Bits and Pieces

Archery Demo Day Tomorrow At Naranja Park

Interested in learning Archery? Then do go over to Naranja Park from 9 to Noon tomorrow to join in the festivities. They will be basic archery instruction, vendor booths, a competitive shoot, a course walk-around, and food trucks.

It is billed as "fun for the whole family." Call 520-229-5050 to learn more.

Oro Valley's First Settlers

No. We're not the first settlers!
Former Oro Valley Mayor Loomis, Richard
and Archeologist Allen Denoyer

Saturday's Setter's Day festivity at Steam Pump Ranch gave us pause to think about Oro Valley first setter's, the Hohokam.  There is a replica of a mud adobe hut on the north side of the site, .  It looks in move-in condition.

Its not terribly big. Could probably comfortably fit 4. Maybe a bit risky of getting flooded in the rain. But, then again, we don't have much of that in Oro Valley.

Governor Ducey Signs Wrong Bill

Face with a choice to make the referendum process even more onerous than it already is or simplifying it a bit, Arizona Governor Ducey signed a bill (HB2407) that will make it impossible to have a successful referendum:

"House Bill 2407 by Republican Rep. David Stevens, R-Sierra Vista, modifies requirements for voter referendums and recalls, tightening rules on the signature-gathering process and the wording of the measure. Thousands of signatures can be invalidated over minor mistakes including margin spacing and serial numbers, while single signatures can be disqualified for not matching a voter’s registration or marking the wrong date." (Source)

Does anyone know of a case that the Supreme Court could hear that would give them the opportunity to overturn this legislative overreach?

Oro Valley Optimist Club Sponsors Golf Event on May 16 To Raise Funds For Youth

The Oro Valley Optimist Club, of which Heather wrote this past Tuesday, is sponsoring a "Scramble For Youth" at the El Conquistador Country Club.  All proceeds will go to support Oro Valley Youth Programs.  Learn more and register here.

Sprint Triathlon Tomorrow

The 3rd annual Oro Valley Sprint Triathlon is tomorrow. It is a 800 meter swim, a 14 mile bike ride, and a 3 mile run.  The event runs from 6-11am. The event will impact traffic on Concordia, La Canada, Lambert Lane and Oracle Road.

Visit Tucson Estimates $4million Impact On Oro Valley

Visit Tucson, Oro Valley's external marketing arm, reported to the Oro Valley Town Council this past Wednesday that its efforts have increase the Oro Valley economy by $4million in the past year. It estimates hat 27,000 visitors have come to town as a result of their efforts. Watch this brief video of their report.

Visit Tucson received $175,000 from Oro Valley's Bed Taxes last year. This funds 2.5% of their revenue. Next year, the town is committed to funding it for $225,000.

Bits and Pieces

Did You Get Your LOVE Email?

We sent an email yesterday to our mailing list.  It has a summary of some of what we have reported and some information on 2 newcomer candidates for the town's elected positions.  If you didn't get your copy and you have signed up for our mail in list, please let us know. If, on the other hand, you have not signed up for our mail in list, what are you waiting for?  We promise you: No Spam and informative content. Also, we always keep our mailing list confidential. Please sign-up at the top of the panel to the right.

Oro Valley Celebrates 40 Tomorrow

"Join the Town of Oro Valley this Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. for the 40th Anniversary Celebration at Steam Pump Ranch, 10901 N. Oracle Road. This free event for the whole family includes live entertainment, arts and crafts for children, cultural and historical tours, demonstrations and a fun zone for kids. Be sure to stop by the Town's Parks Recreation table to pick up your FREE FAMILY PASS for Sunday's Family Day at Catalina State Park. Passes can only be obtained at this event, and are only redeemable on April 27.

Entertainment Schedule

9:30 - 11 a.m. Live music: The Clam Tostada
11 - 11:30 a.m. Melodrama presentation: Great American Playhouse
11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Mayor Hiremath speaks Winners of the Life in OV student art contest are announced OV Artist Neil Meyers unveils his painting, a gift to the Town
12 - 12:30 p.m. Cake is served (near main stage)
12:30 - 2 p.m. Live music: Little House of Funk
2:30 - 3 p.m. Performance: Team Dance"

All day activities too! (Source: Oro Valley Press Release)
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"OVPD To Present Teen Safety Driving Program To CDO, IRHS Parents

Oro Valley, Ariz. (April 18, 2014) – On April 21, 2014 at 6 p.m., the Oro Valley Police Department (OVPD) School Resource Officers Unit will present the Impact Teen Drivers Program at Parent’s Night for Canyon del Oro and Ironwood Ridge high schools. The event will be held at CDO High School in the Cyber Café, 25 W. Calle Concordia." (Source: The Oro Valley Police Department press release)
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Oro Valley Water Consumer Confidence Report: "All Good"

The Oro Valley Water Department reports "Exellent Results" on its water quality tests.  There have been no Colifiorm violations in the 5,460 samples taken during the past 10 years.  "The Utility disinfects its water sources by adding Sodium Hypochlorite as a precaution against bacterial growth in the water system." (Source: Consumer Confidence Report , April 2014).
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Dispose-A-Med Tomorrow

"The Oro Valley Police Department (OVPD), in conjunction with National Dispose-A-Med Day, will hold a Dispose-A-Med event this Saturday, April 26, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Oro Valley Target Store, 10555 N. Oracle Road." (Source: The Oro Valley Police Department press release)
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Oracle Road Can Be Dangerous To Your Health

10 Oro Valley intersections had 68 traffic accidents in the first quarter of this year. That's 42% of the 149 accidents reported.  49 of the accidents involve intersections with Oracle Road.   We hypothesize that a bunch of these accidents are caused because the yellow light cycle on the Oracle lights are about 3 seconds, which is not a sufficient time to safely slow down when traveling at or her the 50 mph speed limit.   Traveling through some of these intersections on a yellow light is particularly dangerous because there are cars eager to take a a left before they get the green arrow.  They start moving as soon as they see the yellow light.

Our advice: Slow down when entering every traffic light intersection.  Expect that yellow.  Stop.  (Source)
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TREO To Present Revised Plan

TREO will present a revised economic blueprint at a paid-for function on April 30 at Loews Ventana.   The deadline to register of the event is today. (Source)
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Bits and Pieces

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The Town Of Oro Valley is soliciting construction bids for road resurfacing of the following locations: Rancho Vistoso NBH 10 Parcel O, Peppersauce Townhomes, West Glover Road, Kelly Rae, Rancho Vistoso NBH 10 Parcel K and L, Calle Buena Vista, Egleston Drive, Sun City Units 8, 9, 10, Hidden Springs Drive, Rams Canyon Phase 2, Rams Canyon Phase 3 and Rams Canyon Estates.   Estimated cost is from $500,000 to $1 million.(Source)
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A 65-bed, one-story, 27,000 square foot nursing care facility will like be constructed on the southwest corner of Oracle and Desert Sky.   The facility will house alzheimer and dementia patients. Residents will be "secured"in the facility.  The building will be 18' in height.  The public hearing on the facility was held in January.  Residents were concerned with traffic that might "cut through" their development (which is unlikely), smells from the cafeteria and the building of a common wall.  You should attend the Oro Valley Planning and Zoning Commission meeting next tuesday if you wish to opine on the facilities request for a conditional use permit.  Construction will begin once council has approved this permit.
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"Securaplane Technologies, Inc. a leading supplier of avionics products for business, commercial and military aircraft, announced its expansion to Oro Valley's Innovation Park in December 2012. A groundbreaking ceremony for the 55,000-square-foot building was held on Friday, March 29 near the northeast corner of Tangerine and Innovation Park Drive." (Source: Oro Valley Press Release)
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TREO with the help of County and State corporate welfare has attracted Accelerate Diagnostics to a location near Kino Sports Park.  The inducement:

"Under terms of its August 2012 lease and agreement with Pima County, which includes cut-rate rent through 2015, the company had 18 months to hire at least 30 people with a median salary of at least $70,000. And under a $1 million grant from the Arizona Commerce Authority, Accelerate must ramp up hiring to 65 jobs paying at least $63,000 a year and make capital investments of at least $4,520,000, according to regulatory filings."

The company's CEO was formerly with Ventana Medical Systems, here in Oro Valley. Too bad that TREO didn't steer the business to Oro Valley's Innovation Park.
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Bits and Pieces

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November 1 and November 8 HiVE report combined results.  The location of the enforcement activity was Oracle at McGee and at Suffolk:

• 78 traffic stops
• 48 moving violation stops
• 16 moving violation citations
• 49 written warnings
• 36 drivers were stopped for equipment and/or registration violations
• 12 drivers received combination citation and warning for non-moving violations
•   0 collisions

(Source: The Oro Valley Police Department Press Release)

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Town Council approved fees for the archery range at last week's town council meeting:

• Daily Fee: $5
• Annual Adult Pass: $60
• Annual Student Pass: $60 (with a student ID)
• Free: 12 and under as supervised by an adult

There will be no formal method of enforcing the use of the range.  There will be an "iron ranger" (container) for people to use for their daily fee.  The plan is for annual passes to be available at town hall or over the internet.  

There is no plan for a family pass, military or a senior rate.

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The Oro Valley conceptual review design board is now a 7 seven member board, four of whom should posess architectural expertise.
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Did you know that TREO is still on the public dole?  The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 this week to give TREO $500,000! "Republicans Ray Carroll and Ann Day voted against the increased funding, saying TREO needs to be more transparent in the way it spends taxpayers' money."  What could be more transparent than junkets to San Diego.  (Source)
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Good News For Oro Valley: TREO Goes Private

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TREO will no longer require cities and towns to contribute to it in order for towns to be members.  The result: Oro Valley will save $43,000 in spending on TREO, or at least that portion of this year's appropriation that has not yet been paid.

This change in policy was announced in a press release late yesterday.

"Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Inc. (TREO) announces today that it is restructuring the organization’s model to allow greater access, streamlined focus and greater tools to advance economic development in Southern Arizona.

In an effort to strengthen the regionalism approach, local municipalities will no longer be charged to participate in TREO and each local jurisdiction will be invited to serve on the TREO Board of Directors."

The advantage for TREO is that now all local communities, not just the few that supported TREO, will participate.  A second advantage for them is that they will be subject to less public scrutiny since they will not be taking public funds.

We surmise that the requirement from the Town of Oro Valley that TREO report on a quarterly the substantive results of its efforts in relation to Oro Valley started a bit of a "snowball."  This is a requirement set forth in Council in June by Council Member Mike Zinkin.  The City of Tucson, as we reported to you last week, was moving in that direction, asking TREO to substantiate the 2,200 jobs it allegedly brought to the City.

We've kicked TREO around many times durint the four years that they received Oro Valley funding. (Read our many previous postings).  They've received, probably $150,000 from Oro Valley during that time.  We've challenged the TREO investment because we believed them to be a poorly performing organization when it comes to bringing jobs to the region and to Oro Valley; and because they have spent our money on wasted junkets and on salaries too "rich" for any organization that runs on public money.  Now, they can do as they wish. TREO is off the "public dole."

There are two organizations, MTCVB and the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce, that continue on Oro Valley's public dole.  Perhaps they should consider what TREO has done as their "model."  Shouldn't the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce be funded completely by local business?  Shouldn't the travel and destination industry fund MTCVB?

As long as an organization receives public funding, that organization will receive public scrutiny.  So, if an organization does not want public scrutiny then that organization should not accept money from towns.  Simply put: We expect results for our money.
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Council Meeting Highlights: Aquatic Center Logo Unveiled

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Oro Valley's New Aquatic Center Logo

Oro Valley unveiled its new logo for the aquatic center at last night's Oro Valley Town Council meeting.  MTCVB  worked with the town to create it.  Economic Development Director Amanda Jacobs noted that the help from MTCVB was greatly appreciated.  The town needed to create the logo quickly so that the logo could used by MTVB to promote the aquatic center at an upcoming international swim.

Allison Cooper, Oro Valley resident and MTCVB Director of Marketing, presented the logo.  Allison noted that the aquatic center logo was designed to be:

• Usable across all media channels
• Easily understood
• Clean and simple
• Timeless
• Contemporary
• Representative of Oro Valley

Also, the town will have a new web site: aquaOV.com for the aquatic center.  (Web site is not yet operating)

Allison also showed collateral material (a mesh bag) to be handed out by MTCVB to swim conference to attendees. The bag has TUCSON SPORTS in big letters in the middle of it and aquaOV.com in small letters at the bottom of the bag. Tucson is predominate on the mesh bag and Oro Valley very small letters.  We do wish it had been the other way around!
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Last night, in the "call to audience" section, Bill Adler spoke regarding his perception that there has been reduction in the level of service at the Oro Valley Library since it was taken over by the county.  Bill remembers being assured that the services will be the same at the public hearing that was held regarding the transfer of the library to the county . Bill believes that the service has degraded. There are, he notes, no new programs. The web site is more difficult to navigate.
   
Did anyone else actually believe that the level of service at the library would be the same under county control?

Items D, the TREO report, was pulled  from the consent agenda for further discussion.  Councilman Garner noted that the report regarding specifics about Oro Valley were missing from the report.  The report was accepted on a 7-0 vote.

Regular agenda item actions:

• Approval of a liquor license for Wal-Mart by a 7-0 unanimous vote.
• A DUI home sentence resolution was approved for the magistrate court to use.  This may result in a reduction of incarceration costs. 
• By a 6-1 margin (Zinkin dissenting), the council approved reducing citizen input into the construction design process.
• A sign code amendment to add specific fines for sign code violations was denied, 5-2.   As we noted in a previous posting, the town has no means of nor any interest in enforcing these violations. They will consider what to do sometime in the next six months.

Meeting time: 2h 20 mins.

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Bit and Pieces

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Hiremath Dentistry is offering free dental checks in August for K-12 students.  (Arizona Daily Star)
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Did you know that From June 15 through July 31 Oro Valley has seen nearly 7" of rain? Rain is expected to be average for this month. (Source: KVOA)
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Each month, the Oro Valley Economic Development Department publises their monthly report.   It is called the "Economic Development Commercial Project Status Report."  The report is a six column table listing. Updated information is highlighted in blue.  This month's updates:

• "Tuesday Morning" is now listed as open for business in the Oro Valley Marketplace
• "American Family Insurance" has opened at the Pusch Ridge Day Care and Office complex (10371 Oracle Road)
• Suffolk Plaza has a new business: "Stages of Change Counseling Center" 

(Source: Town of Oro Valley:  Economic Development Commercial Project Status Report)
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The four republican candidates for District 1 county supervisor all find fault with TREO. "All four criticized the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO) in response to a question about whether the agency has met expectations, with the biggest disagreement whether they would dismantle the group or just hold it more accountable."  One, Ally Miller, felt the group should be disbanded: "How long do they have to prove to us that they're failures before we say 'enough'?" she asked.  Finally,  a voice of reason. (Source: Arizona Daily Star)
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Did you get your ballot?  The county mailed out 216,600 early ballots to voters in Pima County yesterday, "That shatters the previous record for early ballots sent out in a primary election, set in August 2010 when 158,817 mail-in ballots went out." (Source: Arizona Daily Star)  The last day to request an early ballot is August 17.
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You Say: Oro Valley Needs To Use A Regional Markeing Approach

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We asked in our poll last week:

"Do you believe that Oro Valley can only attract new business or tourism by working with regional partners TREO and MTCVB?"

The responses:

Yes: 42 (53%)
No:  37 (46%)

We would agree. We are sure that Council Member Waters would also agree.  It would be difficult for Oro Valley to "go it alone" in marketing itself.  We are also hopeful that the monies spent on the two specific organizations will be earned through demonstrated results.

Maybe TREO, MTCVB, and even the Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce could directly help Oro Valley by locating prospects for the naming rights or sponsorships to the Oro Valley Aquatic Center.
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Bits and Pieces

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This from an Arizona Daily Star article written by Jonathan Brodesky regarding TREO:

"The real issue here is whether TREO serves itself before it serves the community. It's laced in Snell's salary - and those of other TREO staffers - which is significantly higher than those reported on tax forms of people doing similar jobs in Portland, Fresno, Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, Tulsa and El Paso.

It's reflected in TREO's major loss of public funding in recent years. Marana bailed on TREO. The city and county have slashed funding for TREO, and the city is again cutting its support, from $520,000 to $400,000 for 2013. Of the six city officials on the trip, TREO is paying for four of them: the mayor, a staffer in his office, and council members Shirley Scott and Paul Cunningham."
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This from an Explorer article reporting of the unreasonable outburst by Council Member Solomon, trying to create an argument with Council Member Bill Garner. When challenged about the Police Budget, Garner responded, refering to the Recreation Center:

“The bottom line is we can find $54,000 if the facility makes sense, because it benefits the citizens,” said Garner. “If we can find the money to fund police, if we can find the money to fund public works, we can find the money to benefit the citizens.”
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Oro Valley Needs Its Own Economic Developer

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In case you missed it, both Tucson are Marana are hiring economic developers. As we have written previously, Marana does not contribute to either MTVB or TREO.  These are two regional economic development groups.

Oro Valley bleeds $125,000 annually to these guys.  In return, Oro Valley gets nothing but meaningless, unsubstantiated quarterly reports which the Mayor rubber stamps.  Mayor Hiremath rubber stamps these reports by putting  the acceptance of these reports on the consent agenda.  This is his way of subverting the intent of having these two useless organizations report in the first place.  The intent was to put these organizations under the microscope.  The Mayor does his best to make sure this doesn't happen. 

It is not happenstance that the Mayor favors MTCVB. It is run by the same person who runs the El Conquistador, who, together with his managers contributed big bucks to the Mayor's 2010 all out "Mayoral Spendathon Election Run".  Let us call it what it is: Cronyism.

Its time to dump contributing to these organizations.

Its time for Oro Valley to hire its own economic developer. 

Its time to put it in the 2012-2013 budget and to not fund two organizations,  MTVB or TREO, that have done so little for so much.
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Guest View-John Musolf: Oro Valley's TREO Investment... A Joke

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"Here we go again!"

On September 15th, the Oro Valley Town Council voted to contribute $40,000  to the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO). It is my contention that this expenditure is not justified. It is the contention of many others that TREO itself, is a poorly functioning, poorly performing organization.

On December 7, 2011. the Oro Valley Town Council approved, without public discussion, the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO) first quarter report of performance in relation to the Town of Oro Valley. This report is incomplete. It should have warranted the full attention of the members of the Oro Valley town council.

TREO trumpets its relationship with Raytheon Missile Systems.

What a joke!

In the Dec. 2 issue of Inside Tucson Business, Patrick McNamara made this statement about Raytheon Missile Systems when he was talking about bringing business (economic development) to Tucson:

Such was the case last year when Raytheon Missile Systems put out the word it was looking to set up a new manufacturing facility. Local officials were dumbfounded - and pointed fingers at each other - when leaders from Huntsville, Ala., showed up with Raytheon execs at the Farnborough International Airshow in England to announce they had agreed to build the new plant in Alabama. It was embarrassing that officials in Tucson, in Raytheon Missile Systems' hometown, didn't know what was going on.

However, in the same editorial article, Mr. McNamara also commented on the most recent failure of economic development and political leaders involving Caterpillar’s manufacturing facility search:

Mr. McNamara reported on the efforts - or lack thereof - of the Tucson region's economic development and political leaders to get in front of executives at Caterpillar, which is searching for a new North American ma While officials at Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities (TREO) played dumb with reporter McNamara, others within the organization said they were aware of Caterpillar's quest but that's it.

Why does the Town of Oro Valley continue to donate to an organization $40,000 to TREO for incomplete or questionable performance?

Where is due diligence by the Oro Valley Town Council?

John Musolf
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