Nicola Antoinopolis, Flagstaff’s sustainability director, briefed the Sustainability Commission on how the city develops annual legislative priorities and said staff updated draft language after a recent missed opportunity to submit timely comment on an APS utility rate case.

Antoinopolis explained that legislative priorities are adopted by the City Council on a calendar‑year basis and allow staff to represent city positions at the state and federal level without seeking council approval for every communication. She said the omission of explicit language about protecting residents from rate increases prevented staff from submitting a quick comment in one APS rate‑case proceeding. "We have actually, changed proposed language... we are including rates in our language now," Antoinopolis said, adding staff would submit the city's perspective when the rate case returns to the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Antoinopolis also described how priorities inform grant applications and federal lobbying efforts — for example, naming Rio De Flag flood control among priorities can help staff leverage federal support if a funding opportunity arises. She said the council will discuss the draft priorities on Dec. 9 and adopt them at a later meeting; staff will circulate the final adopted list to the commission.

Commissioners asked how they or community members could engage in the priorities process; Antoinopolis said commissioners may attend the Dec. 9 council discussion and staff would explore bringing the commission into the priority‑setting process for 2026.