Surprise City Council Meeting - October 21, 2025
Surprise City Council Meeting - October 21, 2025
The Surprise City Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included an invocation, pledge of allegiance, proclamations, youth council updates, commission appointments, consent agenda items with one pulled for discussion, a public hearing for a liquor license, an IGA for homeless services, a water tank development agreement, public comments, and council member reports. The meeting adjourned into executive session to discuss city manager succession planning.
Invocation & Pledge
- Chaplain Kevin Melton from the Surprise Police Department led the invocation, praying for unity and guidance for the city.
- Two student council members from Dysart High School led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Proclamation
- Mayor Kevin Sarter proclaimed October 21, 2025, as White Cane Awareness Day in Surprise, Arizona.
- Kimberly Fetterman, representing Savvy Services for the Blind, spoke about the importance of the white cane for independence and employment. She shared her personal experience of going blind six years ago and returning to full-time work through services.
Youth Council Report
- Desmond Robert (Willow Canyon High School, 3rd year on Youth Council) reported upcoming volunteer events: Gain Night (Saturday, October 25), Senior Center Barbecue, and Monster Bash (Friday, October 24).
- Riker Yeager (Shadow Ridge High School, 1st year on Youth Council) highlighted the Outreach Committee's street cleanup project (next cleanup November 2), attendance at the Florence Leadership Symposium, and thanked the council for the opportunity to serve.
Consent Calendar
- The council approved consent agenda items 7–15 (excluding item 13), which was pulled for discussion, with a unanimous vote.
Commission Appointments (Unanimous Votes)
- Katie McCarthy – Reappointment to Library Advisory Commission (term through June 30, 2029).
- Desiree Van Loon – Reappointment to Library Advisory Commission (term through June 30, 2029).
- Mary Ann Rio DK – Appointment to Library Advisory Commission (term through June 30, 2029).
- Michael Wallace – Reappointment to Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (term through June 30, 2029).
- Charles Manual – Reappointment to Veterans, Disability, and Human Services Commission (term through June 30, 2029).
- Madeline Pritchard – Reappointment to Judicial Selection Advisory Commission (term through June 30, 2029).
- All appointees were sworn in by the Mayor.
Discussion Items
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Item 13 – Right-of-Way Acquisition for Deer Valley Road Extension
- Councilmember Haney requested the item be pulled for discussion.
- Eric (staff) presented the right-of-way acquisition from 195th Avenue to 211th Avenue for the Deer Valley Road extension, part of the Desert Trails development. The development agreement was accepted on June 17, 2025. Pre-plat approval is expected by end of 2025/early 2026, final plat approval within 6–18 months, with off-site construction beginning early-to-mid 2027.
- Councilmember Haney highlighted the benefit to North Copper Canyon residents, noting that the developer is building millions of dollars in roadway infrastructure, saving the city funds for other investments. The development agreement requires the road to be built with Phase 1.
- Motion to approve the right-of-way acquisition passed unanimously.
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Item 16 – Liquor License Application (Public Hearing)
- Application 359432 by John Anthony Beerling for Some Boroughs, located at 16487 West Cactus Road.
- No public speakers. Council voted unanimously to recommend approval to the Arizona Department of Liquor Licensing and Control.
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Item 17 – Homeless Services IGA Amendment
- Amendment to the IGA with Maricopa County for homeless services, increasing the FY26 budget by $300,000 (moving from general contingency to grant fund). The amendment expands West Valley Housing Assistance Center hours to include Saturdays and adds housing navigation capacity. The center is operated by a New Leaf. Funding partners include City of Surprise, City of Peoria ($100k pass-through), City of Glendale ($100k pass-through), and Maricopa County.
- Reported FY24-25 community impact numbers: coordinated entry/housing services, heat relief (over 1,500 bags of ice and 11,000 bottles of water distributed through August 20). Councilmember Haney praised the regional partnership.
- Resolution 2025-108 approved unanimously.
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Item 18 – Water Tank Development Agreement
- Resolution 2025-112 authorizing acceptance of the A2 North Water Tank Turnover and Development Agreement with Lennar Communities Development LLC for the Desert Oasis Water Supply Facility expansion (Phase 3).
- The project includes converting a 2.3 million gallon reclaimed water tank to potable use (usable capacity 1.7 million gallons), adding booster pump station capacity, arsenic filtration, and an administrative building. The expansion will support five additional wells.
- City’s financial contribution: $1,079,000 (four percent reimbursable share). Total project cost: $26 million, funded by the developer and eight other entities.
- Councilmembers Melton, Judd, Duffy, and Greenberg praised the use of existing infrastructure and proactive planning.
- Motion to approve passed unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Alex Waddell (resident at Hunker and 75th Avenue) thanked the traffic team (Director Eric) for excellent storm response and traffic management. He also urged continued public safety outreach, encouraged volunteerism on city committees, and requested a volunteer resident support program for fire incidents (providing snacks, water, moral/spiritual support). He thanked Chief Sproul for his presentation on fire/medical services and requested education on hazards related to data centers and the BNSF hub. Mayor requested Chief Sproul to follow up on the volunteer support proposal.
Key Outcomes
- All commission appointments approved unanimously.
- Right-of-way acquisition for Deer Valley Road extension approved unanimously.
- Liquor license recommendation approved unanimously.
- Homeless services IGA amendment (Resolution 2025-108) approved unanimously.
- Water tank development agreement (Resolution 2025-112) approved unanimously.
- Councilmembers honored City Manager Bob Wingenroth for his service, noting his retirement. Multiple councilmembers praised his leadership and team-building. The council adjourned into executive session (Item 19) to discuss succession planning for the city manager position.
- Councilmember Melton announced a community meeting at Sun Village on Wednesday, October 22 at 6 PM to discuss the City Center development and transportation.
- Councilmember Judd reminded about the White Tank Mountains Conservancy annual fundraising ball on Wednesday, October 29.
- The meeting adjourned at an unspecified time.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good evening, everyone. I'd like to welcome you to the regular city council meeting Tuesday, October twenty first, twenty twenty-five. Tonight we have um Chaplain Kevin Melton from the surprise police department to give us our to lead us in the invocation. So please. God, that they would lead this city in a direction that would honor you, bring you glory, and bring a great residence in place for all of us to who live here to continue to enjoy the freedom that we have. God, I pray for those who are in this council chamber tonight. I pray for unity, and I pray across the city of surprise that there would be an amazing unity that would draw us all together as friends and neighbors and family. We love you, Lord. We thank you and we pray all these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Present. Councilmember Judd. Thank you, Mayor. We have quorum. Okay, thank you. So tonight we have two pledge presenters from the student council at Dysar High School. So if you ladies would like to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, please. Underground indivisible with liberty and justice for you being here and I appreciate you representing your high school and the student council. Thank you. All right, so tonight we have uh, well, let's get a picture with the pledge presenters. Then we have the proclamation as well. So one second. Let's go dice hard. Good job. I appreciate it. One, two, three. Thank you. Okay. Virginia's giving me the evil eye again. We'll be okay. So tonight we have a proclamation. Uh, one of our residents, uh, Kevin James had uh asked me to, he came into the office, we met and he asked for me to do this uh proclamation. I was more than happy to. Uh, tonight we also have uh a few ladies from the uh South Southern Arizona Association for the visually impaired ladies, if you'd like to join me up here for this proclamation, please. And they're gonna say a few words about it. While they're coming up, I'll I'll go ahead and read the proclamation. So from the office of the mayor, whereas over 100 years ago, the white cane was introduced as a tool to aid blind individuals and was painted white to help with visibility for visibility with motorists and whereas the white cane was formally recognized by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. And whereas every citizen should be aware that the law requires that motorists and cyclists exercise caution when approaching a blind person carrying a white cane. And whereas every blind citizen of Surprise Arizona has the right to carry the white cane, which demonstrates and symbolizes the ability to achieve a full and independent life and the capacity to be uh competitively employed. And whereas supporting blind persons to move freely and safely from place to place, the white cane makes it possible for the blind to fully participate in and contribute to society and to live the lives they want. And now, therefore, I, Kevin Sarter, mayor of the city of Surprise, do hereby proclaim October 21st, 2025 White Cane Awareness Day, and encourage all employee employers to be aware of and utilize the employment skills of blind citizens and support the greater acceptance of blind persons in both our community and in the competitive labor market. Thank you. Sure. I can't tell where it is. Um my name is Kimberly Fetterman, and I uh work for Savvy Services for the Blind. And um I went blind six years ago, and instead of going on Social Security and staying um at home, uh alone and isolated. I decided to get services and go back to work, and now I work full-time. I lead a program for seniors that have gone blind. We teach them how to stay independent, stay out of the um assisted living homes because we know that blindness is not what's gonna hold you back.
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