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MINUTES
WICKENBURG COMMON COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, December 1, 2025 - 5:30 P.M.
155 N. TEGNER - COUNCIL CHAMBERS
WICKENBURG, ARIZONA 85390
A. CALL TO ORDER – Mayor Bratcher called the meeting to order at 5:30 PM
B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - Led by Vice Mayor Brian Jones
C. INVOCATION - Led by Reverend Vincent Barringer, Redeemer Lutheran Church
D. ROLL CALL
Present:
Mayor BG Bratcher
Vice Mayor Brian Jones
Councilmember Kristy Bedoian
Councilmember Shawn Clark
Councilmember Margaret Nyberg
Councilmember Rebecca Rovey
Councilmember Art Rubash
Staff Present:
Troy Smith, Town Manager
Trish Stuhan, Town Attorney
Steve Boyle, Community Development Director
Amy Brown, Town Clerk
Les Brown, Police Chief
Robert Martinez, Finance Director
Tarah Mayerhofer, Human Resources Director
Tony Christofferson, Fire Battalion Chief
E. MAYOR & COUNCILMEMBERS REPORT ON CURRENT EVENTS
• Councilmember Rebecca Rovey thanked the police department for the tour of the
station for the 7th graders at Wickenburg Christian Academy.
• Councilmember Margaret Nyberg helped serve 160 dinners at the senior center
for Thanksgiving.
• Councilmember Shawn Clark thanked the first responders for their response to
the flood and the rain with the four people rescued.
• Mayor BG Bratcher attended a GPEC meeting on the state of the economy,
WESTMARC meeting, ADOT Transportation Board meeting in Wickenburg, and
the senior center Thanksgiving meal.
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
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F. TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT
• Town Manager Troy Smith congratulates Steve Boyle on 20 years of service and
Ezra Boone on 5 years of service in the Town of Wickenburg.
• Town Manager Troy Smith announced that Waste Management (WM) began
picking up sanitation and recycling today. He thanked the four sanitation
employees for their service to the town, who have moved over to WM for
employment with the transition to a new service. The Lewis Addition roads are
being seal coated. ADOT and Southwest Gas have projects in town or just south
of town that may affect traffic. The photo contest reveal has been rescheduled for
December 18. The Holiday Music Walk and Tree Lighting is this Saturday,
December 6. The Fly-In and Classic Car Show is on January 17. Operation
Warm will hand out coats and books to kids on December 2.
G. FINAL CALL for Request to Speak Cards to be turned into the Town Clerk.
H. CALL TO THE PUBLIC - None
I. ITEMS OF BUSINESS
1. Action on the Consent Agenda -
MOVED BY Vice Mayor Brian Jones to approve items a, b, c, d, and e of the
consent agenda
SECONDED BY Councilmember Rebecca Rovey
VOTE: 7 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers
Bedoian, Clark, Nyberg, Rovey, and Rubash)
a. Consideration and Action to Approve the Minutes of the Study Session and
Regular Meeting of November 17, 2025
By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve the
minutes of November 17, 2025.
b. Consideration and Action Regarding Reappointments and New Appointments
to the Board of Adjustment, Community Programming Advisory Committee,
Economic Development and Transportation Advisory Committee, Parks and
Trails Advisory Committee, Planning and Zoning Advisory Commission and
the Public Safety Personnel Retirement Boards
Amy Brown, Town Clerk, reported in her Council routing form that the Town
Clerk's Office has advertised openings on the various Boards, Committees
and Commissions with all applications due by November 1, 2025. Mayor
Bratcher has reviewed the list of applications to fill most of the open seats on
the committees. All the recommended members live in the town limits. All
seats are recommended for a two-year term.
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 3 of 22
The town didn't receive enough extra applications in order to fill all the
alternate seats. If residents still want to apply, they can put in applications,
and they can be appointed to the open alternate positions on the Community
Programming (1) and Parks & Trails (2) committees.
Below are the appointments for this meeting:
By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve the
listed reappointments and new appointments.
c. Consideration and Action to Approve Resolution No. 2385, Approving and
Authorizing the SPPA BOCA Resale Agreement Amendment 1
Robert Martinez, Finance Director, reported in his Council routing form that
the Town of Wickenburg is a member of SPPA (Southwest Public Power
Agency) and engages in the sale and local distribution of electric power and
energy.
In September, the SPPA Board approved the First Amendment to the Box
Canyon Resale Agreement to: (1) incorporate the relaxed working capital
requirements of the project that SPPA negotiated with BrightNight, relieving
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 4 of 22
participants with investment-grade credit of the working capital requirement,
and (2) reflect SRP’s inclusion as a Project Participant in the Box Canyon
Project with a 1/3 share of the project’s output. SRP signed its individual
participation agreement at the end of October, enabling SPPA to move
forward, and it is now time for existing participants to execute the First
Amendment to the Resale Agreement.
This amendment will facilitate SPPA freeing up the associated working
capital.
By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve
Resolution No. 2385 approving and authorizing the execution and delivery of
the SPPA BOCA Resale Agreement Amendment 1.
d. Consideration and Action to Move $10,000 Within Information Technology's
Budget From Other Capital Purchases To Minor Capital For New
Workstations Project
Robert Martinez, Finance Director, reported in his Council routing form that
$10,000.00 was allocated during the FY26 CIP Budget to provide the IT
Department with funds to purchase and deploy new workstations for Town of
Wickenburg staff. This is not an increase to their FY26 Budget, it is moving
funds within their existing budget from one line to another for procurement
purposes. Per the Budget Transfer Policy, a transfer from a capital line item
(9XXXX accounts) requires Town Council Approval.
By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve to move
$10,000.00 from Other Capital Purchases to Minor Capital within the IT
Department's Budget.
e. Consideration and Action to Approve the Renewal of the Intergovernmental
Agreement (IGA) with the City of Glendale that Allows the Wickenburg
Municipal Court to Refer Cases Involving Veterans to the West Valley
Regional Veterans Court
Rosa Garcia-Marquez, Court Reporter, reported in her Council routing form
that in late 2016, the East Valley Regional Veterans Court, which is
considered a specialty court, was created. This included six municipal courts
on the east side of Maricopa County. It was initially created utilizing grant
funds. After the grant expired, the municipalities have been sharing the cost
based on the number of cases that are processed in the specialty court, as
referred by each individual court.
On December 8, 2022, the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court signed
Administrative Order No. 2022-158 establishing the West Valley Regional
Veterans Court. The participation of the Wickenburg Municipal Court was
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 5 of 22
approved by council on December 19, 2022, and then renewed in December
2023 and 2024. The Wickenburg Municipal Court would like to renew it for
one more year.
The West Valley Regional Veterans Court was established with the goal of
improving the quality of life for veterans and their families, including to
maximize available resources and ensure the participation of the Veteran's
Justice Outreach specialist from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
This is a cooperative effort among judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys,
members of the Veterans Health Administration, the Department of Veterans
Affairs Justice Outreach program, human services, and Mercy Maricopa
Integrated Care.
Benefits of the Veterans' only program include but not limited to:
•
The program is for veterans only, to help them address the pending
charges and life situations that include medical conditions, mental health,
and drug or alcohol abuse that may be a contributing factor to the
Veterans' charges.
•
Veterans are able to utilize the same benefits earned through service,
which gives them Veteran-specific resources.
•
Plans are unique to the individual veteran.
•
Participation helps minimize recidivism.
•
Treatment is conducted through the VA or Social Services.
Veterans are eligible to participate if they are charged with a misdemeanor
charge or the case cannot be processed through a diversion program. The
Prosecutor's Office can refuse admission to the program if it would violate the
law or the interest of justice. If the Veteran is challenging the charge, it will
remain with the Wickenburg Municipal Court to resume regular court
proceedings. A veteran enrolls by asking their attorney, the prosecutor, or the
judge to determine eligibility.
When the program started, Judge DiPiazza, presiding judge of the Glendale
Municipal Court, obtained a grant from the Department of Justice in the
amount of $197,235, that had been utilized by all the Municipal Courts that
chose to participate in the West Valley Regional Veterans Court. This was to
be used by the year 2025. This is the last year that these funds will be
available for use. The grant covered 75% of the cost associated with
processing of each case; the municipal courts that are currently participating
are responsible for paying 25%.
•
The estimated cost per case is $400.
•
The Wickenburg Municipal Court will be billed annually.
•
If no cases are referred, there is no cost to the court.
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 6 of 22
The statistics for the last two years for cases referred and cost:
•
FY24 - 2 cases with a cost of $157.28.
•
FY25 - 2 cases with a cost of $411.38
The cost difference is due, at least in part, to factors such as multiple
continuances, increased case complexity, or fewer cases being referred to
share the overall cost.
The Wickenburg Municipal Court recommends approval of the renewal of this
IGA. This is a benefit for veterans to receive treatment services that are
offered through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs office.
By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve the
renewal of the IGA with the City of Glendale that allows the Wickenburg
Municipal Court to refer cases involving Veterans to the West Valley Regional
Veterans Court.
f. Consideration and Action Regarding a 90-Day Extension of the Airport
Property Lease Agreement with Master Aircraft Service, Inc.
Councilmember Rebecca Rovey declared a conflict of interest and didn’t
participate.
Troy Smith, Town Manager, reported in his Council routing form that the
Town entered into an airport property lease agreement with Master Aircraft
Services, Inc on August 21, 2019. A renewal of the lease was approved on
January 19, 2021 with the ability for four additional one-year terms that could
be approved by the Town Manager. The options of additional terms has
ended with the agreement expiring on December 30, 2025. Staff is asking for
Council approval to extend the lease for a period of up to 90 days, to
complete the negotiations of the new lease terms.
MOVED BY Councilmember Kristy Bedoian to approve consent agenda item f
SECONDED BY Vice Mayor Brian Jones
VOTE: 6 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers
Bedoian, Clark, Nyberg, and Rubash) (Conflict – Councilmember Rovey)
Item 6 was moved up to be heard next in the meeting.
2. Discussion and Update Regarding the Design of the Community Center
Todd Wallace, Manager Parks and Facilities, stated that the Council requested
public input on the Community Center design, so the town had a stakeholders
meeting and a public meeting. The stakeholder meeting was on November 5th
with active renters of the Community Center being invited. There were 13
stakeholders in attendance with discussion on the history, current schematic
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 7 of 22
drawings, construction timeline and finished with a survey regarding their wants
and needs of the Community Center. The resident meeting was on November
12th with 32 attendees. Both groups completed surveys on their preferences.
• What style of ceiling would you like to see in the Great Hall?
✓ Stakeholders – 12 for exposed beams
✓ Residents – 15 for wood trusses and 13 for exposed beams
• Would enclosed glass lobbies at the main and east entrance be useful? –
✓ Stakeholders – 10 Yes, very useful
✓ Residents – 14 Somewhat useful and 10 Yes, very useful
• What type of kitchen do you need?
✓ Stakeholders – 6 for Commercial and 4 for Catering/Warming
✓ Residents – 14 for Catering/Warming and 11 for Commercial
• Should we create an enclosed outdoor patio space that can be used for
events, weddings, and concerts?
✓ Stakeholders – 8 Yes, definitely
✓ Residents – 22 Yes, definitely
• Should we utilize the existing stage area for a new banquet room and
purchase a large portable stage that can be used anywhere within the
Community Center?
✓ Stakeholders – 9 Yes, that sounds ideal
✓ Residents – 18 No, keep the stage where it is, 10 Maybe, and 7 Yes, that
sounds ideal
• Would a drive-under, covered entry at the main entrance be useful?
✓ Stakeholders – 5 had no opinion
✓ Residents – 16 Not useful
The stakeholders had the following comments on their surveys:
• I like all of the concepts, let’s get started
• Keep the rustic look
• Need an additional ice machine
• Patio needs visibility to stage in parking lot
• Include large barn doors in patio area
• We wouldn’t use the glass lobbies or enclosed patio, but see the benefit for
other renters
• Add an entry at the back of the building
• Need a different fee to use the whole building
• Need a mix of commercial and catering kitchen
• Need sound system, ice machines, portable bars
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 8 of 22
• Commercial kitchen is a must
The residents had the following comments on their surveys:
• Keep the western influence
• For 52 years Friends of Music have presented 6-8 free concerts (per year) for
the people of our community
• We need a facility for entertainment, not just a conference center
• Make the Great Hall acoustically adequate
• Roomy bathrooms, private bath
• Conference rooms not needed because hotels have them for rent
• Need large restrooms
• Make rent user friendly
• We need the stage for storage of tables and chairs
• Performers need a dressing room
• Amphitheater would be nice
• Make the building two story
• Make portable stage as large as possible
• Will need theatrical lighting
Staff has been talking about changes to the Community Center for at least ten
years. The current recommendations for the remodel include the following:
• Correct all structural deficiencies including the roof and trusses
• Replace aging equipment including the HVAC, electrical, and plumbing
systems
• Ensure compliance with current building and safety codes which includes:
✓ ADA-compliant access and restrooms
✓ New fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems
• Reconfigure interior spaces
• Exterior cosmetic and structural repairs
• Replace the trusses in the Great Hall with rustic wood
• Remove the stage to create a new banquet room and unisex restrooms
• Add a partition to the stage area, but not the existing banquet room
• Upgrade the conference room
• Enclose and renovate the patio area
• Create lobbies at the main and southeast entrance
• Update the kitchen (lean toward commercial)
• Eliminate the drive-under entrance concept
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 9 of 22
The concept below will reconfigure interior spaces but will not move the outside
walls.
The portable stage will be expandable and can be used indoor or outdoor. The
plan is for a 16’x24’ stage. This will add 1,000 square feet of usable space for
rental opportunities. It will also save the town over $150,000 with not having to
purchase fireproof curtains ($50,000), sprinkler system under the stage, and an
ADA lift.
The commercial kitchen will include many of the existing features, just with new
equipment to include:
• Large Refrigerator/Freezer
• Convection Oven
• Commercial Range
• Commercial Coffee Maker
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 10 of 22
• Dishwasher
• 3 Compartment Sink
• Steam Tables
• Ice maker (2)
• Exhaust Hood
The projected timeline is as follows:
• 12/1 – 1/26
Phase 1 Design Development (60%)
• 2/26 – 4/26
Phase 2 Construction Documents (100%)
• 4/26
Prepare and Approve Construction Contract (GMP)
• 5/26 – 6/26
Caliente Issues Subcontractor Contracts and Mobilizes
• 7/26 – 3/27
Demolition & Construction
• 4/27
Project Complete
Once the 60% plans are completed, we will have a better idea on the costs or at
least a guaranteed maximum price. Once those designs are developed, it will be
more costly to make changes, so if Council wants any changes, now is the time
to express those desires.
Carol Arnett, In-Town Resident and President of the Friends of Music, stated that
this is the 52nd year of them providing 7 free concerts a year. They have
performances once per month from October until April. They need a permanent
stage to keep the grand piano on as it is used for some performances. Some of
their concerts need a large stage.
Councilmember Bedoian asked how big the current stage is and what is the
proposed new stage size? Manager Wallace stated that the current stage is 30 x
30 with the new portable stage at 16 x 24. There can be new sections added to
the stage, depending on the need as they are in 4 x 8 sections. If we get a larger
stage, more storage may be needed to store the larger stage.
Mayor Bratcher asked about the grand piano. Manager Wallace stated that it
weighs 800 pounds, but there is a digital grant piano that is only 220 pounds. The
stage can hold the weight; it is just moving it that is the issue as it untunes with
each move and must be retuned.
Councilmember Rubash suggested getting the portable stage closer to the
current size and redesigning the storage area.
Councilmember Clark suggested keeping the piano in the corner with one part of
the stage left in place, so it doesn’t have to move. In addition, the Webb Center is
a beautiful facility that is set up for concerts and performances that need dressing
rooms, and they are not busy all the time.
Town Manager Smith reminded the Council that any changes the Council would
like to see need to be known tonight before the 60% plans are developed. After
tonight, it will get more costly to make changes. If the final cost is high, the town
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 11 of 22
might have to value engineer some aspects to reduce the cost. He would like to
hear from the Council that there is a consensus that the Council likes the
concepts and the process of getting input from the public.
Consensus of Council was to move forward, since there has been public input,
but include a larger stage.
3. Consideration and Action Regarding the Purchase of Genasys Emergency
Alerting System to Replace our Current Civic Alert System for Town-Wide
Communication for Both Emergencies and Non-Emergencies
Tony Christofferson, Fire Battalion Chief and Emergency Manager, stated that
during an emergency communication with the public is always difficult. They have
been looking at different systems to find one that will work for the town. They
created a workgroup that included police, fire, IT, PIO, dispatch, and finance as
the alerts aren’t just for emergencies but also for street or water outages and
other non-emergency notices. They have selected Genasys as the one to put out
critical information to the public. They have a system that develops evacuation
zones for different areas in the town. Those zones are established based on
ingress, egress, and total population. The public will have to know which zone
they are in, or they can look at a map of any zone that is covered to see what is
the latest notice.
Civic Alert, the town’s current platform, is not meeting the needs of the town and
its residents by not adequately providing up-to-date critical information and
keeping the public informed. This is somewhat like the Wireless Emergency
Alerts (WEA) where you don’t have to login or sign up to receive the information.
This can be an app on your phone. The town plans to do a campaign to get
people to sign up. Genasys provides real-time information directly from public
safety to the community including road closures, emergency evacuations, and
community events. This system shows a map of alert areas that anyone can
view. There is an app called Watch Duty that many people monitor. They get
their information from Genasys. Yavapai County already uses this but only in
unincorporated areas. There will just have to be zones set up in the town.
We already have $6,334.76 budgeted for the renewal of Civic Alerts with their
contract expiring in May 2026. The first-year cost for Genasys, including training,
is $7118.22. That is a difference of $783.46 that can be absorbed by public
safety budgets. The annual re-occurring cost for Genasys is $3,623.22. Fiscal
year 26/27 will have a cost savings of $2,711.54.
MOVED BY Councilmember Rebecca Rovey to approve town staff to reallocate
the funds budgeted for Civic Alert to Genasys Protect Alerts and not renew the
contract with Civic Alerts moving into 2026
SECONDED BY Councilmember Margaret Rovey
VOTE: 7 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers
Bedoian, Clark, Nyberg, Rovey, and Rubash)
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 12 of 22
4. Consideration and Action to Approve Ordinance 1244 Adopting the Property
Maintenance Code
Steve Boyle, Community Development Director, stated that the town currently
uses the International Property Maintenance code but it is time to improve the
process to be able to enforce the code by having a Wickenburg Property
Maintenance Code. Property Maintenance codes are used to protect health,
safety, and community pride. This will transition from criminal to civil
enforcement. Council heard this information on September 2, 2025 and wanted
to get more feedback by sending it to the Planning and Zoning Commission, who
heard the item on September 30, 2025. The Planning and Zoning Commission
reviewed and unanimously approved with the following comments:
• Organizational Assistance for Elderly/those in need – There are organizations
who are willing to help such as Rotary or Habitat, so contact information for
the organizations will be given to anyone who needs assistance.
• Add a 10% interest rate if left unpaid on abatements 10-5-11A – This is
something that is state will handle, so it doesn’t need to be added to the
town’s code.
• Limit number of allowed stored vehicles onsite 10-5-17C – This does limit the
number of stored vehicles that have to be covered, by more than a tarp.
• Change 30 days to 60 days to pay back the town 10-5-20D – This entire
process doesn’t happen overnight, as there is a process to get to the point of
charging them, so it will be more than 30 days to get through the process.
• Private Vehicle Sales 10-5-17A – This allows 3 per year, but the state allows
6 per year, however they can only happen one at a time. This is only for
private vehicle sales on private residential property. It is usually better to sell
a vehicle through social media, than putting a sign on your vehicle. Sale on
commercial property is in the zoning ordinance, so that is not part of this
code.
The final step to this process is the approval of Ordinance 1244. This will include
changing Chapter 8 of the building code to remove the references to the
International Building Code and change to section 10-5, the town’s Property
Maintenance Ordinance. Section 1-8 will need to change the penalty to allow the
civil penalty. The main changes are to add section 10-5 Property Maintenance.
Councilmember Nyberg asked about someone working on a car in their
driveway. Director Boyle stated that it is allowed for up to ten days on one car.
Councilmember Rovey asked about stored cars. Director Boyle stated that they
need to be registered and operable.
Councilmember Bedoian asked if this is only for the sale of vehicles on
residential properties. Director Boyle confirmed that is only addressed sales on
residential properties. The sale on commercial properties is in the zoning code.
Many people see a vehicle show up on a property along the road and then soon
it is gone. That is usually because code enforcement has contacted them to
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
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remove the vehicle, it isn’t that it sold. The state limits the sales to primarily
dealership lots or online.
Councilmember Rubash asked how much of this is enforced. Director Boyle
stated that it is when the town receives a complaint, but the town now has code
enforcement personnel, so they can be more proactive. The vehicle sales are
easy, because the town can track the number of vehicles.
MOVED BY Councilmember Margaret Nyberg to approve Ordinance 1244
adopting the Property Maintenance Code
SECONDED BY Vice Mayor Brian Jones
VOTE: 7 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers
Bedoian, Clark, Nyberg, Rovey, and Rubash)
5. Consideration and Action to Approve Resolution 2386, Repealing Resolution
2338 to Authorize the Town Manager to Administratively Develop, Modify, and
Approve Policies and Procedures for Facility Rental and Special Event Services
and Providing a Notice of Intent to Adopt a Revised Facility Rental Fee Schedule
Tarah Mayerhofer, Human Resources Director, Sarah Brown, Community
Services Manager, and Taylor Fischer, Special Events and Facility Rental
Manager will present this item.
Director Mayerhofer started by stating that our user groups are currently working
well together, and we’ve built strong collaboration through quarterly meetings.
The existing blanket policy created unintended consequences, especially around
how field access is prioritized. The changes in 2023 had the goal to prioritize
Wickenburg youth. However, the policy didn’t differentiate between: Open-
enrollment community youth programs and Tuition-based or enrollment-restricted
programs. Council’s long-standing and continued goal is to ensure priority access
for local youth recreation, especially programs open to the general public. These
refinements help prevent unintended monopolization while keeping our
collaborative relationships intact. The quarterly coordination with user groups will
continue as this strengthens communication and ensures smooth scheduling.
In 2023, Council adopted Resolution 2338, which consolidated our facility rental
policies and set basic field use direction. Later that year, the town updated the
fee schedule, which moved all rental fees—including athletic fields—into the
formal town fee structure. However, the policy itself still placed field allocation at
the Council-policy level, while administrative practice continued allowing broad
waivers and year-round reservations. As demand increased from new youth
sports, private school athletics, and club teams, the system became strained.
We now have unintended consequences: very large reservation blocks,
inconsistent cost recovery, and no enforcement standards. This is why we’re
asking Council to amend the policy, move the operational scheduling into
administrative procedure, and focus the Council’s role on the fee schedule and
making public benefit determinations.
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 14 of 22
These updates are needed because demand has grown and our current policy
creates unintended consequences including year-round field blocking with no
mechanism for release. Council sets policy (fees & priorities), but scheduling and
enforcement belong at the administrative level. This shift protects youth access
for local residents, ensures fairness, and keeps us compliant with state law and
public benefit requirements. Our goal is one consistent, enforceable system that
supports open-enrollment community sports while ensuring responsible use of
taxpayer-funded facilities.
The core of field management stays the same as we are not changing who can
use fields or when. This simply moves operational scheduling out of policy and
into an administrative procedure, where it fits better like all other facility rentals.
Council retains full authority over the fee schedule, which is the true policy
decision. We will present a cost-recovery model with options, but Council
ultimately determines which groups pay what and where waivers remain.
This structure protects taxpayers, supports youth programs, and avoids
unintended consequences seen under the current policy.
Under Arizona’s Gift Clause, we cannot use town fields or resources to benefit a
private group unless the public receives equal or greater value in return.
An example of this is a tuition-based school team only allows students enrolled at
that private school to participate. Because the public cannot access the program,
waiving field fees would amount to subsidizing private education which is not
permitted under the Gift Clause. For these programs, cost-recovery fees are
required. Open-enrollment youth sports, however, serve the entire community so
reduced or waived fees comply with the Gift Clause because the public benefit is
broad and measurable.
Manager Brown reported that there is the town programming, like the adult
softball league, and our partnerships with open-enrollment youth sports, which
are local non-profit sports groups that have open enrollment. We prioritize these
youth organizations because they essentially provide a public service on our
behalf. They manage their own teams, handle all staffing, and offer broad,
volunteer-led access for local families. Their programs also help supplement the
recreation opportunities the town would otherwise need to provide. We value
these community partnerships because they support access, inclusivity, and
align with the town’s recreation focus, they receive higher priority and may qualify
for fee waivers.
We are seeing a growing demand across community sports, town programs, and
private or regional activities. As our demographics show a median age of around
65, we’re seeing more interest in adult programming. At the same time, youth
sports continue to grow, and our partnership with Wickenburg Unified School
District (WUSD) ensures that publicly funded school facilities remain accessible
to the whole community. Because of this increased demand, scheduling conflicts
and congestion have become more common. Even though the town technically
has priority when booking the fields, we recognize how much local youth sports
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 15 of 22
rely on these spaces. For that reason, we intentionally avoid adding programs
that would limit their access. This is also why we previously offered a fall and
winter adult softball league but will not continue it in the future. We’re also
receiving community requests for programs we currently cannot support, such as
additional seasons of adult softball, adding in adult soccer, kickball, soccer skills
clinics, and ultimate frisbee. To manage all of this fairly, we need a structure that
protects community access first while still allowing rentals when appropriate.
Overall, our goal is to balance expectations, support our partners, and ensure
that our facilities remain available to the groups that rely on them the most.
Manager Fischer stated that in reviewing the scheduling, the town shows that
fields are being reserved for long stretches, yet many of those reservations go
unused. The current policy has no mechanism to release unused time, so fields
stay blocked even when they sit empty. The town must request permission to use
its own fields, leaving us without control over scheduling. For example, when we
get a request for a field rental, we review the request and know it is feasible as
the fields are not being used but are reserved. We work with the current renter to
release the fields, so we can then create a new booking. This is due to block
reservations. These are unintended consequences of the existing policy. The
administrative framework we’re proposing fixes this through seasonal scheduling,
use-it-or-release-it, and stronger prioritization.
This chart provides a month-by-month overview of how each ballfield at Sunset
Park is used throughout the year. It helps illustrate that our fields are heavily
programmed, with very limited open time, and that multiple organizations rely on
the same spaces. This visual also shows how seasonal sports overlap and why
coordinated scheduling and operational standards are essential to managing
demand, avoiding conflicts, and protecting field conditions.
There are some key definitions to show user-type categories which help us
distinguish between open-enrollment programs that serve the entire community
and restricted programs that serve private groups.
• Town Programs - Town-run recreation, camps, and events
• Public School Athletics (IGA) – Wickenburg High School (WHS) & Vulture
Peak Middle School (VPM) teams under existing shared facility agreement
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 16 of 22
• Open-Enrollment Youth Leagues - Local non-profit leagues open to any child;
access tied to nationally recognized season. These are programs that the
town does not run for example our League Little, American Youth Soccer
Organization (AYSO), and National Arizona Youth Football (NAYF).
• Local Non-Profit - Local nonprofits & tuition-based school programs limited to
enrolled participants. It typically has selective membership or limited access
to join, not open to everyone.
• Residents, Non-Residents & All Others - Individuals or groups not falling into
categories above
• Seasonal Use Window - Nationally recognized competitive season plus
approved pre-season and post-season periods
• Use-It-or-Release-It - Reserved time is released back to the town after two
consecutive weeks of documented non-use. This will give the town the
operational tools to eliminate field monopolization and ensure fair, consistent
access.
The seasonal use window means that each sport receives field access only
during its nationally recognized season. The town will allow pre-season and post-
season extensions. Reservations outside the seasonal window will be limited or
charged at standard rates. This will prevent year-round blanket reservations and
ensure fair, predictable access for all user groups. The example seasons
windows include:
• AYSO – August – November
• NAYF – July (end) – November
• Little League – March – June
Manager Brown reviewed the priority access structure:
Manager Fischer recognized the Council’s intent to waive fees and it was
adopted broadly. As Council considers the fee schedule and hears
recommendations from staff, we would like to share information that should be
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 17 of 22
considered when adopting a fee schedule. The town invests heavily in
maintaining these fields—grass, irrigation, lighting, staff, and restoration.
Under our current, blanket waiver practice, we recover none of these costs from
any user group. That means taxpayers are subsidizing all of our current users,
including private and tuition-based programs. A cost-recovery fee schedule,
scaled by public benefit, ensures fairness, legal compliance, and long-term field
sustainability.
Director Mayerhofer stated that staff is asking the Council to consider two things;
the first being the admin handling of field use being removed from the Council
policy and second, updating the fee schedule. This action does not represent a
change in the fee(s) charged, rather it is a change to the waiver and user types
with the goal of some cost recovery.
The second option would be to continue to waive fees for open enrollment youth
sports during their nationally recognized season.
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 18 of 22
Councilmember Nyberg asked what the town uses of the public school’s facilities.
Manager Brown stated that the town uses the round gym for open gym during the
summer. The school district doesn’t have a field for Vulture Peak softball, so they
use it for that for one hour per day for one field as well as one high school softball
tournament for a weekend in the spring. Town Manager Smith stated that the
town has an agreement with the school district to share facilities, but doesn’t
have one with the Wickenburg Christian Academy as they don’t have any
facilities to share.
Councilmember Bedoian asked about the fees and the difference in the months
they are allowed to book. Director Mayerhofer stated that the open enrollment
youth programs will still be allowed to receive waived rental of fields, however if
they don’t use it for two weeks, it will be released back to the town.
Councilmember Rubash wanted to make sure the open enrollment youth
programs continue to have waived fees.
Vice Mayor Jones thought that the town staff should be allowed to manage the
schedule. The groups should be considering other people and groups when
making their reservations. We want to maximize the use and protect everyone’s
right to use the fields.
Councilmember Rovey asked about the waiver and when that will apply. Director
Mayerhofer stated that during the designated season, they receive a waiver. If
they want to reserve the fields outside their season, they will need to pay the
non-profit rate if they are doing a camp or other event.
Councilmember Rubash stated that the organizations already have their
schedules and contracts for 2026. Town Manager Smith stated that he doesn’t
want to prolong the issues for eighteen months so we will have to cancel the
contracts and rebook under the new rules. March is the start of the little league
season, so we have time to meet with them. Otherwise, they are booking outside
their season. Director Mayerhofer stated that staff will update the contracts and
meet with the youth organizations.
Sheri Fucili, In-Town Resident and AYSO representative, stated that they serve
other community’s kids and would have to pay $4,500 for the fields. They had
227 kids this year in soccer. They tried to start an adult soccer league also.
Councilmember Rovey asked about the waiver for open enrollment schools and
non-profits. Town Attorney Stuhan stated that the gift clause requires a public
purpose and public benefit must be received to gift anything with tax payor funds.
The public schools are open, and we use their facilities with an IGA. Private
schools charge tuition. Non-profits youth sports organizations that are open to
the public provide a service to the community that the town doesn’t then have to
run the program and it is open to all members of the public. It is similar to the
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 19 of 22
senior center running programs for seniors so that the town doesn’t have to run
them, which is the consideration for the gift clause.
MOVED BY Vice Mayor Brian Jones to approve Resolution 2386, repealing
Resolution 2338 to authorize the Town Manager to administratively develop,
modify, and approve policies and procedures for Facility Rental and Special
Event Services; and issuing a Notice of Intent to consider amendments to the
facility rental fee schedule to include Council waiver alternative
SECONDED BY Councilmember Kristy Bedoian
VOTE: 7 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers
Bedoian, Clark, Nyberg, Rovey, and Rubash)
6. Consideration and Action to Authorize an Enhanced Marketing Campaign with
Wasatch Media by Increasing Funding up to $30,000 from Bed Tax Contingency
for Marketing the Town
Steve Boyle, Community Development Director, reported that the bed tax is
money collected from short duration lodging stays, usually in a hotel. There is
currently $100,129.00 in the Bed Tax contingency fund. This funding is to be
used for tourism promotion, special events, marketing and visitor centers. If
someone rents a hotel room in Wickenburg for $150, they will pay $15.41 in bed
tax, but only $4.50 will come to the town as there is also bed tax from the state
and county.
We currently receive marketing funds from the state from their collection of bed
tax. We receive approximately $32,000 from the Prop. 302 grant funds. Wasatch
Mountain Media was selected for that tourism marketing campaign. However,
only 20% or approximately $6,000 can be used in Maricopa County. The town
needs to increase the marketing since the majority of tourists are day-trippers
from the valley. Visitors often stop in Wickenburg while traveling to other
locations. They need to know about all the activities and events like shopping,
dining, golfing, recreation, and roping that can attract the day-trippers. In
addition, the new county campground will attract additional local-area visitors.
There are five million residents in the Phoenix Metro area making it the single
largest source of potential staycation visitors to Wickenburg. When combined
with nearby drive markets like the Prescott area, population bases swells further.
Wasatch Mountain Media has come up with three tiers of marketing that the town
can choose to add to the marketing. The increased marketing will primarily be for
• Google Paid Ads Search: Keywords: “staycation Arizona,” “weekend
getaways near Phoenix,” “things to do near Prescott.”
• Meta (Facebook/Instagram): Target Phoenix Metro + Prescott area.
• Retargeting: Keep Wickenburg top-of-mind for internet visitors and social
influencers.
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 20 of 22
• Display/Geofencing: Serve geo-targeted display ads in Phoenix, Glendale,
Scottsdale, Prescott, and surrounding suburbs. Geofence high-value ZIP
codes (Scottsdale/Paradise Valley, Goodyear/Surprise for family audiences).
• Run seasonal creative ads aligned with events (Fall/Winter/Spring Events).
• Extend impression reach beyond Meta/Google ecosystem to maximize
frequency.
• YouTube / Streaming: Video ads promoting events & itineraries.
The highest tier is for $30,000 which will allow for more marketing to all the areas
listed above. The mid-tier is $15,000-20,000 for static images on social media
and Google, video clips for social media, and professional photography. The
entry-tier is for $10,000-15000 will create static images and video clips. The idea
is to launch the new marketing campaign in the valley as soon as possible
through March.
Vice Mayor Jones asked the timing. Nick Giustino, Wasatch Mountain Media,
stated that they would like to start soon to be able to support the local events that
will be happening.
Mayor Bratcher clarified that the marketing will be to market Wickenburg, not just
an event. This was confirmed by Mr. Giustino.
Councilmember Clark stated that the short videos get more hits than a static
image. Mr. Giustino stated that with the higher tier they will shoot video footage
to make videos of different lengths. Director Boyle stated that the Economic
Development and Transportation Advisory Committee wanted to see more
marketing in Phoenix.
Steve Hamilton, In-Town Resident, worked in the travel industry for sixty years
and he would like to see the town approve an additional $30,000 to reach
Phoenix with a staycation concept.
Karla Mortimer, In-Town Resident, encouraged the town to market Wickenburg to
show what the town has to offer. This will hopefully encourage more people to
come to visit.
Dwight Zemp, In-Town Resident, has heard from the businesses that the town
needs to attract people for a longer season. Maybe an idea to get out of the heat
of the valley and requested the Council approve the $30,000.
Councilmember Bedoian stated that the sales tax in town is down and other cities
in Arizona are not seeing a decrease, so we need to market to get people to
come to town. We also need to look at this during the budget next year.
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 21 of 22
Vice Mayor Jones had a concern that $30,000 would take 30% of the
contingency from the Bed Tax fund and wondered about cutting it back to at least
$25,000.
MOVED BY Councilmember Margaret Nyberg to approve the expenditures from
local bed tax contingency fund to Wasatch Mountain Media for additional target
market campaigning in the amount of $30,000
SECONDED BY Councilmember Kristy Bedoian
VOTE: 7 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers
Bedoian, Clark, Nyberg, Rovey, and Rubash)
7. Consideration and Action to Approve Amendment 1 to the Lease Agreement with
QuadAir LLC
Councilmember Rebecca Rovey declared a conflict of interest and left the room.
MOVED BY Councilmember Margaret Nyberg to adjourn into executive session
for item J1 at 8:00 PM
SECONDED BY Councilmember Kristy Bedoian
VOTE: 6 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers
Bedoian, Clark, Nyberg, and Rubash) (Councilmember Rovey – Conflict of
Interest)
Council reconvened the meeting at 8:27 PM
MOVED BY Vice Mayor Brian Jones to approve amendment one to the QuadAir
LLC lease agreement and authorize the Town Manager to execute the
agreement upon final negotiations and approval of the Town Attorney
SECONDED BY Councilmember Margaret Rovey
VOTE: 6 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers
Bedoian, Clark, Nyberg, and Rubash) (Councilmember Rovey – Conflict of
Interest)
J. EXECUTIVE SESSION - (Council May Vote to Go Into Executive Session Pursuant
to A.R.S §38-431.03(A)(3) to Receive Legal Advice from the Town Attorney on Any
of the Above Agenda Items.)
1. An executive session pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3), (A)(4), and (A)(7) for
discussion or consultation with the Town Attorney regarding the Town's position
regarding lease agreements at the airport. The purpose of the executive session
is to discuss the agreement with Quadair Airport Hangar Lease.
K. SCHEDULING OF FUTURE COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS - None
Town Council Minutes of December 1, 2025
Page 22 of 22
L. ADJOURNMENT
MOVED BY Councilmember Rebecca Rovey to adjourn at approximately 7:46 PM
SECONDED BY Councilmember Kristy Bedoian
VOTE: 6 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers Bedoian,
Clark, Nyberg, and Rubash)
BG Bratcher, Mayor
ATTEST:
Amy Brown, Town Clerk
CERTIFICATION
I, Amy Brown, the duly appointed and qualified Town Clerk of the Town of Wickenburg,
do hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes
of the regular meeting of the Town Council of Wickenburg, Arizona held on December
1, 2025. I further certify the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was
present.
Amy Brown, MMC
Town Clerk