Members of the Gila County Board of Supervisors: Chair Steve Christensen (District 1), Vice Chair Woody Cline (District 3), Supervisor Tim R. Humphrey (District 2). All members were present at this meeting.
At their Feb. 3 meeting, the Gila County Board of Supervisors acted on several motions related to emergency planning and operations, including a conference where planners will revisit the events of last fall’s floods. They also approved a conditional use permit for a Tonto Basin property and awarded a contract for improvements to the Gibson Ranch Roadway.
The supervisors awarded a contract to fully revise the county’s Emergency Operations Plan to The Strategic Edge Group LLC.
Emergency Management Director Carl Melford explained that the county conducts annual updates to the Emergency Operations Plan, but a complete overhaul is periodically required, particularly after major disaster events. Gila County has experienced multiple large-scale emergencies since the last full revision, and lessons learned from real-world responses and joint exercises with community safety partners have accumulated over the past decade.
“This plan serves as the backbone and essentially the instruction manual for the way that we handle emergencies. Having that revision is critical for us to have that foundation laid for us.” — Gila County Emergency Management Director Carl Melford
Melford emphasized that the revised plan must remain compliant with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101, which outlines required topics and standards but allows local jurisdictions flexibility in how those requirements are met. Compliance is essential for the county to remain eligible for federal and state emergency management funding, including assistance from FEMA and Arizona’s Department of Emergency and Military Affairs.
Once completed, the Emergency Operations Plan will come before the board for review and approval. The contract is in an amount not to exceed $75,500.
The supervisors approved a $10,000 Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness grant agreement with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to fund an annual Local Emergency Planning Committee conference for federal fiscal year 2025–2026.
Melford explained that the HMEP program supports local emergency planning committees and allows counties discretion in how funds are used.
Since 2017, Gila County has applied the funding toward an annual conference that brings together emergency response partners for required planning, training and coordination. The conference serves multiple purposes, including the formal review of the county’s hazardous materials response plan, which is a required component of the county’s Emergency Operations Plan and must be approved by the supervisors.
“I know it seems, you know, as if we've just gone through this, what more can be learned? There's always more that can be learned.” — Gila County Emergency Management Director Carl Melford
The event also includes a tabletop exercise, which fulfills compliance requirements tied to eligibility for federal emergency management funding. These exercises provide a structured, low-stress environment for agencies to work through realistic scenarios, test coordination, and share lessons learned.
For the upcoming conference, the tabletop exercise will draw on last year’s flooding events in the southern part of the county, allowing responders to revisit those events in a lower-stress environment, while also incorporating perspectives from agencies across the county.
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management will also participate, helping strengthen coordination with incident management teams before disasters occur.
The supervisors adopted a resolution formally declaring the county’s intent to reimburse itself for certain capital expenditures related to emergency management and infrastructure improvements stemming from the September 2025 flooding event. The action helps pave the pay for a potential bond issue to fund flood recovery projects.
County Finance Director Maryn Belling explained that the resolution is required under federal treasury regulations in order to preserve the county’s ability to reimburse itself for eligible costs if it later chooses to pursue financing options such as bonding. County Manager James Menlove pointed out that this resolution is connected specifically to the potential bonding discussed at the supervisors’ previous meeting.
Adoption of the resolution allows the county to retroactively reimburse itself for expenditures incurred up to 60 days prior to the resolution’s approval date, should borrowed funds be used in the future.
“This is saying if we borrow money, we can use it to cover the bills we’ve already incurred back for the last 60 days,” Belling said.
“A personal example would be if you put a home repair on your credit card and then later got a home equity line of credit, and you use the home equity line of credit to pay off your credit card.” — Gila County Finance Director Maryn Belling
The action does not commit the county to borrowing money, and it also does not guarantee reimbursement from state or federal agencies. However, it preserves financial flexibility if the board later decides to issue debt to help fund recovery projects.
Belling emphasized that this resolution is separate from applications for FEMA or DEMA reimbursement, which are being handled through different processes.
Belling noted that spending over the past 60 days has been relatively limited and largely confined to costs like overtime and consulting support, with no major expenses incurred yet.
The supervisors approved a modified Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for a Tonto Basin property after extended discussion about zoning enforcement, prior violations, and the owners’ intent to build a permanent home.
The item involved an application for a CUP at 451 N. Santo Sandia Lane by property owners Scott and Kim Porter. A previous use permit at the address had been rescinded after county staff documented multiple violations, where unpermitted structures had been added, utilities had been installed without permits, and additional structures had been put in place beyond what had been authorized.
Community Development Director Randy Pluimer explained that the original use permit had allowed limited temporary structures (a conex box and a shed) for two years while the owners pursued construction of a primary residence. That use permit was withdrawn after staff determined that its conditions had been violated, despite the applicants’ signed acknowledgement of understanding the rules and agreeing to abide by them.
The Porters subsequently applied for a modified CUP that would give approval for what they had already added to the property, including multiple RVs, sheds and other structures that had been added without permits, as well as a conex box and utilities.
Pluimer described this as “You’re changing the rules for that property at that time.”
“If we start letting things like this go, then we're going to be here every time we have a meeting, with someone wanting to do something that is not allowed to be done at this point in time.” — Gila County Supervisor Tim Humphrey
The Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed the Porters’ request and recommended denial due to the previous violations, expressing a lack of confidence that the conditions would be followed.
During the public hearing, co-owner Kim Porter addressed the board, acknowledging that she had signed documents without fully understanding all requirements. She explained that medical emergencies, multiple surgeries, and a recent family death had delayed their plans to build and contributed to the violations.
Porter stated that the intent had always been to construct a home on the property and that the family was willing to remove structures or work with the county to resolve violations.
After discussion, the supervisors approved the CUP, with a modification requiring the Porters to come into compliance within 90 days. Under the approved terms, the owners must resolve all violations, obtain necessary permits, and reapply for a home construction permit within that timeframe. Otherwise, the approval will lapse.
Menlove reported on a late change to proposed state legislation that would affect flood recovery funding for southern Gila County. A bill originally introduced by Representative Marshall to appropriate $25 million directly to the Town of Miami, the City of Globe, and Gila County was amended to route the funds instead through the Arizona Department of Emergency Management. Manlove said the change would complicate local access to the funding and reduce certainty about how much money would ultimately reach the county. He noted that County Manager Michael O’Driscoll had organized local officials and staff to attend and testify at a legislative committee hearing the following morning, including Supervisor Humphrey, to advocate for local needs and highlight the impacts of the flooding.
Humphrey reported on several recent activities, including a District 2 project team meeting with engineering and public works staff to review ongoing and upcoming infrastructure projects, which he said helps him keep the public informed. He had planned to meet with Globe Mayor Al Gameros and Miami Mayor Gil Madrid, but this was cancelled due to a visit from Arizona Rep. Eli Crane, along with FEMA and DEMA representatives, where Supervisor Humphrey and Mayors Gameros and Madrid were able to present damage assessments, explain the severity of the storm, and tour affected areas. Supervisor Humphrey said Crane committed to working with federal and state agencies to improve communication and explore additional assistance.
Cline provided an update on federal legislative activity, noting that a U.S. Senate committee meeting had been held to consider pending bills, including legislation related to the Pleasant Valley Veterans Retreat and a land conveyance measure connected to Apache County. He said both Rep. Crane and Sen. Mark Kelly were sponsoring the bills and expressed optimism that they would advance.
Christenson reported on ongoing work with the County Supervisors Association legislative policy committee, which has been reviewing a large volume of bills this session, most of which the committee has opposed. He highlighted support for a bill that would allow counties to meet public notice requirements through online posting rather than exclusively through newspapers, citing changing communication practices. He also discussed opposition to proposals to split Maricopa County into four counties, concerns about property tax exemption bills, and upcoming testimony on pending legislation. He also shared an update on abandoned vehicle cleanup efforts, noting that nearly 30 vehicles have been removed at relatively low cost.
To view this meeting online, Gila County BOS Meeting.
To view documents related to this meeting, click here.
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