Comments received included:

•Business has been in Flagstaff since 2010

•In Kansas City, in 2015, a white paper was written by Dr. David McPherson, about a similar proposal from $7.65/hour to $15/hour - the study forecasted 3,200 jobs lost.

•Wildflower’s lowest paid employee receives $31,000 at full-time; average is $78,000

•Wages are already having an effect on businesses

•Need to amend

•Hope Council can find a way to create the best middle of the road

•He has a part-time gig that pays less than $15/hour

•$15/hour is wrong; it was presented wrong; the concept is wrong

•Although 414 was meant to help the working poor, it will mean small businesses will close and those providing the services will be out of work

•Will leave 800+ without special needs services

•Clients will be forced to find homes outside of Flagstaff, away from families and friends

•Flagstaff will be an exclusive community, telling those with disabilities that they are not welcome

•He e-mailed a copy of what was read; Peaks Health and Revitalization

•Nonprofit with 180 employees of all skills levels

•185 patients and residents

•Performed a cost analysis on Prop 414 over the next 4.5 years; increase in payroll starting 7/1 is an additional $75,000 a year; 2018 $159,000; 2019 $168,000; 2020 additional $344,000; and 2021 $562,000. It will cost them $1.3 million over the next 4.5 years

•They operate on a margin of 3.3%; by the time they get to 2021 their margin is reduced by 4%

•She was poor at one point in her life, as a single mom working two jobs

•She also understood the initiative of working hard. Both of her kids now have Masters Degrees and three jobs

•Prop 414 is an ideology; it is a reality for the elderly, midlife or young people

•Asked Councilmember Putzova to recuse herself since she wrote Prop 414

•Understood that some worked hard on Prop 414; however it is severely flawed

•Thought that once the Council heard that this Prop would have this type of impact that it would never become this battle

•Thought that our human beings would be valued more than money

•Disgusted to know that most of what she is saying is falling on deaf ears

•Tells them they don’t wish to serve all of Flagstaff

•The City’s motto should be “out of sight, out of mind”

•People voted for Prop 414 but many do not agree, or they wouldn’t be there tonight

•Waiting longer than a special election will be too late

•Resident for ten years; currently purchasing first home in Sunnyside

•Has been in two different care services over last six years; can say they are dramatically underfunded

•State of Arizona needs to increase funding for special services

•Workers are saddled with massive responsibilities

•When he voted on these issues, he knew that both of them did not make sense at the same time

•Never opposed to minimum wage

•Has not received minimum wage except when he was in high school

•Respects democratic process, but echoes concerns raised

•If he was in the shoes of Council he would push it back to the voters, and do it sooner rather than later

•Owner of an agency that serves disabled community (Abrevo)

•This increase in cost is not likely to be funded by the Legislature

•Agencies like his are now forced to examine their ability to continue services

•They have lost money for the last three years; Prop 414 will break their back

•Encourages Council to modify the prop and also allow the special election to go forward

•For him this is about the impact that it has on businesses that employ people with disabilities

•For 45 years he has been a voice for those without a voice

•At Goodwill they serve all of northern Arizona with 200 team members on the payroll, 160 of which are full time equivalents with benefits

•22% of their employees have disabilities and the others are people with other barriers to employment

•The day after the election they made the decision to maintain fulltime employment and benefits

•Less than two months into the new year, they are teetering on the brink

•Rolled out over five years it means an increase of $1.5 million, far outpacing their ability to grow and provide services

•Spent this winter getting signatures and educating people; was shocked to see how many people did not understand what they were voting for

•They already have a higher minimum wage

•She helps at the Sunshine Mission; the help people coming out of homelessness by hiring and providing training to help people get off of addiction and re-engage

•This discussion is about unintended consequences

•Higher wages sounds better, but there are nonprofits that will close

•Too much too soon

•Was an immigrant with $10 in his pocket; he worked three jobs

•In 1991 he moved to Flagstaff and for five years was a resident manager, working 24/7

•He worked his way up and started a company in 2004; at one point he employed 500 people

•He currently employs 60 people and is working toward building two projects with 60 more people

•The loans and pro forma that they worked with the lenders are now thrown out of the water

•The voters voted it in; the voters are now saying they want a re-vote; let them vote

•In California over 250 companies are moving out of state; they do not want to see that happen

•Those they are trying to help are going to get hurt

•Most expedient way to address this is with a May 2017 election

•Either amend or hold a special election

•She is all for getting to a $15/hour, but it needs to happen at a slower pace

•She is a third generation Flagstaff resident; they live here because of the quality of life

•Her son has a disability for which he receives services

•She is also a site director for Head Start and they have concerns; the increased wages will impact the children they serve

•The democratic process is continuing

•There was an initiative that passed in November 2016 and now there is another; they are respectfully asking that it be placed on a special election ballot in May 2017

•Their attorneys, as well as others, believe an amendment will be challenged and there will be litigation

•She teaches economics at NAU

•While $150,000 for a special election is a huge cost, it is a bargain compared to what is going to happen to the community if they allow the long-term economic impact of 414 to truly reach its fruition

•The most vulnerable, those that are unemployed, seniors on fixed income, social security and disability, they will see their buying power decrease

•Allow an election to give the voters the opportunity to change their mind; to do better because they now know better

•Not a member of the Chamber and not a republican

•He is a local business owner and his parents were in business for 50 years

•If this special election does not occur, he won’t be in business in July

•It is not economically feasible to think that employees are getting more money; he will be out of business

•She represents many of the 865 people that will lose their jobs

•She did not get to vote because she lives outside of the City limits, but this is still her community

•She has invited people in the past, and does so now, to come and look at her financials and take a tour

•They have not spent time attacking people that are promoting keeping Prop 414 the way it is

•She is trying to buy a home here, and cannot afford it, and she makes more than minimum wage

•They need to look at why it costs so much to live here

•Why was Prop 414 even on the ballot?

A break was taken from 7:40 p.m. to 7:53 p.m.

Discussion was held about the meeting held in December at the Chamber of Commerce offices about addressing the timeline. Mayor Evans said that when they left that meeting it was agreed that while some supported $15/hour and some did not, the biggest issue was the timeline and they would amend. She asked when it was decided to move forward with a new initiative.

Vice Mayor Whelan asked, if $15/hour was the focus, why an election in November of 2018 would not suffice. Mr. McDaniel said that the $2/hour escalation is a big issue as well. That is why there are so many people at the meeting. Damages will have been done to wait for a November 2018 election.

Brief discussion was held on a comment made that a sister with a disability just had their pay reduced to less than minimum wage. Ms. Attridge said that there is a section of FLSA called 14C that allows people with disabilities to be paid a wage commensurate with their productivity, but they have to go through steps to certify that. She suggested that may be what happened in this instance.