Well, welcome to the Mesa City Council meeting study session for October 20th, 2025.

Uh Councilmember Goforth is unable to attend this.

She's excuse otherwise, all council members are present.

Item one is to review the agenda for tonight's council meeting.

I know we went over this uh agenda, council.

Are there any questions about tonight's agenda?

If not, I have one on 4A, and that's the water.

That's the drilling in the well.

Of course, I like water, I get thirsty now and then, Chris.

Sorry.

But maybe you can just tell us it shows a 4.5 million dollars uh in the cost of the well.

Is that just for the equipment, excluding the cost to drill the well?

So combine, maybe break it down between the drilling of a well site and totally equip.

Sure, mayor council.

So this is Desert Well 7, and this contract, it was a bid, so it's a bid award just to equip the well.

So we already drilled it a couple years ago, and that was a separate contract to a driller that was about two, two and a half million, if I remember correctly.

So this four and a half million would be everything after equipping, so it'd be building the site, all of the equipment, the electrical, just everything to get it to be operational.

So drilling a well and equipping it, you're talking about about six point seven million dollars today.

Correct.

Which is a big departure from if you go back to 2019, um, viewer less than half of that.

Yeah.

Well, all right.

Well, that was my question because I know that we've talked about putting some well sites on hold because of the cost to drill and equip them.

But then this is something that we have to get in here our water portfolio for well site, especially in the southeast part of Mesa.

Correct.

And so this this well actually, so this is a redrill drill.

There was already a desert well seven.

This is uh a long haws between baseline Guadalupe area.

Okay.

And so the existing Desert Well 7, it's like a lot of our older well inventory, half century old, needed to be redrilled, so we redrilled it.

Uh the good news is we're gonna get a lot more capacity than the old well.

So that's good, and it's in a good spot, it's central, east central mesa.

But then also another good part of the story is we bid this.

So engineers' estimates, they still tend to be lofty in terms of not really understanding where costs are going.

So we really worked with engineering to try to see what the market would bear.

And some of the engineers' estimates for this was approaching nine million for this, and uh, there were three bids in the fours.

So the market was very telling.

Uh, it's getting a lot more competitive, and we had can't remember how many bidders total, but we had closer to ten than we had five.

We had a lot of bidders and good contractors too.

Very good.

Are we drilling them deeper in the aquifer than they are today?

Well, it depends on where you're at in the city.

These are gonna be a thousand to twelve hundred feet deep.

Okay.

I know it takes a lot of horsepower to pull that water out of that deep.

Right.

All right, that's the only question I had on that.

Thank you for the overview.

Council, any other questions.

All right, I would just like to highlight 5C.

Uh, we had some significant rains this year and some localized flooding in Mesa.

Um this particular project in District 6, which is my district, uh, Pecos storm uh storm drain improvements.

So we had a lot of flooding along Pecos Road, too.

So this is hopefully will help take care of some of that.

Mayor and and council, yes.

Um certainly trying to stay ahead of these storms is is a challenge, right?

And we we saw that and I think Lance can you know come up and and speak to the specificity of this particular project.

I I will say, as you as you were very aware, Vice Mayor, that sheet flooding that issues that we have off the superstitions in district six have been an issue, you know.

We've been dealing with obviously for decades in in Southeast Mesa, where we've been trying to be very strategic at looking at uh improvement projects every time we have new roadways and new subdivisions coming in of trying to address that.

It's it's going to be a continued work in progress.

Um fortunately, I think with some of the development that's occurring in Apache Junction, that that helps us in some some ways.

Um, with some of that sheep flow, but you know, it does come down to the individual projects such as this one.

So, Lance, please.

Yeah, so uh mayor and council, that this is a project that we've been working with the flood control district on for probably a dozen years.

It's kind of one of those last areas here in the city of Mesa that that where a significant amount of the sheep flow follows or or follows and ends up in this corridor where we do need some regional drainage improvements, and so that's that's what this PECO storm drain and and uh basin project is addressing this from a larger regional standpoint.

You can see from this last storm event, as you noted, um there are needs there.

Yeah, well absolutely, and this is a key economic area that this will help protect.

So in addition to that, just to make the city attorney nervous, I want to extend to you, Mr.

Butler, your staff.

Um Mark and Brent uh on a job well done last week.

Was it last week, week before?

Uh a lot of rains, a lot of demands, uh, some close panic.

We had some close calls getting close to where floodwaters were coming up to houses, did not flood any houses in my district, uh, which one neighborhood in particular.

Uh thank you for your responsiveness to that.

We need to continue to invest in in the the storm drains, even though we usually don't get a whole lot of rain, at least not all at one time.

So uh, but to have this infrastructure is critically important to the safety of our residents, uh the ability to develop land for jobs, and again, nice job.

Mark, apparently you drew the short straw with the uh midnight to 7 a.m.

Seniority, not having seniorities uh at the EOC.

At the EOC.

Yeah.

When you get more seniority, you can pick the day shift.

Yeah, Mayor.

Yeah, mayor, vice mayor.

I just you know, of course, want to echo you know what tremendous work our our city staff did.

So many different departments, transportation, Lance's team, public safety, everyone pitched in, and the fact um that a lot of this was happening potentially overnight.

Uh, and we worked with council member spillsbury and and especially residents in in her district um along the 60 corridor was of grave concern, Vice Mayor.

You had some basins that were that were very topped off in your area.

So uh, but it shows the importance of these projects, right?

And in a decade, we've had two 100 year storms, right?

And so we we we talk about uh you know that this doesn't happen often, but it's happening more than than it should, especially recently.

And and so I think the improvements, I mean, engineering's been working ever since um 2014 on those basins along uh the 60 and and in conjunction with all the parks and everyone else, and the fact that we we were able to sustain such a tremendous rainfall and and did I mean we we dodged a bullet with the the last wave of storms, thank goodness.

Unfortunately, that caused some severe damage, of course, to our neighbors to the west.

But the fact that um we were able to come out of that in as good a shape as we did considering the amount of rain that fell over that period of time is is uh tremendous testament to the amount of investment that this count, you know, the city council, the councils before it have made in to storm drain drainage and how important that is uh not just in district six but throughout the city.

So very good.

I had the opportunity to pick up uh former mayor Alex Finter, and we toured all the retention basins and met with transportation that Sunday morning, and they were very full, as we know.

Unfortunately, we didn't get any more rain that allowed us to pump down the basins, and the flood control for ADOT was completely full there, those lateral canals there.

And uh there was some debris in there.

Maybe Lance, you could share with us when we have these projects, there's also a re reimbursement mechanism for these flood control projects.

And hopefully this complies with that.

Right.

So that this particular item, uh, mayor that you're referring to is uh the PECO sera, but we work in close tandem with the flood control district.

Um in many cases, either a 50-50 share in this case for this particular IGA is 6040.

It can vary, but somewhere in that range, 70, 30, 60, 40 in with flood control.

Um they've been a great partner as you've noted with these recent storms.

Uh a number of these different projects that we've done over the years proved out and and showed and and showed with this recent event that we had.

But yeah, we continue to work closely with them on on that.

They've been, like I said, a great funding partner and in working on resolving these things.

As many know, drainage is not something that generates money, but you need it when when it does when when you when you need it.

And um, so we've done a number of projects here over the last 10 to 15 years uh that have addressed a lot of issues throughout the city.

Great, thank you.

I don't have a question, but I just wanted to acknowledge item 5B and the um agreement, the grant that we have for uh sworn a firefighter uh sworn uh cancer screenings and the purchase of automatic CPR devices.

I really appreciate that we have these uh of the um cancer screenings for firefighters.

We've lost too many to cancers, which uh are um job related, and uh I'm very happy to see this grant come through.

Thank you.

And our chief just walked in.

Did you want to expand on that, Chief?

Sorry.

Is that okay?

Ms.

Duff.

You want to explain the fight we got in again?

I lost again the fight and I lost, you're right.

Mayor, members of the council, thank you on the FEMA grant that we were awarded.

Yes, um, thank you for acknowledging.

We're excited that it's gonna be used for firefighter screenings for cancer and also um for automated CPR devices too, so we won't have to be standing up in the back of an ambulance as we're doing CPR en route to the hospital.

So both both pieces of equipment that we will be getting in the screenings will be very beneficial to us and the community.

Thank you.

Great, thanks, chief.

Yeah, I'll I'll add I've had the opportunity to use those new devices that that we're buying, and they are far more effective than one of us standing over trying to do CPR.

So they've we've saved lives with those, so they're good devices.

Well, very good.

If there's no other questions, we'll move over to uh share events and conferences attended.

Annie, you may like to start.

Vice Mayor?

I I'll do one thing.

Uh we had a meeting of the America 250 committee, as many of you know, our nation will turn 250 years next year.

So we have been doing programming.

I want to do a shout out to a lot of our departments, libraries particularly, uh, as well as um uh parks department, uh, historic preservation, visit Mesa, Downtown Mesa Association have all been working to program into their existing uh uh events, a celebration of America's 250th anniversary.

And I was happy to hear uh on our meeting the other day that uh Mesa was uh praised by the state's America 250, that we are far ahead of a lot of of every other city in the pretty much in the state in planning our events and and what we're planning.

So really happy to see this come along.

I think you're gonna be proud next next year, Mayor, and uh we look forward to the events.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

I I have a long list since we didn't have study session last week, and I don't want to cover every single thing, but I want to um mention a few things that were um significant for me and participating in.

On the October 10th, I um attended the Arizona Forward Sustainability Summit, and um a couple of the Mesa Youth Climate Action Fund grants recipients um are working as consultants, business consultants for zero waste, and they actually presented at the at the summit.

So these are youth who were funded through our um, I guess you call it my calf or mayor, uh Mesa, not mayor, but Mesa Youth Climate Action Fund grants, which were grants from the Bloomberg um foundation, and so these youth use the grants to try out an idea that they had about uh for climate change sustainability.

And um then they're actually working in the field and doing things, and now they're presenting at a summit, and it just all started from being funded through the grant.

So it's significant work that we're doing, and I hope after the funds run out that we find more grant money to continue that program.

Um I also uh was able to speak to the rainbow rainbow girls leadership group with fire chief uh Mary Camelli on October 11th.

So thrilled to speak to young girls um exercising their leadership from junior high and high school on our last Friday.

Um Council Member Spillsbury and I um did a walk, bike, and roll to school safety event with Lindbergh elementary students and how to safely cross streets.

We made the route from uh retention area to school.

There was a lot of people involved with the kids and parents, and I don't know.

You think we had like I don't know, 70 or 80 people, and the news uh covered it, and so are so glad to uh be participate in that.

Um we're also launching on the city of Mesa and the transportation department.

Look twice campaign for all road users, cars, bicyclists, pedestrians to look once, then once again before crossing pathways.

So they look twice.

Uh October is National Pedestrian Safety Month.

Four people every week are involved in traffic accidents.

Two-thirds of those are fatalities of vulnerable uh road users, which are pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcycles.

And so Mesa's goal is to reduce serious injuries and fatalities by 30% by 2030.

So let's all take that on.

There is a pledge online if you'd like to participate in some prizes.

Um right after that, a few hours later, I went to the Guerrero Rotary Tree Planting.

Uh, we planted 55 trees.

Thank you for to Stephen Addison from our sustainability department for uh coordinating that event.

Um, the Arizona Sustainability Alliance, um, Arbor Day Foundation, Mesa Parks and Recreation.

We had some Amazon volunteers, some other city volunteers that showed up.

So thank you to everyone on our way to getting those million trees by 2050.

Um and this will really serve the Guerrero Park neighborhood in bringing cooling and a place to gather.

Um next Saturday is another tree planting that would be at Reed Park, and we'll be doing a hundred trees.

So well on our way.

Um and then on Friday of that afternoon.

Julie was honored at the one community spotlight on success for her advocacy in the community.

And um very proud of her, and I just want to thank you for being such a loving person and not knowing any boundaries to that.

It was deeply moving.

Um that night I also went to Diamond Don't's a new place in downtown Mesa.

They had a music showcase.

They had a number of artists.

I tried to stay late, but I didn't make it all the way.

So each artist did like one song out on the stage.

They had a great performers.

The place was packed of huge variety of music.

It was outdoors on in their patio area, really fun and well attended.

Um so thank you to Don Salter and his son, Velvet Cash for expanding the footprint print from the Salt Mine Studios to Diamond Don't, which is includes some some foods and drinks to showcase new upcoming musicians.

Um and then yesterday went to the Phoenix Pride Parade.

Um, City and Mesa um participated in the parade along with many other cities, businesses, and organizations.

Um it was tremendous, so much love and acceptance, and uh I really love the Pride Parade, and uh we're definitely a stronger community together, which is refreshing, especially in this contentious time.

Um, and then last night I went to the ASU remix the future, which is a four-day civic hackathon.

So throughout the weekend, they had students and artists, technologists, and community members collaborated on immersive projects inspired by Mesa's climate action plan and public health priorities.

There were many awards given to these young groups.

The grand prize was AZ Water 2030.

They have a short website, but it's the cost of growth looking at the use of our resources and and the tremendous growth they were experiencing, especially in technology sector.

So uh it's amazing.

I'm so glad that we have ASU Mix Center here hosting these events.

They're so innovative and in these technologies through gaming and ARVR and immersive uh technologies to um look at our future, experience our world differently, and uh explore solutions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

A couple things I'll add.

I have a cough, so I'm maybe I shouldn't be speaking right now, but I went to the Children's Action Alliance, Champions for Children um luncheon last week, and or the week before last.

And I um I'm on that board, and just it's that's a statewide organization that is doing uh advocacy for children and families.

So I appreciate that organization.

And then Mayor, you and I went to the MCC ribbon cutting for the construction laydown yard, which is sponsored by Lowe's and um a great partnership with businesses and educational.

See, there we go.

Do you want to continue this one?

I I sure can.

So I brought some tools of the trade.

I'm a uh I used to be a maestery and concrete guy, so I brought some of my trials and my brick hammers and stuff and showed a little show and tell.

And but we appreciate Lowe's and all the other uh developers and and uh construction trades there that were champion how we could build a workforce in the construction trades and work with your hands.

So that was uh had lunch with us uh for us there.

That was very nice.

Um I will continue uh with that.

Uh uh council member Duff and I, we did a good Samaritan recognition at uh 708, and that was a first responders, as well as there was a cardiac event at Bram Hall Junior High.

CPR was initiated, and the individual was saved and transported to uh one of the area hospitals, and he's a former Mesa police officer, so he lived through his event, which was uh pretty remarkable.

His daughter was there.

I attended uh college bound hoops for hoop gala at the Double Tree.

That's for first generation uh individuals wanting to go to college, so they provide that.

And then this morning, Sharon Skinner, myself, and Simon Tepia.

We attended the Salt River Project, uh Salt River Pima Maricopa India Committee, their 12% uh meeting over at Odyssey uh there in Scottsdale.

With that, that coincided with our co-beaty today with the Salt River Indian Committee, their uh president and counsel at the post.

So we had a great opportunity to interact with them.

It'd been some time, what three or four years?

I can't remember something like Mr.

Butler.

Right on since we'd done I remember doing it once when I was on council, but yeah, absolutely.

Mayor, we were saying we we historically had kind of an annual back and forth between um SRP and I see in the city of Mesa.

I think COVID uh disrupted that cadence of of that, and so it it had been a while before since we had been been together.

Yeah, and I know the city receives uh large amounts of grant funding from the community, and we appreciate all their support and service there.

Uh that's all I have, Miss Billsbury.

Did you want to reconnect?

I was just gonna say a shout out to Ferdia de los Muertos this weekend.

So that's Saturday and Sunday, Mesa Arts Center.

And if you haven't been, you need to go.

It's amazing.

Great, thank you.

I know we'll all be there.

Well, with that, anything else, counsel?

If not, I'll defer to Mr.

Butler's schedule of our meetings.

So mayor, of course, we'll um uh convene upstairs for the regular council meeting and then back on Thursday morning at 7 30 for study session.

Oh, great, wonderful.

I'll entertain a motion to adjourn.

Second spillsbury, Mr.

Adams, all in favor say aye.

Aye aye.

Okay, we're adjourned.