Friday, March 06, 2020

Looking For The Best Price @ 40-Minute Mesa City Council Study Session Thu 05.03.2020

Both Hizzoner John Giles and City Manager Chris Brady were sporting casual short-sleeved shirts emblazoned with logos . . . if that's promoting something IDK.
That's not their usual dress code.
See for yourself in this 40-minute upload.
Clearly, City Manager Chris Brady has plans beyond this first pilot to hand-off proposed city-owned land sales to "a third-party" interest for reasons (or terms and conditions) that are not stated - it might be an attempt at trying to remove any possible favorable treatment for prospective buyers that could be controversial if held up to more public scrutiny.
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PREVIOUS POST ON THIS BLOG:

04 March 2020

REVERSE ONLINE AUCTION < Pilot Presentation for proposed Land Sales @ Mesa City Council Study Session

07:30 AM

Final Agenda made available per usual about one day ahead-of-time

Flow Chart
for readers to use as a perspective on the Agenda Setting Process:
For some reason - no explanation given -
City officials want to test a pilot version for online bidding to auction-off two parcels of land:
> one located at the northwest corner of Adobe and Recker Roads (2.1 acres)
> one located at the northwest corner of McDowell Road and 92nd Street (1.3 acres)
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LINK > click or tap here

BLOGGER NOTE:

Real Estate Services Administrator Kim Fallback makes the Power Point Slide Presentation, side-by-side with Matt Bauer the city's Procurement Officers and Scott Peterson.
According to what Fallback states, the city has used this process for sales of the Pinal County Properties, Riverview, and the Thomas & Decker Landfill.
She also states that 8 developers have approached the city to express an interest in the Adobe/Decker property, and 3 developers expressing an interest in the other one.
See the slide presentation for details

AGENDA

7:30 AM Council Chambers - Lower Level Thu 05 March 2020

1 Presentation/Action Item:

1-a File #20-0285
Hear a presentation, discuss, and provide direction on the sale of City-owned properties through an online auction process, and proposing the properties located at

the northwest corner of Adobe and Recker Roads (2.1 acres), and

the northwest corner of McDowell Road and 92nd Street (1.3 acres)

To be used as a pilot in the online auction process.

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MEETING DETAILS

Meeting Name:

City Council Study Session

Agenda status:

Final

Meeting date/time:

3/5/2020 7:30 AM

Attachments:

File #:

20-0285

Type:

Presentation

Status:

Agenda Ready

In control:

City Council Study Session

On agenda:

3/5/2020

Title:

Hear a presentation, discuss, and provide direction on the sale of City-owned properties through an online auction process, and proposing the properties located at the northwest corner of Adobe and Recker Roads (2.1 acres), and the northwest corner of McDowell Road and 92nd Street (1.3 acres) be used as a pilot in the online auction process.

Attachments:

1. Presentation

SALE OF CITY PROPERTY

Kim Fallbeck, Real Estate Services Administrator

< Scott Patterson, EasiBuy

(Chief Operating Officer at EASiBuy LLC , Ohio

About EASiBuy LLC

Website: https://www.eauctionservices.com/

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The two parcels are in District 5 - no idea why District 1 City Councilmember Mark Freeman
Gets "the screen-grab" from Mesa Channel 11 ...but then again watch-and-listen yourself

"Black Swan Events" Perfectly Predictable > The ultimate cause is the same ultimate cause that has been demonstrated to us for over a century: distorted and manipulated markets.

Another dire warning: Coronavirus Black Swan of 2020
"Top Silicon Valley investment firm Sequoia Capital today sent a dire warning to portfolio company CEOs about the business impacts of coronavirus, suggesting that they "question every assumption" about their businesses, including cash runway, headcount, and sales forecasts.
Why it matters: The last time Sequoia did something similar was in October 2008, at the peak of the financial crisis, via its famed "RIP Good Times" slide deck.
Source: Kia Kokalitcheva writing in AXIOS
The firm is known for placing early bets on such companies as Airbnb, Google, WhatsApp.
Go deeper: Read the full memo.
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First this from https://jugglingdynamite.com/2015/02/15

The Myth of Black Swan market events

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Danielle Park

Excellent article in the NYT this weekend from Mark Spitznagel, founder and chief investment officer of Universa Investments. Spitznagel is elevated in both intelligence and wisdom– still a very rare combination in finance.

First he offers a chart of the Tobin Q ratio for the S&P 500 since 1900–here with annotation from my partner Cory–(the total aggregate value of publicly traded common shares in relation to the estimated aggregate replacement value of the stock of capital for those corporations (ie., machines, equipment, buildings, chairs, etc.).

As shown on this historically reliable metric (and many others!) stock prices today are the most over-valued in 115 years, but for the fleeting tech wreck top in 2000:

These elevated periods for the Q ratio are clearly unsustainable, because companies cannot borrow and buy back forever. So this highly unnatural mechanism has logical implications not for long-run economic investment and growth (as the Keynesians continue to hope), but instead for short-run stock prices. Complicated statistical analysis is not needed to confirm this.

Each of these high points in the Q ratio — in 1905, 1929, 1936, 1968, 2000 and 2007 — was followed in short order by stock market losses. The peak-to-valley (or the loss from the high price to the low price) subsequent to each high point was 19 percent, 85 percent, 36 percent, 29 percent, 44 percent, and 50 percent, respectively.

…The bear markets we saw following all of these periods were not dreaded “black swan” events at all. They were perfectly predictable, by economic logic alone, the same logic that says governments cannot manipulate market prices without creating distortions that will always, without exception, be counterproductive.

In the next stock market crash, we will be told that the fault was some surprising economic or geopolitical shock. Let’s remind ourselves now that this will be false, the proximate cause rather than the ultimate cause.

The ultimate cause is the same ultimate cause that has been demonstrated to us for over a century: distorted and manipulated markets.

These markets are speaking to us yet again.

This time around, we need to listen.

For useful historical context on the interventionist policies that have driven repeated periods of equity over-valuation and then collapse, read the whole article here: The myth of Black Swan market events.

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From Great Speculations Forbes 2020.02.25

Coronavirus: The Black Swan

The Economic Impacts
Given the economic disruptions already in flight plus the emergence of the inevitable “avoidance” response (people stay home during the outbreak and long after it is no longer a threat), the economic impacts are going to be considerable even if the virus’ spread is soon halted as was thought early on.
The financial media does a good job of hyping stock prices and equity returns.
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>> 03 February 2020

This Is a Black Swan That Could Tip World Into Recession: Papasavvas

260 views

•

Feb 3, 2020

516K subscribers

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Thursday, March 05, 2020

Downtown OZones Get A Visit from Ashley D. Bell, U.S. Small Business Administrator Region IV

Welcome to
"The Old Donut-Hole"
Oooops! Nah > This is the story KTAR wants you to see:
Mesa welcomes White House policy adviser for update on federal program
By Griselda Zetino | UPDATED: March 5, 2020 at 6:12 am

(Photo by Griselda Zetino)

PHOENIX — A White House representative was in the East Valley this week to see how a federal program is revitalizing downtown Mesa.
Ashley Bell, White House policy adviser for entrepreneurship and innovation, visited several sites Tuesday that have been designated as opportunity zones by the federal government...
“It’s got the small town feel. It’s got a lot of charm to it, . . I can totally understand why people want to move here and move their families and their businesses,” adding that Mesa is “a great place to invest.”
Mesa has 11 opportunity zones, eight of which are downtown.
The downtown opportunity zones have attracted the attention and investment of Scottsdale-based wealth development firm Caliber.
Rodney Riley, Caliber’s director of acquisitions and development, said they have 10 buildings totaling about 160,000 square feet in the area.
He said they intend to bring restaurants, businesses and creative office spaces to the area.
“We want to bring generational residents back to downtown Mesa,” he addedWhite House policy adviser for entrepreneurship and innovation, visited several sites Tuesday that have been designated as opportunity zones by the federal government.“It’s got the small town feel. It’s got a lot of charm to it,” he told KTAR News 92.3 FM after walking through downtown.
“I can totally understand why people want to move here and move their families and their businesses,” adding that Mesa is “a great place to invest.”
Mesa has 11 opportunity zones, eight of which are downtown.
The downtown opportunity zones have attracted the attention and investment of Scottsdale-based wealth development firm Caliber.
Rodney Riley, Caliber’s director of acquisitions and development, said they have 10 buildings totaling about 160,000 square feet in the area.
He said they intend to bring restaurants, businesses and creative office spaces to the area.
“We want to bring generational residents back to downtown Mesa,” he added _________________________________________________________________________________

Ashley D. Bell Named as White House Policy Advisor for #Entrepreneurs

Small Business Administration (SBA) sent this bulletin at 10/23/2019 10:10 AM EDT

October 2019

Ashley D. Bell

Region IV Administrator

U.S. Small Business Administration

Ashley D. Bell has been appointed as the White House Advisor for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Ashley D. Bell was recently appointed as a Policy Advisor for Entrepreneurship and Innovation by the White House Office of American Innovation. Mr. Bell will also remain as the SBA Region IV Administrator. In his White House role, Mr. Bell has the opportunity to introduce policy that will empower entrepreneurs across the nation through his work with Opportunity Zones, supplier diversity, HBCU entrepreneurship, his Drive 8(a) Initiative as well as through his Rural Strong Initiative; assuring that entrepreneurs in every pocket of the United States have the opportunity to succeed.

The announcement was made in Atlanta on October 16th at the Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (RCIE) in front of a standing room only crowd, As Mr. Bell stated, "This is not a celebration, this is a groundbreaking," as he described the work he has already begun to assist all entrepreneurs in creating businesses that may passed along to future generations.

As Mr. Bell stated, "you can't pass a job along to your children, but you can pass a business on to them to run."

Ashley D. Bell address a full house during the ceremony announcing his new role as White House Policy Advisor for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

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Rodney Riley joins CBRE as regional sales director

Real Estate | 2 May, 2016 | AZRE

Rodney Riley (Photo provided by CBRE)

CBRE appointed Rodney Riley as regional sales director, Investor Services for the Southwest Region.

Riley will collaborate with local leadership and assist with business development and sales efforts for all Investor Services business, including Agency Brokerage, IP, Asset Services, Project Management, Debt & Structured Finance and Valuation.

Riley is a 30-year veteran of the industry. Most recently, he comes to CBRE from RSR Capital Advisors, where he was Managing Partner and COO

NY Times Opinion Writer Gail Collins is So Right!

The Presidency Is an Old Boys’ Club.

Let’s pick someone who doesn’t keep us awake nights.

Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders in a debate in February. The Democratic presidential contest is now down to septuagenarians.

Credit...Chang W. Lee/The New York Times
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Read more details at this link https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/04/opinion
"Bernie Sanders, 78, and Joe Biden, 77, were both born during World War II. Is that a problem? I’ve always had a theory that as people get older, if they’re lucky, they get better . . .

If it’s true, we’d really have an argument for Biden, who has endless experience working with Congress and dealing with foreign leaders. Sanders, on the other hand, is very, very, very good at giving his one basic speech. I believe he could deliver it while being swung from a crane over the Statue of Liberty.

Whoever wins, of course, will run against Donald Trump, 73, who has never made any attempt to actually learn how to run a country but has super-perfected his genius for bragging and insulting people on television

We could go on and on. And you know, before November I bet we will.

. . . Super Tuesday ruined the presidential hopes of Mike Bloomberg, 78, who bowed out with an endorsement of Biden. “I’ve always believed that data should inform our decisions,” Bloomberg said in what was nevertheless a very emotional address for him.

Well, money won’t buy you everything. But it will certainly make Bloomberg a venerated Biden supporter.

. . . Elizabeth Warren, 70, was the youngest serious candidate in the Super Tuesday battle, and it certainly wasn’t any help. Coming in third in her home state was a terrible way to end a campaign. But when Americans in the future look back on her career, they’ll remember Warren as one of the pioneers who, like Hillary Clinton, helped to get the nation used to the idea that there’s nothing unusual about voting for a woman to be president.

Either Biden or Sanders, if elected, would be the oldest American entering a first presidential term. As of right now the record is held by Trump, who was 70, followed by Ronald Reagan, who was 69. Reagan went on to a second term that many people felt was marred by a certain … mental slippage. It’s sort of hard to tell whether Trump is failing in that way since he was so awful when he started out.

. . . The president calls Biden “Sleepy Joe,” which is maybe an age-related insult. But from Biden’s point of view, it’s not bad at all. Right now there’s nothing the nation would welcome more than a president whose worst flaw is making everybody feel like taking a nap.

We could so use some downtime."

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: letters@nytimes.com.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

How Does The City of Mesa Manage To Side-Step Police Chief-Community Issues?

At the same time that Phoenix - the Phoenix City Council and Mayor Kate Gallego - are open and transparent dealing with incidents of excessive use-of-force, unwarranted surveillance. and sexual harassment on-the-job by being accountable in the glare of public scrutiny and calls for civilian oversight and review, Mesa city officials have so far managed to avoid scrutiny or taking any action, except to change who is hired from the outside or promoted from within-the-ranks by slow-playing the news, carefully crafting the narrative they want.

Left to right: Tempe City Manager Andrew Ching, Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell, Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir.

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What you see in the opening image is probably something you won't see here in Mesa: the city manager, the mayor, and the police chief appearing all together

Tempe police chief on the defensive at first ever community issues meeting

By Jerod MacDonald-Envoy 03.03.2020

"A year after the controversial police shooting of 14-year-old Antonio Arce and just weeks after prosecutors declined to charge the officer involved, Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir was on the defensive during a first-ever community meeting in the City of Tempe.

The event, dubbed Tempe Listens, was the first in what the city says will be quarterly meetings that will focus on a variety of issues. The inaugural meeting focused on policing.

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The meeting was moderated by Pastor Andre Miller of New Beginnings Christian Church in Mesa *. who has held similar community conversations between law enforcement and the people they police in other Arizona cities.

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Tuesday’s meeting at Tempe Christ Church became contentious as the evening went on, with some community members voicing frustrations with Moir’s answers – or lack thereof.

Things reached a head when Moir claimed that Tempe Police Department does not have a cell site simulator device, often referred to as a Stingray, after a resident asked if the department would be willing to get rid of its counter-terrorism unit and stop using its Stingray device.

Stingray devices are meant to mimic a cell phone tower in order to trick a target cell phone so law enforcement can track a subject or to gain access to their device.

Moir also said Tempe PD doesn’t have a counter-terrorism unit.

But Tempe PD does own a Stingray, and in 2018 it attempted to secure funds to upgrade the system. Tempe PD also has a Homeland Defense Unit which cooperates with the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center.

“I don’t really know what the point of a community conversation is if you’re going to lie to us,” said one member of the audience as Miller attempted to calm the crowd.

Moir spent most of the night playing defense, as community members asked repeatedly for more transparency from the department and changes to various policies. . .

> Multiple questions revolved around asking Tempe to adopt a policy similar to the one adopted recently by Phoenix to create a civilian review board for its police force that will have the power to investigate complaints against police and recommend policy directly to the chief.

Moir said that a civilian review board that Tempe created in 1999 that reviews incidents currently fills that gap.

The board isn’t listed on Tempe’s main webpage for boards and committees.
The only webpage that can be found for the board is for an older version of Tempe’s website, which has no information on the board.

> Another point of conflict was Tempe’s LRAD, an acoustic cannon that can be used at long ranges.

Tempe Police and Phoenix Police both previously told the Arizona Mirror that they have no policies on how they deploy their long range acoustic devices, which have been known to cause permanent hearing loss.

“It’s not a weapon,” Moir said in response to a question that phrased it as such.

“I would have to look at how it is used, if it is used in Tempe.”

Some audience members took offense to Moir’s statement, saying that they had seen the device used at protests. . .

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Green Finance: Hyperlocal Global Hubs Are Proliferating Everywhere

Emily Chasan writing in Bloomberg News yesterday notes that Green finance is a worldwide affair.
While the traditional money centers of New York and London play critical roles in the burgeoning renewable economy, investment is increasingly originating farther afield, nearer to places in need of upgraded energy infrastructure. . . The shifting centers of green finance are also about tackling the world’s environmental problems where they start.
Most infrastructure projects have historically been funded at the local level, so it makes sense that finance centers are proliferating, says Scott Jacobs, founder of San Francisco-based Generate Capital, which recently raised $1 billion to invest in clean energy infrastructure.
The big issue for future infrastructure won’t necessarily be financing, but rather people to think up what we need to build next.
“Electricity decarbonization is not going to be a problem anymore—it’s happening,” Jacobs said.
“But what we really need now is for the 27-year-olds who are excited about building the next app to want to build the next landfill gas system instead.”
Emily Chasan writes the Good Business newsletter about climate-conscious investors and the frontiers of sustainability.
Sign up to receive the Green Daily newsletter in your inbox every weekday.
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