The Special Days/Special Events Committee has discussed adding bleachers at Rodeo Park, and brought the idea to the Taylor Town Council last week. Following a thorough discussion, the council tabled the matter until more information is available.

“We don’t have a clear cost estimate for the council to consider,” said Town Manager Gus Lundberg, noting that committee members felt it would be good to have a conversation and let the council know where things are regarding adding the bleachers.

Lundberg explained that he spoke with a structural engineer representative from the bleacher company that designed the bleachers in 1994, and has been in touch with Ron Solomon, a retired town employee who was involved with the original construction, about options using material the town owns. He spoke with the airport engineer, who could engineer the foundation.

Lundberg said they have enough structural material to build 90’ of bleachers, noting the current bleachers are 282’. The additional bleachers would seat another 1,700 people.

Councilman David Smith asked, “Do we have enough parking?”

Vice Mayor Shawn Palmer said that they aren’t too far from having a deal where there’s a large parking lot at a church on the same side of town, and they could shuttle people to the rodeo grounds at no extra charge. He did note there was a lot to look at, such as liability.

“We’ve got a great idea and just hope to put that together with a busing system that would run most of the afternoon and evening,” said Palmer.

“The big problem is…we turn people away, and every year it grows and grows,” said Palmer. The potential of accommodating more people would bring in more in proceeds from the 4th of July Rodeo.

Palmer said that the town currently has approximately 90 percent of the material needed for the project.

Lundberg said that they do not have the aluminum, noting he hasn’t been able to find a firm or individual willing to put an engineer’s stamp on the materials.

“Safety’s got to be number one,” said the vice mayor. “We have 95 percent of frame structure and the labor to get it done…”

“We’re talking about something that’s not realistic,” said Councilman David Smith.

Councilman Carl Cosper said he felt it could work, but they would need to get more aluminum.

“We still need somebody to stamp it,” said Smith.

Palmer said that most of the material would bolt together and require very little welding, noting that he spoke with a certified welder. “Taking the whole thing into perspective, the structure as a whole, there’s very little welding to do,” he said.

Cosper explained that as soon as something is cut it would have to be recertified.

Palmer explained that it has been properly stored, stating, “Most pieces are intact and can be bolted together, very little needs welding.”

“We require our public to provide an engineering set of plans,” said Building Official/Zoning Administrator Allen Davis, “and ourselves do a job that doesn’t meet standard, that doesn’t look good for our public image.

“If you were to ask me to approve something like we’re talking about, then I would ask for a seal.”

Davis noted that it would need to be cut and welded in a shop by certified welders, and field welds would need to be done by certified welders. “That’s what we would ask the public,” he said.

“It seems to me if we have the airport engineers that will give us a plan of how to do the foundation, and we have stamped blueprints from the manufacturer, we just follow that,” said Palmer.

“I don’t remember having an Arizona engineer seal on the plans,” said Davis.

“I just wanted to bring it to the table. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done on it,” said Lundberg.

“I really think we need to look and see what the particulars are, keeping in mind the safety,” said Palmer, noting they need to find what it will take to get it properly certified and what it will take to buy the materials needed.