MAYOR MONTHLY REPORT
NOVEMBER 2024
NOTICE ON INTENTION TO INCREASE WATER AND WASTEWATER RATES: A notice of intent was approved by the council at the October 8th meeting to consider raising the water and wastewater rates. At the November 7th meeting, a water rate study report prepared by Wildan Financial was presented and explained. City staff then made a presentation to the council on the different scenarios, justification, requirements, and potential amounts. It is important for our residents to hear the facts and justification and understand the importance of continued upgrades to our aging infrastructure. There have already been many improvements completed with the help of outside funding resources that have covered the costs and kept them away from our taxpayers, but there is much more to be upgraded. We have begun the trend of being proactive and not just reactive when repairs are needed. The longer we delay any needed projects or upgrades, the more it will cost in the future due to inflation. The decisions we make today will affect the sustainability of the future of our city for the next 10-20 years and beyond. The next step will be a Public Hearing that is scheduled for the next council meeting on December 10th at 6 pm. This is an opportunity to get the facts and justification of the rate increases and the opportunity for public input.
CITY AWARD OF MERIT: The City of Globe received the Merit Award for “Special Events” for First Fridays at the annual fall conference of the Arizona Association of Economic Development. The Golden Prospector Awards were established by AAED to encourage and recognize excellence in economic development within the State of Arizona. We are honored to share this award and give a huge THANK YOU to our city staff and to all our participating businesses, vendors, and cruisers who make First Friday such a successful event that has been recognized throughout the state. This award is a reflection of your efforts.
WASHINGTON FEDERAL BANK: The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the site plans and design by Driftmier Architects for the construction of the new 2,295-square-foot Washington Federal Bank at 996 North Broad Street. This is the site of the Old Town Plaza that will be torn down to make room for this new state-of-the-art bank.
DOWNTOWN SIDEWALK REPLACEMENT PROJECT: You may have seen several surveyors working on Broad Street in the downtown historic area. They are with a company called Ardurra. This work is the first step for the creation of the design work for the sidewalk replacement project. The city was awarded $192,600.00 from the Arizona Department of Transportation with a city match of 11K, for a total grant of $203,600.00. Once the design is completed, a request for funding for completion of the project will be submitted.
GRANT AWARD FROM RESOLUTION COPPER: At the December 7th meeting, the council accepted a grant from Resolution Copper in the amount of $150,000.00 to support the revitalization of the Michaelson Building located at 157 South Broad Street. This project is a partnership with Gila County for the business incubator project as a continued effort to support economic development.
HILL STREET SCHOOL APARTMENTS UPDATE: The city is anticipating issuing a certificate of occupancy to the Gorman Company to allow the opening of the Hill Street Apartments in December. A media-only date is scheduled for December 11th. They are accepting calls for applications to get information on residency at 928-255-5605. Their staff requests that you be patient if you do not get a call back right away. Each application needs to go through a process to ensure qualification. The city had a traffic study completed for this area, and it was determined that a three-way stop was warranted at Hill and Maple. Stop signs will be installed in December. The council also approved a letter of recommendation to the Cobre Valley Transit board to submit an application to ADOT for a transit stop at the Hill Street Apartment location.
BUSINESS LICENSE APPLICATION AND RENEWAL PROCESS UPDATE: The Council heard a presentation by Community Development Director Tony Manfredi at the November 19th meeting on the business license application and renewal process update. Under Ordinance (Section 8-1-8), all businesses, occupations, professions, and trades within the city of Globe jurisdiction are required to have a business license. A business license allows a business to operate legally within the city, ensuring compliance with state tax reporting and local laws. The business will then be issued a Certificate of Occupancy that ensures that a building has undergone life safety inspections by both fire and building departments, ensuring the safety of staff and patrons.
UPCOMING HOLIDAY EVENTS:
Dec 6: Christmas on the Orient Express – CVCA (7pm-9pm)
Dec 7: Besh Ba Gowah Festival of Lights (5pm-9pm)
Dec 12: Globe-Miami Chamber Mixer – CVCA (6pm-8pm)
Dec 14: Upton’s Christmas Market – 247 S. Broad St. (10am-4pm)
Dec 14: Read On Express at Train Depot (12pm-4pm)
Dec 14: Annual Light Parade Downtown Globe (6pm)
Dec 21: Miami Small Town Christmas (5:30pm-8pm)