Council Regular/Special Meeting

MINUTES OF THE GILBERT TOWN COUNCIL, IN SPECIAL MEETING OF THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020 AT 9:00 AM, VIRTUAL MEETING 50 E CIVIC CENTER DRIVE, GILBERT, ARIZONA COUNCIL PRESENT: Mayor Scott Anderson, Vice Mayor Yung Koprowski, Councilmembers Scott September, Bill Spence, Kathy Tilque, and Aimee Yentes COUNCIL ABSENT: Councilmember Jared Taylor STAFF PRESENT: Town Manager Patrick Banger, Deputy Clerk Chaveli Herrera, Town Attorney Christopher Payne, Mayor’s Aide Valerie Shaffer, and Chief People Officer Nathan Williams AGENDA ITEM CALL TO ORDER Mayor Anderson called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Councilmember Spence gave the invocation. Councilmember September led the Pledge of Allegiance. ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS 1. Welcome from Mayor Scott Anderson Mayor Anderson welcomed attendees to the 11th Annual Faith Leaders’ Summit. He stated the real intent was to share information and stimulate thought, adding faith leaders were the bedrock of the community. He said the main topic of this year’s summit was unity, diversity, and inclusion. He read a portion of a statement stating, “…we condemn racism and discrimination of any kind, and we strongly believe in the opportunity to engage in constructive and respectful dialogue, no matter the topic.” 2. Town update from Town Manager Patrick Banger Town Manager Banger provided an update which highlighted recent rankings including placing 2nd on the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) list of safest cities over a certain population. He also noted a new ranking of 2nd best city for economic recovery and performance through the COVID-19 pandemic period. He noted the completion of the 2nd phase of Gilbert Regional Park, Phase 1B, and listed its amenities and events. Town Manager Banger highlighted Growth and Development including the company of Northrop Grumman adding 240,000 square feet to its Gilbert campus. He stated both the University of Arizona’s College of Nursing and Park University continued to grow in 1 terms of enrollment. He highlighted businesses that were opening and re-opening and projects that were recently completed and coming soon. Town Manager Banger summarized the Town’s COVID-19 response including effective joint information, organization-wide messaging, emergency operations, and facility closures. He noted the emergency declaration issued by former Mayor Jenn Daniels and the plans to mitigate exposure to the community. He noted the Town developed the following four teams: Gilbert Business Support, Re-opening of Town Facilities and Programs, Innovation Lab and Evolution of Government, and COVID-19 Cost and Recovery. He discussed external facing support to disseminate information into the community including additional social media engagement, a text alert system, a COVID- 19 webpage, and a COVID-19 data dashboard with real-time data and up-to-date numbers by zip code. Town Manager Banger also summarized the COVID-19 impacts on the organization and community. He highlighted development activity with permits stating there were no signs of commercial and residential development slowing down. He discussed budget modifications and triggers based on sales tax revenue. Town Manager Banger discussed the creation of the Council Subcommittee for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to oversee the allocation of the $29,200,000 funds that Gilbert received for COVID-19 relief. He noted the focus areas of Nonprofit Assistance, Parks & Recreation, Business Assistance, and Dispatch Assistance and listed the allocations and priorities of each focus area. Lastly, Town Manager Banger highlighted upcoming events including a virtual shoebox parade, concerts in the park, dance showcases, and other events to celebrate Gilbert Days. He stated the details could be could at www.gilbertaz.gov. Mayor Anderson also noted the recent acknowledgement of Gilbert as one of the fastest recovering economies for larger cities and thanked all those involved in the efforts. 3. Organizational Diversity and Inclusion Wildly Important Goal (WIG) Chief People Officer Williams discussed the organization’s Wildly Important Goal (WIG) of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I). He discussed the organization’s recent employee survey with an 80% agreement rate of staff who felt DE&I was important. He noted the goal of increasing the number, noting the results were not short-term but rather long-term goals for inclusion and diversity improvements. He discussed efforts of the Town to solicit feedback including community listening sessions, employee Town Halls sessions, a DE&I staff survey, and the use of DE&I consultants and discussion groups. He highlighted the development and importance of unconscious bias training. 4. Community Speaker Mayor Anderson introduced Pastor Andre Miller of New Beginnings Christian Church and summarized his background and experience. 2 Pastor Miller spoke of hope and promise and the need to rise to the occasion and become a Nation whose ideals were realized. He said though some were not seeing issues in Gilbert that were seen in other cities, he noted those issues would become rampant as the Town grew. He said it would change how Gilbert was governed, the resources used, and how people were policed. He spoke of his own experience with racism in his career and how his skin color was seen as a threat despite his identifiable vehicle and uniform. He stated those issues had to be tackled with hope for a better future, adding the differences in people were not as great as their similarities. He said American racism was unique; there was no shame in racism and was a belief that racist behavior was proper and had a place in society. Pastor Miller said there was a need for hard conversations and healing, not to make others feel guilty but to be better and grow closer. He noted that many churches were mostly segregated, adding he was blessed at his church to be reminded that in heaven there would be no sections. He said he had a conversation with a councilmember who asked if there was really a problem in Gilbert. He said he replied that if one person in Gilbert felt that way, there was a problem. He said partisan ideals had caused people to abandon their love of neighbors, noting the need to reach out to those who do not look like you, not to ignore people on the corner screaming for help, and to understand challenges that were not your own. He stated people of faith needed to be atmosphere changers by being anti-racist and committing to do it on a constant and daily basis. Mayor Anderson thanked Pastor Miller for the powerful message. 5. Discussion on Diversity and Inclusion in Gilbert Mayor Anderson encouraged the virtual attendees to participate in the conversation by using the chat icon or raising their virtual hand. Pastor Joel Scott from The Bridge Church in Gilbert asked how the faith community could help to encourage the Council. Mayor Anderson stated it would be helpful to work within their congregations and share messages like the one provided by Pastor Miller. Councilmember September stated the community could encourage the Council by praying for the Council and their families. Councilmember Tilque stated it was important as a community with unique congregations to recognize there were people hurting and feeling disconnected. She suggested sharing information with the Council who may be able to provide resources. Councilmember Spence stated there were new ways to establish more effective communication and to create more robust listening opportunities. Ron Derrick, San Tan Stake President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, thanked the Council and Pastor Miller. He stated Gilbert was “tremendously White in so 3 many ways”. He stated when the unrest was happening he started to engage in unconscious bias training, trying to identify his own unconscious biases. He said it was a real eye-opener to examine what was happening inside the heart, adding the training would evolve and minimize the bias that was happening. Councilmember Tilque stated she would like to explore unconscious bias training, how it impacted everyone, and how to expand on it. 6. Presentation on new Multi Faith Group Mayor Anderson introduced Tyler Hudgins as a community pastor, a current member of Gilbert Redevelopment Commission, and a former candidate for Town Council. Mr. Hudgins discussed his work with Redemption Church in Gilbert and the process of forming www.gilbertfaith.com to help multi-faith groups come together in Gilbert for quarterly meetings. He stated the group would focus on the following three goals: helping with the service work of the For Our City-Gilbert charity, offering rapid response to issues like the COVID-19 pandemic and social issues, and working on domestic violence issues as a multi-faith effort. He stated the goal was to come to the table with different viewpoints of how to best serve the community, adding the information and form to join were available on the website www.gilbertfaith.com. 7. Discussion on Gilbert Memorial Park Brice Bunker, President of Gilbert Memorial Park, stated Gilbert’s first cemetery opened in November 2019. He spoke of the vision shared by Pastor Miller of heaven not being in sections and said Gilbert Memorial Park was designed with the intention of diversity in a cemetery and to feel open without sections. He said the Park was happy to support the community and encouraged people to go and visit them. 8. Future events and wrap-up Mayor Anderson thanked Pastor Miller and all those who participated. He said Gilbert was recognized for many things, but those were “just things”; it was the people who are Gilbert and who make Gilbert strong. He thanked those in the faith community and said he looked forward to efforts for the Town to be proactive in moving in the right direction. ADJOURN Mayor Anderson adjourned the meeting at 10:03 a.m. 4  ATTEST: ___________________________ ___________________________________ Scott Anderson, Mayor Chaveli Herrera, MMC, Deputy Town Clerk CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Gilbert held on the 15th day of October, 2020. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. Dated this ____ day of ____________________. ___________________________________ Chaveli Herrera, MMC, Deputy Town Clerk 5