In a recent City Council meeting, City Manager David Coolidge presented his appointment for the Chief of Police Franklin Caldwell, to the mayor and council.
However, Mayor Birdie Cano recused herself from the vote, stating, “I have completely recused myself from participating in any of the interviews, public meet and greets, anything that had to do with the vote for the new chief of police.” The reason for her recusal is that one of the candidates was her husband Lieutenant Ernest Cano. She clarified that the selection process involved various panels, including a peer panel with other police professionals, a citizens panel, a council panel (minus herself), and a public meet and greet, in which she had no participation.
City Manager Coolidge stated that each panel ranked the candidates after interviewing them, and his decision was based on the candidate who ranked the highest across these panels.
During the discussion, Councilmember Melissa Nelson raised questions about the length of time the selected candidate would be required to serve in the position. She expressed concerns about not having the opportunity to discuss the candidates before the appointment was brought to the council. She emphasized the importance of longevity in the chief of police role, given the current state of affairs within the police department. Nelson said, “I think with some of the stuff we have going on within the police department and morale and everything we’re going to need a little bit of longevity, and I’m not sure if that said person is appropriate for that.”
She then motioned to move to executive session to discuss the candidate further. However, the vote resulted in a 3-3 tie, with councilmembers Jim MacLean, Peter Cake and Samantha Crisp voting against the motion, and councilmembers Darcey McKee, Daniel Tafoya and Nelson voting in favor. Consequently, they did not proceed to executive session.
The council then voted on the appointment of Caldwell as the chief of police, with all members of the council except Nelson voting in support.
In a legislative update, Karen Kruse from The Kruse Group, which is the city’s lobbying group, reported that Navajo County has received $15 out of the $20 million appropriated to them last year for the Winslow levee. She also mentioned that the state is looking at a $500 million budget deficit in 2025 and the state is exploring funds that have already been appropriated but not spent for projects like the Winslow levee’s remaining $5 million. However, Kruse believes after speaking with leadership in the legislature these funds should remain secure and not be reclaimed to address the deficit. She expects the county to receive the remaining funds by April.
The council also issued a proclamation to show support for the Winslow High School Lady Bulldogs Danceline for their state championship win.
In a library update, it was revealed that there have been some setbacks in the construction of the new library. The ground beneath the construction site was discovered to be mostly rock instead of the expected dirt. Additionally, there was no gas line where it was initially thought to be, resulting in the need to dig up the parking lot of the Winslow Chamber of Commerce to install the gas line.
Regarding the provision of shade to the parking area, the city originally planned to plant trees. However, given the discovery that the ground is mostly rock, they are now considering installing solar panels for shade.
During the meeting, Alice Kinkman addressed the council, highlighting the need for a catch, neuter and release program to address the city’s issues with stray cats.
In other business, the council:
* Approved the reappointment of Kevin Coolidge and Jeff Patton to the airport commission.
* Authorized the acceptance of a grant from the Arizona State Library for the amount of $50,000.
* Approved two contracts with McCauley Construction, Inc. for cemetery expansion at a cost of $200,787 and a contract for First Street parking expansion at a cost of $161,370.
* Approved payment for Mike’s Pike median landscaping project to DIY Ranch for the amount of $69,375.
*Authorized the acquisition of property located at 104 E. First St. and take all actions necessary to complete the transaction.
The next meeting of the Winslow City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 23, in the meeting room located at 523 W. Second St.
