OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Eloy City Council Meeting - June 23, 2025

Meeting Portal — Monday, June 23, 2025
BodyEloy, Arizona
SessionMeeting Portal
DateMonday, June 23, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:20:32

Transcript — Verbatim
0:04

Okay, but we do have a scheduled public appearance, don't we?

0:10

At this time, I'd like to ask the people from First Things First presentation on health and development of young children in Arizona.

0:16

Come up, state your name.

0:21

And welcome to the city of Eloy.

0:23

Oh boy.

0:29

Okay.

0:30

Thank you, Mayor Sutton.

0:31

Thank you, council members, for letting us speak to you tonight.

0:34

My name is Katrina DeVinny.

0:35

I am the Panell Regional Director for First Things First.

0:39

And like I told somebody as we came in, we are not the good news people, but we are the important news people.

0:45

So I'm gonna go through a little bit about FTF, who we are, how we're funded, all of that, just to give anyone who's not familiar a little bit of a background.

0:56

So our picture or vision for Arizona is one in which all Arizona children are healthy and ready to succeed in school and life.

1:04

Here's first things first mission and vision.

1:08

Our goal is to partner with the community and organizations to better support families and children and therefore strengthen our community.

1:17

I keep hitting the wrong button.

1:19

First things first was created in 2006.

1:22

Their first funding plan cycle was in 2008.

1:26

We are funded by tobacco tax revenue that is shared with the general fund.

1:38

So first things first is the funding source.

1:41

We give our money to our grants and partners, and then they perform whatever service it is out to children.

1:49

So what that looks like here in Penal County, uh, we have a $5.2 million budget per year.

1:56

Um we have an 11-person council that is made up of volunteers that decide where that funding is going.

2:03

We're in the third year, we're on fiscal years, so we just uh July will start our new fiscal year, state fiscal year 26.

2:11

Um state fiscal year 2027 will be the last year of the funding cycle, and then we start a new one in 2028.

2:20

So with that funding here in Penal, we fund uh hearing and vision screening, dental screening, developmental screenings.

2:28

All these services are free and have nothing to do with income.

2:32

Uh parent education, our fund van for out of the Apache Junction Library that travels all around the county doing parenting education classes.

2:40

If there's something more specific that a family needs help with or support, we do have a home visitation program that will come into the home if that's not comfortable meeting the community, but that one-on-one support for a family.

2:53

Um and then we do have our signature program, Quality First, that tries to raise the quality of care in child care centers.

3:01

And then we do put a large amount of money into scholarships that allow access to those quality programs.

3:07

So that's the good news.

3:10

That's all the good work we're doing in Penal County.

3:16

Um, and this is why.

3:18

Um early childhood impacts a lifetime.

3:22

It can affect everything.

3:24

Uh kindergarten readiness, third grade reading scores, all the way through workforce readiness.

3:30

And when a child starts behind, they often stay behind.

3:33

And I have one of those.

3:35

Um, he's he started behind.

3:37

We didn't realize we thought he was rambunctious and spirited.

3:42

Uh no.

3:44

So we didn't have him diagnosed by a developmental pediatrician until in between first grade and second grade, and it was a real catch-up to try to get him on track and tracking developmentally with his peers.

3:57

I can report he just turned 16 and is tracking very well, but it took a lot of hard work, so I know what this what early childhood means.

4:06

But we do have a shared vision, I think, for Eloy.

4:09

Eloy's always been the town that when I talk about it to other people.

4:13

I've been working in early childhood since 2011 in Penal.

4:18

I it's it's the community town.

4:20

It's the family town.

4:22

It's the town that cares about its people, its citizens.

4:25

You guys just you really take care of Eloy.

4:30

So we have that same, we have that same vision uh for the children.

4:37

And we know that quality early childhood um supports problem solving, communication, social interaction, those things that my son took years and years to develop really are ideal to develop in those early years before they get into kindergarten.

4:53

Um and these are the things employers want.

4:56

If you're looking at this, you know, we're trying to give you all broad perspectives for why early childhood matters.

5:01

You know, employers need people that can problem solve but manage their emotions, get along with others.

5:07

That all starts in the first five years.

5:10

And we aren't the only state in crisis, but our state is in a child care crisis.

5:16

Even though we have this funding and are able to do what we do in early childhood, there's a severe gap.

5:22

And my colleague will share the really good news with you about the local numbers later, but there are people trying to do innovative solutions across the country and in Arizona to try to combat the child care crisis that we're in.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Child Care Services█████████████████████21%
Budget Equity Analysis████████████████16%
Procedural███████████████15%
Affordable Housing████████████12%
Public Safety██████████10%
Community Engagement█████5%
Public Engagement████4%
Parks and Recreation████4%
Water And Wastewater Management████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Eloy City Council Meeting - June 23, 2025

The Eloy City Council met on Monday, June 23, 2025, at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting included a scheduled presentation on early childhood development, reports from the mayor and city manager, approval of consent agenda items, and adoption of resolutions regarding sanitation rates and the acquisition of the Eloy Housing Authority building.

Consent Calendar

  • Items A, B, E, and F were approved unanimously via a single motion. Item A noted no minutes to review for this meeting. Item B appointed Larry Ginn to the Parks, Recreation and Library Board (term expiring June 23, 2028). Item E approved an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Eloy Housing Authority (EHA) for administrative services related to dissolution. Item F approved a Proposition 202 grant application for a fire district SCBA washer.
  • Items C and D were pulled for separate discussion and later approved individually.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Scheduled Presentation: Katrina DeVinny, Pinal Regional Director for First Things First, and Don Wilkinson of Enhancing Early Childhood presented on early childhood development and the child care crisis in Arizona and Eloy. Key statistics: Eloy has 1,534 children but only 156 licensed child care slots (a 90% gap). Six licensed programs exist, four Head Start and two home-based. They highlighted low wages (poverty level), lack of benefits, and the need for community investment. Council members asked about licensing requirements, qualifications, and options for swing-shift families. The presenters urged viewing early childhood as part of the education continuum.

Reports and Announcements

  • Mayor's Announcements: Reported meeting with ED4 on emergency preparedness and substation expansion, successful Eloy Talks event (over 50 attendees), and the final Cruise Night of the season.
  • Councilmember Schneider: Expressed confusion about the reservation of third Monday for work sessions and difficulty finding meeting minutes on the city website. City Clerk explained minutes are delayed due to new software and will be a priority. Mayor clarified third Monday work sessions will be scheduled as needed with two-week notice.
  • City Manager Malewitz: Announced a fraudulent invoice scam targeting the city; urged caution. Promoted July 4th events (free swim, fireworks) and Movies Under the Stars. Highlighted success of Eloy Talks and upcoming community input meetings on July 30, 31, and August 2. Reminded council of a special budget meeting on June 26 at 5:30 PM.

Discussion Items

  • Consent Item C: Purchase and installation of two shade structures at Jones Park and Trekell Park for $138,860.69. Councilmember Vodraska asked about vandalism protection, warranty (10-year prorated), and liability. City Attorney explained recreational use statute protections. The item was approved unanimously.
  • Consent Item D: Intergovernmental Agreement for Public Works employees to participate in the Pinal County Safety Roadeo. Councilmember Vodraska asked about participation rates (75-80%) and past performance. Approved unanimously.
  • Business Item 8A: Consideration of the Eloy Housing Authority's recommended fair market value of $165,000 for sale of its administration building to the city. City Manager Malewitz described the long history, two appraisals, and HUD acceptance. Former Mayor Powell (EHA board chair) confirmed ongoing remediation of asbestos and mold, and the plan to dissolve the EHA after asset transfer. Council approved, with Vice Mayor Tarango asking about the building's condition. Motion carried unanimously.
  • Business Item 8B: Resolution 25-1618 adopting the consolidated rate and fee schedule, effective August 1, 2025. Finance Director Wright explained changes, including sanitation rate increases. Councilmember Galindo asked about business license fees, lock bar charges, and overage fees. Wright clarified that the fuel adjustment fee is eliminated. Approved unanimously.
  • Business Item 8C: Resolution 25-1619 implementing new sanitation rates, rate components, and fees. Councilmember Schneider requested a customer notification plan for automatic payments. Wright indicated a bill insert and email notification will be sent. Approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent items A, B, E, F approved collectively. Items C and D approved separately after discussion.
  • Business Item 8A approved: City staff authorized to proceed with negotiations for the EHA building acquisition.
  • Resolution 25-1618 (consolidated rate schedule) adopted unanimously.
  • Resolution 25-1619 (sanitation rates) adopted unanimously.
  • No executive session was held.
  • Meeting adjourned at approximately 7:25 PM.
  • Next special meeting: June 26, 2025, at 5:30 PM for budget approval.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, but we do have a scheduled public appearance, don't we? At this time, I'd like to ask the people from First Things First presentation on health and development of young children in Arizona. Come up, state your name. And welcome to the city of Eloy. Oh boy. Okay. Thank you, Mayor Sutton. Thank you, council members, for letting us speak to you tonight. My name is Katrina DeVinny. I am the Panell Regional Director for First Things First. And like I told somebody as we came in, we are not the good news people, but we are the important news people. So I'm gonna go through a little bit about FTF, who we are, how we're funded, all of that, just to give anyone who's not familiar a little bit of a background. So our picture or vision for Arizona is one in which all Arizona children are healthy and ready to succeed in school and life. Here's first things first mission and vision. Our goal is to partner with the community and organizations to better support families and children and therefore strengthen our community. I keep hitting the wrong button. First things first was created in 2006. Their first funding plan cycle was in 2008. We are funded by tobacco tax revenue that is shared with the general fund. So first things first is the funding source. We give our money to our grants and partners, and then they perform whatever service it is out to children. So what that looks like here in Penal County, uh, we have a $5.2 million budget per year. Um we have an 11-person council that is made up of volunteers that decide where that funding is going. We're in the third year, we're on fiscal years, so we just uh July will start our new fiscal year, state fiscal year 26. Um state fiscal year 2027 will be the last year of the funding cycle, and then we start a new one in 2028. So with that funding here in Penal, we fund uh hearing and vision screening, dental screening, developmental screenings. All these services are free and have nothing to do with income. Uh parent education, our fund van for out of the Apache Junction Library that travels all around the county doing parenting education classes. If there's something more specific that a family needs help with or support, we do have a home visitation program that will come into the home if that's not comfortable meeting the community, but that one-on-one support for a family. Um and then we do have our signature program, Quality First, that tries to raise the quality of care in child care centers. And then we do put a large amount of money into scholarships that allow access to those quality programs. So that's the good news. That's all the good work we're doing in Penal County. Um, and this is why. Um early childhood impacts a lifetime. It can affect everything. Uh kindergarten readiness, third grade reading scores, all the way through workforce readiness. And when a child starts behind, they often stay behind. And I have one of those. Um, he's he started behind. We didn't realize we thought he was rambunctious and spirited. Uh no. So we didn't have him diagnosed by a developmental pediatrician until in between first grade and second grade, and it was a real catch-up to try to get him on track and tracking developmentally with his peers. I can report he just turned 16 and is tracking very well, but it took a lot of hard work, so I know what this what early childhood means. But we do have a shared vision, I think, for Eloy. Eloy's always been the town that when I talk about it to other people. I've been working in early childhood since 2011 in Penal. I it's it's the community town. It's the family town. It's the town that cares about its people, its citizens.

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