 EMBARGOED UNTIL RELEASE AT 8:30 A.M. EDT, Tuesday, March 28, 2017 Sorry for being slightly tardy in posting these data
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Monday, April 03, 2017
State Personal Income 2016
New World Record for Solar Panel Efficiency
Source: Futurism.com
In Brief A team from the Japanese company Kaneko has recently announced breaking the efficiency record of solar panels—which now stands at 26.6 percent
THE RISE OF SOLAR POWER
Solar power is certainly on the rise around the world. There are massive solar power generating installations across Asia, with countries like India and China taking turns being the home of the largest arrays.
Even the United States is making some massive strides with this source of renewable energy. In fact, solar energy is faring better than coal—even in terms of the economy. There are more people employed by the solar industry than in coal, and the price of solar power continues to fall. A trend that is likely to continue—especially if we continue to improve the efficiency of harvesting the sun’s energy.
To that end, researchers in Japan are doing their part: a team from the company Kaneko has recently announced breaking the efficiency record of solar panels—which now stands at 26.6 percent. “Improving the photoconversion efficiency of silicon solar cells is crucial to further the deployment of renewable electricity,” says the team.The research has been published in Nature Energy.
Continuing on this trend toward efficiency is only going to make the prices of solar power continue to drop. Improvements in production processes will speed this along as well, since panels that are cheaper to produce will cost less for the consumer. Last year, the world was able to double its solar power capacity—so just imagine what will be possible with higher efficiency capabilities.
SUNBELT INVESTMENT EXPANDS HOLDINGS . . . MESA ELLIOT TECHNOLOGY PARK NOW 270 ACRES
Photo Credit: mesaelliottechnologypark.com
Source: BREWAZ.com
Mesa – Sunbelt Investment Holdings Inc. in San Diego, Calif. (Todd Holzer, pres.) has expanded Mesa Elliot Technology Park by acquiring a key parcel that now brings the planned mixed-use project to 270 acres and provides frontage along the east side of the Loop 202 Freeway. 
The seller was El Dorado Elliot 128 LLC, formed by El Dorado Holdings Inc. in Phoenix (Mike Ingram, chairman).
The cash transaction was negotiated by Brent Moser, Mike Sutton and Brooks Griffith of Cushman & Wakefield in Phoenix.
Property owners in that section of southeast Mesa are eligible for various benefits, including streamlined entitlement, upgraded infrastructure, and tax exemptions.
More details about Elliot Road Technology Corridor can be found here:
The Elliot Road Technology Corridor has everything high-tech companies need to get up and running fast at a very competitive cost. Large Redundant Power ...
The overlay area has 1,000 + acres of shovel-ready land, including 203 acres that Sunbelt Investment Holdings acquired 3 ½ years ago.
That fully-improved site is planned for roughly 2.75 million sq. ft. out of 3.5 million sq. ft. of office, industrial and commercial buildings targeted for the now 270-acre Mesa Elliot Technology Park.
Andy Markham, Mike Haenel and Phil Haenel of Cushman & Wakefield have the marketing assignment. Markham expects to have a new site plan for the expanded business park within the next few weeks.
The C&W agents are looking for build-to-suit opportunities, ground-lease deals and will sell parcels ranging from 5 to 100 acres to end users and developers.
In addition to the technology uses, Markham says the planned business park is an ideal location for manufacturing, e-commerce, and big box distribution.
The prior owner of that property, a joint venture formed by First Industrial Realty Trust Inc. in Chicago, Ill. (NYSE:FR), developed the infrastructure for the 287-acre business park and sold an 84-acre parcel before the project stalled.
The newly-acquired 67.5 acres, suitable for 750,000 sq. ft. of commercial and industrial space, is part of a larger tract that El Dorado Holdings acquired 5 ½ years ago.
In September 2011, BREW reported El Dorado Elliot 128 LLC paying $10.79 + million to buy a 128-acre parcel located at the northwest corner of Elliot and Ellsworth roads.
El Dorado Holdings still owns 53 acres of that property after selling the portion to Sunbelt Investment Holdings and 7.885 acres at the northwest corner of Ellsworth and Elliot roads. That site, being developed as the 50-bed Arizona General Hospital, was sold in February 2016 for $5.576 million ($16.23 per foot).
The Elliot Road Technology Corridor is expected to benefit from the $2 billion data center Apple Inc. is developing at the southwest corner of Elliot and Signal Butte roads.
Sunbelt Investment Holdings and its affiliates are among the largest land owners in the area and now control about 1,200 acres near the Williams Gateway Airport in Mesa.
In January, BREW reported Sunbelt Investment Holdings paying $3.791 + million ($2.40 per foot) to purchase a 36.3-acre parcel at the northeast corner of Ellsworth and Germann roads in Mesa.
Sunbelt Investment Holdings is owned by the Mann family of Carlsberg, Germany (Johannes Mann, et al., members).
Find out more from Holzer at (858) 495-4900.
Talk to Jim Kenny, pres. of El Dorado Holdings, by calling (602) 955-2424.
Reach the C&W agents at (602) 954-9000.
On-The-Table: Mesa We Have A Problem
That proposition - a mixed-up mish-mash of three problems desperately seeking solutions in one fell swoop: Downtown Redevelopment, Education and Public Safety - crashed and blew-up big time even though it was pushed hard by a privately-financed $500,000-plus 'political action committee' or PAC public-relations campaign that turned out to be a major screw-up colliding with the majority public interest.
After many posts last year on this blogsite and thanks to a recent investigative report , three of the contested campaigns for seats for district representatives on the Mesa City Council were up-for-grabs in D1, D2 and D3 where the names of people running for elected office who received Police/Fire PAC contributions were made public by reporters Jessica Boehm and Justin Gardner.
[Blogger's Note: Thanks to public disclosure laws candidates are required to file lists of election campaign contributors - these have been available for months on the Mesa City Clerk's webpage]
Elected Mesa Councilmember Mark Freeman, with 31 years employment in the Mesa Fire Department, enjoys a generous city retirement pension/benefits package, also benefiting from an endorsement by Russell Pearce, notorious anti-immigrant AZ State legislator for SB1070 who got shamed out-of-office.
Item 2a has three different parts
1. Proposed Budget Overview for Fiscal Year 2017/18
Presented by the Office of Management and Budget April 3, 2017 24 pages
Currently, a gap exists between the expected annual expenses and the forecasted available resources. Increased expenditure pressure from pension, healthcare, and the minimum wage increase has widened this gap
FY16/17 Updated Forecast shows Projected - ( 2.8 million)
FY17/18 Updated Forecast shows Estimated - (17.8 million
2. Fiscal Year 2017/18 Summary of Proposed Budget 24 pages
3. FY17/18 Proposed Budget Forecast Summary
The City currently has a gap between the level of on-going revenues and the level of on-going expenses. The result is reliance on reserve balances and savings experienced during the year. In FY15/16 expenditure reductions were made to narrow the funding gap. Recent changes in the City’s contribution to the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) have widened the funding gap.
About 73% of the General Governmental fund expenses are related to the cost of personnel who provide the services. Public safety services are the largest component. The proposed budget uses four methods of cost containment/reduction related to personnel.
• Cost containment/limiting step pay expenses
• Cost minimization through civilianization of positions
• Protection of core services through repurposing of positions
• Elimination of positions
Sunday, April 02, 2017
People Only Get Motivated When They've Lost
Sounds too familiar huh?
Published on Apr 2, 2017
Views: 29,854
Pie goes off message with a rant at the anti-Brexit movement
Budget Bungles Here In Mesa?
The City currently has a gap between the level of on-going revenues and the level of on-going expenses. The projected widened funding gap for FY17/18 requires City action to ensure sustainability of services.
More details > here
Time for City Hall to get accountable/open!
About 73% of the General Governmental fund expenses are related to the cost of personnel who provide the services.
Costs like what?
Unfunded liabilities skyrocketing public city employees with very generous pension benefits, benefits and insurance?
Over-estimating revenues?
Under-estimated costs and expenses?
About
“Shitstorm”, a portmanteau of the words “shit” and “storm,” is an Internet slang term referring to a type of public outrage . . .
Origin
The exact origin of the term is unclear. On November 7th, 2002, Urban Dictionary[1] user D’emon submitted an entry for “shit storm,” describing it as an unpleasant consequence of failure.
How it Spread
On November 24th, 2004 “shitstorm” was added to the online dictionary Wiktionary, where it was defined as a type of public backlash. In September 2009, “shitstorm” was added to the Macmillan Dictionary[8] defined as “a situation in which people are very angry or there are a lot of problems.” On July 28th, 2010, The Onion[9] published a satirical article that professional basketball players Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade would be nicknamed “The Three-Headed Shitstorm."
In February 2012, the German website Anglizismus des Jahres[2] (“Anglicisms of the Year” in English), listed “shitstorm” as 2011’s top English contribution to the German language for filling “a gap in the German vocabulary” pertaining to public outcry on the Internet.
[excerpts from this source: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/shitstorm ]
6-Page Final Agenda for Regular Mesa City Council Meeting Mon 03 April 2017
Link > http://mesa.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
Mayor's Welcome
Roll Call (Members of the Mesa City Council will attend either in person or by telephone conference call)
Invocation by Pastor Joel Scott with Chrio Communities.
Pledge of Allegiance
Awards, Recognitions and Announcements
1 Take action on all consent agenda items.
Items on the Consent Agenda 17-0360
Approval of minutes of previous meetings as written.*2
3 Take action on the following contracts:
17-0328 Three-Year Term Contract for LED Re-lamping Services for the Transportation Department (Citywide)
This contract will provide services to replace LED traffic signal indicators. LED indicators are regularly replaced as they reach the end of their service life.
The evaluation committee recommends awarding the contract to the highest-scored proposal from Contractors West, Inc. (a Mesa business), at $144,925 annually, based on estimated requirements.
*3-a
17-0348 One-Year Renewal of the Term Contract for Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Air Equipment and Repair Parts for the Fire and Medical Department (Single Bid) (Citywide)
This contract will provide Scott SCBA air equipment and repair parts as needed for the Fire and Medical Department. The air equipment is used to provide breathable air to firefighters in environments that are immediately dangerous to life or health.
Fire and Medical, and Purchasing recommend authorizing a renewal with Municipal Emergency Services, Inc., at $70,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
*3-b
Page 2 City of Mesa Printed on 3/30/2017
April 3, 2017City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
17-0354 Three-Year Term Contract for Tire Deflation Devices for the Police Department (Single Bid) (Citywide)
The Police Department uses stop stick devices to impede or stop the movement of mobile vehicles by tire deflation. The devices are used to terminate a pursuit quickly and safely. The Police Department has an immediate need to purchase 67 tire deflation devices, which will be distributed to the patrol districts.
The Police Department and Purchasing recommend awarding the contract to the single, responsive and responsible bidder, Stop Stick, Ltd., at $62,000 annually, based on estimated requirements.
*3-c
17-0349 Purchase of Five Ford Explorers (Four Replacements and One Addition) for the Police Department (Citywide)
This purchase will provide one addition for the Street Crimes Unit and four replacements to support police operations. The four vehicles that are being replaced have met established replacement 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 and Police Departments, and Purchasing recommend authorizing the purchase from the contract with Berge Ford (a Mesa business), at $152,541.26. This purchase is funded by the Vehicle Replacement and Capital General Funds.
*3-d
17-0355 Purchase of Replacement and Spare Programmable Logic Controllers and Related Components as requested by the Water Resources Department (Citywide)
This contract will provide Programmable Logic Controllers and related components for replacement and spares at the City’s water and wastewater plants. The existing equipment is over 15 years old, beyond its useful life and cannot be reconfigured for future system enhancements.
The Water Resources Department and Purchasing recommend awarding the contract to the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder, Summit Electric Supply, not to exceed $75,000, based on estimated requirements. This purchase is funded by the Utility Replacement Extension and Renewal Fund.
*3-e
Page 3 City of Mesa Printed on 3/30/2017
April 3, 2017City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
17-0325 Fiber Network Expansion - Segment 1 (Guaranteed Maximum Price No. 2): Communication Building (161 East 6th Place) to Fire Station 211 (2130 North Horne) (District 1)
This is the fifth phase of the City’s Fiber Network Expansion Project, which includes the expansion of the existing communication infrastructure to several key public safety facilities and communication sites. This project will connect Fire Station 211 to the Communications Building by constructing 0.2 miles of fiber optic cable lateral, and connecting to 1.0 mile of Intelligent Transportation Systems existing fiber on McKellips Road from Horne to Center Street. This project will deliver upgraded connectivity for Fire Station 211 to the City’s computer system via expanded fiber network, similar to other fire stations.
Staff recommends awarding the contract to CS Construction in the amount of $109,560, based upon a guaranteed maximum price of $99,600, plus an additional $9,960 (10%) change order allowance. This allowance will only be utilized for approved change orders. The project is funded by 2013 authorized Public Safety Bonds.
*3-f
17-0341 Eagles Park (Broadway Road and Horne) Phase 1 (District 4)
This contract is for Phase 1 construction, which is focused on the gymnasium building renovation and construction of a 44-space parking lot. The Eagles Park project has been phased to allow the community center to become operational more quickly, while allowing time to refine and develop the programming and cost model for the overall project. The community center features will include retention of the wooden floor gymnasium, retention of the smaller dance room, creation of five multipurpose community rooms, a small grouping of staff offices, and restrooms to serve the building and the park.
Staff recommends awarding the contract for this project to the lowest, responsible bidder, Marsh Development Inc., in the amount of $2,165,614.68, and authorize a change order allowance in the amount of $216,561.47 (10%). These projects are funded by the 2012 authorized Park bonds, Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) federal Housing Grants.
*3-g
Page 4 City of Mesa Printed on 3/30/2017
April 3, 2017City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
17-0353 Dollar-Limit Increase to the Term Contract for Custodial Services for the Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department as requested by Facilities Maintenance (Citywide)
The vendor proposed pricing increases due to the passage of Proposition 206, which affected certain classes of Arizona employers and employees, by gradually increasing the Arizona minimum wage beginning 1/1/2017 and requiring employers to provide sick leave benefits beginning 7/1/2017.
The Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing a dollar-limit increase of $222,300.83 with Varsity Facility Services, increasing the annual contract amount from $1,951,719.32 to $2,174,020.15, through the contract term.
*3-h
4 Take action on the following resolutions:
17-0269 Ordering the sale of $47,180,000 principal amount of City of Mesa General Obligation Bonds, Series 2017. (Citywide) *4-a
17-0270 Ordering the sale of $123,875,000 principal amount of City of Mesa Utility Systems Revenue Bonds, Series 2017. (Citywide) *4-b
5 Introduction of the following ordinance and setting April 17, 2017 as the date of the public hearing on this ordinance:
17-0334 Authorizing a Transaction Privilege and Use Tax Amnesty Program that will be in effect from June 1, 2017 to July 31, 2017. (Citywide)
The program will allow delinquent taxpayers to have certain civil penalties and interest liabilities abated during the scheduled time period, and in doing so, it is anticipated that the City will benefit by receiving revenue, resolving aging tax account receivable balances, and clearing delinquent tax returns.
*5-a
6 Discuss, receive public comment, and take action on the following ordinances:
17-0311 A16-002 (District 5) Annexing land in the 8800 through 8900 blocks of East Main Street (south side). Located south of Main Street and west of Ellsworth Road (36.58 +/- ac). Initiated by the applicant, Randy Carter of Sketch Architecture Company. *6-a
Page 5 City of Mesa Printed on 3/30/2017
April 3, 2017City Council Meeting Agenda - Final
17-0261 Z17-001 (District 5) The 1600 through 2000 blocks of North Ellsworth Road (east side) and the 9200 block of East McKellips Road (south side). Located on the east side of Ellsworth Road south of McKellips Road (30.46± acres).
Rezone from RS-35-PAD to RS-15-PAD PAD; and Site Plan Review. This request will allow the development of a single residence subdivision.
Paul R. Dugas, Pinnacle Ridge Holdings, applicant;
Phoenix Land Division, LLC, owner.
Staff Recommendation: Approval with conditions
P&Z Board Recommendation: Approval with conditions (Vote: 7-0)
*6-b
Items not on the Consent Agenda
7 Items from citizens present. (Maximum of three speakers for three minutes per speaker).
8 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))
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