[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-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",[32,74,86,98,110],{"_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":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6594863,"mediaKeyId","3048277-2aa9c1145839d4b5d41e3599b95313e4","parentId",3048277,"title","Solid Waste plans expansion of household hazardous-waste hours, advances MRF design and deploys in-truck tablets","audioSeconds",11,"startMs",10396000,"endMs",10407000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048277-2aa9c1145839d4b5d41e3599b95313e4&start=10396&end=10407","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048277-2aa9c1145839d4b5d41e3599b95313e4/thumbnail_10396000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6594863/Mesa/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Solid-Waste-plans-expansion-of-household-hazardous-waste-hours-advances-MRF-design-and-deploys-in-truck-tablets","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6594863-0fcc51e7378b5b1c65a038978c8eaf38/orig.mp4?Expires=1773624778&Signature=c5wj77VgXmgdOK4JIBLaR8MbdAKlUnchmgtllSTZnrQmpeBONbXRnoWiBPVO~HjefAOlLuc9zJJNYg8qZpNxxpSDYarBOdkMb8RP2~-x-ejeKgxSnmWpRX2X6W4FKRLwmSMJIQUxmicruA5s~HIHrriQw5eZIYJpeyNmQmanHx1MBsKh~9gQCMhbOBfxX8dIhZFfxZcbS66Zsu8KwucVOBe5JrNMreG-dn9HtUA1DmAhBC~SzdfSNerLVkg~sGjBclsk8L39QzPECih-y0qSusNEXKdL4~PaYHLvvtf-slX6hKBwTrJ0iYSOoxjNpFfDFzvWb~2b1JDHEij9LJgcKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-17T21:05:23Z","article","Mesa Solid Waste Department leaders updated the City Council April 17 on the department's proposed FY2026 budget, operations and longer-term materials-management planning.

Director Sherry Collins said the department expanded hours at the household hazardous-waste (HHW) facility at 2412 North Center Street to 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; that change launched in July and staff reported higher usage during the new midday hours, with January 2025 the busiest month on record for the facility. Collins said the HHW site also hosts a swap shop for usable donated materials and that the facility helps keep hazardous items out of the regular waste stream.

Collins and Deputy Director Joe Judice described other operational work: the city's MRF (material-recovery facility) design has reached 15% completion and staff continue to vet options with joint partners, including the town of Gilbert; staff emphasized the project remains years and many millions of dollars from final construction. Collins said the department has improved truck availability but continues to prioritize fleet procurement and maintenance.

The department also piloted tablet-based in-truck systems for route management and customer reporting. \"We were actually able to kick off a live version of that for a small portion of our operation this week. And so far, it's going great,\" Collins said.

On budget items, staff identified two modest revenue actions and a small operating reduction: renegotiation of the school-district contract (Mesa Public Schools) produced additional annual revenue; a planned barrel audit (confirming container counts to match service charges) is expected to yield additional revenue when complete; and fuel forecasting tied to the compressed-natural-gas fleet supports a modest reduction in the fuel line. Collins also presented a proposed increase in a one-time multifamily residential development fee (2'4 units) from $62 to $109 to better reflect service costs for new small multifamily developments.

Council members asked about advertising use of the HHW facility and lithium-ion battery disposal; staff said the city has partnered with other Valley cities on education campaigns about battery disposal, and expanded HHW hours have been implemented cautiously to avoid overwhelming capacity.

Staff said they will return with additional details on the MRF planning timeline and the multifamily fee proposal if council wants further analysis.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Council Study Session - 4/17/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Solid Waste staff reported FY26 budget items including success expanding household hazardous-waste (HHW) facility hours, progress on material-recovery facility (MRF) design, a pilot tablet rollout for collection trucks, fleet and staffing updates, and a proposed fee increase for small multifamily developments.","taxTitle","Mesa, Maricopa County, Arizona","taxId",2210,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_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":56,"_73":56},6594867,"Mesa staff present budget approach; council questions 2% reduction target and multi-year reserves",2593,6407000,9000000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048277-2aa9c1145839d4b5d41e3599b95313e4&start=6407&end=9000","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048277-2aa9c1145839d4b5d41e3599b95313e4/thumbnail_6407000.jpg","/articles/6594867/Mesa/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Mesa-staff-present-budget-approach-council-questions-2-reduction-target-and-multi-year-reserves","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6594867-9339b94ba1800b6e60f8a5dba6f07d39/orig.mp4?Expires=1773624778&Signature=EnUGZaZzqHYGTuprk~9TPSBibqiy919-WK0svBkZXzTYP84UtcwwRd15OAQdkWVdEq98vcS9ecT3AoUW1p-vf6a5pjd8Amx8-8tcqc5NKnvy986-A7-ziSPBllBnCYwtJYilEDU6sUvqy6OG2QRutlcB6HZjWlZwNoq1efaG2CFcfBw8TeFFdg-lXqud8oElvu5H2qkCd7V3VoS4lGA8eb3efvbDcrCgWjdpG2XICqJi5eb2P9wgOYm0pz3rM526ifRqxJ1FZPOSvPHP5bY-1jA6otipUYL4Hpdi855ksABSH2fozXgqvffj4JhQq0aD2wI-uIXVYe5geiA4OaKY4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City management presented the proposed FY2026 budget framework at the April 17 study session and outlined a multi-year financial forecast intended to preserve fund-balance reserves while absorbing rising costs.

Staff described a planning exercise intended to reduce ongoing budget pressure in later forecast years: departments were asked to identify approximately 2% reductions to their base budgets as part of balancing the long-range forecast. Finance staff said the 2% target was selected to start addressing a projected shortfall in year four and to give departments time to find reductions without layoffs; staff said in aggregate the process produced about $11 million of net improvements versus the original $9.2 million target.

Councilmembers sought clarity on how the city uses fund balance and how bond-authorized capital projects relate to annual budgets. Staff explained that large capital projects are often multi-year and may be funded from prior-year collections held in reserves; when projects are carried over the one-year budged sources-and-uses statement can look like a deficit even when the funds are available in reserves.

Council members also debated whether a larger reduction target should be directed by the council now or whether staff'led, department-level adjustments with mid-course corrections are the best path. Several members praised staff's approach to avoid layoffs and to phase adjustments, while others pressed for more transparency on long-range assumptions and for staff to provide a clearer rationale for the 2% starting point.

Staff said they will return with follow-up materials requested by council, including reconciled project allocation lists for bonds and further detail about forecast assumptions and reserve policy projections.","City management presented the FY2026 proposed budget and a plan that includes an across-the-board 2% reduction target to help address a multi-year forecast shortfall; councilmembers asked for clarification about reserve levels, timing and whether larger reductions should be considered.",{"_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":56,"_73":56},6594871,"Mesa reviews water budget, highlights reclaimed-water exchanges and Bartlett Dam feasibility work",478,5174000,5652000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048277-2aa9c1145839d4b5d41e3599b95313e4&start=5174&end=5652","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048277-2aa9c1145839d4b5d41e3599b95313e4/thumbnail_5174000.jpg","/articles/6594871/Mesa/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Mesa-reviews-water-budget-highlights-reclaimed-water-exchanges-and-Bartlett-Dam-feasibility-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6594871-0c013395c9bf4cf8c06a660e61bcae0e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773624778&Signature=hvLy3dgLAYOZMrsiRdGqDhUbnsyxFmEN0jvPPnDplsD1eaJtxS-4S9GW6vQTi4Kxl~rZyInBi9iuFxToachTdageET~bfsezsS~k8fFBRLGZTBqgvRT5LtDc9U9NUSAknVen8lwRyCxHFbZZ0NuZT1WVFBAkVgCafDHVGT9-6RW5TIE1WkLs~Ng3R86pYXoaUJU4D7fMHV4D6q2-cDiu3A7-hCFPq~PL85Lde-M0cnwVh5c6-BDH60xl7y2j3Taqh8Rswjlms027Yqg~Yk2~OrOfrzx8rUJVzgNH2SBTVTZptR3zxDLHpvYKCjoxpmzATKM6CtKeaeHN2dspmVOk2g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mesa's Water Resources staff presented the proposed FY2026 operations and maintenance budget and an update on the city's water portfolio during the April 17 study session, focusing on reclaimed-water use, new conservation storage behind Roosevelt Dam and feasibility work on Bartlett Dam and a proposed SRP'CAP interconnect.

Seth Weld, deputy director of enterprise finance, said the utility department measures several operating performance metrics and aims to maximize use of reclaimed water. \"When we're talking about reclaimed water ... our goal is to stay close to 100%,\" Weld said, noting reclaimed water is used for recharge, exchange agreements and industrial uses.

Staff described one near-term shift in resource strategy: drawing down Roosevelt Dam'related new conservation space (NCS) water rather than ordering the highest-cost CAP (Central Arizona Project) municipal and industrial water. Staff said NCS is roughly $42 per acre-foot compared with CAP municipal and industrial water prices that have risen to roughly $300+ per acre-foot; staff said replacing a portion of CAP orders with NCS could save several million dollars in the coming year.

Staff also described an ongoing city role in feasibility studies for Bartlett Dam reservoir expansion. Mesa officials said the city is participating in planning and funding feasibility work so it can be at the table for potential future capacity increases and access to additional acre-feet, but any construction would require a federal environmental review and likely congressional approvals. City staff estimated that the city's potential allocation from Bartlett would represent tens of thousands of acre-feet in storage; they emphasized that storage availability varies year to year.

The proposed SRP'CAP interconnect facility (SCIF) feasibility study was presented as another tool to reduce treatment costs. Staff explained SCIF would allow Mesa to move storage from SRP canals into the CAP canal, then treat it at downstream facilities that are less expensive to operate than sending SRP water to some higher-cost treatment routes.

On regulatory priorities, staff said lead-and-copper sampling and new PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) monitoring will continue to require staffing and lab costs. Weld said the water department plans a combination of in-house and outside lab testing and requested funding to continue compliance work. Staff also described a proposed capacity-fee approach (a replacement for earlier impact fees) directed at new development to pay for incremental growth-related capacity rather than spreading the cost across all ratepayers; staff said a draft concept modeled on other Arizona cities will be brought to a council subcommittee first.

Council members asked for more detail about how development would be charged and how the funds would be restricted and spent. Staff said the fee would be designed to demonstrate a clear link between new development and the incremental capital required and that collections and spending would be phased with development.","City staff presented the Water Resources proposed budget and described portfolio actions including using Roosevelt Dam storage (NCS) to reduce expensive CAP purchases, the Bartlett Dam feasibility study, and a proposed SRP'CAP interconnect feasibility project (SCIF) to reduce treatment costs and move water more efficiently across the city.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6594875,"Mesa staff outline utility capital projects: water, energy and smart-metering work highlighted",100,425000,525000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048277-2aa9c1145839d4b5d41e3599b95313e4&start=425&end=525","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048277-2aa9c1145839d4b5d41e3599b95313e4/thumbnail_425000.jpg","/articles/6594875/Mesa/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Mesa-staff-outline-utility-capital-projects-water-energy-and-smart-metering-work-highlighted","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6594875-7145f2df43900ba7c6205cc58653c11b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773624778&Signature=cH13KLh~ak-ZpkebH641rabS1ysQ7n1GQIXBAQPmzeZDWT7YWvLGHeDyooCFLbVoFM94XuWumXGdCKNqCvhVdchJiN2wSM2NtRaAwlY2Mlm1NLmzkghYZ2iUJECWiJ3cVqAjPd8a3M2ug0FYzEY2bn4tMMgr6f~CNDbtF9D959DAMue3ygJIxa14l8jx5xQVeLfyQPe0vU29kdTL~ApJCmqI4FEfCiQKJfxmkory7NEf1f4pWb43JB0EiXyrtBDS6EHwBd5XtReVixp6Jp0ILuZ3j1gTwiqxp7JEoVwHrEaglLmKe3ykYfCohvUZ7dPJv7Tm-PE1fnlgVVkhpIRbjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At an April 17 study session, Mesa City Council and staff reviewed utility-side capital improvement projects included in the proposed FY2026'FY2030 Capital Improvement Program.

Brian Richel and Chris Lynch of the Office of Management and Budget reviewed recent completions and projects under way. Lynch highlighted completed emergency repairs at the Northwest Water Reclamation Plant, including pipe replacements and a reclaimed-water main emergency replacement. \"These are kind of things that, plans change, plans change, and we have to re-prioritize funding and be able to do some of these emergencies,\" Lynch said.

Current and near-term projects noted by staff included work by Energy Resources on gas infrastructure (Ganzell Road and Arizona Farms gas-line replacements, and the LG gas line under construction supporting the LG battery/power project in southeast Mesa), ongoing Signal Butte Water Plant phase 2 work, the Central Mesa reuse pipeline, several new ground wells, and continued phase 2 of the smart-metering program.

Projects expected to begin construction in fiscal year 2025'26 include quarter-section replacements for Energy Resources, new services at Mesa General Hospital, water transmission main rehabilitation, chemical tank improvements at the Greenfield plant (a jointly owned facility with Queen Creek and Gilbert), and Southeast Water Reclamation Plant improvements. Staff also outlined longer-range projects that currently lack funding, such as additional phases of water-transmission improvements, Brown Road Water Treatment Plant work, and potential Bartlett Dam reservoir expansion participation.

Staff cautioned that cost escalation and material/labor delays remain primary risks and that the CIP will be reprioritized as costs and emergencies require. Councilmembers asked about coordination between street projects and utility work; staff confirmed departments coordinate to perform utility upgrades during roadway work where feasible to avoid rework and additional disruption. Councilmembers also requested lists of unfunded projects and clarification of what \"allocated\" means in the bond-authorizations slides; staff said they will provide more detailed lists showing financial allocations, design status and percent complete.","City staff described completed, current and upcoming utility capital projects including water reclamation emergency repairs, LG battery plant gas-line work, Signal Butte water plant phase 2, smart metering phase 2 and reuse and transmission pipelines.",{"_33":111,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":112,"_41":113,"_43":114,"_45":115,"_47":116,"_49":117,"_51":118,"_53":119,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":120,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":121,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6594879,"Mesa council reviews five-year capital improvement plan and bond project prioritization",2588,152000,2740000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048277-2aa9c1145839d4b5d41e3599b95313e4&start=152&end=2740","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048277-2aa9c1145839d4b5d41e3599b95313e4/thumbnail_152000.jpg","/articles/6594879/Mesa/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Mesa-council-reviews-five-year-capital-improvement-plan-and-bond-project-prioritization","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6594879-6ed62394bee3f5fc3f8928a51ee75ce1/orig.mp4?Expires=1773624778&Signature=T1lbebDpeQggEvhl~PRRfAmBP3FSTjuIvuowMEN9S5WAmpPBciUbHEVE6hiJ~YeejvXA-BIGFPS9HIezboq5qlIoCUkdlVQLfgIlxZxMKQXLEsnKGM12xelKEQTbINbTh~2AbAdbssiJX6awA5gkCCwfjJ71u3Nvo-3~450llI7MqAyfcOmCZpX~sHrPke2nCWi10uYb~fMhCFWVv4EtbSDBlgkCTeMHPiIlcUSk0EpcvUq2yzjmssnwyzVonkFDSAYLaUSAQAF0T1AN0URTsLSoGZ2wZYYXKsibQnWv7~8vwBg9qv~h-LsT7r0nsiQ8ErRITzZaqx295PdApculnw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mesa City Council members met in a study session April 17 to review the city's proposed five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 and to discuss how voter-approved bond authorizations are allocated and prioritized.

City staff said the CIP is a planning document used to schedule and allocate financial resources to address infrastructure needs and noted the five-year plan that comes to council is the city's funding plan; only the first year is appropriated as part of the annual budget. Brian Richel, director of the Office of Management and Budget, told the council, \"The program is really a planning document. It allows the city to schedule and allocate financial resources to address infrastructure needs.\"

The presentation highlighted how projects are funded: utility projects primarily with utility revenues and obligations, and general-government projects with local revenues, regional awards and grants, voter-authorized general-obligation bonds and other debt types such as excise-tax obligations. Staff emphasized they also consider operations and maintenance costs when programming new buildings such as libraries and fire stations so the city can both build and sustain services.

Council members pressed staff on how bonds and allocated funds are tracked and whether projects listed in bond brochures are guarantees. City attorneys and finance staff explained the city typically bonds by category rather than by specific project; the ballot and voter materials show intended projects but the authorizing language and later council approvals allow staff to prioritize within the category, then return to council for allocations as design and costs are confirmed. A city attorney said projects are changed publicly and with council approval when necessary.

Council members raised project-specific concerns. The public-safety training campus remains a complex, multi-use campus still in master planning; staff said the original authorization will likely be insufficient and that additional funding or phasing will be necessary. The Center Street connector (often discussed in the Mesa Moves program) was described as having had a feasibility study funded but not construction funding; staff said it remains on the active transportation priority list but is currently unfunded for construction due to escalating costs on higher-priority projects.

Council requested more detail on which bond-authorized projects are completed versus allocated versus still waiting design or funding. Staff said they will provide the council the lists showing the status of allocations, percent complete on projects and the longer list of unfunded projects. Several council members urged that future bond outreach continue to make clear the distinction between example projects shown to voters and the category-based nature of bond authorizations.

The study session closed with staff offering to return with additional lists and clarifications on allocations and on financial forecasting for planned and unfunded projects, and to brief council committees on large multi-year items before ballot proposals are prepared.","Mesa City Council study session reviewed the FY2026–2030 capital improvement program, discussed how voter-authorized bond authorizations are allocated to projects, and raised questions about funding shortfalls and project prioritization including the public safety training campus and the Center Street active-transportation project.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Solid Waste plans expansion of household hazardous-waste hours, advances MRF design and deploys in-truck tablets

Mesa staff present budget approach; council questions 2% reduction target and multi-year reserves

Mesa reviews water budget, highlights reclaimed-water exchanges and Bartlett Dam feasibility work

Mesa staff outline utility capital projects: water, energy and smart-metering work highlighted

Mesa council reviews five-year capital improvement plan and bond project prioritization