Winslow City Council Adopts Event Funding, Prayer Policies

By Sam Conner
   The Winslow City Council adopted policies for funding of special events and prayer at council meeting during its Tuesday night session.
   The council adopted a draft of guidelines for the funding of special events. This item resulted in much discussion and seven related items were adopted, all but one unanimously. Those items included provisions that requests for funding of special events be submitted at least 60 days before the event, and that funding and services requests state dollar amounts when available. There will be a cap on total funds for each event, and on total funds for city crews and services to be determined by the city manager. The policy stated how funds would be distributed and what reports are required from the funded organization.
   A motion that each event shall have a cap determined individually passed 6-1 after one to set a figure of $4,200 maximum for any event failed 5-2.
   Mayor Robin Boyd noted that in various recent meetings the council had spent about 20 hours on this item.
   The policy regarding prayer at council meetings, which Attorney Dale Patton had prepared, and which he believes to be constitutional and meets the needs of the council, passed 6-1. Councilwoman Judy Howell opposed the item, saying she did not think the council should give in to an anonymous complaint and that passing the policy was doing that.
   The new policy reads, “The city council of the City of Winslow firmly believes in the separation of church and state as set out in the Arizona and U.S. Constitutions.
   “The city council also is desirous of allowing individuals in the community to offer prayer at the beginning of city council meetings soliciting divine assistance for the council and the community.
   “In order to insure that prayers in city council meetings and in other public meetings of the city are not used either to proselyte for any religion, or to criticize any religious or other organizations, the city adopts the following policy:
   “Prayers in city council meetings, if offered, will be offered at the beginning of the meeting.
   “The city staff will contact representatives of various religions/sects in the city, including, but not limited to, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Native American and other groups, and invite representatives of those groups to rotate offering the prayer at the beginning of each meeting.
   “A member of the city council or a member of the staff may offer the prayer from time to time, but not on a regular basis.
   “Those offering prayer will be encouraged not to speak as though they are representing the city government, but rather to express individual feelings and requests during the prayers, and to abstain from language tending to proselytize for a particular religious group or sect, and to avoid criticism of any particular religious group or sect, or of those who may have no religious affiliation.”
   Earlier City Manager Jim Ferguson reported that a Federal Emergency Management Agency representative had informed him that the July deadline regarding the Ruby Wash levee would not change anything, but would give more time for corrections needed.
   He also said that the city might well decide to delay parts of the Renaissance II project until a more desirable and less disruptive time. He said he would discuss this with businesses likely to be effected by the decision.
   Patton reported that demolition of the former Prairie Moon building has been delayed until about the end of the month due to a change of the company doing asbestos abatement.
   The consent calendar was adopted, and the check register and minutes of April 28 meetings were approved.
   The first action item was the proclamation of May 10-16 as Police Officers Week and May 15 as Police Memorial Day in Winslow.
   Requests for support of Winslow High School athletic events resulted in the council voting unanimously to continue paying $125 for an ad on the WHS sports calendar and paying $103 per month to KINO as a sponsor of its live coverage of high school sporting events. Both items were scheduled to be cut from the budget.
   Approval of support for the Because We Care Graduation Party was given, and includes use of Little League fields, waiver of fees, extra patrol officers and closure of part of Cherry Street.
   A payment of $15,000 was approved to Navajo County to subsidize the cost of county prosecution of county cases in the Winslow Justice Court.
   An intergovernmental agreement was approved to increase the compensation paid to the county for relocating the city justice court with the county justice court from $32,500 to $39,600.
   A memorandum of understanding between Navajo County and various cities within the county to hire a criminal analyst investigator was approved.
   An ordinance was adopted granting permission to Rudy and Michelle Aragon to reside in their own manufactured home at Clear Creek Park for assuming certain responsibilities for the benefit of the city.
   An ordinance was adopted allowing the city to purchase property near the old visitors’ center from the state for $703. The property is approximately one-half acre and has potential value to the city.