The City Council meeting of November 26, 2013 had a raucous start, much like council meetings of old. The notion of putting citizen comments at the start of every meeting may come back to bite this council as they experienced their first hour long marathon of citizen commentary. I am not including the public commentary on the night of the Coyotes’ vote as that was to be expected. No, this time it was the opening salvo of a regular, assumed-to-be ho hum council meeting. It was anything but not just because of citizen commentary but because of all of the very serious issues that were up for a vote (more about those issues over the course of the next few blogs).
A majority of council did not comment about citizen commentary at the start of every meeting. Councilmember Sherwood did and made clear that he does not like it. It’s almost as if he considers citizen comments to be irrelevant and just an irritation that prevents him from performing what he considers to be the real business of council. His sentiment was arrogant to say the least. Then Councilmember Alvarez, who is wedded to citizen comments first, just had to rebut Sherwood’s remarks by saying, “When we were elected we were (sic) committed to be here.” How ironic as this is the councilmember who holds the record for her non-attendance at scads of meetings. She even has had the temerity when calling in to council meetings to hang up before the meeting’s conclusion and thus missed those all important citizen comments.
It looks like the Keeping the Promise anti casino group has seared the nerves of the casino supporters with their running of a TV ad and underwriting the costs of an anti casino letter penned by Mayor Weiers. They had their usual suspects…er, supporters out in force to speak on the TO’s behalf before the council. The usual mouthpieces have decided to become visible once again…Ken Jones and Arthur Thruston to name but two. Due to their advanced age they needed time to rest and recharge before becoming public gadflies again. Can you believe that Ken Jones was advocating for yet another public vote? This time his target is the casino. You’d think he would have learned that one needs to be careful what one wishes for. His last effort fizzled out like water dousing a fire. He also opined that the people of Glendale do not need Keeping the Promise running our city and buying city officials. Oh really? Guess he figures it’s okay when the Tohono O’odham appear as if they are buying city officials like Alvarez. He never took the time to complain about Alvarez and her antics with the Tohono O’odham.
Thruston, bless his heart, simply relies on picking and choosing his facts. Those that he doesn’t like, he ignores. He trots down to the podium with a handful of newspaper clippings and pontificates on issues culled from the newspapers (and of course, their, ahem, totally unbiased reportage). He fancies himself as a raconteur in the vein of a modern day Will Rodgers who once said, “you know everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.”
What engendered all of the citizen commentary was Item 12 of the Consent Resolution agenda accepting a grant of over $400,000 from the Gila River Tribe for the purchase of a fire truck. Yet, there was no comment from the citizens when council voted to accept a Tohono O’odham grant of $40,000+ to fund the Glendale Youth Project on October 22, 2013 – a scant month ago. In fact, Alvarez voted to accept that grant voicing praise and voted to reject tonight’s grant. Could her bias be showing? What’s changed? The acceptance of a grant from an anti casino Tribe. That’s the only difference. What was even more astounding were the citizen accusations that Mayor Weiers and Councilmember Martinez are shilling for the casino opposition. When Councilmember Alvarez engages in the same activity it’s not considered shilling. Strange, isn’t it? There’s an old saying, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” Alvarez would be well served to rein in her troops or she may find her glass two story home (second story improvement not recorded nor additional property tax paid) shattered in all of the cross fire. It’s merely an observation.
Another action of note is Councilmember Sherwood’s reversal of position on the casino. When he ran last year he was opposed to the casino. He even met and collaborated with now Mayor Weiers, I and candidate Gary Hirsch, all of whom shared the same anti casino position. The anti casino Tribes even did an independent political mailing expressing their support for Sherwood because he ran on a platform of opposition to the casino. Now, inexplicitly or perhaps not so inexplicitly, he has reversed his stance. He, along with Councilmembers Hugh and Chavira, wrote to the Department of the Interior saying don’t pay attention to Glendale’s opposition to a Tohono O’odham casino. Why has the champion of Westgate abandoned it? Remember all of his talk about the necessity of the Coyotes as an anchor for Westgate because the team would attract traffic to Westgate and keep it viable? Does he really believe that the casino will help Westgate? Nah. Rumor has it that he was contacted by the pro casino forces right after his election and they may have assured him that if he moved to the dark side they would assist in bank rolling his next election. Was that just too good a deal for Sherwood to pass up? You decide.
So, who is keeping the promise to Glendale’s residents? The promise that a casino does not belong in Glendale, will cost our taxpayers for the supporting infrastructure and will destroy a pledge made by all of the tribes (including the Tohono O’odham) when seeking voter support for the 2002 voter approved Gaming Compact. It’s no longer Sherwood. If he could change his position on this issue so readily, how can we believe what his stance is on other issues? It appears that his guiding principle has become one of pragmatism but what has happened to one’s word being one’s bond?
© Joyce Clark, 2013
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“Yet, there was no comment from the citizens when council voted to accept a Tohono O’odham grant of $40,000+ to fund the Glendale Youth Project on October 22, 2013 – a scant month ago.”
True, but that grant was for a ‘non-profit’ organization, which the city could not ‘legally’ deny and had to vote to ‘accept and pass the money’ through to the ‘non-profit’ organization.
http://www.glendaleaz.com/Clerk/agendasandminutes/Meetings/Agendas/102213-14.pdf
However, it is another matter entirely for the ‘city’ to accept funds for a ‘city’ fire truck.
I love the fine distinction you have created out of thin air !! It creates a rationale for disparaging the grant for the fire truck. If nothing else it is creative.
I think it is terrific that Glendale accepted the money for the Fire Truck. I also think it is terrific they accepted the pass through grant. Neither decision should impact the final decision about how to work with the Tribe regarding the land it owns next to the City and Westgate. Joyce criticized the previous decision and now supports this one. That is just as disingenuous. Glendale should take advantage of all this attention they are getting and drive a great deal for its citizens. Finally, they are making decisions for the benefit of the citizens and the general economy, and not just sweetheart deals for a few. But the Council should get as many facts as they can about the proposed casino resort and negotiate a good deal that complements Glendale. Engagement is absolutely essential and it is well past time that the Council do so.
I also think it is a terrific thing for the Salt River Tribe to singlehandedly reduce the alleged cost of additional fire service that the casino resort would cost. While those estimated figures are dubious, the donation of funds for a firetruck just reduced those costs significantly!!!
Are you implying reduced projected costs the casino would generate???
Sounds all good and everything…. except for the fact that Chief Burdick has been claiming for the past year or two that GFD cannot service the city NOW with the equipment it has on hand.
So implying the gift from Salt River will now make having a casino around easier for Glendale is a fool’s errand.
The casino generates no revenue for the city. Yet the city will bear the costs of increased infrastructure and public safety adjacent to the reservation. I have said and stand by 2 things: 1. the management of the department needs a thorough review and corrections made and 2. “constant staffing” which requires the need for overtime, lots of it, needs to be compared with the costs associated with the hiring of new personnel to reduce overtime costs.
I did not imply that a fire truck makes it easier to swallow the idea of a casino. What I tried to do was draw comparisons between the grant from the TO and the grant from the Gila River Tribe. There is no reason to call one a “good “grant and the other a “bad grant.”
Joyce…
I was responding to Jack’s comment implying the fire truck gift easing the burden of a casino on Glendale.
Both of us know that it’s not the case.
Well I guss for the next 20 yrs they don’t have to worry about the coyotes.With the money from the canada tv at just under 8 mil…Should be no more complaints thata why they bought the team .They new this was coming down the pipe line..
I don’t understand this propty thing this west vally is getting ready to boom..So why not build tare down the crap hoses that are in glendale..I mean your area and arrowhead are the only nice homes in the area..look a ken jones area looks like a junk yard..Why keep glendale in the pat being the armpit city of the phx area…You built a arena you need more people to locate to glendale .By saying no apartants your say there second rate citzens..It will be built no doubt about that..Too much money involed..Glendale in ten yrs you wont remember waht it looked like before.The casino does bring money to glendale..By people seeing your city and grouth…In scottsdale there no report of majior crime up tics..So why not you built the arena you want superbowls..Well glendale is in the big leauges now..Buckle up glendale it going to be ride of your lives..Thank god I have a sectary to write for me I can’t spell for shit!!!Have a great thanks giving to you and your family..This is just my opinion thats it..I hope you don’t take it wrong..Just my view point…
Darrold, My area has nice homes because I spent 16 years fighting off apartments and small, crappy homes. I welcome new growth that is compatible with the area. Long’s plan is not.
Why will the casino need more police they have there own.plus when they get on the freeway it dps…But if glendale pulls some on over thats revenue for the city don’t get it..
Darrold, You have a lot of assumptions. The casino will require more police and fire because if there is a fire at the casino, it is Glendale’s obligation to respond. As for police, you assume everyone will get on freeway yet I thought they were supposed to meander over to Westgate. After all, isn’t that one of the reasons the pro casino people want it? It’s supposed to drive people over to Westgate…yeah…right.
Jack what sweet heart deals not the coyotes…Glendale will get the revenue thay where prommised…The owners new the tv deal with canada was coming.That will bring the coyotes Just under 8mil a yers.plus parking naming rights and much more.Its time to stop having the coyotes being the wipping boys…paying the 6.9 mil in rev will be easy plus this team will become more of a power house.I smell a cup coming to glendale….
bears2015, you might be making some good points but I can’t understand a word you’re saying!
There are plenty of areas in Glendale with nice homes in addition to the Arrowhead and Westgate areas. North Central Glendale has some very nice neighborhoods. It’s the really old parts that look horrific. Did Glendale just rubber-stamp every developers request back in the day?
You don’t understand the coyotes being the whipping boys.For the last five yrs people blame them for the problem.Kinda hard to blame something that is 5% of the total budget…Never understood all the hate for the coyotes…
Bears2015, completely agree with you about the Coyotes not being the major budget problem as many have led people to believe. Sure, they are adding to the budget deficit, but they’re not Glendale’s main problem.
Tahj says:
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December 1, 2013 at 1:50 pm
Hi Joyce,
I know how passionate you are about the casino and certainly understand why you are disappointed in councilman Sherwood new position. After all he has only been in office for less than a year – how soon some people forget the road traveled.
I was particularly concerned about another item on the agenda the one that proposed to change the employment status of over 80 of the current employees to “At will” of the city manager. This group include all the clerical employees in the council and mayor’s office as well those in the other appointed official departments will now be at the will of the city manager. Having served our city for as long as you did I am sure you can see how this consolidation of power in one appointed office is dangerous and potentially costly to the city.
A few weeks ago I predicted that someone would be fired for the mistake with the flood control maps and you questioned my analysis of the situation and my conclusion. Well today the city has another acting city engineer. At least the public works director survived this storm, I wonder how Mr. Kent feels about this proposed change to his employment status.
I predict if this is allowed to become the order of the day it will cost the city lots of money we currently do not have. The city will have to pay more to get quality people to come to work for them and I see the council office now being staffed by political appointments of each council member and rotated out every change in elected representative. After all the newly elected council member will just have to tell the manager I do not want person “x” as my office assistance and that person will be fired (at will) remember.
Those of us are tired of paying one of the highest water rate in the area because we subsidize the city’s general fund by over $12 million should be concern about the true cost of this move by the city manage