KINGMAN, Ariz. – At the first Kingman City Council meeting since the Primary election, Mayor Ken Watkins congratulated everyone for being re-elected; then it was down to business.
The Airport and Industrial Park Advisory Commission had a vacancy due to the resignation of Commissioner John Stutzman. Ten people had applied for the partial-term appointment running August through the end of December. Seven candidates living inside the city had applied for the seat, and three living outside city limits had applied.
The council went into executive session to discuss who to choose to fill that vacancy. They had chosen and announced the appointment of William Davis, who lives in the county. The code allows for two non-residents and prior to this appointment, there was only one on the commission.
The Kingman Fire Department was honored as Arizona’s Association for Career and Technical Education of Arizona (ACTEAZ) Outstanding Business and Industry Professional of the Year.
Kaleb Wilson, Project Manager for The Retail Coach, gave an update on bringing retailers into Kingman. He said since Dec. 2025, he has four retailers, brokers and developers who had expressed interested in coming to Kingman; three have produced letters of intent. One restaurant is under new contract, but did not say which one and Hobby Lobby opened recently.
Vice Mayor Cherish Sammeli asked why all stores, restaurants, retailers wanted to be on Stockton Hill Road. His answer, that’s where most of the traffic is and there’s not enough synergy on Andy Devine. However, he said that may change with the new retail node like Flying Fortress because retailers will then have more options.
More crew members were approved to finish asphalt patching required for fixing more than 3,000 water leaks. The vendor stated he could have 100% completion within 90 days of approval.
A new city Drainage Design and Administrative Manual was approved, since the old one was adopted in 1988.
It was reported that Governor Katie Hobbs had placed a temporary three-year moratorium on data centers in Arizona. Eighty-three have already been approved in the state with 113 submitted before the July 7 moratorium.
Currently, there are no data centers in the City of Kingman and Flagstaff may ban them entirely from their city.
Mayor Watkins announced there would be no meeting on August 18.
Photo Caption: Kingman Fire Department honored at Kingman City Council meeting last week as Association for Career and Technical Education of Arizona (ACTEAZ) Outstanding Business and Industry Professional of the Year. Photo by Connie “Ceejay” Jones
