Holbrook City Manager Ray Alley informed the city council April 26 that the racquetball courts at Hunt Park were near completion and should be available for public use by May 2. He asked the council to approve the purchase of the specialized wall lining required for the court since the dollar amount exceeded the $5,000 limit for purchases that can be made without council approval.
“We have been able to build the court for about $35,000, not including the concrete. The lowest bid we had for just a block wall construction was $32,000. With that amount we were able to put on a roof, and add lighting and security cameras,” explained Alley. The cost for the lining totaled $6,521 from Pro Build in Show Low and was approved by the council.
He also noted that the city might be getting a “slap on the hand” for some violations after a surprise inspection from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration at the construction site of the racquetball court after the agency received an anonymous complaint.
The infractions were listed as employees not having scaffold training and no horizontal cross braces on the scaffold. It was also noted that the scissor lift only had one safety chain, when two are required. “We were also lectured on wearing hard hats, not having safety decals or a manual for the scissor lift, and not having a safety data sheet for the latex caulking that we were using,” he said.
Alley said he is not certain if there will be more than one citation, but that the last citation received was several years ago and the cost was several thousand dollars.
The city manager also noted that the splash pad features are being put up in preparation for the opening, which he anticipated would be by the time school is out for the summer.
Alley informed the council that after seven years, the funds from the Safe Routes to School Grant have finally been released. Work will begin on installing solar speed signs at each of the local campuses of Holbrook Unified School District and handicap cutouts will be built on the sidewalks at the street intersections near the schools. The work is expected to begin in either May or June.
The council approved the lease of property to Petracom which houses a 300’ FM radio transmission tower in a 400×400 sq. ft. space at the south end of East Hermosa Drive on property where the old Northland Pioneer Campus was located. As payment, the city will receive promotional airtime on KZUA-FM or on other radio stations in Holbrook and Show Low valued at $1,200. The city will also be able to install one two-way antenna at any height for any use that does not degrade the signal utilized by Petracom.
Cheryl Carson requested that the city contribute $1,500 in funds for the Holbrook Enriching Lives Partnership’s annual Grad Night. She explained that the event will take place at Hulet Elementary School the night of graduation in order to provide a safe place for high school students to celebrate the evening. “In the past the underclassmen would have to be invited by a senior in order to attend, but this year we are allowing all students from ninth through 12th to come,” stated Carlson.
The council showed its appreciation for the endeavor by approving the requested funds.
The council heard a presentation by The Friends of Holbrook Animal Shelter regarding their efforts, as well as one by Chief Jackson on officer training in the wake of the fatal shooting of Loreal Tsisngine in Winslow.
Vice Mayor Wade Carlisle updated the council on what’s taking place in legislature by stating that the Highway User Revenue Funds bill has gone to Governor Doug Ducey’s desk to be signed. “It looks like about $30 million will be added for local municipalities, so it’ll be about normal funding for us, with maybe an extra $50,000,” he said.
Assistant City Manager Randy Sullivan discussed the upcoming budget calendar with the council, stating that one of the more in-depth meetings would be on May 10 when the council would be reviewing a proposed balanced budget.
The council also considered a proposal to install automatic doors at the city offices that meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The council asked staff to assess the cost of installing the doors, not only for the city offices, but all publicly used buildings owned by the city.
The council gave approval for the purchase of an automatic roll gate to replace the damaged gate at the Holbrook Police Department.
Police Chief Mark Jackson explained that the existing gate is far too heavy for the fencing and is no longer secure. The new gate will be shorter and significantly lighter, and will be purchased from and installed by Liberty Fence & Supply in Show Low at a cost of $6,850.
The council also approved the use of grant funds totaling $6,434.10 by the Holbrook Public Library for the purchase of iPads, and the apps and furniture for tethering the devices. The grant has no matching fund requirement.
The council lent their support to two proclamations, one recognizing May 1-8 as Elks Youth Week and the other recognizing May 11 as Peace Officer Memorial Day, with the week of May 8-14 as National Police Week.
The council approved claims totaling $103,903.52, excluding invoices from Walt’s Hardware and the Tribune-News, and claims totaling $291 to The Tribune-News.
