09.01.2026 Council Workshop Minutes.pdf

CITY OF BUCKEYE
COUNCIL WORKSHOP
SEPTEMBER 1, 2026
MINUTES
City Hall - 1st Floor / Executive Conference Room
530 East Monroe Avenue
Buckeye, AZ 85326
4:30 p.m.
1. Call to Order/Roll Call
Vice Mayor Goodman called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m.
Members Present: Councilmember Youngker, Councilmember Berry, Councilmember Beard,
Councilmember HagEstad (joined via Microsoft Teams at 4:50 p.m.), Councilmember Heustis, and Vice
Mayor Goodman.
Members Absent: Mayor Orsborn.
Departments Present: City Manager Doug Sandstrom, Deputy City Manager Dave Roderique, Deputy
City Manager Jared Askelson, Deputy City Manager James Shano, Deputy City Manager Miranda
Gomez, City Attorney Tosca Henry, Interim City Clerk Summer Stewart, Chief Financial Officer Keith
Fallstrom, Fire Chief Jake Rhoades, Human Resources Director Cindy Camarata, Community Services
Director Kelby Mieras, and Water Resources Director Terry Lowe.
2. Workshop Items
2.A Presentation and discussion by City staff and consultant Keen Independent Research
to seek City Council's feedback regarding the Arts and Culture Plan, a planning
document that will guide future development around arts and culture in the City for the
next ten years and beyond.
Staff Liaison: Ilana Holden, Arts & Culture Manager
Mr. Wisener opened the presentation and explained that the City had made significant investments in arts
and culture and had seen improvements in residents’ perceptions of cultural opportunities and community
support for the arts, while noting that Buckeye still remains below national benchmarks. He explained that
the City commissioned an Arts and Culture Plan based on resident surveys, community events, and
stakeholder input to guide future investments and programming. Alex Keen, managing principal at Keen
Independent Research, presented the Arts and Culture Plan, explaining that arts and culture contribute to
quality of life, opportunities for residents, and economic impact as Buckeye continues to grow. He reviewed
the planning process, which included a review of existing City plans, arts and cultural assets and
investments, market analysis, demographic research, benchmarking against regional and national peer
cities, public engagement, development of strategic priorities, and an implementation plan to guide staff in
carrying out the plan following adoption. Mr. Keen reviewed the public engagement process, which included
stakeholder interviews and focus groups with City staff, arts and cultural practitioners, and other City
leaders; community events with 387 participants; and a public questionnaire that received 650 responses,
84 percent of which were from Buckeye residents. He reviewed the findings and existing arts and cultural
assets throughout the City, noting Buckeye had made investments in arts and culture but that opportunities
existed to expand those investments as the City grows. He discussed areas identified by residents for
additional public art and programming and reviewed recommendations related to expanding outreach and
marketing, geographically distributing programming, strengthening partnerships with schools, homeowners’
associations, and community organizations, and establishing metrics to track progress and report results.
September 1, 2026 Council Workshop Minutes

Vice Mayor Goodman suggested revising the language in Priority 1-1 from “coordinated” to “integrated” to
convey a stronger sense of collaboration. Mr. Keen reviewed recommendations to strengthen the City’s
public art program through formal policies, selection and review processes, maintenance planning,
prioritized locations tied to the Capital Improvement Program, and increased opportunities for local artist
participation. The recommendations also included expanding highly visible and impactful public art projects,
incorporating public art into future development, and using public art to reinforce identity and placemaking.
Arts programming, events, and cultural activation were addressed through expanded recurring
programming, the incorporation of arts and cultural elements into existing events, family-friendly and youth-
focused programming, activation of downtown as a cultural hub, increased use of existing cultural facilities,
and support for community-led programming. Additional recommendations focused on strengthening
partnerships and funding models through dedicated and predictable arts and culture funding, expanded
public-private and nonprofit partnerships, sponsorships, and increased private-sector support for public art.
Based on questions from Vice Mayor Goodman, Mr. Keen explained that the City could establish a policy
dedicating a portion of funding from public-facing Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects to public art,
such as murals and other installations, and discussed establishing a formal process to provide a predictable
funding source and allow staff to present options to Council. Vice Mayor Goodman noted that even a half-
percent allocation could provide opportunities where appropriate, and as funding allows. Mr. Wisener stated
that the proposed allocation was included for Council direction. Mr. Keen presented recommendations to
strengthen City identity, branding, and community pride through arts and culture. Recommendations
included integrating arts and culture into branding, gateways, streetscapes, signage, wayfinding, public
gathering spaces, and placemaking to create a cohesive visual identity; using public art and programming to
reflect Buckeye’s history, agriculture, and desert landscape; and clarifying distinct sub-area identities while
maintaining a cohesive citywide brand. Additional recommendations focused on building organizational
capacity and long-term infrastructure, including defining roles and responsibilities for the review and
approval of public art and programming, increasing staffing and operational capacity to support program
growth and community engagement, and improving efficiency and communication through technology and
cross-departmental coordination. The plan also recommended conducting feasibility studies before pursuing
major cultural infrastructure projects and using the findings to prioritize future investments based on
community needs and potential community and economic benefits. Mr. Wisener reviewed the progress and
next steps for the Arts and Culture Plan, noting that it had been presented to the Planning and Zoning
Commission and Community Services Advisory Board in July and circulated for community and stakeholder
review. He stated the updated plan would incorporate feedback received and return to the Community
Services Advisory Board and Planning and Zoning Commission in October before coming back to Council
on October 20, 2026 for consideration and possible adoption. Mr. Wisener requested Council direction on
the recommendations and on allocating up to one percent of CIP funding for public art. Councilmember
Heustis inquired about funding for public art in the recently approved budget. Mr. Wisener explained that
public art expenditures are funded through the operating budget rather than a specific percentage of project
funding, based on available capacity and opportunities to incorporate art into City projects and facilities.
Councilmember Heustis asked if additional arts and culture projects would need to be funded through the
current budget, and Mr. Wisener confirmed. Mr. Keen explained that the plan covers a ten-year period, with
many of the recommendations anticipated within the first three to five years, while longer-term capital
projects would require further study and consideration before moving forward. Based on questions from
Councilmember Beard, Mr. Wisener estimated the average annual CIP budget at $50 million to $60 million,
which would provide approximately $500,000 annually if one percent was allocated to arts and culture.
Councilmember Beard suggested increasing the percentage. Councilmember Berry expressed interest in
increasing the allocation, emphasizing the importance of taking a forward-thinking approach to arts and
culture as the City grows and providing residents with cultural amenities and events within the community.
Councilmember Youngker emphasized planning for future growth, increasing the allocation to ensure an
impactful and sustainable investment, and preserving the City’s heritage and culture while allowing
individual areas, including Old Town, to develop distinct identities within a cohesive citywide approach. Vice
Mayor Goodman suggested doubling the proposed one-percent allocation, not to exceed two percent, and
allowing funds to accrue for future projects rather than requiring them to be spent on a particular project. Mr.
Keen added that the criteria should allow funds to be used for maintenance of public art. Councilmember
HagEstad expressed reservation with committing a fixed percentage of the CIP budget and preferred
September 1, 2026 Council Workshop Minutes

addressing public art funding through the normal annual budget process.
3. Adjournment
There being no further business to discuss, Vice Mayor Goodman adjourned the meeting at 5:33 p.m.
_____________________________________
Eric W. Orsborn, Mayor
ATTEST:
_____________________________________
Summer Stewart, Interim City Clerk
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the Council Workshop held on
September 1, 2026. I further certify that a quorum was present.
_____________________________________
Summer Stewart, Interim City Clerk
September 1, 2026 Council Workshop Minutes