Payson Town Council Regular Meeting Summary – May 13, 2026
Payson Town Council Regular Meeting – May 13, 2026
The Payson Town Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, starting at approximately 4:01 p.m. in the Town Hall Council Chambers, 303 North Beeline Highway, Payson, Arizona, and adjourning at approximately 6:08 p.m. Mayor Stephen Otto presided. Present were Vice Mayor Susan Tubbs and Council Members Charlie Bell, Jim Ferris, Brett Flaherty, Dallin Haws, and Scott Nossek; Tubbs and some staff participated via Zoom. The agenda included the consent calendar, an Event Center booster station and arena cover presentation, the FY 2026-27 fee schedule, two minor General Plan amendments, first public hearings on a Building Advisory Board ordinance and the Longhorn Ranch PAD rezoning, and a property tax levy direction. Mayor Otto removed Item H.1 (Waste Collection and Disposal Services) from the agenda because it was not ready for council consideration.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the April 22, 2026, Regular Council Meeting minutes.
- Approved Resolution No. 2026-011, authorizing an amendment to the intergovernmental agreement with Gila County for consolidated administration and operation of limited jurisdiction courts.
- Approved Resolution No. 2026-013, the FY 2026-27 agreement with the Humane Society of Central Arizona, Inc.
- Approved Resolution No. 2026-014, the agreement with Payson Senior Center, Inc., for disbursement of public purpose funds.
- Approved Resolution No. 2026-015, monetary support for the Mogollon Valley Pit Program for management and operation of the Blattner Brush Pit.
- Approved Resolution No. 2026-023, granting an exception to the qualified elector requirement and appointing Eugene Wullkotte to the Building Advisory Board.
- The consent agenda was approved 7-0. Council Member Jim Ferris requested full financial statements from 501(c)(3) organizations receiving town funds to help justify the expenditures; staff said it would address this earlier during next year’s budget process.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Michael Fox, a seven-year Payson resident and Vietnam-era veteran, thanked the council for supporting the town library and encouraged continued support.
- Mike Quinn congratulated the Parks and Recreation Department, encouraged the town to develop vacant land into useful assets, and suggested senior-friendly trails, including a trail from the rodeo grounds toward the national forest, noting that volunteers could accomplish much at low cost.
- During the Longhorn Ranch public hearing, Mike Christy, a resident on the northern boundary, expressed concern about increased traffic on Longhorn Road and asked for actual traffic numbers.
- Isaiah Sears, owner of Rim Country Inn, expressed support for the Longhorn Ranch development, citing Payson’s housing shortage and limited dining and commercial options.
Current Events and Announcements
- Town Manager Darren Coldwell reported the final budget will be presented at the May 30, 2026 special meeting. He introduced Matthew Podracky from Pierce Coleman as additional town attorney support alongside Christina Estes-Werther, and congratulated Senior Administrative Support Specialist Dawn Jackson on becoming a Certified Election Official.
- Council Member Brett Flaherty suggested using the Event Center billboard to advertise Payson and the new mountain bike trails.
Presentations and Discussion Items
- Event Center Booster Station and Arena Cover (D.1): Water Utility Director Tanner Henry said the existing 12-inch water main in Green Valley Parkway provides 48 PSI and up to 1,730 gallons per minute, but on-site three-quarter-inch lines limit flow; for example, 400 feet of three-quarter-inch pipe flows about 8 gallons per minute, while upsizing to two-inch pipe would flow about 86 gallons per minute. The existing booster station at the Event Center is dedicated to the Tonto Apache Tribe and limited to 100 gallons per minute under the 2019 agreement, with another connection capable of 1,000 gallons per minute on Phoenix Street. A new booster station sized for roughly 3,000 gallons per minute would cost an estimated $900,000 to $1.1 million. Project Management Director Kyle Christiansen presented arena cover options: covering the full arena would cost about $1.25 million to $3.15 million for steel plus $2 million to $3 million for erection and related work, while covering only the grandstands would cost about $1.5 million to $2 million. Council discussed phasing, sponsorship, lighting, and whether the Tonto Apache Tribe would help pay for booster station capacity.
- FY 2026-27 Fee Schedule (F.1): After a second public hearing with no public comments, council discussed the $650 appeal fee and the codified appeals process. Deputy Town Manager Sheila DeSchaaf clarified procedural questions, and staff was directed to provide Council Member Flaherty with appeal process information. Resolution No. 2026-020 was adopted 7-0.
- Minor General Plan Amendment – Longhorn Ranch Parcel 4 (F.2): Zoning Administrator Nicole Adams presented the request to change 16.25 acres at 1300 W. Longhorn Road from Traditional Residential to Mixed Use. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 6-0 on April 6, 2026. Council discussed limits on large retail and confirmed gas stations would not be included. Resolution No. 2026-021 was approved 7-0.
- Minor General Plan Text Amendments (F.3): Nicole Adams presented staff-initiated Resolution No. 2026-022, updating land use descriptions, amendment procedures, and Future Land Use Map corrections. Staff removed proposed density range changes to avoid triggering a major General Plan amendment. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 6-0 on April 6, 2026. Resolution No. 2026-022 was approved 7-0.
- Building Advisory Board Ordinance (F.4): Deputy Town Clerk Megan Miller presented the first public hearing for Ordinance No. 2026-102, which would allow individuals who reside within the Payson Regional Justice Court precinct and own a business or property in Payson to serve on the Building Advisory Board even if they are not qualified electors. No action was taken; a second public hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2026.
- Longhorn Ranch PAD Rezoning (F.5): Nicole Adams presented Ordinance No. 2026-103, rezoning 83.73 acres at 1300 W. Longhorn Road from R1-8-MH to Planned Area Development (PAD). The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 5-1 on April 6, 2026. Tom Snyder of EPS Group, representing the developer, presented the Longhorn Ranch master plan, including single-family detached and attached housing, multifamily units, a mixed-use village marketplace, approximately 29% open space, multi-use trails, a roundabout, and phased construction. Council and public comment focused on traffic impacts on Longhorn Road and Green Valley Parkway, the threshold for a traffic impact analysis, fire access, fire-resistant materials, commercial viability, and trail connections. Fire Chief David Staub said the area would be served by a planned Station 12 on Airport Road and no significant additional fire upgrades were required. No action was taken at this first public hearing.
Property Tax Levy Direction (F.6)
- The council held the first public hearing on Ordinances 2026-104 and/or 2026-106 for the FY 2026-27 property tax levy; there were no public comments. Town Manager Darren Coldwell presented options: a proposed levy of $830,000 (a 14.5% rate increase, generating about $106,000 more), a $724,296 levy (lowering the rate to keep revenue essentially flat), and a third option discussed by council of keeping the current rate of 0.2885, generating roughly $765,000, about $41,000 more than the current year. Council directed staff to prepare an ordinance leaving the property tax rate unchanged at 0.2885, with no increase.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda approved 7-0.
- Resolution No. 2026-020 (FY 2026-27 Fees and Charges Schedule) adopted 7-0.
- Resolution No. 2026-021 (Minor General Plan Amendment, P25-002) approved 7-0.
- Resolution No. 2026-022 (Minor General Plan Amendment, P26-001) approved 7-0.
- First public hearings held for Ordinance No. 2026-102 and Ordinance No. 2026-103; no votes taken. A second public hearing for Ordinance No. 2026-102 is scheduled for June 10, 2026.
- Council directed staff to prepare the property tax levy ordinance keeping the current tax rate of 0.2885 unchanged.
- Item H.1 (Waste Collection and Disposal Services) was removed from the agenda by Mayor Otto.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. Councilman Ferris, would you do the invocation for us, please? Dear Lord, we want to thank you for this opportunity to get together as a community body, and may all the deliberations what we uh contemplate here, what's in our hearts, what's in our minds, would be acceptable to you, Lord. And we just ask for your blessing over PAISA over our first responders, Lord. And uh Lord, we just ask that you be with us and all that we do, and we just give you thanks for all the blessings that you bestow on each one of us and the rim country as a whole. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the Republic withstands one nation under God with liberty and justice for all. Now may we have a roll call. And Vice Mayor Susie Tubs is appearing to be as it uh brings us to call to the public. As a reminder, it's election season and state law prohibits any town resource, including staff time, equipment, and anything of value to be used to influence an election. This prohibition applies to call to the public. You can talk about a town issue, but please do not advocate for a specific candidate or ballot measure. We appreciate your efforts to help the town comply with state law and avoid using taxpayer monies to influence an election. Call to the public 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 at this meeting. When called to speak, please approach the podium. Speak towards the microphone so your statements can be heard. Give your name, the town request that you address your comments to the council as a whole. Call to the public is regulated by time, place, and manner of restrictions. You cannot speak more than once at this meeting. Each speaker is limited to three minutes. You may not donate your time to another speaker. Note that the council will not be entering into a dialogue with you or answering your questions. State law prohibits the council and staff from responding to your questions and comments. With that, let's start the public comments. Ralph Townsend. No, Ralph. Michael Fox. Council members, thank you for letting an old guy like me talk. I bet a resident uh first of all, my name is Michael Fox. I've been a resident here in Payson for about seven years now. I'm proud to pay my taxes here. I'm a Vietnam War era veteran. And I'd uh just be very brief. I just thanks to the council members who support our library. It's a wonderful library. I use it. I've gone to hear some wonderful presentations there. And I hope we'll continue to keep that in our town. Thank you. Mike Gwyn. My name is Mike Quinn. Um I just wanted to speak about recreation in the town. Um, I think the Department of Recreation has done an excellent job. Uh, and it's certainly noticeable with the what they did at the rodeo grounds, but I'd like to encourage the town to make good use of vacant land that they have. There's a lot of vacant land over here by the police station, and there's vacant land on Main Street that the city owns. This vacant land a lot of times for very little cost can be changed into something that looks better or is uh more useful. Uh I came from a little town in North Dakota and a pizza business burnt down. It was an empty lot. We turned it into a little park, and it's been there for about 20 years now.
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