Volume 2, Number 51     Published Saturdays     Dec 23, 2006

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy New Year to All!!

The Scottsdale Activist Is the Citizens Voice

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Complete Hualapai Water Treatment Plan Lease 32 pages (Click Here)

~ Weekly Editorial

~ Guest Editorial

~ Letters to the Editor

~Christmas Decoration Photos (Click to see Pictures)

~ Home of the Week (Click Here) (Picture)

~ Information You Can Use

 ~ Shout and Spout (Your chance to Shout or Spout & we don't need your name)

~ Thought for the Week -- Alexander Hamilton

~ Quote of the Week --  Thomas Jefferson

~ Food for Thought 

  Other Stuff of Interest

 ~ Look up Prior Editions? Click a on date to open.

~ Weekly Editorial 

 ~Please Read this Necessary Preface to this Week’s Editorial 

The adopted Ethics Code is prefaced as follows in Ordinance No. 3675. Please keep it in mind when reading about the Hualapai Water Campus and how it was handled by the City Manager as well as other situations concerning the city manager and her staff in this and pass editorials.

ORDINANCE NO. 3675 

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SCOTTSDALE, MARICOPA COUNTY, ARIZONA, AMENDING ARTICLE II OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE SCOTTSDALE REVISED CODE, RELATING TO THE CITY COUNCIL, TO ADD DIVISIONS 3 AND 4, A CODE OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOR FOR CITY OFFICERS, AND AMENDING DIVISION 1 OF ARTICLE V OF CHAPTER 2 OF THE SCOTTSDALE REVISED CODE, RELATING TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, TO ADD SECTION 2-243, MAKING THE CODE OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOR APPLICABLE TO MEMBERS OF CITY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. 

TO WIT: 

Sec. 2-51. Open government. 

  • (a)   The citizens of Scottsdale expect and deserve open government. Arizona has an official public policy "that meetings of public bodies be conducted openly" and that any doubt should always be resolved "in favor of open and public meetings" (A.R.S. § 38-431.09). The city council has adopted a formal goal of "Open and Responsive Government: Make government accessible, responsive and accountable so that decisions reflect community input and expectations" (Nov. 4, 2004 Mission and Goals). And Scottsdale citizens have voted in favor of a Vision Statement that  "Scottsdale will be a leader in promoting open government processes that are accessible, responsive, and fair to all of its citizen participants" (City of Scottsdale General Plan 2001, page 87).
     

  • (b)   Therefore, city officials shall conduct themselves in a manner that fully adheres to and preferably exceeds state laws concerning open meetings and transparency of actions. Indeed, city officials are encouraged to employ a "mindset of openness" in conducting the affairs of the city and should be cautious before voting to hold a portion of a meeting in executive session. Moreover, city officials are reminded that any attempt to circumvent the Open Meeting Law -- such as by using technology, a "hub-and-spoke" scheme, or any other technique involving less than a quorum yet designed to communicate with a quorum of the public body -- can violate the Open Meeting Law. City officials also shall show no favoritism on who has access to or receives relevant information on matters under consideration or of general public interest.
     

  • (c)   The city attorney is encouraged to vigorously promote and enforce state laws regulating open meetings, and be proactive and assertive in ensuring strict adherence to those laws reflecting the city's "mindset of openness." 

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     ~ More Insight into the Hualapai Lease Debacle

    We are all painfully aware that the City Taxpayers are on the hook for up to $15 million dollars to bail out the Hualapai Water Plant if the city’s Eminent Domain court case against Hualapai LLC fails which there is an excellent chance that it will fail due to the city’s apparent total lack of legal and rational prudence in facilitating the building of a multi-million dollar water campus on property not owned "Fee Simple" by the city.

    Let’s Review what we know so far concerning the Hualapai Water Campus in the vicinity of Union Hills and Pima Road over the last few years:

    1.   October 15, 2001: Council approves Water Resources Master Plan, but apparently does not provide for any leases to be signed or land to be purchased.

    2.   November 30, 2005: Without City Council  review,  and with  little or minimal City Legal Department  input, Mayor Manross signed a  ten (10) year lease with the State of Arizona  at a cost of $1 million per year for years two through ten of the lease for purposes of building a major city water treatment facility.    Who asked her to sign this lease and what was the Mayor told?   Did anyone ever tell the Mayor that the facts about the lease she was going to sign, that the City could be put at great risk if it failed to purchase the land on which the City's treatment plant was going to be located?  If not, why not?  Did the Mayor ever ask for any advice from the City Attorney?  If not, why not?  In short, what did the Mayor know and when did she know it.  Further, why was the City Council never consulted about this decision?  Why was action taken without the City Attorney having done a full review?  Do either the Mayor or the Council care about this apparent usurpation of their powers by the City Manager's office--one that will cost the city millions of dollars?  Is money so easy to come by in Scottsdale that nobody cares? 

    3.   December 12, 2005: Council approves City Manager or her designee to bid on the three (3) State Trust Land Parcels totaling 6.9 acres. This action taken only after finding out that there was a lease in place without city council approval or knowledge.

    4.   July 18, 2006: The three (3) parcels were put up for Auction and the City Managers office was outbid meaning the city has a ten (10) year lease on someone else’s property to the tune of about  $1 million dollars per year.

    Now, Let’s Look at the possibility of a soured relationship between the State of Arizona Land Department and Jan Dolan, the City Manager, who represents the city of Scottsdale in issues concerning the State Land Trust Department.
    1. Pre Jan Dolan, the city had a "mindset of openness" and a healthy working understanding and worked well with the State Land Trust Department with few if any problems.

    2. Since Jan Dolan came on board as City Manager, it would seem that our relationship with the State has deteriorated to a now unacceptable and possibly unworkable level.

    3. We’ve had problems with the Toll Brothers acquisition and other state land issues pertaining to the precious Preserve acquisitions.

    4. Does Jan Dolan have too many "rough edges" to successfully do city business with other entities on whom we depend for good relationships and financially prudent decisions?

    5. Has the "mindset of openness" disappeared under the direction of Jan Dolan and blanket approval of Mayor Mary Manross?

    6. Has Jan Dolan effectively alienated the city of Scottsdale, through her actions and attitude, from the State Land Trust Department which is causing situations such as the Hualapai property debacle?
       
    7. Could the telling statement from someone who was familiar with Jan Dolan from Menlo Park have anything to do with this problem? ("I remember Jan ….with a slightly prickly personality, …… she'd get it done promptly and with no apologies")
       
    8. Could the result be that Dolan is unintentionally jeopardizing the fulfillment of the Preserve dreams of many? Could her attitude be causing the State Land Trust Department and the Preserve proponents some serious heartburn?
       
    9. Is it possible that the land we needed for the water plant might have been acquired more expeditiously if Jan Dolan had a better working relationship with the State Land Trust Department?

    10. Why is the State Land Trust Department talking to Sun Cor Development about 1,200 acres of land the city wanted for the Preserve instead of talking to  Scottsdale?  Was the city contacted and, if so, what was Dolan's reaction and response?

    11. Why has Jan Dolan claimed zero responsibility concerning the lease for the Hualapai Campus, implying that she had nothing to do with it, when it is historically known that nothing is handed to the mayor for a signature unless it has passed Dolan’s inspection and been fully approved and "vetted" by our legal department. Unless of course, the "mindset of openness" is no longer in effect in Scottsdale?
       
    12. Why hasn’t Jan Dolan stepped up and said "It’s my fault, not the Mayor's fault; she signs what we give here."?    Why has Dolan left the mayor swinging wildly in the wind, unless the mayor knew what was going on all along and voluntarily signed the lease without taking the matter to the city council or for full review by the city legal department?
       

    13. Could this debacle be caused by Jan Dolan’s lack of basic management skills?  For example, how can one have an organization the size of our city staff that spends millions upon millions of dollars and yet apparently doesn't have a “Procedures Manual” to control who approves what and a “Limits of Authority” document to control the dollar amount of approvals for each manager?  If these controls were in place AND enforced there would be no question as to who screwed up when leases and etc. are approved or when approvals had to be signed off at the council level.
       

    14. Did the mayor sign the lease without Jan's knowledge or did Jan Dolan hand it to the mayor without a full explanation?  What did the Mayor know and when did she know it? Was it handled by the mayor in the same way as the CSA contract was handled; Secretly?
       
    15. If Assistant City Manager Roger Klingler was the engineer of the project as inferred, which most citizens highly doubt, why didn't Jan Dolan demand to be kept in the loop as she historically has? 
       
    16. Is Jan Dolan trying desperately to divorce herself from this major debacle in absolutely any way possible that she can to save her reputation as a city manager as well as her job?

    How About the Responsibility of the City Council in this matter??

    During the city council meeting which approved the plan to purchase the state land, did any council member ask the critically necessary question "If the city of Scottsdale is not the successful bidder for the purchase of the state land, what happens to the improvements installed thereon?"?

    We cannot find any reference to the council approving any lease on the parcel prior to the state auction even though we and they knew it existed after the fact, but if there was that discussion, possibly in still another infamous and secret Manross/Dolan council "Executive Session" which shuns the "mindset of openness", the question is very pertinent in either case.   

    After the mayor signed  the lease that requires ten (10) years of rent totaling nearly $10 million dollars, it became a "no brainer" for any outside party who was  paying attention to bid a single $1 more than the $4.8 million +25% ($6 million) authorized by the city council to win the bid.

    Unless the city of Scottsdale is successful in somehow wriggling out of this debacle, Hualapai LLC gets back its purchase price of $6,150,000, plus a tidy profit of about $10 million over a ten (10) year period less financing carrying costs. If the city doesn’t buy back the property, at the end of the 10 years Hualapai LLC will still own the land AND all improvements on it. Then what does the City Of Scottsdale do after paying almost $10 million in lease payments and installing a water plant worth even more ten’s of millions of dollars??

    Without the lease that was signed in November of 2005 by Manross, most likely the City Of Scottsdale would have been able to buy the land for no more than $4.8 million or been able to trade for it with another city owned property. Being that it was virtually useless and probably unsaleable to anyone but the city of Scottsdale, and is located within a 100 year flood plain. It might have been given gratis or for a token fee just to get it out of the State Land Trust Inventory and to help Scottsdale clean up the city water as required by the EPA.

    Instead, not thinking through what ramifications could result from Jan Dolan's prior actions, it only took one smart businessman watching the city council meeting to figure out how to unlock the Scottsdale treasury and make it his personal "Golden Goose".

    This debacle will once again cost water users in the city another enormous financial burden.  Unless the city reaches into the seemingly bottomless "subsidy fund" to buy itself out of this fiasco,  I suppose the city will raise the water rates still again to recover the costs of this horrendous and unnecessary mess.

    ~ Other Issues Related to the Current City Manager

    Information we have received from current and former employees suggests that upon the arrival of Jan Dolan and since that time, a number of senior and junior management changes and rotations took place which may or may not have been in the best interest of the employees or more importantly, in the best interest of the city and the taxpayers.

    Moving employees to shake up the staff is a good plan if it doesn’t cause morale or dissension problems which this city now has "in spades".  Moreover, the "mindset of openness" which had been enjoyed for decades soon disappeared and a new style of governance creating more and more apparent secret city government operations appeared which is very unsettling and scary to good, honest, productive employees as well as the taxpayers who pay the bills.

    Consensus says that the morale in the city of Scottsdale is the lowest point it has ever been, especially in departments where individuals who were apparently good in their previous position have failed, according to many, in their new positions which was totally foreign to what they had done in the past where their expertise excelled and was a positive for the city.

    Our understanding is that the turnover within the ranks of city employees has been referred to as excessive with the latest employees reportedly leaving include Donna Bronski of the legal department, Randy Grant of the Planning Department, and Saylor Hornbeck of the downtown city operation. The reason for their departure has not been determined at his point in time.

    It is the responsibility of the city manager to oversee the entire city system to make sure the employees and departments are performing as required and that the morale of all city employees is at a level commensurate with allowing the city to move along on smoothly greased wheels. 

    Employees are happiest when a "mindset of openness" exists, they are doing a job they enjoy, in a field they enjoy and feel productive with, work with people that feel the same way, and more importantly when they are not afraid to speak their minds or make suggestions on how to improve the job, department or the city. 

    According to what we hear, that is no longer happening in Scottsdale today. Reportedly, the majority of the employees feel that they are on the edge of removal or transfer and therefore try to maintain a low profile and out of any kind of situation where they might have to make a decision or suggestion for bettering the city when they might be criticized rather than complimented for their comments and efforts to improve the city. The only way around this problem has been referred to as "brown nosing"  your way past the problem (telling the boss just what they want to hear) which is abhorrent to the vast majority of city employees and the taxpayers that pay the bills.

    The City Manager, the Director of Human Resources, and City Mayor are now feared by the vast majority of employees because of the loss of the "mindset of openness", the ever encroaching secret governance, the lack of openness, and the abrupt decisions which are made without apparent reason or approval. We have also heard, but not verified, that there have been more resignations per capita in Scottsdale than ever in the history of the city.

    If the problems discussed within this Editorial didn't exist, there wouldn't be scores of employees secretly telling us that they do exist, now would they?

    In our humble opinion, this points directly at the failure of the City Manager and her staff to manage the city in a manner commensurate with a "mindset of openness" which would make for a happy and productive work force and therefore trusting taxpayers.

     ~ Time for Jan Dolan to Resign?

    Being that Jan Dolan is the ultimate (The Buck Stops Here) person in charge of the City Managers office and should be fully informed of everything going on with her subordinates on each and every project they are working on daily or at least weekly, especially the big ones, she must take full and singular responsibility and therefore pay the penalty for such a serious mistake. She reportedly stated that she would immediately fire the employee responsible. She also reportedly claimed to some that this debacle was a "learning experience".  If that is the case, it was an expensive one.  In fact, it was really a secret, massive, inexcusable error which will possibly cost the city taxpayers millions of dollars unnecessarily.

    In the face of this costly and unnecessary fiasco, how could the council even conceivably consider giving Jan Dolan a raise, rather than reprimanding her, putting her on probation or, even, firing her which she said she would do to the offending employee? 

    In our opinion, it would be in the best interest of the city, disgruntled city employees, proponents of the Preserve, and the taxpayers, for Jan Dolan to voluntarily resign her position prior to the January 16th city council meeting before the council has to make a decision that her services are possibly no longer needed in Scottsdale.

    It’s time for this city and the city council to return to a "mindset of openness" as outlined in The City of Scottsdale Ordinance No. 3675 which delineates the new Ethics Code, by doing the right thing here and now with the problem and the city manager.

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    ~ Sixth "McOsterman" Update

    It's rather apparent that Councilman Ron "McOsterman" McCullagh still has zero interest that citizens are closely watching how he handles this situation.

    It is also very obvious that he really couldn't care less which is really sad because Ron is actually a very kind, likeable, intelligent, and honest person; just misguided on this subject and a couple of others.

    I guess we'll have to assume the city did pay......... Unless, of course Mr. "McOsterman" sends something verifiable in writing stating otherwise.................

    We will continue to wait patiently, with weekly updates, for him to come to his senses.

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     ~ Trolley Logo Controversy Continues

    There have been two meetings on the same subject with the exact same presentation by Asylum, the designer of the proposed new logo.

    It was disclosed during the meeting that what the public thought was a city logo with the Bronc and & Rider that says "The West's Most Western Town" was in fact the Official City Seal. The City logo is the other identifier with the other Bronc & Rider in the squarish block configuration that says "City of Scottsdale".

    What the public has wanted was the City Seal inserted into the center of the newly designed Trolley Logo. We find no reason why that cannot be accomplished. The City Seal is used on uniforms, city signage, city vehicles, police uniforms, and many other official city properties.

    The Transportation Commission was as upset as the members of the public in attendance to see exactly the same presentation as was delivered at the last meeting. It was also discovered that Staff had not directed the design company to redesign the new logo because apparently the funds needed to design the new logo had been exhausted and a redesign would cost the city more money.

    There was discussion about the City Seal and the City Logo being trademarked and possibly could not be used which  was not understood being that the City Seal is on or incorporated into most city owned equipment, signs, etc.

    The City Attorney will have to fully explain publicly why the City Seal can be used on everything "City" but not in the center of the new Trolley Logo being that the Trolleys are solely owned by the city. 

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    ~ Guest Editorial

    ~ New Citywide Organization Formed: Coalition of Greater Scottsdale

    It was refreshing to read the positive editorial comments in the Scottsdale Republic about north and south Scottsdale working together. But, you should have also given credit to the DMB Group for this historic and fortuitous event. It couldn’t have happened without their barefaced demand for greater building heights for the One Scottsdale project and a $50 million dollar subsidy from the city.

    The Coalition welcomed the support of residents from all parts of the city in opposing the DMB request. The response was spontaneous and underscored the concern that height increases and subsidies on a project by project basis is unacceptable land planning anywhere in Scottsdale. These issues have now helped civic activists come together with a recognition that the common good can be better served with a unified voice and vigorous community debate on important citywide issues. 

    The meeting we sponsored this past Monday revealed a pent up need to be heard by those who have been frustrated with the politics of division artificially created to keep the north and south apart. While the DMB issues helped bring us together, there were other overarching issues of equal or greater importance that have now stirred civic minded residents to action. 

    For example, the direction taken by the city’s consultant on transportation problems and the apparent obsession with high capacity transit in the Scottsdale Road corridor was high on the list of concerns expressed by attendees. So was a significant concern that recent development trends supported by certain City Council members and the City staff are eroding Scottsdale's unique character. 

    In a city of over 230,000 residents with its demographic and geographic diversity, we agree that there will be disagreement among well meaning residents and one-size does not fit all. But we also agree that if this coming together of civic activists is worthwhile and will encourage intelligent and reasonable debate on such issues, it is well worth pursuing. 

    In the next month or so, Coalition members and interested residents from the south and elsewhere in the city will be meeting to decide how we can organize ourselves into an umbrella organization that will give voice to mutual concerns. COPP will be one of a number of participants to help guide the movement. 

    For starters, the group that met this past Monday agreed on a descriptive name for the new organization "Coalition of Greater Scottsdale", more details will be announced as they develop over the next few months. 

    Bob Vairo. President
    (for) the Board of Directors
    Coalition of Pinnacle Peak, Inc.  

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    ~Letters to the Editor ~

    letters@scottsdaleactivist.com
     

     ~Thank You Scottsdale Activist........

    Thank you Scottsdale Activist for bring us all of the information we never see in the local newspapers, especially the Scottsdale Republic which seems to be a tool for our mayor.

    We enjoy the way you put the Activist together, provide the Quotes of the week, etc. We really enjoy the Homes of the Week and the Christmas Lights this time of the year.

    Keep up the good work and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

    E Slocomb
    Scottsdale

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    ~ 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=3

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

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    ~Christmas Decoration Photos

     

    ~ Home of the Week

     ~ Questions?

    Many readers have asked why we don't expose those nasty, ugly rundown trashy properties we wish City Code Enforcement would cite and force to cleanup. We feel that it is much better to show the examples of homes that show pride of ownership rather than those trash piles and filth holes we all know about. If you have one of those "nasty" homes in your neighbor hood, email  rkeagy@scottsdalaz.gov  giving him all of the pertinent information including address, and you don't need to leave your name, unless you want to be contacted.

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     ~ Where in Scottsdale is this Eastern Style Beauty?

    Again, I ran across this beauty while looking for homes decorated holidays. This is another example of the highly desirable Hayden Estates area where some beautiful infill homes were built after the Park Scottsdale series. We are very lucky to have these quality homes available for the residents of our World Class city.

    There are many wonderful and beautiful neighborhoods within the city of Scottsdale. Do yourself a favor and take the long way home sometime and see what other home owners are doing to improve their neighborhoods. How does your home compare?

    If you know of an outstanding home which you feel should to be honored by having the picture displayed in the Scottsdale Activist, send the address to editor@scottsdaleactivist.com .

    We have been asked why we don't include homes in HOA controlled subdivisions. We are looking for exceptional homes in areas where the homeowner has to be the driving force behind the beautiful home, not the HOA rules and regulations. We would definitely look at any home in a HOA controlled area that is exceptional and owner maintained rather than by a lawn or landscape service, but so far, we haven't been advised of any that meet that criteria.

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    ~Thought for the Week

    "Foreign influence is truly the Grecian horse to a republic. We cannot be too careful to exclude its influence."

    -- Alexander Hamilton (Pacificus, No. 6, 7/17/1793)

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    ~ Quote of the Week

    "What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."

    -- Thomas Jefferson (letter to William Stephens Smith, 1787)

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    ~ Food for Thought

     ~Christmas 2006 

    At Christmas 2006, we are still warring with an asymmetric enemy pledged to our ultimate destruction, and many argue that these are among the most difficult days our nation has faced. Yet Decembers past have seen American Patriots keep promises during many dark and trying times. Surely, for our troops arrayed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and those of us supporting them on the home front, our straits are not as severe as those pressing General George Washington during the early years of the Revolutionary War. As his Continental Army troops left bloody footprints along the path to Valley Forge, the good General fell to his knees for prayer in the snow, beseeching God’s guidance as to how he might persevere to victory.

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    ~ Information You Can Use

    ~ 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

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    ~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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    ~ Scottsdale Legal Defense Fund

    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:

    72nd & 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.

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    ~Shout and Spout ~

    shoutandspout@scottsdaleactivist.com  

     ~We need to stop Jan Dolan before the City loses one more good employee. With the influence that Scottsdale Activist has, pressure needs to be applied to stop this bleeding. She has been caustic since day one and this is getting to be unacceptable. We will NEVER AGAIN obtain the ranks of  "Most Livable City" if she isn’t stopped NOW!!!

     ~ Is it true that Donna Bronski of the city legal dept, Randy Grant chief planner, and Saylor Hornbeck of the downtown group are all leaving the city employ? Hmmm, could these be considered Dolan, Traaen, or Manross induced resignations?

     ~ Political Correctness: A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up any form of (excrement) by the clean end. Does a local newspaper come to mind?

     ~ Thanks to all the citizens and activists in the southern portion of the city who so graciously agreed to work shoulder to shoulder with those in the north to clean up all the city-wide nonsense city management and their staffs are trying to shove down our throats. DMB's height request went down in flames and so will others along with the subsidies they think they can con us out of.

     ~ It's unbelievable and inconceivable that the same logo that is used on employee shoulder patches, police uniforms, city signs, and city equipment cannot be used in the center of the new Trolley logo. Politics! Bah Humbug!!

     ~ Thanks for exposing the secrecy behind the new water plant in our neighborhood here in the north as well as the part about it being in a flood plain. Jan Dolan has screwed over the taxpayers once too often and this time she should be fired without any compensation; to (heck) with any raise. After all, she screwed up to the tune of 15 million.

     ~ Henry Becker's undesirable "art work" in north Scottsdale has more class and is more desirable (YUK!) than that gaudy monstrosity which is to be installed  at Hayden & Oak called the "Cox Heights Flower Garden" . You try to put that sucker up here in North Scottsdale and we'll tear the ugly thing down within 12 hours. Sorry, the plan and design really sucks and I feel sorry for the neighbors if it's allowed to be installed.

     ~OMG!!! There is steel sticking up in the air behind the curtain at SkyFlop!! Do you suppose someone stole some of the rails from the Phoenix Light Rail Project and stuck them in the ground to fool us into thinking something is really going on there??? Now, if they'd just stick the rest of those rails and those light rail cars somewhere dark, far away from Scottsdale, we'd be in fine shape.

     ~ Please  see  if  you  can  get city manager Jan Dolan  to  tell  you  how many  actual signed  leases  she  has  for  SkyChirp. It sure would make an interesting  editorial/exposure  for the Activist. The  people need  to  know the TRUTH  about  the  lies  and  misrepresentations of  this  administration regarding this huge tax fiasco. I'll bet she gives you a typical "dodge the bullet" Dolan response.

     ~ How interesting and how wonderful! COPP and the north working together with us southerners to stop over urbanization, excessive height, light rail, and other unnecessary stuff we don't want anywhere in our entire city. I guess the Queen Mother and her puppets Dolan and McCullagh had better take notice that they can no longer keep the north and the south divided by trying to make divisive decisions. Hooray for the "Coalition Of Greater Scottsdale". Wake up Ron McCullagh!

     ~ Thanks for including Christmas lights in the SA. Could you tell us where they are located? Editors Note: We would need the owners permission to include addresses which is very time consuming and we're not staffed nor have the time to do that. Sorry!!

     ~ Does it seem that this city is doing more and more things behind our backs or am I just getting paranoid after so much of it has gone on?

     ~ I would think that after all the mess ups by the city manager and her staff, the council should now have the four votes necessary to fire her. Sorry Jan, your style of management is not conducive or affordable for a World Class city like Scottsdale. Have a nice life..... somewhere else please.

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    ~ Find Great Gas Prices

    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.

    Gas Prices - MSN Autos

    Be a good neighbor and pass this along.  

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    The Scottsdale Activist is published, and edited in Scottsdale AZ ~ 480-326-2475