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

Federal Lobbyists Bob Holmes and Ana Ma with Nexxus Consulting provided an update on the City’s Federal Lobbying Agenda.

Rio de Flag
 
Mr. Holmes reported that Flagstaff was successful in obtaining the $1 million request for the Rio de Flag. This will allow the City to get to 100% design and puts things in a better position for the full request next year. This is the first time Flagstaff has gotten consistent funding since 2009.
 
Councilmember Overton expressed concern about the project and does not want to assume that the $1 million gets the City to where it needs to be. Mr. Holmes agreed and stated that now is the time to be more aggressive the with Army Corps of Engineers.
 
Mr. Holmes stated that Senator McCain has taken a great interest in the project and is fully invested. That does not mean he will put something into the public domain, but he will advocate. This can be useful because he is Chairman of the Armed Services Committee for two more years.
 
Mayor Evans requested a Work Session that focuses on the history of the Rio de Flag project. While in Washington D.C. the message that resonated the most was that this project has been a waste of taxpayer dollars and if there is a major flood the City will request federal funding for repairs due to the severe delay in moving forward with the project. Funding for a flood will be exponentially greater than the project itself.
 
Veteran’s Home
 
Mayor Evans asked how to address the challenges rural communities are facing when seeking funding for veteran’s homes. Mr. Holmes explained that the language is tailored to the bigger states with a need of over 2,000 beds. There may be a way to change the formula so it is not so focused on the size but rather the need within a community. There is a high need with the Northern Arizona veterans and if weighed against Los Angeles, Flagstaff would likely have a greater need on a per capita basis. Senator McCain’s office is aware of the situation and is working on it. Additional meetings with his office will help foster a partnership with Flagstaff. The Native American tribes are also interested and would be a great partner in the effort to move a change forward.
 
Public Housing and Section 8 Funding
 
Mr. Holmes stated that he has been working closely with Housing Manager Sarah Darr to understand the challenges that are being faced by rural communities. Ms. Darr explained that there has been an offer to exceed rents up to 120% and use the exception for the elderly and disabled. The problem is that the turnaround time is upward of 60 days and while waiting for approval the housing is taken. Additionally, once housed they are having to cover the cost of any increases in rent; they are trapped because they cannot afford to move but cannot afford to stay.
 
Mr. Holmes stated that he will continue to work with HUD to make adjustments to the formulas for fair market rent across Coconino County, specifically Flagstaff.
 
Gas Tax
 
Mr. Holmes stated that the President said he was interested in increasing the gas tax which is counter to everything that the Republican Party has said in recent times. Ultimately, the solution is not the gas tax but rather the number of cars. The repatriation tax will be how new infrastructure will be funded and it is unlikely that the gas tax will go anywhere.
 
Forest Health
 
Mr. Holmes stated that in the Forest Service budget there is a line item for fighting fires; every year that budget is used up completely and then the rest of the Forest Service budget is raided to make up the difference. The focus and discussion has shifted to providing more funding towards fire prevention. It will cost more up front but save money in the long run.
 
Councilmember Overton offered that the City’s Watershed Protection Program is going very well with actual treatment; it is a model for the nation and that needs to be pushed to the forefront of the discussion. Any national exposure of these efforts will do nothing but help Flagstaff as it goes to the next project. Mr. Copley added that there should be a lot of focus on the partnerships and the leverage of the funding.
 
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
 
Mayor Evans asked for an update on DACA. Mr. Holmes stated that there is currently nothing going on and the President has backed off some of his previous statements. Ms. Ma stated that the opposition to a renewal of DACA is great with the stories focusing on the hardened criminals and not the kids. It is hard to say at this point if it will be renewed but it will be a fight.
 
Mayor Evans and the City Council thanked Mr. Holmes and Ms. Ma for coming to Flagstaff and providing the update.