“HURF (Highway User Revenue Funds) have been raided by the legislature for different reasons, the economy has taken a toll, gas efficiency in cars has taken a toll,” Snowflake Town Engineer Rob Emmett advised the town council June 28. “ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation) is very protective of HURF money.”

Emmett explained that in 2008, ADOT was willing to give money to municipalities, taking 20 percent off the top to cover its increased costs and giving the rest to communities. He said he thought it was good for the town, because it is expensive to comply with federal highway guidelines.

In September 2008, ADOT suspended the HURF Swap Program because of reduced HURF revenue collections. Emmett noted that the HURF Swap Program was implemented to assist communities in efficient delivery or construction of transportation projects without the added costs associated with federal funds.

Due to the impact on counties and communities in the White Mountains from reduced funding, the White Mountain Regional Transportation Committee (WMRTC), along with Northern Arizona Council of Governments Regional Subcommittee, has been discussing ways to get HURF money back. WMRTC approved a motion to develop a letter and send it to the state director of ADOT asking that the HURF Swap be re-established for at least the state’s rural communities.

“The larger cities were in favor because they didn’t have to swap the dollars,” said Town Manager Paul Watson. “I think it’s critical to small communities.”

A motion to approve Resolution No. 11-557, a call to the Arizona State Legislature not to further reduce HURF allocations to cities and towns, and to restore HURF funding to fiscal year 2008 levels, passed unanimously.

A motion that the council approve the Mayor signing the letter of support for reestablishing the HURF Swap Program and forwarding it to the ADOT director also passed unanimously.

In other action, the council:

* Unanimously awarded a $65,873 contract to D&O Contractor, Inc. for fog seal with a rejuvenating agent. Other bids came from Cholla Pavement Maintenance, Inc., $78,744; Cactus Asphalt, Inc., $82,169.30; and Surface Contracting, Inc., $85,095.

Emmett explained that the town has implemented a pavement management system with staff focusing on a maintenance program for streets with an observed condition range of very good to fair. In this range streets have a stable pavement structure and exhibit minor deterioration. The program prescription for these streets includes crack sealing, which has been purchased, and public works staff has been preparing the selected streets for treatment and for the fog seal.

* Unanimously approved the purchase of a gas chlorination flow proportioning system from Engineer Sales Company of Phoenix for an amount not to exceed $8,888.78.

Emmett explained that as the town prepares to discharge treated effluent or reclaimed water from the wastewater treatment plant to Cottonwood Wash, modifications are required to the disinfection system to meet the requirements of the town’s Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. He said that because the treatment plant uses chlorine to disinfect, the effluent concentration limit for total residual chlorine in reclaimed water that is to be discharged to waters of the United States is four micrograms per liter or four parts per billion, and to meet this effluent concentration limit the reclaimed water must be de-chlorinated. Staff identified the use of sulfur dioxide gas as the most cost efficient and compatible with the town’s current operation. “We will save money once we put this system into operation,” said Emmett.

* Unanimously approved the purchase of digital logger equipment and related equipment because important emergency calls and other required recordings have been lost due to the current equipment failing. The cost is not to exceed $9,015.96.

Lt. Joseph Baca explained that the digital logger will be used for 911 calls for police, fire and all radio traffic.

Watson explained that the current system is worn out. Will Wilson will put the system together, saving the town money.

“We appreciate our staff for getting the prices down to what we can live with during this tough time,” said Mayor Kelly Willis.