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

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.