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The content of any advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The Tribune assumes no responsibility for the claims of any advertisement. © 2020 Strickbine Publishing, Inc. That is the �irst of a three-phase plan Falconer outlined that, with interest, runs $250 million. Thompson encouraged the board to accept the massive plan with Midstate. “This offers us the opportunity to move quickly on a very large scale,” Thompson said, adding the district needs upgrades in almost all of its facilities. “Big projects mean a lot of savings to be able to put away from the utility company and into your buildings,” Falconer told the board. “We’re redirecting money you guys pay in utilities to buy new equipment.” Telling the MPS board Midstate has done similar work with “50 some schools,” Falconer stressed it was a norisk, guaranteed-savings opportunity: “There’s a statute in Arizona for this. I have to guarantee this takes place. If the savings do not materialize, I’m responsible for writing a check to the district for the difference.” Falconer used the “guaranteed-or-wepay” pitch on several occasions in emails to Thompson over a year. Similarly, Thompson advised the board to use $75 million of federal stimulus funds “to bring cash to the deal” and reduce the debt. Midstate had suggested that as part of a sales push earlier this year. Falconer’s pitched a “total gross savings over $99 million.” That savings, he noted, assumed a contribution of pandemic relief funds to drive down the amount of �inancing. At an earlier meeting in September, Thompson told the board MPS talked to three companies about “the concept ... that allows for a district to enter into a lease-purchase of equipment with the idea that the expenses would be offset by the savings.” But his presentation did not identify the other companies; board members did not ask him for details on Midstate’s competitors. Over the course of two meetings, board members repeatedly said they were eager to upgrade the district’s HVAC – citing complaints from students, staff and parents that aging systems are not properly cooling classrooms. The corporate courting of Thompson began last year. By January, Midstate was performing an audit of “the 30 highest energy usage sites across the district” to create a “rough order of magnitude” concerning project needs and costs. Thompson did not respond to a question posed by the Tribune about the appropriateness of Midstate doing an audit to tell MPS what is needed. Midstate is a division of Veregy, whose website claims to be “an industry leader in energy ef�iciency solutions, solar and smart building technology” and has “delivered billions in energy performance contracts for clients in: K-12 education; local government; healthcare; transportation; higher education; federal government; commercial.” On Jan. 28, Falconer emailed Thompson links to Midstate marketing material that apparently planted the idea of using stimulus funds for HVAC systems. Also included was a photo of two masked students elbow bumping, with the headline “Create a healthier, safer environment for students and staff!” On March 13, Ben Madsen of Midstate apparently followed up on a conversation by sending a �lattering email to Thompson, asking for a lunch meeting: “Hey.... Dude! LOL. I had no idea you had that kind of knowledge of IT systems, integrations, infrastructure, etc.. To have someone in our industry and in your position with that kind of skill set is awesome! I’m assuming you worked in the IT space??” “I’m a bit of a unicorn,” Thompson replied, asking for a virtual meeting instead. On May 13, Thompson sent a stern email to Falconer: “Again, I do not want a conversation about Orchestrate. Nothing you present should include this at this point.” Falconer’s answer: “Yes this was the original company information that was intended for you a month ago. Not board.” On Oct. 1, three days after the board approval of the Midstate plan, under the subject line “Potential issue,” Thompson emailed Falconer: “This could be a problem.” “Where did you get this?” Falconer responded. MPS did not provide any attachments that may have been sent. Again, Thompson did not respond to a Tribune query about what the “potential issue” was. After reviewing the emails obtained via a public records request, the Tribune asked Thompson what “Orchestrate” means, as well as other questions from his emails with Falconer. On Nov. 24, Thompson told the Tribune, “I appreciate you have many ques-

Randy Falconer of Midstate’s year-long email courtship culminated in MPS Associate Superintendent Scott Thompson urging the governing board to approve the fi rst phase of a $250 “energy-saving agreement” with Midstate. (MPS)

Mesa trailer park residents protest evictions

BY DANA TRUMBULL

Tribune Staff Writer

“What do we want? We want justice!” The voices of the Mesa Garden residents rose in competition with the sounds of the Metro light rail and rushhour traffic last week as they chanted in front of Mesa City Plaza.

They were protesting the 90-day eviction notice they had received from the owner of Mesa Gardens RV Park, 1024 W. Main St., telling them to find new homes to make room for redevelopment.

The community is a part of the Central Business District that was designated in 2020 as “blighted,” making properties eligible for tax incentives designed to spur redevelopment.

According to a state law, the property owner is required to give tenants 180 days’ notice when the eviction is due to a planned change of use for the property, the residents contended. “It’s hard to find housing right now,” said Erma, a 6-year resident at Mesa Gardens. “I think 180 days would be better, especially given the holidays and everything.”

The landlord is also required to inform all tenants in writing about the mobile home relocation fund established by another state law and Jesus Macias, a 27-year resident said that hasn’t happened. “We don’t think it’s justice, what’s happening. We have 90 days before they demolish our homes, and they’re not offering anything right now [to help us move].” The residents – many of whom, like Macias, have lived at Mesa Gardens for decades – alleged the property owner assumed that the mostly Hispanic tenants would not know their rights and acted on that belief by issuing the shorter notice to facilitate a quick sale of the property.

The trailer park lies along the route of the light rail, where the city hopes to attract boutiques and high-end small businesses.

“All along the route of the light rail, we see this happening,” asserted Sylvia Herrera, a member of the Barrio Defense Committee – which is helping residents to organize and fight for their rights. “There were six trailer parks on this side of Main affected by the redevelopment: that’s hundreds of people.

“And there will be more along the future route of the light rail. They’re forcing lowincome residents out of the city because of the lack of affordable housing. There is no Residents of Mesa Gardens RV park protested last week in comparable housing front of City Hall but city officials say they cannot do anything for what they’re pay- to help them buy more time from the property owner to leave ing.” their homes and find new ones. (David Minton/Tribune Staff “What’s happen- Photographer) ing today is not new,” added Salvador Reza, also of the Barrio Defense Committee. “Development is coming. Speculators come in, the city caters to them, and then what happens? The residents are displaced. And there’s no affordable housing. What hap- seeGARDEN page 5

pens to them? [City officials] don’t care. I think that has to change.”

In 2018, homeowners at the Mesa

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tions surrounding this project with Midstate. The Governing Board approved a resolution delegating the authority to negotiate the �inal terms of the project to the Superintendent and me.

“I have been working with Midstate over the past few weeks to come to a �inal resolution and agreement. As of today, this has not happened. Since we have not settled on a �inal scope of work, it would be premature to address your questions. If this project ultimately moves forward I will address your questions at that time.” In addition to saving $100 million, Midstate promised its needlepoint bipolar ionization equipment “improved classrooms” with better indoor air quality and “improved safety.” A PBS story, noted that the Lancet COVID-19 Commission recently deemed needlepoint bipolar ionization equipment as “often unproven.” “In the frenzy, schools are buying technology that academic air-quality experts warn can lull them into a false sense of security or even potentially harm kids,” PBS said. At the Sept. 28 meeting, board member Marcie Hutchinson apparently referenced this. She said to Thompson, “based on the conversation you and I had previous to the meeting, there’s been some concerns about the bipolar ionization equipment. “You reminded me this afternoon we have installed a number of these units in 211 classrooms over the last year-and-ahalf.” Thompson said he asked Midstate to help do tests on classrooms where the equipment was already installed. “I �ind as much literature for as against this,” he said. “We have never claimed the systems are going in to kill COVID...we are doing this for air quality and energy-savings purposes,” Thompson said.

He added, “We do have concerns about whether it creates ozone,” before inviting Falconer to comment. An upbeat Falconer told the board needlepoint bipolar ionization systems are in use at Sky Harbor Airport and the White House. He did not address speci�ic concerns raised by the PBS story.

Though they are called in the resolution the board passed “guaranteed savings agreements,” nothing appears to guarantee Midstate will �ind the leastcostly equipment and labor. At the Sept. 28 meeting, Richardson said she supported the agreement, though she raised concerns. “One of the things that gives me heartburn,” she said, “is I trust the bid process and the procurement process because it gives us the best deal. This is a different process. It gives me heartburn to think we are going to overspend the public’s money.” Thompson cited “the methodology of the guarantee.” “It is a different mechanism than what we typically do in public schools,” Thompson added. “It’s just a different beast than what we’re used to.” Thompson expressed various concerns behind the scenes. In a Sept. 14 email, Thompson pushed back on �igures Falconer provided regarding project costs and estimated savings. “My quick math shows you are relying heavily on solar and water to make this work. I am very skeptical we can reduce our electricity and water by this much. With electricity I am concerned about the non-KW related costs speci�ically,” Thompson wrote. Falconer’s response, emailed within 10 minutes: “Hi Scott, Let me get with (Midstate employees) Tom and Rohan for the granular detail, but I assure you, as we have to guarantee it by statute, our numbers are solid. “If you missed by any amount we have to pay the difference.” On Sept. 21, Thompson forwarded a link to the PBS story and had some pointblank questions for Falconer. “1. Please respond to concerns brought up by this article. Speci�ically the production of ozone by the GPS systems. “2. How much pro�it will Midstate make from the overall project?” No record of Falconer responding in writing was provided to the Tribune. The following day, Thompson again emailed Falconer in what appears to be a follow-up to a conversation:

The Mesa Public Schools Governing Board on Sept. 28 unanimously gave the administration the green light to negotiate a fi nal deal with Midstate Energy. (YouTube). Randy Falconer of Midstate spent months emailing Scott Thompson, the MPS assistant superintendent, before the board approved an agreement for Midstate to run a $200 million “guaranteed energy savings” program. (MPS)

“... my only question about Midstate is are we paying typical rates for the equipment and installation? I know with a guarantee the cost of that will be built in. But would it be cheaper (although more work for us) to purchase this elsewhere? How do prices compare?”

Falconer replied, “We need to have a return on investment that matches the savings and that leads to actually having lower product costs; as costs cannot exceed savings per statute. Your normal ancillary costs such as engineering, structural engineering, any design, procurement, permits, performance bonding, taxes, plans, drawings... anything along those lines is included in these projects so the district also does not have to incur these cost(s) as an additional expense.” At the Sept. 28 meeting, Richardson talked about her no-bid concerns and told Midstate that as the MPS project was the company’s largest, “this will be a stretch for you,” and jokingly said the district should give Falconer a name tag and seat at the board/administration table.

that some residents have expressed.

The move comes amid an ongoing neighborhood feud between residents and operators of a popular food truck park on Power Road between Halifax and Hobart streets, just south of East McKellips Road. It is the only commercial operation in a neighborhood of single-family homes.

The Mesa Planning and Zoning Board in October narrowly approved the Power Food Park rezoning request by a 4-3 vote, shortly before ending �ive-plus hours of meeting. But that action still needs Council action, which now won’t come before the new year.

Business License Administrator Tim Meyer said any new rules will include exemptions for special events that are licensed by the city or held under permit in a city park. The vendor must be on an approved list for each event and possess a valid current �ire inspection. Exemptions for each vendor would be limited to four special events per year.

Deputy City Administrator Kelly Whittemore explained that aside from special events, all mobile food trucks must be licensed to operate anywhere in the city. She described new requirements which would replace an existing 25-foot separation from any lot or parcel with a residence with a 250-foot minimum distance.

The existing rule offers very few exceptions to that distance requirement, but the new rules would allow more exceptions and provide added �lexibility to �it unique circumstances. The proposed changes would bring Mesa closer to a model ordinance established by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns.

“I hope that the food truck community is hearing that the city will work with them,” said Councilwoman Julie Spilsbury. “I do have concerns still that we are putting out a message that we are not food-truck-friendly in Mesa.”

City Manager Chris Brady pointed out that the new rules “open the door to food trucks four times per year” without requiring a business license which often takes six to eight weeks to acquire.

The proposal as written is less restrictive than any other city in the state. Mesa will also accept �ire inspections conducted by other cities as valid and only require those when food is being cooked on site. The full proposal will be discussed again at the next Council meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 8.

In a related matter, Brady asked Council to reschedule the rezoning request for the 6-acre Power Food Park that from the Dec. 8 meeting agenda to Jan 10. That change would allow time for city staff to review the “Good Neighbor” policy and how it might affect that proposal. His request was approved.

Before the study session began, the council met in executive session to consider three �inalists for the open City Clerk position. After nearly an hour of discussion members unanimously recommended Holly Moseley as their choice and will consider her appointment at the Dec. 8 meeting. “This was a very dif�icult decision,” said Mayor John Giles. “We had very quali�ied internal and external candidates, and we thank you very much for your interest. Each of them would have been very successful in this position.”

As part of the consent agenda, Mayor Giles recommended and received approval for the reappointment of Jared Smith and new appointment of Rochelle Johns, who once served on the City of Tempe Human Relations Commission, to the Mesa Human Relations Advisory Board. Also approved were appointments of Bradley Peterson to the Museum and Cultural Advisory Board and Daniel Laufer to the Transportation Advisory Board. All terms will expire June 30, 2023.

While the council was holding its study session, the Board of Adjustment was meeting separately to examine �ive separate requests to deviate from development standards in order to build new projects. Four of the �ive were recommended by planning division staff for approval with conditions.

The last request was for a variance to allow for an addition to encroach into the required 30-foot minimum rear yard setback of a single-family residence built in 1996 as a part of the Amberwood Estates II subdivision. Applicant and lot owner Bruce Preston wants to build an attached 1,350-square-foot RV garage and a 542-square-foot accessory dwelling. As originaly drawn, the addition would end up just under 4 feet from the southern property line. The owner made changes to increase that distance to 15 feet.

Planning staff had recommended denial of the request, stating that: special circumstances are not present on the site; the need for a variance is based on the property owner’s design choices; compliance with development standards will not deprive the property of privileges enjoyed by other properties in the neighborhood; and granting a variance constitutes a special privilege inconsistent with development standards within the zoning district.

After a lengthy discussion of the reasons cited by planning staff for recommending denial, board members unanimously agreed that no special privilege or precedent would be created because the lot had unique circumstances, including a lot size that is smaller than what local codes call for. If the lot was standard, they argued, the request would comply the standards and would be routinely approved. They also commended the owner for trying to do the right thing” by making changes to stay further back from the property line. The request for a variance was subsequently approved by unanimous consent.

The next council will be on Wednesday with a study session at 5:15 p.m. and the main meeting at 5:45 p.m.

GARDEN ���� ���� 3

Royale mobile home park at Main Street and Date were given 90 days’ notice in a similar situation.

Chicanos por la Casa (CPLC) stepped in to help at that time, purchasing the 70-yearold mobile home park for $2.4 million and replacing it with garden condominiums.

The organization, which provides bilingual and bi-cultural services in health and human services, housing, education and economic development, worked with residents to either transition them into the new condominiums or �ind them a new place to live. Some of those residents relocated to Mesa Gardens, where they are now reliving the nightmare.

“The Mesa Gardens residents were not given a proper noti�ication, and there’s several violations in terms of their rights as mobile homeowners,” continued Herrera. “We’re here today to support the residents of Mesa Gardens, and we’re asking the City While Mesa City Council is preparing new food truck regulations, it is holding o until next month action on a rezoning request that would allow the operation of the controversial Po wer Food Park. (Tribune fi le photo)

of Mesa to get involved on this issue. This is an issue of affordable housing that’s being lost – people over pro�it.”

Resident Cristina Flores-Prado added, “We’re humble people. We don’t have the bene�its of money. I don’t know what’s going on. We’re just struggling for our homes.”

In an emailed statement, city spokeswoman Ana Pereira, Mesa said, “We understand the residents of Mesa Gardens are going through a challenging situation. Mesa Gardens is privately owned. The residents’ issues are governed by any agreements they have with the property owner and Arizona state statutes that set standards in these situations.

“The City of Mesa does not get involved in private party contractual and statutory landlord and tenant rights issues. We encourage residents facing housing instability to visit our website mesaaz.gov/housing for a list of resources available.”

The owner of Mesa Gardens could not be reached for comment.

EV minister leads religious response to climate change

BY SAMANTHA MORRIS

Tribune Contributor

Rev. Doug Bland wants everyone to fall in love with the earth.

“There are enough sunrises, enough cactus wrens, distant planets, flowers and butterflies to fall in love at least three times a day between now and eternity,” said Bland.

Bland is the executive director of Arizona Interfaith Power & Light, an organization committed to bringing people of all faiths together to take action on climate change. AZIPL has described itself as “a spiritual response to the climate crisis.”

“People protect what they love and if we can encourage people to fall in love then they become defenders of what they love,” said Bland.

Bland grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho, and always enjoyed spending time in nature. He graduated from College of Idaho with a degree in zoology and earned his masters in Divinity from Duke Divinity School. He recently retired after serving twenty-three years as a pastor at Community Christian Church in Tempe.

His journey to environmental activism was reinforced through his time studying Christianity.

“Caring for the environment was very much a part of what I did as a minister. The scriptures from Genesis and other places call us to be stewards of creation. So I think it’s very central to us as Christians, but also all the faith traditions have an emphasis on caring for creation,” said Bland.

In addition to environmental activism through AZIPL, Bland also has a passion for storytelling and is a part of adjunct faculty in the storytelling institute at South Mountain Community College.

“One of the things we say is that the shortest distance between two people is always a story….You can’t hate someone whose story you know,” said Bland

Bland recalled an event he led called Sacred Earth Common Ground where three different congregations got together and were all told to respond to a story prompt: “Tell a story about a time when you found ground.”

“As the evening began everyone was suspicious of the other group...there’s not trust built up,” explained Bland.

He deliberately avoided an explicitly religious conversation, as it could become divisive.

“If we just shared our doctrinal point of view, there would be kinds of divisions and misunderstandings, but if we just tell a story about an experience we’ve had, we can connect that bridge,” said Bland. People of different faiths shared stories about their lives and considered what it means to stand on holy ground.

“By the end of the evening, you could not tell one tribe from another tribe. Everyone was mixed together and they would hear a story from someone else about a time where they were in a similar situation and by the end of the evening people didn’t want to leave because they just felt that connection,” said Bland.

Connection is a major theme in Bland’s sermons. He tells stories considering how to achieve it in an increasingly polarized world. For Bland, people’s inability to form connections is a key problem that leads to inaction on climate change.

“The climate crisis today is just a symptom of the problem we face. The real problem is broken relationships between us and the rest of nature. Between one human and another. And storytelling is a way to sort of bridge that difference between us and understand each other better,” said Bland.

Information: azipl.org

Rev. Doug Bland likes to get playful, but his mission is dead serious: bring people together to take action on climate change. (Courtesy of Rev. Doug Bland)

Mesa Sing School slates holiday concert, drive

BY TRIBUNE NEWS STAFF

Mesa’s Sing School Children’s Choir will present a holiday concert and carol sing-along, titled “Christmas Bells are Ringing,” at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 6 in the Center of Compassion at the Love of Christ Lutheran Church, 1525 North Power Road, Mesa.

Admission is free but the choir will be collecting donations of fast food gift cards from $5-15 to donate to the Sunshine Acres Children’s Home in Mesa. There will also be an opportunity to donate toward scholarships to help families participate in Sing School who could not otherwise do so. A table will be set up in the foyer for both the Sunshine Acres gift cards and scholarship donations.

Conducted by Missy Gardiner, Sing School is a choral and vocal arts education program for children who love to sing. Sing School choirs include Do Re Minnows (ages 5-8) and Harmony Stars (ages 7-13).

Tuition is $160-170 per semester with a registration fee of $35. The choirs meet to rehearse Monday afternoons at the Love of Christ Lutheran Church.

The choirs promote “Healthy vocal technique, sound musicianship, and performance skills, all in a fun, uplifting atmosphere.” The director is on a mission to “Enrich the lives of children” and “share the joy and unity choral singing fosters.”

A member of both the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the American Choral Directors Association, Gardiner has a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Music Education. She has also taught piano and voice lessons for several years and has participated in many elite choirs herself.

After the concert, the young choir members anxiously await their visit to Sunshine Acres to present their collected gift card donations.

“The children in Sing School want to make a difference for other children in the area,” said Gardiner. “They are motivated to work together to strengthen the community – not only through music but also through service.”

These fast food gift cards are used often by the Sunshine Acres Children’s Home to provide meals for the children in their care. Their mission is to “provide a loving, wholesome, Christian home for children who are separated from their parents and help them establish longterm relationships with stable parental figures, preparing them for success in adult life.” Learn more and register at: MySingSchool.com or MelissaGardinerMySingSchool.com