well welcome to the Mesa city council meeting for February 3rd 2025 all members of our Council are present with council member Heredia attending by Zoom next we'll have an invocation by Angela White or the Spiritual Assembly beah of Mesa Angela if you're here come forward okay I don't see that she's here so we'll have a moment of silence if you'll stand followed by the Pledge of Allegiance thank you thank you if you'll join me in the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge alance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all well thank you everyone uh we're going to take action on the consent agenda um that's item one Mr Christopher if you come and please read the consent agenda agenda and I have a 6A and eight A and B off the consent is that correct yes all right thank you go ahead sir good evening mayor and council members these are the items on the consent agenda all items listed with an asterisk will be considered as a group by the city council and will be enacted with one motion there will be no separate discussion unless the council member or citizen request in which event the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered as a separate item item two approval of minutes of previous meetings is written item 3A act on liquor license application for the public Grill Beer and Wine Bar 4815 East Main Street item 3B act on liquor license application for Mong Palace 66 South Dobson Road item 3 C act on liquor license application for Dink and Dy Pickle Park 1065 North thopson Road item 3D AC liquor license application for cider Corp 31 South Robeson item 3E act on liquor license application for house modern Sushi 1641 South Stapley Drive item 3F act on Li license application for the bread and honey house 144 South Mesa Drive item 4A approving contract for mccps Road sewer relief project construction manager at risk guaranteed maximum price number one of one item 4B approving contract to purchase one Digger Derek truck for the fleet services and energy resources departments item 4 C approving three-year term contract with 2-year renewal options for Street sleeper brooms for the Fleet Services Department item 4D approving purchase of two roll back trailers and four tag trailers for The Fleet Services Transportation water resources and parks recreation and Community facilities departments item 4E approving one-year term contract for consumables and supplies for DNA analysis for the Mesa Police Department item 5A approving resolution to extinguish a portion of an 8ft Public Utilities easement located at 4159 East flower Circle to allow for expansion of the SRP wellsite item 6A has been removed from the consent agenda item 6B introduction of ordinance for zoning case 24469 for property located east of the southeast corner of reer Road in Main Street reson with plan area development overlay and site plan r view for multiple residence development item 6C introduction of ordinance for zoning case 24-8 18 for property located east of the northeast corner of San road and posos road reson from employment opportunity to General industrial to allow outdoor storage yards items 6D introduction of ordinance amending table one in the Mason City code Title 5 chapter 17 to remove the water impact fee category column to confirm discontinuation of this fee item 7A approving ordinance of proposed amendments to Chapters 5 6 7 8 11 12 30 31 42 63 and 75 of Title 11 the mesa city code pertaining to General plan references items 8A and 8 B have been removed from the consent agenda mayor and council members these are the items on the consent agenda okay we have a motion by vice mayor Summers the second by Miss spillsbury if you cast your vote please and council member hered how do you vote I thank you motion passes thank you go through pardon I didn't go through there you go okay 70 thank you all right the next item we'll take uh off the consent agenda is 6a it's uh zoning case 24- z891 we have uh four items on there and I'm going to read for the record Christine Gade at 2852 eastn Kanto and Kenneth gate at 2852 East en Kanto are opposed but do not wish to speak all right there's some more too okay and we have three items for 6A three individuals to speak first we'll hear from William Bodine and followed by Tim Meyer Mr Bodine time's yours your name and address my name is William Bodine I live at 2847 East Fountain Street Mayor and city council thank you for letting me speak about this development I hope blanchford blenford homes makes millions of dollars off this I really do it's going to increase my property value and I hope all the money sold from the property from the church will be used for good things we enjoy them as our neighbor but there are some accommodations that the city council should consider before they make decisions about this I know this is Introduction you'll make decisions later but there's three things that you got to consider first of all I'd like in writing that the church will allow construction vehicles to use their South uh Lane parking Lane and entrance Lane just north of the park for all construction for the years that it takes up and down those streets for several years it may take I I encourage that be in riding and and have it written down so we're aware of that number two evaluate and consider the water pressure we already have neighbors with low water pressure and with an additional 39 homes and I hope they have kids run the shower constantly and they have lots of sprinkler systems that's wonderful but the rest of us are impacted consider bumping that up a little bit and for me the third most important thing there is only one way to get in and out of that new development 39 homes three cars each potentially that's 117 more cars going up and down in Kanto street because that's really the only way in and out so there's there's about five things i' ask you to consider that would help remedy this first of all the traffic will be much better managed if there was an existing way or a way to exit onto Adobe right now you have a water retention Basin on the east side of the park you're paying to maintain upkeep and repair and haul garbage that's dumped there cuz I've seen it happen and you're trimming the trees and mowing the lawn it's a water retention Basin Lanford hommes and the church and the city just consider putting a road there have they even presented it to you I doubt that they won't even present that to you consider putting a street there to go to Adobe first of all it reduce traffic because there's already a light on Adobe and Lindsay second of all it will help reduce the congestion that's caused from students 25 to 30 cars every day parked on the uh the north side of the church parking lot right next to Lindsay nice for Mountain View students it's great free parking thank you for the church for being good neighbors to them we want to be good neighbors too third it will reduce the congestion caused by mommies and daddies dropping off their children on the North side which is the backside of Highland Elementary School Mr Bodine I'll give you an extra 15 seconds 15 seconds well thank you those are the things that I think are the most important that the city council should consider before making a decision thank you for your consideration thank you sir Mr Meyer after which we'll hear from marce Anderson good evening mayor and Council my name is Tim Meyer I live at 2860 East in Cano street so I'll be living right on that street that will be impacted for this project I also want to take and uh say that I I I think this project is a good project I like to see the project go forward but there's some considerations I hope that we will look at I'll just reiterate what Mr Bodin said because they're pretty much the same thing my biggest concern obviously is the traffic on Encanto Street I think there's some options that can be looked at as far as access from the development over to Adobe and like he pointed out um there's already a light on Lindsay and Adobe so that would be an outstanding way if if we could get some of the traffic to go out that way um the construction traffic is another concern but um I talked to Mr Lake this afternoon and he said that uh the church has committed to um allowing the construction traffic to go through the area of the church into their development so again like Mr bod it would just be nice maybe to get that in writing but uh that's great that they they've offered to do that cuz that'll cut down a lot of the construction traffic going back and forth on Encanto Street and then finally the third thing again just to reiterate that again because I got the same concern is the water pressure we were already pretty light on the water pressure last time I called the city and asked them to come out and take a look at it they were we were I was about 45 lbs of pressure I think the minimum was 40 is what they said so I was they wouldn't do anything with that since we're within the minimum but I'm worried again too if we put much more taxing on tax if we're taxing that much more on the Water System what will the water pressure do and again I Mr Lake told me that they're looking at maybe running another loop from Lindsay all the way back to that area to create another loop for water pressure so if that's the case that's great I'm not an engineer I don't know how all that works but somehow we just got to ensure and have on the record that we need to make sure we look at the water pressure and that there's something guaranteed again to that we can keep that water pressure up um so those are really my main concerns again I like to see the project move forward I think it'd be it would be a good project in the back but we've got those concerns if they can be addressed and I'd appreciate it thank you thank you Mr Meyer Mr Anderson sayate your name and address please Mr Mayor members of the council it's a rare opportunity that I have to stand before you and give you my home address which is one5 north Alba M Arizona 85213 and with great humility I say that I'm probably the most affected neighbor by this project and if you look at the site plan my house is the only house that touches the site and um so I'm here before you because as I look through the materials you got this evening I just noticed that what was missing was a petition of support that me and 17 of my neighbors submitted I think it was inadvertently but we we gave this to the Planning and Zoning Board I brought a copy here but it is in the city's materials and if if requested I could probably double that number with that I want to say that I love and respect my neighbors Tim and Butch these are friends of mine and I have the same concerns but I just reach a different conclusion at the end of the day and I do that because I have some more intimate knowledge if you will just living and rubbing on this for the last two decades but the point the point I wanted to share mostly was that uh I think probably you a lot of people watching find it poetic justice that the guy that's usually proposing projects has one next to his home but weighing everything out myself and many of our other neighbors are in support and so yes we don't want to see the water pressure go down I don't think it will I've dealt with the engineering department for decades now but those are engineering issues that need to be resolved traffic Etc I'll leave that up to Shawn Lake who represents them again since the beginning there's been an ethical wall in our office I'm not involved in City conversations or anything on this project I work directly and talk with Pat Adler at at blanford homes so I just want to stand and say that myself and many of our other neighbors are supportive um but for questions about resolution on the project would you please talk to Sean yeah that's all I have may did I stay within the 3 minutes you have a minute and 12 seconds left I I'm going to sit down and be quiet unless there's questions I can ask right I think we're good thank you sir I'm sorry to waste your time to see but thanks for let me sh no you didn't I don't know if the applicant wants to speak so the concern is access water pressure and the park I think we can V visit on the park Mr Brady yeah let Sean just I have some comments yes go ahead uh mayor council member Sean Lake here on behalf of bland for homes U excited about this project um we've met with the city on the water pressure issue and are comfortable with that and the city uh departments can speak to that as far as the access issue through the water station or or or campus south of the side out to oobe we'd love to meet with the the city between now and and when this is a final her on the 24th so if we could have assistance meeting with whomever we need to to talk about that possibility of the city allowing that to happen uh that would be grateful so with that we'll follow up and get back with you on the 24th all right thank you well this is comments from Mr Brady yeah thank you mayor uh mayor and Council I think one of the things let's remember what this is this is an infill project right this is a classic infill project in the city of Mesa that we're trying to make work and so when we have a infield project we um really do try to be a little more creative to the customization of the site um and obviously this site has some unique challenges um with the canal on its uh Eastern Edge um and just kind of tucked into the backside of the church's property so I think what we're trying to do is um make a way so that the church has an opportunity to develop this property in the back and treat it as an infill project 39 homes just really isn't a significant development it really fits that definition of a small infield development for us so I think while we'll be um checking the um the water pressure we're not concerned that 39 homes is going to have a sign significant impact on that but we are obviously committed to maintaining the pressure within the ranges that we expect throughout the city so our commitment is uh we'll continue to gauge that as this development comes online and if um some for some reason unforeseen reason that these 39 homes drops that to an acceptable levels we will we'll find a way to remedy that but where're right now our Engineers are not concerned uh regarding that uh as far as access for the construction vehicles I that's obviously between um the church has to give that um authorization and encouragement I think that makes a lot of sense as far as the access um frankly the Fire Marshall um has looked at this side and is comfortable with the current access as it's being proposed it does have an emergency Act access coming off the southwest corner through the drive drive aisle for the um church we think that's more than sufficient for what is needed again for 39 homes uh building a a road through the city park um where we already have parking limited and people you know cars backing into that street I think would be it's not a short-term solution right I guess I mean I'm not saying it can't be done but it's not something we can just say oh sure let's just do that I mean who's paying for the road uh how do we reconfigure the parking that supports um Mountain View Park so I think that's just something I mean it's a long-term option but I think what might be kind of said is that for 39 homes I don't know that this um investment of that length of a road and um covering up a drainage facility um it would be difficult to justify that with all the other priorities of infrastructure throughout the city and I don't know if the developer is willing to bear that cost but again the city would have to convey property and easements and um again it's just not I mean I'm not saying it can't be done it's not a solution that can be done in a very short period of time so thank you all right thank you Mr Adams thank you mayor um would uh would the applicant entertain a question Mr Lake thank you um you said you're comfortable with the uh the water pressure situation can you elaborate on that what is comfortable the city of meser water department told us that they're comfortable with it so I'm I I'm am not smart enough to understand water pressure okay and so I defer to the city officials that are experts on it and they're like they're not concerned that it will have impact upon it upon the project thank you I didn't know if you had any additional information on that um I am uh I'm supportive of the project I think we've heard three speakers who are supportive of the project generally um and I think it's a it's a difficult piece of property um I am however very sympathetic to the concerns I've heard here tonight and uh I'm I'm assuming that uh you'll be willing and available to sit down and reason through that as i' I'd like to see where that conversation goes so Absol absolutely good thank you but I but I am I am sympathetic to those concerns it's uh um I understand that we have various standards and traffic flows and whatnot but um I don't live on Encanto and if I did I probably would feel somewhat concerned about it for the reasons I heard so thank you mayor council member Adams as it's been said before let us get together and reason together thank you on a solution to this I've heard that somewhere thanks thank you Mr Lake that's all I have mayor thank all right thank you Mr Lake just just so you know the park access actually goes into the church property not the development itself and so I think that's the conundrum here because the church would have to Grant this and allow Ingress and egress out of the subdivision to go over to go south through through the parking lot to get over to the park and I don't think that personally I don't think that's the best option but I think that's something that you can uh work staff we'll talk with staff and see if Mr blanford wants to convey that cost because there's a cost to that as well but I understand that the and then someone mentioned to me you know if homes were built on the south side of Encanto all the way from Lindsay to Mr Anderson's home on Alba then that those would be what 22 homes or something like that something like that same as on the north side of encan mayor council members as we have always tried to do in the city of Mesa connected neighborhoods are better neighborhoods and these are public can canant is a public Street and there's curb cuts that have always envisioned that there would be connectivity between this property and that property I I mean I used to live in that subdivision I built a home 35 years ago 30 years ago not that long but don't date yourself many years ago I built a home in that subdivision and I lived there for uh 10 years so I get it it's always been envisioned that when this property develops or something happens that there would be cross aess even before the church and so I get it if their homes were a long end Kanto facing the homes across Street you'd have about 21 22 homes so we're talking 22 homes versus 39 homes um not a significant difference um we certainly can work with the neighbors we can talk with the city about going through that water campus but I'm not sure that that makes it moves the dial much if you will all right thank you thank you council member hered do you have any comments no comments thank you any anything else Council well hearing nothing we'll entertain a motion for 6A motion by Miss spillsbury I need a second Mr Summers please vote May question on V pardon this is to Simply move it forward on agenda yes this is an introduction of zoning case 24-0 891 I thank you Mr Ria okay motion passes all in favor there's nobody abstaining or against it okay we're going to move over to uh 8 A and [Applause] B I have two people who wish to speak we'll start with Mr Sandler Norm sendler if you want to come forward please so just to refresh this is the annexation of 30 plus acres annexation 23- 01004 along with the zoning case 23-13 named Carmelo by blanford Holmes Mr Sandler the time is yours you have three minutes I'll try and get this through this so good evening mayor council members um want to thank uh the feedback that I got from the last time being here and didn't really want to be a pest but uh I did want to kind of review a little bit you know we've got two items AA and and 8B and really it's it's 8A that's is most important because if 8A is not passed then 8B is really moot 8A being the annexation of the land into the city of Mesa so that's really what we're talking about as a day so I understand I mean I get it I you know I've been in business a long time you know Mesa is it schools are out of uh running out of money that they've lost uh rental tax revenue to to tune to $36 million so now you've got to go ahead and and generate more money so you know one of the ways to do that is to uh raise utilities um but you know there are unintended consequences that happen with these things too so um just recently there's another data center that's going to be built these centers these these data centers are huge resource uh consumers um SRP is raising their rates I'm talking with them I don't know whether you realize this or not but SRP under the the the cover the guys of sustainability is cloning closing their fossil fuel plants now fossil fuels really is just sto stored solar energy and they're going to be getting electrons from solar Farms over in New Mexico um the amount of land required for those solar Farms is 2 and 1 half times the entire size of the 35 state parks in the state of Arizona so think about that thir two and a half times all of the land and the 35 state parks in Arizona what is that why do you bring that up well because those electrons had to make their way from New Mexico into Arizona over to California they're going to be a part of the grid electrons don't know who's generated they just go someplace so when you've got really really high users like this then and they could be SRP customers and those electrons are coming and you know how they're going to get there through sunia transmission lines and I don't know if you're familiar with these but these are going through New Mexico through Arizona through sacred Native American lands okay so we have an invocation every night about the sacred American lands this will not change for Generations this view these are all going to be ruined so it's the unintended consequences that happen of the little things so I realize it's a little bit off based but what I'm really trying to say is that you know Mother Nature could use your support So a no vote on 8A is a yes vote for mother nature and that's what I'm asking for tonight so thank you for your time I appreciate it thank you Mr s welcome Alex you're up next thank you mayor council members Alex ronic Los sendis um I'm in District 5 and ever since we moved or I should say escape California to move to Mesa uh we hear these buzzwords of um not enough housing we have a shortage oh and we have a water problem the water problem okay so just I mean I'm sincerely asking here because this is a very confusing topic if there's a water problem but we're building more for more people for more data centers for more of everything so either there is a water problem and we're just saying well we'll deal with it later when we don't have any water or there is a water problem and the answer is well you can stop building if there is a water problem but if there or I'm sorry let me put it this way or if I just pay more for water there isn't a water problem and so it's very confusing with water and Construction and building and expanding either there is a water problem or there isn't a water problem what's the balance uh I'm in District 5 uh this is going to be creating more traffic I feel sorry for the people that living across from this development I understand development and growth and all that has to happen but um that's really a sincere question is is there a water I know this is dear to your heart because that's what was written in the first article uh when you became mayor or is is there not a water problem as long as we pay more for water that's really the question thank you thank you Alex Miss Mosley do you have any additional blue cards on this item and no other cards mayor all right thank you any council member wish to speak Miss go forth you want to speak at all or do you want to call up the applicant first sure than the applicant would you come forward please mayor council members I'll defer to the city on the water question but I'd be happy to answer any questions I don't know that I unless you would like me to go through my presentation well I think some of the question was about traffic uh on mcdal and maybe Miss go forth could answer that as well as yourself okay but any other concerns about carel no sir as far as the the traffic we are working the McDow and hos Road are within the jurisdiction of Mer County and we will be doing improvements to both mcdal and hos Road through permitting of Maricopa County uh so there will be improvements to both of those streets we'll also be working with the county on improvements to the streets on the south and the east as well so to help alleviate we have worked with the city of MAA transportation department and the capacity of mcdal road is about half right now of what it could handle so with the improvements that we have have with the small amount of homes that we'll be developing there will be more than enough capacity on the adjacent roadways to handle this development okay I don't have any Miss go forth you're good I don't have any questions for Mr Lake no if anybody else okay thank you well if it's okay with the council I'll entertain a motion for both um items 8 a and 8 B and we'll move forward with that oh I I guess I I did I will make just comment I mean I don't have any um response uh to Mr lake or anything but um I know that for those of you who do live in the county um as I stated when this came up for introduction a few weeks ago it's it it is frustrating um when the the city starts encroaching and getting closer to to your properties um this proposed development is in line with what the city of Mesa has allowed it's allowed under the general plan it's allowed under the zoning District excuse me and it's consistent with the other uh city of Mesa developments again I understand that differs from you in the county and what you have um and the density that you have and I you know I certainly am very sympathetic to not drastic Ally changing the character of an area this parcel is relatively small when you look at the desert Uplands and when you look at the other uh city of Mesa developments in the desert Uplands and in the area when you look at that as a whole this does not drastically change it doesn't move the needle as far as density I think I mentioned the last time it it it's a you know from it stays pretty much in about a 1.5 dwelling units and acre density so it doesn't drastically that doesn't take away from the fact that I understand it it directly affects you and that your large parcel that you live on I I I do understand um but it is consistent with the the zoning or ordinance and it's consistent with previous developments and so therefore I I I do support it um it's a balancing act of course with all those um I I love the saying there's no Solutions there's only tradeoffs and I think in this case that's absolutely true um we do we do have have competing interests here when it comes to um not drastically changing the character of an area um not exacerbating our housing uh issues by limiting Supply I think um as one speaker if if you if we limit it whether it's from water or what else else um we we get closer to that place that you left and and tried to get out of um so and and then we of course have property rights and that we have to honor and preserve so with those three competing interests there are trade-offs to those decisions and but those that's what I looked at and and I will be supporting so all right thank you council member Mr Adams well there we are um I I almost hesitate to ask this question of my colleague council member go forth but there was a rather robust discussion about Street lighting along Hall Road the last time this came up and uh my my question is are are you now satisfied with where that issue lies um I'm I am fairly satisfied I just had a discussion with um City attorney Jim Smith about as it stands now there is a city ordinance that um does not allow us to exempt this area from street lights but we're going to be looking into that um that study that was done and see if it makes sense to extend the area where street lights are not required um over the next year and I'm I'm and at the same time work with the applicant in um not requiring the infrastructure and the street lights to go up until that study is done because I think it was pretty Apparent from this Council that we agreed that the in that area the street lights are not necessary and I think that the residents would appreciate that as well so I know the line for the study was drawn at McDow but um we need to look and see and that's what we're going to be doing over the next year looking to see if that line needs to be moved and and there there there needs to be a compelling reason in my mind why it doesn't because you you had a majority of the council up here that said this the line does need to be moved so good thank you I I showing my ignorance there I didn't realize that conversation had gone on and I was uh supportive of the position that we probably didn't need those street lights there so I'm happy to hear that uh there's some progress being made there so um I I would Echo your comments about you know this is a balancing act um the owner of the property certainly has rights and how it's used and uh you know every every place where every one of us lives used to be a piece of barren dirt that someone probably felt they would like to see it stay that way so it's it's not easy but I'm I'm supportive of the case and happy to hear that the street lighting issue thing is has been been resolved for the time being thank you mayor thank you Mr Adams any other comments okay we have a motion by Miss spillsbury a second by Mr Summers please vote Mr Heria I thank you okay motion passes thank you all right we're going to move forward to item nine which is items from citizen present I have one card Alex you're up again thank you mayor council members uh ideas have consequences and bad ideas have victims two weeks ago I was here asking you to reconsider the city of mesa's Dei policy and uh want to thank council member goor her coordinator did reach out and we corresponded I'm just waiting for a response to the questions I had um since then the has been a very big Topic in the nation the federal government has now cancelled 104 Dei contracts totaling over $1 billion the city of Queen Creek has gotten rid of their Dei policy the city of Scottdale is about to get rid of their Dei policy companies like Target Walmart ma McDonald's Ford John Deere Lowe's Harley-Davidson Jack Daniels molsen Toyota Bo and Nissan have all backed away from their Dei policies currently there are more than 100 anti- Dei cases throughout the country 37 of these cases are tar targeted programs 23 of these cases are workplace discrimination there are already protections against discrimination on the basis of race Creed gender age sexual sexual orientation you don't need extra but by keeping Dei in place the city of Mesa makes itself vulnerable to lawsuits on the basis of discrimination and programs ideas have consequences and bad ideas have victims I ask you again please consider removing city of mesa's Dei policy thank you thank you Alex uh Miss Mosley do we have any blue cards to speak on this item no other request mayor okay thank you with that I just want you to know we can't respond to the comments on item nine from citizen presence but we hear you and uh I'm sure the council members will all and the mayor's office will respond appropriately with that this is all the items we have for this meeting is there a motion to adjourn Mr Summers Miss bilsbury thank you all in favor say I I I Mr R I think you said said I okay sorry thank you motion passes we're adjourned have a great evening [Music] [Music]