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Mayor Sam Hosler, Town of Kearny
By Mayor Sam Hosler, Town of Kearny
For several days, I haven’t been sure which way to go to get to the Post Office. One day Tilbury is closed; the next day it’s Upton; and both streets are sometimes closed. I’ve never seen so many people driving by the schools and the cemetery on the same day.
It has been pretty messy. Southwest Gas is replacing the gas mains in the street, and at the same time we had a severe water break which also entailed closing off the road. It wasn’t planned because it couldn’t be planned – Southwest Gas “snaked” its line to see where replacements were needed right now, and the Town didn’t ask for the water break.
If we had planned it out, the disruptions would have been minimal and we wouldn’t be putting holes in streets which were paved just a year ago!
Planning is a good thing. That’s why I am thankful that the Town of Kearny is embarking on the development of a ten-year plan for its future. This week several residents will get together with Brad Mecham, the town planner from Central Arizona Governments, and get the ball rolling.
They will spend several weeks investigating where the town is now, where it could go, and the factors (positive and negative) affecting the path. Resources will be identified and steps taken to have a cohesive plan. Mr. Mecham says, “We are in the initial stages, gathering local priorities and strategies, and then will be melding with regional and sub-regional plans.”
The town’s planning and grant acquisition process is “keyed in” with the Pinal County general plan, making our plan more sustainable over the years.
I am particularly pleased that economic development for the town and area is part of the planning. We cannot have an effective town without a sustainable economy, which is another way of saying, “We can’t have an effective town without happy people.”
It took some planning to get this effort started. Margaret Gaston was serving as Town Manager when we first took steps to get the funds we need for this effort. Anna Flores has shepherded the project along, and Central Arizona Governments have helped the process. People are responding to the request to help make the plan. Thank you, people of Kearny!
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