The Avondale City Council convened on September 1, 2026, with Mayor Paneda presiding. All councilmembers were present. The meeting covered public comments, a consent agenda, a new ordinance regulating electric-driven devices, an informational presentation on water fluoridation, and councilmember updates.
Item 4A – Ordinance on Electric-Driven Devices (e-bikes, e-scooters, etc.)
Lieutenant Tom Alt presented a revised ordinance after council feedback on June 22, 2026. Key provisions include: definitions for electric-driven devices; safety requirements (helmets for under 16, brakes, lights, audible warning); age restrictions (no e-scooter under 12, later amended to 11); sidewalk and roadway operation rules (yield to pedestrians, speed limit of 10 mph on sidewalks, e-scooters prohibited on roads over 25 mph); graduated fines ($50 first violation, $250 second, $500 third within 12 months); and a recommended six-month education and warning period before enforcement. Council debated two amendments: (1) lowering the e-scooter age limit from 12 to 11 (passed 4-3) and (2) removing the requirement for closed-toed shoes (passed 7-0). The main motion as amended passed 7-0. Councilmember White requested consideration of a longer education period; staff agreed to consider it.
Item 4B – Water System Fluoridation (Informational)
Eric Bay (Public Works) presented background on fluoride, Avondale’s naturally occurring levels (average 0.27 ppm, range non-detect to 1.1 ppm), and implementation costs (chemicals ~$25,000/year but major capital costs in the millions). He noted conflicts with PFAS treatment and safety concerns (hydrofluorosilicic acid handling, fluorosis). Councilmembers expressed strong opposition: citing cost, overreach, naturally occurring fluoride, PFAS conflicts, and public preference. Councilmember Weiss noted a resident brought the topic forward. No action was taken.
The mayor, Vice Mayor, and City Council welcome you to the Avondale City Council meeting. As a courtesy to others, please silence all phones.gov. When your name is called, please approach the podium and give your name for the public record. Please limit your comments to three minutes. If more than five requests to speak are received, comments may be limited to one minute. Liberty of Justice Crown. Thank you. Marcella, if we can have roll call, please. Councilmember Conde. Here. Councilmember Garcia. Chair. Councilmember Solario. Councilmember Weiss. Councilmember White. Councilmember White, can you hear me okay? Yes, thank you. I'm present. Marcella, can you hear me okay? Perfect. Yes, thank you. I'm present. Vice Mayor Nielsen. Mayor. Mayor Paneda. Here. Okay, item number two, unscheduled public appearances. I believe we have three cards and a couple that'll be entered into the record. Is that correct, Marcella? Thank you, Mayor. Yes, we have four public comments that I will read their names and the full text of their comments will be included in the meeting minutes. For unscheduled public appearance, we have Michael Hoffman, Hilary McKillip, and Michelle Cattle. And then for agenda item 4B, we have Naya Smith. Okay. Thank you so much. And then again, we do have blue cards, and so I will call you each up to the podium. You have three minutes. First, we will begin with Barney, Barney Hernandez. Good evening, Mayor and members of council. My name is Barney Hernandez, spokesperson for the Forever 12th movement. I am here tonight to speak about an issue that directly impacts the safety of the residents of Catata Ranch and surrounding communities. The director of engineering department is currently finalizing a report regarding the proposed placement of a Hawklight east of Contado Ranch within the green belt and directly beneath the SRP electrical towers. While we appreciate the city's efforts to find a solution, we have serious concerns about this proposed location. We believe there is an alternative location that deserves immediate consideration, the intersection of 121st Lane and Lower Buckeye. This is not simply a proposed crossing on a map. In the official police report regarding the tragic incident in our community, numerous responding officers identified this exact location of 121st Lane and Lower Buckeye as an unmarked crosswalk. That statement should matter. If law enforcement officers responding to an incident recognize this location as an unmarked crosswalk, then we have to ask why are we considering putting the safest infrastructure infrastructure somewhere else when the community is already crossing here. Where there is already a demonstrated need and established pedestrian use. Because when we know where people are crossing and we know there is a safety concern, we should not wait for another tragedy before we make that crossing safe.