Payson Town Council Regular Meeting – May 22, 2024
Payson Town Council Regular Meeting – May 22, 2024
The Payson Town Council met on May 22, 2024, at 4:03 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting covered a wide range of topics including wildfire preparedness, a new program management office, a road improvement project, and approval of hay sales at the Event Center. The council also recognized the retirement of Police Chief Ron Tischer and proclaimed May 2024 as Older Americans Month. All votes were unanimous, with Council Member Suzy Tubbs absent for the last two items.
Consent Calendar
- B.1 Approved minutes of the Work Sessions on May 7 and 8, 2024, and the Special Meeting on May 15, 2024.
- B.2 Approved Resolution No. 3390: Library Service Agreement with Gila County Library District for FY 2024-25.
- B.3 Approved Resolution No. 3392: Public Utility Easement for Arizona Public Service to install electrical equipment at the Airport ASR Well.
- B.4 Approved Resolution No. 3393: Cooperative Agreement with Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management for the Payson Fire Department. All consent items passed 7-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Tom Dunning (20-year resident) expressed concern about wildfire risk given the wet winter and hotter summer, but commended the council for addressing it on the agenda.
- Mike Quinn voiced support for the splash pad and family events, saying Payson needs to attract young professionals and families.
Discussion Items
D.2 – Program Management Office (PMO) Presentation
Deputy Town Manager Christine Smith and Project Manager Rod Buchanan presented a new PMO structure to manage the increased volume of capital projects. The PMO is an ad hoc, temporary, and scalable structure that reports to the executive team, with weekly updates and a project sponsor. Benefits include cost savings (e.g., $30,000 saved by combining two projects under one consultant), centralized reporting, and improved coordination. Rod Buchanan will serve as program manager. Council Member Mona asked about challenges; Buchanan responded the model is cost-effective and can be activated quickly.
D.3 – Wildfire Preparedness Presentation
Fuels Manager Kevin McCully, along with Forest Service officials Daniel Whatley (Fire Management Officer) and Matt Paciorek (District Ranger), presented the 2024 wildfire outlook. Key points:
- Payson is in the Wildland Urban Interface. Resources are tight: 18 firefighters on a good day across Rim Country.
- Fire danger is currently average but averages for May are high. The monsoon is predicted to start around July 7, 2024, and may be wetter than average.
- The Tonto National Forest will enter Stage 1 fire restrictions in lower elevations on May 23, 2024, but not yet in the Payson area.
- Emergency notifications have moved from Everbridge to Ready Gila. Chief Tischer urged residents to sign up and be prepared year-round with water, food, and gas.
- Insurance challenges: The Fire Department is working with Flagstaff and Prescott to develop science-based wildfire risk assessments that could replace zip-code-based evaluations. Town Manager Troy Smith noted that nationwide homeowners insurance may face significant changes due to catastrophic weather events.
- The department has 9 volunteers offering free Firewise assessments. Grant-funded mitigation projects have treated 128 acres to date, with two more grants expected to treat 426 acres total by the end of 2025. SRP South Payson Phase I begins in July.
F.1 – Resolution No. 3391: ADOT IGA for Houston Mesa Road
Town Engineer Larry Halberstadt presented a project to fill a 1,200-foot sidewalk gap, add bike lanes, replace curb ramps, and repave Houston Mesa Road from McLean Road to B Line Highway. The design cost is $154,000 with a 5.7% local match ($8,778) plus $30,000 for ADOT administration. The project is part of the Payson Area Trail System (PATS) and uses federal Transportation Alternatives Program funds. Council approved unanimously (7-0).
H.1 – Hay Sales at the Event Center
Parks and Recreation Director Steve Richardson and Trevor Bales (owner of Bales Hay Sales, a sixth-generation family farm) proposed bi-weekly hay sales in a portion of the Event Center parking lot on Saturdays when not in use. The business would provide professional equipment, liability insurance, and pay TPT. Pricing: about $22-23 per bale for horse hay, with six dollars going to transport. Pre-orders and delivery options available. The council discussed flexibility and length; Trevor Bales was open to a trial. Council approved 6-0 (Tubbs absent).
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously (7-0).
- Resolution No. 3391 (Houston Mesa Road): Approved unanimously (7-0).
- Hay Sales at Event Center: Approved unanimously (6-0, Council Member Tubbs absent).
- Proclamation: May 2024 declared Older Americans Month; accepted by Janice Chesser, Senior Center Director of Development.
- Personnel: Recognized retiring Police Chief Ron Tischer and introduced Interim Chief Jay Hirokawa (retired from Colorado, 38 years of law enforcement, U.S. Army veteran).
- Next Steps: The PMO will begin procurement; staff will finalize budget adoption on June 12, 2024; hay sales will start on a trial basis with a 30-day cancellation option; the Houston Mesa Road design will proceed.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. Like to call this evening's Pays and Town Council meeting to order. If Rick Kill, Pastor Rick Hill, if you are here, yes, sir. If you would like to come to the podium for the invitation, please, and if everyone would please rise. I pray that your wisdom will be imparted to them as they lead us. And we uh humble ourselves before your mighty hand in your throne. And I I do pray for peace in our hearts to begin with. Peace with you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you, sir. Uh Larry, could you please lead us in the pledge? Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Larry. Right. Ms. Can we please get a roll call? No, my friend's not here. Let the record show that all council members are present except for council member Flarity. Council members Mona and Tubbs Owensy. All right, and council member Flaherty will be coming in hot momentarily. That was the message I got. All right, uh, we'll start with our call to the public. Um let's see, Mr. Tom Dunning. Welcome. Hello, Mr. Mayor and Town Council. I am the ubiquitous Tom Dunning. Um I'm a 20-year resident of Payson. And um I just want to uh say a few things tonight. 2023 was the hottest year in recorded history. Now in 2024, temperatures around the world are already hotter than 2023. Lake Roosevelt is very close to being completely full. What does all this mean and have to do with Payson, Arizona? Our wet winter means that the fuel in our forests for wildfires is high. A summer hotter than last summer means that the threat of wildfires will be unavoidably higher. What are we doing here in Payson to protect Payson residents from the dangers of a wildfire season, which could be worse than any we have seen? We can see the plans and actions being taken to protect Payson residents in the agenda of tonight's town council meeting. First, our mayor and town council are establishing a cooperative agreement with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and the Pays and Fire Department to coordinate their efforts. Tonight we will also hear from our town fuels manager on Payson's wildfire preparedness and the state of this year's wildfire outlook. In other words, our town leaders are comprehensively planning now in order to be fully ready for wildfires endangering Pays and residents this coming summer. Thank you. Thank you. All right, next, uh Mr. Mike Quinn. Thank you.
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