[1. CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/MOMENT OF SILENCE]
[00:00:03]
OKAY, EVERYBODY, I'M CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT FOUR 30 ON TUESDAY, MAY 12TH, UH, 2026.
WILL YOU PLEASE JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH TO STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
AND IN THAT MOMENT OF SILENCE, I'D LIKE TO HONOR HASSAN HUSAIN, THE HUSBAND OF CHARLOTTE HUSSAIN, COUNCILWOMAN, CHARLOTTE HUSSAINI, WHO PASSED LAST FRIDAY.
MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU CALL THE ROLE MAYOR PLU? HERE, VICE MAYOR FOLTZ.
OKAY, WE'LL HAVE THE MOMENT OF ART.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNSELORS.
UM, AS YOU SEE, THERE'S A NEW EXHIBIT, UM, IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
AND FOR TODAY'S MOMENT OF ART, WE WILL BE CELEBRATING THE WORK OF MIXED MEDIA ARTIST RUTH AUSTIN, WHOSE SOLO EXHIBITION IS ON DISPLAY THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST.
IN THIS ROOM, I TOOK, ONE OF MY FAVORITE, UM, FORMS OF ART IS MIXED MEDIA.
AND I TOOK A CLASS AND SHE WAS SITTING DIAGONAL TO ME AND I KEPT WATCHING HER LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG IN SCHOOL AND GOING, I WANNA BE AS GOOD AS HER.
AND I WAS LIKE, I JUST LOVED HER WORK.
GOT TO KNOW HER, GOT TO SEE HER THE BREADTH OF HER WORK AND INVITE HER TO DO A SHOW.
SO RUTH IS A MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE ARTIST BASED IN FLAGSTAFF, ORIGINALLY FROM NEW YORK CITY.
HER FAMILY MOVED TO FLAGSTAFF IN 1976 WHEN SHE WAS IN THE SIXTH GRADE, AND SHE HAS CALLED NORTHERN ARIZONA HOME EVER SINCE SHE HOLDS A BA IN GRAPHIC DESIGN FROM NAU.
AND IN 2020 SHE RETURNED TO HER STUDIO TO FOCUS ON HER OWN ART.
ALONGSIDE HER FAMILY'S DESIGN AND PRINT BUSINESS, SHE TRANSITIONED FROM ACRYLICS AND WATERCOLORS TO MIXED MEDIA, HER TRUE LOVE IN 2022.
SINCE THEN, SHE HAS BUILT A FOLLOWING FOR HER BRIGHT, JOYFUL PIECES, INSPIRED BY THE GARDENS, FOREST, TRAILS, AND WILDLIFE OF NORTHERN ARIZONA.
RUTH'S PAINTINGS ARE CURRENTLY SHOWING AT THE ARTIST GALLERY IN DOWNTOWN FLAGSTAFF AND THE SEDONA ARTIST MARKET IN SEDONA.
HER ORIGINALS AND PRINTS HAVE BUILT A FOLLOWING OF COLLECTORS NATIONWIDE.
TODAY'S EXHIBIT FEATURES 37 PIECES, A MIX OF ORIGINALS AND FINE ART PRINTS SPANNING FLORALS, BIRDS, AND WILDLIFE, AND NORTHERN ARIZONA LANDSCAPES.
THIS THURSDAY WILL BE THE ARTIST RECEPTION, UM, MAY 14TH FROM FOUR TO SIX IN THIS ROOM.
AND THE MUSICAL GUEST WILL BE MICHAEL KITZ PLAYING THE CHAPMAN STICK.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING RUTH AUSTIN, WHO WILL SHARE THE INSPIRATION BEHIND HER WORK.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, RUTH.
THANK YOU FOR SHOWING MY BEAUTIFUL SHOW.
SO, LIKE NANCY SAID, UM, MOST OF MY INSPIRATION COMES FROM HIKING IN THE FOREST AND FROM MY GARDEN AND OTHER LOCAL GARDENS.
AND WHAT MOST OF MY COLLECTORS SAY THEY LIKE ABOUT MY ART IS THE BRIGHT COLORS AND THE JOYFUL FEELING WHEN THEY BRING MY ART INTO THEIR HOMES.
THIS FIRST PIECE, QUIET BLISS, UM, IS HANGING RIGHT THERE.
UM, MY INSPIRATION FOR THIS PIECE, UM, WAS THE WATER LILIES IN, UM, OUR KOI POND.
AND THIS COLOR PALETTE IS MY FAVORITE, UH, BRIGHT MAGENTA AND A LITTLE BIT OF GOLD, UH, LEAF IN THE CENTER.
AND, UM, THOSE PAPERS ARE, UM, COLLAGE PAPERS.
I MAKE MYSELF ON A GEL PLATE, LOVABLE LILIES.
UM, THIS PIECE I LOVE PAINTING FROM FRESH FLOWERS.
SO, UM, THIS PIECE WAS, UH, INSPIRED BY SOME FLOWERS MY DAUGHTER GAVE ME.
AND I USED ORIGAMI PAPERS AND, UM, COLLAGE PAPERS THAT I MADE ON MY GEL PLATE.
THIS PIECE, UM, IS INSPIRED BY MY MOM WHO USED TO CUT, UM, LILACS FROM HER GARDEN EVERY SUMMER AND GIVE THEM TO ME.
AND I REALLY ENJOYED PAINTING THEM.
AND WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT THIS PIECE IS I MADE ALL THE COLLAGE PAPERS FOR THE FLOWERS ON A GEL PLATE.
I USED A ALCOHOL INKS TO MAKE THOSE.
[00:05:01]
THERE'S A LOT OF GOLD LEAF IN THE TABLECLOTH, SO THERE'S A LOT OF NICE TEXTURE.THAT PIECE IS OVER ON THE WALL OVER THERE IF YOU WANNA SEE IT LATER.
UM, ANOTHER PIECE OF FLORAL, UM, ART.
THIS PIECE WAS INSPIRED BY SOME FLOWERS I WAS GIVEN AS A GIFT.
AND WHAT'S SPECIAL TO ME ABOUT THIS PIECE IS THE, UM, PAPERS I COLLECTED TO MAKE THE LEAVES AND THE STEMS. HELLO, BEAUTIFUL.
UM, WAS INSPIRED BY, UM, A HIKE.
I WENT ON UP BY MOUNT ELDEN AND THERE WAS A HAWK IN THE TREES AND I TOOK A LOT OF GREAT PICTURES OF HER.
AND WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE STUDIO, I STARTED WORKING ON THIS WHIMSICAL INTERPRETATION.
AND THERE'S SOME REALLY FUN COLLAGE ELEMENTS IN THE FEATHERS.
I LIKE TO COLLECT, UM, OLD CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND JOURNALS.
SO, UM, THAT PIECE IS UP IN THE CORNER IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT UP CLOSE.
THERE'S A LOT OF, OF REALLY FUN STUFF IN THE FEATHERS.
UM, I LOVE TO MAKE THEM REALLY WHIMSICAL AND PUT BRIGHT COLORS AND PATTERNS IN THEIR EARS AND THEIR FUR.
AND SO YEAH, THIS PIECE IS RIGHT THERE.
UM, THIS PIECE IS INSPIRED BY SOME PHOTOS I TOOK AT A FARM IN FLAGSTAFF WHERE MY DAUGHTER WORKS.
AND THIS HEN WAS JUST REALLY FEISTY AND CUTE.
SO I USED THE PHOTOS TO DO MY INTERPRETATION.
THERE'S LOTS OF CUTE KILO FLOWERS IN HER FEATHERS.
VIEW FROM THE TOP, UM, IS FROM A PHOTO I TOOK OF AN OWL THAT SPENT AN AFTERNOON IN THE TREES IN OUR BACKYARD.
HE WAS SURROUNDED BY CROWS THAT WERE HARASSING HIM.
AND, UM, I GOT SOME GREAT PICTURES.
AND, UM, THEN HE FLEW AWAY WHEN THE SUN WENT DOWN.
BUT, UM, THE FEATHERS ARE MADE OF ORIGAMI PAPER AND SOME OTHER TEXTURED PAPERS THAT I MADE MYSELF.
UM, THE SQUIRREL AGAIN IS FROM PHOTOS I TOOK ON A HIKE.
AND THE DRAGONFLY, UM, IS INSPIRED BY SOME DRAGONFLIES IN THE GARDEN.
AND IT'S JUST, UH, MY GRAPHIC INTERPRETATION USING, UM, FLUORESCENT, UH, ACRYLICS AND COLLAGE PAPERS THAT I MADE MYSELF AND SOME ORIGAMI THANK JOYFUL MORNING IN SEDONA.
UM, THAT PIECE WAS INSPIRED BY, UM, A WORKSHOP I TOOK ON ABSTRACT LANDSCAPE PAINTING AT SEDONA ART CENTER, UM, A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND SO I HAD LOTS OF GREAT, UM, SKETCHES AND PHOTOS TO WORK FROM WHEN I GOT HOME.
AND I MADE THIS PIECE, UM, IT'S SOLD TO SOMEBODY LOCALLY AND THERE'S A PRINT OF IT UP THERE ON, UH, THE WALL ALSO.
AND YEAH, THIS PIECE IS INSPIRED BY, UM, A TRIP THAT WE TOOK, UM, FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY TO MEXICO.
AND WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS PIECE IS THE WARM COLORS AND THE FEELING OF THE BREEZE.
AND, UM, THERE'S SOME REALLY NICE COLLAGE ELEMENTS UP IN THE PALM TREE.
I THINK THAT PIECE IS UP OVER THIS.
SO, UM, MY PROCESS, UH, THE FIRST LAYER I PUT DOWN IS COLLAGE PAPERS THAT I CREATE ON THE GEL PLATE, UM, ON WET STRENGTH TISSUE PAPER, AND THEN ALSO COLLECTED PAPERS, UM, THAT I PICKED UP AT GOODWILL AND OTHER THRIFT STORES.
AND THEN ONCE I FINISH PUTTING DOWN THAT FIRST LAYER, I START PAINTING THE SUBJECT AND THEN I START DOING LINE WORK AROUND IT AND TRY TO KIND OF ISOLATE THE SUBJECT.
AND THEN TO SAVE THE COLLAGE THAT'S COMING THROUGH, I WIPE AWAY SOME OF THE PAINT SO YOU CAN SEE THE COLLAGE ELEMENTS.
AND THEN I VARNISH IT, FRAME IT, I USUALLY DO MY OWN FRAMING AND, UM, THEN THEY JUST GET HUNG UP AT AN EXHIBIT.
THIS PIECE SOLD, BUT I HAVE PRINTS OF IT ON MY WEBSITE.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY ART AND I'M SUPER EXCITED.
IT'S GONNA BE UP UNTIL THE END OF AUGUST, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[3. CONSENT ITEMS - APPROVE]
OKAY, WE'RE ON TO ITEM THREE CONSENT ITEMS. IS THERE ANYONE FROM COUNCIL, STAFF OR THE PUBLIC THAT WANTS TO PULL ANY OF THE CONSENT ITEMS? OKAY, HEARING NONE.MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT ITEMS THREE, A, B, C, AND D SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
[00:10:01]
OKAY.[5. SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS BY MAYOR/COUNCILORS/CITY MANAGER & COUNCIL ASSIGNMENTS]
UH, SO MOVE ON TO SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS BY MAYOR, COUNCILOR, CITY MANAGER, AND COUNCIL ASSIGNMENTS, MELISSA.UM, SO THIS IS FOR THE LIBRARY THAT THEY HAVE A CONCERT COMING UP ON MAY 14TH AT 7:00 PM UM, AT SPAC.
AND IT IS A, UH, CONCERT BY DARRELL SCOTT AND ROB IKES, THEIR GRAM GRAMMY
IT'S LAW, RAW ELECTRIC AND IMPOSSIBLE TO REPLICATE AGAIN THIS THURSDAY.
MAY, MAY 14TH, THIS THURSDAY AT 7:00 PM LIVE ON STAGE AT SPAC, AND TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE@COMMUNITYLIBRARYSEDONA.ORG.
[6. EXECUTIVE SESSION REPORT]
EXECUTIVE SESSION REPORT.KURT, WILL YOU GIVE THE REPORT, PLEASE? YES.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR AND COUNCIL IN OPEN SESSION.
AFTER THE EXECUTIVE EXECUTIVE SESSION HELD TODAY, CITY COUNCIL VOTED SIX ZERO OR UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2026 DASH ZERO SEVEN GROUNDING PROP 2 0 7 WAIVERS FOR SEVEN PROPERTIES THAT HAD CLAIMED DIMINUTION IN VALUE.
UH, ADDITIONALLY IN THE MATTER OF THE INITIATIVE 2026 DASH ZERO ONE, THE FOLLOWING MOTION WAS MADE, UH, QUOTING BASED ON LEGAL CLARITY FROM THE COURT DECISION ON THIS MATTER.
I MOVE THAT COUNSEL NOT APPEAL THE LEGAL DECISION SO THAT THE MATTER CAN MOVE FORWARD TO THE JULY 21ST BALLOT.
UH, THAT MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
[7. PUBLIC FORUM]
NEXT I'LL GO TO THE PUBLIC FORUM.WE'LL START WITH TIM PERRY, FOLLOWED BY SCOTT SOLAR AND THEN RACHEL COLLINS.
MY NAME IS TIM PER AND I LIVE IN SEDONA IN TONIGHT'S INSTALLMENT OF THE LIES TOLD BY THE CITY OF SEDONA.
WE WILL BRIEFLY ADDRESS SOME OF THE LIES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT MISNAMED DOCUMENT.
THE SEDONA COMMUNITY PLAN, WHICH OF COURSE DOES NOT ACTUALLY REPRESENT THE WILL OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT HAS ARRIVED AT THROUGH A RIGGED PROCESS TO REFLECT MOSTLY THE DESIRES OF STAFF, SOME OF WHOM HAD NEVER BEEN TO SEDONA BEFORE THEY WERE HIRED TO RUN THE CITY, AS WELL AS THE DESIRES OF A FEW OF THAT, UH, WE'LL CALL IT A CABAL OF RETIRED BUREAUCRATS WHO ARE LIVING OR MORE ACCURATELY DYING IN THIS TOWN.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU END UP WITH A COMMUNITY PLAN THAT SAYS HOUSING AT THE CULTURAL PARK, AS OPPOSED TO A COMMUNITY THAT SAYS AMPHITHEATER OR RECREATIONAL USES AT THE CULTURAL PARK.
THE MORE INTERESTING SET OF LIES BEING TOLD ABOUT THIS PLAN RIGHT NOW ARE THE ONES ABOUT WHAT THE CITY CAN AND CAN'T DO WITH IT.
YOU GUYS REALLY ARE NOT GETTING VERY GOOD ADVICE FROM YOUR $400 AN HOUR LAWYER DOWN IN PHOENIX, WHO BASED MOST OF HIS FAILED STRATEGY AGAINST THE INITIATIVE ON THE ARGUMENT THAT AN AMPHITHEATER RESTORATION WOULDN'T BE COMMUNITY PLAN COMPLIANT.
TWO YEARS AGO, WE ALL SAT IN THIS ROOM AND WATCHED AS YOU, THE COUNCIL TRIED TO OVERRIDE THE HERITAGE LODGE APPROVAL ONLY BECAUSE IT WASN'T COMMUNITY PLAN COMPLIANT ONLY TO IGNOMINIOUSLY HAVE TO REVERSE YOURSELF LATER ON BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT LEGALLY ALLOWED TO DO THAT BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY PLAN IS NOT A BINDING DOCUMENT THAT FORMS A BASIS FOR POLICY.
OF COURSE, THIS ATTITUDE GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2015 AND BEFORE WHEN THE COURT OF APPEALS STRUCK DOWN THE CITY'S ORIGINAL STR BAN AND TOLD YOU, NO, NO, YOU CAN'T JUST PUT YOUR COMMUNITY CHARACTER REQUIREMENTS INTO CODE BY CALLING THEM HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE.
HOW MUCH LONGER IS IT GOING TO TAKE THIS COUNCIL TO LEARN IN THESE MATTERS? HAVE YOU LEARNED? HOW CAN WE TRUST YOUR LATEST SWITCHEROO ON THE INITIATIVE? RUMOR ON THE STREET IS THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS A VERY DIFFERENT PLAN FOR DEALING WITH THE CULTURAL PARK TO ACQUIESCE IN THE RESTORATION, LET REGULATORY INTERFERENCE QUIETLY KILL THE VENUE AND THEN PUT A HOUSING PROJECT ON THE SITE ANYWAY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT.
HOW MUCH LONGER ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS GARBAGE? WITH ANY LUCK? 70 DAYS, 70 DAYS COUNSELORS, AND THEN HOPEFULLY YOU WILL BE THE BIGGEST FLOCK OF LAME DUCKS IN ARIZONA AND IT WILL BE DUCK SEASON.
[00:15:01]
SCOTT SOLER, RESIDENT OF WESTONA SINCE 1989.UM, I HOPE SINCE THE LAST TIME I SPOKE, UH, IN APRIL THAT PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNED CITIZENS HAVE TAKEN A LOOK AT THE RUMBLE VIDEOS, ESPECIALLY, UH, UH, OFFICER SANTOS DASH CAM WHERE HE AND OFFICER BEERS VIOLENTLY YANKED ERICA MONTGOMERY OUT OF THE CAR AND SLAMMED HER HEAD TO THE PAVEMENT JUST TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, FOR THOSE CONCERNED CITIZENS AND, UH, THEIR REPRESENTATIVES.
UM, JUST TO FINISH WHERE I LEFT OFF LAST WEEK, NOT TO GO OVER EVERYTHING BUT JUST, UH, ONE THING I WANTED TO CONCLUDE WITH ON OFFICER SANTOS TESTIMONY, HE SAYS HE WAS FEELING SOME, UH, MINOR PAIN ON THE GENERAL AREA AND, UM, AT THE TIME I FELT I WILL FALL.
AND AT 10 45 OR 34, UH, APPROXIMATELY HE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ONSET OF DIZZINESS THAT ALMOST, UH, CAUSED HIM TO FALL.
UH, HE SAYS, I WAS LATER, UH, DETER, IT WAS LATER DETERMINED I HAD SUFFERED A CONCUSSION.
WELL, WE HAVE NOT SEEN THAT DOCUMENT.
THE HOSPITAL HAS NOT PROVIDED THAT, NOR WHOEVER IS SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE THAT, HE DIDN'T EVEN TAKE THE DAY OFF.
SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, IN THE BACK OF ALL THE POLICE CARS, I BELIEVE THEY SAY COMMUNITY COMPASSION, HONOR, I THINK ON THE BACK OF OFFICER SANTOS VEHICLE, IT SHOULD SAY, UH, LUNGE CONTROL DEFEAT.
AND I DEFER PEOPLE TO THE APRIL PRESENTATION WHERE HE REPEATED THAT OVER AND OVER AND OVER IN HIS TESTIMONY.
AND, UH, I KNOW AT LEAST SIX PEOPLE PERSONALLY THAT HAVE BEEN ABUSED BY THE POLICE AND, UH, YAVAPAI COUNTY AND COOK, UH, COTTONWOOD POLICE AND THEY'RE AFRAID TO SPEAK BECAUSE OF THE RETALIATION.
SO, UH, I DEFER EVERYONE TO, UM, STAY RELAXEDLY VIGILANT AND PLEASE MARSHAL THE COURAGE TO COME UP AND SPEAK AND, UH, THINGS ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE UNTIL, UNTIL, UH, ENOUGH OF HIS DO.
SO APPARENTLY THAT'S WHAT IT IS GONNA TAKE.
RACHEL, FOLLOWED BY MAYNARD RACHEL COLLINS.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF SEDONA FOR 20 YEARS.
AS YOU KNOW, WE KEEP COMING TO COUNSEL, WE KEEP FILING NOTICES OF CLAIM AND LAWSUITS AND COMPLAINTS, AND OUR COMPLAINTS HAVE FALLEN ON DEAF EARS.
SO TOMORROW YOU'RE GONNA GET A DOCUMENT IN ALL OF YOUR EMAILS THAT EXPLAINS WHAT I WOULD'VE SAID IF I'D HAD ENOUGH TIME TODAY, BUT THREE MINUTES ISN'T MUCH.
AND WHAT WE HAVE DECIDED TO DO IS WE CALLED THE FBI AND I HAVE DOCUMENTS FROM CASH PATEL DIRECTLY TO LIST THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED AS CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS OF SEDONA WHO HAVE FALSELY FILED CLAIMED POLICE OFFICERS WHO HAVE CLAIMED ALLEGATIONS THAT PEOPLE WHO DID NOTHING CRIMINAL HAD DONE SOMETHING CRIMINAL.
AND THEN THE CITY PROSECUTOR, BILL KISH TURNS THOSE INTO FELONY CHARGES OFTEN WITHOUT ANY EVIDENCE OR SUBSTANTIATION AT ALL, WHICH WAS THE CASE IN ERICA MONTGOMERY'S CASE.
AND SHE'S IN PRISON FOR 10 YEARS NOW AND SHE DID NOTHING BUT BE ASSAULTED BY POLICE OFFICERS WHO LIED ABOUT IT.
I JUST CAME FROM PRESCOTT WHERE I WAS IN COURT FOR THE HEARING OF SOMEONE ELSE THAT OUR LOCAL POLICE DID THAT TO AS WELL.
AND WHAT THAT PERSON'S VERY GOOD ATTORNEY TOLD ME IS THAT OFFICER LEWIS HAS BEEN FIRED.
WELL, THAT'S INTERESTING NEWS.
WHY DO WE NEVER HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT? YOU KNOW, WHEN DEPUTY DOWELL WAS EITHER ALLEGEDLY RESIGNED OR FIRED, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW YET.
NOW I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT BECAUSE HE'S BEEN INVOLVED IN MANY ENCOUNTERS WHERE HE ABUSED CITIZENS AND LIED AND AND CAUSED GREAT JEOPARDY TO THEM AND GREAT SUFFERING AND DAMAGE IN THEIR LIVES.
SO SANTOS HOPEFULLY WILL BE NEXT.
HE'S THE NUMBER ONE ASSAULTER IN THE CITY OF SEDONA.
FAR MORE THAN ANY CITIZENS BEING ASSAULTED BY OTHER CITIZENS.
IT'S OUR POLICE OFFICERS WHO A ASSAULT US AND CLAIM THEY WERE ASSAULTED OR CLAIM THAT THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, THAT THE PERSON THEY ASSAULTED, RESISTED ARREST.
YOU'VE HEARD THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO GO TO THE DOJ AND THE FBI AND THEY'VE HEARD ENOUGH FROM OTHER CITIZENS OVER THE YEARS TO SAY THIS WAS THE TIPPING POINT.
[00:20:01]
YOU HAVE TOLD US ENOUGH, WE'VE SEEN ENOUGH WE'RE GOING TO INVESTIGATE THAT WILL INVOLVE BOTH THE DOJ AND THE FBI.AND I'VE BEEN A FEDERAL WHISTLEBLOWER BEFORE AND I KNOW IT TAKES TIME FOR THEM TO DO THEIR INVESTIGATIONS.
THAT'S REALLY GREAT FOR THE TOURISTS TO KNOW OF SEDONA, RIGHT? WHICH IS YOUR LIFEBLOOD.
BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT US, THE RESIDENTS HERE ANYMORE.
WE'RE NOT PROVIDING ENOUGH REVENUE TO YOU.
BUT EVERY TIME I'M IN PHOENIX, LIKE I WAS ALL LAST WEEK, I TELL PEOPLE, WE'RE GONNA COME UP HERE.
MAKE SURE ALL YOUR LIGHTS WORK.
MAKE SURE YOU DON'T GO ONE MILE OVER THE SPEED LIMIT BECAUSE LIKE I SAID LAST TIME, THERE'S A 50 50 CHANCE YOU'RE GONNA BE PICKED OFF IN THE SCHEME TO CRIMINALIZE INNOCENT PEOPLE BECAUSE WE HAVE NO CRIME IN SEDONA.
AND THE ONLY WAY THE POLICE CHIEF CAN JUSTIFY A BUDGET OF MORE COPS, I THINK WE HAVE THREE TIMES AS MANY AS WE NEED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYNARD FOLLOWED BY ROB SMITH.
HOW ARE YOU? I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO ALL OF YOU.
YOU PROBABLY DON'T HEAR THAT VERY OFTEN.
MAY, COULD YOU TELL US YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE, PLEASE? MY APOLOGY.
I CAME HERE LAST YEAR FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND I HAVE FOUND
AND I WOULD REALLY WANNA BE, UH, THANKING YOU POLICY ENFORCERS FOR, UH, THIS, UH, ARRESTING THE CITIZEN ON THE SIDEWALK FOR TAKING PICTURES.
YOU REALLY HAVE MADE THIS WONDERFULLY EASY FOR US.
UM, I AM, UM, AN AMERICAN SOVEREIGN, OKAY? I'M A LIVING MAN.
I'M NOT A DEAD ALL CAPITAL OF LETTERS ENTITY, LIKE MOST OF THE REST OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM IS YOU HOLD NO AUTHORITY OVER ME.
SO WHAT I'M WANTING TO DO HERE IS TO REMIND Y'ALL OF YOUR PLACE.
WE PEOPLE, OKAY? THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND.
THIS LAND IS MY LAND FROM CALIFORNIA TO THE NEW YORK ISLAND.
OKAY? IT'S NOT YOURS CERTAINLY ISN'T THE POLICY ENFORCERS OVER HERE.
ALL RIGHT? DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE TOLD US EXACTLY WHAT TO DO WITH FOLKS LIKE YOU.
IT SAYS, UH, GOVERNMENTS ARE AN INSTITUTION AMONG MEN DERIVING THEIR JUST POWERS FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNMENT THAT WHENEVER ANY FORM OF GOVERNMENT BECOMES RESTRICTED OF THESE ENDS, IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO ALTER OR TO ABOLISH IT.
AND TO INSTITUTE A NEW GOVERNMENT LAYING ITS FOUNDATION ON ITS SUCH PRINCIPLES AND ORGANIZATION OR ORGANIZING ITS POWERS IN SUCH FORM AS TO SEEM AS THEM SHALL SEEM MOST LIKELY TO AFFECT THEIR SAFETY AND HAPPINESS.
PRUDENCE INDEED WILL DICTATE THEIR GOVERNMENTS LONG ESTABLISHED, SHOULD NOT BE CHARGED FOR LIGHT AND TRANSIENT CAUSES.
AND ACCORDINGLY ALL EXPERIENCE HALF SHOWN THAT MANKIND ARE MORE DISPOSED TO SUFFER WHILE EVILS ARE SUFFERABLE AND TO RIGHT THEMSELVES BY ABOLISHING THE FORMS IN WHICH THEY ARE ACCUSTOMED.
BUT WHEN A LONG TRAIN OF ABUSES LIKE IS GOING ON HERE AND USE OF PROTECT USE FOR PATIENTS PURSUING IN VARIABLE THE SAME OBJECT IN VINCES, UH, DESIGNED TO REDUCE THEM UNDER ABSOLUTE DESPOTISM.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY HOMELESS LOSING THEIR HOUSES AND THEIR JOBS, IT'S PRETTY MUCH DESPOTISM, IS IT NOT? AND THEN YOU GUYS PULL US OVER AND STEAL OUR HOME 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING UP TO DATE WITH YOUR LICENSES REGISTRATIONS.
SO BASICALLY THEY TOLD US WHAT TO DO ABOUT YOUR FOLKS.
IT'S CALLED GOVERNMENT BY CONSENT.
OKAY? WE DON'T HAVE TO CONSENT TO Y'ALL COMMON LAW JURY BOOK, OKAY? MEET YOUR STRAW MAN.
LEARN YOUR POWER, TAKE IT BACK FROM THESE FOLKS.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT'S A WORD WE HEAR A LOT OF, WE ALL WANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WE HEAR IT ALL THE TIME.
AND NOW THE GOVERNMENT THINKS THEY CAN CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY HOUSING, UH, PLAN DESIGN LIBRARY FOR THE CITY.
THE MEDIAN HOME IN, UH, IN SEDONA IS GREATER THAN $900,000.
I BELIEVE THAT'S NOT VERY AFFORDABLE.
LOCAL ARCHITECTS SAY IT COSTS BETWEEN 800 AND A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO BUILD A HOUSE IN THE CITY OF SEDONA.
[00:25:01]
1800 SQUARE FOOT HOME AND YOU WANNA, YOU BUY A $200,000 LOT, YOU HAVE A HUNDRED DOLLARS A SQUARE FOOT BEFORE YOU START BUILDING A HOUSE.IF I USE $500 A SQUARE FOOT FOR THE COST OF THE HOUSE, I GET 1,000,090 8,000.
BUT THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND THE CITY, I THINK THEY CAN MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE BY HAS, BY HAVING A HOUSING PLAN DESIGN LIBRARY.
IF IT SAVES $50,000, THAT'S 1,000,040 8,000.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S VERY AFFORDABLE EITHER.
AND THE CITY GOES ONE STEP FURTHER AND THEY WANT TO SPEND NEARLY $200,000 ON A COMPETITION TO FUND THAT LIBRARY WITH HOUSING DESIGNS.
IF YOU WANT MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I THINK YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE LDC AND ALLOW RANCH HOMES WITH MINIMUM CODE WINDOWS AND THEY MIGHT BE MORE AFFORDABLE AND THAT'LL BE GOOD FOR THE CITY OF DES MOINES OR DES MOINES.
SEDONA, I ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO NOT SPEND FUNDS ON THE COMPETITION FOR HOUSING PLANS.
IN FACT, ALL THE STATE REALLY REQUIRES IS A LIBRARY BE SET UP, PLANS BE DEPOSITED ON THAT, AND IT WOULD COST NOTHING.
[8.a. Recognition of West Sedona School student, Piper Wagner, winner of the 4th Grade Water Ethics Essay Contest through the Coconino Plateau Watershed Partnership.]
WE'LL MOVE TO PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS AND AWARDS AND, UH, OUR FIRST RECOGNITION IS FOR PIPER WAGNER.PIPER IS THE WINNER OF THE FOURTH GRADE WATER ETHICS ESSAY CONTEST THROUGH THE COCONINO PLATEAU WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNSELORS, MAYOR.
UM, I'M GONNA KICK IT OFF AND INTRODUCE PIPER AND THE PROJECT ITSELF.
UM, THIS IS A MESSAGE FROM HER FOURTH GRADE TEACHER, MRS. KAGAN.
SO SHE STATES THE WATER ETHICS PROJECT ENGAGES FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS IN EXPLORING THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPONSIBLE WATER USE THROUGH A STRUCTURED WRITING PROCESS AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COCONINO PLATEAU WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP AND WILLOW BEND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER, STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THE ANNUAL WATER ETHICS CONTEST BY DEVELOPING ESSAYS AND OR ARTWORK THAT DEMONSTRATE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF WATER CONSERVATION, ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND COMMUNITY IMPACT.
THROUGH THIS PROJECT, STUDENTS MOVE THROUGH THE FULL WRITING PROCESS, WHICH INCLUDES BRAINSTORMING, DRAFTING, REVISING, AND PUBLISHING WHILE CONNECTING THEIR LEARNING TO REAL WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
SO PIPER PARTICIPATED IN THE ESSAY AND THE ART PORTION OF THE COMPETITION WHERE SHE DEMONSTRATED BOTH HER WRITING SKILLS AND HER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TOPIC.
THE ESSAY IS EVALUATED BASED ON HOW EFFECTIVELY IT COMMUNICATES A MEANINGFUL MESSAGE, AS WELL AS HOW WELL IT APPLIES.
THIS CONTEST ALLOWED PIPER TO DEMONSTRATE HER LEARNING BY APPLYING HER WRITING SKILLS IN A MEANINGFUL AND STANDARDS ALIGNED WAY THROUGH A REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE.
SO THIS PROJECT STRENGTHENS LITERACY AND CRITICAL THINKING, WHILE ALSO HELPING STUDENTS RECOGNIZE THEIR ROLE AS ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
BY BLENDING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION WITH ACADEMIC WRITING, STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER AS A VITAL RESOURCE AND TO EXPRESS THEIR IDEAS IN A CLEAR AND MEANINGFUL WAY.
UH, SO PIPER DEMONSTRATED THIS CONCEPT THROUGH HER COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION, CHOOSING AND DEVELOPING A WELL-WRITTEN AND THOUGHTFUL ESSAY PERTAINING TO WATER CONSERVATION, POLLUTION AND ETHICS.
UH, KELLY SAYS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CARE AND THOUGHTFULNESS AND SUPPORTING PIPER'S AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT AND LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
SO I'M GONNA INTRODUCE YOU THEN TO PIPER.
SHE'S OUR, UM, CONTEST WINNER FOR FOURTH GRADE.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO STOP AND SAVE WATER POLLUTION.
WE CAN START BY DISPOSING OF TRASH RESPONSIBLY.
TRASH AND LANDFILLS CAN POLLUTE THE GROUNDWATER.
WATER POLLUTION CAN HURT ALL LIFE ON EARTH.
THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO DISPOSE OF TRASH RESPONSIBLY AND PROTECT GROUNDWATER.
STOPPING WATER WASTAGE IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL LIFE TO SURVIVE.
WE CAN START BY CHECKING OUR PIPES FOR LEAKS YEARLY OR MORE.
SECOND, WE CAN TRY TO TAKE SHORTER SHOWERS TO SAVE WATER.
LASTLY, WE CAN TURN OFF OUR FAUCETS WHEN BRUSHING TEETH TO HELP SAVE MORE WATER.
YOU CAN TAKE PART BY TURNING OFF THE WATER WHEN NOT IN USE, AND SO MUCH MORE.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO PROTECT AND SAVE WATER ON EARTH.
THE WHOLE COMMUNITY CAN COME TOGETHER AND HELP KEEP OUR WATER CLEAN.
IF WE CLEAN, IF WE KEEP OUR WATER CLEAN, WE CAN HAVE MORE WILDLIFE ON EARTH.
CLEAN WATER CAN GIVE US MORE VEGETATION AND HELP PLANTS GROW.
THERE WOULD BE MORE LIFE AND VEGETATION IF WE WORK TOGETHER AND PROTECT OUR WATER.
[00:30:07]
I HAVE A CARD.TIM PERRY, DID YOU WANNA TALK ON THIS SUBJECT? GOOD EVENING, COUNSELORS.
MY NAME IS TIM PERRY AND I LIVE IN SEDONA.
YOU KNOW, WE REALLY MUST THANK THE COUNCIL OF VANGUARDS FOR GIVING US WHAT, UH, THEY THEMSELVES MIGHT EUPHEMISTICALLY CALL A TEACHABLE MOMENT WITH THIS, UH, PRETENSE OF GIVING AN AWARD FOR WATER ETHICS.
WATER ETHICS AT THE CITY OF SEDONA.
THIS IS THE CITY WHERE THE STAFF EVERY DAY PUMP MORE THAN 1100 THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF WATER OUT TO DUMP IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT TO SERVE NO PURPOSE WHATSOEVER.
UNLESS CITY STAFF WANT TO CLAIM THAT THE PURPOSE IS WHAT CITIZENS REFER TO AS RAVING THEM WITH A SEWER PIPE, I GUESS THAT TAKES AN AWFUL LOT OF WATER.
THIS IS THE CITY WHERE PARK STAFF DON'T EVEN DISCLOSE THE AMOUNT OF MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER THAT THEY USE TO CREATE UNNEEDED GRASS LAWNS EVERY YEAR.
IT'S NOT A PERFORMANCE MAGIC IN THE CITY'S BUDGET, AND YET WE, THE PEOPLE DON'T GET TO USE THOSE LAWNS FOR EVENTS BECAUSE PARK STAFF ARE WORKING SO HARD TO GET EVENTS AND FESTIVALS OUT OF TOWN AND OUT OF OUR PARKS.
THIS IS THE CITY WHERE IT IS EASIER TO GET A SWIMMING POOL PERMIT THAN A HOME PERMIT, AND MORE OF THEM ARE GIVEN OUT THAN HOME PERMITS.
THIS IS THE CITY WHERE THERE'S ALREADY A COMMUNITY POOL THAT 84% OF THE COMMUNITY HAS NEVER EVEN BEEN TO YET.
STAFF SIT HERE TRYING TO MANUFACTURE A NARRATIVE THAT THEY NEED TO BUILD AN EVEN BIGGER AND MORE ELABORATE POOL TO WASTE MILLIONS OF MORE GALLONS OF WATER.
THIS IS A CITY WHERE STAFF WANT TO BUILD A BUS WASH DOWN FACILITY OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT TO FURTHER CONTAMINATE IT WITH INDUSTRIALLY WASTE INDUSTRIAL WATER.
AND OF COURSE, THIS IS ALSO THE CITY WHERE THE COUNCIL SITS UP HERE AND PRETENDS THAT A HUNDRED FOOT DROP IN THE AQUIFER LEVELS OVER THE NEXT CENTURY TO WHICH THEY ARE CONTRIBUTING CAN JUST BE DISMISSED AS AND NO CHANGE AT ALL.
THIS IS THE COUNCIL THAT SAT UP HERE AND SERIOUSLY DISCUSSED WHETHER IT WAS GOING TO WASTE 3 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER A YEAR TO CREATE A SPECIAL LAWN ON WHICH THEIR DOGS COULD DEFECATE.
ANY PERSON WHO PROPOSES TO SPEND ANY TIME OR RESOURCES ON ANY ANIMAL BEFORE THE NEEDS OF EVERY HUMAN BEING HAVE BEEN MET IS AN ENEMY OF THIS SPECIES.
BUT THEN THE DOG PARK SITUATION REALLY TEACHES US THE LESSON THAT THIS COUNCIL WANTS TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY.
AND DOESN'T THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER IF A BUNCH OF GREEDY PSYCHOPATHS WHO MAKE UP A RULING ELITE ARE PLUNDERING OUR PLANET OF ITS RESOURCES FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT.
AS LONG AS WE HAVE WATER FESTIVALS AND ESSAY CONTESTS TO SAY WE'RE DOING SOMETHING, THIS IS THE CLIMATE CHANGE RELIGION IN ACTION RIGHT HERE.
[8.b. 159th Anniversary Memorial Day Proclamation, May 25, 2026.]
OKAY, I HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR THE 159TH ANNIVERSARY OF MEMORIAL DAY, AND I WILL READ IT AND THEN JACK, YOU CAN COME UP WITH WHOEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN YOU TO RECEIVE IT.WHEREAS ON MONDAY, MAY 25TH, 2026, IN CITIES AND TOWNS THROUGHOUT OUR NATION, AMERICANS WILL JOIN TOGETHER TO HONOR THE FALLEN HEROES OF OUR ARMED FORCES ON THE 159TH ANNIVERSARY OF MEMORIAL DAY.
AND WHEREAS IN MAY, 1868, MAJOR GENERAL JOHN A. LOGAN CALLED FOR A NATIONWIDE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE TO PAY TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES SERVING OUR COUNTRY, WHICH WOULD BE DESIGNATED MEMORIAL DAY BY CONGRESS.
AND WHEREAS OVER 8,000 VETERANS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES CURRENTLY RESIDE IN THE VERDE VALLEY, AND WHEREAS OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM HAVE SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES TO MAINTAIN THE SECURITY OF OUR GREAT NATION AND THE LIBERTIES WE HOLD SO DEAR.
AND WHEREAS MEMBERS OF OUR ARMED FORCES CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS PEACE AND PROSPERITY IN THE WORLD.
AND WHEREAS WE PLEDGE TO NEVER FORGET THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE IN DEFENDING OUR FREEDOMS, WE SHOULD EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO THE FAMILIES OF OUR FALLEN WARRIORS.
WE MUST KEEP FAITH WITH ALL THOSE WHO HAVE DIED FOR OUR COUNTRY IN THE FIGHT FOR PERMANENT PEACE WITH ALL.
AND WE MUST HONOR OUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.
NOW, THEREFORE, I HOLLY PLU, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SEDONA, ARIZONA ON BEHALF OF THE SEDONA CITY COUNCIL TO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 25TH, 2026 AS MEMORIAL DAY IN THE CITY OF SEDONA,
[00:35:01]
IN RECOGNITION OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE TO OUR NATION.AND THAT AT EIGHT 30 A MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY WILL BE CONDUCTED AT THE POSSE GROUNDS PAVILION DIRECT ALL FLAGS IN THE CITY OF SEDONA TO BE LOWERED TO HAVE STAFF FROM SUNRISE UNTIL NOON ON MONDAY, MAY 25TH, 2026, IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN HEROES OF OUR ARMED FORCES.
I DO HAVE SOME GUESTS IF THEY COULD COME ON UP.
UH, THE SAFECO POSSE AS A POLICE CHIEF OVER HERE IS PROTECTING YOUR CHILI RECIPE.
I HAVE THESE FOLKS TO HELP CARRY THE PROCLAMATION BACK.
SO I, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT, THIS IS A CITY OF SEDONA MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY.
AND SAFECO IS VERY HONORED TO CONDUCT THE CEREMONY.
AND THIS THE FIRST YEAR, UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE CAN DIG OUT THE HISTORY, IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FLYOVER.
IT'LL BE A SKYMASTER, AN AIRCRAFT BOWL BY THOMAS MCPHERSON, MAYBE ER.
SO, UH, BOY, COME ON OUT MONDAY THE 25TH.
AND AS JACK ALLUDED TO, WE SHOULD SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SEDONA POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR WINNING THE CHILI CONTEST.
[9.b. AB 3345 Presentation/discussion/possible direction regarding Friends of the Verde River updates on the Verde River Watershed Report Card.]
NOW WE'RE ON TO REGULAR BUSINESS, UH, NINE B AB 33 45 PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, POSSIBLE DIRECTION REGARDING FRIENDS OF THE VERDE RIVER, UPDATES ON THE VERDE RIVER WATERSHED REPORT CARD.AND BRYCE, WILL YOU INTRODUCE EVERYBODY? OKAY.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, DISTINGUISHED COUNCIL.
I'M EXCITED TO, UH, BE HERE, UH, THIS AFTERNOON TO INTRODUCE, UH, DAVID GRASSLEY, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH, UH, FRIENDS OF THE VERDE RIVER, UH, TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, RECENT UPDATES TO THE 2025 WATERSHED REPORT CARD.
UH, WE WORK WITH FRIENDS OF THE VERDE RIVER ON A, A VARIETY OF THINGS, UH, THAT WE ARE EXCITED TO, TO ENGAGE WITH ON WATER EDUCATION EFFORTS, THE RIVER FRIENDLY, RIVER RIVER FRIENDLY LIVING GRANT PROGRAM, AND SO ON.
UH, SO DAVID WILL WALK US THROUGH THE UPDATES THAT THEY'VE WORKED DILIGENTLY ON FOR THAT REPORT CARD, UH, AND ANY QUESTIONS I'LL BE AROUND, UH, AS WELL FOR THAT.
BUT, UH, UH, DAVE AGGRESSIVELY HERE WITH THE
MADAM MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, REAL PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY.
MAYBE JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND, UH, ONE, THIS IS A REPORT CARD THAT WE DID FIRST IN 2020.
SO THIS IS OUR SECOND ITERATION OF THE REPORT CARD.
IT'S ONE THAT THE, UH, CITY ALSO HELPS SUPPORT, UH, FINANCIALLY.
AND ALSO WE HAD MANY PEOPLE IN THE SEDONA AREA WORK AS STAKEHOLDERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDICATORS THAT WE'RE USING.
SO WE WANT TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION FOR THAT SUPPORT, BOTH FOR THIS REPORT AND, AND THE PRIOR ONE.
AND MAYBE JUST, UM, A BRIEF NOTE, UM, WHAT WE OFTEN TALK OF THE VERDE RIVER, BUT WE'RE TALKING HERE ABOUT THE WATERSHED, WHICH OF COURSE INCORPORATES, UH, OAK CREEK, BUT, UH, MANY OTHER TRIBUTARIES.
AND IT STRETCHES FROM BASICALLY THE PRESCOTT AREA OVER EAST TO PAYSON, RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE OF FLAGSTAFF AND RIGHT DOWN TO THE BARTLETT HORSESHOE RESERVOIRS.
UH, AN AREA THAT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF CONNECTICUT.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN AREA, UH, OF, UM, OF, UH, OF, OF COVERAGE, BASICALLY,
[00:40:01]
UH, THE VERY RIVER IS IMPORTANT TO THIS STATE.UM, WE ALL KNOW IT'S BEAUTY AND WHETHER IT'S THE RIVER ITSELF OR ONE OF ITS TRIBUTARIES, BUT IT'S THE LAST REMAINING FREE FLOWING RIVER IN THE STATE.
WE USED TO HAVE EIGHT RIVERS LIKE THIS IN ARIZONA.
UH, SO IF NOTHING ELSE, WE NEED TO PRESERVE THIS RIVER, UH, AS THE LAST UNIQUE, UH, GEM OF, UH, WHAT, UH, ARIZONA ONCE WAS.
UH, SO I ALSO LIKE TO REMIND, I TRAVEL TO PHOENIX FREQUENTLY FOR, FOR VARIOUS REASONS FOR WORK.
AND I LIKE TO REMIND OUR, OUR FELLOW CITIZENS DOWN IN THE, UH, PHOENIX AREA, THAT 25% OF THEIR WATER FLOWS THROUGH THIS WATERSHED.
AND MOST OF THEM HAVE NO CLUE HOW IMPORTANT THIS RIVER IS TO, TO THEM.
UH, SO I THINK WE HAVE A BIG JOB AHEAD OF US, UH, TO CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO COMMUNITIES, NOT ONLY IN THE WATERSHED, BUT OUTSIDE TO EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS, THIS RIVER.
UM, THIS RIVER HAS BENEFITED FROM EXTENSIVE WORK OVER THE YEARS TO TRY TO RESTORE.
I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT RESTORATION HAS BEEN.
AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE INDICATORS, UH, THE REMOVAL OF INVASIVE SPECIES, PARTICULARLY GIANT REED, BUT SEVERAL OTHER, UH, SPECIES THAT, UH, INHIBITED THE, THE NORMAL KIND OF WILDLIFE AND BIRD LIFE, UH, THAT YOU WOULD FIND IN THE FERDY WATERSHED.
UM, THE VERDE RIVER, NOW, WE'VE REMOVED OVER 12,000 ACRES OF INVASIVE SPECIES OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS.
IT'S A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT.
IT MAKES THE VERDE RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES THE CLEAREST OF ANY RIVER IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST OF INVASIVE SPECIES.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE BEST THAT WE, THAT YOU CAN FIND IN THIS REGION OF THE COUNTRY.
UM, THE KIND OF HABITAT THAT IT ENCOURAGES.
THE COTTON WILL, COTTONWOOD WILLOW KIND OF HABITAT THAT, UH, EMERGES WHEN THE NATIVE SPECIES, UH, NON-NATIVE SPECIES ARE REMOVED.
THEY HOUSE ABOUT 60 PLUS PERCENT OF THE WILDLIFE IN ARIZONA.
UH, THIS WILDLIFE EITHER IS RESIDENT THERE OR NEEDS IT AT SOME POINT IN THE YEAR.
SO IT'S ALSO VITAL FOR, FOR WILDLIFE.
UM, IT'S ALSO VITAL AS A CORRIDOR FOR MOVEMENT OF, UH, WILDLIFE AND PARTICULARLY FOR BIRDS.
UM, NEARLY 300 SPECIES OF BIRDS IN THE VERDE WATERSHED AREA.
UH, THIS IS A REAL, IT'S A REAL TREASURE AND IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THOSE CORRIDORS FOR THE HEALTH OF THE, OF THE RIVER.
UM, AND THEN WE, WE WILL CONTINUE AS AN ORGANIZATION TO PROMOTE, UH, CORRIDORS FOR WILDLIFE.
WE'RE WORKING ON PRONGHORN RIGHT NOW IN THE UPPER VERDE AREA, AND WE'LL CONTINUE.
WE HAVE A OTTER SPOTTER PROGRAM 'CAUSE OTTERS, NOT ONLY DO PEOPLE LOVE IT, THEY ARE A VERY GOOD INDICATOR OF THE QUALITY OF THE RIVER.
THE MORE OTTERS YOU HAVE, THE BETTER THE QUALITY OF THE RIVER IS ACTUALLY.
SO WE HAVE A CITIZENS, UM, COMMUNITY SCIENCE KIND OF PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS CITIZENS TO DOCUMENT, UH, UH, LOCATIONS OF, OF BEAVERS SO WE CAN HAVE A BETTER SCIENTIFIC BASIS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY'RE DOING.
AND WE'RE INTRODUCING THAT FOR BEAVERS THIS YEAR AS WELL.
SO WE WORK ON MULTIPLE AREAS ON THE, ON INVASIVE SPECIES, ON THE RIPARIAN AREAS.
WE WORK ON UPLAND RESTORATION TO STOP EROSION.
UH, WE, I THINK WE ALL KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE, UH, BARTLETT DAM DOWN IN PHOENIX.
UM, IT'S SILTING UP 25% SILTED, WHICH WILL REQUIRE THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW DAM THAT WILL FLOOD SIX MILES OF THE VERDE RIVER AS A CONSEQUENCE.
SO WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO SLOW DOWN THAT EROSION, BOTH FOR THE QUALITY OF THE WATER, FOR THE BENEFIT OF, UH, AQUATIC LIFE, BUT ALSO TO SLOW DOWN THAT KIND OF SEDIMENTATION IN THE FUTURE.
SO ALL THESE THINGS ARE POSSIBLE, UH, BUT THEY DO REQUIRE US TO, TO UNDERSTAND, UM, UH, UH, AND VALUE THE RIVER.
SO I WANT TO GO THROUGH THE, THE REPORT CARD WITH YOU.
I'LL GO THROUGH FAIRLY QUICKLY, BUT I'LL OPEN IT, UH, TO QUESTIONS.
HOPEFULLY IT'LL PROVOKE, UH, SOME THOUGHTS ON WHAT YOU AS A COUNCIL CAN DO TO HELP PROMOTE AND PRESERVE THE RIVER.
SO LET ME GO AHEAD AND START AFTER THAT INTRODUCTION.
UM, WE'LL START WITH THE REPORT CARD ITSELF.
UH, YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE, IT'S A C PLUS.
UH, IF I EVER CAME HOME WITH A C PLUS ON MY, UH, REPORT CARD, I DID NOT HAVE A GOOD EVENING, SO I AVOIDED THAT.
BUT C PLUS IS NOT A DISASTER EITHER.
UH, THERE ARE MANY GOOD THINGS IN THAT REPORT CARD.
AND, UH, AND THERE'S, EXCUSE ME, ALSO IMPROVEMENTS IN THE, UH, IN THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD, WHICH I'LL HIGHLIGHT, UH, AS YOU LOOK AT THE REPORT CARD HERE, AND WE'LL GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DEPTH.
UH, AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
YOU'LL SEE A COUPLE OF AREAS THAT ARE FAIRLY, FAIRLY GOOD RECREATION.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS ACTUALLY KIND OF AMAZING.
I FIRST MOVED TO THE VERDE VALLEY IN 2008, AND NOBODY KIND OF KNEW WHERE
[00:45:01]
THE VERDE RIVER WAS EVEN AT THAT POINT IN TIME.AND, UM, A LOT OF WORK WAS DONE BY, NOT MOUNT MYSELF, BUT OUR PREDECESSORS TO REALLY INTRODUCE THE VERDE RIVER TO, UH, TO, UH, COMMUNITIES IN GENERAL.
UH, AND I USED TO GO OUT ON THE RIVER AND, AND SEE NO ONE.
NOW YOU GO TO WALMART IN MAY, AND IT'S ALIGNED WITH KAYAKS FOR SALE.
AND I, TO ME, IT'S A VERY POSITIVE ONE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS ENGAGED WITH, THE RIVER VALUES IT BECAUSE THAT VALUE WILL ULTIMATELY HELP PROTECT THAT RIVER.
SO THE RECREATION, UH, COMPONENT OF THIS REPORT CARD IS ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD FROM A PLANNING VISITOR SATISFACTION AND ACCESS POINT OF VIEW.
THERE'S STILL ISSUES TO WORK ON, BUT A LOT OF GOOD WORK HAS BEEN DONE.
AND COMPLIMENTARY TO THAT, IF YOU SEE THE RIPARIAN BIRDS, UM, UH, PORTION, UH, AND RIPARIAN IN GENERAL IS REALLY BENEFITED FROM THE REMOVAL OF INVASIVE SPECIES.
SO NOW WE HAVE A VERY POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR, FOR BIRD LIFE IN PARTICULAR.
SO I HIGHLIGHT THOSE TWO AREAS AS POSITIVES.
UM, I MENTIONED UPLAND RESTORATION EARLIER.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S NOT WHERE WE WANT IT.
UH, THOSE PROJECTS ARE JUST NOW GETTING UNDERWAY, UM, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I WOULD SAY.
AND, AND NOT REALLY YET TO THE SCALE REQUIRED.
BUT AS WE START THINKING ABOUT A CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW DAM, UM, AT THE BARTLET RESERVOIR, I, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO CO COMPLIMENT THAT WITH THE MORE INTENSIVE WORK TO PREVENT, UH, SEDIMENTATION.
UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANT TO, TO FOSTER.
UH, NATIVE FISH, UH, ALSO IS, UH, IS ABOUT, IT'S STEADY, HASN'T CHANGED TOO MUCH.
UM, IT'S STILL AFFECTED BY WATER QUALITY.
UH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF NON-NATIVE FISH IN, IN THE RIVER.
UM, LOOKING AT, THIS IS ALL IN THE HABITAT AREA.
IF YOU LOOK IN THE WATER AREA, THERE'S TWO AREAS, UH, QUALITY AND QUANTITY.
I'LL, I'LL SPEAK ABOUT QUALITY FIRST.
UM, LAST TIME WE HAD A REALLY GOOD SCORE FOR WATER QUALITY IN THE RIVER.
NOW IT'S NOT SO GOOD, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY BECAUSE THERE WAS A DETERIORATION.
IT WAS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW.
UH, WHAT WE HAD LAST TIME WAS A VERY LOW SCORE ON CERTAINTY OF WATER QUALITY, BECAUSE WE WEREN'T MEASURING IT IN VERY MANY LOCATIONS.
UH, AT, AT THAT TIME WE WERE MEASURING A, I I'M TALKING ABOUT THE BROADER PART PARTNERSHIP.
WE DO A LOT OF, WE LEAD THAT PARTNERSHIP AMONG NON-PROFITS IN COOPERATION WITH A, UH, A DEQ.
UM, BUT WE WERE ONLY MEASURING ACROSS THE WATERSHED ABOUT 15 LOCATIONS.
NOW WE'VE INCREASED THAT TO OVER 60.
AND SO NOW WE HAVE, UM, UH, THE ABILITY TO MUCH BETTER MAP WHERE THERE ARE PROBLEMS OF WATER QUALITY IN THE RIVER.
AND IT BROUGHT THE SCORE DOWN JUST BECAUSE WE ARE NOW MEASURING IT.
UM, WATER QUANTITY, UH, ANYTHING ABOVE CLARKDALE IS REALLY A CONCERN IN TERMS OF WATER QUANTITY.
UH, THAT AREA IS REALLY, UH, UH, SUSCEPTIBLE TO POTENTIALLY BECOMING A NON, UH, PERENNIAL STREAM.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT.
WE ADVOCATE FOR THE, UM, THE, UH, DESIGNATION OF THE WILD AND SCENIC RIVER IN THAT AREA AS WELL.
UM, FURTHER DOWNSTREAM, IT'S, IT'S, UH, WATER QUANTITY FOR THE MOMENT IS LESS OF AN ISSUE, BUT THERE ARE BROADER ISSUES OF RURAL GROUNDWATER THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY AFFECT THIS AREA IN, IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE WANNA FOCUS ON THAT AS WELL.
AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THE LAST PIECE OF THE REPORT CARD REALLY IS ON COMMUNITIES.
I MENTIONED THE RECREATION PART BEFORE.
UM, THE ENGAGEMENT REALLY FOCUSED ON DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT.
AND, UH, TO BE POLITE ABOUT IT, THE, THE REASON IT DIDN'T GET AS GREAT A SCORE AS IT DID IS BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON SEDONA SEEMS TO, UH, GARNER MOST OF THE DIG DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT ACROSS THE BOARD.
IT'S NOT QUITE AS, UH, EQUAL AS IT IT COULD BE.
AND THEN FINALLY, IS THE VITALITY OF THE COMMUNITY.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING BEING THE BIG ISSUE, UH, COMING OUT OF THERE.
WE'VE, WE'VE ALSO FLAGGED EDUCATION, BUT THAT'S ALSO KIND OF LIKE THE WATER QUALITY ISSUE.
IT'S HOW IT WAS MEASURED THIS TIME.
WE MEASURED, UH, UM, VARIOUS ONLINE SCHOOLS THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED BEFORE, AND THEY TEND TO HAVE LOWER ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.
SO THE AVERAGE BROUGHT THE AVERAGE DOWN, SO IT WASN'T NECESSARILY A DECLINE.
AND, UM, UH, I THINK I PRETTY MUCH COVERED THIS, THIS SLIDE.
WHAT I WANNA DO IS, UH, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THESE SINCE I'VE PRETTY MUCH COVERED THIS.
THERE, THERE ARE TWO AREAS THAT, THAT WE, UH, REALLY NEED TO HAVE BETTER DATA ON.
AND ONE OF THEM IS MACRO INVERT INVERTEBRATES, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S AN AREA THAT REQUIRES, UM, THAT REALLY TELLS YOU ABOUT THE QUALITY OF WATER.
SO THIS IS AN AREA THAT WE'RE ADVOCATING TO GET MORE, MORE, UH, SCIENTIFIC DATA ON.
AND THE OTHER I MENTIONED WAS WATER QUALITY.
[00:50:01]
WE'RE VERY WORRIED ABOUT THE FINANCIAL ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE RIVER.UH, SO THAT'S SOMETHING I WANNA HIGHLIGHT AS WELL, BECAUSE WE DEPEND UPON VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO CARRY OUT THAT PROGRAM.
UM, THOUGH I BELIEVE YOU ALL HAVE, UH, GIVEN US SUPPORT IN THE PAST FOR THAT, WHICH I, I, I SHOULD HIGHLIGHT AND APPRECIATE.
AND THEN I MENTIONED BEFORE THE IMPROVEMENT FOR, UH, BIRD LIFE.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST WHAT WE SEE IN THE OAK CREEK AREA.
UH, I SHOULD DESCRIBE, THAT'S THE WATERSHED THAT'S DESCRIBED IN BLACK WITH THE HIGHLIGHTING GREEN OF OAK CREEK.
UM, UH, THERE'S, WE BROKE THIS ANALYSIS DOWN INTO SEVEN REGIONS.
AND SO WE, WE SEE HERE FOR THIS AREA, THE HIGHEST SCORES ARE RECREATION ACCESS, VISITOR SATISFACTION, DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT, WATER QUALITY, CERTAINTY, UM, AND THE LOWEST WERE IN EDUCATION AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE CHANGES ARE, ARE HIGHLIGHTED THERE, UH, WHAT WENT UP AND WHAT WENT DOWN.
UM, AND THIS WILL JUST GIVE YOU A COMPARISON.
I'LL GO THROUGH THESE VERY QUICKLY.
THESE ARE THE SEVEN REGIONS, UH, 20 20, 20 25.
AND YOU COULD, YOU CAN SEE FOR EACH AREA, THIS IS WATER QUALITY.
UH, IT WENT DOWN, UH, FOR THE REASONS I DESCRIBED EARLIER.
UH, BUT YOU COULD SEE REGION BY REGION, HOW IT LOOKS.
THIS IS AQUATIC HABITAT, UH, COMMUNITY VITALITY AND ENGAGEMENT AND RECREATION, WHICH IS FOR ACTUALLY THE BEST OF ALL THE SLIDES THAT YOU SEE THERE.
UM, SO IT'S REALLY THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I WOULD JUST SIMPLY SAY IN SUMMARY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND TO REPORT BACK ON, ON HOW THINGS ARE PROGRESSING AND WHERE WE NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE POLITICAL, SOMETIMES FINANCIAL, UH, SOMETIMES MIGHT BE VOLUNTEER WORK.
AND WE DO A LOT OF, WE DO A LOT OF VOLUNTEER WORK.
AND THEN MAYBE TWO SMALL ANNOUNCEMENTS BEFORE I CONCLUDE AND OPEN IT TO ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, NUMBER ONE, WE WILL BE HOLDING OUR BIANNUAL, UH, EVERY TWO YEAR, UH, CONFERENCE ON THE STATE OF THE VERDE WATERSHED.
THAT WILL BE ON SEPTEMBER 15TH THROUGH THE 17TH, TWO DAYS OF, OF, UH, OF STAKEHOLDER SESSIONS AND ONE DAY OF FIELD TRIPS.
AND THEN JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, UH, IT'S BEEN ANNOUNCED IN THE NEWS RECENTLY THAT WE'VE NOW ACQUIRED 33 ACRES FROM VERDE VILLAGE, UH, AS A RESERVE THAT WE HOPE TO, TO DEVELOP FOR ALL OF THE VERDE V UH, VERDE VALLEY RESIDENTS.
AND ALSO, UH, WE'RE LEASING PROPERTIES THERE TO MAKE THAT INTO A HEADQUARTERS FOR OUR OPERATIONS, AND HOPEFULLY USE THAT AS AN OUTREACH FOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION ACROSS THE VERDE VALLEY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS, PETE? SURE.
THANK YOU, DAVID, FOR BEING HERE AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO WITH, WITH, UH, YOUR ORGANIZATION AND, AND THIS REPORT CARD.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GREAT INFORMATION.
GLAD TO SEE THAT IT'S CONTINUED INTO ITS SECOND VERSION NOW, AND HOPE TO SEE IT CONTINUE.
I'M, THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, UH, IS, UH, I'M CURIOUS WHETHER YOU WERE AWARE THAT THE CITY ACQUIRED A PIECE OF PROPERTY ON OAK CREEK, UM, JUST, UH, DOWNSTREAM OF TWA POCK.
UM, IT'S A POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PARTNER SOMEHOW ON WATER QUALITY, INVASIVE SPECIES, HABITAT RESTORATION, WHATEVER.
BE INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT IDEAS THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION MIGHT HAVE FOR US, UH, LOOKING FORWARD, UH, GO GOING FORWARD.
BUT IT'S ANOTHER POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO THINK ABOUT METRICS IN, IN THE RECORDING.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO ANSWER THAT IMMEDIATELY? SURE.
NO, THAT I WOULD VERY MUCH, I'M, I'M, I'M AWARE, BUT NOT IN DETAIL.
AND I THINK I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE THAT UP WITH THE, WITH THE CITY, UH, TO SEE WHERE WE COULD GO.
UH, WE VERY MUCH APPRECI APPRECIATE THOSE KINDS OF PARTNERSHIPS.
UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY HAPPY WORKING, UH, WITH BRUCE HERE ON, ON THE SUSTAINABILITY SIDE, UH, AND HOW SOME OF THESE CONCEPTS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ARE BEING ABSORBED INTO THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CITY ITSELF.
SO, UH, THAT'S THE ULTIMATE, UH, OBJECTIVE IS FOR, FOR THIS TO BECOME, UH, UM, STREAMLINED INTO THE WORK.
BUT I'D BE VERY HAPPY TO WORK ON THAT.
KATHY, THE 33 ACRES THAT YOU, UM, RECEIVED FROM VERDE VILLAGE FOR A PRESERVE, CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? WHAT'S THAT GOING TO LOOK LIKE? WILL THERE BE PUBLIC ACCESS OR NOT, OR WHAT, IF YOU COULD JUST GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT, PLEASE.
I, I'LL, I'LL EXPLAIN MAYBE BRIEFLY THE HISTORY.
IT'S BEEN A RESERVE FOR THE, FOR THE COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, BUT THEY, THEY FOUND THEMSELVES STRETCHED AND MANAGING, AND SO THEY ASK US TO TAKE OVER THE MANAGEMENT OF THAT, BUT NOT ONLY FOR ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF VERDE VILLAGE, BUT FOR
[00:55:01]
PUBLIC IN GENERAL.SO WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE A FOCAL POINT, NOT ONLY FOR VERDE VILLAGE, BUT FOR THE WHOLE OF THE, OF THE VERDE VALLEY AND OF COURSE, VISITORS THAT COME IN.
AND WE HOPE TO DEVELOP A RIVER CENTER, UH, THAT CAN BE A FOCAL POINT FOR EDUCATION.
UH, ADULTS AND KIDS IN PART, KIDS IN PARTICULAR.
UH, AND WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.
WE'RE LITERALLY MOVING IN THIS WEEK.
SO, UH, WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON, ON THE KINDS OF PROGRAMS THAT WE HOPE TO RUN, UH, UH, OUT THERE.
WE'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION SIGNS, AND WE'LL BE DOING NATURALIST TOURS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WE'LL EXPAND THAT OVER TIME AS OUR CAP, UH, CAPACITY IS, UH, ABLE TO DO SO.
CAN YOU, I MEAN, THIS IS GOOD NEWS, BUT HOW COME THE WATER QUANTITY HAS GONE FROM YELLOW TO, TO GREEN? UH, LET ME JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THIS SLIDE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THAT SLIDE FOR YOU GUYS.
UH, THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I'M NOT SURE I HAVE THE EXACT ANSWER FOR THAT, BUT, UM, UH, APPARENTLY, UH, THERE'S, I, I'D HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU.
I HADN'T ACTUALLY NOTICED THAT THAT WAS THERE.
I SHOULD HAVE PICKED THAT UP BEFORE I CAME HERE.
BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S BEEN THE EXISTENCE OF THE STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN, THAT OCCURRED OVER THE LAST YEAR THROUGH COCONINO PLATEAU WATERSHIP PARTNERSHIP, AND, AND THE AVA APACHE NATIONS ALSO DONE SOME WATER QUANTITY STUDIES.
SO IT MAY BE JUST BETTER, BETTER INFORMATION.
JUST MORE INFORM MORE INFORMATION, BETTER INFORMATION, YEAH, BETTER INFORMATION.
SO THEN I'LL ASK HAPPY WITH THE GREEN, I GUESS.
AND I'LL ASK ABOUT THE, UH, COMMUNITY VITAL VITALITY.
NOW WHY IS THAT DECREASED FROM GREEN TO YELLOW? THAT WOULD BE, UH, I THINK THAT'S COMING IN FROM, UH, LET ME GO BACK HERE.
I'VE JUST GOTTA REMEMBER WHAT I'M LOOKING AT HERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I KNOW THE LAST TIME THIS CAME OUT, IT WAS A ACTUAL DOCUMENT.
WE HAVE AN ACTUAL DOCUMENT YOU DO, AND WE'LL, DO YOU HAVE SOME AVAIL? WE, I WILL, UH, WE HAVE BROCHURES RIGHT NOW, BUT WE HAVE THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT AND I WILL ARRANGE TO HAVE THEM SENT TO THE COUNCIL.
[9.c. AB 3346 Discussion/possible action regarding proposed parking rates for the Uptown parking areas, adjustments to current rates paid for on-street parking along 89A and Jordan Road, and approval of vendor contracts chosen for RFP No.26-09 Parking Management Solutions for the Uptown Sedona area.]
AB 33 46, DISCUSSION, POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING PROPOSED PARKING RATES FOR THE UPTOWN PARKING AREAS, ADJUSTMENTS TO CURRENT RATES PAID FOR ON STREET PARKING ALONG 89 A AND JORDAN ROAD, AND APPROVAL OF VENDOR CONTRACTS CHOSEN FOR RFP NUMBER 26 DASH OH NINE PARKING MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR THE UPTOWN SEDONA AREA.WELL, CHRISTIE, LOOK AT YOU THIS SAY A ROSE BETWEEN THORNS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
ANDY, ARE YOU GONNA START US OFF? I AM, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'M GONNA DO THE WHOLE THING.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THIS EVENING WE ARE PRESENTING THE PROPOSED UPTOWN PARKING RATES AND VENDOR CONTRACTS FOR THE PARKING MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS.
WE HAVE MYSELF, ANDY, DEPUTY, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, AS WELL AS DAVID VELASCO, OUR PARKING ADMINISTRATOR, DAVID, AND OUR NEWEST MEMBER OF THIS PROGRAM, CHRISTY TURK.
SHE IS OUR NEW TRANSPORTATION SERVICES ANALYST.
WE'RE ALSO HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE JUST RECEIVED ACCEPTANCE OF AN OFFER FOR THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES MANAGER.
FOR ANYONE NOT FAMILIAR, THAT WOULD BE AMBER WAGNER'S REPLACEMENT.
AND THIS NEW PERSON WILL BE STARTING ON JUNE 9TH.
SO THAT'S, UH, WE ARE DEFINITELY WELCOMING SOME HELP IN THIS PROGRAM AREA.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
WE ALSO, I BELIEVE, SHOULD HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS ON ONLINE TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS IF NEEDED.
THESE ARE OUR VENDOR REPRESENTATIVES THAT WE'RE, UH, PRESENTING CONTRACTS FOR THIS EVENING.
I'M JUST COUNTING THE NUMBER OF FOLKS ONLINE.
THERE SHOULD BE ABOUT AT LEAST FOUR, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE THEM.
[01:00:01]
ARE FOR QUESTIONS ONLY.YEAH, WE'RE NOT PLANNING TO HAVE THEM PRESENT.
CAN EVERYONE ONLINE HEAR OKAY ON YOUR END? YES, WE CAN.
A QUICK BACKGROUND ON THIS PROGRAM.
WE HAVE COMPLETED NUMEROUS STUDIES OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DECADES ON PARKING IN SEDONA AS, AS WELL AS SPECIFICALLY IN THE UPTOWN AREA.
MOST RECENTLY, WE COMPLETED THE 2023 UPTOWN PARKING ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS.
FROM THAT EFFORT, STAFF RE UH, RECEIVED DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE GARAGE, AS WELL AS FIVE MAIN PROGRAM AREAS FOR THE PARKING PROGRAM.
THOSE ARE LISTED HERE TONIGHT.
WE WERE SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY TO THE PARKING FEE STRUCTURE AREA, AS WELL AS, AS I MENTIONED, THE PARKING MANAGEMENT AND GUIDANCE SYSTEMS WILL BE, WILL BE, UH, PRESENTING CONTRACTS FOR VENDORS FOR TECHNOLOGY IN THAT AREA REGARDING THE FINAL THREE AREAS OF THE PROGRAM, PARKING OPTIMIZATION, EMPLOYEE PARKING, AND RESIDENTIAL PERMIT PARKING.
WE'LL BE PRESENTING ON THAT ON JULY 14TH, IS WHAT WE'RE PLANNING.
AND WE DID WANT TO MENTION THAT EARLIER THIS YEAR WE FORMED WHAT WE CALL THE PARKING WORK GROUP.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THAT WORK GROUP IN THE AUDIENCE.
WOULD YOU LIKE THOSE FOLKS TO STAND UP OR RAISE THEIR HANDS? YES, PLEASE.
WOULD YOU GUYS MIND, UH, IDENTIFYING YOURSELVES? GREAT.
IN THIS WORK GROUP, WE HAVE, UH, MEMBERS THAT ARE PROVIDING COMMUNITY INPUT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE UPTOWN STRATEGIES FOR THIS PARKING PROGRAM.
THE GROUP INCLUDES 10, UH, MEMBERS THAT ARE SPLIT EVENLY BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS, UH, REPRESENTATIVES.
WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL STAFF ACROSS MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS.
AND OUR COUNCIL CHAMPIONS, VICE MAYOR FOLTZ, AND COUNSELOR DUNN ARE ALSO A PART OF THAT WORK GROUP.
SO ANDY, THE RESIDENTS ARE UPTOWN RESIDENTS? THEY ARE, YES.
SO FOR THE TWO AREAS THAT WE'RE GONNA COVER THIS AFTERNOON, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE PARKING FEE STRUCTURE.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS AREA INCLUDED CONSIDERING PRICING STRATEGIES BASED ON WHERE SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM PARKING SHOULD BE LOCATED.
THIS MOSTLY CONSIDERS ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH WE CALL PARK ONCE.
THIS IS ABOUT GETTING FOLKS EFFICIENTLY PARKED AND OUT OF THEIR CARS AND VISITING THROUGH AN ALTERNATE MODE OF TRAVEL LIKE WALKING, BIKING, OR HONOR IN OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM.
WE DO WANT TO POINT OUT HERE THAT WE ALSO LOOKED AT DYNAMIC RATES AND SEASONAL RATES.
AND YOU SEE THE, THE SEASON MONTHS IN YELLOW HERE.
THAT'S BECAUSE WE DID UPDATE THIS SLIDE IN, UM, IN WHAT WAS PROVIDED TO YOU.
WHAT WE UPDATED IS WE CLARIFIED THAT THE FALL SEASON, WE DO INCLUDE SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER, WHEREAS THE PREVIOUS SLIDE INDICATED JUST OCTOBER.
WE ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT IN DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROGRAM AREA, WE DID UTILIZE EXISTING DATA FROM THE EXISTING STATE ROUTE 89 A, UH, STREET FRONTAGE METERS.
SO WE DO HAVE DATA FROM THAT SYSTEM, AND WE WANTED TO ALSO MENTION THAT MOVING FORWARD, WE WILL BE UPDATING THE ABILITY TO COLLECT DATA AND THE QUALITY OF THAT DATA.
AND WE WILL PLAN TO DO AN ANNUAL REVIEW OF THAT TO INFORM WHAT WE DO WITH THE PROGRAM.
SO SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE LOOKED AT, I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO, THAT WE LOOK AT WHERE WE WANT HIGH, UM, TURNOVER OR WHERE WE HAVE THE HIGHEST, UM, I GUESS DEMAND FOR PARKING VERSUS WHERE WE HAVE, UM, THE LOWER LEVEL.
SO THIS ALSO INFORMS WHERE WE WANT LONG-TERM PARKING VERSUS SHORT-TERM PARKING.
I'M GONNA TRY TO MAKE SURE THIS, OH, THERE WE GO.
SO AS FAR AS LONG-TERM PARKING GOES, WE HAVE THE TWO PARKING FACILITIES AT THE OUTER EDGES OF THE UPTOWN AREA.
WE HAVE LOT FIVE, WHICH IS ON SCHLEY ROAD.
[01:05:01]
CALL THIS THE MUNICIPAL PARKING LOT HERE AND BLUE THAT'S ON THE NORTH END OF UPTOWN.ON THE SOUTH END, WE HAVE THE, THE NEW GARAGE THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND ALSO CONSIDERED, UH, BOTH OF THOSE FACILITIES CONSIDERED, UM, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FOR LONG-TERM PARKING.
AS FAR AS, UM, THE, UH, HIGHEST DEMAND AREA, THAT'S THE STREET FRONTAGE ALONG THE HIGHWAY HERE, THAT'S WHERE WE WANT A HIGHER LEVEL OF TURNOVER, SHORTER TERM PARKING.
AND THEN IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO ZONES, WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL OUR INTERMEDIATE ZONE, WHICH AS WE DEVELOP RATES, WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE STRATEGICALLY, UH, CREATE THOSE RATES BASED ON THOSE THREE DIFFERENT MEANS ZONES.
IN ADDITION FOR, EXCUSE ME, FOR WAYFINDING, THE LONG-TERM VISION IS TO DEVELOP A INTEGRATED MOBILITY, UH, PLATFORM THAT COMBINES PARKING TRANSIT AND POTENTIALLY TRAIL AND MULTIMODAL INFORMATION INTO A MORE SEAMLESS USER EXPERIENCE.
THE SYSTEMS PROPOSED TONIGHT ARE INTENDED TO CREATE THE OPERATIONAL FOUNDATION NEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT TYPE OF INTEGRATED PLATFORM OVER TIME.
IN ADDITION, I WANTED TO MENTION THAT, UM, WE DO HAVE PHYSICAL SIGNS THROUGHOUT UPTOWN THAT INDICATE, UH, WAY FINDING FOR THE EXISTING PARKING.
AS PART OF THIS EFFORT THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY, UH, WORKING ON, WE WILL BE UPDATING THOSE SIGNS WITH NEW INFORMATION AND, UM, REPLACING SOME OF THOSE SIGNS AS WELL.
SO THAT IS A PART OF, UH, PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
IS THERE A QUESTION I WANTED TO MENTION? THERE'S A LOT OF SLIDES THAT I'M GOING THROUGH, SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AS I GO, I, I DON'T, UM, KNOW THAT YOU WANNA WAIT, JUST ASK AWAY TILL THE END.
NEXT WE HAVE THE OVERVIEW OF OUR RATE STRUCTURE.
AND AGAIN, THIS GOES BACK TO THOSE THREE DIFFERENT ZONES THAT I SPOKE ABOUT.
WHILE WE BREAK THIS OUT INTO FOUR SECTIONS, IT'S REALLY THE GARAGE AND LOT FIVE ARE THE LONG TERM, UH, PARKING STRATEGY.
THEN THE SHORT TERM IS SR 89 A ALONG THE STREET FRONTAGE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE SURFACE, UH, INTERMEDIATE SURFACE LOTS THAT ARE IN THAT INTERMEDIATE ZONE.
THE STANDARD RATES FOR THESE RANGE FROM THE LONG TERM AT TWO 50 AN HOUR TO SHORT TERM AT $4 AN HOUR, AND THEN THE INTERMEDIATE BEING AT THREE WITH A DYNAMIC STRUCTURE, WHICH I WILL, UH, GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON IN JUST A MINUTE.
THEN I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UH, WE DO HAVE A PEAK SEASON RATE THAT GETS APPLIED DURING THAT, UH, THOSE PEAK SEASONS THAT I IDENTIFIED EARLIER.
WE ALSO HAVE A FEE, UH, HOURLY, UH, STRUCTURE THAT WE CURRENTLY, WELL, I SHOULD SAY THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AS PART OF THIS O OVERALL, UH, FEE STRUCTURE.
AND THEN NO, OVERNIGHT PARKING IS GENERALLY ALREADY APPLIED TO PUBLIC PARKING THROUGH OUR CODE.
I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
WHY IS THAT 12:00 PM TO 5:00 AM I THINK THAT'S SHOULD BE 12:00 AM TO 5:00 AM OH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
NOW I DIDN'T EVEN REGISTER WHAT YOU WERE SAYING UNTIL YEAH.
OH, ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION HERE, THAT'S, UH, PART OF THE OVERALL RATE STRUCTURE IS THAT ACROSS THE BOARD WE DO HAVE, UH, AN AVERAGE OCCUPANCY THAT WE APPLY.
AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT LATER AS I GET INTO HOW WE ESTIMATE WHAT THE REVENUE WILL BE.
BUT LOOKING AT OUR EXISTING DATA FOR THE METERS THAT THAT WE HAVE ALONG THE STREET FRONTAGE, WE LOOKED AT THAT IN ORDER TO INFORM WHAT A STARTING RATE WOULD BE FOR OCCUPANCY.
AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROGRAM, WE'LL HAVE THAT DATA COLLECTION THAT WILL HELP, UH, REFINE THAT NUMBER.
NOW, SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT THE UPTOWN GARAGE AND, UH, JUST AS A, AS
[01:10:01]
A REITERATION THAT THE GARAGE AND LOT FIVE OR MUNICIPAL LOT HAVE THE SAME PARKING RATE STRUCTURE, UM, FOR, FOR THIS FACIL FOR THOSE FACILITIES, REALLY, UH, WE'RE PROPOSING A STANDARD RATE, AGAIN, OF TWO 50 PER HOUR WITH NO RESTRICTION ON, UH, HOW THAT FEE APPLIES.WHEREAS THE OTHER LOTS WILL BE DIFFERENT.
WHEN I MENTION THOSE IN JUST A MINUTE.
AGAIN, THAT PEAK SEASON RATE MOVES TO THREE 50 PER HOUR AT THESE FACILITIES.
THE FEE HOURS, AGAIN, THIS IS CONSISTENT ACROSS ALL THESE, UM, UH, PARKING FACILITIES IS 9:00 AM TO 6:00 PM AND THERE WE GOT IT, RIGHT.
NO OVERNIGHT PARKING THE RESTRICTIONS 12:00 AM TO 5:00 AM UH, JUST A REITERATION THAT THE PARK ONE STRATEGY IS PART OF WHAT WE LOOKED AT FOR DEVELOPING THE RATE STRUCTURE HERE, LOOKING TO MINIMIZE TRAFFIC CIRCULATION AND PROMOTE PARKING AT, UM, FOR LONG TERM PARKING AT THESE FACILITIES.
AND THEN WE ALSO WANTED TO MENTION LATER THIS SUMMER WHEN WE PRESENT THE CIRCULATOR STUDY, IT WILL SHOW A POTENTIAL CONNECTION IF IMPLEMENTED TO THESE PARKING FACILITIES.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, ONE THING WE, WE DID DO IS WE ESTIMATED REVENUE FOR THIS FACILITY.
AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT HOW THAT WAS DEVELOPED HERE IN JUST A MINUTE.
LOOKING AT THE, UH, STATE ROUTE 89 A, UH, METERS IN UPTOWN ALONG THE STREET FRONTAGE, WE HAVE HAD METERS INSTALLED AT THIS LOCATION SINCE 2017.
AND THESE RATES HAVE NOT BEEN, UH, UPDATED SINCE THAT TIME.
UH, WE HAVE COLLECTED DATA, WE HAVE USED THAT TO INFORM HOW WE DEVELOP THE PROGRAM.
YOU CAN SEE THE EXISTING RATE STRUCTURE AND PLACE.
THAT TOP, UH, TABLE THERE HAS A BASE RATE OF $2 PER HOUR.
IT IS DYNAMIC, SO IT CHANGES IT OUR FOUR AND UM, AT HOUR FIVE.
AND THEN THE RECOMMEND RECOMMENDED RATE STRUCTURE IS IN THE TABLE BELOW THAT.
THAT'S WHAT THE STANDARD RATE OF $4 PER HOUR.
THERE IS NOT A DYNAMIC STRUCTURE HERE BECAUSE PARKING IS LIMITED TO, UH, THREE HOURS AS A MAXIMUM PARKING TIME.
THERE IS A PEAK SEASON RATE, UH, THAT ADJUSTS TO $5 PER HOUR.
AGAIN, FEE HOURS AND OVERNIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE CONSISTENT.
AND THIS IS THE HIGH DEMAND LOCATION.
SO THAT'S, THIS IS THE HIGHER RATE, UM, AREA THAT WE ARE PROPOSING.
ANDY, NOT SPECIFIED ON YOUR CHART, BUT I ASSUME YOU'RE DEFINING THE PEAK SEASON THE SAME CONSISTENT WITH THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
AND THAT PEAK SEASON CLARIFICATION IS WHY THE REVENUE PROJECTION HERE IS Y IN YELLOW, BECAUSE WE DID ADJUST THAT TO ACCOUNT FOR, UH, FOR THE, UH, THE TRUE SEASON, WHICH IS THREE MONTHS AND NOT JUST ONE.
AND I, I MEANT TO MENTION THAT PART OF THE CORRECTION FOR THAT IS WE DID GO BACK IN OUR NOTES, UM, FROM THE PARKING WORK GROUP MEETING AND FOUND THAT THAT WAS OUR INTENT WAS TO APPLY IT ACROSS THE FULL SEASON, NOT JUST ONE MONTH MONTH.
SO, ALRIGHT, LOOKING AT THE INTERMEDIATE SURFACE LOTS, A COUPLE OF THE LOTS IN THIS AREA AS A EXAMPLE WOULD BE LOT THREE AND FOUR.
THAT'S THE SSA AND MATTERHORN LOTS.
WE DO NOT HAVE PLANS AT THIS POINT TO IMPLEMENT A, A FEE ON THESE LOTS AT THIS TIME, BUT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF DOING THAT IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE WANTED TO LOOK AT WHAT A RATE STRUCTURE WOULD BE FOR THIS ZONE.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS A DYNAMIC STRUCTURE WITH A LIMIT OF FIVE HOURS PARKING IN THIS AREA.
AGAIN, THIS IS KIND OF THE INTERMEDIATE ZONE BETWEEN THE SHORT TERM AND THE LONG TERM PARKING.
ESTIMATED REVENUE HERE IS ABOUT 645,000, BUT YOU'RE NOT INCLUDING THAT IN THE OVERALL PICTURE.
WE, ONCE I GET TO THAT SLIDE, WE SHOW WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT THEN WE ALSO SHOW WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE WITHOUT IT, JUST SO THAT WE HAVE
[01:15:01]
KIND OF A, AN IDEA OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.AGAIN, THE LOT FIVE IS THE SAME RATE STRUCTURE AS THE GARAGE AND THE ESTIMATED REVENUE HERE IS ABOUT 900,000 ANNUALLY.
LOOKING AT THE OVERALL PROGRAM REVENUE AND EXPENSE ESTIMATIONS WE INCLUDE HERE STAFF LABOR COST FOR THE GARAGE, THE TECHNO TECHNOLOGY COSTS, AS WELL AS LEASE COSTS.
YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL REVENUE PROJECTED BASED ON OUR ESTIMATIONS AS WELL AS TOTAL EXPENSES.
THOSE REVENUES ARE BASED ON THOSE RATES, AS WELL AS THAT OCCUPANCY RATE THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
YOU CAN SEE A VERY HEALTHY NET REVENUE OVER OVERALL.
AND IF YOU TAKE OUT LOTS, THREE AND FOUR, STILL A VERY HEALTHY, UH, POSITIVE REVENUE.
LOOKING AT SPECIFICALLY JUST THE GARAGE IN THE LOWER PORTION THERE, YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL REVENUE AS WELL AS THE, UH, THE EXPENSES AND WHAT THE NET WOULD BE THE DIFFERENCE.
IT'S, IT'S A VERY TIGHT, UM, NET THERE.
SO I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER HERE IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS AS WE GO INTO THIS PROGRAM.
AND FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT, WHAT WE UNDERSTAND IS THAT IF COSTS EXCEED REVENUE SPECIFICALLY IN THE GARAGE, THEN THE DEFICIT WOULD BE PULLED FROM WITHIN THE PARKING PROGRAM.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE PARKING PROGRAM, WE ANTICIPATE, UM, BEING SET UP AS AN ENTERPRISE ENTERPRISE FUND, MEANING THAT ANY COSTS OR REVENUE STAY WITHIN THAT FUND AND DON'T GET, UM, IT'S OUR INTENT THAT IT WOULDN'T GET, UH, COVERED FROM OUTSIDE FUNDING LIKE GENERAL FUND UNLESS WE BROUGHT IN GRANTS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
ANDY, WHAT'S IN EXPENSES, I GUESS SPECIFICALLY IS DEBT REPAYMENT AND EXPENSES, BUT WHAT, WHAT ALL IS INCLUDED IN EXPENSES? UM, LOOKING AT THE WHOLE OVERALL SYSTEM, I, I THINK IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO AGAIN, THERE'S, THERE'S LABOR INVOLVED THERE, THERE'S MAINTENANCE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UM, A LOT OF PROJECTIONS BASED ON, UH, CLEANING FACILITIES, STRIPING, UM, PAINTING, UH, IT'S, IT'S ALL THINGS LIKE THAT AS WELL AS TECHNOLOGY AND ASSOCIATED, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED TO THAT.
IT'S THE WHOLE COST OF THE SYSTEM THAT'S INCLUDED, INCLUDING DEBT? YES.
AND IS THE GARAGE DEBT LISTED UNDER THE EXPENSES FOR THE GARAGE OR IS IT YES.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, UM, I MEANT TO MENTION THAT WHILE I DIDN'T HIGHLIGHT THAT TABLE IN YELLOW, IT WAS A CHANGE TO YOUR SLIDE.
AND THE REASON WAS WE WERE MISSING ONE OF THE BOND PAYMENTS IN THAT ESTIMATED EXPENSE.
AND SO WE GOT, WE GOT THAT CLARIFIED.
WHAT ASSUMPTION ARE YOU USING FOR OCCUPANCY? WE ARE ESTIMATING BASED ON EXISTING DATA, UM, AND THIS IS AN AVERAGE ACROSS THE WHOLE YEAR OF 65%.
I KNOW THERE ARE IDEAS OUT THERE THAT MAYBE IT SHOULD BE LESS.
THE REALITY IS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IT'S OUR INTENT THAT SOME OF THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL HELP IMPROVE OCCUPANCY RATES BY GETTING FOLKS PARKED MORE EFFICIENTLY AND UTILIZING, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL A, A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS, THERE WAS THE IDEA OF ONCE YOU GET UP TO, UH, 80% OCCUPANCY, YOU START TO LOSE THE ABILITY TO, UM, FULLY UTILIZE YOUR FACILITIES AT THAT POINT.
AND THAT'S JUST BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS PEOPLE DRIVE INTO A FACILITY, THEY LOOK FOR PARKING DATA, IT APPEARS FULL AND THEY LEAVE WITH THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY, IT SHOULD HELP INCREASE THAT OCCUPANCY RATE.
AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THERE ARE A LOT OF VARIABLES HERE.
AND SO IT'LL BE VERY IMPORTANT TO COLLECT THE DATA AND GO OFF OF, UM, REAL INFORMATION VERSUS MOSTLY WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, OUR ESTIMATION.
SO WHAT ARE YOU PROPOSING? ARE YOU PROPOSING WE, WE GET A ONE YEAR EXPERIENCE AND REVISIT IT OR SOMETHING LESS? SOMETHING MORE? A LOT OF TIMES PARKING PROGRAMS
[01:20:01]
ARE SET UP TO BE SOMEWHAT FLUID AND DYNAMIC SO THAT OUR, OUR PARKING RATES, WE, WE REALLY SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THOSE ANNUALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAM IS RESPONDING THE WAY WE EXPECT IT TO, THAT WE'RE GETTING ADEQUATE UTILIZATION AND OCCUPANCY AND UM, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE BASED ON WHAT OUR GOALS ARE FOR THE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE MEETING THAT.JUST CHECKING MY NOTES HERE TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING.
IF THERE AREN'T ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT PARKING RATE SECTION, I'LL GO INTO THE, UH, THE PARKING MANAGEMENT AND GUIDANCE SYSTEM SECTION OF THE PRESENTATION.
LAST YEAR WE ADVERTISED THIS, UH, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.
WE DID RECEIVE 23 PROPOSALS FROM 16 VENDORS.
THE REASON WHY, UH, WE HAVE MORE PROPOSALS THAN VENDORS IS EACH VENDOR WAS ABLE TO PROPOSE ON MORE THAN ONE OF THESE FOUR, UM, MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM.
THOSE FOUR, UH, COMPONENTS BEING MAINLY THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT AND PER PERMITTING, THE MOBILE PAYMENT SYSTEM, THE, UH, PAY STATION PART OF THE PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE PARKING O OCCUPANCY, UH, TECHNOLOGY, EXCUSE ME.
WE DID, UH, FORM AN EVALUATION TEAM THAT OVERSAW THESE PROPOSALS AND RANKED THEM AND EVALUATED THEM BASED ON THIS CRITERIA.
THIS TEAM WAS MADE UP MOSTLY OF CITY PERSONNEL AS WELL AS IT WAS OVERSEEN BY, UH, UH, IT WAS REVIEWED BY OUR OUTSIDE CONSULTANT AND INCLUDED AN OUTSIDE PARKING MANAGER FROM PASADENA.
IT WAS ONE OF THEIR CITY STAFF ON OUR TEAM.
AGAIN, THE MAIN AREAS THAT WE LOOKED AT ARE LISTED HERE, AND THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT VENDORS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR THOSE AREAS.
WE'RE PROPOSING, UH, PARK MOBILE, BE OUR VENDOR FOR THAT AREA.
THEN WE HAVE MCKAY AS, UM, OUR VENDOR FOR THE PAY STATION AREA PARK LOYALTY.
WE ARE PROPOSING TO OVERSEE THE ENFORCEMENT AND PERMITTING SIDE OF THIS.
AND THEN SPOT GENIUS WE'RE PROPOSING FOR THE OCCUPANCY MONITORING.
KATHY, CAN I GO BACK ONE SLIDE PLEASE? SURE.
UNDER YOUR EVALUATION CRITERIA, THE SECOND BULLET POINT, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS, HOW DID YOU DEFINE EXPERIENCE IN THAT? UH, THAT I DON'T RECALL, BUT I DO HAVE OUR PROCUREMENT OFFICER HERE WHO MAY BE ABLE TO BETTER ANSWER THAT THAN ME.
GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL IAN CUPRA, PURCHASING MANAGER.
UH, SO FOR THIS RFP, UM, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS WAS DEFINED AS DIRECT EXPERIENCE SUPPORTING MUNICIPAL CLIENTS WITH COMPARABLE PROJECTS, SCOPE, UNDERSTANDING TOURISM ORIENTED ENVIRONMENTS AND VISITOR SERVING NEEDS, UH, DOCUMENTED SUCCESS, INTEGRATING WITH MULTIPLE THIRD PARTY VENDORS, OTHER ITEMS ALONG THOSE LINES.
NOW I'LL GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE, UM, DIFFERENT PLATFORMS. UH, SPECIFICALLY ONE OF THE MAJOR GOALS OF THE PARKING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS TO MAKE PARKING EASIER AND MORE PREDICTABLE FOR USERS, WHILE ALSO GIVING THE CITY BETTER OPERATIONAL INFORMATION AND FLEXIBLE, UM, OPTIONS.
FROM THE CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE, MOST USERS WILL PRIMARILY INTERACT THROUGH A SINGLE MOBILE PAYMENT PLATFORM, WHICH IS PARK MOBILE.
THIS PARTICULAR PLATFORM IS QUITE POPULAR AND IF YOU'VE VISITED MANY DIFFERENT HIGH VISITATION LOCATIONS, YOU'VE LIKED LIKELY USED THIS PLATFORM.
IT DOES OFFER MULTIPLE PAYMENT OPTIONS, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM PAY BY WEB TO QR CODE.
THIS SYSTEM ALSO PROVIDES PARKING SESSION REMINDERS AND EXTENSION NOTIFICATIONS,
[01:25:02]
WHICH HELPS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING INADVERTENT, UM, YOU KNOW, OVERSTAYS AND, UH, VIOLATIONS THAT COULD BE AVOIDED.WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO ENHANCE THE USER EXPERIENCE.
THE SYSTEM IS ALSO DESIGNED TO INTEGRATE WITH THE BROADER PARKING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND, UH, THAT WAS ONE OF THE CRITERIA THAT, UH, WE RANKED THESE VENDORS ON AS WELL.
THE SYSTEM PROVIDES IMPROVED PARKING DATA AND ANALYTICS TO SUPPORT ONGOING OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS.
AS I MENTIONED, A IS THE VENDOR THAT WE'RE PROPOSING FOR THE PAY STATION SIDE OF THIS
SO IN, IN ADDITION TO MOBILE PAYMENT OPTIONS, THE SYSTEM ALSO INCLUDES MODERN MULTI SPACE PAY STATIONS AND SMART METER TECHNOLOGY.
FOR USERS WHO PREFER OR NEED ONSITE PAYMENT OPTIONS, PROVIDING BOTH MOBILE AND PHYSICAL PAYMENT OPTIONS IS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAINING FLEXIBILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY ACROSS THE PARKING SYSTEM.
THESE, UH, THESE PHYSICAL PAY STATIONS ARE A DA COMPLIANT.
AGAIN, DATA AND INTEGRATION ARE IMPORTANT, UH, BENEFITS PROVIDED WITH THIS VENDOR.
THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT AND PERMITTING AREA.
THIS COMPONENT PROVIDES THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL BACKBONE FOR MANAGING PERMITS, VIOLATIONS, APPEALS, AND OVERALL PARKING ENFORCEMENT COORDINATION.
THIS IS, UH, OUR VENDOR IS PARK LOYALTY.
THE SYSTEM ALSO IMPROVES REPORTING AND OPERATIONAL TRACKING, WHICH HELPS STAFF BETTER MANAGE PARKING OPERATIONS OVER TIME.
OVERALL, THE GOAL IS TO CREATE A MORE COORDINATED AND MANAGEABLE PARKING SYSTEM WHILE IMPROVING CONSISTENCY IN OPERATIONAL AND, UH, EFFICIENCY.
SO IS THIS A SYSTEM THAT'S GONNA BE USED BY A CONSUMER OR IS THIS AN INTERNAL SYSTEM? LIKE, 'CAUSE IT PROVIDES PARKING ENFORCEMENT.
SO IT INTEGRATES WITH THOSE OTHER PLATFORMS AND HELPS WITH THAT.
THE FINAL VENDOR IS, UH, SPOT GENIUS.
THIS IS OUR OCCUPANCY TECHNOLOGY.
THIS SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED REAL WORLD DATA REGARDING UTILIZATION, DURATION OF STAY, TURNOVER, AND OCCUPANCY PATTERNS.
THAT DATA WILL ALLOW STAFF AND COUNCIL TO EVALUATE HOW THE SYSTEM IS FUNCTIONING AND REFINE OPERATIONAL STRATEGIES OVER TIME.
DOES THIS, SO HOW MANY SYSTEMS DOES A, A PERSON NEED TO HAVE ON THEIR PHONE? MAINLY IT WOULD BE ONE.
SO THE PARK, LET ME GO BACK TO THE PARK.
MOBILE WILL BE THE MAIN, UH, PLATFORM THAT A VISITOR WOULD USE.
UM, IF THEY CHOOSE THAT THEY WANT TO PHYSICALLY PAY AT A PAY STATION, THEN THEY WOULD USE MCKAY.
OTHER THAN THAT, THEY COULD CHOOSE TO DOWNLOAD, UM, SPOT GENIUS.
BUT ULTIMATELY, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE CITY'S INTENT IS TO MOVE TOWARDS A ONE PLATFORM KIND OF A SYSTEM THAT WOULD INTEGRATE ALL OF THESE.
DO WE HAVE A TIMELINE FOR THAT? UH, I'M, I'M HOPEFUL THAT IN FY 27 WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON THAT AND HOPEFULLY HAVE A, A GOOD IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE, UH, BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
THAT'S KIND OF A, I THINK, A REALISTIC GOAL.
UM, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE LOOKED FOR OTHER PLATFORMS THAT ARE SIMILAR AND THEY DON'T SEEM TO EXIST.
SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, WE WILL BE ONE OF THE LEADERS IN THIS AREA.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT FOR A SECOND.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH GARAGES IN OTHER LOCATIONS WHERE WHEN YOU ENTER, THERE'S A GREEN SIGN, IT SAYS SO MANY
[01:30:01]
SPACES IN TOTAL AND SO MANY SPACES AVAILABLE AND WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED GENERALLY, RIGHT? IS THAT WHAT THIS IS GONNA DO? IT, IT WILL, UM, WORK WITH OUR DIGITAL SIGNAGE THAT, UM, INDICATES, UH, AVAILABLE PARKING, UM, WHERE THAT'S IMPLEMENTED.SO RIGHT NOW, WE DEFINITELY INTEND TO HAVE THAT IN THE GARAGE.
WE HAVE, YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THE SIGN THAT'S ON LOT FIVE THAT HASN'T EVER REALLY WORKED CORRECTLY.
UM, I WOULD REALLY THINK THAT IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO AT LEAST HAVE SOME DIGITAL SIGNAGE FOR OCCUPANCY THERE AS WELL.
BUT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, AS WE FURTHER REFINE THE PROGRAM AT WHERE THOSE KIND OF SIGNS WILL BE FURTHER BENEFICIAL IN THE PROGRAM.
BUT I, AS A USER, I DON'T NEED ANYTHING 'CAUSE THE DIGITAL SIGN IS GONNA TELL ME WHAT I NEED.
THERE ARE BENEFITS, UM, TO WAY FINDING THAT.
I THINK THE INTEGRATED PLATFORM WILL PROVIDE THE USER IN THE FUTURE.
AS AN EXAMPLE, IF, IF A PERSON'S ABLE TO DOWNLOAD ONE APP AS THEY ENTER SEDONA AND THAT IT HELPS THEM TO EFFICIENTLY, YOU KNOW, GET ALL THESE DIFFERENT, UH, SERVICES THAT THEY WANT AS THEY VISIT THE CITY, I THINK THAT PROVIDES A BETTER USER EXPERIENCE AND, UM, CUTS DOWN ON CIRCULATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, AS THEY'RE EFFICIENTLY ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
SO IF I COULD, MAYOR, THANK YOU, ANDY.
GOING BACK TO PAGE 16, I, I THINK I JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL HAD SOME EXPERIENCE WITH THESE THINGS THAT JUST WANNA KNOW IN OUR RFP WERE THERE ANY SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR OUR BRUTAL TEMPERATURE AND, AND UV CLIMATE THAT WE HAVE HERE? AND THE, WELL, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES THESE SCREENS KIND OF FAILED TO WORK OVER TIME.
I THINK, I THINK IT MAY BE APPROPRIATE FOR MR. MACKAY TO SPEAK TO HIS, HIS PRODUCT.
CAN YOU HEAR US ONLINE THERE? OH, I THINK I JUST SAW YOU COME ON.
THANKS FOR, FOR THE INVITE TO BE PART OF THIS, UH, DISCUSSION THIS EVENING.
UH, BUT YEAH, CERTAINLY, UH, I CAN, I CAN SPEAK TOWARDS, UH, SOME OF THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL TESTS THAT, UH, WE GO THROUGH.
AND IN OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE PRODUCT, UH, IN THAT RANGE IS, UH, BOTH THE, THE COLD SIDE OF THINGS, WHICH IN THIS CASE ISN'T NECESSARILY THAT, UH, THAT IMPORTANT, BUT CERTAINLY THE HOT AS WELL.
UH, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, UH, IS CERTIFIED THROUGH THIRD TE THIRD PARTY ENVIRONMENTAL TEST, UH, FACILITIES.
SO WE, WE DO, UH, WE ARE CERTIFIED BY THIRD PARTY LABS.
UH, BUT THAT'S ONE PIECE OF THE PIE.
THE OTHER IS, IS IT HAPPENING IN REAL LIFE? UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE, WE DO HAVE PRODUCT, UH, ALL OVER THE NATION, UM, FROM, FROM TEXAS TO, UH, THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, UH, IN NEW MEXICO, UH, THE CARIBBEAN.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PRETTY COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT WITH RE WITH REGARDS TO, UH, OUR FUNCTIONALITY IN SEDONA.
UH, ALSO ONE OF THE, THE KEY POINTS OF OUR TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL, WILL CERTAINLY SERVE YOU GUYS WELL, UH, IS USING THE SUN.
UH, ACTUALLY WE, WE ARE, UM, THIRD PARTY OR WE ARE, UH, UH, POWER NEUTRAL WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, OUR BATTERIES.
SO, UH, WE ARE COMPLETELY POWERED BY SOLAR.
SO WE ACTUALLY DO, UH, EMBRACE HAVING LOTS OF SUN, UH, AND, UH, CERTAINLY WANT LOTS OF SUN, WHICH IS WHAT WE WILL FIND IN SEDONA.
SO, UH, HOPEFULLY THAT, THAT ANSWERS SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, UH, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE, CERTAINLY HAPPY TO, TO ANSWER.
I BELIEVE WE WERE COMING UP ON THIS SLIDE.
SO THIS INCLUDES OUR FIVE YEAR COSTS FOR THE PROPOSED DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES.
UM, YOU CAN SEE EACH VENDOR BROKEN OUT AS, UH, AS WELL AS THE COST PER VENDOR PER YEAR.
AND THEN, UH, BASICALLY WE'RE JUST SHOWING THAT WE'VE ALREADY BUILT THAT INTO OUR BUDGET AND IT'S ADEQUATELY, UH, ACCOUNTED FOR THERE.
THE OVERALL INTENT IS FOR THE PARKING SYSTEM TO FUNCTION SIMILARLY TO AN ENTERPRISE STYLE PROGRAM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WHERE PARKING RELATED REVENUE SUPPORT, PARKING RELATED OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY, AND FUTURE PARKING IMPROVEMENTS OVER TIME.
ANDY, THESE ARE BREAKOUTS OF THESE EXPENSES, BUT THEY ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR NUMBERS FROM THAT PREVIOUS SIDE.
[01:35:03]
ALRIGHT.AND JUST KIND OF, UH, LOOKING AT THE OVERALL TIME, SORRY ANDY, CAN YOU GO BACK? OKAY.
ON THE LOWER BLOCK YOU'VE GOT YOUR OVER UNDER.
I JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT'S, THAT'S REVERSED BECAUSE YOUR PROJECTIONS ARE ALL UNDER BUDGET, CORRECT? UH, RIGHT.
IF IT'S SHOWING A NET, THE PARENTHESES, YEAH.
SO AS FAR AS TIMELINE GOES, UM, MOST OF THESE WILL BE OPERATIONAL, UM, BY MID-JULY.
AND, UM, I MEANT TO MENTION EARLIER ON THE GARAGE SLIDE THAT AN UPDATE TO THE TIMELINE FOR BEING OPERATIONAL ON THE, ON THE GARAGE IS CURRENTLY MID-JULY.
THE REASON FOR THAT IS THERE ARE SOME FINISHING ITEMS COMING UP THAT ARE STILL IN PROCESS WITH THE CONTRACTOR AND, UM, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM DONE WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT JUST LIKE MANY CONTRACTS, UM, THEY'RE HAVING CHALLENGES AND, UH, RUNNING BEHIND ON THAT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT CURRENTLY.
THAT'S THE MOST UPTODATE, I GUESS, PROJECTION FOR, UH, OPENING OPERATION OF THE 23 PROPOSALS THAT YOU RECEIVED FROM 16 DIFFERENT VENDORS, AND YOU'VE KNOCKED IT DOWN TO THESE FOUR, BUT THEY EACH DO A DIFFERENT COMPONENT ON ANY OF THE 23 PROPOSALS, WAS IT MORE INTEGRATED VERSUS HAVING FOUR? I I THINK MAYBE ANOTHER WAY, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS, UH, DO ANY OF THESE PLATFORMS PROVIDE FOR MORE THAN ONE OF THESE COMPONENTS WHERE WE COULD JUST USE ONE VENDOR? RIGHT.
UM, THAT, THAT IS THE CASE AND WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT.
HOWEVER, UM, WE FELT THE BEST, UH, SYSTEM THAT WE COULD BUILD INCLUDED USING THESE, UM, FOLKS SEPARATELY FOR THESE COMPONENTS.
AND THERE'S NO INTEGRATION ISSUES.
WE DO NOT EXPECT, UH, THERE TO BE INTEGRATION ISSUES WITH MAKING IT FUNCTION.
THE, THE ONLY INTEGRATION ISSUE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS TRYING TO MAKE THEM ALL ONE PLATFORM
AND SO, UH, WE'LL BE CONTINUING TO WORK TOWARDS THAT GOAL AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
ARE WE GONNA OPEN THE GARAGE BEFORE THESE ARE IMPLEMENTED OR WE'RE GONNA WAIT? OUR PLAN IS TO HAVE EVERYTHING OPERATIONAL WHEN WE, WHEN WE OPEN THE GARAGE.
UM, I DID WANT TO POINT OUT THAT ONE OF THE, THE SPOT GENIUS AS FAR AS SURFACE LOTS OUTSIDE OF THE GARAGE, WE ARE ANTICIPATING RIGHT NOW THAT BEING, UM, FULLY OPERATIONAL LATER IN THE SUMMER.
SO IT'S A LITTLE, UH, BEHIND THE OTHER, THE OTHER VENDORS AS FAR AS IMPLE IMPLEMENTATION GOES.
SO, UM, ANY QUESTIONS? ONE MORE QUESTION ON, IN THE PACKET YOU HAVE INCLUDED THE EVALUATION SCORES FOR EACH OF THESE IN EACH CASE.
THESE ARE THE HIGHEST SCORING ONES, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
WE ARE SEEKING COUNSEL DIRECTION IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES OR ANYTHING DIFFERENT NEEDED FOR THE PARKING RATES.
UM, AND ALSO TO REITERATE, AS, AS, UH, THIS PROCESS NORMALLY GOES, WE WILL, WE WILL BE COMING BACK FOR A SECOND COUNCIL MEETING, UM, TO ACTUALLY APPROVE THOSE RATES.
AND THAT'S CURRENTLY, UH, SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 9TH.
AND THEN THE FINAL COMPONENT IS WE ARE SEEKING TONIGHT APPROVAL OF THE SELECTED VENDOR CONTRACTS.
AND THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR PRESENTATION.
SHALL I GO TO THE PUBLIC? OKAY.
ROB SMITH, FOLLOWED BY DAVE SWAR.
MY NAME IS TIM PERRY AND I LIVE IN SEDONA.
I WONDER IF ANY OF YOU REALIZE JUST HOW REVOLTING THIS ENTIRE DISCUSSION SOUNDS TO A NORMAL PERSON.
ANDY'S OUTLINED YET AGAIN THAT THE CITY'S OBJECTIVE WITH THIS WHOLE PARKING GUIDANCE
[01:40:01]
PROPOSAL AND WITH THE, EVEN THE WHOLE MARKET MANIPULATION OF THE RATE STRUCTURE IS TO MODIFY INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR TO GET IT WHERE THE CITY WANTS IT.IN PARTICULAR, TO FORCE USE OF THIS BOONDOGGLE OF A TRANSIT SYSTEM WHERE WE WANT, HE KEPT SAYING, LISTEN TO HIM.
WHERE WE WANT, WHERE WE WANT, WHERE YOU WANT DECIDING WHERE PEOPLE DRIVE OR THEY PARK IS NOT GOVERNMENT'S BUSINESS.
THIS IS A SOVIET MINDSET, NOT AN AMERICAN MINDSET.
THIS KIND OF ATTITUDE HAS NO PLACE IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY.
THIS APPROACH, BY THE WAY, IS ALSO THE SORT OF THING THAT GETS PEOPLE SAYING, OH, YOU CARE MORE ABOUT TOURISTS THAN YOU ACTUALLY DO ABOUT RESIDENCE.
'CAUSE THE WHOLE TRANSIT SYSTEM IS ORIENTED TO TOURISTS, NOT TO US.
AS FAR AS THE SIGNAGE QUESTION GOES.
THERE ARE ALREADY FAR TOO MANY SIGNS ALL OVER UPTOWN.
IN FACT, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN POPPING 'EM UP LEFT AND RIGHT LATELY, LIKE THEY WERE BREEDING IN YOUR BARN LIKE RABBITS.
THEY ARE USELESS, OBNOXIOUS IN A NAME AND THEY ALL NEED TO START COMING DOWN, SCRAP THIS WHOLE PROGRAM AND STOP TRYING TO URBANIZE SMALL TOWN.
SEDONA, YOU LIVE IN A SMALL COMMUNITY, LEARN TO LIKE IT OR LEAVE ROB, ROB SMITH, CITY OF SEDONA.
I KNOW WHEN I'M NOT IN SEDONA AND I'M SHOPPING BECAUSE THE COST IS USUALLY LESS, LESS SALES TAX, LESS PARKING FEES AND LESS HOTEL MOTEL.
TAX PARKING IN SEDONA IS USED BY WORKERS AND RESIDENTS, NOT JUST TOURISTS.
THE EXCESSIVE RATES MAKE SEDONA LESS AFFORDABLE FOR THOSE THAT LIVE HERE.
ALSO, MANY BUSINESSES IN THE UPTOWN MUST FIND PARKING FOR EMPLOYEES.
I DID THE MATH AT, IF I TAKE THE CHEAPEST PLACE AT TWO 50 AN HOUR AND I WORKED NINE HOURS, I'M PAYING $22 OR OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS A WEEK TO PARK MY CAR.
THOSE KIND OF RATES PUSH PARKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ADJACENT TO UPTOWN.
SO I ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO MAKE PARKING A BREAK EVEN ENDEAVOR RATHER THAN A PROFIT CENTER.
OKAY, DAVE, FOLLOWED BY DAVID FOSTER.
AND UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNSELORS.
MY ONLY COMMENT REALLY IS, IS THAT WE, YOU SHOULD HOLD OFF ON CHARGING ON SOME OF THE SURFACE LOTS WHERE A LOT OF THESE EMPLOYEES ARE PARKING UNTIL YOU FIGURE OUT WHERE THE EMPLOYEES ARE GONNA PARK.
BECAUSE CAN YOU MOVE THE MIC OR SPEAK TO THEM? YEAH, THANK YOU.
BUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY WAS THAT THE, I THINK YOU SHOULD HOLD OFF ON CHARGING IN THE SURFACE LOTS POSSIBLY UNTIL YOU FIGURE OUT WHERE THE EMPLOYEES ARE GONNA PARK THAT ARE CURRENTLY PARKING IN THOSE LOTS.
'CAUSE THESE, THESE EMPLOYEES, THEY, THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THOSE KIND OF RATES AND WE DON'T REALLY WANNA LOSE THEM TO WORKING IN COTTONWOOD.
THEY'RE THE BACKBONE OF OUR, OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY IN UPTOWN WITH ALL THE STORES.
AND SOME OF THESE SMALLER STORES AND RETAILERS ARE, I THINK THEY'RE BARELY MAKING IT NOW, SO THEY CAN'T REALLY AFFORD TO SUBSIDIZE THE, THE PARKING EITHER.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER UNTIL YOU HAVE THE EMPLOYEE PARKING FIGURED OUT.
DON'T IMPLEMENT THE, UH, FEES IN LIKE LOT FIVE AND SOME OF THE OTHER SURFACE LOTS.
DAVID FOSTER, FOLLOWED BY JAMES TROUTMAN.
HI, DAVID FOSTER FROM, UH, UPTOWN IN SEDONA.
UM, SO I'M CONVINCED THAT MOST PEOPLE, A LOT OF MY INFORMATION COMES FROM DAVE TONIGHT.
I'M CONVINCED THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN SEDONA THAT LIVE IN UPTOWN DO NOT KNOW THIS IS HAPPENING.
IT'S RECEIVED VERY SCANT PUBLICITY.
IT'S RECEIVED SCANT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND IT'S BEING PRESENTED LIKE A FETA COMPLETE.
SO I THINK THIS IS GONNA COME AS A BIG SURPRISE TO FOLKS THAT LIVE IN UPTOWN.
AND I WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE THE KNOCK ON REACTION AND THE DOWNSTREAM REACTION, UH, TO THIS PLAN AS IT'S BEING ROLLED OUT.
THE, UH, IT ALL STARTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, OF COURSE, WITH THE IDEA OF A PARKING GARAGE.
AND, UM, THE IDEA HAD VACILLATING MOMENTUM OVER THE YEARS REQUIRED MANY STUDIES, A LENGTHY PERIOD OF DEBATE.
AND THE REASON THE DEBATE WAS SO LONG AND THE CONSIDERATION WAS
[01:45:01]
SO LONG IS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT CLEAR THAT THIS WAS NEEDED AND THERE WAS NO REAL COMPELLING CASE TO BUILD THIS STRUCTURE.BUT EVENTUALLY IT GOT OUT OF THE GROUND.
AND, UH, AND THERE'S STILL NO COMPELLING REASON FOR IT.
AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO VIEW IT AS, UH, A KIND OF WHITE ELEPHANT.
AND NOW THAT THE, UH, STRUCTURE HAS BEEN BUILT WITH ENORMOUS COST OVERRUNS AND A A, A SUNK COST IN WHOLE OR IN PART OF ABOUT $25 MILLION, PEOPLE ARE GONNA SEE, WELL, THE DESIRE OF THE CITY COUNCIL IS TO MONETIZE THIS, UH, THIS ASSET.
AND THE WAY TO MONETIZE IT IS TO ESSENTIALLY FORCE PEOPLE WHO WOULD NOT OTHERWISE USE THE GARAGE TO USE IT AND PAY FEES.
AND THIS MEETING HERE TONIGHT IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS MONETIZING IT BECAUSE YOU'RE ON THE CUSP OF ABOLISHING FREE PUBLIC PARKING IN UPTOWN SEDONA.
THAT MAKES A BIG CHANGE TO THE CHARACTER OF UPTOWN.
AND, UH, IT DOESN'T STOP THERE.
SO THE PLANS ARE IN PLACE TO, UH, CREATE NO PARKING ZONES, UH, THROUGHOUT UPTOWN, AND IT'S A NEIGHBORING STREETS.
AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A RESIDENT PERMIT PARKING, UH, PLAN THAT WILL THEORETICALLY PROTECT THE RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO IMPOSE REGULATORY, BURDENSOME, UH, REGULATORY BURDENS THAT ARE VERY EXACTING AND VERY ANNOYING BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE PLAN AS WE UNDERSTAND IT, UH, THERE, THE OWNER, THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS TO PROTECT HIS GUESTS AND INVITEES FROM A PARKING TICKET BY NOTIFYING THE POLICE OF THEIR PRESENCE.
THIS IS GOING TO BE DEEPLY UNPOPULAR.
AND, UM, SO I THINK THAT YOU THINK, I OUGHT TO THINK REALLY HARD ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THIS AND MAYBE JUST SAY, WHOA, NELLY ALONG, UH, ALONG THE LINES OF THAT DAVE HAS, HAS, UH, OUTLINED TIME'S UP.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, GIVING ME THE TIME.
I AM THE GENERAL MANAGER OF PINK JEEP TOURS, UM, NEW RESIDENT OF SEDONA ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW.
SO I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT SOME OF THE THINGS SAID.
UH, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PIECES AND, AND PRICING IS ONE OF 'EM.
AND I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR EMPLOYEE PARKING, AND I JUST WISH THAT WE WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAMMER THAT PIECE OUT PRIOR TO SOME OF THE OTHER PIECES.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FEW HUNDRED UNACCOUNTED FOR, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING IN THE AREA THAT DO NOT HAVE PARKING, AND THAT IF EVERYTHING GOES TO PAID PARKING, THAT THAT'S GONNA BE A, UH, YOU KNOW, A BIG CHALLENGE.
SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON THAT.
UM, WE'RE JUST A LITTLE BIT BEHIND SOME OF THE OTHER PIECES THAT ARE GOING ON, AND I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IF WE WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THINGS A LITTLE BIT FASTER ON THE OTHER END.
THAT'S MY LAST CARD, SO IF ANYBODY WISHES TO SPEAK, PLEASE FILL OUT A CARD NOW.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNSELORS.
I SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT, CEO OF THE GREATER SEDONA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, I'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR EMPLOYERS OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS, PAST COUPLE WEEKS I'VE SPOKEN WITH ANDY.
THANK YOU ANDY, FOR MAKING TIME FOR THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR EMPLOYERS ARE EAGER FOR THE PARKING GARAGE.
UM, SO I, I'LL SAY THEY'RE, THEY'RE ANXIOUSLY AWAITING.
UM, COMMUNICATION AND CONSISTENCY IS GONNA BE, OF COURSE, VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE VISITORS AS THEY LOOK TO APPROPRIATE SIGNAGE, CONSISTENT PRICING IN THE APPS, HOPEFULLY JUST ONE APP, RIGHT? SOME, SOME CITIES HAVE MULTIPLE APPS THAT'S, UH, NO GOOD FOR OUR LOCAL EMPLOYEES.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS COST OF PARKING, UH, THAT'S BEING PRESENTED, UM, IT COULD BE SEEN AS A DRAIN ON THEIR WAGE.
YOU KNOW, THEY CAN KIND OF INTERNALIZE THAT AND, AND STRUGGLE WITH THAT IF THEIR EMPLOYER ISN'T WELL SUITED TO CREATE SOLUTIONS.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THE CITY IS EXPLORING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SOLUTIONS.
I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
I THINK LARGER EMPLOYERS ARE POISED TO TAKE PART IN THOSE PRIVATE SOLUTIONS.
UM, BUT THE PUBLIC SOLUTIONS NEED TO KEEP IN MIND, SPECIFICALLY THE SMALLER EMPLOYER WHO DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME MEANS TO OFFSET COSTS WITH, LET'S SAY A TRANSPORTATION STIPEND OR COMPETITIVE PAY RAISES IN A DAY AND AGE.
WHEN HEALTHCARE COSTS ARE UP, PRODUCT COSTS ARE UP, LABOR'S ALREADY UP.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT KIND OF A COMPLEX PROBLEM WITH SOMETHING THAT TO SOME MAY SEEM, YOU KNOW, SIMPLE, YOU ALL KNOW, ESPECIALLY ANDY.
UH, THIS IS A MORE COMPLEX ISSUE THAN, UM, JUST CREATING A PARKING GARAGE.
UM, GLAD TO SEE THAT ALL PARTS OF THE
[01:50:01]
PLAN ARE IN MIND.UH, THERE'S BROAD SUPPORT WITHIN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY FOR, UM, EXPANDING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ROUTES AS IT RELATES TO PARKING, ADDING A CIRCULATOR THAT WAY WE'RE NOT JUST HAVING SOMEONE WALK THREE BLOCKS IN ONE DIRECTION AT NIGHT, AND THEN, OH, WE'VE GOT THIS NEW LOT WHERE YOU'RE JUST WALKING THREE BLOCKS TO THE OTHER WAY AT NIGHT.
UM, SO SAFETY IS REALLY THAT TOP CONCERN MOVING FORWARD FOR SOME OF OUR EMPLOYERS WHOSE EMPLOYEES ARE PARKING IN A, YOU KNOW, RANDOM STREET AND KIND OF FINDING THEIR WAY.
UM, EMPLOYEES ARE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING INTERNAL CONFLICTS AROUND WHO GETS TO PARK, WHERE EMPLOYERS ARE APPROPRIATELY PRIORITIZING LATE NIGHT WORKERS AND OVERNIGHTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RELYING ON EACH OTHER WITHIN THE UPTOWN COMMUNITY TO GET RIDES TO THEIR CARS AT NIGHT.
SO THERE'S JUST SOME HURDLES THAT PEOPLE RUN INTO AS THEY'RE JUST PLANNING FOR THEIR EVERYDAY SHIFT.
UM, AND JUST TO SHARE SOME QUICK MATH, UH, FIVE SHIFTS A WEEK OFF SEASON WOULD BE 180 A MONTH IN SEASON 240, UH, A MONTH.
SO, UM, I KNOW PARK MOBILE ALLOWS DYNAMIC PRICING, PROMO CODES, BUSINESS ACCOUNTS TO CENTRALIZE EXPENSES.
LET'S EXPLORE ALL OF THAT AND MAYBE A FLAT RATE PASS THAT COULD BE SUPPLEMENTED BY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDS RATHER THAN SEEN AS A, AN UNFOCUSED RISK, UH, TO THE GIFT CLAUSE.
SO LET US KNOW IF WE CAN BE GOOD PARTNERS IN THIS.
JOE, DO YOU HAVE MORE CARDS? THANK YOU.
RICH GAY, FOLLOWED BY KEVIN PICARD.
I AM SEDONA RESIDENT IN UPTOWN, UH, LIVE A FEW BLOCKS FROM, UH, DAVID FOSTER AND I, I WOULD SECOND HIS REMARKS.
WE DO HAVE FOLKS IN UPTOWN ARE QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE KIND OF MOVING AWAY FROM THE NEW PAID PARKING SPACES AS WELL AS WE'RE LOSING PARKING SPACES AND COMING INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THERE'S SOME THOUGHT BEING GIVEN TO RESIDENT PARKING, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE A LITTLE BEHIND THE CURVE HERE.
SO HOPEFULLY THAT'LL MOVE ALONG PRETTY QUICKLY.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE THE JORDAN LOFTS THAT ARE GONNA BE COMPLETED IN THE COMING MONTHS, AND THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOR PARKING TO COME UP INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS FROM THAT AS WELL.
UM, ITEM, SECOND ITEM IS, IS A QUESTION I'VE BEEN HEARING.
THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND, AND CONVERSATIONS AROUND TOWN THAT WE MAY BE ACTUALLY HAVING A NET REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF SPACES UPTOWN.
SO I'D BE APPRECIATIVE IF YOU GUYS COULD JUST BRIEFLY ADDRESS THAT IF IT'S POSSIBLE TONIGHT.
AND THEN THE THIRD THING, UM, MY BACKGROUND IN SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY.
THIS IS A, THERE A POTENTIALLY A VERY INTERESTING SYSTEMS INTEGRATION CHALLENGE WITH THESE FOUR VENDORS.
AND I'M CURIOUS IF STAFF IS CONTEMPLATING HIRING A SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR OR ONE OF THESE, OR MORE, MAYBE SEVERAL OF THE COMPANIES THAT HAVE COMMITTED TO HITTING CERTAIN OBJECTIVES AND HOW THAT'S GONNA BE ACHIEVED.
TYPICALLY, SYSTEMS INTEGRATIONS IS ONE OF THE HIGH RISK PARTS OF A COMPLEX PROJECT LIKE THIS, SO THERE'S A BIG RISK OF THINGS FAILING IF THAT'S NOT HANDLED.
AND THEN THE FINAL OBSERVATION IS JUST WITH, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A NOTION OF A FUTURE INTEGRATED APP OR SOMETHING THAT, UH, FOR WAY FINDING AND AND SO FORTH COMING IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A VERY HIGH RISK ITEM AND WHO'S GONNA DO THAT? AND WAS THAT COST INCLUDED IN THE PROJECTIONS THAT WERE SHOWN THERE? SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAD.
I'VE BEEN HERE A SHORT TIME, BUT I'M AT, UH, BERT'S PROPERTY.
UM, I JUST GOT WIND AND I KNOW I'VE HAD GREAT CONVERSATIONS AND I'M, I, YOU KNOW, I WANNA MAKE SURE I PARTNER.
UH, BUT THE ONE THING I DO ASK ALL THE COUNCIL AND EVERYBODY TO LOOK AT IS, UH, JUST DOING THE QUICK MATH ON THIS.
I GOT A LOT OF EMPLOYEES DOWNTOWN AND IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR, UM, EXPENSE ON, ON THE EMPLOYEE SIDE FOR US.
SO WE JUST REALLY GOTTA FIGURE THAT OUT.
I'M DOING QUICK MATH FROM THE TWO 50 AN HOUR TIMES 150 EMPLOYEES A DAY TIMES 365 DAYS A YEAR.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE REALLY LOOK AT IT, THAT'S A HUGE EXPENSE AND WE GOTTA FIGURE IT OUT.
SO IF ANYTHING, IF I COULD REALLY ASK YOU TO KIND OF TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO FOR EMPLOYEES, THAT'D BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
OKAY, COMMENTS, MORE QUESTIONS? I, I'M JUST CURIOUS, OUR, OUR TWO COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES ON THIS PARKING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM HAVE SOMETHING THEY WANNA SAY TO US.
[01:55:01]
YEAH, SO WE'RE WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE WITH EMPLOYEE PARKING.UM, IT IS A VERY COMPLICATED MATTER FOR US TO BE FOCUSED ON.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF LEGAL RESTRICTIONS, UM, INVOLVED THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED.
UM, PROBABLY AD NAUM INSIDE OF THE, UM, THE WORK GROUP ITSELF.
I THINK THERE, WE HAVEN'T EXPLORED ALL THE OPTIONS YET.
I THINK WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT MAY, MAY WORK, THAT'S FOR SURE.
UM, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ONE APP TO RULE THEM ALL.
AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE KNOW FOR INSTANCE, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ALREADY HAVING ISSUES WITH THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TRANSLOCK TO ORDER THE, THE TRANSIT AND THEN YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, UM, LIKE TRANS TICKET OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED, UM, IN ORDER FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY PAY FOR IT WITHOUT HAVING TO HAVE EXACT CHANGE.
SO WE'RE AWARE OF THAT ALREADY EXISTING AND HOW WE MOVE THAT TOGETHER.
I UNDERSTAND THE COST OF BUILDING APPS.
I'VE DONE IT FOR MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS, DIGITAL APPS AND DIGITAL APP DESIGN.
I THINK UNTIL WE PROBABLY KNOW WHAT ARE ALL THE PIECES AND HOW WELL THE OTHER INTEGRATION WORKS, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE CONCERN AROUND HOW HARD WILL IT BE FOR US TO SORT OF PUT THIS TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S REALLY NOT THE FOCUS OF THIS GROUP.
UM, THE FOCUS OF THIS GROUP IS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT RESIDENTS? AND I THINK WE, WE TALK ABOUT RESIDENTS PARKING, WE'RE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT ANYTIME YOU MAKE A CHANGE, YOU'RE GONNA PUSH PEOPLE UP INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ALLOW FOR THAT WITHOUT MAKING IT, UM, BURDENSOME, UM, ON THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN THOSE AREAS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE AREAS WE'RE STARTING OUT IN WHERE WE'RE JUST GONNA DO CODE COMPLIANCE ON PARKING TO MAKE SURE THAT EMERGENCY VEHICLES CAN ACTUALLY GET THROUGH THOSE STREETS.
UM, HOW IS THAT ALL GOING TO FUNCTION? AND WE'RE AWARE THAT AS YOU CLOSE SOME OF THOSE DOWNS, THEY'RE GONNA BE PUSHING FURTHER AND FURTHER UP INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO WE'RE AWARE OF ALL THOSE ISSUES AND THEY'RE ALL BEING DISCUSSED AND WE'RE ALL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE RIGHT THING IS TO DO.
UM, IT'S INTENTIONAL THAT WE HAVEN'T ROLLED OUT A SORT OF RESIDENT AREA, UM, PERMIT OR HOWEVER WE'RE GOING TO DO IT AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE'RE OPENING THE PARKING FEES.
AND THAT WAS INTENTIONAL BECAUSE WE GOT FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVE INSIDE OF UPTOWN IN THAT COMMUNITY THAT THEY WERE VERY WORRIED ABOUT IT AND DIDN'T THINK THEY NEEDED IT AND DIDN'T WANT IT.
UM, AND SO OUR SUPPOSITION THAT THEY WOULD, COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG.
UH, SO THE IDEA WAS THAT WE'LL BE READY THAT IF IT TURNS OUT THAT WHEN PARKING GOES, GOES IN AND WE HAVEN'T SOLVED EVERY PROBLEM THERE IS TO SOLVE.
'CAUSE YOU NEVER CAN KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, UM, WE'LL BE READY TO GO FORWARD WITH THAT.
SO IT'S INTENTIONALLY BEHIND, BUT NOT BEHIND IN DISCUSSION.
SO WE MAY NOT BE RELEASING IT AT THE SAME TIME, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE RIGHT ANSWERS ARE FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES.
SO, UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S ALL THAT.
I'M NOT SURE I ADDRESS ALL OF YOUR, YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT COST FOR SURE.
I'M SURE I HAVE TO DEFER TO THE GUYS OVER HERE AROUND WHETHER THAT'S INSIDE OF THEIR ESTIMATES.
UM, I THINK WHAT I WOULD ADD IS AROUND THE AREA OF EMPLOYEE PARKING.
SO IT DOES CONCERN ME THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT WORKED OUT YET.
UM, IT HAS GONE TO A SUBCOMMITTEE WITHIN THE GROUP AS WAS MENTIONED, AND NOT HAVING THAT VISIBILITY TO THAT GROUP.
DO WE HAVE A TIMEFRAME AT WHICH WE'RE LOOKING FOR A PROPOSED EMPLOYEE PARKING PLAN? WELL, I MIGHT KIND OF MAYBE STEP BACK IN HISTORY HERE FOR A MOMENT AND JUST REMIND FOLKS THAT STAFF WAS DIRECTED TO NOT TAKE A LEAD ON THE, THAT ELEMENT OF THE PROGRAM.
HOWEVER, WE DID INCLUDE IT AS A MAJOR COMPONENT OF DISCUSSION IN WHAT WE'RE DEVELOPING THROUGH THE PARKING WORK GROUP.
SO IT WAS SINCE 2023 TOLD TWO STAFF TO NOT MAKE THAT OUR FIRST PRIORITY.
SO I JUST WANT TO REMIND FOLKS OF THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS WHAT OUR TIMELINE IS, WE ARE, AS YOU MENTIONED, MEETING WITH OUR SUBGROUP, AND THAT'S COMING UP ACTUALLY HERE PRETTY, PRETTY SOON.
AND WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING QUITE A BIT OF EFFORT, INCLUDING MYSELF INTO MEETING WITH DIFFERENT, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES
[02:00:01]
FOR EMPLOYEE PARKING.UM, AND UH, SO AS FAR AS TIMELINE GOES, I'M HOPING BY, UH, AND THIS IS OUR INTENT BY JULY 14TH, WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL TO REPORT BACK.
THAT WILL BE ONE OF OUR MAJOR DISCUSSION POINTS DURING THAT MEETING.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I KIND OF WANT TO ADDRESS ALONG THAT, THAT LINE OF THOUGHT THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE THE COST TO, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF EMPLOYEE PARKING ELEMENT OF THE PARKING PROGRAM.
UM, THAT'S WHY IN OUR PARKING WORK GROUP DISCUSSIONS, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT LOOKING FOR, UH, AREAS THAT DON'T REQUIRE, UH, A FEE STRUCTURE.
AS YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A MENTION ABOUT A, A SIGNIFICANT COST BEING ASSUMED BASED ON THIS RATE STRUCTURE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
UH, WE'VE NEVER THOUGHT THAT, UH, EMPLOYEES WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PAY THESE RATES.
THAT'S NEVER BEEN A THOUGHT OF THE WORK GROUP OR STAFF OR, UH, I'M, I'M ASSUMING COUNSEL EITHER.
SO YEAH, WE HAVE SOME, AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, SOME PRETTY BIG PARKING, UH, FACILITIES, PRIVATE LOTS THAT ARE AN OPTION TO DO A LEASE ON.
UM, WE, WE'VE GOT DISCUSSIONS GOING ON, ON, ON WHAT THE OPPORTUNITIES WOULD BE FOR THAT.
AND THAT WOULD ALLOW NOT ONLY A REDUCED COST FOR SOME SORT OF EMPLOYEE PARKING PROGRAM, BUT UM, IT ALSO ACCOUNTS FOR THAT SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF THE OVERALL PARKING DEMAND.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, WE HEAR A LOT OF RUMORS THAT THE CITY'S CLOSING ALL THESE LOT THESE, UH, PARKING LOTS AND SPACES AND THERE'S A NET REDUCTION THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THE CASE.
WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD ADDITIONAL PARKING TO ACCOUNT FOR EMPLOYEE PARKING AND THE GARAGE ITSELF ADDED ABOUT 200 SPACE, UH, 270 SPACES TO THE OVERALL PARKING, UM, YOU KNOW, SYSTEM.
UH, YES, THERE ARE SOME LOTS THAT HAVE COME OFFLINE AND I KNOW THAT'S WHERE THE CONFUSION IS.
YOU KNOW, LOTS LIKE, UH, PARKING LOT TWO WAS THE RED ROCK NEWS PROPERTY THAT'S GONE PRIVATE, IT'S STILL AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THOSE SPACES EVAPORATED, THEY'RE STILL AVAILABLE.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES LIKE THAT WHERE LOT ONE, FOR INSTANCE, UM, THAT WAS THE LOT ON JORDAN ROAD THAT THE CITY SOLD TO THE FIRE DISTRICT THAT'S GETTING DEVELOPED INTO A NEW FIRE STATION.
MOST OF THOSE SPACES DID GO AWAY, BUT THEY ARE RESERVING A SMALL NUMBER OF SPACES ON THAT PROPERTY FOR PUBLIC PARKING.
SO THE FULL COUNT ON THAT PROPERTY ALSO DID NOT GO AWAY.
SO THERE'S DEFINITELY A LOT OF MISINFORMATION GOING ON OUT THERE.
AND, UH, WE'VE TRIED, I I THINK, UH, COUNCIL IS SYMPATHETIC AND UNDERSTANDING TO THE FACT THAT WE'VE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO OUTREACH OVER THE LAST YEAR.
UM, WE'VE RESULTED TO THE POINT OF TRACKING FOLKS DOWN AND ALMOST FORCING THEM TO MEET WITH US AND FEEDING THEM THE INFORMATION WE'VE HAD TO GO TO THAT EXTENT.
ANDY, YOU, YOU, YOU'VE OVER ANSWERED THE QUESTION AT THIS POINT.
THANK YOU FOR THE REMINDER ABOUT THE FACT THAT EMPLOYEE PARKING, WE SAID, HEY, THE EMPLOYERS NEED TO BE PART OF THAT SOLUTION.
THAT, THAT WAS A VERY FAIR REMINDER.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, LIKE THE CONCERN IS JUST SIMPLY, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST SAID, HEY, WE DON'T WANT THEM TO BE PAYING THE FULL RETAIL PRICE.
SO I THINK THAT MEANS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THERE'S AT LEAST SOME INTERIM SOLUTION IF WE DON'T HAVE THE LONG TERM PLAN FIGURED OUT BY THE TIME ALL THE REST OF THIS GOES LIVE.
THAT'S THE PART THAT I REALLY WANT TO SPEAK TO.
AND, AND YOU JUST REMINDED ME OF IN, IN MY, UH, LONG-WINDED RESPONSE.
I MEANT TO ACTUALLY ADD SOMETHING ELSE,
THAT'S NOT PART OF OUR PROPOSAL.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT LOT THREE, FOUR, ANYTHING IN THAT ZONE THAT'S NOT INTENDED TO BE IMPLEMENTED RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, LOT FIVE IN THE GARAGE AS WELL AS THE STREET FRONTAGE.
THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT MAKE SENSE TO IMPLEMENT, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEAR TERM A RATE STRUCTURE TO IT.
BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL LOTS BEYOND THAT THAT WE'RE STILL UNCERTAIN ABOUT.
[02:05:01]
AND, AND THE EMPLOYEE PARKING IS A, A, A VALID CONSIDERATION THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.AND THE WORKING GROUP, I THINK IN AS A CONSENSUS HAS SAID, HEY, EMPLOYERS DO HAVE A, A PART TO PLAY IN THIS AND THERE'S A FAIRNESS COMPONENT BECAUSE SOME EMPLOYERS DO PROVIDE PLENTY OF PARKING AND OTHERS DON'T.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT ALL NEEDS TO BE WORKED OUT.
BUT AGAIN, I GUESS JUST THE ONE THING I WOULD HOPE THAT WE'RE ALL PROVIDING DIRECTION ON IT AS A CONSENSUS IS THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE AN INTERIM SOLUTION FOR THE EMPLOYEE PARKING IF, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE LONG TERM ONE FIGURED OUT WHEN THIS OVERALL PROGRAM GOES LIVE IN JUNE.
UM, MAYOR, DO WE HAVE A A MAJORITY SUPPORT FOR THAT? I, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M GONNA ASK YOU A QUESTION THEN WE'LL POLL COUNSEL, BUT HAVE YOU, SO HOW MANY SPACES ARE THERE ON LOTS? THREE AND FOUR, DO YOU KNOW OFFHAND? SO THREE IS ABOUT 25 AND LOT FOUR.
UM, DO YOU GUYS HAVE THOSE NUMBERS? I THINK THAT'S SOMEWHERE MORE LIKE 30 TO 40, SOMEWHERE IN THAT RANGE.
SO IS THAT SUFFICIENT? BECAUSE IT IS NOT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE HUNDRED EMPLOYEES.
IF WE'RE JUST TALKING LOT THREE AND FOUR, NO, BUT THERE ARE, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW AND, AND WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS ON THAT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE CONFIDENT WE'LL COME UP WITH SOMETHING.
BUT TO VICE MAYOR'S POINT, UM, IF WE NEED A CONTINGENCY PLAN TO GO WITH WHAT WE PRESENT ON JULY 14TH, IT'D BE GREAT TO KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW SO WE CAN BE WORKING ON THAT.
UH, PETE, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY WE HEARD JULY 14TH AS A RESIDENTIAL PERMIT PROGRAM.
I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY APPROPRIATE TO ALSO ADD, YOU KNOW, THIS STATUS OR SOMETHING ABOUT THE EMPLOYEE PROGRAM AT THE SAME TIME.
NN NO, I, I SAID THERE WILL BE THREE COMPONENTS TO THAT PRESENTATION ON THE 14TH.
SO IT'S EVERYTHING WE DIDN'T COVER TODAY.
SO OUT OF THE FIVE DIFFERENT AREAS IN THE PROGRAM, UM, TODAY, WE COVERED, UH, THE RATE STRUCTURE AS WELL AS THE TECHNOLOGY.
SO THAT'S ONE AND TWO PARKING OPTIMIZATION, WHICH IS REALLY KIND OF THE, WHAT IS OUR PARKING INVENTORY GOING THROUGH THE, THE NUMBERS AND WHAT'S REDUCED AND GOING INTO DETAIL ON THAT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS WE'LL COVER.
AND THEN THE, THE SECOND WOULD BE, UH, EMPLOYEE PARKING, AND THEN THE THIRD WOULD BE THE RESIDENT PERMIT.
AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR EACH ONE OF THEM, RIGHT? NOT NECESSARILY.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE CONFIDENT WE'LL HAVE A LOT TO REPORT ON.
UM, WE DO WANT TO HAVE THE RESIDENT PERMIT PROGRAM READY TO IMPLEMENT WHEN WE FEEL LIKE THAT IS NEEDED.
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE OVERALL COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WE HAVEN'T APPROVED THIS, RIGHT? WE HAVEN'T EVEN PRESENTED, BEEN PRESENTED WITH THE PLAN YET.
AND PEOPLE ARE ALREADY MAKING A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS THAT ARE NOT VALID AT THIS POINT.
KATHY, I AGREE WITH YOUR STATEMENT, BUT ALSO WANT TO ADD, IF WE DO TODAY, APPROVE THE CONTRACTS FOR VENDORS, TO SOME DEGREE WE ARE COMMITTING THAT WE'RE ON THAT PATH AND GOING FORWARD.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE NOT TAKEN AN, YOU KNOW, OFFICIAL ON THOSE COMPONENTS OF THE OPTIMIZATION, THE PARKING STRATEGIES AND THE RESIDENTIAL PARKING READINESS, WE CERTAINLY HAVE MOVED TOWARD THAT.
SO I JUST WANNA BE, I JUST WANT US TO BE, I DON'T SEE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE IN CONTRACT WITH VENDORS TO, TO I KNOW, BUT THE VENDORS AREN'T, WE'RE NOT.
SO, SO CAN WE ANSWER THAT QUESTION? YEAH.
THERE, THERE ARE TWO, LIKE, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WHAT MAKES SENSE TO IMPLEMENT A FEE.
FOUR WOULD BE THE GARAGE LOT FIVE IN THE STREET FRONT FRONTAGE, JUST THOSE REVENUE SOURCES ALONE WOULD COVER THIS COST.
NOW, IF THE, IF THE BACKUP PLAN FOR EMPLOYEE PARKING NEEDS TO INCLUDE LOT FIVE, THEN WHEN WE COME BACK IN JULY, WE'LL SPEAK TO WHAT THAT OVERALL COST AND, AND REVENUE LOOKS LIKE.
BUT IS THERE A SPECIFIC TO, TO SPEAK TO COUNCILOR ELLA'S, UH, COMMENT, IS THERE A SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGY THAT, THAT WE WOULD BE APPROVING TODAY THAT WOULD RESULT IN, UH, WELL NOT RESULT IN THAT DRIVES A DIRECTION OTHER I SEE PARKING
[02:10:02]
EITHER BY MOBILE, A MOBILE DEVICE, OR A, UM, OR A KIOSK, RIGHT? I SEE, UH, SIGNS ABOUT OR WHERE PARKING IS LOCATED, RIGHT? SO, AND I SEE ENFORCEMENTS, SO WHERE DOES THAT PUT US ON A TRAJECTORY THAT WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS? THINGS WE CAN'T CHANGE? WELL, I MEAN, I, I, I THINK ONCE WE APPROVE CONTRACTS, WE LOOK TO IMPLEMENT WHERE IT MAKES SENSE.THE, THE FIRST PLACE IS GONNA BE THE GARAGE.
THAT'S BEEN OUR FIRST PRIORITY FOR BEING READY WITH THESE TECHNOLOGIES, THE RATE STRUCTURE AND ET CETERA.
BEYOND THAT, WE'RE ALREADY CHARGING FOR STREET FRONTAGE PARKING.
SO THIS IS AN UPDATE TO THAT ALREADY, ALREADY IMPLEMENTED SYSTEM.
THE VARIABLE HERE BETWEEN THE AREAS I TALKED ABOUT WOULD BE LOT FIVE.
SO IF WE NEED TO NOT IMPLEMENT ANYTHING IN LOT FIVE UNTIL WE HAVE KNOW WHAT OUR CONTINGENCY PLAN IS, THEN THAT, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE AND WE JUST NEED TO KNOW IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE NEED TO TAKE.
I'M TRYING TO THINK OF HOW TO ASK WHAT A, WORKING IN HERE, UM, IT'S A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT WITH EACH OF THESE VENDORS.
IF WE SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGE THINGS AROUND, LIKE WE WANT, YOU KNOW, LOT FIVE AND 89 A AND THE GARAGE, AND THEN WE COME BACK IN SIX MONTHS AND WE WANNA ADD IN SOMETHING OR WE WANNA TAKE ONE OF THOSE OUT OR SOMETHING.
HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THESE CONTRACTS? I MEAN, 'CAUSE IT'S A LOT OF CHANGES THAT THAT WOULD BE, YEAH, I GUESS, UH, PROCUREMENT STAFF COULD CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK THE, THE SETUP COST THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE FRONT END COSTS ARE REALLY SOMEWHAT LESS IMPACTED BY THE NUMBER, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD INCREASE INCREMENTALLY, BUT, UH, AS LONG AS WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT A LOT OF THOSE COSTS WILL A, A LARGE PORTION OF THOSE COSTS WOULD REMAIN THE SAME.
SO IF THEY'RE MANAGING 400 SPOTS VERSUS 1400 SPOTS, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAVE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT.
THERE WILL BE A CHANGE, BUT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT A, A SMALLER GAP THAN, THAN THAT, A MUCH SMALLER GAP THAN THAT.
AND IF, IF I COULD ADD TO THE PRICING IN THE CONTRACTS IS FIXED PRICING FOR FIVE YEARS.
SO IF THE CITY MAKES A DECISION TO AUGMENT THE PROGRAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE DO HAVE FIXED PRICING.
A COUPLE OF THE CONTRACTS ARE ALSO TRANSACTIONAL BASE, MEANING HOW MANY TRANSACTIONS GO THROUGH THE SYSTEM IS HOW, UH, THE, THE VENDOR GETS THEIR FEES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CLEAR TOO.
SO, UH, WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO? DO WE WANT TO, ANDY'S ASKING FOR APPROVAL FOR THE GARAGE AND LOT FIVE AND THE STREET PARKING AND THEN A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER WE PUT THREE AND FOUR IN THE RATES OR NOT, OR NOT.
WELL, HE'S RECOMMENDING WE DON'T, FOR NOW WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
WHAT, WHAT WE NEED TONIGHT IS DIRECTION ON THE RATES AND THEN JUNE 9TH WILL COME BACK FOR ACTUAL APPROVAL OF THE RATES.
BUT IT, AS FAR AS WHAT WE IMPLEMENT, UM, WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT BETWEEN NOW AND, YOU KNOW, JULY, SO THAT WE CAN BE MOVING FORWARD IN THAT WAY.
UM, SO I GUESS TO CLARIFY, IF COUNSEL IS OKAY WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH IMPLEMENTATION FOR CERTAIN AREAS AND NOT OTHER AREAS, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD CLARITY FOR, FOR US.
I, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THE, UH, PUBLIC OUTREACH AND I DON'T, I THINK PEOPLE HAVE RECENTLY BEEN, UH, ADVISED OF THIS THAT THIS PARKING IS TAKING PLACE OR THESE PARKING DISCUSSIONS ARE TAKING PLACE, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH MISINFORMATION.
HOW HAS THAT HAPPENED? UH, AND, AND I WOULD SAY THAT IT HAPPENS BECAUSE WE AREN'T PROVIDING THE ACCURATE INFORMATION OR SOMEHOW, IN OTHER WORDS, REACHING OUT INTO THE PUBLIC TO PROVIDE
[02:15:01]
THAT INFORMATION.SO I'M THINKING WE NEED TO HAVE PUBLIC DISCOURSE.
NOBODY IS HERE TONIGHT FROM THE PUBLIC EXCEPT A SMATTERING OF PEOPLE.
BUT THERE'S BEHIND THOSE PEOPLE, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE AREA AND THEY'RE NOT HERE.
WELL, WE'VE HAD COMMUNICATION WITH MANY OF THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, CREATING THIS COMMUNICATION.
AND FOR THE LAST YEAR WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE MISINFORMATION.
AND I CAN ONLY SAY THAT IT APPEARS INTENTIONAL.
UM, I CAN ALSO SAY THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE ON OUR WORK GROUP SPEAKING TODAY AND, AND NOT EVERYTHING THEY WERE SAYING WAS ACCURATE AND THEY'RE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO IT, IT'S A REALLY HARD THING TO MAKE SURE.
I MEAN, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN SIT THROUGH A MEETING AND NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.
I, I UNDERSTAND HOW THAT CAN HAPPEN.
UM, BUT GETTING MORE FOLKS, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE, WE'VE REALLY TRIED HARD TO OUTREACH AND, AND GET PEOPLE ENGAGED.
AND, UH, THAT'S SHOWN UP WHERE WE WERE TRYING TO COLLECT DATA AND NOT GETTING, UM, COMMUNICATION AND ENGAGEMENT RECIPROCATED FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION HAS LED TO A REAL DIFFICULT, UH, TASK OF, OF OBTAINING DATA.
AND SO I, I'M NOT SURE HOW TO IMPROVE THAT.
IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, AS FAR AS I KNOW IS, HAS BEEN A, A, A CHALLENGE FOR THE CITY SINCE THE CITY INCORPORATED.
KEVIN, HOW HAVE WE LET THE PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT THESE MEETINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ONGOING? HAVE WE PART THE SAME ADS THAT WE HAVE IN THE PAPER FOR, YOU KNOW, OUR MEETINGS? HAVE THOSE HAPPENED? THE PARKING WORK GROUP? YES.
UH, I DON'T, I DON'T FULLY KNOW HOW THAT PROCESS OCCURS, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S NOTICE PROVIDED AND, UH, THEY, WE HAVE HAD, UM, FOLKS FROM THE PUBLIC ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS.
SO I KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE HEARING ABOUT IT.
UM, A FEW OF THE MEETINGS HAVE BEEN FAIRLY WELL ATTENDED, ACTUALLY.
HAS THERE BEEN A CITY TALK ARTICLE ABOUT THIS AS WELL? I'M SORRY IF I DON'T REMEMBER IF THERE WAS AND I MISSED IT, BUT WE, NOT SPECIFIC TO, UH, ABOUT THE PROCESS.
AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO'S CONCERNED ABOUT THIS? NO, I SHARED, WELL, MAYOR, IF I MIGHT JUMP IN REAL QUICKLY.
UM, WHEN OUR, UH, PREVIOUS TRANSPORTATION MANAGER OR TRANSIT MANAGER WAS HERE, SHE DID SUBSTANTIAL OUTREACH REACH HERSELF BEFORE SHE, UM, UM, LEFT FOR A DIFFERENT JOB.
AND MY CONVERSATIONS WITH HER, SHE TALKED ABOUT PRACTICALLY GOING DOOR TO DOOR, TRYING TO PASS OUT INFORMATION, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TAKE OUR SURVEY.
WE HAD THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HELP ADVERTISE THE SURVEY TO BUSINESSES.
THEY PUT IT MULTIPLE TIMES IN THEIR NEWSLETTER AND BLASS.
UM, WE HAVE HAD A CITY TALK ARTICLE I THOUGHT THAT DAVID WROTE RECENTLY.
UM, I KNOW CHRISTIE HERSELF WENT DOOR TO DOOR IN UPTOWN TO BUSINESSES RECENTLY.
SO I MEAN, WE ARE DEFINITELY TRYING THROUGH A VARIETY OF WAYS.
UM, AND THEN WE DO HAVE CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT HAVE EMAILED AND EMAILED AND EMAILED THE SAME QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, AND ANDY HAS SPENT HOURS ANSWERING THESE EMAILS.
UM, SO I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO WALK AWAY FROM THIS MEETING THINKING THAT THE STAFF HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING.
UM, THEY'VE DONE A LOT AND, AND ACTUALLY, I, I SHOULD CLARIFY, APPARENTLY THERE WAS A CITY TALK ARTICLE WRITTEN IN JANUARY.
I DIDN'T RECALL THAT, BUT APPARENTLY THERE WAS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT FROM OUR TWO COUNSELORS THAT HAVE SERVED ON THE WORK GROUP ABOUT OUTREACH? I MEAN, WE'VE HEARD WHAT'S JUST BEEN SHARED.
WE'VE SEEN PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT PART OF THE WORK GROUP PRESENT FOR THE MEETINGS.
UH, THEY'VE EVEN HAD OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT, UH, EVEN THOUGH TECHNICALLY IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, REQUIRED BY, UH, PROCESS.
SO IT'S, IT'S BEEN CERTAINLY AN OPEN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT.
DO YOU THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING ABOUT THIS? I MEAN, I THINK IN AN IDEAL WORLD IT'D BE A GREAT TOPIC FOR A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION.
I KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING, YOU KNOW, BUT WE JUST KICKED THAT OFF.
AND SO THE NEXT ONE IS, WHEN'S THE NEXT ONE? SO LIKE AUGUST, UH, EITHER END OF AUGUST,
[02:20:01]
BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER.THAT'LL BE ON YOUR HELPFUL WISE DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING.
SO AGAIN, STAFF HAD DIRECTION TO CREATE THE WORK GROUP, GET THE STRATEGIES TOGETHER AND BACK FOR APPROVAL, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE GARAGE OPENED.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE THING ABOUT THE GARAGE BECAUSE THEY, THE, IT WAS THE GARAGE ITSELF AND THE PARKING METERS THAT ARE ALREADY BEING USED AND BEING CHARGED FOR.
I, I WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE.
I THINK IT'S LOT FIVE THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL NOW THAT WE WERE EXPANDING IT TO LOT FIVE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE GARAGE, SO WE COULD TALK ABOUT LOT FIVE, KEEPING THAT OPEN OR NON-PAID WHILE WE'RE RESOLVING THE EMPLOYEE ISSUES.
I, I THINK, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND HERE IS THAT EMPLOYEES AND VISITORS ARE COMPETING FOR PARKING SPACES.
AND, UM, WE DON'T NEED AS MANY EMPLOYEES IF WE DON'T HAVE VISITORS.
UM, AND IF VISITORS AREN'T PARKING BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIND A PLACE TO PARK, THEN THAT'S, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S JUST ANTITHETICAL TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO COME AND VISIT ALL THE STORES THAT ARE UP IN UPTOWN AND, AND MAKE IT A MORE VIABLE BUSINESS SPACE.
SO I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO BE A LITTLE, LITTLE CAREFUL BECAUSE THE, WHAT WE SAID A MILLION YEARS AGO WAS THE GARAGE HAD TO PAY FOR ITSELF.
AND WE WERE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THE GARAGE ON ITS OWN DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING SPACES TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR ITSELF.
AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE DRIVING AROUND AND AROUND AND AROUND LOOKING FOR THE FREE PARKING AND NOT GOING TO THE GARAGE BECAUSE THE GARAGE HAD PARKING OR FEES FOR PARKING.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT A MILLION YEARS AGO.
AND THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO EXPAND THIS OUT TO SOME OF THE LOTS, THE FLAT LOTS IN ORDER FOR US TO MAKE THIS ALL SORT OF BALANCE OUT AND TO SORT OF DRIVE PEOPLE, UM, UPTOWN TO GET THEM TO COME TO UPTOWN AND NOT TO SORT OF LIKE DRIVE THROUGH OR GET THERE AND BE DRIVING AROUND AND CAN'T FIND A PLACE TO PARK AND THEN THEY LEAVE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAD BEEN HEARING.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TRYING, I THINK, TO RESOLVE.
AND I THINK IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL, WE'RE GONNA GET IT SO SMALL THAT THE GARAGE WILL NOT BE PAYING FOR ITSELF AND WE MAY OR MAY NOT BE SOLVING SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE.
AND I AM, I'VE HEARD VIA THE GRAPEVINE THAT SOME OF THE PARKING WHERE EMPLOYEES GO, LIKE WHERE THE HYATT OR THE HILTON, HILTON IS, HYATT, HYATT, HYATT THERE IN THE HYATT STORES THAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON CHARGING FOR THAT PARKING OR CLOSING IT OFF ENTIRELY.
AND WE HAVE EMPLOYEES WHO PARK THERE.
AND NOW THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PARK THERE.
SO IT'S EVERY, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A SEA CHANGE THAT'S HAPPENING UP IN UPTOWN AND, AND IT'S, IT'S COMPLICATED.
AND IF WE DON'T PULL ANY TRIGGERS AND WE KEEP HASHING THIS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, I, I THINK AT SOME POINT WE END UP HAVING A GARAGE, UM, AND SAYING WE WANTED IT TO PAY FOR ITSELF, BUT NOTHING'S ACTUALLY PAYING FOR IT.
SO I, I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP THE PAST OF WHAT WE HAD SAID AND WHY WE ARE WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
WELL, I SEE THE UPTOWN GARAGE PAYING FOR ITSELF ON THIS SLIDE, 1.6 TO 1.7 MILLION, 1.7 TO 1.6 RETAKE.
AND DOES THAT INCLUDE 1.7 IN REVENUE? 1.6 IN EXPENSES JUST ABOUT PAYS FOR ITSELF? JUST ABOUT RIGHT.
BUT IT, IF THOSE PROJECTIONS ARE RIGHT, WE DON'T KNOW UNTIL WE DO SOMETHING, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO REQUIRE LOT FIVE I I THINK TIMING WISE, WE CAN CERTAINLY COME BACK IN JULY AND GIVE THAT, UH, PROPOSAL FOR A BACKUP PLAN FOR EMPLOYEE PARKING AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, WITH THAT WE COULD HOLD OFF ON IMPLEMENTATION INTO LOT FIVE UNTIL WE'VE MADE THAT PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL.
I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A DOWNSIDE TO THAT.
AND THIS GARAGE ISN'T GONNA BE OPEN BY THAT TIME ANYWAY.
IT, YEAH, IT'S GONNA BE VERY CLOSE.
PETE, DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? WELL, I, I JUST WONDER, IT'S A QUESTION, BUT I THINK, I SUSPECT THE ANSWER THAT THE, UH, THE CHARTS THAT WE SEE, THE GARAGE SORT OF, IT'S PAYING FOR ITSELF.
AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY COSTS HERE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS ARE BURIED IN THAT, BUT IF WE DON'T COLLECT REVENUE FROM LOT FIVE, THAT NUMBER WILL GO UP AND THE GARAGE WON'T BE PAYING FOR ITSELF.
SO WE JUST, WELL JUST, JUST RECALL ALSO THAT PART
[02:25:01]
OF THAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT'S COMING IN IS FROM THE SURFACE.SO ANDY, WOULD YOU MIND PUTTING THE SLIDE UP SO PEOPLE CAN, CAN SEE THE SLIDE YOU'RE REFERRING TO? OKAY, THERE WE GO.
SO YEAH, IF YOU SPLIT OUT JUST THE GARAGE BESIDE, UH, BY ITSELF, IT'S VERY TIGHT BETWEEN REVENUE AND EXPENSES, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL REVENUE FOR ALL OF THE SYSTEM IS QUITE A BIT HIGHER THAN WHAT THE TOTAL EXPENSES ARE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TOTAL EXPENSES ARE MORE THAN WHAT THEY ARE FOR THE GARAGE.
SO IF WE DON'T IMPLEMENT, YOU'RE GONNA REDUCE COSTS, BUT YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA ALSO REDUCE REVENUE.
HOWEVER, UM, A PORTION OF THIS REVENUE IS COMING FROM STREET FRONTAGE.
UM, SO THAT I, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THAT LIKE COMPILED TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, TO SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
BUT I CERTAINLY BY LIKE, AND HAVE A GOOD PLAN, UM, FOR WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE, WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE AND THAT SORT OF THING FOR COUNSEL.
SO PETE, WHERE ARE YOU? I'M JUST GONNA GO DOWN THE LINE.
YEAH, I'M OKAY WITH THE RATES AS PROPOSED, INCLUDING LOT FIVE CURRENTLY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING ONCE THESE RATES ARE ADOPTED, WE CAN GET SOME MORE FEEDBACK AT THAT POINT TO YOUR, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT GETTING, YOU KNOW, A PUBLIC HEARING.
IT'S GOING TO GET ONE AS SOON AS THESE RATES GO BE OFFICIAL.
SO, AND YOU SUPPORT LOTS THREE AND FOUR NOT BEING INCLUDED, CORRECT? I SUPPORT, YES, CORRECT.
WELL, I SUPPORT, UH, LOTS THREE AND FOUR NOT BEING INCLUDED IN THIS.
I DO SUPPORT THAT WE PROCEED WITH UM, 89 A AND THE GARAGE.
I THINK LOT FIVE AT THE MOMENT.
I'D PROBABLY LIKE TO HOLD OFF ON, GET THE OTHER INFORMATION AND THEN OPINE ON THAT AT THAT POINT.
SO I'D LIKE NUMBERS ON THAT SEPARATELY.
DEREK, SAME THING SHE JUST SAID.
UH, SAME THING THAT UH, KATHY SAID AND I'M WITH THAT TOO.
SO I THINK WE HAVE A MAJORITY THAT, WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME OF WHAT THAT MEANS? YEAH, WE'LL GET THERE IN A SECOND OF, UH, THE GARAGE AND THE SURFACE PARKING AND THEN YOUR, I'M SORRY, I'M TRYING TO DO THE COUNT HERE, BUT YEAH, SO, SO BASE BASICALLY DEREK IS DON'T INCLUDE LOT FIVE.
BUT YOU COULD COME BACK TO US BEFORE JULY.
YOU CAN DO, IF YOU GET MORE INFORMATION, IF YOU DO THE ANALYSIS THAT EXCLUDES LOT FIVE AND ONE THAT INCLUDES LOT FIVE SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT IT MEANS, WHY NOT AT THE NEXT HEARING HAVE THAT? YEAH.
KATHY, JUST IN THE LOT FIVE CONSIDERATION, A PORTION OF IT COULD BE RESTRICTED.
YOU HAVE A WHAT YOU NEED? I THINK I'M CLEAR.
DO WE NEED A MOTION ON THE CONTRACTS OR NOT? YEAH, THAT'S, OH, NEXT.
KATHY, YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? UH, I THINK I'LL LEAVE IT TO ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT WAS ON THE COMMITTEE.
I MOVE TO AUTHORIZE EXECUTION OF CONTRACTS WITH SELECTED VENDORS UNDER RFP NUMBER 26 DASH ZERO NINE FOR THE CITY'S PARKING MANAGEMENT AND GUIDANCE SYSTEMS PROGRAM FOR A FIVE-YEAR TERM AT THE RATES PROVIDED IN THEIR PROPOSALS SUBJECT TO APPROVAL OF THE AGREEMENTS BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
WE DO NOT HAVE, UM, FOR, UH, ITEM D DISCUSSION, POSSIBLE DIRECTION ACTION REGARDING PROPOSED STATE LEGISLATION.
SINCE THE LEGISLATURE IS ON HIATUS, WE HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT.
[9.e. AB 3066 Discussion/possible action regarding future meeting/agenda items.]
30 66 DISCUSSION POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING FUTURE MEETING AGENDA ITEMS. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING? YEAH, MELISSA? YES.SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING OR SOME OF US HAVE BEEN HEARING LATELY IS CONCERN AROUND, UM, THE BICYCLES THAT CAN GO ON THE SIDEWALKS.
UM, NOT, NOT THE SUVS, UM, THE NARROW SIDEWALKS THAT WE HAVE STILL IN TOWN AND, UM, IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT REALLY WELL SET UP FOR PEDESTRIANS
[02:30:01]
PLUS BICYCLES.UM, AND SO, UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING IF ANYONE ON COUNCIL WOULD BE INTERESTED IN TALKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT ANY REAL ORDINANCE AROUND BICYCLES BEING ON SIDEWALKS, NOT SUVS ON THE FOUR FOOT WIDE, NOT THE EIGHT TO 10 FOOT WIDE.
REMEMBERING THAT WE CAN ALWAYS TAKE SOME OF THOSE SIDEWALKS AND WE CAN EXPAND THEM OUT LIKE WE DID ON SHELBY AND TURN THEM INTO SGS, WHICH WOULD SUPPORT LESS PEDESTRIAN BICYCLE CONFLICT.
I, I JUST GOT, SOMEBODY APPROACHED ME ON THAT IN A PARTICULAR AREA, SAID THAT THEY ALMOST RAN SOMEBODY OVER BECAUSE THERE WAS A TURN, YOU KNOW, A BLIND TURN.
THEY WEREN'T RIDING THEIR BICYCLES AND WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IT.
I'M, I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THE WORKLOAD AND THE CAPACITY FOR PUTTING THIS ON IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT WORKED ON.
WE GOT SO MANY OTHER THINGS AT THE MOMENT, SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR ANNETTE'S REACTION TO THAT.
THIS ISN'T FOR DISCUSSION, INCLUDING WORKLOAD.
SO IF WE HAVE ONE PROPOSAL AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE ONE SECOND, WE NEED ONE MORE FOR IT TO GO FORWARD OR IT FAILS, I SUPPORT IT.
THEN THE NEXT AVAILABLE AGENDA, AGENDA TEAM SCHEDULES THAT AND IT DOESN'T TAKE AN ACCOUNT WORKLOAD.
OKAY, HEARING NOTHING ELSE, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.