Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Reflecting on 25 Years: Oro Valley's Mayoral Roundtable

25 years of leadership on display
The Oro Valley Historical Society (OVHS) hosted a roundtable last week with three mayors: Paul Loomis, Satish Hiremath, and Joe Winfield. Collectively, their time in office spans the last 25 years of the town’s 50-year history. The roundtable was the third of four special events hosted by OVHS in celebration of Oro Valley’s 50th anniversary. Oro Valley historian Jim Williams moderated the event. Loomis served in office from 1998-2010; Hiremath from 2010-2018; and Winfield from 2018 to the present.

Accomplishments of which they are most proud
Asked about the things they are most proud of accomplishing during their term, Loomis spoke of infrastructure development, including roadways, bridges, and water systems, as well as fostering regional cooperation with neighboring towns. He also highlighted commercial developments and stabilizing town policies, notably transitioning the employee retirement system.

Hiremath highlighted his administration's focus on creating a holistic community environment conducive to living, working, and playing. Key achievements included attracting the state's first veterinary school, facilitating innovation park development, annexations, cultural investments like Tohono Chul, economic growth through private investments, and initiatives supporting veterans, education, and safety. He also mentioned community programs like the Dark House Program and various recreational and educational developments.

Winfield emphasized accomplishments achieved through collective efforts, including hiring key personnel like Chief Riley and Judge Hazel, addressing the police pension shortfall, investing in parks, creating the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve, and facilitating mixed-use development.

Things they would have done differently
Loomis discussed two unfinished annexations, particularly one involving Big Wash, land north of Oro Valley up to the Pima County line, which was put on hold due to changes in state administration. He also stressed the need for better public education regarding town regulations and processes, suggesting that increased awareness could lead to less controversy surrounding council decisions.

Hiremath admitted to shortcomings in messaging during his term, particularly regarding misconceptions about projects such as the community center. He acknowledged a failure to effectively defend these initiatives against public scrutiny, highlighting the importance of transparent communication to counteract misinformation and foster understanding among residents.

Winfield focussed on things he wished the town hand done differently. He felt that decisions early in the town's history, which placed responsibility for parks on homeowner associations, may not have been in the best interest of residents. That decision resulted in smaller parks and poor trail connectivity.

Citizen involvement matters
The three mayors characterized citizen involvement as helping to foster a vibrant and inclusive community.

Loomis noted that new ideas and alternatives are often presented by residents. Ne noted a common challenge: Public engagement tends to occur late in the decision-making process, making it difficult to incorporate changes. He lamented that negativity tends to overshadow positive accomplishments, urging for a more balanced perspective.

Hiremath emphasizes the importance of considering all residents' viewpoints, even if they are single-issue focused. He underscored the necessity for council members to prioritize the broader community's interests over individual preferences.

Winfield encourages continued engagement, particularly in the formulation of the general plan, which serves as a blueprint for the town's future. He urged residents to voice their opinions and contribute to shaping Oro Valley's trajectory through platforms like ovpathforward.com.

Three Mayors…. Three different impacts
The roundtable showcased 25 years of collective leadership in Oro Valley. Each put their mark on the community. Oro Valley expanded its infrastructure under Paul Loomis, bolstered its economic base under Satish Hiremath, and, under Winfield’s current leadership, has further developed its parks and recreational system.
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Thursday, March 14, 2024

Meet Council Candidate Elizabeth Robb

Meet Elizabeth Robb in her own words
We met Elizabeth Robb last week with the purpose of providing insights to our readers about who she is and why she decided to run for a council seat in the July election. Here is what she had to say. The words are hers...the subtitles are ours.

A Passion for Education and Community
 "Since the boys were in elementary, I jumped in… started helping with the school, whenever and wherever they needed help and with the PTO. I also got involved with Cub Scouts, I started helping in the High School as a classified substitute teacher."

A business owner of "Elizabeth's Garden"
Robb reminisces about the humble beginnings of her agricultural venture, highlighting her passion for farming and entrepreneurship.  "Elizabeth's Garden started with a garden overflowing with tomatoes... and it's gone crazy from there. Now I've got a whole general store." You have likely have seen her at the town's Saturday Farmer's Market, 

A LOVE of Oro Valley
"The army brought me out here. Then I went to Germany for a couple of years. Then I came back and met my husband and stayed…We already knew we liked this school district. And then we looked at Oro Valley and the area around. I was like, you know, this is perfect." 

A focus on supporting public safety
”We have a fabulous, wonderful, safe community. We've got a great police department. We've been supporting them well. And we need to keep doing that.”

Preserving recreation and open space
 “Oro Valley is a great place for outdoor recreation, and it needs to stay that way. There’s so much fun recreational outdoor activities that people can do of all levels.” Robb reeled off a list to us" "…the aquatic center….playgrounds… parks…archery…Steam Pump Ranch…movies…bike events...We’ve got pickleball, we've got the weight facility that's in the community center, which my son is using. And then we've got all the trails in the mountains and all the trails around town, bike paths. ...You want to find something to do they offer all those classes.”

Assuring our water supply
“We have enough water available as long as we don't overbuild. We need to stay within what our water supply is, keep our water use reasonable, try to preserve it. We live in a desert. And there's lots of issues coming up with water and I don't know any good solutions to, but we'll try and find the best one we possibly can.”

Ensuring responsible development
"No development is not realistic... but we can't have completely out of control development that's going to change the atmosphere and the feel and the function of Oro Valley."

A decision to make a first hand difference
"Over the past three years, I’ve watched the events surrounding the [Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene] request for a sports complex rezoning. I’ve gained insight into how our town operates from this and from my experience in building our garage and interacting with planning and zoning. As a result, I’ve been paying closer attention to Oro Valley's affairs, recognizing various zoning issues and studying town agendas. I realized there's an opportunity for positive change, and I know I can help. My background as a company commander and involvement in brigade and battalion staff have equipped me with experience in meetings, planning, and working with diverse groups. Additionally, my involvement with various committees and organizations, such as PTOs and Boy Scouts, has honed my skills in organizing people and achieving objectives."

Want to learn more?
You can learn more about Elizabeth Robb? Visit her campaign website.
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Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Council Votes To "Preserve The Preserve"

Barrett and Nicolson lead the charge for $2 million in funding in 2025
Vice Mayor Melanie Barrett and Council Member Josh Nicolson led a successful effort last week to make the revegetation of the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve a priority in next year’s budget. As a result, the council unanimously approved including $2 million in that budget to begin the revegetation program in earnest.

Council needed to do something because town staff planned to spend next to nothing on the Preserve
Barrett and Nicolson were spurred to action because town staff had decided to fund the Preserve at a trivial level: $200,000 per year in the budget for each of the next five years; $100,000 for ensuing five. That amount is barely enough to keep the weeds at bay. At that rate, Nicolson noted, “I’m gonna be ninety years old by the time we're actually gonna be putting in some capital improvement in the property.” He’s forty today! He continued: “I do think it'd be nice for us to do something now for the people who invested nearly $2 million in the community,” referring to the fact that residents raised money to buy the Preserve.

And the Preserve is a mess

As we reported last week, the current state of the Preserve after two years of Oro Valley ownership is dreadful. One resident speaking at the meeting called it a “Ghost Preserve” because “we don’t know what’s growing there.”

Residents underscored need for real funding
Fifteen residents spoke at the meeting. They emphasized the urgent need for increased funding and focused efforts to restore the Preserve to its original desert beauty and ecological integrity. They urged the Town Council to prioritize its redevelopment, advocating for strategic investment to transform the area into a vibrant natural space representative of Oro Valley's beauty. They highlighted the importance of native seeding, revegetation, and infrastructure repair. They also called for equitable funding and decisive action to fulfill the potential of the preserve as a valuable asset for the community, emphasizing its role in enhancing Oro Valley's recreational offerings and preserving open space.

The Conservation easement holder recommended getting started now
John Welch, the representative of Archeology Southwest, the manager of the conservation easement on the property, spoke at the meeting. He said that it's time to update how we restore nature, focusing on less toxic ways to control invasive species and erosion. He believes that the town needs to complete the Vistoso master plan, making it current and consistent with the easement requirements, and that it should take action to fix urgent issues in the preserve. He believes that doing this will make it sustainable long-term and attract outside funding.

All Council Members supported the funding
At the meeting, Council Member Tim Bohen expressed the general consensus of the council. Addressing the residents directly: "You made an investment of your time, your will, and your energy, and it's really time for the Council to act. I don't think that the motion goes far enough. If there's going to be support for it, I think we should do it for at least three years… So I will support the motion, and I'm super grateful for the money that you put in. It's time for the town to start investing, and I hope we can do even more than this motion proposes tonight."

Next step: Reviewing and approving a realistic plan
In a few week, the council will hear the consultant, Sites Southwest, plans for the Preserve and the cost. Past plans presented have been grandiose. Portions have been in violation of conservation easement requirements.

Vice Mayor Barrett set the tone for that discussion: “We don't want a super expensive plan that's expensive because it involves lots of paving, additional trails, and other things that aren't consistent with the conservation easement.” 
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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Sticker Shock: Cost of Water Could Skyrocket Starting This Coming August

Smoothing water rate increases has been Oro Valley's history
Each year, the town raises the cost of water by 2-3%. According to Oro Valley Water Director Peter Abraham, addressing the town council last week, the objective has been to smooth rate increases over time to account for inflation and the ever-increasing cost of operating the system, so that there is no 'sticker shock'.

But next year water cost could skyrocket
Starting in August, your water bill will increase by 8.3% for some and up to 26% for others if a proposed water rate increase is approved by the council in June. Last week, the council took the first step in doing just that by approving the posting of a notice on new water rates for 2024-25.”

The proposed water rate increases are in three pieces:

  • A 5% increase in the base connection rate 
  • A 10% to 40% increase in the cost of the amount of water consumed, depending on how much is used. 
  • A 12.5% increase in the groundwater preservation fee
In addition, these added costs are increased by the taxes residents pay on the water portion of their bills. (See panel)

Abraham notes three reasons for the need for these increases
  • First, water rates that were set too low in fiscal 2023 last year causing a $843,000 shortfall in revenues. These revenues must be recouped in order to shore up required reserves. Sad but true: The less water the community uses the more the cost per gallon. That is because the water rate is computed based on an assumed number of gallons used. So, if residents use less total gallons than the projected number of gallons, as they did in fiscal 2022, the revenue raised will be insufficient to cover cost.
  • Second, CAP is going to bill towns for CAP water at higher rates; and Tucson Water is increasing its fee to Oro Valley for bringing (“wheeling”) CAP water to Oro Valley.
  • Third, there are needs for system improvements and these are funded on a "pay as you go" basis

Even after these increases, Abraham notes, the cost of the water component of the bill is less than that of Marana and Tucson.

The town is looking for more ways to make water even more expensive 
In the past, Abraham has stated that Oro Valley has reached a point where conservation has peaked. However, he has decided that increasing water costs will further promote conservation. He announced that the town is looking to update its water rate model. The tentative plan is to add the "Winfield Tier," a water consumption tier for usage of up to 3,000 gallons. This is the amount that the Mayor and his family use.

There will be a public hearing on the proposed rate increase in June
We do not expect any public opposition because people may not know how to oppose this type of rate increase. That will be up to the Town Council. Based on council comments at last week's meeting, we anticipate that only Council Member Bohen may mount any substantive challenge, if indeed one does happen. The rates will go into effect on August 1.

Big increase is really bad timing… Just another nail in the cost of living fisaco...The town can help if it wants to
The proposed water cost increase comes at a really bad time. Every living cost is up substantially, from the Southwest Gas bill to the cost of gasoline. Every product you buy at Fry's is 30% more than it was three years ago, and the cost of prescription medicine is up as well. Additionally, a large majority of people in Oro Valley live on fixed incomes. Perhaps the town should find a way to smooth this significant increase over several years to alleviate the burden on residents.
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Thursday, March 7, 2024

Bits and Pieces

Oro Valley apartment rental owner accused of price fixing
A lawsuit filed by the Arizona Attorney General Mayes against Tucson's HSL Properties and other apartment landlords for alleged price fixing involving RealPage rent has brought significant attention to pricing practices in the rental market. According to Mayes, RealPage offers "revenue management" to its clients listed in the lawsuit.

HSL Properties owns the Encantada apartments on Oracle Road in Oro Valley. They are also involved as an investor in the redevelopment of the Oro Valley Marketplace, which includes plans for two large apartment complexes. Owners and members of HSL contribute significant funds to the campaigns of Oro Valley pro-development candidates.

Centennial Flight on hold for a bit
"After a one-month delay, we departed Phoenix on January 28. We traveled through Mexico staying overnight in Cancun and then arrived in Lima, Peru the next day. Written permission for overflight, landing, visa and other required documentation was completed and submitted to all appropriate agencies several months ago.

After several days in country, it became apparent that we would not receive permission from Chile to travel in their country via Puerto Montt, Tierra del Fuego and Marsh Martin Station in Antarctica.

We then elected to cross Brazil to re-acquire our route via Brasilia to Recife. Brazilian authorities advised we would have to re-apply for our permits and that would take up to 72 hours. We reluctantly decided to terminate our trip at that point and return to the US. After applying for permission to depart, we left on February 4th arriving home on the 7th via Ecuador, Panama and Mexico.

The difficulties encountered in South America were compounding and voided permits and paperwork down line. Our trip insurance ($20,000) was good for one month and has now expired. The current Middle East circumstances are an important consideration. Additionally, after our return, it was determined there were mechanical issues with the engine requiring a complete evaluation. The inspection revealed the aircraft will be out of service for several months.

Determining a new window for our adventure requires coordinating personal time availability for both Canon and Tim in 2024 and is dependent on when the aircraft returns to service.

Our goal remains to complete a circumnavigation of the earth. We sincerely appreciate all who helped us, supported us, watched us and diligently tracked us. When we begin our trek again, we look forward to bring you all along on our adventure." (Source: Email from Tim Tarris) 

Hampton Inn Planned For Oro Valley Marketplace 
This week, the Oro Valley Planning & Zoning Commission discussed the proposed architecture for a Hampton Inn and Suites at the Oro Valley Marketplace. This is a first step in the revisioning the area into the Oro Valley Village Center. The site is 2.83 acres near Oracle Road and Water Harvest Drive. It is a 105-room hotel.


Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Rancho Vistoso Residents Seek Town Investment To Return Vistoso Trails Preserve To Desert

Concerns over delayed restoration efforts
Residents of Rancho Vistoso are alarmed by the lack of urgency of town staff in restoring the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve to its natural state. It took residents four years and several million dollars to save this property from major residential development. Instead, based on their efforts, the town was gifted open space in perpetuity on the defunct Golf Club at Vistoso course.

Preservation is the goal
The goal of the residents and of Archeology Southwest, the conservation easement holder of this land, is to return the land to its natural state and to prevent the property from becoming far more than that, as proposed to the town in a 2022-23 study by consultant Sites Southwest.

Archeology Southwest has a lot of power in this situation

They are responsible for the easement that protects the 202 acres of the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve. Their job is to ensure that the land remains open desert forever. The Conservation Fund, the group that created the Preserve, had been the administrator.

Financial Concerns and Budget Allocation
It will take significant funding to “create the desert.” If town staff has its way, however, there will be minimal investment in the property. And this is the crux of the current issue. Town Manager Jeff Wilkins is considering a budget allocation of $200K in FY 24/25, with plans to limit annual spending to $100K - $200K annually over three decades. According to residents, that is simply not enough.

Recreating the desert is no easy task
Archeology Southwest and the residents want to see the property revegetated back to the desert environment that was present when the Tohono O’odham ancestors (Hohokam) inhabited it. There has been a great deal of concern that the Sites Southwest Master Plan with all the proposed programming and trails violates both the spirit and letter of the conservation easement.

Community action tonight
Tonight, thanks to Vice Mayor Barrett and Council Member Nicolson, residents will get their chance to ensure that sufficient funding is allocated in the 2024-25 budget to get the job done..
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Tuesday, March 5, 2024

OVCN Wants To Bring the “Big Yellow Taxi” to Oro Valley

Current OVCN proposal skirts council approval as no rezoning needed
The latest proposal from the Oro Valley Church of The Nazarene (OVCN) for a sports facility in Oro Valley's oldest and least densely populated community calls for a 40-foot-high gymnasium and a large parking lot. This proposal will not necessitate a rezoning of the property but will require approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission, a body predominantly comprised of the town's planning staff, for a building height variance. One approach for residents to prevent this is for the council to enact a resolution stripping this authority from the unelected group of volunteer residents.

Oro Valley resident, Anthony Ferrara, gave the following speech during the Call to Audience at the February 21, 2024 council meeting. It in, Tony requests that council consider such a resolution. The words are Tony's. The subheadings are ours.
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Paving paradise

There is a 2006 animated movie called "Curious George" that included as the main conflict in the plot, a choice between keeping a museum open or demolishing it and replacing it with a parking garage.

The Curious George movie didn't have to spell out the many reasons why converting a museum to a parking garage was a terrible idea. It was obvious.

OVCN, according to their newest sketch, is outrageously proposing to pave 10 acres of land with asphalt – land that is currently zoned for rural and agricultural use.

Converting desert into parking is a bad idea. This should be as obvious as it was to the intended audience of three to six year old’s watching Curious George. But, regrettably, sometimes things need to be spelled out rather than relying on "norms" or conscience to dictate behavior.

Common sense should prevail
On November 1, 2023, this council reviewed the rules outlining the number of small animals allowed on residential lots.

Right now, on my R-144 lot, I could, according to the letter of the law, have an unlimited number of chickens. Unlimited. The only thing that would stop me from housing 2 million chickens is that it is a terrible idea and no sensible person would subject their neighbors to the smell and noise, etc. that accompanied my chickens.

Me housing 2 million chickens is just as outrageous as paving over 10 acres of desert.

Parking is not the highest and best use of 10 acres of desert in the heart of a residential neighborhood zoned for rural/agriculture/equestrian use. If I and all my neighbors started paving over our land and started housing huge numbers of chickens, I hope the council would investigate if this was in the best interest of the town.

Pass a resolution based on our town values
I respectfully request that you look into passing a resolution that sets reasonable limits on the amount of desert that could be sacrificed for parking or other non-agricultural uses like you did for setting limits on small animals -- limits that are based on our values as a town that prioritizes natural beauty, views, open spaces, the environment, agriculture and appropriate land use.
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