Mesa City Council Meeting, October 21, 2025: Consent Agenda, Property Purchase, and Public Comments
Mesa City Council Meeting, October 21, 2025
Note: The meeting transcript states the meeting was held on October 20, 2025, but the provided timestamp indicates October 21, 2025. This summary uses the given date.
The meeting began with an invocation by Pastor Christian Orques of Strong Church, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Councilmember Goforth was excused. The consent agenda was approved unanimously, with Item 5A removed for separate discussion. The council then debated and approved the purchase of real property from the Maricopa County Community College District. Three citizens presented public comments covering the Salvation Army's increased needs, procedural complaints about public comment rules, and opposition to the 287(g) ICE agreement.
Consent Calendar
- All items on the consent agenda (Items 2, 3A, 4A-4C, 5B-5E, 6A) were approved unanimously with Councilmember Goforth absent. Items included approval of minutes, a liquor license for Brooklyn V's Pizza, contracts for well pump installation, fuel station improvements, hostile vehicle mitigation barriers, a FEMA firefighter grant agreement, an intergovernmental agreement for storm drain improvements, a development agreement with Hadrian Automation Inc., and an amendment to joint legal representation in the Gila River Stream Adjudication, as well as the Hawes Village Development zoning case.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Captain John Burks (Salvation Army): Introduced himself as the new core officer in Mesa. Reported that the Salvation Army's food assistance program has seen a 50% increase in daily need, serving 100–150 individuals per day (Monday–Friday). In the last three weeks, they had to turn people away on four days due to food shortages. Also described a senior lunch program (55+, $2.50 per meal) and plans for a youth after-school program at their 241 East 6th Street location.
- Gillian Ryan (Indivisible Mesa): Criticized the council for inconsistent application of public comment rules. She alleged that on September 8, 2025, four speakers were allowed (contrary to the usual three) when a large group supported the 287(g) agreement, and that on September 22, 2025, the council attempted to limit speakers from her group. She claimed that on October 6, 2025, blue comment cards were not read into the record, and that staff are not informing attendees that blue cards are not recorded. She also questioned the hiring of former police chief Ken Cost as assistant to the city manager at a salary of $270,000, and reiterated her opposition to the 287(g) agreement.
- Joanne Fraser (Mesa resident, retired Army Master Sergeant): Expressed opposition to the 287(g) agreement, citing her ancestors who fought in the American Revolution alongside immigrants. She argued that the country should not turn against immigrants and called for cancellation of the agreement.
Discussion Items
- Item 5A – Purchase of Real Property from Maricopa County Community College District: The city proposed purchasing two buildings at 145 and 165 North Centennial Way for $4.7 million. A public speaker, David Wynn Stanley, questioned the necessity, noting vacant city-owned buildings and suggesting telework or purchasing an option instead. City staff (Mr. Butler and Ms. Merritt) responded: one building is in poor condition and will be demolished, with the land later sold for economic development; the other building is needed immediately for city employees. Staff also noted that the city owns the adjacent parking garage, making this a strategic purchase. Councilmember Adams confirmed that memorial items from the Veteran Center area would be preserved if possible.
Key Outcomes
- Consent agenda approved unanimously (7-0, with Goforth excused).
- Item 5A approved unanimously (7-0, with Goforth excused).
- No further motions or votes; meeting adjourned.
- No action was taken on public comments regarding the 287(g) agreement or public comment procedures.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to the Mesa City Council meeting for October 20th, 2025. Councilmember Goforth is unable to attend, and she is excused from this meeting, but all other council members are present. For a start, I'd like to remind everyone this is a business meeting and to maintain proper decorum. Please refrain from clapping, cheering, or other disruptions. These interruptions make it difficult to move through the agenda and to complete city business and for each speaker to be heard. If you engage in conduct that disrupts this meeting, such as shouting, clapping, or any other loud noise, you may be removed, so this is your warning. We're going to begin with an invocation by Pastor Christian Orques from the Strong Church. Pastor, if you'll come and we'll all stand, please. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Let us pray. Father, we thank you this evening for uh the city, God, for Mesa, for all that you've been doing here and all that you're going to do, God. We know that you are in control. And right now, God, we pray for this meeting. We pray for every member of our city council, God. We pray for wisdom over their lives. We pray for their families, God, for whatever needs that they may have. We know that you can do all things. And God, we pray that in the midst of this meeting today, you be in the midst of every issue that is addressed. We pray for every person living in Mesa. We pray for every family represented, every child, every teen, every school, that you be in the midst of us all, God. We pray for peace. We pray for unity in our city. We pray, God, that that your light, that your hope and your love will shine throughout this city like never before. You're gracias por todo lo que está suciendo, por todo lo que harás en nuestra ciudad y en cada comunidad de mesa. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you, Pastor. Will you please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which is one nation. Under God. So this evening we'll start with item one, which is the consent agenda. Uh Miss Blake, do you want to come forward and read our consent agenda? And I believe uh five A is off our consent, correct? Yes. All right. Go ahead. Mayor and Council members, these are the items on the consent agenda. All items listed with an asterisk will be considered as a group by the city council and will be enacted with one motion. There will be no separate discussion unless a council member or citizen requests, in which event the item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered as a separate item. Item two, approval of minutes of previous meetings as written. Item three A Act on Liquor License Application for Brooklyn V's Pizza 1902 North Higley Road. Item 4A, approving design bid build contract for the installation of a new pump, piping and electrical equipment at the new desert well number seven, located approximately 600 feet east of the existing well location within Mariposa Mariposa Park. Item 4B, approving fuel station improvements contract. Construction manager at risk for the superstition substation fuel station, Falcon Fuel Station, and the Sixth Street Fuel Station. Item 4C, approving three-year term contract with two-year renewal options for hostile vehicle mitigation barriers for the Mesa Police Department. Item 5A has been removed from the consent agenda. Item 5B, approving resolution to enter into an agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to accept assistance to firefighter grant funding. Item 5C, approving resolution to execute an amendment to the intergovernmental agreement with the flood control district of Maricopa County for the Pecus Pecos Road Basins and Storm Drain Improvements Project. Item 5D, approving a resolution to enter into a development agreement with Hadrian Automation Inc.
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