Category Archives: City

Governor Brewer vetoes S.B. 1062

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300px_JanBrewer_CityBckgrd_2013_MDPHOENIX – Jan Brewer, Governor of Arizona, announced her decision to veto the controversial Arizona S.B. 1062.

In her statement released on the Governor’s web site, she wrote:

I took the time necessary to make the RIGHT decision. I met or spoke with my attorneys, lawmakers and citizens supporting and opposing this legislation.

…

As Governor, I have protected religious freedoms when there is a specific and present concern that exists in OUR state.

And I have the record to prove it.

She said that the bill does not address specific current concerns of the State. “I have not heard of one example in Arizona where a business owner’s religious liberty has been violated,” she said. In her veto letter, she wrote:

The concerns raised by the proponents of this bill are not unfounded. As a result of actions taken by the Obama Administration, as well as some federal and out-of-state courts, I am increasingly concerned about government’s encroachment upon our religious freedom.

In a later paragraph she notes,

Senate Bill 1062, however, does not seek to address a specific and present concern related to Arizona businesses. The out-of-state examples cited by proponents of the bill, while concerning, are issues not currently existing in Arizona.

She stated that she recognizes that religious belief about marriage is being challenged as never before. The Senate bill, she feels, had the potential to create more problems than it would solve.

Fate of the Zip Line in the hands of the City Council this Thursday.

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ZiplineWILLIAMS — The fate of the Zipline, located in the Central Business District of Williams, moves to the Williams City Council to decide their fate (PDF notice). The Planning and Zoning Committee recommended approved the special use permit for the attraction with an added stipulation. Planning and Zoning recommended a bond in the event that the Zip Line fails.

BACKGROUND

When the Zip Line was initially approved, Logan Checketts took the matter to the City Council bypassing the Historic Committee and P&Z.

In April of 2013, the Williams City Council approved 4-3 to approve the signing of a one-year lease with Soaring Eagles Zip Line at their current location.

In November, John Holst of the Red Garter Bed & Bakery—located across from the attraction—at a Council meeting commented that the owners did not follow appropriate protocol bypassing the Historic Commission and P&Z. Checketts admitted at the meeting that the ride did not meet his expectations because of weather conditions that left the ride dormant much of the season. July and August is when Williams generally gets the most rain and thunderstorms which renders the ride inoperable. Mr. Checketts also stated that he could have done more marketing for the ride. The Council declined to renew the contract by a vote of 4-2.

Logan renewed efforts to retain the event by submitting a special use permit following the procedures.

At the February 11 Historic Committee meeting, the committee voted 5-0 to not allow the Zip Line to continue despite support for the attraction.

PLANNING AND ZONING

The support at the P&Z meeting on February 20th came mostly from business owners with one resident speaking for the project. There was one resident against the project because of the noise and John Holst tried to argue some technical matters.

Owner Logan Checketts spoke first concerning the background of the Zip Line. Last year, he explained, he went directly to the council to get approval. When he went this year to get permission, they council denied that permission recommending he go through the Historic Commission and Planning and Zoning.

As for the code, he claims that 12-17.06 of the City Code allows for the permit. (a) 1 of that code states, “Any use permitted by the existing zones over which historic district zoning is superimposed shall be allowed.”

He went on to say, “From the business perspective of it, and from the neighboring businesses, I’ve personally taken an interest in going out and visiting with many of the next door neighbors” to see how the structure has impacted their businesses after a year. He said that all of them except one were in favor of the ride. He added that if it was a simple majority, the city would probably vote for it, but he was grateful that the code was clear on the subject.

Checketts explained that Soaring Eagles Zip Line pays a percentage of the gross to the city for rental which came to around $30,000 last year. He pointed out that it also provided employment for about fifteen young adults over the summer.

He also pointed out the great expense that they put into giving the Zip Line a route 66 theme. At his other locations they have not themed their Zip Lines according to the area.

P&Z Chairman “Buck” Williams then opened the floor for questions after pointing out that he was in possession of seven letters—six of which were in favor of the attraction.

Williams resident Fred Reese asked if the project was making any profits. Checketts said yes and in response to further questioning said that the agreement is to pay 18% of gross plus a 3% sales tax making it 21% of gross going to the city.

Patty Williams said that it was her understanding that the ride was to come all the way to the ground so that it would be handicap accessible, but there are steps to climb to get to the ride. Logan admitted that it was not handicap accessible.

John Holst, the owner of Red Garter, said that the special use permit was supposed to have a narrative which explains the special use and the time period. He argued that without a time period it is no longer a special use.

City Building Inspector Tim Pettit interrupted to ask where he got this information and Holst replied that he obtained it from the City of Williams web site. Pettit admitted that it was on the web site, but not written in the code. According to Pettit, the code does not specify a time period for a special use permit, so theoretically a special use permit could be good for five-, ten- or even twenty-years if approved.

They went on to argue over whether or not the ride is a permanent or temporary structure. Pettit claims it is temporary.

Resident Jerry Anthony spoke in favor of the Zip Line asking more about the financial end and asking if the company would consider upping the percentage to Williams to as much as 35% of the gross since the initial install costs were already made.

Checketts explained that the total install cost was around $600,000.

Thomas Ross of I-40 Fleet Rentals and Sean Casey of Bearizona spoke in favor of the attraction. Mr. Ross mentioned other attractions such as Cadallac Ranch and the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, but these items are privately owned attractions.

The Zip Line issue will be settled by the Williams City Council this Thursday.

Level 4 water restrictions in effect in Williams

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20131206_152034WILLIAMS – As if to become the poster child for global warming, while two-thirds of the nation are under snow and ice northern Arizona has been experiencing summer-like weather. Recently some have complained about allergies as if spring were here.

There are slight chances of rain this week including a 100% chance Friday with slight chances of snow continuing into next week. The moisture moving into the area, however, does not appear likely to stay the Level 4 water restrictions that the City of Williams has already had to impose. This could chance as conditions change.

The Santa Fe reservoir has been virtually ice-free since December which is totally uncharacteristic for this time of the year. In addition the water level has dropped to dangerously low levels.

The notice from the City of Williams web site is as follows:

URGENT NOTICE EFFECTIVE: February 25, 2014 (unless otherwise noted)

Due to the extremely dry winter the City’s water reservoir levels are at critically low levels. To protect the City’s ability to provide water for our most basic needs, according to Title 8 – Article 4.08 of the City Code, the City must enact immediately the following Water Conservation Measure:

Resource Status Level 4: Water Crisis.
(i) The following water uses are restricted or prohibited. No person shall:

(1) Do any of the acts prescribed in previous status level restrictions.
(washing vehicles, washing outdoor areas, refilling swimming pools, etc.)
(2) Use potable or raw water for irrigation.
(3) Use potable or raw water for any purpose other than public health or emergency purposes.
(4) Use potable or raw water in violation of any other restriction deemed necessary by the City Council. (none at this time)
(5) No new building permits will be issued (those currently in the pipeline excluded)
(6) All commercial water hauling is stopped except for residential purposes.

While these are the most severe restrictions possible under City Code, they have been deemed necessary to ensure our ability to continue meeting the basic water needs of our community. Given the severity of the situation, Resource Status Level 4: Water Crisis includes, but is not limited to, the following penalties for violations of restrictions:

1. Excessive Water Consumption Rates: During Resource Status Level 3 and Resource Status Level 4, Single Family Residential rates shall increase to one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the established rate for any water consumption between fifteen thousand (15,000) and twenty thousand (20,000) gallons.

Rate shall increase to two hundred percent (200%) of the established rate for any water consumption greater than twenty thousand (20,000) gallons per billing cycle. Rate increases shall take effect with the current billing cycle, which began immediately following the date of your last meter read (indicated on your enclosed bill).

2. Violation Surcharges and Appeals: When a violation of the Water Restrictions is observed…the following surcharges will apply to all violations…
(3)A surcharge of one hundred dollars ($100.00) shall be assessed to the account of record for a violation of Resource Status Level 4.
(4) Surcharges shall double for every repeat violation.

Restrictions on Business and Industrial Uses include:

All businesses and industries using City water shall be restricted to the use of the amount of water used by the business or industry during the corresponding month of the year preceding the effective date hereof.

The City is working to identify any possible measures to ease the situation on several fronts. These include identifying possible new sources of water that can be used by the City. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with this very difficult situation.

Job opening at Motel & RV Park.

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Front Office: Motel & RV Park Office

Self Starter ~ Performance Driven ~ Quick Learner ~ Detail Oriented & Attentive. Positions available both full & part time, seasonal & long term. Must be able to multi-task, good under pressure, be able to handle volume and provide excellent customer service. Must be computer literate and have admirable phone skills. Person must be friendly and able to work well with others & the general public. Great hospitality skills is a Super Plus+.

Hourly Salary is based on skill level, knowledge, performance and reliability. Schedule to be determined. Please e-mail your resume to canyonmotel@aol.com with your list of skills, past employers, references etc. Looking for someone who makes a difference to join our team. SENIORS & RETIRED applicants are viewed as advantageous.

Northern Arizona Authors Association meets Saturday.

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The Northern Arizona Authors Association meets this Saturday, February 22d at the Wild West Junction in Williams. The meeting will start at 2 p.m.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office & Taverna Greek Grill Sponsor Tip-A-Cop Fundraiser for Special Olympics on Feb 18

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Flagstaff – Join the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and Taverna Greek Grill, 420 S Woodland Blvd in Flagstaff, to raise funds for Northern Arizona Special Olympics athletes.  The Tip-A-Cop event will be held on Tuesday, February 18, 2014.  All day, 15% of sales will go toward AZ Special Olympics.  From 5 pm – 9 pm Sheriff’s Office employees will be assisting the waiters and helping to serve you.  Officers will be accepting any tax deductible charitable donations you wish to give to help support local AZ Special Olympics athletes.

Special Olympic events were created for children and adults with intellectual disabilities to explore their abilities in a variety of sports and physical activities.  The Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) is a branch of Special Olympics that was founded by the International Association of Chiefs of Police in the 1980’s.  LETR is committed not only to raising funds for Special Olympics Athletes, but also to sharing awareness and promoting opportunities for the athletes.  In Arizona, Special Olympics offers 22 sporting events, 170 programs and five statewide competitions for over 13,000 athletes each year.

The Law Enforcement Torch Run earned its name because law enforcement personnel run, walk, and bicycle carrying the Special Olympics Torch to its destination for local, state, and worldwide Special Olympics Games.  As such, law enforcement has become the “Guardian of the Flame” for Special Olympics.  Later this spring, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office will again be among the law enforcement agencies that guard the Flame of Hope as it journeys through our state and makes its way to the summer state games in Phoenix, AZ.

In preparation for those games and to help raise funds for our local athletes to train and participate in the sporting events, we are kicking off 2014 with Tip-A-Cop at Taverna Greek Grill in Flagstaff.  We also will be working with community partners throughout Coconino County for additional Tip-A-Cop events and other fundraising opportunities as we help athletes realize their goals and promote community awareness for Special Olympics.  Watch for these and other events on our Facebook page CoconinoSO and our Twitter account CoconinoSheriff:

  • AZ Special Olympics Winter Games are February 21-22, 2014 in Flagstaff
  • Polar Plunge fundraiser is March 8, 2014 in Flagstaff
  • AZ Special Olympics Summer Games are May 1-3, 2014 in Phoenix

To learn more about the Arizona Special Olympics, please visit the website:  http://www.specialolympicsarizona.org

You also can learn more about the partnership of Arizona law enforcement officers and Special Olympics athletes in a series of videos highlighting their stories.  Athlete Christopher Lee and Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Detention Sergeant Corey Ringenberg share their stories at:  http://youtu.be/B-TCXC25Dxo.  A new video is scheduled to be unveiled each month, so watch for more videos and get to know some of the athletes.

Great weather for Grand Canyon “free” days.

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Grand_Canyon
Grand Canyon – While northern Arizona is suffering a dangerously mild winter, it will make the entrance free days this President’s Day weekend a delight. It is also the off-season so the traffic should be light. Temperatures are expected to be 67 tomorrow dropping to 62 on Sunday and 59-degrees on Washington’s Birthday. Entry into the Canyon will be free February 15 through Monday the 17th.

The problem with the weather is that if northern Arizona does not get significant snowfall the rest of this winter, we could have a dangerously dry summer causing closures of camping areas and cutting into the tourist trade.

Three Arrested for Weapons Misconduct

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suspects hernandez campos mastFlagstaff – On February 5, 2014 Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies assigned to the Williams/Grand Canyon Patrol District arrested twenty year-old Jose Manuel Hernandez, eighteen year-old Christian Campos and eighteen year-old Victoria Mast for two counts of Weapon Misconduct and two counts of Harassment on each suspect.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a residence located outside the city limits of Williams and within the unincorporated area of Coconino County on the report of explosions and harassment from the same victim on four different occasions. The residence is located in a housing area that borders the Elephant Rocks Golf Course. According to the victim on each occasion he would hear the sound of as many as three loud explosions in close proximity to his home. During each separate response investigating Deputies would observe and collect as many as three plastic bottles that were partially destroyed by an explosion. Most of the bottles collected exhibited signs of melting possibly as the result of a chemical reaction within the bottle and a subsequent explosion. The evidence collected is indicative of chemical bombs created by placing some type of volatile chemical or chemical compound in the bottle and sealing it with aluminum foil.

The reported crimes occurred on January 21st, 22nd, 23rd and the 29th of 2013. On January 22nd one of the investigating Deputies made contact with the office of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and appraised a Federal ATF Agent of the reports, the subsequent investigations and of evidence collected. Deputies became aware that Williams Police Officers were investigating multiple incidents of eggs thrown at parked vehicles within Williams City Limits. A Williams Police Officer informed the Sheriff’s Office he observed the above listed individuals in the area of the harassment victim’s neighborhood.

During interviews with Deputies all of the above three suspects made statement implicating them in the crimes of Weapon Misconduct and Harassment.

Coconino County Sheriff’s office seeks information on Chase Reed Willet

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missing-chase-reed-willet-300pxFLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Sheriff’s office and Flagstaff Police are seeking information on a 15-year old runaway.

Chase Reed Willet was last seen getting off of the bus at Mount Elden Middle School in Flagstaff on February 4 at about 7:15 am. When last seen, he was wearing a white sweater with gray skulls on it, blue jeans and white sneakers with red trim.

Chase is a white male, 5′ 4″ weighing 100 pounds. He has brown hair and blue eyes and a 1-inch scar on his right cheek.

Anyone with information should call the Coconino County Sheriff at 928-774-4523 or 1-800-338-7888. You can also call Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.

Man Arrested for Multiple Criminal Offenses Including Theft of Automobile and Unlawful Flight from Law Enforcement

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Capobianco-300pxFLAGSTAFF – On Tuesday, February 4, 2014 at about 7:30 p.m. Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies Arrested forty six year-old James Capobianco Jr. of Sedona Arizona for Theft of Automobile, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana, Unlawful Flight from a Law Enforcement Officer, Aggravated DUI on a Suspended License, and Reckless Driving.

On February 4, 2014 at 7:06 p.m. the Sheriff’s Office received the report of the theft of a 1969 Chevrolet pickup truck bearing an Arizona license plate from the owner’s residence located off of Highway 89A in Oak Creek Canyon. A Deputy spotted the vehicle headed north bound on 89A in the area of the Pinedale Subdivision.A second Deputy and an Arizona Department of Public Safety Officer were stopped on 89A in the area of the entrance to Fort Tuthill. As the stolen vehicle and the following Deputy passed, the second Deputy and Officer fell in behind the first two vehicles.

As the suspect vehicle passed the entrance to the Mountain Dell subdivision a Deputy observed the speed to be approximately seventy miles per hour. Deputies engaged their vehicles emergency lights and siren and the suspect failed to yield accelerating as it made a right turn on Lake Mary Road. The vehicle turned onto West High County squealing its tires as it negotiated the turn. The vehicle continued on West High Country at a high rate of speed almost rear ending vehicles in front of it and passing in a reckless manner. At this point and in the interest of public safety the on duty supervisor advised the involved Deputies to terminate the pursuit. A Deputy could see through the trees that the fleeing vehicle stopped approximately fifty yards ahead of the location where the deputies had stopped pursuing the vehicle.

Deputies approached the vehicle and saw the DPS Officer chasing the driver later identified as James Capobianco Jr. on foot. They joined the foot chase and a Deputy was able to make physical contact with the fleeing suspect. Initially the suspect physically resisted arrest but eventually complied and was taken into custody without injury to himself or the arresting Deputies.

During this investigation Deputies learned that approximately four months prior to this incident a female relative of the suspect’s sold her vehicle to the victim. The suspect allegedly retained a spare set of keys to the vehicle and used the keys to steal the vehicle. During an interview with arresting Deputies the suspect made statements implicating him in the above listed offenses.