Others present:  City Manager Greg Clifton; City Attorney Sterling Solomon.

Eric Wolverton, on behalf of Habitat for Humanity, spoke about their work and efforts toward housing attainability.

Council approached the podium and Mayor Deasy read and presented the proclamation to representatives from Moms Demand Action.

Mayor Deasy read and presented the proclamation to representatives from the Commission on Diversity Awareness.

Community Investment Director David McIntire provided a brief introduction and introduced Executive Director of Moonshot at NACET Diana White who provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
MOONSHOT AT NACET
A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
MOONSHOT AT NACET CAMPUS TOTAL INVESTMENT FUNDS
MOONSHOT AT NACET CAMPUS TOTAL REVENUE GENERATED
JOBS
MOONSHOT AT NACET CAMPUS OCCUPANCY RATES AND NEW TENANTS
A LOOK AT A FEW MOONSHOT AT NACET EVENTS
3^RD ANNUAL AZ PIONEER PITCH COMPETITION
THE 2^ND ANNUAL SHOEMAKER
ENTREPRENEURSHIP INTERN CERTIFICATION
WE MEAN BUSINESS
 
Vice Mayor Sweet asked about the move down to the valley. Ms. White stated that during the pandemic, they realized Moonshot had a lot to offer other cities and communities for economic development. They acquired a number of new contracts, and it was imperative to expand their operations. They did not want to lose sight of their flagship community and felt it important to establish an Executive Director position to oversee the Flagstaff campus.

Comprehensive Planning Manager Sara Dechter provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
FLAGSTAFF REGIONAL PLAN COLLABORATIVE PROCESS
TODAY’S PRESENTATION
OVERVIEW OF CURRENT PLAN
FLAGSTAFF REGIONAL PLAN 2030
PROCESS FOR UPDATING THE PLAN
THE NEXT REGIONAL PLAN
OUTREACH AUGUST 2021-APRIL 2022
UPCOMING PLANNING EFFORTS
FALL WORKSHOPS
SCENARIO PLANNING
COLLABORATIVE PROCESS OPTIONS
 
Councilmember McCarthy stated that the consultant should have an understanding of transportation and land use along with carbon emission implications. The biggest thing the Council can do to address carbon emissions is to lay things out correctly now for the future.
 
Councilmember House stated that the consultant should also have a history of outreach and communication with indigenous communities and all different groups that Flagstaff represents.
 
Mayor Deasy stated that Flagstaff is unique demographically and culturally and it will be important that all those elements are considered and attended to.
 
Ms. Dechter continued the presentation.
 
PLANNING FOR EQUITY
COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPANTS
WAYS TO PARTICIPATE
 
Mayor Deasy stated that he would like to see the research and better understand the science on the efficacy of compensation on participation.
 
Councilmember McCarthy stated that he would like to have a cost estimate for participant compensation, he suggested that a better use of money might be being efficient in the meetings and quality facilitation.
 
Councilmember Shimoni stated that he finds the study circle approach interesting and looks forward to seeing what comes from them. He also stated that involvement and participation is a privilege and if they want to have a variety of involvement they should offer a compensation option.

Zoning Code Manager Tiffany Antol provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
AMENDMENTS TO THE ZONING CODE MARIJUANA OPERATIONS
MARIJUANA OPERATIONS
PZ-22-00074 MARIJUANA DISPENSARY HOURS OF OPERATION
PZ-22-00089 SINGLE RECREATIONAL SALES ESTABLISHMENT
CITY’S PROPOSED ZONING CODE TEXT AMENDMENT
QUESTIONS ASKED OF THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION
 
Councilmember Shimoni asked if the separation distance was increased, how many facilities could be built within the city. Ms. Antol stated that it is difficult to pin down the exact number and it would also depend on how much further out they went from 2,000 feet.
 
Councilmember McCarthy stated that he is open to changing the hours of operation. He stated that a person with a marijuana conviction should not have an advantage over another person and he would support keeping things the way they are currently. He would also support some increase in the distance but not much.
 
Councilmember Shimoni stated that he has no concern with the change in hours, that he is okay with the current separations, and he is okay with the recreation equity license.
 
Mayor Deasy stated that he has no issues with the hours of operation, he is open to social equity licenses, and he would like a visual representation of the distances.

A break was held from 4:27 p.m. through 4:42 p.m.

Engineering Project Manager Jeremy DeGeyter provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
FOURTH STREET-CEDAR AVENUE-LOCKETT ROAD-ROUNDABOUT
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
PROJECT LOCATION
HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (HSIP)
FINANCIAL IMPACT
PUBLIC OUTREACH
FOURTH/CEDAR/LOCKETT ROUNDABOUT
DECISION MATRIX SUMMARY
MULTILANE ROUNDABOUT
TURBO ROUNDABOUT
DUTCH BICYCLE PRIORITY ROUNDABOUT
TRAFFIC CIRCLE
PROTECTED INTERSECTION
MODERN ROUNDABOUT
8 MODERN ROUNDABOUT MYTHS
COMMON SITE APPLICATIONS
BENEFITS OF ROUNDABOUTS
SAFETY – REDUCE THE CONFLICTS
EXISTING CONDITIONS
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
BICYCLE USE – THE BASICS
BICYCLE RAMPS
BICYCLE PAVEMENT MARKINGS
CONCEPTUAL BICYCLE PAVEMENT MARKINGS
BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS
AUTO/BUS/TRUCK OPERATIONS
DESIGN VEHICLES – BUSES AND TRUCKS
SCHOOLS AND ROUNDABOUTS
EDUCATIONAL ENGAGEMENT
NEXT STEPS
 
The following individuals addressed Council regarding the project:

• Erica Martin
• Adrianne Rhode
• Johanna Payton
• Cindy Roe
• Bernadette Whistler
• Delaney Williams
• Michelle James

The following comments were received:

• The intersection can be made safe but a roundabout is not the solution.
• The project is way over budget and can be done in a less expensive way.
• The intersection needs to be reduced in speed.
• The roundabout will back up traffic even more.
• Citizens need more time to review the project.
• The lower right turn lane should be removed because the students at Pine Forest school will be negatively impacted.
• A single lane, circular roundabout is more appropriate.
• The kids will get confused with the multiple islands they need to use to cross.
• Kids will have to stop three times to get across Cedar.
• There is a lot of foot traffic in this area that needs to be considered.
• Pine Forest school should get to keep their playground.
• Construction of this project will have a negative impact on enrollment for Pine Forest school.
• Traffic flow should come second to walking children.
• The roundabout is not safe for students, improvements should be made to what is already there.
• Vehicles should be forced to slow down.
• The design must consider pedestrian and cyclist safety, they need the higher priority.

The following individuals submitted written comments concerning safety of the roundabout:

• Mar-Elise Hill
• Brandon Cruickshank
• Rachel Williams

Vice Mayor Sweet stated that the traffic engineers have put in countless hours with the project and to assume that staff would not have the best interest of everyone at mind, especially kids is offensive. These individuals are professionals with the knowledge and expertise necessary to design and build these types of projects. The city has the funding and the opportunity to make the intersection safer.
 
Councilmember McCarthy stated that the intersection in its current design is not safe and needs to be changed. He supports the current design but suggested making all of the crosswalks z-crossings. He also suggested a signalized crossing on all crossings where the pedestrian will trigger a light that warns drivers that pedestrians want to cross.
 
Mr. DeGeyter stated that they are a little constrained on the Lockett entrance and exit. The center island would have to be increased which would straighten the lane which speeds up traffic. They were able to accomplish the Z crossings at the other three crossings. The footprint is the important part, if they change any of the things that impact the footprint, there will be a redesign which will impact legal descriptions and negotiations with property owners.
 
Councilmember Shimoni asked about the cost for beacons at the four intersections. Traffic Engineer Jeff Bauman stated that they have not evaluated the cost for all the legs, but they are estimating a quarter million for each leg.
 
Councilmember Shimoni stated that there are a number of schools in the area and in reviewing roundabouts around schools all were one lane and easy to navigate, he asked why a single roundabout was not used and suggested that the engineers adjust the angles from Lockett to Cedar and make the curves sharper. Mr. Bauman stated that they have gone through an extensive process with the design. It starts with a circle and moves from there based on the types of vehicles passing through like buses, semis, etcetera and the speed reductions desired. It is not as simple as bumping a curb out in one section because that may impact the ability for a truck or bus to get through. They feel very good about the design and the speeds. They have heard from cyclists that they did not like the z-crossings so they are trying to balance all the needs. It is a complex system of curves and modifications are challenging.
 
Mayor Deasy asked about the grading of roads and what City Code requires. Mr. Bauman explained that a grade D or better is what is required. This is the same standard that ADOT requires as well.
 
Councilmember Aslan expressed support of the modern roundabout concept and the z-crossings where possible. He is satisfied that the entire intersection will be wired for beacons should there be a need for them in the future.
 
Councilmember House voiced her support for the z-crossings and beacon lights.
 
Councilmember Shimoni stated that he would support installing the beacons now rather than waiting to see if they are needed in the future. He still has concerns about safety and will not support moving forward with the project.
 
Councilmember Salas stated that the main essence of the roundabout is the safety of children and residents. The roundabout is meant to improve safety, slow speeds, and reduce accidents. The project has been supported and identified in the MetroPlan improvement project. There were experts from the city, the state, and Metroplan who have been the backbone of the project. She supports the beacons for the crosswalks and would advocate for additional state and federal funding to help support those additions.
 
Vice Mayor Sweet expressed support for the project moving forward.
 
Mayor Deasy asked why elevated cross walks were not considered. Mr. Bauman stated that they are not preferred in the area due to snow removal and drainage impacts.
 
Mayor Deasy stated that he was supportive of the z-crossings. He believes that as designed, the new crossing will be safer than what is existing currently.
 
Mr. Clifton stated that a follow up discussion will be forthcoming to discuss the cost feasibility of the z-crossing and the beacons at the four legs of the intersection. Mr. DeGeyter added that staff needs to go back to the design consultants to determine if they can incorporate these things and what the impacts are. This could trigger a needed amendment to the IGA which includes another discussion with Council.

A break was held from 6:30 p.m. through 6:41 p.m.
 
Councilmember Shimoni left the meeting and rejoined virtually for the remainder of the meeting.

Public Works Director Scott Overton, Parks Manager and Interim Recreation Director Amy Hagin, Management Services Director Rick Tadder, Water Services Engineering Director Gary Miller, Stormwater Manager Ed Schenk, Lucinda Andreani, on behalf of the County Flood Control District, and Public Affairs Director Sarah Langley collectively provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
FLOOD MITIGATION UPDATES
AGENDA
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER EVENT
MUSEUM FLOOD FINANCIAL FOCUS GROUP
DFFM-FUNDED RESOURCES
CEDAR TO DORTHA CHANNEL AND INLET
KILLIP SCHOOL REGIONAL DETENTION BASIN
KILLIP INLET AT PONDEROSA PARK
PONDEROSA PARK BARRIERS
2021 RESPONSE UPDATE
ON FOREST MITIGATION
NRCS MOUNT ELDEN ESTATES FAN
SIREN ALERTING SYSTEM
SPRING 2022 SANDBAG REFRESH
VOLUNTEER/SERVICE COORDINATION
 
Mr. Clifton gave a few comments about the City Manager Volunteer Challenge for city staff.
 
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS RESPONSE
COMMUNICATIONS
 
Dawn Rodriguez addressed Council about flooding concerns.
 
Mayor Deasy stated that while he was at Ponderosa Park he wondered if there might be a way for kids to use the barriers there for artwork to brighten things up. Parks Director Amy Hagin stated that it is a great concept that they will look into.

Raymond Kim addressed Council about the housing situation in Flagstaff. Short term rentals are causing a lot of problems and because people cannot live in Flagstaff they live farther out and commute in. This commuting contributes to the negative impacts on the environment.

Vice Mayor Sweet reported that she toured the Carpenters Union training facility in Phoenix which was informative. She reminded everyone that Saturday is the annual Hullabaloo event in Wheeler Park.
 
Councilmember Aslan requested a FAIR item to receive an update from the Police Department about protocols and training and to make the public aware of those efforts.
 
Councilmember House reported that she toured High Country Humane last week to see all the great work they are doing. She also attended the Housing Commission meeting; they are struggling to fill three seats on the commission so if there are people who want to serve on the commission please encourage them to apply.
 
Councilmember McCarthy stated that he attended a very moving Memorial Day celebration on Monday.
 
Councilmember Shimoni reported that there is a Recovery Court graduation ceremony that week. The Transportation Commission will be meeting on Wednesday. He also noted that it has been one year since the crash and fatality of the bike party, he reminded everyone that there is still a lot to do to become a bike friendly community.
 
Mayor Deasy recommended that Council attend a Recovery Court graduation, they are a great event to see. He also reported that there is a two-spirit day conference at Twin Arrows later that week. He will also be visiting the Assistant Secretary of Economic Development.