A Sonoran Truth Editorial, by Gracie O’Malley May 11, 2015
A Henchman is defined as: “…..a faithful follower or political supporter, especially one prepared to engage in crime or dishonest practices by way of service.”
These four henchmen, Steve LaMar, Ernie Bunch, dick (sic) Esser, and Tom McGuire, swore an oath to uphold the law, but a reality check indicates that they don’t. They are ruthless and dishonest -the worst councilmen Cave Creek has ever seen. Like lemmings, they follow the mandates of their leader, Don Sorchych, regardless of the consequences to the Town by their conduct.
The people of Cave Creek need to know that these four henchmen continue to lie and deceive them. They have dug a hole that our town may never get out of unless we get rid of them. They are leading the charge to saddle our town with millions of dollars of more debt; to double the density of neighborhoods, and commercialize our backyards.
Here is some of what they’ve done and will continue to do if not stopped:
LaMar
* doesn’t believe in water conservation and says we will react to the crisis when we no longer have water coming out of our tap. What a fool!
* buy the open space for $63 Million plunging the town further in debt with no plan for repayment – fiscal irresponsibility.
* only serves on the council to protect, not the citizens land, but his own.
Bunch
* wants to destroy Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area with “Jeep Tours” as a means for economic development.
* wants a “cash register on every corner” – translates to mean he will commercialize your backyard, not his, without thinking twice.
* the reason he is on council is to protect his many landholdings throughout Cave Creek, but has no plan to protect your homes or land.
* stated at a 2014 council retreat “the town has never spent more than we actually have”…..how did the town get $60 Million in debt? What an idiot!
McGuire
* wants to commercialize the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area with gift shops, restaurants, snack bar, and amphitheater as is evidenced in the only agenda item he has ever introduced – goes against everything SCRCA stands for.
* stated he never reads his packet – a classic minion.
* completely lacking in knowledge as evident in such statements -2013- “The Department of Environmental Quality mandated a new waste water treatment plant. That is not true.
* supported a Property Tax.
* has stated ” It is my opinion that Cave Creek will have enough water to satisfy the needs of our citizens for decades into the future.” He is delusional.
Esser
* a major proponent of the bike lanes through town – solely responsible for the destruction of our medians through town resulting in the removal of the beautiful giant Saguaros, Palo Verde, Ocotillo, and much more; construction will begin in September with the road lanes being reduced from 14 ft to 11 ft wide.
* his corrupt and self-serving activities are so lengthy they will be exposed in a separate article…remember he was on the council that put us $60 Million in debt.
To stop the Sorchych sociopaths dead in their tracks, I am running for Mayor in the 2016 election with a team of strong citizens who abide by the law in opposition to the current gang of Henchmen on Town Council. My team will ethically and lawfully preserve our rural western lifestyle in a financially responsible manner. You will be proud to call me your Mayor and collectively, to call us “your Council.” Gracie O’Malley
In re bike lanes: Carefree Truth Issue #395, May 15, 2015
Planning Director Stacey Bridge-Denzak presented an update on the bike lane project. It is being funded by a combination of two Federal grants, and local cost sharing. The grants were awarded to Cave Creek as the applicant, with Carefree as the partnering agency. The first grant was for the design phase, which has been completed. The current one is for construction.
The presentation was based on the numbers that were available in March when the documents were 60% completed. Cave Creek used these numbers for their Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and they will be used for the IGA between Cave Creek and Carefree. The Federal share will be $3,538,480, and the local share will be $215,629. Carefree’s share will be $140,158.85, which is based on the scope of work, as more of the roadway is located in Carefree. Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF) funds, which are supplied by the state from gasoline taxes and are restricted to transportation uses, will be utilized. The total cost of the project is $3,754,109.
The final numbers may change slightly, but the IGA will accommodate for that. Carefree will pay its full share in advance of the construction contract. The final figure will be determined when the contract is awarded, at which time Cave Creek will either invoice Carefree for the balance owed or will refund any overage. This is standard procedure when working with Federal or ADOT funding.
100% of the documents will be completed in May, the bid will be ready in late May, will be advertised in June, and will be opened in July. It was recently discovered that approval of ADOT’s board is required, which will take place in August, and construction will begin in September. Carefree will coordinate with ADOT on any events scheduled during the construction period.
A landscape architect worked with the Town on median plant salvage assessment, based on plant health and location. 90% of the plants will be unaffected, 7% will be removed, and 3% were considered salvageable. In some cases, it makes more sense to replace with new plants the plants that don’t stand a good chance of surviving a move. 7% of the existing medians will be shortened, 19% will be narrowed equally from both sides, and 81% will remain unchanged. Much of the plantings are located more towards the center of the medians, so narrowing them won’t affect the plants as much.
Some traffic lanes will be narrowed to 11′, but 11′ wide lanes currently exist in both Carefree and Cave Creek, and are within normal standards. Drainage impact is inconsequential. Carefree has had conversations with Scottsdale about connecting Carefree and Scottsdale bike lanes on Tom Darlington Drive and on Pima Road. It is on Scottsdale’s “radar”. Signs will inform bicyclists where the bike lanes begin and end.
Vice Mayor John Crane questioned who would be paying to move salvaged trees. Mrs. Bridge-Denzak said that if there is money left over after construction, the contract allows money to be spent for plant salvage. The Vice Mayor suggested that perhaps extra plants could be sold to a local landscaper. Mrs. Bridge-Denzak replied that the Arizona Department of Agriculture is aware that material may be available.
Councilman Mike Farrar asked what defines a plant that is not salvageable. Mrs. Bridge-Denzak explained that it is determined by health, size, and general transplant survivability of the plant in question. Mr. Farrar suggested perhaps extra plants could be donated to Carefree merchants to increase their landscaping. Mrs. Bridge-Denzak said the Town Pubic Works Department could also salvage and replant some specimens, and agreeed that there are many options. The Town will have a better idea of what can be done after the next meeting with the landscape architect.
Vice Mayor Crane broached concerns expressed by residents about narrowing some traffic lanes from 14′ to 11′ to accommodate bike lanes, but noted that 11′ lanes already exist in parts of Carefree. Mrs. Bridge-Denzak confirmed that very qualified traffic engineers have taken it into account.
Mr. Farrar asked if Rural/Metro (R/M) had been consulted about the reduced lane width. Mayor Les Peterson asked if it would negatively affect the turning radius for the fire trucks. Councilman Glenn Miller explained that the fire department would be contacted after the construction timeline is complete so they would be aware of lane closures or restrictions. R/M Fire Chief John Kraetz, who was in the audience, responded, “11′ works for us.” The Chief said bike lanes enable cars to pull over to allow emergency vehicles to pass. There are already single lane areas, and the emergency vehicles get through just fine. They don’t anticipate any issues. Councilman Gene Orrico pointed out that the bulk of streets in Cave Creek are currently 11′ wide. Mrs. Bridge-Denzak said there are also several in Carefree.
Vice Mayor Crane suggested the work start on Tom Darlington Drive so it could be finished there before the festivals begin. Mrs. Bridge-Denzak expected the contractor would come to that conclusion too. The Vice Mayor pointed out that part of the deal is getting the affected streets slurry sealed, which is worth a lot more then $140,000, and he asked Gary Neiss about the cost. Mr. Neiss responded that it cost $580,000 just to slurry seal Cave Creek Road the last time it was done. He assured the Council that Carefree is getting a great value.
Mayor Peterson commented that even though there had been many public meetings and communications, the Town still receives questions. He suggested that Carefree continue to communicate the timing and general information about the project regularly so that residents know what to expect. Mrs. Bridge-Denzak replied, “Absolutely.”
The Mayor asked if anyone from the audience wished to speak. Ralph Pipp asked if the project would be funded from the highway funds or from the General Fund, and from which of these funds maintenance would be paid. Mrs. Bridge-Denzak answered that project funding would come from HURF but maintenance will fall within the regular roadway maintenance program paid from the General Fund. While some parts will have new pavement, most will remain within the existing pavement, with re-striping. Mr. Neiss explained that with the new slurry seal applied, that maintenance will be “kicked down the road” 7-10 years. Otherwise, the slurry seal would have required reapplication within the next couple of years, making this a considerable benefit to the Town.
Mayor Peterson asked for a motion to approve signing the IGA. It was approved 7-0. Project overview slides can be seen at the end of the video.
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