LATEST NEWS BRIEFS: NPS withdraws permission for Page tour company to fly over Lake Powell

Part of American Aviation's fleet at Page Municipal Airport.

(May 20) American Aviation, which conducts scenic air tours over the Page area, is being denied permission to fly over Lake Powell, according to City Manager Rick Olson, who said the city stands to lose up to $110,000 in annual revenue if the company can’t continue to lease space at the airport.

Olson said he will ask City Council to use tourism funds to replace any lost revenue.

The city spent $3 million to build the terminal and hangar to promote tourism, he said, and the annual payments are $205,000.

American has been doing air tours in Page since 2001, and had approval to do 400 flights per year over Lake Powell. The National Park Service, however, has withdrawn its permission, Olson said, adding that he has urged NPS to “expedite reconsideration” of its decision.

Officials at American and NPS could not immediately be reached for comment.

See the May 22 edition of the Chronicle for more on this story.



COUNCIL MAY BAN TOBACCO ON CITY PROPERTY

(May 18) City council at its May 22 meeting will consider whether to prohibit the use of tobacco products in city parks and recreation areas.

Also on the agenda is a recommendation by the Page Utilities Board that water, sewer and electric rates remain unchanged.

The Substance Abuse Task Force suggested the tobacco ban to council after Page High School students, through both the Unity Club and Students Against Destructive Decisions, proposed the idea for city park.

Councilors will discuss adding cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and chewing tobacco to the current ordinance, which bans the use of alcohol on city property without a permit. The ordinance cites as examples Memorial Park, Golliard Park, Children's Park, softball and baseball fields, the amphitheater and landscaped areas at city hall.

It excludes, however, the city-owned Lake Powell National Golf Course.

Violating the law can result in a fine of up to $300 and/or 90 days in jail.

The council meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in city hall.



ADOT: MINOR DELAYS EXPECTED ON U.S. 89 DETOUR ROUTE

(May 17) The paving of a 14-mile segment of U.S. 160 about 25 miles west of Kayenta will begin May 20, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The project, which will start at the Coconino/Navajo County line and extend east to Black Mesa, will affect about three miles of the U.S. 89 detour route from the county line to the junction of State Route 98, ADOT said in a statement. Restrictions will be lifted on the detour route as soon as paving is completed to the SR 98 junction.

The $6.5 million project, scheduled for completion by the first of September, will include removing a layer of the existing asphalt and replacing it with new pavement, cattle guards and guardrail.

Work hours will be sunrise to sunset Monday through Thursday. Traffic lanes will be narrowed and the speed limit will be reduced through the work zone. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used to guide vehicles through the work zone in alternating directions and drivers should anticipate delays of up to 30 minutes.

For more information about this project, please call the Project Hotline at 1-855-712-8530 or email Projects@azdot.gov.



PAGE MEETING OFFERS CHANCE TO HELP SHAPE STATE'S NEW HUNTING/FISHING LICENSE STRUCTURE

(May 16) The Arizona Game and Fish Department announced it will host a series of meetings to seek public input in developing a new hunting and fishing license structure and fees, as authorized by the recent passage of Senate Bill 1223.

One of the meetings will take place in Page on May 23 at 6 p.m. in the Page Police Department Conference Room, 808 Coppermine Road, according to a statement by AZGF.

The bill, signed by Gov. Jan Brewer on May 7 and supported by 24 sportsmen's organizations, allows AZGF to set future hunting and fishing license structure and fees directly through a streamlined, customer-focused process.

“It gives the Game and Fish Department the ability to operate more like a business and react to changing market conditions and customer needs in a timely manner,” the statement said.

At the public meetings, department staff will present a conceptual license structure and fees and encourage discussion and input on a variety of concepts. Among the questions, for example, will be: What do you think an elk tag should cost? Would you prefer your hunting or fishing license to be valid for one year from the date of purchase, as opposed to just the current calendar year? Would you be willing to pay more for a fishing license if it included more privileges at a discount over purchasing those privileges separately? How do you feel about the concept of offering some premium deer hunts at a higher fee? Should there be a significantly discounted price for a youth license?

“It’s important to keep in mind that the license structure and fee concepts that will be shown at the meetings will only be that—concepts,” said AZFG Deputy Director Ty Gray. “They are not recommendations at this point, but are meant to serve as a starting point for discussion. We want to know what constituents think and what input they might have.”


For those unable to attend a meeting in person, there will be a webcast of a meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. May 20 at AZGF headquarters. The webcast can be viewed at www.azgfd.gov/webcast and will be posted later that week for on-demand viewing by the public).

For more information, including a PDF copy of the PowerPoint presentation that will be given at the meetings as well as a link to more information on SB 1223, visit www.azgfd.gov/LicenseSimplification.

You can submit comment via e-mail at LicenseSimplification@azgfd.gov or via U.S. mail to Arizona Game and Fish Department, License Simplification Comment, Attn: Ben Alteneder, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086.

AZGF will review the comments and take them into consideration in creating a draft license structure and fees, which will be presented to the public for a second round of comment. The commission will review and take into consideration that second round of comments before approving a final license structure and fees, anticipated in August. The goal is to have a new structure and fees implemented by Jan. 1, 2014.


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