Payson Town Council Regular Meeting – November 12, 2025
Payson Town Council Regular Meeting – November 12, 2025
The Payson Town Council held its regular meeting on November 12, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. in Town Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included public comments, approval of consent agenda, water department update, approval of 2026 meeting schedule, delegation of authority for vehicle lockout SOPs, discussion of Hangar One leases, and appointment to Planning and Zoning Commission.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes for October 8 and 22, 2025.
- Resolution No. 3465 approving loan agreement with Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona.
- Resolution No. 3466 approving Arizona Mutual Aid Compact. All passed unanimously 7-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Michael Glenn read a statement for Marge Oldenkamp commending airport manager Dennis Dueker for ensuring only licensed individuals perform maintenance.
- Cynthia Stratton urged Council to reopen Taylor Pool discussion, suggested using 1% sales tax, grants, sponsorships, and community outreach.
- Jeff Robbins advocated for financial transparency, noting the transparency portal had not been updated since June 30, 2025; he encouraged reading the town budget and reallocating restricted funds to PSPRS.
- Judy Hansen spoke in favor of rebuilding Taylor Pool using 1% sales tax.
- Tom Dunning requested proclamations be made during regular meetings and opposed staff sitting at the back of the room.
- Guy Pfister thanked Council for bringing the Special Bond Election to the public.
- Brook Meyers echoed thanks, noting the election promoted open discussion and civic engagement.
- Darlene Younker DeLage supported reopening Taylor Pool and requested investigation of prior administration’s choices regarding the pool and land purchases.
- Denise Bacon supported repairing Taylor Pool.
Public comments during Hangar One discussion (H.4):
- Thomas West argued that the Hangar One leases are more restrictive than previous leases, limiting fuel storage, maintenance, and multiple owners per lease.
- Tom Thompson, president of Payson Aero Club, opined that rates are unfair and inequitable based on hangar age, square footage, and electricity charges.
- Mike White provided a handout and claimed overcharging based on square footage and amenities.
- Dale Mueller advocated for uniform pricing per square foot.
Discussion Items
- H.1 Water Director Tanner Henry reported that the Water Meter Replacement Project is nearly complete, reducing water loss from 12% to 3.3%. A customer portal is in development for usage monitoring and leak alerts. Operations repaired 181 water main breaks this year. Groundwater levels remain stable. PFAS treatment projects and well replacements are underway. Major capital projects include Beeline Bus and Phoenix Street water main projects.
- H.2 Town Clerk Tracie Bailey presented the proposed 2026 Council Meeting Schedule, with adjustments for holidays and events. Council discussed possibly changing meeting day/time but noted an ordinance and public notice would be required.
- H.3 Fire Chief David Staub requested that authority over vehicle lockout Standard Operating Procedures be returned to the Fire Chief and Town Manager, as no changes are planned and council approval is unnecessary. The procedure covers non-emergency lockouts performed for a fee.
- H.4 Discussion on Hangar One Leases: Town Attorney Robert Wingo explained that the leases comply with Arizona law, FAA grant assurances, and the International Fire Code. Maintenance and fuel use are allowed within safety regulations. Rates are based on fair market value and are not discriminatory. The $15 electricity fee applies to all hangars and is necessary to support the airport as an enterprise fund. All hangars are under a consistent lease structure, and multiple owners or LLCs can legally hold a lease. No formal action was taken.
- H.5 Appointment of Rima Urban to the Planning and Zoning Commission – Council noted she was the only applicant and had previously served. Approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda approved 7-0.
- 2026 Council Meeting Schedule approved 6-1 (Council Member Jim Ferris opposed).
- Vehicle lockout SOP authority returned to Fire Chief and Town Manager approved 6-0 (Council Member Charlie Bell absent).
- Rima Urban appointed to Planning and Zoning Commission 7-0.
- Pool discussion will be added to the December agenda as directed by Council Member Dallin Haws; Town Manager confirmed an upcoming agenda item seeking direction on a pool.
Meeting Transcript
Are you ready, Megan? This is the common council for the town of Payson. I call this meeting to order. It's November 12th, 2025, and it is four in the afternoon. The invocation is Eric Anderson in the room. If no, uh Brett Flarity will do the invocation. Our Father in Heaven, we bow before thee this day, and we give you thanks for the many blessings that that was given us. We are grateful for this beauty, beautiful community in which we live. And Father, we are so grateful for all of the uh town employees that uh help run it and keep this place beautiful for us and keep us safe and protected. And we ask a special blessing upon our first responders that they'll be washed over and protected as they protect us. Father, we're grateful that for this time of year in which we celebrate uh our veterans and those who have served our country and provided us uh with the opportunity to have these freedoms to enjoy this beautiful land in which we live. Uh we pray that the spirit will be upon us tonight that it we will be inspired and and enlightened uh by thee so that we may uh process all the information that we receive tonight and uh make uh decisions that will better our community and our town and and move us forward in a positive direction. Father, we pray that uh we might uh be filled with love and kindness uh towards our neighbors, and that we will um seek uh sound judgment that allows us to collaborate and uh and move forward in these things we pray for and do so in the name of thy son Jesus Christ. Amen. And it is all for all Meg. Oh, thank you. Oh it's time for call to the public, which allows citizens for an opportunity to speak on any any issue within the legal authority and jurisdiction of the town of Payson. The town must by abide must abide by Arizona open meeting law, and this agendized item is the public's opportunity to be heard at this meeting. When call to speak, please approach the podium, speak towards the microphone so your statements can be heard, give your name. The town also requests that you address your comments to the council as a whole. Speak on an agenda item today, this meeting. You can wait until the specific item is requested to speak to speak, or you may state your comments now. All to the public is is regulated by time, place, and manner, restrictions, and you cannot speak more than once at this meeting on the same issue, and each speaker is limited to three minutes. We're speaking on policy, not personalities. So the purpose of the meeting is to conduct town business. So with that, the speaker request forms. Uh Michael Glenn. 313 West Cody Circle. Um, I was asked to read this for Marge uh Olden Camp. They had to go to Puerto Rico, and so she gave me the form and asked me to read it. Um is Marge Oldenkamp. Susie, no jokes. I'm the owner of MPG East, which has been running the fuel operation at Payson Airport for the last 15 years. For more than 20 years prior to that, I ran a company that at least over 40 hangars and tied out and specs at Van Isa Airport in Los Angeles. Spent a lot of time at the airport, and I have been very pleased with the job that Dennis Duker does managing the airport. Dennis and his staff, Nicole and Kevin, do not get nearly enough credit for the great job they are doing. I was surprised to find out that a local pilot complained at the last council meeting about Mr. Duker's management of the airport. I was particularly surprised by the complaint that Mr. Duker refused to uh let a tenant do the maintenance on a town owned hangar because of liability concerns. Mr. Duker was exactly correct. Over the many years I managed hangers, and I never let tenants do maintenance or modifications to a hangar's electrical system. This includes changing light bulbs, which are typically located many feet above the ground. A commercial electrician is always used to make sure that special hangar electrical codes are met. This avoids the liability that results when an unlicensed individual does something wrong, or worse yet, hurts themselves when they fall from a ladder while trying to change a hangar overhead light. They're about 16 feet in the air, by the way. Rather than having a being a problem to complain about, Mr. Duker should be commended for looking out for the town's interest and not letting unqualified tenants do maintenance on hangers. They're owned by the town of Payson.
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