We'd like to know what the point was for tax payers funding a 2016 Fire Station study. Why in the world did we pay a company out of England to tell us where to put fire stations when our local fire department will end up doing what they wanted to do from the very beginning???? ESTRELLA'S FIRE NEEDS
During all of the ongoing talks at the Goodyear level, fire employees told us response times in Estrella can take 17+ minutes in the southern portion of the community to CantaMia. The fire study confirmed that. Newland Communities is constructing Lucero, near Star Tower - a community of 1,250 homes your Goodyear lawmakers approved prior to building an additional fire station as I requested at a City meeting. Fire services are even more necessary than they were when I started voicing concerns in 2014. Estrella is a linear community stretching resources north and south and out to F.I.N.S., a hiking and biking trail near Westar. TRIGGERS AND THRESHOLDS
BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN
In addition to saving half a million dollars, a compelling reason Goodyear Fire wants the station be built on the original site location is due to convenience. "...the team evaluated turning movements to and from the site, access to the frontage and surrounding roadways, new short-term and long-term development of the area and proximity to other city facilities and infrastructure." Goodyear Staff Report MY TWO CENTS
"... and also I want to compliment the citizens. They weighed in on this, made a little noise, told us how important it is, and that helps council make decisions, too. It’s a team effort and thank you very much." ~MAYOR GEORGIA LORD, January 23, 2017 WHY WILL GOODYEAR'S NEWEST CITY MANAGER MAKE MORE MONEY THAN PEORIA'S? Last night, Goodyear City Council voted 6-1 to approve a contract with Julie Arendall to be the next city manager. Her salary is $212,823 annually. Tossed in are the expected benefits such as:
"Arendall currently serves as a deputy city manager for the city of Peoria. She joined that organization in 2012 as the human resources director after 12 years with Yavapai County, first as human resources director, and in 2007, as county administrator. Prior to her 17 years in local government, Arendall was an executive-level human resources professional in the private sector." Link "Arendall will oversee 12 departments with 572 employees." She replaces former City Manager Brian Dalke who retired two weeks ago. WHAT'S MAGICAL ABOUT $212,000? Jeff Tyne, Peoria's City Manager, was approved by the Peoria City Council in the summer of 2017 "with an annual base salary of $212,000." Source APPLES TO ORANGES FORMER CITY MANAGER SALARIES In 2014, The Arizona Republic did a story about City Managers in the southwest Valley making salaries outweighing city size. Mentioned, "Brian Dalke earns an annual salary of $188,562 as of January. The previous city manager, John Fischbach, was paid an annual salary of $168,000 in 2012." SOURCE. PLUS $400 A MONTH Financial terms of the contract include a base salary of $212,823 annually, deferred compensation of 5.0% of base salary and an automobile allowance of $400 per month. The financial terms take into consideration an analysis of comparable benchmark data for city manager compensation. Arendall begins February 20, 2018. Her employment contract runs through December 31, 2019. She will have a performance evaluation within 30 days to define goals and performance objectives. ~City Staff Report and Contract *For perspective, Jeff Tyne, Peoria's City Manager gets "$600 per month for automobile and related expenses; and $100 per month for a communications allowance (cell phone)." REQUIRED TO MOVE TO GOODYEAR Arendall's contract states she must establish and maintain her primary and permanent physical residence within the corporate boundaries of the City of Goodyear. She has six months to do so. She'll be reimbursed for moving expenses up to $5,000. THE COMPETITION "Last fall, Goodyear hired CPS HR Consulting to conduct a comprehensive search for a new city manager to replace Brian Dalke, who retired after 23 years with the city. The city received 58 applications, and after a rigorous screening process, selected four candidates to interview." Link COUNCIL COMMENTS Joe Pizzillo was enthusiastic about the process to hire Arendall. Sheri Lauritano also was enthusiastic about a bright future with Arendall. Joanne Osborne thanked city staff along with the previous two and mentioned this was a "big deal" to pick a city manager. It's the FOURTH city manager in the City during Osborne's time on council. Brannon Hampton looks forward to working with Arendall and the future of the city. Campbell was the lone NO vote against Arendall's hiring without an explanation during the meeting. Mayor Lord says we are lucky to have her as a city manager. Bill Stipp was not present. LET'S HEAR FROM YOU What are your thoughts on Goodyear's newest city manager? Sound off.
The much awaited meeting to discuss whether Goodyear should continue spring election cycles is Monday night. We have a look at preliminary staff reports.
Goodyear contacted 10 cities to find out how they included over and under votes... and unqualified write-in votes. REASONS TO MOVE THE ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE FALL OF EVEN NUMBERED YEARS Goodyear staff list these reasons for consolidating the city election with state and national elections:
REASONS TO NOT CHANGE THE SPRING ELECTION CYCLE IN ODD NUMBERED YEARS
THE RECOMMENDATION COMING MONDAY NIGHT Goodyear staff does not make any recommendation about whether this All-America City should move the election cycle to fall of even numbered years. However, staff does encourage City Council to "pass, adopt and approve an Ordinance to clarify how the majority vote is determined." That wording would read: For the purposes of this Section, “votes cast” shall mean a legal vote actually cast in that candidate’s race for a legally eligible candidate and excludes ballots and other votes that were not actually cast in that race including “over votes” and “under votes”. THE OPTIONS Goodyear staff lays out the options. 1. Change the Charter to move towards Consolidated Elections. This requires a vote by the People and terms for existing Councilmembers would have to be adjusted. 2. No change and elections would remain in the spring of odd numbered years. CONTACT COUNCIL: gycouncil@goodyearaz.gov
Opinion Piece by Jen Barber Status quo, you know, is Latin for 'the mess we're in'. ~Ronald Reagan What are the odds Goodyear's Mayor and Council will be forced to vote to reduce their terms in office? Or... what are the odds they'll vote to add extra time to extend their terms? And how many laws will need to be changed to do so? It occurred to me in the middle of the night that this might be a real-case scenario in our All-America City. In the "Goodyear Gold Mine" blog from June 9th, I casually mentioned former Council candidate Sara Gilligan went to Council to speak in favor of moving Goodyear's elections to even-numbered years. I joked about grabbing the popcorn to sit back and watch as Goodyear has avoided this issue for several years. Now that a resident has come forth, it's not so funny. They've gotta respond. The concern: Currently, Goodyear's City Charter mandates elections be held in the spring of odd-numbered years. Doing so mandates tax payers fork out thousands of dollars to hold independent elections as the State's elections are in the fall of even-numbered years. We reviewed the tape. Gilligan specifically asked Council to look into what it would take to align Goodyear's election with the State election cycle. Gilligan argued paying roughly $180,000 for Goodyear's Spring Primary and General elections could be avoided by shifting the City election to coincide with the State's election cycle. West Valley Families was further thrown into the mix on this issue when Gilligan tagged us in a post yesterday asking for more information. Gilligan posted she received a reply from the Goodyear City Clerk stating the election cycle is stated in the City Charter. But, Gilligan asked us if we had any further info. So, we did our own research. Well, the City Clerk is right. As we pointed out in our "Goodyear Election Cycle Concerns" blog, "Goodyear's City Charter ARTICLE IX. SECTION 5. states 'Primary elections shall be held on the second Tuesday in March of odd-number years preceding the General election on the third Tuesday in May of odd-number years.'" What I assume Gilligan wants to know is why Council hasn't made an effort to change this law. GOODYEAR LOOKING AT THE OPTIONS I was blown away last night when I was told the City is taking this issue to a Council worksession in August. We were first to report it on our Facebook page here. Shifting Goodyear's election cycle has come up numerous times, as I've reported this week. 2011: 'Goodyear Votes' grassroots organization called for the change in Goodyear's voting cycle. 2012: Goodyear watched patiently as Phoenix and Tucson challenged a new State law requiring cities to have their elections only in even-numbered years. 2014: The Arizona Court of Appeals ruled 17 Charter Cities, (including cities like Goodyear), can hold elections when they want. 2017: Resident Sara Gilligan formally asks Goodyear City Council to review Goodyear's election cycle. PROS, CONS, AND THE EGO
Some elected public servants feel the independent spring election avoids "voter fatigue." Let's turn to Tucson for a closer look at this argument. Arizona Capitol Times reported Tucson City Attorney Mike Rankin, who failed to urge then-Governor Jan Brewer to veto the election law, "pointed out that state law requires federal and state races to be placed first on the ballot. 'Rankin said forcing consolidated elections would result in “the local issues being on Page 20 before anybody gets to them.” And he said pushing those local races the bottom would result in voters losing interest — and not finishing the ballot — before they get to those local races.'"
For elected politicians, whose terms end in odd-numbered years, their terms would either have to end earlier... or be extended further. And what sitting Council member would vote to end his or her term early? THE $64,000 QUESTION... OR $180,000 CONSEQUENCE... If Goodyear's Mayor and Council were forced to vote on this issue, would any of them have a conflict of interest? We were told the process for Goodyear City Staff and Council to review the election cycle would "be complete prior to the next election scheduled in 2019." STOP THE PRESSES! Mayor Georgia Lord and Council members Pizzillo, Campbell, and Hampton were just voted in spring of 2017. Their terms end 2021. That's an odd-numbered year. A vote to align Goodyear's election with the State election cycle sooner rather than later could, potentially, require the Council to vote to terminate these four seats early. OR! Council, also could vote whether to "extend" the terms to 2022. You read that right. They might choose to add more time to their terms. 1. City Charter states "The Mayor shall be elected for a term of four years but shall not serve more than two consecutive four-year terms." Georgia Lord was just elected to her second four-year term. Extending her term would require changing this Charter's ordinance, as well. Don't forget, Mayor Lord was elected in 2011 to fill a two-year unexpired term when then-Mayor Cavanaugh unexpectedly stepped down. So, she's already served two additional years. 2. No person shall be eligible to serve in the office of Council member for more than three (3) consecutive terms, but there shall be no limit on the number of non-consecutive terms. Council members Pizzillo and Campbell were just elected to their third four-year terms. Extending their terms would require changing this law in the City Charter, too. 3. If the effort is made to extend these terms, you've got the Mayor and three council members who'd have their seats affected by the vote... and, in my humble opinion, could be considered a conflict of interest. I mean, what politician - who's spent thousands of dollars campaigning to get the seat in the first place - would want a shorter term? Wouldn't one's ego want to "extend" the term? Just a hypothetical question. To boot; Having four members of the Council recuse themselves from such vote would mean there's not a quorum. No quorum = no vote. WHAT'S THE ALTERNATIVE? Shortening or extending the length of these terms of Mayor Lord and Council members Pizzillo, Campbell, and Hampton is only one scenario. The Council could also choose to:
*Ummm... Goodyear has a problem. While confirming Council members' terms, I found a major error on Wally Campbells' profile. JEN'S TWO CENTS Mayor Georgia Lord is a very popular mayor. And for good reason. She's a good leader and devotes all of her energy into helping Goodyear. She presents well and it shows. I truly wouldn't be surprised if she gets little resistance from the possibility of her term being extended. The City has a theory that when people aren't complaining... they must be happy. It's been a long time since this City has witnessed a real stir. I do find this additional coincidence interesting. Just moments before Sara Gilligan took the podium to express her thoughts on the election cycle, Mayor Lord was discussing Council procedure on "Comments from the Floor". She said... "But as long as I’m the mayor, and I will be that for four years more, we will do the call like we’ve all done.” Mayor Georgia Lord, June 5, 2017 Did Mayor Lord know what Gilligan was going to propose? Is she saying she won't go down without a fight? Or was this purely a coincidence? I'd also like to add my thoughts on comments made by a west Valley newspaper here. The writer states, "We hounded the city clerk for a couple of days..." The #1 rule about government is that nothing happens quickly. The City Clerk most likely had to run all of this up the totem pole and have it settle again before issuing any statements. I know from personal knowledge that the clerk's office is a professional, well-run, well-oiled machine and has been since I first was introduced to it in 2008. "Hounding" the city clerk isn't going to get this going quicker. As I stated yesterday, we've been told the City Council and City Staff will review this issue at its August 21st worksession. This process could take nearly two years. We'll be watching.
And for what it's worth... I don't have a horse in this race. Just curious to see what the City chooses to do. Earlier this week, we responded to a resident who wanted to know why Goodyear elections are opposite of State elections. The concerns are low voter turnout and high expense to run these elections independent of others. We have just confirmed the Goodyear City Council and City Staff will review Goodyear's elections in a worksession on August 21 and "process will be complete prior to the next election scheduled in 2019." We've got it on our calendar. TAKE A LOOK AT OUR BLOGS ON THIS ISSUE "GOODYEAR ELECTION CYCLE CONCERNS" - LINK "GOODYEAR GOLD MINE": LINK "GOODYEAR GOLD MINE" REACTION: LINK
SCROLL DOWN TO VOTE: SHOULD GOODYEAR CHANGE ITS ELECTION CYCLE? YES OR NO? Opinion Piece by Jen Barber Today we were tagged in a Facebook post by Gilligan for Goodyear. As you may recall, we mentioned former Goodyear City Council candidate Sara Gilligan went to Council on June 5th speaking in favor of moving City elections to the same election cycle as the State of Arizona. Moving Goodyear's election is estimated to cut cost to tax payers and increase voter participation. Arizona's elections are held in the fall of even-numbered years. Goodyear's are held in the spring of odd-numbered years. Concerns regarding the waste of tax payer dollars to keep this All-America City's election off the State's election schedule has been discussed at length over the years. And voter turnout and participation is dismal. In 2011, the Goodyear Votes grassroots group pushed for Goodyear to move its election cycle to no avail. Goodyear's City Charter ARTICLE IX. SECTION 5. states "Primary elections shall be held on the second Tuesday in March of odd-number years preceding the General election on the third Tuesday in May of odd-number years." IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY This debate is not new. In 2012, Gov. Jan Brewer signed House Bill 2826 requiring municipalities, counties, and school districts hold primary elections in August and general/runoff elections in November of even-numbered years. Find out more here. As reported in the Kingman DailyMiner here:
The League of Arizona Cities and Towns suggested 76 of 91 towns and cities in Arizona would have had to move their election dates. Check out this presentation posted online and attributed to Maricopa County Elections Department. "Consolidated Elections" explains the challenged and amended A.R.S. State Statute 16-204. Essentially, Charter Cities like Goodyear can still choose when to hold elections. HOW TO CHANGE A GOODYEAR CITY ORDINANCE The Goodyear City Charter states Council can act by "motion, resolution or ordinance." A majority vote of council members is required for a motion, resolution or ordinance to pass. You can read more under ARTICLE VII. But, if Council is unwilling to do so.... Residents can take advantage of an initiative option to influence public policy. It's shown in Goodyear's City Charter ARTICLE X. Check out this handy guide on Initiatives an Referenda from Secretary of State Michele Reagan. In Arizona:
We contacted League of Arizona Cities and Towns to find out the process for starting this initiative in Goodyear. Here's what we were told.
Oddly enough, we just came across this article regarding Arizona's Governor Doug Ducey "approved a bill that makes it easier to keep citizen initiatives off the ballot by tightening the legal standard proponents must meet. He said in a statement that voter-approved laws allow substantial and permanent changes to state law." Challenges to the new law abound. NOW WHAT? This is the law. If the voters of Goodyear truly want to change the election cycle, someone will need to step up to get the process started. It's going to take time and money. And I'm quite sure it won't be as easy as it sounds in description above. (Just getting enough signatures to be placed on the ballot as a candidate is a lot of work.) The State's guide to Initiatives and Referenda show statewide petitions require formation of a committee, an established bank account, statement of organization, chairmen, etc. I'm not sure what the requirement is for Goodyear as we have not heard back from Goodyear or Maricopa at the time of publication. Goodyear Votes, a grassroots group, had a lot of momentum and media coverage in 2011. (Its Facebook page appears to have been edited since we visited it last week.) Their effort failed - or really never took off. So, if changing Goodyear's election is going to be a successful venture... it needs to be well organized from the get go. VOTE NOW - DO YOU SUPPORT GOODYEAR'S ELECTION CYCLE BEING MOVED TO THE STATE ELECTION CYCLE TO SAVE TAX PAYER MONEY AND INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT?
We've had some reaction to our Goodyear Gold Mine blog piece from Friday. Two improvement projects totaling $240,000 have come under scrutiny. Two readers raised concerns about the library improvement project and the cost of the concrete design. We went to take a closer look. The City of Goodyear website shows the $145,000 library improvement project is 99% complete. The Goodyear Library posted these "before" pictures on May 1, 2017. Today, we snapped these almost "after" photos. The library tells us the concrete has to "cure" and it will be stamped in around the end of the month. When completed, we think the project will be 100% completed. The project adds two trees which will need water and staff resources for upkeep.
Opinion Piece by Jen Barber, Goodyear Resident No doubt Goodyear is growing quickly. It seems mid-Goodyear is the center of a lot of action this week. Mid-Goodyear has seen land sales well over appraisal price and we've taken a look at taxpayer dollars being spent here. HYBRID LEASED NEW-HOME OPTIONS COMING TO GOODYEAR
LET'S GO FOR A WALK DOWN VAN BUREN...
GOODYEAR MUNICIPAL COMPLEX LAND FOR LEASE OR SALE? Monday, June 5, 2017 During a Goodyear City Council Special meeting, Council convened into a private, Executive Session to "discuss leasing or selling City-owned real estate." Council also was to "discuss the City's position on negotiations for the lease of portions of GMC" or - what we can guess - is the Goodyear Municipal Complex. We say "guess" because the discussions are not made public and we were unable to confirm from the City if "GMC" is the GMC we know to be the Goodyear Municipal Complex. (If there's another GMC in Goodyear we've overlooked, please contact us.) However, if the City is looking to sell or lease portions of the land in the Goodyear Municipal Complex, it could be quite interesting. From what we understand, the City of Goodyear agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars OVER the appraisal price of the land which we know as the Goodyear Municipal Complex just two years ago. Let's back up a minute. In December 2014, Goodyear City Council unanimously voted to approve the purchase of approximately 7 acres of property at $4 per square foot. We went back through City records and found the following discussion and staff notes on this. Goodyear's municipal complex is the area near Van Buren Street and Bullard Avenue. It's home to the Goodyear Library, Police Department, 911 Center, Court, Fire Department, etc.
The 911 Center property was purchased in late 2012. This additional 7 acres - approved in December 2014 - was needed to build the new, and quite frankly much needed, police department. At the December 2014 Council Meeting, the City said it evaluated a number of sites and scored the properties against the needs and wants of the City being…
This team who chose this property also kept the Council’s priorities in mind when selecting this property. The criteria included
This location scored highest based on its transportation corridors and connectivity north and south in the city. Linda Beals, the Real Estate Coordinator for the City of Goodyear said they went back and forth in negotiations several times with the seller, “The bottom line was, what we were able to come up with, was a negotiated sales price of $4 a square foot.” Beals says the sales price was within the range of sales within the City. The closing costs were estimated at another $10-15,000. Beals stated the huge savings on this property was the infrastructure. Some of it had already been brought in by surrounding developments. COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE PURCHASE PRICE The appraisal was $3.00 per square foot with a total amount of $915,000. And we negotiated a $4.00 per square foot?” ~Councilmember Campbell Councilmember Stipp said - at the time in 2014 - they were hearing from businesses that the rents are higher in Goodyear. “But, so is the quality of the community and quality of the centers they buy and etc.” Mayor Lord said it "makes sense" to acquire this land adjacent to existing city properties. "It actually is at the request of our citizens. When we did the City Center plans, the residents were very clear that they did not want the police department or any other facility near the City Hall. They wanted them in their own complex. And although we would all like to see it at a lesser price, but that’s market, and you have to say, “Hooray for Goodyear” that we are at market because that’s the market that’s attracting homes and businesses," comments Mayor Lord. THE GOODYEAR "GOLD MINE" Given the developments this week, it seems the seller was right. The location is a "gold mine" and expansion of the area is happening quickly. We do not know why the City wants to potentially sell this land. Of course, would the City get its money back on this land? We'd assume so... giving the NexMetro sale went for $4.19 per square foot. But, it's anyone's guess. And... that's assuming "GMC" under discussion is the Goodyear Municipal Complex. (For clarity, we are only guessing Monday's discussion of GMC was in regards to the Goodyear Municipal Complex. Goodyear would not confirm this.) RISING TAXES? The notice shows Goodyear intends to raise its Primary Property Taxes by 2%. THIS PROPOSED INCREASE IS EXCLUSIVE OF INCREASED PRIMARY PROPERTY TAXES RECEIVED FROM NEW CONSTRUCTION. THE INCREASE IS ALSO EXCLUSIVE OF ANY CHANGES THAT MAY OCCUR FROM PROPERTY TAX LEVIES FOR VOTER APPROVED BONDED INDEBTEDNESS OR BUDGET AND TAX OVERRIDES. ~City of Goodyear JEN'S TWO CENTS This spring, voters re-elected Mayor Lord. Councilmembers Pizzillo and Campbell are going into their 3rd four-year terms. And Brannon Hampton was elected in a runoff to fill outgoing Councilmember Sharolyn Hohman's seat. The inauguration is Monday, June 12th. We wish them all the best. We should note, Hampton's challenger Sara Gilligan went to Council on June 5th speaking in favor of moving City elections to the same election cycle as the State of Arizona. Those are held in the fall of even numbered years. This has been discussed at length in the City of Goodyear over the years. In 2011, the Goodyear Votes grassroots group pushed for Goodyear to move its election cycle to no avail. I have no horse in this race. But, I will say, running for Council as a candidate can be outrageously expensive. (We found candidates in the spring election for Goodyear City Council spent anywhere from $7,000 to $14,000. That's for a job that only pays $9,2000 a year.) And the cost to the taxpayers for spring elections is questionable. So, I'll grab my popcorn and wait for the City's response on Gilligan's request. An attractive city needs landscape improvements, art, and all those pretty things. But, $240,000 for library and City Hall hardscape and landscaping improvements seems high. With the dire need for fire stations in Goodyear, I'd like to see the City reserve more funds to get these projects completed first. The Goodyear Capital Improvement Plan shows funding for the much needed station in west Goodyear not kicking in till 2021-22. Parks are nice. But, I'd like to see more priority for funding safety first. Just my two cents. For some historical reading regarding the land around the Goodyear Ballpark: Link
REVISED AGREEMENT Take a look here at the First Amendment to the Estrella Development and Fire Services Agreement. In June 2016, we were tipped that the City's agreement with local developers had lapsed. Our sources told us the agreement was "allowed to expire" and that funding for a second fire station was not in place. At the June 27, 2016 meeting, City Manager Brian Dalke publicly stated he spoke with a Newland representative just that week. His specific words were... And talking to Bill Olsen this week, there has been an understanding that the bones of an agreement are in place. It can be argued some of those elements may or may not apply. The fact of the matter is one of the partners - if you will - back to the earlier agreement is no longer there. So CantaMia for example - is AV Homes - will be part of any discussions.” ~GOODYEAR CITY MANAGER BRIAN DALKE, JUNE 27, 2016 Let's emphasize "WILL BE PART OF ANY DISCUSSIONS." Future tense. Whether talks had been in the works for years prior or not... It appears from public commentary that the real push to update the agreement was prompted last summer. The amended resolution dated January 24, 2017 now shown in a snapshot states:
PRIORITIES SHIFTED In March 2016, Goodyear City Council participated in a work session to discuss the FY17-26 Capital Improvement Program. About half way through the meeting, the presentation turned to "General Funded Programs - Projects Requests." City staff initially recommends fire stations be listed on deferral for future impact fees. We added fire stations to your list simply because of your recent conversations just to put it up here and let you know it’s on our radar… but that we know the study is pending and we’ll wait for that project. ~Lauri Wingenroth, Budget and Research Manager
This document - Goodyear's Capital Improvement Plan for FY16-25 - shows funding for a Fire Station at Harrison and Citrus for FY22 and a Fire Station in Estrella in FY22. An additional Fire apparatus wasn't in the plans till FY23. FY16 and FY17 funding totaling $66,366,257 was slated for:
We have NEVER stated the City had "no priorities for" nor "didn't care" for fire service as we've been accused throughout various social media threads. I'm personally aware that our City Council and Mayor support public safety as shown by their previous actions over the years. This has been a process in the works since December 2015, (and most likely sooner than that), and these things do take time to work out. The fact is, the priorities for the Estrella station were moved up after 2016 Council meetings and the fire station study this past year. I'm not sure why this is being made out to be a bad thing by social media followers as it's really good news for Estrella and Goodyear residents. Many of us - and myself included - are thrilled about Council's decision to listen to the people to make this happen. Their ability to collaborate with other leaders and the developer to move up the construction timeline is a win for everyone. 2017 AND BEYOND It should be noted again that Goodyear has several fire station needs and projects in the near future. In December 2016, we also read over the entire tax payer funded, 210 page fire station study to see all needs for fire service in Goodyear. It also recommended "building a new fire station in west Goodyear and having it operational by the year 2022. The optimal location is at Citrus and Yuma. An additional engine company would be expected to operate from there. This station would have a workload similarly modeled to other stations in the city." Operational by 2022 means funding for this station needs to be moved up, as well. Tomorrow night, as it turns out, Goodyear City Council will hold a Special Meeting with the City Attorney and City Manager "to provide instruction/direction to City Attorney and City Manager regarding City's position in connection with contractual negotiations associated with West Goodyear development agreements." This meeting is private and we can't be 100% sure this is related to fire service. But, we're hoping to find out more regarding a west Goodyear fire station this spring. We'll keep you posted. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017 5:30PM Special Meeting 6PM Regular Meeting Location: 14455 W. Van Buren Street, Suite B-101, Goodyear, Arizona 85338 Meeting agendas and to Watch Online Here
UPDATE JANUARY 2018 - BELLA VITA IS NOT IN BUSINESS AT THE PRESIDIO ANY LONGER
RESORT STYLE LIVINGMany residents have posted on the Estrella Mountain Residents Facebook community page about how nice the facility is and how wonderful the food is at Bella Vita Café. The reviews are completely understated. When we arrived, the gathering room to the left was empty. Being a Sunday, it didn't seem out of place. But, we could hear people to the right. Peek around the corner, and that's where the restaurant and fitness room are located. Before my daughter headed out to the pool, we were greeted by a warm smile and great humor. Bella Vita's restaurant was full of employees getting ready for the day and Jeremy was happy to answer our questions. I'm huge fan of friendly people and Jeremy was the perfect person to run into today! THE POOL AND PATIO
She loved the heated pool... and the HOA employee at the front desk was kind to show her how to start the splash pad fountains! BELLA VITA CAFÉ We chose to order some garlic cheese knots while waiting for a pizza at Bella Vita. Let's just say those were gone in a flash. The wind picked up and the temp dropped, so we left the patio and headed into the restaurant for lunch. Brittney was our server and was so kind and helpful. I truly don't remember the last time we had top notch service like this... we don't get out much... but today's service was exceptional.
FEW GLITCHES As with any new business, we had a few glitches. When I called the Presidio this morning for business hours, the recording mentioned I had called the "EJC" and to leave a message. It'd be helpful for the Presidio to have a custom greeting with hours and the address in the message. When I called later today, the phone was answered by an employee. So, I'm guessing the recording comes on after hours. Also, I posted the Presidio address and phone number on the Estrella Mountain Residents Contacts page. But, it'd be nice to see the Presidio have its own webpage or Facebook page. The HOA page still shows the Presidio "opening soon". I know the new HOA Communications Director is working on this. But, the sooner this facility is convenient for residents to find, the better.
Best advice? Trust Jeremy when he recommends the "Freak Show."
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Barber is a Goodyear resident resident of almost 20 years and a retired broadcast news journalist. Involved in various nonprofit and city organizations since 2008, Barber has a unique view of what's happening in the West Valley of Arizona. Archives
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