The Payson Town Council met on August 13, 2025, at 4:02 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included public comments, presentations, consent agenda approval, and new business. Key topics included domestic violence shelter funding, an off-highway trail partnership, a development update, and change orders for a replacement well. The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:10 p.m.
They were on the right term. I call this meeting of the Pays and Common Council to order. This August thirteenth, twenty twenty-five. Let's pray. May your presence dwell among us now, opening our hearts and minds to wisdom, compassion, and courage. Bless Mayor Steve Otto with his vision and integrity so that every decision he leads reflects justice and kindness. Grant the council members clarity and unity, equipping them to discern paths of peace, prosperity, and inclusion. Guide every project, meeting and conversation toward communal flourishing for a collaborative spirit. I pledge a leader to the United States of America. Megan, would you give us the roll call, please? Let the record reflect that all program members are present and except for council member Brett Clayton. Thank you. Now it's time for call to the public, which allows citizens with 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 Meeting Law, and this agendized item is the public's opportunity to be heard on this meeting. When called to speak, please approach the podium, speak towards the microphone so your statements can be heard. Give your name and residents. The town requests that you address your comments to the council as a whole. If you're speaking on an agenda item, I'll call you for that item. If you're just for a call of the public, I'll just take them in the order that I've got them here. Each speaker is limited to three minutes. You may not donate your time to another speaker. And you will not be engaged in dialogue with anyone on the dais. Purpose of this meeting is to conduct town business. Jeff, you can silence your phone. The purpose is the audience shall refrain from conduct that disrupts or interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting. If there's any additional speakers, courtesy and respect are appreciated. The town thanks you for coming to this meeting and sharing your thoughts with the council. So with that, we will get to it. And first one on my deck is Mr. Paul Fromell. My name is Paul Frommel. I've been a resident of Payson for well over a decade. I'd like to take a moment to welcome our new town manager, Jerry Caldwell. Thank you. Welcome aboard. Hopefully, your arrival signals a new way for the town to do business. Our small nonprofit PAC fought for eight years trying to bring common sense and fiscal responsibility to this town. Sadly, we fell short. We represented the 60% of the voters who cast ballots in the 2018 primary election. We fought for transparency in our town. Too many decisions are made in the executive session or by emergency decree. Today, many of the people are just too busy to make ends meet to get involved anymore. A lot of our citizens are too disillusioned, disenchanted, and cynical to even try anymore. Myself is going to be one of them, I think. Mr. Caldwell, we're hoping you'll have some greater success than we did. Common sense and transparency have been absent from this town for a long time. Our past Paisan government has a long history of wasting money on plans, drawings, and failed attempts in their efforts to force your will upon our town of only 16,000 residents. Their focus has been on the wants of the few instead of the needs of the many. This has led to an unhealthy relationship between the town and citizens.