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iTOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS
MINUTES OF THE WORK STUDY SESSION OF THE
FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL
JANUARY 11, 2011
AGENDA ITEM #1 – CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Mayor Schlum called the meeting to order at 5:34 p.m. in the Fountain Hills Town Hall Council Chambers.
Present for roll call were the following members of the Fountain Hills Town Council: Mayor Schlum, Councilmember
Contino, Councilmember Leger*, Vice Mayor Brown, Councilmember Hansen, Councilmember Elkie and
Councilmember Dickey. Town Manager Rick Davis, Town Attorney Andrew McGuire, and Town Clerk Bev Bender
were also present.
* Councilmember Leger participated in the entire meeting through the use of telephonic equipment.
Mayor Schlum requested a moment of silence in recognition of the recent tragic incident that occurred in Tucson.
AGENDA ITEM #2 – PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSION RELATING TO STATE AND TOWN EFFORTS
REGARDING THE ARIZONA 2012 CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
Councilmember Dickey stated that this is the Council's first public meeting since the tragedy in Tucson and said that they
should take the opportunity to renew their commitment to continue on with their service to the community as the
Congresswoman was doing (Rep. Gabrielle Giffords). She stated that they have hope for her full recovery and expressed
the Council's wishes of comfort to all of the victims and families who lost their loved ones.
Councilmember Dickey announced that the Arizona Centennial Celebration will be held on February 14, 2012. She said
that last February she went to the first Centennial Summit and "caught the fever," -- the energy and enthusiasm -- and
brought it back to Town Hall and a Town Centennial Committee was formed with her and Community Services Director
Mark Mayer serving as co-Chairs and Councilmember Hansen. She noted that several members have been added and
they have met two or three times. She added that the Greening of Downtown has been sanctioned as an officially
established Centennial Legacy Project and commended those responsible for this effort. She further stated that she
attended the final Summit that was held in December, where the "Copper Chopper" custom motorcycle was on display
and at that meeting they discussed how the various projects could reflect what the communities want to use in order to tell
their story. She said that for Fountain Hills that often revolves around their volunteers and other great leaders who
contribute generously to the community.
Councilmember Dickey said that by creating a Centennial theme, or a common theme, they could involve a large number
of people in their own natural way. She advised that she just applied for official status to get their hundred event concept
to be a sanctioned event and said Councilmember Hansen will discuss the hundred events later on. She added that at the
final Summit she was so impressed by all of the work that has been done and the excellent presentations that were made
and thought it would be great if the presenters came to Town and shared their presentation, which they are able to do
through Channel 11. She advised that they graciously accepted the Town's invitation. She said that before she introduced
Karen Churchard, the Executive Director of the Ar izona Centennial 2012 Foundation, she wanted to recognize the
members of the Town's Committee (Councilmember Hansen, Dr. Bill Myhr, Jackie Miles, Francesca Carozza, Judi
Confer, Rory Majenty and Mark Mayer.) She said that there are other people present who will also be involved. She
welcomed Ms. Churchard and stated that she will give a great overview of the State's efforts to date as well as their future
plans.
Ms. Churchard addressed the Council and thanked them for the opportunity to do a presentation on the Celebration. She
highlighted a brief PowerPoint presentation (a complete copy is available in the office of the Town Clerk) and noted, as
previously mentioned, that the State will turn 100 years old on February 14, 2012 and they are starting their countdown on
February 14, 2011. She advised that the Centennial Commission was established by Governor Napolitano and again by
Governor Brewer and one of their tasks was to set up a 501(c)(3) Foundation, which they have done and all of the
members of the Board of Directors and volunteers fall under that area. She reported that there are four different categories
of involvement and said that signature projects and events have been chosen that they will fund, manage and produce.
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She added that the communities and non-profits will get involved by having an official Centennial Event Designation or
through the sanctioning of a Legacy Project.
Ms. Churchard discussed the Signature projects and noted that the main projects they are working on include the Ari zona
Centennial Museum (name might change) and it is currently the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. She stated that
the concept is to transform that Museum into more of the Arizona experience (talk about Arizona in a meaningful way and
showcase the State's geography, the five "C's" that formed the State and the history. She stressed the importance of
having a place where children can go and learn about bioscience and solar energy in an interactive manner. She added
that Centennial Way is a major transportation enhancement project chosen by the Department of Administration and they
are looking at concepts right now and are in the design/build process. She advised that they plan to break ground on
February 14th and completion is scheduled for December of 2011. She noted that there will be shade structures that talk
about the State and said that they will have a marker for each County and are also working with the Tribes to have
markers for all of them as well.
Ms. Churchard stated that another project that they would like to get the schools involved in is the Centennial Penny
Drive, which they are just now kicking off with the various educational facilities. She said that the official kickoff date is
February 9th, the date on which Arizona ratified the Constitution in 1911. She advised that they are not only asking the
children to help raise pennies to clean the copper dome at the State Capital, they also want to teach them some educational
history about the State and how they began. She noted that as the 48th State, they decided to run the drive for 48 days and
ironically it lands on April 15th so another lesson will be on taxes and there will be school awards as well. She reported
that another Signature Project is the memorials in Wesley Bolin Plaza and said that there are three specific memorials that
they would like to have refurbished, starting with the USS Arizona Anchor Memorial in addition to the Ernest W.
McFarland Memorial and the Peace Officer Memorials.
Ms. Churchard commented on the Historical Markers and the fact that this is a funded program; the fact that many of the
markers have been defaced and require work; the fact that their goal is to design a new sustainable marker and have 100
new markers to be added by the end of 2012; the Centennial Trees Project and Ms. Churchard's positive comments
regarding the Town's Greening Project; the fact that their main objective is to ask cities, towns and counties to plant trees;
a volunteer program entitled "The Centennial Challenge" that encourages citizens to sign up for 100 hours of volunteer
service during the Centennial year; and the U.S. Postal Service Project that will consist of a Centennial stamp unveiling in
2011with a first-time issue date during the early part of 2012.
Ms. Churchard discussed Signature Events, including the "Copper Chopper," a traveling exhibit (tickets are being sold to
win it to help fund associated costs). She talked about the Arizona Centennial Best Fest (a major street festival that will
be held in Prescott, Tucson and Phoenix) and said it will feature the best of Arizona in all different aspects (food, dance,
arts, etc.). She further stated that national entertainers with ties to Arizona will participate and the Mormon Tabernacle
Choir will be featured at the Phoenix event. She noted that there will be three villages and six pav ilions all tied to the
future of Arizona. She stated that the Arizona Centennial Ride, a motorcycle event, will take place in Phoenix on
February 11th and 12th, 2012 and the drawing for the "Copper Chopper" will be held at that event. She added that the
Union Pacific Steam Engine Tour will take place in October 2011 and said that it will travel through New Mexico and
come into the southern part of Arizona and on up to the Phoenix area. She also discussed Arizona Statehood Day and
stated that it will take place on Tuesday, February 14, 2012. She noted that they are planning a sunrise ceremony at the
Capital. She said that there will also be a Centenarian Brunch (750 currently reside in Arizona), a re -dedication of
Washington Street and Admission Day Parade and Fandango Arizona, celebrating 100 years (elected officials, celebrities,
entertainment and tributes).
Ms. Churchard also discussed the community side of the celebration, the Sanctioned Events, and advised that they are
encouraging cities and towns, tribes and counties to participate in ways that are meaningful to them. She said that they all
have financial challenges and one of the easiest ways to get involved is to take one of their existing events and have a
Centennial component and the official sanctioning. Ms. Churchard outlined a number of proposed events and strongly
encouraged participation by everyone. She commented on the Legacy Projects (Fountain Hills has that sanctioning) and
highlighted a number of those projects that are in the works as well.
Ms. Churchard informed the Council that they are looking forward to working with the media to talk about Arizona and
creative, consistent messaging across the State. She discussed "brand" awareness and the importance of that component
to the overall project. She added that they are working on street banners for the different cities and along Washington
Street. She said that eventually they will be working on banners for outdoor billboards that have different looks and feels
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and hopefully they will get to an advertising standpoint where they can really start talking about Arizona in a positive way
and all the great culture and arts that they have. She stated that they have a merchandise company that is doing all the
collectibles and wearables containing the logo as well as clothing. She reported that their website is live and working and
can be accessed by logging onto www.Arizona100.org. She thanked the Council again for the opportunity to appear
before them this evening and indicated her willingness to respond to any questions.
Mayor Schlum thanked Ms. Churchard for her presentation.
Councilmember Dickey asked who was going to be helping with the Museum and Ms. Churchard replied that Patrick
Gallagher will be working on that. She said that he is with Gallagher & Associates out of Washington, D.C. and he is
currently providing his services pro bono. She noted that he is a world-renown designer of museums and provided a brief
summary of some of his extraordinary accomplishments. She said that he is on the cutting edge of all the technology and
interactive displays that children want to touch and feel so they are really fortunate to have him.
In response to a question from the Mayor, Councilmember Dickey stated that they should now move on and hear from
Mark Mayer and some of the members of the Committee.
Mr. Mayer addressed the Council and stated that the Town has been working on this project for over a year now and he
and Parks Supervisor Don Clark have been heavily involved. He stated that the accomplishments that the group has made
are clearly in character with what the Centennial Celebration is all about. He added that as Councilmember Dickey stated,
they have now done two phases of planning and are working on a third and potentially a fo urth phase. He noted that the
breadth of it depends on the extent of funding and reported that they have now crossed the $80,000 mark in donations
between the grants and private donations -- a very worthy fundraising effort. He added that the next phase being
discussed is a potential wedding grove to work in conjunction with and offer another venue in the park for weddings,
receptions and things like that. He reported that they do need some dollars and he noted that he had put a request in the
Parks & Recreation budget for $10,000 on behalf of the Committee so they can continue their work. He stated that
hopefully the Council will approve that request and the money will be available as early as July 1st.
Mayor Schlum thanked Mr. Mayer for his remarks and efforts in this regard.
Councilmember Hansen advised that when the Committee met one of the first things they had discussed was the fact that
funding was a major issue. She said that they looked at the community and recognized what an active community they
have -- so many different groups and so many different existing events and they thought there had to be a way to
piggyback off of that and gain community involvement on a wider basis. She added that they could also latch on to all the
creativity of these groups to come up with possible projects on their own. She noted that at that first meeting they
identified 25 of the groups and then made up projects that they might consider doing (i.e. ADOG -- make the goal 100
adoptions, etc.). She reviewed a list of possible projects for consideration (a copy is available in the office of the Town
Clerk). She said that they also piggybacked off of some of the great lists they already have from the Community Guide,
which lists virtually every organization they have in Town and gives contact information, and they used the phone book
and they compiled a list that they are playing off of. She stated that right now they are working on contact information
but they would like to send out a mailing to all these different groups and invite them to join with the Committee in this
effort. She urged everyone to get creative and come up with a Centennial event.
Councilmember Dickey noted that the Committee welcomes suggestions (the current document is simply a draft). She
also thanked Councilmember Hansen for all of her hard work. She said that the groups' input will be invaluable and she
strongly encouraged them to become involved.
Councilmember Hansen spoke to the quilters in Town and said that a quilt with the Centennial logo on it would be great
for the Community Center.
Francesca Carozza, representing the Chamber and the Visitors' Bureau addressed the Council and announced that the
Copper Chopper will be at the Great Fair on that Friday and Saturday at Saguaro an d the Avenue of the Fountains (a
smaller display). She stated that the Chamber is really happy to be involved in this celebration.
Mayor Schlum thanked Ms. Carozza for her efforts and comments this evening.
Judi Confer addressed the Council and discussed her organization's mission and the many special projects they are
involved in. She said that it has been her pleasure to work with the Yavapai, especially their President, who has been
gracious enough to teach them a lot of their history so they can teach it in their museum. She noted that they are a very
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small tribe, under 1,000 people, and a great neighbor and friend. She commented on their generosity and said that they
feel it is very important for the citizens of the State to understand how fortunate they are to have the Native American
Tribes there and form the basis for their history. She added that they are developing plans to form partnerships for the
future, particularly with the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. She discussed perhaps having a joint plaque or marker on
the borders of their communities and noted that the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation also has a Centennial Committee and
is working with them as well. She said that they are anxious to have the entire wonderful plan unfold and stressed the
importance, particularly in this economy, of being creative. She noted that they are fortunate to have a speaker who will
appear on January 19th and talk about many of the Native American traditions and encouraged people to call for
reservations and attend the event. She advised that the Museum is doing an autobiography of President Clinton Pattea as
one of their Centennial projects and commented that they are also working with the University of Illinois and explained
that the most famous Yavapai of all is a graduate of that institution (the first Native American graduate - Class of 1863).
She noted that he was President of that class and went on to be the first Native American Mayo medical doctor. She
stated that she hopes that the events will enlighten everyone.
Mayor Schlum thanked Ms. Confer and all of the members for their outstanding efforts and contributions to the entire
community.
Former Mayor Jerry Miles and Sandi Thompson, Chair of the Public Art Committee, addressed the Council and discussed
the Centennial Circle concept plan. Mr. Miles stated that they are here as the result of a conversation he and his wife
Jackie had a few nights ago and she said it would be nice to find a really nice signature project for the Centennial. He said
that their stated goal is to have 100 pieces of public art in place by February 14, 2012 and believe that they will in fact
reach that ambitious goal. He reported that he and members of the Historical Society have been working for the past two
years on the Town's history and said that that should be coming out on a trial basis in the near future and they hope to
publish that during the Centennial year with the first edition being a Town Centennial Project.
Mr. Miles advised that Sandi Thompson has been working hard on the Centennial Circle and noted that the President of
the Cultural & Civic Association has been strongly involved as well. He referred to an aerial photograph of an area he
said he was sure everyone would recognize and noted that the piece of sculpture in front of it is called "Power of Thought"
(a copy is available in the office of the Town Clerk). He reported that the piece was put in place on a temporary basis and
the group has been working very hard to pay for it (the artist gave them 18 months to do so). He referred to a rough draft
that will go in front of it and said that there are 43 names on it of people who have given $5.00 or more to make this
happen. He stated that they are hoping that this can be dedicated on February 13th of 2011 to kick off the year of
Centennial Celebrations and the artist plans to join them for that.
Mr. Miles reported that the thinking behind the Centennial Circle is to create recognition of what has happened in Arizona
over the years and a desire to begin improving a piece of real estate that has been sitting vacant in the Town since the
Town was created (since the Civic Center and Town Hall were created over ten years ago). He stated that they want to
participate in the Celebration and attract visitors to the community. He said that they envision a 10-foot in diameter
Arizona Centennial seal that would be put in tile and a local artist would be asked to draw up a plan to have that done and
then they want to have their kids actually place the tiles in place. He added that it is important for the youths to become
involved and know what is going on. He said that they then want to make a monument to the five C's -- cattle, climate,
cotton, copper and citrus and he discussed the photos of a suggested base. He discussed the plaques that would be made
and the pictures/symbols on each and noted that this would be a joint project with multiple organizations becoming
involved (he listed the various organizations that would be participating). He said that he has put together a formal
presentation to the Arizona Centennial Commission that the Council should be receiving in just a few days.
Mr. Miles advised that he and his group would like to ask the Council to do the following:
1) At the next Council meeting or their first meeting in February, they would like the Council to adopt a resolution
agreeing to designate the circle as the Fountain Hills Centennial Circle and said that that would give them the
impetus to move forward; what they are proposing right now is just the beginning and they would like the Council's
support on this.
2) Mr. Miles stated that they would like the Town Council to agree to be a joint sponsor of the Circle and let that fact be
mentioned in the application to the State Centennial Commission.
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3) They would like the Council to allocate funds (or begin the allocation process) to pay for the cost of the seal (cost
will be forthcoming in near future) and the cost of the bases for the five C's. He said that t he group will raise the
private funds to cover the cost of the plaques. He added that they are hoping that that commitment can be in place
before February 14th of this year.
4) They would request that the Council authorize staff to work with the Fountain Hills Centennial Circle Committee,
made up of all the groups he mentioned, to talk about additional improvements to be placed in the circle.
Mr. Miles stated that every time he has shown pictures of the proposals he has received numerous suggestions and he has
told everyone that it has to be a joint effort to get those things done. He said that they know they need to have various
types of ground cover, pavers or walkways, some low walls and seating areas and an outdoor gathering area for public
events and meetings. He further stated that as far as public art, they would like to have four or five more sites for pieces
of art. He noted that when they first talked about this they said it would be nice to have 24 pieces of art in the Community
Center and Town Hall area and they are pushing that number right now (if you count the number of pieces that are inside
the Center they are over that amount). He stressed that art is a people draw. He stated that they want the Council to say,
"Yes, let's go ahead and start looking at that" and their goal is to have something to present to the Council for their
2011/2012 budget process. He said that they know it will have to be done in stages and the ultimate goal is to have a
signature project for the Fountain Hills Centennial Commission and one that will attract visitors for many, many years.
Mayor Schlum thanked former Mayor Miles for his presentation.
Mr. Miles reported that the circle is 156 feet in diameter. He said that the land has sat vacant for all these y ears and it is
time to do something. He added that the Council has to give them a boost to move forward and if they do , it will be quite
an accomplishment for everyone. He noted that the Library Association is very anxious to make suggestions and they will
be meeting with them as soon as the Council is on board.
Mayor Schlum again thanked for Mayor Miles and his Committee for their great ideas and accomplishments that have
benefitted the entire Town. He said that this item will be on an agenda coming up soon.
Councilmember Dickey thanked Judi Confer for reminding them to maintain a regional mind set with all of their
wonderful neighbors and thanked her colleagues from the American Association of University Women who attended the
meeting this evening because they are also working on projects for this and the Council appreciates their attendance. She
added that she wanted to thank everyone who has been involved and said that many people have expressed interest in
participating and they will be contacted as this moves forward. She stated that there may be more individually Sanctioned
Projects and they will be reaching out for help -- not only for funding, but also for suggestions, participation and
creativity. She noted that their intention for this year-long journey is to start on 2/13 of this year and culminate on the
14th of 2012 and they hope that this journey will strengthen the foundations and the friendships that they have in the
community and that they can serve as a beacon for the State and, as the Mayor said, that they will have "an awesome
birthday party."
Mayor Schlum said that Arizona has never looked better.
Councilmember Leger thanked everyone who presented this evening and commented on the enthusiasm that exists and the
wonderful slate of activities that are planned. He said that he doesn't think that the State's Centennial could have come at
a better time for the State of Arizona.
Mayor Schlum thanked Ms. Churchard and everyone for their wonderful presentations and plans for the commu nity and
the Celebration. He also thanked all of the volunteers who will be participating. He stated that Arizona will "shine very
well during this celebration."
AGENDA ITEM #3 – ADJOURNMENT.
The meeting adjourned without objection at 6:30 p.m.
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TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS
By __________________________
Jay T. Schlum, Mayor
ATTEST AND
PREPARED BY:
__________________________
Bevelyn J. Bender, Town Clerk
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Work Study Session held by
the Town Council of Fountain Hills in the Town Hall Council Chambers on the 11th day of January, 2011. I further
certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present.
DATED this 3rd day of February, 2011.
_____________________________
Bevelyn J. Bender, Town Clerk
