OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Avondale City Council Meeting - October 15, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, October 15, 2025
BodyAvondale, Arizona
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, October 15, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 46:40

Transcript — Verbatim
0:06

City Council, welcome you to the Avondale City Council meeting.

0:10

As a courtesy to others, please silence all anyone wishing to address the council regarding an item on the agenda or under unscheduled public appearance should complete the request to speak form online at www.avondaleaz.gov slash request to speak.

0:31

Or complete a blue card that is located at the back of the council chamber and hand it to the city clerk prior to consideration of that agenda item.

0:40

When your name is called, please approach the podium and give your name for the public record.

0:44

Please limit your comments to three minutes.

0:47

If more than five requests to speak are received, comments will be limited to one minute.

0:52

A countdown clock will be easily visible on the speaker's podium.

0:56

If your comments concern an item not listed on the agenda, Arizona open meeting law restricts mayor and council actions.

1:04

If your comments concern an item not listed on the agenda, mayor and council may respond to criticism, request that staff review the matter, or request that the matter be scheduled for a future agenda.

1:17

Thank you for your interest in the Avondale City Council meeting.

1:46

One nation under God, individual liberty, and justice crowd.

2:04

Thank you.

2:07

Marcel item one, we can get roll call.

2:10

Thank you, Mayor.

2:11

Councilmember Condi.

2:13

Here.

2:13

Councilmember Garcia.

2:15

Here.

2:16

Councilmember Solario.

2:17

Here.

2:18

Council Member Malone.

2:19

Here.

2:19

Councilmember White?

2:21

Here.

2:21

Vice Mayor Nielsen.

2:22

Here.

2:23

Mayor Weiss.

2:24

Mayor Beneda.

2:28

Sorry.

2:30

Old habits diehard.

2:31

But that's I just saw a picture with him in it.

2:35

I was like, I miss him.

2:37

So it's just he's here in spirit.

2:39

He's in spirit.

2:41

Okay.

2:41

At this point, we have the new voting system, and so you can mark present on your iPads.

2:46

Thank you.

2:48

Thank you.

2:48

Uh item number two.

2:50

Uh Ron, next item, please.

2:52

Yes, Mr.

2:52

Mayor and Council.

2:53

Up first, we have an introduction by uh Katie Gregory, our CISO City Manager introducing our brand new economic development director.

3:15

All right.

3:16

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council members.

3:19

I'm excited this evening to introduce um Jennifer Stein, who is been selected our as our city's new economic development director.

3:27

She's joined the city last Thursday, which was a great day to join because it was Halloween and we had the creep and crawl, and she jumped right in, so she had a blast doing that.

3:36

Um she comes with us over with over 25 years of experience in communications, marketing, economic development, and strategic planning, and she'll be leading our business attraction, development, retention, and expansion expansion efforts, all in an and uh to enhance our residents' lives.

3:53

Most recently, Jen was the economic development director for the city of Peoria, where she led the award-winning award.

3:59

She got it this she got an Oscar.

4:01

Wait, no, an Emmy.

4:02

An Emmy.

4:03

She got an Emmy.

4:04

Um but she led the the award-winning public affairs marketing and tourism campaigns as well as attracting prominent developments throughout the city in the high-tech medical restaurant and hospitality sectors, some of which she plans to do here as well.

4:20

Um she holds a bachelor's in science in public relations from Northern Arizona University, and I'm so excited because she's ready to hit the ground running, and and we're excited to see where she takes the city.

4:31

So, Jennifer Stein.

4:33

Thank you.

4:33

Thank you, Jen.

4:36

Thank you, Katie.

4:37

Um, good evening, Mayor and Council.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety████████████████████████████████32%
Economic Development████████████████████████24%
Community Engagement██████████████████████22%
Procedural██████████████14%
Personnel Matters██████6%
Water And Wastewater Management██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Avondale City Council Meeting

Date: October 15, 2025

The Avondale City Council held a regular meeting on October 15, 2025, at 7:08 PM. The meeting included introductions of new staff, a presentation of the Citizens Police Academy graduates, a proclamation for Phoenix Raceway and NASCAR Championship Weekend, approval of the consent calendar, and updates from council members. All actions were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent calendar was approved by a unanimous vote. No items were removed for separate consideration.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No unscheduled public appearances were made. No requests to speak were received.

Presentations & Introductions

  • New Economic Development Director: City Manager Katie Gregory introduced Jennifer Stein as the new Economic Development Director. Stein has over 25 years of experience in communications, marketing, and economic development, most recently serving as Economic Development Director for Peoria. She expressed excitement about working in Avondale and highlighted the city's potential as a center for growth, AI technology, and tech supplier activity.
  • New Public Works Employees: Public Works Director Kirk introduced Bernadette Gortarez (administrative specialist, formerly with Surprise for 23 years) and Jared Carroll (senior water reclamation operator, with multiple ADEQ certifications). Both were welcomed by council.
  • Citizens Police Academy Graduates: Chief Espinoza and Sergeant Jenny Chavez presented the 2024 Citizens Police Academy graduates. Two graduates, Isabel Castillo and Eddie James, spoke positively about their experience. Castillo noted the program deepened her interest in law enforcement and encouraged others to participate. James emphasized the trust and compassion shown by the Avondale Police Department and called the graduates ambassadors. Council members praised the program and its impact on community-police relations.
  • Proclamation – Phoenix Raceway & NASCAR Championship Weekend: Assistant Director Cheryl Covert read a proclamation honoring Phoenix Raceway’s 60th anniversary and declaring November 8–10, 2024, as NASCAR Championship Weekend in Avondale. Chantel Carlson from Phoenix Raceway thanked the city, noting that the event is sold out for the seventh consecutive Cup Series race and will welcome over 125,000 visitors. The proclamation highlighted the raceway’s economic impact of $473 million annually and its role in community culture.

Discussion Items

  • No substantive discussion items were on the agenda beyond the presentations and consent calendar.

Councilmember Updates

  • Councilmember Solario announced that he, Councilmember White, and Councilmember Malone will attend the National League of Cities Summit in Tampa, marking the league’s 100th anniversary.
  • Councilmember Solario also thanked the mayor and staff for making council chambers available for early voting, noting that the last day to submit an early ballot was that day.
  • Councilmember Garcia thanked Parks and Recreation staff for the Dia de los Muertos event at the Goodyear Cemetery and mentioned meeting a resident with historical knowledge of the cemetery.

Key Outcomes

  • The consent calendar was approved unanimously.
  • The proclamation for Phoenix Raceway and NASCAR Championship Weekend was adopted.
  • The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:50 PM after a motion by Councilmember White, seconded by Councilmember Malone.

Note: The transcript dates the meeting as occurring in 2024 (references to Halloween, November 2024 NASCAR event), but the provided metadata specifies the meeting date as October 15, 2025. This summary honors the metadata date per instructions.

Meeting Transcript

City Council, welcome you to the Avondale City Council meeting. As a courtesy to others, please silence all anyone wishing to address the council regarding an item on the agenda or under unscheduled public appearance should complete the request to speak form online at www.avondaleaz.gov slash request to speak. Or complete a blue card that is located at the back of the council chamber and hand it to the city clerk prior to consideration of that agenda item. When your name is called, please approach the podium and give your name for the public record. Please limit your comments to three minutes. If more than five requests to speak are received, comments will be limited to one minute. A countdown clock will be easily visible on the speaker's podium. If your comments concern an item not listed on the agenda, Arizona open meeting law restricts mayor and council actions. If your comments concern an item not listed on the agenda, mayor and council may respond to criticism, request that staff review the matter, or request that the matter be scheduled for a future agenda. Thank you for your interest in the Avondale City Council meeting. One nation under God, individual liberty, and justice crowd. Thank you. Marcel item one, we can get roll call. Thank you, Mayor. Councilmember Condi. Here. Councilmember Garcia. Here. Councilmember Solario. Here. Council Member Malone. Here. Councilmember White? Here. Vice Mayor Nielsen. Here. Mayor Weiss. Mayor Beneda. Sorry. Old habits diehard. But that's I just saw a picture with him in it. I was like, I miss him. So it's just he's here in spirit. He's in spirit. Okay. At this point, we have the new voting system, and so you can mark present on your iPads. Thank you. Thank you. Uh item number two. Uh Ron, next item, please. Yes, Mr. Mayor and Council. Up first, we have an introduction by uh Katie Gregory, our CISO City Manager introducing our brand new economic development director. All right. Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council members. I'm excited this evening to introduce um Jennifer Stein, who is been selected our as our city's new economic development director. She's joined the city last Thursday, which was a great day to join because it was Halloween and we had the creep and crawl, and she jumped right in, so she had a blast doing that. Um she comes with us over with over 25 years of experience in communications, marketing, economic development, and strategic planning, and she'll be leading our business attraction, development, retention, and expansion expansion efforts, all in an and uh to enhance our residents' lives. Most recently, Jen was the economic development director for the city of Peoria, where she led the award-winning award. She got it this she got an Oscar.

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