Mayor’s Monthly Report Local Events

Covid cases continue to rise with Arizona reaching another milestone at 1 million cases recorded, and an alarming number of children being infected nationwide. Hospitalizations are at their highest numbers since February, at 2,005, with an increase in pediatric cases. Gila County has recorded a total of 816 new cases for the month. The breakdown by area in our community is as follows: Globe 191, Miami 33, Claypool 44, and San Carlos 203.

Medical science has proven that the vaccines do work. I recommend that you consider getting vaccinated to help slow the spread. If you would like to get vaccinated, call the Gila County Health Department and make an appointment at (928) 910-4009. You can also get antibody or COVID testing by calling (928) 961-1284.

The CDC is recommending that masks should be worn in indoor settings whether you are vaccinated or unvaccinated. Our City COVID team has updated their guidelines requiring anyone from the public entering any City facilities to wear a mask. In-person City Council meetings are now limited to 50% capacity.

A Town Hall meeting was held August 26 to update the public on information on how they can apply to request assistance. HB 2001 allocated $10 million to property owners to apply for funds for damage to infrastructure due to the Telegraph Fire and suppression efforts. The funds are not for replacement of personal property lost due to post-fire flooding. The funds can be used by local government for the cleaning of waterways and for debris cleanup and removal caused by flooding.

I want to recognize the United Fund of Globe-Miami for their leadership role in the creation of a “Join the Flood Raising Challenge.” They will be partnering with the Salvation Army to bring relief to local families affected by the post-fire flooding. Eligible families may apply for up to $2,500 for repairs, supplies, or household needs. The program was set up to help meet the gap between residents and available resources from the state, county, and emergency services that are limited to cleanup outside and around their homes. You can apply by calling the Salvation Army at (928) 275-7211.

To date, there has been $258,019 donated. The United Fund of Globe-Miami put a $50K challenge amount that they would match dollar for dollar, making their total $100K. The three local mines, Freeport McMoRan, Capstone Pinto Valley, and BHP Billiton, each committed $50K to the program, bringing it to the current amount. There have also been additional donations from the Southwest Gas Corporation, Globe Lions Club, and many individuals. If you would like to donate to this program, you can go to the United Fund of Globe-Miami Inc. website at UFGlobeMiami.com and hit the “Give Now” button, or you can mail your donation to P.O. Box 2160, Globe, AZ 85502.

A date has been set for the first annual “State of the City” address: September 30, 2021, at Veterans Park in Globe at 5:30 p.m. The address will focus on celebrating our community wins, recognizing areas of improvement, and discussing current economic conditions, capital projects, and City finances.

A Citizens Academy is in the planning stages, set to begin in October of 2021. This will be a six-week course offering a comprehensive behind-the-scenes perspective of the City of Globe’s structure and operations. Applications for the academy will be announced sometime in September.

City staff has been directed to complete an agreement with Arizona Public Service and Electrify America for the installation of four charging stations for electric vehicles. This project is totally funded by the APS and Electrify America contract. The City will only need to provide the property to have the units installed. The location chosen for this project is the parking lot north of the library. There are only five cities in Arizona that have a destination for charging electric vehicles. This project will bring statewide economic development and marketing opportunities to our city.

On August 26, a workshop was held to review the progress of the Connie’s Bridge project, which is now at 95% completion in the design phase. Council approved to move to 100% design and go out for bid on the award to a contractor for completion of the project. We were also informed that another $1.3 million was approved at the state level for the addition of upgrades to South Broad Street from Cottonwood to the intersection of the new bridge. Thank you to Jerry Barnes and Representative David Cook for getting this proposal through the legislative process.

Congratulations to Police Commander AJ Castenada and Human Resource Director Chris Collopy, on their retirement this month from the City of Globe. Good luck on your future ventures.

Please continue to pray for the Globe Police Department and the officer who sustained a gunshot wound during an incident the weekend of August 28. Keep him, his family, and the entire department in your thoughts as they work through the healing process.