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Joyce Clark Unfiltered

For "the rest of the story"

May 16

7

Buddies

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 7, 2016
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

It has been 18 years and 141 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

By May 4, 2016 I had turned in my nominating petitions with far more validated voter signatures than required. It didn’t take long for the opposition to ask for copies of my petitions. I received this email from the City Clerk on May 6, 2016: “I am sending this information to you as part of our neutrality and transparency with candidates.  Mr. Allan Lira requested copies of your nomination petitions.”

This is nothing new. Almost every candidate will ask for copies of his/her opponent’s nominating petitions in the hope that they can prove that there are not enough valid signatures. If successful they can get rid of a potential opponent without ever having to run against him or her. Only occasionally does it prove successful. I’m afraid Mr. Lira won’t have any luck for we validated nearly 700 registered voter signatures before the petitions were submitted to the City Clerk.

We wondered who Mr. Lira is and why would he be asking for copies of my petitions. One of our group found this. Mr. Allan Lira is on Linked In and here is the information he provides:

Allan Lira                                                                                                                       Data analyst at Gallego for Phoenix                                                                    Location: Glendale, Arizona        Industry: Political Organization

  1. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99
  2. Gallego for Arizona
  3. Marquez for Arizona

His listed previous work experience:

Organizer

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99

November 2014 – January 2015 (3 months)

Data Analyst/Team Lead

Gallego for Arizona

September 2014 – November 2014 (3 months)

Campaign Manager

Marquez for Arizona

January 2014 – August 2014 (8 months)

Data Analyst/Field Organizer

Gallego for Phoenix

June 2013 – November 2013 (6 months)

It appears that Mr. Lira currently works for Ruben Gallego as a data analyst at Gallego for Phoenix.  Ruben Gallego assumed office as Arizona’s 7th district U.S. Representative on January 3, 2015.

Thanks to the Arizona Republic we are all keenly aware of Sammy Chavira’s travel on your dime—taxpayer money. One of those infamous trips was for $2,075 to go back to Washington, D.C. to see his good buddy…wait for it… Rueben Gallego sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives.

Arizona Republic March 4, 2016

Arizona Republic
March 4, 2016

 

It’s interesting to see how the links within Sammy’s web interconnect. Sammy spent your money to see Gallego sworn in. Sammy’s questionable travel expenses were exposed by the Arizona Republic and include the Gallego trip. Here is the link to Paul Giblin’s front page story of March 4, 2016 about Sammy’s travel: http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/glendale/2016/03/04/glendale-councilman-sammy-chavira-charges-24k-trips-3-years-taxpayers/78857734/ .

Sammy is now getting assistance from the very same good buddy, Gallego, in his current run for the Yucca district city council position. Could it be because Sammy is in trouble, politically…and his friend Ruben Gallego is trying to save him?

Special interests have a long history of influencing political outcomes. Union influence is one of those long standing components. The fire union, for years, has been able to manipulate election outcomes in urban areas, notably Phoenix, Glendale and several other cities in the Metro Valley. Do you believe the Food Workers Union should join the fire union in determining your councilmembers in Glendale? Across this country voters in droves are rejecting candidates under the influence of big donor, special interest money. Perhaps Glendale voters will do the same.

Just something for the voters of the Yucca district to consider…

 

© Joyce Clark, 2016

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

May 16

4

It’s official

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 4, 2016
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials  | Tagged With: , , , , , , | 3 Comments

It has been 18 years and 138 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

Signatures thermometer 2It’s official. I am now a candidate for the Yucca district city council position. On Wednesday, May 4, 2016 I turned in my nominating petition signatures to the Glendale City Clerk. Having verified the signatures we know that there are far more “good” signatures than are required.  From March 10, 2016 to April 30, 2016, in 8 weeks, we collected all the signatures needed.

The City Clerk and staff did an excellent job. They were very professional. I had paperwork to fill out which was then notarized. The staff counted signatures and verified that my petitions were correct as to form on the front and the back. I actually turned in more than the maximum number of signatures allowed (927). So at the end of the 927th signature a red line was drawn to indicate the maximum number had been turned in.

We personally verified signatures to make sure we had enough registered voter

City Clerk Pam Hanna and Yucca district city council candidate Joyce Clark

City Clerk Pam Hanna and Yucca district city council candidate Joyce Clark

signatures and know that out of the 927+ signatures submitted, 682 were verified as “good,” signed by registered voters.

By now the entire city council has been informed that I have turned in my paperwork. That is standard operating procedure. If and when Sammy turns his nominating petitions the City Clerk will notify me.

There are so many people to thank. My apology if I have not included your name. The list is long. People included, but were not limited to, Tom Traw, Norma Alvarez, Michael Hernandez, Sue Komernicky, Michael Socaciu, Monica Toby, John Fernandes, to name a few, and of course, my family – and many others. All walked faithfully and for that I am very grateful. I walked and secured many of the signatures personally so that I could talk to the voters

Many volunteers met no registered voters who said that Sammy or his representatives had been by to solicit signatures. Only twice did any of my volunteers meet a voter who indicated that someone from Sammy’s camp had been by. Well, not really Sammy’s camp. People have been circulating petitions for several state legislative candidates as well as Glendale mayoral candidate Burdick and Sammy. It appears that Sammy will rely on mayoral candidate Burdick and the fire union to obtain his petition signatures. Could it be that Sammy can’t be bothered with something as mundane as getting some of his own petition signatures?  Out of the over 900 voters we contacted, only 2 said the opposition had been by.

Sammy has truly become the Invisible Man. No one knows who Sammy is. When I revealed to petition signers that he was their councilmember and asked if they had read a news story about his travel expenses, some said they had and others expressed surprise that he was actually their councilmember. They were angry to read of his wasteful travel expenses paid by them as taxpayers and usually shared an earful with me.

Sammy has a problem. He has only been responsive to the big donors to his previous campaign. Some told me that they scheduled time to meet with Sammy, only to have him cancel their meeting, never to be rescheduled.

Sammy had only one district meeting during his term and that was in early 2013. Since then he has been neither seen nor heard. He’s lazy and relies upon council staff to produce his weekly Friday e-newsletter.

Sammy missed a record number of 12 council workshops or voting meetings during his term. There were other council meetings when he participated telephonically or arrived late. He even arrived late for the most recent council budget workshop of May 3, 2016.

What was gratifying to me was that many knew who I was and expressed their gratitude that I was running again and volunteered that they would be voting for me. Some offered to help in any way that they could.

There is an avalanche of change approaching and Sammy is directly in its path. Sammy has no one to blame for his poor performance and invisibility but himself. He squandered his voter-granted opportunity to serve the people of the Yucca district. Instead Sammy has only served Sammy and his agenda. He has not earned the privilege of continued service as a councilmember in the City of Glendale.

Since there are only 2 candidates for the Yucca city council seat the winner will be decided in the Glendale Primary Election. That is why it is so critical that you send in your Early Ballot or take the time to vote.  I ask for your vote at the Primary Election on August 30, 2016. You have a dramatic choice between a man who has failed to serve the people of his district and has been invisible and me, with a proven track record of availability and service to my district.

Please vote for Joyce Clark on August 30, 2016.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

May 16

3

Glendale council budget workshop, May 3 2016

Posted by Joyce Clark on May 3, 2016
Posted in City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances • Heroes Park • O'Neil Pool • University of Phoenix Stadium • West Branch Library  | Tagged With: , , , , , | 2 Comments

It has been 18 years and 137 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

On May 3, 2016 city council had another budget meeting. I am always surprised about councilmembers’ lack of in-depth questioning of senior staff about specific budget items. To be fair, Councilmembers Turner, Tolmachoff and Aldama are asking questions but are they the right ones? Just one would be to ask senior staff to justify the hiring of new employees (Full Time Employee, FTEs) being requested in the proposed budget. Specifically adding employees to the city’s core services, public safety, water, sewer and sanitation is a no-brainer and should be approved for they comprise essential city services. However, adding employees to non-essential services should have been thoroughly vetted by council.

I have a lot of questions about the proposed budget but without serving on city council it becomes an exercise in futility for the average Glendale citizen to get any meaningful answers. Instead I offer some observations about the May 3rd session.

Senior staff recommended that three council identified requests go back to the

O'Neil Pool abandoned

O’Neil Pool abandoned

appropriate citizen board or commission with yet another subsequent city council workshop. An increase in library hours will go back to the Library Advisory Board. When library hours were cut it was just announced by the city as a cost saving measure and no citizen input was sought. The repair/replacement or even necessity for the O’Neil Pool will go back to the Parks and Recreation Commission. When the pool was closed due to leaks it was simply announced by the city and no citizen input was sought. Heroes Park is scheduled to receive a $50,000 reevaluation of its Master Plan and it will go to the Parks and Recreation Commission. The city never

Southwest Heroes Park

Southwest Heroes Park

announced its inattention to Heroes Park, it simply ignored it for 18 years. I can tell you what the result of this $50,000 study will be: citizens will say overwhelmingly complete the darn park; build the ball fields, the dog park, the urban fishing lake, a permanent branch library building and an aquatics and recreation center. It appears that city is betting through this wasteful study that citizens will be willing to settle for less in this park.

What is more troublesome is that when senior staff deems something to be a priority, it is accomplished…quickly…and money is no object. Take the need to meet the parking requirements for the football stadium. Senior staff was able to identify the necessary debt capacity of $32 million dollars, purchased the necessary land for $22 million and has already begun construction on the actual parking lots for another $10 million. The entire project will be completed in less than a year.

When it is not a senior staff priority the issue gets punted…er, delayed. Hence the maneuver to send back to citizen boards and commissions the very projects that enhance the quality of life for citizens in our community…extended library hours, reopening of O’Neil Pool and completion of Heroes Park with a definitive timeline. It appears as if it’s not a senior staff priority…you can forget it for a long time.

It’s time for city council to stamp its feet, have a hissy fit and insist that these projects get the attention they deserve…long overdue.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Apr 16

26

Uh Oh, Sammy

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 26, 2016
Posted in City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials  | Tagged With: , , , , | 2 Comments

This morning in checking the latest edition of the Glendale Star I noted a story that Sammy Chavira had received a speeding ticket in Glendale. That, however, it not what caught my attention. Rather it was that Sammy failed to appear for his court date resulting in additional fines and a suspension of his driver’s license and vehicle registration. Here is the link to the online story: http://www.glendalestar.com/news/article_396a5ba0-0bbd-11e6-aeb2-e79ffa40b720.html

It seems as if Sammy Chavira and recalled councilmember Gary Sherwood are brothers under the skin. Gary Sherwood was recalled after it was discovered that he had received at least one speeding ticket, allegedly continued to drive while under suspension (criminal offense) and he failed to appear in court. Subsequently a warrant for his arrest was issued for his Failure to Appear. That wasn’t the only reason for his recall. There were others such as his lack of representation of his constituency on the Becker Billboard issue, etc.

Sammy is apparently following in his buddy’s footsteps. Here are the facts as publicly available from court records:

  • Chavira w car 2On Sunday, March 13, 2016 Sammy received a speeding ticket (civil traffic citation) in Glendale. Apparently he was in a minor traffic accident. A Glendale officer was called to the scene and the officer determined that the cause of the accident was due to Sammy’s “speed too fast to avoid collision.”
  • His date to appear in Glendale City Court was Wednesday, April 13, 2016.  According to the court record he failed to appear. Since Sammy’s citation was civil, no arrest warrant would be issued for his failure to appear in court.
  • His case was turned over to the court’s collection agency, FARE, and fines were imposed and started to mount.
  • The court also sent a notice to ADOT and a letter to Sammy suspending his driver’s license and vehicle registration. The vehicle is not registered to Sammy although he has been driving it for quite some time.
  • On Monday, April 25, 2016, Sammy apparently received his letter from the court and paid his fines, now at $408.

In the spirit of full disclosure I had two speeding tickets issued to me in Glendale…one was 20 years ago and the other 15 years ago. I paid my fine and attended the one day of traffic school in each case and I was done. No points on my license, a painful fine and an even more painful day in traffic school.

Sammy could have done the very same. Does Sammy think that the law doesn’t apply to him? First is his issue of his nearly $25,000 in questionable travel expenses and now a Failure to Appear for his court date.

A pattern demonstrating Sammy’s less than ethical behavior has emerged. First in the pattern is his apparent abuse of taxpayer money in his councilmember discretionary accounts. He used taxpayer dollars to go to Washington, D.C. to see the Pope and on another trip to D.C. to see a friend sworn in to Congress. Yet city policy, as lax as it is, requires that substantial, official city business be conducted.

This time he received a civil traffic ticket and failed to appear for his court hearing. Sammy’s response to being queried by the Glendale Star is typical Sammy when he responds with, “A glitch, I’m all good.” I don’t know about you but when I received my speeding tickets 20 years ago, I was a nervous wreck. I didn’t consider it a “glitch.” I couldn’t pay my fine and go to driving school fast enough.

Sammy also questioned why his ticket would be a news story. He still doesn’t get it. Elected officials, the visible leaders of our community and the highest representatives of Glendale, are and should be, held to a higher standard. Their decisions and behavior should be beyond reproach and should be examples of ethics and morals to emulate.

Sammy’s unethical behavior coupled with the urging of many people disgusted with his inaccessibility and lack of responsiveness as a councilmember were prime motivators for my decision to run for the Yucca district city council position. I can, and will, restore honesty and integrity to the position. No more voting for large campaign contributors’ issues. No more flip-flopping on campaign promises. No more following a personal agenda. No more looking to see what’s in it for me. No more repeated absences from council meetings. No more invisible councilmember. No more personal trips using taxpayer money and then claiming city business.

In other words, NO MORE SAMMY.

Below is the actual court record, a public document obtained from the online Arizona supreme court website:

         
Case Number: M-0747-TR-2016006290  
Title: ST OF AZ VS CHAVIRA SAMUEL UL Category: Traffic
Court: Glendale Municipal Filing Date: 3/15/2016
Judge: J BAXTER Disposition Date: 4/20/2016 
       
Citation Count Description Disp. Date Disposition
C00000000905382 1 SPEED GREATER THAN REASONABLE AND PRUDENT 4/20/2016 FAILURE TO APPEAR
Date Description Party
4/21/2016 FARE: COLLECTION LTR TYPE 1 D 1
4/20/2016 FUND: 2012 SURCHARGES (83%) D 1
4/20/2016 FUND: VICTIM RIGHTS ENF ASSMNT D 1
4/20/2016 FUND: COURT IMPROV-BASE D 1
4/20/2016 FUND: DEFAULT FEE $45 031602 D 1
4/20/2016 FUND: 2011 ADDTNL ASSESSMENT D 1
4/20/2016 SUSPENSION LETTER SENT D 1
4/20/2016 FUND: FARE DELINQUENCY FEE D 1
4/20/2016 FUND:PROBATION ASSESSMENT D 1
4/20/2016 FUND: FARE FEE SPEC COLL D 1
4/20/2016 FUND: TIME PYMT $20 JCEF D 1
4/20/2016 FUND: CRT IMPROVE SURCH 83% D 1
4/20/2016 FUND: BASE FINE D 1
4/20/2016 INFO: ASSIGNED TO FARE D 1
4/13/2016 CAL: ARRAIGNMENT-CIVIL TRAFFIC
3/15/2016 COMPLAINT FILED-UNIFORM CITATN D 1

Apr 16

23

Tolby weighs in on Chavira

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 23, 2016
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials  | Tagged With: , , , | 2 Comments

I hadn’t seen this opinion piece in the Glendale Star until several people brought it to my attention this morning. Obviously I agree with Judge Tolby’s opinion on the issue and so I am offering it to you.  It was posted on the Glendale Star website on Thursday, April 14, 2016.

Judges are held to a higher standard, so should councilmembers

 By QUENTIN TOLBY, Lessons from the Bench

When I became a judge some 25 years ago, the commission on judicial conduct made me aware that you did not even have to do something bad, as a judge you were held to a higher standard, even the “appearance” of impropriety is wrong.

When I read the lead story in the March 31 edition of The Glendale Star and saw Councilmember Sam Chavira ask for a review of the city’s travel policy, I almost choked. Councilmembers are given taxpayer money to spend for the benefit of the taxpayer, not for their personal pleasure or benefit.

It is really very simple; ask yourself what benefit is the taxpayer going to get from me spending their money. Not very complicated; buying dinner for your boss who’s the fire chief of Phoenix, does not benefit the taxpayer in Glendale. Notice when everyone who benefited from the dinner found out he used a City of Glendale credit card and not his own, they quickly sent their check to the city.

Spending the taxpayer money to go see the Pope does not benefit the taxpayer in Glendale. Going to see Congressman Reuben Gallego sworn in is not going to benefit the City of Glendale.

Once in a while, I have been known to mess up. I told an off-color story, and the commission on judicial conduct wrote me asking about it. Now, I did not think the story was that bad, I do not think the company I told it in was that bad. My first thought was I can beat this rap, I can defend my action. Then, I realized the right thing was “no defense.”

I wrote the commission a three-line reply: It happened. I am sorry. It will not happen again. And the situation went away very quickly.

If Chavira would have said up front, “I messed up, I am sorry, it will not happen again,” this story would have gone away. Asking the council to review the policy keeps it alive.

What does the council write into the policy? “Do the right thing. Spend taxpayer money on the taxpayer.”

Chavira asked the city attorney if he violated city policy in spending the money on himself and the city attorney said, “No.”

He should have asked, “Did I violate the public trust?”

I think the answer is, “yes.”

Lesson: Chavira must have lost his moral compass.

Here is the link to Tolby’s opinion piece: http://www.glendalestar.com/opinion/article_89581056-00d4-11e6-b831-8748894570bf.html .

Apr 16

21

E is for Ethics… Part 1

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 21, 2016
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

There is no more important position in the City of Glendale. All 7 city councilmembers, which includes the position of Mayor, create and decide on all policy and all local laws for the city. City council decides all kinds of policies and enacts all kinds of laws. For example, when your garbage is picked up and how many times a week; what city projects are funded and which are rejected; or the speed limits within our city.

But there is far more to being a councilmember. A councilmember is not only a leader of the community.  He or she is a symbol of our value system. Each is charged with being above reproach and is considered to be an example of and an emissary of our community.

My platform consists of 5 “E’s. Over the next week or so I will flesh out each “E.” The first of these is

Ethics. Ethics is standards of right and wrong that tell us what we ought to do in terms of rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues. For example, it is unethical to steal, murder, or commit fraud. Ethics embodies honesty, compassion and loyalty. It motivates us to act based upon the concepts of right and wrong. It is a moral philosophy.

I am running to bring ethics, including honesty and integrity, back to the Yucca district city council position. The current holder of the position seems to have misplaced his ethical compass. Witness the recent media stories that cite his abuse Chavira and luggage 1of taxpayers’ dollars and trust by using taxpayer money for nearly $25,000 of highly questionable trips. Despite the laxity of city policy, it does generally require that councilmembers’ trips are to be done for city business. Most people agree that it is unethical to go to Washington, D.C. using taxpayer dollars to see the Pope on a large screen TV. Despite the fig leaf of the councilmember’s claim that city business was done (for 5 minutes?) many Yucca citizens believe that he abused the taxpayers’ trust. There are also questions about frivolous expenses he incurred on these kinds of trips, such as a $420 dinner for his boss, the Phoenix Fire Chief.

The people of Glendale have every right to expect their public officials to be of the highest character. I pledge that as your councilmember I will make public every taxpayer dollar I spend. If the city cannot accommodate my intent then I will personally post all of my expenses on my blog site, www.joyceclarkunfiltered.com  for anyone to see at any time. It’s your money and you should know the who, what, where, why and when of my expenditures of taxpayer money as a councilmember.

When public officials, such as Mr. Chavira, not only waste taxpayer dollars on questionable expenses, but then refuses to disclose receipts for reimbursement, or votes in favor of issues belonging to some of his largest campaign contributors, he tarnishes what it means to be your councilmember and reduces his ability to ethically represent our district’s best interests.

When I learned of Mr. Chavira’s actions I was angry and dismayed for he had tarnished the reputation not just of the Yucca district elected position but he has now raised public distrust of all of Glendale’s elected officials. He has reinforced the public notion that all politicians are crooks and corrupt. The actions he committed in an instant will take much time to repair. He has lost the trust of the people who elected him to serve them.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go tohttp://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Apr 16

17

Classification and Compensation Study, Glendale city council workshop

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 17, 2016
Posted in City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

It has been 18 years and 121 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

Chavira volunteer

Chavira volunteer’s vehicle

Before we delve into the classification and compensation study, I just had to share this. A voter who had signed my nominating petition emailed me with this photo. To say the voter was perturbed would be an understatement. The voter observed a woman parking her vehicle. See it parked on the sidewalk? It turns out that the vehicle belonged to a young woman who was trying to obtain petition signatures for Sammy Chavira and Mark Burdick in a neighborhood I had already canvassed.  Apparently she did not know the law or chose to ignore the law. No matter. It seems to be the perfect symbol of the opposition who apparently think that laws are not meant to be obeyed. Talk about making a positive PR statement for your candidate…not!

On April 12, 2016 the third agenda item was an employee classification and compensation study performed by the consultant, Segal Waters. The presenters were Jim Brown, Human Resources Director and Andrew Knutson of Segal Waters. I cannot provide an easy link to the study because the file is too large and this blog site cannot accommodate it. However you can always go to www.glendaleaz.com, then click on the City Clerk link on the left side of the page. Once you get there at the top there is a link to Council Minutes and Agendas. Click on that and a page of dates will appear. Scroll down to 4/12/16, city council workshop. Then click on the Agenda for that meeting. The third item on the agenda is the study.

For this study Segal Waters used 11 Valley cities with Chandler and Gilbert being closest in population and the number of employees to Glendale. The consultant also used 3 private sector studies in arriving at its conclusions. The study focused on non-represented employees, those employees that are not primarily in the police and fire departments.

Mr. Brown began by stating that the city has no Compensation Philosophy. He did not indicate which of the cities used in the study had such a philosophy. Mr. Brown recommended that council adopt such a philosophy. If it contains specific annual increases to be met I would be reluctant to adopt it.

In the study’s Executive Summary it states, “Based on overall market data including custom survey peer employers and published data representative of the private sector, the City of Glendale’s pay structure is consistent with the market average at the minimum and midpoint, but falls below the custom survey and overall market average at the pay range maximum, as shown below.

“We define market competitiveness as being between 95% and 105% of the market average at the minimum, midpoint, and maximum. Market comparisons that fall within this competitive corridor are noted in black, below 95% are noted in red, and above 105% are notes in blue.”

In plain English, the study recommends giving employees who are at the maximum range of their pay scale an increase. In other words those non-represented employees who are at the top of their pay range should get more money. By the way, there are indeed employees who fall in the 105% category.

If this classification and compensation study is accepted in full it will affect 400 of the city’s 1,000 plus non-represented employees at a total cost of $3.1 million dollars initially. The study did not reflect the annual increase to the General Fund should this study be implemented.

The justification used to support the results were the turnover rates of non-represented employees:

  • In Fiscal Year 2013 the turnover rate was 20.2% or 182 employees
  • In Fiscal Year 2014 the turnover rate was 18.8% or 186 employees
  • In Fiscal Year 2015 the turnover rate was 14.5% or 158 employees

One question unasked by councilmembers was how did Glendale’s turnover rate during these Fiscal Years compare to other Valley cities? The justification for the study’s recommendation seemed to rely upon an implication staff made that the turnover rate was due to employees taking higher paying positions with other Valley cities. However, people leave their jobs for all kinds of reasons. How many of these employees simply retired? How many became ill and could no longer work? What about those employees who left their jobs only to be reemployed by the city as contract employees? That happens all the time. Employees leave their jobs for all kinds of reasons, not exclusively to take another municipal job at higher pay.

Councilmember Turner asked Mr. Brown if the city conducted employee exit interviews. Mr. Brown said that the city does. When asked for data about those interviews Mr. Brown had nothing to offer.

Councilmember Turner also asked a question about whether all departments were right-sized. Again, Mr. Brown, Director of Human Resources, could provide no information and punted to the individual departments for reliance as to whether each is right sized. Why has Human Resources never recommended a study to verify the right-sizing of all city departments? Why is staff so reluctant to accept the concept of zero-based budgeting, a mechanism that would produce an answer as to whether departments are right-sized?

It is understandable that Mr. Brown as Human Resources Director and Mr. Phelps as City Manager would urge the council to accept this study. That is part of their advocacy – to represent the employees and seek to gain pay raises for them.

Council has the right to have its questions answered in full. Until that occurs it should not be so hasty to accept the study’s recommendation.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Apr 16

13

An army arrived

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 13, 2016
Posted in City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances • Heroes Park • O'Neil Pool  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It has been 18 years and 117 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

The city council meeting of April 12, 2016 had a lot of green shirts with the logo “Heroes Park –Finish It” in attendance. Citizen speakers spoke about the need to finish the park, long

Green shirts in city council chambers

Green shirts in city council chambers

overdue; about the density of homes in the proposed residential development south of the Grand Canal; and the need to reopen O’Neil Pool. City council did take notice and several spoke about the park during council comments. What were heard were platitudes. Some said there was recognition of the need to finish the park but none offered a solid commitment to make that happen. Others recognized the need for more parking at the park and punted saying that more temporary parking would be created when the temporary modular library branch was installed.

None of the non-solutions are satisfactory. That means the work of the citizen group led by Tom Traw of the Yucca district and Norma Alvarez of the Ocotillo district is not done. Continual pressure by the citizens’ group must continue. They will not succeed with a one day show of

O'Neil Pool abandoned

O’Neil Pool abandoned

citizen force. Pressure must be applied on the city council to allocate the money needed to complete this park.

Please contact Glendale’s city councilmembers at the email addresses listed below and tell them you want Heroes Park finished and it has been far too long.

  • Mayor Jerry Weiers at mayorweiers@glendaleaz.com
  • Vice Mayor Ian Hugh at ihugh@glendaleaz.com
  • Councilmember Bart Turner at bturner@glendaleaz.com
  • Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff at ltolmachoff@glendaleaz.com
  • Councilmember Ray Malnar at rmalnar@glendaleaz.com
  • Councilmember Jamie Aldama at jaldama@glendaleaz.com
  • Councilmember Sammy Chavira at schavira@glendaleaz.com

Or call the city council assistants and leave a message for each councilmember:

  • Mayor Weiers office at 623-930-2260
  • An army

    An army

    Council assistant Ryan Lee for Councilmembers Turner and Tolmachoff at 623-930-2250

  • Council assistant Adam Maynes for Councilmembers Hugh and Aldama at 623-930-2878
  • Council assistant Van Ornelas for Councilmembers Malnar and Chavira at 623-930-2016

If, after 18 years, you want Heroes Park to be completed it requires your involvement. One tiny ant can’t do very much but an army of ants can move mountains. You need to become a member of the ant army and actively voice your support for the completion of this park.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Apr 16

11

Be part of an army

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 11, 2016
Posted in City Council Actions • City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials • Glendale finances • Glendale zoning issues • Heroes Park • West Branch Library  | Tagged With: , , , , | 4 Comments

It has been 18 years and 115 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

This Tuesday, April 12th at 6 PM Tom Traw of the Yucca district and Norma Alvarez of the Ocotillo district are calling upon residents of these districts to meet at Glendale city council chambers as a show of support for citizen speakers on the topics of: 1. calling for the completion of Heroes Park; 2. repair and reopening of O’Neil pool; and 3. opposition to proposed small lot homes between Camelback Road and Bethany Home Road, 83rd Avenue to 91st Avenue.

Each of these issues is important in its own right. It has been 18 years plus and Heroes Park is still not completed. An entire generation of children has grown up without the ability to enjoy this park.

O’Neil pool was shut down about 4 or 5 years ago, after it was discovered to be leaking. The city would like to remove the pool and repurpose the land. It is has refused to date to allocate any money to repair the pool. The only problem is that there are over 2,000 children in the area served by O’Neil pool who have no constructive activity, such as swimming, to enjoy during the summer months. This pool needs to be repaired and reopened.

Lastly, while no one opposes residential development it is expected to be good quality development that raises property values. The proposed residential development (larger than Rovey Farm Estates) has over 1,000 lots and many that are only 5,500 square feet, below the city’s conventional minimum standard for residential, single family home lots of R1-6 (6,000 square feet). A development of this sort does nothing to raise adjacent residential property values. In fact, it will lessen everyone’s property value. Not to mention that it will bring a whole new crop of children who need to be able to use nearby Heroes Park to its full promise.

All of these issues are important to the people of the Yucca and Ocotillo districts. That is why you are needed on Tuesday evening. You will provide a show of strength in backing up the citizen speakers and will show city council you are serious about these issues.

Here is what you need to know:

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

6 PM sharp

Glendale City Council Chambers

(intersection of 59th Ave. and Grand Ave.

Park in the city parking garage.

Council chamber is east of the parking garage)

Please join an army of citizens, the silent majority, who want the city to refocus its attention on the needs of these districts. You don’t have to speak unless you wish to. A large group of people…you… showing up in support of these issues will claim the attention of the city council and senior management. Tom Traw will be handing out T-shirts in support of Heroes Park. Supplies are limited. First come, first to receive a T-shirt until they are all gone.

© Joyce Clark, 2016

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Apr 16

7

Violations of the federal Hatch Act?

Posted by Joyce Clark on April 7, 2016
Posted in City issue and actions • City of Glendale • Glendale elected officials  | Tagged With: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

It has been 18 years and 111 days since the city’s pledge to build the West Branch Library.

Many of us have heard of the federal Hatch Act. Broadly it prohibits local governmental employees from participating in local election activities. But since it’s a federal act who is covered and who is not?

“The Hatch Act applies to any city employee  ‘whose principal employment is in connection with an activity which is financed in whole or in part by loans or grants made by the United States or a Federal agency…’  5 U.S.C.A. § 1501(4) (emphasis added).  The number of city employees covered has expanded drastically over the years, due to numerous federal grants and loans made to local governments.  Employees of any police or fire department receiving grants and/or loans from the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, or any other federal agency are subject to the limitations imposed by the Hatch Act.  Also covered are employees of any city department that participates in activities that are funded, in whole or in part, by any federal loans or grants, even if those funds were received from a state agency.” 

Examples of local governmental employees who are commonly covered by the Hatch Act include:

  • city clerks  (including deputy clerks and possibly city recorders)
  • employees of housing authorities
  • officers and employees of development and transportation authorities
  • emergency services employees
  • firefighters and police officers.”

Please note that the Hatch Act specifically identifies firefighters and police officers. Why? Because their departments typically accept numerous federal grants. It is a fact that both Glendale and Phoenix fire departments have accepted federal grants for emergency preparedness. Therefore those department’s employees are covered by the Hatch Act. Both Glendale and Phoenix police departments have accepted federal grants for the hiring of additional police officers. Therefore those department’s employees are also covered by the Hatch Act.

A “covered employee” may not use his or her official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the result of an election.  For example:    

  • May not use his or her official title or position while engaged in political activity  
  • May not host a political fundraiser    
  • May not invite others to a political fundraiser    
  • May not sell tickets to a political fundraiser
  • May not use any e-mail account or social media to distribute, send, or forward content that solicits political contributions 

That brings us to a very interesting set of observations leading to questions.

Phoenix Councilmember Danny Valenzuela is a city of Glendale firefighter and is a covered employee under the Hatch Act. Glendale firefighter Danny Valenzuela co-hosted a fundraiser for Glendale mayoral candidate Mark Burdick.

Glendale Councilmember Sammy Chavira is a Phoenix firefighter and was also a co-host of the same event.

The political fundraiser that both co-hosted was held on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the Phoenix home of Sal Rivera.  Suggested contributions ranged from $500 for a “Contributor” to $50 for a “Guest.”

Fact 1: The Hatch Act defines “covered employees” on the local level as those whose departments receive federal loans and grants and/or state agency loans or grants.

Fact 2: Both fire departments of the city of Glendale and the city of Phoenix have received numerous federal loans and grants.

Fact 3: Glendale firefighter Danny Valenzuela is a covered employee.

Fact 4: Phoenix firefighter Sammy Chavira is a covered employee.

Fact 5: Danny Valenzuela co-hosted a political fundraiser for Glendale mayoral candidate Mark Burdick.

Fact 6: Sammy Chavira co-hosted a political fundraiser for Glendale mayoral candidate Mark Burdick.

Therefore it is alleged that Valenzuela and Chavira are in violation of the Hatch Act.

It is the responsibility of the Glendale City Attorney and the Phoenix City Attorney to investigate and to corroborate these facts for the purpose of recommending disciplinary action. That action can range from a fine to termination of employment.

Neither of these men can hide behind the cover of their elected office as councilmembers. Their primary jobs have been as firefighters for many, many years long before they were elected to political office. Their elected positions are secondary occupations. Hopefully the voters will come to realize what an untenable position these men hold. If they want to be politicians, fine, but they should quit or retire as active city employees.

It is now up to the Glendale and Phoenix city attorneys to issue opinions regarding these alleged violations of the Hatch Act. Let us hope they do not whitewash these allegations in favor of their political bosses for councilmembers hire and fire City Attorneys. It is one of several positions, such as the City Manager, that are the direct hires of a city council. If these firefighters, covered employees, are found to be allowed to participate in local elections, it sets precedent for all city employees covered by the Hatch Act.

As for Sammy, it’s just another lapse in a long line of questionable ethical decisions he has made. Add it to the $25,000 of taxpayer money he spent on “fun” trips; the council meetings he has missed; and his lack of outreach to the people of the district he is supposed to represent.

It appears that both of these men are in violation of the Hatch Act but then again, I’m not a city attorney and certainly not well versed in the art of spinning a situation to make it go away for my boss. Whatever the determination it deserves a public announcement.

More questions about the Hatch Act and fire unions to come…

© Joyce Clark, 2016

FAIR USE NOTICE

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which is in accordance with Title 17 U.S. C., Section 107. The ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law and who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democratic, scientific and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such material. For more information go to http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use,’ you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

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