Town Council - Regular Meeting

And as always, inform everybody that it's being recorded and broadcast live. Uh, tonight's invitation will be given by Chuck Wonder of the Santaita fire, our Santaorita fire chief, followed by the pledge of allegiance by Victoria Vega, a sixth grade student at Salerita High School. Chief, I mean, sorry, middle school. Middle school. I'm already promoting her. [laughter] I'm already promoting her.

Good evening, Mr. Mayor and Council. [clears throat] Please join me in prayer. Dear heavenly father, as we enter this new year, we humbly come before you with grateful hearts, thankful for the opportunity together in service to this community. This new year calls us to remember your faithfulness in the past, to renew our purpose through you, and to look ahead for hope for a year shaped by unity, progress, and continued growth under your guiding hand. We give thanks for the people who make Serita such a remarkable place to live. the families, neighbors, and residents who reflect your love through their kindness, involvement, and care for one another. We are so grateful for the dedicated town staff whose professionalism, diligence, and quiet leadership serve this community faithfully and help ensure that Serita continues to thrive. We ask for your wisdom, discernment, and guidance for the mayor and council members as they carry out the important work set before them. May their decisions honor you, their discussions be guided by truth and respect, and their actions reflect a genuine desire to serve the common good both now and into the future. As we move forward into the year ahead, we ask your protection and blessing over our first responders and public safety personnel. Place your hand upon those who place themselves in harm's way to protect others. Grant them safety, strength, courage, and peace, and remind them that their service is valued and deeply appreciated by the community they serve. In your son's name, we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Victoria. [clears throat]

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Victoria, for being here. I think I had sreta high school marching band on my mind. Um, that might be coming up later. So, I was already promoting her a little early. Um, madame clerk, may I have a role, please? Council member Gillespie here. Council member Lisk and she may be joining us. She may be joining us shortly. Yeah. Council member Lidle here. Council member Morales

here. Council member Polo here. Vice Mayor Eggert here. Mayor Murphy here.

Quorum present. Thank you. Uh, next is call to the public. Uh, call public is now open. Individuals may speak for up to three minutes. Spokesperson's 10. The council cannot discuss matters not on the agenda. However, at the end of the call to the public, council members may respond to criticism, request staff to review the mission uh, review the issue or respond and add the topic to a future agenda item. I have six or seven for normal call to the public. I have one for an agenda item. So, we'll start with the uh regular call to the public. Uh Laura Lewick. And there's a little I don't know if you've spoken here before. There's a little light system on there. The green is the beginning of 3 minutes. When the yellow comes on, you have one minute left. Great.

And when the red comes on, you get parachuted out. Okay. Okay. Sounds good. [laughter]

All right. Well, thank you. Good evening. Um, my name is Laura Lewick. I am here representing the Saurita High School Music Boosters. And so why we're here today is that I just wanted to let you guys all know that the marching band um at Saud High School has been invited to represent the entire state of Arizona at the um Salute to Independence parade in Philadelphia this summer. So, not only is this just a huge honor for our small town marching band, but this is just a really great opportunity to take we're taking almost 90 students from our little town out to the um to the east coast. So, we're going to go to New York, they're going to see the 911 museum memorial memorial. They're going to see the MoMA. They're going to see a Broadway show, but we're also going to be able to go to Philadelphia and spend that time in a historic just celebrating the 250th in the birthplace of America. and this is just a great opportunity. So, um the music boosters were a volunteer-led and a volunteer-run organization. So, our our annual budget, you know, it's only about 50,000, but um sending students to across the country is a lot. So, that is going to it's almost $200,000 to do that. So, our goal here is to then um just ask for the support from the town, from our residents. um we're going to be on a national stage and so we just want to make sure that we're helping spread the word that we're going to be there. Um so we have these brochures and they're going to be in the back um that if you guys want to pick up there's different ways to um to donate as well and tax credits right now are still really important right now. So if you have time and you you can donate up to 200 for single or 400 for married and it can still go towards your 2025 taxes. So, um, we have a couple students here as well that are going to speak and I just wanted to just say thank you for your time and, um, yeah, I think that's that's pretty much it.

Thank you. And we saved the parachute. You didn't get to the red, so we're good. [laughter] Thank you. Uh, Allison uh, Verer, [clears throat] we're very friendly. So, [laughter]

yeah. Good evening. Um, I'm Allison. I'm 16 and I'm also here representing the band. Um, I just wanted to say I think this would be like an amazing experience for all these students. We're taking yeah like 90 to 100 and for a lot of these kids were pretty young and like this is might be our first time out of state and we get to spend it representing our community and like just having an amazing time. We get, like she mentioned, we get to see the 911 memorial, which will be an incredible experience experience for our students just to kind of like kind of see that because we weren't alive then. And I think that'll have a great impact. We'll get to see the Momos and Broadway shows. And I think just being able to get this experience will help a lot of our students grow, not only as musicians, but as people. And yeah,

thank you for being here. Yeah. And thank you for rubbing it in how young you are. That's fine. Don't worry about it. Why? That too. But at least you didn't rub that part in. Uh my

good evening.

Good evening. Um my name is Maya Lennox. I am a current senior at Saudi High School and I'm a member of the Saud Mustang marching band. Um, I'm really excited about this opportunity to go to Philadelphia. This is like a huge moment for us. This is We're taking about 90 of our 105 sized people band. Um, and it's it's insane cuz like my freshman year when I started there was only about 60 of us and now we get to go across the country to represent the state of Arizona in the Philadelphia parade. It's a super exciting experience. The thing is though, 90 people across the state is going to c well not across the state, across the country is going to cost a lot of money. So, we're working our hardest to try and get different types of fundraising. We've talked about tax credits. We have a website set up where you can donate to um you can donate to the cause. And yeah, we're doing all we can to try and make sure we can get everybody and all of our equipment across the US just so we can perform for uh Philadelphia. And yeah, I think it's going to be a really really a good experience for all of us.

Great. Thanks for being here. Appreciate it. Uh Rick Curado.

Well, happy new year, Mayor. Happy New Year. Town Council, um town staff. [laughter]

Yeah. Well, um I know you're likely getting tired of seeing me every month uh up here and uh it's not because I have nothing to do but to come and call you out. But uh frankly uh I have actually commended you in the past for your um attention to the needs of the community. However, I come because I'm deeply concerned. I'm really worried. There's just not enough concern being given to the copper world mining project. So I again need you to focus and reflect on some of the many unforeseen consequences of its operation. And if we can't stop it, at least mitigate and control the damage to the air, water, and environmental quality. Santaorita Road and Sorita Road are the planned main conduits connecting the mine and Highway 19. Poisonous chemicals and tailing dust will be inadvertently or inadvertently, take your choice, spread along the corridor. Trucks will pass by our schools. The danger is inherent. Has anyone considered the long-term deterioration to our roads? Who will ultimately pay for road repair? Solution: limit weight, frequency, and access. Another consideration is a transport of liquid hydrogen sulfide. Uh hydrogen sulfide is used to in open pit mining to separate and precip precipitate copper ore. Mines use sensitive on-site monitors and gas masks in the event of a of a leak or spill. is very deadly to breathe. Uh let me ask you all a question. Do you own a gas mask? Do you carry one in your car? Uh truck drivers used to be some of the most uh the safest drivers on the road. However, training and tests are no longer required. Uh some drivers do not speak or read English proficiently. I for one do not wish to experience another East Palestine, Ohio type of accidental spill. East Palestine was ignored by the federal government. uh this small unknown community struggles

to restore itself two years after uh the event would saw Rita be any different. I'm still waiting to hear on all the water to be to use to be operate to operate this mine. Where's it going to come from? Using 4 billion gallons of water per year or more will drain our aquifer rapidly. Water prices will rise. The aquafer is already rapidly shrinking from 30 years of drought. A 2013 agreement requires HUD bay to replenish 105% of the groundwater used to operate the mine at the withdrawal site. There is no chance that even 50% will be replaced. So what's the plan? There is no explanation being given. These are but a few examples of what's most likely to occur. Other venues of transport must be mandated to acquire freeway access. Proactive regulations must be mandated now to monitor air and water quality as well as environmental and chemical disaster. Failure to do so is negligent. I love this town. I love this community. You need to protect us from the greed and selfishness of outside interests who care little or nothing about Sarita. Thank you for your attention. Thank you. Three minutes. Thank I'm practiced. practice.

Uh, MNA Robin. Let's see. M Y R N A and B R A V N. No.

Okay. Uh, Mark Mandela. Thank you, members of the town council. My name is Mark Mandel and I live in Quail Creek with my wife Laura and our small little feline Sedona. For many years, our previous waste service provider, Waste Management, allowed residents to recycle glass since the town contracted with Waste Connections glass recycling is no longer permitted. On September 25th, 2025, I contacted the town's public works division to ask about the status of glass recycling. I was told at that time that the town was exploring viable options that their residents would be updated as the process moved forward. It has now been about 4 months and I have not seen any updates on the town website nor a reply back from that works division. I'm respectfully asking whether there is any new information or a status update the public works divisions can share regarding glass recycling. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thanks for being here. Appreciate it. Uh, John Doherty.

Good evening. Good evening, Mary Mur Mayor Murphy and members of the council. My name is John Dohy. I'm executive director of Save the Scenic Sanitus. On December 20, December 30th, we sent a public records request through the portal for documents related to an item you discussed earlier today, the Serita Rosemont rightaway encroachment license. We've received no reply. I sent a copy of that request to each of you a couple days later. No reply. Obviously, you are concerned about it because we just talked about it in an executive session. We respectfully request that you expedite and produce the records we've requested because [clears throat] they go straight to the point the other gentleman just made. This town entered into agreement with Rosemont Copper that G that the copper company said they would replenish 105% of the water they use in this immediate area. There's overwhelming documentation provided by the state of Arizona and I provided copies of that documentation in the letter to you that it cannot be done. We request that the council immediately move to terminate that agreement which allows Hubay to transport water from their wellfield down the Sita road out to the mine site east of the Sanorita experimental range. That pipeline controls what happens to this community. And you have a responsibility to protect the people of this community before the town. Because in that agreement, you guys provided indemnification for the town, to protect the town's well from failing. that you did nothing for the citizens of this community who are going to see their water rates go up because Hud Bay Minerals is going to pump 4 billion gallons of water a year from the groundwater table and replenish virtually nothing. The time is now. It's

no time to delay. We are holding a meeting Saturday 1 p.m. Sarita Unified School District. You all are invited as well as everybody here and the entire community and we will lay out blowby-blow, piece by piece, evidence by evidence to support what I'm telling you here today. It's time for this town to stand up and take a stand and protect this people from this this mine. And as far as the number of trucks coming through, 40,000, one every 15 minutes, 24/7, 365, carrying hazardous materials, explosives, copper concentrate up and down the road. We know it cuz it comes right out of Copper World's previous uh federal documents when it was known as the Rosemont mine. But Copper World hasn't said it to anybody, no one. And this community, this community council has not done anything, zero, to inform the public of the threat that's coming. That's negligent. And it's time to stop. We really respect your work. We expect you guys, you know, you're running for office and representing the public. I take my hat off to you. But this is a critical issue and now is the time to stand up and take a position to protect the citizens of this community ahead of Copper World Hudbay Minerals based in Toronto, Canada. Thank you very much.

Thanks for being here. Uh that's all the uh call the public cards um that I have. Um Oh, I'm sorry. Oh um yes, come on up. Make it up there. No, I No, that's not the I um What's the What's the topic? Yeah. Sorry. [clears throat] And that's not for an agenda item, right? No. Okay. Yep.

Thanks. Alan Jennings, 10ear Serita resident. Due to compressed time, I'll get right into it. On August 7th last year, police chief John Nolan violently threw a civilian to the ground right here in the Serita Town Center. It's been a while, so I brought some pictures. Hoping we can see the man here. We can see the man blocking the door from shutting. The man's holding a tripod in one hand and propping a camera up on a monopod. You can watch the video. There's nothing threatening or menacing or violent about him. Now we can see the chief police chief's response. Chief Nolan wobbed directly up to him, muttered something, and then threw him to the ground. The man was still holding his equipment. His hands were occupied in the worst grip for bludgeoning. In addition, he still had not made any threatening movements. The man was not a physical threat. In addition to the equipment rendering the man ineffective of any assault, the equipment posed a liability. Chief Nolan's actions not only raised the risk of injury for himself and the man, he took actions that appear to deliberately put the man's property in jeopardy. Now, you can see the result of Chief Nolan's actions. This is not a second-guessing an officer split-second decision. This is a result of the police chief that chose to escalate a nonviolent situation and demonstrate his values in front of junior officers. I raise this issue because Puma County has concluded their investigation. Based on our city's our town's police use of force policy, Chief Nolan cannot be held accountable due to one, not using a hand to strike or two, not taking action calculated to injure or render unconscious. He did not use his hand. He used the floor to strike him. I think that not calculated to injure is generous. I would be surprised if safety equipment is not used in police training for these because this move this there is a risk of injury during these maneuvers.

Serita charged the man with assault. Watch the video and pick out where the man made a physical strike against anyone. It's not there because it doesn't exist. And now the impact. It's clear that Chief Nolan was went the route of using the maximum permissible force, possibly short of using tear gas or something. As you set the direction for this town, Chief Nolan sets the direction for our police force. As journeys learn, juries learn of trumped up charges coming out of Serita. How are they supposed to react when they're sitting on a domestic violence case? In addition, of course, the police force also has to uh cooperate with the community for all the investigations that they do. So having a violent police force undermines all of that. We want some a police force that we can cooperate with and respect as a community. So my ask adopt a resolution for the use of force policy that prioritizes deescalation. You do not control personnel actions, you control the town manager. Shawn Dele saw this and said that he fully stands behind police entering a situation and escalating encounters. That has to change. I ask that you adopt disciplinary actions against our town manager because this is in his domain. He needs to be accountable over his responsibility. This is just one one incident in a long line of Serita police scandals that started soon after the arrival of our police chief. Thank you, Alan, for being here. Appreciate it. Um, that's all the call the public cards I have. Um, John, on the one with the um letter, obviously it, you know, boarded on comment criticism um of not being responsive to the letter, would you like to um say a few comments u concerning that?

Sure, Mayor. Um first of all um the the town clerk did respond to the records request and let them let the requester know that we have received the the request. Um the request just for the record is looking for upwards of 13 years worth of documents and so just inherently that's going to take some time to be able to provide those documents. So wanted to clarify that one. Um, as far as the town um essentially repudiating the contract or or the the license, that that in my opinion would would put the town in substantial liability potentially if the town simply cancelled a right-of-way agreement um based on the possibility that the other party won't be able to perform or perform to the standard. I mean, there's a lot of I don't want to get into too deep into the weeds in the legal analysis, but the the um as far as the the the agreement itself goes, there were the letter makes a number of allegations that aren't just aren't accurate. The the um Hudbay and its predecessor have paid the annual license fee every year. We have records of that. Um the the report there there's been no well drilled. There's no there's not even a permit yet uh from from ADWR that's been approved to drill the well. So there's no well there's no pipeline. Um this is an this is a an in the um obligation of the Lency is anticipated to occur but um they aren't the the the Lency isn't repudiating the contract itself. It's not saying we're not going to perform. Um, in fact, there's nothing to perform. There's no reporting to make because there hasn't been a well drilled. There's no pipeline. So, the recharge reporting requirement just is

doesn't isn't even triggered in my view. So, um, and I I I would I would just caution that, you know, the the town or the council um should avoid revoking or or unilaterally repudiating an agreement. um because of maybe something might happen or maybe something might not happen. Uh I think that would that would put the town in a serious potential liability of breach of contract itself.

Okay. Thank you. Appreciate that. Uh I'll close the call the public and now move to brief summary of events. Uh Councilman Lidle, [cough] Mr. May bear council and audience. I have been to several meetings for the Sarita Mustangs marching band and I can honestly say that we need to do all that we can to help them. [clears throat] All that we can. They're not just representing the town of Sita. They are representing the entire state. Yeah.

Every nickel counts. We want to do whatever we can to help them. Uh the uh commercial areas that we use, I don't care if it's Lowe's or Popeyes or whatever. Ask them, talk to everyone. This is something that needs to be done. This isn't just something for for us old people. This is something for this entire state. The entire state. Our band has been selected from everyone else in the state. That says a lot for it. These kids have worked hard. Their director has worked hard. Let's reward them. And I say reward because this is a reward. The education that they receive in Philadelphia and New York are something that they would not get just from a book. They will get to see where the Declaration was of independence was signed. They will get to see to see the Liberty Bell that we all see and speak of on a daily basis. They will get to see all these. That's a very historic thing and it's something that's necessary. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Morales.

Just to add to that, can you hear me? Just a little plug. Just to add to that, the students actually pass this pamphlet around if anybody's interested in making a donation. There's some codes right here that you guys can bring your phone up to and get the donations going for them. Thank you. Um before I Kim, are you on the um Can you hear me? Yes, I am. Uh, do you have anything to report before I forget? Um, on Friday, February 13th, um, Council Member Morales and I will be doing coffee with council over at M, um, over in Quil Creek at the coffee shop and everyone is welcome to attend. Thank you.

That's all I have to report. Thank you.

Appreciate it. Council member Priolo. So, I'd like to echo what Council Member Lidle said, and I can remember being 13 and taking a trip to Washington DC. And that was my first trip out of Brooklyn, and it was very exciting. So, I know how this can shape young minds and it can plant seeds that you never know what fruit will bear in the future. So, let's all rise to the occasion, be generous, donate, and let's get those kids there. And then in terms of things that I've been involved with. Um, so number one, I went to the Sawarita Unified State of the District lunchon and got to see the amazing collaboration between the school district in our town. And Dr. Varensella was very complimentary on the colleial collaborative relationship that we have enjoyed and continue to enjoy for years. And the kids danced and the jazz band was awesome and the the chorus. It was just a grand event and we're very proud of our school system and I know in my heart those kids are going so it's going to happen. The second thing that I was able to attend, also very informative, the SA uh Saba annual event, Southern Arizona Homebuilders Association. Learned a lot. Got to hobnob with lots of builders and developers. Great conversation. See the world through their eyes and the challenges that they're facing. And then last but not least, bowling for elected officials. I got a 56. My gutter ball is still the same. I can just tell you all of that. P

Metropolitan Puma Alliance, but went bowling with the mayor and it was a lot of fun. Thank you, Patrick Gillespie. Vice Mayor,

uh, just a couple things. Um, I was asked to give the council a big thank you for from SHS, the students that go there. You can't imagine how many people have told me how grateful they are that that left turned green light. helps immensely. So, thank you staff for making that happen. Um, it's really made a difference and whenever [snorts] somebody mentions it, they're like, "Tell the council." So, the council, the people appreciate it. And, um, I just wanted to touch briefly regarding the marching band. I echo what has already been said, but I wanted to clarify maybe for educate. Um, Laura Lewick um, mentioned the 2025 tax donations. Um, for those that may not know, you can get you're going to pay those taxes anyway. um you just get to decide where it goes. And so by filling that out, you're saying the money that you would send to education um the general fund, you can say it's going to go to the straighta ban. And so you can do that for 2025 currently, just for a few more weeks, probably. I can't remember the deadline

up to April, I think. Okay. And [clears throat] then you can also do 2026. So any couple can do $800 and it won't cost you anything. and it just says take my taxes that you're going to give anyways to the school band. And so just wanted to make sure that was clear because that's an easy way to don't to support them and it doesn't actually take money out of your pocket. So

thank you. Um and final point on the band um uh Mr. Garland, our band director was one of the top 10 teachers of the year as well on top of everything else. Probably why they got to the level of being selected uh for that. Um and I've already done my tax credit. So um and uh thanks also uh to the chamber. I attended their uh very successful um business expo in Taste of the Valley um over at over at Desert Diamond and it was nice. Uh we had our actually our high school culinary kids as one of the restaurants over there. Um so we really appreciate that collaboration with the chamber. Uh I also presented to the Green Valley Salita Realers Association over the last couple of weeks and gave them an update and um obviously we're one of the bright spots when it comes to home building um in our region as we learned when a couple of us went to the Saba installation of officers. Um so uh thanks for um Jeremy at Rancho Serita for hosting us um at that event. Um, also the uh SUSD, you know, state of the school district to Councilwoman Priolo's comments, there was almost as many shout outs to that relationship with the town as there was the all the accomplishments that they've done um with the school district. So, that was really um nice to see. And that's just the Srio wins way um that we try to work together on those types of things. Um also did um bowling with council member Priolo. I got at least one over 56. So, uh I got to claim um bragging rights um to that. And as a last reminder, this Saturday uh the Sarita Classic Car Show from 10 to 1 over at um Quail Creek Veterans Memorial Park. It's a $5 entry. Um, but you know that we have this great relationship with the Santa Cruz Cardinets and basically um all of the money that's

raised helps our uh SUSD uh high schools automotive program. So basically all the money that's raised I think they're up to over $800,000 over the life of in scholarships and um money to to the organization. I think they have about 350 cars signed up. It's one of the bigger car shows in southern Arizona. So, I'm very excited. I get to judge um a mayor's trophy. So, I make one person happy and 349 unhappy. So, that's really that's always really fun uh doing that. Um but it does go to a good cause. And as a reminder, February 9th is our next regularly scheduled meeting. And at this time, I'll turn it over to Madame Clerk with item number seven.

[clears throat] Item number seven is the town manager report.

Oh, I have you down as an agenda item that we haven't got to yet. But I have two other things that are not an agenda item. Oh, um, we've already closed the call to the public, so we'll have to wait. But you can submit it to us afterwards, but I have to stay in on the agenda. Give me six minutes. [laughter] Um, right after the council. Yeah. Courting me out to the council meeting. I'll be able to happy. But we've already moved off of that. So I once I've closed the call to the public. Um, I've got to move on. He was supposed to say something too close.

Um, sorry. Well, um, but we're going to be here every month. Um, you're allowed to submit it afterwards. Shane. Uh, thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of the council. Um, it's a pleasure to be here with you tonight. It's feels like it's been a spell since we've had an actual presentation due to the holidays and how our council meetings have have played out. Um so, uh we're excited to to be able to provide this update to the council. U but before I get into um the details of the manager's report um I wanted to let you know that the uh minibus bill was signed into law this morning that contained the $2.5 million um allocation for the lake project and um the little over $800,000 for the PD radios. Um and then we believe it also included um we think it's around 600,000 to continue the mitigation effort and the FUD site for phase one. Uh so we believe it includes that. We'll we'll get some more detail on that in hopefully this in soon uh quick order and I'll let you know for sure. Uh but very very excited that that bill passed this morning. uh were signed into law anyway and we'll be working with the various agencies, federal agencies to know what that process looks like to get that money into our community and and serving its intended purpose. Um I'll be out this week to the U ACMA conference and uh Beth will be here as as acting. Um and then just wanted to put on your radar that uh the ADQ and the Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to be here on February 3rd. It's not um it's it's a closed meeting for stakeholders that they're working with on the mitigation of the flood site and they'll undoubtedly be talking about other projects around the state. So,

they do this annual meeting and uh they've um picked us as uh as a as a place to host that meeting. So, we're excited about that. Um and then I think I'll take just a quick minute, Mr. Mayor, members of the council to at least address uh we had um during call to the public uh Mr. Jennings, if I got the last name correct, um if not, I apologize. Um you know, demanded some accountability on the um on the event that occurred early August of last year um uh between Chief Noland and uh Mr. Freeman. Um the specific request in those comments was we need to make sure that we have established policy on deescalation and the the effective use of force. Um I want you to know that our our police department is accredited nationally and in order to do that they had to go through uh a complete um um rehaul uh of their policies, standard operating procedures, department policies and uh to make sure that they all met industry standards. Um, and that does definitely include uh use of force. And the reason why I bring that up is because one of the one of the first things that uh my office did in response to that event was to engage the services of of independent um reviewer. So that the the police department turned the case over to Morirana Police Department. Uh separate from that, which was the right thing to do, make sure another agency is actually looking at that. Um, the next thing that the the other thing that I did was I reached out to the Department of Safety, Arizona Department of Safety, and I asked them if their uh if their Bureau of Investigations would engage and provide service to uh my office especially to review the conduct and actions of our staff in in relationship to that event and make sure that um if we, you know, make sure that

we were in compliance with our own policies, which I knew were uh recently overhauled due to the accreditation of our of our department. And so we had that review. In addition to that, we had the um as part of the normal judicial process, the county attorney's office uh also had a take on all this. In all three instances, um there was not found a violation that our staff complied out or operated outside of our um our policies and established procedures and that use of force was in line with those procedures and policies. So, I just wanted to make sure that you knew that there was an accountability that way. Um, my evaluation is next month, so you have an opportunity to weigh in that way if you'd like. Um, but part of my job was to make sure that, um, we allowed due process to play out. Um, there was a lot of interest in taking immediate action and that's really difficult if you don't allow due process. And that due process is there to protect everybody involved. Um, not just our employees, but the public that's involved as well. So, it's important that we allow due process to play out and um and we have an accountability of each of those agencies and how they weigh in on that. Um so, if you have any questions about that, I'm happy to answer. Um if not, I'll get into my report.

Yep.

Thank you. So, uh pleased to provide you uh a quick update on our activities from um December 15th to January 15th. um and all the hands that made it possible. This really is a team effort. Um by way of new employees, we had one join our ranks. Um Ernesto Hernandez um joined our information technology team as a systems technician. Uh I can't think of a finer team for him to join and uh I I had an opportunity to meet uh Ernesto and he's he's got a a nice light about him. He smiles. He's he's engaging. and I think he'll uh make a fine addition to our IT team. So, uh we welcome Mr. Hernandez on with our our family. Um by way of service milestones, we have two employees that are celebrating uh significant milestones. Um one their 10th year anniversary and one their 20th. Um for the 10th year anniversary, Officer Petty u many of you know Officer Petty. She's uh she's wonderful and engaging with our youth. Um and uh we appreciate her service. She's uh celebrating her 10th year anniversary with the town. And then uh celebrating his uh 20th year with the town, believe it or not, which is u really really an accomplishment. Uh Jesus Bamante, a police officer with our our police department. So we congratulate both of these officers for their continued dedication to our community and the service that they've rendered over those years. We'll jump into some major department highlights. Um, again, the report itself has far more than what we can cover in in in these brief remarks. So, the public is encouraged to to read those reports. They're found on the town manager website of the uh page on the town's website. Uh, but just to uh cap

some of those events on the police department side, um on December 15th, uh the PD hosted their annual cops and kids event. Uh there were about 50 students that participated. Uh they each received a $200 gift card and they were accompanied by an officer as they uh as well as council member Morales um and council member Lidle and the vice mayor. Thank you for participating and supporting that. Um but they got to go around and Walmart and um and it's it's just really a lot of fun to to be there and watch those kids have an opportunity to to um um to get some of the things that they need uh on municipal in municipal court. Um our very own town magistrate uh celebrated her 20th year with the town. Uh now that is a huge accomplishment and we we really appreciate Judge Az um in the Parkside Manaze disc golf the 27 hole disc golf course has reached substantial completion. I don't know if you've driven up and down Laval and you've seen the cars now on that west side or east side parking lot. Uh they're just taking advantage of it. They love it. Um but it's now open to the public. So we encourage the public to get out there and enjoy that. that amenity and have uh some recreational fun. Uh the winter fest of course happened in December. It was vibrant. It was a celebratory uh moment for our community to come together during the holiday season. Um the success of the Winterfest was made possible through strong collaboration and support across the town departments and community partners. Next slide. In public works, um it's a major a major safety and efficiency upgrade was completed. We've already referenced it tonight. Vice Mayor commented on it. Uh the installation of that dedicated left turn lane at the intersection of Salvita Road and Desert Gym. Um I benefited from that uh this morning or this actually at lunchtime uh trying to get into the high school and it was pretty busy otherwise, but that left turn lane just really made

it um actually pretty smooth. So that was great. Um and uh safe safety is really number one for our kids and the general traveling public in economic development. Um we uh had staff meet with a company uh architect called JLG Architects. They're a national they're a national planning firm for design designing community focused projects nationwide. This is the architectural firm in partnership with Mosaic uh and doing the u the the ice rink up there and and you see it on on I I 10 going east. Um it really is uh something special uh big project but they came here to look at uh the town of Sabarita and uh our economic development team uh hosted them well and and answered questions and they were just really engaging and it it's exciting to get that kind of uh public attention. So it's great. Next slide. We'll jump into some capital improvements to close up the the report for tonight. Um the PD expansion uh update overall the project is within budget and on on schedule with ribbon cutting expected this year December. Um so we see a big wall installed. They'll they'll start working uh on now the uh the undergrounding of of utilities. Um and the expansion of the south wing for the property and evidence component of of this this phase. And so both of those we plan to have starting in February. So stay tuned. Also, you'll see some activity over by the courthouse. U we're expanding that parking lot, making a larger secured area for staff. Um as currently we've, you know, we're we're busting at the seams there and we need to expand and and make sure we're taking care of our staff. So, uh we have a a quick groundbreaking ceremony scheduled uh later this month and uh excited for for that project to get underway. In community development, we've got the planning and zoning staff busy uh

wrapping up the public engagement portion of our 10-year general plan update. Um 60-day public notice uh review period has closed at this point and comments are being comments that have been received are being integrated as appropriate in the draft plan. Uh the next phase will be public hearings and adoptions and you've seen that kind of start popping up on your calendars for February and March. So, we're excited to get into that next phase of the project. Next slide. Members of council, we're uh I'm willing to answer any questions that you might have. Oh, thanks, Jane. Any questions?

I just wanted to to tell staff and and Shane um the appreciation for this report. Um it's amazing how often um the general the residents will ask me questions and the answers are sitting right there and it's just really convenient. Um when I go to events and I'm asked to speak on what's going on with the town, it's really a great resource. So, thank you for that. Um, and I appreciate the combined report because over the years everybody's department would come in separately. It was really hard to keep them together. So, I appreciated you tying those in. Um, especially when I'm doing interviews and things. It's one place I have to go to find those. Any other questions? Um, Madame Clerk, item number eight, 2026 legislative session update.

Thank you. U, Mr. Smith, Luke Smith, our management analyst will present this item and I think maybe Karen Cruz might be on. She will not be joining us. Oh, not be joining us. Okay. Thanks. Uh we're saving her for later on. Okay. Things when they get heated up.

So, thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council. Um I'm excited to announce that the second regular session of the 57th annual Arizona Legislature has opened as of July 12th, 2026, and it is scheduled to end 100 days later on April 25th. Whether or not that actually happens is a matter of speculation. Uh we have a GOP majority with a Democratic governor. The date to watch is crossover day, which is February 27th. The bills that survive that are the bills that uh could become law. Some of the top issues that we're looking at are budget and tax conformity dealing with the federal changes uh largely due to the big beautiful bill. Uh data center incentives are a topic of big debate. Uh the governor and the legislature debating on tax cuts. uh Prop 123 expired last year and so they're, you know, looking at renewing or reworking language uh on that. Housing affordability is a big issue. Uh when we did have a chance to meet with the governor, this is something she got really excited about and trying to help uh people with and water policy. Uh you know, being in Arizona will always be probably be an issue. Uh this session is on pace to set record uh record in terms of the number of bills submitted. Uh as of 5:00 pm today, there were 1,400 bills uh that had been submitted, 942 on the House side and 458 with the Senate, probably partially due to this being an election year. And so there's a lot of activity. Uh so we'll keep an eye on those and see which ones pass the deadlines for to be heard. Uh late last year, we were talking with uh a lot of legislative staffers and the general consensus would there was that there would not be a lot of wiggle room in the budget. We learned today that revenues are actually a little higher than anticipated and with Prop 123 there could be an extra 300 million in the budget. We're waiting for some border security reimbursement dollars which is 700 million. Uh so they're thinking now they might have a little money to work

with but this does not take into account yet the tax conformity. All right. Uh late last year also we you know had these legislative objectives in the town to protect local control, protect revenue streams, advocate on behalf of the town's needs and prioritize public safety and community pro protection. So with that we take that filter and we look at the bills that are being proposed and which ones we need to be concerned about. So, uh, as as at the time of this presentation, there were seven bills submitted for water management and conservation, eight bills submitted for public safety, uh, infrastructure. I don't think this is going to fit on the screen here. Uh, let me see if I can scroll down. Nope. Uh, anyway, there's some bills submitted. In total, there were 33 bills that at this time that we were taking a look at and monitoring to see if they're going to move forward and if we should be concerned. Uh the five most impactful bills that we identified at the time were uh HB 2052 which has to deal with management plan of water loss. This would cap municipal water loss at 8%. Uh so from where we take it to reaching the end user. Uh this would have impact on a strict uh system maintenance and reporting requirements. Uh we have HP 2115 which caps public monies um or limits political subdivisions like a town or city to spending 8% of received public monies at landman costs. Uh this would restrict municipal funds uh m missley to fund staff and programs necessary to sustain growth. The wording on this one was a little interesting and so we do expect some changes or amendment to this. HP 2134 uh deals with critical infrastructure and foreign adversary proh prohibition. So any country uh deemed a foreign adversary, we would have to make sure that we're not basically using products or services from that country. This could present uh or complicate procurement as we have to review have

security and reporting mandates. There's a couple other bills that have come up lately also dealing with foreign adversaries. Uh HB 2139 does a public record response requirements and complaints. Mandates a 15-day business 15 business day response window for public record requests with detailed tracking and status updates. This would increase administrative burden to the town's clerk office and necessitating a robust tracking system. And then finally, the last bill we have here included is online sharing repeal or home sharing repeal, sorry. This repeals the framework preventing local governments from regulating short-term and vacation rentals. So, this could return local control to municipalities on some of that rental revenue. Uh, so continue actions. Uh, we're going to continue to monitor and track legislation in cooperation with our capital lobbyist, Karen Cruz. Prepare regular briefs. So, you'll see be seeing more emails coming from me just updating you guys regularly on what's going on. Uh, collaborate with stakeholders in other jurisdictions, which we're doing through largely through the league. coordinate ad advocacy efforts on behalf of the town's interests, engage town legislative ambassador, council member Polo, and we've talked about establishing regular meetings with her and hold study sessions to discuss pending legisl legislation. Um, our lobbyist, Karen Cruz, does expect that the governor might ask us to weigh in on some issues and so we'll make sure we represent the town. Well, uh, last thing I want to mention, I don't think I did, a big issue that is ongoing is the Colorado River debate. Uh I know all the governors of the basin states have been invited to DC to hopefully work out a compromise. We're hopeful. Uh but this could be um a hard-fought process to come to some kind of agreement. So that's all I have and I'll thank you. Any uh questions from council? Any questions? Thanks, L. I know you'll be a returning visitor um as the legislative session continues.

Yes. Um item nine is the consent agenda. I'll entertain a motion at this time. So moved. Do have a second. Second. We have a second. All those in favor signify by I. I. Any oppose by nay. I. Motion carries unanimously. Madame clerk. Item 10A. Discussion regarding the fiscal year 2025 audit results. Uh thank you. And Mr. Mariotti, our finance and technology director, will present this item and or maybe not unless he's grown um a lot longer hair than he has currently. Um welcome. Thank you.

And this will um this will be a joint presentation also with um Advisent Assurance LLP if we have representatives here tonight. Thank you. Um, just have to push the button. Thank you.

Um, good evening, mayor and council. Um, I'm Janette Parales, the finance manager for the town of Sarita and, um, I'm here representing AC tonight. And, um, I will be introducing the town's independent auditor, Dennis Mashki, from Adise. He will be presenting the findings for the fiscal year 2025 audit. Um the we are required by state statute to present the audit um 90 days after it is completed and this year the audit was completed on December 23rd and as you will see from Dennis's presentation uh the finance department continues to diligently um uh use the town's resources wisely to to be transparent and to have adequate reporting. earlier. Okay.

Yes. So, there's Dennis in the lower leftand corner. Can Dennis, can you hear us?

Yes. Thank you. Thank you, Janette. Uh, good evening, uh, Mr. Mayor, council members, and community. Thank you for taking the time to go through the audit results with me this evening. Um, if you can pull up the slides, Janette, uh, I want to go through each one of the reports that we issue just very briefly and give you the highlights to them. Um, but first before I go through those reports, I want to talk a little bit about the audit timeline. Uh, you know, an audit takes us several months to go through. So this year in September, we issued our engagement letter and we had discussions with management so we could set our risk assessment process to make sure uh we were looking at all the large account balances and activity throughout the year. Then in October we start some remote planning where we're doing analytical procedures. Uh the third thing as part of the audit, we come out for actual fieldwork uh where we have a team that comes on site looking at cash receipts and invoices, substantiating the balances and reviewing the activity from one year to the next. And then ultimately our goal is to issue the financial statements and all the related uh related reports by the end of December. So Janette, if you want to uh change the slide. One of the things you might notice this year is a change in the name. Um, we were formerly called CWDL, certified public accountants. Uh, we had internal organizational restructuring and we thought this would be a good time to kind of rebrand ourselves and change the name. All the team members that were part of CWDL in Arizona are with Advis. So, I was the partner last year with CWDL. I'm the partner on this year's audit as well as all of the uh associates and senior managers and team members on the audit are a part of advising and well so it's uh just an organizational restructuring. We worked

with the town's procurement department to make sure we we did that properly. Next slide. Uh this is where I talked about the timeline where we start the audit process in September and go through December to finalization. Next slide please. So the first report we have this is the large uh document called the annual comprehensive financial report. This year we issued a clean unmodified opinion. That's the same type of opin opinion that we have issued in the previous year as well. uh our responsibilities are designed uh to design procedures to analyze transactions on a test basis. You know, so we don't look at every single account, but we use materiality and a risk based a riskbased audit approach to make sure we're looking at those large dollar amount. So we can give that opinion whether on whether the financial statements are materially correct. There were no new accounting standards to implement this year and again we issued a clean unmodified opinion. Next slide. So I want to give a brief overview of some of the major parts to the financial statements. Uh the audit opinion you can read our opinion on page 17. um the management's discussion and analysis that's on page 20 that gives a key overview of the changes in activity from one year to the next. So if I was to recommend a couple different areas to read within the the 100page document, one would be that management's discussion and analysis to kind of get an idea of what had changed as well as the statistical section that's at the end of the report. It starts on page 89. It gives you financial trends over a 10-year period. So, you can look at how

uh the revenues or cash balances, how things are trending, uh taxes, and a wide variety of other debt capacity and demographic information. The single audit report, uh, which was the slide that that we're just on, um, that's where we test the federal programs and internal controls. So, anytime the town has over a million dollars of federal spending, it'll be a million dollars here for fiscal year 26. For fiscal year 25, it was actually 750,000. We need to perform what's called a single audit to test those federal expenditures. The town had about $1.8 million of federal expenditures, mostly relating to that Corona virus, state, and local fiscal recovery funds. Uh so we tested that program in accordance with uh government regulations. We gave an unmodified again a clean opinion on the scheduled expenditures of federal awards and both within the federal awards program as well as the internal control procedures of the town. We did not identify or report any material weaknesses or significant deficiencies. The third document is the governance communication. That's just a standard communication between the auditors to give to governance to let you know that we're independent of the town uh whether we had any significant accounting estimates or disagreements with management or any corrected or uncorrected misstatements. And for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2025, there are no disagreements uh and there are no corrected or uncorrected misstatements. And then our significant accounting estimates really relate to when we're looking at capital assets, uh looking at the useful lives of those assets and the related depreciation methods. The annual expenditure limitation report

is the next report wanted to briefly touch on. As you can see here on this slide, it gets calculated by the economic estimates commission and the town is well under the annual expenditure limitation. And finally, the last report that we issue is what's called the highway user revenue examination report. That's what we're looking at the transportation fund expenditures just to make that sure they're in accordance with uh Arizona statute and the constitution. And again, uh, reviewing those expenditures, we did not note any findings. And that's a brief overview of the audit. Uh, great results to have to have no findings, significant deficiencies or material weaknesses. Um, really clean. We really appreciate AC and his team and Janette's work. We asked for a lot of documents throughout the process and really appreciate their partnership and getting us what we need so that we can review everything and turn it around in a pretty quick, you know, six week period uh between the close of the financial statements and getting everything issued and the audit complete for the end of December. And I'll open it up to any questions.

Any questions from the council? I mean, obviously it sounds like a good report. We appreciate the partnership. I know I always get interviewed um as part of that process as well. So, uh thanks and uh thanks to Janette and I know she goes a long way to keeping AC straight. Um so, it's a team effort as I know AC always say the mic is muted. I can't I can't hear if there are any questions coming through. Oh, okay. We'll work on Well, he won't he can't hear us so I can't doesn't help if I tell him. Can you hear me now? Okay. Yeah,

I just apprec uh passing on my appreciation for working uh with your group. I know I get interviewed as part of that audit uh process and we have a great team uh that watches our dollars and cents and they're multi-year award winner on how they report and um as AC says it's always a team effort and we appreciate Janette you being here. Thank you. Thank you. And and yes, I would also like to add that we do have a great team and we work very well together and also with the auditors to prepare the court.

Thank you. I mean, I was I'll ditto Janette's comments, but I'll also uh you know, if you think back as a coun, you know, this is this kind of this is the kind of audit report that, you know, every manager dreams dreams and hopes for, but if you think about the past year that we had and some of the events early on in the year um to come out with this kind of audit report, it shows a resiliency in in our organization, the ability to um self initiate uh opportunities to strengthen and policies and procedures and uh and our workflow. So, um credit to staff and appreciate um the opportunity to be able to present you guys with a a clean bill. Thank you.

Thank you, Council. Good. Thank you. Uh Madame Clerk, item number 10B. Item 10B is a discussion and presentation regarding the Sonor and Corridor SR410 update.

Thank you. and Nalo Nalavali our public works director will introduce the item representatives from WSP uh the engineering firm uh for the sonor and car project are present on these items um before I um Nalo before I well go ahead and do a quick introduction maybe who's here um I have one call to the speaker card so I'd like them to go first and that way maybe if they hear something from either council and or the public um that might uh help them as they present Okay. But but go ahead and do the introduction.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um good evening. Happy new year, Mr. Mayor and members of the council. Uh tonight we have uh WSP, the leading uh engineering firm here. Uh they'll be uh leading engineering firm on the Snoring Corridor project. Uh they'll be uh uh presenting an update on where we're at with the uh with the project uh uh tonight. So with that, I'll just go ahead and turn it over to WSP. Okay. Well, well, we'll go with the U. Mr. Howton, do you want to um come up? Uh that's your agenda item. And if you want to, you know, cuz we can't on a regular call public, we can't comment anyways. If you want to touch quickly on those other two issues, there

Okay. And that way, you know, we can either get back to you or um know what your return visit might be commenting on, but we still we still have to stick to the uh three minutes as much as possible. Thanks.

I will. Okay. Mayor and Council, [sighs and gasps] one of the worst roads you've got in this city, you would not find in Rancho D. The Los Quentas that butts up to El Toro needs to be not graveled. It needs to be replaced. It's terrible. It's It's one of the worst. It's as bad as Tucson is. I'm telling you fighting.

We'll get that one out of the way. Locky was years ago, three years ago approximately. I asked a councilman about if they were going to widen Linata to what Green Valley is. I was told we'll have the money next year. That's been two years ago. Hasn't happened yet. you have problems, traffic problems on there. The other problem is, and I hate to say this, [clears throat] I see more sheriff's departments pulling more people over and zero city policemen pulling anybody over on Lockin, day or night. short one. Business ads by the city on the city web page. Why? Why not put the agenda on the city web page so people will come here? Because if they would have known, tonight would have been about the I19 I 10 bypass, you would have had a lot more people in here. You know that I was in here 6 months ago when I'm going to ask the same question that I asked that night and never got an answer. If this corridor happens, which it may, why aren't you having the realators tell the people that are buying the houses off El Toro Road that there's a possibility that those houses will be condemned? I asked that six months ago and never got an answer.

probably still won't get an answer tonight, but I think those people ought to know and be told beforehand that it is a possibility cuz I have not seen a no anywhere from the state and it's out of your hands as being a city state and federal. So, why don't you tell these realtors to tell these people that are buying these houses like crazy over here and the traffic? You're going to have 3,200 houses. Thanks. What are you going to do about all the traffic you have? Thanks. Thank you.

Thanks. Appreciate it. Mr. Mayor, can I address the especially the agenda? Are we going to touch on the um well all of our agenda items are are posted on the town's website. Um it's goes up the Thursday before uh two Thursdays before our town council meeting two Thursdays before our town council meeting. So just wanted to clarify that.

That's what I was going to make sure I covered, but you got that. Um you can always get that. Um, I wanted to before the presentation, I wanted to address and some of the concerns that um that the last gentleman just brought up is some of the ones [clears throat] I'm going to respond to as well. Um, the town has been working, this is kind of a history lesson really quick. Um, the town has been working with ADOT for over 15 years evaluating the potential of a corridor with two studies in 2010 and 2013. Following these studies, a service of um a series of public meetings were held and the public supported the consideration of El Toro and Puma mine corridors for further study. However, considerations of a Puma mine corridor was disontinued to the right a right ofway constraints with the um the nation. In 2015, the council adopted the major streets and roots plan policy manual providing a 300 foot corridor along El Toro Road. And in 2016, the council approved a motion to establish an El Toro road as a key commerce corridor. However, when this work was completed, the area adjacent to El Toro were vacant. Unplatted land both to the north and south of the road. Since then, this area has not only been platted, but homes have been built in this area with over 100 completed homes south of El Toro. In absence of a decision by A DOT on the placement of this new road, the town has been unable to require developers to set aside rightaway for the future road. Therefore, at this time, due to the changes and town growth that has taken place since we have started these conversations, the council can no longer support an alignment that will result in over 40 acres of home acquisitions and demolitions and may result in the splitting up significant residential neighborhoods. Those are my comments.

Thank you, Nalo. and uh for my colleagues afterwards during um obviously everybody's you know can comment as well. Thank you. Thank you for kicking off vice mayor. [clears throat] Good evening.

Good evening Mayor, council members, town staff and community. Advance this slide here. Um, ADOT and the Sonoron Corridor project team are very happy to be here tonight to provide an update on this study as well as receive your feedback. These are a few topics that we're going to touch on focusing on the public comments that we received during the scoping process in the summer and how that input has influenced the alternative development moving forward. We know that the town of Sorita has been a partner in this study for many years. So just real quick going to hit on some of the items here that this is a tier 2 study compliant with NEPAB requirements for a transportation corridor that connects I19 to I10. That study is segmented and we'll get to this a little bit when we get to the comments. It's segmented in three pieces. So, I'm showing that here where the first segment is in the southern end up through the last segment at I 10.

Can Can I interrupt just for a second? I was going to Can I see if I can beat you to the punch? Yeah, go for it. Um I thought our numbers were reversed. Um first phase is from Vale to the airport, second phase is down and third phase is to I19. So, I just don't want any confusion based on that that numbering system. Sure. Sure. So this is the segmentation of how the study to simplify the study. This is not the segmentation in order of how the corridor will be implemented. And maybe that's what you that's what I was referring to. Shane and I had a different Okay, you go. So because this because this project has been going on for so long,

could you just for the benefit of the public, could you you said this is a tier 2 study. Would you just you take 20 seconds and explain what the tier one study was? what you what you accomplished through that study and and really what the tier two study is is really meant to accomplish. Sure. Thank you.

So the tier one study it accomplished recommending a 2,000 ft corridor after going through an extensive alternative development process. The tier 2 study takes that 2,000 ft corridor and is looking for alignments within that corridor that will bring us down to a 400 ft rightway. And with that alignment, 15% plans are anticipated to be developed and that will be documented in a design concept report and an environmental impact statement. And am I correct that it's always against the conversation of a no option moving forward?

Yes. Okay. Yes. So we'll look at that here in a in a second as well. I'm reading it.

Yep. You're getting you're you're reading my mind. So this slide shows us the process by which we walk through to develop the alternatives and it it it takes us down um getting further refined and further refined. So back in the summer we came out to the community and we shared the preliminary range of alternatives with them to get to get their feedback. That's a very important part of this process. And so with that feedback, we have been using that information to help us refine the alternatives and moving forward to the reasonable range of alternatives that will again be studied in greater detail and compared against a no build option and then of those options a preferred alternative will be recommended. This study takes about three years too as you can see here on the slide. So again going back real real quickly between the tier one study that was completed in 2021. It defined the alternative that you see on the screen here as a 200 ft corridor. The tier 2 study occurred started about two years after that. As you can see and as you all well know, development has occurred within the corridor through the entire extent of the 2,000 ft at the I19 connection. We've received comments from the town. We had the formal meetings in the summer and that's what we really needed to get to to walk through a NEPA compliant process. So I'm going to touch a little bit on the meetings that we had. One meeting was in person, one was virtual. The

Inerson meeting was held here. We had a great showing from the community which is invaluable. As I mentioned, there was about a month time period where we collected comments from both that in-person and virtual meeting. We had about 700 questionnaires filled out. These included five open-ended questions, and I'm going to walk through each of those real briefly. There were about 2,000 responses, and I can assure you that the study team has gone through those comments. each and every one of them pulling out the nuances, pulling out the themes so that we can better understand how to move forward. Also want to acknowledge that of those responses and comments, a large percentage of them were from this area of the study. So the first question we asked was regarding the purpose and need. And again, these were open-ended questions. So you're going to see another category on these slides where sometimes the respondents didn't directly answer the questions, but you can see here that 40% generally agreed with the the purpose and need. 34 didn't. If you combine those that were neutral that agreed with the purpose and need, but not necessarily the corridor, you're at about 54% with agreeing with the purpose and need. The next question we asked were was specific to the alternatives. So again back to that section segment one that's at the I19 connection. We had three build alternatives that we shared and requested input on those. And again looking at the pie chart you can see that there was a strong response for the

no build option and some of the reasons that we heard for that were was the development the river the groves you know the the natural environment moving up along the north south piece of the corridor segment two very similar response in terms of no build um preference or build preference. Some of the items that were mentioned as part of the feedback in this segment related to the airport access drainage. This a lot of drainage ways in in this area to contend with grazing. The fourth question related to the third segment. So where we connect up to I10 and again very similar to the feedback that we received in the other segments in terms of um preference for the build alternative and the no build alternative. The last question we asked was specifically about the no build alternative. And you can see here a large number of people responded with um support for the no build alternative. And I can share a little bit more insight as to the comments that we received. For the no build alternative, we received comments that were along the lines of the freeway isn't necessary. Plenty of more important improvements are needed elsewhere. Not convinced the route will save time. I don't think it's needed and unless you can do it without destroying people's homes, don't do it. Some of the other comments that we got, just an example of how it doesn't necessarily pertain to the alternative related to public transportation would

help significantly reduce traffic if there are possible tax breaks. So good good feedback but not necessarily helping us with the build no build option. Some of the build examples we got were something needs to be done, existing infrastructure is already overtaxed. Do something before additional development occurs in the area. So back to that alternative development process diagram that we walked through, three general factors that influence the the refinement of alternative relate to the agency and public input that we receive in that scoping process. The continued environmental studies that take place within the corridor. So, we've had uh professionals out there doing surveys for various biological um species and so forth. The engineering analysis also plays into the factors of how the alternatives get refined. And so since the public meeting, we've also gotten the updated model information from PAG on the 2055 um forecast, which is the the year in which we're designing for. So lots of factors go into how how these alternatives get better and better hopefully, you know, as we progress. So, what have we done since we've met with the community back in the summertime? We have met individually with several of the local agencies in FHWA. We've had over half a dozen meetings, you know, including with your with your town staff

and we've talked about what are some possible paths forward from where we were in June. One of the options that we talked about is, you know, what happens if we continue with the study as planned. A lot of work went into the tier one analysis. There was a a um decision made on a corridor. A lot of effort into that. Another option that we talked about, well, what happens if we shorten the study limits? And then we also talked about what happens if the ultimate roadway type is adjusted. So I'm going to walk through each of those a little bit. So continuing as planned. Um obviously it it doesn't address the feedback that we received during the public scoping process. It would impact a new development which has been identified, but it also maintains the long-term vision of this corridor which is to provide better connectivity for the community as well as better connectivity regionally and supporting you know goals for a lot of the local agencies in terms of economic development. walking through the option of potentially reducing the tier 2 study limits. So if we start at I10 and we continue the study, there are a few logical places what we term as segments of independent utility where you have connectivity on either side of the corridor. So, we could potentially end the study at Old Veil Road up near

the airport as one option. We could continue down further to the south and we could tie into Sorita Road as one option. We can continue further into and tie into Deval Mine. So, those are a few examples of what that could look like

while you're taking a drink of water. Um could I just interrupt and ask a question? Is there because I wasn't aware that a lot of work had been done previously uh with the San Javier district you know to come down for the one the top blue circle you know maybe coming halfway down and then coming west north of uh Pima mine road through the San Javier district um and you know hearing the feedback uh that you've heard from the community and from the council um yet to be completed um is that out of the possibility um that what some of the work that was already done because I know there's cost um cuz this is all about the EIS. There's been no conversation of where the funding comes from to actually build this and I'm thinking um well it was a billion dollars to widen the road from Tucson to um Cassag Grand. Um, so I'm not even sure what the, you know, cost of this, but if you did come south and then go west quicker, obviously that would reduce a lot of cost. Is that out of the realm of possibility of entering that? And whether it's on this slide or for the I can hold, but I just wanted to plant the seed when it was just when I had that thought.

Sure. Sure. No, and I'm glad to answer it. Now, um, like I mentioned, the discussions that we had with local agencies, some of these types of conversations definitely came up of, um, other o other options. And so, the study team is looking deeply into those. There are a number of past studies as you alluded to that have been done and so looking back towards those so that we're not repeating decisions that are already made but looking to see if changes have occurred where you know potentially another outcome would play forward that is being considered. Okay. Thank you.

I have a quick question. Yes, vice mayor. Um I have a quick question regarding that second blue dot where it would end on Sarita Road. Would that entail um Serita Road becoming the corridor? The with this option of the study limits shot stopping. It leaves the remainder of the corridor unstudied and and not without without that 400 foot um delineation of where the remainder of the corridor would tie into an I19. Now the reality is if it stops at Sorita Road that is going to be used to connect to I19. Yes.

Okay. We have four schools that go directly on that and two in a very close percent that that is six schools. It is not appropriate for a corridor to be with that many schools. So just to let you know I'm completely against that even being a possibility. That is just insane to even consider in my opinion. Yeah. Then that's why I kind of brought up the point of in between the two blue dots, you know, on on going coming across going west, which was a consideration at least by some um stakeholders previously. But Mr. Mayor,

yes. [clears throat] So it it is it I think it's just human nature to um quickly identify the things that we don't like about this type of road, right? Part of the problem that I experience and I wrestle with as an administrator is, you know, we heard some of the public comment about, you know, why aren't you why aren't you working better with the real estate agents? Why aren't you working better with the developers? Um, and and it's this is not this is not casting dispersion on on the process at all. It's just a reality that we face and that we can't we can't effectively manage our planning unless we have a road. we have a line on the map saying this is where this road is going to go. And I and you know it it it's like 2013 this is when this project started and we're at 2026 right now. And um how how much longer are as a as a as a a community are we going to have to wrestle with not having a line on a map so we can start proactively planning and making sure that we're doing all we can to protect that that corridor because until that line gets on that map, how do we expect any property owner to be a partner with us in in realizing that future? I I will say that it it's shortsighted for us as a I don't I I really don't want I really don't want um the state to go away thinking that this is not in my backyard kind of kind of community because we value the fact that we are not Tucson. We value the fact that we want to think ahead, plan ahead, be proactive, and and do our part to help not become the

the driving nightmare that it is to get through. Can I speak that boldly?

To to get through to get through Tucson. You know, if you if you compare your experience driving in Tucson to driving up in the Phoenix Valley where you've got the 202 and the 101 and the 303 and the 51 and the what 347 or what, you know, whatever. I mean, it it just it's it it's impossible if you don't plan for things like this. And this requires people to think ahead. It requires people to have some vision and understand that somewhere along the way property is going to have to get acquired to make a road like this possible. Um so the the big question that I have is how do we as quickly as we can get a line on a map so that we can do our part as a municipality in helping to protect and to plan for for that road. when this thing started in 2013. So again, it's it's a little it's a little frustrating and it's quite unfair to property owners and to your project because this is a fast growing area and the longer it takes to get that line on the map, the harder it is to to pick a spot that is going to be least impactful to people that are trying to realize their own their own vision, their own their own reality on their property, right? They bought a piece of property. They they want to raise kids, you know, families and have a dairy farm or did I say dairy farm?

Anyway, I don't know where that's gonna go. I don't know where that's going, but anyway, you know, to to realize these things. Um, how do they plan for that if we if we don't get a line on the map? So, thank you. I I want

No, I agree. But I piggyback off of that, but have the the least impact because I remember the history lesson was Salita Road originally, but then, you know, there was nothing south of Salarita Road. how all of this is here, right? And then it was Puma Mine Road and there's challenges up there. But from elected officials perspective, it's how do we do that plan visionarywise, but impact the least amount of our residents both because a lot of this area not only impacts new residents, but there's also homes down there that are legacy residents um and families um on there. And that's why well there's cost as well. Um, so anything when I look at it, anything we can do to shorten that connection between I19 and that's why I brought up the previous work with the San Javier district which goes through land that um is developable and um doesn't have those same impacts they do today. So I just wanted to piggyback off of Shane's comments.

This type of feedback is invaluable for the team at this point. So, thank you very much. And we really wish we could get to an answer quick, but there is a process that we have to walk through and it doesn't happen overnight. [clears throat] So,

we we just realize that the longer it takes, the harder it is to find that sweet spot, right, in a growing community. And you know, I I I think we the as you've heard already tonight, the town the town expresses um sincere concern at this point, 2016 or 2026 with with that segment one and how it cuts through um legacy, you know, neighborhoods as well as brand new neighborhoods that are already platted and homes are being built today. Um, is there is there an alternative as the mayor um um spoke very well to um perhaps further north where there isn't that kind of development happening right now. And it's not a not in my backyard type of issue. It's we want to support this uh as best we can and we'll be at the table to help talk with, you know, property owners and and be ambassadors and help sell this thing. But we [clears throat] got to get a line on the map and we got to do it as fast as possible. And I know that that's what you're doing, but we we're obligated to share those concerns because of what we're experiencing on the ground here as a as a community.

And I'm sorry, um, Council Member Lidle had a um a comment question.

Uh, yes. I was at the meeting that you had at the school district back in June and uh one of the problems, well, one of the many problems I had was that the card as it stood gave absolutely no access to anyone in Sido. I mean, the only place you get on to it was at Alanon. That's how it was explained at that time. Also, as I understand it, you do have another route available and that's down through the uh Tono Nation and I don't understand why that isn't phased in up there. That would um as I understand it would not interfere with anyone. It would go through the sacred land around the sacred lands and and not and not hurt us. It wouldn't be it's it would be to the benefit of everyone. You would not be hurting anything if you go this route. It does not benefit Salvita at all. Not at all. And that's what I'm opposed to. And I would not s there's no way I would support something like this. Thank you. Please continue.

So like I'm mentioning this option stops the study short and so there would be wherever it would stop there would be the remainder of the corridor that's left undefined with this option. Can [clears throat] can I I'm sorry. Can you go back one more one more time? So oopsie I'm going other way. This is what Br up. I screwed you up. [laughter] There's a There's a backward button. There we go. There we go. Oh, I'm glad when somebody has more control over it than me. Thank you. I think you want to hear one more button. Uh forward with a blue dot.

Yeah, I got this one. So, so if we were to if we were to support [clears throat] ending the study at the cell ready to road, um it doesn't necessarily mean that the connection, the future connection needs to be at that second blue dot, does it? It could be anywhere along that segment two. Correct. Correct. So, it's where the study stops. Yeah. I just So, I think that that that would keep the options open for that entire north south alignment. I didn't realize that. Yeah, that's why I wanted to ask that clarifying question. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Because because earlier I was thinking to the vice mayor's point, if it ends at Salerita Road, the study area by its

by its nature, then Salerita Road becomes that last connection, but it could be back to Yeah. the study and it could be back to San Javier or some other or straight across or whatever it might be. So yeah, correct. Yeah. Thank you. Yes. So, what is your timeline for this? Because 2013, there were several council members that have come and gone, and whatever your timeline is, there's going to be several council members still coming and going. So, do you guys have a timeline on when you're going to start this and when you supposed to finish it? Yes, this is a three-year study. We're one year into the study, two years remaining. So, you're you're planning on starting the project in two years?

No, we should finish this study in two years. the study, but when do you plan on starting if whatever your study the answer is you come up with the study when are you going to start the project of the corridor? Currently the project is not funded

and so the that will depend upon the funding. As part of the study we will have an implementation plan and so that will include an analysis of what portions of the study area should be built first based upon you know information like traffic data and safety and access and so forth. And so there's an implement implementation plan that provides guidance on that, but the reality is the funding needs to come in and support that. So, this could still be 20 years out. Could be never, but it puts it line on the map. So, that's kind of Shane's point. I get that.

Yeah. Where the line is. And and when it does when it when it does start in terms of construction, the plan is that it would start up where that green triangle is, right? and be funded from there down back to I19. That again, we've not yet got to that part of the study, but based upon what we know right now, that's what we would anticipate. The heavier traffic volumes are at the I 10 connection. Thank you. Y sorry for all the interruptions, but we have a lot of question.

I'm glad I'm glad to get your questions and your feedback. And I and I I feel like I didn't maybe quite answer your question. With the tier one study, maybe I'll backtrack on that for a moment. We had a universe of alternatives that were identified. That's the term we use, the universe. And there were hundreds of them of various connection points on I 10, various connection points on I19 and walk through a very comprehensive process with the public with the communities with the local agencies of whittling down that list of alternatives. Eventually it got to three and the one that we are showing on the screen that was the one that was ultimately selected through the tier one process and supported um by the community at that time understanding things have changed

was it if I remember correctly sorry it turned up again um but I thought I remember seeing that that's the that's the route that was picked but the one through the nation was the better route was recommended it well if that might be the right term you might know it better than I, but it seemed like that was because of impacts and things was the winner, but we ended up on the southern one. Yes. Is that correct? Um, we had three alternatives that we took that tier one study too and that was one of the three. Um, but ultimately that was not the one that was most supported. Why is that? Um, for a variety of reasons. I I think the town um

at the time provided some input at at that time too to get connectivity and that goes to council member Morales's point you know kind of the change when there's nothing there it might have looked um as available so to speak but you know now council's different circumstances are different like homes there like Salita road was than Pima mine road you look at schools so um and schools but yeah re really gets down to, you know, I I I I believe the town has fingerprints on why it's where it's at today to some extent.

But when those when those conversations happen, there wasn't there wasn't platted subdivisions. It was vacant land and it's it's prime. I mean, you see that out there and you go, "Hey, that's a great spot." um till it's not because but because it's taken so long to get a line on the map, we can't from a planning standpoint help protect that, right? Until that happens. And so we're in a bit of a dilemma and and we're reacting to that now.

So in that situation, why not change your tier to go to another tier, tier three I guess, and use the direction through the nation. We like I said are taking all this this feedback back to the local agencies. It will come back to the public as well. It will go back to AOT leadership and um yeah she's not in the position to be able to answer that at this time or commit. Um yeah. Yes, please.

So I'm in alignment with Council Member Lidle. Um, and I would certainly feel a heck of a lot better if the nation option could be reexplored and reassessed because I would hate to use eminent domain for those new houses in that new development. I think that that would hurt and I don't think it's right. Yeah, thank you for that feedback. deadline. So, I'm just continue

I talk through this last option here real quick and then I think we'll we'll get back to some timeline questions as well. [snorts] Um, so with the tier one study, it the the Sonoron corridor the ultimate facility was it was considered to be a freeway um typical section and that's what was being planned. Um, one of the options that we've brought back to the local agencies and so forth was changing that ultimate roadway section to one that aligns with the traffic forecasts that are now predicted with 2055. So, that's an option that the team is considering as well. And really, this option could apply to all the other options that we've talked about prior. So where where are we now in in this deliberation and collecting input? It is continued um still meeting with the local agencies, still meeting with ADOT leadership. We are anticipating having some recommendations that will lead us to the new set of alternatives or the refined set of alternatives and then again those will continue to work through the process as well. We anticipate coming back to the community to share that um those paths forward at that time and collect input as well. the input will be collected along the entire process. So, spring is where we're hoping to have some answers. That still doesn't get us the line on the map, um, but it gets us back on track to being able to drill down to all those more in-depth environmental studies that need to take

place in engineering studies and so forth. Um, one item that was also brought up earlier was connectivity to the existing network and the planned roadway network in in the area. So, what you've seen on the screen so far shows, you know, just one corridor without connectivity to all the local roads and so forth. That is one of the stages that will come once the alternatives are are progressing where we're looking at that. So there will be good access for the community to the corridor.

So I think we added a lot of questions along the [laughter] way. Um, and it may not be a fair question, but do you know, because I know we haven't been designed and it depends on length and such, but what's the number they're throwing around to council member Morales's, you know, thoughts. There's no money obviously, um, associated with it. Is there an estimated? I remember hearing a number. I just can't remember what it was and what the cost of construction. You were spot on. the tier one. So the, you know, we're talking back 2021 with that very high level estimate was about a billion dollars for the corridor, right? And no money associated with it as of today. Construction, no construction dollars are associated.

Um, well, you know, we had a a lot of questions along the way. Any additional or Shane? Um, sure. I I have some closing comments.

Well, oh, I'll I'll leave the closing comments to you, man. I I recognize this is this is affectionately referred to as kind of a generational project, you know, where it just it it, you know, the planning involved is intense. Um, and it takes time. Um, it can't be done fast enough uh to those of us who are are trying to help in the only ways that we can. Um, but we want to be responsible about it. We want to be um um good stewards of the community that we serve. Um c can you have you been involved? Do you know anything [clears throat] about the state's process when they when the state needs to come in and and acquire property? What what is that process like for you know residents or property owners who may be listening to this meeting? Um what what what at least today what would they expect to have happen if the state needed to come in and acquire their property? Let's just say for the [clears throat] sake of discussion that that that they weren't going to necessarily fight that but expect a fair, you know, a fair deal in that process. What what what process does the state go through to do that?

So, I'm probably not qualified to answer that completely. Um, ADOT does have a right-of-way group that works individually with folks through that process. I mean, is it a case-byase basis or do they I mean, it's a casebyase basis. Okay. Okay. All right. All right. Thank you. Thank you. And you mentioned spring of 2026, we might have some further discussions or updates and you were expecting to come back to a council meeting to um provide that type of feedback. We are glad to always come back and and share and we'll continually be working with staff um for feedback as this moves forward

and I think you felt some of the concerns and passion I'm sure you will be conveying um back to the committee and your folks. Yes. Thank you. Any further wrap up questions? Nope. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Mayor, just check if Kim had any Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you. Um, council member List, did you I'm good. Thank you. Okay. Appreciate it. Thanks for your remind. Thank you. Uh, Madame Clerk, item number 10 C. Presentation and discussion of the Tucson Electric Power Santaita connection project.

Uh, thank you. Uh, Miss Cassidy, I lost my place. Hi. I should have just looked up. uh our community development director will introduce the item and representatives from TE will present this item. Good evening. Good evening, Mayor Murphy, members of the council. Tonight we have a presentation from TEP on a new transmission line projects. So Teresa Bravo from the TE government relations team will take over the mic here and they will get started telling you all about the project. Thank you. Appreciate it. Welcome. We love when the utilities present to us. Thank you for being here. Thank you. Um good evening. Happy new year. Um

happy new year. Uh thank you for the opportunity to share this information with you. Um my name is Teresa or Theresa Bravo. I'm with Tucson Electric Power. I'm the government relations representative for local affairs in the tribal lison. So I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for uh for our team u being here today. So with me um I'll pass it over to my colleague um Chris Ortiz Pino who is a project manager of the proposed Santaorita connection project who will do a presentation for you. Thank you. And being the tribal relations you heard this whole conversation. So depending how things go, you might be able to help on that, right? If we had to have power to it. [laughter]

Don't want to throw you too off. Oh yeah, that's not my agenda item. Good evening.

All right. Good evening. Um, Mayor Murphy, Vice Mayor Eggert, members of the council, thank you for uh, having us here. Okay. So, I'm here to present on the Sanorita Connection project. My name is Chris Ortiz Pino. I am a project manager uh, for inciting outreach and engagement for Tucson Electric Power. Um, so really quickly, I want to make sure that we all have a chance to get on the same footing and understanding of the system and so how power gets to us. Uh I'll just briefly discuss the project description, purpose and need. Uh the overview of a planning and sighting process and discuss our required approvals and project timeline. So how does power get to us? Electrons always going to start at a generation facility either a conventional uh generation or a renewable resource. Those electrons are then stepped up and transmitted over long distances. Um, so it goes into a high voltage substation where it's transmitted across transmission lines. Uh, that's what we're here to talk about today. Um, what we're proposing is a 138 kilovolt transmission line. Um, as that power gets to community centers where power is used, it's then enters into a new substation where it steps down that power into a distribution voltage. This is where it comes out of those substations and reaches the the poles that we see in our neighborhoods and down our streets. This is at a distribution voltage that then again breaches our homes and businesses and is step down once again into the [clears throat] little cylinder boxes we see on those poles. It brings comes down to about 120 or 240 volts. So the Senorita connection uh is a proposed transmission line uh originating from the Sonorin substation. Uh this is on Swan Road just south of uh Old Veil Connection and the terminating point would be the planned Sanorita

substation which is on the El Toro Road Country Club alignment intersection. The purpose and need of the project is to accommodate future load growth in the area south of Tucson and Sarita. Uh it's the plan is to enhance the regional grid providing stability and redundancy in the transmission system. It'll also allow us to retire our older 46 kilovolt substations um and remove the temporary substation that's currently located at Lavita and Sarita Road. Chris, um can you just distinguish between the green line and the purple line? I'm sorry. Is is one of them the old line and and the other one is the new line or [clears throat]

Sure. So, what we're seeing here um is just our study area and our notification uh boundary. So um in our process we have to identify the areas and that's going to bound our study where we're going to look at to put place these lines. Wherever we decide that's going to be we then buffer that one mile and that becomes our notification area to get So the purple is the line and the green is the buffer area. The study area. No, it looks black to me. Yeah, the purple is the study area and then it's a mile past that study area for notification. I got you correct. Thank you. I'm there.

No, I appreciate [laughter] that. All right. So, what is sighting? Ultimately, when we're talking about sighting, we're talking about connecting point A and point B, typically substations, and the process that we undergo to find the best route in between. And this is something similar you did recently with Green Valley if I'm not mistaken. Right. Yeah, that's correct. Had public feedback and actually landed on an area that everybody was happy with. Right.

Correct. So, I believe you're discussing the Santa Cruz reliability project north, which is phase one of a three three-phase project. Um, yeah, I went through Green Valley. We went through the exact same process that we're going through on this. So, it's at every step looking to uh engage the public, get their feedback, incorporate that into the project until we find an outcome that's y preferred. And this is more step one for this particular one or so we're kind of in step twoish three. Twoish. Okay. Yeah. [laughter] Um, oh,

so here here's here's our process. So, this process is really where we try to hang our hat as a company. Um, you know, it's designed to instill trust in the community that the company is doing our due diligence and that we're being transparent with our decision-m process. Um, it's a comprehensive five-phase process that in every step we're either reaching out to the community, engaging with them, taking their input, or we're taking that input we've received and putting it through an analysis to then go back to the public to show them what the results of our studies were. Um, ultimately we try to come out with a preferred route and an alternative route and and the community helps us decide which one is our preferred route. We just had a whole conversation about that, didn't we? [laughter]

Thank you.

Exactly. Um, so let's get to where we are today. Um, this is our project schedule. We began this process in um, October of 2025. We had a our initial public outreach with the community at the Desert Diamond Casino here in Sa November. Um we are have gone through phase two and into phase three where we've incorporated the data that we've compiled the feedback that we've received from our public openhouse and we have uh begun getting some alternative routes well sorry refined segments is what we call them. We're honing in on what's more compatible more suitable um in our study area. We're going to conclude this um transmission line setting process in March. We're going to have another open house on March 4th again at the Desert Diamond Casino where we're going to share with the public and um what we have found. We're going to have some alternative routes for them to look at. Um we will then have a CEC application submitt in April. And let's step back a little bit. The CEC is certificate of environmental compatibility. This is something that the power plant Arizona power plant and transmission line sighting committee will review at a hearing um and then provide their recommendation to the Arizona Corporation Commission for either denial or approval. So, we're going to submit that application in April. Um in May of 26, the end of May, we're going to have uh our hearing before the committee. Um, based on their recommendation, the corporation commission will take it up at an open hearing in July and we should have a a determination on where the route will be.

Right. So, you're at retiring of 40 KV, did I hear? So, we're almost not quite doubling. [clears throat] Um, no, we are doubling, aren't we, with the cap we capacity wise for future needs. in in terms of the voltage, we are we're more than doubling the the voltage comes in. How that plays into capacity, that's a transmission engineering um question that's beyond my uh expertise, right? Um but it does provide for a substantial new um capacity for the Sita area for future load growth.

Great. Thanks. Um, and just because I know there's some concerns, it this is really just connected to having [clears throat] uh future um capacity and growth. This is not connected to HUD bay in any way, is it? No, it is not. Okay. Thank. Yeah. Any other are you at question time or sorry question? So, you got to have that up. I don't know. I keep on waiting for another slide. Um any I I think I got most of my will this [clears throat] be aerial or buried? This will be an overhead transmission line. Sir

any other questions. U mayor just just so the council knows the town [clears throat] can be what's called an intervenor in the line sighting hearing. Um [clears throat] meaning it's it's a basically a party at the hearing. Um I think I mentioned it earlier. I I did one years ago. there were like 70 or 80 parties right and it was an APS when it went on for months and months and months and months. This one sounds like it's probably going to be one or two days of hearings maybe at the line sighting, but um we can certainly if the town council wants to take a position on option A or option B or option one or option two, um it it can do that and then we would go to the committee hearing and advocate for the town's preferred option one or two or A or B or whatever they're referring to. And you got to say you'll be in contact with us as this process rolls on and what the um possible alternatives are

absolutely to be able to take a position on that. And I wanted to actually uh commit to sending out invitations to all the members of the council. Uh we have elected official briefings. Um so typically they're just emails that we send out an invitation to invite us. So if you're interested, we're happy to meet with you on a one-on-one basis and discuss the project. Okay. Thank you. I appreciate that outreach. Any other questions? Shane, did you have a closing? Um, thought No, just just that if there's if there's an interest by the council to engage at that level where you're an intervenor.

Um, it really is it really is a a court proceedings. I It feels that way when you get in there. Uh, I did one up in Queen Creek and um and so [snorts] we would need that kind of direction from the council. Um, also um I would I would probably advocate to have uh TE if if the council's interested, not necessarily to do one-on- ones with you guys, but periodically come in and do a a meeting like this so that the public can right and do a study session of sorts with just get an update on the project and how things are going. Yeah. And it might be easier for you because we can all be here. We just have to post it and notify and those types of things. But it might I think it would be good to hear from everybody collectively as as a way to do it.

Thank you. Absolutely. Okay. Thanks. Appreciate you being here. Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah. So, can you help me understand if the Santa Rita substation would increase the amount of electricity available to the town? Yes, it would. What would the relation of the Santa Rita substation have to perhaps future data centers?

Um so I can tell you that this substation has been designed to increase the increase the capacity for current and existing distribution load. Um, in 2019, our distribution planning engineers identified that uh, three of the circuits at that time were at 75% capacity, which more or less means that that's when it's time for us to start planning new facilities. Since that time, two additional uh, uh, circuits being served out of the 46 KB substation have reached that same 75% load. So what we're bringing in although it does bring in substantial more capacity is designed and the intent is to serve that distribution load.

Okay. Well, thank you. Thanks. Appreciate you being here and thanks for the continued uh communication and relationship with us. Absolutely. We look forward to hearing from you again. Thanks. And um colleagues, just a time check. We only have one more item left. I always, you know, um talk about eight o'clock, but do you want to keep powering through? Okay, I hear power. Okay, thank you. Uh Madame Clerk, um item 10, excuse me, 11A. Discussion and possible action regarding pre-annexation development agreement with Cypress Climax Metals Company and the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation.

Thanks. And we're going to end on a very exciting opportunity in my humble opinion. Uh Nathan Barrett, our community development deputy director, will present this item. Does knowing that Nathan is up here change your calculus at all? No, absolutely. He just emphasizes it. Somebody wants to see the best. [laughter] Okay.

So, uh what we have before us tonight is a pre-anexation development agreement. This is a contract between three parties. One party obviously being the town, the other two being the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation and the Cypress Climax Metals Company. Uh both of those names uh may be unfamiliar uh to the general public. So let me just say that the Arizona Center for Nature Conservation is the nonprofit organization that runs the Phoenix Zoo and Cypress Climax Metals Company is a subsidiary company of Freeport Macaran. So often times in these discussions we've talked about the Phoenix Zoo, we've talked about free reports. Uh but the uh the agreement is between the three of us. Uh quick background, the land is owned by Climax Cypress Climax. It has been leased by ACNC uh with a plan to create and establish a wildlife conservation facility uh on that parcel. Uh throughout this whole uh uh process of uh project development, the town has worked very closely with ACNC uh in developing uh uh the project. Uh quick overview, the annexation would consist of 970 acres. Uh other than Freeport Macaran, there is a second land owner in the annexation area that is Puma County. Uh the annexation shape meets the requirements of uh of annexation by state law and the current zoning in that parcel is RH rural homestead. It is roughly equivalent to the RH zone in the town of Sawarita. So there will not be a huge shift in what is allowed on that uh on that land if it uh comes to annexation. Uh quick overview. This is the parcel. We're looking at the the big blue popsicle shape uh is the shape of the facility itself, the the wildlife facility with a small carveout there. That is the parcel owned by Pima County.

Uh it is the site of a future wastewater facility uh that we hope will be jointly operated between the town uh and Puma County. As you can see, part of this uh wildlife facility part property is already in the town uh and part is not. Uh pre-anexation agreement is a legally binding contract between the involved parties, usually between a jurisdiction like the town of Saurita and the land owner or developer. In this case, it is an agreement between both. It establishes the development terms and conditions uh and will outline the responsibilities of each party. I did not uh include in this presentation tonight a lot of details about what's in this agreement. Uh we've talked a lot about uh this agreement as staff. Uh we've talked about it with council. Um if if you have specific questions, we can answer those tonight, but in the interest of time, I did leave out a lot of these specifics. Uh what is in the pre-anexation development agreement is a timeline. Once signed, we'll have one year to file a blank annexation petition with the county. Uh that's an action that we, the town, initiates. After that uh annexation petition is filed, there will be a 30-day waiting period. Uh that is required by state law. During that 30-day waiting period, we have to hold a public hearing. U public hearing notification will include a certain radius. I don't remember it off the top of my head. I want to say it's uh 500 feet. Um could be more. Um anyway, a a notification area around the annexation uh uh parcel. Um after that 30-day waiting period, then the ball is in the court of ACNC and then they have one year to sign the annexation petition. Um [clears throat] and as part of that, they will also submit a CUP application. Uh once all the paperwork has been filed by ACNC

then the ball is in our court and we'll have 45 days to act on the completed petition. Um what that will look like is a council meeting in which there will be three backtoback items that we will ask the council to approve. The first will be the annexation ordinance. This is the actual vehicle that will make this parcel part of the town of Saurita. Then there will be a uh an action by the council to uh put in zoning. Um it'll just be the equivalent zoning as I had mentioned. The uh the RH version that the town has will be placed on the parcel. And then finally um because ACNC wants to operate a wildlife facility that is allowed in RH zoning but only with a conditional use permit type two. Uh so as part of the annexation they want to make sure that they will be able to go forward with this project. So they want this assurance that the annexation and the conditional use permit happen at the same time. So that there is some uh uh assurance that um joining with the town also means that they'll be able to uh to operate and build this this facility. So those will happen like I said back to back to back. I say concurrently and they're not technically concurrent but they'll all be within a couple minutes of each other. Right. Uh if any of those three fail to pass, the PA is void. Um and the annexation does not go through. Um so once the uh the PATA is approved tonight, um we'll go to CMC uh Cypress Climax and ACNC to get their signatures and then that one-year um timeline starts ticking. Uh, one thing I I do want to call out is that in that one-year uh time that we have to file the blank petition, we also need to develop an infrastructure development agreement. We've got 6 months to develop that. That'll just put into detail uh and in specific detail who does who has what responsibility for the

infrastructure serving that uh that facility. So without any further ado, I can uh entertain questions, comments, concerns, discussion, and dad jokes.

Well, we we'll forget the dad jokes, but uh uh well, what personally, you know, we I know we've been in communication and working on this project for we've had the board down uh you know, for over a year. Very excited about it personally from an economic development standpoint, from a tourism standpoint, from an ecourism standpoint. uh from my perspective it's it's very exciting. Um I don't know uh first I can ask any questions for Nathan or is I know you folks sat here for a long time. Does anybody want to make any comments at all before we go to it? Um you don't have to but I think they I think there are there's an interest to stand.

Oh okay. Yes. Yes. Please. Are you looking to go to the zoo? Why? Why don't Why Why don't we have Nathan? Why don't we allow uh Mr. Frink to stand up and address?

Mayor Murphy, Vice Mayor Eggger, members of the uh town council. My name is Larry Frink. I am the chairman of the board of trustees for the ACNC Phoenix Zoo. I am also the committee chair for the Phoenix Zoos task force on this Sarita uh conservation safari park. Um, the ACNC uh, Phoenix Zoo will serve as a breeding and sustainability hub for imperiled native species including Mexican grey wolves, cactus ferogeneous pygmy owls, blackfooted ferrets, mass um, bob white uh, quail. In addition, the park will support managed conservation programs for select global species such as cheetahs, a variety of African hoofstock and rhinoceros contributing to international species survival efforts. It will also have a public echo tourism element with a drive through the safari park. the by locating the imperald species conservation park in Saharita we aim to enhance southern Arizona's reputation as a premier ecourism destination the project will provide the surrounding communities with muchneeded economic stimulus and uh educate visitors about local and global conservation solutions which will also engaging information residents informing residents about the world's most urgent conservation challenges.

Thank you. I was going to say exactly that. I'm glad you stepped up. I had that down. Thank you. Yeah. So, tonight um I brought our council, Rory Junan, and our project manager, Riley Bear, uh to help with any specific questions the council may have. Thank you. I know we've been in great communication along the way. A lot. Yes. um on that and you know very exciting as Nathan had mentioned this is our first step you know on the journey but it's a very important step in my estimation um to get us here and um so if you don't have any questions I'll entertain a motion at this time sure

I move to approve the pre-anexation and development agreement with Cypress Climate Climate Metal Company and the Arizona Center for National Conservation Uh all in favor signify by I I Kim I that we have uh any names. Uh we have unanimous uh thank you for being here Larry. We really appreciate it and all the work that you and the staff has done. Um how you synthesized it down. I want a copy of that. [laughter] Leave it with you. Um it was very good. Um motion passes unanimously and having no more further business, we're adjourned. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all very much for your support.