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Council adopts parks fee increases and approves lake remediation contract amendment as FY2027 budget is adopted
Summary
Sahuarita's council narrowly adopted an amended parks fee schedule after volunteers urged caution and better maintenance; the council also approved an amendment to the lake remediation contract with Duro Group and later adopted the town's FY2027 budget, which funds capital projects including the police facility expansion and lake work.
The Sahuarita Town Council on June 22 approved several measures that affect parks, the town's capital plan and near-term spending. After public testimony from youth-sports volunteers who said fields need better maintenance and cited out-of-pocket investments, the council voted to adopt Ordinance 2026-201, which raises some field and lighting fees on a reduced schedule compared with an earlier proposal. Parks staff said the revised fee schedule is intended to cover part of recurring maintenance growth (electricity, staffing, supplies) and was scaled back from a larger increase proposed previously. "These fees are intended to help recapture a portion of direct field costs and improve maintenance," Jody Gurian, parks director, said during the presentation.
Volunteers: representatives from Copper Hills Little League told the council their organization invested more than $100,000 in park improvements and requested better, faster maintenance responses and regular safety inspections. Council members and staff acknowledged the burden on local volunteers and said the town will continue discussions on longer-term funding options and improved maintenance workflows.
Lake remediation: the council approved an amendment to the town's contract with the Duro Group (Amendment No. 1, contract #260035) to fund design review, preliminary construction administration, grant research and public outreach in preparation for the lake remediation project. Staff said the amendment is intended to allow the town to continue work while it completes negotiations with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on possible reimbursement funding; the amendment is on a time-and-materials basis and is not to exceed about $680,000.
FY2027 budget adopted: the council also held the public hearing on the FY2027 budget (total $113,369,70) and adopted the balanced budget by resolution 2026-0875. The budget programs $26 million in personnel costs, $15 million in capital spending (26 projects including the police building expansion, lake remediation design and road improvements), and maintains a $6 million committed general-fund reserve as a rainy-day fund.
What to watch next: Parks staff said they will continue meetings with youth-sports organizations and report back to council on maintenance schedules and potential longer-term revenue options; for the lake remediation project the town will pursue the Corps agreement that could provide partial reimbursement, while Duro will continue design and permitting support.
Vote records (selected): the parks fee ordinance was adopted in council roll call; the Duro contract amendment was approved by unanimous vote; the FY2027 budget passed unanimously.
