Local News

Meeting addresses east county issues
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Published on: January 12, 2007

The Yuma County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting in Dateland to acquaint east Yuma County residents with a variety of issues important to their communities and to gather their input.

The main topic was the planned hog farm to be located off Spot Road. Other topics included:

OIL REFINERY STATUS
• Acquisition of the land for the proposed oil refinery east of Tacna has moved closer with the release of an environmental impact statement, said Larry Killman, a consultant with Arizona Clean Fuels, which plans to develop the refinery. Also, officials are in Mexico working on details for a port and pipeline in that country to import crude oil from Canada and transport it to the site. And two "very interested equity partners" may help finance the $3.5 billion refinery.

SATELLITE SERVICE CENTER
• To provide county services to east Yuma County residents without their having to make the long drive into Yuma, the county plans to open a satellite service center in Tacna, announced Monty Stansbury, director of the Yuma County Department of Development Services. The county is in the process of purchasing 10 acres of federal land on the east side of Tacna’s main street for the center. It will be a $2.6 million project. Possible services include adult probation; assessor; health department clinics; Department of Development Services planning, permitting and inspection; sheriff’s deputy substation; and technology staff. Different services likely would be offered on different days. Asked about Motor Vehicle Division services, Stansbury said he would explore the possibility of some joint services with the state.

PUMPER FIRE TRUCK
• A new pumper truck has been provided for the Dateland Volunteer Fire Department, funded by a Community Development Block Grant. The truck will be housed at Dateland Elementary School.

LIBRARY BRANCHES
• As part of the $53.7 million bond issue approved by voters in November 2005, the Yuma County Library District plans to build a new branch library in Wellton, said Susan Evans, library district director. The new 8,579-square-foot branch library will be built on land donated by the town of Wellton on the southwest corner of San Jose Avenue and Helen Street. It will replace the current 4,150-square-foot library. Anticipated completion date is the spring of 2008.

The project also includes technology enhancements to the Dateland library, located at the Dateland Elementary School, and the Roll library in the Mohawk Valley Elementary School library. Anticipated completion date is this summer.



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