Last Monday, Miami Town Council launched a new advisory committee by appointing seven members, with plans to add four more at the next council meeting — but not before some argument over the number of members.
The Economic Development, Annexation and Abatement Advisory Committee will provide recommendations related to economic development, annexation, housing, blight and property abatement. Its mission, Miami Economic Development Director Evelyn Vargas explained to the council, will include developing housing action plans.
“An example,” she said, “would be to encourage innovative mixed-use living and working opportunities in vacant and underutilized buildings … Any second floor we have throughout the town could be hotel space.”
The resolution establishing the committee provided for seven members, and that led to some spirited discussion.
Six people “and one more to be determined” were recommended at the Feb. 9 council meeting. Then three more people applied; Vargas said a fourth application was expected shortly, making 10.
Mayor Gil Madrid was eager to appoint them all, though it went against the resolution.
“I said in that [Feb. 9] meeting we're going to use these seven, and whoever else joins us, we could darn sure use them.”
Town Attorney Joe Estes replied that the resolution followed town code in specifying seven members.
“I don't know which supersedes, the town code or the state code,” said a frustrated Madrid, “but we're allowed to have up to 20 people or more … I want to set up two advisory committees.”
Vice Mayor Sammy Gonzales asked if a code amendment would let the appointments proceed; this, Estes replied, would require an ordinance and a 30-day referendum period.
The problem was solved when Estes, looking up the code, found out it did not specify committee sizes, meaning the council only needed to amend the resolution to add more members, which they voted to do at their next meeting. At Vargas' suggestion, to which Madrid agreed, the council planned to increase the committee to 11 members.
Then the first seven were appointed. The initial committee members are: Douglas Berry, Jennie Campos, Philo Carter, Celia Kenyon, Carole McManus, John Ramirez and Rustin Shinn. Campos and McManus will serve one year; Carter, Ramirez and Shinn two years; and Berry and Kenyon three years.
During the meeting, Miami Town Manager Alexis Rivera updated the council on repairs to the police department, senior center and library. Rivera said work on the library roof was ongoing, and the police department's roof would be replaced at the same time. At the senior center, he said, the air conditioning was in good shape and the town was awaiting a quote to start the roof work.
In other business, the council approved an amendment to the lease on Copper Mountain Transit's vehicle parking/storage lot, extending the lease for two years at a new rate of $960 a year.
Potholes in Miami's streets were another discussion topic.
“We're actually filling potholes all over town,” Madrid said in his current events summary.
Councilmember Jose “Angel” Medina said some potholes appeared to have been filled with sandbags, which councilmember Dan Moat believed was “kind of temporary.”
Medina added that some constituents had requested fill dirt to be placed around town so they could fill in potholes near their property, and that he was looking for a source of gravel.
Medina also said he would contact Gila County about maintenance of the Mackey Camp to Cherry Creek Flats dirt road.
“If they clean up that road, then in an emergency, anybody can just drive on up that way and then come down.”
Madrid announced that volunteers were wanted for some trail work on “M” Hill March 20 and 21.
“We have some work to do on finishing the trail going up,” he said. “We should be able to get it done in two days if we get the kind of help [we] had last year.”
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