Town Council Discussed Fees, Annexations, Traffic Signals and Downtown Redevelopment

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The Florence Town Council held its regular meeting on Monday, May 6^th.  The Town Council held a public hearing on new rates and fees for water and wastewater services, heard a presentation on two proposed annexations, took action on a contact with ADOT to construct a traffic signal and took action on construction improvements needed to stabilize a historic building in the downtown.  

The new rates for water and wastewater services will be decided by the Town Council at the May 20^th meeting.  The proposed rates include a 5% increase in water rates and a 10% increase in sewer rates.  The impact to a homeowner using 5,000 gallons of water per month would be an increase of $4.39 per month.  The monthly increase for a homeowner using 15,000 gallons per month would be $7.91.  All funds collected by the Town are used for equipment, operation and maintenance related to water and sewer services. 

The Town Council heard a presentation regarding two proposed annexations.  The annexations would increase the size of the Town of Florence by approximately 6 square miles and include approximately 4,000 new residents.  Informational meetings are scheduled for May 14^th and May 16^th to discuss the proposed annexations.  The meetings are held at Town Hall and they start at 6:30pm.  The Town Council will take action on this item after the appropriate amounts of signatures are collected. 

The Town Council also approved a contract with ADOT for the construction of a traffic signal at the intersection of Highway 79 and Diversion Dam Road.  ADOT is paying $167,000, Corrections Corporation of America is paying $75,000 and the Town’s share of the cost is $8,000.  The placement of traffic signal is scheduled for December, 2013. 

The Town Council authorized the Town Manager to enter into contracts to stabilize the Brunenkant Building in the downtown.  The building is in immediate need of improvements or failure of the foundation and/or walls will occur.  The cost of the stabilization of the building was capped at $300,000.  The Town Council indicated the importance of maintaining the historic buildings in the downtown, such as the Brunenkant Building, to preserve the integrity of the historic district and continue its plans to redevelop the downtown to spur economic development in the area. 

If you have additional questions, please contact Jess Knudson, Public Information Officer, at (520) 868-7541