Payson Roundup 042216

Page 1

They’re on a roll: 7A

Progress Edition

Mysteries of the Rim: 1B

Inside, see a special report on Rim Country’s past, present — and future

PAYSON ROUNDUP

ARIZONA NEWSPAPERS AND NATIONAL LOCAL MEDIA ASSOCIATIONS’ NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

payson.com

FRIDAY | APRIL 22, 2016 | PAYSON, ARIZONA

Making way for custard

Culver’s demolishes former Pirate’s Cove for new restaurant by

Alexis Bechman

roundup staff reporter

Break out the wrecking ball. Crews quickly went to work Monday demolishing the former Pirate’s Cove and miniature golf course near Miss Fitz 260 Cafe. In its place will be a new Culver’s restaurant, scheduled to open sometime after Labor Day, at 805 E. Highway 260. Steve and Cathy Chlupsa of Gilbert are the new franchisee owners. This is the couple’s first franchise and they plan to move to Payson to oversee it. Steve said the restaurant would employ around 100. They are currently looking to hire 80-90 crew members and 10 managers. Steve last year retired after working in corporate finance. Looking for a retirement project to keep him busy, he started researching franchise options. Steve grew up in the Midwest and was always a fan of Culver’s, which opened its first location in 1984 in Sauk City, Wisc. The chain is known best for its ButterBurgers and frozen custard. The burgers, made with fresh Midwest beef, got their name because they are served on a lightly buttered toasted bun. The custard is made fresh throughout the day on site. Steve said everything is made to order and the menu includes more than just burgers. Dinner options include chopped steak, beef pot roast, fried chicken and shrimp plates each served with sides, which range from cheese curds, mashed potatoes and gravy to coleslaw. There are also soups and salads. And they have gluten free buns available. There are now 23 Culver’s in the state. See Culver’s, page 5A

Teresa McQuerrey

roundup staff reporter

Star Valley must cross a big canyon on a rickety bridge on the road to its fiscal 201617 budget — the loss of revenue with the forced discontinuation of the town’s photo enforcement program. The Star Valley Town Council had its first look at the proposed budget at its April 19 meeting. The FY 2016-17 budget anticipates $1,208,139 million in general fund revenue, a $694,423 decrease from FY 15-16. Additionally, staff expects the town to receive $1,110,245 in restricted revenues (grants, THE WEATHER

Weekend: Mostly sunny with highs in the mid 70s, lows in the low 40s. Cooler and breezy Monday. See 9A

volume 26, no. 35

Mountain bikers, mayor hope trails will create biker heaven by

Michele Nelson

Within hours of contacting Mayor Kenny Evans, Michael Bonnette, president of the Rim Country Mountain Biking Association and Mick Wolf, treasurer, met to start turning Payson into a world-class destination for mountain bikers. Wolf said it was a great meeting. “Everything about the meeting with the mayor was positive,” he said. Bonnette said the mayor has been thinking about improving

• See Bikers, page 2A

Officials want to make Payson a destination, not a pit stop by

Alexis Bechman

roundup staff reporter

Photo courtesy of Doug Noguez, Henes Construction, Inc.

Demolition crews this week tore down the former Pirate’s Cove on Highway 260 to make way for a new Culver’s Restaurant, scheduled to open sometime after Labor Day. The franchise will have an estimated 100 employees.

HURF, county excise tax, etc.), which is a drop from the $1,309,144 it received this year. Anticipated expenses, outside restricted funds, total $4,472,302. These expenses include setting aside $2.8 million in contingency and an additional $600,000 in a rainy day fund. The proposed budget would max out of the town’s existing reserve fund — which sits at $3.9 million — to cover the shortfall, while the “new” contingency money would start rebuilding the fund. The drop in revenue is primarily the result of losing the photo enforcement revenue. The state this year banned photo radar on state highways, prompting the town to shut down its photo enforcement cameras on March 16. It is con-

tinuing to process the citations issued prior to March 16. Town Manager Tim Grier told the council that if the photo enforcement contractor Redflex comes into compliance with the Attorney General’s opinion requiring employees processing the tickets to get licenses as personal investigators, the town

• See Star Valley, page 2A

The problematic economy has spurred a flurry of talk about economic development in recent months, as Payson and other Rim Country communities try to transform the area into a tourist destination — not just a pit stop. On Wednesday, Payson hosted the Arizona Association of Economic Development’s first roundtable discussion for central/eastern Arizona. The meeting attracted representatives from Show Low, Globe, Superior, Gila County, the U.S. Forest Service, Rep. Paul Gosar’s office, a broadband company and various business leaders. The three-hour meeting at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino covered everything from the current state of the economy to the biggest issues facing growth in the region. The Gila County Industrial Development Authority, the casino and National Bank of Arizona

sponsored the session. The takeaway: Economic progress must hurdle problems with infrastructure and financing. The Arizona Association of Economic Development (AAED) says it will convey comments from the event to lawmakers as it lobbies for rural Arizona. On the issue of funding, attendees said rural areas continue to not only line up grants and loans, but to get equal treatment from lawmakers — most of whom represent Maricopa County districts. Joyce Grossman, executive director of the AAED, said they advocate for responsible economic development. The AAED currently has 485 members that work together to support bills to benefit development. They invited Jim Rounds, of Rounds Consulting Group, to discuss the state’s economy.

• See Struggling, page 2A

Pipeline pour pounds Second Crossing

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the trails around the area for some time. They all agreed the effort could start with the Granite Dells area. Bonnette will seek input from the other members of the RCMBA before making a final decision. “What he wanted to do is meet with our group and decide if that is absolutely where we’d like to work,” said Bonnette. Already, mountain bikers have taken it upon themselves to build a single-track trail in the Granite Dells area. This has caused some concern for the Forest Service

Boom times

Star Valley faces 28% drop in revenue by

Rolling along roundup staff reporter

Huge reserve fund will cushion blow of lost photo radar

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Roundup reader Steve Stevens took this picture of crews pouring concrete over the C.C. Cragin pipeline where it crosses the East Verde River along Houston Mesa Road.

Workers continue to bury the 16-inch pipe that will eventually deliver 3,000 acre-feet of water annually to Payson from the C.C. Cragin Reservoir atop the Mogollon Rim. People in the little subdivisions along Houston Mesa Road have had to cope with the mess and delays for months, as work continues. Payson will ultimately spend some $50 million on a water supply that will provide more than enough water for a town of 40,000. The water will more than double Payson’s supply, making it one of the few towns with enough water.

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