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Prescott council approves $164,400 HR Green contract to update general plan over dissent
Summary
The City of Prescott authorized a $164,400 contract with HR Green to update the general plan, citing the firm’s Arizona experience and the city’s near‑50,000 population threshold; the measure passed 5‑2 after council debate over cost and voter timing.
The Prescott City Council voted 5‑2 on April 28 to hire HR Green to assist city staff with a general‑plan update, approving a contract the council discussed at length for its cost and its timing.
Supporters said HR Green’s experience with Arizona communities and familiarity with statutory requirements will help the city complete a plan that previously failed two times in 2025. Councilmember (speaker 8) noted the firm’s work across Arizona and called the engagement “an important step” for a community approaching the 50,000‑person statutory threshold that triggers additional planning elements.
Ed Boik, HR Green’s project manager, told council, “My name is Ed Boik. I’ll be the project manager on this project…we're just happy to be here, answer any questions you might have about how we can help you carry this general plan over the finish line.” He emphasized the consultant will check compliance with Arizona Revised Statutes and help organize the plan into a clear, implementable document.
Opponents argued the consultant contract was premature and too costly. One council member (speaker 3) said, “This is a gross misuse of city funds, and I will not vote for it,” objecting to hiring a consultant after work by boards and commissions and before a public vote on the plan.
The contract’s price was discussed in the meeting record as $164,400. Council approved the contract with a 5‑2 vote; the exact scope includes tasks to ensure statutory compliance and produce a user‑friendly document for implementation and future amendments.
Next steps: with council approval, HR Green will work with the subcommittee and city staff on the update process described at the meeting. The consultant’s work is intended to prepare the general plan for the next steps described by staff and the subcommittee; no final adoption vote was recorded at this session.
