After fatality, county reduces speed limit on 44th Street
action comes after pedestrian struck on Foothills road
Following a fatality, Yuma County has reduced the speed limit on 44th Street between Foothills Boulevard and Ironwood Drive. The speed limit, previously posted at 35 miles per hour, is now 30 mph.
A staff report noted that a resident of 44th Street expressed concern due to the fatality that occurred on the street. In September 2018, a pedestrian died after being struck by a pickup truck in a hit-and-run collision in the 13200 block of East 44th Street.
The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office reported that, at about 7:30 p.m., the white Ford truck struck the 54-year-old Yuma woman as she walked westbound on the north edge of 44th Street. The driver of the pickup continued west on 44th Street without stopping, according to YCSO.
The pedestrian, identified as Antonia Wood, was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center with serious injuries and later flown to a Phoenix-area hospital, where she died from her injuries.
County staff noted that 44th Street is a through street with no sidewalks and adjacent properties are predominantly residential with direct access to 44th Street.
The Engineering Department conducted a speed study and forwarded the results to Greenlight Engineering, a traffic engineering consultant, for review and recommendation. Greenlight recommended reducing the speed limit from 35 to 30 mph within the area of study.
In August, the Traffic Control Review Committee and engineering staff reviewed the report and agreed with the recommendation from the study to reduce the speed limit.
The Board of Supervisors on Nov. 15 adopted a resolution officially changing the speed limit.
The supervisors also adopted a resolution that authorizes the submission of an application to the Arizona Department of Housing for state housing funds to help low- to moderate-income families.
ADOH announced that funding is available for HOME Investment Partnership Programs and Housing Trust Funds for fiscal year 2021. Although Yuma County currently has a consortium that receives a direct
allocation of HOME funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the county can also apply to ADOH for an allocation of HOME funds.
Staff is requesting $385,000 to assist five families under the Owner Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program. The grant would not require a match.
Another resolution adopted by the supervisors amends the budget to reestablish a Jail District cooling tower replacement project at a cost of $204,587 and modify plumbing at a cost of $207,167.
The resolution also adds the $500,000 construction of a Health District metal storage building and construction projects for 102 Main St. at a cost of $1.4 million.
The new air-conditioned metal storage building will be installed on the southeast corner of the Facilities Management property, which is closest to the Health Department.
For the construction project, the county will purchase and improve the building at 102 Main St. to temporarily house the County Recorder and Election Services offices during construction of the new administration building.
These four projects will be added to the fiscal year 2021/22 Capital Improvement Plan. The county had anticipated that the projects would be completed in fiscal year 2020/21, however, unanticipated delays have moved the start of the projects into fiscal year 2021/22.
In other action, the supervisors also approved the following items:
• A Border Region Partnership Intergovernmental Agreement between the Arizona Department of Health Services and Yuma County Public Health Services District. The purpose is to expand COVID-19 vaccinations and education in Arizona border populations, especially to vulnerable populations.
• The purchase of eight new Chevrolet Malibu sedans and one new Chevrolet Traverse from Chapman Chevrolet of Yuma, the lowest bidder, for an amount not to exceed $217,089. The Chevrolet Malibu sedans will go to the Assessor, Justice Court 2, Juvenile Court, Health District and Adult Probation departments and the Chevrolet Traverse to the Public Fiduciary.
• The appointment of Republican Precinct Committeemen to fill vacancies for terms that will expire on Oct. 1, 2022. The Yuma County Republican Party submitted the following individuals for appointments: Wayne Russell, Precinct 8; Carol Louise Brooks, Precinct 15; Diana Reyes Hudson, Precinct 17; Toni Lynn Buss, Precinct 24; and Tristan Trinity Quest McCollum, Precinct 32.
• Authorization of the Arizona attorney general to represent Yuma County in the Southwest Gas Corporation v. Arizona Department of Revenue pending property tax valuation case. In the lawsuit, Southwest Gas challenged ADOR’s determination of the value of the taxable property owned by the company in Arizona.
ADOR determined the final full cash values of the Southwest Gas property to be $2.9 billion for tax year 2022. The company believes the market value of the property is no greater than $1.25 billion. As a result, Southwest Gas maintains that it will have to pay more taxes than would legally have been collected if the property had been valued properly.
The company is seeking to correct the tax rolls in each county, including Yuma County, and to receive a refund of any taxes levied, assessed and paid for 2022.