A transfer of the Northern Arizona Training Center (NATC) from five government agencies to a single one was unanimously approved by the Navajo County Board of Supervisors on Monday.
NATC provides training for law enforcement and fire department personnel, and was created through a joint effort between several agencies. It now hosts a full-fledged police academy and a burn tower.
Northland Pioneer College (NPC) has taken over primary responsibility for operating the center, and if all of the cooperating agencies approve, will now take over sole ownership. As part of the agreement, NPC will pay off the $335,350 loan on the burn tower.
A letter supporting the sale, which will be signed by the board, notes, “The burn tower is permanently affixed to the property and was financed by the Town of Taylor with Greater Arizona Development Authority (GADA) loan funds. The GADA loan is callable on July 1, 2015, with a required forty-five day advance notice in the amount of $335,350, which will save over $75,000 in interest over the next 10 years. It is the desire of the Town of Taylor that in consideration for the transfer of the facility the loan be paid in full by Northland Pioneer College.”
Deputy Finance Director Mary Springer told the board that managing the facility with five different entities involved has become cumbersome and that it could be better administered by a single entity. She also noted that a state grant distributed to the facility nearly requires a single manager.
“The stakeholders met and decided that NPC should be the single entity,” she told the board.
The letter notes, “It is the consensus of these partners that the ownership and the autonomous operations of the facility be transferred permanently to Northland Pioneer College.”
Sheriff’s office Chief Deputy Jim Molesa noted that the sheriff’s office supports the decision and asked board members to also offer their support.
“We’ve collaborated with NPC to put out first responders that are from our area,” he said. “What we’re getting is a better product.”
Molesa noted that not only is the training tailored for rural areas, especially compared to police academies held in the Phoenix area, it is less expensive to train officers since travel costs are greatly reduced. According to Molesa, both law enforcement and fire department officials support the transfer of the NATC facility to NPC.
The board approved the letter of support for the transfer.
In other action Nov. 10, the board:
* Approved a meeting schedule for 2015.
* Approved a professional services contract with Rebecca Sowers, R.N., for public health nurse services.
* Approved the expenditure of up to $37,500 in District I and II special funds for crushing and hauling of red dog material.
* Approved an extension of the contract with Tomhave Group for one year and up to $50,000 for legislative advocacy.
The next regular board meeting is set for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at the county complex in Holbrook.
Clarification
In the Nov. 14 edition of the newspaper, it was noted that the Navajo County Board of Supervisors authorized a letter of support for the transfer of the Northern Arizona Training Center to Northland Pioneer College as a sole owner. Although the county board is supporting this endeavor, the Navajo County Community College Governing Board has yet to consider the item, so has not made a determination as to whether the college will accept the responsibility and debt attached to the facility.
