Housing Director Sarah Darr addressed Council with a brief update on Silar Homes
 
A public comment was received from a resident of Pinnacle Pines expressing concern about a student housing development on John Wesley Powell. His concerns focused on density, parking, and loss of walkability in the area.
 
Johnathan Wright addressed Council regarding a program called Flagstaff Environmental Equity program. The program focuses on water and elements of the community related to nature. He proposed a comprehensive waste management program that sells compost back to the community.

Councilmember Whelan read the Martin Luther King Day Proclamation and presented it to the Commission on Diversity Awareness.

Community Investment Director David McIntire introduced Dave Burr with Rich and Associates present via telephone. Mr. McIntire provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
PARKING DEMAND STUDY UPDATE
METHODOLOGY
 
Mayor Evans stated that the study used the land use data; she asked if there were discussions with the neighborhood groups such as the Downtown Business Alliance (DBA), Townsite, and Southside about methodology.
 
Mr. McIntire stated that the study was focused more on data sets and was a technical count methodology. He indicated that there would be discussions with the residents about the results.

Mr. McIntire continued.
 
PARKING ANALYSIS AERIAL MAP
NORTH SIDE DOWNTOWN
SUMMARY
            PARKING DEMAND
            PARKING SUPPLY
            OCCUPANCY RESULTS
 
Councilmember Whelan stated that the count occurred during peak tourist visitation but during that time of the year there were a limited number of students. She asked why this factor was not considered as part of the count.
 
Mr. McIntire offered that when determining when to conduct the study staff believed that peak tourism was more impactful than peak students; they were looking to find the highest use day for the count. The intent was to be early enough to use the data this winter and also capture some of the high density. The consultant has been asked to return in August for a follow-up knowing that it is also a high demand parking time.
 
Councilmember Whelan asked why the report and update were not being done in August when there is a full picture of the situation. Mr. McIntire stated that this is the first year of managing parking and having this data now allows for some analysis to begin. This is not the only data point that will be consider when developing and making recommendations. The early information is a way to see that there have been changes since 2009 and to measure some of the behavior change that has come with the implementation of parking management. It will help staff to begin identifying the problem areas and how the program can be tweaked to better accommodate.
 
Vice Mayor Shimoni agreed that a second set of data points that capture the student impact is appropriate. He indicated that he would like parking management to be expanded to the Southside neighborhood.
 
Mayor Evans stated that she is concerned that the study stopped at Butler when there are commercial and residential areas in the Southside that are impacted by parking north of the tracks. She also expressed concern about conducting the count on a Thursday in the summer when it was possible that not everyone was at work. The count did not include all commercial corridors and did not include students. While the information is great, it does not give a full picture of the situation. People are parking further away from the downtown and that information needs to be quantified as well.
 
Councilmember McCarthy asked why a Friday was not considered because that would be a higher use for tourists. Mr. Burr stated that when an occupancy study is conducted Thursday is a good day to use to capture the restaurants and workers who will be there rather than taking a long weekend. In their experience when they conduct studies on Thursday and also on Saturday, the numbers are higher on Thursday in all instances.
 
Ms. Goodrich offered that she had asked for the 2009 study to be updated based on current usage. Just from general observation there is a general consensus that parking has improved since the introduction of Park Flag. The study was a way to help quantify that observation. The study was just a point in time study and it is not the only study that will be needed to get the full picture, but there needed to be some sort of baseline as the City redevelops its current property.
 
Mr. McIntire continued.
 
PARKING SUPPLY NORTH SIDE DOWNTOWN
PUBLIC PARKING MAP
DOWNTOWN OCCUPANCY COUNTS
PEAK HOUR – NORTH DOWNTOWN MAP
NORTH SIDE DOWNTOWN OBSERVED PARKING OCCUPANCY
SHARED PARKING OCCUPANCY
ASSESSING THE ADEQUACY OF THE PARKING SUPPLY
NORTH STUDY AREA CURRENT SURPLUS/DEFICIT PEAK HOUR 3:00-4:00 PM
GOV’T PEAK HOUR
NORTH STUDY AREA – GOVERNMENT PEAK HOUR MAP
PEAK PARKING ADJUSTMENTS
PUBLIC PARKING
SOUTH SIDE DOWNTOWN
SUMMARY
            PARKING DEMAND
            PARKING SUPPLY
            OCCUPANCY RESULTS
SOUTH SIDE DOWNTOWN
SOUTHSIDE STUDY AREA
SOUTH STUDY AREA PEAK OCCUPANCY 5:00-7:00 PM
SOUTH SIDE DOWNTOWN PARKING OCCUPANCY
SHARED PARKING OCCUPANCY
SOUTH STUDY AREA CURRENT SURPLUS DEFICIT
PEAK PARKING ADJUSTMENTS
CONCLUSIONS – NORTH SIDE
CONCLUSIONS – SOUTH SIDE
 
Terry Madeksza, Executive Director of the DBA, addressed Council asking that they stay the course on securing additional parking supply. Shortage of supply has been an issue for many years and Park Flag is doing what it is supposed to do right now. There will always be different numbers in terms of the shortage of parking spaces, regardless of the number of studies done. At the end of the day it is about having the funds in place and a vision for a vibrant downtown with adequate parking.
 
Councilmember Salas stated that she has concerns about the day the survey was conducted and asked Ms. Madeksza her thoughts. Ms. Madeksza stated that revenue data shows that Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are the busiest days downtown. She is not in a position to answer about the choice of Thursday but agrees that Fridays and Saturdays are generally busier, and the parking revenues correspond with that.
 
Mayor Evans asked Ms. Madeksza her thoughts on the study and what she may have done differently. Ms. Madeksza stated that the DBA and the City are great partners and she looks forward to trying to go through the data set and come up with a vision for downtown together. The timing of the study was a surprise to them but going forward, the goal is to provide adequate parking downtown.
 
Mayor Evans stated the shortage of 162 spaces from the current study versus 600 spaces from the prior study is a large gap and she is concerned about growth if there is no parking garage built. Ms. Madeksza agreed stated that the Flagstaff Downtown Business Improvement and Revitalization District (FDBIRD) was formed on the premise that they would work together to acquire additional parking, that was one of the key tenets for the formation. Park Flag is doing a great job and they are huge advocates of the program but is there still a need for parking.
 
John VanLandingham addressed Council and expressed frustration with the study. The original 2009 study had a two-page executive summary and it clearly showed a 600-parking space need and 15 recommendations on how best to address the need. Of the 15 items 14 have been achieved with the last one being a parking structure. It is difficult to understand what the new study is recommending. He expressed concern about the timing of the study because the Hub had not opened yet and there was no engagement of the downtown. He also expressed concern about there being no future demand referenced in the study. He encouraged Council to reject the study and not let it influence future policy. Displaced demand needs to be addressed, there needs to be greater reconciliation between the 2009 study and this study, and the downtown needs to be involved in the methodology.
 
David Stephens also addressed Council with concerns about the study. He noted discrepancies between the 2009 study and the current study with regards to the AWD parking garage and the number of spaces available. He encouraged the City to go back to the 2009 report and update that study using a similar methodology. It is difficult to compare when the methodology is different between the two studies.
 
Ms. Goodrich stated that everyone is interested in accurate and meaningful data. She explained that there was never an intent for this study to mirror the 2009 study and it was known that the methodology would be different. There are plans to provide data that looks at future growth in this area and she emphasized that the study was not the be all end all for analysis of the downtown area. The methodology was completely different because it was measuring something different than 2009. The City is still actively engaged in looking at a parking garage and other parking inventory increases.
 
Councilmember Whelan stated that the context is helpful. The courthouse ballot question said that it would build additional parking and now in the middle of things there could be a change based on a study that is comparing apples to oranges. The 2009 study and Proposition 412 both reference a parking structure and now the Council is being asked to consider surface parking. To do this kind of study without a five-year plan or input from the community is not helpful. There needs to be clarification about what has happened to reduce the need from 600 to 150 spaces when growth has increased and the NAU campus has grown. The vision needs to be built with input from the DBA, NAIPTA, the citizens, and the City.
 
Vice Mayor Shimoni stated that there is a lot more data that is needed, he is disappointed that NAU students were not included in the report and that there was no consideration for the opening of the Hub. He would like a study that includes an event such as first Friday with students, locals, tourists attending. He would also like the study to go further into the Southside for those impacted by the NAU population. Mr. McIntire offered that some of those elements will be included as part of later addendum to the report. He stated that conversations are ongoing about structured parking and there is no change in vision at this point.
 
A break was held from 7:54 p.m. through 8:05 p.m.

Community Development Senior Project Manager James Duval provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
CITY COURT FACILITY PROJECT
OVERVIEW – TONIGHT’S DISCUSSION POINTS
PROJECT LOCATION
PROJECT HISTORY
PROJECT ELEVATION DRAWINGS
            NE PERSPECTIVE
            NW PERSPECTIVE
            SE PERSPECTIVE
PROJECT FLOOR PLAN – 1^ST FLOOR
PROJECT FLOOR PLAN – 2^ND FLOOR
PROJECT FLOOR PLAN – 3^RD FLOOR
CURRENT PLAN REVIEW STATUS
PATH FORWARD
 
Mayor Evans asked if the surface parking lot at the site of the old courthouse will be temporary for now and considered for different development in the future. Mr. Duval indicated that it will be temporary, and they are aware that the best use of the land is not surface parking.
 
Councilmember McCarthy expressed concern about the parking being over two blocks from the building. Mr. Duval explained that the building and zoning codes allow for a 600-foot radius for parking and the surface lot is roughly 400 feet from the building.
 
Councilmember Whelan asked how the plans fit within Proposition 412; the pamphlet mentions a 200-space parking garage and she would not like for that to change mid-project. She asked if there was a timeline to create the structure. Ms. Goodrich explained that when the courthouse was envisioned staff knew there was a parking issue downtown and it was before Park Flag was implemented. Park Flag has made a difference of parking availability and behavior change. It is incumbent upon the City to be the best fiduciary to the public. A parking structure is very expensive with estimates being $20,000 to $30,000 per space. It is expected that the sale of the current courthouse will generate $2 million but that will not be enough to get to a parking structure. It is hoped that the RFP will garner some parking options to consider. Surface parking is easily converted to a parking garage but if there is not a partner in the effort for the construction and maintenance of a parking garage, she is not sure how it will be funded ongoing.
 
Councilmember Salas expressed that she is excited about seeing the courthouse come to fruition. She indicated that she wants to be realistic in terms of funding; the project is estimated at $19.5 million and the bond was for $12 million. Mr. Duval explained that the design-build process provides a guaranteed maximum price and there are no change orders. There is still some work to do on the budget and they are looking at areas to do some value engineering to stay within budget.

Interim Community Development Director Dan Folke addressed Council and stated that planning staff worked with procurement to develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of the existing courthouse. It was suggested that there be a type of community design charrette and then the feedback received during that be incorporated into the development of the RFP. There would be a facilitator to help guide the conversations and document the information from the public. The charrette would look at access issues, parking, and other elements. The charrette will guide a community vison for the entire block and an opportunity for the community to come together to develop their vision for the area. The hope is to do this by May with a draft RFP for approval before summer break.
 
Mayor Evans stated that she is excited about the charrette process. She asked that the general public and the downtown stakeholders be included. She also suggested having NAIPTA participate because they have ideas about expansion in the downtown area as well.
 
Vice Mayor Shimoni stated that it will be important to engage the Historic Preservation Commission and other historical groups because of the location on Route 66. He expressed some concerns about the charrette because of challenges that there might be with people who are unable to attend. He suggested having videos and social media surveys and polls to include more than the 20 people who might show up to the meetings.
 
Charlie Silver addressed Council stating that he is supportive of the charrette process. He encouraged the Council to remember that character matters and must be preserved.
 
Councilmember Odegaard stated that including NAIPTA will be important and looking for public/private partnerships can help bring private dollars into the project. He expressed a desire to see a housing element included in the proposals that come forward.

Interim Assistant to the City Manager Cliff Bryson addressed Council regarding the upcoming state legislative trip. They are tentatively schedule for the week of February 11, 2019 and the City’s state lobbyist Richard Travis will be in attendance.
 
Councilmember Odegaard asked to add the component of biomass under the forest health priority.
 
Councilmember Whelan stated that she would like to see the Council put some focused energy behind the dark skies priority. She agreed with Councilmember Odegaard about forest health. She suggested removing the liquor license and state highway funds items from the priorities list.
 
Vice Mayor Shimoni stated that he would like to add Proposition 126 and the online tax issue.
 
Mayor Evans stated that the issues of SB1487 and short-term rentals should be included with the discussions.
 
Councilmember Aslan expressed his support for adding the emphasis on dark skies.
 
Councilmember Odegaard suggested that the HURF sweeps remain on the agenda because there is a push to turnover the newly instituted fee as well as other changes to that fund. He also suggested removing the fourth street project since the tiger grant was unsuccessful.

Moved by Councilmember Charlie Odegaard, seconded by Councilmember Jim McCarthy to continue the meeting in accordance with the Council Rules of Procedure.

Vote: 7 - 0 - Unanimously

Joe Galli addressed Council thanking them for the movement on the courthouse.

Councilmember Odegaard stated that January 21, 2019 was the kick off to Girl Scout cookie season.
 
Councilmember Salas stated that the winter recreation maps published on the website have been great and the digital versions are well done. She encouraged City staff and the public to continue promoting the map and the utilization of the designated snow play areas.
 
Councilmember McCarthy requested a F.A.I.R. item to discuss a possible resolution opposing wildlife killing events.
 
Councilmember Whelan reported that she, Vice Mayor Shimoni, and Councilmember Odegaard attended a Flagstaff High School community forum. She stated that it was great to speak with students about things that were important to them such as a new grading system, school safety, and ways to lower stress. She indicated that those types of topics would be good for a youth committee to engage in.
 
Councilmember Whelan stated that she attended a Flagstaff Initiative Against Trafficking meeting; they are looking at making more connections with BNSF and Amtrak to bring more awareness to the issues in northern Arizona. She also reported that she attended a NAMWA meeting in Sedona.
 
Councilmember Whelan requested a F.A.I.R. item to consider a plastic sled ordinance to stop the sale of plastic sleds or attach a tariff to the sale of plastic sleds to pay for the cleanup.
 
Vice Mayor Shimoni thanked City staff and management for their work at Silar Homes. He also offered that the Flagstaff High School students mentioned online bullying as an issue.
 
Councilmember McCarthy thanked staff for their work in dealing with the Silar Homes situation. He also thanked the local businesses that provided assistance and resources to the displaced residents. He asked that a thank you letter be sent to these various organizations.
 
Ms. Goodrich reported that she received a request from the Coconino County Board of Supervisors to have a special meeting with the Council regarding the Flood Control District. Council agreed that this would be a good meeting to have with the County.
 
Mayor Evans thanked staff for their work in coordinating the meeting this evening, she noted that it takes a lot to move the Council into community locations for meetings. Mayor Evans also thanked the Housing staff and all the others who were involved for their response to the Silar Homes situation.
 
Mayor Evans reported that she presented her annual State of the City report to the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce and extended an invitation for the Chamber President and Chairperson to participate in a joint meeting with the Council.
 
Mayor Evans requested the following F.A.I.R. items:

1. To have a Council discussion about how to move forward with development of affordable housing on the City owned property in Cheshire.
2. To have a community conversation about impact fees.  

Ms. Goodrich stated that the impact fees are already on the future agenda item list and staff is preparing the information prior to scheduling. Mayor Evans requested that the Chamber, realtors, builders, and other impacted agencies be made aware when the discussion is scheduled.