Eloy City Council Regular Meeting - April 22, 2024
Eloy City Council Regular Meeting - April 22, 2024
The Eloy City Council met on Monday, April 22, 2024, at 6:01 PM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting covered consent agenda items, a detailed update on animal care and control, approval of a financial resolution, sidewalk project agreement, CDBG grant acceptance, and a 100% market salary adjustment for eligible employees. Several items were approved unanimously, while one consent item was tabled after discussion.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (4/8/2024 Regular Meeting) – Approved unanimously by roll call vote.
- Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Pinal County for Housing Rehabilitation Services – Pulled from consent agenda for discussion. Councilmember Garcia expressed concern that BBAR Consulting, the current contractor, was not notified of the proposed change. After testimony from Brandon Bruce of BBAR, the council voted unanimously to table the item for further information.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public addressed the council during the Public Appearances portion of the agenda.
Discussion Items
- Animal Care and Control Update – Audra Michael, Director of Pinal County Animal Care and Control, and Deputy Director Katrina Rodriguez presented 2023 data: 987 calls for service, 117 citations issued, and 437 animal intakes (120 cats, 317 dogs) from Eloy. 75% of dogs were strays. Spay/neuter voucher program utilized 31 vouchers for Eloy residents, with 43 on the waitlist. A mobile vet clinic scheduled for May 13 will serve 20–25 animals. The shelter is undergoing a $7 million renovation (losing 18 kennels temporarily). Live release rate exceeds 90%. Length of stay for Eloy dogs averages 33 days; one dog has been in shelter 19 months. Council discussed challenges: endemic distemper in Eloy, high cost of spay/neuter (now ~$300), need for pet-friendly affordable housing, and potential grant opportunities. Councilmember Michelle expressed interest in increasing funding and exploring a city application for the state spay/neuter grant.
- Resolution No. 24-1570 – Western Alliance Bank Account – Authorized deposit/transfer of $5,000,000 into a money market account at 4.25% APY for one year. Approved unanimously.
- IGA with ADOT for Battaglia Road Sidewalk Scoping Project – Approved for a sidewalk along Battaglia Road between Eleven Mile Corner Road and Sunshine Boulevard, with a 5.7% local match (~$18,000). Approved unanimously.
- Sub-recipient Agreement with Pinal County for CDBG Project #30013 – Acknowledged and accepted for a lighted crosswalk at Main Street and Frontier. Approved unanimously.
- 100% Market Adjustment for City Employees – Effective May 4, 2024, bringing all eligible employees to the market rate (affecting 60 employees, total cost $59,558 for remainder of FY 2023-24). A 4% COLA is under consideration for July 1, 2024. Approved unanimously. Councilmember Tarango noted the importance of communicating that the adjustment is for those under market, and that benefit cost increases may offset the COLA.
Key Outcomes
- Tabled: IGA with Pinal County for housing rehabilitation services (unanimous) – to gather more information and notify BBAR Consulting.
- Approved Unanimously: Minutes of April 8, 2024; Resolution 24-1570 (Western Alliance Bank); ADOT sidewalk scoping IGA; CDBG sub-recipient agreement; 100% market salary adjustment for eligible employees.
- Next Steps: Staff will send notices to all employees regarding salary changes; the 4% COLA for all employees will be considered during the FY 2024-25 budget process. The police chief recruitment brochure has been posted. The city will explore a state spay/neuter grant application. The new animal shelter renovation is expected to be completed by October 2024.
Meeting Transcript
Mayor Powell has six oh one. Good evening. Welcome to tonight's Elo City Council meeting. It is Monday, April twenty second, twenty twenty-four. To call this meeting to order is approximately time is six oh one. Miss Mary, can we get a roll call, please? Councilmember Snyder. Yes. Councilmember Wanamata Rodriguez? Here. Vice Mayor Curtis. Here Mayor Powell. Here. Councilmember Snyder. Councilmember Garcia? President. Councilmember Terengo. Here. All right, thank you. Council Member Sutton. Sutton. Here. Oh yeah. Councilmember Sutton, I'm sorry. There's an item to be voted on. You're going to be the first one I call on. I'm sorry. All right. Do we have Pastor Umil Holt here or Pastor Kim Bundle? I to offer this opportunity. Anybody in the uh audience or anybody on Council like to say a prayer for invocation? It's all stamped for a moment of silence if we could, please. And after that remain silence for the Pledge of Allegiance. Next, we're gonna have council uh member announcements. Anyone on my right side, Andy? Yes, yes, Mayor. We have some announcements. It's been a pretty busy week. In fact, I had to write down all that we did. On Friday the 12th, alongside Vice Mayor Curtis and Councilmember Snyder, we attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for a newly constructed home made possible through grant funding from the USDA rural development. I would like to give a shout out to city staff and Miss Medina for her unwavering dedication in bringing this pro uh project to fruition and making Eloy better for everyone. Furthermore, on the 17th, I had the privilege of attending the Arizona City Chamber of Commerce luncheon, joined by the mayor, Vice Mayor Curtis, and others. During the event, the mayor provided insightful updates on the development and plans for the Sunland Gin Road, which were warmly received by the attendees from Arizona City. Later that same day, participated in the state of the county event hosted by Supervisor Steve Miller. The mayor and council members and other dignitaries were also present. It was an informative session highlighting the progress and vision for our county. Moving forward to the 18th, myself along with fellow council members, attended the Panel County Planning and Zonal Meeting in Florence. I took the opportunity along with others to voice our community's opposition to the proposed solar plans on the borders of Eloy, and I'm pleased to report that our stance prevailed with a decisive nine to one vote. Additionally, on the same day we attended the APS public notice session regarding the proposed installation of new high voltage power lines in and around Eloy. I expressed the concerns that I have with these lines, and I'm pleased that they were very receptive to the concerns we had to the placement of these high voltage power lines.
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