My View
BY DON SORCHYCH | SEPTEMBER 11, 2013
We are working together, how sweet
The horse and hiking trail
The new council, including the long term guys except for Thomas McGuire, sounds like a broken record. They all say the same thing and talk about progress, while at best, they are limping in place.
Scottsdale Republic, as it is prone to do, gave Reg Monachino a My Turn column and what did he write or what did somebody write for him?
First of all, he asserts council members are working together. He must have noticed that with ample candidates for the planning commission, they, except for McGuire, chose Eileen Wright, the worst possible choice. But that gave the gal who didn’t get a council seat something to do.
She is the one in our forum who was so wrong Mayor Vincent Francia gave her a good scolding, yet he voted to seat her on the commission. So did Councilman Ernie Bunch. Did anyone check to see if he was awake?
OK, so the good old boys are playing nice, even if they are clearly wrong, except for Tom.
Then Monachino carries on about issues which have been handled handily by the previous council as if the current council had anything to do with it.
He snivels about debt, which is nicely handled by Walmart’s sales tax. So we don’t have a maintenance plan? Bet we do. I doubt anyone on staff wants to talk to Reg.
He lies that the town’s annual audit was never given to council and harps about transparency again and again and again.
Transparency? We asked for emails months ago, under open records laws and have yet to receive even one. We asked for the costs of Mayor Vincent Francia’s letters and have yet to receive the cost. Transparency under this administration is a fable and a problem we never faced when Usama Abujbarah was town manager. Monachino either doesn’t know what is going on or they are deliberately withholding information we legally have a right to.
Monachino and his wife attended free dinners at two local restaurants and they have not repaid their share even though free dinners are not allowed under statute.
Monachino says he is working to bring businesses to town. Since when is it the job of councilmen to get jobs and business? Stick to your knitting, Reg.
He suggested the town join the greater Phoenix Economic Council; they are the biggest repository of RINOS in the state. Ask the mayor. They are the ones that helped to do in the great conservative patriot Russell Pearce.
There is more of the same, but why bother.
I also noticed both Francia and Interim Town Manager Ronald Glassman had editorials in the shopper that resides in racks around the area.
Francia, as is his wont, waxes poetically about the desert. Glassman essentially repeated the glories of the town that so fascinate Monachino. Get original guys!
Horse trail
The Cave Creek General Plan has included plans for trails for decades. Ian Cordwell and Bambi Mueller have done a magnificent job of expanding trails throughout the town. They completed the first leg of a trail from Spur Cross Road to Old Stage Road and the next step was to connect the trail alongside of my easement which would extend to 48th Street. This would connect east to west for horse riders and hikers. Vehicular use is prohibited, as is any traffic across Cahava Springs Development, although there are nutcases living on Morning Star Road who insist Anthem will dump its traffic across the trail or road which may be erected to provide access to the proposed Cahava Springs subdivision to the south of me.
Everyone knows I have dueled legally with Gerald Freeman since 2005. In the beginning, the late Town Attorney Bill Farrell told Freeman he would have to get permission of the underlying land owner before he undertook maintenance of our shared road.
Freeman then sued the town and to settle the lawsuit the town agreed they had no control over private property. Perhaps that easy victory stimulated Freeman to sue the town seeking a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) when they tried to put the trail in place. Remember Freeman, like me, owns an easement while Cahava Springs owns all the property the town would use. So this is clearly a property rights issue.
The town, Cahava Springs and I were all named in the suit. Except for the fact I am in favor of the trail there was no reason to be named in the suit. I understand Freeman was abusive to town employees who were trying to establish the parameters of the trail.
After considerable work and cost, the town has established a plan and was prepared to go ahead. The court had continued the suit several times including a 45 day extension on Sept. 6 so agreement could be reached.
Let’s not forget Freeman was a big contributor to the slate’s election and he funded the lawsuit to keep Dick Esser off the ballot. Without Freeman’s largess the slate would not have a majority. Since Adam Trenk claims to be a big time horseman why is he so quiet? And why isn’t he marshaling hordes of horsemen and hikers to lean on town hall? Is he afraid of Freeman?
My understanding is Freeman wants no trail and no subdivision. Although the town could, they shouldn’t back off on their General Plan. The subdivision is a property rights issue and the town must provide access. In most plans examined that will mean the road is mostly public and the maintenance problem goes away.
I will certainly welcome the new neighbors.
