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

Sustainability Coordinator Tia Hatton addressed Council and provided an update on the Neighborhood Sustainability Grant program and invited the community to apply. The application period would be open until September 30, 2023.

Jill Stephenson addressed Council and stated that every decision that was made should be based on the premise of the climate emergency. She felt that the city was moving too slowly. There should be more encouragement for people to use public transportation and more resources should be dedicated to making walking and biking safer.

Tania Bustamante with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, addressed Council and stated that they were working with the police department, NAU, and local schools on education about underage drinking and distracted driving. They also provided victim services free of charge.

Councilmember House reported that she attended the Arizona League of Cities and Towns annual conference. She attended sessions on housing and community engagement. Many sessions discussed innovative housing policies, and it was encouraging to see how many of them centered on actions already established in the 10-Year Housing Plan. She also attended sessions that provided good information on cultural engagement and enhancing the cultural economy of communities by partnering with arts and cultural organizations.

Vice Mayor Aslan noted that he also attended the League annual conference.

Councilmember McCarthy reported that the Metro Plan Board would be meeting later in the week. One of the things for discussion was activating more people to use public transit or alternative transportation.

Moved by Councilmember Khara House, seconded by Councilmember Miranda Sweet to appoint Susan Purrington to a term expiring March 2026.

Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously

Moved by Councilmember Miranda Sweet, seconded by Councilmember Jim McCarthy to appoint Keith Becker to a term expiring March 2026.

Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously

Moved by Mayor Becky Daggett, seconded by Councilmember Khara House to appoint Michele Eisenberg to a term expiring March 2026.

Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously

A brief break was held from 3:13 p.m. through 3:19 p.m.

Moved by Councilmember Deborah Harris, seconded by Councilmember Khara House to appoint Russell Randall to a term expiring March 2026.

Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously

Councilmember House highlighted Item 7F and noted that over $900,000 in ARPA funding was provided to assist with housing stability and eviction prevention programs.

Moved by Councilmember Jim McCarthy, seconded by Councilmember Miranda Sweet to approve the Consent Agenda as presented.

Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously

Mayor Daggett opened the public hearing.

Current Planning Manager Alaxandra Pucciarelli provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:

LIV TIMBER SKY ANNEXATION & DIRECT TO ORDINANCE ZONING MAP AMENDMENT
REQUEST OVERVIEW
VICINITY MAP
ADJACENT ZONING
PROPOSAL

Mayor Daggett stated that many parcels within city limits were zoned Rural Residential (RR) and that was not a desirable zoning within the city.

Ms. Pucciarelli offered that RR was a very low-density zone. Previously it was referred to as a holding zone, the idea was that more people would come in from the county with the understanding that it would be later rezoned. RR had only one unit per acre. If the city would be providing infrastructure, it made more sense to have a greater density than RR.

PROPOSED DENSITY
PROPOSED UNIT MIX
SITE PLAN REVIEW
PROPOSED FLOOR PLANS -- BUILDING TYPE 1
PROPOSED ELEVATION PROPOSED FLOOR PLANS -- BUILDING TYPE 2
PROPOSED ELEVATION PROPOSED FLOOR PLANS -- BUILDING TYPE 3
PROPOSED ELEVATION
ANNEXATION REQUEST
ANNEXATION APPROVAL CRITERIA
FINDING 1: CONFORMANCE WITH ARIZONA STATE STATUTE (ARS 9-471)
FINDING 2: CONFORMANCE WITH FLAGSTAFF REGIONAL PLAN 2030 APPLICABLE GOALS AND POLICIES
FINDING 3: CONFORMANCE WITH CITY CODE DIVISION 10-20.90: ANNEXATIONS (PUBLIC SYSTEMS ANALYSIS)
PUBLIC SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
TRAFFIC/RIGHT OF WAY IMPACT
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS
WATER AND SEWER IMPACT ANALYSIS
WATER AND SEWER IMPROVEMENTS
STORMWATER ANALYSIS
STORMWATER IMPROVEMENTS
SCHOOLS
FIRE PROTECTION
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
RECOMMENDATION

Councilmember Matthews asked why the Water and Sewer Impact Analysis (WSIA) was waived. Ms. Pucciarelli explained that it was a decision made by Water Services. A prior WSIA was done for a very similar development on the site, and staff did not see the need to redo all that work with the same results.

Councilmember Matthews asked if there was a population number or other trigger that indicated the need to add another fire station. Ms. Pucciarelli stated that she could not speak to the various triggers in place. However, the Fire Department did review the plans and determined a new station was not necessary.

Councilmember Matthews stated that there were a lot of community comments about the need for a light signal. Her understanding was that because it was an ADOT road, ADOT had to authorize any new signals. She asked if staff were concerned given the increased development in the area. Ms. Pucciarelli stated that Engineering staff would work with the applicants to determine the scope of any traffic analysis that was done. Traffic signals were driven by numbers and through a statistical view versus experiential. The developer had expressed a desire to put a traffic signal in but ADOT had not determined it was warranted.

Vice Mayor Aslan asked about the annexation process and if the county had any input. Ms. Pucciarelli stated that the statutes required a process that included notification of the county. The county had been notified and were aware of the request to annex.

Councilmember McCarthy noted that MetroPlan would be discussing a planning activity for the area as the project was high-density and promoted alternative modes of transportation.

There being no further comment, Mayor Daggett closed the public hearing.

Water Resources Manager Erin Young introduced Carol Malesky, Tim Hancock, Andrew Burnham, Zac Koch, Bob McCandless and Audrey Barber from Stantec Consulting Services who provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:

WATER, RECLAIMED WATER, AND WASTEWATER COST-OF-SERVICE, RATES AND FEES STUDY
SCOPE OVERVIEW
THE RATE STUDY PROCESS
POLICY STRATEGIES
LOOKING FORWARD -- KEY MILESTONES
PUBLIC OUTREACH -- COMMUNICATION PLAN ELEMENTS

Councilmember Matthews asked if the Water Services fund would cover all the needs. Management Services Director Rick Tadder stated that the city operated with a balanced budget, including the Water Services enterprise fund. However, there were several things that Water Services still needed that were not funded and there were several things that were funded with one-time monies. They were having revenue strains to the operating expenses they already had.

Councilmember Matthews acknowledged her sensitivity to the difference between what was critical and what was passed on to the rate payer to what was more of a wish list. Mr. Tadder stated that the plan would be to bring ideas to Council on what could or could not be done as well as options for consideration. Council would determine what would be included in the funding.

Councilmember McCarthy stated that there needed to be a discussion about advanced treatment and the chemicals of emerging concern. Ms. Young noted that it was a policy topic to be discussed.

Mayor Daggett asked about the outreach plan in light of the challenges experienced with the stormwater rate. Public Affairs Director Sarah Langley stated that there was a high-level outreach plan in the works along with a communication plan that would include more detail in terms of who to reach out to, how, and when. Mr. Hancock added that they were looking for public intersection points that made sense to coordinate with. Regardless of the plan developed, it would be important to remain flexible to the needs of the public.

Councilmember Harris stated that not everyone was connected to the internet, she asked how they would get access to the information. Mr. Hancock stated that they would identify underserved areas and begin to target in-person meetings there. They also attempted to focus the in-person meetings along transit lines to make it easy for people to come and go.

Council thanked staff and the consultants for the presentation.

A break was held from 4:16 p.m. through 4:26 p.m.

Housing Director Sarah Darr provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:

PROGRESS REPORT 10-YEAR HOUSING PLAN AND BOND PROGRAMS
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
HOUSING PLAN UPDATE
UPDATED PROGRESS CHART
JAN. 2023 -- JUNE 2024 STRATEGIES
STRATEGY 5.1
CREATE 5.3
CONNECT 2.3

Mayor Daggett asked if defining the occupation for each seat provided the same benefit as it did before. Ms. Darr indicated that she would not recommend changing the makeup of the commission or the occupation requirements.

PROTECT 3.2
ONGOING STRATEGIES
CONNECT 1.2
PROTECT 2.4
PRESERVE 2.2
PROTECT 2.1

Mayor Daggett stated that there was an apartment development that was nearing the end of its required LIHTC affordability period, she asked if bond funding was anticipated for that type of scenario. Ms. Darr responded no. The acquire and rehabilitate category focused on adaptive reuse.

Vice Mayor Aslan stated that the two declared crises were in a good place internally about how they were thought and talked about. The public narrative was not as understanding about how the two interrelate. He asked about a strategy to better shape the narrative with the public. Ms. Darr stated that Housing and Sustainability had a good working relationship. They each recognized that there are some places where one was more fitting than the other but the agreed-upon goal was that they supported each other. A great example of that coordination and support was the land availability and suitability and code analysis project.

Councilmember Harris asked about efforts to bring landlords into the discussion. Ms. Darr shared that staff talked nearly daily to landlords about vouchers, the rental market, and the issues people face with housing. The plan had strategies talking about landlord outreach plans, but they were not included in the 18-month plan.

HOUSING BOND UPDATE
ROLE OF THE HOUSING COMMISSION
LONGER TERM
OTHER ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES

Councilmember Sweet asked the working group and commission. Ms. Darr explained that a smaller working group of the Housing Commission had been meeting to vet different ideas and develop a formal recommendation to the Housing Commission. The Housing Commission would consider the recommendations from the working group and then bring forward a recommendation to the City Council.

Councilmember Matthews noted that she had been hearing that Flagstaff was one of the cities that required site plans before grading which was particularly difficult for tax credit developers because of the short time frame to turn things around. She had also heard that zoning for multi-family was the biggest issue preventing affordable housing. It was important to come at the issue from a lot of different directions. Ms. Darr stated that one of the strengths of the plan was that it acknowledged the need for an analysis of the code. That analysis was beginning and recommendations would be coming to Council soon.

FEDERAL/STATE FUNDING
STAFFING
MORE COMING ATTRACTIONS

Council thanked staff for the presentation and the work of the group.

Kevin Hayes addressed Council and stated that city streets could be more accommodating for bikes and pedestrians. The walk by default setting on traffic signals meant that it would not require the cross button to be pushed to get a walk notification. Many of the intersections downtown were set with a walk by default. The cost of establishing a walk by default setting would be minimal. Drivers also utilized the crossing countdown to help guide their navigation through an intersection.

Adam Shimoni, Dapper Dre, and David Spence spoke in support of the petition. The following comments were received:

• The road infrastructure should put pedestrians first.
• The Lone Tree Overpass would have leading pedestrian intervals as part of the project.
• It gives pedestrians three to five additional seconds to begin their crossing.
• The change would increase quality of life and improve safety.
• More people need to walk the streets that are most challenging for the disabled community.
• Cars always get the most space, the most funding, and the most right-of-way.
• The priority needs to shift to pedestrians and cyclists.
• It is okay to inconvenience cars.
• Flagstaff is not a bicycle-friendly city.

Written comments in support of advancing the petition were submitted by Patrick Jantz and Joe Krahulik.

Councilmember McCarthy stated that leading pedestrian intervals were being implemented at Butler and Beaver and Lone Tree. He indicated that it would be helpful to have a presentation on was being done and what might be challenging.

There was requisite Council support to advance the item to a future agenda.

Audria Smith and Kathleen Day addressed Council in support of a sound study regarding pickleball courts at Bushmaster Park. The following comments were received:

• There was still a lot of work to be done.
• Council should review the sound study from Forest Highlands.
• The lived experience of pickleball was unique.
• Take the concerns of the community seriously.
• Include in the conversation the well-being of those most impacted.
• There should be designated signage to encourage the use of the basketball courts.

Councilmember Matthews stated that she had come to realize that there would be no solution that would make everyone happy. There were options to consider such as softer balls and paddles, restricting hours of play and location, and potentially more. A sound study would provide nonemotional facts that would help Council make a better-informed decision.

Councilmember McCarthy noted that he was very supportive of a study to identify the most appropriate path forward.

Councilmember Harris offered her support of having a discussion, but she was concerned that the public would think the discussion would override the decision that had already been made. She did not want the public to walk away thinking that they would not be building the courts by having the discussion.

Vice Mayor Aslan stated that he supported doing everything they could to make the neighborhood as copacetic with pickleball as possible. The question was really how to mitigate the negative impacts of pickleball. He would rather dedicate time and resources on a solution rather than just an analysis.

Council agreed that mitigation and finding solutions were the goal. As such, Council agreed to not advance the FAIR item and asked Mr. Clifton to schedule a discussion on mitigating the sound impacts of pickleball.

Vice Mayor Aslan stated that he would like to have a discussion about sport amenities in city parks. He felt that the city was behind on getting those up and running, operational, maintained, and resourced in certain neighborhoods. Ponderosa Trails Park was a good example. There had not been an accounting of exactly what the sports amenities were in the various neighborhood parks, and it may be a good time to do so.

Councilmember Harris stated that it was important to consider staff's existing work programs and budgets. She did not think it should be a Council decision to intervene in work already being done, but rather that staff should bring forward their recommendations as part of the budgeting process.

Councilmember McCarthy indicated that the request was too narrow. There was a need for girls' softball fields, and funding for pickleball courts, the conversation would be better in the context of where they wanted amenities to go.

Mayor Daggett suggested a combined discussion with an update from Parks, Recreation, Open Space, and Events on their near-term plans. Mr. Clifton stated that staff could present information within the bigger context of the Parks and Recreation plan.

Vice Mayor Aslan stated that while he appreciated the larger accounting of park amenities, he brought the FAIR forward specifically for basketball and Bankshot.

There was requisite Council support to advance the item to a future agenda for discussion.

Vice Mayor Aslan stated that Flagstaff was a brewery-friendly community, but he had heard about red tape and challenges with breweries being able to realize their potential to increase their retail space. He would like to discuss potential fixes to the code that would address the concern.

Councilmember McCarthy stated that he would support the discussion but it should also include a discussion about compromising light industrial zones.

Councilmember House noted that one of the discussions at the League conference was about cultural engagement and one of the examples was wineries as a source of cultural economy and engagement. She saw parallels between the two and gave her support to move forward.

There was requisite Council support to advance the item to a future agenda for discussion.

Councilmember House requested a FAIR item to discuss the Walk Friendly Community designation, the levels within the designation, and working toward the next level.

Councilmember Matthews stated that the Indigenous Commission was meeting that week. She also reported that she attended part one of three of the ECoNA strategic plan; part one was about housing, which was sobering. She looked forward to elevating the conversation about the housing crisis.

Councilmember McCarthy stated that his wife used a wheelchair and navigating downtown was extremely difficult with the tree wells and seating on the sidewalks. He felt that it was something that needed to be discussed.

Mayor Daggett also commented on the ECoNA strategic plan and requested a presentation to Council on the findings. Mr. Clifton noted that a discussion was already occurring about scheduling the presentation.

Mr. Clifton also noted for the Council that October 12, 2023 had been scheduled for a Council retreat. It would be a facilitated retreat with two items on the agenda; the water rate study and a discussion about the FAIR process.