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ALL RIGHT, WELL, IT IS OCTOBER, 26, 2021, AND THIS IS OUR CITY COUNCIL WORK
[1. Call to Order NOTICE OF OPTION TO RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION Pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.02, notice is hereby given to the members of the City Council and to the general public that, at this work session, the City Council may vote to go into executive session, which will not be open to the public, for legal advice and discussion with the City’s attorneys for legal advice on any item listed on the following agenda, pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3).]
SESSION CALLING TO ORDER NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC THAT THE CITY COUNCIL MAY VOTE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR LEGAL ADVICE AND DISCUSSION REGARDING ANY OF THE AGENDIZED ITEMS. COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET WOULD YOU LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE? YOU AND COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS.THE MISSION OF THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF IS TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL.
MAYOR DEASY, HERE, VICE MAYOR DAGGETT, HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN, HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY, HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS, PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET, HERE.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS OUR GENERAL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, I DO HAVE REBECCA SAYERS HERE FOR COMMENTARY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WELCOME TO HALLO WEEK.
SO I AM YOUR PARKS RECREATION OPEN SPACE AND EVENTS DIRECTOR WANTED TO
[4. Public Participation Public Participation enables the public to address the council about items that are not on the prepared agenda. Public Participation appears on the agenda twice, at the beginning and at the end of the work session. You may speak at one or the other, but not both. Anyone wishing to comment at the meeting is asked to fill out a speaker card and submit it to the recording clerk. When the item comes up on the agenda, your name will be called. You may address the Council up to three times throughout the meeting, including comments made during Public Participation. Please limit your remarks to three minutes per item to allow everyone to have an opportunity to speak. At the discretion of the Chair, ten or more persons present at the meeting and wishing to speak may appoint a representative who may have no more than fifteen minutes to speak.]
INTRODUCE HALEY, WILL SAID.SHE IS OUR EVENTS AND MARKETING SUPERVISOR TO LET YOU ALL KNOW WHAT WE ARE PREPARING TO CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN THIS YEAR.
MY CAMERA IS NOT WORKING, BUT MY MIC IS.
SO, PARKS AND RECREATION, OPEN SPACE AND EVENTS, I AM THE E TO PROS.
WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE DOWNTOWN LIBRARY TO OFFER A WEEK OF HALLOWEEN EVENTS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO OUR TYPICAL HALLOWEEN HARVEST, WHICH KIND OF WENT AWAY ONCE COVID HIT.
OUR DRIVE THRU EVENT LAST YEAR WAS A HOOT AND WELL RECEIVED BY THE PUBLIC AND CITY STAFF.
SO WE ARE OBVIOUSLY BACK, OPEN AND RUNNING, SO WE'RE OFFERING AN EVENT AT EACH OF OUR RECREATION CENTERS THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK IN ORDER TO MITIGATE OUR COVID, THE SPREAD OF COVID 19 AND MEET OUR COMMUNITY WHERE THEY'RE AT, IN THE HOPES OF POTENTIALLY SEEING SOME NEW FACES AND ALLOWING THE PUBLIC WHO MIGHT NOT BE COMFORTABLE AT A LARGE EVENT THE OPPORTUNITY TO STILL CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY.
THE LIBRARY IS OFFERING CRAFT BAGS AVAILABLE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AT THE DOWNTOWN LOCATION AND WE TAKE OFF TONIGHT AT [INAUDIBLE] AN IN ABOUT AN HOUR, SO WE HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE ELSE FOR GENERAL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION? ALL RIGHTY.
WELL, WE'RE DOWN TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, OUR REVIEW OF DRAFT AGENDA FOR THE
[5. Review of Draft Agenda for the November 2, 2021 City Council Meeting Citizens wishing to speak on agenda items not specifically called out by the City Council may submit a speaker card for their items of interest to the recording clerk.]
NOVEMBER 2ND, 2021 CITY COUNCIL MEETING.ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS OR ANYTHING FOR REVIEW FOR NEXT WEEK? ALL RIGHT, I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING AT THIS TIME.
[6. Proclamation: International Dark Sky City Month]
WE'RE DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS OUR PROCLAMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY CITY MONTH, THAT IS OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY.WE WOULD LIKE TO COME UP AS WELL IF YOU WANT TO SAY SOME, SOME THINGS, BUT.
COME RIGHT ON IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY.
YEAH, WE GOT TWO STEPS HERE, SO HOPEFULLY THAT'LL BE SUFFICIENT.
ON OCTOBER 24, 2001, FLAGSTAFF WAS RECOGNIZED AS THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY CITY AND THUS BEGAN A GLOBAL MOVEMENT TO GIVE INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION TO COMMUNITIES LEADING THE WAY IN THE PROTECTING THE DARK SKY RESOURCE.
ON THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2021, THE COMMUNITY CELEBRATED THIS 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS DARK SKY DESIGNATION AND REFLECTS UPON THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, LED BY THE STEADFAST DEDICATION OF THE FLAGSTAFF DARK SKIES COALITION AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE BROAD FLAGSTAFF DARK SKY COMMUNITY TO PROMOTE AWARENESS APPRECIATION AND
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ALL OF THE STAR FILLED NIGHT SKIES, FLAGSTAFF IS LEADING THE WAY IN DARK SKY PROTECTION, AND FLAGSTAFF HAS BECOME A HUB OF INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY PLACES, WHICH INCLUDES FLAGSTAFF, SEDONA, CAMP VERDE, COTTONWOOD, GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, SUNSET CRATER VOLCANO NATIONAL MONUMENT, WALNUT CANYON NATIONAL MONUMENT AND PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK.AND THERE ARE NOW MORE THAN 180 CERTIFIED INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY PLACES, INCLUDING 32 INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY CITIES.
FLAGSTAFF IS THE ONLY INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY CITY THAT HAS MEASURED ITS SUCCESS IN NIGHT SKY PROTECTION, SHOWING THAT ITS ARTIFICIAL SKY GLOW IS LESS THAN ONE TENTH AS BRIGHT AS A TOWN OF SIMILAR SIZE WITHOUT LIGHT POLLUTION CONTROL AND DARK STARRY NIGHTS ARE CRITICAL FOR HUMAN AND WILDLIFE HEALTH, SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, SPACE EXPLORATION AND EVERYONE'S CONNECTION TO THE UNIVERSE.
FLAGSTAFF DARK SKIES, COALITIONS HAVE SERVED AS A CHANGE AGENT, EDUCATING AND IMPACTING GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESSES, CITIES, NEIGHBORHOODS AND INDIVIDUALS.
BUT HOW THEY CAN TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE STARRY NIGHTS STUDY BY THE U.S.
NAVAL OBSERVATORY PREDICTS THAT FLAGSTAFF SKY BRIGHTNESS OVERALL WILL INCREASE ONLY 10 PERCENT IN THE COMING 50 YEARS BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY'S DILIGENCE IN APPLYING THE BEST QUALITY NIGHT FRIENDLY LIGHTING.
THEREFORE I, PAUL DEASY, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER AS INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY CITY NIGHT AND ENCOURAGE ALL TO LOOK UP TO THE STARS AND PLEDGE TO KEEP FLAGSTAFF IN THE DARK.
AND YOU WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS IF YOU'D LIKE.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT YES, THE FASTEST GROWING ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT ON THE PLANET IS DARK SKIES, AND IT'S NOT JUST AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN, IT'S A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE.
AND AS YOU HAVE ON THE CHARTER, ON THE WALL OVER HERE, THAT'S MISSION ONE HERE IN FLAGSTAFF QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND I WANT TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATED, HOW MUCH THE PLANET APPRECIATES IT AND HOW MUCH THE NAME FLAGSTAFF MORE THAN DARK SKIES WILL BE ON THE LIPS OF EVERYBODY IN THE NEXT CENTURY OF WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED HERE.
WE WANT YOU TO KEEP THAT PUPPY.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN TAKE A PICTURE WITH THIS.
WITH THAT, WE ARE DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, OUR PUBLIC WORKS SNOW
[7. Public Works - Snow Operations Presentation and Discussion DESIRED OUTCOME: Discussion of the upcoming winter season preparations and parking restrictions. -Informational Item - Public Works Streets Section snow operations - Parks Section snow operations - Separated bike lane pilot program snow operations - Parking and community impacts]
OPERATIONS PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION.YEAH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SCOTT OVERTON, INTERIM PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND ALSO STREETS DIRECTOR THIS EVENING WE HAVE A SHORT PRESENTATION.
WE DO VISIT WITH YOU ANNUALLY AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR TO TALK ABOUT OUR UPCOMING SNOW SEASON AND OUR UPCOMING WINTER PREPARATIONS AND READINESS WITHIN THE PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION.
THIS YEAR, ONE NEW NUANCE WITHIN THE GROUP IS PARKS RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE IS NOW ITS OWN DIVISION, SO THERE IS STILL AN ELEMENT OF PARKS OPERATIONS THAT FORMERLY WAS IN PUBLIC WORKS WILL STILL FUNCTION VERY SIMILAR, BUT WE DO HAVE AMY HAGAN WITH US THIS EVENING AND REBECCA SAYERS, OF COURSE, ON THE CALL FROM THE DIVISION SIDE OF PARKS AND RECREATION OPEN SPACE.
A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION WILL REVOLVE AROUND THE STREETS OPERATIONS.
IT'S BY FAR THE LARGEST SNOW OPERATION THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF.
WE WILL HAVE SOME TIME TO DISCUSS WITH AMY SOME OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE PARK'S OPERATIONS, SO YOU CAN HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THAT.
AND THEN ON THE PHONE, WE ALSO HAVE CHIEF MUSSELMAN WITH US FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IF THERE'S ANY ENFORCEMENT OR FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THIS PRESENTATION.
IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO LEARN NOT ONLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING, BUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THROUGH THE WINTER MONTHS.
I CANNOT GUARANTEE YOU WHAT THE SNOW SEASON WILL LOOK LIKE.
I TYPICALLY WILL CALL OUT EACH EVENT, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN A TRACE AND TWENTY FOUR INCHES OF SNOW.
WE DO RELY ON OUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PARTNERS, BUT OFTENTIMES WE WILL HAVE SNOWY MONTHS.
BUT WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR ALL WINTER STORM RESPONSE.
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SO GENERALLY THAT KICKS OFF ABOUT NOVEMBER 1ST.WE HAVE HAD ONE SNOW RESPONSE SO FAR THIS SEASON, EARLY SEASON, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, BUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR RESPONSES WILL BE NOW THROUGH THE MONTH OF MARCH.
SO REALLY, THIS IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GIVE YOU SOME BASIC INFORMATION AS YOU VISIT WITH CITIZENS AND CONSTITUENTS.
IT'LL BE IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO CONVEY OUR INTERNAL POLICIES AND HOW WE RESPOND TO EACH AND EVERY STORM.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE WATCH THE WEATHER.
WE VISIT WITH OUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FRIENDS OFTEN.
THE NICE THING ABOUT WINTER STORMS IS WE TYPICALLY CAN SEE THEM COMING.
WE CAN SEE STORM FRONT STARTING ON THE WEST COAST, MOVING TOWARDS ARIZONA.
WE OFTENTIMES WILL HAVE DAYS TO START PREPARING AND THINKING ABOUT WHAT A STORM RESPONSE MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
AND WITHIN THOSE DAYS, WE OFTEN CONSULT WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR UPDATED INFORMATION.
WHAT CONDITIONS MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND THE BEST FORECASTING MODELING THAT WE CAN FIND.
YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN ABOUT THE STREETS, OPERATION, PARKS, WHAT WE DO POST-STORM, AND THEN, OF COURSE, WHAT SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS MIGHT BE, AS WELL AS THE PARKING ORDINANCE, WHICH GOES INTO EFFECT NOVEMBER 1ST.
AS I MENTIONED, WE MEET UP WITH OUR WEATHER SERVICE FRIENDS.
WE HAVE PERIODIC BRIEFINGS, THEY BECOME MORE FREQUENT AS STORMS APPROACH.
ONCE WE HAVE A STORM THAT'S KIND OF MOVING INTO THE REGION, WE WILL START A SHIFT OF PATROL.
WE UTILIZE ON CALL SUPERVISORS AND WE START TO WATCH ACTUAL CONDITIONS.
THEY'LL MEASURE PAVEMENT TEMPERATURES.
THEY'LL START WATCHING RADARS MORE CLOSELY.
THEY'LL START WATCHING FOR TIMING.
BECAUSE REALLY, FOR US, IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE WE CAN RESPOND AND KEEP ALL OF OUR ROADWAY NETWORK AND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IS OPEN AND POSSIBLE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO THOSE WEATHER WATCH AND THOSE SUPERVISORS WILL REALLY START MONITORING WEATHER TYPICALLY TWENTY FOUR TO THIRTY SIX HOURS IN ADVANCE OF AN ADVANCING STORM.
WITH RESOURCE DEPLOYMENT, THIS IS A CRITICAL EFFICIENCY, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE WORKED ON VERY, VERY HARD IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO BRING IN 15 OR 20 OPERATORS AT 10 P.M.
IF IT'S NOT GOING TO START SNOWING UNTIL 2:00 A.M..
SO WE REALLY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY NOT ONLY TO BE PREPARED WHEN IT DOES START TO SNOW AND STICK ON THE GROUND.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE TAXPAYER TO BE EFFICIENT WITH OUR SERVICES.
WE LOOK AT THREE MAIN THINGS ONE, WHEN IS IT SAFE? WE KNOW THAT IF ROADS ARE GOING TO GET SLICK AND IT MAY JUST BE KIND OF THAT THIRTY FOUR TO THIRTY THREE DEGREE RANGE, IT CAN TURN TO ICE VERY QUICKLY.
SO OFTENTIMES YOU MIGHT SEE A PLOW TRUCK OUT A LITTLE BIT ADVANCE OF A STORM.
OTHER TIMES, WE JUST NEED TO WAIT FOR A STORM TO PASS.
SOMETIMES THE CONDITIONS ARE JUST SO TREACHEROUS IN THE EARLY ADVANCED HOURS OF THE STORM.
YOU MIGHT EVEN SEE US RESPOND TO A COUPLE HOURS LATE.
BUT GENERALLY, ONCE IT STARTS SNOWING, YOU WILL SEE US ON THE ROAD.
AND TEMPERATURES WHAT WE REALLY WATCH AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS AIR TEMPERATURE.
MOST OFTEN IT'S ASPHALT AND SURFACE TEMPERATURES.
IT CAN BE THIRTY ONE DEGREES AND SNOWING HARD AND STILL MAY NOT STICK.
BUT WE'VE ALSO SEEN THE OPPOSITE WHERE IT CAN FEEL LIKE RAIN AND IT CAN LOOK LIKE RAIN, BUT IT STICKS TO OUR ASPHALT AND CREATES ICY CONDITIONS.
WE HAVE VERY STRONG AGENCY COMMUNICATION.
WE DISCUSS WITH ADOT IN THE COUNTY ALMOST DAILY DURING A SNOW EVENT WHAT THEY'RE SEEING, WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
OFTENTIMES, WE'LL USE ADOT'S CAMERA SYSTEM TO WATCH APPROACHING STORMS WHEN THEY START TO SEE TROUBLE IN KINGMAN, WILLIAMS, A1 MOUNTAIN.
WE KNOW THAT WE'RE 20, 30, AN HOUR OUT FROM THOSE SIMILAR CONDITIONS.
SO THEY'RE REALLY GOOD ABOUT REPORTING THOSE TO US, AND WE TRY TO USE AS MUCH RESOURCE AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN THE COUNTY IS OBVIOUSLY A MUCH LARGER REGION AS WELL, AND THEY'RE IN AREAS THAT WE DON'T NORMALLY LIVE IN.
MOST OF THE AREAS ARE TO THE EAST AND NORTH OF US, SO WE TYPICALLY REPORT WITH THEM ON OUR CONDITIONS.
AND THEN ONCE WE TRIGGER A SNOW OPERATION, IT BECOMES A TWENTY FOUR HOUR A DAY, SEVEN DAY A WEEK OPERATION.
UNTIL WE END ALL OF OUR FUNCTIONS, WE WILL SWITCH TO 12 HOUR SHIFTS AND WE WILL ATTACK THE STORM FROM BEGINNING TO END.
THIS YEAR IN THE STREETS FLEET, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF NEW ADDITIONS.
WE ARE READY TO GO WITH 20 TEN WHEEL PLOW SPREADER TRUCKS.
THESE ARE THE LARGE PLOW TRUCKS YOU SEE ON THE STREETS OR THE WHITE ONES, AS THAT'S THE CITY DESIGNATED COLOR.
ORANGE IS THE COUNTY AND THEN THE YELLOW GOLDISH COLOR IS ADOT.
WE HAVE FOUR SIX WHEELED PLOW TRUCKS WITH SPREADER BOXES.
THIS YEAR WE HAVE 10 ROAD GRADERS IN THE FLEET.
SINCE LAST YEAR, WE'VE ADDED TWO NEW ROAD GRADERS TO THE FLEET TO ENHANCE SERVICE INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AREAS.
WE HAVE THREE FRONT END LOADERS, ONE TRUCK MOUNTED SNOW THROWER AND THEN THREE TRACTOR TRAILERS FOR HAULING OPERATIONS.
AS I MENTIONED, THEY ARE TWENTY FOUR HOUR A DAY OPERATIONS AND 12 HOUR SHIFTS.
WE HAVE TWO SUPERVISORS ON DAYS, TWO ON NIGHTS, AND THEY WORK EAST AND WEST.
SO DAY HAS AN EAST SUPERVISOR AND A WEST SUPERVISOR.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 19 FULL TIME STREETS OPERATORS IN THE ORGANIZATION
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IN THE SECTION.THOSE FOLKS ALSO HAVE OTHER JOB DUTIES WITHIN THE STREET SECTION AT PUBLIC WORKS.
BUT EVERYONE WORKS SNOW OPS ONCE WE WORK INTO AN A WINTER EVENT.
WE TYPICALLY HAVE FOUR TO SIX OTHER OPERATORS FROM DIFFERENT SECTIONS.
THIS MIGHT BE FROM SOLID WASTE OR FROM WATER SERVICES.
THIS YEAR WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FIREMEN AND MAYBE A POLICE OFFICER OR TWO THAT MIGHT COME AND JOIN US TO HELP US OUT DURING OFF SHIFTS OR DAYS OFF TO HELP NOT ONLY GET THEM SOME EXTRA TIME, BUT ALSO HELP US OUT IN OPERATIONS.
WE HAVE SIX TO 10 ON CALL COMMUNITY OPERATORS, SO THESE ARE FOLKS THAT TYPICALLY HAVE OTHER JOBS, MAYBE THEY'RE A TRUCK DRIVER OR THEY WORK IN THE COMMUNITY AT A DIFFERENT EMPLOYER.
WE MIGHT USE THEM ON WEEKENDS OR ON NIGHT SHIFTS AS THEY'RE AVAILABLE, AND THEY HAVE BECOME A TREMENDOUS ASSET.
A LOT OF THOSE FOLKS HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND WE LOVE HAVING THEM BACK.
AS AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT'S HARD TO COVER TWO FULL SHIFTS TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY WITH JUST OUR ONLY STREET SECTION GROUP.
AND THEN WE HAVE ONE ADMIN SPECIALIST.
BAILEY HANDLES ALL OF OUR OFFICE WORK, TELEPHONE CALLS, PAYROLL AND ALL OF OUR CITIZEN CONCERNS THROUGHOUT STORMS. I WILL KIND OF GIVE YOU A PRECURSOR TO THIS YEAR.
WE DO HAVE SOME MINIMUM SHIFT STAFFING ISSUES.
IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT WE HAVEN'T PAID ATTENTION TO IT.
HONESTLY, OUR HIRING POOLS HAVE BEEN FAIRLY LOW IN TERMS OF VOLUME.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN A LOT OF INTEREST IN OUR ENTRY LEVEL OPERATOR JOBS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY DOWN SEVEN POSITIONS IN THE STREET SECTION.
SO AS A HEADS UP, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE HAVING THOSE FILLED BY SNOW SEASON.
SO WE ARE NOW TRYING TO MOVE AROUND THE PEOPLE WE DO HAVE AND MAKING SURE WE CAN COVER AS MANY SHIFTS AS POSSIBLE.
BUT IT IS NOT AN UNCOMMON THEME.
A LOT OF OUR OPERATIONS SIDE OF THE HOUSE IS JUST SHORT ON PEOPLE.
SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP THAT I DON'T BELIEVE WE WILL BE FULLY STAFFED EVEN BEFORE THIS WINTER.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI HAS A QUESTION.
THANK YOU MAYOR, THANK YOU SCOTT.
QUICK QUESTION ON THE SLIDE THE ON CALL CDL OPERATORS, ARE WE PAYING A PREMIUM FOR THEIR TIME? THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.
I WOULD SAY IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A PREMIUM, THEY RECEIVE AN HOURLY RATE.
IT IS MORE THAN WHAT OUR FULL TIME EMPLOYEE WOULD MAKE.
BUT REMEMBER, IT IS ONLY AN HOURLY RATE.
THEY DO NOT HAVE BENEFITS, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE BURDENS OF RETIREMENT PACKAGES.
THEY REALLY ONLY ARE UTILIZED FOR A FEW HOURS DURING EACH EVENT MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT THEY ARE NOT PRIVY TO ALL OF THE FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT TYPE BENEFITS.
SO THEY DO MAKE MORE HOURLY, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE ENTIRE COMPENSATION PACKAGE.
AND THEN YOU MENTIONED SEVEN POSITIONS SHORT OF HOW MANY OPERATORS IN TOTAL.
WE HAVE TWENTY FIVE TOTAL IN THE STREET SECTOR OR ABOUT A THIRD DOWN.
OPERATIONALLY, THESE HAVE NOT CHANGED IN A NUMBER OF YEARS, WE HAVE REALLY FIRST PRIORITY ROUTES AND SECONDARY PRIORITY ROUTES.
THE FIRST PRIORITY ROUTE WILL BE OPEN IMPASSABLE AT ALL TIMES AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
SO WHEN YOU THINK OF THESE, YOU CAN THINK OF THE MAJOR ROUTES THROUGH TOWN, BUTLER, CONTINENTAL.
THERE ARE AREAS THAT GO INTO TO NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY ARE NOT NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE, BUT THEIR GENERAL.
YOUR VEINS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT WILL GET YOU TO SCHOOL WILL GET YOU TO WORK [INAUDIBLE] ROUTES.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE FOCUS ON SOME AREAS THAT JUST ARE TROUBLE, SWEITZER CANYON, AND CEDAR HILL AREAS THAT HAVE SHADED LOCATIONS.
THESE ARE THE SPOTS YOU WANT TO HAVE OPEN AND PASSABLE AT ALL TIMES TO KEEP AS MUCH TRAFFIC AS MOVING AS POSSIBLE.
OUR SECONDARY ROUTES GENERALLY ARE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE, YOUR RESIDENTIAL STREETS WE ALSO PRIORITIZE THAT SERVICE.
SO YOU'LL SEE US GET THROUGH A LOOP IN A NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN WE COME BACK AND WE DO CUL DE SACS AND MAYBE SOME OF THE SIDE STREETS, AND THEN WE TRY TO JUST GET THE LOWEST TRAFFIC VOLUME STREETS LAST.
IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T LIKE THEM LESS, IT'S JUST WE REALLY TRY TO MOVE AS MUCH EFFORT TOWARDS INITIAL RESPONSE AND MOVING PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF NEIGHBORHOODS SAFELY AND QUICKLY AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU WILL SEE PLOWING AND ICE CONTROL FOR THE DURATION OF A STORM EVENT.
ON THESE ROUTES, REMEMBER, JUST BECAUSE IT STOPS SNOWING DOESN'T MEAN OPERATIONS ARE DONE, IT WILL NORMALLY TAKE US AT LEAST TWENTY FOUR OR THIRTY SIX HOURS TO GET EVERYTHING CLEANED UP.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, FOR DAYS FOLLOWING AN EVENT, WE WILL NORMALLY CONTINUE WITH ICE CONTROL AND THAT IS SIMPLY THE APPLICATION OF A TRACTION DEVICE LIKE ICE CINDERS.
BUT THAT MIGHT EVEN HAPPEN SIX SEVEN, EIGHT DAYS, DEPENDING ON TEMPERATURES.
A LOT OF TIMES WE'LL SEE TEMPERATURES GO UP IN THE DAYTIME.
WE SEE SNOW MELT AND IT BECOMES ICE IN THE EVENING HOURS.
SO YOU'LL SEE PLOW TRUCKS WITH CINDERS RUNNING FOR DAYS AFTER AN EVENT, EVEN WHEN THE ROAD SEEMS DRY OR MAYBE ALL PUSHED OFF.
THERE'S STILL A LOT OF ICE CONTROL WORK THAT HAS TO CONTINUE.
OK, AMY, YOU'RE UP NOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE PARK SECTION AND SOME OF THEIR EFFORTS.
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GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.AMY HAGAN, CITY'S PARKS MANAGER.
SO WE'LL SHIFT GEARS JUST A LITTLE BIT, NO PUN INTENDED.
PARKS DOES USE THE SAME FORECASTING IN SNOW SEASON READINESS AS OUR PARTNERS IN STREETS AND IN PUBLIC WORKS AND THE SAME RESOURCE ANALYTICS.
OUR STAFFING IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, SO IT'S ALL OF OUR STAFFING IN OUR FLEET IS THE EXACT SAME AS PREVIOUS YEARS.
WE DO HAVE 15 EQUIPMENT OPERATORS AND WE HAVE 10 HAND SHOVELERS.
WE DO HAVE SOME, WE ARE CURRENTLY RECRUITING SOME VACANCIES THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HERE FOR THE LAST HANDFUL OF MONTHS, AND WE ARE HOPEFUL TO BE FULLY STAFFED BY THE TIME SOME OF OUR FIRST SNOW ACCUMULATION OCCURS.
THIS YEAR, WE HAVE ADDED SOME NEW FUTS SEGMENTS TO OUR EXISTING ROUTES AND WE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS.
AND JUST FOR CLARITY, THE FUTS AREAS THAT CURRENTLY ARE PLOWED WOULD BE THOSE THAT ARE A HARD SURFACE.
SO WHETHER IF CONCRETE OR ASPHALT, NOT OUR AGGREGATE SECTIONS, THOSE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST TO PLOW AT THIS TIME.
WE ALSO PERFORM WHAT WE CALL THE COURTESY BERM RELOCATION PROGRAM THAT IS FOR ANY OF OUR CITIZENS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO HAVE AFTER STREETS HAS GONE THROUGH PLOWED THE RESIDENTIAL ROADS, THEN PARKS COMES THROUGH FOR THOSE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THE SERVICE, AND WE CLEAR THAT DRIVEWAY BERM FOR THOSE THAT ARE NEEDED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
HERE'S JUST SOME MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PARK'S FLEET AND EQUIPMENT.
WE HAVE ONE BRAND NEW TOOLCAT THAT JUST ARRIVED LAST MONTH.
WE HAVE SIX TRACTORS AND BACKHOES TOTAL.
AND THEN WE HAVE FOUR SNOW THROWERS THAT THE HAND SHOVEL TEAM WILL USE WHEN THE CONDITIONS ARE JUST RIGHT.
AND WE HAVE A BUNCH OF SHOVELS IF ANYONE EVER WANTS TO COME, HELP US OUT.
UM, OUR OPERATION IS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR PARTNERS IN PUBLIC WORKS, WHERE IT'S TWENTY FOUR, SEVEN AND WITH 12 HOUR SHIFTS WHEN THAT APPLIES DEPENDING ON THE STORM, OUR SHIFTS TYPICALLY BEGIN AT 4 A.M., 6 A.M.
AGAIN, WE'LL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS INTERNALLY AS THE SNOWSTORM STARTS TO HIT OUR COMMUNITY.
WE DO ALSO PERFORM A 2:00 A.M.
HAULING OPERATION OUT OF OUR DOWNTOWN AND THE HERITAGE SQUARE AREA.
SOME OF OUR PRIORITIES OF OUR ROUTES AND THEY ARE IN ORDER.
WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OVER THREE HUNDRED ASSIGNMENTS.
WE DO ALL THE PARKING LOTS ON ALL OF OUR CITY OWNED BUILDINGS.
IT'S SIXTY THREE PARKING LOTS AT THIS TIME.
WE ALSO HIT ALL OF THE CITY OWNED SIDEWALKS AND THE FUT SYSTEM AGAIN, THE CONCRETE AND OR ASPHALT SECTIONS.
WE DO HERITAGE SQUARE, WHICH RECENTLY HAS BECOME A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED LAST SEASON WITH ACTIVATING THE SQUARE FOR SOME OUTDOOR DINING AND SOME OTHER ITEMS. SO WE DO TEND TO TACKLE THAT ONE VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING.
WE ALSO HIT OUR DEDICATED CITY ALLEYS AND WORK WITH STREETS ON THAT OPERATION.
THE COURTESY BERM SERVICE WHEN IT APPLIES TO THE STORM.
LASTLY, THEN WE TEND TO CIRCLE BACK AND HIT SOME OF THOSE ENTRANCES TO OUR FUTS SYSTEM, SO THERE MIGHT BE A CONCRETE APPROACH AND THEN IT TURNS INTO AN AGGREGATE SURFACE ON THAT FUT.
SO WE GO BACK AND THEN HIT THAT TO ENSURE THAT THAT IS CLEARED AND OUR PARKING LOTS AT OUR PARK LOCATIONS ARE DONE AFTERWARDS AND THEN STAIRWAYS, WALKWAYS, SOME OF OUR SKATE TRACKS AND OUR BMX TRACK THAT ARE ALL WITHIN CITY PARKS.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION HERE FROM VICE MAYOR.
MY QUESTION IS WHAT ARE THE WHAT'S THE CRITERIA FOR THE BERM REMOVAL AND DO YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW THE PHONE NUMBER THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD CALL TO GET ON THAT LIST? I DO.
SO WE'RE CURRENTLY REVISING THE FORM.
WE'RE ADDING A BOX ON IT THAT ENABLES FOR A PERMANENT RESIDENCY, IF YOU WILL, WITH A COURTESY BERM PROGRAM AND BECAUSE, IF NOT IT WAS OPERATING OFF OF A THREE YEAR TERM.
AND THEN ADMINISTRATIVELY, WE WERE HAVING TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT KEEP TRACK OF THAT LIST.
SO IT'S AN ACTUAL FORM THAT IS FILLED OUT.
IT'S OUR OUR MAIN LINE, OUR FRONT OFFICE LINE AT THE AQUA PLEX.
IT'S THAT PHONE NUMBER THAT CAN BE CALLED AND WE CAN GET ANYONE ADDED TO THAT LIST, BUT IT IS AN ACTUAL PDF FORM THAT DOES NEED TO BE FILLED OUT FOR IT.
AND WHAT'S THE CRITERIA? YOU KNOW, THE CRITERIA.
YOU KNOW, IT'S FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE DISABLED OR IT'S FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SHOVEL THAT BERM THEMSELVES.
AND AGAIN, THAT CAN BE WHERE IT CAN HOLD SOME PERMANENCY, OR IT CAN ALSO BE TEMPORARY, ESPECIALLY IF ANYONE'S ENCOUNTERED LIKE A TEMPORARY INJURY OR REPAIR TO THEIR BODY.
AND WHAT IS THE AQUA PLEXUS PHONE NUMBER? GOSH, I WISH I HAD THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WE WILL GET THAT AND PLACE THAT
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IN THE CHAT.I CAN PLACE THAT IN THE CHAT, AMY.
BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT NEED IT, IT IS 928-213-2300.
OK, SOME SNOW OPERATIONS FOR SOME OF THE EXPECTATIONS WHEN THE SNOW ACCUMULATES, PARKS DOES BEGIN OUR OPERATION AGAIN, WE HIT THOSE PARKING LOTS, THOSE SIDEWALKS, THE HARD SECTIONS OF THE URBAN TRAIL.
WE DO OPERATE ON SHIFTS THAT HAVE SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY IN MIND.
AS SCOTT MENTIONED BEFORE, WE ALSO UTILIZE IT'S AN INTERNAL, INTERNALLY CREATED SNOW APP.
IT'S THROUGH WITH OUR PARTNERS IN IT AND GIS, AND THAT REALLY HELPS US UNDERSTAND LIVE DATA IN REAL TIME WHEN THOSE OPERATORS HAVE COMPLETED ONE OF THOSE 300 TASKS.
WE'RE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND KNOW EXACTLY WHERE TO MOVE THROUGH THE CITY WITH OUR 300 PLUS ASSIGNMENTS.
IT'S AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM THAT ALSO ENABLES US TO UNDERSTAND WHEN STREETS HAS HIT THOSE RESIDENTIAL ROADS TO ENABLE THAT COURTESY BERM PROGRAM.
QUICK SNAPSHOT OF IT, IT'S GOT OUR OLD COUNT, WHAT USED TO BE TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FOUR ASSIGNMENTS, BUT IT'S A REALLY NEAT FUNCTION.
AGAIN, IT'S USED INTERNALLY WITH STAFF, SO THAT OPERATOR CAN DRIVE UP TO THAT LOCATION.
THEY LITERALLY CLICK START ON A DATA ENABLED TABLET, PERFORM THE OPERATION AND CLICK FINISH.
AND IT IS IT UPDATES EVERY SECOND.
IT'S AN AMAZING TOOL THAT WE HAVE INTERNALLY TO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER.
THE OTHER THING THAT IT DOES IS AS THAT OPERATOR IS DRIVING BY ONE OF OUR LOCATIONS, IT WILL PING THEM EVEN IF IT'S NOT THEIR SPECIFIC ROUTE THAT THEY'VE BEEN ASSIGNED TO GO PLOW.
THEY CAN EASILY SEE HASN'T BEEN DONE.
HAS IT NOT BEEN DONE? DOES A COWORKER NEED HELP? IT'S A IT'S FABULOUS.
WE HAVE FOUND A HANDFUL OF EFFICIENCIES WITH THIS.
OOPS, THAT IS IT FOR PARKS, WE'RE GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU, SCOTT, REGARDING THE SEPARATED BIKE LANE.
SO WITHIN OUR, THANK YOU, AMY.
WITHIN OUR SNOW OPERATIONS, WE HAVE A VERY NEW PROGRAM AND THIS IS PROBABLY ONE THAT IS VERY FAMILIAR TO ALL OF YOU.
AS OF DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR, WE ANTICIPATE HAVING THE FULL INSTALLATION OF THE SEPARATED BIKE LANE PROJECT, BOTH PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE EARLY CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES BEGINNING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
THE OBLITERATION OF THE EXISTING LINE STRIPING THE NEW STRIPING IS IN PLACE, AND WE'VE EVEN SEEN THE ADDITION LAST WEEK OF THE GREEN CROSSWALKS AND THE GREEN MOVEMENT BOXES FOR BICYCLE TRAFFIC ON BUTLER.
IN ADDITION TO THE ACTUAL STRIPING WORK YOU WILL SEE A CONCRETE BARRIER REMINDS ME A LOT OF A PARKING CURB THAT WILL BE PLACED IN THE WHITE LINE OF THE BIKE LANE.
AND THIS WILL CREATE A SEPARATED LANE FOR BICYCLE TRAVELERS ON BUTLER, FROM MILTON TO THE ASPEN VILLAGE AT SAWMILL PROJECT AND ON SOUTH BEAVER FROM FOREST SOUTHBOUND TO BUTLER AVENUE.
ONCE THIS IS INSTALLED, IT IS OPERATIONALLY CREATED.
I'M A VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF RESPONSE FOR US, AS WE'VE SHARED WITH YOU IN A RETREAT AND A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WORK SESSIONS.
IT'S A CHALLENGING TASK AT BEST.
WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO LEARN A LOT FROM THIS PILOT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE SOME DIFFERENT VALUES AT PLAY HERE.
PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO PUT OUT THE RECYCLED TRASH CANS THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE USE OF THE BIKE LANE IF THEY'RE TRAVELING BY BICYCLE.
WE STILL NEED TO KEEP THE TRAVEL LANES OPEN FOR CARS, PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC ON A PEDESTRIAN SIDEWALK THAT MIGHT BE ADJACENT.
WE HAVE CROSSED TRAFFIC WITH ALLEYS.
WE KNOW AND WE ARE COMPLETELY AWARE THAT THIS WILL BE A CHALLENGING PROJECT TO TRY TO PROVIDE PRIORITY LEVEL SERVICE ONE TO.
WE HAVE COMMITTED IN PUBLIC WORKS TO TRY TO FIGURE THAT PROBLEM OUT.
WE WILL MONITOR THROUGHOUT THE SEASON ALL OF OUR SUCCESSES AND FAILURES.
I THINK I WILL TELL YOU, IN ALL HONESTY, WE WILL LIKELY CHANGE THINGS UP MIDSTREAM IF THEY'RE NOT WORKING.
BUT I THINK THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU WILL SEE IS DEPICTED IN THIS GRAPHIC, AND THIS IS REALLY KIND OF AN EXTREME EXAGGERATION IN THE MIDDLE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT COULD ALSO BECOME VERY REALISTIC.
WE FOR THE FIRST TIME ARE NO LONGER GOING TO UTILIZE THE GUTTER PAN AND THE BIKE LANE FOR SNOW STORAGE ON THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE ROAD.
WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO TAKE AND NOW MOVE MATERIAL FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT, WHICH SEEMS VERY ODD FOR SNOW OPERATIONS, BUT THIS COULD BE A TYPICAL CROSS-SECTION OF BUTLER AVENUE.
WE HAVE ADJACENT SIDEWALK WITH NO PARKWAY.
WE HAVE A TYPICAL CONCRETE GUTTER PAN, A FOUR OR FIVE FOOT BIKE LANE.
YOU SEE A REFERENCE OF ABOUT ONE FOOT.
THE NEW BARRIER THAT WILL BE BETWEEN THE BICYCLE LANE AND THE TRAVEL LANE, WHICH WOULD BE THE SLOW LANE ON BUTLER EAST AND WEST.
[00:30:02]
THEY WILL BE MARKED WITH DELINEATORS.AND THEN WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE HAPPEN IS YOU WILL SEE US REMOVE MATERIAL FROM THE BIKE LANE AND ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY PUT IT INTO THE SLOW LANE.
WE CANNOT PUT IT ONTO ADJACENT PRIVATE PROPERTY OR THE PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU WILL SEE US MOVE THE MATERIAL FROM RIGHT TO LEFT USING SMALLER TRACTOR EQUIPMENT AND SNOW THROWERS.
WE WILL THEN FOLLOW THAT OPERATION UP WITH A PLOW TRUCK OR A TRADITIONAL STREETS PLOW TRUCK, LIKELY TWO OF THEM, AND THEY WILL MOVE THE MATERIAL IN A WIND ROW FASHION FROM RIGHT TO LEFT.
SO WE'LL COME ACROSS THE SLOW LANE, ACROSS THE FAST LANE AND THEN THE MAJORITY OF THE MATERIAL WE HOPE WILL BE IN THE MEDIAN.
BUT YOU'LL SEE IN A LARGER SCALE EVENT OR A MAYBE A COUPLE OF CONSECUTIVE EVENTS THAT SNOW STORAGE LOCATION OF THE MEDIANS ALONG BUTLER ARE GOING TO GET FILLED VERY QUICKLY.
SO WE DO ANTICIPATE SOME OVERFLOW WITHIN THE FAST LANE.
AND FOR FAIRWARNING, I THINK IT'S IT'S PROBABLY A LIKELY SCENARIO WHERE WE COULD SEE SOME TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ON THOSE LANES OF TRAVEL FOR TRAFFIC.
WE HAVE COMMITTED TO COMING IN DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS TO PERFORM SOME SNOW REMOVAL OPERATIONS IF WE START TO LOSE THOSE LANES.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT IS A LOWER PRIORITY OPERATION.
WE'LL WORK IT IN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, BUT DEFINITELY TAKES A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SUPPORT TO DO SNOW REMOVAL OPERATIONS IN AN AREA WHERE YOU HAVE TRADITIONALLY NOT DONE THAT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON SEPARATED BIKE LANES, THAT'S A BIG CHANGE.
WE DID FOLLOW UP WITH ADOT LAST WEEK, HAD A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT IMPACTS TO MILTON, BUT I THINK IT WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE SECTIONS MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU, SCOTT.
YEAH, INTERESTING PLAN, AND I'M REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE HOW THIS GOES.
I KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO REALLY DEPEND ON THE AMOUNT, THE VOLUME OF SNOW AND HOW REGULAR WE HAVE IT.
SO I THINK YOUR PREDICTIONS ARE ACCURATE.
BUT MY QUESTION IS YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE STRUGGLES WITH KEEPING THIS A PRIORITY ONE AND PRIORITY ONE LEVEL LEVEL OF SERVICE.
CAN YOU SPEAK MORE TO THE PLAN? IS IT DURING HIGH VOLUME OR NORMAL VOLUMES OR HIGH VOLUMES OF SNOW? IS THERE A CERTAIN AMOUNT IS TRIGGERED LIKE THE FOUR INCHES OR THE SIX INCHES? OR IS IT LIKE QUARTERLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY WE'RE GOING TO SEND THE BOBCAT OUT OR WHATEVER THE DEVICE IS? HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO KEEP THIS A LEVEL ONE? NO, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'VE WRESTLED WITH IT ON THE OPERATIONS SIDE INTERNALLY DISCUSSING THIS.
BUTLER CURRENTLY IS A PRIORITY ONE ROUTE, WHICH MEANS IT IS OPEN IMPASSABLE AT ALL TIMES AND IT HAS DEDICATED SERVICE.
WE DO HAVE EQUIPMENT ASSIGNED TO THE SEPARATED BIKE LANE.
WE KNOW IT'S TAKING RESOURCE AND IT'S DEDICATING IT TO BUTLER AND TO SOUTH BEAVER TO KEEP THIS AREA MAINTAINED.
I DO THINK WE COULD QUICKLY LEARN THAT IT IS PRETTY UNREALISTIC TO KEEP A DEDICATED PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IN THE SEPARATED BIKE LANE DURING A LARGE SCALE EVENT, FOR EXAMPLE.
I THINK IT IS FAIR TO THINK THAT IN A LARGER EVENT OR MAYBE MULTIPLE DURATION EVENT, WE COULD HAVE TO COME BACK AND HAVE SOME MODIFICATION WHERE ONCE AGAIN THE BIKE LANE BECOMES THE SNOW STORAGE LANE.
AND THEN WE MAY HAVE TO COME BACK A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER A STORM TO DO SOME CLEANUP AND SOME REMOVAL IN THE EVENT WE JUST GET OVERWHELMED.
WE'D LIKE TO KIND OF DO SOME EVALUATION, BUT I DO THINK THAT IN TIME WE'RE GOING TO SEE IT MAKES BETTER SENSE, MAYBE TO LET A STORM PASS COME BACK ON DAY TWO OR THREE FOLLOWING A STORM AND THEN DO A CLEAN UP OPERATION VERSUS TRYING TO KEEP IT OPEN AND PASSABLE AT ALL TIMES.
SO I DON'T WANT TO SIGNAL OR SAY TO YOU, WE AREN'T OPEN TO IT, BUT I DO THINK OPERATIONALLY IT WILL BE A STRUGGLE, AND I DO THINK THAT IT MIGHT MAKE BETTER SENSE TO SIMPLY WAIT A DAY OR TWO WHEN WE CAN REALLY CATCH IT UP AND PROVIDE THE BETTER LEVEL OF SERVICE.
IT ALSO WOULD ELIMINATE ALL OF THE STORAGE ON THE MEDIANS AND PROBABLY ELIMINATE AN OVERNIGHT HAUL OUT OPERATION.
I CAN SEE US WAITING A DAY OR TWO FOR CAR TRAFFIC.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT THAT.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO BICYCLE LANE, WHERE INDIVIDUALS A LOT MORE VULNERABLE TO A DIFFICULT GROUND, I HAVE STRUGGLES WITH THAT APPROACH.
I GUESS MY WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING CARS IN OUR SNOW OPERATIONS AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO ACCOMMODATE BICYCLISTS IN A NEW WAY, WHICH IS I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
BUT I STILL DON'T, I'M NOT HEARING, YOU KNOW, THE BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN FIRST APPROACH IN TERMS OF LIKE OUR VALUES SHINING THROUGH.
AND MAYBE THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT.
BUT IS THAT DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT TO YOU? NO, I CERTAINLY HEAR YOUR COMMENTS.
[00:35:04]
I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, AND THIS IS THE REASON FOR THE PILOT, IS WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE TWO VERY DELICATE OPERATIONAL PIECES AND PRIORITIZING ONE OVER THE OTHER IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE.SO EVEN IF I WERE TO PRIORITIZE THE BIKE LANE AND ONLY KEEP IT OPEN NOW, I'VE GOT TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC BACKED UP, YOU KNOW, ON ALL OF OUR AUXILIARY STREETS AND ALL OF OUR ROADWAY THOROUGHFARES.
I MEAN, I'VE GOT TO BALANCE ALL OF THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
SO I THINK WE'RE COMMITTED TO GIVING THIS AN EFFORT.
BUT YEAH, OUR SYSTEM GENERALLY IS PRIMARILY SET UP FOR AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC.
WE HAVE 30000 CARS A DAY THAT COME DOWN BUTLER.
AND I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT MY PRIORITY ONE SERVICE IN THAT LOCATION IS PRIORITY ONE SERVICE BECAUSE I'VE GOT TO MOVE 30000 CARS THROUGH A CORRIDOR AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE.
AND IT'S NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF A BICYCLE COMMUTER, IT'S JUST SIMPLY SHEER VOLUME.
AND I WANT TO GIVE THE HIGHEST AND BEST LEVEL OF SERVICE TO BUTLER FOR ALL DIFFERENT MODES.
BUT YEAH, I THINK REALISTICALLY HAVING THE 30000 CARS BACKED UP ON MILTON IS GOING TO BE PROBLEMATIC AS WELL.
I WAS JUST SAYING CLOSING, I THINK CARS CAN HANDLE SOME SNOW BUILD UP BETTER THAN CYCLISTS CAN, BUT YEAH, I HEAR YOU.
I STRUGGLE WITH WITH THE COMMENTS THAT I'M HEARING, BUT IT IS WHAT IT IS AND I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AND EFFORT ON THIS.
I HOPE WE CAN FIND A WAY TO KEEP THOSE THOSE BIKE LANES CLEARED.
YEAH, AMY WILL ATTEST I'VE LOCKED THE PARKS GROUP AND THE PUBLIC WORKS GROUP TOGETHER FOR MULTIPLE MEETINGS AND OPERATIONAL DISCUSSIONS, AND WE'VE BEEN REALLY CLEAR WITH THE GOALS AND THE OBJECTIVES, AND WE'VE WE'VE TRIED TO PUT A LOT OF RESOURCE AND EFFORT TOWARDS IT.
WE'RE GOING TO LEARN A LOT THIS YEAR, AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THERE'S NO ONE IN THE GROUP THAT HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, WE JUST AREN'T GOING TO DO IT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT TYPE OF AN APPROACH, BUT WE NEED SOME TIME TO MAKE SURE WE CAN FIGURE OUT AN OPERATION THAT WORKS FOR ALL MODES OF TRAVEL.
SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO THAT AND I DON'T KNOW IF I WENT OVERBOARD WITH THAT GROUP, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, IT'S A VERY, VERY DIFFERENT OPERATION AND IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING BUSINESS THAN WE'VE EVER DONE ON MAJOR PRIORITY ONE ROUTES.
AND JEFF BOWMAN IN TRAFFIC IS KEEPING TRACK A LOT OF THAT DATA FOR US AND A LOT OF THAT, YOU KNOW, HARD EVIDENCE THAT WILL HELP US MAKE A FURTHER DECISION DOWN THE ROAD.
SO POST-STORM, THERE ARE ALWAYS ACTIVITIES TO DO, SO PEOPLE THINK, OH, IT'S QUIT SNOWING, WE CAN GO SLEDDING, IT'S ALL FUN AND GAMES AND OVER.
SO MUCH POST-STORM, COMMUNITY WIDE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITY THAT WILL CONTINUE FOR DAYS AND WEEKS AFTER A STORM, ESPECIALLY LARGE STORMS. IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WE DO PERIODIC HAULING OPERATIONS.
WE NORMALLY CAN LET ONE OR TWO, MAYBE THREE STORMS STACK UP DOWNTOWN.
BUT YOU'LL NOTICE WHERE THE PARKING STALLS START TO GET REAL TIGHT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN CARS ARE PUSHING INTO THE TRAFFIC TRAVEL LANES.
WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND PHYSICALLY REMOVE SNOW, SO WE'LL SET UP A NIGHT OPERATION.
WE'LL MOVE SNOW FROM THE CURB LINE INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
WE USE A LARGE TRUCK MOUNTED SNOW BLOWER AND WE HAUL ALL OF THE SNOW OUT OF SOUTH, DOWNTOWN AND NORTH DOWNTOWN.
HAPPENS THREE OR FOUR TIMES A YEAR.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO GET OUT AND SEE IT, WE'LL MAKE SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF IT.
BUT IT'S LABOR INTENSIVE, TIME INTENSIVE, AND WE REALLY ONLY DO IT FIVE, SIX, MAYBE EIGHT DAYS AFTER WINTER STORM EVENTS.
AND ONCE THEY'RE BUILT UP TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN GET TO THEM AND EVERYONE'S RESTED, BE ABLE TO GO AND DO THAT SAFELY.
YOU'LL SEE US CONTINUE TO GO BACK AND CHECK IN ON THOSE BIKE LANES AND MAKE SURE THAT THE SEPARATED AREAS ARE CLEAN.
WE HAVE ICE CINDERS THAT ARE GOING TO ACCUMULATE IN THESE LANES.
WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND SWEEP THEM.
SO THAT'LL BE A NEW COMMUNITY WIDE INITIATIVE POST STORM.
OFTENTIMES CUL DE SACS, YOU'LL SEE WHERE WE KIND OF MAKE A ROUND DONUT IS WHAT WE CALL IT.
AFTER A COUPLE, THREE STORMS HAVE TO COME BACK AND STACK A CUL DE SAC UP FOR SNOW STORAGE BECAUSE WE'D RUN OUT OF ROOM FOR SAFE TURNAROUND TIMES AND TURN AROUND MOVEMENTS.
SO YOU'LL SEE US REMOVE THAT MATERIAL AS WE GET TIME.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SAY, WELL, THAT'S A WASTE OF TIME, EFFORT AND FUEL, AND I WILL TELL YOU IT'S QUITE THE OPPOSITE.
IT ACTUALLY PROTECTS OUR ASPHALT.
HAVING THAT PILE OF SNOW SIT ON THE CUL DE SAC JUST CREATES A FREEZE THAW EFFECT AND REALLY DAMAGES THE ASPHALT.
SO YOU'LL SEE OFTENTIMES IN THE ASPHALT KIND OF THIS CRACKING IN THIS DISTRESS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET.
IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN PILES OF SNOW SITTING THERE FOR MONTHS ON END.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY IN OUR CITY'S BEST INTEREST TO TRY TO GET THAT SNOW REMOVED WHEN WE CAN.
BUT FRANKLY, THAT TAKES ABOUT TWO MONTHS OF EFFORT TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, AND WE'LL JUST SEND A COUPLE LOADERS OUT AND DUMP TRUCKS AND START GETTING THAT OUT OF THERE NORMALLY END OF SEASON.
INTERSECTION CLEANUP AND PUSHBACK, WE DO THIS AT NIGHT.
IT'S WHEN YOU SEE THE TURN LANE STARTING TO DISAPPEAR, YOU START TO SEE THE CORNERS BEING SWEPT TOO WIDE.
OUR RULE OF THUMB IS YOU PLOW IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
BUT OFTENTIMES, AFTER A COUPLE OF STORMS, EVERYTHING STARTS TO PUSH OUT TO THE
[00:40:01]
MIDDLE.YOU'LL SEE US COME BACK AND PUSH ALL THOSE INTERSECTIONS BACK.
WE DO GET A FAIR AMOUNT OF CONCERNS OR COMPLAINTS ABOUT SOMETIMES WE'LL PUSH ONTO A SIDEWALK OR INTO A BUSINESS.
WE REALLY DO TRY TO AVOID THAT AND WE TRY TO WORK WITH OUR NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNERS.
BUT IT DOES HAPPEN FROM TIME TO TIME DURING CLEANUP OPERATIONS WHERE WE WILL UNINTENTIONALLY MAYBE MOVE A PILE BACK INTO A LOCATION UPSET SOME FOLKS.
SO WE WE TRY TO BE AS COURTEOUS AS POSSIBLE THERE, BUT REALLY IT IS TO OPEN UP AN INTERSECTION AND DO SOME CLEANUP WORK.
WE ALWAYS HAVE LOTS OF SIGNAGE AND DAMAGE REPAIRS AND AVERAGE STORMS ABOUT 15 TO 20 TRAFFIC SIGNS.
REMEMBER, THERE'S FIFTEEN THOUSAND OF THEM IN OUR INVENTORY.
SO BROKEN STOP SIGNS, BROKEN ACCIDENT TYPE DAMAGE THAT CREW WILL START WORKING ON THAT STUFF IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A STORM.
I MENTIONED PROLONGED ICE CONTROL AND TROUBLE SPOTS AND THEN A BIG ONE.
WE HAVE PUT A TON OF EFFORT TOWARDS THE LAST TWO YEARS AND I AM PROUD TO SAY THEY'VE REALLY MADE STRIDES IN THIS PROGRAM.
WE NOW SWEEP IN BETWEEN EVERY EVENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE US PLOW CINDER AND LITERALLY SWEEP WITHIN THE SAME WEEK.
WE ONLY HAVE FIVE SWEEPERS AND 20 PLOW TRUCKS.
OF THOSE FIVE, WE ONLY RUN THREE FULL TIME.
SO JUST DOING THE SHEER MATH IN YOUR HEAD, IT TAKES US DAYS TO CLEAN UP ROUTES THAT HAVE BEEN HIT BY 20 PLOW TRUCKS MULTIPLE TIMES A NIGHT.
SO ICE CINDERS SWEEPING IS ALWAYS A PRIORITY FOR OUR SWEEPER OPERATORS.
AND THEN WE, OF COURSE, PRIORITIZE BIKE LANES AND INTERSECTIONS PRIMARILY FIRST, AND THAT'S TYPICALLY WHERE THE MATERIAL IS TENDS TO WIND ITSELF UP IN THE EDGE OF THE ROAD IN THE BIKE LANE.
SO IT'S A PRETTY EASY PRIORITY FOR US, BUT WE DO LIKE TO SWEEP AND IT CERTAINLY SAVES US TIME ON THE END OF SEASON.
SO ONE THING WE'D ASK OF OUR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PARTNERS AND FOR OPERATION DURING SNOW EVENTS.
WE COMMUNICATE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
WE GET A LOT OF ACTIVITY FROM OUR MEDIA OUTLETS.
SO WE'LL DO A LOT OF INTERVIEWS.
WE'LL DO A LOT OF JUST INFORMAL OUTREACH ABOUT PREPARATIONS, BUT WE DO ASK OUR GENERAL PUBLIC TO LIMIT TRAVEL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
JUST GOES FOR NOT ONLY OUR COMMUTING PUBLIC AND CARS, BUT ALSO THOSE BICYCLE TRAVELERS, RIGHT? I MEAN, IF THEY CAN GIVE US A DAY OR TWO TO GET THESE THINGS CLEANED UP, THAT HELPS US OUT A BUNCH IF THEY'RE IN THE ROADWAY WITH US DURING OPERATIONS, WE ARE STUCK IN TRAFFIC JUST LIKE OUR COMMUTING PUBLIC, SO IF THEY CAN LIMIT TRAVEL, WE SAW SOME GREAT SUCCESSES LAST YEAR.
MOST PEOPLE WERE HOME DURING THE PANDEMIC AND WE SAW A LOWER TRAFFIC VOLUMES AND WE ACTUALLY CLEANED STREETS FASTER.
SO OFTENTIMES THEY MAY CANCEL SCHOOL.
IT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME IN THE MORNING AND THEN OF COURSE, KEEPS ALL OF OUR STUDENT TRAFFIC AND BUSSES OFF THE ROAD, AT LEAST FOR A DAY OR TWO.
PROVIDE SAFE DISTANCES AND STAY ALERT.
WE RESPOND TO A LOT OF ACCIDENTS, AS DOES OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND OFTENTIMES IT'S JUST INATTENTION OR FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY.
SLICK AND HAZARDOUS ROADWAYS, WE WANT IT TO BE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE, BUT OBVIOUSLY CARS DO NOT TRAVEL LIKE THEY NORMALLY DO ON ICY CONDITIONS.
AND THEN THE BIG ONE THAT ALWAYS GETS A LOT OF TALK AND WE'LL START ADVERTISING THIS REALLY HEAVY THIS WEEK.
WINTER PARKING ORDINANCE BEGINS ON THE 1ST NEXT MONDAY.
THERE WILL BE NO PARKING ON CITY STREETS.
FROM THE FIRST OF NOVEMBER TILL APRIL 1ST AND CITYWIDE MIDNIGHT, SEVEN A.M.
DOWNTOWN HAS A FEW EXCEPTIONS BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE LATE CLOSURES OF BUSINESSES IN THE AREA.
THERE ARE GENERALLY THREE A.M.
TO SEVEN A.M.. AND THEN IT'S ALSO WORTH NOTING WE DO KNOW AND RECOGNIZE, JUST LIKE LAST YEAR AND THE YEAR PRIOR.
WE HAVE SOME SHORT TERM FLOODING MITIGATION INSTALLED IN SUNNY SIDE, GRANDVIEW, LINDA VISTA AREAS, PARADISE.
YOU'RE ALL VERY FAMILIAR WITH THOSE.
THEY'RE KIND OF A SPECIAL AND A UNIQUE DISTRICT.
WE WORK WITH OUR OPERATORS IN THOSE AREAS TO UNDERSTAND THERE WILL BE OBSTACLES.
WE UNDERSTAND THERE'S PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOST ACCESS TO ALL PARKING.
WE GENERALLY TRY TO ASSIST THOSE RESIDENTS AND GIVE THEM SOME RELIEF FROM CITATION OR FROM TOWING.
WE UNDERSTAND THEY'RE IN AN IMPOSSIBLE PREDICAMENT.
SO FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, IT'S WORKED OUT WELL.
WE COMMUNICATE WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT FRIENDS AND WE GENERALLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK OUT WITH ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THOSE AFFECTED AREAS, A PRETTY GOOD RELATIONSHIP.
THE ONE CAVEAT I PROVIDE IS WE ALSO WANT TO PROVIDE SERVICE.
SO IF IT'S JAMMED UP WITH CARS ON BOTH SIDES AND WE PHYSICALLY CAN'T FIT A PLOW TRUCK DOWN THE STREET, THAT DOESN'T HELP ANYBODY.
SO SOMETIMES THEY'VE BEEN HELPFUL BY PARKING ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET.
WE GET THEM ALL TO MOVE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET WILL COME BY AND RUN THE PLOW A FEW TIMES.
BUT THE RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD ABOUT WORKING WITH US, AND WE JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S A VERY CHALLENGING AREA WILL BE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
BUT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO NOT ONLY PRESERVE AND PROTECT THE SHORT TERM MITIGATIONS THAT ARE IN PLACE AND NOT RUN INTO THEM AND PLOW THEM UP, BUT ALSO GIVE THOSE CITIZENS SOME COMFORT KNOWING THAT YOU KNOW THEY'RE IN AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION.
[00:45:03]
WE DO KEEP A FULL WEBSITE ON THE PUBLIC WORKS STREET SIDE, THERE'S A FULL SNOW SECTION THAT TALKS ABOUT BICYCLES AND PEDESTRIANS AND SNOW ORDINANCES AND PARKING ORDINANCES.WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO, THE NUMBERS TO CALL THAT IS ON OUR CITY WEBSITE, PUBLIC WORKS PAGE, SO BE SURE TO CHECK THAT OUT FOR INFORMATION IF YOU NEED IT.
OUR RESIDENTS CAN ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT PAGE.
AND THEN I REALLY HAVE NOTHING ELSE FOR YOU TONIGHT UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO FIELD THOSE FOR YOU.
THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU, SCOTT.
YOU KNOW, WE HEAR A LOT FROM PEDESTRIANS TRYING TO GET WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.
YEAR BEFORE LAST, I SAW A PERSON USING A WHEELCHAIR TRYING TO NAVIGATE THIS BUILT UP ICE ON THE SIDEWALK ON CEDAR.
WHAT'S WHAT IS THE PROCESS WHEN A PEDESTRIAN COMES ACROSS AN AREA THAT IS REALLY IMPASSABLE FOR THEM? YEAH, SO EXCELLENT QUESTION.
PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CHALLENGE.
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF AN ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER TO CLEAR THE SIDEWALK OF ALL OBSTACLES, AND THAT INCLUDES BRUSH, CINDERS, SNOW ICE AND KEEP IT PASSABLE.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN THE LAST 10 OR 12 YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OF COMMUNITY REALIZING THAT THERE IS A TRUE RESPONSIBILITY AND PITCHING IN AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER AND AS A RESIDENT OR A NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNER TO KEEP YOUR SIDEWALKS CLEAN AND OPEN AND PASSABLE.
WE AS WELL WOULD PREFER TO SEE SCHOOLCHILDREN AND PEOPLE THAT NEED SIDEWALK ACCESS ON THE SIDEWALKS, NOT IN THE STREET.
WE DO HAVE SOME CHALLENGES IN THE ADOT THOROUGHFARES.
THEY ARE THE MAIN ROUTES THROUGH TOWN, MILTON AND SIXTY SIX.
THEY HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT PLOWING PROCEDURE.
WE WORK WITH THEM ANNUALLY, BUT THEY HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT MODEL.
SO A LOT OF TIMES WE'LL SEE SOME OF THE GREATEST IMPACTS IN THE BUSINESS CORRIDORS WHERE THEY PLOW, CURB TO CURB AND A LOT OF THE SNOW AND MATERIAL WINDS UP ON ADJACENT SIDEWALKS.
IT DOES NOT ALLEVIATE THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNER THAT RESPONSIBILITY, BUT WE DO TRY TO GIVE THEM SOME TIME TO GET IT CLEANED UP.
REGGIE AND CODE ENFORCEMENT IS GREAT ABOUT STARTING TO FOLLOW UP WITH THEM.
WE KIND OF LOOK AT TEMPERATURES AND SUNSHINE, AND WE TRY TO POSITIVELY ENCOURAGE.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, I THINK REGGIE WOULD REPORT WE HAVE OVERALL PRETTY GOOD COMPLIANCE.
AND THEN THERE'S ALWAYS A HANDFUL OF FOLKS THAT ARE JUST ADAMANTLY AGAINST CONTINUING TO PARTICIPATE, AND WE HAVE SOME TOOLS THAT WE CAN USE THAT ARE A LITTLE MORE PUNITIVE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE IS NO REALISTIC OPTION FOR THE CITY TO PLOW OR TO PROVIDE SERVICE FOR EVERY SIDEWALK.
IT'S AN ASK OF OUR COMMUNITY ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS TO BE ASSISTIVE AND REALLY TRY TO PUT SOME EFFORT TOWARDS THAT.
THERE'S LOTS OF PRIVATE COMPANIES THAT DO PROVIDE SERVICE.
I KNOW WE PROVIDE A LOT OF THOSE RESOURCES TO A COMMUNITY THAT ASKS, SO THAT HELPS.
BUT WE'VE NEVER FOUND A WAY TO SOLVE ALL OF THE PROBLEMS CITYWIDE, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK AT IT.
AND IT'S GOTTEN BETTER, BUT I CERTAINLY HEAR YOU AND WISH THERE WERE A REAL EASY ANSWER TO SAY, HERE'S HOW IT GETS DONE.
IT'S JUST TWENTY SEVEN THOUSAND DRIVEWAYS WITH A LOT OF EFFORT AND A LOT OF ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS THAT IF STAY ON IT CAN NORMALLY STAY PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
AND THAT KIND OF GOES TO OUR PRACTICE.
WE TRY NOT TO PUT THE WIND ROW MATERIAL ON THE SIDEWALK AND WE PUT IT IN THE GUTTER PAN.
JUST FOR THOSE REASONS, IT'S REALLY UNFAIR TO ASK A RESIDENT OF AN AREA TO SHOVEL OFF, YOU KNOW, FIVE FEET OF SNOW WHEN IT WAS A ONE FOOT STORM.
BUT IT DOES HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY IN OUR MORE DENSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
PONDEROSA TRAILS, YOU HEIGHTS, PRESIDIO, TIMBER SKY.
OFTENTIMES, THE STREETS ARE JUST SO NARROW.
WE DO END UP GETTING SOME MATERIAL ON SIDEWALKS, BUT I'M OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS AND HAPPY TO HEAR THE BIG SOLUTION WE CAN COME UP WITH.
BUT NATIONWIDE, THIS IS CHALLENGING EVERY SEASON.
LET'S HOPE THAT WE ALL CONTINUE TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS TO EACH OTHER AND PROPERTY OWNERS.
THE QUESTION, WHEN WE HAUL SNOW FROM DOWNTOWN AND SO FORTH, WHERE DO WE TAKE IT? I'M JUST CURIOUS.
ONE OF THEM IS NEAR THE AIRPORT.
WE HAVE A LARGE AREA THAT IS IN A KIND OF A RIPARIAN SLASH, YOU KNOW, STORM WATER TYPE AREA.
IT'S TYPICALLY GOOD PLACE TO PUT SNOW.
IT IS NOT REAL CONDUCIVE TO SNOW PLAY.
IT'S GOT CINDERS IN IT OFTENTIMES.
SO IT'S KIND OF DIRTY LOOKING ONCE WE HAUL IT.
SO I'LL GO TO THE AIRPORT AND THEN WE HAVE AN EAST SIDE LOCATION FOR EAST SIDE PICKUPS OUT TOWARDS WILDCAT HILL.
I'LL JUMP BACK IN, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
[00:50:01]
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE POLICY AROUND CINDERING AND SNOW OPERATIONS? IS IT FOUR INCHES THAT TYPICALLY TRIGGERS THAT? SURE.SO THE PRIORITY ONE ROUTES OPEN AND PASSABLE AT ALL TIMES.
SO AS SOON AS YOU SEE ACCUMULATION, WE START PLOWING IF IT'S A HALF INCH AND IT'S GOING TO MELT IN THREE HOURS.
OBVIOUSLY, WE DON'T DROP A PLOW.
I MEAN, THERE'S SOME COMMON SENSE THAT'S USED HERE, BUT MAIN THOROUGHFARES REALLY DO RECEIVE SERVICE FAIRLY QUICKLY IN TERMS OF CENTERING ON THE MAIN THOROUGHFARES.
WE ONLY WANT TO USE IT AT THE MOST TROUBLESOME SPOTS.
SO DURING AN ICE EVENT, MAYBE AN INTERSECTION, A SHADED SPOT, A CORNER OR A HILL, MAYBE IF WE JUST GO AND WE PUT CINDERS ON EVERY SINGLE STREET IN THE COMMUNITY, IT'S NOT NECESSARY ONE.
SO IT'S INEFFICIENT AND IT'S ALSO EXPENSIVE TO CLEAN UP.
SO WE REALLY TRY TO USE THOSE SPARINGLY TO THE AMOUNT OR THE ACCUMULATIONS THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT NUMBERS.
SO SECONDARY ROUTES, NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE, IT TRIGGERS AT FOUR INCHES DURING OUR WARMER WINTER MONTHS, SO EARLY SEASON AND LATE SEASON.
A LITTLE BIT OF COMMON SENSE HERE, TOO.
WE CAN LET IT ACCUMULATE TO ABOUT FOUR INCHES BEFORE WE'RE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE, WHICH IS FAIRLY REASONABLE AND WHAT WE'VE FOUND TO BE PRETTY TYPICAL.
IF IT'S A THREE INCH STORM, NOT A LOT OF NEED.
THE EXCEPTION IS IN OUR COLDEST OF MONTHS, DECEMBER AND JANUARY.
SOMETIMES WE'LL WATCH THE WEATHER AND A THREE INCH EVENT THAT BECOMES SNOW PACK AND ICE THAT ISN'T GOING TO MELT FOR TWO WEEKS IS TROUBLE FOR US TWO WEEKS LATER.
SO OFTENTIMES AT THREE INCHES, WE WILL PROVIDE RESIDENTIAL SERVICE IN THE COLDEST OF MONTHS TO SIMPLY GET THE MATERIAL OFF THE ROAD SO IT'S NOT GOING TO MELT AND THEN WE CAN BE READY FOR THE NEXT STORM AND THAT'S NOT HAVING ACCUMULATION OF PROBLEMS. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, I'M A LITTLE BIT OPEN TO WHERE I CALL THREE AND FOUR INCHES, SOMETIMES WE'LL HAVE FOUR OR FIVE INCHES IN PONDEROSA TRAILS AND TWO INCHES ON THE EAST SIDE, SO WE MIGHT PROVIDE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE IN PONDEROSA TRAILS BECAUSE IT MAKES SENSE.
BUT IN CONTINENTAL, IT REALLY DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.
SO WE JUST TRY TO BE SMART ABOUT HOW WE DISPATCH UNITS.
BUT THREE AND FOUR INCHES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS ABOUT THAT THRESHOLD YOU SHOULD START TO SEE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICE.
YEAH, I WASN'T SURE IF TONIGHT WAS THE RIGHT TIME TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT LIKE IF COUNCIL DID HAVE THE WILL TO ADJUST THAT POLICY AT ALL OR IF WE WANTED JUST TO STAY ON TRACK.
PERSONALLY, I'M OPEN TO ADJUSTMENTS TO THE POLICY.
I KNOW WE'RE BASICALLY KNOCKING ON THE WINTER'S DOOR HERE AT THIS POINT, SO I DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO ADJUST AT THIS MOMENT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU'VE WORKED HARD TO BE READY FOR THIS.
BUT SO YOU TWO ARE SIMILAR TO OUR TEAM.
I WOULD BE INTERESTED AT SOME POINT TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE POLICY.
YEAH, I'D SUGGEST IT'S PROBABLY NOT TONIGHT.
YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S MORE OF A READINESS SESSION.
AND I THINK ON THE ACTUAL SNOW POLICY, WE'D BE BETTER SERVED TO HAVE THE ACTUAL POLICY IN FRONT OF US TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S IN PLACE.
WE COULD SET IT UP WHEN I DON'T LIKE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IS IN JANUARY DURING A SNOW EVENT.
I MEAN, IT JUST IT TYPICALLY DOESN'T GO AS WELL AS WHEN YOU'RE NOT NECESSARILY FOCUSED ON A WINTER STORM.
WE'VE ALL KIND OF LIVED THROUGH THOSE WORK SESSIONS THAT ARE DIFFICULT IN RESPONSE, RIGHT? BUT YEAH, I'D BE AT THE COUNCIL'S PREROGATIVE AND YOUR AGENDA SCHEDULE, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE OR WORK SESSION TO TALK THROUGH AND MAYBE EVEN JUST A QUICK EMAIL OF THE THINGS YOU'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO ADJUST.
MAYBE WE'VE ALREADY HAVE THEM ADJUSTED THAT MIGHT HELP WITHOUT BRINGING IT TO A FULL WORK SESSION DISCUSSION, IF THAT MAYBE IS THE BEST PLACE TO START FOR YOU.
YEAH, MAYBE WE CAN START WITH JUST SOME MEETING AND GO FROM THERE.
AND JUST IN GENERAL, I'M LOOKING AT LAX OUR POLICY AROUND OUR RESPONSE A LITTLE BIT WHEREVER IT IS APPROPRIATE.
IS THERE A WAY FOR THE PUBLIC TO REPORT THINGS THAT THEY SEE? YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF EMAILS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS ABOUT BIKE LANES SPECIFICALLY, BUT IT'S A PUBLIC WAY TO JUST REPORT THAT DIRECTLY FOR THE PUBLIC.
WELL, THEY REPORT A TYPICAL SNOW EVENT.
WE'LL HAVE ABOUT TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY CALLS, HUNDREDS OF EMAILS.
SOME ARE VERY POSITIVE, ENCOURAGING AND THANKFUL, AND A LOT ARE VERY CRITICAL AND THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT TO READ FROM TIME TO TIME.
YOU FEEL BAD FOR SOME OF OUR OPERATORS ARE REALLY TRYING HARD, BUT THERE'S A DISCONNECT THERE.
WE'RE OPEN TO THOSE CRITICISMS. I THINK THE BEST AVENUE IS EITHER THE CALL TO THE PUBLIC WORKS NUMBER, AND THAT'S TWO ONE THREE TWO THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED.
WE WILL FIELD ALL THOSE CALLS.
WE RETURN THOSE CALLS THAT ARE ALL CATALOGED.
THEY'RE TRACKED IN A DATABASE.
THE OTHER ONE AND IT DOES WORK WELL, IS THE EMAIL SYSTEM.
OFTENTIMES, IT DOESN'T BE AS IMMEDIATE AS PEOPLE WOULD LIKE BECAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR MIND, AN EMERGENCY AND WE GET IT.
[00:55:02]
BUT I THINK IT IS HELPFUL IN PARTICULAR WHEN THERE ARE SINCERE OBSERVATIONS LIKE HERE'S SOMETHING WE SAW THAT REALLY COULD USE SOME IMPROVEMENT.WE WORK FOR THE PUBLIC AND I THINK WE TAKE ALL OF THAT ADVICE AND UNDERSTANDING.
AND SOMETIMES IT PROVIDES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN WHY IT ISN'T ALWAYS THAT WAY.
AND MAYBE IT ISN'T SOMETHING WE HAVE OVERLOOKED.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY OPERATIONALLY SOMETHING THAT OCCURS.
SO FOR US, SOMETIMES IT'S AN EDUCATIONAL MOMENT AS WELL.
YOU MENTIONED DATA ON CAR VOLUME.
DO WE HAVE DATA ON PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLE MOVEMENT? THAT WOULD BE A JEFF BAUMAN QUESTION IN TRAFFIC ENGINEERING, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE HAS FOR.
IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHAT AREA AND WHAT HE'S LOOKING FOR, BUT HIM AND MARTIN INCE COLLECT A LOT OF COUNT DATA.
OK, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE DATA I'M LOOKING FOR, BUT HOPEFULLY MAYBE SOON.
BUT YEAH, OK, THAT THAT THAT HELPS.
UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATION, I WAS THINKING WE COULD DO A SERIES OF GRAPHICS POTENTIALLY TO BETTER COMMUNICATE AND MANAGE EXPECTATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY, SOMETIMES JUST PROVIDING THEM WITH, YOU KNOW, QUALITY GRAPHICS THAT PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
NOT OVERWHELMING WITH INFORMATION, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST CLEARLY COMMUNICATE CAN HELP MANAGE SOME OF THE TENSIONS AND NERVES OF THE PUBLIC THAT YOU KNOW SUBMIT THOSE EMAILS AND COMMENTS.
DO YOU THINK THAT'S A DOABLE? THINK, YOU KNOW, WE TRY.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT, IT'S TO KIND OF PREPARE THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER OR NOT A LOT OF FOLKS SEE IT WILL DO A LOT OF COMMUNICATION THROUGH SARAH LANGLEY'S OFFICE AND THE PIO.
WE'VE TRIED SOME FACEBOOK STUFF IN THE PAST.
THEY'VE GOT THE TWITTER ACCOUNT.
SOME OF THOSE PLATFORMS ARE EFFECTIVE.
FRANKLY, ONCE I KIND OF GET INTO OPERATIONS MODE, IT'S A PIECE THAT OFTENTIMES DOESN'T GET OVERLOOKED, BUT IT'S JUST ALMOST OVERWHELMING TO TRY TO RESPOND TO THOSE.
BUT YEAH, I THINK WE'D BE OPEN TO ANY TYPE OF PLATFORM THAT HELPS GET THE WORD OUT AND THEN JUST LETS US OPERATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICALLY THINKING ABOUT THE PEDESTRIANS AND COMMUNICATING ABOUT ADJACENT PARCELS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
SO JUST COMMUNICATING, HEY, REMINDER YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO CLEAR THAT SIDEWALK, THAT KIND OF COMMUNICATION, I THOUGHT, WOULD BE GOOD TOO, BECAUSE 30 PERCENT OF A POPULATION WE KNOW DOESN'T HAVE A VEHICLE.
SO THEY'RE RELYING ON THOSE WALKWAYS AND BIKE LANES TO GET AROUND.
AND YEAH, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THEM TOO.
OK, MY LAST QUESTION IS FOR OUR CITY MANAGER, ACTUALLY.
PUT YOU ON THE SPOT FOR A QUICK SECOND.
MAJOR, WITH YOUR BACKGROUND IN COLORADO.
CAN YOU JUST SPEAK BRIEFLY TO HOW THIS HOW OUR APPROACH COMPARES HOW OUR PRIORITIZATION OF ROADS VERSUS BICYCLISTS VERSUS PEDESTRIAN? HAVE YOU SEEN SIMILAR THINGS TO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND WHERE THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER IS RESPONSIBLE? AND HAS THAT BEEN SUCCESSFUL? HOW DO YOU BEST SET UP PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS FOR SUCCESS DURING THE WINTER MONTHS IN A TOWN IN COLORADO THAT YOU'VE BEEN WITNESSED, THAT YOU'VE WITNESSED? IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
YES, AND THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER, I THINK IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO OUR PROTOCOL.
IT LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE COMMUNITIES I'VE SERVED IN COLORADO, AND THAT SHOULD BE OF NO SURPRISE.
THEY ARE MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES JUST LIKE FLAGSTAFF.
THE CONDITIONS ARE VERY SIMILAR.
THE DIFFERENCES MIGHT BE IN THE RESORT COMMUNITIES.
SNOW BRINGS ABOUT A DIFFERENT MENTALITY AND EXCITEMENT AMONG THE VISITORS WHO ARE ALMOST ALWAYS THERE TO SKI OR DO SOMETHING IN THE OUTDOORS, AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY AN IMPEDIMENT TO GETTING FROM A TO B, BUT RATHER A REASON TO GET TO THE LIFT AN HOUR EARLY.
SO THE IT REALLY DOES VARY IN THAT REGARD.
BUT WITH THAT EXCEPTION, EVERYTHING ELSE IS QUITE SIMILAR AS TO THE LATTER OR THEY PART OF THE QUESTION ABOUT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNERS, PROPERTY OWNERS, ADJOINING SIDEWALKS? YES, THAT'S THAT'S A COMMON LAW, FRANKLY, AND SOMETHING THAT MOST PEOPLE GET USED TO THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES ARE, YOU KNOW, THE CORNER RAMPS AND THE INTERSECTIONS THEY GET CLEARED FOR BY THE EQUIPMENT.
THE SIDEWALKS ARE CLEARED, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS A BERM, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD IMPEDE PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLE TRAFFIC.
THAT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES AND TYPICALLY WOULD BE ADDRESSED IN TELLURIDE, WE FORMED A HANDS CREW, MUCH LIKE AMY'S CREW.
IT WAS A SHOVELS CREW THAT WENT OUT AFTERWARD AND STARTED ADDRESSING THOSE ISOLATED AREAS THAT TENDED TO SEE AN ACCUMULATION OF SNOW.
[01:00:01]
AS TO THE BIKE AND PED QUESTION.YOU KNOW, WHERE THE LIKE, MUCH LIKE OUR FUTS TRAILS, WHERE THEY ARE COMPLETELY SEPARATE AND WHEN THEY ARE PAVED, AS AMY MENTIONED, THE EQUIPMENT GOES OUT AND CLEARS THOSE AND THOSE WOULD SEE CONSIDERABLE USAGE, BOTH FROM A TRANSPORTATION AND RECREATIONAL STANDPOINT.
WE DID NOT HAVE MANY INSTANCES IN THE COMMUNITIES I SERVED, WHERE THERE WERE BIKE LANES IN THE ROADWAYS AS WE HAVE THAT WERE CLEARED AS A MATTER OF PRIORITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, LIKE OUR NEW PILOT PROJECT HERE, THIS WE'RE TREADING ON NEW GROUND HERE.
SO WE'LL I'LL BE INTERESTED IN SEEING THE SUCCESSES IN AND FRANKLY, THE FAILURES THAT SO THAT WE LEARN FROM THEM.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING AND THANK YOU.
COUNCIL AND MAYOR, I APPRECIATE AND THANK YOU, SCOTT AND AMY.
THANK YOU ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU ALL, AND THANK YOU TO REBECCA AND AMY, OUR PARTNERS OVER IN PARK, SO WE COULDN'T DO WITHOUT THEM AND OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF MOVING PARTS DURING WINTER OPERATIONS.
AND AS CRAZY AS IT SOUNDS, OPERATIONS IS REALLY FUN, BUT IT CAN BE TAXING.
AND SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT THE SEASON, LET US KNOW.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, HAPPY TO HAVE YOU ON A RIDE ALONG OR COME THROUGH A SHIFT.
IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING OPERATION IF YOU GET THE TIME.
I'M HAPPY TO ACCOMMODATE YOU TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT THIS SEASON.
[8. Discussion Regarding Possible Revisions to City Council Rules of Procedure and Consideration of Un-Suspension of the Rules STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION: Discussion and possible direction]
ALL RIGHT.THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER EIGHT DISCUSSION REGARDING POSSIBLE REVISIONS TO CITY COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE AND CONSIDERATION OF UNSUSPENSION OF THE RULES.
[INAUDIBLE] DID YOU GET THE UPDATED ONE? OK? IT'S WHAT WE ADDED IN THE PROCLAMATION ASPECT, SO IT KICKED THE NUMBER.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
LITTLE SHORTER AND SOFTER SPOKEN THAN SCOTT, SO I'M GOING TO JUST READJUST HERE.
SO MY NAME IS STACEY SALTZBURG.
SO I'M HERE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR RULES OF PROCEDURE, YOUR RULES OF PROCEDURE AND TO TAKE SOME TIME TO CHECK BACK IN WITH YOU ON KIND OF WHAT WE HAVE SEEN SINCE WE'VE COME BACK TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS.
AND THEN PERHAPS WHAT WE MIGHT WANT TO CONTINUE DOING OR CHANGE GOING FORWARD.
SO, BACK IN AUGUST, I WAS BEFORE YOU TO DISCUSS THIS SAME TOPIC.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MEETING TIMES, AGENDA ORDER AND POTENTIALLY UNSUSPENDING THE RULES OF PROCEDURE.
AND AT THAT TIME, OUR COUNCIL DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO EVALUATE OUR HYBRID SYSTEM, SEE HOW THINGS WERE GOING THERE, AND ASKED ME TO COME BACK IN LATE OCTOBER TO AGAIN DO A CHECK IN AND KIND OF FIND OUT WHERE YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO GO WITH YOUR RULES.
ON APRIL 7TH, 2020, COUNCIL MADE THE DECISION TO SUSPEND RULE 5.01 TO PROVIDE SOME FLEXIBILITY IN OUR MEETINGS AS WE WERE ENTERING INTO A FULLY VIRTUAL SETTING.
SO IT ALLOWED SOME FLEXIBILITY IN TERMS OF TIME, HOW WE ORDERED OUR AGENDAS IN THOSE SORTS OF THINGS TO KIND OF ACCOMMODATE THE NEW STRUCTURE THAT WE WERE IN.
SO SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE BEEN HOLDING OUR MEETINGS AT THREE O'CLOCK PM.
THAT HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR ALL OF OUR MEETINGS.
AND WE'VE ALSO MADE SOME MODIFICATIONS TO THE ORDER OF OUR AGENDAS, SPECIFICALLY, MORE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS ARE KIND OF HAPPENING AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR AGENDA.
SO THINGS LIKE OUR COUNCIL LIAISON REPORTS, CITY MANAGER REPORT, COVID UPDATE, THOSE ARE HAPPENING KIND OF EARLIER IN THE MEETING WHERE MORE PUBLIC INTEREST ITEMS ARE HELD TO A LATTER PART OF THE AGENDA TO BETTER ACCOMMODATE THE PUBLIC.
AND SO FAR, WE WE SEEM TO THINK THAT THAT'S BEEN WORKING FAIRLY WELL.
WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES OR CONCERNS COME FROM THAT.
SORRY, I'M A LITTLE BIT BEHIND.
SO REALLY, AT THIS POINT, I'M HERE JUST TO AGAIN SEEK SOME DIRECTION FROM YOU AS COUNCIL AS HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO POTENTIALLY CONTINUE OPERATING OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS.
AGAIN AS A REMINDER, THESE ARE YOUR RULES, THESE ARE YOUR MEETINGS.
AND SO WE, AS STAFF ARE HERE TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR DESIRE AND HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THINGS CONTINUE OR CHANGE.
[01:05:01]
BUT SPECIFICALLY, WE ARE HERE TO ASK IF IF NOW IS THE TIME TO PERHAPS CONSIDER UNSUSPENDING THE RULES SO NOW THAT WE'VE MOVED INTO A HYBRID FORMAT? THEY'VE BEEN WORKING FAIRLY WELL.WE'VE BEEN SEEING PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN MULTIPLE FORMATS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
AND THEN ARE THERE MODIFICATIONS THAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO MAKE? SO DO WE WANT TO CONTINUE HOLDING OUR MEETINGS WITH A THREE O'CLOCK START TIME? IS THERE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO? AND THEN LASTLY, ANY OTHER CHANGES THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE MODIFICATIONS? I WILL NOTE THAT LATER IN TODAY'S MEETING, WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND SHOULD COUNCIL GIVE DIRECTION THAT THEY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH GETTING THAT INFORMATION, INPUT IT INTO OUR RULES OF PROCEDURE.
ANY CHANGES THAT COME FROM THIS DISCUSSION, ALONG WITH THAT ADDITION OF THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, WILL BE BROUGHT TO YOU IN ONE REVISION TO THE RULES OF PROCEDURE NEXT WEEK.
SO WITH THAT, I'M DONE WITH MY PART OF THE PRESENTATION, I JUST LOOK TO YOU FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR DIRECTION.
THANK YOU CITY CLERK, OPENING UP TO COUNCIL FOR INPUT.
UM, I'M OPEN TO SUSPENDING THE RULES AS LONG AS WE MODIFY THE NORMAL RULES TO REFLECT WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, WHICH I THINK IS MUCH BETTER THAN IT'S BEEN IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL AND I JUST THINK IT WORKS REALLY WELL, AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD MESS WITH IT ANY FURTHER.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT'S MY OPINION, IN A NUTSHELL, I'M SURE WE CAN GET MORE SPECIFIC [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I'M OK LEAVING THE RULES THE WAY THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, START THE MEETINGS AT THREE O'CLOCK WITH THE PROVISION THAT WE GET A BREAK OF 15-20 MINUTES AROUND DINNERTIME.
YOU KNOW, IF WE COME IN FOR AN E SESSION AT 11:00 OR 1:00 O'CLOCK, WHICH IS VERY COMMON, I CAN'T GO FROM 11 O'CLOCK TO NINE O'CLOCK WITHOUT GETTING SOMETHING TO EAT.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE PROVISIONS FOR A LUNCH BREAK IN THERE.
AND AS FAR AS IT WAS KIND OF NICE IN THE OLD DAYS WHERE WE HAD THE FIRST MEETING AND GET RID OF ALL THE STUFF THAT THE PUBLIC DOESN'T REALLY CARE ABOUT.
AND THEN THEY CAN KNOW WHAT TIME TO COME, BE AT FIVE O'CLOCK OR WHATEVER TO DO THE ITEMS OF DISCUSSION, FOR INSTANCE.
THERE'S PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE RIGHT NOW.
THAT ARE HERE FOR THINGS THAT ARE PROBABLY AT THE VERY END OF THE AGENDA, BUT THEY'RE HAVING TO SIT THROUGH THE WHOLE MEETING.
SO IF WE DID START LIKE, SAY, THE CERTAIN ITEMS, PEOPLE COULD LOOK AT THE AGENDA AND GO, OH, I DON'T NEED TO BE THERE TILL FIVE OR WHATEVER.
SO I COULD GO EITHER WAY ON THAT AS FAR AS IF WE HAVE WORK SESSIONS.
I GUESS THE OLD RULE WAS THEY STARTED AT 6:00.
WELL, NO START THEM AT 5:00, AT THE VERY LATEST.
AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS IF WE DON'T START THE REAL MEETING OR THE PUBLIC PART OF THE MEETING.
THE PUBLIC INTEREST PART OF THE MEETING, LET ME PUT IT THAT WAY.
AND SO SIX, THEN WE END UP WITH THESE MEETINGS THAT GO UNTIL 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, WHICH IS RIDICULOUS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
SO I'M A LITTLE BIT FLEXIBLE, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK.
I DON'T KNOW, I WON'T REPEAT WHAT I JUST SAID.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, IN COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY, I THINK YOU AND I ARE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THIS.
I'D LIKE TO SEE US HAVE THAT CONSISTENCY FOR ONE WEEK TO WEEK.
MAKES SENSE TO ME VERSUS FIVE AND SIX IF WE WERE TO BREAK IT UP THIS WAY.
AND THEN I DO SEE A LOT OF VALUE IN US HAVING THAT BREAK, NOT JUST A RANDOM 15 MINUTES WHEN APPROPRIATE, BUT A VERY ORGANIZED TIME SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN KNOW, BECAUSE I AGREE WITH YOU, I'VE WITNESSED FOLKS IN THE PUBLIC SHOW UP AT THREE P.M.
REGULARLY TO BE HERE FOR AN ITEM THAT DOESN'T TURN UP UNTIL SEVEN P.M..
YOU KNOW, AND I'VE TALKED TO A NUMBER OF FOLKS WHO HAVE REALLY EXPRESSED CONCERN WITH THIS NEW APPROACH THAT WE HAVE IN IN STARTING SO EARLY AND THEY FEEL LIKE THEIR VOICES ARE BEING CUT OUT OF THE PROCESS.
AND I KNOW THAT FOR SOME, THIS IS BETTER FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WITH REMOTE WORK AND SCHEDULING BEING DIFFERENT.
BUT I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT BREAK IF FOR WORK SESSIONS OR SORRY FOR UM JUST THE MEETINGS THAT THAT OCCURRED IN REGULAR MEETINGS AT THREE AND FIVE, SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK AT FIVE AND ALLOW ANOTHER PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION.
[01:10:02]
OTHERWISE, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTIONS ONLY AT THE BEGINNING AT 3:00 AND THAT'S A BIG CONCERN OF MINE.IN TALKING TO A FEW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
I THINK I'M LEANING TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, HAVING TWO MEETINGS, THE THREE O'CLOCK FOR THE ROUTINE STUFF AND A FIVE O'CLOCK FOR THE STUFF, THAT'S PUBLIC INTEREST.
AGAIN, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I'M OPEN MINDED ABOUT JUST STAYING WITH THE THREE O'CLOCK.
BUT I THINK MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO BREAK IT UP THAT WAY.
WE DO HAVE TIME TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT, AND IT'S BETTER FOR THE PUBLIC IN THAT THEY KNOW WHEN THEY NEED TO BE HERE.
WELL, I'LL CHIME IN UNLESS OTHERS WOULD LIKE TO.
I PERSONALLY LIKE HOW WE'RE SCHEDULED RIGHT NOW, AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I HAD THE OPPOSITE FRUSTRATION AS A PARTICIPANT OUT IN THE CROWD THAT WE WOULD START SO LATE LIKE A WORK SESSION AT SIX P.M.
THAT WOULD THEN AT NINE O'CLOCK NOW FINALLY BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
SO I KNOW IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE, BUT I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT DOING IT EARLY EARLIER ALLOWS FOR A LOT OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT EXIST.
AND WE'VE EXPERIENCED THAT EVEN WITH THE WITH OUR MEETINGS THAT HAVE RUN LATE, THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION CARDS OF PEOPLE THAT AREN'T THERE WHEN WE'RE RUNNING LATE AND THAT'S EVEN AT EIGHT EIGHT EIGHT 30 P.M.
SO I JUST WANT TO BE COGNIZANT THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PLEASE EVERYONE WITH THE TIMING OF IT.
PEOPLE SCHEDULES ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.
I PERSONALLY LIKE TO HAVE THIS.
WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, I THINK, IS A SYSTEM THAT WORKS IN TERMS OF THE BREAK.
HONESTLY, ANY TIME YOU NEED A BREAK, WE CAN SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, CAN WE TAKE 20 MINUTES AND I'M HAPPY TO DO SO.
BUT WITH HOW AGENDA ITEMS WORK, WHERE ONE COULD LAST 10 MINUTES OR ANOTHER, ONE AN HOUR AND A HALF.
IT'S A MORE EFFICIENT USE OF TIME TO JUST HAVE THIS BACK TO BACK RATHER THAN SEPARATED OUT, I MEAN, HOW MANY MEETINGS IN THE PAST WAS IT? START AT THE EARLIER SESSION AND THEN THERE'S AN HOUR LONG BREAK UNTIL THE FIVE O'CLOCK SESSION.
THAT'S AN INEFFICIENT USE OF STAFF TIME.
THAT'S AN EFFICIENT USE OF OUR TIME AND [INAUDIBLE] TOO LARGE OF A BREAK FOR THE THE COMMUNITY, WHO WOULD BE MANY WAITING IN THE CROWD.
YEAH, I'LL JUST TAG QUICKLY AND THEN I WILL DEFER TO YOU FOR SURE.
SO I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE ON THIS MATTER, AND I'M NOT SURE WHEN THE BREAK WOULD HAPPEN, BUT IT'S FOUR FIFTEEN RIGHT NOW.
AND IF WE WERE TO STOP THE MEETING AND WAIT TILL FIVE O'CLOCK, IT WOULD BE FORTY FIVE MINUTES OF ME CONSISTENTLY ON A TUESDAY.
I'M TAKING A WALK AROUND THE PARK EATING AND THEN HAVING HALF AN HOUR OF SCROLLING MY PHONE, I JUST THINK IT'S A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT USE OF TIME TO ROLL THESE THINGS TOGETHER THE WAY WE HAVE BEEN.
AND I CANNOT WARN YOU ALL ENOUGH THAT IF WE START PUSHING BACK WHEN WE START OUR MEETINGS, WE ARE GOING TO BE GETTING OUT OF HERE VERY, VERY LATE ON A CONSISTENT BASIS.
AND IT HAS BEEN A REAL NICE, REFRESHING CHANGE OF PACE TO NOT HAVE THOSE MEETINGS GO TILL NINE, 30, 10, 10, 30, 11 O'CLOCK ALL THE TIME.
AND MY ONLY OTHER FINAL COMMENT.
AND THEN I THINK MY, MY, MY, MY PERSONAL DIRECTION ON THIS IS KNOWN IS THAT WITH WITH WITH RESPECT TO PUBLIC COMMENT, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, ALL OF THAT IS COMPENSATORY.
I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT IT'S GOING TO AVERAGE OUT TO ABOUT THE SAME DIFFERENCE FOR PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE, AND THAT CAN BE THAT CAN CHANGE FROM WEEK TO WEEK.
TUESDAYS ARE NOT SET IN STONE FOR ANYBODY ANYMORE, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS ARE GOING TO SHIFT AND FLUCTUATE FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL THAT COULD POTENTIALLY ATTEND A MEETING.
AND WE HAVE MORE OPTIONS THAN EVER BEFORE FOR HOW TO ATTEND A MEETING.
SO I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO CATER TO SOME ARBITRARY CONCEPTION OF THE WAY THAT THE PUBLIC IS GOING TO BE ENGAGING WITH US.
I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE HALF A MIND TOWARDS OUR STAFF NEEDING TO GET HOME ON A REGULAR BASIS ON TUESDAYS EARLIER THAN THEY USED TO, AS WELL AS FOR OURSELVES AS WELL AS FOR THE PUBLIC.
I SAT IN THAT AUDIENCE AS A PUBLIC WAITING UNTIL 11 P.M.
TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM BEFORE MYSELF, AND WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD TO DO THAT SINCE THE PANDEMIC.
AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT WHAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH SEEMS TO
[01:15:01]
BE WORKING.AND PROCEDURALLY, I DO THINK WE WOULD SUSPEND THE RULES AND THEN MODIFY OUR RULES IS THE WAY TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
BUT I AM ABSOLUTELY AT THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL.
SO JUST MAKING MY MY PREFERENCES KNOWN, BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS.
I WILL ECHO WHAT THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN HAS MENTIONED, BUT ALSO FOCUSING ON PROVIDING CONSISTENCY.
IN PREVIOUS YEARS IT WAS 4:30 AND SIX O'CLOCK.
AND OFTENTIMES WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO, YOU KNOW, ARE CONFUSED, DO I SHOW UP AT 4:30 OR SIX O'CLOCK? AND THEN WE'RE GIVEN WITH OUR HYBRID FORM OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, EVEN ATTENDANCE, THE PUBLIC CAN CAN WEIGH IN, VOICE THEIR PERSPECTIVE, EITHER IN PERSON OR ONLINE OR BY EMAIL.
AND ALSO IT'S ALSO A WAY TO LET THE MONITOR, WATCH THE MEETING ONLINE AT HOME.
AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO SHOW UP AT A LATER THIS ITEM, THEN YOU HAVE TIME TO DRIVE OR WALK OR BIKE TO CITY HALL AND SHOW UP IN PERSON IN THAT CAPACITY.
WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST, THOUGH, IN TERMS OF THE AGENDA IS ALSO FOR CONSISTENCY IS TO PROVIDE THAT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION TOWARD THE END OF THE REGULAR MEETING WHERE WE HAVE THE CONSENT ITEMS AND STUFF.
SO FOR BOTH REGULAR MEETING AND THE WORK SESSION, WE WILL HAVE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT THE BEGINNING AND AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
OF COURSE, THAT'S FOR, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL'S APPROVAL AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT STRONGLY AND I WOULD STICK.
I WOULD PREFER THE THREE O'CLOCK START TIME FOR BOTH REGULAR AND WORK SESSION.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS.
COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KEEP GOING WITH OUR SYSTEM, AS IS RIGHT NOW.
FOR A YEAR, I WAS OUT IN THAT AUDIENCE AND WOULD BE HERE UNTIL THE 11 O'CLOCK MEETINGS, AND I PERSONALLY CAN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW WE ALL MADE IT THROUGH THOSE MEETINGS.
SO AT THIS POINT, I THINK I FUNCTION A LOT BETTER AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
THEY WANT A COUNCIL THAT IS ALERT AND MAKING GOOD DECISIONS, AND AT 11 O'CLOCK, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT CAN HAPPEN.
AND I DO WANT TO ECHO WHAT REGINA SAID WITH HOW WE DO HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS NOW, AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY CAN USE THOSE OPTIONS.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN AND I HAVE NOT HEARD A LOT OF NEGATIVE FEEDBACK AS TO OUR SYSTEM RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET.
I AM IN AGREEMENT WITH WHAT HAS RECENTLY BEEN SAID.
IF WE WANT TO SUSPEND AND THEN AMEND.
I WOULD BE FINE WITH KEEPING IT AS IS AND REVISITING IT IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
IF COUNCIL THINKS THAT THAT'S NECESSARY, I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARY.
I THINK THAT THIS IS WORKING REALLY WELL.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING AND AT THE END.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, WHEN YOU WHEN WE'RE DISCUSSING HAVING THE PUBLIC COMMENT BEGINNING AND END, THAT WOULD BE BASICALLY RIGHT AFTER ROUTINE ITEMS THEN AS WELL.
SO WE'RE DISCUSSING, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY WAS THE 3:00 P.M.
START THAT BETWEEN THOSE AGENDA ITEMS, THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SECTION.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE GETTING AT WITH? SAYING BEGINNING AND END FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION? I JUST WANT TO, YEAH, I UNDERSTAND.
I'M THINKING AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE MEETING AND AT THE VERY END OF THE MEETING, SO NOT IN BETWEEN A WORK SESSION AND A REGULAR AGENDA, I THINK, OK, WELL, SO BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW? OK, THERE WE GO.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS WAS AN ADD ON OR A CONFIRMATION OR? ACTUALLY, IF I MAY, MR. MAYOR? YEAH, COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS? GO AHEAD, MR.[INAUDIBLE] OH, NO, I WAS GETTING READY TO SPEAK, BUT I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS IS GOING TO POINT OUT THAT WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT THE END OF REGULAR MEETINGS.
WE ONLY HAVE IT AT THE BEGINNING.
SO I THINK HER REQUEST WAS TO MAKE IT MORE LIKE A WORK
[01:20:01]
SESSION WHERE WE ARE FRONT AND THE BACK.BUT I THINK THE CONSENSUS WAS CONTINUE HOW WE ARE RIGHT NOW AT THREE O'CLOCK AND THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY CHANGE WOULD BE TO ADD THAT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT THE END OF REGULAR MEETINGS.
AND I WOULD DEFINITELY BE PERFECTLY HAPPY TO HAVE THAT OPTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY? I'M FINE WITH THAT.
OK, SO IN SUM, WE WOULD LIKE TO UNSUSPEND WITH THE RULES TO SET IT TO THREE P.M., NOT HAVE THE SEPARATION BETWEEN THE ROUTINE ITEMS AND REGULAR ITEMS AND ALL THAT.
AND POTENTIALLY WE WILL SEE, IF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, IF THERE IS FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE GETTING THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT WORKING, WE CAN ALWAYS REVISIT IT.
AND COUNCIL ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO INTERRUPT AND SAY, HEY DEASY, THE TIME IS GETTING LATE HERE.
CAN WE TAKE A BREAK? ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO DO SO.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET? THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY I FEEL AS IF YOU DO HONOR THE THE BREAK TIMES AND DINNER, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN GOING WELL.
ALL RIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE? COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY? ITEM NUMBER THREE.
OTHER DESIRED CHANGES? WELL, I HAVE SOME TWO SUGGESTIONS.
THE WAY WE CHOOSE THE VICE MAYOR RIGHT NOW, IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY THAT WE USED TO DO IT.
THE WAY WE USED TO DO IT IS THAT THE PERSON THAT CAME IN FIRST PLACE AMONG THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, TWO YEARS PRIOR WOULD BECOME THE VICE MAYOR.
SO IN THAT CASE, IF WE DO IT THE WAY THAT WE USED TO DO IT.
THE COUNCIL CHANGED THE RULES BECAUSE THERE IS A CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL THAT THE COUNCIL MEMBERS DID NOT WANT TO BE THE VICE MAYOR, SO THEY CHANGED THE RULES TO THE WAY WE DO IT NOW, WHICH IS WHOEVER GOT THE MOST VOTES IN THE LAST ELECTION BECOMES VICE MAYOR.
THE ADVANTAGE TO THE WAY IT WAS PREVIOUSLY DONE IN THE WAY I'M SUGGESTING, IS THAT THEN YOUR VICE MAYOR WOULD HAVE BEEN A HIGH VOTE GETTER AND HAVE TWO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ON COUNCIL BEFORE THEY CAME VICE MAYOR? THE WAY WE HAVE IT NOW IS WE GET THE FIRST PART THERE, THE HIGH VOTE GETTER.
AND DON'T TAKE THIS PERSONALLY BECAUSE IT'S CERTAINLY NOT MEANT THAT WAY.
NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST, BUT IT WOULD BE THE PERSON THAT WOULD HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE.
SO I PROPOSE THAT WE GO BACK TO THE WAY THAT IT USED TO BE DONE.
AND NOT DO IT THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT NOW, OBVIOUSLY THIS WOULD NOT APPLY TO THE CURRENT COUNCIL.
THIS WOULD HAPPEN ON THE NEXT ELECTION CYCLE.
SO DISCUSSION? I THINK THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT THEY'RE SAYING WOULD BE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI WOULD BE VICE MAYOR RIGHT NOW AS OPPOSED TO TWO YEARS AGO, HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A VICE MAYOR, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN COUNCIL MEMBER, UNLIKE THE REVERSE? AND THEN, YEAH, AND THEN THE PLACE WHERE DAGGETT WOULD HAVE BE AT THE NEXT, YEAH, THE NEXT ROUND.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, IT WOULD BASICALLY BE A TWO YEAR DELAY FROM WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING, AND THAT WAS THE MODEL BEING DONE 20 YEARS AGO.
RIGHT? I'M NOT SURE I ACTUALLY TALKED TO THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS THE VICTIM OF THIS MANIPULATION.
AND THEN IT JUST SORT OF LIKE, CARRIED FORWARD.
I'M GETTING LOOKS FROM STAFF LIKE, ARE YOU KIDDING? WELL, IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE IT GOES BACK, LIKE YOU SAY, 20 YEARS OR SO.
BUT THAT IS THE WAY THAT THIS COUNCIL USED TO PICK THE VICE MAYOR.
AND I'M SUGGESTING MAYBE THIS, MAYBE I'M HITTING EVERYONE COLD WITH THIS RIGHT NOW.
AND MAYBE YOU WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS, SO IT'S PRETTY CLEAR IN MY MIND.
AND I WILL SAY THAT I'VE HEARD THAT FROM YOU ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS OVER THE YEARS, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY, THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT'S NEW OR ANYTHING FROM YOUR.
RIGHT, AND THIS IS THE OBVIOUS TIME TO BRING IT UP BECAUSE NUMBER THREE UP THERE SAYS DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER SUGGESTION? I DO HAVE ONE OTHER ONE, BUT I'LL SEE IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ONE BEFORE I GO TO THE SECOND ONE.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY AND YOU HAVE I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, TOO, OVER THE YEARS, I STRUGGLE WITH IT AS YOU KNOW.
[01:25:05]
WHEN I'VE DONE MY RESEARCH TALKING TO OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN THE SAME ARENA ABOUT THIS IDEA.WHAT I'VE GENERALLY HEARD IS, YOU KNOW, THAT ELECTION CYCLE ELECTS AN INDIVIDUAL, WHETHER IT'S MAYOR OR VICE MAYOR OR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, BECAUSE OF THAT SPECIFIC TIME, THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO TO HAVE THAT STAGGERED APPROACH, I DO SEE THE VALUE OF IT.
YOU KNOW, I, AS A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WAS ELECTED VICE MAYOR.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS A VERY LARGE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR CERTAIN.
YOU COULD ARGUE THAT I'M BETTER EQUIPPED FOR THE JOB NOW THAN I WAS TWO YEARS AGO, FOR SURE.
BUT UM, I ALSO FEEL LIKE I HAD A ROLE TO PLAY IN THOSE FIRST TWO YEARS, KIND OF KEEPING THE FORMER MAYOR IN CHECK, NOT GOING TO NAME NAMES.
BUT UH, NO, I PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE THE CURRENT SETUP IS GOOD, BUT THAT'S JUST ME, AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I ALSO FEEL LIKE THE CURRENT SETUP IS IS GOOD AND JUST WATCHING COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI AND DAGGETT GO THROUGH THE VICE MAYOR ROLE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO YEARS ARE VALUABLE, WHETHER YOU'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL OR NOT, AND THEY GROW EXPONENTIALLY, WHETHER YOU'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL OR NOT, YOU WILL GO THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND I DO AGREE WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI'S POINT THAT YOU'RE ELECTED AND YOU HAVE THOSE VOTES FOR THE CURRENT ISSUES, NOT TWO YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, NOT TO YEARS PAST, BUT THE CURRENT ISSUES.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET.
I THINK THAT I AGREE WITH WITH WHAT HAS JUST BEEN SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI AND COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET, THE POINT THAT I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT.
MOVING FORWARD AND REGARDING ANY OTHER KINDS OF RULES, I AM NOT A FAN OF CHANGING THE RULES BECAUSE THERE'S ONE PERSON THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET IN OR KEEP OUT OF A POSITION.
AND I GUESS I JUST WANT TO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I DO THINK THAT THE WAY IT'S BEEN HANDLED IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, 10 YEARS, 20 YEARS IS FINE.
I THINK THAT CHANGING IT WHEN IT WAS CHANGED, IF IT WAS INDEED CHANGED FOR THAT REASON WAS NOT A GOOD MOVE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY? YOU KNOW, JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH YOU OR ADAM SHIMONI OR JAMIE WHALEN.
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THESE PEOPLE.
I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH ALL OF THESE PEOPLE, BUT THIS WAS JUST THE THOUGHT OF HOW WE COULD HAVE A VICE MAYOR WITH MORE EXPERIENCE, IN THE ABSTRACT WITH NO NAMES ATTACHED TO IT.
AND I GOT THE IDEA WHEN I ACTUALLY TALKED TO THE PERSON THAT WAS A VICTIM OF THE RULE CHANGE, AND HE WAS PRETTY ANGRY ABOUT IT.
HE WAS A NATIVE AMERICAN, I MIGHT ADD, AND I FELT THE FACT, HE FELT THAT THE FACT THAT HE WAS A NATIVE AMERICAN WAS PART OF THE REASON THAT HE WAS PUSHED ASIDE.
ANYWAY, I'M GOING TO LISTEN FOR CONSENSUS HERE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE MIGHT BE GETTING CLOSE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS? I'M OPEN TO DISCUSSING THIS AS A POSSIBILITY IN THE FUTURE, PERHAPS ALLOW STAFF TO PUT FORWARD.
SOME ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE VALUE OF HAVING A VICE MAYOR WITH AT LEAST TWO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ON COUNCIL.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS.
WELL, FOR ME, HONESTLY, I DON'T FEEL VERY STRONGLY ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ON THIS, TO BE FRANK.
IT IS, I MEAN, THERE'S ONLY A RARE OCCASION WHERE PROCEDURALLY VICE MAYOR HAS A POSITION OF, YOU KNOW, AUTHORITY, IT'S MORE OF A TITLE THAN IT IS SOMETHING PROCEDURALLY THAT ALLOWS FOR SIGNATURES TO BE DONE ON AUTHORIZED PAPERWORK OR ANYTHING TO THAT EFFECT.
SO FOR ME, I COULD GO EITHER WAY, SO I'LL LOOK TO OTHERS ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN, YOU'RE ON THE SPOT, THEN.
[01:30:03]
WELL, YEAH, I DON'T HAVE STRONG FEELINGS EITHER.I THINK EITHER METHODOLOGY HAS ITS MERITS AND ITS PLUSES AND MINUSES.
I, YOU KNOW, AND JUST COMPLETELY IN THE ABSTRACT, THIS LEADS TO QUESTIONS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT LINE OF SUCCESSION FOR VICE MAYOR OCCURS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH COULD INVOLVE THE MAYOR OF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN.
BUT I'VE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE SECOND TOP VOTE GETTER OUT OF THE THE COUNCIL CYCLE WOULD MOVE INTO THE VICE MAYOR'S POSITION IF THE VICE MAYOR WAS OUT.
AND THAT SEEMS FAR MORE ARBITRARY TO ME IN TERMS OF ITS LOGIC THAN THE TOP VOTE GETTER BECOMING THE VICE MAYOR.
SO IF WE'RE OPENING THIS CAN OF WORMS HERE, I MIGHT SUGGEST THAT A REPLACEMENT VICE MAYOR IS VOTED ON BY THE FULL COUNCIL AND NOT JUST AUTOMATICALLY SELECTED FOR BY THE NUMBER OF VOTES THAT CAME DOWN THE LINE.
AND AGAIN, THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO TAKE EFFECT ANY TIME SOON, BUT MAYBE AT SOME FUTURE DATE JUST TO KEEP THINGS UN-PERSONAL.
BUT THAT SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE TO ME AND REALLY, I'M 50 50 ON THE OTHER MATTER BECAUSE I DO SEE THE LOGIC AND HAVING SOMEONE HAVING BEEN SORT OF GROOMED FOR THE POSITION FOR TWO YEARS BEFORE BEFORE COMING INTO THAT ROLE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN ILL SERVED AS A COMMUNITY OR AS A DELIBERATIVE BODY BY HAVING A VICE MAYOR LEARNING ON THE SPOT EITHER.
I THINK YOU SORT OF HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CHOPS AND BACKGROUND NATURAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO, JUST SIMPLY BY SURVIVING THE CRUCIBLE OF A CAMPAIGN AND THAT SAYS A LOT FOR SOMEBODY.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, IN THAT REGARD, I THINK IF WE'RE KIND OF FEELING AMBIGUOUS ABOUT IT, THERE'S NO POINT IN MAKING ANY BIG CHANGES.
SORT OF THE WAY I'M THINKING ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY? SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S NO CONSENSUS TO CHANGE THE RULE.
THE OTHER THOUGHT I HAVE IS THAT WHY IS IT EVEN A RULE? MAYBE IT SHOULD JUST BE THAT THAT CAN KIND OF BE THE TRADITION, BUT THE ACTUAL DECISION IS MADE BY A VOTE OF THE COUNCIL.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY WANTS TO COMMENT ON THAT.
IF NOT, I'LL MOVE ON TO MY NEXT ITEM.
LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
WELL, STACEY MOVING RIGHT ALONG.
THAT BRINGS US TO ITEM 1.09 IN THE RULES, WHICH IS THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER, AND I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER.
ALL KIDDING ASIDE, THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER SAYS THAT, AND I THINK SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL FIVE YEARS, THERE'S MAYBE BEEN ONE OR MAYBE NONE THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER, BUT THE RULE IS RIGHT NOW THAT YOU HAVE TO DO IT FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING, AND IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS THAT WEEKEND DAYS DON'T COUNT.
SO IN EFFECT, WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF I WANT A MOTION TO RECONSIDER SOMETHING AT NEXT WEEK'S MEETING, I HAVE TO TELL YOU TODAY.
WELL, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE MAKE THAT THREE DAYS, SO THAT WOULD MEAN THAT BY, SAY, THURSDAY OR FRIDAY, I COULD SAY, HEY, I WOULD LIKE TO RECONSIDER A MOTION.
I RECONSIDER A VOTE AT THE NEXT TUESDAY MEETING, I THINK FIVE DAYS IS UNREASONABLE, I THINK THREE DAYS WOULD BE REASONABLE AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS LIKE ESSENTIALLY NEVER HAPPENS.
BUT THERE MAY BE OCCASION WHERE IT WOULD HAPPEN.
AND IF THAT IS APPROPRIATE, WE WANT TO MAKE THE RULE REASONABLE.
DOES ANYBODY SEE ANY DISADVANTAGE TO THAT? FIVE DAYS IS COMPLETELY UNREASONABLE.
MAYBE FOUR DAYS? UH, MR. FINCEL, DO YOU HAVE ANY? YOUR LOOK IN THIS DIRECTION AND OF SOME, AND I JUST WANTED LEGAL TO CHIME IN, IF YOU NEEDED TO.
I'M ACTUALLY READING THE RULE RIGHT NOW TO REFAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH IT, BUT THE ACTION WOULD BE AT THE NEXT REGULAR MEETING; CORRECT? SO IT'S NOT A ONE WEEK, IT WOULD BE TWO WEEKS.
SO YOU'RE NOT TAKING ACTION AT A WORK SESSION.
[01:35:03]
SO THAT'S WHY THE FIVE DAYS IS MORE REASONABLE THAN YOU MAY THINK.SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT WE REALLY HAVE 14 DAYS OR 10 DAYS, WHATEVER IT IS.
YOU HAVE A LONGER I'M NOT GOING TO DO THE MATH IN MY HEAD, BUT YEAH, YOU HAVE LONGER THAN YOU THINK, OK, IN THAT CASE, I THINK I'M OK WITH THE EXISTING RULE.
MAYOR, JUST BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS ALL BEHIND.
IS THERE ANY INTEREST IN VISITING THE THE NOTION THAT I BROUGHT UP THAT VICE MAYOR IS REPLACED BY A VOTE OF THE COUNCIL AND NOT SOME PRESUPPOSED SUPPOSED SUCCESSION LINE BASED OFF OF VOTES COUNTED? AND MAYBE START THIS, MAKE IT EFFECTIVE AFTER THE NEXT ELECTION.
JUST WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS, I BROUGHT IT UP.
YEAH, I DO AGREE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, YEAH.
SO JUST FOR CLARIFICATION IS THE CURRENT RULE THAT IF THE VICE MAYOR LEAVES FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEN THE NEXT HIGH UP VOTE GETTER GETS THE VICE MAYOR POSITION? IS THAT THE RULE NOW? MS. SALTZBURG ? MIC].
SO IT OBVIOUSLY IT AUTOMATICALLY GOES TO THE NEXT HIGHEST VOTE GETTER.
SO IN USING, LET'S JUST SAY, CURRENT SITUATION.
IF VICE MAYOR WERE TO LEAVE, THE NEXT HIGHEST VOTE GETTER FROM THE LAST ELECTION WOULD THEN BE PUT INTO THAT VICE MAYOR SEAT.
THAT'S THE WAY THAT THE RULES ARE WRITTEN CURRENTLY.
DOES THAT HELP? THE WAY YOU GET, THOUGH, YOU MADE IT A LOGICAL CONCLUSION OF THE ACTUAL RULE, WHICH IS ABOUT WHO PRESIDES OVER A MEETING NOW? CORRECT.
SO IS THAT ACTUALLY IN THE RULES OR IS IT A UM, ASSUMPTION? I BELIEVE IT'S BEEN AN ASSUMPTION.
I DON'T HAVE THE RULES IN FRONT OF ME, I BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE.
OK, SO THE RULES SAY IF FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE VICE MAYOR CANNOT FULFILL THEIR TERM, THE POSITION WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE CANDIDATE WITH THE NEXT HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES IN THE MOST RECENT GENERAL CANDIDATE ELECTION.
AND THAT RULE WAS RECENTLY CODIFIED, I WANT TO SAY MAYBE TWO YEARS AGO, GIVE OR TAKE.
IT'S BEEN THE TRADITION, AS COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY ALLUDED TO, BUT WE DID ACTUALLY CODIFY THAT PRACTICE IN THE RULES A FEW REVISIONS AGO.
AGAIN, I DON'T FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT IT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT IT SEEMED TO COME UP DURING THE CONVERSATION.
AND IT WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO BE ACTIVATED WITH A DELAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI? I'LL JUMP IN ON THIS TOPIC, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT AND I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO THINK ABOUT IT.
IF WE ARE GOING TO DIVE INTO THIS, I'LL JUST SHARE MY THOUGHT.
IT'S JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THINKING FUTURE, NOT ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATELY IMPACTING.
BUT IN MY MIND, IF THE MAYOR AND THE VICE MAYOR WERE BOTH UNABLE TO BE OUR CHAIR IN THAT MEETING, AT LEAST IN MY MIND, WHAT WOULD MAKE SENSE IS EVEN POTENTIALLY RATHER THAN A VOTE, JUST JUST PICK ON THAT FORMER VICE MAYOR THAT'S IN THE
[01:40:01]
ROOM.IF THAT BECAUSE I THINK THE WAY IT'S SET UP, THE FORMER VICE MAYOR WOULD BE AT THE DAIS AS A COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND SO THAT TO ME MAKES SENSE BECAUSE AS SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THE ROPES HAS DONE IT BEFORE CAN JUMP IN AND WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF TURBULENCE, GET US THROUGH AS A CITY IF I'M THINKING THROUGH THAT LENS.
BUT THOSE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS.
AND YEAH, I DON'T REALLY HAVE TOO MUCH OF A STRONG OPINION ON THIS.
I REMEMBER WHEN YOU SAID THAT ONE TIME COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN WHEN I THINK BOTH MYSELF AND MAYOR WERE OUT OF TOWN.
UM, AND YEAH, ANYWAYS, JUST MY THOUGHTS.
I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI OF THE FORMER VICE MAYOR TAKING OVER.
BUT TO BE HONEST, I THINK THIS IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I MEAN, IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T NEED TO FIX IT.
SO I DON'T THINK OF A TIME BEFORE WHERE THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE.
SO THEREFORE, I'M NOT REALLY THINKING THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE CHANGED AT THIS TIME IS KIND OF WHERE I'M AT.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY? WELL, I AGREE THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, BUT I DO LIKE MR. SIMON'S IDEA.
I THINK THAT'S THE BEST IDEA I'VE HEARD YET.
ANY OTHER INPUT? AND THEN WE CAN GO ON A BREAK.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY? ANY OTHER THOUGHTS? ALL RIGHT.
MAY I ATTEMPT TO SUMMARIZE? YES, PLEASE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR VERY THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE HEARD THAT THERE IS A DESIRE TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND HAVE THE START TIMES AT THREE P.M.
LOOKED LIKE THEY ARE NOW IN THE OVERALL FORMAT OF THE AGENDA LOOK LIKE IT DOES NOW WITH ONE CAVEAT.
WE WILL ADD A PUBLIC COMMENT TO THE END OF THE REGULAR MEETINGS AS WE DO WITH WORK SESSIONS.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE'VE HAD ANY CHANGES ON THE OTHER DISCUSSIONS, BUT I HAVE HEARD ALONG THE WAY THAT THIS SHOULD BE REVISITED AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
I WOULD REMIND MAYOR AND COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE YOUR RULES, YOUR MEETINGS, AND WE WILL BRING THESE FORWARD TO YOU FROM TIME TO TIME AS WE ARE TONIGHT, SO THAT WILL HAPPEN FOR SURE.
AND FUTURE COUNCILS WILL HAVE THE LIBERTY TO CHANGE THINGS IF THEY SEE FIT.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT CAVEAT, JUST THE CHANGES THAT I JUST SUMMARIZED IS WHAT WE'VE HEARD UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE GATHERED, UNLESS THERE'S ANY FURTHER INPUT FROM COUNCIL.
WHAT TIME IS IT? 4:46? LET'S MEET BACK HERE AT FIVE O'CLOCK TO DISCUSS THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING SPECIFIC PLAN.
[9. Overview of the High Occupancy Housing Specific Plan and Related Implementation Programs and Amendments DESIRED OUTCOME: Provide a presentation to the City Council on the High Occupancy Housing Specific Plan (HOH Plan) and related City Code, programs, and policy amendments, and to allow for the City Council and the public to ask questions, have a discussion, offer comments, and provide direction on future steps related to High Occupancy Housing.]
ITEM NUMBER NINE, THIS IS THE OVERVIEW OF THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING SPECIFIC PLAN AND RELATED IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMS AND AMENDMENTS.THE DESIRED OUTCOME IS TO PROVIDE A PRESENTATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING SPECIFIC PLAN AND RELATED CITY CODE PROGRAMS AND POLICY AMENDMENTS, AND TO ALLOW FOR THE CITY COUNCIL IN THE PUBLIC TO ASK QUESTIONS, HAVE A DISCUSSION, OFFER COMMENTS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION ON FUTURE STEPS RELATED TO HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING.
DAN SIMER ZONING CODE MANAGER FOR THE CITY, PART OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I HAVE WITH ME TODAY, SARAH DEKTER, DAN FOLK, OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, JENNY NEWMAN OF SUSTAINABILITY, ALEX PETRELLI OF OUR CURRENT PLANNING AND OUR ACTING PLANNING DIRECTOR, AND NICOLE ANTELOPOLIS OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY STAFF.
I'M GOING TO TURN THIS PRESENTATION OVER TO SARAH.
WE'LL HAVE AN INTERIM WITH DAN.
AND THEN I'LL FINISH UP THE PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANNA DO A SOUND CHECK REAL QUICK.
STACEY IS EVERYONE ABLE TO HEAR ME OK? YEP.
I AM A COMPREHENSIVE, A NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF.
I HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY SINCE 2014, WHEN WE HAD WHEN THE VOTERS RATIFIED THE CURRENT REGIONAL PLAN.
AND ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT I WAS DIRECTED TO WORK ON BY COUNCIL WAS THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING SPECIFIC PLAN, WHICH WE WORKED ON FROM 2016 TO 2018, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IMPLEMENTING SINCE THEN.
COULD YOU GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE?
[01:45:03]
TONIGHT, AT THIS WORK SESSION THE TEAM OF STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN DOING.THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT PARTS OF THIS PLAN, BUT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THEM FOR A FEW YEARS ARE GOING TO OFFER YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE SCOPE, DEFINITIONS AND KEY STRATEGIES OF THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN ADOPTED IN 2018.
RECOGNIZING THAT THE PUBLIC AND NOT EVERYONE ON THE COUNCIL AND COMMISSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTING THESE PLANS WERE HERE AT THE TIME IT WAS DEVELOPED.
WE WILL ALSO REVIEW THE IMPLEMENTATION THAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AS PART OF ONGOING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING AS A TOPIC FOR THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF, WE'LL OFFER ALSO GIVE A SHORT OVERVIEW OF HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING CASES.
AND AS YOU KNOW, ON YOUR PAST FEW AGENDAS, YOU'VE HAD SOME PROP 207 CLAIMS THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF THE DISCUSSION AS WELL.
AND AT THE END OF THE MEETING, WHEN WE GET THROUGH QUITE A FEW SLIDES AND HOPEFULLY EVERYONE'S GOTTEN THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED, STAFF IS SEEKING SOME DIRECTION ON COUNCIL ON INFORMATIONAL NEEDS, NEXT STEPS AND OTHER ADJUSTMENTS THAT MIGHT BE MADE GOING FORWARD.
SO THE IMPETUS OF THE 2016 START TO THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN WAS THE TOPIC OF STUDENT HOUSING FOLLOWING THE APPROVAL OF THE HUB DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH SIDE BETWEEN MIKE'S PIKE AND MILTON ROAD.
IN 2016, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE PUT TOGETHER A STUDENT HOUSING STUDENT HOUSING ACTION PLAN EXTERNAL WORKING GROUP.
THAT WAS A BIG MOUTHFUL, BUT THAT GROUP OF FOLKS MET ABOUT SIX MONTHS, I BELIEVE COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY WAS INVOLVED IN A GROUP AT THE TIME AND THEY CAME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION AFTER HAVING GONE THROUGH THE REGIONAL PLAN THAT THE ORIGINAL PLAN HAD NOT, AS ADOPTED IN 2014, ANTICIPATED THE LEVEL OF HOUSING CHANGES THAT WOULD OCCUR BETWEEN 2014 AND 2016.
AND SO THEY ASKED THE CITY STAFF TO GO BACK TO THIS PARTICULAR GOAL IN THE REGIONAL PLAN AND EACH ONE POINT SEVEN OF DEVELOP APPROPRIATE PROGRAMS AND TOOLS TO ENSURE THE APPROPRIATE PLACEMENT, DESIGN AND OPERATION OF NEW STUDENT HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS CONSISTENT WITH NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER AND SCALE.
SO ONE OF THE OBVIOUS QUESTIONS AFTER THIS IS WHY DIDN'T WE JUST CALL THIS A STUDENT HOUSING PLAN? WELL, STUDENT HOUSING IS NOT REALLY A LAND USE.
IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT HOW A BUILDING IS DESIGNED AND MANAGED.
AND SO AS WE WORKED THROUGH THIS, THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE WITH THE STUDENT HOUSING ACTION PLAN GROUP, WE DEVELOPED THE TERM HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING TO DESCRIBE UNITS THAT WERE CREATED TO BASICALLY HOUSE INDIVIDUAL.
THOSE WHO MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN IN A STUDIO APARTMENT, BUT WITH FIVE OR SIX PEOPLE OF THAT SORT IN A FAMILY UNIT, THERE ARE MANY REASONS THIS WAS BEING PROMOTED AT MANY SCALES AT THE TIME.
THE REAL FOCUS WAS ON MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.
SO THE INITIAL SCOPE OF THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN, AS PROVIDED BY THE STUDENT HOUSING ACTION PLAN EXTERNAL WORKING GROUP, WAS WE NEEDED TO DEFINE WHAT HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING WAS.
WE NEEDED TO IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS.
WE NEEDED TO PROTECT THE UNIQUE CHARACTER OF HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS.
AND THAT'S A BALANCE BETWEEN APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS AND THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE NEEDED TO CLARIFY THE REGIONAL PLAN AND CITY POLICIES PERTAINING TO EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER REINVESTMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT.
WE NEEDED TO IDENTIFY BEST PRACTICES FOR THE OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF HOUSING OF THIS SORT AND PROVIDE FOR SAFE CONNECTIVITY OF BICYCLES, PEDESTRIAN AND TRANSIT.
AT THE TIME, WE DIDN'T WE ALL OF THESE ISSUES HAD REALLY BEEN WRITTEN WITH A MORE MODERATE MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT IN MIND, AND ONCE WE STARTED LOOKING AT THIS MORE INTENSE MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT, IT WAS REALLY FELT ALL OF THESE PIECES NEEDED A SECOND LOOK.
SO GOING INTO THIS PROCESS, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY A SLIDE THAT CAME STRAIGHT FROM A PRESENTATION, I DID PROBABLY ABOUT THE SECOND OR THIRD MEETING WE HAD ON HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING IS THERE WERE INHERENT TRADE OFFS THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE TO APPROACH THIS ISSUE.
THERE WERE THE QUESTIONS OF DENSITY, NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER AND MIXED USE.
THE TRADE OFF IN OUR HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS OF REMAINING A LOW DENSITY CITY.
WHAT TOOLS WE HAD IN TERMS OF THE AVAILABILITY OF TRANSPORTATION AND UTILITIES FOR LARGER DEVELOPMENTS AND ALSO THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING PARKS AND OPEN SPACE THAT'S ACCESSIBLE TO ALL RESIDENTS IN FLAGSTAFF.
SO THESE ARE THINGS WE WERE HOLDING IN OUR MINDS, SOMETIMES IN OPPOSITION TO EACH OTHER AND SOMETIMES IN THE ABILITY TO ACHIEVE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME, BUT KNOWING THAT WHAT WAS BEING DEVELOPED IN THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN NEEDED TO HAVE ALL OF THESE
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PIECES IN MIND.QUITE HAPPY TO TRY AND TURN OFF YOUR CAMERA JUST BECAUSE WE ARE GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF BREAKING UP ON THIS END.
THANK YOU, STACEY, I'M HAPPY TO.
DOES THAT MAKE IT BETTER? SO FAR, SO GOOD, THANK YOU.
I THINK THAT JUST ADVANCE THE IMAGES.
SO THE PROCESS TO CREATE THIS HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN TOOK ABOUT 18 MONTHS FROM START TO FINISH, REMEMBERING THAT THERE HAD ALREADY BEEN ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF WORK BEING DONE BY THE STUDENT HOUSING ACTION PLAN.
SO TWO YEARS IN TOTAL, APPROXIMATELY.
WE STARTED TO THE PROCESS NOT BY TELLING EVERYONE THAT WE HAD ALL THE ANSWERS TO FIGURE OUT STUDENT HOUSING AND HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT ACTUALLY BY HOLDING VERY CAREFULLY CRAFTED LISTENING OPPORTUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE REALLY GOT A CHANCE TO QUESTION THEIR ASSUMPTIONS AND UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON IN PEER CITIES, WHICH WERE REVIEWED BY STAFF AND PUT TOGETHER AND SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC.
WE LOOKED AT 32 PEER CITIES OVERALL AND WE NARROWED THEM DOWN TO SIX THAT WE DID IN DEPTH CASE STUDIES ON THOSE ARE ALL STILL AVAILABLE ON THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN WEBSITE.
WE TOOK THAT INFORMATION AND THEN WENT INTO A FACILITATED FOCUS GROUP PROCESS WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING DOWNTOWN PROPERTY OWNERS, REALTORS, PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND OTHERS WHO HAD PARTICIPATED IN ADVOCATING FOR OPEN SPACE, HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND OTHER ISSUES THAT HAD BEEN PART OF THE DISCUSSIONS THUS FAR.
THAT LED TO SOME WORKSHOPS THAT THEN SHIFTED THE GOALS AND POLICIES OF THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN.
LIKE ALL SPECIFIC PLANS, IT WAS SENT OUT FOR A 60 DAY PUBLIC REVIEW AND THEN CHANGES WERE MADE BETWEEN THE DRAFT AND FINAL PLAN GOING TO PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT TOOK INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
BUT WE KNEW THAT THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WASN'T DONE AT THE END OF THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND IN FACT, WHEN WE WROTE THE SECTION ON STRATEGIES TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN, WE SAID VERY CLEARLY ON PAGE 99 OF THE PLAN THAT THESE STRATEGIES ARE RECOMMENDATIONS AND FUTURE CITY STAFF ARE COUNCILS SEEKING WORK ON THEM MAY RECONSIDER THEIR CONTENT OR PRIORITY THROUGH AN APPROPRIATE PUBLIC PROCESS.
SO WHILE THIS LOOKS LIKE A DESTINATION AT THE END OF OUR PROCESS CHART, IT ACTUALLY WAS JUST A BEGINNING OF A NEXT PHASE ONE IN WHICH WE WERE WORKING ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN.
SO SOME OF WHAT THE PLAN ADDRESS IN TERMS OF ITS CONTENT IS IT DEFINED HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING AND THIS IS THE PLAN DEFINITION.
THE ZONING CODE CURRENTLY HAS A DIFFERENT DEFINITION.
WE'LL GET TO WHY THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING IN OUR PLAN WAS DEFINED AS GENERALLY BUILDINGS THAT HAVE MORE THAN 75 BEDROOMS PER ACRE, OR MORE THAN 30 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE.
AND THAT THRESHOLD WAS DETERMINED BY THE UPPER BOUND OF THE HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL ZONE IN THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF, PLUS A CALCULATION OF TWO POINT FIVE BEDROOMS PER UNIT.
SO IT WAS A PRETTY SIMPLE DEFINITION OVERALL.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT IT FROM THE PLAN STANDPOINT.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE READINESS AND POTENTIAL OF DIFFERENT LOCATIONS WITHIN THE CITY WHERE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING COULD BE LOCATED, NOT NECESSARILY JUST ON NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER, BUT ALSO WAS TRANSPORTATION, WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY READILY AVAILABLE.
AND IF IT WASN'T IN AREAS THAT COULD BE ZONED, HOW POSSIBLE WOULD IT BE TO MOVE FORWARD IN A MANNER THAT ALLOWED FOR HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING IN THE FUTURE? SO WE CAME UP WITH THIS POTENTIAL MAP, WHICH LARGELY CORRESPONDED TO THE ACTIVITY CENTERS THAT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE 2014 REGIONAL PLAN.
SO SOME ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE TO THE ACTIVITY CENTERS BASED ON THIS POTENTIAL ANALYSIS AND FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC, AND THERE WERE A FEW AMENDMENTS TO ACTIVITY CENTER TYPES, LOCATIONS AND INTENSITIES AS PART OF THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN.
FOR INSTANCE, THE DOWNTOWN YOU ONE ACTIVITY CENTER AND THE FIVE POINTS YOU ATE ACTIVITY CENTER WERE BOTH CHANGED FROM THE CATEGORY THEY WERE GIVEN IN THE ORIGINAL REGIONAL PLAN, WHICH WAS A REGIONAL ACTIVITY CENTER AND A NEIGHBORHOOD ONE AND A NEW CATEGORY OF A HISTORIC ACTIVITY CENTER WAS CREATED.
THIS GETS BACK TO OUR PROTECTING EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE CHARACTER OF OUR HISTORIC AREAS IN TOWN.
SO IN THESE SECTIONS, IT SAYS IN THE REGIONAL PLAN NOW, WHICH IT DIDN'T SAY IN 2014 THAT IN HISTORIC ACTIVITY CENTERS, OF WHICH THERE ARE THESE TWO, THAT THE
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PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC RESOURCES AND THE DOWNTOWN GOALS AND POLICIES SHOULD BE WEIGHTED MORE HEAVILY THAN OTHER GOALS AND POLICIES RELATED TO ACTIVITY CENTERS.SO WHAT THE PLAN HAD NEVER HAD IN 2014 WAS ANY DIRECTION ON HOW TO WAIT DIFFERENT GOALS AND POLICIES.
AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES WE INTRODUCED THAT INTO THE PLAN AS A WAY OF CREATING THE BALANCE THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN.
WE ALSO IDENTIFIED NEW ACTIVITY CENTERS THAT WERE MAYBE NOT IDENTIFIED FOR AS INTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT FROM NEIGHBORHOOD TO REGIONAL BASED ON THE POTENTIAL BOTH FROM SEWER, WATER TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER AVAILABLE CITY RESOURCES TO ENCOURAGE DENSITY AND INTENSITY OF USES INAPPROPRIATE LOCATIONS.
AS I STATED BEFORE, WE CONSIDERED SIX PEER CITIES AMES, IOWA, BOULDER, COLORADO, FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, CORVALLIS, OREGON, TEMPE, ARIZONA AND BOZEMAN, MONTANA.
AND WE LOOKED AT THEM ACROSS SEVERAL DIFFERENT CRITERIA.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT VERY MUCH STOOD OUT ABOUT FLAGSTAFF AT THAT TIME, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATELY PROBABLY STILL TRUE TODAY, IS THAT WE WERE THE LOWEST DENSITY CITY OUT OF ANY OF THESE PEER COMMUNITIES, AND WE HAVE THE HIGHEST HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS.
SO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR LACK OF DENSITY AND THE AFFORDABILITY OF THE COMMUNITY WAS VERY RECOGNIZED AT THIS TIME, AND THE PLAN WAS WRITTEN TO KEEP THIS BALANCE IN MIND OF BOTH PROTECTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER AND PROVIDING FOR THAT INCREASED DENSITY WHERE IT WAS APPROPRIATE.
THERE IS ALSO A QUESTION THAT CAME FROM A COUNCIL MEMBER LEADING UP TO THIS PRESENTATION TO MAKE SURE I EXPLAINED HOW THE SOUTH SIDE PLAN TOOK THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN AND ITS RECOMMENDATIONS INTO ACCOUNT.
SO WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON THE SOUTH SIDE COMMUNITY SPECIFIC PLAN, WHICH WAS ADOPTED IN 2020, WE HAD JUST COMPLETED THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN.
THERE WAS ACTUALLY A LITTLE OVERLAP.
WE WERE WORKING ON THE SOUTH SIDE PLAN FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN WAS COMPLETED.
AND SO THERE WAS ALREADY SOME AWARENESS OF THIS ISSUE, WHICH WAS VERY FRESH IN EVERYONE'S MIND.
THE SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION AND THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP BOTH REVIEWED THE CONTENT OF THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN AFTER IT WAS ADOPTED, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION OF HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL GOALS AND POLICIES MIGHT BE NEEDED IN THE SOUTH SIDE.
AND WHAT WAS ULTIMATELY DECIDED WAS SIMPLY THAT THE SOUTH SIDE PLAN WOULD IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE HIGH OCCUPANCY, HOUSING REZONING CASES WOULD BE DISCOURAGED.
SO IF THE CITY OR IF A PROPERTY OWNER WERE GOING THROUGH A REZONING PROCESS AND IT WAS A PROCESS THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING IN EITHER THE PEACH COLOR, I DON'T KNOW IF IT LOOKS MORE PEACH OR YELLOW ON YOUR PARTICULAR SCREEN AND THE YELLOW AREA.
IF EITHER OF THOSE AREAS HAD A REZONING CASE WHERE THE PURPOSE OF IT WAS TO ALLOW FOR MORE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING.
THAT IS WHAT WAS DISCOURAGED IN THE SOUTH SIDE PLAN, AND IT REALLY LEFT A LOT OF THE DETAILS TO THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN AND THE WORK THAT WAS BEING DONE ON THE ZONING CODE IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH WE WERE DRAFTING AND LOOKING AT ZONING CODE MODIFICATIONS RELATED TO THIS PLAN AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE WERE DEVELOPING THE SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY PLAN.
SO THIS FANCY HOUSING PLAN HAS SEVERAL IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES.
ACTUALLY, THERE'S QUITE A LOT OF THEM.
THEY SPAN OVER ABOUT SEVEN PAGES OF THE PLAN AND THEY ARE BROKEN INTO THINGS WE DID IMMEDIATELY, WHICH INCLUDED A LARGE SET OF PLAN AMENDMENTS TO KIND OF BRING THE REGIONAL PLAN MORE INTO ALIGNMENT OF WHERE WE WANTED IT TO BE AT THE TIME.
THERE WAS A SET THAT WAS TO BE DONE BY 2019 AND THEN A SET BY 2023, AND THEN A SET OF ONES THAT WERE MORE ASPIRATIONAL AND MAYBE NEEDED MORE WORK THAT WERE SET OUT AS A LONGER TERM SET OF GOALS AND STRATEGIES.
SO FAR, WE HAVE ADOPTED THOSE IMMEDIATE POLICY CHANGES.
WE IMPLEMENTED AND IMPROVED CITY AND ANY NEW NEIGHBORHOOD LIAISON PROGRAM THAT [INAUDIBLE] CHASE MANAGES FOR BOTH THE CITY AND ANY U.
WE'VE UPDATED A CITY POLICY THAT ABOUT HOW SMALL PARKS ARE PERMITTED AND WHERE.
AND WE'VE ADOPTED THE MOST RECENT INTERNATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE.
AT THE TIME, THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN WAS ADOPTED.
WE WERE TWO CODES BEHIND THE ADOPTION SCHEDULE THAT MOST CITIES WERE ON.
WE ALSO REMOVED THE COMMERCIAL BLOCK BUILDING TYPE FROM ONE OF THE TRANSECT ZONES, THE T4 AND ONE ZONE.
AND WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO HAND THE PRESENTATION OVER TO DAN FULGHAM TO INTRODUCE
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THE NEXT FEW SLIDES.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS DAN FULGHAM, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.
AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A TRANSITION IN OUR PRESENTATION.
SARAH HAS JUST GIVEN YOU WHAT I'LL CALL THE ORIGIN STORY OF HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING.
I'M NOT SURE IF WE'LL MAKE A FILM OF IT, BUT WE THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT LED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION AND THE ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS THAT DAN SIMON IS ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT.
BUT BEFORE DAN GETS INTO THAT, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A FEW COMMENTS FOR YOU.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OVER THE YEARS WITH ZONING CODE AMENDMENTS IS, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD PERIODICALLY CHECK IN AND SEE WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF THIS AMENDMENT? WHAT HAVE BEEN THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE AMENDMENT? AND WE'RE VERY NEW INTO THIS NEW SET OF RULES.
IT WAS JUST EFFECTIVE OF MARCH OF THIS YEAR.
IT'S ONLY BEEN SEVEN MONTHS, BUT I DO THINK THIS CONVERSATION LEADS INTO THAT AND WE'RE FULFILLING THAT.
SO AS WE'RE, YOU KNOW, AS THESE NEW RULES ARE BEING USED, I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME TO START COLLECTING INFORMATION ON HOW IT'S BEING USED AND SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH ALL OF YOU, THE POLICYMAKERS.
AND SO I KIND OF THINK OF TONIGHT IS THE FIRST CHECK IN ON HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING.
WE DO HAVE THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY NOW, LIKE I JUST SAID, TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE RULES ARE BEING USED.
WHAT TYPE OF HOUSING IS BEING IMPACTED BY THESE RULES? WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE RULES ARE COMPLEX, AND WHAT DAN IS GOING TO GO THROUGH IS A LOT OF INFORMATION.
AND I THINK WE RECOGNIZE IT'S COMPLEX AND THAT'S OK.
I THINK IT SPEAKS TO THE IDEA THAT WE WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS A LOT OF ISSUES, RIGHT? AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE DEVELOPED AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO REVIEW IS THIS TWO PAGE HANDOUT.
IT'S ATTACHED TO YOUR ITEM TONIGHT, AND IT REALLY GIVES KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING IS.
WHAT ARE THE BUILDING TYPES THAT ARE NOW QUALIFIED AS HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING? IT TALKS ABOUT A MIXED USE, HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING AND THEN JUST A NON MIXED USE.
AND THEN IT TALKS ABOUT ON THE BACK SOME OF THE STANDARDS THAT WE'VE TRIED TO APPLY TO HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING.
AND SO THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE SHEET TO READ AND UNDERSTAND AND DIGEST.
WE UNDERSTAND THIS TAKES TIME, FRANKLY, TO UNDERSTAND ZONING REGULATIONS.
YOU HAVE TO USE THEM, YOU HAVE TO IMPLEMENT THEM.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T EXPECT YOU AS THE POLICYMAKERS TO JUST WAKE UP ONE DAY AND BECOME AN EXPERT ON HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING.
AND SO I THINK WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOU AND HELP YOU LEARN ABOUT THIS AND UNDERSTAND IT.
AND SO AS A FOLLOW UP TO TONIGHT AND FUTURE WORK SESSIONS, IF WE GO THERE, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO MYSELF, TO DAN SIMON, TO SARA.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU.
I KNOW COUNCILMAN MCCARTHY HAS A GREAT UNDERSTANDING OF IT.
HE'S VERY INVOLVED WITH THE WRITING AND THE ADOPTION.
AND SO I WANT TO PUT THAT OUT TO ALL OF YOU THAT WE WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THESE REGULATIONS BEFORE YOU START MAKING DECISIONS IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE CHANGES.
ANOTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH HOUSING, WITH SUSTAINABILITY.
WE HAVE MORE TOOLS AND RESOURCES NOW THAN WE DID WHEN WE STARTED THIS JOURNEY.
ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE HOUSING PLAN IS TO REVIEW THE ZONING CODE RIGHT AND HOW THOSE REGULATIONS ARE IMPACTING HOUSING.
SO THIS IS CERTAINLY A SECTION OF THE ZONING CODE THAT DESERVES SOME REVIEW.
AND SO SHOULD YOU DECIDE TONIGHT THAT YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO KIND OF MONITOR THIS AND LOOK AT IT? I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU SENDING THIS WORK TO THE HOUSING COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, A RECOMMENDATION FROM THEM, I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
YOU ALSO HAVE YOUR SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION.
THESE ISSUES ARE ALL TIED TOGETHER, RIGHT? AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU AGAIN.
WE CAN ENGAGE HOUSING AND SUSTAINABILITY, AND THEY CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH RECOMMENDATIONS IF THERE'S THINGS THAT THEY THINK SHOULD BE ALTERED OR CONSIDERED FOR CHANGES.
SO TONIGHT WE WANT TO CONTINUE LEARNING AND TALKING ABOUT HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE TIME TO UNDERSTAND AND LEARN ABOUT HOW IT'S BEING USED.
WE HAVE TIME TO GET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SOME OF YOUR ADVISORY BOARDS.
I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY THOUGHTFUL IN THE CREATION OF THE HIGH ACCURACY HOUSING PLAN.
I BELIEVE WE WERE THOUGHTFUL IN THE CREATION AND THE IMPLEMENTATION.
WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS A LOT AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT COMPLICATED.
AND SO I THINK AS WE PROCEED, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW WE MANAGE THIS IMPORTANT LAND USE.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DAN.
AND AGAIN, WE KNOW THIS IS A LOT, WE KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
AND SO WE'RE JUST HERE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE INFORMATION AND THEN SEEK SOME HIGH LEVEL DIRECTION TONIGHT.
DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AND WORK WITH THE COMMISSIONS AND SEE WHAT TWEAKS, WHAT COULD BE MADE? WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR HOW IT'S BEING USED.
SO I KNOW THAT'S A LOT AS WELL, BUT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DAN AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION THIS EVENING, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
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THANK YOU.AS SARAH INDICATED, WHEN THE PLAN WAS ADOPTED, WE WOULD BE GOING OUT AND DOING ADDITIONAL PUBLIC OUTREACH AND COMING TO THE DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AS WE GO THROUGH AND A TIMELINE BEFORE USE WHERE WE STARTED.
IF YOU MAY RECALL, I STARTED IN OCTOBER AT THE END OF OCTOBER OF 18, AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS MAJOR AMENDMENTS THAT I WAS TASKED WITH.
SO WE STARTED IN MAY OF 2019 AND WE ENDED IN NOVEMBER OF 2020.
AND DURING THAT TIME, WE WENT THROUGH FOR OPEN HOUSE MEETINGS, REALLY THREE OPEN HOUSE MEETINGS AND A ONE ONE ON ONE SESSION WHERE I SAT IN THE OFFICES HERE AND PEOPLE WALKED IN AS NEEDED THROUGHOUT THE DAY, THE TWO DAYS OF THAT.
THROUGHOUT THAT ALSO, WE WENT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION SIX TIMES IN THE COUNCIL, SIX TIMES TO GET COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK.
SO THROUGH THIS WHOLE AMENDMENT PROCESS, THERE ARE A LOT OF IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF GOALS AND POLICIES THAT ARE LINKED TOGETHER, SO TO IMPLEMENT.
A STRATEGY WE HAD TO GO BACK TO THE GOAL POLICY TO MAKE SURE WE WERE IMPLEMENTING THAT ALSO.
SO A LOT MORE OF THE AMENDMENTS ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED IN THE STRATEGIES BECAUSE YOU HAD TO BUILD TO GET TO THAT STRATEGY.
SO IN THE FIRST ONE, THERE'S TWO FORMS OF BUILDING HEIGHT MEASUREMENT ONES IN THE TRANSIT ZONE, ONE'S IN THE NON TRANSECT ZONES OR CONVENTIONAL ZONING AND THAT HAD TO BE LOOKED AT.
WE HAVE ADDRESSED THE NON TRANSECT ZONE BUILDING HEIGHT.
WE WILL BE ADDRESSING THE TRANSECT ZONE, BUILDING HEIGHT AND AN UPCOMING AMENDMENT.
THE REAL CRUX OF THE ISSUE, THOUGH, WAS REPLACING THE ROOMING AND BOARDING LAND USE.
THIS WAS A LAND USE THAT WAS REGULATED BY HOW YOU RENT A ROOM.
IF HE RENTED OVER SO MANY ROOMS, YOU HAD TO GET A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
A LOT OF DEVELOPERS, PROPERTY OWNERS WERE CIRCUMVENTING THIS CODE THROUGH THE WAY THEY ARE ARE DOING THEIR LEASES OR THEY JUST WE WEREN'T AWARE OF THEM.
SO THIS BECAME AN ISSUE IN NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THESE PROJECTS WERE BEING DEVELOPED OR BEING IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE WE HAD NO WAY TO CATCH THEM, SO TO SPEAK, BECAUSE IT WAS ALL ON THE PRIVATE SIDE.
SO THE IDEA WAS TO MODIFY THE CODE IN A MANNER THAT WE REGULATE.
WHICH IS BY THE ROOMS AND THE BEDROOMS IN THE BATHROOMS. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A REQUEST IN A HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN WHAT IS HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING AND WHAT IS NOT.
SARAH DID HIT ON THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT THERE ARE ALSO OTHER POLICIES AND STRATEGIES THAT SAID, OK, WE NEED TO CAP THESE OTHER ZONES SO THAT THEY DON'T GET INTO WHAT ARE CONSIDERED HIGH ACCURACY HOUSING NOW.
SO WE ADDED TO THE MEDIUM DENSITY, THE HIGH DENSITY, THE HR ZONE AND THE COMMERCIAL ZONES THIS DENSITY RATIO OF TWO POINT FIVE THAT WAS DEVELOPED IN THE PLAN.
ALSO, THERE IS A LOT OF INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED THROUGHOUT ABOUT THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
WE HAD DONE THE TRAFFIC STAFF, HAD DONE A STUDY DURING THE HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING PLAN OF WHAT LARGE HOH DEVELOPMENTS WERE PARKING AT AT A 100 PERCENT RATIO.
AND WHAT WE WERE FINDING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO REALLY WHAT CAME OUT WAS THE DESIRE WAS TO HAVE A HIGHER PARKING REQUIREMENT FOR THE SMALL PROJECTS AND A LOWER PARKING REQUIREMENT FOR THE LARGE PROJECTS, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF ECONOMIES OF SCALE.
AND ALSO THAT THE LARGER, EXCUSE ME, THE SMALLER PROJECTS WERE HAVING MORE IMPACT.
IT WAS BELIEVED ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKING.
ALSO, THE NEXT TWO BULLETS ARE KIND OF THEY WORK TOGETHER.
IT KIND OF TALKS ABOUT HOW THIS POLICY WAS IMPLEMENTED.
THE HOH PLAN SAID ANYTHING OVER 50 DWELLINGS PER ACRE ,125 BEDS PER ACRE OR A HALF ACRE, WHICH I ROUNDED UP TO TWENTY TWO THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.
SHOULD WE BE REQUIRED TO BE IN THE REGIONAL ACTIVITY CENTER, SO THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED? ALTHOUGH I'LL GET TO A LITTLE BIT LATER.
ALSO, WE INCORPORATED THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SECURE BIKE PARKING REQUIREMENTS PROVISIONS, BUT WE ALSO ADOPTED AT THE SAME TIME THE POLICIES THAT WE'D ALREADY BEEN USING FOR OUR STANDARD BIKE PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
THOSE WERE NOT IN THE CODE, THEY WERE THIS POLICY BEFORE.
SO NOW WE HAVE BOTH STANDARD BIKE PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND SECURE BIKE PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
SARAH TALKED ABOUT THE PRESERVATION OF THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITY CENTERS, PARTICULARLY SHE WAS REFERENCING THE HISTORIC ACTIVITY CENTER AND BUILDING FOOTPRINT SIZE.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME RIGHT OUT OF THE PLAN.
IT'S FIVE THOUSAND SQUARE FEET, MAXIMUM BUILDING SIZE AND HISTORIC, AND ANYTHING OVER TWENTY TWO THOUSAND SQUARE FEET HAD TO BE IN A REGIONAL.
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ALSO INCORPORATED INTO THIS WAS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IN EACH OF EACH PROJECT CHANGES, AND WHAT I MEAN BY HOH IS HIGH OCCUPANCY HOUSING.WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE IF THE PROJECT FAILS OR NEEDS TO BE CONVERTED? SO WE IMPLEMENTED A SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENT THAT THEY SHOW US HOW THAT BUILDING CAN BE CONVERTED, AT LEAST TO A NORMAL APARTMENT COMPLEX.
ALSO, WE IMPLEMENTED THE CRIME FREE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING PROGRAM FOR LARGE PROJECTS OR OVER FOUR UNITS.
AND THE TRANSIT PASS PROGRAM, WHICH ALLOWED FOR ADDITIONAL PARKING REDUCTIONS IF THEY PARTICIPATE IN PROVIDING FREE BUS PASSES TO THEIR TENANTS.
THIS IS WHERE WE DEVIATED FROM THE PLAN, THESE QUALITY IMPLEMENTATION ADJUSTMENTS.
THE PLAN TALKED ABOUT WHICH IS THE OPEN BULLET 30 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE AND TWO POINT FIVE BEDS.
THE ZONING CODE IS BASED ON 29 DWELLING UNITS SNEAKER.
SO WHAT WE WROTE, THE ZONING CODE SAY ANYTHING OVER TWENTY NINE DWELLING UNITS SNEAKER BECAUSE IF YOU DID IT ON 30, YOU HAVE A GAP.
SO IT'S JUST AN IMPLEMENTATION GAP.
ALSO, THROUGH THE PUBLIC PROCESS, WE RECEIVE DIRECTION TO WHAT WE CALL SMALL HOH PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT CONTEMPLATED IN THE PLANT.
THESE ARE SINGLE FAMILY HOH PROJECTS ARE DUPLEX ARE TWO UNIT PROJECTS AND OUR THREE UNIT.
PROJECTS, AND OF COURSE, IT'S ANYTHING BETWEEN FOUR UNITS UP TO TWENTY NINE DWELLING UNITS AN ACRE OR SEVENTY TWO POINT FIVE.
THOSE WERE NOT CONTEMPLATED IN THE PLAN.
THOSE DID COME OUT OF THE PUBLIC OUTREACH AND THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD.
ALSO, THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, THERE CAME ABOUT THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF ONE BEDROOM AND A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF FOUR BEDROOMS AND GREATER SO THAT WE WEREN'T GETTING THE HUB STYLE, THE UNCOMMON AND THE STANDARD WHERE WE'RE GETTING MOSTLY ALL FOUR AND FIVE BEDROOM DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT HITS YOUR LARGE PROJECTS OVER TWENTY NINE DWELLING UNITS AN ACRE.
BUT IT DOESN'T WORK WELL WITH YOUR SMALL PROJECT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE ONE OR TWO TWO UNITS, SO WE CAME UP WITH A RATIO THAT WORKS INTO THAT FORMULA.
ALSO, AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS, THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS OF PARKING REDUCTIONS TO A PARKING MASTER PLAN.
PRIOR TO THIS ADOPTION, THE PLANNING DIRECTOR COULD MODIFY UP TO ANY PERCENTAGE THAT WAS CONCERNING AS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THE PUBLIC OUTREACH AND THE MEETINGS WE HAD.
SO WE KEPT IT AT ANYTHING OVER 30 HAS TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL FOR MODIFICATION.
ALSO, WE LIMITED THE NUMBER OF BEDROOMS IN A IN A DUPLEX OR TWO UNIT AND A THREE UNIT DEVELOPMENT 10 FOR DUPLEX, 12 FOR THREE UNITS.
OK, THE NEXT THE THIRD BULLET IS IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO THE VACANT COMMERCIAL SPACE.
A LOT OF COMMERCIAL AREAS THAT WERE DEVELOPING AS MIXED USE HAD THIS, AS WE REFER TO IT, TOKEN COMMERCIAL SPACE THAT'S NEVER BEEN OCCUPIED.
AND THEY WERE WAY OFF COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR STREETS OR IN LOCATIONS THAT MAY NEVER OR TO DATE HAS NOT BEEN LEASED.
SO TO ADDRESS THAT, WE ALLOWED 100 PERCENT RESIDENTIAL IF YOU'RE OFF A COMMERCIAL QUARTER, WHAT'S A COMMERCIAL QUARTER? MILTON, HUMPHREYS, ROUTE 66.
I THINK IT'S FOREST MEADOWS THAT GOES UP AROUND.
THOSE PROPERTIES, WHEN YOU'RE ABUTTING IT OR WITHIN THREE HUNDRED FEET, YOU HAD TO BE MIXED USE, BUT IF YOU WERE WITHIN THAT, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BE.
AND FINALLY, THIS WAS ADOPTED AS PART OF THE FILING, BUT FINALLY ON THIS SLIDE, THIS WAS ADOPTED AS PART OF THE FINAL AMENDMENT.
WE ALLOWED 100 PERCENT AFFORDABLE RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS THAT SERVE AN AMI OF 60 PERCENT NOT TO BE CONSIDERED HOH.
I'LL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE OVER TWENTY NINE DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE AND A SMALLER HOH PROJECTS.
THE OUTCOME AND THE FEEDBACK WE GOT AND BASED ON THAT ONE SLIDE THAT SARAH SHOWED THAT HAD THE KIND OF BUBBLES AROUND WHERE THE ACTIVITY CENTERS WERE.
THERE WAS A DESIRE TO LOCATE THESE HOH PROJECTS IN THE ACTIVITY CENTERS WHERE THEY HAD THE MOST INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE MOST TRANSIT AND THE MOST ABILITY FOR OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.
THERE ISN'T A GREAT WAY TO LINK IT, BUT WE LINKED IT TO THE REGIONAL PLAN.
SO THESE ACTIVITIES ARE CENTERS ARE SPECIFIED IN THE REGIONAL PLAN.
[02:15:02]
WHEN THOSE GET MODIFIED WITH THE NEXT REGIONAL PLAN, THERE IS A POTENTIAL THAT WE MAY HAVE ADJUSTED SOME PROPERTY RIGHTS.ALSO, THE SINGLE FAMILY, THE DUPLEX AND TRIBE PRACTICE ARE ALLOWED OUTSIDE THE ACTIVITY CENTER, SO THEY'RE ALLOWED TO BE IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
FURTHERMORE, THE OTHER ZONES THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN THERE, WE'RE NOT CONTEMPLATED IN THE HOH PLAN, BUT THEY ALLOW MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS.
I'M SORRY, MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS.
EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE CONTEMPLATED.
AFTER THE ADOPTION, WE CAME BACK TO YOU ON MARCH 9TH.
LAST TIME I SPOKE WITH YOU ALL AND WE MANAGED TO ADDRESS AN AMENDMENT THAT HAPPENED ON THE FLOOR AT THE TIME.
WAS, WHICH WAS TO ALLOW 100 PERCENT RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS TO BE EXEMPT.
THAT CREATED A CIRCULAR ISSUE IN THE CODE.
AND WE CAME BACK TO YOU ASKING FOR DIRECTION AND A DIRECTION AT THAT TIME WAS TO ALLOW THESE USES AS A MATTER OF RIGHT.
INCREASE THE AMI TO 80 PERCENT LESS.
AND TO COME BACK WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT WE COULD MODIFY THAT WOULD NOT NEED TO BE HOH FOR THOSE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS.
SINCE THE IMPLEMENTATION, WE ALL TALKED ABOUT THE PROP 207 WAIVERS, BUT WE HAVE HAD TO SINGLE FAMILY CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS.
THESE ARE RATHER BOTHERSOME TO OUR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND OUR HOME BUYERS.
BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A PROCESS AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF OUTREACH TRYING TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION OUT THERE AS WE CAN.
SINGLE FAMILY HOME BUILDERS AND DEVELOPERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS DON'T HAVE A WAY TO KNOW UNLESS THEY COME IN TO THE COUNTER OR UNLESS WE HIT EVERYBODY EVERY DAY.
TO KNOW THAT THEY MAY NEED A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT AND THEY'RE GETTING HIT OR CAUGHT IN THE PROCESS WHEN THEY SUBMIT FOR THEIR CONSTRUCTION PLANS.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TO CONDITIONALLY USE PERMITS, ONE'S BEEN APPROVED, THE OTHER ONE'S GOING TOMORROW NIGHT, BUT A LOT OF YOUR WAIVERS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH HAVE BEEN FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
WE HAD THE ONE AFFORDABLE HOUSING EXEMPTION, WHICH IS THE FSL PROJECT FLAGSTAFF SENIOR LIVING.
AND WE'VE HAD A TOTAL OF 87 PROP 207 REQUESTS AND NOTICE TO BREAKDOWN BY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO AGAIN, THE SMALL HOH PROJECTS, THE SINGLE FAMILY, THE DUPLEX AND TRIPLEX WE'RE REALLY MEANT TO PROTECT THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR WAIVERS.
AND HERE I LIKE TO END WITH THIS, A SUMMARY SLIDE OF SOME DIRECTION.
I'M SURE YOU HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS, MAYOR, BUT WE ARE PROVIDING FOUR OPTIONS.
AND DAN ALLUDED TO THIS EARLIER.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN MAINTAIN IT AND CONTINUE TO LEARN WHAT ISSUES WE HAVE.
WE CAN REVISE IT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE HOH PLAN.
WE CAN MAKE SOME SMALLER ADJUSTMENTS THAT ALLOW LIKE THE SINGLE FAMILY AND DUPLEX TO BE ALLOWED BY RIGHT WHILE STILL COMPLYING WITH THE HOH REQUIREMENT THAT ONE THERE THEY JUST COME THROUGH, THEY GET THEIR BUILDING PERMIT TO GO THROUGH.
THESE HAVE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, DON'T HAVE TO GO FOR A COPY.
AND, OF COURSE, THE REPEAL IN ITS ENTIRETY.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, SIRS HERE.
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPANTS, BUT IF THERE'S ANY DIRECT QUESTIONS AS OPPOSED TO THE DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL, YOU'RE WELCOME TO ASK NOW BEFORE WE TURN IT OVER TO THE PUBLIC.
MR. DAVID CARPENTER, I'D LIKE TO COME.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL, DAVID CARPENTER, 1109 WEST BUREAU.
I THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TONIGHT.
AND THANKS FOR GETTING THIS BACK ON THE AGENDA.
I'M HERE IN REAL, BROAD SENSE BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY COMPLICATED.
FIFTY EIGHT PAGES OF LEGISLATION.
I JUST WANT TO OFFER MY INDIVIDUAL HELP.
BEHIND THE SCENES, AS A COLLECTIVE BODY HERE IN PUBLIC, ANYTHING I CAN DO.
I UNDERSTAND THIS STUFF BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS, NOT A STUDENT HOUSING DEVELOPER, BUT I'VE BUILT LARGE UNITS, SMALL UNITS, CONDOS, TOWNHOMES, HOMES AND ON A LOT OF PROPERTY ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
AND I'VE SEEN HOW THIS AFFECTS MY PROPERTY VALUES AND OTHERS.
I WAS ALSO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION IN 2011 WHEN WE VOTED ON THE TRANSIT ZONE.
SO I KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE THREATS THAT WENT ON AND WHY THE COMMUNITY WANTED THAT
[02:20:03]
AND ALL THE ADVANTAGES OF THAT, AND IT DOESN'T GET TALKED ABOUT A LOT.BUT THIS HAS ACTUALLY COMPLETELY WIPED AWAY ALL THE ADVANTAGES OF THE TRANSIT ZONE BY RETURNING THE METRICS TO [INAUDIBLE] METRIC SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAD BEFORE.
SO IT DOESN'T GET TALKED OUT A LOT.
BUT I LOVE IF THE STAFF COULD EXPLAIN HOW THAT HAPPENED SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER, I COULD ACTUALLY DO THAT AS WELL.
BUT TO GET BACK TO THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT FOR BASE CODE THAT WERE WIPED OUT.
I'D LOVE TO SEE A SENSIBLE BAR CREATED.
OBVIOUSLY, I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS ORDINANCE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE SINGLE FAMILY DUPLEX TRIPLEX FOURPLEX 10 PLEX, AND THIS WAS DESIGNED TO BLOCK 200 UNIT STUDENT HOUSING COMPLEXES AND EFFECTIVELY BARRED ALL DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTIFAMILY SIZE OF A CERTAIN DENSITY.
LOVE TO SEE SOME KIND OF WAIVERS, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST THROW THE WHOLE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER, BUT SOME KIND OF SENSIBLE BARS LIKE, HEY, ONE'S ONE BEDROOM APARTMENTS, TWO BEDROOM APARTMENTS.
WHY DO WE TALK ABOUT THOSE WE WANT, THOSE WE NEED? THOSE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH A CAP PROCESS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS AND UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE, 60 PERCENT AMI, 80 PERCENT AMI.
THOSE THINGS ARE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE.
SO UNDERSTANDING WHERE THOSE BUYERS SHOULD REALLY BE SET BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE JUST FEEL GOOD RIGHT NOW, THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING.
OH, AND ALSO JUST TO WRAP UP, I KNOW I BROUGHT YOU GUYS THE IDEA OF AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT, AND WE REALIZED THAT IT GOT SNARED UP IN THIS LOVE TO MAYBE USE THAT AS A BENCHMARK, SEE WHERE, HOW WE CAN GET THINGS LIKE THAT TO WORK.
THAT'S SOMETHING I HAVE NUMBERS ON METRICS ON [INAUDIBLE] MINUTES, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT WOULDN'T WORK ON OUR SHARED ADJACENT PROPERTY.
I THINK IT'S REALLY HARD TO TAKE A BITE OUT OF THIS AND KNOW WHERE TO START.
BUT AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND AS A BUILDER, I'LL JUST BE HERE FOR YOU, AS A RESOURCE, AS YOU GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I THINK WE'VE GOT A QUESTION HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN? YEAH, DON'T GO FAR.
I APPRECIATE YOUR EMAIL YOU SENT OUT THE OTHER DAY.
I HAD SOME REALLY INTERESTING CONCEPTS IN IT.
COULD YOU TALK TO US MORE ABOUT? YOU MENTIONED THIS NEXT WAVE OF HOUSING TYPES COMING AROUND THE BEND.
I JUST I WANT TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
AND I'M ALSO VERY CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS IF YOU COULD EXPAND ON THEM ABOUT LOOSENING RESTRICTIONS ON PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
I'M SOMEONE WHO THINKS OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH CARS ARE CHANGING, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE SORT OF A QUICK TRANSITION, NOT IN THE FUTURE, BUT NOW.
AND JUST CURIOUS IF YOU CAN EXPOUND UPON SOME OF THAT.
YEAH, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.
SO MICRO UNIT, SMALL UNIT, I MEAN, I'M NOT SURE THERE'S AN OFFICIAL DEFINITION, BUT SMALL IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE INDUSTRY BECAUSE IT'S WHAT'S AFFORDABLE TO BUILD AND WHAT'S AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE TO BUY.
OBVIOUSLY, BUILDERS WOULD PREFER TO HAVE THE MOST, BROADEST AUDIENCE FOR THEIR PRODUCT, SO THINGS ARE TRENDING SMALLER.
WE ARE SEEING IN CITIES WHERE THEY'RE BECOMING SO SMALL THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY CALLED MICRO UNITS.
I'M NOT SURE IF FLAGSTAFF HAS A RESTRICTION ON SMALLNESS, BUT A LOT OF CITIES DID.
IN THOSE CITIES WHERE YOU'RE BUILDING SMALLER THAN A CERTAIN SIZE, IT BECOMES MICRO.
BUT JUST IN GENERAL, EVEN JUST SMALL APARTMENTS.
FIVE HUNDRED AND SIX HUNDRED AND SEVEN HUNDRED SQUARE FOOT APARTMENTS.
WHEN YOU COMPILE THAT THOSE KINDS OF OF SIZES TOGETHER INTO A BUILDING, NOW INSIDE, LET'S SAY THE TRANSACT.
IT TRIGGERS THESE HOH POLICIES AND MY POINT IS I DON'T THINK IT WAS INTENDED TO DO THAT, I DON'T THINK I DON'T THINK THE REASONING BEHIND HAVING IRE WITH THE HUB WAS TO NOW BLOCK SOMEONE FROM BUILDING A 15, 20, 10 UNIT SMALL ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT COMPLEX.
SO I JUST BELIEVE IT'S AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE.
THAT WAS MY POINT IN BRINGING IT UP AND OTHERS ALWAYS MULTI STOREY DWELLING BUILDINGS.
I MEAN, I DON'T REALLY SEE HOW THEY WOULD.
THEY WOULD HAVE SOME TINY HOMES GOING IN OVER HALF OF FOURTH STREET.
I MEAN, YOU'RE GOING TO YEAH, I'VE GOT A PROJECT GOING IN THAT'S SMALL.
BUT YEAH, I THINK IN GENERAL, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS TRANSIT ZONE, WHICH IS WHICH IS WHERE A LOT OF THINGS GOT UNDONE, IT'S GOING TO BE MULTI STOREY.
IN FACT, A LOT OF THE TRANSIT REQUIRES SOME OF THE MORE INTENSE PARTS OF THE TRANSACTION REQUIRE A SECOND AND THIRD STORY.
BUT YES, YOU COULD BUILD SMALL HOUSES, YOU CAN BUILD THEM AT FOURTH AND SLOWLY AIR LIKE I'M BUILDING 30 OF THEM.
OH, THEY'LL BE READY NEXT YEAR, BY THE WAY.
BUT YEAH, THAT IT'S MORE GENERALLY THE TRANSIT WORKER THAT GETS SNARED UP.
THAT'S A TOTALLY SEPARATE NOTION, THE IDEA HOW WE COULD BUILD MORE TINY HOUSES AND VILLAGES LIKE THAT, I'D LOVE TO TALK ABOUT IT AS A SEPARATE CONCEPT BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO VERY DIFFICULT TO DO HERE BECAUSE OF THE LAND REQUIREMENTS FOR TOTALLY SEPARATE CONVERSATION.
BUT TO GET BACK TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE PARKING.
MY POINT IS THAT THE HOH INCREASE THE PARKING RESTRICTIONS AT A TIME WHEN THEY WERE ALREADY OK.
I'M JUST ADVOCATING AND ASKING FOR THEM TO GO BACK AS PART OF THIS DISCUSSION, NOT FOR ANYTHING THAT BE LOOSENED BEYOND WHERE IT WAS ALREADY AT.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI? AND THANK YOU, DAVID, FOR BEING HERE AND YOUR WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR EXPERTISE AND SERVICE TO THE COMMISSION, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
[02:25:01]
A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.SO WITH THE SMALLER UNITS THAT YOU'RE TALKING TO, THOSE WANT SINGLE DUPLEXES AND TRIPLEXES.
WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING THIS WITH THE FORMER COUNCIL, WE WERE HEARING STORIES OF TRIPLEXES AND DUPLEXES BEING BUILT THAT WERE VERY MUCH GEARED TOWARD STUDENTS AND HAD MAJOR PARKING CONCERNS AND COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY WHAT TO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK THAT WAS VERY MUCH DRIVING THAT CONVERSATION.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS BEING BUILT AND THE PARKING NEEDS THAT THEY BRING WITH THEM? SURE.
I MEAN, I REMEMBER THOSE BEING LIKE A LOT OF THINGS IN THE CITY, JUST A FEW PEOPLE, WHICH SOMETIMES IS FRUSTRATING WHEN YOU SEE THIS BIG OF A LEGISLATION THAT GOES THROUGH.
I DON'T REMEMBER IT BEING A COMMUNITY WIDE ISSUE.
I DON'T REMEMBER IT BEING A LOT MORE THAN A FEW PEOPLE THAT VOICED THOSE CONCERNS, AND I DID TRY TO ADJUST THE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME.
I OWN A FEW OF THOSE BUILDINGS AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T SEEN MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF PARKING PROBLEMS, BUT WE SEE BURSTS AND ISSUES OF PARKING PROBLEMS THAT I BELIEVE IS MORE TIED TO THE ROAD NETWORK NOT BEING FINISHED THERE.
AND I BRING THAT ACTUALLY, I THINK, AROUND THE COUNCIL AND I BROUGHT THIS AND I SAID, PLEASE FINISH THE CURBS GUTTER AND SIDEWALK ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
THEN THE POLICE KNOW WHERE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO PARK AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO PARK.
AND IF THERE'S ANOTHER WAY OF A PARKING PROGRAM AND IT IS MATURED AND WE KNOW HOW IT WORKS, WE NOW USE IT.
IF YOU CANNOT PARK PHYSICALLY ON THE PROPERTY AND YOU CAN'T PARK PHYSICALLY IN THE STREET IN THE WRONG SPOT, THERE ACTUALLY AREN'T PARKING PROBLEMS. SO I REALLY STAND BY IN THAT.
I THINK OUR PARKING PROGRAM HAS GROWN UP ENOUGH TO RELY ON THAT GOING FORWARD, SO.
OH, SORRY, COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS? OH YES, MA'AM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. CARPENTER, FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND SPEAKING UP AND SHARING YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
I'M GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
SO ON THE SCREEN, WE HAVE THE OPTIONS.
IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS, SO WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL NEXT STEPS? GOTCHA.
I THINK IT'S AN OVERSIMPLIFICATION BECAUSE IF I HAD TO CHOOSE FROM ALL OF THESE FOUR, I WOULD CHOOSE D BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S AN APPROPRIATE B AND C THAT GETS US TO THIS MIDDLE GROUND WHERE I THINK PROBABLY THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO BE.
SO I ACTUALLY WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU NOT TO MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT AND TO TO GET A LOT MORE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND HOPEFULLY THERE'S A B PLUS AND MAYBE A C MINUS OR A D MINUS OPTION THAT IS MORE PALATABLE FOR EVERYONE.
SO ARE YOU RECOMMENDING LIKE GETTING MORE INPUT, ENGAGE THE PUBLIC AND EXPLORE B AND C TOGETHER.
OR SOMETHING NEW? YES, AND IT'S REALLY COMPLICATED.
A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL HEAR SARAH TALKING ABOUT, THAT'S THE PLAN.
IT'S NOT THE ORDINANCE AND IT'S TALKING A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT THE ORDINANCE THAT AREN'T THE PLAN.
AND THERE'S A LOT IN THE ORDINANCE.
WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT IT A LOT, THEY TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT IT DOES.
AND THEY TALK ABOUT IT IN THAT POSITIVE WAY, THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN, IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT IT TOOK AWAY, THE THINGS THAT IT MADE MORE RESTRICTIVE AND MORE DIFFICULT.
THAT'S JUST MORE NUANCE TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT IT THAT WAY.
SO I THINK YOU NEED MORE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC.
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR ARTICULATING THAT YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ON WHAT THAT SOMETHING NEW LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF.
OF ADDRESSING THE THE THE LOOPHOLES AND THE MISMATCH OF THE H.O.H.
PLAN AND THE ZONING CODE TAX AMENDMENT.
YEAH, ACTUALLY, THANKS FOR THAT QUESTION.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE PROBABLY ARE SOME SIMPLE TWEAKS.
LIKE CREATING CATEGORIES OF WAIVERS LIKE THIS ENTIRE BODY OF WORK WAS INTENDED TO SNARE UP PEOPLE, GAMING THE SYSTEM AND BUILDING HIGH BEDROOM OCCUPANCY UNITS.
SO WHY DON'T WE JUST WAVE LOW BEDROOM UNITS? BECAUSE NO ONE IS GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF US BY COMING IN HERE AND BUILDING STUDIOS ONES AND TWOS? THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.
THAT'S WHAT AFFORDABLE PEOPLE WANT.
LIKE, WE WOULD WAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT LET'S LOWER THAT BAR BECAUSE AFFORDABLE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET TO THAT THOSE HIGH ASPIRATIONAL HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE.
I THINK THOSE ARE SIMPLE THINGS.
IF YOU WANTED TO KEEP THE WHOLE LEGISLATION IS TO FIND OUT WHERE THE BAR GOES.
WAIVE OBVIOUSLY OPTION B IS ONLY ONE, TWO AND THREE.
WHY WOULD WE THEN PUT THIS ONUS ON FOUR AND FIVE AND 10, THIS WAS THIS WAS ABOUT TWO HUNDRED UNIT HUBS.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT NUMBER IS.
I'VE NEVER BUILT ANYTHING BIGGER THAN THIRTY TWO, SO.
BUT I KNOW THERE'S SOMEWHERE THERE'S A BAR THAT'S BETTER THAN ONE.
AND SO I WOULD APPRECIATE YOU ALL BEING THOUGHTFUL ON THAT.
PLEASE KEEP SENDING US YOUR THOUGHTS AND PLEASE KEEP ENGAGING WITH OUR STAFF
[02:30:06]
ON YOUR IDEAS AS WE TRY TO ADDRESS THIS IN A MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND MEANINGFUL WAY.I HAVE AN ONLINE CAROLYN OVERHOLSER.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, CAN YOU HEAR ME OK? YES, MA'AM.
AGAIN, CAROLYN OBERHOLZER FOR YOUR RECORDS, I'M WITH BERGEN'S, FRAKES, SMALLEY AND OVERHOLSER.
4343 EAST CAMELBACK IN PHOENIX AND IT'S NICE TO BE VIRTUALLY BACK BEFORE YOU GUYS.
TONIGHT I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF VESTAR FOR THEIR UNIVERSITY PLAZA PROPERTY AND I DID SHARE AN EMAIL WITH THE COUNCIL THIS MORNING THAT INCLUDED AN EXHIBIT WHICH I THINK TELLS THE STORY OF AT LEAST OUR CONCERN RELATED TO THAT PROPERTY.
THE UNIVERSITY PLAZA PROPERTIES IS A VERY SUCCESSFUL COMMERCIAL CENTER.
IT'S IN MAJOR TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS.
IT'S, I THINK BY ALL ACCOUNTS, IN AN ACTIVITY CENTER.
YET FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE PROPERTY IS ONLY VERY PARTIALLY ON THE NORTH SIDE, INCLUDED WITHIN AN ACTIVITY CENTER, AND IT JUST ABOUT TOUCHES TWO OTHERS.
SO BEING THAT IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN ONE, IT IS NOW EXCLUDED FROM THE ABILITY TO REDEVELOP AS A MIXED USE RETAIL CENTER.
AND THAT WAS A DEVELOPMENT RIGHT THAT THE VESTAR HAD PRIOR TO THE ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE.
SO WHILE I COMPLETELY APPRECIATE WHAT STAFF HAS WRESTLED WITH AND THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY IN ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES, AS I THINK YOUR DAN SAID EARLIER, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO USE THESE THINGS TO REALIZE THE PROBLEMS WITH THEM.
AND AS MR. CARPENTER JUST EXPLAINED, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T REALIZE WHAT YOU EXCLUDED WHEN YOU'RE FOCUSING ON HOW TO WORK WITH THIS.
AND SO THE PROPERTY BEING ZONED HC UNDER THE PRIOR ORDINANCE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE BY RIGHT TO DEVELOP MIXED USE WITH RETAIL AND HAVE MULTIFAMILY ON THE TOP.
AND THAT IS IMPORTANT IN THE EMERGING ECONOMY.
THERE IS DEFINITELY A TREND TOWARDS BRINGING RESIDENTS WITHIN RETAIL ENVIRONMENTS, MAXIMIZING ON EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AND IMPORTANTLY, TO SUPPORT THESE BUSINESSES TO BRING THE PEOPLE CLOSE TO THEM.
SO WHAT WOULD HOPE THE COUNCIL WOULD CONSIDER AS IT GOES FORWARD IS ADDRESSING PERHAPS THE UNINTENTIONAL OMISSION OF PROPERTIES SUCH AS THIS THAT ARE ADJACENT TO THESE ACTIVITY CENTERS THAT ARE APPROPRIATELY ZONED DID NOT REQUIRE A REZONING TO INCORPORATE HIGH DENSITY HOUSING, BUT NOW ARE PRECLUDED FROM DOING SO.
WE CAN'T EVEN APPLY ON BUT FOR A CHANGE TO THE ACTIVITY CENTER, WHICH WOULD BE A MAJOR GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT.
SO WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU MS. OVERHOLSER, COUNCIL, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL PUBLIC PARTICIPANTS ONLINE OR, ONE MORE? YES, MAYOR, WE HAVE ONE MORE, HE'S PULLING OUT A CARD RIGHT NOW.
GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
UH, I JUST HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL.
MOSTLY, I FOUND SOME INTERESTING PARTS ABOUT IT.
ARE THERE ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST BETWEEN STATE AND CITY ORDINANCES ON THE REGULATIONS THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
UH, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE PROPOSAL IN THE PARTY, HARD TO BREATHE IN THIS THING.
UH, IS THERE ANY IMPACT STUDIES? FOR BUDGET IMPACTS, ECONOMIC IMPACTS, WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
THEY MENTION ABOUT WHEN THEY'RE PROPOSING THIS.
HE GAVE YOU A LITTLE HANDOUT EARLIER.
WITH A FIFTY THOUSAND FOOT OVERVIEW OF WHAT THEY'RE PLAN IS I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT
[02:35:02]
THE DETAILS ARE ON THAT.ALSO, I LIKE TO STATE ONE LITTLE THING THAT I THINK WITH THE CODE ENFORCEMENT WHERE HE'S TRYING TO GET A MORE STRICTER.
I THINK THERE MIGHT BE SOME DUPLICATION OR CONFLICTS WITH THE STATE REGULATIONS ON HOUSING AS WELL.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK MORE INTO THAT BEFORE WE DO MOVE FORWARD ON ANY OF THIS.
AS WELL AS ANY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY SHOULD BE ALSO CONDUCTED ON ANY OF THIS AS WELL.
THAT'D BE FOLLOWING ANY KIND OF A PROJECT OR PROGRAM REGULATIONS.
WHETHER YOU'RE DEALING WITH ANYTHING FOR A PROGRAM PROPOSAL, WHETHER IT'S AT THE STATE LEVEL OR AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
SO YOU'VE GOT TO FOLLOW THE PROCESS.
SO I'D SAY I GO WITH A D PENDING A FULL REVIEW AND GAIN MORE STUDIES DONE AND RE APPROACH FROM THE BEGINNING, LIKE THE GENTLEMAN BEFOREHAND STATED BEFORE.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING I HAVE QUESTIONS, AND I THINK THOSE QUESTIONS ARE ONES THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED BEFORE YOU MOVE FORWARD.
ALL RIGHT, AND THE FULL TEXT OF THE HACKETT'S HOUSING PLAN AND SO FORTH IS AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR A MORE THOROUGH REVIEW OF ALL OF THE DOCUMENTATION ASSOCIATED.
WAS THAT THAT WAS THE LAST INDIVIDUAL? OK.
JUST MAKING SURE HERE BEFORE WE TURN IT ON TO COUNCIL DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, DAN, FOR THE UPDATE, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE JENNY FROM SUSTAINABILITY TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM IF SHE'S ABLE AND WILLING, I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO HEAR SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS.
JENNY, IN REGARDS TO WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE REVIEWING TODAY, I KNOW THAT THERE WERE COMMENTS MADE THE FIRST TIME AROUND THAT THIS DOESN'T NECESSARILY OVERLAP WITH OUR CLIMATE NEUTRALITY PLANS OR GOALS.
CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO SOME OF THOSE TOPICS AT A PRETTY HIGH LEVEL FROM THE LENS OF SUSTAINABILITY AND THE CONCERNS OF THE SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP THAT WE HAVE? SURE, I AM ACTUALLY GOING TO DEFER TO NICOLE ANTONOPOULOS, WHO IS ON THE LINE TO SPEAK TO IT FROM A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A HIGH LEVEL.
GREAT, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVENING, RATHER THANK YOU, JENNY, AND THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I THINK THAT WE DO HAVE A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY HERE.
AS WAS DISCUSSED EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION, A NUMBER OF POLICIES AND PLANS WERE NOT IN PLACE WHEN THE HOA WAS BROUGHT FORWARD.
AND NOW WE DO HAVE THIS TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT THIS DISCUSSION THROUGH THE CARBON NEUTRALITY LENS.
WE DO SUPPORT THE PRINCIPLES, BUT DO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REFINEMENTS THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT BETTER SUPPORT OUR CLIMATE ACTION GOALS AND THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN SUSTAINABILITY.
STICKING IT IN SO QUICK FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
HOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND WE MOVE FORWARD? DO WE BRING IT BEFORE OUR SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION AND THEN BEFORE OUR HOUSING COMMISSION AND THEN BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL? WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND? THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
I BELIEVE THAT FOLLOWING THAT PROTOCOL IS ABSOLUTELY PERTINENT.
I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY, THOUGH, FOR STAFF TO SIT DOWN AND TO IDENTIFY SOME SOLUTIONS FROM A TECHNICAL EXPERTISE STANDPOINT AND THEN BRING IT TO THE COMMISSIONS FOR EXPLANATION AND POTENTIAL BUY IN AND RECOMMENDATION, THEN TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
BUT GIVEN THAT THE CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN HAS VERY SPECIFIC TARGETS AND IS BASED ON VERY SPECIFIC EMISSION REDUCTIONS, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE BRING IN THAT LEVEL OF TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND THEN OF COURSE, WORK WITH THOSE IN DAN AND SARA.
EVERYONE IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
BECAUSE I CAN'T SAY THAT I'M AN EXPERT IN ZONING CODE LAW AND SO FORTH.
SO I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A REALLY FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR STAFF TO WORK TOGETHER AND THEN TO BRING THAT OUT TO THE COMMISSIONS.
SO MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN, YOU KEEP MY COMMENTS REALLY SHORT.
UM, SO I THAT'S WHY I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DO IF IF THERE'S SUPPORT FOR THAT, LET OUR STAFF WORK IT OUT.
DAN, YOU PARTNER UP WITH SUSTAINABILITY AND THOSE THAT NEED TO BE THERE TO SEE
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WHAT YOU CAN COME UP WITH TO BETTER ALIGN THINGS TO OUR OUR CLIMATE NEUTRALITY PLANS.I PERSONALLY SEE THERE BEING THAT TREND IN PARKING.
IN TERMS OF THE ADJUSTMENTS BEING MADE TO PARKING ACROSS THE NATION, I'M VERY INTRIGUED ON THAT TOPIC.
I WANT US TO NOT NECESSARILY CONTINUE TO BUILD FOR THE CAR.
AND I DO THINK THAT THE ONE, THE REQUIREMENT AT A TIME, I THINK IS OVER BURDENSOME.
I ALSO LIKE WHAT MR. CARPENTER SAID ABOUT THE WAIVERS FOR THE TYPES OF UNITS THAT WE WANT TO SEE BUILT IN FLAGSTAFF.
I THINK THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
SO TO NICOLE AND TO YOU AND TO OUR TEAM, MAYBE LOOKING INTO THAT FURTHER, BUT I TRUST YOUR EXPERTISE AS WELL.
I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SOUTH SIDE AND THE NUMBER OF WAIVERS WE'RE SEEING COME FROM THE SOUTH SIDE.
SO I'M NOT TOO SURE WHAT WE CAN DO TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THAT COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE BEING TAKEN CARE OF, AS WITH THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER.
I KNOW THAT THE ULTIMATELY, ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT BE A HIGH NUMBER OF OF WAIVERS THAT HAVE BEEN GRANTED, IT'S STILL SMALL PROPORTION, I BELIEVE, OF THAT PLACE OF THAT LOCATION ITSELF.
SO I'M NOT TOO WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
BUT THAT IS A COMMUNITY THAT SEEMS TO BE GETTING HIT THE HARDEST WITH THE WAIVERS, UM, THUS FAR.
AND I ALSO WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO LOOK FURTHER INTO THE BIKE PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
I DON'T THINK THE RECENT MIRAMONTE PROJECT THAT WE APPROVED HIT THE HOH REQUIREMENT.
AND I SEE YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD.
BECAUSE BECAUSE THAT REQUIREMENT FOR THEIR BIKE PARKING, I THOUGHT, WAS WAS NOT ADEQUATE FOR WHAT IT WAS.
I WAS HOPING THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BUILD.
ANYWAYS, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE US DO.
WE'LL SEE WHAT YOU ALL THINK, BUT I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
SO JUST TO WRAP UP A LITTLE BIT, YOU'RE GOING FOR OPTION C HERE, BASICALLY.
I BELIEVE THAT THAT SUMS IT UP.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH THAT WE GIVE OUR STAFF THE FLEXIBILITY TO GO WHEREVER THEY NEED TO GO WITH THIS.
I JUST THINK THAT THEM WORKING TOGETHER, I THINK, WILL BE ADEQUATE FOR WHAT IT IS I'M LOOKING FOR US TO DO.
BUT YEAH, I THINK IF OPTION C SUMS IT UP THE BEST.
I JUST WANT TO FOR CONSENSUS PURPOSES THAT WE YEAH, WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
I AGREE THAT IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE STAFF COME BACK TOGETHER AND THEN TO HAVE SUGGESTIONS PUT FORWARD TO THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION AND THE HOUSING COMMISSION.
I THINK THAT THERE HAS THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION AND NEW DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE COME ABOUT THROUGH BOTH OF THOSE COMMISSIONS AND THROUGH A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT AND SO IF THERE'S A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT WE ADDRESS THOSE IN THIS PLAN, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT IT THROUGH THE SUSTAINABILITY LENS AND THE HOUSING LENS WHILE STILL KEEPING OUR PROMISE IN TERMS OF THE SOUTH SIDE PLAN, I KNOW THAT'S A VERY TALL ORDER, BUT I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE THAT STAFF CAN PULL THAT OFF.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
THANK YOU VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
AS SOME OF THE SPEAKERS NOTED, I GOT INTO THIS VERY DEEPLY WHEN THIS GOT PASSED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WERE PUT IN THERE, WE'RE NOT PUT IN JUST FOR THE HELL OF IT.
THEY WERE PUT IN DELIBERATELY.
THAT SAID, I DO AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO TAKE A LOOK AND SAY, IS IT INTENDING TO DO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO? I MEAN, A LOT OF THIS WAS ASKED FOR BY THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, WHEN I FIRST RAN FOR COUNCIL, THE HUB DIDN'T MATTER WHAT PART OF TOWN I WAS IN.
WHEN I ASKED PEOPLE, WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND? THEY WOULD BRING UP THE HUB, AND IT DIDN'T MATTER IF IT WAS YEAH, I MEAN, EVERY TIME I RAN, IT DIDN'T MATTER IF I WAS WALKING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OR IF I WAS OUT IN COUNTRY CLUB OR [INAUDIBLE] WHATEVER.
SO SOME OF WHAT'S IN THIS, THE LAW NOW, THE ZONING CODE IN THE PLAN NEEDS TO STAY THERE.
BUT I ALSO AGREE WITH THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE SPOKEN, IT IS IT'S TIME TO TAKE A SECOND LOOK AT IT THROUGH THE LENS OF SUSTAINABILITY.
WE KNOW THAT HIGH DENSITY OR MODERATE DENSITY, ANYWAY, HAS A LOT OF ADVANTAGES AS
[02:45:04]
FAR AS MAKING PUBLIC TRANSIT PRACTICAL, MAKING WALKABILITY PRACTICAL, MAKING MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT PRACTICAL ET CETERA.SO I DO SUPPORT THE IDEA OF HAVING STAFF MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, GETTING WITH THE HOUSING COMMISSION, THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION, AND COMING BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNCIL.
SO AS FAR AS THE WHAT'S ON THE BOARD, THEY'RE REPEALING, THE HOH IN MY MIND IS OUT OF THE QUESTION.
IT WAS PUT THERE DELIBERATELY, IT WAS PUT THERE ON PURPOSE AND THERE WAS A NEED FOR IT.
SO I GUESS I FALL SOMEWHERE AROUND OPTION B OR C.
AND AS I SAID, LET'S GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, BUT LET'S NOT TRY TO THROW THE WHOLE THING OUT BECAUSE THERE'S.
A LOT OF WHAT'S IN THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY ASK US FOR.
SO WE HAVE TO DO IT WITH A DEGREE OF CAUTION.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
MY THOUGHTS HAVE BEEN SPOKEN ALREADY, SO I WON'T REITERATE, BUT I AM GOING TO SAY I'M FOR OPTION THREE OR C.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET.
DEFINITELY, IT DEFINITELY NEEDS A THOROUGH REVIEW, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE POINTS THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED BY MR. CARPENTER AND MS. HER LAST NAME, OBERHOLZER.
UM, AND ALSO ANTICIPATING OTHER OTHER ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED WITH THE CLAIMS WITH PROP TWO, 07 AND.
ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE INTO.
DEVELOPING HOUSING UNITS, SPECIFICALLY, OUR LOCAL DEVELOPERS SEE WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE AND GAIN THEIR PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
I DO SUPPORT THE STAFF, YOU KNOW, HAVING STAFF TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AS WELL AS GETTING IT THROUGH THE HOUSING AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSIONS.
BUT I AM LOOKING INTO A COMBINATION OF B AND C AND PROBABLY SOMETHING NEW DEPENDING ON PUBLIC INPUT AND AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE FROM STAFF AND FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
FIRST, I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT STAFF HAS DONE OVER THE MANY, MANY YEARS FOR THIS, AND IT CAN'T GO WITHOUT SAYING THAT A LOT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO THIS AND A LOT OF THOUGHTFUL DEBATE HAS COME FROM THIS.
AND THERE'S BEEN A FAIR LEVEL OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN THIS PROCESS AS WELL.
THIS IS, OF COURSE, SOMETHING THAT IS A LIVING BREATHING DOCUMENT AND IT IS APPROPRIATE TO REVISIT IT.
I DON'T HAVE MUCH FURTHER CLARITY TO ADD.
I WILL SAY THAT MY DIRECTION IS IN LINE WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY HAS STATED AND WHAT OTHERS HAVE ECHOED.
WE CANNOT ALLOWED THE BOOGEYMAN OF OFF CAMPUS STUDENT HOUSING TO BE THE ENEMY OF APPROPRIATE AND HEALTHY INFILL DEVELOPMENT, ESPECIALLY SO NEAR THE HEART OF THE CITY.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SOME OF THESE NEW TWEAKS THAT ARE COMING OUR WAY A REVISITING SOME OF THE IDEAS WE HAVE AROUND HOW MUCH PARKING IS NECESSARY FOR THESE AREAS AND LIFTING UP THESE MICRO UNITS AND THE OTHER TRENDS THAT ARE COMING OUR WAY AS SOMETHING WE NEED TO MAKE ALLOWANCES FOR AND FACILITATE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN.
I THINK WE'RE IN AGREEMENT HERE, COUNSEL.
ANY GOOD POLICY NEEDS TO ALWAYS BE LOOKED OVER AGAIN.
UNDERSTAND THE UNINTENTIONAL CONSEQUENCES AND TRY TO ADDRESS THAT AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
[02:50:01]
SO LET'S GET MORE INPUT FROM THE COMMISSIONS AND STAFF AND SO FORTH AND SEE WHAT MAYBE WE CAN DO TO REFINE THIS FURTHER.JUST A COUPLE RELATED THOUGHTS.
I MEAN, I THINK WHAT THE COMMUNITY WAS VERY UNHAPPY WITH WAS THESE APARTMENTS THAT WERE FIVE BEDROOMS, FIVE BATHROOMS. AND ONE LITTLE TEENY KITCHEN.
AND WHAT WE REALLY NEED IN THIS COMMUNITY IS HOUSING FOR FAMILIES, AND THAT CAN BE SMALL FAMILIES, SO WE NEED STUDIOS.
WHY? BECAUSE THEY'RE AFFORDABLE.
WE NEED ONE AND TWO BEDROOMS AND AND WE NEED SOME VARIETY, TOO, OF COURSE, BUT I THINK THERE IS A PLACE FOR IN THE CODE TO ALLOW FOR SMALLER HOMES.
I THINK THAT THE CONSIDERING THE COST OF UTILITIES AND LAND VALUE, THAT ONE WAY TO CREATE SOME HOUSING.
THERE COULD BE VERY ACCEPTABLE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE IS TO ALLOW SMALLER HOMES AND PROVIDE FOR THAT IN THE CODE.
SO I THINK PEOPLE LIKE DAVID CARPENTER ARE THINKING IN THOSE TERMS AND WE NEED TO LISTEN TO SOME OF HIS IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T DESTROY NEIGHBORHOODS OR DRAMATICALLY CHANGED NEIGHBORHOODS.
ANYWAY, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT, THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY, I THINK THAT GOES PRETTY CLEAR CONSENSUS FOR DIRECTIONS FOR STAFF, OTHERWISE ANYTHING ELSE TO KNOW COUNCIL BEFORE IT MOVE FORWARD.
MR. SIMON, THIS ONE QUESTION, MAYOR, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, WE DO HAVE THE AMENDMENT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
IN MARCH ABOUT CLEANING UP THE MODIFICATION TO THE ORDINANCE, WE CAN HOLD THAT OFF UM, UNTIL THIS GOES THROUGH IT'S ABOUT ALLOWING THE 100 PERCENT OR ONE HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE PROJECTS AS A MATTER OF RIGHT.
UM INSTEAD OF JUST BEING EXEMPTED, THAT'S CURRENTLY IN PROCESS AND ALMOST READY TO GO.
WE COULD HOLD THAT OFF UNTIL THIS COMES ABOUT AND WE GO BACK THROUGH THE SUSTAINABILITY AND HOUSING COMMISSION.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SUSTAINABILITY ASPECTS IN THIS ORDINANCE, ALTHOUGH THERE IS A PARKING ONE THAT WAS DIRECTLY AS A RESULT OF THE PUBLIC OUTREACH.
A LOT OF THAT STUFF IS BUILDING CODE.
SO THOSE ARE UNRELATED, BUT THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF THAT.
SO DOES THE COUNCIL DESIRE TO HOLD OFF ON THAT AMENDMENT AND DO IT ALL AT THE SAME TIME? THERE, JUST TO CLARIFY, THAT IS SPECIFICALLY FOR ALLOWING 100 PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH A SEASON PASS.
I WOULD LIKE SINCE THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED ON BY COUNCIL.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT THROUGH WHILE WE STILL DISCUSS THIS AND MOVE FORWARD WITH POTENTIAL OTHER OPTIONS.
I'LL LEAVE IT UP TO COUNCIL, BUT I FEEL THAT THAT IS SOMETHING WE'VE ALREADY BEEN IN AGREEMENT ON THAT THOSE SHOULDN'T REQUIRE.
BUT I'LL HEAR FROM THE REST OF COUNCIL IF THEY'D PREFER TO DO THIS ALL AT ONCE.
DOES STAFF HAVE ANY STRONG RECOMMENDATIONS LIKE IT, WOULD IT BE WAY MORE EFFICIENT TO DO IT ALL AT ONCE OR CAN WE...THE EXEMPTION MAYOR, MEMBERS CANCEL? THE EXEMPTION CURRENTLY WORKS, BUT THERE IS A CIRCULAR LOOPHOLE IN THE CODE THAT'S CREATED, SO THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP.
OK, I GUESS I'LL GO WITH THE MAYOR AND SAY, LET'S GET HER DONE.
SO IT'LL BE JUST SO I'M CLEAR.
JUST TO BRING THAT AMENDMENT FORWARD.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, CONTINUE TO WORK ON THESE OTHER ISSUES WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY AND HOUSING STAFF.
AND AND IT IS A MUCH LARGER THAN JUST THE ZONING CODE ISSUE.
I'M SAYING AT LEAST A MAJORITY OF NODS HERE.
SO CITY MANAGER, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? OK.
ALL RIGHT, ANYTHING FURTHER? THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT, WE ARE DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM 10.
[10. Flagstaff City Council Land Acknowledgement Discussion]
THIS IS THE FLAGSTAFF CITY COUNCIL LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.[INAUDIBLE] MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF FIRST BY MY [INAUDIBLE] UM, MY NAME IS ROSE TOEHE, AND I AM THE COORDINATOR FOR THE INDIGENOUS INITIATIVES HERE AT THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF.
I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT PRESENTED TO YOU TONIGHT TO DISCUSS, AND I BELIEVE SARAH IS GOING TO PUT IT UP ON SCREEN SO THAT
[02:55:06]
YOU CAN ALL SEE WHAT THE NEW RECOMMENDATION IS FROM FROM THE INDIGENOUS COMMISSION.AND THEN AS WELL ALSO THAT STERLING WILL BE HERE AS WELL.
JUST THE ONE ITEM THAT I WANT TO MENTION IS THAT THE ONLY DIFFERENCE FROM THE FROM WHAT CAME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION ARE THE CAPITAL LETTERS ADDED TO BOTH INDIGENOUS AND NATIVE.
THANK YOU, AND I'M HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
WELL, BEFORE WE START THE DISCUSSION, I'D LIKE TO GO TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION THEN, FAWN TOYA.
GOOD EVENING, ALL, MAYOR, COUNCIL, CITY AND PUBLIC.
I AM HOPE FROM THE VILLAGE OF [INAUDIBLE] AND I STAND BEFORE YOU TONIGHT.
I AM HONORED TO SERVE ON THE INDIGENOUS COMMISSION OF FLAGSTAFF.
COMMISSIONER TOYA IS WHO I AM AND I ALSO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF INDIGENOUS COMMISSION.
CIRCLE OF [INAUDIBLE], EXCUSE ME.
AND I'M ALSO EMPLOYED WITH NATIVE AMERICANS FOR COMMUNITY ACTION, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL CITY FOR ACKNOWLEDGING LAND THAT IS SACRED TO MORE THAN 14 PLUS TRIBES OF THIS AREA.
AND I STAND HERE REPRESENTING ALL OF THEM AND ALL THOSE OF MY PEOPLE THAT CANNOT COME HERE TONIGHT BEFORE YOU.
AND I'M HONORED TO ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER THIS LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
AND BECAUSE THIS IS AN OPENING TOO MANY DOORS THAT NEEDS TO BE OPEN WITHIN THE CITY AND OUR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLES FROM THIS LAND AND SURROUNDINGS.
AND I DO PARTICIPATE IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE DONE THIS.
WE ARE PAST THE TALKS OF THIS BECOMING.
WE HAVE BEEN MOVING FORWARD WITH HELPING PEOPLE, OUR PEOPLE, COMMUNITY, PEOPLE WITH WHAT IS IN REALITY OF HAPPENING NOW IN THE CITY.
AND AS A SERVICE PROVIDER, I CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE I AM ON YOUR SIDE ALSO, I AM TRYING TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE PEOPLE OF FLAGSTAFF WHO COME HERE FOR COMFORT, FOR CARE TO GET AWAY FROM MAYBE SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN'T, YOU KNOW, ENDURE WITHIN THEMSELVES ON OUR LANDS BECAUSE IT'S NOT AVAILABLE FOR THEM.
SO I'D LIKE FOR YOU AND I ASK THAT YOU DO CONSIDER THE LAND, THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT WAS PROVIDED YOU FROM THE COMMISSION AND THAT WE MOVE FORWARD TO THE NOVEMBER MEETING.
AND ALL POSSIBLE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU MOST OF ALL, FOR SERVING OUR PEOPLE AND LISTENING TO OUR VOICES.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU FAWN, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE IS THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE INDIGENOUS COMMISSIONS AS STATED HERE, THAT YOU ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE CURRENT WORDING WITH IT.
OK, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY ADDITIONS OR EDITS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE, BUT I REALLY I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU ALL.
ONLINE, WE HAVE A PUBLIC PARTICIPANT, JEAN TONER.
THIS IS JEAN TONER, I AM VICE CHAIR FOR THE FLAGSTAFF CITY OF FLAGSTAFF COMMISSION ON DIVERSITY AWARENESS, AND I THANK YOU MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL PEOPLE FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU THE RESOLUTION, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE COMMISSION ON DIVERSITY AWARENESS PASSED AT OUR LAST MEETING.
THE COMMISSION ON DIVERSITY AWARENESS IS IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE ADOPTION OF THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT STATEMENT, AS DRAFTED BY AND APPROVED BY THE INDIGENOUS COMMISSION.
THE COMMISSION ON DIVERSITY AWARENESS CANNOT OVERSTATE THE VALUE OF THE LONG OVERDUE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES HOMELANDS AND THE REVERED PLACE OF THE SACRED GROUNDS BOTH PAST AND CURRENTLY.
[03:00:03]
WE URGE CITY COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT STATEMENT AND TO READ BEFORE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND PLACE ON ALL CITY WEBSITE PRIMARY PAGES, AND THAT WAS VOTED IN PAST AT OUR LAST MEETING.THANK YOU, JEAN, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
ANY QUESTIONS, COUNCIL? ALL RIGHT.
WE ALSO HAVE ONLINE KIERA WEATHERSBY.
GOOD EVENING, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
MY NAME IS KIERA WEATHERSBY, I AM BORN AND RAISED HERE IN FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA.
I'M AN ENROLLED CITIZEN OF THE NAVAJO NATION, BORN FOR THE BLACK AFRICAN AMERICAN AND THE NATIONS OF CHICKASAW, CHOCTAW AND CHEROKEE.
I CURRENTLY SERVE AS ONE OF THE COMMISSIONS ON THE INDIGENOUS COMMISSION, AS WELL AS A CO-CHAIR FOR THE COMMISSION FOR NATIVE AMERICANS, AS I SERVE AS A MANAGER OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AT NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK EACH OF YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TODAY.
THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS A LONG TIME COMING.
I KNOW THAT I'VE HEARD FROM STUDENTS HERE THAT A PREFERENCE IS MAYBE IN THE FUTURE TO HAVE THE SPECIFIC TRIBAL COMMUNITIES AND NATIONS LISTED OR ACKNOWLEDGED AS PART OF THAT.
BUT AS OF THIS EVENING, I DO APPROVE OF THE LANGUAGE AND I APPRECIATE EACH OF YOU TAKING THE TIME TO CONSIDER IT FOR THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF WHICH YOU HAVE.
ALL RIGHT, IS JUST TO CONFIRM THAT WAS OUR LAST COMMENTER.
WELL, THEN WE'LL TURN IT BACK TO COUNCIL HERE.
ROSE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHEPHERDING THIS THROUGH THE VARIOUS GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS AND REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC AND THAT WE HAD A CONSENSUS ON A STATEMENT.
I AM REALLY PROUD THAT I COULD BE ON THE CITY COUNCIL THAT APPROVES THIS AND THAT STARTS USING IT.
AND I'M JUST I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO YOU AND TO EVERYONE WHO WORKED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
YES, I ALSO WANT TO ECHO THAT GRATITUDE TO YOU, ROSE, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AND WE SO APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH THE CITY AND WITH THE COMMISSIONERS.
I THINK THAT YOU ALL HAVE WORKED SO HARD ON THIS AND A NUMBER OF NUMEROUS TOPICS.
BUT THIS IS THIS IS GREAT WORK.
AND MY BIGGEST CONCERN THAT I'VE SHARED WITH YOU IS THAT IT'S INCLUSIVE AND AND I FEEL LIKE THIS IS IT AND THAT THE COMMISSION DID A REALLY GOOD JOB AT DOING THEIR BEST TO BE INCLUSIVE OF ALL THE TRIBES.
AND I'M JUST SO PROUD OF YOUR WORK AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE US MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
HOPEFULLY, AS IS, I'VE HEARD FROM COMMISSIONERS THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR WORDS AND THAT WE DON'T START TINKERING WITH THIS.
AND I THINK IT'S GOOD AS IT'S I THINK THAT THEY DID A GREAT JOB, OBVIOUSLY OPEN TO WHAT OTHERS FEEL, BUT I LIKE TO SEE US MOVE FORWARD WITH IT, AS IS.
AND I ALSO WANT TO END BY EXPRESSING GRATITUDE TO YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO OUR ATTENTION AND KIND OF SPEED TRACKING THIS FOR US TO GET TO BE HERE TODAY.
AND SO REALLY GOOD TEAM EFFORT BY EVERYONE INVOLVED AND ALSO VERY HUMBLED TO BE PART OF THE COUNCIL AT THIS TIME IN HISTORY FOR THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF.
AS I SAID, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN TACKLING RACISM AND SYSTEMIC RACISM AND THE BARRIERS AT THE CITY.
BUT THIS IS A GOOD, GOOD STEP AND I'M VERY PROUD TO CELEBRATE TODAY WITH ALL OF YOU.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET.
I DO REVERBERATE THE GRATITUDE AND GRATEFUL HEARTS.
TO MS. ROSE TOEHE, AND TEAM FLAGSTAFF INVOLVED IN AND PUT BREATHING LIFE INTO THE BLIND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE
[03:05:03]
INVOLVEMENT OF OUR COMMISSIONS AND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES.I HUMBLY ASKED TO CHANGE THE FIRST THREE LETTERS, FOUR LETTERS TO.
INSTEAD OF THE FLAGSTAFF CITY COUNCIL.
TO READ THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF TO EMBODY THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF AS AN ORGANIZATION.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THIS IS STERLING SOLOMON TO DISCUSS THAT EDIT, I WOULD ACTUALLY RECOMMEND WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I MOVED TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE MOTION TO GO TO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION BY COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, JUST FOR THE RECORD, I WOULD ALSO ASK THAT ROSE TOEHE AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF HER EFFORTS ON THIS, BUT THAT SHE ALSO BE INCLUDED IN THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION.
PICKING UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF ON THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
THE ONLY COMMENT I WANTED TO INJECT AT THIS POINT BEFORE WE CONTINUE WITH THE DISCUSSION.
AND FORGIVE ME FOR NOT MENTIONING THIS AT THE OUTSET, IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE THEN IS TO IMPRESS NOT JUST UPON THIS COUNCIL, BUT THE EVERYBODY WHO IS LISTENING, THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT AND THOROUGHNESS IN VETTING THAT HAS OCCURRED WITH THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT IS NOW IN FRONT OF US THIS EVENING, AS HAS BEEN NOTED.
THIS ORIGINATED AT THE SUGGESTION OF COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN EARLIER THIS SUMMER.
BUT FRANKLY, I THINK THIS IDEA HAS THIS LAND.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR SOME TIME, AND I THINK IT WAS SO WELL RECEIVED BY OUR INDIGENOUS COMMISSION AND THE INDIGENOUS CIRCLE OF FLAGSTAFF.
AND IN THE MIDST OF THE ENSUING EVOLUTION OF THIS LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT IT HAS BEEN IN FRONT OF THOSE ENTITIES ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND IN BETWEEN, IT HAS ALSO BEEN ITERATIONS OF THIS HAVE BEEN CIRCULATED AMONG THIS COUNCIL.
AND I WANT TO EXTEND MY THANKS TO ROSE TOEHE OUR COORDINATOR OF INDIGENOUS INITIATIVES FOR SHEPHERDING THIS ALONG THE WAY AND MAKING SURE JUST OF THE INCLUSIVITY THAT UNDERSCORES WHAT YOU'RE SEEING TONIGHT.
IT HAS BEEN BEFORE MANY EYES AND THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSIONS ON EVERY WORD USED IN THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO IMPRESS UPON THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY THAT WHAT IS BEFORE US THIS EVENING IS THE PRODUCT OF A LOT OF VERY CAREFUL SCRUTINY AND DISCUSSION AND ONE THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE INCLUSIVITY THAT I KNOW THIS COUNCIL WANTED TO SEE AT THE OUTSET.
SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT TO THE REST OF THE COUNCIL'S COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER, FOR A VERY ARTICULATE EXPRESSION OF THE PROCESS, WHICH I CALLED EARLIER, LED BY MS. ROSE TOEHE, THE PROCESS OF ENGAGING OUR INDIGENOUS COMMISSION AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN BREATHING LIFE TO THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND WITH INCLUSIVITY AT THE HEART AND SOUL OF THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT, WITH THAT, I RETRACT MY SUGGESTED CHANGE AND STICK WITH THE FLAGSTAFF CITY COUNCIL.
HOME TECHNOLOGIES AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS, COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
[03:10:01]
I DO WANT TO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO ROSE FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR COMMISSIONS, EVERYONE WHO PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT AND ENERGY INTO THIS AND THIS IS LONG OVERDUE, AS WAS STATED BEFORE, AND I AM DEFINITELY AN ENTHUSIASTIC YES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
YES, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EDIT THIS, AND I OFFERED EDITS AND.
OBVIOUSLY, THE COMMISSION'S EDIT IT, AND I AM VERY SATISFIED WITH THE CURRENT WORDING AND STRONGLY SUPPORT IT, AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR THE CURRENT WORDING.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE? I WOULD.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THIS COME TO FRUITION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S OF COURSE, IT IS A SOURCE OF ENORMOUS PRIDE FOR ME THAT I HAPPEN TO BE THE PERSON WHO INTRODUCED THIS FAIR ITEM TO BRING THIS FORWARD.
BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GOOD IDEAS HAVE THEIR TIME, AND I THINK THIS WAS INDEPENDENTLY SORT OF BEING BANDIED ABOUT IN SEVERAL PLACES AT ONCE.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
AND I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC WHERE THE IDEA FOR THIS CAME FROM FOR ME.
I WANT TO GIVE CREDIT TO MS. DEB HARRIS AND THE SOUTH SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FOR PAVING THE WAY FOR THIS.
IT WAS THEIR OWN LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT THEY HAVE BEGUN MAKING NOTE OF AT THE BEGINNINGS OF THEIR MEETINGS AND WHENEVER THEY DO SOMETHING OFFICIAL THAT PUT THE IDEA IN MY PERSONALLY IN MY HEAD THAT IT'S LONG PAST DUE TIME FOR THIS COUNCIL BODY TO BE OFFERING THE SAME SORT OF SENTIMENTS BEFORE EACH OF OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO THANK HER.
I BORROWED HEAVILY FROM THE LANGUAGE THAT SHE USED IN HER ACKNOWLEDGMENT WHEN I CAME FORWARD WITH A PRIMER, A TEMPLATE AS YOU WILL FOR WHAT I KNEW WOULD BE HEAVILY DISCUSSED AND CHANGED ALONG THE WAY.
YOU KNOW, WORDS MATTER AND DOCUMENTS MATTER.
AND I THINK IT'S AN ENORMOUS AND ENORMOUSLY BIG DEAL THAT WE'RE DOING THIS.
AND WHILE IT IS OVERDUE, THAT JUST SORT OF FURTHER HINTS AT THE ENORMITY OF WHAT THIS WHAT THIS COUNCIL IS ABOUT TO DO BY ENTERING THESE WORDS AND THESE SENTIMENTS INTO OUR PUBLIC DISCOURSE AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH MEETING, THERE IS SO MUCH MORE THAT COULD BE SAID IN THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
OF COURSE, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR US IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE SAYING THIS A LOT, AND BREVITY IS OFTEN MORE HONORABLE THAN LONG WINDEDNESS.
IT CERTAINLY SPEAKS TO THE WISDOM.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING IN THE SAME SPACE AND THE SAME TIME IN ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT NEXT STEP FOR US.
AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT AWAKEN AND THE NEW INSIGHTS AND AWARENESSES AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT OPEN UP BECAUSE OF THIS IS VERY MUCH THE LEAST WE CAN DO.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, AND IT IS WITH ENORMOUS PRIDE AND HONOR THAT I SIT HERE TONIGHT ON THE CUSP OF BEING A PART OF A GROUP WHICH I HOPE UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTS AND UNDERSTANDS THE ENORMITY OF THIS MOVING FORWARD.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN.
AND I AM UTTERLY PROUD AND HAPPY TO PUT MY SUPPORT BEHIND THIS AS WELL.
HOW MANY HANDS THIS HAS GONE THROUGH AND EYES AND DISCUSSIONS OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS OR SO HAS BEEN VERY IMPRESSIVE.
AND WE HAVE SOMEHOW COME TO A LANGUAGE THAT IS BEFITTING OF ALL THOSE EYES, OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SAW THIS, AND I AM JUST VERY THANKFUL FOR YOU, ROSE.
I REALLY AM, AND I'M THANKFUL FOR OUR INDIGENOUS COMMISSION COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND FOR ALL THOSE THAT WERE THAT HELPED TO SEE THIS MOVE FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK WE HAVE PRETTY UNANIMOUS CONSENSUS HERE ON THE LANGUAGE.
MAYOR CAN I? I'M NOT SURE IF I REMEMBERED TO THANK ROSE DURING MY COMMENTS JUST NOW.
I CERTAINLY DO THINK THE THAT YOU CARRIED THIS FORWARD WITH AN ENORMOUS POISE AND
[03:15:03]
YOU PAVED THE WAY FOR THIS TO HAPPEN LONG AGO.AND I ALSO WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL, WHICH PROVIDED OUR CITY WITH THE INDIGENOUS COMMISSION, WHICH I THINK WAS A VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN INGREDIENTS TO GETTING US TO TO THIS LANGUAGE AND TO THE CONSENSUS THAT WE HAVE.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT, I THINK, AND IT'S WONDERFULLY BEFITTING FOR US TO BE HERE RIGHT NOW.
ALRIGHT THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.
ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT MOVING RIGHT ALONG, WE'RE TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 11, SECTION 17
[11. Section 17 discussion with Lowell Observatory For information only.]
DISCUSSION WITH LOWELL OBSERVATORY.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, SARAH LANGLEY, INTERIM PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? ALL RIGHT? YEP.
WELL, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A QUICK INTRODUCTORY COMMENT.
SO WE DID RECEIVE A REQUEST FROM MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS TO CREATE A PUBLIC SPACE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND REPRESENTATIVES OF LOWELL OBSERVATORY TO DISCUSS THE PARCEL OF LAND KNOWN AS SECTION 17 AND POTENTIAL DRAFT LEGISLATION RELATED TO ELIGIBLE USES OF THAT LAND.
SO TO FRAME THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT, A DRAFT OF THE BILL, AS WELL AS A LETTER FROM LOWELL OBSERVATORY, ARE INCLUDED AS ATTACHMENTS IN THE AGENDA PACKET.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT OVER TO DR.
JEFF HALL, DIRECTOR OF LOWELL OBSERVATORY.
TEAMS IS TELLING ME I HAVE NO AVAILABLE CAMERA FOR SOME REASON, SO I WILL JUST BE SPEAKING TO YOU REMOTELY.
I'M ALSO HERE TONIGHT WITH OUR TRUSTEE WILLIAM LOWELL PUTNAM, WHO WILL ALSO HAVE A FEW REMARKS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH A BRIEF PRESENTATION AND THEN LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION.
MAYOR DEASY, VICE MAYOR DAGGETT, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND ENGAGEMENT DISCUSSING THE PROPOSED SECTION 17 LEGISLATION.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK IN PARTICULAR OVER THE PAST WEEK, MICHELLE JAMES OF THE FRIENDS OF FLAGSTAFF FUTURE AND ROBERT BREUNIG FORMER DIRECTOR OF M&A FOR SOME VERY THOUGHTFUL AND HELPFUL DISCUSSIONS IN THIS REGARD.
NOW WE ARE AWARE, WELL AWARE THAT AS EXPRESSED IN THE FKB LETTER, THERE HAS BEEN SOME QUOTE DISAPPOINTMENT AND SURPRISE REGARDING THE LANGUAGE OF THE BILL.
AND FOR THAT, WE WOULD LIKE TO APOLOGIZE.
IT IS CERTAINLY NOT OUR INTENT TO CREATE DISAPPOINTMENT OR ALARM AMONG THE PUBLIC.
OUR INTENTION IS TO AS AS STATED RIGHT HERE, OUR INTENTION WITH THIS BILL IS TO CHANGE THE ACT REGARDING SECTION 17 FROM A ITS CURRENT STATE, WHICH RESTRICTS THE PARCEL OF LAND SPECIFICALLY TO BENEFIT ONLY LOWELL OBSERVATORY.
TO ENACT THAT ALLOWS US TO BENEFIT LOWELL AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY, AND IN THIS PRESENTATION WILL GIVE SOME OF OUR OUR THOUGHTS AND RATIONALE REGARDING THAT.
SO A FEW WHO MIGHT BE NEW TO THE DISCUSSION.
SECTION 17 IS A PARCEL OF LAND IMMEDIATELY TO THE WEST OF WALL'S MAIN CAMPUS, AND IT'S ABOUT ONE SQUARE MILE.
IT WAS DEEDED TO THE OBSERVATORY IN 1910 BY AN ACT OF CONGRESS AND RESTRICTED TO BE USED FOR QUOTE OBSERVATORY PURPOSES IN CONNECTION WITH LOWELL OBSERVATORY.
THERE IS ALSO A CLAUSE THAT THE LAND WILL REVERT TO THE GOVERNMENT IF LOWELL CEASES OPERATIONS AND GOES AWAY.
I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS A COUPLE OF CONCERNS THAT HAVE COME UP IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, WHICH I THINK ARE REASONABLE AND WE HOPE WE CAN ADDRESS THEM.
ONE CONCERN RAISED IN THE F2 BLADDER AND ON SOME OTHER EMAILS I'VE RECEIVED.
YOU KNOW WHAT, IF IF LOWELL GOES DOWNHILL FINANCIALLY AND MAYBE IS SCOOPED UP AND BOUGHT BY ANOTHER ENTITY THAT MIGHT SELL OFF SECTION 17, WE'D LIKE TO NOTE THAT CANNOT HAPPEN LEGALLY.
IT IS FORBIDDEN BY OUR GOVERNING DOCUMENT, WHICH IS THE WILL OF PERCIVAL LOWELL.
SO WE IT IS EXPLICIT THAT LOWELL OBSERVATORY MAY NEVER BE SOLD, SUBSUMED OR GOVERNED BY ANY OTHER ENTITY BECAUSE WE ARE RETAINING THE REVERSION CLAUSE THAT IF WE DO DISSOLVE AND GO AWAY, THE LAND WILL REVERT TO THE GOVERNMENT.
WE ALSO CANNOT SELL IT, AS NO BUYER WOULD EVER BE ABLE TO GAIN CLEAR TITLE TO THE LAND THAT POTENTIALLY COULD REVERT TO THE GOVERNMENT.
SO, SO WE HOPE, WE HOPE THAT CLARIFIES THAT POINT.
[03:20:03]
WE WILL BE PROPOSING TO ADD A FINDING TO THE BILL LANGUAGE THAT MAKES THIS EXPLICIT THAT THIS CONCERN CANNOT EVER COME TO FRUITION.AS WE ALSO UNDERSTAND, THERE'S UNDERSTANDABLE CONCERN THAT WE MAY BE PROPOSING VERY INTENSIVE, VERY HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT ON THE SECTION.
WE ARE INVESTING $40 MILLION IN OUR NEW ASTRONOMY DISCOVERY CENTER.
IT RELIES ON FLAGSTAFF BEAUTIFUL DARK SKIES.
IT RELIES ON NOT HAVING A NEARBY PORCH LIGHTS OR BRIGHTLY ILLUMINATED WINDOWS OR HEADLIGHTS OF RESIDENTS DRIVING BY.
SO WE DO NOT WANT HOUSING DEVELOPED OUT ON THE BACK OF THE [INAUDIBLE] IT'S NOT AN APPROPRIATE USE, AND WE WOULD PROPOSE TO ADD EXPLICIT LANGUAGE TO THE BILL THAT EXCLUDES IN ANY MASTER PLANNING FOR THE SECTION, ALL PUBLICLY AVAILABLE RESIDENTIAL HOUSING.
SO WE HOPE THAT MIGHT HELP ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT VERY SUBSTANTIAL DEVELOPMENT OUT THERE.
THERE IS NO PLAN FOR IT AND WE'RE HAPPY TO MAKE THAT EXPLICIT.
SPEAKING OF A MASTER PLAN, F CUBED HAS REQUESTED THAT WE DEVELOP THAT WE 100 PERCENT AGREE WITH THEM.
THIS IS SPECIFICALLY CALLED FOR IN THE BILL.
THERE ARE TWO WAYS WE CAN GO ABOUT PREPARING A MASTER PLAN.
WE WE LOWELL CAN DEVELOP ONE AND WE CAN PRESENT IT TO THE COMMUNITY IN THE USUAL WAY TO P&Z, TO COUNCIL FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT AND ALL THAT.
WE WOULD LIKE INSTEAD TO TAKE THE ROUTE OF A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, INVESTING THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF, RELEVANT ORGANIZATIONS AND THE PUBLIC FROM SQUARE ONE IN HELPING TO CREATE THE PLAN AND NOT MERELY REVIEW IT.
WE WANT THIS TO BE AN OPEN AND PUBLIC PROCESS FROM THE START AND THE MOTIVATION THERE REALLY IS IF I GO BACK ONE SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S THERE'S OUR CAMPUS ON THIS GOOGLE EARTH IMAGE RIGHT ON THE THE EASTERN EDGE OF SECTION 17 AND OVER 127 YEARS.
WE'VE KIND OF FILLED UP THE MAIN CAMPUS.
I CAN SEE US EXPANDING ONTO THE SECTION IN THE FUTURE FOR MODEST NEEDS LIKE ADDITIONAL STAFF BUILDING OFFICE SPACES, A PERPETUAL HEADACHE UP HERE, ALSO FORMING COLLABORATIONS, MAYBE PARTNERSHIPS WITH SOME ENTITIES THAT THAT WHERE WE COULD HAVE A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL COLLABORATION.
BUT WHEN WE'VE GONE TO THE FOREST SERVICE TO ASK, WELL, IF WE DID THIS OR THAT, WOULD THIS BE AN OBSERVATORY PURPOSE? THE ANSWER HAS ALWAYS BEEN, WELL, GO ASK THE BOSS, WHICH IS CONGRESS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE.
BUT IN ADDITION TO OUR NEEDS, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S ENORMOUS SPACE OUT THERE AND WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THAT SPACE? WE REGARD THAT NOT MERELY AS A LOWELL DECISION, BUT A COMMUNITY DECISION.
SO AT THIS POINT, I THINK IF SOMEONE ON THE CITY END COULD ENABLE MR. PUTNAM'S MIC, HE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE BIT ABOUT OBSERVATORY PURPOSES.
LOWELL, ARE YOU ABLE TO CONNECT? MR. PUTNAM YOU WOULD NEED TO JUST UNMUTE YOURSELF.
IT'S ON THE TOP RIGHT OF THE APP.
THERE I DID UNMUTE IT, AND THEN IT WENT MUTED ITSELF AGAIN.
WELL, MAYBE IT'S TRYING TO TELL ME SOMETHING.
THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR YOUR TIME AND INTEREST IN THIS.
I SPECIFICALLY WANT TO SPEAK TO A COUPLE OF POINTS ABOUT THE THE PHRASE OBSERVATORY PURPOSES IN CONNECTION WITH LOWELL OBSERVATORY AT THE LAST MEETING WE HAD ON THIS BACK IN MARCH.
WE HAD TALKED ABOUT MAYBE TRYING TO EXPAND THE DEFINITION TO ALLOW FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES OR OTHER KINDS OF PURPOSES.
WHEN WE WENT BACK AND DISCUSS THIS IN WASHINGTON.
CONGRESSIONAL STAFF WERE VERY CLEAR THAT ANYTHING THAT OPENED UP THE USE STILL WOULDN'T SATISFY THEM FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF IF THEY IF THEY WERE REPRESENTING SOMEBODY ELSE, BUT THEY COULD GET TITLE INSURANCE.
IF WE WANTED TO DO AN ARRANGEMENT WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, TGEN OR SOMEBODY ELSE LIKE THAT, THERE MAY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET BANK FINANCING.
AND THERE WAS NO WORDING THAT THE STAFF COULD COME UP WITH THAT WOULD KEEP THE REVERSIONARY CLAUSE AND YET ALLOW THIS COME TO PASS.
SO WE DID TRY THAT PATH AND IT JUST IT ENDED UP JUST GETTING INTO SORT OF A BOG.
THE OTHER POINT ABOUT THE OBSERVATORY PURPOSES CLAUSE IS THAT IT BY ITS NATURE, BECAUSE IT RESTRICTS THINGS TO WHATEVER AN OBSERVATORY PURPOSE MIGHT BE.
[03:25:02]
IT FORBIDS THINGS THAT ARE NOT AN OBSERVATORY PURPOSE.SO EVEN IF WE WANTED TO, WHICH WE DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT SETTING ASIDE PORTIONS OF SECTION 17 AS PERMANENTLY OPEN LAND AN OPEN SPACE.
WE CANNOT DO THAT TODAY BECAUSE WE ARE RESTRICTED BY THAT VERBIAGE.
SO AS A WAY OF WORKING THROUGH THAT, WE WANT TO DO AN ARRANGEMENT WHERE WE WOULD BASICALLY SWAP THE SINGULAR RESTRICTION THAT IS STANDING IN THE WAY OF ALL THIS.
THE OBSERVATORY PURPOSES RESTRICTION WITH A PUBLIC PROCESS THAT WOULD DEFINE A PLAN THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE MORE THAN JUST OBSERVATORY PURPOSE.
USE OF FLAGSTAFF AND THAT USE WOULD INCLUDE THINGS THAT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY, AND WE THINK THAT THAT'S THE BEST WAY FORWARD.
IT'S THE CLEANEST WAY FORWARD FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
SO A VERY QUICK REVIEW OF SOME PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, WELL, WHO HAVE WE SPOKEN WITH AND WHAT CONVERSATIONS HAVE WE HAD PREVIOUSLY? SO IN 2018 2019, WE COMMISSIONED A COMMUNITY COMMITTEE TO ESSENTIALLY BRAINSTORM, AND THIS RESULTED IN A BROCHURE OF IDEAS.
THE POINT OF THIS BROCHURE WAS NOT TO TO MAKE COMMITMENTS, LET ALONE AGREEMENTS ABOUT ANYTHING BUT JUST TALK ABOUT POSSIBILITIES.
WE TRIED TO INVOLVE BOTH CITY AND COUNTY.
YOU CAN SEE FROM THE THE LIST OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE THERE.
WE ENGAGED ART BABBITT FROM THE COUNTY AND DAVE WESSEL FROM THE CITY.
INDIVIDUALS FROM A NUMBER OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS RESIDENTS.
WE TRIED TO MAKE THIS A WIDE RANGING CONVERSATION, JUST ABOUT POSSIBILITIES.
THE INTENTION WAS NOT TO DO ANYTHING FORMAL OR BINDING HERE.
MORE RECENTLY THESE ARE THE INQUIRIES WE HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT SECTION 17, AND I'VE RECEIVED SOME EMAILS ASKING ME, WELL, ALL RIGHT, WHO ARE YOU ALL TALKING TO? AND THIS SLIDE GIVES YOU EVERYONE THAT WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH.
THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS WHERE THERE'S AN ACTIVE POSSIBILITY OUR ARE TGEN AND FLAGSHAKES.
THESE BOTH SEEM TO MAKE SENSE TO ME AS ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERY EXPANDS AND WE BEGIN GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO INVESTIGATING THE ORIGINS AND POSSIBILITY OF LIFE ELSEWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE, ASTROBIOLOGY BECOMES AN INCREASINGLY VIBRANT COURSE OF STUDY.
SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE WENT TO THE FOREST AND SERVICE AND SAID, WOULD THIS BE AN OBSERVATORY PURPOSE? AND THE ANSWER IS, WE DON'T KNOW.
GO ASK THE BOSS THE CONGRESS IF THAT MEETS THE DEFINITION.
WELL, IF I HAD NOT GONE INTO PROFESSIONAL ASTRONOMY, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PURSUED A CAREER AS A CONCERT ORGANIST, AND I FIND A VERY DEEP CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SCIENCES AND THE ARTS AND VERY USEFUL COLLABORATIONS THAT COULD EMERGE WITH COMBINED PROGRAMING BETWEEN AN INSTITUTION OF SCIENCE AND AN INSTITUTION OF ART.
I SHOULD NOTE THAT BOTH OF THESE ENTITIES WOULD REQUIRE.
MAYBE FIVE ACRES, SO WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE 600, SO WE'RE NOT TALKING WHOLESALE DEVELOPMENT HERE, WE'RE TALKING A FEW JUDICIOUS COLLABORATIONS THAT COULD BE BENEFICIAL TO BOTH.
WE HAVE ALSO SPOKEN WITH THE ARBORETUM THAT IS NOW OFF THE TABLE.
LYNNE NEMETH HAD CONTACTED ME WHEN SHE WAS THE DIRECTOR BACK IN 2020.
MORE RECENTLY, I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE NOT PLANNING TO RELOCATE.
I ALSO SPOKE WITH JOHN TANNOUS WHEN HE WAS STILL HERE AS THE DIRECTOR OF WHAT WAS THEN THE FLAGSTAFF CULTURAL PARTNERS, NOW CREATIVE FLAGSTAFF.
THEY ARE NOW NOT CONSIDERING, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, ANY RELOCATION OUT OF THEIR PRESENT SITE AT THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS.
AND FINALLY, AND WE WANT TO BE MOST EMPHATIC ABOUT THIS ONE SINCE WE STARTED SENDING THE MESSAGE ACTIVELY IN 2017 THAT THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY.
WE HAVE BEEN APPROACHED BY MULTIPLE DEVELOPERS WANTING TO BUY IT AND DEVELOP IT, AND WE HAVE REJECTED THEM, AND WE WANT TO BE EMPHATIC THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO SELL THE LAND TO OUTSIDE PURCHASERS, PERIOD.
SO RIGHT THERE ON THIS SLIDE IS EVERYBODY WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH, AND I'D LIKE TO NOTE IN EVERY CASE, THEY HAVE APPROACHED US.
WE ARE NOT OUT THERE ACTIVELY SOLICITING, HEY, YOU WANT TO COME UP TO SECTION 17? WE HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY ENTITIES THAT SEE VALUE AND BENEFIT TO BEING ASSOCIATED WITH LOWELL ON THE LAND THAT WE OWN.
THE OTHER POINT IS THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME CONCERN EXPRESSED THAT SOME OF THIS HAS BEEN A SECRETIVE PROCESS AND THAT SOMEHOW THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE WERE WERE BEING EXCLUDED FROM
[03:30:01]
THE PROCESS AND WERE UNAWARE.MAYBE WE WERE IN SOME SMOKE-FILLED BACK ROOM.
THIS IS THE THIRD SESSION THAT WE HAVE BEEN TO WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.
THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ARTICLES IN THE ARIZONA DAILY SUN AS YOU SAW THE LIST THAT JEFF SHOWED ON THE EARLIER SLIDE.
WE HAVE HAD A COMMUNITY GROUP THAT WE BROUGHT TOGETHER TO ACTIVELY DISCUSS WHAT KINDS OF THINGS MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE PUBLISHED REGULAR COMMUNITY UPDATES AND THERE IS A COMMUNITY MAILING GROUP THAT JEFF HAS MAINTAINED.
WE HAVE GIVEN TOURS TO CITY COUNCILS, MEMBERS, STAFF AND THE MAYOR.
THIS HAS ALSO BEEN THE SUBJECT OF THIS TOPIC OF SECTION 17 IN PRIOR BILL INCARNATIONS HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF TWO CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS AT WHICH, BY THE WAY, THE FOREST SERVICE IS ON RECORD, SPECIFICALLY NOT OPPOSING REMOVING ALL THE RIGHTS TO THE LAND.
THEY REALLY WOULD LIKE TO NOT BE INVOLVED IN SECTION 17 AT ALL.
AND THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE TOWN HALLS WE HAD AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR THE ASTRONOMY DISCOVERY CENTER.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE POSSIBLY CAN IN THIS.
AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS HAS BEEN A SUSTAINED MESSAGING THAT'S BEEN VERY CONSISTENT FOR US IN TERMS OF TRYING TO EXPLORE WHAT IS POSSIBLE AND WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET THERE THAT BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY AND LOWELL OBSERVATORY.
SO THE POINT IS, THE CURRENT BILL TAKES THIS FROM SOMETHING WHICH ONLY BENEFITS LOWELL OBSERVATORY, SOMETHING IN WHICH THE COMMUNITY CAN ACTUALLY BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN DECIDING THE FUTURE OF THAT LAND.
THAT IS A SOMETHING WE REALLY WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN, AND WE WANT THIS TO BE A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT IS VERY SUCCESSFUL AND IS DONE IN A PROCESS THAT ITSELF IS A MODEL.
THE MOST RECENT EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT HAPPENED IN FLAGSTAFF WAS THE THE THE LED STREET LIGHTING PLANNING THAT WENT ON TO PRESERVE THE DARK SKIES OF FLAGSTAFF.
THAT IS THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE PARTICIPATED IN ACTIVELY AND ALWAYS HAVE.
AND OBVIOUSLY, THAT'S THE KIND OF RELATIONSHIP AND IDEA BUILDING AND PLAN BUILDING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN HERE.
OK, THANKS, LOWELL AND MAYOR DEASY COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT CONCLUDES OUR BRIEF PRESENTATION, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, DR. HALL AND MR. PUTNAM, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE PUBLIC PARTICIPANTS I'D LIKE TO TAKE BEFORE WE BRING IT TO DISCUSSION AMONG COUNSEL OR ASK QUESTIONS.
ALICYN GITLIN, I'D LIKE TO COME UP.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR DEASY, VICE MAYOR DAGGETT AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS ALICYN GITLIN, AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING SIERRA CLUB'S GRAND CANYON CHAPTER.
THE GRAND CANYON CHAPTER HAS DECIDED TO OPPOSE THIS BILL AS IT'S CURRENTLY WORDED BECAUSE IT IS NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
SECTION 17 WAS GRANTED FOR OBSERVATORY PURPOSES AND QUOTE IN THE EVENT OF REMOVAL OR ABANDONMENT OF THE SET OBSERVATORY OR THE USE OF SAID LAND BY THE GRANTEE FOR OTHER THAN OBSERVATORY PURPOSES, IT WOULD BECOME PUBLIC LAND.
MANY IN THE PUBLIC WANT TO KEEP THAT REQUIREMENT, AND I'M NOT SURE IF LEAVING IT AS OPEN SPACE IS ACTUALLY A USE THAT WOULD DISQUALIFY THAT.
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF SCALE, ALL THE CURRENT OBSERVATORY BUILDINGS, INCLUDING THE DISCOVERY CENTER THAT'S BEING BUILT AROUND A PARCEL OF ABOUT FIFTY FIVE ACRES, SECTION 17 IS MORE THAN 10 TIMES THAT SIZE.
A FUTURE LITTLE BOARD, A FUTURE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AND A FUTURE CITY COUNCIL COULD APPROVE QUITE A LARGE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT THERE.
I WANT TO CORRECT SOME MISINFORMATION AS WELL IN THE FINDINGS STATEMENT AND THE LETTER TO THE COUNCIL BY THE TRUSTEE.
THERE IS A STATEMENT THAT THE FOREST SERVICE HAS IDENTIFIED SECTION 17 AS A ORPHANED OR DISPOSAL PARCEL TO BE AUCTIONED IF REVERTED TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I CONFIRMED A FEW THINGS WITH THE FOREST SERVICE.
THEY DID NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE LANGUAGE OF THIS BILL.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALSO CANNOT AUCTION A PARCEL OF LAND LIKE THIS.
THERE ARE STRICT RULES THAT GUIDE HOW FOREST SERVICE CAN TRADE OR DISPOSE OF LAND, AND IT'S GUIDED.
A LOT IS GUIDED LOCALLY OR GUIDED BY FOREST, BY THE FOREST PLAN.
THEY DON'T USE LANGUAGE LIKE ORPHAN OR DISPOSABLE PARCELS, AND THERE'S NOTHING IN THE FOREST PLAN, WHICH IS JUST THE GUIDING DOCUMENT FOR THOSE TYPES OF DECISIONS ABOUT SECTION 17.
LOWELL OBSERVATORY IS LISTED IN A FEW PLACES AS BEING AND KEY AREAS ADJACENT TO
[03:35:10]
WHAT ARE CALLED THE FLAGSTAFF NEIGHBORHOODS MANAGEMENT AREA, AND THEY TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TRAILS THAT GO BETWEEN LOWELL OBSERVATORY AND THE REST OF THE FOREST.I WANT TO EMPHASIZE I RESPECT LOWELL OBSERVATORY, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW IT CONTRIBUTES TO IDENTITY, THE CULTURE, THE HISTORY AND THE ECONOMY OF FLAGSTAFF.
I LOVE THE FACT THAT THIS TOWN HAS SCIENCE AND DARK SKIES AS A HUGE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT I'M ASKING YOU TO ISSUE A RESOLUTION OR WRITE A LETTER OPPOSING THE BILL AS IT IS CURRENTLY WORDED.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN ANY ATTEMPT TO DEFINE WHAT AN OBSERVATORY PURPOSE IS WITH THE PUBLIC.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN TRANSPARENCY BECAUSE THE PUBLIC PROCESS HAS INCLUDED AN ELITE GROUP OF PEOPLE AND NOT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
MANY PEOPLE DON'T EVEN REALIZE THIS IS HAPPENING.
AND I THINK THAT THIS LAND SHOULD REMAIN FOR OBSERVATORY PURPOSES FOR NOW.
HI, EVERYBODY, CAN YOU HEAR ME OK? YES, SIR.
MY NAME IS ERIC WIGHTMAN AND I'M A 30-YEAR RESIDENT OF FLAGSTAFF.
I HAVE SOME SERIOUS CONCERNS WITH THIS PROPOSED CITY SUPPORT OF REMOVING CONGRESSIONAL PROTECTIONS FROM SECTION 17.
FLAGSTAFF BELOVED OBSERVATORY MESA, THORPE PARK AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY ARE CURRENTLY THREATENED BY LITTLE OBSERVATORY ASPIRATIONS TO COMPLETELY REMOVE THESE CONGRESSIONAL PROTECTIONS FROM THIS SPECIAL PIECE OF LAND.
IN 1910, LOWELL WAS GIVEN AN AMAZING GIFT BY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
NEARLY ONE SQUARE MILE OF OUR NATIONAL FOREST FOR FREE.
IMAGINE GETTING A SQUARE MILE OF NATIONAL FORESTS FOR FREE.
IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO A CITY.
ACCORDING TO LOWELL'S OWN DOCUMENTS, THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THIS LAND GRANT WAS TO PROTECT THE OBSERVATORY'S DARK SKIES.
IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE LION MAY NOT NECESSARILY HAVE BEEN INTENDED FOR EXTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT BY THE OBSERVATORY OR OTHERWISE, BUT ESSENTIALLY AS A BUFFER FROM POTENTIAL FUTURE CITY LIGHT POLLUTION ON LOWELL'S WESTERN BOUNDARY.
TO PREVENT THE INAPPROPRIATE USE OF THIS LAND, CONGRESS PROTECTED SECTION 17, ASSERTING THAT THE LAND WOULD BE RECLAIMED BY THE UNITED STATES AND DEVELOPED FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN OBSERVATORY PURPOSES.
FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, 111 YEARS LATER.
LOWELL NOW CLAIMS THAT THE TERM OBSERVATORY PURPOSES IS CONFUSING.
INSTEAD OF WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR COMMUNITY TO SPECIFY MORE CLEARLY DEFINE WHAT OBSERVATORY PURPOSES ACTUALLY ARE.
LOWELL IS TRYING TO HAVE THESE IMPORTANT PROTECTIONS COMPLETELY REMOVED THROUGH AN ACT OF CONGRESS.
WHY WOULD LOWELL WANT TO COMPLETELY REMOVE THIS FEDERAL PROTECTION? THIS IS SUSPICIOUS TO ME, AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE SUSPICIOUS TO ALL OF US.
FUTURE LEADERSHIP AT LOWELL COULD POTENTIALLY DEVELOP OR LEASE THIS PRISTINE LAND FOR ALL SORTS OF UNINTENDED DEVELOPMENT.
THIS COULD BE VERY DISRUPTIVE TO THE CITY'S SURROUNDING OPEN SPACE PARKS AND COMMUNITY.
CONGRESS CLEARLY DID NOT INTEND TO OBSERVE A NON OBSERVATORY DEVELOPMENT OF THIS LAND AND MAY NOT HAVE HAD INTENDED ANY EXTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT EITHER.
ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE, IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT WITH MORE DEVELOPMENT AND ADDITIONAL PAVED ROAD ONTO THE MESA WOULD BE NEEDED.
IT IS BELIEVED BY MANY THAT THIS ROAD WOULD NEED TO GO RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE VERY POPULAR THORPE PARK NATURAL AREA, SINCE THERE SEEMS TO BE NO OTHER FEASIBLE ROUTE.
I'M ASKING YOU OUR CITY COUNCIL TO PLEASE OPPOSE LOWELL DANGEROUS AND MISGUIDED LEGISLATION.
IT'S A BAD DEAL FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WHO ORIGINALLY GAVE THEM THIS LAND ONLY FOR OBSERVATORY PURPOSES.
FURTHERMORE, I'D LIKE TO URGE COUNCIL TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER GOING ONE STEP FURTHER AND ADOPTING A RESOLUTION OPPOSING ANY ATTEMPT TO WEAKEN THE EXISTING CONGRESSIONAL PROTECTIONS FOR SECTION 17.
I DO HAVE A GALE JACKSON ONLINE NOW AS WELL.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, GAIL JACKSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF ECONA, ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY SEVEN.
THAT'S HOW MANY YEARS LOWELL OBSERVATORY HAS BEEN IN FLAGSTAFF AND PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
HUNDREDS OF LOCAL JOBS, LOCAL TAX REVENUES, CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH RANGING FROM DETECTION OF THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE IN 1912 AND THE DISCOVERY OF PLUTO IN 1930.
[03:40:01]
THEY ALSO HELP ATTRACT WORLD CLASS CONFERENCES AND BRING IN TOP SCIENTISTS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD.THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS ALSO COME TO LEARN ABOUT THE ASTRONOMY AND THE ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES THAT TAKE PLACE RIGHT HERE IN FLAGSTAFF.
80 PERCENT OF THE JOB GROWTH IN ANY GIVEN COMMUNITY TYPICALLY COMES FROM EXISTING BUSINESSES, ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.
AND ACCORDING TO FORBES, IT COSTS FIVE TIMES AS MUCH TO RECRUIT A NEW BUSINESS RATHER THAN HELP AND ESTABLISH BUSINESS SUCH AS THE LOWELL OBSERVATORY.
ECONA'S MISSION IS WITH OUR PARTNERS TO PROVIDE QUALITY ECONOMIC GROWTH.
GIVEN THAT ECONA SUPPORTS LOWELL'S DESIRE TO USE A PORTION OF SECTION 17 FOR ITS OWN FUTURE GROWTH, THIS WOULD GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO ESTABLISH FUTURE COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER ENTITIES SUCH AS TGEN AND OTHER ENTITIES, PERHAPS OUTSIDE OF OUR REGION OF JOBS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TO RETAIN AND ATTRACT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
THE WAY THE PRESENT ACT READS HAS SUBSTANTIALLY HINDERED LOWELL'S ABILITY TO DO THIS WITH ITS OWN PRIVATE LAND.
THE LANGUAGE IN THE CURRENT BILL OBSERVATORY PURPOSES RESTRICTS PREVENTS LOWELL FROM OFFERING THIS TO THE COMMUNITY.
LOWELL HAS ALWAYS BEEN A COMMUNITY PARTNER AND RECOGNIZES THAT SECTION 17 IS LARGE ENOUGH TO HAVE BENEFITS NOT JUST FOR THEMSELVES, BUT FOR OTHER BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS A COMMUNITY BENEFIT OVERALL.
THIS BILL WILL ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL EXPANSION AND FUTURE ATTRACTION OF OTHER LIKE BUSINESSES AND THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF COMMUNITY AND THE PLANNING FOR THE FOR THIS SECTION 17 ECONA WOULD BE HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THAT PROCESS ALONG WITH ANY OTHER COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING.
DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTERS AT THIS TIME? NO, MAYOR.
ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO BRING IT UNTO US, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
I WANT TO START OUT AND SAY THAT LOWELL OBSERVATORY IS A WONDERFUL PART OF FLAGSTAFF.
FOR OVER 100 YEARS, LOWELL FLAGSTAFF AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAVE DEVELOPED A SOLID THREE WAY PARTNERSHIP.
MY CONCERN IS THAT THE LANGUAGE PROPOSED BY LOWELL WOULD UNDERMINE THAT PARTNERSHIP.
THIS LAND WAS GIVEN TO LOWELL WITH THE STRICT PROVISION THAT THE LAND ONLY BE USED FOR OBSERVATORY PURPOSES.
THE ONLY RATIONAL REASON TO HAVE THESE WORDS REMOVED WOULD BE TO DEVELOP PARTS OF THE LAND FOR NON OBSERVATORY PURPOSES.
THEIR POSITION THAT ANY DEVELOPMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY COUNCIL IS TRUE, BUT IT'S NOT AS FIRM AS THE EXISTING RESTRICTIONS IN THE LAW.
COUNCIL CHANGE, COUNCILS CHANGE EVERY TWO YEARS.
FUTURE LEADERSHIP AT LOWELL COULD WAIT FOR A RECEPTIVE COUNCIL AND THEN PUSH THROUGH A PROJECT THAT WOULD BE INCONSISTENT WITH THE ORIGINAL CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THEY RECEIVED THE LAND.
THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS GOING ON THAT WOULD ALLOW TGEN TO BUILD A BIOMEDICAL CAMPUS ON LOWELL LAND.
IN AN EMAIL TO COUNCIL, THE DIRECTOR OF TGEN STATED THAT QUOTE "WE WOULD ONLY BE USING A FEW ACRES FOR OUR LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED EMPLOYEES" UNQUOTE.
ALMOST 100 EMPLOYEES, NOT TO MENTION FUTURE GROWTH.
THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS TO BUILD A THEATER.
WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE COULD BE APPROVED? MAYBE THE NEXT W.L.
GORE FACILITY FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
ADDITIONALLY, AND IMPORTANTLY, IF THE OBSERVATORY PURPOSES WORDING WERE REMOVED FROM THE LAW, THERE WOULD BE NO REASON FOR THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OR THE COUNCIL TO REJECT A PROJECT INCONSISTENT WITH THE ORIGINAL INTENT.
THERE ARE OTHER PROVISIONS IN THE PROPOSAL THAT I'M FINE WITH, FOR INSTANCE, TIMBER RIGHTS.
HOWEVER, I AM UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE PROPOSAL TO REMOVE THE PROVISION THAT LAND ONLY BE USED FOR OBSERVATORY PURPOSES.
THE TRUSTEE REQUESTS THAT COUNCIL PROVIDE A RESOLUTION REGARDING THE CHANGE.
I WILL SUPPORT A RESOLUTION, BUT IT WILL NOT FAVOR DELETING THE OBSERVATORY PURPOSES RESTRICTION AND WILL SPECIFICALLY IN EXPRESSLY BE IN OPPOSITION TO THAT IDEA.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY, I JUST GOT WORD THAT THERE IS ANOTHER PUBLIC PARTICIPANT ONLINE.
NO, I'D LIKE THEM TO GO BEFORE WE THEN GO BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
[03:45:07]
SUSIE.SORRY, I'M GETTING USED TO THIS TEAM'S VERSION, SO APOLOGIZE.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I WOULD LIKE TO UM, SUPPORT THE THOUGHT THAT TO NOT REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT THAT THE SQUARE MILE OF LAND AND SECTION 17 TO THE WEST OF LOWELL OBSERVATORY REVERT BACK TO THE PUBLIC LAND IF THEY USE IT FOR OTHER THAN FOR OBSERVATORY PURPOSES.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI AND THEN VICE MAYOR.
SO AND THIS MIGHT BE A LEGAL QUESTION.
BUT UNDER THE NEW LANGUAGE BEING PROPOSED, WOULD COUNCIL HAVE DISCRETION? I'M GUESS I'M ASKING WHAT LEVEL OF DISCRETION WOULD COUNCIL HAVE TO DENY OR APPROVE DIFFERENT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD FROM LOWELL OR REQUESTS? YEAH, THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, I HONESTLY HAVE NO IDEA I JUST STARTED LOOKING AT THIS TODAY, I'D HAVE TO DIG INTO IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I AM, I'M SEEING SECTION 11 AND THE FINDINGS.
I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO, BUT YOU'D HAVE TO GIVE US MORE TIME TO REALLY BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR YOU.
THAT PLAYS PRETTY BIG INTO MY MIND.
IF WE DID HAVE MY UNDERSTANDINGS THAT WE HAD DISCRETION AS A COUNCIL, I KNOW IT WON'T BE US OR BE A FUTURE COUNCIL, MOST LIKELY.
BUT UM, ASSUMING WE HAD DISCRETION IN THE ABILITY TO SAY NO AND NOT TO SAY BECAUSE THEY DOTTED THERE I'S AND CROSSED THERE T'S, WE HAVE TO GRANT IT.
UM, I PERSONALLY FELT COMFORTABLE WITH THE LETTER AND US MOVING FORWARD IN SUPPORT, BUT PENDING OUR LEGAL ADVICE, I GUESS I AM MORE IN THE UNCERTAIN CATEGORY WITH MY RECOMMENDATION OR OR OPINION ON THIS.
COULD I SPEAK TO THAT POINT FOR A MOMENT? YES, PLEASE DO.
THE WHOLE PURPOSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FOCUSING ON REMOVING OBSERVATORY PURPOSES CLAUSE AND NOT LOOKING AT THE OTHER PART THAT IS CALLED FOR IN THE LEGISLATION, WHICH IS THE CREATION OF A MASTER PLAN FOR THE SECTION AT WHICH POINT IN TIME LOWELL OBSERVATORY WOULD BE LEGALLY BOUND TO FOLLOW THAT PLAN, AND THAT PLAN WOULD GO THROUGH THE PUBLIC PROCESS AND APPROVAL OF BOTH PLANNING AND ZONING AND THE CITY COUNCIL, AND ANY CHANGES TO THAT PLAN WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS SO THE CITY AND THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ABILITY TO CONTROL AND THE ABILITY TO SAY NO TO EVEN OBSERVATORY PURPOSES OF USE OF THE LAND.
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY HAS CONTROL OVER AT THIS POINT.
SO WE ARE ACTUALLY GIVING CONTROL THROUGH THIS ACT TO THE CITY THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE TODAY.
IF YOU COULD ALSO FORM US TO MY UNDERSTANDING RIGHT NOW THAT IS ZONED AS RURAL RESIDENTIAL.
AM I CORRECT IN THAT? IT'S NOT ZONED, SO BY DEFAULT, IT FALLS INTO RR ONE.
OK, SO THEREFORE...BECAUSE REMEMBER THAT THE LAND WHEN ORIGINALLY GIVEN, WAS OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OF FLAGSTAFF.
CORRECT, SO THAT WOULD GET A LITTLE BIT TO YOUR POINT THAT ANY REZONING FOR THESE PURPOSES WOULD BE WITHIN OUR ABILITY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT.
AND LOWELL I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, SO.
SO YOU'RE SAYING I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN AND ITS CREATION, WHICH I REALLY APPRECIATE AS PART OF THIS BILL.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS IF THE MASTER PLAN CALLS FOR SOMETHING AND I THINK YOU JUST SPOKE TO IT, BUT IF IT CALLS FOR A SPECIFIC THING TO BE ALLOWED.
BUT YET WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED IS NOT OF OF INTEREST OR PALATABLE TO THE COUNCIL OR THE COMMUNITY OR THE PUBLIC, EVEN THOUGH IT IS IN LINE WITH THE MASTER PLAN.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE COUNCIL AND P&Z CAN DENY IT.
THAT IS THAT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING AND THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAVE HAVE WITH OUR ATTORNEYS IS THAT BY MOVING THIS PROCESS INTO, SO TO SPEAK, THE NORMAL CITY REGULATORY
[03:50:06]
OVERSIGHT THE CITY HAS CONTROL.FOR STARTERS, WE WOULD HAVE TO GET ZONING CHANGES TO MOVE OUT OF RR ONE FOR ALL THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING.
AND THAT, AS YOU GUYS WELL KNOW, REQUIRES THE PLANNING AND ZONING AND THEN THE CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF.
BUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN ITSELF, WHICH WOULD HAPPEN BEFORE ANY OF THIS STUFF.
OUTLINING THIS, IT WOULD ALSO GO THROUGH A SIMILAR APPROVAL PROCESS, AND THEN WE WOULD BE BOUND BY THAT.
MY SUCCESSORS WOULD BE BOUND BY THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WANT TO DEVELOP THE PLAN SO THAT A FUTURE TRUSTEE CANNOT JUST GO CHANGE IT, WHICH APPARENTLY SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT I MUST HAVE GODLIKE POWERS OR SOMETHING.
WE WANT TO BE BOUND AND WE WANT TO ENGAGE AND DO THAT SO THAT IT IS A KNOWN AND PREDICTABLE THING GOING FORWARD.
YEAH, I'M CURIOUS TO HEAR HOW MY COLLEAGUES THINK ABOUT THIS.
PERSONALLY, I PERSONALLY FEEL COMFORTABLE ABOUT IT.
I HEAR CONCERNS AND I AND I APPRECIATE THEM.
BUT I GUESS I HAVE FAITH IN THE FUTURE COUNCILS AND THE FUTURE COMMISSIONERS IN THE COMMUNITY, HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE IN LOWELL, ACCOUNTABLE TO ENSURE THAT WHATEVER GROWTH TAKES PLACE IS DONE IN A WAY THAT IS SENSIBLE AND APPROPRIATE.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
UM, WHERE SHALL I START? SO ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS WHAT KIND OF THIS IS FOR FOR LEGAL STAFF I THINK.
WHAT KIND OF GUARDRAILS WOULD WE HAVE? WOULD WE AS IT AS IT STANDS NOW COULD I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DOESN'T SUPERSEDE FEDERAL LEGISLATION, BUT COULD THE CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION REZONE TO SOMETHING OTHER THAN OBSERVATORY PURPOSES CURRENTLY? AS IT STANDS NOW, AND THIS IS A QUESTION FOR LOWELL.
WOULD YOU COMMIT TO, WOULD YOU COMMIT TO PARTICIPATING IN A MASTER PLANNING PROCESS STARTING IMMEDIATELY? SO WORKING CONCURRENTLY AS THIS WORKS ITS WAY THROUGH CONGRESS AS WELL AS PART OF THE MASTER PLANNING, AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THIS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT PARTICIPATING IN THE GREATER OBSERVATORY MESA TRAIL PLANNING PROCESS SO THAT THAT TOO IS PART OF YOUR MASTER PLAN.
WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO BOTH THOSE THINGS.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE IDEA OF GETTING THINGS MOVING IN PARALLEL AND THEREFORE BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT AND THINGS MIGHT ACTUALLY HAPPEN IN SEVERAL PEOPLE'S LIFETIMES IS IS VERY APPEALING.
WE'RE TOTALLY COMMITTED TO THAT.
AND SO YES, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO START THAT PROCESS TOMORROW.
AND WHAT? IS THERE A PRECEDENT FOR THIS FOR FOR CREATING A PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP IN TERMS OF A MASTER PLAN? MM-HMM.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER FLAGSTAFF HAS DONE THIS BEFORE OR NOT WITH ANYBODY ELSE, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THERE MUST BE EXAMPLES OF IT ELSEWHERE.
AND AND AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO CREATE A PROCESS THAT IS A MODEL IF ANYBODY ELSE HASN'T DONE IT BEFORE, WE WANT TO SHOW THEM HOW TO DO IT AS AS WELL AND AS OPENLY AS POSSIBLE.
VICE MAYOR, I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS I'M PREPARED TO SHARE.
YEAH, LET'S SEE IF CITY MANAGER OR MR. [INAUDIBLE], IF YOU COULD.
IS THERE ANY PRECEDENCE FOR THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF, FOR THIS KIND OF THING TO GET BACK TO VICE MAYOR'S QUESTION? YEAH, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO PUNT TO DAN FOLK, WHO I BELIEVE IS STILL ON AND CAN MAYBE ASK YOU THAT QUESTION BETTER THAN I CAN.
DAN, ARE YOU ON THE LINE WITH US? HI, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I AM STILL IN THE MEETING.
I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY PARTNERSHIPS TO DO A MASTER PLAN, BUT I THINK IT'S
[03:55:05]
CERTAINLY VERY FEASIBLE TO DO THAT.OUR MAIN PARTNERSHIP HAS BEEN THE LATEST WAS PROBABLY THE P-3 DOWN ON SOUTH MILTON WITH ADOT AND VINTAGE PARTNERS.
BUT WE DO HAVE A MASTER PLANNING PROCESS IN OUR CODE.
WE'VE TALKED WITH THE OBSERVATORY ABOUT IT.
I KNOW THEY'VE DONE SOME PRELIMINARY WORK, BUT YEAH, WE'D BE VERY HAPPY TO BE PART OF THAT PROCESS IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO GO.
AND SO AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, LOWELL, WOULD YOU WOULD COMMIT TO INCLUDING UM PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO IT, IN OTHER WORDS, THAT IT WOULD BE OPEN TO WHOM WHOMEVER WANTED TO PUT IN THAT KIND OF TIME AND PARTICIPATE.
I'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO OPENLY ENGAGE IN PLANNING THIS OUT.
AND THEN I GUESS THE LAST THING I HAVE IS MORE A STATEMENT AND I MEAN, THIS HAS BEEN POINTED OUT, BUT LOWELL OBSERVATORY HAS BEEN A STRONG AND TRUSTWORTHY COMMUNITY PARTNER FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT ONE TO.
TO JUST TRUST WITHOUT HAVING SOME KIND OF GUARDRAILS IN PLACE, BUT I FEEL THAT WE DO HAVE GUARDRAILS IN PLACE, AND IF WE'RE WILLING IF THEY'RE WILLING TO START A MASTER PLANNING PROCESS IMMEDIATELY, THEN I'M WILLING TO HAVE THE CITY PARTICIPATE AS A AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER THAT HAS TRUST IN ALL OF THE OTHER PARTNERS WHO WOULD BE PARTICIPATING.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR.
I'M GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON SOME OF YOUR THOUGHTS HERE IN A MOMENT.
BUT I'LL GET AROUND TO THAT IN THE COURSE OF CREATING SOME CONTEXT HERE.
I I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO START OFF BY SAYING HOW MUCH DEEP RESPECT I HAVE FOR DR. JEFFREY HALL.
I THINK HE'S ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING PEOPLE THAT FLAGSTAFF HAS TO OFFER.
HE'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE IN TOWN.
I HAVE NOTHING BUT THE HIGHEST RESPECT FOR HIM, AND I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF FAITH IN HIS INTENTIONS AND HIS VISION FOR FLAGSTAFF AND FOR LOWELL OBSERVATORY.
JEFFREY HALL WAS IMMORTAL AND COULD LIVE INTO PERPETUITY.
I THINK THAT WOULD SOLVE A LOT OF CONCERNS THAT WE'RE HAVING TODAY.
AND I ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST APPLAUD YOU, MR. PUTNAM, FOR YOUR ROLE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WAY THAT YOU HAVE BEEN A SHEPHERD AND A STEWARD FOR LOWELL OBSERVATORY ALL THE YEARS THAT YOU'VE BEEN A TRUSTEE.
AND I HAVE NOTHING BUT THE GREATEST RESPECT FOR YOU IN THE UTMOST FAITH, IN YOUR INTENTIONS AS WELL.
AND PERSONALLY, I HAVE HIGH ASPIRATIONS FOR LOWELL TO ACHIEVE ITS FULL POTENTIAL.
THERE'S A GREAT DEAL OF UNTAPPED POTENTIAL UP THERE ON MARS HILL.
WE'VE SEEN WHAT A RESOURCE AND AN AMENITY THAT LOWELL OBSERVATORY IS TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND I SEE THAT THAT THERE IS AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE OF CREATIVITY AND INTELLECT THAT COULD REALLY HARNESS THE SCIENTIFIC, EDUCATIONAL AND DISCOVERY POTENTIAL AND THE TOURISM POTENTIAL AND AWAKENING PEOPLE'S WONDER TO THE NIGHT SKY AND TO UNIVERSAL DISCOVERIES, WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT TO US AS WE CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE WITH WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMBLE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS ENORMOUS COSMOS.
UM, SO I BUT I ALSO I FUNDAMENTALLY AGREE THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT PEOPLE ARE EXPRESSING OUT THERE IS SCARY AND JUSTIFIED.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BRING THOSE VOICES FORWARD AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SIT WITH THEM INTENTION AND GIVE THEM THE SPACE THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO BE BROUGHT ALONG IN THIS PROCESS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD FOR LOWELL IF THOSE VOICES ARE NOT BROUGHT ALONG IN THE PROCESS.
[04:00:01]
SO, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THERE'S ALSO A CONCERN ABOUT MISSION CREEP.WE COULD START OFF WITH A SMALL ON CAMPUS AND THE IDEA THAT BIO PHYSICS IS SOMEDAY GOING TO BECOME A RELEVANT PURSUIT IS IT FILLS ME WITH SUCH IMMENSE EXCITEMENT.
I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU IT WOULD BE INCREDIBLE IF FLAGSTAFF ARIZONA WAS AT GROUND ZERO FOR THOSE THOSE POSSIBLE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES.
BUT LET'S GET BACK TO WHAT'S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT TONIGHT.
THE FACT IS, I'M REALLY CONFUSED BY THE LACK OF ENGAGEMENT BY LOWELL SINCE FEBRUARY.
NOW, I THINK YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MEET WITH EACH OF US IN PERSON UP THERE ON CAMPUS AND THESE WEREN'T BACKROOM MEETINGS, BUT PERHAPS THERE ARE BACKWOODS MEETINGS WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO TOUR THE GROUNDS AND HAVE CANDID CONVERSATIONS WITH ALL OF YOU.
AND JEFF, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WALK WITH YOU AND WITH DANIELLE TO DISCUSS THE DISCOVERY CENTER AND TO SEE SECTION 17 AND TO HEAR YOUR ASPIRATIONS FOR THAT AREA.
AND AGAIN, I SHARE A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH IN TERMS OF USING THAT PLOT OF LAND TO SERVE THE PUBLIC AND TO EXPAND LOWELL'S MISSION AND ITS REACH.
AND I DON'T THINK I DON'T THINK THAT YOUR PROCESS HAS BEEN SECRETIVE, BUT IT ALSO HAS NOT BEEN SUFFICIENT.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM HERE.
VICE MAYOR WAS HINTING AT THE IDEA OF GETTING STARTED RIGHT AWAY ON THIS PARTNERSHIP.
I THAT'S THE ONLY PATH FORWARD FOR ME TO SUPPORT A LETTER OF SUPPORT WITH THAT AND WITHOUT SOME SOME REAL HEFTY ASSURANCES RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING.
LIKE THIS WEEK, I'M NOT SURE I CAN SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT LETTER.
SO IT'S IT'S HEARTENING FOR ME TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT.
AND I ALSO HAVE TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN GETTING GOING RIGHT AWAY.
I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON PRECISELY HOW TO DO THAT, WHICH I'LL SHARE HERE IN A SECOND.
YOU KNOW, MY MY DEFAULT INSTINCT IS TO OPPOSE THIS LEGISLATION, BUT I ALSO WANT US TO GET THERE.
I HAVE A STRONG BELIEF THAT IF WE CAN BRING THE PUBLIC ALONG ON THIS, WE CAN ACHIEVE SOMETHING REALLY PROFOUND.
AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE THAT FAR OFF FROM BRINGING THE PUBLIC ALONG.
WE JUST NEED THOSE ASSURANCES THAT THIS IS A PROCESS THAT IS GOING TO INVOLVE A LOT OF DECISION MAKERS.
I DON'T SEE THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE PUBLIC IN THE IN THE DRAFTING OF THIS LEGISLATION, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK THIS WAS DONE BY A SMALL TEAM OF PEOPLE FROM LOWELL.
NOW I DO SEE YOU GUYS LISTENING AND TAKING NOTES OF WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY, AND I APPRECIATE THE ASSURANCES YOU'RE GIVING US.
BUT AGAIN, I CAN GET TO A YES ON THIS IF WE'RE IF WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT GETTING THIS PUBLIC PROCESS STARTED IMMEDIATELY.
AND LET ME ASK YOU, LOWELL, AND I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT I WANT THE PUBLIC TO HEAR IT.
WHAT'S YOUR WHAT IS YOUR TIMELINE FOR THIS DRAFT LEGISLATION AND WHY IS IT AS TIGHT AS IT IS? WE ARE SUBJECT TO THE VAGARIES OF OF CONGRESS AND THE POLITICAL PROCESS, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER.
CONGRESS GENERALLY PASSES THESE OMBUDSMAN BILLS THAT ARE SORT OF A WHOLE PACKAGE OF LAND CHANGES, AND THEY DO IT ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR.
IF WE DO NOT GET THIS LEGISLATION INTRODUCED THIS MONTH BY IT WOULD BE SENATOR KELLY BECAUSE HE'S ON THE RIGHT COMMITTEE IN THE SENATE TO DO IT.
IT WILL NOT GET INTO THE BILL THAT IS LIKELY TO COME TOGETHER IN DECEMBER.
IF WE DO NOT MAKE DECEMBER, IT WON'T HAPPEN NEXT YEAR BECAUSE NEXT YEAR IS AN ELECTION YEAR.
AND THAT MEANS THAT LIKELY THE NEXT TIME WE'D HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET IN FRONT OF CONGRESS WOULD BE 2023, SO WE ARE KIND OF DICTATED BY CONGRESS'S WORK SCHEDULE IN TERMS OF WHEN THIS CAN BE DONE.
AND LET ME ASK YOU WHAT IS WHAT IS THE HARM IN WAITING ANOTHER YEAR AND A HALF ON THIS? OPEN ENDED QUESTION FOR YOU.
[04:05:01]
SURE, AND PART OF THE ANSWER IS, IS THAT.TIME, SO TO SPEAK IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, THE EXPRESSION IS TIME KILLS DEALS.
YOU HAVE AN A DIRECTOR WHO WANTS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN IN A PUBLIC PROCESS.
YOU HAVE A TRUSTEE WHO WANTS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN IN A PUBLIC PROCESS.
I'M SORRY THAT WE HAVE NOT APPEARED TO HAVE ENGAGED WITH PEOPLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
PART OF THE REASON THAT WE WERE NOT AS ENGAGING AS WE WERE BACK IN WASHINGTON, TRYING TO GET PEOPLE'S ATTENTION, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ABOUT ADDING THE VERBIAGE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT BACK IN MARCH AND ONLY TO GO THROUGH A MILL AND END UP WITH NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT AT THE END OF A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF TIME.
IF IF WE WAIT, THINGS WILL EVOLVE.
I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL CHANGE.
WHO KNOWS? MAYBE THERE WILL BE AN OBSERVATORY OPPORTUNITY THAT WOULD SHOW UP AND WE WOULD THEN USE THE LAND TOWARDS THAT PURPOSE.
THE PROBLEM WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS WE WANT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BECAUSE WE THINK THAT THAT IS THE BEST AND HIGHEST USE OF THE LAND WITH WHAT IS CURRENTLY IN FRONT OF US.
AND WE WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT AND MAKE IT MOVE FORWARD.
THE PLANNING PROCESS ITSELF IS LIKELY TO TAKE MORE THAN A YEAR.
I DO NOT SEE ANYTHING HAPPENING EVEN IF WE START TOMORROW, OKAY, UNTIL IN TERMS OF A FORMAL PLAN THAT IS VOTED AND APPROVED ON.
AFTER NUMEROUS HEARINGS AND AFTER NUMEROUS MEETINGS, THAT ALL IS GOING TO TAKE TIME.
SO IF WE PUSH THE WHOLE PROCESS OFF FOR A YEAR AND A HALF.
THEN WE PUSH IT OFF FOR MORE THAN THAT BEYOND THAT, AND IT JUST STARTS TO BECOME SOMETHING THAT'S TOO TENUOUS AND TOO UNLIKELY TO ACHIEVE ANY GOAL FOR ANYBODY.
I TAKE YOUR COMMENTS AT COMPLETE FACE VALUE AND I UNDERSTAND THE THE TIME CRUNCH YOU ARE UNDER.
I AM FRUSTRATED THAT WE DIDN'T GET THIS PROCESS STARTED RIGHT AWAY BACK IN MARCH, BUT I ALSO I THINK THAT SOME OF THAT FAULT LIES WITH US HERE.
YOU KNOW, I COULD HAVE CALLED FOR SOME OF THIS STUFF TO MOVE FORWARD PERSONALLY RIGHT AWAY AND FAILED TO DO SO.
AND YOU KNOW, THE THING IS WE WANT THAT COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AS WELL.
I JUST THINK WE WANT TO MAKE SURE TO BE TO BE ASSURED THAT IT HAS TEETH.
UM, YOU WERE GOING TO COMMENT ON THAT.
YEAH, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT AND MAYBE MR. FOLKE CAN SPEAK TO THIS MORE CLEARLY THAN I AM, BUT IF WE GO THROUGH A MASTER PLANNING PROCESS.
AND COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT IS VOTED ON AND APPROVED AND RECOMMENDED BY PLANNING AND ZONING AND SIMILARLY BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND PRESUMABLY THEREFORE I AM ASSUMING A DOCUMENT LOWELL OBSERVATORY WOULD HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON THAT.
I WOULD BE PUTTING MY SIGNATURE ON THAT.
THAT BECOMES A LEGAL AND BINDING DOCUMENT AND THAT SETS THE GUARDRAILS.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE INPUT INTO AND THE CREATION OF IT.
SO THAT'S PART OF WHY I'D BE HAPPY TO START THIS PROCESS TOMORROW.
LET'S LET'S FIGURE OUT WHERE THE BOUNDARIES ARE.
WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE? WHAT IS THE BEST USE OF THIS FOR NOT ONLY LITTLE OBSERVATORY, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY? IT'S 600 ACRES.
THERE OUGHT TO BE A WAY TO MAKE THAT WORK FOR EVERYBODY, BUT A LOT OF THE THINGS WE WOULD LIKE TO DO AND SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
WE CANNOT DO TODAY WITH THE WAY THE BILL IS RAISED.
WONDERFUL MR. PRESIDENT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I GUESS THIS IS THE POINT WHERE I SORT OF INTRODUCED THE IDEA THAT I'VE HAD WHICH, WHICH VERY MUCH FOLLOWS FROM THE VICE MAYOR'S INITIAL THOUGHTS.
I SPOKE WITH OUR CITY MANAGER LAST NIGHT JUST TO GET HIS READ ON THIS IDEA AND ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD BE WILLING TO USE HIS AUTHORITY WITHIN OUR CHARTER AS CITY MANAGER TO CREATE AN AD HOC CITY MANAGER COMMITTEE.
WHERE HE CAN APPOINT CERTAIN COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BE A PART OF THIS.
MAYBE A COUNCIL MEMBER OR TWO AND INVOLVE YOU FOLKS UP ON THE HILL AS WELL AND USE THE POWER OF HIS OFFICE TO DO THAT IMMEDIATELY.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT IS MY INTEREST IS NOT DELAY.
I'M NOT TRYING TO CREATE DELAY TACTICS HERE.
WHILE I, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO WAIT A YEAR AND A HALF TO DO THIS.
THERE'S NOTHING LIKE URGENCY TO GET ALL OF US ON THE SAME PAGE.
AND I DO IMPLICITLY HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOU AS INDIVIDUALS.
[04:10:04]
MR. PUTNAM AND DR.HALL TO DO A PINKY PROMISE HERE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PROCESS WE'RE STARTING HAS TEETH.
IT HAS A MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY INPUT AND THAT IT ADDRESSES SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS BUT NOT LIMITED TO THESE.
BUT ONE IS THE THE NATURE OF THE ROAD THAT COULD POSSIBLY GO INTO THE AREA.
THE CITY WOULD NEED TO BE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THAT CONVERSATION ANYWAY.
I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD COME TO AN ARRANGEMENT FOR IT TO HAVE EXTREMELY LIMITED ACCESS AND THAT WE ENSURE THE PUBLIC THAT THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A BREAKING DAM SORT OF MOMENT WHERE SUDDENLY WE HAVE ALL SORTS OF NEW DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING UP THERE AND NEW WAYS OF TRAVELING BETWEEN I-40 AND AND 180.
AND YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE ASSOCIATED CONCERNS THAT ARE PUBLIC IS JUSTIFIED IN HAVING.
AND THAT WE CAN SORT OF KEEP TABS ON THE IDEA OF UNINTENDED MISSION CREEP DOWN THE ROAD AND THAT THERE'S NO HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT OCCURRING UP THERE.
AND IN FACT, WE'RE NOT REALLY THINKING ABOUT THIS AREA IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER IN TERMS OF GENERAL HOUSING.
SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN HEARING THAT PEOPLE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND I WOULD TELL YOU, I DON'T TAKE THIS LIGHTLY.
WE'RE BEING ASKED TO SUPPORT ABDICATING A PROTECTION THAT HAS EXISTED FOR THE PAST HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE YEARS.
AND WE HAD A CONVERSATION EARLIER THIS EVENING ABOUT CHANGING THE RULES OF PROCEDURE, AND WE ALL JUST SORT OF ENDED IN A, WE DIDN'T WANT TO WE DIDN'T WANT TO CHANGE MUCH BECAUSE IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT, RIGHT? THAT WAS THE SENTIMENT THAT WE CAME TO REGARDING ANOTHER CONVERSATION JUST THIS EVENING.
AND I THINK THAT CONCERN IS OUT THERE.
I THINK YOU MIGHT RESPOND, WELL, IT'S NOT EXACTLY BROKEN, BUT IT NEEDS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT PROSPECT.
SO I'M STILL SITTING HERE ON THE FENCE THINKING ABOUT THIS, JUST NEEDING AS MUCH REASSURANCES FROM YOU AS POSSIBLE AND MAYBE SOME FURTHER REASSURANCES FROM THE CITY MANAGER THAT HE'S ON BOARD FOR, FOR SOMETHING THAT HE CAN DO, THAT WORKS IN HIS WHEELHOUSE.
AND THAT'LL AT LEAST BUY US SOME TIME.
AND I WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH A LETTER OF OPPOSITION YET AS THE VERY LEAST THAT I COULD DO AND POSSIBLY GET SOME SUPPORT IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO.
IF WE CAN FIND THOSE TEETH POINTS.
ONE THING I WOULD WANT TO MAKE CLEAR TO YOU IS WE DON'T LIKE HEADLIGHTS GOING ACROSS THE OBSERVATORY GROUNDS.
THAT'S BAD FOR ALL THE EXPERIENCES WE'RE TRYING TO OFFER PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE UP THERE TRYING TO LOOK THROUGH TELESCOPES.
SO ANYTHING THAT INCREASES TRAFFIC FLOW AND PARTICULARLY NIGHTTIME TRAFFIC FLOW IS BAD FOR THE OBSERVATORY.
AND PART OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN PROUD ABOUT FLAGSTAFF AND DARK SKIES IS BECAUSE FLAGSTAFF HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB OF KEEPING THAT BEAUTIFUL SKY THAT YOU HAVE THERE.
IT IS AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE FOR YOU THAT IS BECOMING SO RARE IN THIS COUNTRY, AND WE PARTICIPATED IN MAKING SURE THAT CONTINUES.
SO IT'S IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS THAT WOULD CREATE TRAFFIC ARE MINIMIZED OR MITIGATED DRAMATICALLY BECAUSE IT JUST IMPACTS EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
I'M INTRIGUED AND I REMAIN LOWELL CURIOUS WITH THIS PROCESS.
I WONDER IF WE COULD HEAR FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND THEN I'M DONE.
I APPRECIATE YOU GIVING ME ALL THAT TIME.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND.
I'M HERE TO DO WHATEVER I CAN TO ASSIST IN THIS PROCESS.
I WOULD ASK RESPECTFULLY IF THERE'S A DESIRE TO FORM AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, AND THIS IS WHAT I MENTIONED TO COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN WHEN HE INTRODUCED THE IDEAS.
WE WOULD NEED AS MUCH CLARITY AND DEFINITION AS TO WHAT THE PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE IS.
AND IN OSTENSIBLY, THIS ALL NEEDS TO HAPPEN FAIRLY QUICKLY.
I'M NOW UNDERSTANDING, TOO, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE NOTION OF MASTER PLANNING PROCESS THAT WILL TAKE TIME.
I HEARD REFERENCE TO POSSIBLY OVER A YEAR.
I THINK THAT'S A VERY REALISTIC OUTLOOK.
[04:15:01]
SO A QUESTION THEN IS HOW DOES THE FUNCTION OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE DOVETAIL WITH A MASTER PLANNING PROCESS THAT WOULD ALSO OCCUR FAIRLY QUICKLY? SO I'M JUST LOOKING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY.BUT AS I MENTIONED AT THE OUTSET, WHATEVER I CAN DO TO ASSIST, I'M WHOLLY ON BOARD WITH THAT.
I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS.
IF DAN FOLKE IS ON THE LINE AND THAT IS, WHAT DOES THE MASTER PLANNING PROCESS, NOT THE WHOLE PROCESS BUT, WOULD THAT THEN STILL COME UP TO A VOTE BEFORE COUNCIL, AN ACTUAL MASTER PLAN TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD THAT IT IS IN THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE ABIDED BY? MR. FOLKE.
SO I QUICKLY WENT BACK AND FOUND OUR SECTION ON MASTERPLANS.
IT'S ACTUALLY IN CHAPTER 11, WHICH IS OUR SUBDIVISION CODE, AND IT'S CALLED A DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN, IT REALLY IS TIED TO PRELIMINARY PLATTING.
AND THE PURPOSE IS, YEAH, IF ONLY A PORTION OF THE LAND IS BEING DEVELOPED OR IT'S COMPLICATED, IT TALKS ABOUT A COMPLICATED PROJECT IF IT'S PHASED, THAT WE REQUIRE THIS MASTER PLAN TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW IT'S GOING TO BE BUILT OUT.
IT REALLY CAN BE APPROVED BY THE DIRECTOR, THE PLANNING DIRECTOR.
IT THEN GOES TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S A GUIDE FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PLATS, ET CETERA.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY MIGHT BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT, ALTHOUGH THE COMPONENTS ARE GOING TO BE VERY SIMILAR, BUT I'M NOT ABLE TO ANSWER THE LEGAL STANDING OF THAT MASTER PLAN.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH AND I PROBABLY NEED TO TALK WITH KEVIN AND HIS TEAM.
YEAH, THAT'S ONE THING I WAS WONDERING IS IF THIS ENDS UP BEING A PUBLIC PROCESS TOO, TO HAVE THE MASTER PLAN THAT WOULD BE APPROVED BY OR DENIED BY A COUNCIL THAT WOULD CHANGE THE EQUATION HERE A LITTLE BIT.
MY OTHER QUESTION FOR YOU, MR. FOLK, IS IS THIS AREA INCLUDED IN OUR REGIONAL PLAN? AND CAN IT BE INVOLVED IN OUR REGIONAL PLAN THAT WOULD THEN NOT ONLY PROVIDE PROTECTIONS OR ASSURANCES FROM, YOU KNOW, STATEMENTS OR FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, AS WE KNOW COUNCILS WILL CHANGE, BUT IT'S PART OF THE REGIONAL PLAN VOTED ON BY THE VOTERS, THEN THAT ALSO PUTS AS A PROCESS OF PUTTING IT INTO THE PUBLIC'S HANDS.
YES, IT IS INCLUDED IN OUR REGIONAL PLAN, IT'S WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS.
IT IS ZONED RURAL RESIDENTIAL.
SO YEAH, IT IS SUBJECT TO OUR REGIONAL PLAN.
OK, BUT THAT WOULD BE SOME ANOTHER AREA IN WHICH WE MIGHT HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME ASSURANCES, SOME GUARDRAILS AROUND THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT THAT IS VOTED ON BY THE VOTERS.
I MEAN, I THINK A MORE PERHAPS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PLAN THAT WOULD BE MORE BINDING WOULD BE WHAT WE CALL A SPECIFIC PLAN, WHICH IS THEN ADOPTED AS A AS AN AMENDMENT TO THE REGIONAL PLAN.
AND ALL REZONING'S NEED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH SPECIFIC PLANS.
AND SO I'M NOT SURE IF OUR DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN THAT'S IN CHAPTER 11 IS THE RIGHT TOOL.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO LOOK INTO IT A LITTLE MORE.
AND WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST PLAN AS IT'S DEFINED IN OUR CODES TO PREPARE? OK, THANK YOU.
WITH THAT, I JUST ADD THOSE COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, BUT IF COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS OR SWEET, WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, I WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE GETS THEIR PIECE.
MY GRATITUDE TO LOWELL OBSERVATORY, DR.
HALL AND MR. PUTNAM FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT AND AGAIN, ARTICULATING YOUR INTENTION AND DESIRE TO.
EVOLVE INTO OBSERVATORY AND COMMUNITY PURPOSE.
UH, WHILE MAINTAINING AND PROTECTING THE DARK SKY, UM.
I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS, AND DESIRE TO ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY AND THE CITY IN COLLABORATING AND COMING UP WITH A MASTER PLAN.
AND I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO MORE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT AS THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS MOVES FORWARD.
[04:20:02]
AND I SHARE THAT DESIRE TO LET'S DO IT NOW, LET'S DO IT NOW.AND I'M READY TO SUPPORT THAT LETTER TOO.
I KEEP MENTIONING EVOLVE THE REALITIES OF OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO WHEN THE LAND WAS DATED TO MR. PERCIVAL LOWELL.
THE REALITIES, THEN, ARE DIFFERENT FROM REALITIES NOW.
BUT WE DO HAVE OUR VALUES THAT REMAIN THE SAME, WHICH IS PROTECTING OUR DARK SKIES, PROTECTING OUR OPEN SPACE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE IN A VERY PIVOTAL MOMENT AND PERIOD TO TAKE LEADERSHIP.
AND CONSIDER LOWELL AS A MAJOR PARTNER OF OUR COMMUNITY, A MAJOR, ACTUALLY, FLAGSTAFF WILL NOT BE FLAGSTAFF IF WE DIDN'T HAVE LOWELL OBSERVATORY.
THE MASTER PLANNING, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SEND THE LETTER, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS.
THIS HAS BEEN A TOUGH ONE FOR ME.
I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT LOWELL IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND I MYSELF TAKE MY FAMILY UP THERE QUITE OFTEN.
I THINK OUR COMMUNITY REALLY WANTS TO SEE MORE INVOLVEMENT AND SOME VERBIAGE IN THE BILL THAT TALKS ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN.
AND I'M WONDERING, CAN WE ADD THAT TO? TO THIS DISCUSSION TO REALLY SOLIDIFY THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO THE MASTER PLAN AND HAVE IT IN, IN WHAT WE'RE SUBMITTING.
WELL, IT SPECIFICALLY IS CALLED OUT IN THE FINDINGS SECTION OF THE LEGISLATION THAT THERE WILL BE A MASTER PLANNING PROCESS AND THERE WILL BE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT THROUGH THAT AND THROUGH PLANNING AND ZONING AND CITY COUNCIL.
IF YOU WANT TO SUGGEST SOME CHANGES THAT TO THAT THAT MAKE IT STRONGER.
HAPPY TO HAVE THEM IN THERE, WE THOUGHT WE'D BE A PRETTY BLACK AND WHITE THAT THAT'S THAT IS THE PROCESS FORWARD.
IT'S NOT JUST REMOVE THE RESTRICTIONS, IT'S REMOVED RESTRICTIONS AND SUBSTITUTE IN THIS WHOLE MASTER PLAN PUBLIC PROCESS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE JUST REMOVE THE RESTRICTIONS.
SO IT DOES SAY I'LL JUST POINT OUT IN THE BILL LANGUAGE, AS SECTION 17 IS NOW UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY.
ANY FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS TO ITS AMENITIES ON SECTION 17 SHALL REQUIRE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ADDITIONAL MASTER PLAN THAT SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY'S PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AND THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO THANK YOU, MAYOR, JUST SO THAT WE'RE CLARIFIED, IT DOES SPECIFICALLY SAY A MASTER PLAN APPROVED BY COUNCIL IN THERE.
SO AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M HEARING THE COMMUNITY AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE VERBIAGE IS IN THERE.
AND I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I WOULD BE COMFORTABLE WITH PARTNERING UP AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS.
I WOULD LIKE THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH TO START AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND I AM HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THE CITY MANAGER MIGHT BE WILLING TO HELP US HEAD THAT UP.
LOOKING THROUGH MY NOTES HERE.
AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS LIVED HERE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, I ALSO WOULD LIKE THE GUARDRAILS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE THAT COMMUNITY INPUT.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, I I THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU OFFER FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND I AM WITH COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN WITH THIS PINKY PROMISE THAT WE CAN ALL MOVE FORWARD AND HAVE THIS BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY.
MR. FINZEL, DID YOU WANT TO CHIME IN? YEAH, AND THANKS FOR THE TIME, AND I WANT TO SAY, I THINK I UNDERSTAND MR. PUTNAM'S INTENT AND LOWELL'S INTENT WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING HERE AND WHY I RESPONDED TO COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI QUESTION EARLIER WITH SAYING I WOULD LIKE MORE TIME ON THIS.
AS YOU POINT OUT, IT'S IN THE FINDINGS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION, BUT IT'S IN THE FINDINGS.
IT'S NOT IN THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ACT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS AND WHAT IT DOESN'T MEAN, AND THAT'S WHY I'D LIKE MORE TIME TO LOOK AT THIS.
I MEAN, I THINK I UNDERSTAND OR I THINK THE CITY MANAGER IS GETTING ALL
[04:25:03]
THE DIRECTION OF WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SAY IT, THAT IT'S IN THE FINDINGS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW STRONG THAT IS AND IF IT SHOULD BE.
I JUST DON'T WANT COUNCIL THINKING IT HAS A LOT OF FORCE.
IF IT DOESN'T BECAUSE I HONESTLY CAN'T TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT, OK? BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THE INTENTION OF WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO, AND I THINK, MR. PUTNAM SAID HE'S WILLING TO AMEND AND MAKE OTHER CHANGES.
SO IF THAT'S SOMETHING COUNCIL WANTS TO JUST ENSURE THAT THAT IS THAT MASTER PLAN REQUIREMENT IS ACTUALLY IN THE LEGISLATION, NOT JUST IN THE FINDINGS.
AND IF WE FIND A WAY TO DO THAT, WE CAN WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT AND WE ASK MR. PUTNAM WHAT HE THINKS OF THAT.
YEAH, THE ANSWER IS TRYING TO PERSUADE CONGRESS THAT THEY CAN MANDATE TO A COMMUNITY THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL DO SOMETHING.
IT WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTING INVOLVING THIS LAND.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT THIS, MAKE THIS LANGUAGE EVEN MORE CLEAR AND STRONGER.
AND AS I SAID, IF WE CAN START THE PROCESS TOMORROW, WE ARE HAPPY TO START THE PROCESS TOMORROW.
NOTHING'S GOING TO BE DONE UNTIL WE GET TO THE END OF THE PROCESS.
AND AND IF THINGS GET SHOT DOWN, THEN I GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO GO BACK TO SQUARE ONE AND START ALL OVER AGAIN.
BUT WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO ASSURE YOU I'M HAPPY TO TRY AND DO TO ASSURE YOU THIS IS NOT A JUST REMOVE THE RESTRICTIONS CONVERSATION.
THE RESTRICTIONS WAS SOMETHING THAT GIVES COMMUNITY CONTROL AND COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT AND COMMUNITY REGULATORY APPROVAL PROCESSES.
IN PLACE OF SOMETHING THAT THAT DOESN'T EXIST TODAY.
THANK YOU, MR. PUTNAM, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, MR. FENCIL, FOR HAVING THAT CLARIFICATION AND COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
I, TOO, WAS GOING TO BRING THAT UP AS A CONCERN.
LOWELL IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO ADD SOME LANGUAGE ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN IN THE AMENDED ACT VERBIAGE DIRECTLY, I'VE WITNESSED FROM THE DAIS IN THE PAST WITH ZONING SITUATIONS IN DA'S THAT THE WORDS REALLY DO MATTER AND THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE CONSISTENCY IN THE WORDS GOING TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
SO KEVIN, I DO SUPPORT YOU TAKING THE TIME TO LOOK INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT.
I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR PROCESS HERE.
IF WE NEED A MAYBE, UM, WRAP UP THIS CONVERSATION, CITY MANAGER.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE VIA EMAIL, ONCE WE HAVE A OPINION FROM OUR LEGAL STAFF SENT TO US GATHER SUPPORT OR THE LACK OF SUPPORT FOR THAT LETTER BEING SENT.
I COULD SEE THAT BEING AN EFFICIENT WAY TO MOVE FORWARD IF WE DO WANT TO PAUSE FOR OUR LEGAL STAFF WITHOUT HAVING TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL DAIS.
I COULD SEE THAT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'VE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND IN THIS CONVERSATION, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY PROTECTING THE WILL OF THE PUBLIC AND WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT'S MY COMMENT.
CONGRESS'S INTENT WAS TO MAKE THE LAW SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL.
THIS PROPOSAL IS TO MAKE IT JUST LIKE ANY OTHER LAND.
TREATED JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PLANNING AND ZONING PROCESS.
THE PLAN SHOULD BE COMPLETED BEFORE ANY CHANGES IN THE LAW ARE MADE.
ON A SECOND POINT, THE PLANNING IS AND FOR A DEVELOPMENT OR ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, THAT IS AN EXPENSIVE.
IT'S EXPENSIVE, IT COSTS A LOT OF TIME WITHOUT THAT KIND OF INSURANCE IS KIND OF PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, SO I UNDERSTAND WHY THE FIRST STEP HERE IS TO ASK FOR THIS FROM CONGRESS BEFORE THAT IS FULLY FULLY STARTED OUT.
BUT ANYWAYS, I WOULD LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON THIS OR TO SEE IF THERE'S GUARDRAILS.
IF IT IS WHAT I'M THINKING IT IS, I'M DEFINITELY WOULD BE WILLING TO SUPPORT A LETTER.
BUT I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS REGARDING WHAT MASTER PLAN MEANS WITHIN OUR CODES.
I MEAN, WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF INFORMATION ON JUST I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS THROUGH THE CITY PROCEDURES PERSONALLY.
AND IF THAT MEANS WE CAN COME BACK, HAVE IT HAVE A LETTER DONE ONCE WE GET THAT
[04:30:07]
INFORMATION, DO IT IN A TIMELY MANNER BECAUSE OF THE TIME CRUNCH HERE.AND I ALSO WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A PODIUM FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO HELP DIRECT WHAT THIS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
WITH ALL OF THOSE PIECES OF COMBINED, I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE SUPPORTING THE LETTER, SO.
QUICK QUESTION FOR STAFF, THIS PLANNING PROCESS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHO FUNDS THIS, DOES THE CITY ABSORB THE COST OF DOING THIS OR DOES LOWELL PAY FOR IT? OR IS IT A SHARED EXPENSE? YEAH.
KIND OF PILING ONTO WHAT DAN SAID.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE MASTER PLAN.
AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND WHY LOWELL'S IS USING THAT LANGUAGE.
IT'S PROBABLY COMMONLY UNDERSTOOD LANGUAGE, BUT IT PROBABLY ISN'T THE BEST LANGUAGE IF YOU'RE TRYING TO MATCH IT TO OUR CODE.
IF I UNDERSTAND WHAT DAN WAS SAYING, SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION OF WHAT THAT PROCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
BUT AS DAN POINTED OUT, IT'S DEFINITELY RURAL RESIDENTIAL.
IF ANYTHING, UP THERE BEYOND RURAL RESIDENTIAL WOODS TO BE DOWN, YOU'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH AT LEAST OUR ZONING OR ZONE PROCESS.
SO THERE'D BE THAT PROCESS WE'D HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
BUT DESCRIBING ANYTHING ELSE BEYOND THAT OF OF WHAT LOWELL ENVISIONS IS THIS MASTER PLAN PROCESS AND WHAT THE COUNCIL ENVISIONS OF THIS MASTER PLAN PROCESS.
I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DEFINED.
I DON'T HAVE A GREAT IDEA WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE WITHOUT IT, A LITTLE MORE DISCUSSION.
AGAIN, I THINK I UNDERSTAND THE INTENT OF WHAT EVERYBODY HAS IN MIND, BUT I CAN'T POINT TO A SECTION OF THE CODE THAT SAYS THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
SO ONCE THAT'S DETERMINED, THEN WE CAN ALSO DETERMINE WHO'S GOING TO FUND THIS EFFORT.
YEAH, I MEAN, THE ZONE PROCESS IS FUNDED BY THE APPLICANT, SO I KNOW THAT I WOULD ASSUME A MASTER PLAN PROCESS WOULD BE SIMILAR AND MOST LIKELY FUNDED BY THE I DON'T KNOW WHY THE CITY WOULD TAKE THAT ON.
COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
JUST A COUPLE FINAL THOUGHTS HERE FOR TONIGHT.
I'M DEFINITELY NOT, YOU KNOW, I'M I'M STILL STRADDLING THIS.
UH, I I REALLY FEEL LIKE I SEE BOTH SIDES OF THIS, I'M VERY SKEPTICAL OF FUTURE OF ENSURING THE INTENT OF FUTURE DEVELOPERS.
AND YET I DO THINK THAT LOWELL HAS POTENTIAL GROWTH AND GREATER CAPACITY THAT WE SHOULD.
HELP THEM TO ACHIEVE TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN HAVE IT, BOTH WAYS OF PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT UP THERE AND I DON'T MEAN ENVIRONMENT LIKE IN TERMS OF FOOD, FOOD, MEANING I MEAN LIKE THE ACTUAL LANDSCAPE UP THERE AS.
I SO I I NEED MORE INFORMATION AS WELL.
AND I THANK YOU GUYS FOR JUMPING RIGHT ON THAT.
I KNOW IT'S IT MAKES A LOT OF WORK FOR THE COMING WEEK.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE HERE AND I THINK GETTING TO A DECISION REQUIRES SOME ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS PRETTY QUICKLY.
THE OTHER THING I JUST WANT TO REMIND US CONTEXTUALLY IS THAT WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT A LETTER OF SUPPORT.
LOWELL OBSERVATORY IS GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS DRAFT LEGISLATION AND WITH SENATOR KELLY AND INTRODUCE IT TO CONGRESS.
I ASSUME WHETHER OR NOT WE SUPPORT OR OPPOSE THE ACT, I THINK IT MAY MEAN SOMETHING IF WE OPPOSE IT, IT MAY MEAN SOMETHING IF WE SUPPORT IT, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE ONLY DECISION POINT IN THE ULTIMATE CONCLUSION TO THIS IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE DRAFT A LETTER, WE COULD INCLUDE ANYTHING IN THAT LETTER THAT WE WANT.
THERE CAN BE STIPULATIONS, THERE COULD BE A CONTINGENCIES THAT OUR SUPPORT IS BASED ON THE FULFILLMENT OF A BUNCH OF COMMITMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.
I DON'T THINK THE WORD PINKY PROMISE IS THE RIGHT WORD TO USE.
THAT WAS JUST ME TALKING AND I GET MYSELF INTO TROUBLE SOMETIMES I TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY AND THESE COMMITMENTS NEED TO BE AUTHENTIC AND REAL.
I BELIEVE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH AND TALKING TO ARE VERY AUTHENTIC AND VERY REAL AND VERY COMMITTED TO THE FUTURE OF MARS HILL.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE CAN EVEN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, IN MY OPINION.
BUT THOSE COMMITMENTS ARE STILL IMPORTANT AND THEY NEED TO BE BINDING AND THEY NEED TO FEEL BINDING LONG INTO THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP.
WE ARE TALKING AS A COUNCIL BODY, IT'S NOT US APPROVING OR DENYING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN UP THERE RIGHT NOW.
IT'S A LETTER OF SUPPORT AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THE
[04:35:03]
VOICE IN HOW THAT ACTUALLY MOVES FORWARD.AND I APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND HAVING THE PUBLIC BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LETTER AND WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONED AND WE CAN ADD THOSE INTO A LETTER OF SUPPORT.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, AND WE JUST GAVE SOME HOMEWORK.
I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ROADS, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO START A WHOLE NEW CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW TONIGHT.
BUT I THINK A NEW ROAD GOING UP THROUGH THERE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS THAT PEOPLE HAVE AND WHAT THAT CAN MEAN DOWN THE ROAD.
I WOULD LIKE SOME ASSURANCES THAT IF ANY NEW ACCESS IS REQUIRED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT IT BE LIMITED.
AND SO JUST ONE MORE THING TO LOOK INTO IS WE'RE WE'RE IN THE INITIAL PHASE OF DOING A BIT MORE RESEARCH.
I'D LIKE SOME ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS.
IF THIS IS GOING TO BE SOME SORT OF THROUGH ROAD OR IF IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A ONE WAY ACCESS WITH LIMITED ACCESSIBILITY.
ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT, WE'VE GIVEN A DECENT AMOUNT OF HOMEWORK TO STAFF TO DO AND A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.
APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK ON IT.
UPON THAT INFORMATION, I THINK WE CAN DECIDE ON A LETTER.
MAKE SURE THAT IS PUT TOGETHER IN AN APPROPRIATE MANNER.
THAT SPEAKS TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING HERE, AND I WANT TO HEAR WORDS ON AN AD HOC COMMITTEE IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE CITY MANAGER TO BE PURSUING THAT POTENTIALITY IF THIS IS MOVING FORWARD.
ANOTHER THERE, WE HAVE A MAJORITY.
AND WE CAN WORK ON THE WORDING AND MISSION STATEMENT OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.
DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE AS TO TIME FRAME BECAUSE THERE IS A WINDOW FOR US THAT WILL CLOSE OUT PRETTY SOON IN TERMS OF GETTING THE LEGISLATION, AS I DESCRIBED EARLIER? WOULD WE BE ABLE TO GET THIS DONE OR THE INFORMATION BY NEXT WEEK FOR US AS A COUNCIL BODY SUFFICIENT ENOUGH AND THEN POTENTIALLY HAVE A LETTER? YEAH, I DON'T THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR ME WILL TAKE A TON OF TIME, I MEAN, MR. PUTNAM, YOU MAY WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH WITH GREG HERE, AND THEN GREG CAN PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH ME AND I CAN SPEAK TO PEOPLE ON YOUR TEAM.
AND AGAIN, FOR ME, I THINK I'M JUST LOOKING FOR A CLARIFICATION, AND I DON'T THINK MY RESEARCH WILL BE EXTENSIVE AT ALL.
IF WE'RE TALKING, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MR. PUTNAM.
I MEAN, HE'S TALKING ABOUT A WINDOW AS THE WINDOW NEXT WEEK IS THE WINDOW THIS WEEK, IS IT? HOW ABOUT YOU AND BOB HOLMES TALK TOMORROW MORNING? I THINK THAT THAT'LL HELP, AND THEN WE'LL GET GOING FROM THERE.
EXCELLENT, AND I WOULD LIKE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION AS WELL FROM MR. FULGHAM REGARDING THIS MASTER PLANNING PROCESS AS WELL, AND THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A LIFT, POTENTIALLY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS WHAT, HOW IT'S BINDING, WHATEVER, WHATEVER.
AND IF THERE'S A DIFFERENT PLANNING PROCESS THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE WAY THE ZONING IS LAID OUT AND FLAGSTAFF, WE WILL HAPPILY MAKE THE TERMS BE THAT PROCESS.
AND MAYOR, JUST TO CLARIFY, IT SOUNDS LIKE, I MEAN, AS I'M LISTENING TO THIS CONVERSATION, I DON'T THINK THE LABELS WE PUT ON IT IS REALLY MEANS MUCH.
I THINK IT'S WHAT I'M GETTING FROM THE COUNCIL IS THAT THEY WANT TO ENSURE THAT ANY DEVELOPMENT THAT TAKES PLACE UP THERE GOES THROUGH A STRONG PUBLIC PROCESS, HAS COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT, HAS P&Z'S INVOLVEMENT AND WHATEVER WE CALL IT OR HOW WE DESCRIBE IT, I MEAN, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ENDGAME OF WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE.
AM I CORRECT WITH THAT? SO I'M NOT GOING TO BE WORRYING TOO MUCH ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE MASTER PLAN IS AND WHAT IT'S NOT.
I'LL TALK WITH DAN AND FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT.
BUT I THINK FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S ABOUT JUST DESCRIBING THAT GENERAL PROCESS AS SUCCINCT AS POSSIBLE IN THE LEGISLATION, JUST SO EVERYBODY GETS THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT'S REALLY THE REQUIREMENT WE'RE ADDING HERE.
IF POSSIBLE, THAT'S WHAT I NEED TO TALK TO BOB ABOUT.
ANYTHING ELSE AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT.
THANKS TO YOU AS WELL FOR ALL YOUR TIME AND INTEREST.
ALL RIGHT, AGENDA NUMBER 12 WAS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
AGENDA ITEM 13 AND FOOD ITEMS TWO FROM MAYOR, COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER AND
[13. Informational Items To/From Mayor, Council, and City Manager; future agenda item requests]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS.I'LL START ON THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM.
[04:40:01]
COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS? MY COMPUTER JUST RESTARTED.I WILL BE ATTENDING THE ARIZONA WOMEN LEADING GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE THIS WEEK.
HOPE TO BRING BACK AND SHARE SOME SOME INFORMATION AND CONNECTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I WILL TRY AND MAKE THIS SHORT.
I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE INTERNATIONAL DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION IN TAMPA, FLORIDA, AND I WAS SO LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO GO.
A LOT OF TAKEAWAYS, AND I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE.
ONE IS HOW IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIPS ARE A LOT OF A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON HOW THINGS WERE GETTING DONE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND IT REALLY CAME DOWN TO PARTNERSHIPS AND HAVING THE CONVERSATION OF WHERE THOSE RESOURCES CAN COME FROM.
HOUSING, WE DID TALK A LOT ABOUT HOUSING AND WHAT IT CAN MEAN FOR OUR DOWNTOWNS.
PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING INTO THE OFFICE AS MUCH ANYMORE, SO WE MAY NEED TO BRING PEOPLE INTO OUR DOWNTOWN TO BECOME THE NEW PHASE OF SOME LOCALS.
SO KIND OF A DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT HOUSING FOR ME.
AND I DID ATTEND A FORUM ON ADDRESSING OUR UNSHELTERED NEIGHBORS AND HEARING WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS WAS THE SHIPPING CONTAINER PARK THAT WAS FEATURING POP UP RETAIL AND RESTAURANTS.
AND IT'S A GREAT WAY TO UTILIZE LARGE UNDER UTILIZED PARKING LOTS.
AND I'M GOING TO BE WORKING ON THREE TO FOUR IDEAS THAT I CAN BRING TO COUNCIL THAT YOU KNOW WE CAN WORK ON IN ADVANCING NOT ONLY OUR DOWNTOWN, BUT JUST OUR COMMUNITY IN GENERAL.
I JUST I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT I GOT TO ATTEND THAT CONFERENCE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
NOTHING NEW ON CITY BUSINESS, BUT ON A PERSONAL NOTE, THIS IS MY 30TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY WITH CATHY.
THE FINAL PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE FOR THE HOUSING PLAN IS THIS WEDNESDAY AT 5:30.
IT'S ONLINE AND THE LINK IS ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
AND THEN THE HOUSING COMMISSION MEETING IS ON THE 28TH.
IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND THAT, AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHETHER I SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT LISA BLOOM HOUSING STAFF RECORDED A VIDEO WALKTHROUGH OF THE HOUSING PLAN, SO EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ THE ENTIRE PLAN, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO WATCH HER VIDEO AND GET A GET A SNAPSHOT OF THE PLAN AND JUST ANOTHER PLUG TO THE PUBLIC TO PLEASE, PLEASE WEIGH IN.
THERE'S AN ONLINE FORUM ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, AND WE'D REALLY LOVE TO HAVE YOUR FEEDBACK.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
SO LAST WEEK, MOUNTAIN LION AND THE TECH WORLD HAD A JOINT MEETING IN COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET AND I WERE THERE AND WE DISCUSSED FUTURE GROWTH.
THE FLAGSTAFF IN MOTION PLAN GROWTH VERSUS FREQUENCIES AND JUST HAD A REALLY GOOD LONG MEETING.
AND AS I THINK EVERYONE HERE KNOWS, BUT TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW, I DID SPEND THE LAST WEEK IN OREGON, MOSTLY IN EUGENE AND THEN SOME OF THE TIME IN PORTLAND AND IN EUGENE, I GOT TO TAKE A FULL TOUR OF MANY OF THE UNSHELTERED POPULATION SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT ARE IN PLACE AND GOT TO WITNESS A LOT OF THE PILOTS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT LAST TUESDAY THAT COUNCIL DENIED A FUTURE DISCUSSION ON.
BUT I GOT TO WITNESS A LOT OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE DIFFERENT PILOTS OF ON STREET PARKING AND CAMPING TO PUBLIC PROPERTY CAMPING, TO TEMPORARY TINY HOME PROJECTS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TUESDAY AND ALSO DENIED.
BUT THAT MIGHT MOVE FORWARD ANOTHER WAY.
BUT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY INSPIRING TO LEARN ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE IN PLACE IN EUGENE IN THE EFFORT AT THAT SCALE.
[04:45:02]
IT WAS SO HUMBLING TO MEET WITH THE SERVICE PROVIDERS AND THE CITY STAFF THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS AND LEARN ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE DOING.IT IS AMAZING THE LEVEL OF EFFORT THAT THEY'RE ALL INVOLVED WITH IN EUGENE SPECIFICALLY.
AND YEAH, HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT IF ANY ONE EVER GOES OUT THAT WAY.
WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT LATER.
I ALSO GOT TO EXPERIENCE THE BICYCLE LANES AND INFRASTRUCTURE FOR BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS THROUGHOUT EUGENE AND THEN ALSO THROUGHOUT PORTLAND.
AND I GOT TO EXPERIENCE A PROTECTED BIKEWAYS NEIGHBORHOOD GREENWAYS, RIGHT SIZING OF NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS AND TO BETTER MITIGATE SPEED, SAFETY, DESIGN, REDESIGNS OF THE INTERSECTIONS IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND ALSO MAIN AVENUES.
BUS PRIORITIZATION, HISTORIC DOWNTOWN AREAS AND HOW THEY'VE TAKEN FOUR LANES AND CONVERTED TO THREE LANES MADE ME THINK ABOUT OUR DOWNTOWN AREAS AND AND THE CONCERNS THAT THEY HAD WERE VERY SIMILAR TO OUR CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE.
BUT THEY'VE DONE IT AND IT'S BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS.
SIGNAGE FOR BIKE AND PED AND MARKINGS ON THE ROAD WERE EXTREMELY POWERFUL TO EXPERIENCE AS A CYCLIST AND THEN STREET LIGHTS AND FLOW.
SO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BUT SPECIFICALLY BIKE AND PED, HAD ITS OWN FLOW OF TRAFFIC THROUGH ITS OWN LIGHT SYSTEM, WHICH WAS REALLY AWESOME TO EXPERIENCE.
AND JUST THE GENERAL CULTURE OF PUTTING BIKE AND PED FIRST WAS AWESOME.
THE DRIVERS WERE REALLY ON THE LOOKOUT.
IT WASN'T LIKE CARS WERE MOVING AROUND WITH THE INTENTION TO ZIP FROM PLACE TO PLACE.
IT FELT LIKE CARS WERE MOVING, BUT THEY WERE AT THE SECONDARY TO BIKE AND PED AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT THIS TIME COULD REALLY EMBRACE IN THAT BIG SHIFT THAT WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I THINK HERE WE'RE MOVING PEOPLE FAST.
AND THEN THERE'S THAT SENSE OF, LET'S GO, LET'S GO, LET'S GO.
I GOT TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS LIGHT VERSUS SLOW DOWN.
AND AND LET'S JUST MOVE, YOU KNOW, AS AS PEOPLE TRYING TO MOVE.
THE FOLKS IN EUGENE THOUGHT THIS WAS FUNNY, SAID THAT THEY TRIED TO THINK OF THE DESIGNS THAT THEY BUILD THROUGH THE LENS OF A NINE YEAR OLD.
AND IT MADE ME THINK ABOUT OUR JOKES UP HERE ABOUT HOW I'LL BRING UP MY MOM AS A CASE EXAMPLE.
AND SO I THOUGHT THE NINE YEAR OLD IDEA WAS SIMILAR TO MY MOM AND IT WAS PERFECT.
AND IN PORTLAND, IN 2018, THEY DID A BIG CONSULTANT EFFORT WHERE THEY SURVEYED THE COMMUNITY AND BETTER CAME UP WITH A PLAN OF WHICH WAS ADOPTED IN TWENTY TWENTY.
AND THEN THE STAFF IS MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT PLAN TODAY, WHICH IS GREAT.
THEY FLIPPED THE BIKE AND THE CAR MODEL, MEANING THEY PUT BIKES AND PED FIRST, AS I'VE TALKED ABOUT HERE AND IT REALLY SHOWS AND THEY HAVE A REALLY STRONG TEAM AT THE CITY WORKING ON THIS.
IT'S NOT LIKE ONE PERSON LIKE MARTIN INCE IS FOR US.
THEY HAVE A TEAM OF PEOPLE AND THEN THE ENGINEERS REALLY EMBODY THE VALUES THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED THAT I'M SHARING WITH YOU ALL.
SO IT'S A REAL TEAM EFFORT AND I THINK THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
IT WAS A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE.
I'M REALLY GLAD I WENT AND I FEEL SUPER ENERGIZED AND EXCITED TO BRING SOME OF THOSE IDEAS HERE.
THERE'S A LOT WE CAN DO AND THERE'S A LOT WE CAN LEARN FROM FROM PORTLAND AND EUGENE ON THOSE FRONTS.
AND THEN LASTLY, I'LL JUST SAY THAT TOMORROW THERE'S AN AT&T NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM.
AT THE SAME TIME, THAT'S RIGHT.
5:30 TO 6:30, SO YOU CAN KIND OF OPEN UP BOTH THE HOUSING MEETING AND THE AT&T AND BOUNCE BETWEEN THE TWO, BUT JUST GIVE FOLKS AN OPTION IF THEY WANT TO ATTEMPT ATTEND THAT, THAT'S HAPPENING TOMORROW EVENING.
BUT YEAH, GOOD TO BE BACK AND THANK YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN? PRETTY SOON, NINE YEAR OLD BE ABLE TO BE VACCINATED.
HAVE SOMEWHAT I HAD A REALLY GOOD WEEK.
I WANTED TO LIFT UP OUR LUNCH WITH DISCOVER FLAGSTAFF.
HEIDI, SHOUT OUT TO YOU, WONDERFUL EVENTS HEADLINES BY OUR OWN COUNCIL MEMBER REGINA SALAS, WHO MADE SOME GREAT COMMENTS.
THERE WAS ALSO A GUEST PARTICIPANT THERE PRESENTER WHO SPOKE TO US ABOUT 40 MINUTES, JUST GOING OVER DATA AND ANALYTICS.
IN THIS COVID MOMENT WE'RE IN ABOUT TOURISM AND TRAVEL AND PEOPLE'S PERCEPTIONS OF OF GETTING OUT AND ABOUT THE TYPES OF FOLKS THAT ARE COMING TO FLAGSTAFF.
AND I WANTED TO LIFT UP ONE HIGHLIGHT THAT WAS MENTIONED BY THIS PERSON, THIS CONSULTANT WHO CAME IN.
HE NOTED THAT THE FOLKS WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO VISIT FLAGSTAFF ARE THE ARE ARE THE TYPES OF FOLKS WHO APPRECIATE WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH OUR CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLAN OR CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN AND A LOT OF THE ECO TOURISM STUFF WE'RE WORKING ON AND
[04:50:05]
OUR NEW MULTIMODAL FOCUS.SO THESE THINGS, IT TURNS OUT, ARE ACTUALLY TOURIST ATTRACTIONS, AND IT'S NICE TO SEE THOSE THINGS WORKING IN SYNERGY.
I HAVE A SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION MEETING TOMORROW AT 4:30.
PUT THAT ON YOUR CALENDAR IF YOU'RE INTERESTED AND THEN JUST I URGE YOU ALL TO GO SEE DUNE IN THE MOVIE THEATER.
WEAR A MASK, BUT GO SEE IT ON THE BIG SCREEN.
IF YOU'RE EXPECTING A BUNCH OF FUNNY CHARACTERS RUNNING AROUND BLOWING THINGS UP.
THAT'S PROBABLY NOT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET, BUT IT'S A WONDERFUL SCIENCE FICTION FILM AND JUST LOVED WHAT DENIS VILLENEUVE DID WITH IT.
CITY MANAGER, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING FOR US TONIGHT? ALL GOOD, THANK YOU, MAYOR, THANK YOU, COUNCIL.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, THAT MEETING ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.