Cave Creek committee appoints scribes to draft white paper outlining options to acquire up to ~4,000 acres

The Cave Creek open-space committee on the evening of the meeting agreed to appoint three volunteers to combine and edit the group’s work into a white paper for the town council and set a timetable for a council presentation in late January.

Committee chair (Speaker 1) moved that “Stacy and Catherine and Bill” combine their sections and produce a single white paper; the committee approved the appointment unanimously. Staff (Speaker 2) said the town clerk typically needs packet items two weeks before a council meeting and that staff will circulate a draft for redlines and, if needed, convene a short Zoom meeting to finalize the document prior to the packet deadline.

The white paper will present multiple acquisition and funding pathways rather than endorse a single approach. Committee members discussed three primary options: partnering with Maricopa County so the county acquires some parcels, pursuing seller financing through the state land department, and placing a secondary property tax measure before voters. Speaker 5 summarized the partnership approach as a way to avoid the election time pressure: “we would form a partnership with Maricopa County… and then take that to the state land department,” and, if the arrangement were reached, use approximately $2.5 million as a down payment to secure parcels and buy time for longer-term fundraising.

Members debated whether the committee should recommend buying all available parcels at once or pursue a piecemeal strategy. Speaker 3 argued for a single purchase if finances allow: “If we have 2,500,000.0 at our disposal… we should buy as much as possible.” Others cautioned the white paper should remain neutral in language and avoid implying that some parcels are prioritized over others; Speaker 6 asked that parcel descriptions focus on objective features (location, elevation, vegetation) to avoid community perceptions of favoritism.

Committee members also discussed timing constraints. Staff warned that appraisals are time-limited and that an election calendar could push any tax-based option into later cycles. Speaker 6 noted the county’s internal funding picture and upcoming ballot measures could affect partnership feasibility. The committee emphasized that the white paper is advisory and that the town council will decide whether to pursue a tax election or other actions.

Operational details the committee asked the white paper to address include where donated funds would be deposited and who would accept checks if fundraising occurs, and whether the committee itself will collect money (committee members indicated the committee would not serve as the fundraising entity). The group also agreed to memorialize its meetings and field trips in the report so council understands the work behind the recommendations.

The committee set a target for a special council presentation in late January (committee discussion identified January 27 as the target) and agreed the scribe team would circulate drafts and collect redlines ahead of that date. The meeting closed with announcements about a Spurcross Ranch Conservation Area anniversary event and a brief public comment from the land trust’s board chair confirming continuity of partnership after a leadership change.

Next steps: the appointed scribes will produce a draft white paper to be circulated to the full committee for edits and final approval before the staff routes it to the town council packet.