At their Sept. 15 meeting, the Gila County Board of Supervisors rejected two contracts for the Pleasant Valley Veterans Retreat and discussed funding for operations and construction at the facility. The board also heard about costs for the Buckhead Mesa Landfill expansion and the Michaelson Building renovation.
The board failed to approve two proposed contracts totaling more than $405,000 for work at the Pleasant Valley Veterans Retreat in Young. The first rejected contract involved electrical modernization of the retreat’s historic cabin.
Public Works Director Joseph Dickison said the 1930 structure’s electrical system was largely original or had been pieced together over time. The work would have replaced the service panel, circuits, kitchen electrical systems, lighting and safety infrastructure.
Supervisors Woody Cline and Steve Christensen questioned both the price — $120,250 — and the plan by the contractor, Madyson Corp., to run much of the new conduit visibly across the walls. When Chairman Tim Humphrey called for a motion, none of the supervisors made one, and the board moved on without awarding the contract.
The second rejected contract, with Marsh Development, would have installed five standby propane generators at the retreat. Dickison said power outages have been disrupting retreat operations and services.
However, Cline argued that the price — $285,206, or about $57,000 per generator — was too high and pointed out that APS already maintains a generator providing backup power to Young.
The county is also seeking permission to use a $3 million state appropriation to fund retreat operations and construction costs, according to County Manager Michael O’Driscoll. The state Department of Veterans’ Services has agreed, but the county is still waiting for approval from the Attorney General’s Office.
Meanwhile, the county is still awaiting clarification of legal and financial questions around the county’s future operating arrangement with PVVR, as well as the county’s actual authority to operate the facility.
O’Driscoll presented a financing scenario for purchasing 512 acres at the Buckhead Mesa Landfill, enabling its expansion to move ahead. The total financial impact could reach $23 million, including environmental and archaeological testing as well as the expansion costs and construction costs.
Finance Director Maryn Belling said paying for the project entirely through landfill operations would require approximately $1.4 million in additional annual revenue, which would mean potentially increasing individual tipping fees by 60% to 80%.
As an alternative, a pledged-revenue bond would spread the cost over time and could prevent a fee increase, but the county’s total annual debt service would then rise to approximately $7.4 million. Revenue to service the bond might come from state shared sales tax, vehicle license tax or PILT.
Supervisors Cline and Humphrey questioned whether the county needs all 512 acres. Supervisor Christensen suggested purchasing the full 512 acres and selling what isn’t needed for the landfill, while scaling back the expansion until more capacity is needed.
O’Driscoll said he would return with scaled-back options and will provide monthly updates on both county landfills in the future.
The projected cost of converting Globe’s Michaelson Building into a business incubator has risen from a previous estimate of approximately $1.3 million to $2.53 million, Michael O’Driscoll told the board.
The two-story building is old and in poor condition, and will need to be gutted and to have new plumbing, electric, and HVAC systems installed. As a business incubator, the building would provide office space for entrepreneurs to start businesses. The City of Globe would operate it.
Gila County and the City of Globe are pursuing the project jointly. However, Arizona law limits the county to $1.5 million in annual economic development expenditures. Considering its other projected commitments for 2027, the county would be able to contribute only about $279,000 to the building.
Globe Mayor Al Gameros proposed seeking approximately $1.2 million from grants, private donors and other outside partners, which could reduce the additional contribution required from the city and county to about $250,000 each.
The board approved a five-year agreement in the annual amount of $215,000 with Discover Gila County Inc. for tourism marketing.
Cameron Davis, president of Razor Thin, the marketing company that leads the DGC marketing program, said their website likely generated at least 27,000 visitor-days in the county over 11 months, producing an estimated $8 million in direct spending at local businesses.
Razor Thin also does social media and public relations, digital streaming and Google advertising, and runs the free online Discover Gila County Job Board. The company also has a multi-year deal with Channel 12 to promote the county.
The supervisors also endorsed a vision plan for the Rim Country Regional Trails system. Representatives of the non-profit Rim Country Trail Fund said they have already applied for a total of $3.4 million in grants, and obtained a $2.9 million transportation grant for two Payson-area trailheads.
The organization holds the Mogollon Monster 100-mile and 42K races as well as the Fire on the Rim mountain bike race, and is planning a 65-mile bike race and a 105K foot race on the Highline Trail.
Deputy Public Works Director Matt Rencher reported that three of the county’s five NRCS flood-recovery projects are 99% complete, a fourth is 95% complete, and the hospital wall is 87.5% complete. All five are on track to finish under budget.
The Board of Supervisors also approved the following actions:
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