Avondale City Council Regular Meeting - July 7, 2026

The Avondale City Council convened for a regular meeting. Roll call showed Mayor Pineda, Vice Mayor Nielsen, and Councilmembers Conde, Garcia, Solorio, Wise, and White present. Note on date discrepancy: The meeting was called to order on July 6th by the Mayor, although the provided metadata indicates the meeting took place on July 7, 2026.

Proclamations & Recognitions

• America's 250th Celebration Month: A proclamation declaring July 2026 as America's 250th Celebration Month was presented to Katie Paulson of the Arizona Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Paulson highlighted the DAR's mission of historic preservation, education, and patriotism, and noted the organization's sponsorship of an all-female veteran honor flight.
• Parks and Recreation Month: Corey Lariva, Parks, Recreation, and Libraries Director, presented the proclamation and reported exceptional community impact statistics: over 1.5 million park visitors, 144,000 library visits, 1 million library resources circulated, over 200 acres of parkland maintained, and 62,000 visits to the aquatic center in the past year. Councilmembers delivered strong praise for the Parks and Recreation team.
• Business Spotlight Award: Pride Fitness / Hawk Sport Performance, owned by Michelle and Donald Hawkins, was recognized as the quarterly Business Spotlight recipient. The business was noted for raising approximately $7,000 and collecting essential supplies for local charities, including the American Cancer Society and New Life Center.
• Employee Introductions: The Council officially welcomed numerous new employees and celebrated internal promotions across all city departments, including new Assistant City Managers Jennifer Stein and Andy Musquita, new Economic Development Director Cheryl Covert, new HR Director Ted Flores, and several new police officers, firefighters, and administrative staff.

Consent Calendar

The consent agenda was approved unanimously (7-0). Councilmember Conde requested that Item K (the Recycling Intergovernmental Agreement with Phoenix) be removed for separate consideration. The Council was shown images of the new bus shelter designs (Agenda Items 4-O, 4-P, 4-Q).

Discussion Items

Recycling Intergovernmental Agreement (Item K)

• Harold, Assistant Public Works Director, presented a proposed five-year IGA with the City of Phoenix to process Avondale's recyclables (approximately 5,800 tons annually) at its Materials Recovery Facility on 27th Avenue.
• A chart of per-ton costs was shown, illustrating market volatility: $16.84 (FY22), $36.16 (FY23), $58.38 (FY24), $45.94 (FY25), $59.89 (FY26). The FY27 first quarter cost is $57.50 per ton.
• Council discussion focused on the stability the five-year commitment provides and the importance of proper recycling practices. Vote: Motion by Vice Mayor Nielsen, second by Councilmember Solorio. Approved 7-0.

Adoption of the 2025 Transportation Master Plan Update

• Kim Moon, Engineering Director, presented the multimodal transportation strategy update, which outlines plans for roadways, transit, bicycles, pedestrians, and technology through 2050 to manage projected growth.
• Key projects highlighted include improvements to the Van Buren Street and Lower Buckeye Road corridors, State Route 30 planning, and the Avondale Boulevard/MC 85 intersection.
• Councilmember White inquired about pursuing public-private partnerships (P3s) to fund projects, particularly the MC 85 intersection. Staff committed to exploring these opportunities to reduce the city's direct financial burden. Vote: Motion by Councilmember White, second by Vice Mayor Nielsen. Approved 7-0.

Solid Waste Code Violation Fees (Presentation and Discussion)

• Public Works Director Kirk Beatty and staff presented a proposal for a progressive fee structure aimed at repeat solid waste code violators, emphasizing an education-first approach.
• Violation Statistics: In FY26, inspectors found over 1,800 bulk trash violations (104 repeat offenders) and over 3,800 curbside trash/recycling violations (309 repeat offenders). Half of bulk trash issues involve early or late placement; half of curbside issues involve overfilled bins.
• Proposed Fees (Bulk Trash): 1st Offense (Education and request to comply within 2 days), 2nd Offense ($25 fee added to utility bill), 3rd Offense ($75 fee, city removes pile), 4th Offense (Escalating fee), 5th Offense (Civil citation, Class 1 Misdemeanor).
• Council Discussion: Councilmembers Conde, Solorio, and Garcia expressed strong support for the education-focused system and progressive penalties for repeat offenders. Councilmember White raised concerns about overlapping fines for homeowners in HOAs and the complexity of handling violations at rental properties. Staff detailed inspection methods (pink tags/X markings), efforts to replace aging garbage trucks causing can damage, and a soon-to-launch lithium-ion battery drop-off program. No vote was taken; this was a discussion item tied to the broader FY27 fee schedule.

Recommended Fee Changes for Fiscal Year 2027 (Presentation and Discussion)

• Finance Director Renee Weatherless presented the city's recommended annual fee schedule update for feedback. No action was taken.
• Proposed changes include 18 new fees, modifications to fee names and units of measure, and removal of 2 fees.
• Key Departmental Changes: Removal of two fingerprinting fees (Police), creation of a domestic partnership registration fee (Clerk), 12 new engineering inspection/plan review fees, phased increases to Parks & Rec facility rental fees, a 50% reduction in major event permit fees based on market feedback, increases at Goodyear Farm Cemetery, and the solid waste violation fees discussed above. The formal vote on the entire fee schedule is scheduled for the July 13 Council meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

No requests for unscheduled public appearance were received.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda & Recycling IGA: Approved 7-0.
• Transportation Master Plan: Adopted 7-0.
• FY2027 Fee Schedule: Discussion held and feedback gathered; formal action scheduled for July 13.
• Solid Waste Fees: Council broadly supported the proposed progressive fee structure in discussion; final approval pending the July 13 vote.
• Employee Recognitions: Multiple new hires and internal promotions celebrated across departments.
• Proclamations: July 2026 was officially proclaimed America's 250th Celebration Month and Parks and Recreation Month.
• Business Spotlight: Pride Fitness recognized for charitable contributions to the community.