The Holbrook City Council adopted the 2017-18 fiscal year budget July 11 following a public hearing with no comment. The budget of $9.9 million is $426,549 less than the previous year due primarily to a reduction in sales tax revenues as businesses in the city experienced a reduction in sales. Mayor Bobby Tyler, Vice Mayor Wade Carlisle and Councilman Earl Kester were absent. Councilman Tim Dixon was present via Skype from Thailand.
City Manager Randy Sullivan reported to the council that the city had been seeking engineers to assist with the vision of creating a fishing pond at the west end of town in the field where Buffalo Street ends. He noted that the main issues are getting the Department of Water Resources and Army Corps of Engineers permits.
“We’ve been working with a Engineers Without Borders and they have found an engineer to help us. The gentleman is out of San Diego and he’s with Stantec. He’s meeting with us this Thursday (July 13) to start putting some of these ideas into play,” explained Sullivan. “It’s a big jump for us.”
Sullivan also reported that work on the dog park at the north end of town is near completion, with the kiosk placement done last week and posters informing visitors of amenities in the city to be put in the kiosk as soon as they are available.
He also noted that the city received a grant for the Hidden Cove Petroglyph Park that will pay for benches and trashcans for the park.
Hidden Cove Golf Course will host its first disc golf tournament on Saturday, Aug. 5. The baskets for the 18-hole tournament are already in place at the course for those who want to practice beforehand.
Sullivan informed the council that the intense rainfall received over a brief period of time on July 8 washed out a couple of the drainage systems. Those have been repaired in preparation for any future rainfall this monsoon season.
Councilman Richard Peterson requested that there be discussion regarding the strategic planning meeting that had been organized to allow the council to discuss priorities for the city. Moderator Jason Foutz canceled the meeting after only three of the seven council members replied to a brief questionnaire regarding topics they felt were important for consideration.
Regarding the questionnaire Peterson stated, “We voted unanimously to have a strategic planning session, as well as a facilitator for that meeting. Unfortunately, when it came down to it there were some things that needed to be done and more than half the council chose not to participate in that.
“I’d hoped more people would be here to discuss if this is something that we really want to be doing or if we are going to do it, what are the expectations of the council members’ participation,” stated Peterson.
Further discussion on the matter was postponed until more council members could be present. Peterson stated he would like to see the item tentatively placed on the agenda for the second meeting in August if all the council members were present.
An ordinance was presented to amend the city’s sick leave policy to accommodate a new state law that entitles all employees, including those who work part-time, to accumulate sick leave. As an ordinance it was determined by council that at least six votes would need to be cast, with only Councilmen C.J. Wishmann, who conducted the meeting, Dixon and Peterson, and Councilwoman Francie Payne present, they voted to postpone action on the item until the next meeting.
The council approved the consent agenda, which included a special event liquor license for Holbrook Elks Lodge No. 2450 for a July 28 event and payment of invoices totaling $218,555.93.
An item for payment to The Tribune-News had to be tabled, as there was not a quorum without Councilwoman Payne, who would have had to recuse herself, as she is employed by the newspaper.
