Forest Lakes Newsletter Published by Forest Lakes Owners Association FLOAnews@cox.net

FLOA President’s Message By Judy Nelson

We’ve had first snow fall! It was probably 1 – 3 inches but I’m so glad that I was in Forest Lakes this past week-end to ex-

perience the beauty of it! Everything just sparkled! There is more falling this morning. We haven’t referred to the weather

cam/snow stick for some time, but one of our residents, who wishes to remain anonymous, provides a live web cam so

that you can watch weather and temperatures in Forest Lakes live. You can access it by going to:

www.forestlakesweather.com/web/live_camera.html.

FLOA’s Annual Meeting was held on Saturday, September 20th. Two board members, Ted Cary (Vice President) and Mack

Hume, ended their 3-year term, but agreed to run again and were re-elected. Continuing to serve are Judy Summers

(Secretary), Jane Cummins (Treasurer), Debbie Skeldon, Mary St. Germain, Frank Astemborski, and myself (President).

FLOA Board meetings are on hiatus until March, 2015.

The FLOA Board of Directors has a very important announcement…….. We’re going to have a Community Center soon!!

After 20 or more years of fundraising, saving, visualizing, brainstorming, exploring possibilities to have a community cen-

ter, it is going to become a reality! We have purchased a piece of property with buildings!

A “For Sale” sign went up at 1111 Merzville Road (Lot 231) just days before the decision was made by the FLFD/FLOA Ex-

ploratory Committee to not proceed with plans to build a combined building. The property was being sold on an on-line

auction, with bidding dates of October 25th to 30th.

Several FLOA board members met at the property and agreed that, with vision and a lot of work parties, it had great po-

tential to become a Community Center. The timing was right, the property was in a great location, cleared of trees, flat

and smooth, two buildings that can be renovated to meet our needs, zoned commercial and residential, and in the price

range of what we had in savings and checking so that we could pay cash!

After much discussion and input from all board members and a special meeting, we voted unanimously (yes, it was 100%) to bid on the property and to start at $85,000 and not exceed $160,000. One aggressive competitor kept outbidding us until we bid the highest we would go and in the last 3 minutes we won! It was a white knuckle experience! The last 6 weeks have been filled with the normal legal things; agreements, signing of documents, and closing happened

this past Friday, December 12th. The FLOA board is as excited as little kids with a new toy! And….how timely that it’s the

holiday season! YOU have helped to make it happen through your annual dues as a member of FLOA and supporting our

many fundraisers over the years. It will be a work in progress for many months but we have confidence that our commu-

nity will work together to make it a place for all to enjoy and feel a new sense of community spirit. And we would like EVE-

RYONE to become a member of FLOA and getting involved in things that can only be imagined at this point in time. We

hope you are as excited as we are! Continued on Page 9

2014/15

President’s Message 1, 9 Neighborhood Notes 2 Calendar 3 Fire District Report 4

Fire Auxiliary Report 5 School District Report 6 Sheriff’s Deputy Report 7 Obituaries 8

FLOA Membership Info 9 Mandy Metzger 10-11 Coconino County news 12 Business Directory 13-16

Page 2 Neighborhood Notes

Copyright Winter 2014/15 Forest Lakes Newsletter, Forest Lakes Owners Association, Inc.

FLOA Highway Clean-Up held on Thursday, September 4th 9 AM

Lots of volunteers showed up to clean the 2 miles of Highway 260 that goes through Forest Lakes.

They even braved the tall weeds! We heard that some got free coffee at the end of their trail, at

the local café’. THANK YOU to Rick Brunton who heads up this project twice a year.

THANK YOU to the following: Rick & Donna Brunton, Richard Zimmerman, Walter Brendecke, Cindy

Preston, Cal Phillips, Tom & Kay Ulmer, Helen Noyes, Frank & Judy Summers, Gene Jeardoe, Gene &

Sally Rottier, Larry Proctor, Tom Brouse, Marcia Todd, and Paul Studer.

Way to go Team!

Looking ahead—the next clean-up will be Thursday, May 28, 2015 .

Article by Donna Brunton

“Forest Lakes Happenings” In between newsletters, we publish a monthly “Forest Lakes Happenings” and also send out email “blasts” when we need to get information out quickly. If you are not receiving these emails or know someone who would like to keep “in the know”, please sign up. It’s as easy as emailing us your name and email address to floanews@cox.net. You don’t need to be a property owner or member of FLOA to receive this. Rela-tives and friends might also like to know what goes on in the community.

Check out our website at www.floa.org.

It contains lots of information, not only

about Forest Lakes, but also the Forest Ser-

vices, State and County and much more.

PLEASE HELP US identify new property own-

ers. If you have a new neighbor or if you are

new to Forest Lakes, please let us know. FLOA

keeps a secured database of all property own-

ers and sometimes it takes awhile to get infor-

mation when there are changes. Thank you for

being the community’s eyes and ears.

You can contact us at

floanews@cox.net.

WHERE IS THE POST OFFICE?

The location has changed to the Water District office on Merzville Road across from the fire station from now until fur-ther notice in the spring. A separate en-trance is available. Hours remain the same – Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 1 PM. Your mail will be handed to you rather than through your box; therefore you will only be able to get your mail dur-ing business hours.

Page 3 FL Newsletter Calendar of Events

MONTHLY MEETINGS

2nd Tuesday School Board 4 PM at the School Office

3rd Thursday Water Board 11 AM at the Water Dept

2ndSaturday Fire District Board (3rd Sat. Mar—Nov.) 10 AM at the Fire Station

3rd Saturday Fire District Auxiliary (no meetings until March) 9 AM at the Fire Station

3rd Saturday FLOA Board Meeting (no meetings until March) 2 PM at the School District Building

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29 30 31

December 2014 January 2015

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

February 2015

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

March 2015

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31

Page 4

Forest Lakes Fire District Report

By Board Chairman John Hennessey

New Fire Board The new fire board met for the first time on Saturday Decem-ber 13, 2014. Joining John Hennessey and Quentin Tolby, with two years remaining on their four year terms, were incumbents John Nelson and Tom Cummiskey and new member Jon Waggoner, all who started their four year terms December 1st. Our thanks go out to past Treasurer John Fahrendorf for his service to the fire district over the last two plus years. The new board will attend the upcoming Arizona Fire District Association (AFDA) conference in January in Laughlin, NV, where members will attend required statutory training on the Open Meeting Law, Finance and Budget as well other essential skills training. Board members also interact with members of other districts and have the opportunity to solicit best operating practices from other districts that may be applicable to FLFD. Past history has shown this to be an invaluable team building event.

Chief’s Contract The fire board and Chief Rodriquez have concluded negotiations on a new two year contract employment contract. Chief Rodriquez and board representative Clerk John Nelson signed the contract, which is effective November 1, 2014. The chief’s compensation remains unchanged from the previous contract. Please join the board in thanking Chief Rodriquez for his willingness to continue to serve the district.

Strategic Plan (STRAP) Update Nearing Completion Formal update meetings have concluded for this update cycle. The process will be complete with the publication of the annual update document, which is currently planned by the end of December. This year’s update is an abbreviated version of the standard update process, and focused primarily on the annual cus-tomer survey and the five year financial budget and forecast, including the five year capital expenditure plan. The capital plan, which is synchronized to the district priorities, includes acquisition of a front loader via lease/purchase (this year) ; acquisition of a new mini-pumper to replace Engine 1212 and Attack 1211, to be financed by grant funding (year 1); execution of the plans to construct a new 3,600 sq ft fire station per plans developed by former building com-mittee chair Geoff Stanisic in 2012 (years 3 and 4); and replacement of Recue 1212 by lease/purchase or direct acquisi-tion (year 4). The capital plan, if executed, will address all the equipment and facility deficiencies identified during the Heber-Overgaard merger study. These capital expenditures are all possible because of the savings resulting from aus-terity plans we have had in place over the last four years. The new station, when combined with the existing 3,300 sq ft station, will serve our needs well into the future.

Joint FLOA/FLFD Community Center Exploratory Committee The committee, under the leadership of Ben Froehlich, has concluded its activities with the understanding that FLOA and FLFD will pursue building plans independently. The meetings were open to the public, and had published agendas and meeting minutes. Meeting minutes are available on the FLFD web site. Our thanks to Ben; Judy Nelson and Ted Cary, FLOA representatives; and Quentin Tolby and John Hennessey, FLFD representatives. One of the key outcomes is that the fire district no longer has plans that include Lots 298 and 299, which were procured in 2007 to support com-munity center plans. Lots 298 and 299 will be declared surplus and will be sold to the highest bidder. Proceeds from the sale will help offset building costs.

Page 5

The Forest Lakes Fire District Auxiliary celebrated Christmas at the fire station on Saturday December 13 at 4

P.M. Everyone shared a great meal and Santa arrived with goodies for the children. The Auxiliary would like to wish

everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, too!

We have been working on our website for quite some time and I am happy to announce this it is finally "live". Our

web address is: www.flfdazaux.com. The website still needs some work and we will continue working on it over the

winter months. Please check it out and we would appreciate any ideas or suggestions you may have.

The board members will be working and planning over the winter months for a fun and exciting summer—again,

any suggestions for events is greatly appreciated. See you all this spring.

Forest Lakes Fire District Auxiliary Report

By President Chris Bennett

The fire engine was dispatched to rescue Santa. It was get-

ting dark, it was snowing, and the presents were getting

rather wet. You should have seen the excitement when the

children heard the sirens and went outside to see the fire

truck coming down Merzville Rd., with flashing lights! Santa

had arrived!

→ → →

After a wonderful potluck dinner, all were anticipating the arrival

of Santa Claus. Because it was getting late in the day, Deputy

McKeever went out to look for him and found him stranded on

the highway. His sleigh had broken down and he didn’t know

how he was going to get to the fire station in time to deliver gifts

to the boys and girls waiting for him.

Firefighter Taber was explaining the dilemma to the kids and

they listened intently to the radio as the deputy and firefighter

communicated a plan to get Santa to the fire station.

← ← ←

Each boy and girl took their turn to sit with Santa and

receive a very special gift.

As Santa always does, when he departed, he said,

“Ho, Ho, Ho….Merry Christmas!”

← ← ←

Page 6 Chevelon Butte School District #5 Report

By Linda Blosser, President, Governing Board

928-477-2010 office 928-477-3390 land 602-819-7656 cell

lblosser@chevelonbutte.org www.chevelonbutte.org

HELLO FOREST LAKES…

Where's the snow?

We have a couple of items to share with you. Our Board Member DON PETERSON is retiring at the end of

December 2014 after four years of outstanding service to our district. Don is moving to the valley to be

closer to his first Grandbaby BRIANNE. We wish Don all the best.

The fifth seat will be filled as of January 5, 2015 by SUE BRADLEY. We are very excited to have Sue on

our Governing Board. Along with Sue joining us we have two new Drivers, Jeri Best and Tom Tan-

ner. Welcome to CHEVELON BUTTE ESD.

Chevelon Butte ESD belongs to THE ARIZONA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION. We have been a member

for the past 25 plus years. Each year at the ASBA ANNUAL CONFERENCE in December school districts

from around the state are recognized for their district work and dedication to their students. This year

CHEVELON BUTTE ESD received such honor and a beautiful plaque at the Awards Banquet on December

11, 2014. If you would like to see the plaque stop by the district office.

Also, Linda Blosser was named ARIZONA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION COCONINO COUNTY DIRECTOR.

Linda assumed the position and her seat on the ASBA BOARD of DIRECTORS December 11, 2014.

We wish you a wonderful Holiday Season. Enjoy family and friends. Safe travels.

From Linda, Cheryl, Rebecca, Deynice, Don and Angela

Page 7

First, I would like to wish all homeowners and residents, A Very Happy and Safe Holiday Season. Summer has come and gone in the high country and winter is now upon us. I would like to take a moment to remind the community and its guests that Coconino County does have a Winter Parking Ordinance. This Ordinance is posted at all entrances into the subdivision and is in effect from November to April. This Ordinance states vehicles shall NOT be parked in any county right of ways, including ALL county roadways. If a vehicle is located in the roadway while snow re-moval by Public Works is in process, an attempt to find the owner will be made. If the owner is not found, a bright green vehicle removal sticker will be placed on the vehicle, giving the owner a reasonable amount of time to move the vehicle to private property. If this is ignored the vehi-cle will be towed. A hold will be placed on the vehicle, which means the driver will have to contact the Sheriff’s Office to have it released from the tow company, at which time a citation will be issued. If a vehicle is located and is deemed a public safety hazard, such as vehicles blocking traffic or parked in intersections, they will be immediately removed. Most people don’t realize the hazards that parking in the roadway presents for not only other vehicles but for emergency personnel responding to emergencies. Another reminder if you or your family plan to travel to Forest Lakes during the winter months, please be prepared check the local forecasts for the area and prepare your vehicle with items needed to survive if you should become stranded for a long period of time. These items would include food, water, winter clothes, and blankets, as well as items to start a fire for warmth or to signal help. We all know this time of year presents the perfect opportunity for thieves to take advantage of your homes. I strongly encourage residents to take the appropriate measures to defend your residence against burglaries. An alarm system that is connected to a central dispatch center that will notify the Sheriff’s Office, if you are leaving your residence for the winter it is strongly recommended. Cover your windows to prevent people from seeing inside the residence, and have at least one light on a timer. I am always happy to stop by your residence to go over ways to help prevent a burglary. The best and most helpful way to prevent a burglary is to be on the lookout for suspicious activity. If you see a vehicle, or person(s) walking around that just doesn’t seem to belong in the area, don’t hesitate to call the Sheriff’s Office. Many cases have been solved by an officer stopping that one suspicious vehicle or person that was called in by a citizen. If you don’t think it deems a 911 call you can always call our non-emergency number at 1-800-338-7888 and you can remain anonymous. I’ve heard many people say they don’t want to bother me, but I would much rather respond to hundreds of suspicious person calls than spend hundreds of man hours trying to solve several burglaries. As much as I hate to admit it, these people are listening and watching both the residents and me. We as a community have to make it difficult for them, if they hear or see people calling in suspicious persons and vehicles, they will be less likely to attempt to break into a house. On a more positive note, at the beginning of November, I attended The Arizona Inland Search and Rescue Coordina-tors training which was held in Flagstaff. This training encompassed the use of modern technology, computers and mapping systems, in the use of missing persons and proper Search and Rescue management. What this means for the Forest lakes area, if you or one of your loved ones should become lost, proper Search and Rescue Techniques can be started without having to wait for a SAR Coordinator to arrive from Flagstaff. I’m looking forward to a safe and wonderful winter season! Thank You, Deputy Robert Mckeever

Coconino County Sheriff’s Report

By Deputy Robert McKeever

Page 8 Obituaries

Taylor, William E. "Bill", 83, passed away peacefully on May 27, 2014. Born on June 3, 1930 in

Detroit, MI, Bill is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Estelle, and their three children; sons Bill (Nancy), Chris, and daughter Kathy (John) Hippensteel; five grandchildren, John (Michelle) Hippen-steel, Marc (Jeanine) Taylor, Sarah (Ryan) Woon, Laura Hippensteel, Bryan Taylor and five great-grandchildren. Bill served a 20 year career in the Navy from 1947 - 1967. He was stationed on Coro-nado Island, CA as part of the Underwater Demolition Team 12 (later known as SEALS) and fought in the Korean War. After his military retirement, he became a manager for Ameron Corp. retail stores, which moved his family to different parts of the country. He and Estelle settled in Phoenix where Bill

had a long career as warehouse manager for the Arizona State Prison system. Bill liked to travel, play golf, and work in his garden. He became a Master Gardner and looked forward to sharing his home grown fruits and vegetables with friends and family. For more than 25 years, Bill enjoyed square dancing as a member of the Crazy Eights Square Dance Club. Together, he and Estelle promenaded with their square dance friends traveling to several different cities. He loved people and spending time with family and friends. Bill's strong faith later led him to volunteer at St. Joseph's Hospital through the Stephen Ministries. He was always active and enjoyed volunteering. Some of Bill's most enjoyable times were spent with friends and family in their cabin in Forest Lakes, AZ. He loved the mountains and it wasn't long before he was volunteering for the Forest Lakes fire station. Bill touched many lives and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Services were held on Monday, June 9.

Ford, Linda Kay, 73, of Leisure World Mesa,

passed away October 29, 2014 after a long battle

with ALS. She was sustained in her final journey by

her faith in her Lord Jesus Christ and the support of

her many friends. Linda was born in Waterman, Illi-

nois on March 12, 1941 to Blanche and Peter

Ruestman Jr. who proceeded her in death. She is

survived by her husband of 54 years, Tom, two sons, Jeff (Susan)

and Drew (Jennifer), two brothers Arlen Ruestman of Toluca, Illinois

and Neil Ruestman of Minonk, Illinois, three aunts, Audy Rivard,

Eileen Sutter and Jean Hock and five grandchildren, Mark, Amy,

Jack, Michael and Alyssa. Linda grew up on a family farm outside

Minonk, Illinois attending grades one through five in a one room

country school and finishing grade school and high school in Mi-

nonk. After a year studying English at Eastern Illinois University, she

put Tom through engineering school at the University of Illinois by

working in the University Library. Following school , 50 years ago,

they moved to the east valley where she raised her boys. She sold

real estate for LaVaty Reality and worked in the Church office of

King of Glory Lutheran Church. She was active in Tempe Juniors,

Beta Sigma Phi, Red Hat Society and her church group, Serendipity.

After her grandchildren arrived, first priority was babysitting and

attending all of their many activities. Linda always looked forward

to her monthly card group. Years of camping with many friends fi-

nally resulted in a cabin at Forest Lakes on the rim. Linda was ac-

tive during the summers with the Forest Lakes Quilting Group and

Forest Lakes Community Church and looked forward to visits from

the grandchildren. Linda travelled with friends to Europe several

times and to Israel where she brought home Jordan River water for

her grandson Mark's baptism. Linda strengthened and lived her

faith by participating in, starting, and facilitating dozens of Bible

and prayer studies both in the East Valley and at Forest Lakes. A

memorial service, celebrating her life, was held on November 11.

Leerssen, Karen Kay, 73, of Phoe-

nix, AZ passed away on November 30,

2014. Born on December 12, 1940 in

Ainsworth, Nebraska. Moved to Pres-

cott in her early years. Graduated in

1958 from Prescott High School. Mar-

ried her high school sweetheart Joel Leerssen on Octo-

ber 2, 1959 and immediately moved to Tempe, AZ.

Worked as a bank teller at Valley National Bank for

many years before deciding to become a homemaker.

Very active at Salem Lutheran Church in Scottsdale.

Loved to do various arts and crafts. Especially loved

being a "grandma". Survived by husband Joel Leerssen,

daughter Jan Knappenberger (Bill), daughter Jennifer

Phillips (Jeff), grandchildren Andrew, Taylor, Melissa,

Connor & Kristen, brother John (Chris), sisters Susan

(Norbert), Diana (Bob). A Memorial Service was held

on Saturday, December 6th

Irene Evans passed away November 20, 2014

at the age of 83. She was preceded in death by

her late husband Dick Evans. They were married

for 54 years. She is survived by 4 children.

Brian, Wayne, Sandi Judd, Cathie Beecroft, 11

grandchildren, several great-grandchildren.

She served in various capacities while they lived

full time in Forest Lakes.

Page 9

FLOA Membership Information

FLOA is expanding its membership to include those who call Forest Lakes their home, whether you are a property

owner, rental resident, or a seasonal RV Park resident. New by-laws were recently revised to read …

ARTICLE II, MEMBERS, SECTION 1. Classes of Members. The Corporation shall have one class of members. The

designation of such class and the qualifications and rights of the members of such class shall be as follows:

Membership in this corporation shall be:

a. those individuals owning or purchasing under contract one or more lots within the boundaries of Forest Lakes Estates, subdivisions recorded in the office of the County Recorder of Coconino County, Arizona;

b. those individuals who are long-term renters of property within the boundaries of Forest Lakes; c. those individuals who are seasonal residents of Recreational Vehicle Parks within the boundaries of Forest

Lakes and including the Rim Resort and RV Park.

We all make up our Forest Lakes community and we invite everyone to join FLOA.

FLOA President’s Report Continued from Page 1…..

We have been discussing exactly when Forest Lakes Estates was founded and the best we can pinpoint dates is the early

to mid 1960’s. That makes us right at 50 years old. What better way to celebrate our birthday than to make history during

the next 50 years!

More exciting news! FLOA is expanding its membership to include all residents. Read about a by-laws change in the

article just under my report on Page 9

A membership/renewal form will be sent to property owners right after the first of the year. All other residents can request

a membership form by emailing floanews@cox.net. Forms will also be available in the spring and summer at all RV

parks. At our October board meeting, we voted to increase dues to $30 per household per year. This was done before

we knew about the purchase of the property. The extra $5 per year will cover almost all additional expenses. We appreci-

ate your membership and support. We hope more residents who have not belonged to FLOA in the past will join us!

Gastòn’s Almanac

One of our residents, Gastòn Mascarenes, puts together an annual Almanac that contains sunrise and sunset times every

day, phases of the moon, and much more, right to the minute you can see them here in Forest Lakes. He has made

some enhancements to the 2015 edition. You can find a copy of it on the FLOA website: www.floa.org. Thank you,

Gastòn, for making your Almanac available to us again for 2015. It will be on the website in just a few days.

Be sure to read the entire newsletter. It’s the best way to keep informed about what is going on here and all around our

community. Thanks to those who take time to write an article. We appreciate it!

I’m including a couple of snow pictures I took last week-end; one from my front porch and one driving down Merzville Rd.

I get many requests for pictures of snow from our residents who can’t get to Forest Lakes in the winter. Please enjoy!

From the FLOA Board of Directors … tidings of joy to you and everyone you love.

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy New Year, too!

Mandy Metzger

Coconino County Supervisor District 4 219 E. Cherry Avenue

Flagstaff, AZ 86001-4695 (928) 679-7154 (office) mmetzger@coconino.az.gov

Dear Reader,

Thank you for your support in the passage of Coconino County’s Road Maintenance Proposition 403! The largest

numbers of County maintained roads are located in District 4, and District 4 voters stepped up like champs to deci-

sively support Proposition 403 in each and every precinct. I am so appreciative that our county residents took a

long and thoughtful view of the future and passed this measure with nearly 65% of the votes. (Forest Lakes

passed it with 67%; Blue Ridge 67% and Mormon Lake 62%).

The Board of Supervisors and the Public Works Department held a work session last week to define the next steps

in meeting the commitment we made to you before the November 4th election. The charge is “promises made;

promises kept” and that is exactly what we intend to do. Paralleling the County’s roads maintenance process is

the Board of Supervisors continued work with Congress and the State Legislature to find long-term and adequate

solutions to our aging road system.

Speaking of Congress, Representatives Ann Kirkpatrick(D) and Paul Gosar(R) held a joint town hall in Flagstaff re-

cently. While our representatives did not express the same view on all the issues, they both agreed that Congress

needed to have a full discussion on critical matters. It has been years since I have seen two representatives from

different parties willing to share the stage (post-election cycle) in a constructive manner. To my way of thinking, if

this occurred more broadly across the country, we would be in a much better positions to solve some of the very

difficult issues facing our nation.

There is good news from Good Earth Power and the Forest Service as it relates to the Four Forest Restoration Ini-

tiative (4FRI). The Forest Service has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Draft Record

of Decision (ROD). The FEIS analyzes approximately one million acres on the Coconino and Kaibab National For-

ests. To comment or learn more, please go to www.fs.usda.gov/main/4fri/planning

Good Earth Power AZ, (GEPAZ), the contractor selected by the Forest Service to conduct forest restoration activities

on 300,000 acres also made a big announcement on December 12. The company announced the signing of a

lease agreement for a 37-acre parcel in Williams, AZ that will become the site of its new West Side mill and proc-

essing facility. According to the company, GEPAZ hopes to start site preparation before the end of the year and to

being producing lumber and wood chips by March 2015. The William’s mill saw will initially be optimized to cut

logs ranging from seven to nine inches in diameter. Jason Rosamond, Good Earth Power CEO, was quoted as say-

ing, “We are prepared to begin milling 50,000 board feet a day and then steadily increase until we are producing

300,000 board feet daily.”

The company acquired the Lumberjack Mill in Heber in January 2014. For more information go to

www.azgoodearthpower.com

Coconino County Community Development: The Zoning Ordinance revisions under consideration this month in-

clude the Sign and Lighting Sections of the Ordinance. Draft proposals include expanding restrictive lighting zones

as well as new allowances for temporary signs in the County. The Department is drafting new regulations related

to community agriculture including the keeping of poultry and bees on all residential properties. Also under consid-

eration are changes to the Conditional Use Permit renewal process which could remove the need for public hear-

ing. To see all of the proposed changes, drafts for review and comment are available on the Community Develop-

ment webpage.

Page 10

Inspection Requests: Community Development now has a dedicated phone line for Environmental

Quality and Building Division inspection requests. Effective January 1st 2015, all inspection re-

quests will be required to be submitted through the dedicated phone line or SMARTGov. portal on the Community

Development web page. This will give Community Development a real performance measure as we will be able

to effectively track every single inspection request. This will also greatly reduce or eliminate missed or lost in-

spection requests.

If you wish to stay abreast of Board of Supervisor meetings and agendas, please go to www.coconino.az.gov and click on

the “government” tab. You can also contact my office for further information.

Search and Rescue Team (SRT): Coconino County has a remarkable Search and Rescue Team (SRT) under the direction

of the Sheriff’s Department. On a regular basis, SRT amasses professionals and volunteers to assist with locating miss-

ing persons and those at risk. Many of these efforts are interagency and inter-community. We seldom see this nearly

invisible team, as much of its work is conducted in the dark of night, or in the midst of harsh weather conditions. SRT

members go when and where they are asked, and for the most part, without pay. They persevere in miserable and dan-

gerous conditions. They prove their worth time and again. Our gratitude goes to the yellow-shirted SRT, whose skill and

dedication frequently goes unacknowledged.

My Office Serving You:

As we approach a new year, it continues to be a great privilege to serve you! I am not alone in my efforts to keep you

updated on County activities and challenges. Susie, Peter and Philan work each day to help me address ideas and find

answers to questions posed by residents living in the twenty Supervisor District 4 communities.

Susie Garretson is my executive assistant. Susie has lived in Coconino County

for 36 years. What has kept her in the area for so long is her love for the Colo-

rado Plateau and all it has to offer. She also enjoys the opportunities that

come her way in working with County staff and the residents of District 4. In

the past Susie has been a successful private business owner. She has served

on several non-profit boards such as the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flag-

staff Leadership Program, and Friends of Flagstaff’s Future.

Peter Olsen decided to offer his services as a part time volunteer to the county

after having a fulfilling career as an engineer in manufacturing and in the aero-

space industry. Besides volunteering for the County, Peter’s efforts are spent in

personal finance and researching the global markets. He also enjoys developing survival skills such as growing food and

prudent living and encouraging others to preserve our natural resources.

Philan Tree is from Tolani Lake on the Navajo Nation. She is the District 4 Tribal and Program liaison. Philan cultivates

improved relationships and opportunities with our Tribal communities and unique populations such as our veterans.

Philan states that the most enjoyable part of her work is being able to “modify access to resources for remote communi-

ties and bring awareness of how diverse our district is, yet very similar in needs”. Additionally, she serves on the Na-

tional Council of Young Leaders to advocate for rural issues that tribal and rural youth face.

I am fortunate to have this diverse and talented team work with me to better serve the needs of District 4. From rocket

science and investing, to small business and leadership, to youth and cultural diversity –if we don’t have the answer to

your questions, we will make every effort to find them. What we particularly like is innovation and partnerships, so

please share any great idea you may have!

It is snowing now. With Christmas lightings and gathering galore, the holiday season in full force. Hard to believe that

2015 is just around the corner! I look forward to next year when many of you return to the high country and I can assist

the Forest Lakes community in realizing the possibilities and opportunities that you work hard to create.

This holiday season, may you enjoy hearty meals; the laughter of loved ones; and, the joy that comes from assisting

someone, somewhere when they need a helping hand.

Very best regards,

Page 11

.Coconino County Board of Supervisors Set 2015 Legislative Agenda

County leaders identify budget needs for 2015 Legislative session

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The Coconino County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution Tuesday, De-

cember 2, outlining the County’s legislative priorities for the upcoming 2015 Legislative session.

For the upcoming session, the County will again call on state lawmakers to reverse cost shifts and

fully restore the Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF).

“HURF dollars need to be allocated for their intended purpose of maintaining local transportation

infrastructure,” Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Mandy Metzger said. “Our residents greatly

value their roads and our state leaders must work with the Counties to fully restore HURF reve-

nue. A maintained infrastructure system is critical for economic feasibility, tourism and public

safety.”

Since 2008, the state has shifted $7.7 million in revenue from the County to fund state agen-

cies, including $4.5 million in road maintenance funds. Earlier this year, the Arizona Legislature au-

thorized a partial restoration of HURF funds to counties.

HURF revenue is derived from fuel taxes, motor carrier fees, vehicle license taxes and other miscel-

laneous fees. The funding is then distributed to cities, towns, counties and the State Highway Fund.

“The uncertainty of vital programs such as the federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and Secure

Rural Schools (SRS) makes the County’s partnership with the State much more critical as we look

forward to working with legislators in the upcoming session,” Chairwoman Metzger said. "If state

lawmakers continue to sweep funds from critical programs, we will be forced to cut essential ser-

vices relied upon by the people of Coconino County.”

In addition to HURF revenue, the State has impacted County revenues by increasing the county

share of Justices of the Peace salaries, requiring counties to pay for the treatment for Sexually Vio-

lent Persons at the Arizona State Hospital and other healthcare-related cost shifts.

The resolution passed by the Board also calls for the State Legislature to re-establish payments for

the County’s share of state lottery revenue. The 2015 Legislative Session begins in January.

Page 13

FL Newsletter BUSINESS DIRECTORY We appreciate the businesses who advertise in our newsletter. They supplement our printing costs. Please give them your support! To place an advertisement in this newsletter, contact the editor at FLOAnews@cox.net or 602-739-4369.

Page 14

Layne & Rorie Smith

OPEN April thru November

Page 15

Forest Lakes Owners Association

P.O. Box 1513, Forest Lakes, AZ 85931