City Council to Consider the Removal of Development Review Member

SCOTTSDALE— City Mayor David Ortega is asking the city council to evaluate a Developmental Review Board member’s ability to continue serving on the board following their sequence of absences from board meetings.

City council will consider the “removal and replacement” of standing board member Ali Fakih at their next meeting on Oct. 12, after Ortega requested it in a Sept. 30. memorandum to the council.

“I ask the council to consider whether the community would be better served by a new appointee who can more regularly attend these public hearings,” Ortega wrote.

Fakih’s position as development member on the board is under examination following his series of absences throughout the months of June through September of this year. Since June, Fakih has only been fully present for two meetings during this five-month period, either leaving early or missing a total of four completely.

The development review board is responsible for upholding and setting standards of the quality of Scottsdale’s commercial and residential developments. They are tasked with reviewing new and existing division proposals in consideration of architectural design and of the surrounding community. The board is composed of seven members: a city council member, a city planning commissioner, and five council-elected citizen volunteers with professional experience in engineering, development, architecture and design.

Fakih is a local engineering firm owner and Scottsdale resident whose background is in engineering and construction management. Fakih began his work with the board serving for the first time in 2011 through 2013, before starting his second term this December. In addition, Fakih also served on Scottsdale’s planning commission between 2014 and 2017.

It is citizens like board member Fakih that give “the community some input in decision making through some of these boards,” said Brad Carr, who serves as the board’s staff representative and liaison. “From a standpoint of the expectations of the community, they want someone who is attending fairly regularly so they can be in tune with the issues.”

According to Sec. 2-241 of Scottsdale’s revised code, standing board members are suitable for removal after three consecutive absences, or four absences over a six-month period. It is the responsibility of the board’s chair to notify the mayor or mayor’s designee of these failures of attendance to initiate a consideration of the member’s removal and further replacement action.

“This is a voluntary board, and these aren't full time jobs for these people and they have regular jobs, and hopefully that is a consideration when they review Mr. Fakih,” Carr added.

“Other board and commission members have chosen to resign in light of attendance issues, and all were offered the option to resign,” Ortega’s memorandum stated.

Fakih began his term as a member of Scottsdale’s Development Review Board in December of 2021, which he will continue through December of 2023 unless the motion for his removal is passed by the city council.