Mesa City Council Meeting Summary: September 23, 2025
Mesa City Council Meeting – September 23, 2025
The Mesa City Council met on September 23, 2025, at 6:16 PM. The meeting included public comments on a 287G immigration enforcement agreement, approval of an irrigation water delivery district, debate and approval of a residential development (Price Manor 2), continuances for zoning items, and the initiation of utility rate and capacity fee adjustment processes.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the consent agenda (items 2–7) unanimously, including liquor license applications, contracts for park signs, industrial plumbing supplies, natural gas supplies, acceptance of Proposition 202 funds, an intergovernmental agreement for crime analysis, and zoning and speed limit ordinances.
Public Comments & Testimony
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287G Program (Immigration Enforcement): 113 blue cards were submitted in opposition. Three speakers testified:
- Betsy Soderquist (opposed, 50-year Mesa resident) described the four 287G models and expressed concern that the task force or hybrid models could endanger due process and constitutional rights. She cited a Brennan Center report on $170.7 billion in federal enforcement funding.
- Alisa Lamontang Owens (opposed, Dobson Ranch resident, naturalized citizen) stated that such agreements reduce community trust in police and lead to racial profiling, making immigrants reluctant to report crimes.
- Adela (13-year-old Mesa resident, opposed) said the agreement has caused fear in her community and that children fear family separation. She asked the council to cancel the 287G agreement.
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Mesa Vista Estates IWDD (Item 5D): Robert Blinko (District 1 resident) spoke in support, noting that the aging irrigation system requires pooled resources for repairs.
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Price Manor 2 (Item 8C): Multiple speakers:
- Mario Diaz (support, nearby resident) urged development of the blighted property.
- Tim Brown (support, neighbor) described crime and dumping on the site.
- Marilyn Crosby (opposed, Lehigh resident) argued that opposition is about broken promises and lack of proper notice, not development itself.
- Michelle McCrosky (opposed, Lehigh community board and 4-H leader) cited density, traffic, and impact on agricultural lifestyle and children riding horses on Lehigh Road.
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Utility Rate Adjustments (Item 10A/B): Five blue cards in opposition. Two speakers:
- Rick Swalback (opposed) requested delayed action until utility bills clearly show the 30% general fund transfer, past bond decisions, and median customer usage data.
- Scott Webster (opposed) echoed the call for transparency, proposing the bill be renamed to reflect the government supplement.
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Water/Wastewater Capacity Fees (Item 11A/B): Two speakers:
- James Ashley (Home Builders Association of Central Arizona, opposed) objected to the process, stating capacity fees should be adopted under the development impact fee statute (ARS 9-463.05) rather than the capacity fee statute, and that there was insufficient stakeholder outreach.
- David L. Smith (Dreamland Villa resident, in support) argued that new development should pay for the $400 million in needed infrastructure, not existing ratepayers.
Discussion Items
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Continuance of Non-Conforming Uses Amendments (Item 8B): Councilmember Adams moved to continue to October 6 due to insufficient information on whether the changes apply citywide or only to battery energy storage. Passed 6–1.
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Price Manor 2 (Item 8C): A 6.5-acre development at McKellips and Center Street, rezoned from RS-9 to RSL-4.5 for 41 single-family homes for sale. The applicant, Jaren Sweeney (Brighton Holmes), addressed concerns: proposed exit-only gate to the east, disclosure about agricultural neighbors, no short-term rentals, and a horse trail. Council debated: Councilmember Adams opposed based on a campaign promise to protect Lehigh's rural lifestyle; Councilmembers Spilsbury, Duff, Reddi, and Mayor John Giles supported, citing the need for attainable housing and the property's location outside the Lehigh sub-area. Approved (motion by Spilsbury, second by Duff).
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Continuance of Park North Multifamily (Items 9A/B): The applicant requested a continuance to date uncertain to address concerns from the June 2 meeting. Councilmember Summers moved to continue, requiring the revised project to go back to the Planning and Zoning Board. Approved unanimously.
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Utility Rate Adjustments (Items 10A/B): Brian Richel (OMB Director) presented the Notice of Intent for 2026 rate adjustments. Key changes: residential water rate adjustment reduced from 6% to 3.5% (with capacity fee) or 4.3% (without), non-residential landscape raised to 20% to accelerate equity. Monthly impact: ~$5.96 (water, wastewater, solid waste) or $6.72 (including electric/gas). Mesa remains third-lowest among valley cities. Council opted to proceed with the notice-of-intent process, with a public hearing on November 17 and final action on December 1. Approved unanimously.
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Water/Wastewater Capacity Fees (Items 11A/B): Christopher Hazard (Water Resources Director) proposed a new capacity fee for new development to fund $400 million in expansion projects (e.g., Signal Butte treatment plant). Fee: ~$9,500 per 3/4-inch meter equivalent. If adopted, residential water rates would drop by 0.5%. Council approved the Notice of Intent, scheduling a public hearing for December 1, with stakeholder meetings to follow. Approved unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
- Mesa Vista Estates IWDD (5D): Approved, recommendation sent to Maricopa County.
- Non-Conforming Uses Amendments (8B): Continued to October 6, 2025 (6–1).
- Price Manor 2 (8C): Approved (motion passed, no recorded tally outside of ayes).
- Park North Multifamily (9A/B): Continued to date uncertain, with requirement to return to Planning and Zoning Board.
- Utility Rate Notice of Intent (10A/B): Approved unanimously, with final action on December 1.
- Water/Wastewater Capacity Fee Notice of Intent (11A/B): Approved unanimously, with final action on December 1.
- Proclamation: Domestic Violence Awareness Month will be recognized at the October 6 council meeting.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you, everyone, for your patience. Welcome to Mesa City Council meeting, September 22nd. All of our council members are present. This is the last call for blue cards to be turned in for this meeting. If you have a blue card that has not been turned in, please turn it in to the clerk. Thank you. We'll begin this meeting with a invocation by Pastor Jared Moore with the One Life Church, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Looks like Pastor Moore is not here. We'll have a moment of silence. Thank you. Thank you. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the United States of America and to the Republic for Stance. Okay. Thank you, everyone. Before we begin tonight's agenda, I want to share some updates with everyone that's here, and it's great that we have a great crowd tonight. From now on, when cards are submitted in support or in opposition of an item, our city clerk will tally the totals from each side and read those numbers into the record. This will allow us to acknowledge community input without reading every individual name aloud. The list of the names will still be made available online the following day. In cases where we receive any cards on the same topic, which is like tonight, city clerk staff should have spoken with you and when you've completed your card about selecting a spokesperson. To avoid repetition, we'll ask that one spokesperson speak on behalf of those who share the same position. If you submitted a request to speak but do not have the opportunity tonight, I would encourage you to share your comments online and the council reviews those published the following day. Finally, I want to remind everyone that this is a business meeting and to main proper decorum. Please refrain from capping clapping sharing or other disruptions. These interruptions make it harder for us to move through the agenda and hear each speaker. But let's keep this meeting respectful and orderly, and so every voice has a fair opportunity to be considered. The mayor or anyone conducting this meeting has the authority to adjust as they deem necessary. So with that, I think it's deemed necessary. I'm going to hear first from citizens present. So that would be the last agenda item. However, I'm going to move that to the front to give those who wish to speak the opportunity to do so tonight. That way, if you want to choose to leave the meeting and go about your business instead of uh continuing all our zoning things, uh, you're you're welcome to leave. So with that, our first three speakers. Uh, I would invite uh Betsy Soderquist. Uh, she's opposed and to item 12. Betsy, would you come forward? Thank you. Following her, I always put somebody uh on deck. That's Alisa Owens. Alisa, uh, you're on deck. You're opposed to 287G. Thank you. Hi, my name is Betsy Soderquist. I've lived in Mesa just a bit over 50 years. I believe in democracy, so that's why I'm here to share my beliefs with you. I want to clarify the four aspects of the 287G program for the community and express my concerns about potential government overreach within it. We know that 287G is an agreement between federal immigration authorities, DHS and ICE, and uh law enforcement departments. There are four ways to implement the uh the agreements. Number one is the jail enforcement model. This is what Mesa Police Department has used since 2009.
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