Mesa Weighs Utility Rate Hikes — Week in Review, Sep 20–26

City Council — September 22, 2026

• Adopt Resolution No. 2664 approving the First Amendment to the Agreement for the Sale and Purchase of Wastewater Effluent between the City of Tolleson, Arizona Public Service Company, and Salt River Project, establishing a temporary price of $275.00 per acre-foot for effluent sold and delivered during calendar years 2026 and 2027.: Tolleson's council took up Resolution No. 2664, which sets a temporary price of $275.00 per acre-foot for treated wastewater the city sells to Arizona Public Service and Salt River Project for power plant cooling in 2026 and 2027. City staff said the change brings in revenue with no new spending, and the temporary price ends on its own Dec. 31, 2027 unless both sides agree to extend it. View item

Mesa Planning & Zoning Board — September 23, 2026

• ZON21-00066. "Greenfield Multifamily," 1.9± acres located approximately 2,025± feet north of the northwest corner of East Brown Road and North Greenfield Road. Rezone from Single Residence-35 (RS-35) to Multiple Residence-3 with a Planned Area Development Overlay (RM-3-PAD) and Site Plan Review. This request will allow for a 30-unit multiple residence development. (District 2).: The Mesa Planning and Zoning Board heard a request to rezone 1.9 acres at 1544 North Greenfield Road from Single Residence-35 to Multiple Residence-3 with a planned area development overlay, allowing 30 attached two- and three-story townhomes; staff recommended approval with conditions. Neighbors have weighed in on both sides since design review began in 2022, and 10 people spoke against an earlier version of the plan at a November 2025 hearing. View item

Mesa City Council — September 24, 2026

• Hear a presentation, discuss, and provide direction on the Utility Fund forecast and recommended rate and fee adjustments.: Mesa staff presented a utility fund forecast and recommended rate changes that would take effect Feb. 1, 2027 — a 3.5% water service charge increase for all customers, a 13% water usage increase for general commercial customers and 23% for large commercial and industrial users, a 7.5% residential wastewater increase, plus $2 more a month for residential electric service and $1.50 more for natural gas. The council was asked for direction; formal rate ordinances are set for Dec. 1, with a public hearing Dec. 8. The Audit, Finance and Enterprise Committee gave direction on Sept. 3 to move the item forward to the City Council for further discussion. View item

Planning & Zoning Commission — September 24, 2026

• Johnson Stewart Material — designation from Rural Development Area (RDA) to Heavy Industrial south of the Loop 202 freeway in the Mesa area (Case CPA250010): County planners took up Johnson Stewart Material's request to change 182.45 acres west of Alma School Road, both north and south of the Loop 202 freeway near Mesa, from Rural Development Area to heavy industrial (Case CPA250010, with zone change Z250033). Staff recommended approval of the plan change and approval with conditions for the rezone, which would allow four 14-by-48-foot digital billboards up to 120 feet above adjacent grade; one statement of opposition was filed. View item

Tempe City Council — September 24, 2026

• PUBLIC HEARING ITEM PURSUANT TO A.R.S. § 9-462.04: Introduce and hold the first public hearing to adopt an ordinance for a Zoning Map Amendment and a Planned Area Development Overlay for EMERALD CENTER MIXED-USE, located at 8550 South Priest Drive.: Tempe opened the first public hearing on a zoning map amendment and planned area development overlay for Emerald Center Mixed-Use at 8550 South Priest Drive, introduced as Ordinance No. O2026.44. The submittal summary names The Widewaters Group, working with Trammell Crow Companies, as the development team behind the project. View item

Mesa City Council — September 28, 2026

• Approving and authorizing the City Manager to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Town of Gilbert and Maricopa County for the improvements to Power Road from State Route 202 (Santan Freeway) to the East Maricopa Floodway. The estimated project costs are $61,315,900 with the City of Mesa's portion at $22,386,364 (36.51%), Town of Gilbert at $21,190,441 (34.56%), and Maricopa County at $17,739,095 (28.93%).: Mesa would join the Town of Gilbert and Maricopa County in an agreement to widen Power Road to six lanes with bike lanes, sidewalks and new traffic signals from the Santan Freeway to the East Maricopa Floodway, a project estimated at $61,315,900. Mesa's share is $22,386,364 (36.51%), Gilbert's $21,190,441 (34.56%) and the county's $17,739,095 (28.93%); because the county's first construction payment cannot arrive before July 1, 2031, construction is not expected until fiscal 2032. View item
• ZON24-00708 "Park North" 5± acres located approximately 270± feet east of the northeast corner of South Power Road and East Guadalupe Road. Rezone from Limited Commercial with Planned Area Development Overlay (LC-PAD) to Multiple Residence-3 with a Planned Area Development Overlay (RM-3-PAD) and Site Plan Review. This request will allow for a 78-lot attached single residence development.: Council members were set to rezone 5 acres just east of Power Road and Guadalupe Road from limited commercial to Multiple Residence-3 with a planned area development overlay, allowing 78 attached two-story homes called "Park North" — 42 side-by-side and 36 front-to-back units at about 15.4 homes per acre. The Planning and Zoning Board voted 7-0 on Aug. 26 to recommend approval with conditions, and city staff also recommended approval with conditions. View item

Board of Supervisors — September 30, 2026

• ACCEPT GRANT FUNDING FROM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO LITERACY: Maricopa County's school superintendent would accept a $5,387,586 federal literacy grant over five years to train teachers, teacher leaders and support staff so first- through third-graders can access grade-level literacy content, serving 17 schools in four high-need districts. The grant runs Oct. 1, 2026 through Sept. 30, 2031, funds six positions and requires no local match. View item
• SUBRECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN MARICOPA COUNTY AND MARICOPA COUNTY SPECIAL HEALTH CARE DISTRICT, MARICOPA COUNTY CHARGING AND FUELING INFRASTRUCTURE (CFI) FUNDED ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM: The county would send up to $529,116 in federal Charging and Fueling Infrastructure money to Valleywise Health for 20 AC Level 2 electric vehicle charging ports at three publicly available sites in Mesa, Peoria and Maryvale. Valleywise will cover a 20% match, and the agreement runs through Sept. 30, 2029. View item
• AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT WITH NEWTOWN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION: Amendment No. 4 extends Maricopa County's agreement with Newtown Community Development Corporation through Sept. 30, 2027 and adds $3,032.59 in HOME funds, for a new total of $5,073,114.10. County staff said the extra time lets the nonprofit finish the last seven homes in a community land trust program that sells rehabbed houses to low-income first-time buyers. View item
• COMPETITION IMPRACTICABLE FOR SDB CONTRACTING SERVICES: Supervisors were asked to approve $296,736 more for SDB Contracting Services on the Glen Cove wastewater project in a Mesa county island, where crews are replacing failing wastewater systems with sewer connections in a manufactured-home community. The county says aging infrastructure, failing roads, poor soil and gaps between records and what crews found on site drove the added cost, paid with federal American Rescue Plan funds. View item
• 240064-DBB, VULTURE MOUNTAIN RECREATION AREA AMENITIES: Three contract changes totaling $53,119.42 raise the Vulture Mountain Recreation Area Amenities project near Wickenburg to $28,928,010.12. The money pays for thicker concrete storage-bay floors, building permit extensions for 10 restroom buildings because power and water hookups are delayed, and extended builder's risk insurance through July 31, 2027. View item
• NOTICE OF AWARD WITH CENTERS OF DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION FOR OVERDOSE DATA TO ACTION PROGRAM: Supervisors were asked to accept a $3,255,202 award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — the fourth year of a five-year grant — to use data to cut fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses in the community and in health care settings. The budget period runs Sept. 1, 2026 to Aug. 31, 2027, and no local match is required. View item
• PLANNING AND ZONING SETTING OF HEARING: Supervisors were asked to schedule a slate of land-use cases for a public hearing at the Oct. 21, 2026 Board hearing, including the Hassayampa Distribution Center plan change and rezone, Belmont 4, Dynamite Farm, Perryville Industrial, Wranglers Roost, Cielo by Legends and the Johnson-Stewart Material cases in District 2. A county construction safety code change was also on the list. View item
• CASITAS BONITAS SANITARY SEWER IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT HEARING: Supervisors were asked to set an Oct. 21 hearing on a rate increase for the Casitas Bonitas Sanitary Sewer Improvement District, a district formed in 2002 to fix a failing sewer system. The Arizona Corporation Commission approved a residential service rate of $65.91 for Liberty Utilities on Aug. 31, 2026, up from $42.43 set in 2012, and with district maintenance and billing fees the total per-lot charge would reach $74.71. View item