On December 17th, Councilors Anthony Garcia and David Spence were sworn in to the Flagstaff City Council, and Miranda Sweet, who received the most votes, was elected Vice Mayor. I look forward to getting to know all the new council members better and continuing to work together as a city council.

We would like to update you on some of the issues and projects that are coming up before us soon. The first meeting in 2025 is scheduled to discuss state and federal legislative priorities. They guide Congress and staff as they discuss priorities and needs with state and federal elected officials. These priorities always include water, forest health, transportation, clean energy, affordable housing, and short-term rental (STR) regulation.

We actively advocate for and seek funding for many of our city’s needs, including flood mitigation, forest health, transportation, low-income housing tax credits, and housing subsidies of all types. We visit with legislators every year to explain how the proliferation of STRs is impacting some of their neighborhoods, and to ask for more local control and authority over STRs. The city is a member of the Arizona League of Cities and Towns, and I am a member of the Greater Arizona Mayors Association, both of which prioritize local control of STR.
We think many readers will be interested in updates and discussions the City Council is having about the City’s Land Availability and Suitability Study and Code Analysis Project (LASS+CAP). For more than a year, officials have been taking inventory of unused and vacant land across the city to determine which land could be used for a variety of purposes.

CAP analyzes codes to identify what is working well and where current codes are preventing communities from achieving their housing and sustainability goals. The results will identify priority locations for housing development and recommend code changes. There are many opportunities for public input, so we encourage our readers to familiarize themselves with this initiative. Draft reports for both initiatives are available on the city’s website.

The City Council plans to make several appointments to boards and commissions in the coming months. These volunteers do important work and are extremely helpful in community outreach, reviewing issues and policies, and making recommendations to City Council. Most committees meet once a month, and more information about their activities can be found on the city’s website.

City staff maintains a work calendar of items expected to be on the agenda for upcoming City Council meetings, with links to that calendar and City Council agendas, as well as a sign to receive notifications when new items are posted. We also manage the upload method. This information is also available on the city’s website.

Bios and contact information for the Mayor and City Council can be found on our page, and my weekly schedule is posted on my bio page. When emailing council@flagstaffaz.govYour email will be delivered to each member of Congress and some staff members.

Replying to emails from residents is a top priority for me, but if the email volume is particularly high, it can sometimes take longer than I would like. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at any time. FBN

Written by Becky Daggett

Becky Daggett is the mayor of Flagstaff.