Eloy City Council Meeting - April 8, 2024

The Eloy City Council met on April 8, 2024, at 6:15 p.m. per the agenda, but the meeting was called to order at approximately 8:40 p.m. due to a preceding work session. The council addressed routine consent items, amended a sewer connection ordinance, appointed a city manager designee to the Chamber of Commerce, and discussed the process for outside organization funding requests. All votes were unanimous.

Proclamations

• The council proclaimed April 6–12, 2024 as the Week of the Young Child in Eloy, recognizing early childhood education. Sonia Soto of United Way Pinal County and the Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children accepted the proclamation.
• The council proclaimed April 14–20, 2024 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, honoring the Eloy Police Department's dispatchers who handle over 16,000 interactions per year. Police Chief David T. accepted the proclamation.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the March 25, 2024 regular meeting.
• Accepted the resignation of Councilmember Sylvia G. Rodriguez as a non-voting ex-officio member on the Eloy Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
• Reappointed Natasha Tidwell to the Police Pension Board with a term ending December 31, 2027.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance No. 24-969 – Sewer Connection Distance: The council amended Section 19-23 of the City Code to increase the required distance for connecting new residential construction to the existing city sewer from 100 feet to 400 feet, aligning with community development standards. Concerns were raised about the financial burden on property owners in the Toltec area, where many septic tanks exist. Staff explained that payback agreements and funding from the Rural Development Agency could help, and that the change applies only to new construction within 400 feet of an existing sewer main. The ordinance passed unanimously after a roll call vote.
• Appointment to Chamber of Commerce Ex-Officio Position: Following Councilmember Rodriguez's resignation, the council discussed whether to appoint a council member or a city manager designee. Councilmember Garcia noted that the Chamber's mission aligns more closely with economic development than with council's role. The council voted unanimously to appoint Assistant City Manager McKenzie Letcher as the ex-officio, non-voting member, with the understanding that the city manager or another designee could serve if Letcher is unavailable.
• Outside Organization Funding Process: City Manager David T. updated the council on the review of funding applications from outside organizations. A panel of three council members (Mayor Powell, Councilmember Garcia, and Councilmember Snyder – though the transcript refers to "Sarah," likely a mishearing) will review applications and recommend funding allocations. Council decided to retain presentations from applicant organizations, with a time limit of 5–8 minutes, to allow questions. Councilmember Michelle expressed concern about verifying that previous funds were fully spent; staff will provide a report on prior-year funding and expenditures.

Key Outcomes

• Ordinance No. 24-969 was adopted unanimously, increasing the mandatory sewer connection distance to 400 feet for new construction.
• Assistant City Manager McKenzie Letcher was appointed as the ex-officio member to the Eloy Chamber of Commerce, effective immediately.
• A panel of three council members (Mayor Powell, Councilmember Garcia, and Councilmember Snyder) will review funding applications and present recommendations to the full council, with applicant presentations scheduled during a regular meeting.
• Staff will compile a report on previous year's funding allocations and expenditures for council review.

Note: The meeting start time listed on the agenda was 6:15 p.m., but the transcript indicates the meeting was called to order at approximately 8:40 p.m., likely due to a prior work session.