Members of the Miami Town Council: Mayor Gil Madrid, Vice Mayor Sammy Gonzalez, and Councilmembers Jose “Angel” Medina, Dan Moat, Don Reiman, Michael Sosh, and Phil Stewart. All members were in attendance at this meeting, except Councilmen Moat and Sosh were excused.
In a regular meeting on Feb. 9, Miami Town Council established a new Economic Development, Annexation, and Abatement Advisory Committee and debated requirements for membership. They also heard brief presentations about United Fund flood programs and an increase in lease payments for the Copper Mountain Transit vehicle parking/storage lot.
Council voted to establish a new advisory committee on economic development, annexation, housing development, and abatement priorities connected to the town’s strategic plan.
Council also discussed a list of potential committee members. The names read into the record included (as transcribed): Jenny Palpos, Carol McNamus, John Ramirez, Faleo Carter, Celia Kenyon, Tim Elinsky, and one more name to be determined.
A focus of discussion was the town code requirement that voting members of boards or committees “shall be an elector of the town wherever possible,” and what qualifies someone as an “elector.”
Town Attorney Joe Estes explained that an elector is someone eligible to vote in the Town of Miami, and that if the mayor wants to open committee membership more broadly, council would need to amend the town code through an ordinance, which would require a 30-day referendum period.
Estes also pointed out other relevant areas of code, such as that no person should serve on more than one board. He suggested taking into consideration whether boards, committees and commissions should be opened up to allow people who don’t live in Miami to make decisions for those who do.
Council also discussed the practical problem that if fewer than four members meet the current town-elector requirement, the committee would not be able to meet or function immediately.
In public comment, Chuck Broeder expressed concerns about appointing people from outside the town and suggested to first post openings and accept applications from Miami residents before looking elsewhere. Staff and council discussed balancing practicalities, such as the need for specialized expertise and pro bono volunteers, with legal requirements and local representation.
Estes and councilmembers agreed on an alternative approach to avoid delaying the committee being able to meet: post the open positions and accept letters of interest from town electors for a period of time; then, if there are not enough local applicants, appoint non-electors under the code’s “wherever possible” language. This would avoid the need to amend the code.
Council directed the town clerk to post the openings and solicit letters of interest for the committee for the next 13 days, making clear that the roles are unpaid (pro bono). If letters of interest from local people are not received within 13 days, the six listed individuals will be appointed at council’s next meeting.
Susan Guerrero, community outreach manager for United Fund Globe-Miami, presented an update on the organization’s flood relief programs. She explained that United Fund’s typical mission is supporting local nonprofits, but after seeing heavy damage in Miami on Sept. 26, the organization raised funds to support affected residents and businesses.
Guerrero said the residential flood relief program is still ongoing, and program details can be found on United Fund’s website at ufglobemiami.com/faq.
On the business side, the program has disbursed $1.4 million to the Miami community, covering 73 businesses, including home-based businesses and vacant buildings. More information is available at ufglobemiami.com/flood.
Town Manager Rivera informed council that the lease for the lot that Copper Mountain Transit uses to park and store transit vehicles has increased in price to $80 per month, or $960 per year. He said it is also necessary to confirm whether a one-year lease term would satisfy ADOT requirements, since ADOT has requested a 10-year lease agreement in the past. The town’s current contract with ADOT expired in December.
The property owner, Mr. Webb, addressed council and explained he does not want a long-term lease because he might sell the property. He described the lease history dating back to 2015, and said he initially offered the lease at $1 per year, then later agreed on a rate increase. He also mentioned paying over $4,000 in property taxes on the property and that he is increasing the rent somewhat to offset some of those costs.
Councilmembers expressed concern that ADOT may require a longer-term lease, and suggested that the town needs to confirm ADOT’s requirements before approving anything. Council voted to table the item and bring it back with more information, after staff communicates with ADOT.
Town Manager Rivera reported on several ongoing efforts and funding conversations. He attended a meeting in Yuma on Friday where he was able to meet a new state-level director at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and present Miami’s situation, including the town’s challenges related to an $11.3 million Natural Resources Conservation Services grant and the difficulty of meeting a $2.7 million match requirement. Rivera said the town qualified under two of three criteria but was flagged on a third criterion related to unemployment.
Rivera is planning follow-up meetings to identify resources for the matching funds and continue advancing projects tied to town facilities, including the senior center, where a contractor was expected to evaluate HVAC needs. Rivera also discussed coordination with the League of Cities and Towns and continuing work on parks, transit infrastructure and other funding discussions.
Mayor Madrid asked for updates on building repairs, including at the police station and library, and Rivera said a purchase order had already been issued and a construction meeting was expected this week for the library roof. For the police station, funding is still being identified.
Mayor Madrid provided election-related information. The primary election will be held Tuesday, July 21; candidate packet filing deadline is Monday, March 23 at 5 p.m.; and the voter registration deadline is Monday, June 4 at 11:59 p.m. Town Attorney Joe Estes explained that the state moved the primary earlier due to the need for more time for recounts.
Mayor Madrid also shared several “good news” items, including recognition of a Miami High School girls basketball player, Tamia Pietila, for scoring 2,000 points in her high school career. He also announced that local officials had testified at the state capitol about flood damages and reported that House Bill 2070 — a $25 million appropriation for Gila County disaster-related costs — has advanced.
Councilman Medina gave a longer report that included local history research, describing early mining activity and explaining a connection between the name “Miami” and people from the Miami Valley in Ohio and a Native American reservation there. He also referenced visible features near the Burch Corral area that he believed may relate to old mining tunnels and slag.
Richard Huerta sharply criticized Town Manager Alexis Rivera’s performance and alleged failures to complete capital improvements. Huerta questioned the town manager’s salary and management practices, and urged council to terminate Rivera.
A second speaker spoke about budgeting, explaining that a passed budget is an authorization rather than a guarantee of execution. He also argued for frugality. However, using an analogy comparing first responders to the heart’s critical “cardiac tissue,” he urged the town to treat emergency services as a vital, protected priority and not neglect essential readiness due to delayed funding.
Another speaker promoted a Saturday, Feb. 28 class described as a day-long program about the Constitution and politics, with a $25 participation fee and barbecue served.
Sarah Way spoke about crime and drug-related impacts in the community and urged council to make decisions to protect public safety. She credited the current police department — specifically “three incredible officers” — with significantly improving safety in her area and warned against losing them. She said Miami finally feels safe, which is the first step to bringing growth, and the officers are vital to that.
Council also approved the following motions:
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