Residents have inquired if I utilized a checklist to help distinguish between candidates when the Town Council is appointing a new Council member to fill a vacancy. Since this is election season, and the criteria used to vote for a Council member is in many respects identical to that which could be utilized to appoint one, I offer the following criteria for consideration.
Each candidate should:
- Be knowledgeable of and interested in all of the important issues impacting Carefree residents, and not just be focused on one issue of particular interest to them
- Have an open and analytical mind
- Have a proven track record of successful accomplishments
- Work well with others and have a history of constructive community involvement
- Be knowledgeable of Carefree’s history, have a vision for Carefree’s future, but be open to knowledgeable input
- Be informed, impartial and fair in their judgement and actions
- Bring forward alternatives for consideration, analysis and discussion rather than just criticizing the ideas and possible solutions of others
- Support what they believe to offer the greatest good for Carefree residents
- Use the office for the greater public good, not for personal gain or gains for a few
- Conduct deliberations and processes openly in an atmosphere of respect and civility
Les Peterson
Carefree Mayor - Carefree Water Consolidation and Improvement Project Progress
- Further Preparation for the Worsening Drought
Most local communities throughout the desert southwest have been strategically preparing for looming water shortages by diversifying their water portfolios and storage capacity of their water delivery systems. Carefree is no different. The current water consolidation and improvement project benefits all Carefree residents. It expands Carefree’s water allocation, gives access to Carefree’s robust water aquifer to all Carefree residents, enhances Carefree’s water storage capacity and provides for more fire suppression capacity.
Carefree’s water improvement project was not decided upon over night. The planning and public discussions took place over the course of a five year period and involved hundreds of Carefree residents. This extensive publicly vetted process has led to:
- A thorough plan to transition nearly 1/3 of Carefree’s population into the Carefree water system;
- The pre-ordering of materials to ensure escalation costs of materials are minimized;
- The hiring of industry leading construction firm, Achen-Gardner, to deliver a high quality project;
- A state-of-the-art underground storage reservoir which will be completed in the next several months; and
- A funding revenue stream strategically taking advantage of generationally low interest rates and maintaining annual water rate increases at the historical 4.4% annual increase level, well below the national annual average rate increase of 6%.
Recently, the first Carefree neighborhood was transitioned into the Carefree system. Numerous additional neighborhoods will be continuing to transition in the coming weeks and months. Concrete is being poured for the underground reservoir which will be completed this summer, including comprehensive native landscape restoration. It is anticipated that all the water improvement projects will be completed by the beginning of 2023, which will place all Carefree residents and properties in a more resilient position to address the worsening drought.
Indeed, important community investments and infrastructure projects like this do not happen overnight. Dozens of open public meetings were held and ultimately, decisions were made to ensure both the efficiency and sustainability of Carefree’s water resources in the face of the ongoing drought. A special thanks to all of those who have made significant contributions to protect Carefree’s water resources, including the staffs from the Carefree Water Company and the Town, notably Greg Crossman and Gary Neiss, and the entire Carefree Town Council, John Crane, Cheryl Kroyer, Tony Geiger, Vince D’Aliesio, Stephen Hatcher and Michael Johnson. Representative and effective government is about understanding and solving issues that face the community. These people worked with Carefree residents and property owners to provide an effective and cost efficient solution to Carefree’s water future.
Les Peterson
Carefree Mayor
