Miami Town Council hears from researchers on PFAS at June 9 meeting

Members of the Miami Town Council: Mayor Gil Madrid, Vice Mayor Sammy Gonzales, and Council members Jose “Angel” Medina, Dan Moat, Don Reiman, Michael Sosh, and Phil Stewart. All members were in attendance at this meeting except Councilman Reiman.

Soil and dust survey finds PFAS, lead, arsenic, and dioxins

Researchers from the University of Arizona presented the findings of a study on soil and dust contamination in the area, finding elevated levels of several hazardous substances. The study was initiated due to community concerns and funded through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. 

The project included training community members to participate, and a community advisory board was established. Samples were taken from various locations in consultation with the council and Rivera. In residential areas, surface soil as well as indoor and settled dust samples were taken.

The study examined levels of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which form when organic material burns), PFAS (the so-called “forever chemicals”), dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, and metals. Results included the following:

• High levels of PAHs were found in both residential and non-residential soil samples in flooded areas.
• Flooded areas also had significantly higher levels of PFAS. 
• As to dioxins, the study didn’t find high levels when each type of dioxin was measured individually, but it did find that when all kinds of dioxin were added together, two sample sites did show elevated levels.
• Levels of lead were also higher in the flooded areas, which the researchers attributed to mining activities, and arsenic exceeded safe levels in many of the residential sites.

The researchers recommended that environmental monitoring continue to occur and advised that the town focus on dust suppression, including covering bare soils in the area.

For individuals, the researchers encouraged people to take preventive steps such as leaving their shoes outside the door, cleaning their pets, and doing wet mopping versus dry mopping. Outdoors, people should cover bare soil with plantings to keep dust down. Parents should keep children’s toys and play areas clean.

The researchers have mailed a booklet containing the survey results to every household in the area, and have also put all the information on an interactive website where people can see the measurements near their homes and find recommendations on how to reduce exposure. Access codes for the site were emailed to everyone in the area. The researchers also held two community gatherings to explain how to interpret the data. 

Anyone who needs more information or has not received their booklet or access code should contact the researchers.

Council approves Strategic Plan and plans to hold a workshop.

Council approved the town’s strategic plan for the period of July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028, and discussed forming committees to implement the major elements of the plan. 

A workshop session will be held before the next council meeting, starting at 5:30 p.m., to discuss the implementation of the strategic plan. The goal of the workshop is to get input from the council, the town manager, and his staff on the best approach to implementing the strategic plan. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the workshop to provide their input.

“We get criticized all the time that ‘You guys don’t do this, you guys don’t do that.’ But here’s your chance.” Mayor Madrid

With regard to the committees, Mayor Madrid suggested putting one councilmember on each of these committees. The committees would be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the strategic plan, including discussing the sequence of work, generating ideas and solutions to any issues that arise, and making recommendations to the town manager.

Mayor Madrid emphasized that these committees would not be making decisions, but would provide recommendations and report on progress.

Town Manager’s Report

Town Manager Alexis Rivera provided updates on various projects:

• The installation of new LED lights at City Hall has been completed.
• Work on installing the LED system at the Library is scheduled to start in July/August.
• The town received three proposals for the HVAC system for the Police Department. Council will be working this week to determine the contractor for this project.
• The town met with Rep. David Marshall on June 5 to discuss flood control and the water situation in the event of an emergency. Marshall emphasized his support for the town and the Police Department in these areas.
• The first meeting of the Community Watch program was held. The next meeting is scheduled for June 18 at the Library.

Resolution Copper expects to start mining in 2025

Several council members attended a Resolution Copper update meeting last week and learned that Resolution is making progress in obtaining the necessary permits to commence mining, potentially by the end of the year. The mine has received its environmental permit and has also received a favorable Supreme Court ruling on the land trade-offs. It’s expected that all parties involved will sign off by the end of the year, opening the way for Resolution to obtain its permit to start mining.

Freeport to increase production, now hiring

Council members also met with the Freeport Community Partnership Panel last week, where Freeport discussed its plans to increase production by about 60%. Freeport currently has 950 employees and aims to increase that number to 1,110, resulting in 160 new job openings.

FY2025-26 tentative budget doesn’t include the dispatch system

Council discussed and approved the tentative budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, which includes the following highlights:

• Funding has been allocated for salaries in the 2025-2026 budget, and the retroactive pay increases for staff that were previously paused have been included in the current budget.
• The town is exploring the use of lobbyists from the Phoenix area and is seeking additional funding from the private sector to support this initiative.
• The budget includes funding to address the HVAC issues at the police department.

The council discussed the need for funding to address the dispatch system as soon as possible, as the current system is deemed unsafe. There is no specific funding allocated in the budget for the dispatch system, as the town is seeking a grant from the state to cover this system. Rivera explained that a study must be conducted to determine the full cost and infrastructure requirements for upgrading the system. The cost is estimated to be in the six figures and as much as half a million dollars, due in part to the need for new technology. 

“There’s always contingency money, there’s always a way to get something if it’s extremely important.” Mayor Gil Madrid

The mayor suggested that the council should consider amending the budget to include funding for the dispatch system, even if the full cost is not yet known, as it is an urgent need. The council discussed the possibility of finding contingency funds or other sources of funding to address the dispatch system’s needs.

The tentative budget will be published on the town’s website.

Work is progressing on the Miami Inspiration Project.

Fidelis Garcia of the Miami Inspiration Housing Project presented an update on the project. It will include 40 units total, including 20 within the original school and 20 in a new building. There will be a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. The site will also have 40 parking spaces.

Garcia said the project is progressing, and work will continue through October 2026. A significant development is that the abatement contractor that is working with asbestos and lead paint removal started work on April 15 and is scheduled to finish by June 27. The demolition of the cafeteria and playground is complete, and interior demolition of the building will commence this week, with an estimated duration of approximately six weeks.

“Obviously, we’re in a neighborhood and we’re trying to be good neighbors.” Fidelis Garcia

Garcia said the project is trying to be a good neighbor and has contractors start work no earlier than 6 a.m., although there will likely be times when work has to start earlier, such as for concrete pouring. By state law, contractors are permitted to work between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. 

Garcia also stated that the project is aware of the need to keep the noise level down to avoid disturbing the neighbors. He said the generator they are running is a Whisper Quiet and is the quietest one on the market; also, the project will be getting power from APS at some point and the generators will not be needed after that. 

As to the placement of the trailers, Garcia said they have been set 20 feet from the closest neighbor’s house, which has been a longstanding part of the construction plan. He said the trailers couldn’t be moved due to multiple reasons, including the need to provide space for workers to park on site.

Garcia encouraged any members of the public who have concerns to contact him directly at (602) 810-2761 or fidelis.garcia@cplc.org.

Motions approved

Council also approved motions for the following:

• Payroll in the amount of $88,087.18
• Approving a letter of support to ADOT for naming a portion of State Route 77 as the L.F. Quinn Memorial Highway. Descendants of L.F. Quinn contacted council to support naming the portion of highway for their forebear. He lived in the area around 1910.
• Approving a special event liquor license application from the Cobre Valley Youth Club for the Independence Day Dinner Celebration hosted by GCPSMA (GilaCountyPublicSafetyMemorialAssociation) to be held on July 3,  at the Bullion Plaza Gym in Miami.
• Approving the general demands report for May 16 through May 29, in the amount of $32,825.63.

 

To view this meeting online, visit https://www.facebook.com/miamiarizona/videos/1721533675129140.

For information about the Miami Mayor’s Office and Town Council, visit https://miamiaz.gov/mayor-and-council/mayor-and-council/