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City of Maricopa

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Maricopa, AZ 85138

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www.maricopa-az.gov

Meeting Minutes - Final

Task Force on Honoring Founders

Mayor Nancy Smith

Councilmember Eric Goettl

Councilmember Bob Marsh

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

4:00 PM

John Wayne Conference Room

Call To Order

Roll Call

The meeting was called to order at 4:06 p.m.

3 -

Present

Mayor Nancy Smith, Councilmember Eric Goettl, and Councilmember Bob

Marsh

Agenda Items

MIN 26-01

3.1

The Task Force will approve the minutes from the November 20, 2025 and December 8,

2025 meetings. Discussion and Action.

The Task Force discussed the approval of the minutes from the November 20, 2025,

and December 8, 2025 meetings.

Councilmember Goettl motioned to approve the meeting minutes. Councilmember

Marsh seconded. Motion passed unanimously, 3-0.

3.2

TFHF 26-01

The Task Force will discuss how the "Founders Pedestal" will be developed by staff in

collaboration with the Historical Society. Discussion and Recommendation.

Quinn Konold shared that for the Founders Memorial specifically, he had been working

with research provided by Vanessa Bueras and had discussed potential images with

Denny Hoeh with the Historical Society. He suggested including photos from the

incorporation process, such as images of committee meetings or petition gathering.

Mr. Konold noted that during incorporation, it took just under three months to collect

95% of signatures from 739 registered voters across 27 square miles. He suggested

images showing this historical context would be valuable.

Councilmember Goettl suggested incorporating the original city seal or perhaps both

the original and current seals together as iconic imagery from the city's incorporation.

3.3

TFHF 26-02

The Task Force will discuss potential quotes for the monument to be suggested by the

Historical Society. Discussion and Recommendation.

The Task Force reviewed various quotes provided by the Historical Society for

consideration on the Founders Memorial.

Mr. Konold had previously suggested a quote: "Never doubt that a small group of

thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that

ever has," which Councilmember Marsh noted was a good quote. Councilmember

Goettl identified it as being from Margaret Mead, an American cultural anthropologist.

The Task Force discussed several other quotes, including an unknown quote that

states

"Greatness grows where community leads. Maricopa stands as a testament to the

people who believed in possibility"

a quote from the 2005 New Homeowners Handbook that described what Maricopa

would be like in 2025 and a quote from Kelly Anderson that states "October 15, 2003,

was a historical day for our community as old timers and newcomers celebrated the

birth of a city. We are rapidly changing from a rich agricultural area to a vibrant and

exciting new city - a city with something for everyone and opportunities for all."

Councilmember Goettl suggested finding quotes from Maricopa Wells or Maricopaville

that might show early vision for the area.

After discussion, the Task Force reached consensus on recommending the Kelly

Anderson quote that references October 15th, which would provide a meaningful date

for a potential ribbon-cutting ceremony. The quote was described as being shorter and

more appropriate for the pedestal.

3.4

TFHF 26-03

The Task Force will hear budget information from Quinn Konold for the project.

Discussion Only.

Quinn Konold reported that there was currently no budget allocated for the project, and

after investigating, confirmed there would not be leftover funds available from other

park projects. He explained that city policy requires three quotes for projects over

$10,000, though they do have existing contracts with some vendors.

Mr. Konold shared that an initial estimate for the pedestal and structure came in at

approximately $30,000. He indicated a new budget request would need to be submitted

for leadership and council to consider, either as a mid-year adjustment or as part of the

new fiscal year budget. He stated that given the timing of the design work and park

completion, it made sense to include it in the new fiscal year budget request.

Councilmember Marsh expressed concern that delaying the project would lead to

increased costs due to inflation. Councilmember Goettl asked if Public Works could

handle the project internally, but Quinn explained he had already checked with the

Public Works director who indicated this would be outside their purview, particularly

since they focus on streets projects.

Mr. Konold noted that once approved, the design would take about 3-4 weeks and

construction would take another 5-7 weeks, meaning completion would be a couple of

months after the fiscal year begins in July.

3.5

TFHF 26-04

The Task Force will discuss drafting a letter of intent regarding the History Walk.

Discussion and Recommendation.

Quinn Konold explained that a draft letter had been shared with the Historical Society.

The letter clarifies that while the timeline walk belongs to the city, the Historical

Society has volunteered to help maintain it. He emphasized that this arrangement

doesn't impact the lease agreement.

Mr. Konold stated that the letter also addresses the Historical Society's ability to host

events. He added that if events are free, open to the public, and focused on educating

people about Maricopa's history, they can request to use the space at no charge. He

stated that fundraisers would still require normal reservation procedures and fees.

Mr. Konold noted that the purpose of documenting this understanding is to provide

clarity for future leadership changes, protecting both the city and the Historical

Society.

3.6

TFHF 26-05

The Task Force will discuss future agenda items and next meeting date. Discussion

and Recommendation.

The Task Force discussed what items would be presented to the full City Council.

Mayor Smith summarized that during Future's Planning, the Task Force would update

council on included the list of founders they decided on honoring, the Memorandum of

Understanding with the Historical Society, budget information, as well as provide a

preliminary design concept and the chosen quote for the pedestal.

After discussion, it was determined that a formal approval would only be needed for the

MOU, with other items being for discussion purposes. The group decided that no

further Task Force meetings would be necessary unless issues arose from the

Council's review.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 4:46 p.m.

Certification of Minutes

I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes are a true and correct copy of the

minutes of the Task Force on Honoring Founders, held on the 14th day of

January, 2026. I further certify that the meeting was duly called and held and

that a quorum was present.

Dated this 20th day of January 2026.

__________________________

Vanessa Bueras

City Clerk