The Holbrook City Council met on June 10, and during call to the public, Holbrook resident and council member candidate Arcenia Pacheco addressed the council in regard to Holbrook’s decline. “I drive the main roads of Hopi and Navajo every single day, and every single day I see the same issues,” stated Pacheco, “It’s time to address those issues.”
Pacheco listed off concerns she has observed within the city, such as dilapidated buildings, hotels, and the occasional foul smell of sitting water. “You pull into town right past our beautiful rest area and dog park, but you have to drive a couple blocks down with your eyes closed and pretend you don’t see the once frequently used and maintained businesses and buildings that are now deteriorating and overcome with weeds.”
She also pointed out that although most of these buildings are not owned by residents, they still must maintain responsibility for their property. “But who is holding them accountable?” she asked.
Pacheco mentioned seeing many complain on social media regarding issues in the city as well. “Everyone wants to point fingers when really, it’s no one’s fault but our own,” she stated, “And when I say our own, I mean us as the residents of Holbrook.” She also wanted to know if Holbrook had a historical preservation committee or a grant writer to acquire grants to provide funds to improve the city.
Council members were unable to respond until the end of the meeting when during the summary of current events Mayor Merrill Young said that although people may not see it, a lot of things are being done, mentioning the two burned trailers on Desert View were already finished being cleaned up by the city. “It takes time, folks, we got to have the money, we got to have the time to get it done. We’re working on it.”
Vice Mayor Francie Payne added that the council is aware of the issues Holbrook is facing. “One of the major problems with the out-of-town owners is the fact that we have to go through court with so many of them,” Payne stated. “That isn’t a quick process. We are working with several of them. Even when we get those, it’s still hard to enforce them. We can put a lien on it, but unless we want to invest our money to do it, and we have many times, but it’s stuff that we are working on.” Vice Mayor Payne also mentioned some neighborhoods are in disrepair as well, and implored neighbors to help one another to improve their spaces. “We just need to have some compassion and reach out and help when we can.”
“It is a process to abate these properties that are run down and sometimes a long legal process,” added Councilmember Tim Dixon. “We can’t just go and bulldoze somebody’s property, we would be in trouble for that.”
Councilmember Mike Nilsson also commented on the issue. “I think we should focus on the positive,” he stated, adding that we should award those who put work into their places. Councilmember Kip Woolford added that starting a Business of the Month might be a good idea.
City Manager Ted Soltis stated that the city doesn’t have the financial means to clean up the city, but believes grants are a positive step to improving things. He addressed cleanup of the Knights Inn three years ago. “So, the city really can’t afford to go around cleaning up all these properties,” he noted.
Soltis also mentioned some code enforcement was done on Mariana Drive, where some furniture and debris were present. “Our goal is not to embarrass people, so you’ll notice I’m not mentioning who these particular individuals are,” stated Soltis. “It’s not always the bad guys from out of town that don’t care, there are extenuating circumstances.”
Soltis added that the city is trying to be helpful, citing one of the code violators did not have the resources to clean and remove the debris, so the city workers helped.
Soltis also placed blame on previous city officials and workers. “We are also paying for the, sorry I don’t know how else to say this, but for the sins of the past. In the past, things haven’t been handled very well,” stated Soltis. “Some of these property owners have not been treated very well and they’re still angry about how they’ve been treated in the past.” He explained that it takes some time to fix those relationships and show that “things the way they were done in the past, we’re here to help.”
Soltis said taking people to court should be a last resort, stating that “First thing we want to do is try to help, and that’s what we do, and it pays off, and it works, and it’s an effective choice. But it takes some time.”
Soltis mentioned that the city has accessed many grants, some of which will be used to improve parks. He stated this is preparation for the “literally thousands of individuals that will be coming to our community. The idea that our community is somehow falling apart is very far from the truth,” he added, stating that businesses from the Valley and Flagstaff are wanting to locate in the city. “Significant transformation is taking place in the community, and we’ve been preparing for it.”
Soltis explained that when he started at the city that the funds were in the hole, while this year there is money in the bank, equipment is being purchased and employees are receiving raises.
Soltis also summarized the city workers’ recent jobs, such as tidying up the cemetery and finishing up the benches in Hunt Park. “We ordered some new bounce chairs for the Splash Pad, so we have another dozen of those coming in.”
During the meeting the council had a public hearing regarding the 2023 Primary Tax Levy, and approved for first reading the ordinance levying a primary property tax upon the assessed valuation of property located within the city subject to taxation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023. After that the council also held a public hearing regarding the 2023 fiscal budget, followed by approval. There was no response from the public in either matter.
Navajo County Fairgrounds President Mike Sample also provided an update to the council regarding county fairgrounds events, stating that nearly every weekend this year has events planned.
