Special City Council Meeting - Executive Session: Dog Beach Proposal and Airport Authority Issues - August 5, 2025
Special City Council Meeting - Executive Session: Dog Beach Proposal and Airport Authority Issues - August 5, 2025
The Bullhead City Council held a special meeting on August 5, 2025, at 3:00 PM to discuss two main items: the creation of a dog beach at Rotary Park and issues concerning the Mohave County Airport Authority (MCAA). The meeting included presentations, public comment, and council deliberation before moving into executive session.
Discussion Items
1. Proposed Off-Leash Dog Beach at Rotary Park
- Staff presented a proposal for a 1,000-foot off-leash dog beach area at Rotary Park, highlighted in blue on a map, located along the Colorado River. The proposed hours were 4:30 AM to 8:00 AM daily, with dogs required to be on a leash outside those hours. The area would have natural barriers (trees and brush), additional plantings, fencing with gates, and signage. Rules would require dogs to be collared, vaccinated, and licensed; owners must have leashes in hand and be responsible for their dogs; and cleanup bags and receptacles would be provided. The proposal would require amending city code to allow off-leash dogs in that specific area.
- Council members discussed the hours, enforcement, and safety. Vice Mayor asked about the rationale for 4:30 AM start; staff explained it was a starting point and open to adjustment. Councilmember O'Neil requested a bike lane or widened path along the beach area due to existing congestion with dog walkers. Other members supported the concept but emphasized the need for clear rules, adequate signage, and enforcement. Park ranger Dave Heath noted that enforcement relies on park rangers and police, but citations are limited; the area is largely self-policing.
- Public comment: Sean Reed of Bullhead City raised concerns about service dogs and ADA compliance, urging strict guidelines to avoid misunderstandings with law enforcement. He emphasized the need for training on service animal laws.
- The council and parks commission expressed general support for the dog beach concept, with the understanding that hours and details could be adjusted. No formal vote was taken; the item was for discussion and feedback.
2. Mohave County Airport Authority Issues – Presentation by Supervisor Rich Lettman
- Supervisor Lettman presented an overview of concerns regarding the MCAA, which operates the Laughlin Bullhead International Airport on land owned by Mojave County. He stated that the leases (a master lease for commercial parcels and an airport operations lease) expire in 2048 and give the MCAA sole extension rights. He argued that the lease is unfavorable to taxpayers because the MCAA, as a nonprofit, pays no property tax on the land, resulting in lost revenue for schools, fire districts, and other entities. For example, a vacant parcel north of Sam's Club has lost over $1 million in potential tax revenue over 35 years.
- He detailed three requests made by the Board of Supervisors: a presentation from MCAA, audited financials for the last two years, and a seat on the MCAA board. None have been fulfilled. He cited a pattern of delays, excuses, and disrespect, including an email from MCAA Board President Bill Osborne that dismissed a resolution of displeasure. The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution of displeasure and is seeking state-level involvement via the Arizona Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) and the Attorney General, citing possible open meeting law violations, lack of transparency, and concerns about financial management (e.g., a $1.46 million FBO purchase, early payoff of a low-interest loan, and a $100,000 embezzlement incident).
- Supervisor Lettman encouraged the city to seek a voting seat on the MCAA board. Council members asked questions about lease details, potential subpoenas, and open meeting law violations. The council expressed support for the county's efforts but took no formal action.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Sean Reed (Bullhead City resident) spoke during the dog beach discussion, urging clear guidelines for service dogs and ADA compliance to prevent incidents. He did not speak on the airport item.
Key Outcomes
- The council discussed the dog beach proposal and received input from staff, parks commission, and the public. No vote was taken; the item was informational and will likely return for further action.
- For the airport authority item, the council received the presentation and asked questions. No council action was taken, but the city will consider seeking representation on the MCAA board.
- After the discussion items, the council unanimously voted to enter executive session for legal advice regarding the Chaparral Golf Course, a possible water transaction with Bermuda Water, and the Thornton v. City litigation. The executive session began after the public portion.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon and welcome. Today is August 5th, 2025. It is 3 p.m. time to call to order our special meeting. And can I have a roll call? All council members are present. Thank you. We'll go with item one. Okay. Good afternoon. Uh council members, and we also have some special guests with us from the park commission today. So we've done this on occasion where we've invited planning and zoning or park and rec, especially in a workshop setting where it's easy to just gather input and uh versus you know, maybe going to their commission and then back to council. And it's just good to have everybody together. So thanks for being here. Uh this afternoon we're gonna spend a little bit of time talking about the proposed rotary park proposed off leash dog beach area. So this has been brought up for quite a while. Uh hate to admit it, but even our former mayor Jack Hacum at one point in time sort of challenged us to come up with this idea. Finding the right place, the right time, the right momentum has been somewhat challenging, but I think we've we've found it. Now this doesn't have anything to do with any other plans that we're working on at any other dog parks or master plans. Um community park and and therefore this is a standalone concept that our public works director, myself and city attorney have looked at. We think it can work, it can be very viable, and it provides an area of separation between those who uh want to run their dog off leash. So our current city code would have to be amended. So if the council, park commission think this is a good idea pursue, it's not as if we're just gonna go do it. The cost is minimal. So we could do it. The problem is we'll have to come back to council and amend the code so that there's an area called out in the code where people could legally have their dog off leash. Because today when you do that, you're technically violating city code and you could be cited for it. So that's what we're uh gonna talk to you about for the next uh ten or fifteen minutes and then take all your input. So I'll turn it over to Ms. Johnson. If you don't have this uh report in front of you, we can g snag a copy and it will be on the TV. So Ms. Johnson. Thank you, Mr. Cotter, Mayor Council, Parks Commission. Um the first slide in front or or the picture in front of you also, but the first slide it's the proposed area that's high highlighted in blue. It's at Rotary Park. Um the air strip is just to the north of it, and it's that whole blue area on the map. Um proposed hours. We're proposing from 4 30 a.m. So when the park opens to 8 a.m. Uh we're proposing just a natural there's already a natural barrier with um trees and stuff like that and brushweed leave that. There's a couple places where we'd add a fence and a gate so when people do go down there, the gate closes. It just kind of gives you that comfort that as you're walking past the walk on the walking path that there's a barrier there. Um just to the I'm gonna say to the right of the picture on the slide. Um it says natural barrier. There's one little area we'd have to plant some more trees and bushes just because it's kind of there's not a lot, so we just add some more in that area, or we could add a fence, but with the river fluctuating and stuff, I think it would just be better to put bushes and stuff in. Um there'd be the end of the we'd also sign the area that would say end of leash free area, and the other spot on the right or left, the red line that would also be signed end of leash area. The length of the beach area would be 1,000 feet. Next, I got my slides.
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