Wednesday, August 19, 2020

AZCC 9-1-2020 Special Open Meeting Notice & Agenda / RE: JOHNSON UTILITIES

ARIZONA CORPORATION COMMISSION
 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Matthew J. Neubert

SECRETARY
Carolyn D. Buck
Phone: 602-542-3931
cdbuck@azcc.gov		 COMMISSIONERS
Chairman Robert "Bob" Burns
Boyd Dunn
Sandra D. Kennedy
Justin Olson
Lea Márquez Peterson		 

   Print 
N O T I C E
SPECIAL OPEN MEETING OF THE ARIZONA CORPORATION COMMISSION
 
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
 
5:45 p.m.
 
Hearing Room One
1200 W. Washington St
Phoenix, AZ 85007
                                                                             
This shall serve as notice of an open meeting at the above location for consideration, discussion, and possible vote of the items on the agenda and other matters related thereto.  Commissioners may attend the proceedings in person, or by telephone, video, or internet conferencing, and may use this open meeting to ask questions about the matters on the agenda. The parties to the matters to be discussed or their legal representatives are requested, though not required, to attend telephonically.  The Commissioners may move to executive session, which will not be open to the public, for the purpose of legal advice pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03 (A) (3) on the matters noticed herein.
 
Because of the guidance issued by state and federal officials regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, meetings of 10 or more should be by teleconference only. Only essential Commission staff will attend in person. The public is strongly discouraged from attending in person.  The public will be able to participate by either watching and listening to the meeting online or listening to the meeting via telephone.  For those wishing to enter an appearance or provide public comment for a particular item please use the dial in phone numbers. Once the item for which you are appearing or providing public comment is concluded, please hang up and watch the live stream.

Persons with a disability may request reasonable accommodations by contacting the Commission Secretary listed above.
 
Dial-in Phone Number: 1-866-705-2554 Passcode to Listen Only: 2414978
 
Agendas are available online at:  azcc.gov/agendas
 
This meeting will be available online at:  http://www.azcc.gov/live
 
NOTE:  The Commission may choose to take testimony under oath.
 
Agenda
 
  1. Discussion and consultation with the Commission attorneys for legal advice related to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality actions related to Johnson Utilities, L.L.C.  A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3) & (4).  The Commission will vote to ratify the action taken at the August 12, 2020 Open Meeting held at 1:30 p.m. The Commission moved to go into Executive Session but did not vote. The Commission will vote to ratify the action to move into Executive Session
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SAY WHAT? ...more "Guidance" HUD ISSUES GUIDANCE FOR CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDS

HUD NEWS
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Ben Carson, Secretary
Office of Public Affairs, Washington, DC 20410

HUD No. 20-128                                                                                 FOR RELEASE
HUD Public Affairs                                                                            Wednesday
202-708-0685                                                                                       August 19, 2020
http://www.hud.gov/press

HUD ISSUES GUIDANCE FOR CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDS
Department working with states and local units of governments to aid vulnerable populations amid outbreak
WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson today provided guidance and additional flexibility to states and units of local government who are utilizing their existing federal disaster recovery funds to support low- and moderate-income persons and vulnerable populations for disasters occurring in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 during the coronavirus outbreak. The Federal Register notice published on August 17, 2020 grants extensions and clarifies submission deadlines for Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery (CDBG-DR) grantees.
“Helping Americans recover from the coronavirus pandemic is a top priority,” said Secretary Carson. “Today’s guidance underscores the Trump Administration’s commitment to offering countless flexibilities and accommodations so that states and localities can best respond to the needs of their communities.”
Key new flexibilities available to CDBG-DR Grantees are:
  • Provided a one-year extension of its previously established expenditure deadline for CDBG-DR funds under certain public laws in response to a 2015, 2016, or 2017 disaster.
  • Provided with the option to request an additional expenditure extension beyond the one-year extension, for a maximum of two years.
  • Provided submission extensions to CDBG-DR grantees for their certifications, implementation plan and capacity assessment, and action plan in response to a 2018 or 2019 disaster.  Also includes a new provision that allows grantees to request additional submission extensions. 

For more information on HUD's CDBG-DR program, please visit Hud.gov.
Public Housing Authorities across the Nation have jumped into action to help assist their tenants and their communities during this unprecedented time. Read more about their stories featured in HUD's Neighbors Helping Neighbors campaign, here.
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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
More information about HUD and its programs is available at www.hud.gov and https://espanol.hud.gov.

For information about Opportunity Zones visit: https://opportunityzones.hud.gov/
You can also connect with HUD on social media and follow Secretary Carson on Twitter and Facebook or sign up for news alerts on HUD's Email List.
HUD COVID-19 Resources and Fact Sheets

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BALLARD SPAHR ON IT: Campaigns to track down and prosecute fraudulent behavior and misconduct


Ballard Spahr Lawyer Talks Tracking COVID-19 Stimulus Fraud (Literally)

BY  AUGUST 17, 2020 1:13 PM
 REPRINTS
Terence Grugan.
BALLARD SPAHR PARTNER-ELECT, TERENCE GRUGAN. COURTESY: BALLARD SPAHR
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Just after the first rounds of COVID-19 stimulus were released by the government, law firm Ballard Spahr’s Terry Grugan and Laura Gavin, based in Philadelphia, began combing through the websites of government agencies looking for keywords related to the virus, stimulus and policy.
SEE ALSO: NYC Restaurants Plead For a Plan For Return of Indoor Dining
The daily goal was to compile information and formulate an interactive system tracking COVID-19 stimulus fraud and detailing the federal government’s earliest responses and legal actions against it. 
Together with one of the firm’s internal tech and innovation divisions, they’ve developed a detailed, real-time system — updated daily — where you can track a variety of alleged violations, like securities, bank and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud, among several others, and enforcement across nearly a half dozen government agencies. The firm officially launched it late-last month. 
The country is now several months into the pandemic, with another round of stimulus supposedly on the way, should Congress and the White House eventually agree on terms. But disruptions caused by the virus and mitigation efforts have distracted the federal government from undergoing larger campaigns to track down and prosecute fraudulent behavior and misconduct that will have inevitably resulted from the trillions of dollars in support that originated from its coffers. To date, Congress and the Federal Reserve have passed bills approving or directly  provided trillions of dollars in fiscal support programs and monetary assistance, respectively, with the Fed expanding its lending programs on July 28 until the end of the year. 
Grugan spoke to Commercial Observer in late last month to discuss the system itself and the U.S. government’s stimulus response and subsequent enforcement.
Commercial Observer: Tell us what drove the system’s inception. 
Terry Grugan: When you have government spending or programs, or any kind of spending or programs, there’s always fraud. So, it was obvious that with these stimulus programs there would be a lot of it. That was compounded by the fact that the programs themselves were being negotiated in Congress very quickly, so they wouldn’t, and didn’t, receive the same type of legislative scrutiny that other legislation typically would. That means there are unintended holes that people would probably take advantage of. Using PPP as an example, within a week or two of the CARES Act being passed and signed into law, they had expected that money to start going out the door, so some recipients of the money couldn’t be subject to the same kind of scrutiny they typically would — another area where people could take advantage. Here, you have every area of the country and every area of the economy touched, so there are almost limitless ways you could take advantage of these programs. We wanted to get out ahead of it and see what was going on from an enforcement standpoint and literally track it and see what the government is doing and —over time — learn what its priorities are, what the trends are and what kinds of interpretations the DOJ or SEC or other agencies are applying to these laws. [We wanted to be able to] follow along in real time to understand what’s happening, so we can better predict what’s going to come later, as opposed to doing everything retrospectively.
How did you begin collecting the data and information? 
While it’s still early, what actions have become more prevalent and in what sectors? What sticks out to you? 
READ MORE >> Commercial Observer Newsletter

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Cancellation ~ MAG Transportation Safety Committee Meeting- August 2020

Cancellation ~ MAG Transportation Safety Committee Meeting- August 2020
Maricopa Association of Governments <mag@service.govdelivery.com>Wed, Aug 19, 2020 at 10:27 AM
Reply-To: mag@service.govdelivery.com
To: urbanmesaconnections@gmail.com
The August 25, 2020 MAG Transportation Safety Committee Meeting has been canceled.
The next proposed virtual meeting is scheduled for September 22, 2020.
Thank you.
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RAIL CDC August Updates!

RAIL CDC August Updates!

RAIL CDC will meet on August 26th, 2020 at 6 o'clock for our monthly RAIL community meeting.

Tune in for RAIL updates around our city, presentation for our friends at Arizona Partnership for Healthy Communities speak on their new Incubator program!

1. Those wishing to participate can do so by clicking the link found here.

2. The Facebook event can be found here.

Join ECO Mesa for a preview of the new sustainable apartments....


The City of Mesa along with the Downtown Transformation Project is planning to construct a new public parking lot in Downtown Mesa.
The proposed zoning and the release from the city are attached (on the right).
The ECO MESA team is hosting a Zoom webinar on Wednesday, August 19, 2020, at 6:30 pm to preview their sustainable ECO MESA apartment project proposed for the Purple Lot east of the SEC of Pepper Place and Robson.   Please register in advance to attend the webinar at the following:
CLICK HERE
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
 

Calling all teams that seek to make their communities better!

Are you interested in building a sustainable and affordable Mesa? If so, have we got the program for you! Our friends at Arizona Partnership for Healthy Communities are hosting a webinar on their upcoming Live Well Arizona incubator. Those interested in applying can do so by clicking here. Their flyer for the event is attached below.

Mesa CARES Technical Assistance Program for Small Businesses

The city of Mesa has launched the Mesa CARES Small Business Technical Assistance Program designed to assist Mesa businesses recover from the pandemic by providing them with FREE technical assistance and consulting services regarding various aspects of their business such as marketing, business planning, budgeting, adapting their business model, legal and accounting services, among others.
RAIL CDC is here to help, for more information or need assistance in filling out the form, reach out to us at 480-331-3049 (call or text) or emaillaura@railcdc.org
Click HERE to access the application, after you read the information, the link to the application will be at the end of the page.

City of Mesa Special Projects Open House
Over the past year, the Development Services Department has been working on certain revisions to the City’s General Plan and Code Amendments under the project headline “Special Projects”.

As stated, these reviews are part of the City’s continued efforts to streamline the administration of land uses and review process. The special projects currently under review are the following:
  • Mesa 2040 General Plan Amendments -- To clarify the goals of certain character area designations
  • Site Plan Review Amendments -- To allow certain administrative reviews and approvals
  • Community Residence Amendments -- To conform to State standards and refine certain performance standards
  • Assisted Living Amendments -- To promote the appropriate siting of facilities
  • Subdivision Regulation Amendments -- To streamline the process, remove redundancies, and update standards
  • Historic Preservation Design Guidelines -- To create guidelines for best practices in historic districts
  • Small Lot Development Design Guidelines -- To encourage quality development for small lot developments
  • Infill Development Resource Guide -- To encourage and remove impediments to infill development
Please join us via the Zoom platform to learn and discuss your feedback about these special projects.
We look forward to seeing you! 
Topic: Neighborhood Meeting - 8/18/2020
Time: Aug 18, 2020 06:00 PM Arizona
Click HERE to get in!
Meeting ID: 858 3689 6009
Passcode: 144687
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Changes Are Coming to Church Magazines in 2021

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