[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6285945,"mediaKeyId","2566251-0278a6ac2fb314c09162672de164c975","parentId",2566251,"title","Prescott council denies petition to send major general-plan amendments to voters, directs staff on map, nondiscrimination language and other updates","audioSeconds",9165,"startMs",1557000,"endMs",10722000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2566251-0278a6ac2fb314c09162672de164c975&start=1557&end=10722","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2566251-0278a6ac2fb314c09162672de164c975/thumbnail_1557000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6285945/Prescott-City/Yavapai-County/Arizona/Prescott-council-denies-petition-to-send-major-general-plan-amendments-to-voters-directs-staff-on-map-nondiscrimination-language-and-other-updates","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6285945-fe6a45084c7ff5101975247e51957d10/orig.mp4?Expires=1774642341&Signature=duNwrS3~Yw7V66DT4SjFHDJJFeF1qliJc8EkY9cw6LxtzqdtMWUDU~eWkGOjzFTspRHngghCPh5jVpRnMuHobCUUIykakiiFDMHAnciSIKPV7lBM4zDcHqtZdsuKMfoG38x0o-cjER7m8eZrlocFXLM95nubhh37~diYxIHADzkRptQDAjb0B9TlG3jjl7Thm8JAMQXkXPnh1Of-GtuLqT0jRO8bp4OQUpDwaDh-A1qLIUDZymkTaQciwfyOaAfcbzzUjTnE6GZn0gT16n-cNYiyfEsqzlOHtW6a9UBy5cTA-vhdxge8td6oHwd-fwak9FwSdItitHMyDdyU45tc-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Yavapai County, Prescott City, AZ","date","2025-03-11T16:48:35Z","article","Prescott City Council on March 11 rejected a petition that would have required voters to ratify major amendments to the city’s General Plan and gave staff multiple drafting directions for the Prescott 2025 update.

The council voted 7-0 to deny the petition submitted by resident Ralph Hess after a multi-hour discussion that covered the General Plan Review Committee’s work, changes to acreage thresholds and whether the plan should include nondiscrimination language in the introduction or in the community-quality chapter. The city attorney told council staff recommended denial; the petition would have changed how a major plan amendment is treated, not the numerical triggers for an amendment.

Why it matters: Council members said the General Plan committee and staff had tried to strike a balance between too-restrictive rules that could stall development and too-permissive rules that would allow unchecked growth. Several council members and the committee’s chair, Terry Sapio, described the committee’s compromise to set new major-amendment triggers at lower acreages than the previous 40-acre threshold so more probable projects would be reviewed through the major-amendment process rather than being effectively exempt.

What the council decided and directed
- Deny petition: Council moved and approved a motion to deny the petition from Ralph Hess 7-0. The denial was procedural — staff said the petition would change the decision body (voters vs. council) rather than the triggers — and council majority said that requiring public votes for many foreseeable projects would impede economic development.
- Add very-low-density back to the land-use map: Council instructed staff to reinsert a “very low density” designation on the draft land-use map. During discussion council members asked staff to show where that designation would apply and to align the major-plan-amendment table with that addition.
- Nondiscrimination language: Council reviewed a revised nondiscrimination paragraph proposed by the Martin Luther King Peace & Justice Committee and directed staff to include the revised language in the plan’s introduction (a majority favored leaving it in the introduction rather than moving it to the community-quality chapter). Council recorded consensus to use the updated wording submitted to staff.
- Other drafting directions: Council asked staff to place a thumbnail of the land-use map early in the plan (with a link to the full map), to add an executive-summary (cliff notes) version for the public, to refine the major-plan-amendment thresholds and table after reintroducing very-low-density, to add childcare and YMCA references under community services, to update airport elements (including runway/airport references), and to retain the sustainability, resiliency and climate elements (with some council members preferring the phrase “climate extremes”). Staff said they would return with a revised draft on March 25.

Key arguments and concerns
- Pro-petition rationale: Petitioner Ralph Hess told council he believed voters who ratified the General Plan should also ratify major amendments. Hess said his original proposal had been presented to earlier committees but not agendized and that this step was necessary to ensure enforceability. He proposed that “major” be defined to include changes such as converting land from low-medium density to medium-high density on parcels at or above the acreage triggers.
- Committee and staff view: Terry Sapio, chair of the General Plan Review Committee, told council the committee had worked for months to produce a compromise that balanced growth and restrictions. He described the committee’s research into how many projects would have triggered a major amendment under different thresholds and said the recommended 10- and 20-acre triggers resulted from that work.
- Economic-development concerns: Council members and the community development director warned that sending typical growth-area rezonings to a voter referendum could make conducting routine economic development projects impractical, potentially requiring special elections for multiple projects per year.
- Process and clarity: Council asked staff to make the plan’s status and limitations clearer (the General Plan does not automatically change zoning and only affects future rezonings that request different entitlements), to mark which plan elements are mandatory under state statute, and to provide clearer maps and links for public use.

What’s next: Staff will incorporate the council’s directions—adding very-low-density, the revised nondiscrimination text in the introduction, the thumbnail map and clarifying edits—and return with a revised public draft for further review on March 25. No final adoption of the General Plan took place on March 11; council provided policy direction and editorial changes only.

Quotes
\"When that happens under state law, it goes to the normal planning and zoning process with public comment, and then it comes to the city council with 60 day comment, and then a two-thirds majority vote of the city council to approve it,\" Terry Sapio said of major plan amendments. \"So it would require a vote of 5 out of the 7 members of the council to approve a major plan amendment.\" (Terry Sapio, General Plan Review Committee chair)

\"I brought this to the council's attention because it appeared that it was not gonna come to the council any other way,\" petitioner Ralph Hess said, describing why he submitted the petition.

Ending
Council members agreed the draft needs clearer public-facing material, including an executive summary and an up-front thumbnail map, and asked staff to return with a revised document that incorporates the council's decisions and the corrections discussed at the March 11 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Voting Meeting - March 11th 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Prescott City Council voted 7-0 on March 11 to deny a petition from resident Ralph Hess that would have required voters to ratify major amendments to the city's General Plan, and directed staff to reinsert a very-low-density land-use category and to include revised nondiscrimination language in the plan's introduction.","taxTitle","Prescott City, Yavapai County, Arizona","taxId",53183,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6285925,"AmeriCorps NCCC crew praised for trail, invasive species and park work in Prescott",873,453000,1326000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2566251-0278a6ac2fb314c09162672de164c975&start=453&end=1326","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2566251-0278a6ac2fb314c09162672de164c975/thumbnail_453000.jpg","/articles/6285925/Prescott-City/Yavapai-County/Arizona/AmeriCorps-NCCC-crew-praised-for-trail-invasive-species-and-park-work-in-Prescott","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6285925-01ebfd8173fa020e539f75f4bb91171b/orig.mp4?Expires=1774642341&Signature=V9xcAb7mTNu6BYuV9MnFeJp55NrpgIu01W~uCCcBF8tXV2QS~FyMPOO53~7LKCrUWIquyiQjKk4l6JZh70YeZe2bI8flDfULiWjMHcfJTdRbVToijvLA0hE2i~IFTTBhHiuFvrJ07S68sSRSQe18wt4vcuX8aJeVuGskSfQNGKogEgEgQ5NZSBaS8Hhn-3EYUO-xGvmjZvQEF6K2FJbk06~jEBiso7s3~VJiuk5kWIt-5tkn67xQOuKt0X~yo~lJ18YuHnkRDey2uQtmXLtGd2cC5e91BOC56T0xs5lPvk7I~fCGqKQL76Wa77-HmWR79a~tJQbQNh6mBWvNg6ppUQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) crew called Water 6 presented to the council on March 11, summarizing several weeks of service in Prescott.

The crew leader, Elias, told council the team — made up of young adults aged roughly 18–26 — has worked on invasive-species removal, wildfire-prevention work, erosion control, trail maintenance and outdoor-classroom improvements at locations including Acre Park, Peavine Trail, Willow Lake, Watson Lake and the community nature center. City staff and council members praised the crew for removing roughly 86,000 pounds of vegetation noted in the crew’s materials (Elias said that number had risen to about 100,000 pounds since the slide was prepared) and for improving trails and erosion-control features such as gabion baskets and rock dams.

Recreation staff said the crew’s work included planting water basins and a facelift at the local adult center, building accessible trail features, constructing bat boxes and helping with public events such as Nature Ninos. Council members thanked the team and asked members of the public to note the crew’s contributions in their neighborhoods.

Quote
\"The amount of work and valuable project work that you've done is just quite remarkable... All the reduction in fuel load and other things that you've been working on are gonna be very much appreciated once we hit one of our more risky wildfire seasons,\" a council member said during remarks to the crew.

Ending
Council members posed for group photos with the crew and asked staff to continue support for similar service projects in future seasons.","A National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) crew known as Water 6 presented to the council, describing invasive-species removal, wildfire-prevention work and trail improvements in Prescott parks and lakes during an eight-week deployment.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6285929,"Council adopts updated pension funding policy; excludes Prop 4‑78 surplus from paying down unfunded liability",718,4001000,4719000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2566251-0278a6ac2fb314c09162672de164c975&start=4001&end=4719","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2566251-0278a6ac2fb314c09162672de164c975/thumbnail_4001000.jpg","/articles/6285929/Prescott-City/Yavapai-County/Arizona/Council-adopts-updated-pension-funding-policy-excludes-Prop-478-surplus-from-paying-down-unfunded-liability","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6285929-f9ad09815105360622e9d3c7a7bc3a54/orig.mp4?Expires=1774642341&Signature=dWf93XG2ACAfGTxjkSYWu9j0CRehOq5Zfyd5cBH0~S1O9OyC358Xlbiar02gM48C~L-KK6L8yqnrZSZU~xal5t~8~zEwCBgHEYeq4u0aoRyAQy5PPY0JNA9lNh4pFjh4SlYZGih~VyfRRSEq6UaFYXUHwgQ3HGPPd5YPpYeXrq2JPyaazoMOjyToY6OZOD2ySEcng8TY8AbBmDY59MQTYYExllsRlX0jdrvgl4tLqbJClIaoGOKUhVVDjkOGX60ZB9vfKUrszsje0QWhCBXpWThNM8WE5E5FjP~owAdfnRV1JAKSRDjEyyTKIUSf9ekyznWo22AM5qB9-CxxUjHd9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council adopted resolution No. 2025-51913 on March 11 updating Prescott’s pension funding policy. Budget and Finance Director Mark Whitfield (presenting) said state law requires cities to adopt a pension funding policy each year and that the policy language had been updated to clarify how the city will apply any year-end operating surpluses to address actuarial unfunded liabilities.

Key points
- Exclusion of Prop 4‑78 surplus: The adopted language specifically excludes the voter-approved public-safety sales tax (Prop 4‑78) from being treated as unencumbered general-fund surplus available to pay down unfunded liabilities beyond the regular actuarially required contribution (ARC). Whitfield confirmed that payroll and ARC for employees funded through Prop 4‑78 will be paid from that revenue stream but surplus in those dedicated funds will not be treated as available for general unfunded liabilities.
- Annual update: Staff will continue to update the policy each year as part of the annual budget and actuarial process, consistent with Arizona law requiring a funding policy that recognizes pension liability.

Why it matters: The language clarifies how the city will treat different revenue sources for actuarial planning and aims to provide a consistent framework for using one-time surpluses or operating surpluses to reduce pension shortfalls while avoiding the use of restricted or voter-directed revenue.

Vote: The resolution passed 7-0.

Quote
\"That's the way it is written. And, yeah, I mean, of course, that would be intent. There's no reason to,\" Budget and Finance staff said in describing the policy's exclusion of Prop 4‑78 surplus for paying down unfunded liability beyond ARC payments.

Ending
Staff will implement the policy language in future budget documents and return any required actuarial reporting as part of the usual budget and trust-funding work.","Prescott council adopted Resolution No. 2025-51913 updating the city's pension funding policy, clarifying that voter-approved Prop 4‑78 public-safety sales-tax revenues and donated/grant funds are excluded from being used as unencumbered operating surplus to pay down pension unfunded liabilities beyond routine required contributions.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6285936,"Council closes first public hearing on home-rule expenditure limit; staff to revise publicity pamphlet",774,3211000,3985000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2566251-0278a6ac2fb314c09162672de164c975&start=3211&end=3985","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2566251-0278a6ac2fb314c09162672de164c975/thumbnail_3211000.jpg","/articles/6285936/Prescott-City/Yavapai-County/Arizona/Council-closes-first-public-hearing-on-home-rule-expenditure-limit-staff-to-revise-publicity-pamphlet","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6285936-770e89ffab64366480a50fa5e0613485/orig.mp4?Expires=1774642341&Signature=lD2FcehEzs9W9nJUE26UpCYari7G9DLNroon3pKFbivjlvLf8m0mYCVENmXERnM0Vw~UtR9C5KegTnjv8kOgAJDnKwcwdAfse7H1t4VH~ezlLWeWxs3spzBsaBKNjkcd6W-yHgpOSOZj8anZYXFg2gfJ4z7lqi3bjEnF1tyDXqshSrLHJzSfIBRjVPsNpA0Ubx~kOPL7~18fUSE3EYrx6f5xCtC-QX39jbh4DN-60mXyYcqSG3kbjwAOoJvGrWrRhicLod2cNWnIQVGT4Jbs3q4qsuujE0DVu0DUnaZ1TOdgd0pbiAOFVUpG6pV~vIsKanJMlBjzfXBKXbNZoaOGhQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Budget and Finance Director Mark Woodfill briefed the council on the city’s request to adopt a home-rule alternative to the statewide expenditure limit. Woodfill said the statewide formula dates to 1980 and indexes spending to population and CPI; he and staff argued the formula poorly matches modern local needs and that home rule lets the city set expenditure limits annually as part of the budget process.

Council closed the first of two required public hearings on the proposed home-rule expenditure limit and asked staff to return with a refined publicity pamphlet and a one-page Q&A for public distribution. Staff noted the proposed four-year home-rule authorization would be tied to the council’s adopted five-year plan that drove the fiscal estimates shown in the information packet. The packet included projections that assumed a 3% CPI adjustment for operations and separate capital estimates; staff noted some capital items and grant-funded projects are exempt from the expenditure limit.

Why it matters: The home-rule option would allow the city to avoid the artificial constraints of a nearly 45-year-old statewide expenditure formula and preserve planned service levels and capital projects — notably if exclusions such as grants and debt are insufficient to accommodate voter-approved public safety spending.

What happens next: Staff will prepare and return with a revised publicity pamphlet for the Auditor General’s review and the council’s final consideration. The council closed the hearing by unanimous vote, 7-0.

Quote
\"If you look all the way to the far column, we would actually have to cut almost $100,000,000 out of our budget every year,\" Woodfill said, illustrating how the statewide limit could constrain service levels and capital plans without home rule.

Ending
If council ultimately places the home-rule question on the ballot and voters approve it, that authorization would apply for the four-year period described in the publicity materials; the council must follow the Auditor General’s pamphlet-review process before final placement on the ballot.","Council closed the initial public hearing on a proposed alternative expenditure limitation (home-rule) that, if approved by voters, would set the city's expenditure limit annually rather than using the state formula. Staff will revise the required publicity pamphlet and return it for auditor review and final action.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":92,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6285941,"Votes at a glance: Prescott council approves consent agenda, liquor license, pension policy and vision/mission; denies petition 7-0",3293,1426000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2566251-0278a6ac2fb314c09162672de164c975&start=1426&end=4719","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2566251-0278a6ac2fb314c09162672de164c975/thumbnail_1426000.jpg","/articles/6285941/Prescott-City/Yavapai-County/Arizona/Votes-at-a-glance-Prescott-council-approves-consent-agenda-liquor-license-pension-policy-and-visionmission-denies-petition-7-0","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6285941-8535386709d794b29954e381d30b5308/orig.mp4?Expires=1774642341&Signature=AlaE60grr2uawLghduJFSnC8G8HRmShgDYhZ8LNa-bMs3K-YXoxAsTZpMXgCCkaZ0GWkRAPoRsiYd4fUklIVcp1sg2fKltVjOua5Q9j6j09lDsO8atNvGpqqcuLHuVeVvNbBq9xsg4All8Qmz63Y2OiFyBizEnJqq9sbOGvwUYt3zS9iRxvrv1UAEbJI98K2HbWLAUWUer1VMg7b0HSV99Soe0U2TuJqG1~ljpL3VF7HYhtRKtazppcFtwuAmviK~LI~rSGX10zZ0zjPbLgSFHM9H-8YJ679nZEbAWeNzGCJbOYHwUGrfpwGawF1QJEfD8EV3tsR7wAjtPm5c2vqew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its March 11 voting meeting the Prescott City Council recorded the following formal actions and outcomes. All votes below are from the March 11, 2025 council voting meeting and were taken in open session.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda (Items 8A–8G): Motion to approve passed 7-0.

- Liquor license: Public hearing closed and the council recommended approval for a new Series 19 remote tasting-room liquor license for Granite Mountain Distillery LLC (applicant Kenneth Wyatt Knock), location 125 N. Cortez Street. Two motions were recorded — close public hearing and recommend approval — and the recommendation passed 7-0. Staff reported the application fee was paid and required posting completed; no public comments were received.

- Petition regarding General Plan major-amendment voter ratification (Ralph Hess): Motion to deny the petition passed 7-0. (See the related story on the General Plan for background and council directions to staff.)

- Alternative expenditure-limitation (home rule) publicity-pamphlet public hearing (Prop home-rule briefing): Council closed the first of two required public hearings on the home-rule expenditure limit and directed staff to return with a revised publicity pamphlet; motion to close the public hearing passed 7-0.

- Pension funding policy (Resolution No. 2025-51913): Council adopted an updated pension funding policy, including edits to exclude Prop 4‑78 revenues from being counted as unencumbered operating surplus used to pay down pension unfunded liabilities; motion to adopt resolution passed 7-0.

- Updated city vision and mission statements: Council approved updated vision and mission statements and directed staff to insert the word “individuals” into the vision sentence that lists beneficiaries (resulting language: \"where individuals, families and businesses enjoy...\"); motion passed 7-0.

Context and notes
Multiple items were acted on with unanimous council support. Where procedural public hearings were required (for the liquor license and the home-rule expenditure-limit publicity pamphlet) staff reported required notices had been posted and no substantive public testimony was received during the council’s hearings.

Official actions recorded at the meeting will be followed by administrative steps: the liquor license recommendation moves to the state licensing agency system, staff will return the revised publicity pamphlet for the home-rule ballot initiative, and staff will implement the pension policy language as part of the FY27 budget process as appropriate.

Ending
Minutes and formal documents (ordinance/resolution numbers, license file) will be posted with the city's official records.","Council approved routine consent items, recommended a new remote tasting-room liquor license for Granite Mountain Distillery LLC, adopted a pension-funding policy resolution, approved new vision and mission statements and denied a petition on General Plan amendments — all recorded actions and tallies are listed below.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Prescott council denies petition to send major general-plan amendments to voters, directs staff on map, nondiscrimination language and other updates

AmeriCorps NCCC crew praised for trail, invasive species and park work in Prescott

Council adopts updated pension funding policy; excludes Prop 4‑78 surplus from paying down unfunded liability

Council closes first public hearing on home-rule expenditure limit; staff to revise publicity pamphlet

Votes at a glance: Prescott council approves consent agenda, liquor license, pension policy and vision/mission; denies petition 7-0