Note: The meeting was called to order on August 14, 2025, but the provided timestamp is August 15, 2025. This summary uses the date from the instruction.
The Chandler City Council held a regular meeting presided by Mayor Hartkey, with Vice Mayor Ellis attending telephonically. The meeting included an invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, a special recognition for departing Deputy City Manager Andy Bass, approval of the consent agenda, public comment, and council member announcements.
Good evening and welcome to the August 14th regular meeting of the Chandler City Council. I'd like to call this meeting to order. Clerk, will you please take the role? Mayor Hartkey. Here. Vice Mayor Ellis. Here. Councilmember Encinas. Here. Council Member Poston. Here. Councilmember Orlando. Here. Councilmember Harris. Councilmember Hutkin. Here, we have a quorum. Thank you. And Vice Mayor is out of town on a in a conference. That's why she's calling in telephonically here. So our invitation tonight will be presented by Rabbi Tracy Rosen from Temple Beth Shalom of the East Valley. And Councilmember Hawkins, if you could lead us in the pledge afterwards. Rabby. Eternal source of wisdom and compassion. We gather this evening in gratitude for the sacred trust placed in those who lead our community. In the book of Exodus, chapter 18, Moses' father-in-law Jethro teaches that leadership is not a solitary burden, but a shared responsibility. He counsels Moses to appoint capable, trustworthy, and God-fearing individuals to help guide help judge and guide the people so that the needs of the community may be may be met with fairness, clarity, and care. We remember that this lesson is not only about delegation, but about listening, hearing the concerns of the people, discerning the right path, and acting with justice and compassion. May the members of this council be blessed with open hearts to truly hear the voices of the residents they serve. May they be granted wisdom to weigh each decision with integrity, patience to consider diverse opinions, and courage to act for the benefit of all. Bless their work tonight and in the days ahead, that Chandler may continue to be a place of safety, opportunity, and dignity for every person who calls it home. And may their service bring honor not only to the city, but to the highest ideals we all hold dear. Amen. Please join me in the Pledge of Legion. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Rambi. Thank you, Councilmember. Council, before we go into our um consent agenda, we do have one special service recognition as we have been informed sadly ruefully that uh Andy is going to be moving closer back home. And uh uh sorry, Deputy City Manager, so we appreciate your presence, your work here, and I want to call on acting city manager uh John Pombier to share some remarks, and if you would like to share anything after I do, certainly we all have opportunity. And as you come down, we have behind you a mock-up. So um before I start, I'm gonna hand this to Tad. Tad has something he's going to share with the audience and then I will um sum it up. Um good evening, uh esteemed council members, staff and residents of Chandler. Um tonight we bid our heartfelt farewell to an exceptional leader, Andy Bass, who has served as our city with unwavering dedication and vision as the deputy city manager and prior to that as community services director. Andy will leave us on August 22nd to embark on an exciting new chapter as executive director of the South Suburban Park and Recreation District in the Denver, Colorado area. So you're going home starting September 8th, 2025. Andy joined the city of Chandler in July 2019 as community services director, bringing expansive experience from leadership roles in parks and recreation across Colorado, Nevada, and Texas. In this role, he transformed our parks and recreation system, overseeing the Chandler Public Library, recreation and aquatic programs, park operations, and park development. Under his leadership, Chandler saw remarkable enhancements, including the expansion of Veterans Oasis Park, the design of Tumbleweed Recreation Center expansion, the Tumbleweed Park Diamond Fields, the Gazelle Meadows Park Renovation, and the development of the Homestead North Park and Montana Ranch Park, among others. These projects introduced state-of-the-art trails, playgrounds, and aquatic facilities, creating vibrant, inclusive spaces that enrich the lives of families across the city. In January of 2022, Andy was promoted to deputy city manager, where he excelled in overseeing critical departments, including cultural development, development services, neighborhood resources, and public works and utilities.