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An edition of the East Valley Tribune
INSIDE
This Week
City may be breaking general plan law BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor
NEWS .................................. 8 Neighbors' input changes Papago Park.
NEIGHBORS ...............20 'Bachelor' star has no regrets.
Sunday, March 3, 2019
S
cottsdale voters have not approved an update to the city’s General Plan in nearly two decades – an apparent violation of state law that could result in action by the Arizona Legislature. Saying “it’s really depressing” when cities don’t follow the law, state Rep. John Kavanagh said he disagrees with Scottsdale officials’ contention that it’s okay to operate under a General Plan
that Scottsdale voters approved nearly two decades ago. Arizona law requires cities like Scottsdale to adopt a new general plan or update an existing general plan every 10 years and have those changes go to the voters. Scottsdale is currently operating under a plan that voters approved in 2002. That plan has not been re-approved by voters since. Legislative Council staff, which provides nonpartisan research services to legisla-
tors, looked into the issue at the request of Kavanagh, whose district covers a large swath of Scottsdale. It concluded that Scottsdale is likely in violation of provisions of general plan law, but that the law has no enforcement mechanism for them. That could change in the next few years. “It’s really depressing that we have to have enforcement in there to stop governments from breaking the law,” said
Some employees The rodeo curator ripped retiring city prosecutor
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BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor
OPINION ..................... 30 Swim fans grateful, tennis fans not so much.
NEIGHBORS .........................18 BUSINESS .............................28
OPINION ..............................30
ARTS .................................... 32 FOOD & DRINK...................36 CLASSIFIEDS .......................38
T
he City of Scottsdale abruptly announced the retirement of longtime city Prosecutor Caron Close in February following an internal investigation into complaints about her leadership levied by current and former city employees who worked under her. Close, who has worked for the city for over two decades, is currently on leave and will retire effective March 18. According to the city, Close was the subject of a Human Relations Department investigation in the months leading up to her retirement.
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Andrew Bloom REALTOR®, Senior Partner Andrew@BVOLuxury.com VOTED #1 SCOTTSDALE REAL ESTATE TEAM FOR 2018
As the 66th annual Parada del Sol Rodeo is about to begin March 7, rodeo general manager Dave Alford wants fans to remember they can see an extensive collection of memorabilia from the previous 65 events at his Scottsdale Rodeo Museum downtown. For a look at his life's work, see page 26.
(480) 999-2948 www.BVOLuxuryGroup.com