Bullhead City Council Regular Meeting - January 20, 2026
Bullhead City Council Regular Meeting - January 20, 2026
The Bullhead City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 5:30 PM in City Council Chambers. The meeting included approvals of minutes, appointments to city commissions, a new city magistrate contract, a grant for animal shelter equipment, a presentation from the American Red Cross, and a legislative session overview. The council also heard public comments on traffic safety, code enforcement, flood control, and community events.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approved: The council unanimously approved the minutes of the January 6, 2026 Regular Council Meeting. (Vote: 7-0)
Public Comments & Testimony
- Stephen Lee urged citizens to form a think tank to address local governance issues, citing concerns about geoengineering and globalism.
- Nancy Horn (Veterans in Motion) promoted the organization's Valentine's Day fundraiser on February 14, 2026, at Fiesta RV.
- Diane Kirkland, Ashley Lambert, and Kelly Williams requested a four-way stop at Rio Vista and Raymar Road, citing speeding and a dangerous school bus stop.
- Rusty Brown complained that traffic medians on Riviera Boulevard cause flooding and impede access to his marina, asking for removal.
- Terry Tomlinson (Legacy Foundation) announced the purchase and renovation of the former Holy Spirit Church to provide climate-controlled waiting space for food bank clients and encouraged support for Boys and Girls Club via Arizona tax credits.
- Supervisor Rich Lettman thanked the city for supporting the Slaborama event and reported on a flood control district funding discussion at the Board of Supervisors, warning that a proposed formula could impact Bullhead City.
- Mike Gabrielson challenged a code enforcement notice requiring removal of dead palm fronds, seeking an appeals process.
- Jackie Miller (Colorado River Republican Women) announced a February 4 meeting with candidates for District 30 State House.
- Scotty seconded Rusty Brown's complaint about flooding, criticized dark conditions near Mock School, and criticized median construction.
- Rose Jacobs (Colorado River Concert Series) promoted the upcoming Brothers Doobie tribute performance on February 5, 2026.
- Poe Hellems (Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce) thanked the council for support as she departed her role as CEO.
- A late speaker invited the public to attend Mojave High School's 60s tribute concert.
Appointments
- BATS Commission: The council approved the appointments of Robin Meeting and Livia Hendrickson to the Bullhead City Area Transit System Commission, effective immediately with terms expiring September 30, 2027. (Two separate motions, each 7-0)
- Parks and Recreation Commission: The council appointed Rusty Braun to a term expiring June 30, 2027 (vote 6-1) and David Schott to a term expiring June 30, 2026 (vote 6-1). One councilmember dissented on both appointments.
Discussion Items
- Manager's Report & Spring Events: City Manager Toby Cotter and Public Works Director reported on right-turn lane projects: the Laughlin Ranch lane opened January 16, the Mojave Drive lane is about two weeks away from opening, and the Safeway Highway 95 project is scheduled to begin February 16 (overnight construction). Parks and Recreation Director Dave Heath presented a busy spring event schedule, including a D1 football tournament (61 teams), upcoming baseball and soccer tournaments, and the Golden Games. The council received the report.
- City Magistrate Contract: The council approved a four-year employment agreement for Rod C. Gilleo as City Magistrate, effective January 25, 2026, at an annual salary of $160,000. Speakers including Supervisor Lettman and Eva Genevis endorsed his appointment. (Vote: 7-0)
- Animal Shelter Grant: The council approved acceptance of a $60,000 grant from the ASPCA (2025 National Shelter Initiative) to purchase veterinary equipment (surgical lights and autoclave) for the Bullhead City Animal Resource Center. No match required. (Vote: 7-0)
- American Red Cross Presentation: Henning Larson, Executive Director of the newly formed Northern Arizona Chapter, provided an overview of Red Cross services, including disaster response, home fire preparedness, blood drives, and service to armed forces. He highlighted local achievements (100% local volunteer response, 330% increase in volunteers) and requested a proclamation declaring March as Red Cross Month. The council received the presentation and thanked Mr. Larson.
- 2026 Legislative Session Overview: Assistant City Manager Travis Pruitt reviewed the governor's budget ($18.6 billion, up 4.9%), proposed bills on short-term rental fees, data center taxes, permit-ready housing plans, and low-income housing tax credits. The council discussed taking a position on the "permit-ready housing plans" bill. A motion to oppose the bill was made but failed (3 in favor, 4 opposed). No formal position was adopted; staff will continue to monitor legislation.
Key Outcomes
- Approved minutes of January 6, 2026. (Consent, 7-0)
- Appointed Robin Meeting and Livia Hendrickson to BATS Commission. (Two motions, each 7-0)
- Appointed Rusty Braun (term through June 2027) and David Schott (term through June 2026) to Parks and Recreation Commission. (6-1 on each)
- Approved employment agreement with Rod C. Gilleo as City Magistrate for 4 years at $160,000/year. (7-0)
- Approved ASPCA grant of $60,000 for Bullhead City Animal Resource Center. (7-0)
- Received Red Cross presentation; no action taken.
- Received legislative overview; motion to oppose permit-ready housing plans failed (3-4); council gave no further direction to staff.
- Council directed staff to monitor the proposed flood control district funding formula (county-level issue) as noted by Supervisor Lettman.
- Staff will continue to engage with state legislature on bills affecting the city.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening and welcome. Today is Tuesday, January 20th, 2026. It is 5 30 p.m., the time for our regular city council meeting. Can I have a roll call, please? All council members are present. Our invocation tonight will be led by Pastor Earl Jones from Spirit Life Church. If you are so inclined and would like to join us, please stand. Father, I just want to thank you for each of these individuals who have given their time and their effort to help manage this city of Bullhead. Just want to pray and ask that you would help them with every difficult decision, that you would lead them into productive solutions in every issue in Jesus' name. I want to ask Father that you would help them stay in unity no matter what the situation is that arises. And Father God, I just want to ask that their work would continue to be a blessing for the people of Bullhead City. And we ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Pastor. He's following the pledge. I pledge. And to revolt for which he stands one nation under God and invisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. We have no presentations or proclamations this evening. So it is now time for call to the public. Before we open call to the public, let me give you the method by which we're going to follow this evening. When you approach the podium, please state your name clearly for the meeting record. Call to the public is open for citizens wishing to address the council on issues within the jurisdiction of the city but not listed on tonight's agenda. Comments are limited to three minutes per individual. However, if you are speaking on behalf of a group that is present with you at this meeting, that time limit will be five minutes. If you are representing a group, please notify the vice mayor when you step to the podium so that he can adjust the timer correctly. If your comments relate to an item on tonight's agenda, please wait until that item is called for discussion to address the council on that item. At the conclusion of call to the public, individual members of the council may respond to criticism made by those who have addressed the council, may ask staff to review a matter, or may ask that a matter be placed on a future agenda. However, members of the council cannot discuss or take legal action on matters not already on the agenda. Welcome. Stephen Lee, Bullhead City, Mayor, Council, members of the public, in person and at home. Please, eternal vigilance is absolutely required at this crucial time, especially during the next 10 months. All you need to do is look up at the sky, and you can see the tyranny raining down in the form of the geoengineering slash chemtrails, whatever you want to call them that are outside right now. All you need to do is look up and you can see it. That on top of Davos meeting right now with the globalists making plans to kill us. Trump is doing some good things, but uh we can't count on Trump to fix these things for us, especially locally. We've experienced many local problems here, in my opinion. And I think that uh we really need to be coming together as a group as a think tank instead of uh seeing each other as adversaries. We're all human beings and we're all fighting for our lives. And there is, yes, a war on for our minds, the new war for our minds. So I hope everyone reads the Patriot Free Press, and I hope that you heed this. Anyone that knows me, uh, please contact me. We need to get together something like the Tea Party again, whether it's the Tea Party, Voices for Freedom, under whatever banner. We need to get together something like the Tea Party again, whether it's the Tea Party, Voices for Freedom, under whatever banner, we need a citizen think tank that is coming up with solutions to take back citizen justice so that we can actually have legitimate moral justice in our community, in our county, in our state, and in our federal government. And we are certainly lacking it now to various degrees in all four branches. So I really hope that citizens will start to step up and discuss what we might do. Because what are we going to do post Trump? How do things look? They don't look good in this citizen's opinion.
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