The second reading of ordinances for the proposed Aspen Heights student housing development in west Flagstaff have been pulled from the Dec. 2 City Council agenda after opponents were able to secure needed signatures from nearby residents to force a 6-to-1 super-majority vote, Friends of Flagstaff’s Future reported.
The developer announced on Nov. 26 that it was withdrawing for now its application to rezone the 36 acres near the intersection of Route 66 and Woody Mountain Road for the 700-student development.
The decision came after signatures from more than 20 percent of nearby landowners opposed the development were submitted in a petition to the City Clerk on Nov. 25, the Arizona Daily Sun reported.
According to the City Council agenda for Dec. 2, the council was to consider and vote on ordinances extending and increasing the incorporated limits of the City of Flagstaff, authorize the execution of a development agreement between the city and York Breckenridge GP LLP and amend the Flagstaff Zoning Map.
The council approved the first reading of the project on Nov. 18 on a 5-to-2 vote, with Vice Mayor Coral Evans and City Councilmember Celia Barotz opposing the development.
Community residents opposed to the project packed the city council meeting of Nov. 4 for a nearly three-hour public hearing, Friends of Flagstaff’s Future (F3) reported in a media release.
Opponents cited concerns about noise and nuisance, biker and pedestrian safety, dark skies and contradictions with the 2001 Regional Plan goals.
Visit http://cityweb.flagstaffaz.gov/agenda_publish.cfm?id=&mt=ALL&get_month=11&get_year=2014&dsp=ag&seq=293 to see the Dec. 2 Flagstaff City Council agenda.
Visit http://friendsofflagstaff.org/ to get the latest information from Friends of Flagstaff’s Future.
Sarah Benatar. Photo courtesy of Coconino County
Coconino County Treasurer Sarah Benatar and nearly 70 newly elected Latino government and policy leaders recently completed training with National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, during the group’s 10th Biennial NALEO National Institute for Newly Elected Officials in Washington, D.C., Coconino County officials reported in a media release.
NALEO is the nation’s preeminent Latino leadership organization that represents state legislators, county and municipal officials and education policymakers from across the country.
“It was an honor to represent Coconino County during this prestigious institute,” Benatar stated in a media release. “Our county residents benefit when their elected and appointed leaders are allowed to tap into the collective knowledge of others working to conquer similar issues around the country.”
The Institute was held from Nov. 20 to 23 and provided intensive training designed to help newly elected Latino officials acquire the tools and information necessary to move their communities forward. The three-and-a-half-day “boot camp” offered a comprehensive introduction to public service, with seminars addressing budgeting, staffing, policymaking and other key governance issues.
Several Latino candidates who made history in 2014 general election 2014 joined Benatar, including NALEO President Alex Padilla, the first Latino elected to serve as California Secretary of State; Nellie Gorbea, the first Latino elected to serve as Rhode Island Secretary of State and statewide office in New England; Victoria Seaman, the first Latina Republican elected to serve in the Nevada State Assembly; and NALEO Educational Fund Chair Pauline Medrano, the first Latina elected to serve as Dallas County Treasurer.
According to research on Latino representation conducted prior to Election Day for the 2014 NALEO Directory of Latino Elected Officials, 6,100 Latinos currently serve in elected office nationwide. This is up from the 4,853 Latino elected officials who held office in 2004, demonstrating the progress Latinos continue to make in finding success as candidates, officials reported.
For additional information, please visit the NALEO Educational Fund website at http://www.naleo.org/institutes/newlyelected/
Matthew M. Figueroa. Photo courtesy of Coconino County
Matthew M. Figueroa has been promoted from Lieutenant to Commander of Detention Services for the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), Coconino County Sheriff Bill Pribil reported recently in a media release.
Cmdr. Figueroa was one of several nationwide candidates who were selected to participate in the intensive testing and interviewing process, county officials reported.
In addition, three other CCSO detention staff members also completed the testing and interview process. Pribil said,
“All of our candidates were highly qualified and represented the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at the highest level. I wish to thank all of the candidates for their professionalism and leadership,” he said.
“Matt has served our agency for 18 years and brings a depth of knowledge and experience to the position of Commander of Detention Services.”
Figueroa lives in Flagstaff with his wife, Kimberly, and their three sons, Tyler, Tristen and Trace. He began his formal education at Arizona State University and transferred to Northern Arizona University where he obtained a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice.
Figueroa’s family has a strong commitment to the corrections profession, county officials reported. His father and his brother both retired from the Arizona Department of Corrections. He joined the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office in 1996, attended the state Correctional Officers Academy and began his career as a Detention Officer I. He served one year in that capacity and was then promoted to the position of Detention Officer II. While a detention officer, Figueroa served as a court officer, transport officer, and he also worked in the intake and inmate housing operations. He served as a detention sergeant for eight and one-half years and then as a detention lieutenant for the past eight years, during which time he managed all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the Detention Facility.
In 2000, Figueroa was assigned to the team that facilitated the transfer from the old jail in downtown Flagstaff to the new facility at 911 Sawmill Road. He assisted with the recruitment, screening and hiring of the new detention staff as the demand for detention officers in the new facility was double the amount of officers who staffed the older facility. He was assigned to the construction site six months prior to the completion date and helped ensure that all aspects of the project met specifications.
Prior to 2004, detention officers were required to attend a six- to seven-week Correctional Officers Academy at one of several locations throughout the state. This required the officers to be away from their homes and their families for an extended period of time. Lodging and other expenses proved to be quite costly to the Sheriff’s Office.
In 2004, Figueroa led a team that developed a partnership with Coconino Community College to develop a curriculum for an accredited basic detention officers’ academy. Students who complete the program not only are developed for their new job, they also receive 13 credit hours of college instruction, which they can apply to professional development. The establishment of a local Detention Officer Academy represented a significant savings to the Sheriff’s Office and prevented participants from being separated from their homes and families, and also gives officers long-term career opportunities.
In 2012, Figueroa attended and successfully completed a 40-hour National Jail Leadership Command Academy for jail commanders at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.
The training is accredited by the American Jail Association and Correctional Management Institute of Texas.
Figueroa was also is nationally recognized as a Certified Jail Manager by the American Jail Association.
During his career Figueroa has received numerous recognitions and accolades for his dedication and service above and beyond the call of duty, including four National Public Service Recognition Awards, a Sheriff’s Citation for Meritorious Service, an Officer Achievement Award, Officer of the Year award and many others.
Pilot Parents is currently accepting applications for AZ Partners in Leadership, an enhancement of the Partners in Policymaking program, the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth reported in a media release. The leadership training program teaches people to be community leaders and to effect systems and policy change at the local, state and national levels.
The program is designed for young adults who have a disability and parents raising young or school-age children with a disability.
AZ Partners in Leadership is a free statewide program with applicants accepted from around the state. The training session will take place in Phoenix. Overnight hotel accommodations, travel and meal stipends are provided for participants.
Visit http://news.coconinokids.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2015-Partners-Flyer.pdf to see a flyer on the program.