By Jon Johnson
PIMA – The billboards welcoming visitors to the town of Pima will be refreshed.
The billboard on the town’s west side at Cottonwood Wash is dilapidated and in need of repair. While initially thought to need its sheathing replaced, the sheathing can be repaired for $200-$30 after inspection, according to Town Manager Vernon Batty.
Previously, Melissa Smith approached the town about updating the signs and provided mock-ups generated by Marley Grant. After review, consideration, and input from residents at its Tuesday meeting, the Pima Town Council unanimously chose the most popular version with the “Welcome to Pima” lettering in white.
Town Manager Vernon Batty told the council that it will be under $1,000 to have the mock-up printed on a 12-foot-by-20-foot banner for the billboard.
The billboard on the town’s east side currently honors its high school’s back-to-back state championship girls’ basketball teams from 2021-2022.
With the boys’ basketball team winning the state championship this year, Chris Smith asked if the billboard could be updated to reflect this year’s boys’ team if they paid for it. Chris and Mellisa’s son, Tanner Smith, was a starting guard on this year’s championship team.
Batty and the council agreed that if the school keeps winning state championships, they can continue using the east side billboard to update it with the new championship teams.
