Winslow’s motto is “A City in Motion,” and 2020 promises to continue that momentum, according to City Manager John Barkley.
Barkley, who will enter his second full year as manager is looking forward to a number of capital improvement projects. “We have our plans in the works for a splash pad at the outdoor pool that should be finished by summer, in time to use it for that season. We will also be resurfacing the tennis courts. The funds for both of those projects are set aside already in our capital improvements budget.”
A community center, a new library and a new fire house are all on the agenda for 2020 as well. “We are looking in to some bond issues to fund a library and the fire department,” Barkley said, “And we are in the planning phase of a community center complete with parking just east of the indoor pool on Cherry Street.”
Further, Barkley spoke about the long-discussed rodeo grounds project. “Last year we formed a rodeo grounds committee. I can tell you that they are leaning toward an indoor multi-use facility south of town in the industrial district. We will hear their recommendations at the Jan. 14 council meeting.”
Winslow is also currently working on developing a transit system beginning with a commuter route to and from Flagstaff. “We do already have a van that we will be using for on-demand rides for in-town service. It is handicapped accessible. We are looking at rolling that out in January or February.”
He is also in the planning stages of expanding the historic district both by demolishing blighted structures and refurbishing some that are structurally sound enough to be developed in to new businesses. “We could do a lot to improve our permitting process and provide more accessibility for adaptive reuse of our historic structures. We have a great history and a great heritage here and we want to leverage that.”
Blight abatement continues to be an issue in Winslow. Barkley said, “It is still a big deal. We don’t want to necessarily use the heavy hand of government, but we do want to reach some of the property owners that don’t live here in town and see if we can come to some agreements to either demolish or improve some of these structures that aren’t in good condition.”
New business and economic development are at the top of his list. “The city council is big on continuing the good things that are going on here. They are really looking to offer some incentives for development expansion. We are going to continue to work on that in the coming year. We will also be offering a small business development seminar series beginning in January.” The seminar series will be open to the public and will feature speakers and resources that will help existing business owners as well as introduce newcomers to the concepts and needs associated with opening new businesses.
Barkley understands the need for transparency as a city administrator and spoke about his plan to hold a public seminar on the use of the city’s website. Specifically, how to navigate ‘opengov,’ the financial reporting program the city uses to inform the public. “Hopefully in the near future, we will have real time financial reporting on the city website. It is a big initiative for me right now.”
Public safety is also a priority in 2020. “We are looking at doing some traffic studies and mitigating some of the traffic issues we have throughout town. Part of that will be installing some new stop signs. We also need to light up our streets. We have had several citizens come to us and tell us that their neighborhoods are very dark. We are looking at adding some streetlights that are bright enough to light the streets but still adhere to our dark sky policies.”
Barkley spoke about the importance of customer service throughout the city. That includes making programs more accessible for residents of Winslow. “We are working with HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) to make our public housing program a little easier. We are looking to move out of the one area and expand into other housing options.”
The customer service and public outreach aspects of the administration will also include further beautification of the city. “We want to add some welcoming signage at our interchanges, and of course plant some more trees. We will be working on infrastructure improvements such as storm drainage and the levee situation. All of those things lead to a better quality of life for our residents.”
Barkley concluded, “I think we all share a strong sense of optimism and momentum on several fronts, primarily due to the fact that Winslow is such a diverse, welcoming and iconic destination with a strong business community, affordable neighborhoods, and tremendous prospects for the future.”
