Surprise City Council Work Session on Public Safety and Parks Master Plans - June 16, 2026

The Surprise City Council held a work session on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, to receive presentations and discuss two major master plans: the Public Safety Master Plan (covering fire and police services) and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Both plans were presented by consulting firm Citigate for public safety and Dig Studios for parks. No formal votes were taken; the presentations were informational ahead of a fall budget retreat.

Discussion Items

Public Safety Master Plan (Fire & Police)

Fire Presentation (Stu Gary, Citigate):

• The plan is growth-driven: within the next five years, the city could add 35,000 new residents based on already-entitled projects, with a broader planning footprint of 42,000.
• The fire department is described as high-capacity and high-quality but currently at its limits. The plan includes 59 key findings and 35 actionable recommendations.
• Key recommendations over 10 years: 74 additional full-time employees (FTEs), three new fire stations (Stations 310, 11, 12) within six years, a second ladder truck (on order), peak-hour ambulance surge capacity, and a new Public Safety Center to serve both fire and police.
• Near-term (FY27): two civilian positions approved (radio technician and PPE cleaning technician) to free up sworn personnel; 21 paramedics in training.
• Recommended adoption of tiered response times based on population density (urban, suburban, developing edge, rural) rather than a uniform standard.
• 77% of public street miles currently reached by first-due fire truck; coverage would decay without new stations.
• A citywide growth officer is strongly encouraged to coordinate hiring, facilities, and logistics across departments.

Police Presentation (Tom Woodward & Jack Surrear, Citigate):

• The police department is strong but very strained; growth has outpaced staffing. No state/federal standards exist, so recommendations are based on industry benchmarks (IACP, ICMA).
• Recommended 22 additional positions in the first year (beyond 17 sworn already approved) to meet current demand. Over five years, a phased addition of 115 FTEs is recommended.
• Patrol currently accounts for only 38% of sworn staff (vs. 60% recommendation). Span of control in patrol exceeds the 8:1 ratio, a critical issue as new officers are hired.
• Additional facilities: Precinct 200 (already under construction) and two more stations needed (Beat 42 and Beat 32) in a multi-precinct model due to geographic split by US 60.
• Other needs: expanding training, recruiting (competitive environment), criminal investigations, traffic, canine, real-time information center (including drone first response), and agency support staff.
• Since 2022, the department has added 58 FTE positions. Chief Beecher outlined restructuring: a chief of staff, tactical response unit, and goal of 12 squads (12 sergeants) on patrol by January 202x.

Council Q&A on Public Safety:

• Councilman Duffy asked whether the 74 fire FTEs included retirements; staff clarified they are new positions, with retirements likely increasing total hiring needs.
• Council members expressed concern about recruitment trends. Fire and police chiefs highlighted successful programs (Speed, Interest to Badge, cadet programs) yielding higher applicant numbers than neighboring agencies (e.g., 80 police applicants vs. 20 for a larger agency; 500 fire applicants).
• Councilwoman Melton inquired about CID caseload; Chief Beecher noted family violence as an area needing proactive attention.
• Councilman Haney confirmed that funding discussions will occur at the fall budget retreat.
• Mayor emphasized that the city is growing rapidly and must scale public safety accordingly; he thanked Citigate for the independent assessment.

Parks and Recreation Master Plan (Holly & Jay, Dig Studios)

• Presentation focused on growth projections and community priorities from 1,700 survey responses. Top desires: picnic areas, playgrounds, pickleball, indoor recreation, shaded trails, and safety.
• Current inventory: 5 pocket parks, 4 neighborhood parks, 4 community parks, 0 regional parks. Only 1.4 developed park acres per 1,000 residents vs. peer city average of ~3.2. Deficits exist in playgrounds, soccer fields, tennis courts, and recreation centers.
• Recommendation: add 567 acres of developed parkland over 20 years, prioritizing community and regional parks (50–100+ acres) rather than small pocket parks. Two regional parks are needed; the McMicken Dam open space (3,500 acres) can partially meet this need.
• Emphasis on preserving land now: CAP (Central Arizona Project) land requires 6–8 year lease process; initiating that soon is critical. Also important: securing wash corridors and grade-separated trail crossings to create a connected green armature.
• Indoor recreation centers and an indoor field house are identified as major unfilled needs, given the extreme summer heat.
• Coordination with other city master plans (transportation, public safety) is essential, as is working with developers to secure larger parcels (25+ acres) for community parks.

Council Q&A on Parks:

• Councilman Hastings questioned how to gauge resident preferences amid survey bias; Holly noted that peer benchmarking helps level the field. He stressed parks are essential for quality of life and family attraction.
• Councilman Haney emphasized that parks are a need, not a want, due to their role in youth development and community identity. He asked what concrete actions the council can take to avoid letting the plan languish. Holly recommended prioritizing a regional park, specialty parks, and pursuing CAP land, likely requiring bond funding.
• Councilman Haney also advocated for an archery range as a specialty park and offered to help initiate talks for CAP land.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken. Both master plans were presented for informational purposes and will be further discussed during the fall budget retreat, where funding strategies (including potential bond measures) will be explored.
• The council expressed general support for the recommendations and directed staff to prepare multi-year implementation plans with cost estimates for the retreat.
• Specific next steps: coordinate all master plans (public safety, parks, transportation) to ensure consistency; begin long-term land acquisition processes (especially with Bureau of Reclamation/CAP); and continue recruitment and hiring efforts already underway in fire and police.
• Mayor adjourned the work session at approximately 5:30 PM to prepare for the subsequent public meeting.