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CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION
TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 2021
CITY HALL STAFF CONFERENCE ROOM
211 WEST ASPEN
 3:00 P.M.

 
MINUTES
             
1.
Call to Order

Mayor Deasy called the Work Session of June 8, 2021, to order at 3:00 p.m.

NOTICE OF OPTION TO RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION
Pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.02, notice is hereby given to the members of the City Council and to the general public that, at this work session, the City Council may vote to go into executive session, which will not be open to the public, for legal advice and discussion with the City’s attorneys for legal advice on any item listed on the following agenda, pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3).
             
2. Pledge of Allegiance and Mission Statement

The Council and audience recited the Pledge of Allegiance and Vice Mayor Daggett read the Mission Statement of the City of Flagstaff.
MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the City of Flagstaff is to protect and enhance the quality of life for all.
             
3. ROLL CALL
NOTE: One or more Councilmembers may be in attendance telephonically or by other technological means.
PRESENT:

MAYOR DEASY (virtually)
VICE MAYOR DAGGETT (virtually)
COUNCILMEMBER ASLAN (virtually)
COUNCILMEMBER MCCARTHY (virtually)
COUNCILMEMBER SALAS (virtually)
COUNCILMEMBER SHIMONI (virtually)
COUNCILMEMBER SWEET (virtually)
ABSENT:









  Others present:  City Manager Greg Clifton; City Attorney Sterling Solomon.
             
4. Public Participation

Public Participation enables the public to address the council about items that are not on the prepared agenda. Public Participation appears on the agenda twice, at the beginning and at the end of the work session. You may speak at one or the other, but not both. Anyone wishing to comment at the meeting is asked to fill out a speaker card and submit it to the recording clerk. When the item comes up on the agenda, your name will be called. You may address the Council up to three times throughout the meeting, including comments made during Public Participation. Please limit your remarks to three minutes per item to allow everyone to have an opportunity to speak. At the discretion of the Chair, ten or more persons present at the meeting and wishing to speak may appoint a representative who may have no more than fifteen minutes to speak.
  Karin Wasack, Shawna Heinious, Scott Heinious, and John Daley addressed Mayor and Council about pedestrian and bicycle safety.
 
They encouraged Mayor and Council to:
  • Create more protected bike lanes
  • Prioritize clearing bike lanes
  • Reduce speed limits
  • Reallocate funds from Props 419 and 420 for bicycle safety improvements
  • Improve bicycle infrastructure
Written comments were submitted by Corryn Smith urging Council to not re-allocate voter approved funding from Propositions 419 and 420.
 
Written comments were submitted by Rose Houk urging Council to re-allocate voter approved funding from Propositions 419 and 420 for bike and pedestrian safety projects.
             
5.
Review of Draft Agenda for the June 15, 2021 City Council Meeting
Citizens wishing to speak on agenda items not specifically called out by the City Council may submit a speaker card for their items of interest to the recording clerk.

None
             
6. Proclamation: Two Spirit Day
  Mayor read and presented the Two Spirit Day proclamation to Holly Figueroa. Ms. Figueroa thanked Mayor Deasy for the proclamation and shared the importance and history of Two Spirit individuals. 
             
7. Recognition: Sean Kugler for work on Commission on Disability Awareness Accessibility Audit
  Mayor Deasy read and presented a letter of recognition and appreciation to Sean Kugler.

Mr. Kugler thanked Mayor Deasy for the recognition.
             
8. Honoring Community Member, Mr. Darrell Marks, for national recognition from the John F. Kennedy 2021 Profile in Courage Award (COVID Courage).
  Coordinator for Indigenous Initiatives Rose Toehe recognized Mr. Marks for the national award he was given. She briefly reviewed the components of the recognition and presented Mr. Marks with a Pendleton blanket. Mr. Marks and his son Machaias Marks thanked Ms. Toehe and the City for the recognition.
 
Mayor Deasy and Councilmember Shimoni expressed gratitude to Mr. Marks and the work he has done within the community.
             
9. Criminal Justice Coordinator Council (CJCC) Update
  Public Works Director Andy Bertelsen introduced Thomas Eberly, Program Director for Justice Management Institute, who provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
COCONINO COUNTY CJCC TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT
BACKGROUND OF THE COCONINO COUNTY CJCC
THE JUSTICE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
PROJECT GOAL
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
PROJECT COMPONENTS
CJCC ASSESSMENT
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS ASSESSMENT SUMMARY
CJCC RECOMMENDATIONS #1-6
RECOMMENDATIONS #7-13
RECENT ACTIVITIES
CJCC ACTIVITIES
 
Councilmember Shimoni thanked Mr. Eberly and the CJCC for the work being done in the community. He stated that he is looking forward to the work ahead and thanked Council for their support with funding the joint position.
 
Mayor Deasy also offered gratitude and that he is looking forward to the work ahead.
             
10. Update regarding Flagstaff's 10 Year Housing Plan
  Housing Director Sarah Darr introduced Affordable Housing Advancement Project Manager Leah Bloom who provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
10 YEAR HOUSING PLAN UPDATE
HOUSING EMERGENCY DECLARATION
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PLAN
INFORMAL WORKING GROUPS
INCLUSIVE INFORMAL WORKING GROUPS
VOLUNTEER TIME IN 4 MONTHS
NEXT STEPS (JUNE – SEPTEMBER)
OVERARCHING DRAFT GOALS
SHARED GOALS – DRAFT
NEIGHBORHOOD & EQUITY DRAFT GOALS
HOUSING & SUSTAINABILITY DRAFT GOALS
HOUSING & HEALTHCARE DRAFT GOALS
ZONING & LAND USE DRAFT GOALS
TIMELINE MOVING FORWARD
 
Vice Mayor Daggett expressed gratitude to the Commission and the volunteers for all their time and effort.
 
The following individuals commented in support of the 10-year Housing Plan:
  • Nicole Ellman
  • Tyler Denham
  • Duffie Westheimer
  • Khara House
  • Bastien Andruet
The following comments were received:
  • Volunteers and experts have poured their time into developing the plan.
  • Affordable housing issues are not new to Flagstaff.
  • You can make tangible differences through the plan.
  • The cost of living is 33.5% higher than other areas.
  • Grateful to Council for recognizing the need for the housing plan.
  • Please support the plan.
  • The time is now to implement meaningful change.
  • The plan is meaningful, thoughtful, and deliberate.
  • This is an extremely complex issue and the plan needs to be broken down into other units based on needs and income levels.
  • Affordable housing works best when integrated into all areas.
  • A majority of households are housing burdened.
  • Exclusionary zoning drives up construction costs.
A written comment in support of the 10-Year Housing Plan was submitted by Moses Milazzo.
 
Councilmember Shimoni stated that he is impressed with all the work that has gone into developing the plan and he looks forward to a possible ballot initiative in 2022.
 
Councilmember McCarthy expressed frustration that many houses, especially new construction, are being occupied by people would do not live in Flagstaff full time. There is not much that can be done about it but it is something that significantly contributes to the housing shortage.
 
A break was held from 4:50 p.m. through 5:00 p.m.
             
11. Discussion and Direction on a Flagstaff Prevailing Wage Ordinance
  Mr. Clifton stated that the item is on the agenda in light of recent action at the state legislature.
 
Management Analyst Chris Rhode provided a PowerPoint presentation that covered the following:
 
PREVAILING WAGE
MINIMUM WAGE VS. PREVAILING WAGE
FEDERAL PREVAILING WAGES
STATE PREVAILING WAGES
PREVAILING WAGES IN ARIZONA
LOCAL PREVAILING WAGES IN ARIZONA
 
Mr. Solomon stated that there has been discussion about ARS 34-321 and preempting cities from enacting a prevailing wage.
 
Matt Capalby addressed Council on behalf of the Southwest Region of Carpenters in support of enacting a local prevailing wage. He stated that it provides increased oversight of how funds are paid on projects and provides a minimum wage for skilled workers that is equivalent to their experience.
 
Joe Galli on behalf of the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce addressed Council stating that the Chamber will be watching the matter closely. He expressed concern about wage mandates from the government and how they can skew the labor market and the cost for projects which can drive up the bottom-line costs.
 
Mayor Deasy stated that the ordinance is not a mandate toward private industry but rather what the city is paying for public contracts. Currently, contracts go to the lowest bidder and without standards, this can incentivize bidders to cut corners to come in low. He stated that the Davis Bacon Act reduces construction workers living in poverty by 30% and there is a 30% increase in productivity in communities that have a prevailing wage. A prevailing wage can also reduce wage disparity for women and people of color. He would like to take the city to the federal standards for wages and credentials for city contracts.
 
Mr. Solomon stated that if there is direction from the Council to move forward there will need to be additional legal research and an executive session on the matter.
 
Mayor Deasy stated that the research may take time and Vice Mayor Daggett stated that she would like additional information in advance of a future discussion.
 
A majority of Council is supportive of moving forward with a possible ordinance.
             
12. Public Participation

None
             
13. Informational Items To/From Mayor, Council, and City Manager; future agenda item requests
  Vice Mayor Daggett requested that when the presentation about planned bike and pedestrian projects comes forward that it include how much funding is available through the transportation tax and identify any discretion there may be within Proposition 419.
 
Councilmember McCarthy reported that he attended the Metro Plan meeting as well as the Transportation Commission meeting.
 
Councilmember Salas reported that she also attended the Metro Plan meeting and shared that the Greater Flagstaff Regional Assessment identified pedestrian and bike projects as the top priority in terms of urgency, magnitude, and regional impact. Federal grants in the amount of $5.6 million has been awarded for pedestrian and bike projects within Flagstaff and the FMPO jurisdiction.
 
Councilmember Shimoni reported that the 911 diversion group met and are working on creative solutions to connect people to the Crisis Resource Network. He reported that there was a candlelight vigil last week for Joanna Wheaton. He is looking forward to the upcoming bike and pedestrian safety discussion with the community. He reported that he attended the meet in the street event with the County to discuss concerns and updates on the potential for flooding and mitigation efforts resulting from the Museum Fire. Lastly, he asked for Council support to represent the City on the Block Chain and Cryptocurrency Committee.
 
Mayor Deasy reported that he held his first office hours last Friday and he is looking forward to continuing the meetings on the first Friday each month. He noted that there are interesting ways that cities have painted their crosswalks in a three-dimensional way to encourage traffic to slow down. Lastly, he stated that there are a number of elderly people in the community that are not ready to enter a nursing home but are lacking in mobility and ability to do some things. There are programs rolling out in other cities where college student lives with elderly people to help them in exchange for reduced rent. It is an interesting program that might warrant research.
             
14. Adjournment

The Work Session held June 8, 2021, adjourned at 5:41 p.m.
 
                  
___________________________________
MAYOR
  ATTEST:

 
 
  _________________________________
CITY CLERK
 

    

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