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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Mesa City Council Meeting – August 26, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, August 26, 2025

BodyMesa, Arizona

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, August 26, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 19:34

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

Well, thank you.

0:00

Good evening.

0:01

Uh, welcome to our Mesa City Council meeting, August 25th, 2025.

0:05

All of our council members are present.

0:07

Appreciate them being here.

0:09

Uh, we will begin with a invocation from Pastor Brian Crane from the Eternal Life Lutheran Church, after which we'll have the pledge of allegiance.

0:18

If we at all, please stand.

0:23

Let us pray.

0:26

Almighty everlasting God, King of Kings, from whom all rank and power proceed, who instituted temporal authority and committed to it the sword for the punishment of the wicked and the protection of the good.

0:38

Lead all our leaders, especially the members of our city council in your way, that they may keep the common peace, turn us away from violence and bloodshed, and nurture whatever makes for peace, honor, and justice.

0:51

To that end, O Lord of hosts, give them your divine blessing.

0:55

Make and keep them steadfast and good, courageous in adversity, confident in affliction, joyful in sorrow, reliable in distress, victorious in temptation, unmoved in prosperity, and wise, strong, and prosperous in all their endeavors.

1:10

Let our government serve for the suppression of all evil, peace in this present time, and the protection of the people, to the praise and eternal worship of your holy name through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

1:24

Amen.

1:25

Amen.

1:25

Thank you, Pastor.

1:27

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:29

I pledge allegiance through the flag of the United States of America.

1:34

And to the Republic for which it stands.

1:36

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1:46

Again, thank you, Pastor Crane.

1:48

We need all the blessings we can get up here.

1:51

Yep, you bet.

1:53

Item one is the consent agenda.

1:55

Mr.

1:55

Christopher, if you could come forward and read the consent agenda.

1:58

I believe 7A is off our consent.

2:00

Thank you.

2:03

Good evening, Mayor and Council members.

2:04

These are the items on the consent agenda.

2:06

All items listed with an asterisk will be considered as a group by the city council.

2:09

And will be enacted with one motion.

2:11

There'll be no separate discussion unless a council member order citizen request, in which event the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered as a separate item.

2:19

Item two, approval of minutes of previous meetings as written.

2:22

Item 3A, Act on Liquor License Application for Last Stop Mesa, 2751 East University Drive.

2:28

Item 3B, Act on Liquor License Application for Best Tacos, 1712 West Broadway.

2:33

Item 3C, Act on Liquor License Application for Thanks a Bunch, 1853 South Power Road.

2:39

Item 4A, approving dollar limit increase to the cooperative term contract for McNeil's original equipment manufacturer refugees parts for the Fleet Services Department.

2:48

Item 4B, approving three-year term contract with two-year renewal options for special event management services for the Parks Recreation and Community Facilities Department.

2:57

Item 4C, approving dollar limit increase to the cooperative contract for a six-year service and capital expenditure agreement for Motorola System Upgrade for the Tupaz Regional Wireless Cooperative as requested by the Department of Innovation and Technology.

3:10

Item 4D, approving three-year term contract with two-year renewal options for communications tower support services for the Department of Innovation and Technology.

3:18

Item 4E, approving five-year term contract for water and wastewater chemicals for the water resources department.

3:24

Item 5A, approving ordinance repealing Mesa City Code Title VIII, Chapter 4, in its entirety, and adopting a new replacement, Mesa City Code, Title VIII, Chapter 4, Titled Sanitary Sewer Regulations.

3:35

Item 5B, approving ordinance of adopting titles and schedules of terms, rates, fees, and charges for the natural gas utility transportation and gas service schedule.

3:45

And item 6A, approving bingo application for East Mesa Moose Lodge 2082 at 7402 East Baseline Road.

3:53

Mayor and Councilmember is these are the items on the consent agenda.

3:55

Thank you, Mr.

3:56

Christopher.

3:58

Is there a motion to approve the agenda?

4:00

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

4:01

Second by Miss Billsbury.

4:03

Please cast your vote.

4:06

Motion passes unanimously.

4:08

Okay, thank you, everyone.

4:09

Next we'll move over to 7A.

4:11

7A's for the rezoning of Siena Ridge, a 20-unit multiple resident development located north of the northwest corner of East Broadway and South 90th Street.

4:22

Miss Mosley, are there any blue cards for this?

4:28

All right.

4:28

Council, anything that anyone would like to say.

4:35

Thank you, Mayor.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Zoning And Land Use████████████████████████████████32%

Procedural███████████████████████23%

Public Safety██████████████████████22%

Immigration Policy████████████████████20%

Parks and Recreation███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Mesa City Council Meeting – August 26, 2025

The Mesa City Council convened on August 26, 2025, at 7:19 PM (transcript start) for a regularly scheduled meeting. The council unanimously approved the consent agenda, debated a rezoning proposal for a 20-unit development (Siena Ridge), heard public comments on the city's 287(g) immigration enforcement agreement, and adjourned. All council members were present.

Consent Calendar

Approved unanimously: Minutes of previous meetings; liquor licenses for Last Stop Mesa, Best Tacos, and Thanks a Bunch; a dollar limit increase for McNeil's OEM parts; a three-year contract for special event management services; a six-year Motorola system upgrade contract; a three-year contract for communications tower support; a five-year term contract for water and wastewater chemicals; an ordinance repealing and replacing Title VIII, Chapter 4 (Sanitary Sewer Regulations); an ordinance adopting rates for natural gas utility transportation and gas service; and a bingo application for East Mesa Moose Lodge 2082.

Public Comments & Testimony

Noah James Markham – Expressed gratitude for the ocean and surfing features in Mesa, urged the city to end the 287(g) agreement with ICE and Mesa PD, cited historical Japanese American incarceration, and criticized the removal of a deaf school from Mesa.
Jeannie Fasanella (District 3 resident) – Urged Mesa to withdraw from the 287(g) agreement, stating ICE today does not follow due process, operates unsafe detention centers, and has deported people without trials. She noted that no neighboring cities have such an agreement.
David Wynstanley (District 6 resident) – Thanked Mesa first responders, defended the 287(g) agreement, stated that immigration status is not typically discussed during traffic stops, and argued that the majority of Mesa residents support the current policy. He noted that one of the previous speakers did not live in Mesa.
Additional names were read into the record (without speaking) supporting changes to the 287(g) agreement: Ryan Jara Birsch, Richard James, John Bush, Cassandra Winchester, Robert Hathcock, Michael Stanley, Gillian Ryan, Trinity Schwabaker, Nathan James, Rachel Dugan, Christopher Cody, Alita West, Betsy Soderquist, Francesca Bauer, and Emma Lynn.

Discussion Items

Item 7A – Rezoning of Siena Ridge (20-unit multiple residence development, northwest corner of East Broadway and South 90th Street). The plan requested a deviation from the code requiring 20-by-22-foot garages to 19.2-by-20-foot or 25-by-20-foot garages (11 units exceed code depth, 18 are short). Vice Mayor expressed opposition, citing undersized garages that would force parking onto streets and erode quality of life in a car-dependent suburban area. Councilmember Adams sympathized but noted the project has fewer objections than others and said the outcome should be monitored. Councilmember Spilsbury supported the project, stating guest parking appears sufficient, but reiterated a need to revisit garage standards for this type of product. The item passed on a 5–2 vote.

Key Outcomes

Consent Agenda – Approved unanimously.
Rezoning of Siena Ridge – Approved 5–2.
Public Comments on 287(g) – No council action taken; Police Chief Butler stated that Mesa PD's procedures have remained consistent across multiple administrations.
Meeting Adjourned – Motion passed unanimously.

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