At the March 3rd meeting of the Arizona Emergency Services Association in Phoenix, it was revealed that in the wake of the September '09 rains and subsequent record flooding, Quartzsite Town Manager Alex Taft did NOT turn in the "preliminary damage assessment" forms that would have allowed Federal and State funds to have covered THE ENTIRE COST of damages sustained by the Town! Instead, repairs were reportedly paid for from the Town's indebted General Fund...
You see dear taxpayers, La Paz County had been officially declared a "disaster area", which meant that damages would have been covered 75% by Federal funds and 25% by State funds - IF the paperwork had been turned in on time.
In order to fill out the proper documents, they had to be submitted by someone who was "NIM" compliant (National Incident Management). However, nobody on the current Town Council has the required credentials.
If the Towns fiscal interests were foremost on their list, the Council could have called upon former Councilman and current Candidate Bill Moore to fill out the PDAs. (Moore is a Senior Commander, certified by the Arizona Emergency Recovery Office.)
How much money did Taft's blunder cost Quartzsite citizens? Ask the finance department. No wonder the Town is 4 million in the hole! And the incumbents insists it not their fault. But they unanimously approved Ms. Taft contract (after a closed door executive session). Then they unanimously approved the water and sewer rate increase to rake in revenues aimed at offsetting the General Fund deficit used to cover the $250,000 deficit in water and sewer revenues.
I don't know about the other $194,000, but on March 3rd of last year, the Town Council approved payment of $56,000 to contractor Bill Foote for a concrete foundation with drainage hole for the "no kill" animal shelter located on the property of the water and sewer plant. This "Paw Power" shelter, run by Town Manager Alex Taft's Willpower non profit incorporation had an intergovernmental agreement to provide services to the Town, but had been shut down for numerous code violations. Rumor has it that the Council approved supplanting Federal WIFA funds to foot the bill...Caught like deer in the headlights, the original "animal shelter" is now called a "storage building"! A serious audit needs to be done if the substantiating documents still exist... BUT the very public meeting of the Town Council had plenty of witnesses that might remember under oath.
Stay tuned for the rest of the animal control scandal - INCLUDING THE DEATH TOLL AND WHAT CITIZENS PAID FOR THE KILLING OF QUARTZSITE'S STRAYS at the dirty hands of incumbent council persons. "No kill"? HA! What a sick joke played upon those who donated to save these pets.
Hopefully, the voters will seize the opportunity to oust the supporters of Ms. Graft...oops, I mean Taft, and save our beloved desert oasis from further mismanagement.
You see dear taxpayers, La Paz County had been officially declared a "disaster area", which meant that damages would have been covered 75% by Federal funds and 25% by State funds - IF the paperwork had been turned in on time.
In order to fill out the proper documents, they had to be submitted by someone who was "NIM" compliant (National Incident Management). However, nobody on the current Town Council has the required credentials.
If the Towns fiscal interests were foremost on their list, the Council could have called upon former Councilman and current Candidate Bill Moore to fill out the PDAs. (Moore is a Senior Commander, certified by the Arizona Emergency Recovery Office.)
How much money did Taft's blunder cost Quartzsite citizens? Ask the finance department. No wonder the Town is 4 million in the hole! And the incumbents insists it not their fault. But they unanimously approved Ms. Taft contract (after a closed door executive session). Then they unanimously approved the water and sewer rate increase to rake in revenues aimed at offsetting the General Fund deficit used to cover the $250,000 deficit in water and sewer revenues.
I don't know about the other $194,000, but on March 3rd of last year, the Town Council approved payment of $56,000 to contractor Bill Foote for a concrete foundation with drainage hole for the "no kill" animal shelter located on the property of the water and sewer plant. This "Paw Power" shelter, run by Town Manager Alex Taft's Willpower non profit incorporation had an intergovernmental agreement to provide services to the Town, but had been shut down for numerous code violations. Rumor has it that the Council approved supplanting Federal WIFA funds to foot the bill...Caught like deer in the headlights, the original "animal shelter" is now called a "storage building"! A serious audit needs to be done if the substantiating documents still exist... BUT the very public meeting of the Town Council had plenty of witnesses that might remember under oath.
Stay tuned for the rest of the animal control scandal - INCLUDING THE DEATH TOLL AND WHAT CITIZENS PAID FOR THE KILLING OF QUARTZSITE'S STRAYS at the dirty hands of incumbent council persons. "No kill"? HA! What a sick joke played upon those who donated to save these pets.
Hopefully, the voters will seize the opportunity to oust the supporters of Ms. Graft...oops, I mean Taft, and save our beloved desert oasis from further mismanagement.
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Moore isn't certified by the recovery office and is not a State employee....its also not a matter of credentials.. its training..
ReplyDeleteOn 4/13/2009 Moore recieved a certificate for completing.. The class (MAL 376 State Public Assistance Operations) offered by the Arizona Division of Emergency Management...Which deals with funding the repair of public roads and infrastructure after a declared disaster....which a public official should know the FEMA Public Assistance classes were also taken along with the E-grants program none of which the council supports because Moore is qualified and not the usual Taft "friend"
And as far as commander...thats not accurate.. Moore can serve on command staff and is a fully trained PIO and a member of the Arizona Information Officers Association, as well as the Arizona Emergency Services Association
He has been trained to the level of a Senior Level Response Manager as required by the Mid-America Council Government Training Institute.
Which brings up (NIMS) the National Incident Management System...NIMS training is required for mitigation funding that the council ignores... since Quartzsite never floods, never gets hot, power doesn't go out for days, toxic chemicals never get spilled here...and no trucks with toxic gases pass through Town...
You now know why Taft spends hundreds of thousands to develop paved walkways in flood plains where they can be washed out every year..
And lastly....
WIFA funds were used to build the animal shelter.. Taft and Field worked the scam for Paw Power... Follow the money..