[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6652134,"mediaKeyId","2494269-250faaf5f273a6313b93c1980e9beeb6","parentId",2494269,"title","Payson council reviews $tens of millions in capital projects; directs pool site study and requests event-center concept work","audioSeconds",4145,"startMs",7200000,"endMs",11345000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2494269-250faaf5f273a6313b93c1980e9beeb6&start=7200&end=11345","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2494269-250faaf5f273a6313b93c1980e9beeb6/thumbnail_7200000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6652134/Payson/Gila-County/Arizona/Payson-council-reviews-tens-of-millions-in-capital-projects-directs-pool-site-study-and-requests-event-center-concept-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6652134-726388ae8dd42123008171d1b5c63ab3/orig.mp4?Expires=1775177875&Signature=Km46phTZVt8Y~Ih08nMppN~ZJzc98NTHyHoau7L8ZSjjRut7V9BwdAL313F9Iv14iSUuLh2Q0Z5Tpnn0ZVT2SuT3na3Scui~nvw8VU13AVIv5ELlgarZcDTLM-vf9p30F3WbZFR46rw8EUhqCdOmMR0C6NECAfgPJF0RsCYdRtk1ldlCWKkuQ5bZh190GwTkx-hb9SD8S4Hjg2w4-GPE~P7euBiVrVzbJIJFzGKwbkhit6cSyVuCvufMoqZiVRctrGIGcU1pUiAzlRAjd4qkla7mA~TjQw~cYSO8UAdLbn9GoQwo7RNxhzzwxM1eM5UY~zWrRh0B1E6NkupjYG1U0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Payson","date","2025-03-04T00:00:00Z","article","Payson town staff walked the Common Council through the town's capital-improvement program requests on March 4, noting funding limits in multiple funds and pressing program needs in water treatment, streets, public safety and parks.

Why it matters: Multiple projects are competing for constrained capital funds. Council direction will shape which projects advance to design and construction in fiscal 2025-26.

Water and mandated treatment: Tanner (water department) told the council the town faces mandated treatment for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). He said the town must build multiple treatment trains and estimated a total program cost of about $20 million, with roughly $5 million targeted for the coming year. Tanner said the state has signaled it may fund up to $5 million for one treatment plant but that state participation is not guaranteed. The town also expects a WIFA (Water Infrastructure Finance Authority) forgivable-loan reimbursement for a remote automated meter-reading (AMR) project; the full AMR project has a $4.04 million project total but Tanner said the town's near-term cash requirement is about $1 million while APS/WIFA reimbursement occurs after installation.

Council members noted the water fund balance previously presented by finance staff (approximately $17 million available for water CIP) will be heavily consumed by PFAS obligations and other planned water projects including well replacements, the Hillcrest storage-tank project and membrane replacements for existing treatment modules.

Public safety and communications: The council reviewed a proposal to migrate public safety radios for the town to the state DPS 800 trunked network. Staff described a partnership model in which DPS builds backbone infrastructure and Payson would purchase dual-band radios and some local infrastructure; staff estimated town radios and associated on-site upgrades near $1.6 million (staff said the figure has been refined as procurement progresses). The migration would improve interoperability and allow remote disabling of lost radios.

Streets, trails and federal funding: Public works and planning staff outlined street rehabilitation and trailhead projects. Forest Drive and Houston Mesa projects have state or federal transportation funding for design; other projects such as Goodenow Road and Wilson Court extension are tied to private development and town-cost-sharing considerations. Staff said federal grants require shovel-ready designs and cautioned that unspent federal funds may need to be returned if projects are not advanced.

Parks, pools and event center: The council discussed Rumsey Park upgrades, the Taylor Pool condition, and concepts for a town event center on the recently acquired Green Valley Parkway property. Staff presented a three-part site evaluation for Taylor Pool: (1) a facility-condition assessment to determine what of the existing pool vessel and systems remain serviceable; (2) a partial-rebuild option to retain usable infrastructure and expand pools or add therapy lanes; and (3) a complete demolition-and-rebuild estimate. The council asked for quick answers on whether repairing Taylor Pool would be cost-effective and how any pool plan would interact with Rumsey Park master-plan options.

Council direction and decisions: Council members instructed staff to proceed with the three-part site evaluation (the council majority supported what staff labeled \"option A,\" the comparative site and condition assessment for Taylor Pool and the Rumsey site). Councilors also discussed event-center concept design; staff said roughly $400,000 remained budgeted for design work and warned prolonged suspension risks procurement re-competition and scope changes. Several council members asked staff to pursue Green Valley Parkway design and to explore external partners and sponsorships for event-center elements; a number of members said they preferred to phase construction if funding or sponsorships are developed.

Budget context and next steps: Staff said the town's HEERF, water and general funds have limited available capital for the coming year: general fund CIP availability is constrained once commitments to Rumsey/pool and an event-center are considered; the water fund has large mandated projects that will consume a large share of available cash. Staff will return with the Taylor Pool site-evaluation results, refined cost estimates, and options for staging event-center work should council choose to move a concept forward into final design.

Ending note: The council's immediate directive authorized a technical and cost-focused study of Taylor Pool and its alternatives; larger policy choices about the event center and major roadway projects (Green Valley Parkway) will follow as staff bring more detailed cost, funding and partnership information to council.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Payson - Payson Town Council - Work Study - Mar 04, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At a March 4 work session, Payson staff presented a crowded capital-improvement agenda — PFAS treatment for water, remote meter installation, street and trail projects, a DPS-backed radio upgrade, vehicle replacements, and options for Taylor Pool, Rumsey Park and a proposed event center.","taxTitle","Payson, Gila County, Arizona","taxId",60910,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6652146,"APS outlines wildfire safeguards, public-safety power shutoff plan for Payson area",790,330000,1120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2494269-250faaf5f273a6313b93c1980e9beeb6&start=330&end=1120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2494269-250faaf5f273a6313b93c1980e9beeb6/thumbnail_330000.jpg","/articles/6652146/Payson/Gila-County/Arizona/APS-outlines-wildfire-safeguards-public-safety-power-shutoff-plan-for-Payson-area","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6652146-9ea14b6911ec1ac874cb3d4ecf73c80c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775177875&Signature=PChCwF64YiTFLBJ~ofvW7bQ7cvhDx~y0uM8wGWpwLth3r31c4fEV-RqtHEZzMc04sbSL2Hn00ljbMLEDWYeLfBrS8kFnEymTcmHjwb~8ONulnbQEpQWmO758vgn8FYF2R-khPq6I6pfgkE5BBqzmGNdH8cJAi4HKSdVvGlkkczhrbJpoX9ewzDQvBXbid9x3mH4a0gP58dsEZl8rUOHIi-mgDWBmDf43hGM-z-7BjEk2EN~by2u6hXuksJTwx9EK62Qi~fUkO8xs63O8BLsCtKD9eb0T11jVfw0wx-cbRc4emU9llxwf~K~UFHBogPCoOADUZu37BA-0t94D3LeySg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Janet Dean, public affairs manager for Arizona Public Service in the utility's Northeast region, told the Payson Common Council on March 4 that wildfire risk drives the company's investments in vegetation management, equipment hardening, monitoring and operational protocols — and that public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) are the newest and most rarely used tool.

Why it matters: Payson sits inside APS's wildfire mitigation district and town officials said a PSPS could affect feeders that serve the hospital, parts of town and nearby Star Valley. A shutoff would affect water systems, medical-device users and local businesses and would require coordinated alerts and staging with county emergency managers.

Dean described five pillars of APS's wildfire mitigation program, beginning with vegetation management and defensible space around poles. She said APS has a hazard-tree program that depends on partners, noting the utility must secure permission to remove trees outside its rights-of-way. \"We're working very closely with the Forest Service, state land departments,\" Dean said.

The utility's grid-hardening work includes replacing some wooden poles with steel where access allows, \"fire wrapping\" equipment on selected poles and targeted asset inspections. Dean told council APS spent about $100 million on fire mitigation work last year and uses foot patrols, truck patrols, helicopters and drones with infrared cameras for inspections.

APS said it has expanded on-site weather sensing and cameras: the company now operates close to 100 weather stations along its system and is installing roughly 50 AI-capable smoke-detection cameras across Northern Arizona by May. Dean said the cameras recently triangulated an ignition near Prescott and provided an estimated two- to three-hour earlier alert to firefighters there.

Operational mitigations include turning off automatic reclosers during high fire risk — equipment that would otherwise try to restore power automatically after a fault — and suspending non-emergency line work on red-flag days. Dean said the emergency management chain includes daily updates to county emergency managers and coordinated messaging to customers via APS and county alert systems.

On PSPS specifics, Dean said APS has identified roughly 230 lines it classifies as \"fire mitigation\" lines and that 65 of those are the highest risk and might be targeted for shutoff if extreme conditions materialize. \"What this means is that when the conditions are so extreme that everything else we've done... we may choose to turn power off to lines that are in very, very high risk areas,\" Dean told council.

She described the timeline the utility will use to communicate a potential PSPS: about four to five days out APS will notify emergency managers and town staff; three days out it will begin direct messages to customers; the day before and the day of APS will repeat notices and warn people to prepare. Dean said staff expect many PSPS events to be forecastable several days in advance and that a typical PSPS would last about 20 hours on average: a nighttime outage, then patrols at first light and restoration within approximately two hours after patrols clear lines (not including additional repair time if crews find damage).

APS described incident experience and scale: the company piloted PSPS tools in the prior year and had 13 feeders in the pilot; two small feeders in Payson had been included in earlier planning. Dean said she believes the PSPS tool will be used occasionally, not routinely, because forest and fuel conditions change and even extensive mitigation does not remove all risk.

Council members and staff pressed APS on medical-device customers and critical facilities. Dean said APS maintains a medical-monitoring registry so staff can do outreach to customers who rely on medical equipment; she also said the county and Red Cross would coordinate to provide charging or shelter resources if an extended outage occurs. \"We do have a system where we try to get anyone who has medical equipment registered with us so that we can do personal outreach to them prior to an event,\" Dean said.

On who makes PSPS decisions, Dean said APS's internal fire-mitigation team (which she described as staffed with fire scientists and meteorologists) recommends action; final decisions involve senior utility leaders. \"That'll be our internal APS fire mitigation team making recommendations… up to the APS president, CEO, he's gonna be involved. He'll in consultation with the fire mitigation team,\" Dean said.

APS representatives urged residents to sign up for both APS and county alerts, to register medical needs with APS, and to prepare for outages by unplugging or shutting down sensitive equipment and otherwise planning for a controlled reenergizing of homes after an outage.

Council response and next steps: Council members asked how many feeders could leave Payson without power; APS staff said two feeders in Payson had been on PSPS status in earlier planning and the district currently lists 10 feeders of special concern this year (APS staff said there are 14 feeders in the district they manage and that several are within town service areas). APS said it will continue town briefings, share maps with municipal staff and coordinate pre-event logistics including water-system readiness and traffic-light operations.

The presentation did not propose any new local ordinance or regulatory change; APS said statewide regulatory or statutory action is under discussion at the legislature but that, at present, the Arizona Corporation Commission does not require a specific utility wildfire mitigation plan. Council members asked staff to continue coordination with APS and county emergency management.

Where the record stands: APS presented its wildfire-mitigation approach and PSPS protocols; it did not ask the council to approve a local policy or action. Town staff will continue coordination and will receive PSPS planning materials from APS for local use. Council members said they want ongoing updates as APS refines targeted feeder lists and outreach materials.

Ending note: APS emphasized PSPS is a targeted, data-driven tool intended to reduce the risk that electrical infrastructure could spark a wildfire in extreme conditions; the company encouraged residents to keep contact information current and to register medically dependent customers for outreach.","Janet Dean, public affairs manager for Arizona Public Service in the Northeast region, told the Payson Common Council on March 4 that wildfire risk drives APS's investments in vegetation management, grid hardening, monitoring and operational protocols — and that public safety power shutoffs (PSPS) would be a last-resort, data-driven tool for lines APS identifies as extremely high risk.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6652137,"Payson staff propose broad fee schedule changes across airport, library, parks, police and utilities",3133,4100000,7233000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2494269-250faaf5f273a6313b93c1980e9beeb6&start=4100&end=7233","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2494269-250faaf5f273a6313b93c1980e9beeb6/thumbnail_4100000.jpg","/articles/6652137/Payson/Gila-County/Arizona/Payson-staff-propose-broad-fee-schedule-changes-across-airport-library-parks-police-and-utilities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6652137-3e5ad81dd92c366638d9b585c8e457ff/orig.mp4?Expires=1775177875&Signature=dqVnnqR3TOei0HFhlvbZaoucVyOwxuaTbo7Q3QHSXlBdevL-EE25P5pEhX-11Gs~h5HaR0IU5U6VvH6IVOiHjxr6Eqs~ubhhY52iFtiY3vSN-gkkplzZc6Ohq68NZwpmSOawpDc-O-OMdQzUTjOoyo7-gQeE6I85M3X-ZhIkijtF2F91-qwuWgAdds-BiQWmmDH0UBpu5Uj2yq7e~7wr9oYDjuJRPh4ilKs3p10cxOHSssixAurXEdr3qECBMseH~uHcBbQP49HrVYn7bxWSeQpw5O64uyGpxxOldgc7V3Bf5EV3SmEF~A86C8-SQny7gdT856nkDJJMA2elI9LYfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Payson department leaders presented a package of proposed fee changes and clarifications at the March 4 work session covering airport access and penalties, community development and building fees, engineering equipment rates, fire department response and stand-by charges, library meeting-room fees, parks and recreation event fees, police booking and jail fees, and water service deposits and related fees.

Why it matters: Municipal fees and fines finance parts of town operations, influence access to public facilities and reflect the town's cost recovery policies. Council will consider the proposals at a public hearing in April and may adopt a revised schedule that would start July 1.

Highlights of proposed changes

- Airport: The airport director proposed raising a gate card fee to $20 (from $5) per card and setting new transient aircraft parking rates for large firefighting helicopters; introduced a $100 penalty for illegal vehicle use of the Bravo Gate and a $100 fine for dogs off leash on airport property. The director said the airport will send the proposals to the Airport Commission for review before council action.

- Community development / engineering: Staff proposed rewording and raising several permit fees to better reflect inspection costs (for example, temporary certificate-of-occupancy-related inspection fees), and cleaning up the technology improvement fee and demolition-permit language. Engineering seeks to remove daily/weekly equipment rental rates in favor of an hourly rate.

- Fire: The fire chief presented modest increases in out-of-area response and inspection fees and a clarified schedule for fire-guard and standby services. The department said it bills insurers or responsible parties for many response-related fees.

- Library: The library director proposed eliminating fees related to kitchen use (which the library stopped offering during COVID) and changing the meeting-room policy: the new proposal would charge $100 for two hours and $25 for each additional hour (previously $100 for up to four hours); nonprofits and government users would remain exempt.

- Parks and Recreation and bed-tax-funded items: Staff proposed modest increases (for example, raising the rodeo/event center daily rental fee slightly) and asked council to consider whether bed-tax revenues should fund sign and corridor beautification projects or be used in part to support event-center needs. Councilors discussed limits on sponsorship tiers and whether to retain an upper cap on sponsorship/in-kind donations.

- Police: The police chief proposed adopting a booking fee for arrested individuals and confirmed the town follows Gila County for jail housing fees; staff said most fee recovery comes from insurance or billed defendants.

- Water: The water superintendent proposed raising security deposits (owner deposits from $100 to $150; rental deposits to $225), modest increases in meter- and service-related fees and a higher shop-test meter fee to recover actual test costs. Staff said some meter testing and service-call fees previously did not cover actual inspection labor.

Process and next steps: Staff told the council the proposed fees are being submitted under state statute A.R.S. §9-499.15 for municipal fee regulation and that the fees will be posted for public comment. The council will hold a public hearing in April and consider a resolution in May; if adopted, new fees would take effect July 1.

Ending note: Several councilors asked staff to provide clearer collection processes (for example, how the $100 Bravo Gate fine would be assessed and collected) and to ensure that proposed increases are transparent and targeted to recover costs rather than to raise general revenue.","At a March 4 work study, department heads presented proposed changes to municipal fees and fines that staff said are intended to reflect cost recovery, inflation and new services; the proposals will go to a public hearing in April and, if approved, take effect July 1.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6652141,"Payson council leans toward lowering property tax rate; staff to post notice if needed",106,3464000,3570000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2494269-250faaf5f273a6313b93c1980e9beeb6&start=3464&end=3570","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2494269-250faaf5f273a6313b93c1980e9beeb6/thumbnail_3464000.jpg","/articles/6652141/Payson/Gila-County/Arizona/Payson-council-leans-toward-lowering-property-tax-rate-staff-to-post-notice-if-needed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6652141-db11f124bd4a24f0ef6a77ea2a5cfaab/orig.mp4?Expires=1775177875&Signature=Q~qi5SRfWrhWAEt5RBXhoqlqWoD-lCmwgF50bP3Wjezc0AFy4Qi5jEXAgkCOxsXHBbsAyN1tGdwAwmtkwjM6zVdbBcy6t6GPmPn0StecfZj7XRaR3IFEtsvMsoAkEciaA4xcc3~VzEjT3TOpOMtM7iYTSLrhJh5K1xJTxfziBgMn8sdFmFSYwcf0d5~1VWmOsRI~GHocbixb4YmlNuFvvv52r3al7KtZ58NOQeaCqVdTNcn8KQNY7hdZMEbm4bLjSgMrIOzJX4M8joOHHwQd-6mnWvi80DvIrqG8Nkuii3gduhdIEtC0DU6NrScV6QKziR82SjHb1f2ei-t2Iejbxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Payson town staff briefed the Common Council on March 4 on the municipal portion of property taxes and the choices the council must make while preparing next fiscal year's budget.

Why it matters: Town property tax revenue is a small share of total property taxes collected in Gila County; decisions on the levy affect available operating and capital funding for the town budget that council will finalize in May.

Dana (finance director) told the council how property tax dollars are distributed in Gila County: roughly 46% goes to the county, 40% to the school district, about 10% to the community college and roughly 4% to the town. She said the town currently receives about $720,000 annually from the primary property tax.

Dana reviewed rates and choices for the coming fiscal year: Payson's current primary tax rate is 0.2992. The maximum allowable rate without a Truth-in-Taxation (TNT) hearing is 0.2855; adopting that rate would produce about $717,000 in levy revenue at current valuations. The state's maximum levy cap (the ceiling that would require voter action to exceed) is 0.382, which would generate an estimated $964,000 and a $221,000 increase over the lower rate, Dana said. She provided sample tax impacts: on a house with a full cash value of $415,000 the town portion at the lower, TNT-exempt rate would be about $80.45; at the higher maximum it would be about $107.64.

Council discussion centered on whether to preserve the current rate, reduce it to the TNT-exempt level, or set a higher rate and hold the required taxpayer notice and public hearing process. Some council members said rising property values already increase the total tax levy without a rate change and favored leaving the rate unchanged or reducing it to mitigate taxpayer burden. One council member noted the town has lowered its rate several times in recent years and warned council members they might be criticized for \"raising property taxes\" even if the levy increases due to valuation changes.

Council direction: The majority of council signaled a preference to lower the municipal tax rate toward the maximum allowable without triggering the Truth-in-Taxation process (0.2855). Staff said it will post the required notice of a potential levy increase if the council later directs a higher rate and will schedule the statutorily required public hearing on the property tax levy (truth-in-taxation) if needed.

Next steps: Town finance staff will implement the council's direction to set the rate consistent with the TNT-exempt limit unless council changes course, post required notices, and return to council with formal hearing materials in accordance with state statute and the town's budget calendar. The council will vote on the final levy as part of May budget actions.

Ending note: The council's tentative approach reduces the municipal rate while acknowledging that total tax bills may still rise if property valuations increase; staff will follow statutory notice and hearing procedures if council later decides to propose a higher levy.","At a March 4 work session the Payson Common Council discussed the town's property tax levy and signaled direction to lower the tax rate to the maximum allowable without triggering a Truth-in-Taxation hearing; staff will publish required notices and return with formal hearing dates.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Payson council reviews $tens of millions in capital projects; directs pool site study and requests event-center concept work

APS outlines wildfire safeguards, public-safety power shutoff plan for Payson area

Payson staff propose broad fee schedule changes across airport, library, parks, police and utilities

Payson council leans toward lowering property tax rate; staff to post notice if needed