Community Pool information featured at brief City Council meeting

Members of the Globe City Council: Mayor Al Gameros, Vice Mayor Mike Stapleton (District 4), and Council members Freddy Rios (District 1), Mike Pastor (District 2), Jesse Leetham (District 3), Mariano Gonzalez (District 5), and Fernando Shipley (District 6). All members were in attendance at this meeting except Mayor Gameros and Councilman Pastor.

Community Pool presentation covers rules and fees

Council heard a presentation on the community pool, giving attendance numbers, staffing requirements, pool rules, and fees for special events.

Since the pool opened on June 7, attendance has hovered around roughly 450 per day, except on June 11 (a Sunday), attendance fell to 355. The highest attendance was on June 9 (a Friday) at 474. City Manager Paul Jepson said the pool’s legal capacity is 507 people. The average stay is about two hours.

The pool is staffed daily by a pool manager, 12 lifeguards (eight on duty at any given time), and two cashiers. Although the City currently isn’t charging a fee for pool use, the cashiers are giving out wristbands, counting attendance, and acting as the ambassadors for the pool, Jepson said. The Public Works department employs two full-time staff dedicated to pool maintenance.

“My kids have been there every day since it opened.” Community and Economic Development Director Linda Oddonetto

Linda Oddonetto, Globe’s Community and Economic Development Director says she is seeking kids to visit the pool in groups – Tigers and Vandals together – and they’re getting there by carpooling. Jepson said Mayor Gameros has been working on setting up public transit options to help people get to the pool. 

With regard to the splash pad, Jepson said the City is considering changing the fencing so the splash pad can be open when the pool is closed. He said this would necessitate installing a six-foot fence around the pool and changing the gating system as well.

The City is also working on putting up a shade structure over the green space beside the splash pad, which the hospital has funded.

Pool staff can provide life jackets, as well as swim diapers for parents who need an extra.

Highlights of pool rules

• Children 12 and under must enter with an adult. Children 7 and under will have to be accompanied by an adult within arm’s reach at all times.
• Patrons must be 44 inches tall to ride the water slide.
• No outside food or beverages, except bottled water. No glass allowed.
• Masks, snorkels, fins, and other flotation devices have to be approved in advance.
• Life jackets are available upon request.
• No running, splashing, horseplay, shoulder rides, or dunking allowed.
• All persons using the pool must wear an appropriate swimsuit.
• No cameras of any kind in the bathhouse or locker room areas.

Fees for special events

• Exclusive pool event, under 150 people: $250 for the first hour, $150 for each additional hour, minimum 2 lifeguards plus 1 additional for every 40 people
• Exclusive pool event, over 150 people: $250 for the first hour, $150 for each additional hour, minimum 2 lifeguards plus 1 additional for every 40 people
• Non-pool events: $120 for the first hour, $50 for each additional hour, 2 staff required

A pool manager also has to be present during all events. The minimum staff to open the pool is one manager and one lifeguard. 

The rate for the pool manager is $30.11 per hour. Lifeguards are $25.09 per hour. The total fee for an event will depend on the number of attendees and the duration of the event.

A $100 security deposit is required, refundable unless there are damages or the event is canceled within 14 days or less.

Payment in full is required 14 days before the event.

Motions approved

Council also approved motions for the following:

• Accounts payable in the amount of $696,576.33.
• Rezoning approximately one acre of land located at the northwest corner of E. South Street and E. Maple Street from the Intermediate Commercial (C-2) zoning district to the Transitional Residential (TR) zoning district. Zoning Administrator Dana Burkhardt explained that the request came from the property owner. The site used to be a single property but was subdivided when a duplex was built in 2007 on the east lot, Burkhardt said. The owner of the vacant lot would now like to build a single-family home there, necessitating the change to TR. Since duplexes are not allowed in the C-2 zoning district, that lot also needed to be changed to TR. The site already borders a TR zone on its west side. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the rezoning. A public hearing was opened, and there were no comments.
• Final replat of Lots 4-10, Block 5 of the South Globe Final Plat, with a dedication of the right-of-way and easements for utilities. Burkhardt explained that a final replat is essentially a re-subdivision of a prior subdivision. The replat covers three lots located west of the curve of Highway 60 as it skirts the downtown area. The owners would like to consolidate these lots into one, Burkhardt said. The three lots originated as seven lots that have already been consolidated down to three. 

The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approving the final replat. Burkhardt noted that developing the individual lots would be “very difficult if not prohibitive” due to the terrain, and that P&Z favors consolidating lots in situations like these.

Tremont Street would actually run through the parcels once they are consolidated, so the City is also abandoning a portion of its existing right-of-way along West Tremont Street to the owner. The property is located at the end of Tremont Street, and Burkhardt said other property owners have access to their properties by other means and do not need to utilize Tremont Street. A turnaround will be provided for emergency vehicles. The owner is also providing a ten-foot easement on the north side of the property for water, which will make water service possible on the land to the north if it’s ever developed.

• A contract for on-call civil engineering and professional support services with Rick Engineering, in an amount not to exceed $80,000, with no minimal amount guaranteed. The contract is contingent on available funds budgeted in specific capital outlay accounts as part of the City’s FY 2023–24 budget. City Manager Paul Jepson explained that the contract will allow the City, when it has a need for a civil engineer or surveyor, to avoid going through the usual lengthy procurement process. The city has three or four other companies that it works with in this way for engineering services, Jepson said. Services will be billed according to Rick Engineering’s standard fee schedule.

To view this meeting online, click here.

To view documents related to this meeting, click here. 

Full minutes can be found by visiting the City Hall website at https://www.globeaz.gov/government and clicking 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.

Public members 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, call or text (928) 200-0154 or email council@globeaz.gov. If you desire to speak to the Council during an agenda item.