Council Regular/Special Meeting

MINUTES OF THE GILBERT TOWN COUNCIL, IN REGULAR MEETING OF TUESDAY MARCH 29, 2022 AT 6:30 PM, GILBERT PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING FACILITY, ATLAS AUDITORIUM 6860 SOUTH POWER ROAD, GILBERT, ARIZONA COUNCIL PRESENT: Mayor Brigette Peterson, Vice Mayor Aimee Yentes, Councilmembers Scott Anderson, Laurin Hendrix, Yung Koprowski, Scott September, and Kathy Tilque COUNCIL ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Town Manager Patrick Banger, Town Clerk Chaveli Herrera, Deputy Clerk Judy Martinez, Town Attorney Christopher Payne, Police Chief Michael Soelberg, Senior Project Manager Rick Hooker, Economic Development Director Dan Henderson, Chief People Officer Nathan Williams, Office of Management and Budget Director Kelly Pfost, and Assistant Town Manager Dawn Prince AGENDA ITEM CALL TO ORDER Mayor Peterson called the meeting to order at 6:42 p.m. PRESENTATION OF STUDENT CITIZEN OF THE MONTH AWARD Vice Mayor Yentes presented Student Citizen of the Month Awards for February to (presented alphabetically by school): Bailey Torgerson, Eli Jaconelli, Katelyn Anderson, Jayne Carling, Charlie Cintas, Jessica Jeremiah, Milly Thatcher, Giuliana Griffin, Massimo Panza, Camryn Justice, Tatum Chavez, Eva Tinti, Mila Provencio, Nevaeh Carlyle, Leo Willis, Arwen Griggs, 1 Samuel-Joseph Perez, Sophia Schmoll, Raghav Bhargava, Bridgette Hanson, Mathias V. White, Brian Clark, Santino Hernandez, Swathibindu Kunta and Kaitlyn Haney. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Councilmember Anderson gave the invocation. Councilmember Tilque led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Town Clerk Herrera called roll and declared a quorum present. PRESENTATIONS; PROCLAMATIONS 1. PROCLAMATION - Proclamation declaring week of April 2 through 8, 2022 as National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Week of the Young Child. Councilmember Koprowski read a proclamation declaring the week of April 2 through 8, 2022 as National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Week of the Young Child and presented the proclamation to Vice Chair David Crummey of First Things First Southeast Maricopa Regional Partnership Council. Mr. Crummey thanked the Council for their support, explained their mission to support early childhood programs and offered ways to advocate for children within the community by supporting early literacy initiatives, thanking teachers, and working toward public policies that benefit all young children. Mayor Peterson recognized the members of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee (MYAC) who were in attendance. 2 2. RECOGNITION- Recognition of the Perry High School Cheer Team at the Universal Cheer Association (UCA) Nationals competition. Mayor Peterson recognized the Perry High School Cheer Team, the Perry Pumas, and their Head Coach, Desiree Houg, and Assistant Coach, Nikki Libby, for their participation and achievements at the Universal Cheer Association (UCA) Nationals competition. The team was recognized as one of the most successful in the School’s and State’s history, and specifically for the AIA State Championship titles for Game Day Routine and D1 Show Cheer Routine. They were also recognized for other accolades throughout the year. Mayor Peterson congratulated the team on their hard work and accomplishments and stated they made Gilbert proud. Councilmember Anderson recognized the Perry High School Men’s Basketball team for winning the 2021-2022 AIA 6A Conference Boys Basketball Championship. COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS Karen Tornese, Gilbert Resident, completed a Request to Speak card prior to the meeting regarding installation of pickleball courts, but was not in attendance to speak to the matter. Paul Kaup, Gilbert Resident, introduced himself as a pilot with Southwest Airlines and the owner of STEM+C Inc., a 501c3 not for profit working with students fifth- grade through university via projects and programming to develop interest in the fields of aviation, aeronautics and aerospace. He advertised the upcoming event, Taking Flight 2022, on April 9, 2022 at Gilbert Regional Park, and invited residents to attend the event to learn about the organization, gain hands-on experience learning how to fly a RC airplane, and get information from local colleges and universities attending the event. Additionally, he offered for an opportunity to establish a public- private partnership between the STEM+C organization and public entities that would be interested in developing a Learning Center in Gilbert. 3 CONSENT CALENDAR A MOTION was made by Vice Mayor Yentes, seconded by Councilmember September, to approve Consent Items 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35, 36 and 37; remove Items 5, 6, 7, 8, 16, 20, 21, 25, 32, and 33 from the Consent Calendar; remove Consent Item 13 from the agenda; add Item 46 to the Consent Calendar, appointing to the Parks and Recreation Board, Whitney Pitt with a partial term beginning March 29, 2022 and ending May 12, 2023 and Florence Daniels, with a partial term beginning March 29, 2022 and ending May 12, 2024; add Item 47 to the Consent Calendar, appointing Adam Baugh to the Redevelopment Commission with a partial term beginning March 29, 2022 and ending October 31, 2025; and adding Item 48 to the Consent Calendar, appointing Constance Lemere to the Self-Insured Trust Board, with a partial term beginning March 29, 2022 and ending September 30, 2023. Motion carried 7-0. 3. INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT – consider adoption of a Resolution approving Co-Location Intergovernmental Agreement No. 322000287 for with the Arizona Department of Child Services for the purpose of co-location to provide integrated services to children and families in the pursuit of child safety, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. Resolution No. 4263 was adopted. 4. INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT – consider adoption of a Resolution approving Intergovernmental Agreement No. 322000289 with the City of Mesa in an amount not to exceed $706,007 for FY2023 for Crime Scene Services and Specified Laboratory Services, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. Resolution No. 4264 was adopted. 4 5. INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT – consider adoption of a Resolution approving Intergovernmental Agreement No. 322000257 with City of Tolleson Police Department for cooperative law enforcement training, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. Agenda items 5, 6, 7 and 8 were discussed together. Vice Mayor Yentes asked Police Chief Michael Soelberg for clarification on the agreement amounts for each item as it related to the buildings’ fees schedules for usage and if different amounts were being charged to different entities. She also asked if there would be an opportunity to reevaluate the fees schedules once the 5- year agreements lapsed. Chief Soelberg explained that the intergovernmental agreements provided a more general coverage of training-related aspects such as liability waivers and the ability to attend or host trainings at other facilities or in different municipalities. He expanded to address any additional fees associated with the cost of hosting or attending more specific trainings would be presented to the Council for approval. He explained the most recent fee schedule was passed by the Council in October 2021, and would be presented again soon as there was an upcoming adjustment due to State funding, and cases such as funding changes or extraneous fees outside of the scope of the intergovernmental agreement were presented to Council for approval. Vice Mayor Yentes questioned the coverage provided by the agreements, including curriculum and facilities expenses, as she was unsure that Gilbert utilized other municipalities resources as frequently as Gilbert’s facilities were used. Chief Soelberg confirmed that the Town would be covered in either situation, whether they would be hosting the training or attending an opportunity outside the bounds of the Town. 5 A motion was made by Vice Mayor Yentes, seconded by Mayor Peterson to approve items 5, 6, 7 and 8. Motion carried 7-0. Resolution No. 4265 was adopted for Item 5. 6. INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT – consider adoption of a Resolution approving Intergovernmental Agreement No. 322000270 with the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office for cooperative law enforcement training operations, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This Item was approved with Items 5, 7, and 8. Resolution No. 4266 was adopted for Item 6. 7. INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT – consider adoption of a Resolution approving Intergovernmental Agreement No. 322000271 with the Arizona Board of Regents, a body corporate, for and on behalf of Arizona State University Police Department for cooperative law enforcement training, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This Item was approved with Items 5, 6, and 8. Resolution No. 4267 was adopted for Item 7. 8. INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT – consider adoption of a Resolution approving Intergovernmental Agreement No. 322000272 with City of Avondale Police Department for cooperative law enforcement training, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This Item was approved with Items 5, 6, and 7. Resolution No. 4268 was adopted for Item 8. 9. AGREEMENT – consider adoption of a Resolution approving CAP Subcontractor Compensated Conservation Agreement No. 322000288 with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (United States) and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District 6 (CAWCD) for the contribution of 200 acre-feet in Lake Mead to the 500+ Plan through Central Arizona Project (CAP), and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. Resolution No. 4269 was adopted. 10. CONTRACT – consider approval of a Cooperative Purchase Agreement No. 322000227 with DSRC Services LLC dba Star Roofing, utilizing City of Tempe Cooperative Purchasing Contract No. T22-001-47, in an amount not to exceed $210,688 for roofing repairs and upgrades based on Useful Equipment Life (UEL), and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 11. CONTRACT – consider approval of: a) Task Order No. 2 to Job Order Contract (JOC) Contract No. 322000023 with Pueblo Mechanical in an amount not to exceed $148,082.99 for the Civic Center Municipal Building II Cooling Tower Upgrade, Project No. 21-003258, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents; and b) a Contingency Transfer from the General Fund Repair and Replacement fund in the amount of $88,082.99. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 12. CONTRACT – consider approval of Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 321000291 with Echologics, LLC in an amount not to exceed $104,980 for leak detection monitoring of the reclaimed water distribution system, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. 7 This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 13. CONTRACT – consider approval of: a) Purchase Contract No. 322000263 with Scotts AZ Electric Motor Repair dba Pumpman Phoenix, in an amount not to exceed $222,953.68 for the purchase of four centrifugal blowers for the Neely Water Reclamation Facility, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents; b) a Contingency Transfer from the Wastewater Replacement Contingency Fund to the Wastewater Operating Fund in the amount of $167,215.26; and c) a Contingency Transfer from the Wastewater Contingency Fund to the Wastewater Operating Fund in the amount of $55,738.42. This item was removed from the agenda. 14. CONTRACT – consider approval of Project Management/Construction Management (PM/CM Services) for Job Order Contractor (JOC) Project Contract No. 322000163 with Brown and Caldwell in an amount not to exceed $129,070 for the Layton Lakes Lift Station Improvement Project, Project No. WW1160, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 15. CONTRACT – consider approval of Job Order No. 8 to Job Order Contract (JOC) Contract No. 321000247 with Archer Western Construction in an amount not to exceed $1,500,000 for Construction Phase Services of the Manhole Rehabilitation, Project No. WW1242, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 8 16. CONTRACT – consider approval of Task Order No. 2 to Job Order Contract (JOC) Contract No. 321000249 with Hayden Building Corp. in an amount not to exceed $805,639.16 for the construction of storm drain and splash pad improvements for Gilbert Regional Park, Project No. PR0310, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. Councilmember Koprowski asked for additional background information related to the proposed improvements to Gilbert Regional Park and if such improvements would pose restrictions to park usage. Senior Project Manager Richard Hooker responded that the improvements were related to ponding issues at various locations of the park, particularly near the amphitheater, south of the volleyball courts and near the palm trees of the splashpad, and briefly outlined the plans to mitigate the issue. He explained that some of the improvements could be done soon without much disruption, other stages would need to be done around planned events and the splashpad improvements would likely wait until November when the splashpad was closed for the season. Councilmember September acknowledged design and grading plans during the planning process of the park amenities and asked if the issues were a result of a defect in creating the drainage plans or if there was another issue being experienced. Senior Project Manager Hooker confirmed drainage and grading plans were done; however, the percolation test on the soil was not performing as was expected. He added the combination of the grading of the 10-acres of grass leading to the amphitheater and the percolation issues were resulting in water retention at the amphitheater leaving the grass wet and commented they would look further into the issue during the next phase. A MOTION was made by Councilmember Koprowski, seconded by Councilmember Tilque, to approve Item 16. Motion carried 7-0. 9 17. CONTRACT – consider approval of Task Order No. 31 to Job Order Contract (JOC) Contract No. 319001058 with Sunland Asphalt & Construction, LLC in an amount not to exceed $493,257.75 for Guardtop Seal Coat application services at various locations, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 18. CONTRACT – consider approval of Contract No. 321000232 with CarahSoft Technology Corporation in an amount not to exceed $140,288.18 for the purchase of DocuSign products and support, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 19. CHANGE ORDER – consider approval of Change Order No. 1 to Contract No. 321000213 with Thatcher Company of Arizona, Inc. increasing the contract amount by $70,000 for Purchase of Hydrofluorosilicic Acid (Fluoride) for surface water treatment facilities, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 20. CHANGE ORDER – consider approval of Change Order No. 1 to Contract No. 321000441 with Visus Engineering Construction Inc. increasing the contract amount by $343,000 for Phase 2 construction of the Heritage District ADA Sidewalk Improvements, Project No. RD2262, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. Vice Mayor Yentes stated the item had been discussed by a former Councilmember in the past as perhaps being overbuilt more than was necessary to meet ADA requirements, and expressed her concern with the contract amount increasing by approximately 48%. Senior Project Manager Hooker explained the initial contract was a low-bid contract but they found the funds were insufficient to complete the 10 full project area, which spanned south of the railroad tracks west of Gilbert Road to north of Elliot Road, and could only achieve roughly half of the project. He noted another project fell through and provided the opportunity to reallocate the funds, which would allow for a phase two construction of the proposed area before utilizing the reallocated funds on any other areas downtown. Councilmember September asked for additional clarification as to why the scope of the project could not be completed for the initial bid received. Senior Project Manager Hooker responded that none of the initial bids were within the budget, so the bid was cancelled; they then reduced the project area to approximately half the size to more appropriately match the scope with the budget and re-bid. He added with the additional funds from an unrealized project the intention of the proposed change order was to complete the other half of the project that was excluded from the re-bid. A MOTION was made by Councilmember September, seconded by Councilmember Koprowski, to approve item 20. Motion carried 5-2, with Vice Mayor Yentes and Councilmember Hendrix casting the dissenting votes. 21. CHANGE ORDER – consider approval of Change Order No. 1 to Architectural/ Engineering (A/E) Services Contact for Construction Manager at Risk (CM@R) Contract No. 322000159 with J2 Engineering and Environmental Design, LLC increasing the contract amount by $91,539 for additional scope of the Water Tower Plaza Renovation, Project No. PR1040, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. Vice Mayor Yentes remarked she understood there needed to be some renovation by the Water Tower Plaza that potentially included demolishing the current restroom and building a new one, but expressed concerns that the proposed job contract of approximately $91,000 was merely for the design of a 600-800 sq-ft bathroom which seemed an exorbitant amount of money for a bathroom of that size. 11 Senior Project Manager Hooker advised that another project, the Ash Street Realignment Project, would require the removal of the current restroom. He said due to County requirements, a restroom facility must exist within a certain number of feet of a splashpad, and rather than have a lag of time, the project was added to the existing contact. He commented the $91,000 proposal worked out to that amount with the architect fee and was typical of the design for similar projects. Councilmember Koprowski asked whether the restroom would have heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). Senior Project Manager Hooker summarized that the restroom would be the same as the current one, which did not have HVAC, but would include an intermediate distribution frame (IDF) room with air conditioning that would contain equipment for the water tower lights and pumps, be connected to the Town fiber, and allow for other utility connections. Councilmember Koprowski confirmed there would be a control room attached to the restroom, and Senior Project Manager Hooker confirmed. Councilmember September asked for clarification that the cost of the change order was solely for the design of the restroom; Senior Project Manager Hooker confirmed. Vice Mayor Yentes added the design also identified utility line connection coordination. Councilmember September asked for confirmation; Senior Project Manager Hooker concurred with Vice Mayor Yentes’ statement and added the design included utility connection for the building itself and connections to Town sewer, water and power utilities. A MOTION was made by Mayor Peterson, seconded by Councilmember Tilque, to approve Item 21. Motion carried 5-2, with Vice Mayor Yentes and Councilmember Hendrix casting the dissenting votes. 22. CHANGE ORDER – consider approval of Change Order No. 3 to Contract No. 319000537 with CDW Government LLC increasing the contract amount by $113,867.92 for SmartSafety, Easy Street Draw, Varonis and NetMotion training and 12 Code42 software licenses, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 23. CHANGE ORDER – consider approval of Change Order No. 3 to Contract No. 322000177 with Hye Tech Network & Security Solutions, LLC increasing the contract amount by $131,736 for staff augmentation and unified communications managed services and networking managed services, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 24. CHANGE ORDER – consider approval of Change Order No. 1 to Contract No. 321000474 with Insight Global Inc. increasing the contract amount by $200,000 for staff augmentation and professional services, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 25. GRANT – consider application and acceptance of the FY2023 Homeland Security Grant in the amount totaling $549,500 for: a) Contract No. 322000281 for the Citizen Corps (Gilbert Fire and Rescue Department) for funding to provide for equipment to enhance the ability to train the community in fire extinguisher, CPR and AED use, including funding for a tent to be used at disasters or crisis locations, in an amount not to exceed $31,900; b) Contract No. 322000282 for the Urban Area Assessment Team – Fire Department Threat Liaison Officer (TLO) for funding for a front-line response vehicle for the Threat Liaison Officer (TLO) to be a regional asset, in an amount not to exceed $93,000; 13 c) Contract No. 322000286 for the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) Response Team Enhancement (Gilbert Fire and Rescue Department) for funding to provide sustainment funds to support their team and includes purchase of propane mitigation kits, detection meter and software maintenance, hazardous materials tools and training, in an amount not to exceed $45,200; d) Contract No. 322000283 for the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) Response Team Enhancement (Gilbert Fire and Rescue Department) for funding to purchase two new up-armored vehicles that provide ballistic protection, in an amount not to exceed $320,000; e) Contract No. 322000284 for the Urban Area Assessment Teams – Police and Fire Threat Liaison Officers (TLO) Program for funding to provide for National Homeland Security Conference, Association of Threat Assessment Professionals Annual Conference & Local Training Conference, in an amount not to exceed $20,400; f) Contract No. 322000285 for the Mass Care for Soft Target Incidents (Gilbert Fire Department) for funding to provide for emergency medical supplies to supply teams for large gatherings and events, in an amount not to exceed $39,000; and g) a motion authorizing FY2023 Grant Fund contingency in the amount of $549,500.00 upon acceptance of the FY2023 Homeland Security Grant. Vice Mayor Yentes noted her appreciation for additional public safety resources but voiced concern over increased inflation for cost of living and how that was tied to Federal spending.She added that $50,000 might not be a lot in the grand scheme but she did not want Gilbert to be a part of the problem contributing to the “out of control” Federal spending. She announced she would vote “no” on the item for those reasons. 14 Councilmember Anderson asked if there would be any maintenance costs associated with the one-time grant once expended. Police Chief Soelberg responded the only anticipated continuing cost was for the vehicles that would be absorbed into the fleet beyond the initial costs and would be added into the budget. He commented that Part D of the item was for the Police Department, rather than Fire, as was notated on the agenda. Vice Mayor Yentes commented she was aware that Federal grants came with “strings attached” and asked if that was the case. Chief Soelberg explained there were no matching grants involved or other requirements as they were administered through the Phoenix Urban Area and that was the proportion amount of funds set for Gilbert Police Department amongst all the valley agencies. Councilmember September asked if anyone could explain what happened to the particular funds if the grant was not accepted, and whether it would go back to the Federal Government to be applied toward the National debt or annual deficit. Chief Soelberg stated to his understanding the funds would go back to the agency for reallocation to existing members, and if there was no need for the funds, they would then be returned to the Federal Government for reallocation elsewhere within the country. Vice Mayor Yentes stated, “no one drop believes they are the fault of the flood”. Councilmember Tilque commended the previous Council for their oversight of how Federal funds were accepted and said one aspect continued from the previous Council was the consideration of acceptance of one-time grants or grants without long-term obligations for the Town. Vice Mayor Yentes remarked that in the hierarchy, long-term maintenance grants were indeed worse. Mayor Peterson pointed out Councilmember September’s question about “strings attached” and commented that the current Council had been extra careful to watch each grant to avoid any unintended consequences. She addressed Councilmember Anderson’s question regarding the follow up maintenance associated with the grant 15 and reiterated the costs were only associated with the life of the vehicles and they would eventually be out of service once they reached their end of life. A MOTION was made by Mayor Peterson, seconded by Councilmember Tilque, to approve Item 25. Motion carried 5-2, with Vice Mayor Yentes and Councilmember Hendrix casting the dissenting votes. 26. GRANT – consider: a) application and acceptance of a grant, Contract No. 322000300, from Governor's Office of Highway Safety Prop 207 Grant for the purchase of three Traffic and DUI Enforcement Motorcycles in an amount not to exceed $100,000; and b) a Contingency Transfer to the FY2023 Grant Contingency Fund in the amount of $100,000 for anticipated expenditures and matching revenues. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 27. GRANT – consider application of pass-through 12% Gaming Contribution Grant from the Gila River Indian Community and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents of: a) Contract No. 322000280 with Pawsitive Friendships in the amount of $150,000 to support staffing for the School Animal Assisted Programs; and b) Contract No. 322000293 with Gilbert Historical Society, Inc. (dba HD SOUTH, Home of the Gilbert Historical Museum) in the amount of $100,000 to expand its programs and activities. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 16 28. FEES - consider adoption of the System Development Fee Schedules for Water System Development Fees, pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) Section 9- 463.05, to be effective June 20, 2022. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 29. FINAL PLAT S20-16 - consider approval of the final plat for Waterston Central - Phase 1, located south and west of the southwest corner of Ocotillo Road and Val Vista Drive. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 30. FINAL PLAT S21-07 - consider approval of the final plat for Lamb Lane, located at the southeast corner of Sandstone Street and Ray Road. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 31. HUMAN RESOURCES – consider adoption of a Resolution temporarily amending Personnel Rules to allow for an increase in the allowable maximum fiscal year carry- forward for vacation leave amounts for FY2023. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. Resolution No. 4270 was adopted. 32. HUMAN RESOURCES - consider approval of: a) a Contingency Transfer from the General Fund to the Health Trust Fund in the amount of $2,000,000 for the utilization of remaining CARES funds to help offset COVID-related costs; and b) use of CIP Capital Improvement Project Contingency Fund to increase the claims expenditure budget by $2,000,000 utilizing the CARES revenues. 17 Vice Mayor Yentes discussed Items 32 and 33, stating the initial allocations of the CARES funds were examined and determined by a subcommittee to identify priorities in distributing funds for various business programs, and she was concerned that they had not received any feedback from Economic Development since that time. She suggested reconnecting with the business community and the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce to reevaluate how their needs had changed and to determine what was the best use of the remaining funds to directly benefit the taxpayers, businesses and citizens. Councilmember Koprowski stated the funds had been available to the business community for over a year and had been underutilized, adding she felt the proposed use of funds was appropriate as it reduced the burden on the Town and Gilbert employees. She elaborated to illustrate that the relief provided would ultimately flow down to taxpayers and, if not paid for in that manner, it would be paid by other means, but the proposed manner was in alignment with the overall intent of the CARES funds; therefore, she was in favor of the item. Councilmember September asked for additional details of the #GilbertTogether Business Recovery Program and how the funds were originally intended to be spent, noting it was an amazing three-tiered program and he was still hearing about the program from the business community. He mentioned he would be in support of at least one of the presented items as it was a one-time fund that addressed the impacts of COVID and would help alleviate the impending 15% increase to employee health insurance premiums, and added though the Town was self-insured and 80- 85% of the costs would be absorbed by the Town, the relief to employees would be helpful. He noted that Gilbert was in a similar position to many other towns and cities, and even businesses, finding it hard to attract and retain talented employees. Vice Mayor Yentes reiterated her point that no reassessment of the business community had been done to determine what the needs were, adding the Town was not in a unique position and businesses themselves were also struggling with 18 increased costs associated with paying time and rising healthcare premiums. She suggested reevaluating those issues within the business community prior to the Town reabsorbing the fund resources. Economic Development Director Henderson explained the program design was comprised of short-term (business grants), mid-term (low-interest loans), and long- term support (technical assistance) for the business community. He explained the long-term support was still active, and the funds to support that assistance came from unutilized funds from the mid-term, low-interest loans, as they did not receive as much interest from the community as anticipated. Councilmember September confirmed with Economic Development Director Henderson that the long-term technical assistance component of the program was still active and asked what the original allocated dollar amount was for the program and how much was still available in the fund. Economic Development Director Henderson responded that $18,000,000 was initially allocated to the program and approximately $80,000 remained. Councilmember Tilque provided a calculation summary stating that if all funds were allocated prior to the proposed request there would be $5,600,000 remaining; if the item was accepted, there would be $1,360,000 remaining; therefore, the proposed $800,000 budget would possibly allow them to explore additional programs to expand the long-term effort with the $1,360,000. Vice Mayor Yentes commented that the program strategy was developed at a specific point in time and since over a year had passed, the long-term needs of the community could have drastically changed. She noted more recent supply chain issues, increasing inflation and labor shortages. She suggested meeting with the Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders for feedback prior to additional funds allocation, as there was specific direction for the funds initially determined by the collaboration with those groups. Councilmember Tilque asked if for a reset for the business community, would Vice Mayor Yentes be anticipating looking at the full 19 $5,600,000 remaining in the fund, or would she be willing to consider the $1,360,000 to see what additional programs could come of that. Vice Mayor Yentes responded that the needed amount could indeed be less, but the initial process to determine the needs of the funds was conducted via consistent surveys and was a holistic approach to determine the top priorities, and now they were not sure why certain matters were rising to the surface and not others. Councilmember Tilque advised that the proposed items were a result of staff being asked to identify one-time monies for a one-time issue at the Town Council Spring Financial Retreat, which was why the item was being presented at the time and if the Council was not comfortable with that, then staff needed to be given redirection in a timely fashion. Vice Mayor Yentes stated her suggestion would be to reset the Gilbert Town Council AZCares Subcommittee. Councilmember September asked when the possible 15% increase to employee health insurance premiums would manifest. Chief People Officer Williams stated that the enrollment period ran to the end of the fiscal year and, the new plan changes would take effect at the start of the next fiscal year; thus the changes would take effect the first pay period of July. Councilmember September asked if there was enough time to reevaluate the remaining CARES funds as he was unsure if there was still a need based on tax receipts, income, and the issues that were presented at the time but may not be current. He also asked Vice Mayor Yentes if she was suggesting getting the subcommittee back together to look at the concerns of the business community and if additional fund allocations to the long-term technical assistance program was needed. Vice Mayor Yentes confirmed she would like to reevaluate the remaining funds as they were servicing different populations and noted the process needed a refresh. Chief People Officer Williams clarified that though the effective date of the plan changes were at the start of the next fiscal year, the window for finalizing the open 20 enrollment period was a much smaller window and the recommended premium changes and pricing were expected to be presented to Council at the next Town Council Meeting ahead of the May 2022 open enrollment period. Councilmember September confirmed that the timeline was more critical than assumed, they could not wait until July to decide and needed a more immediate decision. Chief People Officer Williams agreed. Councilmember Tilque pointed out one of the drives of cost for health insurance premiums was the last year’s usage; she noted that usage was high last year due to COVID and some of the funds were used to help deal with the cost of COVID, thus a reason an increase in premiums was being observed. Vice Mayor Yentes concurred and added she believed the business community was contending with the same issue. Councilmember Koprowski asked for staff input as to how the funds would be procured if passed down to user fees if not funded via the CARES funds. Office of Management and Budget Director Pfost explained if the CARES funds were not used for environmental services fees and fleet projects there would be two options: to find another funding source or to keep the enterprise funds self-sufficient, which would require an area rate increase. She added there would likely not be enough funds to stay above the minimum balance for the entirety of Fiscal Year 2023 and they would need to start a rate study immediately to have it in place by the end of next fiscal year. Vice Mayor Yentes asked for clarification on Part B of Item 32 relating to the use of Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Contingency Funds. Office of Management and Budget Director Pfost responded there was not enough contingency funds budgeted in another area, but the CIP Contingency Funds could be used anywhere needed in the Town so long as the revenue source was identified. She added that the CARES funds would be identified as the revenue source for the item, which would allow for the budget authority to move the funds as needed. 21 Vice Mayor Yentes asked how much was in the CIP Contingency Fund. Office of Management and Budget Director Pfost stated $100,000,000 was budgeted in the fund each year and was used to the Council’s discretion and explained that once a preliminary budget was adopted in Arizona it could not be increased so flexibility was needed. Vice Mayor Yentes asked if theoretically a certain portion of the $100,000,000 could be used to shore up the Enterprise Fund or the Health Trust Fund. Office of Management and Budget Director Pfost responded that the $100,000,000 fund for the particular contingency did not have the funds in the bank to back up its budgetary authority expenditure authority and each use of the funds required listing the revenue source, unlike the General Contingency Fund, which did keep funds in the bank. Councilmember Anderson stated he had understood from a staff briefing that the items did fall within the parameters of the CARES funds for the Town but would like to know if that was not the case, and added that whatever the action of the Council be, it should be done in a timely fashion as other communities were being criticized for not using the CARES funds. Councilmember September noted item 32 was time sensitive so he would motion to approve the item. A MOTION was made by Councilmember September, seconded by Councilmember Anderson, to approve Item 32. Motion carried 5-2, with Vice Mayor Yentes and Councilmember Hendrix casting the dissenting votes. 33. BUDGET – consider approval of a Contingency Transfer utilizing CARES Funds as the designated funding source in the amount of $1,000,000 for the South Area Service Center Fleet Maintenance Facility Project, Project No. MF2350. Item 33 was partially discussed with Item 32. Councilmember Koprowski commented the purpose of the CARES funds was to benefit Town residents which was initially done by providing grants for discounted programs through the Parks and Recreation Department. She added that approving 22 the item would be a benefit, as paying $1,000,000 toward environmental services would reduce the rate increase for the Enterprise fund; therefore, she was in favor of the item. Councilmember Tilque stated she agreed with Vice Mayor Yentes’ request to revisit the process for allocating remaining funds and asked how that direction needed to be conveyed to staff, whether a formal motion was required. Town Manager Banger confirmed the direction given via the item discussion was sufficient. Mayor Peterson thanked the Council, Staff, Town Manager Banger and Town Attorney Payne for participating in the discussions; she added employees and residents would be affected by the projects and she appreciated the input received. A MOTION was made by Councilmember Koprowski, seconded by Councilmember Tilque, to approve Item 33. Motion carried 5-2, with Vice Mayor Yentes and Councilmember Hendrix casting the dissenting votes. 34. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – consider acceptance of the resignation of Rebecca Hill from the Parks and Recreation Board, effective March 29, 2022. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 35. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – consider acceptance of the resignation of Sean Des Portes from the Planning Commission, effective March 29, 2022. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 36. COUNCIL ADMINISTRATION - consider approval of the following modification to the Meeting Schedule for Calendar Year 2022: a) May 10, 2022 Regular Meeting rescheduled to May 17, 2022. 23 This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. 37. MINUTES - consider approval of the minutes of the Regular Meeting of February 22, 2022; Special Meetings of February 22, 2022 and March 3, 2022; and Spring Financial Retreat of March 3, 2022. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar vote. PUBLIC HEARING Mayor Peterson opened the public hearing for items 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45. No one wished to speak and Mayor Peterson closed the public hearing. A MOTION was made by Councilmember September, seconded by Councilmember Tilque, to approve public hearing items 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, and 44; and to continue Item 45 to the April 12, 2022 Council meeting. Motion carried 7-0. 38. LIQUOR LICENSE – conduct hearing and consider approval of a Series 7 Beer and Wine Store Alcohol License for Beer Barn, located at 3150 East Ray Road, Suite 150. This item was approved with the Public Hearing Vote. 39. LIQUOR LICENSE – conduct hearing and consider approval of a Series 12 Restaurant Alcohol License for Rocky's Got Pizza, located at 4984 South Power Road, Suite 103. This item was approved with the Public Hearing Vote. 40. LIQUOR LICENSE – conduct hearing and consider approval of a Series 12 Restaurant Alcohol License for Cafe De Bangkok, located at 1111 North Gilbert Road, Suite 101. 24 This item was approved with the Public Hearing Vote. 41. DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT – consider adoption of a Resolution approving a Development Reimbursement and Lien Agreement with USCIF Hopewell Gateway 202 Phase II Owner LLC for the design and construction of a traffic signal at Warner Road and Swan Drive, and authorize the Mayor to execute the required documents. This item was approved with the Public Hearing vote. Resolution No. 4271 was adopted. 42. ZONING Z21-11 - conduct hearing and consider approval of the findings and adoption of an Ordinance for Bell Bank at Mercy Center PAD Amendment to amend Ordinance No. 2797 to amend the Mercy Center Planned Area Development (PAD) for approximately 2.51 acres, generally located at the southeast corner of Val Vista Drive and Mercy Road, and zoned General Commercial (GC) PAD with a Planned Area Development overlay. This item was approved with the Public Hearing Vote. Ordinance No. 2819 was adopted. 43. PROPERTY ACQUISITION – conduct hearing and consider adoption of a Resolution approving the acquisition of right-of-way and easements for Parcel Nos. 304-71-051G, 304-71-063F, 304-71-051A, 304-71-051L, 304-71-080, 304-71-081B, 304-71-064E, 304-71-065, 304-71-015C, 304-71-017C, 304-71-068D, 304-71-012C, 304-71-047, 304-71-046B, 304-71-046C, 304-71-046H, 304-71-046E, 304-71-026B, 304-71-026D, 304-71-027B, 304-71-027A, 304-71-029E, 304-71-029F, 304-71-028F, 304-71-028C, 304-71-028E, 304-71-118, 304-71-119, 304-71-120, 313-07-959, 304- 71-861, 304-71-859, 304-71-030D, 304-71-022D, 304-71-023D, 304-71-023E, 304- 71-022B, 304-71-058, 304-71-087, 304-71-086, 304-71-041H, 304-71-041G, 304-71- 114, 304-71-097, 304-71-096, 304-71-041E, 304-71-042A, 304-71-043, 304-71-048D, 304-71-048C, 304-71-048F, 304-71-048A, 304-71-048G, 304-71-039D, 304-71-039C, 25 304-71-038C, 304-71-038D, 304-71-038H, 304-71-040, 304-71-049C, 304-71-025A, 304-71-116A, 304-71-033, 304-71-035B, 304-71-035A, 304-71-112E, 304-71-018W, 304-76-010C, 304-71-084, 304-71-085, 304-71-021D, 304-71-021E, 304-71-112B, 304-71-089B, 304-71-984, 304-71-020Q, 304-71-980, 304-71-083B, 304-71-074C, 304-71-001D, 304-71-061H, 304-71-062E, 304-71-066, 304-71-052C, 304-71-052A, 304-71-052E, 304-71-052F, 304-71-054F, 304-71-054C, 304-71-054D, 304-71-053A, 304-71-053C, 304-71-053D, 304-71-002Z, 304-71-091, 304-71-093C, 304-71-093B, 313-07-957, 304-71-093B, 313-08-946, 304-71-100N, 304-71-100M, 304-71-100L, 304-71-100A, 304-71-104A, 304-71-104B, 304-71-104C, 304-71-104D, 304-71-100P, 304-71-100J, 304-71-100C, 304-71-101C, 304-71-101D, 304-71-102A, 304-71-102D, 304-71-102B, 304-71-102C, 304-71-103G, 304-71-103H, 304-71-103E, 304-71-103F, 304-71-339, 304-71-338, 304-71-059F, 304-71-059G, 304-71-863D, 304-71-867, 304-71-101D, 304-71-111E, 304-71-111H, 304-71-070C, 304-71-071E, and 304-71- 071G, for the Tankersley Area V Waterline Replacement, Project No. WA1320. This item was approved with the Public Hearing vote. Resolution No. 4272 was adopted. 44. PROPERTY ACQUISITION – conduct hearing and consider adoption of a Resolution approving the acquisition of right-of-way and easement for Parcel Nos. 304-09-106, 304-09-107, 304-09-108, 304-09-127, 304-09-128, 304-09-129, and 304-09-130, for the design and construction of a multi-use pathway along the Western Powerline Trail - Phase IV, Project No. PR0620. This item was approved with the Public Hearing vote. Resolution No. 4273 was adopted. 45. CODE OF GILBERT - conduct hearing and consider adoption of an Ordinance amending the Code of Gilbert, Arizona, by amending Chapter 10 Buildings and Construction Regulations, Article II Technical Codes, Section 10-41 Adoption of the Standards for Encroachment of Structures into the Public Right-of-Way, and Article VI Public Works, Section 10-202 Adoption of Town of Gilbert’s Public Works and 26 Engineering Standards, the Supplement to MAG Uniform Standard Details for Public Works Construction, and the Supplement to MAG Uniform Standard Specifications for Public Works Construction related to Standards of Public Works in the Town. This item was continued to the April 12, 2022 Council meeting. Ordinance No. 2820 was not adopted. ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS 46. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – consider appointment of two regular members to the Parks and Recreation Board, with one partial term beginning March 29, 2022 and ending May 12, 2023; and another partial term beginning March 29, 2022 and ending May 12, 2024. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar. Appointed to the Parks and Recreation Board as regular members were Whitney Pitt with a partial term beginning March 29, 2022 and ending May 12, 2023 and Florence Daniels, with a partial term beginning March 29, 2022 and ending May 12, 2024. 47. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – consider appointment of one regular member to the Redevelopment Commission, with a partial term beginning March 29, 2022 and ending October 31, 2025. This item was approved with the Consent Calendar. Adam Baugh was appointed to the Redevelopment Commission as a regular member with a partial term ending October 31, 2025. 48. BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – consider appointment of one regular member to the Self-Insured Trust Board, with a partial term beginning March 29, 2022 and ending September 30, 2023. 27 This item was approved with the Consent Calendar. Constance Lemere was appointed to the Self-Insured Trust Board as a regular member with a partial term ending September 30, 2023. 49. COUNCIL ADMINISTRATION - consider approval of a 5% inflationary adjustment for town employees to take effect in April 2022. Assistant Town Manager Prince presented on Recruitment and Retention Strategies, identifying the objective of providing meaningful potential strategies for the Town in the challenging market. She listed some of the market factor challenges currently faced and highlighted economist-identified trends such as the “great resignation, “great promotion” and increased inflation, adding that employees had more ability to move between organizations and to work remotely, which changed employee expectations. She stated that as the Town had struggled with recruitment and retention, they conferred with peer organizations that had made organizational changes in reaction to the market, including hiring incentives, bonuses, extra paid time off, as well as department-specific and organization-wide adjustments. She noted on average a 6-10% range for market and annual adjustments were being observed, but it was important to look at what made sense for the Town in terms of how Gilbert was being affected and what approaches were appropriate. Assistant Town Manager Prince listed some affecting factors such as turnover, job vacancies, recruitment challenges and employee burnout. She provided facts and figures to illustrate turnover and vacancy percentages were increasing, specifically a 3.7% increase in turnover for the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2022 and approximately an 11.5% increase in vacancies Town-wide for the month of March 2022. She identified specific departments that were more heavily affected, such as the Environmental Services Department struggling to retain drivers as there were a lot of employment opportunities with higher pay. She explained that with all those elements in mind, a cross-departmental team was created to discuss the challenges and suggest administrative and policy changes that could be made in the “now”, the mid-term and the long-term. She reported that the main impacting factors identified 28 by the team were vacancy and recruitment challenges, employee burnout challenges, employees being unable to use accrued vacation time and expanding competition. Assistant Town Manager Prince addressed the challenges by highlighting that the Town had tried to be reactive to the changes and current approaches consisted of increased frequency of benchmarking for high-risk roles, utilizing faster, broader and more efficient recruitment strategies, and looking at how to refresh the Town’s reputation for retention by exploring stay-interviews and increased communication for pay for performance, budgeting and other policies. She continued to illustrate the “now” recommendation of a 5% inflationary adjustment for Town employees to take effect in April 2022, separate from the annual pay for performance process and regular sworn employee evaluation cycles. Assistant Town Manager Prince noted the intention was to be a multifaceted process, as other agenda items that were presented at the meeting also intended to minimize impacts to employees regarding medical coverage increases and not taking paid time off. She identified the near and long-term approaches as one-time funding incentives for referral, coverage and trainings, as well as enhancing training and communication avenues and highlighting opportunities to celebrate what made the Town great, specifically the Town employees. She commented they felt the item would be beneficial considering the challenges presented as well as inflationary pressures. Vice Mayor Yentes asked what the associated cost was. Assistant Town Manager Prince replied that the recommended 5% adjustment was within the current operational budget; therefore there would not be any requests for additional funding, beside a contingency request of less than $25,000 for the Street Fund at the ability of the Budget Director. Office of Management and Budget Director Pfost added pay increases were budgeted for all funds each year so the proposed item would be attributed to the Fiscal Year 2022, and in Fiscal Year 2023 the cost for performance would be included but done earlier in the year, thus only one pay increase for each 29 year. She elaborated that though the Fiscal Year 2022 increase was higher than usual, as they typically planned for 3-3.5% in the budget, there were vacancy savings from earlier in the year that would allow for accommodations for the current fiscal year. Vice Mayor Yentes asked if the recommendation would be made for the Fiscal Year 2023 as well. Office of Management and Budget Director Pfost explained the financial workout would be the 5% adjustment across the board instead of the typical use of funds for pay for performance, then the pay for performance would be done at the beginning of the next fiscal year. Mayor Peterson affirmed statements made by Assistant Town Manager Prince regarding employees being the key to the community and accomplishing all the Town does, and added she was encouraged to see the cross-departmental team and other employees presenting their ideas to her and Town Manager Banger. She commended employees for trying to find ways to help as that spoke volumes to Town culture, and she acknowledged that many employees were trying to find ways to live within their means and some people were seeing large impacts to their everyday budget, especially employees that may be new to the Town or were at the lower-level of their pay scale. She added that though not everyone’s story could be known, she felt the adjustment was one way of showing employees how appreciated they were for what they did daily, and how appreciative she was for their participation in presenting their ideas for the recommendations. Assistant Town Manager Prince supported Mayor Peterson’s comments and added how impressive the team was in sharing their ideas and solutions and she was excited to see the team to continue the process. Councilmember Anderson asked if the 5% inflationary adjustment was at the top of the list of incentives suggested by the team, and asked what other incentives cities were providing. Assistant Town Manager Prince explained that items were not necessarily ranked and were more so compared to what other cities were doing, was viable for Gilbert, and ways to remain competitive. She highlighted some of the 30 incentives seen by other cities included hiring incentives, end of program incentives, and other incentives based on situational needs and ways to retain employees. She added that remaining competitive and showing appreciation for employees that worked hard everyday was a key way of showing Gilbert Employees were valued and would encourage recruitment and retention. Councilmember Anderson concurred by stating the Town had lost its Transportation Manager that day. Councilmember Tilque stated it was her understanding that the item was a short- term ask and the conversation with employees would be ongoing to demonstrate the importance of what employees did, how they were valued, and how the culture could be enhanced. Assistant Town Manager Prince confirmed the conversation would continue with potential additional budgetary adjustments for the next year. Vice Mayor Yentes stated she was disappointed that the recommendations were presented as a blanket approach and, based on feedback at the Spring Financial Retreat expected they would be presented with specific, acute issues being faced by certain departments, and she was unsure if the presented recommendations addressed those issues. She suggested exploring a more strategic approach for targeted solutions, as higher-level employees may not be facing the same challenges of others such as commuting costs, rising food costs and other issues. She added she was seeking additional information whether the considerations to combat challenges were department driven, pay driven or if there were other options available, and was surprised there was no Study Session or other feedback on the matter prior to the item presented at the meeting. Assistant Town Manager Prince responded that the team was looking to tackle the other challenges but had found they were more in-depth than anticipated and required more vetting before being presented to the Council. She commented there were more recommendations to come as they moved forward in the process. Vice Mayor Yentes agreed with Assistant Town Manager Prince that the issues were complex, acknowledging there was no easy solution and every industry was facing similar challenges as they worked to provide meaningful solutions. 31 Councilmember September asked how people the Town employed. Assistant Town Manager Prince responded there were roughly 1,600 Town Employees. Councilmember September added a final comment to provide employment context compared to surrounding cities. He compared the Town of Gilbert to the City of Mesa, stating there were roughly twice as many residents in Mesa but approximately three-times as many employees to service the population when compared to Gilbert. He noted those figures spoke to the culture of how hard Gilbert employees worked and how the Town may be more heavily impacted by some of the discussed aspects, such as losing a driver, when Gilbert did not run operationally heavy with employees. He added those factors were part of the reason Gilbert had the lowest cost with the highest level of services for any jurisdiction in the Phoenix Metro area. A MOTION was made by Councilmember Koprowski, seconded by Councilmember Tilque, to approve Item 49. Motion carried 5-2, with Vice Mayor Yentes and Councilmember Hendrix casting the dissenting votes. 50. BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES - reports from Council Liaisons for the: a) Council Subcommittees b) Ad Hoc Committees c) Regional Meetings d) Industrial Development Authority e) Judicial Selection and Advisory Board f) Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee g) Parks and Recreation Board h) Planning Commission i) Police and Fire Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) Local Pension Boards j) Redevelopment Commission k) Town of Gilbert, AZ Deferred Compensation Trust Board 32 l) Town of Gilbert, AZ Public Facilities Municipal Property Corporation m) Town of Gilbert, AZ Self-Insured Trust Fund Board n) Town of Gilbert, AZ Water Resources Municipal Property Corporation o) Utilities Board p) Veterans Advisory Board Councilmember Tilque provided updates regarding the Town of Gilbert Sister Cities Friendship Garden, stating thanks to the Parks and Recreation Team the grand opening was planned for May 20, 2022 and Councillor Billy Webb and Alderman Mark Cosgrove of Antrim-Newtownabbey would be in attendance, noting more details were to follow. She added that the Community Engagement Task Force was seated and would have their first meeting in May 2022 to discuss different topics and to identify gaps in services in the Town and that the meeting was open to the public whom she hoped would attend to be educated with the Task Force as they progressed into the solution phase. POLICY ITEMS None. FUTURE MEETINGS There was no discussion. COMMUNICATIONS Report from the TOWN MANAGER on current events. Town Manager Banger congratulated Project Supervisor Jeanne Jensen on being nominated by her peers and selected by a committee of industry representatives for the Engineer of the Year Award from the AZ Water Association, the Arizona Chapter of the American Water Works Association. He elaborated that the award was 33 established in 2004 to recognize exceptional engineers for their significant contributions to the water and wastewater industry and to the AZ Water Association and its associated agencies. Mayor Peterson also expressed her congratulations to Project Supervisor Jensen by commenting that she was amazing, and it was great that she was recognized by her peers. Town Manager Banger thanked the Water Resources Team including, Water Resources Manager Lauren Hixson, Water Resources Conservation Coordinator Heather Turrentine, and Conservation Specialists Cody Contner, Gina Damato and Jeff Lee for hosting the 11th Annual Water Festival in partnership with the Arizona Project WET. He noted the event reached 14 different Gilbert Public Schools, over 39 teachers and over 1,000 fourth-grade students, with 45 community volunteers over a three-day span to teach students about the water cycle, watersheds, underground water and conservation technology, and thanked all involved in leaving a lasting impression of deeper understanding of the importance of water in Arizona. Town Manager Banger expressed his gratitude to the 1,600 Town of Gilbert Employees for their hard work and to the Council for their support in continuing to work toward retaining talented employees and attracting new employees that would fill the gaps of the record growth the community was experiencing. Report from the COUNCIL on current events. There were no reports. Report from the MAYOR on current events. Mayor Peterson congratulated Interim Assistant Town Manager—Parks and Recreation Director Robert Carmona and the Parks and Recreation Team on the Cactus Yards third straight year recognition for the Outstanding Park of the Year Award, having received ten out of ten scores in every category by the United States Specialty Sports Association. She thanked participating staff members, Fire Chief 34 Jim Jobusch, Assistant Police Chief Michael Angstead, Police Chief Michael Soelberg, Interim Assistant Town Manager—Parks and Recreation Director Robert Carmona, Town Manager Patrick Banger, Chief Performance Officer Nikki McCarty, Vice Mayor Yentes, Councilmembers Anderson, Koprowski, and September for attending the Mayor’s Annual State of the Town Address on Thursday, March 24, 2022, and Assistant Fire Chief Bob Badgett for bringing the ambulance. She also thanked the Town of Gilbert Water Team for responding to letters from sixth- graders from Playa del Rey Elementary School by going to the school to teach the students about water usage and drought. She added her enjoyment in interacting with the students as well and answering questions about being Mayor and about the Town itself. She also wished Councilmember Koprowski a happy birthday. ADJOURN Mayor Peterson adjourned meeting at 8:23 p.m. ATTEST: ___________________________ ___________________________________ Brigette Peterson, Mayor Chaveli Herrera, 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 29th day of March, 2022. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. Dated this ____ day of ____________________2022. 35 ___________________________________ Chaveli Herrera, Town Clerk 36