You are likely well aware that yesterday Governor Doug Ducey extended the Stay-at-Home Order to May 15th. Although, adjustments to that order will gradually start to take effect as early as May 4th for non-essential retailers to operate and offer goods and services through delivery, curbside, drive-up services, etc. and as early as May 8 8th will allow non-essential retailers to re-open shops so long as they follow social distance guidelines and sanitation measures established by the United States Department of Labor and AZ Department of Health Services. "The intent of this Executive Order is to ensure that people maintain physical distance to the maximum extent feasible, while enabling essential services to continue, reinvigorating our economy, protecting people's rights and slowing the spread of COVID-19 to the greatest extent possible." Please read the full order here: Return Stronger — Amending the Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Stay Connected Order
Last week the Sierra Vista City Council continued to hold meetings via WebEx and there were fewer issues. I think we are all getting the hang of it. Our Work Session ran longer as we had presentations and good discussions on the CARES Act Funding, our Strategic Plan Update, and the update on the FY 20-21 General Fund and overview on revenue, personnel and operations, and maintenance. Council wants to see the CARES Act money get into our community as soon as possible, so there will be a special meeting on May 5th at 3 PM. Also, part of the budget schedule is going to shift to allow more time to receive updated revenue numbers. The balanced budget presentation on May 12, and plans to have the tentative budget books to Council on May 22, will not change.
This is what will shift:
The tentative budget vote scheduled for June 11 will shift to June 25.
The special budget work sessions for the budget overview scheduled for June 1-3 will shift to June 15-17.
One-on-one council meetings with staff will shift to the week of June 1-5 to give Council Members an extra week with the book.
Final budget adoption, and the public hearing on the property tax levy, shifts from July 9 to July 23.
The tax levy rate adoption then shifts from July 23 to August 13.
Aside from all that, I want to share a couple of topics that came up during the Work Session. One being the Census. As of April 21st, Cochise County was reporting a completion rate of 54%. Which is higher than the state average... but it still needs to be better. It's so important that every household completes the Census. Please share this information with your friends and family: Be Counted!
The other topic was introduced by Council Member Gwen Calhoun. For some time now, the City of Sierra Vista has been known as the Hummingbird Capital of the United States because along with the 300 species of birds commonly seen around Sierra Vista, more than a dozen of them are varieties of hummingbirds. Council Member Calhoun’s idea, as a tourism effort, was to see if we could be officially recognized at the State Legislature as the Hummingbird Capital of the United States through resolution. I absolutely love her idea and think it’s perfectly fitting with the City’s recent renewed embrace of hummingbirds. And agree with the Mayor’s suggestion to proclaim it locally first before proposing it to our AZ State Representatives.
Sierra Vista City Council Work Session for April 21, 2020:
Agenda and Supporting Documents for this Work Session: Click Here
Agenda with Video Time Stamps: