At their Oct. 13 meeting, the Globe City Council reviewed lessons from the 2025 flood and the potential of employing a full-time emergency manager. Council also approved financing for creek protection and authorized a downtown street safety trial.
Globe has reached the point where it needs to employ a full-time emergency manager, Fire Chief Gary Robinson said during a review of lessons learned from the 2025 flooding.
Chief Robinson and Battalion Chief Kendall Cormack briefed Council on a long slate of recommendations, resulting in a wide-ranging discussion of the City’s emergency planning and preparation needs.
Cormack described some of the problems that arose during last year’s flood response, including overwhelmed dispatch services, limited communication between departments, and difficulty coordinating volunteers and donations.
For each problem identified, Robinson and Cormack recommended proposed actions, such as a system for routing overflow 911 calls, providing backup dispatch support, and setting up systems and channels for radio communications.
They also recommended clearer staff assignments, regular exercises and earlier requests for outside assistance, as well as setting up contracts in advance for a variety of work that would be necessary during an event.
Globe’s practices for warning and informing the public also need improvement, Robinson said.
A draft emergency operations plan has been sent to the Army Corps of Engineers, which offers assistance completing the plan at no cost.
City Manager Paul Jepson said staff would examine how to fund a new position for an emergency manager, who would oversee the emergency operations plan, schedule exercises, train staff, and serve as Plans Chief during events.
Drivers and pedestrians could see changes on Broad Street by early November under a ten-month safety demonstration approved by Council.
Speedy Striping will install flashing stop signs, painted curb extensions and flexible posts at Broad Street’s intersections with Cottonwood and Yuma streets. Major intersections between those points will get highly visible ladder-style crosswalks.
The curb extensions will shorten pedestrian crossing distances and help drivers see people preparing to cross.
Deputy Public Works Director Travis Ashbaugh said traffic counts are being taken to establish a baseline for evaluating the changes’ effectiveness. Staff will monitor the results and seek public feedback during the trial.
Based on the successful approaches, the City will pursue grant funding for improvements throughout the city.
Bill Delator, a Chandler resident, spoke during public comment about a near-fatal accident involving his brother, Fred Delator, in June. Fred, a Globe resident, was severely injured as he crossed the intersection of Hill and Oak on foot.
Fred was treated at the site by Tri-City and Globe FD paramedics. He remains hospitalized and has undergone eight surgeries.
Bill argued that the driver of the truck involved in the accident should face criminal charges according to state law, and noted that a conflict of interest may exist because the driver is currently a construction contractor for the City of Globe. Bill requested that the investigation be turned over to Arizona DPS for review.
He said Fred is asking for a stop sign to be installed at Hill and Oak.
Bill pointed out that a traffic fatality occurred last Sunday, when Ron Uptain was killed at the interesection of Seventh and Ash.
Jepson proposed obtaining a professional traffic review before bringing recommendations to Council.
Council approved a $3 million Arizona Water Infrastructure Finance Authority loan, with $1.5 million forgivable, that will help fund permanent structures along Upper Pinal Creek. The work will include the construction of walls at selected locations to reduce erosion and protect infrastructure, including sewer lines that could be threatened by flooding.
The financing will cover the local match for Phase 3 of Globe’s NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection project. Earlier phases involved removing sediment and installing rock to stabilize creek embankments.
Council also approved the following motions:
Accounts payable in the amount of $2,125,550.20. Jepson explained that this amount includes a total of about $850,000 to Tiffany Construction and CivTech for flood-related work, as well as other large amounts paid to Doege, Ford, Schultz and Blue Cross Blue Shield.
A change order in the amount of $100 to a contract with JLS Backflow Testing for additional backflow testing and inspection
A contract in the amount of $22,717.76 with Scholz Contracting LLC for repairing a waterline break near the Ash Street and Euclid Street intersection
A contract in the amount of $600 with Hom Electric for removing electrical conduit and associated wiring at the wastewater treatment plant.
A change order in the amount of $1,950 to a contract with B&A Electrical for replacing fuses for the Field 5 lights and eliminating an electrical shock hazard in the Botanical Gardens
A contract in the amount of $2,500 with RAM Specialists for repairing a pipe on the grit separator at the wastewater treatment plant
A contract in the amount of $15,749.10 with Atlas Technical Consultants LLC for airborne-fiber testing during removal of flood debris from the temporary debris management site
A contract not-to-exceed the amount of $122,516.66 with Viking Specialty Contracting for removing flood-related construction and demolition debris from the temporary debris management site and transporting it to the Gila County landfill.
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