Maricopa council asks committees to refine missions, submit plans for staff review ahead of futures meeting

The Maricopa City Council used its July 25 work session to hear mission and goal statements from three standing advisory committees and to give direction on how committees and staff should coordinate going forward.

Mayor Smith opened the second agenda item by asking committee chairs to present their plans and to expect follow-up from staff. Elizabeth Howell, chair of the Age Friendly Committee, and Ron Smith, who presented the committee minutes, said the Age Friendly group wants to continue its established events — a senior information expo, a lunch-and-learn series and other periodic programs — and to identify a fourth area of ongoing senior services that the committee can develop with staff support. Ron Smith said the committee “doesn’t feel that those 3 events effectively represent our promotion and support for the senior agenda” and asked the council for direction and staff assistance to execute events that require logistics and funding.

Peg Chapados, chair of the Cultural Affairs and Arts Committee, presented a written mission and five goals: continue public art displays and initiatives (examples cited included the art gallery and the Wild Horse project), produce committee promotional material, provide input on the planned Maricopa Arts and Entertainment Center, integrate cultural cuisine into city events, and compile a list of arts and cultural resources in the city. Chapados read the committee’s mission: “To recognize, foster appreciation for, and increase awareness of all art forms and culture in the city of Maricopa.” She asked for clearer, faster staff points of contact for public-art projects and communications help for committee outreach.

Jeanne Edikai presented the Parks, Recreation and Library Committee mission and goals. The committee’s stated mission reads in part: “The mission of the parks recreation and library committee is to provide protect and preserve regional park lands for the enjoyment education and inspiration of this and future generations.” The committee’s near-term goals emphasized trails and connectivity, equitable park access (dog parks, family parks, equestrian areas), and improved coordination with library programming.

Council discussion focused on process, workload and timing rather than content. Councilmembers and the city manager asked committees to refine and submit written proposals so staff can evaluate logistics, staffing and likely costs during the city’s late-October planning window. Staff asked committees to route proposals first to their council liaisons for review before submission to staff. The council agreed that committees should act primarily as advisory bodies and partners in outreach, not as a replacement for staff or as organizers of all city events.

Specific next steps: committees were asked to provide their event lists, work tasks and staff-support requests in writing by late October so staff can incorporate feasible items into the city planning process and present a coordinated proposal to council at the futures meeting in January. The city manager noted that some items must align with the adopted general plan and the city’s capital improvement plan; staff will identify which committee proposals are compatible with existing plans and which would require additional action.

Ending: Councilmembers thanked committee chairs for their work and reiterated interest in using committees as a sounding board and partnership network for future programs. Staff committed to returning to council in a week or two with clarifications and to accept committee submissions for staff review in the October planning cycle.