BY LINDA BENTLEY | NOVEMBER 21, 2012
Town receives national recognition for wastewater treatment plant
Cave Creek will review annexation of county area south of the highway in December
CAVE CREEK – Mayor Vincent Francia began Monday’s meeting by wishing citizens the best for the Thanksgiving season.
During Call to the Public, Toby Payne reminded everyone the 60th Annual Christmas Pageant will be held at Spur Cross Ranch on Dec. 1 and 2.
Bob Schultz (r), project manager from Burns & McDonnell, the engineering firm that designed the town’s wastewater treatment plant, presented the town with a plaque commemorating the project’s National Public Works Association Project of the Year Award in the Environmental Category for projects in the $5 million to $25 million price range.
Utilities Manager Jessica Marlow said it had been almost seven years since the town awarded the contract to Burns & McDonnell and Garney Construction under the design/build method and it was nice to see the project receive national recognition.
Representatives from both firms were present to bestow the award to the town.
With Councilman Thomas McGuire absent (on vacation in Machu Pichu), council voted unanimously to annex the right-of-way along Carefree Highway between 48th and 52nd streets.
Town Engineer Wayne Anderson said the annexation satisfies the requirements of the town’s intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Maricopa County along with the annexation of the county island area south of Carefree Highway, which he said would be brought to council in the future.
Francia said the secondary aspect of the annexation would come to council in December.
According to Anderson, the IGA had to do with Maricopa County Department of Transportation’s contribution of $630,000 toward the Cave Creek Road and Carefree Highway intersection improvements.
Vice Mayor Ernie Bunch stated it was his understanding people in the county weren’t interested in annexing into Cave Creek.
Anderson said the town’s efforts to annex the area will meet the requirements of the IGA.
While Bunch said he didn’t agree with annexing Carefree Highway into the town, fearing it could have a cost impact, he moved to approve the annexation because it was a previous commitment made by the town in order to obtain funding for the intersection improvements.
