Councilmember Salas asked staff if there is an opportunity for a work session before the housing plan is approved rather than discussed and approved in one meeting. City Manager Clifton clarified the question and stated that he does not see any problems with changing the schedule to add a work session before the approval in a regular meeting. Mayor Deasy suggested keeping it on the agenda at this time and if it needs more discussion, the item can be postponed. Councilmember Shimoni stated that Councilmember Salas is asking to push back the approval for the adoption of the plan three weeks and adding in a discussion at the next work session. Councilmember Salas stated that she would like to have a robust Council discussion on the item and that the agenda next week is packed, so she does not want the discussion shortened or done in haste due to the full agenda. City Manager Clifton stated that the path he sees going forward is to keep it on the agenda for next week and that Council could ask for a continuance on the item if they do not feel that it is fully discussed. Councilmember Shimoni expressed support for City Manager Clifton’s approach. Mayor Deasy stated that any agenda item can have a motion for continuance by any Councilmember.  

Public Affair Director Sarah Langley and State Lobbyist Todd Madeksza gave a presentation to update Mayor and Council on several bills that are relevant to the City Council’s 2022 legislative priorities and on bills that could potentially impact the City. Their presentation covered the following:

• Oppose Recommendation
• HB2316: Misconduct involving weapons; public places
• HB2453/SB1298: Governmental entities; mask requirement; prohibition
• HB2674: Municipal zoning; by-right housing
• HB2375: Urban revenue sharing; public safety
• Support Recommendation
• SB1270: State parks; lottery; heritage fund
• HB2663: Short-term rentals; vacation rentals; licensing
• HB2125: Electronic smoking devices; retail licensing
• Support letter for HB2396

Councilmember Salas stated that on HB2396, which has been approved by the House, may face opposition in the Appropriations Committee. She noted that the chairperson of the Appropriations Committee is seeking to limit transportation projects to state highways, excluding local roads, and emphasized the need for lobbying. The bill is supported by ten Metropolitan Transportation Commissions.
 
Vice Mayor Daggett expressed support for the recommendations and also highlighted the need for legislation on affordable housing, stressing that cities should not be limited in their spending.
 
Mayor Deasy asked about HB2663 and its bipartisan nature. Mr. Madeszka confirmed that short-term rental (STR) legislation has gained bipartisan support and that the bill related to STRs is likely to see bipartisan backing. City Manager Clifton expressed concern over a bill that would preempt local land-use authority, stripping cities of their ability to regulate zoning, a move supported by the building industry. Mr. Madeszka indicated that while the bill has been pulled from the agenda, it still has potential to cause significant issues.
 
Mayor Deasy also inquired about HB2453/SB1298, with Mr. Madeszka mentioning the challenges local governments face in gaining authority, noting the majority of the legislature’s opposition.
 
Councilmember Shimoni expressed concern over HB2674 and asked about the League of Arizona Cities and Towns’ stance. Mr. Madeszka explained that the League is highly effective in lobbying, though it is balancing various priorities this session. He emphasized that the League and other Republican-leaning cities oppose HB2674. Councilmember Shimoni also inquired about adding support for a bill that completes funding for Downtown Connection Center, which has already been signed in support.
 
Mr. Madeszka provided a procedural update on the legislative process, explaining that bills will be more refined after a week, with greater clarity on which bills are likely to move forward. Weekly updates will be provided to Council, and the League holds a call every Monday to focus lobbying efforts.
 
Councilmember McCarthy expressed support for both recommendations, and Councilmember Sweet and Mayor Deasy also expressed full support.
 
Councilmember Salas sought staff approval to support HB2157, which allocates ARPA funding for home and community-based services, particularly for group homes. Ms. Langley will review the bill further.
 
Council took a break from 3:52 p.m. through 4:00 p.m. 

City Clerk Stacy Saltzburg provided a PowerPoint presentation on Charter Amendments and the process. Her presentation provided the following:

• What is a City Charter?
• Process for Charter Amendments
• Possible Amendments
• Staff Recommendations

Councilmember McCarthy asked why the proposed action was being considered for 2023 and whether it could be done in a 2022 special election, like in August. City Manager Clifton responded that it would be difficult to manage within the current timeline due to the heavy workload. The Citizen Bond Committee is meeting weekly, with staff meetings three to four times a week to prepare, which is very consuming. Recommendations will come to the Council by June, after which priorities will shift. Mr. Clifton suggested that having charter amendments in off years might be more practical, as revisiting the proposed revisions will be a long and thoughtful process requiring significant effort.
 
Public Participants:
 
Chris Rudkowski, Voter Choice Arizona, addressed Council in support of Ranked Choice Voting. He asked that it be considered for the charter amendments.
 
Kathy Knecht, Voter Choice Arizona, addressed Council in support of Ranked Choice Voting. She expanded on Mr. Rudkowski’s comments and asked that ranked choice voting be considered for the charter amendments.
 
Gary Robbins submitted written comments in support of Ranked Choice Voting.

• Charter Review Committee?
• When do you want to see the election?
• Priorities?

Mayor Deasy proposed that the charter amendment efforts should be separate from the general election, suggesting a committee be formed, initially internal, with the possibility of a citizen committee if Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is included to ensure public discourse. He recommended preparing for a special election in November 2023 with priorities on RCV, signature requirements, procurement processes, and personnel rules.

Vice Mayor Daggett agreed with an internal committee but suggested that the Council discuss RCV before deciding on the next steps. She was comfortable with the items listed and emphasized the need to align the charter with state statutes.
Councilmember Shimoni supported the special election and the internal charter committee, expressing interest in lowering signature requirements and discussing RCV. He opposed term limits and mayoral term discussions but supported examining leadership structure.
Councilmember McCarthy also agreed with a special election in 2023 and an internal committee, with RCV potentially requiring an external committee. He supported lowering signature requirements and revisiting the residency rule. He opposed some items like ordinances being finalized on the first read and expressed an open mind about administrative changes.

Councilmember Sweet raised a question about voter turnout in special elections, with staff noting that turnout tends to be lower in off years, but they would provide data later.

Councilmember Aslan supported the special election and noted that while the signature threshold might seem high, it ensures meaningful conversations during the signature collection process. He raised concerns about the language in item 24 potentially being preempted by state law.

Councilmember Salas expressed support for convening a charter review committee and looked forward to more community engagement.
Ms. Saltzburg acknowledged the group's feedback and emphasized that legal staff would provide recommendations. Mayor Deasy suggested reducing the signature requirement to 1,000, citing the state's largest requirement in Arizona. City Manager Clifton agreed that an outside committee was needed for RCV and proposed further discussions in an executive session.

Vice Mayor Daggett agreed that if RCV were included, an outside committee would be necessary, but she was not yet ready to decide on an external task force. She supported an internal committee for the other items.

Staff raised the issue of previous difficulty in forming a committee, but there was hope for more interest given the Council's discussion.

None.

Councilmember Salas spoke about HB2396. She requested a FAIR item update regarding Business One Stop Shop. She also requested a FAIR item on economic development.
 
Councilmember Shimoni expressed thanks to staff for the Budget Retreat. He stated that the Lone Tree Overpass site visit was happening later that week. He also spoke about the Coconino County COVID update and that numbers are starting to come down.
 
Councilmember Aslan mentioned that he will not be able to join group for Lone Tree Overpass tour. He stated that he would be at the meeting for wastewater management. He stated it was time to start having a conversation on how to move back through COVID restrictions.
 
Mayor Deasy stated that there is a formal COVID discussion forthcoming. He stated a FAIR request to create a real only dig once policy. He would like any utility that digs a hole, allow other utilities to work in that section.
 
City Manager Clifton stated that Deputy City Manager Shawn Dille will be the new City Manager in Sahuarita. Mr. Clifton congratulated him and wished Mr. Dille well. 

The Work Session of the Flagstaff City Council held February 8, 2022, adjourned at 5:17 p.m.