The Holbrook City Council completed a long meeting Wednesday, which included a decision made on the vacant Star Inn Motel, located at 1009 West Hopi Drive. Code Compliance Officer Barbara Blythe was brought forward to discuss the needs of an action plan involving the litigation. The Star Inn Motel caught fire in 2022, just a few months after being purchased by the current a loss of money invested into restorations. It has since become an eyesore for the public with burnt buildings and overgrown weeds.
Blythe has tried contacting the owner to discuss demolishment of the property, however all returning contact has been halted. At one point, it was discussed that the property would be sold to the city, however it was never seen through, and all forms of communications since have been ignored. The proposed litigation is estimated to cost between $10,000 and $20,000, in addition to other associated legal fees.
Vice Mayor Mike Nilsson asked if the city could condemn the property for demolishment without court action. Blythe replied that no one is currently allowed on the property due to lack of structural integrity, and that the owner wanted to keep the back building of the property since it was undamaged by the fire.
Councilmember Tim Dixon mentioned his concerns of continuing with any lawsuits, as similar actions were taken with the Knights Inn and the city lost the suit and had to pay.
Discussions were also had by council of the possibility of demolishing the entire property, or whether to keep the back building as the owner previously wanted. However, the back building in question would be boarded up, and there are already several boarded-up buildings in the town. Mayor Kathleen Smith mentioned that there is lots of talk about cleaning up the town, but actions need to be made somewhere.
A motion was passed to move forward with a lawsuit, which entails demolishing the entire building complex.
A presentation was made by Frank Cruz and Cameron Lehman of Coal Creek Consulting pertaining to a potential project through T-Mobile, where they are looking at zoning the Holbrook water tower as a possible location for building a new antenna. The site was selected because of its ample space, ability to be zoned, and the possibility of it being leased.
The towers would be between 60-75 feet in height and would be similar to one in Florence. The towers would most likely be attached to the frame of the structure, but a structural analysis would need to be performed before an exact plan can be implemented. The number of towers would be determined during the engineering process and would vary depending on the number of sectors needed. There is already a tower attached to the water tower that is used by the City of Holbrook. No vote was taken on the presentation until a meeting to discuss the details is held with the city manager.
A discussion was held regarding Ordinance 24-05, which would authorize the lease of municipal real property to the Navajo County Hashknife Sheriff’s Posse Search and Rescue for search and rescue related activities and storage. The lease is for one year for $1. The motion was passed with all in favor.
The council discussed with Finance Director Randy Sullivan about the need for roof repair on the city hall building. Two bids were received including KGJ Roofing in the amount of $54,665 and Early Bird Roofing in the amount of $68,735. The council came to the decision to go with KGJ Roofing as the lowest bid.
An agreement with the Arizona Department of Homeland Security for licenses for cybersecurity tools through Cloudflare and Infosec IQ that would lead to statewide efficiencies, cost savings and better protection for local and regional networks. There is no cost for utilizing these licenses that would be available for employee use. Nilsson asked about the possibility of data being accessed. Mayor Smith, while reading the agreement, stated that a disclosure is included that states there will be no risk of data being misused. The motion was approved with Mayor Smith, and councilmembers Robert Black, Dixon, Teri Tafoya, Karina Pack and Arcenia Pacheco voting in favor, and Vice Mayor Nilsson voting against.
A zoning variance for Snowflake Solar, an operation owned by Clenera, and located north of Holbrook was discussed. The project will begin operation in December 2026 and connect to the Cholla Substation in Joseph City. The amendment is to adjust the route north of Interstate 40, which would involve crossing into less city-owned property, which was discussed with the council on Aug. 14. This motion was approved with no one opposed.
City Manager Sharon Jakubowski Wolz addressed the council regarding the use and purchase of an Asphalt Zipper to use for city road repair. According to the presentation, an Asphalt Zipper helps with not just milling the road, but also compression and recompression. The cost for the machine would be an annual payment of $71,744 for five years. If purchased prior to the end of the year, the city would receive $22,990 in credits among other benefits. It was discussed to lease the machine, but ultimately the decision was made to purchase the Asphalt Zipper.
Discussions were also had about the city applying for a Greater Arizona Development Authority loan in the amount of $8 million. The city would apply for this loan in order to provide improvements to amenities such as the city pool, Hidden Cove Golf Course Road, the clubhouse, and pump station, as well as the O’Dell Hidden Cove Park and Bird Sanctuary.
Councilmembers Black and Tafoya both had concerns about going into debt with such a loan that would place the burden of repayment on the citizens. Councilmember Pack replied to these concerns by stating that the current discussion was only for completing an application, and that the application might not be approved and that no commitments were being addressed as of now.
Mayor Smith and Councilmember Black determined that more of a plan needed to be made before making any commitments, however completing just an application could be voted upon. A motion was approved to move forward with the application, with only Dixon opposed.
Last on the agenda was the schedule for the proposed 2025-2026 fiscal year consolidated fees. As part of this discussion, it was mentioned that a possible raise in fees be discussed in order to meet regional averages. These potential fees would be for the city pool, the city golf course, and similar locations.
Mayor Smith suggested that at the current meeting, opinions towards the proposal be made, however further discussions might need to be made. Councilman Nilsson agreed, stating that these topics should be reviewed in greater detail. A motion was made and approved to set up a work session to further discuss the proposed schedule.
During a summary of current events, Mayor Smith noted that the annual Christmas Parade of Lights would be held on Saturday, Dec. 14, along with the Festival of Trees at the LDS church from Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 12-14.
Councilwoman Tafoya stated that the Operation Green Light event for veterans at the Historical Courthouse went well despite low attendance.
Vice Mayor Nilsson stated that the Holbrook High School Student Council would be having a Christmas Food Drive where people could donate bags of flour, sugar or small bottles of cooking oil. These goods would be going towards the local food bank’s food boxes and will be collected until Dec. 20. Goods can be donated to the front office of Holbrook High School, Holbrook City Hall, or Esmeralda’s Bella Vida Salon and Spa.
During call to the public, Cisco Lerma, president of the Mens Golf Club at Hidden Cove Golf Course came forward to the council to express his concerns for raising rates at the golf course, citing improvements he would like to see before that occurs.
