City and Global Water partner for services and revenue stream

Maricopa’s City Council voted Tuesday night to approve a public-private partnership with Global Water for the provision of water and wastewater services to the citizens of Maricopa and its outlying areas.

The agreement was reached after several months of study by city staff, assisted by consultant Robert Logan, who was hired in May to help evaluate a course of action. The council had previously listed water and wastewater services as its top priority for staff to investigate.

In addition, this memorandum of understanding (MOU) provides a significant alternative revenue stream for the City of Maricopa. Monthly fees as well as voluntary hook-up fees will be paid monthly by Global for areas both within and outside the city limits, in its general planning area. Over a 20-year period, said fees would be expected to provide $56.4 million in revenue to the city.

Trevor Hill, president of Global Water, presented the board and the assembled citizenry with facts about the company and the benefits of the proposed agreement. Hill stated, “Global Water is the leading company in the state for water reclamation and usage. It is a challenge for us to stay ahead of the growth you’re experiencing.”

Trevor Hill, president of Global Water.

Global Water, which includes the Santa Cruz Water Company and the Palo Verde Utilities Company, is providing services to approximately 800 plus new homes per month. “The pressure to remain ahead of development is intense,” said Hill. “Our facilities produce a very high quality of reused water, treated and reclaimed water. If we can reduce the demand for ground water, we can conserve natural resources.”

Hill added, “The city gets a fair degree of oversight in all our planning. We are making a strong commitment to the city. We are providing our experience, capital, permitting and technology.” Global Water has invested $48 million already and plans an additional $50 million infrastructure investment in the next 12 months.

Some of the details of the public-private partnership between the city and Global Water.

By a vote of 6 to 1, the council approved the MOU with Global Water. Effective January 1, 2006, Global will pay a voluntary $50 per residence fee for connections within the city limits. The fee will be $100 for residences in the outlying city planning area.

Public Safety Committee Applicants
Carl Diedrich and Gregory Morrow received council approval to fill the two vacancies on the Public Safety Advisory Committee. Diedrich, who has lived in Maricopa for over a year, is the owner of Imagwerks Design Consultants, an Internet and advertising design firm. His application states, “I have always been interested in serving my community. I believe community service and taking an active role in government is a right we all should take advantage of.”

Morrow, the project manager of the Tortosa development, has training in hazardous materials, public safety, OSHA and MSHA. He is also a member of the Pinal County Sheriff’s Posse. “I feel that each person is responsible for safety, and the only real way to assure that safety is to get involved in the decision-making process,” indicated Morrow in his application for the vacancy.

Special Census Update
Paul Jepson, city management assistant, indicated several of the areas in which Arizona distributes state-collected tax dollars back to local municipalities. Those divisions, ALL based on population figures, include: 25% of all state sales tax, 13% of all state income tax, 27% of the Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF) and monies from the Local Transportation Assistance Fund.

According to Finance Director Roger Kolman, the City of Maricopa receives about $300 per person each year from these revenue sources. However, the 2004 census figure for Maricopa was 4,998. After conducting the special census, that figure is expected to increase to an estimated 20,000 residents.

“It is our obligation to find out how many people are here and gather that money,” explained Jepson. Monies that taxpayers contribute could thus be recouped to benefit residents in a direct way.

Census enumerators are still needed (see related story). Testing in general knowledge and skills is being done every Wednesday at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Public Works facility located on Garvey Road.

Street Acceptances
The following streets were accepted into the city’s maintenance system: Maricopa Meadows– parcels 7, 9, 16 and 17, Alterrra Subdivision – parcels 3 and 3A, Honeycutt Road and parcel 7 in the Villages at Rancho El Dorado, Rancho El Dorado Phase 2A–the parkway and parcel 14 and Smith-Enke Road adjacent to Province Phase I.

Judges Pro Tempore for Municipal Court
Tresa S. Georgini, Phil J. Rogers and Kimberly D. Pinter were appointed to serve as Judges Pro Tempore in the event that Judge Scott Sulley might declare a conflict of interest in a case. Judge Pro Tempores will be paid at the rate of $60 per hour.

May 16 Ballot Issues
Two issues will be brought before the local electorate in the spring. The first item will be the question of whether or not to adopt the General Plan. The second submission will be whether or not to grant the city approval to engage in the utility business.

Heritage Fund Grant
Parks, Recreation and Libraries (PRL) Director Martin McDonald and newly hired grants coordinator Mary Eick were granted permission to pursue Heritage Grant funds, which will be allocated at the end of 2006. The local, regional and state parks grant funding, in the amount of $500,000, has come from state lottery revenue since 1990. Deadline for the grant is February 28.

Equipment Lease Agreement
The agreement between Pinal County and the city allows for the joint use of equipment on various roads. Public Works Director Robert Jackson indicated that the need may never arise, but “the mechanism is in place to establish a rental rate to allow us to do that.”

New Year’s Eve Event
Pat Kieny was granted a permit to hold a New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Native New Yorker on December 31, from 4 p.m. until 2 a.m.

Meeting Dates
Members of the council voted to cancel the January 3, 2006, meeting. The next regularly scheduled session will be held on Tuesday, December 20.