Discuss and provide feedback on the Arizona Legislative Trip.
Discussion/Direction regarding draft State legislative priorities.

On Wednesday February 13, 2019, the City Council's delegation will travel to the Arizona State Legislature and other State Departments in Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Travis will be an attendance on this trip along with selected councilmembers and city staff.  At the direction of City Council and city staff, Mr. Travis is currently scheduling meetings/appointments with legislators and state department officials on important priorities and issues. For your convenience, the first draft agenda and draft of discussion topics is attached for review and discussion.

At the Tuesday February 5, 2019 regular Council Meeting, staff will bring forth a final agenda and discussion topics for the for approval. Once approved by council, the discussion topics will be the only subjects the council delegation will be authorized to discuss with state representatives.

On Tuesday January 22, 2019, staff presented the City’s current state priority list for review and discussion. At the direction of council, staff created a draft state priority working document based on the feedback provided by council:
 

1. Align City’s State Priorities to that of the League of Cities and Town’s Policy Statements
2. Align City’s State Priorities to the City’s Council Goals

The current state priorities are as followed:
 

• Pursue a partnership with Northern Arizona University to jointly advocate for funding for the Rio de Flag Flood Control project from the State and Federal government.
• Advocate for state enabling legislation for Commercial Property Accessed Clean Energy, or C-PACE.
• Advocate for investing in forest health treatments on state-owned land in the Flagstaff region.
• Advocate for change in state liquor licensing laws and establish a process for input to allow greater local government control in such areas as hours of operation, size of beverages and saturation. Seek additional funds from the alcohol industry to mitigate the effects alcohol has on the Flagstaff community.
• Advocate for additional funding to the Arizona Department of Transportation to plan, build and maintain projects that affect Northern Arizona.
• Advocate for 100% funding from the state legislature to fully fund and reimburse social service providers for the poor and other vulnerable populations, including those with disabilities.
• Advocate for the state of Arizona to accept consulate cards as valid forms of identification.
• Urge Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to adopt stronger groundwater monitoring standards for uranium operations.

 
The draft state priority working document has been attached for further discussion.
The Arizona League of Cities and Towns’ Municipal Policy Statement has been attached. 
 

Mr. Richard Travis will be present during the meeting.