Eloy City Council Meeting - July 22, 2024

The Eloy City Council met on Monday, July 22, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The meeting included announcements, approval of consent agenda items, and a business item for the purchase of a new landfill bulldozer. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (July 8, 2024 regular meeting) – Approved unanimously.
• Approval to enter into a contract with Air Comm to remove and install a new cellular Bi-directional Amplifier (BDA) system for City Hall under Arizona State contract ADSPO19-00008376, not to exceed $60,000 – Approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public appearances were made.

Reports and Announcements

• Councilmember Seton reported attending a SCAMPO meeting (Sun Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization) on July 9, a Pinal Public Transportation Subcommittee meeting on July 10 (where Matt Rentra represented Eloy via Zoom, advocating for public transportation), and visiting a new market opening on Frontier Street. The market owners are a husband-and-wife team, with an anticipated opening in mid-August.
• Mayor Powell noted he is on the SCAMPO board and echoed Seton’s comments. He also mentioned wearing a mask due to COVID-19 exposure, urging the community to protect themselves.
• City Manager Steve Cooper (via phone):
  • Announced the passing of longtime employee Francisco “Pancho” Balanos, who worked for the city for over 13 years. Funeral services will be held on July 23, 8-11 a.m., potentially causing service disruptions as staff attend.
  • Reminded of the Eloy Council Candidates Meet and Greet on Friday, July 26, at 5 p.m. at the Bent Prop Saloon (Skydive Arizona campus).
  • Announced “Fantastic Fridays” programming at Troy Thomas Community Center starting August through April on the first and third Fridays (registration required).
  • Movie under the stars on July 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Jones Park (Scooby-Doo movie).
  • Community yard sale on August 3 from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Main Street Park (reservations filling quickly).
  • Primary election on Tuesday, July 30, with polling locations at Eloy Public Library, Talley Tech Senior Center, and the community room at City Hall. Councilmember Seton noted the Pinal County website only shows the library location; the city manager will request an update.

Discussion Items

• Purchase of a new Caterpillar D7 Landfill Bulldozer (Item VIII-A): The city manager requested authorization to purchase the dozer from Empire-Caterpillar under the Arizona State Procurement Contract for up to $1,000,000 plus taxes. The current equipment is beyond its service life; the purchase was included in the FY 2024-25 CIP budget. Council discussed:
  • Location: Empire-Caterpillar is in Eloy; a location discount and free freight were negotiated.
  • No trade-in; the existing landfill scraper will be kept in reserve.
  • Typical heavy equipment life: 7-10 years; the current dozer is over 20 years old.
  • Lease-purchase option was explored but would cost about $20,000 more than outright purchase.
  • Councilmember Seton asked about sales tax exemption; the city manager noted they are working on that.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda (Items VII-A and VII-B) approved unanimously by roll call vote (7-0).
• Business Item (Item VIII-A) approved unanimously by roll call vote (7-0) to authorize the purchase of the Caterpillar D7 bulldozer for up to $1,000,000.
• No executive session items; meeting adjourned.