AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOL 7, ISSUE 7
By The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce
BECAUSE A
HEALTHY BUSINESS CLIMATE AND A
THRIVING COMMUNITY ARE INSEPARABLE
LOVEN CONTRACTING
35 YEARS OF BREAKING GROUND
MAYORAL CANDIDATES
DEASY AND ODEGAARD RESPOND TO CHAMBER QUESTIONNAIRE
BACK TO SCHOOL
NAVIGATING THE FALL 2020 SEMESTER
2020 CENSUS BE COUNTE D! R E S P O N D B E G I N N I N G M A R C H 12 A ZCE N S U S 2 0 2 0 .G OV MEDQ • @A ZCENSUS2 02 0 2
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7000ft | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOL 7, ISSUE 7 | GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
CONTENTS
BUSINESS INFLUENCERS
LOVEN CONTRACTING PAGE 8
MAYORAL QUESTIONAIRE PAGE 12
05 06 07 08
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE NEW MEMBER SPOTLIGHTS CHAMBER ADVOCACY LOVEN: 35 YEARS OF BREAKING GROUND
BE IN BLOOM, BE CHAMBER PAGE 15
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BACK TO SCHOOL REOPENING STRATEGIES FALA SPOTLIGHT: STUDENTS FIRST CHAMBER MAYORAL CANIDATE QUESTIONS BE SUMMER BE CHAMBER
ON THE COVER: MIKE LOVEN, LOVEN CONTRACTING PRESIDENT PHOTO BY RAINA PAGE
GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOL 7, ISSUE 7 |
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INTRODUCTION @7000ft is published monthly by the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce with revenue from member dues, advertising and sponsorships. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents of this publication, by any method or purpose whatsoever, without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Only Chamber members can advertise in @7000ft. To inquire about advertising please contact the Chamber.
Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce 101 W. Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (928) 774-4505 info@flagstaffchamber.com flagstaffchamber.com
CHAMBER LEADERSHIP Officers
Directors
Chair Mark Love Massage Envy
Monica Attridge Hozhoni Foundation
1st Vice Chair Clay McCauslin KAFF/KMGN Radio 2nd Vice Chair Guillermo Cortes Shepard-Wesnitzer, Inc. Treasurer Mark Harris
Terry Marxen Chevrolet Cadillac
Immediate Past Chairman Brenda Carter APS
Ex-Officio Dr. Colleen Smith President, Coconino Community College Randon Cupp Foundation Chair, Foothills Bank Stephen Thompson Collins Real Estate
to view the full free guide, go to www.flagstaffchamber.com/mask-up-flag/
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Doug Bonate BBVA Compass Bank Colleen Brady Arizona Daily Sun Walter Crutchfield Vintage Partners Michael Horton Suddenlink by Altice Jacquie Kellogg West USA Realty Cecily Maniaci Toasted Owl Tyler Mark WestPac Construction Palmer Nackard Nackard Companies Fred Reese Little America Hotel Megan Roach FYP Director Richard Sanchez State Farm Insurance Flo Spyrow Northern Arizona Healthcare Kelly Tulloss Sutcliffe Floral
WBA Community Ambassador
Misti Warner Warner Companies
Tanya Christie National Bank Williams
Bryce Warren Twin Arrows Casino Resort
VIEW FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK To our valued chamber member community, As we head into this fall, we know that many challenges continue to face our community as we navigate the complexities of this year. While this season is one of the parts of being in Flagstaff I most enjoy with the changing aspens and cooler temperatures, this year it also means a renewed need to keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe and healthy. If you haven't seen it already, we have created a free Mask Up Guide that reminds us of our need to take extra precautions as we head into flu season. You can find it along with other COVID resources on our website at www. flagstaffchamber.com. Know that as we move into the new season, we will continue to work with and for you to adapt and pivot through the obstacles we face. Please enjoy in this issue our feature of Mike Loven, President of Loven Contracting and community leader in new construction for over 35 years. Loven Contracting is known throughout Flagstaff and beyond for their commitment to community as well as their focus on safety, efficiency and attention to detail. Their impressive project portfolio spans all of Arizona with all kinds of project sizes, scales and typologies. They are a wonderful example of leadership through difficult times, and I hope you will take a moment to enjoy their thoughtful Q&A.
Julie Pastrick President + CEO
Also featured this August/September issue is the Chamber's questionnaire for the 2020 Mayoral Candidates. These questions come from our advocacy department, and are written with the intent of understanding our candidates' stances on business-relevant issues. We cannot stress enough the importance of being politically engaged in the future of our city's leadership and it's ability to impact the business climate and legislation over the next four years. Please make sure you vote, on both national and local levels, and spread the word on the importance of being engaged and informed on the politics of being in the business community. It’s been a busy and complex month for the Chamber, but with that busy schedule comes the level of engagement you expect from your advocates here at the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce. Our focus on business assistance and partnerships for business recovery has led to both the conclusion of our partnership with Arizona Snowbowl and the pending announcement of the next four grant recipients of our Relief Grant program of $7,500 for eight local businesses. Additionally, our engagement with economic development has continued as we work with the Northern Arizona Council of Governments Economic Development Committee to discuss business recovery from COVID-19 and connected with tribal leaders to develop partnership opportunities and hear the needs and opportunities of the Navajo Nation. We also continue to push for the completion of the 2020 Census, which is crucial for bringing funding to our state and region in accordance with our growing population. We recently began a short video series featuring local business leaders speaking to the importance of the census, starting off with our own Mark Harris of Terry Marxen. It only takes a few moments to complete, and can help ensure our state receives the appropriate amount of funding for countless projects and services. If you haven't already, please complete your own census, and #BeCounted for 2020. The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of commerce is working diligently behind the scenes to positively impact our community, support local business, and remain your First Responders of the COVID-19 Economic Crisis, we thank you for your continued support!
GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOL 7, ISSUE 7 |
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NEWEST CHAMBER MEMBERS ALLSTATE INSURANCE ERIC BOATNER
OVER THE RAINBOW BUTTERFLY GARDEN
SUSANNE RUNION MASSAGE & HYPNOTHERAPY
1525 N. BEAVER ST FLAGSTAFF, AZ 86001 (928) 774-8722
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809 N HUMPHREYS ST FLAGSTAFF, AZ 86001 (415) 336-6128
PINE COUNTRY WINDOW CLEANING
FLAGSTAFF ROTARY CLUB
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CARLA VIOLA, PRESIDENT (530) 386-3285 WWW.FLAGSTAFFROTARY.COM
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AMERICAN INCOME LIFE INSURANCE FLAGSTAFF, AZ 86001 (928) 432-7356
THE FOUNDRY YOGA 119 W PHOENIX AVE FLAGSTAFF, AZ 86001 (602) 468-9642
Welcome to the Chamber! RED WING SHOES
RIBBON CUTTING
GROUND BREAKING
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2 1. Highgate Senior Living - Groundbreaking 2. Redwing Shoes - Ribbon Cutting
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CHAMBER OPPOSES COUNCIL PLANNING & COSTLY IDEAS Mayor & City Council Consider Downzoning Parts of Flagstaff: Chamber Advises Proposal to Create “Neighborhood Community” Zone is Bad Planning & Bad Policy On August 25, the Flagstaff Mayor and Council by a 4 – 3 voice recommendation directed City Staff to not move forward at this time with a massive downzoning of neighborhoods in Flagstaff. City Community Development staff, specifically, City Zoning Code Administrator, Dan Symer, had worked for years to find a way to reduce building heights in specific parts of town, and then presented the staff solution, a Neighborhood Commercial overlay zone, which would downzone private property from 60’ to 45’ in Southside, North End and Sunnyside (Fourth Street) neighborhoods. The problem with this idea/proposal is two-fold. First, it’s bad public policy. The Chamber offered in public comment to Mayor, Council and City Staff that reducing building heights in the targeted neighborhoods was a violation of Arizona’s Prop 207 law, and would expose the City of Flagstaff and Flagstaff taxpayers to tens of millions in private property rights claims. Arizona’s voter-approved Prop 207 law, robustly supported by the Arizona courts, requires municipalities to compensate private property owners when municipalities implement new zoning restrictions that reduce a private property owners current zoning. Essentially, the City’s downzoning would leave upwards of 1,000 private property owners (residential and commercial) with reduced zoning, thus exposing the City to hundreds or more claims for private property rights losses. The second problem is the action is bad planning. If the City proceeded, the City could and would likely, in the face of legal challenges, grant back the original zoning, which makes the situation worse, as now theses neighborhoods would be checkerboarded with staggered development rights. Worse, just a few years ago, the community walked through millions of dollars of “charettes” on who Flagstaff should be, and it was determined, in order to meet sustainability goals of less car trips in town, we would encourage development infill, with housing density, more units and less cars. The City’s downzoning action drives away infill development leaving us with more urban sprawl. Finally, after working 20+ years to achieve federal dollars to construct the Rio de Flag flood control project, monies which arrived to Flagstaff in February 2020, (the Greater Flagstaff Chamber supported throughout), this action would be a complete affront to all those Southside Flagstaff property owners whose properties will now be off the 100-year flood plain. One of the important reasons to achieve the $50M in federal grant monies to construct the Rio de Flag project was to spur much-needed reinvestment in the Southside neighborhood. Flagstaff’s Mayor and Council may continue to entertain the notion of downzoning Flagstaff neighborhoods in the urban core, but in the name of private property rights, community reinvestment and housing affordability, the Chamber will stand opposed.
STANDING WITH CITY TAXPAYERS:
STANDING AGAINST CITY TAXPAYERS
MAYOR CORAL EVANS COUNCILMEMBER JAMIE WHELAN COUNCILMEMBER REGINA SALAS COUNCILMEMBER CHARLIE ODEGAARD
VICE MAYOR ADAM SHIMONI COUNCILMEMBER AUSTIN ASLAN COUNCILMEMBER JIM MCCARTHY
STAY UP TO DATE!
ENews @flgchamber
@flagstaffchamber
EVERY OTHER TUESDAY IN YOUR INBOX!
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Advancing a Strong Community
Photo credit: Raina Page
MIKE LOVEN, PRESIDENT LOVEN CONTRACTING WHAT BROUGHT YOU INTO YOUR BUSINESS OR PROFESSION? The construction gene runs in my family – my great grandfather and grandfather were contractors. As a kid, I delivered newspapers, mowed lawns, and had a job at Double D tire. Once I was old enough, I began working on jobsites in the summer. The combination of physical labor, acquired skills, and critical thinking fit my personality. On the first day, I knew I had found my calling. HOW LONG HAS YOUR COMPANY BEEN IN BUSINESS OR HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THIS PROFESSION? I’ve been in the industry for 46 years – since 1974. In 1985, I took $5,000 dollars out of savings to start Loven Contracting. We’ve grown exponentially over 35 years, but at the core, we are builders and always will be builders. I’m a carpenter by trade, and I have 46 years of practical knowledge that informs our company’s culture. IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND CHANGE YOUR PROFESSIONAL PATH IN SOME WAY, WOULD YOU? IF NO, WHY NOT? When I began in the trades, my priority was a paycheck to help support my mom and sisters. College was not a priority. I think that going to university and then working for a very large contractor would have been simpler than inventing the business on my own. But, here we are, and it’s been a great ride! WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR INDUSTRY?
1100 S. Pinnacle Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 www.lovencontracting.com (928) 774-9040
I love the diversity of people and positively affecting the built environment in the communities where we work. Every high quality project that meets the owner’s budget and schedule requirements directly contributes to their success. Our work is the first step in a new business adding to the community’s economic growth. We take that responsibility very seriously. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE JUST STARTING OUT IN YOUR PROFESSION? 96 percent of our work is for repeat clients who know that we are going to deliver a transparent process and the very highest quality result. Invest in these relationships, and treat every project as an opportunity to reinforce confidence in your ethics, quality, and personnel. That is the route to long-tail stability. TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR PERSONAL SUCCESS? My family, mentors, employees, and clients have all contributed to our success. I learned the value of hard work, tenacity, and caring for others from my Mom, Grandparents, and Gary from Double D Tire. If it weren’t for my dearly missed sister Elaine, for whom Elaine’s Forest House hospice is named, Loven Contracting wouldn’t be here today – she was a pistol of an operations manager in the early days. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN OR TO BALANCE OUT YOUR WORKLIFE? In a typical year, much of my fun comes from Flagstaff’s social scene, this year, I’ve added more responsibly distanced
golf, motorcycle rides, and teaching carpentry to my little grandsons (albeit with plastic tools). WHAT INSPIRES YOU OR REMOTIVATES YOU? At this point in my career, watching the young professionals at Loven Contracting grow into leaders is a real motivator. They bring energy to our firm and are as enthusiastic about building community as I am. A great example is our ongoing COVID-19 response. Our craftsmen responded to local healthcare providers within hours to construct the containments needed to keep these essential services up and running. WHY DID YOU CHOSE TO PUT DOWN ROOTS IN FLAGSTAFF? My family moved to Flagstaff when I was 4 years old! I stayed because of the community. Flagstaff has taken care of me and I hope I have done the same. WHAT PART OF YOUR LIFE TODAY COULD YOU NEVER HAVE ANTICIPATED 10 YEARS AGO? I would have never guessed that I would be at the helm of such a young and diverse construction firm. The industry has changed a lot over the years, and I am proud that we are at the forefront in that regard. I’m years from retirement, but we have invested a lot in ensuring that our young leaders are as invested in the community as I am. DO YOU HAVE A RULE OR MANTRA YOU STRIVE TO LIVE BY? Be fair and put yourself in the other person’s shoes. We’ve been Building Relationships Since 1985!
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RETURNING SAFELY TO SCHOOL
Emy Tice, CFPŽ NAU Financial Planning Program Coordinator The fall semester started Aug. 12 with remote learning only through NAUFlex, NAU’s hybrid education model. In-person instruction, coupled with ongoing NAUFlex delivery, has been delayed until Aug. 31. The learning plan includes many different ways to learn including fully virtual; in person classroom learning with sizes of classes reduced drastically and student attendance staggered;collaborative models where small groups of 4 -10 students can learn virtually together or in the classroom; and more. All classes are live streamed and being recorded in case someone has to miss a session and will be able to do a make up. NAU has a comprehensive health and safety plan that includes education, prevention strategies, monitoring local and regional health trends, testing, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine. The protocols mentioned are being instituted campus wide in addition to hand sanitizing at the bus stops, within the classrooms and numerous locations on campus; sanitation of classrooms every day. Upon returning to campus every student has been issued a welcome packet including two face masks, hand sanitizers and other sanitation supplies. Students are strongly encouraged to be tested for COVID-19 prior to arrival, and each was asked to self-quarantine for two weeks before returning to campus for residency and in person learning. All students living on-campus are required to to have daily health screenings and temperature checks. NAU is working closely with our community college partners and local officials regarding statewide campus operations.
Dietrich Sauer Executive Director of Human Resources CCC is primarily Zoom based for instruction this Fall semester, closed on weekends, and reducing class size to 10 per session in person. CCC; maintained its learning calendar and officially starts on August 24th. The goal is to provide a consistent schedule for students that isn't subject to multiple changes. For the classes that require in-person learning such as Nursing, Construction Trades, Fire Science, CCC is taking extra safety protocols to protect students and staff by encouraging social distancing, wearing masks , increasing the janitorial staff and sanitation of all areas every two hours, breaking up classes into smaller groups, and more. For our workforce, we encourage employees to work from home and if they do come into the office we ask them to stagger shifts to limit the number of staff in any department at any one time. We do have our campuses open for students to access computer labs, registration services and financial aide services. We've increased our cleaning protocols, require employees to wear masks, hold all meetings via zoom and have removed the automatic air hand dryers from our restrooms. Lastly, we are working with our employees to adjust their schedules in support of the increased need to be home to help their children with online learning in the K-12 space. 10
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PLANNING FOR UNCERTAIN TIMES
Mary K. Walton, M.Ed Assistant Superintendent, C & I The Flagstaff Unified School District Governing Board unanimously voted to start school online on August 17th and lasting until October 9th. FUSD is prepared to welcome students back, in-person, to all its elementary, middle, and high schools in the 2020-2021 school year when community health conditions allow. The District has provided every student with an iPAD, has purchased 500 hot spots for families who need one, and has Wi-Fi available for students that pull into the parking lot of any school. Even though remote learning is the main opening model, FUSD has also established six locations called Safe Learning Centers where up to 265 students can learn throughout the day with one adult supervising every ten students. FUSD students who qualify for free lunch will be served at Cromer, Kinsey, Killip, Sinagua and Flag High and Leupp. Every site will follow preventive measures to prioritize student and staff safety. FUSD has developed plans for three instructional and operational models which prioritize quality learning experiences: In-Person Learning, Flexible Remote Learning, and FUSD Distance Learning with Northern Arizona Distance Learning (NADL).
Once permitted by state and federal leaders, both NPA and FALA will offer hybrid models for in-person learning, which would split their student body in half, with the first group meeting on Monday and Tuesday and the other meeting on Thursday and Friday. This two-day breakdown allows enough time for extended cleaning and sanitation measures on Wednesdays and weekends, between student groups. On the days they are not scheduled for in-person learning, students will complete their coursework online. The schools intend to have family members in the same group. Both campuses will be open for teachers and staff during the first quarter of online learning when social distancing practices are possible. Beyond extensive cleaning protocols as outlined by health officials, Flagstaff’s public charters will each be taking similar but individualized approaches to online and later in-person learning options. When school begins Aug. 17, FALA will be offering a Learning Lab for students who need a space to complete their online work for both the first quarter and when in-person classes resume, during the days they are not scheduled to be on campus. It has about 100 Chromebooks available for students to check out. The school’s performance-based classes, such as art, dance, music and theater, have proven a particular challenge in planning for the year. Cohen said teachers are seeking advice from others in the industry, like Arizona School for the Arts, about how they are adapting to COVID-19. FALA teachers are currently considering collaborations between classes like music and dance or theater and creative writing to prevent “online fatigue.” These online classes could be held simultaneously to reduce the amount of time students have to be in front of a computer while still allowing them to practice the two subjects and work on creative projects. GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOL 7, ISSUE 7 |
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2020 MAYORAL CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE When sworn in as Mayor of Flagstaff, the City will be roughly six months into its 2020-2021 fiscal year. To date, the current City budget has been negatively impacted by COVID19, and will likely be more largely impacted over coming months with continued business operation restrictions, and reduced travel. What is your understanding of the current City budget and impacts to the City’s budget from COVID19? Assuming there are budget shortfalls, how will you as Mayor of Flagstaff address these shortfalls? CO: From my understanding the city is in good shape financially as we ended last fiscal year in the black, even with COVID. If we don’t get into a position of revenue growth, the only option is continued cuts. Unlike the county we did not and will not raise taxes in time of COVID. City Manager Greg Clifton has been very proactive since November last year concerning the budget. PD: My understanding of the budget is that since 2017-2018 the city has seen a decline and then a flattening in sales tax revenue. For FY 2020-2021, the city is forecasting an overall decline in revenues of about 6.4%. This revenue drop will mean the city will have to make cuts. COVID-19 has caused a big drop in economic activity during the stay at home order, which has negatively impacted the city’s economy. Fortunately, in the Fall of 2019 city staff formulated a recession plan to enable the city to more quickly offset revenue declines during an economic downturn with cost-cutting measures. The Council adopted and implemented it in April 2020. The city is now in the ‘significant’ stage of the plan. As Mayor, I will advocate that the Council address budget shortfalls by looking closely at what the city can live without. For example, the city should critically analyze existing consulting contracts and think very carefully about entering into new ones. I will advocate that the focus be on eliminating those expenses that are not directly related to providing that basic services that the taxpayers want and expect. Professionally, as a government analyst, I have been through three major budget cuts and institution-wide transformations where I helped figure out how to create greater efficiencies with a fine-tooth comb. It’s back to basics for now at the City. That’s what it will take to maintain essential services for the community.
What are the key economic drivers in Flagstaff, and what’s important to you when you think about jobs and the local Flagstaff economy? CO: The key economic driver that the city has been relying on is tourism. While tourism is extremely important, with COVID we have learned we need to diversify our economy. To get there, the city will be partnering with a master developer to take 30 acres of city owned property at the airport for a business community development to diversify economy with more medical related business and manufacturing. PD: Tourism/outdoor recreation, education, healthcare, and biotechnology are the fundamental economic drivers in Flagstaff. We must continue to promote these industries, but this economic model has left Flagstaff vulnerable to economic downturns. We should learn from the impacts of the pandemic by looking at what industries continue to expand amidst the crisis. We have a strong, qualified labor force in computing and data science, industries that continue to expand even during recession. I think the city should focus its energy and resources on this sector of the economy to balance the current emphasis on more volatile segments of the economy like tourism.
What are your thoughts on housing in Flagstaff? What concerns, and solutions do you have regarding housing within the City limits? CO: Housing is a huge issue for Flagstaff and always has been. It is a supply and demand issue. We are a very attractive community to live in. My solutions are an all above approach. We have to bring dollars to the table for infrastructure, hopefully the City would receive some affordable units in exchange, to continue are work with accessory dwelling units the residential property owner to get rental income, and right now we are getting ready to put out a Request For Proposal to with a private entity to do a redevelopment of city owned and managed properties. PD: We are seeing a lot of new construction now with new home prices out of reach for many. It’s disconcerting to me that the City Council still has not looked at amending the 2010 Incentive Policy for Affordable Housing. This policy is not working as intended because developers are, for the most part, not taking advantage of the incentives. In 2018, Vintage Partners asked for a $1.6 million rebate in engineering fees for Timber Sky, a request that was outside the parameters of the incentive policy. Council granted the request. At the time, staff recommended that Council re-examine the policy if it decided to grant the request but council still has not acted. It’s quite clear that the most important thing the city can do is to come up with more effective incentives so we bring the housing development community to the table. The city and the development community should work together to find solutions to the housing challenges in Flagstaff. I don’t think the taxpayers can or should be expected to provide all of the solutions.
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2020 MAYORAL CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE Thinking more specifically about City-developed housing, what is your stance on developing the City’s threeacre parcel at Schulz Pass and Fort Valley Roads, after the City reportedly spent $500,000 on infrastructure at the site? CO: I was the first councilmember to push back against the proposal. It should not happen for two reasons. First, three major gas pipelines go through the middle of the property. Second, it would destroy an iconic viewshed. PD: I think the City Council should hit the pause button and allow the citizen initiative to place the question on the ballot of whether it should be open space or developed for housing. The City Council has been inconsistent in its direction. Thousands of people have signed the petition to get the question on the ballot. Sometimes the best thing an elected representative can do is step aside and let the voters decide the best solution to a problem.
Further along the lines of housing in the City of Flagstaff, what can/should the City be doing to improve housing affordability? CO: See response in question #4. It’s a supply and demand issue and we need more supply of all kinds of housing. PD: We can’t create affordable housing through the government alone. It is not fair to property owners and renters to place the burden of affordable housing solely on their backs. We need to revise the 2010 Incentive Policy for Affordable Housing, which isn’t achieving the policy goals that Council intended when it was adopted. We need to seriously ask what would bring the development community to the table.
Recently, public safety and specifically municipal police departments have come into question related to how they serve and protect communities, and what their funding should be. What are your thoughts on City of Flagstaff Police Department funding? Would you be advocating for increased police funding in future budgets, remain the same, or alternatively, directing current City of Flagstaff budget dollars away from the City’s police department for other services? CO: I would always advocate for more funding for police departments. When I was elected in 2016, the Council has hired more officers, gave our officers a merit pay raise, we hired police aids and their pension is 100% funded without raising taxes. PD: Over the years, our police departments have been asked to respond to all kinds of calls including those that are not really criminal in nature, including homelessness, mental health crises, and public intoxication. We’ve placed an almost unbearable burden on our officers to be experts on issues that they really aren’t trained to address, which makes the job of a police officer extremely difficult. I will support looking at strategies for how other professionals can play a role in police work so that our police officers are allowed to deal with criminal issues and social work and other related professionals deal with the non-criminal issues. This could lead to better outcomes for the public.
How would you describe the state of public safety in Flagstaff? Do you have any current concerns? CO: I am currently concerned with the several shootings and related deaths that have happened recently. Also, we are seeing an increase in graffiti. Day one after I am elected I plan to see our police chief, city management and community leaders to work towards rectifying the problems. PD: I think that Flagstaff should work towards transitioning from a retributive justice model to a restorative justice model.
Thinking about traffic congestion in Flagstaff, what are your concerns and solutions? CO: Traffic congestion is a huge problem and the city has to be proactive with partnering with other public agencies to get issues resolved, like we did with the new fourth street bridges. PD: At the moment, I believe we have to allow the City to construct the projects that the voters approved in November 2018 when they passed proposition 419, a “Continuation of Sales Taxes for Roadway, Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Safety Improvements” and proposition 420, “A Sales Tax for the Lone Tree Railroad Overpass from Butler Avenue to Route 66”. Proposition 419 will fund new streets, widened streets, pedestrian and bicycle projects, safety improvements, and street operations, including but not limited to, traffic signal technology. To accommodate vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, and buses, new and widened streets will be proposed to be built as “complete streets”. Proposition 420 will fund the construction of a new bridge connecting Butler Avenue to East Route 66 over the railroad tracks at Lone Tree Road and a new traffic signal at the connection with East Route 66. The overpass will have multiple lanes, sidewalks, bike lanes, and a Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS) trail. Connections to the pedestrian and bicycle Santa Fe Trail along East Route 66 will be made. Local street connections under the Overpass will also be completed. GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOL 7, ISSUE 7 |
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2020 MAYORAL CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE Northern Arizona University is an integral part of the City of Flagstaff, regional and state economies. What are your thoughts on NAU’s role in Flagstaff, and further, how the City interacts with NAU? CO: NAU is a $2 billion economic impact for our community. NAU since 2016 has been wanting t o be partners with the community and we need to encourage that cooperation to resolve issues in the community that are university related. PD: NAU is a major economic driver in Flagstaff. Unfortunately, however, it seems that the communication between the City Council and the NAU Office of the President has broken down. It’s important that the City Council consider how to restore this relationship.
What are your thoughts about climate change, and what should the City of Flagstaff be doing about it beyond the Climate Emergency Declaration? Will you advocate for any specific carbon related programs or policies, and if so, what are they? CO: I voted for the Climate Action Adaption Plan (CAAP) in 2018 and it was a unanimous decision. We cannot get there on our own of working towards carbon neutrality, so we will have to partner with utilities, like APS, to help with our community desires. PD: Cities can be part of the climate change problem; they can also be part of the solution. One thing the City Council could do that it really hasn’t done much in the past is to lobby the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) to regulate carbon emissions and support alternative energy. Flagstaff can’t do this alone so we should organize with other cities to put pressure on the ACC to create meaningful change.
What are your thoughts about the City’s current zoning code? CO: There is not a lot we can do with the current zoning code because of proposition 207 concerns. When a rezone is asked for the major hurdle is community benefit. PD: I think most people don’t understand the City’s zoning code. I think it’s a very complicated code that has proven to not always reflect the values of the residents.
What opportunities do you see ahead for Flagstaff? What will be your focus, priorities, when sworn in as Mayor? CO: We have a great opportunity for diversification of our economy. We are a shopping hub of Northern Arizona and there is no reason for Flagstaff to not have Costco or Trader Joes. We need to partner with the hospital in their plans to expand medical services with the new campus. My focus will also be housing and public safety. PD: We have many opportunities to improve communication and transparency in City Hall. We only have one newspaper, with limited coverage of local politics and city operations. As mayor, an area I want to focus on is more effective communication from the Mayor’s office. One of the most common complaints I hear from many people is that they don’t know what Council is doing. Even our engaged citizens are not receiving responses to their concerns and questions about city policies from our elected leaders. In addition, I want to prioritize passing a Council Code of Ethics and establish disclosure rules, so city council decisions are much more transparent. I also want to get the discussion going about how to create meaningful incentives for affordable housing.
Do you have anything you would like to add? What is important for the business community to know about you that we have not covered in previous questions? CO: As a small business that has been in Flagstaff since 1969 I understand the struggles of businesses especially as I sign the front of a check. When we expanded our business to Fourth Street after four decades in downtown Flagstaff, we had to hire an attorney to make the move because of the regulatory asks of the city were so unreasonable and we won the case. As mayor I would like to see a push to reduce regulations that hamper local businesses that want to grow and come to Flagstaff. PD: I am an effective communicator and have experience leading, directing, and facilitating meetings. I am an effective meeting chair, which is a critical role of the mayor. Anyone can announce the agenda items to the public, the council and staff, but not everyone has the leadership and communication skills to lead a productive discussion and make sure that everyone listening understands what the council discussion was about. This is a skill set that many underestimate/overlook when thinking about who to elect as mayor, but it is quite important and should be considered. I earned two master's degrees - one in political science and the other in economics, and as a government analyst my job is to use data to inform policy recommendations for leadership. I’m an analytical thinker and have experience with economic downturns in government and understand how to create greater efficiencies in government operations.
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7000ft | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOL 7, ISSUE 7 | GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
BE IN BLOOM, BE CHAMBER Small Business Drives Our Character
MOZELLE'S BAKERY
F FIELDS O
YELLOW
DOWNTOWN OUTDOOR SEATING
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7000ft | OCTOBER 2019 | VOL 5, ISSUE 10 | GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GREATER FLAGSTAFF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOL 7, ISSUE 7 | @7000ft
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