Queen Creek Town Council Regular Session – September 17, 2025

The Queen Creek Town Council met in regular session on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 6:30 PM in Community Chambers, 20727 E Civic Parkway. The council first convened in executive session, then reconvened for the public regular session. After ceremonial recognitions, public comment, and committee reports, the council approved the consent agenda, two public-hearing consent agenda ordinances, and the development impact fee audit resolution, each by a 4-0 vote.

Ceremonial Matters

• Recognized Constitution Week (September 17-23) and the 238th anniversary of the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. Student winners of the town's Constitution Week art and poetry contest were recognized.
• Recognized the town's Budget Division for receiving the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for FY 2025-26, the town's 24th consecutive year receiving the award.
• Issued a proclamation designating September 21 as World Alzheimer's Day, noting that more than 150,000 Arizonans over age 65 live with Alzheimer's, nearly 300,000 family caregivers provide care, and Alzheimer's caregivers provide an estimated 483 million hours of unpaid care.
• Issued a proclamation designating September 15-October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in Queen Creek.
• Pinal County Supervisor Rich Videillo appeared as a guest and reported that the county had appointed Santan Valley's first Town Council. The seven appointees were Brian Tyler, Brian Hunt, Daniel Oakes, Darren Schneff, Gia Jenkins, Rupert Wolfort, and Tyler Hudgens. Council members voiced interest in working with the new town on shared regional issues.

Committee Reports

• The Mayor's Teen Advisory Committee reported on its September 9 meeting, including draft marketing graphics, volunteer assignments for Founders Day on September 20, teen insights for the Recreation and Aquatic Center, and planning for a teen drive-in movie event.
• The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee reported on its September 9 meeting. Highlights included an end-of-season report from Queen Creek Heat Little League softball: 581 players, 44% of players being town residents, 153 volunteers contributing approximately 19,000 volunteer hours, and an 82% participant satisfaction rating. The committee also discussed recreation program demand, residents-only policies, a dog park project at the old Founders Park field, and a recommendation on rental and youth sports partnership policies that was forwarded to the council.

Public Comments

• John Wooten, representing Friends of Horseshoe Park, provided an update on Roots Boots Queen Creek 2026, the event's 15th anniversary, scheduled for March 7-22, 2026, with a kickoff on September 27. He stated the committee has about 90 members, the event budget has grown to approximately $350,000-$375,000 plus $30,000 in-kind, and Friends of Horseshoe Park has contributed $517,000 to Horseshoe Park over 15 years.

Consent Agenda

• The council approved the consent agenda 4-0, including: approval of prior meeting minutes; appointment of Ashley Baldwin to the Planning Commission through August 31, 2028; closeout of the Town Center Fund with a $9,600,000 transfer to the General Fund and $210,000 expense authority transfer; $7,810,030 in contingency spending to reimburse Vestar Arizona XLVI, LLC under the Vineyard Towne Center Prepayment Agreement; a facility naming rights license agreement for Arena 1 at Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre; acceptance of a $333,167 grant for a Critical Incident Management Suite; and approval of a lot purchase with groundwater rights in Harquahala Valley.

Public Hearing Consent Agenda

• No public comments were submitted. The council approved Ordinance 874-25, which amends zoning, subdivision, and building safety plan review fee provisions and authorizes expedited building plan review and at-risk grading and drainage permit policies. The council also approved Ordinance 875-25, the staff-initiated SB1611 text amendments establishing landscaping and open space allowances for subdivisions where groundwater savings credits have been pledged to a certificate of assured water supply, eliminating turf requirements, and requiring use of the Department of Water Resources plant list. Both ordinances passed 4-0.

Public Hearings

• The council held a public hearing on the town's biennial development impact fee audit for fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24. Finance department and audit firm representatives stated the audit results were posted on August 7, 2025, with no public responses or questions. The council approved Resolution 1647-25 accepting the audit report by a 4-0 vote.

Key Outcomes

• All formal actions taken during the regular session were approved unanimously, 4-0.
• The council recessed to executive session for remaining business and was scheduled to return to the chambers to formally adjourn the meeting.