City of Bisbee

The meeting began with a moment of silence in memory of a departed school board member. Key discussions involved issuing a proclamation for National Business Women's Week (October 15 to October 19, 2018). The Mayor discussed details regarding fire hydrant placement studies, noting that existing placements might not comply with current fire codes. It was noted that outstanding data requests are pending before resolutions are brought forward, and a special session will be called to fully address the relevant product issue. Public comments included a protest regarding the removal of a city property sale item from the agenda, citing political agendas and concerns over fire hydrant placement relative to property value and potential lawsuits. A representative from Local First Arizona presented extensive details regarding their mission to promote local businesses, including programs like the Hispanic Business Accelerator, Food Finder, and rural development initiatives, detailing associated costs and investment opportunities. Additionally, approval was sought for a special event license application submitted by the Hospital Association for the Deaf and discussion occurred regarding lease payments and vehicle maintenance costs.

The primary discussion revolved around establishing a protocol for public art in public spaces, particularly murals, to ensure the Arts Commission has oversight, as current procedures delegate too much authority to the Design Review Board. The commission explored creating a formal process, including researching protocols used by other cities, to manage public art submissions and ensure aesthetic consistency, especially in highly visible and historic districts. A secondary major topic concerned the funding and retrofitting of an existing art vending machine to accept dollar bills instead of coins, which included reviewing cost breakdowns for the machine conversion and considering options for artist payouts and machine placement within the city. Finally, there was a brief discussion regarding the results of the recent art auction fundraiser, noting it was successful but costly.

The special meeting primarily focused on the discussion and possible approval of ordinance o-18, authorizing the sale and transfer of city property located near 429 D to an applicant. The discussion involved details presented by the planning manager regarding the parcel size and the portion requested, which had previously been before the Planning Zoning Commission. Significant concern was raised by public commenters and the fire department regarding life safety due to the construction's impact on fire hydrant access and emergency vehicle ingress/egress. The fire department's technical report highlighted that the new structure violates fire code requirements concerning unobstructed access. Neighbors also expressed concerns about the applicant's construction process, which allegedly deviated from approved plans by building further north towards the street and existing fire hydrants, potentially obstructing access for the residents of Laundry Hill and creating liability issues for the city. A recommendation was made to delay the property sale until infrastructure improvements, such as relocating a fire hydrant, are completed to ensure life safety compliance.

The working session of the IBisbee Committee focused primarily on the implementation and potential citywide adoption of the Slack communication platform. A presenter demonstrated how Slack functions, highlighting its use for fast, informal communication, the organization of discussions into specific channels (analogous to committees), management of workspaces, and notification settings. Key discussion points included the benefits of instant information exchange, the structure of channels (e.g., Bisbee Local, Announcements, Waste Log), setting up administrative privileges, and the cost implications for historical data retention (free for the first 10,000 messages). Additionally, a study session was announced for February 12, 2019, concerning the Tourism and Marketing Manager position and related financial statistics.

The meeting marked the first session of the Charter Review Committee. The discussion involved introductions, outlining the need for a quorum to conduct business, and detailing the roles of the Chair, Assistant Chair, and Secretary. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to an informative presentation by Mr. Kent Strohbeck regarding the importance and function of a city charter, which is considered the city's constitution. Key topics covered included the history of charter government in Arizona, the impact of court decisions, the advantages of charter government (such as strengthened local decision-making power and customization of governmental structure), and specific unique charter provisions for Bisbee concerning videotaping, land use review, and judicial selection. The presenter also discussed the tension between local and state authority, contrasting Dillon's Rule with Home Rule, and referenced relevant legal cases concerning city authority over seized property and election processes.