Council Meeting Date Changes for November:  Council approved a schedule change for the November meetings due to elections and Thanksgiving.  The first meeting will be held on Thursday, November 7 instead of Tuesday the 12th.  The second meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 19 instead of the 26th.  The meetings will resume the normal schedule in December, on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.

Yuma Bridge Replacement Project:  A presentation was made at the 25th annual Rural Transportation Forum in Prescott on October 16.  The presentation was a request for $3.8 million to replace Yuma Bridge, which was built in 1939 and has continued to show deterioration over the past decade.  The last bridge assessment in 2022 showed a sufficiency rating of 40.8 that prompted an ADOT recommendation to decrease the capacity rating from a 25-ton bridge to a 15-ton.  This is the city’s continued effort and commitment to upgrade our aging infrastructure.

Notice on Intention to Increase Water and Wastewater Rates:  A notice of intent was approved by council at the October 8 meeting to possibly raise water and wastewater rates.  This is just the first step in the process.  The next step is for staff to make a presentation to council for public discussion and consideration on the different scenarios, justification, requirements and potential amounts.  This meeting is scheduled for November 7.  A public hearing would then be scheduled on Dec. 10, 2024 for public input.  If approved by council, final approval will be held on Jan. 14, 2025 with the new rate increase taking effect on March 1, 2025.

Ordinance 889 – Approval of Amendments to ICC Codes:  Ordinance 889 was approved, which includes 61 pages of amendments.  This portion of the code review has taken over two years with our internal experts and a third-party consultant.  The amendments are geared more to our rural community and not the urban cities.  It will now move forward for final approval in January 2025. 

Citizens Academy:  Participants of the sixth City of Globe Citizens Academy were recognized for completion at the October 22 council meeting.  The participants are as follows:  Suzi Dubisar, James Green, Phyllis Haddon, Guy Peterson, Sharon Peterson, Richard Powers, LeeAnn Powers, Ronald Ray Sr., Daniel Mayhall, and Laura Winsor.  I want to thank these individuals for taking the time to dedicate to learn more about our city operations.  I invite any potential future attendees to plan to attend out next academy to be scheduled in the future.  The commitment is for two hours every Wednesday for seven weeks.  You will learn about the operations of all the departments in the city and be fed a very good meal at each class.   

Approval of Contract with Madden Digital Marketing Services:  Council approved a contract with Madden Digital Marketing Services that is offered as part of the Office of Tourism.  This is a co-op program in the amount of $31,300 as one portion of the many marketing initiatives of our city.

Revive Globe-Miami Pathways to Preservation:  A presentation will be held on November 12 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to offer guidance and encouragement to owners of historic buildings in restoring and revitalizing Globe-Miami and surrounding communities.  Representatives from the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office, the Arizona Preservation Foundation, and the Arizona Downtown Alliance will be on hand to answer any questions.  Owners of commercial properties will have the chance to learn about things such as tax reclassification and tax credit opportunities to support rehabilitation. One of our community’s richest resources is its past.  Partnering with the state historic preservation groups is one way to secure expertise, encouragement, planning, and guidance to find funding to revitalize commercial historic buildings.  Please contact the Bullion Plaza Cultural Center and Museum if you plan to attend.  This presentation will also be available via Zoom.