Category: Government

City of Flagstaff announces Memorial Day closures

by Community Contributor • May 26, 2023 • Comments Off

Flagstaff City Hall offices at 211 W. Aspen Ave. will be closed on Monday, May 29 in honor of Memorial Day. City Hall offices will reopen on Tuesday, May 30 from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

City of Flagstaff facilities that are also closed on Memorial Day include:

East Flagstaff Community Library (3000 N. Fourth St.)
Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library (300 W. Aspen Ave.)
Hal Jensen Recreation Center (2403 N. Izabel St.)
Joe C. Montoya Community and Senior Center (245 N. Thorpe Rd.)
Flagstaff Recycling Transfer Facility (1800 E Butler Ave)

Coconino County Awarded EPA Grant Funding for Clean-Up of Former County Jail

by Community Contributor • May 26, 2023 • Comments Off

This year, Coconino County’s Facilities Management Department has applied for and been awarded a grant from the EPA in the amount of $573,615 to fund the clean-up of hazardous materials within the former County Jail in downtown Flagstaff.

The County has owned and operated this property, located adjacent to the historic County Courthouse, on W.C. Riles Street between Birch and Cherry Avenues as the County Jail from 1892 until 2000.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — May 22-26, 2023

by Community Contributor • May 25, 2023 • Comments Off

Secretary of Interior, Deb Haaland, visits Grand Canyon

Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, and her team were in the park this past weekend to meet with the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition and community leaders about the efforts to create the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument.

This effort, spearheaded by the tribal coalition and supported by Representative Raul Grijalva and Senator Krysten Sinema, is a continuation of efforts to provide permanent protection from new uranium mining on over 1 million acres of land surrounding Grand Canyon National Park.

In addition to the meetings with the coalition and local stakeholders, the Secretary held separate informal meet and greets with staff from the Horace Albright Training Center and Grand Canyon National Park. Members of the park leadership team also had the opportunity to talk to her about our big infrastructure projects (trans-canyon waterline) and provide an aerial tour for she and Rep Grijalva of the area and proposed boundaries of the new national monument. Thanks to all the staff who helped support the Secretary’s visit and who came out to meet her on Saturday afternoon!

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCC&Y Compiles 2023 Coconino County Summer Camps Listing

by Community Contributor • May 24, 2023 • Comments Off

The following is a listing compiled by CCC&Y of upcoming summer camps in Coconino County. Contact individual programs for more information on their 2023 summer camps. (Updated May 23, 2023).

Please check with individual organizations to confirm times, dates, other information.

If your organization would like to be added to this listing, please send an email to frank@coconinokids.org

City of Flagstaff plans critical infrastructure upgrades to reduce city’s carbon footprint

by Community Contributor • May 24, 2023 • Comments Off

The City of Flagstaff has contracted with energy and sustainable solutions provider NORESCO through a competitive process, to implement a new decarbonization, energy and water efficiency program through an energy performance contract (EPC). The $4.4 million project will provide $6.1 million in guaranteed savings and will enable critical infrastructure upgrades while accelerating progress on the city’s Climate Neutrality Plan.

Coconino County Provides Successful Test Platform for SpaceX Starlink Mobile Units

by Community Contributor • May 23, 2023 • Comments Off

Coconino County continues to lead the effort in connecting students with SpaceX’s Starlink high-speed internet across Northern Arizona, including multiple tribal communities within the region, and now on school buses.

With continued focus on education, Coconino County collaborated with Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) and Page Unified School District (PUSD) to identify and select routes with an emphasis on connecting students who must ride the bus more than one hour to and from school. SpaceX provided Coconino County with two of their Flat High Performance Starlink kits that are installed on the buses, enabling students to stay connected and complete homework during their transit.

District 1 Supervisor Patrice Horstman — April/May 2023 District 1 Newsletter

by Community Contributor • May 19, 2023 • Comments Off

Hello from Supervisor Horstman
Schultz Creek/Pipeline West – Flagstaff May 8th
Community Meeting
Mt. Elden Estates Community Meeting
Ft. Valley Rd/Baderville Community Meeting
County and Flagstaff Host a Thank You for DFFM,
DEMA, and FEMA for State Funding to Assist in
Flood Mitigation
Flagstaff Ranger District Cancels its Proposals for
Commercial Outfitter and Guide Services
Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of
State Adrian Fontes Visit Coconino County
2023 Coconino County Teacher of the Year
Mountain Line: It’s Electrifying
Every Day is Earth Day
Opioid Crisis Settlement
Know Your Evacuation Zone
Tuba City Election Office Renamed the Alta
Edison Native American Outreach Center
County Declares May 11, 2023, as” Carol Dykes
Day”
Miss Cleo’s Tea Party. A Southside Community
Tradition
Community Events and Resources

Notice of Public Hearing Regarding Board Proposal to Incur Long-Term Debt

by Community Contributor • May 18, 2023 • Comments Off

In June, The Coconino County Board of Supervisors will be considering a long-term debt proposal in Coconino County.

The long-term debt will be used to finance the costs of road, transportation, and public safety projects in and for the County, acquisition of equipment, land and buildings, and construction, maintenance and improvements to County facilities, properties, and infrastructure.

The total estimated financing cost will be $89.9 million consisting of an estimated principal amount of $80 million and total estimated interest of $9.9 million.

New Rec on Wheels Program Brings Play and Fun to Rural Coconino County Communities

by Community Contributor • May 18, 2023 • Comments Off

Coconino County Parks and Recreation (CCPR) and Health and Human Services (CCHHS) have teamed up to provide Rec on Wheels, a new program that brings recreation opportunities, especially for youth, to the rural and outlying communities in Coconino County.

Events are free to the public and include games, drop-in programming, and even movies.

Coconino County is the second largest county by landmass in the United States and covers diverse landscapes, regions, and cultures. Rec on Wheels helps connect the distant regions of our county to recreation resources that provide fun, outdoor play, and promote health and wellness.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCC&Y offers families with variety of free webinars

by Community Contributor • May 17, 2023 • Comments Off

As Summer approaches, the Coconino Coaltion for Children & Youth wants to remind everyone that we have a variety of free webinar training programs on our website to help parents and families during the upcoming summer vacation season.

Our growing library of on-demand webinars is designed to help the public gain the tools they need to provide trauma-informed care, tips to help strengthen family protective factors, examine the effects of historical trauma and adverse childhood experiences, address issues such as bullying and the support to adults and youth through the use of mindfulness practices.

North Rim to reopen June 2 with limited services available

by Community Contributor • May 17, 2023 • Comments Off

The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will open as scheduled, on June 2, with limited visitor services and water conservation measures due to a break in the North Rim water pipeline. A landslide from winter storms destroyed more than 300 feet of the North Rim water pipeline.

Friends of Flagstaff’s Future — Communications Issue #29: Quality Healthcare that Fits the Community’s Needs

by Community Contributor • May 15, 2023 • Comments Off

The concerns that F3 continues to raise with regards to the NAH proposal to relocate the hospital relate directly to providing quality health care that benefits Flagstaff residents as well as the Region.

NAH continues to state that a new greenfield hospital is what’s best for Flagstaff and that a new hospital is needed in order to recruit and retain good doctors. These are questionable statements. While every doctor would like to work in a shiny new building, there are many hundreds of thousands who do not. In fact, many of these doctors work at the highest-rated hospitals in the US that are located in dense cities, such as Johns Hopkins and Mass General. Older hospitals in dense cities cannot always be moved miles away and rebuilt. Instead they are renovated or rebuilt in the same place.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — May 8-12, 2023

by Community Contributor • May 12, 2023 • Comments Off

This week, prescribed fire treatments began on the Grapevine segment, approximately 0.5 miles south of the Duck on a Rock Overlook along Highway 64 (Desert View Drive). The Grapevine project area totals 865 acres and is bound by the Kaibab National Forest’s boundary to the south and the E4/Long Jim Canyon Road to the north. Following completion of the Grapevine project, crews will initiate ignitions on the Lonetree project area, totaling approximately 926 acres. Ignitions may be complete as early as Friday, May 12, but may be extended through the weekend based on favorable weather conditions. A map of the project areas can be found here.

Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) — The Booming BioScience Sector

by Community Contributor • May 11, 2023 • Comments Off

The biosciences continue to be one of the most dynamic sectors in our state’s economy, and northern Arizona had many highlights to share in the latest Arizona Bioscience Roadmap progress report.

The roadmap is a long-term strategic plan originally commissioned by the Flinn Foundation in 2002 and updated in 2014 with the goal of Arizona becoming globally competitive and a national leader in select areas of the biosciences by 2025.

In fields such as precision medicine, neuroscience, bioengineering, agricultural biotechnology and more, Arizona has become globally competitive because of its deep talent base, the ability to turn research and discoveries into commercial products, and the critical mass of entrepreneurship to turn those products into enterprises.

Flood Control District and Coconino National Forest to Begin Schultz Creek Watershed Restoration

by Community Contributor • May 10, 2023 • Comments Off

The Coconino County Flood Control District and the Coconino National Forest will begin the first phase of watershed restoration project in Schultz Creek this spring.

This watershed restoration project is an effort to respond to post-fire flooding caused by the 2022 Pipeline Fire, which damaged the Schultz Creek watershed, dramatically increasing levels of flow and erosion in Schultz Creek, which overwhelmed downstream stormwater infrastructure in the City of Flagstaff. The Coconino County Flood Control District (the District) will begin the project the week of May 22, and the first phase of construction is expected to run through June.

Grand Canyon National Park – Failure to Meet Treatment Requirements

by Community Contributor • May 9, 2023 • Comments Off

Our water system recently violated a drinking water requirement. Although this incident was not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct this situation.

We are required to chlorinate our drinking water source located at the Roaring Springs cave. On the morning of May 8, 2023, we did not meet one or our treatment requirements to provide sufficient levels of disinfectant due to high levels of turbidity in the drinking water system. Although chlorine residual levels are above the minimum requirement at Phantom Ranch along the Trans-Canyon Pipeline, the levels on the South Rim are below that requirement.

Elizabeth “Liz” C. Archuleta County Park wins Arizona Forward Environmental Achievement Awards

by Community Contributor • May 8, 2023 • Comments Off

The Elizabeth “Liz” C. Archuleta County Park in Flagstaff has won both the Crescordia Award for Environmental Education and Communication and the Award of Distinction for Art in Public Places at the Arizona Forward Gala on April 29th.

The Elizabeth “Liz” C. Archuleta County Park provides gardens, watchable wildlife, education, and multicultural art to the Sawmill neighborhood community and beyond. Elizabeth Archuleta was instrumental in creating the park to honor the community and the sawmill worker heritage in the area. Ms. Archuleta was the first Latina elected to the Board of Supervisors and served as District 2 Supervisor for 25 years. The site was officially dedicated as a Coconino County Park on June 20, 2003, originally as Sawmill Multicultural Art and Nature County Park. Coconino County Parks and Recreation honored Archuleta’s commitment to our community by renaming the former Sawmill County Park in her honor in August of 2022.

Flagstaff Pulliam Airport to temporarily close runway for maintenance

by Community Contributor • May 8, 2023 • Comments Off

The Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG) runway will be closed for maintenance from midnight on July 9 until midnight on July 15, 2023. During this time, commercial passenger service and fixed-wing aircraft operations will be unavailable. However, helicopter operations will continue uninterrupted. Pavement maintenance work will be completed in partnership with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Airport Pavement Management System program.

Flagstaff City – Coconino County Public Library — Happening at Your Library week of 5/8/23

by Community Contributor • May 8, 2023 • Comments Off

Connect with your community

District 2 Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez April – May Newsletter

by Community Contributor • May 5, 2023 • Comments Off

I hope you are enjoying the warmer weather as the sun begins to shine
more often. As the weather warms, it is important to keep in mind how the
changing weather will also affect the landscape of our district. It is
important to keep in mind what preventative measures we can take as a
community to protect ourselves and our community. April is coming to a
close and I would like to recognize the proclamations we have created as
the Board of Supervisors and county. I would like to honor that April is
Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month, and
Earth Month. As we continue with our year, it is important to keep into
consideration the discussion and actions we have taken as both a county
and community to continue the dialogue of the issues we are facing
holistically. That said, I would like to highlight all county employees for
continuing to create discussion and honoring the topics that affect our
community.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: May 1-5, 2023

by Community Contributor • May 5, 2023 • Comments Off

Tusayan’s first annual Cinco de Mayo celebration will take place on Friday, May 5 at the Squire Resort. The fiesta takes place from 3 to 7 p.m., is family-friendly, free, and open to the community.

There will also be lawn games, piñatas, a Mariachi band and a variety of authentic Mexican foods for guests to enjoy. The drive-in movie, Coco, will be begin at 5:30 p.m.

The Cinco de Mayo event is new this year and reflects the town’s goal of offering more activities and recreational opportunities for visitors and residents alike. A full flyer with more details on the event is available here.

Prescribed Fire Planned for South Rim of Grand Canyon beginning May 10

by Community Contributor • May 5, 2023 • Comments Off

Grand Canyon National Park fire managers—working with personnel and resources from Saguaro, Rocky Mountain National Park as well as Dinosaur National Monument, anticipate initiating prescribed fire treatments from May 10-12, on the South Rim, as weather and fuel moisture conditions allow.

On Wednesday, May 10, ignitions will occur on the Grapevine segment, approximately 0.5 miles south of the Duck on a Rock Overlook along Highway 64 (Desert View Drive). The Grapevine project area totals an area of 865 acres and is bound by the Kaibab National Forest’s boundary to the south and the E4/Long Jim Canyon Road to the north. Following completion of the Grapevine project, crews will initiate ignitions on the Lonetree project area, totaling an area of approximately 926 acres. Ignitions may be complete as early as Friday, May 12, but may be extended based on favorable weather conditions.

Discover Flagstaff — Find spring events this week with Flagstaff 365

by Community Contributor • May 4, 2023 • Comments Off

Discover Flagstaff publishes Flagstaff 365 Happenings on a weekly basis to highlight local events happening in and around Flagstaff. “Flag Happs” is distributed throughout Downtown Flagstaff, displayed in kiosks and storefronts, and also available at the Flagstaff Visitor Center. Below are some highlights of the week.

Flagstaff Recycling Update – Residential recycling collection to resume May 8, City takes control of Materials Recovery Facility

by Community Contributor • May 4, 2023 • Comments Off

The collection of residential recycling carts will resume on Monday, May 8. Residents who normally receive recycling services on Monday should place their carts at the curb by 6 a.m. The City has secured a hauling service to transport the City’s recyclables to a Materials Recovery Facility in the Phoenix area so that collected materials can be properly recycled. This arrangement will be utilized by the City in the short term (several weeks) to allow recycling services to resume on May 8. Future updates will be provided as they become available on a long-term plan for recycling services.

Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) — Events & Opportunities for Economic Development Week

by Community Contributor • May 4, 2023 • Comments Off

Next week is the 8th annual Economic Development Week, created by the International Economic Development Council in 2016 to increase awareness of local efforts to promote economic vitality and highlight programs that create jobs and opportunities for individuals and businesses.

Exhibits Sought for 74th Annual Coconino County Fair

by Community Contributor • May 4, 2023 • Comments Off

Coconino County will celebrate the 74th Annual Coconino County Fair on Labor Day weekend, September 1 – 4, 2023, at the Fairgrounds at Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Ariz. County residents are invited to join the fun and tradition by entering a public exhibit. Every year the fair showcases the best recipes, artwork, crafts, collections, livestock, home grown vegetables, flowers, and more to the over 40,000 visitors who attend the fair every year.

The Fair features exhibits from all ages and skill levels and many departments give out special awards and prizes, including ribbons and gift cards for exemplary exhibits. Cash prizes are available in many areas thanks to sponsorship from the Friends of Coconino County Parks. Public, private, charter, magnet, and home schoolteachers are encouraged to save student portfolios to exhibit in the schools building. Any participant who submits five entries or more in one department will receive a complimentary fair admission ticket.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — Youth experience variety of STEM-related activities during 2023 STEM Celebration

by Community Contributor • May 3, 2023 • Comments Off

COCONINO COUNTY —
Hundreds of visitors experienced a variety of STEM-related activities and exhibits during 2023 STEM Celebration held Saturday, April 29 at Fort Tuthill.

Presented by Flagstaff STEM City, the 10th annual event featured more 70 indoor and outdoor exhibits offering a variety hand-on activities and demonstrations including robotics, mini rocket launches, a trebuchet catapult launcher, helicopter and heavy equipment displays.

Sponsors included Tgen, APS, Coconino Community College, Coconino County, KSC and the Flagstaff Unified School District.

Some of the exhibitors included Coconino High School and its CocoNuts Robotics Team, Willow Bend Environmental Education Center, W.L. Gore & Associates, Northern Arizona University, Tynkertopia Inc., the Flagstaff Police Dept. Bomb Squad, Grand Canyon Youth, the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth, the U.S. Geological Services Geology and Biology departments, City of Flagstaff Open Spaces, the Museum of Northern Arizona, Lowell Observatory, Guardian Air, Mountain Line, the Phoenix Truck Driving School, the Flagstaff Fire Dept., City of Flagstaff Public Works and the KAFF Radio Remote.

Coconino Superior Court Assists Flagstaff Students in Preparing for Future Legal Careers

by Community Contributor • May 3, 2023 • Comments Off

The Superior Court in Coconino County was honored to co-host and participate in the first annual Arizona Legal Futures event with the Arizona Judicial Branch’s Commission on Diversity, Equality, and Justice (CODEJ).

Coconino County is Offering Paid Summer Internships for Local Teens Interested in Work Experience

by Community Contributor • May 3, 2023 • Comments Off

Coconino County Health and Human Services and the Coconino County Workforce Development Board are offering Youthworks, a 2023 summer work experience program for teens.

This program provides a unique opportunity for teens aged 15 to 18 to explore career pathways, make connections, and earn a wage.

Youthworks internships run from May 30 to August 1, 2023. The internship is designed to help teens discover what they might want to do in their future career. Participants will earn a wage of $16.80 per hour and work up to 40 hours per week.

Board of Supervisors Approves Updates to Coconino County Fair Fees

by Community Contributor • May 3, 2023 • Comments Off

At their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve fee changes for the Coconino County Fair, effective starting with the 2023 fair.

The Coconino County Fair ticket prices have not increased since 2008, and the changes reflect growth, increasing costs, and staffing needs.

City of Flagstaff Recycling Update – Residential recycling collection services remain paused

by Community Contributor • May 2, 2023 • Comments Off

The Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and public recycling drop-off located at 1800 E Butler Ave remains closed, and while the City of Flagstaff continues to evaluate recycling alternatives, the pause on the collection of residential recycling carts will continue until further notice. Residents are asked to not put their recycling carts on the curb as they will not be collected. In the interim, alternative public recycling drop-off locations can be viewed in Google Maps here. However, the City encourages the public to hold their recyclables until further notice.

Flagstaff City – Coconino County Public Library — Happening at Your Library week of 5/1/23

by Community Contributor • May 1, 2023 • Comments Off

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Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — April 24-28, 2023 — Town of Tusayan Cinco de Mayo event on May 5 and more news, events

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2023 • Comments Off

Tusayan’s first annual Cinco de Mayo celebration will take place on Friday, May 5 at the Squire Resort. The fiesta takes place from 3 to 7 p.m., is family-friendly, free, and open to the community.

There will also be lawn games, piñatas, a Mariachi band and a variety of authentic Mexican foods for guests to enjoy. The drive-in movie, Coco, will be begin at 5:30 p.m.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes visited with County Board of Supervisors and Election Officials

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2023 • Comments Off

Arizona Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes, visited Flagstaff on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 to meet with members of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors (Board), County Recorder Patty Hansen, and County Elections staff.

Secretary Fontes has visited or plans to visit all 15 Arizona counties to hear directly from local officials about their present and future needs to prepare for the 2024 election cycle and beyond.

Among the topics covered during the Secretary’s discussion with the Board members and staff were election staff safety, election integrity, and expanding voter access especially to rural and minority communities in Coconino County.

“Elections are bottom-up here in Arizona, counties run our elections,” Secretary Fontes said during his visit. “My office has built a team that reflects that ethos.”

City of Flagstaff Residential recycling services paused April 28

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2023 • Comments Off

The City of Flagstaff has recently been made aware that the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), at 1800 E Butler Ave, has closed. The MRF is operated by Norton Environmental, Inc. under a contract with the City to process the City’s recyclables. Due to the abrupt nature of this closure, the City does not currently have immediate alternatives in place to manage City-collected recyclables and has decided to pause the collection of residential recycling carts on Friday, April 28 while alternative solutions are sought.