Annual Reports
The purpose of an Annual Report is to monitor how the Flagstaff Regional Plan continues to reflect core community values and to evaluate how new developments have been approved in compliance with the plan. It is a "progress report" on the Regional Plan's implementation that highlights progress made by all City departments and partnering agencies, as well as identifying and addressing barriers. To achieve this, Comprehensive Planning staff will provide the City Manager and City Council with an Annual Report of Regional Plan-related activities each year.
Objectives for an Annual Report
- Measure the City and County's success in achieving plan goals and policies through metrics that indicate progress toward the region's future vision, such as measuring on an annual basis how indicators have been achieved (see metrics below)
- Identify appropriate strategies to achieve priority goal and policies be pursued under the coming year's budget
- Identify unlisted strategies to be pursued under the coming year's budget
- Document growth trends and compare those trends to plan objectives
- List development actions that affect the plan's provisions
- Explain difficulties in implementing the plan
- Review community indicators (following three pages)
- Review any outside agencies' actions affecting the plan.
Key Insights From 2020 Annual Report
COVID-19 Pandemic
Many of the City’s operations were affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Both Mountain Line Transit and the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport experienced a dramatic decline in use throughout 2020.
Flagstaff Pulliam Airport
Prior to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Flagstaff Pulliam Airport had seen an increase in use corresponding to the airport adding a second air carrier and increasing flight frequency. The first two months of 2020 set an enplanement and passenger pace that would have broken the 2019 record; however, after initial COVID-19 stay at home orders went into effect, the entire airline industry collapsed. The Flagstaff Pulliam Airport finished 2020 with the record lowest number of enplanements and passengers during the reporting time frame.
Mountain Line Transit
Similarly, Mountain Line service was reduced to its weekend schedule seven days a week for much of 2020, and fare collection was suspended beginning March 23, 2020. Although re-openings in late 2020 brought back some ridership, Mountain Line finished 2020 with the lowest number of boardings during the reporting period.
Human Environment (Housing)
After highlighting this measure in 2019’s Annual Report, the median housing sale price increased again from $385,000 in 2019 to $420,535 in 2020 (a 9 percent increase). Part of the increase in 2020 is due to the COVID-19 pandemic which exaggerated an already competitive housing market. Since a low point in 2015, home sale prices have increased by 32 percent.
Human Environment (Walking and Biking)
Over the seven-year annual reporting period, data points indicate a slowly changing landscape for walking and biking. Although only conducted twice in the reporting period, the City’s Mode Share Trip Diary Survey indicates a stagnant walking and biking population. Between 2014 and 2018, while walking and biking infrastructure expanded, bike mode share grew by only 0.2 percentage points, and walk share decreased by 0.8 percentage points. Census Bureau data on mode share to work shows a similar trend. In 2014, walk and bike mode shares were 10 percent and 5 percent respectively, while in 2019 they were 11 percent and 3 percent.