The Maricopa City Council approved seeking grants for two projects and appointed a new city finance director at its meeting Tuesday night.

The council selected the construction of a domestic violence shelter as its choice for Community Development Block Grant funding, which is used to address housing or development needs. The fund would contribute about $280,000 to building the shelter with Against Abuse Inc., which operates shelters in Casa Grande, paying the rest of the construction costs (see related story).

Vice Mayor Brent Murphree said the shelter would help serve a need for Maricopa.

“Having been on the public safety committee for a number of years … (we found) the second-highest call for service from the police department was for domestic violence. That shocked me,” he said.

The council also approved the selection of enhancements for the Maricopa Domestic Water Improvement District as the applicant for State Special Project funds. If awarded, the funds will help pay for fire hydrants and a water main to increase water pressure and availability in an area east of state Route 347.

During the meeting, Cynthia Sneed was appointed the city’s finance director. Sneed, who served as the accounting manager for the city of Chandler for six years, will fill the vacancy created when Roger Kolman was promoted to assistant city manager late last year.

The council also approved several other items, including changing an intergovernmental agreement with Pinal County to provide a full-time animal control officer in the city from an hourly rate to a flat $4,200 monthly fee, the purchase of a truck for that officer (see related story) and a lease agreement with Southwest Ambulance to house an ambulance and crew at the city’s fire station south of the railroad tracks (see related story).

Photo by David Argabright