Avondale City Council Meeting: Proclamations, SS4A Grant, and Speed Camera Program Discussion – October 15, 2025
Avondale City Council Meeting – October 15, 2025
Note: The transcript begins with the mayor calling the meeting to order on September 8th, but the provided meeting date is October 15, 2025. This summary uses the given date but notes the discrepancy.
The meeting included two proclamations, a consent agenda consideration, a presentation and vote on a federal Safe Streets for All grant, and a detailed discussion on the speed safety camera program. No public comments were received. Council heard updates from members on community events and nonprofit funding.
Consent Calendar
- The consent agenda was approved with the removal of Item G (Safe Streets for All grant) for separate consideration. The remaining items passed unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No unscheduled public appearances were requested.
Proclamations
- National Suicide Prevention Month (September 2025): The mayor read the proclamation. City Manager Ron shared a personal connection and announced an internal memo and video. Edith from Neighborhood & Family Services introduced partners. Kathy Via of Southwest Behavioral & Health Services accepted the proclamation. Assistant Chief Bates introduced community member Craig Buckland, who shared his story of a suicide attempt on May 19, 2025, and thanked Avondale Police and Fire for their rapid response. Councilmember Garcia expressed gratitude and noted the prevalence of suicide in military families.
- Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15, 2025): Stacy Swainston, Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation, and Libraries, presented upcoming events including art programs, story time, and a student art show. The mayor read the proclamation highlighting the month's theme and contributions of Hispanic residents.
Discussion Items
- Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Grant (Item G): Kim Moon, Director, presented an update on the grant to develop a safety action plan. Key data: 8,773 crashes from 2017–2021 in Avondale, 35 fatalities (11 involving pedestrians or bicyclists), and 193 serious injuries. The city was awarded the grant; a revised federal form required re-approval. Council asked about reporting timelines and inclusion of public safety and marketing teams. The grant will help qualify for future implementation grants.
- Speed Safety Camera Program: Lt. Justin Iwin (Avondale Police) and Judge Craig Jennings (Avondale City Court) presented a year-long evaluation (August 2024–July 2025). The program uses two movable cameras (contract with Vera Mobility, 5 years, 2 years in). Citations issued for speeding 11+ mph over limit. Key statistics:
- ~45,000 violation events captured; 12,356 citations issued; 32,733 rejections.
- Pre- and post-deployment speed data on Dysart Road (45 mph limit): vehicles exceeding 56 mph dropped from 3,200 to 1,600 (50% reduction). Average speed of violators remained at 59 mph.
- Combined accident data from two locations: 15 accidents pre-deployment, 12 during, 24 post-deployment.
- Personnel costs: two dedicated employees ($176k/year); two additional positions authorized but unfilled pending council direction. Total anticipated FY26 cost: $561,482 (cameras $209,482 + personnel $352,000).
- Court impact: 12,356 photo radar cases filed (178% increase in total court filings). Of those, 9,585 resolved: 2,504 defensive driving, 3,161 dismissals (many for lack of service), 3,920 responsible findings. Revenue to general fund: $391,269 from sanctions, $287,960 from defensive driving diversion fees, total $743,665. Court enhancement fees added $64,436.
- Challenges: glare on east-west facing cameras, vandalism (5 spray-paint incidents, 1 knocked over; costs borne by vendor).
- Council feedback was mixed:
- Councilmember Conde: questioned behavior change; suggested flashing speed limit signs; noted employees will retain jobs if program ends.
- Councilmember White: highlighted 50% speed reduction as success; argued accident trends may have other causes; supported program.
- Councilmember Weiss: requested more data points and follow-up speed checks; noted cameras have only been in three locations over 16 months.
- Councilmember Solorio: concerned about losing deterrent; asked about Van Buren citations; noted contract termination costs unknown; asked court about current workload—Judge Jennings said court is now comfortable.
- Councilmember Garcia: opposed on constitutional grounds and financial burden on residents; mentioned speed limit on Van Buren may be too low; received resident complaints.
- Vice Mayor Nielsen: asked about accident severity data (not available); noted Safe Streets study could incorporate broader solutions.
- Mayor Peneva: discussed pros and cons; noted speed average unchanged; revenue surplus of ~$183k; wants contract penalty details before deciding; suggested relocating cameras to gather more data.
- City Manager proposed returning in November with contract termination costs, moving cameras to a new location, re-measuring speed at former sites, and officer-written ticket numbers. Council generally agreed.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda (minus Item G): Approved.
- Safe Streets for All Grant (Item G): Approved (motion by Councilmember Condi, second by Councilmember White).
- Speed Safety Camera Program: No vote taken. Council directed staff to:
- Obtain contract termination penalty information and bring back by November.
- Move speed cameras to a new location to collect additional data.
- Re-measure speeds at former Van Buren and Dysart locations.
- Report number of officer-written speeding tickets. A decision on continuation will be made at a future meeting, possibly November.
- Meeting Adjourned: Motion to adjourn and enter executive session passed.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I'd like to call to order the regular city council meeting of September 8th. Would you all please join and uh celebrate me with the Pledge of Allegiance or celebrate with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence. I would allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. One nation, under God, indivisible of liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Marcella, can we do roll call, please? Councilmember Condi, here. Councilmember Garcia, here. Councilmember Solario. Here. Councilmember Weiss. Here, Councilmember White. Minister Nielsen. Here. Mayor Peneva. Here. Ron, next item, please. Thank you, Mr. Mayor and Council. Up uh next is our proclamation for National Suicide Prevention Month. So if I can, Mayor, as I believe the council and probably most of the city knows this this topic is uh of high importance to me, very important to me, that we educate ourselves on signs and symptoms. And so September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Here at the city, we take that very seriously. So internally, uh tomorrow, a memo will go out from myself to all employees that outlines uh resources. Uh our human resources department has put together in partnership with Edith and her team over at NFS a list of trainings and opportunities so we can educate our employees on signs and symptoms. Awareness, we ask Council and you to do this proclamation for the community. Um then I will release my video where I talk about my own experience in my family. And so uh very important to me. So I just want to personally say thank you to Council and Mayor for being supportive of this program. It means a lot to me. In addition, we have a special program for you tonight. Uh Edith, uh the assistant director of uh neighborhood family services is going to introduce some of our partners that we use at the resource for our um for our uh community members. In addition, after you read the proclamation, we have a community member who wanted to personally uh share his story and say thank you to some of our uh employees. So with that, I will turn it over to Edith uh to continue. Thank you, everyone. Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members. September is recognized as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. It's a time dedicated to raising awareness about mental health and promoting access to vital support and prevention resources. The City of Avondale is committed to fostering a community where conversations about mental health are encouraged, stigma is reduced, and individuals feel supported and connected. We extend our deepest appreciation to the professionals in mental health, education, and public safety who work tirelessly to support those in need. As a community, we encourage all residents to prioritize mental well-being, seek understanding through education, and also extend care and compassion to one another. The city's neighborhood and family services department serves as a trusted resource, offering support, information, and connections to services that promote mental health and overall well-being, all within a safe, welcoming environment at the Arizona Complete Health Avondale Resource Center. Our community members can also reach out for immediate 24-7 support by calling or texting 988 or visiting 9888 Lifeline.org. So at this time, Mayor, I would like to invite Kathy Via with Southwest Behavioral and Health Services to the podium to accept the proclamation. Yes, you can read first, please. Okay. Whereas September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month to raise the visibility of mental health and proactive suicide prevention resources in our community. And whereas we want to change the narrative, foster empathy, and help connect people with appropriate support services. And whereas, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, with more than 48,000 people dying by suicide annually in the United States.
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