Coconino County staff outline staffing needs, permit surge and short‑term rental enforcement

Coconino County Community Development managers told the Board of Supervisors on May 15 that department revenue is near break‑even, permit volume has surged and several staffing and data requests underlie the manager’s FY26 recommendations.

The department asked the board to approve a one‑year extension of the limited‑term building inspector position through June 30, 2026, and requested funding for data services to support enforcement of the county’s short‑term rental ordinance. County staff recommended funding a $3,000 contribution to match the city‑housed Dark Sky specialist and to maintain current position funding provided by the Flood Control District while the funding structure is reevaluated next fiscal year.

Why it matters: Community Development’s permitting and code‑enforcement work produces the department’s major revenue stream. Staff said permitting revenue typically covers operating costs but that changes in the market and large projects can swing the department’s finances. The board’s decisions will affect inspection capacity, enforcement of short‑term rental rules and dark‑sky collaboration with the City of Flagstaff.

Jay (Community Development director) said the department functions as the permitting arm for related county entities: “We are the permitting arm for the flood control district as well as public works,” and he described which engineering and hydrology staff are partially funded by the flood control district. He told the board the department currently has about 37 staff, including temporary employees and several vacancies that the manager’s office recommends filling or reclassifying.

Key details and budget requests - Limited‑term building inspector: department requested a three‑year extension; manager’s recommendation is a one‑year extension through 06/30/2026 with recruitment planned for July 1. (Recommendation presented by the county manager.) - Short‑term rental data services: the department asked for roughly $60,000 for an AI‑driven service that scrapes multiple rental platforms to identify unpermitted properties; staff said the tool substantially increases compliance and supports 1 full‑time short‑term rental officer. - Dark Sky match: $3,000 recommended to match a City of Flagstaff increase in pay for the Janice Arcola, the region’s Dark Sky specialist, with an intergovernmental agreement noted. - Abatement fund carryover: staff said roughly $60,000 remained in the abatement account for emergency boarding, securing vacant structures, and related legal work; the department asked to carry that balance forward. - Flood control funding for positions: the manager’s materials recommend maintaining current funding allocations this fiscal year while evaluating moving position costs out of the Flood Control District next year; engineering and hydrology positions were identified as partially funded by the Flood Control District.

Permit volume and revenue context Staff reported strong permit activity: the department had recorded about 4,911 permits year‑to‑date and expected to exceed 5,000 permits for the year. Jay said operating revenue in the most recent fiscal year reached about $3.7 million, with an operating budget near $3.3 million; current year revenue was reported at about $2.8 million with a projection of roughly $3.1 million. He noted the mix of projects—large renewable energy land‑use projects, very large single‑family dwellings, and many accessory dwelling units and tiny homes—produces wide variance in permit fees and revenue timing.

Short‑term rentals and enforcement Mark Stento (compliance manager) and Jay described enforcement changes. The department said it has identified roughly 1,000 short‑term rentals in the county and that the AI data service helps staff locate transient listings that appear only for brief time windows. Jay said compliance rates are “mid‑nineties” and that most complaints are resolved through voluntary compliance; staff told supervisors the short‑term rental program is largely self‑funding from permit fees.

Code enforcement and hearings Staff said the department is bringing more cases to administrative hearings because it has improved service and serving processes for respondents. Mark said bottlenecks were procedural rather than strictly staffing: “Our bottlenecks in terms of enforcement aren’t staffing related. We’re efficient enough that especially with Tristan added. He is primarily short‑term rentals, but he does do some general code enforcement with us.” He said the county attorney’s office and Community Development will consider revisions to the enforcement section of the zoning ordinance this summer.

What’s next The manager’s recommendation presented to the board holds several items for FY26 funding pending board decisions and for re‑evaluation next fiscal year. Staff said recruitment for the building inspector role is planned for July 1 and that the department will continue to report to the board on any large revenue shifts tied to construction market conditions.

Ending: The Community Development presentation closed with supervisors praising staff for high permit volumes and improved short‑term rental compliance, while leaving funding and a few structural questions—especially the Flood Control District funding transfer—for follow‑up in the budget process.