Click here to view answers by question number.

Questions

1) What was your position on the rezoning for the Northern Arizona Healthcare Hospital
and Health Care Village at Fort Tuthill? How do you believe the city can encourage
renovation of our current hospital? If NAH chooses to relocate the hospital, how can you,
as a council member, play a role in ensuring significant citizen participation in the future
development of the existing hospital property on Beaver Street?

2) Market-based development (such as construction of 7000 more market rate housing
units), increasing housing density, and building on city-owned properties are all strategies
that the City of Flagstaff has proposed to address our city’s housing emergency. What are
your thoughts on the efficacy of these solutions in addressing the needs of low and
middle income residents? Are there any other solutions that you believe should also be
considered or implemented?

3) What is your position on the city council’s recent decision to increase water and
wastewater rates? How will you address the disproportionate burden these increases place
on low income residents?

4) What will you do to ensure that the city’s Carbon Neutrality Plan is rigorously
implemented throughout all city departments? Do you believe, for example, that the city
should have investment and purchasing policies that reduce support for the fossil fuel
industry as a way to implement the Carbon Neutrality Plan?

5) City ballot Proposition 487 renews the Bed, Board and Booze tax, and city ballot
Proposition 488 renews and increases the transit tax to fund Mountain Line’s expansion
of public transit. What is your position on each of these propositions?

6) The Arizona State Legislature has referred twelve measures to the November ballot.
One in particular will affect Flagstaff directly. State Proposition 138 will change the
state constitution by allowing employers to pay tipped workers 75% of the state
minimum wage. This will have the effect of overturning Flagstaff’s minimum wage
increases for tipped workers. What is your position on this proposition and why?

7) How do you propose balancing the significant competing needs for land use in the city
including housing, future parks, open space, agricultural uses, and forest resource
protection?

8) In a democracy, communication with the public and managing conflicts are critical
responsibilities of elected officials. How do you think future city council members can
enhance communication with Flagstaff residents, facilitate greater communication with
the public throughout city government, and manage contentious issues? Please be
specific.

Robert Breunig

1) I voted “No” on the hospital relocation issue. I voted this way for several reasons. The
proposed hospital, as designed, did not meet the City of Flagstaff’s long-term
sustainability goals. If the City truly believes that there is a “climate emergency, major
facility such as our future hospital should be a model of sustainability. I also did not like
the ancillary development proposed next to the new hospital. It struck me as a moneymaking
scheme that did nothing to provide homes for the hospital workforce. I would like
to see the hospital remain in the heart of Flagstaff; I would encourage FMC to hire
architects and planning firms that specialize in sustainable hospital renovations. I do
believe the existing hospital can be renovated to current standards and, as a council
member, would strongly advocate for the citizen’s desire to see the hospital remain in
the central part of Flagstaff.

2) Construction of housing units on city owned properties may help relieve the current
housing emergency, depending on how the units are developed and priced. Zoning
changes that permit construction of multi-family housing units will address housing
shortages. However, housing developments should not occur on city-owned land now
designated as potential park land or open space.

This question begins with the term “market based” development. The city should
encourage “non-Market” development housing solutions. Non-Market development is the
construction of housing units by organizations other than profit-making developers, such
as non-profit organizations, co-ops, land trusts, churches, etc.—that is, organizations not
simply devoted to profit making. In non-market based development, the profit is taken out
of the equation, reducing the over-all cost of the development, and making the housing
affordable. If non-market housing is developed on city-owned, non-park land, the cost of
the housing could be further reduced for the buyer.

3) First, I think it was unconscionable for past Councils to defer action on the need to
upgrade our water and wastewater infrastructure. We cannot and should not put off
modernizing our water system any longer. The costs of delay will only escalate,
threatening our city’s ability to properly manage our water system. I advocate taking
timely measures to improve our water infrastructure in a measured way, tackling the most
critical needs first within the next five years, then working on longer term needs over the
subsequent several five-year terms. I support a short-term increase in water rates to
address the most critical infrastructure needs now–and then support carefully planning
for future needs. Options for proportioning water costs to income levels deserve study by
staff and council.

4) I strongly support the city’s Carbon Neutrality Plan and would advocate for the
continuation—and strengthening—of the plan. I would like to see more regular reports from the
Sustainability Department to the City Council and public on the implementation of this plan, with
reference to specific benchmarks—will we reach carbon neutrality by 2030? The plan as
currently written places too much emphasis or carbon capture. Carbon neutrality should be the
mandate and focus of every city department going forward, with each working towards the
stated goals. If an organization that does business with the city engages in actions in conflict
with the city’s climate goals, such as Wells Fargo Bank’s major investment in fossil fuels, the city
should end that business relationship.

5) I support both propositions. The BBB tax supports activities that make our city more beautiful
and interesting through the Beautification Commission and it also supports numerous non-profit
arts and science organizations. This tax enhances our community in ways that make it a better
and more attractive place to live. The Mountain Line tax will support both the expansion of
services to areas now unserved, and the number of times
service is available to riders.

Supporting the Mountain Line, Proposition 488, is critical to enhancing a transportation strategy
that places less emphasis on the use of the automobile and greater support of mass transit. It is
a key pillar of MetroPlan’s “Upward” long term plan.

6) I oppose this proposition. The voters of Flagstaff selected and approved the language of the
current minimum wage ordinance. The Arizona State Legislature’s practice of amending or overturning
locally decided measures flies in the face of local decision making and is a hypocritical
practice for a legislative body, many of whose members state that government should be close
to the people. The people of Flagstaff made their decision and only they should amend it.

7) Land use issues need to be looked at comprehensively, not within departmental silos. Our
city needs more land for housing but cannot ignore the important contributions of parks, open
space and gardens to the character and quality of life within the city. In making land use
decisions, finding an appropriate balance among competing needs is a priority for the city
council. In addressing one single problem, the city cannot ignore all the potential needs that
make the city an attractive place to live.

8) I support the City’s current provisions for citizen participation: Access to council member
e-mail addresses on the Council’s website; the ability to speak on any topic at the beginning of
each council meeting; the ability to write comment cards or speak directly to council on a
meeting’s agenda items, and the option of participating in council meetings through on-line
video. I would encourage frequent and transparent presentations by leaders of city commissions
or departments regarding their activities, accomplishments, and any obstacles they face in
reaching their goals. As a City Council member, I would personally hold regular sessions, at
public locations, for members of the public to exchange their opinions with me. There will always
be contentious issues. As a council member, I will listen carefully to divergent viewpoints but not
shy away from taking and explaining my own positions on important public questions.

Amethyst Deasy

1) I was adamantly against the rezoning for NAH’s Health and Wellness Village at Fort Tuthill.
NAH purchased 26 acres of developable land right next to their facility in 2009 for the purpose
of expansion, and there are opportunities for renovations at their current location. The city can
encourage renovation by continuing to communicate and work with NAH to balance the needs
of the community with the reality of administering a hospital. The city can also help by potentially
streamlining the permit process for renovations. I believe that developments of this magnitude
should require more public meetings and outreach than smaller developments. This needs to be
placed in the code, which would apply to NAH if they decide to relocate, as well as other
massive development. If it’s not a requirement, I have doubts NAH and developers will engage
the public to the degree our community expects.

2) Using the term “market-based development” gives the impression of attainable homes. What
I’ve seen regarding recent developments is large properties with expansive luxury homes, thus
filling a higher income base with only the bare minimum reserved as “affordable.” It’s my opinion
that we are not meeting the needs of residents, particularly middle-income residents, and we
should incentivize building neighborhoods that resemble Bow and Arrow or Upper and Lower
Greenlaw. I would like to look at building medium density with yards, homes that fit with the
character of our town. We should also prioritize building low-income housing on spaces such as
the lot adjoining Siler Homes, which the housing bond is intended for, but has thus far gone
towards developer subsidies. We need to fully review the housing incentives of the city that, in
my opinion, have not provided the intended results, and have not been substantively changed
recently.

3) I am concerned about the increased financial burden this increase places on Flagstaff
residents. The water rate increase will disproportionately impact our most socioeconomically
vulnerable residents who, historically, have had the least infrastructural improvements. Instead,
the improvements to water infrastructure have been directed to new developments and
neighborhoods with residents of a high socioeconomic status. My main issue with the increase
is that the projects being funded were not prioritized before the vote. We need to triage the
dozens of projects it is intended to fund, and I will advocate for our low-income neighborhoods
and most neglected infrastructure to take precedence.

4) In an effort to ensure the Carbon Neutrality Plan is implemented across all of the city’s
departments I would advocate that the entire council and city utilize the goals from the carbon
neutrality plan as part of the key performance indicators for the departments. Ultimately it greatly
incentivizes the departments to take the carbon neutrality plan into consideration consistently. I
strongly support Fossil Free Arizona’s movement to shift the city’s finances to banks that don’t
support the fossil fuel industry. Beyond that approach I’d like to see more clear planning and
measurable progress to provide transparency in the expectations of meeting the carbon
neutrality plan within the defined time frame. With these or other measures in place we can
create accountability. Much of this approach stems from my years as an RN, once you assess
the patient, then you implement interventions and reassess the effectiveness for meeting your
treatment goals.

5) I support the renewal of the BBB tax because it is disproportionately funded by tourists.
Placing the tax burden more on tourists helps us maintain city services without unduly impacting
locals. We need expanded public transportation, and I support Proposition 488. This helps all of
us, not just those that use the bus system. It reduces traffic by taking more cars off the roads,
reduces our carbon emissions, and improves public health. People who ride Mountain Line also
use other alternative means of transportation—walking, bicycles, etc. that improves their health
and the health of our community.

6) I think that this proposition will negatively impact Flagstaffs tipped workers. Many Flagstaff
businesses have accommodated the increase in Flagstaff’s minimum wage by adding a service
charge in place of tips, or tip sharing, or no longer accepting tips due to the change. If we revert
to the old way of paying tipped workers with the state proposition I think there will not be enough
education regarding that change and many tipped workers will be shorted because the change
in Flagstaff’s minimum wage has become our new normal.

7) I think balancing the diverse needs regarding development is largely dependent on the
moment in time it is being discussed. Needs ebb and flow so having a multidimensional
approach to solutions while keeping in constant communication with our community is a good
way to address them. I don’t think any of us expected the fires and floods we’ve faced, and that
changed our plans for some land use in the city. I think some infill of land within the city could be
extremely beneficial, incentivizing open land use for homes or community garden space,
expanding the FUTS and parks while also maintaining some open spaces are all within the
realm of possibilities. In my opinion, if we consistently keep in mind the character and values of
our town, the reasons we all stay and continue to call Flagstaff home, we will improve our
results in the end.

8) I think both current and future council members could do better to enhance communication
with the public by making themselves accessible and not remain in a silo of elite groups. It is
critical to build bridges among all walks of life and all backgrounds in our community to create a
space of respect and safety where contentious issues can be discussed and solutions can be
reached that serve the greatest good. Instead of perpetuating an idea that there is an “us” and a
“them” I prefer to use the term “we.” I think more engagement should happen by having elected
leaders and city staff hosting more events in neighborhoods to discuss issues. Too often,
leaders expect people to go to them rather than the other way around. I also like how Coconino
County mails newsletters on a regular basis, and the city should consider doing the same.

Anthony Garcia

1) I was a NO vote on the Prop. 480. Although, I am against the current zoning ((ER) Estate
Residential) aka “Millionaire Sprawl”, I felt that the project NAH wanted to deliver did not
address our current housing needs and could have been developed with more consideration for
our community values. If given the opportunity as a Council member my goals will reflect our
values in actionable ways. I will be inviting NAH to a Work Session where we can have an open
dialog about next steps for our current hospital’s redevelopment. I believe that having a public
discussion about our community health partners next steps will be helpful for everyone involved.
Public discourse is the key to making certain that all parties involved are part of the process.
Opening NAH’s future decision making to public input will keep the public informed and NAH
accountable.

2) First off, Market-rate development will never serve to help us gaining more
attainable/affordable housing stock, since it’s designed to benefit the bottom line of those
controlling the “market” with little consideration for those that feed the market (home owners).
My plan is to work with what the City has more control over since Arizona state restricts us from
most local control mechanisms over Market-rate housing. I believe redesigning our current city
owned housing projects is a great place to start. Siler, Brannen and Clark homes can increase
its housing stock by 300% with my vision of redevelopment. I will personally be lobbying Federal
funding to help this process. Additionally, promoting city owned land trust development on the
28.5-acre city owned parcel adjacent to Pine Canyon is another practical and actionable step in
leading us out of our current housing crisis. Seeking partnerships with like-minded developers is
another attainable goal!

3) As a perspective City Council member, I want to get back to the basics when it comes to
providing the best essential services for our community while preparing Flagstaff to be a city of
the future. This includes addressing a lofty backlog of differed maintenance at our public works
department and infrastructure improvements across the board. Water is life and none of us can
live more that one week without clean drinking water. If we are going to rely on the city to
provide us with this amazing finite resource every time we twist the tap on our faucets or flush
our toilets, we should be prepared to pay our fair share for the infrastructure to provide us with
safe water, waste water and storm water. I will seek out Federal and State funding to help pay
for future water needs like Potable Reuse and Advanced Purification techniques.

4) The idea of offsetting carbon emissions is an opportunity where we can balance one negative
carbon influence against its positive counterpart, so that there is no great difference as a result.
We are starting to see more opportunities for this in our local economy and as a Climate
Ambassador for the City of Flagstaff I’ve been working to forward this progression in every
actionable way. Enforcing environmental impact fees can be a way to not only mitigate energy
exploitation by industrial/corporate use, but also can help to fund the future of our sustainability
programs. Environmental, ecological, cultural and climate impact studies are an essential tool to
give a better understanding of what our future development capacity can withstand. I support
making sustainability the common thread that is woven throughout all departments at the city.

5) I encourage everyone to please vote YES on both Prop. 487 and 488. As Beautification and
Public Art Commissioner for the City of Flagstaff 2017-2024 I helped to allocate over 15 million
in BBB funding to progress essential arts, cultural, science and humanities programing. None of
this would have been possible without the BBB tax. My vision is to make Flagstaff an Art and
Cultural hub and economic driver for the southwest region. YES on Prop 487 will help enable
this. This 2% convivence tax (primarily paid for by tourism at the rate of 75% tourist to 25%
local) is a great way to fund Arts and Science, Parks and Recreation, Economic Development
and Beautification at a discount to us, locals. Voting YES on Proposition 488 will help Mountain
Line expand its services, reduce traffic congestion, and transition its fleet to electrified and
Hybrid vehicles that better serve our environment.

6) I will be voting NO on 138 because it will be hard for employees to prove that they’re not
making $2 more than Minimum wage, giving the advantage to the employers dictating their
earnings. The amendment would allow for tipped workers to be paid 25% less per hour than the
minimum wage if any tips received by the employee were not less than the minimum wage plus
$2 for all hours worked. Currently, businesses in Arizona can pay tipped workers $11.35, which
is $3 less than the current minimum wage of $14.35, as long as their take-home pay, including
tips, amounts to the minimum wage. Under this new amendment, businesses would be able to
pay workers $3.58 (25%) less than the current minimum wage of $14.35, which is $10.77,
provided that the total take-home pay of each worker is at least the hourly minimum wage plus
$2 for each hour worked.

7) Since 2021 I have been participating in the Regional Plan 2045 visioning and writing process
with over 1000 other locals. In November 2023 I was nominated by District 2 County Supervisor
Jeronimo Vasquez to represent Sunnyside neighborhood and Flagstaff as member of the
Regional Plan 2045 Final Draft Committee. Shortly after earning my seat at that table I was
nominated Vice-chair by my fellow committee members based on my leadership abilities. I have
spent a copious amount of time and effort helping to construct this document that will serve as
the playbook for future leadership in their role of understanding our current values, mixed with
our current future vision.. IE, if you’ve read the plan in its current form you will see my
“fingerprints” all over it, and through the plan understand where my values align within the
question stated above. Your voice matters https://flagstaff-regional-plan-2045-
flagstaff.hub.arcgis.com/pages/regional-plan-committee

8) Community engagement is an essential component to our local political process. It inspires
inclusion, ensuring that every Flagstaff citizen has the opportunity to utilize their voices to foster
change and shape our vision. As leadership, public comment is the road map we follow to better
understand where policy can effectively meet the needs of our community. As citizens, we are
the experts of our streets, neighborhoods and the pathways we traverse. This is an important
perspective that adds value to our community when expressed publicly. I currently serve our
community as the RegionalPlan2045 vice-chair. In this role, my priority is to garner robust
community input and keep the public engaged throughout the process. Essentially, it’s our
(taxpayer) money that enables the city’s budget. We the people deserve a say in how that
money is spent. Public engagement is one key element to consider when establishing balanced
public policy.

Denis Givens

1) Although Flagstaff needs a state-of-the-art hospital, I agreed with the residents who believed
that rezoning for the Northern Arizona Healthcare Hospital and Health Care Village at Fort
Tuthill was a bad idea, because of a conflict of interests. The city can work with Northern
Arizona Healthcare to encourage renovation of our current hospital. If NAH chooses to relocate
the hospital, as a city council member, I will invite the residents to participate in the public
comment at city hall, hold meetings to discussion this matter and use the internet to ensure
significant citizen participation in the future development of the existing hospital property on
Beaver Street. Let the voters decide the fate of Flagstaff.

2) The city’s 10-year housing plan is a thoughtful strategy to address Flagstaff’s housing crisis.
Building more housing for low- and middle-income residents can help solve the problems of the
storage of homes for the workforce and the unsheltered. The accessibility of responsible and
sustainable building of market rate housing units will keep skilled labor in our community and
people from being homeless. When the city builds more affordable units, those who have lived
with housing problems will be able to live better lives.

3) Water is the most crucial resource to sustain life. Without water, life would cease to exist. The
city council’s recent decision to increase water and wastewater rates was a tough decision but
needed to happen. Although we should not add more debt for future generations, a decision to
lower the rates, less than the recommended amount, happened to decrease the cost liability on
residents and businesses. When elected I will address the disproportionate burden these
increases place on low-income residents by offering water credits or subsidies from the city for
those who practice water conservation methods or qualify due to limited income.

4) I will attend weekly meetings with the city’s departments to ensure they are moving towards
implementing the goals of the Carbon Neutrality Plan. The city must move away from investing
and purchasing policies that support the fossil fuel industry as fast as we are able. Not only are
we making unethical oil barons wealthier, but we are also polluting the air we breathe. The city
needs to focus its energies on renewable resources that the voting populace want. As always,
let the voters decide what is best for them.

5) Flagstaff has a significant sales tax, even though not everyone believes in added taxes, it
helps the city out tremendously. Proposition 487 renews the Bed, Board, and Booze tax which
allows more marketing of Flagstaff’s local business, builds parks/community gardens, promotes
the beautification of the city which keeps Flagstaff uniquely attractive and other wonderful
things. Proposition 488 renews and increases the transit tax to fund Mountain Line’s expansion
of public transit. This is important if we want to get more cars off the road and reduce traffic.
Better public transportation is an essential solution to our congestion on the streets and a way to
get people from place to place with less resources, especially if we electrify the entire bus fleet.
Both propositions will cost the taxpayers a little more, but the price is a better city.

6) I say let the voters decide, if most Arizonians want to change the state constitution to allow
employers to pay tipped workers 75% of the state minimum wage or not then so be it. As a
tipped worker in Flagstaff, I have seen the pros and cons of the high minimum wage. Employers
are paying more for labor in Flagstaff, small businesses are struggling to compete with major
corporations causing prices to go up, leaving tipped workers with less tips. When business
owners have more control over their revenue, things are less out of control. If businesses are
not paying a living wage to their most dependable workers, then employees ought to take their
talents elsewhere. Having a one size fits all policy on businesses only hurts the mom-and-pop
shops who need more help than ever to survive.

7) The sky is the limit between downtown and fourth street. Flagstaff must build higher, replace
outdated/unused buildings, and have more density between these two areas if they want to
have more housing, future parks, open space, agricultural uses, and forest resource protection.
Without doing so, the city will give up these valuable spaces with outward horizontal expansion.
No one wants to block the views of the precious mountains with tall buildings, but the residents
need more affordable housing and freed up zones. The city can dedicate more spaces for
natural environment and mountain views, if we build up, repurpose older/vacated buildings and
have more density in between downtown and fourth street.

8) With more encouraged community engagement, future city council members can enhance
communication with Flagstaff residents, facilitate greater communication with the public
throughout city government and manage contentious issues. Inviting residents to participate at
city council discussions, informing and asking residents to summit their comments, questions,
and concerns about important topics via email or social media, holding weekly public forums
with community organizations and individuals who can engage with elected officials to have their
voices heard and be in the know on various city subjects. Communication is key. Opening more
lines of information flow between the local governments and the citizenry is essential to
democracy. When elected, I want everyone to be knowledgeable and heard when the city
council makes decisions that affect us all.

David Spence

1) I campaigned actively against the hospital move to Ft Tuthill, and 72% of voters agreed.
Renovation at the current location should be given a second look; that is, dusting off the 2019
NAH planning document which did just that. Perhaps there are avenues to encourage dialogue
between the NAH Board and the community. If that voluntary approach is not fruitful, a more
coercive approach could be taken. Either way, a tone deaf Board is not in the best interest of
patients in Flagstaff and surrounding communities.

If hospital relocation becomes a reality, the vacant hospital and many of the medical offices,
clinics and Taylor House would need to be repurposed to avoid serious urban blight. I would
seek community input and hire redevelopment consultants to salvage the area. An extreme
solution would be to encourage a new hospital owner/operator to continue a “hospital on the
hill”. That would seriously affect the bottom line of NAH operation of a relocated hospital.

2) I commend the city staff and Council for the programs and initiatives they have provided up
to this point regarding affordable housing. However more can and should be done. Flagstaff’s
non-profits working in this area need recognition and support: Habitat for Humanity, Townsite
Community Land Trust and Housing Solutions of Northern Arizona. Entry level home ownership
options must be supported, such as RV parks, mobile home parks and tiny homes. Co-housing
should be approved whenever requested by a group of individuals wanting communal style
living. Regarding rental options, I will work with city staff to inventory the rental properties in
Flagstaff, including all the apartment complexes, individual homes and the 5 story structures.
This inventory will include rental rates, occupancy rates and eligibility criteria.

3) The rate increases were necessary to maintain a functional and safe service. The long
period since the last rate increase led to the severity of the rate hike at this time. I commend the
City staff and Council for listening to the impacts and willingness to modify the rate structure in
response. If it does not already exist, there should be a policy of not terminating service
because of unpaid utility bills. Such forbearance could be factored into the budget and explained
to the public as a humanitarian matter. This is an example of how I would work on the Council to
solve problems.

4) Yes, each Department should have an implementation plan for the CNP. Dialogue followed
by recommended action, followed by mandates would be my approach.
Yes, I am a member of Fossil Free Arizona, a climate action team of Northern Arizona Climate
Change Alliance, which asked that banking services RFP have criteria against fossil fuel
support. When enough customers shun the dirty banks they will stop that support.

5) I support both of these propositions. The BBB tax supports beautification projects that, in
turn, support our tourism industry. The transit tax is a key funding stream for public transit which
is a key to reducing Flagstaff’s carbon footprint: an urgent matter because we are in a climate
crisis.

6) I oppose Proposition 138 because, once again, it preempts local government from enacting
policies that apply specifically to each locality. Service workers, who commonly receive tips,
need a living wage just as much as non-tipped workers. The solution is to pay more to the latter
group. A restaurant or beauty shop can raise their prices to offer a fair, living wage for their
employees. The consuming public, in turn, can then choose whether to buy that service.

7) My over-arching guiding principle in this area will be to prevent urban sprawl. This approach
places a premium on infill and redevelopment within the City. Preserving the current park
system is adequate, I believe, for the future. However, each new housing development should
be required to preserve some open space, with connectivity, wherever possible, to the existing
parks. I support the thoughtful approach the Council is taking on revising zoning regulations.
This should lead to balancing the competing uses of land.

8) The agenda for Council meeting should be widely publicized as far in advance as possible
and in a wide variety of media. The current limit of three minutes per person for items not on the
agenda is sufficient. Procedures for future agenda items should remain unless there is a
consensus to liberalize, balancing public input with time constraints. Managing contentious
issues requires listening respectfully to both sides, followed by seeking the compromise for the
greater good. Local media (newspaper, radio, and TV) are a vital communication means for the
public. Perhaps paid features would help create funding for support of any missing media
venues.

Miranda Sweet

1) The zoning decision before council was whether to rezone for a hospital and ambulatory care
facility. A significant number of Flagstaff citizens made a strong case on renovating the current
hospital location and I believe Northern Arizona Healthcare has discussed this desire with many
individuals and organizations. My hope moving forward is that the hospital leadership will
engage with the community about both the hospital’s and the community’s needs. NAH hired out
PUMA to address the re- development of the current location and as a Council member, if
redevelopment is necessary, I will continue to ensure we have an advisory council, with citizens
included, to continue discussions surrounding the current campus. I understand the importance
of creating something meaningful for Flagstaff with the current hospital location, should NAH
determine it must move the hospital, regardless of the proposed location.

2) I believe there is always more work to be done when talking about housing in Flagstaff. We
must continue to think outside of the box. Two years ago I was integral in facilitating 40 starter
homes being built in Flagstaff by Habitat for Humanity. This model is new and created here in
Flagstaff, and will support over 200 Flagstaff families over the next 30 years. These homes will
empower families as they save $10,000 every year, moving them from poverty to middle class.
We need to continue to think of new and innovative ideas, it will take the entire community with
different thoughts to tackle our housing emergency. The City is looking at streamlining
burdensome building codes and permitting fees, I have been very supportive of looking at the
streamlining process. I will continue to search out ideas from other communities to add to the
dialogue.

3) Flagstaff has infrastructure needs that require funding to ensure water reliability today and
into the future. I struggled with trying to balance the needs to increase water rates while looking
at the impact the increase will have on our residents and businesses. I ended up calling an
emergency meeting to take one last look at what Council could do to lessen the financial burden
on the community, including small businesses, while addressing our infrastructure needs.
Council was able to cut the rates significantly while funding 80% of our infrastructure needs. In
the end I felt that we continue to have several safeguards to make sure we remain on track with
our water needs and that taking that final look was crucial. I am committed to working with staff
and community leaders in coming up with ways to address the disproportionate burden the
increases may have on our community.

4) Every agenda item that comes to Council has to state how it is advancing our Carbon
Neutrality Goals. A couple of things slowing down our advancement of the CNP is the inventory
and technology needed in various sectors. One example is the City working to obtain an all
electric fleet of vehicles. There continues to be a backlog for attaining all electric vehicles. Even
if all electric vehicles are available they may not always fit into the needs of the City using their
current technology. There have been several robust discussions surrounding moving the needle
in our CNP goals and the foundation work is set for our goals to be achieved. Recently the City
added a question to our RFP looking for companies that do not invest in fossil fuel investments,
and I am very supportive of this addition.

5) I serve on the Mountain Line Board and have worked for years on ways to improve the
ridership experience for our Flagstaff citizens. Prop 488 will increase the level of service with
adding convenience, increasing routes, adding frequent bus service, increasing hours of
service, and adding electric buses to the fleet. All of these reasons should help address the
hesitation in using the bus system and increase our ridership. All of these attributes will help
increase the accessibility for our community to take the bus. Proposition 487 will continue to
fund Parks and recreation, tourism, economic development, arts and sciences, and
beautification. All of these are values we prioritize and are what make Flagstaff a wonderful
place to live, work, and play. Many may not realize the impact of our BBB funds in our
community supporting non profits, fostering business retention and expansion, preserving our
open space – keeping our economy strong.

6) Voters will decide on Proposition 138 in November. A healthy minimum wage boosts
employee morale, reduces turnover, and helps energize the economy. When I talk to business
owners I have heard more often than not that there is agreement with this sentiment. I have
worked in the restaurant industry and will say that I relied heavily on my tips and I am not sure
what the impact will be if Prop 138 fails. As I study the Bill I can’t help but wonder what the
impact will be to the service industry. There are many countries that don’t tip and I question if
that will start to happen in Flagstaff, if Prop138 were to fail. I continue to do research and
interview small business owners and service industry workers to get a sense of the pros and
cons of Prop 138.

7) Flagstaff has a Regional Plan and we are currently reevaluating our current zoning codes as
we update and our Plan. We have been working on engaging the community and receiving
public input on the various needs for Flagstaff. The Regional Plan is a policy guide that covers a
range of topics with a vision for the community’s future, including housing, future parks, open
space, agriculture, and forest resource protection and sets the vision for the future of Flagstaff.
The Flagstaff Region is rapidly changing and a reevaluation and collaboration of goals and
policies is necessary to ensure that Flagstaff continues to grow in a sustainable way. The City
also relies on our Commissions to have public dialogue surrounding the competing needs for
land use. The City is lucky to have high engagement from commissioners and its citizens
ensuring that the balance of our needs remains intact.

8) While serving Council I have pushed for better communication between the City and our
community members. The City has hired several media positions to assist in getting
communications out into the public. As a Councilmember I strive to be available and share any
and all communication with the community. I remain accessible, open to challenging dialogue,
and truly work to listen to all sides while honoring differing opinions. There have been several
contentious issues and I don’t shy away from having the difficult conversations, I know that I
don’t have all of the answers. It is my job to get a well rounded perspective with all voices being
present. I try to think of who I am reaching, but also who isn’t present in the conversation, with a
goal to truly represent the community as a whole while making those tough decisions on the
dais.