As part of the Holbrook City Council meeting held on Sept. 11, Interim City Manager Cher Reyes informed the council on activities taking place in the city. She reported that there have been issues at the cemetery regarding the items being placed on gravesites. A letter has been posted letting family members know that the city cleans the grounds twice a year, on Veterans Day and Memorial Day and it is being requested that the items be removed for those cleanings and then returned once that is done.
Reyes read from the regulations stating that no live plants are allowed to be planted at the gravesites, the placing of items more than 12” high or 12” wide are not permitted, all artificial flowers must be placed on the headstones and not the grass, private fences or enclosures are not permitted and all headstones should be of good quality granite, marble or cast bronze.
Reyes also provided an update on code enforcement in the city. She explained that a violation comes from visual observation of city staff or residents reporting issues. A photo is taken of the violation and a notice and the photograph are sent to the property owner who has 30 days to address the problem. After 30 days a follow up notice is sent if the problem is not corrected. If it is, a thank you letter is sent to the property owner.
“Since May there have been a total of 129 new violations sent out. Thirty-one of them received second notice violations and 12 received third notices. The majority of the responses have been positive and slightly over 50 percent have been corrected,” stated Reyes. She also noted that there are city properties that are being cleaned up in preparation for city manager candidates that will be coming to town at some point in the hiring process.
The city is considering increasing the rates at the Hidden Cove Golf Course. “We need to look at some of our services that we are offering free to adults that can afford it,” stated Reyes. “I think a lot of our equipment gets abused because no one is being held accountable.”
The water and wastewater employees will begin cleaning at the Holbrook Animal Shelter on Saturday and Sunday and crews were busy cleaning the streets and sidewalks in preparation for the Navajo County Fair that was held last week. It was noted by Councilman Tim Dixon and Councilman CJ Wischmann that a patch job done on Fifth Avenue was very well done and commended the workers.
The Holbrook Chamber of Commerce will be taking over operation of the marquee located at the intersection of Hopi Drive and Navajo Blvd. The policy regarding the sign usage will change as chamber director Cindy Tafoya noted that key messages regarding city events are going unseen due to the large number of birthday greetings that have been allowed to populate the marquee.
As far as economic development, Reyes reported that a frozen food processing plant is in the area looking for a location for rail access and another individual is looking into purchasing the old bus depot building at the intersection of Navajo Blvd. and Hopi Drive. The current owner of the Sandman Motel on Hopi Drive is looking to sell the property and two people have contacted the city about having an airplane maintenance shop at the airport. Reyes also noted that construction of a La Quinta Inn is set to break ground on property at the north end of Navajo Blvd. beginning in October.
The council gave high accolades to Interim City Manager Cher Reyes for her level of communication with the council regarding the activity taking place at the city.
Police Chief Nathan Christensen reported that the two cadets at the police academy are doing well and are in their sixth week of training. He also reported that with the addition of Officer Joshua Minnick and Officer Matthew Theobold, and the recent lateral transfer of Officer Ray Patterson who was formerly with Holbrook Police Department, the department is up to staff. “We are no longer in need of county assistance,” he said, noting that the deputies stopped covering for the department as of last Sunday. “We will continue to work in cooperation both ways as we always have.”
In August, Animal Control took in 40 dogs and 20 cats, and year-to-date 237 dogs and 148 cats have been taken in. “This month seven animals will be going to Canada, four are going to be shipped over to Flagstaff and one was adopted out of Fort Worth, Texas,” reported Christensen. He also noted that his department is actively seeking grants for vehicles and to replace vests for the officers.
Clifton Lewis went before the council as the owner of the Wigwam Motel to inform the council of his plans to utilize the easement at the rear of his property along Joy Nevin Avenue. He informed the council that he intends to place a chain link fence around the property, provide weed control using gravel and plant trees. “I’d like to put three vintage cars there. A 1960 Chevy, a 1960 Dodge and a 1964 three-door VW pickup, and the tires will be inflated,” explained Lewis. He noted that the reason he wanted to do this now is that there is no protection at the back of the historic motel and after the fires last summer that claimed two hotels in the city he has concerns. Lewis doesn’t anticipate the work to be complete until the end of next summer. The council will be presented with an agreement for final approval at the next council meeting.
The council also received information regarding an increase to the animal control wages in the city’s employee compensation plan to reflect a starting wage of at least minimum wage with a recommendation that the council review the overall compensation plan each year as the minimum wage will be increasing incrementally.
Chamber Director Cindy Tafoya told the council that the annual celebration of Holbrook’s heritage has been renamed Old West Fest since it will now be a single day event and will be held on Saturday, Oct. 20. A planning meeting will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 24, at Trina Bops, located at 1150 W. Hopi Drive and anyone in the public who is interested in volunteering for the event is welcome to attend.
Councilwoman Francie Payne requested that the council consider a letter to the Petrified Forest requesting an extension of park hours during the summer. The park hours in the past were from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and this summer they were reduced to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. “They get done at 6 p.m. and there’s plenty of time to drive onto Flag or Gallup or Winslow and stay the night there rather than stay the night in Holbrook. I don’t think we would be out of line to ask them to reconsider longer hours especially during the summer,” stated Payne.
Trent Larson with Arizona Public Service also spoke during Call to the Public to notify the council and public that Proposition 127 will be on the November ballot. This ballot measure is to change the Arizona Constitution and will affect energy rates. “This is being advertised as clean energy, which we know that it’s not,” stated Larson. “This will be a drastic change to the ratepayers of Arizona.”
