Paradise Valley Council Approves Amended Spire Resolution With Design Refinements; Zoning Code Cleanup Accelerates Pickle Ball and Construction Sign Standards

Good afternoon everybody. Thanks for joining us. The meeting is now called to order and would the clerk please call the role. Mayor Stanton here. Vice Mayor Label. Council member Andell here. Council member Leapman here. Council member Moore here. Council member Pace. Council member Thomasson here. We have a quorum. Thank you. As a reminder, this meeting is being streamed live on the internet and will be archived in the town's website for future viewing.

The first item on the agenda is study session. These items are scheduled for discussion amongst the council staff and their design. Votes will not be taken on any of these matters at this time, but may be scheduled for final action later in the meeting or at a future meeting. Members of the public are asked to hold their comments until call to the public scheduled to begin shortly after 6 pm.

Comments, public comments will also be invited when the agenda topic is placed on a future agenda for action. We have a full agenda today. So, without any hesitation, there are four items on the study session tonight. Uh the first is a discussion for a zoning code update and it will be presented uh by the community development director, Chad Weaver, and scheduled for 60 minutes. Hello, Mr. Weaver. Good afternoon. Mayor, council members joined the meeting.

Uh we do have an update for you today uh on our continuing efforts to clean up the zoning code. We're going to go through all the things that we have done, remind you of what we've been up to, get you up to date with the changes we've made up until now, um and where we're at going forward.

Uh most of that uh in the way of just reminder is is not code changes but moving the thing around to um look better, read better, match the town code better, work better on MUN code, um fix any any errors, any inconsistency, any inconsistencies, any lack of clarity. Um adjust for any state law changes that we may have missed over time. Uh we do have two items we are going to seek direction on tonight and things that you have asked us to bring back.

Uh one being pickle ball courts and one being construction signs. So we'll have some options for you later on and then we'll go through ne next steps to uh to bring this project to a close uh through the summer and into the fall. So with that I will introduce Robbie Erin our consultant for Michael Baker who will give you the uh presentation. Thank you Chad. Um, like Chad said, my name is Robbie Aaron. I am a project manager at Michael Baker International.

Um, thank you for having us here today to present this topic. Um, as Chad stated, we've been working with uh, staff um, and you guys as well over the course of the past about nine to 10 months now um, to provide this update. So, we're just going to kind of go through what we've done and um, and also seek some direction from you. Um, as I stated, we've been at this for about 10 months. Um, so this is just a quick timeline. Um, our contractors awarded last June.

Um, staff came before you at a council study session. Um, on September 11th of 2025. Um, that focus was on sport courts or pickle ball courts, construction signs, and then there was some discussion about on street parking as well at that study session. and we uh were back before you um with staff and us Michael Big International um on December 11th.

Um we gave you an update on our progress to date and we generally went over um the reorganization of the code um other things that we were looking at at the time, some of the state laws we were um focusing on and those types of things. So now we're going to jump in to kind of uh recap what our goals were and also what we've done um to date. As Chad stated, the goals of this were to identify existing inconsistencies, um conflicts, any duplications and clean those up.

Um address any development trends that uh would impact the town, make the code more user friendly. So that came really with the reorganization of the code and then also ensure compliance with uh ARS and uh any federal law updates that have come down the pipeline over the course of uh many years. Um as the ARS is constantly changing as we know the biggest update um that we did was the format and organization. Um so we did restructure the document for an improved usability.

Um we grouped uh related sections together. We moved specific sections and created some new sections that maybe weren't there before um as part of the um way we did things. And then we also incorporated a more comprehensive nuance numbering system system that is much more similar to the way the town code is numbered. And this will also help when um the new version gets put onto Municode um with all the links and nice things.

And it overall will just read a lot better and be a lot easier for a developer or anybody who's new coming to town will be able to follow it more simply. Staff will be able to get guide people through it more simply. So that was the overall um goal with the reformat and reorganization. The legal updates, we updated um outdated or legal non-compliant sections. Um and we also ensured co- language complies with recently enacted legislation.

So you'll see some things in there such as um there's a new section um about uh keeping of animals and um while some of those things were allowed before there is a new section regarding fowl because that is something that um the state mandated and so that's one of like the key updates um um in that area. Last, um, you'll see a lot of like little red lines here and there, um, that have to do with grammar, punctuation, abbreviation, updates to ensure consistency throughout the ordinance.

So, some of these were simply like we said 30 feet or somewhere it might have said 30ft period. Somewhere it might have said 30 ft. So, just trying to go through and make sure that it's either says 30 feet and then has that in parenthesis or says 30 parentheses number 30 and then feet. those types of things throughout the code because it was kind of a little bit going on everywhere. It wasn't necessarily all the same.

Um so we really went through and tried to make that more consistent um AC um throughout. Uh we codified some of the zoning interpretations related to um some of the council direction points um such as games courts and construction signs. So there was a count an interpretation regarding game courts and setbacks. So, you'll now see that in the zoning um in the update under um game courts and tennis courts. Um uh well, tennis courts are treated separate.

There's a whole section that's just for game courts and tennis courts and then they're broken out there. So, you'll see that table that was in the interpretation is now in in the ordinance so people find it easily. And then we also um are working on going through and updating certain graphics um and tables to assist in improving the clarity.

Um, and this really, um, some of the, uh, graphics when it comes to Municode when they get uploaded because they're a little bit older, they're a little grainy, so you you click it and maybe it's not as clear. So, we've we've gone through and kind of redrawn some of those, maybe not changed them, but at least redrawn to give a better um image um to up upload to MUN code. So, that'll be um helpful for people.

Um, and then we are working with um staff to make sure that anything that needed updated gets updated. Um and then there's um some new various tables throughout that uh really help um make things more clear. Now um we are going to be seeking council direction um on a couple things. Um the first will be um uh pickle ball courts on private single family lots and then the second will be u construction signage. I'm just going to jump right in. um with pickle ball courts.

So we when we went to do this, we did some research and one of the first things we wanted to see is what are other communities doing and what are the best practices regarding pickle ball courts. Um I will just say that there's not a whole lot out there because this is such a new topic. Not everybody has jumped in feet first to figure out how to address this situation.

Um, a lot of this stuff that pops up if you just do a simple Google search is actually from u people who don't like pickle ball courts and think they should be banned. So there's kind of taking that side and then finding the side of the people that you know actually do want pickle ball courts and what are they doing and how are we kind of meeting in the middle to um allow pickle ball courts um to to happen. So, first of what what are others doing?

So, some um communities are regulating how many private courts uh can be on a privately single a privately owned single family lot. Um some don't regulate this at all. Some say there can only be one. Um so that's something um that we looked at. Uh some communities such as Sedona uh regulate when pickle ball can be played altogether. So, Sedona regulates it to between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 pm.

Um, that's that's when pickle ball can be played and others simply regulate other conditions such as noise, lighting, and setbacks, which is pretty general across the board. Um, most communities have a noise ordinance. Most communities have um some sort of lighting ordinance. And then obviously you can use setbacks on a property to at least get the pickle ball court set back a little bit more so maybe the noise doesn't travel into somebody else's backyard um so loudly.

Um then we looked at best practices. So the best practices that um really are out there are increasing the setbacks to help mitigate the noise traveling to other properties. Uh when I was reading about this um the it was interesting. I found that the decibel um limit the decibel amount that a pickle ball produces when it hits the paddle is like just right in this range to where it really pierces the the human ear which is why I think a lot of people find it kind of annoying.

And so how do you help maybe decrease that when it gets if I'm playing pickle ball on my property when it gets to your property? Um and part of that is maybe some barriers and landscape buffers to help mitigate the noise. although as we know it's not going to go away completely but maybe it is diminished just a little bit.

So our recommendation um and where we're seeking your direction um our recommendation would just allow one pickle ball court per lot in the sport courts section um and we could either leave that um and this would be differentiated from other game courts like basketball courts um other types of things. So, we would call out a pickle ball court specifically and say there's only one allowed per single f private single family lot.

Um, and the second would be to maintain the other regulations in sport courts for pickle ball courts such as lighting, setbacks, etc. Um, we're also here to seek your direction and and get any guidance that you might have of some other any other ideas you might have to um that you want us to look into. So, with that, I'll I'll pause and um get you guys' feedback. Well, thank you. That's a good beginning of the presentation.

A lot of good information that you've been working on, you and your team. Um let's open up if there's any questions or comments at this point regarding pickle ball courts. Council member Leeman. Thank you, Mayor. Um sorry, getting organized here. I have I have two questions on the presentation before we get to pickle balls if that's okay. Sure.

If and the first is on slide four where it says the right there on number two focus on sports courts which we're doing construction signs and on street parking and I'm missing I did I miss any changes to or recommendations regarding on street parking mayor council member it's true we did not make any what we've been doing we mentioned at that time and we've been doing this since that time, but we're happy to take direction. It's not really a zoning code issue per se.

So, there's kind of three aspects. Kill yours for a second there. There's kind of three aspects we can do. Uh SH has uh taken requests for adding no parking signs in certain areas and we evaluate those based on engineering standards and I think we have added one series of them maybe in the last year. Uh it's often not not something that's quite necessary. Um we're using the police cooperating with police for enforcement. Um and from the through the building division uh for folks with permits.

We're a little more active on trying to encourage those folks to stay on their site when possible. It's not always possible, but that is one of the issues that has come up is to maintain a lot of work room for themselves. They've kick some of the trucks out onto the street and so we try to kick them back onto their site when we can. So it's more operational.

There's not really a zoning code thing that we see that we can implement that will change, but those are kind of the three operational aspects that we've been working on in the last year. Wonderful. Thank you. I appreciate that. But I do note that the STR regulations, which are part of the zoning code, specifically say that all parking must be on site. So, I'm wondering why it's different for STRs than it is for everybody else.

And maybe that's not a discussion for today, but I was really looking forward to getting into on street parking because I know there are issues there. So I will move on. My second question, which was somewhat addressed, is that there were a bunch of zoning interpretations and you provided us this nice chart that I printed out showing where the zoning interpretations are codified in I guess the old zoning code because the numbers don't match up with the new draft.

I was trying to Anyway, um, is there anything in here going I did not see anything that says that this terminates all of the zoning code interpretations and going f forward is anybody allowed to make them because it seems to me we we had and I'd love to get rid of this separate set of regulations or or interpretations. So that's just a general comment and I think now is the time to make it. Um and specifically with respect so sorry I'll wait for an answer on that mayor council.

So Robbie correct me there may be a couple of things that impact a couple of those and if they are I'll let you speak to them. For the most part no the effort here was not to make all the interpretations go away. Frankly, if we want to get into the interpretations and either delete them or codify them, there's probably a lot of separate discussions that are necessary there.

We didn't elect when looking at all that to try and fold that into there because there's a lot of probably a lot of council input that needs to be done. It would stretch this out quite a bit. So, I would say we would take that off in more bite-sized pieces if we wanted to get into that. That was something else I was looking forward to getting into.

So, I'm I'm sad to hear that that wasn't done because it is confusing and in working with the zoning code, people don't realize that there's these hidden interpretations. And I thought the purpose of this was to clean it up. So, I would respectfully ask that we take the time now that we're doing this to go through. And it seems to be that the consultants have already begun because they've listed the code sections and where it is and whether it's integrated or not.

So if we want a really good easy to understand codified zoning code, I would highly recommend that we go through this and it I don't think it would be that difficult and I know I'm saying that when others are going to do it, but I wrote statutes for a living for over 30 years. So I'm happy to help. Anyway, so now specifically with respect to game courts, um I notice that right now what is written does not limit have any numerical limitations for tennis courts and pickle ball courts.

And in fact, one definition of game courts even excludes pickle ball courts, but I think that's a nit or I don't know. But I would recommend that we really look hard at limiting pickle ball because we hear the number of pickle ball courts because they are different from other courts. And I would also suggest um maybe moving the setbacks or requiring soundproofing. Um, I think education doesn't cut it here and at some point I would also like to look at the noise ordinance in connection with this.

So that's all I have to say for now and thank you. All right, other comments or questions at this point in the presentation? Council member Andy Keller. Thank you, mayor. Um, and thank you for your presentation. As it pertains to the pickle ball courts, um, I think it would be good to, uh, separate them from the rest of the sport courts. Um, at least that's my opinion.

Um, also, I've noticed, um, on some houses in my mom's neighborhood, the netting that goes around that is kind of not very pretty. So, it's like a pole, a humongous pole with netting and it's it's not very nice to look at. So, something around the netting and all that kind of stuff. Um, and I do think that we need some setbacks and noise abatement. Yeah. Yeah.

That's definitely um thank you council members for your comments and we can certainly um dive a little deeper into um those types of things especially the netting situation um but also look to see what other communities are doing to maybe increase setbacks um and then um I think you know using landscaping to help with some of that noise mitigation we can look into that too. Okay. So I I'll add one specific nugget. So we we've heard two suggest for for f further setbacks.

We have greater setbacks for tennis courts. We can use that same number for pickle ball courts. I think it's 32 instead of 20. So push them extra 12 feet back. Um the only reason we didn't necessarily recommend that here um it's not to say that we can't work through it. It's going to create a tremendous amount of non-conformity around town, but going forward we'll we'll get that set back. So certainly you'll have that in mind.

I've I've heard from two if we hear from enough that that's the setback we want. We could be very specific and say we're just going to match those pickle ball courts as opposed to a sport court. We're going to match them to to a tennis court and they and they get 32 feet instead of 20. So that's a that's a pretty clean option without regard to the non-conformities of course. Do do we have a lot of applications for to put in pickle ball courts currently? Yeah, fair amount. Yes. Fair amount. Yes.

Okay. I didn't find it very fun, but yeah. Um, I'll yield from there. Thank you. Thank you. Other comments, Council Member Pace. Thank you, Mayor. Um, thanks for the presentation. You're going to have a lot of comments, I'm sure, throughout. And I do agree with Council Member Leapman. The idea was to do everything. It's to fix it once and for all so that all of our building development and everybody can look up something and we don't have hidden interpretations over here.

And also keeping it from the public and from council. We've seen that in our last term. We had Lisa doing it a lot. we didn't like it. Um, and then pretty soon it wasn't even provided to council. There was no feedback and there was these interpretations that developers and builders were showing us that had been provided by a staff person on council. And we're very picky in Paradise Valley not to let things like that happen without feedback and comment. So, I think transparency is key.

I think as a construction lawyer, I wouldn't like it if things are hidden from even though I don't do work here in PV. I hear about it, but um it's not helpful if they go to the counter and one developer gets information and one applicant gets information, the other ones don't even know about it.

And then I'll have the ones that have worked here a long time who know the rules and are trying to keep the brand up like Rod Cullum and Tony Calvis and then they'll call us and say, "Hey, two more builders are putting in the house this way and they just didn't know the rules and how do you fix that and go deal with it and then I invite it to you guys to deal with." So we need like a level playing field that's only fair to everybody. The things that need to be speeded up, we need to speed up.

Like the pickle ball courts we should have been dealing with for the last year. We don't need to wait for a big book to be written. If we have agreement on that, we do it immediately so we quit getting more applications that are going to be non-conforming because all you do is put the word out there and then everyone's going to apply, right? I mean, that's the way it goes.

So, you know, the things that needed a more urgency, we should push aheaded and just get them adopted while the rest is being done. Um, I think we need the list of the interpretations which had always been hard to get. I've asked for it, I think, in public records for three years. I've asked for it previous before you guys. Believe me, it's not you, Chad, and it's not the CH. We couldn't get them. So, yeah. So, it's kind of a a process we pushed for a while to get someplace.

So, it's not and it's not you all because this is before all you all, okay, this is like bringing to current. So, I would rather see a level playing field. I think it helps us from first of all I commend um our planning director Chad Weaver and the town manager for getting the builder and development group started again. I'm super happy you know I attended the first one and now you had 97 at the last one. That makes a huge difference right there. We used to have those years ago.

It stopped for about five years. Now we're back on track this year that you guys are doing that. So that's a plus because we educate and education is key and that prevents the problem which is what we're really looking for. I can't tell you how many times on our hillside twice now so far someone's painted the house white and they had to go repaint the entire house.

I mean, I just find that sad because if they just knew and they could look it up pretty easily and it wasn't that searchable and I know we're getting our website more searchable, that would have stopped it.

Right now we're dealing with the homeowner right here on Mockingbird that had that pickle ball court put right up to the setback line on the property line on their house and they had no permit and they never came to the town for a permit and our best solution was oh undo the pickle ball lines on the court and you get to keep it there. So all the guys are doing at night is having party.

That's really what happened and that's all they're all putting the party out there and it's a problem every night and that's why we've got the sound issue and the police out there repeatedly. This was a short-term rental. That's why I believe we need to be also advocating to notify neighbors on the short-term rentals. So, it came in, people didn't know about it, and then it started advertising. It's still advertising.

And now we get in this pickle ball court that's right up to their property line. And our answer after 5 million requests and writeups that were all copied on them, is take off the pickle ball lines and it's code now and legal. I don't understand that at all. And I don't agree with that. And I think we need to have consequences that we all need to be talking about.

And I think maybe the answer if the council peers want to do it is we do a half day retreat or a full day and we just knock out all these interpretations and what we want to see happen and make it better in PB because we're reactive right now. We haven't been proactive on it and you know we do need to fix the interpretations.

we do need to fix a consequence and I know some of this involves I go back to last time the prosecutor and what that role is um to actually deal with it when people because right now people are asking for forgiveness later and that's what happened to the house next to Jim Per so that's not right and um that should be removed so I mean one of the things in the pickle ball I want to know if someone just puts it up anyway and these out of state people do it and don't know our rules what is our consequence so we go we say one I'm all for one I think one is fine I think the other thing you mentioned.

We did have in Tucson when I worked with Terry um they had um the sound studies and I think uh the town manager Andrew Ching and I probably two years ago um started looking into that and trying to see if they should do sound studies but you guys have looked into it. You're the professionals but they had said one of the things and I also do it in California and another city I looked at is to reduce the sound of the of the actual paddles that we can add that to the code because that helps.

We were hoping it would evolve naturally and just make it so, but it didn't quite. There's still two types and one's loud and one's quiet. So, we got to pick the quiet, you know? Or maybe we we have a a limited sound time for loud ones if there's like a competitive thing going on with the group. Maybe that's a middle of the day thing only and not early morning and not late at night and everything else in between is is a lower sounding paddle.

I mean, I'm okay about logical solutions, you know, but I, you know, I think we need and I then the other thing I didn't see mentioned here that planning commission has been bringing up for about five years that I've heard it to me, um, and to others is that we don't want pickle ball carts on top on raised surfaces. We don't want them on the top of garages. We don't want them on the top of every Rod Cullins brought this up to us like when are you guys going to deal with this?

So, we need to figure out where do you put that and if we have enough council support for it, we don't allow that to be on top. So, that isn't really better as far as I know is not fully addressed and it and I think this could go a little deeper, but I also think this one needs to speed up and be done sooner than the rest of the code if we're talking about doing interpretation. So, anyway, that's just my comments on that and I do agree with the aesthetic netting.

The only other thing that when I was trying to help those neighbors before and I know we all got called and we're trying to help, but we did ask if they're if it's possible for planning to make some exceptions for recessing the those courts even though we normally want things high, but they had asked if they could do little amphitheaters around them and lower them for that sound quality not going up over and the lighting.

I don't know if that's a drainage issue that will not work, but I had talked to Chad and talked to town manager before. I don't know if that will work. Um, but if it did and someone had a great idea and it lowered the sound, that's why we put, you know, as you all know, we put the freeways down low where we can afford it in the town and ADOT could do that. So, anyway, those are my comments. I'll stop there. Thanks. Thank you, Council Member Council Member Moore. Thanks, Mayor.

Um, yeah, thanks for bringing this forward and and uh going for the update. Just a couple things and I and I do agree with my colleagues here. I think these are all great points and I know council member Face and I have have dealt with many of these in the past and it's and it's nice to finally see this come forward. Um John, I mean it says right in our agenda that what we're looking for today on council direction is pickle ball courts and construction signs and nothing else was agendaized.

So, um, again, it it would be nice if you want to to bring these other things forward if you're going to be asking us about them so we can be prepared and have u feedback that would be constructive for you guys to give back. Along with that constructive feedback, it helps as we've mentioned many of us in the past about having the history of where we're at today with pickle ball courts. I know a former mayor and and uh during his time was working on uh these situations. Uh, Mr.

Chang, you and I sat and met with many of these residents uh that had concerns about a particular one and there was many good suggestions that came up at that point. Um, one of them being for noise abatement is is to put a a clear plexiglass wall right up against the pickle ball court because as s as we all know, sound travels uh the decibb rise and get larger and and the sound travels over sound walls if they're not up close.

So, um, you know, these these things you're the professional and it sounds like you've done some research on it. It'd be great to have you do some more detailed research as far as how language has been written by other uh municipalities so we can look at how they've been received and adopted. Um, it's it is good to see this coming forward, but it's been way too long.

and just to to to glaze over the other documents that are within our packet here, but we're it's not agendaized and something we can really sit here and discuss because it's not put on here as a as a discussion topic tonight. Um is is something that um you know, it'd be nice to know when you would like to get together with all of us and have conversations on that.

So, um I'm I'm in favor of I know that when we looked at, uh situations in the past with multiple pickle ball courts, it seems to lend itself to leagues and in uh tournaments and things like that, which create much more noise, not just noise from pickle ball, but noise from uh 30, 40 people in in a backyard parking on street parking. All kinds of situations can occur in those situations.

So that came up in the past that I would like to see that in our packet so we we can look at what our past experience has been, how we've dealt with those, how we resolved uh issues with neighbors in the past and and and then some of the I the comments that council member Pace I I agree with everyone that she brought up. I mean those are things that we should have been already looking at and it should have been here in front of us.

So, I I'm just if you're looking for feedback, feedback is bring back more and be more detailed in in your ask of of what you want. Write some language out, give us suggested language. Um, it's it's easy to be high level here and just give you some feedback, but um I'm more interested in what you want to write in as code and read that code. So, that that would help me. Um, again, back to history, history, history. Let's see it in in these situations.

Why did it why is this uh um coming up now and in uh with with your suggestions, but not the suggestions that we've had in the past? So, um I'll leave it at that, but thanks, Council Member Thomasson. Thank you, Mayor. I I agree with uh my council colleagues here. I agree with one pickle ball court per lot. I also agree with the 32- foot setback pickle ball commensurate with other sport courts. Um I appreciate council member PAC's suggestions about the soft paddles. To me that's a step too far.

Um monitoring it and ensuring compliance will be very difficult. And I think uh monitoring sports equipment that people use in their homes is just going to be too difficult. I completely appreciate the spirit. I just think that's a little too um little too much. But otherwise, I'm in favor of the other two. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you. And I would wrap up my comments on this subject by saying I think we're all in uniform space here.

Uh one, I do think we need to do a deeper dive on the interpretations. I think that's uh that's one of the big challenges because at the outset of this process, we are trying to pull our laces tight, trying to clean up our codes to make sure that they're up to date, make sure that uh that they're accurate. So, I think doing a deeper dive on the interpretations. I'm very supportive of that.

I do think that in particular to these two items, I do uh support the idea of one pickle ball court per per lot. I think that makes absolute sense. I also agree with the setback discussion and some thoughts about matching that to tennis courts. I think that makes sense. Sound mitigation.

Um I need to know a little bit more about how that would work and uh and what that means for the the the property owner, but I I think it's well uh worth our time to look at that and look in comparison to some of these other um municipalities that you that you looked at. Um so I um I do think that uh we got to move a little quicker. Uh I think this is you've done a a good job on bringing this particular space forward.

There's no reason why we have to delay moving into uh some updates on this and getting that done. So uh I'm in support of my colleagues and I agree. So uh we have something to add council member. Yes. Thank you mayor. I apologize for I read all this um and so I have a general question today. Are we only addressing the the signs and the pickle ball courts? Uh um that's what's on the agenda for one hour. The signs and the pickle ball courts. Yes.

So at what point I'm a little concerned about the schedule. At what point do we get to give all our other comments and changes? And mayor, council member, if if I may, I think um council member Moore laid it out really nicely from two directions. you know, what's prepared for a robust discussion versus what you're allowed to discuss. And, you know, my position would be that you're allowed to discuss anything. So, if you have comments prepared on other topics, you're certainly allowed to.

I think staff was trying to tee up a couple that they viewed as being of high interest to all of you for discussion, but you are not if you have other comments, you're not restricted from making them. Of course, as the mayor points out, we have a clock to watch also, though. We have one hour. Exactly. Thank you. So, so my my my request at this point based on that is we're not going to fit this full discussion into the hour today before it moves on.

So maybe we want to I don't know do something else to further dive into some of these areas. And my second question is also a general interpretation of the process and that is that in the black line which I really liked receiving there's a number of sections that are called new that aren't highlighted throughout as being additional which is fine because it says right there it's new. But I'm wondering some of those are actual ordinance policy changes and Yeah.

Let me let me just finish my question. Absolutely. Um and along those lines, the question is generally who decided what new stuff was put in as opposed to what new stuff that might have been mentioned over the years wasn't put in. And I'm just a little concerned that either this is a cleanup or it's a full rewrite. And I'm seeing both. Um, in one example I found was 3.2 conservation easements.

Um, and yeah, basically it codifies what we've been doing and telling people and I have no problem with it necessarily, but it is a new ordinance and I'm not sure it should just be introduced without a discussion or direction from the council at a high level before we get into the details. So, I yield. Thank you. Um, so obviously with Mr. Gaylord's thoughts, I'd open that back up for any more specific questions. Go ahead. Thank you, mayor, and thanks for everybody's feedback.

I think the council is ready and willing to jump in and we have been for like a while. We all have our folders on this if I'm looking around the table. And so maybe a suggestion would be pickle ball is something we're already ready to make decisions about and maybe that could come as quick as next two weeks for us to get that one approved and done. And you know, I mean, I know we have to go through our normal public hearing process, but but from our standpoint, I think we're up to speed.

We're competent. We know what's out there. We know the communities. We've been looking at it for a while. So, if you took maybe a lot of the feedback from tonight and just came back in two weeks with that, I bet you we could probably get that done and then that could go on its way with the normal legal process to wherever it goes. And then we get that done before summer and then we have that rolling.

If construction science does the same, then we take another one and do the same because that one's kind of pr proliferating. And I think council member Moors brought this up and kind of took the lead on it and it does need to be done and fast. So that's another quick I don't think that's a hard one to do. We'll see when we get there with everybody on council. We'll see. Maybe it is. I don't know.

But then there's a lot more here and I don't think we can be limited in an hour and I mean not today mayor but I mean we have to figure out how to get to the things you know I want to talk se containers. I mean you're bringing up another good point that council member Leman's bringing up. I saw other things on my list. So, I want to fix the interpretations, but I also want to address these in a sufficient time. And I know everyone's going to have comments on them.

So, um I'm not sure what that means for timing. If that's a half day on a Saturday or a full day, I don't even care. I'd rather jump in and do them all at once. And if we had the packets ahead of time, maybe we'll be faster about it. But it is an important lift. We haven't had to do these for a while in the beginning. I think that's where Council Member Moore is going back to.

We spent a lot of time on these things, meeting after meeting, and we spent hours and hours, and then it kind of got quiet the last few years, and we really didn't dig in again. And so, this one was probably the time we all needed the heavy lift and get it done right. And then it's done right, and then it can be searchable, and we reduce problems and conflicts in our community.

we reduce complaints because if everybody can look it up, whatever developer someone's using and whatever construction trade and whatever, you know, new person moves in town and home manager, they can find it, you know, and then that make So, anyway, that's my suggestion as we do the two. So, that's I'll leave it up to everyone else and get those out of the way by next meeting and then and figure out you guys come back with the draft. I mean, we'll we'll work it up.

We'll all kick the tires on it and then get those rolling and then we schedule the time and we can keep going on other sections every meeting. I don't care if we take five to 10 a meeting, but we need to do more than what we're talking about for the two highlighted. That's just my suggestion. Thank you. I think you're hearing pretty loud and clear the priorities and how we want to see that move forward.

But in the sake of this discussion, I know that um construction signs are next on your agenda. So, please continue. Hang on, mayor. If I could just to address council member Leeman's question because I think it's a big one. There's some misunderstanding probably. So when it says new there, that language is all not new. That is a new section that we've created. We've pulled that language from another spot.

So So there's there's really aside right now from construction signs and pickle ball, there's not new policy that we're trying to strike here. So and we can go through that line by line with you. We're happy to. But yeah, we didn't we definitely did not That's a big relief. Thank you so much. We did not put pages and pages of new stuff in here. We absolutely did that. So thank you for clarifying that. It was not clear to me. So it was moved essentially. Yeah. Got it. That's great. I apologize.

Yeah. New new section, new page, not new new code. Okay. Wonderful. Thank you. Moved with new section, new page would be a better time. All right. All right. Um I do appreciate all the feedback on pickle ball courts. It's very helpful. Um, and we will definitely dive into that um, deeper to get something um, moving as this so we can get something on the books. Um, but next up is construction signs. Another big topic. So, I'm going to start with the existing sign code.

Um, just as kind of a refresher. Um, the current sign code addresses residential, subdivision, and non-residential, which are your SUP signs. Um, and this includes residential signs. you get up to six signs. It can be three square feet um three three feet tall and not illuminated. So that's kind of what um exists there today. Um the existing sign code excludes public signs um like traffic control. It requires all signs beyond private property except for temporary signs.

Has lighting provisions for subdivision SUP signs. Um it prohibits audible signs. um has provisions for banner signs and sup um and provisions for political signs. So, we kind of used uh this to give an example of what six three square foot signs that are 3 feet tall would look like on like a vacant property if they were all just kind of there. Um just for purposes, illustration purposes.

Um, again, signs that aren't allowed, audible signs, signs in the ride ofway with exceptions for public and temporary signs. Um, signs on construction fencing and screen panels. So, if you have a fence that says Phoenix fence, can't have that. Illuminated signs, um, unless they're permanent subdivision sign. Um, oversized signs that are larger or greater than in number than what the code allows. And then construction signs on lots without active permits.

So, if it's just a vacant lot and there's no construction happening, can't have a sign. Currently, there is a construction sign policy that we wanted to um remind everybody of. So, the construction signs are allowed by policy. Um for the past 20 years, there's been one maximum six foot six square foot sign, which is like a project uh contact identification sign. So, this 2x3, it can be six feet tall.

And this would be a sign that says, "I'm Bob the builder and here's my number if you have a problem." Um, and then that obviously aids for neighbors to directly contact applicant if there is an issue. Or recently there's been a provision for advertising. So I am Bob the Builder and I want everybody to know I'm building this amazing house here in Paradise Valley. So they can put up one maximum of one 40 foot sign 6 feet tall on the property um for everybody to see.

And this is kind of an illustration of what that might look like. So now um seeking your direction on how to move forward with regulating construction signs. We can follow the existing residential sign provisions of up to six signs at three square feet, three feet tall, which are not illuminated. And or we can consider codifying the policy to allow for one project contact u contact identification sign um which is the maximum two by uh 2 by 3 feet um and six feet tall on the property.

Or we can look to codify uh specific regulations for construction signs and bring that language back. um um since these are commercial um since these are not currently addressed in the code. Um and that would be something to the effect of, you know, coming up with something very specific for construction and maybe similar to the policy that already exists of allowing one um 40 foot sign that is 6 feet tall. With that, I will seek feedback on these um and good. All right.

Thanks for bringing us that update and I'll start with Council Member Moore. Thank you, Mayor. Yeah, I'm just uh thanks for bringing this forward. I'm glad this is uh being brought forward to the council because this is something that came up and again I think uh council member Faces and I have um kind of touched on this one in the past is lately we've noticed a lot of banner signs which are 4x8 signs being placed around town.

Um, that's that's something that has been new since we've lost some of our previous staff members who went out and patrolled this area. So, I did a little researching on it and I couldn't find anything outside of our sign ordinance, which is passed by ordinance, passed by the seven elected officials here who can legislate. And then did some further digging and found out there's some handouts that have been going to the construction crews that I talked to Mr.

Shang about and asked him if this these what you're calling construction sign policy has been approved by legislative action from this council through either ordinance or resolution and nothing could be found on it. So, uh my I'm back to the same thing. These signs are not legally allowed in the town of Paradise Valley. So, it is not a current policy in place and it was something that is an oversight that uh the department sent out to construction workers.

And I think you know for the people that live in the town of Paradise Valley, this town's always under construction. It's always under remodel. It's always got somebody building next door across the street or down the street. And um the more we can live within that construction zone that will never go away. Once everybody's done, they'll start all over again. So what our current policy reads seem like a very logical choice.

Now, I would be curious to know what the resolution or the ordinance stated why six up to six 3x3 signs 3 ft tall were allowed uh on private property and is that can someone from staff let us know what the history of that is and why that was approved the way it was. It's always good to know history to understand why that was six seems like an unusual request or a code.

So, it'd be nice to understand what that code is and actually have it not just in in a private email to all of us, but part of our package so all of our residents can see it as well and follow along and and it can be more of a transparent process as opposed to just going out to uh a couple council members or all council members. Um, I know there is a state statute for real estate signs, 18 by 24 up to 3 ft tall. On private property, they can have up to a 6 inch banner on them.

You put wood on the side of them, that makes it about a 3x3 sign, 3 ft tall. So, that all makes sense. I think we all kind of follow that in um somewhat similar when we're talking about campaign signs, and that's not what we're talking about tonight, but it's consistent. So, is there Any comments from staff on what why do we have six 3x3 signs? What what was written into the ordinance and why was that the case? Mayor council, we probably have to do a lot more research.

George thinks that that pre-existed him. So, it's 25 years plus in existence. So, we can certainly try to find that, but I I I can't tell you what what we try to do here today and and we can look back. What we try to do here today is basically kind of handle the current issue which is we have a code and we have a policy and we need to reconcile those. Throw the policy away, live with the code, codify the policy.

We could do anything in between or outside of those things if you want and we can certainly try to research that. But I I'm not sure the value if it's 25 plus years old. But uh I I I when I first looked at it I wondered myself why six of these seems like a lot. But well, and it's interesting that it's over 25 years old, so there must have been it it seems to have worked for 25 years.

And what we've seen recently seems to be something that everybody in in town is noticing because me who doesn't get a lot of phone calls from residents gets phone calls on this one. So, um, and and I'm I'm not in favor of a 4x8 sign. I mean, we're on residential streets. It's not like we're driving down the freeway and you have to be able to read it at 65 miles an hour. Um I mean it's it it's worked for real estate signs uh with 3x3 or 18 by 24.

Um and everybody seems to be able to get the information off of it. So, uh, I don't I don't understand the reason for putting it on the silk screen in it on a a uh screen wall, construction fence screen wall, which is once again another thing that's not written into our code, but something we should be discussing right now um, as part of this because it's out there and our staff has given direction. you want to add input to that or No, I'm just trying to answer questions. I apologize. Go ahead.

Okay. All right. If you want to share your conversation or you want to No, I just I wanted to make clear that the the silk screen on the fencing is something that staff is already actively taking down. It was never allowed. So, that's not the package of options or directions. We're not asking for cotification of something that we didn't permit in the first place. it was happening, but it wasn't happening with our permission. That was the point I was going to make. Okay.

And we all I think we're all in agreement. So, I was just trying to find sort of a a basis of agreement that if there was a staff driven policy in those elements that we're bringing forward to consider potentially codifying, silk screening was not one of them. So, I wanted to make sure that was that was clear. That's all. Should we go in executive session and discuss what our what legally staff is allowed to do on the policy of larger signs for advertising? Mayor if that council chose to do so.

I mean if my colleagues want to support that and and go into a legal get legal advice of what staff is administratively allowed to do when it comes to signage because this says it's a policy and it's it's not a an adopted policy by this by this council or previous councils. Is that a motion? It's a motion. So, there's a motion on the table to go into executive session. I'd see if there is a second.

I'd like to second it and also amend it because there's another legal issue regarding signs that I would like addressed and that has to do with political signs and first amendment and there were some changes made with respect to that um in this draft that I think we need legal advice on and again if we don't have time today it's something that we can't just let slide. So there's a motion on the table to go into executive. Uh thank you. I'd ask all those in favor to go into executive.

I I opposed. All right. With that, we will ask uh the room to uh mind stepping out and we will suspend the uh the live stream until we You're next. All right. Well, we're back into the study session now. Thanks uh for that break. And uh and Robert, I think we're going to go through uh you got wrapping up the discussion on on signage um and what the next steps may be for us.

I think we were talking about options here that we um and there's I think everyone's had a chance to weigh in if there's any further question on options. Council member Pace. No, thank you, mayor. So, um Mr. is it Mr. Erin? I apologize. I don't know your first name. So, um, so you're asking us today. So, it really helpful. We gave you, I think, guidance on the pickle ball process. So, we want to get that expedited.

So, looking at the construction signs when you're looking on this page, what is it? 24.

So basically you're asking us either if we're ready to make a decision today or to give some guidance I guess it is but number one is to follow our existing residential sign provision which does provide up to six signs of three square feet three tall not three feet tall not illuminated which has really been I think what this is the one that's been here for like 25 years I think everyone's saying a long time George Burton was saying it too. So that's our existing sign code.

Um there's a question of whether to to allow it as something different um and then or do we want to do something brand new. My feeling is you know as we started you know is to go with number one because PV doesn't like a lot of change and that's what it was forever and it kept it small and we didn't get into all the screening and then bigger and bigger and bigger and and council Moore and I 10 years ago thought that's where we left it and and all of a sudden it exploded a little bit lately.

So, um, with these signs. So, I think that covers some of our needs and it covers all the odd and ends of Maricopa County signage requirement for dust violations or if there's an ROC license that's required. I think that's why we always had that in the code was to comply with all these options. So, to me, I don't think we have to delay that one. I think that one can go on the fast track. If my peers agree, we'll hear what they all have to say and cause more.

Um, but I think we stick with number one and take back the other ones out there and and not have one big signage of 40 foot. I think that doesn't work for me, but I'll let my peers speak. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Moore. Thank you, Mayor. Yeah, I'm in favor of cons uh keeping our existing ordinance in place and anything outside of that ordinance we can table and uh bring back for future discussions if needed. Council member Andy Keller. Uh thank you, Mayor.

Um when I ran for council in 2018, I was told by a lot of the old-timers that this town hates signs. So, um, I I would stay consistent with number one. Thank you, Council Member Thomasson. I support my colleagues. Less is more. Comments. Council member Leeman. Thank you. I also agree that number one is the best direction and it would being next door to an active construction site would sure make my life a lot easier. So, thank you. Well, I think that's a good allhead nods. I completely concur.

I think we stayed with number one and uh and stay with the one that brought us. So, thank you for that. I think that gives you the direction you may need. Thank you. We'll we'll we'll we'll finish up here. So, I will just for clarity sake, too. Um going forward, we'll have lots of time to to to mess with the existing code if there's any tweaks there. The multi-jurisdictional signage, there's a couple ways to handle that. We'll look at that, bring you back something else.

But the the the 40 foot policy, we can we can handle ASAP. So, we appreciate that guidance. So, I will turn it back over to uh Mr. Erin for next steps. I just want to say thank you for all the input first of all. Um it's really helpful to get you guys' direction and input and so we do have work to do, but we'll certainly keep working um to make this uh really good uh useful code for the town. With that, um we have a tentative timeline um listed here.

So, um, the zoning code update draft scheduled to be completed in early summer 2026. Um, we would be taking that potentially taking that draft to the planning commission for a work session on June 2nd. Um, after that, we would have a community meeting um in mid June. Um, this would be kind of a community meeting I think we talked about last time we were here of, hey, here's what we're doing. Um, looking for feedback, that kind of thing.

Then we would go back to planning commission um for a second work session with any updates that they have um and then have a second community meeting um um to go back and do another review um have a required and then we'd start the required kind of public process um in in September or the fall um and that's the citizen review and public hearing um at planning and zoning commission and then we'd have council study sessions to bring stuff back to you in the fall as part of that Um, and then the council adoption hearing as well.

That's the tentative timeline. Question from one of the council members here. Thank you, mayor. Um, so I think I was hearing that our council, if I heard everyone right, wanted to fast track the pickle ball by next time and fasttrack the construction sign on that one point um for the going back to what we had.

But I thought I also heard and if I'm wrong my peers will correct me that we wanted to do more and that may mess up your timeline because now we want to make sure we get try to do a better job if it's possible to get all those interpretations and make some council decisions along the way that I know some of them will call policy decisions but we're ready and willing to do that and dive in. I think all of us I heard would roll up our sleeves and do that and so that has to be built into this.

So, I think it's going to mess up your timeline now because we're taking out the two that are quick ones that really need to be done and there's going to be a little bit more and I think I would like to see just I'll speak for myself is is separate that out differently schedule when we're going to do two half-day retreats earlier in the day on a council session with but we need I think we need a my what I'd like to see is a packet.

So, like how Karen had hers printed, we need to have a packet given to us of what do you want us to decide on? Not just, you know, all of them because when I go through the list, I had a bunch of notes, too. I've got a ton of notes, too. And we need to deal with C containers. We need to I mean, like I have a bunch of questions. I need to deal with what happens with permanent and discipline. Oh, there's a bunch of things. So, I think we need almost either a meeting that's kind of on this topic.

I don't know what my parents think, but maybe we could pull it off in three hours on early council day if we didn't have other things, but it's going to mess up that timeline in my opinion. But anyway, that's me and I'll leave it to my peers. It's not gonna mess it up. We're just gonna adjust it. So, uh, I think Council Member Thomasson had her hand up. No. Okay. Council member Moore. And I, uh, I agree with that.

And just for clarification, we will see the final completed draft prior to it going to the planning commission, right? We're going to schedule that before that planning commission. Just for clarification. Everybody. Yeah. Thank you, Council Member Andy Keller. Uh, thank you, mayor. I agree with my colleagues and we I think that we need to readjust the uh timeline so that we can do a deeper dive. Yeah, I see a lot of head nods. So, I think you've got uh so if if I may, Mr.

Mayor, looking at the current end of timeline, if we moved uh the work session planning commission in the community meeting that's currently called number two in August and September and called those number one, that would slip the timeline out of that time. we'd maybe just eliminate numbers two and three and four and five would become the first sessions and we could schedule second sessions after that in the fall. Would that be would that meet the the cons the intent of what council is saying?

Um, council member Leven, go ahead. Thank you, mayor. I want to make sure that that timeline that you are suggesting includes study sessions or additional council meetings um that somehow we fit that in in place of two and three. Okay. Thank you. So if then if the direction then is that we would come back in a study session prior to then going to a planning commission work session, then we would need to revise the entire timeline and we would just not use this to go on in in part.

Okay, that's fair. And I'd ask staff to consider that in the process to make it realistic and to make sure that we can cover down on all the bases that we've discussed. Yeah. So if I if I could do as well because Andrew is thinking out loud here, but just to put it out in the world. So yeah, this timeline obviously we was created before the meeting started. So we've talked about a lot of things. So this this wasn't really as uh as likely as when we started.

So we will work I will work with Andrew and and others to figure out your schedule. The summer is a little a little wonky. We will add in our interpretations. That's that'll be interesting. We can get them back to you really quick if you just want to see what they are and talk about them. History of those and putting it all out in the format that we generally try to could could take longer, but we'll I'm happy to dip the toe in and start or give us time to research the heck out of all of them.

There's maybe somewhere in the middle is happy, but we're happy to bring them all back. At any rate and try to codify them to the extent we can or clarify them, whichever the council would prefer. Um uh the sign policy I can literally change tomorrow. uh we we will stop handing that out. That will affect new sites. Um I'll consult with our attorneys on where we're going to go with with folks that we told to do it and now they're up. They're transitory to some extent, but we'll figure that out.

Nonetheless, I can start acting differently tomorrow. So, I appreciate that guidance along with all the rest of the stuff. We'll work on the other sign things that were discussed. I will try to get you something back for pickle ball sooner. I believe I have a relatively limited list here.

uh we're going to write it up for one one court per lot um an increased setback and then we'll give you some options on requiring at or below grade noise walls and maybe this netting that shows up to me that's all the topics that I heard really about some some coallescence around for pickle ball I think that's accurate he you said setbacks yes he said setbacks and I just want to add that um and I appreciate appreciate the idea that you can turn things around real quick and I respect that, appreciate that one level and another.

I want it to be right. I want it to be uh so there's no hurry up offense on this in terms of as long as it's consistently moving ahead. It doesn't it doesn't have to be an immediate turnaround. I'd rather have a more thorough evaluation. And you may not have all the nuts and bolts from 25 or 30 years ago or you might. But I encourage you and I think my colleagues uh indicated that. Let's get it right.

That's what this whole purpose is to do is to pull the laces a little tighter, make sure we know what we're dealing with, where things came from, and what we may do to adjust them or create a new a new ordinance. Council member Leeman, thank you, Mayor. I'm being a pest today. One thing on that list that I think was brought up that that I want to be sure is on there is the height. Because when I was on the planning commission, people were wanting to put pickle ball courts on top of roofs.

And I didn't I'm not sure I heard that there. Yeah, I mentioned that or below grade. That's I intended to Yeah. So like ground I Yeah. So I can we'll we'll have to have the language. Yeah. There's two things. Below grade is in their yard. The other is not on raised decks on the buildings. There two. Okay. Feel we got enough direction? I think we've got a lot and I I I hope that we uh are headed the right one. So I appreciate the time.

I realize it's it's a lot of words and a couple really important issues. So we appreciate your time and your thoughtfulness. So I appreciate the presentation. Look forward to the next steps. Thanks very much. All right. We have a next uh study session item is item 25119 which is discussion of Phoenix Country Day School intermediate special use permit amendment set for 30 minutes with our colleague Mr. George Burton. Thank you, Duncan. Good afternoon, mayor and council members.

Uh, so this is actually coming back to council. Uh, statement direction was issued for planning commission in February of this year, and the school is looking at renovating the existing baseball field, adding a new wellness center building next to that field, and then adding two digital information signs, one in each of the two parking lots. So basically go over the background, scope of the request, ordinance and the next steps again.

So since is since it's an intermediate amendment is coming back for council review and action and the commission did recommend approval of the improvements uh subject to the stipulations and the draft ordinance in the packet. Uh so first is the renovated baseball field. On the left hand side is the existing field. on the right hand side as the new proposed. Most most of it's the same. Primary differences between the existing and the renovated are three things.

Right now, there's a dirt fire lane that's going to have an asphalt top. Also, there's two stands for spectators. They're going to add a third one behind the home base. And then they're also going to add two foul ball poles, one on each uh corner of the the diamond. It's going to quickly jump to that. These are 20 foot tall, but they are collapsible. So when the field's not in use, they'll be put down. I think this is probably the best picture showing the changes.

On the bottom is the existing conditions, and on top are the photo sims showing the new improvements. Again, most of it's pretty much what's there. The next item is the wellness center building. Um that's going to be placed just east of the baseball field and that's set back over 300 feet away from the nearest property line. and it's compliant with all the requirements. 22 feet tall, about an 8,000 foot building, and that lock coverage will increase slightly about 1%.

And it'll be used to provide a workout facility for students and faculty. It'll have dance classes and physical education programs, a concession stand for the events, and then two lockers for the home team and the visiting team. Again, this is just aerial photo showing the footprint where it'll be on the aerial, and then the proposed plan in the packet. And this is what it's going to look like. Uh matches the architecture on campus. We'll have some signage on it.

Both the donor's name identifying the concession stand and also the logo on the west side of the building. All the lighting is compliant. It's hooded and shielded and directed downwards. It'll have an output of zero foot candles at the property line since it's so far away. And the applicant did follow uh the statement of direction and added additional landscaping on the north and west side of the building. Uh, next is the digital information sign. So, they have a sign in each of the parking lot.

They're set back about 200 feet away from the property lines. Has a 12ft tall pediment and then it'll be basically like a TV screen that's going to be mounted on there. Uh, we'll display static messages and graphics that will switch about every two to five minutes. And these are showing the locations at the corner of each parking lot. And on the bottom are the photos sim showing what those signs will look like.

And per the statement of direction, the applicant did provide uh phototric showing it has an output of 03 foot candles of the property line. Our code allows 75. So it's well below the requirements. And I'm just going to briefly go over the draft ordinance just summarize it. It's comprised of 19 stipulations. um states that all improvements shall be in compliance with submitted plans and documents.

Uh the use of the existing portable PA system for the baseball field should not exceed noise requirements. Baseball field shall not be illuminated. All new landscaping must be maintained. And regarding the digital uh display signs, they shall have static images and not be used for advertising. Shall operate from 7 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

And if the town does receive a complaint, uh they can contact the community development director and you can request that they turn down the brightness or adjust the hours of operation. And then all existing and remaining stipulations shall remain in effect. Uh we did receive comment from two neighbors east of 40th Street. Their concern was about overflow parking into the neighborhoods. Uh staff and the applicant did speak to them.

I think it's more from the existing aquatic center as opposed to these improvements because I think a lot of the parents will park on that parking lot. Instead of going to the north and walking through campus, they'll go into the neighborhoods. So, so now the improvements will affect uh traffic and parking for this site. And in terms of next steps, staff like to receive any input from council if there's any requested edits.

We'll make those changes and then bring it back at the May 28th meeting for action. I'd be happy to answer any questions. Thank you, Mr. Burton. Open that up for my colleagues questions or comments. Council member Moore. Thank you, Mayor.

I just want to thank our staff for all the thorough work they did on this one and for the planning commission as well and and I appreciate the the residents that have spoken out and um and the great job that our um attorney and and our applicant has done working with the neighbors. And once again, another smooth and and uh seamless process and I wish them luck on this project. It looks like it's going to be great and exciting for all the kids. So, thank you. Other questions or comments?

Council member. Yeah, I think that um the applicant did a great job in moving some of the things in the back for the sight lines. They had to restructure their the viewscapes there with some of the neighbors instead of having to pull back and forth with some other devices for sports. and and I think having those signs interior to the campus has really helped with support for the neighborhood. We do get all the complaints on the aquatic center, but that's different than this.

Um, but no, it's been great applicant, great process, and I think uh, you know, it's much appreciated those things are thought into and baked into meeting our general plan and trying to fit into the neighborhood, which we hope all of our SUP candidates would do, which they don't, but thank you for this one who does. Council member Leman. Thank you, Mayor. I echo the com and agree with the comments of my colleagues.

Um, and I especially am delighted to see that the lighting for the field has been removed. My one question is regarding the parking in the neighborhoods. Is there something we can do as part of this or something that the school is doing to get that under control, the traffic and the parking concerns? Thank you. So yeah, in terms of the parking, unfortunately for intermediate amendment, it's limited to the scope of work. Um the streets are public.

I know the school does inform all their students and parents to use the parking lot and try to maintain it on both the north and west, excuse me, east parking lot, but I don't know much more we can do beyond that. Thank you. Other questions? Council member Thomasson. I appreciate the modification of the lighting and especially the provision that invites comments or calls to town staff and the invitation to reduce lighting if neighbors believe it's too bright. So, thank you. All right.

Well, I will wrap up my comments by saying I agree completely with my colleagues. I think this is a great uh case study in and going through the process and I applaud the neighbors. I applaud staff. Uh the applicant of course uh has always been very reliable and thorough and we're grateful for that and congratulations on this uh this step. So thank you. And with that if there's no other comments, Mr. Burton. Thank you. All right.

Uh we have our next study session item and that's 26-151 discussion of the Ascension Lutheran Church fire preservation set for 45 minutes. Uh, and it will feature our town attorney, Mr. Andrew Magcguire. Thank you, mayor, members of the council. Um, happy that my colleague is able to be in the chair, but I figured for this particular one, it's it was important for us to have continuity through the whole process.

So, um, the resolution that you have in front of you is, uh, the culmination of two different things. one is piggybacking off of the uh the concepts from the 2024 resolution. Um we went back and viewed the the council meeting to see what was discussed, make sure that we were staying within the parameters of the discussion that night uh with what we had included in here.

Uh we had also in the first couple of uh recitals in this just paraphrased andor used exact language from the prior resolution to to tie the two together. So it was kind of a neat uh package. This resolution has two purposes. One that that meeting in 2024 it was clear that there was further direction to be had that there was going to be further discussion and the council will provide direction at a later date. So, this resolution accomplishes that.

But two, and I think probably just as importantly, if not more importantly, uh the town hall property has a special use permit on it. You know, it's it's a bit unusual for uh communities to impose special use permits or zoning on their own property. Uh but the town has always done so. So, the town hall property, most of it at least, uh, has a special use permit that's currently in place.

And that back in 1992, there was an amendment to that special use permit that essentially approved a a master plan that was there at the time and some maps that went along with it. And that provided that the town council would be the determining factor of what was appropriate as a use on the site. And so I believed it was necessary uh to include as part of any approval that you would make um some sort of a sign off that said this is an appropriate use for the town hall property.

So the resolution serves those two purposes. Um, I have heard u comments and questions and and had some discussions along the way about a couple of things in it that I think uh I'll give you a little a highlight of what those discussions were and look for some direction from you all.

Um, one was that while on the front end our historic advisory committee was involved in instigating and bringing this thing to you all, they weren't technically part of the design team because they hadn't really had any public meetings on that issue. Uh, and so the the definition that we had used to call them out as this design team was was inaccurate. Frankly, I it was over inclusive.

And so we've paired that back to try and provide you with uh you know we we can pair that back I should say to to provide you with something that meets exactly what uh their role was and then the other one was tied to the the prior discussion with with um you know what is the what's the going forward what's the next thing and as part of this resolution we had included in here a requirement that the committee come back and provide the council with um a presentation and and further followup at 30% design uh to allow the council to to weigh in at that point.

Uh and the version of the resolution in front of you does not have a tie between your approval, which is in section one of the resolution, and that requirement in section three. So, um, one of the other things I'd like to get your direction on is whether or not you agree with that position of tying the two together, and I'm recommending that you do, uh, that we, uh, amend this resolution tonight to do those two things.

to change the definitional composition to more clearly and accurately describe what the roles were and to clearly tie and condition your approval in section one to the uh followup at 30% in section three and that is the lump sum of the presentation for you all. All right and uh I thank Mr. Jarrison for being here as well. I don't I'm going to open up to my colleagues to see what questions they may have and if there's something relevant to uh the committee but uh council member and Dean Keller.

Uh thank you mayor. I did want to talk over the resolution as I noted a couple places that uh it stated, let's see, this is in the third whereas um item C, it says the Paradise Valley Historical Advisory Committee and the citizens group would provide assistance to locate a suitable display location for the spire. The historical advisory committee did not was not part of that.

And then secondarily uh the one, two, three, four, fifth, whereas uh the Paradise Valley Historical Advisory Committee in conjunction with the Save the Spire citizen group has completed drawings and design concepts for locating the spire on the town hall campus. That did not occur either. So that needs to be removed. Correct. And I think that's exactly what the town I just want to make sure that that was uh stated. So uh let's see. There's another place that says the the town.

Oh, I guess the next one. The town council desires to assist the efforts of the Paradise Valley Historical Advisory Committee approving the location for this fire. So, I think we need to take historical committee out. Yeah, Mr. Mayor, if I can address the those independently. Uh the third recital is an exact replica of the language from the 2004 to 2024 resolution. Everything in that is exactly as it was. That's historical carryover. That is not uh anything new.

The areas we're proposing for the changes to be would come as the council member mentioned. The first place it it the removal happens is in the fifth and then in the uh seventh paragraph. Those would be places where we are pairing back the language to um address the going forward. You can think of this resolution in two pieces. The one is restating what was done before in 2042 24 and one that is the going forward.

And so if you want to bifurcate the two uh it happens at about that fourth resolution or that fourth recital. All right, Council Member Bleman, please. Thank you, Mayor and Direct. First of all, I agree entirely with what my colleagues have said before. I in with respect to your two questions about possibly amending the resolution. I was the I I agree with and strongly support both of your recommendations. I love the spire. I'm very much in favor of it.

I was the council liaison to the historic advisory committee last year and I understand that the chair of the historic advisory committee was very involved on an individual basis. So, I'm delighted that these clarifications have been made and I appreciate her support to the Save the Spire group. With respect to making the first resolution um contingent on which is that we that we approve the um locating the permanent display for the spire on the town hall campus.

I very strongly believe that that should be subject to section three which is the um save the spire citizen group provide a follow-up presentation at 30% of the design stage and the reasons for that are twofold. Um again I love the spire. I do believe and I very much want it to be located where the save the spire group in that triangle out in front of the town hall near the police station.

I do think further looking and discussion needs to be had on whether to put the spire with a 19 foot plinth base diameter in the base in the bottom of the basin. Personally, I think it would be better to put it closer to the police station. Um, that way we could present we could prevent people from climbing it even more. Perhaps put a camera on it. Um, because I think I also would very much like to see the plinth or base reduced.

I understand entirely why originally it was 8 to 12 feet because that would keep people from climbing on it. But I I the scale to me is just off and I would like some more discussion on ways we could lower that and find other ways to prevent climbing on it. Um I went out there with a tape measure with one of my fellow council members and looked at the spire and measured things and realized the massive scale of it.

But I would also like to point out that the top 11 feet of the spire is really like a flag pole. It's only three inches wide. It's just a little pole. And if we continue to or repaint it, so it's still that nice blue green color. It will probably blend in with the sky. So I personally am not overly concerned about any height changes. So in short, I totally support both of the amendments you or all of the amendments you have requested.

And I also support having the council fine-tune the location and base of the spire. Thank you. Thank you, council member. And again, we're not really going too much of a deep dive on the on the the actual construction. I know we're going to hear from that down the road. So, let's try to focus on the resolution and if we have anything we want to add or change in the resolution, but I think Council Member Thomasson. Thank you, Mayor. Um, two things, Mr. Magcguire.

First of all, on the record, I support both of your rec both of the uh categories of recommended changes that you have enthusiastically support that uh conceptual design is referenced se several times in the resolution. Will the conceptual design be included as an attachment to the resolution? And do we have a clear definition of what conceptual design is? Um, ma, Mr.

Mayor, Madame Council member, I'm looking at the definition, the way that we frame it in, and it was the conceptual design presented at the study session on April 23rd, 2026. So, it would encompass what was provided as the presentation from that night. We can certainly noodle how we might tighten that back up if you need us to. Um, but I am That's the the limit of it at the moment. So from a drafting standpoint, it doesn't need to be included as an attachment to the resolution.

Simply a reference to another document is sufficient. Uh, mayor, council member, I believe so because like any other decision of this body, um, you know, if at a later date, majority of you decide you do not agree with the position you even take today, uh, you have the the the policy ability to, uh, change course whenever you want to.

So, I I think that it's sufficiently defined to what was presented at that meeting, but I'm happy to try and noodle between now and the regular meeting if you want me to tighten it up a little bit. All right. Thank you. I I like tight documentation, but I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other. If a picture or the presentation needs to be included by reference, I will leave that to uh greater legal minds.

Second question, um, if we talk about the spire citizen group or the spire design team, my question is who is responsible for the erection and completion of the project? I know that the town right now owns the spire itself, but I would like to better understand who owns the completion of the project.

And a tangential question is the Spire group or presently or are they contemplating forming a nonprofit and a legal nonprofit entity so that they would be a legal entity by themselves or are they just a loose group of citizens? Mr. Mayor, council member, I think I'm going to have to direct the last half of that to a representative from the group.

Um the first half of it I think is you know whatever is constructed on the site and the spire itself because you did via the the bill of sale that we did back in 2024 you did take possession of that structure and then whatever is built on the town campus would also be a structure owned by the town. I presume and this is just you know where I would recommend you go subject to that presumption is that it's going to be a town project.

It's going to be funded by funds raised privately, but it will certainly be a a project that is contracted through our normal channels through the town. But as to 501c3 or you know determination letters and things that the group would do itself, I'm going to leave that in their camp. Thank you. And if I had specific questions about the conceptual design, when will be the appropriate time to ask those? Well, that's a that's a very good point. Tonight, we're talking about the resolution itself.

So, uh, which makes some sense. I think if you're going to go into a deeper dive on the construction, I' I' I'd defer to Mr. Jar about what because you've gotten a lot of feedback since the initial presentation to us. if there's something or a process by which uh council members individually or when you come back to us can give you feedback if you wouldn't mind addressing that and then uh letting us know about the status of the organization 501c3 whatever the configuration will be. Yes.

Uh mayor and council members, thank you so much. And yes, we have a 501c3 in place uh to be able to uh accept donations and that could shepherd um becoming a leazison from the spire group with the town to make sure that um we uh comply with all construction moving forward. And um the second question regarding uh design input, we had some great input the other day.

I think all of it to to a great extent there's an opportunity to fine-tune and to come back um with uh everything we're hearing today and we heard before. I think the essence of the design is easily uh corrected to make it more compliant with the wishes of the town.

So, uh, the only caveat there is, you know, we we'd have to tread a little bit lightly on height, but there are some some there's some trade-offs between the plinth height and safety and security, which we can all talk about and move forward, I think, in a nice manner. I just wanted to confirm the dimensions of the plinth as presented in the conceptual design. I understand the height dimension. Again, this is conceptual. Thank you for that. 8 feet going to 10 feet.

I just want to confirm that it is a pentagon shape with 12 feet per side resulting in a 19 foot if the pentagon were to be a circle. Am I correct? Yes. I actually verified that with uh John Anderson AIA from U 180 degrees design build just to make sure I had the numbers correct. Um some of those sides are slightly um unequal. So so our dam diameter is actually 18 ft which is you know about the size of a minivan.

This is not small but um a little bit reduced from that 19 ft uh as previously opposed and then uh proposed and then it's um 8 ft to 12t on each side just uh but it sort of tweaks to make sure the base is secure. I'm going to make up a word here. Pentagonish. Pentagonish is very good. I like it. Thank you. Thank you, mayor. Those that's all I have for questions. Thank you, council member. Other questions or comments regarding the resolution and the presentation? Council member Moore.

Thank you, Mayor. Um, yeah, I just first thought, thanks, Mr. Jarson, for all your hard work on this and and for the committee as well and and all of the residents that have expressed support for and against this uh proposal.

I I think it's um certainly uh when this first came about in the first resolution three years ago, almost three years ago, I was certainly supportive of saving this spire and um possibly looking at um this location or a different location offsite that would be the most appropriate for it. Looking at that first resolution and presentation, what we were presented with was a an exhibit that showed a roughly six foot base with a about a 36 30 foot 36 foot tower on it.

And I think the discussions have gone further than that.

When we look at page three of of the presentation that we had at the previous council meeting and then included in this one, um it it shows there's for me there's I I still have my same concerns which is um the this proposal and the consequences it has with um messaging that the town's no longer interested in um considerations for heights in the town of Paradise Valley because is really going to in my opinion said it and I understand my council members and I respect their opinion on um their thoughts and feelings on that.

But for me it's just I I have that concern. But when I look at that original drawing and I try to uh look at these drawings, it's still difficult for me to tell within the presentation or within the resolution really what we're looking to move forward in this resolution as far as the the the exact size of this thing.

I've I've tried to piece together instead of having a dimensions exhibit that shows what the size of the base is, the the height of the base, um the height of the spire, the total height of where it's at, the location within the basin, how the basin and the drainage within that basin is going to be mitigated. That's where all of the the the town hall off-site drainage goes to right now. And with a 19 foot base, it's going to significantly alter that basin.

It will most likely alter the way drainage moves through the town parking lot and into that basin. So, I'd like to understand that if it's going to be underground storage and then are we going to redirect some of the flows that are historic flows into that basin today? So, there's just so many questions. I mean I think when I look at the spire base u on page three of the presentation that we have it shows the spire itself to be over 15 feet in width. So it is a very large structure.

So whatever concrete base goes on below it has got to be that size or larger. So I I understand where the 19 feet is coming from, but there is no dimension anywhere in our presentation that says that it's 19 feet. What it does show is is the height. It says that it's either 8 foot on one side, but it says 17 foot on the other side yet I've heard conversations that it's 12 feet and then council member Thomasson just now said I believe 11, but I don't know. 12. You said 12. Okay. All right.

So 8 to 12. However, in the presentation, it says 17. So, um to Mr. Maguire's um comment about the resolution and an exhibit, I don't know that we have an accurate exhibit today that really shows the size and the scope of what this project proposal is. Um so I think it's it's really difficult for me who uh is in this business of development and engineering work and and to if I if I can't find dimensions anywhere I'm sure that it's difficult for anybody else to understand the scale of it.

So, I'm I'm in favor of um and I'm I know I think I believe I'm in the minority on this one, but I am in in favor of um looking at more discussions with this and and to try to get a more accurate exhibit that shows what is actually being proposed to be built. You say Pentagonish. I didn't see that in our drawing. So, I'd like to understand what that is going to look like within the base because I don't see that anywhere. But, um, as far as the resolution is concerned, I do appreciate um, Mr.

Magcguire's comments and our and my colleagues comments as well. I do have another one and in the resolution, it it talks about uh, the use of town staff and resources that fall within our town manager authority to approve. Um, his authority currently is $50,000 without council approval. 25 or 50? 20 25 for most things. Uh, 50 in some occasions but up to 50. Yeah. Okay. That's I think that's fair.

So, in the resolution, it doesn't talk about is that a per incident with council approval or does it uh is that language stating that's a one-time provision or is that that he can approve 25,000 here, 25,000 there, 50 here? Um, and is there a limit to that within the resolution? Are is there a uh consideration to put a a a cap or a limit on town funds without a check-in with the council at least of the expenditures on that? Is that how is this going to be handled? Can you help me with that?

Yeah, Mr. Mayor, council member, the the intent is that the total expenditures wouldn't exceed his authority without coming back to you. So, I'm sorry, I didn't hear that. He said that the total expenditures would not exceed 25,000 without going back to you. So it's cumulative, right, Andrew? So it wouldn't be per like per purchase order or per invoice.

It would have to be, you know, you would stack all of those expenses and if it got to 25,000 at that point, any further expenses would have to be approved by council. Um, with my council support, may may we uh address that in the resolution and change that language as well? I'm I'm perfectly fine uh adding cumulative or, you know, some term to ensure that it's, you know, not to exceed amount all in. Okay.

And then um again if um if there I I know that I appreciate the 30% check-in um that seems a little expensive. Again we this council has talked in the past and I don't want to speak for my colleagues but I the way I understand it is that we prefer not to I mean we like to see renderings that before we spend money on u civil or construction documents so that we're not wasting people's money and time.

Um, so when it's when it comes to the the the drainage and how that retention basin is going to be reworked, um, that would be something that I would be interested in seeing. Um, and then, uh, what, uh, effects that has on the current pavement within the parking lot of town hall and if any of that's going to be torn out or if we're going to have to move any of the shade structures or all of that kind of stuff just to make sure we handle all of the on-site retention that is going to be displaced.

Um, that's really all I have right now. I think I'm in the minority when I I my biggest concern again is setting a precedent on height. And um I'm certainly supportive of a a a design that would be within our SUP limits. And Mr. McGuire, I think you're right. Our first SU went into effect on miss on town hall in 1977.

So, um I mean there is an SUP in place and uh all of our other SUPs that we have discussed and and worked with with uh our partners in town here uh have always been pretty strict on a 36 foot maximum height. So, um I'm going to I'm going to defer to that as I continue on. But that's all the comments are and the questions I have for now. Thank you. Thank you. Other comments questions? Council member Pace. Thank you and thanks for everybody's comments.

Um I did a bunch of rewrites on the resolution. Wish I would have had it to do ahead of time. Um so I'm going to make a number of suggestions on this resolution. Um I do want to confirm Andrew Maguire if you could go back through on item three on the whereas are you saying that we're going to strike we're going to leave that one because it was in the original one signed in where it references the Paradise Valley Historical Advisory Committee.

We're going to leave it because it was in the original it is in the original 2024-13 resolution. Is that why we're leaving that paragraph as is? Mr. Mayor, council member, that is correct. The third recital is a combination of two recitals from the prior resolution. Okay.

And then when we go to number five, we would delete on the fifth whereas we'll delete the words the Paradise Valley Historical Advisory Committee in conjunction with and we'll just start whereas the save the spire citizen group and so on. Is that correct? And then we'll and then we'll strike the definition of spire design team because the remaining references in the resolution will just be to the save the spire citizen group because that's group. All right.

So I'm crossing that so we can do it correctly. And then on item seven or I numbered the whereases number seven. Whereas the town council desires to the assist the efforts of the and we're deleting Paradise Valley Historical Advisory Committee and the word and and just put efforts of the Save the Spire citizen group. That'd be correct. And actually, Mr.

Mayor and Council Member Pace, I'm glad you brought that up because I I'm proposing a little more trim use of that one to actually just say the town council desires to Little Roman one approve location of this fire and little Roman 2 provide. So that it's it just says it's not specific to who they're who the council is supporting. It's you know supporting everybody. Okay. So it would be that is it all right. The town council desires to approve the location and take out Save the Spire.

Okay, hang on. Let me get all these right because there's more. I'm gonna provide you all with a red line. Okay. Well, I'm getting more to you. Approve the location for the spire. We haven't even got to my concerns, but allow and allow for further development of plans and drawings. Okay. And then provide certainty. Okay. On item two. And then um let's see what you have. We'll see if we're sharing. Okay.

I still want to stay on that sentence though if my colleagues agree where it says um provide certainty for fundraising efforts to generate sufficient funding to complete the design process. I want to strike and to construct a base to install. I haven't construct a base to display. I just want to say complete the design process to install the spire on the town hall town hall campus. You guys are going to do whatever is correct from drainage technical.

I don't want to construct a base is it's whatever the architects and designers do. I don't know why we're saying that sounds too specific to me. Does that make sense everybody? Mr. Jarrison is that I mean so is it just are you recommending to just strike to constru the words and to construct a base to display instead just put process to install the spire and then it's whatever they end up coming up with when they bring it back and they figure it out.

And the way I'm reading that sentence, I I would read it as provide certainty for fundraising efforts to generate sufficient funding to complete the design process and to display the spire on town hall campus. Okay. And to display is fine. I just want to take out the constructive ace. That's what I have a problem with. Okay. And to display the spire. And then I'll add a comment there before I get to the rest of it.

So my concerns um and what I think we've heard a lot of and I know it got driven by um the issue I think we got a little too focused in directing our lovely citizens inspired team who's done amazing work on climbability and so we got this massive base that there are other ways to design it and so I just want to have enough room in here to allow the team to go fix that because I think that's the only concern. I mean, we all love the history. We love the space.

We're supporting it, but that base is massive. And I think we've all heard about it. We've all talked about it. Um, I played around with ideas with with town manager Andrew Ching. I'm like, heck, we can even go to the town hall in Tempe and it's like this. We don't put the big base on the bottom. We We have a little one on the bottom. Um, and so I think it got a little bit overemphasized by security and climbability.

And I've already I did talk to the town manager, but I didn't talk to the chief. I don't think we're worried about climbability when it's right in front of the police station. I mean, we have things all over the valley that have things. It's because it happens to be right in the review site. Now, if we moved it out, that was why it was a concern legitimately by other people here and everyone is because we didn't know when it was going to be where it was going to be placed initially, right?

So, climbability became a real issue on security, not really in front of the fire, right in front of the police department. So, I think that gives more creativity to our spire team when they go back and make your conceptual drawings to rethink alternatives. I always like to see two or three designs anyway. We've got down to one massive one and and I know there was great intent and I know it was partly because we didn't know where it was going.

Um but I would like to get out anything that says to construct that base that makes it refer to that specific base because I'm hoping that there is more creativity and suggestion if you know what we're hearing and I'm not I mean you have to ask but all the residents everyone kind of seems that's the one thing they hesitate is this high massive space. I mean, they're also to height. I get that. But that's the big one.

So, I want to make sure to rewrite this in a way that allows the flexibility and the creativity to do that. If there is, if it can meet the engineering, it can hold the weight, which I think it can, but so that's why I want to take out the words and to construct a base just to say and to display the spire, whatever that turns out to be. And then, um, so that's the reason for it. And then what I wanted to add was under the resolved under section one, that's fine.

I wanted to add oh at the end of section one um that I I even want to add if again council agreement but section one I want to add to that where at the end of the sentence where it says as shown on the conceptual design with the understanding that council encourages a different base that is not so massive just to be as clear as I can if anyone hates that fine and if it can't be done fine but um you know that way it allows some flex flexibility.

So if anyone agrees with that because I think if we're stuck with what we're stuck with and that's what has to be there, that's one path. It's it it'd be nice if it was a little more. Um so that would is what I'd propose. Um the other part which is a different concept. Uh wait, let me go through the one that council member Moore raised on section two right now which will be my new section three if you agree.

Section two where we get to such cooperation is intended to include staff time and only cumulative minor expenditures up to a maximum of $25,000 which is within the town manager's authority. I think that's sort of where you were getting to council Moore was he's shaking his head. So that needs to be a little reworked and I think it addresses that concern or you can use better language. You guys are you know better writers on these but I'm that's what I put. Um already have it drafted. Okay.

All right. with a maximum of 25,000. Okay, so I think that's what I heard. Then between section one and section two, I wouldn't mind if people agreed or maybe this is the wrong place, but I at least want to say it. I put a section two. The town council is open-minded to the spire citizen. What are we calling it? Spire citizen. Wait, let me see what they are group. Spire citizen group. I kept using I liked team, but okay. Spire citizen group. Save the spire. Yeah. Okay.

Whatever we're doing consistently here. Save the spire on whatever. Um, working with town manager regarding incorporation of an amp well town manager and council recording incorporation of an amphitheater and landscaping design that could complement the spire and surrounding area. I know it's a separate project from this. That's different. I think we I think we could look at that down the road, but I don't for the resolution. I don't think that would fall into our purview. All right.

Well, I'd like to see that happen. And I know there's discussion and Rod Cullum's leading an effort and I think we have to work cooperatively with the town and the coral area of that project if it's going to work. Um I just want to allow for that flexibility by the time we see the design stage and I know that's a complicated thing. Then the only other thing on section three then well that'll be just section three. I won't change it.

The spire design shall provide a follow-up presentation by October 1st, 2026 to the town council um with the updated conceptual design. I mean, is that realistic? Is that possible? That means not the 30% cost. Maybe I don't know if this makes sense to anyone, but I think it'll be easier to come sooner with the whatever this is going to look like and the correlary if it happens. That would be nice. But what do you think, Mr. Jarson? Uh, Mr.

Mayor and uh, Council Member Pace, let me just address that a little bit. One of the reasons we're we're hoping to move forward tonight so we can get enough fundraising to finish drawings, etc., etc. And a lot of this has been and probably will be proono by uh some of the members um moving forward. So I think October's actually realistic given the time frame that it will take to just rudimentary engineering and and uh also to drill down on options to to lessen the scope and scale.

So So it's unrealistic, right? Is what you're saying? I I believe that's okay. I'll take it out. I believe we we we could get we could get it done by October if we're moving forward quickly. Um more time is probably prudent, but if we were held to a date, we could meet the date. I'll put it that way.

Do you think it is there a more realistic date that's I don't want to put you under time pressure, but November 12:31 would be if I can intervene for a moment and I'd ask our town attorney about this. So, uh, is, and I understand I think everyone's going for the same goal, which is to facilitate the design that's going to meet a lot of these, uh, expectations. U, but to put a date in the resolution, I I think that may be a bridge too far, but I'd ask our town attorney about that. Um, Mr.

Mayor, members of the council, you you all can condition it any way you want to. One of the the reasons why I elected to put 30% design in there was because that is a stage at which you can uh affect design without enormous cost. You know, at least my hope was that 30% was where we were at to do that.

So the the idea was to be earlier in the design finalization rather than a specific date because if if a group is really urs while they give a specific date and they're at 90% plans when they come back it kind of defeats the purpose. Okay. So is there a comment Mr.

JSON on would you would you rather us not have a date or is that a goal that is potentially feasible or I I don't want to put undue pressure but I I think we'd like to see the updated if there is some changes we'd like to see it before it goes too far. Well well thank you. I I believe that um the date becomes a bit of a handcuff if we're exploring the options that we want to make sure that it is the the right and final 30% review. That's fine. I'll take it off. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

You've heard the comment. So I think then the only thing I would add are the ones we said before, but then I would like to ask my peers if they're comfortable with me taking out and to construct a base and just put the words and to display the spire. And then um I know are you presenting this tonight? I mean what do I what's what's the timeline on this? Is it tonight? Okay.

And then on section one, I'd like to add at the end of it that sentence with the understanding that council encourages a different base that is not so massive. I didn't say had to just put the other How did council members feel about adding those two points? I'm I'm not uh really in favor of that, but I I open to the other members of the council thinking if they if that's a definition and I again go back to our uh town attorney for the intent uh and the focus of the resolution.

Is that something that is in your opinion important to require? No, I didn't say require. It says encourages. It's not a requirement to encourage. Yeah. Yeah. Mr. Mayor design. That the concern I would have with that specific language is that it is also something that's subject to interpretation that you know what is not so massive you what is massive and we don't don't really have a framework for that.

I think getting and yeah, I think what the group is is hearing loud and clear is that what you all want to see is an alternative to what the current concept is and I I think the resolution does that. Okay. Okay. I'm seeing head nuts. Yeah, that's fine. If you think it says that and they that's fine. We'll just change the anti-dis. Okay. And then the last thing um there's one more there. Oh, I think it's on track. That's good.

No, and so we already know from our last meeting um appreciate Council Member Moore's comments and his position, too. And it's um much appreciated, too. But I do appreciate all the citizens work, as you know, we wanted to push this. We appreciate staff and the committee that we pushed it to this meeting. So, thank you. Um and you've followed that and and that's great. And we, you know, we'll see how it goes tonight on the vote.

And, you know, we appreciate the changes on the resolution and the um raising the money and doing I just want to do something bigger and better. Not just win on this fire, but make the whole area beautiful, comprehensive, and work. Council, I think Council Thompson has something. Oh, sorry. Sorry. No, that was just my question. And I'm understanding our discussion tonight and the resolution is on the installation of this piece of donated public art.

I just want to be clear that we don't have another discussion going on about redesigning the reflecting garden and that there's plans for an amphitheater or discussions about an amphitheater that have not come forward or have they? I'm I'm just a little confused and I just want a little clarification. I think all we're focused on right now is the resolution for the spire itself. I don't hear anything uh else being uh brought forward to the council about any other element. Okay.

Except for the spire. That that's consistent with my understanding. I just didn't know if somebody's designing an amphitheater that I'm not seeing. Okay. I'm encouraging it with Rod Call. So hopefully we will see it. That's the encouragement. Something Pentagonish. Yeah. No. No Pentagon. Just a little bit of fun there. I don't like that. Council member Indy Keller, I I don't know if you have anything you want to add. All right. Well, with that, um unless I think uh Mr.

Town attorney, you've got some really good uh direction, some specific thoughts. I saw a lot of good head nods. Uh clearly this whole project is a labor of love for the save the spire group ultimately with the historical advisory committee and I think with this council and it's because we love this town so much and we're it's and we're somewhat protective but we're all on the same team.

So I know we're heading for a great uh a great uh save the spire opportunity and uh if there's nothing at this point else that uh town attorney needs to add. I know uh Mr. Jarson, if you you don't mind staying around for the meeting meeting, we may have have you uh have you uh answer some questions there if that if that comes up. That's great. Thank you all very much. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, from this, what I will do is send you a clean and red line version of this.

Probably just the red line so people don't get confused about it. uh so that Duncan can print it out in lovely color and put it on the DAS for you so that you will all have that as the amended version as discussed in in the study session. And then when you go about a resolution adoption motion that if it could include to include the um modifications to the resolution discussed in study session as presented then uh we should have it wrapped up. Thank you, Mr. Town Attorney.

Appreciate there very much. So, we know you're going to be go to work. Appreciate that. Um, we got one more study session item uh that's before us and that's item 26-150, discussion of FY26 Community Funding Services and recommendations set for 45 minutes. Mr. the town manager. If I can just kind of just ask something before we start. We we uh allotted 45 minutes for this presentation as an estimate. We have 30 minutes until the regular meeting starts.

We also have a scheduled executive session item as well. So perhaps in between now and the meeting, you could at your election do that executive session meeting or and we can do the study session after the regular meeting or you could reverse that. We could start this potentially get it done in half an hour and then do executive session after the meeting. It's pure I just wanted to present that as two options.

How you say executive session budget your time is there then we're good with executive session. I'd ask if there's a motion to go into executive session. So moved second moved and seconded. All in favor? I I take a a quick break for uh as we transition into exec. I know. Well, that's kind of what I heard. It makes sense. Shame. All good. All right. Now, uh, now we're ready to go. Uh, the town council meeting for May 14th, 2026 is now called to order. Would the clerk please call the role?

Mayor Stanton here. Vice Mayor Label here. Council member Andine Keller here. Council member Leapman here. Council member Moore here. Council member Pace here. Council member Thomasson here. We have a quorum. Outstanding. Uh, thank you all for joining us. We're going to move on to the pledge of allegiance. And I would like to invite our special guest, Mr. Don Sandaval to come forward and help lead us in the pledge. That's perfect. That's fine.

I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. All right. Well, um, we've got a couple of milestone, uh, rec, uh, recognitions tonight. Uh, Mr. Sandival will be recognized in a few minutes. You go more detail on on his role, uh, valuable role with the town.

Uh but to begin, I'd like to invite Katherine Kaufman from the historical uh advisory committee to come forward and recognize the anniversary of Paradise Valley, 65 years old. Um I had nothing planned for this, but that's good. Today uh um the anniversary is May 24th, 1961. It's we are now officially 65 years old. Um I could go on about the history if you'd like.

Uh it started um just with uh let's let me get my thoughts together between Scottsdale and and uh uh Phoenix trying to encroach in the area and the people were like no way we don't want to go that route. They wanted to keep their minimal uh government. They wanted to keep their lot sizes at least one acre. They didn't want lights shining up so they could have dark skies. And um I hope we can keep that that up. So having nothing planned here, that's happy anniversary. So thank you.

Happy anniversary. Now I do I do hear some rumors of cupcakes floating around. So, make sure you grab one of those to help celebrate the anniversary. Very grateful, Katherine. Thank you. Um, next up, uh, we have a, uh, celebrating an extraordinary milestone, and that is Mr. Don Sandival, uh, is retiring after 37 years of dedicated service to the town of Paradise Valley.

For nearly four decades, Don has served our town with professionalism commitment pride helping make our town a better place to live. And I'm going to ask Don and his lovely wife Sherry to step forward uh and we're going to present a proclamation uh thanking him for his service. So meet me right in front here. All right.

This is a bittersweet moment for us because uh our town has a legacy of incredible professionals that work with the town and have brought us along for 65 funloving years and um Don, you're a big part of that and we're grateful for what you have done and continue to do and you are going to be missed. So this is a bittersweet. I'm very proud and yes, you do get your husband back now. Um, but you know, you always send it back if he gets troublesome.

Um, but we have a proclamation we'd like to give and uh, so I'll I'll read this to you and then we'll present it to you. Whereas Don Sandaval began his dedicated service to the town of Paradise Valley on November 20th 1989 as public works department streets technician and later transferred to the community development department where he worked as a building inspector and plan examiner.

Whereas throughout his unmatched career of 37 years spanning eight town managers, 13 mayors, Don has displayed unwavering commitment, integrity, and professionalism in serving the residents, the development community, and the visitors to our town.

And whereas Don spent the first portion of his career toiling in the hot sun with the public works department on projects such as carrying bags of cement and jugs of water on the on his back to the top of Mummy Mountain to con uh to help construct the concrete pad for the police radio antenna. Um he also was uh critical in helping build a power supply there, filling potholes and helping transform the dusty rights of way into well manicured landscape corridors.

Whereas as a building inspector, and I have the privilege to go out with you, um, uh, Don demonstrated exceptional service by often doing same day followup inspections on projects that failed an inspection in the morning so that the project would not fall behind on schedule and spending countless hours at the building counter, right behind there, over the building counter, uh, and in the field patiently explaining code compliance requirements.

And whereas Don's extraordinary work ethic, incredibly positive attitude, and friendly disposition have earned him the respect and the admiration from co-workers, contractors, and residents. And whereas we got a lot to say about you, Don. And whereas u he has been recognized not only for his expertise in the field but also his mentorship of new employees and sharing his knowledge of the town's values and service expectations.

Now therefore I the mayor of Paradise Valley Mark Stanton do hereby extend sincere appreciation and gratitude to Don Sandival for his many years of exceptional service, dedication, lasting contributions to make Paradise Valley so special. and we wish him the best in his retirement. Thank you. Well, this is uh this is Thank you. I didn't expect this. I was going to say my goodbyes and kind of leave quietly, but this is better. That's way better.

As I mentioned to a few people, this this has been my home and my family for for many years. And I um I'm going to crack here. It's It's hard. It's hard. But uh but I back to visit. You know, I miss everybody here. Uh yeah, just Yeah. I can't say enough. just Yeah, I'm going to crack right now. So, thank you so much. Well, um, we feel the same way. Um, and you always have a home here, and we're incredibly proud of you.

And the way you greet people, I just have to tell you, every time I run into you on campus, I just feel better. So, I'd like to invite my colleagues to come forward so we can do a photo opportunity. And Sher, come on back up. Congratulations. Well, I'm not too proud. I got a little tead up there, too. So, uh, thank you again, Don. Thank you, Sherry. Um, all right. Next up, uh, we have, um, a presentation tonight, uh, uh, to recognize, uh, a potential historic, uh, property.

Uh, so I would like to uh welcome Katherine Kaufman back to the podium. Uh, if she could uh give us a description of 6240 North Po Christy Road. Thank you, mayor. Thank you, council members. On February 18th, 2026, Betsy and William Fernau presented their home at 6240 North Palo Christie Road to our committee for the consideration under the town's historical property recognition program.

The town was originally constructed in 1959 by Alfred Newman Beetle for Beverly and Bob Healey, a West Phoenix track home builder. During construction, Mr. Healey assumed control of the project, at which point Mr. Beetle walked off the job. Over time, the property became dated and the surrounding landscape became overgrown. The original structure was an 18800 square foot framed residence featuring three bedrooms, two baths, and a circular driveway, which was an example of uh high society living.

The design emphasized passive solar panels with south-facing windows and an 8-foot roof overhanging overhang to provide summer shading while allowing winter sunlight to warm the interior. Prior to purchasing the home, the Fernows asked Mr. Beetle if he would rehabilitate the property. He agreed with the condition that he would exercise full design control including architectural elements, furnishings, and color selections.

His intent was to revisit and complete the modernist vision he began in 1959. In August 1995, the Fernows purchased the home. Mr. Beetle began uh his remodel by recladding the home in the alum in aluminum starting that stating that the era of wood construction was history. Design accents included red and yellow steel railings inspired by the desert landscape and the owner's red Volkswagen Jetta.

Interior modifications included the remodel of one bedroom to enlarge another, restoration of a room filled with boxes into a piano room, and in closure of the breezeway for storage. The original footprint of the home was retained. The renovation was completed over a two-year period and concluded shortly before Mr. Beetle passed away. Strongly influenced by the work of Mi Vandereo, Mr. Beetle believed restraint in materials and colors to create calm and serene spaces.

The project became a meaningful collaboration and friendship between the Fernows and Mr. Beetle, resulting in a residence that exemplifies his modernist principles. On behalf of the town's history historical advisory committee, I would like to recommend the Fernau house home located at 6240 North Pelo Christi Road to the town council for recognition in the historic recognition program. Thank you, Chair Kaufman.

And I'd ask my colleagues, all in favor of approving the historical advisory committee's recommendation to recognize 6240 North Powell Christie Road as a historic property in the town of Paradise Alley by unanimous consent by saying I. I. All right, it's done. Come on up. We're going to present you with a plaque and a do a photo. Is this good? instruction. All right. Uh, next on our agenda this evening is the call to the public.

The call to the public is an opportunity for residents to address the council on matters not on the agenda. In conformance with open meeting laws, the council may not discuss or take action on any matters raised. However, the council may respond to criticism after all public comments have been made, ask staff to review the matter, or ask it be placed on a future agenda. Speakers are asked if they can state if they're a town resident, and also ask they limit their comments to three minutes.

If you would like to address the council, please fill out a speaker request form. They're located at the lectern at the entrance to the council chambers. Once you complete that, please present it to our town clerk and he will uh present it to me and we can bring you up to the podium. With that, I'd ask Mr. Town Clerk, do we have any request to call the public? Uh, we do not, Mr. Mayor. Not for this item. All right. Okay. Thank you. Uh, next item on the agenda is the consent agenda.

Items on the consent agenda are considered by the council to be routine and are initially acted in a single usually acted in a single motion. And if a member of the council or the public would like to discuss an item, it will be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately. Would the town manager please summarize tonight's consent agenda? Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The following items are on the consent agenda tonight.

First is, excuse me, item 26-135, which be approval of the minutes of town council meeting of April 23rd, 2026. Item 26-17, discussion and possible action on statement of direction SUP 26-02, uh, Franciscan Renewal Center major special use permit amendment located at 5802 East Lincoln Drive. Uh, item 26-143, discussion and possible action to approve the third amendment to the town manager's employment agreement.

Uh item 26-145, discussion and possible action to approve a contract amendment to bus shelter rehabilitation and maintenance services. 26-146 discussion and possible action to approve an amendment to ratify and extend the intergovernmental agreement between the town of Paradise Valley, the Paradise Valley Municipal Court, and Maricopa County Superior Court for jury management services. And that is all the items on today's consent agenda. Thank you, Mr. Town Manager.

Would any council member like to remove an item from the consent agenda? Council member Pace. Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to remove 26-117 from the consent agenda. All right. Would there be a motion to approve the consent agenda minus item 26117? So moved. Second. It's been moved and seconded. I'd ask all those that are in favor, please say I. All right, that passes and now I would ask council member Pace if uh her thoughts on item 26117. Thank you, mayor. Um I had a couple uh questions.

Um first, it appears that we didn't have two study sessions on this item and um I wasn't sure that on the statement of direction we incorporated some of the comments we made from the only study session we have. Normally we have two study sessions in a public, but I needed to ask Brandon some questions. Brandon McMahon, he did it from staff. I'm sorry, Brandon. There you are. Thank you. Is it all right here if I ask? Yes.

So, on the statement of direction, the draft, did you um where did you put the part about notification to the residents that lived on the west side? They're going to have their viewscapes changed potentially and if they don't mind, we don't mind probably. But where is that listed of when they have to give that notice? Is it going to come from the town or Franciscan renewal center? Yes, mayor, members of council. So, the voluntary notice that was sent out on April 28th uh had been accomplished.

The required noticing that comes with the planning commission recommendation that 1500 uh square foot radius uh will be completed uh tomorrow on the 15th. Okay. Um the uh additional vegetation that was also suggested uh is in the statement of direction. Um um I'm thinking in the I think it's in the first subsection of the the statement of direction. It was also included in the packet material.

Um as well as clarifying some of the other items that were discussed at the work session including the the wall heights. And so is this the revi the updated statement of direction that we have tonight in the pack? Correct. final draft. Okay. If you don't mind in the future, not for this one, it's always good to give us a red line. It helps us see what actually got changed from the last meeting to now.

And especially where um this one got bypassed a little bit and we usually do two study sessions and then we can figure it out then. Um but we only had one study session on this. Correct. And is there some reason we didn't follow the standard practice doing two and then a public meeting? Uh mayor, members of council, there's nothing in the code that requires multiple work sessions. It's at the purview of of council. So if they wanted an additional study session that was that would be up to them.

Okay. So our practice has always been to have two study sessions and an action item. Sometimes we wave the second one and do it the same night. So maybe the town manager and we can talk about if there's going to be a change in that procedure or else ask us at the end of council meetings is good enough. Sometimes we'll just say yeah. But that is it shouldn't be defaulted that we're supposed to be doing that every time. So that was my concern on that.

And then the other question I have is we talked about um the lighting issue. So um and I'd asked you because this is an SUP amendment. I went back and checked out the the parking lot and I went and checked out the solar panel system where they're going to put them and the trees that'll go down and then the big ones that are going to go up that are about you said 20 to 40 feet when we looked it up. Um and that lighting on the west side is dimmed and hooded. Correct. Have you seen it?

I don't know if you've gone at night. Yes. Correct. Okay. But the lighting on the front of the property is hot bright right now and the light went back up and I don't know what happened with those parking lot lights. So what happened with those that there it's now a hot spot in town when you look down at it. So why did those go very bright? Mayor, members of council, are you referring to the lot the lights on the town own on the town parcel or the the county?

Franciscan Renewal Center is in town of Paradise Valley and they have So when you say that, did you go over the general plan with them when they're making a proposal to the town to make some changes? Did you give them the general plan so they understand dark sky and our lighting requirements? Correct. You did give it to them, correct? So that's part of your practice. They they were Yes, they are aware we go through the review. So yeah. So when Yeah.

The part that I'm talking about is in the parking lot in the front. It's very hot right now. It shows everywhere. So was that discussed? Yeah, council member. I would comment that that uh fair question, but uh that was also not part of this particular request for a special use permit for that sign that you're talking about. I'm talking about the lights, traffic light, the lights and I'm talking about the light poles. Oh, I thought talking about the lighting at the very front. They're hot, hot.

No, no, that's a different issue. I'm sorry. Appreciate that. I'm just talking about when you go right now. I did some videos. I know other people have been going out and checking it out. It's a hot spot.

So, did you guys have a discuss because they may not know because it's happened with another um stakeholder in town where they didn't realize there's a lighting and a dark sky rule here and we're trying to keep the brand and have you had that discussion with them that that's way exceeding the lumens? Mayor, members of council, yes, I have been in contact with the applicant. Um, they're here. The existing lighting approval was compliant.

Um, I don't know if he is available to speak on any other renovations on the traffic light. I mean, on the the light poles, they're all compliant with the town's light code. They're hot. Well, yeah, maybe you are. So, Mr. Yes, maybe you can help me understand. We haven't made any changes to those lights and and that was permitted when that parking lot was permitted. Okay. So the west side is is hooded and and dimmer, but the front ones are really bright. Correct on the lights, but yeah.

And photoometrics were submitted to the town when those were before those were installed. Okay. So those aren't I'll follow up. Maybe I thought they're not in in compliance. So that's fine. Thank you. I know the only one that got changed was the signage and that one changed to backlighting just recently and not the light that shined up. Right. Okay. And is that one on all night?

that street sign or the the big light now that it's back lit on the signage or is that turned off at a certain point at night? No, the sign is kept on all night. We have guests from all over the country and even the world that fly in at all hours. Oh. So, they need to be able to know where they're going. Okay. How how many guests do you have now a night staying overnight at the Franciscan? An average? It varies. We have 86 lodging rooms. We can we can have up to 146 people in all of those rooms.

We're at about 70% occupancy. Okay. Well, if there was a way, I would just ask personally if there's a way to turn those lights down like our other resorts do because they have a lot of resort guests coming in and they don't do those lights. So, that's one of the things that we're getting. The hotspot I think is coming with the combination. I think that's the problem. I I do want to let you know I am working with the company that installed the sign to do some some dimming.

I'm trying to find a way to meet in the middle on this. Awesome. You're my hero. Thank you. Then that's all you need. I know you'll do it if you say that. I know you'll do it. Okay. Thank you because it's pretty hot. Thank you. The only other thing I just want to point out with the Franciscan renewal is that um we worked on a project years ago for you and you may not know and I don't know how long you were there but in 2018 um the council talked um a lot with Franciscan Renewal Center.

I was the one that's asked you to voluntarily join the town and you wanted to keep that county property separate which was fine. Mayor Stanton helped lean on me to let you keep it separate because he loves the Franciscan as well and understands it special place here. But just for the record, we did um provide 25,000 in cash from the town for a land exchange for the rightway. And then the town also went ahead and paid 665 ft for the whole front sidewalk in that front beautiful area.

And that was a real decision by us because you weren't in the town. That whole section is county and you and you guys chose to stay outside of PB. But we did pay for it. We're around $70,000. It was a $2.5 million project. So, just all I want to do is say we love you, but be a good neighbor and try to help us with the lights sometimes. And that's all. So, thank you for listening. Thank you for the statement of direction. I know this goes on to planning and we appreciate you in the town.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, council member. And I would ask if there is a motion. I move to approve Oh, wait a minute. Let me get the right one. I can't remember the number now. Um I move that um we move forward to the planning department. Wait, oh, I'm sorry.

I that we approve the statement of direction for Franciscan Renewal Center for the addition of solar panel systems on four new parking lot shade structures adding approximately 19,200 square foot of floor area in the western southern western and southwestern portion of the parking lot. Mayor I second been moved and seconded. All those in favor I any opposed? All right, motion passes. Thank you for the discussion. Uh next up we have public hearings.

Uh we have a uh one public hearing tonight regarding the final budget for fiscal year 2026 and 2027 and it will be presented by our chief financial officer Leslie Des. Good evening council mayor. Um tonight our presentation is uh going to be very familiar as it's the same presentation that we saw for the tenative budget with some minor changes because the tenative budget was adopted with an amendment and so I'm going to pretty much focus on that.

However, I'm going to go through the entire presentation and it may be a little redundant. Um so tonight is for the action item and public hearing for the final budget adoption. Um we're asking council to consider resolution 2026 to adopt the fiscal year 27 final budget. Um the budget is within our expenditure limitation and follows all compliance requirements. Um, so what we did change, we kept the capital projects total. That has not changed. We kept the 5% merit market increase.

However, we did push the onetime salary adjustment of 3% based upon the compensation study to January 1st of 27 instead of 71 of 26. Um, and from this table, you can see what the recommended budget was. um the tenative budget as adopted with the amendment and the change and how that impacted. And so tonight the final budget is the same as the tenative budget with the amendment and that's shown in this table.

Um so you can see the impact of that change was a reduction of the budget of $225,000 um for our revenues by source. Our um biggest revenue by far still remains taxes, not property taxes, sales taxes and other taxes. Um followed by intergovernmental revenues and charges for services and other um revenues. Our biggest expenditures are in the general funds um at 81%. We also have three enterprise funds that make up a small portion. our capital fund.

Um, now this is revenue in the capital fund is actually coming from grant sources. We also do a transfer from the general fund, but that's not considered revenue. It's considered a transfer. And then our special revenue funds, which are of various like our police fund and our her highway user revenue fund. Um, our expenditures by fund.

Again, general funds uh expenditures are by far the greatest expenditures as you would expect, followed closely by uh or not even closely, followed next by capital funds, which is a little bit higher this year than it has been in the past few years. And then for contingencies, we have a very healthy contingency this year. uh 5.5 in the general fund and each of the other funds have a small amount of required contingency as well. Oops.

And this is the inter fund transfers that um I was talking about earlier. We're transferring over 14 about 14.5 million out of general fund to support the her fund capital projects and the fire services fund. Oops. And so again, we're asking you to um consider the resolution to adopt the final budget and have the public hearing tonight. But if you have any questions about the presentation or anything else, I'm sorry I missed the last meeting. So I'm glad to be back tonight.

Um if you have any questions for me, I'm be happy to try and answer them. Well, we're glad to have you back. Thank you. Thank you for all the hard work. I would ask if there are any questions from the council for our chief financial officer, Council Member Pace. too. All right, I will. Thank you, Leslie, for being here. Thanks for all you do. I know we've had lots of meeting on the budget this year.

Thank you for um opening up to community budget forums with our town manager Ching for the the community as well. So, thank you and having clear gov online and updated so people can read it themselves and they can dive in as deep as they want. Um a couple of questions just to clarify on the revenue. How much is coming from um the purchases that people make in our town that are delivered? I don't know what you call it.

It's not Amazon, I know but you're talking like Wayfair or Wayfair is a good It's a little bit hard to tell because those revenues are just part of retail sales and um it's really hard for us to distinguish, but we can estimate from that, but it is a significant portion of our revenues. Yes. Okay. Like do you know approximately how many? That's all right. No, but we'll get back to you on that one. No, that's okay. We noticed the first year in CO because it was a big jump like Yeah.

because people like Yeah. doubled the type of spending that they did. Yes. So, it does help if our residents buy and deliver here. It does help us with the with that part. Um, a couple quick questions in the in the budget. Um, we had talked about some of these things in previous meetings. So, you could just maybe um well, I'll ask him and just to get it in the record.

So, the alarm system we talked about um maybe losing a little bit and we're funding that maybe he said 50,000 or something, but the goal is um we're going to talk about that as a council at in this site. We don't have to if we we had talked about some of us want to explore dropping that program, giving plenty of notice to the residents and seeing if we can free up our police officers and people from having to deal with that program.

But we talked about I think not taking it out tonight in the budget but doing as a study session. Is that correct? Right. And so, uh, when we return in the fall, we're going to do a deep dive into it. We're going to go into the history and look at, um, alternative options for addressing, you know, how it is run. Yeah. Perfect. And then that's also true with the discussion of the sale of the double preach property, whether our council does that or not.

That's going to be a study session item, not in this budget. Is that correct? Or are we what are we doing with that? I'm I'm not party to That's the town manager though. Okay, that's okay. So the town manager is the sale of the the discussion on the sale of the double tree property is that something that's in this budget or is it going to be reserved separate from a for a study session? It would be a separate conversation at a separate date. Okay.

And a question about the um you're aware obviously the expenditure limitation and the capital accumulation fund will be on the ballot in Paradise Valley in November for residents to make a decision. Yes. Correct. And the expenditure limitation if it's increased by our residents does not result in any increase in property taxes. Is that correct? Yeah, we have no property taxes. We will still not have property taxes. It will actually have no impact on taxes whatsoever. Okay.

And do we have in this budget or can you explain what we have in the budget this this cycle for um the police training center and shooting range and multi-purpose area to help um support our police department and also other departments on this on this in the community.

So this budget is appropriated just for fiscal year 27 and what's in fiscal year 27 I believe is just the design portion of the training facility and the construction portion is would be appropriated in the following fiscal year and I think it's around 1.2 million for that part. Okay. But that's subject to change depending on what the design comes back to. Well, yeah, the design. It all depends on the design.

Um could you or town manager Ching explain what this multi-use area would be and why it's needed for the police training and shooting range for the expenditures for this uh design and how long it's been in the budget for how many years for capital projects right I mean I don't remember exactly when it first got introduced as part of the five-year CIP when I say it originally it was contemplated for quite a few years as a potential expansion of the existing police department facility, an enclosure of that sort of at the north end of the of the building.

Um what we're looking to then get designed potentially this year would be a standalone facility that would be located um sort of between where the courts and the police department are. Um so it's a different concept, but it would have some of the same functions like potentially a place where it' be like a shooting range would be part of it. So, I don't remember exactly when that first went into the into the 5-year CIP. I want to say 20 2017, I think, right around there. 2018, somewhere in there.

Okay. And um and maybe um you know, the chief could maybe comment on it like what's the benefit of I know you waited a long time and I was here in 2017 18 when we did it. We did it the first round, but we needed a shooting range. That's why I was interested in it. um because our people keep going far out to Rio Salado to do all the shooting and and every Phoenix precinct, Phoenix Police Department has a shooting range underground that no one hears that's behind every single precinct.

So, can you talk a little bit about what does the training center give you and the shooting range? And I would I would ask council member, good question, but if we can keep it focused on this budget and what we're what we're looking at. Sure. Mayor, Council Member Pace, the the idea would be a training facility for our officers to have the best uh capabilities and preparedness for the residents.

We currently do our defensive tactics training in our auditorium, which uh does work, but we've had broken ankles and things like that because it's not made for that. Um it'd be efficiency thing as far as going all the way to up to Ben Avery. Uh, and it would also be a pride thing for our department to have pride in and we have top-notch things like other police departments do. So, if you and thank you for that, Chief.

And then for the physical training where we've had people get hurt trying to practice, what are we talking about? What kind What's defense training mean? So, defensive tactics is um, you know, uh, physical u um, combat when need be. And so we we roll out pads and whatnot, but we try our best to be as safe as we can, but um we we have had those incidents because it's not made for for that, right? You're using the classroom for that instead of a Okay, thank you for that.

I have to ask you, we got a couple other questions too. That's fine. Important budget. Sorry. Um and one other thing is there is our a couple two other things. Um expenditure limitation is what is our our our limit right now? Is it 40 48 million? 48 million. So when people refer to 70 million on a budget, what are they referring to? Why do they say that when we only I think they're rounding up because we asked for a $20 million increase in today's dollars. So it would be 68 million. Okay.

But our expenditure limitation for the town is 48 million. We can't we can't exceed that for this budget. Correct. That is correct. How do the exclusions what is that extra amount? We actually have um we budget for all types of expenditures, even ones that are not subject to the expenditure limitation. And then from that amount, we take what are called exclusions. And that could be our investment income. And it this year a large portion of it is um grants from the flood control district.

And so because those types of expenditures are not subject to the expenditure limitation, it um only the 48 million is subject to the expenditure limitation, but we're actually budgeted for more like 60 million. Okay. And um as a council, can we approve bonds and go into debt with no voter um approval? We can approve revenue bonds. The council can approve revenue bonds. Yes. Okay. But this council hasn't done that, have they? Not recently, but they have several times for a few years. Okay.

Do you recommend this budget tonight? And do you think it's been thoroughly vetted by you and your team? And yes, I do recommend it. I think it's been thoroughly vetted. We had originally thought we might want to do bond financing because of the size of our capital projects, but we are pleased that we do not have to do bond financing to to uh move forward with it. So, yes, I do recommend it. Good. Thank you. All right. I'll close with comments. I think you've done a great job on the budget.

I think everybody has. I think people have looked into this. We're adding things in there we've needed to do. We've done a great job as a council. I I know we've worked hard. I've been on for 10 years and we've really been fiscally conservative and made sure that we pay down the pension fund so that we now have money to do the um capital improvement and storm water drainage projects now. And we're starting to do those. I see there's more on our agenda tonight for that.

Um I like the fact that we're addressing some of these other items even though some fall out into study session. So, um, I will approve or I will tonight support the budget and hope that our residents realize that we have no property tax. These are good steps. We could always spend money if we wanted to. So, if you say if you give money to government, they'll spend it. That's absolutely not true because I could have done it for 10 years and we didn't do it and our whole council could have.

So, that's sort of a false statement to state that. So, we all need to work together and get the things done our our residents want. So, thank you for displaying the budget and going through some points. Thank you, mayor. I yield. Thank you. Good questions. Other comments or questions from councel to our chief financial officer? And I would uh I would call on council member label. I know you're remote. Uh any questions or comments? Um just a quick comment.

I just want to say I know we've had lots of discussion over multiple study sessions and I'm I'm satisfied with the end result and uh I support moving forward. Thank you. And I think council member Thomasson. Thank you, Mayor. Mine will be brief. Miss Dash, thank you for all your work on the budget and thank you for providing year-to- date comparison budget to actual for those citizens who appreciate that perspective. I appreciate you doing that extra work.

Um, I also wanted to thank my colleagues for the amendment amended budget relative to staff pay. This includes a 2% merit budget, a 3% COLA budget, and a third increase of a range adjustment. and we're postponing that for six months. I appreciate that modification. I'm personally disappointed that we still had the administrative staff position, a new admin staff that we added to the town manager's office, but I understand that is that is what it is. So, Mr.

Usher, thank you for your work and I will be voting in favor of the budget. Thank you. Thank you. Other questions or comments? Council member Andeller. Uh, thank you, mayor. Um, I thought since this is my last budget season that I would uh uh say a few words. When I started on council in 2019, the public safety personnel retirement budget or pension was 51% funded uh which was a huge debt to our our town.

Um and the councils prior to to me and to council member Thomasson and I were on the same or we at the same time uh made a decision that we would pay it off as soon as possible. Um, and so through the uh work of uh the councils that um uh in the convening years since I became uh a council member in 2019, um we are now fully funded. We are fully Yeah. Uh which means a lot to the police and their families.

So I would say I mean that was um we were making like $9 million payments in a year, $6 million payments. the the uh pension system came out with some um um assumptions that lowered the investment rate that they had to hit from 7.4 to 7.2. They got Harry Pap on board to be the investment advisor, which everything turned around for the police pension.

And um I just think that's a big um gold star for the town to have our our police fully uh and their families taken care of uh because it is um important that that we take care of them. Um secondarily um I think all of our long-term debt has been eliminated. Is that correct? That is correct. Yes. Um our investment earnings um from the prior fiscal year to this to this from 24 to 25 doubled from two million to 5.2 million. Our fiscal our our uh FTEEs actually went down.

Our highest was uh back with a prior mayor in 23. We had 124. Now we have 117. Um, one of the things that I would like to see is that the merit pay, um, since we discovered that the merit pay is given to everybody, um, I would like to see the merit pay, uh, somehow tied to customer satisfaction surveys. Um, so that we have some sort of invest or, you know, interest in, uh, customer satisfaction. Um, I do think the alarm fund has has seen better days and probably needs to be sunseted.

Um, and I think the fire service fee, we need to find a um a way to um uh fix, you know, we need to figure out what we're going to do with that. We need an answer. Um uh most certainly our um our reserves have grown tremendously. We're carrying over amounts and 20 million, 22 million, 25 million. Um it is amazing the amount of money that we're carrying over. Um, I don't see selling the Double Tree lot as something as a an investment for us for money purposes.

It's about um beautifying that area intersection of Double Tree and Scottsdale Road. We already paid what almost a million dollars this year to uh beautify the city of Scottsdale land. So, I think we could look at something with Double Tree. Um, but I do want to tie it back to the police because it is police week and I want to thank you for uh your service, for your staff. I was looking at the numbers on our our last um uh um comprehensive annual financial report um which is online.

It's our audited financials. And I I saw that um uh from the time that I got on council, physical arrests were in the 500s, now they're in the 100s. And I also saw that traffic violations in 2019 were 6,400 and now they're half. So I think we should be very grateful for the police that we have, the the the technology that we've invested in, and thank our officers whenever we see them. I yield. Wonderful. Thank you.

Um, and I'm about to open up for uh the public hearing, but I wanted Oh, did you have a comment? Go ahead. Thank you. Sorry, I didn't see you. Thank you, mayor. Uh, Leslie, I just want to thank you for all the heavy lift you and your department have done. There was quite a bit of information that you've always that you continue to bring back to us. Um, uh, the the the amount of and then working with our our residents as well and bringing forward a balanced budget.

I I am disappointed that there were additional details that I requested. Uh, Council Member Thomasson brought up one of them, which was the floater position. I was hoping that we could have got more detail on what that consists of and and I'm and I'm disappointed in that uh place, but um I will be voting yes for the budget, but um I appreciate the work that you've done on that.

I I I am disappointed that there wasn't some of my uh and and I'm glad my Council members are comfortable and and uh as the budget presented, but I'm still u there were some questions that weren't answered that I was hoping for, but I'll be voting for it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Um so about to open up the public meeting. I too want to say uh Mr. Rush to you and your team, thank you so much.

all the department heads a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of thought and I appreciate the town manager and uh his team in working with you and again uh hard work paid off and and I will be uh looking forward to supporting the budget. With that, I'm going to open up the public hearing. I don't get to do that very often, so it's kind of fun. Um public hearing is now open. Is there anyone in the audience that would like to speak on this item? Not seeing anyone asking to speak on this item.

The public hearing is now closed. All right. Next up, uh, state law requires that we, um, uh, no, we got we got to go to the, um, we got to go to the special, then we'll then we'll adopt. No, it's okay. It's okay. We're all good. Uh, as I said, Arizona state law requires that the final budget be adopted during a special meeting. Accordingly, I hereby recess the regular meeting and convene a special meeting for consideration of the final budget.

Is there any further discussion on the final budget for fiscal year 2027? Council member Pace, I don't want to take people off guard. I think some of my peers will agree with my recommendation. Um the last meeting we had a big discussion and I was by remote and I couldn't speak during the meeting although I was on I could hear you guys and there was a problem. I wanted to make a when we were approving the budget um we had enough I thought consensus in the room to reduce that floater position.

So, I was ready to make the motion on that to approve the budget except for the extra floater position that was being moved from the town attorney's office to um a regular staff position. And primarily there was a lot of discussion about the use of AI and how um there's a lot of things to save in resources that we should be focusing on as a town and then re help um increase customer service and other duties.

So tonight, um, when the opportunity arises and if my my peers get their choice, I'm going to move to adopt the budget with the exception that we reduce the one floater position that we had been talking about, which I tried to do last time and was cut off the mic. Um, so that we lower our FTEs by one this year. So if no one agrees with that, I understand it. But other than that, I love the budget. I think it was good.

But I do think we had a healthy discussion and that was um I thought discussed enough that it it's something to be um voted on. So just wanted to explain my position before I did the motion so people had time to think about it. You don't have to agree with that but that's my what I was planning to do. All right. Other points of discussion from the council looking around. Any other discussion points from the council? Uh Vice Mayor Leel. No more comments. Thank you. All right.

So, I would ask if there is a motion. Mayor, I move to adopt resolution 2026-06 approving the final budget for fiscal year 26 to 27 except for the reduction of the one floater position. That was a position that was being moved from the town attorney's office to the general employment base. Second that. All right. It has been moved and seconded. Um, I would ask if there's any discussion on the motion.

Council member Thomasson, what dollar amount would be attributed to the removal of the one position? Um, I can answer that if you like. Uh, it would be $97,000 and that includes the salary and the benefits. Thank you. Any other questions or comments or discussion on the motion? All right. So, there's a motion on the table and a second. I would ask for a vote for all those in favor. I I All those opposed. All right.

Motion passes to adopt resolution 2026-06 with the proposal by council member Pace. All right, we'll now reconvene the regular meeting. We got action items ahead of us now. We have four action items tonight.

The first is resolution number 2026-05 expressing support for citizens efforts to preserve the historic spire of the Ascension Lutheran Church, designating the town hall property as an appropriate location for the installation of the spire and approving all actions necessary to allow such an installation. And with that, I would ask for the town attorney to help lead the presentation of the resolution. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Um, members of the council, we went through this pretty thoroughly in study session, so I won't make you all listen again through that discussion. Uh the town clerk has distributed for you a red line of the resolution as discussed with the changes uh that were mentioned and discussed and and u generally agreed to by the council obviously not by a formal vote in the study session. Uh so if you have questions for me I'm happy to answer them.

Otherwise, my recommendation is uh for approval of the the resolution as amended and handed out with the study session changes. All right. Thank you, Mr. Town attorney. I'd ask if there are any questions from council for the town attorney. I did one. I don't have to be first. I can wait. Okay. Uh council member Label and Mr. Mayor, uh, Coun or Vice Mayor Label, I just emailed the document to you. All right.

To your and I photographed it to her as well to help because she's on the phone both ways. So, no, I I Go ahead. Oh, I appreciate that. I just have comments. Uh, just sort of an opening uh general comment, not any questions at this point. So, if you want me to do that now, I can do that or we can we can wait until people are done with their questions. Let's go ahead and finish the questions. See if there's other questions from council. Mayor, I'm just quickly proofing. Give me one second.

I'm sorry, not that fast. Mr. Magguire, I'm just proofing edits. Give me a minute. Proof live. Mayor, thank you for getting this done quickly. We just got it. Council member Leman has a question. Okay, go for it. Go ahead. This isn't so much a question as a correction of what I believe is a typo, if we're proofing it that carefully in the one, two, three, four, five, six, and the seventh whereas clause.

I see where it says approve the location for the spire and allowing that should now be allow otherwise it looks the amend the amended resolution looks wonderful to me. Thank you. the if I may, mayor. Yes, please. The only question I had, Mr. Magcguire, were we going to on section um two where we were putting in the cumulative total, did we want to put the number amount? We talked about it being falling within the uh cap of up to 25,000.

You put the cumulative fall within the town manager authority, but is there a legal reason why you want to do one or the other in case that changes? Is that why or Mr. Mayor, council member, that was drafted in that manner because the town manager's authority is different depending upon whether the council has approved something as part of the budget or approved something independently. So, I left it open to whatever his authority is based upon your town code. Okay.

That's I thought your legal reason you're going to give No, looks good. Other than that, we're very excited about the Spire. I think it's uh an amazing addition to to save a little bit of history. Even though I'm I'm generally not a fan of the Heights, this is very unique. It's burned kind of in the time of the birth of our our town and and 1961. Uh so here we are celebrating the birthday today.

So we're getting um the opportunity to save this fire and um I'm hopeful that we'll see um some modifications and ex. I think it's a little massive where it's at, but I I think everyone's been listening on the spire committee to all the comments, but it's been a lot of hard work for our volunteers and for um this the citizens group that's that's looked at it. So, I'm very excited about it. It's nice to see everybody come together and do something historic in our community. So, thank you.

All right, we're going to um we've got some u if you've got a com we're going to have some comments after public comment, so you may want to wait. Uh, Vice Mayor Label, I'm go ahead and open up the uh for public comments if that's all right. That's fine. All right. Uh, with that, I'd ask anyone in the audience that would like to speak on this issue and I have a number of speaker requests cards and I'll call them and I hope I do everyone's name justice. Uh, leading off with Mr. Doug Jordan.

Again, if you could state if you're a town resident and try to keep your remarks to three minutes. Yes, my name is Doug Jordan. I am a town resident. You know, I've been involved in this since day one, and it's really become a passion of mine. I bought my first house in Paradise Valley in 1979, and there was something about the architecture that uh kind of intrigued me. I didn't really know what it was. It was on Double Tree Ranch Road, close to Scottsdale.

And as I started digging into it, uh, I learned that a group of students, fellows, whatever the right name is from Talas and West, uh, that worked under Franklidd Wright had built a few houses out there. And the one that I bought, very small house, was one of the ones that they had designed and lived in, I think back in the 50s when they bought it. Um, I sold the house after seven or eight years because my family got too big for that small house.

And the person I sold it to, uh, didn't tear it down. She sold it about three or four years ago and it finally came down. And, you know, I it was sad to see it go. And so, when I had this opportunity to get involved with the Spire, it's something that I was all over. And I'm just here to say that I very much in support of this. I'm happy to be a part of the Save the Spire group and I am thrilled to go forward and get this done. Thank you very much. Thank you. Uh, next speaker request is Mr.

Bill Ferno. I've only recently heard about this effort to uh save the spire and um I'm very much in favor favor of it. If if Scott Jarson's running the show, that's I'm in favor of it. Um, and I think this is a very unique piece and uh the concerns about height I think are are mis misplaced because it's a sculpture. It's not a structure. And uh I think it would make a great statement and be a nice step to preserving a very unique uh object. Thank you. Thank you.

Next we have um I believe it's Whitney Hunchack. Hello. I am a town resident and I'm part of the historical advisory committee and we are in favor of the spire. I am in favor of the spire just because echoing what everyone has already said. We see a lot of these on the historical committee. these beautiful homes from Franklidd Wright and certain architects being torn down.

We try to archive as much as we can and to actually have a piece of history that we can display and commemorate and have it just to be a beacon of Paradise Valley. You know, we all go to Scottsdale and Phoenix and when you come into the town property lines and you just feel like, okay, I'm home. And to have it almost like a beacon to me is a great way to recognize it and the history because Franklidd Wright is all over the Phoenix metro area. It's in Scottsdale. It's in Phoenix.

Let's have a piece of it in Paradise Valley to display. Thank you. Thank you. Uh next, I'd like to invite Beth Wickstrom to come forward. Hi, I'm Beth Wigstrom. I'm a town resident. I grew up here. I lived here 45 years. My grandparents built a home in 54 on Tatum. My greatgrandmother was a first homeowner at Mountain Shadows East. I grew up here. Um the spire removed from Ascension Lutheran Church is a significant work of art. Strongly influenced by architectural vision of Frank Lloyd Wright.

The spire deserves to be preserved and is the potential to become an important landmark for the town of Paradise Valley. The structure was gifted to the town by the developer of the property, resulting in no cost to the town itself. I've also learned that everyone involved with preserving the spire has donated their time, expertise, and talent to the project. Their commitment reflects the importance of the architectural and artistic piece of art to the community.

The following names are people who have submitted letters in support of saving the spire. And please forgive me for any misprononunciations. I'll go as long as I can. I got 33 of them. Annne Lurore, town resident. Barry Nidford, town resident. Beth McCrae, town resident. Missy Dows, town resident. Bill and Betsy Fernow, town residents. Brent Kendall, Kendall Design Collaborative. Kathy Bentley, former town resident. Diane and Patrick Ali, town residents. Dorothy Lincoln Smith, town resident.

Ed Winkler, town resident. Eric Ali, town resident. Eric Rhinestone, town resident. Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Harry and Marlene Slaggel, town residents. Jill Christian Holtz, town resident. Jim and Diane Rose, town residents. Kathy George, town resident. Keith Stevens, town resident. Linda Williams, town resident. Organic Architecture and Design Archive Incorporated. Paty Lowry, town resident. Rebecca Ron Joy Simington, town resident. Richard FA Faser, town resident.

Ron Brassette, Brousette architects. Sally Thompson, town resident. Sharon Dupont McCord and Phil Edund, town residents. Susan Schultz, town resident. Talesen Fellows Inc. Thomas Nagel and Jennifer Bryant Nagel, town residents. Troy Vincent, 180 degrees design and build. Vicki and Vern and Vaughn town residents. I did it right to the wire. Thank you. Uh we have one more at this point request uh to speak on this issue from Beth Ames Schwarz. Beth asked me to come up and get things started.

I think it was about 10 years ago that Beth had her art all over uh the town hall here. Uh Beth, go ahead. I'm I'm in favor of this project. I think it'll be a wonderful piece of history for us all. And I did want you to know I just had my 90th birthday and I've lived in Paradise Valley 56 years and I hope to continue living here. I love it. Thank you. Thank you and happy belated birthday. All right. Uh Mr. Chunk Clerk, are there any more requests to speak? No, Mr. Mayor. All right.

I would turn it back to my council colleagues for any further discussion or comments. And I believe Council Member Label, you uh want to lead off with you and if you have any comments you'd like to make. Sure. Uh thank you, Mayor, and thank you everybody um for uh the robust discussions and efforts that have gone into this already. Um I know that there are going to be different opinions on this tonight, and that's understandable and to be respected.

Um, I think we can probably all agree that we wouldn't have this kind of turnout or this many letters and voices weighing in if there wasn't broad community interest and support surrounding this effort. Um, I'd really like and applaud everyone who has put so much thought, time, energy into this process over the last two years. um including the former mayor uh Jerry Bean Wilner who um accepted the spire under uh almost this entire council uh same people. Um these efforts are not frivolous.

I mean people have families careers responsibilities full lives and the fact that so many people have chosen to show up for our town in this way is um to me really humbling and and encouraging.

Um, honestly, regardless of where the spire ultimately lands, um, I think, you know, this became much more than just about a piece of metal a long time ago, um, I've watched passionate, authentic people from various backgrounds and perspectives come together because they believed in preserving something meaningful for this town. Um, and our shared history. It's nice to come together for something positive.

Um, our general plan speaks directly to preserving and respecting the heritage and history of Paradise Valley. Um, I look forward to our town committees, our staff, and our council and the spire group continuing to work collabor collaboratively through the process. Um, you know, Paradise Valley is unique and special and preserving that character matters a lot. Uh, at the same time, you know, we we don't exist in a bubble.

Um, we are part of a broader Arizona and greater Phoenix community and our shared architectural, cultural, and historic heritage. I mean, it extends beyond municipal boundaries. You know, we're part of a bigger picture. Um, at the end of the day, I think this effort has already shown what community can look like. Um, I love that different council members had different ideas and, uh, looks like we've all come together to find a solution. I hope.

uh people working together and trusting the process which isn't always easy and uh trying to create something meaningful that can become part of a shared legacy for generations to come and uh I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of the discussions tonight. Thank you everybody spy group council staff. I yield. Thank you vice mayor. Other comments from council council member and Keller. Uh thank you mayor. Um I uh support this u first of all thank you to the save the spire citizen group.

um and uh Scott Scott Jarson all your discussions with us. He presented the the designs to the historical committee yesterday and I've thoroughly enjoyed the discussion about the art and architecture that goes into the spire with the triangles and how the the whole that whole discussion was we didn't hear that at council and it's it's uh quite interesting how it supports itself through those triangles. Am I correct? Yeah.

Um, and uh, I just remember as a kid growing up in the town of Paradise Valley, you know, um, I was all, it was a time when you just walked around or rode your bike or I rode my horse and um, you just were all around town and and so I used the spire as a way for me to know, okay, I'm on the right way to get home. Um, and I loved at the historical committee yesterday, the comments were great.

And, uh, one of the ladies mentioned that when she first moved here to town that she had a hard time finding town hall and she said, "So, this will be like the well, when she tells new residents, well, when you're going to town hall, just look for the spire and then you know you're at the at at the community center at the town hall." So, I thought that was great. I hadn't thought about that and I thought it was something that should be mentioned.

Um uh I wish the stained glass would have been preserved, but um in any event, I think this is great. Thank you for doing all that you have done and um uh I will yield from there. Wonderful. Uh Council Member Pace, I'll just quickly go. I've talked enough. Um first of all, thank you to Scott Jarson. You always lead so eloquent and it was super helpful at our last meeting. So um and kudos to everybody on the Save the Aspire team and all the work.

It is a lot of work and it becomes a passion of love for sure. Um, thank you to our town staff who listened to us last week and got this expedited um, on the agenda for this time to make a decision so they could go out and fund raise um, and listen to the comments.

I do think, you know, when you talk about our town, we don't have a lot of history to save and and unfortunately we do see a lot of developments that take over the house and build the setback lines and we don't get to keep that history like we saw with the albido house tonight. Um, so you know when we have the moment to do it and then you have this whole group come together to save it and do it together which makes it more community and part of the history honestly than a piece of metal.

It's it's becomes much greater than that.

Um, so I I really think that it's our roots and our responsibility to preserve the town for the next generations and whatever we can do to have our annual birthday cupcakes like Katherryn Kaufman and the whole historical team is doing again tonight every year to have this moment where we have this spire that can really bind us because of the love and passion put into it by volunteers who spent their time, money, blood, sweat, and tears to bring it to this point and will finish it.

And that means a lot to the community for the future generations. That's all part of it.

So, um, I commend you and I and I'd remind everybody one thing that Katherryn Coffin should have said tonight, which she usually does, um, was just take a moment this week in celebration of our town birthday and of something like this, like Say the Spire, and just log in and listen to one or two tapes while you're driving or doing your exercises that are the interview tapes online of the history of this town. And it's really inspiring to do that.

So, I would just challenge everyone to think about doing one or two of those. They're online um and they're great interviews and then they touch your heart about oh this is why we do save the spire and this is why we have something like this. So thank you to all that you've done. I yield other council member Leeman. Thank you mayor. I wholeheartedly concur with the prior statements of my colleagues.

I am delighted that the spire has been and looks like it will be saved and will become a beacon for the town hall, the town complex, the police department. So, I want to first of all thank the developer who donated the spire. I was on the planning commission when that occurred and it made a really big difference to us that he was willing to cover the costs and and help the town save such an important part of history. So I also want to say thank you to save the spire committee.

You guys have done a tremendous job and I'm so pleased with the results um with a few tweaks but we can work on those. And I also especially want to thank all of the residents who are here or who emailed us. Um, and to to Beth Wickstrom who read the names of the 33 people who she was aware had had put forward their opinions on saving the spire. Your input makes a difference. We are here because you elected us and we are here to serve the community.

And this is one of those times where I'm just delighted to be up here and to help the community preserve an important part of piece of art and part of our history. So I will definitely be voting in favor of saving the spire and thank you everybody. Thank you. And council member Thomasson please. Thank you mayor. I wanted to start with a light note. uh discuss feedback from residents and discussion about this project for the last three weeks has so consumed me and the conversations at the house.

My dogs now think their names are Spire and Plimp. I will be supporting the Spire going forward. Three weeks ago when we first saw the presentation, we had some conceptual renderings, not a lot of details. We had photos and concepts. And tonight we've been asked to approve the the concepts along with our um town resolution. Um residents had concerns about the height. They had concerns about the religious s uh symbolism of the spire and they had concerns about the sp the plinth.

The size of the plinth would have fit in this corner of the council chambers going all the way up to the front row and up to 12 feet. So it was really quite large and I think the feedback and the conversations that we've had over the last three weeks have been awesome and I think it is representative to some of my colleagues points. It's a perfect representation of a community coming together to make things better.

So since 3 weeks ago to now, we've done five things I think to really improve where we started with and I know that will continue and let me list them. In our resolution, we are asking for a 30% check-in. So we get to see the design as it moves forward. It will also give council one more opportunity to weigh in on the project before we show up at the ribbon cutting. So, we've built more opportunities for community input and community involvement, which is great.

Um, we've also taken some of the language out of the resolution about the base or the plinth because of the concern that it's so large. The design team's still going to move forward, but council has expressed their concern about the mass of that. So, to be determined. We've also defined the location of the spire.

So the current renderings show it right in the middle of the reflection garden and the resolution defines it as a broader definition of the resolution the broader definition of the reflection garden. So it gives the design team and I'm so glad for that. It gives the design team a little more flexibility and some opportunity. Um and finally we shared some feedback about different elements. So, I've been very excited about the community involvement, about the level of discussion.

We've also clarified the governance and the ownership of the project. So, together as a community, you all as residents, all those lovely people uh listed that Beth listed for us, council, and also our staff. And I want to give a particular shout out to our town attorney, Andrew Maguire, because drafting a resolution may seem like a simple task, but I know he shared that he has received feedback from many of us.

And he very artfully identified a resolution that's going to allow our community to not only come together, but to really celebrate and allow a creative process to come up with a really wonderful project. So I I thank everyone on both sides of the dis and even you in telephone land Mr. Maguire and and I look forward to the 30% drawings. I look forward to the ribbon cutting and I look forward to seeing this piece of history come forward. Thank you mayor. Council member Moore. Thank you mayor.

Yeah, I just want to start off by saying I I really do appreciate all the work that our save aspire committee has put together and and and I really want to um say thank you to all of our residents who have provided input for and against and um I think it's really important. It's great it's good to see the community come together. I think there's u much more uh community input that can can happen and I think it will and I look forward to it.

Um the I'm I I still have my concerns based on the size and the massing of this thing and the uncertainty of what this is really going to look like. Um none of the drawings are u are exact detail of the size and and the massing of it.

I do appreciate and I respect all of my colleagues and uh residents who have provided input and and have expressed concerns about the size of the base and and those that have expressed concerns about the size of the height and and what the repercussions are that to us as a town going forward.

So, I do want to say that I'm I'm I'm a I'm going to be voting no on it, but I I do look forward to the 30 30% plans and and how this thing continues to evolve and and hopefully uh with some modifications and and something similar to what we looked at when the first resolution was passed, which I was in favor of and I voted for that first resolution. um that we see something that is more um dimensioned for and and appropriate for town halls.

So, I look forward to seeing how this design continues forward, but uh and I I really do once again appreciate everybody's comments and I look forward to hearing from our residents going forward. Thank you. Thank you. Uh Vice Mayor, is there anything you'd like to add before I wrap up and call for the vote or call for a motion? Nope. I've uh I've said my piece and thank you everybody. All right. Thank you very much and I want to thank uh my colleagues.

Uh I'm very thrilled about this uh this program and the the save the spire team has been inspiring to say the least of how you came together a couple years ago came forward with an idea that uh like some of my colleagues we served on that council with uh Mayor Ben Wilner.

We accepted that spire was very it was great foresight and forethought about what would that become and now we're on that pathway and I am absolutely thrilled that we have this in front of us today and that we are looking forward at uh passing a resolution that can uh create a pathway for the save the spire team to continue on their important work and I would say Mr. JSON, thank you and your team.

You've got an amazing group of of uh of colleagues and and committee members that have put a lot of time and and effort and heart into this effort and it's appreciated. I have to say that uh I got so many phone calls and so many emails uh overwhelmingly in support of the spire. I got one that said if the town can save the post office, they got to save the spire. But I I will tell you that uh I think we're on a a great trajectory.

I think there were some uh some great discussions last last time and obviously today and I'm glad to hear that the advisory uh committee had a chance to hear firsthand from Mr. Jarson.

Uh and for those folks that may have some questions and we we'll be fleshing that out over the next several months and we'll come up with the right appropriate solution to honor the spire and to honor the town and and so it's only fitting that tonight that we'd have a vote to move this resolution forward on a recognition of our 65th anniversary.

I would also say there were some folks that uh were uh concerned that it had religious uh implications to have this spire and and in point of fact this uh the spire was desanctified by the church uh when the when that church closed and there are no religious symbols on this spire whatsoever and it is a beautiful piece of art and a great piece of history for our town. So with that I would turn to my colleagues and I'd ask if there is a motion.

Mayor, if we approve resolution number 2026-05 second. It has been moved and seconded. Any discussion? Mr. Mayor. Yes. Can we make sure that that is the motion as the resolution as amended pursuant to the comments in the study session? Uh I move that we approve resolution number 2026-05 as uh what was that? amended in the study session um during discussion. Second. All right. It's been moved and seconded. And is there any discussion? I think Council Member Leeman, you had a comment.

No, thank you, mayor. I was going to remind people that it needed to be the amended version. Okay. Well, then we're on the same page. There's no other uh comments or further discussion. I would ask for a voice vote. All those in favor to pass the resolution as amended, please say I. I. Any opposed? Nay. All right, the motion passes. Thank you very much. Appreciate all the hard work. Okay, next uh Thank you.

Next up, uh, we have as an action item number 26-148, discussion and possible action to approve the contract amendment for phase two of the town hall campus closed circuit camera monitoring system refresh project. And I would turn this over uh to I believe I think we're going to this is it, right? Is looking please go ahead. Good evening, mayor, vice mayor, and council. Thank you for having me.

I'm Taylor Hunter with the IT department here to request phase 2 funding for the campus security camera CCTV refresh project. I am requesting action tonight to approve contract amendment of $120,000 phase 2 funding for this project. The main goal of this project was to modernize security cameras campuswide to protect people, buildings, and infrastructure. This project was approved in the fiscal year 26.

Phase one is now complete, which was to update existing cameras around town and modernize the camera system. We are now starting phase two which is to close the remaining security gaps that PD and staff have identified. Relating to the project budget, phase one spent around $29,000. The phase 2 request is $120,000. Total we will be just around $329,000, which is right where the budget was budgeted at, which is $330,000.

Again, this budget was approved as part of as part of the fiscal year 26 CIP budget and I am not requesting any new funding, just approval to go ahead with what was budgeted for and proceed with the second phase of the project. The scope of phase two is to update town hall with 13 cameras, court with five cameras and viewing station for security guards, PD with three cameras and sun hoods for the intercoms.

public works with five cameras, including rooftop PTZ and expanding parking lot coverage, plus contingency for unforeseen field conditions as we are doing brand new cabling for these cameras. Why phase 2? Now, according to a recent PD assessment, there are only seven cameras operational at Town Hall today. There is low exterior coverage of the parking lot, mailbox, staff entries, and utilities.

There are interior blind spots in council entries, council chambers, chambers, exec offices, and cubicles. Phase 2 addresses these camera related findings not only at town hall, but around campus. We are also able to evaluate the effect effectiveness of phase one cameras and gain insight from staff around campus about other security gaps and use their recommendations for camera placement. A quick reminder of the VCA security camera system.

The same cloud-based platform that was approved for phase one. Centrally managed with live feeds for first responders. 10-year warranty, internal and cloud storage. So far, the cameras have been a big improvement compared to what we previously had and have already helped us in a few situations. To close, I recommend approval of the action item to fund phase 2. Happy to take any questions. Thank you, Mr. Hunter. Nice presentation. Thank you very much. Uh, open up for questions.

I believe Council Member Leeman. Thank you, Mayor. I'm in support of this project, but I do want to clarify that once the Spire is installed that we can put cameras on it and it'll be covered under this contract. I I do have contingency for that. So, we can look at that definitely. Thank you. I believe Council Member Thomasson. No, I was giving him a thumbs up for the camera. All right. Uh, council member Pace. Um, thank you, Taylor. I had the exact same thought as Karen.

Councilman Leeman is about Now we got a spire location. Add the camera. Um, and first of all, is this the first time you presented to us? Uh, actually the second time. Second time. Well, you did a great job. Your PowerPoints were awesome. I saw James was back there watching and and smiling. Um, you did a great job. Lots of good detail and it's good to give us, you know, what's missing, what's needed, what what's the ask. Very nice job.

Um, so no, I just commend you on thinking about these things. It's important to have cameras. They help. It's a deterrent more than sometimes, you know, prevent the act whatever's going to happen at the moment, but it definitely is a deterrent for people at times. So, um, it's good you guys check this out, planned it, put it in the budget, and are getting it done. And thank you for your presentation. You did a great job. Thanks. Thank you. Comments. Yep. Council member uh or Vice Mayor Leel.

Uh ditto what everyone else said. First thought was the spire. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Uh Mr. Honor, thank you very much. Uh great second presentation. Um very smooth. Mr. Bailey, he's doing a great job, just so you know. Um with that, I'd ask if there's anyone in the audience would like to speak on this item. Not seeing anyone. I would ask uh if there is a motion.

Mayor, I move that we approve and authorize uh the town manager to execute linking agreement co 26022 IT hyphen A1 with Logicalis uh Inc. for phase 2 of the town hall campus closed circuit camera monitoring system refresh. That's a mouthful. um project in the amount of $120,000 increasing the not to exceed contract amount from $29,278.79 to $329,278.79. Second. All right, it's been moved and seconded. Any discussion on the motion? Not seeing any requests for discussion.

Uh it's been moved and seconded. All in favor, please say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Thank you, Mr. Hunter, and your team. All right. Next item is 26-133. Discussion and possible action to approve construction contract to um to reconstruct the intersection of Los Besus Lane and Cheney Drive. And with that, I believe uh Mr. Dickman is going to be presenting to us. Good evening, Mayor, council members.

Tonight, I'll be presenting the uh the Lost Braces Lane and uh Sheney Drive intersection uh improvement project. Uh a little bit of highlights here we'll go over is the project background, our project scope, our cost versus our budget, the project timeline, and then ultimately uh recommended council action.

So the project locations shown here on this map, it's uh obviously Los Besus and Cheney Drive just north of Desert Fairways and and south of Roadrunner Road, that little pocket next to uh the west side of Mummy Mountain. So the project background project was identified in January of 24.

Uh the property at 5221 East Sheny Drive was under construction and at that time we realized there was a major issue with the uh the intersection there uh cars and construction vehicles coming in and out of uh the street there just tearing up all the asphalt. So at that time it was recommended for uh the CIP miscellaneous street improvement category.

Also there was um resident uh contribution uh the resident building the property at the uh end of Sheney there covered the cost to design the project and with the town covering the cost to uh to construct the project. Missed one. All right, a little more background. So fe February of 24, the resident hired LDG to develop the roadway plans. And in August of 24, staff reviewed the first draft of those plans.

Uh moving forward to February 25, the town contracted Kimley Horn to provide a third party engineering review. And then in 25 of May of 25, the 90% plans and specifications were submitted for a staff review. In June of 25, the final draft um of the improvement plans were reviewed by town staff and we also received their engineers estimate which was 78,383. Moving forward to September of 25, the town contracted with infrastructure mavens to do an independent cost analysis for the town.

They came up with a figure of $128,997. Then in January of 26, 100% sealed final plans were submitted to the town. And then in this past February through April, uh town staff's been working on the procurement of a JooC contractor. In March of 26, staff contacted residents in the area and the adjacent property owners um regarding construction scheduling coordination. And in April of 26, town selected Nesbit Contracting to perform the uh the intersection work. So a little project scope.

Um it's improvement to the roadway transitions and drainage within the project limits. Uh there'll be new asphalt paving to reestablish proper grades and concrete improvements for the valley gutters and curb and to enhance the overall intersection performance. uh project cost versus our budget. So, our fiscal year 26 CIP budget includes 200,000 for miscellaneous roadway repairs. The current estimated cost to complete this task is $146,675.

Our project timeline, we're hoping for council action tonight to approve the contract. Uh in June, the contractor will receive the notice to proceed. Uh anticipated start date is going to be June of 26 and the project should take about 45 days to complete.

Uh so our recommended council action tonight would be for council to authorize the town manager to execute contract number co26-058G with Nesbbit contracting and the amount not to exceed $146,675 for the reconstruction of the Laspus Lane and Cheney Drive intersection. Thank you. That wraps up my presentation. Yeah. Any questions, please? Yeah. Uh I uh good presentation. Thank you very much. Open up to my colleagues any questions. Council member Pace. Thank you. Um good presentation, good detail.

Love to see infrastructure done. We're behind 10 years on a lot of these. How many other small little projects do you and SH have? There's a handful of minor Yeah. that have issues like this. Yeah. Correct. So as soon as you get more money, you'll be able to keep adding down getting these completed for the town res. Most definitely. Okay. Um, I support this and want to get a lot more done and want to see this be the year of a lot of infrastructure. So, thank you. Great. Thank you.

Other comments? Uh, Vice Mayor Lavel. Uh, I echo Council Member Pac's uh comments. Um, I'm glad to see a lot of this um housekeeping cleanup getting done and uh um yeah, that's it. Thanks. Yield. Good presentation. Uh with that, I would ask if there is a motion. Mayor, I move we approve and authorize the town manager to execute contract CO26058 NG with NZIC contracting for reconstruction of the intersection at Lasus Lane and Cheney Drive in an amount not to exceed $146,675. Second second.

All right, it's uh it's moved and seconded. Kind of a jump ball, but I'm going to give it to Council Member Leel for a second just because she's calling in long distance. So, um, with that, I'd ask if there is any other discussion. If not, I'd ask all those in favor to say "I I." Any opposed? Motion passes. All right, moving forward.

We're on number 26-137, discussion and possible action to approve a construction contract for emergency embankment and erosion repair on 40th Street and Clearwater Parkway. And I believe Juan Gonzalez is going to be presenting. Yes, sir. Good evening, mayor and council and members of the public. As mentioned, the following is for embankment and erosion repairs at the intersection of 40th Street and Clearwater Parkway.

Uh part of the presentation we're going to discuss the in initial investigation what led us to to this night as well as the project development what transpired what plans we have in in place cost budget timeline as well as recommended town council action. Uh just for reference, we've provided a a project location is located in the western portion of the town uh just off of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and located in this uh area in red.

Um sorry about as part of the uh initial investigation in September and October of 2025, we had an uptick in wet weather activities leading to flooding and erosion issues throughout the town. and working diligently with our public works team. Uh we were notified of this wash out issue. Um uh initially we tried to find an abbreviated solution. I contacted some of our on call uh construction companies with no avail.

We came up with the uh the plan of action of of incorporating a more engineered and refined uh design. With that being said, we contacted CMT services who is our on call geotechnical engineering um consultants and initiated uh you know site investigations as well as uh sampling and testing of of the film material of the site as well as the area that was washed out.

Um with that we tked them to provide us a new solution for erosion control as well as an engineered field embankment as shown on the bottom right corner of uh this slide. All of which meet our ashtto and mag standards.

Once completed with our investigation with our geotechnical consultants, we contacted Kiente Construction Incorporated selected through a one GP GPA uh cooperative linking agreement and began discussions of uh scope of work as well as uh again site investigations as far as feasibility. Uh notice to proceed was issued on February 5th of 2026 and continued throughout the months of February and March.

uh consulting with the with Kiente Construction uh to come up with a proper design as well as uh inter incorporating the recommendations from our geotechnical services. March 5th, we got our initial 90% plan submitted with some back and forth and some design changes. We sent those back as well as finally getting our approved our final 100 approved plan set um April 17, 2026 and construction bid proposals were submitted to engineering staff for approval.

Uh our final GMP was received on April 30th to the amount of $44,99547. So the proposed solution is in collaboration with our geotechnical services and civil design team. We came up with a solution of an engineered uh fill embankment using geoexile woven mesh in connection with um specific size rip wrap reinforced shoulder to reduce and prevent these wash out issues in the same area. Um, the grouted rip wrap obviously failed. So, we came up with a more structured solution.

As far as cost and budget, the town's fiscal year 2020 uh 2026 CIP budget includes 250 for miscellaneous drainage projects. The current estimated cost to complete this task is $44,99547. Um to provide clarity, the original proposal was at uh1 million20 $20,000 995. So we were able to reduce the cost significantly significantly. And with this budget shortfall, we would be addressed using our CIP contingency plans.

As far as project timelines go, uh once we get contract approval from our council, uh that'll be at May 2026. Notice to proceed will be next month June 2026 as well as anticipated start and the estimated duration will be 60 days. Recommended action is to authorize the town manager to execute contract CO26059 ENG with Kiente Construction Incorporated in the amount not to exceed $44,99547 for emergency embankment and erosion repairs. That concludes my presentation.

Like to open the floor up for any questions. Thank you, Mr. Gonzalez. Thank you for the thorough presentation and open this up for questions and comments. I believe council member Thompson has a question. Thank you for your presentation. I've walked that area many times. How long do you think the erosion has been going on? So, as far as the erosion in the area, it was more so of the force of water that came during those storm events.

With the Copper Canyon development up north in in Phoenix, it provided a lot more of a concentrated flow leading to that wash out. Um, this wasn't something we It was overtime. It was just the sheer force of the amount of water that came down uh 40th Street. Okay. So, it all right. So, it was a really It was a recent event, not 30 years of drip drip drip. Correct. Perfect. Thank you. Council member Leapman. Thank you, Mayor. And thank you, Mr. Gonzalez.

Is this the first time you've presented to us in this room? Uh well in council chambers, yes, but I've also presented inside. Well, you did an excellent job. So, thank you. Thank you. I'm I'm curious about who owns the land on the downs slope downstream from the road. Is that town land or is that private land? Are you asking for the portion to the south? Are you which area? Down I think so. So the the part the part where all the rocks were eroded away where the Yeah, that's all town right away.

That's why we are presenting this to mitigate and fix that issue. Thank you. Um that's the that's the end of my questions. Although I am I am interested that the original bids came in at o over a million and somehow you got it down to this price. So, good job. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member. Other comments. Council uh Vice Mayor Lavel. Uh just echoing um my colleagues.

Glad to see this getting um worked on uh also and again uh just get all this little housekeeping cleaned up and uh getting our our streets and our um uh rightaways uh fixed up for our residents. So, uh thanks. Great. um report. I yield. Awesome. Are there other uh is there anyone in the audience would like to speak on this item? Not seeing anybody. I would entertain a motion. Mayor, I move we approve and authorize the town manager to execute contract con and with Kelly Construction, Inc.

for emergency embankment and erosion repair in an amount not to exceed $44,99547. Second. All right. It's been moved by Council Member Thomasson and second by Council Member Leapman. I'd ask if there's any discussion on the motion. Otherwise, uh all those in favor say I. I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Thank you. All right. Uh, next on the hit list on the agenda are future agenda items. So, I would uh turn that over to the town manager for highlights. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Uh, a couple of things to note. In two weeks from today, on May 28th, uh, we'll have a study session item to discuss the current condition of the fascia here in the town hall building into potential repair and replacement options. uh that'll be presented by our public works staff and uh we're also going to be considering or council will be considering the amendment to the Phoenix Country Day School SUP that you just got the presentation on in uh study session. So, thank you. All right.

Uh is there any member of council that would like to add make a well one question anything for clarity on the upcoming agenda or questions future agenda? All right. Would any council member would like to make a motion to add items to a future agenda? All right. Uh thank you very much. We'll move on to uh mayor council manager comments. I'll say after we finish this uh we do need to go back into a study session this evening.

So um so I think it's important to get our uh reports out at this point uh for the sake of the home audience. Uh so with that I would open it up for council reports at this time. Council member Andy Keller. Uh thank you mayor. I just wanted to mention the uh well first of all um happy 65th birthday to the town.

Uh I serve as the council liaison to the historical committee and um we're busy busy busy with uh house uh historic home recognitions uh interviews and we're working on a new um uh thing that I think will be fun is a historical speaker um once a month or once every quarter or something like that. So somebody to come and and speak uh about the history of or what is important to them in the history of the town of Paradise Valley. So it's all awesome. I yield. Thank you.

Other reports, Council Member Moore. Thank you, Mayor. Uh as usual, there was a great turnout with our recent coffee with the cop where we discussed traffic safety and what to do with if when you pulled over by a police officer. Um and then last last night uh the police had their annual awards banquet and it was it was just unbelievable uh the amount of uh support that our police department has with with each other and how they work together.

And um it was just a the mayor was there and a few other of my colleagues were there and it was just an it was a really touching amazing moment and I have to say you do not want to mess with our police department. You talk about the most fit police department out there. Did you notice that? Yeah. So and and uh and some real sharpshooters. It was incredible how many uh stood up that were, you know, that shoot near perfect scores. That's just really uh impressive.

So, the whole night was impressive and and uh Chief, you you did a wonderful job in CNN and and uh your staff is just remarkable. Thank you for such a great evening, Council Member Thomasson. Thank you, Mayor. I I wanted to pile on it. the um the evening was just so warm and enthusiastic and to see the families there was especially rewarding. So, thank you for that. And I also really appreciated seeing the engagement with our community.

The fact that you chose to host it at a local house of worship. I think we are all about engaging with our community and our community is us. So to see that live was just really beautiful. So thank you for that. I know it was a practical consideration but it was just lovely integration and the only thing I wanted to mention was check your local newspaper. Next week there will be an insert in the Paradise Valley Independent which is the community magazine.

I saw the PDF version online and it's really fun and joyful and colorful and council members had an opportunity to submit articles and pictures and it's just a really fun piece and I think it's one more representation of who we are as a community really coming together. So when you bring your paper in from the mailbox and that magazine falls out read it. Council member Leeben. Thank you, Mayor.

Like my colleagues, I'm going to pile on about the wonderful evening last night that the police department and the chief hosted. And I sat with a number of retirees at one of the back tables. And I want to pass on a compliment that one of them gave to me. He was a commander.

and I'm sorry I did not catch his name, but he said he's now working with a group of other retired officers from all over the state and they're always complaining about their town councils and their lack of funding and the lack of support. And he said, "I have to say we have the best town council and I want you to know that you all make a real difference to the police department." and so which really made my night and um so I wanted to pass that on to everybody.

Thank you and thank you chief for a wonderful evening. Very nice. Um I think I forgot to say this to this group last time. Um I had some notes from experience Scottsdale and I think I forgot. So um did I I I yeah I think I'll just say it quickly because I don't think I did. So um Mayor Stan and I went to the um Arizona Travel and Lodging. I know I told them the men's breakfast club. I don't think I told this group. And so we learned a lot. Um it was very good.

They do a great great Kim Sabbo and her team JD Butler do a great job in marketing uh international travel, local travel, making sure our tourism stays stable, dealing with some of the issues actually with our Canadians and others who've had some uh friction in coming back and forth on the border.

So, one of the things that Phoenix scar harbor and with some of the all the combination of all the from experienced Scottsdale to everyone to support um is Phoenix and thanks to Mayor Kate Ggo and her team and her staff um and all their expanded group have really been working and planning for the future at Phoenix Sky Harbor. So, they are implementing I think it's even starting now. I don't remember the dates but maybe it's even now um frictionless exits for international travel. Unheard of.

So when Canadians or anyone come through, they'll be able to leave without a lot of interaction, a lot of engagement. If they have biometrics, you'll be able to leave and be uh screened and go. Um so that helps eliminate um some of the friction that have been happening to many. Um it's also the same is going to be true for TSA um and for your global entry, which I use all the time and I love.

So, as long as you're comfortable with biometrics, which I am, um, you know, you can walk right through and we don't have to go through a lot of discussion and talking into and mainly lines is really what it is. Um, so that's good. But the biggest news is the new west terminal at Terminal 3 at Phoenix Sky Harbor. So, they are going to start the expansion of that. It's huge. It's going to be double the size. It's not going to make it a separate terminal. It be part of terminal 3 on the west side.

Um, so they've got all the plans. They did the schematics. They're on go to keep that moving along. So, uh, we're going to see more travelers. We're going to see more future and and you know, the lucky thing we have here in Paradise Valley is how close are we to the airport? When I talk to all my peers or people have second homes in Denver, I just go, "How in the heck do you want to do an airport like that ever? I never live there because of that." Um, so ours are right there.

We're right in the middle and it's kind of fun and we've made it work in a community where they say airport should be far far away. Um, so I think that's great. I mentioned the Relieve Air. So experienced cost is very excited to partner with reliever air which is a highlevel pet service. So um my friend owns here in PV owns west or wag hotels um in California other places and take care of all the high-end for pets. It's more like the western for them.

Well this is the air travel part called relieve air and your dog sits with you not underneath the not underneath the the seats. So that's really a change up on that front. And then we do we do have smoke tree coming along. Um, I was fortunate to see Bill Dhy there. Not the Bill Dhy and Beth McCrae Dhy, but the other one that owns Smoke Tree. Um, and we had a chat um about a week and a half ago. Um, and he's doing great and getting ready to keep rolling on that.

So, we're looking forward to that happening, too. So, lots of fun. We're putting together our meeting. What is it? I think it's in June for the Paradise Valley Food and Wine Festival. Everybody stay tuned. Christine Leel in Spain right now. Uh, I won't forget you. She wants to be involved too for the music. Um, so we've got everybody coming together at a joint meeting and we'll start that process. It'll take us a little bit, but everything on track. Thank you guys. Awesome.

Uh, speaking of which, uh, Vice Mayor Label, any reports? Mr. Mayor, I think she dropped off the call. She just dropped coffee all over herself. Oh. Oh, well, I think she's out for that. Well, I'm sorry for that.

I'll uh I'll make a few uh report items and uh and one of them was to uh to thank Vice Mayor Label for um her spirit and her energy in helping shepherd through the the spire opportunity and I'm just very proud of the work she did and how she worked with the spire save the spire committee.

She did that with a good heart and good intention and uh I just respect how she approached that so very very much and and very grateful and I and I apologize that I didn't uh make that comment when the item was in front of us, but I was extreme I'm extremely proud of the work she's done on that and so many other things. Um couple of other items just some highlights again also happy birth happy anniversary Paradise Valley 65 looking good holding it together. Um, I want to thank uh the chief also.

This is uh uh police week and uh and to schedule your uh recognition for your officers and your volunteers and your staff uh was just outstanding. I can't say enough. It was absolutely overwhelming. My my heart was just swollen with pride being there and hearing those great uh great stories and the recognition. Uh, and I want to give a a shout out to you for recognizing those fallen officers and those uh that that that really at the core of your profession.

You put your lives on the line every day and u and I I really respect how you uh paid homage to those uh those fallen officers and uh and the fact that that is such a tragedy. But I want to say to you and your team that put that together, it was it was wonderful. And I concur with Council Member Moore. You have a formidable team, by the way. I was going to say, I didn't know, I was thinking get an NFL draft there. You might get a whole front line going.

Um, anyway, I just want to say thank you so so very much for that. And it was great to see all the families and your lovely wife there as well. Um, I just have one or two more items. I want to uh congratulate the Shreddathon and the great work that occurred there. That was outstanding. And I also want to say congratulations to the Eagle Society for the candidate forum that they held at town hall last week.

Um that's a that's an important uh process whether it's the Eagle Society or other groups that bring together candidates to discuss issues that are important to them and to their uh their uh potential as becoming an elected official. So kudos to that event and to the Eagle Society for doing that. And then I wanted to uh tell you I was talking uh with Susie Hawthorne known as Susie Q. uh very uh beloved uh uh volunteer.

She's on the arts arts board and um and her uh her her husband uh Jim Hawthorne who passed away and she she brought something to my attention the other day and I just want to share it with the group and uh you know there are a lot of great uh activities that go on at houses of worship. There are concerts and there are uh events at some of the schools that are open to the public and uh take a time take time to take a look at some of those. She brought one to my attention.

This is the uh Texas&M University, which is her husband Jim's alma mater. Texas&M University singing cadetses and they have a summer concert tour Friday, May 15th, 700 p.m. at the Paradise Valley United Methodist Church. And uh flyers were available. And thank you Amy Ravenar for putting that forward. But uh just another point of pride for the community and uh the type of engagement and that's obviously open to the public. So again that's Friday the 15th 7 p.m.

Paradise Valley United Methodist Church. And finally before we go to the U manager comments I just wanted to say thank you to my colleagues. We have had a very uh heavy agenda tonight of uh important issues and I will say not easy issues and I appreciate the decorum. I appreciate the the passion.

Um, and most of all, I just appreciate each one of you for uh for being so great every every meeting, but tonight was just a real pleasure uh to tackle such uh complicated subjects at the at the level we did. We again, we have differences of opinion on things, but the important thing is Paradise Valley is always at our heart. So, with that, I would turn over to the town manager. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Uh, keeping on the appreciation uh, theme, I wanted to tell you that I appreciate you and council uh, recognizing um, Don Sandival uh, this evening, one of our true unsung heroes of the town of Paradise Valley.

perhaps unsung no more because you did uh give him that wonderful proclamation and uh I have it on good unofficial authority to persons to my left over here that he is the longest tenur employee in the history of the town at 37 years we couldn't find anyone who's been here longer um and his last official day here in the is tomorrow but he's going to run some time he's actually going to end up retiring I think at the beginning of June officially but he's not going to be coming in anymore and it meant a I think for him um to be here and it's he's an example I think of when someone is willing to put in the time, the effort, the dedication and to take the job as he has and I've only gotten the pleasure to know him as the eighth out of the eight eight of his the town managers he's served uh with.

uh but you know to do so with with the level of of good spirit and kindness and the kind of heart that he has is a special combination to to be so good at what he does but also to do it with that level of kindness.

I uh invited my son Zachary who's sitting right over there be here tonight especially because I wanted him to see uh Don at the end of his career as someone who's starting his career as to what if you put all those elements together what it can mean in terms of the accomplishments you can do if you really put your mind to it and if you go about what you do in your business with the right spirit. So thank you again for for for really honoring a guy who by far deserves the honors. So, thank you.

That's awesome. All right, with that, I know we have to go back into the study session. I would ask, is it something we can do at the DEAS or would you prefer we went into the study hall? It's your choice, mayor. If the council's okay here, all right, let's stay here. Stay anchored and um again, uh we'll go to back into study session. We'll take a quick break. You want to take a quick break first? Take a quick break. So yeah, we're going to move back into our study session now.

Thanks for uh thanks for the the break from the business meeting and exec. Now we're back in study session and we're going to be talking about the community funding program and thrilled to welcome Amy Revanar. Thank you, Mayor, members of council. I am joined by our ASU intern, Aaron Sweeney. Um we're going to provide a bit of an overview of where we've been, how we got here, where we're at now, and what the recommendation is for council moving forward.

Um, so some key points that we're going to touch on tonight is the history of charitable giving in Paradise Valley, how we got to the current process that we used for FY26, as well as the um recommendation for a council direction. Um, so historically the town has been supporting community service agencies since 1985, so a little over 40 years now.

Um about 40 different agencies have received funding over the years and in May of 2014 the town council approved a resolution um overseeing community services funding policy. We utilized an application process for fiscal years 15 to 20 and then we moved to a needs assessment process for fiscal years 21 to 25.

This year uh based on the council direction that we received at the December 2025 meeting, we utilized a hybrid process wherein we looked at the needs of the town based on reports from our police department as well as what we were seeing in the community and combined that staff needs assessment with a competitive application process. The historical awardees for the last five years are displayed on the screen.

You can see that there's been a number of different awards made to both homelessness response as well as general community services. That same um consideration was moved forward this year. So, we had a two-part competitive application with one pot of funding for homeless initiatives and a second pot of funding for general community services.

Um, I wanted to point out that the prior two years of funding for homeless initiatives were distributed through MAG, the Maricopa Association of Governments. They were the ones who conducted the competitive process. Um, I will say that we had less control over the way that that process was run and instituted and that was a big part of why we decided to bring it back inhouse.

Um, over the past two years we so over the past two years um there's been an underwhelming response to the RFP process through MAG. Uh, last year the RFP received a single application Um that was a big part of the consideration for why we brought it back inhouse.

Um, and we are looking at law enforcement numbers that were provided by PVPD that indicate that we still have a consistent um, number of interactions with unhoused individuals over the last couple of years with fiscal year 24 seeing 22 interactions with unhoused individuals, 25 seeing 19 interactions with unhoused individuals. And so far this year, uh, starting in July of 25 through April of 2026 for the partial year, the PVPD reports 28 interactions with unhoused individuals.

So where we are in the process for fiscal year 26 uh we had spoken to the council Aaron presented in December of 2025 wherein uh council provided direction for the hybrid process to move forward in March of 2026. The updated and revised notice of funding opportunity was distributed.

It was a very similar application to what has been used in competitive processes in the past except there was a notable addition of questions related to program evaluation metrics that would be utilized by the grant recipients. Applications were collected through the month of April and in early May the applications were reviewed by the mayor's uh council design and interdep departmental staff.

So that was a sixperson um group that included Vice Mayor Label, Council Member Leapman, Town Manager Andrew Ching, our community resource officer from PDPD, uh Vasilis Gobnovic, and uh both myself and Aaron. After those applications were reviewed and we collectively came up with unanimous recommendations for funding, we are now at the phase in the process where we're bringing those recommendations to council for your consideration.

Following tonight's study session, there will be a vote for approval of whatever council directs. um that's going to be at the May 28th meeting. And then throughout the uh FY2027 calendar year, excuse me, fiscal year, there will be quarterly progress reports from each of the selected organizations. Through the uh staff needs assessment that was conducted, we identified several programmatic areas for funding. Sorry, I thought there was a question.

Um and the areas for funding that we identified were children, youth and family services, senior services, human services transportation homelessness services, health services, veterans, parks and environmental services, public safety, and the arts. These were all considered approved uh categories for individual organizations to apply under.

Again, with the caveat that the uh two pots would be one for homeless initiatives and the second for general community services that fell into these categories. We received a total of 13 applications which was a significantly higher response than prior competitive application cycles had received. Uh this was done through media outreach as well as direct outreach to prior award recipients and other local nonprofits.

The funding recommendations as put forth by the application review committee included recommendations for funding for four different organizations in homelessness services and four different organizations in community services. The four organizations recommend recommended for funding under the homelessness services category include the Aerys Foundation for short-term emergency housing for homeless and homeless families.

The Phoenix Children's Hospital for their homeless youth outreach program which provides mobile medical units to unhoused youth and young adults. the Phoenix Rescue Mission for their street outreach program for homeless individuals and to you um who provides emergency shelter for homeless families and they also oversee centralized screening. Each of those organizations is being put forward with a funding recommendation of $50,000 each for a total of $200,000.

In the community services pot of funding, we have a total recommendation of $65,000 with duet uh services for aging and homebound seniors receiving uh a recommendation for $10,000. Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library is being recommended for $20,000. Hushabai Nursery for uh substance exposed babies and caregivers is being recommended for $25,000 and the Valley Youth Theater is being put forward for $10,000 for their youth-based literacy program.

Staff is seeking council direction for these funding recommendations for the allocation of FY2026 community services funding dollars. The funding recommendations are in line with the funding amounts that were approved in the FY2026 budgets. Well, first thank you um thank you for the presentation. Thank you and the committee for taking a great evaluation of the applications. I commend that. Uh that's not an easy task.

there's a lot of worthwhile organizations and I applaud uh applaud the recommendations and coming coming to council in the study session to to talk about your findings and with that I would open up uh for discussion with my colleagues and I think council member Pace you asked if you could lead off. Thank you mayor and thank you for starting on the right foot with the compliments. U you guys did a great job except except a big except life sometimes is about learning.

So if you went through the history of the council, we have been very restrictive on funding. We've had a process with an application that is very tied to metrics to servicing Paradise Valley. This isn't even in the application whatsoever, which is frustrating because I've spent I spent three years on this committee when I did it. We had each of us council members score every single application and we had to do on a sheet and we would have Duncan sat through it many times with all of us.

It would be two council members and the town manager and then we would sit and score and then we would have to debate and figure out where the money would go and among ourselves the two council members and the town manager. He would throw in probably the the you know if we got a one to one and it was close on points that's how it went. We would have amazingly deep dialogues for hours in a room here about $50,000.

I remember when Council Thomas and I serve on it, we tried to get an extra $5,000 because we were short funding. So to walk in and get a packet that says we just allocated $265,000 that none of us knew was coming and then an application that doesn't match any of the things we asked in the past, which is supposed to be tied to PV. And then my other big and I'm not the I'll let everyone else speak, but this is a big shock to all of us. Shouldn't have been a shock.

We should have had a presentation before. Here's how we're going to do it. Here's our application. Any comments to council? What would you like us to do? What are your outreach sources? None of the people, if you go back to that sheet where we've done this for years, not one of those people have applied except Detect. So, something is wrong with how these people didn't get the requests. Cass isn't on here. Save the family isn't.

I mean, there's a there's a tons of them we give every year that are really valuable and do an amazing amount. And I have no idea if they were emailed and told we opened it back up, we shut it down. Oh, you're how how did you I'm curious. How did you guys communicate? Because I'm going to call them all. Believe me, they do their events here in town. They're very committed to PV, but I'm curious. So, did they all just say no? Yeah.

Mayor, Council Member Pace, we did communicate with those organizations and I can tell you Cass specifically did tell us they were going to apply and they did not. Uh we followed up with them after the application deadline because we are still waiting on their 2025 final report. They had promised that we would have that in hand by May the 1st and we are still waiting. Okay. So, it's not a technology glitch or anything like that. Okay.

No, we we had positive save the family and they had indicated that they were going to apply but we had not received an application. Okay, good for you guys. Kudos to you on that. What about the application? Did you look at what we did? I can respond to that. Yeah, because I don't know why we don't have exactly the application that was used in fiscal year 2015. We changed no questions. We added one question related to this is this is 15. We're talking about our time period. We're 10 years. Yes.

It was very specific. Last I about metrics. I think that maybe Duncan could answer this. This was the application that you sent me as an example of the historical process that was used and the score sheet is pulled directly from the resolution. Okay. So, in my time period, I remember me and David Sheriff, we got put on here because Paulo hated these and so he and I were to challenge each other to figure out why our town funds it all.

And so I had long we had a lot of challenges on this because we had and it was deliberately done so that we could be fair and look at it. We changed it for sure because we wanted to know only about PB metrics. So we had the YMCA for example apply and I remember David Sheriff and I going back and forth and it would be like we had eight kids in this program in Paradise Valley residents. We had nine the people were supposed to metric it to Paradise Valley.

I'm seeing things for Gilbert and I'm like how is Gilbert really getting a they may make it but it's not in the app because that's why I asked Karen for the apps. I didn't see it and so the you know even if you guys had asked we could have had a page on here a section and say hey just ask them describe I remember we added this describe your ties to Paradise Valley just what is it?

So I'm just saying it's it's great to give money to all these places that apply but nothing's tying in on a lot of them to PV at all. So, I'm not sure I can support it right now in the form it is. Um, you know, our whole goal was to find people to service in PV that actually like duet that has benefits that derive from that and that we could read and see the money is spent in people in PB to some degree. I mean, we know we're small. It's only going to be a little sometimes.

But um anyway, I just I I I had frustrations that just in a process I I personally would rather see before you start rolling something out an article and all kinds of things. Who are we sending it to? How are we sending it? Is this the application council wants to use? How do we feel about two groups of funding? I'm not I don't know who made the decision. I wasn't kidding when I said that to keep it in house. We didn't make that decision. I guess we're elected officials.

We didn't make that decision. It didn't come to us to make that decision. So, we need to talk about that just a little deeper before launching and then we also, you know, can chime in and that would be the time I would gripe about this. Now, it's a little late. I'm just telling you for next year because I can't change what happened. I I would like to address some of your concerns, Council Member Pace. Um, it's my understanding that this was the historical separation, the 200,000 and the 65,000.

It is also the way that it was presented in the initial budget presentation as being two separate pots of funding. 200,000 and 65,000 which was approved by council last year. No, that's correct. Those were discussed at the budget meetings and approved by council.

When it came to the conversations of the review committee to look at these applications, a nexus to Paradise Valley and service to Paradise Valley residents was very vital to us when we looked at it, which is a big part of why some of the other organizations were not considered for funding and were not recommended because they didn't have a nexus with Paradise Valley. There are other um organizations who might be based outside of Paradise Valley.

They might be incorporated in the city of Phoenix or in Gilbert, but they have all demonstrated a nexus to Paradise Valley. And the homeless organizations specifically have all agreed to terms in theirou if awarded um that would require them to prioritize any referrals from PBPD. Okay. And so when I look at it, I see the FR I've just picked up the one. I asked Karen, Council Member Leven for one just I wanted to see what form was used and how you guys metriced it. And we had to do form sheets.

So we had to score them individually before we walked in the meeting with our big stack. We had like work to do when we were doing it before. So this is very different in how you guys did it. But when it doesn't mean that way was right, but when I look at it and I'm looking for PV on the very first one, there's nothing in here about PV other than I know the Scottsdale. You highlighted one word. I serve Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. That's not what we talked about before.

Oh, you gave me the friends in Scottsdale Public Library. Now I presume our kids go there too and adults, right? But they didn't put that in here. and they have a record of who checks out books. I mean, usually what we forced was metrics. We have 1,200 people approach us every two weeks and of that two people from Paradise Valley are here. I mean, they're supposed to give metrics, you know, that's what we were looking for and that's what we made them do when I went through it.

Um, so anyway, you guys do a lot of work. It's late at night. I just I wish we would have been asked and I'm not sure I'm as supportive of us taking in house the homeless initiative at all.

that 200,000 was put aside for a project that was supposed to make an impact and also show our regional support like MAG like the mayor has talked about and has been a good leader in and so has our previous mayor and I just it's kind of coming out of nowhere of when I see our homeless is Gilbert and I'm like wait a minute they may be a great service the family helped us I you know there's a lot in their application they talked about specifically serving the Paradise Valley Scottsdale corridor do you have a metric that they did or is this just a promise like a saleserson to do it.

I mean I love all the nonprofits need everything but so the short answer is yes. Each of these agencies have provided how they would measure their metrics including total number of population served what percentage would be from par or they it was included in their application narratives. Okay. Because I'm not seeing it in here. And if you don't mind in the future we get everything as council and you know I sent you the long list. That's why council got what they got.

I mean, I sent I went off Saturday morning on this with 10 questions and you did a great job getting us the group as much information as you did and from the police department. That was awesome. So, just next year's a constructive tip. I late at night so grumpy, but get us the stuff ahead of time. Every dollar for council member and PB we're very thoughtful about. We think about it, but we're giving people to but we thought what was it? $5,000.

We couldn't even get 5,000 from this, you know, extra to spend 55,000, you know, and we had people that had great metrics, immensely detailed applications, not like this. And it's great that we're doing more. Country needs it. State needs it. Great. I will say is I hate to even do this to hearken back to some of my past council members.

Some of our council and some people in town believe that the private sector and all of us wealthy people should pay the money to services and profits and not have town dollars go at all. We hear this all the time. It's a messaging point that's very real. We get yelled at for asking for 5,000 more like Council Thomas and I did when we tried and you know because we were trying to do it for the next year even not even our year. We couldn't have it.

It was like, could we give it to the next council for 5,000 more because we were so short with two people, two groups. So, in a year where I don't know how to say this any easier, we have an expenditure limitation on the budget in November. We have a capital accumulation fund and we talk about how little money we have. We're a bunch of a cap and then we come up with 265,000. And I'm not really sure the metrics are here to support PB. They're great organizations, don't get me wrong.

I support nonprofit. We all give to nonprofit. I don't think they fit the PV model. So, I'm not sure how that something to think about of how to get more of that. But I never voted to take 200,000 that we were doing with the MAG effort, which I was all about what was happening. We've gotten no information that that just fell apart and there wasn't any. And that's fine if it did and we don't need to do it.

Then I want to pick carefully as a council what are the metrics, what's the information, what's the homeless initiative, do it do one, how do they fit to PV? This is just me talking and all that. So, I'll quit after this. But I just I feel that wasn't a choice for like staff and people just to go say, "I've got 265,000. I'm going to pick these today." That that to me is not is not PV and it's not how council has done this. This was not solely a staff decision.

I know this was a committee based on the resolution and no offense, but we picked Karen Council Leeman and and Leel with no background to history for those of us who served and these were made. That was my decision. Cheers. I know. But we didn't get five minutes with them to have a conversation to say here's how we did it in the past. So they're thrown in the middle trying to do the best they can. You're thrown in the middle trying to do the best you can.

I think the of the all of them I think we didn't get enough of a pool. I think the homeless one I have a real concern about just spending 200,000 to get 50,000 groups that we have no idea and I think part of it is me going back to council Keller and and everybody in council's asked 100 times. We have no data from the 200,000 for the last three years we it's very difficult to keep funding something we don't get any information from and now taking it in house for homeless initiatives.

I don't know. Part of the reason why we stepped away from putting the RFP through MAG was not because we wanted to do things differently or out of alignment with the MAG priorities. It's because the MAG RFP was was not a successful process last year. They had a single applicant who received the full $200,000 award through that MAG process and we're still fighting to get a report from them. Well that's the Maricopa Association of Governments has dissolved their human services department.

So, they no longer have the 27-year stewardship of the former human services director who was the assistant director of MAG, that person is no longer there. The longterm tenure staff at MAG is no longer there. They are operating on a shoestring with a single human services planner and an intern.

So, This is so Amy this is great because this is exactly for three in the rooms in a row and you build about all the time council member every time we're meeting where's the metrics who's following up on this are we spend another 200,000 where's the money so anyway oh I'm I'm sorry I'm tired I'm sorry Scott no I mean that is something we've been talking about because we have not for three years gotten the information so that's why we're probably more hyper sensitive right now and you guys are just feeling the brunt of it for me is because we hope to get tonight or before this was going to happen, some numbers, some metrics.

We did good in the world. I think Council Member Leel was big on I want to see him funding the addiction programs to keep people out of homelessness. And when I read some of this on the homelessness, it was like two-day shelters, which is just absolutely not what I support.

I support like save the family that actually takes the mother and families and kids are homeless and puts them in for permanent status to help them through how to cash checks, how to get a job, how to stay there and stay out of it, get out of a domestic situation so they're not homeless on the street. I don't want to do the section 8 vouchers. Sorry to say that. I used to do CBD CDBG funding in Mesa, but I want to get permanent solutions possibly to make life for somebody.

I don't want to be paying for a hotel for two nights. And that's what it said in there. And I was like, that is not my goal. But anyway, I'll shut up now. No, I think those are fair points, but I do think we should point. Um the organization that is providing the two nights stay in the homeless shelter, it's as a stop gap while they're being connected with other services. So it's it's not a simple two nights and then they're back out on the street. I just help.

Okay, so it goes back to my childhood. I grew up in government housing, grew up a single parent, didn't have child support, used to push doors to go into the bar to get 20 bucks from my dad. There are people who have real needs to live. And I'd rather support the mother or father with those kids that don't get anything anywhere to have a home to stay. on MLK days, I used to take my law firms to clean housing for those people that gave money like save the family.

So, I'm not big on the two nights stay. So, that's just my personal advice. I'd rather see real difference. So, I grew up in a different world than many. So, that's why I kind of feel really um important about it. And I did even for my wedding it was housing for Mason to get those people housing. That's what I gave. Everybody gave donations to that when we got married. So, I have a real strong passion for that. Thank you. I do. I do hear that passion.

Um, and again, uh, you know, we're we're giving you the feedback on this in a study session. There's no action that's going to be taken tonight. We're just asking some questions, getting a feel for the process. And before we turn over to uh, uh, Council Member Andy Keller, I will say this has evolved over the years. It's been, we've had different approaches to how we look at it. And I concur with my colleagues.

There have been some folks that have been allin and some folks that have said absolutely, we can't do this. And I certainly do respect those opinions. That's fair. Uh but but we are in a process and I again applaud the the effort to come forward with what your findings are. But let's continue going on. I think council member Andy Keller. Uh thank you mayor. I think that the 200,000 was um there was a reason that we were giving it to MAG and now that reason doesn't exist from what I understand.

Um and so I think that we and there was also an optics point of view as well. So I think what we need to do is go back to our partners in the east valley or whomever and ask who are they you who who is who are they using now for inst longer using this service. Uh, I think that's the point. Um, because it's optics for our municipalities. Like I I'll ask uh or maybe Mayor Stanton will talk about his what he's heard from his colleagues um around town.

But um uh the 200,000 was for a specific purpose and I'm not going to approve 265,000 right now. I mean that it just we went from 60 what we were at 35,000 when I first started on council and now we're talking about 265,000 that's ridiculous. Um I think we need to go back to the drawing board and find out more information on the 200,000 and then the 65,000. Why is Cass not support not applying? Because that's who we normally um uh donate to for homelessness uh services.

Um the one that is for the opioid addicted babies should be used for our opioid epidemic uh fund uh which is like almost 300,000 I believe now. And we agree. Yeah. We just hadn't had an opportunity, excuse me, to come back to you to ask whether or not you wanted to open up a secondary round of potential funding that would allow them to access those dollars. and we didn't think it was appropriate to exclude them from potential funding just because we hadn't opened up that process yet. Okay.

But we were we were very gratified that there was an organization that might have that opportunity to utilize those funds because it's been a struggle to find opportunities to spend those monies and and you know the arts. I mean, heck, we just approved this monolith of a of a spire for the town of Paradise Valley that is art and architecture allin one and donating it to our our residents um is is quite a a fantastic um appeal. So, I don't know.

I mean, I think we need to go back to the drawing board, but I'm not supporting anything right now. I pass. I will say u I know my colleagues have got some comments. I wanted to pick up on that MAG uh scenario. So over the years um we had uh we had obviously we're part of a bigger municipal area.

Uh the Maricopa County Association of Governments is consisting of all those municipalities and over the years uh in our engagement and we're members of MAG and we get a lot of information from them and share information. Uh we're colleagues so we work together to for the betterment of the county.

um over the years they had really taken and I I think we've talked in the past about the importance on the homelessness issue and that um a lot of municipalities have real issues with homelessness uh issues that we we face uh but maybe not at the same level as other municipalities but we're in that space and so we do have to face homeless issu homelessness issues which the the town has in the past.

So with MAG, we uh we decided that we would help support the countywide uh effort uh to address homelessness to give our shouldertoshoulder. We're all in this together. Um and because we do we've had we've faced homelessness issues in in the past and inevitably that seems to be something we will uh unfortunately face in the future, but we want to be part of the overall solution.

So to your point, um MAG had really uh uh had really leaned on every member to say, "Let's do what we can to help, uh support the effort." And so Paradise Valley and I was very supportive of that, still am stood up and said, "Yeah, we're going to be part of that solution." And so through MAG, we came up with that uh the process for the 200,000 with Cass and the other program that they had uh that they had begun. So I was very proud of that.

But uh but clearly we need to look at what that means to uh to taking that next step because I do believe as a municipality we are part of the solution and we are part of a team effort. Uh so I I see that and I believe in it and I support it. Uh how we get there obviously is kind of the process we're in right now. But absolutely that's why that's why we became part of that effort. Um and mayor if I could just add one clarifying point. I should have mentioned this earlier. I do apologize.

um for neglecting to mention it. Um but although the MAG staff is disintegrating when it comes to the human services department um they do still house and staff the Maricopa County regional continuum of care which is the coordinated effort to respond to homelessness. They just don't have the capacity to consistently carry out the RFP process. They are still the convening body for the service providers.

So they are still providing the same level of experience when it comes to those individual organizations. They just no longer have the overarching staff that they used to have at MAG itself. So the initiatives are still the same. The priorities and the mission is still the same. They just don't have the staff capacity that they used to have. I'd like to continue opening up to the council. I think council member Moore. Oh, thanks Mayor.

Yeah, I just want to first of all I appreciate the work that our staff and and all the our my fellow colleagues on the council have have done so far on this and thing. I think it's a little unfortunate that um and I' I'd like to understand better. I don't remember the resolution that came out that the mayor appointed the two council members that are now serving that had no clue the history, the tradition and and some of the things that the other former mayors.

Uh, I've been around as long as council member Pace and there was agonizing moments of how much we would spend in the past and we looked at these things as a um as a community um benefit to our elderly helping with meals or transportation or things like that. How do we give back to our own community?

And also then it expanded into hey let's be part of the solution in Maricopa County and look at hey we've got some some good revenue right now and it's not a given and I want to talk about that for a second when it comes to the budget. These are placeholders in the budget. That's the way I understand it. So if if we're if our budget that we're approving is boy you get to go spend it and you don't have to talk to us anymore about it. That's not how I remember doing our budgets.

everything with our CIPs are all placeholders. All of the contracts have to come back. All of the funding that we we spend, anything outside of your uh expenditure, I mean, your expenditure authority should be coming back to us for and I and I'm assuming that's what we're we're doing here. So, but yeah, and and so let's be clear about that. These this is a placeholder. This isn't we've got $265,000 and we need to find enough people to go spend it on. Yeah.

I mean, that's that's not I mean, Sounds like we're talking a little bit in that language. And I I want to be clear to our council members that are that haven't been through the the process, seen other council members do it, and then have volunteered to do it the next time around. Um it that's typically what we do. We all of us have done it at some point, but we did it after some two other council members have done it. We saw the process. We passed that down.

We passed it down to the next one and that's how we've done it. That's not what happened here. So, it is it has turned out to be a little bit wonky, but um is there a resolution in place that the mayor selects this and and puts two council members in place?

and and I think that it would have been nice to at least have that conversation and mayor I know you you do a great job and I look forward to um you know moving this thing forward but if there was you know a moment of communication with all of us to understand that these I didn't even know two of our council members were working on this committee to go spend all this money.

So um and in the past we've always known who we didn't know in the past we've always known there was two council members working on uh the process of spending some money. Yeah. And that just didn't didn't it hasn't occurred this time. So, I can I can see where the frustration is. I certainly support moving forward with helping uh our our uh PVPD on homelessness issues. Sounds like we have it's still alarmingly high.

Um, and we're a generous community and we want to we want to do our part for Maricopa County and and help with uh placement of homelessness and especially when it touches Paradise Valley and and people in need. So, I'm interested in looking moving forward with that. But um I when I looked at all of the community funding sources in here, remember we're not a 501c uh charitable organization.

We're we're a municipality and we are taking taxpayer dollars and we are looking for ways to benefit our community and our neighboring communities and the the overall county problem with homelessness. And I I think that's the focus we should go on. Um I appreciate that there's library services out there and and other things like that, but um I think this has always been something to do with those in need and and help helpless homelessness and things like that.

So um I think we I think we need some more communication and and and it's late as everybody said. Let's get the words in. probably another work study session on how do we move forward on this and and look at it maybe one more time figure that out but that's my thoughts thank you um for member looking for the resolution it was included in the council packet u yes that is that is the the governing resolution which dictates the process um mayor council policy. It's in exhibit A. Okay.

In the in the process and application under the paragraph that leads we have just gone beyond the life of my battery for the for the evening. So I started fully charged. It's dead. I can't look at any more packet stuff.

So well I should say we can keep moving but I think it's important to note I you know so so there is there is I just went dead so I can't look at what no and I think that's very good I think we have to there's things to reconsider about the process we could reconsider if the mayor does or doesn't or there's volunteers I appointed the two people that I thought were very capable and very uh uh would be very good interested parties absolutely agree I The only thing missing is the history of how the process is.

So if we can highlight that for a followup to this, I would appreciate that. The chart we have that's what we live by. We know that. Yeah. Well, it is. And council member Thomas, I don't know if you've got something you want to add on. No, I'm sitting here trying to think of a a solution given that we have two meetings left and it's important that we make the allocation and these um dispersements before the end of the fiscal year. Is that true? That is correct. Yes.

So, so given that um it seems to me so we have two meetings. We could do a study session, study session, vote. What I'm eager to hear is go back to what our philosophy and strategy is because a couple years ago it was clear big chunk for homeless a little leftover a a few limited number of causes that had a direct nexus to PV. Who are those limited number and what do we do with them? So that was my le last memory of what our strategy was.

So in my mind I would like to see perhaps let me suggest this perhaps staff could put together a summary of the strategy or the history for study. Then we have maybe we could circulate get some agreement before the next meeting. Then we have a study session to agree on the strategy and review the recommendations. then have another study another study in a vote. Is that clear or muddy?

Yeah, that would give us uh from the date of the vote that would give us 19 days to notify and disperse um and get the funds into the hands of whichever agencies were determined to be allotted. 19 plus the 14 between the direction we would get at the May 28th study session. So it'd be closer to a month. But but we would get that to in other words, if we left the May 28th study session knowing that there was consensus around that we're going to fund these for these reasons, fine.

Then we can do that and we can put them on notice, get them because we would circulate the funding agreement to them first anyway. So we would know and the funding then could come fairly quickly hopefully afterwards. I guess what I would say and maybe this is sort of a hybrid of what you're saying council Thomasson is we have the application.

So I haven't heard anyone say that we didn't you know do what we were kind of directed to do which was to do this hybrid where we conducted a needs assessment and then we issued that RFP with kind of pursuant to the needs assessment. That's what we heard back in December 2025.

The piece that I think maybe would be helpful for tonight is based upon what you've seen in the criteria that's in the application that we used and I understand that there are other things that inform decision-m previous that some of you obviously have that history.

What additional criteria would you like us to go back if this is if this is your direction on those who applied to then apply to those applications to see how that would a change the scoring b potentially change the amount of funding and then bring those revised estimates back to you for the 28th. I think that's very doable. But it would take you collectively to tell us we want you to, you know, whatever it might be.

like above all else, if they don't help, if X amount of their dollars don't go directly to helping some cause or person or or people in crisis that are either in PV or within some proximity of then that's means that you know that's some sort of a threshold criteria perhaps and we just we just don't we just don't do it or they have to then come back to us with some supplemental application that says to your point council member Pace that We we are primarily in you know Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe.

However, because of we're x amount of dollars, we if we get that in our application, we would concentrate efforts within a corridor directly adjacent to Paradise Valley. Something like I mean again those may or may not be enough. I mean, we'd have to get them pretty quickly in order for 28th.

But if we knew that you had to you wanted to overlay a criteria like that then we could we wouldn't have to go back out because we already have the universe of those who have already applied um and we could then rescore them based upon council's additional criteria. I'm not sure if that is the same as what you said. I thought it was but as has been pointed out it's getting late and batteries both human and computer are all running low.

So, so that's what I was thinking and and I don't think there's enough cupcakes to keep us all going too much longer. That's as good a translation as I could expect. One last comment if I may. If I look at page six, programmatic areas for funding. I don't know where that list comes from. But as we start narrowing the I'm using the term nexus to Paradise Valley, I also look at the list and I look at veteran services for example.

And may I suggest that the Veterans Day car show generates $15,000 for veterans services. So in my mind, cross it off the list. We got that done. If I look at arts, we have an arts committee that is the envy of probably any community in Maricopa County. I can't imagine what more we could do to support the arts. Anna's mind, cross that one off. Public safety. Again, we have a public safety. We have a police department, a culture, supportive groups.

We raise money for the police favorite charity, Special Olympics. I don't know that we could do much more for that either. So, I think our list, for example, senior services, certainly homeless, perhaps health. I think it's easy to narrow down our list when you know maybe children or parks we gave to the railroad park already. Um to me we start homelessness over here and then what's our two or three others over here and then we take whatever dollars we feel comfortable and allocate it.

One thing I would invite us to do is set aside the amount of money that the agencies asked for. If they ask for 25,000, but we really think they're worth 50,000 of our 65, they're not going to turn it away. So, I'm not as worried about the amount per agency. To me, it's more PV priority driven. Can I add one? Actually, no. Council member Leven does. I agree. And just FYI, and I feel a little bit guilty because I got appointed and I didn't know any of that.

However, just to give you all a little comfort, this chart here, yeah, shows how much they asked, how much we suggested, how they service PV, and over here it's the people. This is the chart I made and this was the rationale. help me out. That was used to make these decisions. So even though we didn't follow the old way, you'll see the one comment that I have on the um policy is where I highlighted and underlined.

You saw it that it the nexus to PV is the most important and that is something that that is a category on the chart. So we worked very hard to look at the needs and the services and the nexus with Paradise Valley and I also insisted and we got the numbers exactly what you said, Anna. We looked at that. Here's my notes from the meeting. Special Olympics got 11,000. The car show got 13,000. So I understand that it's a black box and we obviously missed the history in the mark.

Um on the other hand, I do think based on the programs we have and the reasons we eliminated some of the applications and the reasons we gave what they gave might be a little surprisingly consistent with what I may be hearing here. So, so then let's But can I just say one more thing? Sorry. I am leaving on a on a jet plane at at 9:00 on the 28th because it's my mother's 90th birthday in Massachusetts.

So to the extent there's questions because I went through these all very carefully and made this chart. If we could do it earlier in the evening then you have the benefit or unless you want me to be gone and then you um but all these notes of of what we did and how we made these decisions and the analysis might be helpful. That's all. Council member Andy Keller.

I I just wanted to say that the 200,000 we was a was a separate amount to MAG we and but in the 65,000 that we funded last year 35 of that went to Cass which is also homelessness. So I just want everybody to remember this 200,000 was special. There was a reason we were doing that. The 65,000 and the 35 to cast was something we've done historically. So and I'll ask real quick. Uh let me just ask a question then because I want to make sure the lateness of the hour.

Um one of the ways this has evolved over time is that we tried to create this committee uh for it that assigned uh different council members to be on it but to make sure that the the staff was involved in it as well. So that there wasn't a you couldn't say someone picked their favorite not forprofit to to fund and it was a there was a formula to it. it has evolved uh definitely and this is a part of that evolution I think that we're we're at right now.

So I applaud all the comments that we've got. I do think uh we need to look at sort of that next step in respect to and I think council member Thompson said it with two meetings left. How do we best manage that and I would I would really kind of defer that over to the town manager uh knowing that that your team and the council members that I assigned have been part of this.

What can what can we look for to try to coalesce some of the concerns that we've had tonight or maybe some of the questions we've had to answer the questions because once those questions are answered it's a choice for us to make. Do we want to do it or don't we? Right. So perhaps we can have to serve a brief consensus exercise real quick here just so I can so we can go back and it might actually end up saving a lot of time in the process. The question has been raised.

If the $200,000 was for a specific purpose and that purpose is not evident anymore and MAG did not participate or maybe cannot participate, is there a desire on the a consensus on the part of the council to move forward with allocating those $200,000 in either a the manner in which we've already done it or b for us to go back and maybe to recalibrate based upon their responses about how much of a nexus they have with Paradise Valley?

Because right there then the question is if there's not a consensus to move forward with the 200,000 to council member Moore's point he made earlier just because you you appropriated it in the budget doesn't mean that we have to spend it. It could it could just not be spent. That would then just keep it just to the universe of 65 and then maybe that's a an easier quicker discussion.

So that's really um that would maybe be decision tree point number one I guess would be is that is the desire to move forward and to to have us continue to look towards allocating part or all of it or just to say that moment has passed and we no longer are interested in in allocating the 200,000 anymore. I think Casman and Keller has a thought. I'd like to know what's going on with the MAG stuff and then I'd also like to know what our East Valley partners are doing. Yeah. So, yeah.

I mean, I I can I've worked in this area for many years in the East Valley. And I can tell you, MAG, their work is very much what what Amy described, which is they're not they're not necessarily the ones we want to currently give the money to because their RFP process proved to be less robust than our RFP process. Their continuum of care group works with both governments and nonprofits.

So, a lot of the groups that you see here are groups that work with MAG through the continuum of care for the entire county. Um the trend in a lot of your east valley cities uh larger cities is that they become direct service providers for homelessness because they have large populations of homelessness within their cities. And that's just not the case here, right? We just don't have that.

We're not like the city of Mesa that has, you know, 700, 800 permanent homeless at any given point or more on their streets. Um so they the direct service model is that's they're they're the provider or they contract with New Leaf or Community Bridges or one of these groups Yum uh to do their to to directly provide services on their behalf. We're do we do none of that obviously for for good reasons.

Um but again I'm fairly confident that if we made the point to these four groups that they would for the purpose of obtaining dollars through this process would give us some you know assurance that their work would be focused and concentrated towards Paradise Valley in the case of the two Phoenix based charities. Obviously they share a common border with the town. Uh Yum is based out of Phoenix. Aerys Foundation is based out of I think Chandler. Um, so they could find that nexus.

The question really is, do we want would that be the thing that council would want to see or is it more of a more of a broader question, which is should we be funding homelessness as its own standalone category for 200,000 anymore? That's what I was about to say is that the 200,000 then doesn't exist in my opinion goes away and we just have the 65,000. And again, if that was the consensus of your colleagues, that would then lead to my next question.

But we would we would no longer pursue that and that would potentially expedite things. Thank you, mayor. So, two things. I think one thing we'd like to see, I think I heard everybody say is what you started to say, town, in response to solutionoriented. Um, I think each of these entities that applied should turn in a quick paragraph of metrics of what they've done for PV, not what they're going to do, what they've done in the past because I can't make a decision till I see that.

And what's in here on those that form the one I read is not enough. And if they haven't and several of them, well, I'd like to see if they say no, we've never had it before. That's honest and that's fair. And then we can decide whether we fund or not fund them because we turned money back each year, too. We did not fund even the 50 we had in the past.

If someone doesn't meet certain things, we looked at it and we just said it doesn't work but we wish you well next time or wrote a nice little letter and said try doing more, you know, PV or whatever. Um, so I like to see the metrics from them in a short thing. They've already done a lot of work. That would be easy. The thing with the homelessness that stood out to me, Mom is good. I get it. But I don't know Aerys from Gilbert. I don't know some of these.

We've had long-term people we've supported. Cass, save the family. The chief's usually always giving us domestic violence groups. They were coming in every time. I don't know what happened this time that people didn't apply and they were the same long-term kind of good housekeep housekeeping seal approval we saw and gave money to year after year after year. That's a little odd to me. But these guys are all talking about homeless families to support a lot of them. Their materials do too.

We don't have homeless families in PB. We have a lot of single. You know, we have a few but not much. That's why we put if I could, that's why we picked one of them because it specifically deals with Yeah. individuals. Yeah. But I I know I'm just saying I want to see that they've ever had anybody from PB before. And then usually I don't know if the chief was asked this time. The past years we had Chief Winger do it.

He would bring to the committee people and have them apply that helped actually things for the officers or what they saw on the street. He had domestic violence. He had one group that didn't work out that we funded for 5,000. Fine. Sometimes it doesn't work. It was angels something. Um, so I think for some reason the scope of what we did this year got like completely different and not really the normal group.

And then the hush to buy nursery money if that substance abuse from opioid things that should come right out of that opioid amount that shouldn't come out of this budget should come out of that budget. I also think I don't know that I would throw out the veterans all the way. You know that tax category because we went to the Parsons thing Bob Parson man that was powerful. I have to tell you, he was freaking powerful to listen to him and his concept with what can solve Oh, I hate to say it.

You have to hear him to say it better than I can say it for him, but he worked really hard on psychedelics and what it can do. And he got it FDA funded through the Trump administration just a couple weeks ago. Solves opioid in one day for veterans. And he's all about veterans. So, I wouldn't mind seeing what they're doing to support and make that a difference. But I don't think they got an application. I don't think we knew about. I'm just saying I'm not sure this is the most powerful way.

And I don't think we have to spend all the money if we don't really believe that these groups are the right ones. We could give a thank you note with 2,000 and say try again next time. We need more metrics for PV. I do you you applied so we're saying thank you and give service, but I wouldn't be offering 20 and $50,000 to people. It's a ton of money. And I do think um one we're we're over the falls, right?

We've got a lot done the committee and I applaud the work of the committee and the council members that I asked to serve on it. We've got some some bones here to work with. I think you've got some concrete questions about uh about the MAG funding just so we get closure on that. That may be the answer that the bulk of our colleagues uh would be happy to hear.

And then the priority too of how the uh the the some of these other details about you know the nexus with Paradise Valley that was always a big priority. That was always one of the factors. What is it? It may not be directly in town, but it it it it's something that affects our residents in some capacity. So, I support the idea that, if I'm hearing correctly, that town manager and the committee uh review, answer some of the questions, come back in a study session. Is that what I'm hearing?

give us that detail and then if the satisfaction is there with the council we can then take it to an action step u based on that feedback and I I would agree that uh that the information that we've got when you get have it I you know we don't have to wait till last minute get it to the group so that that there's other questions that individual council members have they can ask it before we come into that study session or at that study session but the more you I think the more you can give us the better we can get solutions for this and make good decisions based on the data that we've got.

Yeah, I I do think we have a really good start on some of the information that you all are looking for. So, I have no doubt that we can get that to you well in advance of the 28th. Thank you and thanks for listening. But we'll bring back this item to study session on the 28th. Yes. And that's good information. Okay.

at this point in terms of reccalibrating or saying categorically no not that that's not what I'm hearing for the consensus but it is go back to each of these groups that we have made recommendations about and press them on their nexus to Paradise Valley okay and if they all say no are we are you allowed to go out and ask for someone else like castle county well to do that would then mean that we would essentially violate the RFP because they have start from scratch.

Once we do that, I'm sure don't do that. Stay there. Council member Leeman, you were a active member on this committee. Thank you. You're welcome. It was interesting. I just I have to answer the your direct question. If we have 28 people who came into this town and needed unhoused people who needed services, I think we do need to pull our fair share. We might need to pull more than our fair share. I feel very comfortable with that 200,000.

I kept asking why, but I do have a very specific question and that is what and the chief just left. What what do we do with the 28 people who were unhoused? Where do we take them? Because that's I think I can answer that question. Oh, thank you. Um the to date statistics is contacts with homeless people. It doesn't necessarily mean that we took them anywhere. It means that we were I do have those numbers. You do have Oh, well, even better. Okay, let's go with the actual facts.

So in fiscal year 2024 there were 22 interactions uh with unhoused individuals. One was taken to community bridges. One was picked up by community bridges. Two were given courtesy rights to Cass. The remainders uh willfully exited Paradise Valley. In fiscal year 2025 the 19 interactions with homeless individuals. There was a voluntary committal courtesy ride given to community bridges.

another picked up by community bridges and two more uh were given a courtesy ride to a community bridges facility. Um so that was a total of three to CBI in different capacities. Um and then uh the uh fiscal year 2026 uh to date um as of April the 21st we had 28 interactions with unhoused individuals. One was given a courtesy ride to Cass. Two unhoused individuals were offered a ride to CBI but declined help and willfully exited Paradise Valley as CBI is Community Bridges Inc.

Um so they were the designated recipient in 24 and 25. So in 24 they had applied through the MAG RFP process through the city of Phoenix as the primary applicant. Um, they applied again. They were the sole applicant to MAG's RFP process in 2025 and received the totality of the $200,000. Um, and they used it for their Rio Fresco shelter. Yeah, I think that's it. Yeah, I I do not know why we didn't get an application back from CBI or Cass.

Both of them were contacted and we had ongoing communications with both and the applications never came through. No, I thank you for telling us that because and thanks for again going looking back to answering our questions and coming back to the study session and we'll make a qualified decision based on the information we've gotten again the work that's been done because there's been great work done and I applaud that. I applaud that that that work and that uh that that intention.

So I think we're we're on a path. We're not there yet, but uh if I'm wrong uh we've got a plan. We'll address it at the next study session to see if we can get to a a pathway of solution. Does everybody kind of like that idea? Sort of. Thanks, Mayor. Thank you for the feedback and discussion. We appreciate it. With that, um unless there's another issue on study, and I don't think there is, and my colleagues got no battery left. Um I'd ask if there's a motion to adjurnn. So moved.

Moved and seconded. All in favor? I have a great evening. What's left of it? It was a long one. I know. All right. Nice job on the work you did on that. You're welcome. You actually get to the same place we were at any place. Not as much. You have the same assumptions. We all did. Exactly. Thanks. and the bigger offices.