The Taylor Town Council gave its approval to a $10.1 million budget Aug. 17, a nearly $3.2 million increase over the last fiscal year budget.
According to Town Manager Gus Lundberg, who is also the town’s finance director, a majority of that increase is to address infrastructure at the wastewater treatment plant. “The budget includes $1.4 million that will go toward wastewater treatment plant upgrades, and $600,000 will be to tear down and upgrade a water tank,” he explained.
Upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant will include having a filter press housed in its own building, the addition of a bar screen to filter large objects from the wastewater and a septage receiving station for the lagoons. These were not included in the construction of the plant when it was built five years ago.
“The money will pay for the engineers, surveying and construction. Right now we are under a consent order from ADEQ (Arizona Department of Environmental Quality) because we are not meeting the requirements,” said Lundberg, adding that none of the issues in the consent order present a health hazard to people using the facility or residents in the community.
Lundberg said that, unfortunately, it will likely require an increase in utility rates to pay for the upgrades. The last increase to sewer rates came in 2008 when the rate increased from $24 a month to $38.39 per month. In 2012, the base rate for water usage was increased by $2 per month, plus increased rates of 10 cents per 1,000 gallons used.
“We haven’t had that discussion yet, but something will probably be brought before the council next month,” said Lundberg, adding that the projects may require a general fund subsidy in order to meet the cost.
The town will be spending another $1 million for airport and flood control improvements. The airport project includes precision approach path indicators (PAPIs), which assist pilots by providing visual glide slope guidance and runway end identifier lights (REILs), which provide rapid and positive identification of the end of the runway.
“The current equipment has become obsolete and we can no longer get replacement parts,” he explained in June.
The total cost for the project is approximately $450,000, with the Federal Aviation Administration paying 90 percent of the cost, the Arizona Department of Transportation paying five percent and the town paying the remaining five percent, or $20,000.
The flood control project involves a $550,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency grant. “This will be used to provide improvements for flood control at the airport wash,” said Lundberg.
In other business, representatives from CVS Pharmacy addressed the council, noting that the company has purchased Silvercreek Pharmacy. They plan to install new signage and will be swapping out the inventory after Silvercreek closes on Friday, Sept. 15. On Monday, Sept. 18, the store will open as CVS Pharmacy.
The council also acknowledged Boy Scout Stratton Palmer for receiving his Eagle Scout for welding pipe corral panels at the Taylor Rodeo Park.
Two items on the agenda, a discussion on the town alleyways policies requested by Gerald Gullick and a discussion for a town proclamation statement, were tabled.
