United for Tusayan
Because we live here
Foster: Put My Sister on Ice
The tale of Tusayan’s incorporation took another strange twist Wednesday, pitting sister against sister.
Bess Thurston-Foster, who filed a lawsuit last week to stop incorporation from moving forward, amended the suit on Wednesday to include as a defendant the town of Tusayan and its new council, which includes her sister, Clarinda Vail.
The sisters and their law firm find themselves in an awkward spot. Foster’s lawsuit is nearly identical to two suits that Clarinda herself filed in 2009, but this time, as a councilperson, she’s a defendant. Furthermore, Foster is using the same Phoenix law firm as Clarinda did when she filed the suit.
Foster’s amendment also seeks to annul the actions of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors taken Monday to declare Tusayan a town, and set aside the appointment of council members. In short, Foster wants her sister and the other board members on ice – for now.
A hearing to determine merit on the lawsuit will take place Wed., April 14 in Flagstaff.
Coconino County has taken a neutral stance on the lawsuit. The new town council must now decide how they will go about defending the lawsuit, and whether Clarinda will recuse herself from any potential council votes regarding the matter.
Stay tuned to UnitedForTusayan.com for more breaking news…
Shearer Named First Mayor
In a historic vote by the Tusayan Town Council, Pete Shearer was named Tusayan’s first Mayor yesterday.
The council unanimously voted for Shearer after Clarinda Vail made a motion to nominate Shearer, and Ann Wren seconded the motion. The group proceeded to unanimously approve Greg Bryan as Vice Mayor, with a nomination from Wren and a second to the motion from Al Montoya.
Shearer, member of the Tusayan Sanitary District, stayed relatively quiet during the incorporation campaign, but played a role in several recent community issues. On Feb. 10, he sat on the committee at a public forum sponsored by the NO campaign that called into question the economic viability of Tusayan. However, he joined incorporation proponents in supporting a temporary housing plan at the Camper Village Campground last year that remains in limbo at the Coconino County Planning and Zoning Commission. Shearer also has been a longtime supporter of a new park.
Shearer, a highly regarded community member, will be tasked with moving Tusayan forward after a hard fought election campaign. As housing clearly became the top issue in the incorporation campaign, he now has the opportunity to demonstrate to voters his leadership in finding ways to offer residents new housing options, as well as continued commitment to the park, and fiscal responsibility as the town assembles its first budget.
Tusayan's first town council. Shearer, right, is the first Mayor.
County Board Confirms Council Recommendations
In a packed meeting room in Flagstaff, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors yesterday voted to recognize Tusayan as an incorporated town, and picked members of the first town council.
Despite objections over several people in attendance, the Board confirmed the controversial appointment of Clarinda Vail, whose family filed a lawsuit last week to stop incorporation from moving forward. The lawsuit is nearly identical to two others Clarinda herself filed in 2009 and threatened on election night to file again.
A hearing to determine merit on the lawsuit will take place Wed., April 14 in Flagstaff.
United For Tusayan members Cecily Maniaci, Bob Blasi and Joe Fortenberry asked the Board members to take into account the legal challenge before voting, but the comments fell on deaf ears, as the Board declined comment on the lawsuit.
Chris and John Thurston also made public remarks, praising the Board for its selections.
Supervisors Carl Taylor, whose district represents Tusayan, and Liz Archuleta said they take all five members of the selected council at their word that they all want to work to make Tusayan a success.
After the public remarks, the Board unanimously voted to confirm the recommendations of the Tusayan Advisory Committee chaired by Taylor. After the vote, residents Greg Bryan, Al Montoya, Pete Shearer, Clarinda Vail and Ann Wren were sworn in as Tusayan’s historic first town council.
Prior to the vote on the council, the Board unanimously voted to “Order and declare that the inhabitants of the community of Tusayan shall be incorporated as a body politic under the Constitution and laws of the State of Arizona and be known hereafter as the Town of Tusayan.”
Supervisors Taylor, Archuleta, Matt Ryan and Mandy Metzger all said they will support Tusayan and are optimistic it will succeed as a town. Supervisor Lena Fowler was not in attendance.
Tusayan’s first town council meeting takes place today at 2 p.m. at the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn. Stay tuned to UnitedForTusayan.com for a meeting recap…
- Supervisor Carl Taylor swears in Tusayan’s historic first town council.
BREAKING NEWS: Thurston-Foster Files Suit to Stop Tusayan Incorporation
A day after Clarinda Vail was recommended to serve on Tusayan’s first town council, the lawsuit she promised became a reality.
Now, Clarinda finds herself in a dangerously awkward spot, potentially serving on the first council tasked with providing the community the resources to succeed as an incorporated town, with family interests that directly contradict that mission.
Bess Thurston-Foster, Clarinda’s sister, yesterday filed the lawsuit to stop Tusayan from moving forward as an incorporated town. The suit alleges the law that allows Tusayan to incorporate is unconstitutional and that there are not enough residents to legally incorporate.
The new suit is nearly identical to two previous ones filed in 2009 by Clarinda herself, along with her uncle Chris Thurston, employee Linda Knutson and tenant Eric Guiessaz. The lawyers in that suit, who may still represent Clarinda, are now representing her sister.
A hearing is scheduled for April 14 to determine whether Clarinda’s sister can halt the democratic process. However, Judge Adams yesterday denied Foster’s motion to put the incorporation process on hold, allowing Coconino County to continue to recognize Tusayan as an incorporated town. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the Tusayan Advisory Committee’s recommendation for the members to serve on the first town council on Tuesday, April 6.
The committee recommended Clarinda, Ann Wren, Pete Shearer, Greg Bryan and Al Montoya for the first council. The suit was not filed until after Clarinda was recommended by the committee, because even Clarinda recognizes that the committee would not have recommended her if it knew that her law firm and her sister were suing to prevent the town from being formed and the council from being appointed.
Questions are mounting in Tusayan and Flagstaff about Clarinda’s motives and conflicts if she is indeed confirmed to represent an incorporated town being sued by her sister on the same grounds Clarinda herself sued on just four months ago and argued in favor of as recently as three weeks ago. It now seems like a real possibility that Clarinda’s sister and law firm will sue the council members (including Clarinda) once they are appointed on April 6.
Clarinda, who argued against a proposed temporary housing plan at Camper Village in her public interview Monday with the committee, promised to file a lawsuit to stop incorporation from moving forward on March 10, the day after the election.
“How they went about it should make people sick,” the local landowner told the Grand Canyon News. “I am confident that when a judge takes a close look at what they’ve been up to, we will have our community back…”
What does it mean?
Make no mistake, this lawsuit represents a crisis that could cripple our new town. 121 people said YES to a better future and NO to continued lawsuits on March 9.
Clarinda’s power play effectively freezes the momentum of the election and puts Tusayan on shaky ground to thrive out of the gate as we know it can. Appointing Clarinda to a town council that she does not believe should even exist, and which she has done everything in her power to stop, is like putting the fox in charge of the hen house. It is also an insult to the overwhelming majority of Tusayan residents who rejected her views and voted in favor of incorporation.
What can you do?
The Board of Supervisors votes on the members of the first town council on Tuesday, April 6. They need to hear from you!
Tell Supervisor Carl Taylor and the rest of the Board that this effort by Clarinda to hijack the process of creating a town is unacceptable to the majority of Tusayan residents! Tell them Clarinda cannot make an effective councilperson as someone interested in killing Tusayan’s chances to succeed as a new town.
EACH of the members of the board needs to understand our concerns. Below is each of their contact info:
Carl Taylor – 928-679-7151; ctaylor@coconino.az.gov
Liz Archuleta – 928-679-7152; larchuleta@coconino.az.gov
Matt Ryan – 928-679-7163; mryan@coconino.az.gov
Mandy Metzger – 928-679-7154; mmetzger@coconino.az.gov
Lena Fowler – 928-679-7155; lfowler@coconini.az.gov
We are running out of time. Encourage the Board to make the right decision on Tuesday!
BREAKING NEWS: County Hands First Council to ‘NO’ Leaders
The people voted YES, but the county still says NO.
After Tusayan residents – by a 23-percentage point margin – voted YES to become a new town on March 9, it appears Coconino County will give control of the first town council to the leaders of the NO campaign.In a stunning 3-2 split in favor of the three top proponents of the NO campaign, the Tusayan Advisory Committee, led by Coconino County Supervisor Carl Taylor, voted earlier today to recommend Clarinda Vail, Ann Wren, and Pete Shearer to serve as interim town council members. From the YES campaign, Greg Bryan and Al Montoya were recommended. Clarinda and Shearer received the top scores.
The County Board of Supervisors will vote on the Tusayan Advisory Committee’s recommendations at a meeting on April 6.
What can you do to stop this travesty?
PLEASE: Stop by the Best Western Grand Canyon Squire Inn TODAY to voice your displeasure to Supervisor Taylor! He is hosting a public forum from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Let’s hold him accountable and let him know this is NOT what we voted for!If you can’t make it this afternoon, you are encouraged to direct YOUR opinion TODAY to his office.
He can be reached at (928) 679-7161 or by email at CTaylor@coconino.az.gov
More lawsuits?
Clarinda, who filed multiple lawsuits to stop the election during the campaign, threatened to file another lawsuit on March 10.“How they went about it should make people sick,” local landowner Clarinda told the Grand Canyon News the day after the election. “I am confident that when a judge takes a close look at what they’ve been up to, we will have our community back in the hands of those who live here.”
By law, Clarinda has until tomorrow, March 30, to file the lawsuit contesting the election.
Wren, chairperson of the NO campaign, did not have a strong showing in the public interview today, yet somehow still managed to land in the top five of nine total applicants. Wren is president of the Tusayan Water Development Association, which is currently under investigation by the Arizona Corporation Commission.
In February, Corporation Commission Chairman Kris Mayes sent a letter to the other commissioners expressing her “serious concerns that TWDA customers may not be paying just and reasonable rates.”
Shearer, who chaired the NO campaign’s Feb. 10 public forum calling into question the financial viability of Tusayan, reminded interviewers today of the dire financial situation Tusayan could find itself in.
Are these the ideals that 121 people voted YES for? Do these people represent YOUR interests?
Make you opinion heard TODAY and prior to April 6, before it’s too late!
Who made the call?
The Tusayan Advisory Committee, along with Supervisor Taylor, is made up of the following people: Allison Eckert, County Human Resources Director; Carletta Tilousi, Havasupai Tribal Council; John Moore, Mayor of Williams; Jon Streit, Dep. Manager, Xanterra; Monique Koss, Valle Travel Stop; Sharyl Allen, Supt., Grand Canyon Unified School Dist.; Steve Martin, Supt. of Grand Canyon Park; and Steve Peru, Coconino County Manager.School Superintendent Allen nodded her head throughout Clarinda’s interview today, as if to agree with everything being said. Clarinda argued vehemently AGAINST a proposed temporary housing plan at the campground in her interview. Allen and Clarinda took heat during the campaign when Clarinda sat on a panel in a third grade class and was alleged to have brought up the incorporation issue as a negative discussion point with the children. Allen said her investigation led her to believe the allegations were fruitless.
Process for First Town Council Begins Monday
On Tuesday, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to certify the March 9 election to incorporate the new town of Tusayan. Any legal challenges to the election result must be filed within 5 days of March 23, 2010, the date that the election results were made final.
Coconino County today confirmed the list of names of those who have applied to serve on Tusayan’s first town council:
Bob Blasi – United States Forest Service, incorporation supporter
Greg Bryan – Grand Canyon Best Western Squire General Manager, incorporation supporter
Al Montoya – School Board member, incorporation supporter
Rosa Velazquez – Community activist, incorporation supporter
Colleen May – Community activist, incorporation supporter
Pete Shearer – Sanitary District; Chaired “The price is still not right, vote NO on Tusayan incorporation” community forum on Feb. 10.
Robbie Evans – Fire Chief, position on incorporation not public
Ann Wren – Chairperson, “The price is still not right, vote NO on Tusayan incorporation;” President, Tusayan Water Development Association
Clarinda Vail – Finance Chairperson, “The price is still not right, vote NO on Tusayan incorporation;” filed unsuccessful lawsuit to stop incorporation election; School Board president
The Tusayan Advisory Committee, set up by Coconino County and chaired by Supervisor Carl Taylor, will hold council applicant interviews on Monday, March 29, from 8 a.m. until lunch time at the Shrine of the Ages. After lunch, the Committee will reconvene and make its recommendation for the five people that will make up the first council. At 4 p.m., Supervisor Taylor will host an open forum to discuss the state of Coconino County’s budget and finances.
The entire day, including interviews, will be open to the public. All members of the community, including you, are encouraged to stop by and respectfully observe the first civic activity in the new town of Tusayan’s history.
Who should serve on the council?
An ideal first town council is an excellent opportunity to bring the healing Tusayan desperately needs. A diverse group that has the best interests of Tusayan in mind and will work for its success is imperative.
Conversely, a group poisoned by one or two people who hope for Tusayan’s failure as an incorporated town would be a disaster.
What can you do?
You are encouraged to direct YOUR opinion TODAY to the chairman of the Tusayan Advisory Committee, Supervisor Carl Taylor. He has asked that all correspondence go directly to his office.
He can be reached at (928) 679-7161 or by email at CTaylor@coconino.az.gov.
Please remember to be respectful in your calls and emails, and in your demeanor on Monday. All of us should strive to be excellent ambassadors for our new town!
County Board Certifies Election
Tuesday morning in Flagstaff the Coconino County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to certify the Tusayan incorporation election.
County Recorder Candy Owens reported the final vote at 121-76, a nearly 23 percentage-point victory for the YES side, with an 80.7% turnout in voters. The final count included 9 provisional ballots that were not included in the first count on election night.
Congratulations Tusayan for a strong victory and high turnout!
What Now? Your Questions Answered Tonight!
Don’t forget to come out to the Squire Inn tonight for a very special presentation by Tom Belshe at the Arizona League of Cities and Towns. The League will be instrumental in providing advice and support as we move forward as a new town. Tom will help give us an idea of what’s next for Tusayan and answer your questions. Join us at 7 p.m. in the Anasazi Room. Refreshments will be served.
Information about the Arizona League of Cities and Towns can be found at: http://www.azleague.org. The League’s publication about incorporation, “Municipal incorporation in Arizona,” can be found at: http://www.azleague.org/pdf/pub_municipal_incorp.pdf.
See you tonight!
Election Day Photos
Town forum on Wednesday, March 17 at 7pm at the Squire Inn
We took a big step toward taking back our community. While we can celebrate our success, we must recognize that we have a big job ahead of us. Just like the name of our campaign committee, United for Tusayan, we must unite as a community and work collectively to move Tusayan forward. The future is bright but we must all work together, proponents and opponents of incorporation, to make our hopes and dreams come true. We are confident that we can.
Our first step will be to hold a Town forum on Wednesday, March 17 at 7pm at the Squire Inn. Tom Belshe from the Arizona League of Cities and Towns will travel to Tusayan to explain to us what happens next and to answer our questions. He has assured us that the League will work closely with us over the next several months so that our newly incorporated Town gets off to a successful start.
At the meeting, we will also ask for volunteers to serve on community committees to discuss issues such as police, transportation, utilities, land planning, finance and budgeting. This will enable us to get a head start as we await the County to certify the election on March 23 and for them to appoint our initial Town Council which will serve until we have our first municipal election.
Finally, we want to thank you for your support in this campaign and for believing in yourselves and your community. Our best days are ahead of us. We look forward to seeing you on the 17th.
