City of Chandler Council Meeting 12.12.24

e e
wantate
e
e e
good evening and welcome to the December
2 SE December 12th 2024 regular meeting
of the Chandler city council like call
this meeting to the order clerk please
take the
role here Vice May
Harris here council member enus here
council member Ellis here council member
Stewart here council member Orlando here
council member poon here we have a
quorum all right thank you so much our
invitation tonight will be delivered by
Pastor Victor Hardy of the
Congregational Church of the Valley the
Congregational Church of the Valley and
our Pledge of Allegiance
by outgoing council member Mark
Stewart the
outo let us
pray Our Father Who Art in Heaven which
is a really good address
we come to you this
evening to give you
Grace the grace that you so richly
deserve we find ourselves in a season
of
discontent and
distrust with each other Christian or
non-Christian
where we are in need of your
love we are in need of your loving
arms although this is the time we give
gifts we already have your
gift you have given us life you've given
us love you've given us joy dear father
we thank you on this day that
we reach out to each
other and give
the gift that you've given to us let us
see each other as brothers and sisters
that we acknowledge each other in a way
that no one else has ever done before
let us see each
other with the love that you've already
given to
us and so we thank you dear father for
those who are in our leadership
leadership we also thank you for those
whom
are
are on on our streets looking for the
disenfranchised Looking For Those whom
are thirsty are hungry and need shelter
we thank you for our for First
Responders each and every one of them we
thank you for all of our those families
who watch their loving family members go
out and that they may never see again
but we look up to you for the joy that
you continue to give to us all the grace
that you continue to look forward in us
that we see in a future that tomorrow
and tomorrow and tomorrow is all in your
hands that we see you first and that our
leadership judge to you first before
making a decision for each and every one
of us we thank them for the joy and for
the things that they do for us
so we look forward to this time a season
of
giving in which you've already given to
us let us be joyful and let us respond
to those who may not sing sing the joy
of This Time of the Season let them look
forward to you to find that joy to find
the words to say that they love each and
every one of us that we love them if
they looking for love let them find it
within your word and in your
joy and yes I know I said Joy a lot
because we need it we need the laughter
we need the
grace and we see you as we see you
looking down upon us and we thank you
Lord and all in agreement said
amen
amen that's perfect Pastor thank you
please join me in honoring our nation
and flag with the Pledge of Allegiance
I flag of the United
States for it stands one nation God
indivisible
Justice thank you Pastor thank you
council member Stewart Council next on
our agenda is the consent agenda we
probably had a dozen
uh presentations and questions related
to this on Monday uh unless there is a
desire to pull any item for for Action a
motion would be in order May
mayor council member St thank
you I'd like to make a motion to approve
the consent agenda for Thursday December
12
20124 and is there a second second all
right we have a motion and the second uh
no recusals or any other actions please
vote vice mayor
Harris
yes motion carries
unanimously great thank
you sorry council member cus it's his
last
meeting he's moving he's been eye in
this chair yeah next is our uh action
item res resolution number
5846 amending the Citywide feed
schedule um is there a motion mayor I'd
like to make a motion at this time for
this item I move to adopt resolution
number 5846 amending the city fee
scheduled relating to the Community
Services cultural development
development services fire and public
works and utility departments with these
changes effective January 1st 202
we've got a motion is there a second
second motion and a second um any
questions or conversations mayor council
member Stewart good J council member
Stewart I'm gonna to the out counc thank
you thank you very much uh mayor I'm I
will be voting no on this item uh for a
couple of reasons one um we have a
surplus in our budget right now and I
don't think now is the time to raise
taxes on our on our residents when we
when we do have a good base budget and
uh we've been doing great planning for
years and that's a testament to the
great work that our financial team is
doing but this is the timing is not
right I'd love to see this move to uh
next year or something like that but
I'll be voting now okay and you meant
raising fees not taxes right since this
isn't raising
taxes thank you for the correction mayor
yeah it's the same thing but thank you
okay any additional comments council
member posting actually that kind of
leads into the question that I had
because um I I maybe the city manager or
the budget director can answer the
question about the Surplus that you're
talking about because that's actually
going around on social media as well and
I don't believe that's accurate so if we
could clarify where that's coming from
if we have a $16 million surplus we
should be revisiting our with our bond
committee because I'd like to see that
go to our infrastructure and and bring
those dollars down a little bit but if
you could
clarify sure yeah I can I can start
council member and if there's more
detail certainly our Deputy city manager
CFO can add to that so mayor council
post and thank you for the question um I
think it's important to understand the
difference here we talk about surpluses
between ongoing and one-time revenues so
we talk about any sort of surplus at the
end of a fiscal year we're talking about
onetime dollars uh we're talking about
how we can reinvest that into Cash
funding projects and that does offset to
your point lowering some of the the
things we would have to bond for so it
goes right back into services
I think we also need to look at where
we've been in the economy these last few
years and what's coming on the horizon
and we're looking at some very different
pictures here uh so the past few years
we've seen a lot of inflation a lot of
growth we've also had some very large
projects that were driving one-time
Revenue into the city budget and I want
to emphasize one-time Revenue into our
budget so things like Intel's expansion
uh puts a tremendous amount of permit
Revenue it puts construction sales tax
we treat that as one time because we
know that project is going to come to an
end and we're not going to see that
money repeating every year and so we'd
be very judicious about how we spend
that and that goes back into capital or
one-time expenses when we're talking
about fees those are ongoing revenues we
use that to budget for how we provide
services how we pay staff how we open
and operate our facilities and that's
what you're talking about here with the
fees that are proposed for adjustment
here particular around community
services this comes from the council's
policy direction to us over the last
year and a half of what fees you want to
look at
and these are not fees that are aimed at
hitting the individual resident in the
pocketbook these are aimed at either
benefiting our residents and we have
quite a few of these that are actually
either lowering costs or clarifying
costs for our residents or in some cases
it's making it that if there is an
exclusive use of a facility that it is
excluding everyone else in the community
from benefiting from that public
facility because there is a private
event that that should be closer to
paying the actual cost cost to running
that particular program or service or
facility so that's what we're talking
about here we're not talking about
things that are actually going to take
away uh from the individual here or cost
them more money in fact quite the
opposite with a number of these fees so
without knowing the specific number of a
surplus or where that's derived from
which I can't can't tell you I don't
that number doesn't stand out to me 16
million um but that is the way that we
treat ongoing versus onetime revenues
and certainly Miss Lang can provide
addition detail on top of that so um I'd
like to continue the conversation but I
think council member Stewart would like
to clarify just to make sure that you're
answering probably the correct question
sure that that was a lot I was trying to
take some notes there so just to be
clear the budget that you send out in
the west memo every month the last month
I I didn't look at it this month we were
$16 million over our forecasted budget
so we had I don't remember what the
number was but it was about $16 million
that we were coming in over in Revenue
what we had budgeted to spend for the
for the fiscal year so that means that
that money was not earmarked for
anything as far as I could tell that was
the main reason for this discussion and
Josh to your point about there's some
fees that are going up there's some fees
that are getting moved we talked about
that as well when I asked if these could
each be separated out so for example
we're going to raise the fees at the
pools we're going to raise the fees with
some some of the kids things I'm sorry
no we are not um
thank you so there there are some fees
that are going up with our regard to our
parks and maybe it wasn't the pools but
it was something else and we want to
keep those level for for our kids so my
my point is is that when I asked to have
each one of these different things
broken out I was told no because there
are some that I want to vote for right I
think they're good for us and that was
the motion that I made in the last
meeting now there are others that I
don't think we should be taking a price
increase on right whether you want to
call it a fear a tax it's still more of
a burden on the taxpayer when it's
my what I've seen
is that we were $16 million in Revenue
over what we projected to have which
means that we've got an extra $16
million is that a fair assessment so um
let me let me just okay to to be
abundantly clear we are not raising pool
admission fees in the Fe I want to make
sure that's very clear I got it um that
is actually that was Direction not to do
that by the council and that is not part
of what you're from that okay right so
that is not included here um what I
think is important and again miss Lang
can provide some other description
around this is every month every quarter
we provide you with some Financial
updates we also post those online in the
interest of transparency to our
residents um that is a rolling total so
you're going to see that EB and flow and
adjust throughout the year as to how
we're doing uh we have some major
changes on the horizon and in fact if
you look at a more zoomed out Trend
you're actually seeing the revenue curve
if you will flatten after the last few
years so we are not going to likely see
those gains we saw with surpluses or
whatever it may have been in one-time
dollars in the future uh what you're
actually seeing is things like Intel's
expansion come to an end at the end of
2025 that will stop putting that permit
and transaction privilege tax fee
Revenue into our budget um you're also
going to see the end of residential
rental sales tax which is again an
ongoing source of Revenue so that that
sunsets at the end of this calendar year
so you're actually seeing a flattening
of that curve not at continuing to go
upward and I'll turn it over to miss
Lang to provide further clarification
can I address that since you're
addressing the points real quick on the
residential rental taac though we we
built that into the budget for this year
right yes Mr and then on on the Intel
expansion the 11 billion that's coming
just to Chandler should keep
the uh kind of the the ball on top of
the water right as it relates to impact
fees and things like that and we haven't
had a chance to bet this out but I
understand all the things you're talking
about but the economy here is strong
right and we don't want to give the
impression to the public that it's not I
would I would imagine that that is not
the case so year after year we've had
budget surplus when we look at the West
memos and we've talked about this a
million times and and while we don't
want to Hash this out maybe on the Das I
tried to do this in other meetings but
that's the point of of my so maybe we go
ahead all right uh let me recognize Don
okay
uh council member Stuart just to address
the the reports that are out so far is
through October and we are 10 million
over budget and the way we come up with
that is we compare because it's an
adopted budget and like Josh was
mentioning our revenues EB and flow
depending on activity happening within
our city boundaries and inflation as as
you've stated before so um this this
just shows three months worth of
activity and if you look at that three
months it's in order to determine how
much we are over we look at the
Historical trend of how much we receive
typically in the first three months for
the last four years we do a fouryear
average and um the historical trend for
instance shows 1.3 million in uh
construction permit revenue and so far
we're at almost 5 million in
construction permit Revenue so that is a
large permit that got pulled in the
first quarter that we typically
typically don't have those large perits
pulled in the first quarter of the last
four years so that's kind of an example
of how it will look big all of a sudden
um but we already have set we we've kind
of looked out and set our forecast for
the entire year and we believe that come
January after the Christmas bubble and
residential rental is no longer being
collected that that will start to to go
down and we've built that in our
forecast um and that Trend that
historical Trend will hopefully come in
alignment as the months continue but
again you have to dig into those numbers
because that's a one-time revenue and
that is not something we can use to
support the operations of our city and
the activities that happen within our
parks and everything so we we really
kind of like Josh was saying we got to
look at the difference between that
ongoing and those onetime
revenues that helped me mayor so council
member May council member um Stuart
finished then council member Poston and
guys I think I'm after that I'm going to
call the question because we're just you
can just vote on it accordingly yeah I'm
sorry and I stepped on your question
council member and I wanted you to be
able to clarify so that that was I think
a good discussion but I did just have
two one more question and a
clarification thank you mayor um my only
other question was you know we've been
talking about this for quite some time I
was on the subcommittee
a year and a half ago and then it made
news and so this has been out there I'm
I'm hoping I I think our Communications
office has been out there putting out
there have we been getting any residents
have residents responded to us do we
have concerns I think that's who we
really need to be responsive to through
the mayor council member Poston we have
done significant Outreach um our
community services directors actually
met with stakeholders and other staff
have met with stakeholders and talked
about these fees um there has been an
open dialogue box on our website where
our public fee posting is and we have
gotten
no opposition I was looking over because
since they got didn't go through last
time to today I just want to make extra
sure but we still have not received any
opposition to the fees that and you
talked to some stakeholders as well yes
okay um our director has all right my my
just final comment is that I think just
based on this discussion it would be I
think prudent for us as a council to
look at this in conjunction with the
budget when we're managing the
overarching budget I think it would be a
better fit there I don't know if we can
adjust when we look at these or if the
other council members would agree with
that but it seems like it would make
more sense to have that bigger picture
as we're voting on fees like
this um I have a motion at the table
mayor what we're going to do with that
um I am engaging this room and we're
continuing the disc discussion until
someone calls the question but I'm not
recognizing you yet because I have
others to do that um Council vice mayor
Harris yes um mayor I believe what um
what coun restor is referring to is um
our actual budget versus the forecasted
projected budget and the actual budget
is what the year-to date will finally
adjust everything to but when you're
looking at the regular memos that's
going out they do um project up and down
um because of the fact it's based on the
spending and based on what's coming in
and so at the end of the day some months
are going to look more prominent but at
at the end of the year the year to date
everything should get into four
alignment but if you do look at the
budgets now and you follow the memal now
they're going to look up and down so
he's not he's not entirely wrong with
what he's saying it's just when you look
at it now versus you see it to the end
of the DAT then you'll see it fully come
into alignment and I I think his
statement is not incorrect in terms of
the um what he's seen in terms of the
Surplus but I do believe that when the
Year date ends it will align and it will
finally fizzle off and whatever the
actual or the over it will roll into um
the next budget so thank you mayor all
right well Council I'm gonna I'm GNA
call the question and let's just vote
and let your care say just one more
thing it's it's a nice thing finish so
no no I appreciate mayor May point of
order point of order mayor point of
order last thing that I wanted to say
mayor point of order which supersedes
that we call for the question all debate
is stop and we vote
correct mayor if I may council member
Orlando
that is correct the mayor's
parliamentarian who also um was the one
that called the question I do believe he
can allow one statement but but you are
correct and technically all debat should
stop all right uh Council you can make
any additional statements at at the end
let's just vote on
this vice mayor
Harris uh no
motion carries by majority with council
member Stuart and vice mayor Harris
destine great okay do we have any
unscheduled public appearances mayor I
have not received any cards okay counc
would go into current events got a few
great things happening uh this Saturday
as was announced previously we do have
the reefs Across America event happening
at Valley of the Sun the Exchange Club
and volunteers from across the East
Valley will gather for the annual wath
Across America event this event pays
tribute to those who have served our
country with volunteers placing wreaths
adorning red bows on the graves of
veterans and cemeteries across the
United States here in Chandler we will
gather at the Valley of the Sun Cemetery
to honor our veterans and I encourage
you all to join us I want to thank our
Exchange Club community members for
their commitment and dedication to this
important cause
secondly just remind everyone is the
reason for the season is the opportunity
to share joy and and I think the best
way we receive Joy is bringing joy to
others so with the joy of the holidays
in full swing and Chandler there's many
ways that you can give back some of
these opportunities are our golden
neighbors our third annual golden
neighbors holiday celebration which is
Wednesday December 18th we will be
connecting with and supporting the
seniors in our community and are
accepting donations through Monday our
Chandler Library community carry is also
accepting donations through December
16th and you can stop by any of our
library locations to help neighbors our
fire department is hosting their annual
stuff the truck toy drive and there are
two more days to participate so you can
drop off a new unwrapped toy and gift
cards at the Chandler fire stations
through Friday to support families in
need of the holidays or pick your own
favor nonprofit or make a difference by
noticing the needs in your neighborhood
the the opportunities are boundless but
I do encourage you to take some time to
serve others as we celebrate the magic
of this holiday
season council member and
cus thank you mayor thanks for my time
um I am going to be announcing uh which
just wrapping up um this December
wrapping up my second year my first or
of my four-year term here and I wanted
to do a hold a town hall for our
residents here in Chandler which I had
last night at the Chandler Museum
um there I was able to discuss uh what
we've done as a council in the last two
years um and as well I wanted to hear
from residents on what in the next two
years I can help assist with them
whether they have concerns suggestions
or anything they want to just see done
in the next few years and I want to be
part of that difference and sharing that
with you guys as well well so we had a
great turnout at the Museum yesterday um
I got a lot of input and a lot of praise
for us as a council on what we've done
in these last two years that I can share
with you guys and I also left the town
hall with a great list of items that we
can work on together as well as with
city manager so I appreciate all the
residents that came out to the museum to
share their input get engaged with um us
here on Council and I want to just wish
everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year so thank you thank you council
member Ellis thank you mayor 2024 has
been a really busy years for so many and
great year also but for some it has not
been and so I am grateful to say that uh
I will encourage every single one of you
to hold your family a little bit tighter
this season spend some time with those
you have not seen in a while if you need
to make that phone call please make it
life is too short um we have been
sitting here making a lot of decision
that have affected a lot of people's
lives 20 9,000 of you have given us the
power to speak over your lives to do
different things for you as we sit here
to make those
decisions um it is not
without great I will say gratitude that
I want to thank the people of Chandler
for giving me another four years to sit
here to do this
again for
you I guarantee you I will not take it
for granted and another thing that I
would want to make sure that you
understand every single day that I get
up and I come here to City Hall I see
you I hear you and I want to do what's
best for you what's best for this city
because at the end of the day I will
never want to be here to do anything if
it's not for the love of Chandler so
Merry Christmas to all of you happy New
Year if we have not seen you before the
new year come in and to all my
colleagues up here it has been such a
pleasure working with every single one
of you I pray for you all and I pray
that we will come back with more wisdom
with more understanding and more love
for each other because when the head is
sick the whole body is sick and if the
head is healed the whole body is healed
and so that's what I would like to give
to the people of Chandler that we will
continue to work together as a team and
then so that the city can continue to
flourish and continue to move forward
together thank you again mayor for
giving me the opportunity to finish this
year strong and stronger than I started
it appreciate you all thank you council
member Stuart thank you mayor it
wouldn't be even though it's my last
meeting it wouldn't be a meeting if I
wasn't kicking and screaming about fee
increases and tax increases right so I
appreciate you guys indulging me in in
my last meeting with that and uh I know
I know we in a great place financially
and I know that uh the people that are
working up here on this Das are going to
do great things uh moving forward in the
2025 and Beyond but you know what I'm
really excited about is Faith and family
holiday tradition at the Park this
Saturday you heard that right we are
going to have a holiday traditions event
at our park where we're celebrating
Faith and family of Chandler um the we
will have um students that will provide
musical events and singing and things
like that there'll be uh craft stations
and things like that for the kids but
it'll be a great celebration there'll be
food trucks as well uh but so Saturday
from 1: to 3 bring your loved ones to AJ
Chandler Park bring a blanket a lawn
chair and enjoy a festive fun music
filled celebration and it'll celebrate
the rich holidays of Christmas Hanukkah
and other cultural celebration so we
look forward to seeing you there I will
certainly be there and I'm excited about
it but uh thanks again everybody have a
great Christmas have a great Hanukkah
have a great holiday season and thank
you again appreciate it councilman
Berlin you know what I'm excited about
mayor the Chiefs it's
budgets we it's budget time this year
folks and as you every year we do a
survey many cities don't do this quite
frankly I was looking a couple of my
colleagues around the valley and uh we
don't they don't have this process that
we've had for a long time so kudos to
our staff we're always looking for the
input uh some years we'll get five six
some we had a th one year so we're
really but you go online um uh believe
the the website right here but just go
on the
chandleraz.gov and you can fill out the
survey and this year we actually have a
little bit different instead of saying
uh things are satisfactory
unsatisfactory we actually have a little
pull down box you could actually add
different comments of what you feel we
should be concentrating on for next year
so take that survey it's available in um
online as I indicated earlier paper
copies in English Spanish and Mandarin
and new jerseyan so if you want I could
I could I could help um you know
translate for you folks so um so it's CR
it's critical for us and again I want to
thank you for your contribution to this
really really does help us uh sort out
what the priorities are and as everyone
else up here said Mark we'll see you
next week to well next month to say
goodbye officially but thank it's been a
pleasure serving with you and uh I
remember the first time I met you at a
coffee shop and you came in all Matt I
don't know it's it's a long thing it's a
big thing to do can I pick your brain a
little bit and I mind to pick you'll
mind to pick in my brain I wanted to
pick in your brain so it's been a
pleasure working with you and um we
we'll say more next week or next month
thank you uh real quick I know if I have
more wisdom next year in January but
I'll be a year older so I don't know if
that counts but we'll we'll take we'll
take that have a great safe holiday and
we'll see you in
January city manager does our translator
uh translate new jerseyan is that one of
they
recognized I'm available I still can't
figure out what they're
saying I'm available something about
ababou Gaba goul see
already council member
posted thank you mayor I am excited that
we are so lucky in Chandler to have such
a great partner in the Chandler Gilbert
Community College over the years I have
watched them over and over respond to
the current Workforce needs and they've
done it yet again with AI so I was
fortunate enough to attend an event last
week as they were kicking off their
empowered for Student Success campaign
so at this event where was there with
their mascot um they unveiled that they
have a new bachelor's degree in Ai and
machine learning so the students will
have really these in demand cutting Ed
Edge skills and it's going to open doors
to high-paying rewarding careers in
fields from Health Care finance and
autonomous systems so this is the first
of its kind in at a community college in
the United States and it highlights the
commitment to supporting cutting Ed
educational opportunities so it will
support the growing technology and
Innovation job market that we have here
in Chandler and congratulations to cgcc
and I I want to thank them for letting
me be a part of that announcement it's
very exciting for our students and it's
so great to have them right here in our
community and then the other
announcement I had is um mayor you at
least one of these uh was that we had a
couple really neat announcements right
in our Downtown Chandler area and we are
so lucky to have these businesses grow
and expand so spin the bottle and Maple
House both had big events this week and
they had some ribbon cutting so we cut a
ribbon there it is right there at spin
the bottle and that is a boutique wine
store right on Boston then we also
celebrated one year of Maple House
bringing coffee and Cocktails to the
downtown community and both of these are
expansions and new opportunities for
businesses that have already found
success in downtown Chandler so it is is
a great reminder for this time of year
to please continue to choose Chandler
and Shop locally and so please as as I
wish everyone a Merry Christmas happy
Hanukkah happy New Year please remember
to choose Chandler and Shop local it's
so important to our local business
owners and our Chandler Community thanks
mayor thank you city manager and do we
have any idea how many were at the
Tumbleweed tree parade in Ling have you
heard anything uh mayor I have not seen
the official attendance figure yet
unless somebody here has
it how
many there you go 12 to 13,000 I knew
Kim would
know uh thank you mayor members of
council uh just wanted to wish everyone
as well a happy holidays H merry
Christmas happy Hanukkah unfortunately
for me Hanukkah this year starts the
same day is Christmas which means I
can't get my shopping done and out of
the way earlier than everybody else and
avoid the Dash so I'm going to be right
there competing with you to get all the
gifts that I forgot to buy and I should
have bought a long time ago so uh but
happy holidays to everybody there's also
another holiday sometimes people forget
in December and that's council member in
Cena's birthday is next week Soh happy
birthday council member in seen us in
advance yes and
[Laughter]
uh uh and again thank you mayor and
Council for a great 2024 we appreciate
all your support of Team Chandler our
staff all the projects all the wonderful
initiatives that we have we look forward
to an exciting 2025 thank you thank you
city manager thank you all thank you sta
for uh really making our job so much
more knowledgeable informed and and
confident that as we go out into the
community that we know it's whether
First Responders or housing or pick your
group that are Community as well serve
so we are appreciative of all the work
that you all do with that
all