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Council approves annexation process resolution, police task-force credentialing and SRP stormwater MOU amid public concern
Summary
Prescott Valley council approved a nonbinding annexation process resolution for town-owned and state trust lands, credentialed a detective on a state gang task force for U.S. Marshal Service duties, and authorized an MOU with Salt River Project to fund a stormwater recharge pilot ($40,000); a resident urged removing the annexation purchase from the consent agenda citing potential $8.4 million costs.
The Prescott Valley Town Council voted unanimously March 12 to adopt a nonbinding resolution describing how the town would follow state annexation procedures for town-owned and state trust parcels, credential a detective assigned to a state gang task force with U.S. Marshal Service authority, and enter a memorandum of understanding with Salt River Project to support a stormwater-recharge pilot.
Resident Patricia Bridal urged the council to remove resolution 226-2446 from the consent agenda and consider it separately, saying combining annexation language with a proposed purchase of state trust land "appears to be combined here for the sole purpose of misleading the public" and warned of infrastructure costs. She told the council a nearby parcel sold for about $65,000 an acre and that the purchase could amount to "approximately $8,400,000," and asked that the annexation and purchase be presented as separate agenda items.
Councilman Legler, who explained the annexation item to the council, said the resolution is "housekeeping," not an annexation itself, and described it as a procedural step that sets out how the town will provide infrastructure planning for property it owns or may purchase. He told the council that a formal annexation would still require petitioning, public hearings, adoption of an ordinance and—if the land remains state-owned—approval from the state selection board before purchase. "This doesn't annex the property. You still have to file the petition, hold the hearing, adopt the ordinance," Legler said.
Prescott Valley's police chief told the council that credentialing a detective as a U.S. Marshal Service task-force officer will bring federal resources, training and equipment and ease jurisdictional cooperation for apprehending violent felony suspects and addressing gang problems. The chief described the credential as a "force multiplier" and said it would help coordinate support with DPS and federal partners.
Councilman Davidson introduced the memorandum of understanding with Salt River Project, describing the stormwater recharge pilot as one of the first projects of its kind in Arizona and saying SRP has agreed to contribute $40,000 to the pilot. The council voted to approve the MOU by electronic vote.
All items were approved without recorded opposition. Legler and staff reiterated that the annexation resolution only lays out the procedural approach and that any purchase or annexation would return to council for public hearings and formal approval.
