Sep 18, 2023 City Council Meeting 09/18/2023

WE'LL GO WITH IT.

[00:00:01]

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2023.

[ Call to Order]

MAYOR HARTKE, PRESENT, VICE MAYOR ORLANDO.

HERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER ENCINAS.

HERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.

HERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART.

HERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER HARRIS HERE.

COUNCIL MEMBER POSTON.

HERE.

WE HAVE A QUORUM.

THANK YOU.

OUR INVOCATION TONIGHT WILL BE BROUGHT FORTH BY CAROLINA URIBE FROM ST.

MARY'S PARISH AND OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY COUNCIL MEMBER JANE POSTON SISTER.

GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

LET US PRAY.

THANKS TO GOD FOR THE GIFT OF LIFE.

THANK YOU LORD FOR YOUR PRESENT.

PLEASE SEND THAT YOU HOLY SPIRIT AND ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS AND OTHERS GATHER HERE TO THIS MEETING.

GIVE US THE GIVE OF WISDOM AND DISCERNMENT TO HAVE A GOOD COMMUNICATION BETWEEN US FOR THE SAKE OF OUR PEOPLE AND OUR SERIAL.

CHANDLER MAKE US INSTRUMENTS OF LAW, PATERNITY, AND PEACE.

AMEN.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG 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.

THANK YOU FOR THE INVOCATION.

UH, THANK YOU FOR THE, THE, UH, PRAYER AND FOR LEADING US IN OUR PLEDGE.

BEFORE WE GO TO SCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCES, I DO WANT TO DO A SHOUT OUT TO THE MAYOR'S YOUTH COMMISSIONS IN THE BACK.

IF YOU GUYS COULD PLEASE STAND.

USUALLY THOSE SEATS ARE TAKEN AT THE END OF SEMESTER BY PERRY HIGH SCHOOL.

THEY HAVE TO DO THEIR MANDATORY GOVERNMENT CLASS AND THEY WAIT UNTIL DECEMBER TO GET IT DONE IN THE, SO WE'RE GLAD TO SEE PEOPLE HERE IN SEPTEMBER.

IF I COULD HAVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HARRIS, JOIN ME UP FRONT FOR OUR SCHEDULED PUBLIC APPEARANCES

[1. Service Recognitions]

LET ME TURN IT OVER TO CITY MANAGER JOSH WRIGHT.

THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL.

WE DO HAVE TWO EMPLOYEE RECOGNITIONS THIS EVENING.

FOR THE FIRST I'D LIKE TO INVITE OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR, JOHN SEFTON, TO COME FORWARD.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR.

COUNCIL, MR. CITY MANAGER AND TEAM.

I'D LIKE TO INVITE UP RAQUEL DIAZ TO BE RECOGNIZED.

RAQUEL, COME ON DOWN FRONT FOR HER 10 YEAR RECOGNITION.

RAQUEL BEGAN HER CHANDLER CAREER AS A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER AND THEN ON TO TUMBLEWEED RECREATION CENTER.

AND THEN ON AND ON TO EXPERIENCE MORE AND MORE WITH THE HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT DIVISION.

IN 2017, SHE PROMOTED TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT POSITION WITH THE PARKS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE DIVISION.

RAQUEL IS THE CONSUMMATE ADMINISTRATIVE AS ASSISTANT.

SHE EXEMPLIFIES TEAM CHANDLER AND CONSISTENTLY EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS IN THE QUANTITY, QUALITY AND TIMELINESS OF HER WORK.

SHE'S A STRONG CON CONTRIBUTOR TO THE SUCCESS OF THE DIVISION AND I MAY SAY SHE'S THE REASON FOR THE SUCCESS FOR A LOT OF THAT DIVISION.

UH, SHE'S THE GLUE THAT HOLDS IT ALL TOGETHER.

IN 2022, RAQUEL WAS NOMINATED AND AWARDED THE EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR FOR THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

RAQUEL, WE'RE PROUD OF YOU.

WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE YOU ON THE TEAM.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DECADE OF SERVICE TO CHANDLER MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

FOR OUR SECOND EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION OF THE EVENING, I'D LIKE TO CALL UP RAYLIN NIELSEN, OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR.

GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNSEL.

I'D LIKE TO CALL UP SONIA EBERT PLEASE.

[00:05:05]

THROUGH HER PIVOTAL ROLES IN HR SINCE 1993, SONYA HAS CONTINUOUSLY DEMONSTRATED HER UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THE CITY OF CHANDLER.

SONYA'S EXPERTISE AND DEDICATION WERE THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND NUMEROUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS, INCLUDING HER SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE ORACLE IMPLEMENTATION IN 1999.

AND HER RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION STUDY CHANGES HER JOURNEY.

FROM HR ASSISTANT TO BUSINESS SYSTEM SUPPORT ANALYST EXEMPLIFIES HER GROWTH AND IMPACT ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION.

SONIA LEAVES BEHIND A LEG, A LEGACY AS OUR RESIDENT HR EXPERT AND HISTORIAN.

UH, A CONTRIBUTION THAT I MISS GREATLY 'CAUSE I WAS ALWAYS IN HER OFFICE ASKING HER QUESTIONS.

HER GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR, HER DECORATING STYLE AND JUST HER BEING THERE WORKING AT THE CITY IS A FAMILY AFFAIR.

TONIGHT SHE'S JOINED BY HER HUSBAND, RETIRED LIEUTENANT MACE EBERT, HER DAUGHTER DANIELLE, WHO WORKS AT TUMBLEWEED, HER SISTER MYRA, WHO WORKS WITH NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCES, HER BROTHER-IN-LAW WHO WORKS AT PARKS.

SO I WASN'T KIDDING WHEN I SAID THAT ALONG WITH, UM, HER OTHER DAUGHTER, ANISSA, HER STEPDAUGHTER, SAGE, HER MOM AND STEPDAD AND HER GRANDDAUGHTER AND GRANDSON.

I'M SURE I MISSED SOMEBODY 'CAUSE THEY TOOK UP A COUPLE ROWS BACK THERE, .

SO PLEASE JOIN US IN CONGRATULATING SONYA ON HER 32 YEARS OF SERVICE AND HER RETIREMENT.

32 MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

THAT CONCLUDES OUR SERVICE RECOGNITIONS FOR THE EVENING.

THANK YOU, CITY MANAGER.

UH, NEXT ON

[2. Proclamation - Domestic Violence Month]

I COULD HAVE KATIE KANE, OUR FROM CHANDLER PD AS WELL AS OUR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COMMISSIONER MEMBERS.

PLEASE COME ON UP.

I GOT THIS.

YOU GOT THE NEXT ONE.

OH, ALL RIGHT.

WHEREAS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AFFECTS CHANDLER AND COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE, INCLUDING AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES.

AND WHEREAS NATIONWIDE, MORE THAN 56% OF NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN AND 43% OF MEN HAVE ENDURED PHYSICAL VIOLENCE BY AN INTIMATE PARTNER.

AND WHEREAS NATIONWIDE, 66% OF OF NATIVE AMERICAN WOMEN AND 73% OF MEN HAVE EXPERIENCED PSYCHOLOGICAL AGGRESSION BY AN INTIMATE PARTNER.

AND WHEREAS AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE YOUTH WITNESS HIGHER RATES OF TRAUMA AMONGST THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS, COMPARISON TO NON-NATIVE PEERS.

AND WHEREAS RESEARCH SHOWS THAT HAVING A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY THAT REDUCES THE OCCURRENCE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

THEREFORE THE CITY OF CHANDLER STRIVES TO CREATE A SAFE COMMUNITY FOR ALL TO LIVE FREE FROM ABUSE.

AND WHEREAS TOGETHER THE THE CITY OF CHANDLER'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COMMISSION, LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROSECUTORS, AND COMMUNITY AGENCIES EDUCATE AND SUPPORT FAMILIES TO HELP PREVENT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

IN CHANDLER.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, KEVIN HARTKE, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF CHANDLER, ARIZONA TO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER, 2023 AS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH.

AND ARE YOU, ARE YOU OUR CHAIR? YES.

ALRIGHT.

YOU'VE, YOU'VE BEEN OUR CHAIR FOR A WHILE.

THAT'S A GOOD THING.

THEY MUST LIKE YOU.

HAPPY TO SHARE.

YEAH.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE SOME WORDS? OF COURSE.

THANK YOU.

UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT AND PREVENTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

NEXT WEEK WE ARE HOSTING OUR 14TH ANNUAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EVENT TO RAISE AWARENESS, SHARE RESOURCES, AND HEAR THE STORIES OF SURVIVORS.

[00:10:01]

IT'S A FREE EVENT.

WE INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN US AND I DO BELIEVE THE INFORMATION IS ON THE SCREEN.

VERY GOOD.

WELL, THANK YOU.

UH, WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE WORK, THE AWARENESS THAT YOU BRING TO OUR COMMUNITY, JOINING OTHERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY, BECAUSE WE KNOW DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ALSO KNOWS NO BORDERS OR CITY BOUNDARIES.

SO THANK YOU ALL AND, UH, COUNCIL, HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE.

AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, UH, WELCOMING THE PROGRAM AND ALL THAT IS PRESENTED.

CAN WE HAVE A PHOTO? OUR NEXT PROCLAMATION

[3. Proclamation - Friends of the Library]

IF I COULD HAVE RACHEL ICK, I'M SORRY.

CHANDLER PUBLIC LIBRARY AND BOB LOWRY AND FRIENDS OF THE CHANDLER PUBLIC LIBRARY AS WELL.

AND COUNCIL MEMBER HARRIS.

THANK YOU MAYOR .

WHEREAS THE FRIENDS OF THE CHANDLER PUBLIC LIBRARY IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT, VOLUNTEER-BASED ORGANIZATION OF DEDICATED ADVOCATES WHO COLLECTIVELY SUPPORT THE MISSION OF OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM.

AND WHEREAS THE FRIENDS CELEBRATE OVER 40 YEARS OF SERVICE THIS YEAR AND THE GENEROUS GIFT OF THEIR TIME ENERGY SET AN EXAMPLE IN VOLUNTEERISM AND POSITIVE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CONTRIBUTE TO A BETTER COMMUNITY.

AND WHEREAS THE FRIENDS UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF WELL-FUNDED LIBRARIES AND THEY CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE AND ATTRACT RESOURCES THAT ENHANCE THE LIBRARY, PROVIDING PROGRAMMING, LIBRARY MATERIALS, RESOURCES, EQUIPMENT, SERVICES, AND SPECIAL EVENTS YEAR ROUND.

AND WHEREAS NATIONAL FRIENDS OF LIBRARIES, WE CELEBRATE THE VITAL ROLE THAT VOLUNTEERS AND ADVOCATES PLAY IN OUR COMMUNITY AND RECOGNIZES THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF THE FRIENDS OF THE CHANDLER PUBLIC LIBRARY AND ENCOURAGE ALL TO JOIN AND THANKING OUR FRIENDS FOR THEIR GENEROUS LEGACY OF SERVICE TO OUR LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY.

NOW THEREFORE, I ON BEHALF OF MAYOR KEVIN HARKEY RIGHT HERE.

UH, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER THE 15TH THROUGH THE 21ST, UH, 2023.

ASK NATIONAL FRIENDS OF LIBRARIES WEEK.

WOULD SOMEBODY LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, MAYOR AND CITY? UM, UH, I'M HAPPY TO ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION ON BEHALF OF THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY.

UH, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK OUR PATRONS, DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS FOR THE SUPPORT THEY GIVE THE FRIENDS AS WELL AS THE LIBRARY.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, LET'S HAVE A PHOTO.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

NEXT WE WOULD

[4. Recognition - Annual Water Festival Sponsors]

SO IF DINA BURNS FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES CAN COME UP AND, UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO GOT OUR WATER FESTIVAL SPONSORS THAT I, I THINK WE'LL BE AWARDING, SO TAKE IT AWAY.

YES.

I BELIEVE WE HAVE SOMEONE HERE TO ACCEPT FROM HAZEN AND SAWYER.

UM, AND I BELIEVE IN TELUS THAT I'M NOT SURE IF THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT IN.

OH, COME ON DOWN.

SHE'S GONNA HAND YOU A SO WE DEFINITELY WANTED TO THANK OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS.

UM, CHANDLER HAS HELD OUR ANNUAL WATER FESTIVAL FOR OVER 18 YEARS, AND THE FESTIVAL CURRICULUM WAS ESTABLISHED BY ARIZONA PROJECT WET AND PROVIDES CHANDLER FOURTH GRADERS WITH A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WATER IN THE EARTH SYSTEMS, ARIZONA WATER RESOURCES AND WATER CONSERVATION THROUGH

[00:15:01]

UH, THE PROGRAM INCLUDES TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN CLASS LESSON PLANS TO ACTIVATE LEARNING AND A TWO DAY HANDS-ON WATER FESTIVAL, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.

UM, THIS FESTIVAL TAKES, IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO PUT THIS THING TOGETHER.

WE BRING IN ABOUT 160 VOLUNTEERS BETWEEN TWO DAYS.

AND IF IT WASN'T FOR OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT ALL THE VOLUNTEERS THAT MAKE THIS PROJECT HAPPEN.

UM, SO WE WANT TO THANK YOU AND LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE YOU.

WE DO ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE BLACK AND VEATCH WHO COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY.

UM, BUT WE THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU AND, UH, APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US THROUGH THE YEARS.

THANK YOU.

I GUESS I CAN ABSOLUTELY.

I KNOW HOW IT WORKS.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

[5. Recognition - 2023 Outstanding Biology Teach Miranda Thornton]

MIRANDA THORNTON, FRANK NUCCI CAN JOIN US TOO.

MIRANDA TEACHES BIOTECHNOLOGY AT BASHA HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BIOLOGY TEACHERS RECOGNIZE MIRANDA WITH THE 2023 OUTSTANDING BIOLOGY TEACHER AWARD IN ARIZONA.

THE AWARD RECOGNIZES HER COMMITMENT TO STUDENT SUCCESS BY PROVIDING HANDS-ON AND LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND ACCESS TO CUTTING EDGE LAB TECHNOLOGIES.

MIRANDA HAS BEEN TEACHING SCIENCE COURSES FOR 18 YEARS WITH 11 OF THOSE AT BASIA, AND WE'RE SO HONORED TO HAVE YOU HERE AS A GUY WITH A BIOCHEMISTRY DEGREE.

I'M REALLY THRILLED, UH, ABOUT YOU BEING HONORED.

SO WOULD EITHER OF YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING? NOT REALLY.

OKAY.

JUST LAST MINUTE WAS LIKE, FRANK, YOU'RE GONNA BE SAYING SOMETHING, RIGHT? .

THIS IS JUST A TEACHER AND THEN SOME AND WHAT I CALL THE, AND THEN SOME IS A TEACHER THAT REALLY IMPACTS AND CHANGES KIDS' LIVES AND THEIR PATHWAY FOR THE FUTURE.

WE HAVE TEACHERS LIKE THIS.

WE HAVE 5,000 EMPLOYEES, BUT YOU, YOU DO IT WELL.

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR NOT ONLY HELPING OUR CHANDLER UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT STUDENTS FIND THEIR PATHWAY, UH, BUT FOR EVERY STUDENT THAT YOU REACH OUT TO FROM YOUR EARLY TIMES AT PAIN WHEN YOU STARTED THERE, ALL THE WAY TO BCIA.

SO WE APPRECIATE YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

SHE'S GONNA THANK YOU ALL.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT CONCLUDES OUR, UM, OUR, THIS PORTION OF OUR, OF OUR JOURNEY TONIGHT.

WE'LL CONTINUE

[ Consent Agenda Items listed on the Consent Agenda may be enacted by one motion and one vote. If a discussion is required by members of the governing body, the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda for discussion and determination will be made if the item will be considered separately. Proposed Motion: Move to approve the Consent Agenda of the September 18, 2023, Regular Meeting, Items 1 - 4.]

IT'S ALL ON OUR CONSENT, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART HAD A QUESTION FOR OUR CITY ATTORNEY COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART.

MAYOR.

MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND, UH, I KNOW WE'RE MAKING SOME UPDATES TO OUR CODE AS IT RELATES TO FIREWORKS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR PARKS.

CAN YOU CLARIFY, UH, THIS ORDINANCE AND, AND THIS WON'T AFFECT NEIGHBORHOODS OR, OR HOMES OR PEOPLE THAT WANNA DO PERSONAL SPARKLES IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

WILL IT? AND DOES IT CHANGE THE CODE TO, TO TO, TO MAKE IT LESS PUNITIVE IF I MAY? MAYOR, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART? YES, ON BOTH ACCOUNTS.

SO THE, THIS ORDINANCE, UM, ONLY IMPACTS PROPERTY THAT IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT OF THE, THE CITY.

SO BASICALLY OUR PARKS AND CITY FACILITIES.

IT DOES NOT IMPACT, UM, RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS, PRIVATE

[00:20:01]

ALSO, IT IS TAKING WHAT IS CURRENTLY A CLASS ONE MISDEMEANOR.

SO IF SOMEBODY IS CITED FOR LITTERING IN THE PARK, THEY COULD BE CITED WITH A CLASS ONE MISDEMEANOR AND THIS WILL CHANGE IT TO A CIVIL OFFENSE, SIMPLY A TICKET WITH A FINE, UM, RATHER THAN THE PUNISHMENT THAT CAN GO ALONG WITH THE CRIME.

THANK YOU CITY ATTORNEY.

I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION.

COUNCIL, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OTHERWISE, A MOTION WOULD BE IN ORDER, SEEING NO QUESTIONS.

WE'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION OR CONSENT AGENDA.

MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE, BECAUSE THE, LET START AGAIN HERE.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2023.

UH, AGENDA ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR.

SECOND.

ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION BY VICE MAYOR, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER ENCINAS.

UNLESS THERE ARE ANY RECUSALS COUNCIL, PLEASE VOTE.

MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THAT CONCLUDES OUR REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

I'M GOING TO GAVEL OUT AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A STUDY SESSION AND, UH, UH, HAVE QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE AGENDA ON THURSDAY.