Regular Meeting of the Board of Supervisors, April 1, 2026
Approves Authorization to fill five vacant detention officer positions, unanimous
What happened
This Santa Cruz County (Arizona) Board of Supervisors meeting was dominated by study-session presentations rather than land-use entitlements; no rezonings, plats, or development approvals were voted on.
- Jurisdiction
- Santa Cruz County, AZ
- Governing body
- Final authority
- Date
- April 1, 2026
- Decisions
- 7 zoning decisions
- Outcome
- Approved, unanimous
Free sample: decision 1 of 7
South32 Hermosa Project quarterly update
Study-session update by Pat Reisner on South32's Hermosa zinc/manganese mine near Patagonia. Construction ~55% complete; 200-acre private-land primary infrastructure footprint; shafts ~50-65% complete; first underground zinc mining targeted mid-2026. Forest Service issued final EIS and draft Record of Decision (March); Fish & Wildlife issued final biological opinion; 45-day objection period runs to April 20; final ROD expected early July, notice to proceed early September. Includes 'Centro' remote operating center in Nogales for up to 200 workers, ramp to 600 employees in ~18 months, 90% water reduction via tailings filtration, and 138-kV UniSource power line and Flux Canyon access road on federal land. No action taken (study session).
The other decisions are listed below by title. The full write-up, verbatim conditions, and the audio at each vote are in Pro.
Meeting Summary
This Santa Cruz County (Arizona) Board of Supervisors meeting was dominated by study-session presentations rather than land-use entitlements; no rezonings, plats, or development approvals were voted on.
Key Decisions (7)
South32 Hermosa Project quarterly update
Santa Cruz County Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Health and Human Services roles and responsibilities presentation
Direction on services agreement with Nogales-Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce
Authorization to fill five vacant detention officer positions
Special deputy litigation contract with Center for Rural American Justice
Consent agenda items 1 through 17
Development Activity (3)
Hermosa Project (South32) - mine and Centro operating center
Industrial
Bafford Street housing project
Residential
Moctezuma hotel project
Commercial
Market Signals (5)
Labor
South32's Hermosa mine will ramp to 600 employees within ~18…
Commercial Demand
South32 local procurement doubled year-over-year with 115+ Santa Cruz County…
Housing Demand
County support for the Bafford Street housing project and Moctezuma…
Who Spoke (14)
On the record: the chair, 2 councilmembers, 4 staff members, an attorney, the applicant's representative, and 3 members of the public.
Meeting Intelligence Preview
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