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MINUTES
WICKENBURG COMMON COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, April 6, 2026 - 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 Police Lieutenant Aaron Hadley
C. INVOCATION - Led by Pastor Duane Middleton, Mt. Hope Assembly of God 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
Cason Chambers, Public Works Director
Robert Martinez, Finance Director
Tarah Mayerhofer, Human Resources Director
Ed Temerowski, Fire Chief
E. MAYOR & COUNCILMEMBERS REPORT ON CURRENT EVENTS
• Councilmember Margaret Nyberg reported that Councilmember Rebecca Rovey
has won an award for Woman of Distinction.
• Councilmember Art Rubash reported that spring sports have started for baseball
and softball.
• Mayor BG Bratcher attended the following meetings: Civic training for elected
officials in Cottonwood, League legislative updates, Senator Mark Kelly’s office,
West Valley Mayor’s meeting, Cops Who Care Easter Egg Hunt, Legends of the
West Rodeo, and West Fest. She thanked Sarah Brown for her work to bring the
Town Council Minutes of April 6, 2026
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BYTE camp for the children during Spring Break. She also finished reading the
zoning ordinance draft so she is familiar with the code.
• PROCLAMATION - Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteer Week -
April 6-12, 2026
F. TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT
• Town Manager Troy Smith congratulated Councilmember Rebecca Rovey for
winning the Elizabeth Hudson Smith award.
• Cason Chambers, Public Works Director, introduced Justin Smith, the new Parks
and Facility Manager.
• Recognition of Wickenburg Leadership Academy Graduates
• AWARD – Police Department Awards for water rescues on November 18, 2025
On November 18, 2025, the Police Department began receiving calls of flooding
of several streets at wash crossings due to heavy rains northwest of town.
Officers began responding to crossings to block the roads. One of the roads was
at the wash crossing on Vulture mine between US93 and US60. When officers
arrived, the wash currently had heavy water flow and while in the process of
shutting down the road, two vehicles approached the west crossing, a FSL van
and a Ford super duty truck. As the officer attempted to communicate that they
needed to turn around, a wall of water proceeded to wash both vehicles from the
roadway into the wash, downstream. After this occurred, both the Wickenburg
Police Department and Wickenburg Fire Department began mobilizing resources
in an attempt to rescue the occupants of both vehicles. Due to the amount of
running water in the wash, it was determined that an air rescue would be
necessary and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Officer Air Unit (MCSO) was
contacted for assistance.
The MCSO Air Unit Piloted by Timothy Brennan arrived and while hovering,
Deputy Dickner guided Deputy Castro down on a cable towards the vehicle
which was being driven by volunteer Barbara Greenmyer, and passengers
Dwight Singleton, and Sandra Humphries. Deputy Castro broke the rear window
and systematically began pulling the occupants out of the vehicle and delivering
them to waiting rescue personnel on shore.
The second rescue was of Barbara Wright who was driving the Ford Super Duty.
The truck had moved closer to shore and stuck on some debris, but the water
was still flowing very rapidly, and the truck was quickly filling up. Phil and Riley
Mahan were with Lt. Lutkiewicz and Officer Zackowski and offered a tow strap
that they had in their vehicle to help with rescue attempts. Lt. Lutkiewicz quickly
volunteered to enter the water and try to rescue the driver of the truck. Officer
Zackowski and Phil and Riley Mahan held onto the tow strap that they had tied to
Lt. Lutkiewicz, and he managed to make it to the truck, force open the driver’s
door and carry the driver and her dog to shore.
Town Council Minutes of April 6, 2026
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✓ Deputy Ryan Castro - Medal of Valor
✓ Deputy Richard Dickner - Medal of Valor
✓ Pilot Timothy Brennann - Medal of Valor
✓ Lieutenant Kenny Lutkiewicz - Medal of Valor
✓ Officer William Zackowski –Distinguished Service
✓ Phil and Riley Mahan – Citizens Award
• Town Manager Troy Smith reported that an open house was conducted for the
Zoning Code with comments still being accepted online. He thanked Taylor
Fischer and the Public Works staff for their work at West Fest in town this past
weekend. April 29th will be an Arbor Day celebration called Roots of Freedom to
give away trees from a grant from Arizona Public Service (APS). The spring
recreation program is available.
G. FINAL CALL for Request to Speak Cards to be turned into the Town Clerk.
H. CALL TO THE PUBLIC
• Jack Zoulek, In-Town Resident, talked about a building going up that is said to be
within the code but is taller than it was supposed to be in the plans.
• Geri Fair, In-Town Resident, thanked the town for fixing the potholes and
cleaning up Constellation Road and that area.
I. ITEMS OF BUSINESS
1. Action on the Consent Agenda -
MOVED BY Vice Mayor Brian Jones to approve items a, b, and c of the consent
agenda
SECONDED BY Councilmember Margaret Nyberg
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 March 16, 2026
By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve the
minutes of March 16, 2026.
b. Consideration and Action to Approve Resolution No. 2392 Designating the
Chief Fiscal Officer for Submitting the Annual Expenditure Limitation Report
for Fiscal Year 2026-27
Robert Martinez, Finance Director, reported in his Council routing form that
Arizona Revised Statues 41-1279.07(E) annually requires a letter to be
submitted to the Auditor General stating the name of the Chief Fiscal Officer
who will be submitting the Annual Expenditure Limitation Report (AELR)
Town Council Minutes of April 6, 2026
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certifying the accuracy of the report. Effective fiscal year ending 6/30/19, the
Auditor General’s office has decided this needs to be done by submitting
either a resolution or meeting minutes annually. This report is prepared by our
contracted auditors, then reviewed and approved by the Town’s Finance
Director.
By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve
Resolution No. 2392 designating the Chief Fiscal Officer for submitting the
Annual Expenditure Limitation Report for FY 2026-27.
c. Consideration and Action Approving the Budget Amendment to the
Destination Marketing Fund
Robert Martinez, Finance Director, reported in his Council routing form that
the projected revenue in the Destination Marketing Fund was anticipated to
be $30,100.00 for FY26. The revenue the town has been receiving has
increased and is expected to be $34,831.08 for the current fiscal year. The
budget amendment will increase the Destination Marketing Fund revenue and
budget in the amount of $4,731.08, for a total FY26 budget of $34,831.08.
By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve the
budget amendment to the Destination Marketing Fund in the amount of
$4,731.08, making the FY26 budget in the fund $34,831.08.
2. Presentation and Update on Marketing Campaigns from Wasatch Mountains
Media
Nick Giustino, Wasatch Media Marketing, stated that the town has run a paid
digital advertising campaign to attract visitors, drive tourism, and grow local
economic activity. There are Google search ads that are shown when someone
types 'things to do in Arizona' or 'visit Wickenburg' into Google. These capture
high-intent travelers who are actively planning a trip. Meta (Facebook &
Instagram) includes photo and video ads shown in social media feeds. This is
great for building awareness and driving people to the Wickenburg website.
There are also display and CTV ads which are banner ads on websites and video
ads on streaming TV services (like Hulu). They function like digital billboards for
building recognition over time. The last type of ad is email (flyover newsletter)
which is a sponsored feature in the Flyover newsletter sent to 100,000+
subscribers. This delivers highly engaged, curated audiences directly to the
website.
This report shows the 4-month campaign over November 2025-February 2026.
There were 1.39 million total ad impressions (people who saw the ads), 24,824
total website sessions (visits to the Wickenburg site), 1,101 attributed in-person
visits, and $0.49 average cost per click with January being the best month.
Town Council Minutes of April 6, 2026
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In November 2025 there were 2,282 total ad clicks, 6,162 website sessions,
362,000 ad impressions displayed, 168 in-person visits to Wickenburg, and
14.75% Google search click through rate (CTR) with the industry average at 5%.
The Arizona drive-market Google Search performed exceptionally well with 1,068
clicks at a 21% click-through rate and just $0.59 per click. The out-of-state ads
(Las Vegas, Denver, Los Angeles, San Diego) drove 866 clicks which is more
expensive per click but representing high-value overnight visitors. The display
ads reached 152,000 people across out-of-state markets, building brand
awareness even before people clicked. The top-performing keywords: 'things to
do in Arizona,' 'Wickenburg,' 'Wickenburg museum,' and 'rodeos.' The top
engaged cities: Phoenix, Surprise, Las Vegas, and Denver are all target drive
and fly markets. Meta (Facebook/Instagram) was not yet launched — Google
Search and Display were the only active channels in November.
In December 2025 Meta ad were launched mid-month so total clicks jumped 75%
and the website sessions grew 42%. There were 4,001 total ad clicks, 8,723
website sessions, 302 in-person visits to Wickenburg, and 5.43% Meta click
through rate with the industry average at 1%. Meta (Facebook & Instagram)
launched and immediately became a high-volume, low-cost traffic channel with
6,537 clicks at just $0.17 per click. Google Search held steady (~1,931 clicks),
confirming continued strong interest from people actively searching for
Wickenburg and Arizona travel. Overall cost-per-click dropped 56% to $0.85,
meaning the town's ad budget went further in December than November. Display
ad CTR more than doubled (0.10% → 0.24%), showing improved targeting with
fewer but better-quality ad placements. Top geographic markets: Phoenix, Las
Vegas, Los Angeles, and Denver which are consistent with tourism goals.
Footfall attribution data (physical visits to Wickenburg tracked via ad exposure)
began appearing in reports which is a strong new measurement tool.
January 2026 was the best month yet with 10,545 total ad clicks, 17,653 website
sessions, 291 in-person visits to Wickenburg, and 798,000 total impressions.
Meta became the single largest traffic channel with 21,075 clicks at $0.11 per
click and a 3.45% CTR. In-state (Arizona) ads were especially efficient at
$0.09/click and 5.28% CTR. Google Search continued strong growth: 3,066
clicks at a 17.72% CTR and $0.76/click, with conversion rate rising to 2.05%. The
Fly Over newsletter campaign (sent mid-January) contributed to a significant
one-day spike in website traffic, visible in analytics. In-state Arizona search:
1,954 clicks at 22.66% CTR which was the highest click-through rate of the entire
campaign. Top cities: Phoenix (2,372 sessions), Las Vegas (895), Los Angeles
(597), Mesa (380), and Surprise (307) which are all prime tourism targets.
Display/CTV ads reached 53,666 unique people with 169,000 impressions,
serving as consistent brand reminders across all markets.
February 2026 the ads were shifted toward video and awareness formats
(YouTube/CTV). There were 8,996 total ad clicks, 15,770 website sessions, 1.39
million total impressions, 340 in-person visits, and the flyover email open rate
Town Council Minutes of April 6, 2026
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was 78% with 106,700 recipients. More budget went to video and awareness
formats this month which was designed to be seen by large audiences rather
than just clicked. This is the right move as peak travel season approaches. Total
impressions hit 1.39 million, the highest of the entire 4-month campaign. More
Wickenburg's name was in front of potential visitors in February than any prior
month. Google Search maintained strong performance: 3,359 clicks, 24.75%
CTR for Arizona in-state ads, and branded search increasing 63% as people are
actively looking for Wickenburg. There were 340 physical visits to Wickenburg
that were directly attributed to digital ad exposure, an important measure of real-
world tourism impact. The Flyover sponsored email: 106,700 recipients, 83,617
opens (78% open rate), and 3,250 clicks to the Wickenburg website which is an
outstanding engagement for email marketing. Top traffic cities: Phoenix, Las
Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver, Mesa, Surprise, and San Jose, all remain
consistent with prior months.
In summary, the ads are working with every month showed growth in reach,
website visits, and engagement. January was the strongest month of the
campaign, with traffic doubling from December. The Arizona drive market has the
strongest audience including Phoenix metro and surrounding cities (Surprise,
Mesa, Scottsdale, Peoria) respond at the highest rates and lowest cost because
this is a core audience for weekend getaways. Facebook/Instagram delivered
over 41,000 clicks in just three months at an average of $0.14/click which is
significantly cheaper than most paid advertising channels. The cost per click
dropped every month (from $1.93 to $0.49). The team is continuously optimizing,
ensuring town dollars generate increasing returns over time. The shift to video
and CTV in February placed 1.39M impressions which was building awareness
heading into peak travel season when visitors will be planning Arizona trips. 340
in-person visits to Wickenburg were attributed to digital ad exposure in February
alone, with 1,101 total attributed visits across all four months. This 'footfall
attribution' connects digital advertising to real economic impact. He then showed
a few of the ads as well as one video.
Vice Mayor Jones asked how they quantify the number of visits. Mr. Giustino
stated that they look for foot traffic through a polygon to look at certain hours and
track the mobile phones in town.
Councilmember Clark asked about the 1,100 attributed visits, and what they were
from. Mr. Giustino stated that they can’t know from the Facebook or Google
Search, so the cost per click is lower by looking at the high click through rates
especially in Maricopa County.
Mayor Bratcher wanted to clarify where they were clicking into as the Out
Wickenburg Way website, that is run by the Chamber of Commerce, is not up to
date and people are not seeing the events. Mr. Giustino stated that it does send
them to the Out Wickenburg Way website which his firm has been retained to
update the content to improve the search engine effectiveness. The events are
Town Council Minutes of April 6, 2026
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not updating from the Chamber website due to administrative issues. They have
finished their original scope of work to make the website stable but found that
there were several issues with the website including the plug-in being out of date.
They submitted another scope of work to fix other issues, but one issue is that no
one is maintaining the website. Once that is approved, they can start work and
will have a better idea on the timeline.
3. Consideration and Action to Approve a One-Year Agreement Extension for Fleet
Leasing Services through Enterprise Fleet Management Inc.
Vice Mayor Brian Jones declared a conflict of interest and left the room.
Cason Chambers, Public Works Director, stated that the town began leasing
vehicles from Enterprise in 2023 with 66 vehicles originally planned for an initial
cost of $540,000. The police and fire departments have now asked to participate.
There are currently 59 vehicles being leased with 3 additional vehicles being
replaced in FY27 for a projected annual lease of $735,000. We are at the turning
point with vehicle equity. There will be four additional vehicles replaced in FY28,
but the equity will begin to reduce the annual lease amount.
In addition, the town is already seeing improved fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs at:
• Fuel: *250 gallons/vehicle/year = $59,000
• Maintenance: *$800/vehicle/year = $47,200
• Reduced Staffing (.5 FTE): $26,391.04
• Total Estimated Annual Cost Savings: $132,591.04
This requested contract is only a one-year extension for a not-to-exceed amount
of $750,000. The next contract will have a longer timeline.
Councilmember Clark asked about the equity position. Director Chambers stated
that the town is building equity as they sell the vehicles, the town gets that back.
They keep the vehicles for 4-5 years then they are sold with the town getting
equity. Chris Hoye, Enterprise Fleet Management, stated that this is an open-
ended equity lease, so the town builds equity during the lease. This is not a
normal lease. The town has 87 vehicles with 60 leased vehicles. This contract
was done through a cooperative contract through a Sourcewell contract.
Councilmember Clark asked about diesel versus gas vehicles. Director
Chambers stated that he will look at the options when they are replaced.
Councilmember Bedoian asked about the staff savings. Director Chambers
stated that there used to be 1.5 FTE’s which is now down to only one full-time
mechanic.
Town Council Minutes of April 6, 2026
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MOVED BY Councilmember Rebecca Rovey to approve the one-year agreement
extension for Fleet Leasing with Enterprise Fleet Management, Inc. and
authorize the Town Manager to execute the agreement
SECONDED BY Councilmember Margaret Nyberg
VOTE: 6 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Councilmembers Bedoian, Clark, Nyberg,
Rovey, and Rubash) (Conflict of Interest - Vice Mayor Jones)
4. Consideration and Possible Action Authorizing the Filing of Claims in the PFAS
Litigation to preserve the Town’s claims (AFFF multi-district litigation, master
docket number 2:18-mn-02873-RMG)
MOVED BY Councilmember Kristy Bedoian to adjourn into executive session at
6:50 PM for items J 1-4
SECONDED BY Councilmember Margaret Nyberg
VOTE: 7 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers
Bedoian, Clark, Nyberg, Rovey, and Rubash)
Meeting was reconvened at 9:17 PM
MOVED BY Councilmember Margaret Nyberg to approve authorizing the filing of
claims in the PFAS litigation and authorizing the Town Manager and Town
Attorney to take all actions necessary to preserve the town’s claims (AFFF multi-
district litigation, master docket number 2:18-mn-02873-RMG)
SECONDED BY Councilmember Kristy Bedoian
VOTE: 7 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers
Bedoian, Clark, Nyberg, Rovey, and Rubash)
5. Consideration and Possible Action to Amend the Town Manager's Contract
MOVED BY Vice Mayor Brian Jones to approve the amendment to the Town
Manager’s contract as discussed in the executive session and authorize the
Mayor to sign the amendment
SECONDED BY Councilmember Margaret Nyberg
VOTE: 7 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers
Bedoian, Clark, Nyberg, Rovey, and Rubash)
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) and (A)(4) for
discussion or consultation with the Town’s Special Counsel Cossich, Sumich,
Parsiola & Taylor LLC regarding the status of PFAS litigation and potential claims
by the Town related to its water and wastewater operations, all related to
litigation of toxic chemical claims in Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) multi-
district litigation, master docket number 2:18-mn-02873-RMG.
Town Council Minutes of April 6, 2026
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2. An executive session pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3) for discussion or
consultation for legal advice with the Town Attorney regarding water rates.
3. An executive session pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-431.03(A)(3), (A)(4), and (A)(7) for
discussion or consultation for legal advice and to consider the Town’s position
and instruct its representatives regarding negotiations for the lease of real
property and bed tax funding agreements. The purpose of the executive session
is to discuss agreements with the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce, Del E.
Webb Center for the Performing Arts, and the Sigler Western Museum.
4. An executive session pursuant to A.R.S. Section 38-431.03(A)(1), (A)(3) and
(A)(4) for discussion or consultation for legal advice and to consider its position
and instruct the Town Attorney regarding possible amendment to Town Manager
Smith's employment contract.
K. SCHEDULING OF FUTURE COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS - None
L. ADJOURNMENT
MOVED BY Councilmember Kristy Bedoian to adjourn at approximately 9:19 PM
SECONDED BY Councilmember Rebecca Rovey
VOTE: 7 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers Bedoian,
Clark, Nyberg, Rovey, 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 April 6,
2026. I further certify the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was
present.
Amy Brown, MMC
Town Clerk