KINGMAN – The City of Kingman and hired consultant Upfront Planning & Entitlement are working to craft an updated general plan that will be placed on the November general election ballot. Community Development manager Sean Osterman said state law requires Arizona cities each decade to update general plans that serve as a tool and guide for development within a community.
Jessica Sarkissian, owner of Upfront based in Mesa, visited Kingman on Dec. 13, 2023.
“We met with some of the committee members and staff, talking about the plan and overall visioning,’’ she said. “We are preparing the next meeting for the general plan advisory committee that will be held in Jan. or Feb.”
Sarkissian said the proposed plan is being developed chapter by chapter, with input coming from stakeholders in the business community and beyond. She said residents are invited and encouraged to provide input through an easily accessed survey that is posted on the city website.
The proposed plan must be completed by the spring, allowing time for the material to flow through channels to election day next Nov.
“The hard part is that you do all this public outreach and all these meetings and everything is due in May, and then the election is not until Nov. and people forget what it is and what it’s about,” Sarkisian said.
Sarkissian said most general plan updates in Arizona communities sail to ballot box approval. She said that the City of Scottsdale is one exception, and that existing general plans are simply extended and remain in place in any municipality whose electorate rejects a proposed update.
Sarkissian noted that general plan updates are best positioned for approval in non-Presidential election years.
“You get more people that come out to vote, but you also get a lot more ant-government coming out during these types of elections, so, it’s harder to pass it,” she said. “Usually these things will pass 80% or so, but in presidential elections it’s usually closer to 60-40.”
