County wants to give city Hwy 95 water rights

Yuma County wants to give the city of Yuma irrigation water rights to about 13 acres of land along Highway 95.

The county says it does not use or need the water rights on several parcels of land from County 14th Street north to city limits, so the county has been working with the Yuma County Water Users' Association for the last year to convert 27 parcels of water rights to the city.

The county department of public works is seeking the Board of Supervisors' approval to go ahead with the transfer at Monday's Supervisors' meeting. The item is on the meeting's consent agenda. Other items include:

• Acceptance of a $918,605 grant from the Arizona Department of Homeland Security to the Yuma County Sheriff's Office for the border security initiative Operation Stonegarden.

The award includes $200,000 for overtime and $718,605 for purchases of radio and computer equipment.

• Canvass the results of the recount between Johnnie Robinson and Mikel Weisser, the Democrat candidates in the primary election for Congressional District 4 U.S. Representative.

The Aug. 28 race was so close that a recount was court-ordered in Gila, La Paz, Maricopa, Pinal, Yavapai and Yuma counties. Yuma County's recount was scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 13. The winner will face incumbent Rep. Paul Gosar (R) in November.

The Arizona Secretary of State had not posted all of the counties' (including Yuma County's) recount results as of Saturday afternoon.

• Approve the addition of a full-time security officer at the county justice center.

Security officers assist in the courtrooms, with screenings and in other areas at the justice center. However, the county says any type of leave — like sick leave, training or annual time off — often results in overtime to cover the absence.

To place an additional officer in the justice center means removing the security officer from the Adult Probation Office. (The probation officers are armed.)

The security officer's position must be sustained by the probation fee fund long term.

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. at the Supervisors' chambers at 198 S. Main St. Visit www.yumacountyaz.gov/boardofsupervisors to view the agenda and supporting documents.

Hillary Davis can be reached at hdavis@yumasun.com or 539-6857. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSHillaryDavis or on Twitter at @YSHillaryDavis