OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Gilbert City Council Meeting - March 4, 2026: Water Meter Audit, Midge Fly Complaints, and Consent Agenda

Town Council Meetings — Wednesday, March 4, 2026
BodyGilbert, Arizona
SessionTown Council Meetings
DateWednesday, March 4, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:24:13

Transcript — Verbatim
4:23

Okay, if we can have everybody get seated, we'll start.

4:34

March third, twenty twenty six.

4:51

Thank you for having me this evening.

4:52

Uh, mayor and the council.

4:54

My name is Pastor Richard Nungess, and I'm the founder and president of Broad of Life International.

5:05

And we've had the honor of having uh former mayor Peterson and Scott September come out to Poland and to see the the work and to serve there as well.

5:14

And for the past 25 years, I've had the privilege of serving people and working with leaders around the world.

5:20

And I've worked with and served with close to a hundred different countries.

5:23

And I've discovered something the same, no matter where you go in our world, that the human heart has a deep desire for two things.

5:31

That is to be loved and to express love.

5:34

Now we don't always get that right at times, so I'm grateful for forgiveness.

5:38

And I'm thankful that one of those ways we can express love to each other is through prayer.

5:44

So thank you for that honor of opening this evening in invocation and let us pray together.

5:50

Our Father God.

5:52

We come before you acknowledging that you are our father.

5:58

We thank you for what you have given to us.

6:01

We thank you for your love.

6:03

We thank you for your son, Jesus Christ.

6:06

Father, we ask this evening that you bless our leaders, that you give them wisdom, that you give them knowledge, that you give them health and protection.

6:17

Allow them to lead us to provide to protect our town.

6:21

We also pray for the citizens here in Gilbert that you'd give us health, that you allow us the opportunities to use our gifts, our talents, our passions, and our desires to live a life that you called us to.

6:35

We thank you for your grace.

6:38

And God, we ask that your face would shine down upon us and give us peace.

6:43

We ask for these things in the name of Jesus.

6:46

Amen.

6:47

Amen.

6:48

Thank you.

6:50

Our Pledge of Allegiance tonight will be led by Councilmember Torgeson.

6:54

Please rise.

7:22

Roll call.

7:23

Mayor Scott Anderson.

7:25

Here.

7:25

Vice Mayor Chuck Bongiovanni.

7:28

Here.

7:29

Councilmember Bobby Buckley.

7:30

Here.

7:31

Councilmember Kenny Buckland.

7:33

Here.

7:33

Councilmember Young Kaprowski.

7:35

Here.

7:35

Councilmember Monty Lyons.

7:37

Here.

7:38

Councilmember Jim Torgeson.

7:39

Here.

7:40

We have a quorum.

7:42

Thank you.

7:42

Tonight we have a couple of presentations and a recognition.

7:46

We'd like to start with a presentation on the Green Gilbert Junior High and High School 2025 Art Contest winners.

7:54

Those involved, would you come down?

8:06

Thanks.

8:20

Excuse me, the Green Gilbert Partnership Program was founded to give local business the opportunity to show the community how much they care about our environment here.

8:29

It also gives the town of Gilbert an opportunity to recognize these businesses to the public.

8:33

Today we are including two new members into the program, Sol Yoga and the Gilbert branch of Vantage West Credit Union, as well as recognizing our junior high and high school art contest winners.

8:45

And at this point, I'd like to turn the microphone over to Aaron.

8:51

Thank you so much, Councilman.

8:56

So thank you all for coming out today and um being here for our recognition of our Green Gilbert uh recent inductees as well as our artwork contest winners.

9:04

Um first we wanted to recognize our uh new businesses inductees.

9:09

We've already gone over a little bit of who we are, and as uh Councilman Torgerson mentioned.

9:14

Uh, we have Saul Yoga uh located on the corner of Lindsay and Williamsfield, where they've created a welcoming space rooted in community and connection by encouraging patrons to take care of their bodies and minds, their leader in personal wellness within our community.

9:31

Their additional efforts at environmental awareness and sustainability make us delighted to include them in the Green Gilbert Partnership Program at the leader level.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural████████████████████████████████████36%
Water And Wastewater Management█████████████████████████25%
Public Engagement███████████████15%
Pest Management████████8%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████6%
Community Engagement████4%
Environmental Protection██2%
Arts And Culture██2%
Economic Development██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Gilbert City Council Meeting - March 4, 2026

The Gilbert City Council met on March 4, 2026, to receive an update on the independent water meter audit, hear public comments on midge fly infestations and water rate concerns, and approve a consent calendar and public hearing items. The meeting opened with an invocation by Pastor Richard Nungess of Bread of Life International and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilmember Torgeson. All seven council members were present, establishing a quorum.

Presentations & Recognitions

  • Green Gilbert Partnership Program: Recognized two new businesses (Sol Yoga and Vantage West Credit Union) at the leader level for environmental sustainability. Also awarded prizes for the Junior High and High School Art Contest: Third place – Adriana Ha'apola (Campo Verde High School); Second place – Ava Goodwin (Gilbert Classical Academy, placing in top three three consecutive years); First place – Yui Onuki (Desert Ridge High School).
  • Gilbert Feeding Families Food Drive: Recognized community partners for collecting over 55,000 pounds of food (nearly 10,000 pounds more than the previous year) and nearly $11,000 in financial donations, providing 78,927 meals. Participating locations: 24 schools, 18 businesses, 20 churches, 5 restaurants. Top contributors: Santan Ford (5,888 lbs), Church of Latter-day Saints Highland West Stake (5,957 lbs), Redemption Church (7,154 lbs – heavyweight champion). Top school: Ashland Ranch (1,937 lbs). Top business: Santan Ford. Top restaurant: Spinato's Pizzeria ($1,500 raised).

Water Meter Audit Update

Paige Helfenstein and Tyler Kay of Kimley Horn, the third-party auditor, presented an update on the water meter audit. The audit has three components: data audit (verifying 92,000 customer accounts and billing history), infrastructure audit (physical meter and radio transmitter testing), and operations/business practices audit. Key details:

  • A statistically representative sample of 450 meters (98% confidence level) was selected for removal and off-site testing; 408 of 450 have been collected. 380 radio transmitters (95% confidence level) were field-verified.
  • No system-wide issues identified to date; only outliers being investigated.
  • Public engagement includes a project website, hotline, email, and three listening sessions (16 comment cards, 13 hotline calls, 10 emails, 2 surveys).
  • All meter replacements include door hangers; radio testing did not require notification.
  • Final report and recommendations will be presented at the April 7, 2026 council meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

Five citizens addressed the council:

  • Barbara (Gilbert resident): Expressed strong opposition to recent water rate increases, questioning the town's justification and asking for transparency on data centers, impact fees, and number of capital projects. She called the rate hikes "extortion" and criticized past management.
  • Eric Torres (Gilbert, Bridges neighborhood): Described a decade-long midge fly infestation that prevents outdoor enjoyment, requesting a clear monitoring and intervention plan.
  • April Ellison (Gilbert, home backing South Gilbert Water Recharge Park): Detailed the severity of midge flies affecting daily life, property values, and children's health, asking for long-term solutions such as aeration systems proven to reduce midge emergence by 50-80%.
  • Chris Cruzen (Gilbert, Bridges community, mechanical engineer): Shared personal experience of swarms rendering outdoor spaces unusable, spending $450 on pesticides in 2026 alone, and urged meaningful action beyond temporary fixes.
  • Jason King (Gilbert resident): Noted health hazards for pets and residents, questioned why water continuously fills recharge basins, and asked for a resolution to protect quality of life and property values.

In response to public comments, Mayor Anderson stated staff would reach out to concerned residents. Vice Mayor Bongiovanni requested staff investigate natural predators for midge flies. The Mayor also requested an economic development update on the number of data centers in Gilbert and their impact.

Consent Calendar

Councilmember Buckley led the consent calendar for items 4–22. Items pulled for discussion:

  • Item 8 (Summit West Signs contract for Cactus Yards outfield graphics, $229,000): Vice Mayor Bongiovanni expressed concern about taxpayer cost and urged exploring sponsorship/advertising partnerships. Parks and Recreation Director Michael confirmed a sponsorship RFP is being developed; the cost was reduced from $400,000 to $229,000 through negotiations. Councilmember Torgeson praised the vendor's pricing and collaboration. The item remained on the consent calendar.
  • Councilmember Torgeson asked about Item 12 (Val Vista Lakes improvements – public streets only, not private HOA roads) and Item 14 (change orders for Gilbert Advocacy Center – within existing budget).
  • The consent calendar (items 4–22) was approved 7–0.

Public Hearings

Items 17–21 were considered as a group. No items were pulled. Councilmember Koprowski moved to approve; seconded. Approved 7–0.

Town Manager's Report

  • National Engineers Week (Feb 22–28) recognized Gilbert's engineers.
  • 15th Annual Gilbert Water Festival (Feb 23–24): Hosted 1,600 fourth-grade students with 75 volunteers, teaching water conservation and groundwater.
  • Special Olympics Four Peaks Competition: Gilbert athletes earned medals – intermediate basketball (bronze), advanced basketball (silver), cheer team (gold).

Council Reports

  • Councilmember Lyons: Promoted Veterans Advisory Board banner orders for redisplay on national holidays.
  • Councilmember Koprowski: Announced Gilbert Symphony Orchestra season finale on March 23, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Higley Center (Brahms Symphony No. 2, Debussy Rhapsody for English Horn).
  • Vice Mayor Bongiovanni: Promoted free Concerts in the Park series (The Main Squeeze, Austin Beef Sweetie, Double Deuce) every Thursday in March at Water Tower Plaza, 6:30–8:30 p.m. Also announced a high school pickleball social on March 19 at Gilbert Regional Park, 5–7 p.m.
  • Mayor Anderson: Recognized March birthdays of Councilmembers Buckland, Koprowski, and Buckley.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent calendar (items 4–22) approved 7–0.
  • Public hearings (items 17–21) approved 7–0.
  • Water meter audit final report to be presented April 7, 2026.
  • Staff directed to investigate midge fly natural predators and provide data on data centers.
  • No other votes or formal decisions taken.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, if we can have everybody get seated, we'll start. March third, twenty twenty six. Thank you for having me this evening. Uh, mayor and the council. My name is Pastor Richard Nungess, and I'm the founder and president of Broad of Life International. And we've had the honor of having uh former mayor Peterson and Scott September come out to Poland and to see the the work and to serve there as well. And for the past 25 years, I've had the privilege of serving people and working with leaders around the world. And I've worked with and served with close to a hundred different countries. And I've discovered something the same, no matter where you go in our world, that the human heart has a deep desire for two things. That is to be loved and to express love. Now we don't always get that right at times, so I'm grateful for forgiveness. And I'm thankful that one of those ways we can express love to each other is through prayer. So thank you for that honor of opening this evening in invocation and let us pray together. Our Father God. We come before you acknowledging that you are our father. We thank you for what you have given to us. We thank you for your love. We thank you for your son, Jesus Christ. Father, we ask this evening that you bless our leaders, that you give them wisdom, that you give them knowledge, that you give them health and protection. Allow them to lead us to provide to protect our town. We also pray for the citizens here in Gilbert that you'd give us health, that you allow us the opportunities to use our gifts, our talents, our passions, and our desires to live a life that you called us to. We thank you for your grace. And God, we ask that your face would shine down upon us and give us peace. We ask for these things in the name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Our Pledge of Allegiance tonight will be led by Councilmember Torgeson. Please rise. Roll call. Mayor Scott Anderson. Here. Vice Mayor Chuck Bongiovanni. Here. Councilmember Bobby Buckley. Here. Councilmember Kenny Buckland. Here. Councilmember Young Kaprowski. Here. Councilmember Monty Lyons. Here. Councilmember Jim Torgeson. Here. We have a quorum. Thank you. Tonight we have a couple of presentations and a recognition. We'd like to start with a presentation on the Green Gilbert Junior High and High School 2025 Art Contest winners. Those involved, would you come down? Thanks.

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