[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6054992,"mediaKeyId","3322863-aab4cd7267a65bc14715f86caba53ea6","parentId",3322863,"title","Cathedral Pines residents propose 1,700‑foot sprinkler system; city flags $43,000 impact‑fee cost","audioSeconds",2295,"startMs",4384000,"endMs",6679000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3322863-aab4cd7267a65bc14715f86caba53ea6&start=4384&end=6679","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3322863-aab4cd7267a65bc14715f86caba53ea6/thumbnail_4384000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6054992/Prescott-City/Yavapai-County/Arizona/Cathedral-Pines-residents-propose-1700foot-sprinkler-system-city-flags-43000-impactfee-cost","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6054992-e7d8a69869b9dcbe1d15c6d1f6a97ab0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442902&Signature=JMO24oR0-kVYbAPrVh5bebWiDBJWU215GUDuZc5qLCWM2IpcG7rUU-yPDC5eIY7OiA90wr4kPX3gFS5c8z6JoxbcvnAXX-lMEExiuHW1Sp-oj34MM826uLP-AF7f8TUdn8dnOlYW9b5BARiJOcDfTlfL-c~1tj4E6Y4MWmzRYV9e0ALrrRcCDZdN9j6Pk7ZjSKuT9a~FMIGRv-PiVC0vJQggLPjUudfPtALKdOdmye8SMCF73zJ17REYl5x~3BYxZijXlkkz5kZqg4DqTfAQmPJapujoaBZ7NSCJkqU6I6NpDgX9kvrgOummrvmVL-xRnXCF2s93EY1uMO3klhjPpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Prescott, AZ ","date","2025-05-14T10:05:31Z","article","Residents of the Cathedral Pines subdivision presented a wildfire suppression sprinkler plan at the Prescott City Council study session Tuesday and asked for city help with impact fees and other costs.

Presenter William Hartley described a 1,700‑foot system of 22 mechanical sprinklers that would be switched on at the first sign of ember storms. He said the design runs for two hours and uses about 8,700 gallons; the neighborhood’s water tank holds roughly 84,000 gallons.

City public works director Gwen Rohich told the council that the applicant’s design would require a 2‑inch meter and that impact fees for that meter are approximately $42,000; the cost of a meter itself is about $1,000. Rohich noted state law prevents the city from waiving impact fees, though she said the city could consider funding assistance from other accounts if appropriate.

Why it matters: Residents and the Prescott Fire Department said the system is intended to raise humidity ahead of a fire’s ember storm and give firefighters more time to prioritize life‑saving and structural protection tasks. Cathedral Pines said it has been an active Firewise community since 2011 and that the neighborhood already has invested in vegetation mitigation.

Neighborhood plan and technical details

William Hartley described the proposal as a mitigation tool to slow ember storms and protect homes on the steep terrain between Cathedral Pines and an adjacent mobile‑home park. Hartley said the sprinklers spray in arcs, are mounted on trees or treated posts, and would be configured so responding firefighters can open or close valves at individual sprinkler locations.

Hartley said parts are commercially available and the neighborhood has already completed vegetation thinning, chipping and trails to improve firefighter access. He said his on‑site demonstration showed the system raises local humidity within minutes.

City staff, fire officials and insurance questions

Conrad Jackson and other fire officials said the neighborhood has been proactive and that similar systems have been used elsewhere. “I’ve seen the importance of sprinkler systems. I once had… we saved a subdivision in California with 3 sprinklers,” one official said during the presentation.

Rohich told the council that impact fees are set by state law and “cannot be waived,” but she also said the city could discuss whether other city funds might help reduce the neighborhood’s upfront cost. Hartley said the neighborhood is pursuing a Prescott National Forest grant that would cover construction but cannot be applied to the city’s impact‑fee account.

What was requested and next steps

Cathedral Pines asked for city assistance with the meter and impact‑fee cost; Hartley and community volunteers said they have applied for a federal/forest‑service grant that they expect to learn about on June 1. Councilmembers indicated they would discuss whether the city can help offset fees but made no commitment at the study session.

Key technical numbers mentioned by the presenters and staff include a 1,700‑foot system with 22 sprinklers, two‑hour run time using about 8,700 gallons, an 84,000‑gallon neighborhood tank and estimated impact fees of roughly $42,000 for a 2‑inch meter.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Study Session - May 13th 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Cathedral Pines residents presented a neighborhood wildfire‑suppression sprinkler proposal to Prescott City Council; the project would install 22 mechanical sprinklers tied to an 84,000‑gallon tank but requires a 2‑inch meter with approximately $43,000 in city impact fees that state law prevents the city from waiving.","taxTitle","Prescott City, Yavapai County, Arizona","taxId",53183,"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},6054997,"Prescott council asks staff to reconcile figures before deciding on Whiskey Off Road renewal",3925,260000,4185000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3322863-aab4cd7267a65bc14715f86caba53ea6&start=260&end=4185","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3322863-aab4cd7267a65bc14715f86caba53ea6/thumbnail_260000.jpg","/articles/6054997/Prescott-City/Yavapai-County/Arizona/Prescott-council-asks-staff-to-reconcile-figures-before-deciding-on-Whiskey-Off-Road-renewal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6054997-dca7d0730f487b4636b4e9681a707219/orig.mp4?Expires=1770442902&Signature=b2s6jrcM2K6l6Dp9TeOarYt9USiRyXBeIkvfJ~GkJFzvVZ36Xyor0QjMTHEIIPYkxqbBlMeY9FD2yb8EPmEDXfIWsnvFeDTsqH4RLAIqCRqeXuH-VzQGnVWpeRsdrXzZKz7mYuEsG2cA9DyAPYb5nZUPF9Qig2N4FIzTFcPfzRx9DjmNdVUwk-66p34r1zCKvMCHeICAocwxPoDYoAA68zV3gVks3jre8FkPGi0BeZpug2ObgFFkvlhB5xynnjewkqsotUQVDH3uCC5RnmPULY5eoB8TRWxKy-mrU~FGgQOuzoApCdavHyfevhD5BJC7oFiI2nTPEz9r-Cu7HTiVoA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Todd Sadow, owner of Epic Rides, told the Prescott City Council at a study session Tuesday that he wants a contract renewal — or at least a one‑year addendum — so the Whiskey Off Road mountain‑bike event can continue planning.

Sadow said the event, founded 22 years ago, brings an out‑of‑town audience and drives what he called roughly $3,000,000 in direct spending into Prescott on event weekend, and he described a city contribution “somewhere in the neighborhood of around $80,000 a year in cash plus infrastructure.”

The council did not vote. Instead Mayor Goode and other members pressed staff to review competing economic‑impact figures and return with a proposed contract term. City staff and Epic Rides offered different summaries of revenue, costs and the event’s local value, and councilmembers asked for a reconciled analysis before committing to an extension.

Why it matters: Council members said they must balance the event’s economic benefits against the city’s fiduciary duty to taxpayers and the limits of accommodation‑tax and general‑fund spending. Numerous local business owners, nonprofit leaders and residents told the council the event supports lodging, restaurants, retail and youth cycling programs and urged continued city support.

Sadow and Epic Rides’ pitch

Sadow described Whiskey Off Road as a public‑private partnership that markets Prescott to cyclists and visitors. He said the event draws about 6,000 mountain‑bike attendees across the weekend, that roughly 90% are from out of town, and that Epic Rides uses city support to fund items he listed as pro purse, free community concert, media/content creation, stage rental and hotel room blocks for race staff.

“The biggest winner has always been the city of Prescott,” Sadow said, arguing the event optimizes bed tax revenue and extends Prescott’s tourism shoulder season. He also said Epic Rides has a history of co‑funding independent economic studies, including a 2013 analysis with the Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University and later reviews by other research firms.

City staff numbers and council concerns

City staff presented the city’s economic‑impact numbers for 2024, showing the city portion of tax revenue at $42,042, county receipts of $18,821 and state receipts of $112,000. Staff also reported estimated city costs tied to the event at about $134,000 in 2024, including traffic control, police/security and trash collection; of that total staff said $87,000 was covered by the bed‑tax fund and $46,900 by the general fund.

Mayor Goode emphasized the city’s fiduciary responsibility. “The tax dollars that we contribute as a sponsorship or support…that’s the taxpayers’ money,” Goode said, and the council must be able to quantify the return before extending support.

Public comments and local business support

Dozens of speakers — including vacation‑rental owners, restaurant operators, nonprofit leaders and youth‑cycling coaches — urged the council to maintain funding and extend the agreement. Several speakers said their businesses book months in advance for event weekend and that youth teams and local bike shops benefit from the event’s year‑round visibility.

What was decided and what comes next

Council members did not adopt a new contract. Instead the mayor asked staff to review the differing economic‑impact inputs presented by Epic Rides and the city, and to bring back a proposed contract extension or options for term length and funding. No formal motion or vote was taken at the study session.

Questions left open include the exact bed‑tax and general‑fund split for any future agreement, whether an interim one‑year addendum would be granted so Epic Rides can continue sponsor outreach, and how future event‑sponsorship policy will be structured for other annual events.","At a study session, Epic Rides owner Todd Sadow and dozens of residents urged the City of Prescott to renew and continue financial support for the Whiskey Off Road mountain‑bike event; council asked staff to review competing economic‑impact numbers and return with a proposed contract term.","actionData","errors"]

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Cathedral Pines residents propose 1,700‑foot sprinkler system; city flags $43,000 impact‑fee cost

Prescott council asks staff to reconcile figures before deciding on Whiskey Off Road renewal