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Residents raise police‑misconduct allegations and water‑use concerns during Sahuarita public comment
Summary
Multiple residents used the town’s call to the public to urge council action on police conduct and large-scale mining and data-center projects they say threaten local water supplies. Speakers made specific allegations about the town police chief and asked the council to act; some public remarks included abusive language directed at individuals.
At the Town of Sahuarita Council meeting several residents addressed the council during the call-to-public portion, pressing for action on alleged police misconduct and expressing concern about high water use by proposed industrial projects.
Noah Sundberg told the council he believed the town’s police chief had "acted so irresponsibly" in multiple incidents and urged the council to investigate or put the chief on leave. "We have a chief that acted so irresponsibly...he is currently the chief," Sundberg said, listing specific incidents he described as violent or improper and saying the town had not taken adequate corrective steps. Sundberg asked the council to put the matter on an agenda item for investigation.
Other speakers raised separate policy and environmental concerns. Rick Corrado asked the council whether the town’s mission to protect natural resources includes defending an adequate water supply and urged the council to consider passing a formal resolution opposing the proposed Copper World mining project, which he characterized as having very large water demands. Corrado asked why an environmental-impact assessment and traffic study were not publicly available for the project.
Some public-comment remarks included abusive and threatening language. One speaker used slurs and encouraged violent treatment of a named individual; another speaker praised physical force against people he called "gingers." Those comments drew no immediate enforcement action on the record; the mayor closed the call-to-public segment after the scheduled speakers and moved on to agenda business. Town rules presented at the start of the meeting remind speakers that the council cannot discuss items not on the agenda but that members may ask staff to review matters and place them on a future agenda.
Councilors did not take immediate formal action on the complaints during the meeting. The mayor and town staff repeatedly noted the limits of the open-meeting public-comment period: staff may be asked to review matters and councilors may request follow-up items, but the council cannot deliberate on off‑agenda topics during the meeting. The transcript shows at least one council member acknowledged the police‑related concerns and other members said staff may follow up.
The council did not place any new investigative item on the meeting’s agenda. Residents who raised complaints may request that the council add the issues to a future agenda or submit formal complaints to appropriate town offices for investigation.
