Youngtown files fire-flow appeal

The Youngtown council has filed an appeal with the Arizona Corporation Commission in its effort to improve fire safety in the community by adding fire hydrants and upgrading water piplines.

The ACC recently voted to eliminate those fire-flow improvements from Arizona American Water Co.'s rate increase request.

Youngtown Mayor Micahel LeVault and firefighters said they believe additional fire hydrants and new pipes are necessary to improve fire safety in Youngtown, Sun City and a portion of Peoria. The Sun City Fire District also supported the improvements, but some Sun Citians, led by the Sun City Taxpayers Association, argued that residents could not afford to pay more for "discretionary" fire-flow improvements.

"I believe somehow we'll find a way to get these improvements made for Youngtown, because this has become a safety issue," LeVault said Monday. "We must exhaust all of the possibilities that we can to solve this issue."

LeVault said the town staff and council suggested some solutions to commission.

One option would be a fire-flow recovery mechanism that could order the improvements in town but add a base rate to Youngtown residents' bills for no more than $2.50 a month.

LeVault said the commission has 20 days to make a decision on the appeal from the moment it was filed last week.

"If we're not successful here then we could file an appeal in Superior Court, then in the absence of that I'm not sure where we go from here," he said.

Youngtown Town Manager Lloyce Robinson said she wants to find a solution to the problem as soon as possible.

"It's extremely important for public safety because it's part of our infrastructure that needs to be updated, and it's no different from having our roadways updated in the town because it's all very crucial," she said.

Councilwoman Dorena Mello agreed.

"If there is a serious fire, we could have the possibility of a loss of life, and we can't take that risk," she said. "I back the decision for an appeal."