12.16.2025 Council Workshop Minutes.pdf
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December 16, 2025 Council Workshop Minutes CITY OF BUCKEYE COUNCIL WORKSHOP DECEMBER 16, 2025 MINUTES City Hall - 1st Floor / Executive Conference Room 530 East Monroe Avenue Buckeye, AZ 85326 3:30 p.m. 1. Call to Order/Roll Call Mayor Orsborn called the meeting to order at 3:31 p.m. Members Present: Councilmember Youngker, Councilmember Berry, Councilmember Goodman, Councilmember Beard, Vice Mayor Heustis, and Mayor Orsborn. Members Absent: Councilmember HagEstad. Departments Present: City Manager Doug Sandstrom, Deputy City Manager Javier Setovich, Deputy City Manager Dave Roderique, Deputy City Manager Jared Askelson, City Attorney Scott McCoy, City Clerk Lucinda Aja, Chief Human Resources Officer Cindy Camarata, Water Resources Director Terry Lowe, Community Services Director Miranda Gomez, Development Services Director Brain Craig, Economic Development Director Suzie Boyles, Program Management Office Director James Shano, Aviation Director Scott Gray, and Interim Communications Director John O’Halloran. A motion was made by Vice Mayor Goodman and seconded by Councilmember Youngker to recess the workshop until 4:30 p.m. today, at which time the scheduled workshop will resume. Motion passed unanimously. Mayor Orsborn reconvened the workshop at 4:30 p.m. Members Present: Councilmember Youngker (excused at 4:30 p.m.) Councilmember Berry, Councilmember Goodman, Councilmember Beard, Vice Mayor Heustis, and Mayor Orsborn. Members Absent: Councilmember HagEstad. Departments Present: City Manager Doug Sandstrom, Deputy City Manager Javier Setovich, Deputy City Manager Dave Roderique, Deputy City Manager Jared Askelson, City Attorney Scott McCoy, City Clerk Lucinda Aja, Chief Human Resources Officer Cindy Camarata, Water Resources Director Terry Lowe, Community Services Director Miranda Gomez, Development Services Director Brain Craig, Economic Development Director Suzie Boyles, Program Management Office Director James Shano, Aviation Director Scott Gray, and Interim Communications Director John O’Halloran. December 16, 2025 Council Workshop Minutes 2. Workshop Items 2.A Council to receive a summary of findings from the Comprehensive User Fee Study for Airport, Development Services (building, planning, fire safety, permitting and business license), Community Services, Water Resources and Utility Billing fees prepared by consultant MGT. Staff Liaison: Brian Craig, Development Services Director Mr. Craig presented an overview of the Comprehensive User Fee Study, focusing on the Development Services department. He discussed the philosophy behind the fee updates, emphasizing cost recovery and efficiency improvements. The study covered various areas, including entitlement and planning, civil engineering, building safety, fire safety, and business licensing. Mr. Craig highlighted the use of the building valuation data table to calculate fees, recommending annual updates to stay current with market conditions. He noted that some fees would decrease due to process improvements, while others, like grading permits and concept site plans, would increase due to higher staff involvement. The goal is to achieve approximately 100 percent cost recovery for most fee categories, with exceptions for pre-application conferences and special event processes to encourage early engagement and community participation. The proposed fee schedule will be reviewed internally and posted for public comment before final consideration in the spring. Ms. Gomez discussed the philosophy of setting fees within the Community Services Department, focusing on adopting a cost recovery approach. She explained that this approach balances public investment with user fees, ensuring that services with broad community benefits are more subsidized, while those with individual benefits aim for full cost recovery. Ms. Gomez highlighted the importance of analyzing programs and services annually to adjust fees based on actual costs and community priorities. She presented a pyramid model categorizing programs by their cost recovery goals, with higher subsidies for community-wide benefits and full cost recovery for individualized services. The goal is to create a transparent, consistent, and flexible framework for setting fees, allowing for adjustments based on program performance and community needs. The proposed fee schedule and cost recovery goals will be reviewed and brought back for final consideration in April. Vice Mayor Goodman requested further information regarding the potential for lowering fees for special events, particularly for non-profit events, to avoid discouraging community participation. Mr. Craig responded, explaining that while the current flat fee for special events is $100, there is flexibility to lower fees after the sixty-day notice period if there is interest in exploring different fee structures for specific event categories. Vice Mayor Goodman requested further communication regarding the cost recovery philosophy and how it ensures that fees are set appropriately based on the actual cost of delivering services. Ms. Gomez answered, explaining that the cost recovery philosophy involves setting financial strategies that balance public investment with user fees, analyzing programs annually, and adjusting fees based on actual costs and community priorities. She emphasized the importance of transparency and consistency in this approach. Vice Mayor Goodman inquired about the flexibility in adjusting program enrollments to meet cost recovery goals. Ms. Gomez responded, stating that the department aims to avoid canceling classes by ensuring they meet community needs and adjusting enrollment numbers or marketing efforts as necessary. She also mentioned that the cost recovery approach allows for flexibility in managing program costs and revenues. 3. Adjournment. There being no further business to discuss, Mayor Orsborn adjourned the meeting at 5:09 p.m. ______________________________________ Eric W. Orsborn, Mayor December 16, 2025 Council Workshop Minutes ATTEST: _____________________________________ Lucinda J. Aja, City Clerk I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the Council Workshop held on December 16, 2025. I further certify that a quorum was present. _____________________________________ Lucinda J. Aja, City Clerk