Board to decide on renovations budget increase
Supervisors to meet on monday
The Yuma County Board of Supervisors on Monday will choose between repairing and renovating existing facilities at 145 and 217 S. 2nd Ave. and 150 W. Court St. with an increased budget amount or move forward with tenant improvements to the existing facility at 145 S. 2nd Ave. plus lease space at 241 S. Main St.
To house the Public Defender’s Office, which was displaced from the Historic Courthouse with the establishment of Superior Court Division 7, the supervisors initially directed staff to renovate two existing buildings.
However, the total renovation budget of $350,000 would need to be increased by $786,150 to adequately repair and renovate all three facilities to meet the needs of the Public Defender’s Office at these locations.
Another alternative is to lease office space at 241 S. Main St., for two years without renovations and then either continue to lease the space or relocate the Public Defender’s Office to another county facility, such as the current County Administration building, which will become unoccupied as of January 2025. The total cost at the end of the third year would be $201,082.
If the board selects this option, the current renovation budget of $350,000 would be used to complete renovations to 145 S. 2nd Ave., as well as install data and security systems at the leased facility.
In addition, $24,887 in funding would be needed to cover four months of lease payments, pro-rated tax/ insurance and a one-time deposit.
In other action, the supervisors will consider whether to grant a request for modifications from the subdivision regulations for the proposed 10 East Phase 2 Subdivision located on the northeast corner of Avenue 10E and 34th Street in Yuma.
The agenda also calls for awarding the bid for the Prescription Benefit Management Program to Express Scripts for the Yuma County Employee Benefit Trust with an estimated first-year cost of $3.1 million. Projected rebates of $938,505 would result in a total cost of $2.2 million.
The supervisors will also hold public hearings for the following planning and zoning cases:
• Requests for special use permits to allow an accessory dwelling unit at 12556 E. 44th St. and a solar power generating facility and associated equipment at the southwest corner of County 19th Street and the alignment of Avenue 2E.
• Request to change the land use designation from Suburban Density Residential to Urban Density Residential of 80 acres at the northwest corner of the alignments of Fortuna Road and County 13th Street.
• Request the rezoning of a portion of 8.18 acres from General Commercial to Recreational Vehicle Subdivision for the two parcels at the northwest corner of the alignments of Fortuna Road and County 13th Street.
The agenda also calls for updates on COVID-19 and border activities that involve and/or affect the county’s Public Health and Emergency Management departments and updates on state and federal legislative issues.
The board will also consider the following consent calendar items:
• Establishing a fund for community cash donations to operate and enhance existing county parks.
• Approve pay plans with additional compensation for certain Sheriff’s Office employees. Afternoon and night shifts are less desirable as it takes away quality time with family. Staff proposes an additional 75-cents an hour for the afternoon shift and an additional 50-cents an hour for the night shift.
Additionally, employees assigned to specialty assignments, such as Criminal Investigation Bureau, Task Force Unit, Field Training Officer, Specialty Management Unit and Booking, would receive an additional $1.50 an hour.
• Adopt a resolution authorizing staff to apply for $440,000 in state HOME funds to assist five low-income families under the Owner Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program.
• Distribute $6,214 in community funding from the Quechan Indian Tribe Fort Yuma to the Yuma Community Food Bank.
• Reject bids for the Antelope Palomas Road Low Flow Crossings project and approve the redesign and readvertisement of the construction plans. Out of the five bids received, the lowest was $2.4 million, which was 200% over the engineer’s construction estimate. The construction cost estimate for the project was $1 million.
The board will meet at 9 a.m. in the BOS Auditorium, 198 S. Main St. View the complete agenda and staff reports at www.yumacountyaz.gov/government/board-of-supervisors/meetings.
Public comments may be made in person or submitted by email at: publiccomment@yumacountyaz.gov. The email forms of public comment will be accepted until 8 a.m. the morning of the meeting. All public comments will be read aloud during the meeting.