Casa Grande public comments highlight literacy programs, homelessness, dog-park water and surveillance concerns

Casa Grande — Public comment at the City Council meeting on Jan. 30 covered a range of community issues, from early‑childhood literacy to neighborhood safety and concerns about surveillance data.

Early‑literacy and local programs: Joseph Caruso of United Way of Pinal County said the organization mails about 7,400 books a year to Casa Grande families through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and urged parents to read to children under age 5. He cited recent local scores showing that "only 15% of our third graders are reading," down from 20% in 2024, and encouraged families with children under 5 to enroll in the program to improve long‑term outcomes.

Child-care support and training: Sonia Soto described the Family, Friend and Neighbor program, funded through First Things First and operated in partnership with United Way, which provides free monthly training and materials to informal childcare providers (often grandparents) to help children be ready for kindergarten; she said the program typically serves about 250 families and is actively enrolling.

Homelessness and shelter needs: Barbara Sundest urged the city to avoid policies that simply displace people experiencing homelessness from public parks, called for an extended‑stay shelter offering comprehensive services (case management, employment help and counseling), and suggested community fundraising if public funds are insufficient.

Parks and neighborhood concerns: Dog‑park user Jake Pierce described recent operational changes that limit water access (replacement of an adjustable valve with a spring‑loaded on/off valve) and said the city removed citizen‑provided water bowls without notice; he asked staff to follow up. Jean Henderson thanked police and firefighters but requested more patrols to address street racing and urged reopening public restrooms at Pierrette Park for family use.

Surveillance transparency: Resident Jacob Petroski presented analysis of records he said the city provided about the Flock vehicle‑camera system, telling the council the system was queried more than 14,000 times over a 12‑month period and asserting that "70% of those searches have no case number," which he said undermines promised auditability. Council members and staff offered to follow up with him after the meeting.

Neighborhood safety: Brad Workman reported multiple break‑ins and trespassing in the Evergreen District and said some realtors are advising against listing homes for sale because of repeated incidents; he asked the council to note the trend.

Next steps: The mayor closed public comment after several speakers; staff and council offered to follow up where appropriate (for example, dog‑park operations, United Way program enrollment, surveillance-data questions and coordinated emergency‑response concerns that arose during unrelated agenda items).