Authorizing the City Manager to enter into Purchase Power Agreements with Solon Development, LLC, for four downtown Mesa solar projects, for operational terms of 25 years. (District 4)
The projects will consist of constructing solar photovoltaic generating systems at four sites in downtown Mesa:
1 the Arizona State University building,
2 The Plaza at Mesa City Center, and the
3 The parking lot Municipal Building (55 North Center Street)
4 The parking lot Mesa City Plaza.
The vendor will privately finance, develop, design, construct, own, report, operate, and maintain the system.
Energy Resources will purchase this solar energy from the projects for use in its electric supply portfolio.
The same group that financed Mesa City Manager Chris Brady's charade "Stadiums Paid-Off" in a sell-off of water-rights to more than 11,000 acres of lands owned by the City, is now selling Telectric energy back to the city to sell to its utility customers...
A PERPETUAL MONEY MACHINE that uses inter-locking enterprise investments
Huge Land Sale in Pinal County Sets Up Planned 100-Megawatt Solar Project
A Florida energy company paid close to $15 million for over 1,000 acres in Pinal County for a new solar power project.The 100-megawatt project will be the largest solar farm in Pinal County and one of the largest in the state, said Coolidge City Manager Rick Miller.
“This is a desirable location for solar,” Miller said. “We are also working with two other companies looking to do large-scale solar projects in the area.”
Scottsdale-based Saint Holdings sold 1,027 acres to a company called Saint Solar, an entity controlled by Florida Power & Light Co., the principal subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc., according to real estate database Vizzda. The land sold May 15 for $14.8 million, according to Vizzda. . .The solar project is north of the planned $1 billion, 2,000-job manufacturing plant for Nikola Motor Co. and its hydrogen-electric trucks.
The "land deal" land sale proceeds will boost the City’s Economic Investment Fund, financing in part projects such as: Sloan Park, The Cubs new Spring Training facility and the so-called then "Higher Education Initiative". We're talking 11,400 acres, folks!
The vast tracts of land were know back then as The Mesa Water Farm.
THIS IS WHAT THAT $135M LAND DEAL - OR LAND SWINDLE OR STEAL?? - FOR THEIR VISION ON THE 11,447 ACRES THAT WERE ONCE THE MESA WATER FARM ...
Nice buy: $135M 11,400+ ACRES
Watch where this story goes and note that the buyer in 2012, a company in Scottsdale, is now called Saints Holdings Company. They agreed to buy the land in three 5-year phases.
Let's do some numbers first: a recent city auction for 132 acres, without water rights, went for $21.1M (that's $5M above the appraised price) . . .or $159,848 per acre.
"According to Natalie Lewis, assistant to city manager Chris Brady, and also lead negotiator on the deal, Mesa purchased the land in 1985 for more than $29 million for its water rights to create a water farm.
Eventually, the city found more cost-effective means to provide the city water.
OH REALLY? DID THEY?
NO IDEA WHERE?Get a clue
. . . if readers of this blog are curious...
A few of the most recent projects that will help shape Pinal County’s continued growth include a recent sale of approximately 1,000 acres to a Nextera Energy for a 100 megawatt project. This will be the largest solar farm in Pinal County and one of the largest in the state.
Buddyz A Chicago Pizzeria, Mesa A restaurant that serves lunch and dinner is requesting a new Series 12G Restaurant License with growler privileges for Jenranzie LLC, 7641 East Guadalupe Road, Suite 111; Randall William Wallace, agent. There is no existing license at this location. (District 6)
Native Grill & Wings A restaurant that serves lunch and dinner is requesting a new Series 12 Restaurant License for Gilbert Superstition LLC, 1559 South Gilbert Road; Amy S. Nations, agent. The existing license held by Gilbert 60 Powers LLC will revert to the State. (District 3)
Three-Year Term Contract with Two Years of Renewal Options for Employee Uniform Garments for Citywide Departments (Citywide) Through its Uniform Garment Program, the City purchases and issues garments to employees and the employees are responsible for the laundry and maintenance. Items include: t-shirts, polo shirts, jeans and shorts; traditional poly/cotton and cotton uniform shirts and pants; and jackets, hats and ball caps. An evaluation committee recommends awarding the contract to the highest scored proposals from Ace Uniforms of Phoenix (Primary) and Mission Uniform Supply (Secondary), at $375,000 annually, with an annual increase allowance of up to 5%, or the adjusted Producer Price Index.
Purchase of Fire Station Alerting System Equipment for New Fire Station 221 for the Mesa Fire and Medical Department (Sole Source) (District 6) This purchase will provide a G2 Fire Station Alerting System for the new Fire Station No. 221 project. This system is also used by the Phoenix-Metro region as the standard alerting system for fire and medical units at each station. The Mesa Fire and Medical Department, Department of Innovation and Technology, and Purchasing recommend authorizing the purchase with US Digital Designs, at $93,542.52, based on estimated requirements. This purchase is funded by 2018 authorized Public Safety Bonds and developer contribution.
Purchase of Modular Furniture and Installation for the Library Services Department (Citywide) This purchase will provide new furnishings, including tables, chairs, lounge, and soft seating for the remodeled Children’s space at the Main Library. The Library Services Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing the purchase using the State of Arizona cooperative contract with Arizona Furnishings, at $73,271.17. This purchase is funded by General Fund FFE Funds - 2018 authorized Bonds.
Award of Additional Vendors to the Three-Year Term Contract with Two Years of Renewal Options for Off Site Vehicle Washing Services for Citywide Departments (Citywide) This contract provides a list of qualified vendors and approved car wash facilities for off-site vehicle washing services on an as-needed basis for the City fleet. An evaluation committee recommends awarding contracts to the qualified proposals from Raceway Carwash, dba Mesa Dr Carwash LP, Alma School Rd Carwash LP, Gilbert Rd Carwash LP, Power Rd Carwash LP, Warner Rd Carwash LP (Mesa locations); TNS Enterprises, dba Campbell’s Carwash (a Mesa business); and Yuyin Detail, LLC (a Mesa business); at $47,500 annually, with an annual increase allowance of up to 5%, or the adjusted Consumer Price Index.
Three-Year Term Contract with Two Years of Renewal Options for Larvicide Mosquito Control Chemicals for the Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department (Citywide) This contract will provide insecticide to treat standing water for mosquito control at the larva stage at City parks and basins . The Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department and Purchasing recommend awarding the contract to the responsive and responsible bidder, Clarke Mosquito Control Products, at $71,200 annually, with an annual increase allowance of up to 5%, or the adjusted Producer Price Index.
Three-Year Term Contract with Two Years of Renewal Options for Window Cleaning and Power-Washing Services for the Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department (Citywide) This contract will provide window cleaning and power-washing services at 62 City facilities. An evaluation committee recommends awarding the contract to the highest scored proposal from Imperial Window Cleaning, at $119,500 annually, with an annual increase allowance of up to 5%, or the adjusted Consumer Price Index.
Three-Year Term Contract with Two Years of Renewal Options for Fencing and Gate, Installation, Repair, Rental and Supplies for the Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department (Citywide) This contract will provide fencing rental services, fencing and gate repair and installation services, and fencing and gate material purchases used at City parks or facilities on an as-needed basis. An evaluation committee recommends awarding the contract to the highest scored proposal from B.L.C.G. Corp., dba, All Pro Fence Co. (a Mesa business), at $400,000 annually, with an annual increase allowance of up to 5%, or the adjusted Consumer Price Index.
Eleven-Month Term Contract for New Microsoft Licensing As-Needed for various City Departments (Citywide) The City has an Enterprise License Agreement that covers Microsoft on-premise and Software-as-a-Service applications, and cloud services that are critical to the daily operation of the City. The applications provided under the Agreement range from the Microsoft Office and Office 365 applications to our Azure Cloud data center, SQL Database environment and Windows Server operating systems. The Department of Innovation and Technology and Purchasing recommend authorizing the purchase using the State of Arizona cooperative contract with CDW-G, up to $250,000, based on estimated usage.
One-Year Renewal to the Term Contract for Refrigerated Liquid Carbon Dioxide for the Water Resources Department (Citywide) This contract provides refrigerated liquid carbon dioxide that is required for the treatment process at Signal Butte Water Treatment Plant. The Water Resources Department and Purchasing recommend authorizing the renewal using the City of Tempe cooperative contract with Linde (formerly Praxair, Inc.), at $100,000, based on estimated usage.
Cemetery North Expansion - Phase IIB and Urn/Scatter Garden Project (District 1) The City’s Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department identified the need for an expansion of the current cemetery grounds to increase available grave site inventory. This phase will collectively provide an additional 2,175 grave sites and an alternative for a new urn/scatter garden. Staff recommends awarding the contract for this project to the lowest, responsive, and responsible bidder, Low Mountain Construction Inc, in the amount of $2,587,054.48, and authorizing a change order allowance in the amount of $258,705.45 (10%), for a total amount of $2,845,759.93.
Extinguishing a public utilities and facilities easement located at 5149 South Inspirian Parkway to allow for the development of Steadfast Farm at Eastmark; requested by the property owner. (District 6)
Approving and authorizing the City Manager to enter into a 2021 Contract 207 Fund with the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to accept $71,280 in grant funds. The funds will be used by the Police Department’s Traffic Division for overtime, employee related expenses, and materials and supplies to support drug enforcement in the City of Mesa. (Citywide)
Authorizing the City Manager to enter into Purchase Power Agreements with Solon Development, LLC, for four downtown Mesa solar projects, for operational terms of 25 years. (District 4) The projects will consist of constructing solar photovoltaic generating systems at four sites in downtown Mesa: the Arizona State University building, The Plaza at Mesa City Center, and the parking lots at the Municipal Building (55 North Center Street), and Mesa City Plaza. The vendor will privately finance, develop, design, construct, own, report, operate, and maintain the system. Energy Resources will purchase this solar energy from the projects for use in its electric supply portfolio.
ANX20-00242 (District 6) Annexing property located north of Pecos Road and east of Ellsworth Road (337.0± acres). This request has been initiated by the applicant, Paul Gilbert, Beus Gilbert McGroder, PLLC for the owner, Pacific Proving, LLC.
ZON20-00846 (District 6) Within the 6000 to 6600 block of South Ellsworth Road (east side), within the 9200 to 9800 blocks of East Williams Field Road alignment (south side) and within the 6200 to 6600 blocks of South Crismon Road alignment (west side). Located east of Ellsworth Road and north of Pecos Road (overall 337.0± acres). Rezone 41.7± acres of the 337.0± acres of the property from AG to LR; Special Use Permits; and Site Plan Review on the property. This request will allow for the development of a recreation facility. Paul Gilbert, Beus Gilbert McGroder, applicant; Pacific Proving, LLC, owner. Staff Recommendation: Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation: Approval with conditions (Vote: 6-0)
ZON20-00538 (District 1) Within the 1200 to 1400 blocks of West Bass Pro Drive (south side) and the 1100 block of North Alma School Road (west side). Located south of the 202 Red Mountain Freeway on the west side of Alma School Road (30.9± acres). Modification to the Planned Area Development (PAD) Overlay on the property to amend condition #1 of Ordinance No. 4847 to allow development of a new office building and parking garage within an existing office development. Michael Edwards, The Davis Experience, applicant; Salt River Point, LL LLC, owner. Staff Recommendation: Approval with conditions P&Z Board Recommendation: Approval with conditions (Vote:6-0)
Throughout the debate over stimulus measures, one question has repeatedly brought gridlock in Washington: Should the states get no-strings federal aid?
Republicans have mostly said no, casting it as a bailout for spendthrift blue states. Democrats have argued the opposite, saying that states face dire fiscal consequences without aid, and included $350 billion in relief for state and local governments in President Biden’s $1.9 trillion federal stimulus bill, which narrowly passed the House this past weekend. It faces a much tougher fight in the Senate.
As it turns out, new data shows that a year after the pandemic wrought economic devastation around the country, forcing states to revise their revenue forecasts and prepare for the worst, for many the worst didn’t come . . .
A researcher at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank, found that total state revenues from April through December were down just 1.8 percent from the same period in 2019. Moody’s Analytics used a different method and found that 31 states now had enough cash to fully absorb the economic stress of the pandemic recession on their own.
. . .Also, averaging the states’ revenues — the J.P. Morgan report used weighted averages to show that revenues last year were down just 0.06 percent from 2019 — can mask the pain of the states whose tax collections have not yet rebounded. And focusing just on state revenue collection glosses over the weakness of local governments, which administer many social services under state administration.
“We know that local governments are doing far worse than the states,” said Lucy Dadayan, a senior research associate at the Tax Policy Center.
> No matter how they measured the states’ rebound, the analysts said the federal stimulus money that began to flow to consumers and small businesses late in March — especially the extraordinary support for the jobless through the end of July — had helped greatly. Those programs allowed consumer spending to continue, even as unemployment surged to levels not seen since the 1930s.
> Consumer spending, in turn, bolstered the states’ sales tax revenues.
> The federal unemployment benefits also buoyed income tax receipts in the 36 states that tax unemployment benefits.
> Many states also benefited from tax-law changes enacted before the pandemic, after a 2018 Supreme Court decision that let them compel out-of-state retailers to collect sales taxes on online purchases. The new laws ended years of legal wrangling over how to tax such sales, just in time to help the states weather the pandemic-induced shift to online shopping.
With some states now “enjoying windfalls” and others still struggling, Mr. White said a smaller amount of money, more carefully targeted to the states that needed it most, would be the most efficient approach for Congress. But getting assistance to those governments that truly need it, without sending unnecessary aid to those that do not, will require some “exceptional creativity,” he said.
Selected highlights to save some time-and-space
- and adding Meeting Details (starting with Item 3-c) inserted for your information.
Readers of this blog might like to observe who are the most active board members and who are the least activeboardmembers in the discussions.
There are two architects - one of whom, Tim Boyle - has quite a lot to say
Meeting Minutes Planning and Zoning Board - Public Hearing
Chair Dane Astle (ABSENT)
Vice Chair Jessica Sarkissian
Boardmember Tim Boyle
Boardmember Shelly Allen
Boardmember Jeffrey Crockett
Boardmember Deanna Villanueva-Saucedo
Boardmember Benjamin Ayers
Wednesday, March 10, 2021 4:00 PM Virtual Platform
CONSENT AGENDA
All items listed with an asterisk (*) will be considered as a group by the Board and will be enacted with one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Boardmember or citizen requests, in which the item will be removed from the consent agenda, prior to the vote, and considered as a separate item.
Items on this agenda that must be adopted by ordinance and/or resolution will be on a future City Council agenda. Anyone interested in attending the City Council public hearing should call the Planning Division at (480) 644-2385 or review the City Council agendas on the City's website at www.mesaaz.gov to find the agenda on which the item(s) will be placed.
Call meeting to order. Vice Chair Sarkissian called the meeting to order at 4:00 pm
3-c PZ 21028 ZON20-00838 District 4.
Within the 200 to 300 block of West Main Street (north side) and within the 0 to 100 block of North Morris (east side). Located east of Country Club Drive on the north side of Main Street.
(3.49± acres).
Site Plan Review
Special Use Permit.
This request will allow for a multiple residence development.
ZON20-00838 District 4. Within the 200 to 300 block of West Main Street (north side) and within the 0 to 100 block of North Morris (east side). Located east of Country Club Drive on the north side of Main Street. (3.49± acres). Site Plan Review; Special Use Permit. This request will allow for a multiple residence development. Brennan Ray, applicant; Vivo Apts Owner, LLC, owner. Planner: Jennifer Gniffke Staff Recommendation: Approval with conditions
ZON20-00210 District 5. Within the 6800 to 7000 blocks of East University Drive (south side). Located east of Power Road on the south side of University Drive. (1.6± acres). Rezone from LC to LC-BIZ Overlay; and Site Plan Review. This request will allow for the development of a commercial center. John Reddell, Reddell Architects, applicant; ETR Enterprises LLC and United States Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management, owner. (Continued from February 24, 2021) Planner: Charlotte Bridges Staff Recommendation: Continue to March 24, 2021
ETR Enterprises LLC and United States Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management, owner.
(Continued from February 24, 2021)
Planner: Charlotte Bridges
Staff Recommendation: Continue to March 24, 2021
Continuance to March 24, 2021 (Vote: 6-0; Chair Astle, absent)
> 4-b PZ 21029 ZON20-00846 District 6.
Within the 6000 to 6600 block of South Ellsworth Road (east side), within the 9200 to 9800 blocks of East Williams Field Road alignment (south side) and within the 6200 to 6600 blocks of South Crismon Road alignment (west side). Located east of Ellsworth Road and north of Pecos Road.
(overall 337.0± acres).
Rezone 41.7± acres of the 337.0± acres of the property from AG to LR
Special Use Permits
Site Plan Review on the property.
This request will allow for the development of a recreation facility.
Paul Gilbert, Beus Gilbert McGroder, applicant
Pacific Proving, LLC, owner
Planner: Evan Balmer
Staff Recommendation:Approval with conditions
Approval with conditions (Vote: 6-0; Chair Astle, absent)
4-c PZ 21031 ZON20-00877 District 1.
Within the 2400 block of North Old Gilbert Road (east side) and within the 2000 block of East Hermosa Vista Drive (north side). Located south of the 202 Red Mountain Freeway and east of Gilbert Road.
(4.55± acres).
Rezoning from RS-35 to RS-15-BIZ.
This request will allow for the development of a single residence subdivision.
Jared Cox, Vist Design Group, LLC, applicant
Brent /Deborah Berge, owner.
(Companion case to Preliminary Plat “Los Nietos Residential Subdivision”, associated with item *5-a)
Continued from February 24, 2021
Planner: Jennifer Gniffke
Staff Recommendation: Continue to March 24, 2021
Continuance to March 24, 2021 (Vote: 6-0; Chair Astle, absent)
City of Mesa Page 3 Planning and Zoning Board - Public March 10, 2021 Hearing Meeting Minutes 5
Discuss and take action on the following preliminary plat:
5-a PZ 21030 “Los Nietos Residential Subdivision” District 1.
Within the 2400 block of North Old Gilbert Road (east side) and within the 2000 block of East Hermosa Vista Drive (north side). Located south of the 202 Red Mountain Freeway and east of Gilbert Road.
(4.55± acres).
Preliminary Plat
Jared Cox, Vist Design Group, LLC, applicant
Brent /Deborah Berge, owner
(Companion case to ZON20-00877, associated with item *4-c)
Continued from February 24, 2021.
Planner: Jennifer Gniffke
Staff Recommendation: Continue to March 24, 2021
Continuance to March 24, 2021 (Vote: 6-0; Chair Astle, absent)
“Los Nietos Residential Subdivision” District 1. Within the 2400 block of North Old Gilbert Road (east side) and within the 2000 block of East Hermosa Vista Drive (north side). Located south of the 202 Red Mountain Freeway and east of Gilbert Road. (4.55± acres). Preliminary Plat. Jared Cox, Vist Design Group, LLC, applicant; Brent /Deborah Berge, owner. (Companion case to ZON20-00877, associated with item *4-c). Continued from February 24, 2021. Planner: Jennifer Gniffke Staff Recommendation: Continue to March 24, 2021