Desert Messenger

July 20, 2022 ww.DesertMessenger.com 7 We want dates of your events planned for NEXT SEASON! SUBMIT FOR FREE at www.QuartzsiteCalendar.com Council meeting recap letters to the editor Opinions expressed in letters to the editor do not necessarily represent those of the Desert Messenger. RANDY SMITH FOR TOWN COUNCIL QUARTZSITE • Military Veteran • Retired Dept. of Corrections & Rehabilitation • Resident of Quartzsite for 8 years! • College Grad • Committed to fully trained and equipped Quartzsite Police Department • Committed to ensure Camel Express is fully staffed and funded Paid for by Randy Smith P. O. Box 1011, Quartzsite, AZ 85346 VOTE AUGUST 2, 2022! GOOD CHANGES After working on it for well over a year, things are really getting seri- ous now. I'm very proud that I and others have been able to bring this project to Quartzsite. I've leased my 10 acre parcel across the street from my new In-Store Secure Self Storage facil- ity to a power line company. This property will be used as a laydown yard for supplies and a temporary concrete batch plant to supply con- crete for the tower footings. They will be bringing about 150 workers and hopefully some job openings to town for a year or two as they build a transmission line from Tonopah, AZ to a substation 17 miles west of Blythe, CA. It will bring huge benefi ts to businesses in our little town of Quartzite. We have an election coming up in August. I urge every Quartzsite voter to support and re-elect your current town council members. After a very rancid and tumultu- ous past with lots of legal battles, the town now has a mature and stable town council that doesn't al- ways agree on everything but they are working well together as a team. I'm proud to say that the current town council and town manage- ment is honest, has integrity and is working for the best they can bring to Quartzsite. They have turned things around quite nicely and very positive things have been happening with many more to come. The changes over the last few years have been astounding. Our future will be amazing. I'm happy to be a part of it. Please get out and vote and please support the re-election efforts of our current town council members. Larry Lord In-Store Secure Self Storage Quartzsite, AZ GREAT PLACE TO LIVE The codes and regulations Quartz- site's residents are living by today are the result of recent cycles of council members repairing what went wrong in local government 15 years ago. Codes, which are systems of principles and rules, are created to guide leaders to ensure fairness and honesty. The current council in Quartzsite has been working with Town staff to remain fi nancially viable while improving the possibility of growth in our business community, and en- couraging developers to see the fu- ture we desire. We are working together toward a common goal to refl ect who we are...a town focusing on our future as a great place to live. A personal opinion of Quartzsite Town Council Member Karey Amon Council Recap Regular Meeting of July 12 Utility Rates Consultant Dan Jack- son, presented the 2022 Wastewa- ter and Water Rate Study and Fi- nancial Forecast to the Council and attending public. Mr. Jackson has been preparing the Town's utility rate studies for the last twenty years. Rate adjustments are a necessary part of operating a public utility in a fi nancially sound manner to the benefi t of the community. Council approved consent agenda items Ledger of Accounts paid in the total amount of $679,179.22 and minutes of the Special Meeting of June 22, 2022 and the Regular Meeting of June 28, 2022. Council voted to approve Resolu- tion No. 22-11 and Resolution No. 22012 with attached Exhibit A's in- creasing the town wastewater and water rates, fees, and charges. Ex- hibit A lists the specifi c amounts the Town will start to charge customers starting August 1, 2022 and annual for the next four years. Council will annually review the operating ex- penses to assess how infl ation may be affecting the utility department budget. Code Compliance Offi cer Jose Martinez presented the updated Town Emergency Operations Plan and Emergency Response Team Directory. There were no signifi - cant changes to the Plan other than updating contact information and COVID-19 protocols. The Plan was initially adopted in June 2021. No action was needed by Council. Council discussed the need to up- date the Town Water Master Plan and directed Town Manager Jim Ferguson to research available re- sources and knowledgeable indi- viduals to assist in the development of water conservation measures for the Town. Council discussed the current CO- VID-19 case numbers in La Paz County and recommended the Town stay with the current policy of highly recommending that masks be worn in Town facilities. • Birth • Obituary • Anniversary, etc. Place it FREE in the: Desert Messenger! 928-916-4235 Got something to share?

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