Archive for September, 2010
Rioglass Solar
In Goodyear, Suntech will be making solar panels that convert sunlight directly into electricity. Coming to Surprise is a different sort of operation. Rioglass Solar is a Spanish company that manufactures curved glass sheets used for parabolic concentrators in solar thermal electric stations.
Just such a power plant, for which Rioglass will provide product, is set to be built by fellow U.S.-operating Spanish solar firm Abengoa Solar. Abengoa’s 280-megawatt Solana Generating Station will be located about 70 miles southwest of Phoenix in Gila Bend, Arizona.José Maria Villanueva, President and CEO of Rioglass Solar, noted that “[Arizona’s] excellent workforce and rail-served land is the perfect fit for our new U.S. operations.”
The Rioglass Solar manufacturing facility will create 100 new green jobs in Surprise.
Corruption
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley filed charges against eight current and former Bell officials Tuesday, alleging that they misappropriated $5.5 million in public funds. Robert Rizzo, Bell’s former city manager, has been charged with 53 counts of misappropriation of public funds and conflict of interest.The charges come after a dramatic morning in which authorities swept through Bell and other cities, arresting former and current Bell officials.
Among those arrested were Rizzo; Angela Spaccia, former assistant city manager; Mayor Oscar Hernandez; councilmembers George Mirabal, Teresa Jacobo and Luis Artiga; and former councilmembers George Cole and Victor Bello.
“This is corruption on steroids,” Cooley said.
[Updated at 11:28 a.m.: Cooley said officials used the city’s tax dollars “as their own piggy bank that they then looted at will.”
He said that councilmembers, who earned salaries of nearly $100,000, received $1.2 million for “phantom meetings” — many which never occurred or lasted only a minute or two.
Police Chief Randy Adams, who also stepped down after The Times reported he was earning $457,000, was not arrested.
“Being paid excessive amounts is not a crime,” Cooley said, noting that the investigation is ongoing.
Bail for Rizzo has been set at $3.2 million. Bail for the others ranges from $130,000 to $377,500.]
Rizzo, whose high salary sparked the outrage that led to the investigations of the city, was among those arrested in the sweep. At 10 a.m., officials emerged from Rizzo’s luxury home in Huntington Beach. Rizzo, handcuffed, was escorted into a black SUV.
In Bell, a neighbor of Hernandez said authorities used a battering ram on his front door after he failed to answer the door.
“They broke the door down,” said the neighbor, who only gave his name as Jose. “They knocked down the door and they brought him out in cuffs.”
The city of Bell released a statement about the arrests, calling it a “sad day” for the city.
“Given the sheer volume of charges levied against former Bell Chief Administrative Officer Robert Rizzo and former Assistant CAO Angela Spaccia by the district attorney, it is clear that Rizzo and Spaccia were at the root of the cancer that has afflicted the City of Bell. Also, it is a sad day for Bell that four current and two former members of the council also have been arrested. I am prepared to double down our efforts to continue to restore order, establish good government reforms, and to ensure that Bell is providing needed services to its residents,” said Pedro Carrillo, interim city manager.
Outside City Hall, about two dozen residents gathered as news of the arrests spread. One man used a bullhorn to broadcast the Queen song, “Another One Bites the Dust.” Members of the crowd laughed and applauded, happy to see arrests in the scandal.
For two months, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office and state and federal authorities have investigated Bell, where high salaries earned by Rizzo and other top officials have sparked widespread outrage. The Times reported last month that Rizzo was set to earn more than $1.5 million in 2010. Additionally, he gave loans totaling $1.6 million to more than 50 city officials, including himself.
– Jack Leonard, Jeff Gottlieb, Ruben Vives and Richard Winton
Credit: Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley announces the arrests of eight current and former Bell city officials. Credit: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times
Council Meeting Sept. 23rd
Item # 1 Conduct Public Hearing to consider the proposed issuance of bonds by the Industrial Development Authority of the County of Pima and approve the issuance of bonds Back up: HEREBY APPROVES, the issuance of the Bonds,following a public hearing held by the City on September 23, 2010 at the City’s offices, at which hearing no persons presented oral testimony or written comments (as noted in the attached minutes of such public hearing).’ ’ How can they make this statement before the meeting?
Nobody Home
azcentral.com blogs - Dustin Gardiner, Surprise City Hall reporter …Sep 18, 2010 .
.. Mayor Lyn Truitt (left), Councilwoman Sharon Wolcott. … to a national transporation summit in Irving, Texas last month cost the city roughly $7800, … Below is a breakdown of expenses from the trip. Mayor Lyn Truitt: …
http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/InsideSurprise/98838/sort_D
$469.30 was this to drive to Fort Worth?
City of Surprise employees have dressed down and stepped up by donating 742 pounds of non-perishable food during the city’s “Casual Thursday” program.
The program encourages employees to dress casually on selected Thursdays and bring in a non-perishable food item.
Three Casual Thursday events since July have netted St. Mary’s Food Bank in Surprise 742 pounds of donated goods, which were delivered this week.
“Following City Council’s vision of addressing the social needs of our community, our employees came up with the Casual Thursday concept,” says City Manager Mark Coronado. “It’s really a win-win. Our employees enjoy a casual day knowing that they are helping fulfill a need in the community”
The Casual Thursday food drive will continue through the end
Invasive
They say we have invasive species that are undesirable, is it possible that my City of Surprise has become home to “Invasive Politicians” that have no clue on how Arizona was developed and their desire to change our way of living.
Surprise police: Man threatens his relative with knife
In these tight economic times, it is more important than ever to make sure your resume will stand out and that you know how to ace the interview. Surprise residents can learn how to put their best foot forward by taking this free financial fitness class. Julian Sado, manager of a prestigious financial institution located in the Valley of the Sun, will be available to answer all your employment questions. The class will be held at City Hall, 16000 N. Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m., in conference room Nl-150, Wednesday, October 6.
For information or registration, call Ruby Sitea at 623.222.3242 or ruby.sitea@surpriseaz.gov. Please register early since space is limited The ever popular community-wide garage sale, sponsored by the Surprise Senior Center Site Council, will run from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., at the Surprise Aquatic Center parking lot, 15831 N. Bullard Avenue.
Vendor space is now available for $35, plus a $5 refundable cleaning deposit. Proceeds from the rental fees support senior programs. The event is advertised in local newspapers, on the city’s web site and Surprise 11. Space is limited and reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.for $35, plus a $5 refundable cleaning deposit. Proceeds from the rental fees support senior programs. The event is advertised in local newspapers, on the city’s web site and Surprise 11. Space is limited and reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.Parking and admission are free.
for $35, plus a $5 refundable cleaning deposit. Proceeds from the rental fees support senior programs. The event is advertised in local newspapers, on the city’s web site and Surprise 11. Space is limited and reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.Parking and admission are free.For more information, or to reserve a space, please call 623.222.1500. You can also visit the Surprise Senior Center at 15832 Hollyhock Street, or the Community & Recreation Services Office at 15960 N. Bullard Avenue.
Amy Graham, Community Relations Specialist, Credit Union West, will be available to answer all your credit score questions. The class will be held at City Hall, 16000 N. Civic Center Plaza, 6:30 p.m. -8 p.m., in conference room Nl-150, Wednesday, September 22.
For information or registration, call Ruby Sitea at 623.222.3242 or ruby.sitea@surpriseaz.gov. Please register early since space is limited. Brightening the City’s image as Arizona’s premiere solar city, the Surprise City Council approved a new high profile project at its Thursday meeting: photovoltaic solar panels at City Hall.7,500 square feet of solar panels will be added to the top level of the City Hall parking garage in early 2011, producing roughly 95kWh of power on an annual basis when they become operational in March.
They are poised to produce even more, says Surprise Public Works Director Bob Beckley.
“Initially, the solar power produced will power the garage’s energy needs, such as its evening lighting,” Beckley says. “In the long run, the city is optimistic we can generate additional power using solar means.”
Interested residents can even follow along on line, Beckley says. “We will be able to show energy generation and usage via our city web site,” he adds.
The Council unanimously approved the Wietz Company at the contractor on the project. The company has a history of working with APS on renewable energy projects, and will maximize all available renewable energy rebates or incentives as part of the project.
The panels are funded through an $812,000 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant.
The approval comes just a month after Surprise announced that Rioglass Solar will locates its U.S. headquarters in Surprise, creating more than 100 new jobs at a $50 million manufacturing facility where glass solar collectors will be fabricated.
The City of Surprise has been awarded $1.3 million in Neighborhood Stabilization Program 3 (NSP 3) funds by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.The award can be used to help ease the effects in Surprise of the nationwide foreclosure crisis. The Neighborhood Services Division of the Surprise Community and Economic Development Department uses the funds to purchase foreclosed properties, refurbish them as needed, and resell them to qualified buyers, who must meet income and other guidelines.
“Two years ago Surprise received an NSP 1 allocation of $2.2 million,” says Community and Economic Development Director Jeff Mihelich. “We were one of the first communities in the Western Region of the United States to commit all of its funding. This efficient implementation made us an attractive community for NSP 3 funds.”
Surprise has purchased 18 properties to date with two of the properties being used for reconstructions. The city has sold or is under contract to sell a total of 11 homes to qualified homebuyers. There are approximately 40 people on the NSP waiting list.
“We will continue to use the NSP funding to purchase abandoned and foreclosed properties, to rehabilitate homes, build new affordable and energy efficient homes and to assist needy families with their dream of owning a home of their own,” Mihelich added.
For more information, visit www.surpriseaz.gov or e-mail homebuyerassist@surpriseaz.gov.
The Surprise Small Business Q&A Discussion Group will meet again on Monday, September 27, at City Hall. This is a new date than was originally announced.
After a successful first meeting in August, the 17-member group decided to meet again and extend the invitation to even more participants.
If you are interested in starting a business, increasing your business knowhow or learning how to avoid costly mistakes, make plans to attend the next meeting.
Al Deangelis, Economic Development Coordinator, for the City of Surprise, will be available to answer all your business questions.
The Small Business Q&A Discussion Group meets at City Hall, 16000 N. Civic Center Plaza, in conference room Nl-150. The next meeting is set for Wednesday, September 29, from 10 a.m. - noon.
For information or registration, call Ruby Sitea at 623.222.3242 or ruby.sitea@surpriseaz.gov.
Dysart dismiss Surprise teacher accused of theft
commentsby Amy B Wang - Sept. 20, 2010 09:22 AM
The Arizona Republic
The number of people living in poverty has climbed to 14.3 percent of Americans.
The Census Bureau says that about 43.6 million people, or 1 in 7, were in poverty last year. That’s up from 39.8 million, or 13.2 percent, in 2008.
Arizona wins $39.2 million to boost broadband
Piper grants doled out to Educare Arizona, other groups
Retirees: New jobs hard to come by
Surprise police: Man hit officer with car fleeing traffic stop
Boy burned in grilling accident dies
Investors may lose millions in Sun City real-estate scheme
Surprise police: 2 teenagers robbed at gunpoint
Surprise mother accused of abusing daughter
Can we really understand this gibberish?
Napolitano: ‘This is a civilian border’
Surprise neighborhood shaken after 14-year-old shot in head
IRS to hold Saturday taxpayer help day
They tell us one day how great we are, then give us this garbage.
W. Valley leaders: Restore Arizona’s reputation
Heading for a third world country
Census: 1 in 7 Americans live in poverty
Gila River tribe files suit to block planned Glendale casino
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