Gilbert Town Council Regular Meeting - October 20, 2026

The Gilbert Town Council held its regular meeting on October 20, 2026. The meeting included proclamations, public comments on several topics, approval of a consent calendar, and significant discussion and votes on data center regulations, council procedures, and a council code of conduct.

Proclamations & Recognitions

• Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Councilmember Torgeson stated that Gilbert Police responded to 2,096 domestic violence calls and made 1,250 arrests over a recent 12-month period. He noted Arizona ranks 5th in the nation for domestic violence and emphasized the opening of the Family Advocacy Center.
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Councilmember Buckley presented the proclamation. A speaker from the Brightly Living Foundation shared her personal experience with breast cancer and advocated for mental and emotional support resources.
• Recognition of Kathleen: The council honored a Dignity Health executive retiring after 33 years of service for her role in developing the Heritage Center, the Gilbert Advocacy Center, and the Community Engagement Task Force.

Consent Calendar

• Items 5 through 37 (excluding Item 7, which was continued) were approved in a single 7-0 vote. The items included intergovernmental agreements for school resource officers, contracts for water conservation, street maintenance, firefighter equipment, server infrastructure replacements, and various construction projects.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Barbara (Gilbert resident) criticized the council for prioritizing approximately $300 million in park investments over what she described as neglected water and infrastructure needs. She thanked Councilmembers Torgeson and Lyons for voting against the parks plan.
• Boss Obayami (Councilmember-elect) called for civility, decorum, and mutual respect among council members and between the council and the public.
• Nikki Weber opposed new data centers in Gilbert, citing noise and high electricity and water consumption, and urged the council to require data centers to provide their own utility infrastructure.
• River Brown spoke against data centers, arguing they harm the environment and consume excessive water, drawing parallels to water access issues on the Navajo Nation.
• Charles Montenegro thanked the council for their service and requested a new ordinance to address youth vandalism and aggressive door-knocking, similar to a recent e-bike ordinance.

Discussion Items

• Item 40: Hemmington Assisted Living Facility: The council approved a general plan amendment and rezoning for an 88-bed, 53,613 sq ft assisted living facility. The developer agreed to single-story buildings and enhanced landscaping buffers. The motion passed 6-1, with Councilmember Torgeson dissenting.
• Item 41: Data Centers LDC Text Amendment: Staff presented regulations for data centers, including 400-foot setbacks (650 ft near residential), a 55-foot height limit, a prohibition on using potable water for cooling in primary data centers with reclaimed water required, and restrictions on open-loop evaporative cooling. Council debated the need for an ordinance given a lack of current applications, focusing on future micro data centers, water usage, and national security. Councilmember Torgeson successfully moved to continue the item to December 15, 2026 to study accessory and smaller data center regulations. The motion passed 6-1 (Councilmember Bucklin dissenting).
• Item 43: Council Procedures: The council adopted amendments to streamline meetings, including a noon deadline for pulling consent items, moving study sessions to separate Mondays, and starting regular meetings at 5:30 PM. The motion passed 6-1 (Councilmember Buckley dissenting, citing concerns about excluding working residents).
• Item 45: Council Code of Conduct: The council revised the code of conduct to prohibit council members from recording town staff without consent and to restrict direct staff contact, requiring all requests to go through the Town Manager. Supporters cited a toxic environment, staff departures, and public harassment. The motion passed 7-0.

Key Outcomes

• Approved: Consent Calendar Items 5-37 (7-0).
• Approved: Hemmington Assisted Living Facility (6-1).
• Continued to Dec 15, 2026: Data Center regulations for further study on smaller/accessory facilities (6-1).
• Adopted: Code of Gilbert amendments for streamlined council meetings (6-1).
• Adopted: Revised Council Code of Conduct (7-0).
• Approved: Appointments to the Redevelopment Commission.
• Removed: Item 46 (Public-Private Partnership) from the agenda, directed to a November 17 study session.