Protect and Preserve Scottsdale Task Force
set for new year with nine members
By Terrance Thornton | Digital Free Press
Scottsdale City Council has made several appointments to its Protect and Preserve Scottsdale Task Force — a commission of residents focused on developing financial strategy recommendations in regard to open space and overall quality of life.
City officials say in calendar year 2023, the resident-only task force will meet twice monthly to develop recommendations to Scottsdale City Council through identifying and quantifying unfunded needs for the protection, preservation, and perpetual maintenance of the city’s open spaces, including the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
The McDowell Sonoran Preserve encompasses 30,500 acres and is a permanently protected, sustainable desert habitat that is the largest urban park in the United States. Those lands, however, purchased through an affirmative vote of a sales tax increase that is set to expire, still need care and attention.
Now city leaders are looking for guidance on what do next as the voter-approved 0.2% sales tax is set to sunset June 30, 2025. A total of nine positions were filled by unanimous votes of Scottsdale City Council during an early December special hearing.
Each geographical region of the community has equal representation at City Hall in this matter. Those appointed are:
- Protect and Preserve Scottsdale Task Force — Northern Scottsdale Area Representative — Jace McKeighan, Cynthia Wenstrom, and John Zikias.
- Protect and Preserve Scottsdale Task Force — Central Scottsdale Area Representative — James Eaneman, Nicholas Hartmann, and Daniel Schweiker.
- Protect and Preserve Scottsdale Task Force — Southern Scottsdale Area Representative — Carla Carla, Mark Winkleman, and Raoul Zubia.
All appointees are required to comply with the municipal ethics code and attend a training session before officially beginning their term on the task force.
