Gooding from the flood plain; which would save homeowners money and assist in the growth of the city. The City is working on this project and will contact the chamber if there is a point where the team can get involved and provide some assistance.

Poles & Signs in Town – A few community members have suggested the chamber look into improving the poles and signs in town. Specifically, create a uniform look for stop sign poles, and address poles along with straightening the bent poles. And removing signs along Main Street that point to destinations that no longer exist (ie: visitor center sign). This suggestion was referred to Mayor Morton to be addressed at the City level.

Hanging Baskets along Main – Noting the beautiful hanging baskets in downtown Twin Falls, the team discussed placing hanging baskets along Main. This would add tremendous beauty during the summer months and would not be very expensive to make. However, maintaining the plants would be costly. The City crew would have to allocate a vehicle and two employees each day (2 times a day on the hot days) to water the pots. The added expenses, of a vehicle, gas, wear and tear and staff time, to the City budget cannot be allocated at this time.

Historical Walking Signs – An idea was found from another community that created historical a-frame signs for their downtown area. The team discussed the idea of creating similar signs that have photos showcasing the past and present look of each historical building and that also tell the story of the building. The storyboard signs could be placed on the sidewalks at the businesses discretion and especially during large community events.