Council Workshop

CITY OF BUCKEYE COUNCIL WORKSHOP OCTOBER 7, 2025 MINUTES City Hall - 1st Floor / Executive Conference Room 530 East Monroe Avenue Buckeye, AZ 85326 4:30 p.m. 1. Call to Order/Roll Call Mayor Orsborn called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m. Members Present: Councilmember Youngker (arrived at 4:37 p.m.), Councilmember Berry, Councilmember Goodman, Councilmember HagEstad, Councilmember Beard, Vice Mayor Heustis, and Mayor Orsborn. Members Absent: None. Departments Present: City Manager Doug Sandstrom, Deputy City Manager Dave Roderique, Deputy City Manager Javier Setovich, Interim Deputy City Manager Cindy Camarata, City Attorney Scott McCoy, City Clerk Lucinda Aja, Director of Communications Affairs Annie DeChance, Police Chief Robert Sanders, Community Services Director Miranda Gomez, Water Resources Director Terry Lowe, Project Management Office Director James Shano, Airport Director Scott Gray, and Development Services Director Brian Craig. 2. Workshop Items 2.A Presentation and discussion of the Transit Master Plan Update. Staff Liaison: John Willett, Deputy Director of Transportation Mr. Willett provided an update on the transit master plan, emphasizing the need to revise the previous plan to address current and future transit requirements. He discussed various transit services, including fixed routes, microtransit, and local circulators, and the necessity of researching and implementing both short and long-term strategies based on calculated pricing. Mr. Willett highlighted existing services such as the Orange Line circulator to downtown Phoenix, the Purple Line to Avondale, and several van pools serving different areas. He shared survey results showing a high demand for transit services among lower-income residents and significant interest among higher- income residents. The immediate plan includes hiring a transit coordinator and additional drivers to expand services, particularly for senior citizens and medical appointments. The long-term plan involves exploring partnerships with Valley Metro and other transit options, considering the challenges of low ridership and funding. A pilot program will be implemented to gather data and evaluate the effectiveness of the new transit services, with potential funding from Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and federal sources. Key challenges include funding, advanced reservation system limitations, and serving areas including the Tartesso and Festival Ranch communities. The transit master plan will be posted for public review, and feedback will be incorporated before final approval. The pilot program's success will be evaluated to guide future transit development. Based on October 7, 2025 Council Workshop Minutes questions from Councilmember Goodman, Ms. Gomez explained that the transit program will initially require a 48-hour advance booking to help monitor and schedule drivers based on reservations received. This approach will allow the team to assess demand and determine if same-day reservations can be released in the future. She mentioned that the program has always been full due to limited resources, with only a part-time driver available. Once the transit coordinator is hired, they will clearly outline the booking process for users. The software being implemented will initially require 48-hour advance booking, but the team will evaluate its flexibility and potential for adaptation. The goal is to understand the demand and adjust the program accordingly. Based on questions from Mayor Orsborn, Ms. Gomez confirmed the intent is to open the pilot program city-wide, allowing the team to gather data on where the needs are most significant. This approach will help identify trends and adjust services to meet the demand across different neighborhoods. The program will be flexible, allowing for adjustments based on the data collected. This includes potentially releasing same-day reservations if the demand allows and expanding the service to other groups if the initial target audience does not fill the available slots. The program will begin with extended hours Monday through Friday. Based on questions from Vice Mayor Heustis, Ms. Gomez provided additional information regarding prioritizing needs and adjusting the program as needed. Based on questions from Mayor Orsborn, Mr. Willett confirmed The city is purchasing the buses and covering the costs of employees, vehicle maintenance, gas, and other related expenses. Ms. Gomez stated cost per rider expenses will vary depending on where in the City the rider lives. 3. Adjournment. There being no further business to discuss, Mayor Orsborn adjourned the meeting at 5:10 p.m. ______________________________________ Eric W. Orsborn, Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________________ Lucinda J. Aja, City Clerk I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the Council Workshop held on October 7, 2025. I further certify that a quorum was present. _____________________________________ Lucinda J. Aja, City Clerk October 7, 2025 Council Workshop Minutes