The Holbrook City Council met on Jan. 21, with presentations from the city’s two Navajo County supervisors, Alberto Peshlakai and Jason Whiting.
Peshlakai represents District II, which includes the area north of I-40 in Holbrook, as well as Joseph City, part of Winslow and the communities on the Navajo and Hopi reservations. Whiting represents District III, which is the area of Holbrook south of I-40, as well as Snowflake, Taylor, Woodruff, Shumway, Silver Lake Estates, White Mountain Lakes, Clay Springs and portions of Heber-Overgaard.
Whiting addressed the council with economic updates in the region. He discussed the broadband fiber that is currently being installed in the area, noting that Navajo County has made a $20 million investment, $10 million from the county and $10 million from American Rescue Plan Act funds, to build what is called the “Middle Mile” broadband fiber loop from Phoenix to Joseph City. The loop concept ensures that even if there was a break in service, that break would not impact the rest of the line. The Middle Mile allows for internet providers and large industry to connect and expand operations. He explained that the cost for private industry to do that was too exorbitant, creating a deterrent to development.
“More and more businesses are realizing that their people can telecommute; that people can work from anywhere. I’ve seen in our communities that we’re getting more people who want to move out of the cities and into the rural area. If we have more broadband and more stability inside of that, long-term jobs can be here for larger employers that are looking to come to this area and those people wanting to telecommute.” That project is anticipated to be complete this summer.
According to Whiting, for the “Last Mile” of broadband Navajo County, along with other counties in the state including Apache County, should be getting about $100 million to ensure all residents will have broadband access. For that Last Mile the state has allocated $100 million for broadband infrastructure projects in Arizona’s unserved and underserved areas, connecting thousands of homes and businesses across the state.
He also discussed ZenniHome, a company that builds modular homes and is opening a location at the former papermill site near Snowflake. The operation will require 450 employees and will provide 800 indirect jobs through needed services. “It’s a $65 million investment. This is going to be cohabitated with where the biomass power plant is. That should have a direct impact to the people here in Holbrook with job opportunities as that’s not too far to drive,” explained Whiting. The company is currently hiring and plans to begin production in March. It is estimated that it will produce 7,000 homes per year. To learn more about the ZenniHome operation, visit zennihome.com.
Whiting also noted changes at the county offices, stating that permitting applications through planning and zoning is now made easier by allowing applications to be submitted online. “You can still walk in and do paper applications, but you’re encouraged to submit them online.” Public works has also gone through a process of identifying all the road systems in the county and developing a maintenance plan for each of them. “We had a firm come in and go through all of our road systems and grade them out so that we can make better determinations on which roads need treatment, when they need treatment and how to appropriately scale and manage that,” stated Whiting.
Another project the county is working on is window replacement at the Navajo County Historical Society and Museum located in Holbrook. “As you know, this is a historic building, and we can’t just replace those with any window. It has to maintain that historical aspect to it but also have those modern features.” Those replacements will also lower utility costs for the building.
Supervisor Peshlakai addressed the council and provided information on his background. He was born in Winslow and was a graduate of Holbrook High School. He has worked various positions at Navajo County and is in his second term as a county supervisor. Peshlakai has been a constant presence at local meetings and gatherings and is active in promoting health and physical fitness among those who live in his district.
Peshlakai noted that the county assessor’s office is now accepting applications for widows, widowers, disabled individuals or senior citizens who are Navajo County property owners living on a fixed or limited income, who may be qualified to receive a break on their property taxes. Navajo County property owners requesting property tax exemptions or reductions have until Feb. 28, to file that application, either at the assessor’s office in Holbrook or from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the Winslow Senior Center.
