Bullhead City Council Regular Meeting – Nov. 19, 2024: Honors, Swearing-In, and Zoning Approval
Bullhead City Council Regular Meeting – November 19, 2024
This summary is based on the raw transcript; no agenda or minutes were available. The meeting opened at 5:30 PM with an invocation and concluded with a unanimous zoning action. All council members were present except Council Member Latman/Lettman. Outgoing members were honored, new members were sworn in, the city manager gave an update, and the council heard extensive public comment.
Opening Ceremonies & Swearing-In
- Stephen Brown/Praise Chapel offered the invocation.
- The city presented plaques of appreciation to outgoing Council Members Grace Hitch (often spelled Hecht in the transcript) and Juan Lizaraga. Hitch spoke about serving since her 2021 appointment, honoring the late Council Member Kathy Brooke, and highlighted accomplishments such as the new bridge, expanded community park, weekly Parks and Recreation family activities, a summer camp with 900+ kids, and the food bank expansion. Lizaraga briefly thanked the city.
- Rodney Head was re-sworn in via video, and Karen Dahlman, Jason Newland, and Gene O'Neill took their oaths.
Consent Calendar
- A motion to waive the reading of all ordinances and resolutions passed 7-0.
- Consent item 3, a grant of easement, was tabled because the property owner had not responded to the city's request; it will return at a later meeting.
- Consent items 1 and 2 were approved 7-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- A Colorado River Republican Women representative announced the group's monthly meeting on Dec. 4, 11 AM-1 PM at Chaparral, featuring Christmas songs by Linda Sedona, plus a 50/50 raffle.
- A speaker gave a construction restoration update, noting work from Hancock North to Highway 95 and listing completed/upcoming restoration dates, including Holly (complete on 11/25), Glenn Drive (12/9), and Borough (12/16), and encouraged residents to call about issues.
- Grace Felsner, a Bullhead City resident, expressed concern that Greyhound bus service is ending and asked the city to consider a transportation option for seniors and medical appointments to Kingman, Lake Havasu, and Las Vegas.
- June Shadow, president of Kiwanis of the Colorado River from Mojave Valley, reported Cornfest success and said Kiwanis will give back more than $50,000 to community and youth programs, with about $20,000 for scholarships. She apologized for a delayed haunted house tent removal and promoted the Dec. 7 sleigh ride/poker run and a Jan. 10 bed-building project with Home Depot to build 150 beds for children.
- Aaron Anderson, program manager at Mohave Community College's Bullhead City campus, promoted MCC Shines on Dec. 5, 5-7 PM, with treats and Santa; a new 23-week non-credit phlebotomy course; community education classes; and a request for live-band donations for a Latin Club Valentine's Day dance.
- Lilyn Gilmore, senior vice commander of VFW Post 1005, said the post runs a year-round water drive for homeless veterans and homeless individuals, citing 10 or 11 homeless deaths last year.
- Stephen Brown, executive director of Bullhead Regional Food Bank, announced a Christmas box handout Dec. 2, 9 AM-4 PM, at 590 Hancock, providing 500 family dinners.
- Grace Hitch/Hecht personally thanked volunteers for the 'Learner in Row' Thanksgiving giveaway of 750 bags of food and gift cards and thanked Lizzie's Kitchen for Thanksgiving meals.
- Rose Jacobs, Colorado River Concert Series board member, invited the community to the 50th Golden Anniversary season starting Nov. 21 with a Simon and Garfunkel tribute at Mojave High School Auditorium; season tickets are $100, single tickets $35.
- Janice Johnston, volunteer at the Bullhead City Pride Center, announced a Trans Day of Remembrance vigil on Nov. 20 at 1 PM reading names of nearly 80 people, plus a Nov. 23 highway cleanup at mile marker 14 and a Nov. 30 sidewalk sale.
- Ivy Yeomans of Holiday Shores urged the city to create a police presence to spot children walking alone, a teen/young-adult recreation center with counselors, police-involved athletic activities, and a trade school as alternatives to casinos and fast-food jobs.
- A resident named Scotty criticized campaign spending, saying 23 candidates across five districts spent $358,000, with Rick Lettman spending over $75,000 and Grace Hecht $52,000, while he spent $458 (44 cents per vote). He questioned Lettman's bankruptcy and self-loans and called for limits on political signs.
- A Colorado River Historical Society speaker promoted the HoneyBaked Ham fundraiser, an appearance by geologist/author Luis Vega on Nov. 20 at 5:30 PM, and placed orders through Susanna van Sloten.
- Eva Genevieve (as transcribed) promoted a Dec. 1 cat fundraiser for We Care for Animals at Mojave Steakhouse, 2-4 PM, supporting trap-neuter-return and affordable spay services, and congratulated Donald Trump on his election.
City Manager's Report
- City Manager Toby Cotter encouraged residents to follow city social media for December events, highlighted the Boombox Parade on Dec. 6 on Hancock (estimated 5,000+ attendees last year) and the North Pole Adventures festival on Dec. 14 at the Field House from 10 AM to 6 PM.
- He said the new senior enrichment center is being paved by McCormick and should open in mid-January after the holidays.
Council Member Reports
- A council member identified in the transcript as Councilman Head welcomed newlyweds Gary and Eva Genevieve, thanked outgoing members, congratulated Rick Lettman on winning the Mojave County supervisor race, congratulated Hilda Yangis on her Senate win with over 78% of the vote after 12 years as supervisor, and welcomed new council members, noting the city's population is about 44,000.
Discussion Items
- Public hearing on Ordinance 2024-31: a zoning map change from R1L (Residential Single Family Limited) to C2 (General Commercial) for a 1.56-acre parcel at 1577 Sharon Drive, Parcel A of the parcel plat in Book 36, Pages 12-12A, Section 23, Township 20 North, Range 22 West. City staff recommended approval. In response to a question, City Manager Toby Cotter said the odd-shaped lot has no intended use yet but could accommodate various C2 uses, and he noted a commercial real estate 'for sale' sign on the property. No audience testimony was offered.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance 2024-31 (zoning map change to C2) approved unanimously, 7-0.
- Consent items 1 and 2 approved 7-0; consent item 3 tabled.
- Waiver of the reading of ordinances/resolutions passed 7-0.
- New council members Karen Dahlman, Jason Newland, and Gene O'Neill were sworn in and seated; Rodney Head took his oath by video.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. This is Tuesday, November 19th, 2024 is five thirty PM, our regular scheduled council meeting. All council members are present except for Council Member Latman. Council Member Head, can you hear me? Yes, I can. Thank you. All right, we're gonna start tonight with an invitation from Stephen Brown for Praise Chapel. If you'd like to join us, please stand. Father God, we come before you with thankful hearts, humbly acknowledging you as the source of all wisdom and strength. Righteousness exalts a nation. We are grateful for their dedication, their sacrifices, and their services to our community. As King Solomon asks, we also do ask, give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people that you may discern between good and evil. Guide them, lead them with integrity, compassion and fairness. So if I could have uh Greece Hedge first, come down to the first we have a picture, so you don't forget us when you leave here. This is the city of Bullhead City. We hereby honor Grace Hitch and appreciation for your service as a council member in the city of Bull Hood City from 2021 to 2024. Thank you. Okay. Um first of all, I would like to express my sadness. Um that in the last couple of years, three council members have passed away. And I was appointed to the Bullhead City Council because Kathy Brooke passed away. She was an incredible councilwoman, and she served our community for several several years. And so it's just a sad thing that council members passed away so suddenly, but I'm very thankful to have fulfilled her term, and then to have been elected for two more years. It's been an honor to serve alongside former Mayor Brady, as well as Mayor Diamico and the rest of the past council and the present council. All of us bring different ideas and perspectives to this council. We come from different generations, different ethnicities, and different life experiences. I believe that that's a great thing. I'm thankful to be the very first person from Bullhead City to serve on the city council. And um, when I was a teenager, my my job was here in the city council, taping city council meetings, and I never expected that I would be up there, but it's been such an honor. So being on council has opened the doors to meet incredible leaders from all over the state and our country. It's because of those relationships that great things have happened. Toby Cotter, who will be uh completing 15 years as city manager soon, has done such a fantastic job and has created an incredible team here at our city, and all of the employees in every single department. I just want to say thank you because it's really them that do all of the work that makes this city run. Numerous times community members have reached out to me with concern, and I've reached out to Toby, and he gets things done for our community. So I'm so excited for this. Future council members working with him and his incredible team to make our city even better. I'm proud that during my time on council, Parks and Recreation Department has family-friendly activities every single Friday. We have a summer camp with over 900 kids attending. The new bridge was opened, community park has been expanded. Um, the food bank is gonna be breaking ground soon on a new expansion. There's so many incredible things that have happened in such a short time in our community, and it's because of all of you sitting here and all the people on council working together to make our community better. So thank you and congratulations to all of the new incoming city council members. Thank you for running, and thank you for serving our community. Thank you. Next, we have Juan Lizaraga. Here's a picture. You want to draw a mustache on me later? That's fine. Thank you. We have a nice plaque here for you.
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