By Don Henninger

Scottsdale residents apparently are a pretty content bunch. That message is delivered loud and clear in a city-wide survey that shows the vast majority like their lives in the city and like where things are headed.

A lot of them apparently are pretty complacent, too. They certainly don’t make their thoughts loud and clear in other ways when it comes to telling city leaders what they think about current affairs.

It’s human nature. Those who are happy aren’t beating a path to City Hall to declare it so. Those who are disgruntled, on the other hand, show up regularly, make themselves heard and attract the most attention in traditional media, amplified tenfold over today’s social media platforms.

So guess whose voices are the loudest? Does that really reflect the mood of the city? Perhaps not, and certainly no if you base your answer on what the survey discovered.

The city regularly checks in with residents for their opinions on a number of things related to what they think about their quality of life. It’s part of a national survey system and roughly 1,700 Scottsdale households received it at the end of 2020. You can see details about it here: https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/performance/community-survey

Among many other things, the survey says:

“Almost all community members gave high marks to the overall quality of life in Scottsdale and Scottsdale as a place to live. …  About 9 in 10 residents planned to remain in Scottsdale for the next five years and about two-thirds positively rated the sense of community in the city.

“The economy was also identified as a priority … with scores higher than the national averages for overall economic health, overall quality of business and service establishments and economic development.

“Scottsdale residents are pleased with health and wellness opportunities … Evaluations of recreation and wellness in Scottsdale were very strong. Assessments of availability of preventive health services, recreational opportunities and fitness opportunities were higher than the national benchmarks.”

We like it here!

How do we stay that way? Being like an ostrich is not the answer. Residents don’t need to beat a path to City Hall but they do need to pay a little attention to the matters of the city and weigh in on those issues they think will affect their future. Here are two to consider:

How do we continue to evolve our downtown and ensure its vitality and success as the economic engine that covers the cost of safe-keeping one-third of the city’s land mass with the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, ensuring that we prevent revenue-generating development from ever occurring there? (Hint: this is one big reason our taxes remain low.)

How can we accommodate more attainable housing options for families to live in the city, keep it energized with a youthful spirit and supply our schools with students? (Hint: we’re aging and destined to become like Sun City if we don’t figure it out.)

Those are two big, long-term issues that need to be addressed today. Here’s one more working its way through the city process.

It appears the city will finally adopt an updated General Plan this year, and it’s getting a lot of attention at City Hall. It’s intended to be a visionary document, like a road map for general direction on how the city should progress over the next few decades. But there are those who think it should be more restrictive, almost like a set of specific ordinances, some of which may be applicable today but many, given the rapid changes in society and our city, may prove unworkable and backfire 10 years from now.

You ultimately will get to vote on the plan in November. But you should pay attention to it now.

The city staff has made it easy by breaking down elements of it into digestible pieces and offers you a chance to vote on what you see. It’s all right here at the link:
https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/general-plan/general-plan-updates/community-input-series

For the most part, this song fits Scottsdale: “Don’t worry, be happy.” Then again, you might want to be just a little bit worried.

Don Henninger, executive director of SCOTT, can be reached at donh@scottsdale.com

By Don Henninger

We don’t need any reminders about how valuable steady, sustainable, sensible leadership is in our country, from the national to the local levels. In Scottsdale, we’re fortunate to have a good leader in city manager Jim Thompson.

I caught up with him just a few days before the city’s new mayor and three councilors were sworn into office to get his take on where the city is as 2021 unfolds with its rookie slate of leaders now on board.

The council will be holding a retreat in February to identify issues and strategies for the year ahead. That will set the direction for what they think is important and the tone on how they intend to work together to get things done.

Leading up to that retreat, here are a few notes from my conversation with Thompson and his view from the city manager’s office:

–Until the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, everything is up in the air; as he says, it’s a huge impediment that affects everything. Any economic recovery – particularly in the city’s tourism sector – will be stalled until more people are vaccinated. It doesn’t help that Arizona continues to post the highest infection rates in the country. That image discourages the desire for people to visit here and dims hopes for a meaningful tourism rebound. And that means a large segment of the city’s small businesses, many of which rely on the hospitality industry, will continue to struggle.

–Surprisingly, perhaps, the city’s financial picture is a bit brighter. The assumption was that the tourism slump would leave a huge hole in the city’s revenue stream. Not the case, he says. Led by strong car sales and high housing values, city revenues are $17 million ahead of a budget that was significantly cut back due to the virus. It also would be only $2 million behind the original budget that was created before those reductions.

–The General Plan will be one of the most important issues in the year ahead, and already is getting a lot of attention. Thompson’s hope is that the progress made by the Citizens Review Committee over the past year continues and citizens make time to weigh in with their input during the public hearing process. He offers a reminder that the plan is a visioning document not a regulatory one, which is the purpose of zoning laws.

We offer this suggestion, as well. With all the citizen input already gathered and with the public hearings to come in the months ahead as part of the review process, the city should not create another layer of bureaucracy, as it now is considering. It’s redundant, likely will add nothing to the feedback already received and yet to come. The council will vote Jan. 19 on adding a task force for more review. We hope they vote no.

–Public safety pension funding remains important as well, as the city continues to pay down on the balance needed for the police and firefighters’ pensions. The city also continues to gradually hire firefighters as nearly two-thirds of the department will be eligible for retirement in 2025, the 20th anniversary of the city taking over that service from Rural Metro.

–Leadership talent is an ongoing topic and it’s well-known that the city will need to replace three key positions: treasurer, clerk and police chief. But many of the city’s department heads also are nearing retirement age and the need to build a succession pipeline is important.

–We’ll end with a four-letter word: jobs. Creating jobs will continue to be one of the most important goals for the city in the year ahead. As he notes, Scottsdale is not a bedroom community. Job growth is the key to being a great city and sustaining its high level of services and low tax structure. It’s not about serving the existing population as much as it is serving future generations.

Here’s hoping the year ahead is one of growth and prosperity for the city’s future.

Don Henninger, executive director of SCOTT, can be reached at donh@scottsdale.com

By Don Henninger

In the spirit of the season – and despite all the challenges the world is offering to us right now – there still are plenty of reasons why all of us in Scottsdale can be thankful.

Be thankful that:

–The election campaign for the City Council is over. Starting with the primary in August, it’s been a long haul. What began with five candidates for mayor and nine for council has ended with new faces in the mayor’s office and on three council seats. We hope everyone wishes the winners well and offers support so the “rookies” get up to speed quickly. The challenges ahead are as daunting as any the city has faced in many years.

–There are signs our new leaders are embracing a collaborative spirit. At least that seems to be the message as they get acquainted with each other and prepare to take office. That’s refreshing after a campaign that got bogged down in the mud from time to time. We hope that once in office they put a few early wins on the board (an anti-discrimination ordinance could be one) and set the tone for the way they’ll work together.

–There still are a few investors willing to launch projects in the city. The Scottsdale Collective downtown is one promising development that is working its way through the city bureaucracy. But the investor pipeline is drying up, and that’s not a good sign for the city’s economic health. We hope that our new city leaders remain open to considering worthy developments and send clear signals that the city is not returning to its “stops-dale” days.

–Scottdale Arts is surviving the pandemic crisis, and is one of the few, if not only, arts organizations in the Valley that has not had to lay off employees or make severe cutbacks. That’s testament to strong leadership and fiscal management. We hope that trend continues as the arts are a dynamic part of the city’s culture.

–We’ve made it through a fire season with little to no damage to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. We may be living on borrowed time, though. Fire officials now say it’s not a matter of “if” a fire strikes the Preserve but “when.” Let’s not take our good fortune for granted. We hope we all will support efforts to keep our preserve safe.

–We have a strong city manager in Jim Thompson. The city will need his steady leadership anchor as there are three important vacancies right now — city clerk, city treasurer, police chief. We hope good replacements are found soon for those jobs, critical to the ongoing operation of the city.

–There are a lot of big hearts in our city that are showing up to support worthy causes. Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale is one. It has given $5,000 donations to five non-profit groups recently and plans to do more. Being on the board of Family Promise, I’ve seen many individuals and businesses support that homeless organization with in-kind supplies and cash. We hope that spirit of generosity continues at a time when our non-profit providers need it most.

–Over 86 percent of eligible voters in Scottsdale cast a ballot in this race. That’s an amazing voter turnout and suggests that the vast majority of residents are engaged and care about the future. We hope that spirit stays active and does not grow complacent in between our four-year election cycles.

As we move through the rest of this exhausting year of 2020, let’s remember we have a lot of reasons to be grateful, and we need to keep adding to the list.

Don Henninger, executive director of SCOTT, can be reached at donh@scottsdale.com

By Don Henninger

A note and some perspective for voters to consider in this year’s Scottsdale elections, and the one likely to come up next November, too.

Nearly two decades ago, Scottsdale community leaders received a road map that would chart a course for a sustainable robust future for the city. They recognized that, like all things, cities must evolve and adapt, and even when you are on top of the heap, you have to work hard to stay there.

That was visionary thinking. Scottsdale’s reputation was stellar; its star was shining bright. But they knew the city needed direction and they commissioned a report from the Morrison Institute at ASU to do so. It came back with some good news:

“From the 1950s onward, Scottsdale combined upscale resorts, an outstanding arts and culture scene, and a spectacular natural setting to create a cachet that few other cities anywhere in the nation could match.”

And then it included a strong dose of reality:

“The shelf life of great places is getting shorter … The ingredients of a successful ‘quality’ place are changing. Surrounding towns are beginning to develop a cachet. Greater Phoenix has become a big and important metropolitan area in which all communities must work together to succeed. And, for the first time ever, Scottsdale is beginning to run out of land.”

Another group of community and civic leaders did some follow up work seven years later in 2010 to build a plan for economic growth, aligned with the points brought up by the Morrison report.

There were five themes:

• How can Scottsdale retain and enhance its quality of place?

• How can the city shape its niche in a new era?

• How can the “three Scottsdales” work together?

• How can Scottsdale play with “360-degree” vision in collaboration with the region?

• How will “can-do” Scottsdale get past the “Stopsdale” reputation?

The themes are as relevant today – perhaps even more so – as they were then. Which is a nice way of saying there is room for improvement on just about all of them.

Some observers would suggest that residents can address many of those important themes right now, as there are elections coming up in the next two Novembers that could provide the leadership and the action plan needed to make progress on them.

This November, voters will be selecting a new mayor, ending a 12-year run by Jim Lane, as well as filling three seats on City Council. Which candidates for those jobs are best positioned to lead the efforts addressed by the Morrison report’s themes?

And then in November 2021 the long-overdue General Plan is expected to be delivered for residents to approve. Planning for that is well under way. A citizen review committee is on track to deliver the plan this year. After an extensive citizen review cycle, it goes to the City Council for approval and then referral to the ballot for voters to decide. The General Plan, which is in effect a visioning tool, could – and should – address many of the issues brought out in the Morrison report.

The Morrison report will not remain relevant for another 20 years. It may not make it past the next 20 months without action.

Residents can jump start things now by voting for leaders with the fortitude and skills to move the city forward and then a plan that gives them a road map to follow.

It’s not too late. But the clock is ticking.

Don Henninger, executive director of SCOTT, can be reached at donh@scottsdale.com

Statement: Scottsdale City Council members are elected by district.
Fact: Scottsdale elects City Council members at-large; each serves the entire city.

• Cities elect their local representatives either at-large, by geographical district or a mixture of both.
• Most cities of Scottsdale’s size use a district or a mixture of district and at-large to elect their local representatives.
• After two inconclusive studies in the 80s and 90s, a district advisory task force was appointed in 2003 to complete an analysis and recommend a course of action.
• Factors considered included Scottsdale’s growing population, diverse geography, costs of campaigning and new challenges facing the city.
• Twelve of the 14 members recommended six district representatives plus the mayor at large that was approved by council but failed at the ballot box, with 39 percent of voters for it and 61 percent against.
• Re-looking at districting is a part of each 2020 mayoral candidate’s platform.