City Council - Regular Meeting

Good night.

It's over. Hold on. Hold on. They were ticking and talking. working. It wasn't that good. This This one better.

I'm wait six. Okay, good evening to our audience. We have two meetings tonight. The first is a public housing authority commission uh with a single with a small consent agenda and then we have our study session of which most if not all of you are here for that. So with that I would like to call to order the public housing authority commission and clerk please take the role of the commissioners. Chair Hart here. Vice chair and Zenus here. Commissioner Poston here. Commissioner Ellis here. Commissioner Orlando here. Commissioner Harris here. Commissioner Hawkins

here. And Commissioner Lorie here. We have a quorum. Thank you. Clerk to wave any unscheduled public appearances for the Pack meeting. I've not received any. All right. Thank you. Commissioners, uh, honor, we have a consent agenda item. How would you like to proceed, Mr. Chair? Commissioner Orlando. Yeah. Uh we all had a chance to look at this earlier today. Um and I had a meeting with staff, so I I'm good with the item, second item here. So uh with that, I want to approve the uh public housing authority commission regular meeting Monday, April 6, 2026. And I will second that.

All right. We have a motion by Commissioner Orlando, second by Commissioner Ellis. Council, uh our clerk, please take the the vote. Vice Chair, yes. Commissioner Poston, yes. Commissioner Ellis, yes. Commissioner Orlando, yes. Commissioner Harris, yes. Commissioner Hawkins, yes. Commissioner Lorine, yes. Chair Hart, yes. Motion carries unanimously. Thank you. That concludes our public housing authority meeting. Welcome to the Chandler City Council study session. It's being involved.

Um, this is the one that most if not all of you are here for. Clerk, please take the role. Mayor Hartkey here. Vice Mayor Incas here. Council member Poston here. Council member Ellis still here. Council member Orlando here. Council member Harris. And council member Hawkins. Yes. Here. We have a quorum.

Very good. Um, next on our agenda is scheduled public appearances. I would like to invite council member Ellis to join me out front. All right, first up for scheduled public appearances, we have a proclamation child abuse uh prevention month. If I could have our domestic violence commission and the exchange uh club come on up. I will read the proclamation and then hand the mic over for someone that to make comments. You can play paper rock scissors between now and then. Whereas the Arizona Department of Health Services 32nd annual report from the Arizona Child Fatality Review Team published in November 2025 reports 113 children died of neglect and abuse in Arizona in 2024. And whereas 72% of the children who died of neglect and abuse were under the age

of five. And 47% of these deaths occurred in infants less than one year old. And whereas every child deserves to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment free from abuse and neglect. And Frederick Douglas said it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. And whereas research shows that having a supportive community reduces the incidence of abuse. Therefore, the city of Chandler strives to create a safe community for all children. And whereas the city of Chandler Domestic Violence Commission and the Chandler Exchange Club are committed to supporting child abuse awareness and prevention initiatives such as the Field of Hope in downtown Chandler in April. Now therefore, I, Kevin Hartkey, mayor of the city of Chandler, do hereby proclaim the week of April 2026 as Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Mark, thank you. Um the field of hope uh that was mentioned is a um an event that will go uh be occur this coming week. Uh we'll stand the field up on Sunday, April 12th. We'll have a dedication ceremony at 6:00 p.m. on April 12th and then the field will stand up until Friday uh the 17th. It is a memorial to the children that were lost as was mentioned, but it's also a call to action and we also try to raise awareness of organizations like Child Help or Child Crisis Arizona that are in the trenches working to make a difference for the families that are going through um something like child abuse. So, I invite you all to come out to AJ Chandler Park West on Sunday, April 12th to see the field and read. uh we have information around the flags that describe what um the effect of child abuse is and how long a shadow it casts which is the the length of a lifetime. So come and raise your awareness and hopefully together as a community we can help prevent child abuse. Thank you. So six o'clock in front of the San Marcos. And if people wanted to come early and help you set things up, what time should they show up?

2:30. Uh at 2:30 p.m. we'll start to actually stand the field up at that point. Uh and we'll also have uh a canopy from 4:00 to 5:30 as an information booth where you can learn more about the effects of child abuse. But 2:30 to start raising the field.

Thank you. Let's take a photo. Everyone needs to move this way. Probably right. That looks good. All right. All right. This is called efficiency. Our next proclamation is intimate partner sexual violence month. And Lette Rotor. Okay, very good. And council member Ellis wants to read this proclamation. Thank you, Mayor. Appreciate that. Uh before I read the proclamation, I would like to thank the commission for everything that you do. Um domestic violence is something that we see happening every single day in our communities, whether here and abroad. And just this uh last um Wednesday, uh the vice mayor of uh Coral Spring, who happened to be the first Haitian black American to be on that console in Coral Spring, was killed by her husband uh from three uh gunshot wounds. So, we are dealing with that in the Haitian community right now. And for me to read this, thank you, mayor, for allowing me to read this this evening. I didn't even realize I was going to do that as soon as he called my name. So, I just wanted

to make sure that um as a community we really pay attention um to our friends and to members of our families and if anybody sees something, please say something. Whereas sexual violence continue to affect communities across the United States at alarming rates with an adult assaulted roughly every 98th second and a child every 9 minutes. And whereas sexual violence is often used to intimidate, exert control over and degrade victim and survivors of domestic violence. And whereas in the United States, 41% of women and 26% of men have re experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner. And whereas sexual violence disproportionately impact immigrant communities, people of color, individuals with disabilities and member of the LGBTQ community. and wear eyes by wearing the color teal. During the month of April, the Chandler community stand together in se solidarity committed to hold offenders accountable and create a safer, more supportive environment for all survivors. Now, therefore, the mayor Kevin Hartkey, mayor of the city of Chandler, Arizona, do hereby proclaim the month of April 2026 as sexual assault awareness month. Thank you, mayor.

Vice Chair, Vice Chair Curtis. Thank you. I want to recognize uh Mayor Harky and Councilwoman Ellis for their support and all the council recognizing April as sexual assault awareness month. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Let's do a photo. Thank you all. And our last proclamation is fair housing month. And we have Lissa, Misty, Vicki, Amy, and Ray from Neighborhood Resources. And anyone else? All right. Whereas April is officially recognized as National Fair Housing Month, and April 2026 marks the 58th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, which affirms national policy of fair housing for all. And whereas the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, family status, or disability. And whereas the city of Chandler promises a community in which all members have the right to be treated fairly and live their lives with dignity, free from discrimination or disperate treatment. Whereas access to safe, affordable housing is a critical foundation for overall well-being impacting physical and mental health, quality of life, access to education, and economic opportunities. And whereas the city of Chandler is committed to

fair housing for all, actively promoting awareness of fair housing principles, practices, rights, and responsibilities. And whereas the city of Chandler recognizes and values the efforts of those who seek to reduce barriers to full and fair housing opportunities. Now therefore, I, Kevin Hartkey, mayor of the city of Chandler, do hereby proclaim April 2026 as fair housing month. Who would like to talk?

Thank you, Mayor Hery and Council Member Ellis. In neighborhood resources, we really do strive to provide the best customer service to all of our tenants and clients. Um, every year we make sure that all of our staff, including some of our neighborhood resources colleagues, are fully certified and trained to keep ourselves fully educated in regards to fair housing. Thank you. All right, let's take another photo.

Over this way. Keep going. Keep going. Are we supposed to All right, the next one is another fun one. This is recognition for Chandler Innovation Fair winners. So, if I could have Micah Miranda, economic development director, come up and and recognize our winners. Good evening, mayor and council. Thank you for providing us this opportunity to uh present these awards. So before we get started, first of all, I really want to thank our our sponsors who we could not put on this event without. So would like to recognize ANET, Microchip, Northrup, Grumman, NXP, Pride Group, SRP, Game Truck, and Waste Management of Arizona. So the businesses that participate in our community really do give back and we're grateful for their support, not only in monetary contributions, but the time they provide as well. So thank you very much. Um, and then of course CUSD, their staff and administration are great partners in putting this on. They have really brought so much to the table with them.

This event has grown significantly over the past few years. Um, and the volunteers, we have fantastic volunteers that come out, spend Saturday morning with us, uh, helping put the event on. And, you know, um, Odette and Stephanie do Stephanie's hiding. um do a great job uh helping to put this event on, but without the um support of our volunteers, we definitely couldn't get this going. And then lastly, but definitely not least, Odette and Stephanie. They put in a tremendous amount of work to make this happen. I think this year we had over 150 vendors, participants, 174 boosts this year. So that level of coordination, yeah, it's phenomenal. And the turnout uh reflects how important this event is to this community. We estimated this year we had over 8,000 participants come out to the science fair. So it's indicative of who we are as a community and what our community uh value. So with that we get to the good stuff. We get to recognize our science fair winners. Uh we have it in three categories. High school, middle school, and junior high or excuse me and elementary school. And um these recipients were judged at the science fair by a panel of volunteers who came out and judged all the exhibits. And so fantastic uh participation, but we can only choose six. So we're we've got those here tonight. And we're going to start with our high school category. Uh first off is Arizona College Prep. Can you please come down?

All right. This team was led by Megan Larson, AP Chemistry teacher. So, thank you, Miss Larson. Uh, the Arizona College Prep uh Steam Society presented their research as well as several posters that placed at the International Science and Engineering Fair last year. The booth incorporated science with cabbage juice pH indicators, technology building electrochemical cells to power light bulbs, engineering kits, helping kids build Mars rovers, and mathematics with measuring approach to determine how many M&M's were in a jar. So, congratulations to ACP. Appreciate you guys. Right. Congratulations ACP. Next up we have Hamilton Australis Research Club.

This team was led by Dr. Naair AP honors and biology teacher. The Hamilton Research Club booth featured two interactive science exhibitions. Uh the first exhibit featured an interactive biio demonstration where kids were able to create double helix model of DNA using twizzlers and marshmallows while the second exhibit explored static electricity through a fun paper fishing experiment with balloons. So congratulations and thank you. You want the small check. That's the important one.

Take the check. congratulations, Hamilton. And now we're on to our junior high category. Uh the first winner is Arizona College Prep Middle School led by Carrie Moss. Come on up. ACP Middle School Science Department presented several wire loop circuit games that were built by the Future Cities Club. To play the game, participants followed a path of copper wire with a wire loop trying not to let the loop touch the wire. If the loop touched the wire, it would complete the circuit and a buzzer would sound.

All right. Congratulations.

All right, our next junior high winner is Bogle High. Junior High.

This team was led by Sarah Timberman, eighth grade science teacher. So, Bogle showcased two tables featuring student work from their elective programs, including vibrant art pieces, science models, robotic designs, and 3D printed creations. On the interactive side, the students crafted Bogle bookmarks using Bogle art with a display of English language arts work, adding depth to the experience. A Bogle Bulldog community board invited attendees to contribute puzzle pieces with personal messages and drawings reminding everyone of the community at heart of what they do. Congratulations, Bogle. All right, in our elementary school category, we have Chandler Traditional Academy Independence. Come on up. This team was led by Debbie Pausniaak, PhD STEM teacher. CTA Independence believes that science is fantastic. And this is kind of cute. And this year's theme suggests that the booth was ocean themed, decorated with beach backdrop and jellyfish hanging throughout the tent. The invitation to enjoy the relaxed vibe and participate in two experiments. Students and family use tools to dig up shells in the sand in order to classify and sort them into specific categories based on type and function. Participants could also build their own flotation device and hypothesize how many marbles or pennies their boat could hold before sinking. In addition, families could use their phones to view grade level and individual science fair projects using QR codes set along the batch to a beach seat. So, congratulations CTA Independent.

Mayor, weren't you a biology major?

You could classify all these animals and shells and stuff, I bet. Right. All right. And last but not least is Shamway Leadership Academy. Have Shay here led by Miranda SCS. The students studentled booth showcased its Lego robotics club, VEX Robotics Club, student art club gallery, and various science fair and personal location beacon projects highlighting innovation across all grade levels. Guests of Shamway leadership booth created glow-in-the-dark constellations while the sixth grade scientist fun team explained the difference between phosphoresence and fluoresence. Other Shamway star students led demonstrations on light polarization in which participants use special glasses and chemical color changing paper to explain how different wavelengths of UV light are absorbed. STEM is shining brightly at Shway Leadership Academy. Thank you. Congratulations.

Oh, young people. He's looking for the background. I'm sorry. I'm sure.

Yeah. Stephanie Yes, it is.

Get in there. All right.

And to wrap it up, I just really want to thank mayor and council for your time and support in putting on this event. Um staff really does appreciate all your your support in tracking down sponsors and showing up. So, thank you very much for your time. Boy, that is always such a great event. Thank you, staff. Thank you, council, for continuing to allow this to grow and be an amazing event. Next on our agenda, our consent item, called out items. We We only have one, but I do want to give a shout out. One of the items on here not called out has to do with an APS uh election as part of having services utilities in our city. I would like to welcome and please stand Jessica Perry and Patrick Carlson from APS. I know there's others that are here that uh has something on consent that if we do not call it forth, it just means that we understand it and we'll be voting on it Thursday. So, we we believe we understand it enough that we don't need to ask staff questions related to the issue.

Mayor, Council Member Harris, we need to bring them up. Not as You just made Patrick's heart go. We do have one item that was called in by council member Poston, item number nine, which is the introduction and tenative adoption of ordinance number 5159 regarding drink or food tempering. So, um, Ton Cow, you're going to address this. Give us a brief overview.

Uh, thank you, mayor. Um, good evening, mayor and council, and it's a pleasure to be here tonight covering for our city attorney who's in DC for the annual International Municipal Lawyers Association conference. Um, this ordinance was brought forward by council member Harris and seeks to add a couple of sections to our chapter 11 of our city code to prohibit tampering with a person's drink or food. I'm going to provide a brief overview. It has two pieces to the section. One is on definitions and the other is the the prohibition. Well, I'm going to jump right that right there. But first notice that drink means any beverage uh whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic. And then the offense is that it will be unlawful for any person to knowingly introduce into a drink of food or another or attempt to introduce any intoxicating liquor or drug without the knowledge or consent of that other person. The penalties are the default penalties that are in the city code, which would be that it would be class one misdemeanor punishable by up to $2,500 fine, six months incarceration, andor three years Now, this uh Arizona revised statutes, Arizona law does make it a felony to introduce intoxicating liquors, narcotic drugs, or dangerous drugs into a person's food or drink and makes it a class uh class six felony. However, there is uh one area that where there's if if the county attorney's office turns this down for prosecuting as a felony, that would leave this due code being proposed to leave our city prosecutor able to prosecute as a misdemeanor. Another thing is that under state law, there is no attempt in this in the state

statute. So, we would be adding attempted uh drink spiking, food spiking, tampering if this were passed. This would provide local law enforcement authority for misdemeanor level violations. It would allow them to uh have early interts to uh tamper with one's uh drink or food and um and hopefully uh be able to make it a safe enchant. Um I'll take any questions. Let's start with council member Poston who brought this forth.

Um thank you Tom. Thank you mayor. I really was just hoping to have that explanation of what gap that this fills and then to thank council member Harris for bringing this forward. I think it's important and um appreciate you doing that. Other other comments? I I'll just council member Harris

I'll just make comment. Um thank you council member Pollson for shining light on this on this very issue. Um, I started working with the city manager and city attorney many, many months ago to to look at how we can do things a little bit better. We're a growing city and I wanted to make sure that law enforcement had additional tools in order to address um issues that could happen in our community and I wanted them to be able to have those additional tools to go after it. Uh we know that um our community continues to be inundated with um college campuses um and new residents and I just want to really make sure that we have all the tools they need. And typically with these type of things, you only have about 24 hours to solve it. If you don't solve it in 24 hours, it kind of just just goes away. And so again, thank you um Council Member Poston for just even, you know, shining more light on it. I appreciate that. And uh and and and council and mayor, thank you guys for um um taking this serious. Thank you so much. And thank you, city manager and city attorney for you guys work on it and staff. Thanks.

All right, council. Those are that was the only item called in tonight. Thank you staff for having a very understandable and clear agenda that as we looked over we were able to certainly understand everything and are clear. So with that that concludes our study session tonight. We'll see you all on Thursday.