Participation Guidelines
The City of Flagstaff (the “City”) has partnered with OpenGov, a third-party online forum provider, to create a civic engagement platform that will allow the citizens of Flagstaff get more involved in City government. Flagstaff Community Forum is a forum for the discussion of proposed City projects and upcoming policy topics related to local government in the City and its partner agencies. The topics are generated by City staff, commissions, and Council for the purpose of public participation in current government decision making.
To ensure that all voices are heard and that forum participants are able to speak freely about the posted topics, participants who register to use the forum must agree to not post disruptive statements. Disruptive statements include the following:
- Statements that do not relate to the posted topic;
- Personal attacks and statements that threaten or abuse other forum participants, members of the public, City staff or City officials;
- Statements that discriminate on the basis of race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual preference, age, region, disability, etc.
- Hate speech of any kind;
- Statements containing any sort of commercial advertising or soliciting funds, goods, or services;
- Repetitive or meaningless messages (“spam”);
- A statement from a user who has falsified their registration information with the intent to post multiple statements in one topic or to misrepresent their city of residence; and
- Statements that include obscene, pornographic, abusive, or otherwise illegal material.
OpenGov, acting as the forum monitor, will remove any disruptive statements that are posted on the forum. Forum participants who post disruptive statements may lose their posting privileges.
Frequently asked questions about the participation guidelines
Why does Open Town Hall monitor for disruptive statements?
OpenGov is a non-partisan company dedicated to building public trust in government and broadening civic engagement. Many people will not participate, if the forum has disruptive statements.
Does Open Town Hall find many disruptive statements?
No. Disruptive statements are quite rare - less than one in a thousand statements on OpenGov moderated topics nationwide are disruptive.
What does Open Town Hall do if they find a disruptive statement?
OpenGov
- moves the statement to a different web page,
- describes the problem in an email to the author, and
- invites the author to change the statement.
Does Open Town Hall ever edit or delete statements?
Never. Only the statement's author can edit or delete a statement. If a statement is removed from the public website, it will still be seen by the City of Flagstaff and be part of the public record.
If I disagree with someone, can I post my opinion?
Yes. Open Town Hall encourages open dialog and debate which, by necessity, includes disagreements.
How do I know if my statement is a 'disagreement' or a 'personal attack'?
Personal attacks are disparaging remarks which impute motives to a person's action. Statements of fact, or of your own opinion are generally not personal attacks.
Here are some examples of statements which are, and are not, personal attacks.
Personal Attack v. Not A Personal Attack
He is a liar. V. He said he did X, but in fact he did Y.
She misrepresented the truth. V. I don't believe what she said.
He is greedy. V. He is making money from this project.
It is merely a power play on her part. V. She will announce her candidacy soon.
Translate
Considering the project area in the map above, do you (select all that apply):
In theory, do you agree that the City of Flagstaff should craft and adopt some basic design standards to reinforce La Plaza Vieja's character?
Why do you agree or disagree with this approach?
A cohesive design approach would help maintain historic character and avoid the genericizing of big money development happening all over FlagDo you think one-story homes (both existing and new) should be exempt from any adopted design standards?
Why do you think exempting one-story homes is a good or bad idea?
Older homes could be grandfathered into/exempted from new design standards. New single family developments (if any) should adopt the new standardsDo you think the character overlay should include building face variation (façade articulation) standards?
Why do you think facade articulation should or should not be included?
But do not use articulation as an easy bypass over smart, condense footprintingDo you think the character overlay should include upper-floor articulation standards?
Why do you think upper-floor articulation should or should not be included?
Would not add articulation for its own sake but try to look at early Craftsman or Basque/Spanish standards, to reference historic Flagstaff sensibilitiesDo you think the character overlay should contain requirements for a change in roof profile (roof modulation standards)?
Why do you think roof modulation should or should not be included?
No response.Do you think it's a good idea to NOT regulate building materials in the character overlay?
Why do you think building materials should or should not be regulated?
The variety directly reflects Flagstaff's material historyDo you think standards for window trim or recess should be included in the character overlay?
Why do you think window trim or window recessing should or should not be included?
Have experienced difficulty in getting plans approved by the city for the smallest detail that has no overall impact on building efficiency or visual character. Windows would fall into this category. In favor of the most flexible regulation centered purely on energy efficiency, if anyDo you think the character overlay should include a covered entry roof or porch requirement?
Why do you think requirements for a covered entry or porch should or should not be included?
Too restrictive to demand a porch for all structures. The city would need regulate the details of porch characteristics.Do you think the character overlay should restrict the location of off-street parking to areas located off of alleys or to the side of homes?
Why do you think parking location restrictions should or should not be included?
Create a less vehicle-centric spaceDo you think requirements for window consistency should be included in the character overlay?
Why do you think window consistency should or should not be included?
Too much regulation for interesting or useful designDo you think the character overlay should allow shed roofs on garages, detached accessory dwelling units (ADUs), storage sheds and similar structures? NOTE: ADUs are limited to 800 square feet by the current city code and are also allowed over garages.
Why do you think shed roofs should or should not be allowed on accessory structures?
Allow the diversity in--this sensibility is in keeping with Vieja's overall varied constructionsDo you think the character overlay should allow a single-family home or duplex with only a single shed roof with no other roof plane adding variety to the home?
Why do you think shed roofs should or should not be allowed on homes?
No response.Do you think that any allowance for shed roof single family homes and duplexes should include a requirement that the roofline integrate two contrasting roof planes?
Why do you think any shed roof standards should or should include a requirement for contrasting roof planes?
No response.Do you think the character overlay should include standards for roof orientation?
Why do you think roof orientation requirements should or should not be included?
Don't be too restrictive with design. Instead, make sure drainage plans are goodWhat elements of design are most important for a new character overlay to regulate in order to preserve the neighborhood character of la Plaza Vieja?
No response.In your opinion, are there any of the elements from the previous question that the city should NOT regulate and why? (Use one blank for each element)
Are there any other thoughts or opinions you would like to share with the project team and the La Plaza Vieja Neighborhood Association?
Too much design regulation can kill innovative design and unique character. La Plaza Vieja stands out precisely because of its heterogenous character, as earlier designers and builders used the varied techniques and materials within their grasp. This makes the history of the neighborhood come alive, much unlike other parts of Flagstaff that are being re-developed and look all the same. Try to focus regulations on sustainability and energy efficiency. If there are to be any restrictive regulations, refer back to historic styles used in early Flag (like Craftsman, Spanish, Basque, and native styles). For example, native masonry and Basque-style communal courtyards. Incentives could motivate; the city could give "discounts" or allowances on other aspects of development plans if designers choose historic styles over the more commonplace modern ones.