Council HQ

At its meeting on Thursday, Aug. 8, the Sierra Vista City Council moved forward development code amendments for public comment that would expand the hours of operation for recreational marijuana facilities.

The amendments were requested by Trulieve, a recreational marijuana dispensary in Sierra Vista. The change would expand the hours of operation from no earlier than 9 a.m. and no later than 7 p.m. to no earlier than 8 a.m. and no later than 10 p.m.

To review the proposed amendments and make comments, go to Engage.SierraVistaAZ.gov. Please submit comments by Monday, Sept. 9.

In other business:

• The City Council adopted the primary tax levy rate of $0.1033 per $100 of assessed value, generating an estimated $387,167 this fiscal year. This is a slight increase from the $382,261 collected in the prior fiscal year due to new construction. The rate was decreased so the amount paid by citizens is the same as the prior year.
• The City Council approved acceptance of a $120,000 grant from the Arizona State Parks, Heritage Fund, Non-Motorized Grant Program for the construction of an Americans with Disabilities Act accessible public restroom at Garden Canyon Linear Park off of St. Andres Drive. The City will provide an in-kind match of $30,000.
• The City Council approved amendments to the City’s tax code in accordance with the state’s Model City Tax Code.
• The City Council approved acceptance of the resignation of Bruce Phillips and appointment of Karen LeMay to the Sierra Vista Environmental Stewardship Commission, said term to expire April 30, 2026.
• The City Council approved designation of David Felix as the Chief Financial Officer authorized to submit the Annual Expenditure Limit Reports for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 and Fiscal Year 2024-2025.

More information from Thursday’s City Council meeting is available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, Aug. 8, City Council meeting. They can be accessed via the City’s website at www.sierravistaaz.gov/government/city-council/council-documents.

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/government/city-council/council-meetings or in the “Council HQ” page at Engage.SierraVistaAZ.gov.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, July 25, the Sierra Vista City Council adopted the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Final Budget.

The final budget amount of $172,359,341 remains unchanged from the tentative budget approved on June 27, 2024. The final budget book will be developed and made available in early October. The public will be able to access the budget book on the City’s website, at the Sierra Vista Public Library, and at City Hall. The City’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30.

The City Council also held a public hearing on the adoption of the proposed property tax levy rate at $0.1033 per $100 of assessed valuation, which would generate an estimated $387,068 in FY24. The tax levy rate was decreased slightly due to an increase in valuation of taxable property, so the amount paid by citizens remains the same. The total revenue is slightly higher than the $382,261 collected last year due to new construction.

The City Council will take final action to adopt the property tax levy at its meeting on Thursday, Aug. 8, at 5 p.m.

In other business:

• Mayor Clea McCaa proclaimed the month of August 2024 as Hummingbird Month in and for the City of Sierra Vista.
• Heinfeld Meech and Company, P.C. presented the Fiscal Year 2023 audit as required by Arizona law.
• City Chief Financial Officer David Felix presented the City’s compliance with ARS 9-481 and ARS 41-1494.
• City Council reappointed Gary Smith and Victoria Yarbrough to the Fire and Police Pension Board.
• City Council accepted the resignations of Sophia Rosa and Lexi Prickett from the Youth Commission and appointed Ian Burnett and Anna Burnett.
• City Council authorized the Industrial Development Authority to issue Educational Facility Revenue Bonds to benefit the American Leadership Academy. As usual, the City incurs no financial responsibility or risk with these bonds.
• City Council approved an Intergovernmental Agreement with Cochise County for funding a consultant to promote retention and expansion of missions on Fort Huachuca.
• City Council approved the release of the payment plan with Castle & Cooke, contingent on the transfer of the Pueblo del Sol golf course property.
• City Council approved updates to the City’s Personnel Rules and Regulations, including adding a definition of a domestic partner; changing the falsification of an employment application disqualification time from indefinite to two years from the date of the application; adding a definition for mandatory holdover and defining its compensation; changing vacation usage eligibility from six months to 30 days; adding domestic partner as an eligible family member for the purpose of bereavement leave; and modifying the amount of paid bereavement leave from 24 hours to 40 hours and from 60 to 48 for Fire personnel.

More information from Thursday’s City Council meeting is available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, July 25, City Council meeting. They can be accessed via the City’s website at www.sierravistaaz.gov/government/city-council/council-documents.

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/government/city-council/council-meetings or in the “Council HQ” page at engage.sierravistaaz.gov.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council approved the Vista 2040 General Plan.

The plan provides an over-arching guide for future development over the next 10 years and informs the City Council’s strategic planning efforts. It contains five themes: community growth and development; economic vitality; connectivity; public facilities and services; and environmental sustainability.

Before finalizing the plan, the City sought feedback from City commissions and offered two cycles of public feedback that included both in person and online opportunities to review the plan and comment on it. That feedback helped to shape the final draft, which will come before Sierra Vista voters in the November 5, General Election. The plan will be available for review online at www.SierraVistaAZ.gov/Vista2040 and physical copies will be available for review at City Hall and the Sierra Vista Public Library.

In other business:

• Mayor McCaa proclaimed the week of June 23 through June 29 Boys and Girls Club Week in and for the City of Sierra Vista.
• City Council approved the FY2024/2025 Tentative Budget. The tentative budget adoption effectively caps the upcoming fiscal year at $172,359,341. This means changes may be made within that spending limit prior to adoption of the final budget, but the total amount cannot be increased.
• City Council designated David Felix as the CFO authorized to submit the Annual Expenditure Limitation Report with the State.
• City Council authorized the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) to issue its Charter School Revenue and Refunding Bonds to LEAD Charter Schools.
• City Council authorized the IDA to issue its Charter School Revenue and Refunding Bonds to Leading Edge Academy Maricopa Charter School Project. The City and IDA have no financial burden for these bonds.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council voted to renew an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) for a continuing partnership between the City of Sierra Vista, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cochise County Community College District to operate the Southeastern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Academy (SEALETA).

The purpose of the agreement has been to enhance law enforcement services by offering a local, cost effective, law enforcement training academy. So far, the agreement has proven to be successful.

“This particular academy is producing the highest caliber recruits we’ve seen,” Sierra Vista Police Chief Chris Hiser says.

Within the IGA, the Sierra Vista Police Department agrees to provide a recruit training officer at the academy and to allow SEALETA to utilize the SVPD defensive tactics room for training when needed. In return, Cochise College agrees to reimburse the City up to $11,800 for overtime pay for the officer assigned to the academy.

In other business:

• Mayor McCaa honored the winners of the Council Chamber photography contest. The winning photographers have their work featured in a display that was part of an update to the City Council Chambers. The winners received a certificate of appreciation and honorarium for their work.
• Mayor McCaa and Chief Hiser honored the Sierra Vista Police Department Annual Awards winners.
• Council voted to adopt the Surface Water Master Plan (SWMP) and associated code amendments. The SWMP guides the planning, construction, location, and function of surface water conveyance systems and erosion control measures within the City.
• Council authorized submission of the City’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan, Annual Action Plan for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding, and the 2024 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for review and approval.
• Council approved an addendum to the City Attorney’s contract to allow the annual base salary to correlate with salary increases received by other City employees on an annual basis.
• Council adopted updates to the City’s policies and procedures for naming and renaming public facilities and areas. These changes reflect updated commission and departmental names, remove redundancies, and ensure that the policy is clear and easy to understand.
• Council approved a loaned employee agreement between Cochise County and Southeastern Arizona Communications (SEACOM) to retain the services of SEACOM Executive Director Tammy-Jo Wilkins.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council voted to terminate development agreements between the City and Lawley Holdings, LLC, and Sanctuary Revocable Living Trust.

Prior to last night’s Council meeting, Sean Lawley requested that the City terminate four separate development agreements pertaining to seven different tax parcels–owned by Lawley Holdings and Sanctuary Revocable Living Trust–on the grounds that they were placing an unnecessary encumbrance on the potential sale of those properties. The City’s Community Development Department reviewed the development agreements and determined that the conditions had been met or were no longer applicable to future development.

The City terminated a similar agreement for the Mall at Sierra Vista in 2020 and has now instituted sunset provisions on new development agreements that include benchmarks for termination of the agreements. This will eliminate the need to bring these agreements back before Council.

The Council’s decision will remove unnecessary obstacles for Lawley Holdings and Sanctuary Revocable Living Trust as they move forward on the sale of the properties and transference of their titles.

In other business:

• Council approved the abandonment of a portion of Charleston Road right of way and reserved a sewer easement on the property. The property, located along the south side of Charleston Road between the roadway and the Cochise Crossroads shopping center, exceeds the 100-foot-wide right-of-way width requirements and serves no public benefit. The abandonment will transfer ownership of the property to Cochise Crossroads, where it can be used for future development.
• Council approved a Conditional Use Permit to authorize New Hope Fellowship Church to construct a 1,200 square-foot expansion to the auditorium on their property. The church falls within a Single-Family Residence-36 zone, which classifies places of worship as a conditional use that requires City Council approval.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council approved an agreement to accept Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF) exchange funding for a pavement replacement project on Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway.

In the approved resolution, Council authorized an intergovernmental agreement with the Arizona Department of Transportation to accept $405,000 in HURF exchange funds for pavement replacement on Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway between the bypass and Avenida Escuela. The pavement in this area is at the end of its lifecycle and needs reconstruction due to the high volume of heavy truck traffic that services retail development there.

The HURF exchange funding stems from federal Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBGP) funds that are appropriated to state highway funds. The state can then allocate the funds to areas having a population of 200,000 or less.

No matching funds from the City are required.

In other business:

• The City Council approved the donation of two surplus vehicles–a 2000 Chevy Silverado truck and 2005 Ford F250 truck–to Sierra Vista’s sister city Cananea, Sonora, Mexico.
• The City Council approved an Intergovernmental Support Agreement with Fort Huachuca for the City to perform needed repairs and maintenance to washing machines and dryers on Fort Huachuca. In return, Fort Huachuca has agreed to a cost that covers hiring two additional Public Works Facilities Tech I employees and one additional work truck, with a second work truck purchased in the sixth year. Fort Huachuca will also reimburse the City for the costs of parts purchased to maintain the machines. The agreement is for one year, but is renewable annually for the next 10 years.
• The City Council approved the renewal of Turf Paradise’s Off-Track Wagering Permit at PC’s Lounge.

More information from Thursday’s City Council meeting is available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, May 9, City Council meeting. They can be accessed via the City’s website at www.sierravistaaz.gov/government/city-council/council-documents.

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/government/city-council/council-meetings or in the “Council HQ” page at engage.sierravistaaz.gov.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council moved forward the updated Surface Water Master Plan (SWMP) draft and associated code amendments, opening them for public comment.

Updates to the plan are based on data from a study conducted by CMG Drainage Engineering in cooperation with the City of Sierra Vista Public Works Department. The last SWMP was updated in 2006, and both man-made and natural changes to some of the stormwater runoff watercourses make updates necessary.

The SWMP guides the planning, construction, location, and function of surface water conveyance systems and erosion control measures within the City. These measures help to manage surface water runoff as a valuable resource and to protect infrastructure.

The updated SWMP requires the Development Code to be amended to ensure consistency. Therefore, both the updated SWMP and Development Code amendments are considered together with this action.

Both the SWMP and associated code amendments are available for public review and comment until Tuesday, May 28. To read the documents and offer input, visit Engage.SierraVistaAZ.gov.

In other business:

• Mayor Clea McCaa proclaimed April 29 through May 3, 2024, as National Small Business Week in and for the City of Sierra Vista.
• The Economic Development Commission awarded a City Business Recognition Award to Vista Pros Heating & Cooling in conjunction with National Small Business Week. To learn more about Vista Pros and this award, see the story published in the City’s email newsletter, on the City’s website www.SierraVistaAZ.gov, and on the “City of Sierra Vista” Facebook page today.
• Mayor Clea McCaa proclaimed May 11, 2024, as Letter Carriers Food Drive Day.
• The City Council voted to accept an Operation Stonegarden (OPSG) grant in the amount of $111,763 from the Arizona Department of Homeland Security. OPSG supports enhanced cooperation and coordination among Customs and Border Protection, United States Border Patrol, and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies. The funds go towards OPSG deployments, which enhance SVPD’s proactive enforcement of state drug trafficking and traffic statutes in Sierra Vista and the immediate surrounding areas. The funding is also used for participation in Operation Safe Streets details with surrounding agencies to enhance coordinated efforts to safely apprehend fleeing vehicles involved in human smuggling.
• The City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Cochise County for election supplies and services, including election equipment, administrative services, consulting services, and election board workers. The IGA is an example of a successful partnership that ultimately saves the City the significant expense of staging its own election.
• The City Council voted to grant the Church of God a sewer easement to connect with the City’s line that crosses a portion of Soldiers Creek Park.
• The City Council approved the resignation of Rachel Gray and appointment of Paul Cimino to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

More information from Thursday’s City Council meeting is available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, April 25, City Council meeting. They can be accessed via the City’s website at www.sierravistaaz.gov/government/city-council/council-documents.

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/government/city-council/council-meetings or in the “Council HQ” page at engage.sierravistaaz.gov.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council considered the City’s annual action plan for its allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, which is currently open to public comment.

At its meeting on March 15, Council heard requests for CDBG funds from Good Neighbor Alliance, Boys and Girls Club of Sierra Vista, United Way of Sierra Vista and Cochise County, and City of Sierra Vista projects, including Montebello neighborhood fire safety improvements and general program administration. Those requests have been recommended for inclusion in the City’s annual allocation of CDBG funds and the CDBG Five-Year Consolidated Plan.

The City receives an annual allocation of approximately $250,000 in CDBG funds, and the plan identifies goals, objectives, and strategies for addressing housing and community development needs with that funding. The City has also completed an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, which represents Sierra Vista’s efforts in making an objective assessment of the nature and extend of fair housing concerns in the City and the potential impediments to making fair housing choice available to its residents.

Both the CDBG Five Year Consolidated Plan and the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice 2024 Update are available for public review and comment until Wednesday, May 8. To read the documents and offer input, visit Engage.SierraVistaAZ.gov.

In other business:

• Mayor Clea McCaa proclaimed April as Water Awareness Month, Fair Housing Month, and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the week of April 8 through 12 as Young Child Week, in and for the City of Sierra Vista.
• The City Council passed a resolution restating the City’s Commitment to Fair Housing in Sierra Vista.
• The City Council approved a new Series 10 Limited Liability-type Liquor License for Francisco Javier Romero on behalf of the Dollar General Store located at 5240 E. Highway 90.
• The City Council authorized the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) to issue, offer, sell, and deliver one or more of its Education Facility Revenue and Refunding Bonds for Desert Heights Charter School Project. This does not result in a financial commitment or liability for the City.
• The City Council authorized the IDA to issue, sell, and deliver one or more of its Education Facility Revenue for Edkey Charter Schools Project. This also does not result in a financial commitment or liability for the City.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council approved an amendment to the Development Code allowing eligible property owners to claim credit for portions of adjusted right-of-way property.

In February, City Council approved and adopted the Sierra Vista Roadway Design Manual and associated code amendments that, among other things, revised road classifications for some City streets and adjusted minimum required right-of-way widths.

The newly incorporated amendment concerning right of ways now allows property owners to claim credit for portions of the adjusted right-of-way property to construct porches or room additions. The new amendment applies only to residentially zoned properties and does not grant a reduction of right of way for portions of a front building façade containing an enclosed garage or carport so that adequate parking may be preserved.

In other business:

• Mayor Clea McCaa proclaimed the week of March 10 through 16 of 2024 Girl Scout week for the City of Sierra Vista.
• The City Council approved the transfer of a Series 12 Liquor License for Andrea Dahlman Lewkowitz on behalf of RMH Franchise Corporation dba Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar. The transfer is in reference to an acquisition of control on a corporate level, which allows for the transfer of the license.
• The City Council authorized the City attorney to pursue legal action against Edwin Groover to set aside liens Mr. Groover filed against the City of Sierra Vista. The City attorney determined that the liens have no basis in fact or law and noted that this action is the only to way set them aside.
• The City Council authorized changes in the Industrial Development Authority’s issuance of its Education Facility Revenue Bonds. This amending resolution simply updated the firm the IDA is working with and the date to reflect accuracy.
• The City Council appointed Richard Rhodes to the Sierra Vista Transportation Commission.