Photo Credit: NextDoor / Teri Tracy
(GILBERT) – A recent comment from Gilbert Town Councilman Chuck Bongiovanni on the platform NextDoor confirms upcoming plans to announce what he calls a “short-term solution to the water issue”, which is a move residents have been holding their breaths for.
It’s unclear exactly what will be revealed, but as we near the meeting date, the agenda has become available. Several items on the agenda pertain to the water crisis, including some items that bring a deeper discussion of financial impact on residents to the dais.
The first water-related agenda item is a contract approval to allocate “$44,778 for the Reclaimed Reservoir Safety Improvements”, with an additional $80,000 contingency fund to support the project.
The next is dedicated to improving water infrastructure at Mesquite St. and Lindsay Rd. to Val Vista Dr., where Public Works employees showcased severely degrading pipes at a recent listening session. The motion will propose the allocation of a total of $1,353,736.92 from both the 2022 General Obligation Bonds and the Water Replacement Fund contingency.
Following these consent calendar items is an administrative directive to send notice to residents regarding increases in both water rates and trash and recycling rates, the hearing for which is scheduled for February of 2026.
Photo Credit: Town of Gilbert
The attention-grabbers of this meeting don’t stop with water spending. Future meetings include a study session focused on “water bills and options for changes, adjustment and tier rates and financial tools or options”, which was requested by councilmembers Bongiovanni, Lyons, and Torgeson. As of this writing, there’s no scheduled date for this study session.
An additional meeting was requested by the same council members, covering “water tiers and impact, uses of already approved bonds, outside funds”, which was added to requested meetings in early November.
These sessions will need to be voted on to add to upcoming agendas at the Dec. 16th meeting.
Discussions on the impact of the water crisis on residents are a promising topic to see on agendas. However, the ongoing water bill crisis in Gilbert has caused extreme uproar in recent council meetings, with OpGov.ai reporting tension and a general disapproval of how the situation has been handled by the council.
Previous statements from Town Spokesperson Joanna Guzman indicate no planned water rate reductions in the near future, citing the critical need for funding to support the town’s crumbling water infrastructure.
Recent town council meetings from October through December have been dominated by the topic in the public comment section, sparking even more online discussion as residents turn to each other for clarification.
Photo Credit: NextDoor / Laura G.
Some residents have experienced such high increases in their utility statements that they feel they have no choice but to reach out on online social media platforms to corroborate their bills, comparing data with other residents and putting together graphics that highlight the sharp incline in cost.
Local resident Darrell Grossen, a currently unemployed engineer who has been personally impacted by the rater rate increases, has been putting together analyses in an attempt to help both residents and council members understand the depth and severity of their decisions as the council evaluates its options.
Photo Credit: NextDoor / Darrell Grossen
So far, it appears that council member Chuck Bongiovanni is the only one present on the platform NextDoor, where most online conversations about water rates are taking place.
While residents are putting serious time and effort into understanding and clarifying the overall water crisis, the town council is gearing up to make some tough decisions.
Attend the Dec. 16 Town Council Meeting in person here:
Photo Credit: Town of Gilbert
OpGov.ai will be in attendance covering the meeting, and will publish a report on the meeting soon after. Feel free to interact with me and provide your comment!
To add to or correct any information provided in this report, please contact me at tracy.t@lead4earth.org.
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