Searles And Maxwell Take Their Seats On The Council

By Linda Kor
   Two new council members were sworn in during Tuesday’s Holbrook City Council meeting. Vice Mayor Cynthia Stuart and Councilman Stuart Szink stepped down from their positions and expressed their appreciation to the public for being selected to serve on the council. Stuart had served two consecutive terms and Szink two separate terms. “I’ve had people ask why run for council. I have to tell you, the seat can get pretty hot up here,” stated Stuart. “The reason is that we really do love Holbrook and want the best for it.”
   Stepping into the “hot” seats were Councilman Myron Maxwell and Matt Searles who, upon taking his seat, was immediately voted by the council to serve as vice mayor. Justice of the Peace Ralph Hatch administered the oath to the new councilmen as well as Mayor Jeff Hill and Councilman Wade Carlisle who were both voted in for a second term.
   Finance Manager Randy Sullivan provided an update on the status of Local Government Investment Pool (LGIP) funds. During the work session on Thursday, June 18, the council had charged staff with the task of determining what, if any, additional cutbacks will have to take place to ensure that $700,000 remains in the fund for next year.
   “I’ve been working on closing the books for May and aside from a few possible variables it looks like approximately $248,000 in additional cuts will have to be made,” stated Sullivan, adding that the final results will be available by today (Friday) with a copy of the budget available for council by the next council work session scheduled for Thursday, July 2.
   In another matter, Code Enforcement Officer Rod Gish went before the council and provided an update on code enforcement for the city.
   “Since I began working in code enforcement in October of last year we have cited 630 properties for repairs and clean-up. Of those cited, 489 have complied; that’s 77.6 percent compliance,” related Gish.
   According to Gish there are five civil hearings being decided upon and five more cases filed in the civil court.
   “I can see a real difference here and its bringing up the standard of beauty and cleanliness of the city,” he said.
   Gish related how a widowed woman in the community who lives on under $700 per month in social security payments was cited for the appearance of her home.
   “This woman provides a food ministry out of her home twice a month. A semi-truck of food comes to her home and she serves 700 families in the community in this manner,” explained Gish. “She didn’t know if she could manage the repairs necessary on her home. This Saturday, community volunteers are painting her home, and on Thursday other people are volunteering to repair cracks in the structure and the concrete. This is how a community helps each other.”
   In other business, the council:
   *Approved updates to existing nuisance control and property maintenance codes including no boarded windows or door openings on an unoccupied structure for more than ninety consecutive days. The city employees will now maintain all sidewalks, alleys and streets, and it will no longer be the responsibility of the property owner whose property is abutting these areas. The request for animal limitations was stricken from the ordinance update.
   *Approved a bid award to Precision Electric in the amount of $39,991.35 for repairs to a lift station.
   * Approved the appointment of Councilman Wade Carlisle as a representative to the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) Regional Council.
   * Heard the first reading of amendments to the personnel rules for city employees pertaining to maximum limits on carry-over time for vacations, donating vacation hours to other employees and allowing the city manager and department heads to determine any employee cutbacks.
   The next regular city council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14, at city hall.