Campo Verde High School, Mia Shay.

Canyon Valley Junior High, Alyssa Robles.

Canyon Valley School, Dylan Johnson.

Cooley Middle School, Juliet Lancar.

One more.

At this time I'm going to call to order the council meeting regular council meeting of April twenty first, twenty twenty six of the Gilbert Town Council.

And uh our invok invocation will be offered by Ryan Milserek.

I hope I have that right, Brian, of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints and Gilbert Stapley Steak.

Thank you, Ryan.

Our Heavenly Father, we're grateful for the opportunity to gather this night, Lord, and give thee thanks for the freedoms of this country, which we celebrate on this two hundred and fiftieth almost two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Amen.

We'll start off with the recognition of the light of the light of the world giving machines.

I'll ask to come up and I'll come down there.

Thank you, Mayor Anderson, members of the town council.

The Light the World Giving Machine Initiative.

Is this ready to there we go?

Almost.

Yeah, there we go.

Great.

Light the World Giving Machine Initiative brought 30,000 visitors to downtown Gilbert here this last November and December.

For those who are not familiar with them, a giving machine contains 30 carefully curated cards in there that each represent a charitable giving uh opportunity of goods or services.

Visitors can come and donate one or more items that are then fulfilled by local and global nonprofits.

This last Christmas giving machine could be found in a little over 125 cities worldwide in uh 21 countries and six continents.

And uh interesting fact, Gilbert was one of the very, very first places where we hosted a giving machine back starting back in 2018.

100% of each donation goes to the outstanding local nonprofits that participate each year, uh with a hundred percent of the overhead for the the venue and the staffing and marketing and the the machines themselves being uh covered by our sponsor, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.

Uh these were located as you can see here on the northeast corner of Watertower Plaza there in downtown Gilbert, right along Page Avenue there across the street from from Hale Center Theater.

Uh these were open from mid-November through the end of December, uh day and night, available 24 hours a day.

We had some interesting donations at three in the morning.

Uh we also had a a digital kiosk version that's a new style of the machine that that was inside that that pump house jail building, uh renovated building there in uh Water Tower Plaza.

And we had uh a lovely kickoff event in November.

Uh as you can see here we had Danielle Miller from Fox 10 on the left, who did a uh a live uh segment uh on her morning show uh showcasing downtown Gilbert and and the Giving Machine Initiative.

Uh we also had um I'll remember her name, Emma Jade, that came and recorded a longer segment uh for her momcast show on NBC 12 news.

So huge thanks uh here in Gilbert.

Uh we had friends and family, uh families, groups of friends and and others who would come uh again day and night.

We had a number of small music groups that came and performed uh there for the people who were waiting in line to donate.

And uh a lot of social media uh out there of people that that came and again showcased downtown Gilbert and talked about their experience with the giving machine here this uh this last year.

So huge thanks here.

Um in Gilbert alone, roughly 43,000 items were donated uh in 2025 alone.

Um tonight we'll focus on the donations made to our five local nonprofits that are here in the East Valley.

Uh so uh if we could, could all the representatives from the nonprofits maybe come right up here and we'll we'll be have you on deck and ready to to come up.

And uh with that, let's maybe start with the uh the group from Positive Paths first.

And uh we have a yeah, these these were the the top, these were the seven that were in the machine.

Days for girls and mentors international were a couple of international ones, um, and the five up here are all East Valley organizations that are outstanding.

We'll start here with the Positive Paths group.

Um Positive Paths exists to support East Valley women uh in need by provide providing a life bridge to economic stability, personal growth, and professional achievement.

They do this through mentorship programs, scholarships, and supportive services.

Tonight we'd like to present them with a check that represents the the total of all of the donations that were made here.

The uh the cards that you can see here on the slide are the cards that were in the machine and their row, and uh and you can see the quantities of things that people in the East Valley here came and donated to to help them.

So, with that, Teresa, do you want to bring the check?

That one there.

We'll jump in as well.

I'll speak over here.

Sorry about that.

Thank you so much.

Excellent.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

Next, let's have uh Paz de Cristo Community Center.

Come on up.

There we go.

Paso Crisco Community Center works to feed, clothe, and empower our neighbors struggling with hunger and homelessness.

Their vision is to empower their guests to reach their full potential by removing barriers so that they may be more self-sufficient.

Here again, we have a check representing the donations that were made with these guys.

As you can see, there was a lot of food here, right?

Very exciting.

All right.

Sure, thank you.

There we go.

All right, one small step.

Uh if we could have you come up.

Here we go.

Awesome.

One small step provides clothing and dignity to children and families in need.

Their vision is that no person or family within the service area lacks the clothing they need to secure employment, succeed in school, maintain a healthy and hygienic life, and be socially accepted.

Thank you, thank you.

Right, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest.

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest offers compassionate support and essential services for our neighbors.

Come on up.

They stabilize people during crisis and transition, build a foundation where people can thrive and preserve dignity and respect for the most vulnerable.

Thank you so much.

Last but not least.

Huge thanks to the individuals you've met tonight that operate these these amazing organizations here in the East Valley.

What an impact you're having every day.

Big thanks to Elder John Lewis, who's here, of course, for his yeah.

Undying support for the town of Gilbert, of course.

Also, of course, for the Giving Machine Initiative and for giving me and my wife Teresa the opportunity to to uh to be involved this year.

It's been great.

Um especially huge thanks to the amazingly generous people of Gilbert and the East Valley who uh who showed up and came and were generous with their time and their talents and and their their um donations to these again amazing organizations uh that do so much good here in the East Valley.

So with that, I'll give you the mic and thank you again.

Thank you.

And just very short.

Uh one of the reasons when I established my house rules for Gilbert when I was first inaugurated as mayor, was I wanted to make sure that we were kind and a caring people in Gilbert.

This shows that we are and that we will continue to be a kind and caring people, and I appreciate that very much.

Thank you.

What's next?

Volunteer month.

Volunteer month, boards and commissions were um, I'd like to invite any of our board and commission chairs that may be here to come forward.

Thank you.

Commission chairman here.

Any other members of any board or commission that's here who would like to come up?

Pam, come on up.

The people that volunteer on our boards and commissions render a valuable service to the town of Gilbert.

And they oftentimes are working behind the scenes, and you don't know what it is that they are doing, and they are such a great help to our community, and we appreciate them very much.

So we'd like to recognize them uh for their dedicated service that they render to the town of Gilbert as a volunteer.

Um tonight we have two from the the Veterans Advisory Board.

Why don't you introduce yourselves?

Thank you.

Uh my name is Charles Dyne, I'm current chair of the Veterans Advisory Board, and you'll be hearing more from me here in a minute, so I'm gonna keep my short.

I'm Pamela Rhine Smith, and I have been on the board for about six years now.

Thank you.

Let me read a portion of the uh proclamation.

Whereas the strength and prosperity of Gilbert are deeply rooted in the selfless contributions of residents who dedicate their time, energy, and talents to serve and uplift one another.

Whereas volunteerism is a powerful expression of civic pride and connection, creating lasting positive impacts for residents of all ages.

Now, therefore, I Scott Anderson, mayor of the town of Gilbert, do hereby proclaim Gilbert's continued commitment to volunteerism.

Thank you all for your commitment to Gilbert and and all of you that uh are weren't able to be here tonight.

We appreciate your service and uh and what you're able to do for the town of Gilbert.

So we're ready for a photo.

Okay, as part of Volunteer Month, the uh the proclamation.

We also want to highlight our partnership with Just Serve.

Rachel, where are you?

There you are.

Gilbert embraces the use of just serve uh.org to connect residents with local service opportunities, making it easier for individuals, families, and groups to get involved and make a difference.

Rachel's gonna come up and ask uh members of the to come on up, I guess.

You're gonna introduce each one.

Why don't we go ahead and present this and then why don't we have yeah, let's go ahead and have a all our just serve specialists come up that are in the room.

Yeah, come on up and stand by Mayor Anderson.

That would be fantastic.

Yes.

Why don't we go ahead and present this and then we'll take a photo?

Does that sound good?

Okay.

Come on up.

Yes, come on up.

Um, show them that you can walk up there.

Okay.

Should we go ahead?

All right, Mayor Anderson and Council members.

It is an honor to be here tonight and recognize something that already defines this community.

On behalf of Just Surf, I am proud to officially recognize the town of Gilbert as a just serve city, joining a growing national movement of more than a hundred and fifty cities nationwide, committed to strengthening their communities through volunteerism and service.

This designation is not something new, it's something the town is already doing, and Gilbert is a community that that shows up and lifts.

And you guys lead out on that.

I've witnessed Mayor Anderson and many of you show up at service events as well as give of your your resources to lift this community.

Councilman Torgeson did our signs for our our Gilbert Feeding Families Food Drive, and and we've just seen such an outpouring of leadership from you guys.

Um we've also seen this this city bloom as partnerships have grown um with nonprofits and schools and um businesses and of course leading the the charges are faith-based organizations.

Um a just serve city is one that intentionally makes service visible and accessible.

It encourages unity across diverse groups and builds a culture where where people look outward and lift those around them.

Um I was amazed this week.

I was at Midwest Food Bank several times this week to watch our high school students come together and work, different high school students from different high schools work together to serve the community.

Also, on another time I was there, and and to see the opportunities available to um all ages and to be inclusive to those who uh maybe their capacities and abilities are a little bit different, and they're able to serve here in the town.

So through this designation, the town commits to continue this incredible momentum you guys have going.

Um through Just Serve, strengthening collaboration across community partners and celebrating the everyday individuals, the families, the one-by-one um individual service, and the neighbors lifting neighbors.

Because of your leadership and your partnership and your belief in people, Gilbert stands as a model for what is possible when a community chooses connection over division and chooses selflessness over self.

Thank you for the culture you've created for the way you lead and for the lives that are impacted every day because of it.

Congratulations, Gilbert, on being recognized as a just serve city.

If we can get up there for the next photo.

Okay.

And you know what?

Did we did we even we even move that?

We'll just show you some of there we go.

Okay.

Awesome.

Okay.

On top of this wonderful town that we live in and built within it are individuals that serve and groups that serve.

And in honor of America 250 and just serves has partnered with America Gives.

And with that, we um would like to give out 30.

We're not gonna do 30 tonight.

30 Heart of Service Awards, celebrating America 250.

And I'll just show you really quick.

The award is a really nice little front is the America 250 symbol and just serve on the back.

And so each recipient will receive that.

Um the Heart of Service Award honors individuals who consistently choose to lift others and strengthen the community through meaningful acts of service.

Um what I'd like to do, I guess, is invite to the front our four recipients, and we'll we'll do them one at a time.

Melanie Dykstra.

We'll just we'll do Melanie first, then we'll go to the next, okay.

So it is an honor, truly an honor to recognize Melanie.

I told her I could cry because I love her so much.

Um Melanie Dijkdress Dykstra is one of our heart of service recipients.

Melanie is a leader.

I know, I picked that picture, you get it, all right?

A leader among leaders.

I knew she was gonna complain about that.

She has an incredible ability to bring people together, as you all know.

You all know her, and get things moving in a way that just works.

In her role at the Town of Gilbert as the volunteer and community resources manager over the past eight years, she's helped create a culture where service, thank you, and collaboration are just part of how things are done.

But what I love most about Melanie isn't just how she leads, it's how she shows up.

Who cries it at town council meeting?

Probably a lot of people.

Okay.

There have been so many times we've had to work around her schedule because she was serving.

Um delivering meals on wheels, helping someone, just doing work quietly in the background.

That's who she is.

She doesn't just talk about service, she lives it.

Um, Melanie, thank you for the way you lead, the way you serve, and the example you are to all of us.

We love you.

Yeah, okay.

Would Redemption Gilbert Sean Warren and a few members of your team come on up here?

There they are, it is an absolute honor to recognize Sean Warren and Jeremy and Rachel Olim today tonight with as heart of heart of service recipients.

Um Redemption Gilbert Church is one of the leading faith-based organizations in our community, uniting and inspiring people who truly love and lift one another.

With strong leadership through the organization, including Sean and the Olives, um, they lead in our community engagement efforts.

Their team consistently looks outward.

And you might see on the slide, one of the phrases I loved on their website, which says, God's people are called to love the last the least and the lost.

So powerful, and they really exhibit this.

One of the ways they exhibit this is um they lead out in our heat relief program and the town's heat relief program.

And this heat relief program actually allows those experiencing homelessness a respite, a place to come during the summer, during the day, and get out of the heat.

And redemption, Gilbert is the heart of that.

They have let out, they have led other faith organizations to follow their lead.

So you guys are just a powerful, powerful group.

Thank you for the way you lead for the way you serve and the powerful example you set for all of us.

We're so grateful for redemption, Gilbert.

Okay, we have two more really quick.

Gwyn Fulmer, will you come on up?

It is a joy to really um recognize Gwen Fulmer as a recipient of the Heart of Service Award.

Gwyn has the passion and energy that you cannot match.

If you have served in Gilbert and you don't know who Gwen Fulmer is, you are living under a rock.

She is the heart of service here.

She's bold, she's tenacious, she will make you love service if you don't love service.

And we love her.

For the past 11 years, Gwen has served as a just service specialist, teaching people how to find volunteer experiences and volunteer service and helping nonprofits to know how to get that out there.

And then volunteering alongside all of them.

We love Gwen.

She doesn't just participate in service, she multiplies it.

Thank you, Gwen, for your service to our community.

Thank you for showing up here.

Not the best for last, but kind of the best for last.

Lisa Bailey, come on up.

Lisa Bailey, it is just an absolute pleasure to recognize and honor our sweet Lisa Bailey as a heart of service recipient.

Lisa serves our community as a dedicated Just Service specialist as well, helping individuals find meaningful ways to serve.

But her impact goes far beyond that.

Lisa has served on the board of Winged Hope for the last four years, as well as served in the Just Serve leadership for the past eight years.

Lisa is all heart.

She is all love.

She takes serving to the next level.

She she will walk alongside you in your pain and lift her community around her.

So I am just so privileged and honored to work with her and give her this award that is so well deserved.

We love you, Lisa Bailey.

Thank you for your time this evening and for helping us highlight tonight the true heart of Gilbert and our nation service.

Thank you so much.

Okay.

Right now I would like to bring up Jeremiah Churchill.

He is the water resources conservation coordinator.

And I will be presenting a proclamation for him, but he has a he has a kind of a long PowerPoint, I believe.

So Jeremiah, when you're finished, I'll come down and uh you can we can have anyone else come up that you would like.

It's not that long.

So first I just wanted to turn out.

Sorry.

Thank you very much.

First, I just wanted to start out what is Waterwise Gilbert.

Um you may be a community member and drive through the town and see a sign that says waterwise Gilbert in your community and not have any idea what it really is.

Waterwise Gilbert is a landscape water budget program, and what we do is we map out a facility, um, what's high water use, what's low water use, and we create a landscape water budget.

Um the goal of our members is to stay within a hundred and twenty percent of their landscape water budget.

So as we see here, this year is the best year we've had since this program launched over ten years ago.

Um so by staying on budget, watering efficiently, um if you achieve your landscape water budget, you are recognized here today.

Um that isn't very easy.

Uh there's a lot of collaboration between community managers, landscapers, board members, even the community to address leaks, identify efficiencies.

Um we wanted to thank everybody today for their efforts that contributed to over three hundred and seventy-four million gallons of water saved by watering efficiently.

Um this happened over ten years ago when we started this program, and I did want to just one special shout out to a special person on our team who saw this a long time ago and understood how significant this could be by establishing a program like this.

So I do want to give a shout out to Jeff Lee in the back there for his vision.

And his hard work communicating with all of the HOAs, churches, schools, parks, um, to help them address leaks, um, send them notifications.

So again, this isn't an easy thing to accomplish.

Um we have almost 300 members in this program, and only 145 of them were able to achieve this.

So it is no easy task.

So thank you again.

And I'm just gonna go through these slides very quickly.

Um if you see your HOA on there, give a shout out.

Clap, because it's no easy work, okay.

So these are our OGs right here.

They've been doing this since uh the program started 11 years in a row.

We see them here.

Ten years in a row.

We got our nine years.

Anybody?

No.

Eight.

We got some of our parks in there.

Seven years.

Here are six years in a row right here.

All right, we got one guy right there.

Thank you, sir.

Five years.

Nobody.

We got some schools here on our four years.

Three years.

Ah, yes.

Good energy.

Love it.

All right.

Two years, we got a lot, a lot of them.

A lot of new ones.

And very new, very new this year.

Look at this list.

That is no joke, people.

That's good work.

All right.

That is all I have.

We'll do the proclamation.

And then the members who showed up today come down for a group picture.

Thank you.

Well, that's quite some achievements.

It is.

Yes.

That's exciting to see all the new ones.

A lot of new ones.

Yes.

It's wonderful.

Is anyone else coming down?

Sorry.

Yeah.

Anyone on this team that has helped and conserved water?

It's wonderful.

Thank you all for coming.

Yeah.

Oh, this is great.

We'll make sure you all have presentation.

Yeah.

This is great.

Yeah.

Come on down.

This is going to be a great photo.

Thank you, guys.

I think we have half the audience here.

All right.

Well, well, thank you all very, very much.

And uh I'm going to go ahead and read the proclamation and present to all of you.

So whereas water is our most precious natural resource on earth, and especially within the desert, and whereas the stewardship of Gilbert's water resources and its balanced and responsible use lies with town council, town staff, residents, businesses, stakeholders, and whereas Gilbert's Office of Water Resources and Conservation implemented many water efficiency programs that aid Gilbert's residents, businesses, and other organizations with the with the conservation of water.

And whereas the water wise Gilbert program effectively, sorry, I should have brought my glasses down here.

So lays out water efficiency requirements and steps participants must take to achieve standing as water-wise Gilbert.

And whereas every water conservation effort makes a difference in the sustainability of this precious natural resource, and a great number of participants have completed the necessary steps to become more than water efficient.

Now, therefore, I, Bobby Buckley, on behalf of Scott Anderson, mayor of the town of Gilbert, honor the following one hundred and forty-five businesses, organizations, and facilities.

And facilities that have attained the water-wise Gilbert stat status for 2025.

And I welcome each of you to join me in not only expressing our gratitude for their contributions to sustainability, but also in doing all you can do to preserve our water resources in your home, at work, and in your community.

Okay, thank you all so much.

And then we'll do a photo.

Okay.

I get the honor of uh expressing a lot of gratitude to some of our own staff here in Gilbert, our water professionals.

Anyone who leads, has led, currently serves in all of public works.

Can you come on down here?

We're gonna talk water, but it's one team.

I see you, Jessica.

Leah.

So I feel really honored that we get to express gratitude to these folks and everybody they work with uh tonight.

If you've been paying attention to the news, uh I noticed uh in the paper ABC 15 today, Scottsdale is concerned they're gonna lose 70% of their water.

Kearney, Arizona is getting likely to get shut off, run out of supply in July.

We are blessed that these fine leaders and their staff worked really, really hard to ensure that as painful as it was going through the water rate increases, they made sure that we have the water supply we need and will have for many, many years to come.

And it took a lot of hard work and it took a lot of courage to challenge council members with the truth.

But you gave us the information we needed to make the right decisions for this community, and I am forever grateful, and this community should be as well.

So, in honor of uh Gilbert Water Professionals Appreciation Week, the April 26th through May 1, whereas Gilbert benefits from a rich diversity of water supplies from groundwater stored in vast aquifers, local mountain runoffs, and snow melt feeding, the Salt Verde Rivers, Colorado River, water delivered through an extensive canal system and the sustainable reuse of recycled wastewater.

And whereas every home and every sector of Gilbert's economy, so one out.

Thank you.

Oh, there we go.

Whereas every home and every sector of Gilbert's economy from finance to health care requires safe and reliable water to thrive.

Whereas Gilbert invests annually in programs and projects that deliver drinking water, ensure sanitary services, protect public health.

Protect right, is it on?

All right.

And Gilbert recognizes the importance of proactively preparing for Colorado River shortages by investing in critical infrastructure, diversifying water supplies, enhancing conservation efforts, and supporting regional solutions.

Whereas protecting water resources is critical to Gilbert's future and depends on a skilled workforce and professionals.

Whereas Arizona's water industry offers diverse and rewarding career opportunities in fields such as engineering, hydrology, biology, policy, economics, business, law, and communications.

Whereas the dedication of thousands of water, wastewater, and recycled water professionals ensures safe, reliable, and responsibly managed water resources for Arizona's current and future generations.

Now, therefore, I, Kenny Buckland, on behalf of the mayor, Scott Anderson of the town of Gilbert, hereby declares April 27th through May 1st as Gilbert Water Professionals Appreciation Week and extends its sincere gratitude and appreciation to our water professionals who are on the front line of the delivery of Gilbert's safe and reliable water.

All right.

At this time, as part of the Veterans Advisory Board's standard operating procedure, they're going to come forth and provide a presentation for us about the activities of the board.

And doing that presentation is Charles Dyne, our current board of directors.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor Anderson, Vice Mayor Bon Giovanni, Town Council members, and members of our Gilbert community.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you.

I don't know what I'd do without her, to be honest.

Thank you for the opportunity to report out today on the Veteran Advisory Board as I close out my term as chairman of the board.

It's been an honor to serve alongside a board committed to one simple mission to strengthen the connection between Gilbert and those who have served our nation.

Our work is rooted in service, remembrance, outreach, and community building.

Everything we do supports a larger vision that Gilbert be recognized as the most veteran connected municipality in Arizona.

Gilbert is home to veterans from every generation and every branch of service.

They are our neighbors, business owners, teachers, coaches, first responders, and civic leaders.

They have already served this country with honor, and our responsibility as a town is to ensure they remain seen, valued, connected, and supported here at home.

Over the last several years, the board has continued to strengthen Gilbert's signature veteran ceremonies, including Veterans Day, which was held this year at Watertower Plaza, an amazing venue, and Memorial Day observances.

These events were more than calendar dates.

They're moments where our town comes together to remember sacrifice, honor service, and teach the next generation what citizenship looks like.

Strong public traditions help build a veteran-connected community and municipality because they keep service visible in the life of the town.

Our military tribute banner program and the and this year, the banner rehang program is another meaningful way that Gilbert honors those who have served.

By displaying veteran banners throughout the Heritage District, we place their names, faces, and service before the community in a visible and dignified setting.

It ensures their sacrifices are not hidden in the past, but recognized in the heart of our town.

Programs like this help make Gilbert a more veteran connected municipality by turning gratitude into something the public can see daily during display periods.

In addition to recognition, we have also focused on something equally vital to veteran wellness.

Human connection.

Through gatherings and community meetups, we as veterans call Musters, we've created spaces where veterans can reconnect with one another and in the town they call home.

Many veterans miss that sense of belonging that military life once provided.

When Gilbert helps restore that connection, we strengthen lives and we strengthen community.

Most recently, we enjoyed hosting a game of over the line at Cactus Yards.

And we've huddled together for wellness events and social gatherings throughout the year.

One recently implemented initiative we have or are especially proud of is our Meet a Veteran Program.

Through this Gilbert Veterans Initiative, we record and preserve video interviews with local veterans so their stories are not lost to time.

We currently have seven completed interviews with another already in queue.

These interviews matter deeply.

Years from now, families, students, residents will be able to see and hear these veterans tell their stories in their own voices.

The Gilbert Veterans Outreach Initiative is designed to ensure veterans know there is a local door they can knock on when they need help.

This past year, we have received seven direct requests for veteran resources and assistance, most recently helping a local veteran to find permanent housing two weeks ago.

That number is important because seven veterans reached out instead of remaining unseen.

This means trust is growing, that awareness is increasing, and it means veterans recognize Gilbert as a place where support is real and accessible.

The board has also continued to support recognition efforts that publicly honor service, including proclamations from the council and visibility initiatives that remind veterans and residents every day that veterans are woven into the fabric fabric of this town.

Visible gratitude matters.

It tells every veteran in Gilbert you belong here and your service is remembered here.

We've also worked to strengthen board governance, planning, and long-term strategy by convening our annual strategic planning session, which was facilitated this year by Gilbert resident Major Ed Ferguson.

He brought both professional planning expertise and valuable perspective of a Gilbert resident from outside the board.

To further support community effectiveness, I've honored, excuse me.

To further support continuity and effectiveness, I'm honored to uh I've honored my promise to council and completed a chair continuity binder designed to ensure future board leadership has the tools, references, and operating guidance needed to be immediately effective.

We are committed not only to implementing mean meaningful programs, but to responsible stewardship, measurable progress, and a clear future direction shaped by community input.

Our goal is not simply to maintain what exists, but to build something even stronger for the town.

Looking ahead, our priorities are clear to expand outreach so more veterans know where to turn, to engage younger and post-91 veterans, to grow volunteerism and partnerships, to preserve more veterans stories and legacies, to continue high quality civic ceremonies, and to make Gilbert a model community for veteran connection across Arizona.

Council many cities honor veterans, fewer actively connect them, fewer still build systems of belonging, remembrance, and outreach and support.

Gilbert has the opportunity to lead this space, and I believe we already are.

With council's continued support, with the support of staff and the dedication of volunteers and veterans themselves, I believe Gilbert will be recognized as the most veteran connected municipality, excuse me, municipality in Arizona.

Not because we say it, because we live it.

If I might make a brief appeal to our residents, if there are veterans hearing this tonight who agree with our endeavor, the town is currently taking applications to the board through April 30th, and I invite you to apply.

On behalf of the Gilbert Veterans Advisory Board, thank you for your support, truly.

Thank you for your trust and for your continued commitment to those who have served.

Thank you, Councilmember Lyons, for your commitment to us as Council Liaison.

It has been an honor to serve this board as its chair.

We are proud of what has been built and energized by what comes next.

I'd be happy to answer any questions you have regarding our actions this year and welcome any feedback or direction from council at this time.

Monty?

Yeah, I just want to thank you, Charles, you and the board for all the effort that you put forward, and you did call out Monica.

Uh the coordination between staff and the Veterans Advisory Board has meant a lot to the veterans in this community.

And I really appreciate the effort you guys are putting forward to reach out and connect and the things that we have on the horizon coming up.

I think they're really good and beneficial, not just for veterans community, but for the community as a whole.

Thank you, sir.

Have a good night.

Thank you.

At this point, we'll continue with the agenda.

Um I would like at this time to advance item number 22 for consideration so that we don't uh waste a lot of people's time tonight.

Uh item 22.

The council remembers is the zoning case at Higgle and Alcatio for Retail Center.

There's been a request to postpone this until May 19th, and what I'd like to have to pull the council to see if you are inclined to do the postponement.

Uh I do have some requests to speak cards.

If we do go forward with the request to speak, I want that limited only to the postponement.

Why should or shouldn't be done?

Um other than that, all are there any um comments from the council.

Only remarked postponed.

Only regarding the post.

In that case, is there a motion to postpone?

So moved.

No.

Second.

It's been moved and seconded this item be postponed until May 19th, 2026.

Please vote.

Motion carries 70.

So this item will come back on May 19th, and we invite those who uh are interested to come back at that time.

This will give the applicant an opportunity, as all applicants have to address comments, concerns, uh, design, uh stipulations, all those kinds of things are what he can work out during this time, and I'd encourage the neighborhood to work with them, work with them and and uh address your concerns with them.

Thank you.

No.

We'll move on to uh communications from citizens.

Thank you, Mayor.

We value the participation of our community members and robust exchange of ideas.

However, it's essential that the discourse remains respectful and constructive, reflecting the professionalism expected in such forums.

Misinformation and personal attacks undermine our collective efforts and do not contribute to the productive dialogue necessary for our town's progress.

This is an opportunity for the public to address the town council directly about issues impacting the town.

While we understand and appreciate the passion of our community members bring to the session, we remind everyone that clapping during the meeting is not acceptable.

This practice can disrupt the flow of discussion, potentially intimidate others, and distract from the respectful atmosphere we strive to maintain.

In accordance to state law, we are unable to respond to issues that have not been properly noticed.

Therefore, the town council may only listen to citizens who wish to address them.

And at the conclusion of the open of the open call to the public, response is limited limited to individual members of the council responding to criticism made by those uh who have addressed the public body, asking for staff to review a matter or asking that a matter to be put on a future agenda.

However, please be assured that your concerns and input are heard and valued.

And according to town code, speakers may not use this forum to advocate for or against any candidate for public office.

Town resources, including this public meeting, may not be used for campaign or election purposes.

Each speaker is limited to three minutes.

Priority will be given to Gilbert residents, business owners, and property owners.

Public comments will be limited to 30 minutes total at the beginning of the meeting.

The town clerk will notify the council once the 30-minute limit has been reached.

In addition to comment in addition, if additional comments remain, they will be heard at after the conclusion of the public hearing items with the same three-minute limit per uh speaker.

So when you come up, please to come to the podium, state your name, city of residence, and please push the button, make sure the mic is read.

So tonight we're going to start with uh Barbara Colbin.

I think you just like calling me first.

My name is Barbara, and I reside in Gilbert.

And I'd like to say it first, I didn't have it on my little note, but I'd like to applaud the groups, the volunteers that were here.

And I hate to be the scrooge that follows that wonderful kind of grouping, but with the good comes the bad.

I'm still at a loss as to how you came up with how you were going to increase our fees and implement them.

The town's process was to assess the needs of two of the four enterprise funds for solvency every two years to ensure financial stability and uninterrupted service.

This approach helps prevent simultaneous rate increases across all four utilities, allowing adjustments to be phased and managed.

So even though you had a plan on paper, you neglected to follow through on follow through on it.

You can't blame previous council members and staff.

Scott Anderson elected in 2016, Bobby Bushley elected November 2022, Young Kampowski, April 2020.

The rest of you didn't have the dates in your bio.

You had a town manager for 14 years that you gave accolades to.

Town staff, Jessica Marlowe and Rebecca Hamill, and many other town staff that knew that the infrastructure needed to be dealt with and the sewer lines needed to be dealt with, and the waste and recycle vehicles needed to be serviced and or replaced.

You cannot tell me that everyone in Gilbert that didn't check the status of this, these items that needed to be dealt with.

You could have prevented the big shock that came to every resident in Gilbert.

So your plan was to cram it down our throats.

You held your open houses and your listening sessions, pretending to care about what we had to say.

You shook your heads in agreement.

Two of you bold faced, lied to my face, and one of you is running for re-election.

And needless to say, you're not getting my vote.

You have lost my trust, and most everything coming out of your mouth is half-truth.

You allow us three minutes to bring matters to your attention, then you do what you want anyway.

By the way, how are the midge flies doing?

I heard four residents at the March 3rd meeting telling you how they have been battling that situation for 10 years.

10 years.

Chuck, Scott, and Jim were, oh my, we need to address this.

You think that everyone has accepted the fact that they are being taken advantage of.

They can't be here because they are working two or three, two to three jobs just to try to pay their bills.

Between the federal government and greedy CEOs, abusing the crap out of us with high costs of food, gas, insurance, and now we have Gilbert.

They can't be here, but I am, and I'm here representing them.

They say you can't fight City Hall, which looks like that is what it is happening.

That is what is happening.

I'm here and I'm going to give it my best shot.

If you, the council and town managers want to allow something, you rezone it.

Quit rezoning.

Everything you need to meet the developers instead.

Try doing what the residents of Gilbert want.

Back to the water bills.

I know the bell dinged.

I have seen numerous notations on Go Gilbert about their bill being the exact same amount for three to five months.

And it was exact down to the penny.

Sounds like you got your money's worth with this new billing system.

I have also personally talked to people that their bills were like this.

There was also no explanation on the bill since the billing period was from 3526 through 4726.

We're seven days billed at the 25% increased rate, or do we have a really big bigger one coming next month?

Naturally, I have plenty more to say, but you'll have to tune in in two weeks to hear it.

And by the way, there are many, many Gilbert residents that need a giving machine.

Thank you.

Thank you, Barbara.

Bus Obiami.

Did I say that right, Bus?

You know, it's it's a lot easier than Bor Giovanni, so if you want to take it that way.

But can you guys hear me?

All right, good evening, Mayor and Council.

My name is Boss Albayomi.

I'm a Gilbert resident.

I also serve as president founder of Building Bridges Leadership Foundation.

Uh, first I want to thank you for your leadership and for the January proclamation recognizing human trafficking awareness month.

Uh that matters, it brings visibility to an issue that is often unseen, and it signals that Gilbert is willing to confront difficult realities with intention.

Uh at the same time, awareness alone is not enough.

Proclamations are a starting point, but impact is what happens right after.

The question before us is what do we do next?

What's the next step?

The Building Bridges Leadership Foundation is this to answer that question.

Our mission is to connect leaders across sectors, public, private, nonprofit, and fate, to collaborate on real challenges facing our communities, and also be able to drive practical, sustained solutions.

So we believe that meaningful impact actually happens when we move beyond silos and create intentional spaces for alignment, where ideas actually turn into action and actions lead into measurable outcomes.

So that's why we are bringing together leaders across public safety, nonprofit organizations, private sector, and the fate community.

Because the challenges we addressing, human trafficking, vulnerability prevention, they do not exist in silos.

So they are interconnected.

They are complex and they require a coordinated response.

So as part of this effort, I we're hosting the Building Bridges Leadership Seminar this Friday, April 24th, uh from 12 to 2 p.m.

at the River Learn uh Center here in Gilbert.

So this is not just another event, is a step towards building a more connected ecosystem where conversations lead to collaborations, collaborations lead to actions.

So, but beyond any single gadget, my heart is this that Gilbert would not only be known for his growth, his development, his excellence, but how but for how it cares for the most vulnerable among us.

So those who are often on synth, those who are at risk, those who may not have a voice in rooms like this, because the strength of a community is not only measured by how well it performs, but how well it protects.

You can see he meant to that.

So this is not about one initiative, it's about one group.

It's about building a culture where leadership responsibility and community actually intersect, where we collectively decide that the well-being of every resident actually matters.

So I look forward to continuing to partner to contribute and to help Gilbert that not only tries but truly cares for all.

Because at the end of the day, the true measure of a community is not just all it grows, but always shows up for those who are in need the most.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thanks, Boss.

Noah.

Mahalla.

Aloha Mayor and to the rest of the city council.

My name is Noah James Markham and I'm from the great city of Tempe.

Um, so we have a few things we need to talk about and Gilbert.

So, you know, I was I don't know why people are so obsessed with the guns.

And um, why don't we just keep those at home?

Because I saw somebody in the car and they're just, you know, holding their gun, a huge rifle, just going down the street, you know, like not, you know, like why do we need that?

We need to be protected.

I I don't need that in a car.

We should keep it at home.

Um, and then also I would like to thank Chuck Bon Giovanni for really representing us.

Um because it's amazing to have his leadership.

Um, you know, we can disagree, but um, I still think it's a great um role for us.

Um on this city council.

And then also um I would like to see more woman cops up in this city because it's getting pretty annoying.

Um looking at all these white old men.

Uh I don't like it.

Um, and then also um we need to build the light round.

I would love that, and then we need to build more in here.

Uh Gilbert, and then I would like to talk about the ice and what is going on with ice right now.

Um, we've had three great Congresspeople come to Mesa at the ICE facility, and they just showed up unexpectedly over there.

And it's great to have the power woman that our Congresswoman, Congresswoman Adelita Grava came from Tucson all the way to Mesa to uh really see this.

And um, I'll tell you that right now that the Republicans have done is they have um there's a quantity of 21 people that are supposed to be in the cell, right?

But we have put about 46 in the cell.

So that's more than 21.

Um, and we've been hearing that they've been packed up like sardines.

Um, and yeah, so that's unacceptable, Republicans.

And then also the last thing I know we're looking for a town manager.

We need to think about um women, and they can do the roles too.

Um, so yeah, that's what I um that's all I have to say.

Thank you so much, Mahalo.

Thanks, Noah.

Um, last one, folks.

Um Carissa Arnold.

My name is Carissa Arnold, and I am a Gilbert resident.

It was my hope that I would not have to speak on this topic.

However, the council and the public have the right to know the information I have.

Several months ago, I filed a criminal complaint against Gilbert town officials.

I can confirm that the Arizona Attorney General is conducting a criminal investigation, and that investigators are reviewing all previous complaints filed against the town of Gilbert.

I have a letter from the criminal division of the Office of the Attorney General confirming the investigation in my possession.

These facts expand the probable list of witnesses to include dozens of people, including town staff and public safety personnel, many of whom are afraid to come forward publicly.

Actions taken by the office of the town attorney, town clerk, town manager, and most recently members of the town counselor are not simply political rhetoric, but constitute witness harassment and unlawful influence of a criminal investigation and are being reported as such to investigators.

I demand that these actions cease immediately.

While several town officials are involved, I can confirm that Leah Reinheimer, who is being considered for the position of town manager and Chief Solberg, who is serving as an assistant town manager, are specifically identified in this complaint.

The evidence I have obtained and provided to investigators includes emails, public documents, witness statements, and a recorded conversations.

This evidence shows a disturbing pattern of conduct by these two individuals, suggesting they are unqualified and detrimental to Gilbert for the positions for which they are being considered.

Evidence provided to investigators suggest the following disqualifying conduct.

They aggressively downplayed significant investigations, including the Gilbert Goons and other teen violence issues.

These practices appear to have carried over to other significant investigations, including the Jenny Jones barn fire and the murders of Preston Lord, Nick Cordova, Rachel Hanson, and Alyssa Ramin.

Ms.

Reinheimer aggressively encouraged town officials to remain refrain from making comments to the public or reporters on most investigative issues, choosing to believe that the public outrage would simply go away if the town didn't make any comments.

They disparaged reporters and media outlets that investigated potential misconduct or criticized Gilbert police and leadership.

They preferentially cooperated with reporters deemed friendly.

They supported the mass deletion and selective withholding of public records, especially those containing disparaging dialogue and evidence of misconduct.

They appear to have knowledge of and perpetuated the systemic manipulation of police data.

Additional facts must be disclosed to include some of Ms.

Ryan Reinheimer's closest friends and travel companions include Don Buckland, former Gilbert budget director, and Councilmember Kenny Buckland.

This close personal relationship creates a significant conflict of interest that would warrant Councilmember Buckland's recusal from the selection process.

The Buckland and Kaprowski families recently vacationed together in Mexico, creating the appearance that the integrity of the town managed selection committee could have easily been compromised.

The appearance of nepotism cannot be overlooked.

I agree that a change in leadership allows good practices, while continue continue bad ones are eliminated.

Sorry.

After, however, I believe that selecting Ms.

Reinheimer for town manager would be a continuation of the bad policies that have plagued our town for the last several years.

I respectfully ask that the council give serious consideration to the facts I have presented tonight as you deliberate on the hiring of the next town manager to lead our community.

Thanks, Krista.

Okay, so I'm gonna turn this part of the meeting over to uh the um Don uh for our consent calendar.

I had a we had some cards to speak.

We went to the cards.

It's called zoning.

The yellow cards are for items that are not on the agenda.

The item you want to speak to was on the agenda, and we just postponed it till May the 19th.

Yeah, I want to see on the zoning agenda.

Okay.

Go ahead.

Are you Andy?

Yes.

Coming up, sir.

Good evening, mayor, council.

Um, haven't formally met you yet, but uh I've sent some emails and due to the zoning.

Uh I was here last week, and now I'm here to just kind of you know see your face to face and uh give some information.

Um we're talking about being kind and caring.

I really appreciate that.

And last last meeting you're talking about, you know, the planning and what needs to happen with uh Gilbert.

I I really respect that because I've been here long enough to know that uh a lot of us respect the planning and and what's built Gilbert so far.

It's it's a beautiful place, and and when you talk about kind and caring, that's uh that represents a lot of the area I'm from.

I live in Barbell Vineyards, and that's right by it's around the corner of Higley and Okadio, and that's the rezoning issue that we're dealing with.

Um, I know there was a continuance for Agenda 22.

Um, but the the main issue is zoning, and I think the long-term plan for that area was SC.

And you can really see it because it's a family-oriented community.

Uh, you could feel it, and we when we moved out there, we looked all around the valley, and I had two young kids at the time, and we were we were really looking for a place that our family could grow, and it just fit perfectly.

So your website uh says uh we should work together as a community, and that's that's why we're here today.

A lot of my my neighbors came and we've been working together on this.

Um we're showing up, we're communicating, and we're sharing uh lived experience because we're the ones who see that corner every day.

We're here to participate in the process.

Um, just and just like your water experts who give you the right to uh information for you to make a good decision for the longevity of Gilbert.

We're here because we lived in that, we live in that area, and we know zoning is so important because it's not just about us.

If we start rezoning all these parcels, that it impacts all the citizens of Gilbert.

They start they start thinking, oh, what are we next?

Are we next?

You know, and we we should really think about the people who plan that area, the zoning for SC.

They they thought about the future of Gilbert.

And and if you think about it, we're almost there.

We have the Gilbert Regional Park, beautiful area.

You can see people flock to that area because we don't have a lot of, you know, at that time we didn't have a lot of places for the kids to go for families to go.

They built a Chipotle now down the street.

That thing is packed.

Those are those, that's what the family wants.

That's what a lot of our kids want.

We saw we have a lot of kids on these e-bikes.

And and zoning SC kind of it really protects our neighborhood.

It really protects the citizens there.

It gives them the shops, the future pizza park, you know, it's never a grocery store, stuff that even places people can walk around.

And I just want to focus on zoning.

Let's let's uh let it sit for a little bit.

I think we have a great piece of land here.

Once we have that park built out, once we have Ocadio Bridge built out, people are gonna be flocking to this area.

And that's what SC zoning is all about.

Last meeting, this is the last thing.

Last meeting, we had that uh Mike who had the bike place.

He'd been looking for a little place to uh to rent to sell his bikes 20 years later.

He's doing really well in Gilbert.

We need those little shops.

And you know, we have Gilberts everywhere, and we have targets everywhere, but we need those little shops for people to succeed in business.

Thank you.

That's all.

Thank you, Andy.

Okay, no, very good.

Thank you.

All right, so now I'll turn it over.

Um, consent calendar over to um Don uh Prince.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Good evening, Mayor, members of the council.

I'm gonna go through the consent agenda items overview.

Um first, we just want to mention uh okay.

There we go.

Uh first I just want to mention that um these are our pillars, everything we do roll up into these pillars, and these pillars are the support for our city of the future initiative.

And so we have a continued focus on these pillars to as we prepare for the future and ensure resilience for Gilbert.

Item number six is an IGA with Maricopa County, and this item is under our exceptional built environment pillar.

This is an IGA with Maricopa County for design permitting environmental clearance, right-of-way acquisition, utility utility relocation, construction management, and annexation of Stacy Road between Higley and 172nd Street as part of CIP ST2126.

This agreement benefits the Higley Road Improvements Project, improving the operations of the street system to meet the needs of Gilbert residents.

This agreement also includes annexation of Higley Road from Happy Happy Road to just south of Stacy Road.

There is no financial impact to the town with this agreement.

Agenda item number seven is a cooperative purchase agreement with Arizona Elevator Solutions.

This is under our exceptional built environment pillar.

This is a cooperative purchase agreement with Arizona Elevator Solutions to provide comprehensive elevator vertical transportation maintenance and repair services across town facilities.

Services will ensure safe, reliable, and code compliant operations through preventative maintenance, emergency response inspections and repairs supported by 24-7 and qualified technical staff.

This agreement is is in an amount not to exceed 95,000 annually over the term of five years.

Funding for this item is supported from each facility's cost center through the corresponding facilities infrastructure repair and maintenance account.

Item number eight is PMCF as a PMCM services agreement with Consultant Engineers Inc.

And this is under our exceptional built environment pillar.

This is a motion to approve PMCM services agreement with Consultant Engineers Inc.

CEI for CIP project PR 0570 and PR 1160, which addresses major maintenance repairs to the town's aging lake and park infrastructure, including lake dredging, lake liner replacements, sediment, and seepage testing, pump replacements and upgrades, turf removal to reduce runoff into lakes, installation of new aeration equipment, rehab of pump stations, irrigation piping, and valve system replacements at Crossroads Park and Freestone Park.

Both CIP projects are funded through the general replacement fund and an agreement with CEI as not to exceed 2,321,222.

Item number nine is our change orders for CIP project SW0127 Village 2 Southwest Pump Station Rehab.

It is a motion to approve change orders related to the CIP projects SW0127, the Village 2 Southwest Pump Station Rehab Project.

These change orders will enhance the quality of the project outcomes by addressing the following.

Change order number three with ASR Construction Group will correct an undersize APS electrical pad in an amount not to exceed $18,922.

Change order number one with TriStar Engineering for PMCEM services, addresses scope changes related to an inlet reclaimed line conflict in an amount not to exceed $57,070.

This project includes extensive repairs and equipment replacement, including head wall replacement, piping channel, electrical improvements, design and construction for fiber optics to the pump station, including conduit, fiber optic cable, enclosures, and related infrastructure and equipment.

Funding for this these change orders is rate supported from the environmental compliance fund.

Item number 10 are change orders for CIP project PR0570, which is the Urban Lakes Renovation.

This is under our exceptional built environment pillar.

This is a motion to approve change order number one to AE services with J2 Engineering and Environmental Design LLC and contingency for CIP project PR0570, Urban Lakes Renovation in an amount not to exceed $70,792 to address needed ADA upgrades to the park, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

These upgrades have been added to the scope of the Urban Lakes Renovation Project after evaluating the required work and project timing, which indicated that it was most efficient and cost effective to include them in PR 0570.

Funding for this item is supported via general fund the general fund replacement fund.

I just want to pause here just for a second just to talk a little bit about urban lakes, just to provide some additional information.

Currently, we manage nine lakes across seven parks, which are vital in the desert setting.

These lakes have various reasons why they are there.

Some recharge groundwater, some provide wildlife habitat and serve as community recreation spots without proper maintenance, water loss and habitat degradation would occur.

Lake dredging improves water quality and health by removing sediment that has settled over time.

It also increases water capacity for better to better manage stormwater and prevent flooding.

Liner replacements and seepage control help prevent water loss through the bottom and sides of the lake, while also protecting the lake from contaminated soil or shallow groundwater from entering the lake.

So just wanted to share that.

These lakes are really important.

They have a lot of things that they do for the town, and so maintenance on those is critical for how we how we move forward.

Item number 11 is services contract change order with DH PACE Company Incorporated.

This is under our exceptional built environment pillar.

This is a motion to approve a contract change order with DH PACE Company Incorporated, increasing the overall annual contract amount by $150,000 for all town facility door replacement and repair needs.

Escalations in service costs, equipment supplies, and an increase in town facilities covered under this agreement necessitate the change order.

Doors included in this agreement encompass a variety of town facilities, including bay doors in service yards, fire station apparatus area doors, water treatment plant doors, and well site doors.

Funding for this agreement will be obtained from the corresponding facilities infrastructure repair maintenance account for each facility that requires services or replacement.

Item number 12 is a grant application and acceptance for auction Indian community.

This is under our Prosperous Community Pillar.

This is a motion to approve the application for an acceptance of awarded funds for a 2026 12% gaming grant from the auction Indian community for ascend.

This grant falls under state Prop 202, which provides that a share of gaming revenues can be distributed to cities and towns or counties for government services that benefit the general public.

Ascend is requesting $25,000 for $25,000 for their Family Resource Center and early literacy programs.

These funds will provide services to approximately 100 children and their parents.

Gilbert is acting as a pass-through agency for ascend in this grant, and there is no budget impact to Gilbert.

Item number 13 is a grant application and acceptance for Edward Byrne just memorial justice assistance grant.

This is under our exceptional built environment pillar.

This is a motion to approve the application of and acceptance of awarded funds for the 2025 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant and the amount not to exceed $27,646.

This grant is offered by the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.

Funding received will be used to purchase protective gear for police officers that would reduce their risk of injury in the event of civil unrest, including flame resistant, cut resistant, and laser light resistant equipment.

There are no matching fund requirements for this grant.

Item number 14 is endorsement of Palomino irrigation water delivery district.

And this is under our exceptional built environment pillar.

This is a motion to approve a resolution resolution endorsing the creation of the Palomino irrigation water delivery district.

So to tell you a little bit about an irrigation district, an irrigation water delivery district or IWDD is a special taxing district in Arizona that facilitates irrigation water delivery to landowners, properties, and can be formed when the majority of landowners whose properties are entitled or capable of receiving irrigation water from the same system wish to facilitate the delivery of irrigation water to their lands.

IWDDs are corporate entities and levy assessments and charges for the irrigation water delivery.

The purpose of the IWDD is to create an equitable distribution of costs associated with the use and maintenance of the private neighborhood irrigation system.

The district must be approved by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

However, since the property falls within the incorporated area of Gilbert, the town's governing body must endorse the creation, which is accomplished via this resolution.

This endorsement includes 30 parcels located in the north in the northwest corner of Williamsfield and Lindsay Road within the Palomino Acres subdivision.

Irrigation water is received from the Saltwater Pro Salt River Project, which has consented to the formate formation of the IWDD.

There are no financial invocations to the town for this item.

Item agenda item number 15 is a quarterly risk management claim report.

This is under our Prosperous Community Pillar, and this is a motion to accept the risk management claim report for 20 FY2026 Q3.

And with that, we'd be happy to take any questions.

Don, did I miss 7A?

Probably.

Did you go over 7A?

No, let me take a look.

I did not go over 7A.

Let me take a look.

Vice Mayor 7A was the an addendum that was um published yesterday.

Okay.

It was about the opioid uh litigation, and it's just a new settlement, new opportunity to participate in new settlement with a number of additional companies.

Okay.

Are there any items that uh council wants to get more information on?

Uh member Buckland.

No, however, I believe we're gonna move the administrative item to the consent.

Is that accurate, Mayor?

Yeah.

So item 23.

You might read what that is.

Thank you, Mayor.

Vice Mayor.

It's a motion to appoint Mary Fedore to the self-insured trust board as a regular member with a partial term beginning April 21st, 2026 and ending September 30th, 2027, and a full term beginning October 1st, 2027 and ending September 30, 2030.

Okay.

If no one wants to hear anything more, I have a motion to uh approve item six, seven, seven a eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, and twenty-three.

Can I get a second?

Second.

Please vote.

Did no vote.

Items passed seven zero.

Mayor.

Thank you.

We'll move on to public hearings.

You see items 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22.

Item 22 has been postponed till May 19th.

I do have a request to speak on item 20.

Uh, are there any other items the council would like to discuss?

If not, I'll entertain a motion for item 17.

I'll open the public hearing on items 17, 18, 19, and 21.

I'll close the public hearing and ask for a moved.

It's been moved.

Is there a second?

Second.

It's been moved and seconded to approve items 17, 18, 19, and 21.

Please vote.

Is a conduct a hearing and consider adoption of resolution number 4655.

Kelly, who's can give a very brief presentation.

Thank you, Mayor and Council.

I'm happy to give just a quick overview of this.

So we've got information for your decision.

We are talking about water resources system development fees, and we'll just do a quick recap of what system development fees are.

They are charged to new fees charged to new developments so that the municipality or the town can offset costs associated with the impact that they have on our systems.

They are paid by new commercial and residential development.

Existing residents do not pay these fees unless they expand or build new.

And these fees are highly regulated under state statute.

So SDFs help offset the cost of growth related to capital, new capacity, they cannot be used for existing system, and they must have a proportionate share under state statute.

We cannot use them for operations, staff or daily services, maintenance repairs, fixing or upgrading, or uh creating higher levels of service.

So it's very important to know that new development pays their share towards new infrastructure, but Arizona law defines what that share is and how it can be funded, and we follow those rules.

System development fees for Gilbert, we do charge the maximum allowed under state statute.

State statute does not allow for 100% cost recovery for various reasons.

Some of those are included here on the on the screen.

There are grandfathering provisions that allow new development to pay the lower fees when we adopt new fees.

They can pay the lower for up to 24 months if they meet certain criteria.

And then the difference in the fees we have to make up from other funds.

Also, schools are exempt from having to pay all of the types of fees.

There's only certain types of SDFs that they have to pay for.

And the study takes a year plus to update.

So we're not able to just update the cost of development when we finish a project or get quotes on a project.

It is a long drawn-out process, and so there are isn't a hundred percent cost recovery there.

It's also important to note that system development fees are different from enterprise funds.

They have different financial rules that we have to follow, and the town works very diligently to follow all of the financial rules and best practices for each type of fund, but they are different for various types of funds.

In this particular case, we want to talk about the water resource system development fees.

Uh these are SDFs we use to purchase new water rights.

In 2022, the town issued bonds to help cover the costs of various water projects.

One of the projects that we anticipated using bond funds to pay for is this one on the screen, WA0830, which is purchasing water rights.

At that time, we were anticipating final approval from the federal government at any time to be able to finish out that contract and make the payment.

It has now been four years later.

We have not received that approval, and we no longer have a timeline of when we expect to receive that approval, but we don't anticipate it in the near term.

So we have these bond funds that are available and need to be used on a water resource SDF project.

These bond funds need to be spent within a reasonable amount of time, and we are coming up on that timeline.

So we need to do something with them.

We got a whole group together of legal council, uh, SDF council, uh, and all of the groups financial advisors to be able to figure out what is our next best option for these funds.

We looked at using the funds for other water resource SDF projects.

Unfortunately, none of those are moving forward at this time and ready for payment either.

So our next best option that this work group could come up with is that this bond funds can be used at the Northwater Treatment Plant.

The Northwater Treatment Plant is anticipating using water system development fees, a slightly different bucket of money for water infrastructure.

Instead of using water system development fees, we can use the bond funds there.

Water the Northwater Treatment Plant meets the criteria of both the SDFs and the bond funds, so that makes it a good project to be able to use the funds on.

So we'll use the bond funds there in place of water SDFs.

The water SDFs that we would normally have used on this project, we will move over into the water resource SDF fund in order to keep both funds whole and meet the requirements and restrictions of all of the funding sources.

That will allow the money, the cash in the future that is now in the water resource SDF funds to be used on W8030 or another water resource SDF project in the future.

With that, we need to address that there is a water resources SDF internal loan in place.

This is from a water buy that we purchased in about 2018.

We've been working to pay off that loan, but when we transfer money over into this account, it would go towards the loan and not be available towards W8030 or a future project that it needs to be available for.

The SDFs we know will not have 100% cost recovery, and it's in the best interest of the town if when we do have to use funds to make up that gap for that non-cost recovery for not having 100% cost recovery.

It's in our best interest to make that up on the projects that are the least expensive, which would be this internal loan with the for the 2018 water buy.

So at this time, we do recommend that we finish the loan off and don't finish repayment to the water repair and replacement fund is where it's borrowing funds from at this time, and that will allow all of this transaction to happen and provide the best long-term cost recovery for the town.

With that, are there any questions?

Questions, counsel.

Okay, I do have one request to speak.

Noah mayor and to the rest of the city council.

Um, I really do we need to approve this.

And being from the island of Hawaii, um, you know, we care about our water a lot.

We have lots of water there.

Um, yeah, so let's approve this and make sure our water is good here because our capital doesn't know what water is about, I guess.

So thank you so much.

Thanks.

Thank you.

I'll close the public hearing and bring it back to the council for action.

I have a motion on item 20.

So thatem 20 is written.

Second.

Second, it's been moved and seconded that we accept item 20 as written.

Please vote.

Motion carries 70.

That concludes our regular business future meetings.

You can see that we do have some study session material in the future to consider uh communications report from the town manager.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just got a couple slides to go through.

We've got a lot of uh really uh exciting things this month.

Um just want to start with some department and division highlights.

Um we saw public safety telecommunicators week, um, April 12th through the 11th.

It's a second full week in April is set aside to nationally recognize our public safety telecommunicators, aka our 911 dispatchers.

Dispatchers are the unsung heroes for public safety.

They sit inside secure rooms, rarely seen, they stare at a wall of computer monitors uh bombarded by the crackle of radio traffic and 911 alarms, and yet they always remain calm and collected.

Their fingers fly across the keyboard while their eyes process an immense amount of data.

Dispatchers are the reassuring voices.

Our citizens hear when they call 911.

They are the lifeline to our officers when they call for urgent backup.

To our Gilbert Police Dispatchers and Mesa Alarm Fire Dispatches dispatchers, thank you for your sacrifice.

You routinely endure long hours, grueling night shifts, adrenaline dumps, and every emotion in between.

You show up to work every day to answer the call and to be there when our citizens need us most.

You're the voice behind the headset, reassuring them help is on the way.

We appreciate you.

These are some of our dispatchers.

We are very proud of the work that they do, and we know that it's a hard job, and so just really thank them for their service.

It is also Arizona Water Awareness Month, which we talked a little bit about that in the proclamations and those types of things.

So Gilbert actively manages our urban water cycle by securing managing and protecting Gilbert's water supplies.

This work ensures a reliable source of water treatment, distribution, and eventual reuse as it moves through the rest of our utility system.

These efforts are led by the water resources, water, wastewater and environmental compliance divisions, each performing essential functions that together create a complete urban water cycle.

Water resources forms the foundation of Gilbert's urban water cycle by securing, managing and protecting the community's water supplies, their long-term planning, oversight of groundwater and surface water resources, and water conservation programs ensure that our residents and businesses have a reliable water source now and into the future.

By providing the raw water needed for treatment, they support every step that follows in the delivery of these essential services.

This treated water sustains every household, business, school, and community space in Gilbert, and it also provides the critical lifeline our fire department relies on to safeguard lives and property.

Once used indoors, this water naturally transitions to the next stage of the water cycle, which is the wastewater cycle.

The wastewater team is responsible for the safe collection, conveyance, and treatment of the community's used water, through the operation of reclamation facilities, lift stations, and hundreds of miles of sewer lines.

They protect public health and the environment and their treatment and reuse efforts support recharge, sustainability, and long-term system reliability, sending Class A effluent water back, A plus effluent water back to the environment where it can begin the cycle again.

It's a really important part of our community, what we do and how we do it and waters our life.

So just really proud of those teams as well.

And the environmental compliance team is also a part of that, safeguarding our stormwater quality and overseeing the infrastructure design to manage Arizona's powerful storm events, their inspections, spill response, household hazardous waste and pollution prevention efforts, keep stormwater flowing safely through the system, and protect our community lakes and natural waterways.

This work ensures that stormwater re enters the environment cleanly and responsibly, completing another part of the broader water system.

Together, these divisions form a seamless, interdependent urban water cycle that secures, treats, delivers, collects, reclaims, recharges, and protects our community's water.

Their combined services are essential to Gilbert's future, supporting a healthy, sustainable, and resilient community for generations to come.

So thank you to all of our water teams.

April 22nd, 2026 is also Administrative Professional Day.

That's tomorrow.

We're very excited about that.

And so Gilbert's administrative professionals are really the backbone of Team Gilbert without their dedicated professional contributions.

Our organization could not deliver the quality of service that makes our community great.

This week we honor them for going, always going above and beyond thank you to all of our Gilbert administrative professionals.

And so here's some pictures of some of them.

They're all amazing and wonderful.

We also have a recognition for Water Tower Plaza.

Water Tower Plaza Renovation has earned several recognitions already across prestigious award programs.

Most recently, the project earned an honor award for design at the 2026 Arizona chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architect Awards, one of the highest distinctions in the landscape architect architecture profession.

These recognitions reflect the town's commitment to thoughtful community-centered design that honors Gilbert's heritage while building toward its future.

And finally, we want to welcome Trinity Donovan to, as the first director of the Gilbert Advocacy Center.

Trinity joins Team Gilbert after spending 16 years leading at Ascend a local nonprofit.

There she advanced the mission to nourish minds and bodies for members of our community so they could experience a brighter future.

Her public service experience also includes two terms on the Chandler City Council, and she currently serves on the First Things First East Maricopa Regional Council and the Gilbert Advocacy Center Foundation Board.

She has been deeply involved in the East Valley for many years, and we're very excited to welcome her as she guides the Gilbert Advocacy Center into opening and serving our residents.

So welcome to Trinity.

If Trinity wants to come up and say a word or two, just want to have her introduced to the council as part of this meeting.

That's all I got.

Trinity.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members.

I'm truly honored and excited to step into the role as the director of the Gilbert Advocacy Center.

First, I want to express my sincere gratitude to town leadership for your commitment to ensuring survivors in our community have access to compassionate, coordinated, and effective support.

This investment reflects leadership that understands public safety, includes care, prevention, and partnership.

I also want to recognize all the team members who've been part of this process and those who've already begun doing this work.

Both those who've been working on the construction and those providing victim services and counseling for our community.

The intentionality that each of them bring and the way they show up for people in their most difficult moments has built a strong and meaningful foundation.

If I can say it simply, Team Gilbert, you already ate and left no crumbs.

You have done this work thought thoroughly, thoughtfully, and with excellence.

I'm stepping into a role built by people who have set a very high standard, and I'm deeply respectful of that.

My commitment is to lead an advocacy center that's trusted by survivors, supportive of staff, respected by partners, and accountable to the town and the community.

I'm excited to work alongside all of you to deepen partnerships and ensure every survivor who walks through those doors feels heard, supported, and empowered.

Together, we can build a center that not only responds to crisis, we can build a center that restores dignity and strengthens lives.

So thank you for believing in this mission.

And when we strengthen support for our survivors, we strengthen our entire community.

Thanks.

All right.

Any guesses?

What her word was secret word.

Secret word.

Any guesses, any guesses?

I don't.

I nothing stood out to me.

It all made sense.

Usually the secret word doesn't make sense.

They don't fit in very well.

Gilbert ate and left no crumbs.

There we go.

Oh, okay.

That's a sentence.

That isn't a word.

Leave it to our staff to come up with uh really fun things to have uh folks use in their their uh first uh presentation to the council.

So thank you, council.

Thank you, Trinity.

Uh any reports from the council.

Vice Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

We're with where would a meeting be without one of my reports for Power Center Wreck.

All right.

Earth and Labor Day celebration.

Join us for our annual Earth and Arbor Labor.

What did I say labor for?

Arbor Day celebration.

Learn about variable valuable resources to create a happier, healthier, and more sustainable place to live.

No registration is necessary.

Activities include recycling inspired crafts and games, uh, upcycled DI DIY projects, a tree planting ceremony, a live animal display, local vendor booth, prizes, and giveaways.

Drop in any time between 10 a.m.

and 12 p.m.

on April 22nd at McQueen Park Activity Center.

Again, that's 10 a.m.

to 12 p.m.

And let's not forget uh Gilbert Cinemas moving in the park.

Movies in the park are back for spring of 2026 at the Civic at the Gilbert Civic Center Lawn.

Movies will be getting around sunset about 6:30 p.m.

Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and come and enjoy this fun family-oriented um event series.

Feel free to bring your own food and drinks.

Dogs are welcome.

Hot dogs, no dogs are welcome, but must stay unleash.

Here are the dates.

April 24th, a Minecraft movie.

May 1st, Lilo and Stitch.

May 8th, How to Train Your Dragon.

And May 15th, Zootopia 2.

Again, location is at Gilbert Civic Center Lawn at 6:30.

Yeah.

Council Member Lyons.

You guys got some slides for me?

Oh, we did, yeah, I'll think of the slide.

All right, just a couple things real quick.

We have the rehang program for the uh uh banners that we use to recognize those who have served in our community.

Uh given that this is the 250th anniversary of this nation, which is very unique in world history.

Um, the original veterans that gave us this beautiful nation have been supported over the generations by those who chose to wear the uniform, men and women who laid a lot of stuff on the line.

This gives an exam uh uh a way for us to honor them.

So if you have a banner that you've hung in the past and you would like to rehang that, please um reach out to us.

Uh there's a QR code there to donate, and uh we can help get that back up.

Next slide.

And um save the day for Memorial Day 2026.

Again, this is the 250th anniversary of our nation, and on this day we remember those who paid the ultimate price uh for our freedom, and just be looking forward uh looking for more information to come out on this and uh keep that date in mind.

That's all I got.

Thank you.

I have uh any anybody else.

Councilmember Bucklin.

Thank you, Mayor.

I I just have a shout out.

Um I'm on the uh board of directors for Valley Metro, and um just want to shout out Jason Hafner and uh Nathan Williams from planning, um, our Intergov staff.

They I don't know if anybody realizes how absolutely brilliant our staff is and how much impact they have in helping me prepare for these meetings.

There's just like here, there's packets full of lots of information and critical decisions to make, and they literally do their due diligence every each and every time.

And I just am grateful to them uh and the support that allows me to have the information I need to make um critical decisions there, like we have to do here.

Thank you.

I have one item.

Uh I think there's a slide for it also.

As you uh may all know, we've been going through a process to search for a new town manager.

It's been a rigorous process.

Um the uh the candidates all reflect how much we feel the importance of uh of our people here in town.

Um we do have internal and external candidates, and we're very happy with the uh the opportunity we will have later this week to uh visit with them a little bit more through this process, and uh we'll find the right leader as we go through this process.

But there is a meet the candidates for town manager that's being done at HD South at the Severson Center on Thursday night, uh, which will be part of uh several, I think, uh meetings they'll be attending that day.

Is that right, Nathan, on Thursday?

And then and that'll be 7 to 8:30, where the community will have the opportunity to meet the candidates.

So please mark that down if you're watching to take that opportunity.

And um, the council will be interviewing the candidates Friday.

And so we're we look forward to that process and look forward to making a final selection.

Thank you.

Anything else?

If not, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn.

Second.

We are adjourned.

Actually, staff too.

There's quite a few cookies from just serve, so feel free to come up and help yourself.