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The Holbrook City Council met on Sep. 26 for their first bi-monthly meeting since Aug. 20. Councilman Earl Kester was not present but the rest of the board who were in attendance were given descriptive overview of things to come in the City of Holbrook by City Manager Ted Soltis.
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Since Soltis was appointed the city manager, he’s been very outspoken about his intentions to promote Holbrook’s assets and improve its potential for growth. Whether referring to the physical condition in some areas or the city’s financial situation, he’s remained diligent about making improvements. During his report, Soltis offered some positive insight on what is in store for Holbrook’s future.
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As part of his efforts, Soltis has made it a point to raise awareness about the importance of Holbrook’s physical condition. The Magnuson Hotel, which burned down in 2017 and the Star Inn, which shut its doors for business over a decade ago, both located on Hopi Drive have presented somewhat of an obstacle in the beautification of Holbrook.
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Soltis had only good news when he gave the status of both properties clean-up. According to Soltis, although later than expected due to procedural timelines, the demolition process has begun on the Magnuson. “A demolition team has been hired and they are expected to begin in early October.”
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He informed the board that all permits for demolition on the Magnuson have been acquired by the owners. Adding that the owners and taxpayers of the Star Inn have also been located and they have indeed found a potential buyer.
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Last month Soltis and Mayor Merrill Young attended a conference for the League of Cities and Towns in Tucson. They had the privilege of attending multiple sessions involving public safety and water rights, which both agreed were “very informative.”
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The part of the event that Soltis and Young found to be beneficial according to Soltis, was the chance they had to view what other communities were promoting for themselves. In doing so, Soltis said he and Young concluded that the display for Holbrook could use some revision and they should focus more on highlighting their partnership with the Petrified Forest National Park. They did have items donated for the display to represent the area from Jim Gray’s Petrified Wood Co., and Soltis plans to upgrade the display with more content next year.
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As part of his efforts to improve the city’s financial situation, Soltis announced that Navajo County’s IT department will now be providing the city with IT support, alleviating some of the city’s financial burden.
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“We had a separate contract, now we don’t. We’re now working with the county. It’s going to save us a lot of money,” which he stated could be used for things such as upgraded equipment, rather than spending it on IT support.
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Continuing with the theme of the city’s growing relationship with the county, Soltis gave an update on the parking lot outside the Sheriff’s Office on Arizona Street. “We are forming a partnership with the county and we want to make sure it meets ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance. The county is assisting on the finances of the project.” Pointing out that there may be a delay due to some final schematics being worked out, “In the long run, it will get done right.”
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Soltis also provided a brief summary of what can be expected once the bore testing is done at the potential Holbrook Recreational Pond site, with the results to determine what the next step is. He reiterated to the public that because the next phase is completely dependent on the results, no set timelines for progress can be determined at this time. Having considered possible outcomes, Soltis did say that the city continues to seek available resources that will assist in seeing the project through should all go well.
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In the wake of all the positive new changes. Soltis took a moment to address the board and public about the ongoing and growing graffiti problem in Holbrook.
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It’s been no secret that there is a graffiti issue in Holbrook. Though Soltis suggested getting rid of the graffiti within 24 hours as a means to maintain a more appealing image, he does not see that as a solution to the problem. “We need to find out who is doing this. We need to stop it. We need help. We all need to work together.” Pleading with the public to take responsibility and ownership for the community, Soltis said, “we can’t do this by ourselves. Members of the public, if you’re out there and you see something, please let us know. We need more eyes out there. There is only so much we can do.”
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On another positive note, Soltis announced that he and his wife have indeed purchased a home in Holbrook. As a testament to his dedication to Holbrook Soltis said, “We’re really excited, it’s a great community. I really believe that. I’ve lived in a number of communities in my profession and one of the real assets you got going on here are the people. Kind people, helpful people. We’ve got a fantastic future.”
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In new business, the council heard an appeal from a representative of property owners Chia Min Chang and Dmitry Knupitsky. The property owners purchased a single-family home in 2014. On Aug. 22, the couple were denied a planning and zoning permit to convert the home into a duplex at a Holbrook Planning and Zoning hearing they said they were never notified of.
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Upon requesting a second address for the property located at 207 Anita Drive, Knupitsky was in violation as he had not obtained a conditional use permit, which is required to have a duplex in that area, according to City Clerk Cher Reyes.
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According to the couple, the modifications had already been made before they purchased the property. Holbrook Planning and Zoning Commissioner Chairman Mike Sample was there to offer his account as to why the permit was denied.
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According to Sample, the parties who opposed the modifications were present to voice their concerns but Chang and Knupitsky were not there to speak on their own behalf. Unfortunately, according to Changs attorney, Ashley Bodore, Knupitsky immediately moved to correct the issue but never received notice of the Aug. 22 hearing and didn’t attend, which resulted in the denial.
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After much discussion between the representative, Sample and the board, all were in agreement that the couple had in fact attempted to fix the issue and the denial was overturned. Young did address the public in saying that moving forward, anyone who wishes to make any kind of physical modifications to their property be thorough and always check the requirements through the city.
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In other business, on Aug. 27, Mayor Young and Soltis visited with Senator Sylvia Allen and House Representative Rusty Bowers in reference to the Little Colorado Water Adjudication, a judicial proceeding that has lasted more than 40 years that was set to determine the priority of water rights within Little Colorado River.
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They discussed the importance of a partnership between the state municipalities and farmers, ranchers, and rural Arizona to protect the water rights. Soltis offered his thoughts on the matter saying, “Uncertainty over the outcome continues to bring harm when businesses relocate to Arizona, they need to know the supply is stable. Ongoing litigation adds to the uncertainty, which can be a deterrent for business who may be considering relocating to Arizona. We really need to get to the next step. Negotiations in the past have failed. Litigation is just wasting time.” Soltis added, “We’ve partnered with the state. We are aiming to partner with the Federal Government.” This is something he will continue to work on with the other communities. He shared his excitement for the coalition reassembly and Snowflake and Taylor rejoining the cause.
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Manager Soltis announced that the Holbrook Police Department has officially been awarded the grant from the Gila River Indian Community to purchase the three new patrol vehicles in the amount of $112,982.
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Soltis also shared the progress made on the city website and Facebook page, which are both getting a makeover. While he has already identified several items needing to be upgraded, he requested the council and city staff’s assistance in determining what else can be done to improve the content. Citing broken links and outdated information as just a couple of the changes needing to be made.
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Before concluding, Sample answered a call to the public for comments and reiterated the board’s appreciation for all who dedicated their time to the county fair. He thanked the city for the never-ending support and contributions to the event. He thanked Facilities Maintenance Manager/Airport Manager Tim Kelley and Street Supervisor Pat Serna for their countless hours of volunteer work and dependability.
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