Members of the Globe City Council: Mayor Al Gameros, Vice Mayor Mike Stapleton (District 4), and Councilmembers Freddy Rios (District 1), Mike Pastor (District 2), Jesse Leetham (District 3), Mariano Gonzalez (District 5), and Fernando Shipley (District 6). Councilman Rios was excused.
During the Jan. 28 meeting, the Globe City Council discussed creek flood work and United Fund activities.
As flood recovery and mitigation work goes ahead, the City of Globe will be asking some property owners for their cooperation in allowing access.
Melissa Steele, Globe’s Economic Development Manager, discussed the need for property owners and the city to work together so creek work can be completed. She pointed out that 80% of the creeks within City of Globe limits are privately owned, and the City cannot access private property without legal permission.
“Flood mitigation … protects lives, homes, businesses and critical infrastructure by reducing flood risk in the future.” — Melissa Steele, Globe’s Economic Development Manager
The city will be following a structured, “property owner first” approach, combining long-term flood mitigation with respect for property rights. Legal documentation will ensure transparency, protection, and accountability for all parties.
The process involves the city obtaining various documents from property owners, including the following:
Globe City Manager Paul Jepson said the city anticipates strong support from property owners as people learn the facts and the importance of work being done throughout the drainage area. He compared it to fixing a chain, where any weak links have to be reinforced. He said the city will work with people who have concerns.
Steele said staff have already gone parcel-by-parcel using the most recent ownership information available through the Gila County Assessor’s Office and are prepared to track down hard-to-reach owners.
“Flood mitigation is a shared responsibility. We all take care of the creeks, and it's something we all need to do.” — Melissa Steele, Globe’s Economic Development Manager
Jepson emphasized that the timeline is tight, because once the Natural Resources Conservation Service funding pathway is approved, work has to be completed within 220 days. The city also wants to get mitigation work underway as soon as possible in order to be prepared for future storms.
Because of the time crunch, communications, engineering and construction will all be happening at the same time. The city has already lined up engineering and contractors and is preparing to move quickly as soon as approvals and access permissions are in place.
“We have to build capacity in those waterways, and it has to be total cooperation and partnership with everybody,” Gameros said.
Tony Manfredi, Globe’s Community Development Director and Building Official, updated the council on code enforcement and permitting after the flood. Over the past six months, the city temporarily relaxed or streamlined aspects of permitting to help residents and businesses stabilize and begin repairs, while still prioritizing safety.
Manfredi said the city now needs to set a clear path back to normal enforcement to reduce risks that could result from mold, pests, uncleared debris and unsafe structures.
Normal code enforcement will resume beginning April 6. Manfredi said the city will provide all the resources they can, and some limited exceptions will still be allowed for certain ongoing work.
“The whole key here is trying to get people back in business and people back in their homes, and we have to do it safely, efficiently, responsibly.” — Tony Manfredi, Globe's Community Development Director and Building Official
Manfredi emphasized the importance of building codes, including flood plain items, for protecting structures. He said some structures were in the direct path of the flood and had “not one drop of water” enter the building, due to adhering to codes and standards relating to elevation and resilient construction.
Manfredi also discussed the need for Globe to prepare for the next event, and to recognize that weather patterns are changing, with flooding now becoming a larger risk in Arizona than it was in the past. That’s happening partly because flooding can be a secondary event to fires.
He pointed out that since 1980, disasters have resulted in a total of $2.15 trillion in damages and over 15,000 fatalities in the United States.
Globe Fire Chief Gary Robinson briefly updated the council on the status of the appeal of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s denial of a major disaster declaration. He said FEMA representatives visited Globe the previous Wednesday and Thursday in response to the appeal to tour sites along with city staff and Arizona's Department of Emergency and Military Affairs.
The process of appealing involves a review and then the submission of additional data, which will be completed in about two weeks.
From there, FEMA’s review process can take up to 90 days, although Chief Robinson said it could happen faster. If the appeal isn’t successful, there will be a second opportunity to appeal through FEMA’s main office in Washington D.C.
A successful FEMA declaration could increase the city’s funding options and potentially affect reimbursement rates and eligibility for infrastructure programs, while also opening avenues of assistance for private individuals, including potential buyout programs.
Susan Guerrero, community outreach manager for United Fund of Globe-Miami, presented to council on the organization’s flood relief funding for residents and local businesses.
She reported that another $30,000 in residential support had been distributed since her previous update two weeks ago, and Salvation Army staff are continuing to assist residents through the intake and support process. She pointed out that an FAQ about the residential relief program is available online at ufglobemiami.com/faq.
On the business side, the business relief grant program has wrapped up. Local First Arizona processed 159 grant applications across two rounds, with four full-time staff assigned to the work. In total, 72 businesses received funding, with approximately $1.4 million allocated for business support and rebuilding.
“100% of every single dollar went to the residential and businesses that were directly impacted by the floods.” — Susan Guerrero, community outreach manager for United Fund of Globe Miami
Guerrero said the complete list of the 72 business recipients and approximately 50 donors is now posted online, along with grant amounts, at ufglobemiami.com/flood.
Across the full relief program, United Fund received $2,247,833.92 in donations. Roughly $1.4 million was allocated to business support and rebuilding, $800,000 for the residential flood relief program, and $50,000 for flood mitigation efforts and planning.
She pointed out that while the business program is closed and the contract with Local First has ended, the residential program remains open, and donors can still contribute. Donors have the option of designating a donation for a specific resident, business, or nonprofit.
“I just want to point out that none of these businesses would have received anything. A lot of them had no flood insurance, had nothing to help them. And so you stepping up in that big way was huge.” — Globe Councilmember Jesse Leetham
Councilman Gonzalez pointed out that a long list of individuals donated, including from across the country and the local area. Mayor Gameros acknowledged Resolution Copper for the largest single donation — $1 million.
Guerrero emphasized that United Fund covered administrative costs for Local First and Salvation Army using non-flood funds, meaning that 100% of flood donations went directly to impacted residents and businesses.
A written public comment submitted by email from David Barry was read into the record, raising concerns about the business relief program’s Phase Two eligibility criteria. He said the service agreement with Local First Arizona required the council to formally approve those criteria, but this apparently was not done.
Barry asked for documentation showing when criteria were approved, what the criteria were, and when they were made public. Barry also questioned the lack of a public record regarding council action on setting the criteria.
“The public has a right to know who specifically made decisions about how public funds were distributed and when those decisions were made.” — David Barry, Globe business owner
He also questioned how decisions were made regarding the distribution of funds that included both charitable donations and city contributions.
Jepson clarified that the criteria Barry is referencing relate to who was qualified to be considered for the City of Globe’s initial $200,000 contribution, which was part of Phase One. The city needed to determine who was 1) a resident/business of the city and 2) impacted by flood damage, and these are the criteria referred to in the agreement with Local First.
Jepson said no city funds were used for Phase Two and that the city did not participate in setting Phase Two criteria, which is why there is no city documentation for Phase Two decisions.
“We funded phase one because we were the first ones out of the gate with the money. None of our money went to phase two.” — Globe City Manager Paul Jepson
Guerrero added that United Fund and its partners have engaged in extensive correspondence with Barry and said they have attempted to work with him, including waiving a business license requirement for four applications.
Councilman Gonzalez reiterated that the city’s $200,000 was public money and must meet public standards, but the remaining relief funding came from private donations and was administered by nonprofit entities.
Guerrero pointed out that there were about 56 applicants during the initial round, and the city’s funds were used then. Mayor Gameros said the recipients were all City of Globe businesses.
“What people say is a reflection of themselves, not a reflection of the work that was done.” — Maryn Belling, Executive Director of United Fund of Globe-Miami
Maryn Belling, Executive Director of the United Fund of Globe Miami, defended the organization’s recordkeeping and compliance standards. She pointed out that United Fund of Globe-Miami has served the community since 1964 and is accustomed to operating under formal accountability requirements as a 501(c)(3).
She said recipients will receive required tax forms and that administrative costs — including staff time — were tracked separately and not taken from flood donations.
She acknowledged that the flood relief effort required learning on the fly, but said the organization applied its 60 years of experience and maintained federal compliance and full documentation throughout.
Christian Lewis, public affairs specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Recovery, provided a brief summary of SBA disaster loan activity in the community.
Lewis reported that the SBA had approved approximately $5.6 million in loans for businesses and homeowners as of his most recent figures.
He said SBA staff arrived roughly 10 days after the flood and maintained an in-person presence for 108 days. Jan. 28 was the final day of the SBA’s operations at the Chamber of Commerce.
“If you need anything, if there’s anything that I can do for you, it may not be something I personally have, but it’s something I can connect you to, by all means, reach out to me.” — Christian Lewis, public affairs specialist for SBA Office of Disaster Recovery
He said applications will remain open online through SBA’s disaster loan portal until September, and a separate USDA disaster designation that was approved on the 14th extends additional eligibility into November.
Lewis urged residents to appeal any denials, as initial determinations can be automated and staffing changes can also result in incorrect results. Applications remain in the system for up to six months, and people can appeal multiple times.
Lewis encouraged people to apply for SBA assistance even if they’re not sure whether they would accept a loan, since their other options might be less favorable.
Council received a $500 donation from the Globe Rotary, resulting from their recent silent auction during their Christmas party. The funds will go to the Active Adult Center to be used in providing meals to seniors.
Wendy Stanfel, president of the Rotary Club, and Eric Bowman, who will take over as president for the next term, presented the donation. Stanfel said the money will be used to purchase kitchen equipment, such as pots and pans.
Council also approved motions for the following:
To view this meeting online, click here: CITY COUNCIL MEETING - January 28, 2026.
To view documents related to this meeting, click here.
Full minutes can be found by going to the city website at https://www.globeaz.gov/government and clicking on Agendas/Minutes in the bottom left-hand corner.
The Globe City Council meets every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m. at Globe City Hall.
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 and search for City of Globe Arizona. Or click on the “Live Stream on YouTube” link at the top of www.globeaz.gov.
If you desire to speak to the council during an agenda item, you can call or text (928) 200-0154 or send an email to council@globeaz.gov.
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