Friends of Flagstaff’s Future update for Nov. 7

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In This Issue

City Council November 7th

  • Pack the Council 11/7 to Stop Uranium Transport

  • City Council Agenda Items 

  • Important High Occupancy Housing Hearings
  • An Argument for Electric Cars 

  • A Tribute to Teri Dunn and Sharon Edgar

Pack the Council 11/7 to Stop Uranium Transport

* Image from the AZResist Website
November 7 @ 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Flagstaff City Council will vote on a resolution opposing uranium transport & mining at the Grand Canyon at 6pm on Tues. November, 7th, 2017.

F3  encourages the city to pass the resolution opposing uranium transport.  This will NOT actually prevent transportation of Uranium through the city of Flagstaff – it is a symbolic gesture, but the gesture itself is important.

However, F3 encourages the city to think carefully about whether or not a city ordinance is prudent. An ordinance would be in conflict with state law and could end up being both ineffective and costly. F3 encourages the city council to explore how to take action at the state level and inform residents of a best path forward. Not only would this prevent a costly conflict, it would see more people benefit. There are citizens outside our city limits suffering greatly from the effects of uranium exposure. We need to stand together on this issue and insist that ALL people be protected equally.

City Council Agenda Items 11/7

6:00pm Agenda Items (not a complete list)

  • Timber Sky 2nd Amendment to Development Agreement
  • Reclaimed Water Rates
  • Water Line Relocation as a result of a right-turn lane on Milton
  • Approval of Preliminary Plat for:

Miramonte at Dale Avenue Condominiums
Mountain Vista Condominiums

  • Resolution Opposing Uranium Transportation

Future Agenda Item Requests 

  • Barotz Discussion on Posting Requirements for Liquor Licenses in Residential Zones
  • Putzova Review and Possible Revision to Ordinance 2002-07 which amends Chapter 7-02, Wastewater Regulations, of the Code
  • Evans Discussion on Amendments or Repeal of Portions of the Zoning Code
Important Hearing Dates for the High Occupancy Housing Plan

The High Occupancy Housing Plan process is entering the public hearing and adoption phase. The Citizen’s Review Session is the first and a very important step for the plan. At the November 8th meeting, the Planning Commission and City Council will review a draft of the plan that has been updated based on public comments from the 60-day public review. They will take additional public comment and will provide direction to staff about any final edits or policy issues to consider before the public hearings begin. This is a critical opportunity for your input.

The Planning and Zoning Commission will also hold a continuation of this session on November 30th without the City Council. This will allow an additional public comment opportunity and a chance for the Commission to confirm that all direction is being incorporated.

The Citizen’s Review Session draft of the High Occupancy Housing Plan is available here.
You can also review all the public comments received during the 60 day public review.
More information is available on the project website at www.flagstaff.az.gov/hohplan.

Schedule of upcoming public meetings

Event Date Time Location
Joint City Council and Planning and Zoning
Citizens Review Session
Wed, November 8 4:00pm City Hall
Continued Citizens Review Session
Planning and Zoning Commission only
Thurs, November 30 4:00pm City Hall
Planning and Zoning Commission Wed, December 13 4:00pm Flagstaff Aquaplex
Planning and Zoning for HOH #2 Wed, January 10 4:00pm City Hall
City Council Tues, February 6 6:00pm City Hall

As always the Comprehensive Planning program is glad to pay for child care at the Flagstaff Aquaplex for anyone attending the public meeting on December 13th. You can also stream all of these meetings at www.flagstaff.az.gov/streaming.

Why I Love EVs and Want to Convert You
by Lynn Timmons Edwards

There is a difference between wanting to be good and being good; wanting to do the right thing and affording to always do the right thing…

I have wanted to go green and buy a hybrid or electric car (EV) for about a decade.  To me, lowering the C2 emissions is a no brainer right up there with recycling.  But every time we car shopped, EVs and Hybrids were thousands of dollars more expensive than gas engine cars.  We just couldn’t balance the environmental value with our own value conscience pocketbook.

Enter the Ford CMAX Plug-in.  We found a 2013 with 12,000 miles on the lot at Camelback Ford in Phoenix languishing for lack of buyer attention.  The sticker said $19,000.  We offered them $14,000 which they took…

Charging the cars in Phoenix is very easy.  In addition to using a 110 outlet in our garage over night, there are free charging stations available at the Nissan and Ford dealerships as well as various retail outlets…

Part of our retirement lifestyle is the privilege to live in Flagstaff, Arizona half of the year.  Our first visit this spring was to the Nissan Dealership in Flagstaff only to find out that “no, they don’t have a high speed Leaf charger”.  In fact they don’t even sell Leafs.  It was the same story from Babbitt Ford.  We looked around to see if there were any charging stations in public spaces.  In Phoenix you can find them at public libraries as well as on commercial property.  I have always thought of Flagstaff as a Green City: dark skies, extensive bicycle paths, etc.  But to my surprise there were very few charging stations that were not designated for Teslas which use a different apparatus that will not work on a Leaf or CMAX Plug-In.  We live in a condo in Flagstaff, so charging at home was out.

I contacted the Mayor and Council to express my concerns about this lack of EV Infrastructure.  I received a few responses back all of which said, “you make a good point; we will have staff look into it”.  That was four months ago and I have not heard anything since.

What are we waiting for Flagstaff? 
Read the full letter HERE.

Thank You Teri and Sharon!

On behalf of the F3 Board of Directors, I’d like to give a big “Thank you” to Teri Dunn and Sharon Edgar for their service on the F3 Board!

Teri Joined us in 2014 and served through the end of her term in 2017. A long-term resident of Flag, her strong connections to and understanding of the community helped broaden the board’s perspective on a range of issues.  Her passionate awareness of the needs of less-advantaged community members helped us move forward in the social justice realm.  Teri frequently attended City Council Meetings and exercised her leadership in many ways including as a committee chair. She was also our inspirational leader sharing poems and other writings at the beginning of our board meetings to keep us focused on our purpose. We will miss you Teri!

Sharon became a board member in 2015 and served through this October. Her skill in making sure we covered the details when planning our projects was invaluable to our success.  Her knowledge of Flagstaff’s political dynamics increased our effectiveness in that realm.  She served on a number of sub-committees and she led the Executive Director search that resulted in Dawn Tucker’s hiring.  Sharon enjoyed the behind-the-scenes work that helped us increase Flagstaff’s livability. Thank you, Sharon!

Both Sharon and Teri will remain in our community to continue serving the community in different ways. We look forward to seeing you both around town!

– Dave McCain, Board President

Community Events

Make your voice heard in a commission meeting, see the schedule below.

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We want to hear from you!

If you have thoughts on any of the above please e-mail Executive Director Dawn Tucker, dtucker@friendsofflagstaff.org so she can make sure YOUR VOICE is heard through F3!

Thank you for your membership, participation and advocacy! 

Friends of Flagstaff’s Future Board of Directors
David McCain, Emily Melhorn, Michael Caulkins, and Eli Cohen
We need YOUR support to continue our work for a livable community 
Our mission is to promote an environmentally sustainable, socially just and economically prosperous Flagstaff through community education, citizen engagement, and advocacy. http://friendsofflagstaff.org/support/donate
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