City Council hears park update, approves contracts and tentative budget

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During Maricopa’s City Council work session last night, Parks, Recreation and Libraries (PRL) Director Marty McDonald updated council members regarding the status of the proposed city park at Glennwilde.

The park, originally scheduled to cost $2.8 million, is currently budgeted at $1.88 million. Due to some liability issues, the city would purchase the land from Element Homes in lieu of purchasing park improvements. The maximum cost would be $100,000 per acre, reflecting a 10% cash discount. Element Homes would then donate the construction of the park and its amenities to the city.

Amenities would include lighted soccer fields, one full and two half court lighted basketball courts, a restroom, concession booth, storage room, drinking fountain, double lighted tennis courts, overlapping soccer and softball fields, ramadas, a double softball complex with dugouts, landscaping and a lake. Element Homes’ donation would amount to $3.255 million.

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Design of Maricopa’s proposed first city park.

This is a win-win deal for both parties,” indicated McDonald. A joint use agreement is pending. The department hopes to have a contract semi-finalized by the end of June for council approval sometime in July.

Special events
During their regular meeting, the council approved two special events. National Night Out, a nationwide public safety awareness program, will be held on August 2 from 7 to 9 p.m., probably on the high school fields. The Maricopa Fire Department, Southwest Ambulance, the Department of Public Safety, Border Patrol and the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department will participate. Hot dogs, hamburgers and beverages will be served. Free T-shirts will be available for the first 500 attendees.

On Saturday, October 15, the City of Maricopa will celebrate its second year of incorporation. Founder’s Day will again be held at The Duke from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wells Fargo bank will be the presenting sponsor. A band, a beer garden and many children’s activities will be featured. This year’s theme is Discover Maricopa.

New meeting date
Mayor Kelly Anderson‘s request to cancel the July 5 council meeting due to the holiday was approved. A special meeting will be held on July 12.

Resignations
Council accepted the resignation of Aime Boekhout from the PRL Advisory Committee and Lawrence Braund from the Public Works Advisory Committee.

Contracts
Council gave reauthorization for the following contracts: Denis Fitzgibbons as City Attorney, Robert Jackson as Acting Public Works Director and City Engineer, IO, Inc. for Economic Development Services and Contract Planning Services through the end of September.

An intergovernmental agreement with Pinal County authorized the provision of animal control services. A second such agreement with the Central Arizona Association of Governments (CAAG) will provide CDBG funding. The city also agreed to lease an acre of land off Garvey Avenue for use as a Public Works yard. The cost will be about $500 a month for 12 months.

Developments
The site plan review for Checker Auto Parts west of the northwest corner of Smith-Enke Road and John Wayne Parkway received approval.

Phase II of Province, including an additional entrance off Honeycutt Road, also received council approval. The subdivision’s 829 lots will be built at Honeycutt and Porter Roads. Both Province Phase III and IV are currently under review.

Public Hearings
Jackie Guthrie of El Dorado Holdings presented information pertinent to a request for a master planned community known as Eagle Shadow. The 2,655 acres will be “a community with a full range of amenities,” Guthrie explained. The property, located on the north side of the Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway, extends from White and Parker Road to Peters and Nall Road, then to one half mile east of Murphy Road on the north.

The mixed-use development will provide residential, commercial, industrial, schools and open space use. Six miles of trails and multiple park sites as well as a landscaped Santa Cruz wash are planned. There will be several neighborhoods in the development.

“It’s our intent that this Planned Area Development will raise the bar,” stated Guthrie. “This is a big project which will take many years to develop, but we will commit to the conditions of staff and conform to stipulations.”

El Dorado Holdings has purchased the Maricopa Feedlot. According to Guthrie it will take about three years for the final phase of clean up. John Skelley of Arizona Grain and Eagle Milling has retained 60 acres for a granary and a proposed ethanol plant. Skelley’s legal counsel, Stephen Cooper, stated, “We are asking that you postpone a decision until a buffer zone has been established where homes are not built until the feed lots are gone. This is one aspect which attention will be drawn to.”

According to Guthrie, “No residential uses exist across from Arizona Grain. The uses there are commercial and industrial. Phases II and III will go hand in hand with the elimination of the feedlots.”

Bart Smith, representing the Ak-Chin community, also asked for postponement until the Santa Cruz wash agreement is finalized. Since the wash runs through Ak-Chin lands, they do not want the liability for possible flood damage to homes. Smith also indicated that a buffer zone would be needed around Hickman’s Egg Ranch.

Council members approved the PAD. “Most applicants want rigid stipulations,” indicated Mayor Anderson. “They are willing to accept some uncertainties like the General Plan, the Small Area Transportation Study and possible road realignments.”

The second public hearing related to a zoning amendment and site plan review for Maricopa Business Center at Honeycutt Road and John Wayne Parkway. The amendment, which was approved, allowed for a possible front building height increase, a decrease in building setbacks for fire access and non-professional uses like a coffee shop.

Council member Edward Farrell urged the developers to talk with Electrical District #3. “Big power lines are going in on the north side of Honeycutt,” he indicated. “They will affect your lighting and landscaping.”

Tentative 2005-06 budget
Finance Director Roger Kolman explained that the city is just completing its first full fiscal year and that it has been under budget primarily. “We’ve diligently worked to bring things in under budget as best we can,” he said.

Revenues for the next fiscal year should be about $49.3 million although, according to Kolman, with Maricopa’s rapid growth revenues are difficult to project. In addition, some revenues are one-time only sources.

Expenditures should total about $21.9 million. Budget and space have constrained the size of the city staff that currently numbers 13. The average for a city of this size is 200, according to City Manager Rick Buss. “We have 85 to 90 staff, including firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and the proposed 36 city staff.”

In addition to new staff and employee benefits, other major expenditures will include the mid-decade census, a GIS marker and survey, a new City Hall building, a railroad overpass or underpass on SR347, paving Porter Road, fog sealing in Rancho El Dorado and the new city park.

Since the council approved the tentative budget, it will go to public hearing on July 19 and be ready for final adoption at that evening’s council meeting.

Special recognition

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The new Public Works building located on Garvey Avenue

Councilman Steve Baker presented a plaque to KB Homes in appreciation of their donation of a modular building to the Public Works Department. “That’s over $50,000 worth of building,” explained Baker.