Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the City Government Votes topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Surprise council accepts $25,000 Cox donation, approves appointments and annexation; youth council updates and public comments heard
Summary
At its Jan. 6 meeting the Surprise City Council unanimously approved two appointments and an annexation resolution, accepted a $25,000 donation from Cox Communications for the MultiGen Community Resource Center, heard youth council updates and public comment about tourism and a recent BNSF derailment, and approved the consent agenda.
The Surprise City Council on Jan. 6 accepted a $25,000 donation from Cox Communications to fund a "Cox Technology Cart" for the city’s new MultiGen Community Resource Center and approved several routine and quasi-judicial items including two appointments and an annexation resolution.
City Manager and staff introduced Cox representatives; Darren Moffitt, Cox’s government affairs director for Arizona, said the company is donating $25,000 to help bridge the digital divide and support technology at the new center. "This $25,000 ... is a big piece of what we do at Cox," Moffitt said.
The council also approved appointments recommended by the nomination committee. A motion to appoint Madeline (last name appears variously in the record as "Voling" and later as "Bowling") to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission for a four-year term through June 30, 2029, was moved, seconded and passed unanimously. The record contains inconsistent spellings for the appointee’s surname; the motion and the staff listing differ. The council also approved a second appointment to the Board of Trustees that staff listed as Connie Loveland; the oath administered immediately afterward recorded the sworn response as "Tammy Lovelace." The transcript records these name inconsistencies; the council approved the appointments on unanimous votes.
The council approved the consent agenda (three items) without discussion and unanimously passed Resolution 2026-02, authorizing staff and the applicant to proceed with the intent to annex roughly 5.57 acres for the Vistas Montanas project.
During the call to the public Alex Christ praised the city’s tourism work and the forthcoming Big 12 baseball tournament, describing it as an economic boost and national exposure for Surprise. Lisa Everett thanked the council for passing a resolution regarding BNSF and urged the council to closely monitor the railroad company’s response to a recent derailment and coordinate with El Mirage.
Youth Council members Desmond Robert and Jackson Freeman introduced themselves and summarized recent activities, including street cleanups, volunteer events, and plans to attend the National League of Cities conference.
The meeting concluded after council member reports and the council’s unanimous motion to adjourn.
For the record: the Cox donation amount was stated on the record by the Cox representative; the staff report identified the passport-photo kiosk and youth council introductions during the meeting.
