Oro Valley Council Approves $461K in Additional Funding for Vistoso Trails Pond Restoration

The Oro Valley Town Council voted 6-1 Wednesday to authorize $461,399 in additional funding from the general fund contingency account to complete the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve pond restoration project, clearing the way for construction to begin on the long-delayed amenity in the Rancho Vistoso area.

The approval covered both the base bid and an alternate bid that includes a small parking lot adjacent to the restored pond. Parks and Recreation Director Rosalyn Epting presented two construction bid options: a base bid of just over $1.7 million for the pond and a Zimerman Memorial pathway connection, and an alternate bid of just over $113,000 for the parking lot. With design costs already spent totaling approximately $427,000, the remaining construction budget of roughly $1.5 million fell short of the total bid of just over $1.8 million. After removing the approximately $50,000 memorial garden element — to be funded separately from proceeds of the Zimerman home sale, which closed that afternoon — the funding gap requiring council action was $461,399. Mayor Winfield cast the lone dissenting vote, citing concerns he had raised when the project was first approved about the short- and long-term costs of an artificial water feature and ongoing expenses for water and electricity.

More than a dozen residents addressed the council in support of moving forward, with several noting they had been advocating for the project for years. Speaker Mark Napier urged the council to adopt Option 1 with Funding Option B, arguing that the threat of litigation over reclaimed water use "has no merit" and should not derail the project. Speaker Joe Bell cited a written response from an Arizona Department of Environmental Quality senior hydrogeologist stating he was "not aware of any Arizona or federal specific regulatory standards that would apply to non-potable reclaimed water" used for a recreational pond. Speaker Charles Stack opposed the project, raising concerns about potential PFAS contamination in sediment at the pond bottom, the planned demolition of the existing waterfall structure, and the odor of reclaimed water in warm weather. Bell directly rebutted Stack's smell prediction, stating that aeration is designed into the project. Council voted to include the parking lot after Kimberly Horn project representative Rebecca Field testified that ADA-accessible parking immediately adjacent to the site was necessary, and staff confirmed that proceeding without it now would require a new competitive bid process at a potentially higher future cost.

Council Directs Staff to Re-Initiate Use Tax Process After State Agency Missed Deadline

The council voted 6-1 to authorize staff to restart the public notification process needed to re-pass a use tax after the Arizona Department of Revenue failed to update the official model city tax code within the statutory 10-day window following council's January 14, 2026 approval of the measure.

Chief Financial Officer Gephart told the council that state statute requires the Department of Revenue to update the official model city tax code record within 10 days of any transaction privilege tax increase. Staff submitted the executed ordinance to the department eight days after passage, but the agency missed its deadline, effectively voiding the council's earlier action. Gephart said staff is requesting authorization to post required public notice on the town website so the item can be brought back before council in June. The motion to authorize the process passed 6-1 with no discussion from the dais.

Council Tables No-Parking Sign Suspension Ordinance to August, Citing Need for Stronger Safety Language

Following a public hearing in which three residents from the Calle Buena Vista neighborhood testified against the proposal, the council voted unanimously to table a proposed ordinance that would have authorized the town engineer and chief of police to temporarily suspend no-parking restrictions for special events, deferring the item to the August 12 council meeting.

Town Engineer Paul Keesler told the council the item arose after a review of town code revealed that a 20-plus-year practice of "bagging" — physically covering — no-parking signs for events near the Oro Valley aquatic center, JDK Park, CDO High School and other venues lacked any codified authorization. The proposed ordinance would have created a formal application and staff review process. Several council members, led by Vice Mayor Barrett, said the draft language needed to be strengthened to require specific traffic control measures as a condition of approval, not simply leave safety determinations to staff discretion. Council members also requested clearer definitions distinguishing truly exceptional events from routine recurring gatherings, a formal homeowner notification process, and specified timelines for unbagging signs after an event. Resident Deborah Patrick told the council her home had been vandalized after the no-parking signs went up, and that some neighbors had not attended the meeting due to personal threats, adding she had filed a police report. Oro Valley Chief of Police Kara M. Riley confirmed that under the existing informal practice, staff estimate they process fewer than 10 such requests per year in the affected area, primarily driven by aquatic center swim meets.

Town Receives Financial Analysis of Recreational Amenities for Fiscal Year 2024-25

Deputy Finance Director Wendy Gomez presented an overview of operating costs and revenues for eight town recreational amenities covering fiscal year 2024-25, totaling roughly $12.2 million in expenditures and just under $9 million in revenues, for a net operating cost of approximately $3.2 million across all included facilities.

Golf was the only amenity to generate a revenue surplus, with expenditures of just under $5.7 million against revenues of just over $6 million, though the facility also carried capital costs of just over $2 million — including $1.2 million for an elevator and entryway that Council Member Mary Murphy publicly objected to being attributed to golf rather than the community center building. The Oro Valley Aquatic Center posted the second-highest net operating cost at approximately $1.1 million, followed by the Community and Recreation Center at just under $744,000. Steam Pump Ranch carried a net operating cost of just under $560,000. Gomez cautioned that because the town does not budget or report by individual park, staff applied professional judgment and allocation assumptions to attribute costs such as maintenance staff hours. Vice Mayor Barrett requested that staff produce forward-looking projections incorporating recently approved fee increases. Parks and Recreation Director Epting told Mayor Winfield that maintaining exceptional service quality would be difficult without additional staffing as amenities continue to age and expand.

Also discussed:

The Pima Association of Governments Transportation Planning Director Jeanette DeRenne presented a bicycle and pedestrian safety overview at Mayor Winfield's invitation, noting a 10-year trend of increasing fatalities across automobile, pedestrian, and bicycle categories in the region, and previewing a new regional safety web map tool available to staff and elected officials.
The council approved proclamation declaring April 11–17, 2026 as Week of the Young Child; First Things First Public Affairs Adviser Rose Hattab noted the agency invested more than $128 million in Arizona's early childhood system in 2025, serving 160,000 children.
Art State Arizona Executive Director Kate Marquez presented desert wildlife sculptures created by youth participants through the PAG-funded Transfer Art by Youth program, with students describing the experience of learning welding and other fabrication skills.
A resident addressed the council during call to audience urging the town to terminate its contract with Flock Safety, citing privacy concerns over the license plate reader network's data sharing with 64 agencies; the mayor noted the attorney for Archaeology Southwest withdrew a mediation request, removing a previously scheduled executive session from the agenda.
The consent agenda passed 6-0, with Council Member Green temporarily absent.