On October 5, Secretary Anthony Foxx will launch the Every Place Counts: Leadership Academy with a kickoff event at USDOT Headquarters in Washington, DC. He will bring together hundreds of community members from across the country to learn how they can stay informed about transportation decisions and bring their insights to the decision-making process. Participants will also have a unique opportunity to provide feedback on the initial version of the Transportation Toolkit and help us make it more user-friendly.
We invite you to nominate yourself or someone from your community. Selected nominees will be invited to participate in the kickoff event. Nominees should have limited experience with transportation decision-making, and should not be paid to work in the field of transportation. USDOT encourages nominations of emerging community leaders who are interested in transportation equity and who would like to expand opportunities in their communities. To nominate yourself or someone else to participate in the Leadership Academy kickoff event, please complete the nomination form. Nominations are due no later than noon EDTMonday, September 19, 2016.
September 12, 2016 TO: Members of the MAG Regional Council Executive Committee FROM: Mayor Greg Stanton, City of Phoenix, Chair SUBJECT: MEETING NOTIFICATION AND TRANSMITTAL OF TENTATIVE AGENDA FOR THE MAG REGIONAL COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Monday, September 19, 2016 - 12:00 Noon MAG Office, Suite 200 - Ironwood Room 302 North 1st Avenue, Phoenix A meeting of the MAG Regional Council Executive Committee has been scheduled for the time and place noted above. Members of the Committee may attend the meeting either in person or by telephone conference. Please park in the garage under the building. Bring your ticket to the meeting, parking will be validated. For those using transit, the Regional Public Transportation Authority will provide transit tickets for your trip. For those using bicycles, please lock your bicycle in the bike rack in the garage. Pursuant to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), MAG does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admissions to or participation in its public meetings. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation, such as a sign language interpreter, by contacting Denise McClafferty at the MAG office. Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation. If you have any questions regarding the Executive Committee agenda items, please contact Dennis Smith, MAG Executive Director, or Denise McClafferty, MAG Regional Program Manager, at (602) 254-6300. MAG EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TENTATIVE AGENDA September 19, 2016 COMMITTEE ACTION REQUESTED 1. Call to Order The meeting of the Executive Committee will be called to order. 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Call to the Audience An opportunity will be provided to members of the public to address the Executive Committee on items not scheduled on the agenda THAT FALL UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF MAG, or on items on the agenda for discussion but not for action. Members of the public will be requested not to exceed a three-minute time period for their comments. A total of 15 minutes will be provided for the Call to the Audience agenda item, unless the Executive Committee requests an exception to this limit. Please note that those wishing to comment on action agenda items will be given an opportunity at the time the item is heard. 3. Information and discussion. ITEMS PROPOSED TO BE HEARD BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 4. Approval of the August 15, 2016 Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
5. Amendment to Add $873,400 to the HDR, Inc., Contract for the Interstate 10/Interstate 17 Corridor Master Plan and Amendment to the FY 2017 MAG Unified Planning Work Program and Annual Budget to Accept the Funds From the Regional Freeway and Highway Program On August 12, 2013, the MAG Regional Council Executive Committee amended the FY 2014 MAG Unified Planning Work Program and Annual Budget for $2,500,000 to develop the Interstate 10/Interstate 17 Corridor Master Plan. This work was previously being conducted by Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). The
MAG Executive Committee -- Tentative Agenda September 19, 2016 ADOT work was suspended and the project and funding have been transferred to MAG. The two environmental impact statement (EIS) studies for the corridor previously being conducted by ADOT were between the SR-101L/Agua Fria-Pima “North Stack” and SR-202L/Santan-South Mountain “Pecos Stack” traffic interchanges. The project has evaluated more than 340 concepts for meeting future travel demand along Interstates 10 and 17 with extensive traffic engineering and safety analyses of the corridor’s mainline and 31 traffic interchanges. These efforts have helped identify the best methods for accommodating traffic on the freeway, as well as circulation on local arterial streets intersecting the corridor. Additional consultant services are needed for conceptual engineering design studies to ensure the viability, constructability, and potential right-of-way needs along the corridor. These services will assist ADOT, Valley Metro, and other affected MAG member agencies in the corridor to minimize their project development time for implementing the recommendations at the earliest opportunity. Adding the amount of $873,400 to the HDR, Inc., contract is needed to conduct the additional services. Funding for these additional services is from the MAG Regional Freeway and Highway Program amount programmed for Interstate 10 and Interstate 17. Please refer to the enclosed material. 6. MAG’s Golden Anniversary Event Update The Maricopa Association of Governments is celebrating its Golden Anniversary. On April 12, 2017, MAG will commemorate its 50th birthday. In April 2016, MAG staff provided an overview to the Executive Committee on the 50th Anniversary outreach plan. Included in the plan was a possible celebration event to commemorate MAG on the anniversary date. MAG staff will present options for this event and request input regarding recommendations for moving forward on event planning. 6. Information, discussion and possible action.
7. Proposed Changes to the MAG By-Laws At the September 15, 2014 MAG Executive Committee meeting, an item was heard regarding a new requirement under the federal transportation law, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), requiring transit representation on the governing bodies of metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) such as MAG. Since that time, the U.S. Department of Transportation has received significant nationwide interest on this issue. On May 27, 2016, the Final Rule was posted in the Federal Register outlining the provisions for transit representation on MPO boards. The Final Rule is consistent with MAG’s submitted comments that one representative be allowed to serve in two roles: as the transit representative and as a representative of a member agency. In order to comply with the Final Rule, the MAG By-Laws are recommended to be amended. In addition to the transit representation amendment, a technical amendment to the By-Laws is also being proposed for consideration. In the 1996 state legislative session, HB 2172 was passed. This legislation provided for ex-officio membership to the Citizens Transportation Oversight Committee (CTOC) on the MAG Regional Council. On September 25, 1996, the MAG Regional Council approved a change to the By-Laws so that "the Chairman of the Citizens Transportation Oversight Committee shall have ex-officio membership in the corporation for matters relating to the regional freeway system only." With the passage of Proposition 400, the range of issue areas for CTOC has broadened beyond the freeway system to the larger Regional Transportation Plan. A technical amendment to the MAG By-Laws is being requested for consideration to more accurately reflect the role of CTOC. Both of these proposed amendments would affect Article III, Section 1 of the By-Laws of the Maricopa Association of Governments. 7. Information, discussion and possible action to recommend to the MAG Regional Council to consider approval of amendments to the MAG By-Laws regarding transit representation to the MPO board and a technical amendment regarding the role of CTOC and to initiate the By-Laws amendment process.
The MAG By-Laws may be amended by the Regional Council provided written notice of the proposed amendment has been given not less than 15 days prior to the meeting at which it is to be voted on. 8. Update on the Statewide Tourism and Shopping Initiative On June 13, 2016, the Executive Committee was provided an update from Capitol Strategies on the extension of the border card crossing zone. Since that time, Capitol Strategies, represented by former Congressman Jim Kolbe and Steven Bloch, has been reaching out to members of the Arizona Congressional Delegation, federal agencies and other organizations. As a result of their efforts, two bipartisan letters, representing a majority of the Arizona Congressional Delegation, have been submitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection requesting a rule-making process to extended the current 75 mile border crossing card zone to include all of Arizona. More recently, a sample letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, similarly requesting a rule-making process, has been sent by MAG to a number of associations within Arizona requesting them to submit additional letters of support. An update will be provided by MAG staff including the amount of consultant assistance remaining. 8. Information, discussion and possible action. 9. Appointments of the MAG Economic Development Committee Business Member Positions On May 27, 2015, the MAG Regional Council approved increasing the composition of the Economic Development Committee (EDC) to include fifteen business member positions, representing region-wide business interests, that have two-year terms with possible reappointment by recommendation of the Executive Committee and approval of the MAG Regional Council. The EDC business member positions are up for appointment/reappointment. On August 5, 2016, 9. Information, discussion and recommendation to approve the appointments of the Economic Development Committee (EDC) business member positions.
a memorandum was sent to the MAG Regional Council members soliciting letters of interest for the business member positions on the EDC. The Executive Committee is requested to recommend approval of the EDC business member positions. Please refer to the enclosed material. 10. Request for Future Agenda Items Topics or issues of interest that the Executive Committee would like to have considered for discussion at a future meeting will be requested. 10. Information. 11. Comments from the Committee An opportunity will be provided for the Executive Committee members to present a brief summary of current events. The Executive Committee is not allowed to propose, discuss, deliberate or take action at the meeting on any matter in the summary, unless the specific matter is properly noticed for legal action. 11. Information. Adjournment
Applications are now being accepted for our 2017 workshop series. Now in its sixth year, our free technical assistance program has helped more than 50 communities grow in ways that benefit residents and businesses while protecting the environment and preserving a sense of place. Join us this Wednesday to learn how to apply If you are interested in learning more about these workshops or the application process, join us for a free webinar on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 at 1:00 PM EDT. Hear details about each workshop, and what we look for in successful applications.
We look forward to answering your questions on Wednesday.
Sincerely,
John Robert Smith, Senior Policy Advisor Smart Growth America
Applications are now being accepted for our 2017 workshop series. Applicants can apply for one of the nine free standardized technical assistance tools listed below. Click to learn more about each tool.
*In addition to our Complete Streets technical assistance, for the first time, three applicants can apply as a consortium for our new Complete Streets Consortium Series.Click here to learn more about this new service >>
Tool: (Re)Building Downtown Provider: Smart Growth America Summary: SGA’s (Re)Building Downtown workshops help communities create walkable development quickly and efficiently. We help local public officials clarify local challenges and identify strategies to do this; including improving regulations for land use, establishing clear public investment practices, and reforming administrative processes. We also work collaboratively to develop data-driven policy arguments to demonstrate the benefits of walkable downtown development.
Description: Recipients will receive one workshop that brings together elected officials (executive and legislative) and their senior staff, community leaders, downtown business owners developers, agency officials, planners, engineers, and legal experts in order to facilitate a dialogue on how to create a thriving downtown. Invitations to the workshop are sent to as wide of a cross-section of the community to ensure a diversity of perspectives and strong buy in for the action plan. As millennials seek out thriving, busy downtown spaces, communities across the country are working to create more exciting, inclusive spaces for their residents. This workshop will work with and create momentum among residents for a thriving downtown center. Over the course of the workshop, we will emphasize how a thriving downtown provides increased accessibility to resources, job opportunities, and boosts a community’s bottom line. The workshop will produce a discussion and next steps memo detailing development and redevelopment strategies and priorities, the pipeline of public works and capital projects, public engagement and outreach efforts, and the resources available and needed to support the downtown revitalization. SGA staff will assess critical success factors such as the mix of land uses, and will use these factors as well as input from the workshop to create recommendations for the recipient such as a target mix of housing, commercial and other uses that advance the goals for downtown revitalization
Arizona Incentives Lease Excise The Government Property Lease Excise Tax ("GPLET") has been established by the State of Arizona and is a redevelopment tool to initiate development by reducing a project's operating costs by replacing the real property tax with an excise tax. Under the state statute an excise tax is established for the building type of use and is calculated on the gross square footage of the building. The use of the excise tax cannot continue for more than twenty-five years and requires that the land and improvements conveyed to a government entity and leased back for private use. The excise tax rate can be abated for the first eight years after a certificate of occupancy on the building is issued if the property is located within a Central Business District and a Redevelopment
This page is a publication of information regarding property owned by government jurisdictions, but leased for commercial, residential rental or industrial purposes. The information displayed includes a PDF of the actual lease, abstract of lease and/or memorandum of lease, along with some identifying information. Once a list of leases is chosen, the information may be copied and pasted into a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel for use offline.
Published on 12 Sept 2016 Views: 1 Running time: 16:13
Yesterday's regular meeting starting at 5:45 was preceded by a brief "study session" at 5:15 to review the regular meeting's agenda
Regular Meeting [you are encouraged to watch it] - Nice award presentations noted by Councilmembers Dennis Kavanagh and David Luna [watch the video for details - Updates by City Manager Chris Brady about Mesa Royale were postponed to a later date since no one showed up to hear them ....that's not stopped the Mesa City Council from going ahead anyway - hardly any members of the public ever attend City Council meetings!
- More frequently than not, items that perhaps will most impact business owners and residents here in Mesa are placed at the end of items for action. Any interested person - and there do not appear to be many in a city with a population of over 450,000 persons] - might question the openness, transparency or accountability when there's little attention directed or the public given enough time to look at and understand, or ask questions - about things up for A PUBLIC HEARING, and the votes go down in about 10 minutes, most often unanimously without any comments or any discussion from the six City Councilmembers.
At this meeting two persons spoke in support of approving a designation of Blight in two Redevelopment Areas RDA - one in SW Mesa and one applied to increasing the boundaries of the Central Business District CBD Expansion. 1. Scott Jackson, who lives in Paradise Valley, principal partner of Verde Fiesta LLC, is one of the five owners in the Fiesta Corporate Center, with a vested interest 2. Christopher Nickerson, representing Banner Health/Cardona also spoke for approval - again with a vested interest. Notice how fast John Giles moves on Item 9
WHAT IS IT? It's the opinion promoted in a 24-page presentation of an RDA survey, finding and analysis done by a lending outfit in out-of-state Salt Lake City, Utah ZIONS PUBLIC FINANCE INC https://www.zionspf.com/overview/offices.php Now any reasonable citizen might ask Why is a finance entity in Utah interested in economic development and excise tax issues here in Mesa, Arizona?
A follow-up question can likewise get asked: Mayor John Giles stated numerous times that this ZPF opinion was discussed in City Council Study Sessions - like when? And was a link included on the session agendas for the public to view it? Your MesaZona blogger is purposefully not including a link - just to show you how easy or difficult it really is to access information.
Episode 02: Emily Hamilton on Land-Use Regulation and the Cost of Housing By Nolan Gray
Listen to the podcast >> here "When I was scheduling out the first few episodes of the Market Urbanism Podcast, it seemed natural to start with one of Market Urbanism’s favorite topics: the relationship between land-use regulation and rising housing costs in American cities. This week I sit down with Emily Hamilton, a regular Market Urbanism contributor and policy manager at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, to discuss a recent paper she coauthored with Sanford Ikeda, “How Land-Use Regulation Undermines Affordable Housing.”
The question I am left pondering: how can we convince homeowners—who have a large vested interest in the current system—to support land-use liberalization? Feel free to share your thoughts on this and other topics in today’s episode in the comment section below or with Emily and I on Twitter."
I am excited to announce that we are now on all major podcasting platforms: iTunes, PlayerFM, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, and Soundcloud. If you like what you’re hearing, go ahead and click “subscribe” and leave a review on your favorite platform. If your preferred podcast platform is missing, let me know in the comments below.
How would you improve the podcast? Since my goal here is to provide nice content for the Market Urbanism community, I would like to hear your feedback on the show. Thanks for your patience as I familiarize myself with the technical side of podcasting and grow as an interview.
Who is a guest you would like to hear on the show? Let me know in the comment section below. If you prefer to keep your suggestion private, feel free to direct message me on Twitter.
As always, thanks for listening! We have a few exciting interviews lined up for the next two months. Stay tuned for the next episode on September 21st. ABOUT MARKET URBANISM:
The term “Market Urbanism” refers to the synthesis of classical liberal economics and ethics, with an appreciation of the urban way of life and its benefits to society. We advocate for the emergence of bottom up solutions, as opposed to ones imposed from the top down.
Over the next year, Nolan Gray will be talking to the scholars, writers, activists, and policymakers who are changing the conversation about cities. In biweekly conversations, a guest and Nolan will explore the past, present, and future of cities and the policies that shape them. If you’re totally new to the subject, fear not. He’ll begin conversations with the basics and clarify jargon as we move into a variety of fascinating, if complex, subjects. If you listen to the popular podcast Econtalk, you might have a general idea of what we’m going for. Of course, this won’t just be a one-way conversation. Each week, Nolan will post links and articles related to the conversation on marketurbanism.com/podcast, where you can share your thoughts and give feedback on the show.
. . . you can also tell Nolan how great a job he’s doing on Twitter at @mnolangray. We’ll also make an effort to share guest’s Twitter handle
Call for nominations! 
