2025 Annual Kingman Area Users Association Meeting
Please contact Ken McLaughlin kenm@wecomfiber.com if you have questions/comments or corrections to the draft minutes.
Thanks to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office for hosting the meeting in their excellent facility. Meeting came to order at 9:35 a.m. at the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office in Kingman. Sign-in & Introductions: KAUA Board, BLM Representatives and Members attending.
ATTENDING IN PERSON
Ken McLaughlin-WecomFiber, Cactus Intertie Inc.-KAUA President
Joey Bringhurst – WecomFiber, KAUA Secretary Treasurer
Dustin Lewis – Lewis Equipment, KAUA Road Committe
Maria Nicoletti-Bureau of Land Management
Jacqueline Brill-Bureau of Land Management
Pamela Clausen – Bureau of Land Management
Nate Maakestad – Arizona G&T
Dustin Lewis – Lewis Equipment
Ran Hanks – Mohave County Flood Control
Faron Eckelbarger – AZ Broadcast Eng./Adv. Ministries/Cameron & Murphey/Greely
Sean Brennan – Kinder Morgan
Paul Castillo – Las Vegas Metro Police Department
Shane Stratton-Unisource Electric
Andreas Valencia – AZ Dept. of Public Safety
Jason Arsenault – WAPA
Kaiden Grassi – Arizona Public Service
Scott Long – Arizona Public Service
Ingrid Bulpin – Unisource Energy Services
James Hansen – Frontier Communications
Keith Thomas – Carrier Communications
Micala Carlson – Mohave County Sheriff’s Office
Lt. Steve Padilla – Mohave County Sheriff’s Office
Daryl Smith – Crown Castle
David Cooper – Cameron Broadcasting
Ran Hanks – Mohave County Flood Control
VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE:
Jonathon Abernathy – American Tower
Tony Bonifasi-Eeverest Infrastructure
Hamed-Zanjani, Roozbeh – BLM
Dave Levine – SBA Sites
Instructions given by KAUA President Ken McLaughlin to allow the opportunity for attendees who signed into TEAMS to speak.
A special thanks to Lieutenant Steve Padilla – Mohave County Sheriff’s Office for operating the TEAMS virtual meeting.
2024 KAUA MEETING MINUTES:
A copy of the KAUA 2024 meeting minutes and technical committee report was available to each person in attendance. Following open meeting opportunity to any amendments to the minutes, a motion was made by Nate Maakestad–Arizona G&T and second by Dave Levine-SBA to accept the 2024 KAUA meeting minutes as published and printed off the Kingmanradio.com website. Motion passed unanimously.
2024 FINANCIAL REPORT:
Secretary Treasurer Joey Bringhurst-Wecom advised the membership that the 2024 Financial Report was still in draft and would be ready to publish within 2 weeks. Joey gave a synopsis and highlights of the KAUA finances and transmitter fee assessments would be going out following March 27th, 2025. There is approximately 50K in the Hualapai/Hayden road fund at this time. The complete report will be published on the kingmanradio.com website by the beginning of April 2025. No questions from the membership and motion to accept the oral Financial Report made by Kaiden Grassi–Arizona Public Service and second by Dave Levine-SBA. Without further discussion motion passed unanimously.
President Ken McLaughlin-Wecom read over the technical report which described the 2024 Hualapai Mountain, Getz Peak and Oatman BLM inspections. The report was made available by printed version to the membership. A mention by Lt. Steve Padilla-Mohave County Sheriff’s Office on an intermittent interference issues has been going on with the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office which Wecom is assisting to identify the source. The investigation is ongoing which has resulted in a possible un-intentional source in the Phoenix area. Without further discussion or questions a motion to accepted the technical report was made by Kaiden Grassi–Arizona Public Service and seconded by Dave Levine-SBA. Without further discussion the motion passed unanimously.
ROAD COMMITTE REPORT:
Chairman Dustin Lewis-Lewis Equipment gave the Road Committee report. Last years monsoon and winter snow season have been mild and did very little damage to the roads so far but cautioned that can change with just one storm system. There is a focus to plan repairs that also leaves an emergency fund in place in case of a storm that can wipe out a road. All roads have ongoing phased plans for repairs of the Oatman, Hualapai Mountain and Getz Peak roads. Lewis Equipment is still storing the remaining culverts that BLM furnished for the Hualapai Mountain Roads at no charge. Only emergency repairs related to weather events will be done until the Road Committee recommends the next phase of improvements which will be dependent on the funds available. Following discussion and question/answer session, a motion to accept the Road Committee Report was made by Scott Long-WAPA and Joey Bringhurst-Wecom. Without further discussion motion passed unanimously to accept the report as given.
OLD BUSINESS:
A discussion was initiated by President Ken McLaughlin-Wecom regarding the membership decision during the 2024 Road Committee report to continue to pay Lewis Construction for the balance of the Getz Peak road repair work using the annual transmitter assessments for Getz until paid off.
NEW BUSINESS:
The www.kingmanradio.com website fees under Godaddy.com hosting has gone up including preventing losing control of the website by hackers with additional security. The Road Conditions page in 2024 had an open comment page for those who wanted to report road conditions Hualapai and Oatman mountain sites. Unfortunately, this was taken advantage of by foreign websites and individuals who flooded the KAUA webpage feature with hundreds undesirable messages and content weekly. The feature was removed, and the Road Condition page will be updated only by direct reports to KAUA staff by phone or emails.
President Ken McLaughlin has for more than 16 years paid to maintain the website personally. The website incurred the following increased charges is asking for the KAUA to cover some of the annual hosting fees as follows:
Quan. Term Price Website Backup 10GB – Renewal kingmanradio.com
1-Plan 1 Yr $35.88 Web Hosting Deluxe Renewal kingmanradio.com
1 Month 1 Yr $167.88 PHP Extended Support Level 1 – Renewal
1 Unit 12 Months $35.88
Subtotal: $239.64
Tax: $19.41
Total: $259.05
A copy of the statement was given to Secretary Treasurer Joey Bringhurst for reimbursement by KAUA to Ken McLaughlin.
SET RATES FOR ROAD FEE ASSESSEMENTS
An extended discussion regarding a change for Hualapai Mountain-Potato Patch/Black Mesa/Hayden Peak maintenance operating costs which is currently a maximum limit divided assessment of $20K, (each road) is Getz Peak $3K and Oatman $14K per KAUA Bylaw Article III Section 2 Paragraph 1. In order to make the changes, a majority (2/3) vote must be made under KAUA ARTICLE VI SECTION 1: Amendments to the Bylaws at annual meeting as follows: “1. The Bylaws may be amended at the annual meeting by a two thirds majority of all votes cast, including proxy and pre-written votes.”
A MOTION:
Nate Maakestad–Arizona G&T and seconded by Jason Arsenault–WAPA, proposed an amendment to increase the road assessment fees to cover rising costs for the KAUA. This includes raising the working assessments for Hualapai, Getz and Oatman KAUA Bylaws under Article III Section 2 Paragraph 1 shall not exceed $65,000 annually for to total of all KAUA sites starting in 2026. This sum comes to “shall not exceed $21,666.67 for each road” The following budgeted road work limits broken down by site areas:
Hayden Peak increase from $20,000.00 to $30,000.00
Getz Peak increase from $3,000.00 to $10,000.00
Oatman/Goadroad Crest from $14,000.00 to $25,000.00
The actual assessment rates will be set annually by vote of the majority of members in good standing present or by proxy beginning at the 2026 annual KAUA meeting. 2024/2025 rates will apply for the remainder of this year. Following the discussion the KAUA body voted unanimously to amend the KAUA Bylaws under Article III Section 2 Paragraph 1.
The KAUA Bylaws will be updated and posted on the https://kingmanradio.com website
SCHEDULE BLM INSPECTIONS:
Following discussion, motions and approval of available dates by BLM Staff, the following are dates and times set for inspections. Please place these dates, times and events on your schedule.
Oatman Goldroad Crest sites: April 29, 2025 beginning at 9:00 a.m. Arizona time.
Hualapai Mountain: May 5, 2025 starting with Potato Patch I & II, Black Mesa and Hayden Peak beginning at 9:00 a.m. Arizona time.
Getz Peak: May 5, 2025 approximately 11:11:30 a.m. according to staff and progress of the Hayden Peak/Potato Patch inspections.
Please be advised that your facility is required to be open for inspection pursuant to the terms and conditions of your site lease. KAUA Bylaws Article IV, Section 2(2 A&B) 3&4.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS:
Following nominations and acceptances, the membership unanimously voted the 2025 KAUA Officers as follows:
President: Ken McLaughlin-WecomFiber, Cactus Intertie, Inc.
Vice President: Jonathan Abernathy – American Tower
Secretary Treasurer Joey Bringhurst-WecomFiber
COMMITTES:
Following acceptances, the standing 2023 KAUA Committees are as follows:
Financial Committee Joey Bringhurst-Chairman, Ken McLaughlin-member, Jonathan Abernathy-member
Technical Committee Ken McLaughlin-Chairman, members Duane Dunn-WecomFiber, Nate Maakestad–Arizona G&T, Paul Castillo – Las Vegas Metro Police Department, Don Petrone-Radio Services, Ran Hanks-Mohave County Flood Control and Andreas Valencia–AZ Dept. of Public Safety (members).
Road Committee Dustin Lewis-Chairman, members Ken McLaughlin-WecomFiber/Cactus Intertie Inc., Faron Eckelbarger-Arizona Broadcast Engineering, Nate Maakestad–Arizona G&T, Jon Abernathy-American Tower and Ran Hanks-Mohave County Flood Control.
COMMENTS BY MEMBERS:
None.
ADJOURNMENT: Motion to adjourn by Nate Maakestad–Arizona G&T and seconded by Dave Levine-SBA Unanimous and meeting adjourned at 10:33