Mayor Pizzillo called the meeting to order at 5:00 p.m.

Assistant to the City Manager Jenna Goad introduced and requested Council direction on a partnership with Maricopa County to fund a full-time Workforce Development Coordinator (WDC) located at a county-owned facility within Goodyear. Ms. Goad identified similar partnerships with eight other communities and included details of the amenities available within the center. She also introduced Maricopa County Business & Community Services Supervisor Andrew Witzel, who was present to answer questions. Council provided overall support and requested additional information regarding the types of services in the clinic, other resources, and if the Head Start preschool is primarily for Goodyear residents. Mr. Witzel answered he would provide the requested information at an upcoming meeting, and a six-month follow-up will be presented to the Council to report on outcomes from the partnership.

Planning Manager Steve Careccia introduced General Plan Consultant Matt Klyszeiko with Michael Baker International, who presented an update on the General Plan 2035, which included an overview of the background of the process, public outreach, and findings.

He referenced the public outreach summary and explained future public outreach that will continue in June 2023 with a 60-day review of the General Plan and continued to outline the current and proposed structure of the 2035 General Plan and how it aligns with the mission statement and strategies of Goodyear.

He ended the presentation with a brief description of the next steps in preparation for the May 2024 election.

Council requested information regarding how other updates, such as the zoning ordinance and design guidelines, will fit within the general plan update process, the community outreach effectiveness, and addressing open space preservation.

Mr. Klyszeiko stated it would be completed in phases, with the general plan update being phase one. He provided the details of how the firm and staff gathered information from the community, including virtual meetings and engaging the youth in the community.

Mr. Careccia added that when meeting with groups and discussing preservation, staff balances property rights for development and education regarding preserving specific open spaces.

Deputy Finance Director Jared Askelson introduced Paul Bentz, Senior Vice President of HighGround, Inc.

Mr. Askelson also provided four specific topics for discussion, which were:

• Effects of property tax rate policy
• Results of the second public opinion survey
• Reserving funds for future election
• Council direction for Call for Election

He provided the Citizen Bond Exploratory Committee recommendation, $192 million of the $232 million threshold, specifically, $95 million to Transportation, $80 million to Public Safety, $17 million to Parks and Recreation, and no recommendation for Facilities. The Committee recommendation also included reserving some from the threshold amount to use in a future bond election.

Mr. Askelson also noted the importance of informing the community that no property tax increase is included in the general obligation questions.

Mr. Bentz gave statistical information regarding voter turnout in different election cycles and the increase in support towards parks and recreation between surveys one and two, where the dollar amount was decreased to $17 million.

He strongly recommended that the publicity pamphlet be well-thought-out and include detailed information for each question on the ballot.

Council noted the complexity of the process and questioned the impact of multiple tax issues on the upcoming ballot, disappointment with the survey, and age gaps in public outreach.

The discussion continued regarding the need for certain facilities as the city grows, transportation needs, parks, and recreational needs driven by community input.

The Council consensus to staff was to increase funding toward transportation from $95 million to $135 million, freeing additional funding elsewhere to support parks, recreation, and facilities.