"Thomas Jefferson said a democracy is dependent on an informed citizenry. I don't care whether it sounds corny or not. It's the truth." -Jim Lehrer
Carefree Truth
Issue #974, December 23, 2021
Issue #974, December 23, 2021
Before comments from the public began, Gary Neiss wished to comment. He noted that, approximately a week before, the Town of Cave Creek had issued a press release about their new fire and emergency program. In trying to reconcile how to pay for these new costs, they consulted with numerous financial analysts who looked at the respective budgets. It was decided that the only way those costs could be covered was by the new revenue being generated in Cave Creek along the Carefree Highway corridor. Mayor Ernie Bunch credited previous Councils and volunteer advocates of the Carefree Highway corridor for having the vision to ensure responsible growth and development to support the town's economic health. Mayor Bunch stated that this was advanced planning for an awful lot of years. It wasn't by accident.
Mr. Niess stated that, today, Carefree faces similar issues. We have an elastic and volatile revenue stream in our sales tax. We don't know what the future holds with some of our anchors. We have a reduction in construction tax over time. We know that our sales tax will go up and it will go down, and it's impacted by who we have on the tax roll. We know that we have to diversify. Cave Creek made that decision approximately 10 years ago, and it was responsible growth that held the day. Whether or not you agree with what they did along Carefree Highway, it has generated the revenue to pay for services. It is the Council's fiduciary duty to the community to look towards the future. This is our revenue stream. Diversification, as in the personal investment portfolios of our residents, is critical to the success of the Town and its citizens in providing services.
Mr. Neiss said the equation before the Council tonight was looking into the future. This development won't happen a year from now. It might not happen 3 years from now. It's the future. But the first step in the process is this General Plan (GP) amendment, and that's what's being evaluated now. Steve Prokopek did an excellent job working with the neighborhood trying to solicit input during these unique times with Covid. The Town extends this invitation to work with the residents of Carefree beyond the Council meeting.
Mr. Neiss highly encouraged those attending the meeting to pick up the budget and read it. It talks about the Town and shows the costs involved to operate on both a daily and an annual basis. It's important to understand how the public money is invested. There's not a lot of meat on the bones. We are on a critical path, similar to that of the Town of Cave Creek and the decisions they made to fund their fire program.
Mayor Les Peterson asked Kandace Contreras to read the one letter that had been received from the public, after which comments would be taken from those attending who wished to speak.
Subject: To be read at council meeting tonight
Kandace. Please have my questions and comments read at the Town Council meeting tonight. Will it be read at the Call to the Public under item 4 of the agenda or under item 8? Thank you
Carefree was separately incorporated to avoid the urbanization of Scottsdale, to preserve its relaxed rural residential character. Doesn’t the ‘upzoning’ of Carefree Hwy and Tom Darlington provide a huge windfall for a friend of the mayor, Mr. Lassen?
Why is our town of less than 4000 about to spend more than $20,000,000+ on a water project with extremely vague objectives? The town has admitted in the bond sale the new water mains and tank in the Boulders, which account for most of this expenditure, are not necessary to provide western Carefree with improved water service. What did our Economic Development Director mean on 5/5/21 when writing to Mr. Lassen “….The issue is putting in infrastructure that solely benefits a single property owner, and there is a renewed scrutiny on gift clause” ? And on 5/6/21 when he wrote, “…I’ll work with Gary and Greg and see what we can do to set the table to accommodate water service in the event the amendment is successful….”? Could the real purpose of this water project expenditure be to support commercial development on the mayor’s friend’s land?
In my opinion the above conflicts of interest should be disclosed.
Why wouldn’t the town want ALL voters to have knowledge on the proposed commercial development? It also seems like voters should be consulted on the intense commercialization motivated by possible projected future budget shortfalls.
These issues deserve investigation by town council members before they vote. These questions are not going away.
Respectfully,
Maureen Benedetto, Carefree Resident
Steve Prokopek explained that it is important to address the issues. That is why he wanted to discuss in his presentation how infrastructure is funded and how incentives are done in communities. In the context of the conversation he had with Mr. Lassen, he had provided the request for incentives that many communities do provide. Mr. Prokopek explained to Mr. Lassen exactly what he explained in his presentation, how infrastructure is funded and how those incentives don't and can't apply to this particular site because those would be a violation of what is called The Gift Clause. The Arizona Constitution prohibits the government from gifting or loaning its credit to a private entity. You can't even loan money to a private entity, let alone give money away, unless there is equal public value that is received. He hoped he explained that clearly and simply.
Mr. Prokopek then moved on to explain that the term "setting the table" referred to setting up a meeting or a call, which he did with Greg Crossman and Gary Neiss to discuss the water hook-up line that would service this parcel because he was not sure where it was located. He was told that it is located at Languid Lane and Tom Darlington. All of that is mutually exclusive to any of the water issues that would be on The Boulders. There would be nothing done infrastructure-wise on The Boulders site that relates to this site in any way, shape or form.
Mayor Peterson also wished to respond to Ms. Benedetto. He read the implication, "provide a huge windfall for a friend of the mayor, Mr. Lassen". The Mayor stated that he does not consider John Lassen a "personal friend". He is a "business friend", just like the people with whom he has regular dealings in his capacity as mayor, such as those who manage the Desert Forest Golf Club, Civana, and The Boulders, the local ministers, the County Supervisors, and the County Sheriff. "The way we get things done is to work with people. We're not here to be an ogre. And so, do we do anything personal for them? Am I involved with them in any business dealing? Absolutely not. And I resent these nonsense accusations that keep coming out with absolutely no basis from some of the people. There is absolutely no foundation to that.
Let me show you the kind of things we get called into. John Lassen came into our office, and he'd probably been into our office 30 times over the last 3 years. 29 of those times, he's been complaining about something or asking for something. The 30th time, he said, 'I have a grandson and he's an Eagle Scout and he's looking for a project. So Kandace, our Town Clerk, set him up, and his grandson did frankly an absolutely wonderful job of coordinating 30 people to clean up the Cave Creek/Carefree cemetery. They hauled out brush, they put in
rock. They raised money to do this. Is that a friend? This is someone I like. We've never had dinner together, we don't socialize, we've never done anything personally. And I wish some of these people would start focusing on generating some facts as opposed to fabricating them.
Let me continue. 'on a water project with extremely vague objectives', there are over 1000 people on the south and the west side of town, hundreds of which showed up at Town meetings saying, 'Do something. We have severe water problems.' They may be vague to someone who wasn't paying attention at that time, who was doing something else.
But let me tell you, it's not 'vague objectives' to fulfill for them.
And I resent the implication of conflict of interest. I, and the Council, are doing the best we can, and let me take you through an example. I was invited to go to a dinner, probably a month ago, with the Ambassador to the United States from Mexico. And he stood up and his opening comments were, 'I am the Ambassador to the United States, I am not the Ambassador to Washington.' And I and the Council are Council members for the residents of the Town of Carefree. We're not here to support any HOA or individual home we come from; we're here to look after the town's residents. So, enough said. I regard this letter as nonsense."
https://vimeo.com/655540667
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Copyrighted
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.
Mr. Niess stated that, today, Carefree faces similar issues. We have an elastic and volatile revenue stream in our sales tax. We don't know what the future holds with some of our anchors. We have a reduction in construction tax over time. We know that our sales tax will go up and it will go down, and it's impacted by who we have on the tax roll. We know that we have to diversify. Cave Creek made that decision approximately 10 years ago, and it was responsible growth that held the day. Whether or not you agree with what they did along Carefree Highway, it has generated the revenue to pay for services. It is the Council's fiduciary duty to the community to look towards the future. This is our revenue stream. Diversification, as in the personal investment portfolios of our residents, is critical to the success of the Town and its citizens in providing services.
Mr. Neiss said the equation before the Council tonight was looking into the future. This development won't happen a year from now. It might not happen 3 years from now. It's the future. But the first step in the process is this General Plan (GP) amendment, and that's what's being evaluated now. Steve Prokopek did an excellent job working with the neighborhood trying to solicit input during these unique times with Covid. The Town extends this invitation to work with the residents of Carefree beyond the Council meeting.
Mr. Neiss highly encouraged those attending the meeting to pick up the budget and read it. It talks about the Town and shows the costs involved to operate on both a daily and an annual basis. It's important to understand how the public money is invested. There's not a lot of meat on the bones. We are on a critical path, similar to that of the Town of Cave Creek and the decisions they made to fund their fire program.
Mayor Les Peterson asked Kandace Contreras to read the one letter that had been received from the public, after which comments would be taken from those attending who wished to speak.
Subject: To be read at council meeting tonight
Kandace. Please have my questions and comments read at the Town Council meeting tonight. Will it be read at the Call to the Public under item 4 of the agenda or under item 8? Thank you
Carefree was separately incorporated to avoid the urbanization of Scottsdale, to preserve its relaxed rural residential character. Doesn’t the ‘upzoning’ of Carefree Hwy and Tom Darlington provide a huge windfall for a friend of the mayor, Mr. Lassen?
Why is our town of less than 4000 about to spend more than $20,000,000+ on a water project with extremely vague objectives? The town has admitted in the bond sale the new water mains and tank in the Boulders, which account for most of this expenditure, are not necessary to provide western Carefree with improved water service. What did our Economic Development Director mean on 5/5/21 when writing to Mr. Lassen “….The issue is putting in infrastructure that solely benefits a single property owner, and there is a renewed scrutiny on gift clause” ? And on 5/6/21 when he wrote, “…I’ll work with Gary and Greg and see what we can do to set the table to accommodate water service in the event the amendment is successful….”? Could the real purpose of this water project expenditure be to support commercial development on the mayor’s friend’s land?
In my opinion the above conflicts of interest should be disclosed.
Why wouldn’t the town want ALL voters to have knowledge on the proposed commercial development? It also seems like voters should be consulted on the intense commercialization motivated by possible projected future budget shortfalls.
These issues deserve investigation by town council members before they vote. These questions are not going away.
Respectfully,
Maureen Benedetto, Carefree Resident
Steve Prokopek explained that it is important to address the issues. That is why he wanted to discuss in his presentation how infrastructure is funded and how incentives are done in communities. In the context of the conversation he had with Mr. Lassen, he had provided the request for incentives that many communities do provide. Mr. Prokopek explained to Mr. Lassen exactly what he explained in his presentation, how infrastructure is funded and how those incentives don't and can't apply to this particular site because those would be a violation of what is called The Gift Clause. The Arizona Constitution prohibits the government from gifting or loaning its credit to a private entity. You can't even loan money to a private entity, let alone give money away, unless there is equal public value that is received. He hoped he explained that clearly and simply.
Mr. Prokopek then moved on to explain that the term "setting the table" referred to setting up a meeting or a call, which he did with Greg Crossman and Gary Neiss to discuss the water hook-up line that would service this parcel because he was not sure where it was located. He was told that it is located at Languid Lane and Tom Darlington. All of that is mutually exclusive to any of the water issues that would be on The Boulders. There would be nothing done infrastructure-wise on The Boulders site that relates to this site in any way, shape or form.
Mayor Peterson also wished to respond to Ms. Benedetto. He read the implication, "provide a huge windfall for a friend of the mayor, Mr. Lassen". The Mayor stated that he does not consider John Lassen a "personal friend". He is a "business friend", just like the people with whom he has regular dealings in his capacity as mayor, such as those who manage the Desert Forest Golf Club, Civana, and The Boulders, the local ministers, the County Supervisors, and the County Sheriff. "The way we get things done is to work with people. We're not here to be an ogre. And so, do we do anything personal for them? Am I involved with them in any business dealing? Absolutely not. And I resent these nonsense accusations that keep coming out with absolutely no basis from some of the people. There is absolutely no foundation to that.
Let me show you the kind of things we get called into. John Lassen came into our office, and he'd probably been into our office 30 times over the last 3 years. 29 of those times, he's been complaining about something or asking for something. The 30th time, he said, 'I have a grandson and he's an Eagle Scout and he's looking for a project. So Kandace, our Town Clerk, set him up, and his grandson did frankly an absolutely wonderful job of coordinating 30 people to clean up the Cave Creek/Carefree cemetery. They hauled out brush, they put in
rock. They raised money to do this. Is that a friend? This is someone I like. We've never had dinner together, we don't socialize, we've never done anything personally. And I wish some of these people would start focusing on generating some facts as opposed to fabricating them.
Let me continue. 'on a water project with extremely vague objectives', there are over 1000 people on the south and the west side of town, hundreds of which showed up at Town meetings saying, 'Do something. We have severe water problems.' They may be vague to someone who wasn't paying attention at that time, who was doing something else.
But let me tell you, it's not 'vague objectives' to fulfill for them.
And I resent the implication of conflict of interest. I, and the Council, are doing the best we can, and let me take you through an example. I was invited to go to a dinner, probably a month ago, with the Ambassador to the United States from Mexico. And he stood up and his opening comments were, 'I am the Ambassador to the United States, I am not the Ambassador to Washington.' And I and the Council are Council members for the residents of the Town of Carefree. We're not here to support any HOA or individual home we come from; we're here to look after the town's residents. So, enough said. I regard this letter as nonsense."
https://vimeo.com/655540667
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Copyrighted
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.