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City Council annexes car lot
Desert Hills FD objects to move

By Tony Waggoner
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 10:39 PM MST

The Lake Havasu City Council voted Tuesday to approve the annexation of Copper Canyon Nissan, a move that according to Desert Hills Fire Department Chief Matthew Espinoza could place his fire department’s budget in future jeopardy.

Espinoza said his department would suffer from a loss of tax revenues from the car dealership. Espinoza told the council Desert Hills Fire Department relies heavily on tax revenues to provide its services, some of which go to help Lake Havasu City.

Council also decided Tuesday it would consider a course of action that could ultimately establish a Code of Ethics or conduct for the council.

Council directed City Manager Richard Kaffenberger to investigate other cities’ and municipalities’ codes of conduct.

Vice-Mayor Dennis Schilling, who proposed establishing codes of conduct, said Tuesday he felt now was the time to enact such a measure with new members coming aboard in November. Schilling said his reasoning for the proposal was due to public complaints.

The measure received a great deal of support from the public.

Resident Chuck Vaughn, who regularly attends the council meetings, told the council at previous meetings he had heard language and topics he felt were inappropriate.

Resident Chuck Fine supported the concept, stating he believes it is something that will give concert to future candidates as to what a council seat exactly entails, in terms of what they should expect as council members.

Grace Ann Jacobs, owner of Grace Arts Live, stated she feels an ethics or conduct code should go beyond the council chambers for council members.

Jacobs questioned how much influence a city council member has over city departments.

Mayor Mark Nexsen responded to the proposal, stating a code of ethics certainly could not hurt the council, but it would have to be something that was self-enforcing for council members. Nexsen noted an ethics code could be considered for other city municipalities, as well.

With the projection of a new food bank storage area to be built by Christmas, the council decided it would investigate whether the city would reduce or waive the cost of the lease for the Interagency Council of Lake Havasu City.

Food bank director Howard Weiske told the council the bank has been serving more families but having to cut back on the amount of food they are serving because of the lack of storage space. Weiske stated the food bank is in immediate need of space to supply more food for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Finally, the council decided Tuesday not to pursue building a new golf course near Havasu Riviera due to a six-year recovery period for cash flow and the current economy.

You may contact the reporter at twaggoner@havasunews.com.

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Reader Comments

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of havasunews.com.

Reader Comments

Senseless wrote on Oct 22, 2008 1:54 PM:

" Vickie: Your epitaph will read "Nobody complained longer than Vickie, but who beat Vickie's record? Nobody" Let it DIE VICKIE! "

false info wrote on Oct 22, 2008 7:03 AM:

" LHCMOM You should get your facts straight. "

justme wrote on Oct 22, 2008 6:31 AM:

" give me a break!!! "

LIFEGOESON wrote on Oct 22, 2008 5:20 AM:

" CONFUSED: Yes you have prob seen dhfd on the south side of lhc handeling medical calls when lhfd has all on duty and poc's on a structure fire. Duh they help lhfd and lhfd helps dhfd. And I don't know what you consider a city person? I live in the city limits but I don't work for the city. Gee I'm sorry if my knowledge of fd area and protocal has you confused. Sorry but my toenails didn't even crunch. "

Desertrat wrote on Oct 21, 2008 10:23 PM:

" NOT the mooring issue again? Talk about being a dead horse! "

Vicki wrote on Oct 21, 2008 6:48 PM:

" I hope the code of ethics will also restrict council members from making up their own definitions of terms common to the general public and writing those unrelated definitions in ordinances. It truly has the appearance of an effort to gain revenue through having the police force cite unsuspecting tourists for not obeying signs that don't mean what they say! That is as about unethical as it gets.. "

LHCMOM wrote on Oct 20, 2008 4:03 PM:

" DHFD has one paramedic on staff. Pancake breakfasts are once a week during the winter months. Yes, they respond to calls in Havasu whenever LHFD has all their units on other calls, but it goes both ways. LHFD responds when Desert Hills needs them to which would include responding to Nissan due to being closer. I'm sure that Havasu offered SOMETHING to Nissan in order for them to change their minds about being annexed. There is always a motive. I have seen how Chief Espinoza is with his department and trust me, he has only himself in mind when he does things...not the community. The best thing would be for all of that area to be annexed so that the people in that area could get the best care the fastest way possible. "

to Desertrat wrote on Oct 19, 2008 10:51 AM:

" Desertrat,
I believe if you read down the article talks about a code of conduct. This is something that is long overdue in LHC. "

whatever wrote on Oct 19, 2008 7:44 AM:

" TO BAMBOOZELED: WHo would want to go through all that training to get the area in which you serviced stripped away from you layer by layer. Becoming a Paramedic is a large commitment. Staffing a Paramedic is even a larger and expensive commitment. Its hard to budget year to year when your tax base is being stripped away one piece at a time. You sound like you know alot about it or you might even be a Paramedic, why dont if you are a Paramedic put down the news paper and go out and help you brothers in DHFD "

COnfused wrote on Oct 19, 2008 7:38 AM:

" LIFEGOESON you must be a city person as you also think you know so much. I obviously curled your toe nails with a little truth. You must have an inside track to the Lake Havasu City Gov. I have seen DHFD on scenes long before LHCFD and I have scene DHFD all the way on the south side of LHC on medical calls but Lets cut thier throats for a little tax money. LIFEGOESON get outahere Thats what LHC Gov. seems to do best. Dont try to change a citizens mind when they have witnessed what the little department has and still does for the big city. Nothing you can say will change that. "

Desertrat wrote on Oct 17, 2008 7:21 PM:

" Raggedy- wrong article, but nice try (I guess) "

to bamboozled-whos confused wrote on Oct 15, 2008 10:35 PM:

" you might want to get your facts straight before you start blabbing. DHFD is not a volunteer dept anymore, and hasn't been for some time. It was LHCFD with the boots, for MDA, like every other firefighter in America does on Labor Day weekend. Pancake breakfasts are once a month, during the winter months. What DHFD needs for their residents and those like yourself that live close by is Paramedics, so that patients have ACLS care immediately, instead of waiting for River Medical/AMR Ambulance, that thankfully always are staffed with Paramedics. "

Mpre of the same wrote on Oct 15, 2008 10:25 PM:

" I think you on the city council missed the point why businesses buy land in the county instead of the city.
Taxes, don’t want to put up with city rules and nonsense that you all seem to make. Fees for this and fees for that. This should be voted on by the public and not you all. Because of all the special deals that go on in the city behind closed doors there is no trust in any dissensions you make. "

Learn something wrote on Oct 15, 2008 8:31 PM:

" confused: The city can't just annex Nissan if they don't want to be. To annex property requires a majority vote in favor of the owners of the property involved. "

no name wrote on Oct 15, 2008 7:16 PM:

" What about the new crosswalk on Acoma that I have yet to see anyone use???That money could of put a crosswalk at the High School..... "

LIFEGOESON wrote on Oct 15, 2008 6:18 PM:

" CONFUSED: You are confused if there was a fire at Nissan or Anderson dealership or the mall or Home Depot any thing larger then a duplex the city is an automatic response as well. The fire departments work together to back each other up with more manpower and more equipment so don't get your toe nails all curled up over what you think you know.The city has no business taxing outside of their limits. I agree with DH FD, any property outside of city limits is DHFD area but as I stated any building on fire bigger then a duplex will be automatic respond for city fd as well. Maybe there is a way the DHFD can collect the majority of the tax and the city a lessor amount. "

BAMBOOZLED wrote on Oct 15, 2008 4:47 PM:

" Why doesn't the city council and Mayor Nexsen just take a stake and pound it throught the heart of Fire Chief Espinoza and all the volunteers of Desert Hills VOLUNTEER Fire Dept? It would be ever so much more efficient than cutting their limbs off one at a time. The volunteers have have pancake breakfasts every weekend to try to keep in the black. They stand outside Walmart with a boot and a smile. OBVIOUSLY they KNOW that there is a need for their services, even if they ARE NOT PAID. This is NOT typical behavior for young people in this area. It is VERY COMMENDABLE. We live close to Desert Hills. If there is a fire, they could save my life or the life of someone I care about. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, the people of Desert Hills and surrounding areas need a full-time functional facility. Show that you are big enough to admit that you made a mistake and GIVE IT BACK !! There is a saying that "no good deed goes unpunished". That is VERY appropriate here. "

raggedy wrote on Oct 15, 2008 1:08 PM:

" Well, Well, It is about time someone recognized the need for a code of ethics for council members. I think the idea that, as Mayor Nexon stated "a code of ethics certainly could not hurt the council, but it would have to be something that was self-enforcing for council members".

Right , SELF ENFORCING....

That will work really great. They are so good at enforcing other codes in the city. Let's make it a little more binding than self-enforcing.

Maybe someone will notice how a member is abusing their position on the council?? "

confused wrote on Oct 15, 2008 8:11 AM:

" Its amazing how the city waits for a business to be successful then annex away from the county. I wonder what Nissan has to say about this move. I am sure that a business wants to pay higher taxes to be in the city boundry that will offer no further services and then when theres a fire there then Desert Hills Fire Department can respond to it anyways because they are the closest fire department WHATEVER "

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