My View
BY DON SORCHYCH | JULY 24, 2013
The APS vote • Equestrian alert
As far as I can tell Cave Creek is the only municipality that voted against the APS plan to add a rate increase to solar electric users. I have asked for but not received statewide, or service-area-wide percentages.
But Cave Creek is not really representative about the necessity of the treatment of solar users. In spite of the 7-0 vote, the spokesman for the council was Vice Mayor Adam Trenk who presented a resolution that the Arizona Corporations Commission (ACC) “maintain the current net metering policy and continue to promote customer choice and provide retail rate credit for excess energy generated on site.”
Since the Rose Law Group, where Trenk is employed, and related husband public relations man Jason Rose are deeply involved with solar clients, it would seem Trenk has a conflict of interest. He and his slate friends are always howling about “transparency.” Why didn’t Trenk recuse himself or concede he is possibly tainted by his comrades in arms?
We noticed even the nasty blog which spends most of its words damning Sonoran News wrote that he should have recused himself. In the same “editorial” they dropped Rodney Glassman from their support of him to be town manager the day after Glassman had words with Gerald Freeman while examining the proposed horse trail paralleling the easement to my and Freeman’s property. Interesting.
We searched for Trenk’s defense on the APS issue and only found an article in the Northeast Valley News section of the Arizona Republic. Both the Republic and their reporter Phil Haldiman have obvious ties with Trenk, or so their praise of him seems. In that article Haldiman wrote Trenk was a lawyer with Rose Law Firm and specialized in equestrian matters. Really? A brand new lawyer and he’s an equestrian specialist? I have heard he is dabbling in marijuana issues, but time will tell. Given that he is surrounded by lawyers who have solar clients, tell me he wasn’t carrying water for them with his resolution. Shame on the other council members for joining him in a stupid vote and not thinking on their own.
Something else from history in Cave Creek was learned by another guy who was the chairman of the planning commission. He began a meeting admitting he had a conflict of interest about the development of Spur Cross Ranch. He like, Trenkster, was an attorney and his client was the man who wanted to put a resort on Spur Cross Ranch (SCR).
I wasn’t at that meeting and the next morning Gary Schmidt and Tim Thurman came to see me and they were livid. They both said the meeting was their first and went on to explain that after offering to recuse the chairman stayed in his seat and gave prompts to the council about how the project would be helpful to the town.
Had they not been in that meeting, SCR would now be a golf course with attendant buildings.
I introduced them to activist Barry DiSimone and they and others formed Friends of Spur Cross. Others were added later and they represented a formidable force to save SCR. If it wasn’t for their emphasis and organization skills you wouldn’t see the lovely conservation and recreation area that defines Cave Creek.
But it all started with a lawyer, like Trenkster who didn’t provide transparency. Actually the chairman did disclose his conflict but didn’t carry out his promise to recuse. Trenkster didn’t disclose he had a conflict and didn’t recuse himself.
So the slate’s transparency was simply a promise they had no intention of keeping, but they used it to hook voters.
Horsemen and Horsewoman alert!
Cave Creek has long planned a horse and non-vehicular trail paralleling easements owned by Freeman and myself. That trail would connect Old Stage Road to 48th Street on the Morning Star Road alignment. The town, in anticipation of connecting to the trail completed a trail from Spur Cross Ranch to Old Stage Road. Development of the trail paralleling our easements was put on hold when Freeman filed a temporary restraining order (TRO). For some reason, maybe because I am in favor of the trail, Freeman included me as a defendant along with the town and Cahava Springs. Cahava Springs owns most of the land underlying the easement I share with Freeman, except for two small parcels.
Freeman must have asked the town to abandon the trail at a meeting I should have attended since I am a defendant in the suit. I asked Glassman why I wasn’t invited to the meeting and he referred me to the town’s insurance attorney. However, this is a town matter. This goes along with so-called transparency since Glassman has told town employees they cannot speak to the press or council. But it was the town who should have invited me, not the attorneys, since I am defending myself.
And it doesn’t end there. Cahava Springs may file for a subdivision plat for the 60 acres to the south of me and the town must provide access. It is likely the easements will be converted to a public road by the process of eminent domain.
Wonder what equestrian Trenkster will do about that?
