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Mayor’s Monthly Report, August

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Covid Update

Covid cases continue to rise, with Arizona reaching another milestone at one million cases recorded and an alarming number of children being infected nationwide.  Hospitalizations are at the highest numbers since February at 2,005, with an increase in pediatric cases. Gila County has recorded a total of 816 new cases for the month. The breakdown by area in our community is as follows; Globe 191, Miami 33, Claypool 44 and San Carlos 203.  

Medical science has proven that the vaccines do work. I recommend that you consider getting vaccinated to help slow the spread.  If you would like to get vaccinated, call the Gila County Health Department at 928-910-4009 to make an appointment. You can also get antibody or Covid testing by calling 928-961-1284.

The CDC is recommending that masks should be worn at indoor settings whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated. Our City Covid team has updated their guidelines, requiring anyone from the public entering any city facilities to wear a mask.  In-person city council meetings are now limited to 50 percent capacity.

Flooding Update

A Town Hall meeting was held on August 26 to update the public on how to apply to request assistance. HB 2001 allocated $10 million to property owners to apply for funds for damage to infrastructure due to the Telegraph Fire and suppression efforts. The funds are not for replacement of personal property lost due to post-fire flooding. The funds can be used by local government for the cleaning of waterways, and for cleanup and removal of debris caused by flooding.

I want to recognize the United Fund of Globe-Miami for their leadership role in the creation of a “Join the Flood Raising Challenge.” They will be partnering with the Salvation Army to bring relief to local families affected by the post-fire flooding. Eligible families may apply for up to $2,500 for repairs, supplies or household needs. The program was set up to help meet the gap between residents and available resources from the state, county and emergency services that are limited to cleanup outside and around their homes. You can still apply by calling the Salvation Army at 928-275-7211.

To date, there has been $258,019 donated. The United Fund of Globe-Miami put a 50K challenge amount that they would match dollar for dollar, making their total 100K. The three local mines, Freeport McMoRan, Capstone Pinto Valley and BHP Billiton each committed 50K to the program, bringing it to the current amount. There have also been additional donations from the Southwest Gas Corporation, Globe Lions Club and many other individuals. If you would like to donate to this program you can go to the United Fund of Globe-Miami Inc. website at UFGlobeMiami.com and hit the “Give Now” button, or mail your donation to P.O. Box 2160, Globe, Arizona 85502.

State of the City Address

A date has been set for the first annual “State of The City Address”; Sept. 30, 2021 at Veterans Park in Globe at 5:30 p.m. The address will focus on celebrating our community wins, recognizing areas of improvement, and discussing current economic conditions, capital projects and city finances. 

A Citizens Academy is in the planning stages, set to begin in October of 2021. It will be a six-week course offering a comprehensive behind the scenes perspective of the City of Globe’s structure and operations. Applications for the academy will be announced sometime in September.

Projects in Progress

City staff has been directed to complete an agreement with Arizona Public Service and Electrify America for the installation of four charging stations for electric vehicles. This project is totally funded by the APS and Electrify America contract.  The city will only need to provide the property to have the units installed.  The location chosen for this project is the parking lot north of the library.  There are only five cities in Arizona that have a destination for charging their electric vehicles.  This project will bring statewide economic development and marketing opportunities to our city.

On August 26 a workshop was held to review the progress of the Connie’s Bridge project that is now at 95 percent completion in the design phase. Council approved to move to 100 percent design and go out for bid on the award to a contractor for completion of the project.  We were also informed that another $1.3 million was approved at the state level for the addition of upgrades to South Broad Street from Cottonwood to the intersection of the new bridge. Thank you to Jerry Barnes and Representative David Cook for getting this proposal through the legislative process.

Personnel

Congratulations to Police Commander A.J. Castaneda and Human Resources Director Chris Collopy on their retirement this month from the City of Globe.  Good luck on your future ventures.

Please continue to pray for the Globe Police Department and the officer who sustained a gunshot wound during an incident the weekend of August 28. Keep him, his family and the entire department in your thoughts as they work through the healing process. 

Upcoming Events

September 9-11 Old Dominion Days – Gila County Historical Museum

September 11 Angel Perez Wings of Hope Car Show – Downtown Globe

September 23-26 Gila County Fair

September 30 State of The City Address