The Surprise City Council convened on August 6, 2025, at City Hall. The meeting opened with presentations from the 2025 Summer Youth Intern Program and the Surprise Youth Council. The council then approved a consent agenda of 10 items, conducted public hearings on three liquor license applications, and voted on a state-mandated zoning text amendment for adaptive reuse. Other actions included approvals of a comprehensive sign program, an intergovernmental agreement with Peoria for emergency dispatch, and a bond reimbursement resolution. During public comments, several residents urged the city to restore the WeRide transportation service. After an executive session, the council authorized litigation in two matters. The meeting concluded with a proclamation recognizing City Manager Bob Wingenroth for 45 years of public service.
Item 12 – Fries Marketplace Series 9 license: No public speakers. Council voted unanimously to recommend approval to the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control. Item 13 – HeadWright Brewing Company Series 3 license: No public speakers. Council voted unanimously to recommend approval. Item 14 – Royal Distributing LLC Series 4 license: The applicant was not present. Staff reported that the proposed warehouse distribution operation is located in a residential zone and violates city code. Council members expressed concerns about consistency with code and setting a precedent. A motion to recommend denial passed unanimously (Vice Mayor Hastings noted the applicant could reapply with more information and a business license). The council voted to recommend denial.
Internship program. The six-week program wrapped up about two weeks ago, and it gave young people valuable hands on experience across city departments. Thank you to all the teams in the city that made this opportunity possible. Kara, the floor is yours. Thank you very much. Good evening, Mayor Sarator, City Council members, City Manager Wingenroth, and distinguished guests. My name is Kara Poling, and I am the community engagement partner for human service and community vitality. Tonight, I am honored to present the 2025 Summer Youth Intern Program participants. This year, we had the privilege of selecting 20 exceptional interns from a competitive pool of 63 applicants. These interns began a journey of comprehensive workforce development with real world experience from start to finish. They navigated each stage of the employment process beginning, excuse me, beginning with a job application and video interview, followed by a four-person panel interview and culminating in a new employee orientation. Throughout the program, interns participated in weekly professional development workshops through a partnership with Arizona at work. These workshops included essential skills such as resume writing, job interview techniques, financial empowerment, workplace readiness, and youth leadership. Over the course of six weeks, the interns earned minimum wage while working up to 25 hours per week across nine city departments and are partners at the DISART Community Center. Through hands-on job shadowing and a variety of real assignments, they gained a behind-the-scenes look at how our city operates, guided each step of the way by dedicated department supervisors. Several interns were unable to attend tonight due to school open house. However, I would like to invite a few representatives to briefly share in their own words what this opportunity meant to them. It has offered so much more than just behind the scenes look at the judicial system. It's provided meaningful hands-on experience that brought classroom knowledge to life. It's rare to find an internship that offers this level of access and real world learning in such a supportive environment. And one of the other major benefits of this program is a mentorship and professional development that it encourages. So a few of our interns ended up going to another department, so she went to public works. My name is Janice Meriti, and I go to Lokanyan High School. I am currently at South Mall. My experience in the semi-youth internship program has been an amazing journey. I would also like to comment on the Monday lessons. They were very educational. Some of the lessons learned were job interview practice. There were practical lessons that I will use in the future. I got a chance to work at the Desert Community Center and a week at public works. I learned useful skills. The Desert Community Center was not only a great opportunity to learn about taking care of children, but also learning to be a good role model to them. I played with their kids, ranging from the age of four years to the age of 12 years, and spent quality time with them. It is always such a great joy to see children, interacting and playing with each other. The public works, on the other hand, was more engaging considering it is more dedicated to enhancing communities through infrastructure, development, maintenance, and service delivery. I got a chance to visit all the four divisions, including fleet, facilities, solid waste, and engineering. I can say that it was a good way to spend my summer and a chance to learn new things. Apart from working, the supervision is good and I'd highly recommend if people could join the semi-youth internship program. Thank you for your support in your time. Thank you, Janice. Now I would like to introduce Stelana Carter. She worked in the city manager's office. Good evening, Mayor and Council. As a little reintroduction, I am Delana Carter. I've just begun my senior year at Valley Vista High School, and I was assigned to the city manager's office over the course of this internship. That of which I've prepared some words that state the following. We face daily to-dos such as mail call and item delivery, as well as manage various organizational support, accompanied by specific specific research projects for city directors. We even got to partake in a mock council meeting after attending June's council meeting to see what the process of leading a presentation in chamber is like. Overall, I have acquired many skills and substantial experience over the course of this internship, that of which one may not be able to immediately gain at a standard first job. This opportunity was henceforth one I feel both lucky and grateful to have taken.