El Mirage council directs city manager to draft memo proposing staff-led model for El Mirage Cares

On March 4, 2025, the El Mirage Common Council discussed oversight, resourcing and alternative management approaches for El Mirage Cares and reached consensus for the city manager to prepare a memo evaluating a staff-led model similar to how Special Events are run.

The discussion began when Mayor Hermasio introduced the workshop topic as “clarification on oversight, resource allocation, and alternate approaches for the El Mirage CARES program.” Council members spent roughly an hour debating the program’s history, who should manage it and how to limit staff time while preserving services that address domestic violence, teen dating violence, suicide prevention and other community needs.

Councilmember Norton McDaniel, a long-time organizer for El Mirage Cares, traced the program to May 1, 2018, and described its public-health and prevention events over the years. She said the program has “evolved tremendously” and defended its community value. Norton McDaniel detailed roughly 13 events held in El Mirage since 2018, including forums on suicide prevention, teen dating violence, domestic violence awareness and a community walk to end domestic violence.

Other council members said the program is using more staff hours and unbudgeted salary costs than anticipated. Several members said the planning-group model that was intended to reduce staff workload has instead increased staff involvement. Council members repeatedly raised concerns about last-minute requests of staff during days off and the need to keep day-to-day operational work with administration, not the dais.

City Manager Crystal told the council she has received mixed direction over the past six years and asked for clear policy direction on where oversight should rest and what budget and staffing level are appropriate. Crystal said she would bring a memo back to the council seeking “a little bit more clarity, more direction.” That action was the practical outcome of the session: council consensus that staff should develop a written recommendation on a management model and resource needs.

Discussion covered earlier 2024 changes: council members said responsibility moved briefly to the Police Department in mid-2024 and that Chief Marzocca reported neither wanting nor requesting the program. Several participants said that transfer followed a July 24, 2024 meeting in which prior council members offered 20-plus suggested program items for PD (from school presentations to senior scams and bike safety). Participants also described communication gaps and differing recollections about whether the program’s oversight had formally changed on December 5, 2024.

The council’s stated concerns included (a) growing staff-hour demands that exceed the program budget, (b) a need for clearer volunteer roles if the council intends to rely on volunteers instead of staff for planning, and (c) the legal requirements tied to working groups and open-meeting law when more than three councilmembers participate. Those concerns drove the recommendation that staff produce a memo outlining options, costs and a recommended oversight model.

Council members who supported continuing the program emphasized measurable community outcomes, saying even single attendees or one prevented domestic-violence incident are meaningful results. Several members said they would continue to volunteer at events regardless of oversight changes.

Action: The council did not take a formal roll-call vote. Instead the body recorded a consensus direction to the city manager to prepare and return with a memo that (a) describes the management models considered, (b) identifies the staffing and budget implications of a staff-led approach (modeled on Special Events), and (c) outlines any open-meeting law or procurement implications for the program. City Manager Crystal stated, “I’m going to put together a memo, probably seeking just a little bit, more clarity,” and will return the recommendation to council for further direction.

Clarifying details recorded during the discussion included that El Mirage Cares began in May 2018, has held approximately 13 events in the city, and in recent years included programs on suicide prevention, teen dating violence, vaping, bullying, domestic violence and an autism awareness fair. Council members said Parks & Rec permits, site plans and other logistics had at times been handled by staff because volunteers and council planners did not realize those requirements were needed. The planning-group design was intended to keep routine tasks off salaried staff, but several councilmembers reported the reverse happened in practice.

The council noted possible funding sources discussed in prior sessions and e-mails included grants, donations, opiate settlement funds, RICO funds and collaboration with community partners, though no new funding allocations were approved at the March 4 work session.

The city manager will return with a memo that lays out at minimum the budget implications, recommended oversight model and a timeline for implementation. The council asked that memo include specific staffing-hour estimates and whether the program could be operated under current Special Events processes.

Ending: The item concluded without a formal ordinance or resolution; instead, the council’s direction to staff establishes the next step: a staff-prepared memo for a future meeting that will present options, budget estimates and a proposed governance model for El Mirage Cares.