Water project trumps food bank for funding recommendation

“Many of our citizens rely on the food bank for necessary supplies,” said Smith. “Even some of our small business people go there for help.”

Councilmembers Alan Marchione and Carl Diedrich argued in favor of the water project, saying that the city’s greater obligation was to develop infrastructure that would promote economic development and eventually put people back to work. Low water pressure south of the tracks was also called a public safety issue.

“I know our firefighters are holding their breath when there is a problem in that area,” said Vice-Mayor Edward Farrell. “People there have been facing this issue for a long, long time, since before we were incorporated as a city.”

The food bank’s application was for money to purchase land for a new permanent location. All councilmembers praised the food bank and expressed strong support for its work, but noted that the work would continue without the block grant funds. It was also suggested that other types of grant funding and city assistance might be available for the food bank that would not be applicable to the water project.

When the resolution came to a vote, only Smith and Councilmember Julia Gusse voted in favor of submitting the food bank application to the state. When submission of the water project application was voted on, Councilmembers Marvin Brown and Marquisha Griffin joined Vice-Mayor Farrell and Councilmembers Marchione and Diedrich in support of the project.

Even though a majority of the council assigned higher priority to the water project, Smith expressed his belief that all members were genuinely concerned about the problem of hunger in Maricopa.

“No one reading about these proceedings should have any doubt about the compassion of this council,” Smith said.

All members voted in favor of submitting another water project, for a reserve tank in the Heritage District, for a State Special Projects Grant. F.O.R. Maricopa had been in the running for that funding, too, but former mayor Kelly Anderson removed the project from consideration prior to the vote. Speaking on behalf of the food bank, he said F.O.R. Maricopa’s application did not perfectly meet state guidelines for the funding.

Since the projects Maricopa submits will be competing with projects from other cities around Arizona, Anderson said it would be better to submit a project with the best chance of success in the competition so that a project “benefiting all the citizens of Maricopa” might be approved.

City staff said the exact amount of money any Maricopa project successful in the block grant competition would receive was uncertain because of proposed federal cuts in the program.