During the Dec. 18, 2025 meeting, Globe City Manager Paul Jepson presented the council with a high-level update on flood recovery work. He emphasized that several recovery tracks are moving at once, and that City staff are working to meet significant deadlines.
The most immediate deadline is Dec. 28 for the city to submit its master damage assessment list to the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA). Jepson pointed out the importance of this list, which has to include every single item that the city might possibly submit for reimbursement. Including an item on the list doesn’t guarantee reimbursement, but the list does become the foundation for nearly every recovery funding pathway the city might pursue.
The city’s recovery priorities include four main areas:
Restoring the creek channel is the city’s most urgent, high-impact recovery need. Extensive sediment and debris deposits, several feet deep in places, were left by the flood, which have raised the creek bed and increased future flood risk.
For now, the focus will be on removing sediment and restoring the creek’s carrying capacity, rather than building individualized fixes for every affected property right away. Due to the short timeline, Jepson said it would not likely be possible to pour concrete in the creek, but the city would still aim its engineering at the long-term.
“I wish more people were here today in this audience, because all of us have been getting static about, ‘Well, when’s my little wall going to be built in the creek?’ … If we focus on the sediment removal, we’ll solve a lot of things and then come back later and do the repairs that need to be done.” — Councilman Gonzalez
The city will pursue NRCS funding for material removal from the floodway in Pinal Creek, as Gila County will be handling Russell Gulch and the canyons. NRCS funding has a 25% match and a 220-day limit on work. NRCS also has a faster reimbursement cycle than DEMA, where they will reimburse costs from month to month once bills are paid.
The city is working with Civtech, an engineering company that has worked with the Coconino Flood Control District and is experienced with running a project so that it gets reimbursed.
The city has roughly 2,000 cubic yards of debris staged near the community center, including vegetation, sediment, construction debris, and appliances, which has to be moved by July 9. Debris can’t simply be dumped anywhere — it has to be tested, matched to an appropriate disposal site, and handled under strict documentation requirements so the city can receive reimbursement.
The city has completed temporary sewer repairs at a cost of approximately $1.1 million, and the system is currently functioning. However, the full extent of flood damage still needs to be evaluated.
Jepson said it’s too early to decide the best route and funding strategy for completing permanent repairs. Options could include DEMA reimbursement or potential FEMA support if a federal declaration occurs, as well as other possible avenues.
The city has several steps underway to strengthen Globe’s emergency readiness and reduce strain next time, including:
The importance of regional planning along with Miami and Gila County, rather than treating recovery as a city-only issue, was also discussed as being already under way. Councilman Gonzalez also mentioned the possibility of developing local capacity, such as a stronger local Red Cross presence or trained community emergency response teams.
Bryan Seppala from Resolution Copper briefly described the company’s ongoing support since the first night of flooding and noted a $100,000 contribution toward the city’s ladder truck fundraising effort. Resolution has also committed funds to support a flood study.
The city’s independent financial audit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024 has been completed, with the auditor, Scott Graf of Colby & Powell PLC, reporting a “clean opinion.” This indicates the financial statements are most likely accurate and free of “material misstatement,” whether due to error or fraud.
Graf noted that the city has made measurable progress in catching up on overdue audits, with a path in place to complete future audits on time.
Overall in FY2023–2024, business-type activities such as water and sewer saw a modest decrease, but governmental activities increased significantly. In total, the city’s net position improved by approximately $7.1 million, reflecting a stronger overall financial position.
No significant audit findings were required to be included in the report, though four management recommendations were discussed. These included continuing efforts to complete audits within the nine-month state deadline, improving the timely review of bank reconciliations, adopting a formal capitalization policy for long-term leases and certain software agreements, and clarifying the definition of “retirement” in the personnel policy as it relates to sick leave buyback eligibility.
Paul Jepson clarified that the intent of the sick leave buyback policy is to apply only to employees who formally retire through a state retirement system, rather than those who separate early or fail to file official retirement paperwork. He confirmed that the policy language will be updated to reflect this definition and remove ambiguity.
To view the list of motions approved, see our website at globemiamitimes.com
To watch a recording of this meeting, visit the City of Globe’s YouTube channel
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