COMMUNITY
NEWS
MARC BUCKHOUT ~ MANAGING EDITOR~
11/23/2011
At the Nov. 16 Anthem Community Council meeting, the final one of
2011, Community Executive Officer Jenna Kollings announced that while
several options have been explored Anthem is no closer to having a
permanent home for its staff.
Currently those employed by Anthem, both for the council and HOA staff,
work out of office space at 3701 W. Anthem Way, on a lease that expires
on Aug. 31, 2013.
Following a 2010 study by Swaback Partners, in which the community
showed support for a Main Street concept to serve as a centerpiece
for the community, Kollings said Anthem representatives spoke to the
owners of land along Venture Drive and Gavilan Parkway.
Under the proposal office space for Anthem staff would be part of
a bigger project that could potentially include a performing arts
center, senior services, a satellite campus for those seeking college
educations, senior services among other amenities.
After getting an appraisal on the land Anthem made a cash offer for
the property only to be rejected by the owners, the Sorensen Group
based out of Salt Lake City.
“They laughed at our offer,” Kollings said. “They were looking for
three times what we offered. We were just too far apart and in the
opinion of staff the time is not right to purchase that property.”
In coming to that conclusion staff is looking into other options including
a possible joint facility in partnership with the Daisy Mountain Fire
Department
that would keep them in their current location through a renovation
project.
“We’re looking at other sites in Anthem too,” Kollings said.
In other news from the Nov. 16 meeting the council was moved to keep
Freedom Way in a limited capacity.
In what they deemed a compromise the board voted to have 1,000 copies
of the monthly magazine continue to be printed and distributed at
strategic locations in Anthem.
In July the board voted to change Freedom Way to a strictly online
product, scaled down to 16 pages with no ads. The decision came following
a report from the Economic Development and Marketing Committee. The
impetus for the change was the board’s belief that staff could better
use the 75 hours per month needed to produce the magazine, in its
current form, on economic-development projects.
December’s edition was to be the last printed edition, but members
of the community came forward with a survey with 608 signatures of
residents that were in favor of keeping the magazine, which has been
in existence since 2000, as is.
Council member Ron Jerich requested a motion to rescind the July vote
be placed on the agenda.
After a number of residents spoke in support of Freedom Way, Jerich
followed suit.
“I don’t understand why some board members are totally against the
publication of Freedom Way,” he said. “I believe we should give resident
what they want and not be bullied by a select few.”
Councilman Tim Fyke said his belief is that the vocal minority are
those that showed up in support of the magazine, stating that 600
signatures wasn’t that moving.
“My findings were that about half the people don’t read Freedom Way,”
he said. “I talked to some people that signed the petition and they
said they keep the magazine around because of the activity guide.
I told them they’re still getting the activity guide delivered. Once
they knew that they didn’t care. I reached 10 advertisers in Freedom
Way. Of that group only two expressed concern about it going away
hurting their business. The other eight said they were in multiple
publications and were just looking to get their name out there. One
actually told me he was relieved that it was going away and that he
only advertised in it because he felt like it was his civic duty.
What I found is that the advertisers are far from up in arms about
this.”
Fyke said regardless of what people think about the magazine Anthem
has more pressing issues than the magazine
“On the economic development front we have goals to reach potential
homeowners and to help our local businesses,” he said. “We have grand
ideas, but limited staff. If Anthem wants to remain stagnate, with
no growth or higher education opportunities then we could keep the
magazine, but as amazing as Doug Greenstein is at juggling numbers
we’d have to bring on more staff to accomplish all of our goals and
maintain the magazine in its current form. Instead we think we should
redefine staff’s goals.”
Earlier in the meeting Kollings invited the community to come out
and learn about staff’s economic development ideas during a community
forum scheduled for 6 p.m., Jan. 18 at the Anthem Community Center.
The meeting will offer an overview of the economic analysis of the
Anthem community performed by ESI Corporation of Phoenix. The study
will serve as a critical foundation for the efforts of ACC staff and
the Economic Development and Marketing Committee (ECDMC) members who
will be launching this plan for the benefit of Anthem residents and
business owners. The study includes data collection and analysis of
Anthem’s demographics, housing market, workforce, retail market and
industries; identifying target industries for Anthem’s recruitment
efforts; and drafting goals, strategies, implementation and performance
objectives for an economic development strategic plan.
“It would be worth your time to come out and be part of the process,”
Kollings said