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About 90% of town roads found in very poor to failing condition by ADOT-assisted survey
Superior, Arizona
Repaving and fixing the streets of Superior could soon move into high gear now that the Town Council has approved the HURF (Highway User Revenue Fund) Inter-fund Repayment Policy at the Council’s Oct. 13 meeting.
Superior has been at odds with the state of Arizona since it used HURF funds, which are designated for road and transportation projects, to support other town programs during the economic downturn that began in 2008. Now that an audit completed in August by the Arizona Office of Auditor General verified how much HURF funds the town owes, it can begin paying back the misused funds by exceeding in subsequent years the amount of current HURF funds the town receives on street and transportation projects.
Getting HURF funds designated for Superior could not come at a more opportune time as a recent joint study conducted by Superior Town Government and the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) found that 90% of Superior streets are either in very poor, serious or failed condition. While thoroughfares such as Belmont Avenue, Magma Avenue and Main Street are in satisfactory to good condition, some less used streets need work.
Streets cited in the report as needing attention include Telegraph Canyon Road, which is the exclusive link to a residential development area on Highland Drive that has been developing transverse and longitudinal cracks due to high traffic that could get worse if not fixed soon. Others include Sunset Drive (a major east-west roadway used by persons going to Superior High School and JFK Elementary), Pinal Avenue south of Lime Street, Panther Drive (also an access route to the two schools), Stone Avenue south of U.S. 60, Western Avenue, Stansberry Avenue south of Lime Street and a crossing road over the Queen Creek Wash, and Porphyry Street through Superior’s Downtown District.
Due to limits on the size of annual HURF revenues allocated to Superior, street repairs will have to be prioritized, Council members agreed. To speed repairs along, it was proposed that Superior consider a bond issue to provide more road revenues upfront, but the Council didn’t act on it.
Under current federal regulations, curbs and adjacent sidewalks are required with road upgrades if they are not already present. And according to Town Manager Todd Pryor, some Superior streets are so old only a complete rebuilding can restore them.
Pryor also suggested that utilities be required to pay to repave streets to their original condition after digging them up to access underground systems and equipment. He noted several instances, including one in front of the Superior Fire Station, where utilities didn’t adequately compact dirt when they refilled their and covered it with asphalt, resulting in the road surface settling into a dip or pothole. Council members agreed with this proposal.
The future of road repairs will be further discussed at future meetings.
In other business at the meeting, Council members approved two items that will lead to the upgrading of the Superior airport. One was to seek an E72V01P grant of $237,000 from ADOT to develop an Airport Master Plan and to seek qualifications from professional engineering firms to select one to help develop that plan. The Superior Airport handles small airplanes as might be used by private owners and executives of companies doing business in the town.
The purchase of three new patrol cars for the Superior Police Department also was approved at a cost of $111,000 through the Arizona state contract pricing program. The new vehicles will be Ford Explorers, which were the most economical among four brands examined, said Police Chief Bill Neuss. They will include the Ford police package.
Unlike the Ford Crown Victoria sedans they will replace, the new vehicles will not be black, but will be silver/gray with only the Superior Police logo on the sides. The new color will not show dust as readily as black, thus keeping them looking clean longer, Neuss added.
Neuss expects the new patrol cars to be in use by Christmas. The purchase prices of the vehicles will come out of the emergency fund negotiated with Resolution Copper.
Town Manager Pryor also announced that the Superior Transfer Station, which has been closed since late 2013, will reopen on November 5. To mark the occasion, town residents will be able to drop off junk at the station free of charge on the first day. Afterwards, disposal fees will be assessed defending on the type waste.
Fees for 1 cubic yard of waste will be $16 for mixed household waste, $8 for green (uncontaminated yard) waste and untreated lumber, and $32 for construction waste. For specific items the charge is $20 per mattress, home appliance (refrigerator, washing machine, stove, etc.) and home electronics (TV sets, computers, etc.). Carpet disposal fees with vary on the rug’s coverage area. Upholstered furniture disposal with range from $20 to $40 depending on the side, with sectional sofas and convertible couches requiring the highest fee. Automobile tire disposal is $4 while truck tires (off the rim) are $10.
The transfer station will be open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Fridays and the first Saturday of each month.
During the Public Comment section of the meeting, Sue Anderson of the Superior Chamber of Commerce reported reaching a deal with Habitat For Humanity to acquire paint at the cost of $1 per gallon, which will be offered to homeowners along Main Street to spruce up the outsides of their homes.
The Council further voted to combine its November and December meetings into a single meeting on Wednesday November 30 in order to avoid conflicts with Council members’ schedules that could result in the failure to have a quorum for lack of attending members. Several council members had conflicts with training programs and outside interests on December 8, while others thought the November 10 meeting date was too close to the November 8 election and would conflict with vote counting and canvassing.
Thus the November 30 meeting will feature the changing of the guard, with two new members (Vanessa Navarrette and Bruce Armitage) joining the Council. The meeting will as always be held at the Superior Town Hall at 199 N. Lobb St. beginning at 7 p.m.
James J. Hodl is a career journalist who has worked for newspapers, magazines and trade journals. A graduate of Southern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism, Hodl began his career as a reporter with the Palatine (IL) Herald and the Morton Grove (IL) Review before becoming editor of the trade publication Appliance Service News. In recent years, Hodl has had articles published in Consumers Digest, Good Housekeeping, Home Remodeling, Kitchens & Baths and Salute; and has contributed to trade publications serving the home furnishings, restaurant and casino markets. A native of Chicago, Hodl relocated to San Tan Valley in 2013.
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