Hey Dan.

Hello.

Hello.

We hear you.

Okay.

Yeah, I couldn't hear.

I heard the phone ring and didn't hear anybody else.

Okay.

Oh, so the mic has to be on.

Okay.

Somebody else calling me?

It sounds that way, doesn't it?

Yeah.

Hello?

Yes.

I'm here.

Okay.

Yeah, I couldn't hear it.

Yeah, I'm here.

Also, the mic has to be on.

Okay.

Yeah.

Hello.

I'm here.

Yeah.

I'm here.

Sounds like we've got an echo, then.

I can't.

There's also an echo.

It's uh hearing it three or three times.

Is he watching live?

Are you watching it live, Councilmember Snyder?

Yes.

That's it.

Yeah, though.

So the mute is live.

You gotta mute your live.

And just use the phone.

And there may be a lag in time.

Okay.

Should I disconnect the phone then?

I called in and not watching it live.

Are you watching it live, Councilmember Snyder?

Yeah.

Yeah, though.

So you gotta mute your live.

And just make the phone.

And then maybe a lag in time.

Okay.

Mayor we're ready when you are.

Okay, thank you.

All right, good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

We're gonna call this meeting to order.

It is Monday, May 12th.

We are at the Eloy City Council Chambers, and the time is approximately six PM.

May I have a roll call, please?

Councilmember Valdraska.

Here.

Councilmember Curtis.

Here.

Vice Mayor Tarango is excused.

Councilmember Schneider.

Here.

Who's on the phone?

Thank you.

Councilmember Garcia.

Present.

Councilmember Galindo.

Here.

Thank you.

Okay, at this time we would like to rise for a moment of silence and the Pledge of Allegiance which will be led by Councilmember Curtis.

Okay, we confirmed there are no public appearances.

So with that, we'll go right to item number six.

And that will be Mayor announcements, being we have a lot of people here tonight.

We're very lucky the mayor only has two pages of announcements instead of his usual four.

So with that, on Wednesday the thirtieth, along with Councilmember Vob Roska and City staff, we attended the promotion celebration for Eloy P.

D.

Sergeant Stretton, and we wish him the best in his new role.

Later that same day, Councilmember Vod Roska and myself attended the Villa Oasis Student Project Showcase at the high school.

We were very impressed by the level of the sp displays created by the students.

Some even had interactive QR codes to scan and expand on their presentations.

This was very well done and the the presentations were spot on.

Do you agree?

I agree.

Yes, they was it was such a nice thing to do.

Then on Friday the second, I went to speak at the Eloy Junior High for Career Day.

And after the speeches, after my speech, and the kids, I mean, even though it's junior high, they were filling out job applications and they were getting interviews.

So with that, we're gonna go to council member announcements on my left.

Joanne.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I also attended the Penelope Breakfast uh meeting online.

It was uh all of our state representatives.

Um uh Senator Schope pretty much took uh most of the time explaining about what's going on with the water bill.

He says they're really close to solving the rock water issues.

Uh there was also another senator that wasn't in our district that is pushing a bill to uh assure that doctors, nurse practitioners and PAs that live in Arizona and um graduate and go to school in Arizona get first priority when those medical jobs come up.

So that was that took that got a lot of interest as well.

I attended online because I thought that I had a meeting with community development that afternoon that morning, but I didn't, so but I did attend the community development, the recreation board meeting, and it was very enlightening.

They do so much work, and we're very proud to have Paul and his staff working for the people of Eloy.

And then today, I'm sorry that I didn't share this earlier.

I assume that when I got the invitation to attend the early childhood head start uh forum that they had today that everybody got invited.

So I just accepted the invitation because I was able to attend, and it was here in Eloy.

Um then I found out that I don't know if anybody else got invited, but I didn't hear that anybody else got invited.

But it was a very interesting meeting.

Um representatives for Senator Kelly and Senator Gallegos were there, very interested, uh, as well as a present short presentation by uh Congressman Juan Sistamani.

He sends his best to the council and to the mayor.

Um says he he was really happy to be able to be back in Eloy again.

Um he said that right now uh the skinny budget that was passed by Congress does not eliminate Head Start, it's still completely funds has Head Start, but it is still being considered uh to be eliminated with the when the full budget comes up.

But uh the Congressman assured us that he will be fighting very hard to keep Head Start uh to keep the funding, um, and he is working across the aisles with uh other colleagues to uh assure that uh Head Start does not get um does not get slashed because it's very important.

And there was a I will share some of the slides that I took with uh the mayor and the city manager is there was a lot of information in just the you know hour and a half that they gave for this presentation, but the panel that was presented was uh the regional director of Head Start as well as the lobbyist for First Things First and a state representative for the Children's Action Alliance, as well as two parents whose parent whose kids participated in the Eloy Head Start and gave their lived experience, and and it was heartwarming and it was exciting.

Eloy's very fortunate that we have two head starts.

We have a Taltech Head Start, and we have the Eloy Head Start.

I was told too that Eloy is the only head start program where it is completely all day Head Start.

Um a lot of other Head Starts have slots for part-time students, and then there are certain slots if there's a need for uh all day, but Eloy doesn't have that restriction.

All of their uh all of their students that that get accepted into the Eloy Head Start program are all day programs.

Um they talked about the need, there's a lot of need out there, there's a lot of um one of the things that we talked about and and that I was part of the discussion with is that we as city government and city policymakers work very hard to build Eloy as an economic area where families can come and live and have good paying jobs, but we're not job-friendly.

Um the the working people need child care.

There is no child care, and it's not just Eloy.

There, you know, Cass Grand has child care, but if you get a job at the prisons in Eloy, you're gonna move to Cass Grand because you have child care that you can utilize.

Um so Head Start fills that void.

Um not only that, but Head Start brings in, they said $7 million into the economy.

Eloy has has Eloy Head Start has more vendors' contracts than um Cassagran and Globe.

So we we really do have a big program.

They bring a lot of working class uh families support.

There's also a big need for respite care for grandparents that are raising their grandchildren.

And Head Start actually helps with those needs as well.

They say they're not a child care facility.

They're not a daycare.

But they're being utilized as a daycare because there is that great need.

So that was interesting.

I did brag about community services and how that we had been so reliant on a head start to care for zero to five.

But once they get to five years old, you know that the city of Eloy is very fortunate to be able to have the after-school program that helps families, working class families that uh can have a safe place.

They accommodate the school schedules, so they have summer camps and they have spring break camps, and they even open up all day.

Um because Eloy schools are four-day work schedule.

Um also told talked about how wonderful our community services department is and providing family fun and family activities.

And how you know we understand that you know, families struggle with with entertaining their kids.

It's it's quite expensive to entertain your kids, and and living in Eloy is a very fortunate place to live if you have young kids and you have a family because we do, like I said, have two Head Start programs.

We do have the after school program, and we do have great community events.

Um I have cards.

Um, I will I'm still trying to gather all my thoughts because I had a meeting right after that, but I will write something up for you, Mayor.

Um, there are several people that wanted to come and speak to the council as well.

And I would tell them, I told them I would just pass on that information with you.

So, like I said, there was a lot of information, so I just kind of condensed it into a little time here.

So and that's it.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

Mr.

Glass, are you ready?

Mr.

Schneider, you have anything online?

No, I don't.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Okay, with that, we'll go over to City Manager announcements.

Mr.

Mallowitz.

Thank you, Mayor, members of council.

A few things on my uh agenda for today.

Uh, one's a reminder that next week, Monday, May 19th, we have our special council meeting starting at five o'clock for the budget.

If we don't finish on Monday, we do have it slated to continue into Tuesday, May 20th, same time, five o'clock.

So we'll make sure that's on your calendar.

And then this week, or I'm sorry, next week on Wednesday, May 21st, we've got the planning and zoning meeting at 6 p.m.

Uh, that'll be the first meeting that the entire new newly formed planning and zoning will be independent.

You recall we did a special meeting with them last month between P and Z and Council.

This time they're on their own.

So got some good stuff on the docket with Dan Simer and the community development department.

And then reminder that May 26th, Monday is Memorial Day.

So city offices will be closed, and our council meeting is on Tuesday, the 27th at regular time, 6 p.m.

But also on that Monday through the Eloy Chamber of Commerce, we'll be doing the Memorial Day event at 10 a.m.

in the city cemetery.

So please, if you have time, come out for that event.

Um, Andrew, the director and Angela put on a great Memorial Day event.

I believe they work with Ralph too on that with the Panama Hispanic Council.

So that starts at 10 a.m.

in the city cemetery.

Stop on by.

Reminder that Friday, May 23rd, we're having our summer kickoff.

So, you know, piggybacking on your family fun and activities that the community services department does.

That'll be at four o'clock to seven o'clock, Friday, May 23rd in Jones Park.

We've got information on summer activities.

There'll be a DJ games, contest, raffle frizes, and food trucks.

So it's free admission until they reach capacity.

But as Joan mentioned, you know, that's the stuff that Paul and his team and community services are working hard at doing to have these these activities for all of our kids and families in town.

And then Friday last week, speaking of which we onboarded 30 new summer positions through the recreation division.

So we're at full capacity for the summer.

It was great to see all the kids in here getting their orientation with uh Sylvia and her team.

Uh RHR specialists, Danny helped out making sure those folks got got everything they needed.

Chad was here, but we're really excited for that again this year.

We're at full capacity.

So having 30 of those folks interested, willing and able to help run our programs from Paul's favorite activity, the pool to all the other stuff that we have going on this summer.

Really excited for those those folks.

Um and then additionally, last on my list is as you all remember, uh, we had the passing of Mr.

Al Germondo, who has been a long time Eloy supporter and helper with a many, many different functions.

He was actually, for those that didn't know, short-time manager of our airport.

So for a very little bit, Al was there helping uh spearhead that program in the early days.

His services will be next Friday, May 23rd at 10 a.m.

at J Warren in Casagrande.

Flowers have been sent to the family on behalf of uh city council staff and and whatnot.

So I know our condolences and prayers go out to him and his family, and you know, because we have a board member on the chamber.

His wife is still a board member of getting headshakes over there, so she's still a big part of our community.

So hearts go out to that family.

And that is all that I have on my announcements, except for next up, we are we'd have Captain Brian Jerome here on behalf of Chief Sergio Benales to provide counsel with a police briefing, all the new and fun activities that are going on in the police department.

I like the word fun activities.

The police is fun.

Right?

What I missed, okay.

And that was a somber occasion where we pay tribute to all the local, state, and federal officers that have fallen in the line of duty uh in Pedal County.

So it's just kind of a somber reminder of the dangers that our men and women face as they serve the community daily.

And now I'll get into the 32 pages.

The chief provided me of updates.

I'll try to move as quickly as I can.

It's actually only about two and a half pages.

Uh so for some internal department updates in April, Chief Benales completed uh kind of an overview restructuring of departmental operations.

He uh uh came in and conducted a department-wide assessment of where we were at and where he thought we needed to go.

Uh and really the goal was to improve efficiency and uh enhance the quality of service that we provide to the community.

So, as a result of that uh uh department-wide operational assessment, some structural and leadership changes took place.

Uh, first, the chief with the support of the city council and the city manager uh was able to uh create the support services supervisor position, which you may remember came back before council for authorization not long ago.

Uh, we were able to uh conduct an internal uh selection process for that uh position, and that new civilian role uh currently now oversees the police and fire communications center, uh records and property and evidence.

And what that does is it's gonna ensure consistent oversight, where in the past um those roles may have been split up amongst various uh sworn positions for supervision, and this provides consistent uh oversight of three very critical areas within the department.

Uh the other uh internal department update, uh part of the restructuring was that the traffic sergeant position uh has now been redesignated as the field services operations sergeant.

And what that individual is responsible for is just overall patrol operations, the field training officer program, the reserve officer program, and the traffic enforcement and traffic investigations unit.

Uh and that uh just really ensures uh strong continuity uh in consistency in field operations and again just speaks to consistent oversight.

Uh third, uh, we were able to, and the chief was able to establish a personnel and training corporate position.

Uh that role is focusing on recruitment, internal training, and leading our community engagement efforts, which uh I think that the mayor and members of council will be happy to hear that we're going to be doing a lot more of community engagement efforts as we move forward this year.

Uh these changes uh really reflect Chief Benalysis and the department's uh commitment to uh ongoing our optimization of our current resources, leveraging our technology and our human capital to improve operations and support our professional development and ultimately deliver better service to the community.

Uh community engagement is the next area that I have to update uh mayor and members of council on.

And uh anybody who's been in law enforcement for 10 minutes knows that community engagement is just uh one of the most essential things to building trust uh within the community.

And uh when we foster open dialogue and communication with the community, uh, we're strengthening our relationship with the public and building uh that trust and that shared responsibility that each of us have for safety.

Uh since January 1st, we've been involved uh with the department, actively involved in a wide range of community engagement activities, and I just want to highlight a few of them.

Sorry, for you.

Uh one of the uh programs that's really exciting, and I think the kids have a lot of fun with Chief Benales launched the adopt a school program.

And what we do is we take field officers and we designate them assigned to a specific school.

And it it's not like your traditional uh SRO or school safety officer program, but what it is is it gives ownership to these officers of being kind of responsible for fostering relationships at their assigned school, and so they're encouraged and required to stop by, engage with the students, uh, talk to the staff, and really just make themselves known so that when they're on duty, they're kind of that go-to person for uh the school to be able to, you know, talk to or lean on if they need anything from the department.

Um that's building strong relationships with the officers and the students, families, and the school staff, which Chief Benales thinks is very important.

Uh, we are getting ready to roll out what's called the Blue Envelope Program, and that is a partnership with ADOT uh that helps individuals with autism spectrum disorder to communicate safely and effectively on traffic stops.

Um we have uh enrolled in the program with ADOT.

We are waiting on the envelopes to arrive, and then we'll conduct some internal training and launch a public awareness campaign about the program.

So you'll see that in the coming, hopefully month or two.

We'll be able to roll that out.

Uh officers were able to participate in the Martin Luther King Junior Day celebration.

Uh we had representation at the open house and parent teacher conferences at the Eloy Junior High School.

Uh our officers were able to support the Read to Kids campaign in recognition of Down syndrome awareness.

Uh we also participated in the Dine to Donate fundraiser with the Chamber of Commerce, which I particularly enjoyed because the chief bought me lunch.

And uh we also attended the Veterans Center barbecue, and as the mayor mentioned in his opening remarks, uh, we had the coffee with the cop event, which uh was really really well attended, and so we're excited to uh hold more of those.

And you'll definitely see more of those uh at various locations throughout the city uh in the coming months.

Uh that's a lot of information on community engagement, but really it just uh is reflecting uh Chief Ben Alice and our department's dedication to remain accessible, visible, and supportive to everybody in the community.

Uh next, I'll touch on some notable enforcement activity uh for April, and these are just a few enforcement highlights.

On April 6th, our officers responded to a report of a gunshot victim.

Uh the investigation revealed that a juvenile in uh illegal possession of a firearm had accidentally shot himself.

Uh the officers were able to locate that juvenile in a vehicle.

Uh he'd actually fled the scene of the apartment and uh facilitated his transport to the hospital for treatment.

Uh but ultimately our criminal investigations unit responded and executed a search warrant at the location where the shooting occurred and were able to recover additional weapons inside the apartment.

Uh and once the juvenile recovered from his injuries, he was arrested and charged with firearms uh offenses, and the parent was also charged with criminal offenses related to the incident.

Uh it really just highlights the importance of firearm safety and our ongoing enforcement efforts.

And then on April 9th, we had a subject flee from officers on a bicycle after an officer tried to stop him for a traffic offense.

As mayor and members of council know, we have a police drone, which uh call sign is Delta 1.

Uh the officers were able to rapidly deploy Delta 1 and uh using the uh camera on Delta 1 and a coordinated ground response with our officers.

The uh officers were able to locate the suspect hiding in a residence that did not belong to him and take him into custody.

And uh that really highlights our use of technology uh along with a good tactical ground response to arrest somebody that uh perhaps without that technology would have just been loose in the neighborhood and not located.

Uh go over some uh April 2025 activities.

Uh the communication center answered 1,362 phone calls in April of 2025.

Our uh officers uh conducted 219 criminal investigations.

Uh officers issued 180 civil traffic citations, and we investigated 30 traffic collisions.

And that's a uh high level of activity uh when you really think about it, and uh highlights the responsiveness that our team continues to deliver to the community.

Uh in closing, I just want to reiterate on behalf of Chief Benales that he and every member of this department is committed to focusing on continuous improvement.

Uh, we hope that uh you enjoy these and find these uh what will be monthly briefings, not by me, but by Chief Benales moving forward, uh informative.

Uh I'm certainly here to answer any questions if I'm able to, but we are definitely committed to uh strengthening our internal operations, uh investing in our community uh partnerships through our uh community engagement efforts and uh using our human capital, our people, which are our most important resources and technology to serve the uh members of the public here with the city of Eloy with dedication.

I appreciate your time, and I'm happy to answer any questions if you have any.

Well, Captain Jerome, I want to thank you first and foremost for the community engagement efforts.

I think that's really good for the community.

And I think it's great to have the police vehicles at the school, and just so the police get to know the students, and it it breaks that barrier down so students won't feel anxious when they have to speak to an officer.

They'll be familiar with the face and and it should help in the long run.

And if anybody had a chance to see the video from Delta One that was posted on Facebook, it was pretty cool.

Pretty cool.

It was really cool.

And mayor, uh mayor, members of council, that does remind me of one additional initiative that I left off my bullet points, but related to the schools.

We'll be launching a uh CPR in the schools program through a coordinated effort with the Eloy Fire District, and that is uh another uh item that that personnel and training corporal has been working on.

So you'll be seeing information coming out about that here in the very near future as well.

Nice, thank you so much.

On my left, anything for Mr.

Trump?

Yes, I am so excited to hear about the officers going through the autism training.

Um as an advocate, I went through that training.

If it's the same one I went through, it's actually the mother who wrote the curriculum and her son who has autism that actually do the training.

So there it's it's it's a really good training.

A lot one of the things I remember is that uh a person with autism and the way they communicate when they're uh a little anxious and they've been pulled over, they they kind of sound defiant.

They sound like maybe they're uh under the influence of substances, so it's really easy to um assume that you know that that it's not uh it's not their disability, but maybe they are breaking the law in some way.

But the great thing about the program I know that I went through is that it also trains it also encourages parents to train their children to tell them, you know, make sure they first thing you say is you know, I'm on the autism spectrum.

And um I have a driver's license, and so that they automatically know that their communication now is not due to any kind of influence, but is due through their disability.

So I'm just so excited to see that the Eloy police officers are gonna be able to get that type of training.

So tell Chief Benales and to you and your staff that how happy I am about that.

Councilmember Glendo, members of uh council, thank you.

I definitely pass that on.

We're excited about it too.

Thank you.

One more right, anything.

Okay, Captain Jerome, thank you so much.

Captain Jerome, thank you so much.

All right, thank you.

Mayor.

Sorry, excuse me.

Real quick correction on the memorial day event.

I said 10 a.m.

That starts at 9 a.m.

Nine, nine o'clock at the cemetery.

And uh Sarah Curtis and folks will be doing a parachute jump, weather permitting.

Is that nice?

Good.

Not yet, not 10 o'clock.

Don't call them at 10.

They'll be done.

Andrew will be packing up.

Parachutes are coming down at nine.

Thank you for that.

Appreciate that.

All right.

So we're gonna move on to item number seven, that is consent agenda.

All items listed with an asterisk are considered to be routine matters and will be enacted by one motion and one roll call vote of the council.

There will be no separate discussion of these items unless they council member so request, in which event the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the agenda.

Looks like we have one item.

Do I get here a motion to approve consent agenda?

So moved.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Roll call, please, madam clerk.

Councilmember Garcia.

Yes.

Councilmember Galindo.

Yes.

Councilmember of Vladraska.

Yes.

Councilmember Curtis.

Yes.

Councilmember Schneider.

Yes.

Thank you.

Mayor Senton.

Yes.

Thank you.

Okay, that moves us on to item number eight.

Possible discussion and/or action on the following.

A discussion and consideration of community outreach funding requests for the fiscal year 2025 and 2026.

Mr.

Lecha, please take it away.

Awesome.

Thank you, Mayor.

And Celine, could you please pull up or publish the screen for the public, please?

Awesome.

Thank you.

So it's that time of year again.

We have our community outreach program that's launching.

It's usually typically part of our budget process.

Obviously, Brian probably wishes that this came to you guys sooner.

Unfortunately, Christina, our management analyst, was stolen by Matt Renscher and the public works department, so we had to kind of take this back over and get it across the finish line.

But yeah, this is an exciting program that we kind of manage every year, and it has uh kind of outreach programs, whether it's services or events that these community partners that are here in the audience right now that they kind of put out for the year.

So last year we kind of restructured the whole process, and this is just a little graphic of how we did that.

So first we established a review panel to increase efficiency and reduce overall time.

So prior to us going through and establishing the review panel, how typically used to be handled was we would come, the community outreach partners would do a presentation to the public, and then we would decide on their funding now.

So you guys would go back into executive session, mayor and council would you make that decision.

So instead to kind of simplify that process, what we did was establish a review panel to bring forth a recommendation to council to hopefully eliminate some of that and then allow you to maybe just play around with a few thousand dollars here and there to where you think you need to allocate additional funding.

Um obviously, I wanted to state as we've stated to all the community partners.

While we did provide recommendations, these are just that.

So they might come up here and ask for additional funding, and it's ultimately mayor and council's decision if they want to increase that funding.

Uh the second part of that is obviously to the organizational contracts.

So this is something that internally we kind of had on our side, but we didn't really have a standard document that we were distributing to the community partners for them to sign off to show what they were utilizing the funding for, how much they were utilizing uh in the programs and services that they're providing to the community by establishing these contracts, which if approved tonight, uh the community partners will sign off on those contracts.

They will be getting funding for the services that are being recommended tonight.

And then lastly, obviously the goal is to reduce the budget while still supporting our organizations.

These organizations provide a wonderful service to our community, whether it's through events or the different programs that they're running, and so we want to make sure that we're still keeping up with that funding, but not seeing the tremendous increases that we are seeing since COVID.

Uh, as you'll see in one of the graphs in 2020, we've almost more than doubled the amount of funding that funding that we've supplied to these community organizations.

So we still want to make sure that we're you know taking care of them and providing the service to the community, but being fiscally responsible as well.

So here's just the breakdown.

As you can see from basically 2020 to 2025, which is this fiscal year's budget.

Uh, the request for this year was 130,550.

The recommendation from the subcommittee was for 11,050.

And for reference, last year we provided a 116,000 dollars and 400 uh last year for their funding.

And as I stated previously, as you can see during that COVID, we saw a significant jump in the funding that we're allocating.

Uh, primarily, obviously, that's due to the chamber and some of the services they're providing, but we'll get to that later.

So again, this is similar to the process that we did last year, but we didn't want to just blindside everybody.

We sent out notices.

So first and foremost, obviously the Chamber of Commerce, they are we're considering them as one applicant, but they actually submitted for three applications.

So that's for operations and marketing with the Chamber of Commerce, that's for the visitor center, and also managing the museum.

We did award funding for all of those different applications, but as it was outlined last year in the previous council meeting when we went through this process, the goal was to steadily reduce them back to that original funding amount back from COVID.

That was supposed to just be kind of an intermediate thing to assist them through that process, and I don't think the intent was to keep that overall funding.

Obviously, if that sentiment has shifted, because we do have new council members, um, it's possible that we can reevaluate that.

Again, you can see here with the Sunland Visitor Center, it's the same thing, general reduction to support new applications.

We did receive two new applications this year.

Uh the Eloy Ministerial Alliance.

So the goal with this one was to ensure that we weren't the sole sponsor, and I think Debbie will go into that with her presentation.

We aren't the sole sponsor, so we are recommending a thousand dollars in funding for them.

They did request $1,500, um, but they do have additional sources of funding that they are receiving.

And then Panel Alliance for Economic Growth.

Uh, we did a reduction for this one primarily last year, it was associated with the uh the cost for the other agencies that were participating in Penell Alliance.

So as you can see, Panell County is offering $15,000 and Casa Grand was offering $25,000.

Prior to last year, we were also included with $10,000.

Uh last year we reduced that funding request to $5,000.

We felt that was more applicable with our population base in comparison to these other communities.

Uh but again, these are just recommendations.

And then so final, this is the last slide we have just kind of breaking down everything I've stated uh with also having those allocated amounts with the reductions that I stated on the last side.

So the total funding requested was 130,000 five hundred and fifty dollars.

We're recommending 111,050, and then there's the breakdown of all the different uh recommendations and reductions of funding.

Any questions on my portion?

And if there's no questions, we're gonna kick it off to the community partners.

They're gonna have about eight minutes to go through their presentations, but I'd be happy to answer any questions from the members of council.

And one thing I didn't clarify too, our review panel consisted of myself, Brian Wright, and then three council members, uh, council member of Adraska, Councilmember Curtis, and uh council member Garcia.

So thank you.

So real quick, Matt.

Yeah.

I see the on one of the slides here says spent.

So were these reductions due to they didn't spend all the money that was allocated?

Would that be a reason for the reduction?

It potentially could be, but no, the the spent amount actually has to identify, particularly when you're looking at you know, like CARA or you're looking at some of these other organizations.

We actually reimburse them for the costs that they request.

So we could authorize, hey, we're gonna have up to two thousand dollars, but if they only utilize thirteen hundred dollars of that, then that's all we're reimbursing them for.

Okay.

Okay, put your first one up.

Sweet.

Excuse me, Mayor.

Just uh council member Schneider.

So I'll unmute him just a couple questions.

Yeah, we hear you.

Okay.

In the past, we looked at some of these uh requests.

We would ask for specifics on how the money was spent.

And so this time around, some of these uh I think if I look at the Lions Club, for instance, it says redoing the kitchen.

I think it's great because it specifies how the money is spent.

Likewise on the uh Fiesta, it was done for advertising and marketing and the the entertainment, et cetera.

Have we done that for all these uh organizations?

Or have we just said uh okay, here's some money for operational expenses?

How was that really handled when you looked at this as a panel?

Yeah, so council member Snyder, that was actually identified in their applications.

They did have to submit what the funding was going to be utilized for.

Uh that wasn't provided in the packet because part of this process is going to be all the community uh partners basically stating their case before council today at this uh presentation, but we did see in their applications what they were requesting that uh funding breakdown for.

And also a clarification too, I forgot to mention it, but with when you were looking at the Lions Club, there was an error on one of the attachments, but not in the actual COAC uh the council action form.

Uh, that's not going to be for the remodel of the kitchen.

It's actually going to be for their vision program.

Uh, we we thought that'd be a better use of the funds.

Um, so that's kind of what we shifted.

We reached out to their team and made sure that that was something they still wanted to participate in.

They agreed, and so they'll be coming forward with uh reimbursement similar to how we handle uh CARA and some other organizations in a reimbursement for their vision program.

Out of curiosity, we were looking at the amount of award money to the chamber from twenty-four twenty-five, and they were requesting fifty-five thousand for twenty-five twenty-six.

What were the uh anticipating of extra money being used for?

I think of the chamber, we looked at the uh fundraisers and the uh Eloy Glow, and I'm just curious what is the additional money that the chamber felt that they needed.

I I'm more than happy to answer that.

I don't know if Andrew would want to prefer to do that at his time when he does his presentation, but essentially it's they're going to be having enhanced marketing push.

Obviously, too, the glow keeps getting more expensive and expensive every year.

Anybody who runs events in the city, they know that these costs are going up through the roof.

So they did identify some operational costs associated with some of the events that they're running, but a primary majority of it is used for additional marketing and support.

So but he'll break everything during his presentation.

Yeah, so the GLO essentially is not a uh money maker without these additional funds.

Yeah, Andrew's saying he'll explain that in his presentation.

Okay.

So the first presentation we'll have up will be Mr.

Ralph Farella.

I just want to say thank you for all you do for this city.

And the Reeds Across America is one of the most heartwarming celebrations events you can ever go to.

So are we gonna vote separately on these or as a package?

Um if there's any comments that you have, if they're like when they come up and present and you want to recommend additional funding after hearing the request, obviously Ralph didn't ask for additional funding, but you'll basically make that adjustment and then at the end we'll kind of do the whole amount at once.

I'll take notes of what the adjustments are and then yeah.

But it'll be as a whole package, yes.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, Ralph.

Thank you so much.

Oh, there we go.

I don't have a presentation.

I just received an email saying the mic ain't working.

Oh, you just chinced it.

Okay, I think that one's working.

All right.

All righty.

Next up we will have the Eloy Lions Club.

So do we have uh Mr.

William Bill Carnell here in attendance?

Good evening, everyone, Mr.

Mayor, um councilman and council persons and uh city staff, thank you for the opportunity to uh come here tonight and speak a little bit about our our um vision service project and basically what that is, it's not very complicated.

We get glasses for people who need glasses.

Uh we participate in several uh clinics uh in Penell County uh every year, as well as relying on teachers and uh staff at the schools to let us know who may need or be in need of glasses.

This is working great.

Uh and what we do is we don't actually do the testing.

We can identify people who are in need of testing, and once we have that, we give them a voucher, and they can go to America's best in uh Casa Grand.

And for $89, they can get two pairs, uh they can get a full eye exam and get a pair of single uh vision glasses, or 119 dollars they can get an eye exam and two pairs of uh bifocals.

So um what we do, uh all these uh children uh uh are are in the program, a lot of children and older people are in the program, but we can do children as young as uh seven years old uh with uh the the companies we work with and we track every pair of glasses that we sell.

So it's very certain easy to see where the money has gone.

Um in 2024, up until 2024 for the last uh year, couple years before that, we did over 112 pairs of glasses for people in uh the basically the Eloy and Cassagran community.

So far this year alone we've done 62 pair of glasses for people, and we uh currently have a grant that's about 50% expended, and this will allow us to go a lot farther, and we thank you for that opportunity.

Um we will recognize uh the location the uh the source of the funding uh in our Facebook postings and things like that.

Um and then it looks like uh they'll also be reported uh here by the city of Tucson as well.

So uh like I said, it's a very simple program, and I don't think it's uh there's a lot of complication to it, but I when I last week we received a letter, and I'd like to read that if I could.

And I think this really sums up the program in a nutshell.

It's a letter from a Mrs.

Isagiri here at Eloy, and she says, my name is Ann Isagiri, and I wanted to thank you all for the wonderful new glasses you provided for me.

It's been five years since I had glasses.

My vision uh my very first uh pair um for the last five years I've had.

I'm 67 years old, and it was getting very hard to see without the needed glasses.

I will enjoy them for many many things and for volunteering to do computer work.

I can finally see again.

LOL laughing out loud.

Anyway, you have a wonderful program that has blessed my life very much.

Sincerely and Isigir.

That's really what we do.

We try to help people that need help.

It's a very simple program.

Thank you all for allowing us to come here tonight.

Thank you for the uh the grant opportunity.

And if there's any questions, I'd be happy to uh answer them at this time.

Well, Bill, thank you for sharing that letter.

That was really nice.

That really just shows good when good work gets done, it gets uh recognized.

Anyone on council?

Any questions or anything?

You said we provide glasses for uh starting us at age of seven.

What happens if you have a person coming in under seven?

I'm sorry I didn't hear all that.

There was some coughing in.

What happens if you have a person who's under seven that comes needing glasses?

Uh there is uh another uh uh uh provider in Castogram that we can go to that takes them from five years old.

There have not been, I think in the hundred and two hundred and some odd pair that we've done in the last several years.

I think there was one child that needed to go in, and it's very difficult to do that, and you have to have special equipment.

So most of ours are young children, seven and older, and some of our older people.

Thank you, sir.

Questions?

Bill, um, just piggybacking on uh Councilman Garcia's question there.

Um, if you do have a child that's under seven years of age, do you provide the assistance and um the funding for that visit?

Absolutely, and we will you we coordinate every voucher that we have directly with the provider.

I just have a comment.

Um the Eloy Lions Club has been serving people for many many years with vision care, and one of the wonderful things about the current Eloy Lions Club is that because of the service that we provided in assisting one of our members with her mother being able to get eye save eye sight saving surgery that was uh paid for by the Eloy Lions Club.

She's now giving back, and she's participating in the Eloy Lions Club, and she is uh diligently working.

She joined the Eloy Lions Club, she was still living in Colorado.

She was participating and she was working and she was helping with the activities from a long distance coming sitting in the meetings through via Zoom.

They've now relocated back to Arizona, and she's a very active member.

So it not just does the Eloy Lions Club and Lions International believe in vision care and work diligently on vision care, but people appreciate it, like the mayor was saying, that people appreciate it and their families appreciate it, and then they give back.

And and I think that uh the Eloy Alliance Club is prospering because of the history that we have we have established and that our forefathers established.

That is absolutely correct.

All right, nothing else.

Thank you, sir.

All right, well, thank you all very much.

All right, next up we will have the Ministerial Alliance with Debbie presenting.

Yeah, thank you to the mayor and the city council.

Thank you very much.

Um the Eloy Ministerial Alliance is a group of churches that uh come together for the good of the community.

Um we have churches that are represented from Eloy Toltec in Arizona City.

We have a few pictures from last year's uh community Thanksgiving dinner.

And uh we have uh everyone coming together and working to help provide this.

Uh the Thanksgiving dinner started a very long time ago.

I can't even remember how many years back because I'm old now, and um but uh at least 20 years uh back, and um we used to serve around 1,500 people.

Uh but when businesses started going out of Eloy, um, and we had that terrible downturn at one point.

Um, we lost a lot of our sponsors, and therefore um the alliance could no longer help fund that program.

Um but three years ago uh we started it back up at the United Methodist Church.

Um, Pastor Ed uh Brown at that point in time um helped us to do that.

And the first year we did that.

We served about 125.

The second year, I don't exactly remember.

I think it was around 200 to 225, and then this last year it was around 320.

We are hoping this next year that we're going to feed 400 on up.

We we don't really know, but with the process, we're just continuing to go.

We have purchased 25 turkeys last year, and we did have some left over.

So we're pretty sure of what we how much we spent and what we need to get for 500 because that's what I'm planning on, is 500.

But we are hoping for at least 400.

We thank you for the grant for the thousand dollars.

The Ministry Alliance helps with the rest of the grant.

In the past, we've had Core Civic, but they have not participated with us this year.

So it's uh you guys and us.

So hopefully we will be able to do a good job again this year.

Um you were granted to us last year 1900, but we only spent $1,304 and 96 cents.

Um, and uh so we just we are just very happy.

Uh the Eloy Junior High School, uh, Ruby James.

We we want to thank her so much.

Um she has once again granted us the use of the junior high cafeteria, and uh she participates and her whole family does, and so uh we're so thrilled with that, and we just have a lot of a lot of good times, and it's from 5 to 8 p.m.

on um the Friday before the Thanksgiving week is when we have it.

So again, we just want to thank you, and uh we appreciate all of the help that you can give to us uh for serving the community for this.

Well, Debbie have to say 400 is quite a number, it's quite a large number.

And I'm just curious because I'm I'm astounded by that.

How do you get the word out there?

Is it all word of mouth?

You doing any socials on this?

We do all social media through the churches, through the schools.

We send out flyers and everything through the schools that will allow us to do that.

We had a little problem at one year, uh, couldn't get in some of the schools, but um last year we did much better.

Um had a little bit better advertising.

Comments.

Just thank you, Debbie.

Thank you.

You know, um I volunteer with the homeless count, and I do a lot of work with uh the homeless, and I'm just so thankful to be able to say my community at least one day out of the entire year, you'll have a warm, healthy Thanksgiving meal.

So thank you for that.

Yeah, thank you, Joanne.

We um during the Thanksgiving dinner, because I'm also involved in the soup kitchen that we did at the uh Central Cristiano Church Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we see the same people, and a lot of them are homeless, and uh we see we see the same people there.

So they appreciate it.

So you guys got any?

Go ahead, sir.

Miss Miller, yes, those 400 plus that you're planning to serve, they're all from Eloy.

Um most of them, yes.

Uh they might be from Toltec also, um, but yeah, most of them come from Eloy and Taltech.

Okay, thank you, ma'am.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Alrighty, next up we have the uh Corazon de Latinos Unidos, and it should be Letty.

Yep.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council and staff.

Um my name is Leticia Turango.

I'm the president of CDLU Corazón de Latino Unidos.

We are a 501c nonprofit organization.

We um our mission is carried out through three-quarter and initiatives is hosting the annual Eloy Fiestas Patrias event.

Um year at the year-round community engagement, providing inclusive entertainment activities for all ages.

Um we um work with um, we collaborate with local organizations, schools, and businesses to provide meaningful opportunities for cultural enrichment, education and support services that strengthen the community.

Um, our funding requests and intended use is um just the purpose of requests to fund entertainment during the 2025 Eloy Fiesta Patrias.

Um, 100% of the funds are allocated to entertainment to enhance cultural performances and community celebrations.

Um the overview and community impact is we have over 5,000 residents and guests from our surrounding areas that attend.

Um we have over 30 vendors.

We um at the free event to the entire entire community.

We do not charge.

Um there's no admission for any of the activities.

We have children's activities, games, crafts, pony train rides, face painting, um we'll have bounce houses, things like that to keep them entertained.

Um we have mariachi groups, cultural enrichment, so mariachi boat um groups, for local dancers, regional um bands around the surrounding areas that come in um to us.

Um we promote um cultural pride and Hispanic heritage.

Um expand during um, just expand it, may hopefully just put it across all main street um and make it bigger as we grow and make it grow.

Um, we're going we do um rely on other sponsors, we do have bigger sponsors, Core Civic, APS, our local banks.

Um we sell banners, um, just to promote their businesses, and it also gives us some money to use on the fiestas.

Um, our goal is to grow the fiestas patrias into a regional cultural destination.

Um thank you and deep appreciation to the city of Eloy.

You are one of our top and continued supporters and contributing and making the Loyfiesa Patrias a memorial impactful event for our community.

Well, Miss Tarango, I for one love that event.

I love going down.

It is the most fun.

And to make it larger, going across the whole street.

Yeah, it's gonna be that's gonna be amazing for lack of a better term.

Okay, anybody have on my right questions?

Good job.

I love that.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you so much.

Alrighty.

Next up we have Mr.

Jason Robert with Cara, executive director.

Good evening, uh, mayor and council members.

Um first I want to thank you for the opportunity to present to you, each and every one of you.

Um, so we're we're requesting $10,000.

The funds will be used to help the residents of Eloy uh to pay for their water and trash utility bills.

Um so last year we were approved for 10,000.

Um it got split.

5,000 was for the city water and trash, and $5,000 for Santa Cruz Valley Food Pantry.

Um we expended all $5,000 to assist over 23 city uh residents and households, um, which averaged out to about 217 dollars and forty cents per household.

Um the current greater need.

The food pantry this year is and next year is well funded.

So we're looking to use um all $10,000 to help with water and trash utility.

Um so $10,000 will go a long way, will help 46 residents.

Um how will it uh provide funds, financial relief to the households?

Direct utility bill support will reduce eliminate monthly utility costs for low-income individuals and households.

Um budget flexibility will allow families to redirect limited income toward other necessities.

Emergency buffer will prevent service shutoffs and avoid late fees and penalties.

How will it ensure access to essential services?

Water and sanitation ensures access to clean water and and uh waste removal, service continuity prevents discontinuations that can lead to unsanitary conditions or health risks, stability will help residents avoid the stress and disruption of losing basic services.

Um how will it improve overall quality of life?

Uh health and hygiene contributes to a cleaner, safer living environment, mental well-being.

They won't have to worry about the stress about paying their utility bills.

Um, community resilience will strengthen the overall community by promoting equity and reducing the burden on emergency services.

So economic stability for residents by helping 46 households with essential utility bills such as water and trash.

It'll reduce the financial strain on families, which will allow them to uh use that money towards other things, rent, health care, or other local expenses.

This keeps the money circulating in the local economy and it will support small businesses and services, strengthen the community infrastructure.

It'll ensure that residents maintain access to water and trash services, will help preserve public health and sanitation, reducing the emergence uh the burden on emergency and social services.

It also prevents shutoffs, which can lead to property degradation and higher costs for city and in the long run.

Um promote equity and resilience.

This funding targets vulnerable populations, ensuring that all residents, regardless of income can live with dignity and stability.

It builds community resilience, making Eloy a more attractive place to live, work, and invest.

And there's a return on the investment.

Every dollar spent for utility assistance was going to go back into the community.

Uh interventions like emergency aid, eviction prevention, or public health responses.

It's a proactive investment in the city's well-being and will reduce future liabilities, enhance quality of life.

And at this time, is anybody has any questions for me?

Yeah, Jason.

Uh first of all, I'd like to say with the utility assistance.

I like the fact that all $10,000 would go to utility assistance.

Because let's face it, homeowners sometimes they need a hand.

Yes.

And that that is what it is.

But my question to you is as a homeowner in Eloy, how do you sign up or get this assistance?

Do they have to go to CAR or can they do this online?

How do they do that?

So most people call us, but they can also go online or come into the office.

Um I would say word of mouth is kind of our our best um promoter.

Um, but I'd say the three different methods phone in person or online.

So um I really do appreciate this program and that CARA provides and works diligently with uh the city as well as with uh these residents to be able to assist them.

But uh I'm on the uh executive board for the United Way of Pineau County, and when we have we used to have a utility assistance program, but we ran out of funding for that.

But one of the things that was required was that they go through financial education to receive the assistance.

And what we found is you know, through this financial uh education program, which is just a short program, I believe it's offered through the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension.

I mean it enlightens them on the need and and the benefits of of paying utilities and and how to you know and how that uh will affect like future credit or people that they get on you know that that uh later on are in a stable position and you know now they have you know bad credit or something.

Have you looked into like offering some kind of like I wouldn't say requirement, just some kind of benefit if we're gonna provide you this assistance, we're gonna also help you out with a little education on how to be financially stable.

So that's a great question.

Most of our grants require us to um provide um education and uh conserving energy.

So energy conservation is one of our our big educators.

Um I'm not opposed to offering um that type of class at CARA.

In fact, um we've we've looked into it, and and the same uh the same individuals that you mentioned would be willing to come out and and do that with us.

I just feel like you're also building um a generation of responsible uh residents and and understanding you know that the need to be financially responsible.

And I understand, like the mayor said, families do get into situations where they do need assistance, and you know, and some of them are just not easily foreseen, like COVID or uh situations like that.

But they're always you know, and in my years of prevention, I've always known that the first time I teach a class, they get nothing out of it.

Maybe one thing, but the second time they're gonna get a little bit more out of it, and they're gonna get a little bit more out of it, and then you know, like I say, um survival in family homes, I feel is generational.

You learn from watching your parents, and then you know, you follow those same kind of habits and routines, and then they teach your kids those kind of same things, but in order to kind of break that barrier of surviving paycheck to paycheck, you know, developing and showing young people that you know there is a benefit to you know, uh assuring that you are paying your uh utilities on time, and you know what the benefit is, and then in the long run, it's going to help you with you know other decisions that you make, you know, in the future and stuff, and then eventually they're gonna teach their kids those same kind of habits, and then it's going to create a healthier community.

Right.

Go ahead, sir.

Mr.

Roberts, I have a quick question for you.

The people that Clara is helping with the utility assistance, are they receiving only stately assistance or do they receive additional assistance as well?

Additional assistance.

So a lot of times they don't just call in for water and trash for Eloy.

Um, they'll call in, maybe they're having problems with the rent.

And we have that conversation.

We basically do an intake during that intake.

We we uncover any other issues they may have.

Um, whether it's they're a single mom, um, maybe they're supposed to be getting um monies that's owed to them.

You know, we'll make referrals to other agencies to them to send them to other agencies to make sure that they're receiving the food stamps or whatever assistance that looks like during the intake.

So it's it's a um it's a wraparound of services.

We don't just you know, like we don't we're not gonna just give one service.

We we look at the whole person and all the problems that they have.

So it's kind of like if I have an experience that I probably won't understand.

Right, exactly.

Yes, Mr.

Robert, thank you so much.

Yes, sir.

Yes, Mayor.

All right.

Next up we have Penal Alliance for Economic Growth, and that will be Patty King.

Hi, thank you.

Patty King, I'm the manager for Penell Alliance for Economic Growth and Central Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation.

I'll talk to both today.

Thank you very much for the support over the many years that we've worked together with Eloy.

Um this organization is an economic development organization that's served the entire county since 1984.

The funding that we're receiving today focuses on workforce development and talent attraction initiatives, our AARP reading program and our Worlds of Work Career Expo that we offered this February.

Um, also I 10 widening allowance, you see Alliance, I apologize, um, a regional marketing program, um, business focused education and advocacy at the state legislature.

I really want to focus today on our reading program.

We are so proud of this program.

Um, this is our fifth full year of providing services.

Um, it is an economic development and workforce development tool.

30,000 jobs are coming to Penell County, and those um employers are looking for employees who have the reading and analysis skills that are provided when a child knows how to read properly.

First, children learn to read, and then they learn to, and then they read to learn.

So kindergarten through fourth through third grade, they're learning how to read, fourth grade on, they must know how to read in order to learn.

Um, being able to read at the end of third grade is the crucial milestone to a child's future success.

If they can't read by that point, they're four times more likely not to graduate from high school, therefore not filling those positions that are coming to Pinell County.

One out of every 10 young men without a high school degree will end up in jail.

Um, the Arizona Mayor's round table estimated back in 2014, so 11 years ago, that each dropout cost the state 422,000 over his lifetime in services that and lost revenue for the state.

Um the Penell County uh scores for reading program on the progress meter at the state level are 33 percent.

The state is at 46 percent, so we're severely behind even the state level.

Um, again, being able to read at the end of third grade is the crucial milestone to a child's future success.

Um AARP Foundation Experience Corps is the parent organization for this program.

They recruit, trains, and um support volunteers 45 and over.

Students all receive one-on-one training through our program, either in person or online.

We have tutors coming from all over the country.

Volunteers tutor three to five students two times per week, 30 minutes each session, and it is our goal, provided we get the cooperation from the schools to provide 35 sessions in a school year.

The community benefits.

The students have greater success in school, they graduate from high school, they're more open to post-secondary programs, they have better earning potential and quality of life, and most importantly, this breaks the cycle of poverty and replaces it with a cycle of prosperity for the students, our county, even really for their families.

We started in June of 2020.

We began tutoring virtually in November of that year with the we piloted the program for three years in Casa Grande Elementary School District.

We served three schools with 60 volunteers, and in that year we served 94 students.

We are the only rural affiliate in the entire United States.

This year we served 23 schools in nine school districts in Penal County.

Casa Grand, Coolidge, Stanfield, Eloy, Superior, Toltec, J O'Combs, Maricopa, Apache Junction, and next year we hope to expand to Oracle Elementary.

We have very motivated volunteers in Oracle.

This year we had 111 volunteers and they tutored 317 students.

They provided over 6,000 hours of tutoring time.

In five years, the program has given the gift of reading to over a thousand students.

Last year, the last year was where our progress was measured.

83% of our students progressed one full grade level.

38% were at least two grade levels.

I personally tutor my kids this year came in at the first grade reading level, they were all in third grade.

By the end of the year, they were all reading at the third grade level.

We are also the only program that has to cobble together funding.

So and that's a really important clarification about our program.

All other programs in the United States, and there are 24, are funded by one large funder.

Our funding, 66% of the funding comes from grants, donations, and events.

This year, uh this coming year, we hope to serve 20 students in Curio and 40 students in Toltex.

So our total ask of the city this year for its contribution is 4,260.

If we don't receive that full amount, and I am respectfully requesting that we increase the amount that you're funding up our program, then the Toltec Elementary School District, in order to tutor those, in order to serve those students, they have to pay the full amount.

So reading is the key to learning.

Please give our children the key to their future by funding our program.

Can I answer any questions?

Yes, well, thank you very much for the uh presentation.

And I see this is totally building better humans.

Yes.

From the ground up.

They're amazing kids, yes.

Uh what a question I do have is for the as far as the volunteers go, what's their training comprised of, and how long is that?

It takes about 25 hours before they can even start the program.

And then we have monthly training and other additional annual training that they can go through.

And then they go through the training again every year, and we have tutors who are with us multiple years.

Thank you.

Any questions here on my right?

Question?

I do.

Um first question is Is the tutoring done during the school day or is this done after school?

All during the school.

All during the school day.

So there's certain areas where they they're not receiving general education that they're being pulled out of.

They are pulled out of class, and the teachers pull them out at times when it makes most sense to do so.

Um so they really aren't missing any first educational time.

Okay.

And then I'm a little confused on the funding request, because I see a line here for Pennell Alliance, but I'm not seeing one for the reading program.

We you grouped them together, correct?

Yeah.

So what we ended up doing this year uh for the Panel Alliance is we ended up grouping them together.

So I reached out to Patty, um, and that's why she's requesting additional funding because that wasn't identified in the actual application.

So that's why that additional request is today.

But we grouped those together for Panel Alliance specifically, that would be $5,000.

And then as she stated, she's requesting 4,200 and whatever the amount was, uh, up to it, so it would be ended up associated to 9,200 would be the new total if we allocate the full amount of funding instead of 7800.

What was the full number?

Yeah, so instead of 7800, if we were to up the amount by 1,400, it would be 9,200 total, which would be 5,000 going to Penel Alliance, and then the additional 4,000 um 2000.

60 for the reading program.

What are the thoughts on council?

Well, I I just wanted to uh uh mention something that was listed in in the uh conference that I or the session that I went to this morning that I talked about earlier.

Um and they talked about you know early intervention with head start, but it's also early intervention with programs in reading, and and it says that uh participants in these kind of programs are likely to edit have educational success, including high school completion, college enrollment, state uh college completion, um and the the net present value is one thousand two one thousand two hundred and forty dollars per child who attend that far exceed the cost of the program.

So that's how much that the likelihood that a student who gets early intervention will contribute to uh the economic involved assistance to the community as to one that doesn't have this early intervention.

So I mean most of our kids don't have books read to them at all ever.

Right.

Yeah, and so those kids are are far ahead.

Yeah, those kids are probably not ending up in our program.

Yeah.

Well, and and one of the things that was said that um is that teachers that when they the children's action alliance or first things first or head start when they do go into the schools and they talk to teachers, they say they can automatically tell which students have been to to head start or have had some kind of early intervention education and training because they are so ready and equipped to be able to be in a classroom and to start learning.

And I believe that you know that with your program as well, once like I said, I was talking to them about well, we can provide services five and above, you know, but we rely on them for zero to five, but it's all important, yeah, you know, it it really is benefit and it benefits everybody.

Yeah, so I I would say that I would be in favor of of including the the reading program as well as the panel alliance award.

Thank you.

Yes, I don't have a problem with funding the full amount being requested for the reading program.

I would like to see either a separate contract for that reading program or a specific separation in here so we know what the money's being spent on.

That way it's not miss being misallocated at some point along the way.

Yeah, we can uh council member Garcia, we can definitely do that.

We'll put together a separate applic or contract for CAREDIF, which essentially runs this program, then we'll give that to Patty and her team to sign.

That'll be fine.

Um, I also didn't mention that the the jurisdictions are paying half of what the school is paying, and it goes up slightly every year with CPI.

You guys any uh input thought full okay?

I agree with uh councilman Garcia.

You got that, Mike?

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Thank you so much.

Just for clarity, right?

We're then going to um make an award of nine thousand two hundred and sixty dollars.

Is that correct?

Correct.

Okay, thank you.

Right now without any other increases to 112,470.

Thank you, Mike.

Quick math, very good.

Mayor, just a reminder that council member Schneider.

Hey Dan.

Councilmember Schneider, are you there?

I've got a message via text from Councilmember Schneider, but it's actually a question for Cara.

I just missed it before.

Is this a good time for me to say it?

Um he said, how does Cara determine which residents is everybody in Eloy or 85131 area code that you serve for the funding that we give.

Yes, it's all of Eloy.

Um that's it, thank you.

All right, next up we have the Sparrow campaign.

Is someone here to represent Violet?

And condolences to Violet's family.

I heard her brother passed away, so that's why she isn't able to attend today.

So okay.

Good evening, Mayor Sutton Council members and city staff.

My name is Sinetta Cherry Federico, and I'm co-founder and co-chair for the Sparrow campaign.

And I am here on behalf of Violet.

Unfortunately, because her brother did pass, and uh so she can't be here.

His funerals today.

And our backup also had an emergency.

Her daughter's in the hospital.

So we're just uh trying to pull it all together.

I um want to thank you for this opportunity to sponsor our activities.

I um apologize.

I am not fully prepared because I just got this information tonight.

But we are um hosting several events in the community throughout the year.

We have the Steps of Love Suicide Awareness that we're requesting a thousand dollars for, and that covers the purchase of this actually is from our last year uh request, and the funds that we requested supported uh a thousand dollars towards the shirts for the event.

The steps of love is a suicide awareness campaign to bring awareness to the community for those who have the families in of those who have um you know committed suicide, uh break the stigma uh of suicide and support those families.

We also host our hunger awareness campaign this year.

Our event will be on October 11, 2025.

This is from our request from 2024.

We requested $4,000.

We requested $3,000.

And uh it supported our race management, the shirts and finishing medals.

Uh it also supported our uh in kind from the city for barricades and the uh support from the community workers, and we were able to donate to CARA for the food pantry over almost $6,500.

So our fundraising campaign, uh the support from the city helped us reach our goals and exceed them and our support for the food pantry.

Uh we also host the first responders charity ball.

We just finished that up last month, April 12th.

And I can read this to you.

The first responder charity ball holds an award ceremony recognizing first responders, that's military law enforcement, fire EMS dispatchers, or detention officers in one of three categories.

First responder of the year, the Sharonda Dean Memorial Spirit Award, and the Legacy Award.

Nominations can be submitted by any agency and community member.

This event chooses a referred responder charity and or group as a beneficiary.

2025's beneficiary was the Hundred Club of Arizona, whose mission is to provide financial assistance to families of first responders who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty and provide resources to enhance the safety and welfare.

They probably served the public safety community since 1968, and all are welcome.

So this is our suicide, the Southern Arizona Suicide Grief Support Mission.

These are grief support mission meetings for those that have lost a loved one to suicide.

This is a new uh event that we've opened up this year where we have uh suicide uh grief support services.

Uh the Suicide Awareness and Prevention Project provides resources to the community seeking help from mental health and programs for those contemplating suicide and or the need for guidance, such as counseling assistance.

Uh we give them swag bags with resources, community resources.

This happens during a short walk around the high school track, and it's followed by a vigil honoring those who've lost who have lost to suicide.

Banners are placed on the fences made from sponsor donations with the memorial placement, mirror vase or flowers, and a candle.

This is completely free to those families.

Um it's all sponsored by the community by the um by our sponsors.

Uh taking this important step can provide much needed comfort and solace to those who are grieving.

It also sends a powerful message to the community that someone is ready to listen.

All are welcome to this event.

Our Heroes Against Hunger Awareness Campaign.

Um that's our 5K event.

This is actually our 10th year holding this event, so we're hoping to really make it big and make a big impact uh in the community.

This initial initiative is aimed to raise awareness and funds for local food pantries, such as the Santa Cruz Valley Food Pantry, CARA, which also supports the Eloy Veteran Center.

It's a really fun event we hold every year at the Eloy Junior High.

The last two years we've actually held it at the high school, and it supports about 600 students, and they come out and they learn about hunger awareness.

They longer learn about the resources that are available in the community, and it's um health awareness.

So they do like a fun run and they do some uh different activities, and we provide them with metals and swag bags with some good resources on uh health and food, food safety andwarers.

Okay, that is it.

So thank you so much for the opportunity to present, and we appreciate the city's support.

You've been a supporter for our programs over the last 10 years since we started these programs with many other sponsors, including PanacePoint and Council Cara, uh Republic Plastics.

We have a lot of support from the community, and we appreciate the efforts.

Do you have any questions?

Well, Miss Federico, for such short notice, you did a fantastic job.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

You really did.

You stepped right up there and took control.

Very good.

All right.

Questions, comments?

Left side.

I like I said, I was just trying to uh look at the text that Violet sent that the contributions that were made for um the food food pantry far exceed the donations that they're asking for.

So I believe this is a worthy cause.

I I sit on that committee as well, and I know they do great work, and it's a wonderful committee of great people who want who just want to better the community.

So thank you, Joanne.

All right.

Rico.

It's a great program.

Um I'm just looking at the spreadsheet just now, and it says that for the 24-25 year, they've spent 6300 and change, and they only asked for 4,000.

Was that an error in there?

No, so actually that was because uh we do have contingency for essentially any extraordinary circumstances with their event.

Uh, in the case of their marathon, there was a miscalculation on the barricade requirement, and so we ended up stepping into support to make sure we can still supply the barricades needed necessary for them to continue to run those marathons.

Uh, if we didn't support them with that, the marathons wouldn't have been able to take place.

So they did receive an additional amount of funding for that.

Okay, then I do have a question for you, Miss Federico.

Is that gonna be enough for this year?

I mean, will you have the barricades and everything covered with the current request?

I believe the city is providing the the barricades.

Like I believe that you guys have the barricades available.

Is that correct?

Yeah, we do, but we only have 40, so anything above that 40 amount, you have to supply yourself.

So we did make sure that was clear.

But I'll get that information and check back with the city.

All right, Miss Federico, thank you so much.

Thank you.

And I just want to say to Miss Galindo, Council Member Galindo, I appreciate all the information you have on all the events that are happening and your support on all the different committees.

It's very informative.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

And I just found the text in the sparrow campaign donated donated two thousand six hundred and ninety-seven dollars and twenty-eight cents to the hundred club.

And for I believe it was about for this year.

Like five thousand that they donated to the 6400, I believe.

For this year, yeah.

I don't have that number in front of me, but I can get back to you on that.

Yeah, so you know, I like I said, the benefits far away what the contribution that you're asking for too.

Thank you.

We have a great team, and we um do a lot to make sure we get those funds not just from the city but from community agencies and businesses, and they're a huge support.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And then last but not least, we have Mr.

Rodriguez with the chamber.

Did you want the video first, Andrew?

Or my walking down here.

Or president has seen this one.

So we'll see.

No, I can't.

Um Thank you, Mayor Council.

Um, I'm here in front of you guys once again.

Um this will be considered my second quarterly um so again, my board of directors is the only thing that's different on here.

You guys can see the former mayor is now on our board.

He is our acting vice chair at this time, but he is the newly elected treasurer of our board of directors.

Um, but that's the only difference on our board at this time.

Um, so our report has changed.

So now from January to now, um, we have gained 15 new members, so as of today, we are at 200 members.

So with when me and Angela started, our membership was at 84.

We were a struggling chamber.

So as of today, we were at we're at 200 members or at 98% retention rate.

Um, we have gotten so many awards, so many accolades for being a chamber the size of we are.

Um, so we are when you have bigger chambers coming to you and asking you what you guys are doing, that's it's a good thing for us.

Um, a little thing we're doing we're doing in the house, we're changing our name a little bit to soar higher uh thrive together.

Um so our new uh business cards will be coming out, and we'll have that little slogan, and that we include the glow and stuff all together.

Um so some of the events that we've done and we continue to do throughout the year and the past year.

Um the Eloy Chamber is itself has helped businesses start in Eloy, or it's getting to get going is the Barber School in town, the Muchicana, the Carnes City, that's gonna be coming uh online in town hopefully this year, um, the hotel, which I'm not gonna get into details, uh the Cafecito Boutique, and a few more that are in the pipeline that we're helping on.

So if um you guys can look the 2024 numbers and 2025 from January to now, we're already almost we're gonna surpass the numbers uh in 2025.

I mean 2024, I mean, easily.

So um, and Facebook is a Facebook analytics, so if any of you guys want those numbers printed out or anything, I can print that out for you guys.

But the phone calls, office visits that we get, uh visitors' packets that we we get to for us to send it to them if they want to come visit Eloy or they're moving to Eloy, they want information.

That's the packet that we do send out.

Um the visitor center, right now we have two volunteers, one part-time employee that's paid through the ARP grant that we we receive.

Um as of as of today or yesterday, the summer hours?

Summer hours are started today.

Um so we're not from 9 to 12, Monday through Friday.

Um it's slowing down because of the heat, so there's not a lot of people traveling on I-10 during there in the heat time.

You know, so after 12 o'clock, we always see a dramatic drop.

Um again, the the Office of Tourism that has visited our center in 2024 three times and has given us high remarks about the facility and how easy it is to go inside and just say, Hey, I want to go to this place, and we have a full grain of information for there.

And then in January, I came to you guys, and we're at 14,863 people.

And as of May 20th, uh at the beginning of May, we're at 20,080 people visited the visitor center museum.

Um, so same thing for the museum side of things.

We you know, same visitors, same employee grant.

Um so but the difference is on 2024, the museum has won two awards, one from the state and one from Southern Arizona offices from the historic societies, how it's all formulated, targeted only to the Eloy area, which was great.

Um we actually we also got a recognition through Congressman Tisamani's office.

We have that plaque at the museum.

Um we have local schools, the Velo Oasis and also the Head Start brings kids and they tour the area.

And it's also amazing that the teachers who are from Eloy never been to that school.

I mean, been to the museum and they find out the history themselves.

Um again, it's we have 20,080 people that run that roam through there.

Um so getting into the to the specifics of the funding.

Um, the Eloy Chamber requested 55,000.

Um the 55,000 will go to 48,800 for the marketing and operations.

1,200 was for in-kind for police services for the Eloy Glow.

And the committee recommended 40,000 without sponsorship and in-kind.

Um the Eloy Chamber is seeking reconsideration of it of the level of sponsorship of uh funding, I'm sorry.

Um last year you guys gave the chamber 43.

So if it comes down to it, we will.

I mean, whatever the council decides, we will be happy with it.

Um, but we will like to see at least hopefully we get some sponsorship or the in-kind services with with the with this on the chamber side of things.

The visitor center um requested 19.8, the committee recommended 18.

That amount was great.

We'll just make some changes to it.

Um the funding will go to marketing and operations of the center.

Um after I get done with the museum, I'll tell you, I'll let you guys know what we're all deciding on.

Um the Santa Cruz Historic Museum requested 2,000.

The committee did recommend the 2000, and the funding will go to recommend the museum and the new signage for the museum.

Um before I take questions, uh the whole thing about the money, how it's more allocated.

We needed more money because we want to start a DMO program for for not only for the chamber, but also for the city.

The DMO is uh a marketing program from the state.

So the more money you add into it, the more money the state matches.

So you can you can um promote your location, you know, destination marketing organization.

Um so I've been working with McKenzie, and we are he's gonna be bringing that up hopefully to the city council.

So it's either the the city will take on the DMO or they'll give us the the chamber to become our own DMO and we fund it our own.

Um so that's where that's where you see the funding, how it's more because we want to add more.

We want to have those billboards, we want to have those magazines, we want to promote what we have.

We want to get people into our town, we want to do things in our city, and we want to get people here.

Um so that I mean right now the DMO cost is the city.

I mean, organization can put in 50 grand, the state will match 50 grand.

So it's free money for marketing, so you just gotta put money in.

But that's where the funding jumps.

Mr.

Rodriguez, thank you for the presentation.

Thank you.

I'm just curious, the the DMO money.

We discussed it.

Can you can you fill a little more in on that?

Yeah, so I mean it's very preliminary that we've discussed.

I think based on my discussions with Andrew, the application process would have to take place in like August, right?

Is when it would have to go through.

But a DMO stands for destination marketing organization.

It essentially allows either the city or in some cases you can elect for the chamber to be the representative to accept those funds.

That's how Casa Grand runs their program, is their chamber is the destination marketing agency, so they're allocated a certain amount of bed tax funds to basically support marketing Casa Grand for uh events, hotels, all that kind of stuff.

So if we ended up doing a partnership with the chamber, um we could decide whether or not we wanted to be the DMO and have the city be the representative, or we get that money and then we distribute it kind of like as a pass-through uh for various marketing services through Andrew, or you can designate the chamber of commerce as the DMO authority, where then everything is essentially going through the chamber and not the city.

So if I can make one thing clear, Mayor is the state doesn't give you the money.

There is no money they give you.

It's like okay, if you're gonna match 25,000 and they're gonna give you 25,000, they don't give you 25,000.

So you have to put up 25,000, and once you use that 25,000, there's money for 10 money up here for 25,000.

Then once it's allocated, that's it.

Then you put it in the system, they pay for it a third party.

So you never get that 25,000.

Understandable, yeah.

That they just pay the money.

That's what we want to do as the chamber.

We want to fund the DMO ourselves.

That so our three entities, we want to fund it.

But it's up to the council, the state lets the local entities designate it.

So I guess the question for council would be would this by us not having to do this work and this paperwork and this legwork and everything by letting you run it, does it take off the burden of city personnel and staff doing that?

Mayor, if I may.

Go ahead.

Um, I think we we talked about the DMO last year.

I think this is a totally separate conversation from funding the chamber at this point.

Um we've got you know, Andrew's asking for the allocation.

The DMO is is a larger animal, like he's talking about.

I think we need to reserve that for another time to delve into that.

Is the money you're requesting to allocate it to be that to that DMO?

It's some of the money.

Well, then it's this isn't the time for that then, right?

Andrew, without the respect, I don't think it is.

I think you know we we talked about having that conversation separately because what's Andrew's asking is the city to give him authority to market on behalf of the city.

Um and in part of what we donate to the chamber of commerce over the years is part of marketing.

You're supposed to be marketing the city, putting it on your banners, putting it on anything that goes on I tend.

So he's already doing that as part of the uh contract that we have with the chamber of commerce.

The DMO is a cons it's totally separate from what you're doing under the current allocation that we're giving as part of funding the chamber.

That's why I say it it's a whole separate conversation because in essence, we the city are giving up our marketing rights to the chamber to be able to market and get funding on behalf of the state.

So that's something that council would want to decide if if we want to do.

So should we, for instance, should we get a PIO?

Um that PIO would have to work with Andrew then to market the city because we would have an agreement with Andrew where any destination marketing operation funding to do that would have to go through the chamber of commerce.

Um similarly, when the restaurant and bar tax was reduced from six percent to five percent, if the council decides to increase that back to six percent, that one percent would have to go strictly to fund um the chamber or any tourism-based operation in the city.

So again, it's I I I think Andrew's got a really great program.

I the DMO is awesome.

McKinsey's worked on it as well, but it it's probably reserved for a separate conversation to delve into the the reasons, the purpose, and how the city wants to move forward with that funding allocation.

Now that we're off of that, what was the revenue that came in from the GLOW?

And I hear that you also had a very successful golf tournament.

How much revenue came in from those two items?

The golf tournament we don't we don't know yet because we're still out getting the fees and everything done.

So I don't know what information you guys you got.

But that's what I'm asking you.

Yeah, so um the glow itself was paid.

We got after everything was paid was 23,000.

So why can you not dedicate that money to the what the extra asking for the city?

Because the glow money we put back into the community.

So we we we fund the cruise night, we fund the the fruit that we give out, vegetables, everything out like that.

Um we do single the mile, we give out two thousand dollars to organizations, we get two thousand dollars to the junior high, uh six hundred dollars to F handy when we do the Halloween events.

So it's not the money that we just keep it in our bucket, you know, it's money that we turn around and give it back to the community.

We're more community-based now.

That's what the council at the time wanted the chamber to be, is more out there.

So that's what we turned around and we made it to be that the money we make from the from the from the GLO does not stay in the low funding, it goes to the general fund and we turn it around and give it back to the community.

So everybody, especially the kids that help out the school of the globe, we turn around and give them donations from helping out.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'm not comfortable increasing that for several years.

We've asked them to reduce their uh request, and it hasn't well we've been forced into reducing it for them, and I think we still need to continue to bring that back down to the pre-COVID days.

I'm probably the only council member on in person here today, besides you, Mayor, that uh wasn't part of this discussion and stuff.

So I would just uh follow with whatever the subcommittee recommendations are Andrew, can you elaborate um on the amount of time spent on uh putting on the glow?

Is it a 12?

I think is it 12 months, you know, year-round?

It's it's more like a year-round thing.

You're year-round with two staff members.

Yeah, yeah, one staff member works part-time, and I'm full-time.

So like right now it's it's glow time.

You know, we start we started now, and we have vendors already signed up for GLOW.

Uh, it's amazing we already have six vendors already signed up.

Um, those are membership vendors, so they get first dibs.

Um this year we're being biggy on vendors because it's already getting to that point that we get a pick and choose who we want.

Um, but it starts as soon as the glow's over in November, the following week, everybody's already asking when's the next vent when when is it again?

So it's an ongoing and do you have any numbers on the economic impact those dollars bring to the community?

Um I didn't I don't have on me, but uh one at one time I had that the number on I I do have it, I can send it to you.

But I did I get that's from the state.

I get that from the state that gave me the number from the month of November of impact of taxes, how much it grows in it grows in November, and every year since we have the Glow started, it grows dramatically.

And we get Placer AI who does the analysis for us, and for the month for the for that weekend from Friday to Saturday night, we get an additional 8,000 people that come into Eloy for when we we consider it for the event because it's the phones, they trace they trace the phones and your credit cards.

No, I I commend you guys on you know the amount of work that you do with your two-person operation and the board that uh supports you.

Um, the glow has grown, you know.

Not only does it provide an active activity and an event for just the citizens of Eloy, but it also, you know, is an activity and an event for our surrounding neighbors and across the state.

Um I just wish I had some more numbers, you know.

Right, you know, to work with, yeah.

Yeah, and in the past I did submit those numbers to the prior councils, the tax revenues and stuff like that.

Um I didn't know if I if I needed it, I would have brought them here.

Um but I mean we've the number has grown dramatically since we moved from Main Street because we had to move from Main Street to junior high or even the high school because we needed more balloons and the vent got bigger from us.

So can you tell me a bit of about a breakdown?

We've got the request for 55.

Last year you said you got 43, and this year we recommended 40.

Um, and you're hoping to get back to at least the 43 or something a little higher.

Can you break down exactly what that amount is going for in terms of marketing and operations so that we can kind of get an idea, you know, to decide on it?

Well, for us to get a we usually get a a billboard on I-10 that has like welcome to Eloy or Eloy Veterans Visitor Center Museum, um, it's ten thousand dollars now for one month.

And so even though we go through a program with them, it still doesn't it's ten thousand or it goes down to like nine thousand eight hundred.

Then it goes back to the taxes and stuff like that.

So when we so we're trying to wait to see if we are gonna become a DMO, so we can work with that because it goes dramatically lower.

So it'll go down to like at least 5,000.

And so we can say, okay, hey, we could pay for two months.

And then we'd rather pay 10,000 for two months when it's our high season, and which is the fall.

And we can say welcome to Eloy with all the different events that goes on in Eloy on both sides of I-10.

Um, so that's our biggest thing because it does work when we have it for the visitor center, because we will say on there, like seen on I-10, so when they come off I 10, they go to the visitor center, they tell hey, how'd you hear about us?

Oh, the the billboard.

So stuff like that does work.

We want to do a lot more signage um at other events.

So when we do other um brochures and stuff like that at other big events in the valley, and then also in Tucson.

So if we had sort of a follow-up meeting to this um specifically on the DMO for you know, additional funding and deciding what to do about that.

Would the 40 serve your needs with the DMO being separate?

Um at an unknown amount at this point, or what are you thinking?

To be honest with you, if the 40, if we get 40, I uh without the straight 40, a lot of the community side events will be have to be cut because uh a lot of that when you do our community activities like cruise night and all that stuff, all that money comes out of that also.

So that we have to buy, we have to get uh the restrooms and stuff like that for the events, and we have nobody paying for that.

The chamber pays for that.

So and so farmers market it's a thousand one hundred and twenty and fifty two dollars a year, and cruise night is one thousand two hundred and ten.

So off the bat, you know, I mean that's almost three thousand three hundred.

And so we have to figure it out, and my board will have to let me know.

I'll have to give them ideas, but community events will be cut, more than likely.

I think just to help us out with you know, get wrapping our head around these numbers next time, maybe a little more detailed breakdown of what that amount goes to will help us kind of f figure that out, you know.

Right.

I'll just curious as to the panel's thinking to lower from 43 to 40.

What was the train of thought there?

Does anybody have any idea what that was?

I I can take that question.

I think what what we were thinking was, you know, originally um a few years back, the discussion was we were gonna increase the amount for the chamber and then slowly reduce, you know, they become more self-sufficient and support themselves.

But I think from what Andrew's saying is um yes, they have become more self-sufficient, but they've added more things with the community that they're also paying for, such as these um, you know, making the glow bigger, uh doing the cruise night, doing the farmers market and some of these other things that you're providing, plus increasing the marketing.

So even though their events are bringing in money and they are becoming more self-sufficient, they're also spending more on the community.

So, you know, hear hearing that information, I personally am willing to increase it.

And going off Sarah's comment through just full disclosure talking about the DMO, kind of to David's point, DMO, that's a significant discussion that we need to have in a work session.

That the likelihood of us actually passing that to be ready for this application process is extremely unlikely.

It's most likely gonna be something that we have as a discussion for next year.

I know in Casa Grand's process, I think it took them like a year and a half to get something together with Renee.

So it's a much more in-depth conversation.

So my personal staff side recommendation would be if we're gonna talk about increasing funding, this would definitely be the time to do it, excluding the DMO process.

Yeah, I agree.

We'll nothing here with DMO right now.

Nothing here.

But the funding he's talking about would be covered under that DMO.

Right?

That's my understanding from what I'm hearing from everyone.

No, because I mean we're keeping any that name we're throwing in there even after they haven't clarified.

No, because I'm already doing marketing.

Yeah, no, I I'm saying we should focus on solely on the community outreach funding, irregardless of the DMO conversation, because that's not gonna take place this year.

So if we're gonna talk about him getting potentially new monies or new funds, it needs to be in this discussion here.

I think what I would suggest is we keep the DMO conversation separate, and I know Andrew had that a little bit in his head when requesting the 55.

Um he's hoping we at least match last year's of 43, but if we go up to 45, then we're helping cover some of these community outreach things that he's talking about.

We stick with that number and then we have the DMO at another date um work session or whatnot to figure out what we want to do as a city and with the chamber on that type of marketing.

So if we were to do 43 or 45, would you be decreasing next year?

Or would you be increasing next year?

That's up to you guys.

See, I I'm not comfortable going up past that 40.

And uh seeing what's gonna be coming up county wide in August, that may impact that impact us a lot harder than we're at now.

I'm just like I said, I'm just listening to the discussion because I wasn't on the panel, but I do have like a question for Andrew, and um I understand that the the chamber has been consistently increasing the activities in Eloy and stuff.

And I trust me, I'm not volunteering.

In fact, I've I've resigned a lot of my volunteer positions.

But do you have like committees?

Do you can't do you have volunteers that come in and work with uh organizing the golf tournament, organizing the glow or there's a lot of activity, there's a lot of work being done as you stated earlier by two people.

Oh yeah, we do we do have volunteers for the events.

We do have volunteers for GLOW, we have due volunteers for the golf tournament for our annual banquet and stuff like that, but not for hands on of the of the event coordinating, because me and Angela will handle that.

Uh, but when it comes down to having the event itself, we'll have we have um we have multiple organizations that come out and help.

So the day of the day before, um we like um the kid program, the I forget I always forget their name is they come out, they do it.

Silver Air Patrol.

We have two units that come out, one from Eloy, one from Glendale, APS comes out.

Um we have uh you know a whole bunch of people come out and they help set up, take down and stuff like that.

I just know like with the fiestas, yeah, you know, there's so many components, it's such a huge event, and there's so many components that we do have it breaking down to committees.

You know, this committee is in charge of this, and that committee is in charge of that.

It really does lessen the light the load on like the executive committee and you know all the organization committees are working together, so yeah.

But I think from the working working on it, it's it's fine for us working on it.

It's just we get it done faster that way with us.

Um if I may, um, if it's okay, I could say how much the number of Coolidge chamber gets and cash grant, all these numbers if you want.

If you're not, it's okay.

Okay, uh Coolidge gets $98,000 from their city of their city.

No questions, no answer buts.

They get $98,000 every year.

Um Cash Grant gets a several hundred thousand because they have the bet tax, they have other things that goes on with it, but that's that's they have a program, they have contracted with it.

Um a little more than what we they were proposing.

Again, they have their own contracts and stuff, so that's where the where we all we're all almost around the same.

And not too uh remember Dan, you have anything?

Yes, can you hear me?

Yes.

Okay, Andrew.

Uh of the if I understand you correctly, the you said the GLO money is being put back in the community.

So is it fair to say over the last two to three years when you've had the GLOW that your general fund has not increased in value, but it's basically stayed the same, or maybe decreased a little bit because it increased the expenses?

Yes, it's it has increased with expenses.

So your general fund is uh slower than it was two years ago?

Yes.

Okay.

Yeah, I got confused a little bit.

You said that you had expenses for the uh cruise night and food and food program, but I thought that's what you said the money from the Globe was going to.

Yes, because uh we do we do have expenses for those events.

But didn't you say it was being paid for by the GLO receipts?

What was that?

Didn't you say it was being paid for by the receipts from the GLO?

Yeah, because the Globe the GLO money pays for the event, those events.

So then why do you need extra money to pay for those?

Because I got confused before what why you need extra money when the GLO money was supporting that.

Because some of those events we have extra activities, so for like the GLOW, we only use that money for like entertainment and fully of that, like entertainment and special activities.

The other act the other money that comes from that would be the restrooms and stuff like that.

So there's two different pots that we take out of it.

But but you said the the profit from the glow essentially was 20 some thousand dollars?

23.

23.

And all that money then was going to like the food bank or the uh food sales and the cruise night and so those types of operations?

Yeah, majority, yeah.

And so then why is your general fund decreasing?

Well, it cover I mean it covers a lot of the stuff out of there.

I mean, we send well you've you've seen the the budget when you were on the board.

Yeah, yeah.

So that's that's what I'm but that's but before I saw the numbers of uh you know, recognizing it two or three years of glow of getting 20,000 a year.

So I guess what I'm confused is where that money, what's the accounting of that?

How's that money being put back in the community?

We haven't seen as council any uh documentation of where that money actually went, other than what you're saying.

The other question I have is of the fifty-five thousand dollars, what percentage of the total operating budget of the chamber is that $55,000?

So we're from that fifty-five, we're asking for the forty-eight will be called marketing and operations.

Okay, what's your total your total budget for the year?

What is it?

Well the chamber we're working on that budget right now.

So we should finalize it because depending on what happens here.

Yeah, but last year.

I I don't have on top of my head.

So you can't tell me what percentage of the what percentage of your total operating budget is the portion of the city.

Not on top of my head, no.

Okay, at one point in time it was like 50 percent or 50 percent or more.

Is it that point today?

I couldn't hear you.

At one point, the city contribution was over 50 percent of the operating budget of the city of the chamber.

Is it that level today?

No.

No, not today, and it's not okay.

So essentially we are reducing the amount we're giving the chamber because the chamber is generating extra funds to cover those extra expenses.

Correct.

Okay.

I guess I guess what I what I haven't seen, uh I know you do presentations, but I really haven't seen a uh an income expense sheet from the chamber because every time you come asking for money from the city, you really don't have the chamber budget put together yet to present to us.

Well, on this one they didn't ask us to present a budget.

As previous years they've asked us to present a budget.

This one this year they didn't.

And then but every quarter we do a management report and it's it's given to the city managers.

So when do you do your annual when do you do your annual budget?

Uh it's well, it's in the process right now.

Uh but it we just we're just waiting to see what we're gonna get here so we can work on what we're gonna be doing.

Okay.

All right.

All right, just confused if I think like everybody else are trying to see where some of the money is go and to you know where it's going back to the community to so it's just very confusing to just uh on a word of mouth.

Oh, yeah.

Um that's all but our manager report that we give to our city managers, it's I mean, you guys have access to that.

The city managers have been having getting that for the for over three or four years.

Council doesn't see that.

That's council does not see that.

Yeah, the city managers have them.

But you're asking for money from council, and council hasn't seen it.

Yeah, that's but but that's in your guys' contract that we have to give that to the city managers to make sure the city managers are uh we're that we're in we're following the guidelines of the contract.

And so any time a council member can ask for those fund those paperwork.

Okay.

Yes.

Yeah, well, I got you.

There seems to be a bit of a consensus here that we might just split the difference between the 55 and the 40.

What are your feelings on that?

I I guess I'm okay with that.

I just uh I just like to see uh I like the idea that chambers giving back more money to the community with some of the events like the the uh uh cruise night and the helping some of the uh the organizations.

I like that idea.

But I think some the thing that bothers me is we give a blank check to some of the organizations, not just the chamber, other organizations, and we really don't have a good idea of how that money is really benefiting the community and whether they're using it for uh salaries or using it for a trip or using it for whatever.

And I just uh get a little nervous when we just say a blank check for so much money, and that's where must some of my questions are coming from.

Go ahead, Sarah.

If I may make a suggestion, um perhaps we could uh just get those quarterly reports distributed to council, and then we can be checking them out throughout the year and giving feedback, and then we'll know more next time we have this go-round and we can have um Andrew be prepared to answer more financial questions next time.

Yeah.

Well, the question I would have, sir, is when the committee reviewed this uh uh funding, did the committee see those reports to review them?

Uh no, we didn't.

Well the question I would have sir is when the committee reviewed this uh funding did the committee see those reports to review them uh no we didn't well uh I I'm not sure if you heard what I said before but basically the original thought process is was that as the chamber became more self-sufficient they wouldn't need as much money for operations and marketing but what Andrew has communicated to us is that he is putting a lot of that money that's come from their higher paying events back into other events that they're sort of carrying the financial burden of for the community so that's where we're kind of seeing the disconnect of thinking that the money should go down but actually they're doing more and more and more stuff so they're hoping that the money at least stays consistent.

Yeah and I would agree with that but guess what what we're missing is a report back on how much money they're actually giving back to the committee and where now it's going to the city manager but that has not been shared with council nor shared with the committee that was making the decision on the recommendation recommended amount for this next year.

That's all yeah just so I can clarify too Dan uh I do agree with Sarah it's it's never been requested so we receive that internally as an internal report if that's something that mayor and council want to receive we can make sure to include it when we get it quarterly in the weekly missive so everyone on council has the opportunity to see it.

But also to clarify too it's we're we're looking at the funding specifically for this operation and what the requesting this wasn't like a financial audit of their entire organization which if we want to go into that level of depth then I think it's fair we'd need to do that with all of the organizations that we're looking to fund just isolating and limiting that to one organization.

Yeah no agreed that I'm not looking for that level of depth but we're talking about increasing funding or reducing funding I think some point in time you need to get in into a little bit more depth than what we're talking about now.

Yeah agreed and mayor if it so pleases you guys I can go ahead and submit a proposed budget.

Once we know tonight what's where we're at then I can turn around give it to McKenzie and he can give you guys the proposed budget that we have that would probably work well information is Powell so that would probably work.

Yeah so you guys in for splitting I have an appetite for you know raising the uh amount of the uh funding um because it's a fifteen thousand dollar difference of split will be seven point five Jose no okay we're gonna go with the split on that seven point five forty seven point five any closing remarks on your eight minutes so the 7.5 that would be included with that would be your sponsorship and everything correct 47 point five if I may we're increasing the funding of the 40,000 for the marketing and operations for the chamber from 4000 to 47500.

Okay.

All right thank you museum and bidder's visitor center still remain separate amounts yes they're all separate thank you all right thank you all right so I guess we have to take a vote on this right at this point mayor council members um the city manager reminded me early during the presentations this evening to put on the record that some of the city council members sit as some of the boards on these nonprofits under Arizona law and the um the conflict of interest laws because you sit on a nonprofit as long as there's not a pecuniary or a direct benefit to you it is not considered a conflict of interest so council members that serve as board members in a community such as the size of Eloy voting on a matter is not going to be considered to be a a conflict of interest and also under our city code section two eleven the general rule is that the mayor signs contracts that are presented there the way that they're drafted tonight they have the city manager's signature on there we would suggest to you that if you approve this item that you basically as part of the motion that you direct the city manager to sign the contracts yeah Mr.

Mayor go ahead sir yeah uh before we vote on the total package I'd like to have a comp make a comment on the ministerial alliance absolutely I'd like to propose that we increase that from a thousand to fifteen hundred uh recognizing the food costs recognizing they're expecting more people the last thing I'd like to see is they run short of funding for the number of people they have so I'd like to throw an extra five hundred dollars into that to make it a $1500 to match the request make a proposal to do that okay everybody good with that yeah okay Matt can you add that in thank you thank you Mr Council Schneider that was a good looking note all right so for item A I'm looking for a motion to approve item A with the changes that we couldn't go ahead do we we need to discuss the boards we belong on prior to that vote correct mayor I

Okay.

Everybody good with that?

Yeah, okay.

Matt, can you add that in?

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Council Schneider.

That was a good looking note.

All right.

So for item A, I'm looking for a motion to approve item A with the changes that we put in.

Go ahead.

Do we we need to discuss the boards we belong on prior to that vote?

Correct?

Mayor uh council member Garcia.

The question was asked, should they declare should a should a council member who serves on a nonprofit declare that they are on a nonprofit board this being the source of these there may be a recipient of these funds this evening?

Certainly I would suggest to you that I think that certainly that would be a prudent thing to do, but again, serving on a board by itself is not a conflict of interest.

And also and I hate to you know pick on McKenzie this evening, but perhaps we should just have a recap of what these numbers are when we have the motion so there's no confusion as to what who got what item one I have a quick question for the attorney.

So um the position on the board, does it does it matter what your position is if it if you are on the executive committee or if you're just a member?

Is this is the conflict any different the conflict is based on whether there's a direct benefit to you and Councilmember Galindo, I apologize if I'm wrong, but I don't think they're writing any checks these days, are they for serving these community boards?

In full in full disclosure, I am a member of the Eloy Lions.

I am a member of Corazón de Latinos Unidos.

I believe I'm still a member of the Veterans Center.

Correct?

I'm not sure on that one.

I we haven't met in a while.

I am a member of the Sparrow Campaign Community Action Human Resource Agency, EDSCI didn't ask for money.

I'm not on the that one.

And the Eloy Lions Club.

I think that's it.

And if I missed anything, I'm not getting money from them either.

In fact, they make me write the ins.

Yes, I am not receiving any money for my uh involvement in these organizations, but I am a member of the Eloy Lions Club.

I am a member of the Sparrow campaign.

Um I am a member of the Corazon de Corazon de Latinos Unidos.

I think that's it.

That's it.

All right, thank you.

Mac, I'm gonna ask you to recap those numbers and then I'll make the motion on your recap numbers.

Okay, so all of the other funding requests outside the three that I'm going to name right now remain the same.

We did not increase or decrease funding for any of the other agencies but the three I'm about to mention.

So the first is Ministerial Alliance.

We increase their funding from the a thousand to fifteen hundred.

That's full funding of that request.

Uh the AARP reading program through the Penel Alliance for Economic Growth.

We are going to prepare a different contract to identify the funds that are being associated with that, but we did increase their funding by an additional one thousand dollars, uh what fourteen hundred dollars, so their new total will be ninety-two hundred.

And then the last alteration was the Eloy Chamber of Commerce.

We increase their funding from 40,000 to 47,500, and that's for the Eloy Chamber of Commerce marketing and operational component of their contract.

Go ahead.

Sorry, I know it's been late, but for the AERP, the reading program.

Can we make sure that and we didn't discuss it at during her time?

Make sure she's aware that that can only be spent on the part of Toltec that is within the city limits and not what's in Arizona City.

Yep, we can identify that in the contract.

McKinsey, can you give us a total?

So the two the total new funding request, uh, originally the recommended subcommittee request was for uh 11 uh 111,050.

The new total allocation is 120,470 dollars.

So this is an increase of about four thousand dollars in comparison to last year.

Okay, with that, I'm gonna look for a motion with the numbers that Mac read to approve item A.

Mayor, I'll make a motion to approve item A with the numbers that Mac read.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Roll call, please, Madam Clerk.

Mayor Council members, could we also add on the motion authorizing the city council city manager to sign those contracts?

Yes, and added to that motion will be the city manager to sign those contracts.

We have a first, we have a second.

Still good with those?

Okay.

Madam Clerk.

Councilmember Curtis.

Yes.

Councilmember Schneider.

Yes.

Councilmember Garcia.

Yes.

Councilmember Galindo.

Yes.

Councilmember Vondraska?

Yes.

Mayor Sutton.

Yes.

Thank you.

Congratulations, everybody.

Thank you for this was a long time.

But uh thank you all for coming and uh sticking that out with us.

You're welcome to stay the rest of the meeting.

You really don't have to.

Yeah, let's uh let's take five minutes now.

Yeah, it's all the very name.

All right, let's get this meeting rolling.

All right, we're gonna call this meeting back to order.

Number eight, item B, discussion and consideration of adopting ordinance number two five nine eight seven, amending chapter nineteen of the City of Eloy Code to establish high usage non-potable water industrial usage to provide additional information in the industrial wastewater drainage regulations.

Mr.

Renscher, take it away.

Mr.

Mayor, thank you very much.

And I we appreciate your your diligence and your patience in this.

This has been a long track.

So these next two items that I have, I will be brief.

I'll be respectful of your time.

The first item that we have to you is revisions to our wastewater code uh and to our water code.

And this is something that's been that has been precipitated by the the incoming of the data center.

Uh, when we were looking at that, we realized that we didn't have anything in our code to account for the high the high water usages.

Um so we're proposing a high water usage limit of of 250,000.

That would establish the criteria as as a high high usage uh water.

Uh we received uh late Friday afternoon um some correspondence from the attorney representing the data center.

They are asking to include the verbiage of uh 250,000 gallons, um 250,000 gallons per day.

Average day demand, we didn't have that, we just have it at as 250,000.

That's at the council of the pleasure.

If you want to include that that average uh verbiage in the in the code, we will certainly do so.

Uh, as it stands right now, the the proposed revisions to the code do not distinguish between um use uh regular use and and average use.

So you could theoretic theoretically have a high water usage of 300,000 gallons just for the sake of the argument, and then it drops down to 100,000 gallons per day over the next six months, but drop below that threshold.

So that's a decision that council will will make and we will incorporate whatever whatever recommendations you have into the code revisions.

The second part of this that we propose for revising the code is is to actually set forth the water quality standards for our water and wastewater infrastructure to protect our existing infrastructure.

Uh the table that's included in this is a new table that we put together based on our permitted requirements from the Department of Environmental Quality.

Questions on the left questions on the right.

Okay.

That's gonna make it really quick, ain't it?

All right, Steph.

Okay, so do I hear a motion to read by title adoption of ordinance two five-nine eight seven, including the words average two hundred and fifty thousand gallons per day?

Mayor, I'll make the most of it to read by title only.

Second.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Say nate.

The ayes have it.

Motion carries.

Thank you.

Ordinance number 25987.

An ordinance of the mayor and city council of the city of Eloy, Arizona, amending sections of Chapter 1, Article 19 of the City Code regarding water and sewer service, private sewage systems, the purpose, terms, and requirements for service, providing for separability, and establishing an effective date.

Do we have a motion to approve the ordinance as presented?

So moved.

Second.

Madam Clerk, may I get a roll call, please?

Councilmember Galindo.

Yes.

Councilmember Valdraska?

Yes.

Councilmember Curtis.

Yes.

Councilmember Snyder.

Doesn't it appear to be on the line?

Councilmember Garcia.

Yes.

Mayor Sutton.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Item D authorization to enter into a purchase and sale agreement between the City of Eloy and Eloy Community Development Partners LLC for the sale.

What?

I certainly did.

Mayor, council, Mayor, Council members.

Go ahead.

I might I might have taken one too many to the head over my career, but I heard you pass by title only, but I didn't hear the second motion to approve the ordinance.

That was Mike, you were second motion, right?

Yeah.

And if I may, did that include to include was that motion to include average day demand for 250,000 dollars?

That was on the original motion.

Okay.

Yes.

I'll take your word for it, but I I only heard one vote.

I didn't hear two votes.

The title by only was uh just a yay.

Okay.

One too many.

One too many.

That's all right.

All right.

All right.

Item number C.

Consider consideration of the authorized authorizing services to be provided by CAID Central Arizona Irrigation and Drainage District at a cost not to exceed 250,000 plus applicable taxes to complete tasks needed to drill a replacement well of well number three.

Mr.

Mayor, thank you very much.

I'll be quick with this one as well.

As you know, we we've had some ongoing issues with our well number three.

Well number three is one of the wells that we use to counteract the nitrates from wells five and six.

So when we we uh requested the the Central Arizona Irrigation Drainage District to come out and take a look at it and see if they could diagnose the problems that we were having with that.

Uh they did so, and their recommendations were that the well was was drilled in properly when it was drilled, and their recommendation is to drill a replacement well.

Um as long as it's within 100 feet, it it doesn't require any additional permitting through the Department of Water Resources, it's just permitted as a replacement well and not as a new well.

Um we have $350,000 in this current budget to look through that, and and we had that to identify the the cracking in the in the well casing.

Um this is to um open up a purchase order so that we can spend some of that and the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars covers some of the preliminary tasks that we gathered for for the the steps necessary to drill the replacement well.

Next fiscal year we do have nine hundred thousand dollars in there for well rehabilitation, and we we intend on bringing forward a contract with the district the Katie uh to drill a new well using their their contract and the uh intergovernmental agreement that we have that was signed years back.

How long does it take to drill a well?

In speaking with the district, we we can probably have this up and operational by March of next year.

Any questions left?

Will there be any disruption in services while this maintenance is taking being taken care of?

No, we we have enough with our existing with our existing wells to meet the demand.

We also plan on doing this over the winter when that when the demand is lower to to make sure that we have enough to to meet the demands for the city.

Just for clarification, well number three is not operational right now, is that correct?

That's correct.

And we actually removed the well head, so we haven't covered uh secured, but we will be drilling a completely new well within the the hundred foot perimeter.

Just a quick question, informational only.

Uh how deep of uh well or how how far do we have to drill?

We're going to drill to about 1100 feet, but we'll set the pump at 800 feet.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Any other questions from council?

Also informational, but you mentioned that the this well sort of offsets the nitrates from the other wells.

So what do we do when we don't have this well?

But is it how do we offset those?

Well, we do have a nitrate treatment facility that we are working with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environmental Quality.

We were successful in in securing a grant to uh design and construct nitrate treatment facilities that will be installed next to wells five and six.

Or are we on the high side right now, or are we doing okay?

We're we're actually doing okay because we have the blending.

We we blend the the water from well four uh with wells five and six.

Wells five and six are the higher nitrates, they're usually around seven or eight parts per million.

Um the the trigger or the the contaminant level for nitrates is ten milligrams per liter.

So even with wells five and six, we're still below that, but just this gives us a little bit more of an extra cushion.

Okay, at this time we're looking for a motion to approve authorizing services provided by CAD at a cost not to exceed 250,000 dollars to replace well three.

Mayor, I'll make a motion to authorize the services to be provided by CAD at a cost not to exceed $250,000.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Madam Clerk.

Councilmember Garcia.

Yes.

Councilmember Galindo.

Yes.

Councilmember Vodraska?

Yes.

Councilmember Curtis.

Yes.

Councilmember Schneider.

You must be off.

Mayor Sutton.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

All right.

Now we'll go to the authorization to enter into a purchase and sale agreement between the City of Eloy and Eloy Community Development Partners LLC for the sale of approximately 81 plus or minus acres of city owned property located northwest corner of Houser Road and 11 mile corner road for the total purchase price of 1,486,000.

Mac.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor, members of council.

I'll try to be as thorough but expedited as fast as I can.

Apologies.

Take your time.

Yep, I'll take my time and then want to thank Don and Carolyn.

They've been sitting here.

I I almost recall that I'm pretty sure this project, you sat through the same group of presentations this time last year.

So appreciate your patience.

So just to kind of go over a project refresher because it's been a significant amount of time since you know, Mayor and Council have seen this.

Obviously, we've provided updates to the negotiations over the course of the year through weekly missive reports.

Um here's kind of the breakdown of the timeline of how this all started and what the process was.

So back in October 2023, our esteemed economic development specialist when he was still with the city, Jeff Fairman presented this to council as a surplus property that we wanted to look to market for a request for proposals for a mixed use redevelopment project.

After he brought that to council and that was approved, we brought it to the January 2024 executive central for uh session for council guidance where we were given uh guidance from council mayor and council about how we would kind of structure that RFP.

Uh we wanted to make sure that the mixed use development incorporated residential, commercial, and retail components with a breakdown that was more allocated toward about 40 acres approximately of residential property and then less acreage for the residential and commercial components, which we'll get on to later in the uh later into the presentation.

So in March 2024, following that executive session, we issued the mixed use request for proposal.

Uh in April, we received those bids.

Um, and backtracking back to March, we did have a in-person um in-person bid, uh, basically bid presentation.

We had a total of five representatives that were there, but we did only end up receiving one formal bid, and that is from the Eloy Community Development Partners, who was the winning bidder.

So at the June 2024, we were given direction by Mayor and Council to proceed with the PSA negotiations.

Uh following that, we have been working on a PSA negotiation process with their team, basically between July 2024 and April 2025.

And so now the big question, right, is why the heck did this take so long?

A big part of that was because one of the commitments, which we'll get later on to uh in the PowerPoint is uh one of the commitments of this RFP from the city side is the paving of Houser Road from 11 mile corner to SR87.

Uh, our portion of that road is required to be paved between uh Houser 11 Mile Corner and La Palma.

And so when you look at that project, it's totaling to about 6.8 million dollars.

We were working with the Pinal Regional Transportation Authority at that time, obviously during the half cent tax that they're trying to push through.

As we all know, back in about December of this last year, that went dormant and they suspended activity on that, but we had to fight to prioritize this as a project.

It was originally allocated.

Oh, did someone have a question?

Did I miss that?

Or am I just hearing things because it's been a long night?

Okay, cool.

Um, so anyways, we were had to fight to keep that project included in their plan.

Originally, it wasn't actually allocated any funding uh for that project.

And so after we pushed for that project to be included in their program, we ended up getting the criteria, um, basically the criteria that made it an applicable project applied to their program.

And then we found out a month later that they're suspending operations, and so we had to kind of scramble to figure out how are we gonna end up funding this project, where are we to find those additional funds to be able to support something like this because it's a significant investment from the city side.

So what we ended up doing working with Matt in the Sun Corridor, we ended in up in quarter or incorporating it into their uh TIP program, so it's on their transportation plan.

Uh and then we also identified it in our capital improvement plan for the next five years as well.

So we wanted to make sure that we took the due diligence to make sure we had everything ready because that is going to be a significant commitment from the city side to make sure that we have that road paved.

Uh, it's gonna be a stipulation of the development agreement that will be coming after we approve this purchase and sales agreement.

Hopefully it's not.

So, as a refresher, uh, here's the location of the property here.

You can see it's located at Houser and 11 Mile Corner Road.

It's approximately eight eighty-one acres, gross acreage.

That's not gonna be developable acreage, and then that star location you're seeing there is also identified in the purchase and sales agreement.

That's gonna be uh where a well is located, and the city is still gonna remain access and control of that well.

So from the city side, kind of the direction again, reiterating what we received in that executive session last year was we wanted to proceed with a mixed use development.

So the RFP was pushed out with retail and commercial and residential multifamily component.

We weren't super picky on exactly what that breakdown was going to be, but we wanted to make sure all those elements were incorporated.

This was kind of the estimate that we broke down when we had that pre-bid conference with the bidders that were looking to bid on this project.

We were estimating approximately about 30 to 40 acreage for single family residential, 12 to 20 for multifamily that can include apartments, and then 20 uh for commercial and retail.

And an important component with the 20 for the commercial and retail, which we'll see later on.

This PowerPoint is this project is going to be a phased project.

So the residential will come before the commercial component.

You need the rooftops to support the commercial, so they're not gonna they're gonna start with residential first.

Again, this is kind of going into the city side commitments, as I already stated, the paving of housing road and then the mute mutual development of a development agreement.

That's going to be a massive undertaking.

Uh, we're gonna work on if this is approved tonight, we're gonna work on that over the next several months to make sure we get that aligned because it's going to lay down some of the stipulations that were outlined in the RFP, as well as working with Dan to make sure we aren't breaking any rules with contract zoning and making sure we have everything covered on that end.

Uh from the developer side, we also have the commitments of the realignment of houser road.

They will also be installing a four-way traffic light.

They will be installing a lift station on the property, and then again, they have the mutual development of a development agreement.

So the Eloy Community Development uh Eloy Community Development Partners, their proposal, uh it was the winning bid, and they are a firm that has almost a century worth of experience uh from the development side, everything from construction to you know the sale of property.

Uh, they have a significant amount of projects that they've worked on not only in Florida, California, Massachusetts.

So they're a well-known, well-known and respected developer across the country.

So we were really excited when we saw they were coming forward with their proposal.

Uh, this was the breakdown of what they recommended based on the preliminary study that they provided to the city, and this is they have a better understanding of the market more than we do because they're in this field all the time.

And so this is kind of the concept that they came up with.

Again, this is still preliminary.

These are details that we can hash out throughout the development agreement process.

But uh 10 acres for traditional apartments, uh, 10 acres for build-to-rent townhomes, 45 acres for single-family community uh with residential, and then from the commercial side, they have five acres identified for self-storage, 10 acres for the neighborhood shopping center, which would include a potential grocery store.

And then those were some of the concept pictures that they included there.

And then this slide again is just a breakdown from their RFP.

Uh, as you can see, the listing of ABCDE is in no specific order, it's just how they identified it there.

Uh, I don't want anybody to be scared when they see the manufactured home community.

We know uh we'll address that during the development agreement process because manufactured home can mean a variety of different things to different people.

Uh we don't want it to be a trailer park, it will be a higher end community, but there is a good viability for a manufactured home community that has amenities, has walkability and stuff like that.

So we will make sure it is a suitable project.

And if council has any input on that, they're willing to provide it today.

And then lastly, uh, as I identified in the co-act, these are some considerations that council might have, right?

So is the feasibility in the closing excessive?

So after staff reviewed it, myself, uh Steve Cooper and Dan Simer.

Uh, we don't believe that it's excessive.

When you look at projects that are similar to this, um, the two-year time frame is actually pretty aggressive because this property isn't rezoned.

So they're gonna have to do all the due diligence, they're gonna have to do the studies, the site assessments, uh, geotechnical surveys all during this time prior to closing.

So all that stuff can take anywhere from eight to nine months for some of it, and then for their other studies, you know, in between if they're running things concurrently, those can add additional months and months and months onto the process as well.

And then uh the next portion here is the city's option to repurchase a property two years after the close of escrow.

So we wanted to make sure we incorporated this in so we protected the city in the case that they don't meet the commitments that are necessary that the city has the ability to purchase.

Obviously, if they've got to this point where they've already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars, I think the original estimates of what they're gonna have to invest to get this property ready through this process is between 800,000 and 1.2 million dollars just in the zoning and the studies and all that stuff.

This gives us the opportunity that you know we're giving them the flexibility to where they have time to develop, they have time to get the site ready, um, and then it also gives us the ability to repurchase the property.

And then lastly, I just wanted to end this in conclusion with make sure this is a thoughtful investment.

Um, we wanted to make sure that we provided protections to the city while also giving them the ability to have the time necessary to do this project because we didn't want to just flip the project for the most money the city could have to a landowner that was gonna sit on the property for a decade.

Uh by going through this process and working with community uh Eloy community development partners, we're going to have a proven developer that has a track record of successful projects that's partnering with the city for development that we're all in agreement of that's gonna be for the best benefit of the city.

We weren't looking to just flip the property for 1.5 million dollars and then walk away.

That's not what we want.

And so from the South side, we're excited to be working with them and looking forward to what comes next.

So with that being said, I'd be happy to answer any questions.

And then we also have Carolyn and Don here from the representing the Eloy Community Development Partners.

If you have any specific questions to the development.

Thank you, Mac.

That was pretty thorough.

And housing is in great demand, not only here in Eloy, but all over Arizona.

And I kind of like the repurchase part.

If things aren't going good, you know, we both throw up our hands, we repurchase and we all walk away, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I do like that.

So any questions from council.

I think I yes.

Thank you, Mayor.

I think I read that in that agreement.

Um the repurchase would be at the original uh selling selling price.

Is that correct?

Yes, okay.

And thank you for reassuring us about manufactured homes.

Um I appreciate that.

We don't want it to be uh another RV resort style type um residence here.

And thank you for your deal due diligence.

I also appreciate the reassurance on the manufactured homes.

Um I think it's a great location between um, you know, when we started talking about this project, I thought so as well.

It it's kind of bridging the gap between Toltec and Eloy, so it could you know start to bring development into that area.

Um I hadn't thought of this before, but a question occurred to me now.

Um, is this within the airport influence zone?

I believe it is probably closing.

Oh, Dave.

I don't believe it is in the airport zone, but let me just double check the map.

Okay, yeah, I just I that sounds about right.

Um, but I just wanted to you know bring to your attention that you know, with it is close to the airport, and as you're you know, making your sales agreements with customers, it definitely could help the city out if people understand that they're buying a house reasonably close to an airport that you know is is operational so that we don't have uh problems with complaints on the noise and stuff like that, that there is an understanding as as these homes and and apartments are sold.

I had no questions, but I did want to give them the opportunity to talk after sitting there three hours.

And stuff, but you know, me and aesthetics, I'm gonna just make sure that you know the developer is um going to invest in sidewalks and and street lights and specifically address issues if they are so close to the airport, maybe street lights that don't luminate as into the sky, but more onto the streets.

Um to consider things like that to consider beautification of of the community and just just to make sure that those things are added in.

No, for sure, council member galendo, and I don't want to speak for them, um, but I can I can verify.

I've been to one of their projects in San Diego.

They actually did a redevelopment project in the downtown San Diego area, and it it's a great project.

So it's they're used to taking projects that are kind of dormant or haven't been uh redeveloped or don't have interest to be redeveloped and beautifying them and making them locations and destinations where people actually want to live and invest in commercial and retail opportunities.

So yeah, I think they'll definitely knock that stuff out of the park.

Thank you.

Sorry, Joanne just um triggered a thought, and it was on the the light, the street lights.

Um, you know, Eloy isn't exactly a dark sky community or anything, but we do have a lot of dark skies um now, and I think as we grow, it would be nice to maintain that.

And um, you know, it sounds like you guys are real modern and knowing all the latest stuff to do, but I I think that would be a nice thing to include as your plans develop to make sure um that we you know are dark sky compliant with our street lights and stuff like that, and then we're down facing on all that stuff.

Not so much for the airport, but I think just for the citizen um enjoyment of our city and our skies mayor mayor, council members.

So to answer councilwoman Curtis's question, there is a small section of the parcel, the northwest corner that is within the airport influence zone.

Um it's small, not not very big, but yeah, just a teeny part.

We're good.

All right, at this time I'm looking for a motion to enter into a purchase and sale agreement between the city of Eloy and Eloy Community Development Partners LLC for the sale of approximately 81 acres of city-owned property.

Uh northwest corner of House Road and 11 mile corner road for the purchase price of 1,486,000.

Do I have a motion?

Mayor.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Madam Clerk.

Councilmember Garcia.

Yes.

Councilmember Galindo.

Yes.

Councilmember Vodraska?

Yes.

Councilmember Curtis.

Yes.

Mayor Sutton.

Yes.

Thank you.

All right, I'll take the check as you're going out.

All right.

All right, so at this time I'm gonna table item E for a later date.

And I will look for a motion to adjourn.

So moved.

Second.

Second.

All favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Adjourn.

Sorry.

Thank you, Mr.

Wonder.

Look at that beautiful summer.

Take a seat and that relax.

Thank you for your patience.

Oh, yeah.

I needed that caffeine.

Hey Brian.