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home / Government
City Council fast-tracking traffic light
Doris Fightmaster
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
At the February 3rd Maricopa City Council meeting, the Council approved a purchase for the signal poles, anchor bolts, mast arms, and luminaire arms for the traffic signal installation at the intersection of Province Parkway and Smith-Enke Rd. Although the project received a second place rating in the initial process and would have been completed in 2010, fast tracking the item will bring it eight to ten weeks earlier than planned.
Other purchases approved by the City were a 4,600-gallon water truck and a used CAT motor grader. Fleet Manager Ray Arrellin reported that these items would be necessary for road maintenance for the dirt roads on the east side of town and in the newly annexed area that also has some unpaved roads. The City will be in compliance with the PM10 directives. Also, the water truck could be utilized by the Fire Department in rural areas and eliminate the need to rent a water pump, as the water truck is self-loading.
Mayor Smith reported that the City Council met December 31st and set policies and direction for the next three years. The two main topics were the Strategic Plan and the Capital Improvement Plan; each has specific activities and success indicators. He said the goal is to become a truly sustainable city within 5 years and this goal will involve tremendously changing the character of the City.
The top priorities include the following items.
* Transportation
* Quality of Life
* Social Growth
* Economic Development
* Managing the Future
According to the Mayor, there are seats still available in the spring Citizen Leadership Academy and applications are being accepted for the session from April 2nd to May 21st. He also wants the public to be aware of the closure of Hwy. 347 at the El Dorado entrance through March 1st, while roadwork is being completed. Traffic will be re-routed with the help of ADOT.
City Manager Kevin Evans addressed the Council and gave recommendations on two items: the formation of council sub-committees and the phase-out of City consultants. The first presentation from Evans urged the Council to create Council Sub-Committees (CSC) in three areas: personnel and benefits, marketing and communication, and budget finance and operations. Each sub-committee would have two Council Members who would continue nominating individuals to be on the sub-committees. Then Manager Evans suggested that Council give all of the CSCs very specific jobs to do that are very deliberate and thought out. This would make projects have a reasonable amount of consistency, moving items from the top – down, instead of from the sides – out.
The other presentation from Manager Evans was concerning phasing out consultants in the economic and airport developments, and the City Attorney. According to Evans, the City doesn’t want to loose the ground it has made in economic growth with consultant Ioanna Morfessis and there are currently two or three major issues she is working on. Economic Development Manager Danielle Casey will be certified in early summer, so the recommendation was made to phase Ms. Morfessis down to $5,000 per month after July.
Since the airport development has very high potential over a very long term, Evans’ recommendation of phasing out consultant Ed Beauvais doesn’t take place until January 2010. “We should be able to take over by then, with a shift by the end of December,” said Manager Evans.
City Attorney Fitzgibbons works for the City at a very competitive rate, according to Evans. With convenience and responsiveness being so good, and only paying for services as needed, the recommendation concerning the City Attorney sounded like ‘to keep the status quo.’ Manager Evans stated that many cities have an attorney as a paid position, and the letter of intent the City shares with Attorney Fitzgibbons saves Maricopa about $100,000 yearly.
City Council approved a resolution to participate in the National League of Cities’ Prescription Discount Card Program. This program is through CVS Pharmacy and offers a 20% reduction on prescriptions with no limits, no age requirements, and no fees. The card can be used any time a drug is not covered under insurance. There is information on getting the discount card at Maricopa Chamber of Commerce, local doctor offices, and at the CVS Pharmacy. More information is online at www.caremark.com/nlc or by calling 1-888-620-1749.
It’s time to buy tables, chairs, bookshelves, and other key items for the new library for delivery in early May to be completed for the grand opening. Community Services Director McDonald stated that using grants available of $50,000 through a Library Grant, $10,000 from Pinal County, and possibly another $20,000 from the Union Pacific Railroad, the City is getting incredible pricing on solid, durable items. Going with the maroon color on the City’s logo, the planners used a complimentary color scheme throughout, brightened up in the children’s area. According to Mayor Smith and Director McDonald, the interior costs are $50,361 under budget. This purchase was approved by City Council.
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