Charter amendments back on the agenda
Yuma City Council to meet on Wednesday
Changes to the Yuma City Charter might be on the ballot again. The council will discuss the possibility at the Wednesday meeting.
The agenda contains a discussion and possible action regarding potential charter amendments to Article IV Elections and Article VI City Officials.
The agenda does not contain more information on item. In response to a request for more details, Dave Nash, the city’s public affairs coordinator, replied: “We have nothing additional to report at this time. Staff is awaiting direction from Council on this.”
However, a speaker at the last Call to the Public brought up the issue of compensation for the mayor and council, which failed at the ballot box last year. This may be in reaction to that since placing the topic on the agenda gives the council the opportunity to speak about it or respond to that comment.
Pat Cooley, a business owner in Yuma, noted that the initiative on the ballot regarding the salaries for the mayor and council members did not pass in November.
“I’ve never gotten very actively involved in politics before, but when I saw that, it really made me wonder why that bill wasn’t passed. I consider this a great city. I think we’ve done a lot of good things as a city, and I think we continue to do that, and I think there’s tons of opportunity out there for us to do that,” Cooley said.
“But we need to support our leadership, and I think these raises that were suggested in this initiative are warranted and that should be revisited, and it would be my request to put it back on the ballot. So I just wanted to come here and make that request tonight,” he added.
The council will also introduce an ordinance related to updates to the wastewater discharge local limits. The city is required by federal and state environmental standards to maintain an ordinance which regulates the discharge of non-domestic waste into the city’s wastewater collection system. The city code contains site specific, technically based local wastewater discharge limitations, and the city is required to review and update these limitations as necessary.
The existing wastewater local limits were last updated in 2010 and need to be modified to reflect new state and federal requirements, wastewater treatment plant changes and local wastewater discharge permit requirements, according to a staff report.
One ordinance is up for adoption. The proposed ordinance updates development standards centered on lot coverage, setbacks, open space and height requirements within residential zoning districts.
The proposed text amendment would facilitate and support an increase in opportunities for residential development, through increases in lot coverage, reductions in setbacks for several residential districts and increases in building heights.
The council will hear two presentations, one on the city’s 110th birthday and another a Month of the Military Child proclamation.
The meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 1 City Plaza. Meetings can also be viewed remotely at tinyurl.com/4snxunv7.
To view and/or download the complete agenda and staff reports, go to yuma-az.legistar.com/calendar.aspx or scan the QR code.