Join us at our brand new blog - Blue Country Gazette - created for those who think "BLUE." Go to www.bluecountrygazette.blogspot.com

YOUR SOURCE FOR TRUTH

Monday, December 3, 2012

Shady water dealings in Pine-Strawberry


[See new letter from Concerned Citizen below]

Submitted by Water for Pine Strawberry
  
In a recent newspaper article, Pine Strawberry Water Improvement District (PSWID) treasurer Mike Greer proclaims that he didn’t do anything wrong, but then describes giving his credit cards to his employees and saying use whichever one works. Implication being that some would be maxed out, the only one that probably always worked was the PSWID card. As the article indicates, $9007.20 was charged and restitution was made for $2299.33.

The problem is that the rest is a gray area because the card may have been used by his employees or may be purchases that he made for other activities. A credit card statement might indicate “Home Depot”, but what was bought and what use it was put can’t be determined. Mr. Greer hasn’t provided receipts so the district can’t really tell. 

Mr. Greer indicates that he has mountains of receipts at home and would have to go through them. One would think that at this point there would be motivation to do that in order to show he has made full restitution. I think that the district should ask for receipts or restitution for the charges that fall in that gray area.

This is not just some mistake. The attitude toward the public’s money that led Mr. Greer to be either negligent or fraudulent with the PSWID credit card has been on display in the past. Mr. Greer was deeply involved in the unethical, and potentially illegal, award of the generator installation contract to Hat Creek Electric.

Among the many violations of PSWID procurement rules in the award of that contract was that the competing bid, from a valley company Double “C” Electric, looked like a straw bid. We have learned this year that the owner of Double “C” Electric, a Mr. Scott Crawford, and Mr. Greer owned an electrical contracting company together in the 1990s. This raises the possibility that there was collusion involved in the bidding for that contract. For details on the irregularities involved in the Hat Creek contract you can look at this past update: http://www.waterforpinestrawberry.com/data%20pages/12042011PSWIDMiscInfo.pdf.

There will be a PSWID meeting on December 6 at 6 p.m. at the Pine Cultural Center. An agenda isn’t available yet, but given what has gone on it is important for the public to turn out and let the board know what you think about the problems with Mr. Greer’s fraud, the muddy water, and the board’s responses to those issues.

This update is from the group Water For Pine Strawberry. We will be sending out an update after each of the PSWID meetings with a summary of what the board did, additional facts that are relevant to what went on, and some commentary. Updates on earlier meetings are available on our website: www.WaterForPineStrawberry.com .

Water For Pine Strawberry is a group of residents who are concerned about the community’s water issues and how they can best be resolved. Visit our web site, www.WaterForPineStrawberry.com, for more information. The website for PSWID is www.pswid.org.

Comment from a concerned citizen

Editor:

How can an elected official, the treasurer of the PSWID Board use the District's money like it was his own and get away with it?
 
The answer is deeper than we think. When the bill came in for the credit card it had to be processed in the office. The bookkeeper had to charge that expenditure to an account. What account did they charge it to? Do they have a special line item called "Board Treasurer's Toysand Entertainment  Fund"?
 
After the bookkeeper entered the charges the office manager must have approved the entries before checks could be cut.
 
There had to be two directors to sign the checks. Assuming Mr. Greer signed his own check there is still another director who signed, or multiple directors who signed.  
The way Mr. Greer can get away with this is for the CH2Hill  employees and at least one other director to be guilty of wrongdoing.
 
All the people involved with this cover-up should be asked to resign their positions. They betrayed the trust of the people of Pine and Strawberry!

Concerned Citizen

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Go to the corp commission at this address
http://starpas.azcc.gov/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=wsbroker1/names-detail.p?name-id=L15863430&type=L.L.C.


Type in file number: L-1586343-0
The page that will appear is the page that lists a corporation Name: M3G MILL WORKS LLC, with an address of: 1011 S GOODFELLOW DR
PINE, AZ 85541
There is no Goodfellow road in Pine it is in Payson just south of Aero drive.
Scroll down the page to scanned document and on the left side click on button # 03048354
Gary Lovetro the PSWID Chair person and Michael Scott Greer are in business together!
Talk about situation ethics.... there crooks.
The PSWID should contact the Arizona State Attorney General and ask for an investigation.... at the very least the Gila County Attorney should have long ago held a Grand Jury and should press charges now.

Anonymous said...

The owner of the property at 1011 S. Goodfellow Road is Tanner Henry an engineer at Tetra Tech an engineering firm in Payson that does work for the Town of Payson and PSWID (Pine Strawberry waster District).

It's a sad day when the ol' mighty (big $$$ money) dollar takes president over the health, safety and wellbeing of the children and elderly.

Anonymous said...

Now that is some REAL investigating journalism!
Give us some more please
Oh by the way…. You people in Pine & Strawberry.
Have any of you (and any person who resides in Pine or Strawberry can do this)
Have any of you even bothered to call the sheriff to report a crime?
That will force the county attorney to start an investigation.
Duhh!

Anonymous said...

I know Tanner Henry and know that he purchased 1011 S.Goodfellow from the lender to Mr. Greer and Lovetro who foreclosed the property in 2011. Believe me, Tanner Henry would not have any affiliation with Mr.Greer or Lovetro. I also know that Mr. Greer and Mr. Lovetro do not have any business involvement at that address since the foreclosure.

Anonymous said...

There are new players in the PSWID controversy

There are more than one business’ listed currently with the Arizona Corporation Commission with an address of 1011 S. Goodfellow Rd, Payson Arizona. And there are not multiple rental spaces at that address.

#1st company is: M3G MILL WORKS File Number: L-1586343-0
Articles of Organization listing Gary Lavetro as well as Kris Lovetro as the owners of M3G Mill Works (A Saw Mill) with a business address of 1011 S GOODFELLOW DR. PINE, AZ 85541

Document Number 03048354 lists Michael S. Greer as the manager and on that document the address is 1011 S. Goodfellow Road, Payson, Arizona 85541.

This information is at the Arizona Corporation Commission website at address: http://starpas.azcc.gov/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=wsbroker1/names-detail.p?name-id=L15863430&type=L.L.C. (click on the document number buttons on lower left side.

#2nd company with same address is: MB Fine Homes owned by Robert Fredrick Meyer is the company that builds $$$ Million dollar homes at the Country Club Golf Course. Meyer is also listed on the Arizona Corporation Commission with a business address of 1011 S. Goodfellow Road, Payson Arizona. Reference: http://starpas.azcc.gov/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=wsbroker1/names-detail.p?name-id=L17778547&type=L.L.C.

I spoke to a man who lives near that address (1011 S. Goodfellow Rd address) and was told that Robert Fredrick Meyer was operating an illegal Saw Mill at 1011 S Goodfellow Road Payson zoning enforcement officer Sean Tanner was called and Sean issued a Cease and Desist Order and shut down Mr. Meyer's Saw Mill operation.

The reason Mr Meyer's Saw Mill was shut down was because a Saw Mill is required to have a property zoning of "M1" or "M2" (heavy industrial), just like the Door Stop company up at the Payson Airport Industrial area. Mr. Robert Fredrick Meyer's Saw Mill at 1011 S. Goodfellow Rd Payson Arizona is only zoned "C3" (light industrial). Meyer's Saw Mill was issuing particulates into the air of the surrounding neighborhood making people sick.

ADEQ was informed and they sent inspectors up to inspect Mr. Meyer's operation, but the Saw Mill was not in operation emitting saw dust particles at the time of inspection so ADEQ gave Mr. Meyer's a clean inspection.
Mr. Fredrick Meyer also owner of MB Fine homes did an "End Run" and applied for a TConditional Use Permit to keep running his Saw Mill operation at 1011 S. Goodfellow.
The Town of Payson Community Development and Zoning board (and mayor) went ahead and gave Mr. Robert Fredrick Meyer the TConditional Use Permit to continue operating his business there, BASED upon the ADEQ inspection which states that the Saw Mill WAS NOT in operation when ADEQ did their inspection, and get this.
Even though the Head Start pre school is located just 12 feet away.
I wonder if all the parents of all the children that attend the Payson Head Start School were informed about the Saw Mill and possible contamination from inhalation to their children.

So that if their children had asthma or some other breathing problem could tell the school administrator not to let their children play in the back where there could possibly be saw dust that could make their children’s conditions worst.
If any of those children get sick and their parents hire a good attorney they will get a large settlement for sure.
So all Saw Dust particles go into the air and all the 70 plus or more children running around breathing real hard inhale all that dust into their lungs. Oh my!
Had Mr Gary Lovetro or Michael S. Greer or Mr. Robert Fredrick Meyer gone to The Town of Payson Community Development Department and asked up front what type of zoning was required to operate a Saw Mill they would have been told M1 or M2. Instead they choose to go right ahead (maybe even knew so?) and start the Saw Mill operation.
Are Gary and Kris Lovetro, Michael S. Greer and Robert Fredrick Meyer all in business together?

Anonymous said...

My wife and I do not agree with some of your ideology Jim.

But we sure are thankful for your website and especially the “Comment” selections.

It was by reading lots of the local people’s comments that we have come to the finale conclusion that your town is currently being run by “nuts” who should be in a “nut house”.

We have been watching the water issue from Wheaton Ill for the last 20 years, as we have kids in Scottsdale.

We made a decision today taking Payson off our short list of places to buy and settle.

Also if anyone in Wheaton Ill would have been caught running an illegal operation in an unapproved zoning… not only would they have been shut down, but they would have PAID A HEFTY FINE.

Like I said, “the nuts”, “Your nuts” are rewarding people who are breaking the rules and laws, as in the MB Fine Homes ‘Saw Mill’ scandal.

Thank you Jim for your website and I hope all your town’s people wake up.

Anonymous said...

Tanner Henry would never be associated with Greer or Lovetro again.
Tanner for Tetra Tech wanted to fix the water system properly and Greer and Lovetro for PSWID said no. Tetra Tech walked away. Hat Creek Electric Michael Greer had property, then it became Hat Creek and M3G Mill Works. Mill works with both Lovetro and Greer. Two work bays at this location, one for each. Then Greer lost the property. My friend thinks M3G also did mill work at 1011 S. Goodfellow. Did they?
Maybe Meyer just took over empty property and equipment and nothing to do with previous occupants

Anonymous said...

Tanner Henry knew what the zoning was of the property he bought at 1011 S Goodfellow Rd Payson Arizona. He is an engineer. He is not stupid. He knew full well that operating a Saw Mill would be illegal.

The post by anonymous dated December 9, 2012 3:04 PM Is just a distraction trying to take heat away from not only the guilty individual’s Gary Lovetro, Michael S. Greer and current lessee at 1011 S. Goodfellow Mr. Robert Fredrick Mayer that IS running an illegal UNAPPROVED zoned business at 1011 S. Goodfellow, Payson Arizona.

This current administration (Payson town council, mayor and department heads) that rewards those who break the law and gives them a permit to continue the illegal operation.
Let us stay FOCUSED on the real issue.
Is this the type of people in this current administration that YOU the people of Payson want to rule over you?
An administration that rewards evil with good and demonize those who are doing good with evil.

An administration that could care less about the children’s safety and well-being. Instead this administration (Payson town council, mayor and department heads) protect their wealthy friends who build million dollar $$$ homes at Chaparral Pines Country Club.

George Washington said...

Wheaton,
And of course everything you read here is the honest to God's truth.
Say, I have a great piece of property in Florida and not a gator in sight. Since you're not moving to Payson, interested?

Anonymous said...

To George Washington
Paul Revere said....

The conditional use permit #TUP12-008 WAS issued to MB Fine Homes ( Robert Fredrick Meyer ) at 1011 S. Goodfellow Rd, Payson, AZ 85541 on November 28, 2012, signed by Doni Wilbanks, on 11/28/2012. Doni is a Town of Payson Planning Technician.

We (wife and I) decided to look in on this matter and so we went down to the area and asked some of the neighbors what was going on. We were given the actual letter and envelope that the notice letter was sent in. We read the notice (sent by the Town of Payson that was sent out to all neighbors near the illegal “Saw Mill” at 1011 S. Goodfellow Rd, Payson, AZ. That letter was dated November 7, 2012.

The letter said all comments from the neighbors must be received by Payson community development planning and zoning within 10 days of the date of this letter which made the response date Saturday 17, 2012.

The envelope that held the Payson community development planning and zoning notice letter was IS DATED BY THE POST OFFICE November 14, 2012.

The neighbors didn’t receive that notice till “FRIDAY” November 16, 2012.
That left no time for the people affected to respond to the Payson planning and zoning community development department, to tell them they did not want a “Saw Mill” in their neighborhood and that the land at 1011 S. Goodfellow was not zoned for a “Saw Mill”

Just by the dates on the letter and post office date on envelope shows how incompetent the current administration is and that they could care less about the health of the children at the Pre School 12 feet away from Mr. Robert Fredrick Meyer’s illegally operating “SAW MILL” at 1011 S. Goodfellow Rd. Payson, Arizona 85541

It looks as though mayor Kenny evans administration was going to give the conditional use permit anyway regardless of what the “little people” wanted. It appears as though the letter was just a formality.

At the very least this IS selective enforcement.

The guy in Wheaton Ill can “smell” the stench from the crap that is going on here in Payson even as far away as Wheaton Ill.

The article that Jim started this post on was nothing more than a ploy by the Roundup (for evans and the good ol’ boy realtors and developers) to draw out those who disagree (Dissidents') with what they want to do.

(A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution)

So that the mayor and his puppeteers would know who to demonize, intimidate and strong arm.

How can Payson be blessed by God when the rulers do such evil in the sight of God?

At church a few weeks ago the pastor said that in the “latter days” people would call evil good, and call good evil and they will have changed sides (from good to evil) and not even know it.

We all would like to see jobs and prosperity in Payson, but not at the expense of the “Little People”.

What kind of deal is selling the Country Club 49 years of water (at cost)?

The people of Payson have paid for everything we have now concerning WATER even before evans moved here, or the Country Club Golf course Chaparral Pines even existed.

If anyone should get a break in water prices it is us that have lived here for 30 plus years!

If the Country Club Golf Course wants to buy water and there is enough to sell it to them… then make THEM pay for all the piping to their property line and also charge them an impact fee in the amount it will takes to run a line to the proposed ASU extension college. On a month to month option only. NOT a 49 YEAR CONTRACT!

That’s the deal that should be made with the big $$$ money millionaires' at Chaparral Pines Country Club

Anonymous said...

Getting back to the topic at hand. The original article may be correct. We read in the paper now that Mr. Cole (the District Manager for CH2MHILL) seems to be out of the loop. The paper says that Ms. Sigeti wrote that she discovered the charges in July and did not report the problem to the board chairman Mr. Lovetro until October. There is no mention that she reported the impropriety to her District Manager. From her statements we must assume that none of the employees reported an impropriety to ANY of the board members until October. Who do these CH2MHill employees report to? Do they only answer to the board chairman himself? Is Mr. Cole not in charge? She wrote that only herself (bookkeeper), Mr. Greer, and the accountant knew of the problem. If Mr. Cole was unaware of the problem, are we to assume that his position as District Manager is ineffective? Does the District Manager not review the accounts periodically? Would he not see this? In August, she wrote, the problem still continued! According to her admission, neither Ms. Sigeti nor the accountant reported the problem for two more months! Mr. Greer accrued another $2000 in charges during that time! This was clearly a violation of the district policies and probably the law that was ongoing and Ms. Sigeti choose not to speak to any other of the board members for two months! It begs the question, is this conduct also in violation of the law.
We also need to ask what is the role of the accountant in all of this? It is not clear how closely the accountant works with the water district. Is he or she also an employee of CH2MHill?
We must conclude then that PSWID must be very dysfunctional. The management company does not appear to be in managerial control of the finances. They also are not in managerial control of their employees. The bookkeeper clearly does not report to the District Manager, (or chose not to in this case) and appears to make decisions about the legality of hushing up violations of the laws. Mr Lovetro seems to be the defacto manager of the employees and the finances. None of the other board members seem to be aware about what is going on. This also begs the question, what board member beside Mr. Greer, signed the checks while Mr. Lovetro was gone?
The final insult to we citizens of Pine and Strawberry was when Board Member, Mr. Weeks noticed this impropriety and asked questions in a public board meeting. In his response Mr. Lovetro berated Mr. Weeks and accused him of conflict of interest, because CH2Hill bought the cheapest gas in town at his establishment. It is clear that Mr. Lovetro was using the "bully pulpit" to quiet any criticism of his management of the district. He then attempted to distract the community from the dysfunctional issues and try to take the spotlight off of he and Mr. Greer.
Well now the State Auditor is investigating the district. We can only hope that the truth comes out and violations of the law will be highlighted. After the state auditor is done with their investigation, regardless of the outcome we will still need ask ourselves if a house-cleaning is in order at PSWID. An audit will not fix the dysfunctionality. We need a new board who will root out cronyism and install a morally upright management team.