Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Prescott subcommittee forwards HR Green general-plan contract, including $50,000 statutory add-on, to council
Loading...
Summary
The Prescott City general-plan subcommittee voted 3-0 April 22 to forward a recommended contract with HR Green to full council: a $99,900 base fee plus selected optional tasks totaling $64,500 (including a $50,000 item to address statutory elements for cities of 50,000+), for a proposed total of $164,400.
The Prescott City council subcommittee on general plan review voted unanimously April 22 to forward a recommended contract with consultants HR Green to the full City Council for consideration.
The subcommittee approved forwarding the base contract of $99,900 plus selected optional tasks (task 2 for $6,000, task 3 for $8,500 and task 4 — the statutory 50,000+ element — for $50,000), which staff and HR Green calculated together as an added $64,500 and a combined proposed contract total of $164,400. Committee member (S3) moved to forward the contract and Mayor Rusing seconded the motion; the measure passed 3-0.
Why it matters: the optional $50,000 task is designed to ensure the updated general plan includes all additional statutory elements required for municipalities with a population of 50,000 or greater; consultants said that work will require new drafting and additional staff effort to align the plan with Arizona statutory requirements.
Consultants Celeste Bocere Warner and Ed Boyk of HR Green briefed the subcommittee on the proposed scope and schedule. "The extra amount was in preparation for the extra staff effort that'd be associated with ground up construction of those new elements," Boyk said, explaining the purpose of the $50,000 line item. Celeste Bocere Warner said the firm does not expect added costs for citizen comments and will work within the lump-sum budget while accommodating subcommittee and public input.
Mayor Rusing raised concerns about prior draft language that included an anti‑discrimination clause, saying, “there was a non discrimination clause ... some members of council felt that it might jeopardize federal funding.” HR Green responded that it has not typically seen explicit anti‑discrimination provisions in general-plan text and recommended representing inclusive goals in wording that protects potential federal funding eligibility.
The subcommittee also discussed schedule and outreach. Members requested the consultants provide an early executive summary so the public has meaningful input during the 60-day review period; HR Green said the timeline is conservative and can be accelerated to deliver the summary earlier in the process. Staff clarified that while city communications can distribute neutral informational materials, municipal staff cannot legally advocate for a particular vote.
Next steps: The subcommittee will place the recommended contract on the City Council agenda (staff noted the item will appear on the consent agenda for the April 28 council meeting). HR Green said its team expects to attend the council session virtually if needed.
