30 June 2017

The Standard You Walk Past is the Standard You Accept


Published on Jun 30, 2017
Pete Dominick, host of SiriusXM’s StandUp! With Pete Dominick, talks standing up to injustice at the 2017 Young Adult Forum at the Aspen Ideas Festival
at No comments:

Mesa Chamber of Commerce Disrupted: Move To A New Location

Got this email in the inbox 2 daysagony/no reason provided for re-location fromhigh-visibility location at 40 N Center Street where the offices have been for years,into a 2nd floor Suite at the downtown campus of Mesa Community College.
Good morning, Everyone
As some of you may know, and others will now find out, The Chamber is moving!
This week, in order to facilitate that move, CHAMBER OFFICES (both old and new) will be closed Wednesday, June 28th-Friday, June 30th.
We will be open Monday, July 3rd, at the new location. We will again be closed Tuesday, July 4th.
The New Chamber Address will be:
165 N. Centennial Way, Suite #208
Mesa, AZ. 85201
If you should need Chamber assistance in any capacity, please feel free to send an email to the staff member you need, or email info@mesachamber.org, and we will respond as soon as we are able.
Link to new location map > https://goo.gl/maps/3jBWX3tt3Nz

It's hard to find the new digs tucked away on the second floor of the sprawling MCC DTMesa campus that occupies 145-165 N Centennial Way directly across from the low-rise Phoenix Mesa Marriott Hotel adjacent to the Mesa Convention - it's center left in the in the peaked section with a palm tree where there appear quite a few 'under-utilized' spaces that could definitely use some 're-proposing' in one way or another maybe with a cross-town shuffle of the Chamber of Commerce into real estate leased to higher education institution MCC?
There seems to have been not much time to plan in-advance for the move.
So far no signage of any kind on the new chamber even though the email stated
" We will be open Monday, July 3rd, at the new location . . "
at No comments:

Bureau of Economic Analysis: State Personal Income: First Quarter 2017

EMBARGOED UNTIL RELEASE AT 8:30 A.M. EDT, Tuesday, June 27, 2017
BEA 17—30
State Personal Income: First Quarter 2017
State personal income growth accelerated to 1.0 percent on average in the first quarter of 2017 from 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016, according to estimates released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (table 1). Earnings and personal current transfer receipts were the leading contributors to growth for the nation and in most states (table 2).
[ BLOGGER NOTE: The full text of the release on BEA's Web site can be found at www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/spi/sqpi_newsrelease.htm
No rush to post this since these reports get revised all the time ]
Please note that some data and infographics are inserted in this post for a perspective:
Personal Income grew 1.6 percent in Idaho, faster than in any other state. Four other states–Louisiana, Michigan, Florida, and Texas–had the next fastest growth in personal income at 1.3 percent. Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Iowa had the slowest growth, and Nebraska at -0.1 percent was the only state where personal income declined.
The infographic to the left is for information purposes and not included in the BEA report








Earnings. Earnings increased 0.9 percent in the first quarter of 2017. Earnings growth ranged from 1.5 percent in Michigan to -0.7 percent in Nebraska.
  • Growth in farm earnings was a leading contributor to growth in total earnings in Idaho, but was also a leading contributor to slow-growing or declining earnings in Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa, North Dakota, and Nebraska (table 3). The divergence in farm earnings reflects different types of farm output among states.
  • Earnings growth in durable goods manufacturing was a leading contributor to growth in total earnings in Michigan. Auto workers in Michigan and in eight other states–Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas–received profit-sharing payments totaling $5.3 billion (annual rates) in the first quarter of 2017, under terms of agreements between manufacturers and the United Auto Workers signed in 2015.
  • Mining earnings, which grew 2.8 percent nationally after nine consecutive quarterly declines, was the leading contributor to growth in total earnings in Texas.
  • Growth in construction earnings continued in the first quarter of 2017 and was the leading contributor to growth in total earnings in Florida and in Louisiana.
For the nation, earnings grew in 21 of the 24 industries for which BEA prepares quarterly estimates (table 5). They were the leading contributors to overall growth in personal income
Professional
Scientific and technical services
Construction
Healthcare 
Social Assistance 

Transfer Receipts. Transfer receipts grew 1.5 percent for the nation in the first quarter of 2017. Growth rates ranged from 2.9 percent in Florida to -0.7 percent in Illinois.
The first quarter growth reflects an increase in refundable tax credits, and a 0.3 percent increase in the Social Security cost of living adjustment.
The growth in transfer receipts had the largest impact in Florida and in Louisiana where it accounted for almost half of each state's personal income growth.

Updates to Personal Income. Today, BEA also released revised quarterly personal income estimates for 2016:Q1 to 2016:Q4. Updates were made to incorporate source data that are more complete and more detailed than previously available, and to align the states with revised national estimates.

Upcoming Annual Update of the State Personal Income Accounts. Revised annual and quarterly state personal income estimates for 2014 to 2016 will be released on September 26, 2017.
In addition, revised estimates for 2017:Q1 and preliminary estimates for 2017:Q2 will also be released. The October Survey of Current Business will contain an article that describes the results.
Next release: September 26, 2017, at 8:30 A.M. EDT — State Personal Income: Second Quarter 2017
 
Additional Information/ Resources
Definitions
 
Personal income is the income received by, or on behalf of, all persons from all sources: from participation as laborers in production, from owning a home or business, from the ownership of financial assets, and from government and business in the form of transfers. It includes income from domestic sources as well as the rest of world. It does not include realized or unrealized capital gains or losses.
Per capita personal income is calculated as the total personal income of the residents of a state divided by the population of the state. In computing annual per capita personal income, BEA uses the Census Bureau's annual midyear population estimates. In computing quarterly per capita personal income, BEA uses midquarter population estimates based on unpublished Census Bureau data.
Earnings:
Earnings by place of work is the sum of wages and salaries, supplements to wages and salaries, and proprietors' income. BEA's industry estimates are presented on an earnings by place of work basis.
Net earnings by place of residence is earnings by place of work less contributions for government social insurance, plus an adjustment to convert earnings by place of work to a place-of-residence basis. BEA presents net earnings on an all industry level.
Property income is rental income of persons, personal dividend income, and personal interest income.
Personal current transfer receipts are benefits received by persons from federal, state, and local governments and from businesses for which no current services are performed. They include retirement and disability insurance benefits (mainly Social Security), medical benefits (mainly Medicare and Medicaid), income maintenance benefits, unemployment insurance compensation, veterans' benefits, and federal education and training assistance.
Personal income is measured before the deduction of personal income taxes and other personal taxes and is reported in current dollars (no adjustment is made for price changes).
The estimate of personal income for the United States is the sum of the state estimates and the estimate for the District of Columbia; it differs slightly from the estimate of personal income in the national income and product accounts (NIPAs) because of differences in coverage, in the methodologies used to prepare the estimates, and in the timing of the availability of source data.
at No comments:

29 June 2017

Mesa {AZ} City Council Study Session Thu 29 June 2017

Front rows seats are filled -
Take a look at who's making sure they are in the background ...
Published on Jun 29, 2017
Views:3

Here's the agenda:
Any citizen wishing to speak on an agenda item should complete and turn in a blue card to the City Clerk before that item is presented.

Roll Call (Members of the Mesa City Council will attend either in person or by telephone conference call)
1 Review items on the agenda for the July 3, 2017 regular Council meeting.

2 Presentations/Action Items:
BLOGGER NOTE: NO direction from Mayor John Giles after 2 years? What kind of leadership is that????????????????????????????

Item 2-a 17-0748
Hear an update on Mesa’s homelessness and discuss and provide direction on next steps for joint planning, action and performance measures with Mesa’s homeless service agencies.
BLOGGER NOTE: NO direction from Mayor John Giles after 2 years? What kind of leadership is that???????????????????????????? 
LINK > http://mesa.legistar.com/gateway.aspx?m=l&id=/matter.aspx?key=10882
On agenda: 6/29/2017
Title: Hear an update on Mesa’s homelessness and discuss and provide direction on next steps for joint planning, action and performance measures with Mesa’s homeless service agencies.
Attachments: 1. Homelessness

Item 2-b 17-0749
Hear a presentation, discuss, and provide direction on the City's digital community engagement campaign, Imagine Mesa 
Say What ??> DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT after two years in office????
On agenda: 6/29/2017
Title: Hear a presentation, discuss, and provide direction on the City's digital community engagement campaign, Imagine Mesa.
Attachments: 1. Presentation


3 Information pertaining to the current Job Order Contracting projects
17-0777
On agenda: 6/29/2017
Title: Information pertaining to the current Job Order Contracting projects.
Attachments: 1. Project List, 2. Project Map, 3. Sub Participation Cumulative

 
4 Hear reports on meetings and/or conferences attended

5 Scheduling of meetings and general information

6 Convene an Executive SessionPage 1 City of Mesa Printed on 6/27/2017
June 29, 2017City Council Study Session Meeting Agenda - Final
ES-016-17
Discussion or consultation for legal advice with the City Attorney. (A.R.S. § 38-431.03A (3)) 
  • Discussion or consultation with the designated representatives of the City in order to consider the City’s position and instruct the City’s representative regarding negotiations with employee organizations regarding the salaries, salary schedules or compensation paid in the form of fringe benefits of employees of the City. (A.R.S. §38-431.03A(5)) 
  • Discussion or consultation with the City Attorney in order to consider the City’s position and instruct the City Attorney regarding the City’s position regarding contracts that are the subject of negotiations, in pending or contemplated litigation or in settlement discussions conducted in order to avoid or resolve litigation.  (A.R.S. §38-431.03A(4))
Item 6-a
Police and Fire Memoranda of Understanding and Meet and Confer policy and process

7 Adjournment.

http://mesa.legistar.com/gateway.aspx?m=l&id=/matter.aspx?key=10882
at No comments:

SIKORSKY AND BOEING SHOW THEIR NEW ATTACK HELICOPTER CONCEPT || WARTHOG ...

Spoiler Alert: 3D animated teaser ..... just a fantasy
Published on Jun 29, 2017
Views: 23,057
For the first time, a 3D-animated teaser shows off the proposed gunship variant of the Sikorsky-Boeing SB1 Defiant compound helicopter.
at No comments:

The Neuroscience of Creativity, Perception, and Confirmation Bias | Beau...

CREATIVITY STARTS WITH A QUESTION
Published on Jun 28, 2017
Views: 24,452
To ensure your survival, your brain evolved to avoid one thing: uncertainty. As neuroscientist Beau Lotto points out, if your ancestors wondered for too long whether that noise was a predator or not, you wouldn't be here right now. Our brains are geared to make fast assumptions, and questioning them in many cases quite literally equates to death. No wonder we're so hardwired for confirmation bias. No wonder we'd rather stick to the status quo than risk the uncertainty of a better political model, a fairer financial system, or a healthier relationship pattern. But here's the catch: as our brains evolved toward certainty, we simultaneously evolved away from creativity—that's no coincidence; creativity starts with a question, with uncertainty, not with a cut and dried answer. To be creative, we have to unlearn millions of years of evolution. Creativity asks us to do that which is hardest: to question our assumptions, to doubt what we believe to be true. That is the only way to see differently. And if you think creativity is a chaotic and wild force, think again, says Beau Lotto. It just looks that way from the outside. The brain cannot make great leaps, it can only move linearly through mental possibilities. When a creative person forges a connection between two things that are, to your mind, so far apart, that's a case of high-level logic. They have moved through steps that are invisible to you, perhaps because they are more open-minded and well-practiced in questioning their assumptions. Creativity, it seems, is another (highly sophisticated) form of logic. Beau Lotto is the author of Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently.

Read more at BigThink.com: http://bigthink.com/videos/beau-lotto...
at No comments:

28 June 2017

Dear Readers, Thank you for your interest

I M THRILLED > Please notice this is an owl, not a troll
Page views today
120
Page views yesterday
183
Page views last month
8,879
Page views:  all time history
140,093
at No comments:

Spy Technology > Documentary

GOOD-TO-KNOW
Published on Jun 27, 2017
Views: 11,437
at No comments:

Over 8,000 Migrants From Mediterranean Rescued In 48 Hours

The price of war
Published on Jun 28, 2017
Views: 129
Subscribe to France 24 now:http://f24.my/youtubeEN

FRANCE 24 live news stream: all the latest news 24/7http://f24.my/YTliveEN

In tonight's edition: over 8,000 migrants have been rescued off the coast of Libya since the start of the week; unrest continues in Morocco's northern Rif region; and political tensions in Democratic Republic of Congo have brought Tout-Puissant Mazembe's football academy to its knees.
It’s been a busy few days in Libyan waters, with thousands of migrants rescued in 48 hours. Those making the risky journey are plucked from the water by coastguard, military and private aid boats.
Also, protests continue in Morocco’s northern Rif region. Dozens more are arrested as police come down hard on demonstrators who take to the streets despite roadblocks.
And political rivalries in DR Congo jeopardise the finances of one of the country’s top football training centres. Tout-Puissant Mazembe academy is struggling to stay afloat after its founder, opposition figure Moise Katumbi, left the country and was later jailed in absentia.

Visit our website:http://www.france24.com

Subscribe to our YouTube channel:http://f24.my/youtubeEN

Like us on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.Eng...

Follow us on Twitter:https://twitter.com/France24_en
at No comments:

So Much for "FAMILY VALUES" > Arizona Ranks #46

Arizona ranks 46th for kids’ well-being, with a cloudy future
Submitted by Joe Garcia on Wed, 06/21/2017 10:11am
PLEASE NOTE: Morrison Institute blogs are intended to further public discourse regarding key and timely issues via diverse voices, expertise and experiences – including, when appropriate, in pro-and-con format. Blogs do not represent any official position of Morrison Institute for Public Policy or Arizona State University.
It’s tough being a kid. For a variety of reasons, that’s especially true in Arizona.
Source: https://morrisoninstitute.asu.edu/blog
Arizona ranks among the bottom five in the nation in the 2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book, a yearly analysis of 16 indicators regarding children’s health, family and economic well-being.
Arizona always does poorly in the national report, which is commissioned by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, so perhaps no one will be surprised by Arizona’s 46th overall rating.
"As a member of the board of directors for Arizona Children’s Action Alliance, a non-profit children’s advocacy organization, I’m only too familiar with the high number and plight of Arizona’s most vulnerable population – our kids.
I guess if I am surprised at anything, it’s the lack of urgency in addressing these most-pressing problems associated with poverty, educational voids, health care gaps and domestic family strife.
Kids are only kids for only a short while. Arizona’s perennial position at the bottom of such rankings results in a generational if not predictable outcome – and it’s not good. Kids in crisis often turn into adults in crisis and, perpetuating the problem, often wind up raising kids in crisis themselves. And, so it goes..."- Joe Garcia
2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book #DataBook 
State Trends in Child Well-Being
By the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Project
The 2017 KIDS COUNT Data Book urges policymakers not to back away from targeted investments that help U.S. children become healthier, more likely to complete high school and better positioned to contribute to the nation’s economy as adults.
The Data Book also shows the child poverty rate in 2015 continued to drop, landing at 21%. In addition, children experienced gains in reading proficiency and a significant increase in the number of kids with health insurance. However, the data indicate that unacceptable levels of children living in poverty and in high-poverty neighborhoods persist.
In this year’s report, New Hampshire ranked first among states for overall child well-being, moving up one from 2016. Massachusetts and Vermont filled out the top three. Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi were the three lowest-ranked states.
Link > http://www.aecf.org/resources/2017-kids-count-data-book/
June 13, 2017
An added note from Joe Garcia:
The report evaluated 2015 data, the report’s numbers don’t reflect the 20,000 Arizona children now enrolled in KidsCare, which was reinstated last year with the federal government paying 100 percent of the bill. During the six-year hiatus prior to the reinstatement, Arizona was the lone state without a Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for low-income kids.
Such improvements in Arizona children’s health care coverage, however, could be short-lived under proposed cuts to Medicaid and the current framework for the proposed American Health Care Act. Under a new provision of Arizona law, any tinkering of less than full federal commitment to KidsCare automatically would kill the insurance coverage for at-risk families who are just above Medicaid eligibility.
Such triggers could be make it tougher yet for Arizona kids and families trying to keep their heads above water, especially with a resulting state forecast that calls for more rain. 
at No comments:

27 June 2017

OS GNU, Linux: Open Source Revolution [ Documentary ]


Published on Jun 26, 2017
Views: 2,252
at No comments:

New Global MALWARE Attack Begins To Spread


Published on Jun 27, 2017
Views: 654
It looks like bad news for major corporations & good news for bitcoin. Another major Malware attack has begun.
@newTHOR on twitterhttps://www.facebook.com/thornewsgo
the article > http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-40...
Global ransomware attack causes chaos
Companies across the globe are reporting that they have been struck by a major ransomware cyber-attack.
British advertising agency WPP is among those to say its IT systems have been disrupted as a consequence.
Ukrainian firms, including the state power company and Kiev's main airport, were among the first to report issues.
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant has also had to monitor radiation levels manually after its Windows-based sensors were shut down.
Experts suggest the malware is taking advantage of the same weaknesses used by the Wannacry attack last month.
"It initially appeared to be a variant of a piece of ransomware that emerged last year," said computer scientist Prof Alan Woodward.
The Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab reported that it believed the malware was a "new ransomware that has not been seen before" despite its resemblance to Petya.
As a result, the firm has dubbed it NotPetya. Kaspersky added that it had detected suspected attacks in Poland, Italy, Germany, France and the US in addition to the UK, Russia and Ukraine.
Andrei Barysevich, a spokesman for security firm Recorded Future told the BBC such attacks would not stop because cyber-thieves found them too lucrative.
"A South Korean hosting firm just paid $1m to get their data back and that's a huge incentive," he said. "It's the biggest incentive you could offer to a cyber-criminal."
A bitcoin wallet associated with the outbreak has received several payments since the outbreak began. The wallet currently holds 1.5 bitcoins - equivalent to $3,500.
An email address associated with the blackmail attempt has been blocked by German independent email provider Posteo.
It means that the blackmailers have not been able to access the mailbox.
Network down
Others reporting problems include the Ukrainian central bank, the aircraft manufacturer Antonov, and two postal services.
Russian oil producer Rosneft and Danish shipping company Maersk also say they face disruption, including its offices in the UK and Ireland.
"We can confirm that Maersk IT systems are down across multiple sites and business units due to a cyber-attack," the Copenhagen-headquartered firm said via Twitter.
"We continue to assess the situation. The safety of our employees, our operations and customers' business is our top priority."

Those being caught out were also industrial firms that often struggled to apply software patches quickly.
"These organisations typically have a challenge patching all of their machines because so many systems cannot have down time," he said. "Airports also have this challenge."
Copies of the virus have been submitted to online testing systems that check if security software, particularly anti-virus systems, were able to spot and stop it.
"Only two vendors were able to detect it so many systems are defenceless if they are unpatched and relying on anti-virus," he said.
at No comments:

26 June 2017

GOTO 2017 • Blockchain: The Slowest (and most Fascinating) Database in t...


Published on Jun 20, 2017
Views: 12,942
This presentation was recorded at GOTO Amsterdam 2017http://gotoams.nl

Stefan Tilkov - Co-founder & Principal Consultant at innoQ

ABSTRACT
As the foundation of Bitcoin's virtual currency, the blockchain technique is now the starting point for numerous new business ideas. The usual suspects surpass each other with superlatives how "disruptive" the Blockchain based [...]

Download slides and read the full abstract here:https://gotoams.nl/2017/sessions/123
at No comments:

MAJOR DISRUPTION AHEAD > 19 Industries The Blockchain Will Disrupt

WHOA!!!!!!
Published on Jun 15, 2017
Views: 65,328
The blockchain is a distributed ledger technology that underlies cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. It provides a way to record and transfer data that is transparent, safe, auditable, and resistant to outages. The blockchain has the ability to make the organizations that use it transparent, democratic, decentralized, efficient, and secure. It's a technology that holds a lot of promise for the future, and it is already disrupting many industries.

More podcasts & videos about the blockchain: http://futurethinkers.org/blockchain

Blockchain startups and projects featured in this video:

Bitcoin - https://bitcoin.org/
Abra - https://www.goabra.com/
Provenance - https://www.provenance.org/
Fluent (Rebranded to Hijro) - https://hijro.com/
SKUChain - https://skuchain.com/
Blockverify - http://www.blockverify.io/
Augur - https://augur.net/
Networking and IoT
Adept - http://www.coindesk.com/ibm-reveals-p...
Aeternity - https://www.aeternity.com/
Arcade City - https://arcade.city/
La'Zooz - http://www.shareable.net/blog/lazooz-...
Innogy - https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/...
UBS - https://www.ubs.com/microsites/blockc...
ZF - http://www.econotimes.com/UBS-bank-in...
Online Data Storage
Storj - https://storj.io/
IPFS - https://ipfs.io/
BitGive Foundation - https://bitgivefoundation.org/
Democracy Earth - http://democracy.earth/
Follow My Vote - https://followmyvote.com/
GovCoin - http://www.businesswire.com/news/home...
Dubai Blockchain Strategy - http://www.smartdubai.ae/dubai_blockc...
Circles - https://www.circle.com/
Gem - https://gem.co/
Tierion - https://tierion.com/
TransactiveGrid - http://transactivegrid.net/
Mycelia - http://myceliaformusic.org/
Ujo Music - https://ujomusic.com/
OpenBazaar - https://www.openbazaar.org/
OB1 - https://ob1.io/
Ubitquity - https://www.ubitquity.io/
Consensys - https://consensys.net/about/
Ethereum - https://www.ethereum.org/

Future Thinkers is a podcast about evolving technology, society and consiousness.

If you want to learn more about the blockchain technology, you can listen to some of our episodes going in depth.http://futurethinkers.org/blockchain/
at No comments:

Inaugural Luncheon Honoring the 75th President of the United States Conf...


at No comments:

AGENDAS AND VIDEO UPLOADS: Mesa City Council Study Session + Regular Meeting Today Mon 26 June 2017

Big back-load of "Approved Minutes" from May for Executive Sessions and for City Council Study Sessions and Regular Meetings from 6/1/207
Any citizen wishing to speak on an agenda item should complete and turn in a blue card to the City Clerk before that item is presented.
Information on City of Mesa webpage
Go to > http://mesa.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx

City Council Study Session 5:15
Mon 26 June 2017
AN UPLOAD FROM YOUTUBE OF THIS STUDY - THE AGENDA IS INSERTED BELOW SO READERS OF THIS BLOG CAN UNDERSTAND THE DETAILS THAT FREQUENTLY GET MISSED... The image you see is District 1 Councilmember Mark Freeman looking very serious just asking about the citrus groves around the new Falcon Field Center [his family has owned acres for years].
David Luna, Vice Mayor sits in for John Giles, reviewing items for regular meeting at 5;45 and NOT A SINGLE COUNCILMEMBER ASKS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS


Roll Call
(Members of the Mesa City Council will attend either in person or by telephone conference call)
 
1 Review items on the agenda for the June 26, 2017 regular Council meeting [see below]

2 Approval of minutes from Executive Sessions held in May 2017
  • May 4
  • May 11
  • May 18
  • May 25

3 Acknowledge receipt of minutes of various boards and committees. 

3-a 17-0716 Economic Development Advisory Board meeting held on May 2, 2017
On agenda: 6/26/2017
Title: Economic Development Advisory Board meeting held on May 2, 2017.
Attachments: 1. 5 2 17 City of Mesa EDAB Approved Minutes.pdf

3-b 17-0759 Economic Development Committee meeting held on May 9, 2017
On agenda: 6/26/2017
Title: Economic Development Committee meeting held on May 9, 2017.
Attachments: 1. May 8, 2017 Economic Development


4 Hear reports on meetings and/or conferences attended.
5 Scheduling of meetings and general information.
6 Adjournment.
 
 _______________________________________________________________________
 
City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
Mon 26 June 2017 5:45 PM
AN UPLOAD FROM YOUTUBE OF THIS MEETING - THE AGENDA IS INSERTED BELOW SO READERS OF THIS BLOG CAN UNDERSTAND THE DETAILS THAT FREQUENTLY GET MISSED...
Nice Awards Ceremony to start this off, including recognition of Venue Builders and Community Development Partners for adaptive re-use of an historic property The Alhambra Hotel into a student residence hall.
Consent Agenda goes by in a fast flash
Note: few members of the public in attendance at these meetings and only 10 views

 
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION All citizens are permitted and encouraged to speak on agenda items including and preceding “Items from citizens present.” If you are interested in speaking on such an agenda item, please fill out a blue card in the back of the room and give it to the City Clerk.  When the Council considers the item, you will be called to the podium to provide your comments.
 
4 Take action on the following contracts:
17-0665 Three-Year Term Contract for Water/Wastewater Treatment and Pool Chemicals for the Water Resources and Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Departments, and the Materials and Supply Warehouse (Citywide)
Not to exceed $4,7000,000 annually
This contract will provide the various chemicals Water Resources needs to treat raw water and wastewater, and the chemicals Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities needs to treat swimming pool water.
The Water Resources, Parks Recreation and Community Facilities Departments, and Business Services, and Purchasing recommend awarding the contract to the lowest, responsive and responsible bidders: A & M Corson's Aqua Value; AllChem Industries Holding Corp, dba AllChem Performance Products; BHS Marketing, dba BHS Specialty Chemical Products; Brenntag Pacific, Inc.; Chemrite, Inc.; DPC Enterprises; Evoqua Water Technologies LLC; Hill Brothers Chemical; Kemira Water; Leslie's Poolmart, Inc.; Norwalk Wastewater Equipment Co. Inc., dba Norweco Inc.; Pencco, Inc.; Polydyne, Inc.; Salt Works (a Mesa business); and Thatcher Company of Arizona, Inc.
*4-a
17-0673 Term Contracts for HVAC Services and Equipment for the Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department (Citywide)
not to exceed $2,700,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
These contracts will provide a more efficient method to procure HVAC equipment and services to more effectively manage Facilities Maintenance’s heavy workload.  Purchasing equipment and services through competitively bid cooperative contracts will provide more flexibility to the City and speed up the purchasing process.  This will allow Facilities Maintenance to complete more work while ensuring the City still receives the best value.
The Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department and Purchasing recommend awarding term contracts using three cooperative contracts:  US Communities with Trane; 1GPA with Midstate Energy, and Pueblo Mechanical & Controls; National IPA with Comfort Systems USA, and HACI Service LLC; cumulatively not to exceed $2,700,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
*4-b
Page 3 City of Mesa Printed on 6/22/2017
June 26, 2017City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
17-0692 Dollar-Limit Increase to the Term Contract for Custodial Services for the Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department as requested by Facilities Maintenance (Citywide)
dollar-limit increase of $32,875.48 with Varsity Facility Services, increasing the annual contract amount from $2,174,020.15 to $2,206,895.63, for the third-year contract term.
This contract provides custodial services at City facilities on the scheduled days and frequencies as specified. Facilities Maintenance is requesting the increase of $32,875.48 for the addition of services at the Mesa Regional Dispatch Center ($14,617.24) and an increase of services for the Mesa Center for Higher Education ($18,258.24).  
The Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing a
*4-c
17-0664 Three-Year Term Contract for LED Traffic Signal Heads and Pedestrian Signals for the Materials and Supply Warehouse (for the Transportation Department) (Citywide)
not to exceed $104,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
This contract will provide traffic signal heads, pedestrian signals, equipment mounts, as well as pedestrian pushbutton stations, to maintain and modify existing traffic signals and as a supply for the construction of new traffic signals.
Transportation, Business Services, and Purchasing recommend awarding the contract to the lowest, responsive and responsible bidders, McCain, Inc., and JTB Supply Company, cumulatively
*4-d
17-0674 One-Year Renewal Contract for Managed Information Technology Services for the Mesa Center for Higher Education (MCHE) as requested by the Economic Development Department (District 4)
one-year renewal with Valor Global for $26,112, based on estimated requirements.
This contract provides a comprehensive managed IT solution to support multiple institutions of higher education leasing space in MCHE.  Services provided by this agreement includes: network and systems monitoring, server and network infrastructure support, and help desk/desktop support.  As part of the lease agreement with each of these institutions approved by Council on December 10, 2012, the City agreed to provide these services for the term of the lease.
The Economic Development Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing a one-year renewal with Valor Global for $26,112, based on estimated requirements.
*4-e
Page 4 City of Mesa Printed on 6/22/2017
June 26, 2017City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
17-0668 Three-Year Term Contract for Printing and Mailing of Election Publicity Pamphlets for the City Clerk's Office (Citywide)
Century Graphics, Inc., at $40,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
This contract provides printing and mailing services for the City's election publicity pamphlets. These services will be needed for the City's next General Election to be held on November 6, 2018, as well as any special elections the City Council may call. Publicity pamphlets are distributed to all Mesa households with registered voters.
The evaluation committee recommends awarding the contract to the highest-scored proposal from Century Graphics, Inc., at $40,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
*4-f
17-0697 Purchase of Microsoft Licensing to Upgrade the Transportation Department’s Servers as Requested by the Information Technology Department (Citywide)
CDW-G, at $84,793.24.
The Transportation Department - Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Group is upgrading their core computing systems.  The server equipment purchase approved by Council in November has been completed.  This purchase is for the Windows Server operating system and Microsoft SQL database licensing to be used with the new hardware.  This purchase will put the City’s ITS Systems onto current fully-supported operating system and database product versions with support life-cycles appropriate for the new server hardware.
The Information Technology and Transportation Departments, and Purchasing recommend authorizing the purchase from the State of Arizona cooperative contract with CDW-G, at $84,793.24.
*4-g
17-0675 Purchase of Software, Hardware, Services and Licenses for an Offsite Mirrored Storage Environment for the Police Department (Citywide)
Custom Storage, dba cStor, at $217,338.08; and State of Arizona contract with CDW-G, at $12,645.79; for the total purchase of $229,983.87.
The Police Department - Information Technology Unit has identified a need to create an offsite mirrored storage environment that will allow a back-up site for critical applications and shared drives.  In the event of a complete system failure, a power failure or a critical event, the back-up site will allow access.  The mirrored storage system will leverage software to reduce recovery time of critical systems in the event of a critical failure or cyber-attack such as Ransomware.
The Police and Information Technology Departments, and Purchasing recommend authorizing the purchase using The Cooperative Purchasing Network and State of Arizona cooperative contracts with Custom Storage, dba cStor, at $217,338.08; and State of Arizona contract with CDW-G, at $12,645.79; for the total purchase of $229,983.87.
*4-h
Page 5 City of Mesa Printed on 6/22/2017
June 26, 2017City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
17-0667 Purchase of Two Replacement Minivans - One for the Police and One for the Community Services Departments and One Replacement Sedan for the Environmental Management and Sustainability Department (Single Response) (Citywide)
Larry H. Miller Toyota, at $94,680.75
The three vehicles that are being replaced have met established criteria and will be either traded, auctioned, sold, or deployed to special uses as part of the ongoing City of Mesa vehicle replacement program.
The Fleet Services, Police, Community Services, and Environmental Management and Sustainability Departments, and Purchasing recommend authorizing the purchase from the single, responsive and responsible bidder, Larry H. Miller Toyota, at $94,680.75. The mini-vans are funded by the Vehicle Replacement Fund and the sedan is funded by the Environmental Compliance Fee.
*4-i
17-0629 Five-Year Term Contract for the Purchase of Axon Flex On-Body Camera Equipment, Supplies and Evidence.com Storage, and Controlled Electrical Weapon Equipment and Supplies for the Police Department (Sole Source) (Citywide)
Axon Enterprises, Inc., for the five-year purchase total of $3,872,660.65,
The Police Department is requesting a new contract that will combine Axon Enterprises (formerly Taser International) Flex On-Body Camera Equipment (OBC) and Storage and Controlled Electrical Weapon (CEW) Equipment and Supplies.  The benefits of a single contract include unlimited data storage and full warranty replacement or repair of both OBC and CEW equipment.  Upon implementation of the contract, all existing CEWs will be upgraded to the X2 model.  In addition, the Axon Flex On-Body Camera System can be upgraded every 2.5 years. 
The Axon Flex On-Body Cameras have been deployed to 350 members.  All inventory has been issued.  The Police Department has 823 active CEW devices that have been deployed to sworn officers, detention officers, municipal security officers and park rangers.
The Police Department and Purchasing recommend awarding the contract to the sole source vendor, Axon Enterprises, Inc., for the five-year purchase total of $3,872,660.65, based on estimated requirements.  The first year's costs are funded using $550,000 from the Police Department operating budget and $95,146.93 from Asset Forfeiture (RICO) funds.  Years two through five will be funded using the Police Department operating budget.
*4-j
Page 6 City of Mesa Printed on 6/22/2017
June 26, 2017City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
17-0666 Three-Year Term Contract for Vehicle Decals for the Fire and Medical, Police and various City Departments (Citywide)
VisionIT Media LLC, at $47,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
This contract will provide decals, graphics, and installation on Mesa's Fire and Medical apparatus, Police vehicles, sanitation trucks and other City vehicles, and equipment for identification of station/area location, type of apparatus, and vehicle function. A protest was received from RV Stripes and Graphics. The Protest Officer reviewed the issues raised per the procurement rules, and denied the protest. Copies of these documents are attached.
The Fire and Medical, and Fleet Services Departments, and Purchasing recommend awarding the contract to the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder, VisionIT Media LLC, at $47,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
*4-k
17-0654 Southeast Mesa Bicycle and Pedestrian Pathway, Santan Freeway (202) between Baseline and Elliot Roads (District 6)
J Banicki Construction  Inc, in the amount of $1,462,058.15, plus an additional $146,205.81 (10%) as a change order allowance, for a total amount of $1,608,263.96.
This project will provide a route for pedestrians and bicyclists in neighborhoods near the pathway to connect with other residential areas and businesses, and provide recreational and exercise activities. In addition, this pathway provides connectivity between the City’s existing and planned sidewalks, shared-use pathways, bike lanes, and routes located throughout the area. The new shared-use pathway corridor will be physically separated from ADOT areas through the construction of a new access control fence that will also keep pathway users and animals from accidentally entering the ADOT freeway.  The pathway corridor and facilities (landscaping, irrigation, path surface, lighting, etc.) will be maintained by the City of Mesa.
Staff recommends awarding the contract to the lowest, responsible bidder, J Banicki Construction Inc, in the amount of $1,462,058.15, plus an additional $146,205.81 (10%) as a change order allowance, for a total amount of $1,608,263.96. Funding is available from the 2012 authorized Parks Bonds and Local Streets Sales Tax.
*4-l
Page 7 City of Mesa Printed on 6/22/2017
June 26, 2017City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
17-0693 Main Library Tenant Improvements (Phase 1) (District 4)
This project is for the improvements at the Mesa Main Public Library located at 64 East 1st Street, which were identified in the 2014 Mesa Public Library Masterplan Report. 
Kroll Contractors, Inc., in the amount of $318,308.58, plus an additional $31,830.85 (10%) as a change order allowance, for a total amount of $350,139.43
The improvements include creating two new spaces:  a makerspace (THINKspot), and a teen room (Teen Zone).  The makerspace is a place where Mesa residents of all ages can innovate and create using technology such as 3D printers, computers with 3D software, and specialized equipment and software to record and edit audio and video.  THINKspot at Main will also include activities designed to help children develop motor skills and critical thinking, key early literacy skills that boost reading and writing readiness.  The teen room will allow young adults to access popular teen titles, research and prepare schoolwork, explore career and college choices, and learn digital media skills using library equipment and software that may not be available in their homes or accessible at school.
Staff recommends awarding the contract to the lowest, responsible bidder, Kroll Contractors, Inc., in the amount of $318,308.58, plus an additional $31,830.85 (10%) as a change order allowance, for a total amount of $350,139.43.  Funding is available from the Community Development Block Grant funds, Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community Grant funds, and Library Operational funds.
*4-m
5 Take action on the following resolutions:
17-0271 Levying the amount to be collected by a secondary property tax and the rate upon each one hundred dollars ($100) of assessed valuation of property subject to taxation within the City of Mesa for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018. (Citywide)
The FY 2017-18 secondary property tax rate of $1.0968 represents a 5.3% reduction from the prior year’s tax rate, while maintaining a tax levy of $33.4 million.
*5-a
17-0661 Approving and authorizing the City Manager to enter into a Lease Agreement with A New Leaf, Inc., for the property and improvements located at 3511 East University Drive, Mesa, AZ. (District 2)
*5-b
17-0688 Approving and authorizing the City Manager to enter into a Development Agreement with Farnsworth Development Company, Springs Seven Development, Inc., Springs Nine Development, Inc., SSV Unit 8 Development, Inc., and Sunland Springs Village Homeowners Association, related to the dedication of future right-of-way and payment for the construction of roadway improvements adjacent to the Sunland Springs Village Unit 9 development near Meridian and Guadalupe Roads. (District 6)
*5-c
Page 8 City of Mesa Printed on 6/22/2017
June 26, 2017City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
17-0689 Approving and authorizing the City Manager to enter into a three-year Agreement with Visit Mesa, Inc., for the distribution of a portion of the City’s transient lodging tax proceeds for the promotion of tourism in Mesa, Arizona. (Citywide)
*5-d
6 Introduction of the following ordinances and setting July 3, 2017 as the date of the public hearing on these ordinances:
17-0373 Amending the Mesa City Code, Section 9-6-3 regarding intersection sight requirements to remove Figure 20 to be consistent with current City standards; and sections 9-6-4 and 9-8-3 regarding the installation of street name signs within a subdivision by the subdivider/developer. (Citywide) *6-a
 
17-0053 Z16-059 (District 6) 
The 4200 block of South Power Road (east side).  Located north of Warner Road on the east side of Power Road (2.3 ± acres). 
Rezoning from LC-AF-PAD to LC-AF-PAD; and Site Plan Modification. 
This request provides modifications to development standards for the redevelopment of an existing commercial center. 
Trudy Licano, applicant; Powergate Investments LLC & GBSP LLC, owner. 
Staff Recommendation:  Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation:  Approval with conditions (Vote: 6-0)
*6-b
17-0656 Z16-023 (District 5) 
The 2400 to 2600 blocks of North Greenfield Road (west side).  Located south of McDowell Road on the west side of Greenfield Road (69.34± acres). 
Rezone from PEP-PAD (formerly DMP) and PS-PAD to PEP-PAD (63.59± acres) and PS-PAD (5.75± acres) (removing conditions of approval) and modifying the development master plan (project narrative) for zoning case Z08-022. 
This request will allow development of a business park. 
William Jabjiniak, City of Mesa, applicant; City of Mesa, owner.
Staff Recommendation:  Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation:  Approval with conditions (Vote: 7-0)
*6-c
17-0657 Z17-017 (District 5)  The 1100 block of North Ellsworth Road (west side).  Located on the west side of Ellsworth Road, south of Brown Road (4.84 ± acres). 
Rezone from RS-43 to LC-BIZ and Site Plan Review. 
This request will allow for a self-storage facility. 
Adam Baugh, Withey Morris, PLC, applicant; Magic Gifts, LLC, owner.
Staff Recommendation:  Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation:  Approval with conditions (Vote: 7-0)
*6-d
Page 9 City of Mesa Printed on 6/22/2017
June 26, 2017City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
17-0658 Z17-020 (District 1)  The 2400 to 2800 blocks of East Thomas Road (north side).  Located north of Thomas Road and west of Lindsay Road alignment (13.3 ± acres).  Rezone from Maricopa County RU-43 to City of Mesa RS-43. 
This request will establish City zoning on recently annexed property. 
City of Mesa, applicant; City of Mesa, owner. 
Staff Recommendation:  Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation:  Approval with conditions (Vote: 7-0)
*6-e
17-0663 Z17-014 (District 5)  The 8700 to 9000 blocks of East Main Street (south side).  Located south of Main Street and west of Ellsworth Road (36.58± acres). 
Rezone from Maricopa County C-3 and RU-43 to City of Mesa GC and RS-43.
This request will establish City zoning on recently annexed property. 
City of Mesa, applicant; Rodger Overson, owner.
Staff Recommendation:  Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation:  Approval with conditions (Vote: 7-0)
*6-f
7 Discuss, receive public comment, and take action on the following ordinances:
17-0634 Z17-018 (District 4) 
The 400 block of South Bellview (east side).  Located south of Broadway Road and east of Mesa Drive (.5± acres).  Rezone from NC to RSL-4.5. 
This will allow for the development of 3 single residential lots. 
Kim Fallbeck, City of Mesa, applicant; City of Mesa, owner. 
Staff Recommendation:  Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation:  Approval with conditions (Vote: 7-0)
*7-a
17-0635 Amending Section 11-31-34 of the Mesa City Code pertaining to medical marijuana facilities, including dispensaries, cultivation facilities, and infusion facilities, regarding the separation of churches from the medical marijuana facilities. (Citywide)
Staff Recommendation:  Approval P&Z Board Recommendation:  Approval (Vote: 7-0)
*7-b
17-0621 Ordinance repealing the existing Personnel Rules applicable to City of Mesa employees, and adopting new Personnel Rules needed primarily to ensure compliance with changes in Arizona State law pursuant to the passage of Proposition 206. (Citywide)
*7-c
Page 10 City of Mesa Printed on 6/22/2017
June 26, 2017City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
8 Take action on the following subdivision plats:
17-0669 “Mission Park” (District 1) 
The 2200 block of East University Drive (north side).  16 RM-2 BIZ attached single residence lots (2.1± acres). 
Brighton Companies, LLC, owner;
Duran T. Thompson, D&M Engineering, surveyor. *8-a
 
17-0670 “DU3/4 East Phase 2 Infrastructure” (District 6) 
The 4800-5000 blocks of South Copernicus, the 9600 9900 blocks of East Point Twenty-Two Boulevard and the 4800-5000 blocks of South Inspirian Parkway.  Located north and east of Ray and Ellsworth Roads. 
1 PCD landscape tract (8.6± acres). 
DMB Mesa Proving Grounds, LLC, owner;
Raymond S. Munoz III, EPS Group, surveyor. *8-b
 
17-0671 “Desert Creek - Phase 2” (District 5) 
The 2900-3000 blocks of North Red Mountain (south side) and 2900-3000 blocks of North Ridgecrest (west side).  Located north and east of McDowell and Power Roads. 
42 RM-2 PAD single residence lots (7.02± acres).
Calatlantic Homes of Arizona, Inc., owner;
Raymond S. Munoz III, EPS Group, surveyor. *8-c
 
17-0672 “Eastmark Lot 6 of 7-50 (Phase 2) Replat” (District 6) 
The 5000 block of South Eastmark Parkway.  Located north and west of Ray and Signal Butte Roads. 1 PCD lot for a school (5.4± acres). 
Basis Schools, Inc., owner;
Kenneth P. Converse, Hoskin-Ryan Consultants, Inc., surveyor.
 
 
at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

CRYPTO MEME TOKEN JUMPS: Creating Market Value

Dogecoin increased by as much as 24.6% on Tuesday to nearly $0.44 and by about 10% on Wednesday to over $0.42 as of around 10:25 a.m. EST, s...