02.17.2026 Council Workshop Minutes.pdf
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February 17, 2026 Council Workshop Minutes CITY OF BUCKEYE COUNCIL WORKSHOP FEBRUARY 17, 2026 MINUTES City Hall - 1st Floor / Executive Conference Room 530 East Monroe Avenue Buckeye, AZ 85326 4:00 p.m. 1. Call to Order/Roll Call Mayor Orsborn called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. Members Present: Councilmember Youngker, Councilmember Berry, Councilmember HagEstad, Councilmember Beard, Councilmember Heustis, Vice Mayor Goodman, and Mayor Orsborn. Members Absent: None. Departments Present: City Manager Doug Sandstrom, Deputy City Manager Javier Setovich, Deputy City Manager Dave Roderique, Deputy City Manager Jared Askelson, City Attorney Tosca Henry, Deputy City Clerk Summer Stewart, Director of Program Management Office James Shano, Water Resources Director Terry Lowe, Aviation Director Scott Gray, Community Services Director Miranda Gomez, Police Chief Robert Sanders, and Fire Chief Jake Rhoades. 2. Workshop Items 2.A Presentation and discussion of the City's Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Staff Liaison: James Shano, Director of Program Management Office Mr. Shano provided an overview of the City's Capital Improvement Program (CIP), highlighting its development and implementation over the past two years. He discussed the establishment of the Program Management Office (PMO) and its four vital programs: transportation, real estate, administration, and capital improvement. Jim emphasized the importance of standardizing the CIP process, which now includes a monthly project submission and evaluation cycle, replacing the previous annual process. He also mentioned the financial performance goals, noting significant improvements in expenditure rates from 26 percent in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 to 70 percent in FY 2025. Continuous improvement items such as the cost recovery ordinance and the Sensei IQ platform for project management and reporting were also discussed. Jim concluded by outlining the timeline and key milestones of the CIP, including the involvement of LJA Engineering and the establishment of the PMO. Mayor Orsborn requested clarification regarding the financial performance and expenditure rates, specifically comparing the actual expenditure to the budgeted amount. Mr. Shano explained that in FY24, the actual expenditure rate was 26 percent, and the goal was to increase it to 40 percent in FY25. The actual rate achieved in FY25 was 70%, showing significant improvement. Mayor Orsborn inquired about the cost recovery ordinance and how it would work. Mr. Shano explained that the ordinance would establish a framework for recovering costs from developers for street improvements made by the City ahead of adjacent development. Mr. Quinlan discussed various aspects of the Capital Improvement Program and highlighted specific projects. He mentioned the progress on public safety facilities, including the design and construction of fire stations 706 and 709, and the planning for the public February 17, 2026 Council Workshop Minutes safety headquarters and training facilities. Mr. Quinlan also provided updates on road projects, such as the recent opening of McDowell Road, the upcoming construction on Jackrabbit Trail, and the improvements on Verrado Way and Yuma Road. He emphasized coordination with other entities like the City of Goodyear and the Department of Transportation to ensure efficient infrastructure development. Additionally, he highlighted the construction of communication towers, and the implementation of high-intensity activated crosswalks (HAWK) to enhance pedestrian safety. He concluded by mentioning the completion of several projects, including Miller Road improvements and the installation of new traffic signals, and provided an overview of the bond projects funded in the first phase, focusing on public safety and transportation enhancements. Councilmember Heustis raised a concern about the visibility of a HAWK signal near a high school in the downtown area. Mr. Quinlan stated the current interim HAWK would be replaced with a more visible one that meets Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards. Councilmember Youngker asked about the plan for addressing areas where payment in lieu had been collected but no improvements had been made. Mr. Shano explained that the City would incorporate those funds into future capital improvement projects and work with developers to ensure the necessary improvements are made. 2.B Presentation and discussion of the Buckeye Police Department's responsible use of public safety technology. Staff Liaison: Robert Sanders, Chief of Police Chief Sanders discussed the responsible use of public safety technology, focusing on public safety, privacy and civil liberties, and accountability. He highlighted the deployment of technologies like body cameras, license plate readers, traffic cameras, city cameras in buildings and parks, and drones, which act as workforce multipliers to enhance community safety and aid in criminal investigations. The data collected is strictly for law enforcement purposes, such as locating stolen vehicles and missing persons, and investigating crimes. The data is protected through encryption, dual authentication, and strict access controls, with a 30-day retention period for license plate reads. Internal audits and best practice policies ensure citizen privacy. Chief Sanders addressed community concerns by clarifying that the cameras only capture license plates and vehicle details, with no facial recognition or personal data collection, and the data is not shared with non-law enforcement entities or sold. He provided examples of successful use cases, such as locating missing persons and preventing potential crimes, demonstrating the effectiveness of these technologies in enhancing public safety while respecting privacy and civil liberties. Mayor Orsborn inquired about the system's ability to capture only specific data, such as license plates and vehicle details, and whether this could be unfiltered. Chief Sanders clarified that the system is designed to capture only license plates and vehicle details, with no capability for facial recognition or seeing inside vehicles. He assured that the filters cannot be removed and that the data is used strictly for law enforcement purposes. Councilmember Heustis asked about the speed at which the system processes and alerts officers to hits on license plates. Chief Sanders responded that the system typically takes about two seconds to alert officers to a hit, allowing for quick response times. 3. Adjournment. There being no further business to discuss, Mayor Orsborn adjourned the meeting at 5:23 p.m. ______________________________________ Eric W. Orsborn, Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________________ Lucinda J. Aja, City Clerk February 17, 2026 Council Workshop Minutes I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the Council Workshop held on February 17, 2026. I further certify that a quorum was present. _____________________________________ Lucinda J. Aja, City Clerk