Globe Assistant City Manager Linda Oddonetto, joined by Oscar Rodriguez and Luz Guitierrez of GH2 Architects, gave Council an update on the renovation of the Michaelson Building, which is being converted into a co-working space and small-business incubator. The City of Globe has been working for three months with GH2 Architects as well as Gila County to develop designs for the space.
Councilman Gonzalez explained that an incubator is a place that provides space and resources that help fledgling businesses get started. Oddonetto said the building will become an anchor space that will provide support services to strengthen existing businesses and help foster new businesses.
Oddonetto said that although other organizations already support local business, such as the EDC, the Chamber, Local First, and the SBDC, the Michaelson Building is intended to be a hub serving as a one-stop shop for entrepreneurship support.
“We have a lot of people who have home-based businesses, but they want to get out of their homes and socialize. These spaces are designed to promote collaboration and partnership,” Oddonetto said.
The Michaelson Building is an approximately 8,000-square-foot building located on Sycamore and Broad, which has been dormant for some 20 years. The project will include community-building spaces, offer spaces for rent, and provide opportunities for social interactions.
The first floor of the building will include community rooms, meeting spaces, two podcast rooms, a seating area, a retail area near the entrance, a catering kitchen, and support offices. The second floor will have rentable open office areas, several separate office spaces (also rentable), a meeting space, a small kitchen, and a seating area.
The architects are working to preserve historical features of the building while also bringing in new materials to make the interior spaces comfortable and durable. Outside, there will be sidewalk seating and bicycle parking.
Vince Mariscal, Globe’s Assistant Public Works Operations Director, presented an overview and update on current common sewer line projects in the city.
Common sewer lines are situations where, decades ago, single lines were installed to serve multiple homes, with each home connecting into a central line or septic system. Often these lines are undersized and poorly installed. Problems with this setup include slow drainage, frequent backups, and heavy debris accumulation. Soil around these installations tends to shift and settle, and tree roots can cause additional problems.
Mariscal said usually the customer at the lower end of a line will experience problems first, while homes that are located higher on the line might have no problem.
For customers on common lines, an application process is available to eliminate these lines, which involves installing a new lateral line to each home. The City covers the cost.
Usually, a plumber discovers the problem and then the customer completes the application, which is available at City Hall or on the City’s website. There is a system for the City to prioritize projects, based in part on the severity of the problem and on funding. The property owner must sign a waiver of responsibility and a TCE before the work commences. The work will then be performed by either City staff or a contracted vendor.
The City has been actively focusing on eliminating common lines since 2020, and has completed projects on Haskins, Maurel, East, Paxton, Pasqual, Tebbs, and Hackney, as well as at the Community Center. There are plans to complete a common line project on Alpine beginning in late October, and a project at La Mesa Terrace is under design now. The City aims to prepare a sewer master plan to identify a complete list of issues.
Mariscal pointed out that so-called “flushable” wipes and rags do not break down in the sewage system. Instead, they create huge problems, including pipe clogs, sewer backups, sewage overflows, and “fatbergs,” which are rock-like masses of waste matter that form by the combination of materials like wet wipes plus fat, oil, and grease deposits.
“Flushable wipes means they go down your toilet, they don’t mean they get through our system,” Mariscal said.
These problems then lead to water contamination, the spread of disease, and increased maintenance costs which taxpayers have to cover.
Recognizing Sergeant Michael Boyd for 35 years of service with the Globe Police Department, Chief Dale Walters spoke proudly of Sgt. Boyd’s “lifelong commitment to public safety, mentorship, and community partnership.” He was one of Globe’s first DARE officers, before it was known as the SRO program. He has also served as a field training officer, a general instructor, a driving instructor, and a radar instructor.
“His mentorship and training have left a lasting impact on the department and the community it serves,” Chief Walters said. “His career is a testament of loyalty, service, leadership, and his continued contributions will benefit the community for years to come.
Boyd retired from full-time service in 2016 but returned to full-time duty in 2019 as a patrol sergeant. He now oversees the patrol team, the PD's fleet, and the field training program for new recruits.
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