04/20/26 Minutes Regular Meeting

MINUTES 
 
WICKENBURG COMMON COUNCIL 
REGULAR MEETING 
Monday, April 20, 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 5:32 PM  
 
B. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - Led by Human Resources Director Tarah Mayerhofer 
 
C. INVOCATION - Led by Pastor Vince 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 
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 
• PROCLAMATION – Arbor Day – April 24, 2026 
• Councilmember Margaret Nyberg attended the Parks and Trails Committee 
meeting.  
• Councilmember Art Rubash stated that there will be a time capsule that was 
buried in 1976 opened on Wednesday, April 22nd at 9:00 at Vulture Peak Middle 
School.  
• Mayor BG Bratcher attended the following events and meetings: 
✓ Transit Conference 
✓ Greater Phoenix Economic Council – Mayor and County Supervisors meeting

Town Council Minutes of April 20, 2026 
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✓ Make a Difference Day 
✓ DC Ride 
✓ Meeting with Senator Warren Peterson talked about state bills 
✓ West Valley Mayors and Managers meeting 
✓  State of the City of Surprise 
✓ Maricopa Association of Governments Transportation Policy meeting 
✓ AHCCS meeting talking about social services in town 
✓ Valley Metro Board 
✓ Meeting with Congressman Paul Gosar who was in town for an award 
presentation 
 
F. TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT 
• Town Manager Troy Smith stated that the Zoning Code had an open house on 
March 25th and there will be small group community engagement over the 
summer. Roots of Freedom will be on April 29th from 11-1:00 with 70 trees given 
away from an APS grant to celebrate their 140 years of service. Swimming 
lessons and summer camp registration are open.  
 
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 Councilmember Kristy Bedoian to approve items a, b, c, d and e 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 Regular Meeting of 
April 6, 2026 
 
By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve the 
minutes of April 6, 2026. 
 
b. Consideration and Action to Approve Deckard Technologies for Short-Term 
Rental Processing Software and the Use of General Fund Contingencies 
 
Amy Brown, Town Clerk, reported in her Council routing form that Town 
Council approved Ordinance 1245 on January 20, 2026 after review of short-
term rentals (STR) on September 15 and November 15, 2025.

Town Council Minutes of April 20, 2026 
Page 3 of 9 
 
 
In 2022, Senate Bill 1168 was approved in the State of Arizona which 
required all short-term rentals to acquire a permit to operate. Various 
communities across the state created new procedures and regulations 
pertaining to residential short-term rentals (STR) due to the passing of this 
law. Some cities, for example, Sedona, have experienced a major increase in 
short-term rentals and have needed to develop regulations to keep traditional 
neighborhoods as vibrant as possible. Title 9-500.39 specifically mentions 
that cities and towns cannot prohibit vacation rentals or short-term rentals, but 
there are certain regulations that can take place. Here are some example 
regulations: 
 
• 
Permitting short-term rentals 
• 
Compliance with zoning, safety, and nuisance standards 
• 
Disclosure of contact information of the property owner or owner's 
designee responsible for responding to complaints, incidents, and 
emergencies associated with a short-term rental 
• 
Notification to neighboring properties that a property will be used as a 
short-term rental 
• 
Prohibition of the use of short-term rental for illegal and harmful purposes 
• 
Implement an administrative process to suspend short-term rental permits 
and reasonable civil penalties for the misuse of short-term rentals 
• 
Annual registration fee of $250, consistent with state standards 
• 
Fines for non-compliance starting at $500 
• 
Requirement of a valid TPT license and local business license prior to 
STR registration 
• 
Regulations affecting individuals with criminal histories, such as sex 
offenders (though verifying this at the local level remains unclear) 
• 
Requirement for owners to maintain renter background records for one 
year and provide them to the town upon request 
 
Staff has reached out to three companies regarding software for STR 
registration. Deckard Technologies is the staff's choice as they monitor STR 
advertising 24/7 to make sure all rentals are in compliance. In 
addition, Deckard Technologies will continuously monitor the town's short-
term rental environment and encourage compliance through a three-letter 
notification series sent to identified property owners. The town will be alerted 
when new properties are identified, and those properties will be entered into 
the notification series. Their cost is $11,000 plus tax. iWorQ has a cost of 
$12,500 and Accela said we were too small to even provide a quote.  
 
It will take approximately six weeks to set up the software system to be ready 
to go on July 1, 2026. In order to have the system operable on July 1, 2026, 
staff will need a not-to-exceed amount of $12,000 for the software and taxes 
from General Fund Contingency since this was not a budgeted item. This item 
has been added to next year's budget for ongoing STR registration.

Town Council Minutes of April 20, 2026 
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By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve Deckard 
Technologies for STR processing software and a not-to-exceed amount of 
$12,000 from General Fund Contingency and authorize the Town Manager to 
sign the agreement. 
 
c. Consideration and Action to Approve Ordinance 1248 Amending Town Code 
Section 4-2-1H17 by Repealing and Replacing Section 17, Authority to Settle 
Claims, to Clarify Settlement Authority, Align with Insurance and Risk Pool 
Agreements, and Update Administrative Authority Thresholds 
 
Tarah Mayerhofer, HR and Risk Management Director, reported in her 
Council routing form that the town’s current town code governing settlement 
authority 4-2-1H17 was developed under a traditional insurance framework 
that does not fully reflect the structure and requirements of the Arizona 
Municipal Risk Retention Pool (AMRRP) or other modern insurance 
agreements. 
 
As outlined in correspondence from the town’s risk pool, once a claim is 
tendered to an insurance carrier or a risk pooling agreement, the insurer 
assumes the contractual right to investigate, defend, and settle the claim at its 
discretion. The town is required to cooperate and does not retain authority to 
approve or deny settlements once tendered. The current code implies a level 
of town approval over settlements that is inconsistent with these contractual 
obligations. 
 
Additionally, the existing code ties authority to deductible thresholds and limits 
the Town Manager’s settlement authority to $25,000. This structure creates 
inconsistencies, given that the town maintains multiple deductible levels 
across coverage types and that the town’s procurement code establishes a 
$50,000 threshold for Council approval. As a result, the current ordinance 
does not align with operational practices or fiscal authority standards. 
 
The proposed ordinance addresses these issues by repealing and replacing 
the existing section 17 with updated language that: 
 
Clarifies Insurance and Risk Pool Authority 
• 
Recognizes that when a matter is tendered to an insurance carrier or risk 
pool, the insurer retains exclusive authority to investigate, defend, and 
settle 
• 
Removes conflicting language that suggests town approval is required for 
such settlements 
• 
Maintains the town’s obligation to cooperate under coverage agreements

Town Council Minutes of April 20, 2026 
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Establishes Clear Fiscal Authority 
• 
Distinguishes between settlement authority and the appropriation of town 
funds 
• 
Authorizes the Town Manager to approve town-funded portions of 
settlements up to $49,999.99 
• 
Requires Town Council appropriation and designation of funds for any 
town-funded amount of $50,000 or greater 
 
Aligns with Procurement Authority 
• 
Updates the Town Manager’s authority to align with the town’s existing 
$49,999 procurement threshold 
• 
Improves administrative efficiency while maintaining Council oversight for 
larger financial commitments 
 
Maintains Oversight and Transparency 
• 
Continues quarterly reporting to the Town Council on all claims and 
settlements 
 
Proposed Ordinance Summary: 
The proposed ordinance repeals and replaces Section 17 in its entirety and 
establishes: 
 
A. Matters Not Tendered to and/or Covered by Insurance or Risk Pool 
• 
Town Manager authority to settle up to $49,999.99 
• 
Attorney review and written release required 
• 
Council appropriation required for any settlement of $50,000 or greater 
 
B. Matters Tendered to and/or Covered by Insurance or Risk Pool 
• 
An insurance carrier or risk pool retains exclusive settlement authority 
• 
Town cooperation required 
• 
The Town Manager may authorize a Town-funded portion up to 
$49,999.99 
• 
Council appropriation is required for amounts of $50,000 or greater 
• 
Clarification that nothing in the code limits insurer contractual authority 
 
C. Reporting Requirement 
• 
Quarterly reporting of all claims and settlements to Council 
 
By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve 
Ordinance 1248 amending Town Code 4-2-1H17 repealing and replacing 
section 17, authority to settle claims, aligning the town’s code with insurance 
and risk pooling agreements, clarifying settlement and fiscal authority, and 
updating administrative thresholds.

Town Council Minutes of April 20, 2026 
Page 6 of 9 
 
d. Consideration and Action to Approve an Intergovernmental Agreement with 
the City of Glendale to participate in the West Valley Mobile Field Force 
Response Team 
 
Les Brown, Police Chief, reported in his Council routing form that the West 
Valley Chiefs Association members worked together to develop IGA's to help 
provide mutual support during times of large scale demonstrations, critical 
incidents, and events that may tax an individual agency's resources. This is a 
5-year extension of the contract currently in place, and will extend the mutual 
aid agreement until 2031.   
 
This IGA was originally created after numerous requests for resources from 
several West Valley Law Enforcement Agencies during and after the COVID-
19 pandemic. This is one of several IGA's with the other West Valley Law 
Enforcement Agencies, which provide resources and support in times of 
need. Wickenburg Police have provided support in the past during 
demonstrations and has received support from other West Valley Agencies 
during local events. 
 
By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve the 
West Valley Mobile Field Force Response Team IGA with the City of 
Glendale and authorize the Town Manager to sign the IGA. 
 
e. Consideration and Action to Authorize the Submission of a Grant Application 
to the U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets and Roads for All 
(SS4A) Program Safety Study 
 
Kathleen Crutchfield, Grants Administrator, reported in her Council routing 
form that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for 
All (SS4A) grant program provides competitive funding to local governments 
to improve roadway safety and reduce traffic-related fatalities and serious 
injuries. The program was established through the Bipartisan Infrastructure 
Law and includes approximately $5 billion in funding available nationwide 
through 2026. 
 
Eligible projects include the development of comprehensive safety action 
plans, as well as implementation of infrastructure, behavioral, and operational 
strategies that enhance safety for all roadway users, including motorists, 
pedestrians, and bicyclists. 
 
Town staff has identified this funding opportunity as a potential resource to 
support local roadway safety improvement plans and/or planning efforts. 
Submission of an application does not obligate the town to accept funding but 
allows the town to compete for federal grant funds that align with community 
safety priorities. Pre-application submissions for review are due by April 24, 
2026 with the grant application due by May 26, 2026.

Town Council Minutes of April 20, 2026 
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By a 7-0 vote under the Consent Agenda, Council moved to approve 
authorization for staff to prepare and submit a grant application to the U.S. 
Department of Transportation for funding under the Safe Streets and Roads 
for All (SS4A) program and to authorize the Mayor to execute all related 
application documents. 
 
2. Presentation and Discussion Regarding the FY26 Third Quarter Financial Update 
 
Robert Martinez, Finance Director, presented the third quarter financial update. 
The revenue streams are either recurring (continuous income, part of ongoing 
operations), non-recurring (one-time income, not part of ongoing operations) or 
annual (income over a 12-month period). The revenue summary for 75% of the 
year being completed is as follows: 
 
 
The sales tax comparison is shown below:

Town Council Minutes of April 20, 2026 
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At this point in the year, the revenues should be at $14.185 million, and we are 
only at $13.691 million.  
 
The summary of expenditures so far this fiscal year are in the chart below. 
Reserves and contingencies are budgeted in General Services (110) in the 
amount of around $10.9M. This would really make the operating budget in 
general services at $730,449 with percent used at 54.12% and if we followed suit 
with the total at the bottom would put our total at $24.360M with a percent used 
of 52.84%. 
 
 
 
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.) 
 
K. SCHEDULING OF FUTURE COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS 
 
L. ADJOURNMENT  
MOVED BY Councilmember Rebecca Rovey to adjourn at approximately 5:54 PM 
SECONDED BY Vice Mayor Brian Jones  
VOTE: 7 – 0 (Yes – Mayor Bratcher, Vice Mayor Jones, Councilmembers Bedoian, 
Clark, Nyberg, Rovey, and Rubash) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
         BG Bratcher, Mayor

Town Council Minutes of April 20, 2026 
Page 9 of 9 
 
 
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 20, 
2026. I further certify the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was 
present.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Amy Brown, MMC 
Town Clerk