Council Workshop

CITY OF BUCKEYE COUNCIL WORKSHOP MAY 5, 2026 MINUTES City Hall - 1st Floor / Executive Conference Room 530 East Monroe Avenue Buckeye, AZ 85326 3:00 p.m. 1. Call to Order/Roll Call Mayor Orsborn called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. Members Present: Councilmember Berry, Councilmember Beard, Councilmember HagEstad, Councilmember Heustis, Vice Mayor Goodman, and Mayor Orsborn. Members Absent: Councilmember Youngker. Departments Present: City Manager Doug Sandstrom, Deputy City Manager Javier Setovich, Deputy City Manager Dave Roderique, Deputy City Manager Jared Askelson, City Attorney Tosca Henry, Deputy City Clerk Summer Stewart, Chief Financial Officer Keith Fallstrom, Development Services Director Brian Craig, Human Resources Director Cindy Camarata, Director of Program Management Office James Shano, Water Resources Director Terry Lowe, and Fire Chief Jake Rhoades. 2. Workshop Items 2.A Review and discussion of the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY2027) Budget including proposed staffing requests and Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) projects. Staff Liaison: Keith Fallstrom, Chief Financial Officer Mr. Askelson presented the City Manager’s recommended fiscal year 2027 budget, emphasizing conservative revenue estimates, ongoing revenues matched to ongoing expenditures, and the use of one-time sources like construction sales tax for one-time costs. He highlighted a total recommended budget of $501.7 million, with major revenue sources including sales tax, utility rates, intergovernmental funds, property tax, and bond proceeds. Mr. Askelson explained the allocation of funds, noting that about one-third goes to personnel, forty percent to operating expenses, and fifteen percent to capital outlay, with additional amounts for debt service, contingency, and budget authority. He discussed trends in sales tax, state shared revenues, permit activity, and property tax, describing the impact of new construction and state-imposed caps. The general fund was detailed as the area with the most spending discretion, with sales tax as its largest revenue source, and a focus on maintaining a seventeen percent reserve. Mr. Askelson outlined staffing requests, including 48 new positions and 14 revenue-contingent positions, and described the approach to funding personnel, pension policy updates, and asset management. He also reviewed highlights in public safety, community services, development services, and public works, and provided an overview of the five- year capital improvement plan, funding assumptions, and the timeline for budget adoption. General discussion was held regarding the combined primary and secondary property tax rate. Vice Mayor Goodman asked about the breakdown of impact fees by geographic area and category, and Mr. Askelson explained that impact fees are tracked by category and area, and can only be spent for those purposes. Councilmember Heustis asked about the funding for veterans events, specifically May 5, 2026 Council Workshop Minutes which event would be funded. Mr. Askelson answered that the funding is for a single event that has not been decided, and staff will work with veteran partners to determine the most appropriate use. The Memorial Day event has been funded. Based on questions from Mayor Orsborn, Mr. Fallstrom stated the CIP budget includes funding of phase one of the runway expansion for five million dollars. 2.B Presentation and discussion by the Buckeye Police Department to seek the Council's feedback regarding the formal adoption of city ordinances regulating the use and sale of Electric Bicycles, Electric Standup Scooters, Micromobility Devices, and Electric Motorcycles/Motor-Driven Cycles. Staff Liaison: Robert Sanders, Chief of Police Chief Sanders presented the proposed electric bike ordinance, focusing on public safety, education, and parental responsibility. He explained that the ordinance targets devices capable of exceeding 10 mph, including e-bikes, e-scooters, and electric motorcycles, while excluding traditional bicycles and slower micro-mobility devices. Chief Sanders described the three classes of e-bikes and highlighted rising injury statistics, especially among children under sixteen. The ordinance sets a minimum operator age of sixteen for all regulated devices, mandates helmet use for riders under eighteen, and emphasizes education for parents and retailers. Enforcement is intended to prioritize reckless behavior, with officer discretion and parental accountability for minors’ violations. The ordinance also includes provisions for impounding vehicles and retailer requirements to provide safety information at the point of sale. Chief Sanders discussed implementation phases, community outreach, and the goal of reducing injuries and complaints while maintaining childhood recreation and responsible use. Councilmember HagEstad asked Chief Sanders to expand on parental responsibility for minors, including the impetus and consequences. Chief Sanders explained that parents would receive citations instead of juveniles, mirroring curfew and Title 28 traffic code practices, and clarified that there is no Arizona State statute covering this, but the ordinance fills the gap. Councilmember HagEstad asked if the ordinance would make parents legally responsible for manslaughter or similar charges. Chief Sanders clarified that the ordinance only covers civil citations and misdemeanors, not criminal charges like manslaughter, which would be handled under state law. Councilmember Heustis asked about insurance and liability if a minor causes damage while riding an electric bike. Chief Sanders responded that civil liability would apply, but the ordinance does not address insurance or civil law responsibility, which diverges into other legal areas. Councilmember Beard asked if there is an exception for minors riding with a parent, and whether enforcement is only for reckless behavior. Chief Sanders said there is no explicit exception, but officer discretion is used, and enforcement focuses on reckless behavior. Councilmember Beard suggested adding parental guidance exceptions and intent language to the ordinance. Council Member Beer expressed concern about penalizing responsible parents riding with their children and suggested the ordinance be worded to allow exceptions for supervised, non-reckless riding. Chief Sanders agreed to add legal components for supervised parent or guardian exceptions and intent language. General discussion was held regarding parental guidance exceptions. Councilmember Beard and Vice Mayor Goodman emphasized the importance of education and officer discretion. 3. Adjournment. There being no further business to discuss, Mayor Orsborn adjourned the meeting at 4:36 p.m. ______________________________________ Eric W. Orsborn, Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________________ Lucinda J. Aja, City Clerk May 5, 2026 Council Workshop Minutes I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the Council Workshop held on May 5, 2026. I further certify that a quorum was present. _____________________________________ Lucinda J. Aja, City Clerk May 5, 2026 Council Workshop Minutes