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I HAD LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF DECEMBER 16TH, 2024.
THE REST OF THE COUNCIL WILL GET HERE.
SO AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE ORDER THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF DECEMBER 16TH, 2024, WHERE YOU ALL JOIN ME IN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE, MY PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN THE VISIBLE WITH THE JUST.
NOW, BEFORE WE BEGIN TONIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE YOU ALL HERE.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME SEVERAL DIGNITARIES FROM AROUND OUR STATE.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE LUPE CONTRERAS.
IS HE HERE? I KNOW I SAW SENATOR DIVA, UH, EVA DIAZ.
COULD YOU PLEASE STAND, BE RECOGNIZED? MAYOR SHO OF LITCHFIELD PARK.
IS HE HERE? THE HONORABLE PEP GUZMAN? IS HE HERE? AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBER ELECT SHERRY WISE, IN ADDITION TO SO MANY OF YOU HERE WHO ARE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR BEING HERE AS WELL AS WE HAVE, UH, JEFFREY CAMPOS, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF THIS HOSPITAL VALLEY CHAMBER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AS WELL.
[1. ROLL CALL BY THE CITY CLERK]
IS ROLL CALL.MARCELLA, WILL YOU PLEASE DO THE ROLL CALL? COUNCIL MEMBER CONDI HERE.
ITEM TWO, UNSCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCES.
MARCELLA, DO WE HAVE ANY REQUEST TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY REQUEST TO SPEAK.
[3. CONSENT AGENDA]
MOVE ON TO ITEM THREE CONSENT.ARE THERE ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WISH TO HAVE AN ITEM REMOVED FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION? AND IF NOT, CAN I PLEASE GET A MOTION AND A VOTE? I'VE GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE AND COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE, PLEASE VOTE.
[a. Proclamation - Recognition of Councilmember Veronica Malone]
SORRY MR. MAYOR.IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OF A SAD NIGHT.
UM, BUT TONIGHT, UH, I THINK AT THIS TIME, MARY, WE'D LIKE TO START THIS ITEM WITH A READING OF THE PROCLAMATION, UH, RECOGNIZING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VERONICA MALONE FOR A SERVICES MEMBER OF THE AVONDALE CITY COUNCIL FROM 2017 TO 2024.
SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ PROCLAMATION HONORING COUNCILMAN VERONICA MALONE, A PROCLAMATION FROM THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE, ARIZONA, HONORING COUNCIL MEMBER VERONICA MALONE FOR A DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE AVONDALE COMMUNITY AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
WHEREAS VERONICA MALONE ANSWERED THE CALL OF SERVICE IN 2016 WHEN SHE WAS ELECTED AS COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE AT THE AUGUST 30TH, 2016 ELECTION.
AND WHEREAS VERONICA MALONE SERVED AS VICE MAYOR FROM JANUARY 4TH, 2021 TO JANUARY 9TH, 2023, WHERE SHE PERFORMED THE DUTIES OF MAYOR DURING ABSENCES OF THE MAYOR.
AND WHEREAS VERONICA MALONE WAS REELECTED AS COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE AT THE AUGUST 4TH, 2020 ELECTION.
AND WHEREAS VERONICA MALONE HAS BEEN A PILLAR OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE AVONDALE COMMUNITY, HAVING SERVED ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS ASSISTANCE REVIEW SUBCOMMITTEE AS VICE PRESIDENT AND MEMBER OF THE LA JOLLA FOOTBALL BOOSTER CLUB, AS A VOLUNTEER IN THE CHILDREN'S MINISTRY AT CHRISTCHURCH OF THE VALLEY, AND AS A PROUD GRADUATE OF THE AVONDALE CITIZENS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, AVONDALE CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY, AVONDALE CITIZENS FIRE ACADEMY, HISPANIC LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE, THE LEADERSHIP WEST PROGRAM.
AND WHEREAS VERONICA MALONE SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE LUKE WEST VALLEY COUNCIL,
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NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, NA UH, THE NLC COUNCIL ON YOUTH EDUCATION AND FAMILIES ARIZONA LEAGUE POLICY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY MILITARY AFFAIRS AND COURTS, ARIZONA LEAGUE POLICY COMMITTEE ON NEIGHBORHOODS SUSTAINABILITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LATINO ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS, HISPANIC ELECTED LOCAL OFFICIALS, WOMEN AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, VALLEY METRO REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, AND SOUTHWEST VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.AND WHEREAS VERONICA MALONE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED AND WARMLY REMEMBERED AS HELPFUL, KIND, AND PROFESSIONAL BY THOSE WHO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH HER.
NOW THEREFORE BE RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE, ARIZONA, THAT THE CITY OF AVONDALE HEREBY WISHES TO EXPRESS ITS SINCERE GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION TO VERONICA MALONE FOR HER EIGHT YEARS OF LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO THE CITY OF AVONDALE PROCLAIMED THIS 16TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2024.
AND I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE MANY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THAT WOULD WISH TO EXPRESS SOME APPRECIATION TO COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE.
AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CONDI.
MAYOR PANDA, IF I COULD INTERRUPT, UM, WE DO HAVE A SHORT VIDEO THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT.
UM, AND AFTER THAT WE'LL HAVE STAFF PRESENTATIONS AND THEN WE WILL WELCOME THE FLOOR TO COUNCIL, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND.
SO WE'LL START WITH, UM, THE VIDEO FOR COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE.
IN THE EARLY YEARS, SHE WAS A GO-GETTER DETERMINED YOUNG LADY THAT WANTED TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
SO SHE WAS RAISED A LITTLE BIT IN CASHION AND THEN MOVED TO THE LEGALS AREA.
SO HER PASSION FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN IN HER HEARTS AS A YOUNG LADY.
I, UM, WAS WORKING WITH A SUI GOT LAID OFF MAY OF 2016.
ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF, TWO MONTHS BEFORE OUR PRIMARY, I PICKED UP A PACKET FOR THE CITY OF AVONDALE.
AND, UM, I CAN REMEMBER MY HUSBAND, UM, AS I'M DRIVING HOME, HE GOES, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO RUN AND RUN FOR COUNCIL.
AND HE GOES, WHY DON'T YOU PICK UP A PACKET? THE FUNNY THING IS I SAID, I ALREADY DID.
THE CASHING COMMUNITY PARK RIGHT NOW IS BEAUTIFUL THAN WHAT IT WAS BEFORE.
WE ALL SAID, WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE PARKS.
WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SAFE AND THEY'RE BEAUTIFIED AND HOW DO WE GO ABOUT IT? SO ME, PAT, AND TINA, WE ALL WENT FOR, UM, A FIELD TRIP.
WE WENT TO DIFFERENT PARKS IN DIFFERENT CITIES AND WE JUST KIND OF LOOKED AROUND AND WHAT WE DID IS WE WENT BACK TO OUR PARKS AND SAID, WHAT DO WE WANNA SEE? WHAT DO WE WANNA ENVISION? BECAUSE OF HER AND OTHERS, WE HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL, IT'S BEEN REMODELED, HAS BEEN REDONE AS YOU CAN SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO GET THIS, UH, BATHROOM AND THE CO COMMUNITY THERE OF THE PARK THE WAY IT IS TODAY.
I REMEMBER COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE SPEARHEADING THE, THE PARK AND REC 'CAUSE SHE WANTED US TO, FOR OUR COMMITTEE TO HAVE BETTER, UH, EVENTS AND THINGS FOR THE KIDS' CHILDREN TO DO IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THAT.
WE, WE STARTED OFF WITH DOING THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT, UM, THE CONTRACTED EMPLOYEES, INSTEAD OF HAVING CONTRACTED EMPLOYEES TO, TO TAKE CARE OF THE PARKS, WE STARTED HAVE THEM HAVING OUR OWN, UM, UH, PARKS DEPARTMENT SO THAT THEY COULD TAKE CARE OF OUR PARKS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, OH MY GOD, SHE DID AN IMPACT.
AND NOW YOU CAN SEE THE BEAUTY OF IT AND HOW WE USE THAT PARK AND STUFF IS JUST NICE, YOU KNOW, SO WE, WE ALL UP TO HER.
ALSO, MALONE HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO BETTER HER COMMUNITY, THE WHOLE WHITE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST C IN.
AND SHE'S ALWAYS WORKING WITH CASH IN LEGALS AND OLD TOWN.
AND LIKE SHE SAID, SHE'S ALWAYS WANTED EVERYTHING FAIRLY STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS, THE LEGACY SHE LEFT IS BE PATIENT.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T BE WHINING ABOUT EVERYTHING.
YOU JUST SIT AND WAIT, IT'LL HAPPEN.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S ONE OF HER LEGACY.
BUT HER HEART IS IN THE COMMUNITY.
MR. MAYOR, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE
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TO JOIN STAFF AT THE PODIUM FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AGENDA ITEM.UH, WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT HER WITH SOME GIFTS.
UH, BARBARA, YOUR CITY AUDITOR, UH, YOUR MUNICIPAL JUDGE.
UH, NICOLE, YOUR CITY ATTORNEY, YOUR CHIEF OF POLICE AND YOUR CHIEF, UH, FIRE CHIEF, UH, LARRY ROONEY ALSO, AND THEN MYSELF.
UH, ARE YOU DOING THIS? 'CAUSE TODAY'S YOUR EVALUATION
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE, IT IS MY HONOR AS THE CITY AUDITOR TO PRESENT YOU WITH A, UH, WRITTEN, UH, A WRITING PEN AND HAS YOUR NAME ON IT.
MY COWORKERS ALWAYS STEAL MY PEN, SO AT LEAST THEY WON'T STEAL THIS ONE.
THIS PIN IS A REMINDER OF THE MANY THINGS YOU DIRECTED AND SUPPORTED DURING YOUR TERM AS THE CITY'S, UH, VICE MAYOR AND ALSO COUNCIL MEMBER.
ONE AREA YOU CHAMPION CHAMPIONED IS TO APPOINT THE CITY'S FIRST CITY AUDITOR.
THIS SHOWS YOUR DEDICATION TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC WITH TRANSPARENCY OF CITY OPERATIONS.
YOU DEMAND EXCELLENCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY, AND YOU ALSO RECOGNIZE AND SHOW APPRECIATION WHEN YOU SEE IT.
MARCELLA, HOW LONG? I HAVE 20 MINUTES.
SHE SAID IN, IN THE MEETING, MAKE SURE HE KNOWS HE ONLY HAS THREE MINUTES.
UM, WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
ALWAYS ONGOING SUPPORT, ALWAYS ASKING US WHAT DO YOU NEED? WHAT CAN WE DO? HOW CAN I HELP? UM, BEEN A BIG FAN OF NOT ONLY MYSELF, BUT A BRILL.
THE COURT ALL CITY EMPLOYEES BECAUSE OF YOU AND BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE.
AND WE APPRECIATE THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A, A HOLE AND A AND A LOSS, RIGHT? THAT WE'RE GONNA SURVIVE, UH, WITHOUT YOU HERE.
DID SO MANY, DID SO MANY THINGS,
AND YOU HAVEN'T LOCKED ME OUT YET.
SO, BUT YOUR ENERGY, YOUR PASSION, WE ALWAYS KNEW WHEN YOU WERE AT THE COURT, USUALLY IT WAS BRINGING GOODIES TO THE COURT EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? SOMETIMES I COULD HEAR YOU FROM THE COURTROOM, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
UM, BUT WE ALWAYS KNEW WHEN YOU WERE THERE, RIGHT? THAT LAUGH, THAT INFECTIOUS LAUGH, THE EMBRACE, THE, THE LOVE THAT THAT, THAT YOU EXUBERATE TO, TO EVERYBODY THAT YOU CAME IN CONTACT WITH, ESPECIALLY COURT EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE A SMALL TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION.
I'D LIKE TO READ THIS COUNCIL MEMBER VERONICA MALONE, IN RECOGNITION OF EIGHT YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF AVONDALE, WE ARE ALL FORTUNATE FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, VISION, AND HARD WORK.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUAL SUPPORT OF AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY, THE AVONDALE CITY COURT, AVONDALE CITY COURT PROJECTS, AND ALL COURT EMPLOYEES.
THE CITY OF AVONDALE AND THE AVONDALE CITY COURT ARE BETTER BECAUSE OF YOU, YOUR HARD WORK AND THE RESULTS YOU ACHIEVED WITH THE, UH, RESPECT FROM ALL CITY, AVONDALE CITY COURT EMPLOYEES.
SO NEXT WE HAVE NICOLE HARRIS, OUR CITY ATTORNEY.
I'M GONNA READ MINE SO I DON'T MESS UP.
OKAY? UM, ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WE WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS.
YOU WERE ONE OF THE SEVEN THAT DECIDED TO BRING THE LEGAL SERVICES IN-HOUSE, CREATE THE DEPARTMENT, AND APPOINT ME AS THE SECOND IN-HOUSE CITY ATTORNEY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE IN ME IN THIS ROLE AND FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY.
UH, WE HAVE A SMALL TOKEN OF APPRECIATION.
WE WANT YOU TO REMEMBER US AS YOU EMBARK ON YOUR JOURNEY AS A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER.
I DIDN'T GET IT ENGRAVED LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT I DO WANNA READ WHAT'S ON HERE.
IT SAYS, NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE DIFFERENCE YOU MADE IN THE LIVES YOU
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TOUCH.BE PROUD OF THE WORK YOU DO, THE PERSON YOU ARE, AND THE DIFFERENCE YOU MAKE.
YOU ARE APPRECIATED AND YOU WILL BE VERY, VERY MUCHLY MISSED BY ME.
NEXT WE HAVE OUR POLICE CHIEF MEMO ESPINOZA.
WELL, ON BEHALF OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE AVONDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT, I WANTED TO, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON A PERSONAL BASIS.
I'M GONNA MISS YOUR ADVICE OR CONVERSATIONS.
UH, YOU WERE ALWAYS, UH, VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR CITY.
WE TALK ABOUT, UH, GROWING UP IN OUR CITY, AND I'M GONNA MISS THAT.
UH, BUT I TAKE IT BACK, UH, WE'RE JUST A ONE PHONE CALL AWAY.
SO, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE, UH, CHALLENGE COINS FROM OUR, UH, DIFFERENT BUREAUS.
NEXT WE HAVE THE FIRE CHIEF LARRY ROONEY.
WE ALSO HAVE A VERY LARGE BELL THAT I COULDN'T LIFT.
SO WE HAVE VANNA WHITE HERE HELPING ME.
BUT, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE, I'M GONNA KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET.
UH, THE FIRE SERVICE IS A LONG TRADITION OF ANSWERING THE BELL, THE RING OF THE BELL, TO HELP THE COMMUNITY TO DO THE WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND THERE'S NO DOUBT IN ANYBODY'S MIND IN THIS ROOM THAT YOU ANSWERED THE BELL.
SO, ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU THIS TOKEN OF OUR APPRECIATION OF ALL OUR SUPPORT, ALL OUR SUPPORT OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND WE'RE, WE'RE A BETTER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE A SAFER CITY BECAUSE OF YOU.
NEXT WE HAVE OUR CITY MANAGER, RON CORBIN.
UM, TODAY'S COUNCIL MEETING IS BITTERSWEET MOMENT FOR ME BECAUSE I'M LOSING, UH, NOT JUST ONE, BUT TWO BOSSES, MENTORS, COMPASSIONATE LEADERS, AND, AND WHAT, UH, TWO PEOPLE WHO'VE BECOME FRIENDS.
UH, PEOPLE THAT, UH, I CAN SPEAK WITH SOME PEOPLE WHO CARE IMMENSELY FOR THIS CITY.
AND THE LADY STANDING IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW IS A HUGE ADVOCATE, NOT ONLY FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT RAISED YOU, BUT FOR THE EMPLOYEES.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE EMPLOYEES WILL ALWAYS KNOW THAT YOU HAD THEIR BACK AND HOW MUCH YOU FOUGHT FOR THEM IN THE COUPLE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE.
SO, AS AN EMPLOYEE MYSELF, AS SOMEONE WHO YOU, UH, HELPED, UH, BRING ON BOARD, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
AS YOU KNOW, I REPORT TO NOT ONE, BUT SEVEN BOSSES, ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU THAT WORKING FOR SEVEN IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE, UH, SOMETHING THEY WOULD NEVER IMAGINE DOING.
UM, THEY HAVEN'T WORKED FOR THIS COUNCIL.
THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE ELECTED BODY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND TO THE RESIDENTS THEY SERVE.
AND THAT IS ESPECIALLY TRUE OF YOU.
AS A LIFELONG MEMBER OF AVONDALE COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE WAS ACTIVE IN HER COMMUNITY EVEN BEFORE SHE DECIDED TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL.
I'VE BEEN TOLD, AS SHE WAS A FEARLESS, NOT TOLD I'VE SEEN IT, AN OUTSPOKEN ADVOCATE FOR HER COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT CAME TO THE OLDER PARTS OF AVONDALE THAT PERHAPS NEEDED MORE ATTENTION.
SHE DEMANDED THAT THE CITY LISTENED TO THE NEEDS OF THE AREA AND PERSISTED UNTIL SHE WAS HEARD.
SHE JOINED THE CITIZENS ACADEMY, UH, SERVED ON CITY BOARDS AND FINALLY DECIDED TO RUN FOR COUNCIL WHERE SHE BECAME A REPRESENTATIVE, NOT JUST FOR OLD TOWN AVONDALE, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE WAS A CHAMPION FOR PARKS IMPROVEMENTS AND ANYONE WHO ENJOYS ONE OF OUR AMAZING CITY PARKS CAN THANK HER FOR HER BEING A, UH, TIMELESS CHAMPION FOR PARKS AND REC.
WHEN IT COMES TO QUALITY OF LIFE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE IS INSISTED, UH, THAT WE RAISE THE BAR IN PROVIDING TOP-NOTCH RECREATIONAL AMENITIES AND OPEN SPACE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
IMPORTANTLY, COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE HAS ALSO BEEN A CHAMPION FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE.
SHE AND COUNCIL MEMBER CONDI STARTED TO TRADITION SEVERAL YEARS AGO OF BRINGING HOLIDAY TREATS TO CITY STAFF.
AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME LAST WEEK, I, UH, WAS ABLE TO GO OVER THERE AND VISIT WITH THEM.
THE TWO OF THEM HOSTED THEIR FINAL HOLIDAY EVENT TOGETHER FOR EMPLOYEES.
AND IT WAS VERY TOUCHING TO SEE HOW MANY EMPLOYEES CAME OUT TO WISH HER WELL AND TO SAY HER WELL TO HER AS THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER.
COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH ME, FOR BRINGING ME ON BOARD, FOR HELPING ME UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS CITY IS ALL ABOUT AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT THE PEOPLE OF AVONDALE ARE ALL ABOUT.
I APPRECIATE THE MANY, SEVERAL, MANY ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS.
WE'VE HAD THE PHONE CALLS, THE THOUGHT PROVOKING QUESTIONS YOU HAVE RAISED, AND FOR FORGIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO CARRY OUT THE COUNCIL'S GOALS.
YOU'RE AN OUTSPOKEN BUT KIND, PERSISTENT,
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YET REASONABLE.BEYOND GRATEFUL FOR THE TRUST YOU HAVE BESTOWED UPON ME TO CARRY OUT MY JOB AS THIS ORGANIZATION LEADER FOR GIVING ME A CHANCE.
I CAN CONS, I CAN SINCERELY SAY THAT I WILL MISS WORKING WITH YOU, AND I KNOW THAT IN SOME FASHION, UH, MIGHT BE ABBY WISE OR THE BELL THEY LEFT, OR THE PHONE NUMBER THROUGH CHIEF ESPINOZA TEXT MESSAGE.
YOU COULD CHANGE IT, BUT SOMEHOW I KNOW YOU'LL CONTINUE TO BE THAT STRONG VOICE IN THIS COMMUNITY WHEN THE NEED ARISES.
ON THE BEHALF OF CITY OF AVONDALE, THANK YOU FOR SERVING.
OKAY? AND THEN, UM, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING, UM, THAT REPRESENTED AVONDALE, NOT, NOT A PLAQUE, NOT.
SO I WANTED SOMETHING TO REMEMBER US BY.
AND, UM, I GAVE THE IDEA TO MY STAFF AS I USUALLY DO, BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY GOOD IDEAS OR HOW TO FIGURE THEM OUT.
AND THE STAFF CAME UP WITH THIS THAT BEAUTIFUL.
SO THIS, THIS IS A REPLICA OF SOME OF THE ARTWORK WE HAVE.
THIS ONE HAPPENS TO BE IN FRONT OF ONE OF OUR FIRE STATIONS.
UM, THIS WAS MADE, UH, BY THE, UH, SAME ARTIST.
SO IT IS A, A, A REPLICA OF HIS HANDS.
UM, SORRY, MR. MAYOR, I'M GONNA TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU IN COUNSEL TO FINISH THE, THE RECOGNITION.
BEFORE WE GO, CAN I GET A, A PICTURE WITH ALL THE PEOPLE? WE CAN.
SO AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR COUNSEL FOR COMMENTS.
AND AS I ALLUDED TO EARLIER, WE'LL START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CONDI.
SO, UH, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT I CAN SHARE ABOUT MY, ABOUT MY FRIEND AND MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBER, VERONICA.
UM, I WROTE NOTES BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA SWAY AWAY 'CAUSE I COULD SIT HERE ALL DAY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT AN AMAZING FRIEND SHE'S BEEN AND WHAT AN AWESOME, UM, SERVANT SHE'S BEEN IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S BEEN A BLESSING TO SERVE ALONGSIDE OF HER SINCE 2017.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAS BEEN SAID THAT SHE'S DONE IN THE CITY, BUT SHE'S DONE MUCH MORE THAN SERVE ON THE COUNCIL AND MAKE DECISIONS FROM THIS DEIS.
SHE'S EMBEDDED IN THE COMMUNITY AND SHE'S MADE AVONDALE A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL OF US, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, FOR OUR RESIDENTS, FOR OUR BUSINESS OWNERS.
SHE'S ALL THESE YEARS I'VE WATCHED HER SERVE RESIDENTS AND EMPLOYEES OF AVONDALE WITH A PASSION LIKE NO ONE I'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE.
SHE'S THE ONE OF THE MOST TRUTH, AUTHENTIC LEADERS THAT I KNOW AND THAT I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE AND BLESSING TO SERVE WITH.
MANY OF YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT HER THAT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO GO, UM, AND SHARE THEIR PROBLEMS AND CONCERNS WITH HER.
SHE HAS THAT SPIRIT OF, UM, CARING AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN'T BE TAUGHT.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT COMES NATURAL TO HER.
AND WHEN THEY SHARE THEIR PROBLEMS WITH HER, SHE ALWAYS, ALWAYS MAKES SURE THAT SHE PROVIDES THEM THE ANSWER.
SHE LIKES TO ANSWER THEM HERSELF.
SHE'LL RESPOND TO EMAILS HERSELF.
SHE'LL ANSWER HER PHONE CALLS AND HER TEXTS HERSELF.
AND IF SHE CAN'T PROVIDE AN ANSWER, SHE MAKES SURE THAT SHE PROVIDES THEM DIRECTION OR RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM OUT.
[00:25:03]
MANY OF YOU DON'T KNOW SOME OF THE THINGS THAT SHE'S DONE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE GOT A CALL ONE TIME AND THERE WAS A GROUP OF IMMIGRANTS THAT CAME IN AND THEY WERE NEEDING SOMEONE TO HELP MAKE SANDWICHES.WE GOTTA GET SOME PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY AND WE GOTTA GO MAKE SANDWICHES FOR THEM.
SO WE WENT OUT AND WE PROVIDED FOOD FOR THEM, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
THEY NEEDED CLOTHES DELIVERED.
WE COLLECTED CLOTHES AND WE DELIVERED CLOTHES.
SHE'S PROVIDED CLOTHING FOR UNSHELTERED PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, FAMILIES THAT MAY HAVE NEEDED CLOTHES FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
SHE WOULD GO THROUGH HER BOYS ITEMS OF CLOTHING AND REACH OUT TO HER FAMILY MEMBERS TO GET CLOTHING FOR PEOPLE THAT HAD A NEED.
SHE'S PROVIDED FOOD FOR FAMILIES THAT HAD SUFFERED LOSS.
MINE IN PARTICULAR, WHEN I LOST MY MOTHER, SHE SHOWED UP WITH A BIG OLD PAN OF PULLED PORK AND BUNS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY THAT CAME TO MY HOUSE HAD FOOD TO EAT.
SHE'S PROVIDED HOPE AND RESOURCES FOR SO MANY PEOPLE.
SHE'S NEVER, UM, ASKED OR WAS RECOGNIZED FOR IT.
SHE NEVER POSTED IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
SHE JUST ROLLED UP HER SLEEVES AND SHE GOT IT DONE.
BUT VERONICA, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE SERVING THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THAT'S JUST WHO YOU ARE.
AND WE'VE CREATED SO MANY MEMORIES AND I'M FOREVER THANKFUL FOR THEM.
BUT ONE OF THE BEST COMPLIMENTS THAT I RECEIVED FROM SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY IS THEY SAID THAT WE WERE BATMAN AND ROBIN
AND I KNOW THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO GREAT WORK TOGETHER.
AND I'M SO THANKFUL YOU AND I JUST PRAY CONTINUED BLESSING AND FAVOR IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
WE'LL GO THIS ROUTE OVER HERE.
I, I DIDN'T PREPARE ANYTHING 'CAUSE UM, THE FIRST TIME I SAW HER, I DID LIKE MY ELEVATOR SPEECH AND IT WAS REALLY COOL BECAUSE SHE TOTALLY SHUT ME DOWN.
UM, IF YOU'VE EVER RAN FOR OFFICE, WHICH MANY OF YOU IN THE AUDIENCE MAY HAVE, UM, YOU NEED AN ADVOCATE.
YOU, YOU NEED SOMEBODY WHO IS GONNA STAND UP AND TELL YOU WHAT TO DO.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT THE TIME WHEN I RAN AND, AND IT'S A TIME IN HISTORY, IT WAS DURING COVID AND I HAD, UM, I JUST LOST MY MOM AND SHE WAS EMBEDDED IN AVONDALE.
AND I REMEMBER ONE OF THE TIMES I WAS AT THE SENIOR CENTER, I SAW YOU THERE.
AND, UM, EVERYTHING ABOUT AVONDALE REMINDS ME OF MY MOM.
AND SO WHEN I SAW COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE, I WAS TRYING TO COLLECT ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T INTO THE POLITICAL PROCESS, WE HAVE THIS THING IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA CALLED E-SIGN.
AND SO IT WAS MY GOAL TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE WHO GOT ALL MY PETITIONS ELECTRONICALLY SIGNED.
NOBODY IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA HAS EVER GOTTEN ALL OF THEIR PETITIONS E-SIGN.
AND SO I TOLD THIS WOMAN THIS AND I KNEW SHE WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, BUT I WAS TRYING TO IMPRESS HER.
LIKE I DIDN'T KNOW WHO SHE WAS AND
AND SO I'M GIVING HER MY SPEECH AND I'M TELLING HER, HEY, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA RUN.
I WANT TO BE KIND OF LIKE THE COUNCIL NOW.
AND SHE JUST LET ME KNOW STRAIGHT UP FRONT, I'LL E-SIGN YOUR PETITION, BUT NOBODY ELSE HERE WILL
AND, AND, AND THAT AND THAT WAS SO TRUE,
AND I NEEDED SOMEBODY TO TELL ME THAT.
AND, AND THAT'S, IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
UM, EVEN WHEN THINGS ARE HARD, YOU'RE HONEST.
AND I THINK WE NEED THAT IN THIS SOCIETY.
WE NEED PEOPLE TO TELL US TO US LIKE IT IS.
AND THAT IS YOU, YOU, UM, ARE A PART OF THE REASON I AM HERE RIGHT NOW.
YOU, UM, MADE ME GET MY HEAD ON MY SHOULDERS AND TOLD ME IF I'M EITHER, I'M EITHER GONNA GRIEVE MY MOTHER'S DEATH OR I'M GONNA GET OUT HERE AND GET SOME SIGNATURES BECAUSE LIKE YOU, I PICKED UP MY PACKET WITH LESS THAN TWO MONTHS TO COLLECT OVER 440 SOME ODD SIGNATURES.
AND I DID IT WITH THE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT DIRECTLY FROM HER CALLING EVERY DAY SAYING, HEY, GET OUT THE BED.
MAKE SURE YOU GET THOSE PAPERS, MAKE SURE YOU GO TALK TO PEOPLE.
AND, UM, I'LL NEVER STOP READING MY MOTHER'S DEATH, BUT I WILL ALWAYS SERVE THE CITY OF AVONDALE BECAUSE OF IT.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR KEEPING ME STRONG WHEN I WAS NOTHING BUT WEAK.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE ABLE TO SHARE MY TALENT, MY LOVE.
THANK YOU FOR OPENING UP YOUR SEAT ON VALLEY METRO.
THANK YOU FOR COUNSEL FOR SEEING IN ME WHAT I COULDN'T SEE IN TRANSIT.
[00:30:01]
IT'S SOMETHING I'M SPECIALIZED IN, BUT YOU KNEW THAT AND I DIDN'T.I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU UNDERNEATH HERE.
BUT I'M GONNA STOP TALKING 'CAUSE MARCELLA'S GONNA CUT ME OFF.
COUNCIL MEMBER, MEMBER GARCIA.
WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE HERE IN AVONDALE, ESPECIALLY IN THE CASH AND LIGA, UM, COMMUNITY.
UM, HAVING MY GRANDMA LIVE OVER THERE AND DRIVING THROUGH THAT PARK AND NOW SEEING WHAT IT IS.
I KNOW THAT, THAT YOU WERE A PART OF THAT.
AND TINA TOLD ME THE STORY, HOW YOU GUYS WENT TO ALL THE PARKS AND WROTE DOWN LIKE ALL THE THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE HAPPEN.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I CAMPAIGN ON IS LIKE, DON'T PHOENIX MY AVONDALE BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE DONE SUCH A GREAT JOB IN WHAT AVONDALE IS.
I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO TAKE THAT AWAY.
THAT IS YOUR GUYS' LEGACY HERE ON THIS COUNCIL RIGHT NOW.
AND WE NEED TO PROTECT IT BECAUSE IT HAS BECOME SAFER AND CLEANER BECAUSE OF THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I GO NEXT, OKAY? OH, VICE MAYOR NIELSEN, VERONICA, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THANK YOU.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S HAS NOT BEEN ALREADY SAID ABOUT YOU.
I JUST APPRECIATE YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE MY NEIGHBOR.
YOU'RE MOUTH
YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A MOTHER AND A WIFE AND YOU ALWAYS HAVE KIDS AND A HUSBAND THAT LOOKS AFTER YOU AND WANTS TO TAKE CARE OF YOU AND YOU'LL TAKE CARE OF THEM.
YOU'VE TAKEN CARE OF THESE CHILDREN, IF YOU WILL, OF THIS COMMUNITY FOR YOUR EIGHT YEARS.
SOME OF THEM WILL COME, SOME OF 'EM WILL GO, THEY MAY FORGET YOU, BUT THEY WON'T FORGET WHAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR THEM BY YOU.
AND IN THE LAST CENTURY, IN THE LATE 1990S, I WORKED WITH A GROUP OF MEN DOWN IN TUCSON.
WE WORKED TOGETHER IN QUITE A BIT IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'D LOST CONTACT WITH HIM.
I WAS IN THE BATHROOM ONE DAY AT A CHURCH ON THE OTHER SIDE AND I HEAR CURTIS, IS THAT YOU? AND I SAID, YEAH.
AND HE SAYS, I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOU FOR 20 YEARS.
ALL THOSE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT YOU HAD DONE WHEN WE WERE TOGETHER.
THESE PEOPLE IN 5, 10, 15 YEARS WILL REMEMBER YOU.
HOPEFULLY NOT IN THE BATHROOM,
AND COME UP AND SAY, VERONICA, I LOVE YOU.
EVEN IF YOU'RE ON CRUTCHES OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, THEY WILL LOVE YOU.
THEY WILL APPRECIATE YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE.
I THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART AND JUST TESTIFY THAT THESE PEOPLE LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU AS WELL.
THANKS, COUNCIL MEMBER SOLORIO.
UM, MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN SERVING IN AVONDALE IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES SINCE PROBABLY FOR ALMOST 14 YEARS.
AND, UM, I REMEMBER MEETING VERONICA AT ONE OF THE CITY EVENTS AND ASKING HER ABOUT ADOPT A FAMILY AND HOW, UM, I CAN GO ABOUT DOING THAT.
AND JUST SEEING JUST THE ENERGY AND, AND THE WAY SHE WAS SUCH A LIGHT TO EVERYBODY.
SUCH YOU HAVE BEEN A MENTOR, A BEACON OF INSPIRATION THROUGHOUT YOUR EIGHT YEARS IN COUNCIL.
YOU HAVE EXEMPLIFIED WHAT IT MEANS TO LEAD WITH HEART AND PURPOSE.
YOUR SELFLESSNESS AND COMMITMENT TO BETTERING THE LIVES OF OTHERS HAVE MADE YOU A TRUE CHANGE MAKER.
AND SHOWING ME THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING AND CONNECTING AND GIVING BACK.
THE LEGACY OF SERVICE AND COMPASSION YOU'VE BUILT INSPIRES ME IN EVERY WAY.
AND ONE THAT I STRIVE TO HONOR IN MY OWN WORK.
AND I THINK I'LL REMEMBER MOST OF ALL WALKING 18 MILES IN CHICAGO WITH YOU FINISHING AFTER GETTING OFF OF, UM, YOU KNOW, DAVE, A SESSION OF LEARNING AND YOU TEACHING ME THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO NOT ONLY SERVE LOCALLY, BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVING NATIONALLY AS WELL.
AND YOU SAID, I'M A WALKER, SO WE'RE GONNA GO WALK.
AND WE WALKED 18 MILES THAT DAY AND I HAD HEARD HOW YOU HAD HAD TINA WALK ONE TIME AND SHE WAS SO TIRED THAT SHE FELL
[00:35:01]
RIGHT? A LITTLE YOUNGER.AND UM, YOU TEACHING ME SO MUCH AND YOU ALWAYS TELLING ME, YOU ALWAYS TELL ME THANK YOU FOR TEACHING ME HOW TO USE THE UBER
UM, I WAS YOUR TRAVEL PERSON, HOW TO USE THE MAPS, WALKING, UM, PORTION OF IT MM-HMM
AND, UM, REMEMBERING PEOPLE'S NAMES.
UM, SHE WOULD ALWAYS SAY YOU'RE THE PERSON THAT KNOWS THE NAMES.
UM, SOMETIMES PEOPLE WOULD SAY THEY DIDN'T REMEMBER US, BUT I MADE SURE THAT THEY DID.
AND TELLING THEM WHAT DAY WE MET THEM.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING ME TO MY FIRST EVENTS.
WHEN I GOT, UH, APPOINTED, YOU CALLED ME AND YOU SAID, WE'RE GOING TO A FIRE EVENT.
AND I SAID, I DON'T KNOW ANYONE.
AND YOU GO, YOU WILL KNOW EVERYONE.
SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE.
SO
MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE THAT HER AND I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER AND YEARS AFTER THAT, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS THROUGH A PHONE CALL AND QUITE HONESTLY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED.
BUT SOMEHOW SHE, SHE GOT IN TOUCH WITH ME WHEN I WAS COACHING YOUTH FOOTBALL AND, UM, ASKED IF THERE WAS STILL ROOM ON THE TEAM.
AND I SAID, SURE, COME ON OUT.
AND, UM, IT WAS JUST GREAT TO HAVE HER AND TERRANCE AND THE KIDS ELIJAH AND AARON, WHO PARTICIPATED, UH, WITH US ON THE WEST VALLEY SUN DEVIL'S YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAM.
AND SHE WAS THE MOM, YOU JUST A MOM, YOU KNOW, WORRIED ABOUT HER KIDS, LOVED HER KIDS, LOVED PARTICIPATING ON THE TEAM.
AND THAT'S THE TYPE OF OF RELATIONSHIP THAT HER AND I HAD BEFORE WE CAME INTO THE COUNCIL.
AND AS WE CAME INTO THE COUNCIL AND WE EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY TOGETHER, WHAT WAS GREAT ABOUT IT WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE HERE, YOU'RE AMONGST MANY DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS WHO SERVE IN DIFFERENT CAPACITIES AND HAVE DIFFERENT SKILL SETS AND SPECIALTIES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, AND SO IT CAN BE A LITTLE INTIMIDATING, QUITE HONESTLY.
AND SO HAVING SOMEBODY LIKE VERONICA AND AND OUR HISTORY TOGETHER, FOR ME PERSONALLY, IT MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE.
IT FELT THAT I HAD A, A TEAMMATE, IF YOU WILL, ON THIS DAY, THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SHARE THE EXPERIENCE TOGETHER.
AND I REMEMBER YOU COMING TO MY HOME TO GET THE SIGNATURES.
I DON'T IF YOU REMEMBER THAT OR NOT.
AND I HONESTLY THOUGHT THAT WAS SO COOL THAT, UH, A MEMBER OF NOT ONLY THE COMMUNITY, BUT A BUT A FELLOW ALUMNI OF ALL FREEA, UH, AND SOMEBODY THAT I KNEW WAS GOING TO BE SERVING THAT CAPACITY JUST AS I FELT WHEN, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ERP OR JASON ERP WAS SERVING IT, WAS IT JUST THAT SAME TYPE OF, OF, OF, UM, A FEELING AND, AND RELATIONSHIP.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO SERVE TOGETHER.
WE DID SOME REALLY GOOD THINGS TOGETHER.
UM, WE ENJOYED, I ENJOYED OUR TIME TOGETHER.
I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR YOU, BUT WE HAD, I HAD A, A GREAT TIME.
AND THEN WE BOTH DECIDED THAT WE WANTED TO CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR, OUR COMMUNITY AND THE CAPACITY AS MAYOR.
AND QUITE HONESTLY, I'M NOT SURE HOW THE COMMUNITY TOOK SOME OF THAT, BUT I KNOW THAT BEHIND THE SCENES THAT VERONICA AND I HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS, AND ONE IN PARTICULAR RIGHT BEFORE ELECTION, WHERE WE BOTH SHARE WITH EACH OTHER, NO MATTER WHO WINS, THE COMMUNITY IS GONNA BE SERVED IN A MANNER THAT IS APPROPRIATE IN A MANNER THAT THEY DESERVE.
AND IT WAS REFRESHING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN, IN OTHER ELECTIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT CAN GET PRETTY UGLY.
UM, BECAUSE IT, IT MEANS SOMETHING.
AND, AND IN THIS ONE, I DON'T FEEL THAT IT GOT MEAN OR NASTY.
I KNOW THAT WE BOTH REALLY WANTED TO, TO FULFILL OUR, OUR, OUR ROLE AND OUR DUTIES.
AND WE JUST DID THE BEST WE COULD AS INDIVIDUALS, UH, I GUESS COMPETITORS IF YOU WILL.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE STILL TRUE TO WHO WE WERE, AT LEAST I BELIEVE THAT.
AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD BECAUSE EVEN AFTER THE ELECTION OF ALL PLACES, I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I SEEMED TO RUN INTO A LOT OF PEOPLE AT FRY'S AND THERE SHE WAS, WE BUMPED INTO EACH OTHER AND I DUNNO HOW MANY TIMES WE BUMPED INTO EACH OTHER AT THE GROCERY STORE, AND BOTH OF US, EVERY TIME WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE GONNA TRY AND FIGURE OUT FOR DINNER,
BUT WE HAD THAT KIND OF, THAT CONVERSATION AGAIN OF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT IT IS AND HERE'S WHO WE ARE, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO
[00:40:01]
DO.UH, AND YOU KNOW, WE ARE STILL FRIENDLY.
UM, I STILL REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT I SPENT WITH HER FAMILY, HER KIDS, UH, AS WELL AND HER, UH, ON THIS DEUS AND OUTSIDE OF IT.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT I REALLY DID APPRECIATE THAT I APPRECIATED YOU.
UM, AND UM, WE, I HOPE WE LEARNED A LOT FROM THE EXPERIENCE.
AS MANY HAS ALREADY, AS MANY HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT, UH, I'M SURE IN ONE FORM OR FASHION YOU'LL CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED.
UM, AND THAT WE CAN ALWAYS LOOK TO YOU AND YOU CAN ALWAYS LOOK TO US.
AND SO FOR THAT, THANK YOU FOR SERVING.
UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR MAKING IT SO COMFORTABLE FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER FROM THE BEGINNING TO, TO NOW.
AND, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND AGAIN, JUST, I, I WISH YOU LUCK AND I GOT THREE WEEKS, TWO WEEKS TO START ACTING
SO I, AGAIN, I THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL OF THOSE MEMORIES THAT WE'LL HAVE TOGETHER AND, UM, WE'RE HERE AND I'M HERE.
YOU KNOW HOW TO CONTACT ME, YOU KNOW HOW TO FIND ME.
AND UM, I'M SURE THAT YOU WILL AND I LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
SO CHEERS TO YOU AND TO EVERYTHING THAT YOU'LL BE DOING AFTER THIS.
THIS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE HONOR TO SERVE, UH, OUR RESIDENTS OF AVONDALE AS YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND I DID WRITE IT DOWN 'CAUSE I WOULD FORGET, UM, OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY I LIVE IN AND LOVE HAS BEEN BOTH A PRIVILEGE AND A JOY.
I SINCERELY THANK MY FELLOW RESIDENTS FOR ENTRUSTING ME TO BE YOUR VOICE.
'CAUSE TOGETHER WE HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES, WHETHER IT WAS ADDING A TURNING LANE THAT MR. RA SUGGESTED TO HELP IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD ON MC 85 IN AL MIRAGE, GOING ON FIELD TRIPS WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CONDI AND FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER PAT DENNIS TO IMPROVE OUR PARKS FOR BEAUTIFICATION AND RENOVATION.
OR SITTING WITH CHIEF ESPINOZA SAYING, MAN, THIS PARK IS COOL.
IT WAS FESTIVAL FIELDS AND THE PARKS THAT WE GREW UP WITH.
WELL, THEY NEEDED HELP, BUT IT WAS JUST HAVING THAT COMRADERY AND SEEING WHERE WE'VE COME, UM, OR KEY AREAS OF, UH, SMOOTH TRAFFIC FLOWS.
UH, ON A HUNDRED 11TH AVENUE AND BA BUREN, THE HUNDRED 19TH AVENUE AND, UH, THOMAS 125TH AVENUE AND, UM, RIO VISTA.
THESE AREAS WERE ONCE DEAD ENDS, BUT NOW ARE FULLY CONNECTED.
I HAVE SO MANY GREAT MEMORIES, BUT ONE OF 'EM, ONE OF THE MOMENTS I HAVE WAS VISITING BRIDGEWATER SENIOR LIVING TO LISTEN TO THE RESIDENTS CONCERNS ABOUT ISSUES LIKE SIDEWALKS THAT THEY'RE, UH, LIKE LITTLE BUGGIES COULDN'T GO THROUGH OR NOT ENOUGH TIME TO CROSS, UM, THE LIGHT BECAUSE IT JUST DIDN'T GIVE THEM ENOUGH TIME.
AND THEY WERE WORRIED TO BE SAFELY CROSSING THE VAN BEER INTO CENTRAL LIGHT.
BUT THOSE CHANGES DON'T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF ME.
IT HAPPENS BECAUSE THEY TELL ME THESE ARE THE PROBLEMS. IT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF THE STAFF THAT DO THAT.
RIGHT? SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE REASONS WHY I'M THEIR SOUNDING BOARD.
ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT WAS HELPING, UH, TURN DAVID SILVA'S IDEA.
HE WANTED TO, UM, HIS VISION WAS TO CLEAN UP HIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
HEY, CHIEF NAGA, YOU THINK YOU CAN HELP DAVID, UM, CALL HIM? I THINK I PROBABLY SAID CHIEF NAGA GAVE HIM A CALL.
AND NOW THAT, UM, THE CASH AND CLEANUP, HIS VISION HAS, UM, TURNED INTO A BROADER INITIATIVE.
IT ALSO INCLUDES O TOWN RIO VISTA LANE IN LAS VEGAS.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO WELCOMING RACE FANS WITH CHECKERED CROSSWALKS ON AVONDALE BOULEVARD, THAT WAS A REQUEST MADE FROM FORMER MAYOR MARIE LOPEZ ROGERS.
SOMETHING THAT SHE SAID STALLED OVER THE 2008 RECESSION.
HEY, BUT WE FINALLY MADE IT HAPPEN.
SO ALL OF THEM, THE IDEAS COME FROM THE PEOPLE TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
IT'S THE COMMUNITY'S IDEAS AND CONCERNS THAT SHAPED MY PRIORITIES.
BUT NONE OF THEM WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE DEDICATION.
UM, THE DEDICATED STAFF, THE CITY STAFF, THEIR TIRELESS WORK ENSURES THAT OUR CITY IS WELL MANAGED AND THRIVING.
AND I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR, UM, YOUR GUYS' CONTRIBUTION.
I AM, UM, ESPECIALLY PROUD TO HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN STRENGTHENING OUR FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS, KNOWING THAT FAMILIES, BUSINESSES, DEVELOPERS
[00:45:02]
LOOK TO THESE SERVICES WHEN DECIDING TO MAKE AVONDALE THEIR HOME.OUR CITY STAFF IS SECOND TO NONE.
A TWO, A TEAM OF SERVANT LEADERS WHO TRULY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE PEOPLE'S LIVES EVERY DAY.
IT HAS TOTALLY BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO WORK ALONGSIDE EACH OF EACH OF YOU GUYS TO ADVANCE OUR CITY.
A HEARTFELT THANKS TO RON, THE CITY MANAGER, RON CORBIN.
THANK YOU FOR TRANSFORMING THE MORALE OF THE CITY.
YOUR LEADERSHIP HAS TAKEN US FROM A TIME OF LOSING STAFF TO STRONGER AND MORE RESILIENT POSITION.
AND REMEMBER, SEVEN IS A MAGIC.
NUMBER SEVEN,
I DEEPLY APPRECIATE YOUR COUNSEL.
COURAGE, YOUR INTEGRITY AND THE STRENGTH DURING THE CITY'S MOST CHALLENGING TIMES.
YOUR OWN WAVERING SUPPORT AND DEDICATION HAS MEANT THE WORLD TO ME AND WE ARE IN A BETTER PLACE BECAUSE OF YOU.
THANK YOU JUDGE CRAIG JENNINGS.
JUDGE, I GREATLY VALUE OUR DISCUSSIONS AND OUR TEXT EXCHANGES AND CITY MATTERS.
SOME ARTICLES WHEN YOU WOULD SEND THEM OVER TO ME AND THE NEW COURT EXPANSION.
I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE OTHER COURT EXPANSION AS WELL AS OUR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR FAMILIES AND LA AND THE LATEST MILESTONES LIKE OUR KIDS HEADING TO COLLEGE.
THOSE WORDS AND ENCOURAGEMENT HAVE CARRIED ME THROUGH ALL THESE YEARS.
SO THANK YOU, UM, CITY AUDITOR BARBARA KOPI.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR DILIGENCE, YOUR OVERSIGHT IN ENSURING OUR CITY REMAINS ACCOUNTABLE.
I AM PROUD TO HAVE CHAMPIONED THAT INTEGRITY LINE.
I KNOW IT'S MIGHT BE A AWFUL WORD TO SOME WHICH HOLDS EVERY CITY EMPLOYEE, INCLUDING COUNCIL'S ACCOUNTABILITY.
I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE IT WAS CALLED ON.
AND IT SERVED ITS PURPOSE PURPOSEFULLY IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS CALLED ON MEAN ENSURING THAT NO ONE IN THE CITY ABUSES THEIR POWER AND NONE OF THE COUNCIL DIRECT STAFF YOUR GUIDANCE, UM, ALL OF YOUR FOUR GUIDANCE.
'CAUSE WE ONLY HAVE, IF YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW, WE ONLY, WE ONLY, UH, OVERSEE FOUR PEOPLE.
YOUR GUIDANCE HAS MADE GOVERNING OUR CITY MORE EFFECTIVE AND DEFICIENT.
AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH EACH OF YOU.
THANK YOU MAYOR PINETA, A FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBER SERVING WITH YOU HAS AND FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SERVING WITH YOU GUYS HAS BEEN AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY.
NOT ONLY WERE YOU MY CALAS MATES THROUGHOUT OUR CHILDHOOD UNTIL WE GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU'VE BEEN MY BOYS AS COACH AND A COLLEAGUE ON THE COUNCIL.
WHY DID I ENCOURAGE YOU TO RUN A COUNCIL FOR 2016
YOU KNOW, I AM
CO-PILOTING INTERFAITH COUNCIL, UM, WITH COUNCILWOMAN CONDI.
WHEN MY SCHEDULE NO NO LONGER ALLOWED ME TO COUNCILWOMAN CONDI, YOU WERE THE SECOND PERSON I PERSUADED TO JOIN ME ON THE JOURNEY.
I'M SO GLAD WE MET AT CITIZENS ACADEMY AND BECAME FAST FRIENDS BEFORE SHARING THE DAIS TOGETHER.
WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED SO MUCH AND I'M PROUD THE IMPACT WE'VE HAD, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HOMELESS INITIATIVE.
WE HAVE SONAR AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SONAR IS, IT'S AVONDALE'S STREET OUT OUTREACH NAVIGATION RESOURCE CENTER OR RESOURCE TEAM.
ALSO, UM, I WILL MISS OUR CHRISTMAS THANK YOUS TO OUR STAFF AND MAYBE YOU GUYS WILL LET ME BE A SURPRISE GUEST.
WE'RE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU, ATTENDING CONFERENCES AND SEEING YOU GROW IN YOUR ROLE.
I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR, YOU AND FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, BRIAN KILGAR, FOR STANDING
[00:50:01]
TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT PAY WAS ADDED BACK ONTO A, AN AGENDA AND ALLOWING US TO MAKE THE REAL DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES.COUNCILWOMAN MAX WHITE, I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT BEAUTIFUL DAY AT TRUSTS REELS WHEN YOU PATIENTLY WAITED FOR TO SPEAK WITH ME ABOUT RUNNING FOR COUNSELING.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOUR, YOUR, UH, LEADERSHIP ON VALLEY METRO AND YOUR YOUR WORK TO STRENGTHEN THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
I CAN ENVISION ELIJAH WILL MAKE IT FROM THE METRO ALL THE WAY TO 99TH AVENUE ONE DAY.
I REMEMBER WHEN YOU ONLY USED TAXIS, BUT NOW YOU'VE MASTERED LYFT AND YOU'VE MASTERED UBER.
YOU ALWAYS SAID, WE DIDN'T EVER SEE EYE TIE.
UM, I'M SURE I CONTRIBUTED TO THE GRAY HERE YOU HAVE.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT WHEN IT CAME TIME TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE SET THE DIFFERENCE ASIDE AND WE GOT IT DONE.
SO THANK YOU COUNCILWOMAN JEANETTE GARCIA, I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THRIVE IN YOUR NEW ROLE AS COUNCIL MEMBER COUNCILWOMAN ELECT SHERRY WEISS.
I THINK IT'S PAINTED AND READY FOR YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE BEAUTIFUL BOOK THAT YOU'VE GIVEN ME.
AND I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST TO MY LITTLE TWIN FAMILY THAT'S OUT THERE.
THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS HAVING MY BACK AND ALLOWING ME TO SERVE THE CITY OF AVONDALE AND YOU, MY COLLEAGUES, FOR ALWAYS OFFERING SUPPORT WHEN YOU SAW MY WORKLOAD WAS A BIT MUCH.
THANK YOU DR. FREEMAN FOR ALLOWING IT.
MY BOSS, CHE GARRISON AND JIM VEL.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE IS AT, BUT THANK YOU GUYS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP AND THE SUPPORT.
AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, I WANT TO THANK, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE TO MY HUSBAND TERRANCE AND MY BOYS, BRANDON, ELIJAH HARRIS.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR STEPPING UP, TAKING ON COOKING SOME CLEANING AND SUPPORTING ME IN SERVICE.
YOUR PATIENCE, UNDERSTANDING, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAD TO BE AWAY, HAVE, HAVE ONLY STRAIGHTENED OUR BOND TO MY SISTERS AND MY BROTHER.
THE REST OF MY FA THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS STEPPING IN TO HELP WHEN TERRANCE AND I NEEDED SUPPORT.
IT TRULY DOES TAKE A VILLAGE AND I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR EACH OF YOU.
I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT HAS GIVEN, UM, HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME IN MY LIFE AS AN ORPHAN, I COULD HAVE NEVER IMAGINED RUNNING AND BEING A PART OF THE CITY AND RUNNING A CITY WITH MY FELLOW COUNCIL.
I COULD NEVER IMAGINE THAT I COULD SIT ON A, AN INITIATIVE FOR THE PRESIDENT OBAMA'S RACE TO THE TOP WITH A SU FOR EDUCATION.
'CAUSE THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND I COULD NEVER IMAGINE THAT I COULD, UM, BE HONORED WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD BY THE PRESIDENT, UH, BIDEN'S ADMINISTRATION.
AS FOR ME, WHAT'S NEXT? I'M NOT SURE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT SERVICE TO OTHERS HAS ALWAYS BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE A CORE, CORE PART OF WHO I AM.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALLOWING ME THE EIGHT YEARS TO SERVE YOU.
I THINK THAT COULD HAVE MADE ALL THE WORDS, MARC, FOR THE WHOLE EIGHT YEARS.
WILL WE BE TAKING PHOTOS NOW OR AFTER? YES.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME DOWN TO THE FLOOR, WE COULD TAKE A GROUP PHOTO IF EVERYBODY WOULD JOIN ME.
IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND DOWN BELOW.
SO WE COULD TAKE A PHOTO WITH COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE.
[00:55:14]
ALL RIGHT.[b. Proclamation - Recognition of Mayor Kenneth Weise]
ITEM FOUR B PLEASE.THE CITY COUNCIL WILL RECOGNIZE PRIOR MAYOR, FORMER MAYOR JOKIN, UH, WEISS, UH, FOR A SERVICE AS A MEMBER OF THE AVONDALE CITY COUNCIL FROM 2006 TO 2024 AT THIS TIME.
MAYOR, WE'D LIKE TO START THIS ITEM WITH A READING OF THE PROCLAMATION.
PROCLAMATION HONORING MAYOR KEN WEISS, A PROCLAMATION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE, ARIZONA, HONORING MAYOR KEN WEISS FOR HIS DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE AVONDALE COMMUNITY AS BOTH THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR.
WHEREAS KEN WEISS ANSWERED THE CALL TO SERVICE IN 2006 WHEN HE WAS APPOINTED AS COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE AT THE JANUARY 30TH, 2006 CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND WHEREAS KEN WEISS WAS ELECTED AS COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE AT THE SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2000 SEVENTH ELECTION AND WAS REELECTED AT THE AUGUST 28TH, 2012 ELECTION.
AND WHEREAS KEN WEISS WAS APPOINTED MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE AT THE JUNE 2ND, 2014 CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND WHEREAS KEN WEISS WAS ELECTED AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE AT THE NOVEMBER 8TH, 2016 ELECTION AND WAS REELECTED AT THE AUGUST 4TH, 2020 ELECTION.
AND WHEREAS KEN WEISS HAS BEEN A PILLAR OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE AVONDALE COMMUNITY, HAVING SERVED ON THE BOARD OF ELDERS AT TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH, LUTHERAN CHURCH, AND AS A VOLUNTEER WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND EVENTS.
AND WHEREAS KEN WEISS SERVED ON THE MARICOPA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS REGIONAL COUNCIL AS CHAIR, UH, THE MAG REGIONAL COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, THE MAG TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE, MAG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, GREATER PHOENIX ECONOMIC COUNCIL, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, AND MEMBER OF THE LEAGUE OF CITIES RESOLUTION COMMITTEE.
AND WHEREAS KEN WEISS WILL BE GREATLY MISSED AND WARMLY REMEMBERED AS HELPFUL, KIND, AND PROFESSIONAL BY THOSE WHO HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH HIM.
NOW THEREFORE BE RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE, ARIZONA, THAT THE CITY OF AVONDALE HEREBY WISHES TO EXPRESS ITS SINCERE GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION TO MAYOR KEN WEISS FOR OVER 18 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO THE CITY OF AVONDALE, PROCLAIMED THE 16TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2024.
AND MARCELLA, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A VIDEO.
FOR ME, I'D ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN AVONDALE POLITICS.
I HAD A FRIEND WHO WAS ON CITY COUNCIL AT THE TIME, CHUCK WOLF.
THERE WAS AN OPENING ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND CHUCK AND I WOULD HAVE DINNER EVERY WEEKEND AND HE SAID, YOU SHOULD APPLY.
AND I SAID, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT EVEN LOOKS LIKE.
AND HE SAID, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, JUST GO APPLY.
JUST GO INTERVIEW, FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK, GO INTERVIEW.
MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS, AM I GONNA BE ABLE TO WORK WITH HIM?
WHEN I, WHEN I WAS APPOINTED TO COUNCIL, MARIE WAS ONE OF THE DECIDING VOTES AND IT WAS UNANIMOUS.
AND MARIE CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND SAID, HEY, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING YOU MORE AND WORKING, LOOKING TO WORK WITH YOU AND KIND OF SHARE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS.
UH, I THINK WHEN HE FIRST CAME IN, HE WASN'T SURE ABOUT WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN OR WHO WAS, YOU KNOW, HIS FRIEND OR NOT FRIEND OR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO IT.
UM, BUT I SAW HIM GROW AS WE WENT ALONG
[01:00:01]
AND, UH, WE HAD GOOD TALKS TOGETHER AND I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, HIS IDEAS WERE, WERE THERE.I REMEMBER WE SAT DOWN AND TALKED AND SHE WAS HUMBLE AND SHE WAS CARING AND SHE WAS FUNNY.
AND SHE WAS JUST, SHE LOVED THE CITY AND IT BECAME APPARENT VERY QUICKLY THAT HER AND I WERE GONNA WORK REALLY WELL TOGETHER.
AND WHAT REALLY I THINK RESONATED WITH HIM IS HOW DO I HELP THE COMMUNITY? WHAT DO I DO FOR THE COMMUNITY? AND I THINK THAT WAS OUR FOCUS AS THE COMMUNITY, THE STAFF, THE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF AVONDALE, JUST AS A, A MIXTURE OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER TO GET WHAT WE NEED FOR EVERYONE INSTEAD OF WORKING SOCIAL ISSUES? YOU WORK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
'CAUSE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PAYS FOR EVERYTHING ELSE.
IT PAYS FOR YOUR POLICE, YOUR FIRE, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND FAMILY SERVICES.
EVERYTHING HAS TO COME OUT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND I THINK THAT WAS THE PIVOTAL CHANGE THAT KIND OF MOVED THE CITY PAST WHERE WE WERE FOR BEFORE.
I THINK WHAT MAYOR WEISS HAS, HAS IN OUR PARTNERSHIP IS, IS AGAIN, THAT COLLABORATION AND WORKING TOGETHER AND THAT THE VALUE OF THINGS LIKE THE NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE, THE SPRING RACE, UM, THAT NASCAR BRINGS TO THE CITY EACH YEAR, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT AND THE OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO GROW THAT.
AND THEN YOU SEE, AGAIN, THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING TO OUR CITY THAT ARE SPENDING MONEY IN OUR CITY AND THAT ENABLES THE CITY TO DO EVEN MORE THINGS FOR ITS RESIDENTS.
AND WE WORKED REALLY HARD ON THAT, NOT ONLY FROM THE MAYOR AND PRESIDENT ASPECT, BUT FROM THE TEAM ON BOTH SIDES WORKING TOGETHER.
'CAUSE BRINGING A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE NOT ONE YEAR, TWO YEARS, FIVE YEARS IS, IS DIFFICULT.
THEN YOU LOOK AT THE GROWTH AND THE BUSINESSES, UM, AS WELL AS JUST THE PARKS AND ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE JUST FROM A RESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HE SAW WAS THAT OPPORTUNITY THAT IF WE WORK TOGETHER, THERE'S LIKE, WE CAN REALLY MAKE THIS CITY EVEN BETTER FOR ITS RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.
BUT THEN I WOULD ALSO SAY WITH THE NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT AVONDALE ON A NATIONAL MAP.
I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE WHEN I BECAME MAYOR, DEVELOPERS WOULD SAY TO US, THE CITY CAN'T SUPPORT THAT.
YOU CAN'T SUPPORT THAT DEVELOPMENT.
YOUR DEMOGRAPHICS WON'T GO THERE.
THEY WON'T SHOP THERE, THEY WON'T BUY THERE.
WE THINK YOU CAN HAVE THIS AND SUPPORT THIS.
I WOULD ALWAYS SAY, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA TELL US WHO AVONDALE CAN BE AND WILL BE.
YOU'RE NEVER GONNA PUT A RESTRICTION ON WHO WE ARE.
THAT'S WHAT I HOPE HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, AND I THINK IT ABSOLUTELY HAS.
AND IF THAT'S MY TOP GOAL, IF THAT'S WHAT I LOOK BACK ON AND BE REMEMBERED FOR, IT'S THAT AVONDALE BECAME A REGIONAL PLAYER, NOT ONLY IN THE SOUTHWEST VALLEY, BUT IN THE ENTIRE VALLEY.
AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING.
AT THIS TIME, MR. MAYOR, WE'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, MAYOR WEISS TO JOIN STAFF AT THE PODIUM, UM, FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS AGENDA ITEM WOULD
ONE OF THE INITIATIVES WAS TO APPOINT THE CITY'S FIRST AUDITOR, UH, WHO PROVIDES COUNSEL WITH INDEPENDENT AND OBJECTIVE FEEDBACK ON CITY OPERATIONS.
UH, YOU HAVE SUPPORTED ME AND CHALLENGED ME
UH, I HAVE FOR YOU AN ENGRAVED PEN, WHICH IS SOMEWHERE HERE YOU GO.
AND, UM, IT'S FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SIGN AND APPROVE IN YOUR NEW ENDEAVORS.
WHAT, WHAT'S THAT? LOOK, MAYOR BRILL AND I, EXCUSE ME, ARE HONORED TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR ME PERSONALLY, PROFESSIONALLY FOR MY FAMILY.
UM, I'M FORTUNATE TO BE HERE OVER 10 YEARS NOW, AND A BIG REASON OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND YOU'VE CHANGED MY LIFE AND MY FAMILY'S LIFE, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
[01:05:02]
SOME OF YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW, HE HAD BEEN A VETERAN ON THE COUNCIL FOR EIGHT YEARS, A LITTLE BIT OVER EIGHT YEARS WHEN HE BECAME MAYOR.AND I WAS THERE AT THE MEETING THAT NIGHT, EVEN THOUGH I HADN'T MET HIM YET BECAUSE IT WAS MY INTERVIEW TO BE THE PRESIDING JUDGE.
AND THERE WAS, UH, ONE LESS COUNCIL PERSON BECAUSE HE HAD JUST BECOME MAYOR.
HIS POSITION WASN'T FILLED YET.
AND THAT ENDED IN A THREE TO THREE VOTE.
UH, HIS FIRST VOTE AS MAYOR, THERE WERE TWO DIODES THAT NIGHT.
BUT YOUR SUPPORT ALWAYS FOR THE COURT, FOR ME PERSONALLY, FOR BRILL, FOR THE COURT, UH, YOUR SUPPORT FOR CITY EMPLOYEES I'VE WORKED IN, IN ANOTHER CITY AS YOU KNOW.
AND THE WHOLE VIBE AND ATMOSPHERE COMES FROM THE TOP AND THAT LEADERSHIP COMES FROM THE TOP AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH ALL THE EMPLOYEES IN THE CITY AND AFFECTS THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY.
AND YOU SET THE TONE AND YOU HAVE SET THE TONE AND IT'S A TONE THAT I BELIEVE IS GONNA BE CARRIED FORWARD.
MAYOR KEN WEISS, IN RECOGNITION OF 19 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CITY CITIZENS OF AVONDALE, WE ARE ALL FORTUNATE FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP VISION AND HARD WORK FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY, THE AVONDALE CITY COURT AND ALL COURT EMPLOYEES.
THE CITY OF AVONDALE AND THE AVONDALE CITY COURT ARE BETTER BECAUSE OF YOU, YOUR HARD WORK AND THE RESULTS YOU ACHIEVED WITH THE RESPECT FROM ALL AVONDALE CITY COURT EMPLOYEES.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THREE CITY MANAGERS, TWO CITY ATTORNEYS, AND ONE HUSBAND TOGETHER.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR, UH, PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL SUPPORT TO ME OVER THE YEARS.
I KNOW THAT I AM STANDING HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF YOUR FAITH IN ME AND MY ROLE AS YOUR CITY ATTORNEY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISION AND BEING ONE OF THE SEVEN THAT APPOINTED ME IN 2019, EVEN THOUGH YOU THOUGHT I WAS A LOT YOUNGER THAN YOU.
I'M ONLY 10 YEARS YOUNGER THAN YOU.
UM, BUT UH, WE WORK TOGETHER ON SOME AMAZING THINGS AND SOME THINGS WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT, ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE, CONFIDENTIALITY.
BUT I DO WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR UNWAVERING SUPPORT AND SHARE WHAT WE WILL MISS MOST ABOUT YOU BECAUSE IT TIES INTO THE GIFTS WE HAVE FOR YOU.
SO ONE, WE WILL MISS YOUR AMAZING, COLORFUL AND BOLD T-SHIRT CHOICES.
SO WE GOT YOU ONE TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION, AND IT SAYS, UM, MAYOR, THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE LEGEND.
SO I HOPE THAT YOU WEAR THAT PROUDLY.
UM, TWO, WE WILL MISS YOU STOPPING BY THE OFFICE TO DEBATE AND DIRECT US ON LOCAL CONTROL AND CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THINGS AND WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE LEGISLATURE.
SO WE GOT YOU A POCKET CONSTITUTION AND WE'VE ALL SIGNED IT SO YOU CAN CARRY THAT WITH YOU AND YOU WILL BE READY FOR ANY LEGAL DEBATES.
AND, UH, WE JUST THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
MAYOR OR KEN? CHIEF SIR, DON'T ASK ME TO CALL YOU KEN.
WE TALKED ABOUT, WHAT, TWO WEEKS AGO? MM-HMM
AND HE ASKED ME TO CALL HIM KEN, AND I JUST WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
BY THE WAY, ABBY WISE IS AWESOME.
I USE IT MORE NOW THAN I EVER DID
AND NOW HE CALLS ME DIRECTLY TO TELL ME, HEY, CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THIS? CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THAT? SO, PERFECT
SO MAYOR, UH, THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF, UH, THE AVONDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UH, YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF OUR REQUEST, OUR BUDGET REQUEST.
WE ARE NOT A CHIEF DEPARTMENT.
UM, OUR EVENTS, YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH ON A PERSONAL BASIS.
UH, YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR ME FROM THAT RIDE ALONG THAT YOU DID.
YOU HAD MY BACK IN 2006 TO, UM, WHEN YOU SWORN ME IN THREE YEARS AGO AS THE CHIEF.
WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU AND STAY IN TOUCH YOU.
[01:10:01]
YOU, BROTHER.I, I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
I, IT'S BEEN, I HAVEN'T GONE TWO MONTHS AND YOU'RE GOING TO HELL.
IT'S LONG STORY AND I END UP A HEROIN IN IT.
THIS, I WAS TRYING TO, I WAS TRYING TO LIFT YOUR PLAQUE IS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO.
NO, ACTUALLY, MAYOR, I'D SLU YOU, BUT I CAN'T RIGHT NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW WHAT WE, I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER ABOUT THE RINGING OF THE BELL AND HELPING THE COMMUNITY AND COMING OUT AND STUFF.
NOBODY, UH, CAN DENY YOUR PASSION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
BUT ALSO YOUR COMPASSION FOR THE PEOPLE THAT PROVIDE THAT, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY AND, AND, AND IT'S TRULY AN HONOR TO WORK UNDER YOU.
AND, UM, THE CITY IS A MUCH BETTER, SAFER PLACE, LIKE I SAID EARLIER.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND ON BEHALF OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A PLAQUE.
UH, YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY, YEAH.
UM, IT'D BE BETTER IF YOU DIALED 9 1 1 IF YOU WANT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT NOW,
AND IT'S ALSO BIGGER THAN THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT THE COMPETITION RUNS DEEP AND RUNS GOOD.
THESE HAVE CHANGED, HAVEN'T THEY? MAYOR WEISS, WHAT CAN I SAY? THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN SAID, UH, BY THE STAFF ALREADY, AND YOU'RE GONNA HEAR A LOT MORE, UH, COMING UP HERE.
BUT THESE PEOPLE HAVE THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH YOU FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS YOU'VE BEEN IN OFFICE.
UH, WHEN I DECIDED TO COME TO WORK AT THE CITY OF AVONDALE, ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND MY DECISION WAS THE ELECTED BODY I WAS GOING TO SERVE HERE IN THIS CITY, ALONG WITH THE LEADERSHIP TONE AND DIRECTION THAT YOU SET FOR CITY COUNCIL.
I CAN HONESTLY SAY THEN THE MANY YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE WORKING FOR ELECTED LEADERS IN MY CAREER, THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST PROFESSIONAL, CARING, AND VISIONARY ELECTED BODY THAT I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SERVING.
I STRONGLY FEEL THIS HAS BEEN DUE IN PART, IN A STRONG PART, IN A SIGNIFICANT PART TO THE KIND OF LEADERSHIP YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED AS MAYOR.
I FEEL EXTREMELY FORTUNATE TO HAVE JOINED THE CITY AT A TIME WHEN THE COUNCIL'S VISION THROUGH THE PAST 20 YEARS OF WHICH YOU WERE A PART, WAS COMING TO FRUITION.
I KNEW THAT EVERY TIME YOU, YOU DRIVE PAST THE BOULEVARD AND SEE THE TREMENDOUS DEVELOPMENT IN THE BUILDUP IN THIS AREA, YOU CAN LOOK WITH PRIDE AND SAY, I WAS A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
BUT THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE TINY PIECES OF YOUR LEGACY.
YOUR NAME IS ON VIRTUALLY EVERY SINGLE BUILDING, UH, AS TESTAMENT TO YOUR ROLE IN THIS HUGE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS THAT WERE MADE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN A LEADER IN THE REGIONAL LEVEL, AND YOUR FORMER MAYOR, MAYORAL PEERS, ALONG WITH THE STAFF OF THE MARICOPA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS HAVE SHARED, UH, A RINGING ENDORSEMENT ON YOUR PART IN YOUR LEADERSHIP IN FIGHTING FOR THE EXTENSION OF PROP 400 SALES TAX.
I DUNNO IF YOU GUYS KNEW THIS, BUT HE QUIT HIS DAY JOB TO HELP MAKE SURE 400 GOT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, AN UNPAID HE QUIT A PAYING JOB.
SHERRY, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DID THIS.
HE QUIT A PAYING JOB TO VOLUNTEER TO LEAD THE EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE 400 GOT THROUGH ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, THAT IMPACT CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED.
UM, WITH THAT, WE'RE ABLE TO GROW AND, UH, UH, UH, SEE WHAT THE, THE NEXT, UH, 20, 30 YEARS HOLDS FOR US BECAUSE OF YOUR EFFORTS.
BUT MOST OF ALL, YOU'RE LEAVING A LEGACY OF KINDNESS, CIVILITY, AND EXEMPLARY CONDUCT FOR THE CITY COUNCIL IN THIS ORGANIZATION.
WATCHING YOU SERVE AS MAYOR, I HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED WITH THE COLLABORATION LEADERSHIP APPROACH.
YOU HAVE TAKEN, GIVING EVERY SINGLE MEMBER AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHAMPION THE ISSUES THAT ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT IN THIS COMMUNITY.
RATHER, IT'S A QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH PARKS AND RECREATION, HUMAN SERVICES OR PUBLIC SAFETY.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE COMMUNITY, RESIDENTS HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW YOU AS KIN.
YOU'RE THE TYPE OF LEADER WHO ISN'T HESITANT TO PICK UP THE PHONE OR MEET IN PERSON WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS A, UH, DISAGREEMENT OR GRIEVANCE WITH THE CITY.
AND NINE TIMES OUT OF 10, YOU HAVE MANAGED TO CHANGE THEIR POINT OF VIEW OR HELP THEM UNDERSTAND AN ISSUE BETTER.
YOUR HUMBLE, GRACIOUS, GOOD NATURED MANNER HAS BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO ALL OF US.
MAYOR KEN, THERE'S A LOT MORE I CAN SAY ABOUT
[01:15:01]
YOU, BUT I'LL LET THE MANY OTHERS HERE EXPRESS THEIR APPRECIATION FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.ALL THAT IS LEFT FOR ME TO SAY IS THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE YOU HAVE PLACED IN ME AS YOUR CITY MANAGER OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO KNOW YOU AND WORK WITH YOU AND ALL THE BEST TO YOU IN YOUR NEXT CHAPTER.
ALRIGHT, I HAVE ANOTHER COIN FOR YOU.
I KNOW YOU GAVE YOU ONE, BUT HERE'S ANOTHER COIN FOR YOU.
AND THEN AGAIN, WE WANTED TO LEAVE YOU WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS UNIQUELY AVONDALE.
AND AGAIN, THIS WAS MADE BY THE SAME ARTIST THAT ACTUALLY MADE THE ONE WOW IN, UH, ON, UH, AVONDALE BOULEVARD.
I'M GONNA TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU FOR THE LETTER OF APPRECIATION.
CAN I PLEASE HAVE SHERRY WEISS TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE? AND THAT SHOULD BE COUNCIL MEMBER ELECT SHERRY WEISS.
I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A CERTIFICATE, UH, CER SORRY, A CERTIFICATION OF APPRECIATION ON THE OCCASION OF KENNETH WEISS RETIREMENT.
THE CITY OF AVONDALE WISHES TO COMMEND YOU FOR THE UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENCE YOU'VE DEMONSTRATED DURING HIS PUBLIC SERVICE CAREER.
THE CITY OF AVONDALE REALIZES THE DIFFICULTIES AND HARDSHIPS PLACED ON FAMILIES WHEN SERVING ON THE CITY COUNCIL, THE COUNTLESS FAMILY DINNERS THAT WERE MISSED BECAUSE OF LATE NIGHT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
THE REARRANGING OF FAMILY VACATIONS BECAUSE OF SCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCES AND THE BURDEN OF LAST MINUTE MEETING REQUESTS.
THE CITY OF AVONDALE SINCERELY APPRECIATES THE SACRIFICES YOU HAVE MADE.
AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT YOUR UNFAILING SUPPORT HAS MADE POSSIBLE KEN WEISS'S LASTING CONTRIBUTION TO THE PUBLIC AND THE CITY.
IT IS MY GREAT PLEASURE TO AWARD YOU THIS CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION.
ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE AND ITS EMPLOYEES, PLEASE ACCEPT MY SINCERE GRATITUDE FOR YOUR UNSELFISH BEHIND THE SCENES SERVICE TO THE CITY OF AVONDALE.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO COUNCIL COMET.
IF WE CAN START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CONDI.
IT SOUNDS GOOD, DOESN'T IT? YES.
UM, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE THE VERY FIRST MAYOR I'VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE.
SO IN 2016, UM, I WAS VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY AND WE WERE INVITED TO ATTEND THE STATE OF THE CITY AT EMCC.
AND SO I ATTENDED THERE AND EUROPE SPEAKING.
AND I JUST THOUGHT, THIS GUY'S REALLY FUNNY,
AND JUST THE WAY THAT YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU SERVED, IT JUST REALLY, UM, MADE ME FEEL THANKFUL THAT I LIVED IN AVONDALE BECAUSE JUST HEARING HOW MUCH YOU CARED ABOUT THE CITY, UM, WHAT A DIFFERENCE THAT, THAT YOU WANNA MAKE IN THE COMMUNITY WAS, UM, IS JUST, WAS JUST WONDERFUL TO HEAR.
AND ONE THING THAT HAS STRUCK ME OUT IS YOU'RE SO APPROACHABLE.
SO WHEN SOMEBODY HAD A HAS A QUESTION OR CONCERN, THEY KNOW THAT THEY COULD REACH OUT TO YOU AND YOU'LL GET THEM THE ANSWERS THAT THEY NEED.
AND WHEN I WAS APPOINTED IN 2017, I, I WAS SO EXCITED 'CAUSE I SAID, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
AND YOU TOOK ME AND TONY AND YOU GAVE US A TOUR OF, OF THE CAMPUS.
YOU GAVE US A TOUR OF OUR OFFICES AND YOU TOOK US AROUND.
AND I JUST THOUGHT, THIS IS SOMEBODY THAT I DEFINITELY WANNA SERVE WITH BECAUSE HIS HEART IS REALLY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M GONNA TAKE AWAY WITH ME IS I REMEMBER ALWAYS SAYING, GOSH, HE'S SUCH A GOOD SPEAKER.
AND YOU WOULD SAY, YES, STAFF GIVES ME NOTES, BUT I NEVER USE MY NOTES.
BUT I DO WANNA SAY THAT ONE THING THAT YOU ALWAYS, YOU SHARED WITH ME IS ALWAYS TRY TO INCORPORATE A STORY OR SOMETHING PERSONAL WHEN YOU SPEAK TO PEOPLE.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'LL ALWAYS HAVE WITH ME.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAMILY, FOR SUPPORTING, UM, YOU, BECAUSE I KNOW SOMETIMES WE'VE BEEN HERE LONG NIGHTS, YOU HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS THAT WE HAVE TO ATTEND.
AND SO I JUST WANNA JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAMILY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND I'M DOWN THE STREET FROM YOU SO I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE.
SO I NEED, IF I NEED ANYTHING, I KNOW HOW TO GET AHOLD OF YOU.
[01:20:01]
KEN.UH, JUST KEN, I MEAN
AS SOON AS UM, I CLEARED THE SIGNATURES, YOU KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO BE THE NEXT COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE CITY OF AVONDALE.
AND YOU, UM, DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER AT THE TIME, THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER TO INCLUDE ME ON EVERYTHING.
AND THAT WAS THE BEST RAMP UP THAT I'VE HAD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
I'VE NEVER HAD AN ONBOARDING, UM, SO MEANINGFUL, SO IMPACTFUL, SO DIRECTED.
SO BY THE TIME I CAME AND SAT ON THE DEUS THE FIRST TIME, I FELT LIKE I WAS ACTING IN A FASHION SEAMLESSLY FROM THE PRIOR PERSON WHO HELPED THIS SEAT.
BRIAN KILGORE, YOU ENCOURAGED ME TO USE MY OWN OPINION, COME TO EACH MEETING OPEN AND YOU ENSURED THAT WE HAD AN ESPRIT DE CORPS ON COUNCIL, WHERE WE ALL REALLY GET ALONG UP HERE AND WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD TIME COMING TOGETHER.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT IN ANY OTHER CITY GOVERNMENT.
AND I HAVE LIVED IN THE MIDWEST AND OUT WEST, AND THIS IS JUST A DIFFERENT TYPE OF GOVERNMENT.
SO I'M VERY PROUD OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS HERE.
I DO HAVE A GIFT, REALLY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAME FROM ED ZUCKER'S OFFICE.
I KNOW ED IS IN HERE, BUT I MADE IT, UH, LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
AND HE MIGHT HAVE STEPPED OUT FOR A MOMENT, BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY FROM, UM, THEIR TEAM.
I SAW AUDRA AND I, I JUST WANT TO SHARE THE LEGACY OF TRANSIT WITH YOU.
SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS THE PROJECT MAP OF WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, COMES INTO THE CITY OF ATIONS THAT THEY GIVE US.
IT WAS ALL OF THE HARD WORK THROUGH WORK ON LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA.
I DIDN'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE WITH YOU, BUT I KNOW THAT EVERYONE AROUND HERE SPEAKS REALLY HIGHLY OF YOU.
UM, BUT I DO LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING WITH YOUR WIFE AND I KNOW THAT, UM, AS WE'RE HERE, YOU HAVE SUPPORTED ME THROUGHOUT MY JOURNEY AND HAVE GIVEN ME WONDERFUL ADVICE AS WELL AS WHEN TO SHUT UP.
SO I APPRECIATE, I'M JUST KIDDING.
UM, UM, ONE THING, WELL, ONE THING PEOPLE SAY IS EVERYONE THE CITY OF AVONDALE, YOU GUYS ALL GET ALONG, EVERYONE GETS ALONG.
WELL, PLEASE, WHEN YOU GET ON COUNCIL, DON'T STIR IT UP.
AND I CAN'T PROMISE YOU, BUT I, EVERYONE HAS WELCOMED ME WITH OPEN ARMS. BUT I THINK THAT'S 'CAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU HAVE INSTILLED IN THEM AND THAT THEY HAVE GOING FORWARD AND WITH THE COMMUNITY OF THE EMPLOYEES AND EVERYONE IS COMING FROM YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, THE TOP.
SO THAT TRICKLED DOWN AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO EVERYTHING.
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE CITY OF AVIL, COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE.
OH, THE GRAY HAIR CYCLE CAUSED, UM, THE ARGUMENTS WE PROBABLY HAD IN THE VIC CENTER OF, UH, OPEN MEETING LAWS AND WHATEVER ELSE.
HONEST CONVERSATIONS, THE HONEST CONVERSATIONS.
AND FOR YOU TO TELL ME TO JUST A LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT, LISTEN IT OUT OR MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR OWN VOICE.
RIGHT? UM, THERE WAS A TIME I THINK WE WERE ON COUNCIL AND I WAS LIKE, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE NO ON LAKE, NOTHING ON FESTIVAL FIELDS.
I'M ABSOLUTELY NO, NO, NO, NO.
AND HE SAYS, YOU REALLY JUST NEED TO LISTEN TO EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU KNEW IT, HEY, THERE'S A POND, A LAKE AT FESTIVAL FIELDS.
IT WAS JUST THAT, THAT OPPORTUNITY.
HE ALWAYS TOLD ME JUST TO LISTEN, TAKE A, TAKE A BREATHER.
MAKE SURE YOU LISTEN TO EVERYBODY.
I APPRECIATE THE TIMES THAT YOU SAID YOU'RE
[01:25:01]
GONNA GET YOURSELF IN TROUBLE.SO I THINK I MIGHT BE GIVING MY TORCH TO JEANETTE, UM, TO GET YOURSELF INTO TROUBLE.
'CAUSE I WOULD ALWAYS GET MYSELF INTO TROUBLE AND HOPEFULLY MAYOR PINETA IS NOT GOING TO HAVE RIGHT HERE THE WAY I CAUSED KEN
BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ON THE LATE PHONE CALLS WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH A VERY DARK TIME IN OUR CITY.
UM, YOU LISTENED TO ME, UH, I LISTENED TO YOU AND WE, WE JUST KIND OF SAT THERE AND WE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION RIGHT AT THE RIGHT TIME.
WE GOT OUR CITY BACK IN, UM, ORDER.
UM, BUT WE DON'T GET OUR CITY BACK IN ORDER WITHOUT A GOOD LEADER.
AND THAT YOU MANEUVERED US THROUGH THE HARD, UH, WATER.
I APPRECIATE YOUR CONVOYS WHEN I WAS STIRRING IT UP.
SO, UM, I KNOW I'LL SEE YOU AROUND THE CITY.
I KNOW YOU'LL DO GREAT THINGS IN THE NEXT, UH, JOURNEY.
WE'LL TAKE THAT NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP AGAIN THIS NEXT FOLLOWING YEAR, HOPEFULLY.
UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
THANK YOU, SHERRY, FOR YOUR SERVICE RIGHT ALONGSIDE, UH, MAYOR WEISS AND UM, YOUR KIDS.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU, ALL OF THE YEARS THAT YOU'VE SERVED OUR CITY.
I KNOW YOU NEVER STICK TO SPEECHES,
SO I ACTUALLY MET JUST KEN 'CAUSE THAT'S, I JUST KNEW HIM AS KEN, UH, OVER 14 YEARS AGO IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY AT A SALES FUNCTION.
HE WAS KEN WEISS WHO WORKED AT THE WIGWAM.
HE QUICKLY, WHEN I FOUND OUT, 'CAUSE UH, MARIE MADE THE INTRODUCTION, SO SHE OPENED THAT DOOR.
I QUICKLY FOUND OUT THAT HE WAS ON CITY COUNCIL.
HE WAS MY GO-TO PERSON FOR ALL THINGS CITY RELATED.
I WOULD SOMETIMES BOTHER MARIE, BUT MAINLY IT WAS KEN.
NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF DAY, KEN WAS ALWAYS READY TO ANSWER THE MANY QUESTIONS I HAD.
AS I BECAME MORE INVOLVED IN MY PHILANTHROPIC WORK WITH AVONDALE, KEN CONSISTENTLY ENCOURAGED ME TO DO MORE.
HE ALWAYS MADE SURE I WAS INVITED TO THE STATE OF THE CITY WITH MY OWN INVITATION BECAUSE MY JOB DIDN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS PASS ALONG THE INVITATION.
HE WOULD ALSO ALSO CALL ME OUT WHILE HE WAS GIVING SPEECHES.
I THINK IT WAS TO MAKE SURE I WAS PAYING ATTENTION.
I'LL NEVER FORGET WHEN I WAS PLACED ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AFTER I TOLD HIM I WANTED TO BE INVOLVED IN SOME WAY.
AND HE AND ENCOURAGED ME TO IMPLY FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
I WASN'T TOO THRILLED INITIALLY BECAUSE MAYOR WEISS ASSURED ME THAT ONE DAY I WOULD REALIZE THE VALUE.
AND I SIT HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY AND I REALIZE THE VALUE THAT COMES WITH PLANNING FROM KEN.
I'VE LEARNED THE TRUE POWER OF COMMUNITY.
MANY OF YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW THIS.
IN 2020, I WAS FURLOUGHED FROM MY HOTEL JOB WHILE MY HOTEL CLOSED FOR ALMOST FOUR MONTHS.
THE NEW RESIDENCE INN HAD JUST OPENED NEXT DOOR.
I'LL NEVER FORGET THE PHONE CALL THAT I GOT THE SECOND DAY AFTER I WAS FURLOUGHED SAYING THAT A CITY MANAGER AND A MAYOR WALKED IN AND SPOKE ABOUT ME SO HIGHLY.
THEY WANTED TO KNOW IF THEY CAN HIRE ME.
NEVER HAD THEY HAD A MAYOR AND A CITY MANAGER SPEAK SO HIGHLY OF A RESIDENT WHO WAS LOOKING FOR A JOB.
2020 WAS ALSO A YEAR THAT, UM, I UNFORTUNATELY CAUGHT COVID AND WAS SICK FOR ALMOST THREE WEEKS.
KEN REGULARLY CHECKED IN ON MY FAMILY AND MYSELF ASKING HOW I WAS FEELING, ASKING HOW EVERYBODY WAS DOING, EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO ASK, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW'S EVERYTHING GOING? I SAID, IT'S JUST GETTING WORSE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
AND HE SAID, DO YOU NEED ANYTHING? I SAID, ALL WE COULD USE WAS REALLY A BOTTLE OF ADVIL BECAUSE EVERYONE IN THEIR FAMILY WAS SICK THAT DAY.
KEN WENT TO CVS AND PICKED UP ADVIL, SOME GATORADE AND SOME COOKIES, AND DROPPED HIM OFF AT MY FRONT DOOR.
SO JUST KEN, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR BEING MY COMMUNITY AND FOR EMBODYING THE HOSPITALITY THAT WE ALL STRIVE TO DO IN THIS INDUSTRY.
VICE MAYOR NIELSEN, KEN, WE ALL KNOW WHAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED IN YOUR SERVICE HERE.
I'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.
AS MY WIFE SERVED ON THE COUNCIL MANY YEARS AGO, SHE WOULD COME HOME FROM THESE MEETINGS AND ALWAYS TELL ME ABOUT HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO
[01:30:01]
MANEUVER, CONDUCT AND MAKE THESE THINGS SO THAT THEY WERE EFFECTIVE AND GOOD.I THINK THE FIRST QUESTION I ASKED YOU AFTER I WAS ELECTED WAS, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO FILL SANDY'S SHOES? AND YOU TOLD ME, YOU DON'T NEED TO WALK IN SANDY'S SHOES.
YOU NEED TO USE YOUR OWN AND MOVE FORWARD.
AND I REMEMBERED THAT AND TRIED TO DO THAT.
SHE SAID A GOOD EXAMPLE, BUT NOW IT'S TIME FOR ME AND IT'S TIME FOR US TO WALK IN OUR OWN SHOES.
YOU'VE ALWAYS ADDRESSED US AT THIS SPECIFIC TIME, WHETHER IT'S A, A FORM OF RE OF, UH, RESPECT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER OR I EVEN APPRECIATE IT.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW, AS A FIRST NAME FOR SOME REASON, WHEN YOU CALL A PERSON BY THE FIRST NAME, YOU GET THEIR ATTENTION AND THEY LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU BECAUSE THEY KNOW YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT AS WELL.
THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST TO MAYBE TALK ABOUT A LEVEL OF, OF RELATIONSHIPS.
YOU AND I ARE WORK COLLEAGUES, WE SEE EACH OTHER ON OCCASION HERE AND THERE.
AND WE ARE ABLE TO INTER UH, COMMUNICATE ONE BACK AND FORTH WITH ONE ANOTHER.
AND CAN I LOOK AT YOU AS A BROTHER AS WELL? NOT ONLY AS A FAMILIAL BROTHER, BUT FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
FOR EVERYONE AND EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.
YOU STAND AS A BIG BROTHER IN THIS COMMUNITY AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO IN WHATEVER YOU DO.
PLEASE KEEP THOSE RELATIONSHIPS GOING.
AND YOU AND I IN THIS CONGREGATION TODAY, LOOK AT HOW HE'S STRUCTURED HIS RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOU AND I AND OTHERS.
AND LET'S SEE IF WE CAN'T DO THAT.
AND THAT'S THE LEGACY WE REALLY WANT.
NOT THE LEGACY OF ALL THE LITTLE BRONZE SIGNS AND ALL THE BUILDINGS AND ALL THE PARKS THAT ARE MADE.
IT'S THE RELATIONSHIP THAT HE HAS TAUGHT US ONE WITH ANOTHER AND HOW TO DO THAT.
THANK YOU KEN, VERY MUCH FOR WHO YOU ARE.
SO AS I MENTIONED TO ABOUT VERONICA EARLIER, IN REGARDS TO FEELING COMFORTABLE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS I MENTIONED IN IN ADDITION TO THAT, ABOUT HOW IT COULD BE INTIMIDATING AND WORKING WITH, UH, THE, THE MAYOR OF AVONDALE AND NOT REALLY QUITE, UH, KNOWING WHERE I WOULD FIT IN AS IT RELATES TO OUR DYNAMIC.
AND OVER TIME, REALIZING THAT YOU WERE JUST KEN, BUT THAT YOU WERE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE.
UH, YOU WERE A PILLAR OF INFORMATION.
AND FROM AFAR IT WAS JUST REALLY IMPRESSIVE TO SEE HOW YOU NAVIGATED RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS, WHETHER IT BE WITH THE FAMILY, WHETHER IT WOULD BE WITH THE OUTSIDE COMMUNITY, OUR RESIDENTS.
YOU JUST SEEM TO HAVE AN EASY WAY OF NAVIGATING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE.
AND FROM AFAR, IT REALLY IMPRESSED ME.
WHAT ALSO IMPRESSED ME AS WE MOVE LATER ON THROUGH OUR RELATIONSHIP WAS THE FACT, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW THIS, AND I'M SURE MANY DO, IS THAT IN THE TIME THAT YOU WERE HELPING TO RUN A CITY, THAT YOU ALSO EMBARKED ON YOUR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY.
THAT'S NOT EASY FOR SOMEBODY WHO HAS NOTHING BUT TIME.
AND ESSENTIALLY, I MEAN, ESPECIALLY FOR SOMEBODY WHO HAS VERY LITTLE TIME WITH A FAMILY, WITH THE CITY INVOLVEMENT, BUT YOU PUT YOUR EDUCATION FIRST, IT WAS PARAMOUNT.
AND I REALLY FOUND THAT IMPRESSIVE BECAUSE I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO BE AN ADULT LEARNER.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, AFTER SURVIVING THOSE FOUR YEARS AND JUST BEING SO HAPPY WITH YOURSELF AND PROUD THAT YOU WERE ACHIEVING THAT ULTIMATE GOAL THAT MANY PEOPLE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN THAT YOU WERE LOOKING TO ACHIEVE.
AND I COULD SEE FOR THE FIRST TIME HOW FROM AFAR I SAW YOU GROWING AS A PERSON AS OPPOSED TO WATCHING MYSELF GROWING AS A MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL.
I FELT PROUD BECAUSE AT THE END, JUST KNOWING THAT YOU WERE GONNA HAVE THAT PIECE OF PAPER AND THAT YOU WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE IT, IT MADE ME PROUD.
AND TO KNOW THAT AS YOU EMBARKED ON THIS JOURNEY OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP, YOU'RE A PROFESSOR YOURSELF NOW.
I MEAN, THAT'S QUITE THE TRANSITION.
AND THAT JUST DEMONSTRATES, AGAIN, YOUR COMMITMENT NOT ONLY TO LIFELONG LEARNING, UM, BUT JUST YOUR NATURE OF BEING INQUISITIVE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, UH, MAYOR WEISS, YOU'RE STILL MY MAYOR
[01:35:01]
AND THAT ALSO IMPRESSED ME BECAUSE WHERE I WOULD TAKE SOMETHING AND SYNTHESIZE IT, YOU KNEW THE INS AND OUTS OF IT, YOU WOULD STUDY IT FROM BACKWARDS TO FORWARDS.
AND I KNEW IF I HAD A QUESTION THAT YOU WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO ANSWER IT, AND I WOULD TAKE IT AT YOUR WORD BECAUSE I KNEW JUST HOW MUCH IT MEANT TO YOU TO GET TO THE ROOT OF WHATEVER WAS BEING COVERED.
SO AGAIN, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I FOUND YOU TO NOT ONLY BE A FRIEND AND A COLLEAGUE, BUT A MENTOR.
UM, I'M REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF YOU.
THE NEW POSITION THAT YOU'VE EARNED AS A RESULT OF YOUR HARD WORK RELATIONSHIP, YOUR EDUCATION, IT'S ALL COME TOGETHER FOR YOU AT THIS MOMENT.
AND I JUST, I'M VERY HAPPY THAT I WAS ALONG FOR THE RIDE.
WHAT OTHERS MAY NOT KNOW IS THAT SOME LEADERS TAKE EVERYTHING IN.
IT'S THEM, THEY BECOME THE PILLAR, THE LEADER.
BUT WHAT WAS GREAT AND SO BENEFICIAL FROM MAYOR WEISS IS THAT HE SPREAD THE LOVE.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT I HOPE THAT AS THE NEW MAYOR OF AVONDALE THAT I CAN SHARE WITH THE REST OF COUNCIL IS THAT EXACT THING, IS THAT EVERYBODY HERE HA HAS THEIR MOMENT, HAS THEIR SKILLSET, THEIR EXPERIENCE, AND SHOULD BE PUT FORWARD FOR THAT REASON.
AND EVERY ONE OF US EITHER SITS ON A COMMITTEE, SERVED ON SOME FORM OF, OR WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION AS A RESULT OF EITHER WHAT YOU'VE SHARED OR BECAUSE YOU'VE GIVEN US THAT NUDGE.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT SO MUCH.
AND TO THE FAMILY, LAUREN DELANEY, SHERRY, AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ALL THE CONVERSATIONS, THE WELCOMING TO YOUR HOME, KNOWING WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE PUT UP WITH, WITH THIS GUY, I MEAN, AS YOU SEE THIS PICTURE, BUT YOU MEAN THAT IN A GOOD WAY THOUGH, RIGHT?
SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT HAPPENED OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT, BUT THE, THE GUY'S AMAZING.
UH, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I SHARED WITH SOME OF THE STAFF WHEN WE FIRST HAD OUR FIRST MEETINGS WHEN I WAS APPOINTED, AND I SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING THAT YOU CAN COUNT ON IS THAT I'M THE ASK FOR PERMISSION GUY.
I'M NOT THE ASK FOR FORGIVENESS GUY LIKE THIS ONE.
SO YOU CAN GO TO SLEEP A LITTLE EASIER, UH, AND REST ASSURED THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET, UH, THAT PHONE CALL.
UH, BUT NO, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, UH, KEN MAYOR WEISS, I JUST THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, YOUR FRIENDSHIP, YOUR LEADERSHIP, EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO GET US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
AND IF I CAN ONLY BE HALF THE MAYOR THAT YOU WERE, THEN I KNOW THAT I'VE SUCCEEDED MM-HMM
THANK YOU TO THE FAMILY AGAIN, AND THE RESIDENTS OF AVONDALE AND ALL OF US HAVE BENEFITED FROM, FROM YOU DIRECTLY.
COME ON, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOU CLARIFYING THAT LAST STATEMENT.
UH, BUT ALWAYS, IT ALWAYS IS, IT HAS ALWAYS FORGIVENESS OVER PERMISSION.
IT HAS BEEN THE MOTTO OF MY LIFE AND IT'S WORKED REALLY WELL FOR 59 YEARS.
UH, YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT MY FAMILY.
YOU'VE, YOU'VE ALL, YOU ALL KNOW MY FAMILY.
BUT PUT THIS INTO PERSPECTIVE.
UH, LAUREN WAS 11 YEARS OLD WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL.
LAUREN DELANEY WAS NINE YEARS OLD WHEN I GOT ON COUNCIL.
AND IN THAT TIME, WE'VE GAINED A SON-IN-LAW FOR ALL THOSE YOU DON'T KNOW, THIS IS TANNER, DON'T STAND BY ME.
IT HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY FOR OUR FAMILY.
UM, AVONDALE WAS A CITY I FELL IN LOVE WITH THAT YOU'VE HEARD THE STORY.
AVONDALE REMINDED ME OF THE CITY THAT I GREW UP IN, OAKLAWN, ILLINOIS.
IT WAS AN AREA THAT WE FELT SAFE THAT, UM, I GREW UP AND EVERYONE KNEW ONE ANOTHER.
AND IT WAS AN INCREDIBLY SPECIAL COMMUNITY.
WHEN I CAME TO AVONDALE IN 97, AVONDALE FELT THAT WAY.
YOU'VE ALSO HEARD IN THE PAST ABOUT MY JOURNEY, HOW I GOT ON COUNCIL.
BUT I WANT, I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE SOME DIGNITARIES IN THE OFFICE WHO CAME IN AFTER, UH, SUPERVISOR CLINT HICKMAN IS WITH US TONIGHT.
MAYOR ERIC OSBORNE AND HIS WIFE TINA FROM THE CITY OF BUCKEYE, BETSY HARGROVE, SUPERINTENDENT
AND I SAW ROGER FREEMAN SOMEWHERE.
UM, THERE'S, THERE'S ONE PERSON AND, AND THERE'S A NAME THAT COMES UP ALL THE TIME WHEN WE, WE GO THROUGH BUDGET AND EVERYTHING, AND IT'S THE WOLF RECLAMATION FACILITY.
SO WE TALK ABOUT MY JOURNEY IN 2006.
WE HAD A GROUP OF FRIENDS THAT WE HUNG OUT AT THE TIME AND WE'D GET TOGETHER ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT FOR BEER AND STEAKS OR BEER AND BURGERS.
AND ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, UH, WAS CHUCK WOLF.
AND CHUCK WOLF WAS ON THE DALE CITY COUNCIL.
[01:40:01]
AND CHUCK ENCOURAGED ME TO GET ONTO THE, UH, CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE AT THE TIME THAT WAS LOOKING AT TERM LIMITS FOR THE CITY OF AVONDALE.AND THAT WAS MY FIRST BITE OF THE APPLE THAT WAS AVONDALE.
AND THEN WHEN RON DRAKE STEPPED DOWN AND COUNCIL WAS PICKING A NEW MAYOR AND CHOSE MARIE, UM, CHUCK B WAS THE VICE MAYOR AND BECAME MAYOR FOR 14 DAYS AND REALLY BROUGHT THE CITY TOGETHER AND BROUGHT THE COUNCIL TOGETHER THROUGH SOME UNCHARTERED WATER WATERS.
UH, CHUCK WAS THE ONE WHO KIND OF JUST SAID AT THAT TIME, WHY DON'T YOU RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL OR PUT, PUT YOUR NAME IN FOR CITY COUNCIL.
AND I INTERVIEWED AND THERE WAS, I THINK 10 OR 12 PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE.
AND, AND I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE SELECTED, BUT I WANTED YOU TO MEET, UH, THE PERSON, OR AT LEAST SEE THE FACE OF THE PERSON WHO GOT ME STARTED WITH THE CITY OF AVONDALE, WHO AT THE TIME HAD THE LOVE FOR THE CITY OF AVONDALE.
CHUCK WOLF, PLEASE STAND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS.
AND YOU ALL ARE FRIENDS AND WE'VE BECOME FRIENDS, FRIENDSHIPS THAT LAST 20 YEARS THAT STARTED IN THIS BUILDING AND, AND THOSE SEATS AND THAT LOVE AND THAT APPRECIATION FOR THE CITY THAT WE CALL HOME.
SO YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS ALL BEFORE, BUT THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE FRIENDSHIP.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE HONEST CONVERSATIONS.
I KNOW VERONICA AND I JOKE ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN INCR, THERE'S BEEN INCREDIBLE WORK DONE IN THIS COUNCIL FOR MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, PAST AND PRESENT.
AND YOUR SERVICE IS, YOU DO, YOU DO WHAT? 99.9% OF THE PUBLIC DOESN'T DO, WON'T DO, CAN'T DO.
YOU DEDICATE YOURSELF TO YOUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE IT BETTER.
AND THAT'S INCREDIBLY SPECIAL TO THE AVONDALE TEAM.
UM, I KNOW NICOLE TALKED ABOUT THREE CITY MANAGERS.
I'VE BEEN THROUGH 12 DIFFERENT CITY COUNCILS, SIX CITY MANAGERS IN 19 YEARS.
UM, THAT'S A LOT OF DANCING, THAT'S A LOT OF STEPPING, THAT'S A LOT OF LEARNING ON THE FLY.
AND, UH, THE STAFF HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE THING THAT HAS HELD THE CITY TOGETHER.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN HERE 10, 15, 20, 30, 35 YEARS, I KNOW A BRILL'S BEEN HERE, A BRILL.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE? FOUR.
WHERE'S A BRILL? I THINK, I THINK HOW MANY YEARS? 31 YEARS.
YOU HAVE CHIEF ESPINOZA WHO'S BEEN HERE ALMOST THREE DECADES.
UM, AND IT'S THE STAFF AND THE TEAM THAT KEEPS US TOGETHER, MAKES US LOOK GOOD, MAKES YOU LOOK GOOD, BUT KEEPS OUR RESIDENTS, UM, FEELING SAFE AND, AND CARED FOR.
AND, UH, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE, MY FRIENDS.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA MEET AT PERRY'S AFTER THIS.
I'M NOT BUYING THE FIRST ROUND OF BEERS, BUT WE'RE MEETING AT PERRY'S AFTER IF YOU ALL WANT TO GO
SO WE'LL SEE YOU LATER ON EVERYONE.
UM, IF COUNSEL WOULD LIKE TO JOIN ME DOWN FOR A PICTURE, BUT ALSO BEFORE THAT, IF WE COULD HAVE, UH, MEMBERS OF LEADERSHIP, UM, BARBARA, CRAIG, NICOLE, MEMO, LARRY AND RON, IF YOU GUYS WOULDN'T MIND ALSO TAKING A PICTURE.
I WE MISSED THAT, THAT MOMENT, UH, UH, A WHILE AGO.
SO IF YOU GUYS WOULDN'T MIND COMING UP AND TAKING A PHOTO AND COUNSEL, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JOINING ME DOWN THERE AS WELL.
[01:45:05]
OH, RIGHT THERE TOO.YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING.
CAN I HAVE THE TWO OF TOGETHER SATURDAY? YEAH.
HE'S, HE WAS SITTING AT THE BACK.
HE MIGHT HAVE, OR HE MIGHT BE IN THE LOBBY, BUT HE'S WEARING A PINK SHIRT.
AND HE WAS SITTING IN THE FAR BACK.
WELL, HE JUST NEXT, SHE, SHE ALREADY SAID OKAY, SHE CAN HELP YOU.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE MORE OF TWO.
UH, DID YOU MOVE TO CYNTHIA FROM THE U OH, NO, NO, SORRY.
FROM THE, UM, THE GROCER'S ORGANISM.
I, I'LL I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME CONTACT IDENTIFICATION FOR ANOTHER LADY, CYNTHIA.
HOW ARE YOU? I JUST GOT, WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND TAKE A PICTURE OF YOU, MIKE.
YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE GOTTA VOTE YET.
I STILL GOTTA GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND SHE'S GOTTA GET TO HER PARTY.
ALL RIGHT, COUNSEL, IF WE CAN COME BACK TO THE DAY.
[01:50:05]
CAN WE JUST YEAH, YOU GOT AN ARM FOR I KNOW THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THEM BOTH.AND THEN WE LEFT EARLY, LIKE RIGHT AFTER WE LEFT.
WE HAD STUFF AT MY HOUSE WITH MY MOTHER.
WE HAD PEOPLE OVER FOR CHRISTMAS.
[5. SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS FROM MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND COUNCILMEMBERS
]
COUNSEL, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? OKAY, I'M SORRY GUYS.
UM, SO I DID A LOT THIS PAST WEEK.
UM, BUT I WANTED SPECIFIC, IS NICOLE HERE? OKAY.
IS SHE HERE? SHE JUST RAN OUT OF THE ROOM.
SO I DID THE, THE TRAINING AT NATIONAL LEAGUES, THE CITY, UM, THINGS, EVERYTHING THAT I LEARNED THERE.
NICOLE AND RON TAUGHT ME BEFORE I WENT
SO WHENEVER, YOU KNOW, I HAD SMART ASS COMMENT.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PREPARING ME.
AND YOU KNOW, NOT THAT THAT TRAINING'S NOT NECESSARY, BUT YOU DID THE JOB.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THAT.
UM, AND THEN I DID ALL OF THE, UH, SATURDAY WAS SUCH AN, UM, A HUMBLING DAY.
I WENT TO PEPE'S, UM, WEST SIDE RECREATIONAL, UM, HOLIDAY PARTY, AS WELL AS THE CASH IN FOR LOVE HOLIDAY PARTY.
AND SEEING THIS COMMUNITY SHOW UP FOR THESE KIDS WAS JUST, I CAN STOP CRYING ALL DAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE THAT WAS INVOLVED IN ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA, ANYONE ELSE? YES, I DID.
UM, I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE BIG OLD, UH, NEW TRUCK THAT WE HAVE.
WHAT IS IT? THE BIG, UH, TRUCK.
OH, YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT WHERE'S CHIEF AT? I DID NOT KNOW.
YOU DROVE IT? NO, SHE WROTE IN IT.
UH, YEAH, I DROVE IT
I LOVE BEING WITH THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, FILLING THE BOOT AND, UH, DOING CHRISTMAS FOR, FOR OUR KIDS.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN.
UM, I'M GONNA MISS YOU GUYS, BUT, UH, DON'T WORRY, I'M A PHONE CALL AWAY.
A TEXT AWAY, AND I'LL BE TEXTING ALL OF YOU GUYS.
ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ANYTHING? NOPE.
[6. RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION]
THAT I'D LIKE TO RESEARCH RECESS.DO WE NEED A VOTE OR WE JUST, WE DID, YES, WE DO NEED A VOTE.
GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE AND COUNCIL MEMBER SOLORIO.
AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE LISTENING ONLINE, CITY COUNCIL WILL BE BACK AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[a. Termination Agreement and Mutual Release with Diversified Partners, LLC]
TERMINATION AGREEMENT.UM, I DON'T BELIEVE WE NEED A PRESENTATION, BUT CAN I GET A MOTION? SECOND? SORRY.
UH, WE GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER MALONE.
A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA, CAN YOU PLEASE VOTE? OKAY.
CAN I GET A MOTION FOR THAT? WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE IT.
WE ARE NOW OFFICIALLY ADJOURNED.