Mesa City Council Study Session – May 14, 2026: Agenda Review, GO Bonds, and Charter Amendments

This study session was held on May 14, 2026, to review the agenda for the regular council meeting on May 18, 2026, discuss proposed 2026 general obligation bonds, and consider amendments to the city charter. Council member Goforth was excused; members Taylor and Haredi participated via Zoom.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar was presented. The council later acknowledged receipt of board minutes by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the study session.

Discussion Items

• Review of May 18 Agenda Items:

  • Vehicle Detection System (4B): Council member Taylor questioned whether the technology involves license plate reading or facial recognition. Eric Kadarian confirmed it is only presence detection for traffic signals, no driver data. Data belongs to Mesa and is stored on city servers; police cannot access without warrant. The contract is for a new form of detection to replace older video and in-ground systems.
  • Apple Computer Products (4E): Discussion on the three- to five-year replacement schedule for Apple products. CIO Scott Kahn explained that e-waste proceeds are donated to community schools via a matching program. If equipment is not replaced, technical debt would reduce staff effectiveness.
  • Fire Truck Purchase (4G): The purchase of nine pumpers, two heavy rescues, and one ladder truck (total $16.9 million) is front-loaded to save $980,000. Lead times have increased to three to four years. Fleet Director Jason Mickelson detailed costs: pumpers $1.1–$1.2 million, ladder truck $2.6 million. Vice Mayor noted potential litigation against manufacturers for anti-competitive practices; a future executive session will discuss joining that litigation.
  • Hohokam Stadium/Fitch Park Improvements (4K): Required under the 25-year lease with the Oakland A’s (first 10-year interval). Improvements include a hitting lab and upgrades to locker rooms, dining, and sports medicine. Joe from the A’s spoke about the partnership and community impact. Brian Richell reported a $3–4 million bump in March sales tax from spring training.
  • Foreign Trade Zone Extension for Apple (5D): Apple is expanding its FTZ sub-zone by seven acres for manufacturing server cabinets, not for the data center. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) oversees compliance. Vice Mayor questioned whether the FTZ is being used for a data center; staff clarified only manufacturing areas qualify. Mesa has ample FTZ capacity (2,000 acres; currently under 150 used). Three new operators are in process.
  • Ordinance 11A/11B (Citrus Sub-area zoning): Two competing recommendations: staff recommends approval with a condition to keep density at RS-35 (1.24 dwelling units per acre); Planning & Zoning Board recommends approval without the condition (1.27 du/ac). Council member Adams favored staff’s recommendation to honor the sub-area plan. Discussion on the new middle housing law (HB 2721) and its potential impact. Council decided to proceed with introduction of both ordinances for further debate.

• 2026 General Obligation Bonds Presentation:

  • Public Safety Projects ($150 million): Includes $44.7M for a new public safety training facility (joint police/fire), $16.8M for a joint training building, $5M for acquisition of two future fire station sites, $28.7M for central station expansion and tenant improvements, $3.9M for warehouse relocation, $37M for West Yard fleet facility upgrade, and $10.1M for Mesa’s share of regional Topaz radio network upgrade. Discussion emphasized employee retention, training needs, and leveraging grants.
  • Transportation Projects ($135 million): Includes $38.2M for Warner Road bridge (70% reimbursable from Prop 479), $50.8M for Mesa Drive phase three (70% reimbursable), several shared use paths (Lehigh, Gateway, US 60, downtown, Thomas Road), and safety improvements on Higley and Broadway. Discussion on leveraging regional funding and coordinating construction to minimize disruption.
  • Tax Impact: For a home valued at $250,000, the estimated annual cost is $69 (public safety $36, transportation $28). Treasurer Mark Hughes clarified that the limited property value is what is taxed; the full cash value is higher. The impact will be phased over six years as bonds are issued.

• Charter Amendments Presentation:

  • Section 209A (Council Meetings): Proposal to conform with state law regarding meeting frequency, public notice, and executive session purposes. Would allow flexibility (e.g., one meeting per month when appropriate) while maintaining state-law notice requirements.
  • Section 211 (Ordinances): Proposal to update posting and publication requirements: require posting on city website, reduce physical postings from three to one, and allow modern publication methods (e.g., reference to website instead of full text in newspaper). Expected savings in publication costs (currently $20,000–$25,000 per year).
  • Both amendments follow state law and modern technology practices. Council expressed support.

Key Outcomes

• Council gave direction to proceed with placing two GO bond questions (public safety and transportation) on the November 3, 2026 ballot. The resolutions will be introduced on May 18 and adopted on June 1.
• Council gave direction to proceed with two charter amendment questions (Section 209A and Section 211) for the November ballot. The ordinances will be introduced on May 18 and adopted on June 1.
• Council acknowledged receipt of board minutes by unanimous voice vote and adjourned.