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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Chandler City Council Meeting - October 16, 2026

Public Meetings — Friday, October 16, 2026

BodyChandler, Arizona

SessionPublic Meetings

DateFriday, October 16, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:49:56

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

2:43

Welcome to the Chandler City Council meeting.

2:45

To help us conduct tonight's meeting efficiently and respectfully, we ask all attendees to follow these rules and procedures.

2:52

Please submit a speaker card or comment card to the city clerk before the meeting is called to order.

2:57

This helps us manage the meeting and ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to be heard.

3:02

Speakers must be recognized by the mayor before addressing the city council.

3:05

Once at the podium, please direct all comments to the city council as a whole rather than to individual members or to the audience.

3:13

Courteous and orderly conduct is expected from everyone present in the chambers.

3:18

Disruptive behavior, such as booing, shouting, yelling, or stomping a feet is not permitted.

3:24

Any person whose conduct disrupts or interferes with the meeting may be warned by the mayor, and if the disruption continues, may be asked to leave the council chambers.

Speaker 2

4:01

Councilmember Coaston.

4:06

Councilmember Harris.

Speaker 3

4:33

But when the wicked rule, the people groan.

4:38

I am, thank

Unassigned speaker

4:39

you.

Speaker 3

4:42

But in abundance of counselors, there's safety.

4:50

Tonight you will doubtless make some people unhappy.

4:53

Hopefully, you'll make some people happy too.

Unassigned speaker

5:00

Um, but my prayer for you is that you would be able to do good, not just what is politically expedient, but do good for this city.

Unassigned speaker

5:06

Uh,

Speaker 3

5:07

but that you would do good for the city, and you would even enjoy doing that.

5:11

So let me pray to that

Unassigned speaker

5:13

end.

Speaker 3

5:14

Lord, we thank you for each of these council members that you've placed in positions of authority.

5:20

I pray that you would give them wisdom beyond their years.

5:23

I pray that they would enjoy serving,

Unassigned speaker

5:26

and

Speaker 3

5:26

God, I pray that you would bless Chandler through the decisions they

Unassigned speaker

5:29

make.

Speaker 3

5:30

May your will be done in Christ I pray.

5:33

Amen.

Unassigned speaker

5:35

Thank

Speaker 4

5:36

you for those words, Pastor.

5:37

Please turn to the flag and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance.

5:40

I pledge

Speaker 5

5:41

allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God and indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Unassigned speaker

5:58

Thank

Speaker 6

5:58

you, Councilmember.

5:59

Thank you, Pastor Hinn.

6:02

Next on our agenda, Council is scheduled public appearances, and um our first one, we're gonna fit him in next when he arrives, Congressman Greg Stanton.

6:14

But I would like to invite Councilmember Ellis to join me up front.

6:46

All right, so we have a proclamation friends of the library week.

6:50

If I could have Bob Lowry, yay, Bob, and uh he's our board chair of our friends of the Chandler Public Library, and if we have any other uh commissioners uh that are part of the library board, please join us as

Unassigned speaker

7:04

well.

Unassigned speaker

7:09

All

Speaker 7

7:09

right,

Speaker 5

7:13

thank you.

7:14

Thank you so

Unassigned speaker

7:14

much.

Speaker 8

7:15

Thank you, Mayor.

Unassigned speaker

7:18

All

Speaker 8

7:18

right, this proclamation is being read at this time, whereas Chandler Public Libraries serve as a cornerstone of our community, providing resources and space to engage in lifelong learning, community enrichment and connection, and whereas many of these resources are made possible because of support from the friends of the Chandler Public Library, a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization of dedicated advocates who collectively support the mission, innovation and inclusivity of our libraries, and whereas the friends understand the importance of well-funded libraries and advocate to ensure that our libraries get the resources it needs to maintain robust programming, help expand collections, and foster a love of reading across all ages.

8:12

And whereas the friends give of the time and commitment to the library sets an example for how volunteerism leads to positive civic engagement and the betterment of our community, and whereas National Friends of Libraries Week celebrates the vital role that volunteers advocates and donors play in our community and recognize the significant impact of the friends of the Chandler Library.

8:41

Now thereof, Kevin Harkey, mayor of the city of Chandler, Arizona, do I proclaim October eighteenth to the twenty-fourth, twenty twenty-six as national friends of library week.

8:55

Thank you.

Unassigned speaker

9:03

A

Speaker 9

9:03

few comments, but they're shorter than the proclamation.

Unassigned speaker

9:06

First

Speaker 9

9:07

of all, thank you, Mr.

9:08

Mayer, and thank you, Council members, for this honor.

9:10

This is, I think the

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Water And Wastewater Management███████████████████████████████████35%

Public Engagement██████████████████18%

Procedural████████████████16%

Community Engagement██████████10%

Parks and Recreation█████5%

Fiscal Sustainability████4%

Airport Development████4%

Economic Development███3%

Technology and Innovation███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Chandler City Council Meeting - October 16, 2026

The Chandler City Council convened on October 16, 2026, for a regular meeting that included proclamations, a consent agenda, a public hearing on utility rate adjustments, and adoption of the 2027 meeting schedule. The meeting featured several public comments on rate increases and an unscheduled comment on airport runway expansion.

Proclamations & Recognitions

Friends of the Library Week: Proclamation for October 18-24, 2026. Bob Lowry, board chair of Friends of the Chandler Public Library, accepted, noting the organization is in its 45th year and provides "several hundred thousand" in annual support.
Arizona's Cities and Towns Week: Proclamation recognized by Renee Guilland, executive director of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns. She praised Chandler's top rankings, including being ranked 8th safest for new home buyers and lowering property taxes for 11 consecutive years.
Congressman Greg Stanton: Announced a $1 million congressionally directed grant for the Chandler Flex program, which expands public transportation. Stanton noted 30% of rides are by students going to school.
Water Festival Sponsors: Recognition of 2025 sponsors (Aiken and Gardner, Brown and Caldwell, Hazen and Sawyer, Kimley Horn, and Kitchell). The Water Festival educates over 1,200 fourth graders annually on water resources and conservation.

Consent Calendar

Approved consent agenda items 1-44 unanimously. Councilmember Poston recused on items 37 and 38, which involved his HOA.
Public comments on consent items: Ed Contreras (Chandler resident) expressed concerns about park planning in the Orange Tree neighborhood, stating residents were "shut out" by city planners. Rick Human (former council member and planning commissioner) commented on item 15, advocating for the city to "stand its ground" on redevelopment corners.

Public Hearing: Proposed Changes to Utility Rates and Fees

Presentation: Matt Dunbar, city staff, presented proposed increases: 9% for water, 6.5% for wastewater, 9% for reclaimed water, and 4.5% for solid waste, effective January 4, 2027. He explained enterprise funds, infrastructure replacement needs, and that Chandler maintains the lowest combined utility rates in the Valley. The AOK donation program (voluntary contributions) collected about $25,000 last year, supplemented by $25,000 from council.
Council Questions: Councilmembers discussed enterprise vs. general funds, cost-of-service study updates, and AOK program funding. Councilmember Hawkins requested a webpage showing pipe replacement progress. Councilmember Ellis inquired about assistance for a resident caring for her 94-year-old father; staff confirmed income-based aid through CARES team and Ascend contract.
Public Comments (6 speakers): All spoke against the rate increases, advocating that large corporations (e.g., Intel, data centers) should pay higher rates instead of across-the-board hikes. Speakers included:
- Mark Jiang (Chandler high school student): Argued residents already face high costs and called for no rate hikes on residents; corporations should pay "fair share."
- Michael Iwe (Chandler educator): Said teachers' pay doesn't increase 9% annually; accused city of prioritizing businesses over residents.
- Ashley Beck (Scottsdale resident, teacher): Shared story of a fixed-income resident whose bill jumped; demanded no increases for residents.
- Amelia Wynn (Gilbert resident): Criticized outreach as inadequate (website/social media didn't reach many); urged council to differentiate Chandler from other cities.
- Kathy Jiang (Chandler high school student): Emphasized principle of prevention over reaction; urged council to anticipate harm from rate hikes.
- Joseph Rock (longtime Chandler resident): Opposed rate increase; cited city spending $368,000 to remove grass in retention basins while negotiating to supply 55,000 gallons/day more to a microchip company.
- Ed Contreras (Chandler resident, also spoke during public hearing on this item): Repeated concerns about cumulative costs and questioned deferred maintenance.
Votes:
- Ordinance 5181 (water, wastewater, reclaimed water rates): Passed with Councilmember Orlando voting no.
- Resolution 6044 (solid waste fees): Passed unanimously.

Discussion and Adoption: 2027 Regular Meeting Schedule

Resolution 6040 setting the 2027 city council regular meeting schedule was approved as revised (exhibit a as revised). Motion by Councilmember Harris, seconded by Councilmember Orlando. Passed unanimously. Councilmember Hawkins noted that with only one meeting scheduled in June, budget planning could still be accommodated.

Unscheduled Public Comment

Ed Contreras: Urged council to preserve city ordinance 3888 (requiring voter approval for runway extension) and reject any attempt to bypass the ballot. He cited increased night flights and lower flight paths, creating noise and safety concerns. Council directed staff to arrange a meeting and tour of the airport.

Current Events / Community Announcements

Mayor Hartke: Promoted Halloween Spectacular (Oct 30), Mariachi & Folklorico Festival (Nov 1), and wishes for Diwali.
Councilmember Poston: Announced Chandler Golf Challenge on Nov 16, raising funds for Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities.
Councilmember Ellis: Invited to domestic violence awareness candle vigil on Oct 16 at 6 p.m. and Gratitude Gathering on Nov 1.
Councilmember Harris: Announced Ready Sego Foundation's 5th annual Mental Well-Being Walk on Saturday (Oct 17) at 8 a.m., featuring resources and Chick-fil-A.
Councilmember Hawkins: Celebrated Arbor Day celebration on Nov 7 at Foley Park, offering free native trees for Chandler residents. Also thanked staff for water festival.

Key Outcomes

Consent agenda approved unanimously.
Public hearing held on utility rate increases; ordinance and resolution passed with one dissenting vote.
2027 meeting schedule adopted as revised.
Council directed staff to meet with resident regarding airport concerns.
Multiple community events promoted.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to the Chandler City Council meeting. To help us conduct tonight's meeting efficiently and respectfully, we ask all attendees to follow these rules and procedures. Please submit a speaker card or comment card to the city clerk before the meeting is called to order. This helps us manage the meeting and ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to be heard. Speakers must be recognized by the mayor before addressing the city council. Once at the podium, please direct all comments to the city council as a whole rather than to individual members or to the audience. Courteous and orderly conduct is expected from everyone present in the chambers. Disruptive behavior, such as booing, shouting, yelling, or stomping a feet is not permitted. Any person whose conduct disrupts or interferes with the meeting may be warned by the mayor, and if the disruption continues, may be asked to leave the council chambers. Councilmember Coaston. Councilmember Harris. But when the wicked rule, the people groan. I am, thank you. But in abundance of counselors, there's safety. Tonight you will doubtless make some people unhappy. Hopefully, you'll make some people happy too. Um, but my prayer for you is that you would be able to do good, not just what is politically expedient, but do good for this city. Uh, but that you would do good for the city, and you would even enjoy doing that. So let me pray to that end. Lord, we thank you for each of these council members that you've placed in positions of authority. I pray that you would give them wisdom beyond their years. I pray that they would enjoy serving, and God, I pray that you would bless Chandler through the decisions they make. May your will be done in Christ I pray. Amen. Thank you for those words, Pastor. Please turn to the flag and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God and indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Councilmember. Thank you, Pastor Hinn. Next on our agenda, Council is scheduled public appearances, and um our first one, we're gonna fit him in next when he arrives, Congressman Greg Stanton. But I would like to invite Councilmember Ellis to join me up front. All right, so we have a proclamation friends of the library week. If I could have Bob Lowry, yay, Bob, and uh he's our board chair of our friends of the Chandler Public Library, and if we have any other uh commissioners uh that are part of the library board, please join us as well. All right, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mayor. All

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