Superior Mayor Mila Besich
Serving as Mayor of Superior since 2016 has been an incredible honor and humbling journey – an opportunity to learn and experience first-hand the complexities of public leadership and management and the countless dynamics that impact how communities function and prosper.
What is especially rewarding is the ability to bring much-needed resources back to Superior that benefit all of our residents and businesses. During April and May, for example, I had the opportunity to represent Superior in important state and federal venues.
At the state level, the Arizona Brownfields Conference held here in our state asked me to participate as a panelist to discuss our regional collaboration with the Copper Corridor Blight Busters and how we have used Brownfields funding to help eliminate blight and reuse many properties throughout our community. Soon a mini documentary will be released on our multi-gen center and how Brownfields funding has helped Superior! I can’t wait for it to be released!
On the federal front, I am just returning from the Nation’s Capitol, where I participated as a member of the Small Communities Local Advisory Committee for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Through this committee, we advise EPA officials and weigh in on critical environmental policies that directly impact water systems, PFAS regulations, and the cybersecurity for our small water and wastewater treatments plants. Superior is not the only community confronted with these challenges and it is important to learn how other communities are handling these issues as well as to help the federal government understand how it can target and deploy its resources to better help small municipalities with these and other related matters.
Also during this most recent visit to Washington, DC, I met with members of our Congressional Delegation, key U.S. Forest Service officials as well as a representative of the White House Administration to discuss the Resolution Copper Mine project. While there has been no progress on the re-release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the mine, we did learn this month that the Apache Stronghold organization and their legal fund – The Beckett Fund – will appeal their case to the Supreme Court. We continue to advocate for the jobs and investment that Resolution Copper brings to Superior.
Just as importantly, every time we are in Washington, DC, we meet with these elected and appointed federal officials to continually make the case for the funding of critical projects to protect and strengthen our Town. A prime example of this is our ongoing request for federal funds to pay for a fire hydrant system for our Superior Municipal Airport and our gem, the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. The Arboretum is one of our largest private employers in Superior and is an important economic driver, tourist attraction and community amenity. During my most recent trip to Washington, DC, we met with our Arizona Senators to discuss the critical importance for this funding along with the need for a new fire truck. We are cautiously optimistic that these projects can be funded through the Congressionally Directed Spending; however, we also are very aware that the competition for these funds is extremely intense.
On the home front, during our May Town Council meeting, Councilmembers approved the contract for the new Panther Bridge construction, and we expect construction to begin soon. This bridge/low water crossing is funded through the State of Arizona, and these projects were made available through revenues the state received from a variety of federal infrastructure funding sources. Councilmembers also listened to the many concerns of our local residents, especially from our artists’ community, regarding the prohibition of sexually oriented businesses in Superior. After substantive discussion and clarification of the new code, the Town Council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance. This ordinance does not prohibit artists from their works, but does prohibit businesses that sell sexual novelties, strip clubs and other businesses in this type.
Also here at home, our grant request to the Arizona Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) has been approved. The funding will be used to construct our rainwater harvesting park at the Lower Rails Park. This project has been a long time in coming and is a micro-project within our larger Queen Creek Restoration Project. These rainwater harvest gardens will help us retain more rainwater in our local aquifers, and as we all know, every drop counts when it comes to being outstanding stewards of this precious resource.
Earlier this month, we were excited to host elected and business leaders from Greenlee and Graham counties. The communities of Clifton and Pima wanted to learn about how our community has transformed over the past several years. During this visit, we shared some of our ideas and how we went about envisioning our future and then doing the hard work to put our vision and plans into reality. These types of exchanges are very positive for all participants as they serve to generate even more mutually beneficial collaborations and connections.
As we all begin to enjoy the Summer season, I wish you a season of making sweet Summer memories with your families and friends and safe travels as you venture out for those summer experiences.
Together, We are Superior!
/s/ Mila Besich
Mayor, Town of Superior