Others present: City Manager Josh Copley and City Attorney Sterling Solomon.

Councilmember Barotz requested a correction to item 16-B by changing the word after support from with" to "for."
 
Councilmember Putzova requested historical data regarding liquor licenses and a map of the licenses throughout the City. Deputy City Manager Shane Dille stated that staff provided a map to Council a little while back and since then staff has been providing updates about the total number of licenses with each application that comes before Council.
 
Councilmember Putzova also asked about item 10-E regarding an office for the parking program; she asked for the reasoning behind moving the office out of City Hall. Mr. Copley explained that staff analyzed the existing space and it was determined that in order to accommodate the parking office the training lab would have to be discontinued. It is not feasible to have a space in City Hall that would not unduly burden City operations.
 
Vice Mayor Whelan asked about item 10-A and if Phase One is completed and moving to Phase Two. Capital Improvements Project Manager Eli Reisner stated that with Council’s approval Phase Two will begin in July. Vice Mayor Whelan asked how much of the contingency has been used for Phase One to which Mr. Reisner answered none.

Rose Houk addressed Council regarding the traffic caused by the construction on Beaver as well as the safety concerns for pedestrians trying to get across Humphreys. She suggested traffic calming measures or flashing lights to assist with bike and pedestrian crossings.
 
Susan Thomas addressed Council requesting that they remember to include lot combinations when discussing the transect zones.

Comprehensive Planning Manager Sara Dechter provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
WHY IS THERE A REGIONAL PLAN ANNUAL REPORT?
WHERE CAN YOU FIND THE REPORT?
ANNUAL REPORT OBJECTIVES
 
Associate Planner Carlton Johnston continued the presentation.
 
ANNUAL REPORT ORGANIZATION
KEY INSIGHTS
            NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
            BUILT ENVIRONMENT
            HUMAN ENVIRONMENT
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
BUILD ENVIRONMENT
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
HUMAN ENVIRONMENT
WHAT METRICS ARE NEW, WITHDRAWN, OR MISSING?
MOST CITED GOALS IN STAFF MEMOS TO COUNCIL
 
Ms. Dechter continued the presentation.
 
REGIONAL PLAN ACCOMPLISHMENTS
            MCMILLAN MESA VILLAGE
            PARKS AND OPEN SPACE DESIGNATIONS
            REGIONAL PLAN CHAPTER 3
            HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING
            PUBLIC OUTREACH
FUTURE PROJECTS
UPCOMING SPECIFIC PLANS

Interim Parks and Recreation Director Rebecca Sayers provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
WHEELER PARK DISCUSSION
BACKGROUND/HISTORY
CONCEPT PLAN
SPECIAL EVENTS
MAINTENANCE/REVENUES
 
The following individuals addressed Council in favor of a redesign of Wheeler Park:

• Matt Ziegler
• Joe Cornett

The following comments were received:

• The discussion is really good and includes a forward thinking plan.
• Some of the improvements can help event producers, event attendees and the general public.
• The concept could provide some permanent spaces for events.
• Public spaces are for people to come and enjoy.
• Making improvements to Wheeler Park could attract more people to come and participate.
• Advocate that the City continue to use Wheeler Park for festivals and events.
• The events have such a positive impact and moving them has caused a loss of luster.
• I live downtown and if I had to drive to other locations I do not know how often I would attend.

The following individuals addressed Council in favor of keeping Wheeler Park the way it is currently:

• Jennifer Grogan
• Debbi Grogan

The following comments were received:

• Wheeler Park is only used 23 days out of the year for events.
• Keep the park the way that it is; keep the events that currently utilize the park.
• The grass and drainage problems should be addressed but a formal stage is not needed.

Two written comment cards in favor of leaving Wheeler Park the way it currently is were submitted by:

• Dawn Dyer
• Tina and Robert Caskey

Vice Mayor Whelan stated that she feels that it is time to look at the park with community, neighborhood and event planner input and develop some possible ideas. What is difficult to understand is that the City is spending $65,000 per year to hold on to Wheeler Park and the return is only $7,000. If the hope is to cultivate a walking venue downtown perhaps some of the City parking is moved out of Wheeler Park. It is time to look for solutions for all parties.
 
Mayor Evans suggested getting the Parks and Recreation classes at NAU involved and provide a class project opportunity to design something that gives the park maximum use. If there was some kind of stage with electricity it could reduce the amount of equipment needed by event producers. There are also smaller groups that would like to utilize the park for smaller events but do not have the money for the resources needed to have an event.
 
Councilmember Odegaard agreed, stating that having NAU as a partner could be very helpful; he also recommended taking the issue to the various commissions for their input an ideas.
 
Councilmember Putzova stated that she is conflicted about the situation; constantly repairing the park after events is not the best use of resources but it is nice to have a not so developed area. She is open to discussing the matter further and seeing what ideas might come forward.
 
Mayor Evans stated that a majority of Council is interested in moving the item forward to see what a possible redesign would look like. She requested that staff make sure that all stakeholders are included in the discussion along with any other resources such as NAU and the Parks and Recreation Commission.
 
A break was held from 6:22 p.m. through 6:33 p.m.

Development Engineer Gary Miller addressed Council with the proposed revisions to Chapters 10-23 of the Engineering Standards. The summary sheet includes information on why staff is making the change and the impacts the change will have to businesses and residents as well as developers and the City for ongoing maintenance.
 
Mr. Miller reviewed the 2016 Engineering Standards Revision Summary spreadsheet that was included in the agenda packet and attached hereto as Exhibit A.
 
Councilmember Overton expressed some concerns about making the standards so narrow that in the right situations the exceptions cannot even be considered. He encouraged staff to try to be open minded about the specs and standards. More and more parcels are becoming a challenge and the specs and standards may not fit every project.
 
Mr. Miller explained that there is a provision that allows applicants to apply for a variance. The City can and does grant variances when it makes sense to grant them; there is that flexibility. City Engineer Rick Barrett added that customers are almost always aware of the ability to request a variance and if they are not staff can get them there; staff has and continues to be very creative in helping applicants be successful.

Planning Director Dan Folke introduced Zoning Code Manager Brian Kulina who provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
TRANSECT ZONE AMENDMENTS
HISTORY
EXPECTATIONS/TAKEAWAYS
PROP 207 (PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS PROTECTION ACT)
ZONING MAP
CONVENTIONAL ZONING
MARRIOTT
FREMONT STATION
VILLAGE AT ASPEN PLACE
SUNWEST BANK
FEDERAL BUILDING
DOWNTOWN REGULATING PLAN
SCALE OF TRANSECTS
CONVENTIONAL VS. TRANSECT
SHORT TERM
MEDIUM TERM
LONG TERM
 
Councilmember Putzova asked for the timeline on the short, medium and long term fixes. Mr. Kulina stated that staff hopes to have the short term back in front of Council after the break; medium is possibly the first part of next year and long term is summer or fall of 2018.
 
Mr. Kulina continued.
 
BUILDING TYPES
NEIGHBORHOOD FLEX
 
Mayor Evans asked if the long time line is because of the community outreach, the changes, or the amount of staff. Mr. Kulina explained that it is the amount of work that has to be done in analyzing if the original calibrations were correct and making the necessary adjustments. It is a long and lengthy process of back and forth review.
 
Councilmember Putzova asked if an option could be to pause transect zoning and allow staff to go through all the updates at one time. Mr. Solomon explained that a pause in the transect zoning would be equated to a moratorium that requires a lack of public facilities and that is something that does not exist right now. It is a high standard to achieve and if Council wants more specific information an Executive Session would be needed.
 
Mr. Kulina continued.
 
MEDIUM BUILDING TYPE
MAIN STREET FLEX
DOWNTOWN FLEX
ALLOWED BUILDING TYPES
BUILDING TYPES TABLE
10-50.110 (BUILDING TYPES)
ALLOWED PRIVATE FRONTAGE TYPES
PRIVATE FRONTAGE TABLE
10-50.120 (PRIVATE FRONTAGES)
NEW FRONTAGE TYPE
DOWNTOWN SHOPFRONT
WHAT’S NEXT?
 
The following individuals addressed Council regarding Form Based Code:

• Maury Hermann
• Marie Jones

The following comments were received:

• Traffic is important and the City needs to address how traffic studies are done.
• Eliminating small commercial block from the T4N1 zone is progress.
• The apartment building provision should be deleted.
• Some sort of open space requirement should be included.
• The recommendations that are being proposed by staff are good.
• The neighborhood mixed use is removed from T4N1 and T4N2, it should be also be removed from T4N1O.
• Language in the code needs to be strengthened and it needs to be enforceable and unambiguous.
• There are good examples from other communities; use them to help speed up the process.
• The process needs to move forward quickly.

A written comment card in support of a review of the Zoning Code was submitted by Nancy Helin.
 
Councilmember McCarthy stated that he believes that the best place to resolve the issues is within a public process. He would like staff to expedite the process of getting a consultant on board. People in the community are scared about what might come next and they want resolution. He is open minded on the short term text amendments on parking or clarifying one building per parcel. Flagstaff has a lot of development pressure and it is imperative that the Code is ready for that pressure.
 
Councilmember Overton offered that there is fine line between creating a code that preserves private property rights and instilling the City’s values. He does not want to leave the public with the idea that the transect zone will go away or be completely revised. There is value in transect zoning. He understands the issue about the mass of the structure and the relationship to the neighborhood. He is concerned that by using the one lot one building approach the development community will be more creative in their approach and the result may be higher building costs and higher rent in addition to a big building anyway.
 
With regards to parking, Councilmember Overton offered that every visionary document of Flagstaff talks about walkability in the most urban core and he is not interested in equating one bed to one vehicle. Encouraging mode use and walkability in the most urban areas is not a bad thing. He is encouraged by the conversation and would be willing to slow the process down to ensure a good public process is achieved. He would like to see the development community engaged in the process; they can help solve the problems and should be seen as partners.
 
Councilmember Odegaard stated that while it might take longer it is important to take the time and make sure that things are done right the first time so there is no need to have to go back and fix things later. Everyone has a certain right to develop with whatever zoning exists on their property and he does not want to make transect zoning so complicated that it is not used. He would like to find a way to encourage the use of transect zoning more while also preserving community character.
 
Vice Mayor Whelan thanked staff for their work and willingness to work with the Council and the community. She would like to see things move forward as quickly as possible. The community piece is very important and she is supportive of the collaboration. She is also supportive of some kind of stop gap measure in the meantime.
 
Mayor Evans stated that the City needs to move forward as soon as possible with staff’s recommendations. The current Zoning Code took three to four years to redo and the result still does not work for the community. Parking is an issue and until basic resources such as grocery stores and more frequent buses are in place to accommodate other modes of transportation it will continue to be an issue. Size, mass and lot consolidation need to be addressed.

Deputy City Clerk Stacy Saltzburg provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS APPOINTMENT PROCESS
PAST MEMBERSHIP SELECTION
CURRENT PROCESS
 
Councilmember Barotz stated that when she brought the item up back in February she was transitioning from the last Council; since that time she feels that the process is working well.
 
Vice Mayor Whelan requested that the applicant packet that is sent to Council be sent out as early as possible. She believes the process is working well and she appreciates the randomness.
 
Councilmember Barotz suggested that the Mayor could briefly introduce the process before appointments are done at the Council meeting so the public can understand the process as well.
 
Councilmember Odegaard asked if there is a date certain for applicants to submit their applications to the Clerk’s office. Ms. Saltzburg explained that the date she uses for the application deadline is the first and third Wednesday of the month, whichever falls before the scheduled Council meeting where the appointments will occur. This date allows enough time for the Councilmembers assigned to have enough time to reach out and make contact with the applicants. Council requested that the application deadline be posted on the website so the public is aware of that date.
 
Mayor Evans stated that she would like to see more outreach done in the community to make the public aware of the various boards and commissions and which are seeking applicants. She suggested a banner on the website, advertisement on all the different Facebook pages and information in Cityscape. Ms. Saltzburg agreed stating that the Clerk's office has been making a concerted effort to better advertise openings throughout the community through the use of the City's social media outlets and website.

Mr. Copley stated that staff will be bringing forward some amendments to the Council Rules of Procedure and one of the amendments will be to remove the second review of the draft agenda. This section of the agenda is no longer used and in an effort to make meetings more efficient staff is recommending removing it. He stated that the amendments will be coming to the Council at a later time.

Councilmember McCarthy reported that he made a trip to the Hopi Reservation to watch a Kachina Dance; he had good conversations and it was a great trip.
 
Councilmember Odegaard asked about possibly getting a left turn signal at the intersection at Highway 180 and Fremont St.
 
Councilmember Odegaard also requested a FAIR item to consider doing a listening tour with the business community.
 
Mayor Evans requested information on Marriott’s use of one lane of Aspen and if they are paying for that use.
 
Mayor Evans requested a FAIR item to discuss a policy for the use of the temporary flagpole outside City Hall.
 
Mayor Evans was a keynote speaker for the STAND Summer Conference in Phoenix; she addressed about 200 students about addressing tobacco use throughout Arizona. Flagstaff’s Hunter Owens was named Youth Advocate of the Year and the CATS team was named Youth Organization Advocate of the Year.
 
Mayor Evans participated in the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation Winning Cities Announcement and drawing for a Toyota Prius.
 
Mayor Evans offered thanks to the Flagstaff Unified School District and Flagstaff High School for accommodating the City of Flagstaff Council Meeting.