CAREFREE TRUTH
Letters from Readers & Events: 1/28/15
(Lyn's note: Please feel free to send us any pictures you'd like included. If your photos are for sale, let us know and we will put them under that category. We have a special section for that purpose. If anyone would like to buy a print of any of Herbert's photos, all profits will be donated to one of the local non-profit organizations.) Here's the link to this week's Pictures of the Week.
http://carefreeazbusinesses.com/pictures-of-the-week-12615.html
The 2015 Carefree Gardens calendars are now available at Carefree Town Hall, 8 Sundial Circle, Carefree. They they cost $17 including tax for 1, or if you buy more than 1, they are $13 including tax. They are gorgeous!
Desert Foothills Chronicle link:
http://www.desertfoothillschronicle.org/
City Sun Times link:
Lyn,
The proposal presented and discussed last evening at the Special Town Council Workshop relative to the Butte Properties (Ed Lewis) and ASU Cultural Center proposal presents an exciting next chapter proposal in the development of Carefree. It was outstanding to have the opportunity to discuss this important matter and share factual information with residents present and participating. Three areas discussed, however, stand out in my thinking from the presentations and discussions of last evening:
1. The "Downtown Commercial area," comprising the merchants on Easy Street and the restaurants located nearby, annually collect approximately $250,000 in Local Sales Taxes out of a Total Carefree Town Budget of approximately $5,352,992. Thus, the "Downtown Commercial area" merchants and restaurants collect the sales taxes related to the purchase of taxable goods which comprises approximately 4.5% of Carefree's Annual Operating Budget. While 4.5% is a relatively small percentage, it is still very meaningful - and we should all keep foremost in our minds that the Downtown Commercial area plays a significant role in virtually every economic development growth plan option available to the Town, and
2. The Butte/ASU proposal was for the Town of Carefree to fully fund the construction of a facility for a Cultural Center, with a going-in cost estimate now of approximately $4.0 million. In the proposal, however, ASU would only commit to a maximum of a five year term for its Cultural Center operations in Carefree. A series of discussions took place about the various "pay-back" scenarios for the $4.0 million in Town funding requested. The Butte Property representative suggested that we utilize assumptions and calculations based upon a twenty year term, even though ASU would have the option to leave after five years. One resident presented his calculations that the pay-back period for the requested funding for the Cultural Center Facility was seventeen years, suggesting a long and relatively risky proposition. Another resident requested that we prepare and inform Carefree residents of the true total down-side, rather than relying upon income projections developed by Butte Properties, from proceeding with the Butte/ASU proposal as presented. Address questions like: What if the Cultural Center would cost $5.0 million instead of the projected $4.0 million, who would fund this incremental amount? What if ASU couldn't raise its annual operating expenses after five years, would the Town have to pay? What if ASU did pull out after five years, what would Carefree do with the special use facility? What if Butte Properties couldn't sell all of the luxury condos that they are proposing, and their projected contributions to Carefree predicated on the taxes based upon the construction and sale of these condos didn't materialize?
3. What about a location for the Cultural Center other than on the Butte Property on Easy Street that Butte is proposing? What about a multi-use facility that the Town could utilize for Town Council, P & Z and related town meetings, as well as possibly the Desert Foothills Theater (and others)? While Butte was hesitant to consider moving the Cultural Center off of their property because they presumed that such a change would delay their project, they agreed that another location for a Cultural Center might be acceptable. This suggested that an full review of all of the real estate and property options in the Downtown area meeting the needs of all of the potential participants, including undeveloped property and renovating an existing property, be developed by the Town as rapidly as possible.
Thinking through all of the presentations and comments last evening, my overall point-of-view at the conclusion of the evening was:
- I fully support continuing to work with ASU to bring a Cultural Center to the Downtown Carefree area, and to also continue to work with the Desert Foothills Theater (and possibly others) as well to focus all of these entities into a single Cultural Center facility,
- I think that the terms presented by Butte Properties place the Town of Carefree and its residents in too high of a risk position. The risk/reward balance for the Town is inappropriate as presented and needs to be negotiated to be equitable to all parties, and
- We need to, once again, resolve what organizations would likely use such a facility as the proposed Cultural Center and, once again, conduct a review of all of the facility options in the Downtown area to house such an overall operation, and come to resolution on an acceptable game plan for both of these. And do so quickly.
The Town Council welcomes the thinking and input from all residents. If you have a written comment please e-mail it to me at ViceMayor@carefree.org or stop by the Town Offices as the Mayor and I are there most mornings.
Best regards,
Les Peterson
Carefree Vice Mayor
Dear friends and customers,
I am compelled to expand on the comment mentioned in councilperson Price's discussion of the revitalization of Carefree at the recent council workshop. She stated that the town will potentially loose their most successful gallery because of the spiraling, down turn of business in Carefree. I have been inundated with calls and emails today asking if I'm closing my gallery. I am not closing, I am moving the business to a higher trafficked, gallery area in an adjacent town. This is purely a business decision. I have a responsibility to my artists and to my associates, who rely on the salary from my gallery for their household income. I love Carefree. I have been involved in many of the progressive attempts to move Carefree forward in the marketplace. However, at this juncture I don't believe this town will grow at the rate that my gallery is growing. I will miss Carefree. Hopefully, you will all visit us at our new gallery space.
Holly Bergman
Wild Holly Gallery
Hi Lyn
We had our baby shower today. Oh my gosh Lyn, it was delicious!!! Everyone loved it! The food and service were above and beyond! It was such a nice afternoon.
Ruthie and Lon were there. I don't see them as often, since they moved, but we still keep in touch. Her son, Dane, and my son, Justin played together as babies, so they are very special
people in our lives. They speak highly of you
Alberto told me you had a hernia operation and were having dinner there that evening. LYN!!! You need to take care of yourself!!! Had I known you were having surgery, I would have made you dinner I hope you are feeling better Hope you are resting.
Fannie L.
(Lyn's note: Fannie is talking about Alberto's Ristoranti in Carefree, off of Cave Creek, just before Tom Darlington. See our ad. Yum! Fannie was so nice to say she would have made dinner for me. We live in the most wonderful community. Resting? What's that?! Ha!)
