Review: Aug. 12 Council Meeting

The Sierra Vista City Council adopted a comprehensive Parks & Recreation Master Plan at its regular meeting on Thursday, Aug. 12.

The plan was informed by extensive public input provided by a community survey on Citywide park amenities and proposed options for Veterans Memorial Park and adjacent sports facilities acquired by the City from the Sierra Vista Unified School District. The plan was also based on a needs assessment conducted by staff and was identified as an objective in the City Council’s Fiscal Year 2020-21 Strategic Leadership Plan.

The plan outlines proposed upgrades to existing parks and sports facilities, maintenance needs, and new park development. It is intended to both improve quality of life for local residents and continue positioning Sierra Vista as a destination for sports tournaments to bolster economic development and tourism efforts.

Projects outlined in the plan will be accomplished as funding opportunities can be secured. City staff will continue to pursue grants to help carry out the plan in the coming years.

In other business:

• The City Council moved a series of code amendments to the City’s Development Code forward for a 30-day public comment period. The proposed text amendments will provide flexibility and clarify existing code language, which is consistent with City Council initiatives intended to make processes easy for residents and business owners. The amendments pertain to communications facilities, architecture and design review applicability, and definitions for building height and finished grade. To review the proposed amendments and submit comments, go to www.SierraVistaAZ.gov and click the link to the “Public Comment Item” webpage.
• The City Council adopted amendments to Chapter 33 of the City Code. This chapter defines details about City departments including the role of each director or chief, divisions of each department, and duties. The amendments reflect changes to departmental names and reorganizations.
• The City Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Property Tax Levy at a rate of $0.1108 per $100 of assessed value, generating an estimated $377,145.
• The City Council approved acceptance of a $32,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration for American Rescue Plan Act funding. The funds are intended to address operational impacts from COVID-19 and will be used at the Sierra Vista Municipal Airport.

Details on the council meeting items are available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, Aug. 12, City Council meeting. They can be accessed via the “City Council” folder on the City’s document server at docserve.sierravistaaz.gov/.

City Council meetings can be streamed live and past meetings can be viewed on YouTube. The meetings are also aired on Cox Channel 12. Learn more at www.sierravistaaz.gov/your-government/mayor-council/council-meetings/ or view the videos on this page.