Snowflake’s Tentative Budget Receives Council’s Approval

The town will prepare and publish Schedule A of the Auditor General forms in the newspaper for two consecutive weeks, then a public hearing will be held on Tuesday, July 21, when the final budget will be presented to the council for approval.

Council members held a budget work session in May, and thus had no questions on the tentative budget last week.

In other action June 23, the council:

* Approved an intergovernmental agreement with Navajo County allowing a sheriff’s substation to be located in suite A at the building that houses the Navajo County Probation Office and the Snowflake Justice Court.

Richards explained that this agreement is similar to the one in place for the probation office and the justice court.

* Approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Arizona Department of Revenue regarding the uniform administration, licensing, collection and auditing of transaction privilege tax, use tax, severance tax, jet fuel excise and use tax, and rental occupancy taxes imposed by the state or cities and towns.

This agreement was negotiated with assistance from the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, and will provide the maximum level of information and assurances for the cities possible.

* Approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA) for leak detection services.

Public Works Superintendent Terry Cooper explained that WIFA officials notified the town on April 15 that it was awarded a $21,000 water efficiency grant to complete leak detection services throughout its entire system or 68 miles of water line. In order to initiate the grant, the town must execute an agreement defining the scope of services for the grant and the grant amount.

Cooper noted that the grant covers the entire cost for leak detection services and requires no match from the town.

* Approved a professional services agreement with Wachs Water Services (WWS) for leak detection services in an amount not to exceed $19,770, which will be paid by the WIFA grant.

Five firms were contacted, three proposals were submitted and WWS was selected to perform the leak detection services. It will be a two-phase process during which potential leaks within a reach of water line will be identified, and then location of the leaks will be pinpointed. The information will be incorporated into the town’s GIS.

* Approved the purchase of 57,000 square feet of sod from Cedar Ridge Sod of Snowflake for the Southern Solution Reach 2 Basin that is being built on the Snowflake Golf Course.

Three bids were received. Evergreen Turf of Chandler bid 65 cents per square foot, delivered and installed; Cedar Ridge Sod, 80 cents; and North Turf of Chino Valley was non-responsive.

Richards declared a conflict of interest through a motion that turned the issue over to Cooper.

Although Cedar Ridge Sod submitted a higher bid, it included starter fertilizer over the entire area.

The town’s cost match will be 12.5 percent, and based on 57,000 square feet, the town would pay approximately $4,631 to $5,700 for the project.