Thank you for that introduction.

Welcome to the Mesa City Council meeting for November 3rd, 2025.

Councilmember Adams is participating by Zoom.

Other council members are present.

I want to remind everyone this is a business meeting and it may maintain proper decorum.

Please refrain from clapping, cheering, or other disruptions.

These interruptions make it difficult to move through the agenda to complete city business and for each speaker to be heard.

If you engage in such conduct that disrupts the meeting, such as shouting, clapping, or any other loud noise, you may be removed.

This is your warning.

But before, as we get started here, I'd like to acknowledge our mayor's youth committee who is here with us today.

Thank you for joining Mayor's Youth Committee.

Could you please stand?

All right.

Thank you.

You be seated.

Thanks for being here.

Uh, with that, uh, we're going to begin with an invitation uh this evening by Reverend Wendy Atkin from the Red Mountain United Math Methodist Church, and then members of the Youth Committee were going to come up and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Reverend, please come forward.

Please stand.

Good evening, Mayor Freeman, Council members and other city officials.

Thank you for inviting me here this evening.

Please join me in prayer according to your faith tradition.

Mighty creator, source of all wisdom and understanding.

I begin by offering gratitude on behalf of all who are gathered here.

We thank you for life itself and for your many and abundant blessings.

We thank you for religious freedom that allows us to pray together and to embrace you or reject you.

Thank you for loving us from your boundless and gracious nature, despite our choices and decisions.

Loving and merciful one, bless those who hold office in our local government.

Keep them safe from harm as they serve our community.

I pray for Mayor Freeman for the various levels of city officials, and for this assembled city council.

Please grant them the following.

A reminder of our common humanity as they serve our neighbors and strive to be good stewards of your creation.

Open ears to listen attentively to one another.

Open minds with clarity of thought and vision to discern what is right and just for all members of our community.

Open and softened hearts that move us from awareness into action in response to the welfare and needs of the vulnerable and those who have been furloughed and those lacking their full step benefits.

A spirit of unity and mutual respect with an added dose of patience, making room for harmony, even and especially when there is honest disagreement, strength and integrity to lead with courage and compassion, wisdom and confidence to govern amid the conflicting interests and issues of our time, deep hunger for justice and righteousness and personal peace in their lives and joy in their tasks.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, Reverend.

Thank you.

Those in the mayor's youth committee want to come forward and lead us in the pledge.

Just come up to the microphone there and let us know when you're ready to start.

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

And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you very much.

As we continue to focus on building a strong, respectful and connected community, November is recognized as Be Kind America Month in Mesa.

It is a reminder that kindness and civility starts with each of us.

And to share more important words about this, I'd like to invite Councilmember Spielsbury to say a few words.

Councilmember.

Thank you so much, and I'm so excited that our Mayor's Youth Committee is here tonight because you are our future leaders.

We are proud to declare November as kindness month.

Kindness is something that I care deeply about.

And that's why I started the hashtag Mesa Kindness campaign five years ago.

I want to thank everyone who has been a part of it so far, our residents, our city departments, and different organizations.

Each of you has helped make kindness a real part of our community.

Kindness has incredible power.

As we get ready for election day tomorrow, I think this message matters more than ever.

We can do better.

We have got to stop seeing people who disagree with us as our enemies.

Kindness reminds us that no matter our differences, we share the same hopes for our families, our neighborhoods, and our future.