Category: Government

Friends of Flagstaff’s Future — How high should we go?

by Community Contributor • August 11, 2020 • Comments Off

How high should we go? That’s the question raised by The Hub and other new and proposed 60-plus foot buildings. For over a year, the City Development Department has been working to develop a new zone—Neighborhood Community Commercial (NCC)—that would reduce height limits on new construction from 60 feet to 45 feet in areas north and west of Downtown, Southside, and Sunnyside.

This is an important and complex issue, involving the effort to balance neighborhood integrity, city character, and high density. Friends of Flagstaff’s Future is following the discussion closely and will make recommendations.

Coconino County COVID-19 Testing Surge announced

by Community Contributor • August 10, 2020 • Comments Off

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District 2 Supervisor Liz Archuleta — Coconino County currently has a response rate of 41.8% for the 2020 Census

by Community Contributor • August 7, 2020 • Comments Off

If you have not yet filled out the 2020 Census, please do so!

In times of crises, communities need funding, data and representation in order to support their people, and respond to the challenges. Coconino County needs your support to make sure we able to tackle the challenges we face today, and for the next ten years.

By filling out the 2020 Census, you’re helping to make sure that our community continues to receive federal funding for Medicare and Medicaid and support for the health centers we rely on to serve our people. Billions of dollars in federal aid come into our state each year for these programs, and completing your Census ensures that we continue to receive our share.

It also ensures that you are represented in government at the local, state and federal levels, and that the data collected helps your elected representatives to make informed decisions.

Make sure your voice is heard and your community is supported for the next decade. Respond today at www.2020Census.gov or call 844-330-2020 for English or 844-468-2020 for Spanish.

I count. You count. Together we can make a difference for Coconino County.

Certified Nursing Assistant program returns to CCC in Page

by Community Contributor • August 7, 2020 • Comments Off

The patient beds are made. Medical supplies are at the ready. The mannequins are prepped for receiving care, and the instructor is ready to teach.

Now, what’s left is the students.

After a seven-year hiatus, the Certified Nursing Assistant program is returning to Coconino Community College in Page.

“This program is important for CCC to support the Page community,” said Kay Leum, executive director of Extended Learning at CCC. “The opportunity to go through the course here in Page, whether students want to go straight into the workforce in the area or to continue studies for a nursing degree, offers so many benefits.”

LULAC Says Shortening Census Period Hurts Latinos

by Community Contributor • August 7, 2020 • Comments Off

Sindy Benavides, National Chief Executive Officer of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) issued the following statement about the Administration’s decision to end the self-reporting window and door knocking operations one-month earlier for the 2020 Census.

“It is simply inconceivable that we can achieve a full and accurate count by these actions at the time we need it most during a pandemic that is disproportionately impacting Latinos. This is yet another tactic from the Trump Administration to make our community invisible with an incomplete enumeration, which impacts critical funding, representation, and redistricting. Instead of ramping up its work, the Census Bureau cites the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for deciding to cut short the two most critical aspects of the census. First, there is the self-reporting phase and that is followed by community outreach to contact individuals and families who for one reason or another have not done so.

Statement from U.S. Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham — Delivering a Complete and Accurate 2020 Census Count

by Community Contributor • August 7, 2020 • Comments Off

The U.S. Census Bureau continues to evaluate its operational plans to collect and process 2020 Census data. We are announcing updates to our plan that will include enumerator awards and the hiring of more employees to accelerate the completion of data collection and apportionment counts by our statutory deadline of December 31, 2020, as required by law and directed by the Secretary of Commerce. The Census Bureau’s new plan reflects our continued commitment to conduct a complete count, provide accurate apportionment data, and protect the health and safety of the public and our workforce.

CCC double-times English for veterans

by Community Contributor • August 7, 2020 • Comments Off

Veterans who have served their country return to civilian life and often want to begin a college career.

They’ve lived a little life after high school. They have common experiences from being in the military. And they, typically, have very specific goals when it comes to what they want from their education.

To that end, faculty at Coconino Community College, with input from colleagues at Northern Arizona University, created an English composition course at CCC this fall that will allow veterans, in class among other veterans, to complete the requirements of the year-long course in a single semester.

Upcoming overnight closures on Interstate 40 at Winona bridge east of Flagstaff Aug. 11-12

by Community Contributor • August 6, 2020 • Comments Off

The Arizona Department of Transportation is advising drivers to plan for overnight closures on Interstate 40 – about 16 miles east of Flagstaff – as work continues on the Winona bridge rehabilitation project.

ADOT reminds drivers to slow down and observe posted speed limits and other construction signs while the following restrictions are in place:

ECoNA Flagstaff Welcomes New Retail & Service Businesses

by Community Contributor • August 6, 2020 • Comments Off

Even before the coronavirus, brick-and-mortar retailers and service providers faced challenges. E-commerce has put pressure on the sector for years. The pandemic, along with its related economic fallout, just accelerated the issue for many traditional stores. The result is that many have gone into Chapter 11 and may not be coming back.

Which is why it’s been rewarding to see a series of new businesses opening their doors this summer in Flagstaff. Their arrival here is the result of concerted recruitment efforts, sometimes over a period of several years, by the City of Flagstaff’s Economic Vitality team and the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona.

Bilingual report — Downtown Flagstaff conducting Vision & Action Plan Survey

by Community Contributor • August 6, 2020 • Comments Off

This survey is part of the Downtown Vision planning process being led by the Flagstaff Downtown Business Alliance (FDBA), in partnership with the City, County, and Mountain Line. The Vision & Action Plan will identify priorities and initiatives to guide improvements in Downtown over the next three to ten years.

Flagstaff’s Beautification, Arts & Sciences provides a pilot project to beautify traffic signal cabinets

by Community Contributor • August 5, 2020 • Comments Off

Artists, graphic designers, illustrators, and photographers are wanted to create designs for traffic signal cabinets in two locations:

The northeast corner of North San Francisco Street and East Butler Avenue
The northwest corner of East Cedar Avenue and North Gemini Avenue
The idea to beautify the city’s traffic signal cabinets was brought to the city of Flagstaff’s Beautification, Arts & Sciences Program by community member Gaylene Soper, who supported the initiative with funding for a demonstration project.

Flagstaff Convention & Visitor’s Bureau — Find virtual events with Flagstaff 365 Happenings

by Community Contributor • August 5, 2020 • Comments Off

Discover Flagstaff publishes Flagstaff 365 Happenings on a weekly basis to highlight local events happening in and around Flagstaff. It is distributed throughout Downtown Flagstaff, displayed in kiosks and storefronts, and also available at the Flagstaff Visitor Center. Below are some highlights. For a complete printable pdf list of events click below.

CCC completes remote delivery conversion for fall courses

by Community Contributor • August 4, 2020 • Comments Off

Coconino Community College has finished converting Fall 2020 courses to remote delivery. With modifications complete, students may register (https://www.coconino.edu/registration) right away for the best class selection.

These changes to the course schedule and delivery options were necessary to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff during COVID-19.

Coconino County praises passage of Great American Outdoors Act

by Community Contributor • August 4, 2020 • Comments Off

Coconino County applauds todays’ enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act which establishes the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to address over $507 million deferred maintenance needs in Arizona. This landmark legislation also permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a critical funding tool for Coconino County.

District 2 Supervisor Liz Archuleta — Flagstaff Family Food Center Needs Volunteers!

by Community Contributor • August 3, 2020 • Comments Off

Calling all volunteers!

Flagstaff Family Food Centers needs your help this week! They need 20-25 volunteers per day from Wednesday through Sunday to help at their Kitchen and Food Bank. You can find more information and sign up for a shift at www.hotfood.volunteerhub.com.

*They have policies and procedures in place to keep their volunteers and community safe, including mask wearing, physical distancing, and frequent hand washing and sanitizing.* Please share widely!

District 2 Supervisor Liz Archuleta — August 4th is Primary Election Day!

by Community Contributor • July 31, 2020 • Comments Off

Visit Coconino County’s Election Web Page and find all the information you need to vote. Important dates for the Primary Election are below for easy reference. You can also find information on how you can be a part of the process by becoming an Election Board Worker. Primary Election Day is August 4th! Your vote matters!

Registration for COVID-19 Testing at Fort Tuthill highly encouraged

by Community Contributor • July 31, 2020 • Comments Off

Registration reduces wait time along with time for intake and test. Translation and interpretation options also available.

Coconino County Emergency Early Voting Sites for August 4 Primary Election

by Community Contributor • July 31, 2020 • Comments Off

Coconino County voters that may have health concerns or worry about contracting the COVID 19 coronavirus can participate in emergency early voting at several locations across the county on Saturday, August 1 and Monday, August 3.

Voters taking advantage of emergency early voting will be required to complete a form stating that they have an emergency and need to vote an emergency early ballot. They do not need to disclose the specifics of their emergency. “Voters that want to avoid being around large groups of people are considered to have an unforeseen emergency and will be allowed to vote on Saturday and Monday,” said Coconino County Recorder Patty Hansen.

ECoNA COVID-19 Bulletin #11: Historic GDP & HEALS vs HEROES

by Community Contributor • July 31, 2020 • Comments Off

This was a week of eye-popping numbers at the federal level, from the release of the Republicans long-awaited stimulus proposal to the data dropped yesterday by the U.S. Commerce Department that showed how coronavirus has impacted gross domestic product (GDP).

#1. Exactly how much did the GDP lose? Let’s take that last one first, because there is some confusion about the numbers released by Commerce. In fact, you might have seen two vastly different headlines – one saying the economy contracted by 9.5% during the past quarter and one saying it was 32.9%.

August 4, 2020 Primary Election Is Next Week

by Community Contributor • July 30, 2020 • Comments Off

The August 4 Primary Election is next Tuesday. All registered voters in Coconino County are eligible to vote in the Primary Election.

Sample ballots were mailed to households with registered voters that are not on the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL) or have not requested an early ballot. The sample ballot includes the name and address of their polling place for this election.

District 2 Supervisor Liz Archuleta — Back to School Immunization Clinics

by Community Contributor • July 29, 2020 • Comments Off

Coconino County Health & Human Services (CCHHS) is holding Back to School Immunization Clinics, Monday, August 3 through Saturday, August 8, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the King Street building, 2625 N. King St., Flagstaff. The clinics will be located in the parking lot.

Flagstaff City’s Public Safety Pension Retirement System Certificates of Participation available for investors

by Community Contributor • July 29, 2020 • Comments Off

On July 23, 2020, the city of Flagstaff put its Public Safety Retirement System (PSPRS) Certificates of Participation (COP) on the market and successfully sold to investors from across the country. The Flagstaff City Council authorized the transaction at the June 23, 2020 meeting.

Return Your Early Ballot Now, due July 29

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2020 • Comments Off

The Coconino County Elections Office reminds early voters that voted early ballots must be received no later than 7:00 pm on Election Day, August 4. Early voters should put their voted early ballot in the mail no later than Wednesday, July 29 to ensure that it is received in time to be counted.

Back to School Immunization Clinics

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Coconino County Lifts Fire Restrictions

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2020 • Comments Off

Coconino County has lifted all fire restrictions on private lands in the unincorporated areas of the County in coordination with similar actions by the national forests and other agencies in the area, effective July 28 at 6:00 PM.

District 2 Supervisor Liz Archuleta — Coconino County currently has a response rate of 41% for the 2020 Census

by Community Contributor • July 27, 2020 • Comments Off

Coconino County currently has a response rate of 41% for the 2020 Census.

If you have not yet filled out the 2020 Census, please do so!

City of Flagstaff launches electric vehicle charging stations at City Hall

by Community Contributor • July 27, 2020 • Comments Off

The city of Flagstaff, in partnership with Arizona Public Service (APS), has installed four electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at Flagstaff City Hall, 211 West Aspen Avenue in the heart of downtown Flagstaff. These charging stations will support the City’s transition to EVs for the City fleet and the growing numbers of community members who drive EVs. This project is supported through the APS Take Charge AZ program. The city of Flagstaff is one of the first in the state to install these charging stations as part of Take Charge AZ.