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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023.0404.TCRM.MinutesTOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE FOUNTAIN HILLS TOWN COUNCIL April 4, 2023 A Regular Meeting of the Fountain Hills Town Council was convened at 16705 E. Avenue of the Fountains in open and public session at 5:33 p.m. Members Present: Mayor Ginny Dickey: Vice Mayor Peggy McMahon; Councilmember Gerry Friedel; Councilmember Sharron; Grzybowski; Councilmember Brenda J. Kalivianakis; Councilmember Hannah Toth; Councilmember Allen Skillicorn Staff Present: Interim Town Manager Rachael Goodwin; Town Attorney Aaron D. Arnson; Town Clerk Linda Mendenhall Audience: Approximately Seventy-two members of the public were present. TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 1 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Post -Production File Town of Fountain Hills Town Council Meeting Minutes April 4, 2023 Transcription Provided By: eScribers, LLC Transcription is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings. Page 1 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 2 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES MAYOR DICKEY: Good evening, everyone. If you choose to do so, please stand for the pledge and remain standing for the invocation. ALL: [Audio interference] 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. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. Pastor Cathy Northrup from Community Church of the Verdes. Hi. NORTHRUP: Thank you. Please bow your heads with me. Almighty God, we give you thanks and praise for all of your mighty works. You are loving, good, and gracious. Thank you for creating us and sustaining us day by day. Thank you for making us in your image to exist in community with other people. We thank you for this Town of Fountain Hills, thank you for the elected officials, the businesses, the churches, the families, and the individuals that make this town the great place that it is. But Lord, we acknowledge that we do not deserve these good gifts. We are not worthy of your favor, for we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed. We do things that we should not do and we don't do the things that we should do. We have not loved you with our whole heart and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We appeal to Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, forgive us and give us hearts of obedience to your holy scriptures. On this Easter week, we thank you that Jesus rose from the dead and now reigns as king over heaven and earth. Grant that this town will be known as a righteous city. A city that confesses Jesus as lord. A city of peace and hope. A city with happy and healthy homes. A city that welcomes the stranger. A city that cares for the needy. A city that defends the innocent from evildoers. Lord, thank you for civil government. Those who bear the sword do so as your ministers to be a terror to crime. We pray that our civil servants would acknowledge this calling and perform it faithfully. Be with our judges, attorneys, and law enforcement. Grant that they would never neglect or abuse their authority, but they would stand firm for truth and justice. Keep them safe from harm as they serve our community. Page 2 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 3 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES I pray for this council meeting tonight. Give the councilmembers wisdom and guidance as they deliberate on the items before them. May every decision be righteous in your sight, for your benefit and for your glory. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen. ALL: Amen. NORTHRUP: Thank you. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. Roll call, please? MENDENHALL: Thank you, Mayor. Mayor Dickey? MAYOR DICKEY: Here. MENDENHALL: Vice Mayor McMahon? MCMAHON: Here. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Friedel? FRIEDEL: Present. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Grzybowski? GRZYBOWSKI: Present. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Kalivianakis? KALIVIANAKIS: Here. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Toth? TOTH: Present. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Skillicom? SKILLICORN: Here. DICKEY: Thank you. I forgot to ask you. Are you going to read the statement'? Okay. There you go. MENDENHALL: Anyone wishing to address the council regarding items listed on the agenda or under Call to the Public should fill out a request to comment card, located in the back of the council chambers and hand it to the town clerk prior to consideration of that item. When your name is called, please approach the podium, speak into the microphone, and state your name for the public record. Please limit your comments to Page 3 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 4 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES three minutes. It is the policy of the Mayor and council to not comment on items brought forth under Call to the Public. However, staff can be directed to report back to the council at a future date, or to schedule items raised for a future council agenda. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. This is our first meeting with our new -- well, I was -- that's coming. I was going to say with our new rules and procedures, so were kind of struggling through and also we're welcoming our Interim Town Manager, Rachael, up here and appreciate all your help and it's been an exciting two days so far. So thank you so much. Our first items as always are our reports by Mayor, Councilmembers, and Town Manager. Rachael? GOODWIN: 1 have no update. It's an exciting two days. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. TOTH: Well, of course, I've got to go over the different events the past couple weeks. We had the Dark Sky Festival, which was incredible. Such a great turnout. I really enjoyed working that event, so thanks for letting me be a part of it. And then we also had our volunteer reception dinner. 1 think 1 have that title correct. But it was absolutely lovely. Shout -out to the people who set that up and just -- what a wonderful way to thank all of the people and they're so many of you that volunteer for the town in different capacities. And then lastly, of course, Music Fest was April 1st. And that was really fun, too. I enjoyed watching everybody seeming like they had a good time listening to music and it's been a good couple weeks for Fountain Hills. GRZYBOWSKI: Regarding the Dark Sky event, I swear that was the most people 1 have ever seen at that event. It was really very exciting, so many people from out of town. We had two League state legislative update calls. One of the things I want to make sure I mention and we'll talk about it later, I'm sure, that the SB 1 1 17 may have disappeared but it's back in three different bills, and these bills include things like preemption of existing zoning restrictions and parking requirements and 1 know we'll talk about it a little bit more later. Page 4 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 5 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES I had a GPFC board meeting and of course, the Hall of Fame dinner where there were eight really worthy inductees this year. The volunteer reception was definitely one of the best we've had yet, kudos to Community Services and Kim Wickland. And then on Friday, I was invited to attend the Arizona Bicycling Summit, which was my first and that was really kind of neat. Thank you. FRIEDEL: Mayor, I was out of town for the last week and a half, so 1 missed a lot of these events. But I did make it to the Music Fest and 1 have to say that it was packed, so very well -received. A lot of people, too, that 1 talked to were from out of town, so that was a big attraction for our town. And I did hear about the volunteer reception. I'm sorry I missed that, but I heard it was spectacular, so again, kudos, well done. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. MCMAHON: Good evening, everybody. 1 was fortunate enough to be able to attend MomingStar celebration, where within their company there's 20 different national MorningStar facilities and the one in Fountain Hills happened to win the annual Community Service award. So it was really great to be able to celebrate with them because they arc a fantastic memory care center. And on that note, I would like to announce that Fountain Hills has become a Dementia Friendly town. We are nationally recognized right now. They accepted our application and it's really, really great to have that designation because it just opens up a whole breadth of additional information, education, services, and knowledge for our community and the people who have dementia and also their caretakers. So it is really an honor to have that designation. Also, 1 attended the ribbon cutting for LizardPools. They have been in business in town for about ten years. They are really happy here and it was a great celebration to celebrate that. Also, I volunteered at the Dark Sky Festival and that was an exceptional event. And like Sharron said, it was very crowded. Everybody had a great time. It just is a fantastic showing of our community and how they come together and celebrate our Dark Sky designation. Page 5 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 6 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Also, the volunteer reception was exceptional as well. Thank you to Rachael and her staff for putting on such a great dinner honoring all of our volunteers. And the Movie and Music chorus event on Sunday was fantastic, very well - attended. And today, 1 attended MAG Economic council. We were updated on the bioscience industry that is in our Phoenix community and how it's growing, and also updated on Proposition 400 and there are two people speaking tonight from MAG that are going address that further. And also, we are having a Cares forum event on April 20th at the Community Center at 6:30. It's free. We hope everybody attends. It is about social media and the consequences of it to our teens and our families, et cetera. And the local drug coalition has their annual essay contest and the three winners of that contest are going to be sharing their fantastic essays. So I hope everybody can attend. Thank you. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. KALIVIANAKIS: Thank you, Ms. Mayor. Hello, everybody. Thank you for attending tonight's meeting in person, on Cox Channel I I, and livestrcaming it on YouTubc. We appreciate your participation. This is great to see so many people engaged in their community. I was also at the March 30th volunteer reception. It was just a wonderful event honoring our volunteers for the year. 1 happen to actually have the program here. The 2022 outstanding volunteers for Crisis Response Team was Varcen Burn (ph.); home delivered meals, Gary and Bonnie Spettle (ph.); Give -A -Lift, Larry Hcssic (ph.; Sonoran Conservancy, Judy Dragonowitz (ph.); community involvement, Rory Wilson (ph.); development services, Kathy Delaferria (ph.); community services, Patty Houston (ph.); and the 2022 Volunteer of the Year was a gentleman named Bill Craig, an incredible individual. 1 was honored because during the ceremony they did give a mention of myself and Mr. Friedel, Councilman Friedel. They said not only do we serve the town on our town council, but we also are a part of the home -delivered meals program, so we do volunteer. We do volunteer for our community and they recognized us and that was very Page 6 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 7 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES nice because everybody here on the dais does a lot of volunteer work. We do a lot of things nobody knows about and it was nice to get just a small recognition. So it was very appreciated. I played the Phoenix Heart Walk with my saxophone -- I'll give you a saxophone update -- with the Desert Valley Winds Band (ph.). The Phoenix Heart Walk supports the American Heart Association. This year our goal was to raise $650,000 to improve and extend lives of the millions born with heart defects through education, advocacy, and research. Their saying is, we can't do it without you, very appropriately put. We had over 10,000 walkers participated and everybody enjoyed the event greatly and we raised a lot of money for that charity, so that's really good. Also, I attended the Leadership Academy. We had a meeting. I am an alumni of the Leadership Academy. I was in that program last ycar. And so the Leadership Academy is an entryway of being involved in town government through potential community leaders. They can be a part of boards, commissions, and other important positions. We educate and inform our town's future leaders and hopefully, they will take that information and they will join us on the town council or on various commissions and boards. We are currently accepting applications for this year's class, so if you know anybody or if you yourself would like to go to Leadership Academy, please email me at bkalivianakis(a)fountainhillsaz.gov, or go to ilovefountainhills.org for more information. Lastly, I attended a lawyer's luncheon in Scottsdale where the keynote speaker was Arizona Supreme Court Justice Bill Montgomery. Justice Montgomery is a brilliant jurist and a constitutional scholar. He spoke of originalism, substantive clue process, and the concept of a living constitution versus originalism, which is following the plain meaning of the constitution. It was a fascinating lunch. I really enjoyed it. I did earn a continuing legal credit for going to that event, but since my workload has increased so much (indiscernible), I don't anticipate going back into practice of law. Again, just to tie it up, I did attend the Dark Sky Festival. It was absolutely Fountain Hills at its finest. It was just people getting along. There were animal displays. There were speakers. Thcrc were food trucks. It was just Fountain Hills, wasn't it? It was amazing. So I'm so proud to live in this community. Also, I'm on the Fountain Hills Cares and we are doing our meeting that the Vice Page 7 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 8 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Mayor mentioned on the 20th, and I hope you can all stop by. And that's about all. I have more, but we'll save that for next time. Thank you very much. MAYOR DICKEY: Councilman'? SKILLICORN: Madam Mayor, I'm just going to echo the other comments on all the tremendous events that the town has put on and the volunteers that have made this town special. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. Everything was so much fun this past couple weeks. I was happy to welcome the guests to the Dark Sky and also they had the art contest, so that was fun to see the kids and all the parents there. Scottsdale Councilwoman Solange Whitehead and 1 were able to go to the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations International State of the State. Governor Hobbs and a panel from Mexico, Germany, and Israel, where Arizona currently has trade offices and they're going to open one in Taiwan and in South Korea. They said it was the largest gathering of diplomats, elected officials and internationally -minded Arizona community members to date, with close to 600 attendees. So our reach is far. MAG Regional Council, we had that and the Fountain Hills Community Foundation gave out their grant awards reception and that was a nice event. The volunteer, of course, Kimberly Wickland and the whole staff 1 mean, it was just -- looked so gorgeous in there, so thank you for that. The Hall of Fame was a wonderful event. I want to mention at this time that one of the awardces, Phil Yin, that many of you probably know passed away like pretty much a day before. So it was very touching and we want to offer his family condolences and they'll be having a service here at the Community Center on the 14th. I was honored to be appointed to the Executive Committee of the League of Cities and Towns at their meeting on March 31st. 1 wanted to thank that Nominating Committee and the entire Executive Committee for that vote of confidence and the opportunity to represent Fountain Hills in that statewide municipal organization. And last week was First Responders Wellness Week. So 1 won't read the proclamation now, but I did put it online and it's just a way of reminding everyone that Page 8 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 9 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES the risks that First Responders -- they don't stop at the end of the day. There's health issues and sleep issues and other things like that, so please keep them in mind. And thank you, Vice Mayor, for your work on the Dementia Friendly, Part 2 [sic] because, you know, there's -- we do these announcements, but there's always a lot of work behind them. So 1 really appreciate that. MCMAHON: Thank you. MAYOR DICKEY: You bet. So one of the things that's different now is we're going to do presentations which are going to be basically guests or staff. So we're going to start tonight's presentations with an overview from MAG and I'm going to ask our Town Manager to take it from there. GOODWIN: Great. Thanks, Mayor. Tonight we do have our managing director, Ed Zuercher, and Amy St. Peter, the Deputy Executive Director of Maricopa Association of Governments, and they're going to give us an update on a number of their programs. MAYOR DICKEY: Welcome. ZUERCHER: Thank you, Mayor and members of the council. And 1 didn't realize that yesterday when I had a meeting with your Town Manager, that was her first day. But I will vouch that she was working hard yesterday, for sure. So it's good to be here with you. My name is Ed Zuercher. I am the incoming Executive Director for the Maricopa Association of Governments, known as MAG. Our Executive Director, Eric Anderson, is retiring and so the council has hired me to take over and to do that. And so it's a privilege to be here with you this evening. And just a personal note, my college roommate from too many years ago to say, he and his family have just decided to move to Fountain Hills, and so in the next week or so they're going to be moving into your great town and I think it speaks well of Fountain Hills. They could have chosen anywhere to live in the Phoenix metro region. They've never lived here before. They like to visit here and in all their searching and looking for what worked for their family, Fountain Hills was the place, so you're doing something really well here. Someone I respect a great deal has chosen your community, so congratulations to you for what you've done to make this place really a beautiful, Page 9 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 10 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES welcoming, and inviting town for people to move to. With me this evening is our Deputy Executive Director, Amy St. Peter. She'll be talking in just a minute, has a great deal of experience with Maricopa Association of Governments and you'll see that in her pan of her presentation. And also specially with us is a Fountain Hills resident and also a MAG staffer, Audra Koester Thomas, who is one of our leading transportation experts at MAG. So Fountain Hills, you've got some folks at work in there for us. My background is I've been working in local government in Arizona for 30 years and 1 said, this is my fourth week on the job with MAG. So it's a privilege to be here with you today and this is my first time to do this with a council, so I'm happy to be here for this. Let's see, figure this out. Just use this, yeah. Here we go. There we go. So Maricopa Association of Governments, known as MAG, is really the agencies itself. Now it just so happens on this slide, that Fountain Hills is dead center. 1 think that's because of alphabetically how it worked on that, but there you see you're right there in the -- right in the dead center of this thing, so congratulations. But just by way of background, MAG is really two things. It is a council of governments, which is all the governments in the Maricopa planning region, which is 27 cities and towns, three Indian nations -- Native nations, and two counties, Maricopa and Pinal, make up MAG -- plus ADOT, make up MAG membership. So it is a council whereby the govemments come together to work on what I call problems without borders, things like transportation, air quality, human services, and those sorts of things. MAG is also a metropolitan planning organization, which is a legal construct, primarily designed to deal with transportation funding, federal transportation funding and planning. It also goes into air quality and environmental quality. So MAG is doing both of those things with the agencies. It's a very cooperative organization that really has a positive impact on the region. This is the scope of the area. You can see it says Maricopa County as well as parts of Pinal County in that outline. The boundary covers all of Maricopa and parts of Pinal. It represents two-thirds of the states population and 70 percent of the sales tax collected in Arizona happens in this region, and if this region geographically were a state, Page 10 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 11 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES it's a little bit bigger than the State of Massachusetts and if it were a population state, it would be the 25th largest state by population. So just the scale of our region is pretty remarkable and MAG is the place where those governments come together to make those sorts of decisions in those core emphasis areas. As a metropolitan planning agency, we really focus on the safe and smart travel component, as well as the environment and sustainability, and improving quality of life is also a key part of the MAG emphasis, and that all leads to, as Vice Mayor McMahon noted in her attendance, with the economy and growth. They really all feed together into a whole for the region. And above it all, we work to make MAG an efficient and effective operating agency. In transportation, that's one of the things that is a primary issue right now, as were working on the transportation plan for the MAG region in Maricopa County. This has to do with the half -cent sales tax that funds transportation in Maricopa County, and so MAG serves as the planning agency for that and Audra is one of our key planners in that effort. It's really a 40-year legacy. In 1985, just a little bit before your town was incorporated, there was an election for transportation. That was a 20-year tax that was renewed in 2004, 2005, called Prop 400, and that was a 20-year, and so here we are now in the 2020s and were corning to the end of that cycle and looking forward to what's next in transportation. Just to give everybody a little context, before the first tax period of 20 years, in 1986 this was the freeway system in our region. So this is just about the time Fountain Hills was being incorporated. There was I-17, a discontinuous 1-10, and the U.S. 60 going out barely into East Mesa. By the time the first 20 years was concluded with the sales tax, this is the region's transportation network. As you can see, the loops are being built, the 51. In this past 20 years that were now 18 years into, the system has grown in this way, as completing the freeway systems, including light rail, and not shown on here is a significant regional bus transportation network of which Fountain Hills has one of the express buses. The federal funds come through the Maricopa Association of Govemments by federal law. It's the place where they get programmed, where cities participate in that Page 11 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 12 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES programming. In some cases, there are grants which cities compete for. In other cases, it's formula driven. So you see that we work on all those things in cooperation with ADOT and with Valley Metro RPTA. As for you in Fountain Hills, in terms of transportation, these are some of the projects that came to Fountain Hills as part of the MAG region from the last 20 years of the sales tax. There was the design of Shea Boulevard, as you can see from Palisades to Fountain Hills, and you're going to see that's kind of important because it's going to continue in the proposed next tax extension. Work on Shea Boulevard, Technology segment and then Palisades to Technology. Also the Route 515 express bus is funded by that and there arc several other school safety projects, air quality projects, that have come to the town as well from that period. In the regionally supported -- or the projects that are in the proposed extension of the Proposition 400 sales tax which is currently at the legislature, primarily in the arterial street section, the reconstruction of Palisades Boulevard, that's almost at $17,000,000. There's about $7,000,000 for Saguaro Boulevard reconstruction and then widening of Shea at about 12 and a half million. So there are resources coming to your town for transportation as a result of the countywide sales tax and this is a proposal -- should and when the legislature extends that sales tax authorization to go to the voters of Maricopa County, that's the street transportation component. The buses are also part of that. So that's an overview of the transportation end of MAG and what we do. I'd like to turn it over now to Deputy Director, Amy St. Peter, who will talk to you about another important initiative of MAG, which has to do with -- called Pathways Home. Amy? ST. PETER: Thank you very much, Ed. Mayor and members of the town council, it's a pleasure to be with you here tonight. Thank you very much for inviting us. I think I was presenting to you last in November of 2021, so it's been a bit of time and we're very eager to be able to share this update with you today. So MAC has staffed and has been engaged in homelessness since 1999. But back in 2020, we were asked to help strengthen the regional response to homelessness. We've been doing so through very much a data -driven method that relies extensively on research Page 12 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 13 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES and community engagement and member agency involvement and to being able to work with you. It's critical for us to understand how homelessness manifests in local communities in order to develop a responsive and relevant regional plan. So I want to thank you for all of your support over these past few years and I'm thankful for your partnership and look forward to continuing to work with you. So as I said, these efforts are very much data -driven. We derive that data from three main sources. One of those is by analyzing what's working well nationally. There's a lot of really good efforts going on and a lot of communities are demonstrating extremely good progress in addressing and reducing homelessness. So we want to learn from what's going on really well nationally. The two other areas arc much more locally driven, and so the second source of data is community engagement. As we were developing Pathways Home, we intersected and engaged with more than 1500 people, 1500 people representing very different walks of life from the faith community, the business community, nonprofit agencies, as well as local and tribal governments, and their feedback was instrumental. The third source, then, is that member agency involvement. We met one-on-one with the mayors and with the managers from nearly every single one of our member agencies and those conversations were critical because homelessness manifests very differently in different communities. In some communities, it's a much smaller scale and it's also very personal. I spoke with one town manager who could name the person who is experiencing homelessness in his area and they had grown up together and they were neighborhood friends. And in other communities, massive scale, very complex issue. So it's critical because homelessness manifests differently in different communities, it's imperative then that the solutions are custom tailored to each community. And so being able to hear from you directly was really important to us because then we could provide entrance ramps to this regional plan that were appropriate for each of those member agencies in our communities. And Pathways Home represents really the first time that we've been able to rally together as local and tribal governments to really strengthen the regional response, and it takes every community working towards this goal in a way that aligns with their priorities, their preferences, and their character as a community. Page 13 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 14 of73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES So as a result of all of that data analysis and engagement, we were able to have 14 different strategies adopted for the region and then just after I last saw you, back in November of 2021, our Regional Council unanimously approved Pathways Home, our regional homelessness action plan for local and tribal governments. So we've been implementing the plan for just over a year now. This is a five-year plan and so were eager to share some of this progress with you tonight. So we've made a lot of progress over the past year, but I just want to highlight a few areas for you right now. There are three main action steps in Pathways Home. One is coordinating regionally; how can we work together better, how can we work together smarter to achieve better tangible results? With all of this, we're wanting to drive towards meaningful measurable outcomes, and so one of those is coordinating together regionally. The second one is increasing housing options. It's very beneficial to have a diverse housing portfolio throughout the region and we can't really address homelessness fully without addressing housing, and so we've been able to add a number of housing units, both temporary housing units as well as permanent housing solutions for people right here in our communities. We've also been able to work with diverse partners, people from the faith community, education, business, and really spanning a number of different sectors, including the criminal justice system. And with all of that, we've been able to develop toolkits and we were able to develop those with support that we received from all of our member agencies and from subject matter experts throughout the region. These are available to you and we hope that you'll avail yourselves of these solutions and these options. We'd like to highlight one particular piece of our progress, and this is one in which Fountain Hills has been very active as a supporter and we thank you for that engagement. As we were developing Pathways Home and realizing even more concretely the strong connection between housing and homelessness, we realized that there is a need to increase acceptance of affordable housing throughout the region. And it's hard to have a conversation about something when even the term affordable housing carries with it a certain amount of baggage that sometimes stops conversations before Page 14 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 15 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES they can even start. And so we've been researching this extensively. We've been working with the public information officers from our member agencies. We've been working with our local jurisdiction committee and thank you very much to Vice Mayor McMahon and to Rachael for helping to serve on that committee. Your input has been critical, particularly because we wanted a regional campaign that would resonate with all of our communities, understanding again that there are such different perspectives around housing, around homelessness. So we needed a campaign that would be very inclusive and also very positive and so were able to develop this campaign on the basis of the research, the engagement and with feedback that we've received from our MAG Management Committee, as well as from our MAG Regional Council. So we just presented our campaign to our Regional Council and we're getting ready to launch this within the month. We do have a website. The name of that is Home Is Where It All Starts, and so the website is homeiswhereitallstarts.org. If you use that QR code, you can go directly to our campaign website. We have developed a toolkit that you can use that includes a sample -- different kinds of samples. So a sample digital ad. for example. A sample web copy that you can put online. And we invite you because while this is a regional campaign, were hoping that our local partners will really support this as well and that you'll be able to reach out to your constituents, to your residents, to be able to talk about this topic. And we're providing some language that we've tested and it's been proven to help open those conversations in a more positive and constructive way, so instead referring to affordable rents and mortgages, homes within reach, homes that meet our needs, and being able to increase acceptance of affordable rents and mortgages in each of our communities in ways that really fit the nature of that community because again, this will be different in every community. But we need to be able to talk about it as a region. We want to be good stewards of the funding that's been contributed to this campaign and thank you very much for your contribution of $10,000. We're also able to raise funds from the city of Avondale, the town of Paradise Valley, and the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. We raised a total of $105,000 to support those regional media Page 15 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 16 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES buys, but we wanted to further that investment and so we're able to engage in a partnership with Cox Communications and we will at least double the investment that were making on behalf of the region. So we're contributing in total -- actually statewide, because this was developed in partnership with Home Matters to Arizona -- were going to pay Cox $150,000. They will at least double that to provide $300,000 worth of media buys and product and creative collateral that all of our local member agencies can use. So real excited about that. It's a good investment and one that will be used to reach different stakeholders statewide. These arc some of the resources that we've developed to address homelessness. All of these arc free and available to you 24/7. Please do make sure that you're leveraging these. These are available on the MAG website right now. We do have a Homelessness Assets and Needs Data for Unified Planning, or HANDUP tool. This is an interactive tool that's available to you online, so that you can see both the demand and the supply. So in terms of the demand, you can see where are people experiencing homelessness right now and then the supply, what are the services that we can use to address their homelessness and to help them stabilize and be able to give back to the community in a really positive way? And so if you're interested in that, please do let us know. We'd love to provide that access to you. The rest of the materials are all open to the public and available right now on the MAG website and well have different ongoing training sessions and different materials that we'll be adding to the website as this work continues to unfold. And well continue to work with the local jurisdiction committee to receive input and also to share information and that two-way dialogue is critical. These are the next steps that were looking at then. We have just over one year completed in our five-year plan. We have four more years to go and I imagine the work will extend beyond that and so these are the next steps. We are updating our housing targets now on a quarterly basis. We were doing that at first annually, but we realized the situation is just too dynamic to be able to just update those numbers. And the housing targets are, what will it take to reduce homelessness right now by 25 percent? And so we've been able to add a lot of housing units. You saw it was over, I think, 2400 housing units just within the first year of Page 16 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 17 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Pathways Home, which is fantastic and we need to celebrate that progress. We need to keep two things in mind; one, we need a lot more housing options. That target was reached, but that's just reducing homelessness by 25 percent. We still have 75 percent to go. The other thing to keep in mind is that second bullet point. Half of the temporary housing beds that we have right now are funded with COVID dollars. That's good because were able to make those beds available during a really critical time during the pandemic, but it's a challenge because we need to find an ongoing operational funding source for those temporary housing beds. So we are proactively working with fundcrs right now, a variety of funders, both public, private, and those local foundations to be able to develop a strong strategy for keeping those beds open and for making them even more effective. We want to be able to learn from our experiences and then to be able to apply those lessons learned moving into the future. We will be launching Home Is Where It All Starts. We hope that you'll join us in spreading the word about this campaign, and again it's about starting conversations. It's about reshaping the narrative, so that we can talk really constructively and meaningfully about those affordable rents and mortgages and what it takes to help everyone to be able to acquire an affordable rent and mortgage and to sustain that on their own long-term. We want to thank you as well for all of your support with the Point -in -Time Count that was conducted on the last Tuesday in January. This is a federally required activity in order to receive the federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Thank you for your participation in that count and well have the results to you in April and we'll be excited to be able to share those results with you and then to be able to plan what we need to do moving forward. We know that you have a packed agenda tonight and we're thankful for the time that you've given us. I would like to pause right now and see if you have any questions, comments, or feedback, and please know that you can always reach us after this meeting and engage with us at any time. Thank you very much, Madam Mayor -- MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. Page 17 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 18 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES ST. PETER: -- and the council. MAYOR DICKEY: Any questions, comments? No? MCMAHON: Thank you for all that you do. We really appreciate it. You really have a large impact and it's really making a difference. So thank you. ST. PETER: Thank you very much. MAYOR DICKEY: 1 do have a couple things. One, 1 want -- obviously, you probably are aware now that we just heard that Maricopa County was the fastest -growing county and not just growing, but the delta between people leaving and coming is not much. So were definitely growing and it kind of makes it more important to talk about planning and I know that that's something that can be a frustrating concept because, you know, you're looking at a road or you're looking, 1 don't know, an empty lot and you're thinking, well, why do we need that? Nothing's happening and you also said data -driven and that's probably one of the greatest things that MAG does in so many ways. You have those interactive maps and just so many ways for people to get the information that they need. But modeling and planning is so hugely important and you saw the way that even just the highways and the changes that have been here since I've lived in Arizona. I also wanted to mention something that the Vice Mayor saw in an article and now I think I just got it from MAG, but it was about a semiconductor and I didn't know if you had had a chance to take a look at it, but that the -- kind of the threat to this huge project if we don't get our Prop 400 continued. So I don't know if you were able to address that. And then one last thing. We had an Economic Development Summit here and I think we had like eight tables and the idea of affordable housing came up, along with the reluctance to say it. So 1 think that's what we're facing just generally in the region and we appreciate all of your efforts on that. But just a little Prop 400. I know you don't want to get into all of the legislation and stuff, but there is a bill that purports to have some of our Prop 400 items on it, but it also has other items on it that force us to oppose it. And also a little bit of the background on how Prop 400 came to be, how it was unanimously passed by all the mayors and what happened and why were where were at right now. Thanks. Page 18 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 19 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES ZUERCHER: Sure, Mayor, just real briefly. So yes, the Wall Street Journal today did have an article about the region, about the Maricopa County region and the growth and the impacts of transportation and that growth. and really talking about the importance of the continuation of the existing sales tax for transportation 20 more years in the future. It expires at the end of 2025 and as you stated, the MAG planning process has gone on for about four years, four years of Audra's life and the staffs life into that. But it's a labor of love because it's really bringing people together to find out what is needed in the region for transportation and within the constraints of the existing sales tax. So there was a commitment not to raise the sales tax, but to continue that half -cent that we all pay in Maricopa County for transportation. What could we -- what do we need and what could we afford in that? The plan that came out of the region, it was both the council governments, those 32 member agencies that I said, the elected members of that group approved it and then something called a Transportation Policy Committee, which was established by the legislature in 2004. It includes MAG members and prior sector business leaders who arc appointed by the Speaker and the President of the Senate. They also unanimously approved that plan going forward to the legislature. It went last year, vetoed by the Governor, and so we have to come -- but we had to come back this year for an effort to get that extended because the legislature has to authorize us to put it to the ballot. So were currently working through the legislative process, which is a whole new experience for me. But there are currently two bills that are in the House of Representatives that are aiming to put something on the ballot. As you noted, neither one of those fully reflects the plan that was put forward by the MAG members and by the Transportation Policy Committee. So we're working through the questions about that and the issues there to try and resolve them with members of the House and members of the Senate, so that we can get a bill successfully through that reflects the will of the regional planning group of the TPC and brings forward what we think is a plan that will advance transportation. And to circle back to the Wall Street Journal, by advancing transportation, we continue the growth of the region in terms of air quality, but also the connectivity that things like TSMC and Intel and other myriad numbers of businesses need to get people Page 19 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 20 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES and products to and from their, you know, factories or whatever. So that sort of wraps it all into one thing. But 1 would encourage folks to take a look at the Wall Street Journal article today. MAYOR DICKEY: I appreciate that. You mentioned air quality and you know, whether you're mad about the requirements or you love them, they're there. So without having the transit and the public transportation parts of Prop 400, we are threatening these businesses. We're threatening really the successful future of Maricopa County. And so for another day we can fight on whether we think we agree with the guidelines, but these guidelines are there now and we're right on the edge. And so 1 appreciate all the work that you've done and Audra, our own homegrown expert there. But seriously, so much is behind all of this. Does anybody have anything to add after hearing the other information? No? All right. Thank you very much. Appreciate you. ZUERCHER: We appreciate it. MAYOR DICKEY: Our next presentation is going to be by our Captain Kratzer. You don't have to say anything, Rachacl. Welcome, Captain. KRATZER: Good evening, Madam Mayor, Vice Mayor, and members of the council. I'm just going to briefly go over a couple of incidents that we've had in the last month since the last update. Probably some of the incidents arc already known to some of the members of the public, if you read the Fountain Hills Times or some of the social media posts that have gone out. But I wanted to talk about an armed robbery that we had at the Fry's grocery store on Shea. It occurred on a Monday night, March 27th, and it occurred about 9:2I p.m., and the investigation is still ongoing. Our persons crimes -- or I'm sorry, our property crimes detectives are still actively working the case and working any potential leads. So there is some information that I may not be able to provide if there are questions, but I'll do what I can or present the information 1 can and then if there are any follow-up questions, I'll answer them if I'm able to. But basically a summary of the incident was a male subject had gone into the store and went into the bathroom and remained in the bathroom until after the store Page 20 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 21 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES closed. Once the store closed and all thc customers were out and all of the employees, with the exception of the manager who was present, the suspect exited the bathroom and took the manager at gunpoint and had him open the safe in the office. The suspect was able to get away with -- it's still being determined, but anywhere from $50,000 to $80,000 in cash from the safe. There was some video surveillance from the store, obviously, but the subject had a hoodie on, a face mask on and gloves on the entire time, so there was no real good video of his face or a description of the subject. The subject that the -- the description the manager was able to provide was probably the most helpful, that it appeared to be a white male subject, and that was pretty much the extent of the description. Surveillance footage from nearby businesses and the Fry's from the parking lot doesn't even show a vehicle in the parking lot. There's an oddly placed vehicle that's kind of far out. There's no good descriptors of the vehicle. You can't even tell the make and model of that vehicle, but it looks like that may have been the vehicle that the suspect showed up in. So currently, the detectives are working the case. Limited evidence that was left on -scene, in terms of fingerprints or things of that nature, especially with the items the suspect was wearing. But our detectives are working with other local law enforcement agencies in the state of Arizona and with Fry's loss prevention to see if there -- you know, if it could have been an ex-cmployec who knew the store, could it have been -- have they had any other armed robberies or burglaries of their stores of similar nature, or any other businesses in the state. And they have a couple of small things like that that they're following up on, that there were some similarities in at least another case out of Tucson. So they're actively working that and that's pretty much the extent of updates that I have on the case or that I can provide. Obviously, if there's any questions by the council, feel free to ask them, but just understand the information we have at this point is kind of limited, or some of it is protected just so that it doesn't jeopardize the investigation. And I'll just move on to the next thing I wanted to talk about, unless someone had questions in the meantime. We've had a string of vehicle burglaries over thc last three weeks. It was a period of about two weeks where we had nine incidents of reported vehicle burglaries and in those nine incidents, there were I I vehicles that were entered Page 21 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 22 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES and items either rummaged through or stolen. And all of those vehicles, all 1 I of them, most of them were presumed -- were either admitted to be unlocked or presumed to be unlocked. There was no forced entry on any of them, no broken glass. Doors left open, gloveboxcs left open with documents and paperwork rummaged through. Unfortunately, there were two stolen firearms in those nine vehicles. There was cash that was taken out of those nine vehicles, 1 think a total of probably about $200 in cash. Credit cards were stolen. The best lead we have is one of the victims had their purse -- two purses stolen out of the vehicle and it looked like somebody was probably watching them. They parked at a local business, walked away from the vehicle for 30 minutes, didn't lock the car, left two purses in the car. Both of those purses got -- were stolen in that 30-minute timeframe. One of the victims was able to determine that their credit card was attempted to be used at the 4 Sons in town, so they went there trying to see if there were any contents left or maybe the suspect was still there. They were able to find some of the remnants of the contents of the purse in the trashcan at one of the gas pumps, so we do have some video surveillance from that being discarded. The victims were able to -- a couple days later, someone reached out to them on Facebook, saying that they had located a wallet with their information on Saguaro, so it looked like maybe someone had discarded it, obviously. Their car keys had been taken also out of the purse, so the car keys were found with the wallets on the side of the road as well, so -- But what we found -- when we have a rash of burglaries like that? So this happened over a two -week period, nine incidents with 11 vehicles. One of those happened on the Sunday, March 19th, three of them happened on Friday the 24th of March, four of them on Monday the 27th of March, and then one more on Wednesday the 29th of March. Most of them, like the three that happened on the one day and the four on the next day were all within a very close proximity of each other. The one that happened on Sunday was a little off the beaten path. It wasn't in the same vicinity as the others, so it's not -- its unsure if it was the same suspect, same people or not. But what were definitely seeing on this and we're working with the PIO, Bo, with the town and with Bob Burns with the Fountain Hills Times, is just continuing to try to Page 22 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 23 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES get the message out there to lock your vehicles, don't leave property inside the vehicle. I think an important note was one of the incidents had surveillance footage and one of the victims had one vehicle that was entered and then another vehicle in a driveway wasn't entered into, and the video shows the suspect trying the door on one of the cars. It was locked. He then shines a flashlight in the car to see if there was anything of value, doesn't see anything, so moves along to the car next door to it, which was unlocked and then they rummage through that and take property out of that. So most of the time, what we're seeing when we do sec these is these suspects are just looking for easy access, going car to car, driveway to driveway, checking doors, seeing if cars are unlocked and if so, then they'll rummage through it. But if they do look inside the vehicle with a flashlight and they see something of value, laptop, purse, something like that, they'll have the propensity to break the window and get that property. And a lot of these crimes are happening overnight, so the victim knew they left their car parked and intact by 9, I0 o'clock at night, and then when they come out before work the next morning, anywhere from 5 to 6 a.m., the car's been rummaged through. So the ones that they had on video were about 2 in the morning. And one of the suspects --just for people if they see anything, you know, at 2 in the morning. It's not illegal to be walking around at 2 in the morning. It might be a little odd. But the suspect had on a traffic vest, a reflective traffic vest, which is a little odd because it kind of draws attention to him. But they did have that on. So again, we're asking for people to be aware, lock your vehicle. If you see something that seems odd, call us and we'll check it out. It's not illegal, but we could definitely check on someone walking around the neighborhood at 2 in the morning and so our -- we've activated our Squad 5 deputies to work overnights during these times, trying to deter or hopefully catch suspects in the act. And then were also just working again with the newspaper and local Facebook and social media just to get the word out. So that's really all I have for this month's update. I was going to talk -- I think I'll save it for the next update just for the sake of time -- about a co -responder program we're having with the mental health providers. But I'll speak to that on the next one that I do. If there's any questions or comments, I'd be happy to answer them. FRIEDEL: We have to be such a trusting community. We have to be better and more Page 23 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 14 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES vigilant with our property and our cars, and especially our firearms in vehicles. So we can't be that way anymore, apparently. This is shocking information. KRATZER: Yes, Councilmember Friedel, I do agree with that. I think we have a community of people who are definitely very trusting and probably for a long time have never had to worry about their vehicles being entered into overnight or broken into. So I think what were starting to sec is, you know, we get these trends where well see a spike in vehicle burglaries for a week or two -week period or a weekend even, and then it kind of lays low for a while. And then someone will do it again, so it is just being -- you know, it's a different time. It's hard to be trusting. We're just encouraging people to lock their cars. not leave property in them. Maybe you've done it before. But especially firearms, once those are stolen, you know, if you have the serial number we can enter them into OIC and most people have that information. But again. putting just an additional stolen firearm on the street is never a good thing, so -- MAYOR DICKEY: Councilwoman? KALIVIANAKIS: Yeah, thank you, Ms. Mayor. Yeah, Pm with Councilman Friedel. This is very disturbing, very shocking for me, as a community that's known for it's safety. You know, I've told this before in this forum that if you see a crime or you've been a victim of a crime, make sure you report it to Maricopa County Sheriffs Office. For some reason, they keep sending me their door videos and their Ring videos, and I've seen the guy with the vest going in the car and it's very brazen. It's shocking. I think we -- I think it's official, we do have an uptick in crime. You mentioned that you assigned the Squad 5 for the evenings. Are they walking? Are they doing side streets? Are they in marked vehicles? Could you just flesh it out a little bit for me? KRATZER: They do a little bit of all that. They'll do added patrols just for the added visibility in the marked patrol cars. But they'll also using the bikes to do bicycle patrols which arc a little bit more covert. And you know, just a lot of times when people are in the neighborhood, especially if criminals are going 2 in the morning, you can hear a car coming here in Fountain Hills a couple blocks away. So we're having them on bicycles quite a bit, too, in the early morning hours, late night hours as well to do that. And then Page 24 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 25 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES to put patrol beats, 1 mean, it's a big area to cover, especially just with -- its not to one certain neighborhood. It's kind of spread out, so bikes and patrol vehicles are the tactics were employing. KALIVIANAKIS: Yeah, I'm glad you're reaching out to the Fountain Hills Times and this does seem to be like a communications problem with our residents. You have to implore the residents of Fountain Hills, don't leave things in your car, you know? And particularly things like firearms and purses and things that are just obviously easy prey for people that are out there looking for an easy mark. And so I would implore people to do that. I've now taken your advice. I leave my car doors unlocked and I make sure 1 don't leave anything in there because I've been a victim where I come home and the window's broken and there was nothing in there to steal. But anyway, so -- but thank you for what you're doing and for letting us know what's going on. KRATZER: Thank you, Councilmember Kalivianakis. The only other thing I want to add to that, which your comment brought that to the forefront, was I'm certain there's probably a number of people who've had their vehicle rummaged through but maybe nothing stolen, or maybe even had some things stolen and they don't report it to MCSO. I mean, obviously, they have the right not to if they don't want to. I don't know if they feel like they're bothering us. We've had people say, well, I don't want to bother you, nothing was taken. But we just encourage people to report it. It's a quick report on our end. It helps us with our stats and understanding where those crimes are occurring or where the suspects are hitting, so we can track that and deploy our deputies where we need to, so I would encourage people to at least just make the phone call. We can take a report. You don't even have to be listed as the victim. We can just document the fact that in that area, at that address, there was a vehicle that had been broken into. KALIVIANAKIS: Yeah, that's a very selling point, and thanks for bringing it up, because crime is all about statistics and where the crimes occurring, and you guys have to have that information so you can make the best use of Squad 5 and the deputies, make sure they're in the right places. So that's a very good point. Thank you. SKILLICORN: Madam Mayor, Captain. And 1 thank you also for bringing that back up about reporting it. I know three Page 25 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 26 of 73 APRIL 0, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES years ago, someone went in one of my cars and made a tiny bit of damage, but nothing of note. Nothing stolen. And frankly, I didn't -- you know, 1 didn't report it and 1 probably should've, because like maybe there is some sort of pattern that would've been very helpful. So it's a great encouragement. I'm also curious. Were some of these break-ins in parking lots, it sounds like, also? Not just homes? KRATZER: There was only one. SKILLICORN: Okay. KRATZER: The rest of them were all at home, in driveways. One was off of Saguaro and Panorama at a local business there at 9:30 at night. That was the two ladies who left the purses in the car and -- SKILLICORN: That's what that sounded like, yeah. And my only thought is, I don't know if this is something council direction, you know, 1 don't know if we have ability to have more, you know, more deputies patrol neighborhoods, drive through parking Tots, and maybe just -- if someone had driven through that parking lot when that person was going to do the robbery, you know, right before, maybe that would've been a deterrent by itself. And the deterrent factor is real and wed rather deter crime than solve crime, honestly. And 1 just wonder, you know, instead of some of the, you know, traffic enforcement, you know, neighborhoods, I think, are a priority for me and probably a council decision, but that's something. But also another question I've been getting, because I've been getting some of the same videos, but also Tots of pictures of homelessness and such, and I know there's a court decision in Phoenix that they have to clean up that area there. Frankly, these people are doing the same thing here. They're, you know, using our public parks and stuff for, you know, toilet facilities and such and -- so that is going on. But I also think that, you know, if there's someone pushing a stolen shopping cart down Avenue of the Fountains here, we're not doing them any favors by not encouraging them to find help and you know, there is a crime being committed there, or possession is a crime and just your thoughts on that. KRATZER: Councilmember Skillicorn, thank you for the comments. That is a topic that we've not typically addressed, you know, a shopping cart. Page 26 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 17 of 73 APRIL 4, 1013, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Deputies typically need to -- they have to have some level of maybe reasonable suspicion that the cart is stolen. And to your point, if someone's walking down with a cart that says Fry's on it, maybe that would be the, you know, potential to contact them. What we have found, typically, and we haven't talked to every store here in town, Fry's and Bashas' and Safeway, as if, you know, they did have a shopping cart that was removed from their property, is that an offense that they are interested in pursuing? We have to have the victim of the crime. So Bashes', Safeway, Fry's, wherever that shopping cart would be from, that they'd want to end the prosecution for us to then, you know, proceed with that. But yeah, 1 mean, if it is a crime, we have a duty to investigate it. It's just not a -- it's not anything that we've done to this point. And personalty, that -- I don't know how many of the individuals in town in that community utilize the shopping carts. I'm sure we've all seen a time or two -- I don't know. I know over near Gilbert Road and like the 202 area, there's a subject who lives in that area and they have a shopping cart and you know, I don't know who it belonged to. But to your point, I know that they usually do use some shopping carts or mechanisms like that to store their belongings or transport their belongings. So ifs one of those subjects that, you know, we can definitely make sure if the stores in town are reporting thefts of shopping carts and they want that to be a prosecutable offense, or proceed with that or pursue it, MCSO would pursue that just like any other crime. MAYOR DICKEY: Any other questions? Thank you, Captain. The statistics that we were talking about, they're important because, you know, before we would say there's any trends or anything, because I've lived here long enough to know that these things come and go, and so it's important. You know, maybe sometime down the future, we can look at some more long-term -- and then also, from what you were saying, you know, we're going to be looking at the contract, right? We did a big assessment last -- the end of last year and I think there was some room for localizing it a little bit or you know, seeing what's important, what our priorities might be. So that's definitely coming down the pike. KRATZER: And Madam Mayor, if 1 could just go back to your comment, Councilmember Skill icom, 1 have heard from the council in the timeframe since January Page 27 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 28 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES about a desire for more community patrols and you know, maybe not as much traffic enforcement. And we have been trying to impart that upon our deputies to, you know, find a good balance of active traffic enforcement, but also being in the community, especially overnight. I mean, we've got three, four deputies on every night. They can't be everywhere all at once and I don't think that anyone expects that, but the requirement for them to be involved and more into the neighborhoods, even looking for open garage doors, notifying neighbors, residents of -- even if it's 2, 3 in the morning, you know, a polite notification to them that hey, your garage door's open. 1 don't think that you probably intended it to be open, so -- and the deputies are tracking their stats when they do that. They're putting themselves out on a community patrol on their beat in their neighborhood so that we, the command staff, can make sure that those activities are increasing and that they are occurring. So that's all I have. Thank you. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you, Captain. Appreciate it. Our next presentation is going to be about the Sunridge Natural Preserve. Do you want to introduce that, please? GOODWIN: Sure. Thanks, Mayor. I'd like to ask Kevin Snipes to come up. Kevin might be the only person newer to his role-- or newer than me to the role. Kevin has today accepted the special assignment of serving as our Interim Community Services Director, so he is going to lead us through this presentation this evening. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. SNIPES: Good evening, Mayor and council. So today we're talking about Sunridge Park, which we've talked about several different times. Let's see here, if I can get this thing to -- there we go. So we've had many talks about this property and the potential of putting in some assets into this location. They've been met both positively and negatively from people in the community, as well as people throughout the town. Some of the comments had been that they didn't want to see a parking lot go in. They didn't want to see it be as much like the [railhead where we have shade structures and places to sit down. Page 28 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 19 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES So we listened to that and so we've reduced the cost expenditure on this substantially, as you can sec, down to $100,000 and we don't think that well be anywhere in that range, but we wanted to have that cushioning, depending on how everything ends up coming out. We're planning on utilizing the trail builders to help us out with building the trails. They've been out looking at the area, trying to find ways that they can do it both economically and as easily as possible, providing some good views and around the landscaping that's out there. So we're looking to have it be a preserve to where -- that we can put in our ordinances and help protect the area. Help keep the ordinances involved with the town for all of our preserve areas will then be appliable to this location. It'll only be a sunrise to sunset open and close. We won't have any more of the shade ramadas, no parking lot, having it just be a pedestrian walking area. To do that coming in off of Desert Canyon will require a pedestrian bridge to come across the wash area that's there. We don't want to have people walking through an area that we know is a natural wash area. That just doesn't go well anytime it rains and you run more liability with that. So that's why were looking at doing a pedestrian bridge across there, if needed, for that area. With that, I'll take any questions. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. Any questions from anyone? Councilman? SKILLICORN: Madam Mayor. When I asked to put this on the agenda, I specifically asked about, you know, not doing anything or selling this property. So I'm curious of what the -- and maybe staff can help out with what the legalities of -- I mean, you know, the getting bids and how we would sell it, something like that. GOODWIN: Sure. I can jump in there. We actually are under contract right now to have the parcel assessed, so that we can get a true market value of what it is. So that's underway right now. And then pending direction, if the council would want to move in that direction, we would need to move through the process for sale. 1 know Aaron can jump in here, but it would be for open bid. We would have to go through a -- you know, posting a receipt of open window Page 29 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 30 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES time and then we would have to review those bids and then take action from there. What am 1 missing, Aaron? ARNSON: Not much, other than the process. GOODWIN: Yeah. ARNSON: Which I can advise the council of separately. But for the public purposes, yeah, it's statutorily laid out. It's a pretty straightforward process and we have sold property pursuant to that process before. You put it out. As long as it's appraised below a certain threshold, you just put it out for equal bids and once the bids ultimately come in, we select the appropriate, you know, bid, usually based on highest bidder, and that's the process. It's fairly straightforward. SKILLICORN: And Madam Mayor, staff, we've already started that process of having bid it [sic]'? ARNSON: No. I think what Manager Goodwin was saying was that we are getting an appraisal -- GOODWIN: Um -hum. ARNSON: And would get direction from council, of course, before we proceeded with any bid process. SKILLICORN: And Madam Mayor, what's the cost of the appraisal? GOODWIN: Justin actually initiated that for us. I don't know if he's on the floor right now. SKILLICORN: He just walked out. GOODWIN: Oh, sorry. Perfect timing. SNIPES: It was about 2,000. GOODWIN: Yeah. We have someone on retainer to do that. SNIPES: Okay. (Indiscernible). GOODWIN: Um -hum. SKILLICORN: Okay. That's all. MAYOR DICKEY: Councilwoman? KALIVIANAKIS: Thank you, Ms. Mayor. Yeah, 1 know this went from a million -dollar project, now it's pretty skinny at $100,000. I'm just wondering, I know you said even the $100,000 is probably a lot more Page 30 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 31 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES than you need. What do we need since the Trailblazers are doing this voluntarily? What do we need? And where would that -- part of that $100,000 go toward? SNIPES: The biggest thing will be accessibility and helping out with the layout of the design to make sure that we're going through and if they do need equipment, that we can get something in there to help them out with it. KALIVIANAKIS: Last time we were here, we talked about a drainage culvert and the bridge to enter. SNIPES: Um -hum. KALIVIANAKIS: Have we looked into whether there's any other access or egress points that the trail builders could use that we wouldn't require that sort of heavy lifting? SNIPES: Not and stay on Eagle Ridge -- on Desert Canyon Drive like we'd said we would. Go anywhere along that side, there's a water drainageway that runs all the way down through there. KALIVIANAKIS: And what -- why can't we develop the other street, just to inform me? SNIPES: It was one of the things that we had said we wouldn't do, is we wouldn't come in from that side into the park and so were trying to stay true to that. KALIVIANAKIS: Is that flexible? Could we look into that? SNIPES: We could, yeah. KALIVIANAKIS: Yeah, because 1 think from what I've heard from the Homeowners Association and the residents, they just really don't want any construction. They don't want any bridges. And I think, you know, and again we're just talking about this tonight, but again I could reach out to that community and say if we access the other street and we didn't have to do all the work, would they be amenable to that? Because from the feedback I've received, they're okay with the trails. You know, of course, they don't like the parking lots. But they also didn't like the drainage culverts and they didn't like the bridges and like bringing industrial bulldozers and stuff. So I think that's something we should be looking into. SNIPES: Absolutely, and the reason that we did that was because of the meeting that we had with the homeowners that are directly across the street from there and that was their main request, was they didn't want access coming in from that side. And so by going in on the other side, there aren't any houses over there and so it made it to where that the Page 31 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 32 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES entrance and exit point was on a street that didn't have houses. KALIVIANAKIS: Yeah. It's just -- it's so skinny right now, that they might not object anymore, since there's really going to be very little there that's not really natural. So thank you. SNIPES: Uh-huh. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. I've been asked to ask you to speak up a little bit, please. SNIPES: Sure. MAYOR DICKEY: Councilwoman? TOTH: Hi. I can only imagine how many staff hours have been put into all of the versions of this project and before I say anything, I want to say I appreciate everybody involved in that. When this project was first proposed, the feedback 1 received and I think everyone else as well was a resounding no, and then the second version, a resounding no and a couple maybes. And now we have a negotiation taking place, right? The residents have kind of understood, okay, we seem a little determined to put something here, so they give us this idea of well, if you only do the trails; well, I guess you can do a bridge. 1 really don't like the idea of building a park when no one is excited about it, as far as 1 can tell. Maybe no one is too harsh of a term, but I have yet to meet anyone who's excited about the park. The yeses that I do hear arc people going well, I guess it's okay. I would honestly -- and thank you so much for your work in getting the budget lower on it -- I just over months and months of talking to a lot of people about this, over and over and over again, you finally convinced me that you don't want it. And I think we should just kill this. The park development fees we discussed earlier could be used somewhere else and 1 just think that maybe this is one to let go. MAYOR DICKEY: Councilwoman? GRZYBOWSKI: Okay, let's say we go through the motion of potentially selling it. So these questions are probably for Aaron. One, does it require a town vote because it is town -owned property? Two, if this is something that comes to fruition, what can this lot be used for? Is it zoned for housing? Is it zoned for -- because that's going to be a part of-- if somebody Page 32 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 33 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES wants to come in and buy the lot from us at market value. Ten lots? What are we talking here? ARNSON: So I can answer the first question and Director Wesley, I may have to turn to him to answer the second question of what the current zoning for the property is. The statutes lay out that if property is valued at $1.5 million or less, then it does not have to go to a town vote. It doesn't go to a vote. If it's valued higher than 1.5 million, then that's the point at which voters have to preauthorizc putting it out for bid. So that maybe answers that question. So your A.R.S. 9-402 and 403 are your references for that. GRZYBOWSKI: Okay. Thank you for the numbers. ARNSON: You're welcome, yeah. And then, I may have to -- yeah, 1 don't know the answer to your second question, Councilwoman. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. WESLEY: Councilmember, without going up and looking at the map to remember exactly -- I know it's a single family residential zone. I think it's RI-10. But it may be -- GRZYBOWSKI: For all of us that don't have those zoning numbers memorized, what does that mean? I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure there's a couple of people that have the same question. WESLEY: That's a single family residence lot, a minimum of 10,000 square feet. GRZYBOWSKI: Thank you. MAYOR DICKEY: So I know this is like -- doing all this guesswork, but how many acres is it? And I.5 million for a lot of acres in Fountain Hills is not unreasonable. Do you have any idea at all? SNIPES: It is five acres. 1 can speak to that. And as far as the value, 1 don't know if we have it. MAYOR DICKEY: So we find out how much, once it's appraised. We may have to have a vote, which we -- you know, we could hook on with another election, I guess. But otherwise, that's an expense. And then whoever -- if we do sell it, then whoever pays the most would get it and then, even though it's zoned single family, I mean. they could request -- I know it probably wouldn't get anywhere, but they could request a different Page 33 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 34 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES zoning. So just trying to follow that down the line and see where it could go, so just so you're aware if we do go down that way, that that's the possibility. Councilwoman? TOTH: Thank you, Madam Mayor. 1 guess 1 wanted to pose the question of, if we get the appraisal and we wait until a time that were already having an election, dots it still cost us to get those words on the ballot if the ballot's already going to exist? Okay. So if we wait a few months to make it serious -- I'm just -- this is completely me talking for the sake of theory, but would it hurt anything to let the land sit there a little bit longer? Okay. MAYOR DICKEY: 1 think if you're talking about will we lose the development fee money, 1 think we still have a few years on that, right? Because if we don't use a park development fee on growth -related park expenses, then we have to give it up. But I think -- Aaron, do you know how long we have? ARNSON: I do not know how long we have with respect to that. But to Councilwoman Toth's point, yes, obviously, we could hold onto it and then tie it in with another election. I don't know if the cost -- maybe Linda would know better. I don't know if the cost is zero, but it would be quite a bit less than calling a special election. I mean, that would be a significant savings. MAYOR DICKEY: Councilwoman? KALIVIANAKIS: Thank you, Ms. Mayor. At this point, 1 can't speak on behalf of the citizens, the residents or the Homeowners' Association for Sunridge, but my common sense tells me that the residents would probably rather have the access/egress on the other road with the houses than having us sell the land and build a bunch of homes there. So I think at this point, I'd just really like to reach back out to the community and just ask them, would you rather have just the natural trails on the different access/egress, or would like us to sell the land and develop it? And I think that's something we could do probably pretty quickly. Get info from the HOA and maybe even do a public notice and 1 think the residents would probably be happy with that. And we have been looking at this for a park for a long time Page 34 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 35 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES and again, it might be a skinny park, but 1 think the residents would be -- I think that's a nice option for the residents. I think they would agree with that. MAYOR DICKEY: Go ahead. GOODWIN: Yep. We can follow through with that and do a little more outreach. KALIVIANAKIS: Thank you. That's important. MAYOR DICKEY: Thanks. Just 1 know that many of the people that are interested in this, Rachacl already sent them this, but there are several regulations that go with a preserve. So if this was a preserve, as we were saying it would be designated as a preserve, that would allow all town ordinances to be enforced. So there are a lot of restrictions there and so I would like to go ahead with it, too, to be a park that's acceptable to everybody and if that ends up being -- corning in in a different direction or if it doesn't for some reason, but you said it would be okay. But if for some reason it wasn't, then maybe a little more of a clearer picture of what a culvert would like. But again, that was looked at. I think, because folks didn't want -- UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Yeah. MAYOR DICKEY: -- it there, but now if they do, then maybe we could look at it that way. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Sure. MAYOR DICKEY: All right. Oh, yes. Linda? MENDENHALL: I just wanted to-- thank you, Mayor. And just wanted to answer Councilmember Toth's question. Yes, the cost for an election is significantly higher if it's not during an election year. So if we were to do this in 2023, let's just say, we would pay about $2.10 per registered voter, as opposed to 51 cents per registered voter. MAYOR DICKEY: Would you -- we pay the bill there. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKERS: (Indiscernible) money today. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. FRIEDEL: Tell them to sell that property. We need the money. MAYOR DICKEY: So do you understand, Rachael and Kevin, where we're going, then? SNIPES: Ycs. MAYOR DICKEY: All right. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Page 35 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 36 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Next we have Call to the Public and again I'll remind everybody, speak into the mic because we're hearing from folks at home that aren't hearing. Do we have speaker cards? MENDENHALL: Yes, Mayor. We do. There are some people who put that they wanted to speak under the Sunridge item. I'm putting you at Call to the Public because a presentation doesn't allow for public comment, but well allow you your opportunity to speak. First, we're going to just go through the two comments that were made, which is at your dais, and the first one is Bobbie Kennamer. She couldn't be here, so she just wanted to let you know that she's for the Sunridge Canyon preserve, but you have to read her comments because she has some other additional verbiage for that. And then Robert James, who also says he's for the Sunridge National Preserve [sic], but also has some stipulations in his comments. And now well go to the people who are here. The first is Gary Clark. Are you here, Gary? CLARK: Thank you. I wanted to speak on the noise pollution that's coming along, specifically, North Saguaro. I've been a resident for eight years. In the past three or four years, it's been getting increasingly loud and for extended periods of time. And there are times when it's unbearable. I mean, my condo literally -- I live in El Lago Village, at the corner of North Saguaro and El Lago. And there are times when, I mean, you can't even hear the TV set playing, it's so loud. And 1 think there are some other folks here that wanted to speak on the same thing. The town has a wonderful noise ordinance, right? I mean, if we would enforce this ordinance, you're not going to have a problem. 1 guess the question is, is how would one go about doing that? Do you do it in an enforcement manner with -- this actually says you could appoint someone, not even have a law enforcement officer do it, if I read the rule right. Or do you try to divert the traffic in one way or another? MAYOR DICKEY: Hey, sir, can councilman ask you a question? CLARK: Oh, yes, sir. FRIEDEL: What kind of noises are you experiencing? Is it drag racing? Is it lawn Page 36 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 37 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES mowers? CLARK: Well, sometimes it sounds like it. There are two primary categories, in my opinion. One is motorcycles, okay? And that's almost the most irritating, you know, when you get a herd of motorcycles coming through. And the other are cars. And I could have my SUV out and floor it and you're not going to hear a thing. But there are a lot of cars and souped -up cars and sports cars that -- it appears when folks are coming out of that stoplight, going towards Shea, they speed up very quickly. And when they do that speed up, it is very, very loud. So it -- you know, I think if we could figure out a way to enforce the code, were in good shape. But that's probably easier said than done. And I don't know, there's been some folks talking about maybe putting in speed bumps. I hate speed bumps, but that -- an option may be redirecting traffic for motorcycles away from North Saguaro. There arc actually -- it's technology out there today that you can put up a camera and an audiovisual unit and when the sound goes above a certain decibel, it snaps a picture of the license plate. So I mean, there's a lot of -- MAYOR DICKEY: That's okay. CLARK: -- that there's a lot of things that could be looked at. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you very much. We appreciate that. FRIEDEL. I have another question for you, if you don't mind. Is this something that happens every day? Is it on weekends? Is there a particular time of the day that this happens'? CLARK: It's been getting -- over the past three years, it's been getting significantly worse, right? And no -- really, every day. The weekends it's constant. Mornings and afternoons are particularly bad during the week. The policy, if 1 read it again correctly, said that there could be exceptions when we have fests and stuff like that, because you can't -- you don't want to keep the people away, but -- GRZYBOWSKE 1 do think we have more people that want to speak on this particular topic, so we'll probably be able to learn more from all the different speakers. MAYOR DICKEY: Okay. MENDENHALL: Yes. Page 37 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 38 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. CLARK: Thank you. MENDENHALL: Next, we have Crystal Cavanaugh. CAVANAUGH: Good evening. Crystal Cavanaugh, Fountain Hills resident. 1 spoke at the CTP for P&Z on March 13th, warning that if behavioral health business, Angel Heart Health Services, was issued a business license that it would not be conforming to the C-O zoning. 1 spoke again at the town council on March 21s1, waming that any business license application for Angel Heart Health Services at 16927 East Saguaro should be denied since behavioral health is not allowed in our C-O zoning. It seemed almost unnecessary for us to be bringing this to the town's attention. It's a slam dunk decision to deny it. But wed heard rumbling that Grady had said John Wesley may actually have the authority to expand the ordinance, so we spoke up, loudly. Next, we hear that a private executive session was scheduled tonight to discuss the legal aspects. What possible legal aspects? Why are you worricd about getting sued? We have had a clearly defined C-O commercial office ordinance that has been in existence for quite some time and it says the only counseling allowed in this zone near this residential area is for marital counseling. So why does it seem some of you are bending over backwards? I FOIA'd (indiscernible) and received the Angel Heart business license application. The email should also be coming any day now. So here it is, right here. Ironically, it was filled out on March l3th, the day I spoke at P&Z and at which time was told that there had been no such application. It shows this business was well aware the property was zoned C-O. It also clearly lists their services as behavioral health services, outpatient services, counseling services, and peer support services. It is an inappropriate land use issue and should be denied. Why is this so hard? Why are citizens once again having to bring you evidence that it should be an automatic denial? But some on this dais go out of their way to import more substance abuse problems and loitering. Is this a way to justify a homeless shelter next? Will it be okay for imported clientele to just mill about the parking lot, smoking, waiting for their treatments? Similar outpatient substance abuse clinics are in multiple locations in Phoenix, Page 38 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 39 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES ruining the surrounding businesses and neighborhoods as they wait for their substance abuse treatments. And guess what? This does not need to happen here. It's a no-brainer. It already doesn't fit into our zoning ordinance and it is a non -conforming business. Just say no. Residents may seek all available legal recourse if necessary and if needed your vote should be public, so the Fountain Hills residents can clearly see who up there does not want to follow our own zoning codes. What other codes do you plan to ignore? Thank you. MENDENHALL: Next, we have Larry Meyers. MEYERS: Mayor, Council, Town Manager. First, I'd like to apologize to the new Town Manager for giving her such a wonderful first couple days on the job. Hopefully, it'll be the last time we talk about stuff like this because there is a litany of ordinances. We got a noise ordinance. 1 didn't know about that. So I say, and as I have said, and 1 will continue to say about anything that is written down in the town's ordinances and codes, read them, follow them. No town staff gets to expand them because we didn't elect that person. You're all up there to serve us and this one just went through two years of creating ordinances saying where behavioral health can be. You just voted it in, in February. We know where it belongs and it doesn't belong in the least intensive commercial space in town. It says so right in our ordinances. And so to me, I echo Crystal's comment, why are we even here? Why are we discussing this? This stuff is written down. Somebody made it. Some of it's a long time ago. Some of it's been amended and updated. I can read it, and I don't need to be sitting in my desk at my computer eight hour a day for forty hours a week for multiple weeks reading things that are known to y'all. That's the bottom line in all of this. We'd like to sit and enjoy our town. We don't need to be working for free. 1 don't mind doing it, but our research is so deep, it's undeniable. But on the surface, it's right there in a couple of paragraphs in the town ordinance under C-O. And it doesn't take more than five minutes to get through the entire commercial section. So I would implore you, Rachael, stay away from any more troubling days. Read Page 39 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 40 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES the ordinances, tell the staff to do their job, and then were all done. And then you won't have to listen to me anymore. Thank you. MAYOR DICKEY: We're not going to applaud because there's some things that are said there that are just assumptions. There's been no action. The comments about staff are unwarranted and inappropriate. Linda? MENDENHALL: Next, we have Kim Wolborsky. K. WOLBORSKY: Hello, Madam Mayor, council. I'm Kim Wolborsky. I'm a resident of Fountain Hills and I'm a resident of Sunridge Canyon, and I'm here to talk about the park/preserve -- hopefully preserve and not so much park. I'm the one who wanted no trails, nothing. 1 would like to have this be an opportunity for our town to protect our local environment, to do something for the environment, for the wildlife, to just make a space that is natural. But it looks like that's not going to happen. And like many of the residents of Sunridge Canyon -- I've talked to a lot of my neighbors, no one has wanted the park. People have said, okay, we'll take trails because we don't want more than that. And we don't need the park, but we've been through that. 1 think were kind of past that. It's going to happen. I would like to say, at one point I think the board had asked if they could look at, you know, purchasing the parcel for a very nominal fee. No one, I don't think -- well, no one I've talked to would want to have that built up. We really like it the way it is. We like our wildlife. We like, you know, having a place that isn't built. But one of the things that I saw in the last plan — I didn't see it here, and I just want to say I really hope it's gone -- is that there was a little caveat at the end. It said it's just trails with possibility of future improvements. And I'd really like the possibility of future improvements to come out. We don't want a parking lot. We don't -- you know, there's concern. We've had a homeless person living behind the monument at Desert Canyon and Golden Eagle. So there are people in the neighborhood, you know, that once the trail is there, it's going to be an opportunity for people to come in and live there. You know, I'd like to know who's going to enforce that, how on earth that's going to be Page 40 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 41 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES enforced when it's just a trail with an entrance. The other thing is, the whole thing with dogs and dog cleanup. People just don't clean up after their dogs. We put out the nice little plastic bags and you know, most people use them. Most people are great. But (here are lots of people and 1 actually am seeing more and more of this, maybe it's the time of year, who are just letting their dogs off leash in the parks or on those leashes that are like 20 feet long. And you know, if your does off 20 feet away, you're probably not going to go out in the bush and clean up after it. 1 don't know. I sound like I'm just whining at this point. So I am very grateful that the plan has come down to what it is. 1 appreciate all the work that's been done to make that happen and 1 hope we can just leave this area as natural as possible. Thank you. MENDENHALL: Next, we have Barry Wolborsky, and Barry also provided you with a written comment, but is here to speak in person as well. B. WOLBORSKY: I'm her husband and I live here, too. So the Sunridge Canyon Community Association and community residents have made it very clear to the town they neither want nor need a community park. The town, however, for reasons unknown to almost anyone, has insisted on placing this unwanted and unneeded park in our community. So the Sunridge Canyon Community Association has decided they will not oppose the Sunridge Community trail or park, if the town agrees to the following conditions. 1, there will never be a walking bridge. By the way, the reason we didn't want the entrance on Sunridge was because there was going be a parking lot there. We have no objection if there's just a trail, so go for it. 2, there will never be a parking lot. 3, there will never be a ramada or similar structures. 4, there will never be lights. 5, there will never be benches, tables, or other seating. 6, the trail system will never connect to any other trail system. 7, there will never be a bathroom. 8, there will be no major earthmoving. Minor earthmoving for trail cleaning is accepted. 9, the area will be left in its natural state as a preserve, except for trails with floral labeling signs acceptable. 10, drones will not be allowed to fly in the area. 11, motorized vehicles will not be permitted in the area. Maintenance vehicles are accepted. We recognize that a future council could alter these terms at some point, but we're Page 41 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 42 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES willing to trust the staff and the council to not renege on this agreement if they decide to make it. That's all I've got. Anybody have any questions for me? MENDENHALL: Next, we have Matthew Corrigan. SKILLICORN: Can 1 (indiscernible)? MENDENHALL: Yeah. CORRIGAN: Madam Mayor, councilmembers. Matthew Corrigan, homeowner and full-time resident of -- sorry, Fountain frills. Please reject the homeless housing component of the MAG Investment Plan. You'll find it under human services, bullet points 2 and 3, if you'll read those. So the bottom line is, don't bring The Zone to Fountain Hills. What's The Zone? Ed Zuercher could tell you, if he was here, because he was city manager for eight years in Phoenix while all this was going on. And so what is it? It's a city -sponsored transient slum of 1,000 residents that encompasses blocks and blocks of prime real estate downtown. But I can't describe it adequately, so I'm relying on a reporter from the AZ Free News to tell you the story. Her name? Corinne Murdock. The date? March 28th, 2023. She reads as follows. On Monday, the Maricopa County Superior Court ruled that the city of Phoenix was at fault for the homeless crisis most evident in the massive encampment downtown known as The Zone. Judge Scott Blaney ruled that the city officials had done nothing to improve The Zone, declaring it a public nuisance. Rather, Blaney declared that the city had created and maintained The Zone. Blaney added the actions taken by the city alleged to address the homeless crisis had served only to grow its bureaucracy and throw money into the government and nonprofit programs that haven't yielded any discernible results. With exceptions, the action items which your city representatives testified centered around the creation of more bureaucracy, additional staff positions, and obtaining additional funding for programs to vaguely address homelessness in general, stated Blaney. The Court received very little evidence, if any, that the city intends to take immediate, meaningful action to protect its constituent busincssowners, their employees, and residents, from the lawlessness and chaos of The Zone. Page 42 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 03 of 73 APRIL 0, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Blaney ordered the city to abate The Zone by permanently removing the encampments by public rights of way; cleaning up the biohazard materials, human feces, urine, drug paraphernalia, and other trash; removing individuals committing offenses against the public order. Effectively, the judge ordered the city to enforce existing laws. The city has until July l Oth to achieve material results toward compliance with the courts ruling. In the 23-page ruling, Blaney agreed with arguments proposed by plaintiffs, made up of residents and businessowncrs in The Zone, that the city stopped enforcing laws within The Zone, resulting in increased crime and violence. My bottom line is, don't bring The Zone to Fountain Hills, and reject the housing homeless component of MAG. Thank you. MENDENIHALL: Next, we have Melissa Graves. GRAVES: Good evening. My name is Melissa Graves and I reside at North Saguaro Boulevard -- MAYOR DICKEY: Ma'am? Excuse me. GRAVES: -- at the comer of El Lago and Saguaro. MAYOR DICKEY: Could you talk into the microphone? Pm sorry. GRAVES: Oh, I'm sorry. At the corner of Saguaro and El Lago, and I just wanted to address the traffic noise that has grown to like an overwhelming level along Saguaro, affecting my quality of life and the quality of life of my neighbors. It is all we talk about anymore. Starting at 5 a.m. with work trucks and semis that literally rattle my bedroom windows, people accelerating off the light at Saguaro and El Lago. The weekend sounds like Bike Week at Daytona anymore. People going over the 35 miles per hour limit. Directly across from our building is a posted sign that reads Safety Corridor, a segment of the roadway with heightened law enforcement. This is not happening. Saguaro from El Lago to Palisades is very heavy with foot traffic, all going to and from the park. This area of our town is the crown jewel and a focal point of our town, yet it's loud, it's congested with excessive traffic noise, and it's not safe. People are flying through that intersection. Page 43 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 44 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES The area should not be a designated truck route, which it is al the moment. Fountain Hills Boulevard and Palisades are both wider, they have frontage road, and the houses are set back much further from the roadway. This area of town along Saguaro needs your immediate attention, whether its rerouting the truck route to another place, putting in speed bumps or a roundabout to deter heavy traffic, reducing the speed along this safety corridor, or simply enforcing the law and ordinances that are already in place. I urge the town to please address this excessive noise and nuisance to myself and the neighbors. Thank you so much. MENDENHALL: Next, we have Bruce Boyce. BOYCE: 1 had originally planned to ask a couple questions about the convergence of what is now called the Sunridge Reserve and I got the message in the last half hour that we're nowhere near a convergence and -- which would ask, you know, what's the plan to complete from here? And I'm disappointed to hear this. You know, people change. People come in at different positions and they have to learn that that's the reality of it. But 1 just -- I'm once again concerned about the convergence of this thing and I would like to make sure that the HOA is involved in continuing discussions, so that we know what's going on and perhaps we can offer some help to the town to make a decision because we have the fingers on the pulse of our residents. And so that point, Rachael, 1'd like to -- someone -- maybe a monthly meeting or an every two months meeting, just to review what's going on, would be a worthwhile thing to do. I think it would be because it's, you know, we've been -- you know, you look back two years, there's a lot of progress that's been made compared to what the plan was originally and the idea of the reserve is a lot better. But I'm still concerned about converging on something that meets the town's needs and the residents' needs. Okay. Thank you. MENDENHALL: Next, we have Bill Smith. SMITH: Hi. This is my first time doing this, so bear with me here. I'm here to talk about the proposed reserve. 1 oppose it. I want to kill it, or I'd like to see it killed. When 1 looked into this 1 said, why do we need to have this? What's the town position? So based on everything I looked at, from meetings here and what came out Page 44 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 45 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES from the Community Services Master Plan, they said we need it, a new park, because we don't meet national parks and rocs standards. Since when does the rest of the country dictate what the standard is to us? -- number one. Parks are a primary factor for resident and business attraction and retention. Last I checked, it's not hard to sell a house around here. It's not hard to buy one, either. Businesses come here. 1 haven't heard anybody complain that -- I'm not going to buy in Sunridge Canyon because there's no park up there. Let's see. 80 percent of Fountain Hills residents indicated they wanted parks within easy access. Okay. Why does it have to be -- why does Sunridge Canyon have to be the place where that easy access is? I mean, how hard is it to go down to Golden Eagle or any of the other parks? And what kind of park amenities are we going to have with this -- and I'm quoting some of the words here -- slimmed down version of a park. All you're going to have there are trails and wouldn't we be better off at another location that's more centrally located? Where people could play ball, run, jog, play frisbee or whatever? Whatever the park would be able to hold, besides just hiking. Do we have to have one park for every 2,281 residents? We're at 5,000. Oh my god, you would think that that's not really a big deal. Have a lot of people come to you and said, hey, we need a ton more parks? Because they probably want more services, not more parks. Let's see. So as I mentioned earlier, 80 percent of the Fountain Hills residents desire to have parks within easy access. However, in the original, first survey we had, 60 percent of the Sunridge Canyon residents that responded said they wouldn't use the park, if it came to be. So it doesn't make good sense to build it if 60 percent of the people that live there wouldn't use it. Also, at a previous meeting here, some of the people that pitched before I did, I recognize the names, they had some of the same concerns that I have -- is that me already? So 1 oppose it. And let's leave it as is, a natural -- it's more beautiful than anything else a man can do, and let's not harm the habitat by pulling them all up so we Page 45 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 46 of73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES can have an extra place to walk. Thanks. MENDENHALL: Next, we have Liz Gildersleeve. GILDERSLEEVE: Oh, he was tall. Good evening, and welcome Rachael Goodwin. Happy first meeting. I have a feel you're going to do a fabulous job. I'm also concemed that there was an executive session prior to this meeting concerning the business license application for an applicant who recently purchased a building on Saguaro, just south of Shea and Saguaro, and that application clearly does not meet the zoning requirements for C-O, commercial office. The applicant owns a behavioral health services business. Behavioral health as has been stated is not allowed in the C-0, as you all, I hope, know, and the zoning ordinance is pretty clear. But an even bigger concern for me is that the business license application should've been an easy denial by our town staff Hopefully, the executive session prior to this meeting was simply a formality to discuss the denial based on our zoning. If not, it needs to be discussed out in the open and voted on by everyone on this council. We need to know who on this council is trying to skirt our zoning ordinances in favor of a noncompliant business, if at all. An approval of this business license would be setting a dangerous precedent, one that does not protect homeowners, especially those in the FireRock communities and nearby businesses and frankly, contradicts the oath you all took when you were sworn into office. Slightly off -topic, since there seems to be a consideration lately to disregard zoning ordinances that residents have depended on, does that mean we can expect you to ignore the zoning for a single-family parcel at Palisades and Mountainside that's been in place for decades? 1 sure hope not. That discussion will be coming before you in a few weeks, so I hear, and I suppose well find out then. As I've said before, if residents, homeowners, and small businesses can't rely on the routine enforcement of zoning ordinances, especially ones that have been in place for decades, what good are they? Thank you. Page 46 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 47 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES MENDENHALL: Dianc Price put down that she wanted to speak, but had to leave and just wanted to let you know she'll send her comments through email. Next, we have Michael Scott. SCOTT: Mayor and the rest of the council, thank you for the opportunity to speak. I'm Michael Scott. I've been here since 1992. And 1'd like to bring up something that I think is essential. We need a primary property tax. We need bonds for roads. We need bonds for our kids at school and overrides. It's a necessity. We're living off a sales tax that is not sustainable for this town and we have to get there one way or another. I am looking at the state and what they have done and what they're not doing. We are in the bottom six in the nation, the bottom six states in spending for public education. We are in the bottom six states in spending per capita. Since 2010, that's 12 years, our education system has suffered dramatically, down ten percent in funding. I guess those are some of the reasons that we have to do this by ourselves. And by the way, corporations get a big tax break in this state. It's below seven percent tax. They say it's for cxpansion, but I've heard that for the last twenty years. I think it's time for us to get ours and that's a big chunk out of income when you're giving a seven percent tax break to corporations. And also, in this county, we're really an exception as far as a primary property tax. Most all small towns have a primary property tax. Also, they have bonds for schools and overrides, and bonds for roads and everything else. On the 21 st of February, Councilman Skillicom, you mentioned a Streets First program, and you said something about S6 million a year for the next ten years, and that's the last I heard of the program. Where is it? I haven't seen anything. MAYOR DICKEY: Sir, please speak through the Chair. I appreciate it. SCOTT: I beg your pardon? MAYOR DICKEY: Please speak through the Chair. SCOTT: Okay. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. SCOTT: Also, on the 28th of February, Councilman Skillicom, you mentioned that you would not advocate for taxes for -- excuse me, bonds for roads. Page 47 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 48 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES I don't know why not. Something has to change here because this is simply not sustainable. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. SCOTT: Thank you for your time. MENDENHALL: Next. JoAnn Gerardo. Okay. Hopefully, I said that right. If not, let me know. GERARDO: Good evening, Mayor, council. I'm JoAnn Gerardo, a resident of Fountain Hills. As someone who has lived in New York City, downtown Phoenix, and downtown Fountain Hills, 1 fully understand that along with the benefits of city life comes the downside of traffic noise. However, the proximity of traffic noise to residential dwellings has become unbearable. The noise level on Saguaro Boulevard has dramatically increased in the past few years. It used to be that when I heard a horn honk, I would jokingly say, don't they know we're in Fountain Hills? Now, persistent horn blowing, revving of car and motorcycle engines, trucks, speeding cars, loud music often starts at 5:30 a.m. on weekdays. Weekends, noise levels are distressing from morning until night. Noise pollution adversely affects our lives. Problems related to noise include stress -related illness, high blood pressure, speech interference, hearing loss, sleep disruption, and lost productivity. As an International Dark Sky Community with a project commitment to protect human health, it is our obligation to keep safe the sound as well as the sight of our town. Together, let's find a solution for our town's noise pollution. Thank you. MENDENHALL: Next, we have Tim Taylor. TAYLOR: Mayor, councilmembcrs. I'm against the Sunridge Canyon Preserve. Sunridge Canyon is -- the community there has a golf course, Golden Eagle Park with baseball, softball, tennis, basketball and adjacent on the school grounds, pickleball facilities. The other thing Sunridge Canyon has arc sidewalks which arc used all the time. So I don't think a walking path is all that critical for the area, or for Fountain Hills Page 48 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 49 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES community. I've heard discussions about fitness stations being put on -- in a park where the walkway goes around. 1 think that $100,000 could go a long way to serving the whole community of Fountain Hills, rattier than just a small area there in Sunridge Canyon. The papers had articles on the significant cost of replacing the fountain lake liner. Maybe that $100,000 could be put into a capital reserve to start allocating money for the replacement of that in a few years. Thank you. MENDENHALL: Next, we have Ray Serres. Hopefully, I said your last name correctly. SERRES: Thank you for letting me speak. My name is Ray Serres. I live on Saguaro Boulevard between El Lago and Gunsight. I believe it's well -established now that there's a noise problem on Saguaro Boulevard and it's caused by fast traffic and loud vehicle mufflers, so I won't talk long on this. I'd like offer a suggestion for a solution to this problem. I spent 32 years working in law enforcement, police traffic patrols and supervising police patrols. I've seen various traffic calming techniques, from speed bumps, speed humps, speed cables, corner bumpouts, roundabouts, signage, and other environmental designs. All of these calming techniques have a common theme. They're designed to slow traffic down. I would suggest that the simplest and least expensive strategy would be just to lower the speed limit. The cause of the problem in front of my residence is vehicles accelerating rapidly from the stoplight at El Lago. You go from zero to 35 miles an hour and it seems like some cars want to do that as quick as they can, which causes the noise. Also, going the opposite direction, from 35 miles an hour to zero at the stoplight, you have a lot of people engine braking, downshifting, and you get the vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom, you know, noise which drives you nuts at 4 in the morning. So what I would suggest is lowering the speed limit and using a graduated lowering of the speed limit. As you're coming into the downtown area, rather than keeping it at 35, maybe move it down to 25 at the wash, just what'd be south of the Peaks fitness center, that wash there. Move it down to 25 so that vehicles have a chance to slow down a little bit before they get to the stoplight and that would reduce that deceleration Page 19 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 50 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES noise and conversely, when they're taking off from the stoplight they can only get up to 25 and then 35 later on, and it'd be a more smoother transition. I think this would also help law enforcement. If the speed was lower, the violations would stand out more. The noise and muffler violations would stand out more at the lower speed limit. It'd be easier for them to enforce the laws that are on the books already. I think it would also make the downtown area safer, if it was 25 miles per hour. And that's all I have. Thank you. MENDENHALL: Next, we have Harry Stelling, Junior. STELLING, JR.: Mayor, councihnembers, thank you for this opportunity. My name is Hany Stelling, Jr., and I live at North Saguaro Boulevard with my wife, Bobbie (ph.). We've lived in Fountain Hills since 1986 and in our condo along Saguaro since 2000. We love our town. We both retired in 2022. I was a zoning plans examiner for 21 and a half years with Maricopa County Planning and Development Department, and my wife was an elementary school teacher. We've looked forward to retirement and a quieter lifestyle, but our once quiet condo is now constantly filled with traffic noise. Not only has the daily number of vehicles increased dramatically, there's been a huge increase in very loud vehicles; dump trucks, concrete trucks, delivery tracks, semis, loud pickup trucks, sports cars, loud mufflers, loud motorcycles, and so on. The traffic is more typical of a highway rather than a street within a small town. The construction of -- excuse me. The town's proposal to add sidewalks in front of our complex is causing concern for fear of increasing the traffic noise and nicking our experiences even more untenable. Already, we're unable to enjoy our patio along Saguaro, or open windows along the east or southeast sides of our condo. Our phone conversations and online meetings are disrupted by traffic noise. This is all exclusive of the town's festivals and events. For Maricopa County, I reviewed the plans for many residences for noise attenuation requirements within the state -defined vicinity of Luke Air Force Base and the construction of our condos exceeds those requirements. Since we and other residents are feeling unhealthy symptoms related to high-level noise exposure, it appears that the noise levels exceed those within the vicinity of Luke Page 50 or 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 51 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Air Force Base, or on average exceeding 65 decibels. The World Health Organization defines noise above 65 decibels as noise pollution. Noise becomes harmful at higher levels, as well as at longer duration. Close to a busy road or highway, the traffic noise is probably around 85 decibels. Recently, I ran a quick, informal survey of traffic. That morning, I counted 85 motorcycles passing our complex between 10 and I 1 a.m. A typical motorcycle is approximately 80 decibels at 50 feet. The exterior wall of our living room is approximately 35 and a half feet from the curb along Saguaro and our covered patio is approximately 26 and a half feet from the curb. We urge the council to I) ensure that sidewalk improvements do not add to the already untenable and unhealthy traffic noise problem and perhaps even incorporate sound -reducing measures and 2) begin a serious study of the noise pollution problems for realistic and sustainable solutions. We commend the town for its efforts and success at getting the town certified as a Dark Sky Community. We urge the council to also place its focus on noise pollution, so as not to be designated as the noisiest, most unlivable Dark Sky Community. Thank you. MENDENHALL: Next, we have David Matzke. MATZKE: Matzke. Thank you. 1 had stuff all written up for you -- oh, by the way, Mayor and councilmembers. But everybody got to it before me, even the vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom, vroom. But my wife, Karen (ph.), and I moved here in 2003. We're right on Saguaro and what I've really noticed is the souped -up hikes and these sports cars that -- they'll start and come down. They'll go up Gunsight, and then turn back down Gunsight and come around and go up El Lago. They think they're hot. You know, I'm 74 years old; I can be 16 again, you know? I mean, vroom. And the motorcycles -- the nice motorcycles come through, they're nice and mellow. No problem. And then the guy comes in with his stereo cranked up so I can go in my courtyard and dance, if I could dance. But this is the problem where were getting. Those people have to be addressed, especially these damn sports cars. They are nuts. 1 mean, I was sitting -- he's sitting out at the stoplight on the east side on Saguaro. I'm in a back bedroom and I can hear him Page 51 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 52 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES and all of a sudden, I hear -- my shades were vibrating against the wood frame. That's how loud it was. Nobody around to give him a ticket. You give him a ticket and charge him 150 bucks, hey, it's going to go away. They'll go around town. Go out in the country and blow away the deer or something or whatever you can do. But it's unhealthy for us and I do have a thing here from the American Journal -- the Journal of American College of Cardiology. And they talk about the noise pollution from vehicles causing hypertension that can lead to cardiac as well as strokes happening. So I understand, my wife and I both understand the city is growing, the traffic is going to grow on Saguaro. But get the noisy traffic off, the trucks and the -- I mean, even the guys coming through doing yardwork, their vehicles are very, very loud, too. I mean, so -- everybody else had said it. I can't -- Ray said it. He knows how to do it. Take it down to 25 miles an hour and slowly take it up to 35 and really enforce it. 1 thank you for your time. Vroom. MENDENHALL: Next, we have Cellena Alvarado. Cellena, 1 have a question for you. ALVARADO: Yes, ma'am. MENDENHALL: Hopefully, I'm saying your name right. Is Jason speaking as well, or just -- are you together? Okay. ALVARADO: So-- CARTHEN: Thank you. ALVARADO: Hi, everyone. I just wanted to say that I'm here on behalf of Angel Heart Health Services. I just wanted to explain the services that we provide, which are just counseling, peer support services, and skills training and development. And that's for general mental health as well as substance abuse, so it's not just for substance. It's for people with general mental health. It's open to anybody, you know. So it's really a passionate job and we care for our clients. We're here to help everyone in recovery and just to get back and even learn the skills to be able to function in their day-to-day. We provide counseling for individuals, marriage, just, you know, mentoring. Just to help our clients again learn how to function in a day-to-day and come back into the community. Page 52 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 53 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES We opened this meeting with a prayer -- I'm sorry, I'm so nervous. We opened this meeting with a prayer and it was basically, you know, it kind of made me think about that when I went in to talk about the services that we provide. Everybody should be given a second chance and also to live a life that they -- you know, we all deserve. We have some -- we make mistakes. We are not perfect. But when you realize, you know, the things that you want to fix in your life, you need help and were here to help as a -- not just a company, but as a community and we just -- you know, we want to be able to help our clients and our community, to be able to provide those resources and the services to them. Also -- no, go ahead, sorry. CARTHEN: Hi, my name is Jason Carthen. I'm actually one of the brokers that were on that on that deal. I helped the transaction, helping them acquire the property. I did do some extensive research prior to selling them the property. I was not prepared for this meeting. I came down here to advocate for my client and I'm willing to go as far as I have to, to make sure that their money is not wasted. They have spent an ungodly amount of money getting the property ready. For which you see, sitting right here -- these are Native American children, okay? I have adopted all five of these children. As you can see, it is late. I live in Chandler. I've driven all the way over here for this meeting. They're supposed to be in bed, but yet I'm standing here before you guys. listening to the nonsense about things that a lot of people have no understanding, have no background in, right? And I understand everyone has to have a voice, everyone has an opinion. The services upon which they provide are for children like what you see sitting right here and these services are needed. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you, sir. CARTHEN: So Ijust wanted to -- I'm sorry. MAYOR DICKEY: I just didn't know if you were two separate speakers or not. CARTHEN: We are -- MAYOR DICKEY: Because we did the three minutes, so -- CARTHEN: Okay. 1 am -- 1 put my name down. I don't know how this stuff goes. So if Page 53 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 54 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES I needed to put a separate sheet, 1 would gladly have filled out one. 1 actually also have been a formal resident here, owning a business here in Fountain Hills, so -- Thank you. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. MENDENHALL: That's it for public comment. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you all. Our next item is our consent agenda. Could I get a motion, please? Oh, yes, sir? SKILLICORN: Madam Mayor, 1 would like to pull off one item here. MAYOR DICKEY: Which one? SKILLICORN: And that would be D, 8D. MAYOR DICKEY: RD? SKILLICORN: Correct. MAYOR DICKEY: Okay. That will become the first regular agenda item. Do I have a motion for the consent agenda A, B, and C'? KALIVIANAKIS: I'll make a motion. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. FRIEDEL: Second. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. Roll call, please? MENDENIALL: Okay. No problem. MAYOR DICKEY: Sony, I know you're scrambling over there. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Toth? TOTH: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Grzybowski? GRZYBOWSKI: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Friedel? FRIEDEL: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Kalivianakis? KALIVIANAKIS: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Skillicom? Page 54 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 55 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES SKILLICORN: Ayc. MENDENHALL: Vice Mayor McMahon? MCMAHON: Ayc. MENDENHALL: Mayor Dickey? MAYOR DICKEY: Ayc. MENDENHALL: It passes unanimously. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. So the first item will be the consideration of the Community Development Block Grant Program with Maricopa County. It looks like David is taking this. Thank you. POCK: Good evening, Mayor and council. Yes, I'm taking this with very little knowledge of the program. 1 did do some research on it before the meeting. The original agreement was signed back in 2017. That is an IGA with Maricopa County to participate in the CDBG Program, specifically the Urban Counties Program. From what I can tell from the agreement, as well as information from Maricopa County's website, the program is available. CDBG is not something that we had qualified as a town to apply for directly to the federal program. So through Maricopa County, we would be able to apply for funds. However, in the application packet that Maricopa County has I cannot locate our census tract as an eligible applicant, I guess. This current year there is $1.5 million that was up for award. Other than just some anecdotal evidence, 1 guess, during the pandemic there were some town residents that did benefit from either rent assistance or utility assistance, and that's about all I know. Maybe I can answer questions. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. Aaron? I think Aaron has maybe something to add. ARNSON: I'll bail you out. That's okay. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. ARNSON: Mayor and council, I'm not CDBG expert, but I do know from our experience with other communities being involved in the program and the cooperative agreement with Maricopa County is necessary to be eligible in the first place to receive any funding. CDBG programs can go towards a variety of initiatives. One of the things that Page 55 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 56 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES one of the other municipalities that 1 represent which happens to have an eligible population -- they're an eligible census tract -- is they use it for demolition and rehabilitation of unsafe, dilapidated structures. It can be used for certain economic and job creation and job retention activities. Other than that, 1 know it has a variety of uses. I think the idea, at least if I can cast my mind back to when we kind of first entered into this, was should their eligibility become available to us, we'd be in a spot to receive that funding. It's not so much that any funding will be forthcoming right now. We kind of need to stay on top of our eligibility. MAYOR DICKEY: I'll go to councilman -- but I wanted to ask why you took -- why you pulled it off? Did you have a specific question about it? SKILLICORN: Sure, Madam Mayor. When I first saw the -- 1 was just a little concerned. I read it again. I actually read through the, you know, agreement word for word. And there's some components in there that seem attractive, but there's nothing concrete. It's kind of like we hope that we become eligible or something. So there isn't anything concrete to it and I just -- I see what has happened in Maricopa County since this program has become and these issues have got worse and worse and worse, and I really want to -- I'm sure the board's going to accept us tonight, but I want to signal to MAO and the other people involved that what they're doing is not working and this placating -- this is just not working and we need to have different steps and real solutions, so people get help. Instead of focusing on housing -- it's a mental health crisis, not housing crisis. And I think that the longer we continue doing this, it's going to get worse and worse and I just see the results over the past 20 years here. MAYOR DICKEY: Councilwoman Toth? TOTH: I had two main questions and I think you technically already answered one of them. But I'm going to make you repeat it anyway. So Fountain Hills, have we received any money since joining this program? As a town? POCK: The Town of Fountain Hills has not, as far as I'm aware. TOTH: Okay. If we were to receive money, how much would that be? Or is that even -- am I misunderstanding the program entirely? POCK: So from what I was able to find. there was 1.5 million available for this year to Page 56 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 57 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES be applied for. TOTH: And that's total, not just for us? POCK: For all of the participating communities, correct. TOTH: Okay. 1 forgot my second question. I'm sorry. I did want to say, though, Allen, something that you said really struck -- I'm saying this through the Mayor, sorry. Mayor? I've appreciated something that you said -- that Allen said. That this is a mental health crisis, not necessarily a housing crisis. I do agree with that. Reading through this, I didn't expect it to be -- I didn't know that this would be pulled off the consent agenda. But reading through it closer, I do kind of wonder, is there -- oh, that's my second question. Is there any cost to us joining this? POCK: No. TOTH: No? What exactly -- so if we were to approve this, what exactly happens from there? POCK: It's good for another three years, and I don't know if anything happens. TOTH: We just sign the paper, or -- MAYOR DICKEY: Aaron? ARNSON: Yeah, Mayor and Councilmember Toth, David's essentially correct that we enter into the agreement and to the extent Fountain Hills ever dots -- if there's a grant program for which we become eligible, we could take that to the council and seek approval for application to that grant program. TOTH: So in the moment that we become eligible, could we just sign the paper and send it to them? ARNSON: No. TOTH: Okay. ARNSON: It would --just like any grant that we apply for, we typically -- unless there's like an emergency basis, which we've done once or twice in the past, we come to council for approval to submit those applications. TOTH: Okay. And how many members are there in this program -- ARNSON: Oh, gosh. Page 57 o7 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 58 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES TOTH: -- to share that 1.5? ARNSON: I don't personally know. I know it's -- TOTH: I'll try and Google it. ARNSON: Okay. It's many of the local governments around the Valley. MAYOR DICKEY: (Indiscernible). ARNSON: Yeah. MAYOR DICKEY: Rachael'? GOODWIN: Just to clarify it, I don't know -- so any city with populations under 50,000 are not eligible directly, so you have to come under this type of IGA, in order to be eligible. So by definition, a bunch of small cities or towns would come under this type of an IGA and then metropolitans over that are eligible directly. So sort of Maricopa County serves as the distribution point for those of us that don't meet that population size. TOTH: Got it. Okay. I have a follow-up question. I'm so sorry. I promise I'II give it up soon. You had mentioned that you weren't able to find something that showed us as eligible under that. Does that mean they're not doing their part of this agreement? POCK: No. TOTH: Okay. POCK: It just means that our population and the statistics -- our demographics don't fit. TOTH: Right, so what Rachael's explaining is that signing this agreement, right, would make us eligible to apply under -- because we've signed this agreement for the CDBG. But you had mentioned that the form right now is not allowing you to apply? I'm sorry. I'm really trying to follow. POCK: Yeah. As far as their application, it lists out on the table all the census tracts -- TOTH: Um -hum. POCK: -- and what the demographics are and then basically that we can apply. But I don't think it would go very far, because there's a lot of communities, a lot of different census tracts that are a lot more in need of that help than we would be. TOTH: Okay, I understand. POCK: That's I way I understand it and that's why -- TOTH: But we do have the ability to apply? That's where 1 misunderstood you. Okay. Page 58 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 59 of 73 APRIL 0, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES KALIVIANAKIS: Thank you, Ms. Mayor. Yeah, 1 too was a little confused that this appeared on the consent agenda. There seems to just be a lot of-- you're going to commit to this, commit to that, commit to this, were going to execute that, and it doesn't seem like there's any idea of what were committing ourselves to now. I think, unless I misheard, that some of these sums would be direct payable to the people of Fountain Hills? Okay, so I found out that tonight. I also assume that we're going to get some of the money. Do we have a list of the uses for that money? That's what I'd be interested in and 1 didn't see that in the packet and just in case I missed it. But there's a kneejerk reaction. It's free money, so Ict's just take it. But we have to be careful what these funds are going to be used for because we don't want them to be used for purposes that we don't agree with. MAYOR DICKEY: Well, 1 think, just to kind of come in here, there was a time that we weren't members and Grady found out that by being a member we could recommend residents to contact them for help. So we -- I don't know how long ago, but became a member in 2017 or something and then during COVID, for example, when, you know, everybody needed -- like the businesses or the people hadn't gotten their rent checks yet or that kind of thing, we were able to say we belonged to this. I admit I didn't follow up, but that was my understanding, was that it's something we can belong to at no cost, no obligation as a town, but it made us part of something where we could recommend a resource for individuals and I think there was some senior services level in there, too. But I wasn't prepared for it to not be on consent, either, so I apologize if I'm not as prepared. KALIVIANAKIS: Yeah. FRIEDEL: Mayor, let me add, I think this just gets us ready, so if people qualify then were in the program and then they can apply for it. Is that right? POCK: As far as I understand, from what I'm hearing tonight. ARNSON: That's the bottom line, yes, Mayor and Councilman. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. Brenda? Page 59 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 60 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES KALIVIANAKIS: Yes, thank you, Ms. Mayor. And I'm assuming this would be applicable for housing, then? Like maybe Section 8 housing or affordable housing? Is that one of the programs that are covered under the auspices of this program? POCK: I'm not prepared -- I mean, I'm not exactly sure what programs other than the ones that have been discussed. ARNSON: No. Typically, what you have with CDBG is it services individuals who fall within moderate income to lower income brackets. It's not for construction of new housing. In fact, that's specifically on the HUD website. It's not for construction of new housing. In can be used for purposes of, like I was saying earlier, demolishing dilapidated buildings or for renovating buildings that qualify. But construction of new buildings and new housing, that's a whole separate deal. MAYOR DICKEY: Vice Mayor? MCMAHON: So basically what this is, is agreeing to partner up with them so that our residents who are in need have access to funds so that they can be helped out. And I understand what Mayor Dickey said and I recall that some of our residents during COVID did apply and get assistance. So if we don't do this, then were not helping out residents who might fall through the cracks, because not everybody is wealthy in this community. So it just -- like Gerry said, it enables us to give them access to funds that they hopefully would be able to utilize to help them out. And if we don't do this, they don't have that avenue. KALIVIANAKIS: Ms. Mayor? MAYOR DICKEY: Yes? KALIVIANAKIS: Just to address one of the Vice Mayor's concerns, would we be giving this money out? Or would the program? Because she said we would be giving the money out, and I just want to clarify that. Is this going to be another administrative deal where we're going to have to assign -- UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: No. KALIVIANAKIS: -- human resources to -- I'm just going with what the Vice Mayor said. I'd just like that fleshed out a little bit. Page 60 of73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 61 of 73 APRIL 0, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES ARNSON: Right. So when -- so the town is the one that administers the program. In the event that there is a grant that ever comes along, right, the town is the one that administers the program. So if an individual, a nonprofit, or whoever -- whatever the case may be -- wants to apply for that, because Maricopa County is the distributing arm. It's just like when CARES or -- you know, whatever the other acts were during COVID era, those came down and were distributed through the county. And then those assistance grants were further distributed from the town. It operates the same exact way. MAYOR DICKEY: And just to be more confusing, I think when the COVID thing was happening, somehow we partnered up with Tempe or there was some other city that we sent them to. ARNSON: Yeah, and I was more talking about actual like-- what was the first one, other than CARES? I can't remember what the first act was. But then there was subsequently CARES. MAYOR DICKEY: ARPA. ARNSON: Yeah, ARPA. Thank you. There was ARPA and then there was CARES. And so I referencing more those, Mayor, but yeah, there were some special odd things that happened during COVID that are separate processes than what is established here. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. Can I get a motion for this, please? GRZYBOWSKI: Move to adopt Resolution 2023-10. MCMAHON: Second. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. Roll call, please? MENDENHALL: Councilmember Grzybowski? GRZYBOWSKI: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmcmbcr Friedel? FRIEDEL: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Kalivianakis? KALIVIANAKIS: Nay. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Skillicom? Page 61 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 62 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES SKILLICORN: No. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Toth? TOTH: Aye. MENDENHALL: Vice Mayor McMahon? MCMAHON: Aye. MENDENHALL: Mayor Dickey? MAYOR DICKEY: Aye. MENDENHALL: Six to two. It passes. MAYOR DICKEY: Five to two. ARNSON: Five to two, correct. MENDENHALL: Five to two. MAYOR DICKEY: We grew. MENDENHALL: I added another councilmember. MENDENHALL: (Indiscernible) the vote, too. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. I think, Justin, you're up for the next two items, correct? WELDY: Yeah. Madam Mayor, councilmembers. Oftentimes, we recognize the employees and the staff that provide services to us and this is an opportunity for not only the Town Manager but myself to do. Our facility staff over the last several years has made incredible discoveries about our facilities that we simply were not aware of, including the challenges we faced with our HVAC system. During that due diligence period, it was discovered -- and I'm not going to mention a vendor here -- that the company that had been providing services over multiple years had become complacent and basically just changed filters. As a result of that, this talented team in Facilities began to dig deeper into our HVAC system. We began to search for a vendor, a contractor with some reputation to speak to other municipal governments. This is a culmination of that. We've reached out to this individual through the cooperative use and entered into a lower threshold dollar agreement and allowed them to cone out so we could watch them do some assessments of our facilities. They came back with an incredible list. We Page 62 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 63 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES did a little back -checking, spent that money, moved it up a little bit more. As a result of all of this activity, were now convinced that this firm is best suited for the town for the next several years based on their performance and being able to back - check those performances through the more efficiently operating facilities that are not only the town hall, the library, but also the community centers and most people are not aware of this, but we have three additional buildings down at the Street Department that also require maintenance and service. With that, agreement to this contract will cover the rest of this fiscal year with a little bit of allowance in it and also next fiscal year, and then obviously, we would come back to you for an amendment at the end of -- or before the end of that timeframe and ask you to consider an additional amendment to this or possibly a new contract, depending on the underlying agreement from the issuing agency. With that, if you have any questions that I might be able to answer, I would be glad to do so. MAYOR DICKEY: Councilmember? SKILLICORN: Madam Mayor, Director. Did this go out to bid? WELDY: Yes, it did. SKILLICORN: Okay. And how many bids did it -- come in? WELDY: The underlying agreement agency received three proposals for this work. SKILLICORN: Okay. And you corresponded and you thought this was the best one? WELDY: Councilmember, I did not directly. Our Facilities supervisor did with the underlying agreement and some of their other customers on the cooperative use list. SKILLICORN: Great. Well, thank you very much to everyone. The fact that it went out to bid is something that reassures me that were getting the best deal for our money and it sounds like were in very capable hands. Thank you very much. WELDY: You're welcome. MCMAHON: I'll make a motion. MAYOR DICKEY: Oh, ycs? MCMAHON: Move to approve amendment number 3 to Cooperative Services Page 63 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 64 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Agreement 2022-062 with Mesa Energy Systems for HVAC maintenance and repair in the amount of $100,000. Thank you. FRIEDEL: Second. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. Roll call, please? MENDENHALL: Councilmember Friedel'? FRIEDEL: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Kalivianakis? KALIVIANAKIS: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Skillicom? SKILLICORN: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Toth? TOTH: Aye. MENDENHALL- Councilmember Grzybowski? GRZYBOWSKI: Aye. MENDENHALL: Vice Mayor McMahon? MCMAHON: Aye. MENDENHALL: Mayor Dickey? MAYOR DICKEY: Aye. Thank you very much. MENDENHALL: It passes unanimously. MAYOR DICKEY: Do we have any more speaker cards anywhere? Because I keep forgetting to ask. MENDENHALL: No, Mayor, I do not. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. So the next item is Justin again, and 1 guess there's no speaker cards. WELDY: Thank you, Madam Mayor. The next one is actually for traffic signal maintenance. Most people that live here and drive through don't actually realize that we have a limited number of traffic signals. We actually have 13 traffic signals. Some of them were inherited from Maricopa County Page 64 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 65 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES and when the town was very young and just starting out, the city of Scottsdale actually provided maintenance for our traffic signals until the staffing levels could be brought up. Even when the staffing levels were at optimum -- and let me he clear, that was one person -- the city of Scottsdale provided backup to that individual. It became increasingly difficult to secure that person again, but even more challenging because there are two neighboring municipal governments that agree to provide aid or services to back up our traffic signal technician; one of them the city of Scottsdale, the other one the town or the city of Mesa. When each of them became overwhelmed themselves and were unable to fill their own positions, the town contracted with Phoenix Highway. They eventually were unable to meet that obligation. Before we knew it, our only signal technician was unwell and would be retiring before very long. We initially had a contract agreement that was short and for a dollar threshold under $50,000 that we used to secure this and then came back to the previous Mayor and council and got a new contract to have our traffic signal maintenance addressed. That contract reached its term limit. The Town of Fountain Hills through their procurement officer, Rob Durham, released a request for proposals. It is attached to the staff report for you to read, if you'd like to. We were delighted that we got at least one and it also happened to be the one proposal from the vendor that has been providing support to the town for the last seven years. We are here tonight to ask you to consider approval for this agreement moving forward for the next five years. It's one plus four agreements in regards to renewal. We believe that we have adequate funding based on past performances and challenges. We also believe that based on our ability to recover funds from crashes in regards to traffic signal pole damage and controller damage that there won't be an increase for services related to that. With that, if you have any questions I might be able to answer, I'll be glad to do so. KALIVIANAKIS: I actually do. MAYOR DICKEY: Wait -- sorry, do you have a question? KALIVIANAKIS: Thank you. Yes, Ms. Mayor. 1 was just wondering, is there any way that we could just bring this in-house and Page 65 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 66 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES just put this under the public works department? WELDY: Madam Mayor, Councilmember, that is an excellent question. The challenge with that is it takes more than one person and the equipment necessary to do so. In the past when we reviewed those options, just to replace the vehicle was approximately $170,000. To secure an International Municipal Signal Association certified technician is a relatively high -paying job and also highly sought after because of the unique skill set there. So securing two of them proved to be all but impossible because of the job description and the way it was written and also the offers from the surrounding communities, which were substantially higher. And then the ability to have one or more persons to back that individual up. Now keep in mind, to be fair, traffic signals are not a full-time position here, so that individual would also be asked to perform other duties as assigned. That last little part right there, more often than not excludes several talented individuals. They don't necessarily want to be out putting up signs or digging ditches, or more important to be out with myself and other staff at midnight, cleaning dirt and trees off of the roads. So it's a little bit challenging. KALIVIANAKIS: Okay. Yeah, thank you for your very thoughtful answer. 1 appreciate that. I'm going to approve this tonight and I guess that gives us five years, but I think you'll probably be here five years from now and maybe in that year four we can start looking to bring this in-house, because 1'd love to do that and just have it -- a Fountain Hills employee and you know, if that would be possible, that would be a good thing for me. But anyway, thank you. WELDY: You're welcome. MAYOR DICKEY: Councilman? SKILLICORN: If there's no further questions, I was going to make a motion to approve. So I'd just like to make a motion to approve 9B, the Professional Services Agreement with Power Tech Contracting LLC. TOTH: Second. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. Roll call, please? Page 66 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 67 of 73 APRIL 4, 3033, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES MENDENHALL: Councilmember Kalivianakis? KALIVIANAKIS: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Skillicorn? SKILLICORN: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Toth? TOTII: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Grzybowski? GRZYBOWSKI: Aye. MENDENHALL: Councilmember Friedel'? FRIEDEL: Aye. MENDENHALL: Vice Mayor McMahon? MCMAHON: Aye. MENDENHALL: Mayor Dickey? MAYOR DICKEY: Aye. If we had all roundabouts, we wouldn't even need this, so -- MCMAHON: That's true. SKILLICORN: (Indiscernible). MCMAHON: Good thought. MAYOR DICKEY: Our next item is about the Legislative Bulletin. We'd solve the intersection problem there, too. MCMAHON: I know. MAYOR DICKEY: Anyway, so there's been a lot going on. Does anybody have anything that they want to -- I know that, Sharron, you were on the call and other -- did you want to go into any more of that? I can talk real fast if you want, so. GRZYBOWSKI: Yeah, you're much better at this than I am. MAYOR DICKEY: Okay. Oh, Mr. Skillicom? SKILLICORN: If you wanted an update, Madam Mayor -- MAYOR DICKEY: Go ahead. SKILLICORN: -- that Prop 400 bill did pass committee yesterday. MAYOR DICKEY: Yeah. Page 67 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 68 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: (Indiscernible). SKILLICORN: So -- MAYOR DICKEY: It was a different mix of voters this time. Yeah, so just real quick, the food tax elimination bill was vetoed and seemingly staying vetoed. The rental tax elimination bill was vetoed, but it's back into a different bill now, 1131. Again, it's costing cities and towns $230,000,000 statewide and it will cost Fountain Hills about $525,000 a year. So well -- we've been contacting the Governor's Office if things are getting that far. I know Brenda won't like this one, but political signs, 1025, it seeks to limit the area that municipalities can set aside for political -- to have political sign -free zones. In 2011, the State mandated that cities have to allow political signs in the rights of way during the campaign seasons, but allowed them to carve out political sign -free zones. Senator Kavanagh stated at the hearing that Fountain Hills had gamed the system and that the scenic designation was a scam. But the political sign -free zones in Fountain Hills were created pretty much in 2012, I think, right after the bill passed. And Mayor Kavanagh, all of — I was on the council. We all voted. We all supported it unanimously, so -- and then in the meantime with the Supreme Court ruling, it almost seems like that bill has to be -- I mean, that statute needs to be relooked at. But anyway, you know, I'm against it. You're -- I like our political sign -free zones the way they are. And then we've been talking a lot about zoning and we did ask the Governor for a veto of the home business by right bill, which is 1162. It did pass with support from our legislators. It would allow businesses with certain restrictions to operate out of residential homes. But given that the bill prohibits municipalities from requiring business licenses, the regulations -- they're not that many, but the few regulations in place would he difficult to enforce because we wouldn't necessarily know where the businesses were. And we've talked a lot about neighborhoods being changed by state laws, that by right zoning, which is the three separate bills now, that remove local decision -making, diminish kind of the private property rights of people that own their property now, elevates the property rights of those investors and others that don't necessarily have Page 68 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Raga 69 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES attachments to our community. So we did send in -- because that one is on her desk, so 1 think she has today or tomorrow to sign -- I mean, you know, to veto it. So hopefully that'll happen. And -- oh, gosh. Oh, this is just the Prop 400 bill. So you said it passed, right? Yeah. SKILLICORN: Committee. But Madam Mayor, there is a very important update that I forgot to mention, is yesterday the chicken bill made it out of committee. So that would actually -- the way it's worded, it's funny. But it would effectively allow chickens not to be prohibited, I think it's actually below half an acre. But it could be -- there could be a column added on that, so -- MAYOR DICKEY: I thought that was funny that it was a below thing. But it's so funny, when I very first got on the council, that was one of the first questions someone asked me. He was like, could you make it so we can have chickens? SKILLICORN: I have been asked that question in town. MAYOR DICKEY: You have? SKILLICORN: And 1 don't want to reveal any information, but I would suspect there's a few scofflaws out there. MAYOR DICKEY: Yeah, 1 think I've heard some of them. Okay. So there we are with that. The next item is our discussion/direction to the Town Manager. We heard some stuff tonight. Gerry? FRIEDEL: I'm wondering if we could take a look at our Traffic Safety Committee? With the uptick in crime in this town, I'm wondering if we can expand the scope and the mission of that committee and 1'd like to see if we could put that on a future agenda item to talk about. That's the first request that 1 have. If we could -- SKILLICORN: I would second that motion. MAYOR DICKEY: Okay, so -- and that could expand into anything else, like -- you mean like public safety? FRIEDEL: Yeah, like the issues with crime prevention. What can we do as a town to Page 69 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 70 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES help in those areas? I think the Traffic Safety Committee has done a lot of stuff and has probably come full circle. You know, we've got the blinking stoplights, stop signs, crosswalks, lowered speed limits, a sidewalk infill where needed, and the traffic safety corridors. I'd like to see that expanded to help with dealing with this crime, this uptick in crime. So maybe it's more Traffic Safety and Town Safety Committee type of approach. MAYOR DICKEY: Okay. FRIEDEL: And then the second thing that 1 have on my list is I was at the school board meeting last night and they talked about selling the Four Peaks property. I'd like to get that on a future agenda item to discuss as to whether the town would have any interest and what the pros and cons might be to doing something like that and taking a look at that and seeing if it's a fit for us. We have an extensive amount of land around that building -- MAYOR DICKEY: Right. FRIEDEL: -- up there right now, so maybe there's some interest on the town's behalf. But I'd like to have that out as an item to discuss. SKILLICORN: If a second is needed, 1 would second it. MAYOR DICKEY: You don't need to do that. You can just ask me, too, sometimes. But again, something like that, I mean, I don't know about next, or even the other one. You know, depending on how much information we can get -- FRIEDEL: Yeah. MAYOR DICKEY: -- and plus, you know, with the budget and everything our agendas are like -- ah. FRIEDEL: Right. Right. MAYOR DICKEY: But yeah — SKILLICORN: (Indiscernible) if it's ready. FRIEDEL: Right. MAYOR DICKEY: Yeah, they have to put it on -- FRIEDEL• They have to put -- they have to have that on the ballot. MAYOR DICKEY: -- the ballot and -- FRIEDEL: Yeah. SKILLICORN: An interesting discussion. MAYOR DICKEY: -- they have to get the permission in November and then after that -- Page 70 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 71 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES and that's another thing, that they would have to do with the vote, so we got time. FRIEDEL• And then one last thing is I know we're working on 5G, I just don't know where we are on that. Is that something we have on a future agenda coming up, or -- ARNSON: Good question. I'll follow up with our consultant about where he's at with our code review. So I hope to be able to get something to the council before the summer. before we recess for summer. FRIEDEL: And can 1 ask for a clarification? Somebody had asked before if while were reworking that ordinance, there's a moratorium on any applications that come through? Can you clarify that for the record? Is that such a thing, or are we all wet with that? ARNSON: So -- and I'd love to pull up the email that I had drafted because that said it better than I'll be able to say it here in person. But the sum and substance of that is that although moratoria are not expressly prohibited under federal and state law, federal regulators and actually by default our state as well have said that moratoria don't toll the shot clocks that we have to comply with -- SKILLICORN: Right. ARNSON: -- for approving wireless facilities. So if we -- could you adopt a moratoria? Theoretically, yes. Would it have any practical effect? No. Because federal law preempts any moratoria that we adopt. Did that succinctly enough answer the question, councilmember? Okay. FRIEDEL: Thank you. That's all I have. MAYOR DICKEY: That's all -- KALIVIANAKIS: No. MAYOR DICKEY: Brenda? KALIVIANAKIS: Thank you, Ms. Mayor. Yeah, on the future agenda business, I would like to investigate putting in an ordinance to prevent and/or regulate panhandling, specifically aggressive panhandling. Although some interactions are passive, panhandlers sometimes become aggressive by soliciting in a coercive or a threatening manner. Panhandling is viewed as an indication of social deterioration that can lead to more crime. So I'd like for our council to visit that. Page 71 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 72 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Secondly, I would like to investigate an ordinance to prevent homeless encampments and to prevent camping on right of ways. I think that's bad for property values. I don't think it's a huge problem right now, but I think we should be proactive rather than reactive and be ready for that. Lastly, I'd like to place on the next future agenda the reconsideration of the new Fountain !Tills town logo that was first discussed at the February 22nd council retreat. That's all. MAYOR DICKEY: Thank you. The first two are fine. The logo one? You need support for that one, 1 think. I'd like to hear if anybody would like to revisit. I mean, we spent the money already. Oh, we don't want -- I don't want to debate it, but -- SKILLICORN: I would second that. I don't know if there's a third. KALIVIANAKIS: Do we have a third? MAYOR DICKEY: Gosh. FRIEDEL: I'll be the third. MAYOR DICKEY: So you want to do the logo again? FRIEDEL: No, we are just -- MAYOR DICKEY: Ycp. FRIEDEL: --revisiting. MAYOR DICKEY: Revisit it? SKILLICORN: No discussion. MAYOR DICKEY: It's done. Okay. 1 wanted to mention that the -- so this was the council discussion/direction to Town Manager item. So on that one, I would like to mention the folks that spoke about Saguaro and El Lago intersection, which is something that we have already put on our next agenda for the Safety Committee -- Public Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee. And so we will be following up with that and well -- and of course, Captain Kratzer's on that committee, so we'll talk about the speeding and such. But you can see the dilemma when someone is asking us to stop doing so much traffic. So you know, but these are things that we have to continue to balance. So we already did the future agenda items, so -- Page 72 of 73 TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Page 73 of 73 APRIL 4, 2023, TOWN COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES SKILLICORN: Madam Mayor, there was one thing I wanted on a future agenda and that is a discussion on the -- you know, street -- not so much panhandling, but a solicitation ordinance or regulation. MAYOR DICKEY: Yeah. Yeah, those two are -- SKILLICORN: I know we talked about it during the retreat, but I do want to bring it up as a formal item. MAYOR DICKEY: That's fine. I was fine with both of those. I was just trying to -- KALIVIANAKIS: Yeah. MAYOR DICKEY: -- get rid of the logo one. All right. Any other comments? We arc adjourned. Thank you. Page 73 of 73 Having no further business, Mayor Ginny Dickey adjourned the Regular Meeting of the Fountain Hills Town Council held on April 4, 2023, at 8:24 p.m. ATTEST AND PREPARED BY: TOWN OF FOUNTAIN HILLS Gin Dicke , Mayor Ruidelze Lin 'a G. Mendenhall, Town Clerk CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Regular Meeting held by the Town Council of Fountain Hills in the Town Hall Council Chambers on the 4'h day of April 2023. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and that a quorum was present. DATED this 16'h Day of May 2023. Mendenhall, Town Clerk