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Grant funds help Sunsites, Elfrida projects, not Willcox county center; Next available grant money could go toward Willcox Service Center
By MICHAEL SULLIVAN /Wick News Service
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors were faced with a challenge during a special board meeting Tuesday afternoon: how to allocate an estimated $405,379 in Community Development Block Grant funds in the face of $1,913,103 worth of applications.
After county Grants Administrator Patty Lewis had eliminated several applications because they didn't meet Arizona Housing Authority guidelines, District 2 Supervisor Paul Newman offered a modest proposal for the qualifying applications.
Newman, who has often commented favorably on the "Solomon-like" solutions offered by County Administrator Jody Klein, attempted a Solomon-like idea himself - divide the money equally between the three county districts and let each supervisor divvy it up within their district.
The idea didn't fly.
District 3 Supervisor Les Thompson strongly objected, mainly because he wanted to ensure the county service center in Willcox received $120,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to comply with federal handicapped requirements. Six public restrooms and water fountains there must be modified.
Under Newman's proposal, each district would get no more than $122,000, so the Willcox Service Center would take all the available funding.
Newman had suggested that the county's half-cent sales tax could be drawn upon to ensure the work would be taken care of. Thompson didn't like the idea of using county tax money to meet the mandates of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
"I wouldn't support it. You're trying to shaft District 3," Thompson said to Newman, who sat across the table in the commissioners' conference room.
It was the last of several barbed exchanges during the past four years between the two supervisors. The meeting was Thompson's last as a supervisor. He did not run for re-election on Nov. 2.
The brief meeting ended amicably, with the three supervisors approving the following allocations:
$145,000 for street improvements in the Fry District within Sierra Vista
$75,379 for improvements to the Elfrida Community Center
$166,000 for emergency home repairs through the county's Housing Authority
$125,000 for expanding the Sunsites Senior Center
$40,000 for administration.
In addition, $46,000 left over from an ADA project in Douglas can be transferred to emergency home repairs, the supervisors decided. If additional block grant funds become available, they may go to the Willcox ADA project, the supervisors decided.
After county Grants Administrator Patty Lewis had eliminated several applications because they didn't meet Arizona Housing Authority guidelines, District 2 Supervisor Paul Newman offered a modest proposal for the qualifying applications.
Newman, who has often commented favorably on the "Solomon-like" solutions offered by County Administrator Jody Klein, attempted a Solomon-like idea himself - divide the money equally between the three county districts and let each supervisor divvy it up within their district.
The idea didn't fly.
District 3 Supervisor Les Thompson strongly objected, mainly because he wanted to ensure the county service center in Willcox received $120,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to comply with federal handicapped requirements. Six public restrooms and water fountains there must be modified.
Under Newman's proposal, each district would get no more than $122,000, so the Willcox Service Center would take all the available funding.
Newman had suggested that the county's half-cent sales tax could be drawn upon to ensure the work would be taken care of. Thompson didn't like the idea of using county tax money to meet the mandates of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
"I wouldn't support it. You're trying to shaft District 3," Thompson said to Newman, who sat across the table in the commissioners' conference room.
It was the last of several barbed exchanges during the past four years between the two supervisors. The meeting was Thompson's last as a supervisor. He did not run for re-election on Nov. 2.
The brief meeting ended amicably, with the three supervisors approving the following allocations:
In addition, $46,000 left over from an ADA project in Douglas can be transferred to emergency home repairs, the supervisors decided. If additional block grant funds become available, they may go to the Willcox ADA project, the supervisors decided.
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