BY LINDA BENTLEY | OCTOBER 10, 2012
Carefree swears in new planning commissioner
‘You cannot get signal at the front door of town hall’
After Les Peterson was unanimously selected to fill the planning commissioner term vacated by John Crane, who was appointed to fill a council vacancy last month, Town Clerk Betsy Wise administered his oath of office.
Photos by Linda Bentley
CAREFREE – Last month, when John Crane (l) was selected to fill the council seat vacated by Jim Van Allen, it created a vacancy on the planning commission, where Crane served as vice chairman.
During the Oct. 2 meeting, with Councilman Marty Saltzman absent, council voted to appoint Les Peterson, one of three citizens who expressed interest in the post.
Councilman Arthur Gimson said it was a difficult choice because all three candidates, which included Michael Krahe and Heather Burgett, were well qualified.
After council’s one-round ballot unanimously appointing Peterson, Town Clerk Betsy Wise administered Peterson’s oath of office.
During Call to the Public, Jerry Wetta said he recently became a precinct committeeman for the Republican Party in District 1 and was asked to solicit citizen ideas for a resolution to be included in the Republican ballot to be presented to the legislature.
During current events, Mayor David Schwan announced the town will be holding a town hall meeting open to the public at 8 a.m. this Saturday, Oct. 13. He said the meeting is being held to discuss whatever citizens want to discuss and there would be a brief presentation by MCSO.
He also said the regular Nov. 6 council meeting is being moved to Nov. 13 due to elections.
Gimson announced the 4th Annual Salute Our Veterans from 3-5 p.m. on Nov. 11 at the amphitheater. He said the event would include a swing band and short speeches.
Council unanimously voted to approve a recommendation for a transfer of a Class 7 liquor license for AZ Wine Company, which, according to Betsy Wise, would transfer a license purchased from Pizza Hut to the 100 Easy St. location.
Council approved lane closures for the Cactus Shadows High School Homecoming Parade from noon until 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 21, and use of the west bound lane of Cave Creek Road from Pima Road to the west border of town for a cycling event to benefit the American Diabetes Association and Cave Creek Bicycle Association.
A special event liquor license was unanimously approved for the American Parkinson Disease Association for a fundraising event in the Carefree Town Center Gardens from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, as well as a temporary extension of premises for Saba’s Mediterranean Cuisine for a music festival from 5 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10.
Town Administrator Gary Neiss presented an agenda item requesting approval to expand to town’s WiFi coverage at a cost of $2,631.81.
According to Neiss, the WiFi hub installed about a year ago has approximately 200 distinctive users per month. However, he stated there were weak spots in the coverage around the sundial and they want to install a repeater to intensify the signal there.
Schwan said, for example, “You cannot get signal at the front door of town hall.”
Councilman Mike Farrar wanted to ensure there were no monthly fees associated with the installation. Neiss assured council there were not.
Council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the town clerk to conduct the March 12, 2013 Primary Election and May 21, 2013 General Election as mail ballot elections.
Town Attorney Michael Wright explained HB2826, the state’s new consolidated election law, requiring general elections to be held in November of even numbered years, which he said was passed to increase voter participation and save taxpayers money.
In order to comply with the new law, council was being asked to pass a resolution that would mean the next council term would be for three and a half years, running from June 2013 through December 2016, which he said would place the town in sync with state law.
However, Schwan noted the League of Cities and Towns passed a unanimous resolution to repeal HB2826 and said the town could always repeal the resolution if that were to happen since the new law doesn’t go into effect until 2014.
Council voted unanimously in favor of the resolution before voting to go into an executive session to discuss contract negotiations to acquire open space with Open Space Development Fee funds.
