PRESCOTT - In a public presentation and a private discussion, the City Council will focus on water issues this week.
During its regular voting session at 3 p.m. Tuesday, the council will hear a presentation from Water Management Analyst Connie Tucker about the city's water portfolio.
City Manager Steve Norwood said Tucker's report would include information about the amount of water the city has available to it, and the source of the water.
"There are always questions about how much water we have - especially after the settlement of the (Deep Well Ranch) agreement," Norwood said, referring to the city's recent approval of a pre-annexation agreement that settles a 1967 agreement between the city and the Deep Well Ranch.
In the pre-annexation agreement, the city satisfied a 42-year-old easement pact that obligated the city to provide water to the ranchland in exchange for a waterline easement through the land.
Norwood expects Tucker's report to last 20 to 30 minutes.
Then, at the end of the public session, the council will conduct a closed-door executive session to discuss the city's ongoing litigation with the Salt River Project over water in the Paulden-area Big Chino sub-basin.
Norwood said that discussion aims to inform the new council members about upcoming court proceedings on the issue, such as a January Maricopa County Superior Court hearing on the constitutionality of the state statute that gave Prescott the authority to import water from the Big Chino.
The executive session will provide a forum for council members to discuss "What's our strategy if we win, and our strategy if we don't win," Norwood said.
In other action, the council will:
• Vote on an ordinance change that would simplify the city's tax and licensing for small vendors at church and holiday bazaars.
• Hear a quarterly report by Prescott's Arizona Centennial City Committee Chairman Barbara Gilliss.
• Hear a presentation by students at Northpoint Expeditionary Learning Academy regarding a trip they are taking to Thailand.
Reader Comments
Posted: Saturday, December 12, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Regardless of the merit of his other arguments, it would seem most of you to fail to see the object of primary importance in Tom's statement - we are spreading an increasingly limited resource thinner than is necessary or prudent. We presently reside in a relatively novel situation, as compared with the rest of the American Southwest, in that we have ready access to adequate local water. This positive situation will remain so only if we act as responsible stewards of our water resources, ethically and politically. Perhaps it is time to accept overarching limits to city growth, as contrary to the concept of "endless growth for endless profit" that might be. It is time to begin considering isolated, regional sustainability, and I want you all to consider this in light of the direction world leaders are intent on leading us toward.
Posted: Thursday, December 10, 2009
Article comment by:
Reggie Passmore
Well Tom i see your facts are sound as ever. The facts you have came right out of cracker jacks. Seems like Liberals like you do more name calling than studying the truth and how about listening to all studies and talk with people who know whats going on. Howard Mechanic must be proud of you spiel.
Posted: Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Article comment by:
Christopher
So Tom, whose water supply is that? I notice you used the rhetorical "your" in reference to the water supply. As it stands, the water under each property is owned by the property owner per his bundle of rights. The limit is the well capacity limited to 35 gal per min. As to municipal water, the issue is one of fire demand at a certain rate sustained over a period of time (depends upon the use). That's a capacity issue not a daily demand consumption issue. So whose water depends upon the intent, whether it is for municipal fire flow or the private well. The well water is owned by the property owners whether they have developed or not. It does not belong to the rhetorical collective "your water supply". You don't own the water under someone's property, therefore the arguments to stop growth based upon the private well use don't really have an impact upon the general welfare as a matter of equity, and to prevent the owner the right to develop his property when other owners have the same enjoyment of the right would be a very expensive 5th Amendment taking. You know, like eminent domain. Municipal water is a different issue, as to whether the franchise should extend to serve other properties. That is a legislative decisions of the Council, but has many of the same legal constraints. You can't take the property right by refusal to provide water within the franchise area.
Posted: Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Kiss, you are describing what is referred to as a BANANA, "Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything"
Posted: Monday, December 07, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
yeah...keep taxes low, cap off utility hikes, stop the growth, not too hard is it?
Posted: Monday, December 07, 2009
Article comment by:
KISS
Tom, it's obvious to commenters here where you come from every time you write. No development anywhere. None. Ever. Anywhere. And you obviously don't have any grasp on any legal obligations of any type. Just don't develop anwhere anytime. Nice simple philosophy Tom. Just stick with it, and keep things uncomplicated, you do better that way.
Posted: Monday, December 07, 2009
Article comment by:
mine... all mine!
Mr. Steele, you are also depleting my water supply.
Posted: Monday, December 07, 2009
Article comment by:
EJ Stokes
How does one get a transcript of the Tucker's report on the City Water portfolio??
Posted: Monday, December 07, 2009
Article comment by:
Tom Steele
So a 42-year-old "agreement" by a Prescott council will obligate the current Prescott taxpayers to provide water to a massive new development? This would be beyond the obligation to the Granite Dells development in progress. Wake up people! you are paying for developers profits and depleting your water supply! I hope you watch the "New" mayor and council as they vote.
