City Council - Regular Meeting

All right, we are ready to get started.

Today is Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026. This is the city council's regular meeting. I'm calling it to order and giving notice to the city council and to the general public that at this meeting the city council may vote to go into executive session for consultation with our attorneys um on any item listed on the following agenda. Can we have roll call? Mayor Daget here. Vice Mayor Sweet here. Council member Alen here. Council member Garcia here. Council member House present. Council member Matthews here. Council member Spence here. Council member Alen, would you lead us in the pledge of allegiance?

My pleasure. Please stand as you're able. Council member House. The mission of the city of Flagstaff is to protect and enhance the quality of life for all. And vice mayor,

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.

Thank you. Next up, we have approval of minutes from previous meetings. Council, do you have any questions or comments? And if not, I will entertain a motion. Spit it out. I move that we approve the minutes from previous meetings. I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I I

Any opposed? All right. Next up, we have open call to the public. This is where the public uh can address the council about an item that is not on the prepared agenda. You have three minutes. There's a clock here. And because whatever you are going to speak to us on is not on the agenda, we can't have a back and forth um with you. So, we have one card today. Colleen Maring. Good afternoon, mayor, vice mayor, council. My name is Colleen Mering. I'm the chief people officer for Northern Arizona Healthcare. And as you know, several weeks ago, we announced that our board and executive leadership had decided to pause planning on a new regional referral facility um in light of the pending Medicaid cuts and other financial challenges facing healthcare right now. We've been here addressing questions we've gotten since and I have more questions I want to address and share information with you today um about where our non Flagstaff patients come from and why. So, two main reasons. One, we're the only level one trauma center north of Phoenix in the state of Arizona. So, we're the most clinically sophisticated facility serving most of the 750,000 people across 50,000 square miles from Phoenix to St. George, Las Vegas to Albuquerque. Our service area includes some of the most geographically isolated and economically challenged parts of the state. And that those those facts in the rural nature of our region mean we share a dispro we serve a disproportionate share of Medicaid patients. And as a nonprofit hospital, we're committed to never turning patients away who urgently need our care. As a level one trauma center, we provide the highest level of trauma care available according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. And when

it comes to trauma care, by law, patients are taken to the quote closest most appropriate facility. And given everything I just described, that means for the northern half of the state, that's usually us here in Flagstaff. And our location matters clinically. In a massive trauma, stroke, cardiac emergency, minutes matter. And so the medical convenience location of hospital is measured not based on proximities to downtown areas or population centers so much as to highways and airports. We are a trauma center. We are also a regional referral center. As a regional referral center, we provide higher levels of care and subsp specialty care for all kinds of cases, trauma and non-cases. So, open heart surgery, neonatal intensive care, specialized GI procedures, neurosurgery, and more. Those patients also often travel many, many miles coming to us from IHS clinics, um, from rural outlying facilities, from their homes. They're often they have to be brought here by air or ambulance because they're not stable enough even though they're not emergent traumas to travel that distance by car. As I've shared before, the adult impatient beds at FMC are at or exceeding capacity every day. So, we continue to face those long wait times while we try to clear the house upstairs. Um, but we're grateful to our teams continuing to work to get those patients placed as quickly as possible and make sure beds are available for our community and our whole region across Northern Arizona. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Next up, we have uh proclamations and recognitions. And we have a proclamation for Women's History Month. And I believe there are a lot of women here who are um who are here for that. Will you join me down? Join us all down at the end of the day.

I know it is. So after I read this proclamation, we'll take a photo and then um and any other woman is or man who supports uh women's history month is welcome to come down here as well. We'll take a photo and then if one of you would like to speak, you are welcome to do so. The city of Flagstaff joins the National Celebration of Women's History and the contributions of women of every race, class, and life experience in shaping the growth, prosperity, resiliency, and legacy of our nation in ways both documented and undocumented. Women in this country have played and continue to play critical economic, cultural, and social roles in every area of the life of our nation, representing a significant portion of the labor force, including enduring legacies in volunteer services, philanthropic and cultural institutions, the United States military, and in local, state, and national governance. We recognize that despite the continuing disparities in wages and opportunities they face, women continue to serve as leaders for their own rights and the civil and economic rights of others. And we honor the national call to reverse the years in our history for which the roles of women in shaping that history have been overlooked and undervalued. The National Women's History Alliance has announced that the theme of 2026's Women History Month commemoration is leading the change. Women shaping a sustainable future. This theme highlights women driving innovation in environmental, economic, and social justice. Focusing on creating

a resilient, equitable, and sustainable future for all. Now therefore, I, Mayor Becky Daget, mayor of the city of Flagstaff, Arizona, do hereby proclaim March 2026 as Women's History Month and encourage citizens to learn about and reflect upon the contributions of women in our local community and beyond and support and participate in programs, discussions, and events that honor women's history and promote continued progress toward equity and opportunity. Sorry. Uh, loany ketcha inpo maria zavala benardes benidos. I'm a member of the bascoyaki tribe wakan and Puerto Rican. So just extending my greetings in all the languages as my mom would expect me to. I am so honored to be here to share our mission from the Flagstaff Women Connect. I am part of our advisory council. I believe that's what we've renamed it. And we've got some phenomenal women up here who serve on that advisory council. Starting with Sarah, Sandre D, and Ally. If you guys want to raise your hands and say hi, give it up for the FWC Advisory Council. Whoop whoop. At Flagstaff Women Connect, we are a group that meets on the second Monday every month except for March because of spring break. And I wanted to share our mission statement in honor of receiving this proclamation. Thank you so much, Mayor Becky Daget. Flagstaff Women

Connect is a community where women and those who identify with or uplift women's experiences can come together to learn, grow, and support one another. We believe leadership thrives through connection, and our gatherings create space for belonging, inspiration, and shared growth. Uh for those who may or may not know the history, we were formerly known as the Flagstaff Women's Leadership Network, and we are now Flagstaff Women Connect. So, please come out, tell your friends about it, and come spend time celebrating women and those who identify with. Thank you.

Excellent job. All right. Next up, we have council liaison reports. And I'll start down here with council member Matthews.

I have nothing today. Council member Garcia. Nothing today, mayor. Thank you. Council member Alen,

first meeting of the month for us is usually a um a big report for me because all of my council liaison meetings occur on the last week of the month. So the tourism commission met last Thursday. It's a pretty typical meeting uh a lot of reports. They changed the format a little bit which I found refreshing and uh mostly discussed things that came up amongst commissioners rather than just going um wrote through a whole bunch of reports. Um, next we had the uh I'll talk about the uh Cookanino Plateau Water Advisory Council. Next, uh we had a really nice uh uh presentation about the 2025 Dragon Bravo uh and White Sage Wildfire uh the impacts on the North Rim water resources that was uh produced by Dr. Abe Springer. And um I I apologize. I forget the name of the person who contributed to that report from I believe it was the Grand Canyon um the not conservancy. It's not coming to me. So I'll move on. Um I thought it would uh after just a second there. Final report is from the sustainability commission. Um, he Heather Damlin, the CEO and the general manager of the Flagstaff Mountain Line, gave a presentation about the pros and cons of a fair free program. Um, there's an exploration of this program in the Flagstaff context. Uh, and there's a lot of history and commitments uh from the board to to go ahead and discuss all this. Um Jordan Hess, he's the CEO, the general manager of the Missoula Mountain Line, gave an overview of the Zerofare program that was implemented in Missoula in 2015. He provided an overview of their operations, their sponsor arrangements, and um his perspective on the

implementation of the program, which is very mixed. Tyler Means uh from the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority gave a similar presentation over their 5-year long zero program. Uh their successes, their struggles, and their plan to transition back to a fair structure in June of 2026. That report was also mixed. Um a brief report was given uh an overview of upcoming volunteer opportunities and um there was uh again mostly just um other logistics and planning reports. You know there's a sustainability commission um appointments today. There's going to be four appointments available. Um that is due to a confluence of several different factors. One current member is terming out, another member has uh taken a job with the city. So, uh is ineligible to to participate and I look forward to um what council decides on choosing for that. One more report here. Let me pull it up. Uh just some quick announcements about what's going on this next month. Um March 21st, uh there's a couple things happening. Uh a Southside community cleanup, that's from 10 to 1:00 p.m. Uh meet at NA's Health and Learning Center to participate in that. And then immediately afterwards, uh, at 1:00 p.m. to 3 p.m. also at the NAU slug garden, which is 19 West McConnell, there's going to be a full circle gardening um workshop uh related to gaining tips and tools to start seeds in cold, high elevation climates. I'll leave the report there. Thank you,

Vice Mayor. Thank you. Just real quick, Thursday we have a um metrop plan board meeting 1 to 3 at the dcc. And a little fun thing I wanted to bring up with um metrop plan. We met with Mike Pensa with the safe or with FUSD regarding our safe routes to school program and we're creating kits that we're going to be giving to PE teachers in the elementary schools that are going to facilitate bike and ped safety um discussions and there'll be helmets and and fun things in those kits. and I'm looking forward to seeing what the kiddos um think about it. So, thank you,

Council Member House.

Just a couple things for me. Um so, last week we had the uh last week or the week before we had the uh Commission on Diversity Awareness meeting. Um thank you to the commissioners that voted on and approved the Women's History Month proclamation. Um, particularly as the commission is working to be more engaged and encourage more engagement, they added that last section on the proclamation um to encourage people to engage and and learn more and participate um in the community. That's something that the commission really wants to focus in on um going forward is making sure that the proclamations we're issuing are more than just um more than just words, but also inspiring action and uh community engagement. Um they also had um a good conversation about other programs and and things that they are trying to be involved with, including the um community celebration that was held last weekend, I believe, downtown um in honor of the I'm completely blanking on what what the celebration was. It was something new year. Um Lunar, thank you. My goodness. Uh the Lunar New Year um and the events that were held in um the downtown uh Heritage Square area um was really a neat thing to hear from them and see them participating in actively. Um the housing commission had a uh meeting last week as well and um discussed uh several different topics. One of the presentations that came before the housing commission was proposals for uh adaptive reuse and preservation of the

El Po Motel. um which is something that we um continuously circle back on in in hopes to preserve that property and the history and the the story of the Navajo code talkers that comes from that property. Um and so they have presented a future agenda item request for that commission to have further conversation and I'm looking forward to them bringing that forward as um potential further conversation for us as well. That's it for me. Thank you, Council Member Spence.

Thank you, Mayor. Last week, there was the joint meeting of the parks and wreck and the open space commissions. This happens periodically. And uh there's an exciting item on our agenda this evening that was briefly discussed at the joint meeting. Um, so stay tuned for that. All right. And Madame Mayor, yes. The Grand Canyon Trust. What I was trying to think of.

All right. If you remember anything else, shout it out. Okay, we are moving down to appointments and the first set of appointments we have is for the water commission. We have council member house, council member Matthews and then um vice mayor suite each making one appointment. So council member house. Thank you mayor. I am honored to uh nominate for reappoint Robert Bain who's been on the commission and uh contributes a lot um essential to that commission. I'll second.

Any discussion? All those in favor? I I Any opposed? All right. Council member Matthews. Thank you, Mayor. I would like to reappoint uh Haley Paul uh as commissioner. I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I I Any opposed? Vice Mayor. Thank you. I was able to talk with Carolyn Reed this afternoon and um she's very interested and will be a new member of the water commission if we appoint her. So, I do move to appoint Carolyn Reed. I'll second.

Any discussion? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? All right. Moving down to sustainability commission. That is Council Member Matthews, me, Council Member Spence, and Council Member House. So, Council Member Matthews. Thank you, Mayor. Um, we had a great uh group of of applicants here. Um, so it's my honor to reappoint the current chair, Amy Wowinsky. Wokawinsky. Wowinski. I'll second. Second that. Any discussion? All those in favor? I.

Any opposed? All right. I would like to reappoint Roger Skirlock. Is there a second? I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Council member Spence. Yes. I would like to appoint Alyssa Kuzakian. I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Council member House.

Thank you, Mayor. Um, first, thank you to everyone that applied for this commission. This was a great slate and had some good conversation with um folks who work with the commission and the sustainability team. And I would like to move to appoint Audrey Ridge. I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? All right. So, Planning and Zoning Commission, Council Member House, you are to make an appointment.

It's so many appointments this week. This was a fun one. Um so again, thanks to the applicants. Um these were both good folks who could contribute a lot. Um I did reach out to um uh the housing commission actually on this one because one of the applicants was a former commissioner on that commission who was very very engaged in the community and uh on that commission and had a lot of good things to contribute. So, I would like to nominate Rebecca Kappa um for this commission. I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I.

Any opposed? Okay. We're moving down to consent agenda. All matters under consent agenda are considered by the city council to be routine. Unless a member of the city council expresses a desire at the meeting to remove an item from the consent agenda for discussion, the agenda will be enacted by one motion approving the recommendations lended listed on the agenda. Unless otherwise indicated, expenditures approved by council are budgeted items. And I will say that members of the public can also ask to comment on an item and have something pulled. So, council, we have consent items 9 A, B, C. Is there um one that anyone would like to pull? Okay. Then I will entertain a motion to approve the consent agenda.

So moved. Second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I

I. Any opposed? All right. Routine items 10A, consideration and approval of contract regarding uh the pros master plan. Hello, mayor and council. My name is Rebecca Sers. You already know I can't do two things at the same time. So, um I believe Council Member Spence, is this what you were alluding to? Drum roll, please. Oh, no. What did I do?

I didn't touch it.

No, I got it. Good. Because I'm not very good at jokes. Okay. Um, so drum roll, please. Uh, the this, uh, contract would be to contract with Kemley Horn and Associates to conduct a master plan process and document. So, a little bit of background in history. Um, the last parks and recreation master plan was adopted by council in 2013. I emphasized what was included in that in the title. It did not include open space or events and marketing. We're a new division now. We have new priorities and so does the council. So many of the needs are the same, but we'd like to give this a new look and look at our new priorities and strategies and uh including the council emergencies, the new regional plan that's up for um that's coming up to the public soon and a number of other plans that have been adopted by city council. We want to make sure that we're in alignment and support of those. The process started a long time ago now in October and uh we did a request for proposals that opened on October 1st. It closed November 17th. We had a robust and diverse review committee AC from divisions across the city. Uh 11 proposals were received uh and they were all very good. We got really good response on this. Uh the evaluation committee was unanimous in the top scoring proposal and that was Kimley Horn and Associates. They had a full scope of work that met our requirements and they are um perhaps most importantly

within budget and timeline at least in their proposal. So, I wanted to go through some things that stood out to me in terms of why they were a top proposer or the highest scoring proposer. Um, they pro and so I'll just go through some elements of their plan very quickly for you. I've also had some questions about where can I get involved and so I'll be going through that and if council members are interested, you can always reach out to me and let me know. like at this point I want to make sure that we're engaged and um of course both of our commissions will be engaged. So I'll go through that very quickly. Um the the first couple of bullets here are pretty standard for a master plan. A needs assessment is really needed to be updated. Um but the public engagement plan really caught my attention. They're uh proposing four series of workshops throughout the entire process. So they'll start out with a kickoff kind of an overview and what to expect and these are public workshops that they plan to do and then they will do some survey work some uh stakeholder interviews partner interviews and then they'll come back to the public and present the first round of key needs findings. Then they will do some more work work and they will come back to the public with their key technical findings. So I think each step of the way there's opportunity for feedback and comment which uh stood out to me as important and then finally presenting their recommendations and their implementation uh recommendations as well again with an opportunity for feedback. Uh the broad-based outreach outreach strategy also struck me as unique um in just in terms of how broad-based it truly is. Um they are working they will work with us to create a visual a

virtual pres I'm sorry I'm not speaking clearly today virtual presence creating a branded identity so that anytime in the public you see the brand you know that that's talking about the pros master plan that's going on uh key leadership and partner interviews this is our commissions this is council this is council members this is our indigenous administrator this is our planning and development services director. This is, you know, identifying all of the it's our user group leaders. It's our um so it's just I it's city manager's office like what do we want to see in this process and and the outcome and then uh a whole slew of community focus groups user groups youth engagement which I found important um public workshops popup events so going to where the people are in our community um we would get both an electronic survey and a statistically valid survey. This also the statistically valid survey was included in their scope of work and their price. Most others uh propose that as an add-on for more money. Um and to me this is a highly important piece of this master plan is that we have a statistically valid survey from our community members about what they need, what they see that we're offering and to provide us that feedback. and then a multilingual project work site or website as well. So, it's a 15-month proposed process at $199,000 and dollars and change comes right under budget. We have a $200,000 budget. Um, this price does include the subconsultant for the statistically valid survey and other expenses. So, our recommended action is to approve this

contract and authorize the city manager to execute the documents. Happy to answer any questions. Council, do we have any questions? I will entertain a motion to approve the contract and authorize the city manager to execute the documents. Mayor, I would like to move to appro approve this $199,000 contract. I'll second. Any discussion? Council member House.

Sorry, Mayor. Thank you. Um, thank you, Rebecca. I just wanted to say thank you for bringing this forward and um all the work that's gone into getting us to this point and um really looking forward to being engaged in moving this forward. So, thank you. Thank you. All those in favor? I I Any opposed? All right. Thank you, Rebecca. Thank you. All right. B. Consideration and adoption of ordinance ordinances number 20262 and 20263. Hello, Tiffany.

Hi. If you have any questions, I'm here to answer them. All right, council. The um Do you have any questions? We've discussed this before. So, I'm looking for a motion to read ordinance 202602 by title only for the final time. So, moved. I'll second. Uh, any discussion? All those in favor? I I.

Any opposed? City clerk. An ordinance of the city council of the city of Flagstaff amending the Flagstaff City Code Title 10 Flagstaff Zoning Code Chapter 10-40 specific to zones division 10-40.30 non-transsect zones providing for repeal of conflicting ordinances severability authority for clerical corrections and establishing an effective date and a motion to adopt the ordinance. Mayor, I move to adopt ordinance number 2026-02. I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? All right. And a motion to read the next ordinance.

Mayor, I move that we read ordinance number 2026-03 by title only for the final time. I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I. City clerk. An ordinance of the city council of the city of Flagstaff amending the Flagstaff city code title 11 general plans and subdivision chapter 11-20 subdivision and landsplit regulations division 11-20.40 subdivision procedures and requirements providing for repeal of conflicting ordinances severability authority for clerical corrections and establishing an effective date

and a motion to adopt. Mayor, I move to adopt uh ordinance 2026-03. A second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I.

Any opposed? All right, we're moving down to public hearing items. I will open the public hearing and we'll have a presentation on ordinance number 2026-05. Thank you, Tiffany. That was great. Sorry, I did this earlier, but I must have done it too early and maybe it went away. So, here we go. Okay. Um, I am here to present the Lone Tree Ranch direct to ordinance zoning map amendment. My name is Alexandra Prellelli. I'm the current planning manager with the city. So, this request is for a direct to ordinance zoning map amendment to reszone one parcel that's approximately 1.67 acres from the suburban commercial zone with the resource protection overlay um to the high density residential zone with the same resource protection overlay. It's also to remove the conditions required of a previous reszone that happened in 1997 that covers all three of the parcels. Um the prior reszone had specific conditions including that track B um was

to be used for office only, track C was for 32 town homes and track D was for 72 condominiums. Here's a vicinity map. You can see the the project area is in this um diagonal hatch. So that one pink piece is that SCZoned piece that was supposed to be for office with the prior zoning. The other two zones are already zoned high density residential, but we're again looking to remove those conditions for the town houses and the condos to allow this new affordable housing project. So, the proposal is for all three parcels um to be all be in the in that HR zone. It's for four three slash fourstory buildings, um, surface parking and a clubhouse. And as I mentioned, the great thing about this 100% affordable units. So looking at the proposed density of this project, um we're looking at the that highdensity residential zone, the HR zone allows between 10 and 22 units per acre when in the resource protection overlay. That was the the code that we had at the time that staff reviewed this application. Um the regional plan supports between two and 13 units per acre in suburban neighborhood area types. Um this project is proposing um a base number of units of 116

on a total of 8.51 acres. That actually results in a density of 13.6 units an acre. staff discussed this and we feel that that is still in substantial conformance with the regional plan that 2 to13 that we are looking at. Um because they're providing affordable units they are permitted to have a an incentive in the code to allow greater density. So, they're taking advantage of a 45% density bonus. Um, which gives them 52 additional units. So, that's how we get to 168 total proposed units. I'll say it again, 100% affordable units. Um, these are rental units. Um they're for households earning on average up to uh 60% AMI. Uh looking at the unit types, this project has between two it has two bedroomedroom, threebedroom and four bedroomedroom units. These units are a little larger than what we see in other developments. Um, but the applicant can talk about their their desires for these sized units. Um, they submitted a site plan for staff to review that was approved on November 14th of last year. It was subject to the approval of this direct ordinance zoning map amendment as well as modifications to development standards. So, I'll say it again. 100% affordable units. One of the incentives that our code allows is that when you provide a project where

all of your units are affordable, you can ask council to modify some of our development standards. We won't be voting on that tonight. That'll come the next time you get to see me with the second read and the development agreement. We'll also look at those modifications. Um, but just to kind of give you a sneak peek of what's coming. Um, they're looking to eliminate the building forward design guideline, adjust the number of parking stalls between landscape islands, um, increase some of the heights of retaining walls, and decrease the required um, recess depths along the facade planes of a building. Basically, our code requires buildings with walls over 75 ft long to jog that wall to kind try and break it up into smaller pieces. So, their design does this, but the jogs aren't quite as deep as what code requires. Um, it would also allow windows to be installed flush to the to the exterior face of the building as opposed to being recessed inside the wall. Um, it also would reduce the number of required landscape trees on site. So, here we're looking at the proposed floor plan for these apartment buildings. Um on the bottom is this is why when I talked about that three slash4story building because on the very bottom floor on the downhill side is is like half a floor and then above it will be three full floors. So you get that on one side of the building it looks like a fourstory building on the other side it

looks like three. Here's an elevation of the end of the building so you can see where that that um change in floor plate happens so that they really get to work with the slope of the site and take advantage of that. This is a floor plan of that clubhouse we talked about just to show you some of the amenities and I'm sure the applicant will also talk about that. But um the clubhouse has laundry facilities. It has a workout room. It has this little kind of kitchen area and gathering space for residents. And this is an elevation of that. So again, you get a taste of that architectural design. Um this as I mentioned this these parcels are all in that resource protection overlay. So they are required to save a certain percentage of the tree canopy. Our code does have an incentive for affordable projects that reduces the required amount by 25%. So they're required to save 25% of the tree canopy on the site. The proposal is currently saving 26%. Um I I only took the very far east side of the site just to show you this is really where they're concentrating a lot of that those tree resources in one area which I talked to the at the planning and zoning commission told them I really love it when this happens because under construction things can get a little crazy out there and dirt's moving around. there's a lot of big equipment. So, if you can put all your trees in one area, it's so much easier to protect them and have them survive that construction. Um, there's also some

steep slope in this area as well. Um, that's required to be saved. Um, the proposal is saving 93% when they're only really required to save 70. So, that's great, too. Um this project is required to have common space. Again, they're providing um most of that common space in this same tree resource area on the east side as well as some areas around like the clubhouse. Um, as far as pedestrian and bicycle facilities, um, this project takes advantage of a lot of alternative transportation. Um, this was this is my horrible sketchy attempt to draw in um PowerPoint, so forgive. But um you could see that shaky blue line is showing where they're going to be providing a new sidewalk along Pine Null with um that parkway, that kind of landscape buffer between the sidewalk and the street. Um the blue dots are bike racks that are provided scattered throughout the site for people to use. Um the foots is this reddish shaky line up to the north. Um this project is adjacent to an existing city park and has direct connection with that park and the applicant is has also agreed to work with the city to do some grading uh a combination of on their site as well as on the city's um park site. And that's really because, you know, when you're building these retaining walls and this apartment building, the last thing we want to do is get that all constructed and then come in and grade for this foot and pot

foots trail and potentially undermine those foundations. So, the idea that the applicant could do that now while they're already out there and doing construction and ideally that'll make um when the city comes in to build that foots trail, it'll make it that much easier on us. Um there's also existing bus stops. There's one adjacent to this site, that red dot, and a corresponding one across the street. So on the west side of Lone Tra and a little further south uh for landscaping uh the applicant did submit a concept landscape plan. It generally meets our requirements for all the different categories of landscaping we want to see. Um they did take advantage of some affordable housing incentives to reduce some of that on-site parking. uh a final landscape plan will be reviewed with their civil plan submitt. This project is a little a little bit up in the air as far as um some covered parking. In the beginning, the applicant really wanted to provide canopies over some of the parking and utilize solar panels on the site. um things have changed, tax credits have changed, and so they're still seeing if they can they can work that into the project or not. And because of that, um our code allows a reduction in landscaping when you provide canopies with solar, but not if you only provide canopies. And so part of that modification to the development standards that we'll see on the 17th is giving them the ability to if if the canopies don't happen or don't happen right away that they're still in conformance with their landscaping.

Uh on-site parking is required. Our code um calculates that based on number of bedrooms essentially. Um they are taking a 15% transit reduction for affordable units and that brings them from 360 spaces down to 260 spaces. Um the site plan currently though shows 286 spaces and includes accessible spaces. Um, and like I mentioned before, we want to keep that option of having covered parking, covered solar. We'll see what happens. Um, we look at um public systems impact analyses with this project. Um, one we're looking at the traffic rightway impacts. Um the applicant is going to be um dedicating some additional rightway for frontage improvements. That sidewalk that I mentioned along Pine Null, a little bit along Lone Tree. Um there are also this project is is gated. There's a fence around the project and gates at the driveways and the second driveway. the gate is we just we have a condition in the DA and an agreement with the applicant that that gate needs to be far enough into the site that people pulling in and stopped at the gate don't start impacting traffic on Pineol um as well that agreement to do the grading for the foots we also looked at water and wastewater impact um a whisa was completed and it was determined that no major off-site improvements are required. However, this project is reliant on the city finishing an ongoing

project, the Wildcat Interceptor Upsizing Project. So, um, staff doesn't have any concerns about that at this point. That project's moving along smoothly, I'm told. So, timing should work out just right. Um, another impact we look at is storm water analysis. Um, a drainage report was required. The applicant is proposing the use of underground basins which I've highlighted in blue on the site. So that'll happen underneath the parking. So when we look at a reszone, the only way to approve it is to confirm that it meets certain findings. So finding number one is that's in conformance with the general plan. Um I mentioned this is an existing suburban area. Um the regional plan density that 2 to 13 units per acre. We determined this project was in general conformance with that. This project also supports a lot of our housing goals as well as a lot of transportation goals with all that multimodal activity happening right around it. Uh staff determined that finding number one was met. Uh finding number two is community benefits and public good. Um this project provides 168 affordable units. It's located within walking distance of NAU AOYO Park, uh, transit stops. It's also an infill parcel and that meets a lot of our goals talking about compact growth, housing diversity, sustainability. Uh, it was determined that finding number two is met. Finding number three is that the site is physically suitable.

Um it when staff reviewed it, it was determined that it met applicable codes and requirements and that it mitigated any impacts as determined by those impact analyses. So finding number three is met. Um as I mentioned, a development agreement is also coming forward with this. We'll see that on the 17th. Um that development agreement will include such elements as the affordable housing commitment, the affordable housing incentives being used as well as those development standards modifications. Um the commitment to grade the future foots, the rightaway dedications and that gate access control for citizen participation. Uh we the applicant held a neighborhood meeting. Four individuals attended. Um staff waved the requirement for a second meeting and has not received any comments to date. Uh the planning and so this is the recommendation. Um I could read this whole thing to you or we could wait until you're ready to make a motion and we can revisit it then. Yeah, I don't think you need to read the whole thing. We've already read it. Okay, then that's the end of my presentation and I'm here to answer any questions and the applicant is here if you have any questions for them.

Council member Matthews, I have a question for the applicant. Uh, mayor, council member Matthews, for your record, Lindseay Shouy, uh, with law firm of Gamage and Burnham, 40 North Central, Phoenix, Arizona. Lindsay, and I know the answer to this, but I think it's important for you to speak on this uh, to the community. Um, this project includes um, gates. We've had conversations about that. Can you just expand on why this is will be a gated community?

Yes. U, Mayor, Council Member Matthews, thanks for that question. And I do have a presentation. So, mayor, let me know if you would like me to make it. But it's interesting with affordable housing, and again, this is 60% AMI or less, 100% affordable housing, 168 units. We tend to have a lot of single mothers. And so, if and and I've got a picture and we can go through the site plan. our clubhouse, our highly amenitized clubhouse with a tot lot and barbecue areas and little kind of gathering areas um is not necessarily right right by the residential units. And so for one um it's for single mothers or or homes where there's only one caretaker who you know who wants to we want to keep people in as opposed to not not keep people out in but people who are in there keep them in and and not have them come out. Another consideration for this property was the proximity to NAU in terms of overflow parking from NAU and especially on game days to be able to manage our own parking for our own residents. Um and then this is just the the way Lincoln Avenue communities and I'll I'll speak to them in a moment. Um this is a model that they have used. They have units all across the country and we are keeping those gates and I've been to you before, right? And we've had that, you know, it it's not a value or policy that Flag Staff likes, right, in terms of when gates are seen to keep people out. Um, these gates are on our property, so they're not in the public right away. And we have worked with staff in a way that they're comfortable with them, that any vehicular queuing will not impact the road at all. So, those are the primary reasons why we are requesting a gate today. I have um two questions. The eliminating the building forward design is that because of the sloping on the

property and needing to to move everything forward.

Um I actually have Mayor Great question and I've got a a depiction if it's okay with you. A little bit of both. Absolutely. because of um because of the slope on the property and the management. I think that's a reason why this property has been vacant since 1997 since the first rezone is in part using the slope. Um it's also just the way we needed to uh align our parking. So to get the maximum density and allow the greatest amount of parking. Um but then what's great the way we designed it uh we actually have and here let me just hold on slideshow play from beginning I'll just get to the site plan here we were able to put the clubhouse in the corner and I'll show you some other pictures so I do think we got the impression of kind of activating that corner by putting the clubhouse down there which is the intent of the ordinance right the buildings forward is that activation so we put the club the clubhouse there because of the slope it was impossible to put the residential buildings and also to maximize density.

Okay. And uh I noticed in the DA you had um no less than 30day rental. So thank you. Um yeah, Mayor Mayor uh council, I think I've heard that from almost every one of you. So, yes, we are h happy to put that in there and it it does align with the funding that we we are getting federal funding for this project. Council member Alen,

thank you, Madame Mayor. Hi, Lindsay. Uh good to see you again. Hope your trip up here was was a pleasant one. Um quick question about window panes and then I have another question to to uh antagonize you with a little bit. Um so, explain the window pane thing for me. Is that just an economic uh straight up economic consideration? Okay, good one. Uh, mayor Councilman Alley, may I put the architect on? Not the architect of this project, but a architect.

Um, so I believe that our code was written trying to um tie our design standards to a vision of our downtown that has a lot of older masonry buildings where it makes sense that windows are recessed and you see the thickness of that wall. That's actually not how modern buildings are being constructed. And if anything, those windows are coming out further and further from the wall instead of being recessed into it. Um, so it's maybe one day we'll be able to update our code. It's really about um about the reality of construction whether or not like I think you could probably design a building. It would cost more money if it was recessed. This project as well in uses enhanced trim which is something that I try and encourage applicants to use so that you're still getting this idea of shadow lines and the idea of these windows and and having some a different plane compared to the wall. Um so I wouldn't say it's necessarily just it's cheaper. Um it's actually the reality of construction as as I've experienced it. Okay, thank you for that. And Lindsay, I hope I didn't get your heart rate up. I really just teasing you a little bit. Um, I wanted to follow up with you on something because I know you're a tough lady and you can handle it. You you said something a minute ago about keep keeping people in um with your gated community. I wanted to give you a chance to sort of revisit that statement and clarify that a little bit because it sounded a little weird to me.

Okay. Uh yes, Mayor uh Council Member Alen. And by the way, the other thing on the windows is the maintenance. So, when they're recessed, when there's weather, especially in a climate like this, it adds to more maintenance costs and potential issues for the units. Um, keep I'm like the 10year and younger people. I'm talking about the little people. Uh, you know, I I had three kids in three years and three months and a husband who quit his job and went back to school. And so, frequently found myself at the park or at home or doing things after work. I I have had the privilege of a three kids stroller and being alone uh with those three people. When you have any children uh and Councilman Asyn, I know you do too. Essentially, it's the tot lot. It's making sure that children don't run onto the street. Uh that's specifically what I was speaking to. Not not people of age who can make decisions that the younger ones. Well, although my 15-year-old, I don't think his frontal cortex is totally uh we probably want confines for him, too. But yes, no, I was thinking more the young children.

Vice Mayor, thank you and thank you for bringing this project forward. Um, music to my ears for sure. I'm wondering, can you remind me the the amount of years that the units are affordable? Uh, mayor, vice mayor suite, great question. 30 years. So, we are uh our Lincoln Avenue communities and we'll get to this is will has to maintain it, own and maintain it for 15 years. So, they will be the owners and the managers. And so, again, when you have this federal funding, you do have a higher quality o of development and of construction because these owners who are who are constructing it, they will own it for 15 years. But we have in the development agreement that they will m that we will maintain the affordability for 30 years.

Thank you. And I just wanted to um send some appreciation for um thinking of transportation ahead of time. It's been a big shift since I've been on council and I do appreciate that there's the bus stop and that the foots trail is is going in and um what a big difference that will make for those in this community. And Lindsay, why don't we go ahead and see your presentation because I think that might answer additional questions. And if not, we we'll still take additional questions.

Perfect. Mayor, thank you very much. And we may have hit on a lot of them already. So, I will uh try to be respectful as I know there's other people in the audience and there are other topics you were going to cover tonight. But, uh, Lone Tree Ranch again, and I love how Alex kept saying it, 100% affordable, 168 units. Um, we're doing a direct ordinance zoning map amendment. I'm going to take you through a little bit of the project and the three findings. Uh, trying not to be repetitive on any anything we just hit with questions or anything Alex said in her presentation. Uh, with me is Sean from Gamage and Burnham. He is going to get here at the podium sooner rather than later. So, I look forward to you seeing another face from Gamage. Uh, Matthew Klene is here from Lincoln Avenue Communities. U, Matthew Matt uh, not only is just thrilled to bring you this project, uh, but he is born and raised in Arizona and, uh, really happy to bring this project forward. We've got Brian Jorgger with WLB, one of your local civil architects that I just have love having the pleasure to work with. And our architecture team is online if we have any questions. So again, Lincoln Avenue, uh they operate in 28 states. They do both market rate and affordable housing. Um we have they have six projects in the state of Arizona right now that they're working on. This is the first in Cookanino County. And so if uh and excited to do more. So Matt's very excited to be able to come back to his home state of Arizona. Uh and hopefully look forward to this being the first of more projects that we can bring up here to northern Arizona. Uh Alex did a lovely job and you know I know you all do your due diligence and drive by the site, but again located at Lone Tree and Pine Null. We're located near existing multif family and single family. Great proximity as Alex described to parks. Right. We've got the

park to our north. um easy access to NAU to downtown as well as both freeways. Alex did a lovely job of the blue line and the red line on her PowerPoint presentation. I'm not that bold. Uh but we will have foots trail both to the north and south of this project. Again, the same map that Alex showed. The important thing is again this project was originally reszoned in 1997. That was a minute ago. Nothing has happened for a variety of reasons that we can all kind of guess. But the in the last reszone, not only were there conditions of approval that were removing as we go through this process, right? That's the reason process, but also that corner is SC, right? Suburban commercial. Um the intent, right, in in traditional zoning is you want commercial on the corner for the activation. Again, here we're changing that, but the clubhouse is in that corner. So that from the outside perspective, we still have that corner activation, but it is just uh uh HR to HR. So the zoning is not changing. We're just changing the conditions of approval on there. So these are our four bedrooms. Again, Alex did a really nice job. It sounds confusing. Three and fourtory units. It's like what are Lindsay? What is it? Threetory or fourstory? Um, but in order to take advantage and respect the slope on the property while still maximizing the number of residential units, I really want to compliment um our architects and our our civil engineer for coming up with this strategy of the split 34 because it really helped us get the greatest number of units on here. And then again with the clubhouse in the corner. So this is another view again to exemplify kind of what Alex was saying. you know, this is probably why the property has been vacant, the resources, both, uh, tree and slope on here, but the way we were able to design it, um, took advantage of the slope. We were

able to work with the slope in a great way, uh, and also tackle the affordability and the housing crisis we have here in Flagstaff. So, you guys saw this one again, 168 units, Alex, and I love saying that. Big A, 60% AMI affordable units. Um they are comprised uh of two, three and fourbedroom units. You may ask, Lindsay, why fourbedroom units? Uh I will tell you because of our federal funding, and this is for better or worse, and we hit on this at Planning and Zoning Commission, if any of you guys watch that tape, uh we cannot rent to students. Is that good? Is that bad? I don't know. But we can't. So you cannot be a full-time student. Now, you could take you could be taking a class or two, but you have to be employed and so full-time employment. So, that those are the rules of the federal funding that we're going to get. Another important question that one of you probably have written down uh is are we worried about state funding? We're not because this is going to be a 4% project with federal funding. So, this property, this project is not in jeopardy, even what's happening at the state level with some of their affordable housing issues. Now, that's about as much as I can say on it. If you want more, we'll get Matthew Klein up here because he's the expert. Um, but I know that that is something that's important. Mayor, especially to you, as well as the council, is going down to the state and lobbying um for those funds and lobbying for for the affordable housing. This property is not in jeopardy. Uh but we do have 24 fourbedroom units um that are for families and and andor greater number of residents in there. So can't rent to students, but again uh we've got two uh 56 two-bedroom, 88 three-bedroom, and 24 fourbedroom units. This is the clubhouse

on the corner. As Alex said, highly amenitized, greatlooking clubhouse. It's very important to us that our residents um are happy. Uh, Councilman Alen, again, it's the playground and the tot lot and keeping the wee little kneeh highs inside the fence so they don't run out into traffic andor either one of the bus lines or onto the Foots trail or up into the big public park. Uh, th those are the those are the the little people that we're trying to keep inside. Um, uh, yeah, and we also touched on the gates. This is where I was going to touch on the gates. Council member Matthews, thank you for that. again the number of the reasons why we chose uh to gate this project. So again SC so it's SCR that's the current zoning on the left and the proposed zoning again just HR highdensity residential for the entire project and again we are removing the stipulations from the prior rezone case. I think it's important to note the prior rezone case encompassed more than this property. We are not impacting anyone else's property. We are not taking away any rights or obligations to anyone else's property. This reszone simply affects ours and puts new conditions of approval and on our property here. Alex did a great job of going through the findings, right? But number one, basically regional plan compliance. Number two, not detrimental to public health, safety, convenience, or welfare. and then three located in a physically suitable site. Uh staff found we're in compliance with all of these and I would agree with you. The general plan, right, two to 13 units. We maxed that out. We went all the way to 13. Uh again, the project's massing scale is compatible uh with the area, the infill development, close proximity to schools and parks,

providing attainable housing and access to transit. So many of the goals in your regional plan are met with this project. Public benefits, again, sustainable infill growth, right? That's what we're looking for here. Uh energy efficient building material. we are electric only um fire safe accessibility and just again adding to the diversity of housing options uh that we have in the city of Flagstaff. So, these are some ideas of some of the the the costs. Again, we will be uh using you guys don't we don't have the the co the income levels yet for 2026 that your housing department comes out with. Um but again, this really is bus drivers, medical assistants, firefighters, AMT, social workers, teachers. These are the the residents of of this community. I'm really really excited to bring it uh suitability of the location. Right. Number three, again, compact and infill. Uh we've got the two foots trails. Uh as Alex mentioned with her little red dot, there is an there are two bus lines. There is an existing bus stop. We have worked very closely. Mountain Lion reached out to us early on and we've been working with them to accommodate space for a bus shelter and for all of that. So, we're we've been working closely with Mountain Lion and happy to be a partner of M Mountain Lion on this project. Dark skies compliant, earthtone facads, roofing, and materials. Uh, so I'd submit to you we are in compliance with all three of the findings. And so, I'm just about there when I respectfully request approval at least or to get through this first read. Uh, you will hear at the next hearing on the 17th, we'll go through the development agreement. that development agreement, as Alex says, will include those affordable housing modifications.

Um, this is the third project that I've been able to be in front of council on those full affordable modifications. Again, you are ahead of your time in having that. I still don't know any other jurisdiction that allows for this. Um, and council member Alen is for, you know, what those modifications are. you know, even the windows. I don't think, as you can see by this picture, that we're giving up on any uh interest, any architectural integrity, any of those things. But there are different things that we can ask for, right? The pushing and the pulling just to make small changes to make this project a better project. Um, but again, the DA will have the affordability term of 30 years. Vice Mayor, you're ahead of us here. Uh, the grading for the Footz Trail. So, we'll do the grading for the Foots Trail. easement dedication for the shelter for mountain line. Uh again, just kind of caught or get all the incentives in there that we're taking. No, we're not taking that many. And then the minor modifications. Uh yeah, and Alex ran through them all and you will vote on those at the next hearing at the second read. Minimal public interest. Like we said, there were four people at the neighborhood meeting and they just uh they're asking mostly about students, about the affordability, um but all pretty supportive. We're here with a recommendation of approval from staff. Unanimous recommendation of approval from your planning commission and they can be kind of a tough bunch sometimes. They asked lots of great questions and it was great to be in front of them. Um there was one member of the public who did comment at the PNZ hearing who requested a continuence. It was over what I believe to be more of a private contractual issue with CCNR's question. Planning Commission heard that question and comment and they chose to move us forward as it was a private private issue. So with that uh just happy to

answer more questions. Um really excited to be here with a 60% AMI project 168 units and look forward to getting a shovel on the ground for this one. Thank you Lindsay. Uh, Council Member Garcia.

Thank you, Madame Mayor. And you were correct. Uh, Lindsay answered most of uh, the questions that I had in the presentation. Um, but I guess I just wanted to say thank you for bringing this forward, you and your company. This is an amazing use of the land as far as density is concerned and it's the right place um, by by luck, but you know, it's also the right place for families to grow up because of proximities to schools and whatnot. Um, I guess the only question I can think of right off the top of my head would be, uh, is this a standalone project? Like, usually we see folks coming in here that want to develop and they want to help out with 10 or 20% of their development for affordable housing. What makes you guys come in here and want to give us 100%.

Uh, Mayor, Council Member Garcia, I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna pass this off to my client. May I introduce Matthew Klein for Lincoln Avenue Communities? Mayor, Vice Mayor, uh, Council Members, Matthew Klein with Lincoln Avenue Communities, uh, 401 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, California is my corporate address. Um, Council Member Garcia, it's a great question. Uh, as Lindsay mentioned, we, our firm effectively only does affordable housing all across the country. Um, we operate utilizing the 4% low-inccome housing tax credit, which was established in 1986. Um and so that sense has been the largest producer of these public private partnerships which allow for affordable housing to be created. So this was section 42. This is not section 8. It's this combination of our private capital with these federal low-income housing tax credits. No state low-income housing tax credits that allow for this to be 100% affordable for 30 years.

Well, thank you for that. We appreciate that. Absolutely. We're incredibly excited to be here. Any other questions? All right. I don't see any public comment, so I'm going to close the public hearing and council. Uh, I'm looking for additional discussion or um, Mayor, I'd like to make a motion. Thank you. Or that mayor. I'd like to read ordinance number 2026-05 by title only for the first time.

I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? Oh, I Hold on. I I got ahead of myself. Council member House,

mayor. Um, thank you uh Lindsay and and uh Alexandra and team for presenting this. This is a really exciting project and opportunity for our community. Um, meeting as as was said during the presentation, a lot of community needs, but also meeting them in a very unique way. Um, that I don't think we we often have the opportunity to see, as Council Member Garcia was noting in asking that question, what makes you come forward with a 100% affordable um, community like this? Um, I think it's it's just a wonderful opportunity for us to advance the goals that we've had for years. Um, to meet the needs that we've had for years, um, and to, um, uh, cross over those different community needs in really unique ways as well. So, I'm just deeply appreciative of uh this project coming forward, excited to see it um moving forward at this point and really looking forward to the March 17th meeting when we get to discuss it again. Thank you.

All those in favor? I I I. Any opposed? All right. Thank you. Moving down regular agenda 12A. Mayor, we we just need to do the read. Yeah,

that's right. I always miss that part. Will you please read it? An ordinance of the city council of the city of Flagstaff amending the Flagstaff zoning map to reszone approximately 8.51 acres of real property generally located at the northeast corner of Lone Tree Road and Pine Null Drive APN's 104-14-003G 104-14-003H and 104-14-003J from the suburban commercial SC and highdensity residential HR zones with the resource protection overlay RPO to highdensity residential HR zone with the resource protection overlay RPO with conditions providing for severability authority for clerical corrections and establishing an effective date.

Thank you. All right. Now we're moving down to the regular agenda 12A. Consideration and adoption of resolution number 26206-11. Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. Stacy Saltzburg, communication and civic engagement director. I'm here to provide just a very brief introduction to this item and then I will turn the time over to council member House. Um this is, if you recall, a um request that came from Council Member House as a fair item. Um it did receive the requisite support from council to move it forward for consideration. Um materials were provided in your agenda packet that included a draft resolution as well as some presentation materials. And I will turn it over to council member house.

Did you want me to pull up the presentation? Thank you.

It's very fun to be on the side of the deis. Um good afternoon, mayor, vice mayor, city council. Um Car House, Flagstaff city council member also uh presenting on this item. Um, so this is an item that's requesting that we consider becoming um or adopting a resolution to move us towards uh the ability to be a recovery ready community. Um, recovery ready communities are communities in which systems, services, and environments are intentionally designed to support individuals and families in recovery from mental health and substance use challenges and conditions. These communities reduce stigma, they expand access to recovery supports, and they foster long-term wellness in inclusive environments. So, why does this matter? Why is this so important for our community? Um, even before the pandemic, communities like ours and including Flagstaff have seen rising mental health and substance use challenges across all demographics. Um this is a challenge that impacts all communities um but also disproportionately impacts some communities um that call Flagstaff home. In alignment with Flagstaff's mission um we can recognize that recovery impacts everyone including all sectors of our community. We've seen over the past several years the work that we've done to support our public um service officers with police and fire department um strengthening our focus on trauma informed workplace um practices in partnership with local agencies and so forth. Um doing this work helps to improve community resilience in fiscally responsible ways. Essentially what that means is that this is a very lowcost if not nocost opportunity for the city of Flagstaff recovery communities align

with Flagstaff's broader goals of social equity, housing stability, environmental resilience, public health, economic development and much more. The key pillars of recovery ready communities um is that it supports prevention and early interventions. It provides access to treatment and recovery supports, community- based resources and supports, stable housing and employment pathways, inclusive policies and community education, compassionate and inclusive community culture uh and creates and sustains opportunities aligned with the four pillars of recovery which are health, home, purpose and community. Some of the characteristics of recovery ready communities. recovery is uh endorsed by local government leadership as a public priority. Behavioral health, workforce, uh housing and criminal justice systems are integrated and collaborating. The community engages in communitywide education to reduce stigma and promote seeking support. Communities offer safe spaces and supportive housing including recovery housing, transitional and permanent uh supportive housing options, peer respits and so forth. Communities invest in peer and family supports including peer workforces and lived experience leadership. Uh which leans into the policy of nothing about us without us. Data is tracked to maintain accountability at the community level for outcomes, gaps, and equity in recovery access and overall community wellness. Some of the benefits of recovery ready communities. These communities improve public safety. They increase housing stability. They reduce strain on emergency services and shelters. It offers stronger workforce participation and economic engagement. Offers resources for healthier families. It

supports youth and engaged uh uh youth and strengthened youth outcomes uh and visible community leadership in one of today's most urgent public concerns. The vision that I am bringing forward with this resolution is that we support uh as council a resolution to express commitment to being a recovery ready community. This would involve partnership with local providers, organizations, and service agencies. Expanding housing strategies to support recovery housing options aligned with zoning and affordability goals. Participating and collaborating on cross- sector roundts on recovery inclusion in Flagstaff's workforce and housing. continue training for city staff on trauma-informed practices and more um including incorporation of and engagement of the criminal justice system um to support programs that uh support re-entry and ongoing support for people who are living with behavioral health conditions as they re-enter and become part of our community again. The first steps that we're talking about tonight um are um if we approve this uh resolution, we would be able to move forward with conducting community assessments or need scans through a partner organization. Uh one thing for us to keep in mind is the ongoing work that's happening with Cookanino County in the development of a wellness center uh and recovery supports through that program. This is an opportunity for us to partner and support in that work in a meaningful way and starting off on the strongest ground possible. Um we would be able to host recovery stakeholder roundt or roundts um in order to ensure that the right people are being invited to the table

and allowed to engage and then building an inter agency or cross agency think group or work group to explore what recovery readiness means for flag staff. So, what does it actually look like to engage in these practices within our community? Uh, continuing on that, we can utilize organizational leaders and the work group to identify current strengths and gaps in recovery, housing, workforce supports, re-entry, and other local collaborations. We can consider engaging a state or national technical assistance partner in order to support this type of work. and we can support uh as I'm hoping we'll do tonight, a resolution emphasizing our commitment to recovery and community wellness. The overall goal in uh presenting this to council is supporting a flag staff where recovery lives. One of the major principles of recovery is stating and believing that recovery is possible. Um there are multiple pathways to recovery. Everyone enters into recovery at different phases in different places in their lives. And we have an opportunity as a community to support that work um and engage as uh an entity in a city that's leading the way in our state to create these pathways for people to truly thrive and to meet out our mission of um supporting and enhancing the quality of life for all who call Flagstaff home. Um my vision of this is as a first step um in Flagstaff being the uh the pioneers or the leaders in taking this first step in work that can really have major impact not only for Flag Staff and for Cookanino County but also for the rest of the state of Arizona as well if others follow in our footsteps. So that's it for the presentation. I am happy to take questions.

Council member Matthews. Thank you, mayor. Uh, thank you, Council Member House, for this presentation. It was great. I still have some questions. I'm I'm feeling um like there was a lot of words or descriptions that in my finance brain means money, you know, like partnership or collaboration or engaging for a needs assessment. Is there um an estimated like what would the cost because I see a lot of um what is being covered here? Um you know we have a great community um full of agencies that are providing this. So can you just speak on that a little bit more? like what how does that separate us to then bring in an engagement and is that the financial responsibility for us to group that together or we're just saying that we um support um you know this initiative um and support the agencies that are already doing that or sorry

yeah u mayor council member Matthews thank you for the question um really what this is moving forward forward is uh the offering of that partnership. So particularly I think one thing for us to keep in mind is that the city of Flagstaff does not have a department for health and human services. So we would not be leading the way in either financial or uh operational capacity in leading a a community assessment. What we might do is partner with agencies to be part of the conversation. that doesn't necessarily mean offering or contributing funding to that. Um, but part of the conversation that's being held with the uh potential development of a um uh wellness center in the community is also leaning in on the need for a needs assessment or community assessment to understand what the true nature of the need is. That is always the first and best step recommended um not only from local agencies but also federally um as the best practice when developing any sort of center like that because you have to actually understand the the heart of the issue that you're addressing before you start addressing it. Um, and that often looks like on the ground, uh, operations or conversations, uh, engaging in conversations with different community agencies, uh, and work like that that doesn't necessarily have a cost point associated with it, um, but does involve the time and commitment to actually engaging in those conversations to understand the full scope of the need.

Thank you for that. And I'm assuming when you refer a wellness center, you're talking about this the healing center. Mhm. Yes. Um yes, and we are doing that needs assessment. So that's great. I know NA is working on that for us. So thank you. Um thank you so much. This is a great presentation. Council member Garcia.

Thank you, Council Member House for um giving us this presentation. I know it means a lot to our community. Um, you know, growing up here in in this community, I've noticed that oftentimes people will struggle with um substance abuses and things of that nature. It really leads them into some low-level um criminality and disrupts their life kind of completely. So, having these type of things uh moving forward are really important to us and it warms the cogles of my heart when you when you speak to them. Now, I was curious um I did miss the very first part of your presentation and I do apologize for that. Did you mention um like what kind of funding that we were going to need moving forward or is this an initiative that was just taking brain power at this point?

Yes. Uh Mayor, Council Member Garcia, thank you for the question. Uh this is an initiative that is really relying on brain power at this point. So willingness to partnership um potentially offering space for meetings to take place um potentially partnering with other agencies um that exist within the community already. Um, but at this point, this is not a financial or fiscal ask. It's just an ask for support and partnership in moving this sort of work forward. I love that so much and I wanted to contribute um any contributions I can make personally to this effort as well. Um I'd love to be there through all of it. Thank you. Thank you.

All right. I don't see any other questions. Um did you you were going to make a motion. Thank you for uh bringing this forward. We began discussing it probably a year ago and so thank you for keeping it moving forward and for this great presentation.

Thank you, mayor. I'd also like to just give shoutouts to a couple folks that have participated in those conversations. So, uh assistant city manager, um I I'm getting used to the new title. Um, Assistant City Manager Anderson um helped support bringing uh the presentation together and some of the initial conversations. I've had uh conversations with the guidance center, Flagstaff Shelter Services, um uh the uh Cookanino County Crisis Coordinating Council, um and uh other agencies throughout our community. um uh the Cookanino County Children and Youth Organization who has led a lot of the work when it comes to uh traumainformed workplaces which is part of um actually recovery ready community practice and programming. Um they had a lot of good input into other organizations to reach out to to partner in work like this as well. So this has truly been a community effort um that I am glad and honored to be able to bring forward. Vice Mayor, did you want to make a motion?

Thank you, and thank you for bringing this forward, Council Member House, and I am very honored to um do this and and be part of tonight. So, I would I move that we read resolution number 2026-11 by title only. I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I I

Any opposed? All right. Thank you, city clerk. A resolution of the Flagstaff City Council declaring the city of Flagstaff's commitment to supporting and advancing policies and partnerships that move the community towards the goal of becoming a recovery ready community. I move that we adopt resolution number 2026-11. Second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I I

any opposed? All right. Okay. So, we are down to 13 discussion items. We're going to have a presentation from our city manager and this is just for discussion only. We are taking public comment on this. And then we will move down to the two citizen petitions and we'll take them individually. Um, and these all kind of have something to do with each other. So, if the public chooses to, you could make comments on each one of these. All right, city manager. Uh, well, good afternoon, mayor and council. I'm Joanne Keane. I'm the city manager for the city of Flagstaff. Um I just first wanted to start today um by sending my appreciation to um first the opportunity to present on this topic today and then also to the team that has worked on this presentation and that has been working on this issue. Um and I'll kind of go through a timeline on some things that we've been working on. Um, but specifically, I'd like to to thank the city manager's office. Um, today will be a tag team presentation between myself, our um, assistant city manager, Shannon Anderson, and our interim deputy city manager, Kevin Finel. Um, if council is okay um, waiting until the end for questions. We also have others that are also available for questions as well. Um, our city attorney's office has also been involved in this. um Sterling Solomon, um Maryanne Sullivan, um and also Christina

Rubaclava, our police department, our police chief, um and our deputy chief, as well as our communication and civic engagement staff, uh Stacy Saltzburg and Sarah Langley. So, I just wanted to recognize all of those individuals. Um so just to start I just wanted to acknowledge that that um our team and I know many of you have been working on these issues um since last year. Um our police chief has been meeting with community groups as well as members of the immigrant community to better understand their concerns. Our mayor, our city attorney's office, our police chief, and our city manager's office have been meeting with a stakeholder group to look at our immigration directive. Our police department prepared an incident action plan which outlines um should there be an ICE warrant or detention activity within our community, how we would respond to that. And that plan was adopted in July 2025. Um, this issue has been top of mind for all of us. Um, I recognize today that what we're presenting will not be enough for some individuals and I think we're also going to have the other side where it may be um, it may go too far. Um, but I just want to make the point today that um, as your city manager um, I feel strongly that this is an approach that the city um, can support and also implement immediately. We've also been in communication with the city of Tucson and the city of Phoenix um both through the manager's office and our attorney's office. Um and our approaches are more aligned than not with our neighbors um to the south. Um in fact, the city of Tucson is actually looking at administrative um directive um tonight during their council meeting. Um, so before I begin this presentation tonight, I also want to acknowledge that

the city has a strong relationship with our federal partners. I think um, our federal agencies are weaved into the fabric of this community. We rely on our federal partners to fight forest fires in our community, assist with large-scale disasters, and provide funding on projects critical to keeping our community moving forward. And some of those are are large transportation projects, projects for our airport, large flood control projects, housing projects, um Rio de Flag project. I can just go on and on and on, but we're we're connected um with our federal partners. In fact, just pulling some numbers from our last two fiscal years, the city has received um 31.2 million um in one year of federal funds and then 21.7 in federal funds. And also just to put something to scale, the Rio de Flag project is an over $200 million project. So to start our discussion today, I wanted to just kind of run through some of the items we're planning on on talking through as staff. Um we're going to review our city role in immigration enforcement. We're going to talk about uh the process for reporting issues of concern and then talk about a um a new process that we have to share tonight. Uh we're going to talk about protocols for city facilities. Um Shannon will be covering that item. And then finally, the use of city property and a proposal uh for a city manager directive um that we'll be bringing that that the language is actually in the the packet and I know you've all seen it, but we'll be walking through that this evening or this afternoon. We're not evening yet. Um so to start today, I'd like to review the city's role in immigration enforcement. Um, on January 24th, 2026, the chief of police, he released his

public statement related to immigration reform enforcement. Um, and the chief and the city have been consistent that the Flagstaff Police Department does not enforce federal immigration laws and that the Flagstaff PD is required to comply with all state laws including Arizona Revised Statutes Section 111051 or this is commonly referred to as Senate Bill 1070. And this law requires officers to verify immigration status of individuals who are lawfully stopped, detained, or arrested when the officers develop reasonable suspicion to believe a person in the United States is illegal illegally. Um again, this is in state statute Senate Bill 1070, ARS 111051. And the chief um stated in the statement in January that um the Flagstaff Police Department's role is is to keep our community safe and he has been incredibly consistent with that messaging um not only in that statement but throughout our community. Um another question that has has come up is related to reporting issues of concern. So um we've communicated this out to the out to the public. I know that the chief has communicated this and we've we've communicated this in in other in other ways, but just to review this. Um, we what what do you do if you see ice in the community? Um, foremost, do not interfere with the operation to protect your own safety. Stay at a distance and stay calm. And then if you believe ICE is acted inappropriately, you can contact local law enforcement and make a report of concerns. The Flagstaff Police Department can document those concerns and send that information to appropriate oversight agencies for further investigation.

So, we have also heard concerns that individuals may be concerned about reporting the presence of ICE directly to our police department. And one of the items we wanted to to talk about today is a portal that we've created within our city manager's office through our uh civic and uh communica communication and civic engagement division. Um but it's a link that you can click on that will allow individuals to report non-emergency ICE activity. Um again in this I think I can click on this correct. Okay. So, you can see and we we're going to make sure that we get this out to the community. You can report non-emergency ICE activity. Um, however, if someone is in danger, um, if they feel like they're in immediate danger, we are still asking them to call 911. Um, we'll be managing and tracking this portal through the city manager's office. Um, and we'll be um, again getting this out to the community with this link. Um, so now I'd like to turn it over first to Shannon Anderson, um, our assistant city manager to go through the guidance we're sending to city staff related to the presence of federal law enforcement personnel and city facilities. Um after Shannon Kevin Fininsell um will come up and present the um the uh city manager directive that we've been discussing. So Shannon, good afternoon uh mayor and council. Uh so this we're not going to go through all the text on this slide. It's a

little small um even for me with my readers on. Um, but just wanted to show you what the employee notice will look like. And so we will go through a process of distributing this to staff along with holding a training so we can talk through what this employee notice means as well as um what do some of the documents that they might come across look like so they know what they're looking for. So the next few slides will actually go through the steps that we're asking employees to follow should a federal agency come into one of our facilities. The first is to greet a federal law enforcement agent or agents depending on how many are there that particular day. Um we assume they're coming through the building as a in a visitor entrance just like any other individual. Um whether that's here or one of our libraries u maybe our water services administrative building. We have an entrance where the public can enter and this is where we would ask folks greet those individuals asking them for their name, which agency they're with, their badge number, and the reason for their visit. Um, the goal in doing this is to understand what it is they're looking for. Um we are specifying here that those agents are subject to the same protocols um as our other visiting members um unless they have a valid judicial warrant or a court order that authorizes entry beyond that public um area. So for instance here in city hall we have a lobby. This lobby area is open to the public, but you'll see there are signs that go upstairs, signs that go to some back entrance areas where those say they're for employees only. That's what we're talking about here. Um, we also ask that employees not respond to inquiry by agents to confirm if someone is a staff member and or if they are in the building. Um, as well as agents shouldn't be

speaking or interviewing anyone else other than the individual that's greeting them. I'm not going to go through this next section, but just to say that we're providing a potential script as city staff. This isn't necessarily something that we do on a regular basis. So, we want to be sure that folks know what they might be able to say when they are greeting the federal law enforcement agents. Moving on, you'll see in a couple of areas of this document that we ask employees to take notes on what it is that they're hearing from the federal agent as well as what steps that they're taking. We ask that they notify leadership. Um, so we specify a supervisor on duty. Um, we say that because there may not necessarily be a manager or a division director in that particular building. And so we're making sure that they are contacting the supervisor that's there in the space where they're working. Um, and they can then phone the division director. The division director then is going to contact the city manager's office as well as the city attorney's office. Again, we're asking them not to share any of the information that they learned from that federal agency with anyone else other than the individual specified. The last piece on this is to obtain documentation. Um, so they're going to request the agents provide the paperwork and or the warrants that they have with him that day. Um, if they don't have a copy to give us, we're going to ask that we they provide us their documents so that we can go and make a copy that we can share with their city attorney's office. And then the last few things on this particular protocol is um asking the agent to follow them to a more private space. Um, the goal in doing that is to not have somebody who's standing out in that lobby area, but they can have a space that be maybe an office that's not being currently used or a conference

room. Um, this would allow us to make copies of any paperwork and also to engage in that conversation with the city attorney's office. If they refuse, they don't want to go to a more private space, they prefer to wait in the lobby, that's perfectly fine. Um, it's just something that we felt would be more beneficial for the situation. Um, again, we're asking that staff update their documentation, right? All those other steps that they've taken, who they've spoken to, um, and what has occurred. And then the very last piece, um, is to await direction. So, they've already engaged with the city attorney's office. That city attorney representative is going to be reviewing the documents that have been shared um, in order to give our staff direction on what they should do in response to those documents. So, that's the last piece I have for you. I'm going to turn it over to Kevin.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. So, the piece I have is how the city is going to respond when we receive a request from a government entity or a nonprofit entity to utilize city property to conduct its operations. So, obviously, this has been a concern in the community. We've received a lot of questions about it on what will the city allow um who will allow it and so when through our internal discussions um we came up with the we wanted to formalize the process and we thought about the best way to do that in a way that we could get um get out quickly so we get ahead of it as well as um a form that would allow us to remain nimble in case we needed to make any changes. and we came up with the idea of putting it into a city manager directive. And you'll see u um I would call it the heart of the directive on the screen. The directive is attached to your council agenda. Um it has a little more detail about applicability and purpose. But this is the main section that talks about the process we envision and in in our discussions um we felt it made the most sense that when a federal entity or nonprofit entity came in and had this type of request that it would go to the city manager's office first. And you can see on the screen um we talked about then what would the city manager do as part of her review and we focused on um looking at whether or not the request further the interests of the city and the goals of the city. And in doing that, we put a little more um detail in there and said that the request furthers the interests of the city when it aligns with city goals and priorities and key does not create unreasonable disruptions to city operations or present an unreasonable danger to the public health or safety. Um that way the city manager had a had something to look at when she was reviewing these requests to make that determination. And you'll see below that, and we've seen this before, um when we've had to declare an emergency or the mayor has had to declare emergency, in those situations, these types of requests may may go through the

mayor for um consideration approval, but would review it under that same standard. Um and we gave some examples there of the type of requests we we get. We get them often. Um whether it's FEMA, the Forest Service, the Department of Public Safety, um we see an example of maybe the Red Cross needing to create a shelter in our community. Um and so this would cover all types of requests from any entities. And then we talked about um again where to put it and um so we we settled on the directive like I said um because the city manager can adopt that directive immediately. Of course we're here in front of council to discuss it and get council's input on it. Um but also it can be amended quickly. So the city manager has the authority if something is recognized, something she needs to add, um, something she needs to change, she can do that, um, you know, by herself and immediately so it can be done. Um, we also talked about adding this to the document you just saw Shannon outline as part of an FAQ document so that city staff is aware of this process as well. Sometimes those requests come to city staff, so now staff will be aware to direct that request to the city manager's office for consideration and review. Um, and although we did discuss and we settled on this idea of a directive, um, obviously we understand if council wants something more, um, we can add this as part of our city code, we can do an ordinance for city council review and approval. Um, we have a section in there that talks about use of public property. So, we can put it there as well. I mean, if that's where council wants to head here, you can give me direction to do that and happy to come back in a few weeks with with that proposal and a draft ordinance for your consideration. So, we're aware that that may be your intent or what you'd like to see. So, if you'd like to do that, feel free to pass that along in your comments and let me know and we'll come back with something in that form as well. And I think that's it.

and mayor and council, just to clarify, um I think Kevin did a nice job summarizing um we we chose the city manager directive route because because it is something that we can put in place immediately. Um and after um this evening, my plan would be to do that first thing tomorrow. Um if there is an interest in bringing back um a change to code and that would be um something specific into our special event permit. No public section

public property section then that would be something that would take probably several months to bring back with the the notice requirements etc. So we can al we could do both but um just know that my plan is to put this directive in place first thing tomorrow. Thank you, Council Member Alen.

Thank you, Madame Mayor. Thank you, Joanne, so much. Um, really appreciate the amount of bandwidth and energy and work that has gone into all of this behind the scenes and, you know, it's been driven by public uh concern. Um, but that's a concern that is shared widely among staff within the city and I know that. Can you talk about uh city manager directives a little bit more? What is a directive? How does that relate to council policy? Um where are those published? Uh and do you have any examples of other city manager directives that are that are operating right now? And finally, you know, discuss the the contingency that suddenly you're gone, we have a different city manager, maybe there's a different uh council in place or the same one. um walk me through some of those scenarios just to allay uh concerns about the transparency and the and the firmness and the the teeth that this has.

Great. Well, well, thank you um council member Alen. That's an excellent question. So, um city manager directives, we actually have a list of city manager directives on the city manager website. Um the majority of them relate to kind of employee guidance like we have our um our remote work um directive for example. Trying to think of some other examples. What is that?

Kevin Kevin's giving it to me. Thank you. I knew you were going to ask this question. Um our uh threat management plan um service animals and city facilities, our vacation leave policy. Um, our ethics policy is actually an employee directive. Um, and we're in the process right now of actually um changing the policies to directives to make sure that um you and the community knows that a directive is is approved by city manager, a policy comes to council for approval. Um, and and back to your question, Council Member Alen, we um all of these directives were um put into place with prior city managers, and I'm a new city manager, and my plan is to keep all of these directives in place. Um, I think there is a a chance that, you know, you could remove a directive. My plan would be to if if we did make um changes to this specific directive, I would come back to council um and give them a heads up. I know specifically there's we received an email today about a request to to maybe look at the directive and some language that we may be able to strengthen it. Um I'm happy to sit down with that group and um and look at some some options, but I I would like to get this this one in place um right away. Does that answer your question? There there's a lot of teeth to directives.

It does. It answers my question. I I hope it explains things a little bit better to the public. Uh for one, um in in my case, whatever whatever else happens tonight, I would definitely recommend the the process moving forward of of codifying this a little bit. Great. Thank you, Mayor. If I Yes, please.

I I appreciate it. I did put a C in the chat just so you would see that. I appreciate the uh explanation that city manager Keane has given with respect to directives and policy. Quite often those are terms that are used interchangeably and are not terms of art. They can be in certain circumstances but aren't in others. And I really appreciate the fact that she clarified many of those things that you may hear just in colloquial conversation is this is our policy that we do this. It's actually a directive um that comes from the city manager's administrative. So uh not really policy that comes to council for approval.

Council member Garcia. Thank you, Madame Mayor, and thank you Joan and team for really listening to us during our um meetings up to this point and for the hard work that you guys have done. Um my question you somewhat already answered. So of course we've had a lot of output from the community that were um concerned that they didn't have enough time to really sit with this and understand it. And we have learned now it's because it's a city manager directive something that we can get to the point on quickly.

But it also leaves some um some gaps for community conversation around this. And um I'm hoping that that we will have some space for that to fulfill those gaps over time. Um I also wanted to uh speak uh more broadly just to the to the commitment from the council and the work that I've seen from the mayor and other council members, the vice mayor and all of us. Um over this past time, we I've seen quite a few comments that that uh has mentioned complacency by the council. Um which I take no offense of, man. We have we have uh seen the output of no um immigration um insurgents into our community uh directed to picking people off the street or any of that. And it is not by happen stance. It is by a commitment to our community that has been being done um quite uh quite quiet and direct and to the point and um because of the commitment from the council that has been quiet but has been working diligently for well I think my first email was sent 421 days ago maybe 22 at this point I'm not counting. Um it's important for the community to know that uh it has been um quite effective up until now. Uh and I'm hoping that uh the efforts that we have put in place behind the scenes um will maintain that effectiveness as we move forward. Um after public comment I think I'll have another comment but for now it it's just that uh city manager is um the the community is concerned that there there there is still room for conversation here and I just want to know how are we going to attack that?

Sure. Council member Garcia that was your question at the end. Yes. Um so that um as many of you know um our police chief has been working on um on some community meetings um and we're working on setting those up right now. We've talked about um having you know some meetings at the Murdoch Center and um you know I know he's already met with um Southside Sunnyside. I'm not going to put him on the spot here but please know that we are working on um those community meetings. Well, I understand that, but I guess my question is a little bit more focused. If if those meetings uh turn into change um within this to to maybe make it to maybe strengthen um this policy, is there an ability and is there a mobility from the the manager's office to to adhere to that?

Yeah, Council Member Garcia, yes. I mean, I I would just say that as long as it is um in compliance with state and federal law and um you know, I feel like what the approach that we have tonight accomplishes what we've been asked to do, getting something in place quickly. Um if there are suggestions that strengthen this, yes, I'm absolutely open to that. Thank you for that, Council Member House.

Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, city manager. uh assistant city manager, uh interimm uh deputy city manager. Um appreciate all of the work that's gone into um putting this uh uh together and and just the ongoing conversations that we're having on all of this. Um, one of the common questions that I've received from community members has focused more on public safety and concerns about uh community-f facing impacts of of um federal immigration actions. Um and so this goes a a long way in providing um those resources and tools that addresses, you know, our the city response to if if something was to happen within a city facility. I'm wondering if you have any thoughts on how or if um and just in your professional opinion um this addresses those concerns as well. Well, um, Council Member House, I did mention the, um, the PD's incident, uh, management plan that was put together, um, in, I believe, July of last year. Um, and we feel strongly that that addresses the the community concerns if there is if there is an incident or incidents. Um, obviously, this is um in in response to city facilities and city infrastructure. Um, if there are specific questions related to law enforcement and law enforcement response, I know our police chief is here. I'm not sure if it's appropriate now to bring him up, but I'm happy to do that. And he's ready.

Thank you. That's that's good for now. Um, I think as we have more conversation, maybe questions will come up specifically, but yeah. And thank you for asking for my professional opinion, Council Member Matthews.

Thank you, Mayor. And thank you, city manager and assistant city manager and interim deputy city manager and city attorney. I know this has been just a really great conversation and I just um appreciate um taking the concerns and questions that um our citizens have had and coming up with a solution that um works within the confines of state and federal law. Um I and I wanted to say because I know that Kevin and you offered we could codify it more officially, but what I'm hesitating on is that we haven't had the experience yet. And so there's probably going to be some things that um if we do have an encounter um that we although I know that there's been some research on on other cities and towns, I like the nimble nimbleism of being a city manager uh directive to where you can go in without going through months process to change code or change policy and say, you know, I need to make an amendment to this because I this was not um we didn't anticipate this and this will just help protect our citizens and our staff. Um so mine wasn't really a question but just to um highlight that that I I know some people may want to make it sound more formal but if there was an incident it would come to you anyway. we're not going to be called and said, "Lori, what do you want us to do about you know this?" It you are the manager of the city. And so I think that if we put our egos aside and just say this really is the most effective um way to do it. I

that's what I'm going to support because I and it is different federal agencies. We can't put anything just across the line because then like as you mentioned FEMA comes in or the Red Cross and if we made a hard pressed policy of no on something we have to do it across the board

and um we are not um we are not um immune to having the need for federal agencies to be up here. we have fires and floods and disasters and stuff and we don't want to um do something that will be negative on that. So, I appreciate all of your work. Thank you. And the PE and the uh chief correct. And just just to respond to that, Council Member Matthews, um you know, I'm I'm not sure if everybody in this room knows, but council hires the city manager. So, I am responsible to you. So, if I do have a change that I see needs to be made in this directive, I commit that I'll bring it back to all of you.

Vice Mayor,

thank you. And I too want to express my gratitude for everyone involved. Um, we have been talking about this and I think that, you know, this conversation is needed and I appreciate that it's happening and all of the work that has led up to tonight. Um the mayor and I met a community member and one of the things that we spoke about was creating an information sheet or like a packet that we can um distribute out especially at community meetings that might have some of this information might have an introduction to council um who we are how to how to send us an email or a thought or a request. Um, and I I'm just wondering if you've given that any thought. Um, city manager, I know we've brought this to you. Um, I think it would be important. There's a community meeting happening Thursday that I'll be attending and it I know it's too late now because that's two days, but it would be nice to be able to have something that really shows we are listening. here are what we are hearing are your concerns and here's at least something that you can take away from this and we are reachable and accessible.

Yeah, Vice Mayor, I think that's a great idea and I think after um tonight's direction, we'll go back and work on on something. Um I it'll include the the link to the online portal. Um, we've also been working on just some messaging out to the community and I think that's something that we can put together. I maybe we could do it by Thursday. I mean, even if it's just um, you know, here's a a website, a link that folks can um, obtain this information, but we'll get you something. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I would like to second council member Alen's request for an ordinance of some sort. I'm keen to get this put into place immediately. Um but I think after additional public outreach, um something may come up that we want to add into an ordinance. And so I would like to see that. and I spoke with Phoenix a couple of days ago. I know you've spoken with um Phoenix and Tucson. Do you have an idea of um the direction that both are taking? Um, mayor, um, and Sterling, I don't know if you want to weigh in as well, but, you know, from my understanding is that the direction is is similar to ours with, um, administrative direction through the city manager's office. As I mentioned, City of Tucson has something on their agenda tonight that's that's similar um to our approach. Um, obviously city of Tucson is a bigger community and I think it's just naturally going to be a little more complex. Um, Sterling, did you want to add anything?

As um, City Manager Keane indicated earlier, I I believe that we're more aligned than not when it comes to our approaches to this. And as a result, again, Tucson having it on their agenda tonight. I think we'll find out exactly what comes of that. But being aligned uh with those uh other cities I think is very important and I I don't know anything more than that. Thanks.

Okay. Thank you. I am going to take public comment and then if there are any other comments or concerns um I think you're hearing general consensus that that we want to see this directive implemented. Yes. Thank you. Tomorrow. Appreciate it. Tomorrow.

All right. We have one public commenter and that is Ace Overman. Hello, mayors, city council members, and city staff. Thank you for bringing this important issue forward today. I just want to start off by saying I do support it and I think it's a great step forward. This discussion is necessary to ensure that everyone in Flagstaff remains safe amid reckless and dangerous actions by federal immigration enforcement across the country. We have seen people questioned and detained in public spaces and at courouses by federal immigration enforcement and ICE. These incidents have caused significant fear and anxiety among the public. That fear has led people to avoid going to city hall, visiting public parks and libraries, and even attending court hearings in various communities across the nation. That same fear is present here in Flagstaff. Community members have made it clear that they want to feel safe accessing city services and public spaces. They want reassurance that their city is a place where they can go about their daily lives without intimidation or uncertainty. Several local governments across the nation have taken steps to address this issue. They have held meetings and discussions on how to respond to federal immigration enforcement practices and to protect their residents against them. One simple solution some communities have adopted is posting signage that clearly states this is city property and civil immigration enforcement is prohibited here without a valid judicial warrant. For example, this is a copy from Providence, Rhode Island, has implemented such signage. Bernelio

County to the east of New Mexico, home to Albuquerque, has also found that these signs help reduce fear and anxiety amongst residents when they access public services or go into public spaces. These signs do not obstruct lawful activity, but they provide clarity and reassurance to the public. A foundational duty of local government is to protect all of its residents. Protection includes not only the physical safety but also fostering a sense of peace and security throughout the city. When residents feel safe, they are more likely to participate in civic life, access services, and maintain their overall well-being. Therefore, I respectfully ask that the city staff and council members consider uh with this city manager directive displaying clear signage stating that civil immigration enforcement is prohibited on city property without a valid judicial warrant. This is a simple step that would ensure that all Flagstaff residents feel safe, support, and able to fully participate in our community. Thank you.

Thank you. All right. So, now we're going to move down. Council, are there any additional questions or comments? We're going to move down to items 14A and B. Mayor, can I just can I just make one clarifying comment from our presentation earlier?

I did want to just make sure that um council understood that there is a different administrative order for our courts. um courts are managed through the administrative office of the courts. So that the guidance that we went through today for city facilities, there's a a different guidance for um our city court. So I just wanted to make sure that was clear today.

Thank you. All right. So, as we move down, um something that I neglected to say at the start of this discussion was that we make this space um feel safe for everyone to express their opinions. So, I ask that you not have any outward expressions of support or opposition to anything that anyone is going to say over the next two items. So, going on to 14A, the fair citizens petition prohibit ICE from operating on city-owned property. Um, Ace, did you want to come up and Okay, that's that's fine.

First, I can go first.

No, that's fine. I think I think the um petition is clear and um and we will have you go last. I will put you last. Okay. All right. Phil Phil Goldblat, Mayor Dagger, Vice Mayor, and City Council members. I'd respectfully request that council not place citizen petitions entitled prohibit ICE from operating on city-owned property nor clarification on the Flagstaff Police Department January 24th statement on any future council agenda. The reasons I have for justifying this are many and I believe quite reasonable. Number one, from time in memorial, we know that city, state, and federal authorities, especially law enforcement, have traditionally cooperated with each other for the safety and protection of residents and citizens. To tamper with this is really counterproductive to the benefit of our residents. Number two, we also know that the relevant laws and case law on this means that such a petition is mostly window dressing but with no substance even if passed other than for the purpose of politics and to cause certain people to quote unquote feel good. Third, ICE normally has no need for the city, police department, or government to cooperate with them because they possess their own information base and have their own resources. Fourth, even if the second petition were passed, it only prevents federal officials like ICE from violating their own laws. Says nothing about violating city ordinances, county laws, or state

law. they can still be held accountable for violating those. Lastly, and fifth, if the city of Flagstaff is really concerned about abuse of the law by ICE, then the laws already on the books should be enforced or an ordinance passed that fulfills any, and I want to make a correction here to the letter that I sent council. Um, I said uh perceived gaps. I want to correct that and say actual gaps in the laws, but yet allow them to say nothing about their ability to carry out their lawful duty to uphold federal immigration law. Neither of these petitions accomplish that. Therefore, I would truly ask council not to spend precious time on this for no other reason than to satisfy some group's political agenda. And I thank you for hearing me out.

Thank you. Kim Curtis. Good afternoon, mayor, vice mayor, and council members. My name is Kim Curtis. I am a member of Keep Flagstaff Together and I'm partially speaking for that organization. Um, I've lived in Flagstaff since 2008. I'm here to urge you to move this petition forward as a future agenda item. 850 community members have signed this petition to date. the public needs and wants debate and discussion in public on this issue. I'm on keep flag staff together's legislative watchdog team. We monitor initiatives at the national um state, county, and municipal levels. And as you know, cities across the country are publicly debating actions they can take to remain uh welcoming cities to all community members. I have a list here of 14 actions that cities can take that I'm happy to share with you and also with any members of the public who are interested in in them. Um, as as you you probably know, there are are several cities that have already passed ordinances like the one this petition is asking for, including Providence, Rhode Island, and Minneapolis. Um,

but let's talk about what's happening in Arizona. That's the most relevant thing for us tonight. Um, in Arizona last month, Puma County supervisors passed a resolution that directed the city administrator to draft an ordinance legally binding, of course, banning ice from city property. That resolution offers powerful reasons for doing so, as well as a legal rationale. The same month, last month, Tucson City Council also directed its city manager and city lawyer to draft a similar kind of ordinance. These efforts deserve our study. They deserve your study and we need time to do that. Um, and I know that for example, the Puma County resolution is readily available. So how however you feel about the petition at this point in time, the issue is sufficient public is that there is sufficient public concern that you should move it forward so it can be public debated and that so so that you have time to to study up on what Puma County and Tucson have done. Um and I thank you for the time your time. Please don't bury this issue. Council member House.

Sorry, Miss Curtis. Could you come back for one second? I had a quick question for you. Um, you mentioned the list that you had. Is that something that you can either leave with the clerk to pass around the the deis or email us?

I will email it to you. This is my only copy. So, I will email it to you gladly. Yeah. Thank you. We're not I am not going to allow clapping any kind of um opposition or support of statements. Frederria Hall Hello everyone and thank you mayor and vice mayor. Um I've been writing you for a bit and I was first concerned because of the contract that allowed for what is necessary but it also had that one clause that I talked about all other border crimes. And so I've written you again each and every one of you and I hope that you can really take it to heart be and I have a few statistics but I'm just going to read one of them really um of what is I think really important. More than 4,000 rulings from over 400 federal judges have found that ISIS's current mass detention policies violate the law. There's so many things that they are sliding under and not being accountable for that. I hope I can convince you that you have to take as strong as measures as you possibly can to set up a situation where you have some base

for litigation to stop that kind of lack of following the law. And that's about it. Thank you.

Thank you, Daniel Davis. All right. Uh, good evening, Mayor and Council. This is my first time here, and so I'm nervous and it sounds like I might be a little bit late to the party as far as this conversation goes, but um, I've written something, so here we go. Um, my name is Daniel Davis. I am a father of two, a husband, a business owner with six employees, a Flagstaff resident, born and raised. Um, and so I care deeply about our community. Um, tonight I'm currently skipping my regularly weekly scheduled Constitution study meeting to speak on this specific topic as I get uh to practice my First Amendment right under the US Constitution. Um, our group has made it through a lot of America's history, going through the Declaration of Independence, articles 1 through 7, and have made it through the Bill of Rights, amendments 1 through 10. Uh, tonight we would have been starting on the 11th Amendment. Um, once we get through all 27 amendments, we'll be going through the Federalist Papers and eventually the Arizona Constitution. Um, we all see what's happening around the country and have seen many communities speaking up and speaking out. It is truly amazing to see how people come together. Though the circumstances are unfortunate, I wish it didn't take something to fight against for people to come together. Um, I appreciate the mission of the city of Flagstaff is to protect and enhance the quality of life for all. Um, I want to ask the city council what their plans are for current state of the country concerning DHS and ICE. And as I said, it sounds like I'm a little late to the conversation. You guys have been working on it for a while, so thank you for that. Uh, Chief Sean Connelly has made repeated public declarations over the past year that its officers do not and will not enforce federal immigration

laws and do not participate in or assist ICE operations, but also that officers cannot interfere with or prevent lawful federal activities. What about unlawful activities? Uh, we know they've been happening around the country and even in our state. It's time to prepare our community on how to respond these situations. And though you may feel we are painting a target on our back, creating policies that oppose the current regime's lawless policies, the fact that we are a blue city and a purple state right next to the border and have an amazing community that is ready to stand up to an authoritarianism regime and help protect the constitution seem to be some fitting criteria to see an infiltration from the Gustapo. I personally have posted a sign on my business stating, "Attention law enforcement, do not enter without a judicial warrant." Um after the shootings in M Minneapolis, we've seen the budget um increase from 3.3 million billion to nearly 10 billion for ICE. Um you know, they're hiring all sorts of new enforcement. And I'm going to run out of time, but um I won't go over all those details. Anyways, you guys all know the facts. This should not be a conversation that we the people in this country should be having. However, I think it is time to turn the conversation into a plan for our community. Thank you.

Thank you. Crystal Diaz. Good afternoon, mayor and council members. This is my first visit to a city council meeting, and this is also Baby's first visit. Hopefully, not our last. As you heard already, the mission of the city of Flagstaff is to protect and enhance the quality of life for all. The vision of the city of Flagstaff is to be a safe, diverse, just, vibrant, and innovative community with a unique character and quality of life for all. Protection, safety, and quality of life are in both these statements. I ask that the council stand by these statements by moving the citizen petition called prohibit ICE from operating on city-owned property forward as a regular agenda item. This citizen petition is not a large ask. Signage stating that immigration is not to operate on city property without a warrant can have a large impact on how residents place their trust in the city and feel safe in their use of public services. Many cities across the nation have taken this step. In our state, Pima County has passed a resolution and will have a vote on an ordinance this month. Last month, Tucson City Council voted to direct the city attorney to draft a similar ordinance. Some may say it's an unnecessary, merely symbolic gesture, but even symbols have meaning and impact and can enhance the quality of life. Sorry, I'm moving around for the baby because he likes it. The presence of signage on city property sends a message, but so does the absence of it. I ask that the city be true to its mission and move this citizen petition to the agenda for full

discussion and a vote. And I hope the council uh votes to approve the ordinance. Uh thank you.

Thank you, Brent Simmons. Mayor, council, um, city employees, thank you so much for the work that you've been doing. You, I'm sure, have heard all the fears that everybody else is feeling. Um, and I appreciate that. I appreciate the effort that you're taking so that we can react nimly to things as they change and move forward. Um, I certainly can understand what the gentleman said about cooperation between local, state, and federal uh, law enforcement. But at this time we are at a very unprecedented time where DHS and ICE are operating outside the bounds of law. They are um taking people's lives without accountability. Um, I work as an ICU nurse and I've heard um uh that there was an ICU nurse that was murdered by ICE. And for me, the bigger problem is not that ICE killed a person in cold blood. It's that there's no accountability. There's been no accountability. There's been no um if if ICE or DHS was a law enforcement agency, what would happen? The agent would be placed on administrative leave. There would be an active investigation. Facts would come out and justice would be served. That has obviously not

happened. I don't anticipate I don't anticipate it happening with this current uh regime. And as such, we cannot simply move forward with the status quo. We need to set up defenses. Will will a statute will a city ordinance physically stop federal agents from taking the lives of our community members? No. But it will certainly create a legal pathway for when this regime is done to have justice for those victims. So I support this measure. Thank you.

Thank you, Maria Via Seenor. quite short. Okay. Hello, council members. Um, and speaking on behalf, my name is Maria Venor. Sorry, I should start there. Um, I'm a philosophy, politics, and law major and I'm on my last year. Um, I'm graduating in December this fall. So, I'm speaking on behalf of my own virtue and values on behalf of safety and protocols for students and for the community. I'm speaking to the council of Cookanino County and Flagstaff. We need to implement more initiatives to know your rights training. We we need this in council meetings. I mean, even today, I have a lot of my students here with us today. Hey guys, I've got them to get here. We haven't heard this on campus. NAU needs to be aware of these council meetings as well. We're seeing our environment from day to day. I've lived up here my past four years. So, I'm speaking to the council of Cookano County. We need to implement more initiatives. I see you guys. You guys are doing great things and I'm seeing all of your initiatives. Know your rights training is important right now. Over my four years of living and learning in Flagstaff, Arizona, I'm a firstgen Hispanic student studying philosophy, politics, and law. My roots and family are from Nicaragua. My concerns stem from immigrants and students that are either immigrants or have immigrant backgrounds. I and fellow club members on campus have

brought awareness to the fact that Northern Arizona University is not a sanctuary campus. It's not hard guys. Sanctuary is for safety and protection of our students to protect our students. I have heard concerns and the question that I raise is since we haven't been attacked since we haven't been attacked by unident identifable Iidentified agencies what protocols will we take at that exact moment to protect students to protect humans essentially we don't want anything to happen to our communities I like the alerts of sending notifications out to the community I much rather not receive alerts of unmarked vehicles or agencies that have been patting down teenagers. Yes, I have received many conspicuous and skeptical of things happening within our communities. However, yes, we need to be more attention. We have we have to have more intention and implement protocols in case something were to happen to our community. So an action that I pose is that we have a know your rights posted more steps on community boards and maybe a more training for people to be involved with um in the community for know your rights. Um let us protect our indigenous communities and fellow community members. Thank you mayor and council members. Thank you, Sarah Rogala. Hello, city council. I wanted to voice my support for the petition and for more action to be taken in the future. ICE is a terrorist organization. If you don't agree with me, I would urge you to analyze their actions more closely. They

employ violent means to instill terror in a vulnerable minority population. They're accountable to nearly no one. They regularly violate the law. They occasionally even kill people who disagree with them. In addition, ICE employs black sites, which people are kidnapped to and brought to without legal trial. We've heard from the few victims who have been set free from IC's black sites. Prisoners heads are shaved. They're handcuffed and stuffed into overcrowded cells, forced to kneel for hours until they passed out, sexually assaulted, denied medical care, and denied access to due process entirely. This is the primary civil rights issue of our time. And if it truly cares about the safety of its citizens, which I believe it does, the city of Flagstaff and its representatives should follow in the footsteps of the civil rights leaders of the 20th century and be willing to take any non-violent means necessary to keep ICE out of our city, including and li up to and including violating Arizona state law if necessary. This does not end, but begins with adopting keep Flagstaff together's petition today. Thank you.

Thank you, Claire Wagner. Hello, city council. My name is Claire Wagner and I'm a student at NAU and the council representative for students of a democratic society. I am asking for all of you to push forward this petition and take action. I am asking you as Arizona public servants to remember our history as the United States. It was not that long ago that segregation was legal. It was federally illegal for black people to attend colleges until 1964. Many people in this room were born before 1964. That was only 62 years ago. 62 years ago, it was a radical idea to allow black people to attend college. As said previously by my fellow SDS leader Sarah Vala, this is the primary civil rights issue of our time. ICE is known for racially profiling people. They are kidnapping mass amounts of people, majority whose skin color is brown. 73% of people currently held in ICE detention have zero criminal record. It is not hard to see how this is a racially charged issue. I am asking for you to remember that we live on indigenous land and we should protect the people who have been here for thousands of years because ICE has taken multiple Native Americans in custody. They see anyone who they think is illegal. They kidnap them and they take them to an unknown unknown location where they are held in inhumane conditions. Conditions that many people have died from, including Lorenzo Antonio Bach Vagas, who was arrested in Flagstaff in August 2025 and later died in ICE, ICE detention. His cause of death is still unknown. They are not only attacking illegal immigrants. They are attacking anyone who stands in solidarity with the ini with the innocent immigrants that built this country. I believe that the city of Flagstaff

should be doing everything in its power to protect our neighbors. And the most effective way for us to do that right now is to prevent ICE from coming here as much as possible. I am not trying to push an agenda. I am calling out a threat and I am asking you to protect us from said threat. ICE is an illegitimate violent organization and we should fight against their actions as much much as we can. Please remember that law does not equal morality. I am asking you to stand up and fight for what is right. Be on the right side of history. Protect our neighbors. Protect the people of Flagstaff. Act on your sworn duty to protect me. Thank you.

Thank you, Jill Stevenson. Hello, I'm Jill Stevenson. Um, thank you, Mayor, Council, Staff, and all the citizens here today. Um, I apologize for being late. I did not think the agenda would be gone through so quickly. Congratulations to you. Um, so if I'm repeating something, I apologize it. I am definitely uh hoping that you will consider this ordinance, this petition, and promote it. I think prevention is what we need. We can't wait until the issue is here. The purpose of this ordinance we are asking the Flagstaff City Council to adapt adopt is to prevent ICE agents from using city-owned property as a base for immigration raids. Numerous cities in the US have adopted ICE-free ordinances. We we've heard that Tucson is working on this and Puma County has an ordinance which also includes banning federal agents from wearing masks. This might be another consideration to go along with this ordinance. The city properties we refer to include parks, libraries, vacant lands, parking lots and ramps, garages, and buildings. We are asking the city to prohibit ICE from using any of these properties. And it seems to me that signs indicating this would be very appropriate. We have all heard of the horrors inflicted on people by federal immigration officers. Terrifying children, separating children from their

parents, transporting people to inhumane detention centers, even murdering innocent onlookers. Many of the people being apprehended are hill here legally. Some are even United States citizens. We must protect our immigrant neighbors. This ordinance is a step toward doing so. I would hope that you would consider it and support it. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Thank you, Kyle Nelson. Uh, my name is Kyle Nelson and I'm a resident of Flagstaff. Thank you, mayor and council. Um, I I am in support of this uh issue, but I mainly just had a question and I know I may not get an answer here, but I just wanted to put the question out so it could be part of the conversation. um in the event that there were uh ICE or CBP enforcement actions that took place uh at a city facility or city property uh in the event that someone was injured uh in the process of those actions. Would the city have any obligations or responsibilities to see that those people got medical attention before they were placed into custody of the IC or CBP agents? And that's just something I would like to have considered. Peggy Sheldon Skirlock.

Hello, mayor and council members. Peggy Sheldon Skirlock, resident of Flagstaff, Arizona. Sorry, I'm running late. Came from work. Um, I really appreciate you hearing this issue and addressing it. I encourage you to take it very seriously. This is a concern of many citizens, many that aren't here and we're advocating and speaking on behalf of as well. I'd like you to take it beyond the kind of legal regul regulatory parameters and I want you to consider it health communication safety of course and future. Um I work in a health care system. I work with a lot of families, children included, and children even with parents preparing them and supporting them. They are talking about these issues. They're very concerned about it and it really brings up a lot of anxiety. Um that is something certainly parents and families are addressing as well as school personnel, counselors, etc. But it is a real thing in our community. I also want you to consider it on a health well-being uh level and that is kind of the mental health well-being for all of us and in addition um taking proactive stances is a wonderful thing that parallels completely with health and well-being. I know that there might be some parameters that you already have in place or are considering, but I really want you to consider the proactive stances being presented which are not extraordinary. Asking removal of masks, asking for judicial um warrants and asking for people to behave in a regulatory policing type of manner. Um I so I really want you to also think about future in each of those realms. The

future of a lot of our families and children in our community, the future of health and well-being for all of us. And I think the future and well-being and trust that we citizens have with our police officers, sheriffs, and others. So thank you so much.

Thank you. We have an online commenter. We have one online commenter this evening. U Maria, go ahead and unmute and offer your comments. Maria, you can unmute and offer your comments if you'd like. I'll provide the information to reach out to you all for email.

Thank you. Was that the only online commenter? Yes.

All right. Ace Overman. So, hello. Good evening, mayor, council members, and city staff. I am the author of this petition and I'm here to ask you to consider moving this citizen petition that is requesting an ordinance that would prohibit ICE and other federal immigration enforcement for conducting civil immigration enforcement and operations on city property valid a valid judicial warrant to a full agenda item. I would just like to start off um I submitted a month ago and today uh yesterday was the city manager presentation was added to the city council agenda. I will like to say that this ordinance would support the city manager's directive. I believe from what was presented tonight. I began this petition after hearing from residents, students, parents, and elders who feel fear and uncertainty about using public spaces here in Flagstaff. At community gatherings and protests, people have shared concerns about going to libraries, parks, and city offices. No one should feel afraid to access city service city services here in Flagstaff. This ordinance is grounded in local authority. While immigration policy is federal, control over the use of property is local. The city has the authority to set reasonable conditions for how our public spaces are used. This ordinance will establish a clear and consistent standard. Civil immigration enforcement on city property requires a valid judicial warrant. Several other communities have already taken this step and implemented local policies of this measure. In total, 42 cities, nine county and nine counties and three states. Local officials that I have spoken to report no retaliation from DHS and no loss of federal funding after implementing this ordinance. These ordinances have made made clear of how

staff should interact and document ICE interactions and the displayment of signage that clearly states ICE is prohibited on city on city property without a valid judicial warrant. Ultimately, these ordinances have helped reduce fear for residents accessing public services and being in public spaces, ensuring the mental well-being for the community. When I saw that Puma County and city of Tucson were moving in this direction last month, I asked myself if they can do it, why not us? This is not unprecedented. It's practical governance. I do want to say I appreciate and support the measure the city protocols for staff interaction for staff interactions with federal immigration enforcement and the ICEM missuck reporting system mentioned here tonight. However, I think it is not enough. Protocols can be changed or rescended. An ordinance provides stability and longevity. Ensures that from 5, 10 or 20 years from now, these protections remain in place regardless of who is president and what the administration is doing. We know history repeats itself, so let's not have to repeat this conversation years from now. This creates a legal pathway for the city and state attorney general to sue DHS and hold them accountable. Ultimately, this ordinance is about safety, trust, and clarity. It affirms that our public spaces are places of services, not fear. I respectfully urge you to move this ordinance forward. Thank you for your time.

Thank you, James Cosby. I'd like to say thank you to the mayor and to the honorable council members. Thank you for your time in creating a dialogue with the community and for furthering the city manager's directive. America is founded on freedom, not fear. Countless generations, including my own great-grandfather, came to this country in pursuit of the American dream. ICE has sent ripples of terror through our community, and only through only together can we keep our home and our most vulnerable community safe. Flagstaff is made great by its diversity, not diminished. That is why I ask that you would join us in supporting this initiative to protect our city and our neighbors. Thank you so much. Thank you, Riannan Kovven. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Forgive me. I'm shy by nature, but I feel like this is really important. Um, I was born and raised here in Flagstaff. I'm also a first generation American citizen. Um, my mother came here when she was 13 years old and she found a very welcoming and wonderful community here in Flagstaff and I was raised by that community. Um, I just really want to voice my support for this because I love Flagstaff so much and I think it's really important that that welcoming community and that welcoming spirit is extended to everybody. And we're living in a very terrifying time right now where we are seeing people being killed in the streets. And it shouldn't be something that we only act on once it's here. It should be

something that we are looking to prevent before it even happens because I know you all care about us and I know that the community is very good at coming together. I've seen that with the organizing that's been happening. Um, I just it just makes me very emotional seeing what's happening in this country and I Yeah, I just I'm really in support of this and I hope that you all will consider it for a future agenda item. Thank you.

Thank you. All right, that is all the public comment and um our rules of procedure normally are that that we give a thumbs up or a thumbs down as to whether to move this item forward and we don't have discussion. Um, but with the council's permission, I would like to um give us the opportunity to to state whatever we are feeling that we want to state now. Okay. So, Council Member House, thank you, Mayor. I I really appreciate you creating this opportunity um because this isn't a typical conversation. So, I I really appreciate it. Um, I want to thank everyone that came out and spoke tonight um on both sides of this as well as the um the city management and leadership team for um thoughtfully engaging in this conversation. I've been engaged in several conversations with individuals and groups who have raised concerns about um this issue as well as the city's response um to what we're seeing in communities like ours around federal immigration actions. I truly believe that we owe it to our community to be prepared for the ways the actions we're seeing around us may impact our local community. We've seen across the country and here in Arizona instances of federal immigration enforcement activity that have raised questions um questions about due process about uh the use of public resources and the impact on families and uh neighborhoods. I believe that it's both appropriate and necessary for us to examine what role we as a community may be asked to play in these actions and what we are and are not uh willing and able to do um to address these things.

Just in thinking about some of the comments that we heard tonight um and in other conversations about this topic, I want to remind all of us in this room and in the larger conversation um that history has shown us time and time again that legality and morality are not always aligned. The Fugitive Slave Act was federal law. Yet, cities, states, and everyday neighbors wrestled with whether compliance meant participating in the tearing apart of families and communities. Native American resettlement and the Indian Removal Act were federal law. Yet, communities organized legal challenges, diplomatic protests, and petitions on behalf of the communities impacted to fight against the forced removal of tribal communities and neighbors. Executive Order 90066 and Japanese internment were federal laws, but communities across the country opposed policies that uprooted families and neighbors who called their same neighborhoods and communities home. Many throughout our history have stood up, not necessarily because they agreed on every issue, but because they believe their local communities should not be instruments of harm. That historical tension is an integral part of the American story. This is not about symbolic gestures or partisan positioning. It's about governance, communication, transparency, and our commitment to doing what's right for our community. It's about clarifying policy, understanding our legal rights and responsibilities, and ensuring that we as council are fully fulfilling and aligning with our mission to protect and enhance the quality of life for all. When uncertainty exists, the responsible thing to do is to engage in thoughtful uh public discussion, engage in all voices, and bring clarity with transparency in any ways we can. I believe that engaging in conversations as a council and with our community does

not presume a predetermined outcome. What it does do is affirm that we are willing to examine how all of these matters intersect with our local responsibilities. It affirms that we take seriously our duty to safeguard community trust, uphold due process, and ensure that we do all that we can as community to refuse to compromise the well-being of our residents without clear legal authority. Our role is to serve Flag Staff and I believe that that means asking difficult questions, having open discussions, and ensuring that our policies reflect both the law and our commitment to community stability. Engaging in this dialogue is not an act of defiance. It's an act of stewardship. It's not a violation of our oaths. It is actively upholding that oath in the same ways our forefathers, ancestors, and elders did through democratic discourse and the willingness to grapple with our place in history. All of that said, I do support moving forward discussion on uh 14A. I am of a different opinion. I I don't necessarily support moving forward um 14B because it seemed more like a question than an actual um agenda item. And I think that that question can be answered in other conversation. But um that's where I I stand on moving these forward as well as supporting moving forward the um work that's happened from the city team and uh having further conversation on codifying uh this action as we can and as seems to fit within our policies. Thank you.

Thank you, city manager.

Um mayor and council, I apologize I didn't get my comment in um before council member house. I did just want to provide a few um just clarifications with some of the comments that were made during public comment. Um I mentioned it in my slides, but um SB 1070, it does not allow the city to ban ice from our facilities. So I just wanted to make that clarification. The second is that um we have looked at Puma County's ordinance that they have put forward um and we're we're we're pretty sure that it's likely going to be legally challenged. Um and then the comments about Tucson. Tucson is no longer considering an ordinance. They're doing an administrative directive through their city manager similar to what we're doing this evening. Um, so again, I just wanted to provide that clarification um, just for all of you tonight. Thank you.

Thank you, C. Council member Spence.

Thank you, Mayor. I believe this item should go forward to a formal uh future agenda because it is the nature of a democracy to hear from its citizens and give the citizens a voice. I'm not sure where this will lead, but I believe it should move forward to a formal agenda item where we can thoroughly discuss, where we can hear from uh everyone in the community that wants to um weigh in on this issue and come up with something that will um keep our citizens uh safe and healthy. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Matthews.

Thank you, Mayor. Um, I do appreciate our community uh conversation always. You know, that's um you know, a healthy democracy to come here. Um, I'm concerned though about putting it forward to have another community conversation um, unless some members are thinking about uh, being unlawful um, and and agreeing to pass an ordinance that the city manager has repeatedly told us and our city attorney that we cannot take. And one of the things, one of the biggest things that is on my mind that I don't know that everybody thinks about is what would that look like? Like let's say as the city council passed an ordinance, and I know some people did make a mention of other states. Arizona does have specific laws, so you can't compare apples to oranges here. But I I would wonder what it would look like if ICE came up as they're legally able to do whether we like it or not. And what would we expect our flag PD to do? Um, can you envision them coming up and arresting them and saying we don't want you here and we pass an ordinance that is against federal and state law and um, you know, I I can just see people um, getting hurt and our law enforcement getting hurt. Um, I I appreciate all the work that our city leadership team has put through this to find um where we can um do some things to help protect our citizens that are within the law. And um you know I I appreciate what council member house said kind of I took it as alluding to um we don't always need to

follow the law but we do we do take an oath of office that um swears that we'll uphold the constitution of the state and the federal government. And where we go to change those laws is by changing the laws, not um not by uh violating them and breaking them. It is our duty and responsibility to uphold the laws as they stand. And if we don't agree with them, we lobby to change them. but to put our law enforcement in a situation that is dangerous to them and ask them to do something that is against their oath and against the law. Um, you know, I I I I caution my colleagues to really think about that hard. Um, I do agree we need community conversation. And I do agree that this is a time of uncertainty and um we have so many whatifs and you know maybe this is going to happen, maybe that's going to happen. But um I also know I've heard um that a lot of our community members that would be directly impacted don't want a shining light on Flagstaff. Uh we have been very lucky not to have uh any situation. Will that continue? Who knows? Maybe not. Probably not. But um I do just am cautious about moving this forward to continue this the the jeopardy of of losing federal and state funds. We talked about um how that looks and I think that we need to have a conversation ongoing, but I'm not going to be in favor of considering violating state and federal law. Thank you. Anyone else? Council, uh, did you raise your hand, city manager?

I did not. Would you like me to? No. Maybe you were just shifting in your seat. Uh, council member Alen.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. So, I want to start by saying how grateful I am to the residents uh who brought forward the petition to ban ICE from using city properties. I offer particular credit to Ace Overman who spearheaded the petition in question and put an enormous amount of work and research into what he put forth. Um, that said, because of Arizona State Law, including SB1070 and SB1 1487 and the Arizona Supreme Court's interpretation of how such laws operate, I have come to the conclusion honestly that a literal ban on law enforcement agency would be legally untenable and pursuing it could put Flag Staff into a legal buzzsaw and jeopardize city funding across the board. So where do I reconcile that conclusion with my previous positions and my previous stance of uh of starch defense of our most vulnerable residents. I think we've come to it. What we can do and what staff have responsibly proposed is a strong and enforceable plan that addresses the underlying community concerns that the petition raises. I support that response and I think it's a win for the community. It wouldn't have happened without your voices and without you guys being here and without all the organizing that has occurred uh in the weeks coming up to this and in the months preceding it. Um so I encourage you to recognize your victory in that. I also recognize that much of the concern behind this petition comes from recent events like federal immigration enforcement operations near Minneapolis that have resulted in the fatal shooting of US citizens by ICE agents and subsequent public outcry and protests nationwide.

I've alluded to all this before. Um the public wants assurances. They want to see a clear and consistent plan in place during a time in which communities are being actively terrorized for political points. Our city's plan might not be enough for everybody, but it aims to provide the asurances people are seeking about how Flagstaff uses its resources and works with federal partners in the context of being in the state of Arizona, which is under an extreme set of circumstances. Uh, regarding that buzzsaw that I alluded to earlier, I personally requested that the city manager explore appropriate ways to address the spirit of the petition as strongly and proactively as possible. And I know I'm not the only one up here who has done that. Um, and I do believe the manager's office has responded thoughtfully and in good faith. And I think at this time uh at this stage uh we're in a position to let this play out a little bit and see if it's working and uh also uh determine how state law is being decided um as other jurisdictions are wrestling and grappling with these same concepts. Um I do want to follow up with three little action items. Uh, I do think, uh, city manager Katon that we should draft the city ordinance out of your manager's directive. Um, I'd also like to clarify the city court process for achieving the full spirit of your your city manager directive. Um, you opened the door there to a little bit of confusion and uncertainty with uh mentioning rightfully so. It's just a fact. The courts operate differently than the city of Flagstaff proper. And um I think we need to fret that out a little bit more and make sure that we're doing as as much as we can uh given our abilities to

protect our most vulnerable on those spaces. Um and lastly, I do support the signage proposal that ACE brought forth. Um anything that makes the public feel safer and more secure is the least that we can do. And I reserve the right to revisit this conversation at any time, especially given uh quickly evolving um contextual factors that occur on the ground here in Arizona or anywhere else in the country. Vice Mayor,

thank you and thank you again everyone for being here and and helping with this discussion. I do appre appreciate the conversation. So I I take everything to heart. I have met with community members. I have listened. I did also um have a large conversation with our city leadership on being proactive on this and I appreciate with all of my being as to how much they've listened to us on that. Um, you know, our responsibility as a city is to operate within the law, protect our employees and our community. We are not in a position to redefine federal authority. Um, and I'll admit I'm awake at night thinking about all of this and we're in uncharted territory and it's I understand all sides of it and and the fear. Um, but we are absolutely responsible for defining how our staff and how our council respond and how our properties are managed. I believe we have taken steps to address the concerns. Again, thank you city leadership for that. And to my colleagues for all of the work we've been doing. Um, I am in favor of the city manager's directive and the city plan. Um, I would like to get the information packet together and I would like it in Spanish and in English. And I if we can, even if it's something simple, like I said, there is a community meeting on Thursday. I would love to be able to have that to share. Um, and I would like to be proactive and really reach out to various community groups and neighborhood associations and make sure that we're doing our part in fostering um, debate and discussion in the

community. I think that these smaller groups are a much better place to further this important discussion. Again, I'm very glad we're having it here tonight, but I think there is more to to it and in the smaller groups out in the community where we can have a lot of back and forth. Um, and just having that safe space is a great way to go. In no way am I trying to bury the issue. I do want to keep moving forward with all of all of the discussions that we're having. Um, but I am, like I said, in favor of moving forward with um the city leadership's guidance and saying no to the petition as of tonight. Thank you.

Thank you. Council member Garcia, did you have anything you wanted to add?

Yes. Yes, Madame Mayor. I wanted to um to offer up a comment if if I could. I wanted to thank the community for showing up and helping protect due process, human dignity, our first and fourth amendment rights in the United States Constitution. Let me begin by acknowledging that the state of Arizona is merely 114 years old and the territory has only been part of the United States for about 162 of the of years. It's extremely important to me to recognize and respect those inhabitants that were here prior to this colonial takeover. Many tribes that worked in harmony with our mother earth, our father, son, our lifeblood, water, and our teacher, the trees, and the animals to help establish sustainability, preservation, and balance in the place that we call home. known to our Nadaho relatives as Kinlani Duke Olid Bay and known to our Hopi relatives as Umaki. It's important to pay homage to their predecessors, the Anastasia, the Sonawa, the Wapataki, the Yavapai, Walapai, Havasupi, and Pyute, Southern Pyutes who have maintained balance and serenity in this region centuries prior to our existence here today. There are multicult there there are multi they are multicultural history. Um they have in through their multicultural history they have entrusted us with the stewardship of this beautiful mountain town that we now call Flagstaff, Arizona. And I think that is why we are here today to keep Flagstaff together and to keep Flagstaff safe.

It's also important to acknowledge the Basque and Hispanic heritage of this region as it is previously a Mexican territory which is evident in our architectural design and historical buildings, churches and throughout the state as Hispanics and African-Americans helped build this town, this state and this region and carry on cultural attributes through this great American experience. I would like to highlight that historically we have lived with virtually no border between Latin America and Arizona. Latin America, Arizona's largest trade partner and Arizona for nearly a century with very few issues or distinction between our diversity and our humanity besides a rich and robust multicultural atmosphere. family centered lifestyle and a vibrant economy where everyone has the opportunity to work and succeed in this harsh desert environment which has made the skin of many of us even more brown over time. I felt so much safer traveling through the southwest region as a child growing up here without a militant border presence that has stood to separate economies, culture, and humanity in more recent times. As a child traveling through family um travel traveling on family outings, I had solace knowing that I was coming home to Flagstaff where regardless of where on this planet we all came from, what ethnicity we belong to, what religion we believe in, or what differences we face as a community. We focused on a commonality of working tirelessly together to build

a society where quality of life stood for um where quality of life stood for equality within our lives and the betterment of our region. Sadly in recent years uh the focus has changed to separate us and I am sad to hear that that has is is now taking part in some of these discussions that we hear with amongst us today. I will not forget who we are as people of Flagstaff. We are historically, culturally, geographically, racially and environmentally diverse. This is what makes the Southwest region of America great as always and its diversity is what attracts folks to what to want to be here with us in the greater Southwest region. We cannot and will not erase that diversity as this is what makes the Southwest a unique and special place. My message to Immigration and Custom Enforcement and Federal Administration at the highest level, if you have legitimate judicial authority to carry out your enforcement within our town, then please do so without a mask on. I and identify yourselves much like our very wellrespected and appreciated local law enforcement do on a day-to-day basis here dealing with our community. Treat everyone you encounter here with respect and human dignity. As a local leader within this community, my job is to keep Flag Staff safe. We are currently doing this without any outside help. Our local law enforcement is doing a great job by keeping criminality to a minimum with enforcement where it is

warranted and our and keeping our streets safe. We don't need any more help with that. Thank you very much. We don't have an immigration issue here in Flagstaff. And those that are here seeking citizenship legally are more than welcome to continue their pursuit of happiness and the American dream. The immigrants that chose Flagstaff to be their home are the fabric of our community and deserve the same chance to succeed in America that your family was afforded when they were first here um generations ago as immigrants. As we all know, besides the Native Americans and the indigenous, everyone here is an immigrant. Let us not forget that fact. Please help us um please help us excuse me. Please help us care for our space here in Northern Arizona with respect and remember we all walk on sacred ground less you desecrate it. I will finish the comment with a quote from um someone who has passed on who is a great advocate for peace in our community named Cleanali. How can we build a trust that will last when lie upon lie we continue to bury the past? Always a question that is too often ignored. What is the future if it's made from war? May the great creator bless us in securing peace without having to fight a war amongst ourselves. And with that, I will um I will

I will I will vote to not move the petition forward. And I do this looking at each and every one of you to say that when I speak to those who are seeking citizenship here, my community, to folks who called before my dad passed away, they called him Tata. Um and I they tell me that what we have seen so far they were they were acute enough to notice that when we declared sanctuary cities who attacked them. Everything that we've seen now has been a direct reflection of us standing against something. And if we legally could stand against something I would be the first one to do so. But as it has been announced tonight, it looks to me that this that the city manager's objectives um directive, I mean, is going to be the the best way forward for us to deal with this. And I support that. Now, I realize, okay, over the past um over the past year, I've been called out over 20 times as a citizen to go check on um things that are happening in the city when people felt that ICE might have been involved. Thank God they were all false calls and false alerts. Um I as a citizen of Flagstaff and um as somebody who's been here my whole life who cares about our community, I don't mind that role. If you guys have phone numbers, if you guys want to reach out to me to to go check on things, I want to be the first one to be there. But what I am worried and cons what I am concerned about is what we did see in in Minneapolis. We didn't uh you know ICE is there to do their job and they have the legal mandate to do that in in in those situations. We have also seen from

um from our current administration um trying to pull up the data here um that they have uh I can't remember what the what the words were used but it was from the vice president and and some other fellow I have it here but I'm not going to open it up right now that said that ICE basically has free reign to do what they want which sucks. It really does. But what we've seen in Minneapolis and what I'm concerned of here is once they carry out their operations, when we have a group of people showing up that have no fear of deportation, that are secure in everything that's going on and are here legally and they show up, that's when the confrontation turns into a different direction. Um, I want to be there first to make sure that none of that happens to our legal citizens. So, put me on the call list. Let me help you in that way. I want to be on the front lines with you. But I also want us to be to to to understand that respecting our immigrants is um is not shining a light on their front door. And that's what I've heard from my community and that's why I will say no to this petition understanding that in my opinion what we can cover has been covered through our initiative and we were not sitting on our hands this whole time. We've been working diligently and I think evidence of that is that we have had no operations here. Thank you.

Thank you. Um, I will say once again that all cities in Arizona have to walk that line with complying with ARS section 11-1051, commonly known as SB1070, which prohibits cities from hindering immigration enforcement within their boundaries. Um, that said, I have uh mayors talk. I have spoken to so many mayors across the country as well as in Arizona about um what they're doing, getting ideas for what we can do. And this has been going on for months and months. Um toward that end, I convened a gathering of community members working on and concerned with immigration matters with city police and legal representatives to go through our police administrative orders and directives regarding immigration enforcement. The purpose was to discuss areas of concern and resulted in changes to parts of the police administrative orders and directives to further clarify that the Flagstaff Police Department does not participate in immigration enforcement and that their duty is to establish strong relationships throughout our community and to protect victims of crime. The entire police department was then retrained on these administrative orders and directives to further reinforce that direction. The community members left the process satisfied with the ch that the changes met their goals. There has been work going on and I appreciate all the work that my colleagues that staff have that members of the community have been doing. We are still open to hearing from you with additional ideas of of what we can do.

The um a couple of things that I want to say. Public comment is debate and a hearing. You know, we we heard from people saying we need to have public comment, but that's what we had tonight is public comment. And so whether we bring the exact um petition back again or we ask city manager to bring her directive plus an ordinance back to us. We're having the same discussion and and we're also having discussions outside of these um walls which I think is often even more effective. I I believe we have all asked city staff to help us to to pull together um public meetings involving not just the city but the county and um and let us let us talk about how we can coordinate things. Maybe we involve NA as well, but how we can better coordinate. Um, I think that you're you're hearing from all of us up here that um we we've been watching what happened in in Minneapolis was horrifying. And immediately all of us began talking about what we can do, how we could prevent something like that from happening here given the restraints that we have. talking with other cities in Arizona and um I've also asked that we look at um masks and and whether there is something similar that we could put together where um all law enforcement is um required to wear masks. I mean

required not to wear masks in Flag Staff. Um so we'll we'll keep working on that. So I would propose that rather than moving this petition forward that we we continue this conversation with the manager's directive plus a subsequent ordinance and that we continue to stay in close contact with cities around the state who are also working to keep their residents all of their residents as safe as possible. and um to uphold the the civil rights of residents throughout Arizona.

Mayor, can I um just clarify a couple of things on this? Yes. Um

so um manager's directive, move that forward. The bringing back an ordinance back to council um that will be similar to the manager's directive but will be codified in code. Um I also heard a um question about the process for city courts and we'll we'll bring that back. Um signage was also discussed uh information packet in Spanish and English um a community group meetings. Um and then the the last item was um looking at the question of of masks. Um so we'll take that back um and staff and pull the the group together and and have those discussions. But I just want to say thank you to all of you for your thoughtful discussion. Um, I do just want to say that all of the staff for the city of Flagstaff were also community members as well. Um, and we're doing everything we can to address the concerns being brought forward.

Thank you. All right. So, we had two that were in support of moving the petition forward. So it will not move forward but the discussion is going to continue. Um all right now I have to pull back this back up. All right. 14B future agenda item requests. This is a citizens petition and hold on just a second. It doesn't look like we have the submitter here um wishing to speak. So I'm okay. Um, so I am just going to go ahead and um take public comment, Blake Scott. Hi there. I am a voter and a resident of Flagstaff. I urge the council to vote yes on the petitions before you. I urge the city to protect our neighbors. We do not want to see violence of ICE in our community. Let us discourage ICE actions within the city by forwarding the agenda items. Please vote yes on the agenda items before you. I am willing for my tax dollars to pay for the civil defense of the city's actions and challenge the violence of national of the national government. You have lawyers. I challenge you to use them. This item does not tie the city's hands to defi to a definitive end. It instead offers the city to uh an opportunity to continue

the important work of protecting our neighbors. Thank you.

Thank you, Samuel Butler. Hello. Thank you. Um I support this uh this uh measure to have this discussed. The statement from the PD was unclear. Uh there was plenty of we're not going to uh stop them. We're not going to do anything. There's numerous cases across the country of law enforcement working with ICE to allow ICE to arrest those people and bring them to detainment. And many of the detainments that ICE has conducted have already been arrests done by PD. There is so much that the police department can do just by not cooperating. and their statement of we can't stop them from interfering. Of course not. You don't have to help them either. There's plenty of measures across the country of police departments deciding not to work with ICE. Uh so it would be great to see something. Uh there's lots of power that you guys have. There's a lot of conversation it seems to be having of there's nothing we can do. I kind of don't buy it fully. There there's lots of things you do. So, I'm happy to see the some of the stuff that you're trying to do. I would encourage you to look at the power you do have. Look at the power the PD does have in order to protect our community members. This is not something that we can just let slide. I mean, it's not something that we can just let go by. It's going to come to us at some point, and this is not something we can avoid. So, I would just encourage you to to lean on your morals, lean on your convictions. Um, and I hope that you can support this and consider it in a more official manner and I appreciate it. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Do we have any online commenters? I don't see anything. And that's it for public comment. Council, do you have anything you'd like to say? All right. If if um then I'm looking for thumbs up. three thumbs up to move this petition forward. All right. Um, so we do not have three thumbs up, but we're working to clarify we're working to clarify um everything around this issue and so I would expect this to continue to be part of the discussion as well. So that concludes 14B. I will give people a moment um to leave if they want to leave. And this is our second open call to the public and we don't have uh any public here wishing to speak. So, we're going to move intoformational items to from mayor, council, and staff and future agenda item requests. And I'm going to start with council member Spence.

No, nothing this evening. Council member House. Nothing tonight. Thank you, Mayor. Vice Mayor, nothing tonight. Thank you. Council member Alen, Council Member Garcia. Yeah, I do have a question about um Joel Montavo baseball field and park. I I heard recently that they're not using that for uh for baseball anymore and I was just wondering what the plan was for that. So, if uh somebody from parks could get back to me or if we could have a discussion about that if it's warranted, that'd be great. Cool. Cool. Thanks, Council Member Matthews. Nothing tonight.

All right. Nothing from me. City Manager, Mayor and Council, I think you've heard enough from me tonight. Thank you. All right, then we're adjourned.