News

The Baca Float Coalition is hosting a Town Hall Meeting to bring the community up to date on the Palo Parado road and bridge project.

Town Hall Meeting on Palo Parado
Wednesday, March 17 at 6:00 pm
Rio Rico Community Center
391 Avenida Coatimundi (next to the fitness center)

The purpose is to inform residents on Palo Parado, the current project and the proposed road and bridge project. County Manager Greg Lucero and Leonard Fontes of CPE consultants will provide information on County efforts and what the project requires to carry it to completion.

Representatives of Congressman Grijalva and Congresswoman Giffords offices will be in attendance and explain the process for funding requests and the efforts of our representatives to obtain the necessary Federal funding to complete this important public works project. Their efforts are vital to our success in getting these funds for the county to move forward with the long promised bridge for public safety, economic benefit to residents, the school district, and businesses.

Everyone is invited to attend, learn and ask questions.

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It takes time to build a road from the ground up.

Crews from the Santa Cruz County Public Works Department began building 750 feet of road at the Palo Parado crossing in Rio Rico on Jan. 25 and expect to finish by April 1.

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Palo Parado

A hearing is set for Wednesday, March 10, by the Arizona Corporation Commission on a request by Liberty Water, to double its rates for Rio Rico customers.

Martin Garlant, operations manager for the firm, said the increase will actually be about 98 percent.

The application to the ACC, however, outlines a 111.36 percent hike to water rates based on an average usage of 8,548 gallons. The rate, according to a summary, would climb to $42.17 per month from the current $19.94.

Sewer rates for single-family residential structures, meantime, would be reduced by $2.71 from $56.36 to $53.65. Most Rio Rico residences, however, have septic systems and are not connected to the Liberty Water sewer lines.

Rudy Molera, Santa Cruz County supervisor, whose district represents the southwest side of Rio Rico, said he plans to introduce a resolution this week opposing the rate increase.

On Friday, he hosted a meeting at the county complex attended by about 40 persons. Garlant presented the company's position. Residents received instructions and forms on how to comment to the ACC about the rates.

"I plan to ask Commissioner Paul Newman to have the hearing in Rio Rico if it's not too late to make the change," Molera said.

In August 2008, the company, owned by Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp., consolidated 18 water and wastewater companies in Arizona, Texas and Missouri under the name of Liberty Water, including the one formerly known as Rio Rico Utilities.

That same month, the Nogales International interviewed Garlant who announced that the company would be seeking rate increases to help pay for capital improvements. In November last year, Liberty Water sent notices along with water bills to its customers.

Countering allegations that the rate increase is to subsidize the purchase of the system, Garlant said the utility company has not changed hands since it was purchased from Citizens Utilities Co., in 1993.

Responding to criticism that the company chose the worst economic times to implement a rate hike, Garlant said, "We understand because we are also affected by that economic downturn and that is why we have applied to the ACC for a low-income tariff program to assist customers experiencing financial hardships," he said.

The company has invested $8.1 million into the system, Garlant said, including about $350,000 into the sewer system.

The improvements have included the renovation of three water plants to improve service and fire-flow capabilities; drilling new wells capable of producing about 3 million gallons of water per day; the installation of new piping underneath Interstate 19 to boost services to customers in southwest Rio Rico; and the renovation of an existing water well, including the replacement of the pump, motor and controls.

Among the improvements to the wastewater system was the installation of four lift stations to channel the sewage to the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant.

"We have replaced equipment that is 25-years to 30-years old and at the end of its life," Garlant said.

"These assets had to be replaced. The company is not allowed to apply for an increase to make capital investments," he said. "We first must make the investments and then apply for rate increases."

"We have done our best to provide top-notch service to our customers," Garlant said. "We have even received awards from the Arizona Water Association for the quality and stability of the system. These are water and wastewater professionals."

The company received the awards in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006.

The company was created in 1993 with assets purchased from Citizens Utilities. Since then, they have applied for two rate increases in 1995 and in 2003. This would be the third.

The ACC comprises five elected commissioners and has the responsibility to ensure that rates provide the utility company recovery of its operating expenses and a fair rate of return.

The March 10 meeting is open to the public and will be in Tucson at the ACC office in Room 222 at 400 W. Congress St. Comments will be heard at the beginning of the first day of the hearing.

Comments may also be submitted to the commissioners prior to March 10, at Arizona Corporation Commission, Consumer Services Section, 1200 W. Washington, Phoenix, Ariz., 85007, reference Docket No. WS-02676A-09-0275.

E-mail comments to the ACC at www.azcc.gov.

By Manuel C. Coppola, Nogales International

Read related article by a concerned Rio Rico resident here.

In time for spring picnics and Easter Sunday barbeques, Pena Blanca Lake is again open to the public after the lake bottom soil was cleaned of contaminants.

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A new fire station in northeast Rio Rico is expected to be completed by the end of February.

The Tubac Fire District's Station No. 3 is at 333 Camino Josephina, 3.3 miles east of Pendleton Drive. Presently, the fire and medical responders are working out of a rented home in the area. A grand opening for the fire station will be held in early March, Tubac Fire Chief Kevin Keeley said.

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Arizona Senate and House leaders praised the proposed Rosemont Copper mine as "a tremendous economic opportunity" in a letter to a federal official this week, saying they were writing "on behalf of the Arizona State Senate and House of Representatives."

But after a day filled with criticism from Southern Arizona lawmakers, they backpedaled, saying the issue was "not as simple as we first thought."

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On March 10, 2010 at 10:00 AM, the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) will hold a hearing regarding Liberty Water's (formerly Rio Rico Utilities, Inc.) request for a 111.36% rate increase for all water customers within the utility.

If the ACC approves this 111.36% increase in water rates, customers of Liberty Water will see their bills more than double.

Rio Rico water customers have an opportunity to shares their views about the proposed rate increase by contacting the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Karen Rogers, a Rio Rico resident has provided a background on this issue and has listed some methods for users to contest the rate increase. Read her article on the VIEWS page here.

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A bill that would withdraw most federal land in Southern Arizona from future mining claims won support Thursday at a congressional hearing from several federal agencies and numerous Southern Arizona residents, including FICO co-owner Nan Walden of Sahuarita.

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Pima County officials have told Asarco it must explain by Jan. 27 how it will prevent future dust violations at the Mission Mine complex after denying the mine's request for a 30-day delay.

The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality on Dec. 23 issued Asarco a violation notice for a Nov. 12 dust storm and on Dec. 31 issued another for a similar Dec. 22 incident that covered much of Rancho Resort in gray dust.

The problems occurred during construction work to increase the height of the mound of tailings, a powdery residue left by the mining process. The top of the mound was left dry and high winds whipped up dust.

Each county notice required a response within 30 days that would explain what corrective action would be taken.

On Friday, S. Scott Porter, enforcement manager for Pima County Department of Environmental Quality, sent a letter to Asarco's Senior Environmental Manager Arturo Burgos at the Mission Complex saying, "due to the seriousness of the violations and PDEQ's duty to address the regulatory compliance-related issues as expeditiously as possible, your request is denied."

That means Asarco must explain by Jan. 27 what corrective action it will take for the Nov. 12 dust storm and by Feb. 6 for the later episode.

Asarco's Burgos, in a letter dated Jan. 8, requested a 30-day delay because the two incidents involve "substantially identically situations and allegations" and because it would give the mine more time to bring in outside assistance and evaluate new ideas for feasibility and to ensure they have no other adverse environmental consequences.

Burgos wrote that finding measures to address the combination of increasing the height of the mine tailing dam and high winds cannot be completed by Jan. 22, noting that "tailing dust management is a complex matter without easy solutions that are technically and financially viable and that avoid other equally undesirable environmental consequences."

By Philip Franchine, Green Valley News

pfranchine@gvnews.com | 547-9738

Tubac Presidio State Historic Park was closed in July and August 2002 for 31 days because of state budget problems, but that's nothing compared to a decision made Friday.

The Arizona State Parks Board voted to close the Tubac park starting March 29 for an undetermined period. Patagonia Lake State Park will likely remain open, but it and eight other parks are now dependent on having the agency finding $3 million by June, the end of the fiscal year.

"It was with a heavy heart and reluctantly that the board took this action," Rene Bahl, executive director of Arizona State Parks, said in a telephone interview. "They had no choice."

The Legislature in December took away $8.6 million from the parks budget to assist in balancing the state budget. State parks have lost more than half of their funding since summer.

The vote also means that three state parks will be closed Feb. 22, five state parks will be closed March 29 and five state parks will be closed June 3.

In Tubac, representatives of 11 organizations came together Jan. 12 to talk about protecting the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park after it is closed, and to discuss whether local groups might be able to work with the state to re-open the park through volunteer labor and donations.

"We can't stop the park from being closed. But we need to look at how we preserve the park in the short term until it can be re-opened. We want to keep it from falling into disrepair or seeing vandalism," said Carol Cullen, who moderated the meeting.

The representatives asked Cullen, former executive director of the Tubac Chamber of Commerce, to speak for them Friday in Phoenix, which she did as a volunteer. Among the groups are the Tubac Historical Society, the Anza Trail Coalition of Arizona, the Tubac Rotary Club, the Santa Cruz Valley Citizens Council, the Tubac Chamber of Commerce, the Tubac Center of the Arts, "A Park for Tubac," the Tubac chapter of the Arizona Archaeology Association, the Tumacacori National Historical Park, the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance and the Tubac Community Center Foundation.

Representatives of the 11 groups said they intend to work on a plan that can be reviewed by Arizona State Parks to see if the park can be kept open.

Bahl said it cost the agency $193,000 during the 2009 fiscal year to run the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. She said that's a "ballpark" figure for the future operation, but that without significant money it's unclear if or how a plan based on volunteer manpower would work.

Changes since the 2009 fiscal year include that the park's staff has dropped to two employees from three, and the park is open five days a week, down from seven. Entry fees are due to rise from $3 to $4 per adult on March 1.

The park board meeting in Phoenix Friday drew crowds of concerned people. Cullen said that 38 people spoke during "call to the public," each limited to three minutes. When she spoke, she explained that many people in Tubac want to help keep the park open.

"Our economic viability depends on this park," she said. But because Tubac isn't a city or town, it "makes a difference in how the state interacts with us." She said she asked that the agency find a way to work with the groups even though they don't represent a local government. Cullen said the response from a few individual board members who spoke to her was encouraging.

During the telephone interview after Friday's meeting, Bahl was asked what she envisioned if the park in Tubac must be closed after all.

"We don't have a firm plan yet for Tubac," she said. "The last thing we want to do is to close the park." But, she said, if that occurs, she believes the agency would try to "create solutions and work with the community. The priority would be to secure the resources."

Bahl was asked what it would take to get all the state parks re-opened in the future. One idea that has been developed, she said, it to propose a mandatory $9 annual addition to the vehicle registration fee and it would provide sufficient revenue. She said a bill would have to be introduced which would require a two-thirds approval in the Legislature. Alternately, the legislature, with a 50 percent-plus-one vote, could approve sending the proposal to the voters in November.

Other potential remedies, some requiring statutory or budgetary changes, to maximize the agency's budget were recommended to the state parks board and several of those were approved.

Cullen said State Rep. Pat Fleming, D-District 25, which includes Rio Rico, Nogales and Cochise County, pulled together legislators who want to help protect the parks. Fleming, in a press release, said she anticipated those would include Rep. Barbara McGuire, D-Kearny (District 23), Rep. Lynne Pancrazi, D-Yuma (District 24), House Democratic Whip Chad Campbell, D-Phoenix (District 14), House Democratic Leader Pro Tem Jack Brown, D-St. Johns (District 5), Rep. Tom Chabin, D-Flagstaff (District 2) and Rep. Chris Deschene, D-St. Michaels (District 2).

Another state park in Santa Cruz County, Sonoita Creek State Natural Area, will "continue to be managed passively and on an on-call basis through Patagonia Lake State Park," according to the agency.

The nine parks that are staying open for the time being will require $3 million, Bahl said. The agency is looking for something "short term such as some type of loan which would be repaid." In addition to Patagonia Lake State Park, the other parks in that group are Buckskin Mountain State Park, Catalina State Park, Cattail Cove State Park, Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area, Kartchner Caverns State Park, Lake Havasu State Park and Slide Rock State Park.

The local group's next meeting is planned for Jan. 21, at 1 p.m. at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park.

Tubac Presidio State Historic Park was Arizona's first state park and was dedicated Sept. 29, 1958. The park preserves the ruins of the oldest Spanish Presidio site in Arizona, San Ignacio de Tubac, established in 1752. The park also preserves and interprets one of the oldest Territorial Schoolhouses and the park exhibits the hand press used to print the first newspaper in Arizona in 1859.

By Kathleen Vandervoet, Special to the Santa Cruz Valley Sun News

Reach the writer at kathleenvan@msn.com.

PLANS FOR STATE PARKS

Closing Feb. 22: Homolovi Ruins, Lyman Lake and Riordan Mansion

Closing March 29: Fort Verde, Roper Lake, Tombstone Courthouse, Tubac Presidio and Yuma Territorial Prison

Closing June 3: Alamo Lake, Lost Dutchman, Picacho Peak, Red Rock and Tonto Natural Bridge

Remain open: Buckskin Mountain, Catalina, Cattail Cove, Dead Horse Ranch, Fool Hollow, Kartchner Caverns, Lake Havasu, Patagonia Lake and Slide Rock

Remain open with alternative funders: Yuma Quartermaster Depot

Parks closed last year (will remain closed): Jerome, McFarland, Oracle, Sonoita Creek and Verde River Greenway

Source: Arizona State Parks