Top: Gestures were flying as Payson Mayor Kenny Evans (left) and water guru Buzz Walker (light blue sweater) explained to Mesa del Caballo residents the logistics of the water treatment plant they want to build adjacent to the unincorporated community 1.8 miles northeast of Payson off Houston Mesa Road.
Bottom: Mesa del residents Randy and Minnie Norman, members of the community's water committee, look on as Evans makes a point.
By Jim Keyworth
Gazette Editor
Payson Mayor Kenny Evans and water guru Buzz Walker met with some 20 residents of Mesa del Caballo at the controversial preferred site for the water treatment plant that will process water from Blue Ridge/C.C. Cragin Reservoir.
Most in attendance seemed satisfied with what they heard from the two Payson officials and the Forest Service's Larry Hettinger, also in attendance. Both Evans and Walker said they would be flexible with the plant design in order to mitigate the concerns of residents regarding noise, obstruction of views, excess lighting and access to the forest. The site adjacent to the community came out best when rated by the town on a number of factors.
Evans said the Forest Service required them to come up multiple options for the plant site:
"We (originally) came up with a single site. We said we want to build it at Shoofly (Ruins). The Forest Service came back to us ... and said you have to give us some alternatives ... and they said you've got to rank these alternatives. You've got to list the pluses and minuses for each one of them.... It's our money, frankly, but it is a Forest Service decision."
The two officials also acknowledged their willingness to build the plant across the street near Shoofly Ruins if allowed by the Forest Service. Hettinger said the Shoofly site is still in contention.
Mesa del will decide later this year if it wants to tie in to Blue Ride/C.C. Cragin water. Evans noted that Mesa del is the only community besides Payson in a position to receive the water.
"I would be very disappointed if the people of Mesa del did not secure this as a water right owned by yourselves," Evans told the residents in attendance.
Resident Randy Norman. a member of the Mesa del Caballo Water Committee that is working with Brooke Utilities on a variety of aspects of the community water shortage, explained the process by which Mesa del residents will decide their future:
"Our water provider - Brooke Utilities - has to sign agreements with the Town of Payson and with SRP. We have met with the Town of Payson and Buzz has given us the contract information. We met with SRP and we have contract information.
"The community is going to decide this in a series of meetings this spring, and it's going to be a dollars and cents (issue).
"No matter what is said from anywhere, this is not going to be a free, inexpensive alternative. It's going to be a sure alternative. It's going to be one of the alternatives. There's a cost to all of these alternatives, whether it's deep wells, C.C. Cragin or whatever."
Only the Gazette Blog sent a correspondent to cover the event.
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