City Council - Regular Meeting

September 15th, 2026 to order and ask everyone to put their cell phones on silent. The invocation will be led by Councilmember Heck and the pledge by Councilman Soler.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the privilege and freedom we have of being able to gather together this evening to discuss city business. We ask that you give the staff and council a wisdom and clarity in their decision making. Keep us mindful that we serve the residents of this city. We ask you to watch over the men and women who serve in our military around the world. Please keep them safe in these troubling and uncertain times. And we ask also for your blessing on our first responders, including our police and fire departments, along with our EMS personnel and our park rangers. Please kee

Thank you. Consent agenda. As a reminder, all items in the consent agenda will be approved with one motion. If a council member wishes to remove an item for further discussion, the request will be made prior to approving the consent agenda. and will be moved to new business. Do I have a motion for a consent agenda? Your Honor? Yes. I move that the consent agenda be approved.

Excuse me, awards and presentations. I have an award presentation to do. Proclamation, consideration, Constitution Week, September 17 to the 23rd. Whereas it is a privilege and a duty of the American people to commemorate the 239th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America with appropriate ceremonies and activities. Whereas the Constitution of the United States of America, the guardian of our liberties, represents the principles of limited government in a republic dedicated to the rule by law. And whereas on this day and during this week, we celebrate our

Thank you. Thank you. Intergovernment updates. Council? Thank you.

Well, I wanted to bring up, I wanted to let everybody know how honored I was to be able to be coordinator of the 9-11 ceremonies that we did for the 25th anniversary here in Apache Junction at the Veterans Memorial Park. We had over 25 organizations that did wreaths and did volunteer work to make sure we got everything out to the crowd that was there. We were very honored to have our police department, fire department, our mounted rangers, and, of course, our mayor and our mayor-elect there representing the city. I can tell you that in the back of everything, regardless of how wonderful it was

I lost I would certainly like to acknowledge and thank Bambi for all of her work and effort in Preparing for this and having been a part of committee meetings. She had she was instrumental in making this happen and I thank her and the other organizations that that jumped in and were part of this and I allowed us to have a very meaningful and profound event, particularly being the 20th anniversary. So thank you, Bambi, for that and to all those involved. But I do also want to take the opportunity to recognize that we had a second 9-11 ceremony. It took place the day before on Thursday at the Av

Well, I had the opportunity not only at the 9-11 and the aspects on it. It was very well attended. And I appreciate everyone that came out and not only presented, but also was in the audience in the aspect it took and participated. It was really a very moving aspects of the different people that spoke and their aspects of what they remembered and how they reacted. I had a conversation afterwards with an individual that even had family that was in New York City that was involved in this as well. And they got out safely, but it is something that is very memorable and something that we definitely

Any questions? Yes. And I just want to give you credit for the Dumpsters the roll-off dumpsters you provided for the awesome community cleanup day used to be mega difference day I think he provided for dumpsters. I believe right Yeah, and that's that helped us a lot having been out there and Collecting trash it was very helpful to have them so thank you for that Thank you appreciate Thank You Emma Thank You Kevin your honor that concludes my report Okay

For the ribbon-cutting unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to have a Situation with my wife that we need to address at the same time so Public hearings presentation and discussion of public hearing and consideration and proposed ordinance number 1578 Nick Thank You Your Honor

Anyone else? OK. I will now open to public hearing. There's a five minute time limit with a one minute warning light indicated by yellow light. Please state your name and address for the record. If you're in a group and would like to speak, please pick one person to represent to everyone to address the council. Please be respectful of each other's speakers. Anyone like to speak on this matter?

Give me your address, too, please. Your address?

Anyone else? If not, I will now close public hearing and ask for a motion.

stereotypical misconceptions about LIHTC. I've done a lot of work, inspections and stuff at LIHTC properties, specifically residences on 1st and Mesa. Can you walk into that apartment? Good thing or good time. There's several families that live near me that it's a 55 and older mobile home that we're struggling, struggling bad. We have senior citizens that they're only making $1,000 a month. Their husband died. That's all they're getting for Social Security. $200, and there's barely enough to pay for food. So I get it. I see it. I had some misconceptions, or I had some preconceived thoughts on

And referring back to the general plan and the downtown master plan, that calls for multifamily residential. Reason being, it's really twofold. One, brings more people into the downtown to utilize restaurants, shopping, and our schools. which will in turn generate more business down there. One of the things we struggle with, and I think the reason why we have so many businesses that support this, is because we don't have enough year-round population. And until we have that, no matter how much you want all the new restaurants and shopping and entertainment venues, We're not going to see it. We

Regarding any motion, does it have to have the proposed stipulations attached?

I move that ordinance number 1578 be read by title only and the reading of the entire ordinance be waived.

Okay Now do I have a second motion to adopt the ordinance of 1578 your honor I?

Moved that ordinance number 1578 as read by the city clerk and including the proposed stipulations be approved Moved and seconded roll call Councilmember solar yes councilmember Johnson yes vice mayor Schroeder yes councilmember Nessar yes councilmember cross yes

Thank you. Okay, direction to staff. Presentation and discussion of possible direction to staff regarding automated license plate readers employed by the police department. Good. We have mass exits.

Your Honor. Yes. Can I, on the last point there, bullet point, where the penalties for unauthorized access or use include termination of employment and potentially a class one. You have the right until you give that. That potentially word is, you know, I think it should be termination and a class one. not potentially a class one. Officers need to be held accountable for their actions. Absolutely. And you're talking about any future things being a crime. You can't have that word, potentially. That's discretionary. And so there should be no discretion on management saying, well, OK, you messed u

Can't the judge? They're going to be charged with a misdemeanor. Then the judge can make the decision whether it's a $2,500 fine and three years in prison or probation. That's the judge's decision. But it should not be our decision to give them the ability to quit or get fired only. I think they need to be charged with a crime. UNIDENTIFIED MALE SPEAKER 2. Understood.

So does he have to modify his motion on that? UNIDENTIFIED MALE SPEAKER 7. I think it's understood. UNIDENTIFIED MALE SPEAKER 8.

I have the direction I need to craft that ordinance, and I will bring it back to you.

Work session first. I think we should have a word. Yeah, he's already got almost one.

Okay, so we have a motion. Do I have a second?

Yes motion passes unanimously Thank you Okay call to public I would like to remind everyone to call the public is a courtesy and not required by law It's a time for the public to express requests communication comments and suggestions requests to speak forms must have been completed Handed to the city clerk before the end of the report All issues will be presented in a professional matter without personal attacks Under the open meeting law council cannot engage in a discussion on the issues presented But may respond to criticism and may direct staff to follow up with the speaker directly or pl