
In this edition…
Message from Sup. Vasquez
Redistricting Public Input Wanted
COVID -19 Vaccines
USFS Press Release
Services and Programs
And more!
Zach Hamilton enlisted in the Marine Corps, “caught up in the romantic dream of dress blues and honor.” During his service, which included a stint in Afghanistan, and since leaving the Marines in 2013, he has reflected often on words his father, a veteran of Desert Storm, told him: The military provides experience he wouldn’t get anywhere else, but someday, he might look back at that experience through a different lens. In honor of Veterans Day, he reflects on that counsel in this Views from NAU.
All Coconino County offices will be closed Thursday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day. Coconino County honors and celebrates America’s veterans with gratitude.
While the administrative offices at the Sheriff’s Office will be closed, Dispatch, Patrol and Detention will conduct business as usual. Records will be open from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Please dial 9-1-1 for emergencies. For non-emergencies, dial 928-774-4523 to connect with the non-emergency Dispatch number or to leave a message for one of the administrative offices.
Flagstaff City Hall offices at 211 W. Aspen Ave. will be closed on Nov. 11, 2021 in observance of Veterans Day. City Hall will reopen Nov. 12 with the hours of 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
City of Flagstaff facilities that are also closed on November 11 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.)
CCC&Y’s Action and Outreach Committee would like to make sure that individuals are aware that redistricting conversation, maps, and comments are taking place now. These decisions determine what district voters will vote in and how representation will take place. The results of redistricting last for 10 years and ultimately impact policy decisions. Please make sure you are informed and that your voice is heard.
The 30-day comment period ends on Nov. 20. The Arizona’s Independent Redistricting Commission will then take the feedback, make final change before they are approved in December, the Arizona Daily Sun reported this week.
The final maps will use to elect candidates for the next 10 years.
The first public hearing will be a virtual town hall at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 6.
The City of Flagstaff will host an in-person Home Energy Efficiency Workshop next week. This workshop will kick-off the Home Energy Efficiency Workshop Series, which will last through the winter. This workshop series is held each winter season to help both renters and homeowners save money, reduce energy use, and make their homes more comfortable during cold weather.
At the free workshop, a licensed contractor from CozyHome will demonstrate simple do-it-yourself energy efficiency upgrades, showing individuals how to weatherize homes and save money on utility bills.
Throughout November, the NPS and Grand Canyon will be celebrating Native American Heritage Month. We gratefully acknowledge the Native peoples on whose ancestral homelands we gather, as well as the diverse and vibrant Native communities who make their home here today.
Recently, the affiliated tribes of Grand Canyon have been helping the park holistically address our history while we work collaboratively on the Desert View Inter-Tribal Cultural Heritage site.
The Flagstaff Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) plans to conduct prescribed burns on Observatory Mesa from Friday November 5 through Sunday, November 7, 2021. Burns each day will be less than 100 acres and will be dependent on weather conditions.
With light southwest winds forecasted, smoke may impact central Flagstaff during the day and settle overnight into the Cheshire, Coconino Estates, downtown, Southside, Railroad Springs and Northern Arizona University campus areas. For more information on smoke and air quality, please visit http://www.azdeq.gov/WildfireForecast or https://legacy.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/.
The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) “finalized” draft maps for Legislative and Congressional Districts last Thursday after conducting a “listening tour” around the state.
The IRC is now required to receive public input for 30 days on the draft maps.
F3 is concerned that these maps to not respect Flagstaff and its surrounding areas as a “community of interest.”
The first public hearing will be a virtual town hall on Saturday, November 6 starting at 10:00 am. Click here to register to speak in advance (note: you must pre-register by 9 am on Nov. 6). Your comments will be limited to 3 minutes.
You may also choose to provide written comments to the IRC. Comments can be submitted here.
On Tuesday evening, November 2, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) joined the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in approval of the Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccine for children ages 5 – 11 years old, at a lower dosage.
“Although COVID-19 may impact children less severely than adults, it is a serious illness and can lead to significant long-term effects on people of all ages,” said Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) Director Kim Musselman. “The approval of vaccinations for this younger age group is a critical step toward ending the pandemic.”
COCONINO COUNTY — The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth has created a series of no cost webinars for professionals, parents and youth, to provide them skills that are needed now more than ever.
Mindfulness for Professionals and Parents, an hour-long webinar that highlights the importance mindfulness holds for both individuals and for those we are working with.
One participant said:
“Mindfulness is an important part of daily operations! We need to remember to take time for ourselves. I love the acronyms and will share with my NAU students!!!!”
The City of Flagstaff Housing Section is asking all Flagstaff residents to read the Draft 10-Year Housing Plan and assist with prioritizing the policy initiatives and strategies. The Draft 10-Year Housing Plan can be found here.
Provide your feedback by participating in the following Policy Initiative and Strategy Prioritization Survey. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes. Your feedback is appreciated.
This public comment period ends November 5, 2021.
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors proclaims November 2021 as Native American Heritage Month.
At its November 2 meeting, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors proclaimed November 2021 as Native American Heritage Month. As part of the Proclamation, Supervisors recognized Arizona’s 22 tribal nations and their cultures, also specifically recognizing the six tribal nations in Coconino County. The Board also showed special recognition to their two colleagues, Supervisor Judy Begay and Vice Chair Lena Fowler, who belong to the Navajo Nation and currently serve on the Board.
Coconino County Parks & Recreation celebrated the completion of the first permanent, publicly accessible, year-round restroom at Fort Tuthill County Park on Wednesday, October 21, with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The restroom is located east of the Fort Tuthill Bike Park, in the north parking lot of Fort Tuthill County Park. County Supervisors and representatives from Kinney Construction Services, Peak Engineering, RJA-Architecture, and Arizona State Parks attended the celebration.
The Flagstaff Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) plans to conduct a prescribed burn of approximately 72 acres on Observatory Mesa tomorrow, Tuesday, November 2, 2021.
With light winds from the west forecasted, smoke may impact central Flagstaff during the day and settle overnight into the downtown, Southside, Railroad Springs and Northern Arizona University campus areas. For more information on smoke and air quality, please visit http://www.azdeq.gov/WildfireForecast or https://legacy.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/.
The Arizona Chapter of the Arizona Planning Association (APA-AZ) held a virtual awards ceremony on September 5 recognizing Coconino County Planning and Zoning Commissioner John F. Ruggles as Distinguished Citizen Planner.
The Association’s awards recognize notable planning pursuits that exemplify planning principles and foster positive impacts on Arizona and its communities. Mr. Ruggles was recognized as the “Distinguished Citizen Planner” following nomination by the Coconino County Community Development Department.
Open enrollment for Medicare has begun and will run until December 7, 2021!
The Medicare open enrollment period is your opportunity to re-evaluate your current Medicare health and prescription drug plans and make any changes that may better fit your needs for the coming year.
If you’re happy with your coverage, you don’t need to take any action; your existing plan will continue uninterrupted in 2022.
Coconino County’s annual Winter Parking Ordinance will go into effect Monday, November 1, 2021. The ordinance requires parking restrictions on County-maintained roads during snow season.
Between November 1 and April 1 of each year, motor vehicles must be kept clear of County-maintained highways and roads. Any vehicle parked in prohibited areas reserve the right to be cited or towed at the owner’s expense (not less than $200.00) due to the possibility of threatening the health or welfare of County residents. Penalties are applicable where violations take place and where signed.
The last day of 2021 operations for the Willard Springs Green Waste Station was Saturday, October 30.
The station will be closed throughout the upcoming winter season, which runs each year from November 1 to March 31. Coconino County can reopen Willard Springs for green waste-only disposal on Friday, April 1, 2022. It will then be open for the summer season on Fridays and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. until Saturday, October 29, 2022.
Work to implement a pilot project installing separated bike lanes on Beaver Street and Butler Avenue originally scheduled to begin next week has been postponed one week due to a delay in the delivery of essential hardware.
Work on Beaver Street will now begin on Monday, November 8, 2021 and end on Friday, November 19, 2021. The project limits are Beaver Street, from Forest Avenue to Butler Avenue.
The Coconino County Elections Office would like to remind voters residing in the Williams Unified School District #2 that they have until 7:00 p.m. on Election Day —Tuesday, November 2 — to return their voted ballots. As of Thursday, October 28, the Elections Office had received 1,003 voted ballots. A total of 4,069 ballots mailed were mail to district voters.
Voters are reminded that this election is a ballot-by-mail election and there will be no polling places on Election Day. If a voter believes they are eligible to vote in this election and did not receive a ballot in the mail, the voter should call the Elections Office at (928) 679-7860 or toll free (800) 793-6181.
As part of the Flagstaff Prescribed Fire Training Exchange, prescribed burns are tentatively planned for the week of November 1, depending on weather conditions.
Prescribed burns help to restore forests to healthier conditions and improve the safety of the communities around them. Frequent, low-intensity fire removes accumulated smaller fuels and recycles nutrients in the soils to promote healthy vegetation and wildlife habitat.
On Monday, November 1, Coconino County Health and Human services will be holding two COVID-19 and flu vaccine events in the community. Similar to previous events, no registration is required ahead of time.
Tusayan (behind the IMAX Theater) from 12:00 p.m.-2 p.m. (flyer here)
Grand Canyon Recreation Center Ramada from 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. (full flyer here)
Winter parking restrictions will begin on November 1 and will remain in effect until April 1. During this time, parking on city streets and alleyways is prohibited from midnight to 7 a.m.
The parking restriction allows the City to thoroughly plow the streets during snow events and remains in effect even if it is not snowing to aid in street sweeping. This ordinance is enforced by the Flagstaff Police Department. Cars that are parked in violation of the ordinance when it is not snowing will receive a ticket and those parked in violation during inclement weather will receive a ticket and could be towed.
Fires in the West have been getting more severe and threatening more communities in the last 30 years. A team, including ecologists and economists from NAU, received a grant from the National Science Foundation to study how communities can use fuel treatments to keep themselves safe and preserve their relationship to the forests they love.
For the first time, fire managers from nine agencies and partners are gathering in northern Arizona to learn about and train in prescribed fire through a formal training exchange (TREX). Hosted by the Flagstaff Fire Department and Summit Fire and Medical District and sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Fire Learning Network, this Prescribed Fire Training Exchange is a unique opportunity for fire personnel from across the county to learn about prescribed fire, land management, the wildland urban interface, smoke management, and much more.
“This Prescribed Fire Training Exchange is designed to provide experiential training that builds local capacity for fire management while offering professional fire practitioners a more holistic perspective” said Neil Chapman, Wildland Forest Health Supervisor with the Flagstaff Fire Department.
Vaccine Events in Tusayan and Grand Canyon
On Monday, November 1, Coconino County Health and Human services will be holding two COVID-19 and flu vaccine events in the community. Similar to previous events, no registration is required ahead of time.
Tusayan (behind the IMAX Theater) from 12:00 p.m.-2 p.m.
Grand Canyon Recreation Center Ramada from 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Flyers will be distributed on these events once guidance from the CDC on booster doses is finalized (hopefully by early next week).
The City of Flagstaff Sustainability Program invites members of the public to participate in Drop-off Day 2021. The event is free and provides an opportunity to properly dispose of items that should not be thrown away in the regular trash.
This event will take place Saturday, October 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Flagstaff Police Department, located at 911 E. Sawmill Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86001. Project partners include the Flagstaff Police Department, the Flagstaff Hazardous Products Center, Elevated Shredding, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Ponderosa Medial Waste Services and Electronic Responsible Recyclers (ER2). Attendees are asked to remain inside their vehicle during the event. Masks are required of all attendees.
Work related to a pilot project installing separated bike lanes on Beaver Street will take place on Wednesday, October 20. The work will be completed on the same day and will take place on Beaver Street, spanning from Cherry Street to Butler Avenue.
Traffic control devices and/or a shadow vehicle will be implemented throughout the day and motorist are encouraged to seek an alternate route or be prepared for slight delays as they travel through the project limits.
In the 8th edition of our Consular Newsletter on Economic and Tourism Affairs, we celebrate
Mexico’s fight for independence and its exciting future as the 2021 Hispanic
Heritage Month ends on Oct. 15.
In #ChooseMexico, we learn what we
already knew in our hearts: Everyone loves Mexican food. We also see a bright
future, as Hispanic buying power continues to increase and more and more of our
young people are getting college degrees. In addition, we learn that there has been an increase
in the number of both large and small Mexican companies expanding into Arizona, thanks to the welcoming business environment. In this newsletter, you also will meet three successful Mexican citizens working in Arizona––and our Faces of Mexico in Arizona webinar (in Spanish) will introduce you to a few more.
Work to implement a pilot project installing separated bike lanes on Butler Avenue will begin on Monday, October 18 and will be complete on Friday October 22. The project limits are Butler Avenue, from Milton Road to Sawmill Road.
Traffic control devices and lane restrictions will be implemented throughout the week and motorist are encouraged to seek an alternate route or be prepared for delays as they travel through the project limits.
Beginning Monday, October 18, National Park Service (NPS) fire managers will begin pile burning along the Hwy. 64 corridor on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
Hand piles composed of woody debris are located along the Hwy. 64 corridor, north of the South Entrance Station and along Desert View Drive. Fire managers plan to continue igniting piles over the next several weeks when conditions are suitable to meet management objectives. Prior to implementing the burns, fire managers will evaluate current conditions and will only begin ignition if the prescribed fire conditions are within allowable environmental parameters.
Federal Workforce Vaccination for NPS Employees
As a reminder, November 22 is the deadline for federal employees to be fully vaccinated.
To meet the November 22 deadline, NPS employees must receive their first dose by October 11 if getting the Moderna vaccine or October 18 if getting the Pfizer vaccine
November 8 is the deadline for the second dose of both Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, and for receiving the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine
By November 22, all federal employees must be fully vaccinated or actively working with their supervisor and HR on a reasonable accommodation request. More information can be found on the vaccine FAQ page on the Safer Federal Workforce website.
Members of the public are invited to join the City of Flagstaff’s Sustainability Section for this year’s Make a Difference Day on Saturday, October 16. This year, participants will have the opportunity to assist residents affected by flooding resulting from the Museum Fire in 2019.
Volunteers will be assigned to work crews to remove flood debris from properties. Accordingly, volunteers are asked to wear closed-toe shoes, sun protection, long pants, and gloves and bring a refillable water bottle, as well as a rake or shovel if they have them.
Flagstaff is reviving its Sister Cities program and looking for input from the community as it determines which municipalities it will reach out to in order to forge these unique international relationships.
The Sister Cities program was created in the 1950s, spurred by President Eisenhower’s White House Conference on Citizen Diplomacy. The goal was simple for the man who had led the Allied Forces during World War II: Create a way to encourage people from different countries to learn about each other as a means of avoiding future wars.
Coconino County has begun its redistricting process and invites the public to provide input. Every ten years, based on US Census data, supervisorial districts must be redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population.
In Coconino County, the Board of Supervisors is responsible for drawing these supervisorial districts pursuant to state and federal law. Since the last Census in 2010, the population of Coconino County has grown in some districts, but not in others. District boundaries are revised to ensure redistricting guidelines are met.
Earlier Oct. 11 – and after a hearing held on October 4 – Judge James Smith of the Maricopa County Superior Court entered a preliminary injunction (attached) precluding the State of Arizona from collecting a $1.1 million “assessment” that the Arizona Legislature said should be collected from the City of Flagstaff.
That “assessment” arises out of legislation passed several years ago (HB 2756) in direct response to Proposition 414, under which the City’s voters recognized the needs of the community and adopted a minimum wage higher than that of the State at large. In July of this year, the City filed a lawsuit against the State challenging the constitutionality of a recently passed law that, for the first time, authorized an “assessment” against the City in connection with its minimum wage.
As Coconino County Diversity Team continue to celebrate, learn, share, and create awareness during Hispanic Heritage Month, welcome to Week 4!! Please share with your departments, social media networks, family, and friends as we come together to Engage, Celebrate, Reflect, Embrace, our Cultural Differences while Empowering each other.
Events include: “Halloween vs. Día de los Muertos” at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 8 and “Story Time” at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 9.
On October 5, the Flagstaff City Council approved a professional services contract for five years with Terros Health for an alternate response mobile unit in the amount of $2,583,300.
There will be one behavioral health professional and one Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician who will work together on the mobile response unit to provide the community with crisis intervention and mental health stabilization services. The mobile response unit will provide proactive outreach to the community and respond to public safety calls, such as public intoxication, substance use, trauma informed, and mental or behavioral health related events. Including a behavioral health professional on the mobile response unit will create a higher level of service for those in need in the Flagstaff community.
Coconino County Superintendent of Schools is pleased to announce that the Coconino County Education Service Agency was selected to receive a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant for $259,128.
Coconino County Superintendent of Schools, Cheryl Mango-Paget, is pleased to announce that the Coconino County Education Service Agency was selected to receive a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant for $259,128 through the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (UAIP).
Indigenous People’s Day, October 11
This year we recognize Indigenous People’s Day on Monday, October 11. At Grand Canyon, park leadership continues to work on the Indian Affairs Strategy with positive feedback coming to us from our NPS colleagues in the Intermountain Region and Washington. The draft strategy is gaining traction to the point where the work we are doing may be shared at the Tribal Nations Summit being planned for the White House in November.
There will be virtual events held in recognition of Indigenous People’s day across the nation, and the city of Flagstaff is hosting an event on Monday, October 11 through a virtual platform. The event, titled Honoring the Four Sacred Elements of Life: Mother Earth, Father Sky, Grandparents Water and Fire, will be available on-line from 8:15 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Registration can be made in advance for this event is free and can be made by following this link. NPS Fire Archaeologist, Jason Nez, will be speaking at this event about Diné cultural relationships to Fire between 3:15-4:30 p.m.
Hello from Supervisor Horstman
Grand Canyon Protection Act Advocacy
NOAA Southwest Drought Forum
Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona Groundbreaking
4FRI Update
County Supervisors Association Legislative Summit
COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines
COVID Information Line and Testing Site
Museum Flood Information Line and Emergency Notifications
Museum Flood Crisis Response Fund
Flood Insurance Information
Contact Us
Good morning, and Happy Manufacturing Day, the kickoff to a month-long nationwide celebration of this sector, which has grown dramatically in northern Arizona over the past few years.
In fact, manufacturing is now one of the five top business clusters in our region (the others are health care/social services, food service/accommodations, education and retail.) Manufacturing pulled us through the pandemic as one of the few industries that grew during the past 18 months. This past year alone, our office has fielded more than 35 different inquiries about establishing manufacturing operations in northern Arizona.
Coconino County Superintendent of Schools, Cheryl Mango-Paget, would like to announce that interviews will be scheduled for the Governing School Board Member open seat at Fredonia Moccasin Unified School District #6.
An advisory committee will be assembled consisting of a district resident, district educator, district parent, and two current board members to conduct interviews and advise Superintendent Mango-Paget on the appointment.
A COVID and flu shot vaccination event will be held next Monday, October 4th from 3-5 p.m. at the Grand Canyon Rec Center Ramada. If there is inclement weather, the event will be held inside the Rec Center in the Piano Room. Please bring your vaccination card if you are seeking a second or third dose of the COVID vaccine. More information on this event can be found in the attached flyer.
A follow-up vaccination event will be held on Monday, November 1, for those individuals getting their first shot at the October vaccination event who need a second shot for full vaccination. The November 1 vaccination event will also take place from 3-5 p.m. at the Rec Center.
There are no updates on a North Rim vaccination event at this time.
Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) officials have confirmed several skunks found in the Greenlaw and Coconino Estates areas of Flagstaff have tested positive for rabies. One human exposure has been reported and the individual is receiving Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) treatment.
CCHHS and City of Flagstaff Animal Control urge individuals to use caution to protect against rabies exposure when hiking, camping or in situation where wildlife may be present. The following precautions are recommended to protect against rabies:
Avoid wildlife, especially those exhibiting unusual wildlife behaviors which can include; showing no fear of humans, aggressive behavior, staggering and/or acting sickly, and nocturnal mammals active during daytime.
The City of Flagstaff Housing Section is asking for public input on its draft 10-Year Housing Plan. Flagstaff residents can read the draft 10-Year Housing Plan online and can provide feedback by taking the Policy Initiative and Strategy Prioritization Survey. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and feedback will be used to help City staff prioritize housing initiatives and strategies. The public comment period ends on November 5, 2021.
As Coconino County Diversity Team continue to celebrate, learn, share, and create awareness during Hispanic Heritage Month, we are inviting you to the Book Club “Clap When You Land” discussion from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29.
Click here or on image below to join.
Please join us, and share with your departments, social media networks, family, and friends as we come together to Engage, Celebrate, Reflect, Embrace, our Cultural Differences while Empowering each other.