MORENCI — Out of 916 total water accounts with the city of Morenci, 177 are at least six months past due and 56 are at least 12 months past due. Addressing that problem rose to the top of the city council’s priority list for 2026 during a planning session on Dec. 16.
At the session, the council discussed one-year, three-year, and five-year goals.
Dealing with water bills is a one-year goal. City administrator and clerk Jeff Bell explained that once a water bill is 30 days past its due date, a 10% late fee is added. Then in subsequent months, if the bill remains unpaid, 10% continues to be added to any unpaid balance. The result is that once somebody gets behind on their payments, the fees start to pile up — “to the point where people find that the penalty and interest is more than the monthly water bill,” Bell said.
“We’ve heard from residents their concerns about not being able to get current on their bills,” he said.
A subcommittee led by council member Jerome Bussell is exploring options.
Bell noted that water shutoffs were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and never resumed. Bringing shutoffs back as a deterrent to people leaving bills unpaid is an option, but in addition to the fact that the city doesn’t actually want to shut people’s water off, there is a risk to city infrastructure. The water infrastructure is aging, and turning shutoff valves that haven’t been turned in many years carries a risk of breakage.
Cannabis ordinance: Another one-year project is completing a review of the city’s cannabis ordinance. The ordinance states that it is to be reviewed every two years. This includes the number of licenses and how nuisance odors are to be dealt with. The ordinance currently allows five provisioning centers to be licensed, and all of those licenses are taken. Growing and processing licenses are unlimited. For adult recreational use, there are currently six grow licenses and two processor licenses, and for medical use there are currently two grow licenses and one processor license. Council member Kori Christle is heading this subcommittee.
Vacant building ordinance: This is also a one-year project. The city doesn’t currently have anything on the books that allows the building inspector or code compliance officer to make sure vacant buildings are cared for, to protect both the public and any adjacent buildings. Christle is heading this group as well.
Sidewalk repair and replacement: A three-year goal is looking at the condition of the city’s sidewalks, recognizing that it is not always financially feasible for residents to repair their sidewalks properly. Christle is heading this effort.
Cemetery columbarium: Another three-year goal is to add a columbarium, which is an above-ground structure for the interment of cremated remains, at Oak Grove Cemetery. This subcommittee is being led by Diane Moliterno.
Walking path: The city’s one five-year project is investigating the feasibility of adding a walking path along the west side of Bean Creek, possibly connecting Wakefield Park to the Riverside Nature Park. Kandi Speiser is leading this group.