Mayor and Council attend National League of City conference

By Mayor Al Gameros

WASHINGTON DC TRIP For the first time in the Globe City Council’s history, members attended the 2023 National League of City conference in Washington, D.C., from March 25th through March 29th. Those attending were Mayor Al Gameros, Councilmembers Freddie Rios, Fernando Shipley, Jessee Leetham, and Mariano Gonzales. City Manager Paul Jepson and Economic Director Linda Oddonetto attended the conference as well. This year’s conference provided vital information and procedures to access the millions of dollars of infrastructure funding available.

With the coordination of the city’s Washington Lobbyist, personal meetings were arranged on the final day with Senator Sinema, Senator Kelley, Congressman Crane, Congressman Stanton, Congressman Gallegos, Army Core of Engineers, and the USDA.  During these meetings, we were able to make personal presentations in their offices on seven pending city projects that require millions of dollars to complete.  The Legislators were very thankful for these presentations as they finalized their budgets.  We want to thank our amazing staff, who prepared the documents used in our presentations.

FUTURE WATER SECURITY  At the City council’s request, the staff presented the city’s water history, supply, infrastructure, and a recommendation for the security of our future water supply.  The presentation included a breakdown of all of the city wells and gallons used on a daily and annual basis.  Information was also presented on the storage capacity in the city and the miles of water line in our system.  It was concerning to hear about the amount of water loss in our system annually through leakage, water breaks, and evaporation.  The reason for the presentation is to begin the discussion and planning to address water losses and conservation for the future.  The city can implement many ideas and all of our residents as we work together for our city’s future.  These discussions need to begin now as we are accelerating our plans for some limited growth in our city.       

OUTDOOR LIBRARY OUTDOOR SPACE  At the March 14th meeting, the council approved a contract with Rodriguez Construction for the Library Outdoor Space renovation project.  This project is scheduled to begin in May.  The total amount for the completion of this project is $44,760.00.  The awarded grant will cover $ 21,400.00, and the city will contribute $ 23, 360.00.  The project encompasses the outdoor space to the North of the library but does not include any upgrades to the teepee.    

THE NEW CITY OF GLOBE BRAND  Council approved the new City of Globe branding as presented by staff and Local First.  It was time for a new and refreshed brand to replace the 2018 approved city brand featuring Arizona to The Core.  It is a much simpler rendering that gives a welcome message with the Pinal Mountains and their sunsets and sunrises.  It also features GLOBE in large letters as the centerpiece and the date of incorporation indicating its history.  The process was made possible by funding from Local First Arizona and included public meetings for community input.  Refreshing a brand to fit the present times is always a good idea.      

FEMA RE-MAPPING This project will review the current mapping flood plan to see if they are correct or will need to be adjusted.  There are various phases of the project that could take up to four years to complete.  The process includes analyzing 815 miles of land, 16 miles of streams, sixty-four structures, and a hydrology review of the water.  Phase 1 is anticipated to be completed in February 2025.   

COTTONWOOD BRIDGE PROJECT  The City of Globe was notified that we have been awarded a $2,822,565.00 grant for the replacement of the Cottonwood Bridge from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT).  The funds awarded are part of the federal funding that is allocated to Arizona for special infrastructure projects.  This bridge was another one that was identified as needing replacement during inspections.  We want to thank our staff for their hard work and persistence to help secure these funds.  

COMMUNITY CENTER POOL UPDATE  On April 21st, City Council and staff were given a tour of the pool now that there is water in it and where we are now with completion.  I was amazed at the size and entire layout of the pool and recreation site.  It is truly a top-notch facility that our entire Globe-Miami community will enjoy and be proud of.  It is a site for all ages to enjoy recreation, and events, and an amazing competition swimming area.  There are still some projects that need to be completed prior to opening.  These include the chlorination system, fencing, some concrete work, and the completion of the interior of the shower and bathroom entrance.  The contractor Structural is pushing hard for a completion date around the latter part of May.  Once the shower-bathroom building is complete on the interior, it will be close to opening.    

RECOVERING POPPY PLANT SEEDPODS  Our community has seen an amazing super bloom of poppies this year, which has brought many visitors to the area to see them.  We want to capture as many of the drying seedpods as possible so we can bag them and spread them even more throughout the community for next year.  The big question is when is the right time to cut the poppies.  This varies yearly, based on how recently they received rain and how robust the plants are.  This important time frame could occur in the latter part of May.  If we all work together, we can recover and spread the seedpods even further, making next year even more amazing.  I request that all organizations along the highway work together to accomplish this task, including ADOT, City of Globe, Freeport McMoran, Allegiant, Trash Mob, and families that have an Adopt a Mile.  

FIRST FRIDAYS First Fridays have become a signature monthly event and continue to grow each month with more participation from downtown businesses, vendors, and cruisers. Everyone is invited to participate in the downtown cruise that begins at 5:30 p.m. We invite the community to come downtown and support the participating businesses and enjoy live music, food trucks, and vendors. Anyone wishing to set up a vendor booth during any First Friday event may do so at no cost by contacting Linda Oddonetto or Melissa Steele at 425-7146.