OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Avondale City Council Meeting – October 15, 2025 (Discrepancy: Transcript Dates March 3, 2025)

City Council — Wednesday, October 15, 2025
BodyAvondale, Arizona
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, October 15, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:31:29

Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

Thank you, Marcella.

0:04

I'd like to call to order the regular city council meeting of March 3rd, 2025.

0:09

Would you all please join me in standing for the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silent reflection?

0:17

Congratulations of the United States of America.

0:25

One nation and liberty and justice current.

0:44

Thank you.

0:47

Marcella, can we please get roll call?

0:50

Councilmember Conde.

0:52

Here.

0:52

Councilmember Garcia.

0:54

Here.

0:54

Councilmember Solario.

0:56

Here.

0:56

Councilmember Weiss.

0:58

Here.

0:58

Councilmember White.

0:59

Present.

1:00

Vice Mayor Nielsen.

1:01

Here.

1:02

Mayor Mayor Pinnae then.

1:03

Here.

1:04

Thank you.

1:04

Ron, next item, please.

1:06

Thank you, Mr.

1:07

Mayor and Council.

1:08

Up first, we have uh uh employee announcements.

1:11

Uh Renee Weatherless will be our is our finance director.

1:14

She'll start us off.

1:19

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council.

1:22

I have the pleasure of introducing two of our new employees in the finance and budget um department.

1:27

The first to my right is Kim Grant.

1:30

She's our new controller who joined the city on February 3rd and is primarily focused on accounting and the city's financial reporting.

1:37

Kim has over 30 years of experience in finance audit and accounting.

1:41

Before joining the city of Avondale, she worked with the City of Phoenix for 25 years and was most recently the deputy finance director of her treasury and debt management.

1:51

Her career focused on the areas of finance accounting and treasury.

1:54

Prior to that, Kim spent five years working as a financial statement auditor for the Office of the Auditor General.

2:01

Kim is a certified public accountant and enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with her family, and we are thrilled to have her on our team.

2:10

Thank you so much, Kim, for being here tonight.

2:13

Just really quickly with everything that was just shared.

2:15

How do you have time to go hiking and spend time with your family?

2:20

Well, I'll tell you what, I'm taking advantage of the three-day weekends.

2:24

I haven't had Fridays off before, so kind of using that to my advantage.

2:29

Awesome.

2:29

Well, great to hear.

2:30

Welcome.

2:31

Thank you.

2:32

All right.

2:33

And next, I would like to introduce Gracie Torresia.

2:36

Gracie joined our team on January 6th as a senior buyer.

2:40

She supports our departments with their procurement needs and ensures compliance with city codes and policies.

2:45

Prior to joining the city, Gracie worked for the state in procurement roles within the Department of Education for five years and the Department of Health Services for two years.

2:54

Gracie is a 13-year resident of Avondale, a graduate of Australia Mountain College, where she has obtained two associates' degrees in organizational management and associate of the arts.

3:07

She's continued her educational career and is currently a full-time student at NAU, working toward her bachelor's degree in logistics and supply chain management.

3:17

Gracie also manages to find time to balance her full-time work and school schedules by enjoying occasional outings camping with her family.

3:24

So we're happy she chose Avondale and we have her on our procurement team.

3:28

And Gracie's welcome aboard.

3:30

So tell us one thing that you like to do to uh spend your free time.

3:50

Very well, sounds like you have a lot to do with the sports.

3:53

I know comes practice games, and that's another part-time job.

3:57

So welcome aboard, both of you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters██████████████████████████████30%
Public Engagement██████████████████18%
Community Engagement██████████████14%
Water And Wastewater Management███████7%
Waste Management███████7%
Affordable Housing██████6%
Procedural█████5%
Public Works████4%
Religious Affairs██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Avondale City Council Meeting – October 15, 2025 (Discrepancy: Transcript Dates March 3, 2025)

Note: The assigned date for this summary is October 15, 2025, as provided in the instructions. However, the raw transcript repeatedly references "March 3rd, 2025" and other March 2025 dates. This discrepancy is noted here and throughout the summary.

The meeting was called to order with the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and employee recognitions. Proclamations were made for Procurement Month and National Fix a Leak Week. The public comment period was dominated by discussion of a social media post by Councilmember Garcia. The consent agenda was approved unanimously. Regular agenda items included the HUD Annual Action Plan, a notice of intent to modify water and sewer rates, and an update on short-term rental regulations. The meeting adjourned to executive session.

Consent Calendar

  • Consent agenda items were approved unanimously without discussion or removal of items.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Several residents spoke in person and written comments were read aloud. The primary topic was a social media post by Councilmember Garcia in which she referred to actor Tom Hanks as "Pito" (Spanish slang for "fart"), which some interpreted as "pedophile."
  • Supporters of Councilmember Garcia: Diana Jones, Roger Pickero, Mark Chazen, Jeffrey Pray, and others (via written comments) argued that the post was misinterpreted, that Garcia was exercising her First Amendment rights, and that the council should focus on city business. Several speakers emphasized her service as a veteran and her right to personal opinions on private social media.
  • Opponents: A speaker (unidentified in the transcript) and written comments from Layla Russell expressed concern about lack of accountability, alleged misleading statements during the February 24 council meeting, and Garcia's involvement in a recall effort against a Mesa councilmember. They urged the council to hold her to the highest standards of conduct.
  • The mayor noted that staff would provide the addresses of commenters to Councilmember White.

Discussion Items

  • HUD Annual Action Plan (2025-2030): Chris Lopez, Director of Neighborhood and Family Services, presented the draft five-year Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan for CDBG and HOME funds ($700,000+ CDBG, ~$200,000 HOME). Goals include housing rehabilitation, public infrastructure, services for low/moderate-income residents, and program administration. The city has partnered with nonprofits (e.g., AZ Service Project) to assist residents who do not qualify for federal programs. Council members praised the data-driven approach and community engagement. The public comment period ends March 6, 2025 (per transcript), with council approval anticipated March 24, 2025 (per transcript).
  • Notice of Intent to Modify Water and Sewer Rates: Robert Barron, Budget Manager, presented the first step in rate adjustment. Proposed increases: water 6.7% (plus new charges for water treatment and water rights), sewer 2% flat, solid waste $1.60/month in FY26 and $1.75/month in FY27. A public hearing is set for May 5, 2025 (per transcript). The notice of intent passed 6-1.
  • Short-Term Rental Update: Keith Foster presented an update on the city's licensing program for short-term rentals (STRs). There are 191 active STRs. Compliance rates are similar to Glendale but lower than Tempe and Flagstaff. The city has contracted with a vendor to identify unlicensed STRs. Code Compliance Officer Josh Perez explained the enforcement process: voluntary compliance, notice of violation, civil citation, and court involvement. Council members asked about monitoring and enforcement.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
  • Notice of Intent to Modify Water and Sewer Rates: Approved 6-1 (one council member voted no). The public hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2025 (per transcript).
  • **No formal action was taken on the HUD Annual Action Plan or short-term rental update; both were informational.
  • Councilmember announcements: Councilmembers shared attendance at Leadership West, a fentanyl awareness event in Spanish, and the Trace Rios event.
  • Meeting adjourned to executive session at 8:37 PM (transcript time).

Meeting Transcript

Thank you, Marcella. I'd like to call to order the regular city council meeting of March 3rd, 2025. Would you all please join me in standing for the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silent reflection? Congratulations of the United States of America. One nation and liberty and justice current. Thank you. Marcella, can we please get roll call? Councilmember Conde. Here. Councilmember Garcia. Here. Councilmember Solario. Here. Councilmember Weiss. Here. Councilmember White. Present. Vice Mayor Nielsen. Here. Mayor Mayor Pinnae then. Here. Thank you. Ron, next item, please. Thank you, Mr. Mayor and Council. Up first, we have uh uh employee announcements. Uh Renee Weatherless will be our is our finance director. She'll start us off. Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council. I have the pleasure of introducing two of our new employees in the finance and budget um department. The first to my right is Kim Grant. She's our new controller who joined the city on February 3rd and is primarily focused on accounting and the city's financial reporting. Kim has over 30 years of experience in finance audit and accounting. Before joining the city of Avondale, she worked with the City of Phoenix for 25 years and was most recently the deputy finance director of her treasury and debt management. Her career focused on the areas of finance accounting and treasury. Prior to that, Kim spent five years working as a financial statement auditor for the Office of the Auditor General. Kim is a certified public accountant and enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with her family, and we are thrilled to have her on our team. Thank you so much, Kim, for being here tonight. Just really quickly with everything that was just shared. How do you have time to go hiking and spend time with your family? Well, I'll tell you what, I'm taking advantage of the three-day weekends. I haven't had Fridays off before, so kind of using that to my advantage. Awesome. Well, great to hear. Welcome. Thank you. All right. And next, I would like to introduce Gracie Torresia. Gracie joined our team on January 6th as a senior buyer. She supports our departments with their procurement needs and ensures compliance with city codes and policies.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com