Mayor thanks Boy Scout troop for flood help

Mayor Christian Price and the Maricopa City Council publicly thanked local Boy Scout Troop No. 6977, led by Scott Moore, for filling sand bags and delivering them to homes threatened with flood water during the Aug. 22 rainstorm that hit the Tortosa subdivision particularly hard.

Five hours of steady rainfall that day and the night before resulted in flooding so severe Price declared a state of emergency to hire equipment and crews when standing water from overflowing retention basins threatened homes in Tortosa.

During the Sept. 4 meeting, council member approved transferring$50,000 to the general fund to pay for necessary equipment and assistance it used to mitigate the effects of a breached levy, overflowing retention basins and a broken Global Water lift station that resulted in sewage getting above ground.

Not including minimal staff overtime, the estimated costs included $20,000 for contracting services, $7,500 in material and $5,000 for equipment rental. The total costs are not expected to exceed $50,000.

Other business during the meeting included:

•    Council members approved applying for a grant for up to $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to fund programs that enforce commercial vehicle enforcement efforts in the city on State Route 347 and State Route 238.

If the grant is awarded, the city is required to match 20 percent or up to $100,000, which it would do through an in-kind match of staff time, vehicles and training.

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, 26,266 commercial vehicles — those with multiple axles and one or more trailers — passed through city limits on SR 347 during May of this year. During that same time, 7,910 vehicles passed through the city on SR 238.

•    Ken Hunt was approved by the council to fill a vacancy on the Merit Board created by Clifford Reedy’s resignation. The Merit Board is composed of three civilians and serves to protect employees from retaliation, unfair treatment by supervisors and related matters. Hunt served as an alternate on the board prior to his appointment.

•    Council members approved an ordinance requiring volunteers on any of the city’s boards, committees and commissions to resign from their board post if they plan to run for elected office unless they are in the last year of their appointed term on that board.

•    The ordinance stemmed partly from recommendations made by a Price and a task force he formed to improve how the council and volunteer board members work together.