Fewer calls to the public as city updates public comment process

At their Aug. 25 meeting, the Globe City Council discussed a new public comment process for Council meetings that sets a deadline for submitting online comments and eliminates cell phone comments during meetings. Council also kicked off the latest update to the City’s General Plan and recognized Water Department employee David Kemp for 25 years of service.

New public-comment process

Council directed the City to implement a new process for public comments that eliminates live text-message comments during meetings, reduces the previous two general Calls to the Public at each Council meeting to one, and sets a 2 p.m. deadline for online submissions. The changes take effect immediately.

City Clerk Shelly Salazar said the city started accepting comments through multiple channels during the COVID-19 pandemic but now needs to update the system to make it more structured and predictable.

The Call to the Public will now be held at the beginning of each meeting. People who want to address Council during Call to the Public must attend the meeting in person and submit a speaker card. Speakers are limited to three minutes.

During Call to the Public, Councilmen are allowed to respond to criticisms, ask staff to look into matters, or ask for topics to be added to a future agenda, but they cannot discuss or act on matters that are not on the agenda.

People who want to speak to an agenda item also must attend the meeting in person and submit a speaker card, indicating which agenda item they will be speaking to. Councilmen are allowed to discuss the agenda item with the speaker.

Salazar said in cases where a member of the public wants to respond to information about an agenda item that comes up during a meeting, they can request that a speaker card be accepted during the meeting. 

Mayor Gameros said Globe has never denied anyone the opportunity to speak on an agenda item just because they hadn’t completed a card in advance.

Speaker cards are available at meetings and online on the City’s website. 

People can also submit online comments at globeaz.gov. Comments received by 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting will be distributed to council prior to the meeting and will also be posted publicly before the meeting. 

Online comments received after the deadline, as well as written comments delivered at the meeting, will be passed on to council and posted the following day. 

Paper comments that are submitted to the City Clerk prior to meetings will be passed on to Council and posted online the day after the meeting.

The Council cell phone will be eliminated as a way to make comments during meetings. 

Salazar pointed out that people can also go to globeaz.gov to submit feedback, and those emails will be passed on to Council.

City Manager Paul Jepson emphasized that the revised process is intended to help City staff manage meetings. Mayor Gameros pointed out that there had been some abuse of the previous system where messages that came in during the meeting were extremely long, and where messages were received from fake accounts.

According to Arizona law, the public has the right to attend Council meetings and listen. However, a general call to the public is not legally required, and the City is allowed to set reasonable rules limiting the length of time people can speak, setting deadlines for submitting speaker cards, and keeping topics relevant.

General Plan update

Globe’s General Plan, a document that will guide the city’s development through 2047, must be updated every 10 years by law, and Council has directed Zoning Administrator Zach Montgomery to start working with the Planning and Zoning Commission. The process will take six to eight months.

The General Plan defines a long-term vision and serves as the foundation for city goals, policies, and actions. The update was due in 2025, but work was delayed after the flood.

Residents will have many opportunities to review and help refine the plan before it goes to council for adoption. A short survey will soon be going out in water bills, and will also be available through social media and on globeaz.gov. 

Recognizing David Kemp

Council recognized employee David Kemp for 25 years of service. Kemp started on a garbage truck, then moved to the wastewater plant, where he demonstrated natural leadership and became one of the department’s main trainers. 

Vince Mariscal, Globe’s Assistant Public Works Operations Director, said Kemp’s extensive knowledge of Globe’s underground infrastructure has made him the city’s go-to utility locator, especially when existing maps are inaccurate. 

Mariscal praised Kemp for working alongside city crews during the flood and for teaching newer employees how to work safely and efficiently.

Motions approved

Council also approved the following motions:

• Approving a $1 million loan through WIFA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, with $512,500 forgivable, associated with the Army Corps water-line project to the fairgrounds. The funds will pay for a required match of $750,00 and other costs.
• Approving $871,719.71 in accounts payable.
• Approving a $2,333.13 change order with Xylem for HMI programming and testing.
• Awarding YSC Paving a contract of up to $79,886.28 for five asphalt repairs, funded through the half-cent excise tax.
• Renewing the city’s on-call agreement with Sustainability Engineering Group for zoning administrator services for up to $75,000. Linda Oddonetto said the renewal gives the city access to additional professional capacity when unexpected development projects arise.
• Approving a net $32,379.68 change order with Doege Contracting for the Jesse Hayes Sidewalk Project. The work will include replacing a pre-existing sidewalk near the skate park to meet accessibility requirements and redesigning the Hayes Gulch crossing to accommodate a sewer line.