OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Avondale City Council Regular Meeting: October 15, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, October 15, 2025
BodyAvondale, Arizona
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, October 15, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 56:12

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Your interest in the Avondale City Council meeting.

0:04

Good evening, everyone.

0:05

I'd like to call to order the regular meeting of Monday, September 23rd, 2024.

0:10

Would you all stand for the Pledge of Allegiance led by Cub Scout PAC 91?

0:16

And a moment of reflection, please.

0:19

Sir, whenever you're ready.

0:46

Again.

1:15

And I asked, I am going to ask someone from the troop if they're still here during unscheduled public appearances just to spend a couple minutes telling us what you guys do.

1:22

So if you want to have someone stick around, that would be great.

1:25

Very did.

1:26

You're good.

1:27

So thank you for that.

1:29

Marcella, do you mind?

1:31

Councilmember Conde?

1:33

Here.

1:33

Councilmember Nielsen.

1:35

Here.

1:36

Councilmember Solario.

1:37

Here.

1:38

Councilmember White?

1:39

Here.

1:39

Vice Mayor Paneda.

1:41

Here.

1:41

Mayor Weiss?

1:42

Here.

1:43

And Councilmember Malone has an excused absence tonight.

1:47

Thank you, Marcella.

1:48

Ron, item two A, please.

1:51

Uh Mr.

1:52

Mayor, Council, we have one employee introduction.

1:55

It's going to be Josh Perez, our code compliance manager, introducing one of his new employees.

2:01

Actually, she's not new.

2:09

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and members of council.

2:11

I am proud to introduce Martha Ortiz as our newly promoted lead co-compliance officer.

2:17

Martha has dedicated over three decades of service to the city of Avondale, 27 specifically in code enforcement.

2:25

Additionally, she holds a prominent position on the board of directors for the Code Enforcement League of Arizona, a position that she's held for 15 years.

2:32

And she is also a proud alumni of Grand Canyon University, where she has obtained her bachelor's degree in public administration.

2:41

She also holds multiple certifications through the International Code Council.

2:45

In her leisure time, she enjoys spending time with her family, particularly here, great grand, her grandchildren.

2:51

And uh Martha's dedication, her leadership abilities, her experience, and her commitments to the residents of Avondale serve as a shining example, and she will be a wonderful asset to our co-compliance team.

3:02

Thank you.

3:03

So Martha, so tell me what the tell us what the new promotion is gonna involve and kind of give us some background on that.

3:09

On the promotion.

3:11

Yeah.

3:11

As far as well, you were just promoted.

3:13

How long ago were you promoted?

3:15

Oh, just recently, and it started uh as effective as September 16th.

3:18

Okay.

3:19

Um we were talking earlier.

3:20

I I said you've seen a lot of changes in the department.

3:23

Absolutely.

3:24

A lot of different councils.

3:25

Yes.

3:25

So your department went through, so code enforcement went through, go through all the changes to departments that you reported to to give this council an idea of those changes.

3:34

So at the time when I started code enforcement, we had one code officer under the fire department and one zoning enforcement officer, which I held, and then I applied one um under the fire department.

3:44

We got moved over under the fire department.

3:46

From there, we were there um probably I want to say about seven years, and then we were uh transferred under neighborhood and family services.

3:56

Um we were there for a very long time.

3:58

Um, and then we were uh moved over to development services for two years, and now we're under uh Office of Public Safety.

4:05

Wow.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety██████████████████████████████████34%
Environmental Protection████████████████████████████28%
Procedural██████████████14%
Public Engagement████████8%
Community Engagement██████6%
Youth Programs███3%
Economic Development███3%
Personnel Matters██2%
Healthcare██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Avondale City Council Regular Meeting – October 15, 2025

Note: The audio transcription of the meeting indicates the meeting was called to order on Monday, September 23, 2024. However, the official meeting date provided is October 15, 2025. This summary reflects the transcript content but uses the assigned date.

The meeting was called to order at 6:11 PM with all council members present except Councilmember Malone (excused). The council heard employee introductions, issued two proclamations, received a presentation from the Cub Scouts, approved a consent agenda (minus one item), discussed and authorized a federal energy efficiency grant, and reviewed police data on loud noise complaints.

Consent Calendar

  • All consent agenda items were approved unanimously (6‑0) except item G, which was removed at the request of Councilmember White for separate discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Representatives from Cub Scout Pack 91 (sponsored by American Legion Post 61) spoke about the pack’s community activities, including meet‑and‑greets with city departments, camping, and participation in events such as Kids Fest and Memorial Day. The pack currently has 12 scouts.

Discussion Items

  • Employee Introduction: Josh Perez, Code Compliance Manager, introduced Martha Ortiz as the newly promoted Lead Code Compliance Officer, effective September 16, 2024. She has over 30 years of city service, 27 in code enforcement, and serves on the board of the Code Enforcement League of Arizona.

  • Proclamations:

    • Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month (September 2024) – read by Councilmember Solario. Noted that ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of death among women, with a late‑stage survival rate below 30%.
    • Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15, 2024) – read by a council member. The 2024 theme is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.”

  • Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG): Kirk and Sustainability Officer Kimberly Emerson presented a proposal to accept $138,310 in technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The funds will be used to conduct energy audits of 20 city buildings, 26 well/booster sites, and 8 parks, and to develop plans for renewable energy and efficiency improvements. The grant requires no city match. Discussion included questions about vehicle fleet electrification, battery storage, shade canopy, and tree planting. Councilmember White noted that the vehicle fleet accounts for 15% of municipal greenhouse gas emissions. The council voted 6‑0 to adopt Resolution 1098‑0924, authorizing acceptance of the funds and execution of related documents.

  • Police Department Response to Loud Noise Calls: Lieutenant Thomas Alt presented data on loud party/noise calls for service. In FY 2023, the department responded to 1,691 calls, filed 879 reports, and issued 11 citations. In FY 2024, calls dropped to 1,626, with 876 reports and 19 citations. Most calls occur on weekends between 8 PM and 3 AM. Officers typically issue a warning first; citations are reserved for repeat or egregious offenses. The council discussed whether a permitting process for events would be helpful, but the chief and lieutenant advised against it, citing sufficient existing ordinances. The council requested additional data on shots‑fired, fireworks, and off‑road vehicle calls.

  • Summary of Current Events: Mayor Weiss noted that Avondale’s median household income rose from $69,000 in 2021 to $91,000 in 2024, and college graduation rates have climbed above 30%. Councilmember White reported attending the Black Excellence luncheon at the White House on September 13, 2024, representing Avondale.

Key Outcomes

  • Votes:
    • Consent agenda (minus item G) passed 6‑0.
    • Resolution 1098‑0924 authorizing acceptance of the EECBG grant ($138,310) passed 6‑0.
  • Directives: Staff was directed to execute the grant agreement and take all necessary steps to implement the energy efficiency program. The police department will provide additional breakdowns on shots‑fired, fireworks, and ATV calls.
  • Next Steps: The DOE will select a technical assistance administrator; the city will then begin the energy audit process. The council will consider future sustainability efforts and potential tree‑planting initiatives.

Meeting Transcript

Your interest in the Avondale City Council meeting. Good evening, everyone. I'd like to call to order the regular meeting of Monday, September 23rd, 2024. Would you all stand for the Pledge of Allegiance led by Cub Scout PAC 91? And a moment of reflection, please. Sir, whenever you're ready. Again. And I asked, I am going to ask someone from the troop if they're still here during unscheduled public appearances just to spend a couple minutes telling us what you guys do. So if you want to have someone stick around, that would be great. Very did. You're good. So thank you for that. Marcella, do you mind? Councilmember Conde? Here. Councilmember Nielsen. Here. Councilmember Solario. Here. Councilmember White? Here. Vice Mayor Paneda. Here. Mayor Weiss? Here. And Councilmember Malone has an excused absence tonight. Thank you, Marcella. Ron, item two A, please. Uh Mr. Mayor, Council, we have one employee introduction. It's going to be Josh Perez, our code compliance manager, introducing one of his new employees. Actually, she's not new. Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and members of council. I am proud to introduce Martha Ortiz as our newly promoted lead co-compliance officer. Martha has dedicated over three decades of service to the city of Avondale, 27 specifically in code enforcement. Additionally, she holds a prominent position on the board of directors for the Code Enforcement League of Arizona, a position that she's held for 15 years. And she is also a proud alumni of Grand Canyon University, where she has obtained her bachelor's degree in public administration. She also holds multiple certifications through the International Code Council. In her leisure time, she enjoys spending time with her family, particularly here, great grand, her grandchildren. And uh Martha's dedication, her leadership abilities, her experience, and her commitments to the residents of Avondale serve as a shining example, and she will be a wonderful asset to our co-compliance team. Thank you. So Martha, so tell me what the tell us what the new promotion is gonna involve and kind of give us some background on that. On the promotion. Yeah. As far as well, you were just promoted. How long ago were you promoted? Oh, just recently, and it started uh as effective as September 16th. Okay. Um we were talking earlier. I I said you've seen a lot of changes in the department.

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