OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Gilbert Town Council Regular Meeting – April 9, 2026

Town Council Meetings — Thursday, April 9, 2026
BodyGilbert, Arizona
SessionTown Council Meetings
DateThursday, April 9, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 6:19:59

Transcript — Verbatim
5:11

We got everybody back.

5:15

Young buddy's down there.

5:16

Oh, she's ready to go down there.

5:18

Okay.

5:19

So punctual.

5:22

Thank you, everyone for being here.

5:24

Um call to order the regular council meeting of April seventh, twenty twenty-six.

5:31

We'll start with an invocation and a pledge of allegiance.

5:35

Our invocation is being being done by President Jacques DeWet, the Arizona Gilbert Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

5:53

Let us pray.

5:56

Our beloved Father in heaven, we come before thee with grateful thanks for this day.

6:00

We are grateful for the life that we have and the opportunities that we have to continue to learn and grow and develop in this life.

6:08

And for the wonderful opportunities that we are blessed with.

6:23

That we may choose to do those things which help to bless and strengthen and uplift one another in our community.

6:46

Thank you, President.

6:49

Our Pledge of Allegiance will be managed by Councilmember Kaprowski today.

7:42

This is Pac 101.

7:43

We're a brand new Cub Scout Pack here in Gilbert.

7:47

Our motto is back to basics, and we're offering a traditional scouting experience for boys on their journey of becoming good men and having fun along the way.

7:57

So thanks again for having us here.

9:20

Thank you.

9:21

We'll move on to our presentations and proclamations.

9:42

Oh yeah, yeah.

9:45

I forgot to ask for roll call wait, Nathan.

9:48

Roll call.

9:49

Thank you, Mayor.

9:49

Uh Mayor Scott Anderson.

9:51

Here.

9:51

Vice Mayor Chuck Bongiovan.

9:53

Here.

9:53

Councilmember Bobby Buckley?

9:54

Here.

9:55

Councilmember Kenny Buckland.

9:56

Here.

9:56

Councilmember Young Kaprowski.

9:58

Here.

9:58

Councilmember Monty Lyons.

10:00

Here.

10:00

And Councilmember Jim Torkison.

10:02

Here.

10:02

A quorum is present.

10:06

All right.

10:07

Good evening, Mayor and Council and everyone here this evening.

10:12

Excited to uh honor and recognize some of the dedicated, inspiring volunteers in our community.

10:20

I'm gonna go through a couple logistical items and then we'll jump right in.

10:24

First off, we're we've got um uh uh more than one finalist in each category, so we'll ask um when your name is called and your slide pops up as a finalist.

10:34

Um please feel free to stand in your seat.

10:36

We'll ask that you not come down to the front, um, and then we will have the winner come down once announced.

10:43

You can cheer for the winner when they come down, they'll get a photo, and then those winners will ask that you stay put down here in front of the dais while we go through each category and select each winner so at the end there can be a group photo with Mayor Anderson as well.

11:00

All right.

11:01

So welcome everyone to our 2026 MVP recognition.

11:10

Um these that we're gonna talk about tonight are the individuals who show up, not for this purpose, not for recognition, not for a reward, just because Gilbert matters to them.

11:21

So, without further ado, we will jump in.

11:25

Oh, I'm doing it.

11:26

Oh wow.

11:27

You're expecting a lot from me.

11:29

Green button?

11:31

I could do it.

11:32

I got it.

11:32

I think.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning And Land Use███████████████████████████████31%
Community Engagement██████████████14%
Procedural███████████11%
Water And Wastewater Management███████████11%
Public Engagement███████7%
Economic Development█████5%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Affordable Housing███3%
Transportation Safety███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Gilbert Town Council Regular Meeting – April 9, 2026

The Gilbert Town Council held a regular meeting on April 9, 2026, addressing a range of topics including community recognitions, a water meter audit, public comments, consent agenda approvals, and several rezoning and development items. The meeting lasted into the early morning hours.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved items 8–22 and 24–33 unanimously (7–0).
  • Approved item 23 (Vaughn Ventilator CIP change order) 6–0 with one recusal (Councilmember Torkison).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Laura Gazicki (Gilbert resident) criticized the council for utility rate increases and infrastructure mismanagement, accusing them of neglecting long-term planning.
  • Maureen Hoppy (Gilbert resident) accused council members of hypocrisy, citing unpaid bills and credit card debts among some members, and urged consideration of residents' financial struggles.
  • Mindy Brocker (Gilbert resident) accused Vice Mayor Bongiovanni of harassment and unethical campaign practices, requesting a reminder against campaigning from the dais.
  • Noah Markham (Gilbert resident) advocated for light rail expansion and expressed support for diversity and police reform.
  • Multiple residents spoke on the Harvest Grove project (see below), with mixed opinions on density, traffic, and housing types.

Discussion Items

Water Meter Audit Presentation

  • Kimley Horn presented results of an independent audit covering 93,500 accounts from 2020–2025.
  • Key finding: 97.1% of accounts were accurate; 2.9% had anomalies (mostly minor rounding or multiplier errors).
  • Overbilling averaged $125, underbilling $110 over six years; average error duration 5 months.
  • Physical meter tests found meters failing due to age/use, with average cost error of $34 per affected account.
  • Town staff committed to reviewing and rectifying individual cases.

Harvest Grove (GP2503, Z2503) – General Plan Amendment & Rezone

  • Revised plan removed all multifamily, reduced units from 1,676 to 1,106, and added 45 acres of commercial.
  • Traffic, open space, and design changes addressed earlier concerns.
  • Staff recommended approval; Planning Commission voted 4–2 to recommend.
  • Public comment: 31 letters support, 69 oppose; concerns about density, traffic, and neighborhood character.
  • Council debated property rights, tax base needs, and housing affordability.

Higley & Octo Retail Center (Z2513) – Rezone from Shopping Center to General Commercial

  • Applicant seeks to build a Target (128,000 sq ft) with two additional pads; two deviations requested (parking canopy landscaping, southern setback).
  • Staff and Planning Commission recommended approval.
  • Residents opposed citing traffic, parking reduction (77 spaces), and scale incompatibility with surroundings.
  • Council moved to postpone for two weeks to allow further study of concerns.

Tuscany at Gabriella Point (Z2519) – PAD Amendment

  • Request to reduce common open space from 43% to 40% to allow private yards for ground-floor units, with view fencing and 3-ft landscape buffers.
  • Staff recommended approval after revisions ensured setbacks and amenities were secured (95,000 sq ft minimum amenity area).
  • Public comment minimal; no opposition.
  • Council approved 4–3.

Annual Comprehensive Financial Report & Audit

  • Town received clean audit opinion for 34th consecutive year; no material weaknesses or deficiencies.
  • Resolution 4651 confirming compliance adopted 7–0.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar: Approved as noted above.
  • Harvest Grove: Motion to approve General Plan amendment (GP2503) carried 4–3 (Vice Mayor Bongiovanni, Councilmembers Torkison, Lyons dissenting). Motion to approve rezone (Z2503) carried 4–3 same margin.
  • Higley & Octo Retail Center: Postponed to April 21, 2026 by 6–1 vote (Councilmember Buckley dissenting) to address resident concerns.
  • Tuscany at Gabriella Point: PAD amendment approved 4–3 (Vice Mayor Bongiovanni, Councilmembers Torkison, Buckley dissenting).
  • Annual Audit: Resolution adopted 7–0.
  • Meeting adjourned after midnight.

Meeting Transcript

We got everybody back. Young buddy's down there. Oh, she's ready to go down there. Okay. So punctual. Thank you, everyone for being here. Um call to order the regular council meeting of April seventh, twenty twenty-six. We'll start with an invocation and a pledge of allegiance. Our invocation is being being done by President Jacques DeWet, the Arizona Gilbert Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Let us pray. Our beloved Father in heaven, we come before thee with grateful thanks for this day. We are grateful for the life that we have and the opportunities that we have to continue to learn and grow and develop in this life. And for the wonderful opportunities that we are blessed with. That we may choose to do those things which help to bless and strengthen and uplift one another in our community. Thank you, President. Our Pledge of Allegiance will be managed by Councilmember Kaprowski today. This is Pac 101. We're a brand new Cub Scout Pack here in Gilbert. Our motto is back to basics, and we're offering a traditional scouting experience for boys on their journey of becoming good men and having fun along the way. So thanks again for having us here. Thank you. We'll move on to our presentations and proclamations. Oh yeah, yeah. I forgot to ask for roll call wait, Nathan. Roll call. Thank you, Mayor. Uh Mayor Scott Anderson. Here. Vice Mayor Chuck Bongiovan. Here. Councilmember Bobby Buckley? Here. Councilmember Kenny Buckland. Here. Councilmember Young Kaprowski. Here. Councilmember Monty Lyons. Here. And Councilmember Jim Torkison. Here. A quorum is present. All right. Good evening, Mayor and Council and everyone here this evening. Excited to uh honor and recognize some of the dedicated, inspiring volunteers in our community. I'm gonna go through a couple logistical items and then we'll jump right in. First off, we're we've got um uh uh more than one finalist in each category, so we'll ask um when your name is called and your slide pops up as a finalist. Um please feel free to stand in your seat. We'll ask that you not come down to the front, um, and then we will have the winner come down once announced. You can cheer for the winner when they come down, they'll get a photo, and then those winners will ask that you stay put down here in front of the dais while we go through each category and select each winner so at the end there can be a group photo with Mayor Anderson as well. All right.

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