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REGULAR MEETING OF THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE TRI-CITY SANITARY DISTRICT
Monday September 3, 2018 5:15 PM
Tri-City Fire Department - Claypool
Much information, but even more questions came out of the
well-attended meeting of the Board of Directors of the
Tri-City Sanitary District last Monday.
Jeff Hays of the USDA spoke extensively, setting the record
straight on what he termed were inappropriate or inaccurate
portrayals by local medial, specifically articles published in
the local paper. Among the bullet points:
Timing- Hays said the project will not take longer than
forecasted. The forecast was for 3 or 4 years to complete
once the project begins. He said it's more likely to be one to
two years.
Increased costs- a report that the project might cost $92
million was a figure Hays said he'd never encountered-in
conversation or in any forecasts. He went on to explain the
USDA eligibility requirements for projects. Each one is
assessed individually, and is a combination of grants and
loans. 57.5% grant, 42.5% loan. But in the event that costs
exceeded expectations, grants not loans would make up the
difference, thereby not further burdening the district. In real
numbers, Hays said the updated figure is $69 million, total.
The total debt load is $33 million. The rest is grants.
Not using Miami's plant will be more expensive- Hays said
the USDA looked at the project in several ways, and doing it
in conjunction with Miami or doing it independently was
basically a wash, costing maybe $200 more to do it
independently.
Extra expense in Tri City having an uphill plant- Hays said it
was a non-issue as Globe and Miami's plants are also gravity
fed systems. He elaborated on costs saying that 60% of the
system's building costs come from the collection system-
getting waste to the plant, which would be the same
regardless of which plant was used. 24% of the cost would
also not change either way- the cost of going on to private
property and demolishing existing septic tanks and
cesspools. The plant itself would cost $4.5 million.
But the heart of the issue was not what the system might
cost, but what will happen if a system is not built. Blight,
already a major problem in the region, would increase, as
would health issues, existing systems would fail and could
not be rebuilt, and when it came down to building a system
or having the area uninhabited, the cost would be
significantly greater. In Hays' eyes, it's not a matter of “if”
but “when”. The money is now available not using it would
be a costly mistake.
What would it cost property owners? The base figures to
repay the loans and operate the systems come out to $61 per
dwelling unit per month, which would be split between an
assessment in property taxes, and a sewer bill covering loan
repayment and metered usage. Unlike many similar
projects, hookup expenses including demolishing onsite
systems would be at no cost to the property owners.
All of that belies one question raised in the audience: Who
in this district can afford to pay for this? In an area of aging
homes and stagnant incomes, the money isn't there. It's not
that homeowners won't pay, it's that they can't. 'Nobody in
this town is going to be able to pay,' asserted one attendee
echoing the thoughts of a Miami resident about the costs of
their system, 'When it comes to buying medicine or paying
my sewer bill, it's not a choice. I need the medicine.'
With exasperation, Hays enquired, “So what's your
solution-don't have a sewer system?” That's right, retorted a
couple attendees. But ultimately doing nothing means the
extinction of the area, so while emotions run high, it's not a
viable choice.
Nor is it the end of the money worries- with the increase in
home values will come an increase in property valuations
and taxes based on them, making it even harder for folks to
hang on to homes.
As was evident at the meeting, the money concerns though
well founded are hardly resolved. But there's a bigger issue:
the district itself. The boundary lines include properties,
which are already serviced by existing systems, both in
Miami and in Globe. And Hays was adamant that the USDA
would not permit customers on an existing system to migrate
to a new system.
Such individuals would not be getting a sewer bill from
Tri-City. But as almost half of the loan repayment funds
come from property assessments in the district, they will be
getting a tax bill, for services they cannot receive. Hays
said, if you're not getting services but can get them later
(such as properties in Phase 2 and 3 of the project), you'll
pay a reduced rate. For properties that can never get service,
Hays says owners can take it up with the board. But for
most, that's easier said than done. At any rate, nothing is in
place now to afford that option.
And that's not the only boundary dilemma, as the contingent
from Globe including the mayor pointed out when the Globe
City Manager firmly requested that the forthcoming
boundary map for the Tri-City Sanitary District be drawn so
as not to include properties currently serviced by Globe.
That request, while logical and fair, is larger than it sounds.
Walmart and the Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center are
served by Globe and included on Tri-City's map. If future
maps do not include those big users, exactly how big is the
pool from which the loan repayments will be drawn?
In theory, all the affected property owners get to vote on
this- not at the ballot box, but through the right to protest.
Public hearings exist for that purpose. Written notice is
required. Most likely, meetings will start in October.
One attendee suggested the best solution would be to give
every homeowner $2 million to move out of town. It'll cost
less, he quipped, but added more seriously, what ever
happened to area pride? We used to be vibrant, now we can't
revitalize an infrastructure?
Hays seconded that, suggesting residents drive through the
area with a fresh set of eyes, seeing it as an outsider might.
Why would people stop here? If locals don't care, why
should an out-of-towner?
The key, according to the USDA is regionalization. 'This is
more than Tri-City's problem. It's Globe's problem. Tri-City
is the gateway to Globe on Highway 60. It's Miami's
problem. We all have a stake in this and we need to come
together as a region because we are one,' said Hays.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE TOWN
OF MIAMI MAYOR AND COUNCIL
Monday August 27, 2018 6:30 PM
Town Council Chambers - Sullivan St.
Affordable housing may be coming to Miami, as the long
defunct Inspiration School on Rose Road may be
repurposed, it was disclosed at last night's Regular Meeting
of the Town of Miami Mayor and Council. According to
Miami Junior-Senior High School principal Glen
Lineberry, a buyer for the 36,000 square foot building has
been found. However, the deal, which has a half a million
dollar price tag on it, is contingent on federal grant funding.
If it comes through, Butler Housing which has undertaken
several rehab projects in the Phoenix Area, will transform
the old school into an apartment complex including 24 units,
plus new construction for 20 more, all with a guarantee of
affordable housing for 30 years. Prices would range from
$350 to $600 a month, depending on square footage. A letter
of intent has already been delivered to Miami. Lineberry
was at the meeting to promote a zoning change from school
to residential.
Miami does not have a new police chief, and the hiring saga
continues. Spence Preston retired when a Valley woman
was brought in as chief, but that individual decided the job
wasn't right for her, necessitating the return of the very able
Preston, who is once again serving as acting chief until a
new candidate can be found. No one is currently on the
horizon. Rumors that former Glia County Sheriff Lt.
Christine Duarte might fill that role were put to rest when
Preston noted she is not state certified for the position.
Preston provided the police report, which included a major
roll over accident in town last week, and the hiring of a new
officer: Angel Juarez. And so far, Debbie Cox and friends
have raised over $8,000 for body cams for Globe and Miami
police officers.
Apparently you can't get a dog license in Miami, but that
isn't stopping the town from citing folks who don't have one.
Or so it seems according to Ray Webb, a local Miami
business owner who spoke up in Call to the Public, griping
after a dog he owns big one of the sewer construction project
workers. The bite netted Webb a fine for not having a dog
license, but when he went to remedy that situation at Town
Hall he was told that licenses weren't available. Exactly how
he could be fined for something he couldn't obtain left him
curious, to say the least.
Town Manager Joe Heatherly mentioned the annual closing
of the Hostetler Pool, which is next Tuesday. Why so early?
No lifeguards available after that. The Cobre Valley Country
Club pool faces the same fate. Heatherly met with CAG
about a bio waste project. Sites and grants are being
researched. Bids will be accepted, starting at 2 PM next
Tuesday for the CDBG road improvement project.
Finance Director Stacie Allison had info on a grant proposal
she's compiling to submit to ADOT to rebuild Miami's 11
miles of roads, including resurfacing and redesigning. The
project does not include Highway 60, which is outside of the
town's responsibility. Allison is looking for $7 million
dollars, all grant money, no loans. If awarded, the planning
stage will begin next spring with work to commence once
the sewer project is completed.
Speaking of which, sewer project workers ran into a snag
last week on Cactus Alley behind the mortuary when they
encountered a 2,500 foot mine shaft which is causing a delay.
Councilmember Susan Hanson noted that Miami Fiesta is
coming up soon-a week from Saturday on September 8th.
The liquor license was approved at the meeting for the
function to be held at Bullion Plaza from 10 in the morning
to 11 in the evening.
Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce
Board & Officers
At their annual meeting held in June, the Globe-Miami
Chamber of Commerce elected the board and officers for the
new fiscal year. Shown are (front l-r) Erica Muniz, president;
Stacey Murry, vice president; Tom Foster, Molly Cornwell,
(back from left) Past President Bryan Seppala, Christie
Cothrun, president-elect; Gregg Parisoff, treasurer; Franceen
Gregovich-Benton, and Robin Bradford. Not shown are Eric
DuFriend, Johnny Flores, Leitha Griffin, Robert Howard,
Tanner Hunsaker and Cami Lucero.
Public Hearing and Meeting of the
City of Globe Planning and
Zoning Commission
Wednesday July 11, 2018 6:00 PM
Globe City Council Chambers
Two items were on the agenda at the Public Hearing and
Meeting of the City of Globe Planning and Zoning
Commission, and after much discussion and public input
from the sparse crowd, both passed.
Up for vote were a proposed conditional use permit for
medical marijuana cultivation at 1900 E Ash St, the former
site of the bowling alley behind the Holiday Inn Express;
and a change in the city zoning code to allow for an
additional medical marijuana facility.
Chris Collopy, Globe's head of zoning had a few concerns
over the conditional cultivation permit: Air Treatment (to
prevent fumes from wafting through the neighborhood);
Sewer Treatment (to stop cannabis residue from entering the
city sewer system); lighting (to ensure that surrounding
neighborhoods would not be disturbed); security, fencing,
and paving the driveway for emergency access, such as fire.
Former Gila County Supervisor Mike Pastor shared
Collopy's concern about security and air quality, expressing
his hope that there would be environmental monitoring of
the air aroma surrounding the facility.
KQSS' Jon Cornell suggested that in addition to the
conditions listed by the Commission, that there be a written
mechanism in place to allow for local inspections verifying
the adopted conditions are met. The Commission readily
accepted Cornell's advice and added it to the requirements.
Eli Harding, a principal investor in the project who has
managed two similar facilities in the Valley saw no issues
with the conditions. He noted that security is already set by
the state, as are routine inspections. The site would be under
24 hour armed guard protection, a cement wall will surround
the property, which would have a single entry and cameras in
every room. The building will be outfitted with a
self-contained sewer system, and two systems for air
handling: ozone generators and carbon filters. No retail
would occur at the facility, which will not be open to the
public. Harding said that approximately 6,000 square feet of
the 22,000 square foot building would be used for growing.
The remaining area will be offices. 5 to 10 local staffers will
be hired subject to background checks and drug testing.
Paul Conant, the Phoenix attorney representing the project
noted that the state laws governing medical marijuana were
enacted in 2011 after a Citizen Initiative on the 2010 ballot
passed. When asked what impact an initiative legalizing
recreational marijuana would have on the facility if passed in
the future, Conant speculated that the growing floor might
go from 6,000 to 10,000 square feet without impacting the
air quality.
The property is part of the Ellsworth estate. The bowling
alley was started by the family patriarch, now passed on, and
the building has been vacant for over a decade. Several
family members were in attendance, fully supportive of the
proposed use.
Changing the code from one to two medical marijuana
related businesses in Globe is necessary to allow a new
concern to replace the former dispensary downtown. As it
now stands, the grow business would eliminate that
possibility. Without a code change, the sale of medical
marijuana here would effectively be prohibited.
The Commission passed both items, 3 to 1. Chairman
Carmen Corso, along with Commissioners Rosalie
Lamentola-Ayala and William Leister approved.
Commissioner Jan Shumway objected. Commissioner
Carl Williams was absent. Commission approval does not
make the grow facility a reality. Both items must now be
passed by the Globe City Council for that to happen.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY
OF GLOBE MAYOR AND COUNCIL
Tuesday August 28, 2018 - 6:00 PM
City Hall - Pine Street
Globe's new police chief will start on the job Monday
September 10th, it was announced at last night's Regular
Meeting of the City of Globe Mayor and Council. He's
Chief Dale Waters who will be sworn in during the next
Council meeting on September 11th.
Waters was one of four finalists interviewed earlier this
summer. He comes to Globe from his post in Chandler as
assistant chief. Waters won't have to police off track
betting-the Council unanimously passed Resolution 1786 at
the meeting supporting off track betting within the city limits
as a means of economic development. Globe Director of
Planning and Zoning, Chris Collopy gave a presentation on
it and says there have been no comments from the public.
An ordinance prohibiting the tethering of dogs was
discussed. But Globe relies on the county for animal control
through a $40,000 a year IGA, and the county will not
enforce it, regardless of its passage. The issue came to light
after a dog died from being tethered in hot weather
conditions. Gila County was called but did not respond until
the dog had already expired. The ultimate decision at the
meeting was to form a committee to further discuss the
issue.
City engineer Jerry Barnes gave a presentation on restoring
city streets. He put forth a 17-year plan covering 120 miles
of roads, all within projected budgets.
Mayor Al Gameros announced that Denny's is now open
and the restaurant has hired 81 local people. There will be a
Ghosts of Globe Tour again this year, over the last weekend
of October. Globe librarian Adrea Ricke has started a
walking club. Couch to 5k training will prep even the most
sedentary for a 5k walk/run coming up in a couple months.
It's free to join and all ages are welcome. The group will
meet on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at 7
PM.
Congratulations to Tanner Hunsaker who was elected
President of the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts. Speaking
of the CVCA, the Downtown Association will hold its final
summer concert there on September 12th.
And the Gila County Historical Society is hosting Old
Dominion Days September 12th through the 15th including
mine tours. Tickets can be purchased at the Historical
Museum or at Turn the Page Vintage and Western Wear.
COMMUNITY MEETING TO DISCUSS
THE TRI CITY SANITARY DISTRICT
LED BY FRED BARCON
Tuesday October 2, 2018 6 PM
IBEW Hall - Apache Trail
Construction on the Tri City Sanitation Project will not start
soon, it was learned at last night's Community Meeting to
discuss the issue. According to Michael Krebs from Pace
Engineering, the firm working on the system design for Tri
City, it's likely to be 18 months before any work is
underway, not next month as had previously been mentioned.
That means there is time to consider alternatives, and the
USDA is on board with doing that. Robert Lanford, the
USDA Rural Development employee overseeing the project
emphasized that while funds have been approved for the
project, the manner in which they are spent is still up for
discussion. Krebs stressed that there are potential
alternatives, which can be investigated.
Concerned citizen Fred Barcon, who called for the meeting,
said his goal is to stop what Tri City is doing and explore all
the alternatives. He brought a petition reflecting those aims
to the meeting for property owners to sign.
Both Lanford and Krebs strongly suggested that property
owners in the district with comments, questions or
suggestions, should attend the regularly scheduled meetings
of the Tri City Sanitary District to voice their opinions.
Vertical Heights resident Bill Marshall echoed the
frustration of many, when he said he's never been notified
about anything, including the formation of a taxing district.
That last point is particularly vexing to Marshall as Vertical
Heights is within the taxing district, but outside Tri City's
plans for sewage handling. Marshall views it as taxation
without representation and feels it's not constitutional. He
plans to discuss it with Gila County Attorney Bradley
Beauchamp. He also is intent of opting out a district that
wants to charge him but admits it will not serve him.
The only thing that seems to be set in stone is that customers
of the existing Globe and Miami plants will not be migrated
to Tri City. If you're served by one of them now, you will
continue to be, regardless of the ultimate outcome of the Tri
City efforts. Lanford explained that the USDA will not
permit the loss of even one Miami account, as the financials
for repaying the USDA loan are based on the customer base.
As it is, that base is about 100 less than expected. So Globe
customers will remain Globe's and Miami's will remain
Miami's.
The rest seems to be up for grabs, but it's more structured
than it appears, and the final decision rests with none of the
entities mentioned. Globe Mayor Al Gameros explained
that CAG, the coalition of Central Arizona Governments, is
the final arbiter. CAG has oversight on the DMA boundaries.
DMA's are the Designated Management Areas. Cities such
as Globe can file a 208 permit with CAG asking them
change the existing boundaries, which is exactly what Globe
will be undertaking.
Globe's issue with the current boundaries is that properties
squarely within the Globe City Limits are in the Tri City
District. But it's not that simple. City limits that fall in
adjacent areas are not in dispute. For instance, all of Central
Heights is in the Tri City Sanitary District. Some of Central
Heights is within the city of Globe. Most is unincorporated
county land. Globe is not attempting to remove properties
within its boundaries in Central Heights from the Tri City
district. That not only sounds confusing, it is.
Probably more than any other facet of the project, the
district's boundaries create the most consternation. It turns
out that Walmart and the hospital, which appeared to be part
of the Tri City district, are not. Walmart is served by Globe
and is in the Globe district. The Cobre Valley Regional
Medical Center is served by Miami and is in the Miami
district. So Tri City's plans were not dependent on either
mega facility becoming a customer.
Miami Gardens, however, where Tri City board prexy Bob
Zache lives, is not as simple. Miami Gardens is
unincorporated county land, some of which is currently
served by Miami. According to the USDA, it will continue
to be. But all of Miami Gardens is within the Tri City taxing
district. If Marshall's argument about Vertical Heights is
successful, that it is unconstitutional to be taxed by a district
that does not serve you, then the portions of Miami Gardens
served by Miami will need to be removed from the Tri City
map.
There was discussion about the history of negotiations for
Tri City to use Miami's or Globe's plants. According to
Barcon, the issue with Miami was not the hookup cost,
quoted at $1.5 million, which seemed reasonable, but Miami
would not commit to an ongoing rate structure. It was also
mentioned that negotiations ceased when the Tri City board
made it a condition that Tri City would manage the Miami
plant if they hooked up.
Gameros said using the Globe plant was a possibility but
there haven't been any real negotiations to determine
whether it's a good fit for either side.
The financial difference between Tri City building a plant or
using an existing one was clarified. It's not $200. It's
$200,000 less to use an existing plant, but that estimated cost
is spread over five decades, and in that light, it is quite
negligible.
Apart from which plant serves what area, what worries
Barcon most is needless duplication of sewer lines. Barcon
showed a map of Miami and Globe's lines, and Tri City's
proposed lines, and pointed out a significant amount of
duplication. He emphasized that he worked on the Miami
system and knows precisely where the lines are. His goal is
to keep costs lower with no duplication.
The location of the proposed plant was also discussed. The
hospital is concerned with it being virtually in its backyard.
There's also the prospect of flooding. Tri City's flood study
was done before the Pinals fire. The contention that it isn't
valid any longer was refuted by the USDA, which has
examined the fire site, post-fire during heavy rains and found
no indication of different flooding patterns. The USDA
views the environmental impact as acceptable. It's a fairly
tight facility on a small plot of land, said Lanford. But
again, he mentioned his willingness to entertain alternatives.
Tri City Meetings are held regularly, generally at 5:15 PM at
the Tri City Fire Station in Claypool. Roxy Hadley, Tri City
Sanitation staffer and assistant to attorney Bill Clemmens
who is Tri City's lawyer, makes the dates public. KQSS will
publicize any information it receives.
TUESDAY AUGUST 28, 2018 11:42 PM MST...
Election results are in!
Mail in votes cast in this election accounted for about 30
percent of the registered voters in Gila County. Depending
on how many voters cast ballots in person, the mail in votes
could easily account for 50% or more of the total votes cast
in Gila County. As it turned out, when all the votes were
counted, the fully tally mirrored what the mail in votes
predicted.
Here are the results:
Of the six people vying for the four Town of Miami Council
seats, the winners in order of votes are Dan Moat, Darryl
Dalley, Angel Medina and Patty Warden
For the City of Globe Council
Jesse Leetham ran unopposed in District 3.
Incumbent Mike Stapleton is the winner in District 4, but
has he did not have 50% of the vote, he will be in a runoff in
November with the 2nd highest vote getter: Desmond Baker
And Fernando Shipley is the District 6 winner
For Clerk of the Superior Court
Democrat Anita Escobedo ran unopposed, and the
Republicans ran no one
For Judge of Superior Court Division 2
Republican Timothy Wright ran unopposed, and the
Democrats ran no one
For the Globe Regional Justice of the Peace
Republican Mario Villegas ran unopposed
Democratic candidate Jordan Reardon defeated Mike Fane
For Globe Regional Constable
Democrat Ruben Mancha was unopposed and the
Reublicans ran no one
In the statewide primaries for Senator
Gila County mail in tallies include:
Republican Martha McSalley besting Joe Arpaio and Kelli
Ward (statewide, McSally has been declared the Republican
winner)
Democrat Krysten Sinema getting the lion's share of the
votes-- (statewide Sinema has been declared the Democrat
winner)
In US House District 1
Republican Wendy Rogers defeated Steve Smith and
Tiffany Shedd
Democrat Tom O'Halleran ran unopposed
In US House Distrct 4
Democrat David Brill defeated Delina Disanto
Republican Paul Gosar ran unopposed
For Governor
Republican incumbent Doug Ducey got two thirds of the
votes here over Ken Bennett (Ducey has been declared the
statewide Republican Primary winner)
Democrat David Garcia got twice as many votes as his two
opponents (Garcia has been declared the Democrat winner)
For Secretary of State
Republican Steve Gaynor got over 70% of the votes, with
Michele Reagan at about 27% (Gaynor has been declared
the statewide Republican Primary winner)
Democrat Katie Hobbs ran unopposed
For State Treasurer
Republican Kimberly Yee bested Jo Ann Sabbagh (and is
declared statewide winner)
Democrat Mark Manoil ran unopposed
For State Representative District 6 - vote for two
Republicans Bob Thorpe and Walt Blackman defeated
Stuart McDaniel
Democrats Felicia French and Bobby Tyler had no
opponents
For State Representative District 8 - vote for two
Republicans David Cook and TJ Shope ran unopposed
Democrats Carmen Casillas and Linda Gross defeated
Pablo Correa
For State Senator District 8
Republican Frank Pratt ran unopposed
Democrat Sharon Girard bested Natalie Fierros Bock
For Superintendent of Public Instruction
Republican Bob Branch bested his four opponents
Democrat Kathy Hoffman is named statewide winner
defeating David Schapira
For Corporation Commissioner - vote for two
Republicans Rodney Glassman and Justin Olson defeated
their 3 opponents
Democrats Sandra Kennedy and Bill Mundell defeated
Kiana Sears
BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE
TRI CITY REGIONAL SANITARY DISTRICT
Regular Meeting 5:15 PM 10/25/18 IBEW Local 518
If you live in the city of Globe, anywhere in the city of
Globe, you will not be hooked up to the Tri City Sanitary
lines, it was confirmed at last night's Regular Meeting of the
Board of Directors of the Tri City Regional Sanitary District.
The cost estimate of the entire project was also disclosed,
coming in at just over $70 million.
Mike Krebs, engineer for the TRSD, gave a presentation on
that figure. The total cost includes building the wastewater
plant, laying the sewer lines throughout Phases I, II & III,
and connecting all the residential properties to the system.
The loan portion that Tri City will have to repay is
approximately $32.5 million. The remaining approximately
$38 million will come from USDA grants.
Krebs said that the cost of operating and maintaining the
facility will be about $15 per month, per property, within the
district. Resolution 18-004 to proceed with the project,
passed.
TRSD Financial Adviser Leo Valdez provided details on the
bridge loan necessary for the project to commence. It's on
track to be finalized soon.
Globe Mayor Al Gameros detailed the coming changes to
the DMA maps, the areas designated to each system.
Currently, it's confusing as some properties served by one
district, appear on the map of another. At a previous
meeting, the USDA made it clear that there will be no
horizontal movement-meaning if you're served by one
system now, you won't be migrating to another. But in order
to clear up the map confusion, the USDA ordered Globe,
Miami and Tri City to re-draw their maps so there would be
no overlaps.
Ultimately it is CAG, the association of Central Arizona
Governments that is responsible for the map boundaries, but
it's expected that CAG will defer to whatever the local
districts decide.
The pressing question from the public regarded property
owners in Vertical Heights, which is on the Tri City map and
has been taxed since the district's formation even though Tri
City has no plans, now or in the future, to serve the area.
Upset that they were ever included in the district, Vertical
Heights property owners wanted to know how to opt out of
taxation, and whether they'd get refunds for the past several
years they've had to pay.
They got no answer on refunds. The TRSD will look into
that, said Tri City Sanitary attorney Bill Clemmens, who
admitted the paperwork allowing property owners to
withdraw from the district is complicated. But he added that
both he and board members will work with Vertical Heights
owners to get through the withdrawal process.
Miami Gardens property owners are in a similar position,
taxed by Tri City, but served by Miami. They can also
withdraw from the district and Clemmens and the Board will
help them do that.
Less clear was the fate of Board President Bob Zache. He
owns property and resides in Miami Gardens. He said he
would be able to remain in the District and continue on the
Board, if reelected. But, if his property is served by Miami,
the fine points of how that will happen were not disclosed.
As Clemmens said, it's complicated.
Peter Beesley, owner of Hoofin It Feed & Tack on Russell
Road in Phase II of the Tri City District's building plans
wondered whether commercial businesses like his would be
hooked up. The short answer is yes, but commercial
properties will not have the benefit of hookups at no cost to
them, which residential property owners will enjoy. It's the
USDA that will determine the status, either residential or
commercial, of each property in the district. The big
question-must property owners hook up, is answered with a
qualified yes. Hooking up is mandatory, with one
exemption. For properties with newer septic systems, such
as an owner who just installed a new state of the art septic
system, hookups are not mandatory as long as the system
passes inspections.
But while that sounds like a good deal for affected
properties, it comes with a warning. When systems fail, and
they ultimately will, hookups will be at the expense of the
property owner. And that can be costly. At some point, if
your building is within 300 feet of the Tri-City sewer line,
you'll be hooking up to it.
But when, exactly? Laura Northrup, owner of an RV park
in Phase III of the project, wanted to know that. The answer
is several years, possibly a decade before properties in Phase
III will be fully connected, which leaves owners at a
disadvantage if their current systems fail before service is
available. Laura also wanted to know details germane to her
property, which includes multiple hookups. Who would pay
for the connections? The District will get back to her on
that.
Fred Barcon voiced more objections to the project,
specifically that federal regulations prohibit wastewater
treatment plants from being built on leased property. The Tri
City plant, he noted, is to be built on property leased from
BHP.
Bob Lanford from the USDA dismissed Barcon's concerns
saying that the 40-year lease negotiated with BHP is
sufficient to comply. But the precise site hasn't been
determined yet. It's expected to be behind the hospital off
Russell Road, towards Pinal Peak, just south of Hoofin It.
The hospital has been concerned about that location, but the
Tri City Board recently met with Cobre Valley Regional
Medical Center CEO, Neal Jensen, and addressed most of
his objections.
Attorney Fred Rosenfeld, Bond Counsel for the TRSD,
explained that each phase of the project can be protested
individually by property owners within the district. Once the
legal notifications and meetings are complete, which is
expected to be at the end of November, a 30 day window
will open for protests. If more than 50% of the property
owners protest, construction will be halted.
Because TRSD does not maintain a regular office or office
hours, Resolution 18-003 allowing the TRSD to use the law
offices of Bill Clemmens at 136 North Miami Street as the
District's physical address, was passed. Roxie Hadley was
appointed TRSD clerk. A post office box is already open at
Box 2198, Claypool, AZ 85532.
In addition to the next three meetings at the IBEW on
Highway 188- this coming Monday at 5:15 and on Tuesday
at 11 AM and 5:15 PM-official notices of which will be
mailed to all property owners in the district;;' the next
official board meeting will be Tuesday November 13th at
5:15 at the IBEW.
PUBLIC MEETING OF THE TRI CITY
REGIONAL SANITARY DISTRICT
Monday October 29, 2018 5:15 PM
IBEW Hall - RTE 188 Globe, AZ
Property owners in the Tri City Sanitary District will forking
out an additional $560 a year, every year, thanks to the
wastewater project undertaken by the Tri City Regional
Sanitary District. That's the bottom line and the headline on
this week's meetings, held as required under the regulations
governing such public projects.
The meeting was moderated by Deborah Patton of the
RCAC, the Rural Community Assistance Corporation, a
non-profit organization based in California. The majority of
the two hours was spent on a presentation outlining the facts
behind the project, the remainder was devoted to public
questions.
Mike Krebs, vice president of Pace Engineering who has
worked on 105 local treatment plants in his career, provided
most of the background. In 2011, the Tri City Sanitary
District was formed. In 2012, Krebs was hired as the
project's engineer. In 2017, five years later with no word on
why it took that long, a formal proposal was submitted to the
USDA. This year, the USDA confirmed funding of the
project.
Grant money-an outright gift, will cover 57% of the project.
Loans will underwrite the remaining 43%. Loans will be
repaid by raising property taxes-on average of $380 a year.
Maintenance and operation of the system is estimated to be
$15 a month, which is $180 a year. There is no guarantee
that the monthly bill would not be higher. In Miami, for
instance, the average monthly bill is $77.
But while many owners are concerned about additional
costs, there's no realistic way around building a public sewer
system. If the district is to wait, it is unknown if funding
would be available in the future. The funding includes
hooking up each property in the district at no charge to
residential owners. If an owner does not agree to a hookup
for qualified exemptions such as a recent installation of an
approved septic system, when the need to hook up in the
future occurs, and it will, it will be at the prevailing hookup
rates. Today's cost of each hookup is on average $6,000.
From 1905 to 1975, cesspools were the primary means of
waste disposal in the area. But the use of cesspools was
outlawed by the EPA in 1976. Septic systems were installed
after that. County data sows that 89% of properties in the
district are serviced by cesspools or inadequate septic
systems, and the overwhelming majority of properties do not
have sufficient land to put in a new septic system under the
current regulations governing them. 300 to 400 homes in
the district have been abandoned due to cesspool failures.
25% of the lots in the district are currently vacant. Doing
nothing is not an option. But doing something is far from an
overnight proposition.
Initially, using an existing system was considered. After 60
meetings and three years, Miami was still not able to provide
actual treatment cost estimates. And Miami's system doesn't
have enough capacity to handle the properties in Phase I of
the Tri City district. Globe's system was also not up to the
flow capacity necessary to handle Tri City's needs. It was
determined that building a new plant was preferable to
upgrading Globe's system.
By building its own plant, Tri City saves $2 million over the
life cycle of the plant, which is 20 years. (If well
maintained, the plant should last for 50 years or more. The
life cycle figure has to do with cost amortization.) Today's
plants and lift stations are much more efficient and simpler
than plants built decades ago, such as Globe's.
More than ten sites were investigated for the plant, and the
tentative winner is behind the hospital off Russell Road on
land owned by BHP, which would be available to the district
on a long-term lease.
88% of the total system cost is for pipes in the ground, 12%
is for the treatment plant.
The project is divided into three phases to best manage
cost for Phase I is $28,230,000. Phase II will come in at
$20,482,000 and Phase III will run $21,043,000. In the
event of cost overruns, grants would most likely cover the
difference.
The timetable for building completion was stated at the
meeting as 2021 for Phase I, 2023 for Phase II and 2026 for
Phase III, but those figures contradict another timetable
provided.
Before construction can begin, a Resolution of Intentions
must be passed. That is expected by the end of this year.
System design should take about a year- after which there is
a three month bid period. It was announced that construction
will begin in a year and half. Construction for each phase is
expected to take two and a half years. Adding that up, it's
unlikely that Phase I would be fully operational until the end
of 2022.
As Phase II and Phase III properties will not be connected
for several years, full taxes will not be collected now. It's
expected taxes on those properties will be $84 a year until
construction has started on the phase in which they are
located.
So what happens if a home is declared uninhabitable due to
waste disposal problems that can not be corrected and
construction of the project is still years off? The county put
fears to rest saying something would be worked out in the
interim. Though nothing specific was cited, it was clear that
the County's intent is not to put people out of their homes.
And what about all those abandoned homes and vacant lots?
They'll be connected. As to who will pay the taxes involved-
that was not discussed.
In addition to Krebs and Patton, attendees included the
USDA's Rob Lanford, TRSD attorney Bill Clemmens, Jake
Garrett who is in charge of Gila County's waste
management, TRSD clerk Roxie Hadley, and TRSD board
members John Chism and Mary Ann Moreno.
GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS
Tuesday November 6, 2018
Below are the Gila County tallies of votes by percentage
received in contested major local, state and federal races
races affecting Globe-Miami-San Carlos residents. Election
winners in bold.
US SENATOR
Martha McSally (R) 59.33%
Kyrsten Sinema (D) 37.23%
US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 1
Tom O'Halleran (D) 58.73%
Wendy Rogers (R) 41.06%
US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 4
Paul Gosar (R) 72.67%
David Brill (D) 26.04%
ARIZONA GOVERNOR
Doug Ducey (R) 70.26%
David Garcia (D) 27.35%
STATE SENATOR DISTRICT 6
Sylvia Allen (R) 70.45%
Wade Carlisle (D) 29.46%
STATE SENATOR DISTRICT 7
Jamescita Peshlakai (D) 86.74%
JL Mealer (R) 13.08%
STATE SENATOR DISTRICT 8
Frank Pratt (R) 54.88%
Sharon Girard (D) 45.00%
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 6
(vote for 2)
Walt Blackman (R) 36.34%
Bob Thorpe (R) 35.54%
Felicia French (D) 15.35%
Bobby Tyler (D) 12.72%
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 7
(vote for 2)
Myron Tsosie (D) 58.77%
Arlando Teller (D) 29.59%
Doyel Shamley (R) 11.58%
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 8
(vote for 2)
David Cook (R) 30.27%
TJ Shope (R) 25.06%
Carmen Casillas (D) 22.55%
Linda Gross (D) 22.04%
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
(Globe Regional)
Jordan Reardon (D) 52.12%
Mario Villegas (R) 46.81%
GLOBE COUNCIL MEMBER DISTRICT 4
Mike Stapleton 55.28%
Desmond Baker 44.44%
GLOBE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT 1
Board Member (vote for 2)
Frankie Dalmolin 36.27%
Frank Grice 18.51%
Roberta Hunter-Patton 14.39%
Lisa Brown-Quintero 13.43%
Robert Howard 9.79%
David Kell 7.26%
TRI CITY REGIONAL SANITARY DISTRICT
(vote for 3)
Bill Tower 27.06%
John Chism 26.67%
Stephen Palmer 24.60%
Robert Zache 21.24%
SECRETARY OF STATE
Steve Gaynor (R) 62.92%
Katie Hobbs (D) 36.97%
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Mark Brnovich (R) 65.60%
January Contreras (D) 34.18%
STATE TREASURER
Kimberly Yee (R) 66.58%
Mark Manoil (D) 33.29%
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Frank Riggs (R) 61.26%
Kathy Hoffman (D) 38.65%
REGULAR MEETING OF THE TOWN
OF MIAMI MAYOR AND COUNCIL
Monday November 26, 2018 6:30 PM
Town Council Chambers - Sullivan Street
A swearing in of the new members of the Miami Town
Council by town magistrate Rebecca Baeza was the
highlight at Monday night's Regular Meeting of the Mayor
and Council. Darryl Dalley and Jose Medina were
re-elected, newcomer Dan Moat and returning member Don
Reiman were elected. New member Patty Sjolin
Bringhurst was sworn in previously.
Outgoing long time councilmembers Rosemary Castaneda,
who also served as Mayor, and Susan Hanson, who also
served as Vice Mayor ,were on hand. Both decided not to
run for re-election, and both were thanked for their long
tenure of service.
An election for the Mayor and Vice mayor was held. No
changes were made from the previous Council roles. Darryl
Dalley remains Mayor, and Sammy Gonzales continues as
Vice Mayor.
Miami's new police chief is Israel Juarez from Glendale,
who was introduced at a prior meeting.
80 year old Alicia Garcia was in attendance. Vice Mayor
Gonzales read a letter she wrote detailing the history of the
Miami Senior Center. After a 20-year term as the center's
director, Garcia retired in 1998. The facility is being named
in her honor.
Mayor Dalley mentioned the Globe-Miami-San Carlos
Strong meeting held last week and reiterated his advice,
'Don't Be Afraid'. Pins are being made for Globe-Miami
Strong, and Dalley, along with Globe Mayor Al Gameros
will be giving them out to patrons of local bars.
In Call to the Public, the Globe City Manager invited the
Miami Town Council to the December 4th meeting in Globe,
when the new Globe City Council members will be seated
and the service of outgoing members Lerry Alderman and
Roberta Lee Johnson, who both chose not to run for
reelection, will be recognized.
Also in Call to the Public, former Miami Librarian Delvan
Hayward, spoke representing the Friends of the Miami
Library to announce that there will be an open house at the
library this Saturday, December 1st to kick off the
month-long book sale. There will be refreshments for all,
free books for children, and movies and puzzles for sale.
Hayward also told online shoppers that the Miami Library is
part of the Amazon Smiles program.
Town Manager Joe Heatherly reported working on new
policies for the town including financing, and dealing with
nepotism. The finance policy will be finalized after a new
finance director is announced.
Heatherly gave an update on the wastewater project. Phase 3
will be completed by Christmas. Phase 5 is now underway.
Cactus Alley was problematic causing some of the Phase 5
work to fall behind, but overall, the project is on schedule
with no significant changes in cost. Estimates on the Bloody
Tanks Wash are being done now.
Sworn In: (L-R) Reiman, Moat, Dalley, Medina
Magistrate Rebecca Baeza
Voting for Mayor
Dalley, Reiman, Moat
Gonzales readiang Garcia's letter
Alicia Garcia
Rosemary Castaneda praising Alicia Gracia
Susan Hanson, Darryl Dalley, Rosemary Castaneda
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF
GLOBE MAYOR AND COUNCIL
Tuesday November 27, 2018 6:00 PM
Globe City Hall - Pine Street
Globe Police Sgt. AJ Castaneda was sworn in as Police
Commander at Tuesday night's Regular Meeting of the City
of Globe Mayor and Council. Chief Dale Walters said he
was so impressed with Castaneda that he skipped promoting
him to Lieutenant and named him a Commander. Castaneda,
who thanked his family, many of whom were in attendance,
said he's lived here his whole life and really appreciates the
town. He complimented Chief Walters on repairing
relationships with other agencies and shared his view that
the chief was making sure that the Globe PD was a model
police department.
AJ Casaneda being sworn in by John Coleman
AJ Casteneda surrounded by his family
On December 4th, the newly elected councilmembers will be
sworn in. An executive session was held during the meeting
to evaluate the city manager, but no details were publicly
given.
The 2019 calendar of special events was announced.
February will see the Superhero Fun Run.
March will feature the Walk for Hope.
April is busy with the Tour of Homes, Easter Parade,
Firefighrers Charity Bike Run, and Globe Cemetery Tour.
May will include Cinco de Mayo, and the Globe High
School Graduation.
June opens the Farmer's Market, and offers the Sunrise
Challenge 5K at Round Mountain Park.
For July, it's Independence Day Parade, and the Rock the
Block Back To School event.
September will feature the Globe High and Miami High
Cross Country Meets, Old Dominion Days, and the Wings of
Hope Car Show.
October is filled with the CVRMC Health Fare, the Globe
High Homecoming Parade, Oktoberfest, Apache Jii, the
Cyclo-Cross Bike Race, Library Halloween Carnival, Trick
or Treat Downtown, Ghosts of Globe Walking Tour and the
Jammerz Music Festival.
November will see Santa Comes To the Depo, and the
Classic 300 SL Car Show.
December includes the Besh Ba Gowah Festival of Lights,
Healthy Holidays Hike, Reardon Express Christmas Event,
Broad Street Beard Battle, and the Globe Light Parade.
Lerry Alderman asked what happened to ATV festival?
Nobody's quite sure, as it was run by former Globe Police
Chief Mark Nipp.
Lerry Alderman
Recently, Globe created an Information Technology position.
At the meeting, a new IT Manager was introduced. He's
Daniel Trammell, who is relatively new to the area, having
moved here two years ago.
Daniel Trammell
Chris Collopy on behalf of the Globe Planning and Zoning
Commission, spent an hour updating the board on recent
changes. The prohibition of painting on brick walls has been
removed, and the ordinance limiting a stay in an RV park to
not more than three years has been amended to not more
than one year. The details were almost as convoluted as
those surrounding the coming pot growing plant. The
zoning on that was eventually passed and work has begun,
primarily landscaping. Plans have been submitted for
approval for the marijuana cultivation facility, housed in the
old bowling alley.
A grant application was also discussed. It's for the same
grant that the city was close to receiving last year, giving
assistance to Globe firefighters, in cooperation with the
Tri-City Fire District. Globe Fire Chief Gary Robinson said
that the total grant amount was $579,000. Globe would
receive $275,000, if the application is successful.
The future of the city-owned Rogue Building, across the
street from the library, was again discussed with options
ranging from tearing it down and turning it into a parking
lot, to a total revamp. The price difference between those
two was not extreme. It would cost $50,000 to demolish the
building and pave a parking lot; and $80,000 to fully rehab
the structure. The city manager offered that if it was
rehabbed, it might be used for the library. Councilmember
Roberta Lee Johnson cautioned that before any changes
were made concerning the library, the city needed to check
with Librarian Adrea Ricke, and the Friends of the Library.
Ricke has previously voiced her opposition to using the
building, which she feels is inappropriate for the Library's
needs.
Councilmember Roberta Lee Johnson
Councilmember Mike Humphrey said the building is in
such bad shape that it's possible nothing can be done other
than tearing it down. He suggested that a full structural
analysis be performed before any rehabbing is evaluated. It
will be discussed again. And again.
