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Gilbert - - Tension was high again during the most recent regular Gilbert Town Council meeting – so high, in fact, that the council voted unanimously to extend the public comment period from 30 minutes to an hour to accommodate numerous public concerns.
For most Gilbert residents, this isn’t a shock. Outrage following recent drastic utility bill spikes has continued to simmer during the public comment period, with residents lining up to speak about their struggles with costs and faulty equipment accusations, as well as the upcoming Ash Street realignment that could impede accessibility to Gilbert’s many residents to American Legion Post 39.
Gilbert veteran Michael Bailey expressed his concerns with the removal or restriction of parking, which will reduce accessibility to the building, placing veterans at higher risk of facing isolation and depression. He states that this change could strongly affect veterans with limited mobility challenges or mental barriers.
“The Post is not just a building”, Bailey said, “It’s a veteran service hub; a lifeline and a place of connection.” Several veterans and members of Legion Post 39 spoke to the same issue to bring awareness to the looming problem with accessibility.
The public comments then quickly narrowed in on the ongoing Gilbert utility crisis.
Vice Mayor Bobbi Buchli pleaded with residents, “if you are having issues with your water, please, please contact the department”. Immediately thereafter, one resident identified only as Anna F. spoke to question the legitimacy of the new water infrastructure plan as it includes a contractor who worked on the previous plan, which lasted only about 20 years. She stated, “Increased water costs have affected both our personal home and our entire HOA.”
Announcements were made during the meeting covering recent changes to park planning projects, particularly a delay in the discussion of construction for phase two of the Desert Sky Park project until December of this year. Initial projections for phase two development listed Winter of 2025, though development will likely be in hiatus until early 2026. The same delay was passed in a motion for Freestone Park as well.
This delay in park development comes amid public outcry to reanalyze the town budget to prioritize major water infrastructure issues that are directly distressing town residents.
The Oct. 28 Town Council meeting also brought spreading corruption to light. Former GIlbert resident and mother Carissa Arnold spoke about her frustration with a recent unlawful data deletion policy that removed pertinent evidence about her daughter’s case was ordered by the town clerk. She stated, “Gilbert destroyed any possibility of justice for my daughter.”
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Arnold criticized councilmember Chuck Bongiovanni for an allegedly insensitive social media post that she felt belittled her struggle in finding justice for her daughter. Her comments raised further questions about unsolved cases, questioning the timing of this unusually suspicious policy which coincides closely with the departure of former Town Manager Patrick Banger.
Further public accusations of corruption led to the dismissal of former Veterans Advisory Board member Dave Rosenfeld. A recent statement on the motion from Councilmember Monte Lyons is not available on the town’s website as of this writing.
Rosenfeld spoke in a meeting on April 8 of this year to discuss events leading up to town council members requesting his dismissal. He stated that these actions taken against him were in retaliation to his opposition for a raise for council members, and he was met with accusations of public records abuse after filing a request to locate information about his planned dismissal from the Veterans Advisory Board thereafter.
Councilmember Lyons addressed his concerns with Rosenfeld’s public records requests, citing “the request… would have cost tens of millions of dollars to do”, and, after an explanation of the finer details such as Rosenfeld’s reappointment, that “this was not something that needed to be pursued.”
The meeting concluded with announcements on public events and SNAP benefits updates to the community.
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