PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A TWO-NIGHT EVENT. DEC. 5TH AND 12.

Friends, it is official. Phoestivus is on and bigger than ever. Not only will we have over 50 vendors. Not only will we have at least 6 food trucks. Not only will we have feats of strength, an airing of grievances and the worlds largest Phoestivus pole (as far as you know).

Not only that, friends. But this:

From the “In Case You Had Not Already Heard” department….

This news is a few days old, but I wanted to touch on it because this says a lot about all of the work y’all have been doing to emphasize supporting local.

The Arizona Capitol Times spoke with Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton about it:

 

Not only is the city following a policy that provides for prudent and efficient investment, but provides additional funds for consumer and small-business loans in the local economy.”

Another reason for the city’s investment is to hopefully get a higher rate of return on some of Phoenix’s other investments. This move isn’t a totally unique one as several cities around the country have been implementing plans like this to manage their money in the fallout from the financial crisis.

It sounds like a novel idea and it stimulates and benefits the local economy, so why aren’t their reports of a high number of states and cities implementing such a plan? Says the Capitol Times…

Investing money in local banks isn’t easy. State law requires that the city’s bank deposits be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to prevent it from losing taxpayer money if the bank fails. The maximum federal insurance on low-risk investments that the city might utilize, such as a certificate of deposit, is $250,000. That could require the city to work with many banks if it hopes to invest anywhere near $50 million locally.

For these reasons, Phoenix mostly invests in U.S. government securities.

Jeff Dewitt, the City of Phoenix Finance Director said the city probably can’t invest more in local banks likely could not invest more in local banks given FDIC insurance limits. The East Valley Tribune also reported that Phoenix has a team of in-house investment managers who oversee its deposits and ensure that city funds are protected while earning the highest yield possible. Dewitt said the city is inviting local banks to submit applications with their investment pitches. He said proposals must be completely FDIC-insured or collateralized and offer a higher rate of return than U.S. Treasury notes.

As Local First so wonderfully reminds us,

The flow of these dollars will recirculate throughout the local economy, creating jobs and securing a strong economic future for our community. If you are a locally-owned and operated bank or credit union: Phoenix’s Finance Department will be accepting applications from local banks that have an interest in providing CDs and other FDIC-insured products to the city.  Local banks can contact the city’s Finance Department at 602-262-7166 for more information or to submit an application.”

Please spread the word. We have two open houses this weekend.

Saturday from noon until 3pm – 4729 N 76th Pl. in Scottsdale
This is a great single level home in Villa Monterey. Corner unit with rare side access gate to backyard. 2 bedrooms plus bonus den area. Updated kitchen with granite counter tops, built-in oven, smooth cook top, and eating area. Expansive living room huge window overlooking private yard. Huge master suite with updated bath. Private backyard with covered patio and mature citrus trees.

Drop by and say hello to Michelle Conley, the newest Get Your PHX team member.

Sunday from 11am to 2pm – 140 E Coronado Rd.

Villa del Coronado is one of the most sought after and unique co-op communities in Phoenix, steps away from museums, light rail, health clubs and restaurants. This 2 bedroom, 1.75 bath home has seen numerous improvements over recent years: opening up the living and dining rooms, UV protecting on the windows, renovating the kitchen a installing a beautiful master bathroom. Don’t miss the huge 5′ x 24′ living room balcony and the 5′ x 14′ off the master bedroom. Located in an elevator building, this unit is one of the few with a permitted full size washer and dryer and a detached garage! Cash buyers or seller may carry. All utilities and property taxes are included in the monthly HOA fee. This is perfect for refined downtown living.

Thank you to Wayne Rainey of monOrchid for hosting the June Get Your PHX. Special thanks to Michael Popescu of MojoTree for bringing the Pichuberries and to Dwayne Allen and Danielle Leoni of Rum Bar for contributing their brand new recipe for the Pichuberry Punch. Many folks walked out of this last event wondering where they could get that drink again. (I know I did.) Drop by and try this new drink at Rum Bar.

Thank you also to Jonathan and Erin Carroll of the Song Bird Tea and Coffee House for contributing to the food, the prizes and sharing their new space with us and to Troy Benjamin for his food creations using Pichuberries. Troy, I think you have a new calling.

This July 19th we are celebrating 180° Degree Automotive, which just celebrated its grand opening a brand new shop at 545 W Mariposa.

See the Facebook invite page here.

180° Automotive is a unique venture, started in another location in the Melrose District in 2009 by Bogi Lateiner, a former law student – turned celebrity mechanic. Bogi garnered a lot of attention in recent years because she is a female mechanic, business owner and all-around great lady. She has also managed to fit in time to co-star in the Velocity Channel’s auto-repair “MacGyver-like” problem-solving show “All Girls Garage.”

But as if that were not enough, we are dedicating this event to celebrate four other inspiring women business owners in CenPho. Why are we celebrating these five women? Because each and every one of them not only inspires us, but has also grown their respective businesses during the recession.

Heidi Abrahamson — Heidi is a recognized jewelry designer who has shown all over the United States and in Europe. Her jewelry is, as she says, “modern architecture for the body.” Heidi and her husband, Doug, own Phoenix Metro Retro just off 7th Ave and Hazelwood. Heidi recently got nation-wide attention for the cat hair jewelry that she created with Kate Benjamin.

Kate Benjamin — Kate is best known for Modern Cat Design, a newsletter, website and source for chique accessories and furniture for the modern cat and their people. In 2009, Kate launched Moderncat Studio, a line of modern cat products that includes handcrafted toys, beds and scratchers that are all carefully tested by Kate’s nine felines at their Phoenix, Ariz., home. Some of Kate’s chic creations were recently featured in an annual design episode of CBS Sunday Morning.

Christine Cassano — Christine is an artist and designer, who has taken the medium of concrete to a new level (come see the front counter at 180° Automotive). We know Christine because she is the inspiration behind the Phoenistivus Market publicity designs. Christine has taken up residence next to the 180° “compound”, where her work can be seen. Christine is one of those behind-the-scenes champions who helps drive the energy and connections in the business community in CenPho.

Tracy Perkins — Of Strawberry Hedgehog has proven that you CAN make vegan, plant-based bath products, which are attractive to men and women, alike. Further, Tracy has proven that these products are attractive to national retailers, such as Whole Foods.  Tracy also works out of the 180° Automotive neighborhood, where she makes her soaps in small batches by hand.

July 2012 Get Your PHX
Thursday, July 19th at 5:30
180° Automotive
545 W Mariposa St.,
Phoenix AZ 85013  Map it

My clients are renting a 1,500 square foot townhouse at Portland 38, downtown. It is a great opportunity to live in the heart of the city and still have comforts such as a personal garage, modern appliances and new construction. Check this out!

These townhouses were built in 2007 with a great industrial style and centered around modern living. The spaces are open, fresh and clean. Check out this link to look at the listing. And, of course, give me a call at 602-456-9388 if you have questions.

The Arizona Corporation Commission last week voted on proposals to reduce the solar rebates that utilities offer you when you install solar panels on your home. There is some debate within the solar industry about whether this is good or bad for the market, as a whole. But we  can say that your personal incentives will go down while incentives for central station power plant will remain the same. Three of these are the same Corporation Commissioners who voted to call a trash burning power plan “clean”.

There is a lot packed in to what I just wrote. So, let me explain. Stay with me because this is a crucial change in direction from the days when the Corporation Commission first started pushing the use of renewable energy.

First, some definitions:

Distributed Power Generation means people generating power from their homes. Good ol’ solar panels which increase your freedom, generate power where it is used and save you money.

Central Station Power Generation means big, remote power plants that actually waste energy as they send energy hundreds of miles to where you use it.

Corporation Commission is the constitutionally-empowered, elected body in Arizona which sets rates for power as well as how much renewable energy we use.

Rebates: we all pay a small amount of money on our bills, which goes in to a pot of funds. Some of that money can be used by people when they install solar on their homes, to bring down the cost. It is available to anybody who wants to use it …..until the money runs out. The current Corporation Commission is shrinking these rebates for regular folks and businesses in favor of big utility companies.

Second, some history:

When the Arizona Corporation Commission created the “Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff”, they divided money between central station (70%) and distributed power (30%). So, the money goes to paying down the higher cost of installing these technologies (which end up being cheaper in the long run). They gave more money to central station than to distributed because those projects are just bigger.

There is a traditional battle in the world of energy between distributed power and central station power. Utility companies like central station power because they have more control and, more importantly, they don’t lose customers (and money) when you decide you want to generate your own electricity. Freedom-loving, true patriots who want to throw off the shackles of Big Brother support distributed generation. (Am I showing bias here?)

OK, that was a little tongue-in-cheek. In reality, we need both distributed and central station. However, the current Corporation Commission is showing favoritism toward the wishes of the big power companies and they are ignoring the needs of regular home owners who want to save money and install solar.

Three of the five current Corporation Commissioners have shown that they don’t care about the overwhelming wishes of home owners to install solar energy and build our new energy economy.

Please take the time to learn about the three candidates for this year’s election who have a proven track record of supporting renewable energy. These three are all Clean Elections candidates.

– Paul Newman  www.paulnewmanaz.com

– Sandra Kennedy  www.kennedyacc2012.com

You may have seen my previous stories about the effort to put historic trollies on Grand Avenue as an economic development project. This low-cost project would help encourage new businesses along Grand Ave between Van Buren and Roosevelt –a trend that is already under way, but which could quicken and bring new income to Phoenix.

Since writing these stories, I joined the Grand Avenue Rail Project (GARP) board and we are working to get recognition of the great return on investment this represents.

It came to my attention this last week that the folks at the Trolley Museum, where they house the historic trollies which we hope to use on Grand Ave., have received a proposal from a neighboring city to take our trollies and add them to their local museum.

From what I am hearing, the Phoenix Trolley Museum folks, not getting a particularly warm feeling from City of Phoenix, are seriously considering taking this other museum up on their offer. From what I hear, some in the City really want to take back the trolley museum building at Margaret T. Hance Park so they can use it for other things. They have gone so far as to encourage the Trolly Museum to move, but they have not provided a viable place for them to go.

The sad part is that there is a very viable option, which the Museum folks and GARP founder Robert Graham have been advocating for: put the trolly museum on Grand Ave., along with an accompanying trolly line that will encourage new business on Grand.

Thus their frustration.

Here is my concern: if the Trolley Museum moves to some other city, it will be even more difficult to see the GARP idea through and it will represent yet another Phoenix stab at historic preservation. Even sadder is the fact that the city does not need to lay out much money to make this happen. They just need to partner on proposals to the federal government for transportation dollars, which can be used for this purpose.

The estimated cost to build the infrastructure, outfit a new museum on grand and operate the system: $10 million. I believe that the resulting new home sales, infill development and business starts along grand will be worth ten times that.

Please contact your city councilmen and let them know that you support the Grand Avenue Rail Project.

Not only will we be celebrating our independence come July, but we’ll also be celebrating independents. That’s because July 1 through July 7, 2012 is the 10th anniversary of National Independents Week (or “Indie Week” if you’re cool). This is the week that everyone is encouraged to shop locally and support independent businesses.

A great place to start is by visiting Local First Arizona where you can find a directory of local business and learn how to “Shift the Way you Shop”. According to the website, for every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $73 remains in the local economy and $27 leaves . In contrast, when you shop at a business that is not locally-owned, only $43 remains in the local economy and $57 leaves.

Shopping local re-circulates your money over and over, creating more tax revenue to the state and your community. Not only do local businesses help to drive the economy, but they also support sustainability and add character and uniqueness to the community. You’ll also probably get better and more personal service.

In honor of Independents Week, Local First Arizona is offering a “Golden Coupon” where you can get 20% off at participating local establishments.

So, go ahead and take the pledge to shop locally and support your community merchants. Then head down to the farmer’s market, the Melrose District or your favorite local restaurant and help build our economic independence during Independents Week.

My clients have just listed their new property for rent at 7th St. and Portland.

These townhouses were built in 2007, have all the latest modern features, secure garage space and pool access.

You can walk to First Fridays, or any number of great downtown activities.

Only $1,400 per month for a 2br/2ba 1,548 square foot townhouse!

Please contact me at ken@getyourphx.com or 602-456-9388 for more information.