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Following the Holbrook City Council meeting on Dec. 11, Interim City Manager Cher Reyes provided the names of individuals seeking the available city council seats and the mayor position for the upcoming March election. The deadline to submit candidate papers was not until the day after the meeting.
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Those individuals include Merrill Young for the mayor’s seat; incumbent Councilman Adam Marsh and Dwayne Hawk, for the one two-year seat; and councilmembers Francie Payne, Mike Nilsson and Tim Dixon seeking to retain their three four-year seats on the council.
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During the meeting Reyes informed the council that she and Administrative Director Pat Nichols formulated a five-year pavement preservation plan for street restoration in the city. The plan includes chip seal and fog seal, but no concrete.
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“We measured every street and got the footage right so we kind of know a direction to take,” stated Reyes. The streets will be addressed from the older streets to the newer ones. “By the fifth year all the streets in Holbrook should have all had work done on them.” She noted that the last time a plan was adopted was in 2003 and she didn’t know how long that plan was followed.
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“I’m not recommending any concrete if we can get away with it. I already contacted the county to see if we could piggy-back with any projects they may have going on because we do have some streets that need to be completely redone,” stated Reyes.
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Councilman Earl Kester asked if Santa Fe Railroad could be asked to partner on restoring Joy Nevin Avenue as they use that road regularly. “If something happens on Hopi that is the road that will need to be used,” noted Kester.
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When asked by Councilman Mike Nilsson what her objections were to concrete, Reyes stated that it doesn’t ride well and cracks easily. “It’s difficult to break through if you have a water leak. It’s hard to cut and if there’s water coming up under it it’s even harder to get through,” stated Reyes, adding that the cost of concrete has also increased.
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Councilman Adam Marsh thanked staff for putting the plan together. “I think it sends a good message to the citizens that you’re thinking strategically and that these are the priorities of the city.” It was noted that Highway User Revenue Funds would be utilized for this project.
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Reyes informed the council that two lights for Mission Lane have been placed on existing poles. The lights will add $24 a month to the city’s APS (Arizona Public Service) bill.
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She also noted that she has contracted with Precision Sweeping to have the chips swept off Anita and Encanto drives, and Mariana and Florida streets.
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Reyes also bid for a new street sweeper for a seven-year lease with that information to be brought before the council at the next meeting but let the council know that receiving the new sweeper will take time. “That’ll be four months out even if we get it approved that night. It takes that long to get it here,” stated Reyes, adding that staff is replacing the roof on the cemetery shop and the exterior of City Hall is being prepped for a new paint job.
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The council authorized the purchase of a new pump for the Romero lift station, which has been operating on a backup pump since October. The cost to repair the pump was estimated at $8,117 and a new pump is $8,998 so the council approved the purchase of a new pump from JCH.
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Wastewater Supervisor Lance Spencer informed the council that the Romero lift station in particular has a lot of debris that collects in the station primarily, it is believed, coming from the Navajo County Jail. “When they first put in that lift station it was for the south side residents. The county was to ensure that they were cleaning out the wet well on their end but I have no control over that,” explained Spencer. He explained that the trash in the system is mostly, condiments and containers and other trash debris, adding that most people do not dispose of that type of debris through the sewage system.
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Councilman Tim Dixon suggested that the county be contacted regarding the issue. “I would think that this is something they could get a handle on,” stated Dixon. He also asked if the city charged the county for maintaining the Romero lift station. Reyes said the county has been great partners with the city and she felt they provided other services that offset the circumstances. She did agree that it would be beneficial to educate them on the situation.
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The council also approved the purchase of 32 bulbs for UV lamps at the wastewater treatment plant in the amount of $19,100 from UV Doctor. The lights are the primary disinfecting system for the plant.
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During council member updates, Vice Mayor Richard Peterson stated that the Navajo County Historical Society is still seeking to raise funds for a new roof. A rifle is being auctioned with tickets at $10 each or three for $25.
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In other business, the council:
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* Approved the consent agenda, which included claims and payments totaling $284,518.
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* Approved a two-year contract with Loni Hatch for continued use of the Holbrook Community Building at a rate of $25 per month for dance instruction, with Hatch providing the insurance.
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* Approved a renewal of agreement with Evelyn Marez for magistrate services for two years with a modification in the agreement to state that either Marez or the city may terminate the agreement for cause with a 60-day notice. The previous agreement did not include the city as having that option.
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* Approved the adoption of the city council travel policy. The policy was discovered within the employee policy and was removed from that portion. The policy was edited to simply state that all council members’ travel must be pre-authorized by the council in order for the costs to be reimbursed by the city.
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* Approved the updates to salaries in the City of Holbrook Classification and Compensation plan to reflect the increase in minimum wage with hourly wages projected at $13 per hour by 2023. The increase will not provide an increase in salary to employees but would allow for a higher salary ceiling on positions for advancement through certification and experience.
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Following the council meeting, the council adjourned into executive session to meet with the recruitment consultant regarding the city manager position with no action taken following that meeting.
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There will be no council meeting held on Dec. 25.
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