Council HQ

At the regular meeting on Thursday, the Cochise County Food Network recognized Sierra Vista as City Hall Countywide Food Drive Champions and the Sierra Vista Police Department as the 2026 Law Enforcement Countywide Food Drive Champions.

In March, as the Cochise County Food Network was gearing up for its annual food drive, SVPD Chief Chris Hiser challenged law enforcement agencies citywide to see who could garner the most donations. SVPD even challenged our community to fill the truck bed of the department’s first vehicle, a 1955 Ford F100. And the community stepped up!

“Chief Hiser just blew everybody out of the water,” Cochise County Food Network Coordinator Wendee Carolan-Grinde said on Thursday.

With the support of the community, SVPD was able to collect 1,562 pounds of food. Cochise County has a poverty rate of 16.3%, and these donations go directly to local food banks to provide hope and dignity to our neighbors. Sierra Vista City Hall chipped in another 84 pounds to the effort through its donation box.

In this food drive, the Cochise County Food Network raised more than 9,000 pounds of food.

In other business:

• Mayor Clea McCaa and the Sierra Vista Economic Development Commission recognized 143 Street Tacos as the 2026 Small Business of the Year. Learn more at www.SierraVistaAZ.gov and on the “City of Sierra Vista” Facebook page.
• Mayor McCaa proclaimed May 3-9 as Small Business Week.
• Mayor McCaa proclaimed April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month
• Staff presented the draft Project Year 2026 Community Development Block Grant Annual Action Plan to Council.
• Council reappointed Allyne R. McFalls to the Arts, Humanities, and Cultural Diversity Commission, and appointed Martauza Fleeks to the Environmental Stewardship Commission.

More information from Thursday’s City Council meeting is available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, April 23, 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 an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the City of Willcox to provide building inspection and plan review services on a short-term basis.

The Willcox building inspector/plan reviewer recently gave notice of accepting another job, leaving the City of Willcox without anyone to provide those services while they hire and train a new building inspector. Meanwhile, the City of Sierra Vista’s building services team currently has the capacity to assist Willcox.

As part of the IGA, Willcox will be billed at the employees’ full salary plus burden rate and for the cost of travel to Willcox and a small administrative fee. The term for the agreement is one year, with automatic renewals for one year thereafter unless either city notifies the other to discontinue the IGA.

In other business:

• Mayor Clea McCaa proclaimed April as Water Wise Awareness Month, Autism Awareness Month, and Fair Housing Month in and for the City of Sierra Vista.
• Council approved Development Code amendments related to conditional use permitting for mobile medical units.
• Council approved the donation of a 2014 Ford Explorer police vehicle to the Southeastern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Academy.
• Council approved a resolution restating the City’s commitment to fair housing in Sierra Vista.
• Council approved a Bingo License for the Cochise Chapter of the WeServ Real Wishes Foundation.
• Council accepted the resignation of Ana Smith from the Tourism Commission.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement for a regional SWAT team in partnership with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office.

The agreement formalizes SWAT operation coordination between the Sierra Vista Police Department and CCSO, both of which adopted a common policy manual this past February. The joint manual established common standards for team recruitment, selection, retention, deployment status, training requirements, and leadership positions.

While SVPD and CCSO SWAT teams have assisted each other in operations for over 20 years, they began training together full time a couple of years ago to operate more cohesively and explore the feasibility of a regional SWAT team. The closer coordination has improved efficiency, safety, and service delivery to our community while minimizing or eliminating staffing challenges and tactical differences. It also increased the number of resources responding to incidents, including tactical support resources that normally were not available to SVPD like explosive breaching and air unit support.

In other business:

• Council appointed Dakota Martin to the Environmental Stewardship Commission and reappointed Rosie Mackey, Wendee Grinde, and Roger Hunter to the Neighborhoods Commission.
• Council hosted a public hearing on Project Year 2026 Community Development Block Grant funding requests and Annual Action Plan priorities.
• Council declared a 30-day public comment period on a Development Code amendment for business signs, which includes giving owners up to one year to replace temporary signs with permanent ones.
• Council approved the Vista Transit Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan 2026.
• Council approved amendments to the Personnel Rules and Regulations to include standard operating procedures that address presumptive cancer diagnosis in firefighters, fire inspectors, and peace officers.
• Council approved an intergovernmental agreement with Cochise County for the disbursement of opioid settlement funds that are required to be used to address the opioid crisis.
• Council approved an intergovernmental agreement between the Sierra Vista Metropolitan Organization and the City of Sierra Vista for the Signal Preemption Equipment Project.
• Council approved entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona, which would make the City the municipal project sponsor and fiscal agent for the receipt and administration of federal funds for a micro community development.
• Council approved an Industrial Development Authority bond for Champion Schools.
• Council amended the effective date for sewer and sanitation rate increases from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026.

More information from Thursday’s City Council meeting is available in the supporting documents for the Thursday, Mar. 26, 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 a special meeting on Tuesday, the Sierra Vista City Council approved a cooperative agreement with Arizona Land and Water Trust (ALWT), for the distribution of Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Challenge Program funding.

In Fiscal Year 2025, the City of Sierra Vista in partnership with Cochise County, and supported by Fort Huachuca, was awarded REPI Challenge Program funding in the amount of $1,807,185 to create an endowment for long-term management of natural resource projects. The REPI Program was created in 2002 to preserve military missions by supporting cost-sharing agreements to address environmental restrictions that limit military activities.

In accepting the agreement, the City is acting as the fiscal agent for the Adaptive Management Committee representing the interests of the Bureau of Land Management San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA) Memorandum of Understanding cooperative monitoring and management signatories. As a direct recipient of federal funds through a separate cooperative agreement with Fort Huachuca, ALWT is able to act as the intermediary to distribute funds from the fort to the City.

The funding serves as seed money to establish a permanent endowment dedicated to the long-term management of regional natural resources, including maintenance and ongoing monitoring expenses. This endowment will provide a sustainable solution for post-construction costs that are vital to conservation work that supports responsible resource management and secures a resilient future for the region’s water and other natural resources.

In other business:

• Mayor Clea McCaa proclaimed Wednesday, March 11, 2026, as Mentally Ill Kids in Distress (M.I.K.I.D.) day.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council approved a resolution to change the title of Mayor Pro Tem to Vice Mayor.

The vote amends the City’s Code of Ordinances, replacing the title under Chapter 30, Section 30.17. The change was recommended to simplify terminology for the benefit of citizens, and the title is in better alignment with the practices of most Arizona municipalities.

In other business:

• Mayor Clea McCaa presented Fry’s Food and Drug with a Commission on Disability Issues Disability Friendly Business Award.
• Mayor McCaa proclaimed February as Career and Technical Education Month.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council approved amendments to the definitions, mobile food vendors, and matrix of use permissions sections of the Development Code.

The amendments include eliminating redundant annual use permits for mobile food vendors, eliminating conditional use permit requirements for places of worship within general commercial districts, and correcting inconsistency in the use classification matrix for airport zoning and amending the definition of community service use to include emergency medical service providers, allowing sleeping quarters in facilities at the airport for them.

In other business:

• Council approved an intergovernmental agreement with Pima Community College for paramedic training.
• Council approved the issuance of bonds by the Industrial Development Authority to American Leadership Academy Johnston and Bayou Belle Project.
• Council appointed Demetry Simonton to the Environmental Stewardship Commission and Jennifer Holt and Robert Brooks to the Parks and Recreation Commission.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council approved a $311,574.35 Arizona Department of Public Safety Local Border Support grant for SVPD.

The grant will cover the purchase of two new unmarked pickup trucks with outfitting ($184,474.60), one police K9 with training for the handler ($19,899.75), and two additional years of license plate reader monitoring service through FLOCK ($107,200).

The grant-funded purchases will help augment SVPD’s proactive posture toward combatting and intercepting the flow of lethal substances like fentanyl coming into our community as well as being smuggled northward through our region to other areas of the United States.

In other business:

• Mayor Clea McCaa presented a Neighborhood Commission Award of Excellence to Todd Blackaby.
• Council approved a new Off-track Wagering Permit at PC’s Lounge for Skyfall 7 LLC DBA Turf Paradise.
• Council appointed Jessica Kunkel and Dr. Brian Stover to the Parks and Recreation Commission.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council voted to amend City Development Code to streamline development processes by authorizing administrative approval for specific plans.

In March, Governor Hobbs signed House Bill 2447, amending A.R.S. § 9-500.49 to require all cities to authorize administrative personnel to review and approve, without a public hearing, land divisions, lot line adjustments, preliminary plats, final plats, and plat amendments.

The City’s amendments to the Development Code align with A.R.S. § 9-500.49, and allow the Development Review Committee (DRC) to approve preliminary and final subdivision plat approval, the Director of Community Development to sign final plats, removes the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council from subdivision approval workflow, reassigns modifications authority to the DRC, and standardizes and modernizes subdivision, minor subdivision, and land division procedures.

The amendments are based on the League of Arizona Cities and Towns’ Model Ordinance and were supported by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Council also moved other amendments to the Development Code forward for public comment. The amendments include eliminating redundant annual use permits for mobile food vendors, eliminating conditional use permit requirements for places of worship within general commercial districts, and correcting inconsistency in the use classification matrix for airport zoning and amending the definition of community service use to include emergency medical service providers, allowing sleeping quarters in facilities at the airport for them. These amendments will return to council for final approval after a 30-day public comment period. To review the amendments and provide input, go to Engage.SierraVistaAZ.gov.

In other business:

• Mayor Clea McCaa presented Certificates of Appreciation to outgoing or former City commissioners Iris Allison, Berlynda Schaaf, Wesley Hewitt, Alfred Spurgeon, Anthony Isom, and Richard Rhodes. John Moreno received his after the meeting, while Lori Schectman, Debbie Perkinson, Ronald York, Karen Flynn, Bruno Talerico, Steven Spearman, Karen LeMay, Presence Massie, Bradley Snyder, Douglas Phillips, and Gregory Loughran were unable to attend.
• Council approved a Series 9 Liquor License for Ryan Anderson on behalf of Safeway for sampling privileges.
• Council approved the donation of five surplus handheld radios to the Sierra Vista Company of the Arizona Rangers.
• Council approved an amendment to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust for the City of Sierra Vista Employee Benefit Trust, allowing former City employees who reside in Cochise County outside of City limits to be eligible for the resident seats on the trust.
• Council approved a settlement agreement in the matter of Andrea M. Peter v. City of Sierra Vista in the amount of $90,000, to be paid by the City’s insurance which negotiated the sum and recommended settlement since the cost of ongoing litigation would exceed the settlement amount.
• Council approved an amendment to the City Code of Ordinance allowing construction activities to begin at 5:00 a.m. between May 1 and October 15 in alignment with Arizona Senate Bill 1182 which prohibits municipalities and counties from enacting or enforcing noise ordinances that restrict general construction activities during designated summertime hours.
• Council approved an Industrial Development Authority bond for Desert Star Academy Project.
• Council approved an amendment to the Personnel Rules and Regulations concerning mandatory holdovers, extending the Sunset Clause from Dec. 28, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2027.
• Council reappointed Paul Cimino and Tait Wilcox and appointed Eric Petermann to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
• Council appointed Venessa Crabtree to the Commission on Disability Issues.
• Council appointed Paula Smith to the Environmental Stewardship Commission.
• Council reappointed Demetry Simonton to the Industrial Development Authority.

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Sierra Vista City Council voted to join the Arizona Mutual Aid Compact.

The compact is an intrastate agreement that establishes the terms and procedures for participating organizations to lend and receive assistance across jurisdictional boundaries during emergencies or disasters.

The City has priorly joined countywide mutual aid agreements, but the last agreement has expired, and Cochise County has joined this statewide compact along with all other Arizona counties and multiple cities and public safety organizations in Cochise County. The City has historically assisted other agencies in need when requested, but this agreement formalizes procedures for requesting assistance and provides clear guidelines on getting reimbursement. Plus, the compact specifies responsibility for workers’ compensation and coverage and has important legal considerations and protections that it covers.

The compact is for statewide mutual aid, but it does specify that those agencies closest to the emergency will be asked to provide aid first. Although Sierra Vista could be asked to provide assistance to organizations outside the county, it is extremely unlikely.

As with most aid agreements, it is at the providing agency’s discretion to assist if they can and there is no requirement to do so.

In other business:

• Mayor Clea McCaa, Fire Chief Brian Jones, and Police Chief Chris Hiser presented David Escobar with the inaugural Sentinel of Life Commendation, honoring his exceptional courage and selfless action pulling another resident from a burning home.
• Mayor Clea McCaa proclaimed the week of Nov. 10-14 as Veteran-Owned Small Business Week in and for the City of Sierra Vista.
• On behalf of the Economic Development Commission, Mayor Clea McCaa and Tourism and Economic Development Director Tony Boone presented the Business Recognition Award for Veteran-Owned Business of the Year to Semper Fitness Training.
• Council appointed Zachary Plucas, Sr. to the Commission on Disability Issues.
• Council approved up updates to the Code of Ordinances relating to business licenses and solicitors.

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