I am a city employee, but not very high up in the chain of importance and also a first time visitor to your web site, however what I overheard this week disturbs me and others.

I overheard top staff talking about George from Scottsdale Activist sharing information with HR regarding employees who have written you and shared the terrible morale and other issues that the city manager et al have done.

If this is true how do you expect to get more insight? If not, is this more of the same of the threats that they are doing to keep employees from having a first amendment right?

Please tell us that you would never disclose info about emails, content, staff names, addresses, etc. etc. to top staff who want to punish us rather than fix the many problems.

I think your news page is informative and helpful to give citizens the whole story and not just the purified version from the city PR people, but if we can't trust you who can we trust? 

Anonymous

===================================================

To whomever you are,

I know that because of the information contained in the messages. The vast majority (99%) of my information comes by anonymous phone calls and in blank white or manila envelopes mailed to my home address with no return addresses and postmarks from anywhere but Scottsdale, even Payson, Flagstaff, and Tucson. I rarely get emails because they are traceable and therefore dangerous for the sender to the point of losing their jobs which apparently Manross, Jan Dolan, HR, and others have openly threatened should they get caught sending me anything. Isn’t that a 1^st Amendment right to have free speech?

This city was, and can be again the most wonderful, visionary and cutting edge city on the west coast, a city of which to be extremely proud. A wonderful place for anyone to work and live as it used to be prior to Dolan and her henchmen/women and their 24/7 catastrophe perpetrated on the citizens by an out-of-touch, legacy-happy council majority.

To make the city what it used to be while still being cutting visionary edge and on the leading edge of innovation, advancement and design, Jan Dolan, and most of senior management need to be fired and the current Council Majority needs to be voted out of office being replaced by those who want secrecy outlawed, the entire system opened up legally and ethically, with the general plan revisited and fixed before any more building or renovation needing new zoning or increased density levels is started.

It appears that Code Enforcement management has been under the thumb of Dolan to the point of not writing violations on many of the serious problems with properties assembled for new higher, denser projects. Can we prove that? No, but look at how fast the properties went down hill under the new owner(s).

The city's BullShit machine is well oiled, has a huge mechanical spreader driven by Dolan, Manross and company, and it has worked well.... at least until I started the Scottsdale Activist 2 years ago which now receives over 10,000 hits a week.

If the city was running as well as the council majority and the upper management staff would have you believe, why is the Scottsdale Activist so popular? If the information we print is incorrect, why doesn’t the city challenge it? Because it’s the TRUTH and they Can't challenge it, that’s why!!! We never had problems like this until Manross was elected and then Dolan and her cronies were hired.

The choking Waterfront Project stench will end up costing the taxpayers close to 10 million dollars to correct and those are early estimates which the city will not admit to or even discuss.

How about SkyFlop? 198 years of zero sales tax, property or improvement taxes from the most important commercial 42 acres in all of south Scottsdale. All we will ever see is the original 81 million the taxpayers paid without interest on the bonds, and, we are responsible for the entire infrastructure for that same 198 years also.

Oh my God, could we be so blessed?

I sincerely doubt it. They will use our taxpayer dollars to pay the price and save their sorry butts long before they will allow themselves to give depositions which just might incriminate them.

I hope this answers your questions,

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We’ve all been bombarded with new designs considered by a few to be innovative but by the masses as bad or ugly monstrosities not meeting the reputation of our great city.

Examples include the new building on north Hayden Road, the "4333" building on Scottsdale Road, and the big box disaster at SkyDiaper.

The picture below is of a new, super looking building at 83^rd Street and Hayden. This is all one building on one foundation with 8 different "fronts" to make it look inviting and make it fit the image of Scottsdale without it being garish or out of character.

The next picture below is of the Big Box at SkyDiaper. This is a far cry from what we were promised and it’s just plain bad design. We’ve been told that ASU can’t get anyone to handle Phase 2 of the SkyJoke project due to the poor design and embarrassing lack of creative architecture of Phase 1.

The last picture is the projected "4333" building slated for the northern entry to Downtown Scottsdale on Scottsdale Road. It’s been referred to as the Space Ship, Grounded Yacht Bridge, garish,  distracting, out of character, and too many other names which cannot be printed in the Scottsdale Activist. To say the least, this design needs to crash and burn ASAP before some other developer gets any dumb or even dumber ideas.

The problem is obvious. The Planning Commission and DRB are totally out of step with the residents of Scottsdale as is the majority of the city council. If these last 2 designs are so great why is there so much public dissention concerning them?

When a developer/speculator comes to town and starts demanding certain amenities from the public trough, usually because they paid too much for the property, it’s time to send that developer/speculator packing.

We feel the building in the top photo is a beautiful example of the architecture that exemplifies Scottsdale. It is innovative yet still fits into the Scottsdale feel, the other 2 are less than desirable to atrocious at best.

Which would you rather see?

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Jeff Fisher:

A number of insiders called to tell us that Jeff Fisher has been terminated by the city for reasons we haven't been able to ascertain. Others say he is on "administrative leave" for the same reason whatever that is.

Apparently, it had something to do with using a personal computer to contact city personnel about city problems but we can't be sure.

Gee, I do that all the time. Are they coming after me next?

Oh my God I hope so, I could retire very comfortably in Chaparral Pines in Payson on the proceeds of such a lawsuit!!

Interestingly enough, I had never heard of Jeff Fisher until this episode except as just another employee of the city over the years through news reports or in the news sheet that comes with the water bill, nor had I heard from him in any manner, personally or to the Scottsdale Activist to the best of my knowledge. I guess it’s possible the city bugged his computer somehow which would probably be illegal anyway, but not below the henchmen Dolan has hired. Who knows???

It really doesn’t matter which is which, the point apparently is that the city is very tired of the massive amounts of "leaks" to this publication as well as others in the media and are apparently trying to make an example of Jeff.

Word has it that they also tried to trap many other employees by intimating that they too were involved with Fishers activities, again, whatever they were, but again apparently without any success. Our city employees are extremely upset at city management, but they didn't fall off the melon truck yesterday either.

We have never had so many anonymous phone calls concerning any one subject so soon after it happened and with so much passion. This administration must be getting very desperate to go to the point of possibly violating employee’s rights to speak or give out information that should be in the public forum, but probably isn’t due to the city’s secrecy policies.

So reportedly Jeff has either been fired or put on administrative leave and for what we don’t know except that it apparently didn’t cost the city any money.

But Jan Dolan goes free for using the sorry excuse of a "Learning Experience" to blow over ^$10 million dollars of the city taxpayers money on a stupid and probably illegal and unethical lease signing action on the Hualapai Water Plant fiasco that wasn’t approved or seen by the city council, and she is still fully employed.

Go figure......

Oh, I forgot, this is Scottsdale where they no longer have to follow the laws or the rules……..

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Could it be that Jan Dolan is finally on her way to mounting the last stagecoach out of town suitcases in hand? We would be remiss if we didn’t take the rehiring of David Ellison as a positive sign that the possible successor to the Dolan and her SS tactics is coming to town. In our opinion, the sooner the better.

After leaving for Texas for personal reasons after 4 years in Scottsdale City Government, David Ellison will return to Scottsdale in November as an Assistant City Manager. Calls from employees are delighted he is coming back feeling that hopefully, the secrecy and heavy handed intimidation practices of Dolan will be history as will she.

Let’s hope that Ellison can open up the process and help the employees to achieve levels of achievement and productivity they couldn’t under Dolan.

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It’s all but obvious that the Scottsdale City Attorney, Deborah Robberson is way out of her league when it comes to composing competent, meaningful, and effective legal opinions. But she’s not out of her league when it comes to blindly taking orders from the 2 people most suspected of being the most incompetent, unethical, secretive, and devious of all people in Scottsdale city government.

For Robberson to write the memo she wrote stating that Council Members cannot comment publicly on issues in front of them is at a minimum bizarre if not stupendously stupid and unprofessional!

Worse yet, (or maybe best yet) the media put it on the front page "Scottsdale leaders advised silence best" (Thursday, 9-20-07 Scottsdale Tribune for all to see.

To quote a very learned scholar: "Preposterous Bullshit" and a violation of everyone’s 1^st Amendment Rights. Is Robberson really that dumb or is she just that massively subservient to the Mayor and City Manager?

In our humble opinion, this entire episode fully depicts the ignorance, incompetence and secrecy which are running unabated in city hall.

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 ~Former Mayor Bill Jenkins Honored             

Two Northeast Valley residents will be among the 10 Arizona Culturekeepers who will be honored Sept. 30 at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa.

Among the Honorees will be former Scottsdale mayor and historian William C. "Bill" Jenkins,

Arizona Culturekeepers began in 2003 to honor individuals and organiza­tions for their contribution to the pres­ervation of the state's history, culture, traditions, environment, and economy.

"These are longtime Arizona residents who spend their days working to better their communities, but rarely are recognized for their contributions."

Jenkins, who taught American government and economics for 29 years in the Scottsdale Unified School District, helped save the Little Red Schoolhouse, now the Scottsdale Historical Museum. He continues to promote historic preservation and relate the area's history to residents and visitors.

He most recently was a member of the Winfield Scott Memorial Sculpture committee that worked four years to fund and dedicate a monument to the city's founder, Chaplain Winfield Scott and his wife, Helen.

Congratulations Bill, and thank you for your unselfish and continued service to the community and citizens of Scottsdale.

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 ~ Sad & Ominous Prediction

The Scottsdale Activist predicts that the City Council Majority, with the full support of the City Attorney including a trumped up legal opinion, will vote to pay Hualapai LLC what ever money Hualapai LLC demands to keep Manross, Dolan, as well as other city and state employees from having to give depositions concerning the obvious "hanky panky" that went on from the onset of the Hualapai Water Treatment Plant planning.

Currently, that dollar amount is in the vicinity of ^$10+ million dollars which is the value of the lease plus legal costs.

In addition, we predict that the vote to pay off this "Learning Experience" by Dolan will be taken in Executive Session so the public will never know who voted which way because those numbers will be forever kept secret as is the regular Modus Operandi of the secretive Manross/Dolan administration.

Because the amount of the payment will have to become public record, it will be slipped into a City Council Consent Agenda later in the year where interests in other issues would predict a very small public turnout, therefore no public questions or comments.

....... and so it goes with the current city administration.................

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I attended the September 14th informational meeting on the Los Arcos Crossing development (the 23 acre parcel just to the East of Skysong).  Rick Sodja, CEO of PDG America, the owner and developer of the site, and Rick's attorney, Lynne Lagarde, seem like nice enough folks.  I, like other South Scottsdale residents, look forward eagerly to the redevelopment of this site.

That said, I have several major concerns with the project as currently proposed.  First, the proposed height and density is excessive. The 595 apartment units, centered on the property, will be in five story, 60 foot buildings - the same height as the Skysong building.  Mr. Sodja justified these heights by pointing out they would be identical to the heights at Skysong.  However, Los Arcos Crossing is not currently zoned for these heights, and the fact that Skysong is, does not provide a justification for an upzong at Los Arcos Crossing.  Ms. Lagarde stated several times that PDG paid a high price for the site, that assemblage was expensive, and that demolition would be expensive, and that these expenses require PDG America to build high and dense.  My reply is, if a developer cannot turn a profit under the zoning in place at time of purchase, then perhaps the developer should pass on the purchase.  It is not the responsibility of Scottsdale residents to ensure that Mr. Sodja turn a profit on his project by upzoning the site, which will exacerbate traffic and block views, among other results.

Secondly, PDG America, will, as rumored, be asking the City of Scottsdale for a subsidy.  The exact term used by Ms. Lagarde was something to the effect of "city sponsored infrastructure and site improvements".

At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Sodja handed out to all attendees a report prepared by Scottsdale's Economic Vitality staff.  The report, entitled "Southern Scottsdale Investment Activity", indicated that since January 2003, total investment in Scottsdale Rd south of Chaparral is approximately 3.1 billion dollars.  In other words, the South is sizzling hot.  In a market this hot, a municipal subsidy is absolutely uncalled for and inappropriate.  If PDG America gets its subsidy - then why not all the other developers, not to mention existing businesses, who wish to reinvest in the area.  Scottsdale has already established a terrible precedent regarding subsidies, SkyFlop being the most outrageous, and this dangerous precedent must be overturned.

That said, elements of the project, including a one-acre park, upgraded Basha's grocery story, new retail and restaurants, and townhouses which face streets, as well as enhanced streetscapes, seem terrific.

However, the proposed increases in height/density, and the proposed City subsidy render the project unacceptable in its current form.

Michelle Aubert
Scottsdale

 ~ Council Corner

Today the part-time libertarians on the editorial board of the Scottsdale Tribune printed an editorial criticizing my proposal to have all Development Review Board (DRB) decisions reviewed by the Scottsdale City Council.  This group was fine with spending ^$120 million taxpayer dollars to subsidize an office park and apartments at SkySong, and fine with spending ^$300,000 per year of taxpayer money to subsidize car dealer advertising.  Yet they complain that my proposal (which might result in delaying one project per year for a few weeks) somehow represents an "unnecessary and intrusive step forward" in the growth of government the power.

The truth is that for the last decade both the public and the newspapers (including the editorial board of the Scottsdale Tribune) have demanded that the Scottsdale City Council "do something" about South Scottsdale and Downtown.  So, we did!  Some of what we did was great.  We actually did reduce government intrusiveness by disbanding the incentive-destroying redevelopment districts, we built more parking so that Downtown merchants can attract more customers, and we stepped up code enforcement.

Other things we did, such as approving a glut of condo projects were not so wonderful.  But the bottom line is that you cannot on the one hand demand that the Scottsdale City Council "do something" about South Scottsdale and Downtown and then whine about "intrusive government" when we do exactly that!

Personally, I am fine with the citizens of Scottsdale holding the City Council accountable for protecting the unique character and quality of life in all parts of our city.  If I were not willing to accept that responsibility I would not have run for City Council.

Another criticism that has been leveled at my proposal to have all DRB decisions reviewed by the City Council is that we on the Council are somehow unqualified for this task.  If that is the case how is it that we never heard even a peep of complaint out of the critics of my proposal when the Council acted as the DRB on the SkySong and Waterfront projects?  If we were qualified to act as the DRB for the two largest projects in Scottsdale’s history, how can we now not be qualified to review the design of a project such as the "4333" building?

The answer, of course, is obvious – when the local establishment thinks that the Council is going to quickly approve one of their pet projects they are happy to have us make that decision.  When they are afraid that we might actually do something to protect Scottsdale’s unique character and quality of life, suddenly we are considered unqualified to even be involved!

Another problem with the DRB process that I have proposed we change is requiring DRB applicants to do public outreach, just as we require applicants to the Planning Commission to do.  Not only is this fairer to the neighbors but it is better for the applicant.  If the applicants for the last two projects that were called back for Council review had done enough public outreach they might have avoided the review and saved themselves (and the neighbors and the City Council) a lot of time and money.

In the end the most important reason to have all DRB decisions reviewed by the full Council, just as all Planning Commission decisions are, is that we on the Council are the ones who you, the voters, elected to protect Scottsdale’s unique character and quality of life.  We are the ones who should be accountable to you for accomplishing that goal and we should not pass that responsibility off to an unelected board.

Councilman Bob Littlefield
bob@boblittlefield.com

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We’ve all heard about the many hundreds of new condos, townhouses and condo conversions which are planned and/or have already occurred for the southern portion of the city and have the following observations.

What about the sewer and water pressure issues now dogging the downtown area which will be more so in the south?  Further, which of these brilliant new projects plan to or are are actually paying out the dollars for the real infrastructure costs.  How about none!, while city taxpayers are expected to foot the bills and new bond issues to come for what has been built or is being hyped to revitalize the adjacent and south of downtown areas?

Allowing buildings to rise to new heights with even higher densities only exacerbates: air quality and circulation sunlight, heat island effects, an already overtaxed and aging water department delivery system and under sized existing fire station equipment and we have not even discussed the future "drain" from SkySong (a sad situation often held up to ridicule) and its potential 800+ apartment/condos or the proposed 700 new units at Los Arcos Crossing.

This is not to mention sewer capacity engineered and constructed decades ago to handle less than a third of what it will have to handle with the newly planned residential increases. What "stinks" in these plans? Hello Water Front project…a now building, after the fact, water pumping station…..doesn't anyone get the "drift"?

What about vastly increased traffic? How many new units adding how many additional cars will be crowded onto and polluting already "at capacity" southern streets? ... And the "idiocy" at city hall which seeks to reduce street capacities and speeds to encourage more people to walk and ride bicycles?? In 100+ degree temperatures 6 months out of the year?  Get real people!!  This family walks and enjoys it but not when the air and sidewalk temperatures can sear the soles of both tennis shoes and skin.

Where the hell are the staff brains on these issues or has everyone retired to the nearest dark closet? Also, why doesn't Scottsdale require independent EIR/EIS (Environmental Impact Report & Environmental Impact Study) statements as many other cities do before shouting "Gentlemen Start Your Building"?  This, I think, is still Scottsdale and a city that can make use of these planning tools even if the State does not yet require them to do so, and we don't use them because?

Economic vitality crashes into the proverbial toilet when too many condo conversions, new condos and townhouses come to market replacing single family affordable housing in the middle of a real estate recession, especially with zero retail to support it. And "who" picks up the bill you ask? The taxpayers of Scottsdale is "who"!

At last count, 11 units at the Lofts on 3rd are on the market being sold "Short" (below what’s owed to the bank) and we have no idea how many units in Optima and CamelView are still sitting vacant because they can’t sell or even rent them out. Reportedly, that number is in excess of 60% of the projects are standing vacant.

This lunacy doesn’t even take into consideration the loss of families with kids of school age already in a steep, spiraling decline in our school district, which can not even afford to give a touted salary increase to it's teachers, because families are being run out of the city by the once affordable apartments being converted to pricy condos which aren’t selling or even renting.

Doesn't anyone in the current Manross/Dolan Administration think beyond the immediate box of "give me the money now so we can build our personal legacies"!

Oh, you may have a legacy ladies and gentlemen, but it won’t be the one you stupidly envisioned and we of this city as well as you will be Too Late; Oh So Sorry!!!

And to boot, we are going forward with all of this destructive busy work based on a known and acknowledged by staff and others, how many years outdated City Vision and system of planning, zoning and overlays are?

All of the above brings back the ugly thought of the ignorant "3 Monkeys" doesn’t it?

Rita Saunders-Hawranek
Co-Chair Scottsdale Coalition
Scottsdale

~ Open Letter to Mac Cummins of the City of Scottsdale

Mac,

I wanted to drop you a line since I have had a little time to digest the docket paper work you sent regarding the abandonment of the alley in the "4333" building and I found it interesting that you did not provide the additional 8 pages of ordinance 46 , adopted by the Town of Scottsdale in I believe 1957.

The document itself raises questions regarding not only what took place with the Galleria project and certain abandonment’s, the city’s legal rights to claim access , and interestingly a letter attached to the ordinance dated December 30th 1957 by Weirich and Feltman .

First, the agreement between all three parties and the city clearly states that "Town" requires an 8 foot utility easement through the former Stuart Coulter Alley and I am finding it hard to spot the required 8 foot easement however, since the easement was for utilities the ordinance clearly includes refuge pick up and other such services further into the agreement.

Under Section 6 of the agreement by all parties and the Town it states as follows "First parties and Second Parties for themselves, their successors and assigns, agree that they will not place or maintain any garbage, trash, or refuse on any public street or sidewalk adjoining their respective properties and described herein, nor will they place, maintain, any garbage trash, or refuse on their said properties which shall be in plain view of  the owners of surrounding property and of the general public using the public streets and thoroughfares."

Under the circumstances Mac, and I think you may want to fly this past our legal eagles, the applicants "private" agreement is null and void regarding the issues of trash collection and refuse issues.

In 1957, the agreement between parties and 1 and 2 with the city by ordinance 46 gives the city a very real and legal recourse to remedy the issue of refuge and sanitary containers better known as grease traps by amending the application to state that at no time may the applicant or any other property owner of lots 98 through 105 ever be allowed to refuse such services to any of the fore mentioned properties.

Further, the amendment should state clearly that the applicants private agreement with said properties is considered to hold no bearing in the city ordinance and that he be ‘required" to provide such access by the city ordinance of 1957 since there is no reference to any such negotiations or agreement by the city for any "private contracts between property owners" superseding the city ordinance of 1957.

The issue of the letter to the Town Council back in 1957 is of issue in this matter also as it is stated from Weirich and Feltman comments in paragraph 2 that there was a concern in 1957 of a possibility of a "bottleneck to services" if the alley was abandoned totally and there is that issue now again facing the other merchants.

I am copying Mr. Boyle in this matter as I had stopped by to say Happy Birthday to my friend Dick Ryan as he turned 86 today and while I was there I spent a few minutes with Mike Fernandez the co owner as he we have also been friends for a long time. What Mr. Boyle did not understand is that when he made that remark to Mike about not doing their research, he apparently was talking out his blow hole and expressed that he was going to call me which I have yet to get that call but trust me I am looking forward to it.

There has also been some other research done on this issue and I would like you to recalculate the required parking as I believe by the downtown overlay and the mixed use parking requirements, it is very possible that the application is also short 2 required "on site" spaces that are not covered by the bicycle credits. Finally Mr. Boyle may want to realize that this is not all we have researched about his application and other issues may flare up come the council meeting he should be prepared for.

So much for research hey Mac, bet the council and you may not have noted that the abandonment of the Stewart / Coulter Alley was actually done by the emergency clause under section 3 of page 2 of  ordinance 46, and I find it interesting as to why the emergency clause was used back then for this little development.

Nice job by the way with the WaterView project and your letter to my friend John Berry that should make him a few more bucks on that project but I spoke highly of you this week in the activist.

As you know I will be forwarding this letter to the council as they also were told that the city had no legal responsibilities to the issue of access for refuse which in this case they were wrong and I am pretty sure there will be a call for a legal opinion from the city attorney on this matter by the council.

Respectfully,
Michael Merrill
Scottsdale

All residents of the southern mature neighborhoods need to participate in the upcoming City meetings for long range planning.

These meetings will determine required amendments to the General Plan that all residents will vote on in 2010. This long range planning is required by the State mandated Growing Smarter Plus Act for sustainable growth and, in our case, redevelopment.

Some have indicated that our current General Plan is being used to deal with infill developments and increases in residential density and building height.

Ask any developer trying to work with our City to get approval of infill projects. This is one reason that Scottsdale has the reputation of being so hard to deal with, the lack of guidelines and direction. No standards for infill development to minimize negative impacts on existing residential neighborhoods, and Jan Dolan’s project by project approvals or disapprovals depending upon how the wind blows on any given day.

This brings citizens and developers to logger-heads from day one.

This also allows each proposed development to be precedent setting, positive and negative.

What some of us are tired of hearing is how wonderful things are going at SkySong, with still just a handful of businesses signed on, not counting the ASU programs. Then the powers that be turn around and tell us that they can't get businesses, retail or otherwise, to locate at Los Arcos Crossings because our end of Scottsdale does not have "disposable income". Even with 380 market rate apartments going in at SkySong and another 585 proposed at Los Arcos Crossing, not counting the additional 425 possible at SkySong? Come on folks, get real.

We would really like to know who is playing with the numbers. However, we are also aware that the opportunities that were available three or four years ago are mostly gone now because of the huge retail developments nearby in Mesa and Tempe. There is no excuse for being asleep at the wheel except that this is South Scottsdale and very little thought has been give to what redevelopment will look like in years to come.

At the September 20th meeting of the Scottsdale Community Council at Granite Reef Village Senior Center, we heard about the billions of dollars of investments in the area South of Chaparral Road. If you look at the map that is included with names and numbers of the projects you soon see that the developments are largely in the Downtown Area. While in South Scottsdale, this is a distinctly separate development area.

You have to ask how and who is promoting the southern entryway neighborhoods of Scottsdale as a quality area to live, work and play, to raise families in and to enjoy the amenities in the neighboring cities of Mesa, Tempe, and Phoenix.

On Thursday night we were told that the City does promote the area, but we were not given any information on how that is done.

We were told straight away, that the Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce does nothing, and really only works with other or existing businesses.

So, along with fighting to make sure that our neighborhoods stay quality places to live and that the property values remain steady, perhaps it is time that residents did their own promoting.

The whole thing makes you wonder, yet again, what we are paying taxes for, besides all of the lawsuits for contract, procurement, and procedural violations, and violations of the First Amendment.

Nancy Cantor
Co-Chair Scottsdale Coalition
Scottsdale

~Up spouts a blow hole!

Well crap, it is only Monday and the City has already surfaced one of their infamous blow holes to quell the truth.

It appears that the General of Economic disaster has released, yet again, one of those reports telling the media how much the outside market has invested in Southern Scottsdale with the reality of this being it is predominantly just in Downtown.

Oh, I know to watch out for the fallout from what the City spews from the blowhole to the media, so they try to make sure that residents think everything is wonderful. And, I am well aware of what happens when you let the "Economic Development Department" of any city guide the redevelopment of an area.

I can point Ozites to many of these departments from all over the USA who have wreaked havoc on redevelopment areas and the communities they surround and if you want some samples of that issue you let me know. I will send you a page of links to redevelopment where the people who are really behind the curtains pulling the strings with the Wizard are the "economic development folks" of any city.

Trust me, I had spoken with the General some years ago about redevelopment when I was told that "we needed to get used to the fact we can not grow out now, so we will have to grow up" and soon we can look like Tempe which has killed their downtown.

These folks do not care about zoning and height and where it takes place, and they love density increases and more traffic. Why, you may ask? Because their mentality over the many years of redevelopment and their actions is based on the wild ideal that if you put more people in an area it will support the merchants and show a better bottom line to the city revenues. Also it is a great excuse for light rail or "density oriented development" or also known as "transit oriented development."

Oooops, there is a fly in the ointment of Oz’s plan though as there is no retail in the South because we let everyone rezone for residential with skimpy to no real retail. Case in point will be the Los Arcos Crossing project which is already seeking City infrastructure costs and was presented to a community group with none other than who giving part of the presentation than the General of Economic Disaster himself.

(News flash! Thursday we learned they were also courted by the City at the community of Oz meeting at the Granite Reef Village Senior Center with none other than the Planning Department folks).

Remember Ozites, this redevelopment designation has never been lifted from this area and when there is money to give out legally, we will try to do it.

If you were unaware it also has 600 rental units (initially was 200) that will go along with the over 300 at Sky Sham (could be 805 units), so we now have over 900 (possibly 1,400) instant influx of residents to our already taxed streets and City services. So, hang on to your wallets.

Residents get to have a new 5 story apartment complex to look at also. We will see this site as a 25 acre parcel with all residential instead of retail on the basis of a commercial assemblage effort, where the developer paid way to much money for the land.

Plus, we get the issue of rezoning the land to probably PCD (Planned Community Development) which is the same as we told you about with the PUD (Planned Unit Development), and we also told you the City can already do PUD with the PCD modifications they already use.

Wow, too many P’s going on there and I need to rest now as my head is spinning. But, we can again prove that the PUD zoning issue is a smoke screen.

Now, the theory I have always found attached to redevelopment the way Oz is doing it is that we need to bring more people into the area to support retail.

Wait a minute! Back up the freaking boat here (we look around first as we are still a little nervous when it comes to backing up this boat)!

I am not so sure, but the issue with the south is that we have no retail and adding more people without retail seems counter productive once you plop all those new pissed off Ozites in the South.

Another problem with the Generals’ plan is that there is this perception that Ozites in the south have no money based on the flat retail numbers for all of this tiny retail that is here. Yet we managed to spend over 33 million fixing up our properties since the City started enforcing the property maintenance codes they left alone for over a decade.

Simple fact is, we have no where to shop in the south and you have no properties to build retail on for us to shop in because it is all being rezoned to housing. (Hello Tempe Marketplace and Mesa Riverview)

The same stupidity applies to Downtown. We have gone and assembled land for housing, but we have no residential services for them and we have no retail a needed base in the area either.

So, do you wonder why there is yet another reason for condos not selling, other than the "entertainment district" and why smart investors will not buy downtown "condos"?

Personally, I still think it is kind of like thinking anyone is going to pay over 650k for a one bed one bath motel room.

One of the final points on this travesty of economic misinformation from Oz, is that we can note plenty City examples of supposed reinvestment coming from the Economic Disadvantaged Departments semi-annual update to our supposed leaders. We have apartments converted to Condos and that is a failing market, so is it really a "reinvestment?" Grocery stores and buildings that have remodeled because it was about time to, so, is that really reinvestment? Bars and restaurants that have remodeled, usually by owner change, and is that really reinvestment?

Remodel of the Galleria from mall to offices, yep that one was a winner and is now considered "reinvestment." Remodel of the Scottsdale Osborn hospital. Now this one is pretty far fetched as it is a major trauma center and had to expand.

Projects that are planned and not approved should never have been counted. Then we have the issue that the public has participated in this unknowingly for the amount of ^$336 million taxpayer’s dollars better known as the "public"/ private investment.

But wait, here are the downtown revenues for the last five years, so, you tell me what has been gained, and remember, just because a developer has built something does not constitute that the Oz redevelopment plan is working. Even funnier is what they are calling "investment" since most of this is bars and restaurants.

Personally, I think that Oz is full of umpa lumpa turds, from another book shelf, because this blow hole is spewing something totally different than Wonka Turds. I think that the City is trying to cover that blow hole because some of us have figured out way too much about what is really going on and who is full of baloney.

You can try to dress it up like a wizard, but in the end it is still a dipshit in robes.

Wonders will never cease in this falling out of the summer heat and I think a City employee must have spent too much time in the sun. Principal Planner Mac Cummings actually sent a response to a developer outlining 83 problems with the submitted plans for WaterView.

This folks was no nice letter and when I started reading the issues to be addressed I nearly fell out of my chair to realize somebody at City Hall actually had to have opened up the zoning book and read it for a change. Mac had the cajoñes to actually make reference to things like Set Backs, and being in violation Building mass, and distances between buildings based on the written codes.

Height of buildings as they set against a mature community Infrastructure Illegal floor area ratios (well let’s not say illegal, but against the codes). Transition design problems against the surrounding mature community.

So what the heck happened in the planning department? Could it be that Mac is tired of being the whipping post or that maybe he got a heart and read and understood the other parts of the zoning codes as stated under "purposes" which everyone else seems to not have a grasp of in planning in anymore?

Maybe, just maybe, Mac has decided he would prefer to be a respected City Planner like Randy Grant was and maybe he would like to add in a dash of Ed Gawf. Personally, I still suspect that Ed and Randy left because of the newest wizard implant General Frank, I can’t return an e-mail," Gray.

While I am not sure what has finally gotten into Mac Cummings, I would hope it kind of sticks in his head as it is the intent of the zoning codes that actually define the zoning codes, and this time we finally hit most of the points the ‘dreaded activists" have talked about for over 5 years now. Now let’s see if the project can be made to conform.

Okay, this edition of stupidity was brought to you by none other than the Planning and Legal Departments of the Emerald City, and I guess, sponsored by the Wizard.

Last week I found a little hiccup in the agenda when I spotted the call for a text amendment to the zoning ordinance regarding the calling back of DRB decisions. It was item 14 if you want to see it.

My problems stemmed from the fact that there was no information on what legal and planning wanted to change. It only stated the process we already use and no changes or wording as to what was to be changed.

The fun started when the council was trying to figure out just what the hell they were there for on this issue. Now, mind you, it was funny because it was not the Council that brought this forward. It was staff under the day to day operations of "you know who".

It got funnier as the Council, or shall we say Airport Bob and Sir Tony, went off on text changes that they wanted done to the DRB process, like requiring public outreach for all DRB projects instead of making it optional. However, Sir Tony made the clearest point when he asked if the planning staff, who was in full attendance, desired any changes? Good question Sir Tony as it was those people who brought the damned thing forward to begin with.

Well, the response from none other than the General of Land Disaster was a moments silence before we heard, "Uh No?"

Well, if you did not want any changes, than why the hell did you place it on the agenda? It was funny to watch as Dumb, Dumber, and Just Plain Stupid all tried to explain to council why they had this issue before them, and I think that someone over there in the Three Ring Circus needs to lay off the booze.

While this clearly points out the lunacy of the Wizards’ Team, there is still one point that lights up as not being answered. I hope one of our fearless leaders will ask to be agendized. That is the requirement for all DRB projects to go through a thorough public outreach process. Maybe then DRB would not have to worry about having bad decisions pulled back for review.

Wake up fool, it is you the resident! At a recent Mayor and Council Breakfast it is claimed that the future of Scottsdale tourism lies in making attractions more interactive for visitors, eco tourism, and marketing such things as hotels and spas to "locals".

Huh? Snidely Whiplash of Oz, (John Little, Director of the Downtown Group) was quoted as saying: the arts and the "Western Experience" are two things I think we need to spend a lot of time reinforcing and protecting". What?

According to Bill Nassikas, president of Westroc Hotels and Resorts, he is convinced it involves convincing Oz residents to visit hotels and spas. Hotels already spend 30 to 40 percent of their budgets trying to attract locals he says. Excuse me?

The Wicked Witch said that tourists bring in about 3 billion dollars a year. Really?

Okay, let’s see if we can straighten this out for the rest of Oz as I always thought a tourist was someone who comes from some place, like another state or country. I never had any clue that as we move around the "metro area" we are all now considered tourists.

While I can agree with the Desert Discovery center as a step to interactive tourism, I suggest we should include night time tours through the entertainment district to our visitors, and around closing time the trolley should provide them with a very interactive experience.

We can also shuttle them to the Sky Song Technology Center and have a picture of the South Scottsdale Screwee that explains the site to them as it will be historic soon.

I guess in the marketing we are already paying for there is no mention of targeting the GLBTRUS, ah-h whatever group. It was kind of a sour note of expression under our current crises and is sure to get the Wicked Witch in trouble with them again.

Snidely Whiplash should be proud to know that we are placing a space shipped designed building as the "entry point" into (as the developer put it) Historic Downtown as you come in from the North as the real tourists travel north to south in this city. Won’t that work out so well in reinforcing and protecting the "Western Theme" which he exclaims is the City’s priority of tourism for Downtown.

Explaining, our Mayor of Emerald City, in her comment that 3 billion dollars in tourism is easy, she is an idiot, plain and simple.

We should have already noted that the City is already counting residents as "tourists," as well as anyone who stops in for a night from the metro area. Are we supposed to believe that, tourism in the real definition is all that great?

You want a reason to vote against her in the next election, or maybe just another reason? Her platform for the next 4 years is to be devoted to increasing tourism for the City and you better remember that her last platform was to "save the South and Downtown" and we can see what that has done.

Shiist, we were hijacked from our money yet again Ozites! The local media of Oz has beaten our City Attorney, you know the charter officer/not a charter officer, again.

Oh wait, we did not do this one with a jack-ass in-house (with all 26 attorneys we already have), we contracted this loser out.

The judge in this case of "trying to hide the Wizards performance evaluation" which was a power point presentation with no information really since we could not hear what the Wizard said, just cost us the extra $24,000 for attorneys’ fees. That brings the grand total for "total stupidity" to $54,324. This is on top of the last round of bullshit we got sued for by the Oz media over a police officers evaluation being released which brings the total now, to nearly $80,000.

Not as bad as the 5.3 million we just handed over for the water plant fiasco and still face a damages lawsuit for another what, 10 million plus? Because of a "Learning Experience" for the city manager?

It is also not as bad as the that fact we are still being sued for 2 million because we illegally added change orders to a street project for "round-a-bouts" and other traffic furniture.

My goodness Ozites, are we going to be ignorant enough to keep allowing this to happen or are we going to vote out this present form of great government under the present leadership and management of stupidity, waste, and destruction?

Lets face it folks, we are being run by a group that has absolutely no clue what the hell they are doing, where the residents want the city to go, or how the hell to get there.

It is bad enough we have to have the most secretive Council that runs to executive session every chance they get, but now the Gestapo has invaded and is telling the Council that they need to keep their mouths shut based on the Attorney Generals "opinion" regarding the open meeting laws and e-mails, which by the way, and as usual, she is totally wrong about.

We have staff and directors spouting off one thing and the City doing another, like protecting the Western Theme, and then approving a space ship as an entry feature, and calling residents "metro resident tourists" to make the numbers look good while targeting the GLB, whatever, and then not even wanting to mention them in their tourism speech. Whew!

We have Planning saying to one developer that he needs to integrate his design into the community as it is, too, modern, while the DRB is approving a plan not more than two blocks away that does not match anything it is around and it is the entry point to Historic Downtown.

Then we have the Downtown Group saying we need to protect and reinforce the Western Theme of Downtown.

Again, we have the City telling the Ozites of the North that their homes flooded when developers ran amuck of the development rules while the City approved the plans, but never seemed to have embraced the concept of enforcement, but they are not responsible for that.

We were told all the infrastructure for downtown was already there, but yet we are having to pay for all the infrastructure issues like Police, Fire, new fire houses, new fire trucks and those who must man them, new water pump stations to supply the water pressure and the raping of the Horseshoe Falls property that was always deemed as retail as voted upon by the city council, but is now being designed for the pump station a la Frank Gray.

There is not one damned department or executive in this City who has a clue what the hell is going on or what other departments are doing and they sure as hell do not listen to the residents that pay the bills here, but then again, neither do most of our Council members!

In a City where we do not have to get permits to construct a tent and ignore the safety codes of the city when we do construct that tent, and we seem to sign contracts without the full Council approval. And no one from the Mayor on down wants to fess up to how and who, of these issues of "who are we," and where do we actually apply our zoning laws and where we do not.

We are all going to be screwed if we allow this present Council and City management to exist any longer. To date this year alone, and that we know of, the taxpayers have been sued for just over 8 million dollars because of stupidity, plain and simple stupidity.

Michael Merrill

F8713@aol.com

Michael Merrill
F8713@aol.com

An author and columnist, Mr. Cantoni can be reached at ccan2@aol.com.

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~ Information You Can Use

Just click on the logos below to go to these websites.

Send our Brave Troops "Something from Home", Click on  Links below.

Gathering of  Eagles Website was launched 2/9/07. Click on the Logo above for more information on how they are protecting America's Memorials.

~ UPDATE!! A "Must See" for All Americans

Every American should check out all of these websites to learn more about what the American population is about to have to deal with.

This is NOT for Children.

I don't normally allow anything but Scottsdale information in the Scottsdale Activist but after receiving many emails about this and viewing it, I think that it's imperative that every adult at least look at what's offered here if for  nothing more than their own education and to have everyone stop and think about the future of our country. Click on the link below,

 www.obsessionthemovie.com

If you don't have Adobe Flash, install it from the bottom of the page that comes up after you click on the link above. You should be able to view all available links within the main page.

The website below is of great interest as seen from a Lebanese point of view:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8fa9yKQeTY

The website below gives some history of Terrorist attacks:

http://patriotfiles.org/civilizationcalls.htm

This website tell you what REALLY happened:

http://www.terrorismawareness.org/what-really-happened

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~ Arizona Tax Revolt

~ Prop 13 Arizona

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~ View Past City Council Meetings

We can now access the city council meetings by clicking on the following link:

If you have any problems, check your firewall and other safety features which could block access to the city site.

~Continuing Light Rail Information

The Scottsdale Citizens Transportation Study Committee invites you to view their website for more questions and answers at  www.norailforscottsdale.com .

================================================================

Simply click on the links below to get all the information you'll ever need concerning Light Rail.

     Goldwater Institute Report

     American Dream Coalition

    The Public Purpose

If you have any questions about light rail, send them to editor@scottsdaleactivist.com and we'll get the answers to you as soon as we can.

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~ For Continuing Information on Photo Radar,
Click on the Logo below.

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 ~Are Red-Light Cameras Fair to Drivers?

These modern-day robocops make ticketing easier and can be huge moneymakers for local governments. But critics question their accuracy and fret over privacy issues.

Click on the link below , then scroll down to read the article:

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insurance/InsureYourCar/AreRedLightCamerasFairToDrivers.aspx

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The Scottsdale Activist is very pleased to announce an effort on the behalf of the residents and taxpayers of the city of Scottsdale to promote open, honest and accountable city government. The Scottsdale Legal Defense Fund (SLDF) has been created to take legal action to hold the City accountable when its actions are contrary to state law, the City Charter, City ordinances or the public interest.

The most necessary ingredient to make the SLDF work will be confidential contributions from concerned Scottsdale citizens who are willing to help their community.  By contributing, we can change the way City Hall does business and insure that our tax dollars will be spent wisely.

No funds from the SLDF will or can be used for any political purpose.

Contributions shall be kept confidential as permissible by law and can be made in any Washington Mutual Bank to account number 3114165786 for the Scottsdale Legal Defense Fund. Branch locations are listed below. Contributions are not tax deductible.

The SLDF has retained the law firm of Miller LaSota & Peters, PLC, in connection with the patently illegal action taken by the Mayor and Council appointing the most recent Scottsdale City Attorney, while ignoring the residency requirement of the Scottsdale City Charter even though the new City Attorney’s contract (according to Scottsdale Republic reporter Laurie Roberts) requires that she reside in Scottsdale.  The City Council action was based on a legal opinion which was reportedly rendered during a closed door Executive Session of the City Council by a subordinate to the then acting City Attorney, who was subsequently appointed to the City Attorney position by a vote during a public City Council meeting. The opinion has been requested as a public document under state law, but the City has not yet provided it. The SLDF will take other appropriate legal actions based on the conduct of the Mayor and Council.

Washington Mutual Bank Locations at which contributions to the SLDF can be made are:

72^nd & Shea                    7337 E. Shea Blvd #120                480-609-8524
Hayden & Chaparral     7908 E. Chaparral # C-113            480-949-0069
Horizon                            14854 N Frank Lloyd Wright         480-614-6660
Scottsdale Ranch          10155 E. Via Linda Blvd #131       480-767-2060
Kierland Village              6501 E. Greenway Pkwy #133     480-315-2905

There are many other branches throughout the Valley.