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Minutes for City Council Combined Work Session/Special Meeting

CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING / WORK SESSION
TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2022
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS
211 WEST ASPEN AVE
3:00 P.M.
 

MINUTES
 
1.
Call to Order

Mayor Deasy called the work session of the Flagstaff City Council held March 29, 2022, to order at 3:00 p.m.

NOTICE OF OPTION TO RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION
Pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.02, notice is hereby given to the members of the City Council and to the general public that, at this work session, the City Council may vote to go into executive session, which will not be open to the public, for legal advice and discussion with the City’s attorneys for legal advice on any item listed on the following agenda, pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3).
 
2.
Roll Call

NOTE: One or more Councilmembers may be in attendance through other technological means.
PRESENT:

MAYOR DEASY
VICE MAYOR DAGGETT
COUNCILMEMBER ASLAN
COUNCILMEMBER MCCARTHY
COUNCILMEMBER SALAS
COUNCILMEMBER SHIMONI
COUNCILMEMBER SWEET
ABSENT:








Others present: City Manager Greg Clifton; City Attorney Sterling Solomon.
 
3.
Pledge of Allegiance, Mission Statement, and Land Acknowledgement

The Council and audience recited the pledge of allegiance, Councilmember McCarthy read the Mission Statement of the City of Flagstaff, and Vice Mayor Daggett read the Land Acknowledgement.
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the City of Flagstaff is to protect and enhance the quality of life for all.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Flagstaff City Council humbly acknowledges the ancestral homelands of this area’s Indigenous nations and original stewards. These lands, still inhabited by Native descendants, border mountains sacred to Indigenous peoples. We honor them, their legacies, their traditions, and their continued contributions. We celebrate their past, present, and future generations who will forever know this place as home.
 
4.
Public Participation

Public Participation enables the public to address the council about items that are not on the prepared agenda. Public Participation appears on the agenda twice, at the beginning and at the end of the work session. You may speak at one or the other, but not both. Anyone wishing to comment at the meeting is asked to fill out a speaker card and submit it to the recording clerk. When the item comes up on the agenda, your name will be called. You may address the Council up to three times throughout the meeting, including comments made during Public Participation. Please limit your remarks to three minutes per item to allow everyone to have an opportunity to speak. At the discretion of the Chair, ten or more persons present at the meeting and wishing to speak may appoint a representative who may have no more than fifteen minutes to speak.
Cristy Zeller, Owen Josefchuk, and Havoc Thornton from Haven Montessori addressed Council regarding the Poo in the Park program.

Water Services Management Analyst Lisa Deem and Megan White from Flagstaff Water Services addressed Council and furthered explained the Poo in the Park program.

Water Conservation Manager Tamara Lawless addressed Council regarding Water Conversation month and the festivities associated with the month including the Mayor’s Water Conservation Challenge.
 
5.
Review of Draft Agenda for the April 5, 2022 City Council Meeting
Citizens wishing to speak on agenda items not specifically called out by the City Council may submit a speaker card for their items of interest to the recording clerk.
Councilmember Salas requested a report on the Schultz Pass property be shared with Mayor and Council before next week’s meeting when they discuss the property.
 
6.
City Manager Report
City Manager Greg Clifton highlighted his report including publishing a notice of the potential primary property tax rate increase.

Councilmember McCarthy stated that he does not have an opinion on raising the primary tax rate, but he supports putting the public notice out so that Council can make a decision on the tax rate.

Mayor Deasy stated that he is not interested in putting out the public notice.

Vice Mayor Daggett asked if the tax rate was increased last time when the notice was published. Mr. Clifton stated that it was not. Vice Mayor Daggett stated that she is not interested in posting the notice.

Councilmember Sweet stated she is in support of publishing the notice.

Councilmember Salas and Councilmember Aslan stated they were not interested in publishing the notice.

Councilmember Shimoni stated that he would prefer to have the option, but believes it is moot at this point.

Councilmember McCarthy stated that he is disappointed that a discussion on this topic will not occur.

Interim Deputy City Manager and Economic Development Director Heidi Hansen highlighted the Economic Development report. Highlights included snow removal at the airport, an airport shuttle service, the increase in enplanements, the new art at the juvenile court, Park Flag improvements, the VIP parking, economic development updates, updates on the Library and the Wonderbooks grant, and an update on tourism and Discover Flagstaff.

Councilmember Sweet thanked Ms. Hansen and her team for their hard work.
 
7.
A robust workforce development system: the creation, the functional operations, and the possibilities.
Business Retention and Expansion Manager John Saltonstall, Mr. Billy Francis the CEO of the Workforce Development Board, and Mr. Aaron Tabor, the Chairman of the Workforce Development Board presented to Council about the federal legislation known as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (W.I.O.A.).  Their PowerPoint presentation covered the following:
  • All Roads Lead to W.I.O.A.
  • General W.I.O.A. process
  • W.I.O.A. Four Core Programs
  • Title IB
  • Title II
  • Title III
  • Title IV
  • Cradle to Career
  • Facilitating Workforce Wins
Mr. Francis expanded on what the Workforce Development Board does and how best to include W.I.O.A. in the community.
       
Councilmember Sweet asked how businesses find out about the W.I.O.A. and their services. Mr. Francis expanded on his plan for advertising the services.

Vice Mayor Daggett asked what the top items are that Mr. Francis will start with. Mr. Francis spoke about how he plans to build his team and then put more money into the workforce through employer training. Mayor Daggett also asked if there is a web address employers should go to. Mr. Saltonstall stated that the Economic Vitality staff and Discover Flagstaff will help get this information out to the community.

Councilmember Salas spoke about the past meetings of all the partners of the Arizona Workforce and her hope to revive those efforts. She also spoke about the successes of the Workforce Development Board. She asked about an apprentice training center in Flagstaff and Mr. Francis stated that he will follow up with her on it. He expanded on other services as well.

Councilmember Shimoni asked Mr. Francis about Working Alternatives and spoke about what their mission is and he asked for Mr. Francis’ help with the group. Mr. Francis stated that W.I.O.A. would be interested in helping the group.  
 
8.
Butler-Fourth Improvements (Butler Avenue Widening) Scope Discussion
Project Manager Jeremy DeGeyter and Acting Capital Improvements Engineer Trevor Henry provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
  • Butler-Fourth Improvements Project Location Map
  • Project Background
  • Preliminary Proposed Cross Section
  • Current Proposed Cross Section
  • Project Considerations
  • Project Chartering and Scoping
  • Project Schedule
  • Next Steps
Deputy General Manager Kate Morely from Mountain Line addressed Council in support of the project and expanded on the bus service in the area.

Anne Wicki addressed Council regarding the sidewalks on Butler and was in support of the project, she hopes that handicapped design would be involved in this development.

Councilmember Aslan asked Mr. DeGeyter to comment on how Council conversations have impacted the current intersection design. Mr. DeGeyter stated that the roundabout, pedestrian, and bicycle designs were all impacted by Council discussions.

Councilmember McCarthy asked about the roundabout by Little America. Mr. DeGeyter stated that there will be some traffic restrictions on the roundabout for safety. Councilmember McCarthy asked why staff is proposing a roundabout rather than a standard intersection since they may be problematic for pedestrians and drivers. Mr. DeGeyter stated that staff wants to investigate if a roundabout is a viable option, and that pedestrians and bicycle traffic will be considered in the study.

Councilmember Shimoni stated that he likes the bike infrastructure in this plan. He asked about the underlying values or priorities in the decision making of the draft of this project. Mr. DeGeyter stated that staff has had a complete streets approach for the past years. Staff is trying to be proactive while advancing this project.

Councilmember Shimoni expressed his gratitude to staff for adapting and doing well during this transition time. He asked how this project can be aligned to the CAAP, ATMP, and the Regional Plan. Mr. DeGeyter stated that all the plans will be taken into consideration in the plan and that the planners will be working with the other partnered departments to incorporate the plans into the design.

Councilmember Shimoni asked if all options of expanding Butler could be explored. Mr. DeGeyter stated that this is staff’s intention. Councilmember Shimoni addressed right-sizing and how that relates to this project. He also thanked Ms. Anne Wicki for her public comment and stated that he is concerned about large roundabouts. He added that he would like to see transit prioritized for walkers and bikers.

Councilmember Sweet asked how we are ensuring that transit is in the conversation now. Mr. DeGeyter stated that staff was in contact with Mountain Line this morning and that staff is working with Mountain Line to ensure that they have a voice in the project.

A break was held from 4:44 p.m. through 5:30 p.m. and Councilmember McCarthy left the meeting.          
 
9.
THIS ITEM WILL OCCUR NO EARLIER THAN 5:30 P.M.

Flood Project Updates
Water Services Director Andy Bertelsen, Project Manager Julie Leid, Streets Director Sam Beckett, Public Affairs Director Sarah Langley, Public Works Director Scott Overton, Senior Project Manager Christine Cameron, Stormwater Manager Ed Schenk, Real Estate Manager Bryce Doty, and Deputy County Manager and Flood Control Administrator Lucinda Andreani provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
  • Feasibility Study
  • Cedar to Dortha Channel and Inlet
  • Killip School Regional Detention Basins 
  • Killip Inlet at Ponderosa Park
  • Ponderosa Park barriers
  • Siren System
Councilmember Aslan asked if the sirens have 360-degree coverage. Mr. Beckett stated that they will and that they are 2400 watts each that can be adjusted for the best coverage. Councilmember Aslan asked if there are points placed on a map yet. Mr. Beckett stated that the vendor is creating a new map based on GIS mapping. Mr. Beckett added that the sirens will look like the ones in the picture in the presentation. 
  • Spring 2022 sandbag refresh
Vice Mayor Daggett urged staff to publicize the dates for the sandbag refresh information as soon as they have them.

Mayor Deasy asked if the locations of the residents who were elderly or needed assistance was logged. Mr. Beckett replied that they are confidentially logged for certain staff to follow up on, but that the information will not be shared. Flooding staff will do an evaluation of the neighborhoods which will help with ensuring that the requests for service are fulfilled. Mayor Deasy asked when the volunteer days are expected to start. Mr. Beckett stated that he hopes that they will be kicked off between late April and June. Mayor Deasy suggested having an NAU specific volunteer day, focusing especially on athletics.
  • Park Way Sediment Basins
Ms. Andreani addressed the other projects that the County is working on that are higher priority than the Park Way Sediment Basins and stated that the focus is getting the most amount of work done to reduce sediment. She also addressed the challenges of the sediment basins and the agreements that are needed to develop them. Mr. Bertelsen stated that Mark Reavis received a letter from the Heritage Preservation Society and that staff is determining if the letter can be signed administratively or if it has to come to Council for a 404 permit.

Vice Mayor Daggett asked about the tracking of phone calls at the call center and how concerns will be followed up on. Ms. Andreani spoke about the process of staffing the call center and that the call center will be using the SalesForce software that is being supported by Postal Cloud. She stated that any staffer can use the needs form. She stated training will be done with call center staff. Ms. Andreani stated that there is a list of people who requested service previously and the intent is to reach out to them proactively.  
  • Communications
Sharon Tewksbury-Bloom addressed Council regarding the 2022 Sandbag Refresh. She brought a sandbag from her yard to view and spoke about the sandbags in the neighborhood. She added that she has spent $16,105.00 for a masonry wall and flood gate. She addressed access and functional need (AFN) and stated that it would be very challenging for all her neighbors to replace 300 sandbags on their own.

Vice Mayor Daggett asked Ms. Tewksbury-Bloom if there was an area to request help on the sites. Ms. Tewksbury-Bloom stated that the Museum Flood website directs people to call the call center, which leads to confusion. Vice Mayor Daggett asked staff if there have been any discussions or suggestions on these issues. Ms. Tewksbury-Bloom stated she did receive some help from volunteers but the priority was people who qualified with AFN. Ms. Andreani stated that priority is given to AFN, but they have been able to stage it in the past with more resources with Arizona Conservation Crews placing sandbags.

Vice Mayor Daggett spoke about timing of the volunteer events and the potential use of NAU student volunteers. Mr. Beckett added that the priority is the AFN list and that there are limited resources. Mr. Overton addressed the emergency short-term efforts.

Mayor Deasy asked if a big dumpster can be placed for people to place used sandbags in at this time. Mr. Overton stated that sandbags are wet, soggy, and heavy right now, so it is not a great time to place them.

Dawn Rodriguez addressed Council stating that communications are not clear and that no one knows who to speak to.

Vice Mayor Daggett asked Ms. Rodriguez about the hydrology report and if that is specifically what she was looking for. Ms. Rodriguez stated that it was one of many reports she could not find. Mr. Overton stated that it is a J.E. Fuller Hydrology report which is through the County and that the Feasibility Report is a City report that will be released later that week. Ms. Andreani stated that the hydrology report is currently in peer review and it will be available soon. Ms. Rodriguez asked about an email she sent regarding the report and asked if the City can just give it out. Ms. Andreani reiterated that the report is in peer review and the engineers need to review the report before it is released. Ms. Leid stated that her firm, Peak Engineering, has been working with Coconino County and that they have been updating their modeling with J.E. Fuller. Ms. Leid added that she has not yet received that information from the County. Ms. Rodriguez stated that this is an example of things not being communicated well and that residents feel that their questions are not being answered.

Vice Mayor Daggett asked Ms. Langley how someone gets on the E-Newsletter list and to give the Museum Flood Project Website. Ms. Langley stated that they can register on the site at museumfloodproject.com. The list is also shared with the County to ensure that communications from the Flood Control District are sent to the list.
 
10.
Adjournment
The Work Session of the Flagstaff City Council held March 29, 2022, adjourned at 6:57 p.m.
 
SPECIAL MEETING
 
1.
Call to Order

Mayor Deasy called the special meeting of the Flagstaff City Council held March 29, 2022, to order at 6:57 p.m.

NOTICE OF OPTION TO RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION
Pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.02, notice is hereby given to the members of the City Council and to the general public that, at this work session, the City Council may vote to go into executive session, which will not be open to the public, for legal advice and discussion with the City’s attorneys for legal advice on any item listed on the following agenda, pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3).
 
2.
Consideration and Approval: Council Vacancy Appointment Process and Term
City Clerk Stacy Saltzburg addressed Council regarding the anticipated Council vacancy appointment process and the term of the appointment. She focused on the timeline. Her slides included:
  • Timeline
  • Recommended Action
Mayor Deasy asked if the timeline needed a vote, and City Attorney Sterling Solomon clarified the two necessary actions. Ms. Saltzburg then addressed the recommended action to help Mr. Solomon craft the motions.
 

Moved by Mayor Paul Deasy, seconded by Councilmember Austin Aslan to approve the process and timeline as outlined.

Vote: 6 - 0 - Unanimously

04/29/2025 11:50 AM
Councilmember Aslan inquired about the possibility of not having enough candidates on the November ballot. Ms. Saltzburg explained that write-in candidates could be an option, and that they must register and receive at least 1,602 votes. If that threshold is not met, the City Clerk and City Attorney will discuss next steps. Staff will have more information after April 4 on candidate numbers.

Councilmember Aslan expressed concerns about proceeding without more information and suggested waiting for more data. Ms. Saltzburg noted that waiting could compress the application deadline. Mr. Solomon confirmed that the number of qualified candidates will be clear by 5:01 p.m. on April 4.

Mayor Deasy preferred to finalize the decision that day, while Councilmember Aslan remained concerned about the potential lack of candidates. Councilmember Sweet was comfortable moving forward with the staff recommendations.

Councilmember Shimoni questioned what would happen if there were not enough candidates, and Ms. Saltzburg indicated the Council would discuss options. She also clarified that anyone not submitting candidate petition sheets could run as a write-in.

Councilmember Salas supported following the staff recommendation in line with the City Charter.

Councilmember Aslan stepped away from the meeting.
 

Moved by Mayor Paul Deasy, seconded by Councilmember Regina Salas to approve per charter, that the Council appointee will serve a term expiring December 20, 2022 and the fourth highest vote getter in the November 2022 election will serve the final two years of the vacated term, expiring in December 2024.

Vote: 5 - 0

04/29/2025 11:52 AM
 
3.
Public Participation
None. 
 
4.
Informational Items To/From Mayor, Council, and City Manager; future agenda item requests
Councilmember Salas stated that later that week was the Flagstaff Sister City’s International Annual Meeting and the Capital Improvement Retreat.  She also stated that the Flagstaff Exchange Club Build a Pole dedication to remember children lost in the last year due to violence was coming up as well.

Councilmember Sweet stated the First Friday Artwalk is back on and coming up

Mayor Deasy stated the CARE team was operational.

Councilmember Shimoni stated that last week he attended the retreat for Elevate Pre-K with Councilmember Sweet.

Councilmember Aslan stated he attended the recent Coconino Plateau Water Advisory.
 
5.
Adjournment
The Special Meeting of the Flagstaff City Council held March 29, 2022, adjourned at 7:29 p.m.
   
 
_____________________________________
MAYOR
ATTEST:
 
 

_____________________________________
CITY CLERK
 

CERTIFICATION
I, STACY SALTZBURG, do hereby certify that I am the City Clerk of the City of Flagstaff, County of Coconino, State of Arizona, and that the above Minutes are a true and correct summary of the Meeting of the Council of the City of Flagstaff held on March 29, 2022. I further certify that the Meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present.
DATED this 6th day of May, 2025  
 
________________________________________
CITY CLERK