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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.
Resolution Copper continues hiring while waiting on court ruling
In an update on the Resolution Copper project, Dave Richins, Resolution’s Senior Manager for Communities and Social Performance, said progress on the project continues to be waiting for a ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court.
However, Resolution is still hiring. They have already hired 20 new apprentices, and 18 were from Globe-Miami or San Carlos. Richins said Resolution currently employs 300 people, and 80% live within a 40-mile radius.
Richins said Resolution will be undertaking a new workforce study in 2024 to determine the demographics and skill sets available in the area. Resolution also invests in STEM education through the local schools and is looking to invest in the CVIT program and welding training.
We still have a lot of work to do despite delays in permitting. – Resolution’s Dave Richards
Richards said Resolution has spent some $21 million in Globe since 2020, just slightly less than the company spent in Superior. That includes spending with Oddonetto Construction, DalMolin Excavating, Western Reprographics and Jonovich, among others.
Richins announced that in 2024 Resolution would increase its giving funds, which in the past have supported the Chamber Golf Tournament, Globe High School Football Combine, and the food bank, among other causes.
Richins pointed out Resolution has a three-year partnership with the Gila House domestic violence shelter, which Resolution feels strongly about, recognizing domestic violence as “a big issue that needs a lot of attention.”
In response to a question from Councilman Pastor, Richins said Resolution has sunk the Overnight shaft to the same depth as #10, and they are connected underground at several levels.
New wastewater treatment plant to be located on US 188
Council heard a presentation from project manager Mike Krebs on the location of a proposed wastewater treatment plant for Tri-City Regional Sanitary District.
The treatment plant will be located just to the west of US 188, north of Guayo’s on the Trail, inside the curve where 188 turns to the west just before it crosses the railroad tracks. The site is about 8 acres. An application has been submitted to Gila County for a use permit, and the site will also have to be rezoned.
Two large above-ground tanks will be constructed, instead of ponds, and all treatment will take place within the tanks.
The facility will produce A+ grade effluent, which will likely be sold to the mines.
Krebs pointed out that currently, nearly 9 out of every 10 existing on-site systems are in violation due to being substandard septic systems or outlawed cesspools. Only about 10% of existing systems are adequate.
Robert Jacques, TRSD board president, pointed out that the new system will help alleviate the housing crunch in the area because it will make new construction feasible. He said the plant will be constructed to handle 350,000 gallons per day, which is the current need, and it will be expandable to 500,000 gallons per day and even beyond that to accommodate growth.
When our system goes online, people will be able to construct houses on lots which are not constructable now because they are too small for on-site systems. – Robert Jacques, TRSD board president
The site was acquired through a donation. It is located just to the north of Tri-City’s Designate Management Area (DMA). The DMA will need to be expanded to include the new site.
The anticipated timeline of the project is to advertise for bids in the first quarter of 2024 and to begin construction on the collection portion of the system in the second quarter 2024. The collection portion could be in operation by the fall of 2026, Krebs said. All of Globe and Claypool are in Phase One and will get service first.
Tri-City has been searching for a site for eight years and has reviewed 15 potential sites. A site had been identified in 2018 but became unusable due to the need for improvements on a solid tailings dam.
Two water basins already exist on the site, which were storage basins for the old Bixby pump station.
In response to a question from Councilman Shipley, Robert Jacques, TRSD board president, said the new facility is being built instead of Tri-City hooking into Miami’s wastewater system because TRSD had been unable to come to an agreement with the Miami organization after years of negotiations.
Citizens Academy graduates nine
Council presented completion certificates to the nine graduates of this season’s Citizens Academy program. The graduates included Marie Hanna, Anthony Toner, William Jocelyn, Bonnie Stipham, Jesse Robertson, Tommy Grenier, James Yostrum, Jos and Marsha Scamel.
When the opportunity to learn new things is presented, it would be folly to ignore it. – Joe Skamel Citizens Academy graduate
Public comment
During public comment, Stephen Palmer thanked the Council and the Public Works Department for supporting disc golf in the community. A new disc golf course recently opened at the Community Center. Palmer invited people to visit the Ice House Canyon park, just below the Community Center’s T-ball fields.
Sherry Rice commented in favor of Council investigating the possibility of home rule in Globe after she heard a presentation about home rule during a Citizens Academy session. City Manager Paul Jepson said City staff have already met with the City Attorney on the subject, and recommended a Council work group look into the possibility.
Motions approved
Council also approved motions for the following:
- Accounts payable in the amount of $469,172.32
- Accepting the following grant awards:
- A no-match Arizona Public Service Grant in the amount of $5,000 to purchase an enclosed carry-on 6×12-foot trailer for used in connection with Globe’s First Friday events.
- A Boyce Thompson Arboretum Tree Grant for the purchase of six indigenous trees, including three velvet mesquite trees and three foothills palo verde trees.
- A no-match Arizona Community Foundation Grant in the amount of $500 to support 2023 State Fire School tuition.
- A no-match Walmart Community Grant in the amount of $3,600 to be used for local events or operational supplies.
- A grant from the Freeport McMoRan Foundation Community Investment Fund in the amount of $160,000. This grant requires a City match of $32,500, which will be split between the FY2024 and FY2025 budgets. Economic and Community Development Director Linda Oddonetto explained that this is an extremely competitive grant and the City was granted more than they had applied for due to the quality of the grant application. The monies will be used to restore the pueblos at Besh Ba Gowah.
- A grant from the Arizona Community Foundation in the amount of $25,000. The funds will be used toward constructing a concession stand at the community pool. The concession stand will also serve as a community kitchen, Linda Oddonetto said.
- An intergovernmental agreement with the Globe Unified School District in the amount of $420,000 per year to fund three school resource officers. The agreement will cover three school years, including 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26. Chief Dale Walters explained that the City is responsible for training the officers, but GUSD will be paying their salaries. The motion moves this item forward for final approval at the next Council meeting.
- A settlement agreement with Structural Preservation Systems LLC entitling the City of Globe to a credit of $63,250 in liquid damages on the final contract payment of $290,226.08 relating to the community pool rehabilitation. This motion also authorizes a final payment on the contract not to exceed $226,976.08, and acknowledges the presentation of a countersigned pool punch list and addendums. City Manager Paul Jepson explained that the amount of $63,250 is half of what the City had originally asked for on the basis of $500 per day, the contractual amount for liquid damages. Jepson said some warranty issues had come to light, which is not unusual in a contract of this size, with the most significant issue being a potential leak which is being invetigated.
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To view documents related to this meeting, click here.
Full minutes can be found by going to the City Hall website.
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, call or text (928) 200-0154 or email council@globeaz.gov.
Patricia Sanders lived in Globe from 2004 to 2008 and at Reevis Mountain School, in the Tonto National Forest, from 2008 to 2014. She has been a writer and editor for GMT since 2015. She currently lives on Santa Maria island in the Azores.
