Carefree Truth
Issue #610, December 15, 2017
Mayor Les Peterson announced that this was the first meeting held in the new Council Chambers. He extended a thank you to Town Administrator Gary Neiss for working with a lot of excellent people to bring it to this stage. The Mayor found the new Chambers outstanding. He said the Town has long needed it and it is very welcome. Future Council, Planning & Zoning, HOA, etc. meetings will be held here. It will get lots of activity. He asked Mr. Neiss to give an overview.
Mr. Neiss stated that this has been 33 years in the making. Carefree was incorporated in 1984 and has not had a permanent home for the Town Council. The Chambers is still a work in progress. Anyone who has done a remodel knows that subcontractors beat to their own tune, and the last 4 months have been challenging, but he can finally see the finish line.
There remain some finishes to the dias and the equipment. The monitors will be recessed into the dias top in front of the Council members and each will have individual monitors that can angle up for presentations without obstructing the views. The white laminate will be capped with natural stone, and metal trim will be added to the reveal in front of the dias. The staff tables and the podium will match the dias. The mill work for the audio/video equipment will be re-sized within the next week or two and the acoustic tile will be completed as well. A series of punch list items like dry wall finishes will be fixed within the next 2-4 weeks. He hopes it will all be done in time for the January 9th Council meeting.
Behind the audience and down the hall are two ADA compliant rest rooms. Some tile needs to be completed but they are very nice rest rooms. There is also a conference room for executive sessions and staff meetings. It will have the large TV monitor that was used in the past Council Chambers so Power Point presentations can be held in the conference space.
Mr. Neiss recognized Toby Payne and Wes Sullivan from Technically Integrated. They are the responsible party and very good to work with, perfectionists like Mr. Neiss. Both were at the meeting to make sure everything worked appropriately. They will installing the final equipment on the dias and fine tuning everything. Mayor Peterson asked John Traynor, who has complained of difficulties hearing in the past, if he could hear. Mr. Traynor confirmed that he could, as long as people spoke into the microphones.
Mr. Neiss said it is a "smart" building. "Smart" applications for lights, equipment, door locks and temperature controls can be run off of a Smartphone. There are still a few kinks to be worked out but it should all come together in the next month or two.
Councilman Mike Farrar acknowledged the previous owners of the building. The owner's wife, an artist in Carefree, passed away. There is a plaque on the wall outside of the entrance in her memory. He noted that the Town was fortunate to negotiate a very favorable price for the building. Mr. Farrar was looking forward to the formal ribbon cutting, which Mayor Peterson said would take place sometime this spring, after all the punch list items were finished. The Mayor again thanked Gary Neiss for a job well done.
https://vimeo.com/246564084
Mayor Peterson announced that the Council vote to replace Jim Van Allen would be delayed until the next meeting. Travel schedules and heavy work loads lately have precluded all the Council members from talking to all the candidates. He encouraged each member to do so.
https://vimeo.com/246595749
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list.
Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.
Issue #610, December 15, 2017
Mayor Les Peterson announced that this was the first meeting held in the new Council Chambers. He extended a thank you to Town Administrator Gary Neiss for working with a lot of excellent people to bring it to this stage. The Mayor found the new Chambers outstanding. He said the Town has long needed it and it is very welcome. Future Council, Planning & Zoning, HOA, etc. meetings will be held here. It will get lots of activity. He asked Mr. Neiss to give an overview.
Mr. Neiss stated that this has been 33 years in the making. Carefree was incorporated in 1984 and has not had a permanent home for the Town Council. The Chambers is still a work in progress. Anyone who has done a remodel knows that subcontractors beat to their own tune, and the last 4 months have been challenging, but he can finally see the finish line.
There remain some finishes to the dias and the equipment. The monitors will be recessed into the dias top in front of the Council members and each will have individual monitors that can angle up for presentations without obstructing the views. The white laminate will be capped with natural stone, and metal trim will be added to the reveal in front of the dias. The staff tables and the podium will match the dias. The mill work for the audio/video equipment will be re-sized within the next week or two and the acoustic tile will be completed as well. A series of punch list items like dry wall finishes will be fixed within the next 2-4 weeks. He hopes it will all be done in time for the January 9th Council meeting.
Behind the audience and down the hall are two ADA compliant rest rooms. Some tile needs to be completed but they are very nice rest rooms. There is also a conference room for executive sessions and staff meetings. It will have the large TV monitor that was used in the past Council Chambers so Power Point presentations can be held in the conference space.
Mr. Neiss recognized Toby Payne and Wes Sullivan from Technically Integrated. They are the responsible party and very good to work with, perfectionists like Mr. Neiss. Both were at the meeting to make sure everything worked appropriately. They will installing the final equipment on the dias and fine tuning everything. Mayor Peterson asked John Traynor, who has complained of difficulties hearing in the past, if he could hear. Mr. Traynor confirmed that he could, as long as people spoke into the microphones.
Mr. Neiss said it is a "smart" building. "Smart" applications for lights, equipment, door locks and temperature controls can be run off of a Smartphone. There are still a few kinks to be worked out but it should all come together in the next month or two.
Councilman Mike Farrar acknowledged the previous owners of the building. The owner's wife, an artist in Carefree, passed away. There is a plaque on the wall outside of the entrance in her memory. He noted that the Town was fortunate to negotiate a very favorable price for the building. Mr. Farrar was looking forward to the formal ribbon cutting, which Mayor Peterson said would take place sometime this spring, after all the punch list items were finished. The Mayor again thanked Gary Neiss for a job well done.
https://vimeo.com/246564084
Mayor Peterson announced that the Council vote to replace Jim Van Allen would be delayed until the next meeting. Travel schedules and heavy work loads lately have precluded all the Council members from talking to all the candidates. He encouraged each member to do so.
https://vimeo.com/246595749
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list.
Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.