Volume '08-46 Published Late Saturdays Nov 22, 2008
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Table of Contents Pick the Article in this Table of Contents that you wish to read, then Just Click ~ Weekly Editorial -- Staff EPICENTER 4-ZN-2008~ Shout and Spout - Final Election words........................... ~Other Stuff of Interest ~ Information You Can Use
~ Look up Prior Editions? Click on a date to open.
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Although we may not agree with some of the content, we are happy to announce the addition of the following blog sites "Sonoranalliance" and "the Scottsdale Citizen" to the Scottsdale Activist for those who enjoy the blogging experience.
Well, that retirement was short lived.
We’ve heard from many Scottsdale citizens and avid Activist readers who pleaded for us to continue the Scottsdale Activist if even in a simplified form with less of the previous extemporaneous stuff, so we will attempt to please all of you as best we can with the time and material available to us.
For November without any real issues being put forward in the Activist, we still have had over 42,000 hits as of (11-14-08) Friday morning (in just 3 weeks = 14,000 per week).
In addition, it was brought to our attention that the Knight News Service and McClatchey-Tribune National News Service have had nice things to say about the Scottsdale Activist (see editorial "Scottsdale Activist Nationally Recognized" in this issue).
With that said, we will begin to produce the Activist again but we will need your help providing some of the articles and other input you would like to see included.
We will no longer do as much research as in the past due to family responsibilities and time restraints so we’ll leave that up to the provider of the material to provide the information and the proof.
The Quotes and Thoughts for the week as well as Food for Thought will no longer be provided due to time restrictions. We will continue Shouts & Spouts and The Land of Oz as long as we receive them and they are reasonable and positive in nature. We’ve had enough negativity stemming from the latest election so we would like to put a positive spin on things even if they are negative in nature in some peoples minds.
If we find the readership falling off, we will re-retire the Scottsdale Activist for good.
Suggestions and ideas are appreciated and can be sent to:
editor@scottsdaleactivist.com
A recap of the election is always an emotional give and take proposition.
We were extremely pleased with the selection of Jim Lane as Mayor Elect no matter how slim the win… Twice!! We hope he will study the current Charter Officers performance and loyalties and restructure the positions as required; some additional new officers need to be appointed, some need to stay and some must go ASAP, especially those who do not live within the city limits as required by the Scottsdale City Charter. We also wish to see some changes in the way city decisions and finances are handled and where taxpayer money is spent. We are very pleased with his promise of reopening city government to the citizens.
We were saddened as well as very disappointed that defeated former Mayor Mary Manross tried to make accusations and lame excuses for her defeat no matter how narrow the loss; John McCain in defeat was gracious and congratulatory, not so Manross. Her defeat was about the same margin as the General Election which had absolutely nothing to do with the National Elections. She needs to quickly "build a bridge and get over it"; time marches on and so must she…. Quickly!!!
Now that "Mother Mary" and Jan Dolan are gone, whose skirts will Councilman Ron McCullagh cling to or hide under now?
We were disappointed that Nan Nesvig and Tom Giller we not elected, but we feel that Suzanne Klapp is a very intelligent and good person who will serve the citizens well, especially if she will get more involved with the local citizen leaders and organizations and learn the "other side" of the Chamber picture.
We would also like to see both Nan Nesvig and Tom Giller as possible candidates for DRB and Planning Commission positions where their extensive expertise and experience concerning the city can be utilized.
We are quite concerned about Lisa Borowsky and what she plans to do. One would have thought she would have been at the council meetings before and after the election to be very visible to the electorate, learn more about the process and what would be expected of her, but no such attendance has been reported. She also hasn’t darkened the door of local citizen meetings, city presentations, Scottsdale Leadership, planning meetings, etc where Suzanne Klapp has made an good attempt to get involved and up to speed on as many issues as possible.
Although we advocated against the re-election of Betty Drake, we feel she is a very intelligent, talented and likeable person who, as a private citizen, will not have any possibly ethical situations to worry about as she did as a council member and therefore can do an excellent job working with the local citizen organizations to help them understand city policies and help them change those in which they disagree. We pray she will do exactly that.
We’ll just have to see how everything shakes out................
~November 4, 2008 Election Results
Election results directly from the Scottsdale City Clerks office: CLICK HERE
~A Concession Statement from Mayor Mary Manross
Although the ballots are still being counted today and there is ½ of 1% separating Jim Lane and me, Jim Lane will be the next Mayor. I wish him the very best and also wish the new council success in leading our community. Scottsdale is an extraordinary city and we must remain committed to keeping it that way.
I am very humbled by the outpouring of support from so many residents, community and business leaders, and organizations who backed me in this race and in previous campaigns. Your faith in me and support of my vision, your many contributions, and your hard work were gratifying and are truly appreciated. Together, we ran an honorable campaign and never wavered from our positive message about Scottsdale.
It has been an amazing 16 ½ years as both a Council member and Mayor! It has been a true privilege to work with thousands of dedicated residents, the best city employees in the nation, and many wonderful businesses as we have worked to build the city we love. In the spirit of President Kennedy, who challenged us to dream of things that never were, my goal has always been to make a positive and lasting impact on Scottsdale. Together, I believe we have succeeded.
We are preserving 1/3 of our city as natural open space, brought a renaissance and revitalization to our community, lowered the crime rate and the property tax rate, delivered world class services and built libraries, parks and senior centers that are second to none. We are considered a leader in green building and sustainability and our reputation as a leading destination for the arts, golf and tourism has never been stronger. Our financial reserves are at an all time high and our bond ratings are AAA. Thank you to you all for making it happen. I cannot adequately express how blessed my family and I feel because of the opportunity you afforded me to lead our city for so many years.
One of the guiding principles of Scottsdale’s founding fathers was that city elections were to be non partisan. It served us well for over 50 years. However, members of the state legislature moved Scottsdale’s elections to the September/November time frame for partisan purposes. For the first time in city history it resulted in daily partisan attack ads (many from 3rd party independent expenditure committees) in an officially non partisan city election. Attention and focus were diverted from the true policy issues affecting our city’s future. In the interest of good government and a sustainable future, the new council should work hard to get the elections placed back on the March/May cycle so policy, not partisan politics, can again be the primary focus.
I look forward to the future and believe that "the best is yet to come."
Most sincerely,
Mary
~ Cart Before the Horse…. Again
Regarding the R1-7 Zoning situation......once again I would like to clearly note that we have NO NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENT OF THE GENERAL PLAN, WHICH MAKES ALL OF THIS DISCUSSION OUT OF SYNC AND OUT OF TOUCH.
THERE IS CURRENTLY NO AVENUE FOR THIS TO BE DISCUSSED OFFICIALLY IN THE PLANNING PROCESS.
Let us move to that little neighborhood notification card that gets sent out. Other than phone numbers and web sites and maps that you can barely read, what the heck does that thing tell you?
If you are going to be changing the jargon used you had better slow down the approval process and make sure every one knows what might go in next door to them. Zoning Regulations act as CC&Rs for the areas that are not Master Planned and the Zoning staff is slamming language changes through like they were on the "highway to hell" which we might be living in South Scottsdale.
I have live in a family patio home community and three homes are occupied by folks who do not own a computer ---- so screw the websites. They have never gotten the little postcard for any reason whatsoever.
City Cable does not allow them to ask questions.
I am thinking of filing a an age and income
discrimination suit on their behalf.
Can I file a suit for not following the General Plan? We have lost over
3000 market rate rental units in almost 3 years and have replaced not
one? Anybody hear those federal funds slipping away for CDBG?
This whole mess needs to come to a stop and get
sorted out. I know, take the needle out .....
~ Planning Department in Trouble
The Solis (aka Waterview) community discussion that took place on Saturday morning, November 15, 2008, at the 4301 Theatre, is exactly the kind of discussion that needs to take place between all neighborhoods, potential developers and representatives of the City of Scottsdale.
Thanks to Interim City Manager, John Little, a constructive meeting was called and carried out and all who participated should be congratulated on their efforts.
Problem? Yep, this should have been done long ago before the developer presented their project to the City.
Next Problem? There is no requirement for the developers or the City to create such outreach. The fact is that while developers are required to do outreach the directions on what that encompasses are extremely vague when looking at infill development in mature neighborhoods.
On top of that, the guidelines for the City’s Neighborhood Notification process for projects in the hearing stage require residents to "sign-up" to receive a post card notice in the mail.
In order to fulfill the requirements of the Neighborhood Element of the General Plan that we are updating presently, we need to first figure out how to implement that Neighborhood Element and then include language that will allow for better communications (particularly as to redevelopment/infill projects).
Many things were called into the discussion on Saturday from infrastructure projections whether those developed by SRP and APS, to where is the City’s planning for infrastructure as part of the Downtown Plan Update and the South Scottsdale Community Planning Area, to where is the long range plan guiding development of the Canal Banks.
Watching the discussion unfold it is clearly a problem that the City has so many job vacancies in the Planning Department and apparently under qualified and over worked staff members, they don’t have the time to properly address any issue. Gone is the knowledge of the community, including the important history of development city wide.
Our City Council needs to fix this and do it promptly.
Speaking of elections, it was good to see Council members Drake, Littlefield and Nelssen present in the audience to hear the discussion.
Unfortunately, there was no evidence of Suzanne Klapp, Lisa Borowsky, or Ron McCullagh being in attendance when who in all probability, will make serious and precedent setting decisions in voting on this project. Ah-h well, guess you get what you pay for.
The two hours of discussion emphasized problems with the Planning Commission and the Development Review Board. They don’t ask important questions about the pre-project work that developers do and more importantly, they simply do not include residential "neighborhoods" in their thought process or in the conclusions they reach to approve projects.
It is quite evident that they have total disregard for the "Neighborhood Element" of the General Plan and it is doubtful they even realize that it exists, or even care for that matter.
Whether Solis/WaterView is a good project in and of itself is not a question. When the Planning Commission, especially member Kevin O’Neill, who also sits on the Development Review Board, gushes and falls all over himself "thanking developers" for coming to Scottsdale, without so much as a nod to the concerns of residents it is time to check the whole process and make sure the "goals and objectives" of the Planning Commission are truly being met in the best interest of all residents.
For far too long Scottsdale has functioned on project by project development without a comprehensive plan for growth and redevelopment, that includes the Downtown, the Canal Bank, all of South Scottsdale (Indian Bend Road south to the Tempe border and now the aging Airpark.
We can only hope that Saturday’s meeting is a sign that the City staff is beginning to understand what is needed and can bring the Council and Mayor along, too.
~ Thoughts for the "New" Scottsdale
We would first ask that the makeup of the DRB and Planning Commission be addressed with new recommendations which would include clauses that would disallow anyone on either board being involved directly or indirectly in any development or project in Scottsdale 6 months prior to, during or for 2 years following their service on said board or commission.
We would also like to see at least 2 knowledgeable but non-professional residents, such as Tom Giller and Nan Nesvig among those appointed. It would also be requested that the City Council, not the Planning Commission or DRB have the final say as the DRB does now. These 2 entities have far too much power and are absolutely not representative of the resident wants and needs.
We would pray that the new council and mayor will understand the utterly disastrous folly and secrecy of the Manross years and quickly formulate a plan which will include reasonable and affordable retail additions to South Scottsdale (Centrovida, etc), not more unneeded high end condos or apartments which upset the residents and over-tax the infrastructure, with local residents fully involved in the planning process.
We need to hold the size of the downtown area to where it currently is without the massive increases in density and height proposed without the addition of new infrastructure that needs to be provided at the cost of the developers including Scottsdale Heath Care.
We have always been a family oriented city until the advent of Manross being elected mayor and we desperately need to reorient the city back to that goal. Family First !!!
We need to complete a total review of the plans, general and otherwise, for the entire city before we embark on any further approvals for expansion, height or density within the city limits with the inclusion of residents within a 3 mile radius being directly involved in the process. If developers really want to be a part of Scottsdale, rather than just a hit and run deal, they will wait for the new guidelines to be worked out. Those new guidelines will improve the image of the city and developers will clamor to be allowed to build what WE want built in our city.
The McDowell Corridor needs to be addressed and high end condos and such should not be part of the plan. We need to review the values of commercial land in the corridor and help get the values balanced back into acceptable numbers. The "sale" to ASUF and the purchase by the city for a value over twice the actual value by Manross has totally skewed the values and they need to be brought back into line for the sake of the owners, even if it means working with the Maricopa County Assessors Office to accomplish that goal.
We need to see the preservation and reawakening and use of the theme of Scottsdale which has been "The West’s Most Western Town" for the last 50+ years which has served the city well financially and otherwise during that time. Without a theme based on the history of any city, the city dies a slow undignified death and becomes just another Anytown USA because there are no identifiers for travelers to fix their travels upon.
We would also like to see the 80 acres at West World leased with an option to purchase to a company who will build a Western themed venue that will bring back the tourists and family vacationers who used to visit and use Rawhide as the center of their visit. This would provide the increase in sales and property taxes that Manross Administration has cost this city.
We would like to see a Tram similar to the one at Palm Springs as suggested by Jim Lane about a year ago that would travel from the Preserve Discovery Center to the top of the McDowell’s (Drinkwater Peak?).
We would like to see an observation area at the top of the tram run overlooking the entire valley with a 360o panoramic view as well as a couple of inconspicuous "Green" restaurants, one for the high end and one designed more for families. All of these ventures could be built and run by outside industries with part of the revenue as well as the sales taxes generated coming to the city of Scottsdale. The draw for tourists and valley residents would be tremendous and lucrative financially.
We want the Preserve finished in a prudent and careful manner which would include fiscal responsibility commensurate with the needs of the rest of the city taken into consideration.
We don’t want to see an increase in density in the north as it has been designed to be a sparsely populated area and we see no reason to change that premise for any reason.
We demand the NAOS and ESLO area rules and regulations be enforced to the letter of the law and even strengthened if at all possible. We don’t want non-native plants added to areas that were specifically designed and set by law to be spared non-native plants many years prior to most of the developments in those areas.
We would like to see all development in the downtown area held to traditional Southwest Architecture with soft lines and colors which typify the southwest flavor. The outrageous designs currently offered do not say "Scottsdale" and are not desired by most residents who really care about the city’s history and future.
We would like to see John Little hired as the full time City Manager.
We want Mary O'Connor of Transportation and City Attorney Deb Robberson dismissed Post Haste!!
We don’t feel that we are asking for the impossible or unattainable levels of improvement in our city.
We just want what’s best for everyone, not just those with the ability to buy the election, or worse yet, buy a vote from a corrupt City Council, DRB or Planning Commission..
~Changes would Open Elections to more Residents
Gary H. Boyd is a resident of Scottsdale and a former
City Council candidate
As a write-in candidate for Scottsdale’s City Council in ’06, permit a few thoughts on the unintended effects of fall elections for cities in Arizona. On the plus side, more folks actually vote and the cost to the cities is less. On the down side, nomination petitions of potential candidates must contain signatures equal to at least 5 percent of the total votes cast for mayor in the most recent election.
Since close to 100,000 people turned out in Scottsdale this time around, that means anybody interested in running in 2010 would need more than three times the number of nominating signatures required this year, which was 1,648. For a "lunch bucket" candidate like myself, that pretty well shuts the door to City Hall.
Not everyone is financially inclined to lend themselves thousands of dollars to pay petition gatherers and run a campaign for a job that only pays $16,000 a year. It doesn’t make financial sense. Take the three folks who won council seats in Scottsdale as an example. One had the advantage of being an incumbent, one’s an attorney and one runs her own business. "Lunch bucket" candidates wouldn’t even get on the ballot. In ’06, as one of six write-ins for Scottsdale City Council, I got 3,200 votes and spent $16.59 on my campaign.
Michele Reagan is Scottsdale’s District 8 member of
the state House of Representatives and tried unsuccessfully to get a
bill passed that would allow cities to require only 1,000 to 1,200
signatures for candidates to get on the ballot. She’s apparently going
to try again. In the meantime, here’s my thought: Establish district
representation in Scottsdale vs. the current "at large" approach. Create
six districts and require the 5 percent now needed to be further divided
by six. That would reduce the number of required signatures dramatically
and allow more folks to qualify. (It would also implement my belief in
the need for district representation in Scottsdale.)
I gave some thought to running as a write-in again this year, but my
wife advised I could only spend $10 bucks on my campaign — so that ended
that.
The above is an Opinion Piece as seen in the Friday, November 21, 2008, Scottsdale Tribune.
Editors Note:
The above Opinion Piece is just one of many articles or letters of late in local media increasingly asking for a better and more fair and representative way to elect local representation to the City Council in Scottsdale through districting.
In 2004, an attempt was made to allow 6 voting districts in Scottsdale which failed because many felt that they would only be able to vote every 4 years for their representative.
Ironically, we only vote once every 4 years for the mayor’s position so we don’t really see why that was the problem. The other drawback in some citizen’s opinion was that "log rolling" would be more prevalent. If anyone is naive enough to think "log rolling" doesn’t exist now, you better take a close look at most of the "secret deals" made during the Manross years with the council "Majority of 4" including Ron McCullagh who were in favor of the developer or builders while the pleas and voices of the citizens went totally unheeded causing hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to be spent without regard for the deep concerns of the local citizenry and their neighborhoods without any return on our investment.
Advantages of the 6 District System are huge in that you would be picking a local or neighborhood person you very well could know and trust to represent your interests on the council, 2 districts would vote for new representation every 2 years which would make "log rolling" almost impossible. In addition, the representatives could easily be recalled by their representative district if that representative participated in "log rolling" activities or didn’t perform as asked by their constituents. Under a 6 District System, it would take far fewer signatures to have a candidates name placed on the ballot, therefore a more diverse citizen participation for the city.
Another, but more cumbersome and less flexible option would be 3 Districts with 2 representatives each in which 1 representative would be chosen every 2 years from each district on a staggered 2 year schedule which would make sure there was new blood coming onto the council every 2 years. A major problem could be the 2 representative from a district could work together to make something happen that their constituents didn't want and it would be harder to recall them. A 3 District System would be more easily corrupted by big money and political influence than a 6 District System and it would take more district votes to recall an errant member.
There is a third option out there but it's a left wing idea that totally eliminates the runoff election system which is not in the best interest of the voters under most situations and doesn’t allow the voters the second chance to make a decision they feel is best for the city in a simple, understandable format. In a prior city primary election, one council candidate had more votes that the other but not the necessary 50%+ 1 vote needed for election. In the runoff election that followed, the person with the lesser amount of votes in the primary won in the runoff election. Some say this 3rd option would save the city money, but are elections about saving money, undue and slanted political influence, or is it all about the public’s freedom to choose with a system that is simple and direct?
Another necessity would be that council members and the mayor be limited to 2 terms so that "log rolling" and other control issues if any would be very limited.
Some suggest the District System doesn’t work using Phoenix as an example which may be true, but then again, Phoenix doesn’t have a true District System because a portion of their representative council members are chosen at large which allows for corruption and "log rolling" much more easily than a true 6 District System and in addition, recall of an "at large" representative is all about political influence and big money which makes it almost impossible to recall an errant representative.
Mesa has a very effective District system with all representatives elected by district on a staggered basis with no "at large" representatives..
Non-partisan elections should remain as they currently are in Scottsdale. The date of those elections matter little except for the amount of time required by Maricopa County to tabulate the votes. The most important issue is that the more people who vote, the better the decision making process for the city as a whole will become.
To say that this last city election was won or lost due to partisanship and the date of the election is total unmitigated malarkey in our opinion.
To say big money bought some of the positions is absolutely correct, especially in the case of Lisa Borowsky ($70,000 in personal monies) and Ron McCullagh (almost 90% developer dollars). Manross and Lane spent almost the same amount with Lane having to put up personal money to stay even with the developer and special interest monies Manross used in her campaign.
The most qualified and experienced Nesvig and Giller, who refused developer dollars, spent the least money and received the least votes; Money talked big time, end of story. City politics and city elected positions should not be based on who spent the most money because that breeds corruption and poorly implemented and run governments. Hold your breath that this election doesn't turn out that way.
This election was decided by people who actually got out and voted, but most possibly were not well enough acquainted with the issues and the candidates because it seems they based their decisions solely on mailers and TV ads, not what the candidates really represented or who expressed the best knowledge of the city and its history.
Finally, if partisanship was part of the decision, why didn’t the city follow the national trend and elect a Democrat to all positions?
~ Scottsdale Activist Nationally Recognized
Both Knight News Service and McClatchey-Tribune National News Service, list the Scottsdale Activist as good source of community news and discussion.
From The Knight Citizen News Network:
The Scottsdale Activist
This website is strictly for Scottsdale AZ oriented subjects which directly affect the citizens of Scottsdale Arizona. A good source for community news.
| Site URL: |
http://www.scottsdaleactivist.com |
| Target community: | Scottsdale
Arizona only |
| Year founded: | 2004 |
| City: | Scottsdale |
| State/Province: | AZ |
| Country: | United States
of America |
| Contact address: |
editor@scottsdaleactivist.com,
letters@scottsdaleactivist.com |
| Pro journalists? | Amateur
journalists only |
| Paid staff? | No |
| Content created by: | I edit most
info and write the editorial with snippets from writers who wish
to be anonymous, but most of the content comes from Scottsdale
citizens |
| Part of network? | No |
| Media affiliate? | No |
| Aggregator? | No |
| Business model: | Informal
(strictly a labor of love, no formal business structure) |
| Provides training? | No |
~ Letters to the Editor
letters@scottsdaleactivist.com
~ Letter to City Planning Staff Re R1-7 Changes
Kira,
As always it was great to see you tonight and your staff members and why it was just you and me along with a person who does not even live in the R1-7 zoning is beyond me. I believe it can be summed up in the words of Mr. Myers at the last planning commission meeting when he was asked why more residents did not attend the meeting and his comment was "residents feel that there is no use in coming to meetings any longer as the city is going to do what they want." Personally in many areas I also follow that line of thought and is why I stopped attending many meetings also.
As far as I can see at the moment in this matter I have two strong objections to the amendments.
One is the zero set back from the alley line for accessory buildings as it leaves roof lines in the alley and other problems that may come with solid waste programs and that city trucks could actually damage an extending roof line and cause the taxpayers to have to fix any damage. I think there should be at least a 1 foot set back or something that states obstructions to the alley overhang are forbidden.
Two is the issue of enclosing your carports with no design considerations. The issue is to allow more redevelopment of properties but it has to be done to align with the characteristics of the community or the existing structure and its surroundings. This is what I took with me from the meeting last night of the southern area plan update when the discussion was turned to maintaining the characteristics of the community. These issues are going to have to mesh together in order to move forward as a unit of plans.
I understand that this would require a charter amendment and I would expect the city to seek an amendment limited to the enclosure issue and design to protect the community from crap structures being erected in a community. If the city does not seek a charter amendment to control the design of the enclosure to match the existing structure in some manner and its surroundings I guess we would be at odds on the enclosure issue which will bring us to odds at any planning commission meeting and adoption as well as a council meeting.
I am pretty sure the community will stand their ground on this issue alone if it comes to a council and community fight.
I look forward to working with you and the staff in the near future to resolve this issue before it goes to planning or council and it was great to see all of you tonight and you did a wonderful job.
Respectfully,
Michael Merrill
Citizens for Responsible Redevelopment
Dear Activist:
I was so happy to see the news of soon-to-former Mayor Manross’s concession a few days ago. This election cycle seemed so long and tedious, and I am thrilled to see an end to the Manross era. I wasn’t completely happy with the results. I think Lisa Borowsky is a huge wild card. I don’t think she is serious about being a good council person, but I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt for now. My disappointment with Ron McCullagh is nearly boundless. I think Ron is a smart guy, but he became such a Manross toady that I can’t take him seriously anymore.
But, back to Manross: I think the change to Jim Lane in the mayor’s seat has the possibility of making enormous corrections to the secretive, exclusive society built by Manross. Without any other positives, this alone will mean a much brighter day for Scottsdale.
I am hopeful that Lane will be much better than that.
I also hope Jim Lane will remember that the overwhelming support from the Activist community was a major factor in his successful campaign. I think his business acumen and willingness to be open to the voices of the residents of Scottsdale will pay huge dividends to all of us.
Given the challenging state of affairs which will greet the new council, I hope they will all work together to reestablish Scottsdale as a true destination community rather than the punch line for all of the other suburbs of Maricopa County.
Congratulations Jim Lane! Please remember those that elected you, we are here to help!
Finally Relieved in Scottsdale
Tom Raleigh
AlertsThe Coalition of Greater Scottsdale, a citizen and small business owner’s advocacy organization particularly concerned with "consistent land use policy and protecting our unique quality of Scottsdale life" provide the following information. More information is available on their website at http://cogsAZ.org
~Free shredding in Scottsdale:
Thinking of purging those garage files? Need more space in your home office? Got documents that absolutely should not go into the city garbage? Open the attachment to get the complete information on the Scottsdale Police Dept. shredding event. It will be held at the Granite Reef Senior Center at McDowell Road and Granite Reef Road.[ Here are the details incase you cannot open the attachment:]
·
Mark you calendar for Saturday, December 6th from 9 am to noon·
shred up to four document-loaded boxes free·
documents only (no books, spiral folders, and the like)·
bring one can of food for the Vista del Camino Food Bank·
other city departments will be present to answer your questions
~COGS CORNER ALERTS:
The Coalition of Greater Scottsdale urges its members and internet guests to respond to the following Scottsdale Planning Commission and Development Review Board cases. Please evaluate the zoning and text amendments proposed and contact the city staff member assigned to that case. ALSO CONTACT commissioners and city council members with your concerns ASAP.
Request to rezone two parcels on the north side of East Bell Road and 91 Street from Industrial Park-PCD to Planned Regional Center-PCD. The developer is seeking increased height equivalent to 5 or 6 stores in a 38 ft area. Additionally, northern citizen opposition centers on the project developer’s failure to include appropriate set backs from East Bell Road. All projects on the south side of the street set back their projects to maintain a 400-foot View Corridor to the McDowell Mountain Preserve. Also, this developer is requesting the more intense zoning for TWO of his 5 parcels---at this time. There is no doubt that up-zoning these two parcels will shortly be followed by requests to up-zone the rest of his 125 acre consolidated property.
http://eservices.scottsdaleaz.gov/cases/casesheet.aspx?caseid=34978
This goes to City Council next Tuesday, 2 December.
WRITE YOUR E MAILS NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
(if approved, these would change existing ordinances and guidelines for city staff, commissioners and city council members)~R1-7 Text Amendments 6-TA-2007, 7-TA-2007 and 8-TA-2007
If approved, these will impact Single Family Residential homes by revising the provisions for evaluating
(a) carports
(b) development standards
(c) accessory buildings.
The Planning Commission approved it 5-0 on November 12th. This goes before City Council this coming Tuesday, December 2nd. Kira Wauwie kwauwie@scottsdaleaz.gov is the city staff member to contact with questions.
~Hotel Live Entertainment Text Amendment 7-TA-2008
This proposal will remove the Conditional Use Permit requirement for live hotel entertainment. It would give them "by right live entertainment as an ancillary use to hotels, motels and timeshare developments" according to the applicant.
Current Zoning Ordinance J-10-b states "No external speakers will be permitted on the premises of a use permitted under this section, which is located within five hundred (500) feet of a residential district…."
It is the understanding of impacted neighborhoods near the W Hotel, Waterfront and Southbridge areas, along Goldwater Blvd and near other bars/nightclubs with outdoor entertainment or doors open wide that if this is approved, those businesses will have the flexibility to conduct outdoor live music nightly because no Noise Ordinance exists in the city.
If approved---this is CITY WIDE approval! Dan Stymer dstymer@scottsdaleaz.gov is the city staff member to contact with your questions.
~Outdoor Sales Display and Retailing 10-TA-2008
If approved, it would allow outdoor—sidewalk, parking lot, etc—display of merchandise and sales displays CITY WIDE. What an abrupt change to our strict sign and display existing code!
This would loosen restrictions on ALL FORMS of commercial establishments that include C-S, Commercial 1-2-3-4, C-O, PNC, PCC, PRC, Downtown District and PCP.
The Planning Commission hears it on January 14th and the City Council decides on February 10th. Brad Carr at 480 312 7713 is the staff coordinator.
~Animal Hospital amendment 8-TA-2008
Proposed for Aztec Animal Hospital at 8140 E. McDowell Rd, it would amend to permit an animal hospital use in a Regional Shopping Center. The Planning Commission approved it 6-0 on November 12. City Council will decide on December 2nd. Kim Chafin kchafin@scottsdaleaz.gov at 480 312 7000 is staff to contact.
Perhaps a bit boring to read through BUT, once
approved, it becomes our city guidelines.
WHAT WILL SCOTTSDALE BE IN YEAR 2009?….2020?
For the COGS Board of Directors,
Sonnie Kirtley, Chairperson
cellular: 602. 717. 3886 anytime
www.cogsaz.org or: cogsaz@cox.net
~Shout and Spout ~
~ I know Suzanne Klapp and feel that in spite of the Scottsdale Area Chamber, she will do a good and honest job. Congratulations Suzanne.
~Woo Hoo! The long dark winter of our discontent with Scottsdale politics has begun to thaw! With Manross, Dolan, Gray and others out of City Hall, perhaps we regular folks will be heard again! Now if we can get rid of Robberson, O'Connor and a few other Dolan/Manross hanger-ons.
~ Congratulations to Lisa Borowsky and Suzanne Klapp, let’s hope you can live up to the money and illegal shenanigans spent to get you elected.
~One of the high points of the Manross loss in the elections is watching Larry Manross sulk away with his tail between his legs. Good riddance to the both of you.
~Congrats Jim Lane! Our thoughts and prayers are with you. You have many, many challenges which will demand super human efforts, but we know you can do it.
~ Do you suppose now that she’s no longer the mayor, Manross will finally get deposed for her stupidity in the Hualapai fiasco so she and Robberson can pay the legal price a normal citizen would pay for such stupidity and law breaking?
~Now that we have gotten rid of Manross, can we dump the Planning Commission and DRB? I read some unethical things lately about the Planning Commission and DRB that nearly made me sick. Time to clean house in those two groups.
~ Time for Deb Robberson and Mary O’Connor to pack their bags too, ASAP!!! It’s also time for John Little to become the full time City Manager, after all, he was here and has the history from the Drinkwater era to make things better for the citizens!
~The citizens have spoken. It is time to keep the momentum going. Put citizens on DRB and Planning Commission. Replace some of those "wayward" city employees with people who care and want to do what’s right for Scottsdale... It’s time to do what Jim Lane says we CAN do, which is BETTER.
Just click on the logos below to go to these websites.
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Scottsdale
Election News and Information
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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,
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
~ View Past City Council Meetings
We can now access the city council meetings by clicking on the following link:
http://scottsdale.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3If 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
.
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Simply click on the links below to get all the information you'll ever need concerning Light Rail.
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.
~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
Hello All,
This seems to work well. Click on the link below to Check it out. Helpful hint! Just plug in your zip code and it tells you which gas stations have the cheapest prices (and the highest) on gas in your zip code area. It's updated every evening.
Be a good neighbor and pass this along.
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Scottsdale Development Update
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The Scottsdale Activist is published, and edited in Scottsdale AZ ~ 480-326-2475