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COUNCIL MEETING[1. ROLL CALL BY THE CITY CLERK]
REPORTER, THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF MARCH 24, 25, WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE JOIN ME IN A STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE, P OF ALL ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NAME NATION UNDER GOD IN INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.MARCELLA, CAN YOU DO ROLL CALL PLEASE? COUNCIL MEMBER CONDI HERE.
[a. Proclamation - Two Lights for Tomorrow]
FIRST IS WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM OUR CITY CLERK MARCELLA TO TALK ABOUT OUR TWO LIGHTS FOR TOMORROW.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I AM HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY TO INTRODUCE THE TWO LIGHTS FOR TOMORROW INITIATIVE.
IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD, AMERICA WILL TURN 250 YEARS OLD NEXT YEAR ON JULY 4TH, 2026, AND WE ARE JOINING THE NATION IN THE AMERICA TWO 50 CAMPAIGN.
THE TWO LIGHTS FOR TOMORROW INITIATIVE IS THE START OF THE NATIONWIDE CELEBRATION, BEGINNING WITH RECOGNIZING THE FAMOUS RIDE OF PAUL REVERE, WHICH OCCURRED OVERNIGHT ON APRIL 18TH THROUGH APRIL 19TH, 17TH 75.
THE TWO LIGHTS FOR TOMORROW ORIGINATED OUT OF A MULTI-STATE COLLABORATION THAT USES THE IMAGERY OF TWO LIGHTS SHINING 250 YEARS AGO AS A UNITED CALLING FOR CITIZENS NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE TO COMMEMORATE AND REMIND OURSELVES THAT OUR HISTORY IS ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER FOR A BETTER TOMORROW.
THROUGHOUT THE WEEK OF APRIL 14TH THROUGH APRIL 18TH, OUR LIBRARY TEAM WILL HAVE SOME FUN, PAUL REVERE CRAFT AND STORY TIME ACTIVITIES SCHEDULED.
ADDITIONALLY, WE'LL BE DISPLAYING TWO ROLL-UP BANNERS, ONE FOR EACH LIBRARY WITH IMAGERY OF THE TWO LIGHTS SHINING.
AND MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT AND I'LL PASS IT BACK OVER TO YOU MAYOR FOR THE READING OF THE PROCLAMATION.
IT'LL BE A PLEASURE TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION, WHEREAS THE CITY OF AVOR RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMEMORATING THE SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, A MILESTONE THAT EMBODIES OUR NATION'S FOUNDING IDEALS OF EQUALITY, LIBERTY, AND JUSTICE.
AND WHEREAS THE EVENTS OF APRIL 18TH, 1775 SIGNALED THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE IMMORTALIZED IN HENRY WADSWORTH'S LONGFELLOWS POEM, PAUL REVERE'S RIDE WITH THE FAMOUS PHRASE, ONE IF BY LAND, TWO IF BY SEA, THESE EVENTS WERE CALLED TO ACTION A BEACON OF LIGHT THAT RANG OUT ACROSS THE NATION.
AND WHEREAS 250 YEARS LATER, THE TWO LIGHTS FOR THE TOMORROW INITIATIVE, A NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN TO COMMEMORATE THE 250TH BIRTHDAY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO BE OBSERVED ON APRIL 18TH, 2025.
AND WHEREAS PART OF THE NATIONAL INITIATIVE TWO LIGHTS FOR TOMORROW, WE WILL DISPLAY TWO LIGHTS ON APRIL 18TH, 2025 TO HONOR AND DRAW INSPIRATION FROM PAUL REVERE'S HISTORIC RIDE TO UNITE AMERICANS IN REFLECTION, CELEBRATION AND SERVICE, AND ENCOURAGE A DAY OF SERVICE ON APRIL 19TH, 2025.
AND WHEREAS BY LIGHTING THESE TWO LIGHTS, WE CALL ON EVERYONE IN THE CITY OF AVONDALE TO JOIN TOGETHER IN SUPPORT OF ONE ANOTHER, TO SERVE EACH OTHER OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND NOW THEREFORE, I'M MIKE PINETA BY VIRTUE OF AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME AS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE, ARIZONA DO HEREBY A PROCLAIM THAT WE JOIN IN THE NATIONWIDE CELEBRATION OF THE TWO LIGHTS FOR TOMORROW INITIATIVE AND URGE ALL CITIZENS TO PARTICIPATE BY LIGHTING TWO LIGHTS TO HONOR THE PAST AND ELIMINATE THE PATH FORWARD FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
LET THESE LIGHTS SERVE AS A REMINDER OF THE STRENGTH OF OUR COLLECTIVE HISTORY AND THE ENDURING COMMITMENT TO THE VALUES THAT MAKE OUR NATION STRONG.
[b. Proclamation - Fair Housing Month (April)]
ITEM.UP NEXT AS WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION ON FAIR HOUSING MONTH, PRESENTED BY REGINA, OUR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER WITH NEIGHBORHOOD AND FAMILY SERVICES.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS REGINA MARETTE AND I'M THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER IN THE
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NEIGHBORHOOD AND FAMILY SERVICES SERVICES DEPARTMENT.I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO INTRODUCE APRIL AS NATIONAL FAIR HOUSING MONTH FAIR HOUSING MONTH IS A TIME TO CELEBRATE AND REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO THE PRINCIPLES OF FAIRNESS, EQUALITY, AND INCLUSION IN HOUSING.
THE FAIR HOUSING ACT WAS PASSED ON APRIL 11TH, 1968 AND REPRESENTS A LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ONGOING STRUGGLE TO ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION AND ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS TO HOUSING FOR ALL PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, RELIGION, SEX, FAMILIAL STATUS, OR DISABILITY.
DESPITE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS, DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING CONTINUES TO AFFECT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION PREVENTING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES FROM ACHIEVING THEIR DREAMS OF HOME OWNERSHIP, STABILITY, AND PROSPERITY.
IT IS OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY TO FOSTER COMMUNITIES WHERE EVERYONE CAN LIVE IN A SAFE, AFFORDABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE HOUSING FREE FROM BIAS, SEGREGATION, AND INJUSTICE.
LET THIS MONTH BE A TIME FOR REFLECTION, EDUCATION, AND ACTION TO FURTHER THE CAUSE OF FAIRNESS, JUSTICE, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MR. ROGER NELSON, CEO OF THE WEST AND SOUTHEAST REALTORS OF THE VALLEY TO ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION AT THIS TIME.
MAYOR, I WOULD LIKE TO PASS IT BACK TO YOU FOR THE READING OF THE PROCLAMATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WE WELCOME ROGER NELSON FROM WE SERVE AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO READING THIS FOR YOU OR FOR ON BEHALF OF US.
WHEREAS APRIL MARKS THE 57TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FAIR HOUSING ACT OF 1968, WHICH SOUGHT TO ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AND TO AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER HOUSING CHOICES FOR ALL AMERICANS.
AND WHEREAS THE NATIONAL POLICY OF FAIR HOUSING ENUNCIATES A POLICY WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE, COLOR, CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEX FAMILIAL STATUS AND HANDICAP AND ENCOURAGE FAIR HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL CITIZENS.
AND WHEREAS ONGOING EDUCATION, OUTREACH AND MONITORING ARE KEY TO RAISING THE AWARENESS OF FAIR HOUSING PRINCIPLES, PRACTICES, RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES, AND WHEREAS EQUAL ACCESS TO HOUSING CHOICES IMPACTS OUR CHILDREN'S ACCESS TO EDUCATION, OUR ABILITY TO SEEK AND RETAIN EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS, THE CULTURAL BENEFITS, WE ENJOY THE EXTENT OF OUR EXPOSURE TO CRIME AND DRUGS AND THE QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE WE RECEIVE IN EMERGENCIES.
AND WHEREAS ILLEGAL BARRIERS RELATED TO HOUSING, NO MATTER HOW SUBTLE DIMINISH THE RIGHTS OF ALL.
AND WHEREAS ONLY THROUGH CONTINUED COOPERATION, COMMITMENT AND SUPPORT OF ALL ARIZONANS CAN BARRIERS TO FAIR HOUSING BE REMOVED.
NOW THEREFORE, I, MIKE PINETA BY VIRTUE OF AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME AS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE, ARIZONA, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF APRIL, 2025 AS FAIR HOUSING MONTH IN AVONDALE AND IN THE PURSUIT OF THE SHARED GOAL AND RESPONSIBILITY OF PROVIDING EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
OH, ROGER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, ROGER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WHEN YOU, I KNOW YOU CAN TAKE A PICTURE WHEN YOU'RE DONE.
MR. MAYOR, UH, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
SOMETIMES WE THINK FAIR HOUSING IS, IS GONE, THAT EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE SAME WAY THAT'S SIMPLY NOT THE CASE.
AND WE AS THE WEST AND SOUTHEAST REALTORS OF THE VALLEY UNDERSTAND THAT THROUGH OUR EFFORTS, THROUGH DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND AND INCLUSION, THROUGH OUR EFFORTS, THROUGH FAIR HOUSING, WE WANT HOUSING FOR ALL.
AND I APPLAUD YOU AND THE COUNCIL IN THE CITY OF AVONDALE FOR TAKING THIS TIME TO RECOGNIZE THAT AND TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF HOMEOWNERS EVERYWHERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
UH, RON MARCELLO, WILL YOU BE TAKING A PHOTO AT ALL? WE CAN MR. MAYOR.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO STICK AROUND FOR A PHO, IF, UH, THEY WANTED TO STICK AROUND FOR A PHOTO, WE'LL DO ONE MORE PROCLAMATION AND THEN WE'LL ASK EM TO COME DOWN.
[c. Proclamation - Women's History Month]
NEXT ITEM RON.NEXT WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU TO READ A PROCLAMATION FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH IT BE MY PLEASURE.
WHEREAS WOMEN OF EVERY RACE, CLASS, AND ETHNIC BACKGROUND HAVE MADE HISTORIC CONTRIBUTE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GROWTH AND THE STRENGTH OF OUR NATION IN COUNTLESS RECORDED, IN UNRECORDED WAYS AND HAVE SERVED AS EARLY LEADERS IN THE FOREFRONT OF EVERY MAJOR PROGRESSIVE SOCIAL CHANGE MOVEMENT.
AND WHEREAS WOMEN HAVE PLAYED AND CONTINUE TO PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, AND SOCIAL FEARS OF LIFE BY CONSTITUENT A, UH, SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE LABOR FORCE WORKING BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE HOME.
AND WHEREAS WOMEN HAVE HISTORICALLY PROVIDED THE MAJORITY OF THE VOLUNTEER LABOR FORCE ACROSS THE NATION CONTRIBUTING TO ITS STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE AND WHEREAS WOMEN WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF EARLY
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CHARITABLE, PHILANTHROPIC AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THAT CONTINUE TO SHAPE OUR NATIONS TODAY.AND WHEREAS WOMEN HAVE COURAGEOUSLY SERVED OUR COUNTRY IN THE MILITARY DEMONSTRATING VALOR, DEDICATION AND SERVICE.
AND WHEREAS WOMEN HAVE BEEN LEADERS NOT ONLY IN SECURING THEIR OWN RIGHTS TO SUFFRAGE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, BUT ALSO IN THE ABOLITIONIST MOVEMENT, THE EMANCIPATION MOVEMENT, THE INDUSTRIAL LABOR MOVEMENT, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, AND OTHER PIVOTAL MOMENTS WHICH HAVE ALL CONTRIBUTED TO CREATING A MORE JUST AND EQUITABLE SOCIETY FOR ALL.
AND WHEREAS THE THEME FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH 2025 IS MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER WOMEN EDUCATING AND INSPIRING GENERATIONS, WHICH CELEBRATES THE COLLECTIVE STRENGTH AND INFLUENCE OF WOMEN WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO EDUCATION, MENTORSHIP, AND LEADERSHIP THROUGH THEIR EFFORTS, THEY HAVE SERVED AN INSPIRATION FOR ALL GENERATIONS, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT.
AND WHEREAS IT IS VITAL TO CONTINUE TO LEARN ABOUT AND CELEBRATE THESE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS, EVEN AS THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN HISTORY HAS OFTEN BEEN OVERLOOKED IN THE LITERATURE TEACHING AND THE STUDY OF AMERICAN HISTORY.
NOW THEREFORE, I, MIKE PINETA BY VIRTUE OF THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE, ARIZONA DUE HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 25TH, 2025 AS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND URGE ALL RESIDENTS TO CELEBRATE THE CONTRIBUTIONS WOMEN HAVE MADE TO THE UNITED STATES AND RECOGNIZE THE SPECIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS WOMEN HAVE MADE THROUGHOUT HISTORY.
SINCE, UM, WE HAD A PICTURE UP THERE, I WANTED TO TO RECOGNIZE, UH, MANY OF OUR DIRECTORS AND ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, BUT UM, SOME OF OUR DIRECTORS AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT, SO I THINK IT'D BE REALLY NICE IF ALL OF OUR WOMEN LEADERS FOR THE CITY OF AVONDALE TAKE A STAND.
YES, PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED.
OKAY, AND AT THIS TIME, MAYOR, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE PHOTO.
IF COUNCILOR DO MIND JOINING ME DOWN BELOW FOR A PHOTO.
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OKAY.[3. UNSCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCES]
NEXT ITEM IS UNSCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCES AND I DO HAVE SEVERAL HERE OF FOLKS WHO WILL BE COMING UP TO THE, UH, TO THE PODIUM TO SPEAK.MARCEL, I I ALSO SEE THAT THERE'S SEVERAL THAT YOU'LL BE READING, UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE, UM, A COUPLE OF, OF NOTES TO THOSE WHO WILL BE COMING UP.
THE FIRST AND FOREMOST IS THAT WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO RESPOND, UH, FROM THE DAAS TO THOSE OF YOU UP, UM, AT THE PODIUM.
AND SO I KNOW THAT IN THE PAST THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL QUESTIONS DIRECTED TO US AND BY NO MEANS IS IT THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO ANSWER YOU.
IT'S JUST PROCEDURE THAT WE DON'T RESPOND FROM THE DAAS ITSELF.
THE SECOND IS, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT AWARE, TOMORROW EVENING WE WILL BE HOLDING, UH, AN EXECUTIVE SESSION WHERE WE WILL BE DISCUSSING, UH, MUCH OF THE NATURE, UH, SURROUNDING WHAT SEVERAL, SEVERAL OF YOU'RE HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT TONIGHT.
AND SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE THAT WE ARE AWARE AND THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING PROCESS AND PROCEDURE.
SO THOUGHT I WOULD START WITH THAT.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET ME CALL UP THE FIRST SPEAKER.
ACTUALLY I'M GONNA CALL THE FIRST UP AND THEN THE SECOND WHO WILL BE AFTER.
UM, SO FIRST IS GOING TO BE UH, THERESA DESANTE AND THEN AFTER THERESA WILL BE LINDA YEAGER AND I HOPE I PRONOUNCED THAT THAT NAME CORRECTLY.
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COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME IS THERESA DESANTE AND I RESIDE IN DALE.IT WAS APPARENT AND QUITE OBVIOUS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA USED HER EMPLOYER TURNING POINT FOR HER COMPANION, FOR HER COMPANION, HER COMPANION.
I'M NOT SAYING IT RIGHT, HER COMPANION, BUT ANYWAYS, IT WAS ALSO VERY CLEAR THAT SHE ALSO USED TURNING POINT TO HELP ELECT COUNCILWOMAN SHERRY WISE AND MAYOR PINETA.
I HOPE THAT BOTH THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCILWOMAN WISE WILL NOT ALLOW COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA ASSIST IN GETTING ELECTED INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION TO UPHOLD THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA IS NOW USING TURNING POINT TO PUSH FOR THE RECALL OF A FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBER IN MESA SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY VOTED FOR RUBEN GALLEGOS.
YET SHE PREACHES FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH HERE ON THE COUNCIL.
SHE SHOWS A LACK OF RESPECT FOR HER POSITION AND FOR THE CITIZENS OF AVONDALE.
ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE SITTING BEHIND ME ARE TURNING POINT EMPLOYEES AND BEING PAID TO BE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU'RE NOT FROM AVONDALE.
GO AHEAD, RAISE YOUR HAND NOW IF YOU'RE ON THE CLOCK.
AND THAT'S MY RESPONSE OF THIS AND I THANK YOU.
VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS EXCEPT YOU GARCIA.
LINDA YEAGER AND AFTER LINDA IS VERONICA MALONE.
HELLO MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS LINDA YEAGER AND I PRESENTLY RESIDE IN LITCHFIELD PARK, BUT OWN PROPERTY IN AVONDALE, BUT I GREW UP IN AVONDALE FOR THE MOST PART OF MY LIFE.
IN FACT, FOR THE MAJORITY OF MY LIFE AND CONSIDER AVONDALE HOME, AVONDALE HAS IN PLACE POLICIES, REGULATIONS, ET CETERA THAT ALL AVONDALE RESIDENTS MUST ABIDE BY.
IF THEY DON'T, THEY ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE ACCORDINGLY.
ALSO, AVONDALE HAS IN PLACE POLICIES, REGULATIONS, ET CETERA THAT ALL AVONDALE EMPLOYEES, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR, ET CETERA, ARE REQUIRED TO AND SHALL ABIDE BY HOWEVER GARCIA FEELS SHE IS EXEMPT FROM THESE POLICIES.
GARCIA VIOLATED AVONDALE'S CODE OF CONDUCT BY USING HER TITLE AS AVONDALE COUNSEL.
MEMBER DISPUTE LIES REGARDING TOM HANKS GARCIA WILL HAVE YOU BELIEVE THAT SHE WAS MERELY CALLING TOM HANKS A FART, MEANING PETAL AND SPANISH GARCIA, PLEASE DON'T INSULT THE AVONDALE COMMUNITY WITH YOUR LIES.
YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE DOING.
THE OXFORD LANGUAGES AND DICTIONARY STATE THE MEANING OF PETAL AS PEDOPHILE GARCIA.
SHOW A LITTLE DIGNITY, DO THE RIGHT THING, RESIGN.
I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU WHO SIT IN THOSE SEATS AREN'T OF THE DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO MINDSET.
ONE MORE THING, GARCIA, I COMMEND YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AS I COMMEND THE GENERATIONS IN MY FAMILY FOR THEIR SERVICE, WORLD WAR II, KOREA, VIETNAM, DESERT STORM, AFGHANISTAN, AND THOSE WHO ARE STILL IN THE MILITARY SERVING.
VERONICA MALONE, AFTER VERONICA, ROBIN VELAZQUEZ.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
MY ADDRESS IS 1 1 5 7 8 WEST YUMA STREET, AVONDALE, ARIZONA 8 5 3 2 3.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE A A MOMENT TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS REGARDING SOME OF THE ARTICLES I'VE READ ABOUT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GARCIA.
WHILE I FULLY UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT THE IMPORTANCE OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS OPINIONS, I WANT TO SHARE MY PERSPECTIVE AS A COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, WHEN I SERVED DURING MY TIME IN OFFICE, I WAS ALWAYS MINDFUL THAT WORDS CARRIED A LOT MORE WEIGHT THAN OTHERS.
AND BECAUSE AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, I REPRESENTED EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
BEING IN A NONPARTISAN POSITION AND TAKING THE OATH OF OFFICE MEANS UNDERSTANDING THAT MY ACTIONS AND MY OPINIONS MUST
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REFLECT AND COMMITMENT TO ALL RESIDENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR BACKGROUND OR THEIR POLITICAL AFFILIATION.I KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT WORDS MATTER.
WHILE YOUR POST ON YOUR PERSONAL OPINION, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER HOW THEY MAY IMPACT THE PERCEPTION OF AVONDALE.
NEGATIVE RHETORIC CAN POTENTIALLY AFFECT DEVELOPERS, BUSINESSES AND EVEN AVONDALE RESIDENTS OR OR AV OR RESIDENTS WHO MAY HESITATE TO CALL AVONDALE HOME.
DURING THE BRIEF TWO MONTHS THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE RIGHT ALONGSIDE YOU, I ENCOUNTER SOMEONE WHO WAS KIND AND READY TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
HOWEVER, OUR COMMUNITY MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO FULLY EXPERIENCE THAT YET.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE NATURE OF SOME OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA COMMENTS THAT SPEW A HATE OR ALWAYS CALLING OUT FOLKS MIGHT HINDER SOME MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY FROM SEEING YOU AS APPROACHABLE AND OPEN TO DIALOGUE.
THE RES UH, THE RECENT POSTS ON FACEBOOK FROM YOU AND, UM, I QUOTE THANK YOU AVONDALE EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT.
YOU ALL HAVE BEEN SO KIND FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC WORKS, REC, FIRE AND POLICE COULD IMPLY THAT ENDORSING YOUR ACTIONS, WHICH DOESN'T REFLECT WELL ON THE CITY.
IF ANY POLICIES OR PROCESS HAVE BEEN CHANGED, PEOPLE WILL ASSUME IT'S BECAUSE OF YOUR INFLUENCE AND THAT STAFF WON'T CHA, UM, CHALLENGE YOU.
LEADING TO THE CONCERNS OF LACK OF SEPARATION OF POWER, WHEN I REACHED OUT TO YOU, I EXPRESSED MY GENUINE WELL WISHES FOR YOUR SUCCESS.
ALTHOUGH WE MIGHT NOT SHARE THE SAME VALUES, I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ALWAYS A COMMON GROUND WE WE FIND WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL, MS. GARCIA AVONDALE IS SUCCESSFUL.
MY HOPE IS THAT THE NEXT TIME I READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT YOU, IT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPACTFUL AND INSPIRING COUNCILWOMAN I KNOW YOU'RE CAPABLE OF BEING.
LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL'S CODE OF CONDUCT, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY A FRAMEWORK FOR GOVERNING BODY.
AND AS A LEADER OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE, AS LEADERS OF THE CITY OF AVONDALE, IT IS CRUCIAL THAT YOU TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY OF PUTTING THE STANDARDS SET FORTH IN THE CO CODE OF CONDUCT ENSURES THAT YOU MAINTAIN INTEGRITY, RESPECT TO PROFESSIONALISM AS PUBLIC SERVICES, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS.
IT'S EQUALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE IN THESE STATEMENTS.
WE HAVE SO MUCH WORK TO DO IN AVONDALE AND I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO IT AND WE JUST NEED TO GET PAST THIS.
THEN AFTER ROBIN WALTER, GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS ROBIN VELASQUEZ AND I'M A PROUD FOURTH GENERATION RESIDENT OF AVONDALE.
MY FAMILY MOVED TO COLD WATER 97 YEARS AGO IN 1928 THEY BUILT THE THIRD HOME IN THE TOWN AND WE AS A FAMILY CONTINUE TO HELP BUILD THE TOWN OF AVONDALE OVER MANY DECADES.
CLEARLY I HAVE DEEP ROOTS AND A VESTED INTEREST IN AVONDALE AND I REPRESENT GENERATIONS OF FAMILY MEMBERS AS WELL AS SEVERAL AVONDALE RESIDENTS THAT EXPRESSED TO ME THEY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE STATING THEIR CONCERNS OUT OF FEAR OF RETALIATION.
I COME TO YOU THIS EVENING WITH A VERY HEAVY HEART TO SPEAK ABOUT THE RECENT CONTROVERSY REGARDING COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA'S COMMENTS ON X FORMALLY TWITTER WITH REGARDS TO CALLING TOM HANKS A PETO.
I WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE WHEN I RECEIVED MULTIPLE CALLS, TEXTS, AND EMAILS FROM AVONDALE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERNS AND OUTRAGE.
WHILE WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT NONE OF US ARE RELATED TO OR EVEN KNOW TOM HANKS, THAT IS NOT THE POINT OF OUR OUTRAGE AT HER POST.
MANY OF US FEEL THAT AS A COUNCIL MEMBER YOU SHOULD HOLD YOURSELF TO A HIGHER STANDARD AND THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO POST THINGS ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PERSONAL ACCOUNTS THAT COULD BE SEEN AS VIOLATING AVONDALE'S CITY CODE COUNCIL OF CONDUCT.
THOSE OF US WHO ARE LATINA KNOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA'S LIE AND DENY APPROACH ABOUT THE PETTO COMMENT IS HER ATTEMPT TO AVOID TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT SHE REALLY MEANT.
WHILE I ABHOR ALL THE ATTENTION THIS CONTROVERSY HAS GOTTEN BECAUSE ELON MUSK SHARED COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA'S DEFAMATORY POST WITH HIS BILLIONS OF FOLLOWERS, MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THE FACT THAT SHE IS CLEARLY ATTEMPTING TO LIE HER WAY OUT OF THIS MESS BY USING THE LIE AND DENY APPROACH.
IN FACT, SHE'S MINIMIZING HER UTTER DISRESPECT FOR A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS HER DISRESPECT FOR ALL OF HER CONSTITUENTS BY ASSERTING HER RIGHT TO CAUSE ALL THIS UNNECESSARY DRAMA USING THE FIRST AMENDMENT DEFENSE INSTEAD OF ADMITTING HER MISTAKE AND ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS.
COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT SHE SAID AND MEANT WHEN SHE USED THE WORD PETTO TO DESCRIBE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AND USING GOD AND BEING A VETERAN IN HER DEFENSE DOES NOT EXCUSE BAD BEHAVIOR.
IN FACT, COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA MUST UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT ETHICS
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ARE GIVEN HER SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY AND TO GOD.I ASK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND VICE MAYOR, IF COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA CAN LIE ABOUT THIS, WHAT ELSE WILL SHE LIE ABOUT AND AT WHAT COST? HOW CAN ANY OF YOU OR ANY OF US TRUST COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA IF THIS IS HOW SHE DEALS WITH HER MISTAKES, UNLIKE MANY WHO HAVE COME TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU ALL ABOUT THIS ISSUE SO FAR.
I LIVE IN AVONDALE, I WORK IN AVONDALE, I PLAY IN AVONDALE AND I REPRESENT FOUR GENERATIONS OF AVONDALE CITIZENS AND I'M ASKING THE COUNCIL TO REPRIMAND AND OR CENTER COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA.
THEN AFTER WALTER, UH, MARY ALVARADO.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AS YOU KNOW, I'M A THIRD GENERATION RESIDENT OF OLD TOWN AVONDALE AND TONIGHT I AM HERE AGAIN, ONCE AGAIN WITH DISAPPOINTMENT BUT ALSO SOME HOPE.
HOPE THAT THIS COUNCIL WILL ACT WITH INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
I WANT TO BE REAL CLEAR THIS WHOLE COUNCIL, THIS WHOLE MANAGEMENT TEAM AND EVERYONE SITTING BEHIND ME KNOW EXACTLY WHAT GARCIA MEANT WHEN SHE POSTED WHAT SHE POSTED.
NOW WHETHER YOU WANT TO ADMIT IT OR DENY IT WILL JUST REFLECT THE INTEGRITY AND THE HONOR YOU YOURSELF HAVE AND THE SEAT YOU WERE ELECTED TO BY THE PEOPLE OF AVONDALE.
IT'S NO SECRET THAT ARE WORDS AND ACTIONS CAN AND DO COME WITH CONSEQUENCES NO MATTER WHAT TITLE, WHAT POSITION, WHAT POLITICAL AFFILIATION OR AMOUNT OF WEALTH THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES.
YES, WE ARE ALL HUMAN AND WE DO MAKE MISTAKES EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US DO.
COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA HAD TO TYPE OUT EACH AND EVERY WORD BEFORE POSTING HER COMMENTS.
SHE THOUGHT IT OUT BEFORE TYPING AND POSTING IT.
ALSO, I DO ADMIRE YOUR FAITH COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA.
I MYSELF, LIKE THE MAYOR'S PARENTS HAVE SPENT MANY TIME IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
IT'S A BLESSING TO KNOW AND LOVE JESUS, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT IF JESUS HAD A PHONE, HE WOULDN'T BE POSTING THE AWFUL HATEFUL AND DIVISIVE COMMENTS THAT COME FROM YOUR NOT SO PRIVATE ACCOUNT.
OKAY, MARY, AND AFTER MARY, WE HAVE ROGER RO.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I HAVE BEEN IN, UH, 11 2 3 5 WEST PICCADILLY ROAD FOR ABOUT NINE YEARS AND AS A RESIDENT OF AVONDALE, I FIND, UH, MEMBER, UH, THE BEHAVIOR OF MEMBER GARCIA SHOCKING.
IT'S NOT ONLY INCORRECT FOR A PERSON ELECTED TO A NONPARTISAN POSITION, BUT I ALSO FIND IT UNACCEPTABLE.
THE CITY OF AVONDALE DOES HAVE A CODE OF CONDUCT, SO WE'RE NOT WALKING IN THE DARK OR THIS IS NOT UNFETTERED, UH, TERRITORY.
THERE ARE CODES OF CONDUCTS FOR EVERYONE.
AND I QUOTE, THE CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES OF AVONDALE ARE ENTITLED TO HAVE FAIR, ETHICAL, AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT THAT HAS EARNED THE PUBLIC'S FULL CONFIDENCE AND TRUST IN THE ABILITY OF THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO ALWAYS ACT WITH HONOR.
I DO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS A MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT AND I AM PLEASED THAT THE COUNCIL IS TAKING IMMEDIATE ACTION TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE BECAUSE, UH, SUCH BEHAVIOR HAS NO PLACE IN THE CITY OF AVONDALE AND I HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL WILL DO THE RIGHT THING.
AFTER ROGER, WE HAVE JOSE HERNANDEZ MAYOR, VICE MAYOR.
COUNSEL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR WHAT THE VOICES HAVE BEEN SPOKEN TODAY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE ALL HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT.
WE'RE WE, WE DO, WE ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE OBLIGATIONS TO TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
AND HE HAS PROVISIONS IN HIS WORD THAT, WELL, I'D LIKE TO SHARE DEVOTION THAT WAS SHARED TO ME ON THIS ISSUE.
MATTHEW SEVEN, ONE, DO NOT JUDGE SO THAT YOU WILL NOT BE JUDGED.
WE ARE CONDITIONED TO BELIEVE THAT JUDGING EVERYTHING FROM FOOD TO PEOPLE IS A GIVEN.
RIGHT? WE ARE CONDITIONED TO BELIEVE
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WE ARE NOT ONLY TO HAVE AN OPINION ON EVERYTHING, BUT WE MUST EXPRESS THAT OPINION IS WHAT IS EXPECTED.JESUS AS USUAL TURNED EVERYTHING UPSIDE DOWN.
HE HAD JUST FINISHED A SECTION ON NOT WORRYING IN MATTHEW SIX.
NOW HE SAYS, DO NOT JUDGE SO OUR CONDITIONING TO THE WORLD'S WAYS TURNS UPSIDE DOWN.
THE WORLD SAYS WE ARE TO JUDGE.
JESUS SAYS, DO NOT JUDGE THE WORLD SAYS SOME PEOPLE ARE LESS THAN YOU AND YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THEY ARE LESS.
JESUS SAYS, ALL HAVE SIN AND FALLEN SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.
ROMANS 3 23, THE WORLD SAYS THOSE WHO CAN JUDGE SHOULD JUDGE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO BELITTLE OTHERS.
JESUS SAYS, LOVE GOD WITH ALL, WITH YOUR ALL AND LOVE OTHERS AS YOURSELF.
THERE IS A DOWNSIDE TO JUDGING AS THE WORLD DOES.
IF YOU JUDGE, YOU WILL BE JUDGED.
JESUS CONTINUES IN VERSE TWO, FOR IN THE WAY YOU JUDGE YOU WILL BE JUDGED AND BY YOUR STANDARD OF MEASURING IT WILL BE MEASURED TO YOU.
JESUS SAYS, LOOK AT YOURSELF REALLY SEE, SEE YOURSELF FOR WHO YOU ARE PROBLEMS AND ALL.
YOU WILL NOT JUDGE OTHERS IF YOU TRULY SEE YOURSELF.
YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUDGE ANYONE BUT YOURSELF.
AND GOD SAYS, DO NOT EVEN DO THAT.
HE IS THE ONLY ACCURATE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE HE LOVES YOU AND WILL RIGHTEOUSLY CORRECT YOU IF YOU CHOOSE TO LISTEN TO HIM.
PSALMS 51 10 CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART, OH GOD AND RENEW A STEADFAST SPIRIT WITHIN ME WHEN WE HAVE A HEAVENLY FATHER THAT PROVIDES US HIS GUIDANCE FROM THE TIME THAT HE CREATED THIS EARTH AND BREATHE HIS LIFE BREATH INTO EACH AND NEVER ONCE SINCE THE GARDEN OF EDEN.
WE'VE ALWAYS, WE'VE SEEN THAT THERE WAS TIMES THAT WE MADE CHOICES.
HE GIVES US HIS FREE WILL, BUT WE'RE NOT PERFECT.
AS GOD'S WORD SAID, WE ALL FALL SHORT OF GLORY.
GOD, BUT HE HAD, ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE'VE RECEIVED HIM IN OUR HEART IS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.
SO THE ONE THING THAT I THINK IN MY LIFE AND MY FAMILY IS TO MAKE UNDERSTANDING THAT IF I'VE RECOGNIZED THAT, THEN I NEED TO CONFESS AND REPENT AND, AND TURN FROM MY WAIST.
I'LL KEEP YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME.
AFTER JOSE, WE HAVE NATASHA EDMONDS.
HEY, GOOD AFTERNOON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MR. MAYOR COUNCILWOMAN GARCIA.
SO I'M GLAD TOM HANKS HAS HIS SUPPORTERS OUT HERE.
UH, I WAS ACTUALLY PERSONALLY IMPACTED, UH, BY MS. GARCIA, SO I'M GONNA READ WHAT SHE WROTE ABOUT ME IN RESPONSE TO PUTTING UP HER PUBLIC INFORMATION OFF THE AVONDALE CITY WEBSITE.
SO I WAKE UP THE NEXT MORNING TO SEE MY PHONE BOMBARDED WITH, UH, NOTIFICATIONS AND SOME THREATS, SOME PRETTY SERIOUS ONES.
SO IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME, I'M QUOTING MS. GARCIA IN HER IN HER TWITTER POST.
UH, IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME OR MY FAMILY, THIS PERSON IS THE FIRST PERSON TO LOOK FOR.
HE'S INSTIGATING IT AND GIVING OUT MY INFORMATION.
I'VE ALREADY RECEIVED THREATS TO ABDUCT MY CHILD.
THEN SHE GOES ON TO TAG THE PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT AND COUNCILWOMAN ELECT ANA HERNANDEZ FOR DISTRICT SEVEN IN PHOENIX.
UM, I DON'T, UH, AND IT CLAIMS THAT I WORK FOR ANA HERNANDEZ, WHICH I DON'T.
SO IN THE TIME SINCE, AND I, AND I EMAILED YOU GUYS SO YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH, UH, WITH WHAT HAPPENED HERE.
I EMAILED YOU GUYS AND SINCE THEN I'VE HAD TO MEET WITH CYBERSECURITY COMPANIES TO MAKE SURE MY INFORMATION AND MY FAMILY'S INFORMATION IS SAFEGUARDED.
I'VE HAD TO ADD MORE HOME SECURITY OPTIONS, UH, FOR MY FAMILY.
UM, I'VE HAD TO CHANGE MY PERSONAL AND WORK ROUTINES DUE TO THE THREATS JUST TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS AND I'VE TAKEN PRECAUTIONS DRIVING HOME WHERE I'M AT.
I'VE HAD TO CANCEL SOME MEETINGS THAT I HAD BOOKED AND I DIDN'T ATTEND A FEW PUBLIC, UH, EVENTS FOR, FOR ABOUT A WEEK OR SO.
SO IT IMPACTED ME PRETTY SEVERELY.
AND THOSE ARE HER ACTIONS, RIGHT? THIS IS WHAT SHE POSTED TO HER.
NOW YOU CAN SEE WHY I HAVE, I HAVE THREATS COMING IN.
SO, AND I READ THROUGH THE MINUTES AND I WATCHED THEM IN THE MEETINGS AND I'VE NOTICED THAT MS. GARCIA DID HAVE A FAIR SHARE OF VOCAL SUPPORTERS.
MOST OF THEM ARE ARE PAID BY TURNING POINT, WHICH IS KIND OF ODD AND NONE OF IT REALLY ADDRESSED HER ACTIONS AND NONE OF IT ADDRESSED THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY THAT SHE CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE.
SHE MADE DEFAMATORY STATEMENTS ABOUT ME.
MY SISTER ANA HERNANDEZ HAS DISRUPTED MY PERSONAL LIFE.
I ACTUALLY, I HAD A BROTHER THAT I LOST TO STATE VIOLENCE TO BY PHOENIX PD.
THAT LED TO A LOT OF TRAUMA WITH MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS AND I'M VERY CLOSE TO MY FAMILY.
I SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH THEM.
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I LIVE RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO MY, TO ONE OF MY SISTERS AND I I'M VERY INVOLVED IN THEIR LIFE AND THIS HAS CAUSED A LOT OF HAVOC IN OUR HOUSEHOLD.SO, YOU KNOW, SHE CONTINUES TO DO THIS.
SHE CONTINUES TO DEFLECT, SAY THIS LITTLE THING ABOUT FIVE DAYS LATER ABOUT, OH, IT'S ABOUT A FART, RIGHT? WHO ARE WE KIDDING HERE? SHE CONTINUES TO DO ALL THIS, NEVER TAKES ACCOUNTABILITY AND ALL SHE'S DOING IS DEMONSTRATING THAT SHE'S NOT FIT FOR PUBLIC OFFICE AND SHE'S NOT FIT TO SERVE THE RESIDENTS OF OF AVONDALE.
SHE DEFLECTS NO ACCOUNT ACCOUNTABILITY, HIDES BEHIND RELIGION, HIDES BEHIND HER SERVICE.
I GOT IMPACTED, RIGHT? AND, AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS TAKE THIS SERIOUS 'CAUSE I'LL BE HERE EVERY WEEK TALKING TO YOU GUYS AND SHE'S NOT FIT FOR OFFICE.
YOU GUYS NEED TO GIVE HER THE BOOT.
SHE COULD TRY AGAIN IN A FEW YEARS WHEN SHE RECT THIS ISSUE.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE FOR THE RECORD.
I AM THE WEST VALLEY NAACP CHAIR FOR THE ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND WE DO HAVE MEMBERS IN THE AUDIENCE.
MY INTENT TODAY IS NOT TO ATTACK, BUT TO ENCOURAGE CORRECTION, UNDERSTANDING, ACCOUNTABILITY AND GROWTH.
AS AN ORDAINED CHRISTIAN ELDER AND A DEDICATED MEMBER OF THIS CITY, I BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN LEADERSHIP, TO REFLECT THE VALUES WE WISH TO SEE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS HAVE POWER TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER OR PUSH THEM APART.
WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW IS DIVISION WE OR WHEN WE PROFESS FAITH, WE ALSO CARRY THE RESPONSIBILITY TO EMBODY ITS PRINCIPLES SUCH AS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF-CONTROL.
THE VERY QUALITIES DESCRIBED AS THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT.
SO I WANT YOU TO CONSIDER THAT WHEN YOU MAKE POSTS CONSIDER ARE THOSE POSTS.
ISN'T LOVE LOVE? IS IT KIND, IS IT GOOD? IS IT GENTLE OR ARE WE PRACTICING SELF-CONTROL? THE CORE VALUES OF OUR CITY, IF YOU WORK FOR THE CITY, IS PROFESSIONAL, KIND, AND HELPFUL.
SERVE AS A GUIDE OF FOR HOW WE TREAT ONE ANOTHER.
WHEN SOMETHING IS SAID OR DONE THAT CAUSES HURT, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REFLECTION AND RECONCILIATION.
TRUE LEADERSHIP IS NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT, BUT ABOUT BEING WILLING TO LISTEN, LEARN AND WHEN NEEDED, MAKE AMENDS IF HARM HAS BEEN CAUSED, A SINCERE APOLOGY CAN ACTUALLY BE A POWERFUL STEP TOWARD HEALING.
ACKNOWLEDGING THE IMPACT OF OUR WORDS SEEKING TO REBUILD TRUST CAN STRENGTHEN BOTH OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR LEADERSHIP.
SO REGARDLESS OF THE DECISION MADE IN THE UPCOMING EXECUTIVE SESSION TOMORROW, A HOPE THIS MOMENT SERVES AS A REMINDER OF THE GRACE, FORGIVENESS, AND ACCOUNTABILITY THAT ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER.
AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER JEANETTE GARCIA, I DO BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART AND YOU CAN REQUEST, UH, YOU CAN ASK FOR FORGIVENESS, YOU CAN UPHOLD THE CODE OF CONDUCT, BUT IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO DO SO, DO THE RIGHT THING AND RESIGN AND WE WILL UNDERSTAND.
BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE WILL LEAD WHAT HUMILITY AND GENUINE DESIRE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.
I BELIEVE YOU HAVE UH, SEVERAL OF THESE TO READ.
FIRST I HAVE A REQUEST TO SPEAK FROM KATIE MAXWELL AND I QUOTE, IT'S A SHAME TO SEE THE CITY COUNCIL OF AVONDALE SIT BY AS ONE OF THEIR MEMBERS IS TARGETED AND ATTACKED BY A PARTISAN OPERATION SIMPLY BECAUSE SHE IS A STRONG, OUTSPOKEN MOTHER WITH THE MINOR MINORITY POLITICAL OPINION.
AS A FELLOW MOTHER, I'M DISAPPOINTED IN MY CITY AND THE OUTSIDE'S TRYING TO HIJACK IT, BUT I'M ALSO INSPIRED BY HER STRENGTH DURING THESE LAME AND QUITE FRANKLY RACIST ATTACKS AGAINST HER BY RADICAL LEFTISTS AVONDALE MOTHERS SALUTE
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YOU MS. GARCIA.NEXT I HAVE JOSE F. GONZALEZ AND I QUOTE, MY NAME IS JOSE FRANK GONZALEZ AND MY WIFE IS AMELIA GONZALEZ.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN AVONDALE.
MY FAMILY WORKED ON A FARM ON A HUNDRED AND THIRD JUST SOUTH OF ENCANTO, JUST BEHIND WHERE THE NOW HARKINS IS.
I HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY IN MANY WAYS.
I HAVE EVEN WORKED FOR THE CITY OF AVONDALE AS A STREET SWEEPER FOR 24 YEARS BEFORE I RETIRED.
I HAVE FIRST HANDEDLY SEEN THE GROWTH OF AVONDALE FROM JUST BEING FARMLAND TO NOW APARTMENTS ON TOP OF APARTMENTS.
THE CITY HAS SEEN NOTHING BUT GROWTH AND THAT HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
THE BEHAVIOR THAT I HAVE READ IN THE NEWSPAPER ABOUT ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAS ME DISGUSTED SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD FEEL ABOUT MY BELOVED CITY.
IF THIS ISN'T TAKEN CARE OF, THIS WOULD ONLY IMPEDE OUR CITY'S GROWTH.
DO NOT ALLOW THIS COUNCIL MEMBER TO BE THE EYESORE OF THE CITY THAT MY FAMILY AND SO MANY FAMILIES HAVE BUILT AND WORKED AND SERVED AND LOVED FOR MANY YEARS.
BE AVONDALE AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
NEXT I HAVE MARK GONZALEZ AND I QUOTE, GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING AND READING MY COMMENTS TONIGHT I'M UNABLE TO ATTEND TONIGHT'S MEETING BUT WOULD LOVE TO COMMENT ON THE CODE OF CONDUCT AND THE INTEGRITY AND HONOR THAT ALL POLITICAL FIGURES SHOULD BE HELD TO.
I'M A LONGTIME SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER OF THE AVONDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND KNOWING THAT I REPRESENT MORE THAN JUST MYSELF AND MY VIEWS, CONDUCT AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTINGS AS DISPLAYED AND POSTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED, TOLERATED, AND ACCEPTED AS COMMON PRACTICE AS SHE REPRESENTS MORE THAN JUST HER POLITICAL VIEWS.
REPRESENTING THE CITY OF AVONDALE SHOULD BE HELD IN THE HIGHEST ESTEEM AND EVERY CITIZEN SHOULD BE REPRESENTED IN THE HIGHEST REGARD.
THOSE POLITICAL VIEWS AND COMMENTS MADE PUBLICLY AND OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHETHER IN GOOD OR BAD TASTE.
IT IS A REFLECTION OF OUR CITY AND ITS CITIZENS.
YOUR RESPONSE IS THAT YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO YOUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS TRUE, BUT THERE IS NEED TO BE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT WHEN REPRESENTING US LIFELONG CITIZENS IN THE MANNER IS UNCALLED FOR AND SHOULD NOT BE DISMISSED WITHOUT FAULT AND OR REPERCUSSIONS.
THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAVE REPRESENTED US IN THE HIGHEST OF STANDARDS AND FOR YOU AND YOUR COMMENTS TO BE ANNOUNCED AS SUCH AS IRRESPONSIBLE AND DETRIMENTAL TO US AS OTHER CITIES AND THEIR CITIZENS LOOK UPON US AS THE RESIDENCE THAT YOU REPRESENT, YOU SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND REPRIMANDED TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL FOR VIOLATION OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT AND THE INTEGRITY AND HONOR THAT YOU, YOUR POSITION HOLDS.
MARK GONZALEZ, LIFELONG RESIDENT AND LONGTIME SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER OF AVONDALE AND AVONDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT END QUOTE.
NEXT I HAVE LAURA C. GONZALEZ AND I QUOTE, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I AM LAURA CASTILLO GONZALEZ, A THIRD GENERATION AVONDALE RESIDENT AND FORMER BUSINESS OWNER OF LAURA'S BURGERS AND MOORE IN AVONDALE, OLD TOWN.
AVONDALE, I FEEL I MUST VOICED MY FRUSTRATION AND CONCERN ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER JEANNETTE GARCIA AND WHY I FEEL IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO INTERVENE HOLDING HER ACCOUNTABLE FOR HER WORDS AND ACTIONS.
COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA WAS CAUSING PROBLEMS EVEN BEFORE SHE BECAME A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
DURING THE CITY CAMPAIGN LAST YEAR, JEANETTE POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA CALLING OUT AVONDALE COUNCIL MEMBERS, VERONICA MALONE, GLORIA SOLORIO, TINA CONDI, MAX WHITE, CURTIS NIELSEN, AND RUNNING MATES SHERRY WEISS AND NATASHA EDMONDS AS SPINELESS ON JULY 14TH, 2024 FOR NOT GIVING THEIR CONDOLENCES TO DONALD TRUMP WHEN HE GOT SHOT IN THE EAR AND INTERFERING THAT THEY CONDONE POLITICAL VIOLENCE.
ON JULY 30TH, 2024, THE DAY OF THE AVONDALE CITY ELECTION, I WENT TO CITY HALL TO DROP OFF TWO BALLOTS AND I SAW MIKE PENEZ, DANNY OUTSIDE CITY HALL.
JEANETTE WAS STANDING WITH AN EARSHOT, APPROXIMATELY SEVEN FEET OF MY CONVERSATION WITH MIKE AND INSERTED HERSELF INTERRUPTING OUR CONVERSATION.
JEANETTE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT I COULD NOT DROP OFF ANYONE'S BALLOTS.
MIKE AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHER, WHAT IS SHE TALKING ABOUT? AND WE SAID TO EACH OTHER, EVERYONE BRINGS EACH OTHER'S BALLOTS IN.
JEANETTE GOES INSIDE CITY HALL BUILDING TO TELL ON ME.
AND EVEN THOUGH I KNEW I WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG, I DIDN'T TURN IN THE BALLOTS BECAUSE JEANETTE INTIMIDATED ME, MAKING ME FEEL LIKE I WAS DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
WHEN JEANETTE CAME OUTTA CITY HALL, I CONFRONTED HER, ASKED WHY SHE TREATED ME THAT WAY WHILE RECORDING HER ON VIDEO BECAUSE I WAS NOT SURE WHAT SHE WOULD DO NEXT AND WE EXCHANGED SOME WORDS.
I DO NOT, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SOMEONE TRYING TO GET ELECTED TO BE COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD USE VOTER INTIMIDATION TO GET ELECTED.
WHAT? WHY NOT BE NICE ABOUT IT AND INTRODUCE HERSELF TO ME INSTEAD OF INTERRUPTED IN PRIVATE CONVERSATION AND ATTEMPTING TO INTIMIDATE ME.
IN THE END, JEANETTE WAS TOLD BY THE AVONDALE CITY CLERK THAT I WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG, BUT I NEVER RECEIVED AN APOLOGY TO THIS DAY REGARDING THE TOM HANKS ISSUE.
YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA DID AND SAID, AND YOU KNOW SHE IS LYING.
TO AVOID GETTING IN TROUBLE, COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA MUST FOLLOW THE CITY OF AVONDALE CITY COUNCIL CODE OF CONDUCT AND I EXPECT EACH ONE OF YOU WILL LISTEN TO OUR VALID CONCERNS AND REPRIMAND HER.
BEFORE I CLOSE, ALLOW ME TO QUOTE WHAT JEANETTE POSTED ON HER SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT DURING THE CITY CAMPAIGN.
I'M NOT RUNNING TO MAKE FRIENDS, I'M RUNNING TO KEEP PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.
WELL, COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA, WE THE CITIZENS OF AVONDALE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO KEEP YOU ACCOUNTABLE.
NEXT I HAVE JESSICA BENO AND I QUOTE, AS CITIZENS OF THE CI CITY OF AVONDALE,
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WE WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA HAS SHOWED SHE NEEDS TO BE REPRIMANDED AS SHE SERVES THE PUBLIC.I DO HOPE THAT COUNCIL COMES TOGETHER AND PUTS FAVORS AND FRIENDSHIPS ASIDE AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE RESIDENTS OF AVONDALE.
IF YOU WOULDN'T LIKE TO HEAR OR SEE YOUR KIDS TALKING OR POSTING THE WAY GARCIA DOES, THEN WHY SHOULD WE ALLOW A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER SO PUT ALL THE ELECTION AND CAMPAIGN ALLIANCES ASIDE AND FOLLOW THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
NEXT I HAVE COLIN WHITE AND I QUOTE, SUBJECT TAXPAYER EXPENSE CAUSED BY ELON MUSK REPOST OF A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
QUESTION, HOW MUCH DID THE CITY, HOW MUCH DID THIS COST THE CITY IN REGARD TO ONE, RECEIVING COMPLAINTS AND COMMENTARY, TWO MEETINGS HOSTED AND OR HELD TO ADDRESS AVONDALE APPEARING IN NATIONAL MEDIA? THREE, THE COST IT WILL TAKE TO CLOSE THE ISSUE FOR THE CITY.
THE POST SEEMED VERY ADVERSIAL AND AGGRESSIVE FROM A BODY WHO IS CONSIDERED TO BE NON-PARTISAN AND SERVING OF THE PEOPLE ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF CIVIL SERVICE.
NEXT I HAVE MARK VASQUEZ AND I QUOTE, NO ONE ACTUALLY CARES ABOUT TOM HANKS.
IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS, THAT THIS TIME AVONDALE IS IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT FOR OTHER RESIDENTS, DISCRIMINATION TOWARDS THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO HAS DIFFERENT POLITICAL VIEWS THAN THEM.
THIS IS SHOWING OUR CITY IS UNWELCOMING OF ALL PEOPLE.
I FOLLOW THE COUNCIL CLOSELY AND HAVE WITNESSED OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ENCOURAGING THE ACTIONS ON FACEBOOK.
COUNCIL MEMBER SORIO AND ANOTHER IN FACT BEGAN THE ATTACKS ON COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA SINCE THE DAY SHE WAS APPOINTED COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE.
THIS IS NOT ORGANIC, BUT IN FACT BEING USED FOR THE POLITICAL GAINS IN TWO CAMP SOON CAMPAIGNS COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE AND AVONDALE AMBASSADOR AND NATASHA EDMONDS ARE BOTH MEMBERS OF AN ORGANIZATION WHO HELD A TOWN HALL WITH PHOENIX COUNCIL MEMBER AND ALL OF THE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN SPEAKING AGAINST COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA THIS PAST WEEK.
THE NEXT DAY A FACEBOOK EVENT WAS CREATED AND SHARED WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS NOT ORGANIC AND OUR CITY SHOULD BE PAST THIS AND AVONDALE CITY RESOURCES ARE BEING ABUSED TO AT THIS POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE HAS LED THE CHARGE.
AVONDALE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A WELCOMING CITY, BUT NOW I SECOND GUESS IF IT IS BECAUSE WE'LL GET ATTACKED FOR OUR DIFFERENCES.
BUSINESSES WHO WILL WANT TO INVEST MAY NOT BE, MAY NOT NOW BECAUSE OF THE DISCRIMINATION, THEIR BUSINESS MAY NOT BE WELCOMED.
AND AS YOU SEE IN THE NEWS NOW, TESLA HAS BEEN ATTACKED VICIOUSLY AND THE CUSTOMERS, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
THEY FOUND AN OPPORTUNITY TO HARASS COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA.
WHATEVER THE COUNCIL DECIDES TOMORROW WILL BE A STATEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU'LL STAND BY THE FIRST AMENDMENT OR BE INTIMIDATED AND ALLOW DISCRIMINATION IN OUR CITY.
NEXT I HAVE VERONICA GONZALEZ AND I QUOTE, I'M WRITING TO ADDRESS THE ONGOING ATTENTION THAT COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA HAS BEEN BRINGING TO OUR CITY, FOLLOWING HER CONTROVERSIAL PET COMMENT INVOLVING TOM HANKS.
SHE CONTINUES TO USE HER PLATFORM TO EXPRESS HER VIEWS, BUT IN DOING SO, SHE DRAWING UNNECESSARY ATTENTION.
D OUR, I BELIEVE THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN SLOW TO ACT, TAKING OVER A MONTH TO ADDRESS HER CONDUCT.
START WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE AND HOLD ONE OF YOUR MEMBERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR BEHAVIOR BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALL TOLERATING IT.
MAYOR SHOW THE RESIDENTS OF AVONDALE WHAT YOU STAND.
YOU STAND WITH US AND WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS BEHAVIOR FROM MANY OF OUR MEMBERS.
NEXT I HAVE LIZ GONZALEZ AND I QUOTE MARCH 23RD, 2025, CITY OF AVONDALE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS LIZ GONZALEZ AND I HAVE RESIDENT OF AVONDALE.
I'M WRITING THIS STATEMENT OUT OF CONCERN FOR COUNCIL PERSON JANETTE GARCIA'S COMMENTS MADE ON SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT REGARDING TOM HANKS BEING A PETO PEDOPHILE AND ALL THE NEGATIVE ATTENTION IT HAS BROUGHT TO OUR CITY.
I'M A SPANISH SPEAKING LATINA AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE LATINOS DO NOT USE THE WORD PETTO OR FART TO INSULT ANOTHER PERSON.
I FEEL THIS EXCUSE WAS USED BY COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA TO AVOID ANY NEGATIVE PER PER REPERCUSSIONS.
I HAVE READ THE AVONDALE CITY COUNCIL CODE OF CONDUCT, WHICH I FEEL COUNCIL MEMBER PERSON GARCIA HAS SPECIFICALLY VIOLATED THE CONDUCT OF MEMBERS SECTION OF THE CO CODE OF CONDUCT THAT STATES THE PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL CONDUCT OF MEMBERS MUST BE ABOVE REPROACH AND AVOID EVEN THE APPEARANCE OF IMPROPER PROPRIETY MEMBERS SHALL REFRAIN FROM ABUSIVE CONDUCT HARASSMENT, PERSONAL CHARGES OF VERBAL ATTACKS UPON THE CHARACTER OR MOTIVES OF ANOTHER PERSON OF COUNSEL, BOARDS, COMMISSION STAFF, AND THE PUBLIC MEMBERS SHALL DEMONSTRATE CIVILITY AND RESPECT AT ALL TIMES.
THIS REMAINS TRUE IN BOTH PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ENCOUNTERS.
AS MEMBERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE PUBLIC NATURE OF THE OFFICE THEY HOLD MEANS THEY ARE ALWAYS ON DISPLAY.
BASED ON THIS EXCERPT OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT, THE POST WRITTEN BY COUNCIL PER COUNCIL PERSON GARCIA SHOULD AND THE FACT THAT SHE IS LYING TO AVOID NEGATIVE REPERCUSSIONS, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU CENSOR COUNCILPERSON GARCIA OR AT THE VERY LEAST FORMALLY REPRIMAND HER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, MY TO MY REQUEST, AND FOR YOUR SERVICES TODAY.
NEXT I HAVE ANGEL SANO AND I QUOTE, IT'S TIME FOR THIS COUNCIL TO START WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE AND STOP TURNING A BLIND EYE TO UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR FROM ONE OF YOUR OWN.
THE LONGER YOU ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE, THE MORE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE ALL COMPLICIT.
MAYOR, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SHOW THE RESIDENTS OF AVEN THAT YOU STAND WITH US AND WON'T TOLERATE THIS KIND OF CONDUCT FOR ANY COUNCIL MEMBER.
HOLDING ONE OF OUR OWN ACCOUNTABLE IS
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NOT OPTIONAL.IT'S A DUTY THE PEOPLE ARE WATCHING AND WE DEMAND ACTION NOW, NOT MORE DELAYS IN EMPTY WORDS.
NEXT I HAVE MESSIAH MONTENEGRO AND I QUOTE, I WRITE TO THE COUNCIL TODAY AND ASK THAT MY COMMENTS BE HEARD AND RECORDED IN SUPPORT OF COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA.
WHILE HER RECENT SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS HAS SPARKED CONTROVERSY, THIS RESPONSE FEELS LESS ABOUT GENUINE ACCOUNTABILITY AND MORE LIKE A TARGETED EFFORT DRIVEN BY POLITICAL DIFFERENCES.
SHE CLARIFIED HER STATEMENT AND IT'S CLEAR HER WORDS WERE MISINTERPRETED, YET THE OUTREACH CONTINUES.
ARE WE REALLY GOING TO PUNISH SOMEONE FOR EXPRESSING AN OPINION SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S UNPOPULAR? IF SO, WHO'S NEXT? FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT IN THIS COUNTRY, INCLUDING FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS SILENCING SOMEONE BECAUSE THEY THINK DIFFERENTLY IS NOT DEMOCRACY, IT'S CENSORSHIP.
WEAPONIZING THE CODE OF CONDUCT TO SETTLE PERSONAL GRIEVANCES IS A MISUSE OF COUNCIL RESOURCES AND TAXPAYER TIME.
AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE WORK COUNCILMAN GARCIA HAS DONE SINCE WINNING HER RACE IN JUNE, BEING APPOINTED EARLY IN OCTOBER AND SWORN IN IN JUST IN JANUARY.
SHE'S SHOWN UP FOR THE COMMUNITY OVER AND OVER AGAIN ATTENDING THREE TO FOUR COMMUNITY EVENTS WEEKLY, INCLUDING SHOP WITH A COP AND THE CROOM WITH LOVE CHRISTMAS EVENTS AND WHERE SHE SERVED FOOD AND DRINKS TO RESIDENCE IN NEED.
SHE'S ENGAGED WITH INTERFACE GROUP INTERFAITH GROUPS TO BUILD STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS AVENUE AND MET WITH EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS WHO'VE ASKED HER TO BE THE VOICE AT THE COUNCIL TABLE.
SHE WAS ALSO THE ONLY MEMBER TO VOTE AGAINST RAISING UTILITY COSTS, PROVING HER COMMITMENT TO PUTTING RESIDENTS FIRST.
COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA IS NOT JUST A PUBLIC SERVANT.
SHE'S A MOTHER, A DEDICATED CHURCH VOLUNTEER, AND SOMEONE WHO LEADS THROUGH ACTION, NOT JUST WORDS.
SHE LISTENS, SHE SHOWS UP, SHE SERVES.
AVONDALE CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO'S COVID HERE FOR THE PEOPLE, NOT FOR THE POLITICS.
IF WE ALLOW OUTRAGE AND PERSONAL BIAS TO OVERRIDE FACTS, HOW CAN RESIDENTS FEEL SAFE EXPRESSING THEMSELVES? HOW CAN WE TRUST THE PROCESS? I URGE THIS COUNCIL TO SET, UH, POLITICS ASIDE AND FOCUS ON WHAT TRULY MATTERS, THE WELLBEING OF THE CITY AND THE RESIDENTS THAT YOU ELECTED DESERVE.
I HAVE ERIC GONZALEZ AND I QUOTE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, YOU MUST DO BETTER.
THE PEOPLE OF AVONDALE DESERVE LEADERSHIP THAT UPHOLDS INTEGRITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
YOUR INACTION IS NOT JUST DISAPPOINTING, IT'S BETRAYAL OF THE TRUST WE'VE PLACED IN YOU.
IT'S TIME TO STOP TOLERATING BEHAVIOR THAT UNDERMINES THE COMMUNITY AND TAKE DECISIVE ACTION.
THE RESIDENTS ARE WATCHING AND WE WON'T STAND BY WHILE THIS CONTINUES MY QUESTION FOR EACH OF YOU.
NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL RECEIVE TRAINING ON HOW TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES AS IMPARTIAL, NONPARTISAN REPRESENTATIVES.
GARCIA POST SUGGESTS SHE'S ONLY INTERESTED IN REPRESENTING THOSE WHO SHARE HER VIEWS AS A REPUBLICAN, NOT AS PART OF THE MAGA MOVEMENT.
I WONDER IF SHE WOULD BE WILLING TO MEET WITH ME.
SHE HAS ALREADY SHOWN US THE TYPE OF ELECTED OFFICIAL SHE IS ONE WHO ONLY SERVES THOSE WHO AGREE WITH HER RATHER THAN REPRESENTING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
THE KIND OF BEHAVIOR SHE IS NOT WHAT WE EXPECTED FROM OUR LEADERS.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF THE REQUEST TO SPEAK.
UM, AS MENTIONED WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, THAT WE ARE NOT AS A BODY ABLE TO RESPOND TO DIRECT QUESTIONS.
HOWEVER, UM, AS BASED UPON, UH, FEEDBACK IN REGARDS TO CRITICISM SPECIFICALLY, COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS AND RESPOND TO THOSE DIRECT CRITICISMS. I KNOW THAT ON OUR FIRST MEETING, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA WAS ABLE TO RESPOND DIRECTLY TO THOSE CRITICISMS. UM, AND UH, I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS OR COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND DIRECTLY TO A CRITICISM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL STAFF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
UM, IN REGARDS TO A COMMENTARY THAT WAS MADE WITH ME, UM, REACHING OUT OR HAVING ATTENDED SOME MEETINGS, I WOULD LIKE TO CONFIRM THAT ALL OF MY PUBLIC APPEARANCES ARE ON MY PUBLIC CALENDAR.
LAST WEEK I HAD A VALLEY METRO BRIEFING ON MONDAY WITH THE STAFF AT VALLEY METRO.
ON TUESDAY, I ATTENDED CAFECITOS.
LATE ON WEDNESDAY, I WENT TO MAG TRANSPORTATION POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING ON THURSDAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE CITY MANAGER'S COFFEE.
HOWEVER, I DID ATTEND THE VALLEY METRO MEETING, UM, AND WE HAD A BOARD RETREAT THAT DAY AND HAD A GREAT TIME.
ON FRIDAY, I WAS AT ZEN AT ANGELINA'S GROUNDBREAKING AND ON SATURDAY I ATTENDED THE YOUTH EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT, WHERE I BELIEVE SOMEBODY RSVP BUT DIDN'T SHOW UP.
THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE, MAYOR.
UM, HOWEVER, I DO WANT TO SAY IN REGARDS TO NATASHA EDMONDS IN ANY TYPE OF EVENT, SHE HAD REQUESTED MY PRESENCE AND FOR ME TO PROVIDE A VIDEO, I DO WANNA EXTEND MY DEEPEST APOLOGY TO THE NAACP AND MS. EDMONDS.
UM, AND SO THERE WAS NO CONTACT AND I FEEL IT'S A PERSONAL ATTACK TO ACCUSE ME OR MY TIME TO INVOLVE MYSELF IN THIS MATTER.
I'VE ASKED EVERYBODY TO KEEP MY NAME OUT OF THEIR MOUTH IN REGARDS TO THE SITUATION, I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS.
I HAVE MADE NO SOCIAL POST, I DON'T HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA TRAIL.
I AM HONORED AND VERY THANKFUL FOR MY FORMER EMPLOYER, BANK OF AMERICA, THE FORMER CEO, THE CURRENT CEO AND PRESIDENT, UM, BRIAN MOYNIHAN FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE IN HIS OFFICE.
I'VE BEEN IN SOCIAL MEDIA SERVICES AND HELPED START THAT
[01:00:01]
GROUP THERE, BUT I HAVE A VERY PRIVATE LIFE AND I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SITUATION.AND I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR.
MY CALENDAR IS OPEN ALL THE TIME AND I DO SERVE THE CITY AND I WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT WITH INTEGRITY AND EXCELLENCE AND I EXTEND MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES AND THE ALLEGATION THAT WAS MADE IS JUST UNTRUE.
COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE COUNCIL MEMBER SORIO.
UM, I ALSO AS WELL WANTED TO EXPRESS, UH, AND THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP TONIGHT TO THE NAACP.
I WAS NOT INVITED TO THAT MEETING.
I WASN'T EVEN A PART OF THE FACEBOOK POST FOR THAT.
UM, AND TO CLARIFY, I DID NOT DO ANYTHING FOR POLITICAL GAIN WHILE OTHER PEOPLE SLANDERED OTHER PEOPLE DURING THE CAMPAIGN, I CHOSE THE HIGHER ROUTE.
AND THEN FOR MYSELF, I KNOW THAT IT WAS, AND I'M ONLY MAKING THIS POINT FOR THOSE OF YOU HERE IN THIS ROOM AND THOSE ONLINE LISTENING, THAT THE COMMENT WAS MADE EARLIER THAT I BELIEVE TURNING POINT, UM, I FORGOT THE ACTUAL SPECIFIC VERBIAGE, BUT, UH, ASSISTED ME IN GETTING ELECTED.
AND I CAN ASSURE YOU I RAN MY OWN CAMPAIGN.
MY FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS, WHICH ARE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, WILL DETAIL.
I RECEIVED NO MONEY FROM ANY ORGANIZATION.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THERE WAS NO ALIGNMENT.
AND MOST OF THE, THE FOLKS THAT SAW MY CAMPAIGN KNEW I ALIGNED MYSELF WITH NOBODY.
UH, AND SO TO BE ACCUSED OF ALIGNING MYSELF THAT WOULD CLOUD MY JUDGMENT IN MAKING ANY DECISION IS, IS JUST WRONG.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I, UH, AM ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO THE PUBLIC WHO IS HERE TONIGHT.
AND THOSE ONLINE, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO ALIGNMENT.
THERE'S NO ORGANIZATION THAT HAS HELPED ME FUND MY CAMPAIGN THAT HAS ALIGNMENT WITH ANY POLITICAL ORGANIZATION.
AND IN TERMS OF JUDGMENT, JUDGMENT REMAINS JUST AS ALL MEMBERS OF THIS BODY HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO JUDGE EACH MEMBER ACCORDING TO THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WILL DO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT FOR THE RECORD THAT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE.
I GUESS I SHOULD ALSO SAY I WAS NOT FUNDED IN ANY WAY.
UM, THE ONLY, UM, ALLIANCE MAYBE THAT I HAD WAS KNOCKING ON DOORS WITH THE MAYOR BECAUSE HE WOULD ALWAYS OFFER FOR ME TO GO WALK WITH HIM.
UM, AND WE KNOCKED ON DOORS TOGETHER AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.
OTHER THAN THAT, IT WAS MY HUSBAND AND MY FAMILY AND WE WERE OUT KNOCKING ON DOORS EXCEPT FOR THE FEW TIMES I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOCK AT THE MAYOR.
IN REGARDS TO ASKING STAFF TO REVIEW A MATTER, MAY I HAVE A MOMENT, SIR? NICOLE? OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL.
I BELIEVE A FEW COMMENTARIES THAT WE HEARD THIS EVENING TALKED ABOUT THE TAXPAYERS DOLLARS THAT WERE SPENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, WE HAVE VERY DETAILED BUDGETING INFORMATION AND WE'RE ABLE TO GET VERY PRECISE INFORMATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT PRIOR TO OUR MEETING IF WE CAN GET A ROUGH ESTIMATE ABOUT HOW MUCH THIS HAS COST THE CITY SO FAR.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PROVIDE? NO, MR. MAYOR, WE COULD NOT WITHOUT A, A EDUCATED GUESS, AND I'M NOT COMFORTABLE GUESSING AT THIS POINT.
WE, WE DON'T KEEP TRACK BY THE HOUR OR THE MINUTES ON THE STUFF WE SPEND TIME ON.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO RESPOND? NOPE.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET'S MOVE ON
[4. CONSENT AGENDA]
TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, CONCENTRA AGENDA.ARE THERE ANY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WHO WISH TO HAVE AN ITEM REMOVED OR SEPARATE OR, UH, DISCUSS FOR SEPARATE CONSIDERATION? SEE NONE IF I CAN GET A VOTE.
GOT A MOTION FROM VICE MAYOR NIELSEN.
A SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE, PLEASE VOTE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE VOTE.
[a. Public Hearing and Ordinance 2010-0325 - Hopewell Avondale Annexation Application PL-24-0242]
LET'S JUMP ON TO REGULAR AGENDA, RON.NEXT WE'LL HAVE SYLVIA, OUR PLANNER WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT ON THE HOPEWELL DALE ANNEXATION.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS SYLVIA WILLEM AND I AM A PLANNER WITH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
TONIGHT I'LL BE PRESENTING ITEM FIVE A, THE HOBO AVONDALE ANNEXATION APPLICATION PL DASH 24 DASH ZERO TWO.
SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS ITEM IS TO CONDUCT THE FINAL PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED ANNEXATION LOCATED EAST OF THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF EL MIRAGE AND INDIAN SCHOOL ROADS ON THE SOUTHEASTERN MOST PART OF THE HOPEWELL PARCEL.
THE AREA TO BE ANNEXED WAS FORMALLY MARICOPA RIGHT OF WAY, AND UH, THE SMALL AREA WAS ABANDONED BY THE COUNTY AND IT IS NOW PART OF THE HOPEWELL PARCEL, BUT TECHNICALLY STILL WITHIN COUNTY JURISDICTION.
[01:05:01]
THE ANNEXATION WOULD ALLOW FOR, UH, THE PARCEL TO BE DEVELOPABLE, UH, TO AVONDALE STANDARDS.AND, UH, ACTION ON THIS ITEM WILL BE TAKEN TONIGHT.
SO ON THE CURRENT SLIDE WE SEE THE SITE OUTLINED IN RED AND IT IS LOCATED EAST OF THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF EL MIRAGE AND INDIAN SCHOOL ROADS AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED.
AND ON THE SOUTHEASTERN MOST PART OF THE HOPEWELL PARCEL ITSELF, WHICH IS SHOWN ON THE AERIAL MAP.
UM, IF YOU SEE THE DOTTED AND BLUE, THAT'S THE HOPEWELL PARCEL.
UM, THE JURISDICTION SHOWS THE FIVE FOOT WHITE STRIP CONSIDERED FOR ANNEXATION.
I'LL GIVE YOU JUST A MOMENT SO YOU CAN ANALYZE THESE, UM, TWO IMAGES.
SO TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND ON THIS REQUEST, THERE IS ONE PROPERTY OWNER, WHICH IS HOPEWELL AVONDALE, AND THEY ARE THE ONES WHO INITIATED THE ANNEXATION REQUEST.
THE FIVE FOOT WIDE STRIP BEING CONSIDERED FOR ANNEXATION IS APPROXIMATELY FIVE FEET WIDE BY 500 FEET LONG, AND IT TOTALS APPROXIMATELY 2,501 SQUARE FEET IN SIZE AND IT IS PART OF THE HOPEWELL PARCEL.
UH, THE VACANT HOPEWELL SITE HAS NO EXISTING BUILDINGS AT THE MOMENT, OR NO RESIDENCE RESIDING ON THE PROPERTY.
IT IS ZONED A ONE AND IT UNDERWENT A SITE PLAN AND DESIGN REVIEW WITH THE CITY, WHICH WAS APPROVED ON, UH, JUNE 29TH, 2023.
THE APPROVED DEVELOPMENT PLAN, UH, INCLUDES ONE WAREHOUSE BUILDING, UH, FOR WAREHOUSE TYPE USES OR INDUSTRIAL TYPE USES.
UM, ANNEXING THE FIVE FOOT WIDE STRIP WOULD BRING THE ENTIRETY OF THE PARCEL INTO CONFORMANCE AND INTO THE CITY JURISDICTION AND MAKE IT DEVELOPABLE.
UH, LASTLY, THE FIRST PUBLIC MEETING WAS HELD ON FEBRUARY 24TH OF THIS YEAR, UM, AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND THERE WAS NO COMMENTS AT THE TIME.
UM, THE PROPOSAL MEETS ALL STATE REQUIREMENTS FOR ANNEXATION AND THE PETITION HAS BEEN SIGNED AND RECORDED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER AND ALL REQUIRED NOTIFICATIONS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED UP UNTIL THIS POINT.
AS A REMINDER, THIS IS THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS ITEM.
UH, SO WE WILL TAKE ACTION TONIGHT.
UH, STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT ORDINANCE 2010 DASH 3 25 BE ADOPTED, ANNEXING APPROXIMATELY 2,501 SQUARE FEET, UH, LOCATED EAST OF THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF EL MIRAGE AND INDIAN SCHOOL ROADS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AT THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC MEETING.
MARCEL, HAVE WE RECEIVED ANY REQUESTS TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY REQUESTS TO SPEAK.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO COUNSEL FOR ANY COMMENTS RELATED TO THIS ITEM.
SEEING NONE, CAN I PLEASE GET A MOTION? OH, SORRY.
AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW.
CAN I GET A, A MOTION? I SEE WE GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCIL.
COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE SECOND FROM COUNCIL MEMBER WEISS.
COUNCIL MEMBER SOLAR IS ABSENT FOR THE VOTE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[b. Council Budget Discussion]
RIGHT, RON.THE, THE MOMENT EVERYBODY'S BEEN WAITING FOR TONIGHT, WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET AND RENEE IS GONNA KICK US OFF.
WE HAVE PRESENTATIONS BY RENEE AND ANDY AND I BELIEVE JAMES, UM, TO INTRODUCE, UH, OUR DRAFT BUDGET.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSIONS OF THE FISCAL 26TH BUDGET.
UM, WE FIRST KICKED OFF THE PROCESS WITH STAFF IN NOVEMBER.
WE PRESENTED A FIRST LOOK AT OUR FORECASTS AND REVENUES TO COUNCIL IN JANUARY, AND WE HEARD COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES AND STRATEGIC PLANNING EARLIER THIS MONTH.
SO ALL OF THAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION TO DEVELOP A FIRST LOOK AT WHAT WOULD BECOME THE, UH, CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED BUDGET, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED TO YOU IN APRIL.
THEREFORE, AS WE GO THROUGH TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION, WE ARE SEEKING YOUR FEEDBACK OR COMMENTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE CAPTURED YOUR PRIORITIES AND THAT WE ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
SO FOR TONIGHT'S AGENDA, UM, I'LL BE COVERING THE FY 26 BUDGET, UM, INCLUDING THE FORECAST ASSUMPTIONS, LOOKING AT OUR FIVE YEAR FORECAST, AND THEN SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS
[01:10:01]
AND HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED.UM, THUS FAR OUR DIRECTOR OF HR AND DE MOSQUITO WILL BE COVERING EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS.
AND THEN JAMES ESE, OUR CITY PROJECTS ADMINISTRATOR, WILL BE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THE CIP UPDATE.
SO FIRST STARTING OFF, UM, WE DID HEAR COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES, WHICH DID INCLUDE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS A, UM, THE MAIN PRIORITY, BUT TO INCLUDE PARKS AND REC AND PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, CONNECTED COMMUNITIES AND TO, UM, MAINTAIN HIGH QUALITY SERVICES WITHIN THE CITY, AS WELL AS MAKING SURE WE TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES IN THE CITY.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR, THE BUDGET NUMBERS AND LOOKING AT OUR FORECAST AND, UM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE TONIGHT, THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT HAVE GONE INTO THIS INFORMATION.
THE FIRST IS THERE'S NO IMPACT OF ANY RECESSION IN ANY OF THE FORECASTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AS WELL AS ANY CHANGES TO THE STRUCTURE OF SALES TAX OR STATE SHARED REVENUE THAT COULD RESULT, UM, FROM ANY KIND OF CHANGE LEGISLATION.
THE ONLY THING THAT, UM, WE HAVE AND HAVE HAD THIS YEAR WAS THE LOSS OF THE RESIDENTIAL RENTAL SALES TAX IN OUR DEVELOPMENT, UM, REVENUE.
OUR CONTRACTING SALES TAX HAS BEEN HIGHER THAN PROJECTED FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
EACH YEAR, WHEN WE GO INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE DO ASSUME AT SOME POINT IN TIME THAT CONTRACTING REVENUE IS GOING TO COME BACK TO A NORMAL SUSTAINABLE LEVEL.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN BY RETURNING TO NORMAL AS WELL AS SINGLE FAMILY HOME PERMITS.
THAT'S AN INDICATOR THAT WE LOOK AT AND MONITOR, AND WE MAKE AN ASSUMPTION THAT IT WOULD BE ON AVERAGE, UM, BETWEEN 300 AND 500 PER YEAR.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT YOU ARE AWARE THAT WE HAVE, UM, SOME DATA CENTER PROJECTS THAT MAY ALREADY BE UNDERWAY.
HOWEVER, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY REVENUE FROM THOSE PROJECTS INCORPORATED INTO OUR FORECAST.
ON THE EXPENSE SIDE, UM, YOU ARE AWARE WE DO INCLUDE SALARY, UM, INCREASES IN OUR FORECAST.
WE DO HAVE AN INCREASED FOR COST OF LIVING, UM, FOR MERIT.
AND WE DID HAVE A COMPENSATION STUDY, UM, DONE.
AND SO THAT WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO FISCAL 26 AS WELL.
JUST OVERALL INFLATION ASSUMPTIONS, WE DO INCLUDE 'EM AT 3% PER YEAR AND OUR A R PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF, SO THE STAFF NEEDED TO EVENTUALLY FILL THE ALAMAR PUBLIC SAFETY SUBSTATION W IS, UM, INCORPORATED INTO OUR FORECAST STARTING IN FISCAL YEAR 27.
SOME OTHER ASSUMPTIONS WE DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF IS, UM, FUTURE FINANCING.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, UM, WHICH WE HAVE THE COMMITTEE FORMED, BUT THERE'S ALSO SOME ASSUMPTIONS THAT AT UH, SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL AND DISCUSS THE RE STUDY OF A WASTEWATER DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES, UM, THE FINANCING OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN EXPANSION, AS WELL AS THE FINANCING OF THE PFAS AND THE BARTLETT DAM.
AND THEN JAMES WILL DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS IN HIS PRESENTATION.
SO DIVING INTO THE GENERAL FUND, THESE ARE CHARTS YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, LOOKING AT ONGOING REVENUE AND EXPENSES.
YOU WILL SEE THAT, UM, FROM FISCAL YEAR 25 TO 26, UM, OUR REVENUES DO SLIGHTLY INCREASE.
HOWEVER, WE STILL ARE FILLING THE IMPACT OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR OF THE LOSS OF RESIDENTIAL RENTALS.
SO THAT JUST STARTED JANUARY OF 2025, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR EXPENSES ARE CONTINUING TO INCREASE.
HOWEVER, THAT SURPLUS BETWEEN THE BLUE LINE AND THE ORANGE LINE IS VERY THIN IN FISCAL YEARS 26 AND 27.
NOW, KEEPING IN MIND, AS I JUST STATED, THERE IS NO FUTURE REVENUE FOR DATA CENTER PROJECTS.
HOWEVER, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE CAN MAINTAIN A, A, A STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET.
AND THEN OUR ONE-TIME COSTS, YOU'LL SEE OUR EXPENSES OUTPACE REVENUE.
UM, AND THIS IS COMPOSED OF ASSUMING THAT ALL OF OUR, UM, OUR CIP PROJECTS WOULD PRIMARILY GET DONE IN FISCAL 25 AND SPEND DOWN THOSE BALANCES IN FUTURE YEARS.
SO WE ARE STILL WORKING TOWARDS SMOOTHING THIS LINE OUT.
SO WE'RE NOT HAVING TO CARRY PROJECTS OVER EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
UM, BUT WE WILL GET THERE IN TIME.
SO WHEN YOU PUT THOSE SLIDES TOGETHER, WE SAY, WHAT ARE WE WORKING WITH? WHAT IS THE BALANCE LEFT? SO I DO WANNA POINT OUT ON THIS SLIDE, THIS FUND BALANCE IS ABOVE STABILIZATION AND CAPITAL RESERVE.
SO THAT MEANS IN OUR FINANCIAL POLICY, STABILIZATION IS A RESERVE AMOUNT OF MONEY, WHICH EQUATES TO 35% OF OUR PRIOR YEAR BUDGET.
[01:15:01]
IN ADDITION, WE SET ASIDE ANOTHER $5 MILLION FOR CAPITAL RESERVE, WHICH MEANS THAT WE HAVE THE DISCRETION, UM, TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL TO USE THOSE DOLLARS IF ANYTHING UNANTICIPATED HAPPENS ON CAPITAL PROJECTS.AND, UM, WE NEED TO, TO USE THOSE FUNDS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE BALANCE DECREASES ALL THE WAY OUT TO FISCAL 30.
I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S AWARE THAT THESE ARE ONE-TIME DOLLARS, MEANING IF YOU SPENT THAT EXTRA 5.7 MILLION, THEN THAT NUMBER IN FISCAL 2030 WOULD BE ZERO.
WE DO HAVE SOME POLICIES CONCERNING OTHER FUNDING SOURCES BEYOND THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, THE FIRST IS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SALES TAX.
SO THIS FUND, THE MAJORITY GOES TOWARDS FUNDING, UM, POLICE AND FIRE SALARIES.
IT CAN BE USED TO SUPPLEMENT PUBLIC SAFETY CAPITAL.
UM, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SALARIES THAT IS AN ONGOING EXPENSE.
SO WHEN WE ARE PLANNING TO SPEND DOWN ANY OF THOSE BALANCES, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SUSTAINING AT LEAST 16% OF ONGOING EXPENSES.
UM, AND SO FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT MEANS AT THE END OF 2030, WE MUST MAINTAIN AT LEAST $2.8 MILLION, WHICH REPRESENTS THAT MINIMUM.
AND THAT IS WHERE OUR FORECAST, UM, HAS US PROJECTED TO BE DEDICATED SALES TAX.
NOW, THIS FUND PAYS FOR STREETS, WATER, AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE AND PAYS FOR A PORTION OF THE CITY TRANSIT PROGRAM.
SO OBVIOUSLY WITH THAT MINIMUM BALANCE ONLY BEING $700,000, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SALARIES IN THERE.
HERF FUNDS PLAY, UM, PAY FOR STREET OPERATIONS AND MAY BE USED FOR STREET IMPROVEMENTS.
THERE ARE NO ONGOING COSTS THAT WOULD REQUIRE A MINIMUM BALANCE AT THIS TIME.
UM, AND OUR PROJECTED BALANCE IS, IS 7.4 MILLION NOW ON WATER, SEWER AND SOLID WASTE.
THOSE ARE OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
UM, WE DO HAVE RESERVE REQUIREMENTS IN OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES FOR WATER AND SEWER.
THAT'S SIX MONTHS OF OPERATING EXPENSES AND SOLID WASTE.
IT'S FOUR MONTHS NOW WITH THESE MINIMUM BALANCES.
THIS IS BASED ON THAT RESERVE FROM THE FINANCIAL POLICY AT PROJECTED OUT TO FISCAL 2030.
NOW, WE HAVE BROUGHT FORTH SOME PROPOSALS ON UTILITY RATE INCREASES, AND ALL OF THAT IS FACTORED INTO THOSE RATES.
THESE BALANCES OUT IN FISCAL 2030 ARE ASSUMING FUTURE RATE INCREASES NOT YET BROUGHT FORTH TO COUNCIL.
SO GOING INTO THE ACTUAL EXPENSES OF, UM, THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET, WERE STARTING WITH PERSONNEL AND FTE, UM, THE FIRST BEING PUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL.
SO IN THE COURT WE DO HAVE, UH, A COURT CLERK POSITION.
UM, THIS DOES, THE AMOUNT DOES REPRESENT THE SALARY AND BENEFITS, AND IT IS RELATED TO PHOTO RADAR.
UM, THE FLEET TECHNICIAN POSITION IS, UM, IN FIRE TO MANAGE THE FIRE FLEET INVENTORY.
THE POLICE DISPATCHER IS A POSITION THAT'S BEING REQUESTED, UM, FOR GROWTH.
THE COMMUNITY SERVICE, UM, OFFICER IS, UM, THE SALARY IS SALARY AND BENEFITS.
AND IT IS ALSO RELATED TO THE PHOTO RADAR, THE CLINICAL SUPERVISOR AND THE FORENSIC INTERVIEWER.
THOSE TWO POSITIONS ARE FOR OUR SOUTHWEST FAMILY ADVOCACY CENTER.
UM, AND THOSE COSTS ARE SPLIT FOUR WAYS.
WHAT YOU SEE IN SALARY BENEFITS IS A HUNDRED PERCENT, WHICH WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO PAY THE EMPLOYEE, BUT THEN WE GET REIMBURSED FOR 75% OF THOSE COSTS.
THE POLICE OFFICERS OVER HIRES, THERE'S TWO FTE AND $0.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE CAN AUTHORIZE PD TO FILL TWO MORE POSITIONS BECAUSE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF VACANCY SAVINGS WE HAVE, WE ARE ASSUMING THAT IT'S GONNA NET A ZERO COST TO THAT BUDGET.
AND THEN LASTLY IS A POLICE OFFICER FOR LICHFIELD PARK.
SO THIS POSITION IS FULLY FUNDED BY REVENUE THAT IS PAID BY THE CITY OF LITCHFIELD.
RENEE, RENEE, IF I CAN ADD, UM, THAT POSITION WILL BE FILLED IN JANUARY.
GIVES US TIME TO HIRE SOMEONE, SEND TO THE ACADEMY.
AND SO, UM, LITCHFIELD PARK, WE PAYING FOR HALF THE, THE EMPLOYEE STARTING IN IN JANUARY.
EIGHT NINE MONTH PER, UM, CYCLE BETWEEN GOING IN AND COMING OUT, UH, OUT OF THE ACADEMY.
UM, THAT'S A LITTLE LONG, BUT, BUT YOU HAVE FTO I'M ASSUMING THEY WON'T GET A BRAND NEW OFFICER.
IT'S JUST SOMEONE THAT WE CAN HAVE HERE, UM, AS WELL.
BUT THAT GIVES US A LITTLE MORE TIME.
WE'RE SENDING, I BELIEVE, OVER 10 FOLKS TO THE NEXT ACADEMY.
[01:20:01]
HAVE SEVEN VACANCIES.UM, BUT SO WE SHOULD BE IN PRETTY GOOD STANDING.
OKAY, UM, MOVING ON TO OTHER PERSONNEL.
THE FIRST POSITION IS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, UM, WHICH WAS A, A PRIORITY OF COUNCIL.
AND IN ENGINEERING WE HAVE AN ASSOCIATE ENGINEER PLAN REVIEW.
NOW, I DO WANT TO NOTE ON THIS DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT IT DOES INCLUDE MORE THAN JUST SALARY AND BENEFIT.
IT DOES INCLUDE SOME TECHNOLOGY, ONE-TIME EXPENSES.
AND THAT POSITION IS TO, UM, TO MANAGE CURRENT DEMAND FOR PLAN REVIEW.
THE TRAFFIC CONTROL INSPECTOR, AGAIN, THE SALARY THERE INCLUDES MORE THAN JUST SALARY AND BENEFITS.
IT ALSO INCLUDES, UM, A VEHICLE AS WELL AS SOME, UH, ONE-TIME TECHNOLOGY COSTS.
AND THIS POSITION IS NOT FUNDED FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
IT'S COMING OUT OF OUR HF, UM, NSFA SENIOR SERVICES COORDINATOR.
THAT POSITION, UM, IS TO MANAGE CURRENT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
THAT IS, THOSE ARE PART-TIME HOURS, WHICH WOULD EQUATE TO A 1.5 FTE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT IN PARKS ADMINIS, THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AND THE PARKS SUPERVISOR.
UM, THOSE ARE TWO POSITIONS THAT WERE ALREADY HIGHER THIS FISCAL YEAR OUT OF VACANCY SAVINGS FROM THE CURRENT YEAR.
BUT WE NEED TO ADD INTO THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL 27.
AND I WILL NOTE THAT THAT AMOUNT THERE FOR PARKS DOES ALSO INCLUDE A VEHICLE.
AND THEN IN PUBLIC WORKS, THE SOLID WASTE EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, THE SOLID WASTE LABOR AS WELL AS THE ADMINISTRATOR, CIVIL ENGINEER, ARE ALREADY INCORPORATED INTO THE RATES THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED TO COUNCIL.
AND LASTLY, THE FLEET COORDINATOR, WHICH IS COVERED BY REVENUE GENERATED FROM THE SERVICES THE FLEET DEPARTMENT PROVIDES.
SO BEYOND, UM, PERSONNEL, WE HAVE SOME HIGHLIGHTS.
YOU HAVE BEEN PROVIDED, UM, THE LIST OF THE, THE FUNDED SUPPLEMENTALS.
UM, THEY'RE ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA ITEM FOR TONIGHT.
UM, THESE THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED ARE NOT ALL OF THEM, UM, BUT JUST SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS ACROSS THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
SO WE'RE STARTING IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT, UM, WITH THE CITY AUDITOR, THE CONSULTANT ASSISTED AUDITS.
YOU'LL NOTICE THE ASTERISKS THERE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY FOR YOU.
THERE ARE SOME REQUESTS THAT ARE ONE TIME IN NATURE, THEY GET 'EM THIS YEAR AND THEN THEY WOULD GO AWAY.
OR IN A CASE OF A, UM, THE CITY AUDITOR, IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE REQUESTED EVERY GIVEN YEAR.
THE CITY CLERK, UM, INCLUDES SOME MONIES FOR, UM, A 2025 ELECTION.
THERE COULD BE A POTENTIAL GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND IN FACILITIES.
WE HAVE SOME JANITORIAL, UM, SOME SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS AT BUILDINGS, WHICH IS A ONE-TIME EXPENSE.
AND OVERTIME IS MANAGED JUST BASED ON THE NEED AND CAPACITY OF THE DEPARTMENT AND IS MONITORED.
UM, WHETHER WE NEED ANOTHER FTE AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE IN HUMAN RESOURCES, WE DO HAVE A REQUEST FOR SOME SYSTEM ENHANCEMENTS AND LOOKING AT THE SOFTWARE TO, UM, MAKE THE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY MORE EFFICIENT.
AND THEN IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES, YOU CAN IMAGINE THE COST THERE ARE VERY LARGE AND IT, THIS IS JUST THE INFLATIONARY INCREASE ACROSS THOSE COSTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, I WILL POINT OUT ON THE, THE FIRST LINE, THE CITY COURT, UM, THAT WAS NOT IN YOUR LIST THAT YOU PRO YOU WERE PROVIDED ON THURSDAY, WE DID UPDATE, UM, THE SUPPLEMENTAL LIST AND ATTACH IT TO THE AGENDA.
SO IT DID INCLUDE SOME COSTS FOR INCREASES TO THE PRO TEM UM, JUDGE CONTRACT IN FIRE.
WE HAVE INCREASES FOR OUR CAD FEES AND AS WELL AS, UM, SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT RELATED TO APPARATUS MAINTENANCE.
AND
AND THEN THERE IS A ONE TIME REQUEST FOR TECHNICAL RESCUE VEHICLE.
NFS IS REQUESTING THE PUBLIC SAFETY HOME BY OUR PROGRAM.
AGAIN, IT'S A ONE-TIME COST, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT DOES GET REQUESTED, UM, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND THEN OPERATIONS, UM, SORRY, OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, THE GLENDALE REGIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING CENTER.
THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, UM, IN THAT CONTRACT, UM, FOR INCREASED COSTS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS ON THAT FACILITY.
NEXT, WE'RE MOVING TO COMMUNITY SERVICES.
SO WITHIN THAT CATEGORY, WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT SOFTWARE AND INTERFACING.
UM, THAT'S A PROJECT THAT'S ONGOING RIGHT NOW.
[01:25:01]
UM, LOOKING TO ROLL THAT OUT IN FISCAL 26 IN NFS, THE SENIOR SERVICE BUSES FOR AN EXISTING PROGRAM AND INCREASED, UM, DEMAND IN PARKS.WE HAVE, UM, THE CITY EVENTS COSTS AS WELL AS CONCERT MERCADO.
UM, CONCERT MERCADO WOULD SUPPORT LOCAL VENDORS AS WELL AS RECURRING RESIDENT EVENTS.
THE FACILITY LANDSCAPE RESTORATION WOULD BE FOR, UM, THE MOSQUE FACILITY AS WELL AS THE CIVIC CENTER LIBRARY.
LANDSCAPING, WATER AND POOL INCREASES.
THOSE ARE BASIC OPERATIONAL COSTS THAT ARE INCREASING.
AND THEN LASTLY, THE, THE YOUTH SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM, WHICH WAS NEW LAST YEAR, IS INCLUDED AS ONGOING, UM, GOING FORWARD.
WE HAVE, UM, INFLATIONARY INCREASES FOR THE WE RIDE PROGRAM OF OVER $700,000.
THAT IS NOT THE FULL COST OF THAT PROGRAM.
THAT IS JUST THE INCREASES ON WHAT WOULD BE A $3.6 MILLION CONTRACT NEXT YEAR.
NEXT IS COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO THE FIRST IS THE, UM, CITIZENS ACCESS PORTAL, SITE BUILDING INSPECTION SOFTWARE.
UM, THAT'S AN TO EXISTING SOFTWARE THAT WOULD MAKE OUR CUSTOMERS USER EXPERIENCE A LOT EASIER.
UM, THE HILLER RIVER BASIN MERIDIAN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
THIS IS A ONE-TIME COST TO BUILD A PLAN THAT WOULD PRIORITIZE ANNEXATIONS ACCESS WAYS AND LAND ACQUISITION ALONG THE HILLER RIVER SCENIC DISTRICT.
IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE HAVE 1.4 MILLION REQUESTS FOR BUSINESS ATTRACTION, LEAD GENERATION, SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH, AND ECONOMIC INCENTIVES IN ENGINEERING.
WE HAVE, UM, CITY OWNED PARKING LOT, SIGNAGE, MARKING AND MAINTENANCE, AS WELL AS CONTRACTED CONSTRUCTION INSPECTIONS.
UM, THAT CONTRACTED INSPECTION IS JUST TO MAINTAIN CURRENT DEMANDS, UM, FOR INSPECTIONS TO OUTSOURCE SOME SERVICES AND FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES MANAGING, UM, MANAGED SERVICES FOR PERMITTING SOFTWARE IN AN ENGINEERING MODULE.
AND THAT IS TO STREAMLINE FEES AND WORKFLOW AND TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT, SERVICE ENGINEERING AND FINANCE DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE HAVE PUBLIC WORKS TO INCLUDE, UM, SOME FLEET SOFTWARE TO MANAGE INVENTORIES AND SERVICES, UM, AN ARBORIST STUDY.
AND THEN, UH, THE NEXT THREE OF FOUR ARE BASIC OPERATIONAL COSTS FOR LANDFILL SOLID WASTE, WASTEWATER, CHEMICALS, ELECTRICITY HAULING, AS WELL AS PER WATER PURCHASES, STORAGE AND ELECTRICITY, AND THEN AN ARC FLASH STUDY.
BUT AGAIN, ALL OF THOSE COSTS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RATE ASSUMPTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO COUNCIL.
SO WITH THAT, UM, THIS IS JUST ONE STEP THROUGH THE PROCESS.
OUR NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO COME BACK, UM, IN APRIL AND PRESENT TO YOU THE CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED BUDGET.
WE WOULD FOLLOW UP IN MAY TO ADOPT THE TENTATIVE BUDGET.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WHEN THAT TENTATIVE BUDGET GETS ADOPTED, THAT DOES SET THE SPENDING LIMIT FOR THE CITY.
WE CAN MAKE CHANGES OF THE NUMBER UP UNTIL MAY.
ONCE WE ADOPT A TENTATIVE BUDGET, WE CANNOT INCREASE THAT NUMBER.
WE CAN MAKE CHANGES WITHIN IT, BUT WE CANNOT EXCEED THE, UH, THE TENTATIVE ADOPTED AMOUNT.
AND THEN WE WILL BE BACK IN JUNE TO HAVE THE FINAL PUBLIC HEARING AND TO ADOPT THE FINAL BUDGET AS WELL AS SET THE TAX LEVY.
SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO ANDY TO DISCUSS EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION.
RON, MR. MAYOR RENEE, IF WE CAN HOLD ON, UH, JUST A SECOND.
THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK BEFORE WE GO ONTO THE NEXT SECTION AND, AND SEE IF COUNSEL HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR HOW, HOW WE WANNA PROCEED WITH ANY QUESTION.
I I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION, SO IT'S GONNA GET JUST MORE COMPLICATED FROM HERE.
UM, IF, IF COUNSEL WOULDN'T MIND, I I JUST WOULD LIKE TO, TO MAKE A, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
UH, AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR, UH, YOUR FEEDBACK, BUT I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT, UM, IT WAS A PLEASURE MEETING WITH EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD, UM, AS I MET WITH THEM, UM, PRIOR TO THE YEAR END.
AND I GOTTA TELL YOU THAT BASED UPON WHAT WAS SHARED WITH ME IN REGARDS TO THEIR THREE TO FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK AND WHAT THEY REQUIRE AND WHAT WAS UTILIZED AS FAR AS SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL THAT, UM, OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE, ARE, ARE WORKING AT, UH, CLOSE TO MAX CAPACITY.
AND SO A LOT OF THE ITEMS AND THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN HERE AREN'T FULLY REALIZED AS TO WHAT, WHAT TRULY IS REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT, UH, THE JOB THAT THEY'RE DOING AND THE CONSTRAINTS THAT
[01:30:01]
THEY'RE WORKING UNDER.AND SO TO SEE, UH, SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE LISTED HERE, UM, AND WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING, I JUST WANTED TO NOT ONLY COMMEND, UH, ALL OF THE DIRECTORS AND LEADERSHIP, UH, FOR PROVIDING THAT FEEDBACK TO ME, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, IN TERMS OF EFFICIENCY BEING AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE WITH WHAT WE HAVE WHILE KEEPING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE LIMITATIONS WE HAVE WITH BUDGET.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I MADE THAT COMMENT FIRST AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO HEARING WHAT YOUR FEEDBACK MIGHT BE IN REGARDS TO THE SPECIFIC ITEMS. BECAUSE AS, UH, RENEE JUST MENTIONED, UM, THIS IS THE TIME WHERE WE CAN KIND OF WORK THROUGH SOME OF THE NUMBERS, UM, THINGS THAT YOU'VE SEEN THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS, UH, OR IDENTIFY NOW AS WE MOVE CLOSER TO ADOPTING THAT TENTATIVE BUDGET.
SO LET'S START ON THIS END HERE AND WE'LL GO WITH COUNCIL MEMBER CONDI.
THANK YOU RENEE, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANNA THANK STAFF AND ESPECIALLY CITY MANAGER.
HE HAD REQUESTED, UM, EACH COUNCIL MEMBER PROVIDE A LIST OF, UH, PRIORITIES FOR EACH COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND, YOU KNOW, I SUBMITTED MY REQUEST AND I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT A LOT OF THOSE REQUESTS WERE, WERE, UM, PUT INTO OUR BUDGET.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY, MAYOR.
I KNOW THAT, UM, A LOT OF OUR STAFF ARE WORKING HARD AND THERE IS A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES, ESPECIALLY AS OUR CITY GROWS, THERE'S GONNA BE ADDITIONAL WORK LOAD FOR THEM TO, UM, TO HAVE TO DO.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND LISTENING TO US TR FOR, FOR WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN OUR BUDGET.
I WANT, WELL, THANK YOU EVERYONE THAT WENT THROUGH IT.
I KNOW THAT I ASKED QUESTIONS THAT LIKE, AS SOMEONE NEW LOOKING INTO THIS, LIKE WHY DO WE DO THIS OR WHY DO WE DO THAT? AND UM, LIKE ONE OF 'EM WAS LIKE, WHY DO WE, LIKE, WHERE DOES THE MONEY FROM THE PHOTO READER GO INTO THE BUDGET OR WHERE IT DOES? WHY DO WE HIRE PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THEIR, THEIR POSITIONS HERE TO DO STUDIES? AND THE CITY MANAGER GAVE ME A, LIKE A REALLY LONG ANSWER, BUT IT WAS A GOOD ONE.
AND IT WAS, IT, IT MADE SENSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU HIRE A TEACHER, BUT THEN YOU NEED SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND, AND EVALUATE THEM AND SEE IF THEY ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING OR IF, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDED INTO THERE.
SO THAT CLARIFICATION REALLY HELPED WITH UNDERSTANDING THE BUDGET AND SEEING WHY WE ARE DOING, UH, SOME THINGS AS WELL AS THAT IT IS ALL FOR THE CITIZENS OF AVONDALE AND THE EVERYONE WHO WORKS HERE IN THE CITY IS WORKING TOWARDS THAT.
THE EMPLOYEES WORK REALLY HARD AND TO GIVE THEM THAT EXTRA SUPPORT IS GONNA BE WONDERFUL TO SEE, UM, GOING FORWARD.
SO THANK YOU EVERYONE THAT WORKED ON THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.
AND I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AS WELL.
I DON'T THINK I SENT ANYTHING ADDITIONAL OVER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WRITE IS MY PRIORITY HERE FOR THE CITY.
I LOVE WHAT PUBLIC WORKS IS DOING.
UM, KURT, YOUR ENTIRE TEAM, UM, WORKING WITH MATT HASS BEEN AMAZING.
AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, WE'RE EVEN TRYING OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE WE BENCHMARK WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND TAKING OUR SHOW ON THE ROAD.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT OUTSIDE, UM, WITH THE, THE NATIONAL, UM, PLATFORM IN, IN THE FALL IF THEY ACCEPT OUR PRESENTATION.
I ALSO FELT LIKE ANOTHER ONE OF MY HUGE PRIORITIES THAT IS ON HERE IS OUR AUDIT AND FINANCE.
WE CANNOT DO A STANDUP ALONE WITH JUST HAVING BARBARA HERE.
SO HAVING THAT ADDITIONAL OUTSIDE SUPPORT, UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE ME NOT HAVING TO SEND AN EXTRA EMAIL OVER YOU, JUST KNOWING THOSE THINGS ARE MY PRIORITY.
COUNCILMAN WHITE, COUNCILMAN WEISS.
THANK YOU RENEE, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND THANK YOU, UH, RON THIS MORNING FOR YOUR EDUCATION.
I WAS ALSO IN THE MEETING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA, AND WE HAD LOTS OF QUESTIONS AS NEWBIES AND YOU REALLY DID ANSWER THEM FOR US.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK ALSO THE DIRECTORS OF ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING AND YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE SUPPORT YOU AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.
I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION, UM, THAT I DIDN'T ASK THIS MORNING THAT I DID SEE, AND IT WAS ON SLIDE NUMBER 35.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF WE COULDN'T GO LOOK AT THAT SLIDE.
I JUST HAD A REALLY QUICK QUESTION ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THERE WAS ECONOMIC INCENTIVES, AND I WAS WONDERING WHAT THOSE INCENTIVES WERE, ARE THEY, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDS TO AND TO HELP BRING BUSINESSES HERE? UM, ARE THEY, UM, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN EXACTLY? MR. MAYOR? UH, VICE MAYOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER WEISS.
UH, SO ACTUALLY, UH, ON OUR, ON MINES IT'S 16 OR 17.
WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT FAR YET.
UM, NO, THAT, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
BUT, UH, FOR WHAT WE'VE COVERED ALREADY, OR ACTUALLY I MAY HAVE THE WRONG NUMBERS, I'M LOOKING AT THE WRONG ONE,
UM, SO THIS IS A, A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS.
UH, ONE IS THIS COVERS, UH, SOME OF OUR CONTRACT PARTNERSHIPS
[01:35:01]
THAT HELP, UH, OTHER, THAT WE PAY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP US, WHETHER IT BE THE CHAMBER OR WESTMARK OR, UM, GE AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.IT SETS ASIDE MONEY FOR, UM, POSSIBLE INCENTIVES AND CONTRACTS WITH, UH, OTHER, WITH, UH, DEVELOPERS DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT IT IS.
THIS ACTUALLY NUMBER IS ONLY SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST THREE TO FOUR YEARS.
SO IT'S ONE TIME FUNDING THAT DOESN'T GET TOTALLY REPLACED.
IT JUST GETS REPLENISHED WITH WHAT WAS ACTUALLY USED.
SO THIS IS KIND OF A, A LOT OF THIS IS DETERMINED AS A YEAR GOES ALONG AND IS DIFFERENT PROJECTS PRESENT.
SO MAYBE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AT THE BOULEVARD AND WE NEED TO SUBSIDIZE, UM, A UTILITY, 'CAUSE YOU CAN'T, UH, YOU CAN'T WAIVE UTILITY FEES, UH, FOR DEVELOPMENT, BUT YOU CAN SUPPLEMENT IT WITH GENERAL FUNDS.
SO WE MIGHT TAKE, ASK TO TAKE SOME OF THAT MONEY.
UH, IT WOULD COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR THE ACTUAL SPEND ON A CONTRACT.
UM, BUT WE WOULD HAVE THAT MONEY SET ASIDE TO, UM, INCENTIVIZE A A, A BUSINESS, UH, JOB CREATION BUSINESS HERE.
SO IT JUST KIND OF, UM, A LITTLE BIT ALL OVER THE PLACE, DEPENDING ON WHAT TOOLS WE HAVE THE HUB, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN USING, THAT WE, THAT WE PAY THAT CONTRACT WITH, UH, TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES.
UM, IT JUST GOES ON AND ON AND ON.
UM, BUT THIS, THIS PROVIDES THE MEAT OF THE MONIES THAT THE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM USES TO, UH, ATTRACT AND RETAIN, RETAIN, UH, BUSINESSES HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU, RENEE, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'M SURE WHEN, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR THE WORD BUDGET, NOT, IT'S NOT THE MOST FUN THING TO DISCUSS, BUT WE HAVE TO DO IT EVERY YEAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF US WHO SERVE, UH, NATIONALLY AS WELL ARE HEARING ALL ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE'S BUDGETS.
SO THAT'S PRETTY INTERESTING TOO.
UM, I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS WELL PUT OUT.
I'M HAPPY TO SEE, PERSONALLY, I'M SUPER EXCITED BECAUSE, UH, WE ARE ADDING SOMEBODY TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORLD.
I DO SIT ON A NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE DOING GREAT THINGS HERE, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE CHANNELED TO RON FOR QUITE A BIT NOW.
SO, ANY HELP TO THAT DEPARTMENT IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ANY DEPARTMENT.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT EACH ONE OF YOU IN HERE WORKS VERY HARD FOR THAT.
UM, I, OTHER THAN THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
I DO HAVE QUESTIONS LATER FOR THE NEXT PART, BUT, UH, THAT'S IT.
COUNCIL MEMBER SOLORIO, VICE MAYOR NIELSEN.
I APPRECIATE THE SIMPLICITY OF THE PRESENTATION, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
I LIKE THE GRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS.
I LOVE MY ENGINEERING BACKGROUND AND THE WAY THE GRAPHS ARE SO SIMPLE.
BUT I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU HERE JUST ON THE TWO, TWO ITEMS, TWO PERSONNEL THAT WOULD BE FOR PHOTO RADAR.
UH, THE LEAD TIME TO GET THOSE PEOPLE INVOLVED BY JANUARY OR JULY 1ST, DEPENDING, IS KIND OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE DOWNTOWN AS TO WHETHER WE DO PHOTO RADARS OR NOT.
SO DO WE WAIT UNTIL AFTER JULY 1ST, OR WAIT UNTIL AFTER THAT, UH, DECISION'S MADE DOWNTOWN AND MR. MAYOR AND, UH, VICE MAYOR, IF I CAN.
SO A COUPLE THINGS ABOUT THOSE TWO POSITIONS.
ONE IS FOR THE COURT'S OFFICE.
AND WHILE WE HAVE CURRENTLY FUNDED THOSE POSITIONS FROM REVENUE FROM THE PHOTO RADAR, IF THE PHOTO RADAR GOES AWAY, THE PLAN IS TO KEEP THOSE POSITIONS, PROBABLY RETITLE THEM AND, AND FIND OTHER, UH, REVENUE SOURCES TO PAY FOR THEM.
UH, THE, THE, UH, THE JUDGE AND ABRIEL ASKED FOR ACTUALLY TWO POSITIONS, AND WE COULD ONLY FUND THIS ONE GIVEN THAT THE REVENUE WAS ATTACHED.
BUT IF AT SOME POINT DURING THE PROCESS, PHOTO RADIO, PHOTO RADAR GOES AWAY EITHER BY STATE LEGISLATION OR BY ACTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL, I MADE A COMMITMENT TO BRING BACK THE PHOTO RADAR IN THE FALL FOR COUNSEL TO DISCUSS AS WE TALK ABOUT ITS EFFECTIVENESS, UM, AT, AT THAT TIME.
SO EITHER WAY, IF IT GOES AWAY, UM, WE BELIEVE THAT IT'S A POSITION THE COURT NEEDS, UH, AND CAN HELP IN, IN OTHER WAYS.
ONE OF THE FEW DEPARTMENTS WITHOUT ADMINISTRATIVE HELP.
UM, FOR, FOR THE DIRECT, THE, THE CHIEF JUDGE, UH, AND, UM, UH, THE COURT ADMINISTRATOR AND THEN THE, UH, POSITION IN, UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES, UH, POSITION, AGAIN, IT'S A GENERAL POSITION, A GENERAL TITLE THAT DOES MANY THINGS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
UH, THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ASKS FOR, UH, A SIGNI A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF NEW POSITIONS.
UH, THEY ONLY RECEIVED A SMALL HANDFUL OF THOSE POSITIONS.
SO WE BELIEVE IT'S A POSITION THAT THE, THE PD, UH, WILL BE ABLE TO ABSORB INTO OTHER DUTIES, UH, THAT AND THEN REDUCE THEIR ASKS NEXT YEAR, IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
THE OTHER ONE, JUST A, A QUICK THOUGHT CAME TO MIND ABOUT THE FLEET OPERATION AND SOFTWARE HERE FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS.
I KNOW IN ANOTHER HAT I WEAR, THEY HAVE SOFTWARE THAT ACTUALLY MAPS OUT WHERE BUSES GO.
SO WHERE THE CHILDREN ARE, THE BUSES GO TO MAXIMIZE OR MINIMIZE THEIR COSTS AND WHATEVER ELSE.
DOES THIS SOFTWARE DO THE SAME TYPE OF STUFF OR IS IT MORE FOR MAINTENANCE AND, AND ASSETS? MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, IF I CAN ANSWER THAT, IT'S NOT FOR THOSE THINGS.
WE HAVE SOFTWARE, UH, ALREADY FOR TRACKING OUR VEHICLES.
THEY HAVE SOFTWARE THAT MANAGE THE BUSES AND THE ROUTES AND ALL THAT KIND OF, THIS IS, UH, MOSTLY FOR,
[01:40:01]
UH, THE RESULTS OF AN AUDIT, UH, WHERE WE NEEDED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF TRACKING OUR VEHICLE USAGE, OUR GAS, UH, USAGE, UM, OUR SUPPLIES AND, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.SO THIS IS TO PAY FOR A BRAND NEW, UH, SYSTEM, UH, IT SYSTEM AS A RESULT OF AN AUDIT, UH, THAT WE RECEIVED.
AND THE LAST ONE, I GUESS JUST, UH, TENTATIVE BUDGET, ONCE WE GET A NUMBER FIXED, THE CIP, THE CARRYOVERS FROM THIS YEAR INTO NEXT YEAR, DOES THAT FIT INTO THAT BUDGET OR DOES THAT CARRY OVER ABOVE WHATEVER THAT FIXED BUDGET IS? HOW DOES CARRYOVER AFFECT THAT BUDGET THAT WE CAN'T GO OVER IN MAY OR JUNE? UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL? UM, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WHEN WE SET THE LIMIT, WE DO INCLUDE A CONTINGENCY LINE THAT WE CAN DO A BUDGET TRANSFER ONCE THE YEAR IS CLOSED, AND WE HAVE TO TRUE UP CARRY OVER.
I APPRECIATE, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
AND JUST TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK A BIT OFF OF WHAT SOME OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE MENTIONED IN REGARDS TO THE BIG NUMBER THAT JUMPS OUT AT YOU, UH, FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN CONSISTENT FROM THE COMMUNITIES', UH, STANDPOINT OF BRINGING ADDITIONAL RESTAURANTS AND MORE SPECIFICALLY GROCERY STORES HERE TO OUR COMMUNITY, UM, INVESTING IN THAT PROCESS, I THINK IS NECESSARY.
WHAT A LOT OF RESIDENTS MAY NOT BE AWARE OF IS THAT WHILE IT SEEMS THAT, UH, MANY IN THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY HAVE LEAPFROG OVER AVONDALE AND HAVE WENT TO GOODYEAR, UM, IS A LOT OF IT IS THE RESULT OF THESE INVESTMENTS THAT THEY MAKE.
AND SO I THINK THAT IF THAT IS TRULY A PRIORITY OF OURS, WHICH I BELIEVE IT IS, THEN I, I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO FUND PROGRAMS IN WHICH WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND BE AS AGGRESSIVE AS POSSIBLE.
SO, UM, JUST FOR, FOR RESIDENTS LOOKING AT, AT THIS INFORMATION AND SEEING THAT BIG NUMBER JUMPING OUT, I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF CAPTURE WHAT THE, WHAT THE PRIORITY IS THERE.
SO JUST MORE OF A COMMENT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL QUESTIONS WE HAVE FOR THIS FIRST PART OF THE PRESENTATION.
UH, ANDY, I, I KNOW YOU'RE EAGER.
DO YOU MIND, RON, IF WE TAKE A, A FIVE MINUTE BREAK? IT'S YOUR PLEASURE, MR. MAYOR.
LET'S HAVE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND WE'LL BE, WELL, NOPE.
[01:50:52]
ANYBODY[01:50:53]
WANT A SOUR PATCH KID? SORRY, ANDY, I KNOW YOU'RE READY TO GO.I BELIEVE WE'RE READY TO GO AND NOW WE'RE READY.
WELL, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, MY PORTION OF TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION WILL COVER RECOMMENDED COMPENSATION AND BENEFIT CHANGES FOR FY 26, UH, BEFORE YOU, IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE RECOMMENDED COMPENSATION INCREASES FOR VARIOUS EMPLOYEE GROUPS, WHICH HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UH, FOR OUR POLICE AND POLICE OFFICERS AND SERGEANTS, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THEY RECEIVE A ONE STEP INCREASE, WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO 5% PLUS A 3% COST OF LIVING, BECAUSE TOP DOWN EMPLOYEES WOULD, UH, TYPICALLY ONLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE 3% COLA.
UH, NEW RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS YEAR IS TO PROVIDE TOP-DOWN EMPLOYEES WITH A ONE-TIME LUMP SUM PAYMENT, UH, FOR THEIR MERIT INCREASE.
SO IN THIS CASE, FOR OUR OFFICERS AND SERGEANTS, UH, TOPPED OUT INDIVIDUALS WOULD RECEIVE A 2% ONE-TIME PAYMENT, UM, IN LIEU OF, OF NOT BEING ABLE TO RECEIVE ANY ADDITIONAL PAY BECAUSE THEY'RE AT THE TOP OF THEIR RANGE.
UM, THIS SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION IS RESPONSIVE TO FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED LAST YEAR, UM, FROM BOTH OUR EMPLOYEE BENEFITS COMMITTEE AND OTHER EMPLOYEES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
AND YOU'LL KINDA SEE THIS COMMON THEME WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER EMPLOYEE GROUPS AS, AS I GO THROUGH EACH OF THOSE, UM, MOVING ALONG TO OUR SWORN FIREFIGHTERS.
SO THE CURRENT MOU THAT COVERS FIREFIGHTERS, ENGINEERS, AND CAPTAINS, PROVIDES FOR A ONE STEP INCREASE, AGAIN, EQUIVALENT TO 5%, UH, PLUS A 3% COST OF LIVING INCREASE.
SO SIMILAR TO PD, OUR TOPPED OUT, UM, FIRE EMPLOYEES IN THIS GROUP WILL ALSO RECEIVE THEIR MERIT AS A ONE-TIME LUMP SUM PAYMENT EQUIVALENT TO 2%.
UM, WE WILL BE SUBMITTING A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, UM, TO AMEND THE MOU TO ALLOW FOR THIS ONE-TIME PAYMENT BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, JUST TO ENSURE THAT THE LANGUAGE, UH, INCORPORATES THAT, UH, REMAINING CITY STAFF WILL RECEIVE A 2% MERIT INCREASE AND A 3%, UH, COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, TOP OUT EMPLOYEES WILL RECEIVE UP TO A 2% ONE-TIME LUMP SUM PAYMENT FOR THEIR MERIT INCREASE.
YOU'LL NOTICE IN THIS INSTANCE, I SAID, UH, UP TO 2%.
THE REASON BEING THAT IN SOME CASES, INDIVIDUALS MAY GET A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THE 3% DEPENDING ON IF ON THEIR RANGE MOVEMENT.
UM, SO SOME OF THAT MERIT INCREASE MAY GO INTO THEIR BASE PAY, BUT ANYTHING THAT'S LEFT OVER, UH, WOULD BE PAID OUT IN A ONE-TIME LUMP SUM UP TO THAT 2% AMOUNT.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING, UH, BASED UPON A REVIEW OF OF RECENT MARKET DATA FROM SOME OF OUR COMPARATOR AGENCIES, WE'RE RECOMMENDING AN INCREASE TO ON-CALL PAY FROM $2 AN HOUR TO TWO 50 AN HOUR, AND AN INCREASE IN OUR SHIFT DIFFERENTIAL RATE, UM, FROM 55 CENTS AN HOUR TO 75 CENTS AN HOUR, UM, FOR ANY HOURS WORK BETWEEN 9:00 PM AND, AND MIDNIGHT AND 75 CENTS TO $1 AN HOUR FOR HOURS OF WORK FROM, UH, MIDNIGHT TO 4:00 AM.
UH, IN ADDITION TO WHAT I JUST, UH, COVERED IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE'VE ALSO EVALUATED ADDITIONAL REQUESTS RELATED TO SWORN OFFICERS AND ARE RECOMMENDING THE FOLLOWING.
UH, SO FIRST THERE'S A, A, A REQUEST, UH, TO INCREASE THE BALLISTIC VEST ALLOTMENT FOR OUR SWORN OFFICERS FROM $1,200 TO $1,900.
UM, OFFICERS TYPICALLY PURCHASE A NEW BALLISTIC VEST EVERY FIVE YEARS AND COORDINATE REIMBURSEMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE PURCHASE OF THESE ITEMS INCLUDE THE BALLISTIC VEST, AN OUTER CARRIER, AND A RIFLE PLATE, IN ADDITION TO JUST SOME INFLATIONARY COSTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE RECENT PAST.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE AN INCREASE TO THE ANNUAL UNIFORM ALLOWANCE BY $300 FOR ELIGIBLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
[01:55:01]
EMPLOYEES.SO THIS INCLUDES SWARM, BUT IT ALSO MAY INCLUDE SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, UH, POSITIONS THAT WOULD HAVE SOME SORT OF NEED FOR A UNIFORM, WHETHER IT'S POLO SHIRTS, UH, ANYTHING THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY RECEIVING TODAY, THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO RECEIVE WITH, UH, AN ADDITIONAL $300 ANNUALLY, UM, SOMETHING NEW.
BUT, BUT YOU'LL, YOU'LL LIKELY RECOGNIZE THIS.
SO PROVIDING A CITY CONTRIBUTION OF $5,000 TO A, A POST-EMPLOYMENT HEALTH PLAN ACCOUNT FOR SWORN OFFICERS AND SERGEANTS WHO RETIRE IN GOOD STANDING WITH 20 OR MORE YEARS OF CONSECUTIVE SERVICE.
SO LAST YEAR, UM, OR, OR THE, FOR THIS CURRENT MOU CYCLE FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS, UH, WE INCORPORATED A SIMILAR, UH, CLAUSE AND VERBIAGE THERE FOR THAT GROUP.
UM, SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT SAME, UH, OPTION HERE FOR OUR SWORN OFFICERS AND SERGEANTS, AGAIN, JUST TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S PARITY THERE, PLUS, UM, JUST ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THAT PUBLIC SAFETY ASPECT, THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S CURRENTLY ON TOP OF MIND FOR US FROM A RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PERSPECTIVE.
UM, SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE IN, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FEEL IS, IS APPROPRIATE AT THIS POINT FOR US TO, TO INCLUDE IN THIS, UH, UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR.
AND ONE ITEM, YOU, YOU MAY RECALL LAST YEAR, WE SPOKE ABOUT, UM, THE PUBLIC SAFETY RETENTION PROGRAM, WHICH, UH, ESSENTIALLY WAS IMPLEMENTED TO PROMOTE, UH, REWARDING AND, AND, UH, RETAINING EMPLOYEES, PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR CAREER.
UM, IT OPTED FOR ALLOWING, UH, ELIGIBLE SWORN EMPLOYEES TO, UH, RECEIVE A, A RETENTION PAYOUT BASED ON WHICH CYCLE THEY WERE AT OVER A A 20 YEAR CAREER.
UM, SO THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED THIS YEAR, AND WE HAD OUR FIRST ITERATION OF INDIVIDUALS, UM, BEING ABLE TO ELECT A PAYMENT.
UM, SO NEARLY WE HAD ABOUT 50 ELIGIBLE SWORN EMPLOYEES WITHIN PD AND, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT HAVE ELECTED TO RECEIVE THEIR RETENTION, UH, CYCLE PAYOUT.
AND THAT WILL BE PAID IN IN THIS JULY.
UM, SO WITH COUNCIL SUPPORT, ONE TIME FUNDING WAS PROVIDED THIS FISCAL YEAR TO CONDUCT A MARKET STUDY TO ENSURE THAT AVONDALE REMAINS COMPETITIVE WITH THE MARKET AND ALSO, UM, IS AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE.
SO IN FALL OF 2024, WE ENGAGED WITH PUBLIC SECTOR PERSONNEL CONSULTANTS, WHICH IS A THIRD PARTY, UH, CONSULTING, UH, COMPENSATION CONSULTING AGENCY TO CONDUCT THE STUDY.
UM, THIS ORGANIZATION'S HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH PUBLIC SECTOR AND MUNICIPAL JOBS THROUGHOUT ARIZONA.
UH, THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY WAS SPECIFIC TO MARKET RANGES, SO WE DIDN'T DO A DEEP DIVE INTO CLASSIFICATIONS OR JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
UM, THAT WAS SOMETHING WE DID A COUPLE YEARS BACK AND LIKELY WE'LL DO IN OUR NEXT ITERATION OF, OF A STUDY.
SO THIS WAS VERY MUCH LOOKING AT COMPARATOR, UH, POSITIONS THAT EXIST IN, IN OTHER AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE VALLEY.
SO OUR COMPARATOR CITIES THAT WE LOOKED AT WERE GOODYEAR, BUCKEYE, GLENDALE, PEORIA, SURPRISE, EL MIRAGE, CHANDLER MESA, AND TEMPE.
SO THOSE WERE THE, THE AGENCIES THAT WE LOOKED AT AS, AS WE STARTED TO, TO CONDUCT OUR STUDY.
SO, IN COLLABORATION, INITIALLY WITH OUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, WE WANTED TO SET SOME PRIORITY JOBS.
SO WE SOUGHT INPUT FROM EACH OF OUR DIRECTORS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WERE THE BIG TICKET JOBS THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE STUDY, WHAT WERE THE MEDIUM LEVEL JOBS, AND THEN MAYBE JOBS THAT WERE LOWER LEVEL OR, OR REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO BE STUDIED AT THAT TIME.
SO OVERALL, WE HAD 170 JOBS THAT WERE SURVEYED.
UM, THIS REPRESENTS APPROXIMATELY 52% OF, OF JOBS ACROSS AVONDALE.
AND THEN WE ESTABLISHED SOME LINKAGES THERE, UM, BASED ON THE JOB SURVEY.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE MAY HAVE INCLUDED A JOB IN A SURVEY, AND AS, AS A RESULT OF THAT SURVEY, LET'S SAY THERE WAS A, A NEED TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT TO THAT GRADE, OR WE ALSO, I'M SORRY, TO THAT POSITION, WE ALSO LOOKED AT INTERNAL JOBS THAT, THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY, UM, VALUED THE SAME, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SURVEYED.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS THAT INTERNAL EQUITY AND THAT PARODY AMONGST, UM, THOSE POSITIONS.
SO WE, WE DID SOME OF THAT REVIEW INTERNALLY, AGAIN, GETTING FEEDBACK FROM OUR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND, AND JUST THE EXPERTISE OF OUR CONSULTANT TO KIND OF MAKE SOME OF THOSE LINKAGES.
OVERALL, 80% OF OUR JOBS SURVEYED WERE WITHIN 5% OF MARKET MIDPOINT.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF OUR, UM, OUR STAPLE.
WE WERE LOOKING AT THE MARKET MIDPOINT AND WANTING TO BE, UM, WITHIN, IF, IF WE WERE FALLING 5% OR MORE BELOW, THAT WAS THE JOB THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT TO CONSIDER, UH, ADJUSTMENT.
UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY 80% OF OUR JOBS WERE WITHIN THAT MARKET, 5% OF MARKET MIDPOINT, WHICH MEANS THAT 20%, UH, OF OUR JOBS WERE, WERE MORE THAN 5% BELOW BELOW MARKET.
UM, SO WE WERE LOOKING AT ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE, OUR TARGET AREAS FOR US TO TAKE A LOOK AT MORE CLOSELY AND DETERMINE, UM, YOU KNOW, NEXT STEPS FOR, FOR MAKING SOME ADJUSTMENTS.
SO OVERALL, APPROXIMATELY 80 JOBS ARE BEING ADJUSTED UP ONE GRADE, WHICH WOULD EQUIVALENT, WHICH WOULD EQUATE TO A 5% ADJUSTMENT, UM, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN THOSE JOB TITLES, WHICH IS ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT I SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER.
SO IT'S THAT FIVE PLUS THREE PLUS AN ADDITIONAL FIVE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT ENSURES MARKETING COMPETITIVENESS OR INTERNAL EQUITY IF ANOTHER JOB HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED THROUGH THAT STUDY FOR MOVEMENT THAT
[02:00:01]
WE FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO MOVE A, A COMPARATOR JOB.UM, AND AS I MENTIONED, THE, THE ADJUSTMENTS ARE IN ADDITION TO THE COLA AND THE MERIT INCREASE, UM, APPROXIMATELY 13 JOBS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR RECLASSIFICATION EVALUATION.
SO AS PART OF THIS EFFORT, UM, WE MAY HAVE A JOB THAT COMES UP WHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON WITH IT AND, AND REALLY THERE'S NOT A, A CLEAR COMPARATOR OR WE NEEDED TO DO SOME, SOME FURTHER EVALUATION OF THAT POSITION.
UM, SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED 13 JOBS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THAT ARE KIND OF OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THIS STUDY, BUT FOR US TO WORK WITH THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND TO DEVELOP, UM, ENSURE THAT WE HAVE AN ACCURATE JOB DESCRIPTION THAT WE CAN THEN EITHER OURSELVES OR WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CONSULTANT TO GO BACK OUT AND DO A, A RECLASSIFICATION REVIEW.
UM, SO OUR INTENT IS, IT MAY NOT BE PART OF, OF THE, THE MARKET, BUT OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO AT LEAST, UM, HAVE SOME OF THAT RESEARCH COMPLETED IN ADVANCE OF FISCAL YEAR 26, UH, TO DETERMINE IF THERE'S ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL MOVEMENTS THAT NEED TO TAKE PLACE.
AND THEN AGAIN, AS PART OF THIS OVERALL EFFORT, UM, THERE WERE 21 INACTIVE, UH, JOB TITLES THAT WE WERE, THAT WE INTEND TO REMOVE FROM THE COMPENSATION PLAN.
SO IT WAS JUST SOME POSITIONS THAT MAYBE HAD BEEN RETITLED OVER THE YEARS, OR MAYBE POSITIONS THAT NO LONGER EXIST WITHIN THE CITY.
IT WAS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF TRUE UP THE, THE COMPENSATION PLAN AND MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS ACCURATE AND REFLECTIVE OF THE JOBS THAT, THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, SO MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR BENEFITS.
UM, SO BEFORE I COVER THE RECOMMENDED MEDICAL, DENTAL AND VISION PREMIUMS FOR FY 26, I JUST WANNA PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF, OF SOME OF THE, THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES.
SOME OF THESE ARE, ARE REQUIREMENTS, UH, LIKE, LIKE OUR FIRST ONE.
SO BASED ON IRS REGULATIONS, UH, DEDUCTIBLES FOR OUR EMBEDDED HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLAN WILL BE INCREASING FOR INDIVIDUALS BY A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
SO OVERALL, THE, THE DEDUCTIBLE FOR THAT PLAN IN THE UPCOMING PLAN YEAR, UM, IS GOING TO 3,300.
FROM 3,200, UH, FOR INDIVIDUAL COVERAGE OR INDIVIDUAL DEDUCTIBLE.
ALL OF THE OTHER TIER TIERS WILL BE INCREASING $200 FROM 6,400 TO $6,600 ANNUALLY.
FOR VISION, WE ARE, UM, MOVING TO FROM OUR CURRENT, UH, VISION CARRIER TO A NEW CARRIER TO THE VISION SERVICE PLAN VSP.
UM, AND THIS IS PRIMARILY BASED ON EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK.
SO THIS WAS, UH, INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED THROUGH OUR BENEFITS COMMITTEE THROUGH, UH, INTERACTIONS WITH EMPLOYEES, JUST, JUST GENERALLY ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR BENEFIT NEEDS AND SO FORTH.
SO THE PURPOSE OF THE MOVE IS TO RECEIVE, UH, ENHANCED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND, AND REALLY ACCESS TO A LARGER PROVIDER NETWORK.
UM, OUR GOAL FOR THIS IS TO HAVE THE CURRENT COST, THE VISION COVERAGE REMAIN NEUTRAL FOR, FOR EMPLOYEES.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS BEFORE WE FINALIZE A CONTRACT FOR FY 26.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO EXPLORING OTHER POTENTIAL VENDORS FOR OUR EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
UM, WE HAVEN'T MADE ANY OF THE FINAL DECISIONS YET.
AND, AND WE MAY END UP JUST STAYING WITH OUR CURRENT VENDOR, BUT WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT, UH, OTHER, UM, LEVELS OF SERVICE THAT MIGHT BE OUT THERE, NUMBERS OF VISITS THAT ARE PART OF THE PLAN TO DETERMINE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER OFFERINGS THAT THAT MIGHT PROVIDE ENHANCED RESOURCES FOR, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT.
AND THEN OPEN ENROLLMENT IS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN MID-APRIL, SO WE'LL HAVE SOME COMMUNICATION FORTHCOMING ABOUT, UH, ON THAT.
AND USUALLY IT'S OPEN FOR A TWO WEEK TIME, UH, PERIOD FOR INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE ANY CHANGES, UH, FOR THE UPCOMING PLAN YEAR.
SO THIS, UH, CURRENT SLIDE, SO THE SLIDE BEFORE YOU SHOWS THE RECOMMENDED MEDICAL PREMIUMS FOR FY 26.
UM, SO JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THIS, UH, RATES WERE REVIEWED INTERNALLY BY HR FINANCE AND WITH OUR OUTSIDE BENEFITS CONSULTANT.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY WE PRESENTED, UH, THOSE, UH, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS OR OUR PROPOSED CHANGES, UM, TO THE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS TRUST BOARD ON MARCH 3RD OF, OF THIS MONTH.
UH, WHO VOTED TO RECOMMEND THESE RATES AS PART OF THE FY 26 BUDGET? UH, SO SOME KEY TAKE TAKEAWAYS, UH, THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, THAT WERE, THAT WERE PRESENT LAST YEAR, UM, YOU'LL RECALL THAT WE WENT FROM A TWO-TIER PLAN TO A FOUR-TIER PLAN.
SO, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDST OF RIGHT SIZING SOME OF THOSE COSTS.
UH, WE DIDN'T WANT TO DO, WE DIDN'T WANT TO JUST MAKE AN AUTOMATIC CHANGE ALL AT ONCE AND, AND HAVE, UM, SOME SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS TO INDIVIDUALS AS A RESULT OF, OF, OF THOSE TIERS.
UM, SO WE, WE WERE PHASING THAT IN OVER A THREE YEAR TIMEFRAME.
LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR, THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR.
AND THEN YEAR THREE, WE WILL, WE'LL ESSENTIALLY KIND OF SMOOTH OUT, UM, THE COSTS BASED UPON WHAT LEVEL OF, OF TIER THAT AN EMPLOYEE ELECTS TO HAVE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, OUR, OUR TARGETS, SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT OUR HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLAN, WHICH HAS OUR MOST, UM, OUR, OUR MOST NUMBER OF, OF ENROLLEES, UM, IS TO HAVE A, A TARGET EMPLOYER EMPLOYEE SPLIT OF 90% AND 10%.
SO ESSENTIALLY WHERE THE, THE CITY IS PICKING UP 90% OF THAT COST, AND THE EMPLOYEE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT OTHER 10%.
ADDITIONALLY, WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THE EMPLOYEE'S, UH, I'M SORRY, THE CITY'S CURRENT, UH, PAY PERIOD CONTRIBUTION TO THE HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT,
[02:05:01]
THAT THAT'S NEAR A FREE PLAN FOR AN EMPLOYEE, AN INDIVIDUAL, UH, EMPLOYEE ONLY, UH, COVERAGE IN THAT PARTICULAR PLAN.SO, UM, JUST CONTINUING TO, TO, TO MAINTAIN THAT LEVEL, BALANCING THE, UH, THE INCREASED COST OF HEALTHCARE, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE A, A SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AS WE LOOK AT COSTS.
OUR NEXT PLAN IS, OUR PPO PLAN, AGAIN, HAS THE, THE SECOND, UM, NUMBER OF, OF ENROLLEES IN THAT PLAN.
UM, OUR TARGET THERE IS FOR SINGLE, UH, EMPLOYEE ONLY COVERAGE WOULD BE AN 85 15 SPLIT.
SO THE CITY PICKING UP 85% OF THAT COST, AND THE EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBLE FOR 15%.
AND THEN FOR THE REMAINING TIERS, IT WOULD BE A 75 25, UM, SPLIT, 75%, 25%.
SO AGAIN, THESE, THESE ARE THE TARGETS THAT, THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK TOWARDS.
AND THEN LASTLY, OUR EPO PLAN, WHICH IS OUR RICHEST PLAN, UM, AND, AND HAS THE LOWEST ENROLLMENT, UM, LOOKING AT AN 80 20 SPLIT FOR, UH, EMPLOYEE ONLY, AND THEN A 60 40 SPLIT FOR ALL REMAINING TIERS.
AND, UH, AGAIN, LOOKING JUST AT THE, THE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS ARE THINGS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT YEAR OVER YEAR.
UM, AND IT, AT SOME POINT, IF, IF WE HAVE A LOT OF MIGRATION OUT OF THAT PLAN TO THE PPO PLAN OR THE HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLAN, WE MAY LOOK AT SUNSET, THAT PLAN, UM, JUST FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, POSITION.
IT, IT MAY NOT BE, UM, IT MAY NOT BE NECESSARY FOR US TO MAINTAIN THAT PLAN.
UM, IT IS OUR RICHEST PLAN AND, AND LIKELY MOST EXPENSIVE FOR EMPLOYEES.
UH, DENTAL PREMIUMS OVERALL, WE'RE, WE'RE REMAINING WITH OUR CURRENT VENDOR, UM, AND PROVIDING A, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE A, A 5% INCREASE IN OUR PREMIUM COSTS, UM, ON A PER PAY PERIOD BASIS.
UM, BUT THAT TYPICALLY IS, IS SOMETHING THAT WE SEE EVERY YEAR.
THERE'S SOME ADMINISTRATIVE INCREASES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, UM, THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THAT, THAT CHANGE IN, IN PREMIUMS. AND THEN LASTLY, OUR, UM, OUR VISION COVERAGE, EVEN THOUGH IT CURRENTLY HAS, HAS OUR CURRENT VENDORS, UM, NAME, COMPANY NAME THERE, WE'RE GONNA BE TRANSITIONING TO, TO VSP.
UM, SO VISION PREMIUMS ARE ANTICIPATED TO INCREASE BY 10%.
THIS IS A VOLUNTARY BENEFIT AND FUND IT'S, UH, SOLELY BY EMPLOYEES.
THEREFORE, YOU WON'T SEE A CITY CONTRIBUTION IN, IN ANY OF THOSE COLUMNS.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE ANTICIPATING OR ON THE TRACK TO, TO CHANGE OUR VENDOR FOR THAT, UM, PARTICULAR BENEFIT.
SO THIS CONCLUDES MY PORTION OF TONIGHT'S, UH, PRESENTATION.
I'M HAPPY AND AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AT THIS TIME I'LL OPEN IT UP TO COUNSEL.
OR RON, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? NO, MR. MAYOR.
UM, ANDY, FOR THE PRESENTATION, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE, UM, EPO PLAN.
YOU DID INDICATE THAT WAS THE RICHEST PLAN.
WHAT WOULD CAUSE US TO SUNSET THAT PLAN? I SEE ONLY 47 OF OUR PEOPLE ARE USING AND LEVERAGING THAT.
WHAT, WHAT NUMBER WOULD THAT GET DOWN TO WHERE THE TEAM WOULD SAY WE DON'T NEED THAT ONE.
UH, MAYOR RICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MAGIC NUMBER WOULD LOOK LIKE.
I'D, I'D WANT TO CONSULT WITH OUR, WITH OUR OUTSIDE CONSULTANT AND OUR, AND OUR BENEFITS MANAGER, JUST TO KIND OF SEE FROM WHAT A COST OF ADMINISTRATION DOES IT, DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR US TO CONTINUE THAT? OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD MONITOR THAT TO SEE IF WE CONTINUE TO SEE MIGRATION FROM THAT PLAN TO OTHER PLANS, UM, AND NOT BE JUST A WHOLEHEARTED DECISION TO, TO DO THAT, UH, BASED ON A, A PARTICULAR NUMBER.
IT REALLY JUST KINDA LOOKING TO SEE IF, IF WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE YEAR AFTER YEAR, MOVING INTO SOME OF THOSE OTHER PLANS AND, AND LESS, UM, INTEREST OF, OF EMPLOYEES ENROLLING IN THERE.
I NOTICED IT'S ABOUT 13, UH, EMPLOYEES THAT USE IT FOR THEIR SPOUSE, CHILDREN, AND FAMILY.
SO THAT'S A REALLY, REALLY LOW NUMBER.
I, SO I WAS JUST SAY I KIND OF FOCUSED IN ON THAT 'CAUSE IT'S 34 EMPLOYEES ONLY, WHICH OF COURSE WE WANT THEM TO ENJOY THEIR BENEFITS.
UM, BUT THEN AS I LOOK AT THE, THE, IT'S ONLY 13 OTHER FAMILIES.
THANK YOU COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE COUNCILOR WEISS.
THANK YOU ANDY, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU ANDY, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'M GONNA START ON A HIGH NOTE.
YOU SEE THE OPTOMETRIST JUST SMILE WHEN THEY SEE VSP AND THIS OTHER ONE WAS THROWING THEM THROUGH A LOOP.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE BREAKDOWN OF THE INSURANCE.
I'LL BE HONEST, I REALLY, FOR MANY YEARS I HAD, UM, INSURANCE THROUGH MY OTHER JOB AND I NEVER ONCE PICKED MY OWN INSURANCE.
WE HAD SOMEBODY WHO WOULD READ THE MATERIAL AND THEN TELL US WHAT WAS BENEFICIAL.
SO THIS TIME I REMEMBER HAVING TO GO SEE KATHY AND HAVE ACTUALLY MAKING A DECISION WITH MY INSURANCE.
SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT SO EASY.
[02:10:01]
UM, MY SECOND ONE IS BASED ON THE SLIDES.I DON'T SEE IT ON THIS ONE, BUT I DID SEE IT ON THE SLIDES THAT I RECEIVED.
UM, IF YOU GO BACK TO POLICE COMPENSATION, AND I KNOW I TALKED TO RON ABOUT THIS IN MY CONSENT, BUT I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION HOW I FEEL ABOUT THAT.
FIRST OF ALL, THIS ONE DOESN'T SAY AVONDALE POLICE UNITED.
CAN WE CLARIFY WHO THAT IS? BECAUSE I ASKED RON WHO THAT WAS AND I ALSO ASKED DILLARD IN AN EMAIL, HE SAID IT WOULD BE CLARIFIED FOR US TO NOT, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHO THAT IS, WHAT THAT IS, AND 'CAUSE I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT.
SO MAYOR, ADVICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER SOLORIO, UM, AVONDALE POLICE UNITED IS, UH, AN ASSOCIATE, I BELIEVE THEY'RE A RELATIVELY NEW ASSOCIATION, UM, OUT OF THE, THE AVONDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THEY HAD REACHED OUT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND, AND OURSELVES TO KIND OF INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND, AND, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY DON'T JUST REPRESENT SWORN UM, EMPLOYEES.
THEY, THEY REPRESENT ALL DIFFERENT, UM, TITLES AND, AND POSITIONS TYPES WITHIN THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, OBVIOUSLY ANYBODY THAT CHOOSES TO JOIN THEIR PARTICULAR ASSOCIATION.
AND THEN HERE'S MY OTHER QUESTION FOR YOU.
HOW MANY LTS AND ABOVE WITH THE SAME STANDING OF 20 YEARS IN GOOD STANDING WHILE RETIREMENT, DO WE HAVE MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCILMAN SOLORIO? UM, I DON'T KNOW ON THE NUMBER OF YEARS.
I, I THINK OVERALL WE HAVE ABOUT NINE LIEUTENANTS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW OVERALL HOW MANY OF THEM HAVE, DO WE KNOW THAT NUMBER? DOES ANYONE KNOW THAT NUMBER? WE, WE CAN JUST GO WITH NINE.
THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL SENIOR.
THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT ALL AT 20.
UM, MY REASON FOR ASKING IS I LIKE THIS.
I LIKE WHOEVER THE AVONDALE POLICE UNITED WAS.
'CAUSE I'M FAMILIAR WITH IT NOW, CAME UP WITH THIS AND THAT'S GREAT.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER THAT TO EVERYBODY.
I'M SURE WE HAVE LTS AND ABOVE WHO 20 PLUS YEARS IN GOOD STANDING AND, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE A NICE BENEFIT TO OFFER IT TO EVERYONE IF WE HAVE, GIMME A MINUTE.
IF WE HAVE NINE, WE SAY IF WE HAVE NINE, MAY I ASK CHIEF ESPINOZA IF HE CAN? MAY, MAY, MAY I ASK MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLER, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? IF I CAN ASK? HOW MANY LTS OF 20 YEARS GREATER WOULD HE KNOW IF YOU NEED THE EXACT NUMBER? I'M SURE HE DOES.
I I WOULD LIKE IT 'CAUSE I REALLY DON'T WANNA INFLATE THE NUMBER OR NOT REFLECT IT CORRECTLY.
BUT MR. MAYOR AND, UH, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE WOULDN'T DO JUST ONE GROUP OF EMPLOYEES.
PART OF THIS PROGRAM WAS CREATED OFF OF THE AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO WE CONSIDER, UM, UH, BOTH, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICES VERY SIMILAR.
BUT FIRE HAS AN MOU, SO THAT'S WHY I'M THE, THE, THE, UH, THE BCS AND ABOVE ARE NOT REPRESENTED.
I JUST, I'M, I'M JUST MERELY I'M WANTING TO SEE HOW MANY CHIEF WOULD YOU KNOW HOW MANY, MA'AM WE HAVE, UH, EIGHT LIEUTENANTS, TWO ASSISTANT CHIEFS, AND, UH, MYSELF, 11, 11 YES, MA'AM.
SO IF WE DID 11 TIMES $5,000, THAT'D GIVE US AN EXTRA $55,000.
UM, IS THERE A REASON WHY WE'RE NOT DOING THAT, INCLUDING THOSE FOLKS TOO? 'CAUSE IT IS A GREAT BENEFIT AND I'D LIKE TO SEE ALL OF THEM HAVE IT, BECAUSE I WOULD RATHER SEE ALL OF THEM HAVE IT THAN A CERTAIN SELECT GROUP HAVE IT.
AND THE REST, NOT MR. MAYOR, UH, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL A, AS WE, UH, AS I DISCUSSED EARLIER, UH, VIA EMAIL, UM, THIS IS A, UH, LONG-TERM GAME TO FIX INEQUITIES THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED OVER THE YEARS IN THE CITY OF AVONDALE.
AND SO IT, IT, WHEN WE START TO BEGIN TO PICK AND CHOOSE, UH, ABOVE OUTSIDE OF THE REPRESENTED GROUPS, IT JUST GETS, UH, MORE COMPLICATED.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO CONSIDER OTHER GROUPS IN THE ORGANIZATION AS WELL.
AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE WANNA DO A TEST RUN WITH.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL EVENTUALLY BRING BACK TO COUNCIL IN FUTURE YEARS AND POSSIBLY, I THINK, EXPAND, UH, BEYOND JUST THE, UM, SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS.
WE HAVE SENIOR, UH, FIREFIGHTERS THAT AREN'T COVERED.
AND I THINK WE HAVE OTHER EMPLOYEES THAT WE BEGIN NEED TO BEGIN TO EXPLORE AS OTHER CITIES BEGIN TO INCREASE THEIR POST-RETIREMENT HEALTHCARE BENEFITS.
WE NEED TO FIND A WAY THAT IS SUSTAINABLE OVER THE LONG HAUL.
AND THAT'S REALLY MY GOAL IN PRESENTING TONIGHT'S DRAFT BALANCED BUDGET, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER BENEFIT WE START TONIGHT, WE CAN DO OVER, OVER THE LONG HAUL.
AND AGAIN, UM, GOING BEYOND THE REPRESENTED GROUPS, UH, MAKES ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE GIVEN THE, UM, 800 OTHER, OR THE 600 OTHER EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE IN THE ORGANIZATION AND CREATING A, A LONG-TERM EXPECTATION OF THIS BENEFIT.
AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, HAS BEEN ASKED FOR FROM THE BENEFITS GROUP IS POSSIBLY A
[02:15:01]
CONTRIBUTION TO ALL EMPLOYEES WITH A PEP 'CAUSE.RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE A PEP ARE SWORN OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS.
AND SO THE BENEFITS GROUP HAS BEEN ASKED TO BEGIN TO CONTRIBUTE, UH, TO A POST-EMPLOYMENT HEALTH PLAN FOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND SO WE'RE EXPLORING THAT AND THAT COST, IN ADDITION, WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO TAKE, UH, SICK LEAVE AND CONVERT THAT INTO A CONTRIBUTION.
SO THEN THAT WAY, UH, RIGHT, UH, UH, STARTING THIS YEAR OR OR THE NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE TO START LISTING ALL LIABILITIES, INCLUDING SICK LEAVE ON SOME OF OUR, UH, FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
AND YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT THAT LATER.
AND SO ONE OF THE THOUGHTS IS IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO CONVERT A SICK LEAVE INTO PAYMENTS, INTO A POST HEALTH, UH, POST-EMPLOYMENT HEALTH CARE PLAN, UM, THEN IT WILL, UH, UH, BE SOMETHING THAT THE EMPLOYEES CAN GET.
IT ALSO ENCOURAGES THEM NOT TO USE SICK LEAVE AFTER THEY GET TO OTHER CURRENT AMOUNTS.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF OPTIONS WE'RE CONSIDERING.
UM, THI THIS IS JUST OUR STARTING POINT, AND OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL WITH ADDITIONAL PLANS.
WELL, MY THING IS JUST, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
MY APOLOGIES IN THE FUTURE, WE'LL LOOK AT THE OTHER ONE.
I'M LOOKING AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY ASPECT.
I'M WELL AWARE OF FIRE, BUT THAT ALSO GOES IN AN MOU.
DO WE HAVE ANY SALARY SAVINGS IN THE AVONDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT COUNCIL? UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCILLOR? YES.
WE HAVE THREE TO $5 MILLION USUALLY.
UH, THE, UH, YOUR POLICE CHIEF IS HOPING TO HAVE ZERO SALARY SAVINGS NEXT YEAR, YEAR, BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT HE WILL HAVE SOME, AGAIN, THIS ISN'T ABOUT WHAT WE CAN AFFORD THIS YEAR.
IT'S ABOUT IN THE FUTURE AND EQUITY THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THIS IS THE ONLY BENEFIT CURRENTLY IN THE, UH, DRAFT BUDGET.
AND I UNDERSTAND, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LONG TERM, BUT WE'RE ALSO SAYING IT'S A TEST RUN.
I AM SIMPLY SAYING THAT IF THEY ALL CAN'T HAVE IT, THEN MAYBE THEY SHOULDN'T GET IT AT ALL.
THAT'S JUST MY FEELING ON IT, BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY EQUALLY DESERVING.
THERE'S 11 INDIVIDUALS THAT I THINK IF WE HAVE A SALARY SAVINGS, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SALARY SAVINGS AVERAGES A YEAR FOR THE PD.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS THAT NUMBER, IS FINANCE, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, BETWEEN THREE AND $5 MILLION.
SO WE CAN'T AFFORD $55,000 A, AGAIN, IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT NUMBER.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCILOR SOLAR.
IT'S ABOUT EQUITY AND IT'S ABOUT THE OTHER SWORN OPPOSITIONS WE HAVE IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
AND IT'S ABOUT THE OTHER EMPLOYEES, WHICH CAN BE ADDRESSED AS WELL IN AN MOU WHEN THEY, WE DO THEIR MOU PROCESS.
THE OTHER, THE OTHER PEOPLE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE NOT COVERED BY THE MOU, JUST LIKE THE LIEUTENANTS AND ABOVE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN ANY ASSOCIATION.
AND SO IT IS FOR, IT IS FOR A FUTURE, UH, DATE THAT'LL BE COMING TO COUNSEL.
WELL, I JUST THINK IF WE HAVE SALARY SAVINGS AND IF WE'RE DOING A TRIAL RUN TO SEE IF HOW IT WORKS, THAT THEY SHOULD ALL BE ALLOWED THE SAME BENEFIT.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WANTING TO ENTERTAIN RIGHT NOW, IT APPEARS, BUT I WOULD REALLY REMISS IN SAYING THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WENT AND NEGOTIATED THIS, THAT WAS ON MY SLIDES, THOSE PEOPLE ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO GET THAT MONEY.
AM I CORRECT IN SAYING THAT MR. RAY, VICE MAYOR, ONLY A PORTION, THEY ALSO REPRESENT PEOPLE WHO AREN'T GETTING IT, INCLUDING OUR DISPATCHERS AND OUR RECORDS CLERKS AND OUR CIVILIANS IN THE, IN THE POSITION.
THEY, THEY REPRESENT, UH, MANY PEOPLE OTHER THAN JUST SWORN OFFICERS.
UM, THEY ASKED FOR, UH, SEVERAL BENEFITS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ADD THIS YEAR, UH, INCLUDING, UH, THE, UH, INCREASE IN THE STANDBY PAY THAT WAS A REQUEST FROM THIS MEETING.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN AFFORD TO PLAN, UH, TO PROVIDE TO ALL EMPLOYEES, UH, WHETHER IT'S, UH, PUBLIC WORKS OR UTILITIES OR, UH, FACILITIES, UH, UH, DETECTIVES, OTHER PEOPLE WHO, UH, DO STANDBY PAY.
UH, SAME THING WITH THE DIFFERENTIAL, UH, FOR THE NIGHT SHIFT.
AND THE SWING SHIFTS AGAIN, CAME FROM THAT.
SO A LOT OF THE REQUESTS, UH, WERE FOR MORE THAN JUST THE PEOPLE THAT THEY REPRESENT, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ASKING ON THEIR, THEIR BEHALF.
SO WE'VE ADDED, UH, SEVERAL BENEFITS, UH, BASED ON THIS MEETING THAT, THAT BENEFIT.
UH, THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING LIEUTENANTS AND ABOVE THE CLOTHING ALLOWANCES FOR EVERYBODY, UH, THAT'S SWORN.
THE, UH, THE BALLISTIC VEST IS FOR EVERYBODY THAT IS SWORN.
SO WHERE WE, WE THOUGHT IT WAS APPROPRIATE, WHERE WE THOUGHT IT WAS SUSTAINABLE, WE, WE DID ADD THOSE BENEFITS.
I JUST, I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY.
I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT OF VIEW, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT $55,000 AND THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO.
SOUNDS LIKE IN THE FUTURE, YES, EVERYONE WILL BE ADDRESSED AND WILL DO THAT, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND GIVING THIS FIRST 5,000.
WHAT IS THIS? THIS IS LIKE NEW 5,000 TO THE POST-EMPLOYMENT HEALTH PLAN THAT WE WOULDN'T CONSIDER THE 11 INDIVIDUALS.
IT'S NOT EVEN 20, IT'S NOT EVEN 15.
IT'S 11 INDIVIDUALS AT $5,000 FOR $55,000.
AND WHEN WE HAVE SALARY SAVINGS TO SHOW THAT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SORIO, COUNCIL WHITE.
UM, I, I I AM COMPLETELY THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THE MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL.
I'M CONFUSED BECAUSE, UM, I JUST PULLED UP THE SLIDESHOW THAT I GOT AND I, I'M NOT SURE, UM, I, I, I'M NOT SURE WHY WE WOULDN'T, UM, WANNA MAKE
[02:20:01]
A BALLISTIC VEST AVAILABLE FOR ANYBODY WHO WEARS A BALLISTIC VEST.UM, I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S A CONCERN I SAW.
UM, OUR SECURITY OFFICERS THAT PROTECT OUR BUILDING, THEY WEAR BALLISTIC VESTS.
SO I, I DON'T, UM, I, I AM, I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE THE SAME POINT OF VIEW, BUT I'M LEARNING IN THIS PROCESS, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH US SPEAKING TO ASSOCIATIONS THAT AREN'T RECOGNIZED, PERIOD.
UM, BUT IF WE ARE GOING TO MAKE EXTENSIONS OF OFFERS TO PEOPLE FOR THINGS THAT ARE JUST BASIC EQUIPMENT, WE DO HAVE SECURITY THAT IT'S NOT SWORN.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE WE EXTEND THE BENEFITS TO THEM AS WELL.
COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE, MR. MAYOR.
AND, UH, UM, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE.
WE, WE WOULD ABSOLUTELY, ANYBODY WHO BUYS A VEST, THE PROGRAM THAT WE, UH, DID THIS WITH IS OPERATED OUTTA PD.
SO IF THEY, IF THEY GO, GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS, THEY ABSOLUTELY GET, UH, THE VEST THAT THEY NEED, UH, AND GET IT PAID FOR.
COUNCIL MEMBER CONDI, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE COMP EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION MARKET STUDY.
UM, HOW OFTEN IS IT RECOMMENDED WITH THAT? WE DO THAT STUDY, I BELIEVE, UM, UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, CONDI, I BELIEVE OUR, UM, CHAPTER FIVE AND OUR COMPENSATION POLICY INDICATE EVERY TWO YEARS, UM, WITH, WITH BUDGET AND FUNDING, UM, PERMITTING THAT WE DO THAT.
SO THE LAST ONE WE DID, I BELIEVE, WAS IN 2023, AND THAT WAS A FULL-BLOWN, UM, CLASSIFICATION AND COMP STUDY.
THIS ONE WAS, WAS FOCUSED ON COMPENSATION.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT OUR NEXT ONE WOULD INCLUDE A COMPENSATION, A CLASSIFICATION PORTION AS WELL.
BUT WE LOOK AT DOING THAT EVERY TWO YEARS.
COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
VICE MAYOR NIELSEN, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
JUST THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THE WORK AND EFFORT YOU PUT INTO IT AND CONDENSE IT TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN SEE IT IN A FEW PAGES AND HOPEFULLY LET IT SINK IN AND APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK.
AND JUST REALLY QUICKLY, SO OUT OF THE 170 JOBS, AM AM I CORRECT IN READING THIS, THAT THE 13 THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AS RECLASSIFICATION EVALUATION, MEANING THAT THE REST WERE ALL IN LINE OUTSIDE OF THOSE 13, UM, WHIT, UH, THE 13 JOBS WERE REALLY, THESE WERE ONES THAT KIND OF SURFACED TO THE TOP BASED UPON FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM DEPARTMENTS.
SO AS WE TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF A DEEPER DIVE, IT, IT LOOKED LIKE THESE POSITIONS NEEDED TO BE STUDIED MORE HOLISTICALLY AS A RECLASSIFICATION RATHER THAN JUST A, A GENERAL MARKET, UM, EVALUATION.
SO, SO GOING BACK TO, WE HAD 80% OF OUR JOBS THAT WERE WITHIN MARKET, THEN THE 20% WERE ONES THAT WE HAD TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS ON AND LOOK AT LINKAGES INTERNALLY.
SO THERE WAS QUITE A FEW THAT, THAT WE ARE, UM, ANTICIPATING MAKING SOME CHANGES TO THOSE 13.
SOME OF 'EM MAY HAVE BEEN, UM, AFFECTED BY THE MARKET, SO THEY MAY BE GETTING SOME SORT OF ADJUSTMENT, BUT THERE MIGHT BE A NEED TO EVEN LOOK AT THEM MORE CLOSELY BASED UPON THEIR JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT MAYBE, UM, WOULD HAVE THEM ALIGNED WITH ANOTHER POSITION.
JUST KINDA SOME INFORMATION THAT CAME OUT OF THAT THAT WE NEED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT.
AND, AND MY, MY POINT BEING BEHIND THE QUESTION IS REALLY RELATIVE TO THE POINT OF JUST HOW COMPETITIVE WE TRULY ARE, NUMBER ONE.
BUT, UH, ALSO IN ADDITION TO THE MARKET STUDY AND THE DATA, UM, AND ESSENTIALLY WAITING TO GET THAT DATA IS KIND OF REAFFIRMED, UH, JUST HOW COMPETITIVE WE, WE REALLY ARE.
AND IF WE ARE LOOKING TO, TO, TO BE AS COMPETITIVE WITH THIS REGION, UH, THAT I'M SURE ALL OF US ARE, ARE LOOKING TO, TO BE, THEN THIS IS A, THIS IS A RELATIVELY COMFORTABLE REPORT, UH, AT LEAST THE WAY I SEE IT.
SO I, THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON WHY I ASKED THAT QUESTION.
SO I THINK, UM, BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT MANY JOBS THAT ARE STILL WITHIN MARKET MIDPOINT IS, IS REALLY GOOD FOR US AS FAR AS OUR, OUR COMPETITIVENESS.
WE SEE IT FROM THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT WE GET FOR OUR POSITIONS, UM, THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE INTERESTED IN COMING TO AVONDALE AND, AND INTERESTED IN WORKING FOR THE ORGANIZATION.
UM, I THINK EVEN WITH THE, THE COUNCIL'S COMMITMENT AS BUDGET PERMITS, TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THIS AND KEEP IT AT THE FOREFRONT EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, SPEAKS TESTAMENTS TO, TO US ENSURING THAT WE, WE, WE MAINTAIN THAT POSITION AND, AND DON'T FALL BEHIND, YOU KNOW, THREE, FOUR YEARS AND, AND THEN WE'RE PLAYING CATCH UP AND THAT GETS VERY EXPENSIVE AND, AND IS IMPACTFUL TO US IN RETAINING EMPLOYEES AND REALLY RECRUITING, UH, TALENT COMING INTO THE ORGANIZATION.
THANK YOU MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
I'M YOUR CITY'S PROJECTS ADMINISTRATOR.
[02:25:01]
AGAIN, VERY HAPPY HERE TO TALK TO YOU TONIGHT ABOUT CAPITAL PROJECTS.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH JUST A QUICK THANK YOU TO RICK CARR, WHO COVERED FOR ME, UH, IN JANUARY WHEN I WAS OUT SICK FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
SO, AS ALWAYS, I LIKE TO KICK OFF WITH WINS, AND THAT'S LOOKING AT ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN DONE THIS YEAR FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS IS NOT EVERYTHING THAT'S ALL INCLUSIVE IN TERMS OF PROJECTS.
THESE ARE THE BIG KIND OF SHOWY THINGS.
UH, SO FIRST OFF IS THAT, UH, DETENTION AND PD SUBSTATION, REPLACING THE FACILITY ON WESTERN WITH A NEW FACILITY MAINTAINS THE SAFETY, UH, FOR BOTH OUR OFFICERS AND FOR OUR DETAINEES.
THE WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY ODOR CONTROL PROJECT WAS A LONG TIME COMING.
IT'S REALLY, UH, A, A GIFT TO OUR NEW SOUTHERN RESIDENTS.
WE'RE MOVING IN WHO, UH, DON'T HAVE ANY NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES FROM THE PLANT.
WE'VE TREATED 71 LANE MILES OF PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT IN FY 25, UH, ALL OVER THE CITY, AND YOU'RE SAYING WE'LL DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
UH, DEACONING PARK IMPROVEMENTS, THAT WONDERFUL PHOTO THERE OF COUNCIL WITH THE KIDS, UH, CELEBRATING, UH, AT THAT PARK, OPENING WITH ITS, UH, NEW FACILITIES WITH THE, UH, FENCING AROUND THE PLAYGROUND AND THE WHEELCHAIR SAFE SWING AND THE IMPACT IT'S MAKING IN OLD TOWN, UH, OLD MIRAGE ROAD AND LOWER BUCKEYE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.
THE NEWER SECTION THAT'S JUST OPENED A MONTH AGO, AGAIN, IT'S TIME TO HELP WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT'S COMING INTO THE SOUTH, MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE CONTINUE TO MOVE SAFELY THROUGH OUR INTERSECTIONS.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, OH, SORRY, AVONDALE BOULEVARD RESURFACING.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A GATEWAY TO OUR CITY.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT LOOKS AS GOOD AS IT CAN BE.
UH, MOUNTAIN VIEW PARK EXPANSION, AGAIN, TRYING TO TAKE USE OF ABANDONED SPACE AFTER THE, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT REMOVED A WATER TANK.
HOW CAN WE RECLAIM THAT AND GIVE IT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN ADDITIONAL PLAYGROUND AND RAMADA FOR NEW HAWK SIGNAL? SO AGAIN, THOSE ARE HIGH ACTIVATED INTENSITY CROSSWALKS.
SO THOSE ARE THE FUN CROSSWALKS YOU WALK UP TO.
YOU PUSH A BUTTON, IT BLINKS, RED STOPS ALL THE TRAFFIC, SO PEDESTRIANS CAN MOVE SAFELY ACROSS.
FOUR OF 'EM ARE IN, ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.
WELL, TWO OF THEM ARE ACTIVELY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
TWO OTHERS ARE LINING UP TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
THOSE ARE AT, UH, THE ONE THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.
THE POLLS WILL BE SET UP THIS MONTH IS AT AL MIRAGE IN NORTHERN ALAMAR PARK.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, ALSO COLD WATER SPRINGS AT A HUNDRED 18TH AVENUE, WHICH JUST STARTED AL MIRAGE IN PIMA, AND THEN CENTRAL AND HOLLY.
AND THEN THE IMPROVEMENTS AT SAM GARCIA LIBRARY AND THE ARTWORK AT THE AWA FREA, UM, AT DYSART AND WESTERN AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
UH, SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IF WE PUT IT IN A CHART FORM? UH, IT LOOKS LIKE THIS.
UH, SO A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, INFORMATION HERE, THAT BLUE, UH, PORTION OF IT, THOSE ARE FUNDS THAT WE HAVEN'T SPENT THAT ARE ALREADY PROGRAMMED.
UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE PROGRAM AS A WHOLE, IT'S ABOUT $170 MILLION.
IT'S LAGGING ABOUT A LITTLE BIT BEHIND OF WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE, BUT AS PETER DRUCKER WOULD SAY, WE DON'T IMPROVE WHAT WE DON'T MEASURE.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY.
THE ORANGE IS WHAT WE'VE ENCUMBERED.
SO WE HAVE CONTRACTS IN PLACE.
IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE CONTRACTS.
WE HAVE PURCHASE ORDERS WITH VENDORS TO DO THE WORK.
THESE ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING MONEY EVERY MONTH, AND THAT'S WHAT THE GRAY IS.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SPENDING THOSE DOLLARS.
THAT'S GONNA CHANGE A LOT HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.
WE HAVE SOME MAJOR PROJECTS GOING ON WITH, WITH FIRE STATION 1 71 AND THE CANINE FACILITY.
WE'VE GOT IMPROVEMENTS GOING ON IN OLD TOWN.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BE KICKING OFF THE, UH, STREET PORTION OF OLD TOWN THREE, UH, AND CASH IN HERE NEXT MONTH.
SO WE'VE BEEN PUTTING IN THE WATER LINE, NOW IT'S TIME TO COME IN AND RESURFACE THE ROADS.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S, UH, UH, WESTERN AVENUE, THE RECONSTRUCTION FROM CENTRAL FOURTH.
WE JUST GOT, THE BIDS ARE COMPLETE WITH THAT ONE THAT'LL BE KICKING OFF HERE THIS SUMMER AS WELL.
SO YOU'LL SEE THESE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO ADJUST.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THESE NUMBERS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING THAT COMMITMENT THAT COUNCIL HAS PROVIDED THE FUNDING THAT WE SPEND IT WHEN WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO.
AND WITH THAT, WE HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF PROJECTS HERE FOR NEXT YEAR THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UH, SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER ALL OF THEM, BUT YOU CAN SEE IT TOUCHES ALL THE PARTS OF THE CITY.
UM, EVERYTHING FROM A NEW FIRE STATION AND OLD TOWN TO TRAFFIC SIGNALS, UH, IMPROVEMENTS AT FRIENDSHIP PARK.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE INVESTMENTS THERE WITH NEW PICKLEBALL COURTS, UH, RENOVATED DOG PARK, RENOVATED SOFTBALL PARK.
THERE'S, UH, SIDEWALK EXPANSION AND GAP IMPROVEMENTS, TRYING TO FIG FIGURE OUT WHERE THOSE GAPS ARE ON OUR SIDEWALK TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE CAN SAFELY GET ALONG AVENUE DALE BOULEVARD OR PERHAPS ALONG LOWER BUCKEYE AT FESTIVAL FIELD.
UM, THE INTERSECTION AT DIAR AND WESTERNS, WE CONTINUE TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS IN OLD TOWN, UH, AND THE, AND THE BRIDGE HOUSING PROJECT, WHICH WILL BE GOING TO BID HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.
AGAIN, LOTS OF PROJECTS GOING ON, LOTS OF REASONS TO CELEBRATE.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WORKING TOWARDS THAT PYRAMID, UH, THAT RENEE SHOWED IN HER CHART, CONTINUING TO SPEND THAT DOWN AND BRINGING THOSE PROJECTS ONLINE OVER THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
[02:30:02]
AND THEN THERE'S LOTS OF PROJECTS THAT ARE BUDGET BUDGETED AND IN DESIGN WITH COMPLETION IN 27 OR LATER.SO SOME OF OUR PROJECTS TAKE MULTIPLE YEARS OF DESIGN AND MULTIPLE YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION.
UH, SO I'M GONNA SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME ON THIS SIDE THEN.
THE LAST ONE, FIRST OF THIS IS OLD TOWN PHASES FOUR AND FIVE.
THE COMMITMENT FROM, UH, WITH COUNCIL HAS ALWAYS BEEN AS WE COMPLETE ONE PHASE OF OLD TOWN, WE GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
SO AGAIN, AS PHASE THREE, AS WE GET THE ROADS REBUILT THIS SUMMER, WE'LL ROLL INTO PHASES FOUR AND FIVE.
THOSE ARE AN OLD TOWN, BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH OF MC 85.
SO THOSE WILL BE STARTING UP HER EARLY FALL.
DONATELLA PARK IS OFF OF HUNDRED 13TH AND, UM, PALM, UH, IN THE DONATELLA NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT'S CURRENTLY UNDER DESIGN.
AND IT'LL BE DONE IN IN FY 27.
AND THEN FY 26, OR SORRY, FOLLOWING, UH, FOUR, FOUR, AND FIVE.
WE'LL BE ROLLING RIGHT INTO OLD TOWN PHASE SIX.
SO THIS WILL COMPLETE THE OLD TOWN PROJECT, UH, PROJECTS THAT WERE PROMISED MANY YEARS AGO.
WE HAVE IMPROVEMENTS TO DYSART ROAD AND MCDOWELL ROAD.
THIS IS ADDING NO ADDITIONAL TURN CAPACITY TO GET MORE PEOPLE THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION.
UH, WE HAVE A TRAIL IMPROVEMENT AT LOWER BUCKEYE ROAD IN CONNECTION TO FESTIVAL FIELD.
SO WHAT THIS IS BASICALLY GONNA DO IS GET, PROVIDE A HAWK SIGNAL SO THAT YOU CAN SAFELY CROSS LOWER BUCKEYE ROAD AND THEN CONTINUE ALONG THE LEVY DOWN TO FESTIVAL FIELDS.
WE HAVE AN INTERSECTION GOING IN AT A HUNDRED 11TH.
AND THOMAS, YOU KNOW ABOUT THE PLANT EXPANSION AND THE PHASE TWO IMPROVEMENTS THERE.
WE HAVE A, A SOUTHERN AVONDALE POLLUTE FIRE AND POLICE STATION.
WE OFTEN RECALL THE, UM, YOU RECALL, IT'S CALLED ALAMAR FIRE STATION, SOUTHERN AVONDALE FIRE STATION.
UM, BUT REALLY THAT'S THAT FIRE STATION THAT'LL BE LOCATED IN THE ALAMAR DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S A COMBINED PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY.
WE ARE TIMING THAT PROJECT TO ALIGN WITH HOW BROOKFIELD DOES THEIR WORK.
SO ONE OF THE, UH, ITEMS ON THIS, UH, BROOKFIELD WILL BE COMPLETING MIRAGE ROAD.
THEY'RE GONNA BE EXPANDING THE ROAD.
THEY'RE ALSO GONNA BE INSTALLING A WATER LINE UNDER THE ROAD.
SO WE'RE TIMING OUR WORK ALSO TO COME AFTER THERE.
UM, IT JUST MAKES SENSE RATHER THAN COME THROUGH AND HAVE US STAMPING ON, ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE I HAVE ON HERE THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY UNDER DESIGN, AND I'VE GOT AN UNFORTUNATE TBD THERE.
THIS IS THE AWA FREEWAY TRAIL.
THIS IS A CROSSING AT THE, UH, BUCKEYE ROAD AND THE, UH, RAILROAD.
AND REALLY WHAT'S GOING THROUGH IS NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE RAILROAD ON HOW EXACTLY WE'RE GONNA SAFELY CROSS THE RAILROAD.
WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK HOW WE CAN GO UNDERNEATH IT.
AND THEN, BECAUSE THOSE ON NEGOTIATIONS ARE ONGOING, I DON'T HAVE A COMPLETION DATE FOR YOU AT THIS TIME, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S A PRIORITY OF COUNCIL THAT WE COMPLETE THE ALAWA FREEA TRAIL SYSTEM.
MR. MAYOR, IF I CAN JUST ADD REAL QUICK, ON THE, UM, ALAMAR PUBLIC SAFETY STATION, WE ARE GONNA HAVE THE STAFF AND THE ENGINE A YEAR EARLY, SO GOD WILLING, IF THEY MOVE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE OR THEY WE'RE ABLE TO START CONSTRUCTION SOONER, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, UM, WE'LL HAVE, BE ABLE TO HOUSE 'EM OUT OF ANOTHER FIREHOUSE IN THE INTERIM.
BUT WE'RE GONNA GET THE, UH, THE ENGINE STAFFED UP WITH THE 15 FIREFIGHTERS A YEAR BEFORE THE COMPLETION IS BUILT ACCORDING TO THE CURRENT SCHEDULE.
I WOULD LIKE TO TRANSITION, UH, TO THE GENERAL, UH, OBLIGATION BOND.
UH, THIS IS, I'M NOT GONNA SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THIS 'CAUSE I'M GONNA SAY THE WRONG TERMS, UH, FOR OUR FINANCE PEOPLE.
UH, BUT THERE ARE SOME GUIDELINES THAT WE HAD TO WORK WITH AS WE WORK THROUGH THE BOND COMMITTEE.
UM, SOME OF THOSE IS ABOUT KEEPING THAT RATE FLAT.
UH, WE WORKED WITH THEM WITH $123 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS.
UH, THE BOND ELECTION WOULD BE IN IN NOVEMBER, SO ON AND SO FORTH THERE.
THE ONE KEY POINT HERE IS THAT AS WE LOOK AT OUR CAPITAL, WE ALSO HAVE THESE BOND PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER.
UM, AND THE BOND IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IF SHOULD COUNCIL APPROVE IT AND SHOULD THE VOTERS APPROVE, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE AVAILABILITY NEXT YEAR.
IT IS A LONG-TERM PLAN THAT WE WILL WORK IN TO COMPLETE THOSE PROJECTS AS WE CAN WITHIN THE BOND FINANCING AND WORKLOAD AVAILABILITY.
BUT WHAT ARE THOSE PROJECTS? IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING AS I GET INTO THE FUTURE, ASK WHY I'M NOT MENTIONING 'EM, THEY'RE HERE.
AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THIS.
WE'RE GONNA BE BACK ON APRIL 7TH TO COVER THESE IN MORE DETAIL.
UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE THEM HERE FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO A LITTLE BIT COVER OF THAT SCHEDULE.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE BOND COMMITTEE SINCE DECEMBER.
UM, WE'LL BE BACK ON APRIL 7TH TO PRESENT, UH, WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN THE ELECTION SHOULD YOU GIVE US, UH, SHOULD YOU VOTE TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, THE ELECTION WOULD BE HELD IN NOVEMBER.
AND THEN, UH, AS I TRANSITION NOW TO 26 31, SO THE NEW ASKS, UM, I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE THINGS.
UH, WE ARE TAKING A CASH FLOW APPROACH.
SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT BUDGETING FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR A MUNICIPALITY, YOU
[02:35:01]
CAN DO IT A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS.ONE WAY THAT AVONDALE HAD DONE IN THE PAST IS YOU KIND OF JUST PUT ALL A BIG POT OF MONEY IN ONE NEAR ONE.
UM, AND THAT WAY THE MONEY'S SECURED.
YOU KNOW, IT'S THERE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
BUT IT DOES CREATE SOME OTHER ISSUES ON THE FINANCING SIDE, AND IT DOES MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO MANAGE EXPECTATIONS OF WHEN THOSE PROJECTS WILL BE DONE.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS, IT'S CALLED THE CASHFLOW APPROACH.
WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY SHOW THOSE DOLLARS WHERE POSSIBLE IN THE YEAR, WE BELIEVE WE'LL EXPEND THOSE DOLLARS PROJECTS.
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS VERY, VERY, VERY RARELY GET DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED IN YEAR ONE.
UM, USUALLY IT'S A YEAR OR TWO OF DESIGN.
WE MIGHT HAVE RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION, AND THEN WE CAN ROLL INTO CONSTRUCTION.
AND CONSTRUCTION CAN OFTEN BE MULTIPLE YEARS.
YOU SEE THAT WITH THE TREAT WITH THE TREATMENT PLAN.
UH, WE'RE HAVE THAT PROJECT BUDGET OVER FIVE OR SIX YEARS, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND THEN WE CAN ADJUST IT TOO.
SO WE, WE KNOW WITHIN, UM, OUR WORKLOAD, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN ADJUST IT TO COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES AND WE CAN ADJUST THAT TO OTHER, UH, ACTIVITIES THAT ARE HAPPENING ON THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, MR. CORBIN MENTIONED, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE SOUTHERN AVONDALE FIRE STATION.
SO PART OF THAT IS WE'RE TRYING TO TIME IT AROUND DEVELOPMENT.
WE DO THAT WITH A LOT OF OUR PROJECTS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY TO MOVE IT UP AND DOWN IF WE NEED TO.
UM, WE'RE ALSO TAKING A MEASURED APPROACH, SO WE'RE FREEZING OUR PROJECTS INCREMENTALLY.
AND THAT'S A LOT OF WORDS TO BASICALLY SAYING, WE'RE TAKING SMALL BITES OF THE ESTIMATES WE'RE TAKING, WE'RE GOING FORWARD AND WE'RE DOING STUDIES.
WE, ONCE WE LEARN THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH, THAT IT IS WITHIN THE SPACE WE NEED, THAT DOES MEET OUR NEEDS, THEN WE GO INTO DESIGN AND THEN WE GO INTO CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO RATHER THAN COMING TO YOU AND ASKING FOR NUMBERS THAT WE DON'T HAVE GOOD DATA WITH, WE'RE TAKING THAT MEASURED APPROACH TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE COME TO YOU, WE KNOW WHAT THE ANSWERS ARE GONNA BE.
ONE OF THE ITEMS ON THIS, AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED AN UNFUNDED PROJECTS LIST, SO WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT.
WE, WE ARE, WE'RE PROGRAMMING THOSE ITEMS OUT THERE.
AND AS OUR FINANCE TEAM, UH, WORKS THROUGH BUDGET EVERY YEAR, IF FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE EITHER THROUGH, UH, UH, ONE TIME SALES TAXES BEING MORE THAN WE PROJECTED OR SOME OTHER REASON, WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT COUNCIL ABOUT HOW TO FINANCE THOSE PROJECTS IN THE APPROPRIATE YEAR.
WITH THAT, WE HAVE A LOT OF FACILITIES PROJECTS, AND AGAIN, RIGHT OFF THE BAT, YOU SEE THAT, UH, WE'RE STARTING WITH THE DESIGN.
UH, LAST YEAR COUNCIL AUTHORIZED US TO START WITH A STUDY FOR AN OPERATIONAL WAREHOUSE.
THIS WOULD BE AT THE FOURTH AVENUE IN LOWER BUCKEYE SITE THAT WE OWN ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS CENTER.
SO THE STUDY IS ONGOING RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE BELIEVE WE'RE READY TO NEXT YEAR TO MOVE INTO A DESIGN EFFORT TO ACTUALLY CONSTRUCT A FACILITY THERE.
THAT'S TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INTERIOR STORAGE SPACE FOR SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS RELOCATE THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING TEAM INTO THAT SPACE.
ALSO, THAT YARD HAS BEEN USED, UH, FOR A NUMBER OF USES OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UH, IT IS GONNA NEED SOME SITE REMEDIATION JUST TO CLEAN IT UP, LEVEL IT UP, BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
UH, THAT'S WHAT A LARGE CHUNK OF THIS REQUEST IS.
THE SECOND ASK ON HERE IS A MODULAR BUILDING AT COLD WATER BOOSTER STATION.
THIS IS RELATED TO THAT WAREHOUSE AND IT'S RELATED TO ANOTHER PROJECT.
YOU'LL SEE ON HERE, THE STAFF AT PUBLIC WORKS.
THEY ARE RUNNING OUT OF SPACE.
THEY'RE RUNNING OUTTA SPACE AT A, A FACILITY THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW AT THE COLD WATER BOOSTER STATION, AS THE CITY'S NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO GROW THAT.
SO THIS WOULD PROVIDE FOR A TEMPORARY MODULAR, UH, FACILITY TO BE LOCATED AT THE BOLD, UH, THE COLD WATER BOOSTER STATION FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE LOCATED THERE IN AN OLDER BUILDING.
THIS WOULD GET 'EM INTO A BETTER WORKSTATION FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
THE MULTIPLE SITE CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY BOOSTER PROJECT.
UH, AS YOU'RE AWARE, A LOT OF OUR CITY BUILDINGS, WE DO NOT HAVE GOOD CELL SIG SIGNAL.
UM, AND THAT'S HOW WE COMMONLY COMMUNICATE WITH OUR FELLOW EMPLOYEES.
IT'S HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH DEVELOPERS.
IT'S HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH A LOT OF THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND SO THIS WOULD PROVIDE, UH, TECHNOLOGY AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A BETTER SIGNAL AND WE CAN BE MORE RESPONSIVE.
THE FLEET SHOP ELECTRICAL AND OFFICE UPGRADES.
SO PART OF THAT IS ON THAT AUDIT THAT MR. CORBIN MENTIONED ABOUT THE FLEET.
UM, WE HAVE A FLEET MANAGER THAT WE WANNA MOVE INTO THE FLEET BUILDING WITH HIS TEAM.
UH, WE HAVE A NEW POSITION THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL.
UM, AND THEN WE NEED A BETTER SPACE FOR IF YOU'RE COMING TO, UH, DROP OFF OR PICK UP A VEHICLE, UM, TO, TO HAVE THAT SPACE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FLEET TEAM THAT WOULD PROVIDE FOR THAT, JUST LIKE AT ANY OTHER SERVICE STATION.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO AN ELECTRICAL UPGRADE NEEDS.
THE FACILITY IS PRETTY MUCH TAPPED OUT RIGHT NOW AND IT'S ELECTRICAL NEEDS, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE GETTING IN NEW EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEED FOR THE NEWER, UH, UH, VEHICLES THAT WE HAVE.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE HAVE WILL CONTINUE TO SERVICE THEM IN THE FUTURE.
CONFERENCE ROOM REDESIGNS AND UPGRADES.
THE, I ADDED THERE IN THE PARENTES.
THIS IS REALLY AUDIO VISUAL AND IT, UM, A LOT OF OUR CONFERENCE ROOMS ARE
[02:40:01]
READY FOR OUR REFRESH.UM, SO THAT'S WHAT THAT IS TAKEN CARE OF.
THE STUDY OF THE MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS CENTER, AGAIN, IS TO BRING IN A TEAM TO LOOK AT, OKAY, WE HAVE THIS FACILITY, WHERE COULD IT GROW? SO WE CAN COME BACK LATER ON AND SEE IF WE CONTINUE TO ADD MORE STAFF DOWN THERE, HOW COULD WE GROW THE FACILITY? ALSO, HOW CAN WE MOVE AROUND SOME STUFF AROUND IN THE YARD TO MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT? THE LAND ENTITLEMENTS FOR LAS VEGAS VETERAN HOUSING, WE'VE IDENTIFIED A PARCEL OF LAND OR TWO PARCELS OF LAND, TECHNICALLY IN THE LAS VEGAS COMMUNITY THAT WE'D LIKE TO INVESTIGATE TO SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSTRUCT VETERAN HOUSING.
UM, WHILE OUR STAFF ARE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT, THERE ARE TWO PIECES OF LAND THAT WOULD NEED TO BE COMBINED IN A MINOR LAND DIVISION AND SOME OTHER LAND UTILITY, UH, EASEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, WE CONTINUED INVESTING IN THE LIBRARY WITH, UH, NEW OFFICE FURNITURE FOR OUR SAM GARCIA STAFF.
WE, WE MET A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS LAST YEAR TO THE FORWARD FACING, BUT WE DIDN'T REALLY TAKE CARE OF THE BACKSIDE.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THAT'S TAKEN CARE OF.
AND THEN ALSO SHELVING UPGRADES AT BOTH LOCATIONS.
THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE JUST WANTED TO PICK UP AT SAM GARCIA, BUT MAINLY AT CIVIC CENTER AND LIBRARY FOR PARKS PROJECTS, WE'RE CONTINUING WITH OUR MULTIMODAL TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS, CIVICALLY AND FY 26.
WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD ADDITIONAL LIGHTING ON TRAILS.
SO THIS WILL BE LOOKING AT ADDITIONAL, UH, EXISTING TRAIL SECTIONS, BUT MAKING SURE THAT THEY COULD BE USED, UM, AFTER HOURS OR BEFORE WORK FOR COMMUTING.
UH, WE WANT TO ADD, WE'RE ASKING TO ADD SHADE AND LIGHTING AT THE CIVIC CENTER AMPHITHEATER.
AGAIN, THIS IS TO EXPAND THE PROGRAMMING THERE, UH, BY PROVIDING, UH, ACTIVITIES THAT TAKE PLACE WHEN IT'S HOT OR WHEN IT'S DARK.
UM, WE WANT TO LOOK TO SEE IF WE CAN ADD ADDITIONAL PARKING OR ADDITIONAL ENTRY AND EXIT OUT OF FRIENDSHIP PARK.
SO THAT'S THAT KIND OF, UH, IMAGE THAT'S ON THE SCREEN FOR YOU TODAY.
UM, AGAIN, THAT CAN GET VERY BUSY ON THE WEEKENDS.
UH, WE TALKED PREVIOUSLY ABOUT AN INDOOR PICKLEBALL FACILITY.
WE COULD FIT ONE ADJACENT TO THE AQUATIC CENTER.
SO THE NEXT STEP THEN WOULD BE TO MOVE INTO A DESIGN EFFORT.
UH, AND THEN FRED CAMPBELL PARK AND LAS LEGAS PARK.
THESE ARE NEW PROJECTS THAT WE RECOGNIZE AS NEXT PARKS KIND OF UP IN THE SYSTEM WHERE WE NEED TO BRING 'EM UP TO THE AVONDALE STANDARD.
UH, SO THIS WOULD BE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE REFRESH BOTH THOSE PARKS? HOW DO WE BRING 'EM BACK UP TO A, A, A PARK THAT THE COMMUNITIES, UM, CAN TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF FOR TRANSPORTATION? UH, RIGHT OFF THE TOP IS ANOTHER SIDEWALK PROJECT.
SO THIS IS WOULD BE TO CREATE A SIDEWALK ALL THE WAY FROM FESTIVAL FIELDS TO LAS LEGGOS PARK ALONG LOWER BUCKEYE ROAD.
WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY NEED A WAY TO GET BETWEEN THOSE TWO PARKS SAFELY.
UM, OUR STREETS MAINTENANCE TEAM, ON THE SECOND ONE THERE IS LOOKING TO ADD A NEW CONCRETE MIXER.
UH, THIS IS FOR SIDEWALK REPAIR.
SO IF A SIDEWALK'S CRACKED OR IF IT'S BEEN LIFTED UP BY A TREE ROOT, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE MIXING THE CONCRETE BY HAND OR THEY HAVE TO WAIT FOR A THIRD PARTY VENDOR TO BRING CONCRETE TO THEM.
UM, SO THIS WOULD REALLY PROVIDE SOME EFFICIENCIES TO THAT TEAM.
THE AVONDALE BOULEVARD MEDIAN IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS WOULD CONTINUE TO, UH, ENHANCE OUR MEETINGS SPECIFICALLY IN AVONDALE BOULEVARD FROM THE CIVIC CIVIC CENTER CAMPUS TO, UH, MC 85 BY PROVIDING THAT BLACK AND WHITE CHECKERED AND NEW LANDSCAPING WITHIN THE, UM, WITHIN THE MEDIAN.
AND THEN, UH, NEXT WE'LL BE TAKING A LOOK AT LAS VEGAS.
THERE ARE SOME UNFINISHED STREETS IN LAS VEGAS.
UM, SO IT'S A STUDY TO SEE WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO GET THOSE STREETS TO BE COMPLETED, MAKE SURE ALL THE GRADES WORK.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, THE LAST THING ON HERE IS A NEW SIGNAL, UH, WHICH WE BELIEVE WILL BE WARRANTED IN FY 28 AT HUNDRED SEVENTH AVENUE AND LAKE SHORE DRIVE.
SO THE FIRST OF THESE IS THE PFAS LAND AND DESIGN.
SO AGAIN, UH, PUBLIC WORKS IS ASKING TO PURCHASE SOME LAND, AND THEN THEY NEED TO PROVIDE IMPROVEMENTS TO WELL SITES, SO THEY CAN TREAT THE WATER AT THE SOURCE AS CLOSE AS, OR AS CLOSE TO THE SOURCE AS WE CAN.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BEGIN THE DESIGN EFFORTS NEXT YEAR.
WE HAVE SEVERAL WELLS THAT NEED ELECTRICAL UPGRADES, SO AGAIN, WE'LL BE LOOKING TO DO THOSE NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN BARTLETT DAM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE PENCILED IN AN FY 29.
AGAIN, AS YOU KNOW, UM, THAT IS A TARGET THAT IS NOT ENTIRELY IN OUR CONTROL.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO, UH, MONITOR THAT AND WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AND ADJUST IT AS NEEDED.
LAST ON THE LIST IS ASSET VEHICLE REPLACEMENT.
SO AGAIN, EVERY YEAR, UH, STAFF COME FORWARD TO ASK ABOUT, UH, ASSET REPLACEMENT.
SO WE DO HAVE ASSET REPLACEMENT PROGRAMS THAT IDENTIFY THE, UH, WHEN, UH, TECHNOLOGY, WHEN EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE REPLACED ON A REGULAR BASIS RATHER THAN REPLACING THEM ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS.
AND SO YOU SEE THOSE ASKS HERE, UM, GOING THROUGH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, UM, GETTING THEIR ASSETS UP TO PLACE.
AND THEN ON THE LAST TWO, UH, LINES, THERE'S VEHICLE REPLACEMENT, DOES CALL FOR A FIRE APP, FIRE APPARATUS REPLACEMENT, AND THEN OTHER
[02:45:01]
VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS, UH, TOTALING $6.3 MILLION.UH, AND WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION.
I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AT THIS TIME.
THANK YOU, JAMES, FOR THAT, UH, PRESENTATION.
I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, JUST COMMENTS.
UM, IN 2017 WHEN I, UM, STARTED ON CITY COUNCIL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY WERE FOCUSING ON WAS PARKS IMPROVEMENTS.
AND I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S 2025 AND WE'RE STILL CONTINUING PARK IMPROVEMENTS,
AND NOW, YOU KNOW, 2017 THERE WAS NO PICKLEBALL.
AND NOW WE'VE GOT PICKLEBALL, CRAZE,
BUT, UM, I'M JUST GLAD TO SEE, UM, UM, THANK YOU GUYS FOR TAKING THE TIME, UM, TO PRESENT US.
AND, AND LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER NIELSEN SAID, IT'S JUST SIMPLE AND EASY FOR US TO SEE.
AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I, I WROTE THINGS DOWN, BUT I THINK IT WAS AWESOME TO SEE THE NEW TRANSIT SHELTERS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE.
I KNOW WE SPOKE ABOUT IT LIKE, UM, A FEW MEETINGS AGO, AND I, AND SEEING THEM ON HERE AND I'VE SAW, I'VE SEEN THE DESIGN, THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY AWESOME TO HAVE.
AND FRIENDSHIP PARK HAVING SO MUCH EXTRA STUFF IN IT AND THE PARK, LIKE, HOPEFULLY WE GET THAT PARKING SECOND OUT OUT OF THERE.
'CAUSE IT GETS, IT'S BUSY, IT'S WILD TO GET OUT OF THERE.
UM, BUT I'M JUST HAPPY TO SEE ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPENING IN OUR CITY AND TO SEE OTHER, OTHER PARKS AS WELL THAT ARE, UM, HAVE, I DON'T WANNA SAY NEGLECTED, BUT NOW WE'RE GETTING TO THEM AND IT'LL BE AWESOME TO USE THEM FOR A LOT OF OTHER STUFF.
THANK YOU JAMES, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE JUST A COUPLE COMMENTARIES FOR YOU, UM, BECAUSE I WAS TAKING A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.
AND SO I'LL START WITH THE, UM, RECOMMENDED FIVE YEAR CIP PLAN.
THAT'S THE MORE COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION WE ALL GOT ON COUNCIL.
I WOULD JUST URGE YOU TO GO BACK AND DOUBLE CHECK, UM, THE TOTAL PROJECTED PROJECT BUDGET, UM, CALCULATION FOR ALL THE YEARS ADDING IN ON THE OLD TOWN.
I THINK IT IS FOUR, MAYBE IT'S SIX.
THAT'S NOT, UM, ADDING UP CORRECTLY.
I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S JUST A FORMULA CALCULATION.
IT'S NOT ON THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
JUST A HEADS UP FOR YOU WHEN YOU GO BACK AND TAKE ANOTHER LOOK.
UM, IT'S ON THE MORE COMPREHENSIVE DETAILS THAT WE GOT.
AND THEN ON THE UNFUNDED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, YOU DEFINITELY SPOKE ABOUT THE BOULEVARD.
WHEN I TOOK A LOOK AT THE LINE ITEM FROM FY 26 THROUGH FY 30, IT'S OFF ABOUT 75,000.
AGAIN, IT PROBABLY IS JUST A PROGRAMMING CONCERN WITH THE, UM, CELLS ON THIS.
'CAUSE IT'S COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION.
AND THEN LAS VEGAS IS OFF ON THAT ONE AS WELL.
THE LAS VEGAS PARK IMPROVEMENTS CONSTRUCTION.
WHEN YOU JUST LOOK AT THAT ON THE UNFUNDED, IT SAYS 8.5 MILLION ON THAT, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK, IT'S FY 29 AND IT'S 7.75 MILLION.
SO, UM, I'M SURE THERE'S JUST SOME, MAKE SURE THOSE CALCULATIONS ARE UP THERE.
'CAUSE WHEN THEY ADD INTO THE TOTAL PROJECTED BUDGET, I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS TO THE NAKED EYE.
IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE WE'RE FLUFFING THE NUMBER UP AND WE WANNA MAKE IT PRECISE.
BUT EXCELLENT WORK, MR. MAYOR.
UH, SOME OF THAT EXPLANATION IS MONEY ALREADY SPENT OR MONEY ALREADY PROGRAMMED.
AND SO ESPECIALLY THAT $1 MILLION FOR THAT ONE PARK, THAT'S A DESIGN WE'VE ALREADY STARTED AND BEGUN TO SPEND.
SO SOME OF THAT ISN'T, IS IS, UM, NOT A NEW ASK OR IS BEING SPENT IN THIS, IN FY 25 AND SO YOU WON'T SEE IT MOVING FORWARD.
IS THAT A CORRECT, UH, SUMMARIZATION, UH, JAMES? YES.
WITH THE UNFUNDED ONES AS WELL, SIR? YES.
UH, UH, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE? YES.
SO WE FUNDED THE STUDIES AND WE FUNDED THE DESIGN AND THAT WE HAVE UNFUNDED SOME OF THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION, UH, WAITING FOR NEW SALES TAX NUMBERS TO COME IN, UM, OVER THE, THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG IT TAKES US TO, TO DESIGN.
SO, UM, AND THEN SOME OF THEM WE'RE GONNA, UH, PAY FOR OUT OF BOND.
AND SO THOSE ARE, UH, ROUGH ESTIMATES ON THE ACTUAL NUMBERS DEPENDING ON WHAT THE DESIGNS COME BACK FOR.
JAMES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I DID HAVE A COUPLE QUICK QUESTIONS.
I, UM, SECOND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MCC CONDE'S, UH, NOTE ABOUT THE PARKS.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE A DA, UM, ASPECT THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO THOSE PARKS.
I REALLY THINK IT'S WONDERFUL FOR OUR, UM, RESIDENTS.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION WITH REGARDS
[02:50:01]
TO THE PICKLEBALL.UM, ON THE RECOMMENDED FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WE HAVE, UM, AN ITEM THAT, AND IT'S $1 MILLION FOR THE DESIGN.
AND THEN ON THE UNFUNDED, IT LOOKS LIKE IT COULD COST THE CONSTRUCTION UP TO 15 MILLION.
AND THEN I SAW SOMETHING ON A POWERPOINT 19 MILLION.
SO I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHERE WE WERE GOING WITH THAT.
IF WE, IF WE SPEND THE $1 MILLION FOR THE DESIGN, LIKE DO WE KNOW WHAT THE COST IS GOING TO BE AFTER THAT? AND, AND IF WE MAKE THAT $1 MILLION, UM, INVESTMENT, IT, I JUST REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE WE COMMITTING OURSELVES THEN TO THE 15 MILLION OR THE 19 MILLION? YES.
SO, UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE.
UH, SO THAT WAS, UM, AS I HAD MENTIONED, THAT MEASURED APPROACH.
SO WE ARE GOING TO, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE THE STUDY, WE KNOW IT CAN FIT WITHIN THE SPACE.
UM, THE NEXT STEP IS THEN, OKAY, LET'S DESIGN IT.
SO WE'LL TAKE THE INVESTMENT AND WE'LL DESIGN AT NO POINT OR YET AT THIS POINT, YOU HAVE NOT COMMITTED FOR ANY SORT OF CONSTRUCTION.
THAT'S WHY IT'S OUT THERE IN THE UNFUNDED PORTION.
'CAUSE WE'RE TRACKING IT, WE KNOW IT'S THERE, BUT WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE ON THAT NUMBER.
UM, I THINK THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY TO, UH, TO MAKE SURE IT'S DESIGNED THAT WE CAN PRESENT YOU WITH A PROJECT, UM, THAT CAN BE AFFORDED, UM, IN THE FUTURE YEARS.
DOES THAT MAKE MR. MAYOR, UH, VICE MAYOR, COUNCILMAN WEISS? VERY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THE 19 MILLION WAS AN EARLY NUMBER, AND I SAID, THERE'S NO WAY I'M COMING TO COUNCIL TO BUILD A $19 MILLION PICKLEBALL FACILITY THAT JUST DOESN'T PASS.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
UM, SO WE, WE REMINDED OUR CURRENT CONSULTANT THAT WE JUST WANT TO KNOW, UM, BECAUSE IT'S AN ODD SHAPED, UH, PIECE OF PROPERTY JUST, UH, NEXT TO THE POOL, UH, JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COURTS, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT A BUILDING WOULD FIT AND IT WOULD HAVE ENOUGH COURTS IN IT TO MAKE IT WORTHWHILE, MAKE SURE IT, IT COULD HOLD PARKING AND MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD CREATE A BARRIER FOR NOISE TO THE NEIGHBORS, UH, TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF UNKNOWNS ON THAT PROPERTY.
AND SO THEY'VE GIVEN US A COUPLE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
I SAID THE, THE, THE MAX THAT I'M CURRENTLY COMFORTABLE WITH IS ABOUT 15, WHICH PUTS THE DESIGN AT 10% AT ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OR SO.
AND SO I'M HOPING IT WILL BE CLOSER TO EIGHT TO 9 MILLION.
UM, FOR THE, UH, UH, CONCEPT THAT WE HAVE IS REALLY JUST AN OPEN SPACE, UH, THAT WE CAN COOL PEOPLE OFF IN THE, IN THE SUMMER, UH, WARM PEOPLE UP IN THE WINTER REDUCE.
UH, IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE A HUGE LOCKER ROOM.
IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE A LARGE, UH, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO KEEP IT SIMPLE.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS TO MAKE SURE IT'S USABLE FOR OTHER THINGS IN THE FUTURE IF THE, IF THE WORLD CHANGES.
AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ASKS IN THE, UH, PARKS RECREATION PLAN WAS INDOOR RECREATION.
AND SO THIS IS, IS A, UH, UH, SPACE THAT WE'RE STARTING WITH.
IT'S ALSO NOT FUNDED, ACTUALLY FUNDED TO FY 27, THE DESIGN.
AND SO IT'S TWO YEARS OUT STILL.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO SPACE OUT THE WORK OF OUR TEAM, UH, UH, RICK'S TEAM AND, UM, OH, I FORGOT OUR, UH, PARKS, CIP GENTLEMAN'S NAME, UM, OUR TEAM TO MAKE SURE IT CAN GET DONE.
SO WE PUT IT OUT A YEAR, GIVES US A LITTLE MORE TIME TO ASSESS INFLATION ON CONSTRUCTION, CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THIS IS WHAT COUNCIL WANTS.
UM, BUT WE DID WANT TO PUT MONEY IN FOR THE DESIGN.
UM, BUT LIKE MANY PROJECTS, WE WANTED TO, TO NOT FUND THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION UNTIL WE GET A REAL NUMBER.
WE REALLY ARE TRYING TO DO A BETTER JOB WITH BUDGETING.
OUR CIP IN YEARS THAT WE ACTUALLY EXPECT TO SPEND THE MONEY SO THAT WE DON'T TIE UP DOLLARS THAT CAN BE USED TO IMPROVE THE, UH, THE PARKS, THE STREETS, UH, THE INTERSECTIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY NOW AS WE HOLD THAT MONEY ASIDE FOR FIVE YEARS, IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.
WE REALLY, UM, WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT OUR JOB IS TO, UM, KEEP MONEY IN A BANK FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
IT'S TO BRING BACK, UH, A QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
SO THAT'S REALLY OUR, OUR GOAL WITH THIS IN, IN THE APPROACH WE'VE TAKEN OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AS WE BEGIN TO TRANSITION TO USING THE TAX DOLLARS THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE ENTRUSTED US WITH TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, JAMES.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THIS PLAN.
UH, SO OH, VICE MAYOR NIELSEN
JAMES, I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU.
UM, OLD TOWN, PHASE ONE, FOUR, AND I MEAN, NOT 1, 3, 4, AND FIVE UHHUH.
IS THAT REALLY CASHING OR IS IT OLD AVONDALE? UH, SO, UH, MAYOR, UH, VICE MAYOR, UH, THREE IS CASH.
SO THAT'S THE AREA THAT'S BEING IN CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.
UM, YES, I, I KNOW AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING ABOUT IT AND TRYING TO FIND OUT.
YEAH, WHEN IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S, UM,
[02:55:01]
FOUR AND FIVE ARE MORE OF WHAT WE CONSIDER OLD TOWN.SO THAT'S THAT AREA BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH OF NC 85, WEST OF THE RIVER.
UM, AND THEN SIX IS A AREA WITHIN LAS VEGAS.
I JUST WANTED TO, I JUST HAD OLD TOWN.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE COULD BRING THEM OUT.
AND THIS IS CASH, AND THIS IS OLD TOWN, AND THIS IS LAS VEGAS.
IT'S JUST FIGURED OUT WHERE THEY'RE AT.
AND FOR ME, YOU KNOW, JUST BASED UPON WHAT YOU SEE HERE, UM, TO ME IT JUST DEMONSTRATES, UH, NOT ONLY BEING THE, THE STEWARDS, THE GOOD STEWARDS OF, OF OUR RESIDENTS, UH, MONEY, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UH, THE DI DIVERSE OPTIONS AND, UH, DIVERSIFICATION OF PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
OFTEN YOU SEE, UM, UH, FOLKS SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS AREA HAS BEEN NEGLECTED, THAT AREA'S GETTING THIS AND THAT, AND THIS JUST DEMONSTRATES THE COMMITMENT TO A CITYWIDE APPROACH.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, EVEN HERE, UH, INTERNALLY WITH THE ORGANIZATION, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT MACHINERY AND, AND ITEMS FOR THAT GROWTH THAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING.
UM, THE ONLY COMMENT THAT I HAVE WOULD HAVE AND MAY NOT BE VERY, UM, UM, WHAT'S THE WORD THAT I'M LOOKING FOR HERE, UM, POPULAR.
BUT I, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE LAS VEGAS PARK PUSH IN FRONT OF, UH, THE PICKLE WALL DESIGN, UM, IN TERMS OF, OF, UH, YEAR.
UM, BUT THAT'S JUST A COMMENT AND THERE'S PROBABLY REASONS AS TO WHY, UM, THAT IT'S NOT THE CASE.
UH, BUT THAT PART OF MANY OTHER PARKS HAVE, HAVE ON, HAVE GONE UNDER, UH, BEAUTIFICATION AND HAVE TAKEN ON OTHER, UM, AMENITIES IMPROVEMENTS.
AND, UH, I KNOW THAT I, DURING MY DISCUSSION WITH RON AND LEADERSHIP, UH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE LIGHTING, ADDITIONAL LIGHTING, UH, AND OTHER THINGS, I, I JUST THINK THAT'S JUST AS IMPORTANT.
AND SO, AGAIN, MAYBE THERE'S REASONS THAT, UH, I'M NOT AWARE OF AS TO WHY TIMEFRAME WISE ONE WOULD BE IN FRONT OF THE OTHER.
UM, BUT I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING, UH, PRIORITY THAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, UH, MOVED UP IF POSSIBLE.
MI MR. MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, IT IS POSSIBLE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO DO, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH PARKS, IS DESIGN AND BUILD CLOSER TOGETHER.
UM, A COUPLE OUR PARKS, WE'VE EXPERIENCED A COUPLE DIFFICULTIES BY HAVING THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION SEPARATED, AND WE HAD PLANNED ON USING BOND FUNDS TO DO LAS VEGAS.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT, THAT FUNDING'S NOT AVAILABLE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, UM, DEPENDING ON COUNCIL'S, UH, DIRECTION.
ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE FIRST RELEASE OF BONDS WOULD BE ALAMAR PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING.
AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE $10 MILLION SET ASIDE FOR BOND.
AND SO WE, WE WILL LOOK AT THAT.
SO I THINK NEXT YEAR'S DISCUSSION, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY, UH, REVIEW WHETHER WE MOVE THAT PARK UP, UH, LOOKING AT, AT COREY, AND, AND WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU WITH THAT.
THE OTHER THING IS WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, ONE OR TWO PARKS A YEAR.
AND SO WE HAVE A CIVIC CENTER PARK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WRAP UP THIS YEAR, I THINK, OR EARLY NEXT YEAR OR FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, DONATELLO PARK IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR WHERE WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT.
WE HAVE, UM, UH, DESI LORENZ, UH, THAT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO DO, UH, NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO SPACE OUT OUR PARKS, UH, NOT ONLY FOR STAFFING, BUT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THE COMMUNITY, BUT BOTH, UM, I ALWAYS WANNA CALL IT JOE HENRY, BUT, UM, FRED CAMPBELL PARK AND LAS VEGAS, SORRY, IT'S, IT'S A JUMA PARK.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY I DO THAT.
BUT FRED, FRED CAMPBELL PARK, UH, BEHIND, UH, SONIC, BEHIND THE OLD, UH, UH, UH, CITY HALL OR, OR PD STATION, WHATEVER THAT BUILDING WAS, UM, IS ON OUR RADAR AS WELL.
IT'S, UH, IT'S, UM, RAMADA ARE IN, IN DIRE NEED OF REPAIR.
AND, UH, WE DO HAVE SOME, UM, UH, MOVIE NIGHTS PLANNED FOR FRED CAMPBELL OVER THE, THE NEXT SEASON.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ON IT.
WE UNDERSTAND, UH, IT'LL BE SPACING, BUT WE, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY CONSIDER THAT FOR THAT, FOR THE NEXT BUDGET, SIR.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMMUNICATING THAT.
IT JUST JUST DEMONSTRATES THAT ALL THOSE ARE IN, UH, UH, IN THE QUEUE OR AT LEAST ARE REGISTERING WITH US.
AND I KNOW THAT ESPECIALLY WITH, UM, PHASE, UH, IS IT, I THINK IT'S FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX OF OLD TOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, JUST GOING BACK TO LISTENING TO RESIDENTS AND, UH, THE COMMENTS THAT I'VE READ AND, AND HAVE HEARD IN REGARDS TO AVONDALE BOULEVARD WITH THE RESURFACING, AND YET YEAH.
WESTERN HAS NOT BEEN TOUCHED, AND I'VE, I'VE TRIED TO COMMUNICATE.
WESTERN IS VERY SOON, BUT WE, WE HAD SOME STRUGGLES, UM, GETTING WESTERN, BUT, BUT WE ARE JAMES VERY SOON ON WESTERN.
[03:00:01]
AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST GREAT, UH, AGAIN FOR US TO COMMUNICATE THAT SO THAT, UH, THOSE UPDATES ARE PROVIDED.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND, AND THANK YOU TO RON FOR THE FEEDBACK.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COUNSEL? OKAY.
AND THEN, UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL, UH, MS. WELLO, JUST ASK ME TO REMIND YOU ONE MORE TIME ABOUT THE, THE NEXT STEPS HERE FOR THE BUDGET.
SO AGAIN, WE'VE GOT THE, UH, APRIL THE CITY MANAGERS RECOMMENDED BUDGET, MAY WILL ADOPT IT.
UM, AND THEN JUNE WILL BE THE FINAL PASS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.
THERE'LL BE PLENTY OF TIME FOR THIS, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BUT IF THERE'S ANY OTHER GENERAL QUESTIONS I'LL ASK RENEE TO COME UP, UH, TO, TO ANSWER ANY, UH, LAST MINUTE QUESTIONS.
BUT I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ASK, UH, ROB TO STAND UP.
UH, HE SITS QUIETLY, LIKE HE'S JUST WAITING TO DO SOMETHING
UM, THIS IS THE GENTLEMAN WHO GETS MANY EMAILS FROM MANY PEOPLE, A LOT FROM ME ABOUT CHANGES.
UM, BUT HIM AND HIS TEAM, WHICH I DIDN'T SEE YOUR TEAM, THEY'RE NOT HERE TONIGHT, RIGHT? THEY'RE, THEY GOT OFF AT A NORMAL HOUR.
UM, I, I JUST, THE AMOUNT OF WORK, UH, THAT THEY PUT IN AND THE PROFESSIONALISM AND THE WORK AND THE ABILITY, UH, TO DO THIS WITH ALL THESE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, WHICH I THINK, UH, IN A FUTURE ONE AS WELL.
BUT, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE ROB'S, UH, EFFORTS AND WORKS ON THE, ON THIS BUDGET.
AND, AND, AND JUST WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT COMPETING FORCES THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE STATE LEVEL AND EVERYTHING ELSE, I MEAN, I CAN JUST IMAGINE THAT WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE SOMETHING COMPLETE OR FINISHED THAT IT JUST CHANGES.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR EVERYTHING THAT, UH, YOU AND THE TEAM HAVE COMPLETED AND HAVE DEMONSTRATED FOR US.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR RENEE THAT MAYBE YOU'VE THOUGHT ABOUT OVER SOME TIME? NO, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE MORE DATES COMING.
[6. SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS FROM MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND COUNCILMEMBERS]
LET'S MOVE ON TO SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS.UH, COUNCIL MEMBER SOLORIO, UH, MANY OF US, WELL ACTUALLY THREE OF US SHOULD I SAY WERE IN WASHINGTON, DC UM, NOT LAST WEEK, BUT THE WEEK PRIOR.
AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK PEERS TEAM, UH, AND ALYSSA FOR THE AMAZING VIDEO THAT THEY DID, UH, FOR SMALL CITIES COUNCIL.
AS I TOLD RON AND SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS, THEY WERE BLOWN AWAY BY THE CALIBER OF THAT VIDEO.
THEY THOUGHT IT WAS OUTSOURCED.
AND WHEN I TOLD 'EM IT WAS NOT, THEY SAID THEY WERE KIND OF WONDERING LIKE, WHAT KIND OF TALENT DO YOU HAVE THERE? AND ISN'T IT PRICEY TO HAVE THAT? SO THANK YOU PEER AND YOUR TEAM.
UM, LOTS OF GREAT THINGS WHILE WE WERE UP ON THE HILL REPRESENTING MYSELF, COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE AND VICE MAYOR NIELSEN.
UM, AS USUAL, IT WENT REALLY WELL.
AND, UM, AVONDALE WILL BE RECOGNIZED AS A SMALL CITY DURING UH, JUNE'S, UH, SMALL CITIES MONTH.
UM, I WAS SUPER EXCITED LAST WEEK.
I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND, UH, THE UNITED WAY BREAKFAST AND THEY HIGHLIGHTED, UH, LAIE CORE SCHOOL AND THEIR LITERACY HUB.
AND DURING THE BREAKFAST THEY DID A LITTLE FUNDRAISER AND UM, PEOPLE COULD DONATE AND THE ROOM WAS PACKED.
SO, UM, AND THEN I WENT TO A MEETING THE NEXT DAY ONLINE FOR READ ON AIR, UH, SOUTHWEST VALLEY.
AND THEY HAD TALKED ABOUT 35 FAMILIES, UM, ACTUALLY GOING TO, UM, THAT CORP SCHOOL, UM, LITERACY HUB AND HOW THE FAMILIES ARE IMPACTED.
SO THE TALK ABOUT LITERACY BEING SO IMPORTANT FOR YOUNG KIDS.
UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD AND FAMILY SERVICES, YOUTH EMPOWERMENT SUMMIT THIS PAST SATURDAY WITH YOU.
IT WAS THE BE KIND FOLKS AND A LOT OF GREAT KIDS CAME OUT TO AA HIGH SCHOOL AND IT WAS JUST REALLY IMPACTFUL.
I GOT A CHANCE TO SIT THROUGH, UM, A COUPLE OF THEIR SESSIONS AND KIND OF PEEK OVER THEIR SHOULDERS AND THAT WAS A HECK OF A LOT OF FUN.
AND THEN TODAY WITH LEADERSHIP WEST CLASS, UM, 31 BEST CLASS EVER.
I JUST HAD TO MAKE SURE YOU KNEW.
UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT TO LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, UM, AND VISIT WITH SOME OF MY CAST MEMBERS, COMMAND CHIEF, UH, THE BULL, UM, JAY SCHAFER AND, UM, THE LOGISTICS OFFICER, PETER ABERCROMBIE.
AND I WAS JUST REALLY EXCITED.
THEY HAD US OUT THERE ON THE LAST DAY U-S-F-F-F SIXTEENS YEP.
WILL BE FLYING OUT OF, UM, LUKE.
SO I WAS REALLY HONORED TO BE THERE AND REPRESENT AVONDALE.
ANY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL ON THIS SIDE THAT WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A SUMMARY? OKAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA, I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL THE EVENTS I WENT TO, BUT I KNOW THE TWO THAT, UM, WERE REALLY IMPACTFUL.
THIS, THESE PAST, UH, FEW WEEKS WERE THE CAFECITOS AND, UH, COFFEE WITH COUNCIL.
SEEING THE COMMUNITY COME OUT AND REALLY
[03:05:01]
GIVE THEIR INPUT, UM, TO WHAT WE'RE DOING AND THEM SHOWING THEIR LIKE SUPPORT FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE DO FOR THEM WAS REALLY NICE TO SEE.UM, I REALLY LIKED THE CAFECITOS.
THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME GOING TO ONE.
SO THAT WAS A REALLY NICE EXPERIENCE, UM, TO SEE HOW OLD TOWN LIGA AND, UM, CASH INCOME COME TOGETHER TO BETTER THEIR COMMUNITIES.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT ALSO FOR LIKE THE NORTH SIDE OF THAT, OF AVONDALE AS WELL, TO SEE, TO JUST GET PEOPLE INVOLVED MORE.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE ALWAYS SEE THE SAME PEOPLE AT THESE EVENTS, WHICH IS AWESOME, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO LIKE KIND OF PULL MORE PEOPLE TO COME VOICE WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE AVONDALE TO BECOME.
AND I DID NOT ATTEND THE RSVP ON SATURDAY BECAUSE I HAD TO GO PICK UP MY SON.
SO NEXT TIME DILLARD, I WILL LET YOU KNOW IF I'M GONNA MISS SOMETHING, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'VE JUST GOT A QUICK ONE HERE.
WHEN WE WERE AT NLC, WE GOT TO LISTEN TO DIFFERENT KIND OF THINGS.
I THINK MY HIGHLIGHT THAT DAY WAS THE MORNING WE SPENT HAVING BREAKFAST WITH THE EVANDALE YOUTH ADVOCACY GROUP.
THEY ARE A WONDERFUL GROUP OF KIDS.
THEY WERE ASKING ME QUESTIONS THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ANSWERS FOR, BUT THEY WERE REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM TURNING A FUTURE OVER TO THOSE, THOSE WERE GREAT KIDS THAT DAY AND I JUST APPRECIATE THAT AND THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU AND OTHERS HAVE PAID TO MAKE THAT GROUP FOR THOSE YOUTH AVAILABLE.
JUST QUICKLY, UH, MANY EVENTS I ATTENDED LAST WEEK, THE EMPOWER THE EMPOWERMENT EVENT, THE BE KIND WATCHING, UH, ALL OF THE STUDENTS DANCE.
SAME EVENING, ATTENDING THE RIA, UH, GALA.
I HAD A, AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY TO BE THERE WITH A LOT OF OTHER ALUMNI TO HEAR SOME GREAT STORIES AND THE GREAT THINGS THAT THE PRINCIPAL AUTUMN DANIELS IS DOING WITH THAT COMMUNITY AND KEEPING IT TOGETHER.
IT WAS SUCH A PLEASURE TO SEE AN ACTION.
UH, AND WITH THAT, THAT WRAPS UP OUR SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS.
I SEE WE GOT A MOTION ALREADY FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA.
THAT WAS FAST FINGERS WE WERE RAISING.
CAN WE VOTE PLEASE? PASSES THE SEVEN TO ZERO.
EVERYBODY THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE IN SUCH A LATE NIGHT.
DRIVE SAFE AND UH, WE'LL SEE YOU SOON.