Prescott Valley council appoints three to Planning and Zoning Commission

The Prescott Valley Town Council voted unanimously during a Oct. special meeting to appoint Caden Grossi and Joe Colosimo and to reappoint Sandy Griffiths to the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

The three appointments were made after brief interviews in which each applicant described their reasons for serving and disclosed potential conflicts. Joe Colosimo’s appointment includes a three-year term with a renewal date listed as Oct. 31, 2028; term lengths for the other two appointments were not specified during the meeting.

The Planning and Zoning interview portion opened after Mayor Pagoda confirmed a quorum. Each applicant answered the council’s prepared and follow-up questions. Grossi, who said he moved to Prescott Valley about a year ago, described himself as an APS land-services supervisor and said, “I love it and want to contribute to its success and growth.” He said he and his family recently relocated to the area and that one of his daughters has a disability. Grossi disclosed a conflict: he said he would recuse himself if Arizona Public Service (APS) brought a matter before the commission.

Colosimo, who said he moved to Prescott Valley in 2019 and works as a financial advisor, said he supports responsible growth and believes the town should create jobs so residents do not need to commute to Phoenix. He said he would recuse himself from matters that posed a personal financial conflict.

Griffiths, a current member of the town Planning and Zoning Commission who asked to be reappointed, told the council she has served four years on the town commission and said land-use work requires balancing economic development and environmental concerns. She noted long-standing involvement in local construction industry organizations and said she also serves on the Yavapai County Planning and Zoning Commission; “zoning is really conflict resolution and you learn how to work and deal with that,” she said.

Councilmember Freund asked whether the town’s planning decisions carry responsibilities to neighboring jurisdictions. Grossi and the others said decisions can affect nearby communities; Grossi referenced earlier commission discussion about delivery of marijuana businesses and their potential effects on Prescott, Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt. At one point Freund noted a statutory limit on the commission’s jurisdiction: “Planning and Zoning Commission has no say whatsoever with regard to water. That’s in statute,” he said; the council struck a planned water policy question for applicants after that clarification.

After the interviews the council moved and voted on three separate motions. Each motion passed with all council members voting in the affirmative and no opposing or abstaining votes recorded. The mayor congratulated the appointees and closed the special meeting.

The council did not record additional details about the length of Grossi’s or Griffiths’ appointed terms during the hearing; Colosimo’s term was stated as a three-year appointment expiring Oct. 31, 2028. The council did not discuss any substantive land-use applications during this special meeting; the session’s business was limited to the interviews and appointments.