During the March 3 meeting of the Snowflake Town Council, Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse praised the Snowflake-Taylor Police Department for their fast response that led to the arrest of a suspect involved in the hit-and-run death of a cyclist on Feb. 25.
The suspect was apprehended less than 24 hours after the incident occurred, a feat that Clouse says is due to the coordinated and cooperative efforts of the Snowflake-Taylor Police Department, Navajo County Sheriff’s Office, Homicide Task Force and Major Crimes Apprehension Team, Gila County Sheriff’s Office Gang and Violent Crimes Task Force, Show Low and White Mountain Apache police departments and the FBI.
“There was a tragic incident here in Snowflake where a bicyclist’s life was taken from a hit-and-run accident. The Snowflake-Taylor Police Department called the sheriff’s office for assistance because they felt that the fleeing vehicle had possibly gone north on Old Woodruff Road into the county’s jurisdiction. This was another great job by the Snowflake-Taylor Police Department in tracking down the suspect in less than 24 hours,” praised Clouse.
Further discussed at the meeting was a request to rezone a piece of property owned by James and Kristene Ballard. The couple requested to rezone their property, split it into one-acre properties and sell some of the land in the West Gardens area of Snowflake. As no neighbors came forward with an objection to the change, the council passed the first reading unanimously.
Mountain Time Management requested an amendment from the council to add more land onto their already-existing special use permit. There are no immediate plans to develop the land at this time. The council passed the amendment unanimously.
It was noted that the Town of Snowflake has purchased a chip spreader in the amount of $28,000 in order to be more proactive about road maintenance. The chip spreader will extend the life of already-existing pavement and add traction on the roads that are worked on. The council has several roads planned to begin with maintenance.
