Latest news with #CityCouncil-approved
Los Angeles Times
20-02-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Costa Mesa class to teach the nuts and bolts of bike safety
Costa Mesa city officials were looking to create a comprehensive bicycle safety education program in 2023 when they collaborated with the L.A. area nonprofit Walk 'n Rollers to develop a program for schools and the greater biking community. Working together under a $150,000 professional services agreement, the team created a roughly one-year pilot program that would bring bike safety classes to students in about 20 school campuses and offer workshops where adults and kids could sharpen their bike skills and know-how and get free helmets, equipment and more. Those offerings, which have already reached thousands, will continue throughout the 2024-25 school year in accordance with the City Council-approved contract. But a crucial third component of the plan — the one that will effectively extend the temporary pilot into an ongoing city program — is just beginning to take shape. A Smart Cycling Class, being held this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the city's Balearic Community Center, is designed to help those interested in bicycling learn the intricacies of bike safety and about possibly becoming certified cycling instructors through the League of American Bicyclists. Brett Atencio Thomas, Costa Mesa's active transportation coordinator, said while anyone of any skill level is welcome to attend the free class, the idea is to take the city's bike education program from something led by an outside nonprofit to a curriculum run by the city and residents. 'This is basically a train-the-trainers program,' Thomas said Wednesday. 'We don't want to say at the end of the school year, we're done. We want to walk away with something where we can keep going.' Participants of the daylong course will be brought up to speed on the rules of the road, sharpen their on-bike skills, enjoy a group ride and learn more about the rise in use of electronic bicycles. Students may also complete an optional on-site exam that will allow them to then enroll in one of a series of seminars held by the League of American Bicyclists to become certified League Cycling Instructors (LCIs) capable of participating in future school-based programs and community workshops in Costa Mesa. Once certified, instructors can even come back and help lead future Smart Cycling Classes held by the city, Thomas said. 'This leads in the direction of getting people trained in the ability to train other people to ride bicycles,' he added. 'We want LCIs here in the community to keep this program going.' Balearic Community Center is located at 1975 Balearic Drive, in Costa Mesa. To learn more, visit
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Could bill avert Axon vote?
Feb. 10—After a certified signature drive allowing Axon's City Council-approved plan to be decided by voters, Taser magnate Rick Smith repeated threats to leave Scottsdale — and take hundreds of high-paying jobs with him. But Smith was heartened Feb. 5 with the addition of language to Arizona Senate Bill 1352: "The approval by the legislative body of an application for rezoning pursuant to this section is an administrative act and is not subject to the filing of a referendum petition by a person or organization." This would seem to supersede the effort of former Councilman Bob Littlefield's Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Exceptions group, which had its signature drive to put Axon's new headquarters surrounded by 1,800 apartments/condos and a hotel on the 2026 ballot. Approved out of committee by a 5-2 vote, SB 1352 still has a long way to go to become law — including a signature from Gov. Katie Hobbs, who has wielded the veto pen frequently against Republican-backed bills. Even so, Smith applauded Sen. David Gowan (R-Sierra Vista) for adding language to the bill Smith said "will safeguard responsible economic development and protect against special interest groups weaponizing the referendum process." The Axon leader said the bill is aimed at "preventing opponents from using 'death by referendum' to snuff out job-creating projects." An amendment makes the bill retroactive to June 30, 2024 — which would wipe out the TAAAZE referendum push. An obdurant Littlefield called the new language "blatantly unconstitutional" and "a full-on assault on the right of citizens to hold their municipal governments accountable." Indeed, if the bill becomes law, Littlefield said he will challenge it in court — and Smith has said if he is delayed in bringing his live-work-play campus vision to life, he has plenty of suitors and will take Axon and its high-paying jobs elsewhere. In many cities, the potential departure of a large and growing employer would be grounds for widespread anxiety. It's a different story here, with nearly a quarter of the population at or over retirement age. And, compared to those residents working in Scottsdale, twice as many work outside the city. And the latest unemployment estimate for Scottsdale was 2.7% — well below the national average of 4.1%. On top of that, tech companies and other newcomers plan to hire thousands in Scottsdale over the next few years. Councilman Barry Graham, who with Councilwoman Kathy Littlefield voted against Axon's rezoning request in November, stressed he is not anti-Axon. "No one wants Axon to leave," Graham said. "But if they choose to, our job market will remain strong." Councilwoman Solange Whitehead, who three months ago with the majority voted in favor of Axon's plan, disagreed with Graham again. "I think the Axon jobs would be tough to replace," she said. "This is a terrific company." While Smith's lingering threat to leave his hometown certainly could hurt its ranking, Scottsdale is basking in the glow of a No. 1 job market. WalletHub — which, it can be argued, never met a survey topic it didn't like — recently released its "Best Cities for Jobs (2025)" list. Topping the list, just ahead of Pittsburgh: The West's Most Western Town. "Scottsdale is the best city for jobs in 2025," according to WalletHub, "in large part because it boasts one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, which demonstrates that most residents have no trouble finding work." The survey compared 180 U.S. cities "across 31 key indicators of job-market strength." Factors ranged from job opportunities per job seeker to employment growth to the monthly average starting salary. While Chandler was not far behind Scottsdale at No. 7 and Tempe also cracked the top 10, Phoenix was way down on the list at No. 68. Axon No. 6 here Axon founder/CEO Smith told City Council his expansion plans for the Taser maker would help make Scottsdale "the next Austin." Austin was ranked 10 spots below Scottsdale on WalletHub's list, coming in at No. 11. With 1,752 workers in Scottsdale, according to city data, Axon is certainly a formidable employer. Even so, it is dwarfed by HonorHealth, which, according to the city, employs 7,459 in Scottsdale. Scottsdale's second leading employer is Vanguard, with 3,133 employees here. The city of Scottsdale has 2,719 employees, just behind Scottsdale Unified School District, which has 2,753 workers. Longtime Scottsdale staple General Dynamics employs 2,565. Trailing Axon on the Scottsdale jobs list: Mayo Clinic, 1,559; Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort, 1,510; CVS Health, 1,345; and Nationwide Insurance, 1,284. If Axon does make good on its threat to leave Scottsdale, the hole could be partially filled by ASM. According to a news release, the Dutch-based semiconductor supplier "is investing $300 million in its new Scottsdale facility and plans to add 500 new high-paying jobs." Those new jobs would add to the 800 people ASM currently employs in Arizona, meaning the company would have 1,300 workers in Scottsdale. As Whitehead posted in September, after a development deal with the company was approved, ASM' "beautiful 'green' campus will employ 500+ engineers and other technology related professionals." Axon impact On Nov. 19, before Scottsdale City Council approved Axon's request for rezoning to allow for some 1,800 residential units and a hotel, as well as a new headquarters, Economic Development Director Teri Killgore gave a presentation. Kilgore noted a $1.3 billion investment by Axon on the corporate campus. The Axon plan, she stressed, fits right in with the city's goal of "attract and retain high-quality jobs." With a slide emphasized her pitch, Kilgore said approving Axon's request: "Worldwide leading technology company will stay and continue to grow, attracting top tech talent and serving as a premier facility." Kilgore noted Axon has plans to nearly double its workforce. More jobs coming Meanwhile, another employment hub is hitting North Scottsdale. Exalt Health at One Scottsdale Medical — just across the Loop 101 from Axon and ASM — is a new post-acute care rehabilitation center. The company "will bring approximately 200 jobs to this 48-bed location," according to a publicist. The facility will provide physical, occupational and speech therapy services. "This new facility will enable us to extend our high-quality, patient-centered care to more individuals in need of rehabilitation services, helping them recover and regain their independence," said Jeff Crawford, an Exalt Health executive. One Scottsdale is a 120-acre mixed-use development which plans — in addition to 2,000 residential units and 400 hotel rooms — nearly 3 million square feet of office space, which could mean scores if not hundreds more jobs. The Parque is another potential home for high-skilled job seekers. Though still to have its design approved, the Parque is — like Axon — a planned live-work-play corporate campus. Billionaire CrowdStrike founder George Kurtz purchased the site of the former amusement park CrackerJax and successfully pitched his plan to Scottsdale City Council in October 2023. With 1,200 apartment/condos and a hotel approved, the Parque is certainly in the "mega development" category — but unlike Smith, Kurtz faced no opposition to his vision.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Scottsdale voters to decide Axon's plan
Feb. 5—The Axon live-work-play complex plan is headed to the ballot. After a city and county review process, City Clerk Ben Lane notified a group challenging Axon's City Council-approved plan it had enough signatures to put Axon's apartment plan to voters. Lane emailed the notification to Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Exemptions (TAAAZE) Thursday, Jan. 30 Earlier in the week, County Recorder Justin Heap completed an audit of signatures submitted by the group Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Exemptions (TAAAZE). In December, former Councilman Bob Littlefield, who chairs the TAAAZE PAC, delivered boxes containing 26,000 signatures supporting the group's petition. TAAZE wants Axon's City Council-approved rezoning — which allows for 1,800 apartments/condos and a hotel — go to voters. After a city review, City Clerk Ben Lane sent a portion to the county for an audit. In a letter to Littlefield, Heap said he reviewed 1,184 signatures "which have been randomly selected" for verification. Of those, 212 signatures were disqualified. But "972 signers included in the random sample were found to be qualified electors at the time of signing the petition, and therefore their signatures were not disqualified," Heap said. As Littlefield sees it, "The county completed their random sample of our petitions and found they had a validity rate of 82% which means that we have way more than the minimum required 15,353 signatures to force an election on the Axon apartment proposal." In a Jan. 28 email to City Council, Lane said, "I now have 48 hours to make a determination on whether the petition qualifies for inclusion on the November 2026 ballot." Two days later, he informed TAAAZE the total number of valid signatures on the group's referendum petition "is equal to or in excess of the minimum required by the Arizona Constitution to place the measure on the November 2026 General Election ballot." Littlefield's comment: "We made it!" Lane noted City Council "also has the option to call a special election for an earlier date." Axon founder Rick Smith, a Chaparral High graduate who launched his Taser-making company in his hometown, has alleged Littlefield's signature drive was backed by a California union. And, Smith warned, if he has to wait for a 2026 election, he will move to one of the other cities courting Axon, which has annual sales over $1.5 billion. Asked for a comment on the referendum news, Axon spokesman David Leibowitz said, "We continue to consider all our options regarding the referendum and relocation. "Again, as Rick Smith has made very clear, waiting until November 2026 to get resolution on the world headquarters is simply not an option for Axon." In 2020, Axon purchased 74 acres of state preserved land off Hayden Road and the Loop 101. Last year, Axon announced a new plan with restaurants, shops, nearly 2,000 apartments — later reduced to around 1,800 apartments and condos — and a hotel surrounding the new office. Axon won unanimous approval from the Planning Commission in the fall. On Nov. 19, City Council approved the rezoning with a 5-2 vote; Kathy Littlefield (Bob's wife) and Barry Graham voted against it.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Disappointing': Jacksonville Bar Association supports city attorney after ‘no confidence' filing
The Jacksonville Bar Association, made up of around 2000 local lawyers, has come out in support of the city's top attorney. Following continued disputes with General Counsel Michael Fackler, City Councilman Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At-Large) filed a resolution Tuesday that, if approved, would express a vote of 'no confidence' in the lawyer and his services. Read: No confidence resolution filed targeting Jacksonville's top attorney Salem said he expects the resolution to come up for a final vote in six weeks. In response to the filing, the Association issued the following statement Wednesday: 'It is disappointing to see councilmembers condemn our city's lawyer because his legal advice has not comported with their agenda. Under Section 7.02 of our City's Charter, the General Counsel has binding authority over the consolidated government and is obligated to provide binding opinions when requested. 'The Resolution expresses disagreements with prior decisions by the General Counsel without any indication that he did not exercise his independent legal judgment in good faith. Further, the Resolution vaguely refers to prior General Counsels and other attorneys' opinions that the General Counsel reached the wrong conclusion, without citing their names or reasons. 'The duly appointed General Counsel enjoys the respect of the Jacksonville legal community and has earned his reputation as a highly skilled lawyer. As General Counsel, he is required to make difficult legal decisions and is bound by the oath taken as a member of The Florida Bar. We are confident that he will continue to perform his role by adhering to the law as outlined in the City Charter.' [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The resolution lays out several of the battles the council has fought with Fackler, starting with his opinion that allowed Mayor Donna Deegan (D) to remove the last public-facing Confederate monument in Jacksonville. Read: Final Confederate monument in Jacksonville comes down in Springfield Park Following that disagreement, the city council hired its own legal counsel. The most recent conflict came earlier this month, when Mayor Deegan issued the first veto of her administration. It blocked a City Council-approved $4-million-a-year contract boost for Meridian Waste that members said was financially necessary. The council overturned her veto, but Fackler determined the council didn't have the authority to authorize the increase in the first place. Salem says he expects an expensive legal battle from Meridian soon aiming to make the city enforce the contract increase. Read: After rebuke from legislative leaders, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pledges to veto immigration bill [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
