OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Payson Town Council Regular Meeting – April 9, 2025

Town Council & Planning and Zoning — Wednesday, April 9, 2025
BodyPayson, Arizona
SessionTown Council & Planning and Zoning
DateWednesday, April 9, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:15:00

Transcript — Verbatim
0:11

Call this meeting of the common council, the town of Payson to order.

0:16

This is April 9th, 2025.

0:20

Wow.

0:22

Okay.

0:28

It's April 9th, 2025.

0:30

I just the echoes throwing me off a little bit up here.

0:36

It's a little sharp up here.

0:39

Oi.

0:40

But can you hear back there?

0:43

There we go.

0:44

I think it's just because we're not going to be able to do that.

0:46

But that sounds good though.

0:47

Well, and I think we got new speakers up here, don't we?

0:50

Aren't these new?

0:51

In the back really?

0:52

They're not yellow anymore.

0:58

If they can hear, I can tolerate the little bit of echo.

1:01

Yep, absolutely.

1:02

Megan, would you call a roll?

1:05

Let the record reflect that all council members are present.

1:09

Okay.

1:10

And ask Pastor Michael Ford of Expedition Church to give the invocation.

1:21

Pastor Ford, nope, no pastor Ford.

1:28

Councilman Ferris, would you like to give us an invocation?

1:31

Yes.

1:37

Dear Lord, we thank you for this opportunity to meet.

1:42

Watch over us, make all our deliberation.

1:46

Uh something that would be pleasing in your sight.

1:51

Just give us the wisdom and the heart to go forward, Lord, in a meaningful and constructive way for the benefit of this town.

2:05

We just thank all those that have given their effort and time to make a better community.

2:15

And we just ask for your guidance and protection over Payson and all those that are here.

2:23

In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

2:36

One nation with justice for all.

2:51

Since I got out of order and we already did the roll call and we're all here, uh let's do call to the public.

3:02

This time we're citizens have an opportunity to speak on any issue within the legal authority and jurisdiction of the town of Payson.

3:12

The town must abide by Arizona Open Meetings Law, and this agendized item is the public's opportunity to be heard at this meeting.

3:34

And uh with that, we'll proceed with call to the public.

3:43

Charlie Sarah.

4:00

But whether you agree with the strategy or not, it's hard to argue with the stated goal.

4:05

Tariffs are meant to keep more dollars in the American economy.

4:09

If you charge other countries to ship their products into the United States, some companies will move their manufacturing operations into this country in the simplest terms.

4:19

Instead of paying other countries to make our stuff, we make our own stuff.

4:24

When we go from the macro to the micro, we see something similar here in Payson.

4:29

As we've learned over the past few months, most of the contractors being paid to do multi-million dollar projects in Payson come from the valley.

4:37

The consultants we pay tens of thousands of dollars come from the valley.

4:41

The attorneys we hire, the contract attorneys, and the other attorneys that represent Pays and lawsuits come from the valley.

4:47

The studies that are farmed out are farmed out to out of town experts, and we spend a high percentage of local tax dollars to pay non residents.

4:57

If you didn't know better, you might think there are no experts in Payson, but that's just not the case.

5:04

Much more than some might realize.

5:06

Unfortunately, every time we have a project, the money seems to go to people who don't live in town.

5:12

Payson has lots of professionals, and with a little effort, we could attract even more professionals to live in our community.

5:19

My positive thought for the day is when we identify a project before outsourcing and hiring from the preferred vendor list.

5:27

Let's talk to people who live here.

5:30

Outline the basics of the project, publish the general idea, and investigate whether there's a local solution.

5:37

Sometimes you have to go with an out-of-town contractor, but if you use common sense, a lot of local jobs could go to local contractors, employing local people and keeping the money here in Payson.

5:49

But in order to make that happen, you have to let it be known that Payson believes in using local resources.

5:56

Instead of hiring high-priced outside consultants, let it be known that this council is open to hearing from local experts, many of them retired from big world jobs and they live here in Payson now.

6:08

So if you invite their input and spend time listening to them, you not only get big world expertise, but it comes from local residents who care about our town and have skin in the game.

6:19

Unlike the feds, we don't have to retaliate against foreigners who take advantage of our trade policies.

6:25

We just have to make it a priority to spend tax dollars in the local community.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Budget Equity Analysis███████████████████████23%
Public Engagement█████████████████████21%
Procedural████████████████16%
Water And Wastewater Management██████████████14%
Community Engagement███████7%
Wildfire Prevention███████7%
Economic Development███3%
Airport Management███3%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Payson Town Council Regular Meeting – April 9, 2025

The Payson Common Council met in regular session on April 9, 2025, at 4:09 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included public comments, a lengthy debate over the March 26 meeting minutes, a first public hearing on the FY 2025-2026 fee schedule, and an executive session for the Town Manager recruitment process. The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:59 p.m.

Consent Calendar

  • Items B.2, B.3, B.4 were approved unanimously (7-0) without further discussion. These included:

    • Resolution 3431: Easement abandonment for a portion of two 60-foot easements on Maranatha Drive.
    • Resolution 3439: Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Gila County for the 2025 Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Day event.
    • Resolution 3440: IGA with Gila County for the Summer Work Program for young people.

  • Item B.1 (minutes from February 4 Work Session, February 12 Regular, and March 26 Regular meetings) was pulled at the request of Council Member Flaherty for discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Charlie Seraphin urged the Council to prioritize hiring local contractors and professionals instead of outsourcing to the valley, arguing that local experts care more about the town.
  • Robert Decker, head of the Rim Wildfire Awareness Team (RIMWAT), quoted scripture and pleaded for the Council to work together to fund wildfire preparedness, including hiring a wildfire team under Parks and Recreation to reduce pension costs. He warned that the wildfire threat is high due to dry conditions.
  • Tom Thompson, President of the Payson Aero Club, disputed claims of structural damage to Hangar 1 doors and requested the opportunity to present a case for more efficient hangar management by the club.
  • Darlene Delage Younker raised concerns about fees in the proposed FY 2025-2026 schedule, including $120/hour for police chief consultation, $85/hour for inspections, per-fixture electrical fees, and a $12,000 bond for driveway construction. She asked the Council to calculate the total cost to build a $300,000 home.
  • Inga Chouinard thanked Council members (Otto, Haws, Ferris, Bell, Nossek) for participating in private citizen-organized meet-and-greets, noting such events help residents connect personally with their leaders.

Discussion Items

  • Minutes (B.1) Debate: Council Member Flaherty raised concerns about a March 26 item (H.1 – Beeline Bus contracts with DBA Construction and Engineering Inc.) and claimed a Council member had spread misinformation on media about the vote. He wanted to clarify that the vote was to approve two contracts (construction and project management) and that the Council could have walked away if desired. Council Members Ferris and Bell requested revisiting H.1 on a future agenda to review contracts and funding details (water line costs, enterprise fund, ADEQ permits). Acting Town Manager DeSchaaf and the Town Attorney noted the minutes themselves were accurate; after discussion, the minutes for February 4, February 12, and March 26 were all approved (7-0 on separate motions). The Council also agreed, by a 2-1 vote (Ferris and Bell in favor, Flaherty and Haws opposed), to place H.1 on a future agenda for reconsideration. Staff were directed to provide additional information on funding, change orders, and prior contracts.
  • Town Manager’s Report (C.1): Acting Town Manager Sheila DeSchaaf highlighted: youth T-ball/coach-pitch registration, Easter Extravaganza on April 19, Wildfire Symposium on April 12, a March 24 structure fire (no injuries), vehicle fire safety reminders, Taylor Pool site assessment, Manzanita road closure for pavement work, airport road preservation, B-Line Bus project update, Granite Dells closure, and the South Green Valley Parkway preliminary environmental assessment (subject to a 30-day public comment period starting April 11).
  • First Public Hearing – Resolution 3438 (F.1): DeSchaaf presented proposed fee changes for FY 2025-2026 (effective July 1). Changes included jail fees ($69 to $75/day, plus new $75 booking fee), impound fee adjustments per state statute, and correction of Green Valley Park rental fees to previous levels ($100-$200). No action was taken; the resolution will be voted on at the May 14 meeting. Council and a public speaker (Darlene Younker) asked about building permit and electrical fees; staff clarified those were not being changed and are included in overall permit fees.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda (minus B.1): Approved 7-0.
  • All Minutes (B.1): Approved 7-0 in three separate motions.
  • Reconsideration of H.1 (Beeline Bus): Directed to be placed on a future agenda with additional information to be provided by staff.
  • Executive Session (H.1): Motion to adjourn into executive session under A.R.S. 38-431.03(A)(1),(2),(3) for initial review of Town Manager applications and legal advice on interviews passed 7-0. The Council met in executive session from approximately 5:21 p.m. to 7:58 p.m., after which they reconvened and adjourned the public meeting at 7:59 p.m.
  • Fee Schedule (F.1): No decision; next step is consideration and adoption on May 14, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Call this meeting of the common council, the town of Payson to order. This is April 9th, 2025. Wow. Okay. It's April 9th, 2025. I just the echoes throwing me off a little bit up here. It's a little sharp up here. Oi. But can you hear back there? There we go. I think it's just because we're not going to be able to do that. But that sounds good though. Well, and I think we got new speakers up here, don't we? Aren't these new? In the back really? They're not yellow anymore. If they can hear, I can tolerate the little bit of echo. Yep, absolutely. Megan, would you call a roll? Let the record reflect that all council members are present. Okay. And ask Pastor Michael Ford of Expedition Church to give the invocation. Pastor Ford, nope, no pastor Ford. Councilman Ferris, would you like to give us an invocation? Yes. Dear Lord, we thank you for this opportunity to meet. Watch over us, make all our deliberation. Uh something that would be pleasing in your sight. Just give us the wisdom and the heart to go forward, Lord, in a meaningful and constructive way for the benefit of this town. We just thank all those that have given their effort and time to make a better community. And we just ask for your guidance and protection over Payson and all those that are here. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. One nation with justice for all. Since I got out of order and we already did the roll call and we're all here, uh let's do call to the public. This time we're citizens have an opportunity to speak on any issue within the legal authority and jurisdiction of the town of Payson. The town must abide by Arizona Open Meetings Law, and this agendized item is the public's opportunity to be heard at this meeting. And uh with that, we'll proceed with call to the public. Charlie Sarah. But whether you agree with the strategy or not, it's hard to argue with the stated goal. Tariffs are meant to keep more dollars in the American economy. If you charge other countries to ship their products into the United States, some companies will move their manufacturing operations into this country in the simplest terms. Instead of paying other countries to make our stuff, we make our own stuff. When we go from the macro to the micro, we see something similar here in Payson. As we've learned over the past few months, most of the contractors being paid to do multi-million dollar projects in Payson come from the valley. The consultants we pay tens of thousands of dollars come from the valley. The attorneys we hire, the contract attorneys, and the other attorneys that represent Pays and lawsuits come from the valley. The studies that are farmed out are farmed out to out of town experts, and we spend a high percentage of local tax dollars to pay non residents. If you didn't know better, you might think there are no experts in Payson, but that's just not the case. Much more than some might realize. Unfortunately, every time we have a project, the money seems to go to people who don't live in town.

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