Mesquite City Council Regular Meeting - June 23, 2026

The Mesquite City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 5:00 PM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting covered a consent agenda, public comments on various community issues, presentations on transit and tourism grants, budget augmentation, a bid award for park improvements, and a discussion on a potential land trade. Key outcomes included approval of routine items, acceptance of a tourism grant presentation, approval of a year-end budget augmentation, award of a bid for Pioneer Park dugouts, and direction to staff to bring back appraisals and details on a land swap.

Consent Calendar

• Items 2.1 and 2.2 were approved as a block: approval of meeting minutes (May 5, May 12, June 2, and the June 23 agenda), and approval of notifications of bills paid and purchase orders. Mayor Whipple recused himself due to his company doing business with the city.
• Item 2.3 (Memorandum of Understanding between the Administrative Office of the Courts and Mesquite Municipal Court) was moved to the administrative section at Councilwoman Gallo's request for discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Luke (event promotion): Announced a public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8 at 9 a.m. in front of City Hall, organized by the Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution.
• Gary Elgort : Expressed anger and dismay at the lack of detail in agenda items 6.1 and 6.2, stating the public cannot determine if they should attend without proper backup information.
• Dominic Olivetto : Argued that short-term rental regulations should include zoning, citing that many Utah cities use zoning to regulate STRs, and noted that existing regulations rely on part-time code enforcement that cannot effectively monitor occupancy.
• Doug Honschell : Raised concerns about lack of communication from council regarding expenditures totaling over $2.7 million in salaries, $1.45 million in benefits, and $2.6 million in supplies and services from a May 19 finance document; stated he received no direct answers from council members.
• Mary Mathis (President, Mesquite Fine Arts Center) : Provided monthly update on exhibits, classes, new framing/print shop, and fundraising programs; invited community participation.
• Nikki Metter : Urged the city to raise lifeguard pay from $13.50/hour to compete with Casa's $15/hour, noted the city is 20 lifeguards short, and suggested offering more lifeguarding classes to keep pools open.
• Steve (Chair, Mesquite Public Arts Commission) : Updated on wind sculptures at OASIS Wingate, a mural at Reliance building funded by grants, OPD box wraps for America 250, and promoted a back-to-school fair on August 1 with school supplies and a dunk tank.
• Jeff Reynolds (on budget augmentation): Opposed the concept of spending all extra revenue, arguing for a rainy day fund instead of wish lists.
• Jeff Reynolds (on consent agenda vs. administrative): Argued major expenditures like $224,000 for dugouts should be discussed publicly, not hidden on the consent agenda.
• John Rosen (on consent agenda): Agreed consent agenda is for non-controversial items, but if there is reasonable expectation of disagreement, items should be on the administrative agenda.
• Dominic Olivetto (on dugouts): Expressed support for the dugout project, noting his grandkids play ball and the need for more baseball fields.
• Gary Elgort (on land trade): Criticized the lack of backup despite existence of a Letter of Intent since March and appraisals; suggested an indoor pickleball court is a risky venture and proposed a survey for community preferences.
• John Rosen (on land trade): Introduced a concept called "The Hangout" – a multi-age recreation facility with activities for youth and indoor pickleball, modeled after a facility in Bend, Oregon; noted a group of teenagers said they only have Walmart to hang out at.
• Jeff Reynolds (on land trade): Questioned how the city would sell the boulevard property if it couldn't be sold privately, warned against giving land away, and emphasized the need for revenue-generating businesses.
• Dominic Olivetto (on land trade): Supported the idea of considering the trade, noted it is the first time they are starting from the beginning, and urged not to table it.

Discussion Items

• Item 3.1 – Southern Nevada Transit Coalition quarterly report: Cancelled; no public comment.
• Item 3.2 – Presentation by MORF regarding Travel Nevada Tourism Grant: John Rosen (MORF Vice Chairman) reported that MORF received $34,174 for a Rural Marketing Grant (100% of request) and $563,685 for a 3D Destination Development Grant. The council accepted the presentation without objection.
• Item 4.1 – Resolution R26-017, Year-End Budget Augmentation: CFO Bryce explained the standard NRS process to align appropriations with actual higher revenues. Augmentation amounts included: General Fund $1.1M, Street Maintenance $68,000, Airport $153,000, Senior Services $100,000, Recreation $100,000, More Cops $600,000, American Rescue $2.3M, and Redevelopment Funds $12M. Councilman Gallo asked about financial statement timeliness; Bryce stated he is working on catching up. The resolution was approved.
• Item 2.3 – MOU between Administrative Office of the Courts and Mesquite Municipal Court: Moved from consent agenda. City Manager Shrupp stated the software system costs about $9,000 per year. Councilwoman Gallo asked about prior costs but no comparison was available. The MOU was approved.
• Item 6.1 – Bid Award for Pioneer Park Field 1 Dugouts and Backstop Project: Travis (Public Works) presented six bids ranging from $224,255 to $370,685. The engineer's estimate was $200,000. Staff recommended award to BHC Inc. for $224,255. Councilman Wanless argued this project should have been on consent agenda since it was already budgeted. Councilwoman Fielding confirmed there is $24,000 in capital projects to cover the difference. The bid was awarded.
• Item 6.2 – Presentation of Possible Trade of City Land with Privately Owned Land at 750 W Mesquite Blvd: Richard Bowler (listing agent) presented the concept of trading 4.53 commercial acres on the boulevard for city-owned single-family land in the new development area, based on appraised value. Councilwoman Gallo added context that the land could be used for an indoor pickleball facility, sparked by a constituent. Mayor Whipple framed the trade as a way to acquire boulevard land for future economic development. Councilman Wanless expressed concerns about potential loss to the city and wanted appraisals and a clear plan. Councilwoman Fielding stressed the agenda item only concerned the land trade, not any specific use, and noted she had seen a Letter of Intent from March and two appraisals ($1M and $850,000) for the boulevard property. Councilman Parrish also requested appraisals for the city's raw land. After public comment, Councilman Parrish made a motion to accept the presentation and direct staff to obtain necessary appraisals and documentation, bringing the item back on July 14, 2026. The motion was seconded and passed.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda (2.1 and 2.2) approved (Mayor recused).
• MOU with Administrative Office of the Courts approved (vote: 5-0).
• Tourism grant presentation accepted (vote: 5-0).
• Resolution R26-017 budget augmentation approved (vote: 5-0).
• Bid for Pioneer Park dugouts awarded to BHC Inc. for $224,255 (vote: 5-0).
• Land trade presentation accepted; staff directed to obtain appraisals and return July 14, 2026 (vote: 5-0).
• Meeting adjourned at approximately 6:10 PM.