The clock is ticking …

Former Councilman Bob Littlefield and his political action committee Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions filed a lawsuit Sept. 25 – hours before Senate Bill 1543 was to become law.

In attempting to block a law making a referendum moot and allowing Axon’s apartments-hotel-office North Scottsdale plan, Littlefield’s complaint targets not only the state, but also the city of Scottsdale.

According to Luis Santaella, the interim city attorney, Scottsdale has until Nov. 7 to respond to the lawsuit.

Concerning the matter, Mayor Lisa Borowsky added two agenda items to the Oct. 21 Scottsdale City Council “special meeting.”

The first was for a private/”executive session” meeting to “discuss and consult with the city’s attorneys and representatives to consider its position and give possible instruction regarding Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions, et al. v. State of Arizona, City of Scottsdale.”

The second was to authorize Santaella “to file any appropriate counter claim(s), cross claim(s), and third-party claim(s)” in the TAAAZE suit.

Translating the legalese: Scottsdale could fight the claims – or join in with Littlefield and company.

Things didn’t quite work out the way the agenda planned it.

The 4 p.m. special meeting started with presentations by two dozen locals, each pitching a spot on one of six boards.

That took nearly an hour, which, as Borowsky noted, put them right up against the regular meeting start time of 5 p.m.

Regarding the TAAAZE issue, Borowsky said, “I’m tempted to push this … to next week,” asking Santaella’s opinion.

“I’d like to have discussion tonight,” he quickly responded, “because I’d like to have direction.”

Council did approve a motion to move the executive session until after the regular meeting.

But, after a long workshop presentation on grass and water, council members were apparently beaten down by the combined nearly four-hour meeting.

Just before 9 p.m., Borowsky closed the regular meeting and returned to the matter left “dangling.”

“We left off with going into executive session,” Borowsky summarized, “there was a question on whether there’s a deadline and that’s been answered.”

But Councilman Barry Graham made a motion to “defer this (executive session) until the next meeting.”

Council’s next scheduled meeting is Nov. 3.