Verified arena petitions head to city council

A referendum petition to put a 6,000-seat events center up for public vote has been verified.

According to Yuma City Clerk Brigitta Kuiper, a total of 1,380 out of 1,421 certifiable signatures were found to be valid Wednesday. The referendum only required 767 signatures to pass.

Kuiper made this announcement during Wednesday night's regular city council meeting.

The effort was organized by more than 40 volunteers, including petitioner Jack Kretzer. He said the volume of signatures they'd gathered and the interest in the referendum said a great deal about the public's mood in the city.

"It's a tribute to the grassroots in Yuma who're tired of the city deciding to spend money. Tax and spend, that's the policy of this city council and city administration," Kretzer said.

Leonard Pawlak, another Yuman who got involved in the petition process, said he was pleasantly surprised the petitions had gone through.

"I figured they'd find some way to throw them out," he said. "I really feel it'll be voted down but ... if it's voted in, that means the majority of people want it. My feeling is it won't be voted in because we're in a recession now. We don't have the money to pay for an arena."

The city council voted 4-3 in January to move forward with an effort to build an arena in a vacant area north of the Yuma Palms Regional Center. As envisioned, the multipurpose events center would hold 6,000 seats and cost an estimated $53 million to build.

Mayor Larry Nelson, Deputy Mayor Ross Hieb, Councilman Raul Mendoza and Councilwoman Ema Lea Shoop supported it.

The three "no" votes were cast by Councilmen Paul Johnson and Cody Beeson and Councilwoman Leslie McClendon.

The arena measure will now go back to the city council members. They have the option to either rescind their support of it or call for an election, to put the item before the voters.

The council has 50 days to act on the matter. The deadline is May 8.

Nelson said he'd like to see it go to an election, preferably in November, on the ballot with the 2008 presidential election. He added that though he supported the arena, he was glad to see it going before the public.

Beeson said a project of the events center's size and scope should have the community behind it if it's to go forward. "I'm in favor of the people having a say. This is how democracy works."

The arena faced criticism from some citizens, mostly due to concerns over how it would be paid for. City officials have stated it would be built using tax revenue generated from development on a community facilities district surrounding the arena. Under this plan, only those who went to arena events and surrounding shops would pay the cost.

But some voiced concerns about whether this development would sustain the cost of the arena, and if it might eventually fall back on all city taxpayers to fund.

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IN OTHER BUSINESS, THE YUMA CITY COUNCIL:

- Voted 6-1 to accept a recommendation to modify the Avenue 3-1/2E alignment, between 40th Street and 56th Street. This roadway project's goal is to widen 3-1/2E to ease the movement of agricultural and cooler/packing facility traffic. The plan was modified to accommodate possible infrastructure improvements, such as moving the main gate, around Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. Councilman Paul Johnson voted against this item.

- Unanimously approved a preannexation development agreement with John Bloomer of Carefree Senior Living on a property at 999 S. Avenue B. Bloomer is developing this area to build an Alzheimer's care facility. This agreement would allow it to receive water and sewer service from the city.

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Sarah Reynolds can be reached at sreynolds@yumasun.com or 539-6847.