Pima County Conservation Acquisition Commission

Meeting

Manning House

450 West Paseo Redondo

Thursday, November 18, 2004

3:00 p.m.

A. Motions at the November 18 Meeting

MOTION: Commissioner Pettis moved, seconded by Commission Prouty, to hold an executive session. Approved 9-0.

MOTION: Commissioner Shattuck moved, seconded by Commissioner Marshall, to direct the County to focus on large landscape acquisitions south of Ajo Highway and west of I-19. Motion approved 9-0.

MOTION: Vice-Chair Johnson moved, seconded by Commissioner Wilson, to direct staff to look into the possibility of tax reductions for properties with conservation easements. Motion approved 9-0.

MOTION: Commissioner Pettis moved, seconded by Commissioner Marshall, to acquire the Bee/Mordka properties. Motion approved 7-0, with Commissioners Wilson and Arnold abstaining. Commissioner Arnold abstained due to a conflict of interest.

MOTION: Commissioner Wilson moved, seconded by Commissioner Pettis, to purchase the Doucette property. Motion approved 8-0.

MOTION: Commissioner Pettis moved, seconded by Commissioner Shattuck, to move forward with the acquisition agreement for Bar V Ranch and come back to the Commission in January. Motion approved 7-0. Commissioner Prouty declared a conflict of interest, did not participate in the discussion, and did not vote. Commissioner Arnold had previously declared a conflict of interest and had left the meeting before this agenda item was discussed.

MOTION: Vice-Chair Johnson moved, seconded by Commissioner Hare, to take no action on the non-bond properties (Morgan/Cohen, Old Amado Mine, Holsclaw, Bloom, Moss, UA Foundation), with final action to take place at the January 11, 2005 meeting. Motion approved 8-0.

MOTION: Vice-Chair Johnson moved, seconded by Commissioner Prouty, to begin due diligence for Poteet and surrounding properties. Motion approved 8-0.

MOTION: Commissioner Hare moved, seconded by Commissioner Wilson, to begin due diligence for Curtis and surrounding properties. Motion approved 7-1.

MOTION: Commissioner Marshall moved, seconded by Commissioner Pettis, to accept staff’s recommendation to not begin due diligence for the Argidan properties. Motion approved 7-0 with one abstention.

MOTION: Commissioner Wilson moved, seconded by Commissioner Pettis, to concur with staff’s recommendations to begin due diligence for the Whitaker property if owners of adjacent properties that would link this property to Tucson Mountain Park also agree to enter into negotiations with the County for sale of their properties. Motion approved 8-0.

MOTION: Commissioner Pettis moved, seconded by Commissioner Prouty, to concur with staff’s recommendations to begin due diligence for the South Corridor parcels to the west that can connect existing Tucson Mountain Park holdings, before pursuing the Heater Parcel. Motion approved 8-0.

MOTION: Commissioner Marshall moved, seconded by Commissioner Wilson, to concur with staff’s recommendations not to acquire the Hennessy property. Motion approved 8-0.

MOTION: Vice-Chair Johnson moved, seconded by Commissioner Pettis to direct staff to begin due diligence for the Belvedere Property. Motion approved 8-0.

B. Direction to Staff

The Commission directed staff to provide the Commission with a summary of possible conservation opportunities (fee simple acquisition and/or conservation easements) within the 6 connection analysis areas (parcels, size of parcels, location of parcels). The summary will be limited to Habitat Protection Priorities, except for the connection analysis areas where parcels not identified as Habitat Protection Priorities are necessary to the connection. This summary is to be presented at the January 11, 2005 meeting.

SUMMARY OF MEETING

The following is a summary of the November 18, 2004 meeting. Audiotapes of the meeting are available upon request.

1. Roll Call

The meeting was called to order at 3:05 p.m. with a quorum.

Commissioners Present Commissioners Absent

Bill Arnold (left before Doucette Item) Les Corey

Trevor Hare Tom Sheridan

Jan Johnson, Vice-Chair

Rob Marshall

Chuck Pettis

Tim Prouty

Bill Roe, Chair

Wanda Shattuck

Helen Wilson

2. Executive Session

MOTION: Commissioner Pettis moved, seconded by Commission Prouty, to hold an executive session. Approved 9-0. The Commission met in executive session from 3:05 p.m. to 3:25 p.m.

3. Approval of October 14 Meeting Summary

MOTION: Commissioner Prouty moved, seconded by Commissioner Hare, to approve the October 14 meeting summary. Motion approved 9-0.

4. Goals and Criteria for evaluating candidate acquisitions

At the October 14 meeting, the Commission requested that staff provide the following analysis of properties identified in the bond ordinance as private Habitat Protection Priorities: Private Habitat Protection Priority parcels within all 3 analysis areas (Large landscapes, Important Riparian Areas, Critical Landscape Connections); and Private Habitat Protection Priority parcels within 2 analysis areas (Large landscapes, Important Riparian Areas, Critical Landscape Connections). Nicole Fyffe, Commission Coordinator, presented the results of this analysis and Commissioners received copies of each of the maps.

MOTION: Commissioner Shattuck moved, seconded by Commissioner Marshall, to direct the County to focus on large landscape acquisitions south of Ajo Highway and west of I-19. Motion approved 9-0.

5. Conservation Easements and Assessed Value

Rick Lyons, County Assessor, spoke to the Commission about reductions in assessed value of properties with conservation easements, including how the County assesses property values, and history of past County efforts at submitting legislation to reduce assessed values for properties with conservation easements.

MOTION: Vice-Chair Johnson moved, seconded by Commissioner Wilson, to direct staff to look into the possibility of tax reductions for properties with conservation easements. Motion approved 9-0.

6. Update on 1997/2004 Conservation Bond Program Expenditures

Nicole Fyffe distributed an update of 1997 and 2004 Conservation Bond Program Expenditures as of October 31, 2004.

7. Bee/Mordka Properties

Staff recommended approval of the acquisition of the Bee/Mordka properties - three parcels totaling 160 acres located west of Tucson Mountain Park along the Brawley Wash, included in the 2004 Bond Ordinance as high priority private Habitat Protection Priorities within the Avra Valley sub area, for a total of $84,217 ($526 an acre) including estimated closing costs.

8. Doucette Property

Staff recommended approval of the acquisition of 21 acres of the Doucette property – a 24 acre parcel located along the Agua Caliente Wash near the intersection of Houghton and Tanque Verde roads, included in the 2004 Bond Ordinance as a City of Tucson Jurisdictional Request, for $560,000 ($26,667 an acre).

MOTION: Commissioner Wilson moved, seconded by Commissioner Pettis, to purchase the Doucette property. Motion approved 8-0.

9. Bar V Ranch/Davidson Canyon

County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry recommended that the Commission allow the County to continue to work out the details of the acquisition agreement and to bring a completed agreement back to the Commission in January.

Commissioner Prouty declared a conflict of interest, did not participate in the discussion, and did not vote. Commissioner Arnold had previously declared a conflict of interest and had left the meeting before this agenda item was discussed.

10. Applications for the Sale of Open Space

A. Non-Bond Properties

Staff did not recommend acquisition of the six non-bond properties with 2004 bond funds:

· Morgan/Cohen (SE Corridor)

· Old Amado Mine (Arivaca Area)

· Holsclaw (Ironwood Forest National Monument)

· Bloom (Saguaro National Park West)

· Moss (SE Corridor)

· UA Foundation (Agua Caliente Wash adjacent to Forest Boundary)

B. Habitat Protection Priorities

Staff recommended beginning due diligence for Poteet and Curtis properties and surrounding properties. Staff did not recommend beginning due diligence for the Argidan properties.

MOTION: Vice-Chair Johnson moved, seconded by Commissioner Prouty, to begin due diligence for Poteet and surrounding properties. Motion approved 8-0.

MOTION: Commissioner Hare moved, seconded by Commissioner Wilson, to begin due diligence for Curtis and surrounding properties. Motion approved 7-1.

C. Community Open Space Priorities

Staff recommended beginning due diligence for the Whitaker (Camino de Oeste) property if owners of adjacent properties that would link this property to Tucson Mountain Park also agree to enter into negotiations with the County for sale of their properties.

Michael Berard, advocate for the South Corridor project area, spoke in support of acquisitions in this area. Mr. Berard had previously submitted to the Commission a 1-pg statement in support of this project area.

A letter from Susan Randolph, written on behalf of the Santa Cruz Southwest Neighborhood Association in support of the South Corridor project area was distributed to the Commission at the meeting.

Staff recommended beginning due diligence for the South Corridor parcels to the west that can connect existing Tucson Mountain Park holdings, before pursuing the Heater Parcel.

Staff did not recommend the acquisition of the Hennessy property due to the high asking price ($1 million or $128,205 per acre).

MOTION: Commissioner Marshall moved, seconded by Commissioner Wilson, to concur with staff’s recommendations not to acquire the Hennessy property. Motion approved 8-0.

D. Jurisdictional Open Space – Belvedere Property

Staff recommended beginning due diligence for the Belvedere Property.

MOTION: Vice-Chair Johnson moved, seconded by Commissioner Pettis to direct staff to begin due diligence for the Belvedere Property. Motion approved 8-0.

11. Updates:

Baker Property: Christine Curtis, Real Property Agent, reported that the property was purchased on October 19 and that the County may go ahead with a quiet title action to eliminate an old easement across the property for the passage of cattle.

Green Valley Hills: Mr. Huckelberry reported that the owner has or will be requesting an additional 90-day extension from the Planning and Zoning Commission.

12. Next Commission Meeting

The next Commission meeting is scheduled for January 11, 2005 at 3 p.m.

13. Call to the Public

Barbara Elphbrandt, representative for the A-Mountain Neighborhood Association and the Enchanted Hills Neighborhood Association, reported that these associations passed a resolution to support acquisitions along the 36^th Street Corridor.

Beryl Baker, facilitator for the West Branch Neighborhood stated that she supported acquisitions that would protect a corridor from Tucson Mountain Park to the West Branch of the Santa Cruz.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:15 p.m.