Home » Government » City Council discusses American Rescue Plan Act funds and purchases new fire truck at August 24 meeting

City Council discusses American Rescue Plan Act funds and purchases new fire truck at August 24 meeting

City Council discusses American Rescue Plan Act funds and purchases new fire truck at August 24 meeting

Members of the Globe City Council: Mayor Al Gameros, Vice Mayor Mike Stapleton, and Council members Freddy Rios, Mike Pastor, Jesse Leetham, Fernando Shipley, and Mariano Gonzalez. All members were in attendance except Mayor Gameros.

Note: This report covers only the last hour of the council meeting, due to the limited video available on YouTube for this meeting. In the earlier part of the meeting, Council heard a presentation of the FY2019-2020 financial audit by Colbly & Powell PLC and a presentation from Economic Development Director Linda Oddonetto about the history of bed tax organization funding in Globe.

Discussion of bed tax funds

The video begins just as Economic Development Director Oddonetto is finishing her presentation about the history of the bed tax.

Councilman Shipley explained that bed tax funds cannot go to the Boys and Girls Club because bed tax funds can only go toward tourism-related programs. The City has been donating $13,000 per year to the Boys and Girls Club for years. Shipley said with this funding, the fees can be held down to only $25 per week, and even if kids can’t pay that, they can apply to have the fees covered for them. No one has ever been declined. 

Councilman Pastor asked that organizations who are receiving bed tax funding provide an accounting for the spending of those funds, since this is taxpayer money. City Manager Jepson will start the process of requesting those reports.

Presentation on American Rescue Plan Act funds

Council heard a presentation on the usage, restrictions, and reporting requirements for funds received through the American Rescue Plan Act. 

The City of Globe will receive $2,453,752 over two years and has already received $1,226,876. The amount was budgeted as revenue but has not been allocated for spending. The second portion of the funds will come in around May or June 2022.

The City has until the end of the year 2026 to spend the funds. 

The funds can be spent to respond to public health emergencies by helping impacted businesses, households, nonprofits, and industries, or to provide premium pay to certain essential workers. The funds can also be used to provide government services if the City’s revenues have declined due to the pandemic, and to make infrastructure investments in water, sewer, or broadband. 

There is a gray area where the funds might be able to be used to respond to negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 emergency, but there is little guidance as to what will be accepted.

The City will have to report on how the funds are spent on an annual basis.

The City’s goals for use of the funding are:

  • To make Globe stronger coming out of the pandemic
  • To better prepare Globe for the next public health crisis
  • To make Globe healthier and safer overall (this dovetails with the City’s plans for recreation and outdoor facilities)
  • To maximize the spending benefits to the greatest number of residents
  • To ensure funds are spent on eligible projects

Going forward, Council will network with similar cities and towns at League of Cities, and staff will research the FAQs regarding allowable uses of the funds. Council will hold an ARPA priorities work session in September. Staff will then research these priorities, followed by a Council presentation and direction. 

City purchases new wildland urban interface fire truck

Council approved spending $525,538 to purchase a 4WD Rosenbauer Timberwolf Wildland Urban Interface Pumper from Velocity Fire Equipment through a lease/purchase arrangement with Republic First National. 

The equipment is basically the same as a unit that Tri-City has operated for several years. It would allow the fire department to fight a fire that breaks out during a flood, which could have happened last week.

Fire Chief Gary Robinson said it was important to expedite this purchase “given some of the circumstances that we have faced in the last few weeks, not to mention the course of the summer.”

“We’ve faced situations just in the last two weeks where an apparatus with this type of capability would have been significant for us.” Fire Chief Gary Robinson

City Manager Jepson says the City hopes to receive funding from the state to help with the purchase. If that help doesn’t materialize, the City will have a seven-year lease.

The truck should be available to the City before the end of the year. The City has allocated funds to outfit the truck with hoses, hand tools, power tools, etc.

Chief Robinson said the truck comes with hard covers over the back to protect the hoses and other equipment. It will be parked in the parking lot at Copper Inn for the time being. 

City partners with Chamber for marketing

Council approved a resolution declaring the Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce as a destination marketing organization (DMO) for the City of Globe for fiscal year 2021-2022. Economic Development Director Linda Oddonetto pointed out that this is a win-win for the City and the Chamber to work together to leverage their marketing budgets. 

She said she met with the Chamber today to map out a campaign for the next year, and by working together they were able to purchase advertising with Arizona Highways, AAA, USA Today, AZ Republic, and Phoenix New Times. The City and the Chamber will also be doing digital target marketing and will commission a study on regional tourism, tracking overnight stays. 

The Arizona Office of Tourism is offering matching funds through the Rural Marketing Co-op, which they do every year, plus grant monies for the first time this year, which are federal funds. The Chamber will be helping Globe obtain these funds, by acting as the DMO, but the City will have complete control over those funds. 

City receives $1.17 million for Hill Street Corridor project

The City received $1,169,400 from the Arizona legislature for transportation projects and will be using it for the Hill Street Corridor project. Engineering Director Jerry Barnes said this will fund Phase 2, from US60 down to the new Connie’s Bridge, including sidewalk repairs and asphalt, as well as on Broad Street from the Cottonwood bridge to Connie’s Bridge. The money will also pay for the railroad relocation at Connie’s Bridge.  

The City will be spending an additional $330,600 towards the asphalt. 

Barnes pointed out the City is not having to pay administrative fees on the funding, which normally could amount to 20% to 25% of the total amount.  

Approved motions

Council approved the following:

  • Accounts payable in the amount of $384,727.61
  • Various payments for engineering projects, including emergency repairs on a collapsed/damaged culvert at 6th Street ($5,200), change orders for the Cutter Booster 3 Rehab Project ($2,255.81), and a change order for the Bonita Flats Booster Hydro-Pneumatic Tank Project ($5,887)
  • The FY2020-2021 4Q distribution of bed tax funds in the amount of $16,367.97 to the Globe-Miami Regional Chamber of Commerce
  • A liquor license for Speedway Liquour, located at 1690 E. East Ash Street

Full minutes can be found by going to the City Hall website  and clicking on Agendas/Minutes in the bottom left-hand corner.

The Globe City Council meets every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. The meetings are currently open to the public at 50% capacity. Members of the public are requested to wear a mask except when seated. Seating is limited to allow for social distancing.

Members of the public can also participate in City of Globe public meetings by viewing the meeting live on YouTube. To view the Council meeting live stream, go to the City of Globe’s YouTube channel (search for City of Globe Arizona). Or click on the “Live Stream on YouTube” link at the top of www.globeaz.gov.

To speak to agenda items before or during the meeting, you can call or text (928) 200-0154 or send an email to council@globeaz.gov. If you desire to speak to the Council during an agenda item, please contact the Council in advance and include your phone number on your request

One comment

  1. Could I get information on how I can request a 4 way stop signs on the corners of
    Sycamore and Devereaux. We currently have a 2 way stop on Devereaux but every single day people love to race up the hill going east on Sycamore. We have School kids that walk this intersection also have kids scat boarding N an S down in Devereaux. Being that car’s race going east up on Sycamore someone is going to get hurt. Information please… Thank you

    My address is 160 S Devereaux

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