Coalition Of Greater Scottsdale
COGSaz.org
“Consistent land use policy and protecting our unique quality of life.”
The annual April COGS Patio Potluck will be held on Saturday, April 10th starting at 5pm so our merchants and business owners can attend. Details will be sent to you in the COGS E-Newsletter. A slate of nominees for the Board of Directors will be presented for members to vote. Members may also be nominated from the floor. Also mark your calendar for July 21st, Wednesday from 7pm to 9:30pm. COGS will host a public City Council Candidate Forum at the DC Ranch Clubhouse. The session will be open to the public and will provide voters with a face-to-face interaction with the candidates.
Note: The Downtown Task Force meetings are held on Mondays at 7:30 am in city hall and later at 5pm is the Charter Review TF. Meetings are not every week. We currently have three members serving on the Downtown Task Force. Two members finished their service on the McDowell Corridor/Southern Scottsdale Economic Development Task Force when the final report was delivered to Council in February 2010.
Contact us anytime to assist you with a city issue. We can send you vital internet links for your research and direct you to the decision-makers within the city government. If you want our direct help--just ask. Do you want to receive the COGS E-Newletter in the privacy of your home computer? Contact us at cogsaz@cox.net
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ABOUT US
The Coalition of Greater Scottsdale (COGS) is a group of civic-minded individuals who share a passion for this City and all its unique characteristics that establish it as a family and tourist destination. Our focus is to encourage and oversee consistent land use policy by the City of Scottsdale government. We further believe that the character of the original Downtown area of Scottsdale needs to be protected.
COGS is different from the multitude of other Scottsdale advocacy groups in that COGS has a broader-based membership. Many of our members are the leaders and members of other advocacy groups including small business organizations. They enrich our knowledge base, provide focused citizen energy, and increase the strength of our citizens' voices when we speak to and interact with members of the city government and investors and developers.
What do we do? Our members want COGS to be a resource to residents and business neighbors who are potentially impacted by inconsistency in land use policy (proposed changes to intensity of use, zoning, height, density, traffic patterns, etc). We will communicate accurate and timely information on proposed changes in all areas of Scottsdale. Most importantly, we provide neighborhood leaders with assistance in tracking proposed projects through the maze of city staff studies, reports, and commission hearings. Neighborhood leaders can learn effective methods to ensure public input throughout the development process. Insights into the planning process empower citizens to have more effective input with city staff, city commissioners, City Council members, and property owners/developers. Maintaining our city's status as a tourist destination and a highly desirable place to live requires that land use issues be a function of well-crafted policy rather than case-by-case spot re-zoning. The citizens of our community deserve the respect of the city planners and investment developers. The process should be fully open and accountable to the citizens. The citizens' should expect preservation of a predictable, quality of life not compromised or impacted by proposed land use changes that are inappropriate.
Although land use policy is the focus for COGS, there are many other factors that work hand-in-hand with sound land use policy to prevent the erosion of our City's unique character. Openness in the process and our elected representatives' accountability to the citizens is fundamental. COGS strongly supports these principles throughout the city government's operations and planning, such as the budget process, expenditures of public funds, and transportation planning .
How Do I Join? Annual dues are $10. Membership applications are available on this website and at the Welcome Table at every public meeting or you may use our US Mail address below. You will be added to our e mail list and will receive VALUABLE insider information, alerts on proposed projects in your neighborhood, updates on current government plans, visions, discussions and our evaluation of a particular City Council or Commission meeting. Don't miss what you need to know! ................................Our e-Newsletters also include monthly city events for you and your family to enjoy.
US Postal address: COGS, PMB 766 3370 North Hayden Road #123 Scottsdale, Az 85251
Fax 480.588.6002 or e mail us at cogsaz@cox.net website: www.cogsAZ.org (or .net or .com)