[0:01] All right. Good evening, and welcome
[0:05] to the april 9th chandler city council meeting. I would like to
[0:09] call this meeting to order clerk. Please take the role. Mayor herky here, vice
[0:14] mayor encina. Here. Council member poston. Here. Council member ellis.
[0:18] yes. Council member orlando here. Council member harris
[0:22] here. And council member hawkins. Here. We have a quorum.
[0:26] thank you so much. Our invocation tonight will be delivered by
[0:31] kerry wester, who is the arizona market director of
[0:35] spiritual care for dignity health. And our pleasure of allegiance by council
[0:39] member orlando. Okay.
[0:46] good evening everyone. Um, mayor hartke
[0:51] and members of chandler city council, it is an honor to offer
[0:55] a brief reflection as you continue in service to this vibrant community.
[1:00] my reflection tonight is rooted in the shared mission of service that
[1:04] guides all of us who work for wellbeing of chandler and draws from the values of
[1:08] the hospitals that I serve in the foundation of our commitment is a
[1:12] profound belief in the dignity of every person. This principle is paired
[1:16] with a steadfast call for the promotion of human kindness, which must govern
[1:20] our approach in all things. It is this commitment that reminds us
[1:24] that our leadership is defined not only by what we accomplish, but how
[1:28] we achieve our goals. Effective governance and true community service
[1:33] required daily reflection on our goals for the future and our values,
[1:38] demanding excellence and integrity in every decision. Our common goal
[1:43] must be to create healthier communities, uh, which means we must look
[1:47] beyond the walls of this room to those within the community of chandler whose needs
[1:51] must be considered in every discussion and decision made.
[1:55] this shared commitment to service within the community of chandler requires respect for all persons
[1:59] and the wisdom to make decisions that benefit every resident.
[2:04] may we continue to support one another in this important work. Now, let us pause for
[2:08] a moment of prayer. Almighty and loving god, creator
[2:12] of all, we come before you. In a spirit of gratitude
[2:17] for the gift of community and the privilege of service, we ask that you pour
[2:21] out your wisdom and understanding upon the members of the chandler city council,
[2:25] so that their decisions may always reflect compassion, justice, and respect.
[2:29] grant them the strength to be tireless advocates for the entire
[2:34] community, especially those most in need. May we be
[2:38] united in a shared commitment to human kindness and peace, fostering
[2:42] a spirit of collaboration that builds up our city. We pray for
[2:46] all who call chandler home. And for the continued wellbeing of
[2:51] this community and all the holy names of god, we play, we pray.
[2:55] amen. Amen. Please join me to recite the pledge allegiance.
[3:01] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america
[3:05] and to the republic for which stands, one nation under
[3:09] god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
[3:16] thank you both custom. Before we vote on the
[3:20] consent agenda, we, item number two is a board
[3:24] appointment. And uh, tonight we have our, uh,
[3:29] representing the library board. Melanie dextra, who is no stranger to chandler are the east
[3:33] valley. Thank you.
[3:41] next consent agenda, counsel, how would you like to proceed? Yes, mayor, vice mayor.
[3:45] yeah. I move to approve the consent agenda of the april 9th, 2026.
[3:49] regular meeting items one through 16. Is there a second?
[3:54] second by council member ellis. Uh,
[3:58] any questions? Recusals? Seeing none. Council please vote. Council
[4:03] member harris? Yes.
[4:08] motion carries unanimously. Thank you. And to our audience, we had opportunity
[4:12] to review these, meet with staff earlier in the week. So this might
[4:17] seem quick to you, but it's not to us. Just in the process of
[4:21] looking over these items, being familiar with them and ready to vote on them.
[4:26] next on our agenda is unscheduled public appearances. I have one card
[4:30] from mr. Beal. As previously stated,
[4:34] this is unscheduled. We cannot, uh, engage you, but you have up to three
[4:38] minutes to share your thoughts and staff. We'll get back to you.
[4:44] please state your name and city of residence. Brook beal. Chandler.
[4:49] uh, so first I'd like to talk about, uh,
[4:53] reemphasize my, my position on e-bikes and bicycles
[4:58] on sidewalks. Uh, I think that it's a bad idea.
[5:02] um, I think that only
[5:06] focusing on the safety of the e-bikes bicyclist or the cyclist,
[5:11] uh, ignores the, the, the safety of people such as myself.
[5:15] uh, 70 years old, I get struck by a, an e-bike. I'm probably
[5:19] gonna go down hard and for you to ignore my safety
[5:24] is, is unacceptable. Yeah, you may have children or grandchildren
[5:28] that you want to keep safe, but guess what? I want to keep me safe. And, and
[5:33] you need to consider that when you're, when you're making these decisions.
[5:37] um, second thing is, uh, may is going to be bike
[5:41] safety month and also water safety month. And what a perfect thing for you guys to
[5:45] do would be to come up with a presentation on what you're
[5:49] doing to make the canal, uh, safe, the consolidated
[5:54] canal safe for bicyclists and, uh, for pedestrians,
[5:58] uh, since you have 20 million gallons of water going through
[6:02] there, uh, from in the seven and a half miles of the canal,
[6:07] uh, that's quite a bit of water that's unsafe.
[6:11] uh, and then you put on their bicyclists and e-bikes that go
[6:15] 20 to 30 miles an hour, or even the motorbikes
[6:19] that go, uh, 40, 50, 60 miles an hour.
[6:23] so, um, I I, I would like to have you guys, uh, put
[6:27] together a presentation, uh, for next month to, uh, to
[6:31] show what you're doing to address these concerns of mine. Um,
[6:36] I think that I now have had to call 9 1 1 3
[6:41] times while I've been walking on the canal. Uh, twice
[6:45] I was actually physically assaulted. Uh, the third time was
[6:49] just, uh, last month I was nearly assaulted. I think the only reason
[6:54] I wasn't assaulted was because I handed, held up the phone and, and showed
[6:58] the guy that I had already called 9 1 1 and they were on the phone with me at
[7:02] the time that he arrived. Um, because I was taking pictures of
[7:06] his son, apparently I'm a predator, taking pictures of, of his
[7:10] boy who was on the canal riding his motorbike. Not a ebike,
[7:14] but a motorbike. Um, and as soon as he saw that I was
[7:18] on the phone to nine one one, uh, he and his wife turned around and left.
[7:22] that's how concerned they were about his son breaking the law or me taking
[7:26] pictures of his child. Um, as soon as he saw that I was talking to
[7:31] the 9 1 1 operator, I gave them his, his license plate.
[7:35] um, they left. They, they didn't want anything to do with it.
[7:39] so, um, I'm tired of doing the policeman's job there.
[7:43] I'm collecting information of crimes that are being committed
[7:47] and I shouldn't have to. Thank you, mr. Beal.
[7:52] next is current events. I will start. Um, speaking of
[7:56] cycling and the canal, we
[8:00] have our chandler's 18th annual family bike ride coming up and
[8:04] I would like to draw attention to that. I hope you all will consider joining
[8:09] me on this free family friendly event this saturday,
[8:13] april 11th with activities beginning at seven 30 at
[8:17] the chandler park and ride, and a guided ride starting at eight
[8:21] 30. Participants of all ages and skill levels are
[8:26] invited to ride along. Sife, myself, uh, chandler bike team,
[8:30] other council members, uh, for a scenic 7.8
[8:34] mile ride along the paseo trail. In addition to the ride, families
[8:38] can enjoy vendor booths, bike decorating stations, and
[8:42] activities focused on bicycle safety and healthy living.
[8:47] this event is a great way to celebrate valley bike month while promoting
[8:51] sustainability, wellness and active transportation in our
[8:55] community. So I encourage you to register in advance so that we'll also
[8:59] know your t-shirt size and it'll save the, it'll save the,
[9:03] uh, efforts and energy of being in a line there to register
[9:07] live as and join us as we ride to save
[9:11] the world and be everyday heroes right here in chandler. And
[9:16] secondly, I'd like to also highlight we this weekend is also
[9:20] the chandler jazz festival. Bring your friends and family out to this
[9:24] free festival taking place now through april 12th in
[9:28] downtown chandler, with performances happening throughout the weekend
[9:32] at dr. Aj chandler park and along the downtown
[9:36] streets. In celebration of jazz appreciation month, the
[9:40] festival will feature more than 40 hours of live music showcasing
[9:45] a talented local and national artists to across a variety of
[9:49] jazz styles, from sidewalk performances to main stage
[9:53] concerts. This event will offer a vibrant atmosphere where residents
[9:58] and visitors can enjoy great music, local culture, and the energy
[10:02] of our beloved downtown. So for a detailed lineup, please visit
[10:08] www chandler az.gov/jazz.
[10:13] I also encourage you to bring a blanket or a lawn chair. Come downtown and enjoy this
[10:18] signature chandler event. We've cooled the weather down just for you this weekend.
[10:23] council member poston. Thank you. Um, my
[10:27] announcement tonight is that if you have not been to the chandler museum lately, now
[10:31] is the time to go. Art from four different chandler schools is on display
[10:35] there and it's the third annual artist in school's exhibit. So
[10:40] this exhibit is america the beautiful, and it's inspired by the upcoming
[10:44] 250th anniversary of the us declaration of independence.
[10:48] and it celebrates the people, the ideas and the stories that bring us together.
[10:53] the result is a collection of artwork that reflects growth, creativity,
[10:57] and a hopeful look at the future told through the perspective of our local students. This
[11:01] exhibit will be on display through early may, so sure to be sure
[11:06] to stop by the chandler museum and seat it for yourself. Thank you. Thank
[11:10] you. Councilman morales. Nothing tonight, mayor. Thank you.
[11:14] I'm pausing. Alright. Councilman there. Haven seen us. Thank
[11:19] you mayor. I do want to talk about, uh, two very exciting events that I, um, well, one in the future.
[11:23] and when the, I just past here in our community. Um, I was joined by my
[11:27] fellow council members, matt orlando and jennifer hawkins at the hartford sylvie,
[11:31] and seen as groundbreaking. Yay. Um, it was great to join, uh, channeller unified school
[11:35] district leaders, staff, uh, students and families for the groundbreaking of the new hartford.
[11:39] sylvia and enc cina elementary school, um, actually had the opportunity to be part of the re-imagining,
[11:43] uh, committee. So it was great to be part of those meetings with the community and see this actual
[11:48] plan come to life. And the groundbreaking event was an opportunity for others
[11:52] to learn more about, about the plans for the new campus. The new school will provide modern learning spaces
[11:56] with the existing building making way for updated athletic fields, um, is
[12:01] an exciting step, uh, to kick this all off. So, um, thanks to all that were able
[12:05] to attend with us. And then this weekend keeping with our schools here with cusd,
[12:09] um, I'm honored to be part of the inaugural powwow celebration on saturday april 11th.
[12:13] this, uh, saturday, uh, the event will celebrate the native american students,
[12:17] families and the chandler community. The day will be filled with incredible culture, demonstrations,
[12:22] performances, activities, and vendors. Please join us in celebrating at this amazing event.
[12:26] we look forward to seeing you guys or this weekend. Thank you. Okay, councilman
[12:30] orlando. Thank you, mayor. Um, as the, the, the council representative
[12:35] to the, uh, arizona municipal water use association. Better noted amwa,
[12:39] uh, water is our game. So this is the april is water
[12:43] conservation month. The city and chandler encourages residents and business to help
[12:47] protect our water resources as temperatures are rising. Um,
[12:52] as you know, chandler has numerous rebate programs that converts, helps
[12:56] you convert your tur or turf into other desert canopies or, or desert
[13:00] landscaping or canopies. Uh, we're rolling out new technology, uh,
[13:04] new apps, uh, monitoring devices to help you keep track of any
[13:08] leaks in your water. And we have a great staff if you have problems with water. So
[13:13] small actions like fixing leaks, adjusting irrigation systems, uh,
[13:17] can make a big difference. So together we can ensure a sustainable water future
[13:21] in our community and let us make every drop count. In fact, we
[13:25] have a gentleman here from the central arizona project. Thank you, ben. Thanks for coming tonight.
[13:29] you knew I was gonna talk about water tonight, huh? I can feel it. .
[13:34] thank you, ben. Thanks for all your service to our cap. Thanks, mayor.
[13:38] must be more humid when we talk about it. Yep. Cast member
[13:43] hawkins. Thank you mayor. So yesterday, the city of chandler proudly hosted
[13:47] its fifth annual partnership appreciation luncheon. Uh, it's a meaningful event celebrating
[13:51] the strong network of partners who play a vital role in advancing housing stability across
[13:55] our community. The luncheon brought together dedicated landlords, service providers
[13:59] and community organizations, uh, whose ongoing collaborations
[14:03] help connect residents to essential resources, prevent housing insecurity,
[14:07] and build pathways towards long-term success. Through these valued partnerships,
[14:12] chandler continues to strengthen its commitment to supporting residents and fostering more stable,
[14:16] resilient community. The event served as both a celebration and collective
[14:20] impact and a reminder of what can be achieved when organizations come together with
[14:24] a shared purpose. So thank you again to all of our partners that were there for us yesterday.
[14:30] city manager, nothing today, mayor. All right, council
[14:37] meeting concluded.