Camp Verde council considers $488K investment in rodeo arena

CAMP VERDE – Wednesday, the Camp Verde Town Council could agree to enter a 25-year agreement to lease 35.81 acres to the Camp Verde Arena Association for its plans of a rodeo facility.

Should council vote to approve the lease agreement, the town would also spend about $488,000 of its reserves for materials affiliated with building the arena, in addition to the $80,000 it has spent “to offset design costs,” Town Manager Russ Martin said.

That money, Martin said, could be an investment for “real possibilities for bringing economic development into the town.”

Last year, the Camp Verde Council committed $7 million to develop Phase I of its 108-acre Camp Verde Sports Complex, located just west of the proposed rodeo grounds on SR 260 near the Verde Ranger District. With that project underway, Martin said Monday that investing in the rodeo grounds “will be a difficult [decision] for council because of funding.”

According to Exhibit C of the lease agreement, the $488K is expected to cover bleaches and installation, fencing, arena replacement parts, lights, a tractor and various other items.

A copy of the lease agreement can be found with the agenda for council’s March 6 meeting at www.campverde.az.gov/government/town-clerk/agendas-minutes-actions/2019-town-council.

Also Wednesday, council will discuss the following items:

• could approve updates to the library’s job descriptions;

• could accept the town’s audit for fiscal year 2017-2018;

• could approve names for the roads that access the wastewater treatment plant and proposed arena.

At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Camp Verde Town Council will meet in council chambers, located at 473 S. Main St., Suite 106.

-- Follow Bill Helm on Twitter @BillHelm42