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6 CITY NEWS SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | AUGUST 23, 2020 Pandemic-related money woes delay Museum Square
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY Progress Managing Editor
The long-delayed Museum Square development could be pushed back to November 2021 due to the pandemic’s financial fallout. City Council originally approved the Museum Square development in October 2019, but the city and developer MacDonald Development Corporation have yet to finalize an associated $28-million sale of city land that is a key part of the deal. The $300-million project includes plans for a 190-room luxury hotel, three condominium buildings and an apartment building totaling 346 along with public improvements that include a plaza, pedestrian connections and new traffic signals. Much of the development would sit on land currently owned by the city just south of Scottsdale’s Museum of the West in the downtown Arts District. The city agreed to sell its land to the developer for $ $27.75 million for land with reductions of over $8 million in exchange for the developer’s commitment to build public parking spaces and pay for the removal of a decadesold height restriction. The sides were set to finalize the land sale by April, but the City has approved multiple amendments to the agreement delaying that deadline. Council will consider a fifth amendment at its meeting Aug. 25 that would push the deadline to no later than Nov. 12, 2021. If approved, that amendment would essentially delay the entire Museum Square development through 2021, even the pieces that sit on land already owned by the developer. That includes a parcel of land MacDonald owns to the east of the Museum of the West that is slated to house the apartment building. As of December 2019, the development team planned to begin construction on the apartment building in late summer 2020, followed by the hotel in late spring 2021, according to city staff emails. But the new amendment would bar MacDonald from beginning work on
The Scottsdale City Council approved the Museum Square development in October 2019, but the city and developer MacDonald Development Corporation have yet to fi nalize a $28-million land sale that is central to the deal.
(Special to the Progress)
any property until the land sale is finalized. The most recent delays are connected to financial issues stemming from the pandemic that has hit the hotel industry particularly hard, according to the developer and city. According to a city report, the developer is experiencing delays in financing commitment due to uncertainty in national and global financial markets. “This delay takes into account a myriad of issues to do with the COVID-19 pandemic and the related collapse in hotel occupancies,” MacDonald Development President Rob MacDonald told the Progress. The Progress reported in May that the city and MacDonald were already hashing out an agreement to delay the sale and that MacDonald had concerns about the effects of the pandemic as early as February. “And on top of all other things – this virus is really starting to cause fear. Cruise ship trip cancellations out of Vancouver collapsing; hotel room reservations in Vancouver falling by the tens of thousands; Restaurant sales
falling,” MacDonald wrote Assistant City Manager Brent Stockwell on Feb. 28. In May, Stockwell said the developer requested a delay through this November. “We are trusting that time will heal all these wounds and that we will be able to deliver our landmark project as planned that will also inject substantial direct and indirect revenues into city coffers at a time when they will need them the most,” MacDonald’s statement read. Emails obtained by the Progress showed that MacDonald had proposed in March to increase the $1 million security deposit on the land to $4 million in exchange for delaying the deadline. But that deal is no longer on the table, Stockwell said. “No, the developer is not increasing his security deposit as part of the extension,” Stockwell said. “The security deposit and the purchase price remain the same and would be paid at closing.” Stockwell said the developer is still required to file papers recording the termination of deed restrictions on the land within 10 days of the closing. Those restrictions included a 60- foot height restriction held by a neighboring condo complex that complicated negotiations in 2019, because MacDonald plans to build multiple buildings over 100 feet tall in the area. In 2019, city staff initially planned to ask Council to approve a $2.25-million payment in July 2019 to Madeleine Ferris, who owned the development company that built the complex, to purchase a unit in the complex and remove the restrictions. The unit would then be used to replace administrative offices for Museum of the West displaced by the development. However, staff pulled that proposal just hours before it was scheduled to go before Council. Ultimately, MacDonald’s camp negotiated a deal with Ferris to purchase the condo and the city agreed to partially reimburse him by reducing the land sale total by $1 million.
munity spread and sufficient testing is available.” The county also advised, “The number of people in Maricopa County diagnosed per day with COVID-19 is stabilizing, indicating community efforts to wear face coverings and other mitigation measures may be having a positive effect on reducing community spread.” But it also said that as of Aug. 12, the county generally remains in the red zone. The county Public Health Department now breaks down that data by ZIP code as well as school district boundaries at maricopa.gov/5594/School-Metrics. According to the county’s district-bydistrict breakdown, the area within Scottsdale Unified boundaries already meets the moderate, or “yellow,” benchmarks to open a hybrid model. But rather than looking at COVID-19 statistics within district boundaries alone, SUSD is using the average metrics from the actual ZIP codes where students live to determine when it is safe to open. That difference is important in a state like Arizona, where widespread school choice means a substantial portion of students may not live within a district’s boundaries. For instance, some ZIP codes used by SUSD fall under neighboring districts like Paradise Valley Unified School District on
AXON from front
regional headquarters. The deal going before Council depends on Axon successfully purchasing the 74- acre parcel southeast of the Nationwide site. Under the proposal, Axon would be eligible for up to $9.4 million in reimbursements if it completes infrastructure improvements and hits certain construction and payroll benchmarks. The company is eligible for up to $7.2 million in reimbursements for costs associated with the widening of Mayo Boulevard and Hayden Road – which could also include associated infrastructure work like sidewalks, landscaping, sewer, wastewater and water improvements, according to a draft of the agreement. The company is required to submit plans for proposed improvements for city review before starting construction. The company is also eligible for an ad
The Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board voted on Aug. 18 to adopt school reopening benchmarks recommended by the State of Arizona and Maricopa County.
(Scottsdale Unified School District)
the county’s map. Still, the most recent ZIP code data also shows the district qualifies to open schools in a hybrid model. According to Menzel, SUSD is relying on a list of ZIP codes that represents 92 percent of its students, That includes 85260, 85251, 85018, 85257, 85255, 85259, 85258, 85250, 85008, 85253, 85254, 85028, 85281, 85268 and 85032, according to a list provided by the district. The district omitted ZIP codes where less than one percent of the student population lives. The district will look at the benchmark ditional $2.2-million reimbursement for a payment it must make to the city if it successfully purchases the trust land. The Arizona Land Department requires any successful bidder on the land to pay the city $2.2 million within 30 days of the auction as payment to recoup city costs for existing infrastructure in the area. So, the city would essentially give back its own $2.2-million infrastructure reimbursement to Axon. In order to receive its full reimbursement, Axon must build at least 250,000 square feet of commercial or manufacturing space and have a payroll of $130 million over any continuous 12-month period within five years of the state land auction. If Axon does not meet those benchmarks, it would still be eligible to receive up to 50 percent of the infrastructure reimbursement, or about $3.6 million. The deal also includes a caveat requiring Axon to reserve 4.5-6 acres for the city to build a fire station, water pump and potenmetrics in each of those ZIP codes and take the average to determine when it is safe to reopen schools. The current data provided by the county includes cases per 100,000 and percent positivity rate from July 26 to Aug. 8, and hospitalization information from Aug. 2 to Aug. 15. That data showed that average number of cases per 100,000 people in those ZIP codes fell from 69.26 to 49.65 over a twoweek span. That falls under the moderate, or yellow, category that allows for hybrid learning. The average percentage of hospital visits with symptoms of the virus fell durtial future command center. Under the deal, the city will pay Axon for land using the same per-acre price the company pays the state for the larger parcel. The city anticipates the plot will cost it about $2.6 million, according to a council report. Proponents of the deal said it is a win for the city because it will keep a major employer from relocating e lsewhere and actually bring more jobs to Scottsdale. According to details included in a council report, Axon currently has 850 employees in Scottsdale and plans to add 650 more jobs over the next five years. Rob Millar, Scottsdale’s economic development director, said that while the site is prime property, it will take significant investment to develop it, due in part to acquisition costs. Bidding for the property will start at $31.7 million, according to the State Land Department. ing that time from four to three percent, which meets the green designation. If those trends hold over the next few weeks, the district would remain on track to open its hybrid model on Sept. 8. There are some concerning trends present in the data, though. According to the data, four of the 15 ZIP codes in SUSD’s calculations saw a positivity rate increase over the two-week period, though the total percentages remained within the moderate level. Additionally, one ZIP code, 85018 in Phoenix, saw its cases per 100,000 resi
see SUSD page 15 Millar said the proposed campus will help attract more businesses to Scottsdale. “Continued development of Crossroads East will present Scottsdale and the State of Arizona with a competitive product for the attraction of national and international corporate users,” Millar said. “Proposed improvements will provide amenities and public benefits to the City, including retaining existing jobs, creating new jobs, water, sewer and other infrastructure and tax benefits,” he added. The proposal has already drawn some criticism from locals who have long opposed these types of transactions between the city and private businesses in the past. The deal is similar, though smaller in scope, to a reimbursement package the city gave Nationwide when it announced plans to develop the neighboring Cavasson development. That deal, which will pay Nationwide up seeAXON page 12
Korea’s KBO League. The Giants, which have called Scottsdale its spring home since the 1980s, have held some spring activities and minor league operations at the park since 1982. But the Giants are relocating those operations to Papago Sports Complex, which sits within Phoenix city limits at the border with Scottsdale near McDowell Road and 64th Street. In 2019, Scottsdale entered into a lease agreement with Phoenix for space at Papago and then subleased that space to the Giants. The Giants will continue to play Cactus League home games at Scottsdale Stadium, which just underwent a multimilliondollar renovation and expansion. The Papago deal paved the way for Scottsdale’s deal with the LG Twins, which had rented space from Phoenix in the past on a year-to-year basis. Negotiations to bring the Twins to Scottsdale have been ongoing since spring 2018, said city Parks and Recreation Manager Chris Walsh, the city’s point person in negotiations with the team. The LG Twins did not respond to a request for comment. The three-year deal would keep the Twins in Scottsdale through 2023 and includes two possible one-year extensions. “They don’t want to go out and try to source new venues every single year because certainly that’s a lot of effort,” Walsh said. Under the deal, the LG Twins will have access to fields and clubhouse facilities. For 2021 only, the team will share some of those facilities, including a half-field and an indoor batting cage, with the Giants. The Twins will also use a temporary clubhouse and weight room in 2021 while the Giants continue to occupy the permanent facilities. The revenue generated by the city will largely depend on the number of days the team uses the park. Phoenix, which last hosted the Twins in 2018, charged the team $42,000 for a little over one month of use but that contract was structured differently from the pending agreement with Scottsdale. Phoenix’s agreement included two base charges of $9,900 for Jan. 22-30 and $32,100 for Jan. 31-Feb.21. Scottsdale opted to go with daily and hourly rates.
Scottsdale’s Indian School Park at Hayden and Camelback Roads could play host to South Korea’s LG Twins baseball team for Spring Training beginning in 2021 if the City Council approves a pending facilities agreement on Aug. 24.
(Google Maps)
The LG Twins draw huge crowds at their home fi eld in South Korean and are now hoping to make Scottsdale a Spring Training home.
(Special to the Progress)
The Scottsdale contract does not include a set schedule for each year but the team is required to notify the team of its proposed schedule by Nov. 30. Under the agreement, the Twins will pay $400 per day for the clubhouse, $60 an hour per field and $20 per half field and $75 per field for field preparation. The team also must pay $20 per field per hour for lights, $150 per day for the indoor batting cage and $100 per day for the outdoor cage. If the team requires city staff assistance, it will cost $30 per hour per person and $45 per hour per person for overtime. Scottsdale could also generate some bedtax revenues from the deal, which requires the team to “use best efforts” to book hotel rooms in Scottsdale. Walsh said the city went with the daily/ hourly fee structure because of the way the Twins plan to use the facility. “Their workouts tend to be a little bit different compared to Major League Baseball,” Walsh said. “They typically will go longer days and have a few more days off in between, and as far as with estimating these things… we wanted to make sure we captured all of those costs.” Even with the Twins coming to Indian School Park, local adult and youth teams will still have access to its fields. Walsh said the pending deal gives the Twins exclusive access to two and one-half fields at the park and leaves the remaining fields available for rent by local teams. “We will still have the other two fields open at that time,” Walsh said. “If LG want to expand or feels the need to expand, we would have that conversation.” It is unclear if the Twins plan to play exhibitions in front of fans in Scottsdale but Walsh said it is a possibility. “I think in the future, we definitely would want to explore some of the inter-squad opportunities, whether it’s with the Giants or a local university team or even some of the other spring training teams,” Walsh said. “I think they would certainly be open to it, and hopefully the others will be as well.” The contract includes COVID-19 protections in the event travel restrictions put in place by the U.S. or South Korea stop the team from traveling to Scottsdale. If the team gives 20 days notice that it will not be able to use the facility, it is not obligated to pay. The contract also requires the team and its players to abide by all state and local pandemic-related regulations. When the Twins will actually arrive in Scottsdale is largely dependent on the pandemic. “Even if 2021 doesn’t happen due to possible restrictions, we still want to have a contract for the next (few) years though,” Walsh emailed JD Kim, special assistant to the general manager for the LG Twins.
SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | AUGUST 23, 2020
Phillips must return some campaign donations
BY WAYNE SCHUTSKY two contributions totaling $2,525 made Progress Managing Editor via Budget Mechanical’s PayPal account were then transferred to the campaign’s
Scottsdale Councilman Guy Phillips’ rebank account. election campaign must return $2,525 Phillips called the complaint an “attemptin donations after a review found it ed political hit job that failed miserably.” violated campaign finance regulations by “The complaint was literally staged by my passing donations through a PayPal acopponents in an attempt to hurt my camcount attached to his private business. paign. But it was lacking in substance…” But the review concluded the violation Phillips said, citing the fact that the Tucson was a result of sloppy bookkeeping and not officials found the violations were technical a willful attempt to cirin nature and that there cumvent state law. was no evidence that he “The two violations are willfully violated state technical, arising from law. (Arizona law’s) strict liThe Notice of Violation ability prohibition along specified that violation with slack administration was likely the result of of Mr. Phillips’ and the sloppy bookkeeping and candidate committee’s that the “paper trail” for various PayPal accounts,” contributions was docuaccording to a Notice of mented and the campaign Violation filed by the Tuccooperated with the inson City Attorney’s Office. vestigation. The review stemmed “While the Committee from a campaign finance Scottsdale Councilman Guy or Mr. Phillips could cercomplaint filed with Phillips’ re-election campaign tainly have taken more Scottsdale City Clerk Carmust return $2,525 in donatimely and effective action olyn Jagger by Scottsdale resident Mark Greenburg. tions after a review found it violated campaign fi nance regulations. (Progress fi le photo) to ensure resolution of the confusing organization of Jagger referred the the PayPal accounts that complaint to Tucson City Clerk Roger Raneventually caused the violations, there is dolph to avoid the appearance of a conflict no indication whatsoever here of a severe, of interest. extensive or willful violation of the statute,” Greenburg alleged that donation buttons according to the notice. on two websites connected to the Phillips’ Tucson City Attorney Michael Rankin, campaign linked to a PayPal account for who acts as the enforcement officer in Budget Mechanical LLC, Phillips’ HVAC conthese cases, ordered Phillips’ campaign to tracting business. refund the $2,525 in contributions and to Greenburg filed the complaint after file an amended campaign finance report making donations to the campaign via with the Scottsdale City Clerk’s office. the links. Despite the resolution in the campaign He provided email receipts from PayPal finance case, there is the possibility of furto the Progress that stated “You donated ther litigation between Phillips and Green$20.00 USD to Budget Mechanical Llc” and burg, who has been a frequent critic of the “You donated $90.00 USD to Budget MeCouncilman in recent months. chanical LLC.” Phillips’ attorney Timothy LaSota sent Phillips later refunded those donations, a cease-and-desist letter to Greenburg on according to the notice of violation. Aug. 10 alleging Greenburg is defaming the Randolph determined there was reaCouncilman in online social media posts. sonable cause to believe the campaign viThe letter demanded Greenburg retract olated an Arizona campaign finance law posts claiming Phillips is a Nazi or member that prohibits businesses from contribof the Ku Klux Klan or that he has pilfered uting to campaign committees because campaign funds. Inspire The World Publish Your Book Today Your book made available at all major secular and specialty Christian bookstores including: Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and many more.
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to $21.9 million over 20 years, received significant criticism from residents. For Councilwoman Solange Whitehead, a vocal critic of the Nationwide deal before she was elected in 2018, the proposed agreement with Axon has both positive and negative elements. “There are two parts to this deal,” Whitehead said, referring to the reimbursements and the agreement by Axon to resell several acres to the city for a fire department and other public uses. Whitehead said she thought the land sale works in the city’s favor. “Axon is paying a bulk price and passing the per-acre savings directly to the taxpayers,” Whitehead said. “As well, the land is deeded to the City in 30 days but payment delayed 5 years interest free.” But she said she is not sold on the reimbursement portion yet, though she liked the fact that the agreement does not include direct tax incentives for Axon. “I’d like to see shared costs on the road work and verify that projected and direct revenue generated must match or exceed cost,” Whitehead said. Others residents have been more critical. Council candidate Betty Janik took to social media and called the proposed road improvements "of little benefit to citizens.” “Meanwhile, libraries, senior centers services are reduced or closed due to tight budget,” Janik wrote. According to the city, the value of the improvements will outweigh its costs. Randy Grant, Scottsdale’s executive director of planning, economic development and tourism, said typically developers are required to construct half-street improvements for streets next to a site. “That is not always the case when roads that serve a regional area and for improvements that are over and above those necessary to meet the demands of the property being developed,” Grant said. “In this case, the cost of the improvements that are being constructed by the applicant will exceed the amount being reimbursed.” Council candidate Tom Durham said he didn’t like the idea of the city giving money to Axon while small businesses throughout Scottsdale struggle to stay afloat. “My first point is Axon is a very, very successful company,” Durham said. “Their profits and their sales are growing every year, and to me, that raises the question of why are we giving them $9 million when
Axon is planning to expand its Scottsdale headquarters if it can successfully bid on 74 acres of nearby state trust land that will go to auction in September.
(Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)
so many Scottsdale businesses are suffering, and we have a lot of businesses that are closing and shutting their doors?” Axon reported revenue of $549 million in 2019, a 26 percent increase over the previous year. The company’s stock price has grown 2,000 percent over the past decade, according to The Wall Street Journal. Durham said he does not believe Axon would leave and questioned whether or not the company would really relocate over $9 million, a relatively small amount of money compared to Axon’s annual revenues. “I’m not really convinced that that threat to leave is all that sure,” Durham said. “They’ve been in Scottsdale since 1993, and right now they have a great location near the (Loop 101), near the airport and their current headquarters is right next door to the land that they plan to buy.” “So it seems to me like a natural thing for them to do, and I just find it hard to believe that they would pull up stakes and abandon their headquarters in search of a new one.…” The city said the company did threaten to take its business elsewhere. “Axon has indicated that without a development agreement for this site, they may not expand in the City of Scottsdale and may need to consider moving its existing facility outside of the city,” Millar said. Axon nearly made good on that threat a few years ago when it agreed to a purchase and sale agreement with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community for a plot of land adjacent to Scottsdale. But in 2019, Axon backed out of that deal after it was unable to secure design approval for its new headquarters from the SRPMIC. Axon did not respond to specific questions from the Progress about the alleged threat to move and other aspects of its expansion, but did provide a statement. “As you know, Axon has been working with the City of Scottsdale in the hopes of expanding our Scottsdale campus,” the statement read. “We are thankful that Scottsdale is excited to work with us and we are excited to continue to grow in the city where we started our business in 1993. “While our reach is global, our base is still in Scottsdale and our intent is to move forward as described in the Development Agreement.” Even if Council approves the reimbursement plan, Axon still faces several roadblocks before it can begin its proposed expansion. The company still has to win the September auction for the land. If that purchase goes through, Axon will then have to come back before Council to amend zoning in the area to accommodate the new facility. According to the reimbursement agreement, Axon plans to request to rezone the property to I-1 industrial park zoning and will ask for amended standards to allow for buildings up to 82 feet tall – well above the 52 feet allowed under city code. Preliminary designs for the new campus are also likely to draw some furrowed brows in Scottsdale, a city known for implementing – and enforcing – strict design rules. Preliminary designs for the new Axon campus show a unique building that includes an illuminated 40-foot-wide sign bearing the company’s name, banding around the building in the company’s signature yellow, and even a futuristic illuminated lighting system. “Axon may submit plans providing lighting on the building to include an illuminated Wave Motion feature…that may feature projection or mapping of images for changing lights and a swirling motion,” the agreement states. It is unclear if these are the same features that failed to pass muster with the tribe in 2019. The agreement with Scottsdale stipulates that all design features require city Development Review Board approval. Some of those proposals – such as the illuminations and stark yellow banding – could clash with the city’s design guidelines for the area, which are documented in the city’s Greater Airpark Character Area Plan. While that plan promotes unique and interesting building design, it also encourages lighting that minimizes glare and is shielded from nearby neighborhoods. It also encourages designs that “celebrate transitions from the urban environment to the native desert and residential areas.” “It’s going to look like a spaceship, and it’s going to have a really prominent space, because it’s going to be right there on the inside corner of (Loop 101),” Durham said.
14 CITY NEWS SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | AUGUST 23, 2020 EVIT students happily return to classrooms
BY JIM WALSH Progress Staff Writer
No one could argue that the first day of school at Mesa’s East Valley Institute of Technology was normal – that is not possible during a pandemic. Precautions, such as making masks and social distancing, are the bedrock of EVIT’s plan to strike a delicate balance between a student’s right to learn and protecting staff and students from COVID-19. But, if nothing else, a return to auto shop, welding and culinary classes last week marked a return to a normal routine for students while helping them prepare for the workplace with marketable skills. “It will get easy to get lulled into this idea that things are back to normal, but it’s not,’’ EVIT Superintendent Chad Wilson said. “Every day has to be like first day,’’ with strict adherence to the safety protocols. He said it was essential that the technical school return to “hands-on learning,’’ noting the difficulty of teaching someone how to weld or rebuild an engine online. EVIT, with 4,465 high school students enrolled for the 2020-21 school year, reopened for in-person learning on Aug. 17, becoming an East Valley trailblazer along with the Queen Creek schools. “We have some built-in advantages. One of our disadvantages is the hands-on learning,’’ Wilson said, with an instructor potentially working under the hood of a car or truck with a student, dental students sticking their fingers into other students’ mouths or a budding hair stylist within inches of another person. Nevertheless, 3,988 enrolled students – 89 .3 percent – showed up for classroom learning. That included 177 of 202 Scottsdale Unified students from the 11 school districts that feed into EVIT. In addition, 443 of 616 charter, private and home-schooled students attended as well. “I think our students are ecstatic to come back,’’ Wilson said. “We have had quite a bit of support from parents and students.’’ EVIT students attend one 2 ½ hour
EVIT students sit 6 feet apart in classrooms and when they are in more confi ned areas, try to avoid being close to their instructor for longer than 15 minutes.
(Patrick Jervis Jr../Courtesy of EVIT)
class a day. They get off a bus, operated by the feeder districts and walk directly to class following a route identified by signs. The idea is to limit COVID’s spread by eliminating congestion and enforce the six-foot distance between students. After class, the students jump back on the bus to go home. An exposure is defined by the Centers for Disease Control as 15 minutes or more within six feet of person positive for COVID-19, he said. So, no milling about in hallway or hanging out in a school cafeteria is allowed. Students walk corridors in an orderly single line with space between them, wearing masks. To compensate for the risks of working in close quarters during some classes, instructors are required to spend no more than 15 minutes in close proximity with students – or to add extra layers of protection when that is unavoidable, Wilson said. Dental students follow the same procedures used in dental offices, wearing masks and gloves. Desks and chairs also are spaced sixfeet apart, with classes extending into a second room when necessary to meet the social distancing requirements. Classrooms and equipment are sanitized between the morning and afternoon classes, and after classes wrap up for the day, to protect against the possibility of spreading COVID-19. Although the protocols represent a change from the usual, everyone seems to be embracing them so far, Wilson said. A call to EVIT from a parent about a sick student now prompts a round of contact-tracing to ensure other students have not been exposed. EVIT experienced no signs of COVID-19 initially, but as Wilson said, it’s unrealistic to think an entire school year will pass without someone contracting the virus. “Our goal is to have a system in place to mitigate the spread,’’ Wilson said. Wilson detects a combination of excitement and apprehension when he speaks to students about their return to classes. A majority of speakers at the EVIT Governing Board’s Aug. 10 meeting supported reopening the campus, with only one staffer against it. Parents also spoke in favor of reopening, saying their children were looking forward to attending classes after the long COVID-19 break, which started in March. “They feel lost. I have talked to many young people who are desperate to get back to the classroom. They feel this is lost time,’’ said Steve Trussell, executive director of the Arizona Rock Products Association and a former Mesa teacher. Dr. Jarilynne Merrill, who has three children enrolled in Mesa Public Schools, said authorities need to look at the big picture when deciding whether to reopen schools, weighing the risks of COVID-19 against the anxiety of staying home in an age bracket prone to suicide. Merrill, who works in a detox center and whose husband is a psychiatrist, said she is not downplaying the dangers posed by COVID-19. “The danger to the community at large is largely behind us,’’ Merrill told the board, citing county Department of Public Health data. “We are going to see a wave of suicides that will make COVID look like nothing.’’ “I’m not advocating that we throw all the kids back in school. I think the decision should be left to individual families,’’ Merrill said. “I think the benefits we offer our students are far more attainable at school, not at home on a computer.’’ Vanessa Lewis, a parent, said her daughter is looking forward to attending cosmetology school. She said teachers who are uncomfortable returning to the classroom should teach online, but that students need to return to school. “What kind of example are we setting if we don’t have the courage to teach them in a classroom,’’ Lewis said. “Every single mom I have spoken with has said the children are suffering, the entire family unit is suffering.’’ Jim McNamara, a retired firefighter and fire sciences teacher, said he has confidence in the safety protocols working if they are followed properly. “We are very dependent on being on campus, teaching the kids the skills they need,’’ McNamara said. “I feel we will lose a lot of students if we don’t return to school.’’ Julie Bird, a registered occupational therapist and an anatomy teacher, warned against the infection rate in Maricopa County and said some staff members were “not on the same page’’ as the administration, with one man not wearing a mask on campus. She said all staff members need to wear masks and send a consistent message to students, or the protocols will be ineffective. “Keep the politics and personal beliefs out of the equation,” Bird said. “This is solely a medical situation.”
SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | AUGUST 23, 2020 SUSD from page 8 her children have been driven to tears since school started. dents rise over the two-week period. “We as parents have weighed the risks If those trends continue in the wrong and we chose full return to school in perdirection, it could hurt the district’s abilson, and we want our kids to be given that ity to partially reopen under the state and chance,” Dorn said. county benchmarks. Other parents advocated for the district In the 41- SUSD board vote to adopt the to follow public health guidelines, though. benchmarks Aug. 18, only board member Dr. Susan Hughes encouraged the disBarbara Perleberg voted against after trict to follow evidence-based public expressing concern that board failed to health guidelines to reopen, including identify exactly what the hybrid model waiting until the percent positivity rate would look like. falls below five percent, She also said the benchmarks to return Dr. Alan Graham, a parent and pediatriwould be confusing or unclear to families. cian, echoed that advice, citing Georgia’s Perleberg said she personally appreciCherokee County – where a local district ated the state and county guidance “but that opened in person has had to shut if we prematurely tonight send a message down three schools due to outbreaks. this is when we open… I’m just concerned Board member Jann-Michael Greenwe’ll be sitting here in a couple of weeks burg said he sympathized with parents kind of regretting giving our parents eiwho want to see their kids back in the ther false hope or a plan in their minds classroom, but said that option is likely that then let them down.” not feasible even if the board voted to reBut Menzel and board President Allyson open schools immediately. Beckham said the metrics provide clear “And I do not want to be one of those expectations for families. districts or schools or communities that “I think where there’s not a level of inclose,” Greenburg said. terpretation is two consecutive weeks of Greenburg referred to the J.O. Combs below seven percent positivity rate,” Mendistrict, which had opted for in-person zel said. return last week but was forced to cancel “To me, it seems very clear,” Beckham classes after a high number of teachers said. and staff refused to return to work. Menzel said he believed the community Menzel, too, said district leadership and needed to know the district was choosing teachers are eager to get back in the classto follow the public health benchmarks room – when it is safe. even though some other districts have “I think there’s a narrative out there chosen to ignore those guidelines. that (teachers) don’t want to return – “I have some concern about not followthat’s not true,” Menzel said. “They want ing those metrics, and there’s a liability isto return and ensure that it’s safe to resue,” Menzel said. turn; people got into public education Around 25 parents phoned into the Aug. to be with kids, not to watch them on a 18 board meeting to share their thoughts screen.” on the district’s reopening plans, exposMenzel said “nothing in this pandemic ing a fairly even split between families is optimal” and the district is charged that want schools to open right away and with choosing the best from bad choices. others asking the district to take more Board Vice President Patty Beckman, caution. who has two daughters in the district, About a dozen parents asked the dissaid her children were eager to return to trict to resume in-person classes immedischool but she did not want to make that ately and shared stories about the negadecision prematurely. tive impact distance learning has had on “I can’t imagine what it would do to their their children. mental health, if they were to return to Many of those parents said their chilclassroom…only to return to online learndren were not adapting well to school ing shortly thereafter (due to) increased online and it has caused emotional and spread,” Beckman said. “So frankly, I think mental stress. that would be devastating.” Sarah Dorn, mother of two elementary Menzel said he is confident some stuschool children in SUSD, said the current dents will be able to return to campus by distance learning program is better than Sept. 8 via the hybrid model as long as the the spring “but it’s still horrible” and that district remains on track to meet safety benchmarks. What that model will look like is still unclear, though. The Governing Board will meet again on Sept. 1 to consider specific hybrid return options recommended by district leadership. Menzel said the hybrid option could potentially be phased in first for students most in need of in-person instruction, such as younger students in kindergarten through second grade and special education students. The district is already required by an executive order from Governor Doug Ducey – and federal law – to provided needed in-person services to special education students. Assistant Superintendent Kim Guerin, who is leading the committee on reopening options, said the existing distance learning models for elementary and middle school students will translate well to a hybrid model because students are already separated into groups that can be assigned different days to return. Menzel said the district would like a two-week buffer period after it decides to move forward with the hybrid model to prepare teachers and inform families of the change. When students do return to school, most will be required to wear masks unless their medical condition warrants against face coverings. Menzel said he is also talking with several organizations, including Honor Health and University of Southern California, about bringing rapid testing to the district. While the district is grappling with how and when to bring students back to schools, it continues to provide critical services that go beyond education, including food service. The district’s meal service program reopened for daily curbside pickup on Aug. 10 from 7 to 9:30 a.m. The program will transition from daily to weekly Wednesday pickups on Aug. 26 and will provide five breakfasts and five lunches per week per student. Meal pickup is available at the Oak Campus, 7501 E. Oak St.; Pima Traditional School, 8330 E. Osborn Road; Redfield Elementary School, 9181 E. Redfield Road; and Yavapai/Hohokam Elementary School, 701 N. Miller Road. Pickup is also available at Tavan Elementary in Phoenix.
16 CITY NEWS SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | AUGUST 23, 2020 Ducey: won’t interfere with district reopening decisions
BY HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
Gov. Doug Ducey won’t intercede or criticize school districts that opt to reopen for in-class instruction even though their communities don’t meet the benchmarks set by his own health director. “We want people to follow the benchmarks,’’ the governor said at a press briefing last Thursday. These are based on what the health department has decided are three key indicators of the spread of COVID-19. Only two counties have reached that point: Apache and Yavapai. And there is no indication when conditions in the other 13 counties will get to the place where the health department says schools can begin “hybrid’’ teaching, meaning a combination of virtual and inperson learning. Newly released data from Maricopa County shows that about half the county is in a “red” zone, meaning that health officials advise against any reopening of campuses. But Ducey said he sees these benchmarks as less clear cut. “They are guidelines,’’ the governor said. And he said there are other things that should be considered, like trends. He also said there’s the separate question of dealing with those most directly involved. “There are some parents that want, as soon as it’s possible, to get their children back into a classroom,’’ Ducey said. “And there are parents that we all know are not putting their child back in the classroom.’’ The governor said the state is trying to “provide options’’ for both. That’s only part of the issue. “We also have some teachers that are in a vulnerable category or have an underlying health condition,’’ Ducey said. “And we will need online learning in this hybrid model.’’ All 15 counties meet the first of the three benchmarks: two weeks where hospital visits due to COVID-like illnesses fall below 10 percent of the total. And 11 counties are showing a twoweek decline in the total number of cases or, in the alternative, a case rate of less than 100 per 100,000 residents. Cochise, Greenee, Pima and Pinal do not. But only Apache, Cochise, Greenlee and Yavapai counties meet the third prong of having fewer than 7 percent of the tests for the virus come back positive. COVID-19 may be just one of the health problems schools face. “Arizona’s flu season goes about October to May, with our hardest months usually being January to March,’’ said state Health Director Cara Christ. She promised a public relations campaign in hopes of getting as many people to take the vaccine which is now available. “While it’s not 100 percent effective it does significantly reduce hospitalization and complications and bad outcomes,’’ Christ said. Ducey hinted that he might use some federal coronavirus dollars to help provide vaccines to those who may not have health insurance. “I want to find a way that any Arizonan that wants to get a flu shot can get one,’’ he said. “Details to follow.’’ The governor also put in a plug of sorts for those businesses that have been allowed to stay open to keep as many workers as they can out of the office. The ultimate choice, Ducey said, is up to employers. But he suggested that they may find advantages in what has become the new normal of telecommuting. “Many employers have seen that their employees can be just as productive at home as they were inside the office,’’ he said. The governor said that, as a matter of policy, he continues to support the policy of “you’re safer at home, if you don’t have anywhere else to go, if you can work at home.’’ And if companies believe they need people in the workplace? “We do ask this idea of socially and physically distancing, the wearing the mask, all those fundamentals,’’ Ducey said. He also said a lot of it depends on the nature of the work being done and the environment. “Are you talking about people in cubes that are naturally physically distanced?’’ he asked. “Are they in some kind of bullpen where they’re very closed to each other?’’ the governor continued. “That would be something we would want to discourage.’’
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Scottsdale Rotary bricks are helpful thank yous
BY KRISTINE CANNON
Progress Staff Writer
Scottsdale residents have a new way to pay tribute to �irst responders, healthcare workers, essentials workers and more who have helped the community through pandemic: engraved bricks.
The Rotary Club of Scottsdale’s Park Brick Program is a community service and fundraising project where interested parties can pay $100 to engrave bricks with an honoree’s name and generic or custom message.
The club began publicizing the “thank you” bricks mid-July and has since received orders for about 15 bricks, which will be etched and placed in a special section of Unity Plaza at Scottsdale Rotary Park.
“The reason our committee chose to offer this new brick theme program, which will continue in conjunction with our normal commemorative brick sales, is because this COVID-19 is such a devastating event for our country and the world. The amount of effort people are making to mitigate this health crisis is
Rotary Club of Scottsdale members Kenneth Brown and Craig Miller spend the morning at Unity Plaza at Scottsdale Rotary Park, where the Rotary Club of Scottsdale’s “thank you” bricks will be installed.
(Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)
amazing,” said club member Craig Miller.
Miller noted that saying “thank you” is a “powerful and cathartic thing for most people.”
“It just made sense that this is a need that our members and others would embrace,” he said.
The bricks allow up to three lines of messaging. Generic messages include “First Responders: You Rock,” “Nursing Home Staff: You’re My Rock,” “Store Workers: We Won’t Forget,” “Researchers: You Saved Us,” and more.
“The brick pattern and the colored concrete in Unity Plaza are con�igured to match the general outline of the famous Rotary Wheel,” Miller said.
The bricks are priced at $100 each and etching costs approximately $20 per brick.
Proceeds go directly to the Scottsdale Rotary Foundation – a nonpro�it created by the Rotary Club of Scottsdale to help fund local, national and international projects. “The main benefactor for our foundation is educational scholarships for worthy Scottsdale area high school students,” Miller said.
“This year, it just happens to be an even more important part of that fundraising mix,” Miller said. “This will be an ongoing effort and option for our members and others to buy a brick and raise money for our foundation.” Miller and his wife Sandy Miller purchased two bricks themselves.
Sandy chose to thank veterinarians.
“Our pets should not have to be put in danger because of this virus, and the veterinarians and their staffs are among the heroes that put their safety on the line to help us,” Craig said.
Craig honored researchers “who are – and have – worked tirelessly to come up with the vaccine that will bring about a sense of normalcy that comes about by giving people immunity to this terrible virus.”
“I thought this was a great way to thank these incredible people for their efforts on our behalf,” he said,
The Club meets at Scottsdale Rotary Park twice a year to highlight the efforts of their committee and have a cookout. The �irst set of orders, Craig said, will be placed at Unity Plaza in a couple of weeks.
Built by the Rotary Club of Scottsdale and donated to the City of Scottsdale, Scottsdale Rotary Park is an eight-acre park and memorial plaza in the heart of Gainey Ranch.
The park features lighted walking paths, a children’s playground, a greenbelt, a butter�ly garden, picnic ramadas, barbecue stations, a restroom facility and the world’s �irst plaza designed in the shape of the Rotary symbol. “Unity Plaza is our club’s Rotary Centennial Project, which honored Rotary’s 100-year anniversary of existence in 2005,” Craig said.
The “thank you” bricks are just one way for people to honor others while also donating money to the Scottsdale Rotary Foundation.
Another naming opportunity at Unity Plaza includes buying �lags.
“Each time we have our park day picnic at the park, we change out the American �lag and present that �lag to the donor as well as put up a small bronze plaque on the curved wall that makes up the north end of Unity Plaza. This remembrance is $1,000,” Craig said.
