BY LINDA BENTLEY | MARCH 19, 2014
Trenk conspicuous in his absence from council meeting
CAVE CREEK – Following last week’s report of Vice Mayor Adam Trenk’s illegal shenanigans of signing his own recall petition with his favorite dead actor James Gandolfini’s name and then boasting about it on Facebook, he was conspicuously absent from Monday night’s council meeting.
Stating Trenk (r) placed the resolution to declare March 28-30 “Fiesta Days” to celebrate the sport of professional rodeo in Cave Creek on the agenda and because he was not present, Mayor Vincent Francia moved to approve the resolution, which passed unanimously, with no reason given for Trenk’s absence.
Carson Bise, president of TischlerBise, Inc., appeared to discuss his firm’s report: “Land Use Assumptions, Infrastructure Improvements Plan, and Preliminary Development Fees,” which was continued to March 17 because no one was present from TischlerBise to answer council member’s questions.
Bise explained the timeline and process for the adoption of development fees under the new law and stated council would not be adopting fees that evening.
Bise stated fees for water and wastewater infra-structure would be dealt with separately at a later time since they can be approved under a more streamlined process under the law.
He told council, “You don’t want to collect a fee and not make improvements.”
Francia asked if $6,000 per mile was standard for trails.
Bise stated the costs are based on past or planned expenditures, there was no set of standards and the estimated costs are specific to each municipality.
Councilman Mike Durkin asked, if council were to adopt the document, what risk they have from developers to contest and how concrete the fees need to be.
Town Attorney Fredda Bisman stated that was the reason the town hires firms such as TischlerBise.
As to whether the town will be off the hook from lawsuits, Bise stated his firm has never been sued, but said no one can predict what a developer might do.
He said fees are based on levels of service for trails and the people are the units that cause the demands.
Francia asked if his firm stands behind its numbers.
Bise responded, “Yes.”
Bambi Muller, the town’s trails coordinator, stated the town is aggressively seeking trails and building trails and expects to build quite a few trails in the future.
Councilman Thomas McGuire said he spoke with Muller that day and learned there were a lot of incomplete trails.
Councilman Charles Spitzer said he thought the trails portion seemed aggressive but the numbers seemed reasonable as he moved to adopt the document.
Durkin seconded the motion, which passed unanimously, since they were not adopting fees that evening.
Francia said he has been in conversations with the state land department, working toward acquiring the open space.
Council deadlocked 3-3, with councilmen Reg Monachino, Spitzer and Durkin dissenting, on a motion to expend funds in an amount not to exceed $32,000 as its part of a joint paving project with the town of Carefree for Stagecoach Pass.
Town Engineer Wayne Anderson explained the town completed a partial paving but due to setbacks in the economy the second inch of paving was never completed.
Council voted unanimously to approve applicant Lou Spelts’ request to continue his application for an amended final plat for Continental Mountain Estates until the April 7 meeting.
