Covid update and vaccines

Covid numbers continue to decrease in our community, with three current active cases and 18 new cases documented in March. Gila County continues vaccinations, with 73 percent of the 65-and-older population vaccinated.  As of March 31, a total of 32,658 doses have been administered. There are 20,658 residents that have received their first dose and 13,021 that have received both doses. The latest Executive Order from the Governor took away the authority from local government to mandate masks, but the recommendation is to continue wearing a mask and social distancing. The order does give authority for any local business or organization to enforce all CDC guidelines. Be respectful to those businesses and individuals who choose to continue to follow CDC guidelines. Recommendations on this virus should always be made by science and doctors, not politicians or politics.

Projects in progress

The City Economic Development Department has been coordinating with Arizona Highways magazine for the past couple of months. With our Covid numbers coming down, they felt the time was right to visit our community and highlight our region. They were in town the last week in March filming various locations that will be featured in a future edition.

A presentation was made to the City Council to consider five projects for the upcoming Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).  A decision on which project moves forward will need to be made at the next meeting. The amount of the grant is $177,000 and it is available every three years as a collaboration agreement between Globe, Miami and Superior. The amount received in the past was $470,000, but that amount has drastically decreased because of Pinal County going independent. In no specific order, the five projects being considered are a Type 3 fire engine, demolition of buildings, park revitalization, mental health coordinator and paving projects.

Small business assistance

The recent American Rescue Plan Act established a $28.6-billion-dollar national fund with the U.S. Small Business Administration. The exact program details have not yet been announced. In order to bring as many resources together as possible and provide information, a Small Business Resource Connection will be held on April 20 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Miami High School gymnasium. This free event is brought to our region by the City of Globe, Town of Miami, Gila County, Southern Gila County Economic Development Corporation and Gila County IDA.

The agencies that will be present to answer questions include Local First Arizona, Rural Communities Assistance Corporation, Southern Gila County EDC, Gila County IDA, EAC Small Business Development Center, Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Small Business Association and Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce. 

The ACA encourages small business owners to prepare now for when the application is open. You should apply for a DUNS Number if you do not already have one, register at www.SAM.gov, and have your 2019 and 2020 financial statements ready.  For assistance with any of these items, small business owners can call our local EAC Small Business Development Center, Executive Director Kevin Peck, at (928) 428-8590, email sbdc@eac.edu, or visit www.azsbdc to request an appointment.   

Upcoming events

April 16-18, 2021: Gila Monster UTV Fest (Trail Rides, Cornhole Tournament, Night Rides, Quick Draw Poker, Raffles, Camping, Food and More)

April 24, 2021: Spring Fling at the Train Depot

Recognition

I want to recognize the Planning and Zoning Commission this month.  These are volunteers that operate as a sub-committee to the City Council to review zoning requests or issues within the City of Globe and give recommendations of approval to the City Council. The members are Janice Shumway (Chairman), Ian Durnan (Vice Chair), Body Kervin and Bill Leister.