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By Sam Hosler
Mayor, Town of Kearny
This Saturday we get to celebrate the grand open of Norm’s Hometown IGA. It will be a great day, a real step forward for Kearny because Norm Warren knows the real needs of the people in the Copper Basin. This same weekend the Town of Kearny is working to complete the financial survey we began earlier in the year. Town Manager Anna Flores and I will be staffing an information booth at Norm’s IGA this Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Friday, council members and Central Arizona Governments employees will be canvassing the remaining addresses.
I have been asked to spell out why this survey is so critical for our town’s future. Most state and federal grants (including the one we are submitting now) are based on the town or city’s income level. That is usually determined by referring to the previous decennial census conducted by the Census Bureau. According to the 2010 census, Kearny is a moderate income town, but barely!
The recession and a drop in population in Kearny took place after the census was taken. There is a provision for the results of a special survey to be taken, with the results being a legal substitute for the census figures. If the results of the survey confirm our rationale, Kearny is a low to moderate income town (low/mod in”grantspeak”). The grant we are seeking applies only to a low/mod town. The survey is the only way we have to see if we qualify for the grant.
The survey is confidential. All we are seeking is a determination of Kearny’s economic status for grant purposes.
On another note, we thank Stacy Johnson for supplying the Save the Kearny Pool shopping bags which are being sold for only $1.00 each with the proceeds going to the pool fund. The bright green bags are a reminder to all of us of how important our pool is.
I have also been asked about ambulance costs. Whenever the ambulance is called to a home, it arrives with ambulance attendants who are trained and certified by the state. They are on call all the time. As a result, there is an ambulance fee whether or not the person is transported. If transport takes place, there are additional fees. The base call fee is $1,119. Medicare will not cover this fee unless the patient is transported. This makes you (or another insurer you may have) responsible for the fee. Yes, it is costly, but it makes our ambulance on-call service available to all of us when it is needed.
Kearny is a notably cleaner and brighter town since the Journey for a Clean Kearny began. Now the places which still need improvement stand out all the more! Please pay attention to weeds and invasive plants. If your neighbor needs help, please lend a hand. Call Town Hall (363-5547) to report a place which needs attention. We want to help, not issue citations, but citations will be issued if necessary, and follow-ups will be made.
Finally, a special meeting of Town Council has been called for Monday, June 8, at 6 p.m. On the agenda so far: the possibility of beginning work on the town swimming pool and approval of a bid for work on the water treatment plant to eliminate particulates (other items may come up, and will be posted publicly).
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