[00:00:04]
OH, ALL RIGHT, WELL, LET'S START.[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 regular meeting, 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).]
TWENTY TWENTY TWO OFF WITH A BANG, SHALL WE? CALLING TO ORDER OUR REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY, JANUARY 4TH 2022.JUST AS NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC, THE CITY COUNCIL MAY VOTE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY OF THE AGENDIZED ITEMS. ROLL CALL PLEASE.
VICE MAYOR DAGGETT HERE COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN.
PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
HERE, COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET HERE.
EXCELLENT, COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET, WOULD YOU MIND LEADING US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? IT WOULD BE MY HONOR.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY, OUR MISSION STATEMENT, PLEASE.
THE MISSION OF THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF IS TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU AND VICE MAYOR DAGGETT, OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, PLEASE.
THE FLAGSTAFF CITY COUNCIL HUMBLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE ANCESTRAL HOMELANDS OF THIS AREA'S INDIGENOUS NATIONS AND ORIGINAL STEWARDS.
THESE LANDS STILL INHABITED BY NATIVE DESCENDANTS, BORDER MOUNTAIN SACRED TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.
WE HONOR THEM, THEIR LEGACIES, THEIR TRADITIONS AND THEIR CONTINUED CONTRIBUTIONS.
WE CELEBRATE THEIR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS WHO WILL FOREVER KNOW THIS PLACE AS HOME.
AND WE'RE DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS OUR PUBLIC
[4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Public Participation enables the public to address the Council about an item that is not on the agenda. Comments relating to items that are on the agenda will be taken at the time that the item is discussed. If you wish to address the Council at tonight's meeting, please complete a comment card and submit it to the recording clerk as soon as possible. Your name will be called when it is your turn to speak. 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 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. ]
PARTICIPATION AND WE DO HAVE ONE HERE.GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, COUNCIL.
I AM THE CLIMATE ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR IN THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE.
I'M HERE TO USE TODAY'S PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITY TO PERSONALLY INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU ALL AND ALSO TO INFORM YOU OF RECENTLY LAUNCHED CLIMATE ADVISORY GROUPS.
WE ALL KNOW THAT CARBON NEUTRAL FLAGSTAFF WILL ONLY BE SUSTAINED THROUGH A COMMUNITY EFFORT ACHIEVED BY COLLABORATING WITH RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS.
AS A CITY, WE WILL NEED TO PRIORITIZE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND LEADERSHIP.
LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS THAT CENTER THE NEEDS AND PERSPECTIVES OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND WORKING WITH AND SUPPORTING MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS TO ACTIVATE ALL SEGMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AS ONE AVENUE TO DO SO, MS. SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE IS INITIATING CLIMATE ADVISORY GROUPS TO BRING LOCAL VOICES INTO CLIMATE ACTION AND DECISION MAKING.
THE THREE INITIAL GROUPS ARE YOUTH, BUSINESS AND EQUITY.
EACH GROUP WILL BE A COLLECTIVE OF FLAGSTAFF RESIDENTS WITH DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND THE EXPERTISE TO ADVISE ON SPECIFIC CLIMATE CHANGE RELATED ISSUES.
THEY WILL PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IDENTIFY NEEDS, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES ACROSS MULTIPLE SECTORS.
TO IMPROVE THE INCLUSIVENESS, RELEVANCE, EFFECTIVENESS AND THE ACCESSIBILITY OF CLIMATE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
AND IMPORTANTLY, TO BETTER CONNECT THE CITY WITH THE PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES AND BUSINESSES IT SERVES.
THE YOUTH CLIMATE ADVISORY GROUP WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FLAGSTAFF YOUNG PEOPLE TO ADVISE ON CLIMATE RELATED INITIATIVES TO ENSURE YOUTH PERSPECTIVES ARE REPRESENTED IN CLIMATE PLANNING AND TO HELP US REMAIN ACCOUNTABLE TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.
THE GOAL OF THE BUSINESS ADVISORY GROUP IS TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND CREATE A BRIDGE BETWEEN LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THE CITY.
THE GROUP WILL PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW THE CITY CAN BE A BETTER PARTNER AND RESOURCE TO OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
LAST, THE EQUITY ADVISORY GROUP WILL WORK TO PRIORITIZE THOSE WHO WILL BE MOST IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE AND INCLUDE THEM AS PARTNERS IN CLIMATE PLANNING AND DECISION MAKING.
THIS ONE'S [INAUDIBLE], ALL OF OUR ACTIONS ARE DEEPLY ROOTED IN EQUITY, AND THE BENEFITS OF CLIMATE ACTION ARE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL AND NOT CAUSING UNINTENTIONAL HARM TO VULNERABLE GROUPS.
SO I KNOW THAT WAS A VERY BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO CLIMATE ADVISORY GROUPS, BUT YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM ME AGAIN VERY SOON.
[00:05:03]
AND I'VE ASKED OF YOU TODAY AND THAT IS TO HELP US SPREAD THE WORD AND ENCOURAGE INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION.APPLICATIONS ARE CURRENTLY OPEN FOR ALL THREE GROUPS, WITH CLOSING DATES STAGGERED THROUGHOUT THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
I'LL BE SENDING EACH OF YOU MORE INFORMATION, AND I WOULD LOVE IT IF YOU COULD SHARE IT WITH YOUR NETWORKS.
DO WE HAVE ANY ONLINE PUBLIC PARTICIPANTS? YES, TWO OF THEM.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL MICHEL JAMES.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS MICHELLE JAMES AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FRIENDS OF FLAGSTAFF'S FUTURE.
F-CUBED IS CONCERNED THAT THE PROPOSED DESIGN FOR LONG TREE OVERPASS, CURRENTLY CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL IS OVERBUILT, PROVIDES INADEQUATE PROTECTION FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS, ENCOURAGES AN INCREASE IN AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC, NEGATIVELY IMPACTS A SOUTH SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD AND IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE CITY'S CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN.
CITIZENS OF FLAGSTAFF HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY SUPPORT EFFORTS THAT REDUCE VEHICLE USE AND VEHICLE DEPENDANCE AND INCREASE OPTIONS FOR TRAVEL VIA BICYCLE AND WALKING.
THE CURRENT DESIGN PROPOSAL FOR LONE TREE OVERPASS SUPPORTS NONE OF THESE GOALS AND IGNORES THE RECENTLY ADOPTED FLAGSTAFF CARBON NEUTRALITY PLAN, WHICH SPECIFICALLY CALLS FOR A BIG SHIFT AWAY FROM MOTOR VEHICLES BY 2030 AND HOLDS VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED TO 2019 LEVELS.
THE CURRENT DESIGN FOR ONE TREE OVERPASS IGNORES THE DATA PROVEN PHENOMENON OF INDUCED DEMAND, WHICH STATES THAT INCREASING ROADWAYS TO CURE CONGESTION ALMOST ALWAYS HAS THE OPPOSITE EFFECT.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE END RESULT OF EXISTING ROADS IN THE CITY IS NOT A DECREASE IN CONGESTION, BUT A CONTINUATION OF CONGESTION.
AND THE CURRENT DESIGN REPEATS THE PATTERN OF PUTTING MAJOR THOROUGHFARE INTERSECTIONS IN LOWER INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS, DECREASING PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND THE SOCIAL MOBILITY THAT COMES WITH WALKABILITY.
THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF CANNOT BOTH DECLARE A CLIMATE EMERGENCY AND DESIGN FOR INCREASED VEHICULAR TRAFFIC INTO THE YEAR 2040.
THE AIM OF THE LONE TREE OVERPASS PROJECT CANNOT SIMPLY BE TO MOVE CARS THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
THE DESIGN OF LONE TREE OVERPASS NEEDS TO REFLECT THE VALUES OF THE COMMUNITY.
F-CUBED WOULD LIKE TO SEE ONE.
THE PROCESS SLOWED DOWN TO ALLOW TIME FOR A THOROUGH PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF COMMUNITY VALUES AND HOW TO ADDRESS THESE IN THE DESIGN.
TWO, A PUBLICLY VETTED ALTERNATIVE DESIGN THAT IS ALIGNED WITH THE COMMITMENTS OF THE FLAGSTAFF CLIMATE NEUTRALITY PLAN.
THREE, AN ALTERNATIVE DESIGN THAT PRIORITIZES BICYCLES AND PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT AND SAFETY AT BOTH INTERSECTIONS.
FOUR, A COMMUNITY DISCUSSION WITH RESIDENTS OF THE SOUTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ON DESIGN OPTIONS THAT SUPPORT NEIGHBORHOOD WALKABILITY, PEDESTRIAN BIKE SAFETY AND OVERALL SOCIAL COHESIVENESS.
AND MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I HAVE DON RODRIGUEZ.
MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK HERE TODAY.
A PARTNERSHIP IS AN ARRANGEMENT WHERE PARTIES AGREED TO COOPERATE TO ADVANCE THEIR MUTUAL INTERESTS.
WHEN THIS WORD IS USED BY THE COUNTY AND CITY, I BELIEVE IT.
AFTER LAST WEEK'S MEETING, WE WERE FINALLY STARTING TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THIS [INAUDIBLE] FIRE SITUATION.
WE SPENT THE TWO WEEKS OF OUR VACATION RESEARCHING IT.
MANY EMPLOYEES TALKED WITH ME AND EVEN FOLLOWED UP WITH EMAILS THAT WAS GREAT IN THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR FLAGSTAFF TALKED ME THROUGH NAVIGATING THE DATA FROM JE4, WHICH IS AMAZING AS WELL.
AS A PARTNER, IT IS IN MY INTEREST THAT THE CITY AND COUNCIL SUCCEED.
I WOULD PREFER TO HAVE THEM WORKING ON FLOOD MITIGATION THAN ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS.
I AM CAPABLE OF DOING MOST OF MY OWN RESEARCH, BUT THE DATA IS UNAVAILABLE TO ME.
CAN THE FOLLOWING PLEASE BE POSTED ON THE INTERNET AND IN ONE LOCATION UNDER THE TITLE MUSEUM FIRE SO THE PUBLIC HAS ACCESS? I TALKED TO THE COUNTY ABOUT THIS AND THEY SAID THAT YOU GUYS HAVE THE DATA.
SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE SHARE THE FEASIBILITY STUDIES, THE ADVERSE IMPACT ANALYSIS THAT LUCINDA WAS TALKING ABOUT LAST WEEK, THE CITY HALL POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS THAT THEY SHARE WITH YOU GUYS AND THE PRESENTATIONS FROM THE YOUTUBE VIDEOS.
THERE WAS AN AGENDA ITEM LAST WEEK ABOUT ETHICS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW ANY OF YOU SLEEP WITH SO MANY DIFFICULT PROJECTS.
IT IS SO OVERWHELMING TO ME TO JUST LISTEN TO THESE TUESDAY MEETINGS.
IT IS COMFORTING TO KNOW ETHICS IS BEING DISCUSSED.
I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL LAST WEEK HOW HARD IT IS TO IMPLEMENT.
IT'S SO EASY TO THINK THAT IT IS UNNECESSARY BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE, FOR THE MOST PART, ARE ETHICAL.
IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE, IN FACT, PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ETHICAL.
[00:10:02]
STILL, IF EVERYONE KNEW HOW TO ACT ALL THE TIME IN EVERY SITUATION, WE WOULDN'T HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS. IN VIEW OF THIS.HOW DO WE, AS PARTNERS HANDLE CHECKS AND BALANCES? IF ONE OF THE PARTNERS, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT COUNTY IS TAKING THE LEAD, HOW DOES THE CITY ENSURE THAT THEY ARE HOLDING UP THEIR END OF THE PARTNERSHIP? AND THE REASON THAT I ASKED THIS QUESTION IS THAT I DID SEND ACTUALLY PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY GOT BACK TO ME, EXCEPT I SENT A QUESTION TO THAT EMAIL THAT WE WERE TOLD THAT WE COULD SEND QUESTIONS TO, AND I ACTUALLY SENT A COUPLE SO I DIDN'T CONFUSE PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU GUYS KNOW I HAVE A HARD TIME COMMUNICATING AND THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT DIDN'T GET BACK TO ME.
SO HOW DO WE ENSURE? HOW DO WE CHECK UP ON OUR PARTNERS AND, YOU KNOW, HELP THEM KEEP UP WITH WITH EVERYBODY ELSE? I DON'T KNOW.
I'M JUST RAISING THIS QUESTION.
HAVE A NICE HAVE A NICE MEETING, AND I APPRECIATE YOU LISTENING TO THROUGH THIS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
WITH THAT, I DO BELIEVE THAT'S OUR LAST PUBLIC PARTICIPANT.
WELL, THAT BRINGS US DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM FIVE, WHICH IS OUR PROCLAMATIONS AND
[A. Recognition: High School Cross Country Teams]
RECOGNITIONS.AND WE DO HAVE A COUPLE REALLY AWESOME TEAMS IN THE AUDIENCE RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS AND EACH TEAM, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A RECOGNITION IF YOU ALL WANT TO COME UP AND WE'LL START WITH COCONINO HIGH GIRLS, CROSS COUNTRY AND THEN WE'LL GET A NICE LITTLE PICTURE AND WITH THE FHS.
CHECKING ALL RIGHT, WE ARE GOOD.
SO THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF COMMENDS THE TREMENDOUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE COCONINO HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM, AND THEY ARE NOT ONLY RECOGNIZED AS THE 2021 DIVISION THREE ARIZONA STATE CHAMPIONS IN THE DIVISION THREE NORTH SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS, BUT ARE ALL THE FIRST IN COCONINO HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY TO WIN A GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE.
ZOE SAYLOR AND I APOLOGIZE IF I MISPRONOUNCED ANY OF THESE AKASHA ASHLEY AND I DON'T KNOW WHO I'M LOOKING AT HERE.
SARAH MCCABE AND RIHANNA BEGAY, ALONG WITH THEIR COACHES SHANNON TAYLOR, JOSIE TAYLOR, TAYLOR TILLMAN AND HAYDEN WILLIAMS. [INAUDIBLE] IS THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR COCONINO HIGH SCHOOL PROVIDED THIS QUOTE ABOUT THE TEAM TO SAY THAT COCONINO HIGH SCHOOL IS PROUD OF OUR GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM FOR THEIR FIRST EVER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IS A HUGE UNDERSTATEMENT.
AS MANY ALREADY KNOW, THEY WERE ON THE CUSP OF WINNING STATE FOR THE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS, BUT JUST WEREN'T ABLE TO GET OVER THE HUMP UNTIL THIS YEAR.
THE GIRLS AND BOYS TEAMS BOTH WORK EXTREMELY HARD AND THEIR WORK HAS REAPED THEIR BENEFITS.
COACH TAYLOR AND HER STAFF HAVE DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO A SPECTACULAR JOB.
WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE FACT THAT HER STAFF HAS MADE UP OF THREE GENERATIONS IN HER FAMILY.
ALL OF WHOM WITH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CROSS-COUNTRY EXPERIENCE, WE HAVE NO DOUBT THE CROSS-COUNTRY PROGRAM IS IN TERRIFIC HANDS AND THEY WILL CONTINUE WITH THEIR SUCCESS FAR INTO THE FUTURE.
WE CELEBRATE ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS FOR THEIR SUCCESSES, AND WE HOLD THE SUCCESS DEAR TO OUR HEART.
THEREFORE, I, PAUL DEASY MAYOR, THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE COCONINO HIGH SCHOOLS GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM FOR BECOMING THE DIVISION THREE ARIZONA STATE CHAMPIONS.
AND IF ANYONE MIGHT WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS THAT, YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
OUR FEARLESS LEADERS UNDER THE WEATHER, SO SHE COULD BE HERE WITH US TODAY, BUT AS I WAS GOING OUT THE DOOR, SHE HAND ME A NOTE HERE, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND JUST READ IT.
THANK YOU CITY OF FLAGSTAFF AND THE CITY COUNCIL FOR RECOGNIZING COCONINO HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS CROSS-COUNTRY TEAMS A STATE CHAMPION.
THE TEAM TITLE IS FIRST IN THE SCHOOL'S HISTORY AND IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR EVERY COCONINO PANTHERS, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT.
THE YOUNG LADIES, BEFORE YOU HAVE RUN WITH GRACE, COURAGE AND ENGLISH HEART, THEY HAVE GIVEN COUNTLESS HOURS.
[00:15:03]
STAYS AND SUMMERS TO REACH THIS HUGE ACHIEVEMENT.I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO WATCH THEM ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER AND GROW TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
BEING ABLE TO WIN THIS STATE TITLE WITH CHILDREN, TAYLOR HARRIS.
AND EQUIVALENT FOR ALL THE ENCOURAGEMENT YOU HAVE GIVEN, COCONINO.
CROSS COUNTRY TEAM THIS SEASON.
BEING ABLE TO WIN THE STATE TITLE WITH MY DAD AND MY SON AS A FAMILY COACHING STAFF MAKES IT EVEN MORE MEMORABLE.
WE ARE COCONINO HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI CLASS OF SEVENTY TWO, NINETY TWO AND 2019 FORMER HIGH SCHOOL COACH JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY RUNNERS IN THE EU, GRADUATING CLASS OF SEVENTY FIVE, TWO THOUSAND THREE AND TWO THOUSAND FIVE AND FLAGSTAFF LOCALS.
LASTLY, I AM THANKFUL TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED US THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
THANK YOU TO THE COCONINO HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL STACEY PRESENT DESIGN KEY LSR AND TED RAGAN AND MR. FREEZE, OUR ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND THE STAFF AT THE COCONINO HIGH SCHOOL TEAM AND THEIR FANS AND MY PARENTS.
SO SEEING MARY AND MY SISTER TERRI MR. AND HER FAMILY.
CITY COUNCIL AGAIN FOR RECOGNIZING THIS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM.
WELL, WHO WANTS THIS? SOMEBODY GETS.
WELL, THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN.
OH, YOU GOT TO GET THOSE PICTURES HERE.
WELL, WE MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER REALLY COOL CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM HERE AS WELL, SO IF YOU ALL WANTED TO COME UP, WE HAVE OUR FLAGSTAFF HIGH SCHOOL BOYS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM.
WELL, THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF ALSO COMMENDS A TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE FLAGSTAFF HIGH SCHOOL BOYS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM.
AND NOT ONLY RECOGNIZE THERE'S A 2021 CITY CHAMPIONS, BUT ALSO SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS AND THE DIVISION TWO ARIZONA STATE CHAMPIONS, AS WELL AS BEING RANKED NUMBER TWO IN THE ENTIRE STATE, WITH ALL DIVISIONS COMBINED IN TWENTY TWENTY ONE.
LANCE HARRIS, RYAN HATCH, COLE TROXLER, [INAUDIBLE].
ROBERT PARKER, TROY BAKER, MCKAY DUNN AND VAN WEIDER HOLT, ALONG WITH THEIR COACHES TRINA PAINTER, CHRISTOPHER PABST, AMANDA ALLEN, MARK CRANE, FIONA NICHOLSON AND TATIANA GILLICK.
JANINE BRANDEL, THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR FLAGSTAFF HIGH SCHOOL, PROVIDED THIS QUOTE ABOUT THE TEAM.
THESE YOUNG MEN PROBABLY REPRESENTED THEIR TEAM, FAMILIES, SCHOOL IN THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF WITH DIGNITY, PURPOSE AND INTEGRITY AS THEY COMPETED ACROSS ALL OF ARIZONA DURING THE 2022 SEASON.
THEY SHOWED THE STATE THAT THE QUALITY OF LIFE, CLEAN AIR AND WATER.
INCREDIBLE TRAIL SYSTEM FOUND IN FLAGSTAFF, COMBINED WITH HARD WORK AND DEDICATION, WAS A WINNING COMBINATION.
WELL, THEREFORE, I, PAUL DEASY, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE FLAGSTAFF HIGH SCHOOL BOYS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM FOR BECOMING THE DIVISION TWO ARIZONA STATE CHAMPIONS.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? ANYBODY? A COUPLE OF THINGS.
FIRST, I WANT TO SAY IT'S QUITE A PRIVILEGE AND AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH COCONINO HIGH SCHOOL.
WE'VE WATCHED THEM OVER THE YEARS.
IF THEY'VE THEY'VE GOTTEN STRONGER, VERY COMPETITIVE AND IT WAS REALLY FUN TO SEE THEM WIN THIS YEAR.
[00:20:01]
SO CONGRATULATIONS, LADIES.THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO HONOR THESE HARDWORKING ATHLETES.
THEY ARE COMMITTED TO THEIR TRAINING AND TEAMMATES FOCUSED ON THEIR GOALS AND SHOWED TRUE GRIT THIS FALL IS THEY REDEEM THE TITLE OF STATE CHAMPIONS.
THEY HAVE REPRESENTED THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR SCHOOL IN THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF WITH DIGNITY, HONOR AND HUMILITY THIS PAST FALL.
I AM SO PROUD OF EACH ONE OF YOU AND GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT THAT OUR COMMUNITY GIVES TO ALL OF THESE AWESOME YOUNG PEOPLE, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HONORING THEIR EFFORTS.
AND I'LL JUST SAY I USED TO BE ON CROSS COUNTRY AT SONAWA AND BOTH FHS AND CHS BEAT OUR BUTTS ALL THE TIME, SO I GOT A LONG HISTORY OF AWESOMENESS.
THIS IS SUPER COOL AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TAKE THAT.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, THAT BRINGS US DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM 5B, AND THIS IS OUR PROCLAMATION
[B. Proclamation: Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life Month]
FOR SPEAK UP, STAND UP, SAVE A LIFE MONTH.THESE SPEAK UP, STAND UP, SAVE A LIFE MOVEMENT PRESENTS AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY TO HELP BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN YOUNG PEOPLE, OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, GOVERNMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT IN A POSITIVE WAY.
OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS ARE FACING PREVENTABLE SUICIDES AND TRAGEDIES THAT MAY INCLUDE WARNING SIGNS IN PERSON OR ONLINE.
BUT BYSTANDERS AND FRIENDS REMAIN SILENT AMONG THREATS OR CRIES FOR HELP.
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE CAN BE EMPOWERED TO REPORT CONCERNING POSTS OR COMMENTS TO SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES OR LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND ADULTS CAN RECEIVE TRAINING TO HELP SPREAD THE MESSAGE.
IT IS OK TO CARE ENOUGH TO SPEAK UP, STAND UP AND SAVE A LIFE.
MORE THAN 10000 ARIZONA STUDENTS FROM ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY NINE PUBLIC CHARTER, PRIVATE AND TRIBAL SCHOOLS HAVE LEARNED THE MESSAGE AND CREATED STUDENT LED IMPACT PROJECTS IN THEIR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE IMPACTED OVER A HALF A MILLION YOUTH IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA.
THEREFORE, I PULLED EASY MAYOR OF THE CITY, FLAGSTAFF DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2022 AS SPEAK UP, STAND UP, SAVE A LIFE MONTH AND LET IT BE RESOLVED THAT ARIZONA'S SCHOOLS, STUDENTS, PARENTS, EDUCATORS, POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COORDINATE A VARIETY OF AWARENESS AND PREVENTION ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITIES SAFER AND PROMOTE A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.
OH, THE PROBLEM WITH THAT, WE ARE DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS OUR
[6. COVID-19 UPDATE]
COVID 19 UPDATE.GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, SHANNON ANDERSON, A DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
I ALSO HAVE WITH US TODAY, DR.
SO WE WILL TURN IT OVER TO HIM FIRST TO BE ABLE TO SHARE HIS SLIDES, AS WELL AS AN UPDATE FOR COUNCIL ON OUR COVID SITUATION.
THANK YOU, DR. ENGEL THALER, FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AND GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, GLAD TO BE HERE TODAY AND TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AS TO WHERE THINGS ARE AT.
I'LL TRY TO GO THROUGH THEM PRETTY FAST.
BUT I WANT YOU GUYS TO SEE THE LATEST AND GREATEST WHAT WE KNOW PRIMARILY ABOUT OMICRON AND THEN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AFTER THAT.
AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW, SHANNON, IF SOMETHING GOES AWRY.
WELL, IT LOOKS GOOD ON OUR END.
SO, OMICRON, SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT BLACK CLOUDS AND SILVER LININGS BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME SILVER LININGS AND OBVIOUSLY THE SILVER LININGS OF THOSE CROSS-COUNTRY RACERS THAT WERE JUST UP THERE.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNERS IN MY FAMILY AND I KNOW WHAT HARD WORK THEY DO.
AND THEY MIGHT BE THE ONLY THING IN TOWN THAT COULD OUTRUN OMICRON.
AND THAT'S KIND OF A PRELUDE INTO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS REALLY HOW
[00:25:02]
QUICKLY OMICRON MOVES IN, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO UNDERSTAND THE FULL LANDSCAPE AROUND THIS PARTICULAR VARIANT.SO LET'S JUST START OFF WITH WHERE THIS ALL BEGAN, WHICH WAS THANKSGIVING TWENTY TWENTY ONE.
THAT'S ACTUALLY WHEN MOST OF THE WORLD ESSENTIALLY FOUND OUT THAT IN SOUTH AFRICA, WHERE THE OFFICIALS THERE ALERTED US THAT THEY HAD A NEW VARIANT THAT WAS JUST RAPIDLY SPREADING IN THE REGION AND TO A POINT THAT IT REALLY ALARMED THEM AND THEY WANTED THE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
IT SEEMED TO OUTCOMPETE DELTA, OCCURRING IN SOME OF THE MOST POPULOUS POPULOUS REGIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA, INCLUDING JOHANNESBURG.
IT WAS SPREADING FASTER THAN DELTA AT THAT TIME, SO IT WAS NOT ONLY SEEMED TO BE REPLACING DELTA, BUT IT WAS JUST INFECTING HOUSEHOLDS AND COMMUNITIES SO MUCH FASTER.
IT SEEMED TO EVADE SOME IMMUNITY FROM VACCINES THAT THEY WERE HAVING.
LOCALLY, THEY HAVE THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE, WHICH WAS NOT WORKING WELL AT ALL.
BUT EVEN THE MRNA VACCINES WERE NOT PERFECT AGAINST THIS, AND IT WAS INFECTING YOUNGER POPULATIONS NOT NOT NECESSARILY CHILDREN, AS MUCH AS JUST YOUNGER ADULTS AND THAN WHAT THEY HAD BEEN SEEING WITH DELTA.
AND IT ALSO SEEMED TO BE CAUSING MILDER ILLNESS OVERALL.
SO THOSE ARE THAT'S WHAT THEY KNEW.
THEY LET THE WORLD KNOW ABOUT THAT.
AND THE WORLD PROMPTLY THEN BANNED TRAVEL FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO TRY TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THIS NEW VARIANT.
NOW, FAST FORWARD TO ABOUT SIX AND A HALF WEEKS LATER, OMICRON IS EVERYWHERE.
OMICRON MOVED WAY FASTER THAN TRAVEL BANS COULD BE PUT IN PLACE, WHICH WAS NO SURPRISE.
IN FACT, IT HAD PROBABLY ALREADY SPREAD TO MOST CONTINENTS BY THE TIME COUNTRIES WERE DECIDING TO BAN TRAVEL FROM SOUTH AFRICA.
IT IS NOW ON FOUND ON EVERY CONTINENT, INCLUDING ANTARCTICA.
IT HAS BEEN FOUND AT RESEARCH STATION AND SET IN ANTARCTICA.
AND SO THIS HAS MOVED FASTER NOW THAN ANY OTHER VARIANT TO DATE AND AND FASTER THAN ANYTHING THAT'S EVER MOVED AROUND THE GLOBE THAT WE COULD THAT WE CAN FATHOM.
AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THEN SARS-COV-2, BUT ANY ANY PATHOGEN, ANY OUTBREAK THIS VARIANT IS IS THE WINNER OF ALL THAT FOR SURE.
IT IS NOW IN ONE HUNDRED AND TEN COUNTRIES LIKELY WILL BE SEEN IN MOST ALL COUNTRIES WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.
AND IN THE THE GRAPH, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, THIS IS WHAT WE CALL THE EPI CURVE.
LOOKING AT CASES GLOBALLY SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC AND RIGHT ON THE VERY RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THAT, THAT SHARP NEEDLE SPIKE STRAIGHT UP IS THE SIGNATURE OF OMICRON.
THIS IS WHAT OMICRON LOOKS LIKE.
AS YOU'LL SEE, IT'S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE.
EVERY PLACE THAT SHOWED UP IS A INCREDIBLY EXPONENTIAL GROWTH STRAIGHT UP, UNLIKE ANY OF THE VARIANTS THAT WE HAD SEEN BEFORE.
IF WE LOOK IN THE U.S., THIS IS NOW WHERE ALL THE HOTSPOTS ARE IN THE U.S.
WE ACTUALLY WERE STARTING TO SEE MOST OF THAT RED AREA BE MOSTLY IN THE ORANGE AND YELLOW FOR GETTING INTO THANKSGIVING.
BUT THEN SOON THEREAFTER, IT ALL TURNED THIS DARK RED, ALMOST LOOKING LIKE A PURPLE AND IS REALLY SPREADING QUICKLY, PRIMARILY IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES.
BUT YOU CAN SEE IT HAS BEEN FOUND IN ALL 50 STATES IN THE U.S., PUERTO RICO, OTHER OTHER TERRITORIES AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS THAT NEEDLE SPIKE STRAIGHT UP WHEN OMICRON SHOWED UP, JUST LIKE IT WAS SEEN, IT HAS BEEN SEEN GLOBALLY.
SO LET'S TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS MAY BE HITTING US.
LET'S LOOK AT HOW IT'S HITTING SOME OTHER LOCALES.
SO SOUTH AFRICA, THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE WHERE WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT THIS FROM, THEY'VE ACTUALLY YOU COULD SEE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IS A A REALLY SHARP SPIKE AND ESSENTIALLY AN IMMEDIATE DROP DOWN.
AND THIS IS HOPEFULLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IN OTHER PLACES.
IT IS STARTING TO SHOW ITSELF IN SOME OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES THAT ARE STARTING TO DROP OFF PRETTY QUICKLY AS WELL.
SO ABOUT A 30 DAY, 30 TO 40 FIVE DAY SPAN, PROBABLY FOR THE THE LENGTH OF THE THE OUTBREAK OR THE SPIKE FROM OMICRON.
WHICH IS GREAT, IT'S VERY SHORT.
HOPEFULLY GOING TO BE VERY SHORT LIVED, MOST PLACES IT SHOWS UP.
BUT MAYBE ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO LOOK AT, TOO, IS THAT WHAT WE DON'T SEE IS ANY KIND OF A SPIKING UP IN DEATHS OVER THERE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL WEEKS SINCE THE SPIKE UP, AND THERE'S NOT BEEN ANY DEATHS REALLY TO SPEAK OF BECAUSE OF THIS, OTHER THAN WE COULD SEE THIS LITTLE BIT OF A BLIP AND THAT THAT MIGHT CONTINUE TO GROW A LITTLE BIT.
BUT IT SEEMS TO BE FOLLOWING ALONG WITH WHAT THEY ORIGINALLY SAID ABOUT HOW
[00:30:01]
MOST CASES THEY'RE SEEING.THE VAST MAJORITY OF ALL CASES ARE REALLY MILD, DO NOT REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATIONS, AND EVEN THOSE THAT DO TYPICALLY ARE VERY SHORT STAYS IN THE HOSPITALS.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND LOOK AT THE.
THIS IS THE ONLY OTHER PLACE I WON'T SHOW YOU EVERYWHERE.
BUT THE UK HAS HAD A REALLY TREMENDOUS SPIKE IN CASES AS WELL.
THERE STARTED EARLIER THAN OURS DID.
THEY MAY BE GETTING CLOSE TO THE TOP, THE PEAK OF THE CURVE.
WE DON'T KNOW YET, BUT THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS FROM THE UK THAT THERE IN SOME AREAS OF THE UK, THEY'RE STARTING TO SEE DROPS DROP OFF IN CASES, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS AND HOPEFULLY IT FOLLOWS THE SOUTH AFRICAN PATTERN.
AND AGAIN, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WHAT WE SEE THEN IS REALLY JUST A COMPLETE FLAT FATALITY CURVE, REALLY FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS IN THE UK.
SO WHILE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE ADDITIONAL DEATHS BECAUSE OF MACRON, JUST BECAUSE OF THE SHEER ENORMITY OF THE CASES, THEY'RE NOT SEEING IT REALLY REGISTER ANYWHERE NEAR WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE PREVIOUS PEAKS.
NOW LOOK AT THOSE PEAKS AND NOW LOOK AT THE PEAKS IN THE CASES, THIS WAS THERE OVER DECEMBER 11TH IN THE BLUE HERE.
WAS THERE MASSIVE WINTER SURGE LAST YEAR? AND COMPARE THAT TO WHAT THEY'RE SEEING NOW.
IT JUST LOOKS LIKE A SPEED BUMP.
THAT IS HOW HOW MUCH EFFECT THIS IS HAVING IN A COUNTRY THAT HAS VERY HIGH VACCINATION RATES AND OVERALL IMMUNITY RATES BECAUSE THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF CASES IN THE PAST, TOO.
THEY'RE STILL GETTING THIS ENORMOUS WAVE OF CASES.
I THINK THAT THAT MEANS THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE IN THE U.S.
IF WE LOOK AT IF WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE STATES ON THE EAST COAST, NEW YORK DOWN TO FLORIDA, WE CAN SEE AGAIN THIS SIGNATURE OF OMICRON.
THE DOTTED LINES REPRESENT A COMPARISON TO TO THE LAST WINTER PEAK.
SO THE IF WE SEE HERE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, THIS WOULD BE EQUAL TO THE LAST WINTER PEAK.
THIS IN NEW YORK THERE WELL OVER FOUR HUNDRED GETTING ON FIVE HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO FIVE TIMES THE NUMBER OF CASES AS DURING THE LAST WINTER PEAK.
NEW JERSEY THE SAME THING OVER FOUR HUNDRED MASSACHUSETTS GETTING UP TO THREE HUNDRED FOUR TO 300.
AND THESE NUMBERS THEN WILL CONTINUE UP TILL THEY HIT THAT PEAK AND THEN HOPEFULLY DROP DOWN SUDDENLY.
SO IN ARIZONA, WE KNOW WE'RE SEEING A LOT MORE CASES.
AND AND IT REALLY FEELS LIKE THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ARIZONA.
BUT LOOK, WHERE WE ARE IN ARIZONA, WE ARE JUST BARELY ABOVE OUR PEAK FROM LAST YEAR AND MAYBE JUST AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SPIKE LIKE THESE OTHER PLACES HAD.
AND MAYBE WE AND LIKELY WE WILL SEE A VERY SIMILAR EFFECT.
WE'VE HAD A LOT MORE CASES RECENTLY IN ARIZONA OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS THAN A LOT OF OTHER PLACES HAVE HAD.
SO THERE'S A LOT MORE RELATIVELY NEWLY DEVELOPED IMMUNITY.
SO MAYBE IT WON'T BE AS BAD, BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD PREPARE FOR AND THINK ABOUT.
WE COULD SEE NEW MEXICO IS ON THE SAME TRAJECTORY RIGHT NOW AS US, AND THEY'RE STARTING TO SPIKE STRAIGHT UP.
IF WE IF WE GET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER INTO THE ARIZONA NUMBERS, THIS IS THE THIS IS THE ARIZONA CURVE.
ACTUALLY, LET'S LOOK AT COCONINO COUNTY.
WE CAN SEE IN COCONINO COUNTY.
WE REALLY ARE UP PAST THE THE PEAK OF WHERE WE WERE LAST LAST WINTER DURING THE SURGE, AND WHICH IS NOT SURPRISING.
WE'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF CASES SHOWING UP IN COCONINO.
WE'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT IT AND WE KNOW A LOT OF THAT IS OMICRON.
IF WE LOOK AT THE THE VARIANT SURVEILLANCE AND VARIANT SURVEILLANCE IS USUALLY LAGGED BY A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
SO WE ONLY REALLY HAVE GOOD DATA GOING BACK TO THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 25TH, BUT WE CAN SEE THE VERY THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OMICRON.
EVERYTHING ELSE BLUE HERE IS DELTA.
THEN BY THE NEXT WEEK, A HANDFUL OF CASES AND THEN GROWING.
CASES IN ARIZONA ARE OMICRON, AND THAT'S GOING BACK TO THE WEEK OF DECEMBER.
THIS IS PRETTY MUCH SHOWING THE SAME THING.
THIS IS THESE ARE THE WEEKS OF THE MONTH AND WE COULD SEE THE PROPORTION OF OMICRON WITHIN THE OVERALL GENOMES THAT HAVE BEEN SEQUENCED.
NOW, OF COURSE, WE'RE ONLY DOING A SUB SAMPLING OF CASES, BUT WE'RE SEEING THAT SAME TREND THAT THAT WE'RE HAVE SEEN ELSEWHERE AROUND THE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
AND THEN IF WE LOOK AT COUNTIES RIGHT NOW, SO THIS IS TOTAL GENOME, OUR TOTAL GENOMES FOR THE MONTH.
[00:35:01]
FOUR FOR ALL OF DECEMBER.BUT IF WE JUST LOOK IN THOSE LAST TWO WEEKS, WE'RE REALLY SEEING ABOUT ALMOST SEVENTY FOUR OR SEVENTY FOUR.
ALMOST SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE GENOMES THAT HAVE BEEN SEQUENCED IN COCONINO COUNTY ARE OMICRON.
AGAIN, THIS IS A MUCH SMALLER OVERALL TOTAL NUMBER THAN THAN WE'VE THAN WE WOULD TYPICALLY SEE.
JUST BECAUSE THE SEQUENCING HAS TO CATCH UP.
DELAYS OVER THE HOLIDAYS AND COVID ILLNESSES, I'M SURE, ARE AFFECTING ALL THE LABS THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS.
BUT IT IS COCONINO COUNTY, MARICOPA COUNTY, WHERE WE'RE CERTAINLY SEEING QUITE A BIT OF IT.
MY GUESS IS IT'S A BIT MORE WIDESPREAD THAN THIS.
WE JUST HAVEN'T SAMPLED ENOUGH YET.
SO WHY IS MICRON SO DIFFERENT? WELL, WE'VE WE'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT THIS AND HEARING A LOT ABOUT ALL THESE NEW MUTATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED, AND THAT'S THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
I WON'T GO TOO FAR INTO THIS, BUT WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS WHEN WE GET MUTATIONS IN THAT SPIKE PROTEIN, YOU REMEMBER THE SPIKES ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VIRUS.
IT'S THE TOPS OF THOSE SPIKES THAT INTERACT WITH THE HUMAN CELL RECEPTOR.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE VIRUS CAN GET TO AND GET INSIDE OF THE HUMAN CELL.
AND SO IF THE THE TOP OF THAT SPIKE CHANGES A LITTLE BIT, IT CAN CHANGE HOW IT INTERACTS WITH THE HUMAN CELL.
AND SO A LOT OF CHANGES WILL MAKE THE VIRUS LESS LIKELY TO TO BE TO ENTER CELLS AND THEN CAUSE MORE REPLICATION.
WE'VE SEEN OTHER VARIANTS IN THE PAST GET MUTATIONS IN THIS SPOT THAT HAVE ACTUALLY HELPED INCREASE THE SPEED OF REPLICATION AND INCREASED TRANSMISSION, AS WELL AS INCREASE POTENTIAL ESCAPE FROM ANTIBODY.
AND WE'RE SEEING THAT ESSENTIALLY TIMES 10 WITH WITH OMICRON, ALL THE YELLOW THAT WE SEE HERE ON THE TOP OF THAT SPIKE PROTEIN.
THOSE REPRESENT NEW CHANGES OCCURRING FROM JUST THIS ONE VARIANT.
AND HERE'S KIND OF A SIDE VIEW OF THE SPIKE PROTEIN.
IF WE LOOK AT DELTA, ALL THE RED SPOTS HERE REPRESENT THE MUTATION.
SO WE KNEW DELTA HAD A LOT OF MUTATIONS IN THE SPIKE PROTEIN.
BUT IF WE COMPARE THAT TO ALL THE RED SPOTS HERE IN A MOTION, IT IT PALES IN COMPARISON ON THE CROWN.
IT REALLY IS A DIFFERENT BEAST.
THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGES IN HERE AND IT'S NOT JUST IN THAT SPIKE PROTEIN.
SORRY ABOUT ALL OF THIS DATA, BUT THIS IS JUST WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS A CARTOON PICTURE OF THE WHOLE GENOME OF THE VIRUS AND IN GREEN HERE, IF YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT REPRESENTS THE SPIKE GENE, IT'S ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT GENES.
BUT EVERY ONE OF THESE LINES COMING OFF, THESE ARE ALL NEW MUTATIONS.
SO WE'RE SEEING MUTATIONS THROUGHOUT THIS, AND EACH OF THOSE MAY HAVE AN EFFECT ON THIS.
SO WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THE MUTATIONS IN THE SPIKE PROTEIN ABSOLUTELY HAVE PREVENT ANTIBODY FROM BINDING TO IT.
SO THEN THE VIRUS IS MORE EASILY ATTACHES TO HUMAN CELLS.
SOME HAVE ALLOWED FOR EASIER ENTRY INTO THE HUMAN CELLS, AND SOME MUTATIONS HAVE ALLOWED FOR FASTER REPLICATION ONCE INSIDE HUMAN CELLS.
THIS WHOLE COMBINATION IS REALLY THIS THIS PERFECT STORM OF OF A VIRUS THAT CAN REPLICATE, GET INSIDE, REPLICATE FASTER AND NOW GET OUT FASTER.
BUT WE'RE CONTINUING TO LEARN MORE AND MORE THE THE LATEST RESEARCH THAT'S COME OUT.
AND I JUST COMPILED SOME OF THE SUMMARY NOTES FROM WHAT WE'RE LEARNING ON A DAY BY DAY BASIS AND STUDIES THAT HAVE COME OUT IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, THE AMERICAN VIRUS NOT ONLY DOES THOSE THINGS I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, BUT IT PREFERS THE UPPER AIRWAY, THE BRONCHUS OF CELLS TO INFECT RATHER THAN THE LOWER AIRWAY DOWN DEEP IN THAT LUNG EPITHELIAL CELLS.
NOW THIS IS IMPORTANT AND PROBABLY WHY WE KEEP HEARING ABOUT MORE MILD ILLNESS.
IF THE VIRUS LIKES TO BE IN THE UPPER RESPIRATORY IT GETS IN, THEN CAN REPLICATE FASTER IN THOSE CELLS AND GET OUT.
THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE VERY SHORT INCUBATION PERIODS AND WE HAVE A LOT MORE TRANSMISSION OCCURRING, BUT ALSO MAYBE A LOT MORE MILD OUTCOMES FROM THIS.
AND STUDY AFTER STUDY MULTIPLE STUDIES NOW OUT OF SOUTH AFRICA AND OUT OF THE UK HAVE SHOWN THAT WE'RE SEEING ON THE EPIDEMIOLOGIC LEVEL, SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN HOSPITALIZATIONS, DECREASES IN SEVERITY OF ILLNESS AND DECREASES IN DEATH OVERALL.
OMICRON DOES EVADE ANTIBODIES FROM VACCINATION, REALLY EVADES ANTIBODIES THAT WERE GENERATED FROM THE JNJ VACCINE, MORE SO THAN THE MRNA, BUT EVEN FROM THE MRNA.
LESS EFFECTIVE VACCINE, PROBABLY DOWN TO AN EFFECTIVENESS OF VACCINE EFFICACY OF 70 PERCENT FROM SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN RECENTLY VACCINATED VERSUS WHAT WE WERE SEEING BEFORE, LIKE 93 PERCENT, SO 70 PERCENT IN PREVENTING SOMEONE FROM GETTING AN INFECTION.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THE BOOSTERS THEN ARE GETTING PEOPLE REALLY BOUNCED WAY UP HIGH AND IN THEIR CIRCULATING ANTIBODY TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THIS.
AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT OMICRON PROVIDES GOOD PROTECTION AGAINST DELTA, WHEREAS THE WHAT WE
[00:40:03]
THE EXCUSE ME, THE OMICRON IMMUNITY, THE IMMUNITY WE GET FROM DELTA ISN'T PROVIDING AS MUCH PROTECTION AGAINST OMICRON, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY OMICRON IS REPLACING DELTA.WHEREVER IT SHOWS UP IS THAT THEN THE IMMUNITY THAT YOU GET FROM THAT YOU CAN'T GET A REINFECTION OR YOU DON'T GET A REINFECTION FROM DELTA, OR AT LEAST NOT AS EASILY.
SO IT'S KIND OF WARDING OFF DELTA AS WELL, AND HOPEFULLY THAT'LL CONTINUE.
AND THEN OMICRON DOES NOT EVADE THE T-CELL IMMUNITY THAT IS GAINED FROM EITHER VACCINES OR PREVIOUS INFECTIONS.
THIS IS ANOTHER REASON WHY WE'RE NOT SEEING VERY MANY DEATHS OVERALL AND LESS SEVERE CASES, BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH YOU GET THAT BREAKTHROUGH INFECTION, ONCE YOUR T-CELLS KICK IN, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT GO IN AND DESTROY THE CELLS THAT ARE INFECTED WITH VIRUS.
AND THAT SEEMS TO BE WORKING REALLY, REALLY WELL.
AND AGAIN, SO THE IT'S NOT NOT ALL IS LOST WITH OUR VACCINATIONS.
IT'S REALLY STILL GOING TO PROTECT US FROM GETTING SERIOUS ILLNESS.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO SEE A LOT MORE BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS.
SO LET ME JUST KIND OF WRAP IT UP ONE MORE NOTE.
OMICRON ALSO SEEMS TO BE MILDER IN CHILDREN.
THIS IS SOME RESEARCH COMING OUT OF CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA.
BUT WE'RE ALSO SEEING IN OTHER PLACES AS WELL WHERE CHILDREN ARE, ALTHOUGH WE'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE POSITIVE KIDS THAT WERE AND THAT'S PARTIALLY BECAUSE THIS VIRUS JUST MOVED SO FAST AND EASILY INFECTS THE UPPER AIRWAY OF PRETTY MUCH ALL HUMANS.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT SEEING SERIOUS OUTCOMES, AND IT'S LIKELY BECAUSE IT STILL DOESN'T GET DOWN DEEP INTO THE THE RESPIRATORY TRACT DOWN INTO THE LUNG CELLS.
SO JUST TO KIND OF WRAP UP THE BLACK CLOUD IN THE SILVER LINING AGAIN, SO I'M OMICRON IS QUICKLY TAKING OVER AS THE DOMINANT VARIANT.
MY GUESS IS IT IS IN MOST PARTS OF THE STATE ALREADY.
IT WILL LITERALLY ROLL ACROSS THIS LIKE A TIDAL WAVE.
WE'VE SEEN THOSE SPIKES, HOW HOW INCREDIBLE THEY ARE EVERYWHERE.
BUT THEN IT WILL LIKELY ROLL RIGHT BACK OUT AGAIN AND IT'LL BE A SHORT LIVED SITUATION.
AND MAYBE THE SPAN OF THAT IS 30 TO 45 DAYS.
OMICRON IS NOT GOING TO BE STOPPED BY OUR ALL OF OUR PREVIOUS VACCINATIONS OR PREVIOUS INFECTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN OVER SIX MONTHS AGO.
WE GET A DROP OFF OF ANTIBODY ANYWAYS AFTER ABOUT SIX TO NINE MONTHS, BUT THEN THOSE ANTIBODIES THAT ARE REMAINING ARE SEEMINGLY LESS EFFECTIVE.
BUT AGAIN, OUR IMMUNITY THAT WE GAIN FROM EITHER PREVIOUS INFECTION OR VACCINATION REALLY DOES PREVENT SERIOUS ILLNESS AND DEATHS AND OMICRON WILL LIKELY, OMICRON IN AND OF ITSELF WILL LIKELY LEAD TO MOSTLY MILD AND ASYMPTOMATIC CASES.
SO WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE NUMBERS, AS I MENTIONED, JUST GO OFF THE CHARTS WHEN WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT CASES AS A STATISTIC, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY AT ANY GREATER RISK BECAUSE OF IT.
WE CAN LOWER OMICRON SPREAD BY GETTING BOOSTERS STILL ENCOURAGE THAT FOR FOR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THAT IT'S BEEN SIX TO NINE MONTHS SINCE THEY'VE BEEN VACCINATED.
IT MAY BE TOO LATE BECAUSE YOU MAY GET EXPOSED TO OMICRON BEFORE THAT BOOSTER REALLY KICKS IN, BUT IT'LL BE WORKING IN CONCERT AND PROBABLY STILL PROVIDE SOME PROTECTION.
WE NEED TO ENSURE OF THOSE STILL THAT THE HIGHEST AT RISK ARE HIGHLY IMMUNIZED, AND I THINK FOR THE NEXT MONTH, A MONTH AND A HALF, THEY NEED TO BE SOMEWHAT ISOLATED.
I THINK THAT AS THIS ROLLS THROUGH, THE BEST THING THEY CAN DO IS ESSENTIALLY NOT BE GOING INTO CROWDED PLACES AS MAYBE THEY GOT COMFORTABLE BECAUSE THEY GOT VACCINATED.
IF YOU'RE AT HIGH RISK, IF YOU'RE OVER 75 OR IF YOU'RE IMMUNE SUPPRESSED, I WOULD RECOMMEND NOT SPENDING A LOT OF TIME OUTSIDE THE HOME WITH STRANGERS OR IN CROWDED PLACES AND REALLY JUST TRY TO WEATHER THE STORM, WHICH I THINK WILL BE A PRETTY QUICK STORM.
AND THEN I THINK WE ALL, THOUGH, NEED AS FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, TO BUSINESS OWNERS, TO TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, TO STUDENTS.
AND EMPLOYEES THAT WE JUST NEED TO PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND SOCIALLY ACCEPT THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE IT'S IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND IT WILL CAUSE LOTS OF CASES.
BUT IN THE END, THIS MAY ACTUALLY BE A GOOD THING.
IF THERE COULD BE A GOOD THING OUT OF FROM THIS, THAT IT DOES ALLOW US TO GET CLOSER TO THAT ENDEMIC STATE.
WE'LL HAVE A LOT MORE IMMUNITY IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE WILL NOT HAVE THE TERRIBLE EFFECTS THAT WE DID FROM DELTA AND SOME OF THE PREVIOUS VARIANTS.
AND SO THAT IS JUST SOMETHING THAT WE JUST KIND OF KIND OF READY OURSELVES FOR.
[00:45:01]
AND BY THE TIME WE PUT IN TOO MUCH, TOO MANY THINGS TO TRY TO PREVENT IT, IT'LL PROBABLY HAVE ALREADY LEFT THE BUILDING.AND THAT'S A GOOD THING AS WELL.
SO THAT'S MY THAT'S MY UPDATE, MY TAKE ON WHERE IT IS, AS WELL AS THE LATEST SCIENCE.
THERE WE GO, SHOULD BE ABLE TO STOP SHARING.
SO HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
IT'S EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE, BUT DEFINITELY WANT TO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE MYSELF, BUT.
UM, I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING IN THE SHED AT THIS COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET, SORRY.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND YOU ARE WELCOME.
HAPPY 2022 THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS EVENING AND SHARING YOUR EXPERTISE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WITH US.
VERY INFORMATIVE AND HELPFUL PRESENTATION.
I LEARNED A LOT AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS.
YOU KNOW, WE SHOW THAT NATIONAL MAP FLAGSTAFF WITH DIFFERENT SHADES OF RED AND YELLOW.
FLAGSTAFF WAS CERTAINLY ONE OF THOSE PURPLE SPOTS.
IT SEEMED LIKE A DARK RED SPOTS IN NORTHERN ARIZONA IN GENERAL.
SO WE ARE GETTING HIT HARD AS WHAT SEEMS LIKE FROM THAT MAP PERSPECTIVE AND KNOWING THAT THE WORST IS YET TO COME.
SIGNIFICANTLY, IF I UNDERSTOOD YOUR PRESENTATION, IT'S GOING TO GET PRETTY BAD FOR ABOUT 30 TO FORTY FIVE DAYS.
WHAT DO WE DO THAT? WHAT CAN THE COMMUNITY DO TO TO SLOW THAT SPREAD AND PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY FROM THAT? YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY ALREADY BEING PRETTY FULL AS IT IS TODAY, BUT YET UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DEATH RATE IS IS FLAT, IT LIKELY WILL REMAIN FLAT.
IT'S GREAT NEWS, BUT IS IT NINETY FIVE OR NINETY FIVE? IS IT CONTINUING TO PROMOTE THE BOOSTERS? YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, THE BOOSTER MIGHT TAKE TIME, BUT IT'LL TAKE LESS THAN FORTY FIVE DAYS.
RIGHT? SO THERE IS SOME VALUE.
I THINK WE STILL HAVE SOME TIME COUNCIL IN THE CITY TO TO REALLY PROMOTE SOME GOOD MESSAGING RIGHT NOW.
SO WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT MESSAGING BE IN REGARDS TO PRACTICES LIKE IS IT A PARTICULAR MASK AND THEN ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN PROMOTING THE BOOSTER IN VACCINATION? YEAH.
MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, I THINK THAT THIS IS THIS IS THIS IS THE ONE THAT EVERYBODY IS STRUGGLING WITH BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DO WE DO DIFFERENT? AND HONESTLY, I JUST THINK THAT THE MAYBE THE BIGGEST THING IS JUST TO CONTINUE AND USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TO CONTINUE TO POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE DOING IS REALLY GOT TO BE IN TO TRY TO LIMIT THE WORST OF THE OUTCOMES.
AND THAT IS WHAT WOULD BE THE DEATHS AND THE SERIOUS OUTCOMES.
WE DON'T WANT TO BE OBVIOUSLY OVERLOADING OUR HOSPITALS, SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THOSE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN LEARNING.
WE CAN'T REALLY DO MUCH MORE OTHER THAN JUST GET GET IMMUNIZED.
I WAS ACTUALLY TWO MONTHS AGO, I WAS I WAS REALLY PUSHING THE BOOSTERS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN THE HIGHER RISK CATEGORY, SPECIFICALLY THOSE OVER SIXTY FIVE, ANYBODY'S IMMUNE SUPPRESSED OR HAVE ANY OTHER HIGH RISK CONDITION.
I ACTUALLY BECAUSE OF HOW FAST THIS HAS MOVED, I'VE BEEN SAYING NOW FOR THE LAST MONTH THAT I WANT.
I REALLY DO THINK THAT GETTING A BOOSTER FOR EVERYBODY IS A GOOD IDEA.
GETTING A BOOSTER IS A REALLY GOOD IDEA BECAUSE OUR IMMUNITY LEVELS HAVE DROPPED OFF IF YOU GOT VACCINATED OVER SIX MONTHS AGO AND THIS IS A REALLY GOOD REMINDER TO DO THAT, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE IT IS TOO LATE BECAUSE IT'S NOT TOO LATE.
I DO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GET THEIR BOOSTERS THAT WILL HELP PREVENT THEM FROM GETTING THAT, THAT OMICRON COLD, THAT IT'S BEING CALLED.
AND SOME PEOPLE, IT'LL IT'LL LAY THEM ON THEIR BACK FOR A DAY OR TWO OR MAYBE LONGER.
MANY OTHER PEOPLE WON'T EVEN KNOW THEY HAVE IT, BUT IT'S BETTER TO GET THE BOOSTER AND THEN MAYBE WE GET EXPOSED TO IT IN THE COMMUNITY AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH IT JUST FINE AND ALSO CONTINUE TO REBOOST YOURSELF.
I MENTIONED THIS ENDEMIC STATE.
THAT'S HOW WE GET TO A PLACE WHERE, OK, WE'VE SEEN THIS NOW.
WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE STRONG FOR ANOTHER ANOTHER YEAR AND THEN WE'LL GET A BOOSTER AGAIN BEFORE, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WINTER ROLLS AROUND NEXT YEAR.
I THINK FOR FOR FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY, I REALLY THINK THAT THEY REALLY DO
[00:50:05]
NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT THEIR AT RISK LOVED ONES AND DO WHAT'S NECESSARY AROUND THEM, NOT ONLY ENSURING THEY'RE IMMUNIZED BUT THEN DOING THE SAFE THINGS.MAYBE THE WHOLE FAMILY DOESN'T GO OUT IN AND DO EXTRA EXPOSURE THINGS GOING TO LARGE PARTIES OR TO CONCERTS OR WHATEVER THAT IS.
AND IF YOU HAVE KIDS AND HIGH RISK PEOPLE IN THE HOUSEHOLD AND THE VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE KIDS NOW, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY WORTHWHILE IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY AT HIGH RISK IN YOUR FAMILY.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY, LET'S TEMPER THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT WITH THIS IS THIS IS THE VARIANT WE WANTED, RIGHT? IF ANY OTHER VARIANT WE COULDN'T HAVE, WE COULDN'T HAVE COME UP WITH A BETTER ONE SO FAR THAT WE'RE THINKING OF.
BUT IT'S AT LEAST IF IT ALL CONTINUES TO HOLD TRUE LIKE IT HAS FOR THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
IT'S THE MILDER ONE, THE ONE THAT WE CAN DEAL WITH AND GET THROUGH AND GET MORE TO THIS ENDEMIC PHASE.
I HOPE THAT HELPS ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO TURN MY CAMERA OFF FOR BANDWIDTH PURPOSES, BUT CAN YOU JUST SPEAK BRIEFLY TO THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF MASKS? THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION BEING PUT OUT ABOUT SOME MASKS BEING MORE EFFECTIVE THAN OTHERS.
SORRY, I MEANT TO ADD THAT INTO THAT.
SO THE THE MASK QUESTION HAS BEEN IT'S BEEN INTERESTING BECAUSE THE FURTHER WE GOT AWAY FROM THAT ORIGINAL STRAIN OF THIS VIRUS, THE LESS AND LESS PROTECTIVE MASKS HAVE BEEN OUR N95 MASKS.
IF, IF PROPERLY FITTED, STILL WORK REALLY WELL AND THEY DO EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT.
BUT THEN SO THAT'S THE THE ULTIMATE, BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO WEAR THOSE AROUND FOR HOURS ON END.
PHYSICIANS AND NURSES HATE WEARING THOSE THINGS FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, BUT THEY'RE TRAINED ON HOW TO USE IT FOR THE MOST OF THE REST OF US, THOSE K AND K AND NINETY FIVES, WHICH ARE KIND OF THE THE KNOCKOFF VERSION OF THAT, THEY STILL PROVIDE THEM THE NEXT LEVEL OF PROTECTION.
JUST MAKE SURE IT'S TIGHT AROUND THE FACE WHEN WEARING IT NEXT.
AFTER THAT, IT'S GOING TO BE THE PROCEDURE MASK THE HOSPITAL KIND OF GRADE MASKS THAT ARE BECOME VERY COMMON.
THOSE ARE PROVIDING PROBABLY LESS AND LESS OVERALL PROTECTION THAN THEY WERE BEFORE, BUT THERE'S STILL SOME PROTECTION THERE.
THEN YOU GET DOWN TO THE CLOTH MASKS, THE HOMEMADE MASKS, YOU'RE JUST GETTING FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY FROM, FROM ACTUALLY HAVING REAL PROTECTION FROM A MASK.
SO I DO THINK THAT MASK SHOULD BE WORN PROBABLY IN WEAR, DEFINITELY WHERE THERE'S LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE AND PEOPLE INTERACTING THAT DON'T LIVE TOGETHER IN A FAIRLY CLOSE BASIS, THAT CLOSE CONTACT.
I DO THINK THAT BECAUSE IT JUST PROVIDES A LITTLE BIT OF PROTECTION OR IF YOU HAVE THE KN NINETY FIVE YOU GOT, YOU HAVE A LOT MORE PROTECTION BY WEARING THOSE.
OK, LAST QUESTION FOR NOW, HOW LONG OF AN EXPOSURE WOULD YOU SAY OMICRON NEEDS BEFORE IT CAN BE TRANSMITTED? I'M SURE IT DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW, LOAD, VIRAL LOAD AND SUCH, BUT IS THIS LIKE WITHIN SECONDS OR IS IT WITHIN A HALF A MINUTE? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? SO THIS IS A THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR RIGHT NOW, GIVEN THE FACT THAT PEOPLE GET REALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY STILL GET THE VERY HIGH VIRAL LOADS THAT THE THE INCUBATION PERIODS ARE SHORTER THAT PEOPLE SEEM TO TRANSMIT TO MORE PEOPLE.
THE THOUGHT IS THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY TRANSMITTING OUT MORE VIRUS AND IT'S REALLY MORE OF A DOSE RESPONSE.
THE MORE VIRAL PARTICLES YOU'RE EXPOSED TO, THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE TO GET INFECTED WITH WITH DELTA AND WITH PREVIOUS VARIANTS.
WHAT'S REALLY BEEN EXPOSED? WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT CHUNKS OF FIVE MINUTE TIMES OF BEING IN WITHIN SIX FEET OF SOMEBODY WHO'S, YOU KNOW, SIX TO 10 FEET OF SOMEBODY WHO'S INFECTED.
BUT MY GUESS IS THAT IT'S PROBABLY MUCH SHORTER THAN THAT BECAUSE THERE'S MORE VIRUS POTENTIALLY BEING COUGHED OUT BY AN INFECTED INDIVIDUAL.
SO IT COULD JUST BE A MATTER OF MINUTES.
BUT WE DON'T WE DON'T HAVE THE DATA ON THAT YET.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, GREAT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I APPRECIATE IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.
LOOKING THROUGH THIS THROUGH THE LENS OF A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS THAT EITHER RESTAURANTS OR RETAIL, ET CETERA, COULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW? A GREAT QUESTION, SO MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET, REST OF COUNCIL.
I THINK THAT UNFORTUNATELY, BUSINESSES ARE STILL STUCK IN THE SAME SPOT THAT
[00:55:05]
THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS WHOLE PANDEMIC IS IS WHAT DO WE DO? HOW DO WE REACT TO THIS INFORMATION? HOW DO WE PROTECT OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR EMPLOYEES? I I REALLY THINK THAT IT'S VERY USEFUL FOR ALL BUSINESS OWNERS TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS VIRUS IS GOING TO BE SPREADING AND SPREADING IN THEIR BUSINESSES.GOING TO BE SPREAD BY CUSTOMERS WILL BE SPREAD BY EMPLOYEES AND THEY WON'T EVEN KNOW IT.
AND MANY OF THEM WON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY GOT IT.
AND AND SO THAT'S ONE PART OF IT.
BUT THE OTHER PART OF IT IS THAT THEY CAN LOWER THAT AMOUNT OF SPREAD BY REALLY ENCOURAGING VACCINATIONS AMONG THEIR EMPLOYEES, BUT ALSO TO THEIR CUSTOMERS SAYING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, TRYING TO TRYING TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
HOPEFULLY YOU'VE ALL BEEN VACCINATED.
WHETHER OR NOT THEY MANDATE MASKS OR NOT, I THINK HAS A MORE LIMITED EFFECT.
BUT I THINK THAT MANDATING MASKS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVEN'T BEEN VACCINATED BECAUSE THEY'RE AT LEAST NOW, THERE'S SOME LEVEL OF PROTECTION.
I THINK IT'S IT'S JUST MORE REINFORCING A LOT OF THAT SAME MESSAGING AS BEFORE COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET.
AND I KNOW WITH SOME, SOME WITH VERY SMALL KIND OF STORES WHERE PEOPLE ARE KIND OF PACKED IN, MAYBE JUST KIND OF DOING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO LIMIT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE PER SQUARE FOOT OVERALL.
AND THAT MIGHT BE LIMITING THE AMOUNT THAT CAN COME INTO THE STORE AT ANY ONE TIME.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PLACES DID THAT DURING LAST WINTER SURGE, AND YOU DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANY CUSTOMERS STANDING OUT IN THE COLD, FOR SURE, BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO PACK THEM IN BECAUSE IT'S NICE AND WARM IN YOUR STORE AND IT'S COLD OUTSIDE EITHER, BECAUSE THEN THAT JUST WILL BE A NICE HOTBED FOR TRANSMISSION.
SO MY QUESTION REGARDING THE HOME TESTING.
I HAD READ, BUT I HADN'T SEEN ANY SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE AT HOME TESTS WERE LESS EFFECTIVE IN DETECTING OMICRON COMPARED TO OTHER VARIANTS.
IS THERE ANY SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE ON THAT OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT IS JUST A HYPOTHETICAL AT THIS POINT? THAT THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, THERE'S ACTUALLY SOME LAYERS TO THAT MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL.
THE THE SPECIFICITY AND SENSITIVITY OF DETECTING AND IDENTIFYING THE TARGET THAT IT'S LOOKING FOR IS STILL THE SAME SO THAT IF YOU HAVE VIRUS PRESENT IN A SAMPLE, THOSE AT HOME TESTS ARE THEY'RE NOT AS GOOD AS PCR TESTS.
THERE'S NO DOUBT THEY'RE NOT AS SENSITIVE AS PCR TESTS.
AND THAT'S OK BECAUSE THE PCR TEST WILL DETECT VIRAL FRAGMENTS FOR MANY DAYS AND SOMETIMES WEEKS, AND PEOPLE ARE INFECTIOUS DURING THAT PERIOD.
IT'S IDENTIFYING RIGHT UP FRONT.
AND WHEN PEOPLE HAVE A HIGHER VIRAL LOAD, WHICH THEY SEEM TO HAVE WITH AMAZON, YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO GET A POSITIVE ON THOSE AT HOME TESTS.
HOWEVER, THE WHAT WE DON'T KNOW YET IS ENOUGH ABOUT THE MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AS IT INFECTS INFECTS A PERSON, MEANING THAT DO WE HAVE EQUAL KIND OF INFECTION IN THE TOTAL UPPER RESPIRATORY AIRWAY LIKE WE WOULD DO WITH DELTA? SO THAT IF YOU GOT THE THE THE REALLY LONG NASAL PHARYNGEAL SWAB, JUST THE NASAL SWAB RIGHT INSIDE THE NOSE OR AN ORAL SWAB OR SALIVA, ALL OF THOSE WERE PRETTY EQUIVALENT.
WE DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S THE CASE YET, AND IT DOES DEPEND POTENTIALLY ON HOW THE SAMPLES COLLECTED.
I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO TELL YOU THERE YET, ALTHOUGH WE DO KNOW A LOT OF THOSE THOSE ARE COMING UP POSITIVE FOR OMICRON.
SO IT'S WORKING WHEN IN A LOT OF CASES, THAT DOESN'T GIVE US A GOOD SCIENTIFIC ANSWER.
BUT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THERE MAY BE SOME DIFFERENCE ON HOW PREVALENT THE VIRUS IS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY, WHICH COULD INFECT AFFECT HOW A SAMPLE IS COLLECTED AND THEN TESTED.
THE OTHER QUESTION, I HAVE A LITTLE RELATED TO THAT.
WELL, IT WAS RELATED, BUT REGARDING THE VACCINES AND NOT TO GET TOO SCIENTIFIC.
BUT I'M JUST WONDERING WHY EXACTLY IS THE JNJ VERSUS THE [INAUDIBLE] VACCINES SO MUCH DIFFERENT WITH THIS PARTICULAR VARIANT? I THINK IT HAS A LOT TO DO, MR. MAYOR WITH WITH THE THE WAY THAT THE VACCINES HAVE REACTED TO US, EVEN WITH THE OTHER VARIANTS.
SO THE WHEN WE GET A WHEN WE GET A VACCINE, THE MRNA VACCINE, WE GET THIS RIDICULOUSLY SKY HIGH LEVEL OF ANTIBODY AS WE'RE ALSO DEVELOPING OUR CELLULAR
[01:00:01]
IMMUNITY.AND THAT ANTIBODY LEVEL THEN STARTS TO DROP OFF AND THEN BY ABOUT NINE MONTHS, IT'S DOWN AT A LEVEL WHERE IT'S IT REALLY ALLOWED FOR MORE BREAKTHROUGH INFECTIONS.
AND J WAS SIMILAR, BUT WE NEVER GOT ANYWHERE NEAR THE LEVELS OF ANTIBODY TO START OFF WITH.
AND THEN THOSE DROPPED OFF PRETTY QUICKLY.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS IF YOU'RE NOT STARTING WITH A VERY HIGH LEVEL OF ANTIBODY.
SO IF YOU'RE STARTING WITH A LOWER LEVEL AND THAT'S DROPPING OFF AND THOSE ANTIBODIES AREN'T AS EFFECTIVE AT REALLY ATTACKING THE SPIKE PROTEIN OF THE OMICRON VARIANT, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE LESS OF AN EFFECT OVERALL FROM THOSE VACCINES.
AND THAT'S THE SAME FOR THE JNJ AND THE ASTRAZENECA, WHICH IS THIS SOMEWHAT NOT, NOT TOO MUCH OLDER TECHNOLOGY.
THERE'S STILL GREAT TECHNOLOGY, BUT IT WAS NOT PRODUCING THESE SKY HIGH ANTIBODY LEVELS AS THE MRNA VACCINES WERE THE PFIZER AND THE MODERNA VACCINES.
SO THAT THAT IS PRIMARILY THE THE THE THINKING RIGHT NOW AS TO WHY THOSE ARE NOT AS EFFECTIVE.
IT COULD ALSO BE THAT SOME OF THE ANTIBODIES THAT ARE MORE THE ANTIBODIES THAT WE WOULD GET FROM A JNJ ARE LESS EFFECTIVE JUST AS AS A FUNCTIONING ANTIBODY.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION ON THAT YET, BUT IT DOES HAVE TO DO A LOT WITH HOW MUCH ANTIBODY WAS ORIGINALLY PRODUCED FROM THE FROM THE VACCINE VACCINE.
THE THINKING, THOUGH, IS IF YOU'VE GOT A JAY-JAY AND THEN YOU GET THE MRNA BOOSTER, YOU ACTUALLY GET JUST AS STRONG A RESPONSE AS IF YOU WOULD HAVE GOT THE ORIGINAL SERIES FROM THE MRNA VACCINE.
THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THAT.
IS THERE? LAST QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANY REASON WHY YOU COULD THINK OF THAT? COCONINO COUNTY IS GETTING HIT WITH OMICRON SO MUCH HARDER AND QUICKER THAN THE REST OF THE STATE.
I PERSONALLY, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I THINK THAT WE ARE WE ARE THE COLD SPOT OF THE STATE AND WE HAVE A LOT MORE OPPORTUNITY.
HAD WE WERE SET UP RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY THANKSGIVING THROUGH THROUGH CHRISTMAS FOR A LOT MORE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE MORE PEOPLE WERE CELEBRATING, GATHERING INDOORS, HUDDLING INDOORS, WE SEE SINGLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES.
THERE'S LESS LIKELY THAT PEOPLE ARE JUST OUTSIDE ENJOYING THE FRESH AIR.
AND SO THAT TOGETHER WITH OMICRON COMING IN, IT'S JUST ALLOWED IT TO SPREAD SO MUCH MORE QUICKLY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY EPIDEMIOLOGIC REASONS THAT I KNOW OF OR CAN THINK OF THAT WOULD HAVE PUT THE COUNTY AT HIGHER RISK FOR GETTING MORE OMICRON ORIGINALLY COMING IN.
I JUST THINK IT COMES IN AND THEN IT SPREADS FROM THERE, AND WE WERE JUST SET UP FOR A LOT MORE SPREAD EARLIER ON BECAUSE OF THE COLDER TEMPERATURES IN NORTHERN ARIZONA.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
COUNSEL, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? WELL, DR. ENGELTHALER, I GREATLY APPRECIATE I KNOW WE ALL DO YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND THE RESEARCH AND INFORMATION THAT YOU PROVIDE TO US, IT'S INVALUABLE AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU AND YOUR TEAM HERE IN FLAGSTAFF ABLE TO HELP US NAVIGATE AND BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE.
AND HOPEFULLY, WE WON'T HAVE YOU BACK TO HAVE A VARIANT DISCUSSION ON ROW PI SIGMA AND THE REST OF THE ALPHABET.
MAYBE JUST OMEGA, THAT WOULD BE THE END OF IT.
NO, I APPRECIATE IT AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ALWAYS REACH OUT IF YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE.
COUNCIL, WE JUST HAVE A FEW MORE SLIDES TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY TO GO OVER THE DATA FROM COCONINO COUNTY.
I'LL JUST START RIGHT WITH THAT SLIDE.
SO IF WE LOOK AT OUR COVID 19 WEEKLY CASES FOR WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 25TH, WE HAD 645 NEW CASES REPORTED, WHICH IS FAIRLY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW HERE IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA, FLAGSTAFF STILL SEEING THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF COVID CASES, AND WE'VE SEEN AN UPTICK FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER.
OUR HOSPITALIZATIONS WE HAD 24 FOR DECEMBER 25TH ARE 65 AND OLDER, IS STILL SEEING, THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CASE ADMITS FOR COVID ITSELF.
[01:05:02]
OUR DEATHS HERE IN FLAGSTAFF ARE SHOWING FOUR FOR DECEMBER 25TH, WE'VE BEEN PRETTY STATIC SINCE THE END OF OCTOBER, WITH FIVE DEATHS PER WEEK.NOW SEEING SIX DEATHS PER WEEK HERE IN DECEMBER.
OUR COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION REMAINS HIGH.
WE HAVE FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE POINT NINE PER 100000 AS OUR CASE INCIDENT RATE.
WE HAD FIFTEEN POINT FOUR PERCENT POSITIVITY AND OUR COVID LIKE ILLNESSES REMAINED AT NINE POINT NINE PERCENT.
OUR COMMUNITY VACCINATION RATES FOR COCONINO COUNTY RESIDENTS IS CURRENTLY AT SIXTY EIGHT POINT EIGHT PERCENT.
THIS IS AS OF JANUARY 3RD, WHICH COMPARES TO SIXTY SIX POINT FIVE PERCENT FOR OUR LAST UPDATE, WHICH WAS WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER TWENTY SEVENTH.
OUR COVID VARIANTS, WHICH WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT TODAY, THIS REPORT AT THE END OF DECEMBER WAS STILL SHOWING MAJORITY DELTA VARIANT IN THE BEGINNING OF THE OMICRON VARIANT AT 72 SAMPLES, AND THOSE WERE SEEN IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER SAMPLING.
WHERE OUR NORTHERN ARIZONA HEALTH CARE.
THEY ARE REPORTING 46 POSITIVE PATIENTS, WHICH IS DOWN FROM OUR LAST REPORT AT THE DECEMBER 7TH MEETING.
WE DO STILL HAVE 46 HOSPITAL BEDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, WHICH REMAINS THE SAME.
AND WE NOW HAVE TWO CRITICAL CARE BEDS AVAILABLE, AND THIS DATA ON THE SCREEN IS FROM EIGHT 15 ON JANUARY 3RD.
SO JUST AS A REMINDER, THE HOSPITAL HAS EXPLAINED THAT THIS DATA CAN SOMETIMES CHANGE ON AN HOURLY BASIS.
THOSE ARE ALL OF THE DATA POINTS THAT WE HAVE TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY.
CERTAINLY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COUNCIL? ALL RIGHT, I'M NOT SEEING ANY OF THE UH OH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, YES.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU WTC MANAGER ANDERSON FOR THE UPDATE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HEARD FROM DR.
ENGELTHALER THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT THAT IS IN THE PIPELINE HEADING OUR WAY.
AND WE ALSO OBVIOUSLY HEARD THIS VARIANT IS LIKELY GOING TO INCREASE DEATH RATE.
BUT I'M JUST WONDERING FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF COUNCIL MEETINGS IN PERSON MEETINGS, OUR STAFF, ET CETERA, IS THE CITY INTERNALLY WORKING ON A PLAN TO GET US THROUGH THE NEXT TWO MONTH WINDOW OF TIME OR A MONTH AND A HALF WINDOW OF TIME? I'M GUESSING THIS DATA IS MAYBE ALSO SOMEWHAT MAYBE NEW TO OUR TEAM AS WELL, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PREPARED FOR WHAT'S YET TO COME AND MAYBE NOT SUPPORTING THE SPREAD, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, DOING OUR DUTY.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE THOSE PLASTIC DIVIDERS BETWEEN COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT DO ATTEND MIGHT BE A BENEFIT TO THE GROUP.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING, HAVE WE HAD ANY OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS? SO COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, THE CITY HAS REMAINED IN PHASE THREE OF OUR REENTRY PLAN, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'RE STILL LIMITED OPENING LIMITED SERVICES IN OUR CITY FACILITIES AND JUST AS RECENT AS THIS LAST MONDAY, JUST CONTINUING TO REMIND STAFF TO BE ABLE TO WORK REMOTELY.
IN THE CASES WHERE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM AND THAT IT WORKS TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE VIRTUALLY.
SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF STAFF AS WELL AS VISITORS IN OUR BUILDINGS.
AND WE DO REQUIRE THAT INDIVIDUALS WEAR MASKS WHILE INSIDE OUR FACILITIES AS WELL AS OUR VEHICLES.
SO I THINK OUR CONTINUING OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS SHOULD HELP US IN GETTING THROUGH THE NEXT.
I THINK YOU HAD INDICATED 30 THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
ENGELTHALER WAS EXPECTING THE TIMELINE TO BE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WITH HIS COMMENTS REGARDING THE TYPE OF MASK AND N95'S FITTED, WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, I, I PERSONALLY WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE GO BACK TO A FULLY VIRTUAL REALITY, AS YOU KNOW, TO GET THROUGH THIS PERIOD OF TIME.
AND ALSO MAYBE NOT HAVE ASKED OUR STAFF TO MEET FOLKS IN PERSON UNLESS IT'S
[01:10:03]
LIKE OUTDOORS WITH MASKS ON.SHANNON I TRUST YOUR LEADERSHIP AND CONCERN FOR STAFF'S NEEDS? BUT I'LL JUST SPEAK FROM, YOU KNOW, A MEMBER OF COUNCIL HERE.
I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S TO COME, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO POTENTIALLY INCREASE OUR DEATH RATE, BUT IT MIGHT KNOCK OUT OUR ABILITY TO OPERATE IN CERTAIN WAYS.
AND SO THAT'S LIKELY GOING TO HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO EXPECT TO SEE THESE NUMBERS TRIPLE, IF NOT EVEN MORE POTENTIALLY IN THE NEXT TWO OR THREE WEEKS.
SO YEAH, I GUESS THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
MAYOR, I KNOW THAT THIS IS OUR AGENDA ITEM TO TALK ABOUT IT.
SO COUNCIL, IF YOU DO HAVE ANY THOUGHTS, I'D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, I THINK, WELL, REGARDS TO THE PROPOSAL FOR COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI SAYING THAT WE SHOULD POTENTIALLY GO VIRTUAL.
I THINK WE'RE SEEING HERE TODAY THAT I THINK THAT US, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, HAVE BEEN VERY RESPONSIBLE REGARDING OUR CONTACTS AND WE'RE ALL VACCINATED.
AND JUST LIKE YOUR STAY AT HOME TODAY.
LAST WEEK, I STAYED HOME BECAUSE I HAD A KNOWN CONTACT, SO I DO TRUST IN MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, AT LEAST UP HERE AT THE DAIS THAT WE ARE ACTING RESPONSIBLY, RESPONSIBLY WITH THIS HYBRID MODEL.
I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE MESSAGING TO STAFF, ET CETERA, THAT SIMILARLY, IF THEY GOT A SCRATCH IN THE BACK OF THEIR THROAT, CAN THE TO PLEASE GET TESTED, TAKE SOME ADDITIONAL MEASURES, STAY HOME, WHATEVER, WHATEVER IS REQUIRED.
AND LET'S I TRUST IN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF US TO BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE THAT AT THE STAFF AND ELECTED LEVEL.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, THOUGH, WE MAY WANT TO REALLY START LOOKING INTO AND THE OPPORTUNITY POTENTIALLY FOR THE CITY ITSELF TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TESTS TO ITS STAFF MEMBERS.
WE'VE BEEN HAVING A RATHER LARGE SHORTAGE.
SO MANY PEOPLE COULDN'T FIND THEM AT WALGREENS OR ANYWHERE ELSE DURING THE HOLIDAYS.
THEY'RE STILL HAVING DIFFICULTIES.
I KNOW WE'RE GETTING MORE OF A SHIPMENT IN FROM CCHHS WITH THE STATE HERE SOON, WHICH I'M GLAD IS GOING TO BE MORE AVAILABLE TO US MORE GENERALLY.
BUT IN TERMS OF AS AN ORGANIZATIONAL STANDPOINT, IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE COULD HAVE A STOCK TO SUPPLY TO OUR EMPLOYEES IN CASE THEY DO HAVE SYMPTOMS. JUST TO BE SURE, WE'RE WE'RE PROTECTING OUR PEOPLE HERE IN THE ORGANIZATION.
SO JUST JUST A THOUGHT ON THAT FRONT.
ASIDE FROM THAT, I DO BELIEVE WE ARE READY TO MOVE ON.
THANK YOU, SHANNON, AND THANK YOU, DR.
ENGELTHALER FOR THE VERY INFORMATIVE COVID 19 UPDATE, COUNCIL LIAISON REPORTS.
[7. COUNCIL LIAISON REPORTS]
LET'S START WITH THOSE WHO ARE VIRTUAL AND COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN.DO YOU HAVE ANY LIAISON REPORT TODAY? HEY, EVERYBODY, GOOD AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU AND COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
SO YESTERDAY THERE WAS A REALLY IMPORTANT TOWN HALLESQUE DISCUSSION THAT WAS NOT REALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BUT WAS DONE BY [INAUDIBLE] FOR OUR SOCIAL SERVICE COMMUNITY LEADERS AND A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION WAS HAD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS PRESENT AS WELL.
THERE WERE SOME MEMBERS FROM STAFF THERE IN LEADERSHIP.
DEPUTY MANAGER ANDERSON WAS THERE.
THANK YOU, SHANNON, FOR BEING THERE AND AND SOME MEMBERS FROM COUNCIL.
LOT OF GOOD DIALOG HAD AND THERE WILL BE ANOTHER ONE OF THEM NEXT WEEK.
AND AT SOME POINT WILL I BELIEVE THERE WILL BE ONE FOR THE PUBLIC.
BUT YEAH, GOOD DISCUSSIONS ARE BEING HAD TOMORROW.
THERE ARE TWO VERY IMPORTANT COMMISSION MEETINGS.
NOT THAT ANYONE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHER, BUT THAT I'LL BE INVOLVED WITH.
ONE IS THE INDIGENOUS COMMISSION MEETING THAT BEGINS TOMORROW NIGHT AT FIVE P.M.
AND THE OTHER IS A COMMISSION MEETING OF THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION IN THEY'LL HAVE A JOINT MEETING WITH THE TWO COMMITTEES.
[01:15:04]
THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH THE PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION.AND I BELIEVE THE [INAUDIBLE] ABLED COMMISSION.
I MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN THE CORRECT NAME FOR THAT COMMISSION.
I THINK THAT WAS ALL OF THEM, BUT THERE'S A JOINT MEETING AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING A LOT ON LONE TREE AND THE DIFFERENT LONE TREE OVERPASS DESIGNS THAT STAFF IS WORKING ON, AND THAT WILL BE BROUGHT TO COUNCIL AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.
AND THAT MEETING, I THINK, IS AT 3:30 TOMORROW.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
AND I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR TODAY, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
I JUST THOUGHT I'D MENTION THAT THE TOMORROW IS THE METRO PLAN, WHICH IS THE FLAGSTAFF METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION TRANSPORTATION ISSUES.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET.
JUST TO ADD ANOTHER DETAIL TO THE SCHEDULED METRO PLAN GREATER FLAGSTAFF MEETING TOMORROW, THE BOARD IS SCHEDULED TO DISCUSS AND POTENTIALLY APPROVE.
AMENDING ITS BUDGET AND TO MOVE THREE HUNDRED TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS INTO THE DOWNTOWN MILE PROJECT.
AND THIS IS A HIGH, HIGH PRIORITY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY LEVERAGED PROJECT AND AS MAYOR KNOWS THAT THE DOWNTOWN MY PROJECT IS, IT'S VERY INTEGRAL IN MOVING FORWARD WITH THE RIO DE FLAG FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT, AS STATED IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSION WITH THE ARMY CORPS AND BNSF, AS WELL AS THE OTHER PROJECT RELATED TO THE DOWNTOWN MALL PROJECT.
ON THURSDAY ON BEHALF OF METRO PLAN FOR WHICH I REPRESENT THE METRO PLAN IN THE RURAL TRANSPORTATION ADVOCACY COUNCIL.
SO THE RTAC HAS A MEETING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY HARLEY KOSKI VIRTUALLY OR IN THE.
THE RTAC COUNCIL IS ADVOCATING FOR FOR MINDFUL INCLUSION OF TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS TO RURAL ARIZONA, AND IT WILL FOCUS ON EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.
THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM, THE HERVEY EXCHANGE REGIONAL PLANNING FUNDING TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM CONSULTATION AND SUPPORT LOCATION REQUIREMENTS.
JUST NOTE THAT RTAC IS ALSO PURSUING A LEGISLATIVE MEASURE TO ALLOCATE 50 MILLION IN ONE TIME DIRECT ALLOCATION TO RTAC IN OUR 2.6 MILLION WILL GO DIRECTLY TO A MASTER PLAN TO FUND THE LAUNDRY CORRIDOR.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS.
WITH THAT, WE ARE DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM 8 A.
THIS IS THE CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENTS FOR OUR LIBRARY BOARD, AND I WILL SAY THAT
[8. APPOINTMENTS 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 the City Council may vote to go into executive session, which will not be open to the public, for the purpose of discussing or considering employment, assignment, appointment, promotion, demotion, dismissal, salaries, disciplining or resignation of a public officer, appointee, or employee of any public body...., pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(1).]
WE HAD A LOT OF APPLICANTS TO THIS AND IT'S REALLY EXCITING THESE DAYS.WE'RE SEEING A LOT MORE PEOPLE APPLYING THE COMMISSIONS AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO DOES.
SO IT'S A REALLY GREAT SERVICE AND IT MEANS A LOT TO US AS A COUNCIL TO BE INFORMED AND LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC.
BUT WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO KICK IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS, WHO HAS THE APPOINTMENT.
I REALLY DO WANT TO SEND AN APPROPRIATE APPRECIATION AND ACKNOWLEDGE ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO OUR MEMBERS OF EVERY COMMUNITY WHO HAVE SUBMITTED THEIR THEIR INTENDED APPLICATION TO SERVE ON THE LIBRARY BOARD.
THIS WAS A TOUGH ONE AND HAVING.
UH, LOOKED AT EVERY APPLICATION AND EVERY APPLICANT.
I AM HONORED TO NOMINATE FRANK GARCIA TO SERVE ON THE LIBRARY BOARD TO TERM EXPIRING IN NOVEMBER, 2024.
THANK YOU, I WILL SECOND THAT.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION COUNCIL? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
THAT CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS.
[01:20:08]
WE ARE DOWN TO OUR CONSENT ITEMS. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER NINE, AND I'D LIKE TO MOVE TO APPROVE ALL OF THE CONSENT ITEMS AS[9. CONSENT ITEMS All matters under Consent Agenda are considered by the City Council to be routine and will be enacted by one motion approving the recommendations listed on the agenda. Unless otherwise indicated, expenditures approved by Council are budgeted items.]
OUTLINED UNLESS A MEMBER OF COUNCIL MIGHT WANT TO BREAK OUT A PARTICULAR ONE.THAT'S SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
ALL THOSE IN ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSED? THAT CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND WITH THAT, I THINK THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME IN OUR SECTION HERE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK AND THEN WE CAN GET BACK TO IT.
AND NEXT UP WE WILL BE HAVING OUR 2022 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES DISCUSSION.
SO IT'S 4:25 NOW LET'S BE BACK AT, LET'S START BACK UP AT 4:40.
WE ARE DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10 A.
[A. Consideration and Approval: 2022 Legislative Priorities STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff is requesting that the City Council review and approve the 2022 State and Federal Legislative Priorities.]
THIS IS THE CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF A 2022 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.THANK YOU, MAYOR AND GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, SARAH LANGLEY, PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTOR.
I NORMALLY I'D LIKE TO JOIN YOU IN PERSON FOR THIS CONVERSATION, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I'M FEELING A BIT UNDER THE WEATHER SO DECIDED TO JOIN YOU VIRTUALLY TONIGHT.
I'M ALSO JOINED VIRTUALLY BY BOB HOLMES, OUR FEDERAL LOBBYIST, AND TODD [INAUDIBLE], WHO I BELIEVE IS THERE WITH YOU IN CHAMBERS.
SO WE'VE INCORPORATED THE INPUT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM YOU SEVERAL WEEKS AGO INTO THE 2022 FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
AND WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL OF THOSE REVISED PRIORITIES.
AS YOU KNOW, THE PRIORITIES ARE COMMUNICATED TO OUR FEDERAL AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, IT'S BENEFICIAL TO KEEP THE LIST AS KIND OF MANAGEABLE AND EASILY DIGESTIBLE AS POSSIBLE AS SPECIFIC ISSUES COME UP THROUGHOUT THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
WE CAN RESPOND TO THOSE ACCORDINGLY AND WORK UNDER THE BROAD TOPICS THAT WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED WITHIN THESE PRIORITY AREAS.
SO I'LL START BY PROVIDING A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE INPUT WE RECEIVED ON THE FEDERAL PRIORITIES.
TAKE ANY REMAINING COMMENTS AND THEN WE'LL SWITCH OVER TO THE STATE PRIORITIES.
SO LET ME GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN TO SHOW YOU THE FEDERAL PRIORITIES.
AND LET ME KNOW IF THAT IS SHOWING UP, ALL RIGHT.
WE WE CAN SEE IT, BUT WITH THE MAGNIFYING GLASS WOULD BE HELPFUL.
HOW ABOUT THAT? BUT IT IS A GREAT.
SO JUST TO START OFF A GENERAL NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND CLIMATE CHANGE FEATURE VERY PROMINENTLY IN BOTH THE FEDERAL AND STATE PRIORITIES, AS DOES A MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION.
SO WE DEFINITELY RECOGNIZE THAT THOSE ARE KEY AREAS OF SIGNIFICANT INTEREST FOR THE COUNCIL.
SO SPECIFICALLY, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE ADDED A PRIORITY FOCUSING ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS. WE ALSO ADDED SOME LANGUAGE ON HOUSING VOUCHERS FOR VETERANS AND ALSO ADDED LANGUAGE SUPPORTING THE CITY'S INDIGENOUS PARTNERS.
WE, UPON COUNCIL'S REQUEST, BROADENED THE CARBON FEE AND DIVIDEND GOAL TO BE A MORE BROAD PRIORITY, ENCOMPASSING ALL OF OUR CLIMATE ACTIONS.
AND WE WORKED ON THAT LANGUAGE WITH NICOLE ANTONOPOULOS TO ENSURE THAT IT WAS IN LINE WITH THE PRIORITIES OF OTHER ARIZONA CITIES SUCH AS TEMPE AND PHOENIX.
AND THEN LASTLY, FOR THE FEDERAL PRIORITIES, I WANTED TO NOTE THAT WE DID RECEIVE A QUESTION FROM A COUNCIL MEMBER BY EMAIL ABOUT ADDING A PRIORITY RELATED TO THE WAY FEMA CATALOGS DISASTERS AND THAT THEY MIGHT BE A BIT BIASED TOWARDS COASTAL STATES AND THE STORMS THAT THEY EXPERIENCED.
WE DEFINITELY DO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S AN ISSUE.
I THINK THAT IT CAN BE ADVOCATED FOR BASED ON OUR EXISTING PRIORITIES WITHIN THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT AND OUR CLIMATE ACTION PRIORITY, WHICH FOCUSES ON INCREASING RESILIENCY.
SO WE'RE AWARE OF IT AND WE CAN ADVOCATE ON THAT WITHIN OUR EXISTING PRIORITIES.
BUT OF COURSE, WE CAN ALSO DISCUSS THAT FURTHER, IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
SO THOSE ARE THE MAIN CHANGES THAT WE MADE TO THE FEDERAL PRIORITIES BASED ON YOUR INPUT THAT WE RECEIVED LAST MONTH.
SO AT THIS POINT, I'LL PAUSE AND TAKE ANY COMMENTS THAT THERE MAY BE ON THE FEDERAL
[01:25:01]
PRIORITIES.THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, SARAH.
SO I'M GOING TO LEAVE MY CAMERA OFF FOR BANDWIDTH, BUT YEAH, I LIKE THE PRIORITIES LISTED HERE.
I ALMOST FEEL LIKE I HEARD YOU MENTION INDIGENOUS WHEN YOU WERE GIVING YOUR UPDATE ON IT.
BUT THEN I TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN PLAYING TO BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE IT ON THIS LIST.
IS IT ON THIS LIST IN TERMS OF LIKE INDIGENOUS RELATIONS OR PARTNERSHIP? IT IS.
SO WE THOUGHT THE BEST AREA TO INCLUDE THAT WOULD BE UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT.
I KNOW A LOT OF OUR CONVERSATION DURING OUR PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETING HAD REVOLVED AROUND MAKING SURE THAT OUR INDIGENOUS PARTNERS CAN BENEFIT FROM ALL THE FUNDING THAT WILL BE COMING THEIR WAY AND COMING OUR WAY.
SO WE THOUGHT THAT THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO TO PUT THAT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF THAT IIJA PRIORITY.
YEAH, I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE IT THERE.
I ALSO WONDER IF THE TOPIC OF OUR INDIGENOUS RELATIONS, TRIBAL RELATIONS DESERVES ITS OWN CATEGORY JUST SO THAT IT HAS ITS ABILITY TO NOT BE LIMITED BY TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE, ALTHOUGH I THINK TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE ARE IMPORTANT WITHIN THAT RELATIONSHIP.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I, I DO BELIEVE IT WOULD.
IT COULD HAVE ITS OWN STANDALONE TOPIC ON THIS LIST.
OBVIOUSLY, I'M ONLY ONE OF SEVEN.
BUT BOB OR SARA, DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS OF HAVING IT AS A STANDALONE IN ADDITION TO THIS? COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, I WOULD NOTE, I THINK IT'S FOR MYSELF, AT LEAST THAT'S MORE OF A LENS THAT WE FILTER ALL OF OUR WORK THROUGH.
IT'S NOT REALLY A SPECIFIC FOCUS AREA, BUT MORE SOMETHING THAT WE APPROACH ALL OF OUR WORK WITH.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW I LOOK AT IT.
AT LEAST I DON'T KNOW IF BOB HAS ANY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE ARE INCORPORATING INTO ALL OF OUR WORK AS WE CAN.
YEAH, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, I AGREE WITH SARAH, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S IMPLIED IN EVERYTHING WE DO, WE NEED TO WORK WITH OUR WITH OUR TRIBAL COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY NAVAJO AND HOPI, BUT REALLY ALL OF THEM AND I THINK THAT'S THAT'S IMPLIED IN ALL OF ALL OF THIS.
YEAH, INTERESTING TO HEAR THE PERSPECTIVES, THANK YOU FOR SHARING AND HI, BOB, WELCOME.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO BOTH OF YOU.
I'LL TAKE YOUR EXPERTISE AND ADVICE.
I DO SEE VALUE IN HAVING A STANDALONE, BUT JUST KIND OF LIKE I'M THINKING OF MOST OF OUR LIKE THE WAY WE KIND OF HANDLE OUR RELATIONSHIP AT TIMES WITH NAU AND OUR LIAISON AND AND WHATNOT.
I DEFINITELY THINK THAT THERE'S ROOM FOR GROWTH AND THIS COULD BE A WAY TO KIND OF HELP LEVERAGE OUR PARTNERSHIP TO THEN, YOU KNOW, GET MORE FUNDING TO ALLOW THAT RELATIONSHIP TO GROW.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
COUNCILMAN, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS REGARDING OUR FEDERAL PRIORITIES? WELL, I APPRECIATE THE THE INPUT YOU PUT INTO THIS FROM THE LAST SESSION, DEFINITELY WITH THE CLIMATE ACTION IN PARTICULAR, I THINK THAT IS A VERY WELL WORDED AND I APPRECIATE YOU ADDING THAT ACCORDINGLY TO BE MORE UPDATED TO OUR CURRENT VALUES AND MISSION FOR THE CITY.
SO WITH THAT, YEAH, THIS LOOKS GOOD AS DOCUMENTED TO ME.
WELL, I WILL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO THE STATE PRIORITIES IF YOU'LL GIVE ME A SECOND JUST TO SWITCH THE DOCUMENTS ON MY SCREEN HERE.
ALL RIGHT, AND I WILL MAGNIFY THIS AS WELL.
SO MOVING ON TO THE STATE PRIORITIES HERE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE RETAIN THAT LENS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND CARBON ACTION AS BEING KEY KEY INTERESTS FOR THE COUNCIL AS WELL AS MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION AND TRIBAL RELATIONS AS WELL.
SPECIFICALLY, WE ADDED, BASED ON COUNCIL'S INPUT LAST TIME, LANGUAGE ABOUT INCLUSIONARY ZONING, PREEMPTION UNDER THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRIORITY.
AND THEN WE ALSO ADDED THAT SAME EXCUSE ME, IT'S DOWN HERE, THAT SAME PRIORITY FOCUSING ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS TO THE LIST OF STATE PRIORITIES.
SO THAT IS A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE INPUT THAT WE INCLUDED ON THE STATE
[01:30:04]
PRIORITIES.AND THEN, AS YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL EMAILS RELATED TO A PROPERTY TAX IDEA PROPOSED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND DISPLAY THAT LANGUAGE AND PROVIDE JUST A BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THAT BEFORE I PASS IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL FOR A YEAR DISCUSSION.
OH, EXCUSE ME, ONE MORE TIME, AND I WILL SHARE YET ANOTHER DOCUMENT.
AGAIN, JUST A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PROPERTY TAX SYSTEM IN ARIZONA, JUST TO LAY SOME GROUNDWORK FOR ANY DISCUSSION THAT YOU MAY LIKE TO HAVE ON THIS TOPIC.
AS YOU KNOW, THE PROPERTY TAX SYSTEM IS A JOINT EFFORT.
IT'S ADMINISTERED JOINTLY BETWEEN THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE AND THE 15 COUNTY COUNTY ASSESSORS THAT WE HAVE IN THIS STATE.
I KNOW RICK HAS MENTIONED DURING HIS MANY PROPERTY TAX PRESENTATIONS BEFORE THAT ONLY ONE RATE CAN BE ADOPTED FOR ALL TYPES OF PROPERTIES, BUT THE ASSESSMENT RATIO CAN DIFFER BY DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROPERTIES.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, A RESIDENTIAL HOME HAS A DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT RATIO THAN A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY LIKE A HOTEL.
AND THEN LASTLY, MUNICIPALITIES CAN ONLY INCREASE THEIR PROPERTY TAX LEVY BY TWO PERCENT EACH YEAR.
AND THEN JUST SOME NOTES RELATED TO THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE BY COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
CHANGING THE CLASSES OF PROPERTIES IS, OF COURSE, A VERY SIGNIFICANT ENDEAVOR AND WOULD BE A MULTI-YEAR PROCESS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE SUPPORTED BY COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE, COUNTIES AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, ARE VERY INVOLVED IN PROPERTY TAXES AND AND THEREFORE COULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED BY ANY CHANGES.
WE NEED TO KEEP THOSE THOSE STAKEHOLDERS IN MIND.
AND THEN, AS RICK NOTED IN HIS EMAIL TO THE COUNCIL, FURTHER ANALYSIS WOULD, OF COURSE, NEED TO BE DONE TO DETERMINE THE IMPACTS OF THIS PROPOSAL.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT BACK TO YOU, MAYOR, FOR ANY DISCUSSION ON THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES OR THE PROPERTY TAX IDEA, AND I'M HAPPY TO SWITCH BETWEEN DOCUMENTS AS NECESSARY.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO JUMP IN? WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
AS YOU KNOW, I BROUGHT THIS UP THE FIRST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THESE PRIORITIES A WEEK OR TWO AGO WHENEVER IT WAS AND WE WITHDREW IT FOR AT THAT POINT.
BUT SINCE THEN, I'VE DONE SOME MORE RESEARCH ON IT.
THERE'S BEEN EMAILS GOING BACK AND FORTH NOT TO THE WHOLE COUNCIL BECAUSE I'M ONLY ALLOWED TO TALK TO TWO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS, SO I HAVE SOMETHING I WANT TO READ HERE, BUT I THINK THE KEY POINTS I WANT TO MAKE IS THIS IS WHAT MY PROPOSAL WOULD BE REVENUE NEUTRAL.
IT WOULDN'T BE TO INCREASE OR DECREASE TAXES OVERALL.
THAT HOUSES THAT ARE PRIMARY RESIDENCES SHOULD BE PAY LESS TAX, I'LL PHRASE IT THAT WAY, THEN HOUSES THAT ARE JUST USED AS WEEKENDER HOMES OR FOR.
FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS OR WHATEVER.
SO LET ME READ WHAT I WROTE AND THE FIRST PART IS KIND OF BACKGROUND, AND THEN THE SECOND PART IS CLOSER TO WHAT SOME WORDING THAT I MIGHT WANT TO SUGGEST THAT WE ADD.
FLAGSTAFF HAS AN ACUTE HOUSING SHORTAGE FOR PRIMARY RESIDENCES.
APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER OF FLAGSTAFF HOMES ARE NOT PRIMARY RESIDENCES, BUT ARE USED AS VACATION HOMES OR SHORT TERM RENTALS.
PRIMARY RESIDENCES RECEIVE A STATE AID TO SCHOOL CREDIT AGAINST THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, BUT ARE ASSESSED AT THE SAME RATE.
THAT'S THE ASSESSMENT RATIO THAT WE JUST HEARD ABOUT, BUT ARE ASSESSED AT THE SAME RATE AS OTHER HOMES.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE STATE AID TO SCHOOL CREDIT, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ADVOCATE FOR A LOWER ASSESSED EVALUATION RATE FOR OWNER OCCUPIED PRIMARY RESIDENCES WITH THE LOST REVENUE TO BE BALANCED BY A SLIGHTLY HIGHER VALUATION RATE FOR A NON PRIMARY RESIDENCES.
AND I'LL ADMIT THIS IS NOT A REAL EASY THING TO DO, AND IT MIGHT TAKE SOME TIME.
AND I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT EVEN THOUGH I KIND OF THOUGHT OF THIS IDEA ON MY OWN, I WASN'T THE FIRST PERSON TO EVER THINK OF IT.
THE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THOUGHT OF IT AND TRIED TO PROPOSE IT, BECAUSE WHY
[01:35:03]
WOULD THEY DO THAT? BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD IDEA.SO I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THIS TO THE LIST OF STATE PRIORITIES WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS NOT GOING TO BE A LITTLE SLAM DUNK.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL TAKE SOME TIME, SOME COOPERATION WITH OTHER ENTITIES.
BUT I THINK IT'D BE A GOOD IDEA TO ADD IT TO THE LIST.
I'M BOUNCING OFF THE COUNCIL AND I THINK STAFF HAS SOME MORE COMMENTS.
BE QUIET FOR A MINUTE AND LISTEN, AND THEN I MAY HAVE FOLLOW UP COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY COUNSEL.
DO YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THIS PROPOSAL? OR SORRY, SARAH, DID YOU HAVE MORE TO DISCUSS ON THIS? I DIDN'T MAYOR.
OK, THEN AMONGST COUNCIL? AH VICE MAYOR.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY, FOR BRINGING AN IDEA TO US.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, OBVIOUSLY THIS WOULD TAKE COUNTY ASSESSORS AND TREASURERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO ALSO SUPPORT.
AND I'M WONDERING IF THREE QUARTERS OF THE HOMES ARE PRIMARY RESIDENCES AND WE LOWER THOSE TAXES, BUT ONLY A QUARTER.
ARE YOU PROPOSING THAT WE RAISE FOR THAT QUARTER ENOUGH TO COVER THE THREE QUARTERS? YES, I AM.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TALKING DRACONIAN AMOUNTS, THIS MAY BE A COUPLE OF PERCENTAGE POINTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T I DIDN'T GIVE ANY SPECIFIC NUMBERS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE NEEDED TO DO THAT.
I THINK AFTER WE HAVE A DISCUSSION AND HAVE SOME LEGISLATORS TALK IT OVER, ASSUMING WE CAN EVEN MAKE THAT HAPPEN, THEN THEY CAN COME UP WITH SPECIFICS.
BUT THE CONCEPT IS, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEIR TAXES SHOULD GO TO ZERO OR ANYTHING DRACONIAN LIKE THAT, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, SAY IF THE OWNER OCCUPIED PRIMARY RESIDENCES WENT DOWN MAYBE FIVE PERCENT OR SOMETHING IN THAT BALLPARK.
THEN THE OTHER ONES MIGHT HAVE TO GO UP 15 PERCENT OR WHATEVER.
AND DO YOU KNOW ANY OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT DO THIS? UM, I DON'T KNOW IF OTHER COMMUNITIES DO THIS.
SO I'M GENERALLY IN SUPPORT OF TREATING BOTH TYPES OF RESIDENCES.
I THINK MY ONLY CONCERN WOULD BE I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS VETTED AMONG GREATER NUMBERS OF PEOPLE BEFORE WE LAND ON IT AS A SOLUTION.
SO LIKE IF HOUSING ADVOCATES AND.
AND THE THE ASSESSOR, THE TREASURER'S, I MEAN, IF EVERYONE CAME AND SAID, THIS IS THIS IS GOING TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, AND HERE'S HOW THE MATH WORKS OUT.
AND HERE, HERE'S HOW WE CAN DO IT, I THINK I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE THAN.
THEN PUTTING IT ON AS AN ABSOLUTE, WE WANT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
SO IF IF WE COULD WORD IT IN A WAY WHERE WE'RE WE'RE STARTING TO MAKE, WE'RE STARTING TO APPROACH OTHER ENTITIES TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHETHER THERE WOULD BE SUPPORT FOR THIS AND THEN TAKING IT THE NEXT STEP TO THE LEGISLATURE AND MAYBE ASSESSORS AROUND THE STATE.
I COULD BE IN SUPPORT OF THAT.
AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION, A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, YOU SAID, DOES ANYBODY ELSE DO THIS? THE STATE ALREADY DOES A PROGRAM WHERE THEY TAKE SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS UP TO SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS.
I BELIEVE IT IS OFF A PRIMARY RESIDENCE PROPERTY TAX FOR.
I THINK IT'S CALLED THE STATE AID TO SCHOOLS CREDIT.
SO THE STATE'S ALREADY DOING SOMETHING EXTREMELY SIMILAR TO THIS.
ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT THAT EXISTING CONCEPT SHOULD BE EXPANDED, AND I THINK WE MAY HAVE SOME OTHER COMMENTS FROM...
I ACTUALLY WANT TO GIVE THE FLOOR TO MR. TODD MADDOX FOR HIS ASTUTE INPUT AND RECOMMENDATION, HOW WE GO ABOUT MOVING
[01:40:06]
FORWARD WITH SUCH A VERY REMARKABLE INTENT.FIRST, IF THERE IS IF THERE WAS ANY, ANY EXISTING OR PREVIOUS PREVIOUS LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED THUS FAR, IF OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE LOOKING AT THIS AT THIS TYPE OF ADVOCACY.
YET JUST BE FRANK WITH US WITH WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATION MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS INTENT.
MR. MAYOR COUNCILWOMAN SALAS, VICE MAYOR DAGGETT, YOU'RE RAISING SOME VERY GOOD QUESTIONS THAT ARE JUST COMPLETELY NATURAL TO COME UP RIGHT AT THIS POINT.
SO PROCESS WISE, THE REASON I STOOD UP WAS PROCESS WISE VICE MAYOR.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WOULD DO.
WE CAN'T DECIDE THIS ON OUR OWN AND TRY AND GET SOMETHING PASSED AT THE LEGISLATURE.
WE WOULD HAVE TO CONVENE 15 COUNTIES WHO ALL HELP ADMINISTER THE PROPERTY TAX RATE.
THE PROPERTY TAX RATES ARE SET IN PHOENIX AT THE LEGISLATURE, AND SO WE WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE LEGISLATURE.
BUT THE LEGISLATURE ISN'T GOING TO LOOK AT US AND SAY, WELL, FLAGSTAFF CAN SET THEIR OWN RATE AND WE'LL HAVE 96 DIFFERENT RATES ACROSS THE STATE.
THE SECOND THING IS THEY'RE GOING TO LOOK AT US AND THEY'RE GOING TO SAY, WE WILL DO THIS ONLY IF YOU HAVE COMPLETE AGREEMENT ON BOARD.
THERE IS AN ORGANIZATION OR AN ASSOCIATION IN FLAGSTAFF CALLED THE HEIRS ON A TAX RESEARCH ASSOCIATION, AND THEY PLAY A VERY PROMINENT, VERY INFLUENTIAL ROLE OVER WHAT PROPERTY TAX LOOKS LIKE IN THE STATE.
WE WOULD HAVE TO MEET WITH THEM.
WE'D HAVE TO MEET WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
WE'D HAVE TO MEET WITH THE COUNTIES.
I SAID THE ASSESSORS ARE SEPARATE ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT IT AS WELL.
AND WE CAN WE CAN START DOWN THAT PATH.
WHAT I WAS, WHAT I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE TO YOU ALL REALLY FALLS UNDER MANAGING EXPECTATIONS.
YOU HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO TO GET SOMETHING LIKE THIS SUCCESSFULLY PASSED THAT LOOKS SOMETHING LIKE YOU WILL WOULD SUPPORT.
SO THERE'S SO SO I WOULD JUST SORT OF WANT YOU TO SORT OF SAY, OK, WE CAN START DOWN THIS ROAD REALIZING WE MAY NOT GET TO A DESTINATION POINT.
I THINK WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT IT IN TERMS OF IMPROVING THE EXISTENCE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK IN OUR METROPOLITAN REGION.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE WHAT DRIVES MOST PEOPLE, IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT DOLLARS AND CENTS AND WHO IS PAYING WHAT? AND SO WHEN YOU OPEN UP THIS, YOU START LOOKING AT, OK, ARE THERE WINNERS AND LOSERS? AND SO THE REVENUE NEUTRALITY IS A GREAT SELLING POINT.
I MEAN, WE DON'T WANT TO RAISE TAXES.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS JUST MAKE IT SO WE CAN TRACK SECONDARY HOMES.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT THOSE HOUSES THAT ARE USED FOR SOMETHING OTHER THAN A PRIMARY RESIDENCE, THEY SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BENEFIT TO THE PRIMARY RESIDENCE TAX CREDIT, THE SCHOOL TAX CREDIT THAT MR. MCCARTHY WAS REFERRING TO.
FINALLY, MS. SALAS, YOUR QUESTION ABOUT IT.
ARE THERE OTHER PROPOSALS? YES, THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS.
MOST RECENTLY, THEY CENTERED AROUND THE ACTIVITIES AROUND AIRBNB'S.
AND SO THERE WERE EFFORTS, AND I BELIEVE THERE IS AN EFFORT MOVING FORWARD.
I DON'T KNOW HOW SUCCESSFUL IT'S NECESSARILY GOING TO BE, BUT AN EFFORT MOVING FORWARD WHERE WE SAY, OK, IF YOU HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL AND WE CAN FIGURE OUT THAT YOU HAVE OVER TWO OF THEM, THEN IT'S CLEAR IT'S A BUSINESS.
AND SO WE WILL TREAT THAT AS A BUSINESS AND NOT AS A PRIMARY RESIDENCE IF YOU ALL ADOPT THIS.
MY FIRST CALL IS GOING TO BE TO TO THE COUNTY ASSESSOR FOR COCONINO COUNTY, ARMANDO RUIZ, AND WE WILL ALL GET VERY, VERY INTELLIGENT ABOUT HOW PROPERTY TAXES ARE CALCULATED AND COLLECTED IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA.
AND YOU WILL NOT LIKE IT, BUT WE WILL DO IT.
I MEAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
YOU HAVE TO BE A SPECIAL PERSONALITY TO GET INTO PROPERTY TAX WORK.
BUT I HOPE THAT CLARIFIES, CERTAINLY SOME OF MY INTENT.
I DID NOT RESPOND TO THE EMAIL CHAIN.
AS I SAID, MY WHOLE THING IS I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO.
THIS IS NOT A QUICK AND EASY LET'S GO DOWN RAH RAH RAH RAH FOR A BILL.
IT'S IT'S A LOT OF LEGWORK AT THE FRONT END.
[01:45:06]
THANK YOU, TODD.GUYS WANT TO WEIGH IN HERE? SO GIVEN THIS DISCUSSION, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE PREMATURE TO ADD THIS TO OUR TO WHAT WE'RE ASKING TO HELP MOVE FORWARD DOWN AT THE LEGISLATURE.
BUT I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF INVESTIGATING IT.
AND IN TALKING TO SOME OTHER ENTITIES, AND I DON'T KNOW WHO.
I DON'T WANT TO OUT OF THE BLUE DUMP SOMETHING ON STAFF'S PLATE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROPER PROCESS FOR THAT WOULD BE.
BUT THAT'S I THINK THAT'S WHERE I COME DOWN RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
WELL, IT MAY BE TOO EARLY TO PUT THIS ON THE LIST, TOO.
WE WANT THE LEGISLATURE TO PASS THIS.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND OF, YOU KNOW, THE SEEDS THAT YOU GET OUT OF THE PONDEROSA PINE OR ABOUT THAT BIG.
IN THE TREE WON'T FIT IN THIS ROOM.
SO THE POINT IS, YOU'VE GOT TO PLANT A SEED OR ELSE THE TREE WILL NEVER GROW, SO I GUESS THE QUESTION I WOULD ASK FOR MR. MODESTA OR OTHER STAFF MEMBERS IS.
I MEAN, ONE OPTION IS JUST FORGET ABOUT THIS AND MOVE ON.
BUT APPARENTLY, I THINK YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE, VICE MAYOR OF STARTING A DISCUSSION ON THIS, AND I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW TO DO THIS IF IT DOESN'T BELONG ON THIS LIST.
HOW DO WE MAKE IT HAPPEN? I MEAN, DO I NEED TO WRITE A FAIR ITEM? THAT'S AN OPTION.
YOU KNOW, I DETAIL TO THE VICE MAYOR'S COMMENT.
AND TO A COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY INTENT TO PLANT THE SEED.
I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD HERE, IS IT IS IT MORE PRACTICAL TO CREATE LIKE A TASK FORCE TO A CITIZEN TASK FORCE TO INVESTIGATE THIS OPPORTUNITY? AND THEN THE TASK FORCE CAN COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS IN TERMS OF A FUTURE POLICY ADVOCACY MEASURE.
AND, OF COURSE, BEING MINDFUL THAT WE ARE OVERALL UNDERSTAFFED AT THE MOMENT, BUT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THIS, THIS INTENT.
SO I MEAN, I WOULD I WOULD RELY ON STAFF ON HOW TO GO ABOUT CREATING A SPECIAL TASK FORCE OR NOT A COMMISSION, BUT AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO MOVE FORWARD IN IN EXPLORING AND CREATING THE NECESSARY COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS AT THE REGION AND AT THE STATE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE POTENTIAL LEGISLATIVE ACTION.
UH, MAYOR VICE MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS, HEIDI HANSEN, TO YOUR QUESTION, COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS.
I THINK THAT WHAT WE PROBABLY SHOULD DO FIRST IS GO BACK AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SARAH LANGLEY AND TODD TO SEE WHAT THIS ACTUALLY THE TIMELINE OR THE CONFIGURATION OF WHAT TODD WAS EXPLAINING TO US AT THE DAIS WOULD LOOK LIKE AND WHAT IT MEANS TO GO FROM GROUP TO GROUP TO GROUP WHO NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED.
AND THEN PROBABLY WE COULD BRING SOMETHING BACK OR WE COULD CREATE A CCR EXPLAINING WHAT WE THINK WOULD NEED TO BE PUT TOGETHER IN ORDER TO DO THIS BEFORE GOING TO YOUR SUGGESTION COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS OF PUTTING TOGETHER THAT TASK FORCE, BUT KEEPING THAT IN MIND.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO GO BACK AND REALLY DOVE INTO HOW LONG WE THINK THIS COULD TAKE STAFF TIME.
WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN TO GET ALL OF THE PARTNERS INVOLVED AND ALL OF THAT? AND I THINK WE COULD PUT THAT IN ROUND THAT UP INTO A CCR FOR YOU.
YES, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD APPROACH, AND I HAVE SOME COMMENTS ON THIS AS WELL.
BUT AND I DO SEE COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI AS WELL AS MS. LANGLEY WANTING TO CHIME IN AS WELL.
I THINK THE ACTION CITY MANAGER'S SUGGESTION MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE SHOULD NOT PUT THIS ON THE LIST TODAY, BUT WE WON'T LET IT DIE.
IN TERMS OF PROCEDURE, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY, YOU BROUGHT UP POSSIBLY PUTTING IT AS A FAIR, BUT SEEING THE HEAD NODS AND YOU KNOW, IN THE CONTEXT OF
[01:50:01]
TRYING TO STREAMLINE, YOU KNOW, FAIRS AND THINGS THAT THE COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN.I THINK WE SEE A PRETTY CLEAR INTEREST HERE FROM THE COUNCIL.
I THINK THE SUGGESTION FROM HEIDI IS AN EXCELLENT ONE AND AND YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT FAIR PROCESS FIRST.
DID YOU SAY THAT SARAH HAD ANOTHER COMMENT TO MAKE? YES, SIR, DID YOU WANT TO CHIME IN? YEAH, THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, JUST A QUICK COMMENT BUILDING ON ACTING CITY MANAGER HEIDI HANSON'S SUGGESTION FOR A CCR.
WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT RESEARCH.
WE CAN SET UP SOME MEETINGS WITH STAFF OR WHOEVER WOULD LIKE TO BE INVOLVED.
IF IF SEVERAL INTERESTED COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO BE INVOLVED, WE COULD INCLUDE THEM IN A MEETING WITH COUNTY ASSESSOR RUIZ JUST TO GET SOME MORE EDUCATION ON THE ISSUE AND REALLY HAVE THAT BASIS OF UNDERSTANDING TO KIND OF HELP US CHART A PATH FORWARD.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO TO SET UP THOSE MEETINGS IF REQUESTED, THANKS.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, SARA, AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND PLANNING THE SEED I TO AM IN SUPPORT OF THIS TOPIC.
AND LIKE VICE MAYOR'S COMMENTS WERE MADE.
I ALSO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE SPECIFICITY HERE, AND I JUST SUPPORT THE DIRECTION WE'RE HEADING IN.
SO THANK YOU EVERYBODY WHO HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THIS CONVERSATION AND I WANTED TO THANK MR. MEDESKA FOR HIS COMMENT OF YOU HAVE TO BE A SPECIAL PERSON AS A PERSONALITY TYPE TO GET INTO PROPERTY TAXES.
I I CAN APPRECIATE THAT AND I THINK THAT CRACKED ME UP.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY THIS COMMENT ABOUT PLANTING A SEED.
I, TOO WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SEED PLANTED AT OUR STATE LEVEL PRIORITIES IN REGARDS TO STRENGTHENING RELATIONS WITH OUR TRIBAL OR INDIGENOUS NATIONS AS A STANDALONE ITEM COUNCIL.
I'M HOPING THAT THERE'S SUPPORT FOR THIS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
BUT I THINK WE CAN JUST CALL [INAUDIBLE] IT A IN RELATIONSHIP WITH INDIGENOUS NATIONS AND KEEP IT VAGUE AND JUST OVER THE YEARS CONTINUE TO SHAPE THAT AND BUILD UPON THAT RATHER THAN HAVING IT AS A SMALL PART OF A SENTENCE WITHIN INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE ARE THE BORDER TOWN TO THE THE THE TRIBAL NATIONS ABOVE US, AND THIS IS VERY MUCH THEIR HOMELAND HERE IN FLAGSTAFF.
AND I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH IN THAT RELATIONSHIP.
ALTHOUGH SARA AND BOB, I HEARD YOU LOUD AND CLEAR THAT THIS IS A FILTER THAT WE LOOK THROUGH.
I THINK THAT IT DESERVES TO BE A STANDALONE WITHIN OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AS WELL.
BUT COUNCIL, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ALONE ON THIS TOPIC OR NOT, BUT THOUGHT I'D GO AHEAD AND TRY TO PLANT THAT SEED HERE AGAIN.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
WELL, I GOT A FEW NOTES ON OTHERS, BUT I'LL ADDRESS COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI AS A SUGGESTION FIRST.
I'M SO I JUST DON'T SEE HOW THAT'S A LEGISLATION UNTO ITSELF TO IMPROVE RELATIONS IF IT'S NOT STAGED IN A PARTICULAR AREA, YOU KNOW, AS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AND DIVERSION, WHETHER IT IS FOREST HEALTH OR TRANSPORTATION, ET CETERA.
I JUST I DON'T SEE IT HOW IN THE GUISE OF A LEGISLATION, HOW THAT COULD BE SEPARATE FROM ALL THESE OTHER POLICY ISSUES THAT WE'D BE PUSHING.
AND I'M HAPPY TO INTEGRATE SOME OF THAT LANGUAGE INTO THE SPECIFIC AREAS THAT WOULD BE BEFITTING.
BUT I JUST I JUST DON'T SEE WHAT LEGISLATION WOULD FALL UNDER THAT AS A SOLE CATEGORY.
MAYOR, IF I CAN RESPOND? YES, PLEASE DO.
I GUESS I JUST LOOK AT ALL THESE DIFFERENT TOPICS FROM TOURISM TO TRANSPORTATION OF COURSE, HEALTH, ALL THESE REALLY.
AND I JUST SEE VALUE IN, YOU KNOW, OUR TRIBAL RELATIONS, HAVING THEIR OWN PLACE ON OUR LIST HERE.
I GUESS, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, IT COULD BE CRIMINAL JUSTICE RELATED.
I MEAN, TRANSPORTATION, IT COULD BE A WHOLE RANGE OF TOPICS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING, ALL THESE TOPICS CAN FIT WITHIN THIS CATEGORY.
AND THEN THIS TOPIC, LIKE YOU SAID, COULD BE ALSO FIT INTO ALL THESE OTHER TOPICS.
BUT I GUESS AS A, YOU KNOW, BORDER TOWN, I GUESS I SEE VALUE IN US REALLY EMBRACING THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION AT ALL.
I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION.
AND I'D LIKE TO GET OTHERS INPUT ONTO IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY WELL, I THINK, MAYOR, YOU MADE A GOOD POINT.
THIS LIST IS BASICALLY A LIST OF THINGS THAT WE WANT THE LEGISLATURE TO ENACT.
[01:55:06]
AND I THINK EVERYONE ON THIS COUNCIL, ESPECIALLY ME, AGREES THAT WE NEED TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO HAVE AN EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR TRIBAL NEIGHBORS.BUT THAT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO ASK THE LEGISLATURE TO PASS A LAW ON, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS LIST IS.
SO I DON'T THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO ADD IT IN.
SO AND THEN JUST A QUICK POINT TO MS. HANSEN'S OFFER TO MAYBE DO A QUICK ANALYSIS OF WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO IMPLEMENT MY IDEA.
I WOULD THINK WHEN WE'RE REACHING OUT, WE WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO TALK TO THE LEAGUE OF CITIES AND TOWNS BECAUSE THEY MAY HAVE SOME BACKGROUND ON THIS.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
WELL, I GUESS BACK TO THAT TOPIC, I WANTED TO GIVE MY TWO CENTS REGARDING THE HOMESTEAD TAX TREATMENT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY HAS SUGGESTED.
I THINK THIS IS WORTHY OF INVESTIGATION.
I DO SUPPORT US DOING A CCR METHOD AND I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING IT, ACTING CITY MANAGER.
THE ONE THING TO THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THEN, IF THIS IS THE WAY WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
I'VE MENTIONED IT BEFORE AND ACTUALLY, I'VE ASKED CITY ATTORNEY ABOUT A FEW WEEKS AGO JUST TO TAKE A QUICK PERUSAL ABOUT A LAND VALUE TAX.
THIS IS A SUBSTITUTION OUT FROM A PROPERTY TAX THAT RATHER THAN YOUR HOME BEING ASSESSED BY BOTH THE VALUE OF THE LAND AND THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY ON IT, IT'S ONLY THE VALUE OF THE LAND ITSELF.
IT'S BEEN DONE IN OTHER CITIES, IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN THE WORLD, AND FOUND OVER DECADES THAT IT LED TO A MYRIAD OF BENEFITS.
AND SINCE WE'RE GOING INTO THESE DISCUSSIONS TO SEE, HEY, WHAT'S GOING TO TAKE FOR US TO DO A HOMESTEAD TAX TREATMENT AND ADDRESS PROPERTY TAX? I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO INCLUDE OTHER TOOLS THAT GET TOWARDS THAT SAME TYPE OF INTENT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY IS GETTING ON.
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO REPLACE A PROPERTY TAX SYSTEM WITH THE LAND VALUE TAX SYSTEM? WHILE WE'RE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS THAN WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE DUPLICATIVE ONES, IF COUNCIL WOULD BE WILLING TO JUST SEE AND INVESTIGATE THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY BECAUSE IT MAY BE A VERY, VERY SIMILAR PROCESS, OR IT MAY HAVE HUGELY LARGER OBSTACLES THAT WE MAY WANT TO LOOK INTO.
SO I'M SEEING A FEW HEAD NODS, BUT IF WE COULD INVESTIGATE THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
CITY ATTORNEY THANK YOU, MAYOR.
I WILL JUST NOTE MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT IN RESPONSE TO THE MAYOR'S REQUEST AND SOME INITIAL RESEARCH, I WILL SAY WITHOUT RENDERING A LEGAL OPINION, IT'S PRETTY SIMPLY UNDERSTOOD IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA, AS TODD HAS ALREADY MENTIONED AND SARAH, THE TAX STRUCTURE IS BY STATE LAW AND ANY KIND OF LAND VALUE TAX.
ANY OTHER KIND OF CHANGE TO THOSE TAX LAWS WILL BE AT THE STATE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL.
THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD DO DIRECTLY HERE AT THE CITY.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S CLEAR ON THAT GOING INTO THE DISCUSSION.
IT'S IN THAT CONTEXT HERE TONIGHT.
I JUST DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO GET THE IDEA THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING ON OUR OWN.
SO IF THERE'S AN AGREEMENT, I MEAN, THERE'S DIFFERENT MODELS TOWARDS GETTING TO THAT SAME INTENT AND BETTER APPROACHES FOR HOW WE WANT TO SEE THE CITY GROW OR HAVE HOUSING STOCK.
SO YEAH, I THINK WE SEE THE OF HEADS TO ADD THAT IN BECAUSE I ASSUME PROCEDURALLY IT'S GOING TO BE SIMILAR QUESTIONS AND SIMILAR ANSWERS.
WITH THAT COUNSEL, ANYTHING ELSE ON OUR STATE PRIORITIES? COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS INVESTMENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND A MINOR ADDED UNDER THE SUBHEADING OF TRANSPORTATION.
TO READ ADVOCATE FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO PLAN, BUILD, PRESERVE, MODERNIZE AND EXPAND TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT IMPACT.
NORTHERN ARIZONA AND OUR TRIBAL PARTNERS.
SO JUST ADDING PRESERVE, MODERNIZE AND EXPAND.
SO THAT WILL ENCOMPASS SMART SIGNALS.
FIBER OPTIC, PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE SAFETY.
SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS.
I WOULD DEFINITELY BE IN SUPPORT OF THAT CHANGE, SO THANK YOU FOR THE
[02:00:03]
SUGGESTION.VICE MAYOR, WERE YOU WANTING TO? JUST ONE QUICK THING, I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE HOW MUCH I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE CITY PARTNER WITH OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS ACROSS THE STATE ON ISSUES LIKE SHORT TERM RENTALS AND SEE IF WE CAN'T BUILD SOME CONSENSUS.
I KNOW THAT THE ARIZONA LEAGUE WORKS ON THAT, BUT JUST EVERY CHANCE THAT WE GET TO BUILD SOME MOMENTUM TO GIVE OUR CITIES AND TOWNS MORE CONTROL OVER SHORT TERM RENTALS, I THINK WOULD BE A POSITIVE THING.
YES, CITY ATTORNEY, YEAH, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN ACTUALLY HAD A COMMENT BACK WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER ITEM.
YEAH, THANK YOU, SO I'M JUST CHIMING IN TO ECHO MY SUPPORT FOR THE RECORD OF THE VICE MAYOR'S COMMENTS ON HOW TO PROCEED WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY'S ITEM.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY FOR THINKING THROUGH THIS AND THINKING ABOUT IT.
AND I I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.
AND I LOVE THE IDEA OF PLANNING THE SEED AND FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT HERE, THOUGH IT MAY TAKE SOME WHILE TO MATURE.
IT'S AN INTERESTING IDEA WORTHY OF PURSUING, AND I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THE DIRECTION THAT COUNCIL HAS ALREADY PROVIDED.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET, THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO CHIME IN QUICKLY HERE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY, FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD.
AND THANK YOU MS. HANSEN FOR CREATING THE INFORMATION FOR US.
I KNOW IT WOULD BE A LONG JOURNEY, BUT I DEFINITELY FEEL IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD AT LEAST HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT.
AND IN REGARDS TO COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI'S REQUEST ON THE INDIGENOUS RELATIONS, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT.
AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT, YES, THIS SHOULD BE A CATEGORY.
BUT YOU KNOW, AFTER HEARING THE MAYOR'S REASON AS TO WHY NOT, I DO AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T SOMETHING WE CAN PUT FORTH THROUGH LEGISLATION.
IT'S IT'S KIND OF THROUGH A LENS AND THERE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET.
ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS OR QUESTIONS REGARDING OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES? ALL RIGHT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THERE THAT YOU NEED FROM US OR ANY ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATIONS? THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
NO, I THINK WE'RE WE'RE ALL SET, SO WE WILL APPROVE THESE PRIORITIES WITH THE ADJUSTMENT MADE OR SUGGESTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS WITHIN THE TRANSPORTATION SECTION.
SO I WILL SEND THOSE FINAL PRIORITIES OUT TO YOU SHORTLY.
AND THEN WE ALSO TAKE THE DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL TO PROCEED WITH RESEARCH AND MORE INVESTIGATION INTO THE TWO DIFFERENT PROPERTY TAX IDEAS THAT WERE SUGGESTED TODAY.
I APPRECIATE SARA'S RECAP, I WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE PROCEDURALLY IF WE HAD AN ACTUAL MOTION AND A SECOND VOTE TO APPROVE THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES AS THEY WERE PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY.
THAT WON'T NEED TO INCLUDE CORRECTION THAT WAS RECEIVED HERE TODAY ON THE ON THE TAX QUESTIONS TO BE LOOKED INTO.
IT MAKES IT MUCH MORE CLEAR FOR THE RECORD ON THOSE PRIORITIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS SAYS IF YEAH, IF YOU WANT TO JUMP IN HERE.
WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S DIPLOMATIC NUDGING, I AM HONORED TO MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE 2022 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR FEDERAL AND STATE WITH A MINOR UH ADDED ON THE TRANSPORTATION LANGUAGE UNDER THE STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NEED A SECOND FIRST, BUT SARAH, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO READ BACK THE NICE WORDS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION.
I DIDN'T QUITE DIGEST THEM WHEN THEY WERE FIRST READ, COULD YOU READ THOSE BACK, PLEASE OR OR PUT THEM ON THE SCREEN IF YOU'VE TYPED THEM? COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY I DIDN'T CATCH THEM EITHER.
I WAS GOING TO RE-LISTEN TO THIS TREND TOMORROW AND JOT DOWN WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER
[02:05:02]
SALAS HAD SAID, BUT PERHAPS SHE CAN READ THEM FOR US.GLAD TO DO SO, UNDER TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATE FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO PLAN, BUILD, PRESERVE, MODERNIZE AND EXPAND TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT IMPACT NORTHERN ARIZONA AND OUR TRIBAL PARTNERS.
ALL RIGHT, MOTION MY COUNCIL MEMBER SALAS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
THANK YOU, SARAH AND TODD AND BOB, FOR YEAH, ALL YOUR HELP ON THIS.
THAT BRINGS US DOWN TO OUR AGENDA ITEM 10B.
THIS IS THE CONSIDERATION APPROVAL OF THE REVISED ECONOMIC RECESSION PLAN.
[B. Consideration and Approval: Revised Economic Recession Plan STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION: Review and approve the revised Economic Recession Plan.]
STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION IS TO REVIEW AND APPROVE THE REVISED ECONOMIC RECESSION PLAN.VICE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, RICK TADDER MANAGEMENT SERVICE DIRECTOR.
I'M ACTUALLY HERE ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET TEAM AS WE'VE BROUGHT FORWARD SOME REVISIONS TO OUR ECONOMIC RECESSION PLAN.
WE DID LEARN SOME LESSONS DURING THE LAST RECESSION THAT WE WANT TO ADOPT INTO OUR PLAN.
ON DECEMBER 9TH, AT THE BUDGET RETREAT, WE DID PRESENT THESE TO COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION.
AND TODAY WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOUR APPROVAL TO THE REVISED ECONOMIC RECESSION PLAN.
SOME OF THE KEY CHANGES THAT BUDGET TEAM RECOMMENDED IS TO FOCUS OUR RECESSION DECISIONS ON OPERATING EXPENSES VERSUS CAPITAL.
UNDERSTANDING THAT CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE STILL WANT TO MAINTAIN AND DELIVER THOSE PROJECTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
ALSO FOCUSING ON THE GENERAL FUND AS OUR MAIN OPERATING FUND OF THE CITY, IT DOES REPRESENT ABOUT 43 PERCENT OF THE ENTIRE OPERATING BUDGET OF THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF.
AND SO WE KNOW THAT NEEDS TO BE A FOCUS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RECESSION IN OUR ORGANIZATION.
AND THIRD, WE FELT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND EXPLAIN THAT WE SHOULD BE INVESTING IN CERTAIN AREAS, NOT PULLING BACK FUNDING, BUT LOOKING AT WAYS TO STRATEGICALLY INVEST DOLLARS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS THAT A RECESSION MAY HAVE.
THINGS LIKE EXPANDING OUR CAPITAL PROGRAMS AND INVESTING IN OUR TOURISM ACTIVITY AND OUR MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT IN THAT AREA.
AS YOU KNOW, DISCOVER FLAGSTAFF TEAM DID A WONDERFUL JOB CONTINUING TO PROMOTE THE CITY DURING THE RECESSION THAT WE HAD.
AND I THINK DEFINITELY PULLS FORWARD BETTER REVENUES THAN THE STATE SEES ELSEWHERE.
SO THOSE WERE THE MAIN CHANGES THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, AND WE'RE JUST HERE TODAY TO SEE IF YOU WOULD FORMALLY APPROVE OUR RECESSION PLAN AMENDMENTS.
COUNCIL, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE REVISED PLAN AT THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT.
WELL, WITH THAT, I MOVED TO I MOVED TO APPROVE THE REVISED ECONOMIC RECESSION PLAN AS WRITTEN.
I'LL SECOND THAT SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
ANY OPPOSED? CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
THANK YOU, MR. TADDER, AND TO OUR BUDGET TEAM.
WE'RE DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM 10C, THIS IS THE CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL OF BNSF RAILWAY PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AGREEMENT.
THE LONE TREE OVERPASS PROJECT CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT REVIEW STAFF
[C. Consideration and Approval of BNSF Railway Preliminary Engineering Agreement: Lone Tree Overpass Project Construction Document Review. STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION: Approve the Lone Tree Overpass Project (Project) Preliminary Engineering Agreement (Agreement) with BNSF Railway (BNSF) in the amount of $78,601; and Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents.]
RECOMMENDED ACTION IS TO APPROVE THE LONE TREE OVERPASS PROJECT PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AGREEMENT WITH BNSF RAILWAY IN THE AMOUNT OF SEVENTY EIGHT THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED ONE DOLLARS AND AUTHORIZES CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.YES, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THIS IS CHRISTINE CAMERON, PROJECT MANAGER FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS ITEM IS FOR A ROUTINE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND BNSF FOR THE LONE TREE OVERPASS.
THIS IS SIMILAR TO AN AGREEMENT THAT COUNCIL EXCUSE ME THE COUNCIL HAS APPROVED IN THE PAST FOUR.
FOR THE RIO DE FLAG IN THIS AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING FOR BNSF CONSULTANTS TO
[02:10:04]
REVIEW OUR ENGINEERING PLANS FOR THE RAIL RELOCATION OF OF THE OVERPASS.ONE RECENT CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE TO THE AGREEMENT THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS THE INCLUSION OF A CANCELATION CLAUSE IN THE CASE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST, WHICH IS A STATUTORY REQUIREMENT FOR CITY CONTRACTS OF BNSF HAS BEEN ASKED TO APPROVE THIS CHANGE AND WE FEEL IT WILL BE SUPPORTED.
SO WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU APPROVE WITH THE REVISED LANGUAGE AND WITH THAT, I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
COUNCIL, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, CHRISTINE.
TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU IN REGARDS TO THIS AGENDA ITEM.
SO DOES THIS IMPACT US AT ALL IN REGARDS TO THE SIZE OF THE INTERSECTIONS THAT WE PLAN TO BUILD? MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, NOT REALLY, THE RIO LINE TRACK FOOTPRINT AND OVERPASS HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS, ARE MOSTLY, YOU KNOW, IF NOT ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT OF THE BIKE AND PET FACILITY ENHANCEMENTS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CONSULTANT IN THE PUBLIC.
AND DOES THAT ALSO INCLUDE THE NUMBER OF LANES AT THE INTERSECTION? CORRECT.
OK, VERY GOOD, AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT CITY MANAGER CLIFTON OR ACTING CITY MANAGER.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
ANY OTHER FURTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT, THIS IS A KIND OF A BIG DEAL, MORE SO THAN I THINK WE REALIZE GETTING THIS AGREEMENT TOGETHER.
SO WITH THAT, I MOVED TO APPROVE THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AGREEMENT.
I HAVE HAD SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN..
AND I PRESUME THAT'S WITH THE RECOMMENDED STAFF CHANGE? WITH THE RECOMMENDED STEP CHANGE.
THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE LONE TREE OVERPASS PROJECT PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AGREEMENT WITH THE ADDED LANGUAGE THAT IS GOING TO BNSF FOR REVIEW.
THAT SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
ALL RIGHT, WE ARE DOWN TO OUR PUBLIC HEARING ITEM LIKE THIS IS AGENDA ITEM 11A, PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NUMBER 2022-01 HEY, 01 ONE, BACK AT IT.
[A. Public Hearing and Consideration of Ordinance No. 2022-01: An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Flagstaff, extending and increasing the corporate limits of the City of Flagstaff pursuant to the provisions of Title 9, Chapter 4, Arizona Revised Statutes, by annexing approximately 10.05 acres of land located at 7000 North Highway 89, which certain land is contiguous to the existing corporate limits of the City of Flagstaff, and establishing city zoning for said land as Highway Commercial (HC) with a Resource Protection Overlay (RPO); providing for severability, authority for clerical corrections, and establishing an effective date. (Flagstaff Rehab Campus Annexation: Project Number PZ-20-00164-03). STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION: At the January 4, 2022 Council Meeting: 1) Hold Public Hearing At the January 18, 2022 Council Meeting: 2) Read Ordinance No. 2022-01 by title only for the first time 3) City Clerk reads Ordinance No. 2022-01 by title only (if approved above) At the February 1, 2022 Council Meeting: 4) Read Ordinance No. 2022-01 by title only for the final time 5) City Clerk reads Ordinance No. 2022-01 by title only (if approved above) 6) Adopt Ordinance No. 2022-01]
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF EXTENDING AND INCREASING THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE NINE, CHAPTER FOUR ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES BY ANNEXING APPROXIMATELY TEN POINT FIVE ACRES OF LAND LOCATED AT 7000 NORTH HIGHWAY EIGHTY NINE, WHICH CERTAIN LAND IS CONTIGUOUS TO THE EXISTING CORPORATE LIMITS OF THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF AND ESTABLISHING CITY ZONING FOR SAID LAND AS HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL, WITH THE RESOURCE PROTECTION OVERLAY PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY A THIRTY FOUR CLERICAL CORRECTIONS AND ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.MS. HEARTHREE, GENEVIEVE HEARTHREE, SENIOR PLANNER IN THE CURRENT PLANNING SECTION, SO I'M HERE TO PRESENT THIS REQUEST.
AND THE APPLICANT IS ON TEAMS AS WELL, SO THEY'RE ALSO HERE.
ALL RIGHT, SO JUST A BIT OF AN OVERVIEW.
AGAIN, THIS IS A REQUEST TO ANNEX TEN POINT FIVE ACRES.
IT'S LOCATED AT SEVEN THOUSAND NORTH HIGHWAY 89.
IF APPROVED, THE ZONING AFTER ANNEXATION WOULD BE HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL WITH THE RESOURCE PROTECTION OVERLAY.
THE CURRENT ZONING IS COCONINO COUNTY COMMERCIAL HEAVY TEN THOUSAND.
DID DID I NOT FORMALLY OPEN THE PUBLIC MEETING? OH YEAH, OK.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OFFICIALLY OPENED.
ALL RIGHT, SO I'LL JUST CONTINUE, THE CURRENT USE IS VACANT, BUT IT PREVIOUSLY CONTAINED BLUE RIBBON HOMES, WHICH IS A MANUFACTURED HOME DEALERSHIP APPLICANT, IS FLAG LAND LLC, THE CURRENT PROPERTY OWNER.
THERE'S ALSO A CONCURRENT CONCEPT ZONING MAP AMENDMENT REQUEST, WHICH I'LL BRIEFLY DISCUSS LATER ON IN THIS PRESENTATION.
PROJECT LOCATION AGAIN, SEVEN THOUSAND NORTH HIGHWAY 89, SO IT'S ON THE EAST SIDE OF HIGHWAY 89, JUST NORTH OF THE NORTHERN CITY BOUNDARY RIGHT HERE.
AND THIS IS THE AREA, AREA IN RED IS AN ANNEXATION AND THEN THAT REZONING IS RIGHT HERE.
SO JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEWS SO THE ENTIRE SITE
[02:15:01]
IS ACTUALLY THE ANNEXATION PARCEL, PLUS A PARCEL TO THE SOUTH, WHICH THE DEVELOPER PROPOSES TO COMBINE AND THEN SUBDIVIDE INTO FOUR PARCELS WITH A SUBDIVISION PLAT.THE FIRST TWO PARCELS WOULD BE A DETOX AND RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER THAT WOULD BE PARCEL ONE, AND THE SECOND IS A SOBER LIVING FACILITY.
AND TOGETHER THOSE WOULD COMPOSE A ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FOUR BED MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT CAMPUS.
PARCELS THREE AND FOUR WOULD BE COMMERCIAL PADS TO BE SET ASIDE FOR FUTURE USE.
AND WE CAN JUST SEE WHERE THOSE PARCELS ARE LOCATED THERE.
SO THIS IS A CONCEPT PLAT THAT THE APPLICANT HAS ALREADY SUBMITTED.
SO THIS IS A CONCEPT PLAN, IT SHOWS KIND OF THE LAYOUT OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT.
I RECEIVED A COMPLETE WITH CONDITIONS BY STAFF IN MARCH OF 2021.
SO IT'S NOT A FORMAL APPROVAL, BUT IT'S BASICALLY THE IT'S JUST KIND OF A THE FIRST STEP.
THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE SITE PLAN APPROVAL THAT WOULD BE FORMAL APPROVAL THAT THEY WOULD RECEIVE AFTER ANNEXATION.
SO THESE ARE THE PROPOSED BUILDING ELEVATIONS AND MATERIALS.
AGAIN, THESE ARE CONCEPTUAL, NO SORT OF FORMAL APPROVAL, BUT WE GET A SENSE OF WHAT THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING AND BE APPROVED AT SITE PLAN.
THIS WOULD RECEIVE A NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION OVERLAY, SO IT WOULD HAVE COMMERCIAL ZONING, SO THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT TO PRESERVE TREES WOULD BE TO PRESERVE 30 PERCENT OF THE TREES AND 70 PERCENT OR MORE OF THE STEEP SLOPES.
THIS IS THE RESOURCE PROTECTION PLAN THAT WAS SUBMITTED WITH CONCEPT PLAN, AND THEY'RE PROPOSING TO PROTECT SIXTY THREE PERCENT OF THE TREES AND ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE STEEP SLOPES, SO IT WOULD BE MEETING THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
SO JUST A TIMELINE OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN IN TERMS OF CITIZEN PARTICIPATION, SO THERE WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING IN JUNE.
THAT'S THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL ABOUT THAT AND THE ATTACHED PUBLIC PARTICIPATION REPORT.
THIS ALSO WENT TO P&Z IN DECEMBER, AN UNANIMOUS VOTE FOR RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL WITH THE CONDITIONS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
TONIGHT WE'RE HERE FOR A PUBLIC HEARING JUST TO DISCUSS THIS ITEM, PER STATE LAW.
THE FIRST READ WILL BE LATER ON RIGHT NOW, SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 18TH.
THE SECOND READ FOR FEBRUARY 1ST.
AND NO FORMAL COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC ON THIS ANNEXATION.
I MENTIONED ALSO THERE'S A CONCURRENT REZONING REQUEST.
IT'S JUST A 1.09 ACRE SECTION OF THE LARGER PARCEL TO BE ANNEXED.
THE PURPOSE IS TO ALLOW A HORSE THERAPY FACILITY, WHICH WOULD BE AN ACCESSORY USE TO THE PRIMARY REHAB CAMPUS.
HORSES ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE HC ZONE, WHICH IS WHY THE APPLICANT WOULD BE REQUESTING A RURAL RESIDENTIAL ZONING.
HOWEVER, THAT FIRST READ ABOUT REZONING ORDINANCE IS NOT TILL THE JANUARY 18TH AGENDA, SO WE'LL DISCUSS THAT IN MORE DETAIL AND HAVE THE OFFICIAL PUBLIC HEARING THERE JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP IN TERMS OF HOW THESE CASES WORK TOGETHER.
AND OBVIOUSLY, IT WOULD BE DEPENDENT ON THE SUCCESSFUL ANNEXATION AS WELL PRIOR TO THE APPROVAL OF REZONING.
AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE HORSE THERAPY AREA WOULD BE.
ALL RIGHT, SO FOR ANNEXATION, THERE ARE THREE FINDINGS FOR APPROVAL.
THE FIRST ONE IS THAT IT COMPLIES WITH CITY CODE.
THE SECOND IS THAT IT COMPLIES WITH STATE LAW.
AND THE THIRD IS THAT IT MEETS ANY APPLICABLE GOALS AND POLICIES IN THE REGIONAL PLAN.
AND THAT'S THE FLAGSTAFF REGIONAL PLAN 2030.
SO THE FIRST, AS PART OF COMPLIANCE WITH CITY CODE OF PUBLIC SYSTEMS ANALYSIS WAS CONDUCTED, A TRAFFIC STATEMENT WAS WAS RECEIVED.
IT IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR TWO FULL ACCESS DRIVEWAYS AND RIGHT TURN LANES WITH BIKE LANES ON HIGHWAY 89, AS WELL AS THE FIVE FOOT LANDSCAPED PARKWAY AND SIX FOOT SIDEWALK.
A WATER SEWER IMPACT ANALYSIS WAS ALSO COMPLETED, AND IT REQUIRES EXTENDING A 12 INCH WATER LINE ALONG HIGHWAY 89 IN THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY AND AN EIGHT INCH SEWER LINE ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE PROPERTY.
A STORMWATER ANALYSIS WAS ALSO CONDUCTED.
IT REQUIRES A LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT BASIN IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE SITE.
THAT'S JUST TO CAPTURE METER OUT STORM WATER.
THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT AFFECT THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND IT WOULD BE SERVED BY FIRE STATION THREE IS WITHIN THE DESIRED RESPONSE TIME FOR THAT FIRE STATION.
SO THE SECOND ONE IS CONFORMANCE WITH STATE LAW, SO THIS STATE LAW HAS CRITERIA FOR PROPERTIES TO ANNEX, SO THEY HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED CONTIGUOUS IN ORDER TO ANNEX THIS PROPERTY DOES MEET THE STATE LAW DEFINITION OF CONTIGUOUS, WHICH MEANS IT IS ELIGIBLE TO ANNEX.
THE STATE LAW ALSO IDENTIFIES PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES FOR CITIES TO ANNEX.
ONE OF THESE IS THAT ANNEX PARCELS MUST RECEIVE LAND USE DESIGNATIONS WITH DENSITIES OR USES THAT ARE NOT GREATER THAN WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY PERMITTED IN COCONINO COUNTY JUST PRIOR TO ANNEXATION.
SO IN THIS CASE, JUST COMPARING THE COCONINO COUNTY COMMERCIAL HEAVY TEN THOUSAND ZONE TO THE HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL ZONE IN THE CITY, THEY BOTH PERMIT A SIMILAR USES BUT CUSTODIAL CARE.
THIS TYPE OF RESIDENTIAL USE, AS WELL AS THE PROPOSED COMMERCIAL PATHS, ARE CURRENTLY SHOWN AS RESTAURANT, SO THOSE ARE BOTH PERMITTED AS WELL.
THEN THEY HAVE VERY SIMILAR MINIMUM LOT SIZES, AS WELL AS WIDTH AND DEPTH.
[02:20:03]
SO JUST SHOWING THOSE ARE COMPARABLE ZONES FROM THE COUNTY TO THE CITY.FINALLY, THE ANNEXATION MEETS APPLICABLE REGIONAL PLAN GOALS AND POLICIES, SO IT IS WITHIN THE URBAN GROWTH BOUNDARY, SO THAT IS THIS AREA RIGHT HERE.
SO THAT MEANS IT CAN RECEIVE CITY WATER AND SEWER WITHOUT A REGIONAL PLAN AMENDMENT.
IT WOULD BRING PROPERTY TAX REVENUE TO THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF UPON ANNEXATION.
IF DEVELOPED AS CURRENTLY PROPOSED, IT WOULD BRING A PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE TO THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF IN NORTHERN ARIZONA, AND ANY DEVELOPMENT WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE ROAD EDGE IMPROVEMENTS, ENHANCED LANDSCAPING, DARK-SKY COMPLIANT LIGHTING IN ARCHITECTURE AND COMPLIANCE WITH CITY OF FLAGSTAFF STANDARDS.
SO STAFF RECOMMENDATION OR WELL FIRST THE FINDINGS, SO COUNCIL SHALL FIND THAT THE ANNEXATION APPLICATION MEETS THE REQUIRED FINDINGS FOR APPROVAL.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S COMPLIANCE WITH CITY CODE, STATE LAW AND THE REGIONAL PLAN.
AND AS SUCH, STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REQUIRED FINDINGS, APPROVE THE ANNEXATION REQUEST WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITION THAT THE SUBJECT PROPERTY SHALL ENTER INTO THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF CORPORATE LIMITS WITH HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL ZONING AND A RESOURCE PROTECTION OVERLAY.
BUT AGAIN, THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS TO DISCUSS THE ANNEXATION REQUEST ONLY.
CURRENTLY, THE ORDINANCE FIRST READ IS SCHEDULED FOR TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY.
SO THAT IS ALL THAT I HAVE FOR MY PRESENTATION, BUT I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
APPLICANT IS HERE AS WELL AND I BELIEVE THEY HAVE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PROJECT AS WELL.
DOES THE APPLICANT HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR US OR IS IT JUST HERE FOR ANSWERING QUESTIONS WE MAY HAVE? I BELIEVE THEY DON'T HAVE A POWERPOINT, BUT THEY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PROJECT.
WELL, WE WILL GO TO THEM AND THEN WE'LL WE'LL CIRCLE BACK TO YOU FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL.
MIKE, MICHELLE, ARE YOU THERE? THERE'S MIKE.
THIS IS MICHELLE, I BELIEVE MIKE WANTED TO SPEAK.
MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THANK YOU.
WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND THE DIFFERENCE WE'RE MAKING IN ARIZONA.
CURRENTLY, I AM THE CEO OF AMERICA REHAB CAMPUSES AND I HAVE MY CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, MICHELLE CARRASCO, ON THE PHONE WITH US AS WELL AND ALSO OUR ENGINEERS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE ENGINEERING PART OF THIS THING.
SO MY BACKGROUND HAS BEEN IN THE VALLEY.
I'VE BEEN IN THE VALLEY FOR ABOUT 42 YEARS.
I'M IN THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS ABOUT 2015.
I HAD JUST COINCIDENTALLY WAS ASKED TO LOOK AT THE MESA COMMUNITY HOSPITAL FOR A FOR A DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT CENTER.
I WASN'T VERY FAMILIAR WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE IN THE HEROIN ADDICTION AND THE DRUG SPACE AND OVER A PERIOD OF THE LAST SIX YEARS.
I'VE GOT A MASTER'S DEGREE IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND WHAT WE FOUND IS WE CURRENTLY HAVE A FACILITY.
WE TOOK A RAMADA INN HOTEL IN TUCSON, ARIZONA, THE NORTHEAST PART OF TUCSON, [INAUDIBLE] AND SABINO CANYON AREA, AND WE TURNED IT INTO A FULL CONTINUUM OF TREATMENT FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
WE ARE PRIMARILY WHAT WE FOUND IS THERE'S A REAL SHORTAGE OF MEDICARE AND MEDICAID FACILITIES THAT THAT HAVE THE LEVEL OF CARE AND TREATMENT THAT WE THINK SHOULD BE PROVIDED.
SO WE WENT AHEAD AND WE WE CURRENTLY ARE HAVE CONTRACTS WITH FIVE OF THE SEVEN INSURANCE PAYERS IN THE ARIZONA MARKET.
AND AS WE COME INTO FLAGSTAFF, WE'LL GET THE SIXTH AND WE'RE WORKING ON THE SEVENTH.
SO LAST YEAR, WE JUST LAST YEAR WE TREATED OVER A LITTLE OVER 3600 PATIENTS IN OUR PROGRAM OR CLIENTS.
WHAT WE DO IS WE WE CAME UP WITH A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM WE BELIEVE IS WORKING.
AND THE REASON WE DO KNOW THIS IS BECAUSE UNITEDHEALTHCARE HAS MADE US A PLATINUM PROVIDER.
BANNER HEALTH IS HAS GOT GREAT ACCOLADES.
WE'RE JOINT COMMISSION, WE CARRY ALL THE ACCREDITATIONS AND WE TREAT ANYONE FROM THE AGES OF 18 TO 80 YEARS OLD.
WE TREAT PREGNANT MOMS THAT ARE ADDICTED TO DRUGS WHILE THEY'RE CARRYING THEIR CHILD.
WE TREAT THE BORDER PATROL, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE TREATED BASICALLY JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY.
THE AVERAGE AGE OF OUR CLIENT OR PATIENT IS BETWEEN THE AGES OF THIRTY TWO AND
[02:25:03]
40.WE RUN ABOUT 60 PERCENT MALE, 40 PERCENT FEMALE.
WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH DES TO GET FAMILIES PUT BACK TOGETHER.
BUT WHAT I REALIZED IN THIS BUSINESS BEFORE I REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE BUSINESS WAS THAT WE CALLED AROUND AND WE DID RESEARCH AND WE CHECKED OUT A LITTLE OVER ABOUT ONE HUNDRED PLUS REHAB UNITS REHAB FACILITIES AROUND THE UNITED STATES.
THERE'S ONLY PROBABLY A HALF A DOZEN OR A DOZEN THAT ARE LIKE WHAT WE DO.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS WE FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE A MEDICAL DETOX PROGRAM, AND THEN FROM THERE THEY'RE SENT TO ANOTHER LOCATION FOR RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT OR A HOUSE.
AND THEN FROM THERE, THEY'RE SENT TO AN OUTPATIENT CLINIC FOR A PROGRAM, OR THEY'RE PUT ON A MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT PROGRAM.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THE THE RECIDIVISM RATE IS 90 PLUS PERCENT.
BUT WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT IF WE COULD COMBINE ALL LEVELS OF TREATMENT INTO ONE LOCATION WHERE WE COULD KEEP THEM FOR A PERIOD OF OF 90 PLUS DAYS OR 120 DAYS, WHAT IT DOES IS IT ALLOWS THEM TO ACCLIMATE TOWARD HAVING THE SAME CASE MANAGERS, SAME THERAPISTS, SAME MEDICAL DOCTORS, AND THEY GET ACCUSTOMED AND THEY'RE NOT BOUNCED AROUND.
THEN THEY'RE NOT TOLD TO GO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR THERAPIST AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY MISS THE BUS.
SOMETHING HAPPENS, THEY RELAPSE.
THEY END UP BACK IN THE HOSPITAL AND THE EMERGENCY ROOMS WAITING TO GET INTO A MEDICAL DETOX FACILITY, AND IT CAUSES A WHOLE BUNCH OF TURMOIL.
SO WHAT WE DO IS WE TAKE THEM THROUGH OUR MEDICAL DETOX IN TUCSON, WHICH IS THE SAME WE'LL HAVE HERE IN FLAGSTAFF.
WE HAVE ANOTHER FACILITY GOING IN AT THE PHOENIX AS WELL.
BUT WHAT WE WHAT WE DO IS TAKE THEM THROUGH A PROGRAM.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE 46 BEDS OF MEDICAL DETOX.
WE AVERAGE ABOUT 25 A DAY ALL THE TIME.
WE THEN THEY GO THROUGH ABOUT THREE POINT SEVEN TO FOUR DAYS OF MEDICAL DETOXIFICATION.
WE FIND OUT WHAT THEIR ISSUES ARE BOTH IN THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR MENTAL BEHAVIORAL ISSUES.
WE THEN SET THEM UP WITH A CASE MANAGER AND THERAPISTS.
THEY HAVE THE OPTION THAT AT THAT POINT TO REQUEST TO GO INTO OUR RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM.
THAT'S ABOUT A 28 DAY PROGRAM.
THE RESIDENTIAL IN TUCSON IS CURRENTLY ABOUT 160 BEDS, AND WE CONTINUALLY OCCUPY ABOUT 90 BEDS THERE.
THE THE OCCUPANT, THE LEVEL OF OCCUPANCY OR THE I'M SORRY, THE AMOUNT OF BEDS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IN FLAGSTAFF, WE'VE LEARNED, IS WE'RE GOING TO MAINTAIN ABOUT 32 BEDS OF MEDICAL DETOX.
WE'RE GOING TO MAINTAIN APPROXIMATELY 84 BEDS OF RESIDENTIAL.
AND WE THINK THAT WOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO ALWAYS HAVE A BED AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE.
AND THEN FROM THERE, ONCE THEY'VE GONE THROUGH A 20 OR 30 DAY PROCESS THERE AND THEY'RE OBLIGATED TO STAY ON THE CAMPUS ALL THE TIME, THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DRIVE ON OR OFF OR ANYTHING.
THEY'RE COMMITTED TO THE PROGRAM.
THEN THEY CAN OPT TO GO INTO OUR CLINICALLY DIRECTED INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM.
THAT IS A LITTLE GIVES THEM A LOT, A LITTLE MORE FREEDOM.
IT'S A SEVEN DAY A WEEK PROGRAM.
THEY GO INTO OUR SOBER LIVING FACILITY, WHICH IS TYPICALLY AN APARTMENT STYLE UNIT THAT HAS ITS OWN LIVING QUARTERS, ITS OWN KITCHEN, BATHING QUARTERS, BATHS, BEDROOMS, ET CETERA, CLUBHOUSE.
AND THEY HAVE AN ONSITE MANAGER AND A STAFF THAT MANAGES THEIR DAILY SCHEDULES AND GETS THEM TO THEIR PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE ANYWHERE FROM, YOU KNOW, LEARNING SKILLS, TRAINING THEM TO BALANCE CHECKBOOKS, GET THEIR FINANCIAL IN ORDER, HELP THEM WITH THEIR CREDIT REPORT, SEND THEM TO THEIR PROGRAMS. WITH OUR EQUESTRIAN PROGRAM, WHICH IS A PTSD EMOTIONAL PROGRAM, WE FIND THAT WORKS REALLY, REALLY WELL.
THEY'RE NOT OUT RIDING THE HORSES IN THE FOREST, AND THINGS ARE BASICALLY GROOMING THE HORSES AND GETTING COMFORTABLE AROUND THE HORSES.
WE'LL BE TAKING THEM PROBABLY UP TO THE GRAND CANYON ON FIELD TRIPS OR TO SEDONA HIKING AND THOSE KIND OF VARIOUS DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO THE PROGRAM, OUR CURRENT SOBER LIVING PROGRAM AS AN AVERAGE STAY OF ABOUT SEVENTY THREE DAYS.
WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY ON TRANSPORTATION ISSUES AND I WILL TELL YOU, WE DID A TRAFFIC STUDY WHICH IS AVAILABLE TO YOU TO REVIEW, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY THAT TYPICALLY DRIVES TO THE PROGRAM.
WE REQUIRE THAT THEY EITHER BE BROUGHT TO THE PROGRAM.
OR WE TRANSPORT AND WE'VE GOT SEVEN MERCEDES SPRINTER VANS THAT TRAVEL ALL OVER THE STATE.
WE PICK PEOPLE UP AND WE DROP THEM OFF AND WE WE BRING THEM BACK TO THEIR HOMES OR WHEREVER THEY'RE GOING AFTER THEY'RE OUT OF THE PROGRAM.
THERE'S VERY, VERY LITTLE BUS TRANSPORTATION OR CAR TRANSPORTATION AT ALL,
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AND WE PREFER IT THAT WAY, THAT WAY.WE'RE OBLIGATED BY LAW TO HAVE A DISCHARGE PLAN FOR THEM WHEN THEY LEAVE OUR PROGRAM.
AND SO IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN WHERE THEY'RE GOING, WHAT THEY'RE DOING, ET CETERA.
NOW THEY DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO WALK OFF THE CAMPUS AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE.
WE DO EVERYTHING WE TRY TO DO TO HOLD THEM BACK.
BUT IF THEY WALK OFF THE PROPERTY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T REALLY CONTROL.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT MANY AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE DISCHARGES ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
CURRENTLY, WE'RE TREATING ABOUT 300 PEOPLE A MONTH ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE'VE ALREADY TREATED 38 AS OF THIS MONTH, AND IT'S ONLY THE FOURTH AND THAT NUMBER COULD GROW TONIGHT.
SO THERE'S NOT A DAY OR A HOLIDAY THAT WE'RE CLOSED.
THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE SECURITY THAT'S ON THE PROPERTY TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANDER OFF, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
THEY GET THREE GREAT MEALS A DAY.
WE WE INCREASED THE FOOD BUDGET THEY GET.
YOU GIVE THEM SUPPLEMENTS RIGHT NOW TO HELP THEM WITH VARIOUS THINGS LIKE COVID.
OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, MICHELLE DOES A GREAT JOB OF MANAGING OUR COVID AND VARIOUS DIFFERENT PANDEMIC ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE HAD A VERY BIG SUCCESS IN DETOXING MOMS. THEY CALL IT GESTATIONAL DETOX, TAKING MOMS AND DELIVERING CLEAN BABIES AS OPPOSED TO AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, THEM HAVING TO BRING SOMEONE IN THE WORLD THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY ADDICTED TO FENTANYL OR HEROIN OR WHATEVER.
THIS PROGRAM'S GOT A CABIN THEME TO IT, SORT OF A LODGE THEME.
WE THINK IT WILL FIT INTO THE AREA GREAT.
WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE INDIAN TRIBES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT COME OUT OF FLAGSTAFF.
CURRENTLY, WE TRANSPORT THEM DOWN TO TUCSON.
BUT WE'RE FINDING A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THE STATE WOULD LIKE TO STAY A LITTLE CLOSER, STAY IN NORTHERN ARIZONA.
AND WE THINK THAT WE CAN BE A GREAT ASSET TO YOUR COMMUNITY.
WE COULD TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF THE HOSPITALS AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO ASK.
WE PRETTY MUCH EXPERIENCE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IN THIS INDUSTRY AT THIS POINT, BUT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT AND OUR BUSINESS IS PUTTING PEOPLE BACK TOGETHER.
AND THERE'S NOTHING, NOTHING BUT A GREATER FEELING THAN A MOM CALLING YOU ON MOTHER'S DAY, SAYING IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU, MY SON WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY.
SO WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PASSION AND CARE AND LOVE FOR THIS THING, AND WE'RE IN IT.
WE'RE NOT IN IT FOR THE MONEY AS MUCH AS WE'RE IN IT FOR TO HELP PEOPLE.
OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE TO MAKE MONEY IN ORDER TO KEEP IT GOING.
BUT OUR GOAL IS TO AS I CAME UP WITH THIS SAYING WHEN I FIRST STARTED THIS AND DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, I WANT TO DELIVER NORDSTROM TREATMENT WITH WALMART PRICING.
SO WE'RE CURRENTLY IN NETWORK WITH THE UNITED.
I MEAN, WITH BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD AND CIGNA AND TRICARE, THE VETERANS AND SEVERAL OF THE OTHER UNITEDHEALTHCARE AND SEVERAL OF THE OTHER COMMERCIAL POLICYHOLDERS AS WELL.
SO BUT OUR BUSINESS RUNS ABOUT 90 PERCENT, 92 PERCENT MEDICARE, MEDICAID AND AN EIGHT PERCENT TO 10 PERCENT COMMERCIAL.
AND I THINK THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE MOST OF THESE PEOPLE.
WHEN THEY GET TO THE ABSOLUTE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL AND THEY'RE STRUGGLING, THEY DON'T HAVE JOBS, THEY DON'T HAVE COMMERCIAL INSURANCE, THE FAMILIES HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL THEIR FUNDS.
AND WE WE TAKE THEM FROM THERE AND TURN THEM AROUND.
AND I WISH I HAD MORE PICTURES, BUT YOU GOT A LITTLE YOU GOT A GLIMPSE OF ALL THE ELEVATIONS.
PAUL BUSTAMANTE'S, OUR ARCHITECT, GUILLERMO CORTEZ AND THE SWI PEOPLE ARE OUR ENGINEERS, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO BECOMING BEING SOMETHING IN THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU GUYS WILL BE PROUD OF.
I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.
THANK YOU, MIKE, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, I BELIEVE YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP A LITTLE BIT AGO.
I DID THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND MIKE THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND YOU LEAVE MY CAMERA OFF FOR BANDWIDTH, BUT I JUST SO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR YOUR EFFORTS AROUND OUR STATE AND HERE IN FLAGSTAFF.
THIS IS A VERY NEEDED SERVICE THAT I THINK FLAGSTAFF AND THE GREATER NORTHERN ARIZONA REGION IS GOING TO TREMENDOUSLY BENEFIT FROM.
YOU SAID, I THINK THE AVERAGE STAY WAS SEVENTY THREE DAYS.
IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY BECAUSE OUR LONGEST PROGRAMS HERE IN TOWN REHAB PROGRAMS ARE, I THINK, TWENTY THREE DAYS.
BUT CAN YOU JUST CONFIRM THAT? IS THAT CORRECT? LET ME JUST SAY OUR OUR AVERAGE DAILY DETOX IS A FOUR DAY PROGRAM AND THEN OUR
[02:35:01]
RESIDENTIAL IS 30 DAYS.SO THERE'S THIRTY FOUR AND THEN THE AVERAGE CURRENT STAY IN OUR IN OUR SOBER LIVING, INTENSIVE INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT IS 73 DAYS.
SO WE'RE ALMOST ONE HUNDRED DAYS.
AND AND THE REASON THAT WE ARE IS PEOPLE.
WE FOUND THAT PEOPLE REALLY, REALLY ENJOY THE PROGRAM.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST SUCCESSES THAT WE'VE HAD IS GIVING THEM WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND WE DON'T TREAT THEM LIKE DRUG ADDICTS.
WE DON'T TREAT THEM LIKE ALCOHOLICS.
WE DON'T TREAT THEM LIKE THEY GOT MENTAL BEHAVIORAL ISSUES.
WE TREAT THEM LIKE HUMAN BEINGS.
YOU KNOW, THEY GET THEY GET A QUEEN BED, THEY GET THEIR, THEY GET THEIR LAUNDRY DONE TWICE A WEEK.
THEY GET THEY GET HOUSEKEEPING SERVICES.
THE MEALS THAT THEY GET EVERY DAY ARE WAY ABOVE ANYTHING ELSE IN THE INDUSTRY.
THEY GET HOLIDAYS WITH US, THEY GET TO DO CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S AND HANUKKAH AND HALLOWEEN AND [INAUDIBLE] AND I MEAN EVERYTHING THAT THEY WOULD BE DOING OUTSIDE OF THE PROGRAM.
WE MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR THEM IN THE PROGRAM.
AND SO A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE, ONCE THEY GET TO THE POINT WHERE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY CAN MAKE IT, THEY STAY.
AND SO WE THINK THAT SEVENTY THREE DAY AVERAGE IN TUCSON IS PROBABLY GOING TO GROW TO ABOUT 80 OR 90 DAYS BY THE END OF THE YEAR IN 2022.
AND YOU SAID THAT OF THE I THINK, THIRTY TWO ROOMS YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING IN THIS PROJECT.
FOLKS COULD BE DROPPED OFF OR COMING IN AT ANY HOUR OF ANY DAY.
AND THEN [INAUDIBLE] I'M SORRY, THE MEDICAL DETOX 32 BEDS, IT'S A SEPARATE BUILDING IN ITSELF, IT'S ADJACENT TO THE DINING FACILITY.
THEN THEY'RE THEN FROM THERE THEY GO INTO OUR EIGHTY FOUR BED UP THERE, WHICH IS PLANNED 84 TWO BUILDINGS OF RESIDENTIAL.
AND THEN FROM THERE THEY GO INTO THE SOBER LIVING, WHICH IS JUST DIRECTLY TO THE SOUTH, WHICH IS ANOTHER 60.
I THINK WE HAVE IT AT 60 BEDS.
SO THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT QUADRANTS OF THE CAMPUS, AND THAT'S WHY WE LOVE THE FACT THAT IT'S SO BIG.
YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO SAVE AS MUCH OF THE TREES AND SO WE CAN SO WE CAN REALLY MAKE IT MORE OF LIKE LIKE A SUMMER CAMP OR A WINTER CAMP CONCEPT.
YOU KNOW, WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO FIND PART OF OUR MARKET WE THINK IS GOING TO BE THE HUNTING AND FISHING MARKET.
THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ALCOHOL ISSUES AND PAIN PILL ISSUES.
AND THE MORE WE CAN MAKE IT FEEL LIKE THEY'RE STILL OUT IN THE LODGE SOMEWHERE, THE BETTER OFF IT'S GOING TO BE.
MIKE, JUST A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS FROM ME.
DO YOU KNOW IF THERE'S ANY PUBLIC TRANSIT THAT GETS CLOSE TO YOUR LOCATION? I, GENEVIEVE, WE WE GOT THE BUSSES AT THE TRAILS, IS IT ACROSS THE STREET FROM TRAIL'S END ON CHRISTMAS TREE ROAD, RIGHT? YEAH, IT'S ABOUT A QUARTER MILE AWAY.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HIGHWAY 89.
AND THEN, MIKE, ALMOST THE LAST POINT I WANT TO MAKE.
YEAH, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO THOSE HOLIDAYS, I DEFINITELY THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO HAVE AN INDIGENOUS FOCUS HERE, ESPECIALLY AROUND NAVAJO AND HOPI AND OTHER TRIBAL CULTURES.
AND I WONDER IF WE CAN EVEN INTEGRATE SOME OF THOSE HEALING PRACTICES INTO THE DESIGN.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT AT ALL? I'LL LET MICHELLE TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THAT COME INTO OUR PROGRAM AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T TURN THEM AWAY AND WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME REAL, REALLY INTERESTING ARTS AND CRAFTS IN INDIAN.
WE HAD AN INDIAN PROGRAM GOING ON IN TUCSON.
BUT MICHELLE, YOU WANT TO YOU WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
YES, THIS IS MICHELLE CARRASCO, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK AND THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTIONS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED TO WORK CLOSER WITH YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI IS BECAUSE OF THAT.
WE DO TREAT AND WE DO SERVE A LOT OF IHS INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE PATIENTS AND OR CLIENTS.
CURRENTLY, ONE OF OUR FOCUSES IS, YES, WE WANT TO BUILD A PROGRAM SPECIFIC AROUND THAT POPULATION IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE.
SO YEAH, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I WOULD LIKE TO START WORKING CLOSER WITH THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE UP THERE IN REGARDS TO SEEING WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND SEEING WHO THEY HAVE.
BECAUSE IN ORDER TO PRESENT THAT PROGRAM APPROPRIATELY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMEONE WELL VERSED IN THOSE PRACTICES WORKING FOR US ALSO.
SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR BIGGEST GOALS AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE AT THE TOP OF MY
[02:40:04]
PRIORITY LIST CURRENTLY.THAT'S WONDERFUL, MICHELLE, AND YOU HAVE MY CONTACTS, SO PLEASE DO REACH OUT.
AND I ASKED MIKE JUST TO BRING UP THAT RATHER THAN INDIAN INDIGENOUS, IS MORE OF A PREFERRED TITLE OR NAME TO USE.
OK, AND THEN LASTLY, JUST WANTED TO ASK.
I HAD A THOUGHT IN THIS PROCESS.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL THAT MAYBE AS PART OF THE ANNEXATION, WE SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT JUST BECAUSE.
MIKE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, IF PLANS GO SOUTH AND WE ANNEX THIS, THERE'S A NICE PARCEL OF LAND WITH A GOOD ZONING THAT WILL ALLOW FOR A LOT DIFFERENT OF A PROJECT THAN WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
AND I KNOW THAT MS. PEARTHREE AND STERLING HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS CONVERSATION AND STERLING, PLEASE DO CHIME IN.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO HELP CLARIFY TO THE COUNCIL AND TO MIKE AND HIS TEAM WHAT IT IS THAT I'M POTENTIALLY PROPOSING HERE.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US PUT PUT IT IN SOME ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS THROUGH [INAUDIBLE] AS PART OF THIS ANNEXATION, NOT SLOWING DOWN THE PROCESS AND AND HOPEFULLY IT CAN BE DONE IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT? I'LL DEFER TO GENEVIEVE ON THAT.
I WAS ABOUT TO TO DEFER TO YOU.
COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI AND PLEASE, STERLING, PLEASE JUMP IN IF I SPEAK INCORRECTLY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO DO.
STAFF CAN WORK WITH MIKE AND MICHELLE, AS WELL AS COUNCIL AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO DRAFT THAT.
WE WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT VERY QUICKLY TO KEEP THE CURRENT SCHEDULE.
SO OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD BE THE GOAL.
BUT THE YEAH, THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WOULD BE WOULD TIE THIS PROPOSED CONCEPT PLAN TO THIS SITE.
OTHERWISE THE ANNEXATION RIGHT NOW, AS CURRENTLY PROPOSED, THERE'S JUST ONE CONDITION AND THAT'S TO COME IN WITH THE HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL ZONING AND THE RESOURCE PROTECTION OVERLAY.
BECAUSE THE CONCEPT PLAN IS NOT A FORMAL APPROVAL AND THERE IS NOT A PROCESS IN THIS CASE, THE D ANNEX, IF IF THERE IS THAT CONDITION THAT THEY DEVELOP THIS WITH THE ANNEXATION AGREEMENT ITSELF, WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY RECOURSE IF THEY DIDN'T DO IT.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE DA COMES IN.
STERLING, DO YOU WANT TO ADD ON TO ANYTHING OR IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH? THANK YOU, GENEVIEVE.
I APPRECIATE THAT I WANT TO MENTION ALSO, I KNOW COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI YOU YOU MENTIONED DONE IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD BE POSSIBLE.
BUT I ALSO HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH SENIOR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY CHRISTINA RUBALCAVA, WHO HAS ALSO PLACED AN ITEM IN THE CHAT INDICATING THAT SHE HAS SOME INPUT ON IT TOO.
AND I'LL DEFER TO HER RATHER THAN PLAY THE MIDDLEMAN BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH GENEVIEVE AND CD ON THIS.
THANKS, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, CHRISTINA RUBALCAVA, SENIOR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY YEAH.
AND I THINK GENEVIEVE COVERED THE ISSUE WELL, IT'S JUST THAT THIS ANNEXATION, IF IT GOES FORWARD, WILL NOT HAVE ANY CONDITIONS ON IT WITH RESPECT TO WHAT CAN BE BUILT.
UNLIKE THE TYPICAL ANNEXATIONS AND REZONING THAT COUNCIL SEES, WHERE IT'S TIED SPECIFICALLY TO A SITE PLAN OR TO A CONCEPT PLAN.
AND SO IF COUNCIL DOES WANT TO CONDITION IT TO ENSURE THAT THE TYPE OF FACILITY THAT'S BEEN DESCRIBED IS IN FACT WHAT IS BUILT, WE WOULD NEED TO DO A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO MEET THAT TIMEFRAME IN ORDER TO NOT DELAY ANYTHING, I THINK, BUT I THINK WE CAN TRY.
AND SO IT'S GOING TO DEPEND A LOT ON THE APPLICANT AND HOW QUICKLY THEY CAN GET AN APPLICATION FOR A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT SUBMITTED.
I THINK IT WOULD BE A SIMPLE ONE.
BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE GO AHEAD AND KEEP THE DATES AS WE HAVE THEM, AND STAFF WILL JUST BE IN COMMUNICATION.
AND STERLING WILL ALSO BE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
AND WE CAN JUST LET YOU KNOW AND IF WE NEED MORE TIME, WE WOULD JUST COME TO THAT JANUARY 18TH MEETING AND SEEK A CONTINUANCE OF HOW MUCH TIME WE NEED.
THANK YOU, STAFF FOR THAT COMMENTARY.
MIKE, I KNOW THIS ADDS AN ADDITIONAL LAYER TO THIS PROCESS, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
BUT AS A MEMBER OF COUNCIL, I DO SEE A LOT OF VALUE IN THAT DA AS PART OF THIS PLAN AND COUNCIL.
I'M CURIOUS TO SEE IF THERE'S MAJORITY SUPPORT FOR THIS, BUT THAT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO ME.
YOU CAN I CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI AND MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
MY CONCERN IS THIS I'VE BEEN IN THIS REAL ESTATE SINCE 1978.
I'VE BUILT OVER 4900 UNITS IN THE VALLEY, I'VE DEVELOPED OVER 30000 LOTS.
I'VE BEEN IN THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS FOR A LONG, LONG TIME AND THE CONCERN I HAVE, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THREE RECESSIONS AND A PANDEMIC IN MY LIFE.
[02:45:01]
MY CONCERN ON A FINANCIAL BASIS IS THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO COST ABOUT TWENTY FOUR MILLION DOLLARS TO BUILD.AND WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO IS GET MY HANDS TIED TO THE FACT THAT IF WE END UP IN ANOTHER MAJOR DOWNTURN THAT I CAN'T DEVELOP THE PROPERTY BECAUSE I HAVE TO BUILD IT TO THE SPECIFIC SITE PLAN THAT WE HAVE.
AND THAT'S A LITTLE SCARY FOR ME.
BUT I CAN APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO.
YOU DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND THEN LOSE THIS OPPORTUNITY AT THE SAME TIME THE COIN.
WE'RE NOT IN THIS BUSINESS TO DECIDE TO BUY THIS AND SELL THIS PROPERTY OFF TO ANYBODY ELSE.
BUT IT WILL MAKE MY MY FINANCING EARLY ON MUCH MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IT HAS GOT A SPECIFIC IT'S LIKE LIMITED TO YOU CAN ONLY BUILD A GAS STATION, YOU CAN'T BUILD A RESTAURANT KIND OF THING.
SO I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF WE COULD IF WE COULD AVOID A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
AND IT'S TOTALLY THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
I DON'T THINK I'M REQUIRED TO HAVE ONE REGARDING THIS, BUT WE ARE TEAM PLAYERS AND WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE TOWN.
AND IF WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK US A LONG TIME TO FIND THE PROPERTY THAT WE FELT WOULD BE GREAT.
WE BROUGHT IN WILLIAMS AND WE'VE BEEN ALL OVER NORTHERN ARIZONA BY THE RESERVATION, AND WE THINK THIS IS A GREAT ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY.
BUT IF WE CAN SORT OF FURTHER DISCUSS THAT A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO BE I DON'T WANT IT TO AFFECT MY FINANCIAL ABILITY TO FINANCE THE PROJECT AND MAKE SURE IT'S A REALITY VERSUS SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST A GREAT CONCEPT.
THANK YOU MIKE, STERLING, YOU WANNA JUMP IN.
YES, THANKS, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AND MIKE, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AS WELL.
I JUST WANTED TO GO BACK TO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI SAID RIGHT AT THE END.
OBVIOUSLY, IT WOULD TAKE A MAJORITY OF COUNCIL TONIGHT IF THEY IF COUNCIL WANTED TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION TOWARD A DA TO DIRECT STAFF TO DO THAT.
PROCEDURALLY SPEAKING, NUMBER TWO THE WAY THAT THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS NOTICED, IT WAS FOR TODAY THE 4TH AS WELL AS THE FIRST AND SECOND READS ON THE 18TH AND THE 1ST 18TH OF JANUARY AND 1ST OF FEBRUARY.
WHEN WE GET TO THE CONCLUSION OF OUR DISCUSSION HERE TODAY, RATHER THAN CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, MAYOR, IF YOU COULD JUST CONTINUE THAT TO THE 18TH, THAT, PROCEDURALLY SPEAKING, IS WHAT WOULD BE BEST.
RIGHT, THANK YOU, STERLING COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
WHAT IS THE NAME OF YOUR COMPANY? IT'S AMERICA'S REHAB CAMPUSES AND THE TUCSON CAMPUS, THE PARENT IS AMERICA'S REHAB CAMPUS.
THE THE COMPANY THAT OPERATES IN TUCSON IS ARIZONA REHAB CAMPUS, AND THE ONE UP HERE WILL BE THE FLAGSTAFF REHAB CAMPUS.
AND ONE OF IN PHOENIX, IS THE PHOENIX REHAB CAMPUS.
AND WE DO THAT FOR LIABILITY PURPOSES AND THE FACT THAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, WE DON'T WANT ALL THE CAMPUSES TO CLOSE DOWN BECAUSE WE RAN INTO A PROBLEM WHERE SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY HAD WE'VE HAD A CATASTROPHE OR SOMETHING.
GOD WILLING, WE'VE NEVER HAD ONE IN THE FIVE YEARS WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS, BUT THAT'S WHY WE DO IT THAT WAY.
BUT THE PARENT IS AMERICA'S REHAB CAMPUS.
I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO THE IDEA OF REQUIRING A DA.
AND IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE ONLY REASON THAT WE WOULD WANT A DA IS IF WE WERE SCARED THAT IF WE ANNEX THIS AND GAVE IT THE ZONING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT BUILD SOMETHING THERE THAT WE DON'T WANT.
AND I GUESS I REALLY DON'T HAVE THAT FEAR.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHAT THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THINK ABOUT THAT, MAYBE THAT IS A GOOD IDEA, BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN CONVINCED YET, BUT I WILL BE OPEN MINDED ABOUT IT.
SO I'M A NO VOTE NOW, BUT LET'S HAVE A DISCUSSION AND THEN I MAY CHANGE MY MIND.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
SO I'M NOT USED TO THIS MASK THAT STICKS OUT LIKE A DUCK'S BILL.
IS THERE ANYTHING SHORT OF A DA THAT WOULD GET AT COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI CONCERNS? I BELIEVE NO.
CHRISTINA, DO YOU WANT TO CONFIRM THAT? AND I'M SORRY, GENEVIEVE, WITH RESPECT TO WHICH CONCERNS? VICE MAYOR, WOULD YOU MIND REPEATING YOUR QUESTION? IS THERE ANYTHING SHORT OF A DA THAT WOULD ADDRESS COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI CONCERNS? NOT THAT I AM AWARE OF JUST BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A PROCESS.
I MEAN, USUALLY WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE WOULD HAVE LIKE IN A REZONING, WE WOULD JUST HAVE
[02:50:01]
A CONDITION OF A REZONING BE, YOU KNOW, IT CAN ONLY BE FOR THE TYPE OF FACILITY DESCRIBED AND NOT FOR SOMETHING ELSE.WE DON'T HAVE THAT ABILITY HERE BECAUSE THE ANNEXATION PROCESS DOES NOT ALLOW FOR US TO DE-ANNEX TO THE COUNTY.
AND SO UNLIKE A REZONING WHERE OUR IF YOU DON'T MEET THE CONDITIONS, WE COULD JUST REVERT YOUR REZONING.
AND SO A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT REALLY IS GOING TO BE YOUR BEST OPTION IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADD CONDITIONS.
THAT COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF GAS STATION, SOME SORT OF RETAIL, IT COULD BE APARTMENTS.
THERE QUITE A BIT OF USES THAT ARE PERMITTED IN THE HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL ZONE SERVICES, RETAIL, AS WELL AS HOUSING UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AND AS WELL AS THE PROPOSED USE IN THIS PROJECT.
ALL RIGHT, I'LL JUMP IN THEN, I ALSO HAVE SOME CONCERNS COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, BECAUSE OF HOW WHAT BREADTH HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL ALLOWS FOR ON THAT AREA IS THERE? BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO DICTATE TOO HEAVILY WHAT'S GOING TO BE PLACED THERE.
WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT YOU'RE IT DOESN'T AFFECT YOUR FINANCING AND THAT IT WOULD BE AN EASIER LIFT ON OUR PART.
IS THERE SOMETHING VERY BROAD WE COULD PUT IN THERE THAT WOULD HELP TO JUST PUT A COUPLE OF GUARDRAILS ON THINGS IN CASE THINGS GO SOUTH? OR IS IT GOING TO BE A VERY LARGE STACK OF A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WOULD EXPECTEDLY.
MY UNDERSTANDING, AND AGAIN, CHRISTINA, JUMP IN, IS THAT IT WOULD BE A RELATIVELY SIMPLE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, BUT IT WOULD BE VERY HARD TO MEET OUR CURRENT THE CURRENT TIMELINE WE HAVE FOR THE SCHEDULED HEARINGS.
BUT IF COUNCIL DIRECTS STAFF TO DO THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO.
THANK YOU, AND I WILL SAY, MIKE, I REALLY I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING AND IT DOES SEEM THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION REALLY IS.
FULFILLING THAT MANTRA THAT THE OPPOSITE OF ADDICTION IS CONNECTION.
IT'S NOT SOBRIETY AND PROVIDING THAT LONG TERM CARE, I THINK IT WOULD BE AN AMAZING ASSET TO THIS COMMUNITY AND DESPERATELY NEEDED.
I WOULD PREFER TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF DA PERSONALLY ON THIS, BUT AGAIN, HAPPY TO HEAR FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
COULD I MAKE ANOTHER COMMENT, COUNCIL? IF I MIGHT, MIKE, JUST REAL QUICKLY, THIS IS CITY ATTORNEY STERLING SOLOMON.
MR. MAYOR, IF I IF I MIGHT, I MISSPOKE WITH RESPECT TO THE ANNEXATION STATUTE.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS HELD AND CLOSED ALL IN THE SAME DAY.
THE FIRST READS WERE POSTED AS REQUIRED BY THE STATUTE FOR THE 18TH AND THE FIRST THOSE.
THOSE READINGS COULD BE POSTPONED, BUT THE PUBLIC HEARING ENDS TODAY.
I NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR AND THAT PUBLIC HEARING, BY THE WAY, STILL NEEDS TO OCCUR WHEN WE COMPLETE THE DISCUSSION BETWEEN YOU, THE COUNCIL, MS. PEARTHREE, WE NEED TO MAKE A CALL TO THE PUBLIC FOR COMMENTS.
THAT'S OK, I'M SORRY, IS IT OK IF I MAKE A COUPLE MORE COMMENTS? YES, PLEASE DO A FEW.
IF YOU COULD JUST BE BRIEF, I WANT TO HEAR FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I CAN HOLD CAN HOLD MY COMMENT.
AND THEN IT HELPS US TO HAVE AN [INAUDIBLE] DISCUSSION.
AS THE THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER VARIABLES HERE.
THIS IS A VERY THIS IS A VERY HIGH BARRIER TO ENTRY KIND OF APPROACH TO THE TREATMENT CENTER BUSINESS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL JUST BUY A HOUSE AND PUT SIX PEOPLE IN IT OR BUY AN APARTMENT BUILDING AND PUT 10 PEOPLE IN IT OR WHATEVER.
THE CONCERN IS THAT WE HAVE AND OUR FINANCING PEOPLE WE'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL TIMES, AS IF FOR SOME REASON MEDICAID OR MEDICARE DECIDES TO CHANGE THEIR FUNDING RATIOS AND DECIDES TO TO DROP THEIR RATES BY 50 PERCENT OR WHATEVER MAY HAPPEN, WHICH DOESN'T DO ANY GOOD FOR THE UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING AND NEED THE HELP.
IT MAKES THE PROJECT BASICALLY UNBELIEVABLE FOR US.
AND AT THAT POINT, WE'VE WE'VE ALREADY BOUGHT THE PROPERTY.
WE'RE NOT SITTING WITH A PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, WE COULD WE COULD MAYBE SET SOMETHING UP THAT WE GOT TO COME BACK IN WITH ANOTHER SITE PLAN APPROVAL OR SOMETHING, BUT BUT OVERALL, I'M JUST CONCERNED
[02:55:01]
OF LIMITING MYSELF.BUT BUT I'M HOPING I'D LOVE TO DURING THE TIME SPEND SOME TIME AND DISCUSS THE CONCERNS.
OUR GOAL AT THIS POINT, I MEAN, WE WE MADE THE COMMITMENT, WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY ALREADY, SO EVEN WITHOUT ANY OF THESE APPROVALS.
AND I DO BELIEVE BASED ON MY CURRENT ZONING, I DO HAVE THE ABILITY.
THIS IS A USE THAT'S THAT WE'RE ENTITLED TO TO USE AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY INTENTIONS TO BUILD ANYTHING ELSE AT THIS POINT.
BUT BUT I CAN'T I CAN'T SPEAK FOR FINANCING PEOPLE THAT WANT TO COME IN AND SAY, WELL, WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T DO THIS? WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE PROPERTY, WE TAKE IT BACK OR WHATEVER? AND AGAIN, AT THIS POINT, THAT'S NOT EVEN ON OUR RADAR SCREEN.
OUR GOAL IS TO GET THIS THING UP AND OPERATING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU MIKE, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
IF THIS REZONING AND ANNEXATION DIDN'T HAPPEN.
THEN THE PERSON THAT OWNS THIS LAND COULD DO ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AS HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS IT WOULD BE IN THE COUNTY.
MAKE SURE I GET MY TEAMS UP HERE.
THANK YOU MAYOR, I THINK CHRISTINA MIGHT HAVE A COMMENT TOO MAYBE I'LL LET HER GO FIRST IF THAT'S OK WITH YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTIONS ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHAT KIND OF A DELAY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY DEPENDS UPON THE APPLICANT AND THE ABILITY OF THE APPLICANT TO WORK WITH US.
OUR TYPICAL PROCESS IS THAT THE APPLICANT, OFTEN THROUGH COUNCIL BUT NOT ALWAYS, WILL PROVIDE US A DRAFT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AND THEN WE REVIEW IT AND WE NEGOTIATE IT.
AND I THINK IF THAT'S SOMETHING THE APPLICANT CAN DO QUICKLY AND WE OF COURSE, HAVE DRAFTS TO PROVIDE OF OTHER AGREEMENTS WE'VE USED IN THE PAST, AND IT IS A VERY SIMPLE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE ANY DELAY ON OUR END.
I JUST I WOULDN'T WANT TO MAKE ANY COMMITMENTS BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY PART OF THE PROCESS.
THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED BY COUNCIL UNTIL THE SECOND READ, AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPTION FOR COUNCIL TO GO AHEAD.
KEEP THAT FIRST READ IF WE'RE WORKING AND MAKING GOOD PROGRESS ON THE 18TH AND THEN, IF NEEDED, WE COULD POSTPONE THE SECOND READ.
OK, THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND I'LL JUST ADD MY COMMENTS, MAYOR, REALLY QUICKLY.
MIKE, I CAN APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERNS, AND I'D HATE TO PUT YOU ALL IN FINANCIAL JEOPARDY WITH THIS PROJECT.
I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THIS PROJECT AND YOUR COMPANY'S INTENT.
LONG TERM TREATMENT IS SOMETHING WE NEED IN THIS REGION DESPERATELY.
AND AND SO I REALLY AM EXCITED TO CHAMPION WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I JUST THINK THAT WITH A DA, IF WE WERE ABLE TO LET'S SAY FIGURE THAT OUT AND WORK ON ONE TOGETHER BEFORE THE SECOND READ, WHICH GIVES US SOME TIME.
AND LET'S JUST SAY YEARS LATER, THINGS CHANGE YOUR COMPANY.
UNFORTUNATELY, IN FLAGSTAFF REHAB GOES BELLY UP.
YOU COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR AMENDMENT TO THE DA.
IT'S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO.
BUT IT DOES HAVE GIVES THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A CHECK AND BALANCE WITH THIS HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY WITHIN CITY LIMITS, WHICH HAS COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE SPOKEN TO AND VICE MAYOR MENTIONED, HAS A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY.
AND MAYOR, YOU COMMENTED TO THAT TOO.
MIKE IS THAT SOMETHING REALISTIC THAT WE CAN WORK ON? I LIKE I SAID, WE'RE TEAM PLAYERS, I WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOU AND AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GET OUR HANDS SO TIED I CAN'T BUILD IT BECAUSE IT'S OUR GOAL TO BUILD IT AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT OUR GOAL TO TO NOT BE IN THE COMMUNITY AND DO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THERE'S THERE'S I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER FACILITIES LIKE WE HAVE IN ARIZONA THAT ARE MEDICARE MEDICAID EQUIVALENT TO WHAT AMERICA'S REHAB CAMPUS IS DOING.
SO I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT IF WE'VE GOT TIME.
LET'S LET'S LET'S LET'S DISCUSS IT.
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO COME UP THERE AND MEET WITH YOU.
AND IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO OR WHATEVER, WE GOT TO DO TWO WEEKS AND AND LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
OBVIOUSLY, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL WITHOUT HEARING FROM A MAJORITY GIVING ME THE THUMBS UP.
BUT GIVEN THAT WE HAVE A FEW WEEKS TO KIND OF FIGURE THIS OUT AND BRING THIS FORWARD TO COUNCIL BEFORE THE SECOND READ, CHRISTINA, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND OUR TEAM AND MIKE AND YOUR TEAM VIRTUALLY AS OF TOMORROW.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN MEET AS SOON AS HE LIKE.
AND HONESTLY, I'D RATHER BE MEET VIRTUALLY REGARDLESS BECAUSE OF COVID RIGHT NOW.
[03:00:01]
BUT YEAH, LET'S LET'S DO IT.RIGHT NOW, I'M ONLY HEARING TWO TO DIRECT STAFF TO PURSUE A DA.
SO LET'S SEE WHERE WE'RE AT THERE BEFORE, YEAH, SETTING UP MEETINGS TO DISCUSS THE DA.
SO LIKE INPUT, IF THERE IS ANY FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO MIGHT BE IN SUPPORT OF PURSUING A BROAD DA IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE.
MAYOR DEASY, CAN I INTERJECT REALLY QUICKLY JUST TO MENTION THE FINDINGS? YES.
SO I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY THAT THERE ARE THREE FINDINGS FOR APPROVAL FOR ANNEXATION.
THE FIRST IS A COMPOSITE CITY CODE.
THE SECOND IS THAT IT COMPLIES WITH STATE LAW AND THE THIRD THAT IT MEETS RELEVANT GOALS AND POLICIES IN THE REGIONAL PLAN.
SO STAFF'S REVIEW OF THIS IS THAT IT MEETS THE FINDINGS AS A REHAB CAMPUS, AS CURRENTLY PROPOSED OR AS A HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL PIECE OF LAND.
SO JUST SOMETHING SOME BACKGROUND FOR YOU THERE AS WELL.
IF THIS REMAINED IN THE COUNTY, WOULD THEY BE ON A SEPTIC SYSTEM WITH A WITH A WELL? I'LL LET THE ENGINEER ANSWER THAT, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THEY [INAUDIBLE] BE ON.
VERY UNLIKELY TO BE ON CITY WATER OR SEWER WITHOUT SOME SORT OF PRE ANNEXATION AGREEMENT.
[INAUDIBLE] YEAH, THIS GUILLERMO CORTEZ WITH SWI ENGINEERING 110 WEST DALE.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OK? YES, SIR.
WE WOULD EITHER HAVE TO LOOK AT.
THERE IS AN EXISTING WELL ON SITE FOR WATER.
WE WOULD HAVE TO GET THAT GOING AND WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT AN ALTERNATE METHOD FOR WASTEWATER.
SO IT DEFINITELY MAKES SENSE FOR THE ANNEXATION.
IF I CAN MAKE AN ARGUMENT FOR THE ANNEXATION ON MIKE'S BEHALF IS WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR ACTUALLY ALMOST CLOSE TO TWO YEARS.
I THINK WE'VE DOTTED I EVERY COUPLE OF TIMES AND CROSSED EVERY T A FEW TIMES, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THAT THIS CAN BE DEVELOPED IN THE COUNTY WITH THAT EQUAL CH TEN THOUSAND.
IT BRINGS THAT TAX BENEFIT, SOME GOOD PAYING JOBS, SO COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS.
BUT I THINK WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR OVER 18 MONTHS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING A GREAT COMMUNITY BENEFIT SUCH AS THIS INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
VICE MAYOR, ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
JUST MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN THE CHAT BOX, SO I'M STILL ONLY HEARING TWO IN FAVOR OF A DA.
SO UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, WE WILL PROCEED ACCORDING A WITHOUT A DA AND ON THE CURRENT TIMELINE AND MOVE FORWARD AS PRESENTED.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SEEING FROM OTHER NODDING HEADS IN THIS, SO THERE THERE ISN'T A IS NOT A MAJORITY TO PURSUE A DA.
AND WITH THAT, IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD? WHAT'S UP? OH, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT THIS TIME? NO, MAYOR, WE DO NOT.
PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE A LITTLE PROCEDURAL AND THEN YOU WOULD JUST NEED TO CLOSE.
THEN I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING IF THERE'S NO OTHER INPUT AND WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TIMELINE.
LOOKS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN HAS HIS HAND RAISED.
OH, I'M NOT SEEING YOUR HANDS RAISED IN HERE.
I JUST RAISED IT SO THAT IT DOESN'T STAY UP ACCIDENTALLY.
I DON'T SEE THE NEED TO OVERCOMPLICATE THIS AT THIS STAGE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE SCRUTINY COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
BUT I GUESS MY VOICE IS WITH THE MAJORITY AT THIS TIME TO JUST PROCEED.
VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
VERY EXCITED TO GET SOME LONG TERM CARE SET UP UP HERE.
AND I REALLY LIKE THE WAY IT WAS COUCHED AND TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE POPULATION SERVED.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK YOU'RE DOING AROUND THE STATE AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A [INAUDIBLE].
SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THOSE COMMENTS TO THE RECORD HERE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN.
WELL, THE PUBLIC MEETING JUST TO SAY IT FOR A SECOND TIME CLOSED.
WE'LL PICK IT UP ON JANUARY 18TH FOR THE FIRST READ.
[03:05:02]
SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, MIKE AND MICHELLE.AND THANK YOU, MRS. PEARTHREE AND THE TEAM IS SEEING THIS SEEING THIS THROUGH.
WITH THAT, WE ARE GOING DOWN TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 12 A CONSIDERATION ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION NUMBER 2022-01 RESOLUTION OF THE FLAGSTAFF CITY COUNCIL APPROVING AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN FLAGSTAFF UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE CITY
[A. Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2022-01: A resolution of the Flagstaff City Council, approving an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between Flagstaff Unified School District and the City of Flagstaff for storm water detention and drainage improvements at Killip Elementary School. STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION: 1) Read Resolution No. 2022-01 by title only 2) City Clerk reads Resolution No. 2022-01 by title only (if approved above) 3) Adopt Resolution No.2022-01]
OF FLAGSTAFF FOR STORMWATER [INAUDIBLE] AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS AT KILLIP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION IS TO READ RESOLUTION NUMBER 2022-01 BY TITLE ONLY.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COUNCIL, SCOTT OVERTON PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND WITH ME THIS EVENING ARE A NUMBER OF OUR COMPADRES FROM THE CITY STAFF SIDE ONLINE AND THEN GARY MILLER FROM WATER SERVICES IS WITH ME AS WELL.
WE'RE HERE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE AN IGA AND A CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT WITH FLAGSTAFF UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THIS CONCEPT DESIGN AND ENGINEER DESIGN IS NOW COMPLETE.
THE IGA IS NOW COMPLETED AND IT'S UP FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
WE SPOKE TO THIS LAST WEEK DURING THE WORK SESSION AND UPDATES ON MUSEUM FLOOD EVENT.
BUT IN A NUTSHELL, WE'RE LOOKING TO BUILD A VERY LARGE DETENTION BASE INTO THE WEST OF THE NEW KILLIP SCHOOL SITE.
THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WILL BE IN CONJUNCTION WITH FLAGSTAFF UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEIR CONTRACTOR CORE CONSTRUCTION.
WE'VE NEGOTIATED AN AGREEMENT AND A PROPORTIONATE SHARE TO DELIVER THESE IMPROVEMENTS ON FUSD PROPERTY.
THEY WILL BE DELIVERED BY FUSD AND THEIR CONTRACTOR.
OF COURSE, THE CITY HAS A LARGE, PROPORTIONATE SHARE THAT WE HAVE DEEMED APPROPRIATE AS WE ARE BUILDING A MUCH LARGER STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE TO DETAIN WATER FROM POST WILDFIRE FLOODING IN THE MUSEUM, FIRE THROUGH THE SPRUCE WASH AND THIS WILL CONNECT TO OUR UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE ON THIRD STREET.
THAT'S A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE PROJECT.
IT'S BEEN A GOOD MOVING PROJECT, SO WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT THUS FAR, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THE WORK.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THIS MOVING.
LET ME JUST SAY THAT, AND I KNOW THIS IS A LOT OF WORK PUT IN TO GET TO THIS SPACE AND COUNCIL, THOUGH.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE IGA OR HOW THIS FITS IN FULL PLAN? NO I JUST WANT TO SAY, SCOTT, THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE THAT PART OF TOWN AND THE WHOLE CITY, ACTUALLY.
I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING IN THE CHAT BOX RIGHT NOW, SO WITH THAT, I MOVE TO READ RESOLUTION NUMBER 2022-01 BY TITLE ONLY.
OH ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ROCK PAPER SCISSORS ON THAT ONE EITHER WAY.
OK, WE'LL GET WELL, I'LL GO FOR VICE MAYOR, THE SECOND AND THIRD-ED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
THAT MOTION CARRIES, CITY CLERK.
A RESOLUTION OF THE FLAGSTAFF CITY COUNCIL APPROVING AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN FLAGSTAFF UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF FLAGSTAFF FOR STORMWATER DETENTION AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS AT KILLIP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL .
I MOVE TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 2022-01.
SHE GOT IT SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
I WAS SERIOUS ABOUT ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS, WE CAN SETTLE THIS LIKE ADULTS.
WELL, MOVING RIGHT ALONG HERE, WE'RE TO GENERAL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ANYONE THIS EVENING.
AND WE'RE DOWN TO OUR INFORMATIONAL ITEMS TWO FROM MAYOR, COUNCIL AND STAFF AND FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS.
SINCE WE STARTED THIS IN FOR THE LIAISON REPORTS, LET'S START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER
[14. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS TO/FROM MAYOR, COUNCIL, AND STAFF, AND FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS]
SALAS.WELL, THIS THURSDAY, WE ARE SOME OF US ARE SCHEDULED TO THE LONE TREE BUTLER INTERSECTION SITE VISIT.
I HAVE EVERY INTENTION TO SHOW UP, BUT IT COINCIDES WITH MY MEETING WITH
[03:10:11]
SECRETARY [INAUDIBLE], SO I WILL SHOW UP PROBABLY AT AROUND 12:20, 12:30.I JUST HAD A QUESTION KIND OF A FOLLOW UP FROM THE COVID UPDATE, AND THIS MIGHT BE FOR HEIDI HANSEN.
I'M WONDERING IF BUSINESSES CAN KIND OF RE-UP THE POSTER PROGRAM REGARDING MASKS AND VACCINATIONS, CAPACITY, ET CETERA? MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET, SURE, DEFINITELY.
BELIEVE DISCOVER FLAGSTAFF HAD CREATED SOMETHING A WHILE BACK, AND I CAN HAVE THEM GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT AND THEN WE CAN HAVE THOSE AVAILABLE AT THE VISITOR CENTER.
THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL, AND IF THERE'S A WAY TO REACH OUT TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE WE ALL KNOW WHERE TO PICK THEM UP.
I DO THINK AND I SAID THIS BEFORE THAT HAVING A CONSISTENT MESSAGE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO PUT THAT MESSAGE OUT, THERE MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR THOSE COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN AND ROLLING IN LIKE STUDENTS AND JUST HAVING CONSISTENCY MIGHT BE NICE AND A REMINDER.
QUESTION I WOULD HAVE FOR YOU.
THE MESSAGE THAT WE USED TO USE WAS STAY, PLAY, DISTANCE AND MASK RESPONSIBLY.
DR. INGHAM THALER TALKED ABOUT SOME OTHER THINGS ABOUT KIND OF LIMITING CROWDING IN A RESTAURANT OR A RETAIL SHOP AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I WOULD BE OPEN TO HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ALLIANCE TERRY [INAUDIBLE] TO SEE IF SHE COULD GET SOME FEEDBACK ON WHAT THEY THINK WOULD BE USEFUL ON THESE POSTERS BECAUSE WE COULD DO SOME DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'D BE OF INTEREST TO YOU? AND THEN OF COURSE, THEY'D BE AVAILABLE TO ALL BUSINESSES, NOT JUST DOWNTOWN.
ABSOLUTELY, I THINK GETTING HER INPUT WOULD BE VALUABLE AND MAYBE OFFERING TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS, MAYBE A MASK ONE AND MAYBE A MASK, DISTANCE CAPACITY OR MASK WITH VACCINATION.
MR. INGHAM THALER PUT OUT, I THINK, THREE DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND MAYBE HAVING THREE DIFFERENT POSTERS.
AND DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU WANT, YOU CAN GO IN AND PICK UP THE ONE THAT SUITS YOUR BUSINESS.
I DEFINITELY WROTE THOSE NOTES FROM WHAT DR.
INGHAM THALER SHARED ON THOSE THREE, AND I WILL MAKE SURE WE WORK ON THOSE WITH TERRY AND SOME OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT, AND I JUST WOULD REQUEST THAT IT HAPPENED SOONER THAN LATER.
I WILL TALK WITH THEM TOMORROW.
IT'S TOO LATE FOR TONIGHT, HEIDI.
THEY'RE USED TO MY EMAILS LATE AT NIGHT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ANSWER ME TONIGHT.
PUTTING THAT ASIDE, I JUST WANT TO THANK COUNCIL FOR THE DISCUSSION WE HAD ABOUT PROPERTY TAX ISSUES AND AND THE IDEA THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S MAYBE A LONG DISCUSSION, BUT WE NEED TO START TO PLANT THE SEED, AS I SAID BEFORE.
OTHER THAN THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TONIGHT, MAYOR.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MCCARTHY.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR FIRST EVER STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS.
IT'S SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 19TH AT FOUR O'CLOCK, AND I'D REALLY LOVE FOR A FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS OR ANYONE WHO ELSE MIGHT BE INTERESTED TO PLEASE COME.
WE'LL BE SENDING OUT AN INVITE.
I JUST GOT FINALLY SCHEDULED TODAY BEFORE COUNCIL.
ASIDE FROM THAT, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO PUT A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUEST.
TO START THINKING ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD ENTAIL, POTENTIALLY AS WE ENTER BUDGET SESSIONS IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BUT A HOUSING PROGRAM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD I HAD DISCUSSED WITH THE COCONINO COUNTY ADVOCATES FOR HUMAN SERVICES FOR NUMBER OF YEARS WHERE I WAS A BOARD MEMBER THERE FOR A WHILE, BUT A PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF ELDERLY IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT COULD USE A LITTLE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE.
THEY'RE NOT TO THE POINT WHERE THEY NEED TO GO INTO A HOME.
BUT I NOTICED THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF PILOT PROGRAMS REGARDING THIS IN OTHER CITIES TO PAIR INDIVIDUALS WITH ELDERLY FOLKS THEY NORMALLY OWN THEIR HOME.
YOU GET FREE RENT OR LOW RENT TO HELP OUT WITH CHORES, DO GROCERY SHOPPING, THAT KIND OF THING.
IT'S BEEN RELATIVELY SUCCESSFUL WITH SOME OF THE PILOT PROGRAMS, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A WAY TO HELP MATCH THOSE WHO COULD USE A LITTLE EXTRA HAND AROUND THE HOUSE WHILE ALSO HELPING WITH ADDITIONAL HOUSING STOCK SO THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, A NURSING STUDENT, A SOCIAL WORKER, MASTER'S IN SOCIAL WORK STUDENT IN NAU, WHO CAN GET A PLACE TO STAY, TAKE CARE OF IT, GET PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS, AND HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE WITHOUT DROPPING 16 HUNDRED A MONTH.
SO ANYWAYS, HAPPY TO SHARE SOME INFO ABOUT THAT, BUT I WANTED TO PUT THAT AS A FARE, SO WE INVESTIGATE WHAT THAT WOULD ENTAIL, WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR RESOURCES FROM THE CITY OR OTHER PARTNERS THAT COULD ASSIST ASSIST IN THAT.
[03:15:03]
SO BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY DO LIKE CLEARING FINGERPRINT CLEARANCE CARDS AND MAKING SURE ALL THE THAT IT'S DONE IN A SAFE AND APPROPRIATE MANNER AND HAS SOME CHECKS AND BALANCES.SO ANYWAYS, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO WORD THAT AS A FARE, THAT'S LONG WINDED, BUT YOU GET THE GIST.
ASIDE FROM THAT, HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE, AND PASS THE TORCH OVER HERE TO VICE MAYOR.
RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI.
YES, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY.
AS OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED, THERE IS A LONE TREE SITE VISIT WALKING TOUR FOR THE COUNCIL AND CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND LEADERSHIP OF THE CITY.
REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT HELP SET THAT UP AND PLAN TO BE THERE.
ON THURSDAY [INAUDIBLE] IS MEETING WITH OUR LOCAL STAFF TO DISCUSS AN AIRPORT MICRO TRANSIT OPTION THAT I THINK MIGHT BE SUCCESSFUL AND SOMETHING WE CAN GET OFF THE GROUND SOONER THAN LATER IN OUR REPORT BACK AS TO HOW THAT GOES.
THIS FRIDAY, CONGRESSMAN TOM O'HALLORAN IS HAVING AN ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE DISCUSSION WITH SOME MEMBERS OF THE CITY, AND I BELIEVE SOME OF OUR PARTNERS AS WELL, AND I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION AND REPORT BACK TO THE GROUP AS WELL ON THAT.
THIS SATURDAY AT 11:00 A.M., OUR STAFF ARE HAVING A CDBG PUBLIC MEETING WITH OUR TARGET NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR LEAGUE OF NEIGHBORS NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THAT THAT WILL BE A REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION AT 11:00.
AND YEAH, I JUST WANT TO ECHO THAT.
I DO STILL THINK WE SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER GOING VIRTUAL.
MOVING FORWARD, COUNCIL, AS RESPONSIBLE AS WE ARE, WE ALL HAVE A LEVEL OF EXPOSURE.
AND WITH THE DATA SIMPLY LAGGING AND AT TIMES BEING ASYMPTOMATIC, I THINK IT'S THE WISE AND SMART DECISION AND TO REPRESENT THE TYPE OF BEHAVIOR WE BELIEVE OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE DOING.
AND I ALSO THINK WE SHOULD REALLY HAVE STAFF EXPLORE PLEXIGLASS JUST TO ALLOW SOME OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS IF WE WERE TO DESIRE A PIECE OF PLEXIGLAS BETWEEN US.
THAT ABILITY, I SEE OTHER COUNCIL BODIES DOING THAT WHEN THEY'RE MEETING IN PERSON AND OTHER PROTECTIVE MEASURES FOR THE CITY.
AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO THANK ACTING CITY MANAGER HEIDI HANSEN FOR STEPPING IN AND STEPPING UP.
APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
[INAUDIBLE] 2022 EVERYBODY AND THANK YOU AND BE SAFE OUT THERE.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI, COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN.
I'LL TRY TO GET THIS SHORT SO WE CAN GET OUT OF HERE.
I DO WANT TO JUST ADD ON FOR HEIDI.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME FROM DR.
INGHAM THALER IS THAT CLOTH MASKS ARE NOT AS EFFECTIVE AGAINST OMICRON.
AND IF PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO BE PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM TRANSMISSION AND FROM ACQUISITION, YOU NEED A KN95 OR SOMETHING A BIT MORE UP TO THE TASK.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD PROBABLY BE HAMMERED HOME WITH THE PUBLIC IN OUR CORRESPONDENCE WITH THEM.
I WAS NOT HERE TONIGHT AND I WILL NOT BE HERE, PROBABLY THROUGHOUT JANUARY, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF HOW OMICRON IS SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY.
I DO THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO BE HOLDING THESE MEETINGS REMOTELY RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST UNTIL THIS, THIS WILDFIRE ABATES.
SO THAT'S JUST MY TWO CENTS ON THAT, I SUPPOSE.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THE LOGIC THAT WE CAN ALL SORT OF COME TO THAT CONCLUSION ON OUR OWN.
AND IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE HANDED DOWN AS A MANDATE.
BUT SO JUST SO, YOU KNOW, I'M DOING FINE.
I'VE NEVER GOTTEN COVID, AND I HOPE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE MOST PRUDENT THING RIGHT NOW IS TO BE SHELTERING IN PLACE IN AN INSTANCE LIKE THIS.
I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW.
ACTING CITY MANAGER DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING FOR US THIS EVENING? I JUST WANT IT, MAYOR IN COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW I ACTUALLY WILL REACH OUT TO DR.
INGHAM THALER AND GET SOME REAL SPECIFICS AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT THE RIGHT INFORMATION ON THOSE POSTERS AND THEN I'LL MAKE SURE THAT I FOLLOW IT UP ON AN EMAIL TO ALL OF YOU TO TO LET YOU SEE THE FINISHED PRODUCT AND WE'LL KIND OF GO FROM THERE.
WE ALSO HAVE A WAY TO INWARD MARKET TO THE BUSINESSES THAT THEY CAN COME AND PICK THOSE UP
[03:20:01]
AND JUST GET THEM THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.AND NO, I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TONIGHT TAKEN A LOT OF NOTES, SO NO WORRIES.
WELL, WITH THAT MEETING, COUNCIL MEMBER SWEET.
I DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ALLOWED TO DO THIS, BUT I'M WONDERING IF WE BETTER WATCH ME CLOSE.
ARE WE ALLOWED OR NOT ALLOWED? CAN WE GET A QUOTE FOR PLEXIGLASS DIVIDERS? AND WOULD THAT MAKE COUNCIL MEMBER SHIMONI AND COUNCIL MEMBER ASLAN OR ANYONE ELSE ON THE DAIS FEEL MORE AT EASE COMING IN PERSON? I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A PATH WE SHOULD GO DOWN, IF.
I WOULD BE EVEN LESS LIKELY TO COME TO MEETINGS IF WE HAD PLEXIGLASS DIVIDERS.
I THINK THAT IS A STEP TOO FAR AND I THINK IT'S JUST OVERKILL.
AND I'D BE MORE LIKELY TO STAY REMOTE IN THAT CASE.
I'M GETTING OUTSIDE OF [INAUDIBLE] THOUGH.
SORRY? YEAH, I'LL JUST SAY MAYBE IF YOU'RE GOING TO TALK TO DR.
INGHAM THALER ANYWAYS, WHY DON'T YOU ASK HIM? BECAUSE I HAVE A FEELING HE WILL SAY THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO DO MUCH OF ANYTHING AND THEREFORE IT WOULDN'T BE WORTH THE COST TO THE CITY TO DO.
BUT LET'S GET THE PROFESSIONAL OPINION ON THAT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO EXPLORE ALL OPTIONS.
I THINK THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU, EVERYONE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.