MesaZona > Table of Contents : Here's The Menu. Enjoy

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Up For Approval/Discussion @ July 20. 2016 City Council Meeting

City Council Report
Date: July 5, 2016
To: City Council
       Through: Mike Kennington, Chief Financial Officer
                      Candace Cannistraro, Management and Budget Director
From: Ryan Wimmer, Management and Budget Deputy Director
Subject: FY 2016-17 Secondary Property Tax Rate and Levy

Purpose and Recommendation
The purpose of this item is for the Mesa City Council to approve the levy of a secondary property tax on taxable property in the City of Mesa for FY 2016-17.

The levy can only be used to pay principal and interest on debt service from General Obligation (G.O.) bonds issued to finance capital infrastructure in the City.
The recommended FY 201617 secondary property tax levy of $33,440,629 maintains the FY 2015-16 levy of $33,439,694 (difference due to required rounding of the tax rate).
The corresponding FY 2016-17 secondary property tax rate is $1.1578 per $100 of taxable property (decreased from $1.2125 in FY 2015-16).

Background
Since FY 2009-10, the City of Mesa has levied a secondary property tax to pay for debt service on General Obligation bonds.
In General Obligation bond elections in 2008, 2012, and 2013, ballot language approved by Mesa voters included specific language stating that the issuance of the bonds would result in a property tax increase sufficient to pay the annual debt service on the bonds.
The City uses the tax levy (not the tax rate) to manage the secondary property tax.
Unless new General Obligation bonds are authorized by voters, or the Council provides specific direction to alter the levy, the tax rate is adjusted to maintain the same levy from one year to the next. The amount of the levy is intended to fund the annual cost of debt service over the life of the bonds. State law (A.R.S. §35-458(A)) limits a secondary property tax levy to the amount of General Obligation principal and interest due, plus a reasonable delinquency factor.

The recommended FY 2016-17 property tax is levied to pay debt service payments for:  Streets and Public Safety bonds approved by Mesa voters in 2008 and 2013 

Parks bonds approved by Mesa voters in 2012 
Court, Public Safety, Library, Parks issued before 2008.
Streets bonds issued before 2008.

By funding this debt with property tax, the General Fund is freed up to pay for the operating costs for two new fire stations and other city operations.
A flat $33.4 million property tax levy is recommended in FY 2016-17 to maintain the same levy amount as in FY 2015-16 (see Table 1 below).
Table 1. City of Mesa – Secondary Property Tax Levy by Purpose

Discussion

Property Value
The value of each property in the City is determined annually either by Maricopa County or by the State of Arizona. This property value used in a given fiscal year is based on market values from two to three years prior in order to allow time for review by the State Department of Revenue and for property owners to appeal a valuation. For example, the FY 2016-17 assessed value is based on property valuations from  mid-2013 to mid-2014 (see ‘2016 Tax Role Timeline’ attachment published by the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office). Property is assigned a full cash value (FCV) and a limited property value (LPV). Limited property value is restricted to a 5% maximum increase each year; full cash value does not have an annual increase restriction. A property’s limited property value cannot exceed its full cash value.
The full cash value (based on market value) of property in Mesa increased by 11% in FY 2016-17. The net assessed value, which is the property value subject to taxation and based on the limited property value increased 4.7%. Therefore, the recommended FY 2016-17 secondary property tax rate is reduced by 4.5% in order to maintain the same $33.4 million total levy (see Table 2 below).

Table 2. City of Mesa – Property Value, Rate, and Levy: FY15-16 to FY16-17
FY15-16 FY16-17 $ Change % Change
Full Cash Value* $33.9 Billion $37.6 Billion +$3.7 Billion   +11.1%
Net Assessed Value* (taxable amount - based on Limited Property Value) $2.76 Billion $2.89 Billion +$0.13 Billion   +4.7%
Secondary Property Tax Rate (per $100 of Net Assessed Value) $1.2125 $1.1578 -$0.0547 -4.5% Secondary Property Tax Levy $33.4 Million $33.4 Million $0    0.0%
*Source: Maricopa County Assessor Preliminary (February) Tax Year 2015 and 2016 Property Value Abstracts

The secondary property tax levy is calculated by applying the secondary property tax rate to the net assessed value of property in the City. As the net assessed value of property increases or decreases, the City has historically adjusted the tax rate to maintain a steady levy.
Although, the full cash value of all City property increased by 11%, property valuation changes vary by classification of property (see Table 3 below).


Table 3. City of Mesa – Full Cash Value by Property Classification: FY15/16 - FY16/17
Class Description FY15-16 FY16-17 $ Change % Change
1 Commercial $ 5.3 B $ 6.2 B +$0.9 B +16%
2 Land/Agriculture $ 4.8 B $ 5.3 B +$0.5 B +12%
3 Primary Residential $16.2 B $17.4 B +$1.2 B + 8%
4 Rental $ 7.6 B $ 8.6 B +$1.0 B +13%
Other Miscellaneous $ 0.0 B $ 0.1 B +$0.1 B    +256% TOTAL $33.9 B $37.6 B +$3.7 B +11% Source: Maricopa County Assessor Preliminary (February) Tax Year 2015 and 2016 Property Value Abstracts

Impact to Property Owners
The combined effect of higher property values and a lower property tax rate results in no net impact to the average property owner in the City in FY 2016-17. Owners of a median-valued residential property in Mesa would pay $126 in city property tax
.
Alternatives
The Council may choose to levy the recommended secondary property tax amount and rate for FY 2016-17, not levy a secondary property tax at all, or levy an amount and rate at any level less than the proposed levy. A reduction to the recommended levy and rate would necessitate the payment of General Obligation debt service with the General Fund, requiring commensurate reductions to General Fund services provided by the City (police, fire and medical, library, parks, etc.). The levy cannot be higher than the proposed amount because secondary property tax can only be used to pay for General Obligation debt service, and the recommended levy is sufficient to fund all estimated General Obligation debt service due in FY 2016-17.

Fiscal Impact
Adopting the recommended secondary property tax levy and rate would allow the City to meet its General Obligation debt service obligations as planned. The levy is a critical piece in maintaining the fiscal stability of the City.

Mesa's Debt Bomb: An Interested Citizen from 2014

In mid-August, 2014, Gilbert Watch published an article written by Mr. Gene Dufoe titled "Mesa's Debt Bomb, thanks to former Mayor Scott Smith."
Click HERE to read the article.
Mr. Dufoe has been doing more research and has provided the following update.
Your MesaZona blogger is re-publishing the entire update from this source >>
http://www.gilbertwatch.com/index.cfm/blog/mesa-s-debt-bomb-vote-no-to-all-four-bond-issues/

Vote NO on all four of the bond issues.

It is time for the City of Mesa to cut all but essential services; for repayment schedules to be part of any future bond authorizations; and get back to pay-as-we-go management. We need to pay for the City’s needs without drastically increasing taxes or utilities.

Since July 1, 2011, the debt of the City of Mesa has ballooned from nearly $1,356 Million (that's $1.356 Billion) to nearly $1,932 Million ($1.932 Billion) and we are being asked to approve another $580 Million in new revenue bonds for a total indebtedness of $2,512 million ($2.512 Billion) or nearly double what we owed in July 2011!

Not only will that be a major increase of the debt, but it will also cause utility rates to continue to dramatically increase. This will occur because of the combining the lengthening of the bond life with the current City of Mesa approach to the repaying of Utility Revenue Bonds with interest-only payments for the first twenty-nine or thirty years and then paying the BALLOON principal payment(s) in the last year or two of the now 30-year bonds.

Note that the life of the Revenue Utility Bonds have increased from 18 years in 2009 to 24 years in 2014 and now 30 years for the new bonds to be voted on in November 3, 2014.
In an economy growing better than three years ago, the City Council is not properly protecting the interests of the City of Mesa residents.
The City Council and Mayor Giles, as the newly-elected mayor, needs a wakeup call. Note that Mayor Giles also served in the City of Mesa City Council from 1996 to 2000.
On Monday, Oct. 5, I spoke at the City of Mesa Council meeting for 3 minutes on why $580,000,000 Utility Revenue Bonds should not be approved at the election on November 4.

To see why the concentration on the City of Mesa’s Utility Bonds, we need to look at the City of Mesa Budget: FY2014-15 Auditor General Schedules A-G: Schedule A Summary of Estimated Revenues and Expenditures.
Click HERE.
Looking at Interfund Transfers In (Out), we discover Transfers (OUT) of $(173,606,136) for the ENTERPRISE FUND and Transfers (IN) of $85,429,615 to the GENERAL FUND plus $92,164,059 to the DEBT SERVICE FUNDS.
The ENTERPRISE FUND is the business portion of the City of Mesa operations, i.e., the various utility operations run by the city. This withdrawal from the ENTERPRISE FUND is taking more than $173 million of the current profits of the various utility funds and using it mostly for the current operations of the GENERAL FUND and the DEBT SERVICE FUNDS.
Note that the Property Tax Revenues of $33,440,000 also boosts the DEBT SERVICE FUNDS. The result is the City of Mesa is taking current funds from the Enterprise Fund to spend immediately. They are not using that money to responsibly maintain the infrastructure required by Enterprise Fund operations. Instead, they are asking the residents of Mesa to mortgage our future as well as our children and grandchildren's future, to make many of these needed infrastructure improvements with revenue bonds that will last through the year 2044.
The earlier article I wrote (click HERE) discusses how the Utility Revenue Bonds are paid from the revenues i.e., the monthly water, waste water, electric, natural gas, and solid waste (garbage) utility bills, so they do not effect the direct tax burden.
However, paying utility bills comes out of the same pocket as paying any other bill.
This year’s CIty of Mesa rate increases on July 1, 2014, over the prior year, are as follows:
• Electric rates increased by 2%,
• Natural Gas rates increased by 3%,
• Water rates increased by 7%,
• Wastewater rates increased by 7%,
• Solid Waste rates increased by 6.9%.
The Secondary Property Tax also increased from $22,105,000 last year to $33,440,000 this fiscal year.
That is an average 51% increase per household.
The only other CIty of Mesa Interfund Transfers (OUT) is $(7,038,653) from the IMPACT FEE FUNDS, and the only other Transfers (IN) is $3,051,115 to RESTRICTED FUNDS.
Impact fees are assessed for new construction and are intended to go toward building the infrastructure for that new construction; however, the City Council has voted to use impact fees to bolster the General Fund and satisfy Debt Service.
According to Ryan Wimmer of Mesa’s Office of Management and Budget, on July 1, 2014, the authorized, but not yet sold, bonds total $219,668,000 of which $72,213,000 are Utility Revenue Bonds.
A total of $580,000,000 on the November 4, 2014, ballot is divided as follows:
•  Water System Revenue Bonds: $315,700,000;
•  Wastewater System Revenue Bonds: $178,200,000;
•  Electrical System Revenue Bonds: $27,000,000; and
•  Gas System Revenue Bonds: $59,100,000.
The bonds shall be payable solely from the revenues of the City’s utility systems, bear interest not exceeding 10% per annum, and pay principal over not more than 30 years from the date issued.
The last utility revenue bonds, Series 2014, were for only 24 years. If these utility revenue bonds are funded in the same manner as those previously authorized and sold, these bonds will be repaid over the coming years with interest-only payments for most of the years. The principal won't be paid until the last year or two of the bond's life. This will mean that the total interest repaid will be significantly more than the initial bond principal.

From the “Moody’s assigns Aa2 rating to City of Mesa, Arizona’s Utility Systems Revenue Bonds, Series 2011” dated 13 May 2011, the following is quoted: “In fiscal 2010, $84.4 million was transferred from the Utility (Enterprise) Fund to the General Fund revenues. Near term transfer amounts are forecasted to remain stable at $83.6 million.”
However, that did not happen.
Since that time:

The Secondary Property Tax has increased from $14.1 million in FY10/11 to over $33 million in FY2014/15;
The Enterprise Fund transfer to the General Fund and Debt Service has increased from $83.6 million to over $173 million in the current year;
The stated bond indebtedness has increased from $1,354,816,963 on July 1, 2011, to $1,710,800,000.

That is an increase of nearly $356 million in debt in three years.
The City of Mesa still has $219,668,000 of taxpayer-approved bond authorization, not yet sold, and is requesting approval for an additional $580,000,000 in Utility Revenue Bonds.
If the four Revenue Utility Bond issues pass, and considering the already approved bonds not yet sold, that will be an addition to the current debt of nearly an additional $800 million.
Vote NO to these bond issues!

Article written by Gene Dufoe, interested citizen of Mesa
Mr. Dufoe is a retired Boeing engineer/manager who possesses the following degrees: BSAE, MSAE, and an MBA with an emphasis in Finance.

Boeing Apache 64-E Attack Helicopters Get Updated

U.S. Army Develops Apache ‘Version 6’ Update

by Bill Carey July 10, 2016, 1:45 AM
http://www.ainonline.com/
The U.S. Army is developing a Version 6 update of the Boeing AH-64E Apache that by 2018 will enhance its fire-control radar, expand its ability to communicate with unmanned aircraft and soldiers on the ground, and increase onboard processing speeds.
Image above shows APACHE AH-64E and AH-6i helicopters at Boeing's Mesa, AZ facility. (Photos via http://www.miltechmag.com/ ]
The work was underway as the service sought approval for its first multi-year procurement of the fearsome attack helicopter.

The “heavily software dependent” Version 6 capabilities will be implemented on the latest-model Apache by April 2018 at a cost of $298.5 million, according to a “Justification and Approval” document signed in April 2015 by Heidi Shyu, the Army’s senior procurement executive.

The technology insertions can be retrofitted at Apache unit locations, said Apache project manager Col. Jeffrey Hager, who briefed reporters on the project last month at the Boeing Defense manufacturing facility in Mesa, Arizona. . .

. . . Enhancements to the Apache’s AN/APG-78 Longbow fire-control radar will extend its range, improve its ability to recognize threats and enable over-water maritime targeting. “Current and potential future conflicts mandate the need for the Apache to counter enemy anti-access/area denial [threats] such as unmanned aircraft, amphibious assault vehicles and hovercraft, at extended ranges and under adverse weather conditions,” according to the project justification document.

Version 6 also calls for integrating soldier waveform radio voice and data capability “using the second channel” within the Apache’s Link 16 airborne terminal. This will “better support the warfighter while meeting the net-centric requirement to provide direct voice communications with supported soldiers and exchange individual position information to increase situational awareness and prevent fratricide within the joint fight.
New multi-core mission processors will provide more memory and faster processing speeds. A cognitive decision aiding system will be integrated, helping to decrease pilot workload and improve decision making efficiency. Also integrated will be a modernized rocket launcher, and the capability to deploy the advanced AGM-114R “Hellfire Romeo” air-to-surface missile
Manned-Unmanned Teaming
The update will also introduce the next-generation capability of Manned-Unmanned Teaming-Extended, or “MUMT-X” enabling Apaches to interoperate with a wider range of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and other platforms.
Already, the crew of an AH-64E equipped with a tactical common data link (TCDL) can control the General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle and the Textron Systems Shadow V2 in flight—so-called Level 4 capability. (Level 1 is the receipt and transmission of secondary imagery; Level 2 is receipt of imagery directly from the UAS; and Level 3 is control of the UAS payload.) MUMT-X calls for TCDL capability to be expanded to include C, L and S-band communications, Hager said.
During the press trip to the Mesa facility, the Army and Boeing (Chalet B6, OE G4) were negotiating a multi-year procurement for 275 AH-64Es—which are remanufactured from earlier versions—with options for up to 450 total helicopters, to include foreign military sales and additional U.S. Apaches.
According to Hager and Kim Smith, Boeing vice president of attack helicopter programs, the multi-year buy was approved by congressional oversight committees and the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, Frank Kendall.
The contract would extend from Fiscal Years 2017 to 2021, providing “the capability to come back quickly to Boeing and ask for more airframes,” said Hager. “That’s really what it comes down to—we want speed and agility in how we do contracting operations. We’ve procured anywhere from 35 to 56 aircraft [annually]. It’s been very volatile over these last several years. That’s why we want to take on the stability of a multi-year contract.”
The parties expected to conclude the multi-year contract no later than the second quarter of FY2017, or between January and March next year. Boeing wanted to do it sooner. “We’ve been working very hard to see how we can pull that schedule to the left,” said Smith..

Saturday, July 09, 2016

Where The Money Goes > Consent Agenda for Monday's City Council Meeting July 11,2016

City Council Meeting Agenda
Tentative [Printed on June 30, 2016]
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
All citizens are permitted and encouraged to speak on agenda items.
If you are interested in speaking on 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.

CONSENT AGENDA All items listed with an asterisk (*) will be considered as a group by the City Council and will be enacted with one motion.

There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Councilmember or citizen requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered as a separate item.
If a citizen wants an item removed from the consent agenda, a blue card must be completed and given to the City Clerk prior to the Council’s vote on the consent agenda.
Items on the Consent Agenda

Take action on the following contracts:

16-0760 $135,410 annually 3-year contract
Three-Year Term Contract for Custodial Services for Parks and Sports Field Facilities for the Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department (Citywide)
This contract provides custodial services for numerous City park restrooms. Work includes furnishing all labor, transportation and equipment to perform the janitorial service as specified.
The Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department, and Purchasing recommend awarding a three-year contract with Clean Scene AZ, LLC, at $135,410 annually, based on estimated requirements.

16-0751 $65,000 annually [1-year renewal]
One-Year Renewal for the Term Contract for Heavy Duty Synthetic Diesel Oil for the Fleet Services Department (Citywide)
The Fleet Services Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing a one-year renewal using the Mohave Educational Services cooperative contract with North American Lubricants, at $65,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.

16-0748 $350,000 [5-month renewal]
Five-Month Contract Renewal for Ammunition for the Police Department (Citywide)
Mesa, as the lead/issuing agency, together with City of Tempe Police Department, Navajo County Sheriff's Office, and Cochise County Sheriff's Office, solicited bids to enter into this contract for the purchase of ammunition. Specifications and requirements of each agency were included in the bid solicitation. Renewal is being requested because the solicitation is taking longer than expected because it will be a national cooperative contract led by the City.
The Police Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing a five-month renewal with San Diego Police Equipment Co, Inc., Miwall Corporation and Professional Police Supply, dba Adamson Police Products, cumulatively not to exceed $350,000, based on estimated requirements.

16-0777 $100,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
One-Year Term Contract for IT Infrastructure Storage Equipment to Support Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras for the Police Department (Citywide)
The Police IT Division is requesting the purchase of additional storage hardware in support of the CCTV for the Police Holding Facility. This storage will allow approximately 200 days of archived video retention for jail cameras, and will accommodate both the existing cameras, as well as the anticipated additions as part of the holding facility expansion.
The Police Department and Purchasing recommend awarding the contract using the National IPA City of Tucson cooperative contract with CDW-G, at $100,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
The initial purchase (approximately $32,500) is funded by Asset Forfeiture Funds.

16-0764 The combined total award is $394,578.40
Purchase of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Data Analysis Software and Personal Computers for the Fire and Medical Department (Citywide)
This scientific, industry-vetted software solution will meet and support Mesa Fire and Medical's long-term strategic planning decisions. The product Integrates with Intergraph, Mesa's current CAD solution, and is designed specifically for fire and medical services.
The Fire and Medical Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing the purchase from the sole source vendor, Deccan International, at $323,318.69; using the State of Arizona cooperative contract with Dell Computers, at $5,496.64; and project contingency, at $65,763.07. The combined total award is $394,578.40.
This purchase is funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services - CMS Grant.
16-0747  $77,947 in the first year, and $8,509 in the second
Two-Year Term Contract for a Hosted Triage Software Solution for the Fire and Medical Department (Citywide)
Telehealth triage is a new and an effective process for directing patients to the appropriate level of health care. Under its Centers for Medicare Innovation Award, the Community Care program utilizes a registered nurse in the 911 Dispatch Center as part of the Telehealth service within the 911 system. The nurse is charged with triaging low level calls, and providing either advice, or dispatching the appropriate fire and/or medical service, to the caller’s home. This purchase will provide a vendor-hosted software solution that will support the Telehealth Triage program.
The evaluation committee recommends awarding a two-year contract to the highest-scored proposal from LVM Systems, Inc., at $77,947 in the first year, and $8,509 in the second year, based on estimated requirements.

16-0749  $350,000 first year total;years 2 through 5, at $36,000 annually, for on-going maintenance and support.
Purchase of a Replacement Vendor-Hosted Information Technology Services Management (ITSM) System for the Information Technology Department (Citywide)
The Information Technology Department (ITD) is seeking a replacement for their existing obsolete ITSM system that will include Help Desk ticketing, a streamlined user portal for add/change request fulfillment, incident management, asset management, change management, configuration management and service level tracking. This user portal can provide "one stop shopping" for users across the City to request IT services. This system will be a robust, resilient, and scalable vendor-hosted solution that uses current technology and leverages industry best practices.
The Information Technology Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing the purchase using the State of Arizona cooperative contract with SHI International, at $306,705.70, plus a project contingency, at $43,294.30, for the first-year total of $350,000; and years 2 through 5, at $36,000 annually, for on-going maintenance and support

16-0753 $570,432.58. combined total award
Purchase of Hardware and Software for the City’s Annual Server/Storage Lifecycle Replacement Program (Citywide)
This purchase leverages the latest technology to keep pace as more of the City's applications move into cloud environments and it takes into account the plans to move into a new datacenter by consolidating server and storage resources.
The Information Technology Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing the purchase using the U.S. Communities cooperative contract with Insight Public Sector, Inc., at $519,432.58, plus a 10% project contingency, at $51,000, for the combined total award of $570,432.58.
This purchase is in FY 2017’s replacement program with funding available in Information Technology’s Lifecycle Roadmap.
16-0752 $100,834.91 combined total award
Purchase of Server/Storage Hardware for the City’s IT Security Auditing System for the Information Technology Department (Citywide)
This purchase will provide the supporting server/storage hardware to enhance the cyber-security protection for the City’s computer network.
A separate agreement is being finalized to update the City’s licensing of the software used.
The City has been using this system to collect, monitor and audit security event data to detect unauthorized access and changes. It provides daily reports and dashboards that are useful to the IT Security Team; the data they need to perform audits, respond to incidents and handle security investigation requests.
ITD will expand the use of the system throughout the enterprise to help build the framework for a security intelligence platform capable of identifying known and unknown threats in real-time, while greatly reducing overall security exposure and response times.
The Information Technology Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing the purchase using cooperative contracts with vendors: CDWG, at $27,107.75; and EMC Corporation, at $73,727.16; for a combined total award of $100,834.91.

16-0754 $643,318.75.combined total award
Purchase of Equipment and Hosting Fees for the City's Data Center Relocation Project for the Information Technology Department (Citywide)
This purchase will provide a local, commercial data center (AT&T) that is within the City limits and will use Mesa's fiber optic infrastructure. Over a one-year period, AT&T will become the City's primary data center, moving from the Information Technology (IT) building that is currently located at 59 East First Street, and in need of significant upgrades. Additional benefits include: redundant power; heating and cooling; removal of single points of failure; 24/7 monitoring and dedicated security staff; ability to reuse the City's IT building for other purposes; reduced power usage (greener computing); flexibility to expand or contract with demand; and easier access to a wide variety of internet service providers.
The Information Technology Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing purchases using sole source and cooperative contracts, and competitive quoted and lowest bid pricing; with AT&T, at $321,815.45; Sentinel Technologies, at $176,876.56; U.S. Critical, at $15,870.62; Zayo Group, at $70,272.60; and project contingency, at $58,483.52. The combined total award is $643,318.75.

16-0750  cumulatively not to exceed $200,000 annually,
One-Year Renewal of the Term Contract for Heavy Equipment Rental for the Transportation Department (Citywide)
This contract provides multiple vendors for the rental of a variety of heavy equipment available with and without an operator on an as-needed basis. This equipment will be used for storm drain system maintenance, right-of-way maintenance and road hazard responses.
The Transportation Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing a one-year renewal using the State of Arizona cooperative contract with multiple vendors: RDO Construction Equipment Company; Hertz Equipment Rental Corp.; Empire Southwest, LLC (a Mesa business); Earhart Equipment Corp.; Qualex Construction Inc.; Sunbelt Rentals, Inc.; and Neff Rental, LLC; cumulatively not to exceed $200,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.

16-0735 $6,816,864 total authorized amount
Arterial Street Reconstructions / Traffic Signal Projects - University Drive (Sossaman to 88th Street), Signal Butte Road (Southern Avenue to Weir Avenue), Southern Avenue (58th Place to Power Road) (Districts 5 and 6)
This project will replace the deteriorated asphalt pavement with new asphalt pavement that includes a polymer modified asphalt surface course improvements, expansion to the existing curbs and sidewalks, street lighting, ITS infrastructure and waterline infrastructure. The intersection of University Drive and Sossaman Road will be widened to increase roadway capacity. Repairs will be made to existing sewer manholes that are in need of rehabilitation, and installation of a traffic signal at Signal Butte and Emelita Avenue/Grove Street.
Staff recommends awarding the project contract to the lowest, responsible bidder, Nesbitt Contracting Co., Inc., in the amount of $6,197,149, and authorize a change order allowance in the amount of $619,715 (10%), for a total authorized amount of $6,816,864.
Funding is made available through the FY13/14 Street Bond Program, Local Streets Sales Tax, FY 14/15 Water Bond Program and Wastewater Reserve, and the Extension and Replacement Fund Program.

16-0758 $36,058,764.total authorized amount
Signal Butte Water Treatment Plant Construction Manager at Risk Construction Services Contract (GMP 1) (District 6)
The demand for potable water has been increasing due to new development in southeast Mesa.
Current water demand projections require increasing the City’s treatment capacity by 24 million gallons per day. In 2014, the Mesa voters approved a Water Bond Program that included construction of the Signal Butte Water Treatment Plant. The preconstruction services construction manager at risk contract was awarded to Sundt Construction for this project in March, 2016.
Staff recommends awarding the Construction Manager at Risk Construction Services Contract for the first phase of construction to Sundt Construction in the amount of $35,008,509 (GMP No. 1) and authorize a change order allowance for this phase of the project in the amount of $1,050,255 (3%) for a total authorized amount of $36,058,764. This project is funded by the 2014 authorized Water Bonds.

16-0757 $3,016,562.96 total authorized amount
Brown Road Water Treatment Plant (BRWTP) Improvements Project (District 5)
This project includes the installation of hydraulic pressure surge mitigation devices and equipment at the BRWTP for the protection of the existing Desert Sage and Desert Wells water distribution piping and equipment from damage. The project includes the installation of a 20,000 gallon hydropneumatic tank on the discharge of the Desert Sage High Pressure Pump Station, located at the BRWTP. The hydropneumatic tank will provide an air cushion to dissipate high pressure surges in the Desert Sage pressure zone.
Staff recommends awarding the project contract to the lowest, responsible bidder, AJ Roberts Industrial, Inc., in the amount of $2,742,329.96, and authorize a change order allowance in the amount of $274,233 (10%), for a total authorized amount of $3,016,562.96.
This project is funded by the 2010 authorized Water Bonds.

16-0737 $1,124,794 total authorized amount
Quarter Section Residential Street Overlays - Asphalt Only (in the vicinity of Lindsay and Baseline Roads) (District 3)
The existing pavement in this residential area has fallen below the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) limits of normal maintenance and repair. The concrete ramps, driveways, and sidewalks have been retrofitted, or replaced, to meet current American Disability Act (ADA) standards.
Staff recommends awarding the project contract to the lowest, responsible bidder, Nesbitt Contracting Co. Inc., in the amount of $1,022,540, and authorize a change order allowance in the amount of $102,254 (10%), for a total authorized amount of $1,124,794.
Funding is available from the Local Street Sales Tax.

16-0730 $2,005,432 total authorized amount
Arterial Reconstruction Project P3 - University Drive (22nd Place to Val Vista Drive) (District 2)
The asphalt pavement on University Drive from 22nd Place to Val Vista Drive is nearing the end of its life cycle and is in need of replacement. This project will replace the deteriorated asphalt pavement with new surface and base courses of polymer modified asphalt pavement over the existing aggregate base course.
Staff recommends awarding the project contract to the lowest, responsible bidder, Combs Construction Co., Inc.., in the amount of $1,823,120, and authorize a change order allowance in the amount of $182,312 (10%), for a total authorized amount of $2,005,432. Funding is available in 2013 authorized Street Bonds.

16-0761   $1,690,116 total amount of the proposed improvements
Gilbert Road Light Rail Extension (GRE) - City-Funded Wastewater Improvements (District 4)
An approved Design and Construction Agreement includes a process for the City to add City-funded improvements to the project. These improvements are referred to as Concurrent Non-Project Activities (CNPA). This CNPA request is for wastewater improvements that fall into two specific activities: cured-in-place resin lining and new wastewater main pipeline. The cured-in-place resin lining will be installed on approximately 5,400 feet of existing wastewater main pipes that are aging. Approximately 3,300 feet of new wastewater pipe and the accompanying services are proposed to be replaced on Main Street between Horne and Stapley Drive.
Staff recommends the approval of funding the wastewater improvements located throughout the GRE project. The total amount of the proposed improvements is $1,690,116.
This project is funded by 2014 authorized Wastewater Bonds.

16-0759 $3,824,737 total authorized amount
Mesa Fire and Medical Regional Dispatch and Emergency Operations Center (GMP No. 2) (District 3)
The Mesa Fire and Medical Regional Dispatch Center and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) located at 708 West Baseline Road is a 14.5 acre site with existing facilities. Proposed improvements consist of renovating approximately 9,800 square feet of floor space. GMP No. 1 was approved on June 20, 2016, to allow phase one construction to begin. GMP No. 2 is required to complete construction of the new dispatch area, EOC, training rooms, computer room, and tenant improvements.
Staff recommends awarding the project contract to CORE Construction, in the amount of $3,659,737 (Guaranteed Maximum Price No. 2), and authorize a change order allowance in the amount of $165,000, for a total authorized amount of $3,824,737.
Funding is available from the 2008 and 2013 authorized Public Safety

Friday, July 08, 2016

Like It Hot ?? > NASA Data Re/Our Planet Earth . Short-Lived Phenomena

From Gizmodo today at 10:31 a.m.
No, Now This Is Officially the Hottest Earth Has Ever Been [CORRECTION]
It’s getting pretty hard to keep track of all the heat records we’ve been breaking recently, isn’t it? Don’t worry, we’re here to help.NOAA’s latest data reveal we just wrapped up the hottest winter the U.S. has ever seen—just like last summer (which also broke its season record), last year (another record-smasher), the year before that, and a whole chain of recent individual hottest months, knocking each out one after the other like dominoes.
It’s almost like there’s a pattern in all this, isn’t it? Almost as though our planet was locked into some sort of terrible, human-induced cycle of gradual warming that is slowly boiling away our ozone shield, drying out our fields, and endangering the very fabric of life as we know it, as we slide headlong into some terrifying post-apocalypse of our own making...
Anyway, we’ll be back to update you here next month (or shortly thereafter), when we’ve got another new broken heat record to look back on.
UPDATE April 19, 2:12 pm: Sorry, February, you thought you were pretty hot, but March laughs at your attempts at hot temperatures. According to NOAA’s latest data, the new hottest month ever was this March, marking the 11th consecutive month in a row that record has been broken.

"Everyone Who Fcked Up Has Fcked Off!" - Jonathan Pie

Who Knows? ...maybe they're smart enof to get out the game they got caught up in and just don't know what to do when they never imagined that people/voters got really tired of politics-as-usual >>and now there's only two women doin' a Maggy Thatcher Make-Over.

Published on Jul 8, 2016

"The only party that's doing well is the Scottish, and they don't even want to be there!" says Jonathan Pie in his latest episode where he picks on Westminster's disarray. "Tories want a new Thatcher and Labour need a Blair."

Like what you see? Please subscribe http://youtube.com/RTUKnews
FOLLOW ON TWITTER: http://twitter.com/RTUKnews
FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK: http://fb.com/RTUKnews
READ MORE http://rt.com/uk/
WATCH LIVE: http://rt.com/on-air/rt-uk-air/

Wednesday, July 06, 2016

Economic Report: U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services May 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AT 8:30 A.M. EDT, Wednesday, July 6, 2016

CB 16-121
BEA 16—35
FT-900 (16-05)
U.S. Census Bureau
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN GOODS AND SERVICES May 2016
Read full release here
The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that the goods and services deficit was $41.1 billion in May, up $3.8 billion from $37.4 billion in April, revised.
May exports were $182.4 billion, $0.3 billion less than April exports.
May imports were $223.5 billion, $3.4 billion more than April imports.
The May increase in the goods and services deficit reflected an increase in the goods deficit
of $3.7 billion to $62.2 billion and a decrease in the services surplus of $0.1 billion to
$21.1 billion.
Year-to-date, the goods and services deficit decreased $7.2 billion, or 3.5 percent, from the
same period in 2015. Exports decreased $47.2 billion or 4.9 percent. Imports decreased $54.3 billion or 4.7 percent.

Goods by Selected Countries and Areas: Monthly – Census Basis (Exhibit 19)

The May figures show surpluses, in billions of dollars, with South and Central America ($2.9),
Hong Kong ($1.9), Singapore ($0.5), and Brazil ($0.5).
Deficits were recorded, in billions of dollars,with China ($28.3), European Union ($11.9), Germany ($5.5), Mexico ($5.5), Japan ($5.0),
Italy ($2.6), India ($2.1), South Korea ($2.0), Taiwan ($1.2), France ($1.1), Canada ($0.9),
OPEC ($0.4), United Kingdom ($0.3), and Saudi Arabia ($0.2).

* The deficit with China increased $1.7 billion to $28.3 billion in May. Exports decreased

$0.1 billion to $9.3 billion and imports increased $1.6 billion to $37.6 billion.

* The balance with the United Kingdom shifted from a surplus of $0.7 billion to a deficit

of $0.3 billion in May. Exports decreased $1.2 billion to $4.0 billion and imports

decreased $0.2 billion to $4.3 billion.

* The deficit with Japan decreased $0.9 billion to $5.0 billion in May. Exports increased

$0.6 billion to $5.4 billion and imports decreased $0.3 billion to $10.4 billion.

NOTES:

* All statistics referenced are seasonally adjusted; statistics are on a balance of

payments basis unless otherwise specified. Additional statistics, including not seasonally

adjusted statistics and details for goods on a Census basis, are available in Exhibits

1-20b of this release. For information on data sources, definitions, revision procedures,

and scheduled release dates through December 2016, see the information section on page A-1

of this release. The next release is August 5, 2016.

* For definitions of goods on a balance of payments basis, goods on a Census basis, and net

balance of payments adjustments, see the information section on page A-1 of this release.