Lake Havasu City Council Regular Meeting - April 8, 2025
Lake Havasu City Council Regular Meeting - April 8, 2025
The Lake Havasu City Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 5:30 PM in the Council Chambers. The meeting began with a moment of silence in honor of Corey Coke, who passed away on April 1, 2025, and an invocation by Michael Gagnon followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by the Mighty Minions Robotics Team. Mayor Cal Sheehy presented a proclamation declaring April 5–13, 2025, as Robotics Week. The council approved the consent agenda (6–0) and addressed several public hearings, including a discussion on a proposed outdoor pool that drew significant public testimony.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the March 25, 2025, City Council Regular Meeting Minutes (ID 25-4727).
- Approved Resolution No. 25-3823 for an Intergovernmental Agreement with Desert Hills Fire District for Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Services (ID 25-4723).
- Approved Resolution No. 25-3824 for an Agreement with Arizona State Parks Board to Occupy and Use Certain Areas of the Water Safety Center (ID 25-4722).
- Approved Amendment No. 5 to the Professional Services Contract with Clifton Larson Allen, LLP, for External Auditing Services (ID 25-4720).
- Approved Amendment No. 1 to the Engineering Professional Services Agreement with NCS Engineers, LLC, for Odor Control System Assessment and Design at the Influent Pump Station as part of the North End Wastewater System Expansion Project (ID 25-4732).
- Approved a Call for Executive Session scheduled for April 22, 2025, at 4:30 PM (ID 25-4728).
- The consent agenda was approved unanimously (6–0) with Councilmember Jeni Coke absent.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Bonny Toy (citizen) addressed the council during the procurement ordinance hearing, requesting clarification on vehicle purchase thresholds. Mayor Sheehy explained that any single or cumulative expenditure over $100,000 with one vendor would require council approval.
- Margie Snyder, Sandy Hueing, Stephanie Welton, Brittney Millsaps, Bryn Millsaps, Dane Millsaps, Kierstin Ferrante, Dr. Liz Marr, Juliana Baumkirchner, Layla Persaud, Mark Persaud, Bonny Toy, and Victoria Reeves all spoke in support of an outdoor pool, emphasizing the need for additional aquatic capacity for swim lessons, lap swim, fitness, and community programs.
- Paul Katton (citizen) supported an outdoor pool but urged the council to consider a 50-meter by 25-yard pool, calling a 25-meter pool "short-sighted."
- Martin Stansbury (citizen) expressed frustration over the lack of progress on the pool in the past ten months.
- David Rose (President, Lake Havasu Unified School District Governing Board) stated that the district cannot invest in property it does not own but is open to partnership discussions, potentially through a bond or override.
- Rick Wheeler (Head Coach, Havasu Stingrays Swim Team) asked the council to continue working on the pool and later clarified that a 25-meter pool could host short-course championship meets, but a 50-meter pool would serve for 40–50 years.
- Nicole Thomas (small business owner and dog trainer) requested adding signage and cleanup stations in the Bridgewater Channel and Rotary Park to enforce leash laws and dog waste cleanup.
Discussion Items
- Ordinance No. 25-1358 (Court Enhancement Fee): City Magistrate Mitchell Kalauli presented the ordinance to increase the court enhancement fee from $10 to $20 to align with Mohave County, offsetting state-imposed clean election and First Responder benefit costs. The council adopted the ordinance unanimously (6–0) after a public hearing with no comments.
- Ordinance No. 25-1357 (Procurement Code Amendments): Administrative Services Director Jill Olsen proposed increasing the council approval threshold for purchases from $50,000 to $100,000, contract amendment threshold from 5% to 10% (not more than $100,000), and job-order contract maximum to $2 million. The ordinance was adopted 5–1, with Vice Mayor Michele Lin voting nay. Discussion included vehicle purchases and quarterly reporting.
- Resolution No. 25-3825 (Public Education Plan for 2026 General Plan Update): Development Services Director Jeff Thuneman and Terry Hogan (Logan Simpson Design, Inc.) presented the plan, required by state law every ten years. The $225,000 contract with Logan Simpson was approved January 28, 2025. The plan outlines a 60-day public review period, workshops, and a steering committee. Councilmember David Diaz questioned the timeline, and Vice Mayor Lin suggested adding the Partnership for Economic Development (PED) to community groups. The resolution was adopted unanimously (6–0).
- Outdoor Pool Discussion (Item 7.4): Vice Mayor Lin requested the item after a citizen inquiry. A video clip from the June 11, 2024, budget meeting was shown, where the council directed staff to expedite the pool project. City Manager Jess Knudson stated that funding ($2.5 million) is in the FY 2025–26 CIP, but location and size decisions remain unresolved. Parks and Recreation Director Gabby Vera highlighted demand: swim lessons fill immediately, limited class sizes, and high interest in alternative programs. Operating costs were estimated at $395,420 annually. Councilmembers debated whether a 25-meter by 25-yard pool (estimated $2.5 million) or a 50-meter pool (estimated $6–$6.5 million) should be built. Councilmember Nancy Campbell opposed the pool until infrastructure needs are met. Mayor Sheehy noted that the council could only move forward with a clear location and size. After public testimony, the council reached consensus to continue exploring the second pool, with further discussion scheduled for the April 10 budget work session.
Key Outcomes
- Adopted Ordinance No. 25-1358 (Court Enhancement Fee increase from $10 to $20) – vote 6–0.
- Adopted Ordinance No. 25-1357 (Procurement Code amendments) – vote 5–1 (Vice Mayor Lin opposed).
- Adopted Resolution No. 25-3825 (Public Education Plan for 2026 General Plan Update) – vote 6–0.
- Consensus to continue exploring the outdoor pool with direction to staff to prepare for a 25-meter by 25-yard pool at the Aquatic Center, pending further budget discussions on April 10, 2025. No formal vote was taken.
- Future meetings: Budget/CIP Overview Work Session on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 9:00 AM; Regular Meeting on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 5:30 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. I call to order the Lake Cavasu City Council regular meeting on Tuesday, April 8th, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. Uh, before we begin this evening, I would like you to uh join me in a moment of silence in honor of Councilmember Koch's husband Corey, who passed away on April 1st. Thank you. Our thoughts and our condolences are with Councilmember Koch and her family during this time. If you please join me in an invocation by Michael Gagnan, and then followed by the Pledge of Allegiance with uh the Mighty Minions Robotics Team. Father, I thank you. I thank you that today you have gifted us with breath in our lungs. I thank you for your love, your grace, your mercy, your gift of salvation that you present to all who believe in the Son, Jesus Christ. How excellent is your name in all the earth. What is man that you are mindful of him? Lord God, how mighty is your name. Let your will be done. Let man seek to do your will. That is that everyone sees the sun and believes in him that they may have everlasting life and raise them up on the last day. Not unto us, O Lord, but to your name, give glory because of your mercy and truth. May man repent, confess his sins, tear down his idols of silver and gold, the work of men's hands. For they have mouths but do not speak, eyes, but do not see, ears, but do not hear noses, but do not smell hands, but do not handle. You are the truth. You are the true and living God. We spend money for what is not bread and our wages for what is not does not satisfy. May we incline our ear and come to you. Let your spirit fill this place that we may glorify your name here today. I come to you by the only way the name of your only begotten son, Jesus Christ. Amen. I pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which is stance one nation under God, indivisible, and liberty and justice for all. Yeah, please just make your way to the microphone. Um, for those of you who don't know me, my name is Molly Hooks. I'm the head coach of the Mighty Minions. This is our sixth year as a competitive robotics team. They range from fifth grade to eighth grade. And it's wonder first inspires program. And the biggest thing is is first is not just about robots. It's basically about the hardest fun you're ever going to have. These kids work hard. I'm extremely extremely proud of what they have done this season and in the past seasons. And one statistic I did want to pass on that for any child that spends one year, one year in the first robotics program, whatever their age, they have a 50% higher of ending up in a STEM career when they go and passed high school. So I just it was a long-term study that just came out, and I thought that was a phenomenal statistic to pass on of what an impact this program makes on everyone, including myself, the volunteers and parents, and most of all the kids. So, and we like to have a lot of minion fun. Thank you. Do we have is everyone here right now? Is everyone here? Yes, we all made it. Okay, perfect. Excellent. All right. I'm Lyric. I'm September. I'm Viviana. I'm Vinnie.
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