Town of Camp Verde Weekly Update – April 5, 2025

Estimated reading time: 18 minutes

VERDE VALLEY REGIONAL BIKE & TRAIL MAP

As part of our tourism efforts, we want to inform and educate our visitors about our local trails. Earlier this year the Town of Camp Verde teamed up with other members of the Verde Front, Town of Clarkdale and the City of Cottonwood to produce a regional bike and trail map. Other sponsors of this map are Cottonwood Bicycle Advisory Committee, Verde Front and the Verde Valley Trail Fund. We are happy to announce that the map is completed. Hard copies can be found at the Camp Verde Visitor’s Center or go to VisitCampVerde.com to for a digital copy.

Click here to access the map: https://visitcampverde.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025TrailsMap_Final.pdf

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Does your Business Need Tourism Maps?
Printed visitor maps are available at the Visitor Center (435 S. Main St.) to help tourists explore Camp Verde. We encourage local businesses to pick up a supply of these maps to share with customers and visitors—at no cost to your business! To request maps, please contact the Economic Development Department at [email protected] or call 928-554-0009. Below are the digital links for these maps:

Camp Verde Visitor Map
Camp Verde Trails Map
Verde Valley Map – This map has been newly updated in the past couple months

Arizona Office of Tourism Visited the Town
Two representatives from the Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT), Jenna Lehman and Emily Balli, recently met with Gerry Dillinger and Crisi Clark to discuss the needs of the Camp Verde Visitor Center. Our center is officially certified by AOT as an Arizona Visitor Information Center (AVIC), a designation that requires us to meet specific standards set by the AOT. Each year, AOT visits to assess our needs for updated materials and ensure that other AVICs have our information to share with visitors in their regions. Their visits are always a pleasure, and this time, she brought along complimentary items such as stickers, postcards, and brochures for us to distribute.

Did you know about the AZ Parks Passport?
Did you know there’s an AZ Parks Passport that includes Camp Verde’s two state parks—Fort Verde and Rockin’ River Ranch? Learn more about it and sign up for free here. There is even a Haunted Passport for tracking ghost-hunting adventures! Stop by the Visitor Center to discover all the exciting things to do in Camp Verde—you might be surprised by what you learn, even if you’re a local!

Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) Monthly Report
Access the report, here. The Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) Monthly Report provides key insights into local tax revenue trends, offering businesses and residents a clearer understanding of revenue generation related to tourism and retail sales. This report highlights shifts in taxable sales activity, helping to identify economic patterns within the town.

Key Highlights from the February 2025 Report:

Remote Retail (Buying online to be shipped to Camp Verde) was 9.1% higher than Feb 2024
Restaurant/Bar was 4.6% higher in Feb 2025, than Feb 2024.

Town of Camp Verde Transaction Privilege Tax Data 2025 Feb

***The Economic Development Department helps Camp Verde grow in smart and meaningful ways by supporting local businesses, attracting new ones, boosting tourism, creating jobs, and supporting the infrastructure our community needs to thrive. We’re here to help keep Camp Verde financially strong and a great place to live, work, and visit for years to come. If you’re looking to start, grow, or bring a business to town, we’d love to help — reach out anytime at [email protected]!

LIBRARY

Upcoming Library Events (times and events subject to change):

Open Mic Night, Monday 4/7 from 4-6:30PM in the Terracotta Room
Takes place weekly every Monday. Coffee and water are available at no charge, attendees may bring cookies or other small snacks for a snack potluck.

Camp Verde Quilt Club, Wednesday 4/9 from 10-11:45AM in the Terracotta Room
Anyone who is interested may join.

Tai Chi Health for Beginners, Wednesday 4/9 from 2-3PM in the Terracotta Room
Weekly class on Wednesdays, continuing through May. Tai Chi for Health is designed to:

Improve Balance
Relieve pain
Build confidence
Improve quality of life

Each session includes warmups, learning 1-2 forms, and cool-downs. Advance Reservations Required- Please contact Carla Hover to sign up at 928-442-5966

Chick Egg Hatch-Along, Wednesday 4/9 from 1-1:30 PM in the Terracotta Room
It’s time to see how the eggs are developing!

Storytime with Ms. Letty and Friends, Thursday 4/10 from 10 to 11AM in the Children’s Area
Join Ms. Letty & Friends for in-person music & movement with a story and craft Thursdays @ 10:00 am in the Children’s Area.

Teen Game Nite, Thursday 4/10 from 4PM to 7PM in the Teen Library
New for the 2024 season, GameNite will now have weekly themes! Taking place in the Teen Library on Thursdays from 4:00 – 7:00pm, teens can hang out and play games in the library with a rotating theme: 2nd Thursday: Trading Card Games

Music in the Stacks, Thursday 4/10 from 5-7PM in the Fireside Room
April’s concert features Christy Fisher, Mike Greenleaf, and a surprise guest

Our Friday Art Group, Friday 4/11 from 10AM-12PM in the Terracotta Room
Local artists meet weekly to chat and paint

1-2-1 Tech Time, Friday 4/11 from 10AM – 1PM
Need technology help? We’ve got you covered! Register for a one-on-one session with library staff to receive hands on help with computer basics, smartphone assistance, software applications, and internet safety. Appointments are available in 30 minute increments

New (and new to us) books include:

Presidents at War by Steven M. Gillon
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano (Playaway Audiobook)

Rock Snake
Stop by the garden on the east side of the library to see our rock snake, Sammy! With painted rocks donated by community members, you can paint a rock to make our rock snake even bigger!

PARKS & RECREATION

MARCH UPDATE

Scheduled facility uses this month were as follows: Meeting rooms had 80 uses, Ramadas were at 16 uses, Gym had 49 uses, Sports fields had 210(139 @ SC, 67 @ Butler, 4 @Comm. Center) uses, kitchen 10 uses, and public showers 87. Our Parks & Rec Conference room had 9 scheduled uses. Highlighted use this month was Pecan & Wine, CVLL Opening Day, Animal Vaccination clinic, and Parenting Expo. Sports Complex visits was up this month with the start of Little League, over 8,000 visitors in March.Note: field uses do not factor in multiple practices per night.
Pickleball continues to be played 4 times per week for a minimum of 3+ hours on each occasion. Friday night Cornhole League continues and are using the gym a few Friday evenings a month.
Yoga classes continue weekly on Tuesdays and Tai Chi is held on Wednesdays. We are in discussion with the Yoga instructor regarding additional classes and possibly an Aqua Zumba class once the pool opens for the season.
Parks & Rec had 1 scheduled Friday trip this month. We traveled with 3 people to the Museum of Indigenous People. The next quarter trip list was released as well as our Diamondbacks schedule for this year.Registration opened for the April trips.
Staff hosted a Regular Session of the Parks & Recreation Commission this month. This meeting included a presentation by the Verde Valley Dark Sky Chapter and a presentation about a possible new Veteran’s Gazebo/Pavilion in Sesquicentennial Park, along with updates on the RFP Master Plan and Heritage Pool.
The 5 full-time staff worked 8 occurrences for a total of 164.25 hours for activities outside of regular business hours this month. We finally filled our vacant full time Recreation Supervisor position this month. Tiffany Smith came on board just in time for Pecan & Wine and staff have been working with her in different aspects of her training.
Completed credit card reconciliation for February.
5^th-8^th grade Grasshopper ended on March 5^th with the Championship games.
Staff continues working on American Camp Association trainings online with a goal to have them completed prior to the start of camp next year. Phyllis completed her training this month.
Staff continued to attend a variety of virtual forums including tournaments, aquatics, and special events to stay up on what is going on with other P&R Departments around the State.
Pecan & Wine Festival was a success despite the challenging weather. I-17 and 260 were both closed on Friday and part of Saturday making travel for vendors and patrons difficult. We had 154 registered vendors, several of those were waitlisted. Actual participation was 116 vendors. We had 27 volunteers work 94 hours to assist with the event. Attendance was about 5,500 people, with our highest attendance ever on a Sunday. 5 full-time staff walked a total of 77 miles during the 3 days of set-up and operation of the event.
Staff continued recruitment and interviews for the pool and summer camp seasonal employees.
Staff continue to work with Camp Verde Little League who held their Opening Day ceremonies on March 29^th at the Sports Complex. Teams have been practicing for a month.
Staff have worked with different promoters to bring 2 different adult softball tournaments to the Sports Complex this spring. One of those adult tournaments was played this month and one will be played in April.They are also working with Showtime Sports to host a youth flag football tournament at the Sports Complex at the end of April.
Staff is working with a community member on the possibility of bringing an adult recreational basketball league later this spring/early summer.
Staff have continued with the budget process including updating budget narratives, updating the fee schedule, planning for future CIP projects and staff, and evaluating budget line items for increase or decrease for FY26. Staff have conducted research and participated in demonstrations for facility reservation software as part of the budget process.
Staff continues to work with representatives from Landmark Pools as part of the process of design for possible Heritage Pool remodel as well as gathering information on cost of a new facility for presentation to Council.
Staff ordered lifeguard gear and continued planning lifeguard certification for the seasonal pool staff.
The Parks & Recreation Master Plan RFP process is complete and the bid was awarded to Kimely-Horn at the March 19^th Council meeting. Staff is working on finalizing the contract with Kimely-Horn so the Master planning process can begin.
Shawna attended the CIP Budget Development Day as part of the FY26 budget process. She also attended a meeting with Ross Lighting regarding solar lighting for the walkway and parking lot at the Sports Complex.
Staff had a second meeting with members of the Fiber Festival committee to begin planning for the 2026 event.
Vendor registration opened for Corn Fest 26. Inside spaces for the event were filled within a few hours. There are currently 44 vendors registered for that event. Planning has continued for the change of hours, music, rentals, and entertainment for the event.
Staff prepared for the April 1 Citizen’s Academy presentation.

TOWN MARSHAL

Community Safety Initiatives
Assisted with Operation Prom, a two-day educational event focused on the dangers of drinking and driving.

Community Engagement
CVMO leaders participated in a breakfast and school tour with the Christian Academy administration.

Interagency Collaboration

CVMO attended a Flock (License Plate Reader) meeting, exploring expansion opportunities for improved compatibility with surrounding agencies.
CVMO attended the Partners Against Narcotics Trafficking (PANT) meeting.

Training and Development

Patrol B-shift attended Legal Update and Bias-Based Policing training alongside our legal advisor.
CVMO leadership hosted the monthly All Hands meeting for B-shift personnel.

Recruitment and Promotions

Lateral testing for Deputy candidates began with one individual; two additional candidates will be tested over the next two weeks.
Detective interviews concluded with Kristen Robertson selected as the next CVMO Detective. SRO testing will take place this week to find her replacement in the schools. District administrators have been notified.

Partnership Exploration
CVMO command staff met with the Arizona Rangers to evaluate entering into an MOU for event support.

Regional Events
A CVMO detective attended the grand opening of the Apple Jack Youth Facility in Cottonwood, which will provide care for sex trafficking victims.

Next Coffee with a Cop & Council
Join us for casual conversation and community connection!
Wednesday, April 9th at 8:00 AM @ the Verde View Senior Living Apartments (377 State Route 260)

TOWN CLERK

Public Records Requests
On April 1, 2025, the Town Clerk Department received a public records request for issued residential and commercial solar permits and energy storage system permits. The request will be completed by the Community Development Department.

New Business Licenses
The Town Clerk Department received two new business licenses:

United Towing- 198 W Grippen Road Camp Verde, AZ 86322
Cleme’s Kitchen LLC -3923 E Sparrow Lane Camp Verde, AZ 86322

PUBLIC WORKS

MAINTENANCE & GROUNDS

Gym mats were picked up, and preparations for the upcoming Little League games were well underway, with work focused on getting the baseball fields ready for play. At the Sports Complex, crews set up fences, fixed irrigation, added trashcans, and striped the fields to ensure they were in top condition for opening day.

Facility maintenance remained a priority, with crews checking and repairing lights in the 100, 200, and 300 buildings. Three leaks on the town’s multiuse field were fixed, and discussions took place with the irrigation company regarding new sprinkler plans. However, additional leaks were discovered, and parts will need to be picked up in Phoenix for necessary repairs.

In the Finance Department, a power outage required attention, while office organization efforts continued with the cleanup and relocation of unused items for auction. Staff also participated in training on Executime and reviewed job descriptions to refine roles and responsibilities. Over the weekend, additional fence setup was completed, and a team from Prescott arrived to assist with taking down fences.

STREETS

This week saw extensive maintenance efforts throughout town, with a focus on road improvements and infrastructure upkeep. Crews worked on Boyles Way, removing several loads of loose gravel and storm sediment to improve roadway conditions. Crack sealing operations began on S. Sierra Lane to Hacienda, though progress was briefly halted when the CVT311 crack seal machine broke down, requiring in-house repairs.

Additional efforts included transporting the stem trailer to Cottonwood and applying herbicide over 41,666 square feet of town right-of-way to control vegetation growth. Road patching was also completed to address a manhole that was raised approximately five inches above the roadway, ensuring a smoother and safer driving surface.

ENGINEERING

Significant progress was made on the Streets Yard Drainage Report, which was successfully completed by the end of the week. The Streets Yard Drainage Plans also advanced to 90% completion, bringing the project closer to finalization. Additional efforts focused on site visits, plan revisions, and addressing sewer encroachments, ensuring continued improvements to infrastructure.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS

Sports Complex Concession Stand/Restrooms

Revised drawings have been sent back to the State of AZ for review and approval.
Fabrication of the building has stopped until the State of AZ approves plans.
The current ETA of proposed building is estimated to be the end of July.
Staff are waiting for sealed plans to submit to Community Development for review and building permits. Community Development will advise what they want to see for foundation/pad prep. Once this information is obtained Staff will submit a quote request to the Town’s JOCs for the building pad prep.

Sports Complex Concession Stand/Restrooms Electrical Service

The council awarded the contract for this work to Fann Environmental, LLC.
Staff are working with the contractor to get the project started.

Sports Complex ADA Walkway

To be completed immediately after concession/restroom building is in place.
The council awarded the purchase of solar walkway lighting and solar parking lot lighting to Voss Lighting at their regular meeting March 19th.
Staff are researching and evaluating removable bollards where the walkway meets the parking lot.

Sports Complex Flagpole

Staff is researching to source suitable poles.
The flagpole will likely be installed by town staff.

Sports Complex Lift Station

Council awarded the contract for this work to Earth Resources Corporation.
The electrical work for this project will be completed by Connolly Electric.
The fencing work around the proposed lift station will be installed by Red Rock Fence.
The interior coating of the wet well will be performed by Raven Linings.
Staff are working to coordinate contractors and get the work started.

Sports Complex Force Main

Council awarded the contract for this work to Earth Resources Corporation.
Staff are working with the contractor to get the project started.

Sports Complex Irrigation Line Installation

The irrigation pumps have been ordered, but have not yet been received.
The council approved the purchase of the steel pump building and staff has placed the order with the manufacturer.
Engineering is working with a local structural engineer to obtain the necessary plans for the pump building foundation and slab.
Electric service for the pumps will be completed by Connolly Electric.
The service panel (long-lead item) is scheduled to ship on October 17, 2025.

Sports Complex Trees

Staff are working to determine placement of the trees.
Delayed until irrigation improvements are made.

Court Addition

The contractor has installed the masonry walls of the building.
The contractor will begin framing operations in the week of April 7^th.

Wayfinding Signage

Staff are working with the design consultant to sort through challenges regarding signage in ADOT right-of-way.
Staff submitted to ADOT for right-of-way permits for each of the locations within the ADOT right-of-way for placement of the proposed signage.
Once right-of-way challenges are overcome the signage concepts need to be brought to the council for final acceptance.

Finnie Flats / MCH Roadway Improvements
Kimley-Horn is working on project design.

Finnie Flat Watermain Replacement Project
The design consultant is working to complete 90% plans.

Park Verde Watermain Replacement Project
Staff have reviewed 60% plans and provided comments back to the design engineer.

Verde Lakes Drive Sidewalk Improvements (NACOG TIP Funding)

Staff have received CAD files for the survey work that was performed
Design of the improvements shall begin soon.

Verde Lakes Drive Low Water Crossing Improvements

Due to technical issues the application portal for the FY24 Rural and Tribal Assistance Program has been closed and all submitted grant applications rejected.
Staff will resubmit the grant once the begin taking applications again.

Main Street Reconstruction Project

Staff have received final plans from the design consultant and will be reviewing them for completeness.
Staff have submitted for the FY26 RAISE grant.

Community Center Park Rain Catchment

The Tree Advisory Committee (TAC) is finishing the final touches to the rain harvesting system, including adjusting the gutters on the ramada and blocking in exposed piping.
The TAC is planning the next phase of the project to install a pump and piping system to irrigate future trees along the east fence line.

Heritage Pool Improvements

Staff are working with Landmark Aquatic to get the new filtration and chemical automation equipment ordered.
Staff are working with Landmark aquatic to obtain rough costs for renovating the existing pool versus constructing a new one at the sports complex.
Staff will present options with rough costs to Council for direction on April 16^th

Heritage Pool Shade Structure
This project is delayed pending direction of the pool renovation project.

Montezuma Castle Highway Multimodal Improvements Project
The surveyor has completed the field work for the survey and is now completing the mapping portion of the work.

Street Striping

The council awarded the contract to Traffic Safety, Inc.
Staff are working with the contractor to get the project started.

UPCOMING MEETINGS

Monday, April 7, 2025 @ 6pm – Parks & Recreation Commission

Welcome Tiffany Smith, the new Parks & Recreation Supervisor.
Receive an update on the Parks & Recreation Master Plan Request for Proposal (RFP) as the Town continues planning for the future of its parks and facilities.
Review and discuss renovation options for the Heritage Pool, with potential recommendations from the Commission.
Consider a Request for Proposal for an outside organization to host a summer concert series, expanding community programming opportunities.
Hear Informational Reports from Commission Members about recent committee meetings and community events.
Get updates on current Parks & Recreation programs and events, highlighting ongoing community engagement efforts.

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 @ 5pm – Town Council Special Session
Discussion, consideration, and possible approval for a Use Permit to operate a Recreational Vehicle Park with conditions, located at 1738 Arena Del Loma Road (APN 404-18-178Q). Staff

Click here to access the agenda packet: Town Council-Regular Session | Public Meetings Calendar | Town of Camp Verde, AZ