Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2026-45:  A resolution of the Flagstaff City Council, approving the Curbside Management Plan; providing for delegation of authority; and establishing an effective date.
 

1. Read Resolution No. 2026-45 by title only
2. City Clerk reads Resolution No. 2026-45 by title only (if approved above)
3. Adopt Resolution No. 2026-45

Since January 2026, the City of Flagstaff has worked with Dixon Resources Unlimited to evaluate parking and curbside operations within the Downtown Parking District.  The assessment examined parking occupancy, utilization and turnover, loading and delivery activity, employee parking, accessible curb access, passenger pickup and drop-off, rideshare activity, oversized vehicle parking, enforcement practices, technology, and other uses of the downtown curbside.

The project included on-site assessments, multiple rounds of parking occupancy and turnover counts, stakeholder meetings, outreach to local businesses and delivery operators, and an online community survey.  Community and external stakeholders included representatives from the Downtown Business Alliance, Barrier Free Flagstaff, Strong Towns Flagstaff, downtown businesses, delivery operators, and members of the public.  Internal stakeholders included representatives from the City’s Commission on Inclusion and Adaptive Living, Traffic Engineering, Code Compliance, Sustainability, Finance, Planning, and other City departments and divisions whose work affects downtown access and curbside operations.

Following the assessment, Dixon Resources Unlimited developed the City of Flagstaff Curbside Management Action Plan.  The Plan consolidates the assessment findings, collected data, and stakeholder feedback into recommendations intended to guide downtown parking and curbside management over the next three to five years.  The recommendations are organized into seven focus areas:

1. Operational Enhancements and Personnel Development
2. Technology and Equipment
3. Accessibility and Infrastructure
4. Customer Experience
5. Signage, Wayfinding, and Branding
6. Policy and Program Development
7. Curb Management

The Plan organizes recommendations into near-term and mid-term strategies.  However, the timing and sequencing of individual recommendations will ultimately depend on City priorities, available funding, staffing capacity, operational needs, stakeholder input, and lessons learned as strategies are evaluated and advanced.

The Action Plan builds upon the Comprehensive Parking Management Program adopted through Resolution No. 2016-01 and provides an updated framework for addressing current and emerging downtown parking and curbside needs.

Staff is requesting that Council adopt a resolution accepting the final Plan as a framework for future planning, budgeting, and decision-making.  Acceptance of the Plan does not, by itself, approve or authorize funding or implementation of every recommendation.  Recommendations requiring an ordinance amendment, appropriation, contract award, or other formal Council authorization will return to Council as separate items.

There is no immediate financial impact associated with accepting the City of Flagstaff Curbside Management Action Plan.  The Plan includes recommendations with varying potential costs; however, the actual financial impact of each recommendation cannot be determined until its scope, timing, implementation method, and resource requirements have been further evaluated.

Individual recommendations will be considered through the City’s normal budget development, procurement, and approval processes.  Any recommendation requiring additional funding, a budget appropriation, or a contract award will be presented for approval through the appropriate process . The use of ParkFlag revenues will remain subject to applicable funding restrictions and reserve requirements.

Project Name: City of Flagstaff Curbside Management Action Plan
Cost: No immediate cost associated with acceptance of the Plan; future implementation costs will be determined individually
Account Number: Not applicable at the time of Plan acceptance
Budgeted: Not applicable at the time of Plan acceptance
FY Budgeted Amount: Not applicable
Grant Funded: Not applicable
Funding Source: ParkFlag is a special revenue fund and costs are anticipated to be paid through parking generated revenue.

Acceptance of the City of Flagstaff Curbside Management Action Plan does not immediately amend or replace the Comprehensive Parking Management Program adopted through Resolution No. 2016-01, the Comprehensive Parking Management Program Administrative Guidelines, City Code, or other existing City policies.  The Action Plan is generally consistent with and builds upon the goals and phased approach established by the Comprehensive Parking Management Program.

As individual recommendations are prioritized and evaluated for implementation, staff will review the Comprehensive Parking Management Program, Administrative Guidelines, City Code, and other applicable policies, procedures, and operating practices.  Necessary updates will be pursued through the appropriate City process.  Any recommendation requiring an amendment to City Code, an appropriation, a contract award, or other formal Council authorization will return to Council as a separate item.

On May 26, 2026, Dixon Resources Unlimited and City staff presented the assessment process, key findings, and draft recommendations to City Council.  Council provided feedback regarding loading zones, alleyway enforcement, Parking Aide staffing, signage and wayfinding, signage clarity, and parking enforcement during special events.

Two rounds of parking occupancy and turnover counts had been completed at that stage of the assessment; however, the data did not fully represent downtown parking and curbside activity during weekend and evening hours after 5:00 p.m.  An additional round of data collection was therefore completed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of parking demand, utilization, and turnover across a broader range of days and times.  Community outreach included an online parking questionnaire that received 451 responses from residents, business owners, employees, and visitors.  Additional engagement included meetings and presentations with the Downtown Business Alliance, Barrier Free Flagstaff, Strong Towns Flagstaff, representatives from the Commission on Inclusion and Adaptive Living, downtown businesses, commercial delivery operators, community members, and multiple City departments and divisions.

Dixon Resources Unlimited incorporated the additional data, Council feedback, and stakeholder input into the final City of Flagstaff Curbside Management Action Plan.

• Adopt the resolution accepting the City of Flagstaff Curbside Management Action Plan as presented.
• Adopt the resolution with amendments or provide additional direction regarding future prioritization and evaluation of the Plan’s recommendations.
• Postpone consideration of the resolution and direct staff to provide additional information or conduct further public or stakeholder engagement.
• Do not adopt the resolution accepting the City of Flagstaff Curbside Management Action Plan.

The City Council adopted the Comprehensive Parking Management Program through Resolution No. 2016-01 on January 19, 2016.  The program established a framework for managing parking in downtown, the Southside, and surrounding areas through residential and employee permit programs, time-limited parking, pay-to-park operations, enforcement, technology, signage, and phased infrastructure improvements.

ParkFlag was implemented in 2017 with the goal of creating a fair and balanced parking system that supports residents, visitors, employees, businesses, and the continued economic vitality of downtown Flagstaff.  From the beginning, the program has managed pay-to-park and time-limited parking, residential permit zones, employee parking, loading zones, and other parking-related uses.  Enforcement has also been a core responsibility, with an emphasis on education, warning citations, customer assistance, and ambassador-style engagement.

Comprehensive curbside management has always been part of the program’s broader vision.  As ParkFlag has become more established, the program has been able to evaluate additional curbside uses and consider how they can be managed more effectively as part of an integrated system.

In January 2026, the City contracted with Dixon Resources Unlimited to conduct a comprehensive assessment of parking and curbside operations within the Downtown Parking District.  The assessment included two on-site evaluations, multiple rounds of parking occupancy and turnover counts, stakeholder meetings, outreach to downtown businesses and delivery operators, and an online community survey.

Initial findings and draft recommendations were presented to City Council on May 26, 2026.  Two rounds of parking occupancy and turnover counts had been completed at that stage; however, the data did not fully represent downtown parking and curbside activity during weekend and evening hours after 5:00 p.m.  An additional round of data collection was completed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of demand, utilization, and turnover across a broader range of days and times.

Dixon Resources Unlimited incorporated the additional data, Council feedback, and stakeholder input into the final City of Flagstaff Curbside Management Action Plan.  The Action Plan builds upon the Comprehensive Parking Management Program and provides a three-to-five-year framework for evaluating, prioritizing, and advancing improvements to downtown parking and curbside management.

The City of Flagstaff Curbside Management Action Plan supports several Priority Based Budgeting priorities and objectives:

High Performing Governance:

• Serve the public by providing high-quality customer service.
• Maintain the organization’s fiscal stability through strong financial policies and best practices.
• Implement and communicate innovative and efficient local government programs, new ideas, and best practices.

Safe and Healthy Community:

• Ensure the built environment is safe through consistent standards, rules, regulations, and land-use practices.
• Provide public safety services with resources, staffing, and training responsive to community needs.

Inclusive and Engaged Community:

• Ensure City facilities, services, and programs are accessible to all residents.
• Encourage public involvement and strengthen relationships between the City, community members, businesses, and other stakeholders.

Sustainable, Innovative Infrastructure:

• Deliver outstanding services through healthy and well-maintained infrastructure.
• Use existing long-range plans to identify future infrastructure needs and associated costs.
• Provide, manage, and maintain effective infrastructure for multimodal and active transportation.

Robust and Resilient Economy:

• Support and strengthen a robust, diverse, and sustainable economy in ways that reflect community values.
• Support existing businesses, responsible tourism, and a positive downtown experience.

The Action Plan advances these objectives by providing a data-informed framework for improving safety, accessibility, customer service, parking availability, enforcement, technology, loading operations, and the efficient use of public curb space.

The City of Flagstaff Curbside Management Action Plan is consistent with the Flagstaff Regional Land Use Plan 2045, particularly the City’s Parking Goal: to manage the supply and cost of public and private parking to support a safe and walkable environment, successful and consistent enforcement, and the efficient use of parking infrastructure for all users.
The Action Plan supports the following policies:

• Policy PK.1: Reduce demand for private parking in areas served by transit to address carbon neutrality and increase affordability.
• Policy PK.2: Encourage the conversion of underutilized parking lots to walkable residential, commercial, or mixed-use development.
• Policy PK.3: Pursue year-round on-street public parking and related operations and maintenance to support reductions in private parking and promote affordability.
• Policy PK.4: Provide accessible parking in central and convenient locations in parking lots and managed parking plans.

The Action Plan also supports Regional Plan goals related to walkability, accessibility, multimodal transportation, economic vitality, climate action, efficient use of existing infrastructure, and safe and equitable access to public facilities.

Acceptance of the Action Plan does not authorize a specific land-use, infrastructure, or parking change. Individual recommendations will be reviewed for consistency with the Regional Plan as they are prioritized and advanced.

The Curbside Management Action Plan indirectly supports the City’s Carbon Neutrality Plan by encouraging more efficient use of existing parking and curbside infrastructure, reducing unnecessary vehicle circulation, and improving access to walking, biking, public transit, and micromobility options.

The Curbside Management Action Plan does not directly create, preserve, or fund housing.

The Curbside Management Action Plan builds upon the City’s Comprehensive Parking Management Program, adopted through Resolution, and its associated Administrative Guidelines.  It supports the program’s goals of providing a fair, balanced, self-supporting, and phased parking-management system.  The Action Plan provides updated guidance related to parking facilities, regulations, enforcement, technology, customer service, signage and wayfinding, multimodal connections, loading and delivery management, and adjustments based on operational experience and evolving community needs.