Town Pulse
Administration & Operations MAY 2026 - UPDATE
In This Issue: What Happened To Lisa?! SS4A Grant Submitted Everyone Watch Out Matt Has Tools! Citizens Academy Visits the Fred Harvey Farm
FROM THE TOWN MANAGER’S OFFICE CITIZENS ACADEMY BUILDS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS The 2026 Citizens Academy has been a tremendous success, giving residents a behind-the-scenes look at the people, services, and operations that keep Chino Valley running. Through May, participants explored Town governance, Development Services, Economic Development, Information Technology Services, and Public Safety. Highlights included a tour of the historic Fred Harvey Farm, a hands-on community planning exercise led by Laurie Lineberry and Will Dingee, and Spencer Gest's technology trivia challenge, "Are You Nerd Enough?", which added a fun and interactive element to the learning experience. Participants also enjoyed a behind-thescenes look at the Chino Valley Police Department. With an average attendance of approximately 12 participants per session, the Academy has fostered meaningful conversations and provided residents with unique opportunities to engage directly with Town staff, ask questions, and gain a deeper understanding of local government. The Town extends its sincere appreciation to the many employees who have shared their knowledge, time, and passion for public service throughout the program. Their willingness to connect with residents and showcase the important work happening across Town departments has made the 2026 Citizens Academy a rewarding and memorable experience.
MAY 2026 - UPDATE
FINANCE
TRANSACTION PRIVILEGE TAX (TPT) The transaction privilege tax (TPT) data is reported with a two-month lag. For example, although this is the May update, the most recent data available is for March. The March column on the chart reflects TPT activity that occurred in March and was due to ADOR in April. During April and May, the data becomes available to the Town, and the Town receives its share of the TPT revenue. Through year-to-date, FY 2025–26 TPT collections total $9,291,671, exceeding the budgeted amount of $8,194,747 by $1,096,924. Additionally, collections are $468,354 more than those recorded at the same point last year. This is primarily attributed to increased construction and speculative builder activity.
STATE-SHARED REVENUES State-shared revenue includes Urban Revenue Sharing (income tax), State-Shared Sales Tax, Vehicle License Tax, and Highway User Revenue. The year-to-date budget is $6,646,170, compared to actual revenues of $6,648,406. The budget is allocated based on the percentage of total revenues received in each month of the prior year. To date, revenues are $2,236 above budget and $85,648 lower than at the same point last year.
MAY 2026 - UPDATE
CLERK’S OFFICE
HAPPY RETIREMENT LISA! After eight years of dedicated service to the Town of Chino Valley, Lisa Nottebaum officially retired on Thursday, May 28, 2026. Lisa began her career with the Town at the Library, where she spent her first three years serving our community before transitioning to the Town Clerk's Office. Over the past five years in the Clerk's Office, Lisa became a familiar face at Town Hall, known for her positive attitude, professionalism, and willingness to help wherever needed. To celebrate her retirement, Lisa's Town Hall coworkers gathered for a special sendoff featuring pizza, ice cream cake, and plenty of laughs as they reflected on her years of service and the many friendships she built along the way. It was truly a memorable "Pizza with'a Lisa" sendoff. Thank you, Lisa, for your years of service, dedication, and commitment to the Town of Chino Valley. We wish you a happy, healthy, and welldeserved retirement!
MAY 2026 - UPDATE
GRANTS ADMINISTRATION
SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL GRANT APPLICATION SUBMITTED The Town of Chino Valley recently submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program, a competitive federal grant initiative focused on reducing roadway fatalities and serious injuries. If awarded, the grant would fund the development of a Town-Wide Supplemental Safety Action Plan. The proposed project includes a comprehensive speed study, intersection safety study, and roadway signage inventory designed to identify safety concerns and prioritize future transportation improvements throughout the community. The need for this effort is supported by local crash data. In 2024, the Chino Valley Police Department documented 312 traffic crashes, including 12 serious injury crashes and 3 fatal crashes. The total project cost is approximately $350,000, with the Town seeking $280,000 in federal funding. The completed plan would provide data-driven recommendations to guide future roadway safety investments and position the Town for additional implementation funding opportunities.
ARIZONA SMART FUND APPLICATION SUPPORTS LOCAL MATCH To support the Town's federal SS4A grant application, Chino Valley has also submitted a request to the Arizona SMART Fund for $70,000 in state matching funds. The SMART Fund application would satisfy the local match requirement associated with the proposed Town-Wide Supplemental Safety Action Plan, allowing the Town to pursue significant federal transportation safety funding without creating additional financial burden on local taxpayers. If both applications are successful, the Town would leverage state and federal funding sources to complete a comprehensive safety planning effort aimed at improving roadway conditions for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists throughout Chino Valley.
MAY 2026 - UPDATE
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ITS)
CURRENT PROJECTS MAY 2026 Installation Datacenter
of
replacement
firewall
within
the
ITS
Cutover the chinoaz.net to the chinovalleyaz.gov domain for all Town email addresses. Installation of new fiber optic cable run the Senior Center Building. Deployment of the AZTraCS software on the Police computers to allow PD staff to better submit traffic accident and violation information to ADOT.
PLANNED PROJECTS FOR JUNE 2026 Configuration and Installation of 2 new servers in the ITS Datacenter. Installation of replacement Town Hall security surveillance system. Reorganization and improvement of some of the Town datacenter cabling. Completion of Library, ITS and Court door access control system.
MAY 2026 - UPDATE
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FRED HARVEY FARM WORKING GROUP – SITE RE-USE PLAN – BROWNFIELD GRANT
Great and interactive planning session – the Brownfield team attended in person and we have almost finalized an initial plan that we can use to apply for future grant funding. Keeping the historic nature of the farm but recognizing there needs to be an economic development component so that we can fund the upkeep of the farm.
OPPORTUNITY ZONES 2.0
The town has an opportunity zone to the east of Safeway that we are aggressively pursuing but are in competition with all of the county, which only has four total. We are in the running and will be attending the County Supervisors meeting in person, with Mayor and Town Manager, in hopes that we will receive it. Opportunity Zones are economically distressed, lower-income census tracts that have received an Opportunity Zone designation by the U.S. Department of Treasury, after having been nominated by governors across the country. The Opportunity Zone designation is meant to spur investment in these areas, as those who invest in Opportunity Zones receive tax breaks.
APS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR City/Town Managers and Economic Development practitioners round table discussion on current states of economic development and what that means to power in our communities. Challenges and opportunities, especially for towns built along a highway corridor.
CITIZENS ACADEMY EC DEV NIGHT Fred Harvey Farm visit and ec dev overview
GCVC (GREATER CHINO VALLEY COLLABORATIVE) – OHV KIOSKS
The group is identifying spots from the new staging area, to include the new staging area, to put up 3 panel kiosks with Tread Lightly. Field trip coming up with the leadership council to identify the sites and then we will seek funding, which is possible that Tread Lightly will do on behalf of the group.
COMMERCIAL BROKER CONNECT Continued outreach and discussions on large land listings available in town and what is coming up in the horizon.
MAY 2026 - UPDATE
HUMAN RESOURCES RECRUITMENT SUMMARY
GENERAL LIABILITY CLAIMS
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS
YAVAPAI COMBINED TRUST ANNUAL OPEN ENROLLMENT The Annual Health Insurance Open Enrollment will officially roll out to staff, on 5/4/2026 and run through 5/28/2026. This year’s enrollment will be an active enrollment process which means all health insurance eligible staff must take action to select or confirm their health insurance coverage, even if they want to keep the same plan.
ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS Performance evaluations have officially been rolled out to both employees and supervisors and are due for completion by June 15th. This process is an important part of maintaining a high-performing, employee-focused organization and ensuring alignment with the Town’s goals, service standards and strategic plan. The evaluation process includes the following: 1) A voluntary SelfEvaluation where employees can highlight accomplishments, identify challenges and assess progress on established goals, 2) Supervisor’s Performance Evaluation where employee’s performance, job responsibilities, core competencies and contribution to the team are considered, and 3) Goal Setting will be discussed to establish clear, measurable goals and identify any training or development opportunities to support continued success. This process supports transparency, accountability, and professional growth across the organization. It also helps ensure that employees are supported in their roles while continuing to deliver high-quality service to the Chino Valley community.
MAY 2026 - UPDATE