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Guest column: Final message from outgoing Tusayan Mayor

Outgoing Tusayan Mayor Pete Shearer

Outgoing Tusayan Mayor Pete Shearer

The last regular meeting of the Tusayan Town Council had an exceptional turnout. It was great to see such support for the outgoing Council Members, especially the sincere thanks by all in attendance to Ann Wren for her dedication and service to the community.

It was the perfect time for three presentations to be heard by the Council and for so many in the community to attend to become informed of the ongoing work of the Council and the Tusayan Community.

The first was a presentation by Kevin Hartigan of APS regarding the three options for the Council to consider for the proposed LED streetlight upgrade that could happen in conjunction with the ADOT roadway project next summer. The community had the opportunity to learn more about not only reducing the impact on the dark skies of northern Arizona but also to hear about the improved safety to the town by the installation of roundabouts and crosswalks. Tusayan is scheduled for a face-lift next summer, with many thanks due to Carl Taylor for getting this project started. Meandering sidewalks, medians, and street side landscaping will create a much more appealing visual appearance for travelers headed through Tusayan on their way to the Grand Canyon.

The next presentation was by Angela Parker, USFS Tusayan District Ranger. She explained to the supportive and very attentive crowd about the recent USFS decision to create, {in cooperation with the NPS}, a hiking, biking, and equestrian trail at the northern end of Tusayan that will connect with the park trail system. This is an incredible opportunity to improve recreational opportunities and Angela should be applauded for her success in making this become a reality. Also, she is hoping to include several picnic tables at the trailhead parking and she has been successful in designing the parking lot without major impact to the beautiful trees in the vicinity of the trailhead.

Angela also stressed the need for a long-term strategic plan for the town as a useful tool in planning for Tusayan's future. We are sorry to see Angela leave the area and I would like to express, on behalf of Tusayan, our regrets at seeing her go and to wish her the best in the future.

Sharyl Allen, Grand Canyon School Superintendent, was next to speak on creating a brighter future for the Tusayan/GC communities. She stressed the need for the creation of an IGA between the school and the town for the partnership on the Tusayan School Site. The school is ready to move forward with Civil Engineering and then will need additional funds from the community to move forward with actual site construction and development. ClayAnn Cook gave an example of another community where much of the work and fundraising for a community park was done by volunteers. We do have lots of wonderful folks in this area and this is a distinct possibility. We will be calling for volunteers, hopefully in the not to distant future.

It was heart-warming that more than a dozen folks approached me in the hours following the four hour meeting to express their gratitude to Clarinda, Ann, and myself for all the hard work and diligence in starting up our new town. It has been a distinct honor to become the first elected Mayor of Tusayan, Arizona's newest incorporated community.

I would ask that we all work together to make this an even better community. Although we may have different visions we all share the love of northern Arizona and we have the ability to make it a much more appealing place for visitors and residents. Remember, we are the stewards of the gateway community to the South Rim and we must remain vigilant and accountable and to continue to create the best model sustainable community possible. Once again, thanks to the entire community for the opportunity given to me to be able to serve our great little town.


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