OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Chandler City Council Meeting - January 9, 2026

Public Meetings — Friday, January 9, 2026
BodyChandler, Arizona
SessionPublic Meetings
DateFriday, January 9, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:04:05

Transcript — Verbatim
0:46

You want to bag his hand when we're ready?

0:48

I'll let you still have your last question.

1:26

There you go.

1:31

Good evening and welcome to the January 8th 2026 regular meeting of the Chandler City Council.

1:38

The Vice Mayor banged us game, gabbled us in tonight.

1:42

So well done.

1:43

Clerk, would you please take the roll?

1:45

Mayor Hartkey?

1:46

Here.

1:46

Vice Mayor Ellis?

1:48

Here.

1:48

Council Member Encenas.

1:49

Here.

1:50

Councilmember Poston.

1:51

Here.

1:51

Councilmember Orlando.

1:53

Here.

1:53

Councilmember Harris?

1:54

Here.

1:54

Councilmember Hawkins.

1:56

Here.

1:56

We have a quorum.

1:57

Thank you so much.

1:58

Our indication tonight will be delivered by Father Taylor Luande from Apostles of Jesus.

2:04

He's a pastor at St.

2:06

Andrew's, the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, and our Pledge of Allegiance by Vice Mayor Ellis.

2:14

Pastor.

2:20

Let us pray.

2:22

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

2:25

Amen.

2:26

Almighty God.

2:28

We give you thanks for the gift of life for a great nation and for the city of Chandler.

2:35

We gather this evening as a community grateful for the many blessings you have bestowed upon this city, its rich diversity, strong values, and spirit of collaboration.

2:47

We thank you especially for council members and city staff, whom you have entrusted with the grace of leadership and the burden of authority to guide our city toward lasting prosperity.

3:00

May their actions reflect integrity, justice and compassion for every member of our community.

3:07

Lord, empower them to serve all those they encounter with humility and dedication.

3:15

Grant them the gift of wisdom to speak the truth with charity, to listen with open hearts, and to act in a way that honor you through their words and decisions.

3:36

As they face challenges and embrace new opportunities, may their leadership foster unity and cohesion throughout our city.

3:45

Lord, we entrust you this gathering and all who serve to your loving care.

3:51

Help them to ensure that every voice is valued, knowing that the diversity of perspectives strengthens and enriches our community.

4:57

One through one to one to nine.

5:01

All right, thank you.

5:01

Is there a second?

5:03

Second that may second by our Vice Mayor Ellis.

5:06

Council, any recusals, any things else?

5:09

Seeing none, please vote.

5:14

Motion carries unanimously.

5:16

Thank you.

5:16

Thank you, Council.

5:18

Next on our agenda, we have a public hearing regarding proposed changes to certain water, wastewater, and reclaimed water rates, fees, and solid waste collection fees.

5:28

So I'd like to open this public hearing and have a stack presentation by Matt Dunbar, who is our budget and policy director.

5:37

Sir.

5:38

Mayor and Council is glad to be here with you tonight to talk about these utility rates and have this public hearing.

5:43

First of all, I would like you to know there's a lot of discussion about ASU and U of A that happens in these chambers.

5:49

And I just want to point out for those of us from NAU, it's an important school.

5:52

In fact, just the other day I learned that at the Lumberjacks up there, they have a new uh student-led uh what is it, a brew club on campus.

6:02

And I was super glad to hear that their favorite brew is a lager.

6:05

So the lumberjacks are doing it right up there.

6:09

Uh so just for this public hearing, I do want to point out that the information in this presentation, as well as all the presentations we've shared before with you, mayor and council in work sessions are available online at ChandlerAZ.gov forward slash proposed utility rates.

6:23

That information is there as well as comparisons.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Water And Wastewater Management███████████████████████████████████35%
Community Engagement████████████████████████24%
Procedural████████8%
Public Engagement████████8%
Public Safety████████8%
Arts And Culture███████7%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Budget Equity Analysis███3%
Racial Equity███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Chandler City Council Meeting - January 9, 2026

The Chandler City Council convened on January 9, 2026, to address utility rate adjustments, solid waste ordinances, and the annual vice mayor election. Following a prayer and roll call, the council heard a presentation from Budget and Policy Director Matt Dunbar regarding necessary rate increases for water, wastewater, reclaimed water, and solid waste services due to aging infrastructure, increased operational costs, and contract adjustments. The council voted on two separate ordinances and elected Councilmember Angel Encinas as the new Vice Mayor for the 2026 term.

Consent Calendar

  • Motion carried unanimously: Approval of the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance and the initial organizational actions.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Megan Richardson (Resident): Expressed concern regarding traffic and safety at Knox Gifted Academy (Hartford and Orchid Lane), citing a lack of school zone signage, crossing guards, and police presence. She urged the city to address illegal U-turns and unsafe driving.
    • Position: Requested city intervention and a plan to improve school safety.
  • Councilmember Harris: Responded to the unscheduled comment, noting that law enforcement has programs for school area surveillance and traffic calming. He suggested the city coordinate with the school district (CUSD) and emphasized that the school is a private charter, not public.
    • Position: Supported future administrative follow-up and inter-agency coordination to address safety concerns.

Discussion Items

  • Utility Rate Analysis (Matt Dunbar): Presented a 15% rate increase for water and wastewater, 18% for reclaimed water, and 6% for solid waste. Key drivers included:
    • Replacement of high-risk water mains over a 30-year timeline.
    • Increased costs for CAP and SRP water purchases, treatment chemicals, and power.
    • Contractual increases for solid waste hauling.
    • A shift from biennial to annual rate adjustments to prevent large future spikes.
    • Councilmember Harris: Expressed support for the annual adjustment strategy to avoid future "huge holes" and requested a more granular financial spreadsheet linking CIP projects to rate impacts. He also questioned the 5-year cost of service study cycle and advocated for conducting them more frequently (every 2-3 years) to address inflation. Dunbar confirmed a new study begins July 1 of the next fiscal year but emphasized the policy allows for earlier studies if cost drivers change significantly.
    • Councilmember Orlando: Questioned the applicability of the $23.50 special collection fee, confirming it applies only to extra collections beyond regular service. He also asked about the volume of resident bulk pickups (confirmed as less than 2 per household on average).
    • Councilmember Hawkins: Asked regarding residents recycling freezers/washers, suggesting a potential city partnership with vendors for free appliance pickup to reduce liability and resident costs. Staff agreed to research vendor liability and feasibility.
    • Position Summary: The council broadly supported the rate increases as necessary for infrastructure maintenance and forward-thinking financial planning, with Councilmember Lando voting "no" on the water/wastewater ordinance (Item 11) citing general opposition to rate hikes during inflationary times.

Key Outcomes

  • Ordinance 5148 (Water, Wastewater, Reclaimed Water): Motion carried to tentatively adopt the ordinance adjusting rates and fees.
    • Vote Tally: Majority approved; Councilmember Lando voted "no". Councilmembers Poston and Orlando did not vote (absent/recused/unrecorded in transcript, though discussion confirmed they were present).
  • Ordinance 5149 (Solid Waste): Motion carried unanimously to amend Chapter 44, code sections 44-1, 44-4, and 44-5. Changes include clarifying

Meeting Transcript

You want to bag his hand when we're ready? I'll let you still have your last question. There you go. Good evening and welcome to the January 8th 2026 regular meeting of the Chandler City Council. The Vice Mayor banged us game, gabbled us in tonight. So well done. Clerk, would you please take the roll? Mayor Hartkey? Here. Vice Mayor Ellis? Here. Council Member Encenas. Here. Councilmember Poston. Here. Councilmember Orlando. Here. Councilmember Harris? Here. Councilmember Hawkins. Here. We have a quorum. Thank you so much. Our indication tonight will be delivered by Father Taylor Luande from Apostles of Jesus. He's a pastor at St. Andrew's, the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, and our Pledge of Allegiance by Vice Mayor Ellis. Pastor. Let us pray. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Almighty God. We give you thanks for the gift of life for a great nation and for the city of Chandler. We gather this evening as a community grateful for the many blessings you have bestowed upon this city, its rich diversity, strong values, and spirit of collaboration. We thank you especially for council members and city staff, whom you have entrusted with the grace of leadership and the burden of authority to guide our city toward lasting prosperity. May their actions reflect integrity, justice and compassion for every member of our community. Lord, empower them to serve all those they encounter with humility and dedication. Grant them the gift of wisdom to speak the truth with charity, to listen with open hearts, and to act in a way that honor you through their words and decisions. As they face challenges and embrace new opportunities, may their leadership foster unity and cohesion throughout our city. Lord, we entrust you this gathering and all who serve to your loving care. Help them to ensure that every voice is valued, knowing that the diversity of perspectives strengthens and enriches our community. One through one to one to nine. All right, thank you. Is there a second? Second that may second by our Vice Mayor Ellis. Council, any recusals, any things else? Seeing none, please vote. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you. Thank you, Council. Next on our agenda, we have a public hearing regarding proposed changes to certain water, wastewater, and reclaimed water rates, fees, and solid waste collection fees.

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