After several weeks of momentum by the Camp Verde Arena Association, the plan to build a public rodeo arena in the town of Camp Verde cleared one of its largest early hurdles. The Camp Verde Town Council approved a 25-year lease for 35.81 acres, or 1,559,761 square feet, of land for use as rodeo grounds. The area is located at the eastern edge of town, northeast of the wastewater plant and the future Camp Verde Sports Complex.
“It shows that the town supports the group and it gives the validity to their vision,” Vice Mayor Dee Jenkins said at the Wednesday, March 6, meeting. “We’re giving them land that’s not being used anyway and that allows them to do what they need to do.”
“CVAA is extremely excited that we received our lease agreement,” the group’s president, Mary Phelps, wrote in an email. “This means more opportunities for donations from those that are willing and wanting to help and work on our grants as now we officially have the property and the agreement. We are looking forward to start developing and working with everyone.”
The lease agreement is contingent upon the CVAA developing its arena and gives the town rights to use the space for occasional public events throughout the year. The town did not finalize what those events would be.
The lease also placed liability for events at the arena on the CVAA, requiring the organization to procure insurance protecting up to $1 million per incident and $2 million in aggregate.
“We agreed to a basic lease at this time to allow the CVAA to continue their incredible progress they have made getting additional resources,” Town Manager Russ Martin wrote in an email. “The lease will solidify their opportunity to work on securing even more commitments including a possible allocation from the town in the future. The appropriation agreement will be worked on in connection with other items such as the town’s budget and results of the Yavapai College economic study in the next few months.”
The week came with other progress by the CVAA, which recently achieved 501(c)(3) status with the federal government, allowing the group to fundraise for additional capital more easily.
As of now, the group still needs an additional $488,000 in funding to complete the project, which it has requested from the town, though the arena hopes that fundraising can make up some of the shortfall. The high price tag sparked controversy at the meeting from members of the council worried about keeping the budget balanced, especially with ongoing costs of the Camp Verde Sports Complex, and members of the community arguing that the money could be spent better elsewhere.
“We have to realize that fiscal responsibility is a core Western value,” said Linda Buchanan, a Camp Verde resident who spoke up with concerns at the meeting. “Being prepared is a core Western value. Not biting off more than you can chew is a core Western value.”
“We have some work to do to really bring the community together on this, to really know that we’re ready for this,” Buchanan said.
Considering the difficult financial decisions lying in the future, the council was able to support the lease agreement with enthusiasm, even if they face apprehension about the future funding.
“The possibilities are really endless with this,” councilwoman Jessie Murdock said.
