District 2 Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez July — August Newsletter

• Message from Jeronimo
• Visit the Coconino County Fair
• District 2 Highlights
• Preparation, Prevention, and Information
• Service Positions & Job Listings
• Services and Programs
• And more!

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are finding ways to stay cool during this unusually hot end of summer!

The Board of Supervisors is back in session after taking a break from Board meetings during July. We kicked off our second meeting in August by electing a new Board Chair and Vice Chair. I was honored and humbled to be elected Chair of the Board of Supervisors and Supervisor Judy Begay of District 4 is now Vice Chair. We look forward to working on behalf of Coconino County residents to create the community we all want to live in.

The full Board of Supervisors had the great honor of joining President Joe Biden in Tusayan in August where he designated the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. The monument protects water sources from additional uranium mining and industrial development. The monument also preserves the cultural, historical, spiritual, recreational, economic, and ecological importance of the land.

We met with federal officials Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Congressman Eli Crane to discuss transportation, firefighter pay equity, and flood mitigation projects. Senator Sinema has directed transportation funds and increased firefighter pay to the region. We have good news that the County received a matching grant from the State Transportation Board to support highway drainage improvement projects along and beneath Highway 89. This is an important part of our county flood mitigation work.

We stayed busy in July with community outreach, conferences, and work with our federal, state, and city partners. I had the opportunity to meet with Catholic Charities and toured one of their re-entry homes. This is one of many meetings I have held with County stakeholders to identify opportunities for affordable housing. I am ready to put innovative ideas in county governance into practice from two conferences I attended in July – the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) and the National Association of Counties (NACo). I was recently appointed to the NACo National Transportation Policy Commitee where I will have an opportunity to learn about transportation issues on a national level. I look forward to advocating for Coconino County on a National level.

Thank you for taking the time to learn what is going on in District 2. I am here to serve our community, so please don’t hesitate to email me at jvasquez@coconino.az.gov with any questions or concerns.

Gracias,

Jeronimo

Hours

The Coconino County Fair takes place over Labor Day Weekend each year. This year’s dates are:

Friday, September 1 – 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Saturday, September 2 – 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Sunday, September 3 – 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Monday, September 4 – 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

The carnival closes one hour after the Fair.

Many exhibit buildings close at 9:00 PM Friday to Sunday.

Prices

REGULAR ADMISSION

Adult – $10

Youth (6 – 12) – $5

Senior (65 and older) – $6

Child (5 and younger) – Free

Military Discount (Box Office Only) – $5 for active, reservist, retired, and veteran U.S. military with military I.D. (not valid for spouses or dependents).

Admission tickets are valid for any one day of the Fair. We do allow for re-entry for that same day, so make sure you get a re-entry stamp when leaving the Coconino County Fair.

PARKING

Per vehicle – $5

Your parking pass is valid for a single entrance and exit. Any exit is final. Parking re-entry requires a new parking pass.

Ways to Save

There are many ways to save at the Coconino County Fair:

· Free Shuttle Service – We partner with NAIPTA to offer complimentary park and ride bus service to the Fair. Enjoy a convenient, comfortable, hassle-free way to get to the Fair. See below for more information.

· Bike to the Fair – Get in a good workout and save money on the parking fee.

· Military discounts – General admission savings are available for active, retired, and veterans.

· $5 Meal Deal Friday – Look for the blue ribbon at participating vendors!

Action Foods – $5 Hot Dog, Fries & Small Beverage (no water)

Tot Box – Classic tots with a side of Aioli with drink

Crazy Dog Kettle Corn – $1 snack bag of kettle corn from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Jakes Donuts and Treat Trolley – $5 Bag of Mini Donuts (Limit 1)

Maile & Son, Inc. – $5 Sugar Frybread

Nina’s Concessions – $5 Hot Dog or Corn Dog w/ Chips & Soda

AZ Roasters – Nachos w/ Water

Sally’s BBQ – $5 Mac n’ Cheese

Smokin’ Hen House – Kids Mac

Stellar Foods – $5 Small Funnel Cake

Tommy D’s – $5 Nachos & Small Drink

Kettled – Pigs in a Blanket w/ Fries and Lemonade

Yogurt A Fair /Flag ice Cream – $5 Cake Cone

In their return to regular in-person meetings on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors (Board) began by electing a new Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson to lead the Board through the remainder of their current session. In two unanimous votes, Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez from District 2 was elected to serve as Chairman and Supervisor Judy Begay from District 4 was elected Vice-Chairwoman. This is each Supervisor’s first term serving in these leadership roles.

Chairman Vasquez was first appointed to the Board in February 2021 to fill the vacancy left by long-time Supervisor Elizabeth C. Archuleta’s departure to serve in the Biden Administration. He was then elected in November 2022 to serve the remainder of that term through 2024. He is a long-time resident of Flagstaff, graduating from Coconino High School and Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor’s degree in Botany and Master’s in Social Cultural Anthropology. Prior to serving on the Board, he worked at Killip Elementary School for 14 years managing special projects and facilitating before and after school programs.

“This is a tremendous honor for me to serve as your Chair,” Vasquez said after receiving the gavel. “I want to thank Supervisor Horstman for her mentorship and guidance as I served as Vice-Chair. I will continue this leadership to support all Coconino County residents.”

Members of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors were among the many dignitaries in attendance at a reception in advance of President Biden announcing the designation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument on August 8 at Grand Canyon Airport in Tusayan.

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors has advocated for the designation of the monument with tribal leaders, federal, state, and local government officials, nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations, landowners, and private citizens. The Board participated in a meeting hosted by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture on July 18, regarding the monument prior to President Biden’s designation.

Supervisor Vasquez and fellow Supervisors Patrice Horstman, Lena Fowler, and Matt Ryan voiced support for designation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument at the meeting. Baaj Nwaavjo means “where tribes roam” in Havasupai. I’tah Kukveni means “our ancestral footprints” in Hopi. The Supervisors described the cultural, historical, spiritual, recreational, economic, and ecological importance of the land. The monument designation protects land to the northwest, northeast and southwest of the existing Grand Canyon National Park. All the lands within the monument boundary are federal public lands, including national forest lands. No state, tribal, or private lands are included in the monument, which totals approximately one million acres.

“As a public servant, a Latino who loves the outdoors and a resident of one of the two counties that share this incredible natural wonder and care deeply for the Grand Canyon and its watershed, I thank President Biden for choosing to protect this precious Grand Canyon watershed,” Supervisor Vasquez said. “I strongly support the Tribes and I thank President Biden for designating the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument.”

The Board of Supervisors has a history of support for the monument. The Board approved a resolution at the Board meeting on May 23, calling on President Biden to create the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. Previous Boards have advocated and supported tribal efforts for additional protections from Uranium mining for the Grand Canyon Watershed. The Grand Canyon area has been a special spiritual and cultural place for 11 North American Indigenous Tribes. The monument protects water sources from additional uranium mining and industrial development. The designation also preserves native plants, animals, and unique geology. Finally, the national monument designation supports local economies, safeguards important tribal cultural sites, preserves areas that support recreation and tourism and ensures that the Colorado River Plateau Watershed thrives.

Working with HECHO, Supervisor Vasquez was able to take an EcoFlight tour on a single-engine Cessna 210 plane over the proposed Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument on July 17. One day later, the Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture held a public meeting about the Monument, where Supervisor Vasquez and fellow Board members spoke. Three weeks later, President Biden designated the new monument. The plane toured the monument areas that are northwest and southeast of the Grand Canyon National Park.

The aerial perspective provided Supervisor Vasquez and fellow passengers with a glimpse of the vast area the monument protects and a closer view of the environmental, cultural, and economic landscape that the monument preserves.

The monument includes nearly one million acres of federal public land around the Grand Canyon National Park. Endangered species including the California condor and Humpback Chub call this land home. The Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition led efforts to protect this land. Designation of the monument protects the land from additional uranium mining and preserves the Colorado River watershed.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema Hosts Wildland Firefighter Pay roundtable in Flagstaff

Senator Sinema visited with City, County and State officials and staff at the Flagstaff Town Hall to discuss Wildland firefighter pay and funding to strengthen Arizona’s wildfire response. Supervisor Vasquez shared recommendations for Congressional action. Firefighter recruitment and retention depend on competitive pay and benefits. Senator Sinema introduced a bill to make the pay raise of up to $20,000 permanent for federal wildland firefighters that was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. State officials said the pay increase highlights the 15-20% disparity between local and federal firefighters. Coconino County advocated for Congressional funding to prevent wildfire.

Congressman Eli Crane Tours Flood Mitigation Projects in Flagstaff

Congressman Eli Crane visited Flagstaff on August 25 to tour flood mitigation work by the City of Flagstaff. Supervisor Vasquez joined County and City of Flagstaff officials on the tour of flood control infrastructure and impacted neighborhoods. The tour offered the city and county an opportunity to show Representative Crane how local government is successfully managing federal funds in flood mitigation projects.

Supervisor Vasquez requested that Congressman Crane support federal funding for highway drainage improvements to mitigate post-wildfire impacts on US Highway 89. Coconino County has applied for a PROTECT grant to mitigate the flooding on US 89. Supervisor Vasquez recommended FEMA reforms in how post- wildfire flooding is classified to make it easier to help communities with recovery.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema met with Coconino County leaders to discuss recent funding for Flagstaff’s Mountain Line and its role in strengthening regional economic and transportation options. Senator Sinema recently announced $16.3 million in funding for low or no emission Mountain Line buses. She hosted a roundtable in Flagstaff on August 8 to learn the impact of this funding. Supervisor Vasquez, who sits on the Mountain Line Board of Directors, noted that Mountain Line and the County are kicking off a transit plan that will look at funding options for rural transit. “Our rural communities are underserved, and we are working to identify opportunities to provide service,” said Supervisor Vasquez. “We thank you Senator for your efforts to deliver funding and programming to positively impact Coconino County and Arizona.”

As a member of the Mountain Line Board of Directors, Supervisor Vasquez works with fellow Board Members to improve public transportation. He is pleased to announce that Mountain Line is looking into new bus stops in Flagstaff for underserved areas. Mountain Line staff are also searching for strategies to make bus travel fare free. They are reviewing different models around the country to learn what will work best for Flagstaff and Coconino County.

Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez and Supervisor Judy Begay attended a Reentry Summit on Justice Involved Tribal Members in July. Supervisor Vasquez gave the keynote speech about Coconino County’s Pathways to Community program and ways that tribal communities can reconnect former incarcerated individuals with their home communities. The Coconino County Pathways to Community program works with individuals in the County Detention Facility and provides warm hand offs to social service, health care, employment, recovery, and housing upon release. He also recommended that tribal leaders find opportunities to reconnect returning citizens to their culture, their ceremonies, and their community. The Summit was sponsored by Working Alternatives, a residential re-entry (RRC) facility that contracts directly with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Northern Arizona University’s Criminology and Criminal Justice Department, and the US Probation Office.

In early July, Supervisor Vasquez toured one (1) of the five (5) Catholic Charities Community reentry homes in Northern Arizona that provide safe, affordable temporary housing for people who have had justice involvement and need help turning their lives around. Residents in these homes cook and clean while finding employment, attending substance abuse support groups if needed, and checking in with their probation officers. Catholic Charities staff offer resources and support.

Coconino County has partnered with Catholic Charities to create housing strategies that increase the stability, quality, safety, and affordability of housing for Coconino County residents. The Board of Supervisors has supported Catholic Charities projects, including help to upgrade a donated facility to comply with ADA requirements to serve unhoused individuals at a day program in Page.

Senior Program Director Sandi Flores led Supervisor Vasquez on the tour and highlighted the services provided by the Flagstaff Catholic Charities location. In addition to homeless services, emergency shelter, and the PATH program that provides specialized outreach to get unhoused people to shelters and connect them with resources, Catholic Charities provides Veterans Services, Immigration Legal Services (Familias Unidas), Unexpected Pregnancy Counseling (Joining Hearts), Infant Adoption (Joining Hearts), and Foster Care & Adoptions (DCS) to Northern Arizona residents.

Supervisor Vasquez has been meeting with stakeholders in Coconino County to identify opportunities to increase access to affordable housing. The Catholic Charities tour provided an on-site view of strategies that help house the most vulnerable residents in Coconino County.

Visit the Catholic Charities website at https:// www.catholiccharitiesaz.org/get-help-pages/directory-of-services- flagstaff or visit Catholic Charities at 2101 N. 4th Street in Flagstaff. Catholic Charities can be reached at (928) 774-9125.

Transportation planning and Head Start funding dominated the discussion of the recent Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) Regional Council meeting on August 24 at High Country Conference Center in Flagstaff. The Regional Council governs NACOG and addresses common issues that cities, towns and counties in the NACOG region face and helps local governments and other groups to access economic and other resource opportunities. NACOG administers the federally funded Head Start that provides school readiness programs for infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children to at-risk families. With the increase in Flagstaff’s minimum wage, a two-parent home where both parents make minimum wage is no longer eligible for the Head Start program, although the family still needs these services to prepare their children for school. A Regional Council member, Supervisor Vasquez asked how we can better support Head Start and the families who rely on this critical program.

The NACOG Regional Council approved the Transportation Investment Plan and Regional Priority Projects at the August meeting. The meeting included a discussion of roadway safety in Northern Arizona and the goal of zero deaths on roads. Supervisor Vasquez shared details about road safety in Coconino County. Road safety is especially important in the NACOG region and in Coconino County specifically in a few areas where the County is well above the state average:

• Weather-related crashes in Coconino County are 5 to 6 times the state average.
• Animal-related crashes are 20 times the state average.
• Impaired driving accidents are more than 3 times the state average.

“These challenges underscore the need for regional planning, road design, and enforcement that meets the needs of rural transportation arteries in Coconino County and its neighbors,” said Supervisor Vasquez.

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Coconino County Short Term Rental Ordinance on August 8, 2023, following the second public hearing on the ordinance. The new ordinance goes into effect on November 14, 2023. The Coconino County Community Planning Department will oversee short term rental requirements, including permitting; requests for investigations; and other items.

Since state legislation allows local jurisdictions to have more control over short-term vacation rentals, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance for unincorporated areas of the county that require a permit application and fee for short-term rentals. The fee supports new County staff that will oversee the short-term requirements and respond to questions and concerns. In addition to the permit, short-term rental property owners or rental operators are required to notify neighbors of their operation, meet building codes, prevent rentals for special events, verify that the owner has not been convicted of particular felonies, and allow for permit suspension and fines depending on verified violations, among other requirements.

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors held public hearings on the proposed short-term rental ordinance on February 28, 2023, and on August 8, 2023. More than 55 residents sent in written comments about the ordinance and over 40 people spoke during the two public hearings. Most recognized the limitations of the current Arizona short-term rental statute (Senate Bill 1168) and acknowledged that any County ordinance can only provide limited oversight and regulation to comply with state law.

The Board of Supervisors discussed the proposed ordinance again at a special session on March 21, 2023, after which the Board sent the ordinance back to staff and the County attorney’s office for significant revisions consistent with the recommendations raised during the public hearing.

“Thank you to all the citizens that contributed to the conversation and gave us their thoughts and input on this ordinance,” said Supervisor Vasquez. “One of the main comments I heard is the desire for this ordinance to have some teeth in enforcement. We have responded to the feedback of all County residents when we adopted the new Short Term Rental Ordinance.”

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors completed the critical work of reviewing county finances and approving the annual county budget. On June 28, 2023, the Board voted unanimously to approve the final FY 2024 budget in the amount of $546,374,685. The FY2024 budget, which took effect on July 1, includes strategic investments in public health and safety, flood control, forest restoration, operational capacity, and includes place holders to leverage federal funds to meet strategic and program goals across Coconino County operations.

The budget is the end result of work over many months when the Board heard presentations from each County department after they completed needs assessments and met with the County Manager’s office. The budget continues the County’s low property tax rate – the lowest property tax in the state. The final tax rates will be set on August 18, 2023. The budget maintains service levels to the community while minimizing the impact on the taxpayer.

“Thanks to the exceptional teamwork of our leadership and management and financial teams, we have a very clear picture of what the County expects to spend in the upcoming fiscal year,” said Supervisor Vasquez.

The 3 graphs above show the budgeted revenues and expenditures. The revenue graph shows the large amount of federal grants – nearly $116 million. These grants are predominantly one-time funds to support emergency response, health and human services, forest restoration, transportation and broadband, and post wildfire flood mitigation. Most of these grants will not continue in future years. Because these one-time federal grants are related to specific projects, the County expenditures graphs show larger percentages in those project areas (flood control and forest restoration under the public safety portion of the graph).

Important highlights include:

• Balanced budget with careful stewardship of taxpayer resources
• Long-term financial planning: the County budget accounts for the possibility of recessionary revenue levels in FY24 with a balanced 10-year financial plan.
• Countywide investments in capital, through an innovative 3-year $80 million capital financing plan and critical investments in the Criminal Justice System, Public Safety, Flood Control, and Elections
• Leveraging resources by planning for awarded Federal grant funding totaling $116 million.

Coconino County has committed enormous effort and funding to make sure residents and their properties are safe from flooding. In the Schultz/Pipeline Fire Flood Area, the County Flood District has completed about 3 miles of long-term flood mitigation including shotcrete channels and storm drainpipe. We have restored over 110 acres of watershed on the slopes above flood corridors, and in Spring 2023 alone, we completed about $18.3 million worth of long- term flood mitigation projects.

In the Spruce Wash area, the Coconino County Flood Control District has administered almost $10 million worth of projects. These projects include emergency response, sandbag production, watershed restoration, channel improvements, and flood mitigation structures.

When a 100-year rainfall event hit the Wupatki Trails and Brandis Way areas on July 30 with a total of three inches of rainfall in two hours – the flood mitigation structures held. Our County measures resulted in no flood impacts to roads or private property.

In June of this year, we completed the first Park Way Sediment Basin. This basin has a capacity of 1,313 cubic yards and catches sediment coming out of the Museum Fire scar in the Spruce Wash watershed. This supports the function of downstream stormwater infrastructure in the City of Flagstaff. Two other similar basins are planned for the area, and we expect to pursue construction of these basins during upcoming construction seasons.

While these mitigation systems offer some flood relief, it is important that the community stay vigilant as the Museum Fire scar and Pipeline scars continue to heal. No amount of flood mitigation can eliminate all flood risk. We highly recommended that residents:

• • Maintain short-term mitigation
  • Stay tuned to Emergency Notifications
  • Purchase or renew flood Insurance

The County continues to pursue long-term flood mitigation in Government Tank, Peaceful Way, Copeland, Campbell (on-forest work) and Schultz Creek (on-forest work).

In addition to supporting residents in areas impacted by burn scars, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors responds to flash flooding outside burn scar areas. The Board declared a state of emergency in Tusayan on August 22 after three inches of rain fell in less than an hour resulting in three feet of flood water. ADOT closed State Highway 64 and 100 people were evacuated. County leadership, Emergency Services, and Health and Human Services staff supported Tusayan officials and residents with planning, communicating, assessing damage, working with state and federal officials, using drones and other technology, and providing resources needed to assess damage, identify needs, obtain resources, and receive assistance.

“Coconino County is committed to supporting all County residents to prevent flooding and to respond rapidly when flooding occurs,” said Supervisor Vasquez. “We continue to collaborate with government partners and with our community to provide flood mitigation infrastructure and resources.”

Supervisor Vasquez participated in the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) 40th Annual Conference in New York City from July 10 – 14. Steps away from Times Square, Supervisor Vasquez was busy listening, learning, and sharing his county government experiences with other conference participants.

Conference attendees included national and local Latino elected and appointed officials, community partners, and corporate sponsors. NALEO is a nonpartisan nonprofit leadership organization of the nation’s more than 6,700 Latino elected and appointed officials.

Speakers included President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

; U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra; U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas; Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration Isabella Casillas Guzman; New York Governor Kathy Hochul; New York City Mayor Eric Adams; NBC News and MSNBC National Political Correspondent Steve Kornacki; and three presidential candidates, including Robert Kennedy Jr.

• 1,200 Conference Attendees
• 600 Service Project Kits Created
• 16 Breakout Sessions
• 6 Plenaries
• 3 U.S. Cabinet Secretaries
• 3 Presidential Candidates

The nation’s largest gathering of Latino leaders discussed immigration issues and the COVID pandemic impact on communities. Other topics included city and county budgets, addressing environmental hazards including floods, heat, and drought, shoring up infrastructure, small business entrepreneurship, solving the housing crisis, and workforce development.

Supervisor Vasquez learned nationwide best practices from the conference so that he can better serve District 2 Coconino County residents.

Supervisor Vasquez joined thousands of County officials from across the nation at the Austin, Texas Convention Center from July 21 to 24 for the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual conference. Fellow Coconino County Board members and staff participated with Supervisor Vasquez in meetings, convenings, breakfasts and luncheons to discuss policy, best practices, and opportunities for county government to function with excellence.

Supervisor Vasquez focused on transportation policy, affordable housing, and immigration reform. A conference highlight was the receipt of the NACo 2023 Digital Counties Survey award. Coconino County was honored as #2 in the nation for counties with 150,000+ population. Supervisor Vasquez gained insights from the County Supervisors Association and the National Association of Hispanic County Officials.

The Arizona State Board of Transportation awarded Coconino County and its Flood Control District the full amount of $3,705,842 for the AZ SMART fund for Highway 89 Flood Mitigation for matching funds to the PROTECT application. This grant will be used as a 20% match, which will allow the County to accept an $18.5 million PROTECT Grant, if it is awarded . Coconino County applied in August for the PROTECT Grant in order to fund highway drainage improvement projects along and beneath Highway 89, as well as improvements to the Copeland Detention Facility.

The funds support an interconnected project that blends natural innovations and classical engineering and has deep support from several federal partners. County staff provided background of the PROTECT grant to Governor Katie Hobbs’ team. Governor Hobbs then sent a letter to the U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in support of the County’s PROTECT grant application that the AZ SMART Fund would match.

Supervisor Vasquez provided public comment in support of the AZ SMART Fund grant. Sharing lived experiences of residents impacted by the flooding across US89 and closure of the highway, Supervisor Vasquez stated that the Highway 89 flood mitigation project “has multiple benefits for people across Arizona, economic centers, residents and tribal communities.”

Artist Eric Kruze teamed up with nonprofit Culture Connections on July 28 to showcase his wooden hand-carved portraits of prominent people in Flagstaff. Supervisor Vasquez was honored to be selected as one of those leaders whose carved portrait and story now reside at the Historic Ice House in Flagstaff as part of the Faces of Flagstaff exhibit.

What is a Community Initiative project?

Community Initiative (CI) projects are selected through an application process by the Board of Supervisors from organizations within the surrounding community based on proposals that prove to have public benefit. Organizations that work with community members are able to request a standard application that can be sent, which will go through application process to receive funding.

**The first step is to contact County Supervisor Vasquez at (928) 679-7162**

Each District has Community Initiative funding in their budgets. Organizations must submit a Community Initiative application and attach a budget and W-9 form that is emailed to the Supervisors. The County Risk Management and Legal departments review the application and it then goes before the Board of Supervisors in a public Board meeting for review. If the Board votes to approve the application, the organization receives the funding for the public benefit purpose and submits an expense report to the County before the end of the year.

Supervisor Vasquez joined community members at the Nuestras Raices – Flagstaff Summertime Tardeada on August 12 to celebrate Flagstaff’s Hispanic culture and community history. Community members celebrated Veterans, sampled posole, and enjoyed Mariachi music, local Ballet Folklorico Dancers, and Mexican dance bands. Supervisor Vasquez helped sponsor the event as part of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors Community Initiative program.

Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez joined Supervisor Patrice Horstman at a special Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival production of Romeo and Juliet for Joe C. Montoya Senior Center participants. The seniors enjoyed Romeo and Juliet under a tent on the grounds of Lowell Observatory. Community Initiative funding from Supervisor Vasquez and Supervisor Horstman helped make the event possible.

Supervisor Vasquez joined Coconino County staff, partners, and community members at the July 4th parade in Flagstaff to celebrate Independence Day. Community members and visitors lined the streets as 90 floats passed by, including three Coconino County floats. This annual tradition highlights the pride our community members take in our country and in our community.

The parade looped through downtown Flagstaff, from Elm to Beaver to Aspen to San Francisco to Elm. The cheering crowds, creative floats, and patriotic tunes are a few of the reasons that the travel channel selected Flagstaff for “Top 10 Small Town Fourth of July Celebrations.”

Supervisor Vasquez is proud to salute the United States with all the community members celebrating Independence Day.

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors and long-serving staff members took time to remember and recognize former member of the Board, Teofilo “Tio” A. Tachias upon hearing news of his passing in July.

First elected in 1965, Tachias was the first Latino in Coconino County to win a major election and the first to serve on the Board of Supervisors. In his 24 years of service on the Board, he oversaw the expansion of County facilities and services, including the growth from three-district to five-district representation in County government. Tachias left office in 1989 to pursue other interests.

Over the years, he won numerous awards and recognitions, including the César Chávez Diversity Award in 2018 for his “outstanding community leadership and diversity.” He also served on the national Board of Directors for the Public Broadcasting Service, became a founding member of the Coordinating Council on Mexican American Affairs, secured a seat on the Governor’s Advisory Board on Economic Planning and Development, and was appointed to the Arizona Board of Regents eventually serving as that body’s President.

“As the first Latino elected in Coconino County, Tio was truly an inspiration to those of us who enter public service to better connect our communities to local government,” commented Vice-Chair and Supervisor for District 2, Jeronimo Vasquez. “Myself, and my predecessor Liz Archuleta, wouldn’t be in the positions we are today without leaders like Tio who trailblazed new paths for Latinos.”

Sign Up for Emergency Notifications If you have not done so already, then please sign up for Emergency Alerts with Coconino County as soon as possible. The free Emergency Notification service provides alerts for emergencies such as wildfires, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flash flooding in the area. Sign up through a cell phone number, email and/or home phone: http:// www.coconino.az.gov/ready or call 928-679-8311.

For more information regarding emergency management, visit the website: https://www.coconino.az.gov/207/Emergency- Management

They provide plenty of details regarding evacuation maps, resources for homeowners, and small businesses. hazard mitigation, and other resources.

If you are experiencing a crisis or difficulties, we may be able to help you with necessities like transportation and communication. In order to qualify you must:

– Be a Coconino County resident,

– Meet our income criteria, and

– Have a need for these services (including for employment, education, medical, criminal justice, etc.)

For more information:

Flagstaff-region | Call 928-679-7258 | Walk-in hours: Tues/Thurs, 9-10:30AM

Page-region | Call 928-679-7296 | Walk-in hours: Mon/Tues/Fri, 8AM-12PM

As with other vaccine-preventable diseases, you are best protected against COVID-19 when you stay up to date with the recommended vaccinations. COVID 19-vaccines are effective at protecting people from getting seriously ill, being hospitalized, and dying. Vaccination remains the best way to avoid serious illness.⠀⠀

The Coconino County Health and Human Services Health and Wellness Clinic offers childhood and adult vaccinations, including COVID-19 vaccinations. ⠀

For more information and other vaccination locations, visit https:// bit.ly/3qMJbfV or call (928) 679-7222. COVID-19 vaccinations are also available at many pharmacies.

Local services list: This is a list of local organizations with details about their offerings for assistance. Please look over for yourself or to refer to people you may know that need help. https:// www.coconino.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/35228/COVID-19- Social-Safety-Net-Services-Coalition-Resource-Guide-V9_