[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",6224755,"mediaKeyId","3549161-ef8a9bbe30ba0da4863774892a76c3fd","parentId",3549161,"title","Resident files complaint over investment-manager reporting; urges council to exercise charter oversight","audioSeconds",158,"startMs",741000,"endMs",899000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3549161-ef8a9bbe30ba0da4863774892a76c3fd&start=741&end=899","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3549161-ef8a9bbe30ba0da4863774892a76c3fd/thumbnail_741000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6224755/Flagstaff-City/Coconino-County/Arizona/Resident-files-complaint-over-investment-manager-reporting-urges-council-to-exercise-charter-oversight","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224755-12f7fca6f4ebc4c7183205d271c255fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771072287&Signature=Pr~poTr5sZcL7deBqEu5QUy84IJyemH7GxUU1a0JY-92iWJDWIH55jkC~gT8Y6gZw6qekd~u14lalkzaLVLcVc4KCjwiJmvytItK0fY9oJKOALC24giFPIiH3rjvNddQuCyxi0zkORM5AuGvffunrcSW0dSwVjbI~wgX8BqEL~t4FaTjPDS1pa5UzHxJZWuOsf68J3-NcSqvsFUFdexN2p1MbSSllE065Xq1cW8ZyUpHb~eb2pcEm8tsHSs3HTw3geFI9sNWMgUy7XMw1OwiFE0uQHbjxKcaXwNi4uc~7t-5vN1vZILZiH5cACD9UOZ-2nZYgNXqiLrDvb8Ra0Gcog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Flagstaff, AZ","date","2025-05-28T15:46:10.067Z","article","A member of the public told the City Council on May 27 that he had filed a formal complaint with the city attorney asserting that a recently approved contract with an investment manager conflicts with the council’s charter responsibilities for investment oversight.

“Today I provided a complaint to the city attorney regarding this,” said Steven Poor during open call to the public. Poor argued that the contract’s scope of work limits quarterly reporting to the director of management services and thus “steps you aside” from the council’s charter‑assigned fiduciary duties.

Poor cited figures he said were from the Flagstaff annual comprehensive audit: “in the last 3 years… a decline in value over $1,000,000 in 1 year, over $7,000,000 the second year, and over $3,000,000 last year,” and asked the council to “step up” in its review role. He told the council he would await the city manager’s response and next steps.

The transcript contains no council deliberation or formal action in response to the complaint; the speaker said the matter had been given to the city attorney. Council members and staff did not discuss the complaint further during the session recorded in this transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Flagstaff City Council Work Session Meeting - May 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A Flagstaff resident told the City Council he filed a complaint with the city attorney alleging a new contract limits council oversight of the city’s investment manager and cited previous investment losses documented in the city audit.","taxTitle","Flagstaff City, Coconino County, Arizona","taxId",4650,"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},6224760,"Bicycle advocate urges safer streets; city manager says upcoming projects include separated, raised lanes",521,443000,964000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3549161-ef8a9bbe30ba0da4863774892a76c3fd&start=443&end=964","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3549161-ef8a9bbe30ba0da4863774892a76c3fd/thumbnail_443000.jpg","/articles/6224760/Flagstaff-City/Coconino-County/Arizona/Bicycle-advocate-urges-safer-streets-city-manager-says-upcoming-projects-include-separated-raised-lanes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224760-edee41921828dfce99f66db1ed6e5d90/orig.mp4?Expires=1771072287&Signature=gkCEQkj9UKDHgJomPatt47AdUIIm9g9akTZCjdUMR2HH4HWs9qwf9rbLgMTubJ13wrH5oEpXe2zOoQRQw0DJTq9lIllVEVuRQ05Asmhn0gvIiMO3rlY4kelGdsc1JSGimC5KIaw8fbcdKGboZuKO-K1c6mXBwc9z~RCN~Y1d9aVdHTrTznUh5xwIzToXzCzkkom9sCv19-RkSHxHjwlJvhiCdFFUzI9j3qrU25Tw-2wqrTrNnjawU1v5cSmkB-mY~YjbteNcjVpXKDzmlIx7iwKNEgeljR1f~jiBlZCYrTVVywzli31hAI6LzsADr5p~mDUBeOuuMHsAswxxa5nYkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A local bicycle safety advocate pressed the Flagstaff City Council on May 27 for faster, more visible bicycle infrastructure and for city messages that encourage alternatives to car travel; the city manager responded that several major roadway projects include separated bicycle lanes.

“It's still May. So coming to talk about what I've talked about all May is, bicycle access, bicycle advocacy,” said Dapper Dray during the public comment period. Dray cited the fourth anniversary of a fatal crash involving his friend Joanna Wheaton and said the city needs more built multimodal infrastructure rather than “just written stuff.”

Dray asked the council to shift investment priorities away from car‑first projects and toward sidewalks, protected bike lanes and messaging that encourages people to park off‑site for downtown visits. He contrasted recent car‑oriented projects he described as a combined $80,000,000 in roadway spending with more modest potential investments in bicycling and walking.

The city manager responded in the meeting and said several large projects either completed or underway — the Beulah intersection improvements, the Lone Tree overpass, a planned John Wesley Powell extension and Butler Street work — “include separated bicycle lanes.” The city manager added that Butler will have a raised bike lane to “provide a lot of safety” for cyclists and pedestrians when construction is finished.

Council members did not take formal action on policy changes during the session. The exchange highlighted continuing tension between safety, connectivity and broader capital investments and set up an expectation that staff will continue to communicate project designs and timelines to the public.","A longtime bicycle safety advocate told the Flagstaff City Council he wants stronger, visible bicycle infrastructure and messaging; the city manager said separated and raised bike lanes are included in several major capital projects now under construction or design.",{"_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},6224763,"Flagstaff fire captain tells House committee local wildfire work supports national policy priorities",279,1785000,2064000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3549161-ef8a9bbe30ba0da4863774892a76c3fd&start=1785&end=2064","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3549161-ef8a9bbe30ba0da4863774892a76c3fd/thumbnail_1785000.jpg","/articles/6224763/Flagstaff-City/Coconino-County/Arizona/Flagstaff-fire-captain-tells-House-committee-local-wildfire-work-supports-national-policy-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224763-fd4e5def067fc89454d186986efafadf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771072287&Signature=S0GY0RxM0QVSpSNDmuCgziYZEaNHrl15-9tqTVMlkcqsVlcJ7-UYfAk3CXX7XaXjMAa~VFuXNxQi9t23XDyJhr2uURQcMUWOpPjCIXvLYEaTif8uBSnV~QzvTnb9mzgNp02zIULgnwQQjSf~qq0mumGKhcmO6Kjq4bmi6OWlwWohvUkCJsC0Y1AaW6iEJ0HgaFcmGnBli4HNKqzBzsZBtUfZglVNErUlJBaJ8orLo6mdixxkzb2W3SLpuxJxR6BHljhQ9gM~wveGsOeBn3I40XrjFJv~1m5YFut1cp6nrGMwCIK6tE5kusYALJ8I5mUmWCJCsLiCP-QsVgexJ80pFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Flagstaff wildland fire captain who testified in Washington, D.C., described the city’s multi‑decade wildfire risk reduction work and urged continued federal support to enable prescribed fire and community protections tied to air quality.

Neil Chapman, a wildland fire captain with the Flagstaff Fire Department, detailed local programs and federal policy recommendations during remarks shown to the City Council on May 27. Chapman said Flagstaff’s work on forest health and community protection illustrates how local, tribal, state and federal partners can implement prescribed fire, fuels reduction and related public‑health measures.

Chapman noted local investments and partnerships: “In 2012, Flagstaff voters approved a $10,000,000 bond to support the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project,” he said, adding that those funds have leveraged “over $40,000,000 in partner contributions.” Chapman said the city has distributed more than 450 HEPA air purifiers and is developing clean‑air hub plans for community buildings to reduce smoke exposure during prescribed burns.

He cited national policy tools under consideration, including the “Fix Our Forest Act,” and described provisions that would help by creating a Fire Intelligence Center and by clarifying Clean Air Act pathways to streamline prescribed burn permitting using the exceptional events process. Chapman also discussed the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), noting the large NEPA effort that covered about 2.4 million acres and that the Coconino National Forest has been among the most active forests for prescribed fire and timber production in recent years.

Chapman emphasized workforce and response realities: non‑federal wildland fire staff respond as first responders on roughly 80% of wildfires, he said, and the nation’s nearly 18,000 fire departments and districts have roles in wildfire response. He called for policies that support local capacity and cooperation across jurisdictions.

City managers described Chapman’s testimony as “a great representation” of Flagstaff’s work and thanked him for the presentation. Council members asked about codes and building standards; city staff said the city adopted the International Code Council’s Wildland‑Urban Interface Code in February 2008 with amendments and that staff plan to pursue updates toward the 2024 code with targeted amendments to reflect modern standards for wildfire‑resistant construction.

Chapman concluded by urging a culture shift toward proactive risk reduction and continued investment in the workforce and community protection strategies that integrate public health, forest restoration and prescribed fire.","Captain Neil Chapman of the Flagstaff Fire Department told a House Committee on Natural Resources panel that local investments in the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project and Four Forest Restoration Initiative demonstrate scalable approaches for wildfire risk reduction and air‑quality protection during prescribed fire.",{"_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},6224766,"Lowell Observatory’s Astronomy Discovery Center draws high visitation, wins national attention",2044,2308000,4352000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3549161-ef8a9bbe30ba0da4863774892a76c3fd&start=2308&end=4352","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3549161-ef8a9bbe30ba0da4863774892a76c3fd/thumbnail_2308000.jpg","/articles/6224766/Flagstaff-City/Coconino-County/Arizona/Lowell-Observatorys-Astronomy-Discovery-Center-draws-high-visitation-wins-national-attention","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224766-5ba17b46592163ed33250b3b652233c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771072287&Signature=KiOUWGtgwvfCFkyoywsG11OEYVDkOd~DTqOSwclRk8K2lJY5MskkUbXk86bKxisKYZ58wN6CBYFFmfP48ONBt58aksedddFA9oARHqFAxDAjmnLzaGCy9dL0T1uNqhtdDtHPKTIP0PAMsoXUG~YVu0z~HgHY-LfrrC91jcRbwGg1dkPkfWzCeyBF3Gw9FZQSpEMsz8zu3tfUqg3DmtGLh4jSRzqpRuuCCu7g3Tt5CGO0JfA0sVyRz5Gb9Ms-Q9OiSgg0PtXsajtIRI2BjgjUftGmDIoysR9YcN-JSdhYA-gOu545dsmYgImzLI1XpaE5MQoUE6oZDVnsS066OsP8Gw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council heard an update on May 27 from Amanda Bosch, executive director of Lowell Observatory, about the Astronomy Discovery Center, which opened Nov. 16, 2024 and has quickly become both a local amenity and an economic attractor.

Lowell officials told the council the 40,000‑square‑foot center offers indoor astronomy exhibits, a high‑resolution Universe Theater and programming for school groups and the public — and has won recent awards and increased visitation compared with last season.

“Amanda Bosch, executive director of Lowell Observatory, said the center opened to a crowd of roughly 1,600 on Nov. 16, 2024, and attendance has grown since: “Up through March, visitation increased by about a 50%,” she told the council. Bosch said the center’s exhibits include a children’s “Orbits Curiosity Zone,” exoplanet displays and hands‑on activities designed to reach families and school groups.

Bosch noted several recognitions the center has received since opening: the Newsweek Readers’ Choice Award for best science museum in the United States, inclusion on Time magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Places to Visit and a Flagstaff commission award for accessibility. She said Lowell has programs to expand access — joining the ACT 1 Culture Pass program and Museums for All, and offering reduced rates for school groups; donors also underwrite visits for students who cannot afford admission.

Heidi Hansen, the city’s economic vitality director, introduced Bosch and noted the center’s local economic role; council members described the facility as a long‑sought science amenity for Flagstaff and lauded the observatory’s outreach work. Council member Aslan said the project “should last into perpetuity” and called the center a major economic and cultural investment.

Bosch described campus amenities and near‑term plans: a rooftop “Skylight Terrace” that staff expect to use for sunset events, work on a liquor license for venue rentals, improved food options, rental venues and visitor services. She said Lowell is monitoring federal research funding volatility and is diversifying revenue through admissions, memberships, venue rentals and philanthropy.

For community access, Bosch said Lowell participates in reciprocal museum programs (ASTC) so Lowell members can visit other science centers and distributed free passes through a state library program. She said staff also operate the Native American Astronomy Outreach Program, which has run for 30 years.

Council members asked about school discounts, library passes and the center’s partnerships with local businesses. Bosch confirmed special school rates, an ACT 1 Culture Pass program presence in libraries, Museums for All reduced admission for eligible residents, and ASTC museum reciprocity. She invited council and the public to use the center and noted expanded conference and wedding rental options.

Lowell’s presentation highlighted the observatory’s role in Flagstaff’s night‑sky protection and tourism mix; city and observatory staff said they will continue to coordinate on access, venue permitting and tourism promotion.","Lowell Observatory’s new 40,000-square-foot Astronomy Discovery Center opened in November 2024 and has seen a sharp rise in visitation, won national awards and expanded accessibility and educational programs, staff told the Flagstaff City Council.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6224768,"Flagstaff details Spruce Wash flood fixes, warns wetter-than-normal monsoon; urges resident readiness",6030,2636000,8666000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3549161-ef8a9bbe30ba0da4863774892a76c3fd&start=2636&end=8666","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3549161-ef8a9bbe30ba0da4863774892a76c3fd/thumbnail_2636000.jpg","/articles/6224768/Flagstaff-City/Coconino-County/Arizona/Flagstaff-details-Spruce-Wash-flood-fixes-warns-wetter-than-normal-monsoon-urges-resident-readiness","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224768-f4f3da3a65c4d0f77478347274ab4c0c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771072287&Signature=nzTiaSK4k9L0VqkzJP3frgvwooasADrQ5-3f7BJo7nP1YUapewWEvuSoNt7Cathx7B8fvgX9CNDKW~jmYAfW2Vchp-zJMzMnHnhOMRik6nLYhv8RU3ufUBtVYBizLmwHlmz004EG2xg62252w7F5wlxx8qvIT6sbDFVWbDQF6WEx5sRnRtn2hXFPuJdqJ8zThZ0yX-vbRBc8qE-fgigmapeS9mlxqEAkIQKvh4itARlj8~TwaoobO2NzdmZieVHXhf62a2BnFb3XX6kQvlGImLJIt07agjUOBZrajRjpkyxRnt1Ll9KvpU-BGKSL95BXTIJLvEofcwSWLOl5om2Rgg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Flagstaff city staff told the City Council on May 27 that the city is in the final year of construction on a multi-project effort to reduce post‑fire flood risk in the Spruce Wash watershed and urged residents to prepare ahead of a monsoon season the National Weather Service expects to be warmer and wetter than normal.

The update matters because the Spruce Wash suite of projects — funded by a voter-approved bond and federal grants and paired with upstream county work — is intended to reduce runoff from burned slopes that caused damaging floods in 2021. City engineers said many elements will be in place before the heart of monsoon season, but some work will remain and residents should plan accordingly.

Scott Overton, Public Works director, told the council the city is in “our third and final year of delivery” for Spruce Wash and that staff are coordinating remaining construction, outreach and operational readiness with partner agencies. He said the project is complex and that members of the council would be invited to field tours so they could see what is finished and what remains.

Brian Klamowski, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service Flagstaff, gave the seasonal outlook. “We’re leaning toward a monsoon that is gonna be wetter than normal and warmer than normal,” Klamowski said. He said long‑term factors and recent winter dryness point to an increased chance of near‑or‑above normal summer precipitation and noted increased year‑to‑year variability in monsoon rainfall.

Julie Lead, a consulting engineer for Peak Engineering and the city’s Spruce Wash project lead, summarized the engineering approach and design standards. She said the projects are being sized to manage a 2‑inch rainfall spread across 45 minutes — roughly a 25‑year, high‑intensity design storm for these planning analyses — and described key elements now in place: completed roadway modifications on Grandview Drive that route more water in the street instead of homeowners’ yards; an offline detention structure known as the Wedge designed to hold about 15 acre‑feet of runoff temporarily; a new rectangular shotcrete channel and pipe conveyance downstream; and upgrades that route flows through the Killip regional basins and to a West Street wash outlet.

Hydrology modeler Joe Levrich of JE Fuller showed simulations comparing pre‑project flood depths to modeled depths with constructed elements. He said modeled flood depths fall in residential areas while increasing in engineered channels and detention facilities — the expected outcome when conveyance and storage are improved. “It’s a whole lot better than it was,” he said, while cautioning that additional construction yet to be completed will further reduce neighborhood risk.

Lead and city staff outlined funding and partnerships: the voter‑approved local measure set aside $26,000,000 for the city’s portion of Spruce Wash work; combined project costs and leveraged upstream work total roughly $56,000,000; grant partners include FEMA (with state DEMA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Forest Service; the Coconino County Flood Control District and USDA‑NRCS contributed roughly $16,000,000 of upstream work; and staff reported more than $8,000,000 in awarded grants that offset local spending.

Operational items and near‑term actions discussed included an accelerated schedule for the Cedar Avenue crossing at Spruce Wash timed with the Fourth/Cedar/West roundabout work, a plan to partially open the Wedge basin by cutting an access plate so some flow will be diverted into temporary detention before the basin’s final gate is installed, and ongoing work to coordinate detours and business outreach during road closures. City staff said they will use targeted door‑hanger outreach, news releases and Nextdoor messages for neighborhoods affected by closures.

Ed Shanks, a city section director working the operational side, reviewed readiness measures: a self‑fill sandbag station at the end of Aztec Street in Thorpe Park, a dedicated phone line for households with access or functional needs and for sandbag delivery and assessments — (928) 213‑2102 — and an increase in channel maintenance and vegetation clearing ahead of monsoon. He said contracted crews and conservation corps workers cleared roughly four miles of open channel and removed large quantities of debris this calendar year.

Daniel Kelly, the city emergency program manager, said the county and city will test sirens in the Grandview and Sunnyside neighborhoods on June 5 (test timing subject to weather or smoke). Brady Henderson, the city’s health and resilience coordinator, described a city flood‑proofing grant that offers up to $7,500 per household for flood gates, sealants and temporary barriers and said staff had distributed roughly 1,500 door hangers in impacted neighborhoods while conducting in‑person outreach.

Council members raised traffic and business concerns tied to the Cedar closure and the Fourth/Cedar/West roundabout work; staff said law enforcement and traffic engineers are monitoring cut‑through behavior, that a clear detour route using collector streets will be signed, and that further mitigation steps are ready to deploy if neighborhood cut‑throughs materialize.

Staff and consultants urged residents to register for alerts, prepare flood plans, consider flood insurance and use the city’s phone number for property assessments. City leaders said they will continue public tours and “meet in the streets” outreach events ahead of July’s likely monsoon activity.","City staff, engineers and the National Weather Service told the Flagstaff City Council the Spruce Wash suite of flood projects is nearing completion, backed by $26 million in local bond funds and $8 million-plus in grants, and urged residents to prepare for a likely wetter and warmer monsoon season.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident files complaint over investment-manager reporting; urges council to exercise charter oversight

Bicycle advocate urges safer streets; city manager says upcoming projects include separated, raised lanes

Flagstaff fire captain tells House committee local wildfire work supports national policy priorities

Lowell Observatory’s Astronomy Discovery Center draws high visitation, wins national attention

Flagstaff details Spruce Wash flood fixes, warns wetter-than-normal monsoon; urges resident readiness