Eloy City Council Meeting - March 11, 2024

The Eloy City Council met on Monday, March 11, 2024, at 6:01 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The meeting included unanimous approval of 13 consent agenda items terminating decades-old development agreements, a ratification of a contract for road striping on Sunland Gin Road, and a presentation from Pinal County on the half-cent sales tax that funds road maintenance. Council members also reported on recent events and upcoming community activities.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes – Minutes from the February 26, 2024 regular meeting were approved.
• Ordinance No. 24-957 – Terminated the Eloy 320 Development Agreement (approx. 320 acres, southwest of Hotts Road and Sunshine Boulevard).
• Ordinance No. 24-958 – Terminated the Eloy 1261 Pre-Annexation and Development Agreement (approx. 1,260 acres, southeast of Sunshine Boulevard and Pretzer Road).
• Ordinance No. 24-959 – Terminated the Eloy Valley Pre-Annexation and Development Agreement (approx. 4,520 acres, southwest of Milligan Road and Curry Road).
• Ordinance No. 24-960 – Terminated the Grande Valley Estates Development Agreement (approx. 300 acres, southeast of Toltec Road and Battaglia Road).
• Ordinance No. 24-961 – Terminated the Madison Crossing Pre-Annexation and Development Agreement (approx. 386 acres, northwest of Toltec Road and Ellis Road).
• Ordinance No. 24-962 – Terminated the Palmilla Pre-Annexation and Development Agreement (approx. 1,223 acres, southwest of State Route 87 and Battaglia Road).
• Ordinance No. 24-963 – Terminated the Selma Ranch Pre-Annexation and Development Agreement (approx. 643 acres, north and west of Eleven Mile Corner Road and Cornman Road).
• Ordinance No. 24-964 – Terminated the Shay Landing Pre-Annexation and Development Agreement (approx. 160 acres, southwest of Shay Road and Barrett Road).
• Ordinance No. 24-966 – Terminated the Sunshine 539 Development Agreement (approx. 539 acres, northwest of LaPalma Road and Nutt Road).
• Ordinance No. 24-967 – Terminated the Tierra del Sol Pre-Annexation and Development Agreement (approx. 320 acres, southwest of Milligan Road and Tweedy Road).
• Ordinance No. 24-968 – Terminated the Desert Greens Development Agreement (approx. 290 acres, north of Interstate 10 and east of Sunland Gin Road).
• Ordinance No. 24-965 – Terminated the Silver Reef Development Agreement (approx. 1,478 acres, southwest of Houser Road and Lamb Road).

All consent items were approved unanimously by roll call vote (7-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the scheduled or unscheduled public appearances portion of the meeting.

Discussion Items

• Councilmember Reports – Councilmember Sutton reported on the Urban Land Institute Trends Day conference (attended by ~1,000–1,200 people), highlighting discussions on economic outlook, parking, build-to-rent housing, homelessness, water conservation (noting Arizona is not currently out of water but faces future challenges), electrification, and electric aircraft. Councilmember Snyder noted a USDA Rural Development grant program that helped 25+ homeowners in Eloy on March 6, with grants of up to $10,000 and low-interest loans of up to $40,000. Mayor Powell announced the Arizona State Transportation Board meeting on March 15 in Casa Grande and a world-record skydiving event (40-way free fall with pyrotechnics) from March 21–23 at the Eloy airport.
• City Manager’s Announcements – City Manager David Mellowitz reported on spring break camp (March 11–14 and March 18–21), an Easter egg hunt (March 29, 10:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. at Jones Park), the semi-annual Adopt-a-Street program (April 6, 7–10 a.m.), and the hiring of two new police recruits who graduated from the Gilbert Police Academy and are in field training. He also noted that the city’s engineering team returned comments on the 30% drawings for Sunland Gin Road and Erica Road improvements, funded by a $5 million state grant.
• Business Item A – Ratification of Contract for Striping on Sunland Gin Road – Public Works Director Matt Rentcher presented a request to ratify a contract with Hulxe Construction Services, LLC (under Pinal County’s existing contract) for restriping the city’s portion of Sunland Gin Road. The contract was authorized after the bid deadline for the previous meeting. The striping was not yet completed; the contractor was to be scheduled. Council discussed timing (preferring midday or night to avoid heavy traffic) and public notification via electronic signs. The item was approved unanimously (7-0).
• Business Item B – Presentation on Pinal County’s Half-Cent Sales Tax – Pinal County Engineer Chris Wanamaker presented on the transportation maintenance and improvement fund, a half-cent sales tax first approved by voters in 1986 (51% approval) and reauthorized in 2005 (73% approval). The tax is set to expire at the end of 2026 if not renewed. It funds road repairs, preservation, safety improvements, and dust control. In fiscal year 2022–2023, the fund brought in about $36 million countywide; Eloy received approximately $1.6 million last year and $997,000 so far this year. The distribution is based on population. Councilmember Snyder noted that traffic from Arizona City uses Eloy roads but the city’s population-based share may not reflect that usage. Wanamaker emphasized that the tax is not new and is already being paid. An open house is scheduled for April 23 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. No action was taken on the presentation.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda – Approved unanimously (7-0) all 13 ordinances terminating development agreements.
• Ratification of Contract – Approved unanimously (7-0) to ratify the contract with Hulxe Construction Services, LLC for restriping Sunland Gin Road.
• Upcoming Work Session – City Manager announced a work session on Monday, March 18 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the city’s classification and compensation study.
• Next Regular Meeting – The next regular council meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 18, 2024.