Mohave County - Procurement

The special meeting convened to address the previous vote taken by the board to assume the management of the Kingman Animal Shelter (Mavi County Animal Shelter) effective July 1, 2019, due to a lack of bidders. The discussion centered on the Western Arizona Humane Society expressing a misunderstanding and requesting a possible negotiation. The primary action item was a motion to reconsider the June 3, 2019 decision authorizing the county to bring the shelter operation in-house, which included authorizing the creation of necessary classification codes and recruitment efforts. The motion to reconsider failed by a vote of three to two, confirming the county's assumption of shelter management.

The meeting began with an invocation and Pledge of Allegiance. A motion was passed to recess into executive session to receive legal advice regarding agenda items, with a separate session scheduled for August 21, 2023. Official business included reports from supervisors concerning broadband meetings, testimony at a public hearing for a National Monument proposal, and updates on various county meetings. Supervisor Gould highlighted the outstanding performance of Mojave County in job placements through Workforce Development. Concerns were raised regarding communications with the legislature concerning a uranium meeting. Supervisors also discussed their attendance at the Arizona Water Law Conference and opposition to the proposed 1.1 million-acre National Monument declaration, noting the perceived lack of Mojave County involvement in the process. Public comment focused on economic development for Golden Valley, including the formation of a Political Action Committee and efforts to attract businesses and film production. Further public concerns addressed issues related to code enforcement, property clean-up, criminal activity, and the burning of hazardous materials at a specific address. Another resident addressed the recently approved budget, referencing the county's general fund balance policy and suggesting the need to reduce service levels or utilize existing surplus funds instead of seeking additional revenue. A final speaker informed the board about an upcoming Kingman Unified School District board meeting concerning the filling of a vacancy, criticizing the handling and documentation of their recent budget workshop, and expressing concerns over budget allocations for high school books and expenditures related to LGBTQ+ materials.

The Planning & Zoning Commission meeting addressed public testimony and forwarded recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. Key discussions included a request for a special use permit for an animal feed store as a cottage industry, which faced opposition from local residents citing concerns about increased traffic, noise, dust, and light pollution on a residential street with chip seal paving. Staff clarified regulations regarding cottage industries, noting that they do not have income caps but require site plan review to assess impact, and confirmed the intent of the ordinance is to support rural necessities. The commission also evaluated a request for rezoning a parcel from AR Agricultural Residential Zone to RO Residential Manufactured Home Prohibited Zone to bring the property into compliance in the Fort Mojave vicinity.

The meeting convened to accept public comments and questions regarding whether the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) should initiate procedures to designate the Hualapai Valley groundwater Basin as a subsequent Irrigation Non-Expansion Area (INA). ADWR staff provided an overview of the INA designation process, including the two statutory conditions required for initiation: insufficient groundwater for current irrigation withdrawal rates and the determination that establishing an Active Management Area (AMA) is not necessary. Hydrologic information on the Hualapai Valley aquifer system was presented, including general groundwater flow direction (south to north) and analysis of three example monitoring wells indicating varied water level trends across the basin. Additionally, existing groundwater modeling reports from 2013 (USGS preliminary model) and 2019 (ADWR model estimating remaining groundwater years based on projected growth) were summarized.

The meeting commenced with a roll call to confirm member attendance and a pledge of allegiance. A public comment period was bypassed due to a lack of attendees. The primary business involved a presentation by Tara Stanek, a public health intern from Baylor University, regarding a community assessment and evaluation plan for the mobile health unit research project. The assessment covered demographics, health statistics, and healthcare utilization across 16 communities, noting high rates of smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and preventable hospitalizations. The evaluation plan detailed process, outcome, and impact metrics for measuring the mobile unit's effectiveness. Following this, Barbara Kromczek provided a presentation on the Mental Health Resource Team in Mohave County, noting its creation in 2013, stemming from a 2009 community health assessment.