Council Workshop — Buckeye, AZ
Date: 2025-10-08

CITY OF BUCKEYE
 COUNCIL WORKSHOP
 OCTOBER 7, 2025
 MINUTES

City Hall - 1st Floor / Executive Conference Room
530 East Monroe Avenue
Buckeye, AZ 85326
4:30 p.m.

1. Call to Order/Roll Call
Mayor Orsborn called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m.

Members Present: Councilmember Youngker (arrived at 4:37 p.m.), Councilmember Berry,
 Councilmember Goodman, Councilmember HagEstad, Councilmember Beard,
 Vice Mayor Heustis, and Mayor Orsborn.

Members Absent: None.

Departments Present: City Manager Doug Sandstrom, Deputy City Manager Dave Roderique, Deputy
 City Manager Javier Setovich, Interim Deputy City Manager Cindy Camarata,
 City Attorney Scott McCoy, City Clerk Lucinda Aja, Director of Communications
 Affairs Annie DeChance, Police Chief Robert Sanders, Community Services
 Director Miranda Gomez, Water Resources Director Terry Lowe, Project
 Management Office Director James Shano, Airport Director Scott Gray, and
 Development Services Director Brian Craig.

2. Workshop Items

2.A Presentation and discussion of the Transit Master Plan Update.
 Staff Liaison: John Willett, Deputy Director of Transportation

Mr. Willett provided an update on the transit master plan, emphasizing the need to revise the previous
plan to address current and future transit requirements. He discussed various transit services,
including fixed routes, microtransit, and local circulators, and the necessity of researching and
implementing both short and long-term strategies based on calculated pricing. Mr. Willett highlighted
existing services such as the Orange Line circulator to downtown Phoenix, the Purple Line to
Avondale, and several van pools serving different areas. He shared survey results showing a high
demand for transit services among lower-income residents and significant interest among higher-
income residents. The immediate plan includes hiring a transit coordinator and additional drivers to
expand services, particularly for senior citizens and medical appointments. The long-term plan
involves exploring partnerships with Valley Metro and other transit options, considering the challenges
of low ridership and funding. A pilot program will be implemented to gather data and evaluate the
effectiveness of the new transit services, with potential funding from Maricopa Association of
Governments (MAG) and federal sources. Key challenges include funding, advanced reservation
system limitations, and serving areas including the Tartesso and Festival Ranch communities. The
transit master plan will be posted for public review, and feedback will be incorporated before final
approval. The pilot program's success will be evaluated to guide future transit development. Based on
October 7, 2025 Council Workshop Minutes
questions from Councilmember Goodman, Ms. Gomez explained that the transit program will initially
require a 48-hour advance booking to help monitor and schedule drivers based on reservations
received. This approach will allow the team to assess demand and determine if same-day
reservations can be released in the future. She mentioned that the program has always been full due
to limited resources, with only a part-time driver available. Once the transit coordinator is hired, they
will clearly outline the booking process for users. The software being implemented will initially require
48-hour advance booking, but the team will evaluate its flexibility and potential for adaptation. The
goal is to understand the demand and adjust the program accordingly. Based on questions from
Mayor Orsborn, Ms. Gomez confirmed the intent is to open the pilot program city-wide, allowing the
team to gather data on where the needs are most significant. This approach will help identify trends
and adjust services to meet the demand across different neighborhoods. The program will be flexible,
allowing for adjustments based on the data collected. This includes potentially releasing same-day
reservations if the demand allows and expanding the service to other groups if the initial target
audience does not fill the available slots. The program will begin with extended hours Monday through
Friday. Based on questions from Vice Mayor Heustis, Ms. Gomez provided additional information
regarding prioritizing needs and adjusting the program as needed. Based on questions from Mayor
Orsborn, Mr. Willett confirmed The city is purchasing the buses and covering the costs of employees,
vehicle maintenance, gas, and other related expenses. Ms. Gomez stated cost per rider expenses will
vary depending on where in the City the rider lives.

3. Adjournment.
There being no further business to discuss, Mayor Orsborn adjourned the meeting at 5:10 p.m.


 ______________________________________
 Eric W. Orsborn, Mayor
ATTEST:

_____________________________________
Lucinda J. Aja, City Clerk

I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the Council Workshop held
on October 7, 2025. I further certify that a quorum was present.

_____________________________________
Lucinda J. Aja, City Clerk




October 7, 2025 Council Workshop Minutes