By Jack Stinnett
Following his recall and decision to run for election, Mayor Hiremath posted a statement on his campaign web site disputing that the purchase of the El Conquistador Golf and Country Club was a “Backroom Deal ,” he said:
“The recall election which is to be held on November 3 of this year, centers on a mistruth that is intentionally being spread.
The mistruth is that the acquisition of the El Conquistador Country Club was a “backroom deal” and no public input was gathered. Here are the facts: it is a requirement of our State law that we provide public hearings. As a result, we provided three hearings for the public to express a variety of views pertaining to the acquisition of the El Conquistador Country Club and half cent sales tax dedicated to the purchase.”
Below is the essence of my response in an August 17th opinion piece posted on the Let Oro Valley Excel blog. (Read Here I have added amplifying information [italicized] where appropriate to provide a more complete picture.
The Mayor’s statement presents a “carefully crafted” lie regarding public participation in the process of purchasing the El Conquistador Country Club.
The Mayor implies in his statement that there was meaningful public input into the Town’s purchase of the facilities and the increase in the sales tax. The facts, however, do not support his position. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
YES – there were three public meetings in which the public had an opportunity to opine on the purchase. However, at no time did residents have the opportunity to influence the decision to purchase the El Conquistador golf courses and the decision to raise the local sales tax to support the golf course.
Let’s take a look at the public hearings to which, I believe Mayor Hiremath referred to in his statement.
- Meeting 1: December 3, 2014
The purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club was revealed for the first time to the public at the Oro Valley Town Council’s December 3, 2014 regular meeting.
At this meeting, the Town presented it’s proposal in support of the purchase in 30 minutes. Mayor Hiremath, Councilmembers Hornat, Snider and Waters asked no substantive questions, although they did appear familiar with the subject matter.
There was an immediate public outcry led by Explorer Editor Thelma Grimes, who characterized the purchase as a backroom deal in her December 10th 2014 editorial ,”The Secret is out.” (Read Here)
- Meeting 2: December 9, 2014
The purchase proposal was then presented to the Oro Valley Parks and Recreation Advisory Board [PRAB] on December 9th. The Town had abruptly cancelled the PRAB regularly scheduled November 17 meeting and rescheduled it to December 9th so that PRAB could approve the purchase of the El Conquistador Country Club prior to the December 17th Council vote.
As I listened to the presentation it appeared to me that Town Manager Caton expected a PRAB “rubber stamp” of approval. However, after 90 minutes of questions to Mr Caton and Town staff presenters, PRAB members did not pass the Town’s motion to approve the purchase. Instead, PRAB passed a motion 5-1 supporting the acquisition of the EL Conquistador recreational facilities but not the three golf courses.
- Meeting 3: December 17, 2014
The Town El Conquistador purchase proposal was then presented at the regularly scheduled December 17th meeting. It was approved on a 4-3 vote. Those in favor: Mayor Hiremath, and Councilmembers Hornat, Snider, and Waters. The approval came after many residents spoke against the rushed purchase stating their opposition to the deal, inadequate due diligence, lack of public review meetings and the lack of transparency.
No true public meetings were held on this purchase and tax increase. The public Council meetings were perfunctory to meet minimum State law requirements.
Following the LOVE posting and resident comments regarding public hearings Mayor Hiremath “walked back” his web site statement removing:
“we provided three hearings for the public to express a variety of views pertaining to the acquisition” and replacing it with “As a result everything was discussed in an open public forum” and the public was given the opportunity to express a variety of views pertaining to the acquisition.” (Read Here)
However, the El Conquistador presentation was not the only business conducted in the 5 hour December 9 PRAB meeting.
An earlier agenda item was the final presentation of the Naranja Park Update Plan and Park Layout by McGann & Associates.
In the September 16, 2014 PRAB meeting McGann and Town staff professionals presented their recommendations from an extensive six month study with resident surveys and public outreach meetings. (Read Here)
Their recommendations were for youth and family sports fields, playgrounds, BMX course, splash pads, picnic ramadas, and trails.
The Naranja Park Update team also planned space for a future community center and connected 4 court tennis facility. The community center was to be developed after the 26 acres of youth and family sports facilities, and later become the center piece of Naranja Park. PRAB approved the Park Plan 7-0.
Don McGann opened the December 9 Naranja Plan final presentation by stating: “There have been changes since the last meeting in September, at that time the plan contained a community center, and some tennis courts, now that has changed.” He continued, “I understand it is not final but likely, so we have continued with planning assuming the above will be in place elsewhere.”
We were stunned to learn that the community center and adjoining tennis complex approved by PRAB in September, and the Town Council in October, had been removed from the Naranja Park Plan. McGann advised that the community center and tennis court complex had been replaced by a $7 million 40,000 square foot “Event Center” (rejected by PRAB in the September meeting) and a large group picnic area. (Read Here)
McGann replied to a PRAB push back on the Event Center stating: “as things have developed with the El Conquistador it is a perfect complement to that type of facility.”
The Town, working through McGann and Associates, had completely revised the Naranja Park layout removing the community center and inserting an event center not appropriate for the Park. The event center was never discussed in public meetings, resident surveys, park user group meetings, or neighborhood meetings. (Read Here)
All this occurred eight days before Oro Valley residents could speak out in the December 17th Town Council meeting to offer their input on the El Con deal. The Town knew the “correct” answer and directed McGann to remove the community center and tennis courts since they would be provided by the acquisition of the El Conquistador Country Club.
It was a done deal – a backroom deal – now all Mayor Hiremath and Councilmembers Hornat, Snider and Waters had to do was to suffer through three hours of resident complaints and alternative recommendations in the December 17th public hearing, and then after “listening” to residents, vote 4-3 to approve the purchase.
Quoting from Editor Grimes’ December 10th Explorer editorial: “After all, it appears the December 17 public hearing is merely a formality, and public input is just because the law says they have to collect it. With how this so-called ganga deal has been handled so far, I wouldn’t be surprised if those voting with the majority don’t bring head phones and listen to some iTunes so they don’t have to hear from the pesky public who may not want to foot the bill for a golf course they probably won’t use.”