Last Wednesday's City Council Meeting and updated events

Introduction:

Hey Holbrook! HUSD is officially on Fall Break whoo! Here’s a Saturday night read for you.

In this newsletter you’ll find:

1. An updated list of upcoming events.

2. A summary of the last city council meeting

3. Update on Holbrook’s potable water service

4. The form to nominate someone as the Holbrook Person of the year or business, etc.

5. A featured friend from the animal shelter

Upcoming Events in Holbrook, AZ (that we know of) :

Don’t see your event listed? If it’s non-profit and for the whole community, we’ll probably list it for free*. Email us at [email protected]. *_{We do reserve the right to not list any event if we feel it does not belong in this section.}

Last Wednesday’s City Council Meeting:

Rutz MX Lease: There was a second reading authorizing the lease to Daniel Hutchens (Rutz MX), authorizing the city manager, mayor, city attorney, and city clerk to authorize the lease agreement.

Sale of Property to NPC: There was a second reading for the sale of property to Northland Pioneer College authorizing the city manager, mayor, city attorney, and city clerk to authorize the sale agreement. Councilman Dixon took issue with the sale as the sale was not in a bid process nor was it officially appraised. Councilman Dixon argued that this was dangerous territory for the city. To summarize Mayor Smith’s thoughts, yes, the city needs to do better with sales of property in the future. This time the purchaser (NPC) and their intentions were well known (NPC using this for their curriculum and constructing new houses), but policies and procedures need to be followed in the future in case a buyer does not have the best of intentions. It went to a vote. Only “nay” was Councilman Dixon.

City Employee Phone Policy: There was a second reading regarding the city’s new cell phone policy. More specifically the employee acknowledgement form and agreement. It was unanimously passed.

News/updates from mayor and councilmembers: Mayor Smith announced that there will be a candlelight vigil for Domestic Violence Awareness Month on Oct. 22 and 6:30pm at Gillespie Park. She also mentioned that there will be a cohort of French Geology students making a special trip to Holbrook in memory and celebration of a French Geologist who studied in the Holbrook area. They’ll be first visiting Harvard and then traveling to Holbrook, AZ.

Councilman Nilsson reported that the Health Fair at the Citizen’s Center was a success and to please support the food bank at their Bunco Fundraiser on the 26th. Proceeds will go to buying Christmas boxes which will be distributed to those in need.

Councilman Dixon was impressed with the Bread of Life Banquet and commended them again for the construction of the new women’s facility.

News/updates from city manager: City Manager Jakubowski Wolz said she had meetings/discussions regarding: Pickball Courts at Hunt Park, met with the fire marshal regarding city fire codes, met with a group in regards to bringing drag racing to Holbrook and even conducted noise tests, reached out to Summit regarding an Urgent Care, is working on a new website and city marketing/branding, analyzed the local cemetery and it appears to only have 131 plots left - planning is underway, looking at machine for potable water - city has been experiencing theft and broken equipment - also looking at getting it away from the splash pad.

[End of Meeting]

Update on City’s Potable Water Service:

The following letter was given to us from the City of Holbrook:

The City of Holbrook has long provided a potable water service to out-of-town haulers as a convenience for those who lack access to their own well or septic water source. While this service has been valuable to many, it has never been free. Fees charged for water obtained through the system help cover the cost of treating and processing the water, which is managed through the city’s water treatment infrastructure.

The process for obtaining water is simple: customers pay a fee and receive a code to unlock the pump. However, there have been numerous instances where individuals have failed to follow the rules. Some users have neglected to relock the pump after use, while others have shared the code with those who haven’t paid for the water. This is not only unfair to paying customers, but also to the city’s residents, who ultimately bear the cost of maintaining the system.

Given these issues and the increasing strain they have placed on city resources, Holbrook’s administration has made the difficult but prudent decision to temporarily discontinue the service until a more efficient system can be installed. The current system, as it stands, does not sufficiently cover the costs of maintenance and operation, which are funded by taxpayer dollars.

City officials are exploring alternative solutions to ensure that future services will be more secure and equitable for all users. The City of Holbrook remains committed to providing services that benefit both its residents and the broader community, but this must be done in a way that is fiscally responsible.

We appreciate your understanding as we work to improve this service. Please stay tuned for updates regarding the resumption of potable water services.

Nominate the 2024 Chamber Business, Youth, Woman, and Man of the Year

The Holbrook Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the following categories. Youth of the Year, Organization of the Year, Business of the Year, Woman of the Year, Man of the year. Nominations are due at the end of the month! You can print off the nomination form below:

Featured Friend from the Animal Shelter

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Thank you for reading! Have any feedback for me? I try and listen! Just reply to this email or you can always reach us at [email protected].