Councilor abstains from road project vote
Abstention equals ‘yes’; $1.2 million job order still passes
A Yuma council member abstained from voting on a $1.2 million road improvements job order after stating that she did not want to take part because she did not participate in early discussions.
However, an abstention is considered a “yes” vote, so the job order still passed with a 6-0 vote. The action took place during the City Council meeting held Jan. 15.
The agenda item called for authorizing City Administrator Phil Rodriguez to execute a job order with SWP Contracting & Paving for capital improvements to the 8th Street and Castle Dome intersection.
Mayor Doug Nicholls recused himself from discussing or voting on the agenda item after declaring a conflict of interest. He turned over the meeting to thendeputy Gary Knight and left the room.
Councilwoman Ema Lea Shoop asked for a roll call vote. When her turn came, she explained, “I did not participate in any of the activities or discussion to this point, therefore I enter my motion as abstaining.”
Knight asked if she understood that abstaining corresponded to an “aye” vote. “I know exactly what an abstention is,” Shoop said.
As previously reported in the Yuma Sun, the city wants to partner with a developer in the $1.2 million project that will bring road improvements to the intersection west of the Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex.
The developer of the proposed The Fields at Castle Dome Subdivision, which would include a hotel, will contribute $279,800 toward the cost of the improvements.
The job order requires the contractor to relocate a waterline, remove existing pavement, curbing, base and traffic signal at the intersection of Castle Dome and 8th Street/Giss Parkway.
The contractor will also construct a new roundabout, curb, basins, sidewalk and medians.
Additional work includes street lighting, pavement marking, signing, traffic control and storm water pollution prevention measures, according to a staff report.
In addition, the developer agreed to construct and dedicate, at its sole cost and expense, the extension of Castle Dome Avenue north
of 8th Street.
The council had already approved the final plat for subdivision. The developers are comprised of the Nelson Family Trust, the Kerry and Gail Schimpt Trust and Kyle P. Nelson.
They previously indicated that Medallion Hospitality wants to build a combined La Quinta Inn and Suites and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham. La Quinta Inn and Suites would have 95 standard rooms, and Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham would have 45 extended stay suites. The hotels would share a front desk, a 24-hour fitness center, an outdoor pool, a market center and a business center and offer free hot breakfast.
The Fields at Castle Dome would also feature restaurants, stores and high-end apartments.
Kerry Schimpf of Commercial Properties Group of San Diego, Calif., previously told the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission that he and his partners bought the property from the Peach family with the intention of developing multi-family housing after noticing a need for “newer, nicer apartments.” However, as they got into the market, they found out that 25 acres was too large for just apartments. Consequently, they decided to divide the property into three components: restaurant, retail and residential.
He noted that Wyndham picked Yuma for a combined La Quinta/Wyndham hotel and awarded the franchise to Medallion. Wyndham liked the location of The Fields at Castle Dome because it’s close to the Yuma Palms Regional Shopping Center and the PAAC.
In other action, the council also approved the following items:
• An increase of $119,094 on a contract of $329,094 for the Lucity Enterprise Asset Management solution, which includes annual maintenance, support and to purchase an additional software module;
• Acceptance of a $7,500 in grant funding to the Yuma Fire Department from Walmart’s Community Grants for the purchase of training materials for community education on bleeding control, traumatic injury and fire extinguishers;
• Final plats for The Village on 19th Subdivision, which is being developed by the First
Church of the Nazarene of Yuma at the southeast corner of South 13th Avenue and West 19th Street, and for the Araby North Subdivision, which is being developed by Elliott Construction the southeast corner of South Araby Road and East 32nd Street.
• Settlement in a Yuma County Superior Court lawsuit in connection with a vehicle accident in which a city employee allegedly rear-ended the plaintiff.
Two ordinances were introduced: the sale of 758 square feet of city-owned property generally located at 1916 S. Ridgeview Drive and the rezoning of 19.3 acres from agriculture to medium density residential and medium density single-family residential for property located at the southeast corner of Avenue 7½ E and 44th Street.