Council approves code amendments to meet state law requirements
At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council approved code amendments regarding accessory dwellings, residential rezoning reviews, and standards on domesticated fowl to meet new state law requirements.
Earlier this year, the Arizona state legislature passed two significant housing bills regarding regulating development standards for accessory dwellings and reviewing deadlines for residential rezonings. The first eliminates architectural design requirements for accessory dwellings and removes restrictions for those units if they are more restrictive than those for single-family dwellings with regards to height, setbacks, lot size or coverage, or building frontage.
The second sets review deadlines for rezoning applications. Both laws intend to address statewide housing shortages. The amendments passed by City Council bring Sierra Vista’s Development Code into compliance with these new state laws.
City Council also passed an amendment to the ordinance regarding domesticated fowl, which caps the total number of allowed domesticated fowl on detached, single-family dwellings to six regardless of lot size. Priorly, the ordinance language allowed one fowl per 1,000 square feet up to a maximum of eight. This ordinance amendment complies with the new state law governing domesticated fowl.
The state set a deadline for municipalities to adopt these standards by Jan. 1, 2025, and the City Council votes to approve the amendments meet these requirements.
In other business:
• Mayor Clea McCaa presented Certificates of Appreciation to outgoing City Commissioners.
• Council voted to approve the transfer of a Series 6 Liquor License to Chiragkumar Patel on behalf of Shree Hanuman Inc. dba Jr’s Bar, and to approve two new applications for Series 6 Liquor Licenses for Vanessa Lea Laurin on half of Beatnik LLC and Aaron Isaac Dawson on behalf of Jar Enterprise LLC dba Vista Beverage House.
• Council moved forward code of ordinance amendments regarding parks for public comment. The public can review the proposed changes and submit comments on Engage.SierraVistaAZ.gov during the 30-day public comment period. Comments must be submitted by Sunday, January 12, 2025.
• Council approved amendment updates to the City Code relating to the office of the City Manager regarding requirements, powers and duties, and various other specifications related to the position. These changes update outdated provisions within the code to reflect state laws and current practices.
• Council approved amendment to the City Manager’s contract to adjust the annual base salary to $197,083, provide 20 days of administrative leave that may be used as additional vacation days, and compensate the City Manager for any unused vacation leave that exceeds the accrual limit of five days or 40 hours of administrative leave.
• Council voted to amend the Personnel Rules & Regulations to allow the extension of light duty past the current six-month limit with approval of the City Manager and to provide paid military leave.
• Council voted to approve the Industrial Development Authority issuance of an Education Facility Revenue Bond to Signature Preparatory and another to Champion Schools Project.
• Council approved an amendment to the intergovernmental agreement between Cochise County, City of Sierra Vista, and Cochise County Community College District regarding the Southeastern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Academy. The amendment includes the dates of the spring semester and requirements for on-campus housing and meal plans for non-resident participants.
• Council approved the Estates II at Holiday final plat.
• Council approved an amendment to the Southeastern Arizona Communications Intergovernmental Agreement regarding human resources services and governing board makeup. The amendment begins to shift human resources and administrative services from the City of Sierra Vista to Cochise County and adds the Cochise County Sheriff in an “ex officio” capacity, to serve as the non-voting Chairman of the Board with limited authority to cast a vote only in the case of a tie.
