All right. Good evening, and welcome
to the april 9th chandler city council meeting. I would like to
call this meeting to order clerk. Please take the role. Mayor herky here, vice
mayor encina. Here. Council member poston. Here. Council member ellis.
yes. Council member orlando here. Council member harris
here. And council member hawkins. Here. We have a quorum.
thank you so much. Our invocation tonight will be delivered by
kerry wester, who is the arizona market director of
spiritual care for dignity health. And our pleasure of allegiance by council
member orlando. Okay.
good evening everyone. Um, mayor hartke
and members of chandler city council, it is an honor to offer
a brief reflection as you continue in service to this vibrant community.
my reflection tonight is rooted in the shared mission of service that
guides all of us who work for wellbeing of chandler and draws from the values of
the hospitals that I serve in the foundation of our commitment is a
profound belief in the dignity of every person. This principle is paired
with a steadfast call for the promotion of human kindness, which must govern
our approach in all things. It is this commitment that reminds us
that our leadership is defined not only by what we accomplish, but how
we achieve our goals. Effective governance and true community service
required daily reflection on our goals for the future and our values,
demanding excellence and integrity in every decision. Our common goal
must be to create healthier communities, uh, which means we must look
beyond the walls of this room to those within the community of chandler whose needs
must be considered in every discussion and decision made.
this shared commitment to service within the community of chandler requires respect for all persons
and the wisdom to make decisions that benefit every resident.
may we continue to support one another in this important work. Now, let us pause for
a moment of prayer. Almighty and loving god, creator
of all, we come before you. In a spirit of gratitude
for the gift of community and the privilege of service, we ask that you pour
out your wisdom and understanding upon the members of the chandler city council,
so that their decisions may always reflect compassion, justice, and respect.
grant them the strength to be tireless advocates for the entire
community, especially those most in need. May we be
united in a shared commitment to human kindness and peace, fostering
a spirit of collaboration that builds up our city. We pray for
all who call chandler home. And for the continued wellbeing of
this community and all the holy names of god, we play, we pray.
amen. Amen. Please join me to recite the pledge allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america
and to the republic for which stands, one nation under
god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
thank you both custom. Before we vote on the
consent agenda, we, item number two is a board
appointment. And uh, tonight we have our, uh,
representing the library board. Melanie dextra, who is no stranger to chandler are the east
valley. Thank you.
next consent agenda, counsel, how would you like to proceed? Yes, mayor, vice mayor.
yeah. I move to approve the consent agenda of the april 9th, 2026.
regular meeting items one through 16. Is there a second?
second by council member ellis. Uh,
any questions? Recusals? Seeing none. Council please vote. Council
member harris? Yes.
motion carries unanimously. Thank you. And to our audience, we had opportunity
to review these, meet with staff earlier in the week. So this might
seem quick to you, but it's not to us. Just in the process of
looking over these items, being familiar with them and ready to vote on them.
next on our agenda is unscheduled public appearances. I have one card
from mr. Beal. As previously stated,
this is unscheduled. We cannot, uh, engage you, but you have up to three
minutes to share your thoughts and staff. We'll get back to you.
please state your name and city of residence. Brook beal. Chandler.
uh, so first I'd like to talk about, uh,
reemphasize my, my position on e-bikes and bicycles
on sidewalks. Uh, I think that it's a bad idea.
um, I think that only
focusing on the safety of the e-bikes bicyclist or the cyclist,
uh, ignores the, the, the safety of people such as myself.
uh, 70 years old, I get struck by a, an e-bike. I'm probably
gonna go down hard and for you to ignore my safety
is, is unacceptable. Yeah, you may have children or grandchildren
that you want to keep safe, but guess what? I want to keep me safe. And, and
you need to consider that when you're, when you're making these decisions.
um, second thing is, uh, may is going to be bike
safety month and also water safety month. And what a perfect thing for you guys to
do would be to come up with a presentation on what you're
doing to make the canal, uh, safe, the consolidated
canal safe for bicyclists and, uh, for pedestrians,
uh, since you have 20 million gallons of water going through
there, uh, from in the seven and a half miles of the canal,
uh, that's quite a bit of water that's unsafe.
uh, and then you put on their bicyclists and e-bikes that go
20 to 30 miles an hour, or even the motorbikes
that go, uh, 40, 50, 60 miles an hour.
so, um, I I, I would like to have you guys, uh, put
together a presentation, uh, for next month to, uh, to
show what you're doing to address these concerns of mine. Um,
I think that I now have had to call 9 1 1 3
times while I've been walking on the canal. Uh, twice
I was actually physically assaulted. Uh, the third time was
just, uh, last month I was nearly assaulted. I think the only reason
I wasn't assaulted was because I handed, held up the phone and, and showed
the guy that I had already called 9 1 1 and they were on the phone with me at
the time that he arrived. Um, because I was taking pictures of
his son, apparently I'm a predator, taking pictures of, of his
boy who was on the canal riding his motorbike. Not a ebike,
but a motorbike. Um, and as soon as he saw that I was
on the phone to nine one one, uh, he and his wife turned around and left.
that's how concerned they were about his son breaking the law or me taking
pictures of his child. Um, as soon as he saw that I was talking to
the 9 1 1 operator, I gave them his, his license plate.
um, they left. They, they didn't want anything to do with it.
so, um, I'm tired of doing the policeman's job there.
I'm collecting information of crimes that are being committed
and I shouldn't have to. Thank you, mr. Beal.
next is current events. I will start. Um, speaking of
cycling and the canal, we
have our chandler's 18th annual family bike ride coming up and
I would like to draw attention to that. I hope you all will consider joining
me on this free family friendly event this saturday,
april 11th with activities beginning at seven 30 at
the chandler park and ride, and a guided ride starting at eight
30. Participants of all ages and skill levels are
invited to ride along. Sife, myself, uh, chandler bike team,
other council members, uh, for a scenic 7.8
mile ride along the paseo trail. In addition to the ride, families
can enjoy vendor booths, bike decorating stations, and
activities focused on bicycle safety and healthy living.
this event is a great way to celebrate valley bike month while promoting
sustainability, wellness and active transportation in our
community. So I encourage you to register in advance so that we'll also
know your t-shirt size and it'll save the, it'll save the,
uh, efforts and energy of being in a line there to register
live as and join us as we ride to save
the world and be everyday heroes right here in chandler. And
secondly, I'd like to also highlight we this weekend is also
the chandler jazz festival. Bring your friends and family out to this
free festival taking place now through april 12th in
downtown chandler, with performances happening throughout the weekend
at dr. Aj chandler park and along the downtown
streets. In celebration of jazz appreciation month, the
festival will feature more than 40 hours of live music showcasing
a talented local and national artists to across a variety of
jazz styles, from sidewalk performances to main stage
concerts. This event will offer a vibrant atmosphere where residents
and visitors can enjoy great music, local culture, and the energy
of our beloved downtown. So for a detailed lineup, please visit
www chandler az.gov/jazz.
I also encourage you to bring a blanket or a lawn chair. Come downtown and enjoy this
signature chandler event. We've cooled the weather down just for you this weekend.
council member poston. Thank you. Um, my
announcement tonight is that if you have not been to the chandler museum lately, now
is the time to go. Art from four different chandler schools is on display
there and it's the third annual artist in school's exhibit. So
this exhibit is america the beautiful, and it's inspired by the upcoming
250th anniversary of the us declaration of independence.
and it celebrates the people, the ideas and the stories that bring us together.
the result is a collection of artwork that reflects growth, creativity,
and a hopeful look at the future told through the perspective of our local students. This
exhibit will be on display through early may, so sure to be sure
to stop by the chandler museum and seat it for yourself. Thank you. Thank
you. Councilman morales. Nothing tonight, mayor. Thank you.
I'm pausing. Alright. Councilman there. Haven seen us. Thank
you mayor. I do want to talk about, uh, two very exciting events that I, um, well, one in the future.
and when the, I just past here in our community. Um, I was joined by my
fellow council members, matt orlando and jennifer hawkins at the hartford sylvie,
and seen as groundbreaking. Yay. Um, it was great to join, uh, channeller unified school
district leaders, staff, uh, students and families for the groundbreaking of the new hartford.
sylvia and enc cina elementary school, um, actually had the opportunity to be part of the re-imagining,
uh, committee. So it was great to be part of those meetings with the community and see this actual
plan come to life. And the groundbreaking event was an opportunity for others
to learn more about, about the plans for the new campus. The new school will provide modern learning spaces
with the existing building making way for updated athletic fields, um, is
an exciting step, uh, to kick this all off. So, um, thanks to all that were able
to attend with us. And then this weekend keeping with our schools here with cusd,
um, I'm honored to be part of the inaugural powwow celebration on saturday april 11th.
this, uh, saturday, uh, the event will celebrate the native american students,
families and the chandler community. The day will be filled with incredible culture, demonstrations,
performances, activities, and vendors. Please join us in celebrating at this amazing event.
we look forward to seeing you guys or this weekend. Thank you. Okay, councilman
orlando. Thank you, mayor. Um, as the, the, the council representative
to the, uh, arizona municipal water use association. Better noted amwa,
uh, water is our game. So this is the april is water
conservation month. The city and chandler encourages residents and business to help
protect our water resources as temperatures are rising. Um,
as you know, chandler has numerous rebate programs that converts, helps
you convert your tur or turf into other desert canopies or, or desert
landscaping or canopies. Uh, we're rolling out new technology, uh,
new apps, uh, monitoring devices to help you keep track of any
leaks in your water. And we have a great staff if you have problems with water. So
small actions like fixing leaks, adjusting irrigation systems, uh,
can make a big difference. So together we can ensure a sustainable water future
in our community and let us make every drop count. In fact, we
have a gentleman here from the central arizona project. Thank you, ben. Thanks for coming tonight.
you knew I was gonna talk about water tonight, huh? I can feel it. .
thank you, ben. Thanks for all your service to our cap. Thanks, mayor.
must be more humid when we talk about it. Yep. Cast member
hawkins. Thank you mayor. So yesterday, the city of chandler proudly hosted
its fifth annual partnership appreciation luncheon. Uh, it's a meaningful event celebrating
the strong network of partners who play a vital role in advancing housing stability across
our community. The luncheon brought together dedicated landlords, service providers
and community organizations, uh, whose ongoing collaborations
help connect residents to essential resources, prevent housing insecurity,
and build pathways towards long-term success. Through these valued partnerships,
chandler continues to strengthen its commitment to supporting residents and fostering more stable,
resilient community. The event served as both a celebration and collective
impact and a reminder of what can be achieved when organizations come together with
a shared purpose. So thank you again to all of our partners that were there for us yesterday.
city manager, nothing today, mayor. All right, council
meeting concluded.