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Mayor Greg Mengarelli

Welcoming a Season of Activities, Offerings

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We are fortunate. Prescott is bustling right now with all of the summer activities. Prescottonians live in a city rich in art, culture, history, beauty and a friendly atmosphere. One can hardly drive by the Courthouse Plaza without seeing folks of all ages walking, talking, laughing, connecting and enjoying the sites and local businesses. We consider the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza to be part of the heartbeat of this great city, and something unlike any other Arizona town. In fact, Expedia Viewfinder named Prescott “One of the Coolest Downtowns in North America.”

We are fortunate. There are so many things to do in Prescott! Some of the most popular outdoor activities include hiking, shopping, mountain biking, boating, canoeing, golfing, rock climbing, swimming, sunbathing and horseback riding. The beautiful topography and ever-changing foliage create a beautiful backdrop for camping, RVing, viewing of wildlife, photography, bird watching and relaxing. The cooler weather brings those from the Valley flocking to our higher elevations to enjoy our mild climate.

We are fortunate. Prescott is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Arizona. Its rich history, echoes of the Wild West, pleasant dining and hospitality, and varied offerings contribute to the delight and satisfaction of our tourists. In fact, a recent study by the Arizona Hospitality Research and Resource Center at Northern Arizona University uncovered that visitors ranked the “Satisfaction Level” of their trip through Prescott at 90%  – a truly outstanding number! The travel industry is booming in Prescott and the millions of dollars spent by these visitors add depth, both directly and indirectly, to our fiscal landscape.

We are fortunate. As a father of nine, my wife and I are thrilled that our children have so many options in the summer. They have a plethora of wonderful summer offerings put on by various schools, theaters, athletic organizations, churches and groups from which to choose.

Despite varying political perspectives, religious practices, personality types, educational backgrounds, socioeconomic histories, gender and cultural differences, we are fortunate to have one another in this town. We make each other stronger. We band together to celebrate the town we love. We see one another at parades, festivals, school programs, theater events and town council meetings, and despite our differences, we practice kindness and civility. We enjoy all that Prescott has to offer and are thankful we live in this city.

We are fortunate. We are Prescott. QCBN

By Greg Mengarelli

Enjoy the summer! For information on upcoming happenings, please go to: visit-prescott.com and prescottaz.gov for dates and details.

Greg L. Mengarelli is the mayor of the City of Prescott.

Preparing for Wildfire, Even After Wet Winters

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Fire season is fast approaching. Although the winter and spring are on track to receive added moisture when compared to the past few years, it in no way means we can let our guard down. In fact, Prescott Fire Chief Dennis Light pointed out to me that historically, some of the biggest campaign fires that have occurred in Arizona come immediately following a wet season.

The purpose of my column this month is to review the resources available to us to prevent and fight wildland fires, and what you can do to protect your property.

One of our key partners in managing wildfire suppression is the Prescott National Forest, which manages the public lands surrounding our city. In addition to the Bradshaw Ranger District fire personnel, the Prescott National Forest has the Henry H. Kim Fire Center at the Prescott Regional Airport. This facility holds a large cache of supplies. The expert staff there is primarily responsible for all of Arizona, New Mexico and part of west Texas. At peak season, the Fire Center can have as many as 60-70 professionals specializing as pilots, communications specialists, supply management teams, logistics experts and firefighters – including the Prescott Interagency Hotshot Crew, established in 1973.

The Fire Center is capable of hosting a number of aircraft of various sizes, from helicopters to the large air tankers. This is an extremely well-equipped facility that hosts local, regional and national suppression resources. The Fire Center and the Prescott National Forest are part of a large network of fire suppression resources that can be mobilized for short and long distances to support communities and natural resources threatened by wildfire, and it is literally in our own backyard.  

In an effort to mitigate wildfire hazards, prevent wildfires and suppress unwanted wildfires, the City of Prescott and the Prescott Fire Department also partner with Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the Bureau of Land Management. When the need arises, we call upon these local agencies, and sometimes those from around the Southwest to provide for the suppression of fires in our wildland urban interface and other forested areas.

An important part of maintaining positive stewardship of our wildland interface comes about as a result of this interagency cooperation. Twice annually, stakeholders assemble to review the various area fuel reduction projects being pursued, thus ensuring that one agency’s work complements or enhances the other agencies’ work.

Citizens are important and vital partners in prevention and protection. It is important to keep your property clear of debris, to maintain a defensible space around your home, and to plant shrubs and trees away from your home.

Help our firefighters do their jobs and help yourself by actively managing the defensible space around your property and homes. Prescott Area Wildland Interface Commission (PAWUIC) is a great educational resource to help citizens manage the risk of fire damage to their property. To learn more, go to yavapaifirewise.org

In closing, I want readers to feel as confident as I do in Prescott’s capacity to reduce risk and fight wildland fires. The facilities, the agencies and particularly the people involved in keeping our city safe are simply the best. QCBN 

By Greg Mengarelli

Greg L. Mengarelli is the mayor of the City of Prescott.

Promoting Capitalism Through Government and Business

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The positively charged atmosphere of business and community leaders at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce crackled further when Prescott Mayor Greg Mengarelli took stage in January to address the State of the City. Comparisons to the “pioneer spirit” that has historically defined the city and that today thrives through business entrepreneurship invigorated attendees.

“The energy in this room is amazing,” said the newly elected Mengarelli, who took office Nov. 29. “It warms my heart to meet so many great people and hear the great things going on in your businesses.”

Not to be outdone by the Chamber in an imaginary contest between the business advocacy group and City Hall, Mayor Mengarelli acknowledged earlier accolades and heaped more praise on the Chamber’s President and CEO Sheri Heiney, while confiding that the city has its own secret weapon in her husband, John Heiney, its community outreach manager and the other half of the “dynamic duo.”

Mengarelli expressed gratitude to former Prescott Mayor Harry Oberg and others who have smoothed the transition from one administration to another, agreeing that the role of mayor indeed is the “part-time job seven days a week” described to him by Prescott Valley Mayor Harvey Skoog.

Mengarelli’s leadership strategy supports his goal of preserving all that is good about the city, while likewise enhancing the inevitable growth ahead. The key to success, he said, is to provide a government mindset that intently promotes free enterprise capitalism.

“We need a government structure that is nimble, lean and responsive,” he said, advocating repeal of excess regulation while “judiciously enforcing” the necessary. Then emerged the sentiment that entrepreneurial businesses have espoused all along: “only the private sector creates wealth” and government should get out of its way.

The backbone of Mengarelli’s vision is strategic cooperation with area communities, an approach that has not always been valued. He credits his wife, Sheila, as instrumental in solidifying that cooperative foresight.

Citing the surprise announcement about the Sam’s Club closure, the mayor shared the range of thoughts that ran through his mind, one after another upon hearing the news. He ultimately settled on the upward revenue impacts to Prescott from potentially absorbing the soon-to-be defunct store’s clientele. As he basked in this scenario, “Sheila asked me a somber question: ‘What will happen to all of those people who will lose their jobs?’ She was thinking of them as our neighbors.”

The “if you win, I must lose” attitude must be replaced with private sector initiatives to expand the pie so everyone benefits, Mengarelli asserted. “If we are to secure the future for generations to come,” there must be more pie to go around. Two of Prescott’s most valuable assets – water from the Big Chino Ranch and the transportation hub at the Prescott Regional Airport – will not be optimized without the spirit of cooperation among Quad Cities’ communities, he said.

“Someday, we are going to need to tap into the water in the Big Chino aquifer, and as for the airport, it’s probably the greatest untapped resource that City of Prescott owns. We must seek the cooperation of Prescott Valley, Yavapai County, Dewey-Humboldt and Chino Valley to create a true regional airport. Only then can we build the new terminal and extend the runway. It’s time to get something done at the airport. We are going to get that done, make it happen.”

Quad Cities residents and leaders should be proud when a neighboring community achieves a milestone or successful contract, he urged, noting that market dynamics determine where people and businesses choose to live or set up shop.

Mengarelli recited the story of a 14-year-old immigrant who left home in Italy to board a ship to America in 1912. The young man remained seasick for the entire two-week Atlantic crossing. After leaving Ellis Island, he made a new home in a small Kansas village. The harsh reality of the area’s mining community most likely was not what he had expected. He lived in less than ideal conditions to save money, shot wildlife for food, and a decade later, bought a farm with his new wife. In another 10 years, he bought more land for a total of 640 acres. Blood, sweat and tears made this hardworking man successful in America, the land of opportunity.

“He was my great grandpa,” Mengarelli revealed about the man he knew as Nonno, or Grandpa. “He is someone who has motivated me and inspired me for a lifetime. Why I tell this story is because when I think about Nonno’s journey, it reminds me of you. It took courage for him to leave his home; the same courage it takes you to open and start up a business. It’s the same kind of determined motivation to keep your business afloat when the economy tanks or the unexpected happens. It’s the same devotion in pursuing your own dream.”

Nonno “took great risk in leaving everything he knew,” Mengarelli said. “For the same reasons, you are my heroes. The pioneer spirit that brought my great grandpa to America founded this city, and that pioneering spirt will move us ahead in 2018. You, my friends, are the lifeblood of our city.” QCBN

 

By Sue Marceau, QCBN

 

Photo caption:

Prescott Mayor Greg Mengarelli compared the life story of his great grandfather with the pioneer spirit of the Quad Cities at the Prescott Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting at the Prescott Resort and Conference Center on Jan. 18.

Photo courtesy of Bob Shanks