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Nichols named new Benson city manager
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
Glenn Nichols is the official city manager of Benson.
The City Council unanimously approved the measure Monday night, leaving his annual salary at $105,000. Nichols has been the interim city manager since July. He has been paid to act as the interim manager and the police chief for the $105,000 salary.
Nichols took over for Martin Roush, who was terminated. Roush was hired two years ago after the council terminated Boyd Kraemer.
Councilman John Lodzinski said after going outside the city and hiring two city managers in the last five years who didn't work out, he felt confident that it was time to hire within the city, and noted that the public seems happy with Nichols' performance to date.
The council also had to amend the city code to hire Nichols as the full-time manager. The former code stated that the city manager had to live within the city limits. Lodzinski said considering Nichols has lived about two miles outside the city limits for the last 10 years, it wouldn't be fair to require him to move.
While the council and Nichols had talked about his continuing has police chief as well, after an executive session, the council opted to appoint Lt. Paul Moncada interim police chief.
Councilwoman Jo Deen Boncquet said she would like to start looking for a full-time police chief in the next six months.
The council did not discuss whether or not Moncada would receive a pay increase with the added duties.
In other business, the council received an update on the Butterfield Plaza project. Work to bring the 4th Street shopping center up to code is nearing completion as explained by Michael McMillan of Brown & Associates, the city's third-party engineering firm.
McMillan gave the council an update on the process that has taken more than a year, starting with the city's condemning the shopping center on 4th Street, which has anchor stores Safeway and Ace Hardware.
McMillan said the sewer, water and gas issues are being taken care of, and the bracing that once had to be put on the back of the building for safety has been removed. An engineer has deemed the building safe without the braces.
McMillan said he expects the project to be complete within the next few weeks. The only problems to note were some water issues with the vacant store between Safeway and Ace Hardware, and that the Beijing Chinese Restaurant is making the required improvements and could be reopened within the next few weeks.
Councilman David Lambert said when the city first condemned the building last year, construction was supposed to take 20 days. The first-term council member asked why it has taken almost a year.
"They ran into some problems as they started going through the building," McMillan said. "And, the contractor hired for the job sets the pace for the work."
The economy continues to take its toll on the city, as City Finance Director Jim Cox presented a preliminary outlook on what the capital improvements plan in the coming years. With the construction industry slowing down, Cox said so is the city's spending.
Cox said there is no need for a public hearing on the plan because they are only proposing a few projects over the next five years. Cox said the highest-priced project on the list is $250,000 to remove the arsenic from the SKP well. However, the project will only move forward if they get a grant to pay for it.
Other proposed projects include work at the Benson Wastewater Treatment Facility and the Benson Municipal Airport.
In other business, the council discussed possibly changing the city's logo, which they currently have to pay a license fee to use.
Cox said this issue has been discussed several times over the last few years, and recently City Clerk Vicki Vivian found some old proposals created several years ago.
Of the drawings, Cox said the staff thought one of them stood out, and presented it to the council. Council members liked the logo that abandons the current design of a train inside a circle with a lot of color, and focuses more on the San Pedro River. With the Benson title, underneath the logo says "gateway to the San Pedro Valley."
Cox said the current logo is not the city's, and they have to pay a license fee to use it. Over time, approving a new logo will be cost effective, Cox said.
Council members looked at the different fonts of the design, gave some feedback, but did not officially vote on the measure.
In code issues, the council approved some changes in city code as recommended by McMillan and Fire Chief Keith Spangler. Spangler has been working over the last several months to update building codes.
In another measure, which city officials said is simply housekeeping, the council approved updates to the city's impact fees for in-fill zones. The city currently offers builders incentives to build in downtown with a set $500 impact fee. Building outside the in-fill zone can cost between $5,000 and $10,000.
Brad Hamilton, the city's public works director, said the council's approval was needed in updating the map of the in-fill zone. He said it was simply updating information, and had nothing to do with any particular project.
With the approval, the council also agreed to declare it an emergency. Hamilton explained that by declaring an emergency, the new maps are put into code immediately, instead of the city's having to wait 45 days for it to take effect.
Glenn Nichols is the official city manager of Benson.
The City Council unanimously approved the measure Monday night, leaving his annual salary at $105,000. Nichols has been the interim city manager since July. He has been paid to act as the interim manager and the police chief for the $105,000 salary.
Nichols took over for Martin Roush, who was terminated. Roush was hired two years ago after the council terminated Boyd Kraemer.
Councilman John Lodzinski said after going outside the city and hiring two city managers in the last five years who didn't work out, he felt confident that it was time to hire within the city, and noted that the public seems happy with Nichols' performance to date.
The council also had to amend the city code to hire Nichols as the full-time manager. The former code stated that the city manager had to live within the city limits. Lodzinski said considering Nichols has lived about two miles outside the city limits for the last 10 years, it wouldn't be fair to require him to move.
While the council and Nichols had talked about his continuing has police chief as well, after an executive session, the council opted to appoint Lt. Paul Moncada interim police chief.
Councilwoman Jo Deen Boncquet said she would like to start looking for a full-time police chief in the next six months.
The council did not discuss whether or not Moncada would receive a pay increase with the added duties.
In other business, the council received an update on the Butterfield Plaza project. Work to bring the 4th Street shopping center up to code is nearing completion as explained by Michael McMillan of Brown & Associates, the city's third-party engineering firm.
McMillan gave the council an update on the process that has taken more than a year, starting with the city's condemning the shopping center on 4th Street, which has anchor stores Safeway and Ace Hardware.
McMillan said the sewer, water and gas issues are being taken care of, and the bracing that once had to be put on the back of the building for safety has been removed. An engineer has deemed the building safe without the braces.
McMillan said he expects the project to be complete within the next few weeks. The only problems to note were some water issues with the vacant store between Safeway and Ace Hardware, and that the Beijing Chinese Restaurant is making the required improvements and could be reopened within the next few weeks.
Councilman David Lambert said when the city first condemned the building last year, construction was supposed to take 20 days. The first-term council member asked why it has taken almost a year.
"They ran into some problems as they started going through the building," McMillan said. "And, the contractor hired for the job sets the pace for the work."
The economy continues to take its toll on the city, as City Finance Director Jim Cox presented a preliminary outlook on what the capital improvements plan in the coming years. With the construction industry slowing down, Cox said so is the city's spending.
Cox said there is no need for a public hearing on the plan because they are only proposing a few projects over the next five years. Cox said the highest-priced project on the list is $250,000 to remove the arsenic from the SKP well. However, the project will only move forward if they get a grant to pay for it.
Other proposed projects include work at the Benson Wastewater Treatment Facility and the Benson Municipal Airport.
In other business, the council discussed possibly changing the city's logo, which they currently have to pay a license fee to use.
Cox said this issue has been discussed several times over the last few years, and recently City Clerk Vicki Vivian found some old proposals created several years ago.
Of the drawings, Cox said the staff thought one of them stood out, and presented it to the council. Council members liked the logo that abandons the current design of a train inside a circle with a lot of color, and focuses more on the San Pedro River. With the Benson title, underneath the logo says "gateway to the San Pedro Valley."
Cox said the current logo is not the city's, and they have to pay a license fee to use it. Over time, approving a new logo will be cost effective, Cox said.
Council members looked at the different fonts of the design, gave some feedback, but did not officially vote on the measure.
In code issues, the council approved some changes in city code as recommended by McMillan and Fire Chief Keith Spangler. Spangler has been working over the last several months to update building codes.
In another measure, which city officials said is simply housekeeping, the council approved updates to the city's impact fees for in-fill zones. The city currently offers builders incentives to build in downtown with a set $500 impact fee. Building outside the in-fill zone can cost between $5,000 and $10,000.
Brad Hamilton, the city's public works director, said the council's approval was needed in updating the map of the in-fill zone. He said it was simply updating information, and had nothing to do with any particular project.
With the approval, the council also agreed to declare it an emergency. Hamilton explained that by declaring an emergency, the new maps are put into code immediately, instead of the city's having to wait 45 days for it to take effect.
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