TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2025
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS
211 WEST ASPEN AVE
3:00 P.M.
MINUTES
Mayor Daggett called the meeting of the Flagstaff City Council held June 3, 2025, to order at 3:02 p.m.
NOTICE OF OPTION TO RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION
| NOTE: One or more Councilmembers may be in attendance through other technological means. |
- Present:
-
- Mayor Becky Daggett
- Vice Mayor Miranda Sweet
- Councilmember Austin Aslan
- Councilmember Anthony Garcia
- Councilmember Khara House
- Councilmember Lori Matthews
- Councilmember David Spence
- Staff:
- City Manager Greg Clifton; City Attorney Sterling Solomon
The Council and audience recited the pledge of allegiance, Councilmember House read the Mission Statement of the City of Flagstaff, and Vice Mayor Sweet read the Land Acknowledgement.
Open Call to the Public enables the public to address the Council about an item that is not on the prepared agenda. Comments relating to items that are on the agenda will be taken at the time that the item is discussed. Open Call to the Public appears on the agenda twice, at the beginning and at the end. The total time allotted for the first Open Call to the Public is 30 minutes; any additional comments will be held until the second Open Call to the Public.
If you wish to address the Council in person at today's meeting, please complete a comment card and submit it to the recording clerk as soon as possible. Your name will be called when it is your turn to speak. You may address the Council up to three times throughout the meeting, including comments made during Open Call to the Public and Public Comment. Please limit your remarks to three minutes per item to allow everyone 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.
Sustainability Specialist Noah Baker addressed Council and provided an update on the Pine Needle Clean-up project.
Brendan Trachsel addressed Council and spoke about concerns with the use of Flock cameras. He was concerned that the data collected from the cameras was being shared nationwide to track abortions and immigration. He urged Council to cancel the city’s contract.
Reginald Walden addressed Council warning that national parks like Wupatki and Sunset Crater could be transferred to states unprepared to manage them, due to proposed White House budget cuts that threaten 75% of National Park Service sites. He urged public action to preserve parks for future generations.
DJ addressed Council and shared his personal experiences with homelessness and employment issues, highlighting the need for legal assistance and support to overcome these challenges.
Colleen Maring, Chief People Officer at Northern Arizona Healthcare, addressed Council and shared information about the organization’s commitment to respecting differences and building community through cultural heritage celebrations, including Pride Month.
Economic Development Manager Jeff McCormick addressed Council and expressed support for the Green Business Boot Camp, highlighting its role in promoting environmental responsibility and economic resilience among local businesses.
Bill Charles and Kelly and Rona Mortensen submitted written comments in opposition to the Elks Lodge Trail.
Vice Mayor Sweet shared that MetroPlan would be meeting that week and would get a LASS/CAP update, a traffic demand management update, and the 2024 trip diary survey report. She also shared that the Mountain Line Downtown Connection Center was moving forward and opening soon.
Councilmember Spence reported that the Transportation Commission along with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory committees would be meeting that week.
Applications under Liquor License Public Hearings may be considered under one public hearing and may be acted upon by one motion unless otherwise requested by Council.
City Clerk Stacy Saltzburg introduced the application and indicated that the Police Department and Community Development had provided their respective findings.
There being no public comment, Mayor Daggett closed the public hearing.
Moved by Councilmember Lori Matthews, seconded by Councilmember Khara House to forward the application to the state with a recommendation for approval.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
All matters under Consent Agenda are considered by the City Council to be routine. Unless a member of City Council expresses a desire at the meeting to remove an item from the Consent Agenda for discussion, the Consent Agenda will be enacted by one motion approving the recommendations listed on the agenda. Unless otherwise indicated, expenditures approved by Council are budgeted items.
Moved by Councilmember Anthony Garcia, seconded by Councilmember Khara House to approve the Consent Agenda as presented.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
- Award the Contract for Professional Engineering Services to Peak Engineering, Inc. for the Annual Street Maintenance Program (2026-2028) in the amount of $991,950.00; and
- Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents.
- Approve the Second Amendment to the Contract with New Venture Advisors; and
- Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents.
- Approve the First Amendment for Public Defender Services with Harris & Winger, P.C. in the amount of $161,377.62.
- Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents.
- Approve the cooperative purchase of the Performance Protocol Law Enforcement Staffing Solutions consulting program for the Flagstaff Police Department.
- Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents.
ATLAS AT TIMBER SKY
REQUEST OVERVIEW
VICINITY MAP
TIMBERSKY-BACKGROUND
ATLAS AT TIMBER SKY PRELIMINARY MAP
RESOURCE PROTECTION PLAN
REQUIRED FINDING #1: ZONING CODE (TITLE 10)
REQUIRED FINDING #2: ENGINEERING STANDARDS (TITLE 13)
REQUIRED FINDING #3: SUBDIVISIONS STANDARDS (TITLE 11)
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Councilmember Garcia asked if there was information on how many second homes and Airbnb’s would be sold as part of the plat. Mr. Mejia explained that the city did not have that type of information.
Abraham Springer addressed Council and expressed concerns about the proposed development, which would be built directly behind his home in Adora. He noted that residents were not consulted during the planning process and were told only a parking lot would be built nearby. He raised concerns about the lack of transparency in the planning process, the obstruction of mountain views due to high-density construction, and missing details in the preliminary plat such as building heights, final topography, and setback distances. He also mentioned worries about dust, noise, and early construction hours, especially due to jackhammering on bedrock. He recommended revising the plat to relocate the drainage basin for better stormwater management and less disruption.
Mr. Mejia clarified that building height was not typically reviewed during the preliminary plat process for a single-family home subdivision. While general standards for structure size were referenced, detailed building design was addressed later through model plans and building permit review. Additionally, preliminary plats do not require public hearings or neighborhood outreach, as projects at this stage already have the necessary entitlements to proceed.
Moved by Councilmember Anthony Garcia, seconded by Vice Mayor Miranda Sweet to approve the Preliminary Plat in accordance with the findings presented in this report.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
Finance Director Brandi Suda addressed Council and stated that a public hearing on development fees was required by state law. Although Flagstaff had collected development fees since 2009, it adopted updated public safety development fee plans in 2014 and again in 2020, the latter becoming effective in January 2021. Instead of forming an advisory committee, the city chose to conduct a biannual audit, contracting with Heinfeld Meech & Co.
The latest audit, covering fiscal years 2023 and 2024 was posted on May 2, 2025, and identified two exceptions:
- Incorrect fees assessed on two building permits due to outdated codes, which led to under collection. The issue was corrected in the permitting system, and further testing showed no additional errors, though a broader review is underway.
- Variances in growth projections, a recurring issue due to the difference between projected and actual land use.
Ms. Suda indicated that no Council action was required, but the hearing fulfills the state-mandated public review.
There being no public comment, Mayor Daggett closed the public hearing.
Moved by Councilmember Khara House, seconded by Vice Mayor Miranda Sweet to read Resolution No. 2025-33 by title only.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
Moved by Councilmember Khara House, seconded by Vice Mayor Miranda Sweet to adopt Resolution No. 2025-33.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
CITY OF FLAGSTAFF FY 2025-26 BUDGET
TIMELINE
LEGAL SCHEDULE A
HIGHLIGHTS
TOTAL EMPLOYEE INVESTMENT
CHANGES SINCE APRL RETREAT
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
QUESTIONS
Council thanked staff and the Budget Team for all the work that went into preparing the budget.
Moved by Councilmember Anthony Garcia, seconded by Councilmember Khara House to read Resolution No. 2025-31 by title only.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
Moved by Councilmember Austin Aslan, seconded by Vice Mayor Miranda Sweet to adopt Resolution No. 2025-31.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
Councilmember Matthews asked for more information on the error. Water Services Manager Erin Young offered that the capacity fees were published when Council adopted the rates in July last year. The capacity fees were correct in the report that was posted but they were not correct in the redline version that was provided to the City Clerk.
Moved by Councilmember Lori Matthews, seconded by Councilmember Austin Aslan to read Resolution No. 2025-34 by title only.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
Moved by Councilmember Lori Matthews, seconded by Vice Mayor Miranda Sweet to adopt Resolution No. 2025-34.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM
TODAY
PROGRAM YEAR 2025 PROPOSALS RECEIVED
HOUSING SOLUTIONS OF NORTHERN ARIZONA
COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE TEAMS OF FLAGSTAFF
HOMELESS YOUTH CONNECTION
NORTHLAND FAMILY HELP CENTER
TYNKERTOPIA
PROGRAM YEAR 2025 FUNDING AVAILABLE
FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS
QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS AND NEXT STEPS
Councilmember House shared her excitement in hearing that the city got more of an allocation than it was anticipating and the possibility of allotting that to programs that were not previously able to be funded.
Councilmember Garcia invited the CATs team to speak about their program. CATs emphasized the need for continued support of the Cats on Wheels program, which involved refurbishing bikes and securing necessary materials. They also highlighted the importance of funding for bus passes and staffing to sustain and expand outreach efforts. With strategic planning, the team was preparing to add an additional outreach day to better serve Flagstaff’s population.
Moved by Councilmember Khara House, seconded by Councilmember Anthony Garcia to read Resolution No. 2025-30 by title only.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
Moved by Councilmember Anthony Garcia, seconded by Councilmember Khara House to adopt Resolution No. 2025-30.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
Deputy General Manager of Mountain Line Jackie Lenners offered that the primary reason for the amended IGA was to clarify Mountain Line’s rights to property owners to enter into this agreement with a potential public private partnership for that land. She shared that the Mountain Line Board had voted to approve the IGA.
Moved by Vice Mayor Miranda Sweet, seconded by Councilmember Lori Matthews to read Resolution No. 2025-24 by title only.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
Moved by Vice Mayor Miranda Sweet, seconded by Councilmember Lori Matthews to adopt Resolution No. 2025-24.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
COUNCIL INITIATIVE FUND
CONSIDERATION OF USING COUNCIL INITIATIVE FUNDS
FUNDING REQUEST FOR FLAGSTAFF FAMILY FOOD CENTER
COUNCIL DIRECTION
Councilmember House sought support from Council to support some of the Juneteenth events in Flagstaff. She proposed supporting the Saturday community festival which was a free event for the community that incurred expenditures for the Southside and the Coconino County African Diaspora Advisory Council. The Lived Black Experience group and Sunnyside Neighborhood Association were sponsoring a community event in Heritage Square. She felt that it was an opportunity to support these events. She proposed $500 to each organization for a total of $1000.
Ethan Amos with Flagstaff Family Food Center expressed gratitude to the Mayor and Council for their support and consideration. He emphasized that their clients were also neighbors and behind every statistic was a real person, including a growing number of children, particularly during summer break. He outlined their efforts to meet increasing demand, including investing in renovations and staffing to expand capacity. Despite these efforts, they were approaching their limits and were in need of collective support to continue.
Councilmember Matthews asked about the number of meals they served. Mr. Amos stated that in 2015, the organization served 80,000 meals, by 2019, that number had risen to 241,000. In 2025, they anticipate providing over 520,000 prepared meals, distributing 90,000 food boxes, and handling 8.21 million pounds of food, placing them among the top 30% of food banks nationwide. Currently, they serve up to 2,000 meals per day, with recent support helping them sustain about 14,000 meals, enough to serve the community for just over a week.
Council was supportive of the Juneteenth events and the request for Flagstaff Family Food Center. They asked staff to seek additional funding opportunities in the upcoming fiscal year to help support the food center.
Moved by Vice Mayor Miranda Sweet, seconded by Councilmember Austin Aslan to use the Council Initiative Fund to support Flagstaff Family Food Center in the amount of $5,600 and Juneteenth events in the amount of $1,000.
Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously
After discussion and upon agreement by three members of the Council, an item will be moved to a regularly-scheduled Council meeting.
There was requisite Council support to advance the item for a future discussion.
Vice Mayor Sweet stated that she attended the Habitat for Humanity blitz build for starter homes at Timber Sky. She would be serving lunch on Thursday to support the 150 volunteers who had come in from all over the country to build the homes. She also stated that Friday was First Friday Artwalk downtown, and Saturday and Sunday was Hullabaloo.
Councilmember Aslan shared that he had worked at the Habitat site that morning and it was a very satisfying experience, and it was great to see the support from people all over the country.
Councilmember Garcia reported that he was able to speak with kids at the Mormon Lake camp on Thursday. They talked about leadership and interacting through culture, art, and politics.
Councilmember Spence shared that Friday was the opening of a new exhibit at Epiphany Church on gay and lesbian artwork. It was a great exhibit, and he encouraged everyone to go see it.
Councilmember Matthews stated that she was able to take a VIP tour of the Spruce Wash suite of projects. She said that it was wonderful to see the work and progress on that project. She was also in Phoenix at the State Capitol for the Budget, Finance, and Economic Development committee meeting. She also attended the retirement ceremony for Chris Thomas from the Flagstaff Fire Department. Lastly, she shared that she would be travelling the next week to participate in the Jump Start conference for the airport.
Mayor Daggett was also on the tour of the Spruce Wash; the work that had gone into all of the projects along the Spruce Wash area was remarkable, and the amount of money staff had been able to pull in from other sources was phenomenal.
_____________________________________ MAYOR |
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| ATTEST: |
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_____________________________________ 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 June 3, 2025. I further certify that the Meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present.
| DATED this 26th day of August, 2025 | |
________________________________________ CITY CLERK |