Eloy City Council Regular Meeting - June 9, 2025

The Eloy City Council met on Monday, June 9, 2025, at approximately 6:00 p.m. (the agenda had listed 5:15 p.m.) in the City Council Chambers. The meeting included a moment of silence for fallen Apache Junction Police Officer Gabriel Fasio, reports from the Mayor, Council, City Manager, and Police Chief, and action on several business items. The Council approved a consent agenda with one item pulled for discussion, authorized a $12.8 million guaranteed energy service agreement, approved three new job classifications, authorized an on-call contract with Stantec for plan review of a major solar facility, and adopted the tentative budget for FY2025-2026. A public hearing on a proposed annexation was held but no vote was taken.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes – April 14, 2025 regular meeting minutes.
• Case No. CSP2024-001 (Exceptional Healthcare) – Pulled by Councilmember for discussion; later approved separately (see Discussion Items).
• Final Plat for Blue Beacon Eloy (FP2025-004) – Reconfiguration of three parcels into one lot with right-of-way dedication.
• Authorization of Payment to ADEQ – Up to $61,116.66 for design review of the Eleven Mile Corner Sewer Extension Project.
• Bid Award to Rummel Construction, Inc. – $307,492.60 for Eloy Municipal Airport Drainage Improvements Phase II. All items were approved by a single motion except Item B.

Public Comments & Testimony

No members of the public addressed the Council during the Public Appearances portion of the agenda. No unscheduled comments were made.

Reports and Announcements

• Mayor’s Announcements – Mayor Sutton reported on community events: the DePenal Partners Breakfast focused on childcare and education; D-Day flag placement at Robeson Ranch (over 600 flags) with thanks to an Eloy police officer who helped; a community yard sale; the Eloy Police Department family picnic; and the Chamber of Commerce Casino Night benefiting the Santa Cruz Visitors Center.
• Council Members’ Announcements – Councilmember Vadoroska reflected on his first six months on the council, expressing gratitude. Councilmember Galindo thanked the Parks and Rec department for new water aerobics classes. Councilmember Curtis highlighted the Pinal Partnership Breakfast discussion on workforce skills, apprenticeships, and the need for community involvement in school board meetings.
• City Manager’s Announcements – The City Manager reported on a successful spay/neuter clinic (over 20 animals), with plans for quarterly clinics in FY2025-2026 in partnership with AZ Vet Direct. He reminded of the special budget meeting on June 26 at 5:30 p.m. He announced the upcoming Eloy Talks event on June 21 featuring author Peter Kagagama, and that community workshops for the General Plan update will begin in July. He also noted the transition to WM (formerly Waste Management) for solid waste services and the distribution of new customer guides.
• Police Chief’s Monthly Briefing – Chief Benales provided updates including recruitment and promotions, installation of the Flock camera system (approximately 15 cameras, operational by end of July), two new Chevy Tahoes, and a planned military veterans tribute wrap on one vehicle. He highlighted community engagement in May: attendance at peace officer memorials, Coffee with a Cop at Robeson Ranch, security at Santa Cruz Union High School graduation, a vaccine clinic, and Memorial Day wreath ceremony. Notable enforcement activities included three drone (Delta 1) deployments: locating an arson suspect, capturing a suspect who killed a dog and made threats, and responding to a bomb threat at Toltec School. Statistics for May: 1,138 total calls (873 police, 265 fire), 690 calls to 911, 153 investigations, 137 traffic citations, 19 collisions, and 289 public records requests. Councilmembers asked about drone response time (10-15 minutes), notification protocols for school threats, and collision statistics.

Discussion Items

• Item B – Case No. CSP2024-001 (Exceptional Healthcare Master Sign Program) – Pulled from consent agenda. Councilmember Curtis expressed concern about the structural support for a proposed 50-foot pylon sign with 385 sq. ft. of sign area, given wind loads. Jared from Associated Sign Company explained the dual-post design and fabric sign faces that reduce wind load, and confirmed engineering review for 115 mph winds. The Councilmember’s concerns were alleviated. The item was then approved by a separate roll call vote.
• Item A – Guaranteed Energy Service Agreement with Veregy Energy Services, LLC – Matt Rencher presented the agreement, not to exceed $12.8 million, to manage five major water and wastewater capital projects including rehabilitation of pump station #2 and the Eleven Mile Corner sewer line extension. The funding comes from various capital project sources. Councilmember Vadoroska clarified that the discharge pipe repair at the wastewater treatment plant is included in the bar screen project. The Council approved the motion to authorize the City Manager to sign documents.
• Item B – Approval of Three New Job Classifications – David Malewitz presented the new classifications: Accounting Specialist – Lead (finance), Street/Sanitation Superintendent (public works), and Senior Planner (community development). The positions are new additions, not reclassifications, intended to support organizational growth and succession planning. Councilmember Galindo questioned the salary range compared to qualifications, noting the Senior Planner requires more education but has a lower range than the Superintendent position. Malewitz explained the difference is due to supervisory duties (Superintendent supervises 5-6 people; Senior Planner does not). The City Manager noted that the pay will be reviewed in the next compensation study. The Council approved the three positions.
• Item C – On-Call Professional Services Contract with Stantec Consulting Services Inc. – Dan Symer requested authorization for the Mayor to execute a contract for plan review of the Kitt Utility Scale Solar and Battery Storage Facility, a $181 million project on 630 acres. The expedited review fee is estimated at about $700,000, with a cap of $1 million to allow for possible tariff increases. Stantec will perform the review electronically from their Chandler office. The Council approved.
• Item D – Adoption of Resolution No. 25-1620 (Tentative Budget FY2025-2026) – Brian Wright presented the tentative budget of $95,834,185, which sets the maximum spending limit. After adoption, the budget will be published, a public hearing held on June 26, and then a final budget adopted. The Council read the resolution by title and approved it.
• Item E – Public Hearing on Annexation Case No. A2025-001 – Dan Symer explained the proposed annexation of approximately 30.12 acres (five parcels) east of the northwest corner of Adams Road and Guano Road. The parcels include a future development, a Union Pacific right-of-way, and the Border Patrol property. The property owners support annexation; the city will work on repaving Adams Road. The current county zoning is CI-1 (General Industrial), which will be carried over. The next step is gathering signatures (50% of owners and 51% of valuation required) and a vote at the July 14 council meeting. No public comments were made. The hearing was closed without action.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda Approved (except Item B) by unanimous roll call.
• Item B (Exceptional Healthcare Sign Program) Approved – Unanimous roll call after discussion.
• Item A (Veregy Energy Agreement) Approved – Unanimous roll call to authorize the City Manager to sign.
• Item B (Three New Job Classifications) Approved – Unanimous roll call.
• Item C (Stantec Contract) Approved – Unanimous roll call to authorize the Mayor to execute.
• Item D (Tentative Budget Resolution 25-1620) Approved – Read by title and adopted by unanimous roll call.
• Public Hearing on Annexation – Held; no vote taken. Next step: signature gathering, with possible action on July 14, 2025.
• Meeting Adjourned – Unanimous motion at approximately 7:30 p.m. (estimated).