The Truth Prescott Valley, AZ

You may not know most all of the vacant high weed fenced property in PV is county land that the Fain’s pay about 48 cents per acre in property taxes. You notice ALL parties political signs located at numerous intersections on their fences.

Civic Center at Lakeshore.

Durring the 2005 election for Mayor and council, only Tom Steele for Council signs were removed by Fain as “not being approved”. This is a private property right; but is it fair? Next, I put up signs 2-3 inches outside Fain’s fences. Within 4 hours PV town employees were taking my signs down. Reason; they were in town right-of-way. (You may notice homes for sale, yard sales, missing pets in such location(s) go unmolested).

So at a minimum, PV management practices “selective” enforcement depending who is involved. Since I have questioned town spending on select groups and a variety of town investments and actions; I am a target of their enforcement policies. Of 5-6 police reports I made on stolen political signs in various locations; no action resulted in arrest. Several of the signs were on private property with permission of the property owner. One PV police report I have a copy of; shows when the investigation led to the Fain Signature Group (FSG), the investigation stopped. Harold Wise signs were put in place of mine with a label from the PV Economic Development Foundation (PVEDF) which receives over $180,000 a year from the Town of Prescott Valley. Remember this when reading or hearing Gary Marks, Director of the PVEDF, as he embelishes his accomplishments in Prescott Valley.

In the past year, Residents concerns surrounding Rt 89A development at Viewpoint Drive were trumped by a pro development Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission and pro development mayor and council. The Fain Signature Group announced in March, striking a deal with WalMart to build a Super Center on Glassford Hill Road. Again, P&Z and mayor and council approved over the disapproval of most nearby residents and citizens concerned over the location and traffic. Recently, Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) approved 2.4 Million for barrier construction on Rt. 69 at the West enterance to town. Five years of accidents (126) including 6 fatalities and 35 injury accidents; 23 accidents and 4 deaths from crossover center median. Complaints mainly from Victorian Estates residents has caused Prescott Valley’s town  manager, Larry Tarkowski to turn down ADOT’s offer in favor of a “beautification” project and higher cost highway seperation.

My point is, when there is NO conflict with development and developers; Tarkowski and the council  DOES listen to the citizens.

The headwaters of the Verde River begin above Chino Valley. Joined  by Granite Creek, the first 24 miles are the most critical to the year around flow. The possibilities are present for the stream flow to be lowered or eliminated with the Big Chino project to import water to Prescott and Prescott Valley.

The picture is from the Verde Canyon Railroad tour taken from Clarkdale to Perkinsville. It’s a great trip with famimly and your camera. The picture is from April 2006.  I’ll bet it’s beautiful now (Oct 25th) with the colors of fall.

Keep the Verde River in mind and let your local elected officials know how you feel about sustaining the flow of the one year around flowing river in Northern Arizona. For additional info: http://upperverdewaterissues.org  also; www.VRPartnership.com

The week of October 8th 2006, John Munderloh, Water Resourse Director, informed me PV cannot reach “Safe Yield” without importing additional water. Safe Yield, or the balance between water removed from the earth and what new water is supplied by nature is a state requirement by 2025.

As a PV councilman, I voted against the Prescott IGA (inner government agreement) to buy the Big Chino Ranch as it is now called. I did so because there was no provision requiring the imported water be used to insure our water supply. Current plans require all “new” water be sold to developers for new homes (12,000). Thus, only “recharged waste water” could be utilized for meeting safe yield.

Receintly, Mayor Skoog and the council voted 7-0 to “sell” our current wast water credits (allowed by the state) to developers to build more homes and the sale proceeds used to pay for PV’s share (46.8%) of the Big Chino project. This vote followed a previous vote(7-0) to raise our water and sewer rates 30%.

As of May 7th, no water auction has been anounced.  Most likely this is due to the slump in housing sales that is damaging PV town income. however, financial requirements for PV’s part of the Big Chino Project must come from somewhere. Current payments are coming from town bonding authority.