Home » Government » Miami Council hears updates on Schwarz Lumber, Inspiration School, MPD

Miami Council hears updates on Schwarz Lumber, Inspiration School, MPD

A cleanup of “M” Hill and the stations of the cross is planned for March 8. Photo by David Sowders

Miami’s Town Council started off their January 27 meeting with a pair of proclamations, declaring February 2025 as Black History Month and Career and Technical Education Month.

Mayor Gil Madrid reported that the “M” Hill Committee was moving forward with their plans of renovating the “M” and stations of the cross. Madrid said Freeport McMoRan had also expressed willingness to help in the project, which will start March 8 and have a picnic for all the volunteers afterwards. 

The Council also chose a contractor for another renovation project, for the Keystone Stairs, awarding the contract to Accelerated Construction.

They also approved a resolution, first presented at their January 13 meeting, to declare a housing emergency for the Town, prioritize affordable housing and urge the Arizona Legislature to address the impact of short-term rentals on the housing supply. It had been sent to the Town, and other communities, by the mayor of Sedona. After the resolution was tabled in that earlier meeting, Town Attorney Joe Estes brought back a shorter version that focused on short-term rentals and bringing control of zoning and land use issues to local governments.

Town Manager Alexis Rivera requested that another item, a variance request for property at 181 S. Franz Ave., be tabled until February 24. Rivera made this request, he said, after receiving new information and talks with Code Enforcement. Councilmember Jose “Angel” Medina Sr. moved to table the item, and the motion passed.

Updates were given on the Schwarz Lumber Yard post-fire cleanup and the Inspiration School Project to convert the former school into housing.

Rivera told Council the lumber yard property’s owner had agreed to start the cleanup, and provide more protection and demolition. The Town will send the owner a letter of understanding with which he will comply; otherwise fines will be imposed. Rivera added that he would be speaking with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to ensure he complies with hazardous waste regulations, and that the structures remaining on the property will be taken down.

Fidelis Garcia and Nick Smith, of Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC), gave the Inspiration School update. Smith said the general contractor’s vice president left the company in October 2024, when they had planned on closing, and the contractor ultimately backed out of the project. Smith said a new contractor had been hired and they were now looking at a mid-March closing date, after which construction can start.

The Council approved a two-year extension of the ASU Project Cities Agreement, which will carry no additional costs for the Town.

They also heard an update on renovations to the Miami Police Department and the hiring of a police chief.

Rivera said they were working first on the MPD’s air conditioning, and verifying terms of the 2024 quotes to see whether they were still good. He said that if new quotes were needed, the Town would include needed electrical work. In the first week of February, he will be working with a consultant for the $2.1 million grant for the MPD.

Rivera said he was continuing conversations with the police chief candidate, whom he said was experiencing personal issues and would contact the Town “as soon as he finalizes those.” Rivera added that a background check of the candidate was in progress.

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