[0:00] Here today.
[0:00] Our mayor, city council
and officials
[0:04] grant them clarity of mind.
[0:06] Patience of spirit
and a deep commitment
[0:09] to the common
good of all people.
[0:14] Make each of us instruments
[0:16] of peace and goodwill.
[0:19] Bless.
[0:19] We pray this city of surprise
[0:22] hits neighborhoods and homes.
[0:26] May we each be reminded
this evening
[0:29] of the responsibility
which is ours to bear,
[0:33] that this city be a place
where goodness is nurtured
[0:37] and love is made visible
in all that we do.
[0:42] Amen.
[0:44] And thank you, Reverend.
[0:45] Madam clerk,
please call the roll.
[0:48] Mayor Sartor present.
[0:49] Vice mayor Greenburg here.
[0:52] Councilman Haney here.
[0:53] Councilman Duffy here.
[0:55] Councilman Melton.
[0:56] Present. Councilman Hastings
here. Councilman.
[0:58] Jet here. Thank you. Mayor.
We have quorum.
[1:01] All right.
[1:01] Thank you.
[1:01] So tonight,
we have a special group
[1:03] to lead us
in the Pledge of Allegiance.
[1:04] We have the Dysart
[1:05] High School Skills
USA and broadcasting team.
[1:09] Here is, is was Mr.
[1:12] Yoder at stand here?
[1:14] Oh, in the back. Okay.
[1:16] So if you could help
[1:17] lead us in the pledge,
I would appreciate it.
[1:25] I cannot.
[1:29] I pledge
[1:29] allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America.
[1:34] And to the Republic
for which it stands.
[1:37] One nation
under God, indivisible,
[1:40] with liberty and justice
for all.
[1:44] Thank.
[1:45] Right.
[1:48] So, did you have something
you wanted to say?
[1:50] So we have a proclamation to.
[1:51] So you go ahead
and we'll do the proclamation.
[1:58] Good evening, Mayor and Council.
[2:00] My name is Grace
[2:00] Brennan, and I am a senior
at Desert High School
[2:03] and the president of our skills
USA chapter.
[2:05] Skills USA is a career
and technical student
[2:08] organization that empowers
its members to become world
[2:11] class leaders, workers,
and responsible citizens.
[2:15] We are also a part of the Desert
Student Broadcasting Program,
[2:17] a program
[2:18] that is student led and student
driven and student produced.
[2:21] We broadcast
academic and sporting
[2:23] events live to our school's
YouTube channel for any and all
[2:25] to join us throughout the 2025
2026 school year.
[2:29] Our in film,
[2:29] desert, film and TV
[2:30] gave back to our community
in ways
[2:32] I could have never imagined
we'd achieve
[2:34] as a two time,
hopefully going on
[2:36] three goal chapter distinction.
[2:38] We are proud to share
[2:39] some of our accomplishments
over the last year
[2:41] working in Desert
Student Broadcasting.
[2:43] We have worked closely
with surprise TV
[2:45] to cover events
such as the Veterans Day Parade,
[2:47] the SciTech Festival,
[2:49] and with other events
like Partnership Day coming up.
[2:52] We have participated
in multiple street
[2:53] cleanups
for a street in Glendale
[2:55] and have collected
[2:56] over 160 pounds of trash,
and we are still counting.
[3:00] Additionally, we held our second
annual toys for tots
[3:03] drive raising nearly 240 toys
for children in need.
[3:07] In just a few weeks,
38 of our members will be headed
[3:09] to the Glendale Community
College
[3:11] to compete in the annual region
[3:13] five Leadership
in Skills Conference.
[3:15] Thank you for giving us
the opportunity to share
[3:17] more about our accomplishments
and contributions
[3:19] to the City of El Mirage,
Glendale and surprise!
[3:22] Thank you.
[3:41] All right,
so we got a two for tonight.
[3:43] We have the pledge,
which is led by, skills USA.
[3:47] And we get a proclamation
about skills USA.
[3:48] So let me do this.
[3:51] All right.
[3:51] So proclamation
from the office of the mayor.
[3:54] Whereas February
2nd through February 6th, 2026
[3:57] has been designated by the
skills USA, National Association
[4:00] as Skills USA week.
[4:02] And Whereas Career and Technical
Education provide students
[4:05] with a school
to career connection
[4:08] and is the backbone of a strong
and educated workforce
[4:11] that fosters productivity
in business and industry
[4:14] and contributes to leadership
[4:16] in the national
and global economies.
[4:19] And Whereas,
[4:20] Career and Technical Education
and Skills USA gives high school
[4:23] students empowering experiences
and the meaningful
[4:26] application of skills
such as reading,
[4:28] writing and mathematics,
[4:29] as well as the development
of skill USA framework skills,
[4:32] including personal skills,
[4:34] workplace skills and technical
skills grounded in academics,
[4:37] thus improving the quality
of their education,
[4:40] providing increased motivation
to learn,
[4:42] and giving all students
leadership opportunities
[4:44] and their career
fields, schools and communities.
[4:47] And Whereas,
career and technical education
[4:50] offer students opportunities
to learn skills
[4:52] and have career experiences that
may lead to further education
[4:56] or meaningful employment.
[4:57] And Whereas,
the cooperative efforts
[5:00] of career
and technical educators
[5:01] working with business
and industry
[5:03] stimulates the vitality
of our nation's economy
[5:06] by preparing graduates
for careers, forecast
[5:09] to experience the large, largest
growth within the next decade.
[5:13] And Whereas skills USA
is the number one workforce
[5:16] development organization
for students preparing
[5:20] middle school, high school
and college post-secondary
[5:22] students, and technical skills
[5:24] and career programs
to be high performing workers.
[5:28] Now, therefore, I, Kevin Sartor,
mayor of the City of Surprise,
[5:31] to hereby proclaim February 6th
[5:33] and February 2nd through
February 6th, 2026 as skills
[5:37] USA week and urge all citizens
[5:39] to acquaint themselves
with the mission of skills USA
[5:42] and to give support to
the members who are working hard
[5:44] to achieve the goals
that will make them outstanding,
[5:47] skilled
workers in our community.
[5:54] You mind if we get a picture?
[5:55] I can I can give this to you,
counselor.
[5:57] You want to join us for that?
[6:03] Thank you.
[6:03] Are you taking anything here?
[6:07] I'm just going
[6:09] to here.
[6:12] Yeah.
[6:14] Jonathan. You could.
[6:16] You knew that was which
[6:18] we looked at.
[6:19] And so I don't, you know, like.
[6:21] Oh, I know.
[6:28] All right.
[6:29] Thank you.
[6:30] Did you come?
[6:35] With you one.
[6:38] Hey, way to represent skills,
you guys.
[6:39] Good job.
[6:40] Good job guys. Thank you.
[6:42] Appreciate it. Now
[6:45] thanks a bunch.
[6:46] Yeah.
[6:50] Absolutely. Yes.
[6:51] You got it. You.
[6:55] Here.
[6:55] Just sharing a few words.
[6:58] Perfect.
[7:00] It is with great honor
to accept this on behalf
[7:03] of my personal chapter, as well
as skills USA as a whole.
[7:06] As a student leader,
I always question
[7:07] how can I empower
my fellow peers?
[7:10] How can I convince them
that they too can be a leader?
[7:12] I'm sure many of you are curious
as to what skills USA is,
[7:15] and I'm here to explain
how this program alone
[7:17] is the answer
to my two previous questions.
[7:20] Skills USA is the number one
youth workforce development
[7:22] organization with over 444,000
members nationally.
[7:27] As mentioned,
the purpose of this organization
[7:29] is to ensure
students are prepared
[7:30] for careers in trade, technical
and skills service operations.
[7:33] Their mission is to, quote,
[7:35] empower students
to become skilled professionals,
[7:38] career ready
leaders, and responsible
[7:40] community members, unquote.
[7:41] If I told you that a year ago,
I refuse to use my voice
[7:44] and I wouldn't dare speak up
for the good of my school,
[7:46] would it be hard to believe me?
[7:48] To help you all understand,
[7:49] I'd like to begin
by recognizing the previously
[7:51] mentioned achievements
of my film
[7:52] and TV program
within this past year.
[7:54] Personally, I understood what
my sole purpose was.
[7:56] A senior chapter president,
[7:58] I knew I needed
[7:58] to give back to my computer
[8:00] community that has invested
so much into us.
[8:03] And I knew I was going
to utilize
[8:04] every opportunity
that came across me,
[8:06] not just for me,
but for my advisor,
[8:08] my beloved peers, and the school
in which I spent more time out
[8:11] than my own home.
[8:13] Now I stand here before you,
overwhelmed
[8:15] with pride
for what we have accomplished.
[8:16] I would like to ask again,
[8:17] would you believe me
if I told you that I would dare
[8:20] not speak up
for the good of my school?
[8:22] A year prior to now?
[8:24] I'm sure at this moment, most,
[8:25] if not all of
you are asking yourself
[8:27] what was my turning point?
[8:29] My change only truly began
once I took part in skills USA.
[8:32] This organization has taught me
that I too can be a leader
[8:35] and take that next step
[8:36] and that any voice, no matter
how proudly spoken or nervously
[8:40] whispered, is a voice
that is deserved to be heard.
[8:43] Finally, as I end here,
I would like to express
[8:45] the importance of teamwork,
diversity and involvement with a
[8:49] not only a career
and technical education program
[8:51] such as ours,
[8:52] but within everything
practice in our lives,
[8:54] within our schools, cities
and communities.
[8:57] Skills
USA in CTE allows every student
[8:59] from any background
to become a leader. Thank you.
[9:05] Thank.
[9:08] You. Well, young
[9:10] lady, I was going to give you
one of my coins
[9:11] because you did
such a great job. I owe you one.
[9:14] I don't have one of my my coins,
but great job presenting.
[9:17] Oh, wait. Karina has one.
You got to.
[9:20] You got to appreciate that.
Okay.
[9:21] One sack.
[9:29] Is going down.
[9:33] 16. That's kind of Mr.
[9:34] Omar.
[9:35] He put a bunch of us.
[9:43] I wanted that, but that's okay.
[9:45] Here we go.
[9:47] So you need a visor in the,
[9:50] You can't find it
on the challenge coin,
[9:53] and I don't give them up
for various reasons,
[9:56] so you have to wait for them
[9:58] right in front of the council
for all these people.
[10:01] Amazing. Yes, certainly.
[10:02] For us on here
says these not words.
[10:05] It's something that I love.
[10:06] I said talking about it
could be anybody.
[10:08] That's how you are in school.
That's leadership.
[10:10] Congratulations.
And Cheering okay
[10:14] I. Mrs.
[10:33] Davis do
you have a city manager report.
[10:36] Thank you mayor Council members
no reports tonight.
[10:39] The item that is Agendize
will be rescheduled
[10:42] for the February
17th meeting. Okay. Thank you.
[10:45] Thank you.
[10:46] There are three items on
the consent agenda.
[10:47] Would any of the council members
[10:49] like to pull in
for clarification?
[10:53] Hearing none.
[10:54] I will entertain a motion
to approve the consent agenda.
[10:58] Motion
to approve consent agenda.
[11:00] I can't.
[11:01] It's been moved and seconded.
[11:02] Please cast your vote.
[11:09] That's a unanimous vote, mayor.
[11:11] Thank you.
[11:11] Please read. Item four.
[11:14] Item four Arizona Corporation
[11:17] Commission update. Is.
[11:25] Good evening, mayor and Council.
[11:27] Today I have with me
Arizona Corporation Commissioner
[11:31] Kevin Thompson,
who's going to provide an update
[11:34] of what the SEC does,
how they approach rate cases,
[11:38] some of their recent wins
over the last year
[11:40] because they've had several
[11:42] they're a lot of people
don't know about.
[11:43] So I'm going to pull up
[11:44] his presentation
and call him down. And.
[11:48] Have him share
the good news with all of you.
[11:51] And Judy,
thank you for coordinating this.
[11:53] Yeah. You're welcome.
[11:55] This is something that
we haven't done in the past,
[11:57] but thanks to you,
[12:00] everyone will have the same
update now.
[12:04] Thank you.
[12:05] Just a little spread.
[12:07] Yeah.
[12:09] Good evening.
[12:09] Sir. How are you?
[12:12] We broke it.
[12:13] Oh. Oh, you got this better
a moment ago.
[12:15] You got to wing it,
but I think it's.
[12:19] Okay.
[12:20] Okay.
[12:22] Good evening, mayor and council.
[12:24] Thank you for inviting me
to come
[12:27] and speak about the Arizona
Corporation Commission.
[12:30] The Arizona Corporation
Commission
[12:31] is one of those entities
that was founded.
[12:34] It was founded at statehood.
[12:37] Constitutionally, so we don't
report to the governor. We
[12:41] don't report to the legislature
or the attorney general.
[12:45] We report to the citizens
that elected us,
[12:48] statewide to represent them.
[12:51] The main, focus of the Arizona
Corporation Commission is,
[12:56] really to regulate the non munic
[13:01] Our primary function
is, is that that's about 98%
[13:04] of what we do appears to be,
you know, Source Energy,
[13:08] Southwest Gas, and about 220
or so private water
[13:11] wastewater, companies
across Arizona.
[13:15] We also have a securities
department
[13:16] where we investigate
securities fraud.
[13:19] We also have pipeline
and railroad safety.
[13:22] Division.
[13:23] So we inspect every inch of rail
line,
[13:25] across
the entire state of Arizona.
[13:27] We're responsible for all of the
crossings at grade crossings
[13:31] to make sure
[13:32] that the lights are flashing,
that the arms come down
[13:35] when the train's coming,
and so forth.
[13:36] And then we also have
a incorporations division.
[13:40] So if you're an entrepreneur
[13:41] and you want to start
your business,
[13:43] we will help, you, fill out
your paperwork to become an LLC.
[13:47] We don't regulate business.
[13:49] We're only the filing, agency
for that.
[13:53] So the corporation commission,
our mission is to power
[13:56] Arizona's future.
[13:58] As simple as that.
[13:59] We we try to protect,
ratepayers, during rate,
[14:04] when when the utilities come in
for a rate cases.
[14:07] That's our primary
responsibility is to ensure
[14:11] that we have a reliable grid
and the grid is both water, gas
[14:14] and electric
at the lowest possible price.
[14:17] And we do, we take our job very,
very seriously
[14:21] at the commission to ensure
that we're keeping our,
[14:23] prices as low as possible.
[14:28] Arizona right now is ranked
[14:29] nationally seventh
in reliability in the U.S.
[14:33] compared to other states.
[14:36] The, the Energy
[14:39] Information administration.gov
is the one that they're a big,
[14:43] government entity in DC that,
is kind of like the watchdog
[14:47] and they, look at all
the states and compare states.
[14:51] And Arizona, as I said,
was, ranked seventh nationally.
[14:56] Over the last three years,
we have had, no
[14:59] major outages other than, well,
we've had six major outages,
[15:03] which is well below the,
national average.
[15:06] California, for example, had 145
[15:09] major outages, Texas
had 210, and Nevada had six.
[15:14] And so, nationally,
we're doing very, very good.
[15:21] The nationwide average
[15:24] for retail residential prices
rose, nationally from,
[15:29] roughly six points,
or increased by 6.5% nationally.
[15:34] In Arizona,
[15:35] our rates over that same period
only increased by 1.7%.
[15:40] So we're doing our job
to put the utilities
[15:42] back in their lane,
ensuring that,
[15:45] that, we're holding
our utilities accountable
[15:48] and we're not letting them,
spend frivolously on projects.
[15:54] Their job is to produce power,
[15:56] but the power in the,
[15:56] in the transmission
and distribution lines
[15:59] and serve the ratepayers.
[16:01] And that's what
[16:02] we're trying to get
the utilities back to doing.
[16:06] Arizona ranked seventh
for population growth
[16:08] from from prior years,
and the state's population
[16:11] is projected to increase
by 102% between 2000 and 2030.
[16:17] Our infrastructure is aging.
[16:19] And so,
[16:20] with a aging infrastructure,
as you know, with your water
[16:23] and sewer lines,
[16:24] you have to start replacing
aging infrastructure.
[16:28] Our rates,
[16:30] previously were outdated.
[16:32] They didn't really reflect
the actual cost
[16:34] of providing service.
[16:36] And so,
[16:37] we're working with our utilities
to make sure
[16:39] that they're updating
their utility grid.
[16:41] They're updating water, lines.
[16:43] We have private
water companies in Arizona,
[16:46] some that have never been in
for a rate for rate case,
[16:49] which tells us that they're not
investing in their utility.
[16:53] We have some water companies
that haven't
[16:55] been in for a rate case
in over 30 years.
[16:57] So they're not really investing
in their in their utility
[17:01] to provide
potable, safe drinking water.
[17:09] Arizona's
[17:10] generation is a diverse mix,
primarily natural gas,
[17:14] that fuels
[17:15] most of our electricity across
Arizona, with a roughly 46%
[17:20] nuclear power
is, out at Palo Verde.
[17:22] That's about 27%.
[17:24] Solar is about 10 to 13%,
along with coal,
[17:28] which is 7 to 8%, and renewable
hydro wind, which is around 5%.
[17:34] It's worth
noting that both SRP and Tucson
[17:38] Electric Power,
[17:38] as well as APS, plan
on converting some of their
[17:41] existing coal plants.
[17:43] There's three left in the
in Arizona.
[17:45] They're looking to convert those
coal plants to natural gas,
[17:49] so that we can keep those plants
open and functional
[17:51] for another 25 years.
[17:56] We're
[17:56] also,
supportive of all of the above.
[17:59] We believe that every electron
that we can put into the grid
[18:03] is what's going to help us
keep the lights on in Arizona
[18:06] during our summers.
[18:07] And very few people
know this last summer,
[18:10] in Arizona,
all of our utilities,
[18:13] all three of our utilities
SRP, DPI, and APS
[18:16] hit back to back to back
record days with the heat.
[18:20] So they,
[18:22] when it was
120 degrees here in the Valley,
[18:25] every single day, the utility
was breaking new records
[18:29] and our lights never flickered,
our power never went out,
[18:32] and we were able to keep the air
[18:33] conditioning on across Arizona.
[18:37] This past year,
[18:39] we did repeal the rest rules.
[18:42] Those are the renewable energy
standards and tariffs.
[18:45] Those are rules
that were put in place,
[18:48] around 15 years ago
that have cost our ratepayers,
[18:52] to this point in time, over
$3.2 billion.
[18:55] Those were the mandates
[18:56] that said the utilities
had to produce a certain
[18:59] percentage of their power
using renewables.
[19:02] What's happened over time
is that our commission
[19:05] has forgotten
[19:06] about baseload generation
and relied on renewables,
[19:09] and the renewables have not,
kept up,
[19:13] with that baseload generation.
[19:15] And so you're seeing our
[19:16] utilities now to back, back off
a lot of their commitments
[19:19] on renewables.
[19:20] And they're starting to reinvest
in natural gas generation
[19:24] to help keep the lights on.
[19:26] We also are supporting our,
[19:29] supporting consolidation
of the water companies.
[19:31] As I said,
we have some companies
[19:33] that haven't been in
for 30 years,
[19:35] to renew
their or for a rate case,
[19:38] which means they aren't
investing in their utility.
[19:41] Their, their leakage is
is 30 plus percent leakage.
[19:45] And that's water that the
that the ratepayers
[19:47] have paid for that's going
right back into the ground.
[19:50] And so, we're very supportive
of supportive of consolidation
[19:54] where you have a larger utility
that will come in and purchase
[19:58] the smaller utilities,
[19:59] and they're reinvesting
in those utilities,
[20:01] bringing them up to,
the standard for the day.
[20:06] We've also eliminated
a lot of the special interest
[20:08] incentives
and ratepayer subsidies.
[20:10] Again, we believe that
ratepayers that if you want
[20:14] rooftop solar,
you can have rooftop solar.
[20:17] Don't make me pay
for your rooftop solar.
[20:20] And so, so we're eliminating
a lot of the mandates
[20:22] and a lot of the subsidies
that have cost our ratepayers
[20:26] hundreds of thousands,
if not millions of dollars.
[20:28] And, letting those utilities
down on the on their own merits.
[20:36] Data centers
and large load customers
[20:38] have become
the topic of the day,
[20:40] and it's no different
for us at the commission.
[20:43] We strive every day
[20:45] to make sure that our lights
stay on amongst all of this
[20:49] high load, factors
that are coming in.
[20:53] We don't discriminate
against projects.
[20:56] So whenever we're looking
[20:57] at, contracts, for example,
we approved the Project
[21:01] Blue, which was down
in, Tucson in the Marana area.
[21:05] We approved that project
not too long ago.
[21:08] That project was a data center.
[21:10] We did not
look at the data center.
[21:13] The project itself.
[21:14] That's your job
as the local government
[21:17] to deal with the ordinances
and the land use issues.
[21:19] All we look at
is the electric piece,
[21:22] whether it's a generation tie
or whether it's a contract.
[21:25] And, what we do is we verify
and make sure that the contracts
[21:30] that the utilities
are putting in place
[21:32] aren't going to impact
our residential consumers.
[21:34] And so we take that job very,
very seriously.
[21:37] We don't want to interfere
with what your job is as
[21:41] local government,
because you are the government
[21:43] that's closest to the people.
[21:45] And our job is to really manage
the power grid,
[21:49] to keep an eye on that.
[21:53] Renewables.
[21:54] The commission,
[21:56] it's something to note
that a lot of people think
[21:59] that the commission
has authority over renewables.
[22:02] The only authority that we have
is on the generation
[22:05] tie itself.
[22:06] The, Arizona revised statute,
title 40, gives us authority
[22:10] and authority, as well as title
or, Arizona Constitution.
[22:15] Section 15, our authority, stops
at thermal and hydro.
[22:20] We do not have any, authority
over, over non thermal.
[22:24] So all of renewables,
wind, solar.
[22:26] We have zero authority over that
other than the generation
[22:30] tie itself where it ties
[22:31] into the transmission lines
coming into the valley.
[22:34] A lot of people feel that
or think that we have
[22:37] that authority, that we can stop
projects and we simply cannot.
[22:40] That's again,
[22:41] it goes back to local
jurisdictions and your ability,
[22:45] to to manage your projects and,
[22:48] manage your ordinances
and your city.
[22:51] So with that,
if you have any questions, I'll
[22:53] be happy to answer.
[22:56] Thank you.
[22:57] Council. Any questions?
[22:59] Councilman Hastings.
[23:02] Thank you. Mayor.
[23:03] Well, thanks for coming out
and appreciate you.
[23:05] I mean, you got your start on
it. Was it?
[23:07] The Mesa City Council
[23:08] spent eight years on the Mesa
City Council.
[23:10] I've never heard a statewide
elected official say that.
[23:13] You know,
you guys are a local government,
[23:14] and you should be
making decisions.
[23:15] I think that's the first time.
[23:16] But thank you
for all you're doing.
[23:17] I think that, sometimes, like,
we overlook,
[23:20] you know, the utilities
and supposedly
[23:22] the offensive lineman
in a sense,
[23:23] like you ever notice
[23:24] when they're doing a good job,
you only kind of
[23:25] see them on the news
if something happens.
[23:27] And maybe that's kind of like it
for all officials.
[23:29] But I appreciate your work
[23:30] and thanks so much
for coming out here
[23:31] and especially talking
about the data center piece,
[23:33] because I think that is new.
[23:34] So is that considered is data
considered a utility now
[23:39] like in your umbrella
that like what she regulator or
[23:42] where where's that at.
[23:42] It's not mayor council
[23:45] council member Hastings.
[23:46] It's not.
[23:47] Again we we don't look
at the project itself.
[23:51] We try to do our best to manage.
[23:55] You know, we've said
[23:56] from the dais that development
has to pay for itself.
[24:00] So we're not going to put,
the cost to serve a data center
[24:03] onto the backs
of our residential, ratepayers.
[24:06] We've made that commitment,
[24:08] and we're working hard to
to live up to that.
[24:10] But we don't manage.
[24:12] I we don't manage data centers.
[24:16] I know
[24:16] there's a lot of legislation
that's being ran this, this,
[24:20] this cycle,
[24:22] or this session
where they are trying
[24:25] to put regulations
in place to manage AI.
[24:28] Somebody out there needs to,
[24:31] but it's not the corporation
commission. Absolutely.
[24:33] Well, you sure know how to go
to draw a crowd to as well.
[24:37] So I say you have a good night.
[24:39] Thank you. Sir. Yeah. Thank you.
[24:40] Yeah. Jokester over there.
[24:42] And vice mayor.
You were serious now?
[24:44] Councilman. Free Ramos.
[24:46] Vice. Councilman Milton.
[24:50] Thank you.
[24:51] Mayor.
[24:52] Commissioner Thompson,
thanks for
[24:53] thanks for coming out to see us.
[24:55] You're obviously your job is
[24:57] the commission has a has
a tough has a tough role.
[25:00] As you as you pointed out,
Arizona is doing
[25:02] everything we can to keep up
with our demand curves.
[25:06] And it's, and you have to
balance all of these things.
[25:09] And I will tell you that
[25:10] having,
being observer of the ACC
[25:13] all these years, I'm
very impressed
[25:15] with what you guys are doing.
[25:16] I know that you're doing
every tool you have,
[25:20] to keep up that demand curve
to be respectful
[25:22] to the ratepayers.
[25:23] But, having watching you, you
know, promoting securitization,
[25:28] promoting permitting reform,
repealing these,
[25:32] mandates, with the rules,
the rest rules,
[25:35] you know, doing what you
can for energy conversion.
[25:39] I really appreciate
[25:41] I know what it's,
[25:41] you know, on city council,
we're doing everything
[25:43] we can just
to keep up with infrastructure.
[25:45] Every tool we have, we are
trying to we're trying to use.
[25:49] And you guys are kind of similar
[25:50] to every tool you have,
how you're supposed to,
[25:53] to keep up
with our demand curves.
[25:55] And I really appreciate it.
[25:56] Everything you guys do at DCC,
and I really appreciate
[25:58] you guys coming down and
and briefing on the committee.
[26:01] So thank you.
[26:02] Thank you. Mayor and council.
Thank you.
[26:04] Council member Melton.
[26:06] It hasn't been easy.
[26:08] It, it was, you know,
when we first got into office
[26:12] in January 23rd, the commission
was in disarray, and,
[26:17] we were dead last in the nation
for regulatory stability.
[26:21] That showed up in our rates
because our utilities,
[26:25] if you think about,
[26:26] regulatory stability and the
ability for our utilities to,
[26:31] to go out and get capital
for these capital intensive
[26:34] programs, replacing poles,
[26:35] replacing wires
and so forth, and equipment,
[26:38] transformers, pipelines,
all of that takes capital.
[26:42] And because our credit ratings
were in the gutters,
[26:46] our utilities were paying,
higher interest rates.
[26:51] It's no different
than a consumer.
[26:53] If you have bad credit,
[26:53] you're going to pay
a higher interest rate.
[26:55] Our utilities were paying higher
interest rates
[26:58] a lot of people say so what?
[27:00] Well, that interest rate
is a pass through cost
[27:02] onto our consumers.
[27:03] And so, while you're paying
7% interest on, on several
[27:08] hundreds of millions of dollars,
that interest is compounding.
[27:13] And our utilities,
our ratepayers are paying that
[27:16] by stabilizing our regulatory
environment in Arizona,
[27:19] we've actually opened
up access to capital.
[27:22] So now our utilities have access
to cheaper capital
[27:25] where they're only paying 2
[27:26] to 3%
[27:27] interest
on, on the on those hundreds
[27:29] of millions
of dollars of capital,
[27:31] which means it helps
reduce our cost as ratepayers.
[27:35] And at the end of the day, I'm
[27:36] a ratepayer
just like you're a ratepayer.
[27:38] So I don't want my rates
to go up.
[27:39] My wife don't want my rates,
our rates to go up.
[27:42] She makes sure she reminds me
of that all the time.
[27:45] And so, again,
we're working hard.
[27:47] We've cut, since we were sworn
into office in January 23.
[27:51] We've got over $1 billion
of waste out of our utilities.
[27:55] That's a big deal.
[27:56] That a lot of people
don't talk about.
[27:58] But $1 billion in waste that our
utilities have been spending.
[28:03] We've cut that out.
[28:04] And hopefully that's going
to show up as our, in our rates,
[28:08] in the future.
[28:09] Again,
we use a test here in Arizona.
[28:12] So the money that we're
the rates that are set today
[28:16] is money that the utility
spent two years ago,
[28:19] and they're just now
starting to recover, that
[28:21] hopefully we can minimize
[28:23] these stranded assets
that might be possible.
[28:25] So yeah. Yeah. Exactly.
[28:27] So, so again, thank you all for
allowing me to be here tonight.
[28:30] Thank you.
[28:32] I'm going to thank you.
[28:33] Thank you.
[28:37] Madam clerk, please read item
number five.
[28:39] Thank you.
[28:39] Item five
presentation and discussion
[28:41] pertaining to the f
y 2027 budget kickoff.
[28:50] Good evening, Mayor and Council.
[28:52] Good evening, Mayor Simmons.
[28:52] How are you doing?
[29:02] You guys are stuck with me
[29:04] for three presentations,
I apologize.
[29:08] All right.
[29:08] It's important stuff
for the budget.
[29:10] We're looking forward to. Okay.
[29:12] All right.
[29:14] So we are here
for our annual budget kickoff.
[29:18] So what is the city budget?
[29:19] This is where we take
[29:20] limited resources
and allocate them to maintain
[29:24] our service levels.
[29:25] We consider the budget
to be all four of these items
[29:29] financial plan, communications
[29:30] device operating
guide, and a policy document.
[29:35] Everyone here at the city
participates
[29:37] in the budget process,
and one way or another,
[29:40] through the strategic plan
that you guys help initiate
[29:43] all the way through our staff.
[29:48] Asking for their
[29:48] needs and expressing those needs
[29:53] and developing the budget.
[29:54] We utilize council's
strategic plan to ensure
[29:57] we are maintaining
service levels, but also
[30:02] to ensure
that we are able to expand or
[30:04] create new programs and services
as needed.
[30:07] We are constantly
evaluating operational demands
[30:10] and reviewing and prioritizing
needs versus wants to ensure
[30:14] that we are in line
with council goals and meeting
[30:17] safety, compliance
and contractual obligations
[30:22] while prioritizing.
[30:23] We recognize that everything
we want to do is important,
[30:27] while accepting that we have to
allocate limited resources
[30:30] to those needs and wants.
[30:34] Something that we must be able
to do is keep up with growth.
[30:37] But what does that mean?
[30:39] Increased population
doesn't just equate to increased
[30:42] revenue.
[30:43] It also equates to an increase
in demand on services,
[30:47] which in turn means
an increase to our expenses,
[30:50] which isn't always 1 to 1.
[30:52] Our top priority is to maintain
[30:55] our current service levels.
[30:58] So everything I just told you
[31:00] has to fit in
within our state requirements.
[31:04] We have to follow Arizona
Revised Statute title
[31:06] 42 to ensure that we meet
specific deadlines by posting
[31:10] forms and publishing documents
accordingly.
[31:14] The state forum is
one of the most important forms
[31:17] that is utilized
in communicating
[31:19] and publishing our tentative
and final budget.
[31:22] And here,
this is just a quick outline of,
[31:26] some of the rules
we have to follow.
[31:30] We also have very strict rules
[31:32] when it comes to publishing
the truth
[31:33] and taxation
notice for property tax.
[31:36] This is a quick picture of what
that posting looks like.
[31:41] Again, with some rules
that we have to adhere to.
[31:45] Following state requirements,
[31:47] we have to ensure that we are
creating a balanced budget
[31:51] that is structurally balanced
[31:52] with our sources and our uses.
[31:56] We do this by identifying
what are one time versus
[31:59] ongoing or in other words,
consistent versus inconsistent.
[32:03] For example,
we know we will always have
[32:05] personnel costs and local sales
tax to pay for them.
[32:08] While construction sales
tax can be volatile.
[32:12] Our capital projects are
considered one time in nature.
[32:16] Here is a high level
[32:17] look at how we start and proceed
through our budget process.
[32:21] We do.
[32:22] We start with continuous
monitoring
[32:24] our budget versus actuals,
and we continue that through
[32:27] every cycle of the process.
[32:31] So now that I have explained the
what the why in the how,
[32:34] I want to remind everyone how
the FY 26 budget is laid out.
[32:40] Here is a summary of
what is in our budget book.
[32:43] Pages 26 through 29.
[32:46] Our total 986 million and uses.
[32:50] For the purpose of this slide,
[32:52] we focus on the operating
of 395 million.
[32:56] And you can see
those can be broken out
[32:58] by category
and fund type accordingly.
[33:01] We also have capital debt
contingency and transfers
[33:04] out that we,
monitor and maintain.
[33:10] Taking the numbers
a step further
[33:12] to include capital
and funding types.
[33:14] This is how each set of funds
are budgeted for a total of 788
[33:18] million, not including
contingency and transfers.
[33:24] You can see
that our enterprise funds
[33:27] are 160.5 million.
[33:29] Those include our water,
[33:31] our wastewater, our stormwater,
and our sanitation.
[33:34] Our special revenue
funds, grants, municipal court,
[33:37] streetlight improvement
districts,
[33:39] highway user revenue
funds, donations,
[33:42] sports,
entertainment and culture.
[33:44] Those all are in our special
Revenue fund, among others.
[33:49] Our internal service funds
are our employee health care,
[33:51] work comp and risk management
and our capital project funds.
[33:56] Include transportation, public
safety and asset replacement
[33:59] to name a few.
[34:03] Of that 788 million.
[34:05] This is how we are investing
into our functional areas.
[34:07] Again, this is citywide.
[34:09] This includes incorporating
the support service functions
[34:12] of HR, finance, I.T.,
communications, etc.
[34:16] and to each one
of these functional areas,
[34:19] they're pretty well
evenly spaced out with community
[34:23] and economic development at 7%
[34:27] and community services at 15%,
[34:29] and so forth, so on.
[34:33] What revenues
support our citywide functions?
[34:35] Almost 300
[34:36] million are from taxes, local,
state and property, and almost
[34:40] 200 million are from licenses,
fees and charges for services.
[34:44] The citywide charges
for services category does
[34:48] include our enterprise funds
[34:51] along with our permitting,
[34:53] engineering,
parks, programs, etc..
[34:56] Our next set of slides
will break down
[34:58] the general fund revenue
and expenses.
[35:02] The general fund makes up
29% of our total budget,
[35:05] but it is within this area
[35:06] that the majority of the city
operates.
[35:09] That is,
since all the other funds
[35:11] are restricted
for a specific use.
[35:14] Of the 231 million
of general fund expenditures.
[35:18] We are investing almost 60%
into public safety,
[35:21] and the remaining 40% is divided
pretty equally across our
[35:24] other functional areas.
[35:27] Again, this
[35:28] depicts, our internal support
services of H.R..
[35:33] IT, communications,
finance, etc..
[35:37] Again, how are the general
fund items funded?
[35:40] The majority of them are funded
by taxes.
[35:42] And in order for us to offer
many of our community services,
[35:45] we also have charges
for services.
[35:48] So you can see our local
sales tax,
[35:51] our state shared
sales tax, income tax
[35:53] and other intergovernmental
and our property tax.
[35:56] Those are the taxes.
And then our charges
[35:59] for services
make up a good chunk of that.
[36:03] The charges for services
category
[36:05] help offset a lot of the costs
to have those programs,
[36:08] the fees charged and the number
of customers, participants
[36:12] are the main drivers
for this revenue category.
[36:17] And economic outlook.
[36:19] Where do we go from here?
[36:20] What are we looking at for
FY 27?
[36:22] At this time
it is still too early to tell.
[36:25] There are approximately
500 bills
[36:27] that may have an impact
[36:28] to cities that are actively
being looked at by our staff.
[36:31] We are patiently waiting
for further updates
[36:33] from the state
and legislation at this time.
[36:39] Our budget calendar.
[36:42] We have tonight
our budget kickoff on April 7th.
[36:46] We will be back.
[36:48] For our department
and operating capital overview,
[36:51] kind of our recommended budget
and May
[36:54] 5th will be our tentative
adopted budget.
[36:58] Any questions or comments?
[37:00] All right.
[37:00] Thank you for your presentation.
[37:01] Council.
[37:04] Councilman Haney.
[37:06] Thank you. Mayor.
[37:07] Any thank you
for your presentation.
[37:08] I, I know
we're going to have you out
[37:09] in some of my community meetings
just because
[37:12] I think, especially in northwest
[37:14] surprise,
we deal with a lot with roads.
[37:16] And, we severely underestimate
just how much it costs
[37:21] for certain things.
[37:22] And I
and I was one of those folks
[37:24] where I thought a road was a lot
[37:26] cheaper than it was
the traffic signal.
[37:27] Everything has a cost.
[37:28] And so having, the opportunity
to break down the budget
[37:32] for folks to see where, where
is the city spending your money?
[37:34] I believe that we exist
as a service organization,
[37:37] but those services cost money.
[37:39] And I really appreciated you.
[37:42] Kind of making the point.
[37:43] A lot of folks say, hey,
[37:44] we we're growing
at a rapid rate,
[37:46] which if you go in my district,
you can see that.
[37:49] But that doesn't necessarily
mean that all of that growth
[37:52] is just paying
for itself, service wise.
[37:54] And so I always tell folks that
although we are growing
[37:58] and you think, you know,
the city's just,
[38:00] hey, let's have the growth.
[38:02] We are responsible providing
services for those residents.
[38:05] And those services cost money.
[38:06] Public safety is very expensive,
but it's critical
[38:10] to keeping our community safe
and so,
[38:12] I appreciate
[38:13] I know we're just starting
this whole kickoff,
[38:15] but my hope is that we continue
to have presentations like this
[38:17] that will give easily digestible
[38:19] information for our folks
so they can see exactly
[38:22] where their money is going.
[38:23] What are we prioritizing
as a city
[38:25] and how does our budget
reflect that?
[38:26] So I know
it's a lot of information.
[38:28] So I appreciate you,
[38:29] condensing it down in a way that
that folks can understand it.
[38:31] And I look forward to our future
conversations.
[38:34] Thanks, mayor.
[38:35] Well said. Thank you.
[38:36] Seeing no other comments or
questions.
[38:38] Thank you. Okay,
[38:40] so, Madam Clerk,
please read item number six.
[38:44] Item six
presentation and discussion
[38:46] pertaining to proposed updates
[38:47] to the comprehensive citywide
fee schedule.
[38:52] All right.
[38:54] Moving on to the next pack.
[39:01] Okay.
[39:03] Our citywide
[39:04] fee schedule is something
that we look at annually.
[39:07] The purpose of our fee
schedule is to recover the costs
[39:10] associated
with city programs and services.
[39:13] We need these fees
to help offset operating costs
[39:16] with a balance of affordability
versus sustainability.
[39:19] They are examined
and updated annually.
[39:22] We adhere to statutes
and policies to get us there.
[39:25] I want to mention that our fees
cover the entire city,
[39:28] and that the majority of them
[39:29] are cost recovery for our time
and services.
[39:32] For example, charges
for services
[39:34] are based on community
versus individual benefit.
[39:37] High individual
benefit equals low general fund
[39:40] subsidy to offset programs.
[39:43] Parks and rec.
[39:44] But not all Parks
and Rec is supported by fees.
[39:47] It is also subsidized
by our taxes.
[39:50] Not all programs are 100%
cost recovery.
[39:53] And Holly will be up here
joining me
[39:55] for our next presentation
to go over our park programs
[39:58] development services
growth pays for growth.
[40:01] Fees are a direct correlation
of our costs for service
[40:06] in compliance
with state statute.
[40:07] We have to issue a public notice
for any new or increase fees.
[40:11] A public notice is not required
for lowering or eliminating
[40:14] a fee
or any text changes to that fee.
[40:17] There are fees that are exempt
[40:19] that won't be on our fee
schedule.
[40:22] Tonight, I am here to go over
some of the updates that we will
[40:24] be issuing the public notice
for tomorrow, actually.
[40:29] CDD has three new fees
and amending
[40:32] seven biomedical amending two
[40:35] human services.
[40:36] Community vitality has 16 new
and amending for parks,
[40:41] 12 new, 12 removed amending two
[40:45] and our water
resource management
[40:48] are removing ten.
[40:50] But they're just going to the
the rate schedule,
[40:53] which is posted
on their website.
[40:56] I'm going to highlight
what some of these updates
[40:57] are on the next few slides.
[41:01] One of
the new fees for community
[41:02] development
is to allow applicants
[41:04] to request
an expedited plan review,
[41:07] if they have a history
of compliance.
[41:09] This fees to recover
administrative
[41:11] and operational costs
[41:12] that are associated
with that expedited review.
[41:15] This fee is being brought forth
to align with Arizona
[41:18] House Bill 2447.
[41:22] Human Services and Community
Vitality is implementing
[41:25] a new program fee
for the planned outings
[41:28] and trips for senior center
members and nonmembers.
[41:32] One of park's updates to
their fees is increasing tennis
[41:36] court rentals to both residents
and nonresidents.
[41:41] Parks
[41:41] is removing fees
associated with group tennis
[41:44] court rentals after 4 p.m.,
sticking with a single rate
[41:48] per court
regardless of time of day.
[41:52] And community
development is also making
[41:54] updates
to the name of two of their fees
[41:56] to better
align with their operations.
[42:00] With that, the timeline.
[42:01] Tomorrow
we will post a public notice
[42:03] with the new and updated fees,
[42:05] and I will be back on April
7th for
[42:06] you guys to take action on
the updates of the fee schedule.
[42:11] Any questions or comments?
[42:13] Council
[42:15] Councilman Hastings.
[42:20] Thank you.
[42:20] Mayor.
[42:20] Could you go back to the side
with the, chart on it?
[42:23] I think it was towards
the beginning.
[42:26] Awesome. Thank you.
[42:26] So I know, like,
when I first start in this role,
[42:30] you know, we would do this
kind of every year
[42:31] and you know, obviously fees,
[42:33] you know, go up
and it's not exciting.
[42:35] But at the end of the day
someone has to pay for it.
[42:38] Right?
[42:38] So if the person isn't paying
[42:39] for the service, right,
then we're subsidizing it.
[42:41] And so especially when someone's
paying for something
[42:44] like club Swim,
[42:45] which is beyond the recreation
[42:47] swim or beyond swim lessons,
it's just different program.
[42:50] But you know, I, you know, a few
years ago, I know last year
[42:53] we took a look,
I was like, okay,
[42:54] if we're going to raise some,
can we at least,
[42:56] you know, go through
and eliminate some too.
[42:58] And so I think we eliminated
[42:59] nine last year
and this year's is 22.
[43:03] And that's awesome
[43:04] because even though on here
you see
[43:05] three for community development
those are fees for developers.
[43:09] And then as far as you know
eight
[43:11] if you're wondering what HSC,
[43:12] the it's human services
community vitality department,
[43:15] we have a new resource center.
[43:16] So that's just a
[43:17] brand new building that doesn't
have any fee schedule at all.
[43:21] So we're kind of implementing
that for the first time.
[43:23] And then yeah,
you know Parks and Rec is has 12
[43:26] but they're getting rid of 12.
[43:27] And then you know is
you know a little different.
[43:28] So I'm really glad the city is,
you know, trying to work.
[43:32] And so we're trying to,
[43:33] you know, make life
more affordable for residents.
[43:35] Obviously we've been going on.
[43:36] And so thank you
for your guys's work on this.
[43:38] I know I've,
[43:39] you know, with fees I've,
[43:40] I make a few calls
and ask questions,
[43:42] but it really seems like
you guys have
[43:44] you guys have
done your due diligence and
[43:46] and people are kind of getting
what they're paying for.
[43:48] So thank you. Thank you.
[43:51] All right.
[43:52] Thank you all said
[43:55] thanks.
[43:56] Okay.
[43:59] Madam clerk, please read item
number seven.
[44:02] Item seven
presentation and discussion
[44:04] pertaining to Parks
and recreation programs.
[44:06] Do you want to spend
[44:09] all you want to do?
[44:12] You need to stand
the whole time.
[44:13] Okay.
[44:16] I'm going to sit.
[44:17] Please do.
[44:18] Sandy has a brief 45 slide
[44:21] presentation on Parks and Rec.
[44:24] Sorry.
[44:25] Good evening, Mayor and Council.
[44:26] Good evening, Mrs. Osborne.
How are you?
[44:28] I'm wonderful. Good, good.
[44:30] And so, just before you start,
what one of the things I talked
[44:33] to the city manager about,
Miss Davis, is that,
[44:36] you know, we have these programs
and and we implement things.
[44:39] And I don't think
there was ever.
[44:40] And I know the staff
[44:41] does the review,
[44:42] but it never really came
to council as far as
[44:44] is this program effective?
[44:45] Are we gonna continue it
I think for me or.
[44:49] But I'm not gonna speak
for the council.
[44:51] But it's important
that we review these programs
[44:52] to make sure
[44:52] that we're putting the money
where,
[44:55] you know,
[44:55] where the residents
want us to put money
[44:57] and where the programs
that they need
[44:58] based on usage,
all those different things. So,
[45:01] Miss Osborne, I appreciate
[45:02] you being the first one
[45:03] to present,
[45:04] but it's important
that we do our residents
[45:06] so that we do review
all of our programs every year
[45:08] through the budget process
and, and,
[45:11] make cuts where we have to.
[45:14] Yes. Well,
[45:14] that doesn't mean I'm
[45:15] the first department
to get cut it
[45:16] just all right
in the first department.
[45:18] So wanted to make sure
that was clear.
[45:21] But we're going to go in
just to talk about our budget
[45:24] and go over our revenues,
our expenses
[45:27] and what we allocate
those expenses for.
[45:29] And, to council.
[45:31] And Hastings Point is,
[45:32] how do we come up with our fees
and what is our balance.
[45:35] So we'll go through that.
[45:36] I'll be as fast as possible.
[45:39] But also get my point across.
[45:40] Okay. Here we go.
[45:42] I'm going to start off
with the budget.
[45:44] So a FY 26 general fund expense
[45:47] budget for Parks
and Recreation is $17 million.
[45:51] That budget is, broken out.
[45:54] As you can see, park maintenance
is our biggest portion, 32%.
[46:00] There is very little cost
recovery there, if at all.
[46:05] And then we have our
[46:05] aquatics and our recreation
programs as such.
[46:09] And Holly
[46:09] will go into more detail
on each one of these programs.
[46:14] But this is
[46:15] how the budget is broken out
[46:18] and then charges for services.
[46:20] Budget is 3.5 million.
[46:22] So going back
you see 17 million.
[46:25] And we budgeted for 3.5
million cost recovery for them
[46:29] this year.
[46:30] And of that 3.5 million, 60% of
that is within
[46:35] their recreation programs.
[46:37] And with that, I'm
going to pass it over to Holly.
[46:39] So what does that mean
for Parks and Recreation?
[46:42] We will never be able to move
out of our parents basement.
[46:44] We will always rely
on the general fund for funding,
[46:49] unless we start charging
for each
[46:50] one of these different amenities
and we'll go through
[46:53] and kind of talk about that,
[46:54] but how we end up
doing our charges for services,
[46:57] we notice them
[46:58] because if we're charging
a service and city government
[47:00] is charging,
it's essentially a tax, right.
[47:04] So we try to use our general
[47:06] fund subsidies to benefit
the greatest amount of people.
[47:10] But then as we shrink into more
of those special interests,
[47:13] like we had talked about clubs
swimming, then we go into,
[47:16] okay, now you have to pay
for 100% of those direct cost.
[47:20] So case in point, a city park.
[47:22] We get 0% recovery
on the scale of the 3.5.
[47:26] But adult sports you don't have
to play adult sports.
[47:29] It is a niche.
[47:31] So they pay 100%.
[47:33] And I do say direct costs
so they don't pay the indirect
[47:36] as far as like that
staffing in that.
[47:38] But they do pay
all of the direct costs.
[47:40] And we do go through our budgets
every year and we try them up.
[47:44] We try to bring
[47:45] if we can bring in more money,
that's good for us
[47:47] because then we can expend
more money.
[47:49] We try to be as self-sufficient
as possible, but again,
[47:52] we never will.
[47:53] Aquatics is another one where we
we do bring in some money
[47:57] more than our park services.
[47:59] But open swim is something
[48:01] that with
especially with our new pool,
[48:02] our numbers are 85,000
people go to our pools,
[48:06] but our swim teams, we have like
400 our swim lessons.
[48:10] We just try to cover our staff
costs.
[48:12] We'll try to get 30 to 50%.
[48:14] So we do have a cost
recovery model based on that.
[48:17] So parks is 0%.
[48:18] Then you have the greater good.
Like our adaptive.
[48:20] We try to make
[48:21] some our swim lessons
just to cover a little bit.
[48:25] But it's never going
to be 100% recoverable.
[48:27] And we could make it that.
[48:28] But your fees
are going to be a lot.
[48:31] But then you go into youth
sports,
[48:32] which is 50 to 75%,
but then you go into adults
[48:35] and rentals
and that's 100% recoverable.
[48:37] So that makes sense.
[48:39] I will always look a quick
while we're on this slide.
[48:42] The park
maintenance of 5% revenue here,
[48:45] that is, for the maintenance
of Marley Park.
[48:48] So it is just it's like
[48:51] less than $300,000, $211,000.
[48:55] And it's the owner
for the Marley Park CFDs.
[48:57] So we can only spend
on maintenance
[48:59] and we can't spend it on staff.
[49:01] So it's only
for supplies and services.
[49:04] Very fun facts.
[49:05] So speaking of park maintenance,
[49:09] we support over 700 field
rentals a year.
[49:12] These are just little fun facts.
[49:13] You know how I love fun facts?
[49:15] Our parks do playground
maintenance remodels.
[49:18] We to our lake quality.
[49:20] We take care of, fish, animals,
stock the lake with fish.
[49:24] We have dog park maintenance,
all of the turf maintenance,
[49:28] the mowing, field repairs
of all sorts. So,
[49:33] of our parks, these are a
snippet of all of them.
[49:37] Our newest baby is McMeekin.
[49:38] It used to be Oasis, but,
we we gave you this one.
[49:43] But kind of going into
how we allocate these
[49:46] and what this looks like.
[49:47] This may be my favorite slide
that I put in here.
[49:50] We wouldn't have been able to
get this data without our place
[49:53] or AI software,
so we're pretty new into this.
[49:56] But you can see that surprise
community Park
[49:59] gets over a million visitors
a year.
[50:01] Like I said, it's
[50:02] one of the top ten
most popular parks in Arizona,
[50:05] and that is up there
with the Grand Canyon.
[50:07] So we're doing something right
there.
[50:10] So 40% pretty
close to the Grand Canyon.
[50:14] Marley Park Heritage Park is,
[50:18] second.
[50:18] Then we have Dick McComb,
then fields at countryside.
[50:21] That's our newest one.
[50:22] And then a sante.
[50:24] It's very popular park
and then Oasis Swim Center,
[50:27] our newest one, and this is
based on 25 data from placer.
[50:33] There's some things that,
[50:35] two Councilman's Judd's
looking at me.
[50:37] I wanted to talk about mCMC,
and just for a nanosecond,
[50:41] with getting the placer I.
[50:43] Because the area mass is so big,
because you did
[50:46] such a wonderful job
[50:47] of securing 3500 acres
for the city and its residents,
[50:50] we haven't narrowed down those
parameters of the heat maps.
[50:55] So we're getting permission
from those.
[50:56] So I do have an asterisk
just to know that it is low,
[50:59] but it's not that low.
[51:00] That's just a certain percentage
[51:01] that we could get
the geo fencing around.
[51:04] But that should increase.
[51:05] So we'll we'll get that one.
[51:07] But I did want to
[51:08] put it on there because it is
one of our newest facilities.
[51:11] But this kind of goes
to show of all of this
[51:14] to almost 3 million visitors
a year.
[51:16] They're not unique.
[51:17] These could be
[51:18] they go to the pool
and then they go to the park,
[51:20] and then they go
to the tennis center.
[51:22] But this is just total
[51:23] based on our placer
I and our heat map.
[51:25] So, just kind of give you
a snippet
[51:28] of our 165,000 residents
that we have here.
[51:32] They do enjoy our parks.
[51:34] And it's evident in this, that
we don't charge money for. So,
[51:40] another
thing that we have very low to
[51:42] minimal
cost is our special events
[51:44] that are also very highly
attended.
[51:46] Backyard Bash is our newest one
[51:48] that is our 90s throwback
this Friday.
[51:52] It's going to be 80 degrees
and we're going to add
[51:54] the other
ten degrees and coolness.
[51:58] That's a weather joke for you.
[52:00] Because I have a tendency
to rain out events.
[52:03] That was just shameless,
I know, oh, I have just one.
[52:06] I have a debate in
my house is a 90s, like,
[52:08] fluorescent
90s or 90s like alternative 90s.
[52:10] We're
trying to figure out which.
[52:12] And it could be 90s hip hop.
[52:13] Like it depends on or grunge,
like, who were you in the 90s?
[52:17] There's
no we're not 90s country.
[52:19] Probably the best
era of country ever.
[52:22] I think people agree with me
back here.
[52:24] So we're it's it's a variety.
[52:26] We're going to that's why
we did a DJ instead of a band.
[52:29] So we can get four non blonds
and Tim McGraw playing
[52:32] in the same four hours, but
you can't get that in a band.
[52:36] So saying you an interesting.
[52:39] Okay. Back to 4th of July.
[52:41] America's 250th birthday.
[52:44] 4th of July is one of
our heavily attended events.
[52:46] This year.
[52:47] We have bigger, better
fireworks.
[52:50] Something really
special if I can pull it off.
[52:54] Which I
hope I can, I might lose my job.
[52:55] But Fiesta Grande
is our fall fest with about 9000
[53:00] Veterans Day, 8000 prize party,
[53:03] 14,000 per day,
which is Friday Saturday.
[53:07] So almost 30,000 collectively
over that two day weekend.
[53:10] And then sparkling
surprise the month of December,
[53:13] not including the surprise party
weekend.
[53:16] We had over 32,000 visitors
at the community park.
[53:20] So again, we don't charge
a lot of revenue for those,
[53:24] but those would things
that would be easily cut
[53:28] should you look at a budget.
[53:30] But looking at the numbers,
that's how we tried to
[53:33] the cost benefit.
[53:34] So it's Osborne? Yes, sir.
[53:37] Hastings. Other question.
Yes, sir.
[53:39] No. I'm sorry.
[53:39] I remember
when Donna came up here.
[53:41] I think
when I first got on the council,
[53:42] I think she might have showed us
that,
[53:44] you know,
how do you measure recovery?
[53:46] And we all say like.
[53:46] Like we like to run government
like a business.
[53:48] But there are certain things
that are a service, right?
[53:50] We're not in the,
you know, trash business to, to,
[53:53] to make money
or to take money from residents.
[53:55] We're
trying to offer that service.
[53:57] And so the way it was described
[53:58] me then, and I think
what you're saying is,
[54:00] you know, obviously
there's certain things like,
[54:03] Councilman, he's done
a great job with helping kids
[54:06] get some lessons. Right.
[54:08] It's a huge benefit
to the community
[54:10] that we do try to, you know,
I guess you could say subsidized
[54:12] may cheaper because it's a it's
a safety thing, you know, or,
[54:16] you know,
surprise party sparkling
[54:18] surprise that the benefit
there is just so much to me
[54:21] that this kind of where it's
measured.
[54:22] Now, obviously, if you get back
on the other side,
[54:23] we talked about Club Swim
[54:25] or this is sports and tourism,
but VIP seats at the concert
[54:29] versus like,
you know, regular ones,
[54:31] that is less benefit
to the community,
[54:33] less benefits
to any member of the individual.
[54:35] And so you would require
for that a higher cost recovery.
[54:38] And so I know I've,
I've seen that in the past.
[54:40] And so, we
we appreciate the work you do.
[54:43] And, you know,
[54:44] if we were making money
at the public pool,
[54:47] we'd probably be charging
a lot more.
[54:49] So definitely.
[54:50] But, yeah,
[54:50] people can use the pool, but,
you know,
[54:52] you want to rent a room for,
[54:53] you know, a birthday rental,
something like that.
[54:55] That's a little bit different,
right? Right.
[54:56] Absolutely awesome.
[54:57] And for those of you guys
who haven't been to a
[55:00] sparkling surprise or surprise
party next holiday season,
[55:03] you guys should definitely come
check it out.
[55:05] You know, as
I always say, my favorite title,
[55:06] but I say that
about so many things
[55:08] that my team
laughs at me all the time.
[55:10] But that was my favorite.
But the pools are my favorite.
[55:12] But the Christmas is
my favorite.
[55:14] Puppies are my favorite.
[55:15] I could go on.
[55:16] I have lots of favorites.
[55:18] So speaking of favorites, youth
and adult sports,
[55:21] I would say that
this is a community favorite.
[55:24] We have 16 different
youth sports programs
[55:27] which go into that's
[55:28] two seasons,
a baseball, two seasons,
[55:30] a softball,
two seasons, a basketball.
[55:32] But in all those seasons
combined, we have over
[55:34] 15,000 kids that are
in our youth sports program,
[55:39] where we talk
[55:39] about trying
to maximize our facilities.
[55:42] We our team does an amazing job
of trying to make sure
[55:46] we can get as many kids in
for as little fees as possible.
[55:51] So to, Councilman's Hastings
Point,
[55:54] when you get into the club
level,
[55:56] you're
spending a lot of money now.
[55:58] So our volleyball program
is $80 for eight weeks.
[56:01] I'm not going to tell you
[56:02] what I spend on my kids club
[56:04] volleyball and mayor, I'm
[56:05] not going to ask you
what you spend on
[56:06] your daughter's club volleyball,
but it's a lot more than that.
[56:09] But when you're paying
for the coaches
[56:10] and you're paying for the fields
and you're paying for that,
[56:13] the travel,
that's where your fees go in.
[56:15] Our job in recreation is
the city is exposure
[56:19] to give kids the ability
to learn new skills,
[56:22] to make new friends,
to learn teamwork, to get along.
[56:26] Those are social skills
[56:27] that they don't
always get in school
[56:28] and to find their niche
and find their sport.
[56:31] So, our youth sports is huge
and our staff does amazing.
[56:34] We used to have, council member
[56:36] that was a wonderful red
shirt is what we call them.
[56:39] Back in the day.
[56:40] So, our youth camps and clinics
are growing in popularity.
[56:44] So summertime is good.
[56:45] We have clinics on getting ready
for school sports or tryouts,
[56:49] refreshers, skills developments.
[56:52] Then we have teen tournaments
which are growing.
[56:54] We have a wiffle ball tournament
coming up.
[56:56] We started doing a beach
[56:57] volleyball tournament for teens,
which is sold out.
[57:00] And then our adult sports.
[57:01] So you can see
[57:02] we have 5000, 5000 people
compared to 15,000 people.
[57:06] You can see the difference of,
[57:08] where
we're putting our finances.
[57:09] So we subsidize more for the
youth, but not for the adults.
[57:13] I'll just try to go faster.
[57:15] Racket sports.
[57:16] We have over 800 total programs
of our tennis and classes,
[57:20] so we racket
ball is pickleball racket.
[57:23] And then we also have pickleball
[57:24] tournaments
and tennis tournaments. So,
[57:28] it's a little bit interesting
because sports and tourism
[57:31] does some of the tournaments.
[57:32] And then we do the classes.
[57:35] We're probably going
to change that model.
[57:37] If I haven't talked to you,
we can talk after class
[57:39] or maybe tomorrow.
[57:41] But we have 17 pickleball
tournaments
[57:43] a year at our tennis facility
where we have 25 courts.
[57:47] So pickleball is all the rage.
[57:49] It's huge,
but tennis is still thriving.
[57:51] And racket ball, those courts
are full all the time, too.
[57:55] Then our other side
is youth, teen and adaptive.
[57:57] So we have our summer camp
break camp.
[57:59] Those programs are 100%
recoverable preschool program,
[58:03] 100% recoverable special,
and two classes the same.
[58:07] Special programs
or not teen programs.
[58:09] We subsidize
and adaptive programs.
[58:11] We subsidize. So,
[58:14] going into that
[58:15] aquatics and then that's another
one of my favorite children,
[58:19] swim.
[58:19] I was a lifeguard when I was 16,
[58:21] so I have to caveat it's
my home, my right.
[58:23] We have this.
[58:24] So swim lessons.
[58:25] We have almost
[58:26] 4000 kids in our swim lessons,
which is a very big deal.
[58:30] And thank you to mayor and
council for making that happen.
[58:33] We were at 1500 with almost 3000
on the waitlist
[58:36] before we opened our new pool.
[58:37] So, we definitely have made
an impact on that.
[58:41] We have over 500 participants
in swim team, 8500 people
[58:46] coming to our pools,
our three pools that we have,
[58:50] and then our special interest
classes, 350.
[58:53] So special interest classes,
something
[58:54] that's 100% recoverable.
[58:56] Open swim is subsidized.
[58:58] You can see the difference.
[58:59] 5085 what did I say? Million.
[59:02] And I said 85.
[59:03] I meant 85 million thousand to
[59:06] get that one okay.
[59:08] Questions I was fast
I talked fast.
[59:10] Did I do okay?
[59:12] 85,000,085 million people
are here in surprise every day.
[59:17] Or thousand.
Which zeros are hard?
[59:19] Oh, I almost
[59:20] I just want to say thank you
to you, your entire team.
[59:23] What you provide for the city
[59:24] is just an incredible thing
for our residents.
[59:26] I hear nothing but good things
from all the events.
[59:30] All of it.
[59:30] And it's just, it's a treat
to have it here in the city.
[59:33] It's because of your effort
[59:34] and your team's effort,
and I am grateful for that.
[59:37] So thank you.
[59:38] Thank you.
[59:39] Councilman, any
[59:41] thank you.
[59:41] Mayor Holley,
[59:42] I do have a question
and I have a comment.
[59:43] So my question is
and I apologize if I missed it.
[59:47] Are we still getting a pretty
[59:48] decent amount of attendance
in those special
[59:50] interest classes
that we used to offer?
[59:52] Are we still offering?
[59:53] We're holding steady. Yeah,
those ones are 100% recoverable.
[59:56] Mine for the direct costs. Yeah.
And yeah.
[59:58] Look at it.
[59:58] What? Where are we at?
[59:59] It's on there somewhere.
I skimmed past it.
[1:00:01] Oh, there it is.
700 programs and 5000.
[1:00:04] So it was similar
to adult sports,
[1:00:05] but we have more classes,
so we'll have like a dance class
[1:00:08] that only has like 12 kids,
because you can only handle
[1:00:11] so many three and four year olds
at it to get it.
[1:00:13] So and can you give us like a
just a few examples of,
[1:00:17] special interest classes?
[1:00:18] I know you said dance, but
there's a wide variety, right?
[1:00:21] Anything you could think of
that's not
[1:00:23] involving a ball, really?
[1:00:25] We have skateboards,
[1:00:26] we have dance classes,
we have tumbling is a huge one.
[1:00:30] Cheer
[1:00:33] martial arts.
[1:00:35] Keep going.
[1:00:35] Aqua aerobics.
There's going to throw.
[1:00:37] There's something for everybody.
[1:00:39] Zumba dance.
[1:00:40] We have a
[1:00:40] I think we have a 90s
or some new,
[1:00:42] like 40 year old women
that are awesome dance class
[1:00:46] that like,
[1:00:47] we can go back into the 90s
hip hop
[1:00:49] and without our kids around
making fun of us
[1:00:51] and like really jam out
like we used to
[1:00:53] so that skating in popularity to
the 90s are back.
[1:00:56] I would have been good to know
[1:00:57] a few weeks ago
I would have taken that
[1:01:00] weekend. Yeah.
[1:01:02] Thank you.
Thank you for your presentation.
[1:01:03] I, you know,
we're a multigenerational city,
[1:01:06] and I think it's so important
that we're investing in these
[1:01:10] programs, obviously, aquatics.
[1:01:12] You know, Jack
[1:01:12] and I got our start in aquatics,
as you did.
[1:01:14] And, but it's something
that's super, super important.
[1:01:17] We talk public safety,
but we also have to talk about
[1:01:19] making sure that we're
keeping our kids safe.
[1:01:21] And I don't want to get on my
[1:01:22] soapbox about drowning
and drowning prevention,
[1:01:24] but a lot of the work that you
guys do helps, helps with that.
[1:01:27] And I'm so appreciative.
[1:01:28] I mean, just
[1:01:28] every time I hear that number,
I just
[1:01:30] I watched the video over
[1:01:31] and over and over again
because I still can't
[1:01:32] believe you guys were able
to accomplish that.
[1:01:35] And I did have to
[1:01:35] I had to
[1:01:36] if I had to cast someone for a
Parks and Recreation director,
[1:01:40] I don't think you could find
any better than Holly Osborne
[1:01:42] here. So,
[1:01:44] thank you for your part.
[1:01:45] I mean, it's it's reflective on
[1:01:47] not only
[1:01:47] how hard your team works
to put on all these events,
[1:01:49] but we're really kind
of the tip of the spear
[1:01:51] on some of these major events
[1:01:53] where we're getting folks
from all across the state
[1:01:55] to come to our city
and experience,
[1:01:58] just what,
what we all love about it.
[1:02:00] It's a reason
why so many of us call it home.
[1:02:01] And so thank you for your work.
[1:02:03] Thank you for your passion
that you inject
[1:02:04] into these programs,
because it wouldn't
[1:02:06] be the same without you.
[1:02:07] So we appreciate you.
[1:02:10] And she was my old boss,
so I had to get that in there.
[1:02:12] So I'm not anymore though.
But he did have to say that.
[1:02:15] And Vice Mayor Greenberg.
[1:02:17] Oh, thank you, mayor.
I only have one thing.
[1:02:19] Thank you for taking advantage
of AI to give us better data,
[1:02:23] because just better data
we have, the better decisions
[1:02:25] we can make. And that's
[1:02:28] all I got to say.
[1:02:29] Thank you.
[1:02:30] Councilman Joe.
[1:02:32] Thank you mayor.
[1:02:33] Thank you. Holly, this is great.
[1:02:34] So I love the parties.
[1:02:36] I love the events
that you put on.
[1:02:38] And I love that
we have nearly 3 million
[1:02:40] people visiting our parks.
[1:02:41] I mean, this really is this
is all about quality of life.
[1:02:44] And I think you're doing
[1:02:45] a great job of subsidizing
the ones that need subsidize
[1:02:48] for the little guys
running around
[1:02:49] and then making the adults
that still want
[1:02:50] to throw a ball around,
you know, pay their way.
[1:02:54] As this is a budget meeting
and we're working towards
[1:02:57] what we're going to do next year
with our budget money.
[1:03:00] What do you have planned for
McMeekin?
[1:03:03] Do you have budget money
in there?
[1:03:05] What kind of things can we look?
[1:03:06] I mean, one of the reasons
the number is so small
[1:03:08] is it's a space
that needs to be activated.
[1:03:10] So what's our plan? That.
That's a hard.
[1:03:13] Thank you, Councilman Judd.
[1:03:14] I'm stalling to give Sandy
[1:03:16] some time
to think of a better answer.
[1:03:18] I mean, not
to throw under the bus.
[1:03:19] We have a lot of things planned,
[1:03:21] but it depends on
how financially we end up.
[1:03:24] So we have we have money
to start the design process.
[1:03:27] As you know,
we're going through our Parks
[1:03:29] and Recreation master plan
right now.
[1:03:31] That does encompass
make and dam.
[1:03:33] Once we figure out
[1:03:34] we have a couple
of geographical locations
[1:03:36] where we're looking at budget
permitting, we want to start
[1:03:39] at least a 30% design
to get us to the point, where
[1:03:43] we could do a programable park
and then also know the, the geo.
[1:03:47] What is the type of topography?
[1:03:49] Is that the word,
[1:03:50] the topography of the land,
[1:03:52] while
we're doing our master plan
[1:03:53] to figure out
the most advantageous
[1:03:54] and where we can actually do
programable parks within that.
[1:03:59] So that would be the design
phase.
[1:04:01] With McMeekin dam,
we have a lot of it.
[1:04:04] Is our park rangers coming up.
[1:04:05] We would like to eventually
start
[1:04:07] more of an outdoor program,
[1:04:09] but right now we currently
are in the enforcement
[1:04:12] and education as opposed
to the luxury side of things.
[1:04:16] Yeah.
[1:04:17] And I think the idea I mean, we,
I expect it to be a long time
[1:04:20] before
we can actually afford to build
[1:04:21] a, build a proper programable
park out there.
[1:04:24] They're not cheap,
they're hard to do.
[1:04:26] And we're going to want
[1:04:26] a lot of community
input before we do that.
[1:04:29] But it is a nice conservation
area.
[1:04:31] We'd like
[1:04:31] to see some great outdoor,
skills type things out there,
[1:04:35] hopefully an archery range
[1:04:36] on the outside of town
over there,
[1:04:38] so we don't have to go
all the way
[1:04:39] to Ben Avery for that stuff.
[1:04:40] But really just some outdoor
[1:04:42] focused nature type
things would be great.
[1:04:43] And again, it's
[1:04:45] the the main goal of this is,
is a conservation area.
[1:04:49] So just giving people a chance
[1:04:51] to get outdoors right
next to the white tanks
[1:04:53] and maybe even join up
for the white thanks there
[1:04:55] through Andy's property.
[1:04:57] Yes, that is our plan.
[1:04:59] Thank you. Timing and money.
[1:05:02] Any other
council members hearing?
[1:05:04] None I appreciate
thank you very much.
[1:05:07] And thanks everyone for showing
up for our parks presentation.
[1:05:16] So we're going to move on
[1:05:17] to the call to the public,
portion of this meeting.
[1:05:20] I have a brief statement
I want to read.
[1:05:25] I to here we go.
[1:05:27] So before I open the call,
the public,
[1:05:29] I just want to thank everyone
for being here.
[1:05:32] I know many of you
signed up to speak,
[1:05:34] and I want you to know
[1:05:35] that this council is here
to listen to you.
[1:05:37] So, hearing from residents
is what really our our job is.
[1:05:42] Listen here you
[1:05:44] it's what makes our community
incredibly strong. It.
[1:05:47] If you haven't
[1:05:48] filled out a request to speak,
there's one in the back.
[1:05:51] I encourage you to do so.
[1:05:52] And then you just give that
to our city clerk.
[1:05:54] That way you can
put you on the list to speak.
[1:05:59] We want
[1:05:59] everybody
to feel heard and respected
[1:06:02] and ask to remain kind
and courteous to everybody
[1:06:06] and follow the rules of decorum
in this chamber
[1:06:09] and throughout
the entire process.
[1:06:11] I understand
that many of you are here
[1:06:12] this evening to talk about
[1:06:13] the recent purchase
of the building and surprise
[1:06:16] by the Department
of Homeland Security,
[1:06:17] and because there are
[1:06:18] limitations on the council's
ability to respond.
[1:06:21] During the public comment,
I want to share some information
[1:06:24] just to have some clarity
on on our stance
[1:06:27] for the city
was not aware of the
[1:06:30] that the efforts were under way
to purchase a building
[1:06:33] that was secured by the
Department of Homeland Security,
[1:06:35] was not notified
[1:06:36] of the transaction
by any of the parties involved.
[1:06:40] It's important to note
that federal projects
[1:06:41] are not subject to local
regulation, such as zoning,
[1:06:45] and although the
[1:06:45] city cannot regulate
the Homeland Security's purchase
[1:06:49] or the use of the building,
the council is
[1:06:51] genuinely committed to hearing
your thoughts and your concerns.
[1:06:55] And so we're going to hear from
people on both sides of this.
[1:06:58] And I ask
that you respect one another.
[1:07:01] I don't want
to hear cheering or clapping.
[1:07:04] I know we're passionate
about it,
[1:07:05] but I don't want one person
[1:07:06] to feel intimidated
[1:07:07] regardless
of what side of the aisle
[1:07:08] you're on,
we're going to listen to you.
[1:07:11] And I think we just need
to lower the temperature
[1:07:13] and respect each other
in this chamber.
[1:07:14] And I appreciate that of you.
[1:07:17] And we're here to listen
and and I appreciate you,
[1:07:21] Madam Clerk.
[1:07:24] Thank you.
[1:07:25] Mayor.
[1:07:26] To make this go
as smoothly as possible,
[1:07:29] I am going to read out
five names at a time.
[1:07:32] So if I call your name
and you're in this room,
[1:07:34] if you would make your way
to the center
[1:07:36] aisle
in the order that I call you,
[1:07:38] and the same for the other room,
[1:07:40] they will send
those speakers forward,
[1:07:43] and we'll just have
to be a little bit patient.
[1:07:47] The first five are Brant Peak,
[1:07:50] Sarah Helgeson,
[1:07:53] Catherine Faber, Hagen,
[1:07:56] Alex, Chris
[1:07:58] and Stephen Quebec.
[1:08:02] If you could make your way
to the center
[1:08:04] when you get to the podium,
please
[1:08:06] state your name
and cross streets for the record
[1:08:09] window.
[1:08:10] Good evening sir.
[1:08:14] Mayor and Council members,
thank you
[1:08:16] for the opportunity to speak.
[1:08:17] My name is Brant Peak.
[1:08:19] I'm co-chair
of Northwest Valley Indivisible.
[1:08:22] I am not a resident of surprise,
[1:08:24] but our organization includes
many surprise residents.
[1:08:27] And over the past year,
[1:08:29] we have
[1:08:30] held many peaceful protests
and other events here in town.
[1:08:33] Tonight, I want to be very clear
about who we are
[1:08:36] and how we show up.
[1:08:38] Northwest Valley
indivisible is made up entirely
[1:08:41] of unpaid volunteers,
including myself.
[1:08:44] No one is paid to attend our
[1:08:46] events, organize our actions,
or speak on our behalf.
[1:08:50] We show up on our own time
at our own expense,
[1:08:52] because we care about
the Northwest Valley
[1:08:54] and the issues that affect it.
[1:08:57] I share
this paraphrased sentiment
[1:08:59] with one Minnesota protester,
who recently said,
[1:09:02] I got to get up in the morning
just like everybody else.
[1:09:04] I'm just here to stand up
for community.
[1:09:07] Northwest Valley Indivisible
is firmly committed to peaceful,
[1:09:10] nonviolent, weapons
free protest.
[1:09:13] That commitment is rooted
[1:09:14] in the National
Indivisible Movement's
[1:09:16] nonviolence policy,
and it is non-negotiable for us.
[1:09:20] We plan
with de-escalation in mind.
[1:09:22] We set clear expectations
for participants,
[1:09:25] and we do not tolerate
intimidation, threats
[1:09:27] or weapons from our participants
at our events.
[1:09:31] Tonight,
I want to clarify why we oppose
[1:09:33] the proposed
Ice facility here in surprise.
[1:09:36] We support holding people
accountable for their crimes,
[1:09:38] whether they are citizens
or immigrants.
[1:09:40] We do not want to excuse
or allow criminal behavior.
[1:09:43] Our concern is
that Ice cannot be trusted
[1:09:46] to exercise their authority
responsibly,
[1:09:48] whether on the streets
or in a detention center.
[1:09:51] We do not trust Ice
to distinguish between criminals
[1:09:54] and non criminals,
[1:09:55] between a violent offense
or a misdemeanor.
[1:09:58] We do not trust them
to reliably uphold
[1:10:00] the constitutional rights
of citizens,
[1:10:02] much less immigrants,
documented or not.
[1:10:05] And we do not trust Ice
to respond to peaceful protests
[1:10:07] like ours
[1:10:08] with the professionalism
and respect
[1:10:10] that we have
consistently experienced
[1:10:12] from the surprise
police department.
[1:10:15] Based on ICE's recent conduct,
we believe that
[1:10:17] allowing this facility
in surprise risks introducing
[1:10:20] chaos and cruelty
into a community that has worked
[1:10:23] hard to maintain peace
and safety for its residents.
[1:10:27] But please know this
[1:10:29] as Northwest Valley Indivisible
responds to this situation,
[1:10:32] we will continue to hold
[1:10:34] to our standards of peaceful,
nonviolent, weapons free protest
[1:10:39] interest in this facility
is tremendous,
[1:10:41] and outside groups
are already here to take action
[1:10:44] if any plan to do so.
[1:10:45] If any of those planned to do
so in coordination with us,
[1:10:48] they will be expected
to follow the same principles
[1:10:50] we do peaceful protest,
nonviolence, no weapons.
[1:10:53] And if they are unwilling
to do that,
[1:10:55] we will not partner with them.
[1:10:57] We value our relationship
with the city of Surprise
[1:10:59] and the surprise
police department.
[1:11:01] We will continue to coordinate
the surprise with surprise
[1:11:04] PD in advance.
[1:11:05] We will communicate clearly,
[1:11:07] and we will express
our appreciation
[1:11:08] for the department's
[1:11:09] consistent focus on safety
and professionalism
[1:11:13] as residents exercise
their First Amendment rights.
[1:11:16] We will continue
being the kind of civic partner
[1:11:18] this city has come to expect
from us. Thank you sir.
[1:11:25] Thank you Mayor.
[1:11:28] Thank you mayor.
[1:11:30] Vice mayor, Council members,
thank you so much
[1:11:34] for allowing us to come here.
[1:11:36] I appreciate this council
[1:11:38] of how you guys always hear
what we have to say.
[1:11:43] And I appreciate my fellow
surprise.
[1:11:45] The ants
and those from, neighboring,
[1:11:50] communities as well,
that have come out
[1:11:52] taking their time
to come out here and express
[1:11:56] our passion to you as well.
[1:11:59] Mayor, I'm here to support
our fellow law enforcement
[1:12:04] who daily put on the uniform,
[1:12:08] whether it's our police,
our medical, our fire,
[1:12:13] our nurses, our doctors,
and yes,
[1:12:16] even Customs and Immigration
force, I support them.
[1:12:20] They do a hard job and I am not
going to impede on their job.
[1:12:27] A well funded, a
[1:12:30] well trained and a
well supported law enforcement
[1:12:35] is an essential part
of our republic.
[1:12:39] Whether
it's our nation, our state,
[1:12:43] or even right here in surprise.
[1:12:46] And I've gotten to know
the chiefs of both.
[1:12:49] And they are professional
and they are great.
[1:12:53] And I appreciate the hard work
that these men and women
[1:12:56] who wake up every day,
take up these shifts
[1:13:00] and say, I will protect you.
[1:13:03] And my prayer for them is that
they go safely and return
[1:13:07] safely back to their families,
that I can support them as well.
[1:13:12] I want to thank everyone
that has come out here.
[1:13:15] From what we've seen on YouTube
and different,
[1:13:19] news media,
this isn't anything like that.
[1:13:22] They have been very respectful
from both sides.
[1:13:26] They have been here and saying,
I will support
[1:13:30] whether this cause or that cause
in a very respectful manner,
[1:13:36] and I hope
that this is going to be
[1:13:38] the way it should
be for all communities.
[1:13:42] Mayor,
[1:13:43] vice mayor, council members.
[1:13:46] This is a great republic,
and I hope
[1:13:48] that we can continue
another 250 years.
[1:13:52] Thank you very much.
[1:13:53] Thank you sir.
[1:13:56] Before you start,
I'm going to read the next five.
[1:14:00] The next five are Lisa Everett,
[1:14:03] Michael Chester, Kelly.
[1:14:06] Vote.
[1:14:08] Bhavani I
[1:14:10] I Connie,
I hope I said that right.
[1:14:13] Ricky. Hi, Tara.
[1:14:15] Okay, you can begin.
[1:14:16] Thank you.
[1:14:18] Good evening, Mr. Mayor.
[1:14:20] Men and women of the council
[1:14:22] and any distinguished guests
who have left out.
[1:14:26] Thank you for the time to talk
about this controversial topic.
[1:14:29] The ice warehouse.
[1:14:32] I support the police and ice.
[1:14:35] These men and women
have a job to do to protect us.
[1:14:39] They, like all of us,
[1:14:42] want to go home and
see their families after work
[1:14:46] in the last four months.
[1:14:47] Here is an example
of a few states
[1:14:50] and the number of illegal aliens
who were deported.
[1:14:53] Texas 17,000.
[1:14:55] Louisiana 7000.
[1:14:57] California 6000.
[1:15:00] Florida 4000, Georgia 4000.
[1:15:03] West Virginia 650.
[1:15:05] And Maine 200.
[1:15:07] I bring these numbers up
because while they are
[1:15:10] all substantial,
all are without incident
[1:15:16] because people living there
and the local police
[1:15:20] worked with ice and ice,
went in,
[1:15:24] arrested them and left.
[1:15:27] My hope is
[1:15:29] we are all neighbors
here in surprise, and
[1:15:33] I hope we would work with Ice
and with our local police.
[1:15:38] So they can do their job.
[1:15:41] To my knowledge,
we do not know yet
[1:15:44] if this facility
is to store their equipment
[1:15:48] or to temporarily house
[1:15:51] or to temporarily house illegals
[1:15:53] before deportation.
[1:15:56] But either way,
[1:15:58] why are some people against it?
[1:16:00] I can't answer that question.
[1:16:02] We can.
[1:16:04] One second, sir.
[1:16:05] I asked at the beginning
of this.
[1:16:07] We're
going to respect each other.
[1:16:08] I know that we have
we have passion about it.
[1:16:11] I know we got some claps, but
we need to really respect it.
[1:16:13] Give this man his time.
[1:16:14] Like we're going to get you
your time
[1:16:16] and we're going
to respect each other
[1:16:18] and the way
that we approach this.
[1:16:19] So I appreciate your candor
[1:16:21] and letting everybody
[1:16:22] speak their piece
and and letting everybody say
[1:16:25] what they need to say.
[1:16:26] So so I'm going to give you
we'll go ahead and continue.
[1:16:28] We pass the time.
[1:16:29] Thank you, Mr.
[1:16:29] Mayor. But.
[1:16:36] It's actually a great location.
[1:16:38] It's not interrupting our daily
lives.
[1:16:40] It's not
in the middle of our city.
[1:16:43] I fear that the reason for this
anti-choice sentiment
[1:16:46] is because many protesters
have the attitude.
[1:16:50] These people are our neighbors,
but are they?
[1:16:54] The minute
they come across the border
[1:16:56] and step foot in our country,
they're illegal.
[1:17:00] In fact,
the current administration
[1:17:02] has offered them to leave now
voluntarily,
[1:17:06] and they have a chance
to return.
[1:17:09] In closing,
[1:17:11] I am a God fearing man.
[1:17:13] I will pray for the mayor
[1:17:15] and for the council members
[1:17:18] to do the right thing
for our community.
[1:17:20] I will also pray for Ice
to get their job done
[1:17:24] and go home safely,
[1:17:25] so we can all go back
to our lives here in Arizona.
[1:17:29] God bless you all again.
[1:17:38] Good evening mayor.
[1:17:40] Council,
[1:17:41] thank you for giving me the
opportunity to speak tonight.
[1:17:44] I appreciate the time
[1:17:46] you've set aside for residents
to voice their concerns
[1:17:50] about the proposed
1500 bed Ice detention
[1:17:53] facility,
planned near nine schools.
[1:17:58] I understand
and want to acknowledge
[1:18:01] this project is
not under your jurisdiction,
[1:18:05] but this is still something.
[1:18:09] Is this is an appropriate place
for us?
[1:18:12] For it?
[1:18:13] Is it a place that we want
to put a detention center?
[1:18:18] This is not a Democrat
or Republican issue.
[1:18:21] It is an issue
about human dignity.
[1:18:25] I stand for the dignity of life
[1:18:28] in all of its forms
the unborn victims of crime,
[1:18:33] those on death
row and immigrants.
[1:18:36] Dignity does not depend
on someone's legal status,
[1:18:40] political affiliation
or where they were born.
[1:18:44] It is either value
that we hold consistently
[1:18:48] or it is not a value at all.
[1:18:51] Immigration and Ice enforcement
[1:18:53] have become deeply polarizing
topics.
[1:18:57] The media often pushes
people towards
[1:18:59] the most extreme positions
as if there are only two sides.
[1:19:04] But most Americans do not reside
in the extremes.
[1:19:08] Most people are in the middle.
[1:19:11] I believe in borders and laws
and they believe,
[1:19:17] and I believe in basic
humanity and decency.
[1:19:21] I respect the First Amendment
right of all of those
[1:19:24] who protest and I also recognize
that Ice agents are doing
[1:19:28] the job that they signed up
to do under federal law.
[1:19:33] Two things
can be true at the same time.
[1:19:39] I have legitimate concerns
[1:19:41] about this building
being in surprise.
[1:19:46] It's going to have
a negative effect
[1:19:49] on our community,
as it already has this evening.
[1:19:52] I have heard there are
[1:19:54] hundreds and hundreds of people
outside of this room.
[1:19:58] It concerns me that undue
[1:20:00] attention
is being brought to our city.
[1:20:04] My prayer is simple that people
take their concerns to those
[1:20:08] who actually have the power
to make a change, right?
[1:20:11] Your members of Congress, right
where US Congress, Senator,
[1:20:16] let them know
that you are not okay with this.
[1:20:21] But more importantly,
we need to pass the Dignity Act.
[1:20:26] The Dignity Act is in committee
right now,
[1:20:30] and if that were to be passed,
this would be a moot point.
[1:20:34] We want our country to return
to being that shining
[1:20:38] city on the hill.
[1:20:39] One that enforces laws,
protects communities,
[1:20:42] and never forgets the dignity
of every human life.
[1:20:46] Thank you ma'am, thank you.
[1:20:51] The next five speakers
[1:20:52] Samantha Hooley,
Shannon Rayburn,
[1:20:57] Sonia Ramirez.
[1:21:02] Lynn Peters,
[1:21:04] Christopher Grams.
[1:21:10] Do we know if they're coming
from the overflow room?
[1:21:12] I'm checking.
[1:21:15] I'll read the next five.
[1:21:16] And if they come in, we'll know.
[1:21:18] There.
[1:21:19] Colleen Pullman,
[1:21:22] Diane Eden Giordano,
[1:21:26] Alexandria in.
[1:21:30] Stephanie Boehm.
[1:21:36] Anybody?
[1:21:38] Okay, we might have two coming.
[1:21:40] Okay.
[1:21:42] And if you have somebody sitting
next to you that stepped out
[1:21:44] for whatever reason
and they come back,
[1:21:46] we can put them in line as well.
[1:21:48] If they call their name.
[1:21:51] Can we keep reading?
[1:21:52] So I'm going to continue.
[1:21:55] Carrie.
[1:21:56] I'm sorry, is there someone,
[1:22:00] please state your name
when you get to the podium.
[1:22:02] Okay?
[1:22:03] Okay. Hey.
[1:22:06] Christopher Grams.
[1:22:08] Good evening sir.
[1:22:10] There. Councilwoman. Mayor.
[1:22:12] Good. Here.
[1:22:13] Tonight
[1:22:14] I come to you to speak
[1:22:15] about the current and concerning
situation regarding the $70
[1:22:18] million purchase of a
facility down by DHS and Ice
[1:22:22] as American citizens,
[1:22:24] whether you were born here
or come here, does that matter?
[1:22:27] As citizens of the USA,
we have to demand
[1:22:29] expect complete transparency
from our elected officials.
[1:22:33] We deserve to know what plans
are for this facility,
[1:22:36] how it will affect not just
the price, but all of Arizona.
[1:22:40] I urge you to work
in the best interest of everyone
[1:22:45] and not just here, but also
the rest of you in those states.
[1:22:48] Our neighbors, queens
and friends who come here
[1:22:50] and hope to come and deserve a
better life in the United States
[1:22:55] that's welcoming to all
and for everyone.
[1:22:59] I would like to end with this
quote from the Constitution.
[1:23:02] We hold these truths
to be self-evident, that all men
[1:23:06] are created equal.
[1:23:14] Thank you sir.
[1:23:16] Next, next.
[1:23:17] I have names Erin Jones,
Alexandra Sullivan,
[1:23:23] Lawrence, Julian,
[1:23:26] Christina Dunham,
[1:23:29] Alexa Poulter.
[1:23:32] Please state your name
when you get to the podium.
[1:23:34] Good evening.
[1:23:38] Good evening.
[1:23:39] My name is Alexandria mullin,
and I'm here to speak about
[1:23:42] the new Ice detention center
on Desert in Sweetwater,
[1:23:45] purchased
from the Rockefeller Group
[1:23:47] for $70 million in cash
on January 23rd.
[1:23:51] The new center is a warehouse
facility
[1:23:52] being turned into a center
with 1500 beds.
[1:23:55] Just a second drive from Dysart
High School, my alma mater,
[1:24:00] and a minutes drive
from right here.
[1:24:03] The City of Surprise
said they were unaware
[1:24:05] of a new facility
being built in our city.
[1:24:07] And meanwhile,
DHS says they expect it to be up
[1:24:10] and running by April 2nd months
to convert a warehouse
[1:24:15] with no infrastructure
to a death camp
[1:24:17] a camp I believe will have
at least double the 1500 beds
[1:24:21] we were informed of
[1:24:23] based on the pictures
of facilities across the nation.
[1:24:26] How will they manage to convert
a building meant
[1:24:28] for laborers to a building
housing over a thousand?
[1:24:31] That is a major difference
in sewage lighting
[1:24:33] and especially air conditioning
[1:24:35] in these upcoming summer months.
[1:24:37] Not only does this new facility
pose a moral dilemma
[1:24:40] for some of the citizens here
who have watched our brothers,
[1:24:42] sisters, friends and neighbors
be stolen away,
[1:24:45] but it causes a multitude of
issues for those who live close,
[1:24:49] one resident said.
[1:24:49] When interviewed by 12 news.
[1:24:51] They dread
the crowds of protesters.
[1:24:54] I imagine they would also dread
the sounds of trucks in and out
[1:24:57] day and night,
and the sounds of detainees
[1:24:59] screaming for help
like we've seen in
[1:25:01] so many detention centers,
including in Eloy, Arizona.
[1:25:05] I'm terrified
that the detention center
[1:25:07] will begin to target
[1:25:08] the 60% Hispanic population
at Dysart High School.
[1:25:11] Once again, my alma mater,
[1:25:13] and the children are terrified
as well.
[1:25:15] Last week,
[1:25:16] over 40 schools in the valley
[1:25:17] stood up
to show their solidarity
[1:25:19] for those abused
and kidnaped by Ice,
[1:25:21] not only here
but across the nation.
[1:25:23] These children are smart, fiery
and our duty to protect.
[1:25:27] We can protect them
from increased profiling,
[1:25:31] increased police presence
[1:25:32] and heartache by stopping this
when we have the chance.
[1:25:36] Does the council not wish
to have known of this camp
[1:25:39] before it was purchased?
Does the council not wish
[1:25:42] to know of the plans
for their land?
[1:25:44] Please show the community
your strength and solidarity
[1:25:48] and stop this.
[1:25:49] Thank you.
[1:25:57] Thank you again.
[1:26:00] I need to ask you to not
[1:26:01] clap or cheer or boo or whatever
it may be.
[1:26:04] I know that you want to,
[1:26:06] but I don't want anybody
to feel intimidated, regardless
[1:26:08] of the side of the issue
that you're on.
[1:26:09] Everybody needs a chance
to be heard
[1:26:12] without fear of intimidation.
[1:26:14] Ma'am.
[1:26:15] Good evening.
[1:26:16] Good evening,
mayor and council members.
[1:26:18] My name is Alexa Colter,
and I've been a resident
[1:26:20] of surprise
for the past 26 years.
[1:26:22] I currently live near Grand
Avenue and Rheims Road.
[1:26:24] I'm here tonight
to speak about my grave concern
[1:26:26] for our community,
[1:26:27] as Immigration and Customs
Enforcement recently purchased
[1:26:29] their massive warehouse space
last week
[1:26:31] near the intersection of Dysart
and Cactus Roads.
[1:26:33] According
to its recent statement,
[1:26:35] the City of Surprise
was not aware
[1:26:36] that there were efforts underway
to purchase this building
[1:26:39] and given the current context
[1:26:40] of other cities
such as Portland, LA,
[1:26:42] Chicago or Minneapolis,
it is wildly irresponsible
[1:26:45] that the city failed to work
[1:26:46] either on its own
or in coordination
[1:26:48] with other nearby
governmental agencies,
[1:26:50] to strategically plan
for our community's needs.
[1:26:52] Given the current agenda of this
presidential administration,
[1:26:56] Ice is above the rule of law.
[1:26:58] Vice President
Vance has publicly stated
[1:26:59] that Ice agents
have federal immunity,
[1:27:01] meaning their actions
go without consequence.
[1:27:03] There is documentation of Ice
[1:27:05] aggressively and violently
approaching
[1:27:06] people in every area
of their communities
[1:27:09] cars, homes,
schools and businesses.
[1:27:11] There is also documented
evidence of retaliatory
[1:27:13] violence against Americans
who are peacefully protesting
[1:27:16] and organizing
in their communities
[1:27:18] to protect
vulnerable populations,
[1:27:19] and this is not political
conjecture,
[1:27:22] inflammatory platforming,
or alarmist rhetoric.
[1:27:24] There is qualitative data
from the federal government
[1:27:27] that affirm these realities.
[1:27:28] Federal judge
[1:27:29] Judge Patrick Schultz
wrote in a January ruling
[1:27:31] that Ice had violated
[1:27:32] conservatively
96 court orders in January alone
[1:27:36] regarding the release
of detainees,
[1:27:38] federal Judge Fred
Bieri wrote in a January order
[1:27:40] that in his specific case,
observing human behavior confirm
[1:27:43] that for some of us, perfidious
lust for unbridled power
[1:27:46] and the imposition of cruelty
in this quest knew no bounds
[1:27:50] and are bereft of human decency
and the rule of law be damned.
[1:27:54] And yet,
[1:27:54] despite this evidence
of authoritarian power,
[1:27:56] it is possible for even the most
local forms of government
[1:27:58] to take a stand
in the name of the people.
[1:28:00] In January, the Kansas City City
Council passed an ordinance
[1:28:03] banning non municipal
detention centers for five years
[1:28:05] to protect their city
from this exact situation,
[1:28:08] our city found its best
course of action
[1:28:10] was to have no course at all
[1:28:12] to simply folded hands and say,
how could we have known?
[1:28:14] But it was your job to know
and it was your job to plan.
[1:28:18] Our community will forever
be altered by this course.
[1:28:20] I currently have no call
to action or
[1:28:22] recommendation of the council.
[1:28:24] It did feel
[1:28:24] vitally important though,
and in America, and a surprise
[1:28:27] that are very clearly for some
[1:28:28] and not all,
that I use my privilege
[1:28:30] to hold this Council accountable
for this failure.
[1:28:32] Each of you
ran for public office
[1:28:34] to serve every human
being in your jurisdiction.
[1:28:36] As public servants, you do not
get to selectively choose
[1:28:39] who to serve.
[1:28:40] Depending on your personal
politics or platforms,
[1:28:43] you have a moral
and ethical obligation
[1:28:44] to defend every life
in our city.
[1:28:47] And the reality is
that people under your care
[1:28:49] are now incredibly scared
and incredibly unsafe.
[1:28:51] For people
[1:28:52] who are most vulnerable
[1:28:53] to the actions of Ice,
[1:28:54] I want to be sure they know
there are people
[1:28:56] in their community
[1:28:56] who will use their privileges
to advocate for their lives
[1:28:58] and the dignity and compassion
they deserve as human beings,
[1:29:02] as a group of people
with a great amount of power
[1:29:03] and privilege
as leaders of this city,
[1:29:06] I implore you to catch up
and do the same.
[1:29:08] The lives of people in our city
[1:29:09] will literally now
depend upon it. Thank you.
[1:29:12] Thank you.
[1:29:20] So do
[1:29:21] you state your
name when you get to the podium?
[1:29:25] Good evening.
[1:29:25] My name is Samantha Cooley
and I do not live in surprise,
[1:29:28] but I am a resident of Phoenix
and I am a rapid responder.
[1:29:33] When the community reports
that they've seen Ice activity,
[1:29:37] I go out and I try and videotape
and record and report
[1:29:42] what's happening.
It's upsetting.
[1:29:44] It's awful.
[1:29:45] They treat people horribly.
[1:29:47] One of my own family
members was detained by Ice.
[1:29:50] He was here on a visa
[1:29:52] and also had a permit to travel
anywhere in the United States.
[1:29:57] I took him
and detained him for three days.
[1:30:00] He was taken
to the field office.
[1:30:02] It was supposed to be
a 12 hour hold,
[1:30:04] and instead of using the field
[1:30:06] office as that 12 hour hold,
they kept him for three days.
[1:30:10] They knew he had a visa.
[1:30:11] They fed him occasionally
a bean burrito,
[1:30:17] maybe twice,
sometimes three times a day.
[1:30:19] They are deplorable conditions
[1:30:21] that no one
should have to live in.
[1:30:23] They're keeping people in these
temporary holding facilities
[1:30:27] for up to 43 days
with no showers,
[1:30:30] no brushing their teeth,
no beds, and the fact
[1:30:33] that they want to build
a 1500 bed
[1:30:37] property here, it's disgusting.
[1:30:40] I am helping a family right
now. Who?
[1:30:43] The father is taken
on Christmas Day.
[1:30:45] I met the daughter
at the field office
[1:30:47] when she was looking for her
father.
[1:30:49] She's 16 years old.
[1:30:51] He's HIV positive,
[1:30:52] and he takes medication
that he has to take every day.
[1:30:55] ISIS would held his medication
for seven day periods,
[1:31:00] and when we finally are able
to get him his medication,
[1:31:03] they'll give it to him
[1:31:04] for 30 days
and then they withhold it again.
[1:31:07] This man has
no signs of HIV yet.
[1:31:11] When they don't let him take
his medication, he gets signs of
[1:31:15] he can get the symptoms.
I also am
[1:31:18] working with the family of Yori
who has leukemia.
[1:31:21] Ice has given her Advil
instead of giving her
[1:31:26] the chemotherapy
treatment she needs.
[1:31:29] I have a
[1:31:30] list here of 50 people
that have died in Ice custody,
[1:31:34] most of which
is because of the lack of care.
[1:31:37] And I would hope
[1:31:38] the city is surprised,
does not want to have
[1:31:40] this kind of blood
on their hands,
[1:31:42] and would actually say no
to this and figure out a way
[1:31:46] to stop this facility
from being built.
[1:31:50] Thank you.
[1:31:51] Thank you.
[1:31:57] Madam clerk, can you call
a few more names, please?
[1:31:59] Yes, I'm going to call
five more Kendall Strobel,
[1:32:04] Vince, Manjula, Jennifer Woods,
[1:32:08] Donna Bruns e John.
[1:32:10] Manila.
[1:32:12] Weiser. State your name, please.
[1:32:14] I'm John Manila.
[1:32:15] I live 15 minutes
south of here, right down Dicer.
[1:32:18] Mayor and city council,
thank you for
[1:32:20] having public comment tonight.
[1:32:21] I appreciate that.
[1:32:23] DHS says that Ice is going
after the worst of the worst.
[1:32:27] This is their words, right?
[1:32:29] The worst of the worst.
[1:32:30] Pedophiles, murderers,
gang bangers, psychopaths.
[1:32:33] The absolute worst of the worst.
[1:32:35] So I ask you, why
are you allowing them to houses?
[1:32:38] Worst of the worst. Right
next to Dysart High School.
[1:32:40] There's a building, right,
bordering this facility
[1:32:44] that has, cheerleading studio
where little girls go to learn
[1:32:48] how to do
cheerleading and tumbling.
[1:32:50] You're allowing the so-called
worst of the worst to be housed
[1:32:53] right there.
[1:32:53] I do say allow,
because other cities
[1:32:55] are successfully fighting back
against these facilities.
[1:32:58] So I ask you, either
[1:33:01] they really are
the worst of the worst,
[1:33:03] and you're doing a disservice
to the children of surprise
[1:33:06] by allowing them to be right
next to them.
[1:33:09] Or DHS is lying.
[1:33:11] And either way, we shouldn't
have a jail right here.
[1:33:14] Not in my backyard.
[1:33:15] And I would certainly not.
[1:33:17] I think you need to do
something.
[1:33:19] There's plenty of things
that you can try,
[1:33:21] such as getting
an environmental review.
[1:33:23] You can petition
our representative.
[1:33:25] You can go to our senators,
ask them for an inquiry.
[1:33:29] You can fight back.
[1:33:30] You can do something instead of
just sitting here and saying,
[1:33:33] no, I imagine
if this was a homeless shelter
[1:33:36] or a mental health center,
you would find a way to stop it.
[1:33:39] He would pull out all the stops.
[1:33:41] He would go to the tomes
of English common law,
[1:33:46] dust them off and try to find
[1:33:48] some appendix in there
to make sure that you didn't
[1:33:50] have to build this building.
[1:33:51] Well, just pretend that it's
that and put a stop to it.
[1:33:55] Thank you very much.
[1:33:57] Hey. Good evening ma'am.
[1:34:05] Good evening,
mayor and council members.
[1:34:07] My name is Jackie Salas.
[1:34:09] I'm a proud Latina American,
a parent, and a long time
[1:34:12] resident of surprise, Arizona.
[1:34:14] I believe in our community,
[1:34:15] and I'm here tonight
to respectfully ask
[1:34:17] that the City of Surprise
not allow an Ice detention
[1:34:20] center to be built
or operated in our community.
[1:34:24] My family and I choose surprise
because it's a place
[1:34:27] that values safety,
family, and opportunity.
[1:34:31] It's where we're raising
our children,
[1:34:33] building our lives,
and investing in our future.
[1:34:36] As a parent,
I think deeply about the kind
[1:34:38] of community
my kids are growing up
[1:34:40] and, and one of the main reasons
[1:34:41] we live in this city
and chose it,
[1:34:44] not just what it looks like
today, but what it stands for.
[1:34:47] An Ice detention center
does not reflect
[1:34:49] the values
that brought many of us here.
[1:34:53] These facilities are
not just buildings, they are.
[1:34:56] They impact
real people and real families.
[1:34:59] Across the country,
[1:35:00] detention centers
have raised serious concerns
[1:35:02] about conditions, medical care,
prolonged
[1:35:04] detention of individuals
without clear timelines,
[1:35:09] regardless of political views.
[1:35:11] Because this is not about
politics.
[1:35:17] Human dignity
should always come first.
[1:35:19] As a Latino American,
immigration is personal for me,
[1:35:23] but as a parent and a resident,
this affects everyone.
[1:35:27] Facilities
like these create fear
[1:35:29] and communities fear
that keeps parents
[1:35:30] from attending school events,
neighbors from reporting crimes,
[1:35:34] and families from fully
participating in civic life.
[1:35:37] That park and surprise
that we spent so much money
[1:35:40] and that you guys just talked
about
[1:35:42] how much money is spent
there will no longer be full.
[1:35:45] None of us will feel safe.
[1:35:47] None of
our children feel safe here.
[1:35:50] That fear does not make surprise
safer.
[1:35:52] It weakens the trust that strong
communities depend on.
[1:35:55] And many of us choose surprise
[1:35:57] because of the sense
of community
[1:35:59] that we feel
as we walk through the streets
[1:36:01] with our children
and play in the playgrounds.
[1:36:05] I am also concerned
about the message,
[1:36:07] the sense to our children.
[1:36:08] What are we teaching them?
[1:36:10] If we normalize the detention
of families
[1:36:12] as an acceptable form
of development?
[1:36:14] Surprise should be a city
that invest in projects
[1:36:17] that bring people together,
strengthen
[1:36:19] our economy, and reflect
compassion and responsibility.
[1:36:22] I urge you to
not only listen to me tonight,
[1:36:25] but everybody
that has signed up to speak
[1:36:27] and all the people that are
peacefully protesting outside.
[1:36:31] I urge you
not only to listen to that,
[1:36:33] but also you need to deeply care
about the generations
[1:36:37] to come in this city.
[1:36:38] Please
choose development that aligns
[1:36:40] with our shared values,
our safety, our unity
[1:36:43] and respect for all families
who call surprise home.
[1:36:47] I want to
thank you for your time
[1:36:48] and thank you for listening.
[1:36:49] But most of all,
we are begging you to hear us
[1:36:54] to not allow this
to happen to the city
[1:36:57] that we are also proud to live
in. Thank you. Thank you.
[1:37:03] Just one moment, ma'am.
[1:37:04] Before you start, I'm going to
call a couple more names. Okay?
[1:37:07] Just one moment.
[1:37:08] Randy Carnet,
[1:37:10] Olivia Lozano, Lisa Brinkman,
[1:37:15] Nancy Stevens, Matthew royster.
[1:37:20] Okay. Please state your name.
[1:37:21] Good evening, mayor and council.
[1:37:23] Jennifer Woods.
[1:37:24] I live at,
resident Cactus and Rams.
[1:37:27] I want to be very clear.
[1:37:29] I'm not a paid protester.
[1:37:30] I'm not a shell.
[1:37:32] I'm a daughter, mother, wife,
a neighbor, a small business
[1:37:35] owner here in surprise
and a disabled veteran.
[1:37:38] My family and I first moved
to surprise in 2005.
[1:37:41] We followed my sister,
[1:37:42] who moved here in 2000
because it was a beautiful city.
[1:37:45] City had a lot to offer.
It was up and coming.
[1:37:48] They entice us with families.
[1:37:49] Families move here.
[1:37:51] It was booming, full of promise.
[1:37:52] Spring training tickets
were still $5 for grass seats
[1:37:56] and like many of us, we were
sold on the vision of prasada.
[1:37:58] Even back then.
[1:38:00] The vision faded for a while,
[1:38:01] but we stayed
and we stayed and stayed.
[1:38:04] We built a life here.
[1:38:05] Multiple Goodwill's, Burger
Kings and finally Prasada.
[1:38:08] And I do have a bone
to pick eventually with somebody
[1:38:10] who planned the
parking lot that isn't there.
[1:38:15] Mayor, I
[1:38:15] met you and your wife at Home
Goods right before the election.
[1:38:19] We even had a sign in our yard
for you.
[1:38:22] You looked me
in the eye at that time,
[1:38:23] and you said you would listen
to all sides.
[1:38:26] Both sides.
[1:38:27] Didn't matter
which side anybody came from,
[1:38:30] that you would make informed
decisions and you would do
[1:38:32] what's right. You would do
what's right for the city.
[1:38:35] You said you would be out
and about in the community,
[1:38:38] talking to people
and hearing everything
[1:38:40] that we had to say, regardless
of what side we were on.
[1:38:43] And here we all are.
[1:38:44] We are here coming to you.
[1:38:46] The building of cactus
and desert.
[1:38:48] It's a inhumane operation.
[1:38:51] It's about
[1:38:51] to put surprise on the map
and not for spring training,
[1:38:55] not for the beautiful year
round the weather,
[1:38:57] for this,
for this blemish on our city.
[1:39:01] And who's
standing up here for desert?
[1:39:03] I'm sorry for El Mirage,
[1:39:05] because this is just as much
[1:39:07] in their backyard
as it is, and ours.
[1:39:09] Our kids are scared,
our neighbors are scared,
[1:39:12] and our community is divided
even more now than before.
[1:39:16] This will be the history
that our grandchildren learn.
[1:39:19] Your names will be attached
to it.
[1:39:21] Mayor Schaefer, she would be
absolutely appalled.
[1:39:26] She worked tirelessly
so families will feel safe here
[1:39:30] through community
projects, diversity, inclusion
[1:39:34] and connection,
not fear and not division.
[1:39:39] You may think this moment
will pass quietly, but it won't.
[1:39:43] Mayor Schaefer has been gone
for many years,
[1:39:45] and I still stand here
[1:39:47] speaking on behalf of her name
with absolute respect,
[1:39:51] because she was a true community
leader.
[1:39:53] People remember her and
they will always remember this.
[1:39:57] We have fallen as a nation
when we allowed this
[1:39:59] to happen in our cities,
in our own backyards,
[1:40:02] we have neighbors
who complain about the HOA fees,
[1:40:04] but yet they are welcoming ice
with open arms.
[1:40:07] Not me.
[1:40:08] And I refuse to look away
with the rest of my time.
[1:40:11] I would like to honor
the men and women
[1:40:13] who have lost their life,
[1:40:14] their lives to Ice,
people killed over power trips,
[1:40:17] rage and unchecked authority.
[1:40:19] I will be watching
and I like to think surprised
[1:40:21] is a pretty good place
to raise families and live.
[1:40:25] Thank you. Thank you.
[1:40:30] Can I ask?
[1:40:33] Good evening.
[1:40:34] Council members, city staff
and neighbors.
[1:40:36] My name is Kendall Strobel.
[1:40:37] I'm in the fourth district.
[1:40:39] Before I begin,
[1:40:40] I want to be honest
about something
[1:40:41] I am terrified of public
speaking.
[1:40:44] I don't seek out microphones
or podiums, but standing here
[1:40:47] tonight is far outside
my comfort zone.
[1:40:50] This issue is too important, too
[1:40:53] urgent for me to let my own
discomfort get in the way.
[1:40:56] I am here because this proposal
is not just another line item,
[1:40:59] it is a direct threat
to the well-being
[1:41:01] of our families, our neighbors,
and the future of surprise.
[1:41:04] The plan to build an Ice
detention center on West
[1:41:07] Sweetwater is something I cannot
[1:41:08] and will not stay silent about.
[1:41:10] Not as a resident,
[1:41:11] not as a mother,
[1:41:12] and not as someone
[1:41:13] who has seen firsthand the cost
of human detention centers.
[1:41:17] I do not
want to raise my children
[1:41:19] ten minutes away from a facility
that brings trauma, fear,
[1:41:22] and heartbreak
into the communities around it.
[1:41:25] I refuse to normalize the idea
that suffering is something
[1:41:28] our kids should grow up
watching from their backyards.
[1:41:32] That is not the world
I want for my family,
[1:41:34] and that is not the world
this city should be building.
[1:41:37] And the concerns
here are not hypothetical.
[1:41:40] They are documented,
[1:41:41] they are measurable,
and they are real.
[1:41:42] National data shows detention
centers bring increased traffic,
[1:41:46] increased enforcement activity,
an increased strain
[1:41:49] on emergency services, often
without compensation,
[1:41:52] that matches the burden
placed on the local systems.
[1:41:55] Studies also have shown that
property values within a one
[1:41:58] mile radius between have dropped
between 6 and 10%.
[1:42:02] That affects
[1:42:03] our local homeowners, families
[1:42:05] and the long term
economic health of our city.
[1:42:08] Detention centers
do not make communities safer.
[1:42:11] There is no evidence
that placing a detention
[1:42:13] facility near neighborhoods
reduces crime
[1:42:16] because the people detained
are not local offenders,
[1:42:18] many are asylum seekers or
individuals awaiting hearings.
[1:42:22] So the question becomes why
should surprise absorb the risk,
[1:42:26] the cost and the consequences
[1:42:28] of a facility that
offers us nothing in return?
[1:42:31] I grew up in a
[1:42:32] diverse community shaped by
incredible immigrant families.
[1:42:35] When we moved to
[1:42:36] from a small town in Washington
to surprise Arizona,
[1:42:39] it was because
I wanted my children
[1:42:41] to grow up
with the same richness,
[1:42:43] surrounded by people
[1:42:44] from different backgrounds,
cultures, and stories.
[1:42:47] And I know the human reality
behind these centers.
[1:42:50] My uncle is an immigration
lawyer.
[1:42:52] I watched him spent years
fighting for people seeking
[1:42:54] asylum,
[1:42:55] people working tirelessly for a
better life for their children.
[1:42:59] These were not criminals.
[1:43:00] These were family
[1:43:01] parents who would give anything
to protect their children.
[1:43:05] So when I hear that
a detention center
[1:43:07] is being proposed in the heart
of our community, near homes,
[1:43:10] schools, small businesses,
I can't accept it.
[1:43:13] And I know I'm not alone.
[1:43:15] Look around this room.
We are here because we care.
[1:43:17] We are here because we see
what's at stake.
[1:43:20] We are here
because this is our city.
[1:43:21] And we will not let the federal
[1:43:23] detention
facility redefine who we are.
[1:43:26] If this proposal
moves forward in any form,
[1:43:29] the Council has a responsibility
to use every tool available
[1:43:32] to protect its residents.
[1:43:34] That means refusing to partner
with or fund private
[1:43:37] detention operations operators
through the city contracts.
[1:43:42] Can I finish my little.
[1:43:43] Thank you, ma'am?
[1:43:43] Okay.
[1:43:51] Good evening.
[1:43:53] Good evening, Mayor and Council.
[1:43:54] My name is Donna Brodsky
and I live near the intersection
[1:43:57] of Bell and Rhames.
[1:44:00] First, I want to thank you
for accommodating
[1:44:02] on the speakers tonight.
[1:44:04] It's a long night
for everyone, but
[1:44:07] everybody needs a chance
to be able to be heard
[1:44:10] tonight.
[1:44:11] I'm here because I'd like to.
[1:44:14] I'd like to urge you
to oppose the proposed facility.
[1:44:18] And because I believe
we share the same goal
[1:44:21] to protect the character
and safety of surprise.
[1:44:25] This facility is planned
within two miles of at least six
[1:44:29] public and private schools,
and maybe more, because you
[1:44:32] you get different information
when you Google it.
[1:44:36] This isn't just a federal policy
issue.
[1:44:39] It's a land use and public
safety issue that directly
[1:44:42] impacts our students
and our neighborhoods.
[1:44:46] Well, I understand
[1:44:48] the federal Supremacy
Clause issue exists.
[1:44:51] I believe this council can be
[1:44:53] our strongest advocate,
and I'm asking you to stand
[1:44:57] with us by exploring every tool
in the municipal toolbox.
[1:45:01] For example,
a few possible tools
[1:45:04] might be lead with transparency.
[1:45:07] Use your platform to demand
that the Ice provides full
[1:45:11] operational plans for residents,
aren't left in the dark
[1:45:15] to strict oversight.
[1:45:18] Require
[1:45:18] rigorous environmental traffic
infrastructure impact reviews
[1:45:22] anything that would help us know
what they're going to do.
[1:45:26] That's a that was designed
as a warehouse, not as a
[1:45:29] housing facility.
[1:45:32] A roads
and public safety resources
[1:45:34] belong to this community,
and we must know how
[1:45:36] this facility will train
them, will strain them
[1:45:40] and principal partnership,
[1:45:43] commit
to not using any city contracts
[1:45:46] or local tax dollars
to subsidize the facility
[1:45:49] and the operation
of this detention center.
[1:45:53] Lastly,
we are not alone in this.
[1:45:56] Other jurisdictions
around the country
[1:45:59] country are investigating ways
[1:46:00] to reject the Ice facilities
in their jurisdictions.
[1:46:04] According to the El Paso
Herald Post, on February 2nd,
[1:46:09] the City of Orlando,
the State of New Mexico,
[1:46:11] Kansas City and Oklahoma City
are all researching and
[1:46:15] or attempting various actions
to bypass the Supremacy Clause
[1:46:18] and to stop potential Ice
detention facilities.
[1:46:22] Perhaps surprise
could collaborate with
[1:46:24] some of these jurisdictions.
[1:46:28] We know you weren't
given a seat at the table
[1:46:31] when this project was planned,
but you have the power
[1:46:35] to pull up a chair right now.
[1:46:37] Let's work together to ensure
[1:46:40] that the safety of our schools
and the integrity
[1:46:44] of our neighborhoods
remain your top priority.
[1:46:47] Thank you.
[1:46:48] Thank you for.
[1:46:53] Where you begin, I'm
going to call for.
[1:46:54] Hold on one state.
[1:46:54] Ma'am,
can you get Karina in the back?
[1:46:58] I'd like to meet
with you, please.
[1:46:59] After an a day or two.
I've got it.
[1:47:01] Okay, okay, okay.
[1:47:03] Thank you.
[1:47:03] Thank you
[1:47:04] for the next five.
[1:47:07] Names are Linda Landry, Gail
[1:47:10] Manahan, Natalie artista,
[1:47:14] Cassandra Harbin, Stacy Jones.
[1:47:18] Thank you.
Please state your name.
[1:47:20] My name is Yolanda Rose.
[1:47:23] I'm from Buckeye, but
I show up here and surprise me.
[1:47:26] Ma'am,
please don't normalize by hate
[1:47:29] and violence
against innocent human beings.
[1:47:32] Don't put detention centers
in our community.
[1:47:36] What we are witnessing
today is not law and order.
[1:47:39] It is a violation of it.
[1:47:41] Over 40 innocent
people have been killed
[1:47:44] by Ice agents across our nation,
[1:47:47] kidnaping and detaining
innocent human beings
[1:47:50] from their homes, cars,
cars, schools and workplaces
[1:47:54] based solely on
how they look is illegal.
[1:47:57] It violates existing
federal and state laws,
[1:48:01] and it violates
the United States Constitution.
[1:48:04] Racial profiling
[1:48:05] has no place in a nation
that claims to value justice.
[1:48:10] Immigration laws were created
[1:48:11] during the era of chattel
slavery,
[1:48:14] when only free white persons
were allowed to become U.S.
[1:48:17] citizens.
[1:48:18] For more than 200 years,
immigration policy
[1:48:22] has been shaped by racism
designed to endanger, exploited,
[1:48:27] criminalized, and exclude
nonwhite innocent human beings.
[1:48:31] The Constitution is clear.
[1:48:33] The 14th Amendment,
[1:48:35] section one, guarantees
equal protection under the law.
[1:48:39] The Supreme Court affirms
this in equal versus Hopkins
[1:48:43] ruling that any person,
whether present
[1:48:47] any person, lawful or unlawful,
temporary or permanent,
[1:48:51] is entitled
to constitutional protection.
[1:48:55] Marginalized communities
are labeled as criminals
[1:48:59] when the true worst of the worst
are rarely held accountable.
[1:49:03] The worst of the worst
are the masked men and women
[1:49:06] roaming the streets shooting
innocent people, doing the mall
[1:49:09] time, billionaires dirty work,
mass deportation.
[1:49:13] It's not about safety.
[1:49:15] It's about racism,
ethnic cleansing,
[1:49:18] profit for the greedy investors
in Geo group and core civic.
[1:49:23] The most dangerous
criminals in our society
[1:49:26] are the extreme wealthy
and powerful
[1:49:29] that Epstein class
of multi billionaires
[1:49:32] who exploit people
with near-total impunity.
[1:49:36] Their power
allow them to influence
[1:49:39] legislation, manipulate
the judicial system
[1:49:43] and dominate
the news media and social media.
[1:49:45] They shape public narratives
while avoiding
[1:49:48] responsibility for immense harm.
[1:49:51] Justice cannot exist
when the Epstein class
[1:49:55] of the most powerful
billionaires are in control.
[1:49:58] Some laws are unjust
[1:50:01] and just as the man's not blind
obedience to them,
[1:50:05] but the courage to change them
in pursuit of a better future.
[1:50:09] Abolish Ice.
[1:50:11] Thank you very.
[1:50:17] Touched him.
[1:50:19] He says. Interesting stuff.
[1:50:21] Yeah.
[1:50:21] Madam clerk,
we're going to take a recess
[1:50:23] now for the last time
and for about ten minutes.
[1:50:25] Okay.
[1:50:27] Before you call more names,
you got it.
[1:50:31] Please state good, sir.
Yes, sir.
[1:50:33] Good evening.
My name is Matthew Reisner.
[1:50:35] I appreciate your time here
tonight.
[1:50:38] We're not talking
about normal law enforcement.
[1:50:41] Normal law enforcement follows
the rules of the United States,
[1:50:44] the Constitution,
and is accountable.
[1:50:47] We're talking about the creation
of a police force
[1:50:51] similar to what Nazi Germany
had in the 1930s,
[1:50:55] with its total disregard
to the citizens of the country
[1:50:59] that they're supposedly
protecting.
[1:51:06] Surprise is about to become
an experience,
[1:51:09] the biggest public safety crisis
in its history.
[1:51:13] You're going to become
the epicenter
[1:51:15] across the southwest
and further of huge protests,
[1:51:19] thousands of people
opposed to the violence
[1:51:21] that Ice is using against people
and the disregard
[1:51:24] for the constitutional rights
of all people
[1:51:27] living in this country,
both citizens and non citizens.
[1:51:32] It will
likely spark violent clashes.
[1:51:36] Anon citizens,
I'm sorry, I apologize.
[1:51:39] It will likely spark violent
clashes and more potential
[1:51:44] killings, murders and detentions
of innocent people
[1:51:49] trying just to exercise
their constitutional rights.
[1:51:54] While it may be the case,
possibly that there is nothing
[1:51:58] that you can do to hold off
[1:52:01] federal.
[1:52:04] Agency wanting to come in,
[1:52:06] what you can do,
and there must be something
[1:52:09] you can do
to slow down the process
[1:52:11] and put some impediments
in that pathway.
[1:52:16] At the very least,
what you can also do
[1:52:19] is to pass a resolution
stating on record
[1:52:23] that you all oppose
this facility
[1:52:26] that is proposed
for the town of surprise.
[1:52:31] What I lastly do
want to say though,
[1:52:33] this detention
prison center does not belong in
[1:52:38] anybody's backyard,
any place in the United States.
[1:52:42] I should be disbanded.
[1:52:44] And anything this board
does in support of this,
[1:52:48] or not doing anything
to impede Ice
[1:52:51] is supporting them
by your silence.
[1:52:55] Thank you. Thank you sir.
[1:53:01] Okay,
[1:53:01] mayor and members
of the council, I'm Eugene Hunt.
[1:53:05] I'm a resident of surprise.
[1:53:08] I live in a son village.
[1:53:10] Bell and son village.
[1:53:13] I'm an architect and a planner.
[1:53:16] I have an active practice,
and I have a past experience
[1:53:19] in correctional facilities,
and my,
[1:53:22] want to address you tonight
because I think this is an
[1:53:25] inappropriate location
for this type facility.
[1:53:29] They're talking about
[1:53:30] one of the busiest intersections
in the city.
[1:53:32] A surprise.
[1:53:34] It it's also a building
that wasn't designed for this
[1:53:37] purpose.
[1:53:38] It's an industrial warehouse
building.
[1:53:41] I think
[1:53:42] if they were going to locate
here,
[1:53:44] they should have done
some planning rather
[1:53:45] than just buy a first building
on the street.
[1:53:48] It's an inappropriate location.
[1:53:50] I think it's
going to be a disaster for
[1:53:52] those that are going
to be incarcerated there.
[1:53:54] So I would ask your favor
in not approving this location.
[1:53:58] Thank you. Thank you sir.
[1:54:04] Good evening.
[1:54:05] Good evening mayor, Council.
[1:54:06] Missus Davis,
my name is William Cunningham.
[1:54:08] I have lived near Litchfield
Waddell for 17 years.
[1:54:11] I'm here today
[1:54:12] to voice my strong opposition
to the federal purchase
[1:54:14] of the warehouse
on Sweetwater Avenue,
[1:54:16] but approached
[1:54:16] from a slightly different
approach
[1:54:17] than in many others here,
but similar to,
[1:54:20] the gentleman architect.
[1:54:22] While I understand
the legal complexities
[1:54:23] regarding federal authority,
[1:54:25] it's deeply disappointing
[1:54:26] to see the federal government
[1:54:27] abandon
the good neighbor policies
[1:54:29] that have traditionally defined
these relations.
[1:54:31] Historically,
even when federal agencies
[1:54:33] had the legal right to bypass
local zoning,
[1:54:35] they work closely with cities
to ensure
[1:54:37] project wouldn't
overwhelm local infrastructure.
[1:54:40] This property was marketed
as a class
[1:54:41] A distribution facility, premium
asset designed to attract
[1:54:44] high quality corporate tenants
and jobs to surprise.
[1:54:47] Its original design included
less than 20 500ft² of office
[1:54:50] space with plumbing intended
for a standard warehouse staff
[1:54:53] retrofitting the same shell
to house
[1:54:55] 1500 people
creates an immediate,
[1:54:57] unplanned for load on our city's
water and sewer lines.
[1:55:00] By bypassing
our planning department,
[1:55:02] the federal government
is forcing a massive utility
[1:55:04] burden onto our local system
[1:55:05] without
a single public impact study.
[1:55:08] Furthermore, we must
consider the long term scars
[1:55:10] this leaves
on our industrial corridor
[1:55:12] by installing specialized
plumbing
[1:55:14] and high security
reinforcements.
[1:55:15] They're effectively ruining
the buildings for resale value.
[1:55:18] No CEO is going to move
their company into a facility
[1:55:21] that requires millions
of dollars to remediate.
[1:55:23] Just a strip of detention cells
and hundreds of floor drains.
[1:55:26] They will simply move those jobs
[1:55:27] to a clean site
in a neighboring city.
[1:55:29] Finally, we must look
at the exit strategy
[1:55:32] when this site
is eventually vacated
[1:55:34] federal law under title
five of the Mckinney-vento act.
[1:55:38] But you guys writing this down
[1:55:39] requires that surplus
federal property be offered to
[1:55:42] regional homeless
shelter providers at no cost
[1:55:45] before it can be sold
to a private developer,
[1:55:48] because this building
will have already
[1:55:51] will already have the massive
plumbing
[1:55:52] and bed capacity
for 1500 people.
[1:55:54] It will be flagged as a perfect
candidate for a permanent
[1:55:57] large scale
regional homeless shelter.
[1:56:01] By allowing this build out
[1:56:03] now, we are essentially
letting the federal government
[1:56:05] repackage a prime
industrial site into a permanent
[1:56:08] non-tax generating shelter hub.
[1:56:11] I urge this council
to use every utility
[1:56:14] and legal lever available
to protect our city's vision.
[1:56:17] Surprise deserves a future
built on economic growth,
[1:56:21] not a permanent zombie building
[1:56:22] forced on us
by federal overreach.
[1:56:24] We deserve development
that contributes
[1:56:26] to our local economy
[1:56:27] and aligns with the long term
vision
[1:56:28] of the people who actually
live here. Thank you.
[1:56:31] Thank you.
[1:56:36] Mr. Murray,
[1:56:38] Mr. Murray, can you, sir,
[1:56:41] you're speaking out of turn.
[1:56:43] Thank you,
[1:56:45] Mr. Murray.
[1:56:45] Can you do research
on the Mckinney-vento act,
[1:56:48] please, and brief us?
[1:56:52] Ma'am, I.
[1:56:56] Hi, my name is Lisa
[1:56:57] Brinkman and I live over
at Cotton Lane and Waddell Road.
[1:57:01] And I've lived in surprise
for about ten years now.
[1:57:04] I'm also not
a professional public speaker.
[1:57:07] My interest, is in the humane
treatment of people
[1:57:10] that would potentially
be at this facility,
[1:57:13] because we all know that
that facility
[1:57:15] is going to be targeted
as a detention center.
[1:57:17] It's a very personal to me.
[1:57:19] My husband is from Guatemala
and he works for the US,
[1:57:23] United States Postal Service,
and he's in our neighborhoods
[1:57:26] all the time.
[1:57:27] I make him carry his U.S
passport card with him
[1:57:30] because I'm scared to death
[1:57:31] they're going to grab him off
the street,
[1:57:33] and I'm not going to know
when or where he's going.
[1:57:37] But what I'd like
to talk to you about,
[1:57:38] which I think that it would be
more interesting
[1:57:40] for you,
is how you can fight back.
[1:57:44] Leavenworth, Kansas.
[1:57:46] There are situation
is a little bit different.
[1:57:49] They have a private,
[1:57:53] profit prison system
that's coming in to try
[1:57:55] to reactivate a shut down prison
[1:57:57] in their community
as a detention center.
[1:58:00] And so they are using land use
rights to fight back against Ice
[1:58:05] taking over that facility
for that purpose.
[1:58:08] And the way they're doing that
is they're,
[1:58:11] pushing for.
[1:58:13] Let's see.
[1:58:14] Sorry, I wrote it down.
[1:58:21] Oh, they're,
[1:58:21] requiring
a public review process.
[1:58:25] Which is
[1:58:28] required
for a special use permit.
[1:58:30] So because that facility wasn't
intended for that purpose,
[1:58:35] and their jurisdiction,
it requires a special
[1:58:38] use permit, which then opens up
that process for public review.
[1:58:42] So it's put forward
in front of the residents.
[1:58:44] That way
the residents get to decide
[1:58:46] whether or not that facility
is going forward.
[1:58:49] And it's currently in,
[1:58:51] a legal process with the US
Department of Justice
[1:58:54] who is trying to back
that private prison
[1:58:56] and the use of that
prison as a detention center.
[1:59:01] So, that's
also an avenue for us.
[1:59:04] The ACLU is supporting
their efforts in that,
[1:59:08] legal process
with the Department of Justice,
[1:59:11] providing support
with documentation
[1:59:13] of the inhumane
treatment of people,
[1:59:15] the safety issues,
understaffing,
[1:59:17] management
problems in these facilities
[1:59:19] and the fact that the
[1:59:20] warehouse here is also not zoned
for residential use.
[1:59:24] You can use that to stop them
from taking over that facility.
[1:59:28] So as the woman before me said,
we do have options available
[1:59:32] for us to fight back
against the federal government.
[1:59:35] And I implore you to please use
every means you can to do so
[1:59:39] for our community,
for our residents.
[1:59:41] Anybody that's affected in
our community affects everyone.
[1:59:45] And I please, please urge you
to take care of all of us.
[1:59:48] Thank you so much. Thank you.
[1:59:55] Good evening.
[1:59:56] Good evening, mayor
and council members.
[1:59:59] My name is Natalie Batiste.
[2:00:01] I'm a registered nurse.
[2:00:02] I'm a volunteer community
outreach specialist,
[2:00:05] and for over a decade,
I've been a resident of the City
[2:00:08] of Surprise, specifically
Greenway Road and Cotton Lane.
[2:00:13] I'm here to speak about this
[2:00:14] building
purchased last month by Ice,
[2:00:16] and why the City of Surprise
should not allow them
[2:00:18] to set up operations
in our community.
[2:00:21] I've heard the argument
that this facility would make
[2:00:24] our community safer
from an immigration standpoint.
[2:00:27] I want to respectfully
but firmly challenge that claim
[2:00:30] because it does not reflect
[2:00:32] what actually ends up
happening on the ground.
[2:00:35] I've seen with my own eyes
what it looks like
[2:00:38] when Ice expands its operations
into a community
[2:00:41] such as in Portland, where I've
been doing what I can to help.
[2:00:46] What follows
is not increased safety.
[2:00:49] It is fear.
[2:00:50] Families,
both immigrant and U.S.
[2:00:52] citizens, become afraid
to leave their homes.
[2:00:56] Parents stop taking children
to school, stop taking them
[2:00:59] to their activities,
and even to doctor appointments.
[2:01:02] Victims stop calling the police
because trust is lost
[2:01:06] when they witness local
law enforcement working with Ice
[2:01:10] communities go into hiding,
local businesses suffer.
[2:01:14] That is not public safety.
[2:01:16] That is destabilization.
[2:01:19] Facilities like this
bring increased surveillance,
[2:01:22] militarized activity and trauma
into surrounding neighborhoods.
[2:01:27] They disproportionately impact
people of color, mixed status
[2:01:30] families and U.S.
[2:01:32] citizens
who are mistakenly detained.
[2:01:35] The ripple effects harm
[2:01:36] the entire community,
not just immigrants.
[2:01:40] Surprise is a city
that prides itself on being
[2:01:42] family oriented, welcoming,
and safe to approving.
[2:01:47] This facility will move us
in the opposite direction.
[2:01:51] It would tie our city's
name and resources to,
[2:01:55] system agencies
that have documented
[2:01:57] history of constitutional rights
violations,
[2:02:00] a lack of accountability
[2:02:02] and violence towards
both immigrants and U.S.
[2:02:05] citizens.
[2:02:08] I ask you to please,
[2:02:09] look at and listen to the lived
experiences of the communities
[2:02:13] that have already been through
this, such as Portland,
[2:02:16] Los Angeles, Chicago,
Minneapolis, and so many more.
[2:02:20] Look at
[2:02:21] inviting ice into the community
has done to those communities.
[2:02:26] Do not allow Ice
or any of these federal agencies
[2:02:29] to set up operations in
our beautiful city of surprise.
[2:02:32] Thank you.
[2:02:39] Mayor and Congress or
[2:02:42] the members of the board here.
[2:02:46] My name is Linda Landry.
[2:02:48] I've been in surprise
for 25 years.
[2:02:51] Homeowner I worked at Palo Verde
for 25 years.
[2:02:55] And, that came to surprise
because it's a nice community.
[2:02:59] Lots of changes
have occurred in this community,
[2:03:03] a lot of growth.
[2:03:04] And I've seen a lot of it.
[2:03:06] And I like surprise.
[2:03:07] And I don't want it to be,
[2:03:10] place that has
[2:03:11] a, some facility
that is not appropriate.
[2:03:15] I object to the DHS and Ice
creating
[2:03:19] 1500 bed detention facilities.
[2:03:22] Few things
I want you to, consider.
[2:03:25] And then I have
some background in utility.
[2:03:28] So one of the things is
where is the power coming from?
[2:03:32] We have a limited amount
of power.
[2:03:34] It's not, unlimited.
[2:03:36] And we have to create it.
[2:03:38] It has to be created somewhere.
[2:03:39] And Palo Verde produces
quite a bit of power,
[2:03:42] but not all of it.
[2:03:44] Another thing is huge
water requirements.
[2:03:47] Where's our water coming from?
[2:03:49] You know I do.
[2:03:50] You you are responsible
for making sure
[2:03:53] that your residents
have plenty of water.
[2:03:55] There's drinking water, cooking
showers, toilets, sewage.
[2:04:00] Another thing, sewage increase.
[2:04:02] We have a limited capacity.
[2:04:04] Buckeye has a huge facility for
sewer, but it's not unlimited.
[2:04:10] These are
[2:04:11] impacts
that I hope that you consider.
[2:04:14] And these impacts are important
because,
[2:04:17] you know,
[2:04:17] we don't want to run out
of water or power or sewage
[2:04:21] and fire and rescue
is another thing.
[2:04:23] Do we have a plan and,
[2:04:25] evacuation plans
for getting these people out?
[2:04:28] An event
in an event of the, huge fire.
[2:04:31] If they're
[2:04:32] detained and locked up,
we could have a huge disaster.
[2:04:36] Do we want that
in our community?
[2:04:38] I don't think so.
[2:04:39] Medical impacts.
[2:04:40] What about, fire?
[2:04:43] People rescue in hospitals.
[2:04:45] If that's 1500 people,
they have to go somewhere.
[2:04:48] If in the event that there's
an outbreak of disease,
[2:04:53] medical impact, summer heat,
[2:04:56] a warehouse is not designed
for summer heat.
[2:05:00] It is.
Insulation is not adequate.
[2:05:02] And its air conditioning,
facilities are not adequate.
[2:05:06] So they the
[2:05:07] they can't take care of people,
create a lot of heat.
[2:05:10] And you have a lot of people
in a small area,
[2:05:12] and then all of a sudden
you have too much heat.
[2:05:15] Deaths could occur.
[2:05:16] Do we want that to happen?
And surprise.
[2:05:19] I don't think so.
[2:05:21] I just want to make sure
that you,
[2:05:23] consider these impacts
on the city of Surprise.
[2:05:27] And they're not alone in that,
in that detention center.
[2:05:31] They're not
they're not an island.
[2:05:33] They have to have all of these
infrastructures in place.
[2:05:37] And you are all responsible
for them
[2:05:40] having those, facilities
available to them.
[2:05:43] Thank you for your
your considerations. Thank you.
[2:05:51] Sir. Honorable mayor and will.
[2:05:54] Deputy mayor
[2:05:55] and honorable members
of the City Council,
[2:05:57] thank you for the opportunity
to come and speak about the Ice
[2:06:00] detention facility.
[2:06:01] My name is Casey Jones.
[2:06:03] I live in district one.
[2:06:04] In Arizona. Traditions.
[2:06:06] I'd like to make four points
about the Ice detention
[2:06:10] facility.
[2:06:11] First, Ice is recklessly
[2:06:14] and incompetently
pursuing its mission.
[2:06:17] One example
you may not know about, but
[2:06:19] you'll recall from the news
this last spring, 252
[2:06:25] Venezuelans were forcibly
deported to San Salvador,
[2:06:30] El Salvador,
and they were incarcerated,
[2:06:32] going to the secret
detention center.
[2:06:36] Now there's a group called
Human Rights Watch,
[2:06:40] a private
[2:06:40] nonprofit organization,
and they had access to Ice data.
[2:06:44] And they found the following
[2:06:47] half of those people
that were deported had no record
[2:06:50] whatsoever in the United States
for a criminal conviction
[2:06:53] or a conviction of any kind.
[2:06:55] There were another one
fourth of those people
[2:06:59] who had pending charges
[2:07:02] but undecided charges.
[2:07:04] So there were no convictions
among those people.
[2:07:06] They were in the
process of being adjudicated.
[2:07:10] There were only
[2:07:11] a third and, pardon me, a 3%,
[2:07:15] of the people had been convicted
of a previous
[2:07:18] violent crime or a crime
that could be violent,
[2:07:22] and the rest of the people
had minor convictions for
[2:07:26] really misdemeanor type things,
very minor kinds of things.
[2:07:30] So a great proportion
of those people, contrary
[2:07:33] to what was publicized,
we're not criminals.
[2:07:36] We're not the worst.
[2:07:38] So it counterpoints
[2:07:41] the argument that ice is going
[2:07:43] after the most serious
criminals.
[2:07:46] The other thing is Minneapolis.
[2:07:48] And that speaks for itself.
[2:07:49] I'm not going to repeat
all the horror we've seen there.
[2:07:52] My second main point
is that that warehouse
[2:07:56] where this is intended to be
[2:07:59] was never designed
to be a housing,
[2:08:02] for and for human beings.
[2:08:06] And I do know this there was a
[2:08:09] permit issued by the City
of Surprise on December 23rd
[2:08:14] to construct
some tenant improvements.
[2:08:18] This was issued to Rockefeller
Group,
[2:08:20] the group
that sold this property to Ice.
[2:08:23] So that was put into place
before anybody knew
[2:08:26] that Ice was coming.
[2:08:30] Better hurry and wrap this up.
[2:08:32] I would commend you
to have your permit,
[2:08:34] and your inspectors inspect
that facility to make sure
[2:08:37] that it is decently habitable
for human beings.
[2:08:41] Another point
[2:08:42] is that's very close to schools,
as people have mentioned,
[2:08:45] but also to the Dysart
Community Center.
[2:08:48] Urge ice
to leave that community alone.
[2:08:51] It serves a large
Hispanic community.
[2:08:54] And finally,
[2:08:55] I would commend you
[2:08:55] to pass a five year moratorium
like the city of Saint Louis.
[2:08:59] Did I have a copy
of the ordinance right here?
[2:09:01] And it was attached
to my request to speak.
[2:09:03] Thank you sir.
[2:09:11] Good evening.
[2:09:13] Good evening.
[2:09:14] My name is Claudia Nolasco.
[2:09:16] I'm an American citizen,
born and raised in Arizona.
[2:09:19] And I stand before you tonight
asking that respectfully
[2:09:22] and urgently, that you listen
to the voices of our community.
[2:09:25] For many of us,
having Mexican heritage
[2:09:27] in this moment
feels incredibly heavy.
[2:09:30] The constant weigh of fear, fear
of leaving our homes,
[2:09:33] taking our children to school,
or fear of going to work,
[2:09:37] and fear of carrying out
the most basic task.
[2:09:42] This is not a way.
[2:09:43] This is not any way
a family should have to live.
[2:09:46] I am a United States
[2:09:47] citizen, an American
with Hispanic heritage and I.
[2:09:51] And yet I live in fear
every day.
[2:09:54] If this is my reality,
I cannot express the pain
[2:09:57] and anxiety experienced
[2:09:58] by those who are here and who
are here legally under DACA,
[2:10:04] permanent residency,
or any kind of work visa.
[2:10:07] The issue is far greater
than political differences.
[2:10:09] It's about humanity, compassion,
and it's about dignity.
[2:10:13] Our Mexican and Latino
communities are not outsiders.
[2:10:17] They're they are essentials.
[2:10:18] They're workers, parents,
[2:10:20] caregivers, business owners,
and our neighbors.
[2:10:24] They're a vital part of what
truly makes this country strong.
[2:10:27] I ask you this tonight,
what steps do you plan
[2:10:30] to ensure the safety
of our Latino community members?
[2:10:34] My children
are still very young,
[2:10:37] yet they're already live in fear
[2:10:40] that they may come home one day
and not find their parents,
[2:10:43] their
[2:10:44] no child should ever have
to carry that fear at their age.
[2:10:48] They should be focused on
learning, dreaming and growing,
[2:10:52] not worried about family
separation.
[2:10:57] Our children
[2:10:57] should be happy
and proud to be Hispanic.
[2:11:02] Not taught to fear it.
[2:11:05] With that in mind,
I respectfully urge you
[2:11:08] to reconsider the establishment
of the Ice facility.
[2:11:12] Its presence does not bring
any safety to our community.
[2:11:15] It brings fear,
trauma, and division.
[2:11:18] We should not allow policies
that that place the families
[2:11:21] at risk and undermine
[2:11:22] the sense of security
every resident deserves.
[2:11:25] No person
should ever be detained,
[2:11:27] targeted or locked away
simply for being Hispanic.
[2:11:30] Our identities are not a crime.
[2:11:32] Our culture is not a threat
[2:11:34] and our existence deserves
dignity and protection,
[2:11:37] not punishment.
[2:11:38] Thank you for your time
and I ask you to use compassion,
[2:11:41] courage
and humanity in your decision.
[2:11:50] Okay.
[2:11:50] Thank you.
[2:11:51] The time is now 812.
[2:11:53] We'll take a ten minute
recess and reconvene at 822.
[2:12:06] The. Opening.
[2:20:11] Oh. Oh.
[2:20:13] Oh, yeah.
[2:20:15] Oh, yeah.
[2:20:18] Oh, yeah. I.
[2:20:33] Oh oh, yeah.
[2:20:36] Oh oh.
[2:20:44] I I. I.
[2:21:09] Oh, yeah,
[2:21:11] oh yeah.
[2:21:13] Oh yeah I.
[2:21:29] Oh oh yeah. Oh.
[2:21:52] I 000 yeah.
[2:21:56] Oh oh yeah oh oh
[2:22:00] yeah I.
[2:23:06] City council meeting.
[2:23:07] Madam clerk, can you please call
[2:23:09] additional public speakers?
[2:23:12] Yes, sir.
[2:23:13] Next five is Maureen
Miller, Greg Bearman,
[2:23:18] Ian Henderson, Christy Nielsen,
[2:23:21] Marney Caldwell.
[2:23:26] Ellen.
[2:23:30] I'm going to go ahead and call
five more.
[2:23:32] You just come on up.
[2:23:33] Sir, if you could state
your name
[2:23:34] and cross roads
for the record, please.
[2:23:37] My name is Greg Ehrmann.
[2:23:39] I live in Vermont area, so yes,
I'm a resident of district,
[2:23:42] where you see, he's
he's he's not here right now.
[2:23:45] We're six.
No, it's district six.
[2:23:47] Switch to somewhere else. Okay.
[2:23:49] I'm, have been here for five
and a half years.
[2:23:52] I'm a, was a former science
instructor for 45 years.
[2:23:56] So I'm used to, doing
practice on hands on research.
[2:24:00] So I deal with facts.
[2:24:02] So that's my.
[2:24:03] My lines are things like you.
[2:24:06] If from the research, it says
that if you're going to increase
[2:24:10] ice presence at all, you're
going to increase the number of,
[2:24:14] convicted felons and criminals
in this neighborhood.
[2:24:18] So that's what we're inviting.
[2:24:20] If you're if you're inviting ice
at all,
[2:24:23] fact to
there's already been mentioned
[2:24:25] property values
you're going to drop.
[2:24:27] I heard
[2:24:27] someone said something before,
but I've come anywhere from 1
[2:24:30] to 20%.
[2:24:31] So here our property values
are going to go down.
[2:24:34] Chris. There goes taxes.
[2:24:36] The safety of schools
already been mentioned.
[2:24:38] We already know that, Ice has
been known to use, pick up kids
[2:24:43] and use them as bait
to bring people out,
[2:24:47] which, again,
[2:24:49] the safety of this community
is going into the dumpster.
[2:24:52] In that particular case,
[2:24:54] another fact, you're going to
have more people carrying guns.
[2:24:57] And the more guns
that are carried,
[2:24:59] the more likelihood
that someone's
[2:25:00] going to have an accident.
[2:25:02] So there's, you know,
the fear factors of that
[2:25:05] all the way around.
[2:25:09] The economy
is going to be suffering.
[2:25:12] Therefore
the tax is going to be going up.
[2:25:14] You may some people think
it's a great idea
[2:25:16] to have more people come in.
[2:25:18] Well, the Calgary, the quality
of the types of people
[2:25:21] that you're going to be
attracting are different story.
[2:25:24] Having 1500,
[2:25:26] a 1500 bed facility means you're
[2:25:28] probably going to have somewhere
between fact, 1500
[2:25:31] to 3000 Ice agents
coming into the facility area.
[2:25:37] Besides,
[2:25:38] can we
[2:25:40] take care of that many people?
[2:25:41] As far as transportation
is concerned,
[2:25:44] all the, utilities
that you're talking about,
[2:25:47] you just look
through your budget
[2:25:48] and said something to the effect
of, well,
[2:25:50] we need to work on our roads.
Noise.
[2:25:53] Roads are costing
more than before.
[2:25:55] How are you going to be able to
support the facility with that?
[2:25:57] With the the lack of road,
the infrastructure area?
[2:26:01] Sad fact
[2:26:02] that I think you should
all realize is that
[2:26:05] the United States has more
people in detention facilities
[2:26:10] and in criminal facilities
[2:26:12] than any other percentage than
any other country in the world.
[2:26:16] When is that going
to turn around?
[2:26:18] When we stop spending money
on criminal facilities
[2:26:22] and put it towards
more social activities,
[2:26:25] social events, which you would
you were, you know,
[2:26:28] presenting early on that
I good luck.
[2:26:32] Thank you sir.
[2:26:39] Good evening ma'am.
[2:26:41] Mayor, city council
I'm Christy Nielsen.
[2:26:44] I live in district two
and I've lived in surprise
[2:26:48] for 28 years
and love my community.
[2:26:52] But we do not want an Ice
detention center.
[2:26:55] And surprise,
there are neighborhoods,
[2:26:59] schools, shops and businesses.
[2:27:02] It is a warehouse
[2:27:05] meant to be for merchandise,
not humans.
[2:27:09] Ice does not follow due process
[2:27:12] and that's something
under the Constitution we're all
[2:27:16] supposed to be granted.
[2:27:19] And so they're arrested.
[2:27:22] They don't have to,
[2:27:25] have a warrant
to go into people's houses
[2:27:28] and take parents
away from their children.
[2:27:33] I did not seek out
[2:27:34] the proper permits
from our city for this.
[2:27:37] We especially do not want masked
Ice agents
[2:27:41] having rounded up victims
in and out of our city,
[2:27:45] frightening our residents
and especially our children.
[2:27:49] And that's all I have to say.
[2:27:52] Thank you.
[2:27:53] Thank you ma'am.
[2:27:56] Thank you, Madam clerk,
[2:27:57] can you call a few more
speakers, please?
[2:28:01] Yes, mayor.
[2:28:01] The next five, Janet Amini's
David Kwan Smith?
[2:28:06] Nicholas
asked, making up a list.
[2:28:09] I'm sorry if I butchered
that Cynthia fuck and more.
[2:28:13] Angelina Torres.
[2:28:16] Good evening ma'am.
[2:28:17] Hello, my name is Maureen Miller
[2:28:20] and I live in Desert Oasis.
[2:28:23] Boy, I have a lot to say.
[2:28:25] As I was leading up to this,
event, I was thinking to myself,
[2:28:29] I have so much that I want to
say, so much that I need to say,
[2:28:33] and three
minutes isn't enough time.
[2:28:36] The other thing I'd like to say,
so many of my friends here
[2:28:38] tonight have been so eloquent
on what they want to say,
[2:28:40] and I can't possibly compete
with them, but I, in good
[2:28:43] faith, cannot sit back
and not say my $0.02.
[2:28:47] First thing
I want to let you know
[2:28:49] is that I've recently retired,
[2:28:50] and I did not expect that
I would need to spend
[2:28:52] so much time
standing up for common decency.
[2:28:55] I am fortunate
to have extra time
[2:28:57] moving forward, to continue to
do so against hateful policies.
[2:29:01] I was so disappointed
when I learned about the recent
[2:29:03] DHS building
purchase and surprise.
[2:29:06] Over the last couple of days,
I learned of other communities
[2:29:08] who are pushing back
[2:29:10] and passing ordinances in order
to reject Ice facilities.
[2:29:14] I expected to learn
that surprise
[2:29:15] would be mentioned
as a resistor to an Ice prison,
[2:29:18] but that has not been the case.
[2:29:20] Not yet.
[2:29:22] We must show that we
have learned from our country's
[2:29:24] history.
[2:29:26] Portions of our history are
ugly, and we cannot rewrite it.
[2:29:29] But we can show that we learn
from it and continue to learn.
[2:29:32] We must pay attention.
[2:29:35] Building
an Ice concentration camp is in
[2:29:37] no way, in
no way, will protect us.
[2:29:41] Our friends,
neighbors, and fellow humans.
[2:29:45] No ice and no ice camps.
[2:29:48] If we do not stand up,
we lose bragging rights.
[2:29:51] And what a great city this is.
[2:29:54] The last thing that I wanted
[2:29:55] to point out
that I found kind of ironic
[2:29:57] is the name of this
building in question
[2:29:59] is the Surprise Point
Commerce Center.
[2:30:02] If we take this on,
[2:30:03] we are in the commerce
of having illegal facilities.
[2:30:07] Thank you.
[2:30:12] Thank you ma'am.
[2:30:14] Any sir.
[2:30:19] Hello, my name is Ian Henderson.
[2:30:21] I'm here
[2:30:21] to speak about the warehouse
recently
[2:30:22] purchased by DHS to be turned
into a concentration camp.
[2:30:25] As far as I understood prior
to this evening, which you.
[2:30:28] One of you confirmed?
[2:30:29] The city has no ability to stop
[2:30:31] such a purchase
by the federal government.
[2:30:33] And even if you did
have the ability,
[2:30:34] and I don't believe you would
do anything if you could.
[2:30:36] So I'm here
to tell people what they can do.
[2:30:38] And I'm sure everybody
who's listening and would agree,
[2:30:42] you guys
all love jury duty, right?
[2:30:45] But did you know that
as a member of a trial jury,
[2:30:48] you are not required
to give a guilty verdict?
[2:30:50] Even if prosecutors have proven
without a reason
[2:30:53] within reasonable doubt
that a person is guilty.
[2:30:55] This is called a jury
nullification.
[2:30:57] We have the power to render a
not guilty verdict in defiance.
[2:31:01] Here's a hypothetical to help
everybody understand
[2:31:04] if a hypothetical warehouse
were to be hypothetically
[2:31:07] burned down in order to stop
a hypothetical concentration
[2:31:11] camp from
being built, hypothetically,
[2:31:14] and the
[2:31:14] alleged person
was hypothetically caught.
[2:31:18] The arson is a
journey edification.
[2:31:20] We as that we,
as a jury in a criminal trial
[2:31:23] can declare the hypothetical
as arson is innocent
[2:31:27] regardless of evidence
that would be sent free.
[2:31:31] Nobody could be recharged again
due to deputy laws.
[2:31:34] And jurors cannot be punished
for this.
[2:31:35] We have a responsibility
to defend
[2:31:37] any hypothetical person
in this way,
[2:31:40] because why would anybody allow
[2:31:41] a concentration
camp to be built?
[2:31:43] And why would anybody
[2:31:44] allow a hypothetical hero
to be punished for this?
[2:31:47] People are being violated
[2:31:49] with their first, fourth
and Fifth Amendment rights.
[2:31:52] Ice guards are murdering
detainees.
[2:31:53] There have been tens
of thousands of reported rapes
[2:31:56] at the hands of Ice guards,
let alone the unreported.
[2:31:58] And the concentration
camp in Pennsylvania
[2:32:01] just recently argued in court
last month
[2:32:03] that their guards are not liable
for the rapes they commit.
[2:32:06] This cannot be allowed.
[2:32:08] I do have some time left.
[2:32:10] I want to use this remaining
time to say that the same
[2:32:13] tactics and methods of terror
and eye tracking
[2:32:17] that Ice and DHS are using
were all perfected in Palestine.
[2:32:21] Elise. Ice.
[2:32:22] They were all trained
with the terrorist, genocidal
[2:32:25] ethno colony known as Israel.
[2:32:27] And all of these tactics
and technologies
[2:32:29] are coming back to be used on us
[2:32:30] and what is called
the Imperial boomerang.
[2:32:33] This is why a free Palestine is
intrinsically linked
[2:32:35] to our struggles here today.
[2:32:37] Because
unless we stop the atrocities
[2:32:39] the US empire is committing
in Palestine, we,
[2:32:43] Well, well,
we also need to end the U.S.
[2:32:46] bipartisan policy of not a
violent colonial imperialism.
[2:32:51] Because no one will be set free
until Palestine is free,
[2:32:54] until the Congo is free,
until Sudan is free.
[2:32:57] Power to the working class.
[2:32:59] Fuck ice and fuck fuck Israel.
[2:33:07] Before
[2:33:07] you start me, I'm going to call
five more names, please.
[2:33:11] Good evening councilmembers.
[2:33:12] My name is Janet Jimenez.
[2:33:14] I speak today
[2:33:15] as a proud daughter of hard
working immigrants
[2:33:17] and as an esteemed member
of this community,
[2:33:20] it is disheartening
that the first time
[2:33:22] our small town
makes national news,
[2:33:24] it is not for who we are,
[2:33:25] but for something
[2:33:26] that threatens the dignity
and safety of our own people.
[2:33:29] Immigrants are not numbers
to tally.
[2:33:31] We are human beings with
histories, families and dreams.
[2:33:34] We contribute,
[2:33:35] we work relentlessly
and we belong with the approval
[2:33:38] for a new Ice detention center
in surprise,
[2:33:41] what we have seen unfold
across the country,
[2:33:43] what once felt distant, has now
knocked on the door of the city
[2:33:47] I call home.
[2:33:48] The dehumanizing treatment
of immigrants, detention
[2:33:51] without due process.
[2:33:52] Discrimination based
solely on the color of one's
[2:33:55] skin is coming to a neighborhood
near you.
[2:33:57] Surprise is the only home
[2:33:59] I have ever known
it is where I learned
[2:34:01] the meaning of community,
of peace, of belonging.
[2:34:04] It is where my family planted
roots and now families
[2:34:07] are being asked to wonder,
will this city still feel safe?
[2:34:11] For people who look like me?
[2:34:13] A detention center
does not just change a building,
[2:34:16] it changes the soul of a city.
[2:34:18] It alters
the rhythm of neighborhoods,
[2:34:20] the laughter in playgrounds,
the confidence of children
[2:34:24] walking to school.
[2:34:25] It turns familiarity
into fear, neighbors
[2:34:28] into strangers, safety
into uncertainty.
[2:34:31] Our community deserves
more than statements
[2:34:33] that protect the city's
liability.
[2:34:35] We deserve action.
[2:34:37] We deserve accountability.
[2:34:38] What concrete steps
[2:34:39] will be taken to ensure
that residents are not profiled,
[2:34:43] targeted, or made to feel unsafe
in their own homes?
[2:34:46] Transparency
after the fact is not enough.
[2:34:48] Silence is not enough.
[2:34:50] We need real
commitments, commitments
[2:34:52] that protect the dignity
[2:34:53] and safety of the people
who call surprise home.
[2:34:56] Our neighbors,
our friends, our families.
[2:34:58] The heart of this city
is in its people.
[2:35:01] We cannot let silence and blind
compliance decide who belongs.
[2:35:04] Thank you. Thank you.
[2:35:09] Ma'am, before you start, I'm
going to call a few more names.
[2:35:11] Okay.
[2:35:13] Next I have Tina mollica,
[2:35:16] Milton Moreau, Christina Unter,
[2:35:20] Rosalind Melling, Dorota,
[2:35:22] Alyssa Eastview.
[2:35:26] Good evening ma'am.
[2:35:27] Good evening,
mayor and council members.
[2:35:31] I don't have my glasses, so I'm
going to have to hold this one.
[2:35:35] I can alone you. So. Yeah, yeah.
[2:35:38] Thank you.
[2:35:38] My name is Cynthia Fox
and I'm a resident of surprise.
[2:35:43] I stand here tonight
speaking from a place of deep
[2:35:47] moral alarm.
[2:35:50] We understand that this council
cannot overrule ISIS
[2:35:53] federal authority.
[2:35:54] We're not asking you to do
what you legally cannot do.
[2:35:58] But what you can do
and what you must do is refuse
[2:36:02] silence, refuse complicity,
and refuse to look away.
[2:36:07] The Department of Homeland
Security quiet, quietly
[2:36:11] purchased property in our city
to build the 1500 person
[2:36:16] detention center.
[2:36:17] And neither the council
nor the people who live here
[2:36:20] knew about it.
[2:36:21] Just over a week ago.
[2:36:23] That should
stop every one of us cold.
[2:36:29] Because this
[2:36:29] is not just
another development project.
[2:36:32] This is not a warehouse.
[2:36:34] This is not housing.
[2:36:36] This is a place where human
beings will be confined.
[2:36:40] We've all seen reports
coming out of Florida.
[2:36:43] People held in overcrowded,
degrading conditions,
[2:36:47] people
denied basic medical care,
[2:36:50] including the current outbreak
of measles.
[2:36:55] Families torn apart. Arrests
[2:36:57] carried out with brutality
that shocks the conscience.
[2:37:01] These are not abstract
policy debates.
[2:37:04] These are real
[2:37:05] human experiences,
and they're happening right now.
[2:37:09] And now our community
is being asked without warning,
[2:37:14] without consent, to host
[2:37:17] the next chapter of that story.
[2:37:20] Whether someone supports strict
immigration enforcement or not,
[2:37:23] there must be a line.
[2:37:25] There must be a point
where we say this
[2:37:28] violates our shared humanity.
[2:37:32] Human dignity is not partizan.
[2:37:34] Decency is not radical,
and morality does not stop
[2:37:38] at jurisdictional boundaries.
[2:37:42] If our city becomes home
to a facility like this, then
[2:37:46] our city's name becomes attached
to what happens inside it.
[2:37:49] We cannot say it's
not our responsibility.
[2:37:54] You may not control Ice,
but you do control
[2:37:57] whether this city stands up
and says.
[2:37:59] It says not without scrutiny,
not without accountability.
[2:38:05] Said it.
[2:38:06] Oh, not without
[2:38:09] our voices being heard.
[2:38:10] We are asking you
to speak publicly
[2:38:13] and clearly against inhumane
detention practices.
[2:38:17] I demand transparency
from Ice and federal partners,
[2:38:21] use every lawful tool
available to slow, review
[2:38:26] and challenge this project,
and most importantly,
[2:38:30] to stand
on the side of human dignity.
[2:38:39] Thank you ma'am.
[2:38:41] Good evening.
[2:38:46] Hello.
[2:38:46] My name is David Klingon Smith.
[2:38:49] I've lived here in surprise
for, five years now,
[2:38:53] and I'm here to express
my serious concerns as well
[2:38:58] about the this Department
of Homeland Security occupying a
[2:39:02] this massive warehouse facility
down on Sweetwater Avenue.
[2:39:06] Surprise prides itself
on being a desirable
[2:39:09] residential community
[2:39:10] built around families
and schools and churches
[2:39:14] and small businesses and long
term neighborhood investment
[2:39:17] and a large DHS
operational presence,
[2:39:21] especially one housed
in a warehouse like this, is
[2:39:24] fundamentally incompatible
with the character,
[2:39:27] the planning priorities,
[2:39:29] and the expectations
of this community.
[2:39:32] I share many
of the other speakers concerns
[2:39:34] about the
the total lack of transparency.
[2:39:38] From DHS
[2:39:40] in the whole purchase
of this building.
[2:39:43] And, I agree
with the other speakers that,
[2:39:47] I would encourage you
to do everything
[2:39:50] possible to
to have as much oversight
[2:39:53] of this facility
as this is possible.
[2:39:56] I share the concerns about,
[2:39:59] safety and traffic
and infrastructure issues
[2:40:01] that many other folks
have mentioned.
[2:40:05] I think that Ice has proved
in many ways
[2:40:07] that it is an out of control
organization.
[2:40:11] And I think a DHS facility
of this scale,
[2:40:14] in addition to bringing things
like vehicle traffic,
[2:40:17] has also concerns of things
like,
[2:40:21] security,
perimeter surveillance activity,
[2:40:24] and all kinds
of other operational risks
[2:40:26] that were never meant to be part
of a zoning,
[2:40:32] intent for that particular area.
[2:40:35] And I think that,
[2:40:36] as other speakers
[2:40:37] have mentioned, that our roads
and utilities and emergency
[2:40:40] services were not designed
to support a facility like this.
[2:40:48] So I'm going to
[2:40:49] kind of just say that I agree
with many of the other speakers.
[2:40:53] And I want to add, though, at
the end here, that, I'm also a,
[2:40:58] Christian clergy person,
[2:41:00] minister in the United Church
of Christ denomination.
[2:41:03] And I would remind all who claim
to be followers of Jesus
[2:41:07] that the actions taken by Ice
are incompatible
[2:41:12] with Jesus teachings,
[2:41:14] that we are to love our neighbor
[2:41:15] and the immigrant
is our neighbor.
[2:41:18] And Scripture
[2:41:19] tells us to treat the immigrant
as one of our own. And,
[2:41:23] I'm one of those people
that also believes that that,
[2:41:27] unless you're a Native American
here,
[2:41:30] we're all immigrants.
[2:41:32] So I will just end with that.
[2:41:34] Thank you.
[2:41:40] Thank you. Sir.
[2:41:40] I'm going
to call a few more names.
[2:41:43] Elaine Burke.
[2:41:45] Zach m Nolan,
[2:41:48] Christian Gutierrez,
Zane Gordon, Sophie borowski.
[2:41:53] Thank you.
[2:41:54] Good evening, ma'am.
[2:41:55] Good evening. Mayor, councilmen.
[2:41:57] My name is Tina mollica.
[2:41:58] I'm a 25 year
resident of surprise.
[2:42:01] My husband and I have raised
two children in this city.
[2:42:05] One a district graduate,
one still in school.
[2:42:08] I live in Marley Park.
I've lived there for nine years.
[2:42:10] Mr. judge,
you are my councilman. Hello.
[2:42:13] My home is 2.8 miles
from this warehouse.
[2:42:18] There are many parks
where children live
[2:42:21] and nine schools within three
miles of this warehouse.
[2:42:25] A high school, a middle school,
and five elementary schools.
[2:42:29] All of them are title
one schools
[2:42:32] who serve our minority
and low income communities.
[2:42:36] This location
is not a coincidence.
[2:42:41] Ice agents have been kidnaping
children,
[2:42:43] families,
even off duty police officers.
[2:42:46] I'm holding one of them
in front of you right now.
[2:42:49] A five year old boy, Liam Ramos.
[2:42:52] This facility
[2:42:52] puts our citizens, our children,
at risk of violence.
[2:42:55] It will put a strain
on our police department
[2:42:57] and our emergency response
teams.
[2:43:00] Lower our property values
[2:43:01] and strain our water and sewage
systems.
[2:43:05] Experience shows that they are
not arresting violent criminals.
[2:43:09] But as someone else mentioned,
[2:43:10] even if they were,
why would we want that here?
[2:43:14] This community deserves
transparency and action.
[2:43:17] Other communities like Salt
Lake City, Oklahoma City, San
[2:43:21] Antonio, Kansas City were able
to stop such sales to DHS.
[2:43:27] Somehow,
no one in this city knew
[2:43:30] anything was happening.
[2:43:33] What is the plan
[2:43:34] now to protect our neighborhoods
and our schools?
[2:43:37] When I come,
because they're coming
[2:43:39] and we've seen what they do.
[2:43:43] We've seen them take children
and parents from pick up lines.
[2:43:46] I've already signed up
to get training
[2:43:48] so that I can watch and record
[2:43:50] when they
[2:43:50] start taking our children,
because that's my sign
[2:43:53] says without
due process, it's kidnaping.
[2:43:59] Councilman Judd, I'm going to
[2:44:00] implore you that leaders
do not say our hands are tied.
[2:44:04] I'm asking all of you
to untie your hands.
[2:44:07] Leaders work
with their community members.
[2:44:09] The businesses, their police,
[2:44:12] their school districts,
the people in this room.
[2:44:16] We work together,
and we find something to do
[2:44:19] to protect our children
and our community members.
[2:44:22] The government cannot force
municipalities, municipalities.
[2:44:26] Excuse me.
[2:44:27] To build roads and utilities.
[2:44:29] Construction permits
[2:44:30] will be required for toilets,
showers, dining facilities.
[2:44:34] So what you can do is refuse
to partner with or fund private
[2:44:37] detention operators
through city contracts.
[2:44:40] You can demand environmental
traffic, public safety
[2:44:42] and infrastructure impact
reviews.
[2:44:45] You can require transparency
about how this facility
[2:44:48] will operate
and affect our community.
[2:44:50] To ever occur to you
[2:44:51] and to everyone in the room,
I ask that
[2:44:53] we do not let this end tonight.
[2:44:55] I ask that we work together,
[2:44:57] contact our senators,
our representatives,
[2:45:00] our attorney general, whoever
we need, and we are asking
[2:45:04] for you to do it with us.
[2:45:12] Thank you ma'am.
[2:45:15] Good evening.
[2:45:19] This is.
[2:45:22] Good evening mayor Council.
[2:45:25] Good evening, mayor and council.
[2:45:27] My name is Alyssa Maria
[2:45:28] and I was born here in Arizona
and raised in surprise.
[2:45:31] I grew up in the original town
site.
[2:45:33] I've been here for 36 years,
and my family has deep roots
[2:45:37] here, not only in surprise,
but also in Mirage,
[2:45:39] where my grandparents
[2:45:40] have lived in both cities
for over 60 years.
[2:45:43] I am a true local
I, and I'm proud
[2:45:46] to say I'm a native of surprise
from before.
[2:45:48] Surprise even became a city.
[2:45:50] I am a third generation resident
whose family has grown
[2:45:53] here, worked here, and invested
in this community for decades.
[2:45:57] Both my father
and my stepmother, Christy, who
[2:46:00] some of you know well,
[2:46:01] dedicated over 20 years of
service to the City of Surprise
[2:46:05] and retired after a lifetime
of public service.
[2:46:08] I also work
for the City of Surprise
[2:46:10] as a resource specialist
[2:46:12] and a case manager,
supporting vulnerable
[2:46:14] individuals and families
within our community.
[2:46:17] I know
well what the city stands for,
[2:46:19] and this city is known
for its diversity.
[2:46:22] Growing up, I remember surprise
when it was full of fields,
[2:46:24] orchards and farmland.
[2:46:26] I remember driving by
and seeing Hispanic families
[2:46:29] and immigrants
working hard in those fields,
[2:46:31] helping put food on our tables,
[2:46:32] supporting the economy
and contributing to the culture
[2:46:35] of this area.
[2:46:36] The Hispanic community
has always
[2:46:38] been a huge part of surprise
in our marriage,
[2:46:40] and it is impossible
[2:46:41] to separate the success
of this region
[2:46:44] from the contributions
of immigrants.
[2:46:46] This is where we went to school.
[2:46:47] This is where we played sports.
[2:46:49] This is where we were raised
[2:46:51] and where we are
now raising our children.
[2:46:53] Today, surprise is no longer
a small town.
[2:46:56] It's a growing city.
[2:46:57] But with the decision
to bring a detention center
[2:47:00] into our community
right in our backyard
[2:47:02] on the borderline of El Mirage,
[2:47:04] many families who live here
are now living in fear.
[2:47:07] There are children
who go to school
[2:47:09] with my children,
who are scared to attend class
[2:47:11] because they don't know
if their parents
[2:47:13] will still be home
at the end of the day.
[2:47:15] Parents
are afraid to go to work.
[2:47:17] Families are afraid to shop
for groceries, attend church,
[2:47:20] or even take their kids
to sports and city parks.
[2:47:23] This is not what a safe
community looks like.
[2:47:26] I truly believe
[2:47:27] bringing a detention center
into our city
[2:47:29] will not bring peace
or stability.
[2:47:30] It will bring chaos,
fear, division and trauma.
[2:47:33] It increases
the risk of harassment,
[2:47:35] discrimination
and racial profiling.
[2:47:37] It will create tension
in neighborhoods
[2:47:38] and could impact public safety,
not improve it.
[2:47:41] I do not want to live in a city
where residents are forced
[2:47:43] to watch ice activity
near our homes,
[2:47:45] schools, parks
or everyday public spaces.
[2:47:47] I don't want families
to be afraid to exist
[2:47:49] in the same place
they call home for years.
[2:47:51] That is not the city of surprise
I grew up in,
[2:47:53] and it is not the future
I want for my children.
[2:47:56] Citizens and immigrants
in this community
[2:47:58] are not a political stunt.
[2:47:59] These are real human beings
mothers, fathers, workers,
[2:48:02] grandparents and children
who are here to build
[2:48:04] better lives and raise families
[2:48:05] who will grow up and contribute
to this community.
[2:48:07] Right now,
this center is already causing
[2:48:10] harm, not just do feel,
but online as well.
[2:48:12] There are hundreds,
if not thousands of people
[2:48:14] discussing this facility
[2:48:16] and the comments are filled with
hate, ignorance and cruelty.
[2:48:19] That should be deeply concerning
to all of us,
[2:48:21] because the tone of a community
matters.
[2:48:23] The message
we send matters and bringing
[2:48:25] a detention facility here
[2:48:26] sends a message that surprises
[2:48:28] becoming
a national political stage
[2:48:30] instead of the family centered
community we claim to be.
[2:48:33] I am asking our city leaders
to make the right decision
[2:48:36] and take action immediately
to stop the detention center
[2:48:39] from operating in surprise.
[2:48:40] This is not what residents want.
[2:48:42] It does not represent
the value of our city.
[2:48:44] We should be a community
[2:48:45] built on safety,
dignity and humanity, not fear.
[2:48:49] Thank you for your time. Hey.
[2:48:54] You. I'm going
[2:48:57] to call a few more names
before you start, ma'am.
[2:49:00] Yeah. Hello.
[2:49:01] Okay, I'm
going to click up. Yep.
[2:49:03] Okay. Five more names.
[2:49:04] Michael O'Shea,
Candice Dietsch, Stephen Cramer,
[2:49:10] Daniel Quigley, Alan klein.
[2:49:13] Thank you. Thanks.
[2:49:14] Good evening. Ma'am. Hi.
[2:49:16] My name is Rosalyn
Melling Derosier.
[2:49:18] I've lived at Cactus and Rams
in Rancho Gabriela for 22 years.
[2:49:23] My home is three miles
from both the proposed
[2:49:25] Ice detention center
and a data center power plant.
[2:49:29] My kids are now 21, 16 and 15.
[2:49:32] When they were little,
[2:49:33] we rode our bikes
through the fields
[2:49:34] where these facilities
are being proposed.
[2:49:37] Beautiful flowers
and cotton grew all around here.
[2:49:41] I've loved
[2:49:41] being a tiny part of the growth
and progress in this town.
[2:49:46] I've been involved
but never felt compelled
[2:49:48] to speak in front of the council
until now.
[2:49:51] Normally I'm good
with background organizing
[2:49:53] and holding signs.
[2:49:54] I've stood on street
[2:49:55] corners to get school bonds
and overrides passed.
[2:49:59] I volunteered
as the vice president
[2:50:01] for the Marlay Park PTA
for many years,
[2:50:03] before
my kids moved up to high school.
[2:50:05] I have a small community pantry
at my house,
[2:50:08] where friends can drop off
[2:50:09] and pick up food to reduce
waste and grocery costs.
[2:50:12] I do little things
because I feel a responsibility
[2:50:15] to my community
and my neighbors.
[2:50:17] I don't know what to do now.
[2:50:20] Mayor.
[2:50:21] Council members, neighbors.
[2:50:23] I need your help.
[2:50:25] These proposed facilities
cannot be
[2:50:27] allowed
to operate in our community.
[2:50:30] The drain on our resources,
the additional congestion
[2:50:33] on our streets.
[2:50:34] The negative press
about our town.
[2:50:36] I mean,
do you want to buy a house
[2:50:37] next door
to alligator Alcatraz right now?
[2:50:40] Nobody will want to live in
surprise.
[2:50:43] Those are selfish reasons
for surprise residents
[2:50:45] to oppose these facilities,
but they are valid.
[2:50:49] There are also more important
reasons to oppose as well.
[2:50:53] The data center is not good
for the environment
[2:50:55] as far as power and water
consumption.
[2:50:58] Sound pollution
in residential neighborhoods.
[2:51:00] Interference with Luke air Force
Base and more.
[2:51:03] The ice facilities
[2:51:06] that were documented on
[2:51:07] 60 minutes showed
that laws are being broken.
[2:51:11] Human rights trampled,
[2:51:12] and people are getting hurt
and killed in these places.
[2:51:15] We cannot live next door
to that.
[2:51:18] The people of surprise,
this community,
[2:51:21] and specifically this suburban
mom, need you to represent us
[2:51:25] and do whatever you can do
to stop the data center
[2:51:27] and detention center
from moving forward.
[2:51:30] Please
refuse to partner with or fund
[2:51:34] detention center operations
through any city contracts.
[2:51:38] Also, we need you to demand
environmental
[2:51:41] traffic and public safety impact
reviews immediately.
[2:51:45] These proposed facilities are
within two miles of each other.
[2:51:49] Slow them down before there is
irreversible damage done here.
[2:51:52] Thank you.
[2:51:59] Thank you.
[2:51:59] Ma'am. Good evening.
Good evening.
[2:52:01] Thank you for your time.
[2:52:03] My name is Zach Miller.
[2:52:04] I just recently moved
to surprise.
[2:52:06] But we need to call this Ice
facility out for what it truly
[2:52:09] is going to be a for profit
concentration warehouse.
[2:52:14] Well, surprise.
[2:52:14] Local officials have access
to make sure
[2:52:17] the conditions of the facility
are humane and sanitary.
[2:52:21] Will you all have DHS provide
a full environmental
[2:52:24] impact statement?
[2:52:26] We have seen
with our very own eyes
[2:52:28] what these Call of Duty
[2:52:29] cosplaying white supremacists,
ice terrorists will do in broad
[2:52:33] daylight with cameras filming
them, such as executing U.S.
[2:52:37] citizens.
[2:52:39] So what do we think
they are going to do
[2:52:41] in that concentration
[2:52:42] warehouse behind brick walls,
with the public not watching?
[2:52:48] Some of these
[2:52:49] terrorists
have been trained by the IDF.
[2:52:52] We see what kind of morals
they put on display
[2:52:56] and Ice have pedophile enablers
and puppy killers
[2:53:00] as some of their leaders,
such as Kristi Noem,
[2:53:04] who is staying at the Arizona
Grand Resort right now.
[2:53:09] Even if they were getting the
so-called worst of the worst.
[2:53:12] Do we, as a surprise,
[2:53:13] really want that to be
a part of our backyard?
[2:53:17] Will these so-called ice agents
be held accountable
[2:53:21] and arrested if they violate
the laws of surprise?
[2:53:26] I love that the city talks
about being proactive,
[2:53:30] but this is truly
the time to walk the walk
[2:53:32] and to decide if you will stand
on the side of the people,
[2:53:36] and if you will stand with the
good and stand up to the evil
[2:53:41] and and
come up with a proactive plan
[2:53:44] to keep the people
in the community safe
[2:53:46] from these federal domestic
terrorists.
[2:53:49] Immigration
enforcement is important,
[2:53:51] but the way this current form of
[2:53:53] Ice is going about, it is pure
evil and needs to be abolished.
[2:53:58] This concentration warehouse
most certainly will leave a
[2:54:01] blood stain
[2:54:02] on the city of Surprise forever
if something is not done
[2:54:06] about it.
[2:54:07] Thank you.
[2:54:14] Thank you sir.
[2:54:15] Go ahead.
[2:54:16] No one said.
[2:54:17] Madam clerk, can you call
for more names, please?
[2:54:20] Yes, sir. Five more.
[2:54:21] Carol Gondo, Jerry Perez,
Timothy Woolard,
[2:54:27] Claudio Carillo, Nancy Martin.
[2:54:32] Good evening.
[2:54:33] I'm doctor Stephen Kramer.
[2:54:35] I'm a resident of Sun Village
for 14 years.
[2:54:38] And I thank, in
Johnny's district.
[2:54:41] And I thank the,
mayor and city council for my.
[2:54:44] Allow me the opportunity
to raise the issue
[2:54:47] of grave concern
about the DHS decision
[2:54:51] to site a detention center
here in the City of surprise,
[2:54:55] but especially at the Sweetwater
Avenue location.
[2:54:59] That location is less than
a mile from Desert High School,
[2:55:03] and less than 2000ft from the
nearest children's playground.
[2:55:08] This poses
[2:55:09] the greatest threat
[2:55:10] to the children and residents
of Desert Cactus community.
[2:55:13] Based on the planned detention
of the worst of the worst
[2:55:17] brutal criminals and rapists,
they plan to housed
[2:55:19] in an insecure warehouse there.
[2:55:23] I thank the city
for making us aware that federal
[2:55:27] jurisdiction takes precedence
over local regulations.
[2:55:31] However, states rights do
take precedence over federal,
[2:55:37] federal federal unless
[2:55:40] expressly permitted by law.
[2:55:44] It is a state's rights right
and obligation
[2:55:47] to ensure the safety
and security of its citizens.
[2:55:51] Citizens.
[2:55:52] Therefore, Your Honors,
I ask, what has the Council
[2:55:56] and the mayor done
to take steps to to?
[2:56:00] What steps have you taken
to make Governor Hobbs and A.G.
[2:56:04] Hayes, aware of this critical
safety and security risk?
[2:56:09] This detention center
poses to our community
[2:56:11] and the need to prevent
the potential disaster,
[2:56:15] for our community.
[2:56:18] Finally, what will be the impact
of the unplanned, major
[2:56:22] increase in demand for potable
water and sewers and the
[2:56:26] detention center on surprise
and its planned expansion
[2:56:30] of working and taxpaying
families?
[2:56:34] Housing that can be.
[2:56:37] And that you can refuse to grant
[2:56:40] this request
to increase for that facility.
[2:56:43] I thank you for your time and
look forward to your response.
[2:56:52] Thank you sir.
[2:56:54] Good evening.
[2:56:57] Good evening, Mayor Sartor.
[2:56:59] Members of the city council
and city attorney.
[2:57:01] Larry. My name is Alan Klein.
[2:57:05] I've been a resident of surprise
for well over 20 years.
[2:57:10] I've called surprise home.
[2:57:12] I've got this prepared speech,
[2:57:15] and I'm going to go through that
because a few other
[2:57:17] things came up
while I was in the audience.
[2:57:21] So, yeah, we've
[2:57:22] we've gone through
all the buying the warehouse
[2:57:25] and the federal agency
and breakdown
[2:57:28] in intergovernmental
transparency and all that
[2:57:31] in the warehouse of people,
the concentration camp,
[2:57:36] the lousy location,
[2:57:38] the tax to our infrastructure.
[2:57:41] And I hope, I implore you,
I hope you'll study all that
[2:57:44] and slow this thing down
as much as you can
[2:57:46] and do what you can.
[2:57:49] All the studies and all that.
[2:57:50] And, you know,
[2:57:52] I'm going
to go off my prepared speech
[2:57:55] because I'm
speaking from the heart,
[2:57:57] because I spoke with
[2:57:59] some of the people
[2:58:00] in the audience,
[2:58:01] and they told me they have
to carry their passport
[2:58:04] because they're in fear
and they're American citizens.
[2:58:08] This is not America. And.
[2:58:11] And I saw what happened to Rene.
[2:58:13] Good.
[2:58:14] I have family and friends
in Minneapolis,
[2:58:17] and we hear it's worse
than what you see in the news.
[2:58:22] And I woke up one morning,
and I'm an avid cyclist
[2:58:25] to go mountain biking.
[2:58:27] And I saw Alex Prentiss
picture on a mountain bike.
[2:58:31] And I went to a protest
this week,
[2:58:33] and I've gone
to multiple protests,
[2:58:35] and I did a memorial
bike ride for Alex.
[2:58:37] Pretty
nice. This is not America.
[2:58:41] Surprise.
[2:58:42] Arizona, all of you.
[2:58:45] You have an opportunity
to show the rest of the country
[2:58:50] and the rest of the world
how to stand up
[2:58:53] to the federal government.
[2:58:55] And I'm going to ask you
a question.
[2:58:57] I want to know
what are you going to do?
[2:59:01] And I want to see it.
[2:59:02] I want there was no transparency
in what the federal government
[2:59:07] did when they acquired
that property.
[2:59:10] I want I'm asking you
for transparency.
[2:59:13] I want to know
what you're going to do.
[2:59:15] And I want to hear
what you going to do publicly.
[2:59:18] I want to see it.
[2:59:20] So I implore you,
I hope you will do that.
[2:59:22] And don't let this facility ruin
surprise.
[2:59:26] Arizona.
[2:59:27] Thank you.
[2:59:35] Good evening.
[2:59:35] Carol Goncalo. Grand and reams.
[2:59:37] I was deeply disappointed
by the statement
[2:59:39] of the City of Surprise
released on January
[2:59:41] 30th.
It essentially told residents
[2:59:43] that there is nothing
you can do.
[2:59:45] And from where we sit,
you're not even going to try.
[2:59:48] That's unacceptable.
[2:59:50] If you truly don't know
how to push back,
[2:59:52] then look to those cities
[2:59:53] whose leaders are standing up
for the residents
[2:59:55] and pushing back
and stopping it.
[2:59:57] Hanover City, Virginia.
[2:59:59] Durant, Oklahoma.
[3:00:00] San Antonio, Texas,
Merrimack, New Hampshire.
[3:00:04] Social circle,
Georgia, Roxbury, new Jersey,
[3:00:07] Kansas City,
Missouri, to name a few.
[3:00:10] These communities don't hide
behind federal language.
[3:00:13] They use every tool available
to make it clear
[3:00:15] that detention centers
are not welcome here.
[3:00:17] Right now, surprise is doing
the opposite by staying quiet.
[3:00:20] If you allow this
to move forward
[3:00:21] without resistance,
our city will be remembered
[3:00:24] for one thing.
[3:00:25] Standing by while
detention center was ushered in,
[3:00:28] we will be known as a city
that is complicit.
[3:00:31] A city that signaled
it was friendly to a system
[3:00:34] that harms children, tears
families apart
[3:00:37] and detains
people who are here illegally.
[3:00:39] We expect you to act
and we expect you to fight.
[3:00:43] We expect you
to show the same courage
[3:00:45] that other leaders and other
cities have shown. Thank you.
[3:00:55] Hello.
[3:00:56] My name is Claudio Cirillo.
[3:00:57] I live in Tempe,
but I grew up right here
[3:01:00] and went to school in surprise
and El Mirage.
[3:01:03] My family lives on Dishearten
Cactus, just a stone's
[3:01:06] throw
from where this facility is.
[3:01:10] And where it was sold
under the people's noses.
[3:01:12] Here.
[3:01:13] Since the news broke,
I've truly never felt
[3:01:17] more ashamed to call this place
home.
[3:01:20] I really I can't accept
[3:01:23] the fact
that if this goes through
[3:01:25] while we shop,
while we go to school,
[3:01:27] while we spend time with our
family, less than a mile away,
[3:01:30] there will be men,
women, children kept in cages.
[3:01:34] It's a
it will be a failing of the city
[3:01:37] to allow this kind of violence
to take root here.
[3:01:41] We all, we know all about
the similar facilities
[3:01:44] across the United States.
[3:01:46] Like alligator Alcatraz.
[3:01:48] We know so little of what
is actually going on in there,
[3:01:50] but what does come out
is truly horrifying.
[3:01:54] We see daily
violations of human rights,
[3:01:57] including disappearances
of way too many.
[3:02:01] That's the future that awaits.
[3:02:03] Surprise.
[3:02:04] Unless this is fully halted
in its tracks.
[3:02:07] This facility will be a stain
on this that will never fade.
[3:02:11] I want to be clear that
what's needed in this moment
[3:02:13] is not a push for more oversight
of the facility,
[3:02:16] or more training
for those that will staff it.
[3:02:20] This building cannot be allowed
[3:02:21] to be operational
in any capacity.
[3:02:24] To the council members,
[3:02:26] it is up to you to do the utmost
to prevent this.
[3:02:29] This building will require
municipal utilities.
[3:02:32] It will require frequent contact
with public safety workers.
[3:02:36] Police. All of this.
[3:02:38] If it's allowed to happen, it's
nothing more than collaboration
[3:02:42] with what
is a fascist enterprise.
[3:02:46] So use your imagination.
[3:02:47] If if that fails, I'm sure
the people of surprise can vote
[3:02:51] in someone with more creativity
and backbone to the people.
[3:02:55] We cannot let the results
of this room
[3:02:57] dictate the course of action
going forward.
[3:03:00] Our collective imagination
[3:03:02] needs to stretch beyond
the four walls of this room.
[3:03:06] This facility cannot
become operational.
[3:03:08] There is a moral imperative
[3:03:10] to prevent this
by any means necessary.
[3:03:12] Thank you.
[3:03:13] Okay.
[3:03:17] I'm going to call a few
more names before you start.
[3:03:19] Hello, sir.
[3:03:20] Sir. One second.
[3:03:21] I'm going to call a few
more names before you start.
[3:03:24] Mary Bank, Stephanie Medrano,
[3:03:27] Alexis Young, Sarah Hartman,
Susan Anderson.
[3:03:32] Thank you, sir.
[3:03:34] Thank you. Good evening sir.
[3:03:35] My name is Tim Willard, and I
live at, Rheims in Tacoma area.
[3:03:41] 69 years old.
[3:03:42] Never spoke before.
[3:03:44] More than about ten people
in one place at any time.
[3:03:49] Never been an activist.
[3:03:50] And until about ten months ago,
I was never a protester.
[3:03:54] So kind of nervous.
[3:03:58] I just want you to know
that I object
[3:04:00] to the lack of transparency
that,
[3:04:03] our current federal government.
[3:04:06] They gave us no prior notice.
[3:04:09] They gave you no prior notice,
as I understand it.
[3:04:15] This deal was made
[3:04:16] and closed in total secrecy.
[3:04:21] I object to the inhumane
[3:04:23] separation of families,
[3:04:27] often without due process,
without reason.
[3:04:31] Other than what?
[3:04:33] Color of skin.
[3:04:35] They don't look American.
[3:04:37] They don't speak American.
[3:04:40] They don't sound American.
[3:04:42] Suspected
[3:04:44] of possible fraud.
[3:04:46] So the fraudster in chief.
[3:04:51] Even Native Americans
have been caught up in this.
[3:04:57] I object
[3:04:58] on the grounds that
our community infrastructure,
[3:05:01] our water, our sewer,
[3:05:02] our emergency services
will likely be strained.
[3:05:06] Let's for a moment imagine
[3:05:10] that,
what the so-called president
[3:05:13] and the so-called officials
and and cabinet people and
[3:05:18] and his other bureaucrats,
[3:05:21] are telling us is true.
[3:05:24] That the worst of the worst
is going to be
[3:05:27] put in this facility.
[3:05:32] This doesn't make any sense
to house them, right?
[3:05:37] In a highly populated
neighborhood in our community.
[3:05:41] I think not, and I object,
and I hope
[3:05:44] and pray that you all object
also.
[3:05:49] I urge you, each
and individually
[3:05:53] to make your views
known on this matter,
[3:05:57] because it's important
to know what side of history
[3:06:01] you are on.
[3:06:03] I also urge and demand the each
[3:06:08] and together.
[3:06:11] You move,
[3:06:13] to take any action
possible to slow down,
[3:06:17] impede this facility
from opening in our community.
[3:06:24] I love surprise.
[3:06:26] I love Arizona.
[3:06:27] I love the USA.
[3:06:30] And in closing.
[3:06:32] No kings, no tyrants,
no fascist USA.
[3:06:34] Thank you very much.
[3:06:41] Good evening ma'am.
[3:06:42] Hi, mayor. Council.
[3:06:45] I'm going to just keep this
very simple.
[3:06:47] I been a resident of, surprise
since 2009.
[3:06:51] Live in Sun City Grand.
[3:06:53] And I just.
[3:06:54] I beg you to try to do something
to stop this,
[3:06:57] you know, DHS detention, center.
[3:07:01] The plan
to create a concentration camp,
[3:07:03] as far as I'm concerned,
[3:07:04] would would disrupt
learning at the dice schools,
[3:07:08] and and it would terrorize the
neighborhoods nearby and even
[3:07:13] either beyond and surprise
and put fear in surprise.
[3:07:16] We should not have to live in
fear.
[3:07:19] I heard I sat through
this whole meeting and heard
[3:07:22] that your biggest budget is,
[3:07:25] is safety in this community?
[3:07:27] Please show that
that is the case.
[3:07:30] And please try to do something
to stop this detention center.
[3:07:34] Thank you.
[3:07:35] Thank you.
[3:07:35] Ma'am, can I have your name,
please, ma'am?
[3:07:38] Yeah.
Can I have your name, please?
[3:07:40] For the record, it's
Nancy Martin.
[3:07:42] Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
[3:07:45] Good evening.
[3:07:46] Ma'am. Hello.
[3:07:47] Hear me.
[3:07:49] Okay.
[3:07:49] Good evening,
mayor and council members.
[3:07:52] My name is Stephanie Medrano.
[3:07:54] I am a lifelong
Arizona resident.
[3:07:57] A former elementary school
teacher and the daughter
[3:08:00] of a first generation
migrant farm worker.
[3:08:04] I'm here tonight
because this decision
[3:08:06] is not just about a warehouse.
[3:08:08] It's about who we choose to be
as a city and as human beings.
[3:08:13] My father
[3:08:13] worked in the fields of Arizona
so that others could eat.
[3:08:17] As a child,
he attended a school in Tolleson
[3:08:20] that was legally segregated
until the federal court
[3:08:24] ruling of Gonzalez racially
forced Arizona to confront
[3:08:28] its discrimination against
Mexican-American children.
[3:08:32] He grew up in a system
that taught him through law and
[3:08:34] policy.
[3:08:35] His life and his future
would be of less significance,
[3:08:38] but he proved them wrong
by becoming an educator.
[3:08:42] That history matters today
[3:08:44] because what's being proposed
here is not new.
[3:08:47] It's the same injustice
repackaged today.
[3:08:51] Instead of segregated schools,
they're building
[3:08:53] detention centers instead of
open discriminatory laws.
[3:08:57] They hide behind
dehumanizing terms like illegal
[3:09:00] aliens and domestic terrorists,
which are saturated.
[3:09:03] The media,
by this current administration.
[3:09:06] But the outcome is the same.
[3:09:08] The communities of color
are criminalized.
[3:09:10] Families are separated, and
suffering is turned into profit.
[3:09:16] The Rockefeller group
made $70 million in taxpayers
[3:09:20] money are money by facilitating
immigrant detention.
[3:09:24] This isn't economic development.
[3:09:26] It's profiting from human pain.
[3:09:29] Any corporation
that profits from Ice detention
[3:09:32] is complicit in the harm.
[3:09:34] And any city that allows
it shares that responsibility.
[3:09:38] As a former elementary school
teacher, I'm
[3:09:41] especially disturbed
[3:09:42] that this facility is so close
to the nearby schools.
[3:09:46] As a teacher who has experienced
lockdown situations,
[3:09:49] you're giving a set of keys
to keep your children safe.
[3:09:53] Children
[3:09:53] deserve safety, stability
and freedom to learn,
[3:09:56] not a constant 24 hour ice
presence in the neighborhoods.
[3:10:00] No child should fear carry fear
into the classroom.
[3:10:06] We know what is.
[3:10:07] Attention brings
[3:10:08] wrongful arrest, abuse, death,
[3:10:10] and total
lack of accountability.
[3:10:12] A permanent Ice presence does
not make our community safer.
[3:10:16] And no one is safe
with this ice.
[3:10:17] And surprise.
[3:10:20] If this facility does
move forward,
[3:10:22] it will place an unfair
and dangerous burden
[3:10:24] on our local fire,
police and EMS departments.
[3:10:28] These are civil servants who
chose to serve this community.
[3:10:32] Our neighbors, children
and elders not to support
[3:10:35] a federal detention operation
designed for profit.
[3:10:39] A 24 over seven
detention center will require
[3:10:42] emergency responses
that pull resources away
[3:10:45] from surprise residents
in crisis and put lives at risk.
[3:10:49] It also
[3:10:50] places civil servants
in a compromising position,
[3:10:53] forcing them to choose
between their duty
[3:10:55] to their community
and involvement
[3:10:57] in a system that causes harm.
[3:10:59] Thank you ma'am.
[3:11:05] I'm going to call a few
more names before you begin.
[3:11:07] Collier, Baca, Jonathan,
[3:11:11] Sarah.
[3:11:11] Hartman, Walter.
[3:11:13] Thorndyke, Rich. Manolis.
[3:11:16] Thank you.
[3:11:18] Hello.
[3:11:18] My name is Alexis Courtney
Greenway.
[3:11:20] Let's talk to
you guys a couple weeks ago.
[3:11:22] I'm here to state clearly,
and for the public record,
[3:11:24] this community does not consent
[3:11:26] to an ice concentration camp
in the City of Surprise.
[3:11:29] We've all seen the atrocities
being carried out by ice.
[3:11:32] The senseless violent violence,
[3:11:34] inhumane practices, and complete
disregard for due process.
[3:11:38] These preventable tragedies
are happening before our eyes,
[3:11:41] and many more are doubtlessly
[3:11:42] being carried out
behind fences and locked doors.
[3:11:46] Federal funding does
[3:11:47] not erase local responsibility.
[3:11:51] The city Council cannot shift
[3:11:53] the consequences of this project
on to the federal government.
[3:11:56] The impacts will be felt
on a local level.
[3:11:58] We will see increased traffic,
[3:12:00] emergency services
and water use.
[3:12:03] The trust broken
will be immediate and lasting.
[3:12:06] Residents will be fearful
to call for help, report crimes,
[3:12:09] attend schools
and participate in local events.
[3:12:13] That fear undermines
public safety for everyone.
[3:12:15] But let's be very clear
who this harms.
[3:12:18] Most people of color
and immigrants
[3:12:21] and migrant families
[3:12:22] are a beautiful and essential
part of our community.
[3:12:25] They are our friends,
our neighbors, our classmates,
[3:12:28] our coworkers,
our small business owners,
[3:12:31] our caregivers,
our faith leaders.
[3:12:33] They bring resilience,
[3:12:34] culture, food, music, labor,
and love to surprise.
[3:12:38] They strengthen our schools,
our economy,
[3:12:41] and our everyday lives.
[3:12:43] A concentration
camp sends a message
[3:12:46] that these families are a threat
instead of a gift.
[3:12:49] And that message is both false
and deeply damaging.
[3:12:53] A city that claims to value
families cannot knowingly
[3:12:56] introduce
[3:12:56] a facility that makes families
feel unsafe in their own homes.
[3:13:01] We are demanding that
this council uses its authority
[3:13:03] to block this project
by any means at your disposal,
[3:13:06] and place the opposition
of residents clearly
[3:13:08] and unmistakably
on the public record.
[3:13:12] No Ice concentration
camps in surprise.
[3:13:16] Let me be clear
[3:13:17] this council will not outlast
the community on this issue.
[3:13:21] We are organizing.
[3:13:22] We are paying attention.
[3:13:23] We are documenting every vote,
every statement, every decision,
[3:13:28] and every attempt
to quietly move this forward.
[3:13:32] You answer
to us, the people of surprise.
[3:13:35] We are here.
[3:13:36] We are watching.
We will continue to show up.
[3:13:39] We will continue
to apply pressure
[3:13:41] not only for surprise,
but for all of Arizona.
[3:13:44] Do your duty.
[3:13:44] Use your authority.
[3:13:46] Stop this Ice concentration
camp.
[3:13:48] All power
to the people. Abolish Ice.
[3:13:57] Burning, sir.
[3:13:58] Hey. My name is Jonathan Cook.
[3:14:00] I live off of Grand
in Deer Valley.
[3:14:03] Just recently purchased my home.
[3:14:05] Not next to a nice warehouse.
[3:14:07] And it's very disappointing
to find that
[3:14:10] that is the future plans
for surprise.
[3:14:13] And, my neighborhood is a new.
[3:14:16] The up and coming neighborhood
they're building.
[3:14:18] And, I often wake up
in the morning to see
[3:14:22] people building houses
next to me.
[3:14:24] And, you know,
they're not, like, most of us
[3:14:27] here are up there
sitting on their, on the chairs.
[3:14:31] We're
[3:14:32] white skinned.
[3:14:34] We don't have to worry about
[3:14:35] getting picked up just because
we look a little bit different.
[3:14:38] But, you know,
[3:14:39] when I look outside, my window
every morning and seven days
[3:14:43] a week and see who's building
my community,
[3:14:48] it's often people who
have different color skin.
[3:14:52] And to think
that our city is going to be
[3:14:56] the hot spot for a warehouse
to store them all
[3:15:01] in, or whatever
the plan is for it.
[3:15:05] It's very upsetting to know
that that is the future
[3:15:08] of my community.
[3:15:12] The street I live on
[3:15:14] has all families of all
[3:15:17] colors, all backgrounds,
and we all get along
[3:15:21] just fine.
[3:15:27] I am very, against
[3:15:31] the the warehouse
being used for that.
[3:15:33] And I hope that
[3:15:35] all of you that have a voice
that can use it to speak up,
[3:15:40] just like the community
[3:15:41] that is coming here tonight
to tell you their concerns
[3:15:45] that you can take
your voices to,
[3:15:49] voice your concerns
and make something happen,
[3:15:53] whether it slows it down.
[3:15:57] We we need to think about
[3:15:58] the future of surprise
and where we're going ahead.
[3:16:01] What's our what's the goal?
[3:16:06] Thank you for your time.
[3:16:11] I'd like to call a few more
names.
[3:16:14] Adriana Garcia,
[3:16:16] Andrea Cervantes,
Rebecca Murray,
[3:16:20] Connie Adams, William Murphy.
[3:16:23] Thank you, sir.
[3:16:27] Evening, Walter Thorndyke.
[3:16:30] Mister mayor Council.
[3:16:33] I'm a resident of Phoenix.
[3:16:34] And as your neighbor,
I'd like to share a story,
[3:16:37] from a local paper
in cold water, Michigan,
[3:16:40] dated to the 9th of April, 1945.
[3:16:45] It tells how the U.S.
[3:16:47] Army, under General Patton,
the U.S.
[3:16:49] Third Army, came on to what
you might call
[3:16:51] a detention center
[3:16:53] just outside the village
of Order of Germany.
[3:16:57] The U.S.
[3:16:57] Army brought the leading
citizens of order
[3:17:00] to tour the facility,
[3:17:01] which turned out
to be part of the book
[3:17:03] and world
network of concentration camps.
[3:17:07] A U.S.
[3:17:07] Army colonel told the German
civilians, who viewed the scenes
[3:17:11] without muttering
a word that they were to blame.
[3:17:16] One of the Germans replied that
what happened in the camp was,
[3:17:20] quote, done by a few people,
and you cannot blame us all.
[3:17:25] And the American,
[3:17:26] who could have been any
one of our grandfathers, said
[3:17:30] this was done by those
that the German people chose
[3:17:34] to lead them,
and all are responsible.
[3:17:39] The morning after the tour,
[3:17:41] the mayor of Order
of killed himself,
[3:17:45] and maybe he did not know
[3:17:47] the full extent of the outrages
[3:17:49] that were committed in his
community, but he knew enough.
[3:17:55] And we don't know exactly
how Ice will use this warehouse.
[3:17:59] But we know enough.
[3:18:03] I ask you to consider
[3:18:04] what the mayor of Order of might
have thought before he died.
[3:18:09] Maybe he felt like a victim.
[3:18:12] He might have thought.
[3:18:13] How is this my fault? I had no
jurisdiction over this site.
[3:18:17] Maybe he
[3:18:18] would have said this site
was not subject to local zoning.
[3:18:21] What could I do?
[3:18:23] But I think when he reflected
[3:18:26] on the suffering
that occurred at this camp
[3:18:29] just outside of town, that
those words would have sounded
[3:18:32] hollow even to him,
[3:18:35] because in his heart
he knew as we do,
[3:18:38] that we are all responsible for
what happens in our community.
[3:18:42] And I urge the council
to take action, to stop
[3:18:45] or stall,
or at the barest minimum,
[3:18:48] to think creatively
[3:18:49] about how to exercise
oversight over
[3:18:51] this proposed Ice facility.
[3:18:53] Thank you. Sir.
[3:19:03] Good evening.
[3:19:05] Mayor and council members.
[3:19:07] My name is Richmond Ellis.
[3:19:09] I live near the intersection
of Grand and Sunrise,
[3:19:13] and I'm here to talk briefly
about my concerns
[3:19:16] about this Ice facility
and to do my best
[3:19:19] to increase your motivation
to do whatever is necessary.
[3:19:23] As me, my previous speakers
have said to find a way
[3:19:28] to get rid of this,
[3:19:30] construction.
[3:19:31] It's an immoral,
[3:19:33] unAmerican.
[3:19:35] I see, Trump two as focused.
[3:19:39] It's it's methods.
[3:19:41] By disrespecting the rule of law
[3:19:44] and, which is terrible
and even more terrible.
[3:19:48] Big treat humans,
with no compassion.
[3:19:51] No, no humanity, even if they're
no matter if they're
[3:19:55] members of of, of our
of our citizenry or immigrants.
[3:19:59] This is this is unacceptable
because it's un-American.
[3:20:03] And so,
[3:20:05] you know, all I can say to you
is that do your best.
[3:20:08] Go beyond
what you think you could do.
[3:20:11] Find a way to to,
[3:20:14] decrease the probability
or eliminate
[3:20:17] the building
of this institution.
[3:20:20] You know, a comment
I learned later on in early life
[3:20:24] where there's a will,
there's a way.
[3:20:27] I hope you have
the will find a way.
[3:20:30] And even citizens could help you
form committees if necessary.
[3:20:34] Gather evidence. We gotta.
[3:20:37] We gotta get rid of this.
[3:20:39] Thank
you very much for your time.
[3:20:47] I'd like to call a few more
names before we start again.
[3:20:49] Tammy Hall,
[3:20:51] Dana Strickland,
[3:20:54] Mary Hendrick, Sarah Cleveland.
[3:20:57] Jason went.
[3:20:59] Thank you.
[3:21:01] Hello.
[3:21:01] Mayor, council and city staff.
[3:21:04] My name is Adriana Garcia,
[3:21:06] and I'm a longtime
resident of the West Valley
[3:21:08] and a member of Organized Power
in Numbers.
[3:21:11] I watched in horror,
like many of us.
[3:21:15] The constant violence that Ice
has inflicted on communities
[3:21:18] and on people, regardless
of their immigration status.
[3:21:21] The recent murder of Alex Brady,
an ICU nurse,
[3:21:25] is a clear
result of escalating violence.
[3:21:28] Let's be clear
[3:21:30] the only ones who win
by having this concentration
[3:21:32] camp in our community
are mega-corporations
[3:21:35] that the administration
has given sweetheart deals to.
[3:21:38] Like the Rockefeller Group,
they received 70,000,070 million
[3:21:43] of our taxpayer dollars
with no transparency.
[3:21:46] The federal government
is telling
[3:21:48] the residents a surprise
and this governing body
[3:21:51] that they don't care what
this community actually needs.
[3:21:54] The federal government
[3:21:55] then not consult with you nor
give you notice of its plans.
[3:21:59] The mayor and council
should know
[3:22:00] and have a say
on what happens in the city.
[3:22:03] That is
what you were elected to do.
[3:22:06] You know better than Washington
[3:22:07] what's happening here
and what's good for your city.
[3:22:11] Bringing that attention
to the detention center,
[3:22:14] to the doorstep
[3:22:14] doorstep of students
and residents
[3:22:17] is a danger to this community.
[3:22:19] I doubt that the young people,
[3:22:21] like the ones who presented
today,
[3:22:23] in the nearby high
schools, want a detention center
[3:22:26] that might hold their friends
or family members in it.
[3:22:29] Mayor, council and city manager.
[3:22:31] You all have
a moral responsibility
[3:22:33] and a fiduciary duty
[3:22:35] to not allow this
detention center in your city.
[3:22:38] The federal government's
property will be tax exempt,
[3:22:41] will be costly to your city
[3:22:42] through the infrastructure
changes needed,
[3:22:45] and will be a drain
on resources,
[3:22:46] including fire and police cities
across the country.
[3:22:50] Both Republican and Democrat led
[3:22:53] are recognizing the danger
of these detention facilities
[3:22:56] and barring them from opening up
and denying, permitting
[3:22:59] and utilities
surprised can take action to,
[3:23:02] like other folks here
have said, a thousand people,
[3:23:07] not just the folks
in the chambers,
[3:23:08] but the people
who are in overflow.
[3:23:10] And all the people protesting
[3:23:11] outside came out against this
on very short notice.
[3:23:16] We aren't going anywhere,
and we will continue to demand
[3:23:19] that you shut down this plan.
Thank you for your time.
[3:23:28] Good evening or good evening.
[3:23:30] Hello, mayor,
Council and city staff.
[3:23:33] My name is Andrea
[3:23:33] Luna and I'm a member
with organized power in numbers.
[3:23:37] I'm here tonight with working
[3:23:38] people who keep our cities
running.
[3:23:40] People from different
backgrounds are gathered
[3:23:42] here in the City of Surprise
to deliver one clear message.
[3:23:46] This facility must never be used
as a detention center.
[3:23:50] The Rockefeller group is cashing
in $70 million,
[3:23:54] leaving our community
to deal with the consequences.
[3:23:57] This isn't
just another real estate deal.
[3:23:59] It's a deliberate choice
[3:24:01] to bring a permanent
[3:24:02] federal detention center
into our backyard.
[3:24:05] And to add insult to injury.
[3:24:06] It's our own taxpayer
[3:24:08] funds that are funding
this human suffering.
[3:24:12] If this detention
center is built, that would mean
[3:24:15] 1500 people
who live, work, worship
[3:24:18] and raise families in Arizona
could be held here out of sight,
[3:24:22] behind walls, under an agency
with a record of abuse,
[3:24:26] neglect and wrongful detention.
[3:24:29] When corporations
profit from ISIS violence,
[3:24:32] they are complicit
in what follows.
[3:24:34] Shame on you,
[3:24:35] Rockefeller Group,
for putting people in danger
[3:24:38] just to make money off
our backs.
[3:24:40] And let's talk
about what happens for supplies.
[3:24:43] What does this mean for us?
[3:24:44] This warehouse
[3:24:45] is close to our high school
and nearby elementary schools.
[3:24:49] Having ice presence will create
fear and disrupt living.
[3:24:52] And really drawback,
[3:24:53] you know, the usage
[3:24:54] of those parks and events
you all just shared.
[3:24:57] It will also
strain city resources
[3:24:59] when we should be
investing in our community.
[3:25:01] No one is safer
[3:25:03] because the detention center
moves next door.
[3:25:06] And this is a question
of local governance.
[3:25:08] If the federal government
can override surprise laws,
[3:25:11] what does that mean
for local control?
[3:25:13] You're going to let the federal
government just do that to you.
[3:25:16] It is
[3:25:17] not enough for you to say that
this is out of your control.
[3:25:20] Your residents deserve a clear
position from this council.
[3:25:23] Your responsibility
is to the people of surprise.
[3:25:26] You must publicly denounce
[3:25:28] the use of this facility
for immigrant detention.
[3:25:31] Maryland just passed a bill
to prohibit using structure
[3:25:34] from operating as an immigration
detention facility.
[3:25:37] If it was not meant for people.
[3:25:39] Let's follow in their footsteps.
[3:25:41] Working people built this city.
[3:25:44] We won't allow it
to become a site of detention
[3:25:46] and trauma
for someone else's profit.
[3:25:49] We must put people over profit
[3:25:52] workers over billionaires.
[3:25:55] Thank you.
[3:26:02] Thank you.
[3:26:03] Good evening sir.
Good evening mayor.
[3:26:05] City Council may begin by saying
my name is William Murphree.
[3:26:10] I reside with my wife at 15626
North 159th Lane.
[3:26:15] Surprised. Arizona.
[3:26:17] That is in
Congressional District nine.
[3:26:21] Legislative district 29.
[3:26:24] City of surprised.
[3:26:25] District Council five.
[3:26:27] Not the biggest, just the best.
[3:26:28] Jack. So,
[3:26:32] your staff
[3:26:34] came here tonight to say.
[3:26:36] Mayor like you, I took an oath
of office many, many years ago.
[3:26:42] You see about this globe and
anchor that I have on my hat.
[3:26:45] Nobody has
[3:26:47] removed me
from that oath of office.
[3:26:51] In my lifetime,
I have dealt with most.
[3:26:54] I've been around and introduced
to most police agencies
[3:26:58] across the country,
including Secret Service.
[3:27:02] What I have never had to deal
with.
[3:27:05] Well,
let me just pause for a moment
[3:27:07] and say, when I came to the City
Hall tonight,
[3:27:10] surprise police department
was on the front door.
[3:27:12] How did I know that
[3:27:14] they had their badges?
[3:27:15] Big smiles. Blue uniforms.
[3:27:17] Come on in.
[3:27:18] Welcome to Democracy in Action.
[3:27:22] But what I have
never had to deal with
[3:27:25] was a black SUV
pulling up beside me.
[3:27:28] Somebody.
[3:27:29] And something that looked like
that was a Halloween outfit.
[3:27:33] Jump out and say
I'm a law enforcement officer.
[3:27:37] I say,
oh yeah, where's your badge?
[3:27:40] He doesn't have one.
[3:27:42] So the city of Surprised
does not need
[3:27:44] nor want.
[3:27:47] Ice in this community.
[3:27:49] We don't need them.
[3:27:50] We have a fine
police department.
[3:27:52] We have federal partners.
[3:27:55] I'm really disappointed at the
[3:27:57] lack of transparency
from our federal partners.
[3:28:01] And I live in, as I told you,
condensed Congressional District
[3:28:04] nine, I have contacted
my representative
[3:28:08] and got no answer.
[3:28:10] Frustration,
frustration, frustration.
[3:28:13] And it
[3:28:15] just appalling to have.
[3:28:18] Honorable Purple Heart
[3:28:21] discharge veterans, purple
Heart recipients.
[3:28:25] Honorable D.D.
[3:28:26] 2014 snatched up and deported.
[3:28:29] Now that don't bother me.
[3:28:31] You know I'm mad.
[3:28:31] They won't do that to me.
[3:28:34] But this last answer
that happened in Minnesota.
[3:28:37] And I'll be brief, Mr., mayor,
[3:28:41] caused me to pause and say,
[3:28:44] what would I do if I saw
something like that happen?
[3:28:47] I've been known to get involved
when I get involved again.
[3:28:51] So I have a quick
question and I'll sit down.
[3:28:54] You guys,
are you folks on that panel?
[3:28:56] And city staff know your job?
[3:28:57] I don't have to tell you
what it is.
[3:28:59] My question to you is,
what can we do to help?
[3:29:01] What can we do to help
you make sure
[3:29:04] the word goes
out of this place tonight?
[3:29:07] Not here,
not now, not ever. Ice.
[3:29:11] No ice. Detention. No Gestapo.
[3:29:14] None of that B.S.
[3:29:16] in the city is the price.
[3:29:21] Because.
[3:29:25] I'd like to call a few more
names before you start.
[3:29:27] Hold on one second. Chris, you.
[3:29:28] Thank you for your service, sir.
[3:29:34] Sir, thank you for your service.
[3:29:37] Thank you. Mayor.
[3:29:38] Thank each
and everyone who served.
[3:29:39] Thank you.
[3:29:45] Little Rudolph,
a couple names, please.
[3:29:47] She's already some names.
[3:29:48] Go ahead.
[3:29:50] Ronald.
[3:29:50] Feltner,
Tony Rosenberger, Shelley Smith,
[3:29:56] Sebastian de Portillo,
Evelyn Castillo.
[3:30:00] Thank you. Thank you.
[3:30:04] Good evening.
[3:30:04] Mayor. And council members.
[3:30:06] My name is Rebecca Murray.
[3:30:08] I do not live in surprise,
[3:30:09] but I am very close
to the water,
[3:30:11] so I feel that this directly
impacts me as well.
[3:30:14] Additionally,
I am a Arizona local.
[3:30:17] I've lived here
for all 41 years of my life
[3:30:19] in the Phoenix metro area,
and I take great pride in that.
[3:30:23] I am here to urge you to do
everything that you possibly can
[3:30:27] in your power to stop ice
from setting up and operating.
[3:30:31] There are 1500 bed prison camp
in our communities.
[3:30:35] Not only will it disrupt
[3:30:36] the safety
and unity of our neighborhoods.
[3:30:38] It will also send the message
[3:30:40] that the city supports
the separation of families
[3:30:43] and the unlawful detention
of our communities.
[3:30:48] As I've watched the horror
unfold in Minnesota, I think
[3:30:50] I'm in good company stating
we are all horror struck by.
[3:30:55] Excuse me, I'm so sorry.
[3:30:57] By the large loss of life
that we're seeing at ISIS hands.
[3:31:01] I also feel confident
that if we do nothing to stop
[3:31:04] this detention center
[3:31:05] being created
[3:31:06] and stop the increased presence
of officers in our communities,
[3:31:09] we will soon mirror
the chaos, terror
[3:31:12] and danger that is ever present
in our citizens lives.
[3:31:15] Now is a perfect time
to take a stand
[3:31:17] and show communities
you support,
[3:31:19] that you truly support
their best interest and safety,
[3:31:23] that you won't idly
[3:31:23] stand by as fascism digs its
claws deeper into our society,
[3:31:27] and that you will do everything
in your power
[3:31:29] to protect the people who have
entrusted you with this power.
[3:31:33] If nothing else moves you,
remember the economic hit
[3:31:36] Arizona took after
ten b SB 1070.
[3:31:39] This will be much worse.
[3:31:41] Yeah, I respectfully ask
that you consider the long term
[3:31:44] consequences and how history
will undoubtedly view you
[3:31:48] when everyone is against this.
Thank you for your time.
[3:31:56] Good evening ma'am.
[3:32:01] Good evening,
[3:32:02] mayor, council members
and fellow residents.
[3:32:06] My name is Cammy Hall,
and my cross streets are grand
[3:32:09] and Remes.
[3:32:11] I have lived in our community
for about seven years.
[3:32:15] I'm here tonight
because I care deeply
[3:32:16] about the future of our city
[3:32:18] and the quality of life
for everyone who calls it home.
[3:32:22] I'm here to address the proposed
Ice detention center.
[3:32:25] My family and I do not want
a detention facility.
[3:32:28] And surprise.
[3:32:30] Every day, families and children
navigate these areas.
[3:32:34] And without proper
[3:32:35] safety measures, we're putting
them at unnecessary risk.
[3:32:39] I am concerned about the lack of
water and sewer capacity
[3:32:42] to transform a warehouse
into a detention site.
[3:32:46] We need to require transparency
about how this facility
[3:32:49] will operate
and affect our community.
[3:32:52] I demand that we
[3:32:54] have impact reviews
for the environment, traffic,
[3:32:58] public safety
and infrastructure.
[3:33:02] This city has been growing
beautifully.
[3:33:04] I have been proud to live here
[3:33:06] and proud to invite others
to enjoy and experience
[3:33:09] what this community
has to offer.
[3:33:12] I a detention center
is not a business
[3:33:15] that will stay and help
our community.
[3:33:17] It is not a business that will
respect our rights as citizens.
[3:33:21] It will not bring people
[3:33:22] to help our community
grow and better itself.
[3:33:25] This type of business
will only bring us down
[3:33:28] with negative views
[3:33:30] and policies that breed violence
and tear families apart.
[3:33:34] This is not a business
with a positive future.
[3:33:37] The type of business,
[3:33:38] this type of business
has a terrible track record.
[3:33:41] The ACLU American
Civil Liberties Union
[3:33:45] report that detained immigrants,
detailed physical abuse,
[3:33:49] sexual abuse, medical neglect
and intimidation to self-deport.
[3:33:54] Deaths are
reported at these facilities.
[3:33:57] Can we support a business?
[3:33:59] And yes, it is a big business.
[3:34:02] $70 million business.
[3:34:04] Where were people?
[3:34:05] Where people are caged.
[3:34:07] Literally caged in our backyard
cages.
[3:34:13] Surprise
can refuse to fund or partner
[3:34:17] with private detention operators
for city contracts.
[3:34:20] We can deter this facility
from going forward with building
[3:34:23] permits and regulations.
[3:34:26] Can we require,
[3:34:29] adequate, adequate food,
adequate water,
[3:34:31] adequate medical care,
mental health care?
[3:34:35] They should.
[3:34:37] They should be allowed
religious counsel.
[3:34:39] We should require citizen
representatives to have access
[3:34:42] to the detainees to assure
their needs are met as humans.
[3:34:48] Detainees should be allowed
access to lawyers and family.
[3:34:51] They should be allowed
phone calls
[3:34:52] at the time of detention
and of release.
[3:34:54] They just dump people out
on the street.
[3:34:56] Could be 120.
[3:35:00] They should
be allowed phone calls.
[3:35:02] They should be allowed work
release
[3:35:03] if they're in
for more than 72 hours.
[3:35:05] No call, no show.
[3:35:07] You get fired.
[3:35:08] Your family doesn't
have an income.
[3:35:11] They need to be accounted for.
[3:35:13] No disappearances.
[3:35:15] I believe the federal government
is putting our community
[3:35:18] at risk of physical, emotional,
and financial harm.
[3:35:21] I believe our local government
[3:35:22] has a responsibility
to act in every way.
[3:35:26] They have available authority.
[3:35:29] According to the national news
reports, members of communities
[3:35:32] are being erroneously detained.
[3:35:34] People with citizenship.
[3:35:35] And thank you very much.
[3:35:37] I believe we can do better.
[3:35:39] Ma'am, can I have your name,
please, ma'am?
[3:35:42] Can I have your name, please?
Cammy Hall.
[3:35:43] Thank you.
[3:35:45] Thank
[3:35:47] Christ.
[3:35:48] Good evening, ma'am. Evening.
[3:35:50] Good name.
[3:35:50] Good evening,
mayor and council members.
[3:35:53] My name is Mary Hendricks.
[3:35:55] I've lived
in surprise for eight years.
[3:36:01] This is hard.
[3:36:05] And I
don't know what to do with this.
[3:36:08] This makes me terrified
every day.
[3:36:10] And I.
[3:36:13] Listening to everybody else
[3:36:14] speak so eloquently.
[3:36:18] It's been very, very good point.
[3:36:21] And please listen to them.
[3:36:24] Do anything and everything
you can to not bring this
[3:36:27] to our community.
[3:36:37] Sorry.
[3:36:37] Excuse me.
[3:36:38] It is absolutely terrifying.
[3:36:43] Even going to work.
[3:36:45] Seen a dark vehicle
[3:36:47] blacked out.
[3:36:50] I work in
[3:36:52] areas where there's high
[3:36:55] populations of
[3:36:58] all kinds of immigrants.
[3:37:00] They all make this country
beautiful.
[3:37:08] I'm just terrified.
[3:37:09] And I don't know
what to do anymore.
[3:37:11] Please do anything
and everything you can
[3:37:14] to not bring this
to our community.
[3:37:15] We won't survive it.
[3:37:18] It's not good for us.
[3:37:21] Thank you.
[3:37:22] Thank you.
[3:37:27] I'd like to
call a few more names.
[3:37:29] Okay.
[3:37:31] I'm Clara with
[3:37:32] Gary Allison, Anthony Robinson,
[3:37:36] Nancy blazing came
Jacqueline Jimenez.
[3:37:39] Thank you.
[3:37:41] Good evening, ma'am.
Thank you, Mr.
[3:37:42] Mayor and council members.
Thank you for your time.
[3:37:44] My name is Shelley Smith.
[3:37:46] I'm a ten year resident of Grand
near Sunrise and Bell.
[3:37:50] I'm here tonight
due to the recent purchase,
[3:37:52] by DHS of the where?
Warehouse on die.
[3:37:54] Of course,
[3:37:55] while I understand that
our corrupt federal government
[3:37:57] chose not to communicate
[3:37:59] with local government
about this purchase,
[3:38:01] and that the Supremacy Clause
in the Constitution may apply.
[3:38:04] I also believe that
[3:38:05] now is not the time to rapidly
raise our hands in the air
[3:38:08] and surrender.
[3:38:09] And that's kind of how
I took your statement
[3:38:11] from the city
as a big surrender.
[3:38:13] We can't stand by and let the
ice thuggery into our community.
[3:38:17] So the city must take all action
[3:38:21] The city has full control
[3:38:23] over providing sewer services
and can withhold those services.
[3:38:27] They can't operate a facility
without sewer.
[3:38:29] What about environmental
impacts?
[3:38:31] Has a study been completed?
[3:38:33] It's time to be creative
and to be leaders.
[3:38:36] Does the city have leverage over
vendor contracts
[3:38:39] for private agencies
[3:38:40] that may be contracted
to run the facility?
[3:38:43] You all know better than I do.
[3:38:45] What your areas of leverage are.
[3:38:47] And I ask you to use those.
[3:38:49] The bottom line, please
stand behind your citizens.
[3:38:52] We don't want this
in our community.
[3:38:54] And as a city council,
if you don't do everything
[3:38:56] in your power to stop it,
you're all complicit
[3:38:59] in supporting the Trump regime's
violent deportation processes.
[3:39:03] They are not just detaining
violent criminals.
[3:39:07] They are detaining many hard
citizens who live and work
[3:39:10] amongst us
and have no criminal records.
[3:39:13] A felon president is behind
the violence and murder of U.S.
[3:39:17] citizens by Ice agents.
[3:39:19] And this facility
puts us all in danger,
[3:39:21] including the students
in the nearby schools.
[3:39:25] So I have just a moment more,
[3:39:27] and I just want to thank
the local,
[3:39:29] surprise
police department for helping us
[3:39:31] stay safe
during the protests on Saturday.
[3:39:33] Thank you very much.
[3:39:40] Good evening, sir.
[3:39:42] Good evening, Mayor and council.
[3:39:45] Thank you for allowing
this space to happen on hearing
[3:39:48] from your constituents.
[3:39:49] My name
is, Sarah Sanders Portillo.
[3:39:52] An organizer with organized
power and numbers.
[3:39:54] We have members
all over the valley,
[3:39:56] including a lot of members here
in surprise, members
[3:39:59] who are appalled that this
this warehouse will be used as,
[3:40:04] an actual concentration camp
for working families who are
[3:40:07] being scapegoated and targeted
by this fascist administration.
[3:40:12] This council right here
has the responsibility
[3:40:14] to do everything in its power,
[3:40:17] so that this concentration camp
does not open.
[3:40:20] Working class
[3:40:21] immigrant families
[3:40:22] are being kidnaped, brutalized,
and they're being killed.
[3:40:26] Also that companies can profit
from the system.
[3:40:29] The billionaire class
is the real beneficiary
[3:40:33] from these state sanctioned
killings, these abductions,
[3:40:37] these
assaults all over the country.
[3:40:39] That's why there were over
[3:40:40] a thousand people here today
protesting outside.
[3:40:44] Really enraged.
[3:40:45] And they're speaking to you,
[3:40:47] and they're speaking out
right now.
[3:40:49] The seller of this warehouse,
Rockefeller Group,
[3:40:52] sold it for a whopping
$70 million.
[3:40:55] They got a cash payment
from DHS.
[3:40:59] That was our money.
[3:41:01] Our money is being used.
[3:41:03] Let's really think about this.
[3:41:04] To imprison
innocent working people.
[3:41:06] Not to mention
[3:41:07] all the tens
of millions of dollars
[3:41:08] that are going to go
to the contractors
[3:41:10] to run this,
this concentration camp.
[3:41:13] There is no public process,
no public input,
[3:41:16] no consideration
with the residents.
[3:41:18] Obviously, on this project.
[3:41:21] It's going to be a huge cost
to the city and its resources,
[3:41:24] and it's going to allow and
allowing this to move forward
[3:41:28] will just put residents at risk,
not only because it's going to
[3:41:32] suck up resources,
[3:41:34] increase wait times for first
first responders
[3:41:37] and emergencies,
but also all the shit that Ice
[3:41:41] is going to create
in the community.
[3:41:43] It's only a matter of time
until Ice residents
[3:41:46] here are brutalized by ice.
[3:41:49] All of us here have had to bear
witness to all of the murders
[3:41:53] online, which have been horrible
for all of us to watch.
[3:41:56] This agency should be nowhere
near communities.
[3:42:00] Nowhere near our youth
and our children.
[3:42:02] And in fact,
that shouldn't exist at all.
[3:42:05] So the demands are pretty clear.
[3:42:08] You need to publicly denounce
[3:42:10] the use of this concentration
camp.
[3:42:13] The City of surprise,
[3:42:15] and its attorney
must outline their position
[3:42:17] regarding
whether the federal government
[3:42:19] has the authority
to override city zoning laws.
[3:42:22] And while you may not have all
been involved in the purchase,
[3:42:25] not doing anything about this
will make you complicit in sets
[3:42:29] and facilitating this
[3:42:30] unimaginable cruelty
that's going to go on there.
[3:42:33] So in the most literal way right
[3:42:34] now, doing something to stop
that, to stop this is up to you.
[3:42:38] Thank you.
[3:42:44] Good evening.
[3:42:45] Good evening, mayor and city
council members.
[3:42:48] My name is Evelyn Castillo.
[3:42:49] I'm also an organizer
with organized power numbers.
[3:42:53] We have many members who are
rooted in this community.
[3:42:55] And they,
[3:42:56] along with their neighbors,
are deeply alarmed and outraged
[3:42:59] by what is happening here.
[3:43:00] And surprise,
[3:43:01] the sale of this warehouse
to Ice for immigrant detention
[3:43:04] is not a neutral business
decision.
[3:43:07] It is an immoral one,
and it sends a clear message
[3:43:10] that profit is being placed
above human dignity
[3:43:13] and above the well-being
of this community.
[3:43:16] Like you've heard
numerous times,
[3:43:18] this facility
is dangerously close
[3:43:20] to a local high school
and nearby elementary schools.
[3:43:23] Children should be thinking
about their dreams and future,
[3:43:26] not growing up in the shadow
of a detention center.
[3:43:30] A permanent Ice presence
threatens students safety and
[3:43:33] disrupts learning, and exposes
children to the traumatic
[3:43:36] a potentially violent
ice encounters.
[3:43:39] That alone should make this
development unacceptable.
[3:43:43] Community
members are already struggling.
[3:43:45] They are worried about the lack
of housing,
[3:43:47] rising rents, inaccessible
health care
[3:43:50] and the daily reality
of economic hardship.
[3:43:53] Adding an Ice detention center
does nothing to address
[3:43:57] these needs and problems.
[3:43:58] It deepens them.
[3:44:00] It diverts public attention and
resources towards incarceration
[3:44:05] while our community's real needs
go unmet.
[3:44:08] If you allow this to proceed,
you are choosing complicity.
[3:44:12] We demand that this council
[3:44:13] publicly denounce
immigrant detention
[3:44:16] and that you stand
[3:44:17] with the people of surprise,
not corporations, not Ice.
[3:44:21] I'm sure
we're all exhausted and tired,
[3:44:23] but it doesn't matter,
because if nothing is done,
[3:44:27] we will be back
and we will continue to show up.
[3:44:30] So choose people over profit
and the billionaires.
[3:44:39] Good evening sir.
[3:44:40] Thank you for this opportunity
and your attention.
[3:44:46] My name is Tony Rosenberger.
[3:44:49] I've enjoyed retiring.
[3:44:50] And. Surprise.
[3:44:52] Close to the cross streets,
North Stadium
[3:44:54] way and Bell.
[3:44:57] What Putin does with despotism.
[3:45:01] Trump does with corruption.
[3:45:04] We don't want his corrupt ice.
[3:45:07] We don't want his detention.
[3:45:09] Gulag.
[3:45:12] Surprise!
[3:45:14] I retire to pickleball courts,
[3:45:17] swimming pools and a gulag next.
[3:45:27] Good evening ma'am.
[3:45:28] Good evening.
[3:45:30] My name is Dana Strickland.
[3:45:31] I've lived in surprise
since 2009.
[3:45:33] I'm a disabled veteran,
a mental health
[3:45:35] professional,
and a two small businesses.
[3:45:39] I'm speaking today
with an urgency and conviction
[3:45:42] that all of you
oppose the proposed.
[3:45:46] I concentration camp
because that's what it is,
[3:45:50] not just because
of the proximity to schools,
[3:45:52] parks, children's activities
[3:45:55] and all of the things that defin
[3:45:59] with our families,
[3:46:01] because across the country
is facilities,
[3:46:04] very loose air,
quotes and enforcement actions
[3:46:06] have not been isolated
policy decisions.
[3:46:10] They've produced documented
deaths,
[3:46:12] egregious human
rights violations and trauma
[3:46:15] to the people in custody
[3:46:16] and the families that they're
being torn away from
[3:46:20] in 2025, more than 30 people
that we know of.
[3:46:24] And I attached a PDF
with their names
[3:46:26] and the circumstances
of their deaths
[3:46:27] and my request to speak.
[3:46:29] So you have it.
[3:46:31] So more than 30 people
that we know of
[3:46:34] died in these camps,
and that doesn't include
[3:46:38] the people who were kidnaped
and taken to Alligator Alcatraz
[3:46:42] because we don't have
that information.
[3:46:46] So these are the known deaths.
[3:46:47] Just in 2025, it was the
deadliest year for ice on record
[3:46:51] in at least a decade.
[3:46:54] These deaths are tied
to systemic racism,
[3:46:57] abuse and neglect,
inadequate medical care, poor
[3:47:00] inhumane conditions,
and lack of transparency.
[3:47:03] These are not accidents
[3:47:05] in any way, shape
or form in multiple cities.
[3:47:09] Ice operations, including
horizon raids and enforcement
[3:47:13] near schools
and homes, have fractured.
[3:47:16] The sense of safety
[3:47:17] that education play in
communities should provide.
[3:47:20] Schools are supposed to be safe
havens.
[3:47:24] These policies
[3:47:27] and just the outright
fascist actions
[3:47:32] of the government.
[3:47:35] Are upending our communities.
[3:47:39] People
are fearful of going to school,
[3:47:42] of going to work, of
going to school
[3:47:45] just in the community
and living their lives
[3:47:47] and they shouldn't have to be.
[3:47:49] Educators and mental health
professionals have reported
[3:47:53] that immigration enforcement
centers near the schools creates
[3:47:56] anxiety, depression,
disrupted learning for students
[3:47:59] whose families live in fear
of detention and separation.
[3:48:03] Communities that have lived
in detention centers nearby
[3:48:05] describe
a chilling psychological effect,
[3:48:07] with constant reminders
of families being ripped apart.
[3:48:11] Fears
of being killed in the streets.
[3:48:14] And it should not happen.
[3:48:18] I have more, but what I will say
[3:48:19] is that not just
for the sake of our children,
[3:48:21] our communities
and our families,
[3:48:23] but for the moral integrity
of this city in this state.
[3:48:27] I am strongly urging you to
outright reject this proposal,
[3:48:31] to stop it from happening,
and to use
[3:48:32] every bit of your power
and privilege to do it.
[3:48:34] I know that
we're paying attention,
[3:48:36] and that ultimately,
you will all be held accountable
[3:48:39] for what side of history
you choose to be on.
[3:48:46] Before you start, ma'am, I'm
going to cost more names, okay.
[3:48:49] Thank you for your service
as well, ma'am.
[3:48:51] Elaina Thomas, Jeffrey.
[3:48:54] Smith. Brittany Burback.
[3:48:56] Jemison. Holley.
Roxanna Catlett.
[3:48:59] Thank you.
[3:49:01] Good evening.
[3:49:03] I know you must be tired,
and I appreciate you listening
[3:49:07] to the mayor, the vice mayor
and the city council members.
[3:49:13] I just recently retired
from teaching,
[3:49:16] and my husband
and I, he taught high school
[3:49:20] English and speech and debate,
and I taught kindergarten.
[3:49:23] And in June,
we moved away from Bullhead City
[3:49:26] in the Mojave Desert
to live where we believed
[3:49:29] we could experience
a beautiful garden city.
[3:49:34] We crawled out of the dust
in the scorching wind,
[3:49:37] hot moon to live in Paradise.
[3:49:41] And now we have this Trump Army
[3:49:44] concentration camp
built in our Paradise.
[3:49:49] It reminds me
of a cattle slaughterhouse
[3:49:52] that was being considered
[3:49:54] in Junction City, Kansas,
another beautiful garden city,
[3:49:57] and the people fought against it
[3:49:59] because they knew
if they didn't, they would reek
[3:50:02] like the cattle yards
of Fort Worth and Dodge City.
[3:50:06] And it reminds me
of Auschwitz, quite frankly.
[3:50:10] We are all very kind people.
[3:50:12] We're all very considerate.
[3:50:14] We help our communities.
We love each other.
[3:50:17] We've been listening to people
after people express
[3:50:20] their love for each other
and for this community
[3:50:23] and the people of this
tiny Polish city called,
[3:50:26] I can't pronounce it.
[3:50:28] Oh, why yes I am.
[3:50:32] They loved their parks
and recreation, too.
[3:50:35] And in 1939 it was annexed
by the Nazi Germany
[3:50:38] and its name was changed
to Auschwitz.
[3:50:43] Those people,
although they were aware
[3:50:45] of the network of concentration
camps
[3:50:47] being built
close by and in their town,
[3:50:49] and they saw the smoke
[3:50:50] every single day
they choose to look away.
[3:50:53] And after 7 million Jews
and others deemed unwanted
[3:50:58] and marginalized and different
were confined and disappeared,
[3:51:03] the people of that beautiful
garden city were forced
[3:51:06] to look at what they had
ignored.
[3:51:09] I had a very good friend
named Eva Schloss,
[3:51:12] who's survived Birkenau,
and she was the stepsister
[3:51:16] of Anne Frank,
and she spent her life
[3:51:18] warning the world
that this could happen again.
[3:51:21] And it's happening again.
[3:51:23] I will not ignore this
detention center and this camp
[3:51:26] that is going to sit
in our garden city and kill it.
[3:51:31] The city Council gave
doesn't have to give them water.
[3:51:34] You don't have to give them
electricity
[3:51:36] or air conditioning or sewage.
[3:51:38] Just make it a hot box
that no one can work in
[3:51:41] and they'll go away.
[3:51:43] If the current Adminis
Space Station administration,
[3:51:46] excuse me,
[3:51:47] needs a large building
to contain people
[3:51:49] and separate them
from their loved ones.
[3:51:50] They've got a huge $400 million
ball room to put them in.
[3:51:59] They bought
[3:52:00] they bought this trench Trump
concentration camp,
[3:52:04] not for $70 million,
but for 30 pieces of silver.
[3:52:08] Thank you ma'am.
[3:52:09] Thank you ma'am, can I have your
name, please, ma'am?
[3:52:13] Ma'am,
can I have your name, please?
[3:52:15] Clara woods. Okay. Thank you.
[3:52:17] Sure. Can.
[3:52:18] Claro w I fell Rome and,
[3:52:22] my stadium went all right.
[3:52:25] And she.
[3:52:28] Good evening, sir.
[3:52:29] Good evening.
[3:52:30] Mayor and and, city
council members.
[3:52:36] I've been watching,
[3:52:39] these speakers and,
so far, I've noticed
[3:52:42] there were only two that
[3:52:44] that were for this facility.
[3:52:48] So that should tell you
something.
[3:52:53] This warehouse was purchased
by the Department
[3:52:55] of Homeland Security
on January 23rd
[3:52:59] for $1,770 million,
at the expense of taxpayers,
[3:53:04] without informing the city
of this transaction.
[3:53:07] This lawless federal government
made this purchase in secret
[3:53:11] in order
to avoid public scrutiny.
[3:53:15] This is a prison like processing
center with schools and parks
[3:53:20] nearby
placed in residential area.
[3:53:23] No public hearing until now
[3:53:26] after the purchase
has already been made.
[3:53:29] If this goes through,
it will reduce property values.
[3:53:32] Local businesses will suffer
[3:53:34] and children will stay home
from school for fear of them
[3:53:37] and their parents being arrested
and separated and detained
[3:53:41] or deported.
[3:53:43] We have
[3:53:43] all been seeing the lawlessness
and arrests with no due process
[3:53:47] in other states by these masked,
wearing thugs
[3:53:52] smashing windows and pulling
innocent American civilians
[3:53:55] out of their cars with impunity,
terrorizing cities
[3:53:59] with rubber bullets and tear gas
if not already.
[3:54:03] We are becoming a county under
siege and authoritarian rule,
[3:54:09] especially right now
in Minnesota for the past
[3:54:12] three months.
[3:54:13] My heart goes out to the
families and friends of Rene.
[3:54:16] Good. And Alex.
[3:54:17] Pretty, who are gunned down
by Ice agents
[3:54:20] who somehow think they have
special immunity.
[3:54:24] This is what we're up against
this year.
[3:54:28] This year, through 3800 children
[3:54:31] have been abducted
across the country and detained.
[3:54:35] No more funds for
DHS has impeached
[3:54:38] Christie. No.
[3:54:44] These are excerpts from a speech
[3:54:47] by Chase ionize,
an attorney of the Lakota tribe.
[3:54:50] Speaking during a hearing.
[3:54:53] The impact that
the impact of ice on Minnesota,
[3:54:57] what was described by Senator
Dibble was, I declare
[3:55:00] declaration of war on American
people, American families.
[3:55:05] What we are facing
[3:55:06] is an attempt to overthrow
of constitutional order.
[3:55:09] The integrity and sanctity
[3:55:11] of the United States
Constitution is being overrun
[3:55:14] outside the scope of the law,
outside the scope of
[3:55:17] constitutional authority.
[3:55:19] The good people of Minnesota
and the whole country
[3:55:22] deserve better.
[3:55:23] This is this
is the gravity of the weight
[3:55:26] and the magnitude of a very live
controversy,
[3:55:30] a constitutional crisis
[3:55:31] that is disturbing the peace
of all Minnesotans.
[3:55:35] Right now,
this is no small matter.
[3:55:37] Thank you.
[3:55:37] This is a seizure
of constitutional order.
[3:55:41] Where
can I have your name, please?
[3:55:43] Thank you.
[3:55:44] So you have your name, please.
[3:55:45] Can you say your name, please?
[3:55:46] I'm sorry.
[3:55:47] Have your name, please. Gary.
Allison. Okay.
[3:55:49] Thank you.
[3:55:50] Thank you.
[3:55:54] Good evening.
[3:55:55] Good evening.
[3:55:56] My name is Jacqueline Jimenez.
[3:55:58] I live in district five.
[3:56:00] First of all,
[3:56:01] I want to
thank you all for your time
[3:56:02] and your attentiveness
and engagement.
[3:56:05] This issue is critical
for my community.
[3:56:07] My statement will echo
[3:56:09] the sentiments of the room,
but I need to add my voice.
[3:56:13] My parents moved us to surprise
over 20 years ago,
[3:56:17] because they believed that
this was the best place
[3:56:19] to raise a family.
[3:56:20] Since then, my siblings and I
have started our own families
[3:56:23] here to.
[3:56:28] Whom we own property
[3:56:31] and we're small business owners
where we work as a family.
[3:56:36] Proudly serving our communities
for the past 15 years.
[3:56:39] We have deep roots here,
[3:56:42] and surprise has changed
so much in the last 20 years,
[3:56:46] with expansion of retail
and housing replacing
[3:56:48] so many of the crop yields
which immigrants picked, which
[3:56:51] if you still drive by,
you can still see them today.
[3:56:55] Today,
our small city has the spotlight
[3:56:58] for wrong reasons
and all the eyes are on you.
[3:57:02] You can tell us
you weren't consulted
[3:57:03] or notified about the Ice
facility, but now you know.
[3:57:07] Now we all know
and it's time for action.
[3:57:10] You can't just say that
there is nothing you can do.
[3:57:13] It's your duty
to protect our community and use
[3:57:16] any and all means necessary,
available to you to fight
[3:57:20] for our rights and for the peace
of our community.
[3:57:23] Many great suggestions
were offered tonight.
[3:57:26] The impact this will have
will be devastating
[3:57:28] and our community will forever
be changed.
[3:57:31] No federal agency
should be allowed
[3:57:33] to operate in secrecy,
especially not in our backyards.
[3:57:37] You can't just say that
there is nothing you can do.
[3:57:40] We will all be looking
to you for deeds, not words
[3:57:45] from everyone.
[3:57:50] What I do take comfort is
[3:57:53] seeing the turnout today.
[3:57:58] Unanimous vote. Oh!
[3:58:12] And. And all the support
of my neighbors
[3:58:14] opposing this facility and.
[3:58:16] And backing
people who look like me.
[3:58:21] Thank you.
[3:58:22] Thank you.
[3:58:30] Madam clerk, are there
any more names to read?
[3:58:34] Yes. Let me read a few more,
please.
[3:58:36] Alexia. Isaiah's.
[3:58:39] Danya Duran.
[3:58:41] Thomas.
[3:58:41] Skipper Vince Mendez,
[3:58:44] Amanda
Kaminski is Yvette Servin.
[3:58:48] Thank you.
[3:58:51] Good evening ma'am. Go ahead.
[3:58:52] Good evening.
Hello, mayor and council.
[3:58:54] My name is Brittany Burback.
[3:58:55] I'm a lifelong Arizonan,
West Valley resident.
[3:58:59] I'm live in Peoria.
[3:59:01] But my children attend Woodlands
Elite Cheer gym.
[3:59:04] That's directly within 500ft
of this concentration camp.
[3:59:10] And I am here
with a lot of other moms,
[3:59:14] to not only voice my opposition
for this facility in general,
[3:59:18] but to also bring your attention
to the severe and foreseeable
[3:59:22] risk that this facility
poses to our children.
[3:59:26] Not to mention the schools that
are all directly around there.
[3:59:29] But again, we are within 500ft.
[3:59:32] We walk out our door and there's
the building right there.
[3:59:35] And we know that
that base on the rest of the
[3:59:41] nation, ISIS tactics.
[3:59:43] We know that they deploy tear
gas and pepper spray
[3:59:47] and long range acoustic devices
that can permanently damage
[3:59:50] hearing.
[3:59:51] Though our children are directly
within,
[3:59:54] we are not in a safe zone.
[3:59:55] So if Ice gets into a scrap
with some, with a protester,
[4:00:00] with whomever they deem unsafe,
[4:00:03] our children are directly.
[4:00:05] This is a direct
[4:00:06] and foreseeable risk
that the city has an obligation
[4:00:09] to protect against.
[4:00:10] You should be ashamed
of yourselves
[4:00:13] to not be able to provide
answers to us today,
[4:00:16] to your constituents,
[4:00:18] as to what
this facility is being used for,
[4:00:21] that we don't know
what it's going to be used for
[4:00:24] is unacceptable.
[4:00:25] Tell me that
the mayor of the price
[4:00:27] cannot get someone
from DHS on the phone
[4:00:29] to say what this facility
is going to be used for,
[4:00:31] and to issue
an appropriate statement.
[4:00:34] I'm calling on this council
[4:00:36] to do everything in your power,
including zoning and land use
[4:00:41] authority, emergency police
[4:00:42] powers, emergency city
ordinance ordinances,
[4:00:47] any kind of risk mitigation,
anything that you can do
[4:00:50] to prevent this facility
from moving forward.
[4:00:53] There's our entire community
is at risk,
[4:00:56] citizens, immigrants alike.
[4:00:58] And this is unacceptable
and despicable.
[4:01:01] And history will remember
[4:01:03] where you stood, what you did
and what you didn't do.
[4:01:07] This isn't about politics.
[4:01:09] This isn't about
this is about basic human
[4:01:12] decency, morals, and especially
we listen to a prayer
[4:01:16] at the beginning
of this council meeting
[4:01:18] that to me, to sit up here
and say that,
[4:01:22] you know,
[4:01:22] you're going to follow
[4:01:23] Christ's teachings
or you're a Christian,
[4:01:25] and this is
how we're going to treat people.
[4:01:27] I don't care where you're from.
[4:01:28] I don't care how you came here.
[4:01:31] I don't care
any of that is deplorable.
[4:01:34] And it is your duty.
[4:01:36] You swore an oath
when you took office
[4:01:39] to the Constitution,
to uphold the Constitution.
[4:01:42] And we know that ice is actively
violating the Constitution.
[4:01:45] They said the constitution,
the Fourth Amendment doesn't
[4:01:48] apply. So
[4:01:50] in Arizona, in general,
[4:01:52] the Fourth Amendment
wouldn't apply to
[4:01:55] over half of the citizens here
because they look like
[4:01:58] they might be here illegally.
[4:01:59] I'm asking you
to take a stand and take.
[4:02:07] Thank you.
[4:02:08] Good evening ma'am.
[4:02:09] Good evening, mayor
and members of the city Council.
[4:02:11] My name is Janessa Holley
Roebuck.
[4:02:13] I'm here as an indigenous
American from Minnesota
[4:02:16] and a proud member of the white
Earth nation of Ojibwe.
[4:02:19] I'm a parent,
a new resident of surprise,
[4:02:21] and someone who chose this city
very intentionally.
[4:02:25] As an Indigenous American,
I do have to say I find it rich
[4:02:28] that we just sat
[4:02:29] and listened to budget
and the AC telling us
[4:02:31] about our aging energy
infrastructure.
[4:02:34] For a city that is now set
to allow a facility to operate
[4:02:37] here, where we treat people
without human dignity
[4:02:41] and further strain that
infrastructure in the process.
[4:02:44] My mother still lives in
Saint Paul, Minnesota,
[4:02:47] and she's now staying with me
indefinitely because her home
[4:02:50] now feels too
unsafe thanks to Ice agents.
[4:02:54] My family recently moved
here because surprise has a
[4:02:56] reputation for being safe,
family focused, and transparent.
[4:03:02] We chose this community
specifically
[4:03:04] because it felt like a place
where children can grow up
[4:03:06] without fear,
[4:03:07] where parents feel confident
[4:03:08] dropping their kids off
at a school and sports
[4:03:11] like my child's chair gym right
next door, Woodlands Elite.
[4:03:15] That's why the recent purchase
[4:03:16] by ice of this
large warehouse is so alarming.
[4:03:19] This facility is located
[4:03:20] close to homes, schools
and youth spaces,
[4:03:23] and yet residents
were not informed, consulted
[4:03:26] or given the opportunity
before this
[4:03:28] to voice our concerns for
the purchase was made.
[4:03:31] A decision of this magnitude
[4:03:32] should never happen
without community input.
[4:03:35] For families like mine,
this isn't an abstract.
[4:03:38] This is about
the daily sense of safety
[4:03:40] we feel driving our kids
to practice
[4:03:42] walking our neighborhoods
and putting down our roots here.
[4:03:45] Introducing a large
[4:03:46] federal detention operation
so close to children's spaces
[4:03:49] fundamentally changes how the
area feels, and that matters.
[4:03:53] So tonight
I'm asking for action.
[4:03:56] I respectfully urge this council
to formally request full
[4:03:59] transparency from Ice
[4:04:01] regarding the intended use
of this facility.
[4:04:03] Further, immediately
stop the implementation
[4:04:06] of whatever it is
that they have planned.
[4:04:08] Because I can tell you
right now,
[4:04:10] our community does not have room
for the fear, hate
[4:04:13] and division
[4:04:13] that this concentration camp
will undoubtably bring.
[4:04:17] Leadership means standing up
[4:04:18] for the families
who trusted this city
[4:04:20] to protect
their quality of life.
[4:04:22] I moved here because I believe.
[4:04:24] Surprise! Put safety first.
[4:04:26] I'm asking you tonight to prove
that trust was well placed
[4:04:29] by standing
with residents, with parents,
[4:04:31] and with our children.
[4:04:33] Please stand on the right
side of history.
[4:04:35] Thank you.
[4:04:40] I'd like to call a
few more names before you start.
[4:04:43] Michael Roe, Diane Bernick
[4:04:48] or Ben. Rick I apologize.
[4:04:50] Natalie. Mendez. Hernandez.
[4:04:53] Mark. Come on. Come. Irina.
[4:04:56] William. Earlier.
[4:04:58] Thank you.
[4:04:59] Good evening.
[4:05:01] Hello. My name is Alexia. Jesus.
[4:05:03] I am a history teacher,
[4:05:05] a proud Mexican-American
[4:05:06] and a member of the party
for Socialism Liberation.
[4:05:09] I'm standing here today
in pride and,
[4:05:12] in my identity
in the face of concentration
[4:05:14] camps
being built in our backyards.
[4:05:17] And I want to point out
something that this meeting
[4:05:19] for the first hour
was run as business as usual.
[4:05:22] And this is not a business
as usual kind of meeting.
[4:05:26] So it was not
not the right thing to do.
[4:05:31] We were joking about music
and hanging out at the pool
[4:05:33] and other items
for about an hour.
[4:05:36] It's like what
[4:05:36] I tell my students
time and place or read the room
[4:05:41] as we speak.
[4:05:42] More than 400 protesters
were outside of these chambers
[4:05:45] chanting against ice
in the proposed facility.
[4:05:48] And we already know by now
[4:05:49] how many millions
were spent on this facility.
[4:05:52] And to make it
run is going to cost even more.
[4:05:55] What about building schools?
[4:05:56] What about making sure that my
students have pens and pencils,
[4:06:00] and the things
[4:06:01] that they need to be able
to actually go about their day?
[4:06:04] They don't have those things.
[4:06:06] Why was my last school
shut down?
[4:06:08] Why are we trying to build
ice facilities in the face
[4:06:10] of our crumbling infrastructure,
[4:06:12] in the face
of crumbling education
[4:06:14] and every other thing
that we have
[4:06:16] that people need to survive
in this community?
[4:06:19] This body should be concerned
with those types of things.
[4:06:22] It should be standing
with its constituents,
[4:06:24] fighting back
[4:06:25] against this parasitic regime
that is violating our rights,
[4:06:28] and against billionaires
who are dividing us with lies
[4:06:30] that immigrants are
why grocery prices are high,
[4:06:33] why hospitals are shutting down,
why schools are shutting down
[4:06:36] when that's not the case.
[4:06:37] It's these rich people
who are making those decisions.
[4:06:42] These are our neighbors.
[4:06:43] Some of my own family fears
going to grocery stores.
[4:06:47] And if we get any say in it,
the mothers, the fathers,
[4:06:49] the students, the stakeholders
of this community in this room,
[4:06:52] we will not allow our community
or any community
[4:06:55] to be turned into this warped
reality
[4:06:57] of terror, death, destruction
and chaos in our streets.
[4:07:00] We have to fight back
[4:07:02] against Ice
and the Trump administration.
[4:07:05] There shouldn't
[4:07:05] even be consideration
to allow people to be dragged
[4:07:08] through
the streets, shot in the face,
[4:07:10] not on our dime
and not without a fight.
[4:07:13] Just a few days ago,
[4:07:14] tens of thousands of Phoenix
residents marched
[4:07:16] through the streets
of the Arizona State Capitol.
[4:07:18] There were so many people,
it was hard to keep
[4:07:21] track of just
how many were coming through.
[4:07:23] We chanted ice off our streets.
[4:07:26] We chanted on and on and on.
[4:07:28] There was a diversity of people.
[4:07:30] I've seen a diversity
of people here today, young,
[4:07:33] old people who are teachers,
people who have different,
[4:07:36] you know, who
are in different professions.
[4:07:39] That is something that is that I
look at
[4:07:42] as a as hope and optimistic
as an optimistic point.
[4:07:46] And if you imagine
a facility built here,
[4:07:48] expect the chance of those
tens of thousands
[4:07:50] to be echoing
through the walls of these
[4:07:51] very council chambers,
to be hundreds, to be thousands.
[4:07:55] Because if you don't
stand up to ice, we will.
[4:07:58] The energy is here
and is one that I fear,
[4:08:02] has to be talked about
and has to be, expressed.
[4:08:06] So before I go,
I just want to chant real quick
[4:08:09] with the rest of the audience.
[4:08:10] Thank you ma'am.
We want justice.
[4:08:12] We want peace.
[4:08:13] We want prosperity.
[4:08:16] We want ice off our streets.
[4:08:18] Thank you. Ma'am. Hi. Oh, I.
[4:08:21] Whoa!
[4:08:26] Breathing.
[4:08:27] Hello, everyone.
[4:08:28] My name is Dania.
[4:08:29] I'm also a member of the party
for Socialism and Liberation.
[4:08:32] I hiki forgot
what I was going to say,
[4:08:34] so I'm just going
to speak from the heart.
[4:08:36] I was out
[4:08:37] here with the 500 people
that were outside
[4:08:40] and chanting over and over
and over and over again.
[4:08:44] Ice off our streets.
[4:08:45] Ice out of Arizona.
[4:08:47] The people here today
are here for one reason alone.
[4:08:50] To say this surprise
will not be bought and sold.
[4:08:56] Surprise is not going to let
this detention center happen
[4:08:59] here.
[4:09:00] Surprise is not going to allow
the data centers,
[4:09:02] the project Makara,
that is also,
[4:09:05] threatening to be built here
[4:09:06] as well.
[4:09:07] The workers here of surprise
are not going
[4:09:09] to let this happen.
[4:09:10] We as a community
[4:09:11] are going to stand up
and rise up and fight back.
[4:09:14] And we are not going to let
this happen.
[4:09:16] We are turning to you guys to be
in defense of our community.
[4:09:20] We're all looking at you guys
here to be a part of history.
[4:09:23] To be on the right side
to prevent this concentration
[4:09:27] camp from being built here
in surprise.
[4:09:30] The fact that $70 million
were spent here is a
[4:09:34] waste of our taxpayer dollars,
and a waste of our labor.
[4:09:39] Alex, you just mentioned
[4:09:41] on the West Side all over,
[4:09:42] we've been seeing schools
being shut down.
[4:09:44] The Isaac School District
just shut down
[4:09:47] because it was in a $30
million deficit.
[4:09:49] That's a little bit
under half of what this,
[4:09:53] what was spent
to build this detention center.
[4:09:57] And so we can imagine
all the benefit that $70 million
[4:10:01] could be able to do
to actually uplift
[4:10:03] the residents of surprise
[4:10:04] instead of threaten them
with kidnapings,
[4:10:07] instead of threatening
with murders,
[4:10:09] instead of threatening with
this state sanctioned violence.
[4:10:13] Surprise
deserves better than this.
[4:10:15] And the surprise community here
is saying no today.
[4:10:19] Thank you.
[4:10:24] I call a few more names.
[4:10:26] Cordy dead. Decker.
[4:10:29] Brianna. Adams, Taylor.
[4:10:31] Warren one.
[4:10:33] Makiya and Kayla Walsham.
[4:10:37] Thank you. Good evening sir.
[4:10:40] Good evening, Council mayor.
[4:10:42] I'm sure you're very tired,
[4:10:43] so I'd like to give your eyes
a break
[4:10:45] as I'm going to turn and face
audience.
[4:10:46] I'd like to speak to the people,
if you don't mind.
[4:10:51] Good evening, everybody, and
thank you so much for being here
[4:10:53] and taking the time to really
stand for what's right.
[4:10:57] My name is Thomas.
[4:10:58] My last name is skipper.
[4:11:00] In Spanish, that roughly
translates to Thomas El Capitan,
[4:11:04] which is ironic
since I'm afraid of the ocean.
[4:11:08] I digress.
[4:11:10] My family has been here so long
[4:11:13] that my mom,
who just celebrated her 73rd
[4:11:16] birthday, was a graduate
from Dysart High School.
[4:11:21] To be clear,
[4:11:23] I stand with all of you here
tonight.
[4:11:26] I have a different opinion
of immigrants and who they
[4:11:28] are as people.
[4:11:31] When I was without a home
[4:11:32] in my 20s, it was an immigrant
who invited me into theirs
[4:11:36] and provided me with clothing,
housing and food.
[4:11:39] Something
we should be doing for them.
[4:11:43] The purpose of the government
[4:11:44] and councils like this is to
[4:11:47] serve the people
and promote prosperity,
[4:11:50] not cages them in a warehouse.
[4:11:54] The voice of the people
is their vote.
[4:11:56] I didn't vote for this.
[4:11:59] I know you didn't.
[4:12:02] To allow $7 million
[4:12:03] spent without public support
strips us of the choice
[4:12:08] and sets a much different tone
[4:12:10] for our country, for our cities.
[4:12:14] We must reject that
[4:12:17] council respectfully.
[4:12:18] We don't want to hear that
you can't do anything.
[4:12:20] Because if you don't,
we will see whether in
[4:12:26] Phoenix is not just our capital.
[4:12:27] It's a bird of fire, a symbol
of resurrection and renewal.
[4:12:31] Residents,
the surprise and Arizona
[4:12:34] were no stranger to traffic
here.
[4:12:37] I can barely get to work
[4:12:38] the morning,
and I live maybe six miles away.
[4:12:40] It takes me an hour.
[4:12:42] If and when Ice detention
starts up,
[4:12:44] may I suggest a Sunday drive
around that block, a Monday
[4:12:48] drive, a Tuesday drive
or an everyday drive?
[4:12:53] The time has come.
[4:12:53] Regardless of your imaginary
[4:12:55] city lines to rise
like the Phoenix.
[4:12:58] Have passion
and fire in your heart, not ice.
[4:13:08] What do you mean, sir?
[4:13:12] Good evening, mayor, city
council and city staff.
[4:13:15] My name is Mark Camarena.
[4:13:17] I'm a a neighbor
from the city of Phoenix.
[4:13:20] I'm also a son of immigrants.
[4:13:22] So this issue is quite
personal to me.
[4:13:26] I think everyone
has really shared
[4:13:30] how they truly feel
about this detention center.
[4:13:33] And, you know,
most of the folks here
[4:13:37] clearly care so much
about their community here.
[4:13:39] Surprise. They don't want to see
[4:13:40] a detention center
being built here.
[4:13:42] A detention center
[4:13:43] that will only bring chaos,
will only bring suffering here
[4:13:47] to a community
that has shown their pride
[4:13:50] and has shown how beautiful
their parks are.
[4:13:53] You guys should be proud
[4:13:54] of what you've been able
to accomplish
[4:13:55] in building in this city
a surprise.
[4:13:57] You don't
[4:13:58] want to tarnish your legacy
by putting a detention center
[4:14:02] that threatens our community,
that threatens
[4:14:05] Dysart High School.
[4:14:07] Many, many mothers
are enrolling their kids
[4:14:10] into these recreational programs
at your parks.
[4:14:13] The last thing
you guys would want
[4:14:14] is for mothers
[4:14:15] to pull their kids out,
because they don't feel safe
[4:14:18] sending their kids to the park,
[4:14:19] because ice is roaming around,
because these ice thugs
[4:14:22] are roaming
around in the streets.
[4:14:25] You know, Council
member Jack Hastings spoke about
[4:14:27] he lauded the Arizona Corporate
Commission for not overstepping
[4:14:32] and, letting local government
do their job.
[4:14:35] Well, I implore you, sir,
and everyone here to do your job
[4:14:39] and to actually fight back,
to take a stand.
[4:14:41] To riddle the Department
of Homeland Security
[4:14:44] with as much paperwork
as possible.
[4:14:46] And to really take a, a, a line,
a hard stance,
[4:14:50] because history
has already drawn the lines.
[4:14:53] You guys had the choice of where
you want to stand in that,
[4:14:56] and you have you are responsible
for your own legacy
[4:14:58] that you are leaving here
in surprise.
[4:15:01] Arizona remembers
very clearly the stain
[4:15:04] that was left
by the Japanese internment camps
[4:15:07] in the Gila River and passed on.
[4:15:09] We don't want to repeat that
history here in Arizona anymore.
[4:15:12] We are better than that.
[4:15:15] And I know
the people here understand that.
[4:15:17] In fact, how many of you raise
your hands,
[4:15:21] are in favor of ice
being out of surprise,
[4:15:25] folks.
[4:15:26] That is people power right
there.
[4:15:28] That is the power
of your constituents.
[4:15:29] And more people
are coming to that realization
[4:15:31] that they do have power
[4:15:32] if they come together
and bend together.
[4:15:34] Whether y'all choose
to recognize it or not,
[4:15:36] it's up to you.
But it's happening.
[4:15:39] And the people of surprise
have the power to shut it down
[4:15:43] and to start the city back up,
because it's the workers,
[4:15:45] it's the people, the city
that actually make this run.
[4:15:48] Thank you so much.
[4:15:53] You. I'd like to call a few more
names, please.
[4:15:56] Sean McKeever.
[4:16:00] Oh, what a what?
[4:16:01] Blanch Brampton.
[4:16:05] Joanne Miller.
[4:16:07] Joshua. Oh.
[4:16:09] Thank you. Good evening.
[4:16:12] Okay. Hello.
[4:16:13] My name is Juan here,
and I'm from Phoenix.
[4:16:15] It is very concerning
[4:16:16] that such a detention center
is being built near me.
[4:16:19] So let me speak
about my opinions on it.
[4:16:21] So the City of Surprised said
[4:16:23] that they put out a statement
saying that federal projects
[4:16:25] do not have to abide
by local zoning laws.
[4:16:27] To me,
[4:16:27] it sounds like the City
of Surprise is not willing
[4:16:30] to protect its residents
when the federal government
[4:16:32] does something that violates
human rights.
[4:16:34] We have seen the deaths of Alex
Prairie.
[4:16:37] Rene. Good.
[4:16:38] We have seen a five year
old girl.
[4:16:39] Even though she's a citizen,
[4:16:40] be deported to Honduras
at the hands of ice.
[4:16:43] Ice may be a federal agency.
[4:16:45] But is it okay to allow them
to do whatever they want
[4:16:47] just because they're
a federal agency?
[4:16:49] The ACLU that is American civil,
like a Civil Liberties
[4:16:53] Union, has documented
various human rights violations.
[4:16:56] I can't I camp East
Montana Ice detention center
[4:17:00] near Fort
Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
[4:17:02] They interviewed 45 people
who gave their testimonies.
[4:17:05] You've heard
similar testimonies today
[4:17:09] about people who are
live in cramped, squalid pods.
[4:17:12] They're not given adequate
nutrition or medical care.
[4:17:15] They've been physically and
sexually abused by Ice agents
[4:17:18] in the last six weeks.
[4:17:19] Three people have died at Fort
Bliss.
[4:17:22] Is this what you want? Surprise!
[4:17:24] This warehouse is near Dysart
and some other schools.
[4:17:27] And you are putting children
at risk for local ice terror.
[4:17:31] I implore the City Council
to investigate what can be done.
[4:17:34] And as we've heard many times
tonight, Kansas City, many
[4:17:37] other places are trying
their best to deter them.
[4:17:40] So even if we can't
legally deter them,
[4:17:44] I implore you to speak
your voice, denounce ice evil,
[4:17:48] and show the show
what the moral character
[4:17:51] and type of surprise
is all about. Thank you.
[4:17:58] Good evening.
[4:18:00] Good evening.
[4:18:01] My name is Kayla Basham.
[4:18:03] I've lived in Surprise
[4:18:04] Farms community
since I was the age of
[4:18:06] eight years old,
so almost 22 years ago.
[4:18:09] I love surprises so much.
[4:18:10] I am deciding
to raise my daughter
[4:18:11] and surprise with my husband,
who has also been
[4:18:14] a resident of surprise
for 15 years.
[4:18:16] We have roots in this community.
[4:18:18] We were raised
in this community.
[4:18:20] We did not decide to raise
our daughter here
[4:18:22] with the anticipation
that there would be
[4:18:23] a detention center
right around the corner from us.
[4:18:27] This is not the place
to introduce the violence
[4:18:29] and vengeance that follows Ice
and DHS agents surprises
[4:18:33] a multitude of communities
[4:18:35] blended together with families
from all walks of life.
[4:18:39] This will disrupt our community
[4:18:40] and turn our community
into something that it's not.
[4:18:42] We need to prioritize
[4:18:45] making surprise
and surrounding areas sanctuary
[4:18:47] sanctuary cities
so that we can keep surprise
[4:18:50] family oriented,
not fear oriented.
[4:18:53] As a school
based therapies to five years,
[4:18:56] I am seeing the impact
[4:18:57] of the current administration,
including Ice and DHS,
[4:19:00] has had on children
and adolescents,
[4:19:03] including anxiety
and depression.
[4:19:05] From the immense fear
and hopelessness
[4:19:08] for themselves, their families,
[4:19:09] and their respective
communities.
[4:19:11] Even as citizens
of the United States.
[4:19:15] Intense fear and hopelessness
regarding being detained,
[4:19:19] harassed or deported
[4:19:20] based solely on how they
and their families look or talk.
[4:19:24] These detention facilities
do not belong in surprise
[4:19:27] or anywhere, especially their
elementary and high schools.
[4:19:31] We have seen firsthand
that the protests can become
[4:19:34] violent and lives can be lost.
[4:19:36] We can expect protests outside
of these detention facilities,
[4:19:40] and if there were to be gun
violence that transpires,
[4:19:43] as we have seen in Minnesota
by agents,
[4:19:46] we will see a disruption
of a school day
[4:19:48] when schools go into lockdown.
[4:19:50] We will see children
[4:19:51] who are already afraid
to go to school,
[4:19:53] not knowing
if there will be gun violence.
[4:19:56] And now, sorry.
[4:19:59] Gun violence
and now being detained
[4:20:01] declined going to school.
[4:20:03] And when we don't have students
[4:20:04] in our schools,
what happens to those schools?
[4:20:06] There is a long list
of not what ifs,
[4:20:08] but went to consider as a result
of this detention center.
[4:20:13] I am also asking, in addition
to making surprise,
[4:20:15] a sanctuary city,
that if we are not able
[4:20:18] to stop these warehouses
from becoming detention centers,
[4:20:21] that surprise takes extra care
[4:20:23] to make sure
that these facilities
[4:20:24] are meeting requirements
for regulation.
[4:20:27] As there have been several
media reports
[4:20:29] stating that
[4:20:29] some detention facilities
do not have running water
[4:20:32] and are not properly conditioned
or heated,
[4:20:35] among other concerns.
[4:20:37] I am asking you to hold DHS
[4:20:39] and Ice accountable
to treat those detained
[4:20:41] with dignity and respect
as the humans that they are.
[4:20:44] Just like you, me, people
that lean right and lean left.
[4:20:48] Doctor Martin Luther King
Jr said it best.
[4:20:50] Injustice anywhere is a threat
to justice everywhere.
[4:20:53] I am asking you whom
we have voted for in the best
[4:20:56] interest of surprise.
[4:20:57] Please do what you can
to prevent
[4:20:59] this detention facility
being placed in our backyards.
[4:21:03] Thank you for letting me
take the time to do to speak.
[4:21:06] Immigrants make America great.
[4:21:13] Good evening.
[4:21:14] Good evening, and thank you
for greeting us all.
[4:21:17] Dozens of us. Almost 200.
[4:21:19] There's a lot of us.
[4:21:20] And I hope you've heard us.
[4:21:22] And continue to hear us.
[4:21:24] Thank you for being here
this late.
[4:21:26] Almost tomorrow.
[4:21:29] My name is Taylor Warren.
[4:21:31] I'm a constituent
of district one.
[4:21:34] My cross streets are 1/47
and Happy Valley.
[4:21:37] I'm a small business owner.
[4:21:39] I am born and raised in Arizona.
[4:21:43] And I'm a homeowner.
[4:21:45] I think those are my relevant
qualifications.
[4:21:52] I thank you for listening,
[4:21:53] but I want to do it again
because I really appreciate it.
[4:21:55] You've made eye contact.
[4:21:58] I haven't seen
[4:21:59] you shaking your head
at certain people or thumbs up.
[4:22:03] And others like you've really
given us a chance to speak.
[4:22:05] Thank you.
[4:22:09] And I don't envy your position.
[4:22:12] You've had a lot to listen to,
and I'm grateful that
[4:22:16] what I would consider
to be the most important points
[4:22:18] or points that you have heard
again and again and again.
[4:22:22] And what I ask you to do is to
remember them and remember us.
[4:22:28] Because if you're like me,
you'll go home and get on line
[4:22:31] before you go to bed and scroll
through your phone,
[4:22:32] and you might see the post
from the City of Surprise
[4:22:36] that I saw before I came here,
[4:22:37] and the post
that launched me here,
[4:22:39] because I saw
[4:22:40] a long list of people saying,
yeah, let's have this facility.
[4:22:44] This is great,
this is awesome, let's do this.
[4:22:47] But that's not
what I'm hearing here
[4:22:48] from the
people who are showing up
[4:22:51] and the people who are present,
[4:22:53] and the people who will continue
to be present and show up.
[4:23:04] I hope
[4:23:06] that you will carry the words
tonight with you moving forward.
[4:23:11] Because this is just
the beginning,
[4:23:14] and I.
[4:23:17] Again, don't envy
the pressure that you're under.
[4:23:20] And I want you to hear
not only the true words from
[4:23:24] the people that have spoken
before me and will speak after,
[4:23:28] but also here
that we're here for you.
[4:23:31] We're here to help.
[4:23:32] We're here
to stop this together.
[4:23:34] This facility
that is being proposed. And,
[4:23:38] in, building
that is completely inappropriate
[4:23:42] for that.
[4:23:46] I wrote something down
[4:23:47] that has already been said
a bunch of times.
[4:23:49] So here's what I will say.
[4:23:51] Some of the things that you have
or your background
[4:23:53] in public safety.
[4:23:55] You know,
we can do better than this.
[4:23:57] And, there are lots of experts
who are ready to speak up
[4:24:00] and help you come up with ideas.
[4:24:03] You have media platforms.
[4:24:05] You have your positions
within government
[4:24:06] that we don't have to talk
to people and to make change.
[4:24:10] You have that power,
whether you recognize it or not.
[4:24:14] And so we are very happy
to hear our people in leadership
[4:24:20] ask for help from the people
who put you in office,
[4:24:24] because we want to help make
surprise safe.
[4:24:27] Thank you.
[4:24:33] I'd like
to call a couple more names.
[4:24:35] Kelly. Great.
[4:24:37] Donna horn, Sean.
[4:24:40] Salazar.
[4:24:43] That one doesn't have a name
for coming.
[4:24:44] More names to a hill.
[4:24:47] Have about 20.
[4:24:49] Can you just read them
all, please?
[4:24:51] Sure.
[4:24:53] Stephanie Rios,
[4:24:56] Erin Flores,
you can sit down as we move.
[4:24:58] For as deadline gets shorter,
you can move up.
[4:25:01] You have to stand up right now.
[4:25:02] Jeffrey Haller or Holland,
possibly
[4:25:07] Caleb Brown,
[4:25:09] Eva Osuna,
[4:25:12] Vince Mendez,
[4:25:15] Richard McFarlane.
[4:25:19] We just. Oh, funny.
[4:25:20] Connie Adams.
[4:25:23] Sylvia Asta
[4:25:24] Rico or our senator Lorraine.
[4:25:28] Luke.
[4:25:29] John Bachman.
[4:25:34] In, without a last name.
[4:25:38] Mark Graham.
[4:25:39] Sharon Rodriguez.
[4:25:42] Cameron Klein.
[4:25:44] Josiah's last initial f
Mary Elena.
[4:25:49] Aguirre,
[4:25:51] Sofia Rios,
[4:25:53] Isaac.
[4:25:53] Barrio and Jean.
[4:25:56] I think it's a roll list.
[4:25:57] And I have one
that doesn't have a name on it.
[4:25:59] Or if I didn't call your name.
[4:26:01] When we get towards
the end, please raise your hand.
[4:26:04] Thank you.
[4:26:07] Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen.
[4:26:09] I am I am here to represent
myself and my deceased husband
[4:26:14] who served 30 years
in the United States Air Force
[4:26:17] and, taught me and my children
more about
[4:26:20] patriotism and community,
[4:26:23] than anybody else.
[4:26:24] He taught us there was no color
or religion in a foxhole.
[4:26:28] That was his favorite, saying.
[4:26:31] Anyway, if he had seen
what was going on
[4:26:33] in this country right now,
he would be beside himself.
[4:26:37] So I'm here to speak for him
as well.
[4:26:39] His last deployment was at Luke
Air Force Base,
[4:26:41] and that's what made us choose
surprise as a place to retire.
[4:26:45] We thought this was a safe,
beautiful community,
[4:26:48] and he loved to play golf
[4:26:50] and everything was here
[4:26:51] that we were going
to need in retirement.
[4:26:52] We loved it so much
that we convinced our children
[4:26:55] and our grandchildren
to move here,
[4:26:56] because this was going to be a
safe place to raise children.
[4:27:00] That's changed, and it's all
[4:27:01] changed in a very,
very short time.
[4:27:05] I watched and followed
a lot of these detention
[4:27:07] camp places
that were trying to be built in
[4:27:09] Oklahoma and Maryland
and Virginia and San Antonio,
[4:27:13] and those communities knew
that they were coming in
[4:27:15] to buy these properties
before they were bought.
[4:27:18] They put pressure
on the realtors.
[4:27:20] They put pressure
on the development companies.
[4:27:22] I find it strange
that nobody here knew
[4:27:24] this was going to happen.
[4:27:26] We just wake up one day
and find out they've spent
[4:27:28] $78 million on a facility
in surprise.
[4:27:33] That's shocking.
[4:27:34] And then there's a letter from
the City of Surprise saying,
[4:27:37] we really can't do anything
about it.
[4:27:38] It's federal,
like your police force is there.
[4:27:41] Well, our police force
has always been here.
[4:27:42] Our police force has been great.
[4:27:44] We've had great, great
public servants in this city.
[4:27:48] It's been a wonderful place
to live.
[4:27:50] It's not going to be
that anywhere if that continues
[4:27:53] to happen.
[4:27:54] I'm not a politician
and I'm not an attorney,
[4:27:57] but you guys are all connected
one way or another.
[4:28:01] There's got to be a loophole.
[4:28:03] There's got to be a zoning
ordinance.
[4:28:05] There's got to be a contract
that can be withheld.
[4:28:07] There's got to be something
that can be done
[4:28:09] to stop this from
happening in this community.
[4:28:13] It's up to
[4:28:13] you, but we're all behind you,
and we'll all support you.
[4:28:17] And we'll all do anything
we can to help.
[4:28:20] But you've got to lead the way,
[4:28:21] and I'm going to leave it at
your doorstep to lead the way.
[4:28:25] Thank you for your time.
Thank you.
[4:28:26] Ma'am, can I have your name,
please, ma'am?
[4:28:28] Ma'am? Ma'am.
[4:28:30] Your name, please, Blanch
Branton.
[4:28:31] Okay. Thank you. Ma'am.
[4:28:34] One. One second.
[4:28:35] Sir, I know
we call a lot of names.
[4:28:36] If you wanted to sit down.
[4:28:37] And then as the line is shorter,
you can move up.
[4:28:39] I don't want to have you stand
for the next 30 minutes.
[4:28:43] Good evening, sir. Yep.
[4:28:43] Good evening.
[4:28:45] Thanks for giving me
the time to speak tonight.
[4:28:48] I wanted to say
all of your names
[4:28:49] because I want
to call all of you to action.
[4:28:53] Andrea Davis,
[4:28:55] Jeff Murray, Jack Hastings,
Nick Haney, Earl Greenburg,
[4:29:00] Kevin Sartor, Chris Judge,
Patrick Duffy, Johnny Melton.
[4:29:05] You've heard everybody say
that we need action,
[4:29:07] and it's great that you're here
to listen to our words,
[4:29:10] and we truly appreciate that.
[4:29:12] But we must have action.
[4:29:16] Just like a lot of people said.
[4:29:17] I read what was put out
as a press release from my city,
[4:29:21] and it was very disheartening.
[4:29:24] So action is the key.
[4:29:27] My name is Sean McKeever
and I am angry
[4:29:29] you might be able to tell that.
[4:29:30] And some of that anger
is actually now directed to you,
[4:29:34] but it's a positive anger is
an anger meant to make change.
[4:29:38] That's what we need.
[4:29:40] Our family has lived in surprise
for over 20 years.
[4:29:44] We're close
to Cactus in Litchfield.
[4:29:47] We raised
two amazing children here.
[4:29:49] They went to all desert
public schools.
[4:29:51] They were amazing.
[4:29:53] They're amazing adults.
[4:29:55] During that time, those 20 years
surprise population
[4:29:58] went from 80,000 humans
to 160,000.
[4:30:01] Humans doubled
and that's awesome, right?
[4:30:04] And I will say that overall,
we feel like the surprise
[4:30:08] leaders
have done a really good job.
[4:30:10] You've done a good job
providing great services,
[4:30:13] to all the surprise humans,
good education,
[4:30:16] many things are moving
in amazing directions.
[4:30:19] So the past has been good.
[4:30:21] But right now
you all the names that I read,
[4:30:25] you are the leaders of surprise.
[4:30:26] You have the biggest challenge
in front of you right now.
[4:30:28] This is the biggest challenge
I can remember the whole time
[4:30:30] I've been here,
[4:30:31] and it's up to you to decide
how to deal with it.
[4:30:34] How will you respond
to our federal government
[4:30:37] opening the Trump
ice prison in our city?
[4:30:40] Because that's what it is.
[4:30:42] How will you respond
to the federal government
[4:30:44] opening the
Trump Ice prison in our city?
[4:30:49] Mr. mayor, I disagree
with the statement you read.
[4:30:52] That's the city of surprises,
powerless because of the rules
[4:30:56] that the federal government can
override the local zoning laws.
[4:31:00] As many people have said,
other cities have done this.
[4:31:02] We can do it too.
[4:31:03] We can do it as well.
[4:31:04] Together,
we are here to work with you.
[4:31:07] All these people want to support
your efforts.
[4:31:08] That's what we want.
[4:31:10] But we need you to take a stand.
[4:31:13] We need all of you
to take a stand.
[4:31:15] Please.
[4:31:16] Obviously, the building
is not meant for this.
[4:31:18] The zoning isn't meant for that.
[4:31:20] We know that we will not accept
this Trump Ice prison.
[4:31:24] We will not accept it.
[4:31:26] So I think what you have before
you is a chance to take action.
[4:31:30] Positive action,
[4:31:32] you know, to support
us and we are here for you.
[4:31:35] But we need that action
and we need it now.
[4:31:38] I'll just end with a quote
from Margaret
[4:31:40] Mead, one of my favorite people.
[4:31:42] Never doubt that a small group
of thoughtful,
[4:31:44] committed individuals
can change the world.
[4:31:46] Indeed, they are the only ones
that ever do.
[4:31:56] If we could
please pause for one second.
[4:31:58] I missed called Catherine's
[4:31:59] name a little while ago,
and I would like to
[4:32:01] get her a chance to come.
[4:32:03] Oh, Katherine,
if you want to come up.
[4:32:04] Because I missed called
your name, you can go now.
[4:32:08] Okay?
[4:32:08] Okay.
[4:32:12] Good evening.
[4:32:13] Hello. Hi, my name is Catherine
Saber again.
[4:32:15] I'm a resident of Phoenix.
[4:32:17] I've been
here for nearly 50 years.
[4:32:21] I have been,
[4:32:23] I watched the Trump
administration turn into,
[4:32:27] a despicable regime,
an authoritarian regime.
[4:32:31] And they are poisoning this
country with their behavior.
[4:32:36] The process
[4:32:37] of creating detention centers
in the state of Arizona.
[4:32:41] And now, one in surprise,
Arizona
[4:32:44] disgusts me.
[4:32:48] I could not be more angry,
[4:32:50] more disgusted, or more,
[4:32:54] fed up
[4:32:55] with the United States
government treating its people
[4:32:59] like they are chattel.
[4:33:05] I urge you,
[4:33:07] all of you,
to do your utmost to stop this.
[4:33:12] We need to stand up
to this government
[4:33:15] and allowing them to create
[4:33:20] the kind of detention facility
[4:33:23] which is more like.
[4:33:28] It's not even a detention
facility.
[4:33:31] It's a disgusting way to house
people for no good reason.
[4:33:37] And we should not allow it.
[4:33:40] It is nowhere in Arizona.
[4:33:44] The the Eloy Detention
facility houses.
[4:33:48] I don't know
how many thousand people
[4:33:49] they have a measles outbreak now
because they don't provide
[4:33:53] health care.
[4:33:54] They don't provide any kind of
reasonable health care.
[4:33:58] They had peop for people,
[4:34:00] got measles,
and now the entire place
[4:34:02] is shut down
because it's an epidemic.
[4:34:04] How much longer is it going
to be before that spreads out?
[4:34:09] You shouldn't
allow this in your city.
[4:34:11] I apologize,
[4:34:13] for my anger.
[4:34:16] And I hope
that you will take every effort
[4:34:18] you can to stop this.
[4:34:20] Stand up for yourselves.
[4:34:21] Stand up for your state
and for your city.
[4:34:24] Stand up for your constituents.
[4:34:26] We all have to stand up
and oppose this nonsense,
[4:34:30] because if we do not,
it will spread
[4:34:33] like wildfire throughout
the rest of the country.
[4:34:36] We need to be active and
and forceful
[4:34:41] in our opposition
to what's going on
[4:34:44] in the federal government and
it starts at our local level.
[4:34:49] And I appreciate your time,
and I appreciate everything
[4:34:51] you're going to do, because
I know you will do something.
[4:35:00] Good evening.
[4:35:01] Good evening,
and thank you, mayor, vice
[4:35:03] mayor,
mayor and council members.
[4:35:07] My name is Donna Horne.
[4:35:08] And when you look
in that picture,
[4:35:09] you're going to see
where I live.
[4:35:10] Right there on the
other side of the university.
[4:35:16] We are a nation of immigrants.
[4:35:19] Many came here
to find a better way of life,
[4:35:22] many to pursue
the American dream.
[4:35:25] Some may have come
after hearing her invitation.
[4:35:29] Give me your tired, your poor,
[4:35:32] your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free.
[4:35:37] 73 years ago,
my dad was in the military,
[4:35:41] stationed just down the road
at Luke Air Force Base.
[4:35:45] My sister and I were born there,
and we spent most of our youth
[4:35:49] and teenage years
in this valley of the sun.
[4:35:53] Back then, I remember this
[4:35:55] area was mostly farmland
with acres of citrus
[4:36:00] trees, vegetables and cotton
fields.
[4:36:04] An internet search of
the history of surprise reads.
[4:36:09] The cotton industry relied
heavily on migrant workers,
[4:36:14] especially from Mexico,
who lived in labor camps
[4:36:18] during the 1920s to 1940s.
[4:36:22] Think about it.
[4:36:24] Isn't it possible some of
[4:36:26] those migrants from Mexico
were undocumented?
[4:36:30] At any rate, those workers
[4:36:33] contributed to the economic
growth and success
[4:36:37] of our City of Surprise
that we love
[4:36:40] and enjoy today.
[4:36:45] This planned Ice
detention facility,
[4:36:49] which, by the way, is located
in a neighborhood with family
[4:36:52] homes, small businesses
and a high school.
[4:36:57] And ironically.
[4:37:01] Within earshot of passing trains
[4:37:06] is to me a hard no.
[4:37:10] I urge our elected officials
to instead
[4:37:13] spend money on legal
and administrative policies
[4:37:18] that will lead
immigration, immigrants
[4:37:20] on a path to America,
American citizenship.
[4:37:25] I believe history
will not be kind
[4:37:28] to this administration's
immigration policies.
[4:37:32] If we allow this Ice detention
facility to operate in surprise,
[4:37:37] the shame of these policies
will become a stain
[4:37:42] on our great city's history.
[4:37:45] Thank you. Thank you.
[4:37:54] Good evening,
good evening, good night.
[4:37:55] Actually,
my name is Estefany Rios.
[4:37:58] My cross streets are Litchfield
and Greenway.
[4:38:01] I'm district four.
[4:38:03] And I'm here today as a proud,
daughter of immigrants
[4:38:08] who came to this country,
worked hard and chose surprise
[4:38:12] as their city to live,
and raised me and my sister
[4:38:15] because they felt
[4:38:16] like it was going to be a place
where we would be safe.
[4:38:18] And I personally
have also chosen
[4:38:20] to stay in the City of Surprise
because I too believe
[4:38:24] that this is going to be
a place of lots of growth.
[4:38:26] As you know,
it's continued to grow recently,
[4:38:31] and continue to provide safety
[4:38:32] for me and my future family.
[4:38:36] But recently,
with the news of this warehouse,
[4:38:39] being purchased here,
right between
[4:38:42] Desert and Sweetwater Drive,
[4:38:46] it's unfortunate that our city
[4:38:48] has been getting negative media.
[4:38:52] That outshines all the good work
that you guys have
[4:38:54] all put together in those
before you.
[4:38:58] I will be brief,
as many of my constituents
[4:39:00] have been voicing the stats
and all the facts
[4:39:04] and all the great information
that you all also have
[4:39:07] at the touch
of your fingertips on the phone.
[4:39:10] Via Google.
[4:39:11] Don't use I,
[4:39:14] I would like to just say that
[4:39:16] if you are to uphold
what surprises for
[4:39:21] I ask of you to please continue
to not just stand
[4:39:25] by and say, well,
we can't do anything about it.
[4:39:28] Sorry, it's
not in our jurisdiction.
[4:39:30] And actually be proactive
[4:39:32] the way that my constituents
have been today.
[4:39:35] And I'm so proud of.
[4:39:44] That I would hate
[4:39:46] for surprised
to pick up a place.
[4:39:51] You got this.
[4:39:53] I would hate for surprises
[4:39:55] to be a place where,
[4:39:59] The stain of of
[4:40:04] what's going on in Minneapolis
[4:40:06] would play out here as well,
[4:40:08] because that would mean
[4:40:12] the number one.
[4:40:15] This current administration
is continuing to win.
[4:40:18] And their agenda and number two,
[4:40:20] that you guys have technically
failed us as citizens.
[4:40:24] Thank you for your time.
[4:40:33] Good evening.
[4:40:35] All right.
[4:40:35] Good evening,
mayor and city council members.
[4:40:37] Thank you for your time.
[4:40:38] First off, I want to
thank all of you for being here.
[4:40:40] This is amazing.
So many of you showed up.
[4:40:42] So we'll give you guys
a round of applause.
[4:40:45] Okay.
[4:40:45] My name is ironic
if I didn't know this.
[4:40:47] Flores, I am a resident
[4:40:48] of the City of Surprise
and live off of Happy Valley
[4:40:51] and the 303.
[4:40:52] I am also a member and organizer
for the Phoenix Metro DSA
[4:40:55] or Democratic
Socialists of America.
[4:40:57] I am here to make demands
and speak against ISIS.
[4:40:59] Plan to use the warehouse
located here in surprise
[4:41:01] as a concentration,
[4:41:02] concentration camp,
because that's what it is.
[4:41:05] My demands are that one,
[4:41:06] the city of Surprise,
and the City Council stops
[4:41:09] this warehouse from being used
[4:41:10] and developed
into a concentration camp.
[4:41:12] Two that the City of Surprise
attorney outlines their position
[4:41:14] on whether
the federal government
[4:41:16] has the authority
to override city zoning laws,
[4:41:19] and lastly,
[4:41:20] that city officials denounce
the use of this facility
[4:41:22] to illegally detain and hold
any and all persons,
[4:41:25] especially those who are
vulnerable, such as immigrants.
[4:41:29] I said,
this administration are not here
[4:41:30] to detain criminals
as they claim.
[4:41:32] They are here to silence
those who oppose their fascist
[4:41:34] regime and target
the most vulnerable people
[4:41:36] in our communities.
[4:41:37] Across Arizona,
[4:41:39] we all saw with our own ears and
eyes the murder of Alex Brady.
[4:41:42] If the Trump administration
and Ice are willing
[4:41:44] to murder a white man,
[4:41:45] then they have absolutely
no problem
[4:41:46] murdering the rest of us,
including those in city council.
[4:41:48] That's right.
None of us are safe.
[4:41:52] It's shameful
that this city council
[4:41:53] officially stated
[4:41:54] that they were not aware
of the efforts being made by Ice
[4:41:56] to purchase a warehouse
in our backyard,
[4:41:58] as well as stating
that local police are unable
[4:42:00] to protect their own taxpayers
[4:42:01] from being kidnaped
and trafficked by Ice.
[4:42:04] This was reminiscent
of the Nuremberg trials,
[4:42:06] where they excuse use by Nazis
trying to rinse their bloody
[4:42:08] and guilty hands was
I was just following orders.
[4:42:12] If this city council decides
to continue to be complicit
[4:42:14] and does not take
actionable steps
[4:42:15] to stop these unidentified,
unaccountable mass thugs
[4:42:18] from terrorizing
our communities,
[4:42:20] then we the people will hold
you all completely accountable
[4:42:23] for the human atrocities,
[4:42:25] the human rights atrocities
that Ice will commit
[4:42:27] under your watch, inside the $7
million concentration camp.
[4:42:32] I was going to say something
to you earlier, mayor,
[4:42:34] because you seemed uncomfortable
with us
[4:42:35] clapping for us,
standing up for what's right.
[4:42:37] But I'll let it go this time
[4:42:38] because
you've been giving this time.
[4:42:39] So that's all I have to say.
And I really appreciate
[4:42:41] everyone's
time and for being here.
[4:42:49] Good evening.
[4:42:50] Good night.
[4:42:51] My name is Sharon Rodriguez.
[4:42:53] I'm a Goodyear resident,
so I'm in 44th.
[4:42:56] I've an Indian school,
but I'm always here,
[4:43:00] because you have the best parks.
[4:43:02] You have such great libraries.
[4:43:04] I love the Goodyear
library, too.
[4:43:07] And I have my baby girl,
and I see the effort and I see
[4:43:14] all that you've accomplished
in your beautiful city.
[4:43:16] But what happens in surprise?
[4:43:18] Well, for Goodyear, Waddell
[4:43:20] affects everybody in Litchfield
as well and beyond.
[4:43:23] And I've seen Parks and Rec.
[4:43:26] I know your jobs
are really hard, but I do.
[4:43:31] I do recognize that our
[4:43:34] our federal government
has collapsed essentially,
[4:43:37] especially with the Epstein
files that just drop.
[4:43:40] We just see
that the federal government
[4:43:43] has no regard for the people
and just uses us for money.
[4:43:47] So really, your government
and we're all here
[4:43:50] with our hands
and our hearts asking you to
[4:43:54] be the government
that we need you to be
[4:43:57] because the federal government
[4:43:58] no longer has laws,
they're no longer
[4:44:02] accountable to anyone, Democrat
or Republican,
[4:44:05] white House or Supreme Court.
[4:44:06] Everybody has failed us.
[4:44:08] You're the only one
standing in the way.
[4:44:10] And if you don't assist us
in assisting you
[4:44:14] in getting rid of this
or stopping this
[4:44:16] or preventing this Ice facility,
[4:44:19] things are going
to get really violent.
[4:44:20] Just like in L.A.,
just like in Minnesota,
[4:44:23] just like in Gaza,
just like in every single place
[4:44:27] where once the government fails,
it's up to us.
[4:44:31] Just like Governor
[4:44:32] Tim Walz shrugged his hands
and said, just use mutual aid.
[4:44:36] Just reach out
to your neighbors.
[4:44:38] We can do that.
[4:44:39] But we elected you guys
[4:44:43] to represent us,
[4:44:45] and I really appreciate
all that you've done,
[4:44:47] and I appreciate
[4:44:47] that you've been here so late,
[4:44:49] and I appreciate
you listening to us.
[4:44:51] And I hope and I pray that
when you go to sleep tonight,
[4:44:55] wake up tomorrow with
the new fire under your feet.
[4:44:58] Thank you and God bless. You.
[4:45:05] Good evening.
[4:45:06] Good evening.
[4:45:12] Mr. mayor,
[4:45:14] city council.
[4:45:16] To my fellow friends
[4:45:18] and Americans.
[4:45:21] And if there's anybody freezing
their butts off outside.
[4:45:24] God bless you.
[4:45:27] My name is Mark Graham.
[4:45:29] I'm a resident of Sun City.
[4:45:33] I'm a mechanic.
[4:45:34] An aircraft mechanic.
[4:45:36] I'm the Democratic candidate
for LD 28.
[4:45:40] The district for this state
right next door.
[4:45:43] And my people have concerns.
[4:45:47] I'd like to state a few truths,
and I'd like to ask
[4:45:50] a few questions that you may
or may not answer in the future.
[4:45:55] Here's the truth.
[4:45:57] Nobody.
[4:45:58] Nobody is illegal in
stolen land.
[4:46:01] Nobody.
[4:46:03] Here's the truth.
[4:46:05] Every single person
that's a living, breathing human
[4:46:09] being on the earth
[4:46:10] has the same
[4:46:11] constitutional rights as the
president of the United States.
[4:46:15] Every person that's going to be
living in this facility,
[4:46:18] you are their representatives,
whether you like it or not.
[4:46:23] They are your constituents.
[4:46:25] If they are only there
for one night,
[4:46:27] you have personal responsibility
for the
[4:46:32] a few questions,
[4:46:34] because I think this is a time
for questions.
[4:46:37] Madam City Manager,
I don't know your schedule,
[4:46:41] but I'll bet tomorrow
[4:46:42] you're going to have
a big discussion
[4:46:44] of how much money
you need to claw back
[4:46:45] from all these great programs
for special police operations
[4:46:49] because of a
because of the ice plant,
[4:46:52] the ice plant, the concentration
camp.
[4:46:56] Mr. City attorney, I sure hope
[4:46:58] you have a huge civil
rights division in your office
[4:47:02] because you are going to be
filing or fighting lawsuits,
[4:47:05] both legitimate
[4:47:08] and trivial,
for the next several years.
[4:47:13] I don't
have much more to say here
[4:47:14] than anybody else has to say,
but I'll tell you this I am
[4:47:18] completely and unequivocally
opposed to this.
[4:47:22] More questions for you
right now.
[4:47:25] Are you cooperating with Ice?
[4:47:28] Are you allowing the ice
to use our police facilities?
[4:47:31] Are you allowing them
to use our video cameras?
[4:47:35] Are you working with them
right now?
[4:47:38] I don't expect an answer,
but I just like people to know
[4:47:42] that we should really be
looking at
[4:47:45] practical,
real solutions for this.
[4:47:48] And we will be looking
for those solutions from you.
[4:47:52] Thank you so much for your time.
[4:47:53] And, Mr.
[4:47:54] Mayor,
[4:47:54] you could have sent us out
of here at any time this night.
[4:47:57] Nobody expected you
to let us talk for 4 or 5 hours.
[4:48:01] I thank you so much
for your grace and patience.
[4:48:06] Thank you.
[4:48:15] Good evening.
[4:48:17] Good evening to everyone.
[4:48:18] Mr. mayor, the city council,
[4:48:21] the clerks,
the officers, the cameramen.
[4:48:25] Thank you for your time.
[4:48:27] And the people here with me.
[4:48:29] Thank you for your time as well.
[4:48:31] I have come, unfortunately,
not to talk about ice.
[4:48:34] I have a different matter that
I think is just as important.
[4:48:38] I hope you guys know by name.
[4:48:41] Flock. Safety
flock, incorporated.
[4:48:44] Flock. Whatever. Camera.
[4:48:47] Personally, I well,
[4:48:50] like, before I go on a tangent
and lose time.
[4:48:54] I Jeffrey holler.
[4:48:56] Do not consent to the
installation of flock cameras.
[4:49:00] Flock programs flock
software flock.
[4:49:03] Anything in the state
or in the state of Arizona,
[4:49:07] in the United States,
or in surprise.
[4:49:10] I do not want it.
[4:49:11] I understand that
there is a greater good,
[4:49:14] and I can play devil's advocate.
[4:49:16] I have talked to police officers
in Tempe
[4:49:21] and Peoria and Scottsdale
and now here
[4:49:25] today, and I have had a few
say that with it.
[4:49:29] They have definitely gone
through cases a lot faster, a
[4:49:33] lot more completely, a lot more
certainly because of flock.
[4:49:37] However,
I fully believe that they
[4:49:40] are a price
that we as citizens cannot pay.
[4:49:44] And I hope that the issue is
that you guys have been
[4:49:50] almost lied to by
flock because flock, the CEO,
[4:49:55] is mostly just a liar
[4:49:58] and I don't want to
just throw around the word.
[4:50:01] But he has committed
multiple felonies among privacy
[4:50:05] and among for these guys.
[4:50:08] He his company has helped out
Ice despite it
[4:50:11] being a felony for,
[4:50:14] deportation services
to use flock services.
[4:50:19] So really,
[4:50:21] all I can say is
that I do not want them here.
[4:50:25] And I have been scrambled
from all of my thoughts,
[4:50:28] from listening to 132
people talk.
[4:50:32] And I'm sure it's hard
for everyone else too.
[4:50:35] And I would be happy
to come back with
[4:50:39] some more sleep, really, and
[4:50:42] and come back and more clearly
state my opinions, facts,
[4:50:46] and properly discuss what
I could hope to be a discussion.
[4:50:50] I appreciate everyone's time
here,
[4:50:53] especially you, camera guy.
[4:50:55] I know how tough it is.
[4:50:57] Have a good night.
[4:51:01] Sir. We have a meeting on the
[4:51:03] first and third
Tuesday of every month,
[4:51:05] and we have a call to the public
every meeting.
[4:51:07] So you're more than
welcome to come back.
[4:51:09] Thank you. Mayor.
[4:51:10] I have two additional speakers.
[4:51:12] Add, Gary Nixon and Kelly Overs.
[4:51:16] You want to go ahead and wrap?
[4:51:18] Thank you.
[4:51:19] Good evening.
[4:51:20] Good evening.
[4:51:21] Hello, mayor and council.
[4:51:23] My name is Sophia Rios,
and I fall under Mr.
[4:51:27] Melton's district.
[4:51:28] And I was a student at Vista
while Mr.
[4:51:31] Hazy as an educator.
[4:51:34] I am an American citizen
[4:51:36] and also a proud daughter
of immigrants.
[4:51:41] My husband, proud United States
[4:51:44] Navy servicemember,
is also a son of immigrants.
[4:51:49] Our parents were fortunate
enough to get citizenship
[4:51:53] through amnesty.
[4:51:54] And I share this with you.
So you understand
[4:51:56] just how deeply
personal this issue is to me.
[4:52:02] Just this past week,
[4:52:04] my husband returned home
from a larger wave.
[4:52:09] My first phone call to him
was to tell him
[4:52:14] that less than two miles away
[4:52:17] from my childhood homes,
[4:52:21] an ice warehouse
was being built.
[4:52:26] News like
[4:52:27] this does not land quietly
[4:52:30] in a household like ours.
[4:52:33] He was deeply disturbed.
[4:52:35] And now, in addition
to serving his country,
[4:52:39] he carries the weight of worry
about the safety
[4:52:42] and well-being of our family.
[4:52:46] Even though we hold
[4:52:48] citizenship
and permanent residency,
[4:52:51] that fear is not unfounded.
[4:52:53] History
[4:52:55] and lived experience
have taught us our communities
[4:52:58] that proximity to detention
centers brings harm,
[4:53:02] trauma, and instability,
not safety.
[4:53:06] I am standing
you and I am standing here today
[4:53:10] and sharing my story
[4:53:11] so that no one in this room
can say they did not know
[4:53:15] so, but personally
affected by this decision.
[4:53:20] I am your constituent.
[4:53:22] I am your neighbor
and I am part of this community.
[4:53:26] Thank you.
[4:53:29] It. Is.
[4:53:44] Good evening everyone.
[4:53:45] First of all,
[4:53:46] I would like to
[4:53:46] thank
all of the community members
[4:53:48] and that have come to both
[4:53:49] to speak in here
and to stand outside
[4:53:51] to make their voices
heard tonight.
[4:53:53] My name is Cam Klein,
[4:53:54] and I'm a long time
resident of surprise, Arizona.
[4:53:58] I attended every year of my
[4:53:59] first through 12th grade
education here in surprise.
[4:54:02] I resided in surprise
while I attended my alma mater,
[4:54:05] Arizona State University.
[4:54:07] So, I would say that
I have a pretty good grasp on
[4:54:10] both the character of this state
and the character of the city.
[4:54:14] And, a word on my own character.
[4:54:16] Anyone who would know me in
real life would say that
[4:54:18] I am pretty even tempered
and not quick to get upset.
[4:54:21] So I do not take it lightly
when I say
[4:54:25] that the presence of ice
in our community
[4:54:27] is nothing short of an attack
and an insult.
[4:54:30] This agency has shown time
[4:54:31] and time again,
both since its inception
[4:54:34] and especially in the last
few weeks and months,
[4:54:36] that it does not have respect
for our community,
[4:54:38] its members,
or general human dignity
[4:54:41] to stand by and allow
this facility to be unimpeded
[4:54:44] would be
nothing short of cowardice.
[4:54:47] To wring our hands and
say there is nothing that can be
[4:54:49] done is not just an abdication
of our responsibility
[4:54:52] as citizens,
but also our own human morality.
[4:54:55] My fellow community members
[4:54:57] have spoken at length
about the multitude of ways
[4:54:59] that the council
can oppose this facility,
[4:55:02] and anything
less than a complete
[4:55:03] and total opposition
to this project is, in my eyes,
[4:55:06] a failure
of the biggest magnitude.
[4:55:09] I am a proud descendant
of Jewish immigrants
[4:55:11] to this country.
[4:55:13] Through my life
I have heard these
[4:55:14] words stated so many times.
[4:55:16] Never again.
[4:55:18] And when I look at the state
of this country as it is right
[4:55:21] now, those were all those words
feel a bit hollow, which is why
[4:55:25] we demand that they be respected
and upheld for all peoples.
[4:55:29] Never
again means to keep ice out.
[4:55:33] When?
[4:55:34] When all
[4:55:35] when all of this is said
and done, I hope that all of you
[4:55:38] city council members
do the right thing.
[4:55:40] And, take actions
that allow you to sleep at night
[4:55:43] with a clear conscience.
[4:55:45] Thank you.
[4:55:51] Good evening.
[4:55:54] Hi, my name is Josias
Michelle Flores.
[4:55:56] You can call me Josiah.
[4:55:57] Joe Jojo, I don't know.
[4:55:59] You're probably never going
to see me again after today.
[4:56:01] I'm not from around here.
[4:56:02] I'm from Mesa,
Arizona, 21 years.
[4:56:05] Born and raised.
[4:56:06] I am first generation.
[4:56:08] My parents are both from Mexico.
[4:56:10] They are immigrants.
[4:56:11] My family,
they are all Hispanic.
[4:56:15] We live every day
with fear of being stomped
[4:56:19] and being ridiculed
by your officers.
[4:56:22] And you're making a detention
facility or a warehouse.
[4:56:25] I don't know what it is,
[4:56:26] but I don't want it
anywhere near this state.
[4:56:29] I want that to be clear,
I hate this.
[4:56:33] I see that flag
and I don't see freedom.
[4:56:37] I see a swastika.
[4:56:39] I see prejudice.
[4:56:42] I see an excuse for hatred.
[4:56:44] I can never respect that flag.
[4:56:46] I am a dual citizen.
[4:56:48] I am a citizen of America.
[4:56:49] But I'm also
a citizen of Mexico.
[4:56:51] And I would be
[4:56:51] more than happy to leave here
if this place becomes like
[4:56:55] World War two. Nazi Germany.
[4:56:58] It's crazy that we are
[4:57:00] always talking
about these kinds of things.
[4:57:02] Concentration camps.
[4:57:03] Why are we so obsessed
with them?
[4:57:06] All of us can agree
that they don't do anything.
[4:57:09] Where are these people going?
[4:57:10] You know how many people
are missing
[4:57:12] from these detention facilities?
[4:57:14] We don't know where they go.
[4:57:16] The people
that have died in their care.
[4:57:18] That's blood on your hands.
[4:57:21] If you pass this,
you are on my radar.
[4:57:24] I will never forget your names
or faces.
[4:57:27] And I will make sure
you will never forget mine.
[4:57:30] Sorry if this makes me
a little bit emotional.
[4:57:32] It keeps me up at night,
and it kind of makes me mad
[4:57:36] that you guys are being thanked
for doing your jobs.
[4:57:40] You guys are sitting
there just listening.
[4:57:41] I would love to do that.
[4:57:43] I would love to get paid
[4:57:44] to just stare at random
people all day
[4:57:47] and just listen
to what they have to say.
[4:57:48] I'm sure some of you guys are
good people,
[4:57:51] but I've been watching
every single one of you
[4:57:53] and the amount of care
that you are even putting into
[4:57:56] just listening is pathetic.
[4:57:59] I have no respect
for any of you.
[4:58:02] I have no respect for authority
or government.
[4:58:05] I respect democracy.
[4:58:06] I believe in democracy.
[4:58:08] I don't believe in America's
system because it is corrupt.
[4:58:12] It is awful and is evil.
[4:58:14] If you want an example,
look at our president
[4:58:17] and his friends.
[4:58:18] Look at Bill gates.
[4:58:19] Look at
Jeffrey Epstein. Look at.
[4:58:23] Oh, there's so many Mark
[4:58:25] Zuckerberg,
Jeff Bezos all in cahoots.
[4:58:29] The billionaires
are all together.
[4:58:31] And that should scare you,
because the amount of power
[4:58:33] they hold right now,
the wealth disparity
[4:58:35] should be affecting you,
[4:58:37] and you should be seeing it
in your everyday life.
[4:58:41] You need to be taking this more
seriously because I'm young.
[4:58:45] This is my future.
How old are all of you?
[4:58:47] What is the average age
on this board?
[4:58:49] If it's above 30, then
that's kind of disappointing.
[4:58:56] I think I'm good.
[4:58:58] Thank you.
[4:59:07] Good evening sir.
[4:59:09] Good evening.
[4:59:11] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
[4:59:12] And the City Council
and all the city staff
[4:59:15] that have stuck around.
[4:59:16] I do appreciate you
keeping the floor
[4:59:18] open to let everybody speak.
[4:59:20] I attended today
just to be a silent partner
[4:59:23] in supporting my community.
[4:59:26] And I feel like I just have
to put my name on the record.
[4:59:29] My name is Jean rolls, and I'm
a retired military officer.
[4:59:32] I've lived in the Phoenix area
since 2001.
[4:59:36] We chose to retire in the Grand.
[4:59:38] Our cross
streets are bell and cotton.
[4:59:43] And it is so unfortunate
how this has played out.
[4:59:47] And I think it's going
to tarnish what what many people
[4:59:50] have.
[4:59:52] Tried to say surprised
is good about I think surprise.
[4:59:56] I remember as a small town
when the target was built
[4:59:59] at Bell and Grand.
[5:00:00] That was a big deal.
[5:00:02] We are 60,000 people.
[5:00:04] We're going
to get an Applebee's in town.
[5:00:07] So the growth that the city
has managed over these 25 years
[5:00:12] has been remarkable.
[5:00:13] We chose to retire here because
it is a great place to live.
[5:00:17] You know,
I didn't think as a retiree
[5:00:21] I would attend so many protests
in the last year
[5:00:25] that I've attended more
than in my entire life.
[5:00:28] I'd like to give a shout out
to this.
[5:00:30] The police department here.
[5:00:32] I think they do a wonderful job
[5:00:34] managing the
protests that are happening.
[5:00:38] Every
Saturday they're world class.
[5:00:41] If this Ice detention facility
comes into our community,
[5:00:45] they're going to be overstressed
[5:00:46] and their reputation
is going to be tarnished
[5:00:49] because it won't be peaceful
like it is
[5:00:51] every day on Saturday. Okay.
[5:00:55] This Ice detention facility and
[5:00:58] the policies
and executive actions of our
[5:01:01] leadership are very divisive
for our community
[5:01:05] and for our nation.
[5:01:06] And as a result of that,
[5:01:08] violence
will percolate to the surface.
[5:01:11] And we won't have
these conversations
[5:01:14] like we're having now.
[5:01:17] I know the city
council can stand up,
[5:01:20] because in October, you passed
a resolution saying you were not
[5:01:23] in support of the Burlington
Northern Santa Fe Railroad.
[5:01:27] Head up and Waddell
at a minimum.
[5:01:31] I think that should
come out of the city council
[5:01:34] in the next week or
[5:01:35] two to say that we do not want
this facility here.
[5:01:40] If we have no legal
[5:01:43] avenues to go
against the federal government,
[5:01:46] we have to,
as a local community,
[5:01:48] try to stop this overreach
of the federal government
[5:01:52] skirting the issue of localities
[5:01:55] and running much of the federal
[5:01:58] purse based off executive orders
coming out of the white House.
[5:02:03] We may disagree on politics,
but that's not
[5:02:06] how democracy is supposed
to work in America.
[5:02:09] We have three branches
of government.
[5:02:11] Congress controls the purse.
[5:02:13] The executive branch
executes the law.
[5:02:17] Thank you sir.
[5:02:17] Thank you.
[5:02:24] Good evening.
[5:02:28] Good evening, Mayor Sartor
and council members.
[5:02:31] My name is Maria Leonardi Foster
[5:02:33] and I am a resident of surprise,
living near Peoria and raised.
[5:02:37] I am a full time
behavioral health professional
[5:02:40] and a full time addiction
study and public policy student.
[5:02:43] I do not come here with new
data, innovative talking points,
[5:02:46] or unique legal arguments
regarding
[5:02:48] the new confirmed Ice facility
now planned in our city.
[5:02:52] Having done my research
on each of your policies, public
[5:02:55] comments, and initiatives,
[5:02:57] I am confident that reminding
you of the emotional weight
[5:03:00] and the mental toll
that this news has on
[5:03:02] our community members
will not sway your position
[5:03:06] even worse.
[5:03:06] As incredible as the messages
[5:03:08] have been this evening,
I fear many of you do not care
[5:03:12] regardless of where you stand.
[5:03:14] For being here and listening
to the members of the community.
[5:03:16] You have my respect.
[5:03:19] Mayor. Our tour.
[5:03:20] You said at the start
that you wish
[5:03:21] to remind the people
about the lack of power
[5:03:24] that surprised City
Council has on this issue.
[5:03:27] I, and every person inside
and outside of this building,
[5:03:30] are here to remind
you of what power looks like.
[5:03:33] Yes, the federal government
[5:03:34] has authority over immigration
law and federal facilities.
[5:03:37] And as you have said,
[5:03:39] the city does not have the power
[5:03:40] to interrupt or prevent
Ice operations directly
[5:03:43] under the Immigration
and Nationality Act.
[5:03:45] Federal projects are not subject
to local zoning laws,
[5:03:48] and the city
[5:03:49] was not even notified prior
to the proper purchase.
[5:03:52] You, the surprise City Council,
do have real
[5:03:55] and meaningful power
when it comes to demanding
[5:03:58] transparency
from federal agencies.
[5:04:01] The community deserves
clear public information
[5:04:04] about the intended information
[5:04:06] about the intended
use of the facility,
[5:04:08] the number of people
[5:04:08] it will hold, protocols
for oversight,
[5:04:11] and how the city
will be informed about changes.
[5:04:14] It is these policies
that ensure safe and humane
[5:04:16] treatment of human beings
[5:04:18] when transparency
ceases to exist,
[5:04:20] when overreach of power takes
place, lives are lost.
[5:04:23] We have seen it.
[5:04:25] I formally request
that the City of Surprise pass
[5:04:27] a resolution demanding DHS
and Ice publicly disclose
[5:04:30] operating operational plans,
community impact assessments,
[5:04:34] and clear points of contact
for ongoing communication.
[5:04:37] While you cannot stop
federal enforcement.
[5:04:39] You can act to protect municipal
resources.
[5:04:42] That includes
insisting on assurances
[5:04:44] that federal operations will not
drain city emergency services,
[5:04:47] create jobs and public safety,
or endanger any persons life.
[5:04:52] You do have the power
to limit cooperation
[5:04:54] between city
[5:04:54] law enforcement
and federal immigration
[5:04:56] enforcement
beyond what the law requires,
[5:04:59] such as implementing policies
[5:05:00] restricting local involvement
in immigration, arrests
[5:05:03] detainees, or information shared
unless required by law.
[5:05:06] Many cities have done this.
[5:05:08] Now it is your turn as a third
generation Hispanic immigrant.
[5:05:11] I've seen how these practices
affect my family, our neighbors,
[5:05:14] and our sense of safety
and equity.
[5:05:16] I stand here asking you,
as the elected officials charged
[5:05:19] with providing safety
[5:05:21] and equitable
care for all residents,
[5:05:22] to listen to the
voices of your constituents,
[5:05:26] to use the power you do have,
[5:05:27] and to act in ways
that protect our community,
[5:05:30] uphold human rights and demand
accountability.
[5:05:32] Thank you.
[5:05:39] Good evening.
[5:05:40] Good evening to you, mayor
and the council.
[5:05:42] My name is Kelly Oubre.
[5:05:43] I live on Bullard and Cactus.
[5:05:45] And I can see this
detention center
[5:05:46] from points in my neighborhood.
[5:05:48] I can see this building
from my school.
[5:05:50] That being said, I'm
a current student
[5:05:52] at Desert High School
in the student body.
[5:05:54] Vice president.
[5:05:55] The GPA of GPA of 4.3
before anyone passes me off
[5:05:59] as young and dumb.
[5:06:00] I would like to speak on
behalf of my school
[5:06:02] and represent it
like my position calls me to.
[5:06:05] In this past week,
[5:06:06] we have had students
organize three anti ice protest.
[5:06:10] We have gotten online threats
and comments for these protest.
[5:06:12] One asking if they're allowed
to run us over children
[5:06:16] ice in this administration
has created
[5:06:19] hatred within their supporters
[5:06:20] that is now affecting
[5:06:21] our community
as students at this school.
[5:06:24] This detention center
is a scary reality
[5:06:26] we all had to deal with,
[5:06:27] but we will not stay silent
about it.
[5:06:29] At my school,
it is well known that we have
[5:06:31] a predominantly
Hispanic population.
[5:06:33] Our minority is a majority
there.
[5:06:35] We as students
are going to be heavily affected
[5:06:38] as this detention center
is right down our road.
[5:06:40] These children
and their families
[5:06:42] are not the violent criminals
the government says they are.
[5:06:45] I get a pit in my stomach
[5:06:46] when I think about
how in a few months
[5:06:47] I have to go to school, knowing
humans are screaming for help
[5:06:50] and not getting the rights
they are.
[5:06:52] It hurts me to know
that my peers
[5:06:54] are undoubtably
going to be hurt.
[5:06:56] The immigrant families
that I've first handedly seen
[5:06:58] build these students up
to be hardworking and successful
[5:07:01] may not be able to celebrate
with them as they walk
[5:07:03] the stage.
[5:07:04] Students are at risk
to come home with no family,
[5:07:07] and have to take care of
themselves who are dealing with
[5:07:09] not knowing what is happening
[5:07:10] to their families
in this detention center.
[5:07:12] If we can all agree
on one thing,
[5:07:14] no child should have to live
[5:07:15] through
these traumatic experiences
[5:07:17] and be ripped away
from their family.
[5:07:19] We have all seen the damage
and physical harm Ice
[5:07:22] has done on peaceful protesters,
citizens and immigrants.
[5:07:25] Who's to say
[5:07:25] they won't harm the students
of Surprise and El Mirage?
[5:07:29] Who's to say that
they won't come after my school?
[5:07:31] That's supposed
to be a safe place for all.
[5:07:33] If any of you care to protect
[5:07:34] the students and children
who are the future of the city,
[5:07:37] then you will find a way
to either contain this.
[5:07:39] Ensure everyone is safe,
or get this out of our city
[5:07:42] by working with our Senators
and Representatives.
[5:07:45] Do not let
[5:07:45] what happened in Germany
during the 40s come back to us.
[5:07:48] I pray to God
that everybody will listen
[5:07:50] to the voice of the children
and future. And one last thing.
[5:07:53] No one will ever be
illegal on stolen land.
[5:07:55] Thank you.
[5:08:05] Good evening.
[5:08:05] As you're still awake.
[5:08:08] Hello. My name is Iverson.
[5:08:09] I live in Peoria,
just a few miles away from here.
[5:08:13] I'm speaking
because the proposed 1500 bed
[5:08:15] detention facility will have
impacts that extend the region.
[5:08:19] The north side of the facility
is less than three quarters
[5:08:21] of a mile from Primrose School
of Surprise.
[5:08:24] And its proximity
to other nearby schools
[5:08:26] raises concerns for children
and families.
[5:08:29] Large detention centers
also placed
[5:08:31] demands
on shared infrastructure.
[5:08:33] It's been it's been spoken
about all through this meeting,
[5:08:37] including water, sewer,
emergency services
[5:08:39] and major roads
used by commuters
[5:08:41] throughout Peoria, Glendale,
Elmira, Johnson City
[5:08:44] traffic, emergency response
and neighborhood safety concerns
[5:08:47] do not stop at surprised city
limits,
[5:08:49] making
regional oversight critical.
[5:08:52] That means
it's going to reach my city.
[5:08:56] While the city cannot
prevent Ice from operating
[5:08:59] as a federal agency,
it has established
[5:09:01] legal and ethical processes
to ensure that
[5:09:03] any facility operates in a way
that protects the community
[5:09:07] through zoning and building
fire and life safety codes.
[5:09:10] The city can guide
and coordinate compliance
[5:09:12] to ensure that infrastructure,
safety
[5:09:14] and neighborhood
concerns are fully addressed
[5:09:16] under the National Environmental
Policy Act, or Nepa,
[5:09:20] Ice is required to evaluate
the environmental impacts
[5:09:24] of converting the warehouse.
[5:09:25] This includes traffic
safety, land use, and effects
[5:09:29] on surrounding neighborhoods
and school
[5:09:30] before final decisions are made.
[5:09:32] Nepa also mandates
meaningful public participation,
[5:09:36] which ensures comments like ours
are considerate in the review.
[5:09:41] This shows the importance
of public oversight
[5:09:43] and local review.
[5:09:44] While Nepa does not guarantee
a specific outcome, it requires
[5:09:48] the potential impacts
or that potential impacts
[5:09:52] are assessed and alternatives
eternities are evaluated.
[5:09:56] I urge you, council, mayor and
council to stay focused, strong.
[5:10:01] Exercise all the available local
authority
[5:10:04] authority that you have.
[5:10:05] Ensure Nepa
processes are fully followed,
[5:10:08] and give our community
a real voice in decisions
[5:10:10] that will affect both surprise
and the surrounding West Valley.
[5:10:13] This is not just about surprise,
it is about protecting
[5:10:16] children, families and shared
resources across the region.
[5:10:19] And what I want to say
[5:10:20] is that I hope you recognize
in your constituency the power,
[5:10:25] the courage and the wisdom
that you have in your city.
[5:10:29] In the city of
[5:10:30] Peoria, we had a group of,
[5:10:33] citizens
that stood up for something
[5:10:36] that they did not
want in Peoria, and they won.
[5:10:39] So constituents know
that you can stand up
[5:10:42] and you can fight for stuff.
[5:10:48] Okay.
[5:10:50] Good evening. Good evening.
[5:10:51] Excuse me. My voice is raspy.
[5:10:53] I was among the thousand others
protesting outside.
[5:10:56] My name is Isaac Barrio and
I live on Greenway in the 303.
[5:10:59] I'm here to urge you,
like the many others,
[5:11:01] to do everything in your power
[5:11:02] to stop this facility.
And that includes
[5:11:04] ending the contract with Fox
safety cameras.
[5:11:07] These systems don't just capture
license plates,
[5:11:09] they enable
mass warrantless surveillance.
[5:11:12] People going to work, school,
church, doctor's appointments
[5:11:16] all tracked without
their consent and or suspicion.
[5:11:20] That's not
what public safety looks like
[5:11:23] in a free society.
[5:11:25] What makes what makes this
[5:11:26] especially dangerous
is how the data is used.
[5:11:28] Multiple independent
[5:11:29] studies have found that
these cameras are unencrypted,
[5:11:32] easy to hack, and use by federal
agencies like Ice and DHS,
[5:11:36] which have documented history
[5:11:37] of using surveillance tools
to target, track and intimidate
[5:11:41] immigrant communities
and political dissent.
[5:11:44] This turns our city
infrastructure into a pipeline
[5:11:46] for surveillance and abuse,
often without transparency,
[5:11:49] oversight,
or meaningful accountability.
[5:11:52] Privacy is not a
luxury is a constitutional right
[5:11:55] with the government,
the surprise government,
[5:11:58] collecting and sharing this data
on innocent people,
[5:12:00] it chills free movement,
free association and free speech
[5:12:04] can mean these become afraid,
not safer.
[5:12:06] Surprise
to invest in safety measures
[5:12:07] that respect civil liberties
[5:12:09] not technologies that normalize
[5:12:10] constant monitoring
and federal overreach.
[5:12:13] Ending this kind of contract
with is a clear statement
[5:12:16] that the city values our rights,
dignity, trust over fear,
[5:12:19] and it stands up
to this concentration camp
[5:12:21] and the technocracy.
[5:12:23] This is something you can
act upon now.
[5:12:25] Will you act?
[5:12:28] Thank you.
[5:12:34] Good evening.
[5:12:37] Good evening. Oh.
[5:12:38] Oh, there you go.
[5:12:39] Good evening.
My name is Scotty Nixon.
[5:12:41] 25. I've lived in surprise
my entire life.
[5:12:44] I've had the privilege
[5:12:45] of really
seeing the change in this city.
[5:12:48] I saw a lot of people grow
through these changes.
[5:12:50] And instead of separating,
we all came together.
[5:12:53] And I especially got to see that
in 2020.
[5:12:56] I led one of the first protests
out here.
[5:12:59] I don't know if we remember
BLM surprise.
[5:13:01] We fought a lot of perspectives,
negative ones.
[5:13:05] I had a lot of uncomfortable
conversations with people
[5:13:07] throwing slurs my way.
[5:13:09] A lot of people who lacked, true
idea of a bigger perspective.
[5:13:14] And that's one thing we did back
[5:13:16] then was spread
a lot of good perspective.
[5:13:18] We brought people together
and showed
[5:13:20] what a city really looks like,
that cares
[5:13:22] about their community,
that cares about one another.
[5:13:24] In all your neighbors,
especially tonight, it's 1114.
[5:13:29] When did this start? At six?
[5:13:31] I don't know if there's
[5:13:31] still people out of sight,
but I hope you guys understand.
[5:13:34] I know the power
that the people have.
[5:13:38] I know the power that one person
has to make big change.
[5:13:42] And if you guys don't do that,
we will.
[5:13:45] And I hope you have our back
in that process as well.
[5:13:48] I really believe Jack Hastings.
[5:13:52] Awesome.
[5:13:53] I believe for you.
[5:13:53] I saw you fall asleep
laughing over there with Mr.
[5:13:56] City Attorney.
[5:13:57] I don't know
what's so funny right now.
[5:13:59] This is not a laughing matter.
[5:14:01] I understand.
It's been a long day.
[5:14:04] I've seen you since 2020.
[5:14:06] I haven't seen shown
one more ounce of care
[5:14:09] for anything.
[5:14:12] Come on.
[5:14:14] I know you're up for reelection
this year to
[5:14:18] Nick Haney. You as well.
[5:14:19] You guys are the youngest
members on this council.
[5:14:22] Speak up, speak out.
[5:14:25] Do something.
[5:14:26] I know you guys
don't have a lot of power
[5:14:29] against the federal government,
but you have a voice as well.
[5:14:32] You are a party of the people.
[5:14:33] You know that, right?
[5:14:34] Help us
or we will help ourselves.
[5:14:37] And that's not a threat.
[5:14:38] We just want to feel safe
and we will keep ourselves safe.
[5:14:42] Thank you.
[5:14:49] I just came to you.
[5:14:51] I want to thank every. That's
that's everybody. Correct.
[5:14:54] I just want to make sure
that there's
[5:14:56] not anyone else
whose name that I didn't call.
[5:14:59] Okay?
[5:15:00] So I want to thank everybody
for coming in here.
[5:15:02] We hear you.
[5:15:03] I want to consider
[5:15:05] your voice as impactful
and as powerful.
[5:15:10] As our other future agenda items
[5:15:11] or business the council members
want to bring forward.
[5:15:15] No council reports.
[5:15:17] No, no.
[5:15:18] Okay,
[5:15:20] I'll entertain a motion
to adjourn.
[5:15:22] Moved to adjourn. Second.
[5:15:23] All in favor,
say aye. Opposed or adjourned.