[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6595855,"mediaKeyId","3021983-0499a6ae2d13ae93f19aaf9816326e2b","parentId",3021983,"title","El Mirage council adopts five‑year capital improvement plan after residents urge focus on streets and parks","audioSeconds",910,"startMs",3588000,"endMs",4498000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3021983-0499a6ae2d13ae93f19aaf9816326e2b&start=3588&end=4498","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3021983-0499a6ae2d13ae93f19aaf9816326e2b/thumbnail_3588000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6595855/El-Mirage/Maricopa-County/Arizona/El-Mirage-council-adopts-fiveyear-capital-improvement-plan-after-residents-urge-focus-on-streets-and-parks","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595855-98f1f836b10d87d8841e85221f7ca92d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184077&Signature=VIXWldnQ07eqUgnBCRhsNNZAloKJlPXEaWS37TCOL~24Xbn2p2Nl2YdUG9qWMP-H3KXU409ol0UJMNsZeBCzGVIzyL1sqt5y-qu8HyJKMTExd7KInJOvwuAkiQp8cVC2lXWSFFXSpEyTdhrIQvIU0uz~PZNR5xB~EVKxvmZ54yuHJPIhbiN5moEpbAdl80K33k75VRiRICeaVTuLmRpvobIIh~PSB0po68xF3vNkL8koNy8esabU8qAA7uaI0EDeLR1aTMcZOik85PFAV72Uq70z5L4sB7kreleBqFLbyvW1BGY~QLk320kg62DB8p-UaiCm0c3k-D2JnJ1UqGy8PA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","El Mirage, AZ","date","2025-04-15T18:43:00Z","article","The El Mirage Common Council on April 15 adopted Resolution 20542 approving a five‑year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for fiscal years 2026–2030 that lists 45 capital items and a five‑year total of $64,074,000, city staff said.

Macy, a city staff presenter, summarized the CIP and said staff removed city hall and police station expansions, removed several projects tied to other grants, increased the neighborhood traffic-calming program, raised park and Sundial Park renovation estimates, and removed phases of trail and road projects that did not receive grants. The presentation included an item described as the “1201st Avenue roadway” (presented as “A Hundred And 20 First Avenue”) that carried an associated federal/state grant of about $835,000 for construction; staff said the grant money is earmarked for that road and that ADOT manages the awarded funds.

Multiple residents used the meeting’s call to the public to urge attention to infrastructure and other priorities before the council vote. Jim McPheeers, a resident, criticized a planned water‑meter replacement program and said a replacement could cost “almost $8,000,000,” arguing the city could replace meters as they fail rather than proceed in bulk. Steve Gilliam, a long‑time El Mirage resident, said Sundale Park is “unbelievably small and unbelievably in a dangerous situation” and recommended installing a barrier or fence to keep people from the wash out of the park. Public commenters praised recent traffic‑calming installations on Varney Street.

Council members questioned specific CIP allocations and vehicle replacements listed in the plan. Council member Gentry asked why a low‑traffic road with roughly 75 cars per day was included in a grant project and urged reallocating funds to other local streets in greater need; staff said the project met the grant criteria and that the grant funds are restricted for that location. Council member Gentry and others also pressed staff on the vehicle replacement line items and asked for a vehicle‑replacement policy review. City staff said the CIP is a roadmap — each capital purchase would still return to council for authorization — and committed to bringing a fleet‑policy work session forward.

On questions about vehicle‑replacement thresholds, staff said the older policy was 10 years or 100,000 miles; staff told council that the threshold had been revised in later years, but did not provide a single, clear current mileage or year threshold during the meeting. Staff offered to return with specific vehicle mileage and age data for the items listed in the CIP.

Council member Winston moved to adopt the CIP; the motion was seconded and the plan was approved on a voice vote with one council member opposed. Staff said several projects had been removed because they did not secure grants, and the CIP does not itself authorize each project’s construction: final contract or purchase authority will come back to council as projects move to implementation.

City staff provided a five‑year total of $64,074,000 for the CIP and said 45 capital items are included. Council members asked staff to explore cost‑saving options for the grant‑funded roadway project (including county closeout funds and lower‑cost construction alternatives) and to supply more detailed vehicle and infrastructure schedules at a future work session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","El Mirage, AZ - City Council Meeting - 04/15/2025 - Apr 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council approved Resolution 20542 adopting a five‑year capital improvement plan that lists 45 capital projects totaling about $64.07 million; residents at call to the public and council members pressed for prioritizing local street repairs, park safety and scrutiny of vehicle replacements.","taxTitle","El Mirage, Maricopa County, Arizona","taxId",63519,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":44,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6595860,"El Mirage approves CivicPlus mass-notification system to expand direct alerts to residents",709,2879000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3021983-0499a6ae2d13ae93f19aaf9816326e2b&start=2879&end=3588","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3021983-0499a6ae2d13ae93f19aaf9816326e2b/thumbnail_2879000.jpg","/articles/6595860/El-Mirage/Maricopa-County/Arizona/El-Mirage-approves-CivicPlus-mass-notification-system-to-expand-direct-alerts-to-residents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595860-b8a80a0bea40e8fbc28541d454fe6737/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184077&Signature=E7RkSZGQv9gykhToFSH9wvhkkeli7frdjESa2xD6HQ2dpExfbDG1lAIra8e8YbJ~a6NTgcwFM9FwZFo7K-AccA~~G6riv5goVdTq6mH4-~QhUI5C7AHWbB6-idd~vI-cqXfkOdpV7KdS4Z8G6Xkwr~XZEkhNpXYBSYLtEYu61KWVS3Zx37y57~zh9QDB7JfNZmGFyAf64Meh9MJXadmZR2ow0zQqN2LTl5sHm1FqXiytg8HEYer4cVQD--~Ipm4CBgfkvqxNtKtauNeI2WQRhkElzqRYUMSUBfFcqVHWTh-GMlLfN3wNksjJMMLcGNq3O0Mfe-jS4yPdJ6FRw~F4Ng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The El Mirage Common Council on April 15 voted to approve a statement of work with Civic Plus to provide a mass-notification system for residents and businesses.

Amber Wakeman of the Intergovernmental and Public Relations Division told council the system will allow residents to opt in to receive messages by text, email and phone and that the platform integrates with the federal Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). Wakeman said the platform supports geotargeting, more than 60 languages and Americans with Disabilities Act–compatible features, and that it will let staff “craft one message and send it to our subscriber and the IPAWS system at the same time.”

Staff recommended CivicPlus after demonstrations of vendors and an internal committee that included IT, police, fire and public works. The presentation said the city anticipates a technical rollout and staff training in time for a July 1 launch and that the communications team will run a marketing campaign to encourage voluntary opt‑in by topic.

During council discussion, members asked how residents would be subscribed and whether alerts would include day‑to‑day City announcements, emergency roadwork and surveys. Wakeman and other staff said the city would use a multifaceted outreach strategy, could leverage existing utility-account data for initial contact lists, and would limit messages to avoid “burnout.” Council member Norton McDaniel noted the system could be used for routine city events and targeted emergency alerts; Council member Winston said the tool is “a perfect way to communicate” with residents in a mobile-first era.

The staff presentation listed the software costs as $5,509.79 for fiscal year 2025 and $12,750 for fiscal year 2026. (During the motion, the dollar amounts were misstated on the record; see clarifying details.) The council approved the statement of work on a voice vote after a motion by Vice Mayor Parsons and a second by Council member Winston.

Staff said the system will be integrated with the city website and emergency operations procedures, will be used by the emergency operations center if needed, and that multilingual and accessibility features were among the selection criteria. Council members asked staff to pursue a strategic outreach plan to maximize voluntary opt‑in rates and to avoid subscriber fatigue.","Council approved a statement of work with CivicPlus to provide a mass-notification system that will allow multilingual text, email and voice alerts; staff said it integrates with IPAWS and the city plans a July rollout.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6595864,"El Mirage council adopts three-year police union memorandum of understanding",1267,1608000,2875000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3021983-0499a6ae2d13ae93f19aaf9816326e2b&start=1608&end=2875","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3021983-0499a6ae2d13ae93f19aaf9816326e2b/thumbnail_1608000.jpg","/articles/6595864/El-Mirage/Maricopa-County/Arizona/El-Mirage-council-adopts-three-year-police-union-memorandum-of-understanding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6595864-e93c67509dbed77b2179398f4ff3d01a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771184077&Signature=mfc3uGArp~MXPvy1kH4ccYhOVYTwf9jYrY5q3sbU-X8t4B7pEjLJ~XMfAWJ1C5iysV2SWEKGVlyi5KeVUVCzpmJHIpU9Y~A-ugjj9IkM1bCeRcwfJudJi2Yi~6278L7I~UPYKVbubfyJsnQ7JWdJ9mLssXBrb5Dzym5MUm0Dcay0sQlNsfzHmyv0OYrWiYR45vydvlDw-OPMeKlwc8aWjofwlOfzDyZpJ1ZgjIiUlXn01f55bbL~yYGeVVHUC-h01n3~jULEM9XCpMOsQcTNSVZyPQFJcZuxpgssV~uzYQhsTNw5Wg3aa-gTiF~TasdL2Xj2pUhlBL2BQyoWVh-0LQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The El Mirage Common Council on April 15 approved Resolution 20543 adopting a tentative memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the City of El Mirage and the El Mirage Police Employees Association covering July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.

City staff presented details of the tentative agreement, which they said aligned officer and sergeant step pay plans with the 60th percentile of the market and reduced the number of steps in the officer plan to match competitor cities. Staff also described a cost-of-living adjustment to apply in the second and third years of the agreement; inclusion of officers and sergeants in any citywide compensation studies; and employer contributions to deferred compensation increasing “from $35 per pay period to $100 per pay period in lieu of holiday closure leave.” The presentation also listed changes to disciplinary-letter language, tuition reimbursement, vacation leave language, and association dues processing; the removal of a release-time provision; specialty-assignment pay; higher on-call and callback guarantees; a new association donation program; and an expanded uniform allowance.

Don, a city presenter, summarized the MOU’s operational changes and pay provisions, saying the agreement also “provid[es] specialty assignment pay for assignments in the gang task force, neighborhood enforcement team, K‑9 unit, traffic motor unit, and special weapons and tactics” and that assigned employees would receive an additional 5% to their base rate for one listed assignment. The presentation said on-call pay for assigned investigators would rise (staff cited an increase from $2 to $3 per hour for officers and from $4 to $5 for sergeants) and guaranteed callback hours would increase from two to four hours at overtime rates.

Council members debated the MOU during the meeting. Council member Winston said retention was a core goal, commenting that “retention is something that’s really important,” and urged approval to help stabilize staffing. Council member Gentry said residents had asked her for more fiscal restraint and asked questions about how the department compared to peer cities. Multiple council members praised the city manager and negotiating process for pursuing retention and “win‑win” solutions, while Gentry said several residents asked for a return to the negotiating table. City attorney Justin answered procedural questions about how the tentative agreement was reached through the meet-and-confer process.

On a recorded vote the council approved the resolution. Mayor Hermosillo and Vice Mayor Parsons voted aye; Council members Dorsey, Aldridge, Norton McDaniel and Winston voted aye; Council member Gentry voted nay. The motion passed and the council adopted Resolution 20543.

Council members and staff said any implementation detail, such as inclusion in future compensation surveys, would be handled per the agreement language and follow-on administrative processes. The presentation and council discussion repeatedly framed the MOU as a tool to recruit and retain officers amid regional competition for law-enforcement staffing.

The council meeting packet and the city presentation listed the MOU’s proposed term as July 1, 2025–June 30, 2028, and summarized the substantive changes described above. The council did not amend the tentative agreement on the floor; it approved the resolution as presented.","The City Council approved Resolution 20543 adopting a three-year memorandum of understanding with the El Mirage Police Employees Association covering July 1, 2025–June 30, 2028, that includes pay-step changes, specialty pay, higher uniform allowance and other benefit changes; one council member voted no.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

El Mirage council adopts five‑year capital improvement plan after residents urge focus on streets and parks

El Mirage approves CivicPlus mass-notification system to expand direct alerts to residents

El Mirage council adopts three-year police union memorandum of understanding