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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

And Gracie's welcome aboard.

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

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

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

So welcome aboard, both of you.

We appreciate you being here.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor and Council.

I have the privilege and the honor to introduce you to Marlon Nightingale.

Marlon is our newest fire captain, and I'm going to read a little bit about him.

He has worked for the city for 11 years, and he worked as an engineer before being promoted to captain on February 3rd.

Marlin was the number one candidate during our last testing process and demonstrated the skills and leadership during his time to become a supervisor.

Captain Nightingale is very active in the department and has helped us design our newest fire trucks, the ones that are being delivered, and you'll be seeing here shortly.

And so he's taken a lot of pride in that.

He came to uh our department with a lot of experience in that area.

We've taken advantage of it.

And we're very proud of him.

He also is very supportive in the firefighter charity events.

With your permission, we'd like to give him a plaque at this moment for his promotion.

And congratulating.

Welcome aboard.

So, Marlin, tell us a little bit more about yourself and what you look to achieve as you embark on this new journey.

I just want to continue to serve the city of Adamville and the residents here as I continue to move through the ranks of firefighter engineer now as captain.

This will open up a lot of other doors where I can make myself useful to the department and the membership on there.

So I look forward to all the new challenges that come around and that is how I push.

Great.

Well, great to hear.

Welcome aboard and chief.

Is there something that you'd like you like to present there?

Yes, I like a plaque, but that's okay.

Of course.

So I'll stand with you and award present to Marlon Knight and Gil for promotion to the fire captain, February 3rd, 2025.

Thank you, Chief, and thank you, newest Captain Nightingale.

We appreciate it.

Sorry.

And mayor and counsel, I hope him and his family can stick around and we'll get a picture after our presentations.

Yes, thank you, Ron.

Next up, we have our uh our uh current our current parks uh we have our director of parks, recreation, and library, uh Corey, uh, to make uh a couple announcements.

Wow.

Well, I'm excited to be here currently.

Good evening, mayor, vice mayor, members of the council.

Uh it's my pleasure to reintroduce two of our employees who were recently promoted and then introduced one new employee to the team.

Uh first up, we have Brittany Westland, who has been promoted to the recreation manager over the Sports and Aquatics Division.

Brittany joined our team about a year ago as a recreation coordinator and played an instrumental role in our first summer over at the Aquatics Center, where she built a positive culture for our lifeguard staff.

Uh Brittany's previously worked for Paradise Valley School District, where she was a high school math teacher and learned a ton of patience.

She has a degree in secondary education.

She was also a certified lifeguard trainer and auditor for Starguard.

Uh, and she just recently got married and enjoyed seeking her two core geeks, her pups, and a husky on walks and screwed in around her neighborhood.

Welcome aboard.

So tell us one thing that you've learned now that you've had one summer under your belt and you are leading all these uh young um impressionable youth towards being a lifeguard.

What's something that you've learned you're gonna take with you into this next summer?

Well, patience definitely goes a long way, and I do thank my teaching career for that.

Um, but you can't do it all alone, and so we're really working on growing our leaders this year, and we're extending our lead lifeguard team and little things, even uh, grow some of our lifeguards on their level so that we can have a little bit more help with opening and closing.

So train as much as you can, and then we think you've trained enough, trains more.

That's a true leader, right?

Leaders build leaders, so that's awesome.

And Corey, real quick, before we're to the next uh our next employee.

Did you guys recently play pickleball or something?

I mean, uh I seen some tension.

He couldn't even get his name out.

I skipped this weekend.

So that's what it was.

Uh Mr.

Mayor, uh no, someone played on court one, and someone played on court four.

Court one is much higher than court four.

Got it.

Okay.

He's being kind.

Um next up is Fallon Thompson.

Fallon has recently been promoted to our recreation programmer role in our aquatics division.

Uh Fallon worked with us again last year as a pool manager overseeing the lifeguards directly.

Uh, she joins us from the city of Good Year.

We snagged her.

Um, and work and she's working towards her degree in Maricopa College.

Uh, Fallon's hobbies are swimming, thankfully.

Um also playing with her two dogs.

Awesome.

Well, welcome aboard, Fallon.

Same type of thing.

What are you looking for?

What are you anticipating to either learn, develop, uh, andor achieve over this next summer?

Yeah, um, I think we're in a really, really good spot in our second year of opening, and we have so much room for growth, and we have an amazing team behind us who is really promoting that growth with us.

So we have a great team behind us who's getting ready to come up and be leaders and is super excited about the future, and we're excited to.

Well, thank you for being here.

Appreciate it.

Congratulations both on your promotions.

We're we're excited.

Uh, and then new to the team is Georgia Cox, who accepted the position as our recreation coordinator over the aquatics division.

So these are gonna be the faces behind the Aquatic Center for sure.

Georgia's been on the team for a solid 10 hours today.

Hopefully she shows back up tomorrow.

Georgia has worked in the aquatics or the aquatics industry for eight years, serving as a lifeguard pool manager and coordinator over at the City of Phoenix and at Foodfield Park.

She is graduated from AU with her degree in parks and recreation management.

She's extremely passionate about water safety and the growth of the aquatics industry.

Outside of work, George loves to explore nature, including hiking and rock climbing.

And Stacey and I are both overall excited to have this group running our pool this summer.

So welcome to the team, Georgia.

So Georgia, 10 hours.

What is your thoughts so far?

So far, I've just really enjoyed getting to meet all these friendly faces here, getting to know my team.

And I'm really excited to work on the Aquatic Center and build that leadership team there.

And there's nothing like coming and speaking on in front of a bunch of people on your first day, right?

Well, welcome aboard.

All of you, congratulations again on your promotions, and again, thank you for being part of the team.

Mr.

Mayor and Council, up next, we have Jill, our procurement manager, uh, to help uh with our proclamation.

I believe Jill's here she has uh coming up on a proclamation for procurement month.

Good evening, mayor, vice mayor, and city council.

Please allow me to present the procurement team.

Hello, my name is Maya Robinson, and I'm a procurement officer.

My name is Tessa Prater, and I'm the contracts administrator.

Brian Garcia, senior buyer.

See, Torcia, senior mayor.

The Kia Green buyer.

It's our honor to present this procurement month proclamation, celebrating the essential role procurement professionals play in our city government.

The National Institute of Governmental Purchasing designate March as procurement month in 1984 to recognize those who protect taxpayer dollars while upholding the highest standard of public service.

Our procurement team works diligently behind a scene to ensure efficient use of public funds.

They navigate complex regulations, they negotiate contracts, and collaborate across departments while maintaining the highest standard of integrity.

This partnership allow us to better serve our community and fulfill our sheer commitment to public service.

Thank you, Mayor.

At this time I will pass it back to you for the reading of the Procumba Month Proclamation.

Thank you so much.

Well, I will read the proc uh proclamation, whereas the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, NIGP, has proclaimed the month of March as procurement month to further expand awareness of the procurement professionals' role to government officials, the general public, businesses, and corporate leaders.

And whereas public procurement plays a vital role in serving internal departments and businesses with the highest level of professionalism, innovation, ethics, and transparency, and whereas the procurement division adds significant value to the city of Avondale by performing essential functions, such as procuring favorable contracts, conducting market research, developing strategic procurement strategies, and cultivating working relationships with stakeholders using technology, competition, and best practices.

And whereas public procurement professionals in the city of Avondale and other public and private organizations have tremendous influence on economic conditions in the United States with accumulative purchasing power running into billions of dollars.

And whereas the objective of a first class procurement division includes safeguarding public funds, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and instilling public confidence and trust.

And whereas the procurement division consistently demonstrates commitment to excellence through adherence to the public procurement values and guiding principles of accountability.

Ethics, impartiality, professionalism, service, and transparency established by NIGP.

And now, therefore, mayor and council of the City of Avondale, Arizona, do hereby proclaim March 2025 as procurement month in Avondale, and urges all community members to recognize and support the valuable contributions made by procurement professionals in promoting efficiency, transparency, and fiscal responsibility in public spending.

Thank you.

And Ron, can we get a photo as well after Mr.

Mayor?

Um some of these have to leave right at six, so they're not gonna be able to get a picture, but uh they wanted to um express their gratitude to counsel and appreciation, but uh they're gonna have to pass this year.

Got it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Up next is our proclamation national fix.

Oh, he's already there.

There's Mr.

Bay, uh, your assistant director of public works to talk about fixing the leak.

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

My name is Eric Bay, and I'm a member of your public works department.

I'm here today to talk about EPA Water Sense National Fix a Week Week.

This is an initiative that runs from March 17th to March 23rd to raise awareness about water conservation.

Specifically to educate individuals on how they can fund and fix water leaks indoors and outdoors, both at their homes or places of business.

During this week, Adam Mill's water conservation coordinator, Amber Hughes, will be tabling the Stamp Garcia Library and Civic Center Library to further promote this initiative and to educate residents with water saving tips, tricks, and tools.

And while Fix a Week Week is a great opportunity for educational outreach, it's important to remember that your public works department thinks about water conservation continuously.

For example, the city is a significant water user.

So we are currently performing our own internal water audit to find leaks at city problems.

This audit is underway, and more details to come on that when the results are finalized.

And now, Mayor, would you please help us spread the word by reading the Fix a Week Week proclamation?

I would be happy to.

Whereas water is a basic and essential need for every living creature, and whereas the City of Avondale, a water sense partner, is working to increase awareness about the importance of water conservation.

And whereas Avondale is designated the third week in March to National Fix a Leak Week to educate citizens about how they can help save Arizona's precious water resources by encouraging residents to find and fix leaks, both indoors and outdoors.

And whereas the City of Avondale has always encouraged and supported water conservation through various projects, marketing, educational programs, and special events.

And whereas every business, industry, school, and citizen can make a difference by helping to conserve water and thus promote a healthy economy and community.

And whereas outdoor irrigation and undetected leaks compromise or comprise a large portion of water use and waste.

Now, therefore, I Mike Pinetta, by the virtue of the authority vested in me as mayor of the City of Avondale, Arizona, do hereby proclaim the week of March 17th through March 23rd, 2025 as National Fix a Leak Week, and further extend encouragement to all City of Avondale residents to conserve water and follow follow wise water use practices.

Thank you so much.

Up next, Mr.

Mayor and Council is a presentation by Anissa, our senior management analyst in my office to talk about our recently announced and awarded City Managers Excellence Awards.

Hello, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members.

My name is Anissa Romo, Senior Management Analyst for the City Manager's Office, and I'm here today to present the awardees of our 2024 City Managers Excellence Awards program.

The City Managers Excellence Awards were created in 2023 to recognize outstanding employees who exceed expectations to achieve excellence in service delivery and customer satisfaction.

Nominations open each fall, and employees are encouraged to recognize team members across the organization.

For the 2024 City Managers Excellence Awards, we received 38 nominations, recognizing outstanding employees and teams.

Our 2024 nominees are pictured here.

Each employee award winner receives an engraved award, a challenge coin, an opportunity to have their picture placed on the uh City Manager Excellence Awards page on the city's website, and one day off with pay.

Several award categories also include a monetary award.

I will review our winners from each category and briefly overview what each award represents.

And we do have our award winners here tonight, so they'll be able to take a photo after the presentation, but also as I read their names, if I can ask them to please stand in the audience to be recognized.

First award is our CT Excellence Award.

It's our newest category, which will be given to a group of individuals who exemplify outstanding dedication to maintaining a safe working environment.

This award recognizes a group that identifies and addresses potential hazards, fosters a collective culture of safety, and implements effective measures to prevent accidents and injuries.

The Frontrunner Award recipient is an employee who continually works to resolve issues quickly, streamline processes, provide excellent customer service, and work sufficiently and effectively to make Avendale the best it can be.

Our 2024 award winners were Joshua Wheatley with the police department and Matthew Dudley with public works.

The Guiding Leader Award recipient is an employee who creates a work environment that is team-oriented, fair, and transparent.

Our 2024 award winner was Liana Bell with the Human Resources Department.

The Victory Lane Award is the second highest of the City Manager's Excellence Awards and is given each year to an employee who exemplifies the core values of the city and who continually goes above and beyond carrying out our core purpose.

Our 2024 winner was Lisa Maxi Mullins with the City Attorney's Office.

Our 2024 award winner is Catherine Lerbeer with the Development Services Department.

Our 2024 award winner was Brittany Westland with the Parks Recreation and Libraries Department.

Mayor and Council, thank you for your support of this program.

Our award winners are here, like I mentioned, and they'll be available for a photo.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Anisa.

Congratulations to all of the award winners and all of the accomplishments that have come with it and all the hard work that you put into your everyday uh activities.

And again, I say this all the time about award winners that often you don't do it for the awards.

It's just who you are.

This is just a way of honoring you as an individual and what you bring to the team, as well as to you who are working as part of the team.

So congrats to all of you.

Yeah, well, congratulations again.

We appreciate you.

Uh get a picture of the family with our new newest fire captain.

And then uh uh the award winners uh for the manager's awards if you could come down as a single group.

We'll start with Theresa DeSante and next will be Diana Jones.

Mr.

Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members.

At the last council meeting you, the council said that he would have an executive board meeting to discuss the council member Garcia.

And uh our complaints regarding her of calling Tom Hanks a pedophile.

Not a panel.

And signing off as signing off as a city of Amandell council meeting.

So have you had your meeting yet?

Oh sorry, we can't answer questions from up here.

Is this supposed to be a secret?

You know, when you candidates are running for office and you need our votes.

You know, telling us what we want to hear, whatever you you know, we want you guys will do and uh just to get our votes.

But nothing has happened.

Now that there's a problem with council member Garcia, it's obvious that you close ranks and shut out the very people who chose votes you solicited when you needed it.

So that's my that's my complaint is when is something gonna be done.

Is it gonna take months years?

anybody else?

I'm sure that you guys would have had her reside, or you would have asked her to like I said, I'm not very happy of all this what's happening because of her actions.

So anyway, this is what I wanted to say, and I wanted to find out when the meeting was going to be, but I guess it's not gonna happen.

You guys probably sweep it under the carpet.

But anyways, thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council members, except you guys.

Thank you.

Diana Jones?

And up next after Diana is Roger.

I'm here to speak in favor of Miss Garcia.

I've known her for a little over three years.

We are veterans, even though it was different services.

She put a comment on her personal page using her first amendment right.

Is Tom Hanks on the city council?

No, he is not.

Does he contribute to our community with taxes or anything else?

I bet he doesn't.

Does he contribute to or affect your personal households?

I bet he doesn't.

Then why do we have all this drama over this individual and this statement?

Let the city council get on with the city business that directly affects our streets and our homes.

I also have one more comment on your proclamations.

This is National Women's Month.

So that should be a proclamation also.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Roger Pickero.

And then after Roger is Mark Chazen.

Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council members.

We have uh an interesting concept here.

I'm a Vietnam vet, and I'm here to support Jeanette Garcia.

A woman that shared the cloth of our country, a woman that took an oath to fight and defend both foreign and domestic to protect the constitutions of our national and our state.

It warms my heart to be able to be here in her representation today.

I'm a firm believer of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If there was an infraction against our fellow man, we take it to them, and we've done that.

Beyond that, we have to know that Jesus gave us the model prayer.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

He didn't say that just as a passing line.

He was trying to teach us what the Father designed sending him down to go to Calvary for, for each and every one of us.

That day, when he was hanging on the cross, leading them be, he provided to each and every one of us, past, present, and future.

He took it on himself to take on the sins of the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, I put my pants on one leg at a time every day.

I'm sure most of you all get dressed in a similar fashion.

So what I'm saying is none of us in this room or in this chamber or in this in this world is greater than the Father that we have in hell.

One thing that I ask each number of years is to be able to appeal yourself to him.

Make those appeals to heaven so that way one day we won't pass judgment on our fellow men.

Because the judgment that we pass will be judged against us on the day of judgment.

Where every knee will bow and every tongue will confess.

I'll finish the last 38 plus seconds.

Lord our Heavenly Father, I come before your throne of mercy and grace with praise and thanksgiving.

You are the Alpha and the Omega, the yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Thank you for what you do in our lives each and every day.

You are you're the fourth man in the fire.

Father God, you hold our hands.

We can hold yours, but you'll never forsake us.

As in Psalm 23, when we said we walked through value of shallow death, we have a shadow, there is a light.

Know that you have that in our hearts.

And we thank you and praise you in Jesus' name.

Amen.

God bless each and every one of you.

Thank you.

Mark?

Chazen, and after Mark, Patty Porter.

No, Mark.

Okay.

Patty Porter?

No, Patty Porter.

Okay.

Then we have Aaron Mendez.

No Aaron Mendez.

Okay.

Jeffrey Pray.

I'd like to begin by thanking the mayor, the vice mayor, members of the City Council for granting me the opportunity to speak today.

My reason for coming before you today is to voice support for Councilwoman Jeanette Garcia.

I have had the privilege of getting to know Miss Garcia over the past several months and have been consistently impressed with her spirit and dedication to serving the community at every level.

This council is fortunate to have such a principled and patriotic woman advocating for the well-being of Avondale and its residents.

Throughout my life, I have traveled around the world and have seen firsthand that even in the most enlightened regions, there is no place where the people share our level of freedom and prosperity.

It is truly a blessing to live in a country where people enjoy the God-given right to speak publicly in front of their neighbors and elected representatives without fear of reprisal.

Unfortunately, over the past several years, there has been a growing movement which seeks to suppress the people's freedom of expression using intimidation, shaming, and even occasionally acts of violence.

This cannot be tolerated.

Politics can be messy.

We all bring different views, uh, viewpoints and life experiences to the discussion, and some of us will be a bit more colorful in our choice of words.

Councilwoman Garcia's life experience as a Christian, a mom, a combat veteran, and a Latina make her who she is.

These things and more have molded her into the God-fearing patriotic fireball who has never hesitated to answer when called to serve her family, her community, or her nation.

Yes, maybe sometimes her choice of words may be a bit spicy, and some people may occasionally find that offensive.

Others, like myself, see it as a sign of relatability and unwavering beliefs.

Either way, there is no justification to punish her for speaking her mind.

In the social media post that started all of this, Miss Garcia referred to Tom Hanks as Pito.

For those of you who are not familiar with Spanish slang, that word is commonly used to mean fart.

To be honest, my kids have called me far worse.

I understand how non-Spanish speakers would interpret that to mean that she was calling Mr.

Hanks a pedophile, but that was not the case.

Her subsequent online explanation clarified her intent, which should have put this issue to bed.

Unfortunately, there are some opportunistic individuals, both in the community and on this council, who chose to intentionally misinterpret her comments in order to further their own personal agenda.

There is truth.

The truth is that there are far too many people who find it unacceptable that a Latina woman could hold political views that are at odds with the current woke ideological agenda.

Not only did she embrace the conservative philosophy, but she tirelessly worked to promote candidates in the 2024 election who are now returning the United States to its proper place as a beacon of hope for millions around the world.

Thank you.

No.

Okay.

Marcella, I believe there's a couple more that you're going to read.

Thank you, Mayor.

First, I have Julie Fisher, and I quote: I attended the meeting last Monday where I listened to discussing diatribe directed at Councilwoman Garcia.

The first citizen to speak did not have the courtesy to address her properly using only her last name.

Did your parents come here legally?

This blatant disgusting disgusting racism is the very essence of the ex post, which is being referenced.

Shame on everyone who is attacking this councilwoman for addressing the racist skit on Saturday Night Life.

End quote.

Next, I have Richard Guthrie, and I quote: I would like to stand up for Councilwoman Garcia.

I would like to stay say I am young and that we are great because we have freedom of speech in this country.

If we are so concerned over a Twitter statement, I recommend for your own mental health benefit you go outside and touch some grass.

End quote.

Next is Robert Maxwell.

And I quote, I have been monitoring the social media accounts of Councilwoman Jeanette Garcia since her viral tweet, and I've noticed she uses her platforms to spotlight local issues, inform her audience, and participate in national discussions.

I am proud she is our councilwoman, end quote.

Next I have Layla Russell, and I quote, Mayor and Council, I want to express my concerns regarding the lack of accountability and the failure to address the issues raised by the citizens of Avondale.

Specifically, I would like to know when this elected body will address the concerns of the community and hold Councilmember Garcia accountable for her actions and the misleading statements she made during the February 24th Council meeting.

Councilmember Garcia continues to spread misinformation and harmful rhetoric without facing any consequences.

Rhetoric, I'm sorry.

She has stated that she will not apologize for her actions and instead portrays herself as a victim, with only which only serves to ex escalate the situation.

Her behaviors has received significant attention.

One of her main points of contention was a post on her social media page where she wrongfully claims that Avondale residents are opposed, opposing her due to her political views and her identity as a conservative Latina.

This is not the case.

Hey Pedto, Tom at Tom Hanks.

Not all mega hat wearing patriots are white.

In fact, most racism comes from the elite Democrats.

The residents did not come to speak about her political views being a conservative Latina.

She made that statement when she refused to apologize.

Also, I am concerned that as a sitting council member, Councilmember Garcia is currently involved in a recall effort on an elected official, Councilmember Julie Spilsbury of Mesa.

It is troubling that she appears to have so much time and effort and energy focused on Mesa while issues in Avondale remain unaddressed.

I urge this council to take immediate action to ensure that the citizens of Avondale are heard and that our elected officials are held to the highest standards of accountability based on Avondale's code of conduct.

Sincerely Layla.

End quote.

Next, I have Penn Preston Kai Oyongi.

And I quote, Hello to all members of Council, and thank you for taking the time to read my comments being made here today.

I am writing in full support of Councilmember Jeanette Garcia.

I believe that we as citizens are allowed to have a personal life with our own views, beliefs, and values.

This includes our social media, where the comment made was on a personal social media account and not on an account of the city.

I believe that this matter should not be something that is brought into the city council meetings, as there are many other things that we would benefit the city that are needed to be attended to.

Next, I have McKenna Mendoza, and I quote, Good evening, Mayor and City Council.

I am writing to express my full support and respect for Councilmember Garcia.

As a veteran, Miss Garcia has consistently prioritized her country, state, and city.

She earned her position through the trust of voters, trust and votes of the Avondale citizens.

Recently, Councilmember Garcia has faced harassment and threats stemming from a post that was misinterpreted.

I firmly believe that she has every right to express her personal views on her own social media accounts just as in any any just as any individual would.

Miss Garcia has rightfully earned her position on the council and deserves to remain in her role.

She should not be compelled to resign.

Thank you, end quote.

Last, I have Santiaga V.

And I quote, freedom of speech is the right to express ideas and opinions without government interference or punishment.

I am against this false accusations against Jeanette Garcia.

Picked a word that means fart in Spanish.

There are more things to work on in a city than to waste taxpayers' money on one word against the city council city council of Avondale, end quote.

Thank you, Mayor.

That concludes all of the requests to speak.

Thank you, Marcella.

Item number four is consent agenda.

Are there any council members who wish to have an item for Mayor?

Um in compliance with um section two asking for staff to review the matter.

We received a lot of public comment.

Traditionally, you do ask for the address to be read.

I'd like to know the city and uh and addresses of those people making public comments, please.

Ron.

Nicole.

Mayor, uh Vice Mayor Council.

Can you repeat your your question again?

Councilmember White.

Uh after the call to the public, I believe we have the ability to ask staff to review a matter.

We didn't hear the addresses of the people who made the commentaries and normally we get that information from those making the comments, the their street address city.

Yes, those are on the request to speak cards that and I believe those are forwarded to you.

I'd hear it from those people who made public comments.

Thank you.

We can we can get those to you.

Okay.

All righty.

Next item on the agenda is the consent agenda.

Are there any council members who wish to have an item removed for separate consideration?

Seeing that, can I get a motion from Vice Mayor Nielsen?

A second from Councilmember Weiss.

Can I get a vote?

Item passes.

Thank you.

On to the regular agenda.

Ron.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

And Council up next, we have Chris Lopez, our director of neighborhood and family services to talk about our HUD annual action plan.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor members of council.

I'm pleased to be here before you this evening to provide you with this presentation regarding a draft of our five-year consolidated plan and also a draft of our five of our annual action plan.

The purpose of tonight's presentation is five parts.

One, we want to review the function of the consolidated plan and the annual action plan.

We want to describe the methodology for data collection.

We also want to share recommendations for the consolidated goals and our action plan strategies.

We'll also review our estimated funding and review the timeline and the process that was uh undertook in order to complete this.

To begin with, I want to just kind of define what the annual action plan is and what its purpose is.

The consolidated plan.

The consolidated plan is a requirement from HUD that needs to be completed every five years by communities who receive those federal dollars.

Um those federal dollars include our CDBG community development block grant and also our home partnership.

Um it also serves as a tool for addressing and assessing our housing and community development needs in Avondale.

And often it includes a two-pronged approach.

It's data-driven and has an intense look at uh community engagement.

Um before I go any further, I want to take an opportunity to uh acknowledge our consultant.

This is a uh uh difficult process with a lot of work involved, and so we've consult we've uh um procured the services of a consultant to help us with that.

And so joining us tonight is Eric Chatham, uh, the principal owner and lead consultant with Civitas.

Uh Eric will be available as I complete our the presentation to assist with any questions that you might have.

I also want to take this as an opportunity to acknowledge our award-winning team who you met earlier today.

Um they're here tonight and carry out the daily work of our um community development division.

Um I'd like to have them stand and be recognized.

So I've got uh Regina Moret, our housing and community development manager here with me tonight.

I'm also joined by Alexia Grady Grady, our management analyst, and Jamie Moin, our housing rehab coordinator.

Thank you.

As I mentioned earlier, um, there's really a two-pronged approach for completing these plans.

One is data.

We uh utilize a variety of data sources to um understand the community and community needs.

Um a lot of that entails the demographics that make up our community.

But I really want to focus on community engagement.

This is really taking an opportunity to talk to the residents, talk to our partners and stakeholders in the community.

We do this through public surveys, through meetings, and public hearings.

From that information, uh, we have generated some goals that we are recommending.

The first is to offer housing rehab services.

This has been the bread and butter of our division, um, and it's really important uh in allowing us to preserve our stock of affordable housing within the community.

We also want to fund public infrastructure projects and facility improvements.

We have some images here to the right.

Um we recently completed some improvements at the Sam Garcia Library, and we envision these having a tremendous impact on the quality of life for individuals and really supporting the development of children and uh just the overall well-being of families.

Third, we want to offer services for low to moderate income and special need residents.

Um, also in the images before you here, we have a young man who participated in our AV temp program.

This is our summer youth employment program that provides youth with a unique opportunity to gain valuable work experience within our various city departments.

We bring in about 20 youth, and they have a mentor within their department.

This program is phenomenal.

It does a lot for the community.

It provides additional income to those households and really promotes the long-term success of these young people.

And then four, we want to provide effective program administration.

With these federal programs, there's a tremendous administrative burden, a lot of regs that we need to adhere to.

We want to make sure that the city continues to receive those funding, and so we have staff that are dedicated and with an eye for detail to make sure that we are in compliance.

Next, I want to transition over to the annual action plan.

The annual action plan is an extension of the five-year plan, and really it digs in a little bit deeper and it defines how we're going to utilize the dollars that we receive annually and assigns them to specific program activities.

And again, there's a connection between the annual action plan and the consolidated plan.

Each of the goals in the annual action plan must further the consolidated plan.

But funding has been pretty stable over the years.

So for our CDBG community development block grant, we were anticipating just over $700,000.

And then for our home funds, we're looking at close to $200,000.

Plus the city is required to contribute 25% in match.

The table before you here breaks down our proposed funding allocations.

These are our recommendations for how to utilize these dollars.

So the first one is really the administration of the program.

We're able to use up to 20% of our allocation for program administration.

This really funds salaries related to the delivery of this program.

The second one is home rehab.

Again, I mentioned this is really a staple of the services that are provided.

This helps us preserve our stock of affordable housing, making sure that our residents have safe and affordable housing to reside in.

We want to continue to do projects like that.

Public service is another eligible activity.

We've done this for a few years, and we feel like there's a tremendous benefit to our youth.

In addition to the Avi Temp Summer Youth Employment Program, we also have a cost share agreement with Maricopa County where we have a staff that's assigned at the resource center that works with adults to help them develop job skills to write resumes just to find find that gainful employment.

So in the coming year, we anticipate providing approximately 20 partnerships and serving about 300 individuals with those job skills and work readiness skills.

Again, we can utilize a portion of these dollars for program administration.

The cap on that is 5%, and so that again also helps to fund our positions that deliver these programs.

We're going to utilize or we're recommending that we utilize a portion of these funds for down payment assistance.

This helps home buyers, first-time homebuyers get into a home.

It also ensures that they have the home buyer education to make sure that they understand what's you know what it means to be a responsible home homeowner, what those costs entail.

We want to make sure that those homeowners are able to stay sustain those costs of their home.

And then there is a 25% match.

So this is something that we work into each budget year.

We've been working closely with Renee and the budget team, and so we're anticipate including that in our in our new budget.

Going back and just referring to our timeline.

We began this process back in June of 2024 with a variety of public hearings.

We had some public meetings at the Interfaith Partnership Meeting.

We had a presentation to our neighborhood and family services commission, and then also met with some of the nonprofit partners within the city.

We also administered a survey.

That survey generated 137 responses.

Really supports the activities that are that we've undertook over the years, and they're really supportive of the recommendations that you see before you here tonight.

Um again, we're here tonight on uh March 3rd, provide March 3rd, providing the city council presentation.

We'll be coming back on March 6th, or I'm sorry, the public comment period will end on March 6th.

We anticipate coming back on March 24th for council's approval.

Um, and then uh we will submit the plan with county and other jurisdictions on in May of 2025, and then finally we anticipate uh receiving our funding agreement and availability of funds in August of 2025.

With that, I'd like to make myself and my team available to answer any questions.

Um I just find our public hearing.

Marcel, have we received any requests to speak?

Thank you, Mayor.

I have not received any requests to speak.

Okay, then at this time I will close the public hearing and open it up to comments or questions from the council.

Okay, uh Councilmember Solorio.

Thank you for the presentation, Chris.

Uh, when I see this, I just I'm smiling ear to ear because having served recently on a national level for things such as this with youth family and education, um, seeing what you guys are doing out there, um, seeing what you're doing with the sonar program, being able to take that information, take it to DC, and show everyone else what we're doing.

We're 10 times ahead of the game.

People came up to us afterwards asking how are you guys putting these things in place, what are you guys using your CDBG funds for?

And we've kind of become a catalyst for some of the things that they continue to do.

Serving as a vice chair for that committee really gave me such a full background of you know the need across the United States and where those funds go to, and to know that we're ahead of the game when you come and you present things such as like this just really fills my heart.

So thank you.

Councilmember Weiss Hi, Chris.

Um, being on the um the commission with you just recently, I got to hear this presentation.

And so I do know some of the things that you guys have been doing, and I really do appreciate you and your team.

I was just wondering if you could give an example of a home repair so that somebody who might be watching online or in the audience may get to see some of the wonderful things that your your team does with that those funds.

Mayor, Vice Mayor, Councilmember Weiss.

Yeah, uh some of the most heartwarming projects that that I've seen and witnessed in my time with Avondale are really those that include ADA improvements.

Um I remember um in years past we had a gentleman who not only needed home repairs, but he really needed his home to be able to accommodate his his needs, and so um some of those entail installing ramps, um making sure that countertops are at wheelchair height, um, you know, uh even improvements to where light switches are at, all those sorts of things really make uh a home livable for an individual who's experiencing those challenges.

Um we'd be happy to share some of those those photos before and after photos through um through Ron through the city manager's office.

Um but yeah, the impact is tremendous, and we can't even quantify what that means for for those individuals.

So thank you.

Councilmember White.

Thank you so much, Mayor.

Thank you, Chris, for the awesome presentation.

Thank you to the team for all the hard work that you do.

I want to take a different lens on it.

I think when you talked about all the regs that you have to comply with and all the things that you have to do when your funds are audited to see if you use the money correctly.

So pulling on that audit committee, you guys are beyond reproach.

So I just want to thank you for using the money in an appropriate fashion and making sure that you thread the needle and that that all the funds that we're using are going right into the community.

We really appreciate it.

You're a wonderful steward and an excellent leader, and you have an awesome team.

Thank you.

Mayor Vicemair, if I can respond to that.

I also want to acknowledge the work that our budget and finance team provide in order to make sure that these programs are successful.

They work behind the scenes, but in making sure that we're in compliance with those regs, it their support is unparalleled.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Chris, for the presentation.

Well, first of all, I just want to appreciate your the data-driven approach.

That's that's crucial.

And even more than that, the community engagement because that's something that the community is always saying, how do I get involved?

And for you guys taking the time to get out there and do surveys and get their input.

It's it's thank you for doing that.

Um very thankful for the housing rehab services.

So a lot of those things address health and safety issues that allows that resident to stay in the home.

And so I know when talking to residents, you know, sometimes they have AC repairs that need to be done.

You know, it gets so hot here in Arizona, so being able to help them with some of those repairs again to keep them in their home is is so important.

Um I did have a question.

So I know that we used to have a partnership with AZ Community Impact.

Are they still helping us with some of those repairs?

Mayor, Vice Mayor, Councilmember Tina Conde.

We do work closely with them.

We work with them, and we also just had a meeting last week with Adam Dale Service Project.

So both are tremendously supportive in making sure that we can meet the needs.

Occasionally we encounter families who don't qualify for for these programs for a variety of reasons.

And so those nonprofit entities really are such tremendous asset to us because we're able to provide some immediate assistance while we work through some of the income qualifications and other qualifications for individuals.

So we can't thank our nonprofit partners enough.

Great.

It was AZ service project.

That was the one I was thinking of.

Okay, well, you guys all do great work, and thank you so much for reaching out and connecting with our nonprofit organizations because I think together we can serve better, right?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Chris, thank you.

I just have you know my normal comments about 20 interns and 300 individuals.

That's a lot of people that you and your department have to uh influence in with with this funding.

How are you going to do that?

I know you've got something set up there, but is it going to go out and go to the parents and the kids going to say, hey, you need to see this?

I don't know how you're going to do it, but I just like make sure that it gets out to the kids if it's to the school, wherever it might be.

This intern thing really is important.

And I guess as we as a city try to work towards education, and that's certainly one of them.

But 300 kids, that's a lot of people influence during the summertime or whatever it might be.

I just want to make sure we get maximum exposure, whatever that might be.

And the second item is home buying education.

I don't know if that's just for those that are going to be buying homes, you know, right that you have influence or work with, but that is something that could be opened up to the public as well.

Just, you know, that you're renting now when you finish renting what's available, and this is what you've got to look for.

So I don't know if we can expand that a little bit further to the teaching and the training of other members of the community.

But we've got a wonderful thing here.

We've got it planned out well.

We just need to make sure that we get out and then get involved as many as we can to enjoy and appreciate what you've got for us.

Mayor Vice Member Nielsen, yes, uh, we uh put a considerable amount of effort into broadcasting these programs widely.

Pierre and her team are phenomenal.

Um, some of the other programs that we have available, like our um Abby SAR, where we recognize those students, that allows us to develop strong relationships with the schools and to make sure we have a solid point of contact and um really helps us to promote these other opportunities.

Um, in regards to the home buyer education, again, you know, we broadcast that on uh social media posts, we have it posted on all of our digital signboards across the city, um, and then word of mouth as we're attending uh functions and events um throughout the community.

Thank you.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Okay, just have a couple of questions and then a comment.

Um by the way, what what a large document this action plan is?

Uh you know, just uh from what I read of 104 pages and sort of kind of break everything down was was pretty uh overwhelming.

But out of that, a couple of things came uh to mind, and one was in regards specifically to uh the public services portion of this.

And part of the report mentioned that there was going to be some increased outreach and engagement.

And so I just wanted to see if you could elaborate a little bit more on what those specific activities would be.

Mayor members of council, um, you know, one of the big ones is again our ABI temp program, so making sure that that's uh widely broadcasted and that youth across the community are aware.

Um we have um some positions within the department that have um as they become vacant, we have an opportunity to tweak those positions, and so we know that getting that um community awareness, community engagement is such a priority for us and for council.

So we've included that as one of the primary responsibilities for a couple of positions within my department.

And so those individuals are responsible for identifying those opportunities in the community, tabling the events, being well versed in the programs and services that we offer and really um exhibiting that warrant that invites people to participate in our programs and services.

And I think that that dovetails nicely with what Vice Mayor just said in regards to the education component, because one of the comments that I had uh written down as well was you know, if you speak to other folks from different cities, many are not offering home buyer assistance programs.

So the fact that we are and that we are dedicating a portion of the budget to assist those, uh, not only is that important and a feather in our hat, so to speak, but more importantly, something that we should be uh singing our praises about to Vice Mayor's point.

Um and then my last question, because the other one's already been addressed, um, in regards to the new businesses, economic development type things, and I know that in the past, specifically on Western, uh that the metric said that 12 of the 50 planned businesses were actually assisted.

And my question was what do you think aids in the loss of of that um opportunity in terms of traction?

What do you think would assist more businesses taking advantage of some of these opportunities along Western?

Um Mayor, members of council.

Um there's a number of challenges with these smaller businesses.

A lot of them are mom and prop organizations, companies.

Um helping them with business plan development, um, you know, understanding the demographics and the data within our community, um, what we really need to do, and we are have already initiated some of these steps, working closely with Jen Stein and the economic development team to get a real solid understanding of what the needs are for those shopkeepers and business owners, um, and really pivoting a little bit and trying to find new ways to support them in their success.

We've had a number of initiatives that have been successful, but all programs and services have a lifespan.

And so I think this is a uh prime opportunity for us with Jan joining the team to revisit those opportunities and strategize so that we can um best serve those smaller um businesses.

Yeah, and I think that's key because as a as a part of this, you know, I mean, since I've been on council, and even way before other councils uh that I'm aware of, you know, have always tried to determine what the best outcome, the different approaches uh that should be taken with the business owners down there on Western so that we could really start and so that a Spark can continue to make that a place of walkability, of attraction, retention of businesses to your point in regards to some uh you know education and other things.

Um but I think it's just as you mentioned, just a prime opportunity to again not only re-engage but continue those discussions, those talks that have already taken place to uh bring Western to what it needs to become, whether that be facades, whether that be technical assistance, whatever it may be, just retention is key because again, you know, it's it's vital to the success of that area.

And I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but uh it's more just really um sharing kudos with you and hope that comes through because again uh everything that is taking place here with this grant really affords us that opportunity to provide as many opportunities as possible to a large many of residents.

And so for that I'm very grateful to you, your team, and more importantly, you mentioned it as well as uh the partnerships that you have with other departments that are all working together on this.

So I appreciate it and thank you so much.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, all righty.

Ron, next item, please.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor and Council.

Uh next up, we have a presentation by uh Rob Bear, our budget manager, um, to issue our notice of intent to modify water and sewer rates.

All right, good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, City Council.

My name is Robert Barron, the city's budget manager.

I'm here to present on the notice of intent to modify water and sewer rates.

So for the notice of intent, this is the first step in the formal adoption process for adjusting water and sewer rates.

So if we were even adjusting the the water and sewer rates by a penny, we would still need to adopt this note of intent before we took action actually on the uh water and sewer rates.

It does not actually set the rates, it starts the process.

Um per state statute, it requires that we post a report to the city's website 30 days before council action.

Um and we publish a public notice in the newspaper at least 20 days before council action.

The notes of intent we before to you tonight would set the uh date for the public hearing and council action for May 5th.

That said, we want to make sure that we go above and beyond that all of our ratepayers here in the city are aware of the rate changes that we are proposing.

So with that report, um state statute requires that we post it to the website 30 days before.

We're going to post it um this month and the next few days on the website.

We are also going to have a residential bill comparison on the website so somebody can take a look at what their current bill is and then see what the new rates would have an impact on that bill.

Um we'll have notices on our online payment system and front-counter info.

In April, we are scheduling right now three public meetings to discuss the proposed rate changes.

Um we are tentatively looking at having them one in the old town area at the Sam Garcia Library, um, one at uh the resource center, and then another one here at the Civic Center campus.

Um we want to include outreach to our homeowners associations and boards and commissions.

Um, the homeowners associations obviously have large landscaping parcels that will be impacted by the rates.

Um our boards and commissions are involved in our community.

Additionally, we want to also outreach to our um Avondel Ambassador program and the um Abondell Water Um Citizens uh Committee.

We'll have paper bill notifications and we will have notices in the newspaper and also on the city's social media.

As a reminder of what we discussed last week, uh so for water, we are looking at a 6.7% rate increase on that base and consumption charge, and then an additional new charge for um water treatment um to address um the PFAFs that are um in our some of our drinking water and a 6.2% rate uh for water resources to secure um water rights for the city.

These percentages may need to change um in future fiscal years, depending on what the cost of projects related to that comes in at and the uh schedule for when we need to implement the additional water treatment necessary to address the PFAFs issue.

In fiscal year 27 for water, we are looking for an additional 6.1% rate increase above um the fiscal year 26 recommendation, and those would become effective January 1 of 26.

Pursue, we're looking for a flat 2% rate increase, January 1 of 26, and then an additional 2% above that January 1 of 27.

And then for solid waste for the standard um one trash can, one recycling can service.

We would be looking to implement a dollar sixty rate increase July 1 of 25, and then an additional 175 rate increase um July 1 of 26.

So again, the next steps in our budget process.

So tonight we have the notice of intent, so that starts our calendar um for the proposed um rate changes.

We will have all the required public noticing and outreach in our outreach plan during this March and April time frame.

Um April 20th is our deadline to schedule the um notice of intent publication in the newspaper.

May 5th would be our um public hearing and uh proposed rate adoption.

July 1 would be the first rate increase for solid waste.

January would be um when we would implement the water and sewer portion of the rate increase, and then um July 1, 27, we'd have the additional solid waste rate increase, and then January 1, 27, we'd have the additional water and sewer rate increase.

So here is the recommended motion for tonight, and I am open for any questions and feedback.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for the presentation.

I see that we have a motion from Councilmember White with a second from Councilmember Solorio.

Can I get uh a vote?

Okay, we got six yes, one no.

Item passes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ron, next item, please.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Council up next, we have a presentation by Keith, our assistant director of finance and budget to talk about short-term uh rentals.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor Council.

Uh Keith Foster on the assistant director of financial budget.

And I'm going to provide an update regarding short-term rentals.

So short-term rentals.

Uh we have about 191 in the city, and they're spread out across the city, as you can see with this map.

So short-term rentals are rented for less than 30 days.

They're usually residential properties or um apartments or condos.

And they are often referred to as vacation rentals.

Uh and they just for your information, they do pay sales checks like hotels.

Uh in addition, we will go through some of the history that we have with them.

So, in about two years ago, the legislature passed a law that allows some limited regulation of short-term rentals.

And then in October of 23, October 23rd of 2023, uh City Council passed an ordinance providing for some regulation of short-term rentals.

Uh licensing program uh from October to January.

Uh city staff worked on developing an online platform so that short-term rental owners could uh get their like get a license for the short-term rental.

And the effective date of the ordinance was February 1st, and the system opened on time.

And then we did some outreach and education for the short-term rental owners.

We're contracted or we contracted with a an organization that helps identify short-term rentals, and so we had a very targeted uh outreach campaign.

So we did provide a press release describing the regulation on January 25th of 2024 in on February 7th.

There was a West Valley View news article about our regulations.

And then based off of our contract with this vendor to identify potential short-term rentals, we sent a letter directly to them.

Additionally, we had we've advertised within our RAVE magazine and on social media.

No penalties have been issued, however.

Some of the licensing requirements is short-term rental owners must say that they're must affirm that they're following all local laws and regulations.

This is displayed just inside the entryway.

This is for any law enforcement or public safety officials to be able to see that to contact to be able to get in contact with the owner or manager of the property.

They are to maintain $500,000 worth of liability and liability insurance and perform guest background checks.

Both of these are often provided by the online marketplace that they are using.

And then the annual fee for the license is $250.

So currently, as was mentioned, or as of February 19th of 2025, there were 191 active short-term rentals within Avondale.

Comparing us to some other municipalities, as far as compliance rates, we are right in the mix of others.

Tempe and Flagstaff, their licensing program is more mature than ours, so they have a little bit more compliance.

And to note Glendale, which is right in line with us.

There's actually not a licensing program, but a registration program that has no fee or license associated with it.

To maintain our program, we contracted with the same vendor to that helps identify the short-term rentals to send out some notifications.

So as they identify a new uh short-term rental, they send out uh letters up to three notices and near the beginning of each month.

So starting in November 2024, they sent out notifications.

The first notice very friendly saying just informing them of our regulation and the requirements to do that, and provides 30 days after that, a second and third notice are sent out.

Still friendly, but uh with a little bit more legal language saying that we are serious about this program.

Uh those that do not comply after that third notice in 30 days uh code compliance takes over, and Josh Perez is here to talk about what code compliance does at that point.

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

Um, as Key stated, the co-compliance division will oversee the enforcement process of the short-term rental ordinance.

The enforcement will be similar to our standard co-compliance process of uh voluntary compliance, is always going to be our goal.

Um, what that process is is we'll open up a case, we'll complete an investigation to verify that violation is present, and then once we do verify that violation, a notice of violation will be issued to that property owner.

Uh again, with working with them, we will still try to provide that education and additional information to that property owner to have them initiate that licensing process and complete that.

Once that 30-day time frame provided on our notice of violation has expired, the co-compliance officer will verify that either a license has been issued or that the property is no longer being offered as a short-term rental.

If the license has not been issued, the property and the property continues to operate as a short-term rental.

The next process will be a civil citation that will be issued to that property owner, and that would be submitted to the Avondale City Court.

The compliance officer will monitor that process through that court system until compliance has been met.

Additionally, the co-compliance division will also monitor the property ongoing just for any type of continuing violations that may occur, and we'll work with other departments to address those concerns.

And that concludes my portion of this presentation, and I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Thank you.

Okay.

Councilmember Condi.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you for your presentation.

Just real quick on the area where it showed all the STRs, there was one that was like 29 STRs.

I was just curious.

What was that location?

The map.

That so the that is a representative of the area, the map of the city.

Um we the vendor that we contract with has an interactive map that we can drill down on individual properties.

I just wonder what community that was.

Is that like approximately approximately?

Council Member Condi, that area is possible to be the Rancho Santa Fe community area.

Okay.

Thank you.

Is that it, Councilmember Condi?

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Any other questions?

Councilmember White?

Thank you so much, Mayor.

Um, thank you very much for the presentation.

Um, Mr.

Perez, I was just wondering how how do we envision um preventing the rental unit from being continuously used once you real once you get to that stage where you're involved.

And meaning uh council member White, and meaning that if they do not get a license and they remove their um their listing like monitoring that property uh they're offering it again, is that yeah.

I wanted to understand how Council Member McCounty.

Um so that process is uh we also the Coke appliance division also has access to the rental escape program that our finance department is utilizing.

And so with that, uh we will have the ability to to monitor these properties ongoing and verify if these properties are going to be uh used in the future.

Um all the officers that are being assigned cases to monitor these properties.

If we do have a case, for example, that they were offering as a rental, but then they decided to take that rental uh just uh offering down from their websites.

We can still check those on an ongoing basis.

We can have we'll have that process in place.

Yes.

Thank you so much.

And just as you've mentioned, uh it's just really about just compliance, making sure that we take stock of the amount of units that are here in the city and more most importantly, um, offering some or uh the opportunity for some teeth in terms of enforcement.

So I think that's important as well.

So if there's no other questions, I appreciate the presentation and um thank you so much.

All right, item six.

Are there any events that any council members would like to share that you've attended in terms of summary of events?

Councilmember White?

Yeah.

Well, last week I was able to go to a leadership course with um oh my gosh, it escaped my mind right now.

Leadership West, leadership west.

And it was such a wonderful experience to hear those leaders, and it was about compassion as a leader and um, you know, as leaders we help each other up and we we help each other raise each other up over falling.

Um so it was just such a wonderful um event to attend, and the main speaker didn't know, and it was brought to my attention.

She's an Avondale resident, so she was wonderful and amazing.

How you must Petra and like I want to travel the world just like she did after that after that um speech that she gave.

So thank you for the opportunity to go attend that because that was wonderful.

Thank you.

Councilmember White?

Yes, I was there as well with Councilmember Garcia.

It was Dr.

Perletta Ramos, she was a former Littleton Elementary School board member, and just hearing about her documentary and also hearing from the other speakers, I was really grateful.

So I just wanted to thank the city as well for allowing me to be a part of Class 31, and we're trying to recruit uh Councilmember Garcia to sign up for leadership West.

Um I had the pleasure of attending last week um and seeing our resource center on full display um with the uh fentanyl um community event that was held in Spanish.

Um it was great.

There was uh I don't know, 30 to 40 people in ex in in attendance.

It was great to see uh members of staff together between neighborhood and family services, the fire department, all of the resource partners that uh had an opportunity to display their items, share their information uh on the tables, and um just uh again, just another great experience connecting with our residents in in different language.

And so um if uh another event like that moves forward in the future, I would hope that some of you would have the uh opportunity to attend, excuse me, to hear uh from the guest speakers who are there who face challenges themselves as an individual and the other resource partners as partners that offer those opportunities for our communities, our community members to engage within.

So it was a great time.

Okay, Councilmember Weiss.

Well, it wasn't this last weekend, um, but the weekend before I went to Trace Rios.

And I just wanted to um thank our Parks and Rec and our water and public um works for being out there, and also I was super excited because for the first time I saw that Avondell ambassadors.

Um, and so that was really nice.

They had a booth and they were out there working hard.

So just want to thank everybody for always being out there at our events and the staff is always engaged.

Thank you.

Can I get a motion for adjournment into executive session, please?

Motion by Councilmember Garcia, seconded by Councilmember Solorio.

Please vote.

Okay, we are adjourned to executive session.

Everybody, please drive safe home and thank you for being here tonight.

And for those who are listening online, the meeting is adjourned and city count city council will not be coming back out.

Thank you.

Have a good night.