Current contract extended through October during negotiations, $20K for GPEC renewed
By Christina FuocoKarasinski The News
The Apache Junction City Council voted unanimously Tuesday, August 18, to temporarily extend cable company Mediacom’s current agreement from the end of August through October. Mediacom is the only cable provider in the City. Satellite TV providers include DirecTV and Dish Network. “Although Mediacom has a license agreement to work in the City,” said Ruth Giese, Assistant to City Manager George Hoffman. “It is not the City who determines who provides cable to our residents. Mediacom chose to come and do business here and the City has a license agreement with Mediacom because of that.” Giese told the City Council during its Monday, August 17, work session that when the contract ends in October, the City will review Mediacom’s report on fixing the violations and have an independent auditor review Mediacom’s practices. Only after that— most likely the beginning of November—will the City negotiate a new contract. Giese summarized the Council’s priorities related to a new contract as follows: • That Mediacom provide a local customer service number that is directed to local representatives that work in the building at 879 N. Plaza Drive during regular business hours. “The current local number, 474-2078, forwards the caller to a national call center,” Giese told the Apache Junction/Gold Canyon News. “What council is referring to is when customers call locally, the call should go to the local Mediacom office.” • That the agreement be limited to five years. • That Mediacom provide a four-hour maximum window of time when a serviceperson can stop by. Right now, it is offering an eight-hour window. • That Mediacom reimburse the City for the independent audit of the October 31, 2009, system infraction report. • That Mediacom pay for an annual performance audit of $10,000 per year up to a total of $40,000. • That all available Mediacom services and products be provided free of charge to all City facilities. Right now, the bundle his services, but added, “It’s been a bear working with them.” Councilwoman Robin Barker asked if this was a time to address rates. But Giese told her it was not. “The next step now is staff will be working with Mediacom to develop the new contract,” Giese said. “The current contract will expire at the end of October. Whether we have a new amended contract by November, I’m not sure. “The bottom line is the City Council wants to make sure that Mediacom provides the best customer service possible to our residents,” she added. “That’s really the main priority. All these details that I talked about really are framed with that in mind.” $20,000 for GPEC renewed In other City Council action, Barker cast the lone “no” vote on the renewal of a contract for economic development services with the Greater ine our priorities and express Phoenix Economic Council concern about what is hap- (GPEC) and the appointment pening to our lifestyle here in the desert. Apache Junction has become one of the most unique areas in the Salt River Valley (in addition to Scottsdale) to make an attempt to preserve portions of the Sonoran Desert. How important is this desert lifestyle? Ask any real estate agent about prop- The City of Apache Junction erty values adjacent to forest is pleased to participate for service lands in the Apache the sixth year in a row in the Junction area. Rock and Roll Paint-a-Thon The desert has always been a on Saturday, October 24. part of our lifestyle. If we are The City coordinates with to enjoy this beautiful desert Rebuilding Together, Valwe must educate people on ley of the Sun, in this statehow to care for it and how wide community-based event delicate it really is. We must which is designed to paint the also learn how to preserve it homes of homeowners with for the future. This we must limited financial resources do now. The City of Apache who are either 60 years of Junction has taken an initia- age or older and/or have a tive to protect natural areas permanent disability for free. in greenbelts. Hopefully the Qualified homeowners must citizen’s of our community have a single-family, singlewill support these attempts to story residence. Condos, preserve the desert for future town homes, duplexes or moresidents of our unique desert bile homes, and multi-story community. homes are not eligible. Recently a business maga- During the past five years, zine of international signifi- local volunteer teams have cance (BusinessWeek) ranked painted the homes of 12 loApache Junction as the fourth cal residents. Across the best city in the United States Valley, this event has been to retire in. Believe me we a huge success, resulting in will need these desert pre- more than 100 qualified Valserves for future generations ley residents receiving a fresh who will be living here in the new paint job on the exterior desert. agreement provides for cable and does not include phone or Internet service. • The scrolling program guide to be part of basic cable. “That was taken off in the last six months for business reasons by Mediacom,” Giese said. • All subcontractors to have a business license in the City as well as proof of insurance. • That Mediacom provide a system infraction audit log on a bi-weekly basis to the Hoffman’s office. Councilman Jeff Serdy expressed his unhappiness with Mediacom. He said a Mediacom salesman called his house about bundling services. Serdy said he told the salesman that they “can’t even take care of the television well” so why should he bundle additional services? Councilman Rick Dietz did
City Negotiating New Cable Contract
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Apache Junction - Gold Canyon News
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August 24 - August 30, 2009
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sponsoring or volunteering, please have them contact me at xtremerooster@msn.com. Rod “Rooster” Reid, Will2Walk Foundation Apache Junction Low life scum bags new to area Please help, someone who does yard clean-ups is dumping the debris on Meridian just south of McKellips. They dump it on the side of the road on Friday, Saturday or Sunday night. It started just two months ago. If you recently hired someone to clean your property or if you rented your property to some person named Jerry, this is the lowlife dumping his trash and your yard debris. So please if you hire someone to keep up your property, make sure they agree to dispose of debris properly or if you rented to Jerry within the last two or three months in the area between Ironwood and Meridian north of McKellips, this is the person trashing the beautiful desert. Let’s stop this person. Keep your eyes open and report suspicious behavior along Meridian to proper authorities. Get license number of vehicle. Also if you recognize these items they dumped in the desert: white plastic high back bar stools, high top bar stool, solar blue pool cover, brown stained wood looks like it was a cabinet or desk of some sort, please call AJPD 480.982.8260 or Pinal County Sheriff 480.982.2241. Jerry Turk, Apache Junction Ghost town? As I drove down the trail from Meridian to Idaho, there was (sic) at least 35 businesses closed!! Apparently no one listens, such a shame. There is nothing left that would keep me here to shop! I’ve been here for 15 years and there has been such a decline. Now where do I go? George Walker, Apache Junction
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were visible from space, the air and high vantage points. The shear numbers of recreationists who use the Superstition Wilderness have heavily impacted the trailheads, trails, water sources, and campsites. This impact dramatically affected the fauna and flora. Stone rings used for campfires are found throughout the wilderness even though the forest rangers have a campaign to reduce them. There are areas where the vegetation is totally denuded, even in isolated and remote locations. There are three modern forms of litter found throughout the wilderness since the 1960s. They are filters from cigarettes, pop-tops from cans and gum wrappers. These are monuments to contemporary human occupancy and use of the region in the 20th Century. Maybe in the 21st Century we will realize how important open space and desert greenbelts will be to future generations. If we don’t recognize the importance of desert greenbelts most of the upper Sonoran Desert life zone will be lost to our society and future generations. If we are to maintain the beauty and solitude of this urban wilderness and the desert around it we need to exam-
Paint-A-Thon Set For Oct. 24
Project is a statewide event
of their homes each year. Homeowner applications are available on the City’s Web site at www.ajcity.net/housing, or by contacting Heather Patel at (480) 474-2635. If you are an elderly/disabled homeowner in Apache Junction, or if you know of such a homeowner, please complete an application and send it to Rebuilding Together: Rebuilding Together (Valley of the Sun) 2123 S. Priest Drive, Suite 213 Tempe, AZ 85282 The City is seeking volunteers to assist in this effort. Please contact Heather Patel at (480) 474-2635 if you are an individual or a group leader who is searching for a way to help your community. For further information or assistance, please contact Heather Patel at the City of Apache Junction at (480) 4742635 or hpatel@ajcity.net.
of Councilman Jeff Serdy as the City representative to the GPEC board of directors. “I have absolutely no doubt that being a member of GPEC will be extremely advantageous to the city in the future,” Barker said in a statement to the Apache Junction/ Gold Canyon News. “However, the CEO of GPEC told the council our benefits this year would be primarily networking, and the city has an economic director who does this very well. We have to make tough financial choices right now, and I believe the $20,000 the GPEC contract calls for would be better spent this year on programs, services or even a parttime employee. We could get back into GPEC later.” The City joined GPEC in 2007 and renewed its membership in 2008. The City contracts with GPEC to provide national and international business recruitment services and targeted marketing, research, competitive analysis and prospect management for commercial/industrial-type prospects (i.e., nonretail).
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