Camp Verde holds joint training to align Council and Planning & Zoning on planning principles

Camp Verde held a joint work session Jan. 16 in which Town Manager Miranda Fisher and Assistant Town Attorney Michelle Stinson led a training for the Town Council and the Planning & Zoning Commission on foundational land-use planning concepts and the bodies’ collaborative roles. The meeting opened at 5:30 p.m. and was attended by Mayor Dee Jenkins, Councilors Brian Bolton, Wendy Escoffier, Robert Foreman, Robin Godwin and Jessie Murdock, Vice Mayor Marie Moore, and all Planning & Zoning commissioners.

The training, delivered by Town Manager Miranda Fisher and Assistant Town Attorney Michelle Stinson with support from Planner II Cory Mulcaire, aimed to “foster consistent collaboration and establish a shared understanding of essential land use concepts,” according to the meeting minutes. Presenters reviewed the legal and procedural boundaries that shape how the Council and the commission advise and act on development and planning matters, and outlined expectations for coordination between the two bodies.

Council members and commissioners asked questions during a follow-up period. Fisher, Stinson and Mulcaire responded to those questions, clarifying procedural roles and how the commission's recommendations feed into Council decisions. The minutes indicate the discussion focused on practical collaboration and application of planning principles rather than on any specific development proposal.

No votes or formal actions were recorded at the session. Chairperson William Tippet adjourned the meeting at 7:03 p.m. The minutes were later certified by Town Clerk Leah Rhodes.

The session is recorded in the official minutes as a training and coordination exercise; the meeting record does not show any ordinance, resolution, motion or specific policy change arising from the discussion.