Last week the Winslow City Council met for a regular meeting during which City Manager David Coolidge gave updates on several of the city’s projects and interests, including an update on the city’s project to replace their 1.5-million-gallon water tank with a two-million-gallon tank. The agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers was recently executed with the city and the design and review process will begin soon. Coolidge said that he expects the environmental study to be what takes the longest in the process. The city is also entering the design and review process for the grant-funded $500,000 all-access playground that he expects to be finished next spring. Coolidge also told council that Aspinwall and Fourth streets were both recently resurfaced and that project was now complete.
Coolidge gave his regular legislative update to the council. He spoke about the state government possibly shutting down if the state legislature does not come to a final budget. He also said that if the House were to pass the budget passed by the Senate that Governor Katie Hobbs was likely to veto it, which did happen the day following the meeting. As of press time the state legislature has not agreed on a budget that the governor will sign. When speaking about the budget, Coolidge reminded the council that the Arizona Department of Revenue collects taxes that then get distributed back to the cities, “So we’re worried about cash flow issues if we don’t get that disbursements,” said Coolidge.
The council also heard a presentation from Travis Udall, the CEO of Little Colorado Medical Center, who gave a quarterly report. He told council the hospital has relaunched their sling bed program, which gives people who are recovering from surgery or need rehabilitation two weeks in the hospital to work with physical and occupational therapists. Udall said that insurance companies like this because it drastically increases the likelihood they properly heal.
He also spoke about the hospital seeking Congressional funding to support women’s health initiatives. Udall was happy to report they have made it through the first round to receive this funding, which would support mammography for early screening for breast cancer. He said the hospital is still moving forward on a project that will upgrade its pharmacy.
The hospital now has a full-time mobile MRI machine that is being used until a permanent machine is purchased. Udall said, “Right now if you go to Flagstaff (Medical Center) and try and get an MRI, you’re out a month, if you go to Summit (Healthcare), you’re out a month. So we feel like that’s a great opportunity for us.” He further explained that if they are able to serve residents of Flagstaff and Show Low with expedited services, then that is more people coming and spending money in the town. Udall finished his presentation saying that the hospital is staying busy and administration is projecting growth.
Vice Mayor Jim MacLean told Udall, “We appreciate your leadership and your vision and your positive attitude and investments. We have all seen the hospital changing already and its positive change.”
During the meeting the council also held public hearings on the budget and tax levies for the next fiscal year, no citizens took the opportunity to speak. Coolidge told council that there were no changes in the budget or tax levies from the tentative budget that was passed earlier in the month. The final budget passed without much further discussion. The full breakdown for the budget and fee schedule can be found in the May 21 edition of The Tribune.
In other business, the council:
*Approved a liquor license application for Shorty’s Tacos, located at 108 E. Second St.
* Approved a contract extension with Charles Tupper of West USA Realty, Inc., for real estate brokerage services at no cost because costs are covered by the sale of property.
* Approved a lease renewal with Arrowhead Environmental, LLC, for dredging services at McHood Park at a cost of $1,585 per day in an amount not to exceed $100,000 annually.
* Approved a lease renewal with the Federal Aviation Administration for antenna and rack space at the Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport.
* Approved the city’s annual pension funding policy as required by state law.
* Approved the Navajo County hazard mitigation plan.
* Approved a land lease with L3Harris Technologies, Inc., related to the lease of an ADS-B radio station at the Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport at a cost of.
* Approved the sale of .06 acres of property on the corner of North Douglass Avenue and Fleming Street to Steven and Kimberlee Henling for $4,000.
* Approved the sale of .12 acres of property near Second Street and Hicks Avenue to Jerome Naleski PLLC for $10,000.
The next meeting of the Winslow City Council will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, in the meeting room located at 523 W. Second St.
