Council Regular/Special Meeting

MINUTES OF THE GILBERT TOWN COUNCIL, IN SPECIAL MEETING, FALL COUNCIL RETREAT – DAY 1 OF THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2022 AT 10:30 AM, SOUTHEAST REGIONAL LIBRARY, 775 N. GREENFIELD ROAD, GILBERT, ARIZONA COUNCIL PRESENT: Mayor Brigette Peterson, Councilmembers Scott Anderson, Yung Koprowski, Scott September, and Kathy Tilque COUNCIL ABSENT: Vice Mayor Aimee Yentes and Councilmember Laurin Hendrix STAFF PRESENT: Town Manager Patrick Banger, Deputy Town Clerk Judy Martinez, Town Attorney Christopher Payne, Assistant Town Manager Mary Goodman, Assistant Town Manager Dawn Prince, Assistant Town Manager Leah Rhineheimer, Water Resources Manager Lauren Hixson, Water Manager Rebecca Hamel, Public Works Director Jessica Marlow, Capital Project Supervisor Jeanne Jensen, Development Services Director Kyle Mieras, Fire Chief Rob Duggan, and Police Chief Michael Soelberg OTHERS PRESENT: Councilmembers-elect Bobbi Buchli, Chuck Bongiovanni, and Jim Torgeson AGENDA ITEM CALL TO ORDER Mayor Peterson called the meeting to order at 10:46 a.m. AGENDA ITEMS 1 1. Welcome and Opening Remarks from Town Manager Patrick Banger Town Manager Banger welcomed everyone, including the three Councilmembers-elect who were present. He encouraged everyone to be casual and to ask questions at any time, but to remain courtesy and respectful. He discussed the population and build-out of Gilbert. He noted the trying times that the were being seen across the country, noting Gilbert was not immune to that. He discussed efforts to make sure Gilbert residents maintained their quality of life after build-out, and said he looked forward to working with the Council on those topics and issues. He discussed a likely Tier 3 implementation of water conversation and how the community would need to decide how to handle and respond to those needs, adding it faulty thinking to believe that they would not be in Tier 2 in August. He discussed inflation, stating it was creating issues with projects, and noted the tight labor market and a need for creative solutions. He discussed Gilbert’s staffing being down and vacancies in the Information Technology (IT) Department as Gilbert continued to struggle with staffing challenges. He discussed demands in workforce but said though they were problems, they were good problems; there were more challenging issues that other communities were dealing with. 2. Water Supply and Conservation Water Resources Manager Hixson provided a Colorado River Update and Overview that included a summary of Gilbert’s water supply, Central Arizona Project (CAP) portfolio review, Colorado River conditions, impacts and mitigation strategies, supply and production limitations, well prioritization, and next steps. She said Gilbert’s Long Range Portfolio was made up of 29% CAP, 29% Salt River Project (SRP), 23% groundwater, 15% reclaimed water, and 4% other surface water. She said in 2021 Gilbert met its potable water demands with 34% Salt River supplies directly from the treatment plant, 38% CAP water directly from the treatment plant, and 28% of water pumped for Gilbert’s wells. She said the overall portfolio was made up several different contracts and agreements for various volumes and priorities of CAP water. She said most of the supplies were higher priority and the majority of the CAP water was treated at the Santan Vista Water Treatment Plant. She discussed Lake Powell and Lake Mead as the major Colorado River Basin and major 2 reservoirs. She highlighted the lower Colorado River priorities and said Arizona had a lower priority status at 2.8 Million Acre Feet (MAF). She discussed current winter runoff projections and that Tier 2A level was expected for August 2023 and Tier 3 was most probable in 2024. She discussed Lake Powell levels and operations and how it would impact Lake Mead. She said if Lake Powell could not deliver 7 MAF, it would continue to drop. She said it was a downward trend toward dead pool; if the releases from Lake Powell were lower, they would continue to see the trend decline in Lake Mead. She highlighted projections, stating the Tier 2A shortage declared for 2023 and previous actions were not enough and that significant reduction by all users in 2023 were needed to stabilize the reservoirs. She noted that basin State negotiations had yet to result in certainty for 2023 and that reclamation had taken some steps, but had yet to make mandatory reductions. She added it was certain that there will be less Colorado River in the future and there was a need to continue to prepare, manage, and invest in water resources and infrastructure. She discussed what it would mean for Gilbert: Stage 1 was water education, Stage 2 was demand and reduction facilitation, Stage 3 was demand reduction requirements, and Stage 4 was demand curtailment. She highlighted each stage and said it was time to enact water supply reduction management plan, noting Stage 2 would likely occur in mid-2023 and discussed best and worst case scenarios. Water Manager Hamel discussed transitioning from water resources to water production, or the physical ability to produce water. She discussed the current drinking water production capacity with a maximum day demand of 78 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) and a ratio of 75%. She said with a potential CAP shortage there could be a 97.5% ratio. She highlighted ratios with additional well production, long-term CAP shortage production, shortage tiers with the current demand, and future production. She discussed shortage tiers in the current demand, approaching Stage 4, but said Gilbert was still growing. She discussed the resiliency supplies for 12 MGD, stating they needed additional supplies to keep them out of long-term shortage. She provided a summary of 12 MGD short-term gap, 24 MGD long term gap, three year construction timeline. She discussed supply limitations and existing well inventory zones stating Zone 1 had nine wells, Zone 2 had five wells, Zone 3 had four wells, and Zone 4 had one well. She discussed the need and areas 3 for more well capacity. She discussed acceleration of existing well projects, stating each well was designed to 2 MGD capacity and a well typically took three years to complete. Water Resources Manager Hixson summarized the Colorado River shortage strategy. She said Gilbert was evaluating potential impacts of additional reductions to its Colorado River Supply and continue to look for innovative and attainable solutions through operational resiliency, long-term portfolio sustainability, and water conservation and efficiency. She said to expect Stage 2 with a date to be determined, accelerated requests for Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) projects, additional CIP staff needs, conservation tools for customers, and continued interest from the public with staff support provided for inquiries. Councilmember Anderson discussed the emphasis on the importance of reclamation. He said the only way to do it was if the seven basin states worked together, but he said some states did not care in the upper basin. He said some states thought it was not their problem but needed to understand the need to work together, adding he did not know what the communities could do locally to help. Mayor Peterson clarified that by “reclamation” that Councilmember Anderson meant The Federal Bureau of Reclamation. Councilmember Anderson affirmed; Mayor Peterson said Federal was key word, which made it a lot harder. Councilmember Tilque talked about moving CIP projects up and asked about the cost for wells; Water Manager Hamel replied $9,000,000 per well. Councilmember Tilque thanked the team for their presentation and said she appreciated the information that was being shared with residents. Mayor Peterson agreed that residents were asking for the information. Public Works Director Marlow confirmed that the cost component was $9,000,000 per well, adding there were a couple in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that were funded but 4 there was a gap currently for FY 2024. She said staff would be bringing those forward in the Spring to talk about rates to help close the gap. Councilmember Anderson and Water Resources Manager Hixson discussed State legislation and Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA). Hixson said WIFA legislation was getting traction for now, but they did not know the budget amount but some of that money could be used regionally for projects. Mayor Peterson noted learning about WIFA, as well as rebates and how the Town was offering the smart controller rebate and water efficiency checks with residents. Water Resources Manager Hixson said those requests were coming in often and there was also use of automated metering implementation that would use real time data to see leaks. Mayor Peterson asked if someone had an issue of overwatering and leaks could they use the Gilbert 311 system. Hixson said yes, 311 could be used throughout the Town and they could also follow up with residents on tools, rebates, and how to find a leak. Assistant Town Manager Goodman said in addition to water checks, there were how-to videos so residents could do the checks on their own or learn what to look for leaks. Councilmember Koprowski discussed individual users who were at 12% and asked how they were targeted. Water Resources Manager Hixson said there were those individual users and they were having a lot of communication with them to be more efficient and offer education, adding the higher level water users were also paying the higher rate. Town Manager Banger said one challenge with a mostly affluent community was that many would be fine paying the higher rate, which he said was not really acceptable and they still needed to reduce usage. Water Resources Manager Hixson discussed how the Town had already conserved water in the past and how they had worked with homeowners’ associations (HOAs). 5 Mayor Peterson also noted there was equipment and technology available now that helped with reduction, such as toilets that conserved water. Councilmember September left the meeting at approximately 11:45 a.m. 3. Public Works Advisory Board Town Manager Banger stated it was the request of the Council to consider the possibility of creating a Public Works Advisory Board. He spoke of the Citizens Transportation Task Force (CTTF) that was tasked with reviewing information for the transportation ballot issue, adding the Town was now considering how a new board could assist with different transportation, public works, and infrastructure needs. He said the ask was to consider the merits of and interest in creating that board type of board. He said infrastructure, utilities, and the environment were critical lines of service the organization and absolutely essential to the quality of life in Gilbert. He said the proposed primary areas of focus would be transportation systems, water treatment, wastewater treatment, reclaimed water, storm water, solid waste and recycling, hazardous waste, and sustainability. He said the Public Words Advisory Board was intended to be an advisory board that studied, assessed, and rendered advice on a full range of infrastructure, transportation, right of way, solid waste, recycling, hazardous waste, water treatment, wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and sustainability-related matters and make recommendations to the Mayor, Council, Town Management, and the Public Works Department. He said it would also provide another opportunity for valuable input and engagement with the community by bringing together people with different experiences and various levels of expertise and qualifications. He said it their thought was possibly seven members appointed by the Mayor and Council with professional backgrounds and experience in areas of focus, again only advisory in nature, all Gilbert residents with two year terms. He said the next steps based on the direction of the Council would be to establish a working group to further define the scope and role of the body; bring the recommended scope role, and duties to the Council during the Spring 2022 Strategic Retreat; interview and appoint board members around May or June 2023; and then activate and begin meeting with the board in Fiscal Year 2024. 6 Councilmember Anderson asked if the responsibility of the proposed board would be similar to the Redevelopment or Planning Commissions, like zoning cases, but with a particular project of infrastructure. Town Manager Banger stated they had not considered it that way, it would be like the board could meet with citizens on a proposed project like the Ocotillo Road Bridge Structure and come up with recommendations to the Council. Councilmember Anderson said it would have to be staffed; Town Manager Banger agreed and said they would look at working with staff from Public Works. Mayor Peterson said she would see it as sort of a combination between the Parks and Recreation Board and the Planning Commission, that the Parks and Recreation Board evaluated but did not make any final decisions. She said that the Planning Commission did have some specific scopes of work that they could do but then also make recommendations. She asked about specific qualifications of members. Town Manager Banger stated it was such a big scope, perhaps someone in civic engineering, transportation planning, water and wastewater. He said they would need to discuss scope and then look at member qualifications. Mayor Peterson asked if other cities had a similar board. Town Manager Banger stated yes, Maricopa had one and others. Councilmember Koprowski stated it may be valuable to have a member represent emergency response as well, noting that half of Gilbert’s budget was CIP projects. She said most of the Council did not have that depth of knowledge to give that extra perspective. She said it would also be valuable because people in the community may be more aware of national trends, adding she supported the new board to provide that extra layer of perspective. Mayor Peterson stated Council Koprowski would be a good liaison to the board. 7 Councilmember Tilque said she was curious how the board would interact with the community for the body. Town Manager Banger stated that could look at methods but it was a good way to engage the community. Mayor Peterson recommended three year terms to be consistent with most other boards, adding it was hard to get going and started. She also suggested staggering the initial terms. Councilmember Tilque stated it would be nice for the Councilmembers-elect to get into a habit of providing input as they prepare to be on the Council. Councilmember-elect Torgeson discussed if there should be people sitting on the board in those specific scopes of work. He said some were extremely specialized and asked if those people were available in Gilbert or would they need to look in other cities. Town Manager Banger said some things were specialized and it would be important to evaluate the size and scope of board, but he thought it would be possible to find in Gilbert. Town Attorney Payne noted the Town Code required that members be Gilbert residents. Mayor Peterson stated that they could still have specialists come in to help evaluate projects. Councilmember-elect Buchli stated she liked the idea. Councilmember-elect Bongiovanni stated he would be supportive of the idea to get more insights on issues. Town Manager Banger stated that having a body to get community input and to vet ideas would take some of the lift off of the Council or less burden on staff. Mayor Peterson spoke in support of a seven member body. 8 Councilmember Koprowski stated there may need to be nine members to cover all aspects. She said would be happy to be the liaison to the board and to help define details such as scope and members. Town Manager Banger stated they would bring back more information at the Spring Retreat. Mayor Peterson stated it may be difficult to appoint members in those positions in that short timeline. Deputy Clerk Martinez stated the Town would begin using a new software program soon to recruit and manage volunteers. She said that currently the application was only open if there were current board and commission vacancies, but said that the new program may be used to create interest and track potential qualified applicants ahead of time and then invite them to apply later. 4. North Water Treatment Plant (NWTP) Update Assistant Town Manager Rhineheimer offered a quote from Margaret Thatcher and spoke of the importance of infrastructure. She said one of Gilbert’s most significant pieces of infrastructure was Project No. WA1589, or the North Water Treatment Plant (NWTP), adding it was unable to meet system needs and that substantial investment was required. She said time was of the essence, that any delay risked system shortage and compliance. She said the project team honored the importance of meeting the community’s needs for safe, reliable, resilient water; fiscally responsible project management, and proactive communication. Capital Project Supervisor Jensen introduced herself and said it had been a while since she had been able to share information on this project with the Council. She reviewed the challenge statement: “The water division has exhausted the toolbox of operational and 9 facility optimization strategies at the NWTP to achieve compliance with drinking water standards and Safe-Yield requirements. A substantial investment is required.” She said the presentation would cover the initial challenge approach, business case development, project team development, implementing best value, cost and program recommendation, and upcoming milestones. Jensen said the NWTP served about 150,000 residents today and would serve about 250,000 residents at build-out. She said staff were focused on long-range best value and were collaborative with subject matter experts. She provided NTWP background of the service area, water production with projected demands of 55+ million gallons per day (MGD), and was an economic driver. She said it was the backbone and most resilient part of the water supply and was an economic driver for Gilbert areas that included the Heritage District, Gateway Employment Corridor, and the Banner Gateway Medical Center Campus. She discussed past efforts including an integrated water resources master plan in 2017/2018, a water quality master plan in 2018/2019, an NWTP condition assessment in 2018/2019, and in-house pilot testing from 2017-2021. She said the integrated water resources master plan required to reduce group water usage, then discussed the NWTP Ozone System Replacement, Project No. WA1290, stating a replacement was recommended and a $1,000,000 investment was needed, but asked if it was the right thing to do. She said optimization encouraged curiosity and why they decided on Ozone, why did they apply it where they did, and what to do now. She discussed decadal canal dry up and Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) system challenges. Jensen summarized the business case stated that Gilbert’s population required a compliance paradigm shift in 2022, the NWTP was not designed for ongoing and increasing challenges on the watershed, they needed to utilize the full allotment for the NWTP to reduce Central Arizona Project (CAP) and groundwater dependency, and NWTP needed at least $70,000,000 in rehab and was failing at twice the rate of industry standard. She said a stakeholder team was working to define the scope of the challenge and reiterated that the Water Division had exhausted the toolbox of operational and facility optimization strategies at the NWTP to achieve compliance with drinking water standards and Safe-Yield requirements. She said growth in the community required a new regulatory 10 approach with increased challenges meeting TTHM requirements. She showed a notice that went to residents about exceeding the limit of TTHM in the drinking water and said that growth required new approaches. She showed a comparison from 2018 to expected 2025 for Zone 1. She said the Team had kept the Town in compliance since, but it was an all hands on deck approach. Jensen stated the NWTP water was highly variable with the Salt River, Verde River, and well water, then noted that historically water changes were season but there were also catastrophic wildfire, drought, and other variables. She said the takeaway as that NWTP was designed during a substantially less volatile water portfolio. She summarized NWTP Long Range Strategies and documents, discussing the project development team, then summarized the thought process the staff went through to evaluate and vet each idea against certain conditions - did they achieve their objective, were groundwater credits protected, did it maximize public trust, etc. She said the project started during the height of the pandemic, stating the important detail was that everyone had to go through the development process with the progressive stakeholder team. Staff worked with technical advisors to come up with goals, objectives, and non-negotiables. She discussed different project development efforts and how everyone contributed. She defined cost and program direction and takeaways. She said staff had already generated 75 + ideas and during that the Value Engineering Process generated another 150+ ideas. She discussed cost pressure and said the Team was ahead of schedule for this process. She said there were pages and pages of every single idea, and said there was a sorting step added, a full evaluation. She said everything was captured in the design evolution log, then summarized core takeaways. She highlighted the cost model summaries of balanced, scope, and capital, stating the only model that could do that was the balanced model – following the original project objectives, system by stem evaluation for efficiencies, and balanced efficiencies with plant ability to handle emergencies. She discussed a video with Sundt Construction and said the revised cost model of $545,000,000 was being recommended, adding it was the model that would save the Town money and would be energy efficient. Mayor Peterson stated Capital Project Supervisor Jensen had the cool task of building the project; she thanked her and the other partners as well. 11 Councilmember Anderson asked about bringing down the total amount. Jensen stated they were doing their best to bring it down from $545,000,000, but said they did not know about inflation and market but they were doing their best to predict and bring down the number. Assistant Town Manager Rhineheimer stated it was a question they were looking at every day and the project was still progressing through design. She said though they could not predict what would happen in the market, they were doing their best to get those figures. Councilmember Anderson stated time was of the essence and the numbers were not going to come down. Town Manager Banger noted it was not just the residents who relied on it, but the business community too, including hospitals. Councilmember Tilque stated she appreciated that Capital Project Supervisor Jensen started at the beginning and provided that background. She said it was a lot of information to grasp, and said everyone should take a moment to let it sink in. She acknowledged the team of staff and how they were looking at it every day. Jensen discussed that it was the largest infrastructure project in Gilbert and one of the largest in the Country. - Mayor Peterson asked if staff needed anything from the Council that day. Jensen stated no, the purpose then was to share the info of where they were now. Public Works Director Marlow stated there were several more phases and they wanted the Council to have the awareness of the future actions that would need to be taken. She said each action was critical, but staff would keep working on it and keep the Council apprised. 12 Councilmember-elect Bongiovanni stated he would a tour of the NWTP and asked about tours for the public. Jensen stated that they were not doing regular tours right then because of the active construction, but they would schedule a tour for the Council. 5. Land Use 2.0 Development Services Director Mieras provided a presentation on land use, stating at a previous retreat they had a similar topic and this was a follow up on that. He said they would discuss Infill and Redevelopment, then Mixed-Use, then guest quarters and secondary dwelling units, and process. He provided a definition of infill development of vacant or partially developed parcels that abut fully- developed properties. He provided the definition of Redevelopment and said the best example was the Heritage District, then provided photos to illustrate the changes. He said it also changed the economic status of that area. He said Redevelopment could be many things. He provided specific examples including The Carson south of Town Hall and showed photos for comparison. He discussed the Wyatt Apartments, stating it was near the Public Safety Facility on Gilbert Road. He also discussed Andalucia Villas on Val Vista and Ray, stating it had been given mixed reviews. He said it was important to look at projects would fit into an area, then discussed the density of projects, stating that projects were looked at for potential concerns and compatibility. He provided some examples of other infill redevelopment examples. He discussed why some sites developed and other did not, listing considerations such as farmstead, difficult access or surroundings, having to put together parcels, strange shaped lots, price of land, and willingness of owner to sell. He summarized some of the concerns including density, setbacks, height, traffic, architecture, character of area, and land development code. He defined Mixed Use development as “a coordinated development plan which integrates tow or more distinct types of uses into a cohesive, pedestrian-oriented environment, with a variety of new public and semi-public spaces. Mixed use development may vary in scale, ranging from individual buildings to large regional-scale developments, and provide unique designs tailored to the scale of the development.” 13 Councilmember Tilque stated she wanted it to come forward because it was something the Council would all be facing with infill positions; it would not just be new growth. She said people were getting older and may want to downsize, and some may want to get the best use of their property and most dollars. She said she wanted to have a conversation about if the Council should be giving out different information or start those conversations. Councilmember Anderson stated there were always the same concerns about traffic and other items, asking should the applicant address those concerns automatically so that when people came in, they could point to that and say that those things had already been looked at. Mayor Peterson agreed it was always the same issues and asked how they could let them know that. Councilmember-elect Bongiovanni stated that those studies would have already been done; Mayor Peterson agreed. Councilmember Tilque stated the public and property owners have that right and would be coming in, adding those items would be very controversial to the landowners and neighbors. Development Services Director Mieras stated the staff members were blunt with applicants about if they would support or not support projects, just so that they would not waste time and money if staff would not support it. He said they were told they could still put it in but it may be denied, adding there were so many projects that did not move forward. Mayor Peterson said some go to her too and she was also very blunt, but she noted they still had that right to try to move forward. Mieras said they wanted to get the information about the projects that were becoming controversial so that the Council was aware. He said with projects they always looked at 14 traffic and had a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) and also worked with school districts in the area. He said they did not always do crime numbers but did check with the Police Department to see if there any concerns. He said property values impacts were harder to determine or prove. Mayor Peterson discussed how staff kind of start with a “no” but that every case was different. Mieras agreed that with Multi-Family they always start with a “no”, but then there were also some good cases for Multi-Family and those would be considered. Councilmember Anderson advocated for staying with status quo and starting with “no”. Councilmember Tilque agreed it was a good place to start, but said there was flexibility, adding based on the examples, it appeared staff was doing a great job if there were setbacks needed, etc., and that every case or project was different. She said she was not sure they needed to change anything, she just wanted to discuss it to see if anyone had strong opinions. Councilmember-elect Bongiovanni stated you must stay innovative and creative. He said he did not like having any immediate barriers to say no right away, but was open to see what the idea was. Mayor Peterson stated staff recommends starting with a “no” with Multi-Family but then evaluate each case individually. Councilmember-elect Torgeson stated he loved that they start with a “no”, then added to stick to “no” on any type of zoning case, pretty much. Councilmember-elect Buchli stated she would not want to start with a “no”. 15 Mayor Peterson stated it was just a starting point with any type of rezoning but then they can give their reasons why. Councilmember Koprowski stated there were some instances when there was a harder “no” than others, adding that for-sale projects that provided attainable housing were a different consideration than apartments. Mayor Peterson said that Multi-Family was usually for rentals; Mieras stated some Single- Family were also rentals and some Multi-Family were not, like condos. Councilmember-elect Bongiovanni asked how starting with “no” affected staff; Director Mieras stated it was the same process but made the applicant understand the obstacles. Councilmember-elect Torgeson asked at what point did they know if it was going to be a fee simple thing; Mieras stated they did not know. Town Manager Banger stated they would like to see more condo projects come through but they were more difficult. Mayor Peterson agreed that condos were not prevalent, adding residents asked for them, but they were still Multi-Family. She said she could name many townhomes in Gilbert but not condos. Director Mieras stated there would be a Study Session on Mixed-Use in January. He provided a proposed definition of from the Land Development Code (LDC). He showed examples of Mixed-Use around town such as Epicenter, Verde at Cooley Station, Heritage North, and Gilbert Town Square. He discussed a proposed development at Higley and Ray Roads, then defined the zoning request. He reviewed proposed amendments and an amended use table with various amendments to other LDC sections and Mixed-Use design guidelines. He highlighted Mixed-Use/Large (MU/L) and its purpose and key facts, then discussed Mixed Use/Regional (MU/R) such as Rivulon. 16 Mayor Peterson asked if when they reviewed and refreshed the LDC in the past, what was the one chapter they did not do; Director Mieras stated it was parking. Councilmember Tilque discussed how most of the infill lots would not have Mixed- Use/Small. Director Mieras affirmed it would depend on the project and location, but many would not. He noted design guidelines and timelines, stating there would be study session in January 2023. He discussed guest quarters and said it was allowed in all zoning districts but did require an Administrative Use Permit (AUP). He covered the specifics on Secondary Dwelling Units, adding it still required an AUP and parking. Councilmember Anderson asked if they could do home occupations with those; Director Mieras said yes, as long as they were not negatively impacting the neighborhood. Councilmember-elect Torgeson said if the rules could be relaxed to the point of in-law quarters which were not in the house but were not a full, secondary unit. Director Mieras stated a kitchen was allowed but not required. Councilmember-elect Torgeson asked why there could be no kitchens for guest quarters, was there opportunity to relax that. Councilmember-elect Bongiovanni said they would be seeing a gap of people who could not afford assisted living. Councilmember Koprowski asked if they had given thought to if someone wanted to use a shipping container or tiny home. Director Mieras stated it would be handled through the Building Code side of things, that structures had to have a foundation but tiny homes typically did not have a foundation. He said they had not really seen anything with shipping containers but could be something that was explored. Mayor Peterson stated she had seen questions about tiny homes on social media. 17 Director Mieras discussed the process of how they go through projects and try to streamline and simplify them, noting the need to be up-front with people. He said they considered if the land had the appropriate General Plan designation and zoning. He discussed a page called What’s Developing Nearby on the Town of Gilbert website (www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/development-services/planning). Mayor Peterson stated she loved that page but wished for a way to type in an address or an intersection to find what’s developing in a specific place or corner. Town Manager Banger noted that the Council Subcommittee on Communications liked the use of a Quick Response (QR) code for signage. Councilmember Anderson asked if there was a way to mandate that the developer have representatives come to meetings. Director Mieras stated they could not mandate that but could encourage it, adding staff always came to neighborhood meetings. Councilmember Anderson said people always thought everything had been decided before they knew. There was discussion on how the Team interacted with homeowners’ associations (HOAs). Mayor Peterson said it was very seldom that HOAs were involved. Councilmember Tilque asked that if there was a lot of neighborhood involvement that the Council be provided that information when possible. ADJOURN Fire Chief Duggan discussed building relationships and said they secured hosting the Aspire Academy at the Public Safety Training Facility (PSTF). He said the Aspire Academy was for about 30 girls, ages 14-18, from across the Valley and was an immersive experience to come together and build leadership skills and mentorship from across the Valley and State. He said about 30-40 professional police and firefighters would also be 18 participating, noting there would be a lot of opportunities to donate funds and food for the academy. Police Chief Soelberg said the program started about 10 years ago in Tucson and Gilbert participated in it, but now Gilbert was able to host at the PSTF. He said they would be rotating hosting duties with Chandler and Mesa, noting the Academy also tied in with the 30/30 campaign to diversify the workforce. Town Manager Banger thanked all those who presented or participated. Mayor Peterson adjourned meeting at 4:25 p.m. ATTEST: ___________________________ ___________________________________ Brigette Peterson, Mayor Judy Martinez, CMC, Deputy Town Clerk CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the special meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Gilbert held on the 1st day of December, 2022. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present. Dated this ____ day of ____________________. 19 ___________________________________ Judy Martinez, CMC, Deputy Town Clerk 20