Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2025-59:  A resolution of the Flagstaff City Council, approving an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Flagstaff and University of Arizona for water education through Arizona Project Wet.
 

1. Read Resolution No. 2025-59 by title only
2. City Clerk reads Resolution No. 2025-59 by title only (if approved above)
3. Adopt Resolution No. 2025-59

This is a continuation and amendment of a previously approved Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA). The original IGA was approved in 2020 for a 5-year initial term, with the ability to renew for an additional 5-year term. This IGA will enter into another 5 year period of this agreement and will also provide a small amendment to the billing procedures for the next 5 year period. 

Arizona Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) operates under the authority of the University of Arizona. Arizona Project WET provides water education throughout Arizona and has partnered with the City of Flagstaff on the annual Water Festival since 2005. Under this IGA, Arizona Project WET agrees to develop and deliver water-based K-12 educational content for Flagstaff schools, with guidance from the City of Flagstaff Water Conservation Program.

Project Name: Partnership with Arizona Project WET
Cost: $15,000 annually
Account Number Budgeted: 202-08-304-1062-0-4290
FY Budgeted Amount: Object code 4290 has $38,500 annually
Grant Funded: No
Funding Source: Water Services - Drinking Water Fund

Water eduction initiatives are a small component of our annual goals that contribute to the Water Conservation Strategic Plan. 

Council previously approved this IGA in November of 2020. Previous resolution was 2020-58, which is included in the attachments. 

Council could choose not to pursue another 5 year period for this IGA. The current first term of the agreement will otherwise end in November of 2025. 

This agreement was a formalization of an ongoing partnership between the City of Flagstaff Water Conservation Program and Project WET (via University of Arizoina). Project WET provides the annual 4th Grade Water Festival as well as other routine water outreach for Flagstaff K-12 schools. 

We believe that the development and encouragement of a water ethic in the Flagstaff community is essential to achieving our water conservation goals, which are a critical component of our long-term water resource planning. Providing youth education on water conservation serves two purposes: first, it ensures that Flagstaff community members understand the value and importance of water from an early age. Second, students bring home information about water conservation from school back to their families. Outreach that occurs at school also ensures equity, since there are families in our community that do not have the ability to attend events where we would normally provide this type of outreach such as the Festival of Science or the annual Earth Day celebration.

The annual 4th Grade Water Festival is a wonderful collaboration between City staff, Arizona Project WET, and students from Northern Arizona University (NAU). NAU students and local teachers attend a free 6-hour workshop where they learn the water lessons from Project WET. This gives the students and teachers experience teaching the Project WET water units to the 4th grade students. Each year approximately 800 of Flagstaff's 4th grade students get the opportunity to attend the water festival. 

This initiative contributes to the following Priority Based Budgeting areas of focus:

1. Environmental Stewardship
   • Teaches K-12 children about water and its importance, helping to foster a culture of water conservation from an early age
2. Inclusive and Engaged Community
   • Provides opportunities for most K-12 Flagstaff students to learn about water

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