Bullhead City Council Regular Meeting - October 13, 2026

This regular meeting of the Bullhead City Council convened at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in the City Council Chambers. All six council members were present. The meeting included a proclamation, public comments, multiple consent agenda items, liquor license recommendations, major infrastructure and development approvals, and several public works and utility contracts.

Consent Calendar

• The council unanimously approved the consent agenda as presented, which included routine approvals and resolutions not requiring separate discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Harvey Pryor (Bullhead City resident): Praised public works for flood response efforts. Expressed concern about lack of code enforcement for flood control on private properties, specifically at City Square Shopping Center where drains have failed for over four years. Noted that once a project is built and engineers sign off, it is never inspected again. Urged the council to write a code for proper flood control on all properties.
• Dennis Rogers and Diana Lestat (Bullhead City Elks Lodge #2808): Announced a quarterly blood drive on October 20 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and a fall festival craft show on October 17 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1745 Emerald Road.
• Elizabeth Jones (Laughlin Ranch area resident): Spoke in opposition to Major General Plan Amendment P2601, arguing it would replace 1,500 acres of planned residential space with over 2,500 acres of light industrial use near homes. Claimed the amendment acts as a loophole allowing future rezoning with less public notification. Cited a Bexclusive article quoting Shelby with Diversified Futures mentioning a data center in the Laughlin Ranch rezoning. Also referenced Catalyst Data Centers' website listing Laughlin Ranch in pre-development phase for a data center. Stated she would vote no on the 2026 general plan.
• Gary Hicks (Laughlin Ranch resident): Stated he had just purchased a home in Laughlin Ranch for approximately $1 million and was not informed by real estate agents or the city about the proposed rezoning. Expressed concern about the impact on his property value.
• McKenzie Covert (former city Public Information Officer, speaking as private resident): Raised questions about a recent city reorganization in which multiple employees were demoted or terminated. Asked about the impetus, the number of positions eliminated or changed, expected cost savings, new costs incurred, and whether the council was briefed beforehand. Noted the timing of eliminating the PIO position while the city is in the middle of an election and asking voters to approve the general plan.
• Leland Gilmore (VFW Post Commander): Announced an October Fest event on October 10 from 2-5 p.m. at the VFW post. Thanked Councilmembers O'Neill and Cotter for helping secure a stage for the event.
• Rose Jacobs (Bullhead City resident representing Colorado River Concert Series): Announced the 25th season of concerts starting November 5 with "Best of Broadway" featuring Terry Barber. Promoted season tickets at $100, single tickets at $35, and student tickets at $5.
• Eva Genevieve (Bullhead City resident): Announced the 13th annual Halloween Pet Costume Contest on October 17, with proceeds benefiting Black Mountain K9 Search and Rescue. Also promoted a Republican Women's Club meeting on October 14 featuring Police Chief George.
• John Sutherland (public speaker during item 10): Asked for clarification on what "attainability" means in the context of City Center development housing.
• McKenzie Covert (on item 10): Expressed concern about the bond issuance for the City Center Improvement District, asking what happens if landowners default on the assessment debt and the city becomes responsible. Suggested tabling the item to add better protections.
• Harvey Pryor (on item 10): Questioned why the city is paying for roads in the City Center development rather than having the developer build and then turn them over. (Clarified by council that the costs are fully paid by the developer through bond assessments.)

Discussion & Action Items

• Liquor License Recommendations (Items 5-7): The council unanimously approved making recommendations to the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control for: (5) a multi-license acquisition of control for Walgreens #3913 at 2360 Highway 95; (6) a Series 12 restaurant license for the anticipated Olive Garden at 700 Highway 95; and (7) a Series 6 bar license for Callianos Family Restaurant at 220 Highway 95. Staff noted all were administrative changes.
• Baseline Road HERF Exchange Project (Item 8): The council unanimously approved Resolution 2026R-34 authorizing an intergovernmental agreement with ADOT for improvements to Baseline Road from SR95 to Raymar Road, including milling to subgrade, recompacting, repaving, curb, gutter, sidewalk, ADA ramps, and pavement marking. The city's funding portion is $473,000.
• Boys and Girls Club Funding (Item 9): The council approved a funding agreement with the Boys and Girls Club of the Colorado River for $60,000 (originally proposed at $50,000, amended from the floor by Councilmember Rings and seconded) for fiscal year 2026-2027. Councilmembers praised Executive Director Dave Heath for reversing previous concerns and improving operations. The additional $10,000 will come from general fund contingency.
• City Center Improvement District Bonds (Item 10): After extensive presentations from financial analyst Mark Reeder, developer Jay Corda, and bond counsel Paul Gales, the council unanimously adopted Resolution 2026R-35 authorizing the issuance of up to $16.5 million in assessment bonds to finance public infrastructure for the 270-acre City Center development. The bonds will be paid entirely by the developer through assessments on the property, with no cost to the city. The debt service of approximately $1.2 million annually will be allocated to property owners based on benefit. The resolution included an emergency clause to allow immediate bond sale in a rising interest rate environment. The city received an A3 credit rating for the improvement district.
• Temporary Construction Easement (Item 11): Unanimously approved for the City Center Improvement District.
• City Center Construction Contract (Item 12): The council unanimously approved a $12,096,730 construction contract with McCormick Construction Company for new roadways including Main Street, North Oatman connector, and Parkside Lane with curb, gutter, sidewalk, water, sewer, lighting, and storm drainage. Two bids were received; McCormick was the lowest by $1.3 million.
• Materials Testing Agreement (Item 13): Unanimously approved a $59,570 task order with Sunbelt Engineering and Testing for City Center materials testing and increased the annual testing agreement from $60,000 to $90,000 through June 30, 2027.
• School Resource Officer Agreement (Item 14): The council unanimously approved Resolution 2026R-36 renewing the intergovernmental agreement with Bullhead City School District for a school safety grant-funded SRO (Officer Probst at Fox Creek).
• South Supply Line Phase 2 Change Order (Item 15): The council unanimously ratified a $242,009.42 change order to add 800 feet of 16-inch transmission main, using remaining funds from a $1 million grant from Senator Hilde Yangis. The original bid came in at $755,000 (well below the $1 million grant), allowing the extension.
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Blower Buildings (Item 16): The council unanimously approved a $4,948,131.94 construction contract with K Constructors for two blower buildings at the Section 10 wastewater treatment plant. These buildings provide aeration for the biological treatment process. Utilities Director Mark Clark indicated the plant expansion is nearing completion, with ultraviolet disinfection, tertiary filtration, and solids handling remaining for next year.
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Membrane Replacement (Item 17): The council unanimously approved an $806,080 agreement with Xenon Environmental Corporation as sole source to replace two membrane trains at the Section 18 wastewater treatment plant. The membranes (described as similar to spaghetti noodles) last approximately five to seven years and were eight years old. The replacement is necessary to maintain the plant's 2 million gallon per day capacity.
• Zoning Code Amendment - Appeals (Item 18): The council unanimously adopted Ordinance 2026-17 and Resolution 2026R-37, amending Title 17 to change the appellate body for zoning decisions from the City Council to the Board of Adjustment. City Attorney Garn Emery explained this conforms with state statute and Board of Adjustment code provisions. One councilmember expressed concern about delegating authority to unelected board members but ultimately voted in favor after clarification that appeals can still go to superior court.
• Purchasing Code Amendments (Item 19): The council unanimously adopted Ordinance 2026-18 and Resolution 2026R-38, making administrative amendments to chapters 2.16 and 3.37 of the municipal code.

Key Outcomes

• All 19 agenda items were approved unanimously (6-0 votes on each item).
• Total financial commitments approved include: $12,096,730 for City Center road construction; $4,948,131 for wastewater treatment plant blower buildings; $806,080 for membrane replacement; $242,009 for water line extension; and $60,000 for Boys and Girls Club funding.
• The City Center Improvement District bond issuance of up to $16.5 million was authorized; bonds are to be sold within the following weeks with interest rates estimated in the 4-5% range.
• The Boys and Girls Club funding was increased from the budgeted $50,000 to $60,000 by council amendment.
• Early voting for the general election was announced to begin October 7 and run through October 30; the city's general plan update will be on the ballot.
• Sandbags were made available at the Optimum Community Center on Friday, October 17 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and again on October 18.
• A Veterans Day celebration was announced for November 11 at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Peninsula, featuring a newly arrived airplane from Fort Hood, a deuce-and-a-half truck, and a Hummer.
• National Night Out was proclaimed for October 7, 2026, from 5-7 p.m. in front of the Bullhead City Police Department.

Note: The agenda materials reference a June 9, 2026 Board of Adjustment meeting (whose minutes were approved) and an October 13, 2026 Board of Adjustment meeting (with Variance B26-002 on the agenda). The transcript provided primarily documents this City Council meeting rather than a Board of Adjustment meeting, creating a discrepancy in the source materials. The summary above reflects the City Council meeting content as transcribed.