El Mirage council approves $100,000 consultant for downtown plan after debate over staff capacity and appointment process
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Summary
After lengthy debate over repeating outside studies and staff capacity, El Mirage City Council approved a up-to-$100,000 contract with Michael Baker International to implement elements of the 2023 downtown revitalization plan and later confirmed Planning & Zoning appointments amid a procedural challenge citing city ordinance 154.036(b)(2).
El Mirage — On Jan. 6 the El Mirage City Council voted to enter a professional services contract with Michael Baker International not to exceed $100,000 to carry out action items from the city’s 2023 downtown revitalization plan.
The decision followed an extended debate about whether the work should be handled by city staff or outsourced. Councilmember Nora McDaniel said residents and staff talent had already contributed to previous studies and argued against paying another consultant, saying, “I don’t support this spending another $100,000 for Michael Baker to tell us how we can do this.”
City staff told the council the consultant’s proposed tasks are implementation-focused and distinct from the 2023 plan itself. Staff said the October scope document underpins the consultant’s work and that the contract reflects new, implementation-oriented deliverables rather than a repeat of the original plan. “This task … is completely different than a couple years ago when they provided the plan itself,” a staff presenter said.
Councilmembers split over whether the expense was necessary and whether the city should build internal capacity. Supporters argued the consultant brings technical expertise and timeline predictability; opponents warned outsourcing would repeat a prior pattern without clear added value. After a failed motion to reject the contract, the council approved the agreement in a roll-call vote (ayes carried).
Separately, the council considered appointments and reappointments to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Councilmember Nora McDaniel moved to dismiss the appointment portion of the item, arguing the required recruitment and interview process under city ordinance 154.036(b)(2) had not been followed for the two alternates recommended by the review board. The city attorney advised that section c of the same ordinance permits reappointments, but councilmembers disputed how that language applies to alternates and whether precedent required fresh recruitment and interviews.
After legal and procedural discussion and two roll-call votes on motions related to process, the council approved the alternates (Thomas George and Jason Mingura) and reappointed three regular commissioners by a voice/roll-call combination vote. The council then administered oath-of-office procedures for the appointees.
What’s next: The contract with Michael Baker moves forward with the staff–consultant scope as approved; the council’s handling of the P&Z appointments leaves a contemporaneous record of disagreement over implementation of 154.036(b)(2), which could prompt further procedural clarification or legal review.
