Council HQ

The Sierra Vista City Council approved the acceptance of an Operation Stonegarden grant totaling nearly $100,000 to support the Sierra Vista Police Department’s efforts to support federal agencies with border security.

Provided by the Arizona Department of Homeland Security, the grant covers $83,913 for overtime and full employee related expenses and $12,460 for mileage. State and local agencies participating in Operation Stonegarden enforce state law and coordinate enforcement efforts with federal partners to provide overlapping layers of public safety for the communities they serve.

Operation Stonegarden deployments enhance SVPD’s proactive enforcement of state drug trafficking and traffic laws in Sierra Vista and the immediate surrounding areas. These funds are also being used to support SVPD’s participation in Operation Safe Streets.

In other business:

• The City Council accepted a warranty deed needed for public-right-of-way along the eastern side of Judd Street, adjacent to Los Arcos Estates. The City is in the process of preparing a grant request for improvements that support safe pedestrian access to transit stops in the area. The proposal includes constructing curb, gutter, and a shared use path along the eastern side of Judd Street, between Timothy Lane and Busby Drive. Los Arcos agreed to donate about 0.81 acres of property needed for the right-of-way improvements.
• The City Council adopted a resolution restating the City’s commitment to fair housing in Sierra Vista. Mayor Rick Mueller also issued a proclamation declaring the month of April as Fair Housing Month.
• Mayor Mueller issued a proclamation declaring the month of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
• Mayor Mueller issued a proclamation declaring April 12, 2022, as Education and Sharing Day.
• The City Council recognized the 2021 Sierra Vista Fire & Medical Service Award winners.
• The City Council recognized the 2022 Water Wise Youth Poster Contest winners.

More information from Thursday’s City Council meeting is available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, April 14, 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 on this page.

The Sierra Vista City Council approved a utility easement for Arizona Water to provide services to an Emergency Medical Services substation under construction on the northeast corner of Buffalo Solider Trail and 7^th Street at Thursday’s regular council meeting.

The substation will provide quick back up for the Sierra Vista Fire & Medical Services EMS crew on Fort Huachuca, improve EMS response for many military families living off-post, and benefit the community at-large with reduced response times. More than 90 percent of the calls SVF&MS receives each year are medical in nature and this new station will help the department keep pace with an increasing call load.

Construction is expected to be complete in the summer. It is funded in part by a Defense Community Infrastructure Program grant of more than $1.4 million from the Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation.

In other business, the City Council approved two separate pre-annexation agreements for single family residential properties. The properties are located at 226 N. 2^nd Street and 218 N. 1^st Street.

The Sierra Vista City Council approved amendments to the West Sierra Vista Redevelopment Area Plan, which was the final step needed to enable the City to provide matching grant dollars to additional commercial tenants and property owners seeking to improve their sites in the West End.

The original redevelopment area was established in 2017 and encompassed about 23 acres, before being expanded in 2019 by another 29 acres. The newly expanded area adds 162 non-residential parcels, totaling about 111 acres west of N. 5^th Street, where there has been significant interest from businesses seeking to apply for matching grant funds under the City’s West Sierra Vista Partnership Program.

The amendments approved on Thursday also increased the annual planned allotment for the grant program from $50,000 to $100,000, subject to the City’s annual budget process. The plan amendments also recommend establishing a $15,000 annual budget for increasing public art in public spaces to add vibrancy to the downtown area and create a stronger sense of place.

The City will begin accepting applications for properties in the new expansion area immediately and can begin approving them in 30 days once the resolution takes effect.

Both the West End Commission and Planning and Zoning Commission recommended adoption of the plan amendments. The Planning and Zoning Commission found them to be consistent with the City’s General Plan Vista 2030.

Concept plans for the property located on the southeast corner of Fry Boulevard and Fab Avenue property were removed from the plan amendments and will return to the City Council at a future work session as a stand-alone item to discuss the future direction of that site. The plan amendments as approved do still include drainage and right-of-way improvements for that property, which will be part of the budget recommendations for next fiscal year.

Council considers CDBG requests

The City Council heard proposals for how to use the City’s next allocation of Community Development Block Grant funds, anticipated to be about $260,000.

The Sierra Vista Dream Center and United Way of Sierra Vista each presented requests and the City presented two projects.

The Dream Center requested $30,000 for solar parking lot lights and proposed a partnership with the City to share a parking lot that could also be used for tournaments at Cyr Center Park. The United Way requested $39,000 to assist low-income community members with the following services: food assistance, education assistance, homeless assistance, and employment.

City staff recommended $225,000 for improvements at Soldiers Creek Park and presented a request for $235,971 in improvements along Judd Street as an alternate option.

The Council expressed interest in supporting all the projects in some manner and City Manager Chuck Potucek said there are other funding opportunities that may be pursued to support the Dream Center and Judd Street projects, leaving the United Way and Soldiers Creek project as the tentative recommendations for CDBG funding. Staff will do more research and these options will return to the City Council for further discussion at an upcoming work session.

In other business:

• The City Council approved the modification of conditional use permits for two communications towers to change them from “stealth pole” designs to “monopine” designs. The changes were needed to facilitate the addition of 5G equipment to the towers and minimize their visual impact.
• The City Council granted authorization to approve a settlement agreement in the civil lawsuit Mary Brown v. the City of Sierra Vista.
• The City Council approved the donation of four Ford Crown Victorias to Cochise College to support the Southeastern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Academy.
• The City Council approved an addendum to the City Manager’s contract.
• The City Council approved a minor subdivision plat splitting the property located at 500 N. Garden Avenue into two separate parcels.

More information from Thursday’s City Council meeting is available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, March 10, 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 on this page.

The Sierra Vista City Council approved a mid-year 4 percent increase to compensation for City staff at its meeting on Thursday to help keep pace with comparable cities in Arizona.

The increase will take effect on Feb. 28 and will be reflected on the March 18 payroll. It applies to both full time and part time City staff.

Chief Human Resources Officer Barbara Fleming said that preliminary information received as part of an annual market comparison with similar cities in Arizona shows that the City of Sierra Vista’s salaries have fallen about 5 percent behind on average. As a result, staff recommended doing a mid-year market shift now and then consider an additional increase as part of the budget for the new fiscal year starting July 1.

Fleming said many cities have indicated they are preparing for additional wage increases in the upcoming fiscal year amid a highly competitive market for employees. The City will have more information on how it compares in the coming months as the budget process for all Arizona cities moves forward.

City Council Member Gregory Johnson motioned to amend the recommended increase from 2 percent to 4 percent. The City Council unanimously approved the motion and adopted the resolution as amended. The increase does not impact pay for council members. Council members agreed that it is important to do more now to ensure employees stay with the City and keep the City’s compensation rates competitive with its peers.

The City Council received a mid-year briefing on the budget during this week’s work session on Tuesday. The report detailed how revenues are significantly ahead of budget and expenditures are below budget, which puts the City in a favorable position to make a mid-year adjustment to the compensation plan.

At Thursday's City Council Meeting, Sierra Vista Mayor Rick Mueller recognized City Manager Chuck Potucek for recently receiving the John J. DeBolske Professional Excellence Award at the Arizona City/County Managers Association Winter Conference.

The top honor ACMA can bestow upon a member, the award recognizes city, county, and town managers who demonstrate the highest level of professional excellence in local government and who have made life contributions in serving the profession. Potucek has served Sierra Vista for 36 years, including 26 as city manager.

“They have finally figured out what we have known for years and years in the City of Sierra Vista, that we have the best city manager in the state,” Mayor Mueller said on Thursday.

Potucek said it is honor to be recognized by his peers in the state and to receive an award named in honor of Jack DeBolske, who served as executive director of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns for 40 years. DeBolske was the father of the Phoenix freeway system, Arizona’s state shared revenue system, and the state’s groundwater laws.

“I just want to thank the community that my wife Maureen and I have been able to call home over the last 36 years. It’s been a great community to live in, and work in, and raise our kids in,” Potucek said.

Potucek thanked the current mayor and council, in addition to their many predecessors for allowing him the privilege of serving the community for so long. He said anyone in a position like his cannot do it alone and he’s been fortunate to work with an extraordinary staff both past and present.

“I’ve had tremendous people to work with through the years … without them I wouldn’t be standing here tonight,” Potucek said.

More information from Thursday’s City Council meeting is available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, Feb. 10, 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 in the “Council HQ” page at engage.sierravistaaz.gov.

At Thursday’s meeting, the Sierra Vista City Council celebrated the early repayment of bond debt tied to many of the public facilities and amenities our community has been able to benefit from over the past two decades.

The bonds were originally issued in 2000 and 2008, before being refinanced together in 2017. They amounted to more than $38 million and paid for key projects including Fire Station 3 and the tower 3 fire engine, the Nancy J. Brua Animal Care Center, Cyr Center Park, The Cove, the Pedro Castro Maintenance Center, a police station expansion, a parks maintenance building, and the Centennial Pavilion.

These projects provided needed public safety improvements and quality of life amenities. City Manager Chuck Potucek noted that by paying this debt off about a year and a half early the City positions itself well to address future needs.

“What that will do on behalf of the community is free up over a million dollars a year that’s been going toward that debt service,” Potucek said. “That will certainly help use with projects such as our parks plan, the payments we have to make toward the public safety retirement system, as well as our street maintenance. A lot of good is going to come out of this in the future and it’s nice to have more budget flexibility as a result.”

Holding a copy on the initial bond statement, Mayor Rick Mueller credited the City management team, as well as current and past city councils, for their prudent financial management that has put the City in a favorable position today.

“When you talk about this much money paid off early, it has a great impact on a City whose average budget for the last years has been just a little over 80 million,” Mueller said, shortly before tearing the ceremonial document to a round of applause.

“That’s a big deal. At one point we had $44 million of debt in the City and now we’re down to just a couple,” Mueller said. “And that’s over a period where we were going through a recession.”

Grant will help fund major park and sports facility improvements

The City Council accepted a $1.5 million grant for improvements at Veterans Memorial Park and the adjacent Veterans Memorial Park Sports Complex. The grant was awarded by Arizona State Parks & Trails, with funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The grant will go toward improvements that will help conserve water, provide additional public park area, and reduce ongoing maintenance costs. The improvements include:

• Installing artificial turf at the sports complex football field
• Reconfiguring the sports complex soccer field and installing drainage improvements
• Updating the Veterans Memorial Park wellsite with a storage tank, booster station, and necessary electrical components
• Replacing the irrigation system at the sports complex

The total estimated project cost is $3,090,000, including a City match of $1.5 million and grant-required surcharge of $90,000 also paid for by the City.

In other business:

• The City Council approved an easement for Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative to place electrical lines needed to power the new emergency medical services substation being constructed at the corner of Buffalo Soldier Trail and 7^th Street.
• The City Council approved amendments to Chapter 30 of the City Code of Ordinances, which governs the council. The amendments update the code language to reflect current technology and practices.
• The City Council approved the reappointment of John Moreno to the Parks and Recreation Commission, said term to expire Dec. 31, 2023.
• Mayor Rick Mueller proclaimed Jan. 17, 2022 as Martin Luther King Jr. Day in and for the City of Sierra Vista.

Details on the council meeting items are available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, Jan. 13, 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 in the “Council HQ” page at engage.sierravistaaz.gov.

The Sierra Vista City Council approved the creation of a new, nonregulatory City commission focused on economic development at its regular meeting on Thursday.

The Economic Development Commission will work to maximize economic development opportunities through citizen engagement, partnerships, and public input. It will also review and support efforts to achieve City economic development goals outlined in its current economic development framework and specific initiatives identified within the City Council’s Strategic Plan.

The City Council discussed the establishment of such a commission in a series of work sessions this year, following a proposal made by City Council Member Gregory Johnson. The commission will operate within the guidelines of a nonregulatory department commission as identified by City policies and procedures adopted in June, 2020. Economic Development Manager Tony Boone will serve as the City staff liaison to the commission.

To learn more about City commissions and how to apply to serve on one, go to www.sierravistaaz.gov/your-government/commissions-boards-committees/commissions or email the City Clerk’s Office at Jill.Adams@SierraVistaAZ.gov.

At the start of Thursday’s meeting, Sierra Vista Mayor Rick Mueller presented the United Way of Sierra Vista and Cochise County a Mayor’s Award for the critical role United Way played in distributing Community Development Block Grant CARES Act funding during the COVID-19 crisis. United Way personnel worked closely with City staff, local charities, and persons in need, ensuring more than $75,000 in federal funds were spent as intended and were available promptly for persons in need during this critical time. The Mayor’s Award is the highest honor that can be given by the City to any local organization.

In other business:

• The City Council approved acceptance of a $150,000 grant from the Arizona State Parks Non-motorized Grant Program to construct a stabilized ADA loop trail at Garden Canyon Linear Park off St. Andrews Drive. It will also fund the construction of five small ramada pads, one large group ramada pad, and a concrete pad for a future wildlife education area as part of ongoing planned improvements to the park. The City will contribute an in-kind match of $18,780.94.
• The City Council approved a Public Transportation (Transit) Agency Safety Plan for Vista Transit in accordance with federal requirements.
• The City Council approved the appointment of Leslie Thomas and the re-appointments of Brad Snyder and Daniel Coxworth to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
• The City Council approved acceptance of public improvements of the Holiday at PDS, Phase 5A subdivision plat.
• The City Council approved the re-appointment of Debbie Perkinson to the Employee Benefit Trust.

The Sierra Vista City Council approved the expansion of the West Sierra Vista Redevelopment Area boundaries by 162 parcels, totaling about 111 acres west of N. 5^th Street, as part of ongoing efforts to revitalize the West End through both public and private investment at its regular meeting on Thursday.

When the redevelopment area was established in 2017 it encompassed about 23 acres. It enabled the City to provide matching grant dollars to tenants and property owners in the area to improve their properties. With more property owners becoming interested as they saw improvements moving forward, the area was expanded by 29 acres in 2019.

Prior to Thursday’s vote, a Finding of Necessity Study was conducted and found that the predominance of the properties in the proposed expansion area met the criteria needed to expand the redevelopment area. That study was funded by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Grant administered by Cochise County.

The findings of the study and the City’s redevelopment objectives were presented at a public meeting on Oct. 27, which was well attended by property owners in the proposed expansion area. All property owners in the area were notified of the meeting via a mailed advertisement three weeks prior. The City also received several letters of support from property owners seeking to be included in the area.

The expanded redevelopment area will enable the City to continue making public, private partnerships as part of multi-faceted efforts to revitalize the West End, which include improvements to Fry Boulevard that will make it function like a main street.

“The West End not only has historic significance but also greatly contributes to our civic identity as a gateway district to our community. It’s our downtown and we’re soon going to have walkable main street that’s accessible to everyone,” Community Development Director Matt McLachlan said Thursday. “Public, private partnerships are a proven effective tool and approach to community and economic development, and your approval today will help us expand our reach to form new partnerships on the West End.”

Following the expansion of the redevelopment area’s boundaries approved on Thursday, staff will next work on necessary amendments to the West Sierra Vista Redevelopment Area Plan to address the expansion area. The proposed amendments will be presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission, which will review it to ensure conformity with the City’s General Plan, Vista 2030. Then the amendments will move forward for the City Council’s consideration.

In other business:

• The City Council approved the issuance of charter school refunding and revenue bonds and education facility revenue bonds by the Industrial Development Authority for two different projects. This action has no impact on the City’s budget because the IDA is a separate entity, however the City Council’s approval is required to finalize the issuance of bonds by the IDA. Neither the City nor IDA has any fiscal liability associate with the issuance or repayment of the bonds.
• The City Council approved amendments to the City of Sierra Vista City Council Practice and Procedure Guidelines.
• The City Council approved amendments to Chapter 30 of City code and declared a 30-day public record.
• The City Council approved a General Plan Amendments to convert the land use designation of Cyr Center Park from Industrial to Public.
• The City Council approved rezoning of the five parcels that comprise Cyr Center Park to Open Space.
• The City Council approved acceptance of sewer easements for Veritas Christian Community School.
• The City Council approved dedicating public right-of-way at Seventh Street and Buffalo Soldier Trail.

Details on the council meeting items are available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, Nov. 18, 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 on this page.

The City will use about $5.796 million of budget surplus to pay off debt in its development fee funds and bolster its General Fund reserve following City Council approval at a regular meeting on Thursday.

As a practice, the City makes conservative projections when forecasting revenues. Heading into the fiscal year that began July 1, 2020, there was additional uncertainty regarding how COVID-19 could impact local sales tax revenues. When the actual sales tax figures came in, they showed double digit percentage growth that surpassed anything City of Sierra Vista Chief Financial Officer David Felix has seen before in his 26 years with the City. A legislative change to enable local governments to collect sales revenue from online sales contributed only a small portion to the growth.

“This is more than just internet sales … This is the best I have ever seen in the history of the City since I’ve been here,” Felix told the City Council on Thursday. In addition, the City did not need to use any of its Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding in FY 2020 and was able to carry it all forward to cover public safety salaries in FY 2021, the fiscal year that began July 1, 2020.

The City Council approved staff’s recommendation to use the excess revenues over expenditures in the General Fund to pay off debt in its development fee funds including $3.1 million transferred to the parks development fee fund, $775,000 to the police development fee fund, and $1.2 million to the fire and medical development fee fund. The remainder of about $720,000 will be added to the General Fund reserve, bringing the total in reserve to about $6.7 million, which meets the City’s fiscal goal of having two months of operating expenses in reserve.

City Manager Chuck Potucek said this enables the City to change how it uses development fees in the future and use them to proceed more vigorously with the recently adopted Citywide Parks Master Plan. It also helps with debt service and allows the City more flexibility to allocate future funds to needs like projects, street maintenance, and public safety retirement contributions.

“This proposal gives you much more flexibility going forward to accomplish those things, as well as weather any economic storms that may hit us over the next decade,” Potucek told the City Council.

Development fees, also known as impact fees, are one-time fees on new residential and commercial development that cover the costs associated with additional public facilities and services that will be needed for the new construction like public safety, roads, and parks. The City’s current development fees were designed to bring the funds whole over a period of about 10 years.

The transfers approved Thursday, nearly bring the funds whole on their own, but don’t completely pay off the balance because development fees were calculated against the deficit and must be collected until new fees are assessed and adopted. As a result, staff recommends an update to the impact fee study be conducted as part of the development of next fiscal year’s budget.

In other business:

• The City Council approved updates to the City’s Personnel Rules and Regulation after first approving an amendment to the updates so that the Sierra Vista Employee Council will be comprised of one individual from each City department.
• The City Council approved a pre-annexation agreement with Mr. Fix it Properties LLC DBC Properties Plus for its property located at 117 N. 5^th Street.

Details on the council meeting items are available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, Oct. 28, 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 on this page.

The Sierra Vista City Council approved the issuance of economic development revenue bonds by the Industrial Development Authority of the City of Sierra Vista at its meeting on Thursday.

The proceeds of the bonds will be loaned to the Georgetown Community Development Authority, a Washington-based nonprofit organization, for the purpose of financing and refinancing the acquisition and improvement of community facilities. While these facilities are in Seattle, Washington, the fee paid to the Sierra Vista IDA will be used by the IDA to spur economic development efforts here in Sierra Vista.

This action has no impact on the City’s budget because the IDA is a separate entity, however the City Council’s approval is required to finalize the issuance of bonds by the IDA. The IDA intends to use the funds that it will receive from the borrower to help incentivize companies to locate in Sierra Vista, with an emphasis on job creation. Neither the City nor the IDA has any fiscal liability associated with the issuance or repayment of the bonds.

In other business:

• Mayor Rick Mueller recognized the City’s Marketing & Communication Division for winning a national 2021 Silver Circle Award from the City-County Communications & Marketing Association for its 2018-19 Save the Santas campaign during the association’s annual conference in September. Sierra Vista took second place in the Most Creative Activity with Least Dollars spent category among communities with a population of 50,000 or fewer. The judges’ remarked “This is a great community story that reflects what can be accomplished when people come together for a common goal.”
• The City Council approved reappointment of Wesley Hewitt and Berlynda Schaaf to the Parks and Recreation Commission, with terms set to expire on Dec. 31, 2023.
• The City Council approved the acceptance of grant funding from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to enhance DUI and aggressive driving enforcement throughout Sierra Vista and the surrounding areas conducted by the Sierra Vista Police Department. The grant funds will reimburse the City for overtime in the amount of $21,549 and other employee related expenses in the amount of $8,452. In addition, the grant funds will reimburse the City for the purchase of four portable breath testers in the amount of $2,400. The total grant amount is $32,400.
• The City Council approved the designation of the City Attorney as the individual authorized to sign settlement documents associated with the Arizona Opioid Settlement. This allows the City to receive its proportionate share of settlement proceeds.
• The City Council approved acceptance of public improvements associated with the Summit Heights and Canada Vista subdivisions.
• Mayor Rick Mueller issued a proclamation declaring October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Sierra Vista.

Details on the council meeting items are available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, Oct. 14, 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 on this page.