“I’m a little embarrassed that our name is associated with the Northeastern Arizona Sustainability Consortium,” said Snowflake Councilman Larry Matyas at the Aug. 9 meeting of the town council.

Matyas introduced Karen McKean of the White Mountain Conservatives (WMC), and President Sam Payne made a PowerPoint presentation that introduced the subject of sustainable development to the council. There were many present supporting WMC, including some from Apache County.

Payne alerted council members to efforts of the federal government to control rural America through Sustainable Development Agenda 21, which was presented in 1972 at a Stockholm Conference to 178 nations, non-governmental agencies and other interested parties who had met in Rio de Janeiro to discuss global environmental issues.

Payne said that the consortium is taking this from global to local.

He said that Navajo County has withdrawn from the Northeast Arizona Sustainability Consortium led by Apache County, and expressed concern that the Town of Snowflake had its name on the letterhead. Show Low has not joined this consortium.

Mayor Kelly Willis said he appreciated the presentation. He then asked Town Manager Paul Watson to check into the status of Snowflake and the consortium and report back at a later meeting.

In other business, because the structure has been constructed, the owner believes he complied with the ordinance as interpreted by town staff and due to the cost to relocate garage door flood openings, Roger Morgan, owner of 322 East Snowflake Blvd., was granted a variance, with the council acting as the Floodplain Board.

A liquor license application for Rim Country Convenience, 2475 Highway 277, was considered and then unanimously approved. This will give Rim Country Convenience the ability to sell liquor for mixed drinks. Owner Don Gonsalves was present. He explained that nothing could be consumed on site and that they are not turning the convenience store into a liquor store, stating, “All we’re trying to do is add one more category to what we are already doing.” Circle K in Snowflake and Conoco in Taylor, as well as Bashas’, already have No. 9 liquor licenses. Gonsalves explained, “When it comes to alcohol and tobacco type products … people are very specific. If I don’t have what they want, they’re not going to trade for something else,” noting that rather than purchase other items at his store they will go elsewhere.

The council held the first reading of Model City Tax Code amendments to the ordinance. “We approve these changes every year,” explained Richards, noting that all cities and towns in Arizona conform to the Model City Tax Code.

“I read it,” said Councilman Tom Poscharsky. “It is just changes to the model city tax code and conforms to the legislative session.”