Mesa City Council Study Session – October 26, 2026

Note: The raw transcript identifies the session as October 22, 2026, while the supplied meeting timestamp is October 26, 2026; this summary uses October 26, 2026.

Council met to review upcoming agenda items, hear staff presentations, and discuss upcoming decisions. Councilmember Heredia participated by Zoom. It was a study session: no final action was taken on ordinances or agreements, but the council did acknowledge board minutes and adjourned.

Craftsman Development Agreement (Agenda Item 5F)

• Economic Development Director Jay O'Donnell and Deputy City Attorney Kelly Whittemore presented the proposed development agreement for the Craftsman, a mixed-use project on Elliott Road between Hawes and 82nd Street.
• The 19-acre site is planned as roughly 65% residential and 35% commercial, with nearly 40,000 sq ft of retail and office space, including at least 10,000 sq ft of modern, upscale restaurants.
• The developer would contribute about $775,000 toward Elliott Road public infrastructure improvements. Reimbursement conditions include: permits within 6 months; public improvements along 82nd Street and Hawes Road completed and conveyed within 9 months; private improvements completed within 30 months; and qualifying restaurants open within 36 months.
• Qualifying restaurants are described as chef-driven, full-service, distinctive concepts with fewer than 100 U.S. locations and no location within 10 miles inside Mesa. Council discussion raised the possibility of changing the exclusivity language to a full 10-mile radius; staff said the language could be adjusted.
• The reimbursement would be capped at $775,000 over 10 years: 35% of the city's 1.2% non-dedicated construction sales tax and 50% of the city's 1.2% non-dedicated general sales tax generated by the project.
• A third-party analysis by Applied Economics estimated $3 million in gross tax revenue over the 10-year reimbursement period plus construction, compared with the $775,000 reimbursement, and about 160 on-site jobs.
• Staff said the next step was the required public notice of intent, with the full development agreement and economic analysis scheduled for the November 16 council meeting.

Terribles Commercial Development (Agenda Item 6A)

• Staff presented a rezoning request for about 1.3 acres at Hampton and Crisman Road from planned employment park/PAD to limited commercial, with a special use permit and site plan review.
• The project is a Terribles convenience store: about 4,600 sq ft of building and a 4,100 sq ft fuel canopy, with pedestrian connections to Chrisman Road and the neighboring Lincoln residential development.
• The Design Review Board requested material consolidation for a more cohesive elevation; the Planning and Zoning Board voted 7-0 to recommend approval with conditions.
• Councilmembers noted concerns about losing planned employment land and adding a vehicle-heavy use, but said staff had addressed many of the concerns. Vice Mayor asked about Terribles' crime-prevention record and police relationship as a new-to-Arizona business.

Solid Waste Mutual Aid and Fleet Purchases (Agenda Item 5G)

• Staff discussed a valleywide intergovernmental agreement for solid waste mutual aid, used primarily for short-term emergency truck sharing; the borrowing city covers damage or maintenance.
• The agenda also included purchase of seven diesel refuse trucks for the East Mesa Service Center, tied to a new third fleet-services shift. CNG vehicles cannot be serviced at that center, so diesel trucks are being purchased for east-side routes.

Grants, Contracts, and Transportation Items

• Grants coordinator Sharon Skinner explained that tribal gaming funds pass through Mesa; the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community selects recipients and uses Mesa as a pass-through entity. The agenda item included $150,000 for South Canal and Lee High Shared Youth Path work.
• Council recognized Skinner for 15 years and welcomed incoming grants coordinator Harmony Zolanka.
• Staff requested $755,000 in additional spend authority on a water-system maintenance contract for work such as larger valve repairs, ahead of the contract's April 2027 expiration.
• Staff presented a MAG arterial lifecycle program agreement for the Country Club/Southern corridor, with 70% reimbursement of construction costs, with the associated total stated as approximately $7.9 million. Council was told Proposition 400 funds must be spent by June 2028 and that the project would be disruptive but needed for safety on one of Mesa's busiest corridors.
• The council also briefly noted the Mesa Town Center Improvement District No. 228 continuation resolution.

Community Updates and Council Reports

• Councilmembers highlighted Mesa Nexus, Mesa Library's 120th anniversary and new Mesa Room digital history map, Empty Bowls, Together Mesa, Mesa Music Festival, Los Muertos, Phoenix Pride, domestic violence awareness night, Celebrate Mesa, new Dana Park retailers, Waymo/Mesa Gateway Airport discussions, Halloween events, and the Mesa Cemetery Tour.

Key Outcomes

• No final action was taken on the development agreement, rezoning, grants, or contract items during the study session.
• A motion to acknowledge receipt of board minutes passed unanimously.
• The council adjourned by unanimous voice vote.