[a. Council Budget Discussion]
[00:02:28]
I GUESS WE, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
BUT THIS IS THE, UH, FIRST MEETING OF THE COUNCIL TO BEGIN TO TALK ABOUT THE FY 26 BUDGET.
NORMALLY WE HAVE THIS MEETING IN DECEMBER.
IT'S MEANT TO BE HIGH LEVEL PRIORITIES, DIRECTION.
WE HAVE JUST BEGUN COUNCIL, I'M SORRY, WE'VE JUST BEGUN, UH, DEPARTMENT BUDGET MEETINGS.
SO WE'VE JUST BEGUN ACTUALLY ALL THE LITTLE EASY ONES SO FAR.
UM, AND SO, UM, THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR US TO HEAR FROM YOU IF WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT PRIORITIES.
IF THERE'S BIG THINGS, THERE WILL BE LOTS OF TIMES TO EVALUATE THE ACTUAL BUDGET THAT'LL BE COMING SEVERAL MONTHS FROM NOW, UM, WHERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, SEE MORE LINE ITEMS, MORE, UH, SPECIFICS.
SO THIS IS MEANT TO BE 30,000 FOOT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, ANY DIRECTION NOW'S A GOOD TIME FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PLUG IT INTO, INTO THE BUDGET.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO ROB, UH, TO GET US STARTED.
ALRIGHT, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS ROBERT BEAR AND I'LL BE GIVING THE, UH, FINANCIAL UPDATE PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.
WE ALSO HAVE THE CIP UPDATE, UM, AND THE WE'LL COVER SOME BUDGET PRIORITIES.
SO STARTING OFF, WE'LL GO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW WE ENDED THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 24.
SO, UM, WE'LL FIRST TAKE A LOOK AT GENERAL FUND REVENUE.
SO OUR GENERAL FUND IS, UM, OUR, THE FUND THAT WE CENTER A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ON DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS BECAUSE ONE, IT IS WHERE A LOT OF OUR FRONTLINE SERVICES LIKE LEASE FIRE PARKS, UM, THAT'S WHERE THE FUNDING COMES FROM FOR THOSE, UM, AREAS IN THE CITY, UM, TOO, MOST OF THE EMPLOYEES HERE IN THE CITY ARE PAID OUT OF THAT FUND.
SO IT IS A SPECIAL FOCUS WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
FOR GENERAL FUND REVENUES, OUR LARGEST SOURCE OF REVENUES IN THE GENERAL FUND IS OUR SALES TAX.
UM, IN MARCH OF 24, AS WE WERE PREPARING THE 25 BUDGET, WE CAME FORWARD WITH AN ESTIMATE FOR EACH OF OUR MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES.
AND THEN WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT THE ACTUALS AND HOW WE ENDED THE YEAR.
SO WITH SALES TAX, WE ENDED $2.6 MILLION ABOVE WHAT WE WERE ANTICIPATING IN MARCH, WHICH IS A VERY POSITIVE VARIANCE.
UM, MOSTLY DUE TO STRONG CONSTRUCTION AND CONTRACTING ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, SOME OF THE OTHER ONES WE'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS CHARGES FOR SERVICE, WHICH IS ALSO RELATED TO A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING IN THE CITY.
SO WE SAW VERY STRONG RETURNS IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS FOR THOSE REVENUE SOURCES.
AND THEN FOR OUR PROPERTY SALES AND INTEREST, WE, UM, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EARN HIGHER INTEREST ON OUR INVESTMENTS ON OUR FUND BALANCE HERE IN THE CITY.
UM, SO ALL IN TOTAL FOR GENERAL FUND REVENUES COMPARED TO WHERE WE WERE ESTIMATING
[00:05:01]
IN MARCH, WE ENDED THE YEAR $11 MILLION ABOVE THAT FORECAST, WHICH IS, UH, GOOD TO ROLL INTO FISCAL YEAR 25 ON THE EXPENSE SIDE.UM, FOR THE GENERAL FUND, UM, WE HAD AN ESTIMATE, WHICH WAS BELOW BUDGET, BUT UM, WE ESTIMATED WHERE WE WERE ANTICIPATING END OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR ACTUALS, UM, FOR THE GENERAL FUND, UM, WE ENDED $2.1 MILLION HIGHER THAN WHAT OUR ESTIMATE WAS IN MARCH.
PART OF THAT WAS, UM, WE HAD SOME EXPENSES THAT WE WERE ANTICIPATING THAT WERE ORIGINALLY BUDGETED IN 24 THAT WE ANTICIPATED THOSE ACTUALLY HITTING IN FISCAL YEAR 25, BUT THOSE ACTUALLY DID HIT IN 24.
SO THAT INCREASES THE 24 AMOUNT, BUT DECREASES WHAT WE ANTICIPATE IN 25.
UM, A SECOND PART OF THAT IS WE HAD SOME SAVINGS, UM, IN PUBLIC SAFETY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, PAY DOWN SOME OF OUR UNFUNDED LIABILITY FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PENSIONS.
UM, OUR OTHER MAJOR OPERATING FUNDS HERE IN THE CITY INCLUDE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SALES TAX FUND, OUR AND OUR UTILITY FUNDS.
UM, THOSE, UM, WERE PRETTY CLOSE TO WHERE WE WERE ESTIMATING IN MARCH.
UM, PUBLIC SAFETY WAS A LITTLE BIT ABOVE DUE TO THAT SAME, UM, PAYING DOWN OF THE UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITIES.
UM, AND OUR UTILITIES WERE PRETTY CLOSE TO WHERE WE WERE ANTICIPATING IN MARCH.
SO WITH OUR GENERAL FUND BALANCE, UM, COMING INTO FISCAL YEAR 25, SO WE ENDED FISCAL YEAR 24, UM, OVER $120 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOVE, UM, THE ORANGE LINE, WHICH IS OUR STABILIZATION OR OUR MINIMUM RESERVE AMOUNT IN THE GENERAL FUND.
WE DO HAVE A DOTTED LINE ON HERE.
SO WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, THAT WERE INITIALLY BUDGETED IN 24.
THEY DID NOT, WERE NOT COMPLETED IN 24, THEY WILL PROBABLY COMPLETE IN 25.
SO THAT BUDGET WAS INITIALLY IN THE 24 BUDGET.
IT CARRIES OVER INTO THE 25 BUDGET, BUT SINCE THAT WAS ALREADY AUTHORIZED IN THE 24 BUDGET, IF WE INCLUDE THAT IN OUR ESTIMATE, THAT LOWERS OUR FUND BALANCE BY ABOUT $16 MILLION.
SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF AN IMPORTANT CAVEAT TO TAKE A LOOK AT AS WE LOOK AT THE BUDGET.
SO, GIVING AN UPDATE ON HOW WE'RE TRENDING THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, SO GOING INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 25, WHAT WE INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET, WE INCLUDED $511 MILLION IN FUNDED CIP.
WE APPROVED, UM, ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME POSITIONS, FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS OF 13.4.
UM, WE HAD FUNDED SUPPLEMENTAL, SO ADDITIONS TO THE BUDGET OF $13.3 MILLION.
WE FULLY IMPLEMENTED THE POLICE TAKE HOME VEHICLE PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE ALSO INCLUDED, UM, SERVICE INCREASES FOR WE WER FOR OUR REVENUES, UM, HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR.
RIGHT NOW, COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR ACTUALS WE'RE $8.7 MILLION ABOVE PRIOR YEAR ACTUALS.
AND COMPARED TO OUR BUDGET, WE'RE $3.6 MILLION ABOVE FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY SALES TAX FUND.
UM, WE ARE, UM, ABOUT $400,000 ABOVE, UM, OUR BUDGET AND ABOUT, UH, $100,000 ABOVE PRIOR YEAR ACTUALS AND OUR UTILITIES, WE ARE TRENDING, UM, FOR WATER ARE TRENDING ABOVE BUDGET.
WE'RE RIGHT ON TRACK FOR BUDGET FOR OUR REVENUES.
DIGGING A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE GENERAL FUND, SO YOU CAN SEE WITH SALES TAX, UM, RIGHT NOW WE ARE ABOUT 9% ABOVE THOSE PRIOR YEAR ACTUALS FOR SALES TAX.
AND WE'VE UPDATED OUR FORECAST.
WE'RE ABOUT 2% ABOVE THE UPDATED FORECAST FOR SALES TAX.
UM, WHAT I WILL ALSO HIGHLIGHT STATE SHARED REVENUE.
SO COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR ACTUALS, WE'RE DOWN ABOUT 9%.
THAT IS BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING THE EFFECTS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE'S FLAT TAX.
UM, WE'RE SEEING THAT IN THE PORTION OF THE STATE'S INCOME TAX THAT GETS SHARED WITH, UM, US AS A CITY.
COMPARED TO FORECAST, THOUGH, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH RIGHT ON TARGET JUST A LITTLE BIT BELOW THERE.
UM, OTHER SOURCES FOR THE GENERAL FUND INCLUDE CHARGES FOR SERVICE LICENSE, UH, LICENSE FEES AND FINES.
UM, WE'RE 36% ABOVE OUR FORECAST, 79% ABOVE PRIOR YEAR ACTUALS.
SO WE HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS THERE.
AND FOR PROPERTY SALES AND INTEREST, WE ARE 40% ABOVE PRIOR YEAR ACTUALS AND 15% ABOVE OUR FORECAST.
SO, UM, MOST OF OUR REVENUES IN THE GENERAL FUND ARE TRENDING VERY POSITIVELY.
DIGGING INTO SALES TAX, WHICH IS THE LARGEST SOURCE OF GENERAL FUND REVENUES.
UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY FOR ALL FUNDS 'CAUSE WE HAVE TWO SPECIALIZED SALES TAXES HERE IN THE CITY, NOT JUST FOR GENERAL FUND, BUT ALSO FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND FOR STREETS, WATER SEWER IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, WE HAVE VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF SALES TAX.
UM, RETAIL IS THE LARGEST COMPONENT OF THAT COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR ACTUALS.
WE'RE ABOUT 3% ABOVE PRIOR YEAR ACTUALS, UM, COMPARED TO OUR FORECAST, WE ARE TRENDING RIGHT ALONG WITH THAT FORECAST.
UM, THE ONE THAT, UM, IS THE HARDEST TO FORECAST IS OUR CONTRACTING, UM, CONSTRUCTION SALES TAX.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE ARE 43% ABOVE PRIOR YEAR ACTUALS, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS AND 17% ABOVE OUR FORECAST.
SO THAT ONE'S THE HARDEST ONE TO FORECAST BECAUSE IT'S REALLY DEPENDENT ON DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY HERE IN THE CITY, WHICH CAN BE HIGHLY
[00:10:01]
CYCLICAL.ROB, UH, MR. MAYOR, IF I CAN INTERRUPT FOR JUST A SECOND, UM, HE'S GOING, UH, AT A GOOD PACE.
UH, IF YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS, DON'T HESITATE TO STOP WHILE WE'RE ON THAT SLIDE.
BUT I ALSO, IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO THE LAST SLIDE, ROB.
I JUST WANNA CLARIFY A COUPLE THINGS.
UH, THE, HE SAID THIS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO HIT HOME.
THE, THE CONTRACTING IS THE REASON OUR SALES TAX REVENUE IS UP.
THAT IS NOT REOCCURRING REVENUE.
MOST OF THAT, AND, AND I CAN LET ROB OR UH, KEITH TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER, BUT MOST OF THAT GOES INTO ONE TIME SPENDING.
WE DO NOT EXPECT FOR THAT NUMBER TO STAY AT THAT LEVEL FOREVER.
E EVENTUALLY, UH, VERDE TRAILS IS STARTING TO, UH, RUN NEAR COMPLETION.
OTHER ONES ARE STARTING, BUT AT SOME POINT, SO WE DON'T STAFF, WE DON'T CREATE PROGRAMS BASED ON REVENUE THAT ISN'T EXPECTED TO BE THERE FOR THE LONG HAUL.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT'S GONNA STOP.
UM, AND WE HAVE LOTS OF GROWTH STILL AVAILABLE TO US, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHY WE'RE NOT DOING MORE OR WE'RE NOT ADDING MORE STAFF OR MORE PROGRAMS, WE DON'T BUDGET, THAT GOES INTO CIP PROJECTS, WHICH YOU'LL SEE WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST, UH, PROGRAM.
THE OTHER THING FOR ME THAT IS A TAIL IS THAT OUR GENERAL SALES, OUR RETAIL IS FLAT, AUTO FLAT DOWN A HAIR.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO SPENDING HABITS OF THE, OF OUR RESIDENTS OR PEOPLE SHOPPING IN AVONDALE, IT'S FLAT.
SO WE'RE NOT SEEING A SIGNIFICANT GROWTH.
IS THIS FAIR, ROB, IN OUR ONGOING REVENUE? UM, I JUST WANNA KIND OF CLARIFY THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BIG NUMBERS AND, AND HOW WE'RE SPENDING OUR MONEY, WE ARE VERY CONSERVATIVE IN OUR BUDGETING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T OVERSPEND WHAT WE CAN'T KEEP GOING.
THE RENTAL LINE THAT'S THERE, IS THAT APARTMENTS, IS THAT GONNA GO DOWN AND WHEN, WHEN WE DON'T GET THE STUFF FROM THE STATE, HOW DOES THAT NUMBER REFLECT WITH WHAT, WHAT THE STATE IS NOT GONNA GIVE US? UM, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL.
SO THE MAJORITY OF THE RENTALS IS RESIDENTIAL RENTAL.
SO THAT SALES TAX GOES AWAY IN JANUARY, UM, THIS MONTH.
SO, UM, WE WILL, UM, SEE THAT DEFINITELY DECREASE OVER THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR.
SO THAT'S AT, UH, 4 MILLION, UM, ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE.
ARE WE GONNA LOSE ALL OF THAT? YES, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR.
WE WILL STILL HAVE SOME COMMERCIAL RENTAL THAT WILL STAY THERE.
SO THE NUMBER WON'T GO TO ZERO, BUT, UH, I THINK IT'S CLOSER TO FIVE TO 6 MILLION, ESPECIALLY IF YOU TAKE INTO THE GROWTH THAT COUNCIL APPROVED OVER THE LAST FIVE, SIX YEARS ON ALL THOSE APARTMENTS.
THEY WILL NO LONGER BE RECEIVING RENTAL TAX ON THE LONG-TERM IMPACT.
REALLY QUICKLY, RON, UH, JUST EVEN BASED ON DISCUSSION OF, UH, FUTURE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE ALL AWARE OF WITH SOME OF THE DATA CENTERS AND SUCH, UH, BASED ON OUR COMMUNICATION, IT WAS IMPORTANT, I GUESS, REITERATED THE FACT THAT WE DON'T, UH, WE DON'T COUNT ON THAT UNTIL IT COMES TO FRUITION.
AND SO FOR THAT POINT, AS I WOULD'VE, UH, ANTICIPATED THE OFFSET THAT WE SHOULD NOT DO THAT UNTIL IT COMES TO FRUITION.
UM, WE, I, WE DON'T BUDGET HOPE.
UM, AND I CONSIDER IT VERY HOPEFUL, UM, THAT THOSE WILL COME TO FRUITION.
UM, I CONFIRMED WITH KIM TODAY, THE ONE THAT I THOUGHT WAS LAGGING, UM, THAT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY STARTED, STARTED, UH, GROUNDBREAKING TODAY.
THE, UM, THE ONE ON AVONDALE BOULEVARD, KIM, I DON'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT.
PRIME, PRIME IS STARTED MOVING TODAY.
SO THEY'RE UPDATED OUR CONSTRUCTION INSPECTORS SO THAT, BUT, UH, YEAH.
AND THE ONES MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL ON, UM, LO BUCKEYE ROAD ARE, THEY'RE POURING PAVEMENT, THEY'RE ARE PAVEMENT, UH, CEMENT AND, AND, UH, FOUNDATIONS AND FOOTINGS AND ALL SORTS OF STUFF.
SO THEY'RE MOVING VERY FAST, UH, DOWN THERE.
I, AND I JUST, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO MAKE SURE THAT I COMMENT ON THAT FOR THE FACT THAT WHILE WE'RE OUT THERE AND, YOU KNOW, THE DISCUSSION CENTER AROUND WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE LOSING, WHICH IS ABOUT FIVE, MAYBE 6 MILLION, UH, FOR THE TPT TAX REGARDING TO RENTALS, IS THAT I KNOW THAT IN THE PAST I'VE SAID THAT THE FIX WILL BE, IT'LL BE OFFSET LATER.
BUT BASED UPON OUR CONVERSATION, I THOUGHT THAT WAS HELPFUL THAT YOU, THAT YOU REFERENCED IT THAT WAY.
SO, UM, WE ALSO HAVE SOME GRAPHS THAT SPEAK TO THE GROWTH THAT WE'VE HAD IN SALES TAX.
SO IN 20 FISCAL YEARS, 20, 21, 22, WE SAW SALES TAX GROW SIGNIFICANTLY, PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF ALL THE, THE FEDERAL STIMULUS THAT WAS, UH, GOING AROUND.
[00:15:01]
UM, PEOPLE SPENDING HABITS CHANGED QUITE A BIT WITH THE PANDEMIC.SO WE REALLY DID SEE THAT, UM, THAT REALLY SIGNIFICANT GROWTH THOSE YEARS.
WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THAT FLATTEN OUT, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH WHEN IT COMES TO RETAIL SACKS, LIKE, UH, RON WAS MENTIONING, UM, RETAIL SACKS IS OUR LARGEST CATEGORY OF SALES TAX.
IT'S THE ONE THAT WE PAY THE MOST ATTENTION TO BECAUSE IT SPEAKS TO THE LARGER HEALTH OF THE ECONOMY.
WE ARE STILL SEEING GROWTH THERE.
IT'S MINIMAL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT 3% OVER LAST YEAR, UM, COMPARED TO FISCAL YEAR 20, 21, 22, WHERE WE DID SEE THAT SIGNIFICANT GROWTH.
UM, I ALSO HAVE A SLIDE HERE SPEAKING TO STATE SHARED REVENUE.
AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE, THIS YEAR, THE, THE BLUE LINE IS ACTUALLY BELOW THE PURPLE LINE.
SO FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, WE'RE ACTUALLY BELOW LAST YEAR DUE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT, UM, STATE FLAT TAX.
ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT THING THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT AND AN INDICATOR THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT AS WE'RE DOING OUR REVENUE FORECASTING IS SINGLE FAMILY PERMITS FOR SINGLE FAMILY PERMITS.
WE'RE TRACKING ALONG WITH THE BUDGET, OBVIOUSLY SOME MONTHS WE'RE ABOVE BUDGET, SOME MONTHS WE'RE BELOW BUDGETS, A MONTHS WERE BELOW BUDGET COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, UM, WE'RE GENERALLY LOWER, BUT THAT HAS BEEN MADE UP BY SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY ON THE COMMERCIAL MULTIFAMILY SIDE.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS OUR DEVELOPMENT REVENUES GO, OVERALL, UM, THEY'VE BEEN EXCEEDING, BUT IT'S BEEN DRIVEN MORE ON THE COMMERCIAL MULTIFAMILY SIDE.
UM, AS FAR AS OUR OPERATING EXPENSES FOR OUR MAJOR OPERATING FUNDS, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, UM, SO FOR THE GENERAL FUND, UM, WE ARE ABOUT $3.5 MILLION BELOW BUDGET.
YOU'LL NOTICE THOSE LINES ARE THOSE, UH, WHEN WE'RE BELOW BUDGET FOR THIS ONE, THEY'RE GREEN, NOT RED, BECAUSE THAT IS A GOOD SIGN.
UM, SO FOR GENERAL FUND, WE'RE $3.5 MILLION BELOW, UM, OUR BUDGET YEAR TO DATE, UM, FOR OUR OTHER FUNDS, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ALSO HAVE SOME SAVINGS THERE THAT WE'VE REALIZED, UM, THROUGH THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
SO I JUST SHOWED THROW A LOT NUMBERS ABOUT FISCAL YEAR 24, 25.
SO THAT IS ALL GOING INTO WHAT OUR FORECAST IS, WHICH REALLY, UM, HOW WE DRIVE DECISIONS DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS HERE IN AVONDALE.
SO WE HAVE SOME ASSUMPTIONS GOING INTO OUR FORECAST.
SO WE ARE ASSUMING THAT, UM, EMPLOYEES HERE IN THE CITY WILL RECEIVE A COLA AND MERIT OR PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, POSITIONS ARE GOING TO, UM, RECEIVE STEP INCREASES.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE A MARKET STUDY TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMPETITIVE WITH OUR HIGHLY COMPETITIVE POSITIONS HERE IN THE CITY, AND WE CAN MATCH WHAT THE MARKET IS FOR THOSE POSITIONS.
WE DO HAVE, UM, INCREASES IN HEALTHCARE COSTS.
WE KNOW THAT HEALTHCARE IS A ONE OF THOSE COSTS THAT ALWAYS INCREASES EVERY YEAR, AND WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE BUDGET FOR THAT.
WE HAVE THE CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR POLICE TAKE HOME VEHICLE PROGRAM.
WE HAVE, UM, FACTORED IN THE LOSS OF THE RESIDENTIAL RENTAL SALES TAX.
WE DO HAVE OUR CONTRACTING SALES TAX, WHICH AS RON HIGHLIGHTED, IS MORE TOWARDS THE ONETIME SIDE OF US THINGS, THE ONETIME REVENUE WE HAVE THAT ASSUME, UH, GOING DOWN TO MORE OF A BASE LEVEL.
WE HAVE SEEN VERY SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS HERE IN THE CITY.
BUT, UM, AS RON SAYS, WE DON'T WANNA CONTINUE TO BUDGET HOPE, AND WE ARE NOT INCLUDING A, UH, RECESSION IN OUR FORECAST.
SO HERE IN THE CITY, WE ARE TRYING TO MAINTAIN A STRUCTURAL BALANCE.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT OUR ONGOING REVENUES, UM, THE REVENUES THAT WE CAN DEPEND ON YEAR TO YEAR, WHETHER THE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING ECONOMIC GROWTH FLAT OR IF WE'RE SEEING THAT EXPLOSIVE GROWTH, UM, WE WANNA HAVE REVENUES THAT WE CAN DEPEND ON, ON GOOD YEARS AND BAD YEARS.
UM, THAT, THAT IS THE BLUE LINE ON THIS CHART.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT IS ABOVE THE ORANGE LINE, WHICH IS ONGOING EXPENSES.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE'RE STRUCTURALLY BALANCED.
WHAT WE'RE FORECASTING IS, UM, WE ARE MAINTAINING A STRUCTURAL BALANCE THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST.
UM, IN 26 AND 27, THAT NUMBER IS ABOUT $2.5 MILLION, UM, WHERE THE ONGOING REVENUES ARE EXCEEDING THE ONGOING EXPENSES.
YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE THAT THAT NUMBER DOES DIP FROM FISCAL YEAR 24, UM, TO FISCAL YEAR 25.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE, ONE, THE LOSS OF THE RESIDENTIAL RENTAL SALES TAX.
AND TWO, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE, UH, FLAT INCOME TAX.
UM, WE ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT ONETIME, UM, REVENUES AND EXPENSES.
SO ONETIME EXPENSES WOULD BE THINGS LIKE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, OUR CONTINUED REINVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE HERE IN THE CITY, UM, THAT EXCEEDS OUR ONE-TIME REVENUES, WHICH ARE OUR ONE-TIME REVENUES ARE USUALLY TIED TO DEVELOPMENT.
OUR CONTRACTING, CONSTRUCTION, SALES TAX, AND THOSE DEVELOPMENT RELATED REVENUES, UM, FOR PERMITTING AND PLANNING.
UM, SO, UM, WITH THAT, WE DO HAVE A CONSERVATIVE ASSUMPTION WITH THOSE ONE-TIME REVENUES.
UM, AND WE HAVE THE ONE-TIME EXPENSES EXCEEDING THAT.
UM, WE DO HAVE WHAT WE CALL THE DORITO CHIP, THAT BIG SPIKE IN FISCAL YEAR 25 FOR ONE-TIME EXPENSES.
AND WHAT THAT IS, IS, UM, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN DESIGN, YOU KNOW, IN CONSTRUCTION, BUT THE NATURE OF CONSTRUCTION IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU BUDGET ONE YEAR AND SOMETIMES THOSE PROJECTS
[00:20:01]
SLIDE.SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT ARE BUDGETED IN FISCAL YEAR 25, UM, THAT ARE NEARING COMPLETION, LIKE THE DETENTION CENTER THAT RECENTLY COMPLETED AND FIRE STATION 1 71, WHICH IS ANTICIPATED TO COMPLETE IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
JUST TRYING TO REMEMBER THAT ONE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, SO IN TERMS OF OUR GENERAL FUND FORECAST, SO WE ARE IN A GREAT POSITION GOING INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, SO WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT WE MAINTAIN ABOVE WHAT WE CALL OUR MINIMUM RESERVES, OUR STABILIZATION AMOUNTS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST.
UM, BY FISCAL YEAR 2030, THAT NUMBER IS $30 MILLION.
UM, ONE CAVEAT WITH THAT $30 MILLION IS THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE $30 MILLION AVAILABLE EVERY YEAR.
IT MEANS WE HAVE $30 MILLION AT THE END OF THE FORECAST.
SO IF WE ADD $1 MILLION OF ONGOING, UM, EXPENSES IN FISCAL YEAR 26, THAT REDUCES THAT FISCAL YEAR 2030 NUMBER BY $5 MILLION.
IF WE ADD, YOU KNOW, A $1 MILLION PROJECT IN FISCAL YEAR 26, THAT REDUCES THAT FISCAL YEAR 2030 NUMBER BY $1 MILLION.
MR. MAYOR, IF I CAN ADD, UH, ROB, UM, THIS ALSO DOESN'T INCLUDE THE SUPPLEMENTALS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED FOR OR ANY, UH, EITHER ONGOING OR ONE TIME.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT WILL, UM, COME DOWN HOPEFULLY AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, BUT THIS IS VERY GOOD NEWS.
THE SLIDE WE SAW SIX MONTHS AGO, OR HOW LONG AGO WAS, IT WAS MUCH LOWER THAN THAT.
SO WE ARE ABSOLUTELY MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO GOING INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET CYCLE.
SO OUR BUDGETING PHILOSOPHY HERE IS WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THAT STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET WHERE OUR ONGOING REVENUES EXCEED ONGOING EXPENSES.
'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE POSITIONS HERE IN THE CITY THAT IF ECONOMIC TIMES GET ROUGH, UM, WE SEE A SLOW DOWN IN DEVELOPMENT HERE IN THE CITY THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN, UM, THE ONGOING SERVICES THAT OUR CITIZENS DEPEND ON.
SO WE WANNA MAINTAIN THAT STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET.
WE TARGET HAVING 10% ABOVE THAT STABILIZATION AMOUNT IN THE NEXT YEAR.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE TRY TO SPREAD OUT CIP PROJECTS, UM, OTHER ONE-TIME EXPENSES OVER THAT FIVE-YEAR FORECAST AND NOT JUST PUT EVERYTHING INTO THE NEXT, UM, BUDGET YEAR.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS BASED OFF OF THAT FIVE-YEAR FORECAST.
UM, WE DON'T WANNA SAY, OH, WE HAVE ALL THESE EXTRA RESERVES, FUND A BUNCH OF STUFF, AND THEN AT THE END OF THE FIVE YEARS WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING TO MAKE SOME VERY TOUGH DECISIONS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING THAT LONG RANGE FOCUS IN MIND AS WE MAKE DECISIONS DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS.
UM, TO REITERATE, WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SPREAD OUT THE CAPITAL PROJECTS OVER THAT FIVE YEAR HORIZON AND NOT JUST BUDGETING EVERYTHING IN FISCAL YEAR 26, UM, AND ALSO CONSIDER ANY OPERATING EXPENSES THAT WE MAY NEED TO ADD IN FACTORING THOSE INTO OUR FORECAST LONG TERM OVER THE FIVE YEAR PLANNING PERIOD.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A SLIDE FOR COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS, UM, WHICH ANDY CAN SPEAK TO.
SO, UM, TALKING ABOUT COMPENSATION AS, AS ROB MENTIONED, UH, WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF COMPLETING A MARKET STUDY TO ENSURE THAT OUR POSITIONS ARE APPROPRIATELY ALIGNED WITH OUR CURRENT MARKET THAT WE'RE, UH, CONTINUING TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE.
UM, THE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION HAS SHOWN THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR POSITIONS ARE, ARE CURRENTLY WITHIN MARKET.
WE'RE TARGETING ABOUT 20% OF OUR CURRENT JOBS THAT WE'RE EVALUATING A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY TO ENSURE THAT IF THERE'S, IF THERE'S ANY ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE, THAT WE'RE PLANNING ACCORDINGLY FOR FY 26.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT COLA AND MERIT KIND OF DETERMINING WHAT THAT COMBINATION IS GONNA LOOK, LOOK AT OR LOOK LIKE FOR, UH, FY 26.
UM, CURRENTLY WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A, A THREE TO 5% AMOUNT, BUT NOT SURE REALLY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FROM, YOU KNOW, WHAT ASPECT OF THAT WOULD BE COLA VERSUS MERIT.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING, UM, AND THIS COMES FROM OUR BENEFITS COMMITTEE, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, SOME STRATEGIES THAT OTHER AGENCIES HAVE UTILIZED IS IF AN EMPLOYEE IS TOPPED OUT IN THEIR PARTICULAR MARKET RANGE, AND MAYBE THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL MERIT, UM, THE CONSIDERATION OF GIVING A ONE-TIME LUMP SUM OF WHAT THAT, UH, PERCENTAGE INCREASE WOULD BE FOR THEM.
SO WHILE IT WOULDN'T BE AN ONGOING EXPENSE FOR THE CITY, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO REWARD THAT EMPLOYEE FOR A GOOD PERFORMANCE OVER THAT YEAR AND A ONE-TIME LUMP SUM AMOUNT AT THE, AT THE TIME THAT WE DO, UM, IMPLEMENT ANY INCREASES AS FAR AS BENEFITS GO, AS, AS ROB MENTIONED, AGAIN, UM, THE INCREASED COST OF HEALTHCARE, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT WE CURRENTLY, UH, HAVE TO STRATEGIZE ON AS, AS WE LOOK AT HEALTHCARE COSTS GOING UP.
UM, YOU, YOU MAY RECALL LAST YEAR WE IMPLEMENTED A, UM, A FOUR TIER EMPLOYEE
[00:25:01]
BENEFITS PLAN, ESSENTIALLY GOING FROM AN EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYEE AND FAMILY, UM, TIER TO EMPLOYEE, EMPLOYEE SPOUSE, EMPLOYEE FAMILY, UM, AND EMPLOYEE AND CHILDREN TO GIVE EMPLOYEES MORE OPTIONS AND ENSURING THAT THERE WASN'T, UM, THE BRUNT OF, OF HEALTHCARE COSTS WASN'T FALLING ON ONE PARTICULAR GROUP.SO WE'VE, WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THAT FOUR TIER, UH, APPROACH THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR, AND WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT, UM, KINDA SMOOTHING OUT THAT COST TO ENSURE THAT, THAT THOSE LEVEL OUT.
UM, WE DID HAVE A PLAN TO HAVE THAT, UM, LEVEL OUT.
I CAN'T BELIEVE, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS OVER THE, THE THREE YEARS, THREE YEARS.
UM, SO THIS IS KIND OF YEAR TWO INTO THAT, INTO THAT ASPECT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, WE, WE CON CONTINUOUSLY LOOK TO SEEK INFORMATION FROM OUR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS COMMITTEE.
UH, SO AGAIN, THESE ARE EMPLOYEES THAT REPRESENT THEIR RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENTS.
THEY BRING BACK FEEDBACK TO OUR GROUP SO THAT WE CAN EVALUATE IT AND ANALYZE THAT.
UM, SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE, AT LEAST PRELIMINARILY RECEIVED ARE THINGS LIKE, UH, A NEW VISION PLAN VENDOR.
SO LOOKING AT ONE THAT, THAT MORE CLOSELY MEETS OUR CURRENT NEEDS OF OUR EMPLOYEE BASE.
UM, LOOKING AT, UH, DEFERRED COMP CONTRIBUTIONS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY GROUPS, UM, IS TO PROVIDE, IF THEY CONTRIBUTE, I THINK IT'S $50, UH, PER PAY PERIOD INTO THE DEFERRED COMP ACCOUNT, THE CITY WILL MATCH THAT AND, AND PROVIDE THAT SAME BENEFIT.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE COST OF, UH, PROVIDING THAT BENEFIT TO ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE CITY AND, AND JUST ENSURING THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, UM, WE CAN SUSTAIN FOR THE LONG TERM.
BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THOSE, UM, BENEFITS COMMITTEES.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, IF, IF YOU RECALL LAST YEAR, WE HAD A, A POLICY SPECIFIC TO PUBLIC SAFETY FOR, UH, OUR POLICE OFFICERS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE OR SELL BACK, UM, SICK LEAVE AT THE END OF OUR FISCAL YEAR.
AND SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT, AT STRATEGIES LIKE THAT FOR OUR EMPLOYEE BASE, UM, TO SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING, AGAIN, JUST LOOKING IN THAT, UH, RETENTION ASPECT, THE, THE RECRUITMENT RETENTION, UM, PRIORITIES FOR US AS A CITY.
SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, MR. CORBIN, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ADDITIONAL THAT YOU'D LIKE ME TO COVER? NO, NO.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, IF I MAY, UH, THANK YOU ANDY.
AND, AND ROB, UM, JUST FOR COUNSEL, KNOW THAT IN THE BASE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE, UH, STARTED WITH THAT INCLUDES, UH, UH, 5%, UH, MERIT COLA MIX, UH, FOR EMPLOYEES.
UH, WE INCLUDED, IS IT 11% INCREASE IN HEALTHCARE COSTS? UH, WE'VE INCLUDED IN THAT AND WE ALL HAVE ALREADY SET ASIDE MONEY TO IMPLEMENT THE, UH, MARKET STUDY.
UH, WE DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBERS YET, SO IT MAY BE MORE OR LESS, AND WE'LL ADJUST THAT AS WE GO, BUT KNOW THAT THAT'S ALREADY BUILT INTO OUR STARTING POINT AS WE BEGIN TO WORK THROUGH, UH, THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE'VE STARTED WITH THOSE, UH, COSTS.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? VERY GOOD.
AND SORRY, I JUST GOT A CURIOSITY ONE HERE.
THE SELL BACK, YOU SAID THAT'S ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
IS THAT ON THE CALENDAR YEAR? IS IT THE EMPLOYMENT YEAR OR IS IT THE FISCAL YEAR WHEN SOMEONE CAN SELL THAT BACK TO? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, THE CURRENTLY FOR THE, THE OPTION ON THE SICK LEAVE SIDE, IT, IT'S ON THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR BASIS.
SO, UM, IN ORDER RIGHT NOW WE HAVE OUR VACATION SELL BACK, THAT HAPPENS IN DECEMBER, SO RIGHT BEFORE THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
THIS, UH, CURRENTLY FOR OUR, OUR, OUR POLICE, UH, OUR SWORN OFFICERS IS, AND AGAIN, THIS IS OUR FIRST YEAR DOING IT, BUT IT WOULD BE IN, UH, IN JUNE TIMEFRAME, AND I THINK IT'S UP TO 40 HOURS, BUT JUST SO THERE'S NO CONFUSION ABOUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
BUT IF THERE'S TWO SET POINTS, THAT'S, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR ALSO ALLOWS US TO BUDGET, SO THEY HAVE TO PUT IN THEIR REQUEST EARLY.
UM, AND SO WE PAY IT OUT AFTER JULY 1ST SO THAT WE CAN BUDGET IT.
SO, UM, IT GOES INTO ONE TIME COST AS AS WE CAN FUND IT AND BUDGETED.
UM, BUT IT WAS OUR PLAN TO, UH, EVALUATE IT OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO TO SEE IF IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN ROLL OUT TO OTHER EMPLOYEES.
IT'S USUALLY MEANT FOR LONG-TERM EMPLOYEES, UM, WHO'VE BEEN HERE A WHILE AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD UP THEIR SICK LEAVE.
THANK YOU, YOUR HONOR, AND THANK YOU, ANDY.
SO LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE FOR THE BUDGET PROCESS THIS YEAR, SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS OUR UPDATE ON THE BUDGET HERE IN JANUARY IN FEBRUARY.
UM, IN THE SECOND MEETING, WE'RE LOOKING TO COME BACK WITH, UM, SOME INFORMATION ABOUT UTILITY RATES.
WE ANTICIPATE THERE BEING SOME SIGNIFICANT DISCUSSION THERE AS THERE IS SOME VERY LARGE CAPITAL PROJECTS GOING ON IN UTILITY, YOU KNOW, THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT, PLANT EXPANSION, POTENTIALLY SOME LARGE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AS WELL.
IN MARCH, WE ARE LOOKING TO HAVE WORK SESSIONS ON THE BUDGET AND WORKING TOWARDS, UH, THE CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED BUDGET IN APRIL.
UM, AND THEN MAY AND JUNE WOULD BE TENDER BUDGET ADOPTION AND FINAL BUDGET ADOPTION.
ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE I HAND IT OFF TO RICK? ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL?
[00:30:04]
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, OR AT LEAST, UM, MAKE THE COMMENT, UH, REGARDING THE PH THE BUDGET PHILOSOPHY THAT, UM, IT'S REALLY, IT'S KIND OF A, USUALLY WHEN YOU SAY A BROKEN RECORD, THAT'S A NEGATIVE THING, BUT IT'S REALLY GOOD TO KNOW THAT, UM, WE'VE BEEN SO CONSISTENT, AT LEAST SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL AND COUNCIL PRIOR TO THAT, UH, OF BEING, YOU KNOW, SO PRUDENT WITH, UH, THE RESIDENTS, UH, MONEY AND THE WAY THAT WE ALLOCATE AND SPEND IT.UM, BUT ALSO ONE OF THE THINGS TOO IS IN REGARDS TO PROJECTS AS WE PLAN 'EM OUT LONG TERM, AND AGAIN, THIS GOES BACK TO MY DISCUSSION, UH, WITH, UH, CITY MANAGER CORBIN IS COSTS ONLY GO UP IN MOST CASES.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES, UH, AT A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, UM, WE ALSO MUST THINK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS AS THEY BECOME ON A RADAR AND AT PART OF THEIR PRIORITIES.
BECAUSE AS THEY SAY, YOU HAVE TO STRIKE WHEN THE IRON'S HOT.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE COST SAVINGS WHEN WE CAN GET 'EM.
SO, UH, WHILE I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT, UH, THAT LONG-TERM STRATEGY, IT'S ALSO, I THINK, VITAL THAT WE ALSO LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE SHORT-TERM WIN WINS AS A PART OF THAT BUDGET PROCESS AS WELL.
UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, UH, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M THE ENGINEERING CIP DIVISION MANAGER, AND I WILL UPDATE YOU HERE ON OUR FISCAL YEAR 24 25 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
OKAY, SO PROJECTS THAT WE'VE COMPLETED SINCE JULY ONE INCLUDE THE MOUNTAIN VIEW EXPANSION, UM, PARK EXPANSION, UH, ABOUT 1.1 MILLION, UH, DOLLAR PROJECT.
UH, WE COMPLETED THE DETENTION CENTER AND PD SUBSTATION, UH, 21.3 MILLION THERE.
UH, WE HAVE RESURFACED, UH, AVONDALE BOULEVARD FROM I 10 TO BROADWAY.
THAT WAS A $2 MILLION PROJECT THERE.
WE COMPLETED THE MONUMENT SIGN WITH THE GEOGRAPHY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHICH YOU SEE IN THE PHOTO THERE.
UH, AND WE'VE COMPLETED THE WASTEWATER ODOR CONTROL PROGRAM FOR 8.5 MILLION, SO ABOUT A TOTAL OF 33, UH, $0.1 MILLION IN PROJECTS.
SO, AND BEEN ABLE TO FIND SOME SAVINGS IN THOSE PROJECTS A LITTLE BIT, UH, WITH SOME DIFFERENT, UH, PAVEMENT PRESERVATION OPTIONS.
AND, UH, UH, WE CAME IN EARLY ON THE DETENTION CENTER, SO WE WERE PLOW PROUD TO GET THAT COMPLETED.
MR. MAYOR, IF I CAN INTERRUPT, UH, MR. MAYOR AND COUNSEL, UM, SINCE HE'S STANDING THERE, I, I'D LIKE TO ONCE AGAIN, UH, PUBLICLY SAY THANK YOU TO RICK FOR THE GATEWAY PROGRAM.
UM, WE'LL DO A LOT OF BIG THINGS OVER MY CAREER HERE, I HOPE.
UM, WE GOT TO OPEN THE AQUATICS CENTER, BUT, UM, THINGS LIKE THIS THAT INVOLVE OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND CREATE A LONG LASTING LEGACY FOR OUR RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN THE AREA EVERY TIME THEY DRIVE THROUGH, OR THEIR KIDS OR GRANDKIDS YEARS FROM NOW, UH, GOD WILLING, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO POINT TO THEIR IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY.
SO IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
AND, UH, RICK WAS GIVEN JUST A LITTLE BIT OF DIRECTION, HIM AND HIS AND KIM AND THE TEAM, AND, AND, UH, TURNED IT INTO A PROGRAM THAT I DIDN'T IMAGINE TEACHING KIDS HOW TO TAKE ART AND CREATE A, UH, MONUMENT SIGN THROUGH DESIGN, THROUGH PERMITTING, THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS.
SO, AGAIN, UM, JUST A BIG THANK YOU TO THAT.
ALSO, MANAGING THESE PROGRAMS. I HAVE TWO GOALS WITH EVERY PROGRAM ON TIME UNDER BUDGET, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO, UH, DO THAT WITH THE DETENTION AND PD SUBSTATION.
AND SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE, UH, OF THE WORK THAT THEIR TEAM TEAM DOES.
AND, UH, SHOUT OUT TO KIRK'S TEAM.
WE SAVED MONEY, BUT GUS HAS DONE A FABULOUS JOB, UH, MAKING SURE WE GET THE MOST FOR OUR MONEY.
AND THEN I PROBABLY INTERRUPTED FOR THIS REASON THE MOST, I WANNA THANK KIRK AND THE, AND THE COUNCIL FOR APPROVING THE WASTE WATER ODOR CONTROL, BECAUSE I LIVE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD,
SO A LITTLE SELF-SERVING ON THAT ONE.
SO I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO KIRK AND, AND COUNCIL FOR THAT ONE.
MOVING ON TO OUR UNDER CONSTRUCTION PROJECT LIST.
SO WE HAVE A NEW CIVIC CENTER PARK, UH, FOR ABOUT FOUR, 4.1 MILLION HERE ON THE CAMPUS HERE, UH, BETWEEN THE LIBRARY AND THE NEW AQUATIC CENTER.
UH, EXCITED TO GET THAT OPEN FOR THE PROGRAMS TO SPILL OUT FROM THE AQUATIC CENTER.
UM, WE ARE, UM, NEARING COMPLETION ON THE DEACON CITY PARK REMODEL FOR ABOUT 2.8 MILLION.
UH, WE ARE, UH, UP TO EARTHWORK AND FOUNDATIONS, UH, FOR FIRE STATION 1 7 1 REPLACEMENT.
UH, AND TO ANSWER ROB'S QUESTION ON COMPLETION THERE, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UM, OPENING THE NEW STATION NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, UH, AND THEN FINISHING THE DEMO AND THE SITE OF THE
[00:35:01]
OLD STATION BY FEBRUARY OF 26.UH, WE ARE ALSO WORKING, UH, THROUGH OUR OLD TOWN PHASES.
UH, THIS IS THE CASH IN AREA, UH, WORKING THROUGH THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, WE'RE CLOSE TO FINISHING THE WATER LINE.
AND THEN, UH, WE WILL, WE'LL START ON THE ROADS, BE COMPLETED HOPEFULLY BY AUGUST.
THAT'S A ALMOST A $14 MILLION PROJECT.
UH, WE ARE WORKING ON HAWK SIGNALS, UH, UH, 1.4 MILLION CURRENTLY.
WE HAVE JUST STARTED THE ONE AT THE NORTH SIDE OF, UH, UH, ALAMAR PARK.
UH, AND THEN WE ARE, UH, IF YOU HAVE DRIVEN THROUGH THE INTERSECTION OF EL MIRAGE AND LOWER BUCKEYE, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT SIGNAL.
WE HAVE THE POLES UP, SO WE'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO GET THAT ONE DONE.
SO, ALL TOLD ABOUT $40.2 MILLION UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.
RICK, I PROMISE I WON'T DO THIS EVERY TIME, MR. MAYOR, IF I CAN, IT LOOKS LIKE A COUNCIL MEMBER DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HAWK WAS.
RICK, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE HAWK IS? OKAY.
ACTUALLY, I AM STILL LEARNING THE ACRONYM MYSELF, BUT IT'S, IT'S, UH, THE SIGNAL THAT A PEDESTRIAN CAN COME UP TO AT, UH, UM, A CROSSING, A STREET CROSSING MAY BE MID-BLOCK, NOT NECESSARILY AT THE, UM, INTERSECTION.
AND, UH, ACTIVATE THE SIGNAL AND FOR THE DRIVER, IT WILL FLASH RED AND, AND THEN GO TO RED.
AND THE DRIVER STOPS, AND THEN THE PEDESTRIAN CAN CROSS, AND THEN IT'LL TURN TO FLASHING AGAIN.
SO IT DOESN'T TIME FOR THE WHOLE TIME AS A, LIKE A REGULAR INTERSECTION.
UM, THERE'S ONE DOWN HERE AT LITTLETON AVENUE BOULEVARD.
YEAH, AND KIM, YOU COULD PROBABLY GIVE IT THE ACRONYM BETTER THAN ME.
UM, IT'S, I DUNNO, THE ACRONYM
SHE'S GONNA SEE, YEAH, PASS HARD PASS.
UH, SO YEAH, LIKE RICK DESCRIBED, IT'S ANOTHER KIND OF A SAFE CROSSING AREA FOR PEDESTRIANS.
UM, AND THEN COMING SOON, UH, BREAKING GROUND THIS SUMMER, WE HAVE THE WESTERN AVENUE, UH, RECONSTRUCTION FROM CENTRAL TO FOURTH AVENUE.
UH, THAT'S ABOUT $2 MILLION, UH, HAS SOME FEDERAL FUNDS IN THAT PROJECT.
UH, WE'RE WORKING ON THE BRIDGE HOUSING, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE RESOURCE CENTER, UH, FOR SIX UNITS THERE.
AND THEN WHEN WE HAVE THE OLD TOWN PHASES, UH, CONTINUING IN, UM, PHASE FOUR AND PHASE FIVE AND FOUR IS SORT OF THE, UH, MOUNTAIN VIEW COMMUNITY AREA.
UM, AND FIVE IS RATE ADJACENT TO WHERE THE FIRE STATION IS, TO GIVE YOU A VISUAL WHERE THOSE TWO AREAS ARE.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE SPENDING ABOUT $14 MILLION FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
UM, THEN WE HAVE OUR FRIENDSHIP PARK IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DOG PARK REMODEL AT 1.3.
UM, AND THEN THE NEW PICKLEBALL COURTS AT ABOUT 1.4.
SO ALL TOLD WE HAVE 21.5 MILLION OF PROJECTS BREAKING GROUND THIS SUMMER THAT WE'RE EXCITED TO GET COMPLETED, UM, FOR PARK PROGRAMS AND, UH, AND HOUSING AND, AND, UH, STREET IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THEN, UM, OUR CIP AS ALWAYS CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON, ON THIS LIST OF PRIORITIES.
UM, OUR COMMUNITY PRIDE, UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE ARE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, CLEAN UP THE COMMUNITY, CLEAN UP THE EDGES OF OUR ROADS, ADD SOME STREETS, ADD SOME, UH, OR ADD SOME SIDEWALKS, EXCUSE, EXCUSE ME, AND CURBING SOME NEW WAY FINDING, UH, THE NEW MONUMENT SIGNS.
UH, WE ARE, UM, VERY ACTIVE WITH CORY'S LEADERSHIP ON OUR RECREATION AND TOURISM.
UH, WE'VE HAD GREAT ACTIVITY AT THE SAND VOLLEYBALL COURTS, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THOSE TYPES OF PROGRAMS. AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT TRAILS, UM, CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR GRANT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AGAIN, I'VE MENTIONED THE TRAILS AND SIDEWALKS.
UM, ALSO ENHANCING OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES LIKE OUR LIBRARIES AND ADDING MORE PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES.
WE APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL'S SUPPORT OF THAT AND THAT, THAT ONGOING PROGRAM.
UM, AND AS RON STATED, MAKING SURE WE'RE COMPLETING ALL PROJECTS AS PLANNED ON TIME AND ON SCHEDULE.
UM, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, SAFETY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE HAVE, UM, STREETLIGHT INFILL PROGRAMS. WE'LL BE ADDING SOME LIGHTING ON THE BRIDGE AT AVONDALE BOULEVARD.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT TRAFFIC FLOW.
[00:40:01]
THERE'S A BALANCE.WHILE WE'VE GOT GROWTH, WE GOT NEW SIGNALS COMING ON BOARD, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HAVING THE TRAFFIC FLOW.
SO WE GO BACK AND WE CHECK TIMING.
WE'VE DONE SOME TIMING UPDATES LATELY.
AND AGAIN, OUR, UH, ACRONYM OF THE NIGHT, THE MOHAWK SIGNALS
MR. MAYOR, IF I CAN INTERRUPT AGAIN, I, AND I APOLOGIZE TO PUT KIM, I'M GONNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT NOW.
UM, I DON'T REMEMBER, UH, READING THE UPDATE.
UM, I GOT AN ASK ABOUT THE VAN BUREN, UH, BRIDGE.
WE TALKED ABOUT LIGHTING AND SAFETY.
UM, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ADDING, UH, SOLAR LIGHTING, I THINK, TO THE VAN BUREN BRIDGE.
HOW, HOW'S THAT, UH, PROJECT COMING ALONG? YES, WE, I HAD AN UPDATE EARLIER TODAY, AND THAT'S, UH, GETTING, ITS WORKING ITS WAY THROUGH PERMITTING AND PLAN REVIEW.
SO ONCE WE HAVE THOSE PLANS FINALIZED, THEN WE CAN GO TO CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN WE ARE ALSO, UM, LOOKING AT DOING A GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS GRANT THIS NOVEMBER.
UM, SO THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TWO MEETINGS.
UM, AND WE PRESENT LAST ON PARKS.
WE'LL PRESENT HERE SHORTLY ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND SOME FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
I'M SURE RON WILL GIVE COUNCIL GUIDANCE ON, ON THEIR ROLE IN THAT.
SO, UH, OUR, OUR, UH, SORRY RICK, UH, I WANTED TO SEE IF, UH, ROB, WHO'S BEEN LEADING THESE EFFORTS ON OUR BOND.
ACTUALLY, KATIE'S LEADING IT, ROB'S MANNING IT AND DOING THE, THE HARD WORK BEHIND IT.
UM, LIKE YOU SAID, WE'VE HAD TWO MEETINGS.
UH, WE'RE MEETING WITH A CONSULTANT NOW TO DO A COMMUNITY SURVEY.
UM, THE NUMBERS AND THE PROJECTS UP YOU HERE ARE CURRENTLY JUST SUGGESTIONS TO THE COMMITTEE.
UH, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN IDEAS, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN THOUGHTS.
AND SO THE NEXT MEETING, THEY WILL, UH, BE PRESENTED WITH OUR IDEAS ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, FACILITIES.
UM, AND THEN THE FOLLOWING MEETING FROM THAT, THEY'LL REALLY GIVE US WHAT THEY WANT OR NOT TO WANT, INCLUDE IN THE BOND QUESTION.
REMEMBER, WE HAVE ABOUT A CAPACITY FOR ABOUT A HUNDRED AND AND $20 MILLION.
BEEN VERY CLEAR TO THEM THAT WE DO NOT PLAN TO RAISE TAXES, UM, THAT THIS BOND HAS TO KEEP US AT OUR CURRENT RATE.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT WOULD BE A PRIORITY THAT I WOULD NOT BE BRINGING TO COUNSEL A RECOMMENDATION TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES AS A RESULT OF THIS BOND.
THIS BOND WILL REPLACE, UH, RETIRING, I THINK IS HOW IT'S SAID, RETIRING BONDS.
UM, AND SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP OUR TAX RATE, UH, FLAT.
BUT ROB, IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS OR HOW THE COMMITTEE'S DOING.
UM, YEAH, SO MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL.
SO WE'VE, UM, HAD TWO MEETINGS WITH THEM.
SO THE FIRST MEETING, UM, WITH OUR CITIZENS COMMITTEE WAS TO COVER KIND OF JUST THE GENERAL, UM, FINANCIALS OF THE CITY AND WHY WE WOULD, UM, SEEK ADDITIONAL GENERAL OBLIGATION, UM, VOTER AUTHORITY.
THE SECOND MEETING WE HAD WAS TO REVIEW, UM, PARKS, POTENTIAL PARKS PROJECTS FOR SUCH AUTHORIZATION.
WE'LL HAVE A THIRD MEETING ON PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, WHICH IS, UH, THE SECOND, UM, TUESDAY IN FEBRUARY.
AND THEN THEY WILL, UM, COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION AND FORWARD THAT TO COUNSEL FOR, COUNSEL TO CONSIDER.
SO COUNSEL WILL HAVE THE ULTIMATE SAY ON WHAT GOES ON THE BALLOT AND WHAT THE QUESTION OR QUESTIONS LOOK LIKE.
BUT, UM, WE ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR OUR CITIZEN COMMITTEE AND THE SUPPORT THAT THEY'VE BEEN PROVIDING US.
THE FEEDBACK, IT IS VERY ESSENTIAL FOR US TO LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE THIS IS TRULY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ASKING THE COMMUNITY WHETHER, UM, THEY WANT THIS, UH, IF WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND IF THIS IS, UH, IF THIS IS PROJECTS THEY TRUST US WITH.
SO THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA, IF IT DOESN'T PASS, ARE WE ABLE TO LOWER OUR TAX SINCE THIS IS REPLACING SOMETHING? IS THAT A BENEFIT TO NOT HAVING THE BOND GO THROUGH? YEP.
MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNSEL? UM, THE ABSOLUTE QUESTION IS YES, YOU COULD LOWER IF YOU WANT.
UM, DOESN'T MEAN WE WOULD, UM, THERE IS FLEXIBILITY IN OUR BASE SALES, UH, BASE PROPERTY TAXES AND OTHER BONDS WE PAY OFF EARLY.
THERE'S OTHER THINGS WE COULD DO.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD NECESSARILY RESULT IN A LOWER TAX RATE, BUT AT THE DIRECTION I COUNSEL AFTER IT'S RETIRED, TECHNICALLY WE'RE, I, I CAN'T SEEM KEITH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ON THIS DOESN'T RETIRE.
SO, SO TO EXPAND ON MORE, HEY, THANK YOU, KEITH.
RON IS ALWAYS CORRECT, BUT, UH, SERVICE TO PAY, YES.
IF, IF THIS DOES NOT, IF WE DO NOT ISSUE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, THEN AS WE PAY OFF EXISTING DEBT, THE SECONDARY PROPERTY TAX RATE WOULD GO DOWN BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THE SECONDARY PROPERTY TAX RATE IS FOR, IS TO PAY OFF DEBT.
OKAY, SO OUR LIST OF PROPOSED PROJECTS FOR THE, UH, UH,
[00:45:01]
PARKS AND WRECK, WE HAVE THE TRAIL NETWORK AND TRAILHEAD IMPROVEMENTS.UH, THEN THIS WILL INCLUDE THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, AND THIS IS THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE THAT IS OVER A DRAINAGE WAY JUST AT FRIENDSHIP PARK, BETWEEN FRIENDSHIP PARK AND THE FREEWAY, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN PURSUING FOR, UH, MANY YEARS.
UM, IT'LL ALSO INCLUDE PARK SHADE EXPANSION, UH, AS WELL AS CIVIC CENTER LIBRARY RENOVATIONS.
UH, AGAIN, FOCUSING BACK ON THOSE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, WE HAVE THE ALMAR PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY IN THAT, UM, BOND LIST AS WELL.
UM, SOME PUBLIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, SOME POLICE TRAINING, UH, EXPANSION FOR POLICE AND THE CITY COURT, UH, IMPROVEMENTS.
MAYOR, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, RICK, I APPRECIATE THIS, BUT, UH, I THINK THIS QUESTION IS FOR YOU, MR. CORBIN.
I'M TAKING A, I GOT A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY SEE THE LAND THAT, UM, ALAMAR HAS GIVEN US FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, FACILITY.
IT LOOKS LIKE A TRIANGULAR PIECE OF LAND.
THAT TO ME, HONESTLY, ISN'T A FLOODPLAIN
I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ENOUGH.
IS THAT WHAT THE BOND COMMITTEE IS TO CHALLENGE WITH DOING? ARE THEY GOING TO ACTUALLY ASSESS WHAT WE HAVE AND THEN GO BACK AND MATCH THE AMOUNT? OR IS THIS WHAT WE TOLD THEM WE WANT? AND THAT'S OUR VISION, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, THERE'S A COUPLE PARTS TO YOUR QUESTION.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD A, UH, SITE, UH, DESIGNED AND, UH, CREATED TO MAKE SURE IT WOULD FIT, UM, BOTH FOR, UH, FIRE AND FOR, UH, PD.
UH, WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS CHARLENE TOOK ME AROUND WITH THE CHIEF, UH, I THINK YOU, YOU, WE, WE DID IT RIGHT ALONG AND, AND WE'VE QUESTIONED QUITE A BIT IF THAT'S THE RIGHT LOCATION.
UH, IT'S FREE LAND, WHICH MAKES IT A GREAT LOCATION FOR THAT PART OF IT.
UM, BUT, UM, WE, WE CAN MAKE IT WORK.
IT'S ON A ROAD THAT HAS ACCESS TO, UH, THE RACEWAY, UM, AND HAS A, UH, THROUGH BROADWAY AND EL MIRAGE, UH, HAS GOOD ACCESS TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CITY AS IT GROWS AND EXPANDS DOWN IN THAT AREA.
SO WE THINK THE LOCATION IS GOOD, AND FIRE CHIEF CAN DISAGREE IF, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE'VE DEBATED IT SEVERAL TIMES.
THERE'S ALSO WIRES THAT GO ACROSS THE TOP MM-HMM
AND SO WE'VE LOOKED AT ALL THAT AND, UM, IT, WE THINK IT'LL WORK JUST FINE.
THE QUESTION BEFORE, UH, THE COMMITTEE THOUGH, IS REALLY ABOUT, IS THIS A PROJECT THAT THEY COULD SUPPORT ON THE BOND LIST? SO EVENTUALLY THE QUESTION WILL GO TO, UH, THE VOTERS GOES THROUGH COUNCIL AND COUNCIL, UH, UH, APPROVES OR ALTERS OR DOES WHATEVER THE QUESTION.
BUT IT COMES FROM THE COMMITTEE FIRST, AND IT SAYS, HERE'S HOW MUCH WE THINK YOU SHOULD ASK FOR, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
HERE'S HOW MUCH YOU SHOULD ASK FOR, FOR PARKS.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE'D LIKE.
HERE'S WHAT WE THINK THE COMMUNITY CAN GET BEHIND.
THIS IS WHAT WE THINK THE COMMUNITY CAN BELIEVE IN.
THIS IS WHAT WE AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS WANT TO SEE.
THESE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE WILLING TO PAY PROPERTY TAXES TO PAY OFF THE DEBT.
UM, THE NUMBER UP THERE, 31.6 I, I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE TOTAL COST OF THE PROJECT, WHERE WE'RE ONLY GONNA BOND LIKE 10 MILLION OF THAT.
SO THE, UH, THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT WOULD COME FROM, UM, WHAT WE CALL DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES.
UM, SO NEW DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE PAYING FOR THE MAJORITY OF THAT, UM, FIRE STATION, POLICE SUBSTATION, AND THEN A PORTION OF THAT, UH, WE WOULD BE LOOKING FOR SOME OTHER FUNDING SOURCE, WHICH MAY INCLUDE THE GENERAL OBLIGATION RESPONSE.
AND MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNSEL, IF I COULD ALSO ADD THAT NUMBER, IS STILL, UH, VERY PRELIMINARY.
I ACTUALLY THINK IT'LL BE MUCH LOWER.
THEY USED, UH, 1 75, I THINK IS THE BASE.
UM, AND THIS IS A FAR OUT STATION.
UM, THIS IS ON OUR PERIPHERAL.
SO THE, THE, WHAT WE PUT THERE, UH, FOR GROWTH AND FOR OTHER THINGS WILL BE, UH, UH, VERY DIFFERENT THAN WE WOULD PUT FOR BOTH PD AND FIRE IN A CENTRALIZED STATION THAT'S GONNA HAVE MORE ACCESS, MORE, UM, UH, REACH THAN THIS ON THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF OUR, OUR TOWN WILL ONLY GROW AS FAR AS THE AUSTRALIAS, SO THE RACETRACK, RIGHT? ANYTHING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE, UH, AUSTRALIAS, WE'LL TAKE ANOTHER POLICE STATION, ANOTHER FIRE STATION, THEY'LL TAKE ANOTHER WHOLE DEVELOPMENT.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, OUR GROWTH, WE HAVE TOLLESON, UH, GOODYEAR, AND SO WE'RE, AND THEN THE MOUNTAINS.
AND SO WE'RE KIND OF SANDWICHED IN.
SO WE KNOW, UM, THAT THIS WILL BE THE LAST STATION WE NEED TO BUILD IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CITY.
THERE'S NO, UH, NEED FOR ANY OTHER, UH, UH, GROWTH IN PD AND FIRE STATIONS, FACILITIES DOWN THERE.
UH, I SHOULDN'T SAY THAT FOR PD, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL END UP PUTTING PD, BUT FOR A FIRE RESPONSE TIME, UM, THIS WOULD BE THE RIGHT LOCATION.
SO, BUT WE DON'T REALLY GO IN.
BACK TO YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION, MA'AM, AND I APOLOGIZE, WE
[00:50:01]
DON'T REALLY GO INTO THAT MUCH DETAIL WITH THEM.THIS IS REALLY, IS THIS A PROJECT, UH, THAT YOU COULD SUPPORT OKAY, WITH A SECONDARY PROPERTY TAX? IS THAT FAIR, KATIE? OR, OH, WE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA AND THEN VICE MAYOR NIELSEN, GO AHEAD.
IF AND WHEN THE BOND GOES THROUGH, ARE THE PROJECTS FLUID OR THAT'S WHAT THE MONEY'S GONNA GO TO? SO IF I AM SPEAKING TO THE PUBLIC AND LETTING THEM KNOW THE BOND IS GOOD BECAUSE A, B, C, IS THAT BIBLE, OR IS IT FLUID OR THE PROJECT COULD CHANGE OR FALL OFF? SO, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL, IT DEPENDS ON HOW THE QUESTION IS WRITTEN.
UM, YOU'LL HAVE A QUESTION, AND NICOLE, OR TEAM, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THE WAY THE QUESTION, QUESTION IS WRITTEN, IT'LL BE, UH, GENERAL TO CONSTRUCT, BUILD, OBTAIN, UH, DESIGN, PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES, BUT ATTACHED TO THAT WILL HAVE A DESCRIPTION, A COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY OF WHAT WE WILL BUILD FROM THAT.
SO, UM, IF WE LIST THE ALAMAR PUBLIC SAFETY, IF WE LIST THOSE FIVE THINGS UP THERE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, WE WILL DO THOSE FIVE THINGS.
HOW MUCH WE ACTUALLY SPEND ON EACH ONE DEPENDS ON MANY, MANY THINGS.
UM, IF, UH, LET'S SAY THE JUDGE ISN'T LISTENING, I HOPE, LET'S SAY WE DO THE COURT LAST.
BUT, BUT LET'S SAY WE DO THE COURT LAST, AND SO THE COST IS NOW 10 MILLION.
IT JUST, IT'LL ONLY BE PAYING FOR 50% OF THE PROJECTS AT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE PROJECT.
SO THE AMOUNT WE SPEND AND THE, UM, ESPECIALLY IN PARKS, UH, WHAT WE EXACTLY DO MAY VARY.
MAYBE THE LOCATION VARIES A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE'VE GOT SOME IDEAS ON THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, THE FIRE ADMIN BUILDING WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT, BUT WE MAY FIND A BETTER PLACE FOR THAT.
SO THE LOCATION, SO THERE'LL BE PARTS OF IT CHANGE, BUT, UM, WHATEVER PROJECTS COMES OUT OF THE DISCUSSION WITH BOTH THE, UM, CITIZEN COMMITTEE AND THEN FROM COUNCIL WILL BE DOCUMENTED IN A DOCUMENT FOR THE, WHERE'S MARCELLA? THE MARCELLA WILL KEEP ON RECORD FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
SO 10 YEARS FROM NOW WHEN I'M RETIRED, UM, THERE'LL STILL BE ON RECORD THAT THE CITY COMMITTED TO DOING THIS.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT TIMEFRAMES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE TO START AND HOPEFULLY FINISH MOST PROJECTS WITHIN 10 YEARS OVER THE 20 YEAR LOAN.
BUT DEPENDING ON THE ECONOMY, YOU KNOW, WHEN 2008, 2009 HIT, IT SLOWED EVERYTHING DOWN.
UM, ALSO, YOU DON'T BORROW ALL THE MONEY RIGHT OFF THE BAT, RIGHT? 'CAUSE UM, WE CAN'T BUILD EVERYTHING AT ONCE.
BUT BACK TO YOUR QUESTION, IF WE LIST A PROJECT ON THERE, IT'S A COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK I WAS GONNA ASK THE SAME ONE.
IF WE DO THE 31 MILLION AND WE FIND OUT THAT IN FIVE YEARS OR FOUR YEARS THE INFLATION RATE'S GONE UP AND THAT NOW BECOMES 38 OR 39 OR 40, WHERE'S THE FUNDS TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE? BUT THIS IS THE IDEA TO PUT THESE THINGS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS OUR BEST, BEST ESTIMATE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO ADJUST A LITTLE BIT.
MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL.
UM, THE AQUATIC CENTER PARTIALLY, UH, BOND FUND, UM, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, PARTIAL GENERAL FUND.
AND SO THAT RATIO CHANGES BASED ON, UH, RESOURCE AVAILABILITY AND A BOND AVAILABILITY.
AND THEN ANY PROJECT COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE.
YEAH, AND IT ALL ALWAYS COMES BACK TO COUNCIL, LIKE AS WE'RE APPROVING THE, THE PROJECT, YOU GUYS APPROVE THE FUND THAT IT IS PAID FOR OUT OF.
SO WE RECENTLY CAME BACK AND ASKED FOR A FEW MORE MILLION DOLLARS OF BOND MONEY FOR, UM, THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE EXPANSION AT THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY.
AGAIN, WE HAD TO COME TO COUNCIL TO GET PERMISSION TO SELL THE BONDS.
WE ALREADY HAD THE AUTHORIZATION FROM THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE THE BONDS, BUT WE ALWAYS COME BACK TO COUNCIL TO SELL THE BONDS, TO CREATE THE DEBT AND FOR APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT.
AND JUST REALLY QUICKLY TO THE CONTRARY, UH, NOT BEING ABLE TO UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY UNDER UTILIZATION OF THE, TOWARDS THE INVESTMENT, RIGHT? SITTING ON, UH, FUNDS AND PUBLIC FUNDS THAT WERE NOT DOING SOMETHING SMART WITH.
SO, MR. MAYOR, THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
IT, IT, IT DELAYS THE PROJECT OR CANCELS THE PROJECT.
UM, THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA DO AT SOME POINT, RIGHT? UM, WE WORK VERY HARD, AS YOU SAW FROM ROB EARLIER, TO RESERVE OUR MONEY AND, AND WE PAY CASH FOR A LOT OF THINGS.
UM, IF YOU JUST SAW THE NUMBERS THAT, UH, RICK, UH, WENT THROUGH, WE, THAT, THAT'S A LOT OF CASH.
UH, WHAT WASN'T IN THERE, BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE LAST FY WAS, UH, THE AQUATIC CENTER, 30 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE AQUATICS.
$28 MILLION FOR THE AQUATIC CENTER.
SO WE'RE SPENDING, UH, A LOT OF CASH AND TRYING TO BORROW AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.
UH, WE THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY
[00:55:01]
TO DO THE MONEY THAT THE TAXPAYERS HAVE GIVEN US TO PROVIDE BACK TO THEM.SO, UM, BUT AT SOME POINT, THIS, UM, CONSTRUCTION BOOM IS GOING TO SLOW.
AND, UM, WE WILL NOT HAVE ALL THIS, UH, MONEY TO DO, UH, THESE PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
UM, NEXT WE WANTED TO TOUCH ON OUR PROJECT ADJUSTMENTS.
UH, WE'VE HAD SOME PROJECTS HERE THAT HAVE BEEN OUR CIP FOR QUITE A WHILE, AND, UH, SOME INFORMATION OVER TIME AS IMPACTED THEM.
UM, THOSE ARE THE WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY EXPANSION.
UH, AND THESE ARE, UH, IN THE CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED, UH, FY 26 BUDGET.
UH, IT'S 22 MILLION FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE WASTEWATER OR WATER RECLAMATION.
UM, OLD TOWN PHASE FOUR, UH, JUST 2.6 MILLION.
AND THE OPERATIONAL WAREHOUSE DESIGN JUST A HALF MILLION.
SO, YEAH, AND, AND MR. MAYOR AND COUNSEL, IF I MAY.
UM, THOSE ARE, UH, PROJECTS, THEY'RE NOT ALL FUNDED.
UH, THE, THE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY EXPANSION IS CURRENTLY PLANNED FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF BOND.
UH, AND, UM, IMPACT FEES, UM, AND, AND THEN UTILITY FEES AS NEEDED.
SO WE DON'T HAVE, UH, I THINK THE PROJECT'S UP TO 1 45, 1 55.
EVERY DAY, EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK.
YEAH, 5 MILLION MORE IN A WEEK.
UM, SO IT'S NOT ALL FUNDED JUST YET, BUT THE PROJECT IS GONNA BE IN OUR LONG, UH, FORECAST.
AND SO WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO PLAN FOR IT.
UM, WE HAVE NOT COLLECTED ENOUGH DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES, UM, TO, UM, HANDLE THE COST OF THIS PLANT, UH, OVER THE, SOMETIME THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
UH, I NEED TO NEXT YEAR MAKE SURE I CAN SEE FINANCE MARCELLA MAKE A NOTE.
I NEED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT FINANCE
UM, UH, WE, WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL TO ADJUST OUR IMPACT FEE SCHEDULE.
UM, WHEN WE ORIGINALLY DID IT, WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE TWO YEARS AGO, UH, IT INCLUDED A COST OF A PLANT EXPANSION AT 50,000,006 65 MILLION, 60 MILLION, AND THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WAS USED TO CREATE THE CURRENT IMPACT FEES FOR DEVELOPMENT.
WELL, WE'RE LESS THAN HALF, RIGHT? UH, COLLECTING WHAT WE NEED TO BE COLLECTING.
SO, UH, THIS MID CYCLE, UM, RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'LL BE BRING, BE, WE WILL BE BRINGING BACK THIS YEAR WILL ONLY BE ABOUT, UH, WASTEWATER.
UM, WE'RE NOT DOING THE OTHER FEES, BUT WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO START COLLECTING.
WE ARE UNDER COLLECTING FROM DEVELOPERS CURRENTLY TO PAY FOR THE GROWTH THAT THEY'RE COSTING US.
SO WE'LL BE COMING BACK JUST AS AN FYI TO COUNCIL TO, TO, UH, FIX THAT, UM, INCREASE.
UM, AND NEXT, UM, AS WE'RE DOING OUR, OUR BUDGET PLANNING, WE HAVE SOME NEW ASK, UH, THAT ARE NOT IN THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET AS OF YET.
UM, BUT WE DO WANNA EXPAND EL MIRAGE ROAD FROM CA HERMOSA TO ALLINA.
UM, WE HAVE THE, UM, BARTLETT DAM PROJECT, UM, THAT'S, UH, EXPANDING THE DAM, UH, CREATING MORE CAPACITY FOR WATER.
AND THAT'S, UM, A PROJECT WITH SEVERAL CITIES, UH, BEYOND OURSELVES.
UM, WE HAVE THE PFAS PROJECT, A-P-F-A-S TREATMENT.
UM, WE'VE, THERE'S BEEN SOME NEW REGULATIONS THAT HAVE COME INTO PROCESS, UH, OF, OF TREATMENT, OF, OF WATER.
SO WE, UM, NEED TO UPGRADE OUR FACILITIES THERE.
UM, OF COURSE OUR CIVIC CENTER CAMPUS PICKLEBALL FACILITY.
UM, THIS IS THE CURRENT ESTIMATE WE HAVE FROM THE STUDY.
UM, WE ARE HOPING IT'S NOT QUITE 19 MILLION, HOPING A LITTLE LESS, UH, BUT WE'LL BE DESIGNING THAT IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND THEN LAST WE HAVE THE DESI LORENZ PARK TURF REDUCTION, UH, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN DESIGN.
AND THE 1.2 IS FUNDING FOR CONSTRUCTION.
RICK, I'M SORRY TO KEEP INTERRUPTING, BUT I THINK THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, IF YOU'LL INDULGE, UM, I'LL LET KIRK, UH, TALK FOR A COUPLE MINUTES.
I, I DO THINK HE SHOULD MENTION ACTUALLY THE BARTLET DAM AS WELL, TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AWARE OF THAT.
AND THEN PFAS, UH, JUST A FEW MINUTES.
SO MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, A COUPLE OF ITEMS THERE ON THE, ON THE SLIDE.
WE ARE ONE OF ABOUT 26 PARTNERS IN THE VALLEY THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN A PLAN TO ACTUALLY BUILD A NEW BARTLETT DAM DOWNSTREAM FROM THE EXISTING DAM TO ADD ADDITIONAL WATER STORAGE CAPACITY ON THE VERDE RIVER SYSTEM.
UM, ALL OF THE PARTNERS HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO IDENTIFY THE ALLOCATION OF WATER THAT THEY WOULD GET FROM, FROM THEIR, BASED ON THEIR NEEDS.
[01:00:01]
AMOUNT OF WATER THAT WE ANTICIPATE OR HOPE TO GET WOULD BE ABOUT 5,000 ACRE FEET, JUST A LITTLE UNDER THAT, WHICH BASICALLY OFFSETS OUR ENTIRE COLORADO RIVER ALLOCATION.SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING IT AS NEW WATER, BUT AS WATER TO MAKE UP FOR ANY, UM, SHORTAGE.
WE MIGHT SEE IF WE SEE A CUT, I'LL SAY WHEN WE SEE A CUT IN THE COLORADO RIVER ALLOCATION.
'CAUSE WE DO EXPECT TO SEE CUTS AFTER 2026.
SO IT'S BASICALLY JUST MAKING UP FOR WHAT, FOR WHAT, UH, WE MIGHT LOSE.
SO OUR, OUR COST FOR THAT PORTION OF WATER IS $15 MILLION.
THAT WOULD BE OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE OVERALL CONSTRUCTION COST OF THE DAM, WHICH IS ESTIMATED RIGHT NOW TO BE 1.1 BILLION.
UH, WE'RE STILL, WE'RE LOOKING TO THE, UH, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PICK UP A BIG CHUNK OF THAT AT LEAST HALF.
UM, AND, UH, WE'RE WORKING, SRP IS THE LEAD AGENCY ON THIS.
IT'S PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER, WORKING WITH THE FED, SO WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THEM ON THAT.
UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO WE CAME TO COUNCIL AND TALKED TO YOU IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ABOUT SOME CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS THAT WE WERE INVOLVED WITH.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, EPA ISSUED A BACK IN APRIL OF 2024, ISSUED A REGULATION ON PFAS SUBSTANCES IN DRINKING WATER, REQUIRING MUNICIPALITIES AND WATER PROVIDERS TO REMOVE THAT COMPOUND OR COMPOUNDS FROM THE DRINKING WATER.
AND IT'S A VERY AGGRESSIVE, UM, REMOVAL PROCESS FROM A STANDPOINT OF NUMBERS.
IT'S ALMOST TO THE POINT THAT IT'S NON-DETECTABLE IN THE WATER, THAT IT'S A VERY, VERY, UM, LOW AMOUNT THAT'S ALLOWED.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE AND HAVE THE HAVE BE MEETING THOSE REGULATIONS BY APRIL OF 2029.
SO WE'VE STARTED ON OUR PROCESS, UM, RIGHT AFTER THAT REGULATION INTO PLACE IN APRIL TO IDENTIFY EXACTLY ACTUALLY HOW MUCH PFAS WE HAVE IN OUR WATER AND, AND WHAT KIND OF A PROBLEM WE WERE LOOKING AT.
UM, AND AS WE WERE WATER WATCHING IT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, EPA HAD ISSUED WHAT'S CALLED A HEALTH ADVISORY LEVEL, WHICH WAS 70 PARTS PER TRILLION.
AND WE WERE WELL BELOW THAT NUMBER.
WE WERE IN THE AROUND 20 IN A FEW OF OUR WELLS.
THE, UM, REGULATION THAT WAS ISSUED IN APRIL IS FOUR PARTS PER TRILLION.
SO WHERE WE WERE WELL UNDER THE HEALTH ADVISORY LEVEL, WE WERE SUDDENLY WOULD BE WAY OUT OF COMPLIANCE.
SO WE FORMED A, A TEAM THAT EVALUATED WHAT THAT IMPACT WAS TO THE CITY.
AND ABOUT 70% OF OUR WATER SUPPLY IS IMPACTED BY PFAS RIGHT NOW, AND WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO TREAT ALL OF THAT WATER BEFORE WE DISTRIBUTED TO THE CITY.
THE TEAM HAS WORKED WITH A CONSULTANT.
WE DEVELOPED AN ACTION PLAN, A CONCEPT ON HOW TO TREAT.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE DISCUSSING THAT WITH CITY MANAGEMENT LATER THIS WEEK TO DEMONSTRATE EXACTLY WHAT'S IN THAT $105 MILLION.
BUT IT IS A LOT OF, UM, TREATMENT FACILITIES THAT WE DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW IS SEVERAL OF OUR WELLS AND OUR BOOSTER STATIONS AROUND THE CITY.
SO IT'S A SIGNIFICANT, UM, INVESTMENT AND A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT.
I'M ALSO, WHILE I, WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT IT, I'M GONNA TOUCH ON SOMETHING THAT CAME OUT LAST WEEK.
THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF CONFUSION, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
UM, THIS IS AN EXISTING REGULATION THAT WAS PUT OUT IN APRIL OF 2024.
THERE WAS SOME NEWS THAT CAME OUT ON THURSDAY LAST WEEK ABOUT PFAS REGULATIONS CHANGING.
WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED ON THURSDAY LAST WEEK, ACTUALLY HAPPENED ON TUESDAY, BUT ANNOUNCED ON THURSDAY, IS THERE WAS A PROPOSED REGULATION FOR THE DISCHARGE OF PFAS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH DRINKING WATER OR OTHER THINGS FROM IN INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING FACILITIES THAT RULE UNDER, UM, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER TO PUT A FREEZE ON NEW REGULATIONS.
THE RULE THAT WAS BEING PROPOSED WAS FROZEN AND, AND PULLED OUT OF CONSIDERATION.
SO AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, UM, INDUSTRIAL PRODUCERS OR PFAS OR USERS ARE PFAS THAT DISCHARGE INTO THE WATER SYSTEM OR ANYWHERE IN THE ENVIRONMENT, CONTINUE, CONTINUE TO DISCHARGE AT WHATEVER AMOUNT THEY ARE.
THAT'S, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY REGULATED, WHICH REALLY JUST PUTS MORE BURDEN ON THE CITIES OR THE OTHER MUNICIPAL WATER PROVIDERS TO CLEAN UP THE MESS THAT THEY PUT IN.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT PFAS IS A VERY, UM, HOT TOPIC RIGHT NOW.
IT'S BEEN IN THE DISCUSSIONS WITH CONFIRMATION HEARINGS FOR, UM, THE EPA ADMINISTRATOR.
[01:05:01]
I MENTIONED THE LAWSUITS THAT ARE INVOLVED.UM, THERE'S A LAWSUIT WITH A COUPLE OF THE WATER INDUSTRIES AGAINST THE EPA ON HOW THESE RULES WERE ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED.
SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF, UM, TURMOIL OVER FIFAS OVER THE NEXT, UM, FEW YEARS.
THE REGULATION COULD POSSIBLY CHANGE, MORE LIKELY THAN NOT.
THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE MAY GO OUT BEYOND 2029, BUT THEY COULD ALSO CHANGE THE LIMITS OR IT COULD JUST GO AWAY.
SO OUR PLAN AT THIS POINT IS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PREPARED AS BEST AS WE CAN BE AND BE READY TO PIVOT AS, UM, THINGS TRANSITION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
I HAVE AN EMAIL THAT I SENT OUT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ON FRIDAY, I BELIEVE.
WE'LL SHARE THAT TO ALL OF YOU THROUGH ANISA SO THAT YOU'RE ALL INFORMED ON THAT DEVELOPMENT FROM LAST WEEK.
IF HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
UM, I, I SAW A COUPLE, UH, EYES OPEN UP ON THE 19 MILLION FOR THE PICKLEBALL FACILITY.
UM, THIS YEAR WE HIRED A CONSULTANT TO TELL US IF A INDOOR FACILITY COULD FIT ON THAT LAND BETWEEN THE POOL AND THE COURTHOUSE IN THAT AREA BACK THERE AND HOW MANY COURTS TO MAKE IT VIABLE.
UM, I THINK THE NUMBER IS ABOUT 10 INDOOR COURTS.
UM, SO WE KNOW IT CAN FIT, WE KNOW WE CAN PUT A BUILDING, WE KNOW WE CAN PUT A PARKING LOT THERE.
WE'LL, NOW, ACTUALLY THIS NEXT YEAR BUDGET FOR A DESIGN, UM, THERE'S NO PLAN TO SPEND $19 MILLION.
THAT WAS FOR A NORMAL CONSTRUCTED BUILDING LIKE WE WOULD HAVE HERE OR LIKE A A, AN OFFICE BUILDING.
OUR PLAN WOULD BE TO BUILD SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE SPORTS LIKE EITHER ESC OR IF YOU'VE BEEN TO ANY OF THE OTHER INDOOR PICKLEBALL PLACES, UH, IT'LL BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SO THE GOAL, UM, I WON'T BRING YOU A $19 MILLION ASK, UM, AT THAT TIME.
IT WILL BE MILLIONS TO DO ANY INDOOR FACILITY.
UM, BUT, UM, STAY TUNED ON THAT.
WE'LL HAVE A REAL NUMBER AT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, UH, THE BUDGET ONCE WE HAVE IT DESIGNED.
COUNCILOR SOLORIO, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU ON TWO OF THE THINGS.
THE EXPAND EL MIRAGE ROAD, DOES THAT INCLUDE SIDEWALKS OR IS THAT JUST THE ROAD ITSELF? 'CAUSE I KNOW IN THE PAST WE'VE TALKED ABOUT EXPANSION OF ROADS, BUT IS THAT ROAD EXPANSION AND SIDEWALKS TO MAKE IT WALKABLE OR JUST ROAD? UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, YES.
THAT INCLUDES THE FULL BUILD OUT OF THE ROAD, INCLUDING THE SIDEWALK.
AND THEN SECONDLY, THE DESI LORENZ PARK.
I HAD A RESIDENT TALK TO ME LAST MONTH, I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT, UM, A HIGH PRESENCE OF, UM, UNSHELTERED POPULATION THERE.
THAT TURF REDUCTION, IS THAT SOMETHING TO MAYBE DEBTOR FOLKS FROM SETTING UP CAMPS THERE? OR IS THAT MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL? IF I COULD, UH, TAKE THAT? UH, NO.
UH, THAT IS NOT, NOT THE PURPOSE OF THAT.
THE PURPOSE IS WATER CONSERVATION.
WE THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE MORE USE, MORE DESIRED USE AT THAT AREA.
UM, WE'VE, UM, HAD, UH, SEVERAL DETAILS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EVEN IF I CAN, IS BEHIND ME.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH OUR SONAR TEAM, UM, TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THAT PARK IS USED FOR, UH, GOOD USES.
UM, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, REDESIGN, THAT'S NOT OUR PRIMARY FOCUS.
IT'S REALLY, I WAS JUST WONDERING IN GENERAL, 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA, IT'S LOOKING AT THAT 1.2 MILLION.
IF WE WERE GONNA PUT MORE OF AN INVESTMENT IN IT, WHAT WERE WE DOING TO HANDLE THE OTHER PART? BUT YOU SAID WE'VE HAD MORE DETAILS ON THAT.
UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK THE LAST TIME WE HAD A BIG DETAIL THERE.
BUT WE, UH, KEEP AN EYE ON THERE AND, UH, UM, I CAN TELL YOU, I DID A DRIVE ALONG WITH, UH, CHIEF ESPINOZA MAYBE A MONTH AGO NOW.
SO PART OF THE DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL WAS FOR ME TO GET OUT MORE OFTEN.
AND SO I'VE BEEN DOING THESE DRIVE ALONGS WITH THE DIFFERENT DIRECTORS.
AND, UH, IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES WE STOPPED WAS AT SECOND PLACE WE STOPPED, WAS, I THINK, AT THAT PARK.
AND WE FOUND A LOVELY LADY THERE THAT WE, UH, UH, REACHED OUT TO, UH, SONAR.
UH, WHERE'S EDITH? EDITH BACK THERE.
AND, UH, TRIED TO HELP TO GET HER SOME, UM, SOME HELP.
BUT, SO WE HAVE AN EYE ON THAT.
UM, WE ALSO KNOW THAT, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THERE WAS SOME OTHER ACTIVITY IN, IN, UM, A VACANT BUILDING RIGHT NEAR THERE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON TO KEEP THAT ONE CLEAR.
SO WE'RE AWARE OF THE AREA, BUT, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, THESE PROJECTS, IT'S REALLY ABOUT CREATING A USE THAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN USE.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, EDUCATIONAL, UH, SERVICES THERE.
COREY, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD ABOUT THAT? NOPE, RON, I THINK YOU'RE ON IT.
AND, UH, VICE MAYOR OR MAYOR? VICE MAYOR.
UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING SOME ZERO SCAPE GARDENING AND DEMONSTRATION GARDEN, UH, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
SOMETHING THAT WE'VE SEEN SUCCESSFUL IN A LOT OF OTHER CITIES.
UM, AND IT'S GOT THE NICE SMALL PARKING LOT PLATFORM AS WELL AS A BUS PULL IN.
UH, SO IF IT WAS BECOME A FIELD TRIP DESTINATION FOR MAYBE ONE OF OUR SENIOR PROGRAMS, WE SEE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT MORE OF AN EDUCATIONAL SPACE AND, AND REALLY GET A, THE RIGHT USER IN THERE, UM, TAKING
[01:10:01]
ADVANTAGE OF THAT PARK ACREAGE.AND THEN LASTLY, UM, PICKLEBALL, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU AND I HAD TALKED ABOUT BRIEFLY.
THAT'S NOT AN ACTUAL BUILDING IN ITSELF, RIGHT? IT'LL BE, IS THAT AN OUT OF THE OPEN THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE FUTURE? UH, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR CLOSED, SHOULD I SAY IN THIS ONE? IT'LL BE AN ENCLOSED, UH, FACILITY.
WE'LL HAVE DESIGNED, UM, THE, THE FIRST PEOPLE THAT LOOKED AT IT THIS YEAR DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT CONCEPT.
UM, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE NEW AND UPCOMING PRIVATE ONES, UM, IT'S, IT'S VERY OPEN, UH, WELCOMING.
SO WHAT IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE WILL DEPEND ON COST AND, UM, WHAT WE CAN COME UP WITH, JUST BECAUSE IT DOES GET A LITTLE BIT LOUD SOMETIMES.
SO YOU DO HAVE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE IN THE BACK, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
UH, ONE OF THE REASONS, ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS WAS PUT THE PARKING LOT IN THE BACK, UM, TO CREATE EVEN MORE SPACE BEHIND THOSE HOUSES BACK THERE.
NOW WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE NOISE.
UH, ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS THE CON THE CURRENT CONSULTANT HAD WAS PUT A WALKING TRACK IN THERE THAT'S BEEN AN ASK FOR OUR COMMUNITY, CREATE INDOOR WALKING.
BUT IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN AN INDOOR PICKLEBALL, YOU, YOU DON'T WANNA WALK.
UH, IT IS VERY LOUD AND OBNOXIOUS AND, AND, UH, PICKLEBALL PLAYERS CAN GET VERY, UM, FUN.
SO THAT'S WHAT RON, THAT'S WHAT RON'S DOING.
HE, RON WOULD'VE KNOWN MM-HMM
I KNOW WE'VE ASKED QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY, BUT IF THERE'S ANY OTHERS, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
UH, I HAD JUST HAD A QUESTION 'CAUSE THERE WAS NO MENTION OF DONATELLA.
THE NEW PARK WITH THE DONATELLA PARK.
YEAH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THAT IS CURRENTLY IN DESIGN, UM, AND IS FUNDED OVER THE NEXT TWO FISCAL YEARS FOR CONSTRUCTION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? OKAY.
AND COUNCIL, WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR, UM, ROB TO START US OFF, UM, ROB, I THINK I, I KICK IN LIKE SLIDE THREE.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO DO THE FIRST COUPLE.
UM, REMEMBER WE, THIS NEW PARTNERSHIP, RENEE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE, SO I, I BELIEVE RENEE, BUT, UM, I FORGET WHERE I WAS GOING AT 5 MILLION.
I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER THE NUMBER, BUT I THINK DONATELLI IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THREE AND A HALF AND $5 MILLION, UM, TO GET STARTED ON THAT.
ALL RIGHT, SO GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET PRIORITIES PORTION OF THIS PRESENTATION.
SO WE'LL JUST KIND OF, UM, REFOCUS BACK ON OUR GENERAL FUND FORECAST.
SO, UM, AS RON SAID, UM, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY SUPPLEMENTALS OR, UM, ADDITIONAL POSITIONS, UM, OTHER THAN THE ALAMAR, UH, FIRE STATION POSITIONS, WHICH ARE ANTICIPATED TO START IN FISCAL YEAR 27.
UM, SO A LOT OF THE DECISIONS ON THIS BUDGET PROCESS ARE GONNA BE WORKING WITHIN THIS SPACE BETWEEN THE, THE, THE BLUE LINE, WHICH IS OUR ONGOING REVENUES AND THE ONGOING EXPENSES, IF WE WANNA MAINTAIN THAT STRUCTURAL BALANCE THROUGHOUT OUR FORECAST.
AND THEN AS A REMINDER TO, UH, SHOW WHAT OUR FORECAST IS LOOKING LIKE.
AND THAT AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE ABOVE OUR MINIMUM RESERVES OR OUR STABILIZATION AMOUNT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT $30 MILLION AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 23, UM, OR 2030.
SO THAT IS, IF YOU ADD $1 MILLION OF ONGOING EXPENSES IN THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET, THAT REDUCES THAT $30 MILLION OUT IN 2030 BY $5 MILLION.
'CAUSE YOU'RE ADDING $1 MILLION EACH YEAR.
UM, OR IF YOU ADD A $1 MILLION PROJECT IN FISCAL YEAR 26, THAT REDUCES THAT, UM, THAT AMOUNT IN 2030 BY $1 MILLION.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS THE SCHEDULE FOR OUR CITIZENS BOND COMMITTEE, UM, WHICH WE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED.
UM, SO WE'D BE LOOKING TO HAVE, UH, COUNCIL APPROVE THE POTENTIAL QUESTIONS, UM, CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL QUESTIONS IN MAY.
AND THEN NOVEMBER IS WHEN STATUTORILY, THESE ELECTIONS MUST OCCUR.
SO THEY, THEY CAN'T OCCUR ON A PRIMARY ELECTION.
THEY MUST OCCUR IN A NOVEMBER ELECTION.
SO I WILL KICK IT OFF NOW TO RON FOR THE BUDGET PRIORITIES.
MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL, A COUPLE THINGS I WANTED TO GO THROUGH IN, UH, MARCH.
WE'RE GONNA GET TOGETHER AND GO OVER THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL LAY, UH, LAY OUT THE PRIORITIES FOR COUNCIL FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
IF WE WAIT TILL MARCH TO BEGIN THE BUDGET PROCESS TO REALLY GET INTO THE BUDGETS, I'M GONNA BE WAY, WAY BEHIND, AND WE'LL HAVE A BUDGET IN AUGUST.
SO, UM, THESE BASED ON DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD INDIVIDUALLY OR IN SMALL GROUPS OR, UH, DISCUSSIONS, UH, WE HAD A COUPLE STRATEGIC MEETINGS WITH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND JUST BASED ON WHAT I'VE KNOWN FROM THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE COUNCIL, THIS IS KIND
[01:15:01]
OF AS I BEGIN TO LAY OUT, UH, HOW WE SPEND THAT LITTLE BIT OF, OF MONEY, WHAT NEW PROGRAMS, WHAT NEW, UH, STAFF WE ADD, UH, WHAT DO WE FUND.UM, I, I TRIED TO PUT TOGETHER MY THOUGHTS AND I'M BEGINNING TO SEE A REAL SHIFT TOWARDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE'VE ALWAYS DONE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF TOURISM, A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, RETAIL, A LITTLE BIT OF EATERIES AND, UH, HELPING, UH, SOME OF THE SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND I REALLY SEE A, A NEW FOCUS.
UH, AND, UH, AGAIN, WE'LL CONFIRM THIS IN MARCH OF, UM, JOB GROWTH BEING OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, BRINGING JOBS TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PROVIDING JOBS AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES SO OUR RESIDENTS CAN GET AHEAD, UH, IN, IN, IN THEIR LIVES.
IF THEY CAN WORK, PLAY, UH, LEARN RIGHT HERE IN AVONDALE WITHOUT HAVING TO GET ON THAT 10, WE'RE JUST THAT MUCH BETTER OFF.
SO WHEN I LOOK AT THOSE THINGS, I REALLY SEE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, JOB GROWTH, BUSINESS ATTRACTION, AND THEN OF COURSE, CONTINUE TO BE BUSINESS FRIENDLY.
UM, HAD DISCUSSIONS TODAY WITH MY STAFF ON APPROVING AND, AND MOVING PROJECTS ALONG.
SOMETIMES WE GET HANDED A MESS.
UM, NOT EVERYBODY IS A GOOD PLAYER WHEN THEY WANT TO DO THINGS IN THE CITY, BUT NONE OF THAT MATTERS.
OUR TOP PRIORITY IS TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT COVER CUSTOMER SERVICE AND HELP THESE PROJECTS GET DONE THAT ADD VALUE TO OUR COMMUNITY, EITHER EATERIES OR REST, OR, UM, COMMERCIAL OR RETAIL OR JOBS OR TAX REVENUE.
WE WANNA HELP BRING THINGS THAT MAKE OUR COMMUNITY BETTER.
SO, REALLY, FOR ME, AS I, I LOOK AT THIS NEXT BUDGET, A BIG PRIORITY FOR ME THERE.
I KNOW THAT WORKING THROUGH THE, UM, BOULEVARD, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT MORE IN MARCH, UM, AGAIN, ENTERTAINMENT, FOOD, AND RETAIL.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE, UH, COUNCIL WAS, UH, APPROVING THE, UM, DATA CENTERS THERE ON AVONDALE BOULEVARD, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT, THAT THE COMMUNITY CAME OUT AND SAID, THEY WANT MORE EATERIES, THEY WANT MORE ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS, BIG PRIORITY FOR US.
PARKS AND REC CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY, UH, I BELIEVE FOR THIS COUNCIL.
AGAIN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, KEEP, EXPAND, ADD NEW.
UM, YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS TONIGHT.
I THINK PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, IS A, A TOP PRIORITY.
UH, PERSONNEL, EQUIPMENT, AND PROGRAMS. UH, WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN ALL OF THOSE SERVICES.
YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE SEEN ON YOUR CALENDAR AN INVITE.
I BELIEVE IT'S MONDAY MORNING.
UM, WE ARE, UM, CELEBRATING THE KICKOFF, OUR FIRST SET OF VEHICLES FOR THE POLICE TAKE HOME, A RIDE PROGRAM WHERE ALL THE OFFICERS, UH, WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE THEIR OWN TAKE HOME RIDE.
WELL, WITH SOME CAVEATS ALL AT ONCE AND, AND THOSE OTHER THINGS.
BUT I BELIEVE YOU'RE BEING INVITED, UH, MONDAY, EIGHT OR EIGHT 30 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IF YOU WANNA STOP BY AND HELP US CELEBRATE.
REALLY APPRECIATE COUNCIL'S DEDICATION TO THAT.
UM, CONNECTED COMMUNITIES, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT LATELY IS, UM, WHAT CAN WE DO TO CREATE A MORE ENGAGED COMMUNITY? WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET THE WORD OUT AND BE INVOLVED? AND SO THAT'S A, A PRIORITY, UH, PEERS HERE SOMEWHERE.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT PEER, IT'S ABOUT ALL OTHER DEPARTMENTS, WHETHER IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY OR, OR, UH, MULTI, UH, MEDIA PEOPLE, UH, THROUGHOUT, OR WHETHER IT'S, UH, JODY IN AVONDALE CONNECT AND ALL THE PROJECTS, OR KIM AND THE PROJECTS SHE HAS GOING ON R KIRK.
UM, GETTING, UH, MORE INVOLVED.
AND THEN OF COURSE, I BELIEVE THIS COUNCIL IS DEDICATED TO PROVIDING SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY, WHETHER THAT'S SONAR OR THE BRIDGE HOUSING OR ALL THE OTHER, UH, GREAT THINGS YOU HAVE.
BUT WHEN I BEGAN TO, TO LOOK THROUGH WHAT I NEEDED TO FOCUS ON, THESE WERE THE THINGS THAT, THAT CAME TO MIND.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? OR COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK? UH, MOVING ON.
UM, SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, SO I'LL GO REAL FAST, GET YOU GUYS OUTTA HERE.
UM, THE PERSONNEL, UM, WE CONTINUE TO BE, UM, DEDICATED TO THAT.
UH, WE'RE IN YEAR TWO OF THE FIRE, MOU WE'LL IMPLEMENT THAT.
WE'LL BEGIN NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE NEXT ONE IN THE FALL.
OH, TRACY'S NOT HERE TO SMILE, BUT, UM, TRACY'S LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO MEET WITH, UH, POLICE, UM, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, UH, HR, ANDY AND, UH, RENEE, I BELIEVE HELP LEAD THE, UH, BENEFITS TEAM COMMITTEE AS WE, WE LOOK AT WAYS TO ATTRACT OUR, UM, UH, FOLKS.
UM, JUST AS A REMINDER OF WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR.
WHEN I STARTED TWO YEARS AGO, WE WERE AVERAGING OVER A HUNDRED VACANCIES, UH, UH, ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UH, THIS MORNING'S REPORT SHOWED 43 VACANCIES, UM, THAT IS LESS THAN A 5% VACANCY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, WE ARE AT AN 8%, UH, VACANCY FOR SWORN OFFICERS.
UM, SO I THINK WE CONTINUE TO BE, UH, UH, HIGHER THAN WE WANT, BUT LOWER THAN, UH, I, I'LL TAKE THAT NUMBER.
COMPARED TO MOST ANY OF OUR COMPETITORS, IT'S EIGHT OFFICERS, WHICH IS EIGHT OFFICERS.
SO WE ONLY HAVE A 5% VACANCY, UM, FOR, UH, THE POSITIONS, UH, SWORN POSITIONS.
YEAH, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT ONE IN FIRE.
2, 2, 2 VACANCIES IN IN FIRE AS SOME OF YOU ATTENDED THE RECENT RETIREMENT OF CASSIE.
UM, WE WRITE, UH, UH, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE IT.
UH, SO, AND THEN MAINTAINING CURRENT, UH, PROGRAMS,
[01:20:01]
I THINK SONAR, UH, AND THOSE KINDS OF PROGRAMS, HELPING THE ELDERLY, HELPING THOSE IN NEED WITH RENT ASSISTANCE AND, AND HELPING, HELPING ADMINISTER FEDERAL AND COUNTY PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO BE A PRIORITY FOR THIS COUNCIL.UH, WE WRITE, UM, I, I'VE, UH, IN THE BUDGET CREATED A STATUS QUO.
UM, I'VE NOT ADDED ANY, UH, RESOURCES.
I, I THINK WE'RE AT WHAT WE CAN AFFORD TO DO AT THIS POINT.
IF MORE EXPANSION IS NEEDED, WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT.
AND I'LL COME BACK TO COUNCIL.
UM, OVER THE LAST, UH, YEAR IT'S BEEN RUNNING.
BUT I THINK EVENTUALLY THERE'LL BE SOME POLICY DECISIONS ABOUT HOW MUCH OF THE GENERAL FUND SHOULD BE GOING TOWARDS WEW WRITE.
BUT THE BASE BUDGET I'M STARTING WITH IS FUNDING IT AT THEIR CURRENT LEVEL.
UH, AND OF COURSE, PARKS PROGRAMMING AND LIBRARIES.
WE CONTINUE TO DO GREAT THINGS THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NOTICED, BUT OUR CHRISTMAS LIGHTS WERE EVEN BETTER THAN THE YEAR BEFORE.
UM, I'VE CHALLENGED THEM TO KEEP DOING BETTER.
UM, COREY LOVES THOSE KINDS OF CHALLENGES.
WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE CONTINUE TO, UM, FUND AND DO A GREAT JOB.
ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE DO HERE.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO, TO FUND AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER.
REALLY TRYING TO STEP UP OUR GAME IN TRAILS.
YOU SAW THAT ON THE BOND COMMITTEE QUESTIONS.
YOU'VE SEEN THAT IN SOME OF THE PROJECTS.
WE GOT TWO UNDERPASSES GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
WE'VE APPLIED FOR A COUPLE YEARS WORTH OF GRANTS FOR THE BRIDGE FROM THE HIGHWAY TO, UH, FRIENDSHIP PARK.
UH, LIGHTING, I KNOW IS A PRIORITY FOR COUNCIL ON THOSE TRAILS.
UH, MAKING THEM MORE VISITORS, CREATING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, UH, BIRDWATCHING OPPORTUNITIES, ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS TO HELP CREATE A CONNECTED, UH, EDUCATED COMMUNITY THERE FOR PARKS.
BUT, UH, PRIORITY THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
AND THEN FOR ME, UM, AND I, AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM COUNCIL, WE NEED TO BE THE BEST AT WHAT WE DO.
WE NEED TO PROVIDE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE.
WE WANNA BRING JOBS, WE WANNA BRING BUSINESSES.
WE WANNA BRING OPPORTUNITIES HERE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, UH, KIM AND JODY ASK FOR THINGS BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING THEIR TAILS OFF WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPMENT, UH, PERMIT, UH, UH, REVIEWS, PLAN REVIEWS, INSPECTIONS.
THE NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS THOSE TEAMS DO IS JUST, UH, AMAZING AND THE PROBLEMS THAT THEY HAVE TO SOLVE.
SO WE HAVE LOTS OF STUFF GOING ON, UM, TO MAINTAIN THOSE, UH, CURRENT PROGRAMS. AND THEN, UM, NEWER EXPANDING PROGRAMS. WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BUSINESS ATTRACTION.
I THINK THAT, UM, JEN, SORRY, JEN, I'M RUNNING THERE FOR A MINUTE.
I THINK JEN IS A FINE ADDITION TO OUR TEAM.
I SEE CHERYL IN THE BACK, A GREAT, UH, UH, TEAM THAT THEY HAVE GOING ON THERE.
UM, BUT THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED SOME MORE RESOURCES TO CONTINUE TO DO, UH, WHAT THEY DO.
UM, I ALWAYS THINK WE CAN DO BETTER WITH INSPECTIONS AND REVIEWS AND TURNAROUND TIMES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, 'CAUSE OUR STAFF IS THERE IS, UH, WE DON'T HAVE CAPACITY.
WE ARE WORKING FULL STEAM AHEAD IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS THOSE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. UH, SONAR AND OTHERWISE SPECIAL EVENTS.
UH, PFAS, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ENOUGH ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S A DEPRESSING, I WAS HAVING A GREAT WEEKEND UNTIL I GOT THAT EMAIL.
AND THEN, UH, THE WASTEWATER, UH, TREATMENT PLANT.
UM, AS WE PLAN FOR THAT NOTE FOR THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, AGAIN, UM, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO FUND THAT.
UM, 'CAUSE EVEN ONCE WE BORROW THE MONEY, WE HAVE TO PAY THE DEBT BACK.
SO, UH, MY, UH, BUDGET PRIORITIES, WE'VE GONE THROUGH.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF THESE, SO I DON'T THINK I NEED TO REPEAT THESE.
UH, WE SET UP A PLAN, UH, KIRK, UH, $3 MILLION A YEAR, OR MAYBE THAT'S ROB.
WE SET UP 3 MILLION OF DOLLARS A YEAR FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS IN OUR CIP TO PUT TOWARDS PAVEMENT PRESERVATION.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO, TO, UM, WORK ON ALL OF OUR ROADS AND STREETS IN ADDITION TO ALL THE ONE-TIME SPENDING WE HAVE ON LIKE THE OLD TOWN PROJECTS OR AVONDALE BOULEVARD, OR IF THERE'S ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE HAVE TO DO, UM, LOWER BUCKEYE ROAD AND, UH, EL MIRAGE.
UM, THEN WE HAVE, UH, REPLACEMENT PROGRAMS. WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST, UH, BUDGET PROGRAM FOR OUR LARGE VEHICLES, WHETHER IT'S IN, UH, UTILITIES OR FIRE OR, UH, OTHER FACILITIES.
UM, I RECENTLY RECEIVED AN UPDATE FROM KIRK'S TEAM ON OUR VEHICLES AND, UM, HOW WE'RE GONNA GET ALL OF OUR VEHICLES UP.
UM, SEVERAL YEARS AGO BEFORE I GOT HERE, WE CREATED A PROGRAM CALLED GHOST VEHICLES.
AND SO THOSE WERE VEHICLES THAT WEREN'T OPERABLE ANYMORE, BUT WE COULD STILL USE 'EM.
AND, UM, SO THEY GOT USED, THEY GET REPAIRED, THEY'RE EXPENSIVE, AND THEY'RE NEEDED.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH A PROGRAM TO REPLACE THOSE.
TRASH TRUCK,
SO THE, THE GOOD NEWS IS KIRK, AND IF I HAVE THE DATES WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WAS OUT TWO YEARS.
WE WERE GONNA REPLACE THAT ONE.
IT WAS ALREADY ON THE CIP ONE YEAR TWO YEARS.
KIRK, HAROLD, ROB, HAROLD, WHEN, WHEN DID WE ALREADY HAVE THE, THE TRUCK THAT BURNED, IT WAS ALREADY IN THE CIP REPLACEMENT PROGRAM.
SO LUCKILY WE DO HAVE A, A ROBUST REPLACEMENT
[01:25:01]
PROGRAM.THESE TRUCKS DON'T LAST FOREVER, AND THEY'RE VERY EXPENSIVE, KIND OF LIKE SOME OTHER TRUCKS IN THE FLEET.
UM, AND SO WE WORK VERY HARD TO, TO GET THO THOSE REPLACED IT PROGRAM ANOTHER LARGE, UH, PART OF OUR BUDGET.
BUT TO DO ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE WANNA DO, WE NEED THEIR SUPPORT AND THEIR HELP AND THEIR PROGRAMS. ANOTHER DEPARTMENT THAT'S PROBABLY WORKING AT CAPACITY, UM, NEW INDOOR, UM, WE KIND OF STORAGE FACILITY.
I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THAT A WHOLE LOT, BUT REMEMBER LAST YEAR YOU GUYS AUTHORIZED A STUDY TO EVALUATE SPACE NEEDS? UM, RIGHT NOW AT THE MOSQUE, WE HAVE SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS WORKING IN HIS BUILDING.
WE WANNA GET THOSE FOLKS OUT OF THERE.
UH, WE WANNA CREATE A PLACE FOR PARKS, UH, UM, UH, FACILITIES.
WHERE'S JOEL? I THINK JOEL'S OUT HERE FOR THEM TO HAVE A PLACE TO PUT ALL THEIR STUFF.
SO WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE, UH, THAT'S A STRETCH.
WE STARTED THAT PROCESS VERY RECENTLY, RIGHT? THE, THE, UH, NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS, UH, IT'S IN ANOTHER CITY, BUT I WON'T SAY WHAT CITY HE LIVES IN.
COREY, THANKS FOR NOT LOOKING IN.
UM, MR. FEEL PROTECTED BY AVONDALE PD THOUGH.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND THE, UH, COURT JURY TRAINING ROOM OVER THERE AT THE COURTHOUSE.
SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT.
AND I DON'T NEED TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT PD MR. CORBIN.
UM, I SEE THAT WE HAVE NEW REQUESTS.
DO WE HAVE, UM, JUST TAKING A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE FOR LIKE FIRE, THEY HAVE STORE, THEY'RE STORING STUFF EVERYWHERE.
IS THAT A PART OF THEIR LINE ITEM OR IS THAT STORAGE GOING TO BE SEPARATED? LIKE, IS IT GONNA BE SEPARATE ADDITIONAL FIRE STORAGE AVAILABLE? NO.
UM, THERE'S, I THINK, UH, WE DON'T HAVE, STORAGE ISN'T SOMEONE TO HELP ME OUT.
THE STORAGE PROJECT DOES NOT INCLUDE FIRE.
UM, WHICH WOULD FREE UP A BAY, UH, IF WE DO THAT.
UM, THERE HASN'T BEEN A BIG, A BIG ASK FOR STORAGE AREA.
SO WHEN I GOT HERE, UH, WE NOTICED, UH, REMEMBER LARRY JUST GOT IN CHARGE WHEN I GOT HERE.
UM, WE FOUND, UH, UH, SEVERAL EMPTY SPACES NOT BEING UTILIZED.
AND WE ALSO FOUND SOME SPACES WHERE THERE'S SOME VERY OLD STUFF THAT WAS KEPT FOR A LONG TIME.
AND SO WE'VE DONE A, A, A BETTER JOB OF GETTING RID OF STUFF THAT WE DON'T NEED AND WE SHOULDN'T HAVE ANYMORE, AND CREATING SPACE.
WE ALSO MOVED SOME PERSONNEL, UH, FROM HIS ADMIN AREA TO, UH, FIRE STATION 1 73.
DO WE MOVE 'EM OUT THERE? ONE 70? YES.
WE MOVED SOME PEOPLE OUT THERE, UM, TO CREATE SPACE.
WE ALSO TOOK THE, UH, PUBLIC ROOM THAT WAS NEVER BEING USED AT 1 75, AND WE PUT SOME STORAGE IN THAT AREA.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE'LL BE A LITTLE BIT OF A STORAGE AREA AT THE, THE NEW FIRE STATION.
BUT IT REALLY HASN'T BEEN A, UH, A BIG ASK FOR STORAGE FROM FIRE, UM, THAT I'M AWARE OF.
UM, WE DEBATE THE, UH, SIZE OF THE NEW FACILITY.
UH, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THERE HASN'T, JUST TO BE TRANSPARENT, WE'RE ACTUALLY, I'M CURRENTLY WINNING THAT FIGHT, BUT I GOT A LONG WAYS TO GO TO, TO FINISH THAT FIGHT.
BUT, UM, I, I, AND AGAIN, NOBODY ASKED FOR IT.
I JUST WALKED AROUND AND I SAW THINGS STORED IN PLACES THAT SEEM AWKWARD TO ME.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT IN FIRE SAFETY, SO I JUST, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IT, WORKING THROUGH IT, WORKING THROUGH IT.
I, MY OBSERVATIONS ONLY NO, OVER THE, UH, LAST, UH, COUPLE OF YEARS, UM, WE'VE DONE, UH, WE, UH, CHIEF ROONEY HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB OF MAKING SURE OUR FIREFIGHTERS HAVE NON EXPIRED EQUIPMENT, UP TO DATE EQUIPMENT AND ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT THEY NEED.
UM, I GOT AN ASK FROM ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER ABOUT PD NEEDING SOME EQUIPMENT.
UM, UM, PROVIDING EQUIPMENT TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS, LET ALONE ALL EMPLOYEES, IS A PRIORITY FOR ME.
SO IF THERE IS A TRUE NEED, IF THERE IS SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO HAVE TO DO THEIR JOB TO BE SAFE, TO BE TRAINED, UM, IT'S A PRIORITY FOR US.
UH, THE, WHAT I DON'T THINK, THINK IT WAS LISTED ON HERE WAS THE TRAINING TOWER RIGHT HERE.
THE FIRE, THE FIRE TRAINING FACILITY.
WE HOPE TO FINISH THAT VERY SOON.
WE'LL HAVE SOME STORAGE AREA THERE, AND WE'LL HAVE SOME STORAGE AREA THERE.
NO, THAT IS THE NEW TRAINING TOWER GOING OUT IN THE MOSQUE AREA.
UH, THE PIT OUT THERE THAT HE WOULD RATHER IT NOT BE THERE, BUT, UH, THAT'S WHERE IT'S CURRENTLY GOING.
UM, YOU HAD ASKED, UH, IF I MAY, MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER, WHAT YOU ASKED, UH, PROBABLY A YEAR AGO ABOUT REPELLING.
UM, THIS TOWER WILL ALLOW THEM TO TRAIN ON REPELLING.
UM, I HAPPENED TO RUN INTO ONE OF THEIR TECHNICAL CREWS PROBABLY A WEEK AGO, AND WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, ME GETTING OUT THERE AND GETTING TO PRACTICE ON IT.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
BUT MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER SL QUESTION FOR YOU.
UM, ARE ALL OUR FIRE ENGINES IN A COVERED PLACE RATHER THAN BEING STORED OUTSIDE? OR DO THEY, BECAUSE I, AND IT MAY JUST BEEN, MAYBE THEY'RE JUST PARKED THERE OUTSIDE, BUT A VEHICLE OF THAT CALIBER, UM, NOT BEING COVERED AND EXPOSED
[01:30:01]
TO ELEMENTS, UM, JUST KIND OF SO STICKS OUT THERE WHEN VISITING OTHER FIRE STATIONS AND THEN VISITING OTHER TOWNS WHEN WE'RE OUT SERVING NATIONALLY ON THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THOSE VEHICLES COVERED.IS THERE A POSSIBILITY FOR MAYBE STORAGE AT THE MOSQUE TO MAKE AROUND THE AREA FOR THAT? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.
UH, VICE MAYOR, COUNCILOR
SO, UM, THEY ALL HAVE A BAY TO GO INTO, INCLUDING, WE ALLOW THE ASSOCIATION TO KEEP THE OLD, UH, FIRETRUCK IN ONE OF OUR BAYS.
ONE OF THE, UM, UH, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT 1 76, THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY BUS, UH, FACILITY IN ALAMAR IS, I HAD, UH, CHIEF ROONEY CREATE A, UH, MAP OF ALL OF OUR VEHICLES AND ALL HIS DESIRED VEHICLES THAT HE, HE WANTS, AND WE PUT 'EM IN A, IN A, IN A PLACE TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING THAT WE AGREE IS NEEDED IS STORED INDOORS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? BECAUSE I THINK, I THINK THAT THIS IS NOW WHERE ROB GETS TO, TO FINISH UP, UM, JUST, BUT I GUESS I CAN WHILE I'M HERE, RIGHT? DO YOU MIND, ROB, IF I WRAP, WRAP IT UP.
WE HAVE THE DEPARTMENT HEAD MEETINGS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE GONNA BRING UTILITY RATES, UH, BACK TO COUNCIL, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE PFAS AND TO THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
UM, WE HAVE JUST ONGOING INFLATION AND PROJECTS.
REMEMBER, TWO YEARS AGO, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WERE HERE, WE CAME BACK WITH A TWO YEAR PLAN.
SO WE'LL KIND OF TRY TO DO THE SAME KIND OF THING, UM, AND, UM, AND PRESENT THAT, UH, TO COUNCIL.
UM, WE ALSO WILL BE BRINGING, IT'S NOT ON HERE, WE'LL BE BRINGING BACK THE IMPACT FEE ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL FOR IMPACT FEES FOR WASTEWATER.
UM, AND WILL WE BE DOING, UM, SO I DON'T SEE IT LISTED, WILL WE BE DOING SOLID WASTE AS WELL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT UTILITY RATES? YEAH.
SO THAT WILL ALSO INCLUDE SOLID WASTE RATES, AS YOU KNOW, UH, HERE NEXT WEEK.
UH, THE SCHEDULES CHANGE NEXT WEEK.
HAROLD, YES, GIVE A THUMBS UP NEXT WEEK.
THE SCHEDULE CHANGE, THAT'S AN EFFORT TO MAKE US MORE EFFICIENT.
UM, SO WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING, TRYING ALL SORTS OF THINGS TO, TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO SPEND THE LEAST AMOUNT OF MONEY AND TO PROVIDE THE BEST, UH, QUALITY OF SERVICE.
BUT ALL OF THOSE WILL BE COMING BACK, UH, TO COUNCIL IN MARCH.
WE HAVE A WORK SESSION ON THE BUDGET IF NEEDED, WHICH PROBABLY WILL BE NEEDED, UH, SHORTLY AFTER THE, UH, RETREAT.
UM, AND THEN IN APRIL, THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET IS PRESENTED TO COUNCIL TENTATIVE BUDGET ADOPTION, FINAL BUDGET ADOPTION.
ALL ALONG THE WAY, UM, COUNCIL CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, UH, REPRIORITIZE, REDIRECT, AND, AND GIVE US FEEDBACK TO FIX ALL ALONG THE WAY.
UH, ROB, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK I HAVE THIS RIGHT MAY OF THE, UH, ADOPTION OF THE TENTATIVE BUDGET SETS OUR MAXIMUM SPENDING, UH, ALLOTMENT, UH, UH, CAP.
SO AFTER THAT APPROVAL, WE CAN NO LONGER SPEND MORE MONEY THAN IS APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
YOU CAN MAKE INTERNAL CHANGES AS LONG AS IT TOTAL BUDGET DOES NOT INCREASE.
AND THEN WE BRING BACK THE FINAL BUDGET, UH, IN JUNE.
I BELIEVE STATE LAW REQUIRES IT TO BE ADOPTED BY JULY SOMETHING, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
WITH THAT, YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR DIRECTORS HERE, UH, SEVERAL APPOINTED OFFICIALS.
UH, WE'RE HERE TO HAPPY, UH, TAKE QUESTIONS, ANSWER QUESTIONS.
UH, IF, IF I MAY, UH, REAL QUICK, NOT MORE OF LESS OF A QUESTION, JUST KIND OF MORE COMMENTS, UH, FOR COUNCIL THAT, UH, I HAD THE, UH, PLEASURE THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO MEET ONE-ON-ONE WITH EACH DIRECTOR, UH, PRIOR TO THE, UH, HOLIDAY BREAK.
AND, UM, I GOTTA SAY THAT IT WAS A REALLY EYE-OPENING EDUCATION.
I DID IT MORE, UM, TO BE IN LINE WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT WILL OCCUR DURING THE RETREAT IN MARCH.
BUT I GOTTA TELL YOU THAT IT REALLY LINES UP WELL, IN ADDITION TO NOT ONLY STRATEGIC PLANNING OPPORTUNITY, BUT TO THIS BUDGET DISCUSSION AS WE LOOK AT, WHICH WAS MENTIONED BY, UM, CITY MANAGER CORVIN, UH, CAPACITY, THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT HERE I CAN ATTEST BASED ON CONVERSATION, AND I KNOW YOU'RE ALL VERY FULL AWARE, UH, THAT THEY'RE ALL WORKING AT, UM, NOT ONLY CAPACITY, BUT IN SOME CASES I WOULD SAY MAX CAPACITY.
UH, WHETHER IT BE RELATED TO, UM, UH, FULL-TIME OR SOME SORT OF ASSISTANCE REGARDING EMPLOYEES, EQUIPMENT, TECHNOLOGY, ALL OF THE ABOVE.
UM, AND SO WHAT I PLAN ON DOING WITH THAT IS TO PROVIDE EACH ONE OF YOU WITH A SUMMARY OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
AND I REALLY INTENDED TO HAVE IT TODAY.
I DID NOT HAVE IT CR UH, FINISHED ON TIME, BUT I WILL PASS IT OUT TO EACH ONE OF YOU SO THAT YOU ARE, UH, OR THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, PROVIDE IT TO YOU SO THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF NOT ONLY WHAT THE STRATEGIC GOALS ARE OF EACH DEPARTMENT, BUT HOW THEY FIT AND ALIGN WITH SOME OF THE BUDGET DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD TODAY.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY ALIGN THEMSELVES VERY WELL.
UM, AND, UH, JUST BASED UPON SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU MADE, UH, UH, RON, AND WHAT'S BEEN MENTIONED BY SEVERAL OF THE DEPARTMENTS HERE
[01:35:01]
IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, I I REALLY THANK YOU.I KNOW COUNCIL REALLY THANKS YOU ON JUST HOW HARD, UH, YOU WORK AND HOW DEDICATED YOU ARE TO THE CITY.
AND IF RESIDENTS ONLY KNEW JUST HOW MUCH, UH, YOU PRIORITIZE OUR RESOURCES, UH, AND DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE, UM, THEY WOULD BE, UH, VERY PLEASANTLY, UH, SURPRISED, UM, TO, TO LEARN JUST HOW EFFECTIVE YOU ALL ARE AT MANAGING YOUR DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO I WANNA SAY PERSONALLY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THAT YOU SPENT WITH ME OVER THAT, THAT DURATION.
UM, AND I, AS I MENTIONED TO YOU THEN, COUNSEL WILL BE GETTING A SUMMARY OF ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT IS PROVIDED.
AND I KNOW THAT AS A, AS A POLICY MAKING BODY, IT IS OUR JOB TO NOT ONLY PROVIDE OUR RESIDENTS WITH THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE AND UH, ORGANIZATION AS POSSIBLE, BUT YOU ALL WITH THE RESOURCES THAT YOU NEED.
AND SO I HOPE THAT IN ONE SMALL PART, THAT THAT SUMMARY WILL, WILL JUST KIND OF REINFORCE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE ALL SHARED WITH ME AND THAT I COULD BE A CONDUIT TO SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND SO AT THAT, FOR, AT THIS TIME, IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL THAT WE HAVE OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE TO ANY MEMBER OF THE DEPARTMENTS? WE DID HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION, RON, ON THE MAINTENANCE PART OF IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER SOLORIO ON THE MAINTENANCE PART OF THE BUDGET, WHEN THEY'RE TALKING MAINTENANCE, NOT ONLY THAT'S KIRK'S VEHICLES, RIGHT? BUT THAT'S ALSO ANY LIKE FIRE VEHICLES, POLICE VEHICLES, THAT INCLUDES ALL OF IT.
MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER SELLER.
WE HAVE A, A IF THE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COST THRESHOLD IS, BUT ANY OF OUR LARGE ITEMS ARE ON A REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE.
AND THAT'S, UH, ROB, CORRECT IF I'M WRONG, BUT THAT'S IN OUR BASE BUDGET.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST, IT INCLUDES WHAT WE EXPECT TO REPLACE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
AND ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER ASKED ME ABOUT WHEN DO WE ORDER THAT, UH, WE ORDER THAT AS SOON AS IT OPENS UP.
SO OUR VENDORS USUALLY HAVE A WINDOW.
AND SO WE TRY TO GET INTO THE FRONT OF THAT LINE WHEN WE CAN.
YOU OFTEN KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE COME BACK TO COUNCIL MARCH, APRIL AND ASK FOR PERMISSION TO PURCHASE THE ITEMS EARLY.
JUST BECAUSE I REMEMBER BEFORE YOU WERE HERE WITH CHARLENE BEING HERE IN THE FIRE TRUCK THAT WAS ORDERED, AND SHE HAD SAID THAT THAT WAS A PRIORITY, BUT IT WAS ON ORDER.
SO THAT'S WHY I FIGURED TO ASK MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER SRO, I, I BELIEVE WE HAVE TWO NEW FIRE TRUCKS IN TOWN.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT QUITE USABLE YET, BUT THEY'RE IN TOWN.
THEY'RE GETTING, UH, UM, THEY'RE GETTING ALL THE DECALS ON 'EM.
THEY'RE GETTING ALL THE, UH, INSPECTIONS DONE AND BE SOME EQUIPMENT.
AND WE'VE ALREADY PURCHASED, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THESE, THESE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DUE THE MATTER OF APRIL.
AND, UH, BUT TO GET IT IN SERVICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE WILL INVITE YOU ALL FOR THE CEREMONY.
CAN I, UM, NO, THEY WON'T LET ME DRIVE IT ANYMORE.
VICE MAYOR, JUST A QUESTION THAT POPPED INTO MY MIND.
SO YOU'VE GOT THE NEW VEHICLES COMING IN AND WHATEVER IT IS, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OLD ONES? DO THEY GET RETIRED? DO THEY GET SHOVED TO ANOTHER COMMUNITY OR SOMETHING TO GET, THEY GET PUSHED OUT, PUSHED OUT.
MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, UH, COUNCILOR GARCIA AND I GET TO DRIVE HIM AROUND TOWN FOR A WHILE,
UM, SO MANY THINGS CAN HAPPEN.
EVENTUALLY THEY GET, UH, SOLD OFF, AUCTIONED OFF.
WE HAVE A WAY OF GETTING RID OF THEM.
IN THE MEANTIME THOUGH, IF THEY'RE, UH, UM, USABLE, WORKABLE, UM, WE HAVE A BACKUP ONES WE KEEP AROUND FOR, UH, BACKUPS.
THEY, THEY GO DOWN PERIODICALLY FOR REPAIR, FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE.
AND SO IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE, UM, A FEW, UH, BACKUPS.
WELL, MR. MAYOR, COUNSEL, UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION WITH YOU ON OUR BUDGET.
SPECIAL THANKS TO ROB, KEITH, RENEE, WHO'S NOT HERE, RICK, FOR STEPPING IN AND THE TEAM AND ALL OF THE DIRECTORS WHO PUT IN THE WORK TO THE ASK AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY HAVE TO SHARE.
SO AGAIN, I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING MORE ABOUT THE BUDGET LATER ON.
[5. SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS FROM MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND COUNCILMEMBERS]
SO MUCH, RON.UH, LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE SUMMARY YOUR CURRENT EVENTS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA? I WENT TO, UH, BOTH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND IT'S AWESOME TO HEAR WHAT THEY WANT.
YOU KNOW, LIKE A THEME PARK, UM, YOU KNOW, RESORTS, BUT WHAT THEY WERE SAYING YOU ARE ALREADY DOING AND THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T KNOW IT.
SO I THINK UTILIZING SOCIAL MEDIA OR SOME LIKE MAYBE A CAMPAIGN WHERE YOU GUYS TELL THEM WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN YOUR DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
SO THEY KNOW THAT THESE THINGS ARE ALREADY HAPPENING.
I, THE PROGRAM, THE GATEWAY PROGRAM,
[01:40:01]
THIS GUY THOUGHT THAT HE HAD LIKE THE MOST AMAZING IDEA, YOU KNOW, TO GET LIKE THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED DOING IT, BUT WE ALL ARE ALREADY DOING IT, AND THEY DON'T KNOW THAT.SO IT, IT WOULD BE AMAZING TO SEE THAT OUT THERE THAT YOU ARE DOING THESE THINGS BECAUSE YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF IT, YOU KNOW, AND IT SHOULD BE SHOWN ON OUR SOCIAL, ON OUR NEWS MEDIAS AND ALL THAT STUFF.
AND ALSO WITH THAT, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ATTENDING THESE ARE ALL THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ALWAYS ATTEND IT.
SO WE NEED TO SOMEHOW FIND A WAY TO REACH PEOPLE WHO NEVER ATTEND THESE MEETINGS.
BECAUSE I THINK THE REASON WHY THE SOUTH OF AVONDALE, IT HAS BEEN DOING SO WELL BECAUSE THEY'RE SO ACTIVE.
THOSE ACTIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS REALLY FIGHT FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.
WHERE I LIVE ALL THE WAY NORTH AND I MIGHT BE ONE OF THE ONLY PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT EVEN KNOWS THAT WE HAVE A CITY COUNCIL THAT'S ACTIVELY WORKING ON REALLY GOOD STUFF.
SO MAYBE AN OUTREACH ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE FREEWAY TO GET MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE TO SEE ALL THE STUFF THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO LICHFIELD OR GOODYEAR, BUT THEY HAVE IT ALREADY IN THEIR CITY.
UM, IT WAS REALLY EYE-OPENING.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SPEAKING MORE ABOUT IT IN MARCH, BUT YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB AND THE COMMUNITY JUST REALLY NEEDS TO HEAR WHAT AN AMAZING CITY WE LIVE IN.
UM, UH, FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE CITY OF TEMPE, UM, ON JANUARY 13TH, UH, TO CELEBRATE WITH THEM, UH, THE MLK UH, JUNIOR DAY.
IT WAS JUST REALLY INTERESTING, UM, BEING ABLE TO SEE THAT CULTURAL CELEBRATION AND, AND PARTICIPATE WITH THE TEAM THERE.
UM, THEY GAVE OUT GREAT AWARDS AND I WAS ABLE TO GET RECOGNIZED AS A MEMBER OF COUNCIL HERE.
I ALSO, UM, THIS PAST SATURDAY IN THE CITY OF PEORIA, I PARTICIPATED IN AN EVENT WITH DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY INCORPORATED.
THEY DID HUSTLE FOR THE HEART IN HONOR OF THIS, UM, HEART AWARENESS MONTH THAT STARTS ON FEBRUARY 1ST.
SO IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE, DON'T FORGET TO WEAR, UM, LADIES A RED DRESS ON FRIDAY.
CHECK ON YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS.
CHECK ON THEIR HEART AND MAKE SURE THEIR HEART AWARENESS IS THERE.
BUT I DID PROVIDE, UM, YOGA INSTRUCTION AND I DID THAT OUT HERE IN THE WEST VALLEY.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY I, UM, JUST WANTED TO SHARE AN ADDITIONAL APPOINTMENT THAT I RECEIVED.
UM, JUST THIS PAST FRIDAY, UM, A NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, I RECEIVED AN APPOINTMENT TO THE RACIAL EQUITY AND LEADERSHIP, UM, COUNCIL.
SO I WILL BE SERVING, UM, AT THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES LEVEL ON THAT ORGANIZATION.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE.
I WAS, UH, APPOINTED TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR NLC.
IT'S A FEDERAL ADVOCACY COMMITTEE, SO THAT WILL BE AMAZING TO PUT US ON THE MAP.
BUT ALSO TO TIE IN WITH THAT, I WAS APPOINTED FOR VICE CHAIR FOR THE SMALL CITIES COUNCIL, AND I WILL BE REPRESENTING A LARGER POPULATION.
'CAUSE THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT I SERVE WITH ARE GRANDVIEW, TEXAS OF 1,500, CHAD, BORN NORTH CAROLINA AND COLLEGE PARK, GEORGIA.
AND WE ARE AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.
SO THEY SAID, UM, WE WANT THAT.
THEIR EXACT WORDS WERE LIKE, WE WANT THAT AVONDALE TYPE OF MONEY TO HEARING THAT MANY PEOPLE.
AND BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
SO, UM, IT'LL BE GREAT BECAUSE THEY WORK NOT JUST IN ONE AREA.
THEY WORK IN PD, THEY WORK IN FIRE, AND THEY BRING THOSE IDEAS TOGETHER AND HELP SHAPE POLICY AND TAKE THAT TO DC AND THAT'S WHERE WE BRING OUR INFLUENCE IN FOR BIGGER THINGS TO HAPPEN ON THE HORIZON.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNSEL.
IF I CAN GET A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
I GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CONDI AND A SECOND.
THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE AND HAVE A GREAT NIGHT AND DRIVE SAFE.