See What Makes AZ Cities/Towns Work: Profiles

Arizona City & Town Winter 2016
The latest edition of Arizona City & Town is now available! This issue features profiles of just a few of the many men and women that make Arizona Cities Work!

View the new issue here >>
http://www.azleague.org/Archive.aspx?AMID=39

City Council Study Session Mon 29 Aug 2016 > Agenda

Mesa City Council Study Session Meeting Agenda - Final
Calendar Link >>> http://mesa.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
5:15 PM @ Chambers - Lower LevelMonday, August 29, 2016
Mayor John Giles
Vice Mayor Dennis Kavanaugh - District 3
Councilmember Dave Richins - District 1
Councilmember Alex Finter - District 2
Councilmember Chris Glover - District 4
Councilmember David Luna - District 5
Councilmember Kevin Thompson - District 6


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 August 29, 2016 regular Council meeting.

2 Presentations/Action Items:

2-a 16-0920 Hear a presentation, discuss, and provide direction on the proposed Mesa Heritage Neighborhood Program.
3 Acknowledge receipt of minutes of various boards and committees

3-a 16-0938 Human Relations Advisory Board meeting held on May 25, 2016

3-b 16-0924 Public Safety Committee meeting held on June 9, 2016

4 Hear reports on meetings and/or conferences attended.

5 Scheduling of meetings and general information.

6 Adjournment.

Mesa City Council Final Meeting Agenda 29 AUG 2016

http://mesa.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
1 Take action on all consent agenda items.

Items on the Consent Agenda

16-0904 Approval of minutes of previous meetings as written.*2

3 Take action on the following contracts:

16-0897 Purchase of Replacement Uninterruptable Power Supply Units as requested by the Information Technology Department (Citywide)
Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) devices are located in building equipment rooms across the City and are used to retain power for telephone and computing services in the event of temporary loss of power.  This purchase will replace the City’s aging and poor performing fleet of UPS devices.
The Information Technology Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing the purchase using the State of Arizona contract with World Wide Technology, at $30,044.19.
*3-a
16-0898 Purchase of Upgrade Surveillance Equipment for the Police Department (Sole Source) (Citywide)
This purchase will upgrade existing hardware.
The Police Department and Purchasing recommend awarding the contract to the sole source vendor, Pen-Link, Ltd., at $82,353.42.  This purchase is funded by Asset Forfeiture RICO Funds.
*3-b
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August 29, 2016City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
16-0892 Three-Year Term Contract for Chiller Maintenance and Repair Services for the Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department (Citywide)
This contract will provide for the inspection, preventative maintenance, and repair of water chillers and associated equipment located at City-owned and operated facilities.  The contractor will perform quarterly preventative maintenance on cooling plants, closed loops, cooling towers, and fluid coolers as scheduled by the City and in accordance to manufacturer and industry standards.
The evaluation committee recommends awarding the contract to the highest scored proposal, W.D. Manor Mechanical Contractors, Inc., at $150,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
*3-c
16-0894 One-Year Renewal of the Term Contract for Traffic Signal Pole Painting Services for the Transportation Department (Single Proposal) (Citywide)
This contract provides for the refinishing of traffic signal poles, mast arms, signal heads, cabinets and mounts at each of the 400-plus traffic signalized intersections on an eight-year cycle.  Refinishing traffic signal components is necessary to protect the metal and provide contrast for the traffic signal heads. Traffic signal heads typically become less visible as the black fades or bare metal is exposed.
The Transportation Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing a renewal with OLS Restoration, Inc., at $220,990 annually, based on estimated requirements. The annual contract amount is available through the Local Streets Sales Tax Fund.
*3-d
16-0895 Three-Year Term Contract for Street Sweeping Services for the Transportation Department (Citywide)
This contract will provide routine nightly route sweeping on a weekly basis and seal coat sweeping services on an as needed, where needed basis.  Work will include sweeping of arterial, collector and residential streets and special event sweeping services.
The Transportation Department and Purchasing recommend awarding the contract to the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder, Contract Sweeping Services, Inc., at $682,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
*3-e
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August 29, 2016City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
16-0893 One-Year Renewal of the Term Contract for Magnesium Anodes for the Materials and Supply Warehouse (for the Energy Resources Department) (Citywide)
This contract provides magnesium anodes for use in the City’s natural gas distribution system.  Anodes protect against galvanic corrosion of steel pipe.  These anodes will be used for new construction projects, and the maintenance and repair of existing utilities.
The Business Services and Energy Resources Departments, and Purchasing recommend authorizing a renewal with Corrpro Companies at $57,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
*3-f
16-0896 Purchase of One Replacement Medium Duty Truck with 45 Ft. Working Height Insulated, Telescopic and Articulating Aerial Device and Service Body for the Energy Resources Department (Citywide)
The vehicle being replaced has met replacement criteria and will be retired and sold at auction.
The Fleet Services, and Energy Resources Departments, and Purchasing recommend awarding the contract to the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder, Altec Industries, Inc., at $118,917.22.  This purchase is funded by the Utility Replacement Extension and Renewal Fund.
*3-g
16-0901 Falcon Field Airport Runway 4L-22R Blast Pads (District 5)
The proposed project consists of runway safety improvements included in the Falcon Field Airport Master Plan and Runway Safety Action Plan to construct new blast pads for Runway 4L/22R in an effort to reduce dust particulate matter and the erosion of native soil from runway ends due to propeller wash and jet blast. Council has previously approved an Airport Development Reimbursable Grant from the Arizona Department of Transportation, Multimodal Planning Division, Aeronautics Group, which provides 90% of the necessary construction funding.  
Staff recommends awarding the project contract to the lowest, responsible bidder, AJP Electric, Inc., in the amount of $219,824.60, and authorizing a change order allowance in the amount of $21,982.46.  This project is funded by the FY2016-17 Falcon Field Capital Program.
*3-h
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4 Introduction of the following ordinance and setting September 12, 2016 as the date of the public hearing on this ordinance:

16-0874 Amending sections 105.1.2 and 503.1.1 of the 2006 International Fire Code, as adopted in Title 7, Chapter 2, Section 3 of the Mesa City Code. (Citywide)
The amendment to Section 105.1.2 clarifies the Department’s intent to collect emergency contact information on all inspectable occupancies through the Fire Safety Operational Permit process (does not apply to single residential dwellings).  The amendment to Section 503.1.1 more clearly sets forth the availability of alternative means of fire protection when a fire access road is not within 150 feet.
*4-a

5 Discuss, receive public comment, and take action on the following ordinances:

16-0825 Z16-017 (District 2)  5850 through 5959 East Still Circle.  Located north of Baseline Road and west of South Recker Road (11.44± acres).  PAD Modification; and Site Plan Review.  This request will allow for development of an academic building and parking garage.  Toby Rogers, Butler Design Group, applicant; Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine IN, owner. 
Staff Recommendation:  Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation:  Approval with conditions (Vote: 7-0)
*5-a
16-0826 Z16-030 (District 5)  5500 block of East McKellips Road (south side).  Located east of Higley Road and south of McKellips Road (4.5± acres).  Rezoning from RM-2-BIZ-PAD to RSL-2.5-PAD-PAD; and Site Plan Review.  This request will allow the development of a single-residential subdivision.  Sandra Welty, SW Land Services, LLC, applicant; AMM Investments, owner.
Staff Recommendation:  Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation:  Approval with conditions  (Vote: 7-0)
*5-b
16-0827 Z16-031 (District 3)  1919 West Main Street.  Located at the southeast corner of Main Street and Dobson Road (5.65 ± acres).  Council Use Permit to allow large format retail within the LI district.  David Kim, Corbel Architects, Inc., applicant; Ilyeon Kwon, owner. 
Staff Recommendation:  Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation:  Approval with conditions  (Vote: 7-0)
*5-c
16-0862 A13-05 (District 5)  Annexing land in the 9700 block of East Brown Road (south side) and 1100 block of North 98th Street (west side) (2.03 +/- ac).  Initiated by the applicant, Jared Cox of Garner Cox Engineering.
*5-d
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August 29, 2016City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
16-0828 Z16-032 (District 5)  9700 block of East Brown Road (south side) and 1100 block of North 98th Street (west side).  Located east of Ellsworth Road on the south side of Brown Road (2.03± acres).  Rezone from Maricopa County Rural-43 to City of Mesa RS-43.  This request will establish City of Mesa zoning on property that is annexing into the City.  City of Mesa, applicant; Cole Builders, Inc., owner. 
Staff Recommendation:  Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation:  Approval with conditions  (Vote: 7-0)
*5-e
16-0832 Amending section 10-4-3 of the Mesa City Code to increase speed limits from 35 MPH to 45 MPH on a portion of Sossaman Road, from Pecos Road, to a point 2,800 feet north of Pecos Road, as recommended by the Transportation Advisory Board. (District 6)
*5-f
6 Discuss, receive public comment, and take action on the following ordinance and resolution relating to the property located at 406 North Val Vista Drive: 16-0829 Z16-033 (District 1)  406 North Val Vista Drive.  Located at the northwest corner of Val Vista Drive and University Drive (2.21± acres).   Rezoning from RS-9 to NC; and Site Plan Review. This request will allow for development of a retail commercial center.  Reese Anderson, Pew & Lake, applicant; David A. Johnson, owner. 
Staff Recommendation:  Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation:  Approval with conditions  (Vote: 7-0)
*6-a
16-0905 A resolution approving and authorizing the City Manager to enter into a Development Agreement with David A. Johnson to facilitate the development of a retail commercial center at 406 North Val Vista Drive. (District 1)
*6-b

7 Take action on the following subdivision plat:

16-0921 “Villages at Country Club Phase II” (District 4)  The 130 to 150 block of West Southern Avenue (south side) and the 1300 to 1400 blocks of South Country Club Drive (east side).  Located south of Southern Avenue and east of County Club Drive. 132 RM-3 PAD residential lots (6.93 Acres).  VAC, LLC, developer. Larry E. Sullivan, Coe and Van Loo Consultants, Inc., surveyor.
*7-a

Items not on the Consent Agenda
8 Items from citizens present.  (Maximum of three speakers for three minutes per speaker).
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9 City Manager's update on current events including, but not limited to, an update on FAQs related to the Mesa Royale mobile home park.

10 Adjournment.
The Council may vote to hold an executive session for the purposes of obtaining legal advice from the City Attorney (A.R.S. §38-431.03A(3)) or to discuss 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))

Anonymous - WW3 Update - Part 2 (2016)

It's a mad, mad world

Published today August 24, 2016
Views: 2,053

Tech Outposts Expand All Over | Phoenix Has A Long Way To Go [Socially Conservative Politics]

Just about a year ago, John WillIiams, the
President of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, was here in The New Urban Downtown Mesa for a site visit arranged by Terry Benelli, Executive Director of LISC Phoenix. Along with 21 community leaders, your Mesa blogger was invited on the bus-coach tour in numerous postings this blogsite. Months later - April 5, 2016, an article later appeared on the LISC website " The (Re)Making of Mesa " with more details.
Here's a link >>   http://www.lisc.org/our-stories/story/remaking-of-mesa if you missed it.
During a conversation between on-location stops, John Williams mentioned that once his staff in high-cost San Francisco found out how low housing costs are here, they might think about moving here. . . I THOUGHT TO MYSELF Nah. To the most conservative city in the whole country? don't know if that ever happened but the issue of high wages and high real estate prices has come up in another context brought up in this follow-up piece by Toronto-based architect and real estate developer Brandon Donnelly in his daily blog for city builders http://brandondonnelly.com/

"The Bay Area has never been especially cheap, and tech companies have a long history of moving their more expensive and labor-intensive functions to second-tier cities where land and labor are less expensive. Intel, the semiconductor giant, was founded in the Silicon Valley in 1968, and by 1979, it had manufacturing facilities outside Portland, Ore., and Phoenix. . . But while Phoenix is recruiting companies, its technology scene lacks some crucial elements. Mr. Salkin, from Allbound, said he still flies to the Bay Area once a month for networking or other events. “We’re doing amazing things here,” he said, “but we’ve got a way to go.”
Mr. Salkin added that for technology companies, which hire people from all kinds of backgrounds,
Arizona’s socially conservative politics can be a form of cultural baggage.

HERE'S THE KICKER FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE
In San Francisco, “you can come from any walk of life and feel pretty much accepted and safe,” Mr. Salkin said. “You struggle to say that here right now. I think that’s changing, but it has not been the case in Arizona, and I think that’s
a big thing.”

The rise of tech outposts
What happens when wages and real estate prices become too high in a city? Companies start growing in lower cost locations. We’ve all seen this before. 
Fred Wilson recently blogged about this “spillover effect”, citing a New York Times article talking about the growth of tech offices in Phoenix. As someone who sits on the board of many technology companies, he was noticing a thematic trend:

“A big theme of board meetings I’ve been in over the past year is the crazy high cost of talent in the big tech centers (SF, NYC, LA, Boston, Seattle) and the need to grow headcount in lower cost locations.”

We talk a lot about housing prices on this blog, and so I think it’s useful to see how this, along with high wages, also impacts companies. The two are interrelated.
Below is a chart from the NY Times article showing the US cities with the highest number of technology jobs and the most growth from 2010 to 2015. 

San Francisco is in a league of its own. But overall, the growth is in tech and many cities are adding lots of technology jobs. Look at Detroit and Boston right beside each other (Detroit obviously has a smaller starting base). And look at how Miami is nowhere to be found.
Of course, one interesting question is whether these new outposts – such as Phoenix – can truly come into their own and carve out a niche:

“We don’t want to be San Francisco’s back office — we need more creators here,” said Scott Salkin, a founder and the chief executive of Allbound, which is based in Phoenix, makes sales software and has offices down the hall from Gainsight’s.

Even with the high cost of living, it’s hard to supplant the coastal hegemony. That’s where people go to chase riches. As comedian Daniel Tosh likes to say, “the middle of the country is for people who gave up on their dreams.. . "

 

Boeing Delivers AH-64E Apache Training System To Republic of Korea

From a press release yesterday
Published on ASDNews: Aug 22, 2016
Boeing [NYSE: BA] has delivered to the Republic of Korea an Apache Longbow Crew Trainer that the country’s Army air crews will use to prepare for the AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters that Boeing begins delivering later this year.The system uses the Apache’s flight software and matured flight and avionics simulation models to create an accurate training environment that increases mission readiness.
[ Blogger's Note: Apart from knowing that Apache helos are produced at Boeing, located here in Mesa, readers might be interested to know more about what they can do.
Here's a link to the company's,website http://www.boeing.com/defense/support/training/apache-longbow-trainer/ and a 6:59-minute video
Published on May 11, 2014

Views:51

This edition features stories on Iraqis providing security during elections, the advisory role of U.S. Army during Iraqi elections, Army helicopters providing security and intelligence for Iraqi security forces, virtual combat exercises on the Longbow Crew Trainer flight simulator and Iraqis training to use unmanned aerial vehicles for security during elections. Hosted by Sgt. Nick Morales

•  

“The AH-64 Apache helicopter is a critical force multiplier to the U.S. Army and customers around the world,” said Randy Nielson, U.S. Army Apache Program Management Office lead for operator training devices. “The Longbow Crew Trainer is an invaluable asset that will enable Korean Army AH-64 aviators to train and sustain aircraft systems, flight and tactical tasks, increasing their combat effectiveness while reducing risk to the soldier.”
Boeing will provide two years of training and maintenance on the system.
The delivery completes one portion of South Korea’s $1.6 billion order for 36 Guardian helicopters and training and logistical support.
“As the original equipment manufacturer, Boeing is uniquely positioned to offer customers the most comprehensive and immersive training systems available for our platforms,” said Dwight Brandon, Apache Training Systems program manager. “Customers know that Boeing can help them train their people and support their aircraft to affordably maintain mission readiness for many years.”

Source : The Boeing Company - view original press release

 

Image credit for group

A chance to showcase. https://www.army.mil/article/88153

By Capt. Xeriqua Garfinkel (101st Airborne)September 28, 2012

Media Disinformation: US/NATO WAR AGENDA

Here is another excellent piece of investigative journalism from the fine folks working in a research organization in Canada. It appeared just yesterday with all the "Russia-bashing" rampant in mainstream media.

The Fantasy of Vladimir Putin as “Vlad the Terrible” Ratchets Up…
By Felicity Arbuthnot Global Research, August 22, 2016

While the entire article can be found here some excerpts are of interest and notable to inform the public:
“What lies behind the new Russian threat to Ukraine? ” , . .
Trying to find the “Russian threat to the Ukraine” is, as ever, a hard task. It was of course the US which organized the February 2014 coup which replaced the legitimate government and reduced yet another country to chaos. Russia however also appears the victim in a recent incident which triggered the Independent article which Katehon (2) describes with admirably clarity:

“A Ukrainian group of saboteurs was arrested last week (10^th August) by Russia’s secret service, the FSB. It was revealed that the Ukrainians had intended to organize terrorist attacks in Russian Crimea. During the arrest, two Russian citizens from the Federal Security Service and military of the Armed Forces were killed. This tragic incident has provoked tensions between Ukraine and Russia. The Ukrainian regime has begun to move its troops towards the border with Russia and the republics of Donbass, preparing for an invasion.”

Thus Ukrainian forces are thus encroaching on Russia, not the other way round.

Faithfully toeing the West’s misteaching mantra, the Independent article dropped in: “Crimea has not experienced serious military action since it was annexed from Ukraine by the Kremlin in the chaotic aftermath of the Maidan protests.”
Crimea of course, was not “annexed” by a marauding Russia as is implicated.
Only two years ago the paper wrote (3) of the referendum (16^th March 2014( held in Crimea – arranged by Crimea, not Russia – in which over 95% of voters made their feelings clear over the US engineered coup:

“Fireworks exploded and Russian flags fluttered above jubilant crowds on Sunday after residents in Crimea voted overwhelmingly to secede from Ukraine and join Russia … after the polls closed late on Sunday, crowds of ethnic Russians in the regional Crimean capital of Simferopol erupted with jubilant chants in the main square, overjoyed at the prospect of once again becoming part of Russia.” The referendum was monitored by 135 international observers from 23 countries.*

Russia thus had not aggressively “annexed” Crimea, the people had voted to secede.

On the day of the referendum the White House released a statement ending, apparently without irony:

“In this century, we are long past the days when the international community will stand quietly by while one country forcibly seizes the territory of another.  We call on all members of the international community to continue to condemn such actions, to take concrete steps to impose costs, and to stand together …” Breathtaking.

This from a country that has, since the end of World War 11, “forcibly seized”, invaded, interfered in or decimated thirty three countries to 2011 (4) – not counting Syria and Ukraine subsequently.