City of Chandler Regular Council Meeting 08/17/23

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we're gonna start our meeting at about
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session but we'll be starting soon
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well good evening and welcome to a
regular city council meeting apologize
for the brief delay we got some spirited
conversation in a work session and we
want to keep moving on those things
clerk will you please call the roll
mayor Hartke president
here councilman member and Cena's here
councilmember Ellis here member Stewart
here council member Harris
here councilmember Poston present we
have a forum very good we're in vacation
tonight will be brought forth by
Reverend Sarah Oglesby Donegan of the
valley Unitarian Universalist
Congregation and our Pledge of
Allegiance by vice mayor Orlando
Reverend
Spirit of life and love
God of many names and no name at all
be with these leaders and this community
help them to listen more deeply
ask more questions
and hold this community and its needs in
the center of all of their decisions
Spirit help them to consider far into
the future and to learn from the past
help them to learn and grow as leaders
and as humans shaping this community for
other humans
bless this community with compassion
integrity and true leadership
for all of this we pray and give thanks
for your guidance and love amen may it
be so
please join me in honoring America
through the pledge allegiance of our
flag
I pledge allegiance to the fact of the
United States of America and to the
Republic for which it stands one nation
under God indivisible with liberty and
justice for all
and Reverend Oglesby before you go I
just want to thank your congregation in
particular during covid when uh
we had this program called iHelp that's
rotated around for years in different
churches but because of the conditions
and the unknowns of covid uh uh your
congregation took on the Lion's Share
for two years every single night and uh
you save lives you helped our community
in a great way and we're just grateful
so thank you
before we go on I do also want to
acknowledge and welcome one of our
legislators Julie Willoughby who is with
us tonight as well welcome
council is what's before us now is our
consent agenda we had a robust
conversations and presentations on
Monday how would you like to proceed
mayor councilmember Harris yes I would
like to make a motion to approve the
consent agenda of August 17 2023 regular
meeting items one through Thirty one
through Thirty we have a motion
we have a second by council member Ellis
cancel any uh recusals any actions
necessary seeing none please vote
motion carries unanimously very good
next on our agenda is uh requested
briefing uh thank you all for doing
business in Chandler
that's mostly everybody
next we've got a briefing called in by
council member Stewart regarding
Chandler's response to human trafficking
and uh who's going to be making that
presentation yeah mayor council I
believe assistant chief Ramer will be
doing there he is now yes I just saw him
a minute ago
he was he was behind the screen waiting
for you to call his name dramatic
fashion
yeah
I drew the long straw thing today right
so all right
first greetings mayor council we
appreciate this opportunity to speak
with you tonight
um this is a brief presentation
highlighting the Department's efforts in
fighting in the trafficking
so
in 2014 recognizing the immense impact
that sexual exploitation has on a
community
the department began to dedicate
resources to address the issue with a
focused goal and one providing awareness
to Bringing offenders to Justice and
three providing resources to the victims
of these types of crimes
in 2015 Council approved funding to
create the human trafficking unit
to investigate individuals and groups
who engage human trafficking and
Associated crimes
for 2023 just to highlight some of the
efforts that we've done the team has
been participating in dozens of
undercover operations
these include Predator operations that
have resulted in 40 arrests year to date
prostitution stings which have resulted
in 25 arrests year to date
park operations focusing on loitering
and public sexual indecency in our Parks
which have led to 10 arrests here today
and rescue operations where we've
identified 25 victims of sex trafficking
and have offered services to help them
escape the lifestyle of prostitution
in addition we've hosted two
multi-agency Predator operations which
have led to 31 total arrests
with over 70 felony charges surrounding
you trafficking this was in a
partnership with local police agencies
as well as the FBI and Homeland Security
I wanted to I want to take a moment to
highlight one of our detectives that's
in this unit that's Detective Mike Russo
who's just an amazing human being who
has dedicated a great portion of his
career to human fighting human
trafficking
he's assigned to the FBI's human
trafficking task force where he's
partnered or participated in dozens of
operations including federal state and
local partners
most recently he was part of operation
cross country and operation clean house
which led the 31 felony arrests the
recovery of five juveniles who were
being trafficked and one trafficker that
was arrested
he is recognized as a subject matter
expert in the field and has trained
federal state and local of officers
across the country
in December of last year he was
recognized for his efforts by the FBI
director Christopher Wray
and we're grateful that he's on our team
and furtherance of our mission the
Chandler Police Department traffic human
trafficking units partnered with the
Arizona anti-trafficking Network
to combine our efforts in public
education awareness of human trafficking
there are several Partners who benefit
from this training which are noted on
the slide
in addition we want to highlight our
victim Services Unit that works in
partnership with various non-profits in
an effort to provide resources to those
who are involved in human trafficking
and to get them out of the lifestyle of
prostitution
now to further our efforts the city
council approved the 500 000 Grant from
the Arizona Department of Emergency and
Military Affairs in June
this Grant's going to help us in three
specific areas
funds will be allocated towards Advanced
Equipment supplies to carry out safe and
successful operations
two funding will pay for current
Personnel overtime salary associated
with future operations and three funding
will go to education awareness and
training to various members of our
community these include the Health and
emergency services who are often are the
first to encounter people that are
victimized in these areas
the second is the school district and to
educate them obviously these are the
youth and children that are often
targeted by these folks
and then also part of our Hispanic
Outreach forums which are scheduled for
the fall and the spring
and this is in light of studies that
show the Latino population is
unfortunately targeted more than any
other group
slide eight is
oops I went too far
we also want to highlight because of our
partnership with the Arizona
anti-trafficking Network
as a city we are working with a division
under that group called cease
which stands for cities empowered
against sexual exploitation
cease works with local government
through training employees developing
policy and helping identify and
Implement interventions all aimed to
reduce commercial sex trafficking
and with that we are absolutely grateful
for the support over the many years to
help us combat this in our communities
from the mayor and Council
thank you Chief Raymond
um councilmember Stewart
thank you mayor thank you Chief and and
I appreciate that that explanation and
the work that we're doing I think it's
something that's come to the light over
the past few years is something that's
atrocious and and the more I'm learning
about it
um it's happening in everybody's
neighborhood even South Chandler mid
Chandler West East it doesn't matter
it's happening in our neighborhoods and
it's a it's an atrocity I mean I think I
want to recognize the work that you're
doing and I want to recognize you know
what we've talked about here on the
diocese over the past what two or three
years really getting focused on this and
I think I can speak from Aaron Council
when I say that this is something we
don't want in our city and we want to
devote the resources and the effort to
ending this so we're talking about some
serious issues here and uh this is
probably the most heinous crime that
there is
um that I that I can think of other than
than murder and and I think that that we
have to fix this and if we can start
here I think we can do some amazing
things and help other cities in that
regard here's what I do know
is that when the city of Chandler Police
Department puts their mind to lowering
crime it happens when they put their
mind to doing anything it happens and I
know that if you were given the
resources that you needed we could make
a bigger dent in it than we already are
commend your officers for the work
they've already done and thank you for
giving us this presentation but I want
to recognize
um representative Willoughby who's here
tonight because
with her efforts she's appropriated two
million dollars directly to our police
department and I'm hoping that through
the city manager and through the rest of
us we can dedicate some of that funding
to continue to do things to Stamp Out
human trafficking in Chandler so thanks
very much assistant chief I appreciate
the presentation thank you we appreciate
it and you're right it is a very heinous
and very
uh stomach turning where we see these
operations
yeah uh assistant chief also want to
thank you for putting up that c slide I
and this applies I want to challenge all
of us on this days to uh go ahead and
city manager sent out a link I think
it's a 15-minute or so training to help
us and and really in our part to lead
the city and challenge the rest of our
city to become more informed and more
aware and who knows when that
opportunity is going to be but I believe
that if we can get 75 as as the
recommended to minimum of our city if
not more to take this training that uh I
I think we can even be a better force in
that so thank you for putting that slide
up as well vice mayor
thank you mayor and thank you mayor
councilman Stewart for bringing this
forward it's an important issue to all
of us a lot of us and you know one crime
is way too many whether it's in Channel
or another community and we've done a
lot
but again I'm type of person that likes
to say okay what else can we do and you
knew that was coming right Chief I saw
you smile so you don't have to give it
to us now but you know we're starting
the budget cycle soon and if there's
something immediately let us know we'll
work that issue but let's look at our
budget cycle uh and if there's any
legislation obviously be done we got to
get with Ryan Peters and the the
legislators see if there's additional
funding or or laws or something to help
us do the next step absolutely we will
definitely do that appreciate that
let's go Council memory Alice and
council member
thank you mayor thank you Chief and um
when I met with uh detective Russo
and for almost two and a half hours he
was really getting deep into explaining
to me what the department is doing and
what the background and everything
because I was interested because there
was a company that was going to make a
movie about the whole thing so I bought
him to the table with some of the
lieutenant and chief to sit down and
talk about it the one thing that I found
out from him he was a a team of one yeah
he's a team of one and we cannot put so
much on one person and when I ask him as
a first responder myself and a nurse I
wanted to find out from him what are the
gracious things that he has seen he
couldn't even describe them to me and
this is a family man he has children
himself and every single day he's
dealing with these things another thing
that I found out also about him he's not
only working here in Chandler but he's
traveling all over the United States
because he's part of everything that's
happening so he is getting the burden
from Chandler but he's also getting the
burden and vice mayor you did ask what
else can we do I think that's an area
where we all can agree that we will need
to put some you know force behind that
making sure that he has the staff and
the the Manpower that he needs for us to
see more and more being done in that
area so thank you unfortunately the
team's actually just to clarify that has
one sergeant and there's four protected
as well just for Staffing people have
moved other areas we haven't been able
to backfill that yeah but we did create
a team a list that we hope to put on
there and they've actually been helping
out they when we have that opportunity
on overlap days these folks will go and
assist with different operations and
things like that but to your point
absolutely we will continue to look and
find ways to enhance this Mission
because it's so vital and do you I don't
remember if he mentioned it to me do we
have money for hiring but we have not
been able to hire yet staffing is an
issue that's Nationwide and we're
actually doing better than most I know
there's some recent changes that we've
made to help address that with some
incentives for hiring which is very
grateful and I think that will push us
forward we do have some recent success
we have eight going to the academy
this month and we have four laterals
that are currently in the process so
it's a constant struggle but uh we're
working it and hopefully we can get to
that point where we can put those
individuals that are on the list
permanently into those positions yes
thank you so much Steve thank you mayor
councilmember Harris
yeah um thank you um councilmember
Stewart for bringing this forward I
think this is a great thing that you
decide to bring forward
um not only that you helped lead the the
um for us to get the proclamation for
not in our city so you did a good work
in that
um
I guess I want to also say thank you to
State uh representative Julie Willoughby
for getting that two million dollars
over to the city of Chandler it's very
to from a grateful city thank you so
much for for that work and that support
um I guess my question would be to you
Chief is thank you for the presentation
and I know we've already said what more
can we do
um is there a way that we can
um track like is there data I mean
because sex trafficking is is such a
it's one of those type of things that
um you know is there a way that we can
is there data that can track what's
happening in Chandler can we is there
data that says okay kids are being
adopted from Chandler and putting into
everyone how do we track that from like
a city perspective but we keep track of
all crimes that take place and certainly
we can pull some of that there's no just
to be clear that this isn't the the
things that you see on TV where there's
kids being abducted this is completely
different and most of these operations
it's very much like narcotics operations
where you're either posing as a seller
or a buyer and a lot of these offenders
aren't necessarily in the Chandler
Community but they Prey Upon many of the
youth throughout the entire Valley and
they do it through things like social
media gaming systems different apps
things like that
um so when we when we do this we're
trying to Target those folks because we
know they're hitting all over the valley
all over the state but this isn't
necessarily where you see someone that's
being abductive off the streets it's a
very very different from that but
certainly we can produce some data that
kind of shows some of the arrests some
of the investigations of things that
we've done and are we continually to put
up signage and working with businesses
to put up signage around our city to
make sure to put preventative messages
out there or to make sure that our
community is educated are we working
with our community business owners and
schools yeah absolutely that's part of
what the plan's been and some of the
funding that we're getting from this
grant that's going to be complete
education in the schools community
outreach as well as working with the
hospital staff that often they encounter
these victims so thank you man
definitely thank you
councilmancinis
thank you mayor uh Chief when this uh
item this Grand item came to council a
couple months ago it was specifically
directed to the Latino Hispanic
Community as far as being at vulnerable
to human trafficking
um you touched a little bit on the
presentation but is there a certain I
don't want to say occasion or is there
like an uptick is there a reason why
this um Community is being targeted and
then do we already have a strategy in
place as far as the Outreach or how
we're going to be informing people yeah
absolutely it's a it's an awareness
piece as you know 23 roughly of our
demographic our Hispanic and we have
outreaches with all the different
population groups within our community
to include the Hispanic population about
crime Trends how they can be aware of it
how they can prevent it from being a
victim and so this will go to that we
have our first we have one in the fall
one in the spring so October 28th we're
partnering with the cosd we're going to
be at uh Goodman Elementary School and
we're going to do a Hispanic Outreach
there and this will be a part of that
just educating them awareness how
Predators Prey Upon the youth and giving
them tools to be aware and to avoid
their their children from being
victimized
oh
okay thank you yeah and certainly if you
want to attend it'll be nice to have you
there yes if you can give me the invite
that'd be great absolutely
yeah
make sure you send that to all of
council sure okay all right we'll send
it to all of you yeah absolutely all
right thank you Chief all right thank
you
next on our uh agenda tonight uh we have
no unscheduled public appearances this
evening no mayor I have not received any
good so current events uh I will start
I've got a few
first uh coming up next month is our
Chandler Contigo Festival it's a
month-long celebration to commemorate
Hispanic Heritage Month it kicks off
September 16th with a family friendly
festival downtown there will be
strolling Mariachis crafts face painting
interactive cultural presentations and
Lucha Libre mask wrestlers who will be
there to teach you some moves I
understand that Vice Mayors agreed to
put a mask on and show us some moves so
uh yeah
you will find Contigo events all month
long from dance parties to Art displays
Library story walks and you can find
them all on Chandler az.gov forward
slash Contigo
uh it's been mentioned a few times at
different locales but we have our for
our city Day event coming up October
21st and we're going to be tackling a
neighborhood close to the corner of
Cooper west east of Cooper South of
Chandler Boulevard North of Frye and
every October our community joins forces
on Far our city Day last year we had
over 1300 in this group of volunteers
has been revitalizing and will again
this year a neighborhood by painting
homes spreading gravel cleaning alleys
and more so I'd like to invite our
families our businesses council members
faith-based groups to set up for this
year's event there's also going to be a
job fair at the celebration at the local
park you can find out about this and
more at for our city chandler.org
and one more for me is next week we we
are very excited as a council to
commemorate our partnership with ASU as
it comes through fruition as we open up
a new community co-working space at the
ASU Chandler Innovation Center
and uh so I'd like to invite our
community to attend the celebration next
week on Wednesday August 23rd at 9 15
a.m to tour the facility and our goal in
this partnership is to make the ASU
Chandler Innovation Center acic a
one-shop stop for entrepreneurs looking
to launch or scale a business
the pieces are falling into place with
co-working space
prototyping space and upcoming launch of
the Chandler Endeavor Venture incube
Innovation incubator I should have had
you read that one
we encourage local innovators to explore
what this great community resource has
to offer and again you can learn more at
Chandler az.gov and last but not least
we want to thank s Council Melissa
Collier for your tremendous service to
us Melissa says taking on a new job and
we have appreciated uh how you have
really helped us message and help us be
a better counsel and council members at
all so thank you so much
thank you
you didn't know that was on my list I'm
sorry
councilmember and see this no
announcements for me thank you
councilmember Ellis thank you mayor well
we can't all agree that it's been really
hot and whenever you see me with my
little umbrella you know that I'm trying
to stay away from the Sun but we're
getting something downtown that's really
going to help us to cool down that is uh
crispy uh home I mean
record oh my God this is gonna be so
cool it's gonna be some ice cream
downtown I'm looking forward to it I'm
there tomorrow for the we've been
cutting anybody else's coming free
simple did you know about that they said
oh
so we don't know yet but it's going to
be at 11 A.M tomorrow right across the
street from City Hall so we are asking
everybody from Chandler please come down
and join us it's going to be fun I'm
looking forward to taste all the
different flavors thank you mayor thanks
man
Melissa I'll miss you we'll all miss you
so thank you very much
you know my first Tour of Duty here
we've had one person that held that desk
now we've had two so it must be my fault
I apologize
now seriously good luck and uh keep keep
in touch okay uh second mayor I don't
think we meet until after Labor Day so
everyone have a safe Labor Day
um that is one of the highest uh
fatality days of the year so please be
careful driving okay thank you mayor
council member Stuart thank you mayor
I'm not going to miss that ice cream
constant umbrellas I don't miss ice
cream
Melissa all the best in uh in your
endeavors we're excited for you so hey
you know speaking of entrepreneurs uh
we've got another chandler-based
entrepreneur that's opened a restaurant
in downtown Chandler called Elliott's
Steakhouse and so we'd like to
congratulate them on their opening I
think the grand opening is tomorrow so
oh yeah and I went over there with
yesterday with mayor and Council were
there and uh I'm sorry grand opening was
yesterday yeah and so their big opening
is this weekend so uh try to hit them
this weekend or next but uh great to see
flourishing businesses in downtown
Chandler take care
council member Harris yeah um I know I
was at Elliot's place last night
and the mayor was there too
uh but I wanted to just say real quickly
just want to thank um the city of
Chandler for all the prayers I had a
death in my family and I had so many
people reach out to me and I just wanted
to tell you guys thank you so much for
all the love and then yesterday I
celebrated my birthday I think I have
received over 7 000 happy birthdays and
so I just it was so overwhelming uh and
so with everything I have been going
through I needed that and so I just want
to tell the city of Chandler thank you
and thank you to Mayor and Council and
all the staff here who are sending me
text messages and stuff and I appreciate
that and uh I just want to say thank you
so thank you
I was one of those seven thousand and I
didn't I didn't I didn't get a thank you
a heartfelt response yet we're all
waiting all seven thousand of us
council member posted all right thank
you mayor well I have my reservation for
next Friday night for Elliot so I'm all
set so thank you and um
there I just I just wanted to highlight
something that we approved tonight on
the consent agenda and it's it's
something that I think is really kind of
neat it's the intergovernmental um
agreement extension to stop the fish in
our Lakes which seems like you know it's
kind of a simple little thing but it's
actually really really neat and I
actually one time had the opportunity to
watch that happen right now it's about
what 18 000 fish going into Desert
Breeze and Veterans Oasis I got to see
it happen out at veterans Oasis it's a
sight to be seen but that's what really
makes this kind of recreation that
you're seeing on the screen possible all
of the fishing you don't think of
fishing a lot in the desert I don't
think but I think it's a really neat
thing that we did just wanted to
highlight that we have this agreement
that that's what it's for it's there for
our residents it also means that game
and fish assists with water quality
tests and Lake assessments and all of
those things but mostly it means
something really neat for our residents
so I just wanted to point that out that
it's a it's a great opportunity for
Chandler residents to go out especially
with their kids and that sort of thing
so that's it thank you
I'm in I'm terrible at it but I'm in
city manager
nothing tonight mayor thank you all
right Council it's 6 33 that closes our
meeting tonight