During their April 25 meeting the Globe City Council approved an arrangement to lend a developer $400,000 for the Hill Street housing project, and a rezoning request for some properties west of Highway 60.

First, Mayor Al Gameros issued proclamations naming April 30-May 6 as Professional Municipal Clerk’s Week, May 4 as National Day of Prayer and May 13 as National Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day. Gameros also presented graduates of the spring 2023 Citizens Academy with their certificates, and Council honored Police Lieutenant Steve Williams for five years of service.

Turning to the Hill Street project, Council approved a memorandum of understanding with the Southern Gila County Economic Development Corporation (SGCEDC) that will provide a $400,000 loan to support Gorman & Company’s affordable senior housing project at the former Hill Street School. The City will transfer that amount in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to SGCEDC, which will then furnish the 30-year loan. As part of Gorman’s application for state and federal tax credits, the City had pledged $400,000 to support future operational costs should the application succeed.

In June 2022 Gorman, a Wisconsin-based firm whose work includes renovating historic buildings for reuse, received approximately $2.5 million in tax credits. The developer is moving forward with purchase of the Hill Street School, where they plan to create 64 units.

Council also approved a City-initiated rezoning request, passing an ordinance that will convert approximately 59 land parcels, with some 65 residential units, from C-3 Commercial to Transitional Residential zoning. City staff said the purpose of the request was to properly zone those residential parcels, located west of the highway between Evans Street and Silver Street. “No records were found to indicate the subject parcels were zoned other than C-3 since the time the properties were annexed by the City,” staff reported, adding that they found “no legitimate reason for the subject property to be zoned C-3 as it exists today.”

Council held a public hearing on the proposed rezoning, in which there were no comments from the public. City Zoning Administrator Dana Burkhardt said the change would benefit property owners by protecting established neighborhoods from potential change to commercial use, allowing residential use by right, reducing minimum side yard building setbacks, allowing for reconstruction or renovation above 50% of a home’s value and making it easier for owners to sell a property for residential purposes.

Council also approved the hiring of a victim advocate, Natalie McAnerny, for the Copper Hills Family Advocacy Center and Globe Police Department, signing off on a contract that will be funded through a grant from the National Children’s Alliance and anticipated grant funds from the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs – or, if the latter is not received, grant funds that have been awarded by the Attorney General’s office.

In other business, Council passed a resolution removing $4,947 in uncollectible water debt from the system for fiscal year 2022 (from July 2021 to June 2022). City staff reported that this amount comprised 0.1% of the City’s annual revenue from metered water sales and sewer fees.

In a late agenda item, Council approved the purchase of a bar screen for the wastewater treatment facility from Hydro-Dyne Engineering for $189,150. This will replace the current screen, which City staff reported was at its end of life, and can be moved to a more efficient location in the facility.