Regular Meeting - 8/6/2024 6:30:00 PM

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[Music]
government
e
e e
good evening I'll go ahead and call to
order the August 6 2024 Gilbert Town
council meeting the first thing we would
like to start with is our invocation is
Pastor Joel Tetro Tetro here did I say
that right Joel Pastor Joel of Southeast
Valley Bible Church if you could just
push the one of the buttons on that mic
and it will turn it on the light will go
red when you push the button on the
right the correct button I should say
there you go perfect thank
you dear God As We Gather with our town
of Gilbert leadership we recognize the
importance of seeking your presence and
wisdom please give us unusual guidance
blessing and Grace trusting that you
will lead our
leaders God we thank you for our town
our state our country we recognize that
even though those people groups who
don't care for us or created in your
image help us to love and serve our
neighbors even when they don't want to
be our neighbors May our meeting uh be
marked by careful thought Mutual
support respectful reflection of ideas
and may our meeting reflect God's love
in
action God tonight I pray that you'd
bless the discussion and the decisions
that will be made so that they may align
with your perfect plan for our people
Gilbert has always been a family of
families God please continue to allow
that Spirit to be on display for our
children Jesus when you were here you
healed the sick thank you for our health
care providers and our
hospitals you are the author and the
completer of our faith we thank you for
your moral compass your righteousness
please help our courts in law
enforcement God you save us from the
fires of Earth and Hell please help our
firefighters and First
Responders Jesus you inform us about our
heavenly father please bless our
students our teachers our coaches our
schools God you receive our worship
which is stunning please be with our
churches and houses of
worship you mandate that you are pleased
with our work please bless our
businesses God after creation you
rested help us to allow our bodies and
minds and spirit the Sabbath that we so
desperately need thank you for our parks
and for those who serve them
please bring us Shalom individually and
as a community Jesus we have salvation
through Jesus death burial and
Resurrection I pray for nothing less
than a heaven sent Revival to our land
God we're desperate for your work in our
lives individually and collectively when
you show up please help us to hear you
help us to be quiet and follow you for
In The Name of Christ we ask these
things
amen thank you so much Pastor Joel we
appreciate that inv location and for you
joining us this evening next we'll have
our Pledge of Allegiance led by council
member torus and I think we have some
Scouts in the room
tonight which we haven't had in quite
some time please rise everyone and wait
for council member torguson to bring the
scouts down to the front
please appreciate it please
I'd love it if you'd introduce
yourselves in your troop please I'm cven
heg I'm from Troop
280 I'm cie Stewart I'm from Troop
3280 I'm Nolan heg I'm also from Troop
280 tell me why you guys here um so
we're here to work on the Communications
Merit Badge and we're supposed to sit
and on a council meeting and observe it
and take notes so that's why we're
here all right please lead the pledge
for
us please join me in the pledge of
aliance IED Al to the flag of the United
States of America and to
the
na indivis
J thank
you thank you so much it's so wonderful
to have some Scouts in the house tonight
next we will ask our town clerk to
please conduct the roll call Mayor
Bridget Peterson here vice mayor Scott
Anderson here council member Chuck B
Giovani here council member Bobby
Buckley here council member Yan Kowski
here council member Kathy tilky here
council member Jim Tas here the Quorum
is present thank you cheli we have
council member Buckley joining us
virtually so you'll hear a voice from
the sky tonight and that is our council
member next we do not have any
presentations and proclamations this
evening but I would like to take this
opportunity to move comments from the
town manager to the beginning of the
meeting um Patrick please thank you
mayor members of the council I'd like to
have uh police chief Michael soborg come
and he's got a short presentation to
give us an update on uh crime stats in
our
Community good evening uh mayor and
councel I hope you enjoyed your uh
summer break it wasn't much of a break
we saw saw you at numerous events and
I'm sure the kids feel the same way that
summer break seems to be going quicker
and quicker and um it flies by and
they're all back in school now uh
tonight as uh uh Patrick berer mentioned
I'll be giving you an update it's a
little bit longer than the normal update
and we have a PowerPoint uh slide deck
to go along with it uh but we wanted to
provide you updates on our recent
efforts to enhance and Empower Our Youth
and teen
safety focus on three topic areas back
to school youth Community engagement our
youth Community engagement officer and
police efforts within the community of
Morrison Ranch starting with back to
school uh all of our school districts as
I me as I mentioned are back in school
now and we wanted to focus on uh the
safety and make sure they knew we were
here for them so we did several social
media uh uh comments as the pictures
you're seeing here um the first day of
school normally our sro's are at every
Junior High and high school and our
students see them at the beginning of
school but we do not have sro's at our
elementary school so we wanted to focus
on our elementary school and making that
connection from the beginning of the uh
school year and so we had officers at
each school at each Elementary 28
different elementaries throughout
Gilbert for both Higley and Gilbert
schools providing them with a face and
that familiar familiarity with the
officers as the uh students the parents
and the faculty arrived to school as I
mentioned we provided some school safety
tips which were focusing on sharing uh
safety tips including driving safety and
a partnership ship with three school
districts on sharing the tip line
information from each of the three
school
districts the community response was
well received uh we received uh just
short of
70,000 uh engagements on the social
media uh platform um the uh comments
were positive as we have seen in the
past whenever we engage especially Our
Youth and especially the schools so
thank you for the school districts for
allowing us to do that and been
partnering with us to get that message
message
across also uh you may have seen these
stories our uh SRO a couple stories have
been done recently uh but John Kramer is
our SRO at P Junior High which is a
Chandler School District within Gilbert
he was awarded a prestigious award the
exceptional service award which is
presented by the National Association of
school resource officers he's only one
of 10 in the nation that received this
award this year if you've seen the
stories he's great at playing in the
band he's helping with the aviation club
and really making that connection that
we're trying to see each and every day
with our sro's and the students and the
faculty at each of our schools so
congratulations to uh officer
Kramer additionally our youth Community
engagement officer we are openly
recruiting within the department to fill
that position it'll be a sworn police
officer within that position we
anticipate getting that position filled
by the end of the month that uh Position
will assist with numerous items which
I'll go over a few of the highlights in
a minute but one of it which is the
community engagement task force which
will be meeting next Monday the youth
Community engagement officer will play a
critical role in the community by
supporting and empowering young people
and their families through ongoing
support resources and other
opportunities as I mentioned there's a
lot of Duties uh that this position will
be doing but some of the highlights are
developing and building uh youth
engagement opportunities within our
community researching youth engagement
best practices uh what's going on
Nationwide how can we apply that Here
regular review of Youth related calls
for service and Trends and then working
with our as a liaison with our Patrol
officers to make sure uh between the
officers and the counselors we're
addressing youth related
issues next I would like to talk to you
about uh Morrison Ranch on July 3rd over
the summer break uh a terrible fire
occurred in which a barn burned down
after fireworks were thrown at the
structure our officers responded to the
9011 call and within 7 minutes and
thankfully everyone uh who was inside
made it out safely that evening two
juvenile suspects were arrested and
charged for this incident while two
arrests were made in this investigation
this investigation Still Remains active
and
ongoing since that time additional
reports have been made about other
potentially similar or related acts
within the area a recent news article
also ran that was unfortunately not fact
checked and contain numerous
inaccuracies following is an update
about youth related incidents in the
Morrison Ranch Community we share the
Public's concern and would like to
provide some insight into the
Department's efforts which were not
included in the
story as you can see we've done numerous
special details over the last four and a
half years in the morison ranch we
always have Patrol officers in this area
so in addition to what you see each and
every day of our Patrol officers our
traffic officers enforcing and educating
in that area we've also done numerous
special details from July of 2020 all
the way up to just at the end of uh the
school year in May and June of this of
this
year with those details um we have made
534 contacts 70 traffic stops 37
citations 57 written warnings and 14
arrests and that's just related to the
special details that's not in addition
to what Patrol officers are doing each
and every day within that
Community as you can see from this
overview Gilbert PD has been heavily
involved with enforcement and education
efforts within the Morrison
Ranch uh community and the adjacent
areas in addition to the special details
just mentioned we've also held uh two
HOA meetings involving all the community
there over the last couple years some of
the challenges that we are seeing are
one juveniles fleeing from us whether it
be on a fat booy scooter or whether it's
on a ebike or electronic uh or a
motorcycle um they are often fleeing
from us as we approach them um another
issue is failing to report crimes we
I'll talk about this again in a minute
but we are seeing incidents where crimes
are occurring and it's not being
reported to the police department we've
been mentioning that throughout the last
year additionally victims uh not
Desiring prosecution and therefore cases
have been closed and then the fear of
retaliation and retribution uh against
these s the suspects committing crimes
again but again as I've mentioned before
if it's not reported it will continue it
has to be reported to the police dep
Department as we've stated before we can
investigate we can't investigate crimes
that are not reported to the police
department we ask that everyone who has
any information on any crime to report
it immediately our officers and victim
Advocates are here and available to
guide any victim of crime through the
criminal justice process
lastly is our uh online reporting system
so just yesterday we announced the start
of our online reporting system people
have very busy lives and unfortunately
when they're a crime of a victim whether
it be graffiti or vehicle burglary or
something stolen off their front yard
whatever the case may be primarily this
is used for uh property crimes but it
gives the ability for the uh citizen to
make the report at their Leisure at
their convenience where at work at home
whatever their time time frame suits
them best that information is submitted
electronically is fairly easy to guide
you through that process that report is
then received by the police department
we review it if there's any further
information that we need we will contact
the victim or if there's any additional
information that we need to obtain or
evidence we will then contact the victim
and proceed with the investigation so we
want to make sure everyone's aware of
that the uh website is up there it has
some additional information on that
website of what specific crimes are
occurring uh when to use it and what
restrictions uh within those crimes but
again importantly to make sure that uh
that is not to be used for something
that is currently happening that is
something that the crime has occurred
and you need to make a report whether it
be for insurance and obviously we want
that crime information so we can look
for Trends again report any emergencies
to 911 non emergencies to our number at
48503
6500 and to file a report the website is
up there as well mayor and councel thank
you for your support uh for both ongoing
and new youth safety efforts and
initiatives outlined uh tonight this
will continue to be a collaborative
effort and we thank our parents the
schools and our Community Partners as we
all work together to ensure our youth
are empowered and feel safe thank you
thank you Chief appreciate it um I'm
going to just move one comment from the
mayor to the start of the meeting
because I think it's important while we
have an audience the primary election
was held on July 30th 29.779813
off for that second Council seat in
November the Town Council will hold a
special meeting on Tuesday August 13th
so next Tuesday evening right here in
the council chambers to Canvas the
election results and PR present
certificates of election to Scotty
Anderson and to Monty lions please join
us next week Monty candidates Ain auro
and Kenny Buckland will receive a letter
of nomination from the clerk's office I
thought since we had an audience it was
a good time to share all of that
information so congratulations to those
that you won I spoke to you the other
day and congratulated you
moving on to our agenda the public
hearing portion of agenda items will be
heard at one public hearing at which
time anyone wishing to comment on a
public hearing may do so Council I have
requests to speak on item three item
four item nine item 10 and item 11 I'm
trying to go slowly I hope that helped
the others I do not have request to
speak is there anything that the council
would like to speak on 1 2 5 6 seven or
eight or can we tackle those with one
motion mayor um you may just want to
mention that number five is going to be
continued oh thank you I forgot that
that's on this piece of paper um item
five will be is requested to be
continued at this point in
time would anyone like to make a motion
on those items one two one two five six
7 and eight oh sorry yeah five has to to
be
continued we have to vote to continue it
to the next meeting we have to give that
approval to so it's been six weeks off
so yes mayor I'll make a motion thank
you I have a motion from we have to do a
Voice vote this evening because council
member Buckley is virtual so I have a
motion from council member tilki can I
have a second I'll second that I have a
second from council member Bon Giovani
all those in favor I I Sor any opposed
thank you council member Buckley I heard
that I any
opposed motion passes 70
moving on to item number three do we
have staff here to do a short
presentation on item three tet teletrack
wagering
license I am not seeing anybody moving
to the front of the
room oh I do okay sorry I see people
now that Podium on this yes please thank
you
good evening mayor and Council um item
number three is a teletac wagering
license for Turf Paradise um presented
at the porch uh at 3112 North Gilbert
Road um this is very similar to a liquor
license in that the fact that the
council would make a recommendation and
they would go to the state gaming uh for
their uh approval uh we're happy to
answer any questions
this is the first one in Gilbert um so
we're bringing it forward for your uh
consideration thanks Kyle the applicant
is here as well I'm sorry yes thank you
Mr Gilbert's there in the front row um
council member bonani I believe you
wanted to speak on this um thank you
Kyle
uh can you explain um just like the
liquor license if we vote no we really
don't have too much um to stand on with
the state am I
correct mayor and councilman ban Giovani
um that is somewhat correct yes the it
does go to the state for their ultimate
um action um if the council does decide
to deny the license there are certain
findings um that are listed in the
document uh that the council would want
to make in order to to send that
recommendation forward but the you're
right the state does eventually um uh
render the final decision can we
um can we say no without any the
criteria no it's very clear in the in
this in our it's very clear in our um
Gilbert Municipal Code the steps that we
must take in order to recommend denial
of of a of a
license thank
you would you please give us
those criteria
absolutely there's a lot in there
know so grounds for denial um the Town
Council may deny a license application
um for the following grounds violation
of the laws governing wagering in the
state of Arizona repeated acts of
violence or disorderly conduct at the
teletrack wagering establishment false
or misleading testimony by the lense e
in an investigation or other proceeding
related to wagering delinquency for more
than 30 calendar days and the payment of
any taxes or fees owed to the town
failure to operate a telet track
wagering establishment in compliance
with the plan submitted failure to
maintain a current Arizona teletrack
wagering permit falsification of
information submitted on a teletrack
wagering license violation of the
provisions of this chapter or violation
of any town
code any other questions vice
mayor Kyle if we in the future find any
of those to be the case can we bring
this back for
reconsideration that is correct um it
actually um says the development
services director May revoke suspend or
deny any renewal of a license in
according with those
things con Excuse Me
Bon you know if you were at the earlier
meeting I'm seeing a theme today of
State making uh decisions for towns um
and it's discouraging to
see a very bold statement from the
council member council member
tgon has the what acts of violence have
occurred at that location in the last
let's say three
months I'm sorry mayor uh Council M toon
I didn't hear the question what acts of
violence may have occurred at that
location in the last three months uh
mayor U Council M tus that I don't
know chief chief yeah um is Chief still
here Chief do you know of any violence
that have occurred I don't know of any
in the last three months but I know in
the last year for
sure I don't have all the stats for that
specific location but I believe the
incident that you're referring to we did
have a fight in which a patron not of
the porch but someone walking by jumped
into the patio started a fight uh not
only with the patrons but with security
and pull a firearm out as they were
trying to detain him and shot his
firearm um during that struggle he was
arrested um that's the only one
significant that I can think of in the
last three months um I can provide you
with data specific for the last three
months at that location but that's the
only major incident that I'm aware of
and in the last year she had said
anything of
note I can't think of anything in the
last year um when it first opened we had
uh some struggles as most businesses do
as they're working with security and
training their security and how to
properly vet people coming in um but I
can't say that it's been a safety
concern or an issue for us at that
specific location but like any business
partner in the Heritage District or
anywhere in the community if there's
Trends or issues that need to be
addressed we will address those
regardless whether it's gambling related
or just the business that's going on or
crimes that occur outside of their
business that they don't have control
over anecdota I can say that when I was
meeting with the Bottled Blonde people
they used porch as an example and I
thought poor example at that time yes
that's my anecdotal story for you but
again I think it was a similar situation
to what Chief said it wasn't somebody
that was a client at the porch it was in
the vicinity so it happens to get that
address attached to it for the report
does that Mak sense um Kyle do you have
anything to add at this point because I
would bring up the applicant since it's
public hearing they get an opportunity
to speak mayor no I have nothing to add
thank you thank you thank you very much
Mr Gilbert this Podium right here in the
middle Please Mr Gilbert an associate
because I'm not sure who I don't think
I've met you
so is this the one in the middle thank
you thank you mayor and members of the
council for your record my name is Paul
Gilbert I represent Turf Paradise with
me is Dave Johnson uh we put on the
speaker card only if necessary so I just
want to make a couple of quick comments
first of all we're very familiar with
the porch we deal with them in the city
of scotchdale they're one of our OTB
locations and we're very careful who we
select for OTB locations porch has a
great track record and they actually
felt so good about this they approached
us so you've got a track record albeit
in the city of scotchdale for this very
location and there have been no problems
there whatsoever uh also I may add that
in your staff report they pointed out to
you that every single reviewing agency
had no comment of concern over this
application we have 38 of these
scattered all over most of the State of
Arizona and we're very very choosy who
we select and if we have any problems
with any of our OTB operators they're
out and we have complete control over
that so we can remove an OTB location
from any location based on uh what we
feel is in the best interest of the
community I do want to correct one thing
uh this is not entirely like a liquor
license in that you do have more say
over the location of the OTB and that if
you don't approve it the
um racing commission will not approve it
either we don't go to the racing
commission if you don't approve it and
lastly if you don't like what we're
doing you've got the right to revoke
that at any time so we're here on good
behavior only so for these reasons we
think we Merit being approved for an OTB
location be happy to answer any other
questions you may have thanks Mr Gilbert
any questions for Mr Gilbert council
member Ki thank you mayor hi Mr Gilbert
hello um I think um maybe there might be
a misunderstanding with the public since
we're talking about the porch but this
license is it actually for Turf Paradise
um doing business at the porch which who
who are we doing business with at this
point well the
location is the porch but Turf Paradise
runs the
OTB so we're there we have an employee
there we manage it we run it we control
it okay thank
you Mr Johnson would you like to
speak Madame mayor members of the
council if I could just add anything it
would uh obviously it sounds like there
are some concerns um
regarding uh what kind of activity this
is going to produce I think it's
important to know that the primary hours
of operation are from 11: to 7:00 this
is always the time of day when the
business is at its slowest it's when
restaurants need the business it's a
really good business driver for local
restaurants when they can obtain an off
trck betting license um and I also want
to make sure everybody understands that
anytime uh an off trck betting license
is granted everybody who is involved has
to go through an FBI background check so
everybody gets fingerprint
those those um fingerprints are are run
through the department of gaming uh
applications will be uh filed and
everybody is given a pretty good
thorough background
check also I might add our average
participant is 50 years and above so
we're not exactly a bunch of wild kids
down there participating in these
activities I don't know those 50y olds
I've heard some stories isn't it 50 the
new 40 or something like that I don't
know um thank you any any further
questions for Mr Gilbert Mr
Johnson thank you both thank you very
much bringing it back to the Das um any
comments discussion motion I'm open to
anything why did everybody look at me
all the time well I saw your mic turn on
so I automatically look that way
watching
you know I I would be the the the last
one to say no to a small businessman or
or a big business um but for me this is
not my vote isn't isn't an indictment of
the business itself it's for me it's
more of an indictment of um I consider
state government overreach um I just
don't think the location for me in
Heritage District I don't feel
comfortable uh with that location uh in
the marri
district council member torguson you
know I hate to to
sound small time but 15 years ago I was
appointed to uh Redevelopment commission
and I made a promise to the council at
the time that I would not support off
trck betting or strip clubs in the
Heritage District no matter
what and I have to keep my word
I have if I can't keep my word I'm
nothing and I have to keep my
word council member tilki thank you
mayor um I don't know if staff needs to
come back up uh this actually
is betting for racing is there other
bedding opportunities or gambling
opportunities within the town of Gilbert
at any
business um mayor um council member
tilki not that I'm aware of other than
what you now see on smartphones that
everybody's got the betting apps um but
other than that I'm not aware of any
other type of gambling in the
community um I just returned from
Minnesota in
Wisconsin my um sister happens to own
own
restaurant um that has bedding in in the
bar area and she's never had any issues
with it I I I'm not familiar with what
this bedding looks like if it's just a
like a game piece I have no idea I'm not
a gambler so um but
um it has been significant in bringing
in revenues to that business and
allowing customers to have spend more
time there but she's not had any
problems or outbreaks of fighting or
anything like that so again I'm not
familiar with any of the other places in
Arizona because that wouldn't be where I
would spend my time but um I'm I'm
trying to figure out what the the
downside is this isn't I don't I don't
even know what it is to tell you the
truth because you know I am
envisioning um council member tus and
when when you made that commitment were
you thinking it was the live track and
your Bing on that I I I or was this a I
know exactly what it was cuz I used St
in a bar uh it's just it's you're
watching TVs you're you're live betting
you're doing you know whether it's wi
show or whatever but it's just gambling
it's it's pure and simple it's just
gambling there's nothing uh hor
horrifically DEC about it it's just a
commitment I made and I have to keep my
commitments or I'm nothing no thank you
I appreciate you um mentioning that
um I I don't really have a problem with
this one way or the other to tell you
the truth if the council doesn't feel
it's a good thing for the community then
I I will support that decision but
I I don't think I have the concerns that
maybe others
do I'm going to look to my left and I'm
going to look to my right vice mayor any
any
comments just I I agree with council
member tilki that their the real life
experience that she's had with her was
it your
sister that there's an upside to it the
downside we don't know and that's why
I'm comfortable with if we do find a
downside bring it back for
reconsideration I think that's an
important
issue council member kosi I'm also
neutral on this topic um I felt like the
information that was provided regarding
the other locations and the operating
hours of 11:00 a.m. to 700 p.m. um are
reasonable and unless there was any
additional evidence that um it needs to
come back for
reconsideration I felt like that at
least that's an option for us thank you
council member Buckley would you like to
make any
comments um I I would just like to say
that I I don't feel that this is
something that that I feel fits in
Gilbert and in the downtown area um or
any area um I I don't I don't want to
have something that's going to entice
our youth to possibly want to go in and
and start betting on things and I'm you
know when and it may be fine but I just
don't feel that I can support this
thank you council member
um with a new situation it's always
difficult we have to wrap our heads
around what this looks like for the
community for Gilbert and um I hear
everybody discussing what their concerns
might be or are not even knowing but
cons member tilki thank you for your
story about your sister I think that
it's a great example of a a small
business trying something potentially
new and different that is bringing
clients tell into the location and the
one thing that I felt most comfortable
with was the hours of operation and
council member Koski you just mentioned
those 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. it's
ending long before evening hours
and things might get a little bit busier
in a location like the porch um I've
been downtown many times late at night
not
many let's say but in reality I could be
betting right now from right here this
is my personal phone by the way not the
town phone but I could be betting right
now from right here sitting here on the
dis or any place else within Gilbert or
any bar or any restaurant or anything at
this point and because Mr Gilbert
actually brought up the fact that the
count the town has a little more um
teeth in this situation if you will and
vice mayor said that it can always be
brought back I hate
to hurt a business before we know how it
will potentially work out I believe that
we have to give people opportunities and
then if it doesn't work out it will be
up to this body development services I'm
looking at Kyle to bring this back and
bring it forward to the
council so those are my thoughts um if
anybody would like to make a motion I
was counting votes if anybody would like
to make a motion with that
not I'm looking this
way it's hard when you don't have a big
strong opinion on something to be the
one to make the motion but I I will I'll
make a motion to approve item three
which is the teletrack wagering
license
um could we uh could I add that we get
our report in 6 months to see how it's
going can I add that okay that would my
motion I'll second that so I have a
motion by council member tilki seconded
by vice mayor Anderson with the caveat
that we get a report back to the council
in six after six months after this
starts at the location because I don't
want to say six months from today six
months from the date that it starts at
this location and um so all in favor
I all
opposed n nay
so I have the Nays would be council
member Bon Giovani council member
Buckley and council member torguson if
I'm counting
correctly the descenting votes thank you
project passes moving forward thank you
thank you moving on to item number four
and um Town attorney I don't think I
ever said open public hearing and close
public hearing on that open public
hearing on item three close public
hearing on item three trying to get back
into the mold of six week it's been six
weeks it's been a long time so I will
open the public hearing on item number
four the central business district area
we have been referring to the central
business district as CBD and it keeps
confusing me because C CBD is a whole
different topic um so let's call up the
central business district I'd like to
invite staff up for a short presentation
on item number four please I do have
someone from the public that would like
to speak
thank you mayor and Council happy to be
before you tonight talking about House
Bill 2721 and the central business
district um just to uh kind of start out
um this year the legislature had a
number of bills that impacted um local
zoning and land use policy uh they had a
uh real focus on housing affordability
and availability so um there are a
number of bills that will come before
Council um over the next few months
talking about housing there's adaptive
reuse which is House Bill
2297 uh House Bill 2720 for accessory
dwelling units um but tonight we're
specifically talking about House Bill
2721 which relates to Middle housing um
and the establishment of a central
business district so um just some uh
brief history in May of 2024 the
governor signed House Bill 2721 which
relates to Middle housing um I'll jump
into that a little bit more in the
coming slid es uh that bill will become
effective on September 14th um which is
why we have brought this before you
tonight um in an effort to establish a
central business district prior to the
effective date of this new
legislation uh so we are asking Council
to designate a central business district
within the town um and then subsequently
in August of um this month we will or in
August 20th we will bring back to you a
general plan Amendment and an LDC text
Amendment uh house 2721 requires that by
January 1st of 2026 and municipality
authorized by ordinance regulations that
allow for the development of duplexes
triplexes fourplexes and town homes um
in two different scenarios the first
being on lot zoned for single family
within one mile of the Central Business
District boundary and we have to
authorize it on 20% of any new
development on more than 10 contiguous
Acres within the town that is not
contained to that Central business
district in the in the buffer area
um the legislation also indicates that
if a municipality does not establish
those re uh those regulations middle
housing will be allowed on all single
family zoned Lots within the
municipality without
limitation the legislation additionally
defines a central business district as
an area or series of areas that are
primarily non-industrial that attract
Community activity um and includes the
entire geographic area that the
municipality has designated as its
downtown So based on that definition uh
we would propose that Council adopt the
Heritage District as our Central
business district um we mapped out what
that looked like and that one mile
buffer that would impact uh uh those
single family lots by allowing middle
housing there's just under 9,000 Lots
within that boundary that are Zone
single family residential about 8,890
are developed with 55 remaining vacant
uh this would not preclude Redevelopment
on any of those developed Lots uh so
that's important to note um and then we
also mapped out the number of properties
that are Zone single family residential
that are 10 or more contiguous Acres
than are undeveloped um you'll notice uh
that the most of these are in the south
portion of Gilbert along Valvista
Road um so in order to comply with House
Bill 27 uh 21 uh we are looking to
establish that Central business district
um in order to help us strategically
identify the locations where middle
housing would be permitted on those
single family residential lots uh later
on the agenda I believe item um number
10 um we will talk about um the use of
of jeepet um but I did want to address
this briefly that house bill 2721 uses
the term Central business district as
does title 42 um there are two separate
and distinct definitions for um Central
business district in these two sections
the only thing that they share in common
is the name um House Bill 2721 and that
definition does not allow for the use of
tax abatement through jeepet um and the
central business district that we're
seeking to adopt would not qualify as a
central business district under title 42
title 42 conversely only one Central
business district is permitted um
through that statute uh it's defined as
geographically compact with some
specific area parameters and allow and
it allows for tax abatement through GPL
um the Central business district again
that we're seeking to adopt is being
adopted pursuant to House Bill
2721 as opposed to uh title
42 um so staff has uh presented this
boundary to the Chamber of Commerce we
received a letter of support from them
um tonight we're again seeking Council
direction to adopt the central business
district tomorrow night if adopted we
will take a general plan Amendment and
LDC text amendment to Town Council prior
to this becoming effective uh Planning
Commission thank you mayor um and then
between that time and January 1st of
2026 staff will continue to work on
regulations to allow middle housing
that'll include things such as um
building Heights setbacks and such um
for this area so that will come back to
council um prior to January of
2026 uh I will skip through these slides
uh because that's not the item before
you tonight but staff would recommend
approval of of this item to establish
the central business district happy to
answer any questions you have thanks
Ashley um council member bovani thank
you mayor um so the area that we're
talking about tonight that isn't just a
mile on the outskirts that includes the
Heritage District correct uh mayor and
council member Bon Giovani that is our
understanding that the intent is that it
would include the central business
district um we anticipate when we draft
our regulations that we would address
that specifically speaking about intent
what was you know what the intent of the
legislature was uh was it was was it
basically thinking that this would be
more affordable housing uh that was a
big priority of the legislature this
year is to increase availability of
housing um in order to impact
affordability and so um by allowing uh
you know this this middle housing the
duplexes triplexes and forp plexes the
idea is that it's more more available
and thus potentially more affordable but
there's no guarantee that someone can be
able to for Lex and still charge $3,000
$5,000 per per unit right a council
member there's nothing in the
legislation that speaks to that and
there's nothing that says any one of
these 9,000 homes that are affected
can't can't uh take you know basically
bulldo their home down and build a
couple more of these on their property
uh that is correct they would be allowed
to redevelop um existing Lots okay once
again thank you State
Legislature any other questions for
Ashley this
time council member
cpress Ashley are you aware of regarding
the Redevelopment um do do the hoac
cnrs supersede this state law uh mayor
and council member Kowski that's a great
question uh the the language in the bill
is specific to municipalities must
establish these regulations it doesn't
speak to um anything about HOAs being
precluded from having their own rules or
regulations so while we are required to
have them a homeowners association could
certainly have different rules that uh
their residents must abide
by it's not addressed in this
legislation so I wonder if they have
until January of 2026 or do they have
until September 14th to put something
like that in place with their HOAs and
I'm only referring to that because of
the Adu law that just passed and if HOA
wants to have something about ad adus
they have to have it in their ccnr
passed by September 14th I'm going to
keep throwing that out there every time
I can any other questions for Ashley at
this time we can have her come back up
if we need to I have one person that
would like to
speak thanks Ashley I have one resident
that would like to speak
Doris Doris
Liddell you didn't check whether you
wanted to speak I just assumed you did I
know
you turn your mic on dar
good evening mayor Peterson May vice
mayor Anderson and council members I
provided a zoning map of the downtown
Heritage District which reflects slots
that are s Zone single family
residential sf6 Lacy track and sf7 prior
to 2005 Lacy track was zoned R3 which
allowed fourplexes in 2005 the town the
down the town Z down Zone the properties
to residential single family this
greatly impact the property owner's
ability to build on such narrow Lots I
currently live with a fourplex directly
across from me and one next to it and
two more down the street there are other
Lots with two houses per lot however
when I wanted to build a secondary
residence I had to get a variance I had
to maneuver through and pay the pro for
the process that other property were
previously granted by right before 2005
House Bill
2721 will return property rights since
the bill was approved I have asked Town
staff on clarification regarding the
language in the bill on June 11th July
10th July 11th July
29th I have not received an answer my
question I have a question regarding the
town create the town creates a central
business district how would the law
apply as it relates to use within one
mile of the municipality Central
business district would the law apply to
the residential property owners inside
the B boundary staff response that's a
good question we believe the intent of
the legislation that it would includ it
in the central business district as well
but the language is unclear my response
I strongly believe that this
clarification must be presented to
council if they plan to adopt a
resolution regarding the boundary such
resolution can
contain and include the residential
single family lots within the interior
of the boundary I am concerned with the
language intent of the legislation
resolutions must be clear and they must
be concise I respectfully request the
town of Gilbert amend the resolution to
include language single family
Residential Properties within the
interior of the Central Business
District boundary be included I ask the
Town Council to be the leaders and not
the followers we cannot continue to have
a wait and see approach and rely on
other towns and cities to interpret the
law we do not vote for other Town
officials it is up to the Town Council
to approve a resolution with a clear and
concise language the citizens of Gilbert
elect the town and the mayor and the
Town Council we do not elect staff to
interpret the reg resolutions that have
an impact
on private property rights and I ask you
tonight I ask you because many of
you know what I'm talking about and
we're
here mayor Peterson vice mayor Anderson
and council member torgenson and I know
council member Tilley tilky has intimate
knowledge also so this isn't something
that I'm asking I'm asking that the
right be restored and that's it and I
appreciate um your help and I think that
all state laws are not bad overreach in
government is thank you thanks Doris
appreciate your opinion folks we don't
please we do not applaud during the
council meetings we try to hold the quum
and that's one of our rules is that we
do not allow Applause I appreciate you
following that for us um I will go ahead
and um bring the discussion back to the
dis and does anybody need to have Ashley
come back up for any clarification on
anything I'm seeing sh okay um council
member oh sorry council member torguson
was first um the the point that dor Le
just made we should clarify because it's
pretty obvious to me the intent is to
include the Central Business quarter uh
while I completely disagree with the
overreach of the the big brains at the
legislature that have completely abused
our Zoning for the last decade
um regardless she should have had her
property rights restored uh I think
that's just it's a byproduct of
codifying this correctly and we have to
do something we have to come up with an
area and this seems like the smartest
area to come up with with reviewing all
the options in the past so I am
supportive but I would like to make the
clarification that she asked for so
those people do have that in in writing
council member
Kowski I just wanted to make a note that
in reading the house bill the language
was quite poor in a lot of the
descriptions and so I I agree with that
tonight's vote is simply to designate
what we call our downtown and Heritage
District as the central business
district so it can apply to the house
bill but I would provide um direction to
staff that as they move forward in
creating the res resolution to ensure
that it is inclusive of the entire
Heritage District boundary as well as
that one mile buffer thank
you y thanks
mayor I I definitely support that and
that's part of the reason why I asked
where if if the interior was included in
that whole process when I first saw this
I thought for a second maybe it meant a
mile outside of our heritage District
but it makes sense to have all of it
included
council member Buckley do you have
comments yes yes I do I I I think that
this should also be included and defined
as council member torguson had said it
needs to be defined so that the
residents that do live in that area and
do have this property that they are
comfortable that they have their
property rights back and they're able to
do you know to build some middle family
um housing if if they if they so
desire thank you council member luley I
don't know if I remember to close the
public hearing so I'm bringing the
closing the public hearing officially um
any other comments council member tilki
thank you mayor um I'm looking at the
resolution before us which says we
hereby designate the real property
located within the boundaries depicted
on the map attached as exhibit
today as the central business district
and it's my understanding that is the
entire all of the property within that
big circle so if that is what we're
approving I think that takes care of
what dor leis was asking because it says
all real property within that
District that's how I understood it also
is everything within the Heritage
District everything within the one mile
circle outside of the Heritage District
also and D our frustration is the same
as yours when it comes to being able to
clarify the legislation the legislature
passes these laws and then the governor
signs them or doesn't right so they get
passed and they get sent down to the
cities and towns and then we have to
make sense of them and sometimes they
are not clear and it takes us a while to
be able to clarify exactly what the
intent of the law was and we do our best
some of them are pretty messy I think
Council M Kowski said she read the
language and the language can be pretty
messy and very difficult to understand
so our staff does the best that they can
do trying to figure out what our
deadlines are what we need to do as a
community we knew that the central
business district had to be that had to
be the first step that we were going to
do in this process and then the next
step will be the January 1st 2026
deadline on this one so um I would be
happy to accept a motion on this if
someone like more than I just want to
thank the staff for their hard work on
designating this
area because if you designate the wrong
area it could have been a lot more
problems for us so thank you for taking
your time and doing a real good job on
that it's a great point because the
central business district is really
supposed to be what we call our downtown
and um Ashley went and looked at how
many times we refer to the Heritage
District as the downtown and that
definitely is in my opinion the downtown
of Gilbert we don't have many areas that
you might refer to the downtown as maybe
 station recer and williamsfield
verd at coie station area but this is
definitely the downtown area of Gilbert
so thank you for that work anybody like
to make a motion on this
one mayor I'll make a motion to approve
item number four thank you I have a
motion I have a motion from council
member tilki seconded by council member
Kowski all those in favor say I I I I I
any
opposed motion passes
70 moving on to
to item number nine a change order who
from staff would like to come down and
give a short presentation I'll open the
public hearing I see Chief
soberg we're getting the presentation up
and running
it's okay
Doris you didn't check if you wanted to
speak on number 10 is that a I see you
back there can you raise your hand if
you see us thank you
all right thankfully we miss the dust
storm warning for the
presentation except for different
carriers all right uh mayor vice mayor
council uh thank you uh tonight uh we're
considering the Heritage District
parking garage security
contract thank you uh the Heritage
District um receives approximately more
than 5 million visits annually and a
large number of these visitors utilize
the two free parking garages they're
instrumental to the Heritage district
and getting people in and out of the
Heritage District uh the highest
frequency of these uh visits occur on
the weekends and between the hours of
5:00 p.m. to midnight so the data the
screen you're seeing here is the data
that we received from placer for 2023 so
that's where the 5 million visitors that
data came comes from and you can see the
highest frequency for the Heritage
district is Thursday through Sunday uh
primarily Friday and especially Saturday
evening looking at that same data and
looking at the time of day um the
highest frequency as you can see as it
uh ramps up for lunch and then begins in
the uh around 5:00 p.m uh hits the the
crescendo so to speak at 700 p.m. and
then starts to TA off through midnight
and so looking at the frequency of our
visitors to the Heritage
District um we obviously are concerned
about the safety of our visitors and our
residents and our businesses and so we
have uh a dedicated bike team which is
uh consists of seven bike officers and
one bike sergeant in addition of that uh
during each shift there's uh beat
officers that are assigned to the
Heritage District but they aren't just
specifically to the Heritage District
they also have those surrounding are
areas so on average we have usually at
least three officers assigned to that
area but as I mentioned they have
additional responsibilities outside of
the Heritage
District we also do special details
which are um we we talked about this uh
earlier in the year uh we specifically
had people there from April through June
uh each weekend to focus on issues and
concerns at the Heritage District
parking garages and we have done that
like we talked about earlier with
Morrison Ranch those are things that we
have done throughout uh the opening over
the last we're going on eight years now
of our parking garages in
downtown looking at the costs for
service within the parking garage um I
grabbed the data for the last two and a
half years from 22 up until uh the end
of July of this year the total calls for
service are everything from an officer
initiated call um or an admin
responsibility where they're visible to
the public business check
on view
activity are those uh activities where
they're
proactively uh looking for crimes that
are occurring doing traffic enforcement
Community engagement looking over the
area and these are just specific not to
the Heritage District but just the two
garages at on east and west on Von uh
looking at the this time frame uh the
dispatch calls for service so we're
looking at uh approximately 19 just
under 19 calls for service per month
combined between these two parking
garages on view activity just uh short
of 60 calls per month that are officer
generated that may be an arrest or it
just may be a proactive being uh doing
surveillance or just being visible uh
dispatched calls for service that's
specific to calls that are classified as
juveniles disturbing so it doesn't mean
that none of those other calls have a
juvenile involved but these are calls
specific to juveniles disturbing and in
those cases we average just over to a
month amongst the two
garages so we put together a team um to
evaluate the Heritage District the
garages and the safety downtown in June
we completed an upgrade which was
previously planned uh but that upgrade
was completed on the camera systems for
both garages
downtown we put together a team of
stakeholders including Economic
Development Public Works facilities and
the police department and evaluate a
number of potential options for further
enhancing the saf in our parking garages
among the options researched and
evaluated the team explored installing
additional infrastructure to create a
validated parking system Contracting
with a firm to provide video
surveillance that would notify dispatch
of any
incidents weighing all the costs and
ability to achieve the quickest response
times to any incidents and overall
meaningful impact of the options the
stakeholder team recommended
implementing a 12-month pilot program to
add unarmed security at both garages
doges this contract would be uh from
Wednesday evening to Saturday evening 6:
p.m. to 2 a.m. the pilot program would
cost 160,000 per year for the first year
with the ability to terminate at any
time with a 7-Day
notice that might be the end I think
that's the
end any questions from me
thanks Chief council member
kosi Chief Solberg you have amongst the
options explored Contracting with a firm
to provide active video surveillance
that would notify PD Dispatch would
these unarmed security do that function
or or or is that um option not move not
carried forward so this same company is
are the ones who do the security at our
M Municipal one and two buildings so
during the daytime while not on site we
will be adding to their contract part of
the responsibilities to uh as they do
here viewing the surveillance cameras
they'll have the ability to view
surveillance cameras during their normal
shifts at these two locations in
addition that we haven't worked out the
details of how they could live view into
those surveillance systems um but they
do have um they will be um one at each
location moving between all four areas
there'll be in a vehicle sorry each
floor they'll both have vehicles so
they'll be mobile uh they do have the
ability obviously if something occurs
where we need police action they will
contact dispatch and have an immediate
response rather than calling a b officer
or calling someone else we want that
immediate response so whoever we need to
come will come from dispatch and so uh
as they get implemented we will continue
to look at different options with our
security system of ways we can integrate
their use and our use to make sure that
we're Have Eyes on in that
area I feel this is a pretty substantial
cost so do do you have recommendations
or metrics for the measures of success
that you'd be hoping to see um from the
start of the pilot to the end of the
pilot so primarily on our side we will
be focusing on crime on uh calls for
service what what incidents are they
reporting um we will work with them on
what how they're going to track their
activity of um uh their walkarounds what
contacts are they making because every
time they make a contact isn't necess
going to require a PD response that's
why we want them there it's an added
layer in addition of what we can provide
to prevent incidents from occurring so
if they see people that are violating
the rules within that parking garage
whether it's a crime or not but if it's
specifically lering in the parking lot
which is not allowed of approaching
those individuals and asking them to
leave if they don't then they're we will
be calling the police uh but extra set
of eyes that visual deterrent to prevent
people from even being being there at at
level at each garage but we'll come up
with those metrics so we can report back
to you what those are obviously we'll
watch the crime but watch their activity
what is it they're doing while they're
there and to see if there's any concerns
and as indicated if there are concerns
we have the option to cancel within
seven
days any other questions for chief at
this time you can always ask more
following the public
comment thank you thanks Chief we have
three members of the public that would
like to speak um Carissa Arnold will be
first and then Bridget Vega and then
andet good evening thank you for your
time um as we have been up here talking
um about the park and garages and the
things that we've observed um and um
even uh Mr basali I apologize if I'm
saying your name
had um oh Chief ble Chief yes um had
shared with reporters that there are
known issues of drugs there's underage
drinking we have teens that have
repeatedly hung out in these garages it
is well known that there is an overall
um I'm going to say lack of respect for
security guards over officers um in fact
when it comes to like situations um
where people can be more combative
they'll tend to get more combative with
a security guard over an officer um
because they know security guard is does
not have the same capability as of an
officer right so when we look at these
situations I I saw the charts up there
with all of the numbers and everything
like that there are kids that are still
hanging out in these garages on these
off times the death of the minor who
fell off the top of the garage again was
at 11:00 at night on a Monday night um
how is the council expecting to address
those situations your bike officers are
off at 11:00 when we are looking at
miners hanging out when security is not
available and if your bike officers
aren't in downtown how is the council
expecting to address these situations
with a security team that's not
present I don't know if that's a
question for chief soberg or like that
was a question directed right at the
council um yeah I guess my response is
and this is just off the top of my head
I haven't given this any thought from
what you just said but um it's very
difficult for us to patrol every inch of
this town at any given time sure and so
they have to go with the data and the
data shows when the majority of the
people are in the parking garage and
unfortunately bad things happen at times
that somebody isn't present and I think
it would be very difficult for us to be
able to patrol all of the time all of
the time and and and very costly as you
can see just for four nights a week 6:00
to 2 a.m. it's going to be pretty costly
and so and I'm not trying to make light
of somebody losing their life because
it's a terrible situation in any in any
time that's just off the top of my head
Carissa sure that's great and so that
that would actually go to my point then
wouldn't it make more sense to do paid
parking because then when you shift to
paid parking and you have it validated
where your patrons are going into the
restaurant getting that stamped right
they come back the parking ultimately
ends up being free
you eliminate this cost this yearly cost
of security um and then also for those
people who forget their their parking
passes or whatever you actually end up
coming in with a little bit of income in
there right um and I'd love to address
that because I've been here since the
parking garage was open this the new one
behind Culinary Dropout in Oso and from
my perspective the council has always
been determined to keep those parking
structures free and for several reasons
it brings people into downtown and it
allows them to par work freely to go and
spend time and money at all of the
businesses in downtown we also have a
contract with Culinary Dropout to
provide valet parking in that parking
structure it would be very difficult for
us to well very costly number one
because we'd have to put up mechanisms
in order to start the charging of the
parking lot I also feel that no matter
what we charge people are just going to
swipe a card and go in I don't think in
my opinion from what I've seen down
there it's going to stop people from
going from entering in the garage G and
again that's my opinion that's not
anybody else's up here that's my thought
well the one so the one thought process
behind that is that when you have those
bars being put up in front of the
garages it actually closes off the
garage for entry at a certain time of
night right so the businesses especially
when you're talking about the weekday
that are not as frequented um you can
shut those bars from entry at like 8 9
10:00 at night whatever it needs to be
right and then the only people that can
actually exit are the people who are
already in the garage um as far as
Culinary Dropout goes like if somebody
is in there like again when you do start
to do
validation validation ultimately ends up
with free parking right and so and then
when you validate through Culinary
Dropout um like it shouldn't be any
different right Culinary Dropout still
has their parking spots they enter they
get it validated a culinary and then
they turn around and they leave and yes
there is cost invested in it but my
question is has anybody looked at the
figures too what it would cost to
implement those bars versus doing
security I don't think that there's not
an interest from me to make that garage
paid there hasn't been an interest from
the council in the past to have the
garage paid so there would have to be an
interest first to having the garage be
paid in order for us to direct staff to
look into what that cost might be so
thank you thanks for your questions it's
a pleasure to be able to actually speak
back to you thank you thank you next up
is Bridget Vega
good evening it was so refreshing to see
after 10 months of gaslighting victims
in the community your assistant chief
finally admitting to underage drinking
illegal drugs and violent behavior in
the parking garages at Heritage District
tonight before you guys take a vote we
ask as a community that you listen with
open arms and ears and do not approve
the use of our taxpaying dollars for
additional funding on the current
services in your existing contract with
capital Guard Services as a concerned
resident our main question would be
where are the current security being
staffed because according to the budget
the original contract started 1212 of
2023 with
$225,000 if the additional funding is
approved Capital Guard Services would be
getting paid a total of
$385,000 the change order request would
cover an additional
$160,000 to two unarmed guards and two
vehicles one at each garage why can't we
use the existing funds in the current
contract and just re assign the security
to the Heritage
District
what the security reassigned in 2020
what was done with the original um funds
from the security in 2023 of the
$225,000 where was the money used as we
have seen teen violence continue to
escalate over the past 10 months to
avoid additional funding altogether we
have asked the past 10
months for changes to be made instead of
taking the educational approach can we
please have Gilbert PD who is assigned
to that heat be given an order to uphold
the law with the oath that they were
given and start siding and iding people
for loitering verse playing cat and
mouse with the teens and asking them to
leave is going to do nothing we have
witnessed officers let youth go open
containers with escalated calls to 9111
for drinking and driving implementing
curfew would play a major role along
with maybe adopting Quinn Creek's policy
downtown 16 at 6 instead we also ask for
those funds to go to cameras to be
monitored Suicide Prevention Nets
license plate readers K9 dogs because
the current officer said that they have
to have probable cause to ID so the can9
dogs can sniff out the drugs running
through the garages currently fix the
elevator on vau to have camera lights
and ceiling and not a shaking elevator
operating properly again thank you to
the citizens for patol in the community
for standing together and using our
voices police are now keeping an eye on
the Heritage District do better Gilbert
you have blood on your
hands next is
andet I stand before you today with a
profound sense of
urgency on April 17
I voiced my concerns to you about the
safety issues at the Gilbert garage I
warned this Council that unless action
was taken another teen might get hurt
tragically on May 20th this warning
became a reality when a young life was
lost a teen fell from the Gilbert garage
I am compelled to ask has this Council
reached out to The Grieving family have
you offered your condolences your
support and any form of
acknowledgement it has been said by some
members of this Council that the teen
was intoxicated as if this somehow makes
the city not responsible I ask you why
would the human heart be so gray and
callous that it can't simply honor a
life that was lost regardless of the
circumstances why is it so difficult for
you guys to listen to the citizens who
elected you especially when clear
warnings are given
we raise our voices we've shared our
fears and yet it seems our words just
don't matter this Young Person's death
should not be dismissed or overshadowed
by blame it should be a wakeup call for
immediate action to prevent further
tragedies I will say it again please
don't let this happen again are the
Gilbert garages being monitored closely
now what steps are being taken to ensure
that this heartbreaking incident does
not happen happen again even your
officers have said that they are
surprised there hasn't been more deaths
at the Gilbert garage what is your plan
Gilbert the community demands
transparency and accountability we're
not asking for miracles but we're asking
for compassion and responsiveness from
our elected physicals officials it is
not just about policies and regulations
it's about valuing human life and taking
proactive measures to protecting it may
we have a safer environment for everyone
and I I ask you to please listen to the
voices of your citizens and let this
tragedy not be in vain thank you for
letting me
share thank you I will go ahead and
bring the discussion back to the dis
does anyone have any questions for chief
soberg after hearing from the
residents seeing none then I'll close
the public hearing and bring it back oh
you do sorry thank you may I thought you
shook your head no I'm sorry I apologize
Chief I stuttered on my fingers over
here uh um
Chief um would there be an increase or
decrease cost if we just continued if we
continue with the visual uh during those
hours instead of the
guards mayor and council member V
Giovani let me clarify that you talking
about police officers being there rather
than security guards no the other
company said that visually watching the
cameras so um we looked at the contract
of of someone visually monitoring
cameras correct me if I'm going down the
wrong path okay um and that that is
still an option there were some concerns
with compatibility of most of to do the
active response that they offered we'd
actually need to install additional
cameras they wouldn't be able to use our
cameras to do that active response and
that's one of the concerns we had um I
don't recall what the cost was for that
annual um review of that um but that was
an option um and that's where we looked
at the capital guard and to answer one
of the questions was broad of what that
money is being spent on now as I
mentioned when I spoke there is uh
security guards here at mun one and mun
2 that's what the original contract is
for and that's what they're doing and so
they do have the ability to monitor the
cameras while they're doing their duties
here they have the ability to to see
those cameras um but uh to do a 247
monitoring between the system and the
cost and like I said I I don't recall
the cost uh off the top of my head but
this was the more viable approach uh
moving forward okay um as far as uh
lering I see the signs for loitering I
mean I I I have to I have to admit I I I
live 20 20 minutes from the garages and
during my quote unquote month vacation
uh I visited the garages 24 times
different times in the day I didn't see
anything doesn't mean anything isn't
happening it just means at the time that
I went I didn't see those things
happening that was between going there
and coming back is 24
hours
um as far as lering goes what happens
right now if your officers see kids up
on the up on the uh garages so it's not
loitering that we would enforce there's
a town ordinance that the parking
garages are used for parking somewhat in
simplistic terms and so if they see
someone who's loitering it's not a
violation of the loitering law but it's
a violation of our ordinance on the
parking restrictions and so normal
protocol is to advise the individuals
they need to move on now we advise our
officers too to watch to see what
they're doing because if they're
obviously just hanging out and loitering
then we want them to take action if
people are coming back or going to a
restaurant or or an establishment and
they're chitchatting and catching up you
don't want to be a barrier to people
meeting and greeting so they use common
sense of watching what's going on some
of the incidents that we've seen and
that have been talked about are
obviously issues that need to be
addressed and they need to be removed
and so the proper uh notice is to notify
them that they are violating the
ordinance and they need to leave
document that and and then if they come
back then we can actually enforce them
uh that's that ordinance for violating
the ordinance because they were viol
viting it in the first place we give
them gave them the warning and then they
came back then it's a violation what's
in that that time frame when you're
talking the same hour same day a week
later the orance doesn't specify and
Chris correct me if I'm wrong on this
there's not it doesn't specify that
order as far as it's a onee six months
um we also understand
that we want them to learn and so if 6
months down the road they happen to come
back and they're loing they go to Colony
Dropout or one of the other places um
that's not going to be an issue but the
issue is in documenting it where we've
documented this before if you're
violating the rules you've come back but
there's not a hard line that I'm aware
of in the ordinance that that um uh for
that order to be enforced okay I I I'd
like to see the future we work on that
ordinance so we have something to to
move forward with
because if we're seeing the same kids
over and over again it's only going to
be a time before things escalate and I'd
like to see at some point that we start
you know at least detaining some of
these kids and calling their parents
because I I believe that I believe in
the parents of Gilbert and I'll put you
this way if if I got a call at 1:00 in
the morning that said that my kid was in
the back of a police car because he's
habitually lering at a garage I would
tell the police officer I'd be right
there
then on the way there I would call my
health insurance company to see if they
could would pay to surgically remove my
foot from his ass I think that um I
believe in the parents of Gilbert and I
really think looking back over this past
year I can't speak for all the parents
who've had kids arrested but at some
point in time I think that we need to
make the parents aware so they have the
right to
parent um without it escalating to more
sit situations so I'd like to see us
have some kind of ordinance where we can
actually use and be a tool for the
police officers and I do have to say I
want to congratulate the officers for
doing a great job this summer um because
I haven't heard any incidents of
fighting doesn't mean it didn't happen
but you know it hasn't been reported or
again I spent the whole pretty much my
whole summer up there I didn't see
anything either so I want I want to
thank what you've been doing uh in the
in those garages now um but I would like
to see us be able to go from maybe for
some kids go from education to just
detainment and call their parents yeah
mayor and councilman roban Giovani if I
can add on to my previous statement we
were talking about this earlier when uh
actually this morning about trespass
warnings and specific to the Heritage
District the the bike officers and the
officers work in that area they do
maintain a log of who has been
trespassed what I don't recall is what
that time frame is of when it expires so
to speak so we'll clarify if it doesn't
exist we'll look we'll come back with
information of how we could add that um
off the top of my head I'm wanting to
say it's 6 months to a year um but uh I
will get verification to you on that and
um and and feedback that information
I'll have to note that because council
member tgus and Buckley and I were
kicked out so and that's one thing that
um like I mentioned for there have been
people that we have kicked out but we
haven't put them on the log most
individuals that we've asked them to
move on they've been compliant and you
don't end up on a log it's those that
have committed crimes there before we
see them back there whether they've been
convicted or they've just been arrested
and their pending charges we've used
that enforcement to keep them out of
there thank
you mayor mayor if I may just just to
jump into that also to add where there
is criminal enforcement say tickets have
been given or rest have been made um as
a matter of course whether there a plea
deal or an enter of judgment in the
court system uh they typically include a
Prohibition on returning to the area so
if someone pleads guilty um to violating
you know any type of ordinance or state
lie at the parking garage and they get
probation for example in a plea
agreement they'll be prohibited from
returning to the parking garage if
that's where occurred for what whatever
time that the plea deal says typically 6
months or a year do do we have an
ordinance uh Chris in place specifically
about detainment of
teenagers how you can address that uh
mayor council M Bon Giovani we don't
have an ordinance we have a state law so
we have to have justification um to
detain somebody whether it's regional
suspicion or prob cause to detain so um
but that there's a lot of ordinances
there's a lot of laws and so as we've
talked about in the past whether it's
curfew a criminal violation a violation
of the ordinance uh the parking
ordinance that can give us us cause to
detain now detain I'm present preventing
you from leaving that that is a
detention A detention doesn't always
mean in custody in handcuffs in the back
of the car to do that we have to have
Pro cause uh to make an arrest in that
situation now we may come upon a fight
and we detain people while we figure out
what's going on and we realize sometimes
that's a VI vitim sometimes it's a
witness and then once we get the
information we sort it out and let them
go but we have to have legal
justification and even in that example
as I gave in a chaotic scene we're
grabbing people trying to prevent a
further injury to anybody and then we
sort it out but we have to have
justification to detain somebody so if
they're breaking curfew and they're on
top of the garage is that yeah that's a
violation yep of our ordinance which uh
we can detain them okay thank you um
first I want to apologize for the use of
a sweat Square word I'm sorry that's not
appropriate in a council meeting it's
the first time in all my years of
attending a council meeting that that
has happened next I'd like to call on
council member Buckley I know that you
had asked cheli for um an opportunity to
speak uh Yes actually and for chief
soberg you know there's all the talk
here about the teens being uh you know
in the garages at 1:00 in the morning
and I my feeling is and a very
inexpensive way to solve this whole
problem is to do a resolution and and
have and enact a curfew for these kids
and not only does that you know give the
parents some responsibility here to keep
their kids you know within within the
bounds of of a normal
teenage you know uh space of time to be
out at night but it also does not cost
any money
and um and that gives Chief soberg
another Avenue and maybe I guess I
should ask the question we do not
currently have a curfew
correct uh mayor and coun Buckley we do
have a curfew and when you're done I'll
explain the parameters of that okay yeah
well I would I would like to hear what
those are and and if any you know if any
arrests have been made if any parents
have been called I'd like to see some
data on that
and if that's not working then I you
know what we're doing I would like to
see that enhanced to a point where we
can get it to
work thank you uh mayor council member
Buckley um our uh ordinance on curfew
for those 1000 p.m. is the cut off for
those that
are uh 15 and under I got to do the math
real quick those that are 15 and under
between 10 p.m. and midnight it's 16 to
17 um that they have to be uh they can
be out up until midnight so there are
exceptions going to work religious
events um with family so there are
exceptions to that rule so you could
have your family at the garage after
dinner at 1:00 a.m. and they're under uh
18 years of age but on their own they
have to have uh abide by those rules but
there are exceptions traveling to and
from those events or being at an event
as I mentioned and we can pull the the
curfew data and get that to you thanks
Chief um
Vice yeah I oops I'm sorry I I would
like to I would like to to see that and
my recommendation would be to lower
those times and and have the 15 year
olds under 15 be in by 9 p.m. and the
17y olds I mean if they're if they're
still out and doing bad things things
then then we need to put that down to 1:
p.m. and um and then that way I think
that would help solve some of this the
kids that are going to do this are going
to do this no matter what but it could
at least deter them to some point but
thank you and and I appreciate it if you
could get some data on that thank you
thank you council member Buckley Chief I
think what I'm hearing is potentially a
study session item on this topic with
curfew and what the data looks like it
might be easier for us to be able to sit
and discuss and wrap our heads around it
we can gra mayor and Council we can grab
that data and uh the mention of the 50
one thing that to keep in mind um is
school events that often go up to 10 or
later whether it be sports or dances or
whatnot so we have to take that in
consideration but we'll get the data
we'll do some comparables what other
it's pretty consistent in the East
Valley Valley at least along those lines
but we'll pull that yeah and I think
it's important that we stay comparable
to other cities and towns because our
school districts go over City boundaries
they you know Chandler goes from
Chandler across gilberton into Queen
Creek so we have to keep that in mind
vice mayor
Anderson I'm I agree with u analyzing
the data and coming back with a study
session I I was curious the data you
showed us tonight showed two incidents
in the garages per month on average are
those the ones that actually go on the
log is there something that determines
whether they go under the log
or mayor and vice mayor Anderson uh the
data that I gave you is every call for
service whether it's called in or
whether it's our our officers initiating
a traffic stop stopping a subject so
what you're seeing is and that's why I
clarified that juveniles disturbing
there's a specific code of 417 that goes
uh to our officers for a juvenile's
disturbing now that doesn't mean if
there's a fight call the data I pulled
was just for juveniles disturbing on on
average amongst the two garages I think
it was 2.1 or 2.2 um per month and so
that's under that classification of
someone calling in um regarding
juveniles disturbing now if you call and
see someone doing drugs that's going to
come in as a drug case rather than a
juveniles disturbing even though it may
be juveniles so we didn't dissect those
calls to specify which of those uh
thousands of calls were specific
specifically included a juvenile I
grabbed the data that was specific to
juveniles disturbing now some of our
proactive calls are classified as
juveniles disturbing but it was our
officers observing juveniles doing
something and that's uh where it was
classified as a juvenile
disturbing so every number you saw was
an action either someone calling in or
officers taking action or being visible
um in those two garages thank you
council member torguson I'm I was
actually just waiting for him to be
done council member
tilki thanks mayor um Chief when we um
have that study session um I like the
idea that council member Von gavani um
mentioned about uh calling the parents
and so if we could look at when it's
appropriate to do that and make sure
that we have um that kind of settled so
it's easy for your officers to know that
that's what we're going to do um I think
it's an important piece that kind of
gets lost in all the law there yeah uh
mayor and vice um sorry not Vice council
member Tikki um we that is the normal
protocol so as I mentioned before we are
detaining them for a ordinance violation
we normally return them uh we hold them
until their parents can come pick them
up from us sometimes they'll send a
sibling that's an adult um sometimes
they'll uh it's a friend of a friend and
they'll have someone else's parent as
long as an adult vouches for them and
we're handing them off to someone um
that's the normal protocol uh it we
normally wouldn't give you a citation
for uh curfew violation and they just
send them on their way to violate it
again we turn them over to an
adult um that might be a nice data piece
to track down because I think um perhaps
there's a sense in the community and I
didn't know any better whether
are not parents are being involved and
it appears that a lot of people think
they are not and uh mayor and VI council
member Tikki as um council member Bon
Giovani had indicated not all parents
are the same sometimes we do not get
good responses from some parents and uh
we handle it as best we can but
sometimes uh they're upset that we
detained or held their kid great
um I'm done with him but I I'm ready to
move on she's done with you Chief I'm
done with you is everybody else finished
with Chief soberg at this point oh go
ahead and close the public hearing thank
you Chief you can take your seat and I
will bring it back here to the Das for
discussion Council M torguson the first
thing I want to say is
that I find it wh inappropriate to
hold whether it's the police or members
of this Council or you even as somehow
responsible with blood on their hands
and gaslighting and it it insinuates
that people have been purposely lying
misleading and lack any sort of empathy
and
uh don't take take any responsibility or
careing what they do and that bothers me
because we're as a community we're
supposed to be working together and
speaking to each other to accuse someone
of gaslighting them to accuse people of
having blood on their hands when they
don't
and you have to start from a position of
almost defense is inappropriate it's
just wrong I'm sorry that I have to hear
that and I'm sorry every one of you has
to hear that every time people stand up
and speak it's wrong now to get to the
the Crux of what we're talking about
here uh I have concerns of 160,000 a
year I would rather take
$160,000 year and bury it into the
police department and hire a couple
officers so much money
but it would be a better thing I'd
rather take the budget and have it with
police because we're looking at two 32h
hour a week uh guards
uh I you know I owned a nightclub
employed dozens of security guards my
cousin owned one of the largest security
firms in the country my late cousin and
the fact is they aren't as respected as
an officer not even
close uh so I don't think that we're
getting back address the problem with
just security officers they have no
power to arrest they have nothing um I
believe in Queen Creek there is one
location that took on uh the idea of uh
six 16 by6 or something but that was a
that was a location that did it
themselves I do not believe the town of
Queen Creek passed that as an ordinance
I think that was a private property
where there's a lot of uh businesses on
there uh I don't think that city did
this
uh I'm not so interested in private
officers if anything I would like the
budget to be turned over to police and
to work that more
thoroughly council member tilki thank
you mayor
um I understand where you're going
council member torguson I think what
we're looking at is what can we do today
to remove move officers and other parts
of our community to put them downtown
leaves those um those areas in our
community unprotected
um it takes quite a while to hire new
police officers and I think this is a
good stop Gap if we chose to put the
priority to to beefing up the actual
staff downtown I wouldn't want to
keep the um District as is today while
we go through that process so um maybe I
could compel you to a short-term
solution for a long-term solution in
this
case I'd be like more likely to think of
the hundreds of thousands of overtime
hours I'd rather give our police that
are on bikes some overtime to stay
between 11: and 1 in the morning or 2 in
the morning and use that money to
subsidize the overtime
I'm not an expert in the police
department but being on a bike in this
heat eight hours a day would probably be
enough for me but um perhaps it we could
give direction to staff to
evaluate that and in the meantime try to
have a solution in place until we um get
that information
council member tilki makes a great point
just to back up what you said about
hiring it takes about 18 months if I'm
not mistaken to put a cop in a seat when
you're going from hiring process it's
about 500,000 if if my math is right and
I remember correctly we've been off for
six weeks if my mouth is correct and I
remember it's about $500,000 for two
officers with vehicles pensions salary
the whole nine yards about
$500,000 so there is a big difference
and I agree with your comment about
finding a stop Gap right we're looking
for an opportunity to do something in
the immediate right right now and how do
we do
that while we can't just move officers
typically we're short officers so it
gets very hard to do and then to hire
new ones takes a long time and to put
the budget in place for all of that
also um council member bani thank you
mayor um first of all can I um can I say
the swear word to apologize for saying
the swear word no no okay please sorry
about that I just couldn't think of a
better word um and I swear all the time
but it's not here I
gotta it's good word though
um my question is it's it's been working
with what we're doing so
far um why spend the 160 right now when
we really don't have the data
that you know Chief could get us about
as far as um if we can do the
surveillance um by
video um to find another
solution uh right now I
mean it was
a summer that was not um like previous
Summers um I'm not saying that that
nothing's happening but I'm saying that
I'd rather see us hold the one 60 to use
after we have enough data to figure out
what the best solution is we don't have
to just spend the 160 because we brought
up throwing 160
somewhere council member tilki thanks
um I think I wasn't talking about the
whole 160 that's for the entire contract
I'm saying that if we feel that there is
an urgency to address the security
downtown
that we could use this as we do the
research or as you're suggesting do
nothing keep it the way it is um rely on
the live camera or the security of uh
the camera while we research whether we
need to beef up the staff
downtown ISC B thank you mayor um is it
possible I mean I I don't know the
traffic patterns Chief um I should be
asking young this
um yeah is it possible to actually shut
the garages down at a certain time 2
o'clock something like I mean is that
possible so so my opinion I'm going to
give you my opinion from a council
member mayor council member perspective
we have employees that are working in
those restaurants and bars until after
28 that are parking in those garages and
we encourage them to park on top floors
of both of those garages if I'm not
mistaken to keep them off of the surface
parking and off the lower levels and so
to close the
garages with no barriers in place we
would have to put barriers in place I
think that would be very difficult to do
as an immediate solution to the problem
that we're having that goes my next
question Chief has there been a problem
at 2 o'clock in the morning 3 o'clock in
the morning
mayor and council member Bon Giovani at
times um uh the latest hours for our
downtown businesses close it to and so
we do see an influx as closing time uh
occurs where it's urinating in public
fights um dys um I'm talking more
teens uh no um not usually no because
for one like I I said
with our proactivity if we're seeing
them at that time we'll be taking action
now if they're with
adults primarily um parents then uh
we're not taking any action but um most
of those locations prohibit who's in
there that late um the the alcohol
establishments and so that's kind of
enforced on their end so they weed out
so most of our teen issues subside
around midnight thank you
it's us over 50s that are out after 2:
a.m. I've done a walk along and if I can
just in the Heritage District at 3:00
a.m. yeah yeah mayor one more thing on
that conversation on the flip side as
the businesses are closing at two or
three your businesses are getting ready
to open at 5 and 6 for the breakfast
crowds and deliveries as well deliveries
and cleaning stff employees that need to
be there yeah cleaning staff will come
in in the middle of the night and yes to
get that done and taken care of vice
mayor
I'm assuming that the 160,000 that the
uh department is bringing to us now is
the best solution that they found if
that's not the case and I think we
should discover in a study session what
is a better use of that money without
trying to direct that now from the
Das yeah I guess I'm a little confused
by the discussion because I thought that
this was the way
that we directed staff to go and so now
I'm hearing
that it's maybe not possibly the
solution that we were looking for so I'm
a little confused by that um con B
kaboski is shaking her head I I don't
recall did we did we did we direct staff
of this at some point I I thought we I
thought it was one of the topics that we
had discussed maybe it
wasn't I don't know we've talked a lot
about a lot of different things so
sorry Chief you may be no
I'm like a yo-yo tonight mayor and
Council the direction was to provide uh
evaluate the Alternatives and provide
our recommendation to you and so that's
what we're doing tonight is recommending
the security overlay for the one-year
pilot program and I thought and I
believe the first time we brought this
up and discussed I even asked if there
was an option for only six months of a
contract versus a year of a contract
because we weren't sure if this was
going to be something that we were going
to have to lock into for a year if it
was going to be like a stop gap for
right now but something to put in place
immediately
correct and you have the year 7-Day out
clause so change your mind you or the
data doesn't support it we could
alter thank
you council member Kowski I just wanted
to say that the positive that I heard in
this conversation was that this would
help supplement the police department
and in being able to do their jobs
effectively um and have that extra layer
but a lot of the other information that
was presented I think is is not as
substantial as we normally have when we
make these decisions for spending money
so I do have concerns um that for the
need and the return on investment in
this case um because there are a lot of
needs in the community and there's
always inherent risk and we're trying to
protect as many people as possible um
but I do have concerns overall with the
spending and not having that supporting
data or
strong issue that we're trying to Target
with this um so I really am not sure you
know what we would do with this but I do
like the idea of the future study
session for other options but I guess I
want to hear more about whether we think
this is an urgent that this is an issue
that we want to have this stop gap
before we have that study session or not
I'm here I'm seeing no one and council
member tilky thank
you um I I think it comes down to the
urgency of
it Con Buckley was that you I'm
sorry yes it was I'm so sorry um I I had
my hand up but I wasn't sure if you saw
that oh I'm sorry I can't I can't see
your hand so I'm sorry cheli has to
convey that to me and I I don't
that's I'm sorry oh well that yeah well
that's okay no no worries
uh whoops what I kind of wanted to add
to this is I mean since this has come up
for more and more discussion from from
each ccil member is possibly maybe we
could do this for a period of six months
which would get us through all the
holidays and see what how the data and
what has happened there because I do see
the holidays coming up and I think we
might need
additional help there and uh I don't
know what anyone else thinks of that but
I I would like to maybe suggest doing
this on a six Monon to get us through
maybe January 15th after the holidays
are over and the kids are back to school
and
um anyway wanted to put that out there
thank you Council M Buckley and um I
would add that does have a 7-Day
cancellation so it can be canceled at
any point in time and in between what
you just pointed out with the holidays
um we also have fall break and we have
winter break over that period of time
too council member tilki thank you mayor
I I think the question before us really
is the urgency is it urgent that we do
this now or do you feel like the
residents haven't um Justified the the
expense to do this to um create the data
set set and um I don't know if the the
public that we hear from if they're
representing the entire public or a
small group um there seems to be a sense
of urgency and so I think that's why
we're having this discussion but
um that the data is showing that
incidents are going down without it uh
yet that's not what we're hearing from
the
public I I think and I think that's why
we came up with this um strategy with PD
was to ask them to bring something back
was because we were hearing from the
public that there was a need and so we
were trying to fill that need and um I
can see the headline tomorrow mayor and
Council decide not to put Security in
garage they don't care about teens I'm
just
I did want to answer the question about
the 16 at six it is a private company in
Queen Creek it's Queen Creek Marketplace
owned by vestar so you were right
council member torguson it is a private
company I Googled it I love having my
laptop here are there any other comments
do you somebody's going to have to make
a motion at some point to continue this
to table this if you table it doesn't
have to be to a date certain if you
continue I would ask for a date certain
is that right did I get that right thank
you council member Tuson or or or
approval or recommend denial sorry well
just to to clarify something CU as we
look at it we can all almost feel like
oh well if I say you if I say no I'm a
bad person if I say no you know I've got
blood on my hand some ridiculous
statement like that but at the same time
you I would prefer to air on the side of
caution that's always re you know that's
always preferable but the reality is is
we have numbers going down uh
does the fact that we have a 7-Day out
change anybody's feelings on this
because you can we could monitor this
monthly and look and if there's not some
worthwhile change it can be stopped with
7 days
notice and I mean I hate to blow money
and because if we've only got officers
finding 2.1 incidents a month between
two garages so a little over one per
garage are we just just throwing away I
don't know about $115,000 a month are we
just throwing burning it up for no good
reason or do we want to roll the dice
and see what happens for a few months
and exam and have a report on it every
single month to evaluate whether we're
doing this or not make that a motion sir
I sorry sorry thank
um I wouldn't mind seeing what council
member Tas is saying
uh as long as we worked concurrently
with uh working on um tightening the uh
the ordinance that we mentioned earlier
sep separate kind of yeah and and maybe
take a look at uh you know 30 days after
we had that kind of ordinance also just
to take a look at the data from both
standpoints with with an ordinance with
ordinance are we seeing more or
less Chief I see you back at the podium
missed you all
mayor and Council uh a few answers uh
people who were working behind the
scenes the surveillance contract was
roughly 110,000 per year what they do is
they take those cameras they put in a
Geo fence around the location that needs
to be monitored so it's not an actual
person monitoring it the AI will if
someone intrudes into that zone or
lingers in that zone for too long based
on the parameters we set it sends a
notification to that mon monitoring
company they will get eyes on see what's
going on if need be then contact the
police uh for response additionally um
if you want to modify the contract
facilities is confirmed they're willing
to do the six month still maintaining
the 7 day out clause if you decide to
change chief would we have
um uh do we have an option of doing
certain hours or is it always
247 anyone know
um I I don't know we we would have to
find out okay and that might change the
price structure I'm sure they can let's
say you want to do it from 6 p.m. to 2
a.m. yeah it will probably modify the
cost structure but um I'm I can't
imagine they would not provide an
altered uh schedule okay thank
you did you have a question for chief
yes yes Chief sber you just mentioned
that there was the advanced technology
option and that cost was
110,000 annually
does that include the cost of the
upgraded camera systems so from what
mayor and vice May Koski from what I
remember the option for you do have the
option to for that person monitoring
their cameras to hit the button like I'm
doing now and say you're violating our
ordinance you need to move so there're
speakers our cameras don't have the
ability for that two-way communication
for the from the monitoring company so
if we wanted that 2-way communication
that would be where we would have to use
use their cameras on top of our cameras
um I'll need to we'll have to verify all
this with it but my understanding is
they can put that Geo fence using our
systems we' have to work with them on
obviously we protect our INF
infrastructure very heavily so we would
have to verify that that is an option
still but that was the 110,000 for the
geofence monitoring
247 so hearing that
information I would lean more towards
the advanced detection and the te
techology because then that's coverage
for the entire structure but I mean
there's a lot I also agree with council
member Buckley in terms of we can start
with six months cover the holidays and
come back and air on the side of
caution hi Leah I have council member
Buckley waiting to speak too so go ahead
Leah thank you mayor council apologize
for the interruption just a a little bit
of clarifying information regarding the
advanced technology option um that is
close in cost to the um Capital Guard
Security um onsite premise option and
when the team the stakeholder team
evaluated that one of the conclusions we
came to is relying on the AI technology
to alert a live person to then examine
and then notify dispatch would
potentially impact uh the ability on
response time and with the minimal
difference in cost between that and the
on-site security the team determined
that the on-site security would be able
to facilitate a much quicker response
time so just wanted to share that
clarifying information for you in terms
of evaluating
options thank you council member
Buckley um Leah uh kind of defined a
couple of my questions that I had so you
know I would like to go ahead and make a
motion to um and I believe this is for
item number nine
correct yes ma'am yes to go ahead and
make a motion to do this for six months
but I'm I'm a little confused is this
both for the onsite I would like to see
the onsite and um the S you know the
surveillance as well together they're
together
correct mayor council member Buckley yes
so again apologies for the confusion one
option that was considered was a we
we'll call an advanced technology option
that utilized um remote video
surveillance that option was the one
that did not have any onsite premise uh
whatsoever and would have a little bit
of a delayed notification to dispatch
the option that was presented to council
and is on your agenda tonight would be
physical security on premise at both
garages Wednesday through Saturday
during those peak hour times in addition
they would monitor remotely during
regular working hours Monday through
Thursday so council member Buckley the
answer is all that is on our agenda this
evening is the man version and not the
technology unmanned version so we cannot
add that to our discussion or your
motion this evening we would have to
bring that back with a contract and a
dollar amount and everything for us to
vote on in the future so you have a
motion we have a motion on the floor to
approve what is on our agenda this
evening if I'm correct corrects for six
months for six months is that possible
to ask one more question we have a
question from council member ban Giani
yes um walk me through this for a second
a security officer sees something does
he approach the people does he just call
what's what's he doing or is she doing
I'm going to let the chief take over
here but what I'll offer first is that
the security firm would be trained and
work with our bike Patrol and the patrol
officers that are assigned to the beat
area so they would be trained in our
protocols our ordinance their
enforcement abilities they would also
build those relationships with our
officers to be able to contact them very
quickly and expeditiously and understand
the protocol for notifying dispatch when
appropriate so is that a yes
yes that was long mayor mayor and
council member ban Giovani to to further
expand on that uh we do not want to um
inhibit that that police response so
while they do have those relationships
and the ability to call a bike officer
we they don't know if they're tied up on
an arrest or somewhere else so the
immediate response when action needs to
be taken is to call PD they're eyes and
ears um they're not detaining anybody
they're their eyes and ears and calling
us
presumably and proactively they're
seeing things before it becomes a
problem that requires a police response
so if they see a fight that's going on
they will their first call is to us to
call and have us respond um and then
they'll be prameters with in which they
can um take action but the primary thing
is to get us there get us there as soon
as can and help us collect evidence and
identify Who's involved would they
always have to be uniformed because I
remember when I as was a teenager if I
saw security officer it was fun I mean
yeah so the intent is that when they do
take action that they are legitimately
uh identifiable so as you've seen the
security uh officers here at mun1 in the
lobby exact same except for they are not
armed ours here are armed these will not
be armed and so their primary um action
is to contact dispatch um and relay that
information of what's needed but
proactively doing that so that it's not
hey a fight occurred it's hey people are
gathering please head this way thanks
for explaining that to me appreciate
it council member torguson just and if
it probably won't change anything but
I'm curious is there I believe I read in
vehicles in a parking garage so how is
that really going to help because you to
get through there you might as well just
go up the stairs you're going to be just
as fast so they won't be in the vehicle
sorry mayor counc member T and they will
not be in the vehicle uh the entire time
that the entire shift that's to provide
them for relief from the heat um we are
looking they are looking at getting
electric vehicles so that they can have
them running without the noise and
without uh the cars overheating so but
they that is part of their assigned
duties as we see here they're not just
sitting at the lobby they're doing
rounds around the building they're
checking up and down the floors they
will be doing the same thing checking
elevators and the other Advantage too is
not only they're looking for Crime but
there are eers too of if you see
graffiti if you see an elevator that's
broken if you see a light that's out
they're relaying that information to us
it's another set of isers of relaying
that information to us but they will not
just be sitting the entire time in a car
waiting for something to happen we want
them to be all over the place but we
also need a place for them to get some
rest as well and uh whether it be heat
or in the winter it does get cold
occasionally thank you Chief thank you
Leah um we have a motion on the floor
from council member Buckley for what we
have on our agenda this evening to um
for six-month period do I have a second
for that
motion oh thanks Chuck um May I'll make
a second with
the request for a monthly update on the
status of
that okay I have a motion from council
member Buckley seconded by council
member tilki including a monthly update
um for this process as it moves forward
all those in favor please say I I I I I
any opposed please say
nay motion passes 70 and I apologize to
the crowd but we need to take a recess
for about 5 minutes because we've been
sitting up here for 2 hours now and need
a break thank
you
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30 second warning everybody if you could
take your seats we'll get started
again thanks everybody I want to call
this meeting back to order thank you for
the obliging US with the time for a
quick recess we will move on to item
number 10 Council
Administration um administrated item to
adop consider adoption of resolution
4498 do I have staff to make a short
presentation I will open the public
hearing on this
item Dan Henderson take two because we
had to during study session too Dan
good evening mayor good evening Council
um my name is Dan Henderson I serve as
the director for economic development
and during the adoption of the Northwest
Gilbert Redevelopment area citizen
concern and Outreach indicated the
community's preference to not utilize
government property lease excise tax or
what we refer to as gyplet um these
tools on any town-owned Parcels of
specic of specific concern mayor and
Council the provision to which the
excise tax rate can be abated for the
first eight years after a certificate of
occupancy on the building if the
property is located within a central
business district and a Redevelopment
area the town of Gilbert has never Ed
nor does it plan to use jiet abatement
tools accordingly to address any
concerns and clarify Gilbert's intent
staff is requesting Council support in
removing
our ability to use um any use of gyplet
or tax abatement pursuant to um Arizona
State Statute 42-
6209 however given the requirement for
the designation of a central business
district per House Bill 2721 which you
heard a little earlier this evening
staff is recommending a a resolution
restricting the use of
jet so I thought what we would do mayor
and council is sort of um talk a little
bit about what this tool is um from a
high level perspective gyplet or
government property lease excise tax is
a development incentive established by
the State in
1996 among many things jlet allows a
city or town to Abate the tax provided
um for under this article um for a
limited period of time beginning when
the certificate of occupancy is issued
and ending 8 years after the certificate
of occupancy is issued on government
property improvements essentially
developers would sell a property to a
local municipality in order to Abate the
property tax burden for 8 years with an
excise
tax so I wanted to give you an example
of where and how jlet has been used um
there are many examples throughout the
State of Arizona
um but a specific example in June of
2022 the Tempe city council considered a
gyet tax abatement for the Hines
proposed 14-story
216,000 ft Building located at 25 Z
Rio this is an office development near
Rio salato Parkway and the Ash Avenue
alignment in this
transaction Hines would sell the site to
the city and the project would receive
an 8-year abatement on property
taxes under the proposed agreement Hines
would make
payments to area education foundations
to offset the property tax revenue other
payments would be made to the tempy
Coalition in this example for affordable
housing and Hines would contribute
$150,000 for a planned Veterans Memorial
the development would also fund
improvements on Ash Avenue um to the
tune of 1.9 million in public
infrastructure on Rio salad
Parkway so again mayor and Council this
is not a tool used by Gilbert as a
result under the statute 42 6209
government property lease excise tax
abatement allows for that excise tax
rate on Government properties to be
abated for the first eight years after
that certificate of occupancy on the
building if the property is located
again within a central business district
and a r Development
Area so Gilbert has two Redevelopment
areas the
first the Heritage District or the
Heritage District Redevelopment area
This was um the first Redevelopment area
in the community and this area was
designated in 1989 as such the second is
one that mayor and Council authorized in
June or late um uh in the fiscal year 24
um and that's what an area that we call
the Northwest Gilbert and again that was
designated in June of this
year Ashley did a wonderful job along
with Rob and others talking about the
house bill 2721 which was approved as we
mentioned by State Statute or um State
Legislature in May and requires that
municipalities with a population of
75,000 people or more adopt regulations
related to Middle housing examples
provided previously included duplexes
triplexes fourplexes and town homes and
as a first step to the implementation of
this new statute the town is seeking to
adopt a central business district to
identify the area in which middle
housing will be authorized by right on
property zoned for single
family so by way of a comparison we
wanted to show you what house bill
2721 allows for specifically focusing in
on and for Middle housing Def and is
defined very differently from the
statute to the right as you're looking
at this or statute
42629 which provides a mechanism for
allowing tax abatement so what you
approve this this evening by
establishing the central business in the
harage district um does not and cannot
be used for tax abatement of any kind
including the
jet so while the Heritage District um
was authorized for adoption as the
central business district under this
revived statute Title 9 462 House Bill
2721 staff is recommending an additional
measure to restrict the use of jlet via
Council resolution this
evening in doing so staff is further
recommending we restrict the use of the
tax abatement provision so the town can
provide transparency in addressing
citizen concerns directly related to
Jet and with that mayor and Council um I
hand it back to you for any questions
comments thanks Dan does anyone have any
comments for councilman roban Giovani
for Dan Henderson thank you mayor so in
plain simple terms no special deals for
people mayor council member B gavan
members Council correct thank
you any other questions for Dan at this
time we can always bring him back up we
have one member of the public that would
like to speak
thanks Dan great presentation I have one
member of the public that would like to
speak that is Doris Lidell of course
Doris come on
down thank you I just have uh I support
this I'm glad it's coming to you in the
Heritage District we need all the tax
revenue that we possibly can receive in
addition to that I don't think that the
residential property owners should um
incur the burden of the taxes so thank
you for
that thanks Doris I'll bring this back
to the Das um I'll go ahead and close
the public hearing bring back to the dis
for any discussion Andor
motion con
mki um I was ready to make a motion
unless I was going to make a motion but
you can make a motion I'll make a second
all righty Let's Do It um I was going to
make a motion too I'll make it a I'm
checking out of this
counc council member til would you like
to take it sure um I'd like to approve
item number 10 I have a motion by
council member tilky do I have a
second second that I have a second from
council member Buckley all those in
favor please say I I
I any opposed hearing none motion passes
70 thank you everyone moving on to item
number 11 Council Administration item
consider adoption of a resolution 4499
adjusting compens for the mayor and
council members I think we have oh Rob B
already at the podium thanks
Rob mayor if I could before Rob starts
short deal with the situation in a
control room we have a water leak over
the control panel so the team's got it
covered and they're trying to contain
the water if um they should need to we
may ask to call for a quick recess to
shut down that equipment and switch over
to a different form of live feed but
I'll let you know if that should happen
yeah thanks so much yeah I hope the team
is safe back there I know it's um kind
of messy um they are having an I think
an air conditioning leak back there it's
not from a storm or anything outside I
just wanted to point that out to the
people that are in the audience but yes
thank you for that Patrick Rob go ahead
thank you mayor and Council Rob Bor
director of intergovernmental relations
and Nathan Williams head people team
officer will be joining me as well um
for tonight's presentation intended to
uh guide your discussion and potential
action related to Mayor and Council
compensation and salary
um we wanted to provide some some
background uh to help with that we'll
cover several items including historical
data cost of living info um some of the
comparative data that that we've shared
pre previously throughout the state and
region and um then discuss some
potential options for future
increases um above all else we'll be
here to answer any questions that you
might have throughout the
presentation wanted to start with just
some of the um state state law and and
local um codes that that help guide your
decisions related to um mayor and
council
salary mainly the Arizona a section of
the Arizona Constitution um that that
specifically says that uh those who do
basically the essentially the same work
uh on on a member of as a member of
council or or another type of elected
board um should be paid the same salary
however with the mayor's duties being
different that uh considered different
than than the rest of council uh the
mayor is able to uh earn a separate
salary from the rest of from the rest of
the council then we have our local uh
Gilbert Town code which basically just
says that we will adhere to that to that
section of the Arizona Constitution and
then um Arizona State Statute which the
section there um just basically
gives you the authority to to um give
yourself a salary or to to to uh take
action on on a salary for for mayor and
councel and then we want to touch a
little bit um obviously you all know
this better than I can talk to it but um
talk just a little bit about um some of
the day-to-day duties with it being a
unique role uh as a town council member
um just to give a little bit of an idea
I think it's impossible to kind of
really explain what day-to-day looks
like or or what the job entails because
it changes so much from from hour to
hour and dayto day um but but to just
give some of the those categories of
kind of your major roles and
responsibilities um to to help sort of
give folks an idea of what of what the
role looks like so starting out um as
you all know Arizona operates under a
council manager form of government so um
what that means is is our manager
Patrick is is in charge of of carrying
out all the day-to-day duties but those
Duties are what fall under the policies
that you all assign as as the dedicated
policy makers so um this first section
of of responsibilities really kind of
falls under those uh formal
responsibilities that come with come
with that um role as a policy maker and
those those are like the meetings we're
here at tonight the study sessions and
regular meetings that that you all
attend and not only just attend but also
review all of your packets of material
and come prepared um which I know can be
pretty extensive sometimes and come
prepared ready to act on those um board
and commission appointments um and and
then also in addition to appointing our
our members um on our on those boards
and commissions uh each of you also
serve as a liaison to to one of those
other or to one of those boards and
commissions as well um and of course
Council subcommittee meetings as those
are created um then up to three of you
serve on those for for a period of time
or ongoing depending on the
subcommittee um and then just to kind of
quickly go over many of the other things
that that you are responsible for again
not an exhaustive list by any means uh
but of course just regular meetings and
and responsibilities throughout Town
Hall which could be um important updates
that are coming up for for you and the
the future that that staff wants to make
sure that you're informed and updated on
um so scheduling those um meeting with
community business community and
Business Leaders as well as constituents
on on various issues of course events
ribbon cuttings community events um
speaking engagements I know especially
the mayor is asked to do a lot of of
speaking at different events um
conferences trainings informational
events um I think all of you at some
point along the year um do some some
type of conference or or training and
and definitely attend different uh
different events of of uh with
information related to local government
and um even Community information
related to Gilbert and then another one
that folks in the public may not be
super familiar with
um mayor and Council also serve as uh
Liaisons or Representatives on on
Regional and Statewide governing
organizations that may make um decisions
like for example merul Association and
government that that uh takes action
related to Transportation decisions and
and you know where that funding will
will get routed to and Valley Metro
which is the um governing board over uh
over transit in the region Arizona
Municipal Water users Association amwa
which U vice mayor uh serves on it it is
a policy organization related to to
municipal water issues and takes a lead
on on representing um the the
collaboration of municipalities on those
issues greater greater Phoenix Economic
Council gek which of course is is
responsible for economic development
locates throughout the region and we
have our Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport
Authority um the mayor serves on on that
board League of Arizona cities and towns
which is which is a collaboration of all
91 cities and towns in in Arizona that
um collaborates on on policy issues and
and um works on legislative items
related to local government and Gilbert
chamber and of course many many more so
with that I'm going to have Mr Williams
come up and uh go through some of the
other salary information that we have
for you and we'll be available for any
questions at the
end thanks Rob hi
Nathan mayor Peterson members of council
thanks for the opportunity to um come up
and uh outperform Rob tonight um I was
uh I thought
I'd told him I was going to make jokes
um I thought i' i' I'd brief you a
little bit on um how kind of decisions
were made um that sort of bring um each
of you to where you are today from a
salary standpoint and then we'll move a
little more into kind of current state
and um and then talk a little bit about
um the decision- making process that
could follow so um we were able to pull
um historical data salary related data
uh back as far as fiscal year 2009 um
there are some we found some um some
documentation through public meeting
that happened prior to that but we
thought we'd give kind of a 15-year
snapshot because that also helps when we
talk about Market related data and
trying to keep you know kind of um our
our data set on the same um timeline so
if you look um although there was a uh
there was an
increase
um approved going into
fy17 um for both Council and mayoral pay
um that was basically reversed um prior
to the fy9 fiscal year um for Council
and then maintained for uh the mayor's
position but outside of that you can see
so today's um Council rate is the same
as it was in fy2 2009 um with the mayor
having um that slight increase that
occurred um preceding
fy17 so I'm going to show you a few kind
of steps in this and then I'm going to
take you through some um kind of
explanations because there was a there
was a question that was asked um as we
were preparing this information to make
sure that we brought all of you um data
that was beyond just pay rate right we
wanted to make sure you were you were
familiar with um fully Lo loaded cost
and other factors like that but um as I
mentioned so there was a 2005 resolution
um that set mayor and Council salaries
at 36,000 and $20,000 respectively uh
2005 ordinance implemented automatic
increases based on staff cost of living
adjustments so any cost of living
adjustments that were appropriate for
the organization would be um sort of
modeled and and mirrored for uh the
elected
officials 2008 um
ordinance based on that ordinance 1655
uh mayor and Council salaries were
raised based on those cost of living
components um and then 2017 that
ordinance was repealed and a new
resolution was passed setting um
salaries at 43,000 and 24,000
respectively and removing the uh cost of
living adjustment component at that time
so that's again to give you kind of the
the the history a little further back
now to to talk a little bit about uh
local market um CPI or or um kind of
inflationary data um I think this is
important to to outline a little bit
because it helps um chart kind of the
trends we've seen and as we all know the
last few years there were some
significant inflationary numbers um far
outside of kind of the norm uh and you
can see there since 08 um you've got the
the Phoenix CPI which is the one we use
we use a local market CPI because we
feel like that's most in line with our
the cost of living impact to our
Workforce um and so you can see that you
know usually those numbers are in the
single percent um they started to get
close to um coming up on 10% over the
last couple years but the the gist is
that it equals about a
2.79% average annual increase um in cost
of living over that 15-year spread so
even with those last couple years being
pretty substantial and and far outside
the norm we're still looking at a
15-year average of of just shy of
3% so um where are we now and as I said
I want to talk a little bit about this
idea of what we call fully loaded and
that's kind of the full cost of um an
employeer in this case uh the full cost
of um supporting a council member in
their
capacity um and so I'm going to take you
through a few kind of specifics on this
spreadsheet because it's a little bit
and and honestly there's there's
probably some of your eyes might jump
immediately to a kind of a weird outlier
that I'll share here in a moment uh but
but to start if you'll follow the the
red circles with me um we're going to
use the example of the elected official
salary of $
21,2 um and then I'm going to take you
through a couple other variables so the
percentage based Town cost um of of that
salary um on top of the salary in this
this case is
$1,325 um and that is everything that
you see um in this in these first two
four six um boxes here so that's
obviously um the town contribution to
Social Security Medicare um your uh the
retirement fund um any disability or
workers comp needed and then you'll see
that um Legacy figure of
70% um I I want to point out that that
has nothing to do with any cost
associated with you specifically that is
actually um through the state the Public
Safety Retirement System that also
manages the elected official retirement
program um they had a significant
deficit um in their basically retirement
cost for prior elected officials and
they've been working to sort of make up
that shortfall so that is not a number
that um a that we can opt out of it B it
has nothing to do with you in your
current role and your current um
capacity it is it is to make up for uh a
historical shortfall that is a Statewide
shortfall not really Associated anyway
with Gilbert um I will give some good
news I guess that that number has
already declined significantly rolling
into the new fiscal year it's around 46%
but this is still the data um we wanted
to make sure we kept the data the same
from the study session that we presented
to you so I'm still showing you fiscal
year 24
data um and then the other piece of this
obviously is health and dental contra
contribution and I understand it is up
to each of you independently to
determine if you want to take advantage
um of our health insurance and our
Dental Programs but we want to give it
to you just so you know um what is the
overall cost potentially of um an
elected position in the town um and this
is especially important because everyone
has access um to this and so when we
sort of budget for whether it be an
elected official whe whether it be for
um a full-time employee or a benefit
eligible employee in the town we always
Factor this in so that we can be um as
considerate and conservative as possible
with our uh budget analysis on what the
cost of an employee is so you know that
that it's important to to present that
in this way um so you'll see and that's
those two variables right there at the
bottom right that's the the town's
contribution to the medical plan um and
then the dental plan makes that uh that
total at the top and so then lastly um
oh I already mentioned that oh so that
that the pink box um at the top right is
what I said that that fully loaded cost
so hopefully now that paints a clear
picture of what that means um that is
all the cost associated with employing
um an individual in this case uh that
elected official at that $21,000 salary
you'll see that the fully loaded cost is
significantly more than salary
alone um next I want to talk a little
bit about the state Benchmark data and
and this is where we start to kind of
talk about um um you know considering
Gilbert's elected officials and your
current compensation structure um in
comparison to um other cities in a
similar fashion to how we might
Benchmark any position within the town
um so you can see here that you've got
um I think it's 10 let's see two four
six yeah nine if you don't count Gilbert
you've got nine other municipalities
represented um and that and this
represents more or less who we would
Benchmark up against if we're
benchmarking any position in the town
Tucson being kind of the exception we
don't typically go way outside of the
valley when we Benchmark we put Tucson
in here because um obviously there's an
opportunity to discuss sort of where we
want to Stack Up amongst the largest
cities um in the state since Gilbert is
depending on who you ask either the
fourth or fifth largest city now in
Arizona and so wanted to make sure you
had all that that information in front
of you um and then just a few things
that I'll kind of call your attention to
here o
well my circle went away um at the
bottom you'll see the numbers in bold so
um you've got Gilbert's current data as
the last um as the last kind of
comparable there but then below that
you've got average salary data that that
is not including Gilbert's numbers um
that is that is including every other
City listed here you can see average
mayor salary average council salary and
then there's a few other scenarios kind
of provided um you know we've broken
this down by basically the pay per
number of citizens in the community um
and that's what those right two columns
are the mayor and the council for each
of those cities you can see the averages
at the bottom and then you can see which
I'll show more around kind of some some
scenarios you could look at for Gilbert
um if if you want to entertain the idea
later but that's kind of how the data
shows up as far as the Benchmark cities
are concerned and and I again I will say
this is this is what we compiled back in
May so if there have been any um changes
made to any cities since May they may
not be represented here so I just want
to make sure you're all aware of that
just in case one you look at a number
and go wait a minute I thought this city
was at such and such there could have
been some changes uh made since
then so we we provided this to
information to you quite some time ago
in a retreat um and Rob and his team did
a great job putting this together this
was kind of a a scenario based um
comparison where we we kind of ran some
analysis to say if if you wanted to
consider um you know different options
for increasing mayor salary Andor
council salary here's kind of some
approaches you could take that again are
a little more in line with our normal
benchmarking approaches so first you
could look at um cities in the Maricopa
County region right and that and you can
see who who all was included there that
obviously includes some very small um
cities within the valley um that I
didn't represent in the the last table
but again that was because we were
trying to kind of give you the higher
population cities in that example um you
can see after that the salary per
resident um component you know if you
wanted to do it based on population size
and how would you accurately portray a
salary in line with population and again
that was based on the average salary per
resident data that I showed you on that
prior table the next was which um I
don't love this because I don't love the
idea of averaging our own number into
our argumenting our arguing number but
um you've got the average among the top
seven population cities including
Gilbert and then next one you have the
average among the top six with Gilbert
being taken out to to get to the six um
and that shows you the salary data for
each of
those so a few things um you know that
that again based on that information uh
it's
ultimately council's decision on on how
they want to proceed here and and what
other you know know ideas or approaches
you want to entertain but um and again
trying to kind of lay this out for you
in a pretty succinct and clear way um
this is kind of a a broader set of
examples that you could take so you've
got your current mayor and council
salary is that First Column um if you
wanted to go back in time so as I
mentioned that 15-year span whether it
was a CPI or whether it was a salary
data if you wanted to go back in time
and you wanted to kind of make um an
adjustment to salary to bring bring you
up to sort of where you currently should
be based on the assumption that 15 years
ago that salary was in line with the
market um that would be this this
recommended salary now if you were just
going to do that 2.79% cost of living
adjustment over a 15-year span um next
as I just showed you if you wanted to
exclude Gilbert and look at the six
biggest cities um or if you wanted to go
on the um average of the 10 Benchmark
cities that I presented to you earlier
um or if you wanted to go with
comparable population size so this would
exclude Phoenix um you know Tucson this
would exclude those cities that are that
are much larger um as well as the
smaller cities and it would focus on the
five that are sort of right around
Gilbert in size um and then again as I
already showed you before an average um
pay per citizen or resident um and then
if you there was there was a mention in
um I think Retreat um around the idea of
anchoring um Council pay to a lowest
paid salary um in the town um that is
for a a salaried or an exempt position
not an hourly paid position um I will I
will caution with this one that number
changes very drastically when you have
resignations and separations so as an
example um I I did a quick analysis to
look um if if our if our two lowest paid
positions in the town were to resign and
we were to run these numbers again that
number would change by $66,000 so that's
just to give a little bit of perspective
that that's to me a little bit more a
less reliable number to work off of um
but it is certainly there for for your
consideration
so and then um again that was that's
kind of if you wanted to make a an
adjustment to salaries and and and make
an adjustment that would take place um
in an upcoming period when you think
about how to then manage the the idea of
increasing salaries over time um you
could certainly continue to work off of
that um
2.79 uh annual increase assumption since
we don't have the ability to increase
Council pay on an annual basis because
it needs to happen um when there are new
council members being seated and worked
on that two-year cycle we could
obviously take that 2.79 multiply it by
two um and then factor that in or or
multiply it by four for a mayor because
it would be every four years um and then
kind of build that uh assumed increase
in we could um also talk about some
other kind of consistent approach based
on Market data so obviously that's based
on a 15-year historical Trend but over
the let's say over the next couple years
um inflationary numbers continue to be
high or they they drop substantially
that average may change and so we could
always also talk about a consistent
model that would be about looking at
historical Trend data kind of based on
the the point in time that we're looking
at it and then um we could also talk
about um matching or mirroring or
aligning you with Town benchmarks so we
Benchmark positions in the town every
other year which means that our
positions um just as kind of a quick
example off the top of my head um our
positions are moving on an average about
five and a half percent each time we
Benchmark them right now um so that's
pretty in line with this this first
example that I gave but we could also
say you know the mayor and Council may
say well we don't want our pay to
increase at a more rapid rate than our
average employee um pay increases and so
we could certainly look at anchoring you
to what is the average Benchmark Mo
movement we're seeing in the
organization um and then again we could
also um just do benchmarking like we do
for any other position our positions
today our our employee positions are not
benchmarked based on any other position
within the town they're Benchmark based
on comparable positions in the market so
we could also do something like that we
could just go Benchmark May and Council
positions um on a regular recurring
basis and then bring that data back for
Council for review um to make a decision
around um you know how you want to uh
consider pay movement I would just
obviously say that means we'd need to
come to you each time we do that and
there would need to be a discussion and
a review of that data to determine what
action you'd like to
take so that's the
data I'll I'll stand here until you tell
me it's Rob you want and then uh we'll
we'll trade places if you'd like to ask
any questions to either one of us thanks
Nathan um does anyone have any questions
for Nathan at this time or do you want
to hear public public comment and then
bring them back up to ask
questions then I'll send you to sit back
down with your friend Rob if Rob wants
to sit with you I don't know you made a
joke so no we keep
distance thanks Nathan okay we'll start
with our public comment at this point we
have Scott figgin
first and then Bridget
Vega thank you Madame mayor members of
council uh my name is Scott figgins
I am here before you today representing
uh local
2260 which is basically the second
largest local in the state of Arizona
representing firefighters I represent
1,200 firefighters all across the East
Valley approximately 200 of which are
years right here in the town of
Gilbert um the reason I'm here is
because as you just uh saw with
presentation with Nate and
Rob benchmarking is something that we do
we not only do it here in the town of
Gilbert but we do it all across the
valley uh it's something that Mesa lost
right I'm a Mesa firefighter full
transparency as well something that Mesa
lost and we lost our competitive
advantage and it took us years to make
that back up and what that means for us
is we lose the opportunity to have
exceptional police officers and
firefighters when we don't do the
benchmarking and we don't have this
Market study and we don't have merits
right that are competitive with the
market and so
certainly as you saw with the
presentation what Gilbert does for
Public Safety typically we we take nine
to 10 different agencies around we
identify where that's at and we get to
what's called a 50% Benchmark and that's
kind of we land right in the middle so
if there's 11 we're number six and
that's for our Public Safety employees
police and fire here so as you saw in
this presentation we're we're asking for
you to do the same thing for yourselves
as you do for just about every other
Town employee here in
Gilbert for that 50% as you saw so many
different
options you guys are behind the council
is behind and what we're asking for you
to consider is not just yourselves we're
asking for you to consider future
Generations because the town of Gilbert
needs that when comparing the town of
Gilbert to that scale you guys are
significantly behind that 50% Benchmark
you just saw on the surface it may not
seem significant and I know that you're
going to hear many other you know
conversations today public speakers
there's going to be both sides but at
the end of the day the data does not lie
fact of the matter is is that the amount
of time that you are expected to deliver
to the community that was presented all
across right all the different Avenues
and then Regional and you and I see each
other regularly at
pmga it's far more than what a part-time
position would
suggest that then brings us to a
conversation about
value and you guys should value
yourselves more than what is being shown
with a dollar amount additionally to
that competitive pay helps to attract
and retain exceptional
employees it has a positive impact on
motivation and productivity and it tells
the citizens here in the town of Gilbert
that you're going to make that
commitment to ensure that there is a
valuation that is appropriate across the
board for everybody from the top down
including yourselves thank you thanks
scy at Phoenix mesy Gateway
Bridget Vega and then next is
Becky
shanek thank you for the
pronunciation good evening mayor and
councel you guys continue to put profit
over people we still have no plan of
action by the leaders as it's been 10
months and have yet to create a safe
space for the children we have more
important issues and now is not the time
for pay raises we must confront the
uncomfortable truths that have continue
to plague our community due to not only
the culture of turning a blind eye but
decision makers must take a stand to
eradicate teen violence and stop
allowing abusers to continue to
perpetuate intentional Affliction of
emotional distress on the youth in the
community due to senseless acts of
violence the mayor and new mayor Scott
Anderson your silence is
deafening as you guys have yet made it
down down to the garages which is
alarming considering all the teen
violence across the East Valley as a
community we demand an external audit
including HR practices as a community
Our concern is as more continues to come
to light in the headlines and it only
continues to get worse about the
corruption in our town children have
been murdered assaulted physically
sexually and a barn was burnt down due
to the lack of inaction by the mayor and
Council and government officials
as we've heard statements of kids being
kids or this isn't a police issue
so at what point is enough enough the
reality is the culture of the corruption
remains to happen the town manager
Banger an assistant Town manager Leah
play a role in this as well for
accountability Even in our own jobs we
have to do job reviews this is a public
service role and the community should
have a say in this decision we rather
see this money be used to trauma
informed training for leadership and
counseling as our leadership we have
seen cannot get along on the dis however
you set the tone for the community As
Leaders we'd like to see the money go to
awareness prevention and Community
engagement events and work together in
Partnership to create a safer Community
as the community has continued to show
up and Lead The Grieving family of
Preston Lord has held Community
awareness events and Community public
Gatherings our leadership has yet to be
present in building the bridge while
rebuilding the trust within the
community the community and children
have been desensitized due to the lack
of accountability that has been Norm
normalized in this Behavior we have no
future if we don't protect the children
we have a duty to protect the
innocent thank you for your time and
again we pray for humility and Lord
soften our council's
hearts Becky shanek and following Becky
will be and duet
good evening mayor and council members
I'm not a normal face in the Rowdy mom
group over here but I've been watching
from a distance and I feel it's time to
speak up especially when talking about
taking more taxpayer dollars first off I
need to commend all these amazing people
behind me for keeping teen violence at
the Forefront of our community for the
past 10 months
when I know that this C Council wanted
nothing more than to sweep it under the
rug and make it all go away it
definitely takes a village to protect
our kids truthfully I'm hugely
disappointed at this Town
Council knowingly or unknowingly this
town voted you into your positions and
trusted you with this power over our
families unfortunately you have sadly
used your position as a weapon over this
town and held us hostage by not keeping
us or our kids safe but God always has a
message in the
hard this time it's the message that
needs to come through maybe it's one of
the heart we need to heal ourselves the
adults of this town which in turn heals
our families no government local or
federal should need to have this much
control over us because we're unable to
govern ourselves we haven't been able to
behave as adults and therefore we now
expect the government to step in like
parents I pray that God shows us the way
and allows us to grow in love for each
other reducing the need for an outside
authority to control us I'm not sure
your pay increase would help anyone at
this point because I know we're at a
point in this country that only God is
going to save us so Lord we are just
like the Israelites who build the golden
calf I ask for you to forgive us please
help us repent for putting worldly
possessions Idols Fame and Fortune above
the importance of entering your kingdom
and although we may not all believe the
same we are innately good humans who
were created in your image to love you
and love others I pray that the dark
Veil surrounding many people will be
lifted and your light will be seen I ask
you Lord to heal all of our hurt trauma
and pain allow us to come together as a
community filled with love and light to
raise up our kids in your goodness Lord
you ask us to disciple our kids in the
way of the holy word please send the
Holy Spirit to give us the power to
fight against the evil that is
controlling our children and I ask you
to be with the members of This Town
Council as we know you selected them for
their positions help them to serve your
purpose of creating positive change in
this town or waking up people to the
corruption you need exposed as it says
in John 1: 15 the light shines in the
darkness and the Darkness can never
extinguish it may you continue to shine
light excuse me may you continue to sh
light in the darkness that is government
unhealed hearts and distant communities
God the town of Gilbert and its people
need you we ask this in your mighty name
amen thank you
Council next is an ducet following Ann
is Carissa
Arnold I'm back hi my name is an duet um
the discussion around pay raises for
City Council Members is a topic that
concerns many of us it's rather sad to
witness the frequent bickering and
infighting that seems to plague this
body do we truly believe that increasing
pay will solve these issues or are we
missing the point of what it truly means
to serve our community city council
positions are not full-time positions
they are part-time positions of service
the these roles are meant for
individuals who have a genuine desire to
make our community a better place public
service is at its core is about giving
back to the community that we love many
who enter the realm of politics do so
with a heart full of passion and a
vision for positive change they are
driven by the commitment to their
Community not by the Allure of a
paycheck these individuals understand
that the true reward of Public Service
lies in the impact they have on the Liv
that of those they represent the current
state of our city council is troubling
the constant complaints and lack of
productivity hinder our progress and
erode public trust raising pay for
positions that are not fulfilling their
intended purpose does not seem
justifiable please make it make sense
especially when this council is
requesting a
152% pay raise which would take the
part-time 20 hour a week position to
making $55 an hour instead we should
focus on attracting and retaining
individuals who embody the spirit of
Public Service those who dedicate their
time and energy to our community without
expecting substantial financial
compensation therefore pay raises are
not necessary for this part-time
position instead of allocating funds for
better cameras at the garage garage arms
security team trauma resources recovery
resources you would prefer to put those
funds in your own pocket I'm not sure
where this money tree in Gilbert is but
if we as Citizens ask our employers for
a
152% raise we would likely be let go or
laughed at it is time to refocus our
efforts on what truly matters serving
our community with integrity and
dedication we need council members who
are committed to working together
setting aside personal differences and
prioritizing the needs of our citizens
above all else let us truly remember why
we are here we are here to serve to
listen and to act in the best interest
of our community and by doing this we
can achieve the progress and positive
change that our citizens de deeply
deserve thank you thank you an Carissa
Arnold and then Richard
young thank you I have some questions if
I can ask that so um Mr Tas and it was
um written in the media that you were
the one who um put the pay raise in the
budget at the previous meeting is that a
correct statement that it was put in
there without the knowledge of the rest
of the council members it is a correct
statement incorrect statement okay this
is something has been talked about for a
year and a half for some reason it was
botched and nobody was discussing this
because we wanted it to be effective for
the candidates coming in it took three
people to put it on the agenda I'm the
person that made the motion thank
you okay
W okay um that was a bit okay um so
going from there then like who were the
other two individuals that had decided
to put that in on the agenda I was also
one of them but I need to back this up
with
something this was discussed eight
months ago five people here five wanted
to talk about this and have it discussed
before this election okay somewhere
somehow staff was directed not to follow
up with the five of us five is more than
four last time I checked and it takes
four of us to make a
consensus five of us wanted to move
forward with this and it was in the wind
just gone and we didn't realize that
until prior to this budget but Our
intention was to have this discussed
debated prior to anyone in this last
election even putting their name in I
don't want to get into how it was
stopped but it was stopped but that was
not the intention of the five of us that
said we wanted to discuss this okay
thank you for your comments if you can
understand from the public stand just
looking at from this standpoint like
there just is a lot of aggression like
in all of this and when it was brought
up at the last Town council meeting and
seeing this like there's conflict over
the whole situation and how it was
brought in and I mean just even in your
response Mr torguson it was more
aggressive and I wasn't coming at you to
be aggressive I was just trying to
understand situation and circumstances
as a citizen of the community and so
from standing back from that Dynamic and
that
perspective it
looks and it doesn't look good to your
community standpoint and it doesn't look
good from that side for your community
to promote it and so in all of this
being said and then the election combin
in all of this what your town is asking
for is transparency and so when there's
aggression when there's bickering when
there's fighting it makes it difficult
for your town and your community members
to come by come behind and support these
kind of issues thank you thanks Carissa
Richard young is next and then dorly
Lidell good evening mayor and U council
members I came originally and we'll
stick with this uh to support increasing
your pay and after sitting here I was
thinking I wouldn't do what you do on a
regular basis for what you're paid I
would ask for a lot more I think you do
deserve a great deal more uh what you
originally were given the check may be
the same but it isn't the same we all
know inflation is eating everything up
and uh you can see that on a regular
basis you need to be compensated
reasonably for the difficult job that
you do and uh I certainly reinforced in
that opinion just sitting here for two
what two and a half hours now one thing
that does occur to me though that maybe
you could get rid of a program that
would give a a little bit more money
toward your salaries and that is the Dei
program left over from the office of
digital government now I have it on good
authority that you don't have Dei you do
uh and it isn't particularly good I did
a Foy request and uh you I wanted to
find out what you're teaching new
employees uh one thing I couldn't access
was a video you can do it but there is a
handout that uh I was given in response
this is it and I can provide it but
you've got it it's in your system and uh
it's
orwellian it really is
orwellian uh respect respectful language
husband and wife those are bad words bad
words you're not supposed to use those
you're supposed to say
partner this is what you're telling new
employees you're supposed to introduce
yourself with your pronouns so my name
is XX and my pronouns are this is the
madness that has destroyed companies
like Boeing some federal agencies uh San
Francisco any place that you don't want
to be or don't want to be lying I
earnestly ask you to look into this
program coming from HR or may be the
manager or leftovers from the office of
digital government but it is bad for
morale I know it's bad for morale in the
fire department and the police
department I don't know about other
departments but it isn't good it's
ridiculous it's causing division strive
and it frankly it looks silly thank you
Richard Richard Richard Richard would
you share that that handout so we can
all have a copy of
it the clerk right here clerk right here
the clerk right here I want to make sure
I get a copy of that thank you request
thank you
Richard thank you thank you Richard um
next is Doris Liddell and then for
following Doris will be Tammy small
red light good evening again um I
support arays I think a reasonable raise
is appropriate um I do look at things
and I don't know what the employees are
getting their cost of living raises um I
don't know what that is but in addition
to that I saw on the website there were
different um resolutions I don't know
like three different proposals and think
we have addressed that yet so it's hard
to even talk about that um I'd like to
see money if we're going to spend the
money on this like that gentleman just
discussed I think we should look at
other things um where we're spending our
money and maybe take from there one of
the things that I see are a lot of study
sessions not study sessions um
contractors Consultants I think we have
Consultants Consulting other Consultants
so I think we spend a lot of money that
way and that would be better spent on
paying a little more to the um council
members so I I think the slush fund that
I don't know if it's a 100,000 now um
before it goes to council I think maybe
getting a little more um control over
that maybe putting it down to maybe 70
or 50 then we would be reducing costs
and I think that's what the taxpayers
want to see if we're going to do this
how we're going to reduce cost in other
areas and that's all thank you thanks
toiss Tammy small and then um mayor
Steve Burman former mayor Steve Burman
hi Steve I saw your
wave
um yep sorry I just shot mine off as I
went to tell you to turn yours on push
one of the buttons and that will light
up there you go okay
good evening mayor vice mayor and
council members I come tonight to
deliver my verbal input regarding the
proposed salary increases for the mayor
and council members I've pre previously
provided some input via emails on June
10th and July 31st and I continue to be
in support of reasonable salary
increases for for all of you but I want
to Define what reasonable is to the town
of Gilbert residents I don't speak just
for myself here reasonable salary
amounts must be fair in comparison to
other cities the size of Gilbert this
doesn't include Phoenix and Tucson and
Mesa who have more than 500,000
residents average salaries for
comparable cities the town staff talked
about this sum are much more reasonable
than what was proposed on the dis June
4th reasonable increases and this is
really important are consistent with the
Arizona State Constitution that says you
cannot vote for an increase for your own
salary staff has not clarified how you
can accomplish that
tonight reasonable increases reflect
proposed amounts that are fully
disclosed they're not in an addendum to
the agenda that has blanks we don't even
know what you're proposing tonight
importantly and this is a place that I'm
really confused about staff's
Omission the cost benefit analysis for
the town of Gilbert and for our
taxpayers has to be
transparent
measurable understandable and the
benefit for the whole
town rather than just a few elected
officials needs to be understood there's
no evidence
about how we're going to pay for these
raises Gilbert andjoy is one of the
lower tax rates in our community and
that's a wonderful thing I stand
committed to that too and yet no one in
the town staff or the council has
indicated what the impact of taxes will
be for this increase oh yeah it has talk
been talked about that the increases
could be con covered by contingencies or
Market adjustments amounts well I have
to tell
you
that
covering elected official salary
increases with a contingency amount post
budget
approval is at the very best poor
accountability and at worst disingenuous
use of a FL a slush
fund so you need to be transparent about
this one last thing I'll go quick
um the the practice of making increases
automatic is abysmal to me as a
taxpayer this is not an a competitive
employee position where we compete with
Chandler or Mesa for a staff
member you're not a member of a
union this is not something that should
be done automatically so I beseech you
to ensure that any and all salary
increases are reasonable and made with
the utmost prudence and discernment in
order to retain Citizens Trust thank you
thanks Tammy appreciate your time Steve
Burman and then Aaron
auro hi I'm Steve Burman and frankly
sitting there watching this was I could
barely stay in my seat I was so pissed
off about it uh the fact is you know
when I was in college I have this great
speech but I'm not going to give it
because I'm all steamed up now when I
was in college I knew exactly how
children ought to be raised which worked
until actually got working models and
then things changed because it was
different now anybody out there that's
watching on TV or in this room right now
that thinks that they know how to be a
councilman or mayor I urge you to try
see what it's like and as far as what we
pay people uh let's look for I think
that the staff's presentation
trivialized things by saying well uh
they cut
ribbons I asked him what is it worth any
of you to have some clown call your
husband's place of work and try to get
him fired because of something you did
what's it worth to you to have someone
go by and ver vandalize your house like
happened to Jim torgenson uh for me when
I was married I got a call from the
Govern Police Department one day saying
don't go back back to Gilbert store
there's a man waiting there for you with
a gun and to which I said what's he mad
at me for and they say's not mad at you
he's mad at the chief of police but he
going to shoot you now how do you put a
price on that now 15 years ago when I
was mayor we were at parody with other
communities on what they were paid it
was $35,000 or $36,000 for mayor and the
fact is when we set pay as we said pay
for anybody you said said pay for the
mayor and Council like you do for every
other position Christian Gilbert is what
is the job what is the job worth don't
say what should we pay Scott Anderson or
Bridget Peterson it's what is it worth
what what should we pay the mayor of
Gilbert and that's what the pay ought to
be and frankly you don't pay them enough
if you look at the empirical evidence as
to how we've paid our Mayors over the
last 25 years it's almost impossible
well it is impossible to work a
full-time job and be the mayor and I
submit the following examples uh 1997 to
2001 uh Cynthia Dunham she was the mayor
when she when she got elected mayor she
had an accounting firm which she had to
close 2001 2009 me I was the mayor and I
had a couple of Cellular stores and
after the guy came in to shoot me I had
to close my Cellular stores in 2009 to
2017 John le was the mayor and in his
first Year's mayor he had to leave his
job at at the University of Phoenix
because I'm assuming he couldn't do both
in his second term was mared just left
for more money cuz he couldn't live what
they were paying him uh then came mayor
uh Daniels wonderful mayor and when she
became a head of a household she
couldn't live on what she was being paid
as mayor and so she resigned as
mayor we've got 27 years of experience
you can't do both and I say let's pay
the the mayor and the council what
they're worth and don't let these people
here shame you and DEP pend you less
than your worth I believe that the mayor
should be paid $75,000 a year and the
council members should paid 50 and I
think there should be an automatic
accelerator like we put into place years
ago uh like they still in scotdale with
every time we give a cost living
increase to the council member or to the
employees the May and Council get the
same thing so we don't have to have this
kind of conversation again thank you and
bless you for all you do I'm on your
side and I'm so sorry to see you guys
take some of the abuse you take up here
I I'd forgotten what it was like and I I
my heart goes out to each of you and
thank you for the work you do thank you
mayor Burman it's a pleasure to have you
here tonight Aaron auro and following
Aaron is Scott
September good evening mayor and
councel elected
officials are public
servants service requires
sacrifice as a person seeking elected
office
myself I am not indep dependently
wealthy I don't own my own
business and I am not
retired our
citizens expect normal everyday people
to represent them Gilbert does not need
professional
politicians they want elected officials
to do service for service
sake I ask you I beg you to please vote
no on this
increase thanks Aaron Scott September
and then after Scott September will be
Jared
Taylor it's like old Home Week
Tonight mayor council my name is Scott
September 953 West mosquite Street here
in Gilbert you don't have to give us
your address anymore Scott you don't no
you just say town of Gilbert most of the
time changed
well good evening uh I'd like to thank
all of you for your service up there
sitting on the Das and council member
Buckley wherever she
is um so serving on a board commission
or Town Council is an act of service to
the community um and by the way I'm
going to make this fast because those of
you who know me know it's past my
bedtime this is a Civic calling that
people can choose to answer but it's not
a replacement for their primary vocation
council member is a part-time commitment
mayor excluded you could double the
mayor's salary and I'd be okay with that
that is a full-time job and then some uh
but speaking for Council um you know I
heard some conversation up here the last
time this came up and some of you were
concerned that being a council member
was only going to be available for
business owners or the wealthy or the
retired and I I made a few phone calls I
did some research and what I learned is
that Gilbert's had council members over
the years from all walks of life
um we've had teachers um veterans people
with ordinary W2 paycheck jobs uh be
council members and it is a it is a
sacrifice um
sometimes compared to 11 similar siiz
cities or towns in the metro area and
you guys know this anybody staff's done
a great job of compiling this data over
the
years Gilbert has the lowest fees the
lowest taxes we don't even have a
primary property tax we have the highest
level of service the highest credit
rating available to a jurisdiction and
we are the second safest city according
to the
FBI we have the highest median income in
Arizona we managed to accomplish this
with some of the lowest paid council
members when I was sitting here I was
going through my news feed and I saw
that San Francisco was once again for
the third year in a row voted the worst
run city in
America I thought I wonder what they get
paid so I checked the
Google are you sitting down they get
paid
$246,000 a year to manage that
City so I feel like there's just no
Nexus between Council compensation and
better government I don't think there's
a connection between the two I don't
think paying more for a council member's
time or service
is going to equal better decisions for
us um and I I feel like trying to tie
Council compensation to the lowest paid
um employee seems kind of arbitrary
because the duty of loyalty and the
responsibilities for an employee versus
an elected official are very different
there's no Roi schedule for service to
your community if you decide to increase
compensation tonight for
Council I hope it's my
and I would hope that the effectiveness
does not take place until after the
current terms of people making this vote
that you do not vote yourself a pay rise
because although I don't think it's
intentional for anybody up here to do
that it's just a really bad optic thank
you very much again for your service
good night thank you Scott you can go
home and go to bed now um I am I know
it's PES bedtime we're good friends I
know it's Pass Time Jared Taylor and
then last but not least Les prman
mayor Peterson members of the council U
thank you for having me here um
congratulations vice mayor on your
election look forward to your your
service as
mayor um I'm encouraging you tonight to
vote no on this um and keep the salary
levels as they are if not lower them as
I proposed on the Das when I was in your
seat and you were there you you saw it
you were part of the discussion in in
fact a note here where we raised them we
didn't know that they were going to go
up once we found out we brought them
right back down because it was about
service for us it was about the
opportunity and the honor to be elected
and have trust put in us through The
Ballot Box and that that's an important
um thing it's very different than a
garden variety job that we do Market
studies and benchmarks for it's not a
job now I guess you could look at it as
a job and some career politicians do
look at it and that frames a whole
debate of Market studies and cpis and
and that whole Space I'm just arguing
that it's not an elected office is an
office of sacred honor which is one of
the reasons you take an oath people put
public trust in you is the basis of our
Republic and that is a whole different
Paradigm of how to look and to
compensate we should look to some of the
great leaders of our our past one
Washington never took a salary he only
got reimbursements for expenses that's
one way to look at it right he just
thought it was such an honor to be able
to serve Madison he was the one the
originator of the 27th Amendment he says
it was seemingly inappropriate for
politicians to pull out of the public
Treasury and put into their own Pockets
which is the basis of the whole of the
state um statute that talks about it
doesn't affect until the it doesn't go
into effect till the next Council and
that's the president precedent coming
from Madison Franklin nailed it I think
the best when he talked about human
nature and that's one of the brilliant
features of our founding documents the
separation of powers illustrates this
brilliantly when you take a position of
power and you combine it with money it
does bad things to good
people we I I it's just axiomatic in
world history of of that principle and
Franklin says that's why we have to
break this apart that's why we have to
have people of honor and service in our
elected offices if we want to preserve
the strong Republic that we have if we
want a bunch of career politicians you
know well that's what we got in
Washington and that's the path that
we'll walk down I hope we don't do that
I hope that we continue to look at this
like we we've had in American Heritage
and also in this great town for so many
great leaders it is a position of
sacrifice and we know that when we run
for office and we put our Nam out there
so I just ask you to
consider either keeping it as it is or
lowering it um because that's what we're
doing here as public service thank you
mayor thank you Jared I should have
recognized Scott September as a former
council member and Jared Taylor as a for
Farmer council member and now Les prmi
approaching the podium is also a former
council
member thank you for leaving the
microphone on so I don't have to fiddle
with
it mayor Peterson mayor El Anderson Town
Council I sat on that dis for 16 years
four years as a planning commissioner
and 12 years as a council member back in
the days when 12 and 12:00 and 1:00 in
the morning meetings were common not
because we were
inefficient but because we had a lot of
work to
do vice mayor Scott Anderson was our
planning director Kathy tilky was
president of the chamber of Commerce
Bridget Peterson mayor Peterson followed
me on Planning Commission they know what
those days were like when I started on
councel we were making less than half of
what you are now we never thought about
the fact that it
was that the financial re rewards were
why we were doing the job you've already
heard from Aaron Tammy Scott September
Jared Taylor about the commitment that
each of you have made when you ran for
office and got elected and then took
your oath of office to serve the town of
Gilbert to the best of your ability you
all knew what the salary was going to be
when you got
elected so I am in favor of your
salaries being raised basically using
either the five comparable
cities something on that order plus the
cola we thought we fixed this in 2005
when we raised Council salaries we put
and the mayor salary we put a cost of
living provision in that we wouldn't be
having that
discussion today if a prior Council had
not rescinded that
decision council member uh by gvani you
talked about the eight eight months ago
that this subject came up during those
eight months you had numerous budget
conversations why wasn't that question
ever asked any time I don't need an
answer I just rais that as a a question
knowing what the budget process is if it
was so important to at least five of you
somebody should have said something so
to say that it was staff I'm sorry but
you just insulted the entire staff and I
take exception to that because the town
of Gilbert has a great staff they are
honorable people they do what you ask if
you didn't ask during those eight months
they didn't think it was important it's
not a case of somebody burying the issue
just to
make things not work the way they should
so consider raising your paid to that
30,000 and most most
importantly don't put it into effect
until January 1 of
2027 we we waited until all council
members and the mayor went through an
election so that our residents were
given the opportunity to vote Us in or
out thank you thanks Les um thank you to
all the public that came out to speak on
this issue tonight I will go ahead and
bring this topic back to the um dis for
discussion
who would like to
begin the first thing I want to do is to
be able to split this between a counil
and a mayor vote so that so it's two
different issues since that way it's
considered two different positions per
se so we can discuss them separately is
that something we can do up
here you can make your
motion well I'd like to move that to to
break it into two de you want to just do
it as two separate discussions
absolutely I'm making a motion to make
this two separate discussions you don't
I'm sorry you don't have to make a
motion to make a two separate
discussions you can just do that I'm
sorry I misunderstood what you were
saying okay because I don't feel that we
need to put Scott in that
position does that make sense I want to
make sure it's voted on separately I oh
then we then then when the discussion is
ended to make two separate motions okay
one for the council and one for the
mayor if there's going to be an increase
I would re that's what I think you're
getting at I think yes yes I've been
advised at the beginning of the meeting
that I probably shouldn't participate in
the discussion about the mayor since
that has a possible perception of of
conflict so I will had this discussion
with you a couple months ago about that
um so let's start with the discussion
about the council member salary since
the majority of the council is council
members who would like to kick that
discussion
off you know I'll just make a motion to
take the uh top seven municipalities
minus Gilbert as the as benchmarking as
is done with basically with staff where
things were Gilbert was in the middle of
that 25 years ago so let's just use the
Benchmark and move forward with the
Benchmark I'll make a motion to accept
that I'll second that with sorry please
can you please Sure hold please um
council member tilky was turning on her
microphone too but I was trying to wait
till council member torguson was done
and if there if people would like to
have a discussion before we jump to a
motion council member tilki did you want
to yes I would like to have a
conversation but I would like to see
this thank you that's what I was going
for so we at least knew what we were
addressing thank you thank you council
member Bon Giovani can I second that
with discussion sure you can second that
motion and now you'd like to have
discussion yes mayor if I may jump in
just to clarify uh council member
torguson council member banni the motion
is limited to council members only at
this point correct correct okay thank
you mayor I'm
sorry I just want to clarify that the
motion was based on the five most whoops
I thought I did it cuz I was pointing
okay into it somebody else did
um which SL the bottom number
yeah minus Gilbert oh so to be clear
mayor and council member uh torguson are
we saying we've got the six without
Gilbert or we have the seven with
Gilbert back to the other side go back
to the last side with all of you want to
go to the table
Rob oh
there uh
sorry I guess I still have my mic on am
I okay um I just want to clarify which
number everybody is referring to based
based on the six biggest cities figuring
were the fourth three above three below
so mayor and Council it should be the
third column over thanks
Rob so I didn't have to try and read
every single one of those column
headings I appreciate that um so you are
your motion is that the council's pay
gets increased to 47,2 66
council member tilki did you have
discussion on that before we vote um
yeah I'd like to have some
conversation um I'm not sure I want to
be the one having that conversation
but I if we're looking at increasing
pay I think the based on the five most
comparable populations is a better
comparison because I believe the top six
includes Phoenix and Tucson and Mesa
which are not in line with our
population or um maybe complexity of the
larger City but um so I would rather be
leaning over there if we're going to
have this conversation then including
Tucson and Phoenix and Mesa well we have
a motion and a second on the floor and
um we've heard that what your um
suggestion recommendation would be um
vice mayor do you have any
comments and go for a third option I
like the 15year CPI growth
myself that's the lowest actually
is um so we have a third option thrown
out um council member Kowski uh I'm not
supportive of the motion as it stands
based on the six largest cities uh for
the same reasons that council member
tilki mentioned and after we get through
this motion I would be open to a
discussion um
further that are only looking at based
on the 15year CPI or the 5year most
comparable
populations well since we have a motion
in a second on the floor and I already
am counting the votes on that one um
maybe we just handle that motion right
now so I have a motion by council member
torguson with a second by council member
Bon Giovani leaning um indicating the um
based on six biggest cities with Gilbert
excluded so that would be a salary of
47,000
$266 all those in favor please say I I
I all those opposed please say Nay Nay
Nay Council mayor Buckley how did you
vote uh I I am just neutral on this I I
would I would vote ma'am I'm sorry I
would vote you oh sorry go
ahead I would vote I okay so the motion
fails four to three with um council
member tilki vice mayor Anderson myself
and council member
Kowski um
dissenting then we would move on to a
discussion it might be easier to have a
discussion before we Dr jump into
another motion
um we've heard a recommendation for five
we we've heard a recommendation
for the CPI growth um I think both of
you said that okay sorry it's getting
late um so council member tilki how what
do you think about the recommendation
for the CPI growth because then we'd at
least have three
people I'm trying to can can can excuse
me mayor can can we can we have Nathan
bring that back up so we can see that
it's on the screen ma'am it's on the
screen can you see the screen oh okay I
can see the screen now so the number
you're which which line are you
referring to sorry the second column
that says based on 15year CPI growth is
the one that we're discussing right now
versus potentially the
um the third one fifth column the third
row the fifth no we voted against the
third column so this would be the second
column or the fifth column based on five
most
comparable
populations trying to keep it straight
okay okay well yeah I I'd like to say
something after
um council member til's finished oh
she's she's actually not speaking what
would you like to share with
us oh okay you know um like I said I was
very neutral on the other one
um for the for the moment however
what what I think everyone is missing
here and is not seeing or wants to see
and that is you're you're taking
something based off of 15 years ago and
the salary base that was 15 years ago
that never
changed and it had that salary base
changed you know even a little bit but
it basically kind of stayed the same
today is very very different than it was
15 years ago it's extremely different
than it was even five years ago or we've
had inflation we've gone through covid
there there are a lot of different
things to look at then and and the data
is great and I I you know I support the
data that's here but also I think that
people need to look at what we have done
with what this this Council has dealt
with more than any other Council has
ever had to deal with we've expended
more time more effort more emotions and
the ups and the Downs than any other
Council and and I'm not saying that's a
reason to do that but for the people in
the audience that have diminished what
we
do I'm sorry it it's deplorable the way
that this Council has been spoken to and
talking about division I frankly don't
see that Division I I hopefully I get
along with everyone in there so we have
this small group of people that they're
not there and and I say to you why are
you not here and why why are you not
here and doing what we did we I spent
over an entire year campaigning to get
here I want to serve the town of Gilbert
I want to be proud of serving the town
of Gilbert and it is embarrassing to us
to have our residents come and speak to
us like that I want to be proud to serve
this town and I am proud to serve this
town and
I
that the thoughts of of what people have
said today is extremely depressing it's
hurtful it it's wrong and for someone
and I'm not going to say a name here
because we all know who it is to come
into this Council and say we have blood
on our hands I say back what have you
done to stop this what have you done and
I'm sorry but I'll say to you on your
hands because what have you done I know
what we have done and we have all worked
our butt off for the last year and a
half and we have gotten nothing no no
thanks or anything and that those of you
that have thanked us for what we do and
the sacrifices that we've made with our
families with our kids with our
grandkids
I thank you for that because that was
nice to hear even though it was only a
couple of you tonight I thank you for
that but also we put in a lot I put in a
lot of time I I put in a lot of my money
my own money and we don't deserve what
is being said to us tonight or any other
time and I I will I I think that our
motion should have passed
on the first one I don't really care one
way or the other but I want to I want to
be proud I want someone when someone
says oh how much do you guys get paid
you know and I go well you know I get a
check for about $1,000 a month and they
laugh they laugh at us
so I think doing something like this
helps us to be proud of being a council
member for the town of Gilbert and I am
very proud of that but I want the
residents to be proud of us as well and
and we deserve that and we and you
should
be and that's my the end of my comments
here thank you council member Buckley
council member bonani thank you mayor
just have some general comments I just
wanted to correct the record if
anyone um thought I was blaming St stff
I was not blaming staff staff obviously
was directed somewhere I don't want even
get into that so we're not going to but
um some things I do want to bring
up is that you know why are our meetings
three or four hours or five hours long
when other council members other Council
meetings are an hour and a half um I
looked at as a positive thing we are a
very active Council and maybe we don't
how always agree with each other but
we're a very active
Council and we read our packets which
are sometimes 2,000 Pages we come here
prepared and we work
hard and I I I don't want anyone saying
just because we don't get along that
that should affect our compensation I'm
I'm somewhat glad we don't get along
because that brings more discussion I
don't see conflict as a Bad Thing
conflict is a good thing we get we we we
get a lot done because of conflicted
times as far as the pay goes I want a
council member to feel
guilty if they don't do their job and at
$21,000 a
year you know I could see a lot of
people not feeling bad if they didn't
read their packet I've heard stories of
other council members coming sitting on
this dis and not reading their packet
until they sat down and and and and
started the meeting I want us to feel
bad that we owe the citizens that we do
our job before we get here to assume
that this is less than a 20h hour a week
job that's crazy it's absolutely crazy
but let's assume it is if we assume it
is and I think it was the number was
$55 an hour
um I would gladly pay someone $55 an
hour to overse a $2.5 billion budget
that's a money well spent with an
executive I've had two
friends one of my
friends um I'm known for 30
years and she sees everything as a
liability everything that's every
opportunity sent her way every decision
sent her way she thinks through a
liability mindset how much is this going
to cost cost this is a
liability I just finished writing a book
with Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank
and if you spend five minutes with that
guy you will see he sees everything as
an
investment I don't see our pay
um I don't see our our pay as a
liability our pay is an investment and
what do we want to invest in the next
council members the difference in pay
that we're talking about to be very
honest with you and I check this out we
pay more for toilet paper in this town
for all of our buildings than what we're
talking about right
now and things have changed since since
911 or not sorry it's co god listen to
me it's a little bit along things have
changed since covid now something
happened last night which it doesn't
matter to me because I really really
really love this staff
member but
council member Tes and I were at a
football game and this employee took a
picture of us again I love her it's fine
it was it was fine but it illustrates
something it illustrates that we are on
stage
247 now I don't drink council member
torguson doesn't drink but if we were
sitting there with two beers and
slamming them or you know giving
ourselves a high five we'd be in the
papers the next day council member
torguson has had things happened to his
home I had a threat last week I mean we
are on stage 247 and have to watch our
back
247
um I just would you just move look at
that
um I just wanted to
to talk about again some of the comments
that were made and they were they were I
mean I respect the comments but they
were assumptions they weren't exactly
comments they were
assumptions if you think this is a
part-time job don't run for it because
it's not a part-time job if we could
build like attorneys build that every
moment of time that I'm thinking about
the town I'm telling you there would be
a 60-hour week
job
the I I want a situation where the
compensation is equivalent to how bad
someone would think how guilty they
would be for not doing the
job council member Tason just the hours
thing not that this is an hourly job but
if it was an hourly job I'm paid less
than minimum wage right now which is
fine I get that
but people that think this
isn't taking 40 hours a week have no
business talking about it people that
don't intend to dedicate that kind of
time to this shouldn't
run uh people that say oh I did it all
for service I'd like you to return every
paycheck you got I'd like you to return
the retirements you've taken I'd like to
return the 401 whatever it is that you
get paid when you're on your way out uh
because there's a there is a cost to it
and it's a cost you can't make up to
certain people because they're super
wealthy uh there's a cost you can't uh
ascribe cuz you don't want it to be an
incentive to run Gilbert's median income
is
$104,000 uh on the current mayor salary
you could not afford a one-bedroom
apartment uh there the damage to my home
when I have to repaint the home and deal
with the concrete damage will be in ex
probably in excess of what I make in a
year so this is not uh something where
they're trying to to to belittle every
single person up here and saying it's
part-time I I I disregard what you say
now but you came from an opinion you
came from an uninformed opinion you have
looked at this and through the growth of
Gilbert from a Tiny Town of 8,000 when I
probably moved here uh not into Gilbert
but moved to Arizona uh
to 60 or 80,000 25 years ago or whatever
it was to 288,000 today and on its way
to 330,000 000 uh the most important
decisions will be made over the next few
years you want people that are not
distracted uh you want people that that
believe in what they're doing certainly
uh everybody up here believes in the
service of this because there is a huge
amount of sacrifice over and above any
dollar figure but to diminish it to
zero to diminish it uh to less than than
is seen as
appropriate uh is not correct it's and
I'm just going to look at again I
mean the way this has
worked I see mayor Burman comeing he has
a number uh certainly I just looked and
I said all right I'll go with the the
based on the six biggest cities because
we're dead center uh based on the five
we're the largest and growing of all
those so that's not genuine either the
five most comparable are all smaller
than us
uh if you looked at the based on the
average of 10 bar Benchmark cities
you're more in the ballpark but you have
to be somewhere appropriate if this
doesn't deserve some sort of respect if
we don't respect ourselves enough to
think that well we're only going to make
it like George Washington who was the
richest man in the country by the way at
the time and a white land land and slave
owner uh had a different uh metric to
run with and the same go with Madison uh
these are not accurate depictions of
what happens in a community and to sit
here and be on the other side of the Das
and reads hear certain things for people
and it's it it's grown I've grown very
empathetic towards the mayor over the
last year and a half seeing the abuse
and even some from me before I was on
the Das uh it's incredible and I have
seen people on this Council reduced to
tears over things that are said because
it's just beyond what it was Co changed
the expectations that the public has of
this this body and it is not a 10hour a
week position as I was told by numerous
people that had served in the past and
thought they had a handle on their
ideology it's not a 10-hour week job it
never was and if everybody here only
dedicated 10 hours to week this this
wouldn't be the lowest taxpaying
Community this wouldn't be the highest
standard of living in the valley this
would not be the town you live in it has
become a much bigger responsibility than
it ever was and every person that's has
come up to speak has has been has done
so because they have some love of this
town but realize at the same time the
expectations that every one of us is
responsible for protecting every single
child and every single adult and
everything that happens is our fault and
there's an expectation that we are to
react to that and every decision must be
based on that individual's lens and the
amount of intensity about it is
incredible it is beyond anything I would
have expected out of reasonable people
and when I hear when you get me to a
point where I feel bad for her I
actually sat there with my wife just I
half in tears about the way she was just
getting drilled on stuff she had no
responsibility in it's it's hard to M
that's Public Service public service to
be kicked to the curb every two weeks
public service to be drilled down on in
social media every single day to have
your integrity your empathy and
everything questioned about you it is
beyond and that's why they say good
people don't run and maybe I'm just not
a good person in Iran but they say good
people don't run because of what
happens and the number of people that
say that it's just not worth it why
would you do that to yourself and your
family and at times you sit back
question why do I do it to myself and my
family it's certainly not fiscally
rewarding whether it's 53,000 or 49 or
or 47 or 35,000 it's hardly a political
career it's hardly a political career it
costs me more than that to serve every
year easily easily more than that easily
more than the highest number on this
chart it costs me to serve every year
easily it costs
Jared Taylor wherever he is more than
that every single year to serve that's
why he stopped easily for Steve Burman
cost him more than his salary cost him
his businesses to
serve the only reason that Victor
Peterson because his family paid his
salary and then you extend it beyond the
disrespect we have for even our state
legislatures we don't somehow we've
grown to not value the people on this di
we don't value value them and you
express that lack of value to everybody
up here and it is absolutely mindblowing
that you expect people to not have any
sort of self-defense and take the kind
of abuse they do when it comes to this
and then you're not even in within a
benchmark you're not even within reality
compared to anybody else and you expect
more and you want it for less and it
can't continue to happen on every single
metric
we pay the lowest taxes but we have the
highest standard of living here and
that's because the time that's dedicated
whether it's staff or the people on this
dis and I am just absolutely
flabbergasted that you look at the
people up here as nothing more than a
whipping child you're going to whip them
and then you don't believe that they're
worth it you don't believe they work
hard and I think that it's it's it's
it's abysmal to me
and I don't understand that you don't
see the kind of effort and the kind of
pain some people have gone through up
here and it's it's really just it's
inappropriate that we're having the
discussion it's inappropriate that SAR
was capped years ago then brought down
and there was no CPI and the CPI as we
all know doesn't really keep up with the
cost of living but to keep this this di
somewhere within the Benchmark that we
hold the entire staff to is completely
appropriate and I'm done belly
aching please no clapping I've asked
before it's not appropriate um council
member capros is next thank you um I
appreciate everyone else's comments I
also did review the previous study
session and council meeting for the
previous comments as well um prior to
this discussion tonight I'd like to
maybe just bring it back to the topic at
hand we're currently talking about the
council member
compensation um when we do get to a
point where a motion is made there are
actually three decisions we need to
include in that motion the first
decision is the timing for
when that change would be made and the
options for a council member would be
January 1st
2025 or the next next um opportunity
would be January 1st
2027 when I look at this topic I feel
that it has Merit because I look at it
as an employer looking at an employee
position that has had a salary freeze
for over 15
years um and in 2021 and 2022 there was
over a 9% cost of living increase so I
can see the necessity to review this
item at this time
but for a fair and reasonable review I
would go to more of that industry
standard of benchmarking and looking at
the five most comparable um populations
that are between 180,000 and 300,000 in
population so that's one element and
then looking at the 15-year CPI growth
to me that is essentially saying the
previous Council that had installed the
previous decision to Benchmark at that
time and then adjust based on the cost
of living it was fair and reasonable and
when we look at that value in that
second column compared to the fourth
column the fifth column the sixth colum
they're all in the same range so I think
that at least that gives validation that
that's probably fair and reasonable um
and we can't base it off of our personal
experience in my mind we have to
Benchmark it based on on the
um based on the comparable communities
and then we're looking at this uh cost
of living as
well um looking at either of those two
numbers the 15year CPI growth or based
on the five most comparable
populations we would if we chose one of
those items to increase to we would
still have a below average per resident
and a below average of cities in the
Maricopa County region um and overall
that would be if we went with the 15year
CPI growth that would be a 51% increase
since 2009 which aligns with the average
of
2.79% annually and if we went with the
five most comparable cities it's just
slightly more um the third item that we
would need to put into a motion is the
scenario of adjustment for future years
and in our Council packets we had three
different resolutions um The Adjustment
scenario
that I would support would be to in the
future increase based on the most
recently available cost of living
metrics um every two years for Council
and every four years well we're only
talking about Council so every two years
for Council so those are the three items
those are my thoughts on the council
member member
position vice mayor do you have any
comments I was just going to briefly
Commit This from a different angle I'm
sure a lot of people read the same
article I did in the Arizona Republic
here in the past couple of weeks it was
entitled uncontested City races leave
voters without options at The Ballot Box
more than
250,000 voters had no options at The
Ballot Box and I'm sure you noticed on
the ballot if you voted there were a lot
of uncontested races or no candidate in
a lot of races and that was looked at by
um some professors and and trying to
figure out well what's the cause of this
what because they're they're finding
that over 60%
60% of the council seats across the
country are running
unopposed what in the world is going on
why don't people run and he cites
several different reasons but one of the
top reasons is if the pay is lower less
people run and that's a reality I know
people like to say that uh it's it's
service and and I'm probably the one
that wants to serve more than
anybody um but it's not just service
that attracts people to the position and
then they find that out quickly and um
that's what I'm my concern is is that we
don't have enough people that are protic
participating in the Democratic process
because they don't feel it's worth the
time the effort effort or the money to
do that and uh that's a concern of mine
and um um that's a little bit different
angle than some of the
others that angle works right into my
angle so um people have told me for
years that they didn't want to run for
office in Gilbert or any place else
because of whatever skeletons they might
have in their closet right I'm sure
we've all heard somebody make a comment
about that but in reality in Gilbert you
don't need skeletons because there's one
party my party that just makes stuff up
about you they call you a racist and
place signs all over town and at Council
meetings I was called a cat killer with
signs all over Gilbert a Navy veteran
had signs posted reading spends like a
drunken sailor someone that went to law
school but never took the bar had signs
stating never passed the bar a single
female that ran for Council had signs
calling her a lesbian
candidates children are attacked at
meetings and in the press and my
husband's job our livelihood was
threatened by people claiming that
because he was my campaign Treasurer he
took a bribe I don't know what good Mark
taking a bribe would do anybody in this
town because he can't make me decide
what to do for dinner so I don't think
he's ever going to change my mind on
this dis so the ugly truth about Gilbert
is the politics
and being involved in a position like
this there is nothing more than I love
to do than serve this community I have
been serving this community nonstop
since 1997 as a volunteer in this
building as a planning commissioner
starting in July of 2000 which I served
for 14 years and two months when I was
elected to the Town Council and had to
resign served as a council member from
January of 2015 until March of 2020 when
I resigned to run for mayor it was it
was kind of LED people to believe that I
resigned to run for May because the
salary was higher I could give two craps
about the salary quite honestly I give
money back to this town I spend more
money every single year I don't take the
benefits because I don't want to cost
the public money I don't I I pay for a
lot of my own travel I donate a good
four to 5,000 a year back to the
nonprofits in this community with every
single event that I go and attend
because to me it is about what a lot of
these people have said tonight it is a
service to this community and to the
residents of this community I in fact am
proud when I can say we are one of the
lowest paid councils in this state
because of the fact of all the things
that have been mentioned tonight we are
the second safest city in the United
States thank you Chief according to the
FBI with a population over 100,000 I
think I got that stat right we have the
best credit rating of any one of the
we're in the top 50 in the United States
out of over 19,000 cities towns and
villages we have the most level of
service to our residents with the lowest
cost and I know you all are upset about
the increases in water and garbage and
I'm totally with you on that but we are
still the lowest with the most Services
provided to our residents you can look
at Chandler and you might pay a little
bit less but they don't have any as many
services as we do so when I sit here and
say My Philosophy is different than I'm
hearing from the council up here I don't
think it's the right time to be asking
for a raise for this Council I don't
think I don't think we deserve to ask
for a raise from the public right now I
strongly believe that we get the work
done because we love our positions and
the first thing that I tell everybody
and the three new council members that
came on the first thing tell everyone is
anybody running or anybody elected is
you choose how you do the position you
are elected to whether you spend 10
hours whether you spend 30 hours I
probably spend 40 to 60 hours a week as
mayor that's probably
conservative my grandson's daycare had
to get special level of security on it
because I serve in this position but I
wouldn't trade it for the world
the reason I chose not to run for
re-election because was because of a lot
of the adult bullies in this room and
because when I heard the story about the
Gilbert goons I decided it was more
important for me to go spend time with
my grandson and help raise him then sit
here and listen to all of you complain
to me about the issues going on in the
community that's real I'm talking to you
real right now it is not easy to serve
in these positions it's been said but
again
I say most days it's the best position
you could ever have serving this
community I get thanked and hugged and
welcomed by residents of this community
every single day this Council doesn't
get to see it but that's my reality I
only have to deal with this every two
weeks when we come to Council
meetings but the other reality is what
happens in politics in this town and if
somebody doesn't have the guts to stand
up to it at some point you're going to
ruin this community
mark my
words so if somebody would like to make
a motion on whatever your choices you're
going to make you can bet I will be a no
on
it no
clapping com buan thank you mayor um I
just wanted to say well said and thank
you for saying that
um my position last week I didn't want
to say the same thing but it was same as
vice mayor um
Anderson's when I looked at my ballot
and my ballot had a lot more empty spots
than probably anyone sitting up here um
I just want to recruit be able to
recruit or have more more candidates
quality candidates who will devote the
time to do this like I said for last
three weeks we've talked about this more
than we've talked about the
budget no amount of money is going to
make a difference to me in my lifestyle
it it just isn't but I want it to make a
difference in the next
person um you know people are going to
say today they're going to say hey Bon
ganni voted to get himself a raise but
10 years from now they're not going to
say hey Bon ganni voted to give council
member Johnson a
raise we're doing this for other people
okay this has no effect on my life
whatsoever this will probably pay my
water bill to be very honest with you
the difference
um I have a very expensive water
bill but I want us to come to terms on a
number that again would make someone
feel bad for not doing the job and you
know I'm going to say the only thing I
disagree with what the mayor said and
the only thing is that you can choose to
do this for 10 hours a
week you can't choose that that's that's
been disrespectful to everyone in the
town of Gilbert
but other than that I agree with 100% of
what she said and I agree with 100% with
uh vice mayor Anderson
also I think paying people more you're
making a mistake because you can't pay
people more to provide a service to your
community and you can't pay people more
to do a better job that's just ludicrous
when you're if you're here for the right
reasons my last line
I think to move forward we're going to
need more input
on the timing or if we're going to move
forward with any kind of increase at all
and the timing um of when that would be
effective that would need to be part of
a motion that's made if somebody's going
to make a motion or a SE P or a separate
motion I I I want to hear the reasons
why the timing is an issue
so we have to give direction as to when
this would take effect so it would
either be January 1st 20125 or January
1st
2027
so I think mayor excuse me council
member caasi just want to clarify that
the whether it's 25 or 27 or whatever
whatever year it goes into effect it's
actually not January first would be the
beginning of the new term for the new
newly seated council member so it's in
January
that date will change It's usually the
first or second week but you could just
say the beginning of the new term in
2025 2027 whatever year you choose for
example the inauguration is typically
like the first week of the month and
it's always a different day so that's
what Chris is referring to understood
thank
you all right let's let's just riff
this I'm going to propose that based on
the average of 10 bar Benchmark cities
because we are the fourth largest in
growing Tucson decreasing Etc uh we do
it based on the 10 Benchmark cities for
2025 and examine it every two years to
Benchmark against those
cities I'll second
that that was a motion that was a motion
um by council member torus and seconded
by council member Bon Giovani um I will
make one comment on that which is we
removed the CPI in
2018 because we had an outcry from the
community and council member tus and you
were one of those very vocal people so
the CPI would be in place today if we
had not removed it in
2018 and so and vice mayor was there I
was there Jared Taylor was there at the
time um we have a motion on the
floor all in
favor
I all
opposed Nay n cons M Buckley how do you
vot I'm yeah I I motion carries four to
three I believe council member Tuson Bon
Giovani Buckley oh wait how did you vote
I'm sorry oh you voted no motion doesn't
carry sorry I counted I heard wrong I
should say sorry so um motion did not
pass it was um Capri Peterson Anderson
and tilki that were Nays on that motion
sorry with The Voice vote it makes it a
little harder and trying to keep it
going
straight
um somebody like to make another
motion that we base it on the 15year CPI
growth for the council pay of
31749 did you include a date in that
council member Tuson because I can't
remember do you want to include 2025
2025 we have a motion by vice mayor
Anderson mayor May yes Chris the other
the other component if the council want
to consider it would be to incorporate
the CPI adjustment every two years or
every four years or however you want to
do that or not incorporate at all just
make the onetime adjustment so vice
mayor Anderson you have a motion to do
the um sorry TW 15 15 years CPI growth
and then uh every two years with the
council and be adjusted by that CPI but
starting in January of 2025 right so I
have a motion by vice mayor Anderson
mayor could I ask a question absolutely
um I if it is based on CPI every two
years is that a public conversation or
is it an
automatic that would be an automatic um
people team would just do the
calculation and the automatic it would
go into effect every new term for
Council Members which is January of
every odd year is when that would go
into effect mayor could I ask a father
question sure
um would the council have the option to
bring this back to the council to have a
conversation about either making it a
public hearing or
changing the
formula yes the council could do that
the new council could do that at any
time if if a motion like this were to
pass
tonight Council in January of 2025 could
resend it so yes at any time it can be
Revisited but if a council doesn't take
action if this motion passes then it's
just an automatic adjustment every two
years based on CPI that's what happened
in 2017 2018 we didn't know that there
was a CPI in place and staff found found
it caught it and we all had to get back
pay and then the first thing we did was
remove the CPI with one resolution and
vote Yes
thank you so I still have an open motion
by vice
mayor second for oh and I have a second
by council member
kosi could we restate that since we've
had other conversations sure sorry that
was a motion I'm sorry do you want to
Res I motion to approve based on a 15
year 15year CPI growth and every two
every other year
automatic through the CPI uh beginning
with January
2025 I have a second by council member
kovski still in place all those in favor
please say I I
I all
opposed nay council member Buckley how
did you
vote uh I I haven't voted can I just
abstain from this whole thing no
abstaining is not allowed you need to
you need to vote on this topic
then I vote
no okay so the eyes have it I believe it
would be council member Buckley and
myself did anyone else say n nay I
didn't hear that so the motion passes of
based on 15E CPI growth every two years
starting in January of 2025 just for the
council members now we need to do a
discussion about the mayor's
salary um and I won't won't be voting on
this may right you will be will you be
um I it would probably be better if you
just stepped away from the council we
which we've made council members do in
the past when there was a conflict or
thank you cupcak go ahead go have a go
have a bontini we have Banis because it
was council member TI's birthday a
couple weeks ago who would like to kick
off the conversation for the mayor
salary my thoughts are exactly the same
and I work a lot of hours in this
position but I feel exactly the same way
mayor yeah
I would propose to make a motion um for
the mayor's salary to be based on the
15year CPI growth uh
calculation with the start date of
January
20125 and the adjustment scenario based
on the cost of living adjusted every
four years um when new mayor oral term
starts
I have a motion by council member Kowski
I'll second that I have a second by
council member Bon
Giovani please
vote U excuse me all in favor say I I I
I all opposed say nay I nay um passes 51
minus one 51 um Peterson
dissenting I thought we couldn't doent I
can vote no that's a
descent oh oh okay so you voted no okay
I voted no I said I was going to vote no
on all of this because I don't think
it's appropriate timing for this town or
this Council to be voting themselves a
raise that's my story and I'm sticking
to it mayor yes I just wanted to
summarize that based on those two votes
um the annual Financial impact for those
salaries combined is $77,900
moving on to the vice mayor's back um
moving on to the consent calendar vice
mayor thank you mayor mayor uh we have
on consent the items to be removed would
be item
17 item 18 item
19 and item
28 so I would make a motion to approve
approve items 12 13 14 15
16 20 21 22 23
24 24a 25 26 27
29 I'll second that I have a motion by
vice mayor for the numbers listed um
with a second by council member tilky
all in favor please say I I I I I I any
opposed please say
nay motion passes
70
next item 17 I believe item 17 I believe
council member
Tuson and I just hope somebody on staff
can as I went through and I saw more
grants it's really it's really the
reassurance that we are not agreeing to
anything with any sort of clawback
responsibilities reporting Etc does
somebody can somebody help me with
that there we go we need to put a piece
of tape on the button that you need to
push or something right yeah um mayor
council member torguson yeah so this
agreement the the uh Council already
approved
the motion for this grant to be approved
and to your question um that there there
is no other stipulations we following
our Our Town guidance on our policy for
for
Grants that's all I needed to reconfirm
thank you you're welcome thank
you I'll make a motion to approve item
number 17 as written I have a motion by
council member Tuson can I have a second
I'll second I have a a second by council
member tilki all in favor please say I I
I I I sorry any opposed motion passes 70
item 18 council member
torguson I would love for somebody to
come up and ex and give us the
responsibilities of the contract manager
at risk and uh explain the 585,000
council member to um this contract is
associated with the oao Bridge Project
STL 540 um so this is a portion that was
excluded off of that um to extend the
Ingress egress off of the bridge into
the Park area um so we never had a
contract put together for pmcm services
for that so this is an additional
contract to the oao Bridge Project to uh
for construction management services so
they're going to be managing the entire
construction of the project on behalf of
the town and this is in relation to to
number 18 as
well that was 18 are you are you
referring to 19 also 19 I apologize
thank you sorry I just want to be clear
I'm just trying to get a better thorough
understanding of what the contract for
construction manager at risk really
involves responsibilities Etc yes uh
mayor council M tus and so basically our
project our pmcm con um consultant is in
charge of the entire construction
process so the town of gilberg project
manager is managing um the pmcm and the
pmcm is managing the contractor um and
that also includes um Inspection
Services um for the entire project that
also includes um the meetings they're
basically running running the show when
it comes to construction everything goes
through the
pmcm so in a sense like a general
contractor they are in charge of the
general contractor
so if I may speak to number 19 as well
um the same consultant wood Patel was is
the on predesign services so so they
were on our team through the entire
design portion of this project um and so
understanding where this project was we
we made their contract go through the
design phase so their contract is just
ending from Financial um standpoint so
we're doing a change order to their
contract to get us through the entire
construction which is approximately 24
months so the 2.5 million is to get us
from where we currently are through
construction for 24 months so This truly
isn't an increase this is something that
was anticipated and budgeted correct
okay so all right thank
you any other
questions any other questions no I'm
ready to make a motion
um I'd like to make a a motion to
approve items 18 and 19 I have a motion
by council member Toki can I have a
second second vice mayor Anderson um all
those in favor please say I I I
I any
opposed motion passes 70 I believe I
didn't hear council member Buckley but
council member Buckley did you vote on
that last
item I I did
sorry was
it oops uh oh did we lose
her she said she voted but I did not
hear her at all
I have to give it a second folks sorry
apologies mayor the whole meeting um
disappeared from our our equipment I
wonder if it's because of the issues
that they're having in the back room oh
is she back oh Ashley yay thank you
Council M Buckley are you back
cheli maybe she can just let you know
how she voted on that last one for the
record absolutely right now thank you
then we can move on to item 28
28 council member
toras well actually this this I had
asked for before we had our meeting the
other day I just wanted to know if it
was really necessary or if we had come
to a resolution with it but I appear it
is going to be necessary so I have no
questions about it I move to accept item
28 as written I have a motion by council
member torguson do I have a
second second second by Vice sm all
those in favor please say I I
I any
[Music]
opposed I think it passed 60 cuz I'm not
not sure that I have council member
Buckley on thank
you that concludes the consent calendar
thank you vice mayor moving on to our
administrative items um item number 30
is considered adoption of the council
meeting schedule for calendar year 2025
Kristen and I worked on this um a lot
because we try to always take into
consideration uh school calendars uh
Spring Breaks summer breaks fall breaks
winter breaks we try not to any Council
meetings during any of those times to
make sure that the public is always able
to attend any of our Council meetings
and it can always be modified in the
future do I have a motion to accept the
calendar for 2025 I'll move to accept
item 30 thank you do I have a second a
second I have a motion by council member
kosi seconded by council member tilki
all those in favor say I I I any opposed
motion passes I'm going to say 60 again
thank you sheli item number 31 Council
administrative item discussion and
update from the community engagement
task force council member tilky thank
you mayor um since it's been well over a
month since I reported last time I just
wanted to give a quick uh recap that our
teen violence uh task force met in June
um just a reminder to the public we have
11 community members including two teens
as task force members in addition for
alternate community members which
includes two additional teens were
appointed seven advisory members
representing our school district charter
schools and police department um our two
mayak Representatives also serve as
alternates as well as our advisory role
our first meeting in June focused on
providing all the mandated open meeting
law training and setting the stage for
our work to begin in August a survey was
conducted with the task force and
advisory members to establish desired
topics of discussion for upcoming
meetings and all were very engaged and
ready to get to
work uh unfortunately our teen survey
results will not be available this month
but the group did receive a homework
assignment to review previous survey
results to prepare for those current
survey result discussions our August
meeting will move directly into
discussions on teen violence data and
resources as well as selecting a chair
and vice chair um our Council aaon will
be meeting with our school district
leaders to discuss how best to work
together to to get in front of issues um
as we mentioned previously addressing
tune violence is a CommunityWide issue
and the town is committed to working
together we can make a difference um
I'll be reporting monthly um as we move
forward but that's where we are
today thank you council member tilky any
questions for council member tilki
seeing none moving on to item number 32
consider adoption of resolution number
4501 supporting a public vote approving
the municipal incorporation of the area
known as Santan Valley Arizona just for
a quick synopsis Santan is trying to
incorporate they do have to go through
panal County in order to do so and have
a measure on the ballot in their area
for their um registered voters to vote
on to um be able to actually incorporate
all we're doing is with this resolution
should it pass is just saying that the
town of Gilbert is not opposed to that
and in favor of them moving forward with
that should they choose to um any
comments council member torgenson I
don't know who was first um vice mayor
your mic's on did you have a comment
yeah you have a comment on this yeah
okay go ahead you're first sorry no I
just wanted to clarify you want to make
sure before we take action on this the
person that wanted to speak normally we
don't do administrative items the public
but thank you you want to do it before
or after the vote Vice Anderson has a
slip for someone that was asking to
speak on this item but it is an
administrative item so we'd be happy to
let you speak during Communications from
citizens if you're still here what was
the name on that go ahead if you Adrien
lton there he is we don't take comment
during administrative items but you can
speak during Communications from
citizens which will be the next portion
of our agenda we will have already voted
on the resolution at that point though
thank you um next was council member ban
Giovani thank you mayor um I don't know
if anyone else went to any of the prior
meetings but council member torguson
myself and council member Buckley went
to uh one of the presentations from from
Santan Valley and it was it was amazing
to watch a a city you know potentially
being birthed um some of the they were
showing their first potential budget and
uh it was really exciting to watch uh
you know to watch them go through that
process and uh I'm full support of
that council member torguson it it
definitely was interesting to watch it's
uh it's going to go through its
struggles obviously but is the largest
unincorporated uh census designation in
the country it's about 91,000 people or
so they purposely restricted uh a lot of
their boundaries to not incorporate uh
some Farms some steer land uh there was
one person they were able to work around
because he's just I guess contener and
they don't want to deal with him uh but
uh it's they're they're going to have a
hard road with there's a lot of things
that they're going to have to do to for
91,000 people to get up to Snuff they
have no substantial infrastructure to do
it everything's County and State uh
roads a lot of dirt roads uh but I I
mean I definitely support the idea of
being your own master in that area so uh
and they seem like they've gone through
the process well and it's going to be
determined later but
they've they've done their
homework they um have been working on
this for quite some time and this is not
their first attempt at this it's
probably their third third that I can
remember I've been through this before
with them but this time seems to be
going a lot better than the first two
attempts um so I give them a lot of
credit for giving it a chance um it will
add another city or town to the State of
Arizona we have 91 right now and we
would changed to 92 which might mean
less money for all of us cities and
towns because it's state shared Revenue
um but we support that so um I'll go
ahead and um make a motion to consider
adoption of this resolution P council
member Buck Buckley is back and she has
a comment okay council member Buckley
thank you cheli council member
Buckley uh thank you thank you I I don't
know what happened but uh our wise and
great chevel got me back
on um so I I you know as as council
member Bon bonani mentioned um you know
I was out there as well and what really
impressed me about this group is the you
know how how much they are dedicated to
get this done and they have a lot of
good people helping them they have you
know other towns and others not towns
were the only town but almost but um so
I I fully support this and I support
this mostly because they're so
determined this time to get this done
that that I want to help them and and do
whatever we can as you know their sister
town over here and help them help them
get this
done thank you council member Buckley I
will go ahead and make a motion to
consider adoption of resolution I'll
second to adopt resolution 4501 I have a
motion by myself and seconded by council
member tus and all those in favor please
say I I I any opposed motion passes 70
next we move on to Communications from
citizens vice mayor thank you mayor
excuse me mayor oh sorry how many do we
have I might need to take a little
break okay if you don't mind I don't
think I can sit through the next hour
and two without taking a break yeah that
was another two hours
okay okay we're gonna recess for a few
minutes um get very difficult to sit up
here for so long
TI
e
e
e
e
e
e
e
e
e
e
e e
okay 30 second warning where's
everybody
e
e e
okay we'll bring this meeting back to
order um vice mayor Communications from
citizens thank you for offering us a
minute to take a break thank you
mayor we value the participation of our
community members in the robust exchange
of ideas however it's essential that
this discourse remains respectful and
constructive reflecting the
professionalism expected in such forums
misinformation and personal attacks
undermine our Collective efforts and do
not contribute to the productive
dialogue necessary for our Town's
progress while we understand and
appreciate the passion our community
members bring to these sessions we must
remind everyone that clapping during the
meeting is not acceptable this practice
can disrupt the flow of discuss
discussion potentially intimidate others
and detract from the respectful
atmosphere we strive to
maintain tonight uh we'll invite you to
come up to the
podium uh when you come up to the podium
state your name and your city of
residence and then you will have three
minutes unless otherwise
indicated first up tonight um Adrien
Lon is Adrian here must when we voted he
was the one that wanted um s he was the
one that was here for Santan Valley and
he must have left
okay Jenny
Jones push the button down at the bottom
till you get to the bottom of the mic
the bottom of the
microphone there you go there's two it
looks like two buttons okay you got it
um so my name is Jenny Jones you guys
know that our barn is the one that was
burned down on July 3rd it could have
been prevented had the um police chief
investigated the other alleged crimes
that we have video of um
so there's a lot of people that have
come forward for Morrison Ranch there's
they have actively been trying to get
their voices heard about these types of
crimes committed the boys riding on the
sirons throwing fireworks doing other
sorts of crimes and nothing has stopped
uh parents are not holding their kids
accountable uh I know that the police
chief mentioned that he hoped that was
hopeful that parents do I've seen
firsthand parents do not hold their kids
accountable maybe 10% of parents are
holding their kids accountable the kids
are laughing at the police department
because they're getting away with
things
um a a report was made back on in
November November 21st I believe a
police report was made the cops came out
a hole was blown a giant hole was put in
someone's yard because of one of these
fireworks was thrown the parent
identified the children the juveniles
nothing was done the parents didn't get
talked to um it is illegal we all know
that in November to throw a firework
it's illegal for a 15-year-old a
14-year-old to have a firework it's
illegal according to ARS 36-1
1606 stayes it all there we all know
that okay um a police ass uh the
assistant police chief Jim B
ble um he did give a report court
regarding that incident and he was asked
about my incident and he did tell the
public that there's not any they do not
have enough proof or whatever to link
the crimes totally false and not being
transparent at all I'm a mom who my
attack happened on July 3rd by Monday I
was able to give the police a list of
all the boys involved that I knew of at
least 12 juveniles allegedly involved um
we have proof but um for him to not be
transparent is
disheartening um and then also there was
an assault in January only one boy was
charged I'm curious to know why the
other boys involved in the attack were
not also charged when they were
identified um easily idential I you can
easily identify these juveniles on their
social media accounts they have sirons
which are illegal why are we we have
video proof why are we not citing them
they could bring the town money um and
just again the parents are not holding
their kids
accountable so we need the police chief
to do that we need the police to step up
and do that and stop the kids why are we
parents not being believed when we can
identify the kids and name them so the
parents need to be held accountable and
the children need to be help accountable
so thank
you thank you Dan londelle wait one one
thing are we able to direct the the
police chief to talk to her yes yes can
I ask what word she was saying do at the
end right but I want to make sure she
sticks around for it I I don't
understand a word the word please stay
she said the kids at surville or M Jones
please stay
yeah what what was that
word Dan yeah what is that
s
s okay thank you thank
you okay Dan I mayor council members
thank you my name is Dan londell I'm a
resident of Gilbert I'm here to talk
about this this incident um that that's
this pattern um uh this is this is a
pattern of violence and harassment by a
group of boys that have called
themselves the archi gang these are
monikers in their social media which are
public and open to for anyone to see um
this pattern of behavior culminated in
the arson and reckless endangerment of
10 children on July 3rd um at when the
Jones Barn was burned to the ground our
daughter and several of her friends have
been victims of this group of boys so at
this point we have learned their
behavior
pattern we've given several police
reports met with several excellent
officers and detectives all who
diligently gathered information to
further their investigations and
counseled with we have counsel with
other victims and victims's families and
have encouraged them to come forward to
parents and police with any evidence of
crimes um however in a video segment in
a video News segment about this pattern
of violence that aired shortly after the
barn arson a spokesman for Gilbert
Police Department said that an
investigation of a similar incident last
October November had been closed because
the homeowner declined to press charge
hopefully you've all seen this this
video this news news clip in fact she
believed that an investigation uh the
reporter then showed the homeowner
saying that she was never asked or told
by police that she was declining and
never told police that she was declining
to press charges in fact she believed
that an investigation was being
conducted the reporter then returned to
share the homeowner statement back with
the police spokesman who said that there
had been some kind of paperwork
mixup as an Ardent supporter of police
that was embarrassing and hard to watch
you'll notice my critique isn't about
the missteps that may have been made at
the time of the original incident but
rather about the confidence destroying
attempt to dissemble and blame the
homeowner there was another instance in
April of this year wherein our student
reported an alleged crime to us I
immediately went to the school and met
with the SRO and an assistant principal
to report the allegations who then met
with the alleged victim and suspects in
a followup
with the student alone the SR asked the
student if she wanted to pursue the
investigation we submitted a request for
police records of all the interactions
including BWC footage that's body warn
camera footage and have since learned
that despite the SRO having and
routinely using BWC there is
inexplicably no footage or documentation
for those
interactions so I know mayor you've
asked for no swearing but I hope you'll
forgive the acronym
BS an
inexplicably
BS now the problem isn't that stuff
doesn't get done perfectly we all
understand that the problem is when
there is an obvious and redonkulous
effort to cover it up in the most
ham-handed way possible it just doesn't
make any sense and I invite the police
chief and any other City staff to just
please the public wants to work with you
we're not TR this isn't a Lynch Mob we
are here to support you so please engage
with us in a meaningful dialogue and
don't lie to us please thank
you thank you Bridget Vega and you're
taking andus set's time so you have six
minutes thank you mayor Bridget for
standing your ground with your comments
on voting no and keep keeping it real on
the raises we have failed as a society
in allowing the government to lead vers
God recovery begins with acknowledging
our faults and seeking Redemption we
must trust in a higher power humble
ourselves and embark on the Journey of
self-improvement only then can we extend
a helping hand to others and heal our
communities let us not be by standards
but agents of up standards and change
let us commit to Breaking the cycle of
harm and fostering a community built on
love empathy
accountability together we can create a
brighter future for generations to come
it starts with every single one of us
and it starts in our homes to the
community please know that your voices
do matter to the youth I am sorry for
the comments made by leadership tonight
please know we hear you we see you we
stand by you and we love you I
wholeheartedly again pray for this
Council for humility and ask that you go
home and check your heart posture and
ask ourselves how can we serve our
families and our communities better I
pray for humbleness of this Council as
innoc as innocent children have been
murdered assaulted raped
brutally attacked with brass knuckles
let's use Connor
Jarnigan his case as an example and him
being a powerful voice for the community
and leading this community with
hope again a barn was burnt and thank
God the children and the families got
out
safe normally I do a moment of silence
for the victims tonight I ask during
this moment of silence I'll be playing a
song I pray that you listen to the
lyrics and open your hearts again if we
can take a moment of silence for Preston
Lord all of the teens who've been
assaulted mentally physically and
sexually and all the youth that were
wrongfully murdered due to senseless
acts of violence I'm going to play a
clip to a
song where's it how long is this it
won't be long it'll be in my time
frame Spirit come make us
humble we turn our
eyes from Evil
things oh Lord we cast down our
Idols to Give Us Clean Hands
give us pure
[Music]
hearts let us not lift our souls to
another to Give Us Clean
Hands and give us pure
hearts let us not lift our souls to
another oh God let us be the
generation and see
SE
your oh
[Music]
[Applause]
God so again
Council I pray for humility and God have
your will in your way I pray for justice
for the
Youth thank you Carissa Arnold
I can't beit again to describe the
emotion that was going through my heart
as I was sitting here listening to you
guys talk about abuse that you've
endured sat with my child night after
night crying after what happened to her
and what's in the police report is not
the full scope in fact stuff was left
off of the police report but let me take
it a step further and explain to you my
child almost took her life because of
what happened because of her being raped
the sexual assaults the what he did to
her and in the bullying after I almost
lost my child so as you sit there and
talk about abuse let me help you
understand what it's like as a parent to
sit and watch your child go through the
pain that they have we have kids that
were sitting in a barn we have kids that
were beaten and have had to be sent
overseas girls think it's normal to have
a gun held to their head that wasn't my
daughter but that is happening in our
community and they don't see a problem
with
it we have repeated threats of harm
going to our
children and they feel
defenseless I don't understand
how we can be considered a rowdy crowd
or can be considered to be abusive here
when I am fighting for my child and the
many other kids that have sat here or
that have been
victimized by people connected to this
ging and part of this
ging night after night watching your
child in tears is
horrifying not knowing if your child was
going to come home
home because their pain was so deep that
the only option that they thought of was
to take their
life is
horrifying my child is doing
better but she no longer lives in this
city because she can't stand to be here
anymore after everything that happened
to
her my child is still walking through
counseling and she was assaulted three
and a half years ago that's how deep it
hit her and I want that to sit into rest
on this Council in that we are sitting
here fighting because we have kids that
have been
harmed I want to go back into the
barnfire for just a second here one of
the boys that has been arrested in the
barnfire is the nephew of the Town
attorney that creates a conflict of
interest for their investigation
specifically he allegedly made a
statement on social media stating that
he is a certified Gilbert goon when he
was in court he his attorney stated he
had nothing to do with them these kids
have been had the ability to terrorize
this community for years they are not
afraid of the officers and that is a
problem your officers should be
respected in an appropriate Way by
teenagers and they should be fearful of
the officers in an appropriate way and
they are not
D good evening again since I've been
here all night um you've earned your
salary
tonight I just have a few observations
and comments cuz I really believe been a
proactive approach to law enforcement
and I as council member bonani I did go
to the parking structure early in the
morning and what I noticed like 6:30 I
noticed a lot of cars parked on the
first
floor I would suggest that we look into
having the employees park on the top
floor of the parking structure to
alleviate problems I would suggest a a
form of a parking pass that the new
people or uniformed officers not
officers uh security people
could
observe I think it's important the other
thing I noticed observation is there was
like burnout throughout that whole
garage on the top so me I was thinking
wow this is really dirty so like
graffiti I think if I have graffiti I am
going to wash it off so that no no one
else does it again so I suggest maybe
that all that be washed out and so that
we can start a fresh and start a new
that's my observation the other
observation I have of tonight is I think
that study sessions should we don't need
them if we're going to have a boat
during the regular um meeting I think
that's redundant and I hope um you take
that into consideration because it's a
long night in addition to that I don't
like being at the back of the
bus it takes a long time just to get to
this point but those are my observations
and also for um the security if they
have a weekly log that they present to
the um chief that would as a security
person or whatever the company is if
they have have a like a week weekly log
that can demonstrate what is actually
going on and you can bring that back to
council I think that's like um a good
idea thank
you thank you that completes the
communications
mayor thank you vice mayor um future
meetings we have a study session related
to meet and confer and then we have a
conser
retreat item related to a status update
on General obligation bonds requested by
council member tilki um
Communications Patrick did you have
anything to add from report from Town
manager yes thank you mayor members
Council uh two quick
items could have him bring up the
slides okay we want to move to the first
slide first uh congratulations Chief
Dugen he won the 20124 Gilbert
leadership alumni Award presented by the
Gilbert Chamber of Commerce he uh was
been very active since going through
Gilbert leadership and I know they
greatly appreciate all of the the work
he's done to support that program next
most of us are probably well aware of
the event uh previous week with crowd
strike and the cyber security issues
that impacted uh cities and uh some of
the largest corporations all around the
world and I just wanted to take a moment
and recognize the exceptional work done
by our fire department and Our IT
department um we had some early
ancillary impacts from partner agencies
um that were impacted by crowd strike
and they quickly responded and developed
some workaround solutions for us so that
we were never down in any of our
critical service lines to our community
as well as Gilbert digital getting
information out quickly to our our
residents um to help them understand
where things stood and that the town was
operational with with no uh impacts from
um that outage that that's all I have
this evening thank you mayor thanks
Patrick um report from members of the
council Council Bon Giovanni I was
looking if I miss this last six weeks
okay celebrate the end of the 2024
summer season at Gilbert's Last Splash
everyone is welcome to come to a free
party at mosquit Aquatic Center with
music and games on August 17th 2024 from
1: p.m. to 4 P.M and no registration is
required we have some new park Ed
additions the parks and recreation
department has added communication
boards to Gilbert Regional Park Circle G
and the fire uh fire so Recreation
Center uh the board support nonverbal
children with communication while
playing in the park they also encourage
peer-to-peer interaction and social
skill development promote uh promote um
eye to hand coordination which I don't
have right now and encourage problem
solving to reduce Tantrums through the
use of pitcher
icons anyone else oh so do I get cember
ton so I don't throw a tantrum you're
next council member Tason all right um
The Heritage District Meetup is a social
Gathering organized in partnership with
the town of Gilbert and the Gilbert
chamber aimed at connecting
professionals operating within or around
the designated Heritage District these
events facilitate networking
opportunities while also providing
attendees with updates from town staff
regarding developments within the
Heritage District the next heritage
heritage District Meetup will take place
Wednesday August 21st at 8:00 a.m. so
it'll be breakfast time uh uh this
meeting will be provideed a behind the
scenes tour of the active construction
site at Water Tower Plaza prior to the
plaza reopening this winter RSVP on the
chambers website at Gilbert
a.com uh I can I can tell you from
starting this with Sarah at the chamber
it's a lot of people come and it's it's
very informative and you get if nothing
else you get to meet a lot of your
neighbors and people that you wouldn't
have and it's it's community building
it's informative and
should take your time to do
it council member
Koski through collaboration between Town
staff the Gilbert Police Department the
Gilbert public schools and the Gilbert
Parks and Rec Foundation um we've been
able to uh gather Community donations
and grants from Dignity Health to offer
free helmets for the Gilbert Community
there are approximately 300 helmets
available in various Styles sizes and
colors they can be picked up at one of
five local locations in Gilbert during
normal operating hours that is at free
ride bike Co Global bikes Bike Masters
Pedigo electric bikes and end control
driving school um this initiative
responds to an increasing number of
Motor Vehicle collisions involving
people riding bicycles E Scooters and E
bikes who are especially vulnerable on
our roads um so if anyone is in need of
that that is available right now um I
also want to mention that the uh Gilbert
Symphony has four concerts scheduled for
the
2425 calendar year
four um and we'd like to keep these
concerts free to the general public
they're also a big part of our dementia
friendly Community initiative and
they're currently seeking sponsorships
from community members uh from local
businesses to help cover the cost of the
venue rental all of the performers and
the conductor are currently on a
volunteer basis and that uh website is
Gilbert symphony.org thank you council
member bonani thanks M I just wanted to
um compliment um council member um Capri
on the work she's done with the bike
helmet I mean I know you put a lot of uh
lot of hours into that working with the
community and the businesses and uh it's
definitely showing so thank
you council member
Buckley uh yes ma'am thank you uh I just
uh am pleased to offer us a few tourism
points for you today the Discover
Gilbert team will proudly represent our
town at the Arizona Governor's
conference on tourism later this summer
the sign this significant event serves
as a platform for communities across the
state to exchange best practices in
destination Market and stay informed
about the least indust I mean yeah about
the latest industry Trends furthermore
recently released economic impact data
underscores Gilbert's remarkable growth
our strategic Partnerships continue to
bolster our our ongoing tourism
initiatives is that all you had that's
that's it I said short quick thank you
thank you I appreciate that any other oh
council member tilki sorry mayor um I I
wasn't asked to announce this but I just
realized that maybe not many people know
that we have a family Advocacy Center
open house scheduled for August 13th
here at Town Hall so um from 6:00 to
8:00 p.m. so if you haven't um seen all
the details on that if you want to come
by and learn more that would be great
thanks thank you any other comments I
will move on to report from the mayor um
I think Ashley has a slide for me I had
brought it up at the study session last
month um an opportunity for us to show
the public what kind of time we put into
these positions and that's my June 18th
until yesterday and that was my six
weeks
off so I just wanted you to have an idea
of the time that is spent and it's not
all done with ribbon cuttings even
though I did get to do a leash cutting
this week which was adorable for a dog
park in Gilbert I will throw that out
there but um many of these liaison
positions I have been um I I was
nominated and elected to some of those
positions and I it's an honor to serve
and represent Gilbert at those and um
thank you Ashley for if you want to
leave it up you can it's fine um I
wanted to also um congratulate Chief
dougen and I had also put in my notes to
congratulate officer Kramer on his award
and chief you brought that up at the
beginning of the night but that really
is going above and beyond for him with
the especially playing in the band and
doing the Aviation Group that he does
with those students and the video that
they did on the news the other night was
great even though they got the location
wrong they kept calling it a Queen Creek
School it's a Chandler School in Gilbert
um Payne Junior High and um I mentioned
earlier this evening when we had more of
an audience that we will be holding a
special meeting next Tuesday night on
August 13th right here in the council
chambers at 5:00 p.m. to canvas the
election results we actually every city
in town that has an election has to do
that but we have to wait for Maricopa
County to do their canvas of the
election and that's all I have this
evening thank you for holding out with
us until 11:43 p.m. would someone like
to move to a jurn so moved I have a
motion do I have a second all those in
favor say I I meeting adjourned