Minutes of the Study Session held on May 18, 2026
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Meeting Minutes
City Council Study Session
May 18, 2026 | 6:00 p.m.
Chandler City Council Chambers
88 E. Chicago St., Chandler, AZ
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Kevin Hartke at 6:02 p.m.
Roll Call
Council Attendance
Appointee Attendance
Mayor Kevin Hartke
John Pombier, City Manager
Vice Mayor Angel Encinas
Kelly Schwab, City Attorney
Councilmember Jane Poston
Jennifer Ekblad, City Clerk
Councilmember Matt Orlando
Councilmember OD Harris
Councilmember Jennifer Hawkins
Absent
Councilmember Christine Ellis – excused
Scheduled Public Appearances
MAYOR HARTKE invited Councilmember Harris to join him for the recognitions.
1. Proclamation: Public Works Week
MAYOR HARTKE read the Public Works Week proclamation and invited members of the Public
Works Department to accept.
JEREMY ABBOTT, Public Works & Utilities Director, thanked Mayor and Council for their support.
2. Recognition: JustServe Awards
MAYOR HARTKE invited Robin Finlinson, Chandler JustServe Specialist, to announce the awards.
Page 2 of 13
MS. FINLINSON announced the JustServe award winners: Kevin Hartke, Mayor; Carol Polcyn,
Director of Chandler Business Alliance Foundation; and Nicole Earl, Gathering Humanity.
3. Recognition: Miss Chandler Victoria Vredevoogd
MAYOR HARTKE recognized Victoria Vredevoogd, Miss Chandler 2026 for her achievements.
MS. VREDEVOOGD thanked Mayor and Council for their support as she competes in Miss Arizona
2026.
COUNCILMEMBER POSTON shared information about Ms. Vredevoogd’s community service
initiative, the Gender Violence Project.
4. Recognition: Chandler Student & Valley Metro Contest Winner – Ruqayyah Gumpal
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS recognized Ruqayyah Gumpal, first place winner of the Valley Metro
Design a Transit Wrap contest. Ms. Gumpal is a senior from Paragon Science Academy, student of
art teacher Erin King.
MS. GUMPAL thanked Mayor and Council for their support.
Consent Agenda and Discussion
Discussion was held on items 13 and 14.
City Clerk
1.
Approval of Minutes
Move City Council approve the Council meeting minutes of the City Council Regular
Meeting held on May 4, 2026, and the City Council Study Session held on May 7, 2026.
2.
Boards and Commissions Member Appointments
Move City Council approve the Board and Commission appointments as recommended.
City Magistrate
3.
Renewal of Public Defender Services
Move City Council approve Agreement No. CC4-961-4762, Amendment No. 2 with Jared
Allen, Law Office of Jared Allen, PLLC; Ursula H. Gordwin, Gordwin Law, PLLC; and
Christopher J. Palmisano, The Law Offices of Christopher J. Palmisano, PLC; and
Amendment No. 3, with Manny A. Jacobo, Jacobo Law Firm, PLLC, for public defender
services, in an amount not to exceed the total of $324,000, for the period of one year,
beginning July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
City Manager
Page 3 of 13
4.
Introduction and Tentative Adoption of Ordinance No. 5164, Amending the Code of the City
of Chandler, Chapter 13 Bicycles to Add Regulations Regarding the Use of Electric Bicycles
Move City Council introduce and tentatively adopt Ordinance No. 5164, amending the code
of the City of Chandler, Chapter 13 Bicycles to add regulations regarding the use of electric
bicycles.
Development Services
5.
Rezoning, Preliminary Development Plan, Arizona Commerce Center Located at the
Southeast Corner of Arizona Avenue and Ryan Road - Request to Continue to the June 25,
2026 City Council Meeting
Move City Council continue PLH25-0037 Arizona Commerce Center, located at the
southeast corner of Arizona Avenue and Ryan Road, to the June 25, 2026 City Council
meeting as requested by the applicant.
6.
Historic Landmark Designation, Dobson Residence
Move City Council withdraw Historic Landmark Designation application PLH26-0001
Dobson Residence located at 2751 S Nebraska Street, generally located 1/4 mile north and
west of the northwest corner of Arizona Avenue and Queen Creek Road, as requested by
the applicant.
7.
Entertainment Use Permit, The Mexicano
Move City Council approve Entertainment Use Permit, The Mexicano PLH25-0042 to allow
live entertainment both indoor and outdoor patio, located at 3095 W Chandler Boulevard,
generally located at the southwest corner of Chandler Boulevard and Price Road, subject to
the conditions recommended by Planning and Zoning Commission.
Management Services
8.
License Series 12, Restaurant Liquor License Application for Juanita Alicia Esparza, Agent,
Padeland Chandler, LLC, DBA Padeland
Move for recommendation to the State Department of Liquor Licenses and Control for
approval of the State Liquor Job No. 389991, a Series 12, Restaurant Liquor License, for
Juanita Alicia Esparza, Agent, Padeland Chandler, LLC, DBA Padeland, located at 1 W.
Chandler Boulevard, and approval of the City of Chandler, Series 12, Restaurant Liquor
License No. 311863.
9.
License Series 12, Restaurant Liquor License Application for Tweekiat Theeraattawet, Agent,
Copious Investment Group, LLC, DBA Grace Thai Restaurant
Move for recommendation to the State Department of Liquor Licenses and Control for
approval of the State Liquor Job No. 387599, a Series 12, Restaurant Liquor License, for
Tweekiat Theeraattawet, Agent, Copious Investment Group, LLC, DBA Grace Thai
Restaurant, located at 11 W. Boston Street, Suite 5, and approval of the City of Chandler,
Series 12, Restaurant Liquor License No. 311473.
Page 4 of 13
10.
License Series 12, Restaurant Liquor License Application for Juanita Alicia Esparza, Agent,
Mi Abuela, LLC, DBA Mi Abuela
Move for recommendation to the State Department of Liquor Licenses and Control for
approval of the State Liquor Job No. 392621, a Series 12, Restaurant Liquor License, for
Juanita Alicia Esparza, Agent, Mi Abuela, LLC, DBA Mi Abuela, located at 241 S. Oregon Street,
and approval of the City of Chandler, Series 12, Restaurant Liquor License No. 311837.
11.
Purchase of Water Works Supplies
Move City Council approve Agreement No. WH3-890-4597, Amendment No. 3, with Core
and Main, LP, and Ferguson Enterprises, LLC, for waterworks supplies, in an amount not to
exceed $875,000, for the period of June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027.
Mayor and Council
12.
Introduction and Tentative Adoption of Ordinance No. 5165, Amending Ordinance No. 5132
by Changing the Sunset Date of the City Charter Amendment Resident Advisory Committee
Move City Council introduce and tentatively adopt Ordinance No. 5165, amending No. 5132,
establishing the sunset date of the Charter Amendment Resident Advisory Committee.
Neighborhood Resources
13.
Introduction and Tentative Adoption of Ordinance No. 5154, Establishing Criteria for the
Keeping or Feeding of Non-Domesticated Birds
Move City Council introduce and tentatively adopt Ordinance No. 5154, amending Chapter
30-20 of the Chandler City Code by adding subsection O Prohibited Nuisance –Bird Keeping
or Feeding establishing specific criteria under which the keeping or feeding of non-
domesticated birds constitutes a prohibited nuisance.
MAYOR HARTKE asked for clarification regarding the proposed ordinance; stating that scattering
bird seed in public places or other places that would create a public nuisance would be illegal,
while feeding birds in a private backyard would not be regulated, as the city code would not
regulate private property.
ERICA BARBA, Neighborhood Preservation Senior Manager, said that was correct.
Police Department
14.
Renewal of Fixed Camera Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Solution
Move City Council approve the renewal of fixed camera automated license plate reader
(ALPR) solutions, from Flock Group, Inc., utilizing the City of Tempe Contract No. T21-119-
01, in an amount not to exceed $153,400.
MAYOR HARTKE requested a presentation on item 14.
Page 5 of 13
MICHELLE DENTON, Police Communications Technology Senior Manager, presented the following
presentation.
• Automated License Plate Reader Program – Flock Contract Renewal
• Flock License Plate Reader Program
o Contract Renewal
March 2023 – 14 cameras
May 2025 – 26 cameras
o Location of Cameras
Ingress/egress to the city
High traffic areas
Commercial corridors
No residential areas.
• Flock License Plate Reader Program
o How Cameras are Used
Stolen vehicles
Stolen license plates
Missing/endangered persons
Wanted persons
o Successes
MAYOR HARTKE asked what happens to the data collected by Flock and how secure it is.
KATIE DAUPHINAIS, Flock Safety representative, answered that Chandler owns 100% of their data
as stated in the contract. Flock does not sell or make any decisions with the data collected. She
explained that Flock data is Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) compliant.
MAYOR HARTKE asked if there have been any breaches of data security.
MS. DAUPHINAIS explained that there have not been any hacks in the Flock system. Flock has
partnered with the Miami-Dade Electronic Crimes task force to testify that Flock has not had any
data breach. Flock partnered with Bishop Fox a consulting firm to conduct testing in the software
to ensure system security.
MAYOR HARTKE asked how Chandler Flock data is shared with other communities.
MS. DENTON explained that Chandler shares data with other local, county, and state agencies
within the state. Other agencies can request access to the Chandler system which then goes
through the Police Department’s approval process.
MAYOR HARTKE asked about how Chandler shares data with other agencies while maintaining
ownership of the data.
Page 6 of 13
MS. DENTON explained that police can search in a database for anyone in an agency that is
accessible. The City of Chandler owns its own data and is responsible for the release of its own
data.
MAYOR HARTKE asked for more information on the release of Chandler data to other agencies.
MS. DENTON explained that Chandler Police will choose specifically what information is able to be
shared with other agencies. Often it is related to an active case, if Chandler has information related
to a suspect or person of interest. Chandler can choose to share that with another agency or
choose not to share information. Requests for information are handled on a case-by-case basis.
Agencies still have access to the same databases nationally accessible such as the national crime
database within Flock.
MAYOR HARTKE commented that other agencies do not have access to Chandler’s information,
they must make a request for information, which may or not be accepted.
MS. DENTON confirmed that Chandler can choose specifically what information is granted to
other agencies.
MS. DAUPHINAIS added that Chandler’s contract with Flock outlines the requirements and
regulations for sharing its data. There are guardrails in place to ensure there is no unregulated
access.
MAYOR HARTKE noted that if Chandler were to choose to share data with another agency, the
data shared would be specifically selected and shared, rather than full access to all Chandler data.
MS. DENTON explained that other agencies have general search access similar to national
database searches for stolen vehicles or warrants, but more detailed information would need to
be requested and then released by Chandler. Outside agencies do not receive full access to all
Chandler data.
MAYOR HARTKE asked if another agency would have access to photographs of the plate if a license
plate is triggered but not access to Chandler information to browse for that information.
MS. DENTON noted that the data of the vehicle would be searchable in the national database
contributed to by police officers collecting data or making a traffic stop. The Flock component of
the investigation would be a picture of its location.
VICE MAYOR ENCINAS asked what agencies currently have access to Chandler data.
Page 7 of 13
MS. DENTON said currently, Chandler shares information with only agencies within the state of
Arizona including local municipal agencies, county agencies, campus police departments, and
state agencies. Chandler is not sharing information outside of Arizona.
VICE MAYOR ENCINAS asked to confirm that Chandler has not shared any information with federal
law enforcement agencies.
MS. DENTON noted that Chandler has only shared information with the US Marshals Office as part
of a fugitive task force.
VICE MAYOR ENCINAS asked how Flock data access is audited.
MS. DENTON said that the Police Department does 30-day audits. There is also a built-in flagging
system that will notify for certain criteria, such as if a license plate is searched too frequently.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked what kind of relationship does Chandler have with the US
Marshals Office.
MS. DENTON said the Chandler Police Department participates in a task force with the US
Marshals Office. Due to the daily cooperation between the agencies, the department is willing to
share information with them as part of an operational day-to-day need.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked what specific information does the US Marshals Office
request.
MS. DENTON answered that the requests are related to fugitives.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked if any information outside the fugitive taskforce is requested,
is the data shared.
MS. DENTON said she is not aware of any previous request by the US Marshals Office for
additional information, but she would confirm and share that information with Council.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked how Flock builds its firewalls.
MS. DAUPHINAIS said members of the Flock IT team can provide more specific details but
explained that Flock engineers follow specifications of each agency’s consent to share information.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked if Flock has levels of security on its software to ensure secure
information.
MS. DAUPHINAIS said yes.
Page 8 of 13
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked if Arizona state law is changing relating to using automated
license plate recognition.
MS. DAUPHINAIS said Arizona state legislators are still in session, and no bills have passed or been
signed by the governor that relate to automated license plate recognition.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked if there are any bills related to automated license plate
recognition under consideration currently.
MS. DAUPHINAIS stated she is unaware of the specifics, but more information could be provided
to Council.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO noted the importance of local control and requested further
information on the proposed legislation regarding automated license plate recognition. He asked
what the retention of license plate data within Flock is.
MS. DENTON answered the retention is 30 days.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked why the retention is 30 days.
MS. DENTON said it is a general practice in Arizona.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked if the data captured is real time data, why is it kept for 30
days.
MS. DENTON answered that there are some times when an investigation is under way that the
real time operations center may not be open, or police may not be aware of as license plate or
vehicle involved in a case. When a detective is assigned to a case, they may want to search
Chandler data for any involved entries.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO asked what happens to the data after 30 days.
MS. DENTON said it is automatically purged.
COUNCILMEMBER POSTON asked how locations of automated license plate readers are
determined.
MS. DENTON answered that the primary focus was on major throughfares, high traffic areas, and
commercial corridors. The Police Department collaborated between multiple units to determine
where crime is most likely to happen, and the most likely places to apprehend a criminal due to
vehicle specific follow up information.
Page 9 of 13
COUNCILMEMBER POSTON asked if Chandler’s contract with Flock includes a provision that
Chandler’s data cannot be sold.
MS. DAUPHINAIS confirmed that Chandler’s contract states that data will not be sold by Flock.
COUNCILMEMBER POSTON asked if Flock had ever been hacked or experienced any other type of
data breach.
MS. DAUPHINAIS said there have been no instances of concern due to Flock employees, due to
the levels of security to access data collected through automated license plate readers. It requires
a high level of security to access real data.
COUNCILMEMBER POSTON asked what options Chandler has if the contract was found to have
been violated.
KELLY SCHWAB, City Attorney, explained that Chandler has the ability to terminate the contract,
recover damages, insurance protections, and indemnification from Flock. The contract contains
provisions to provide protections the city in the event it is needed.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS commented that he is aware this is a public trust issue for this tool
which supports law enforcement. He asked for clarification if data is used by Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, through connections with the US Marshals Office.
BRYAN CHAPMAN, Police Chief, explained that the Marshals task force is guided to look for violent
offenders and fugitives. Even though the US Marshals Service is a federal agency, they are not able
to perform searches for another federal agency. The Marshals Service can only search based on
Chandler detectives’ cases regarding violent offenders and fugitives. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement has never submitted a request for Chandler data. He acknowledged community
concerns about the surveillance tool. The Police Department upholds confidentiality in law
enforcement systems including CJIS compliance and audits.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked how the software is protected from outside access.
CHIEF CHAPMAN said the Flock system is unable to be searched without a cause. Its use must be
related to a law enforcement purpose, which is captured in any audit. When agencies use Flock
systems, they search for only vehicles of interest. No facial recognition is captured. Any search
conducted through the Flock system is trackable and must be for a law enforcement purpose. If a
member of the Police Department was found to have violated or abused confidentiality, they
would be terminated and would no longer be allowed to be a peace officer in the state of Arizona.
The Police Department understands that public trust is earned every day; if there was abuse of
the system, it would not be tolerated.
Page 10 of 13
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked how privacy is upheld within Flock with its employees.
CHIEF CHAPMAN reiterated that Flock is a vendor of automated license plate readers and the data
collected by the cameras belongs to the city.
MS. DAUPHINAIS agreed with the Chief’s comments stating that Chandler owns 100% of their data
and Flock employees do not have access to the license plate data.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS inquired about security clearance and asked what is Flock’s policy and
what levels of security clearance do employees undergo.
MS. DAUPHINAIS responded about Flock’s general hiring practices such as background checks and
the interview process. She noted that she would follow up regarding specific requirements for the
engineering team.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS emphasized the importance of public trust and involving the
community. He expressed concerns about any misuse of the data. Councilmember Harris asked
for information on company policies.
MAYOR HARTKE asked about resolution of the inquiries.
MS. DENTON answered that the alerts that come through are verified to see if they are still valid,
and that all alerts are vetted.
MAYOR HARTKE asked to be provided how many cases for a time period to get an indication of
the effectiveness.
MS. DENTON stated she would provide that.
COUNCILMEMBER ORLANDO thanked the Chief for the information and his continued efforts to
keep Chandler safe.
VICE MAYOR ENCINAS asked Ms. Dauphinais what capabilities does Chandler have to ensure that
data is not being accessed by anyone outside the city.
MS. DAUPHINAIS shared information about agency and organizational audits.
VICE MAYOR ENCINAS inquired if the audits would show that only Chandler users were accessing
or would it indicate outside users.
MS. DAUPHINAIS said it would show outside agency users if the agency had a sharing agreement.
Page 11 of 13
VICE MAYOR ENCINAS asked what Flock has done to enhance internal security.
MS. DAUPHINAIS provided information about Flock’s auditing system and how they have
enhanced security to prevent misuse. She noted that any searches that are anomalies outside of
the case system will be flagged.
VICE MAYOR ENCINAS asked what happens if a user is terminated and ends up working in another
state, how is access tracked.
MS. DAUPHINAIS responded that would be a specific department requirement and that it would
show up in their employment history. It would be dependent on the other agency that is hiring
them.
VICE MAYOR ENCINAS asked if there was an internal system to monitor something like that or if it
was just up to the hiring agency.
MS. DAUPHINAIS shared that since every agency owns their own data, they handle their own
audits as well.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked the Chief what happens if someone from Chandler
inappropriately accesses the system.
CHIEF CHAPMAN responded that any breach in confidentiality and law enforcement sensitive
information would result in termination.
COUNCILMEMBER HARRIS asked what happens if the system was accessed related to searches
for significant others.
CHIEF CHAPMAN responded that would be a violation of the confidentiality agreements regarding
the use of law enforcement sensitive information and that would result in termination.
MS. DAUPHINAIS added that when a search is conducted on a license plate it requires specific
information.
Public Works and Utilities
15.
Final Adoption of Ordinance No. 5163 Authorizing the Abandonment of Two Temporary
Drainage Easements
Move City Council adopt Ordinance No. 5163 authorizing the abandonment of two
temporary drainage easements located at the southwest corner of Pecos and McQueen
roads, in Chandler, Arizona that are no longer needed for public use.
Page 12 of 13
16.
Purchase of Water Maintenance Recoating and Rehabilitating Services for Piping,
Structures, and Equipment
Move City Council approve the purchase of water maintenance recoating and rehabilitating
services for piping, structures, and equipment, from Joseph Painting Company, Inc., dba
JPCI Services, utilizing Town of Gilbert Agreement No. 321000003, in an amount not to
exceed $379,401.
Public Hearing
17.
Public Hearing for Annexation of 2 parcels totaling approximately 22.19 Net Acres at the
Northeast Corner of Ocotillo Road and the Union Pacific Railroad
1. Open Public Hearing
2. Staff Presentation
3. Council Discussion
4. Discussion from the Audience
5. Close Public Hearing
18.
Public Hearing for Resolution No. 6000, Approving the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Annual
Assessment for the City of Chandler, Arizona, Downtown Chandler Enhanced Municipal
Services District
1. Open Public Hearing
2. Staff Presentation
3. Council Discussion
4. Discussion from Audience
5. Close Public Hearing
Action Agenda
19.
Resolution No. 6000, Approving the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Annual Assessment for the City
of Chandler, Arizona, Downtown Chandler Enhanced Municipal Services District and
Authorizing the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership Agreement
Move City Council pass and adopt Resolution No. 6000 approving the Fiscal Year 2026-2027
Annual Assessment for the City of Chandler, Arizona, Downtown Chandler Enhanced
Municipal Services District, authorizing the Enhanced Municipal Services District (EMSD)
Agreement for Fiscal Year 2026-27 between the City of Chandler and the Downtown
Chandler Community Partnership, and authorizing the City's voluntary contribution to the
EMSD in the amount of $137,530.
20.
Resolution No. 6006, Adopting the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026-27 Tentative Budget and 2027-2036
Tentative Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and Giving Notice of the Dates and Times for
Hearing Taxpayers for Final Adoption of the Budget, and for Setting the Tax Levies and Tax
Rates
Page 13 of 13
Move City Council pass and adopt Resolution No. 6006, adopting the FY 2026-27 Tentative
Budget and 2027-2036 Tentative CIP and giving notice of the dates and times for hearing
taxpayers for final adoption of the budget, and for setting the tax levies and tax rates.
Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 7:01 p.m.
ATTEST: _______________________
______________________________
City Clerk Mayor
Approval Date of Minutes: June 11, 2026
Certification
I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Study
Session of the City Council of Chandler, Arizona, held on the 18th day of May 2026. I further certify
that the meeting was duly called and held and that a quorum was present.
DATED this _______ day of June, 2026.
__________________________
City Clerk