Eloy City Council Meeting – August 26, 2024
Eloy City Council Meeting – August 26, 2024
The Eloy City Council met on Monday, August 26, 2024, at approximately 6:03 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The meeting included recognition of a transportation award, numerous departmental reports, a quarterly financial update, approval of a consent agenda, and three business items. Key decisions included authorizing up to $500,000 for wastewater treatment plant repairs, tabling the strategic plan for a work session, and appointing a new housing authority commissioner. The council then entered executive session.
Recognition & Reports
- APWA Project of the Year Award: Matt from Pinal County presented the City of Eloy with the Arizona Chapter of the American Public Works Association’s Transportation Project of the Year Award (category $5M–$25M) for the Houser Road and Hanna Road project on State Route 87. The project was funded by a BUILD grant and included safety improvements, a new traffic signal, use of Tensar TriAx Geo Grid, and pre-cast box culverts. The project was recognized as a team effort among Pinal County, Eloy, Coolidge, and ADOT.
- Council Member Announcements: Andy Sutton reported attending the Eloy Chamber luncheon where Cypress Creek Renewables donated $25,000 to the Santa Cruz Valley Historic Museum, a Pinal Alliance breakfast on solar power, and a water needs forum. The mayor apologized for audio/video issues at the prior meeting and noted a planned system upgrade. He also highlighted a visit by Congressman Juan Ciscomani who secured a $1 million grant for the Frontier Street milling and overlay project. Several council members will attend the League of Arizona Cities and Towns annual conference.
- City Manager’s Announcements: David reported two new lateral police officers starting, two future academy recruits, the last weekend for the city pool (with free swim on Labor Day), the teen center soft opening with 32 teens attending, a photo display change-out on September 9, and pole painting in parks. The city will be closed on September 2 for Labor Day.
- Quarterly Financial Report (ending June 30, 2024): Brian Wright presented the report. The general fund ended the fiscal year with a $4.8 million surplus ($31M fund balance). Key factors: construction sales tax exceeded budget by $1.2 million, service charges and interest revenue were up, and state shared revenues exceeded projections by $584,000. The city’s final population estimate from the state was 18,500, about 1,100 more than the preliminary figure used in the adopted budget, which will add $500,000+ to current year revenues.
Consent Calendar
All items were approved unanimously by roll call (7-0):
- Approval of minutes from August 12, 2024 (regular meeting).
- Authorization for the Eloy Police Department to renew the Federal Equitable Sharing Agreement and approve the FY2024-2025 Annual Certification Report.
- A two-year time extension for eight preliminary plats (Units 1, 2, 5, 8, 25, 26, 27, 28) totaling 1,326 residential lots for Sun Lakes-Casa Grande Development, LLC.
Discussion Items
A. Wastewater Treatment Plant Repairs
Matt presented a proposal from Joseph Painting Company, Inc. (JPCI Services) through a cooperative purchasing agreement with the Town of Gilbert to repair the influent wet well at the wastewater treatment facility. The work is required due to a Notice of Violation from ADEQ. The original repair proposal was $200,000, but a bypass system needed during repairs added $247,000, plus a $50,000 contingency, for a total not to exceed $500,000 (plus taxes). The council approved the proposal and authorized the mayor to execute agreements.
B. 2024 Eloy Strategic Plan (Resolution No. 24-1588)
City Manager David introduced the strategic plan developed over the past year. Some council members had not yet reviewed the document due to email issues. The council decided to table the resolution and hold a work session on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the plan and then bring it back for final approval on September 23. The motion to table passed.
C. Appointment of Andrew Sutton to Eloy Housing Authority Board (Resolution No. 24-1589)
David explained that the Housing Authority Board needed a quorum to continue dissolution discussions with HUD. Councilmember Andrew Sutton was appointed as a citizen commissioner for a term effective August 26, 2024, through December 31, 2025. The resolution was read by title and approved unanimously (7-0).
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Consent agenda (3 items) – unanimous.
- Approved: Cooperative purchase agreement with JPCI Services for wet well repair, cost not to exceed $500,000 – unanimous.
- Tabled: Adoption of the 2024 Eloy Strategic Plan; work session scheduled for September 3, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. with final vote on September 23.
- Approved: Appointment of Andrew Sutton to the Eloy Housing Authority Board – unanimous.
- Executive Session: The council moved into executive session for up to two hours with the city manager, city clerk, and city attorney to discuss the retirement of the city clerk and related personnel matters.
Meeting Transcript
Hello? Hi, Soviets, Mary. We're gonna start any minute here, and just remember when you're not speaking, make sure you mute your uh mic, okay? Okay, thank you, Mary. You're welcome. Six oh three. All right. Good evening, everybody. Welcome to tonight's city council meeting. It is Monday, August 26, 2024. Uh times approximately six oh three. Now call this meeting to order. If I get a roll call, please. Councilmember Sutton. Here. Councilmember Wanavato Rodriguez. Vice Mayor Curtis. Here, Mayor Powell. Here. Councilmember Snyder. Here. Councilmember Garcia? Present. Councilmember Twangle. Here. Thank you. Anybody here for invocation? If we could all stand for a moment of silence and continue standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. Amen. Jose. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. No public appearances. Next we're gonna go to report. We're gonna go to recognition of the Arizona chapter of the APWA Project of the Year Award. Matt, hello. Mr. Mayor, Madam Vice Mayor, members of the Council. It's my pleasure to come before you today on behalf of Penell County, who is the project owner of this award to um present to the City of Eloy that um an award for the Transportation Project of the Year through the Arizona chapter of the American Public Works Association in the transportation category between five and twenty-five million dollars. Uh if you'll indulge me, I'll just provide a few brief um accomplishments of of this project. As you know, this is the Houser and Hannah Road project. It was funded through the the better utilizing investments to leverage development grant, the build grant. Um Pennell County applied for that we with cooperation from the City of Velo, the City of Coolidge and uh um ADOT as well. Um this project was is a crucial project that that provides um much needed improvements along State Route 87 where there have been historically some fatalities, some incapacitating injury accidents as well as um some minor injuries accidents that that all were going into factor the the project for the safety. Um some of the things that that were found and identified excuse me in the in the design concept in the design stage of this was first and foremost the environmental clearance. Uh typically the the National Environmental Protection Agency process takes up to two years for environmental clearances. This one, however, was uh was considered a categorical exclusion, which drastically reduces the time and and effort needed to provide of environmental clearances for this project. Uh there was no impact to the design or the construction phases because of the categorical exclusion that was that was granted. Uh one of the other challenges that was one of the other major accomplishments that were that we focused on in this project was was f um replacing identifying and replacing unsuitable materials.
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