[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 24, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E85]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  IN APPRECIATION OF JOHN TENSEN'S SERVICE TO IDAHO AND CITY OF BOISE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL K. SIMPSON

                                of idaho

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 24, 2017

  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank John Tensen for his 
service to the State of Idaho and specifically the City of Boise. The 
opportunity to work with John has been an absolute pleasure for me 
personally, and for my staff.
  John started working for the City of Boise in 1986 and has served in 
several capacities ranging from Civil Engineer to Interim Public Works 
Director. For the last 14 years, John served as City Engineer which 
allowed him to directly oversee projects that we benefit from every 
day.
  One initiative I was fortunate enough to work with John on, was the 
geothermal heat project which expanded to Boise State University in 
2012. With John's expertise and the collaboration between Boise State, 
the Department of Energy, and the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 600,000 square feet of building space on campus is now 
heated with clean and affordable geothermal energy. It was an honor to 
work alongside John to make this possible.
  Another project where John played a central role, was the recently 
completed Dixie Drain Project. In Idaho, water is life and even the 
smallest water issue can be fraught with complexities. That is why the 
Dixie Drain Project is considered a success, not only here in Idaho, 
but as an example the entire nation can look to when addressing water 
quality issues. Thanks to John's innovative engineering, the city was 
able to come up with a sound solution to divert the water from the 
drains into settling ponds to remove phosphorus which would enter back 
into the river system. While the project was far more intricate than 
this simple explanation, the underlying point is the same--John saved 
the city and ratepayers countless dollars with exceptional results. 
This is the ultimate example of federal, state, and local partnership 
and would not be possible without John.
  There are many more projects that highlight John's incredible work. 
We all know these sites including the Boise Whitewater Park where 
technicians shape the perfect wave during the summer and the brand new 
Esther Simplot Park that is truly a gem for the city. However, what is 
equally impressive to his legacy here in Boise is what he plans to do 
after.
  This fall, John will follow his family to Belize where his son-in-
law's foundation, Restoration Smile, will provide dental and oral 
surgeries to patients that need it most. However, John will make the 
journey so the local communities can draw on his expertise in the areas 
of water quality and sewer systems. John certainly has earned a quiet 
retirement, yet his ambition compels his desire to continue serving and 
for that, we are all grateful.
  My staff and I consider it an honor to have worked with John Tensen. 
His institutional knowledge and creative engineering are a legacy to 
the City of Boise and we are touched by his work. I wish him and his 
family the best in retirement and I hope he finds time to watch his 
beloved Oregon State Beavers alongside his family of Julie, Kristyn, 
Cole, Brad, Oliver and Max.
  I am proud to honor John's service and look forward to staying in 
touch with him and his family.

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