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Douglas council advances ordinances on historic preservation, personnel rules and airport authority; accepts donated parcels
Summary
Council approved first readings of ordinances to keep the tax rate unchanged, amend Title 18 historic preservation (reducing HPC membership to five and removing a residency requirement), and allow a wage differential for employees with significant commuting; council also approved second readings aligning airport authority practice and accepted two donated parcels from M & M Morris Properties LLC.
Douglas — The Mayor and Council on June 10 advanced several ordinance actions affecting city code, personnel rules and property management.
Council placed and approved the first reading of Ordinance No. 26-1234, which maintains the city’s property tax rate at $1.0783 per $100 of assessed value; Treasurer Alejandro Martinez said the levy will rise because of higher assessed values and new construction. Council also placed and approved the first reading of Ordinance No. 26-1235 to amend Title 18 (Historic Preservation). Staff explained the Title 18 amendments are responsive to Arizona State Historic Preservation Office guidance: the Historic Preservation Commission’s membership would be reduced from seven to five members, the residency requirement would be removed, the commission would gain a responsibility to review and comment on local nominations to the National Register, and application language would clarify that initiating a nomination does not guarantee listing. Council confirmed property-owner participation in National Register nominations is voluntary.
Rocio Garcia Pedroza presented Ordinance No. 26-1236 to amend the City Personnel Rules and Regulations to allow the City Manager to authorize up to a 5% wage differential for employees assigned to less desirable shifts or routes that require significant commuting (cited example: Douglas-based transit drivers assigned to Bisbee routes). Because only five council members were present, staff could not attach an emergency clause and the item proceeded as a standard first reading. Council voted 5–0 to place and approve the first reading.
On second reading the council approved Ordinance No. 26-1229 to align the Douglas Municipal Code with the Airport Authority’s advisory operating practice and to require the advisory committee to deliver recommendations to the mayor and council within three days of each meeting. The council also approved second reading of Ordinance No. 26-1232 accepting donated real property (APNs 410-06-005A and 410-06-005B) from M & M Morris Properties LLC; combined unpaid taxes were $388.34 and combined assessed value $22,798.
All ordinance items discussed on June 10 passed by unanimous votes where recorded; staff noted where additional administrative steps or later readings will be required before final adoption and implementation.
