Others present:  City Manager Barbara Goodrich; City Attorney Sterling Solomon.

Ms. Goodrich began a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
AGENDA
COUNCIL EXPECTATIONS
 
Finance Director Brandi continued the presentation.
 
BUDGET CALENDAR
 
Ms. Goodrich continued
 
DIVISION PRESENTATIONS
CITY MANAGER WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
 
Mayor Evans requested that the City Manager’s Office consider coordination with the Consulate and Iinternational Services. A more direct link with the City would be ideal and would provide better service to the community by having a centralized location for people to access their services.
 
Mayor Evans also asked that the City Manager consider having the Office of Labor Standards do a comprehensive assessment of the impacts of minimum wage and what best practices are. She suggested reaching out to other communities about their best practices to make sure that Flagstaff’s small businesses have the information and support that they need. There are no hard facts about what the impact is and how to move forward successfully.
 
Vice Mayor Shimoni asked about affordable housing, immigration, and town and gown. Ms. Goodrich offered that the City is always watching for available sites for affordable housing and staff is also bringing various legislative initiatives forward that request that the State process their LITHC applications more than one time per year. Staff is also looking for incentives for developers that make it beneficial to include affordable housing in their projects.
 
With regard to immigration, the Police Department policies have not changed. The law is always followed and someone’s status is not a reason for stopping them. Inquiring about a person’s status is done only when required by law. The Police Department continues to build relationships with the community.
 
For town and gown, there are a number of committees that the City participates in with NAU. Assistant Vice President for Community Relations Emily Allen attends Council meetings and she participates in almost every meeting where there is an intersection between the City and NAU. Neighborhood Liaison Valeria Chase’s work program is another example of the collaboration between NAU and the City.
 
Councilmember Whelan stated that she would like there to be a bottom up approach with employee compensation and merit. There are people who have been with the organization for six or seven years that are making the same salary as someone just coming into the organization.The situation needs to be addressed because it is important to retain employees long term.
 
Councilmember Whelan added that she is also very concerned with the unfunded pension liability and the amount of resources that is taking from the organization.
 
Councilmember Salas stated that she would like to consider the ongoing efforts of existing business organizations and have a more collaborative multi-sector approach toward increasing economic vitality.
 
Human Resources Director Shannon Anderson continued the presentation.
 
HUMAN RESOURCES WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
 
Councilmember Odegaard asked about the medical insurance rates. Ms. Anderson stated that there is an anticipated 2% increase in medical insurance rates.
 
Councilmember Whelan asked that mental health and first aid training be added to the training offered to employees.
 
Councilmember Salas suggested looking at the idea of a productivity incentive program to provide opportunity for bonus or salary adjustments for performance and productivity. She also requested information about increasing employee training and succession planning to allow employees opportunity to grow within the organization.
 
Vice Mayor Shimoni suggested more involvement with the youth and more internship opportunities.
 
Mr. Solomon continued the presentation.
 
CITY ATTORNEY  
City Prosecutor Brent Harris continued the presentation.
 
CHALLENGES
PRIORITIES/INITIATIVES
WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
 
Court Administrator Jessica Cortes continued the presentation.
 
MUNICIPAL COURT WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?
 
A break was held from 10:42 a.m. through 10:50 a.m.
 
Management Services Director Rick Tadder continued the presentation.
 
MANAGEMENT SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PURCHASING REVENUE FINANCE WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?
 
Council briefly discussed employee retention in Management Services, the opportunity for the use of interns, and appropriate network protections.
 
Fire Department Chief Mark Gaillard continued the presentation.
 
FIRE DEPARTMENT
SECTIONS
OPERATIONS COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION SUPPORT SERVICES/ADMINISTRATION WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
 
A break was held from 12:02 p.m. through 12:15 p.m.
 
Council discussed fleet upgrades for the Fire Department and partnerships with NAU for training and on campus responses. They also discussed employee retention and the level of service provided to the community in comparison with fees and sales taxes.
 
Interim Police Chief Dan Musselman continued the presentation.
 
POLICE DEPARTMENT
SECTIONS
PATROL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS COMMUNITY RELATIONS/CRIME PREVENTION SUPPORT SERVICES COMMUNICATIONS WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
 
Council discussed the current staffing at the Police Department and community relations efforts. They discussed how specialized training has helped in areas of mental health and cultural sensitivity.
 
Interim Community Development Director Dan Folke continued the presentation.
 
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
SECTIONS
ADMINISTRATION ENGINEERING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HOUSING  
Council discussed the addition of a Dark Skies Enforcement Specialist and the development of the Housing Commission described in the recent bond question to prepare for the 2020 election. They also discussed public participation and outreach to the community, and incentives to include affordable housing in new developments.
 
Public Works Director Andy Bertelsen continued the presentation.
 
PUBLIC WORKS
SECTIONS
ADMINISTRATION FACILITIES MAINTENANCE FLEET MANAGEMENT PARKS RECREATION STREET MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS SOLID WASTE SUSTAINABILITY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
 
The Council discussed the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and how to continue with implementation efforts.
 
Economic Vitality Director Heidi Hansen continued the presentation.
 
ECONOMIC VITALITY
SECTIONS
AIRPORT COMMUNITY INVESTMENT LIBRARY TOURISM AND VISITOR SERVICES WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
 
The Council discussed the City’s social media presence and efforts to encourage Flagstaff to shop local and keep sales tax dollars in the community. They discussed the airport and Councilmember Aslan suggested future discussions to consider possible carbon offsets at the airport. The Council discussed the importance of advocating to keep Amtrak running through Flagstaff. Lastly, they discussed the possibility of recruiting different colleges and universities to come to Flagstaff.

Steve Finch addressed the Council and stated that many other communities are dealing with the increased cost of living and he is working to bring them to Flagstaff to discuss their experiences and how they have been able to deal with the increases in minimum wage and retaining their employee base.