Thank you.

Welcome to the Mesa City Council Studies session for May 18, 2026.

Councilmember Adams has participated by Zoom.

Otherwise, all their council members are present.

We'll begin the meeting with an invocation by Pastor Gregory Dansby from the Holy Temple Church of God in Christ, and followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Samuel Palmer, a Boy Scout Troop 54.

So if you please stand, welcome back, Pastor Dansby.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Our father and our God.

We gather in gratitude for the gift of this community and all that serve within it.

We thank God for our mayor, our council members, our city staff, first responders, faith leaders, and every resident of Mesa.

We ask you, God, to guide everyone safely in this moment in this rich tapestry of culture, belief, and tradition, that we be a strong city.

Father, fill this chamber with wisdom, that our leaders will truly discern the good for all people.

Grant them strength in this time of gift, difficult decision making, and courage to act with integrity.

Bless us and make us whole.

And we will be careful to give you glory, to give you honor, and to give you praise.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Thank you, Pastor.

Samuel, come on up.

Please stand in, join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of 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, Samuel, for coming.

And Pastor Dansby, you're welcome to leave if you like or stay for the rest of the meeting.

Your choice.

Item one is the consent agenda.

Mr.

Christopher, if you come forward and read the consent agenda for what I have now is 5C, 7A, and 11A on consent.

Okay.

Thank you, sir.

Good evening, 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 the council member or citizen request, 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 is written.

Item 3A, acting on a liquor license application for Casa de Mambo, 1130 West Grove Avenue.

Item 3B, acting on liquor license application for Grab and Go, 757 South Country Club Drive.

Item 3C, Act on Electoral License Application for Target, 1517 South Signal Butte Road.

Item 3D, Acting Liquor License Application for Zaytona, 3515 South Ellsworth Road.

Item 3E, Act on Liquor License Application for Circle K, 10,744 East Elliott Road.

Item 4A, approving three-year term contract with two-year renewal options for Ford and Nissan OEM Auto and Light Duty Truck Parts for the Fleet Services Department.

Item 4B, approving three-year term contract with two-year renewal options for vehicle detection systems for intelligent transportation systems for the transportation department.

Item 4C, approving one year use of a cooperative term contract with three one-year renewal options for the purchase of epoxy coding services for the Transportation Department.

Item 4D, approving five-year term contract for powdered activated carbon for the water resources department.

Item 4E, approving 52-month use of cooperative term contract for the purchase of Apple Computer Products for the Department of Innovation and Technology.

Item 4F, approving one-year term contract with four-year renewal options for fertilizer and related commodities for the parks recreation and community facilities and the facilities management departments.

Item 4G, approving use of a cooperative contract for the purchase of E1 cycle and apparatuses for the Mesa Fire and Medical Department.

These purchases are funded by 2022 and 2024 public safety bonds.

Item 4H, approving three-year term contract with two-year renewal options for structure extrication personal protective equipment for the Mesa Fire Medical Department.

Item 4I, approving three-year term contract with two-year renewal options for fingerprinting services for various city departments, and is requested by the human resources and Mesa Police Departments.

Item 4J, approving dollar limit increase for the term contract for uniform garments for citywide departments.

Item 4K, approving contract for the Hokamp Stadium and Fitch Park Improvement Project, Construction Manager at Risk, Guaranteed Maximum Price.

Item 5A, approving resolution, enter into a grant award of the Office of Justice Programs to receive grant funds of the Mesa Public Safety Support Department's Forensic Services Division for DNA capacity enforcement and backlog reduction.

Item 5B, approving resolution, enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the flood control district of Maricopa County for design and construction of drainage improvements within the city's right-of-way.

This project's funded by the environmental compliance fee and the transportation capital improvement program.

Item 5C has been removed from the consent agenda.

Item 5D, approving resolution to enter into a foreign trade zone operator agreement with Apple Incorporated to activate and operate a high-tech manufacturing and storage facility at 3740 South Signal Budd Road.

Item 6A, approving resolution to calling the document filed with the city court entitled City of Mesa Personnel Rules, effective July 1st, 2026 to be a public record.

Item 6B, introduction of ordinance repealing the existing personnel rules applicable to the City of Mesa employees and adopting new personnel rules.

Item 7A has been removed from the consent agenda.

Item 7B, introduction of ordinance for amendments to the Mesa City Charter.

Section 211 relating to ordinances to conform with state law modernization efforts.

This is subject to approval by qualified electors of the City of Mesa.

Item 7C, introduction of ordinance for amendments to the Mesa City Charter.

Section 209-A relating to council meeting procedures to conform with state law.

This is subject to approval by qualified electors of the City of Mesa.

Item 8A, approving ordinance, amending chapter 31 of Title 1 of the Mesa City Code, pretending to be authority and duties of the city auditor.

Item 8B, approving ordinance for zoning case 26-81 for property north in the southwest corner of Ellsworth and Elliott Roads.

Major site plan modification and amending conditions of approval for ordinance 5855 to allow for a minor auto repair development.

This is from major site plan modification and amending conditions of approval for ordinance number 3884 for development of a minor vehicle service and repair facility.

Item 9B, approving resolution to enter into a development agreement for property located east of the northeast corner of Southern Avenue and Signal Butte Road.

Item 10 A, approving the tentative fiscal year 2026-2027 budget.

Item 11A has been removed the consent agenda, and item 11B has been withdrawn by the applicant.

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

Thank you, Mr.

Christopher.

Do we have a motion to approve the consent agenda?

Thank you, Miss Taylor.

Second by Miss Duff.

Please cast your vote.

Mr.

Adams.

I vote yes.

Thank you.

All right.

Passes unanimously.

Thank you, everyone.

Next we'll move over to those that were off the consent agenda.

And Mr.

Noah James Markham, if you want to come up again.

I'm going to offer you special deal, Noah.

You're going to be able to speak all three of them at the same time in three minutes.

I'm going to bundle the package for you.

Okay.

Sounds good with me.

As a Republican.

Yeah.

Okay.

Um Aloha, Mark Freeman, uh, Mayor, and to the rest of the city council.

Um so five C, I'm really happy.

Please approve that because I do not want to smell your sewer when I'm driving.

Um and then 7A, I I love this.

I am a Democrat and I love God too.

And I like how it says fellowship hall building.

And you know, that is the best thing as being a Christian as a Democrat that I I can fellowship God too.

But also I'm not going to be fake when I come out of the building.

Um, and so I I hope that this church will make sure that we understand that when you listen to the message, that you understand that we're trying to change ourselves when we listen to this message when we come out of the church, not the same person that came in the church.

Let's remember that.

Um, and then the last thing is 11A.

I know I've heard a lot about your um housing, and I'm really excited that we keep on building here, and I'm excited that um I think there was like a um I don't know what's called us like houses that are um not like built, they're like um boxcars, kind of like that, more like that.

Um, and I've heard about those.

Um, so we need to get rid of those because they're kind of owed.

But um, yes, please approve this and Mahalo.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Noah.

I'm glad you put your shirt back on.

Okay, counsel.

I'm gonna ask for a motion to approve item 5C, 7A, and 11A.

Probably worked faster than you, Mr.

Summers.

Thank you, Miss Duff.

Please cast your vote.

Mr.

Adams.

Okay, a yes vote for Mr.

Adams.

Okay, thank you.

Passes unanimously.

All right.

Next we'll move over to items from citizens present.

Uh Jason Smithson.

Jason, if you want to come forward.

Mayor, do you want to handle it?

Item 12.

Did I miss one?

Yes.

Stand down, Jason.

We're getting close.

Item 12A, thank you, Mr.

Smith.

Items 12A and B are to conduct a public hearing on the annual assessments for the Mesa Town Center Improvement District and take action on a resolution approving the final assessments that do not include any uh rate increases.

I declare the public hearing open.

Ms.

Anderson, do you have any requests to speak on the topic from the public?

There are no requests.

Thank you.

Do any council members wish to address this?

I hear none.

I declare the public hearing closed.

Council, is there a motion to approve item 12B related to the Mesa Town Center Improvement District?

I need a motion to that effect.

Thank you, Miss Duff.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Please cast your votes.

Mr.

Adams.

Vote yes.

Okay, if that motion passes unanimously.

Okay, next is items from citizen present.

We allow three speakers, three minutes to speak.

Because the topics of the speakers raise are not on our agenda.

State law generally prevents counsel from responding.

Our first one, Jason Smithson, uh, followed by Maya Peterson, Ellen Deck.

Jason, thank you.

Mr.

Mayor, members of the council, I want to begin by thanking Councilmember Heredia for stepping up to support Webster Elementary and ensuring that the swim day field trip today could move forward.

That kind of responsiveness and care matters to families.

I also want to thank this council and the city of Mesa for the commitment to expanding the K Ready and Beyond initiative with Mesa Public Schools.

Strengthening early literacy is one of the most important investments we can make because it directly shapes the child's long-term success.

This partnership has real impact.

Many families face barriers to fully engaging in their child's education, and programs like the Family Literacy Program show what's possible when we meet them where they are.

For 35 years, this program has equipped parents, especially English language learners, with the tools to support learning at home.

As the longest running program of its kind in the country, it currently serves eight Mesa elementary schools and continues to change outcomes for students and parents alike.

Expanding K-Ready builds that on that foundation and extends opportunity to even more families across Mesa.

And the urgency here is real.

Students who are not reading on grade level by third grade face a significantly lower chances of ever catching up.

Two-thirds of students who can't read by fifth grade end up on welfare or in jail.

Sixty percent of prison inmates and eighty-five percent of youth in the criminal justice system are functionally illiterate.

Literacy is not just an education issue, it's a public safety and economic issue.

As a parent of a second grader in Mesa Public Schools, and as someone deeply invested in this community, I appreciate your leadership and your willingness to prioritize children and families.

You've taken the time to meet with me, listen to engage, and to bring forward your own ideas.

That matters.

I haven't had the opportunity to connect with you yet.

And while I know your district is more Queen Creek and Gilbert schools, I would still welcome a conversation.

Thank you, guys.

Thank you, Jason.

Uh Maya Peterson.

And then followed by Bob Hethcock after.

Okay.

Can you hear me?

We can.

Thank you.

Okay.

Mayor and City Council.

I'm here today to speak against 287G, which for as long as it stands means that ICE is being welcomed by you into our communities.

It is no secret anymore that ICE agents are being undertrained.

They are racially profiling and using excessive force frequently.

At this point, they are a bunch of proud boy KKK neo-Nazis, and everybody here knows it.

Continuing the 287G agreement equals blood on your hands.

The community is less less safe.

Overcrowding is an understatement.

They're unsanitary, and they're often being held beyond legal limits with lit limited access to clean water, edible food, you name it.

Pregnant women are having miscarriages.

Babies are being held there and getting sick.

People are dying because of the lack of medical care or killing themselves because they're in such horrific conditions.

But many of you claim to be pro-life.

Not to mention some of the people they're being deported are being sent to countries that they do not come from.

And at least 12,000 people have gone missing and are completely unaccounted for from Florida's alligator Alcatraz.

There is absolutely no excuse for this whatsoever, period.

But I know all of you know this, so let's turn it our attention from the horrific and inhumane ICE agreement to you, our Mesa City Council.

You consistently changed policies and procedures for these meetings in an attempt to silence us.

You've lied directly to our faces and violated your own code of ethics, which has been reported to the Arizona Attorney General.

You think that nobody's watching, but the world is watching.

Mayor Freeman, you proudly boast that you are a descendant of a founder of Mesa, but you have the chance to do so much better than they did.

So why don't you take off your bolo tie and actually do something for the community that you're supposed to serve?

Until then, we're not going anywhere.

Put 287G on the agenda and know that everyone will be watching the way you vote.

Also, shame on you.

Keep Sun Air.

Thank you, Mr.

Hathcock.

Good evening, Mayor and Council.

My name is Bob Hathcock.

I reside in District 2.

I'm a proud constituent of Councilwoman Taylor.

Welcome home.

As a fourth generation Mesa residents, my roots run deep with respect for good civic leaders and admiration for our first our brave first responders.

My uncle Virgil Chrisman served as mayor here in 1950.

At that time, our population was around 17,000.

Mesa consisted of six square miles, and we had one traffic signal.

Also, one of my favorite key keepsakes is a pre-1950 era picture of my grandfather A.W.

Hawkins and the other four officers that made up the Mesa Police Department.

The five of them were shown surrounding a new Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Over 75 years later, we are now the largest suburb in the country and the 37th largest city.

Our population now exceeds a half a million, and we have over 900 sworn police officers.

However, the most impressive fact is that we are currently at the top of the list of safest U.S.

big cities.

Our new police chief Dan Butler recently addressed a city council study session and shared the following information.

Reporting a 14% drop last year in violent crimes, he said this quote We are proud that we are the safest major city in the country.

We are safe not just because of the police department, we are safe because of everybody in our community.

Chief Butler also noted that our PD is approaching a 90% in solving or closing cases with a national average clearance rate being around 50%.

It was also reported that thefts, burglaries, and other nonviolent crime were trending down as well.

On behalf of Mesa, the citizens of Mesa, I sincerely thank all of our brave men and women who were on the front lines of this community every day.

Thank you all for your service, your hard work in making us the safest major city in which to live, work, and play.

And thank you, Mayor, and thank you, council.

And thank you, staff, for your unwavering support to ensure that our first responders have the resources and programs that are required.

As you may have guessed, I am here this evening in support of our 17-year-long agreement 287G with ICE.

It is my belief that the vast majority of Mesa citizens and voters feel that this partnership is a contributing factor to our impressive safety standing amongst major cities.

The hot topic issue has come to the forefront lately here at City Hall, both inside and outside.

The plethora of obnoxious signs, the inappropriate verbal outbursts are proof that TDS is a very real thing and is alive and well here in Mesa.

There is no doubt that the often biased national media coverage has stoked the flames of fear and have brought this fight to Mesa.

Also, in closing, I would just like to thank you for maintaining our agreement with the Federal Immigration Enforcement and not allowing Mesa to become a Godforsaken sanctuary city.

We have to look no further than California to see how that's working for them.

Thank you, Mr.

Hathcar.

Council that's keep your voice down.

I don't have the document.

I'm supposed to read something about the randomization.

Do we do we have that document?

I'm sorry to put you on the spot.

It's tiny, but it's there.

Okay.

I want to share an important update.

It's been mentioned a little bit here already.

But public comment process under items from citizen present beginning June 1st.

Up to three residents will continue to be heard at each meeting.

However, all speaker requests will now be entered into an electronic randomized selection process so everyone who wants to speak has an equal opportunity regardless of when they arrive or sign up.

Those who wish to speak can submit a speaker request via the posted QR code at the kiosk in the lobby, or with staff assistance to be sure to submit your request before the start of the meeting.

At the beginning of the meeting, the city clerk will read the names of the speakers selected for the items from citizen present.

At three-minute time limit, the meeting decorum remains the same.

The change is intended to make public participation fairer and more accessible, removing advantages based on arrival time.

We are committed to fostering safe and welcoming and accessible environment.

If you have any questions about the process, I encourage you to speak with staff for the city clerk's office.

So with that, Council, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn.

Thank you, Miss Goforth.

Ms.

Taylor, all in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Thank you.

We're adjourned.

Have a good question.