Queen Creek Town Council Regular Session – February 18, 2026

The Queen Creek Town Council held a regular session on February 18, 2026, at 6:30 PM in the Community Chambers. The meeting included ceremonial presentations, committee reports, approval of consent agendas, and discussions on the annual Hometown Christmas event, the General Plan Municipal Planning Area boundary, and a Capital Improvement Program update. All council members were present. The meeting began with an executive session and concluded with a final executive session wrap-up.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the Summary Action Plan from the January 30-31, 2026 Strategic Planning Session and February 4, 2026 Regular Session Minutes.
• Approved expenditures over $75,000 and items of public policy interest, including additional spending authority for generator maintenance ($25,000), well equipment ($350,000), and a project order amendment for Hawes Road ($83,246).
• Approved acceptance of a $5,000 donation from Crown Castle to the Mayor's Teen Advisory Committee (separately voted after a presentation).
• Approved contracts for water tank cleaning/inspection services (up to $150,000 annually), an amendment to the Impact and Capacity Fee Study Agreement ($35,750), $8.5 million in budget adjustments from the Wastewater Capacity Fee Fund, and $19,326,309 in budget adjustments for water resource infrastructure, including $12,100,000 for Southwest Waterworks and $5,100,000 for Swain Electric, and a $400,000 consulting contract with Hazen and Sawyer for the Harquahala Valley Water Acquisition Project.
• Approved Delegation Resolution #1663-26 for the Schnepf Road Waterline Phase 3B and 2A (CIP Projects WA264 Phase 3B and WA265 Phase 2A) not to exceed $4,505,776.80.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were submitted or made in person.

Discussion Items

Queen Creek Hometown Christmas Event Recap and Future Plans

• Parks and Recreation Director Adam Robinson presented a recap of the 2025 event. Attendance was approximately 6,000: 2,000 at the Friday night tree lighting and 4,000 at the Saturday parade. The tree lighting was moved to the east side of the library, creating a more cohesive space but requiring road closure of Ellsworth Road for safety. The parade had a maximum of about 70 entries due to mobilization constraints. Challenges included safety concerns (vehicle attacks), impact on local businesses (e.g., Papa John's delivery drivers), and wildcat vendors. Future plans include standardizing road closures, enhancing collaboration with police (using raptor barriers), exploring a “Queen Creek Hometown Christmas” umbrella for multiple events, and possibly adjusting parade themes and entry fees. Council members expressed strong support for keeping the event in town center, praised the improved layout, and suggested improvements such as better communication for spectators, increasing entry opportunities for schools, and revisiting the candy-throwing policy. The council also discussed the need to balance business impacts with community benefits.

General Plan Municipal Planning Area Boundary

• Development Services Director Brett Burningham presented two areas within the town’s planning area but outside municipal limits: a northern area (461 parcels, ~1,380 residents) and a southern area (1,580 parcels, ~5,000 residents), both developed under Pinal County standards. The newly incorporated town of Santan Valley may be interested in annexing these areas. Staff presented options: leave the boundary as is, amend it to exclude the areas, or process an annexation if desired. Council members expressed unanimous support for releasing both areas from the planning area, citing the high cost of providing services (public safety, parks) without offsetting revenue from impact fees or taxes. They noted that the areas were developed under county standards and that the town has not collected fees for infrastructure. The council directed staff to begin the process of amending the General Plan boundary, which is expected to take about four months.

Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Update

• Capital Projects Director Dave Lipinski provided an update on major projects. Accomplishments included the ribbon cutting for the Gail Barney Queen Creek Public Safety Support Facility (full building turnover expected Monday, K9 facility in two weeks, shooting range in three to four weeks) and the completion of the aquatic rec gym floor (two weeks ahead of schedule). Projects in design include the new police department headquarters (groundbreaking late spring/summer 2026), a new fleet building (expandable), and Power Road widening (Chandler Heights to Riggs Road) – construction to start in two weeks, low bid $7.8 million vs. engineer’s estimate of $8.8 million. ARPA-funded water line improvements: a $35 million grant from Pinal County; the Schnepf Road waterline bid came in at $3.7 million (engineer’s estimate $5.9 million) with 13 bidders. Tank sites are under construction (steel tanks, ~1 million gallons each). The LG infrastructure phase is complete, with no traffic interruptions. Council members praised the progress and noted favorable bidding conditions.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
• Crown Castle Donation: Approved unanimously (separate vote).
• Public Hearing Consent Agenda: Ordinance 887-26 (Zoning Text Amendment – Setbacks in R1-43 and R1-35) approved unanimously.
• General Plan Boundary: Council directed staff to initiate the process to remove the northern and southern areas from the town’s Municipal Planning Area, with a timeline of approximately four months.
• Hometown Christmas: The discussion was informational; no formal action taken. Staff will incorporate council feedback into planning for the 2026 event.
• CIP Update: Informational; no action required. Staff will proceed with construction and design as outlined.