MINUTES OF MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARING OF THE

                                                                                   THATCHER TOWN COUNCIL

                                                                                                December 19, 2007

 

 

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:                                            Mayor, Bob Rivera

                                                                                    Vice Mayor, Bill Mulleneaux

                                     Councilmember’s: Doug Hoopes, Ken Larson, Eric Merriman, Donald Innes,                                                             Charles Morris

 

MEMBERS ABSENT:                                             None

 

ALSO PRESENT:                                                     Terry Hinton, Town Manager

                                                                                    Mark Stevens, Chief of Police

                                                                                    Heath Brown, Town Engineer

                                                                                    Dudley Welker, Town Attorney

                                                                                    Lona Duncan, Town Clerk

 

VISTORS:                                                                   Larry and Abby Kerrigan, Eric Kramer, Joseph Paul Sedgeman, Jon Johnson, Bill                                                                                                                   Hoopes

 

 

 

 

                                                                          AGENDA

 

Mayor Rivera called the meeting to order at 7:00pm establishing that there was a Quorum. He also said God bless our Troops, Family and America.

 

Pledge of Allegiance was lead by Mayor Rivera

 

Roll Call.

 

PUBLIC HEARINGS:

           

A.                 Final Plat for the Armel Cotton Blossom Estates Subdivision.

 

                        No comments

 

OPEN CALL TO THE PUBLIC:

 

                        Mayor Rivera commented that the Town of Thatcher had received two award plaques from Az Municipal Risk Retention for                                    OutstandingAchievement and Continued Excellence in Risk Management and Control of Losses.   This is a tribute to the                              workers and the leadership we have in the Town of Thatcher.

                                                                                                                                                                                          

PUBLIC APPEARANCES:

 

A.        Christmas Light Decorating Contest Winners Presentation.

                       

                        Mayor Rivera thanked all who contributed a gift to the community by taking the time to decorate their homes for all to enjoy. Weare so busy sometimes that we don’t stop and as they say smell the roses but we do stop and look at the lights. The Mayor then read the winner for this year. Grand Prize went to Bill Hoopes, 1st Place to Wilson Gaethje, Second Place to Joe Sedgeman, Third Place to Robert Miranda and Honorable Mentions to GA Espinoza, Raul Alaniz, Larry Kerrigan, Eric Kramer and Joyce Flamm. The Mayor again thanked them for lighting up the Town of Thatcher.

 

CONSENT AGENDA:

 

A.                 Approve minutes of the November 13, 2007 Regular Council Meeting.

 

B.                 Planning and Zoning Monthly Report.

 

C.                Police Monthly Report.

 

D.                Approval of Invoices.

 

E.        Financial Reports.

 

            Councilman Morris made motion to approve minutes and reports. Councilman

            Merriman seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Motion passed

                    

OLD BUSINESS:

 

NEW BUSINESS:

 

A.        Decision on Armel Cotton Blossom Estates Final Plat.

 

                        Terry said that there are no changes from the premilary plat and the P & Z approved the final plat and staff recommends                                  approving.

 

Councilman Morris made motion to approve the Final Plat. Councilman Larson seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Motion passed

 

B.        RESOLUTION NO. 518-2007:      A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF THATCHER, ARIZONA, AUTHORIZING AN APPLICATION TO THE GREATER ARIZONA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PURSUANT TO TITLE 41, CHAPTER 10, ARTICLE 8, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES AND RELATED MATTERS

 

                        Terry stated this is required in order for us to be able to apply for money through GADA. I have been talking with Scott Powell our                         auditor to see how much we will need to borrow in order to keep us within the Expenditure Limitation. Terry said this is to pay off                        the Electric System and the building we purchased this year. GADA is a program that allows municipalities and government entity                     to join together and pool there needs over a greater number of people which holds the bond rate down its just a better way to borrow                        money.

 

Vice Mayor Mulleneaux made motion to approve Resolution No 518-2007. Councilman Innes seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. Motion passed

 

 

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS:

 

A.        Town Manager’s Report:                 

           

1)     At the present time we are redoing the sidewalks between the elementary school the cafeteria. We are installing sidewalk and putting in four handicap ramps and relocating the power to get that out of the road. We have as much cement work done as we can until we relocate the power and we will have to coordinate that with the School because it will shut the power off to the cafeteria and the gym. That will probably happen this Friday or Monday when school is out.

2)     Today the crew was putting in sewer taps for the new hotel. The foreman tells me that it will probably be a year before it is competed. The other hotel has paid for their building permit so they can start when ever they are ready.

3)     You hear around the state how things are slowing down but we issued 9 building permits this week. The men that move the trash truck are still staying every busy with picking up boxes from people moving in homes.

4)     I see that works is started again on the Town Houses and the Condo’s are in the process of getting their building permits. So things are still going on but nothing has changed a whole lot. Mayor Rivera ask if Val’s were still planning on moving in January? Terry said yes for the end of January.

5)     Councilman Morris ask about the sewer line by Max Phillips house on 8th Street. Terry said it was Dale Blain that was paying for it and Cota is doing the construction. It is about finished now but they have had some problems.  Councilman Morris ask about the open trench by Hyrum Morris’s house. Heath said it was the sewer tap for the house behind the problem is they have to hand dig because of the optic lines there.

6)     Terry said that Lona would be interviewing for Administrative Secretary position due to Linda Bowman is going to retire in January.  Jan is going to replace Linda and the open position is the job Jan has at the front desk. There were over 80 applicants.

7)     Councilman Innes said he has heard the rumor that Kaisa Homes are packing up and moving out. Terry said he did not have an answer to that but Cota Roofing and Contracting pulled 8 permits from down there today. We are hearing that Cota is taking that back over. Mayor Rivera ask who was going to be responsible for the houses Kaisa built and have not finished. Terry did not know but he thought Cota would probably take care of them. Terry said again we don’t know for sure that Kaisa is pulling out. Councilman Innes also ask again about the swimming pool at the College he has a number of people ask him what if going to happen and I would like to give them an answer. Terry said it stands where it did last time we talked. The College assures me that if the pool is working the swim team will have a place to swim and it has been working up till now. We are still eight months away from their committee trying to decide whether to redo or put in a new one. Terry said with the time frame we have there is nothing anyone can do to get a new pool in by this summer. Councilman Innes ask if we need to make an official direction asking what are you doing to do? I have done that and that is when they said we could use the pool for the swim team but it will not be open to the public. Terry suggested that maybe members of the Council need to go before their Board Members and ask what is going to happen. Mayor Rivera ask about the cost of a pool and Terry said all he knew was that Safford built theirs for 1.4 millions dollars and that is a large pool with a lot of slides so I would guess maybe 8 hundred to 1 million dollars. Terry said we have looked at grants and other options with no help I guess if you want a pool we will have to do it ourselves start with a pool design and see what that will cost. Terry again said the College said they had two option a new pool or redo I have not once heard that there would be no pool.

 

B.        Fire Department Report.

 

            None

 

C.        Police Department Report.

 

                        Chief Stevens said he little to report but we did get a small grant from Homeland Security for Stone Garden of $9700.00 to                                  purchase eight radios for in the cars and handhelds.

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

 

A.                 Safe House – Councilman Hoopes said there would be a meeting in January.

 

B.                 Chamber of Commerce – Councilman Merriman said they had a Christmas Party and during that party we built a receipt book that will have the Salsa Trail and also in the book will have Alan Day and his sister Susan Day O’Conner with receipts. The Chamber mention that met with Freeport McMoran and the College to discuss the big push for a four year university and also the Task Force is coming together to talk with levitator. Focus Further had a meeting and received from grant money to hire an Economic Development person that will be stationed at the Chamber for the first two years. So anything that wants to come into the valley will talk to that person and he will have reports for us. Terry Cooper from the County will hire that person. Terry said we could put him in the building we just purchased if they need.

 

C.                SEAGO- Mayor Rivera said there was no meeting

 

D.                Arizona Foundation – Councilman Larson said they went thought the process of dividing the money but haven’t given it out yet. We will doing some more things the first of the year to get information out to different organization so we can get more donations for the year.

 

 

Mayor Rivera said that looking over the year the Town has had a lot of success this year and I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

Vice Mayor Mulleneaux made motion to adjourn meeting and Councilman Innes seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous and meeting adjourned at 7:40pm.

 

ATTEST:

 

 

APPROVED:

 

___________________________                              ___________________________

Lona Duncan, Town Clerk                                        Robert Rivera, Mayor

 

CERTIFICATION

 

I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the regular/special meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Thatcher held on the 19th day of December 2007.  I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ___________________________

                                                           Lona Duncan, Town Clerk