Surprise meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Surprise arts commission advances eight traffic cabinet designs; Oct. 6 council outcomes not yet public

The Surprise Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission agreed that eight artwork designs for the 2026 Traffic Cabinet Artwork series along 163rd Avenue should move forward for installation, according to minutes from its Oct. 7 meeting. It was the only action recorded in the past two weeks beyond approvals of minutes and a meeting calendar.

Arts commission backs eight 163rd Avenue designs

The commission agreed to move forward with installation of the eight 163rd Avenue Traffic Cabinet designs. The minutes do not record a separate vote tally for that decision. The commission also approved minutes from its Aug. 5, 2026 meeting (4-0) and from its Sept. 26, 2026 Annual Retreat meeting (4-0).

Audit Committee adopts 2026/27 calendar

The City Audit Committee approved its fiscal year 2026/27 meeting calendar on a 4-0 vote at its Oct. 7 meeting. The committee also approved minutes from its June 3, 2026 meeting, 4-0.

Library Commission approves minutes

The Library Commission approved minutes from its Sept. 10, 2026 meeting on a 5-0 vote at its Oct. 8 meeting. Members also received staff reports on collection development strategies following the Baker & Taylor bankruptcy and updates on Hollyhock Library operations. The minutes record no action on those reports.

Oct. 6 council agenda: outcomes not yet published

The Regular City Council Meeting of Oct. 6 carried a long agenda, but minutes have not been published, so what the council decided — or whether it acted on any item — is not established by the records available.

Agenda items included five Walgreens liquor license recommendations to the state (Application No. 408077) for stores at 14285 W Grand Ave, 15514 W Waddell Rd, 13723 N Litchfield Rd, 15490 W Bell Rd and 17088 W Bell Rd. The agenda also listed three District 1 development agreements (Resolutions 2026-94, 2026-115 and 2026-113); a $24,400 FY2027 budget amendment accepting endowment funding from the Maricopa County Community College District Foundation for military, veterans and family grants (Resolution 2026-133); and a street lighting improvement district in District 4 (Resolution 2026-135).

Also listed were a presentation on the WESTMARC West Valley Workforce Infrastructure Alliance and a possible executive session for legal advice regarding Wittmann, AZ. No public hearing items were listed on the agenda.

Board and commission vacancies

The Boards and Commissions Nominations Committee met Oct. 13 to interview and review applicants for several openings: Audit Committee (one vacancy, two-year term), Board of Trustees (one vacancy, four-year term), Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission (one vacancy, four-year term), Judicial Selection Advisory Commission (two positions, four-year term) and Public Safety Retirement System Police & Fire (one position, four-year term). Minutes from that meeting have not been published.

Coming up

• **Oct. 20, Regular City Council Meeting:** formation of two street lighting improvement districts (SU-DYNMTN159AV225 and SU-163RDSGRANDAV224); an intergovernmental agreement for mutual aid for solid waste collection and transportation; the Visara Phase 3 Alternative Assurance Agreement (City case FS25-0757); and a $14,000 budget amendment for an Arizona Commission on the Arts grant award.
• **Oct. 20, Regular City Council Work Session:** a presentation and discussion regarding a hazardous material storage facility. The agenda also includes a provision for an executive session.

Both Oct. 20 meetings are listed as upcoming agendas; no outcomes are available yet.

Surprise commissions advance traffic cabinet art and 2027 calendars; council agenda lists Walgreens liquor licenses, development agreements

The most concrete decisions in Surprise over the past two weeks came from the city's advisory commissions, while the City Council's Oct. 6 agenda listed several items that remain pending.

The Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission on Oct. 7 agreed to move forward with installation of eight artwork designs for the 2026 Traffic Cabinet Artwork series along 163rd Avenue. The commission also approved minutes from its Aug. 5 meeting (4-0) and its Sept. 26 annual retreat (4-0), according to official minutes.

Planning and Zoning Commission

At its Oct. 1 meeting, the commission approved the minutes of its Aug. 20 meeting on a 5-0 vote with one abstention, and approved the 2027 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting calendar 6-0. Staff also provided updates on FY26 Community Development activity and transportation improvements.

Audit Committee and Library Commission

The City Audit Committee met Oct. 7 and approved the minutes of its June 3 meeting (4-0) and the fiscal year 2026/27 meeting calendar (4-0).

The Library Commission met Oct. 8 and approved the minutes of its Sept. 10 meeting (5-0). Members received staff reports on collection development strategies following the Baker & Taylor bankruptcy and on Hollyhock Library operations.

Council agenda: liquor licenses, development agreements, budget amendment

The City Council's Oct. 6 regular meeting agenda listed action on a consent agenda of easements, agreements and budget items, plus regular agenda items. Minutes for that meeting have not been published, so these are listed here as agenda items rather than as decisions.

The agenda included five Walgreens liquor license recommendations to the state (Application No. 408077) for stores at 14285 W Grand Ave, 15514 W Waddell Rd, 13723 N Litchfield Rd, 15490 W Bell Rd and 17088 W Bell Rd.

It also listed three District 1 development agreements: 162nd Avenue & Planada Lane (Resolution 2026-94), Ana Mandara (Resolution 2026-115) and Vistas Montanas (Resolution 2026-113).

Other listed items were an FY2027 budget amendment of $24,400 accepting endowment funding from the Maricopa County Community College District Foundation for military, veterans and family grants (Resolution 2026-133), and a street lighting improvement district, SU-SRPRSEPAVLIN230, in District 4 (Resolution 2026-135). The agenda also noted a possible executive session for legal advice regarding materials related to Wittmann, AZ. No public hearing items were listed.

Neighborhood grants subcommittee

The Council Subcommittee on Community Outreach, Partnerships & Grants met Sept. 29 with an agenda that included approval of its June 11, 2026 meeting minutes, a presentation on FY27 Neighborhood Grant Program applicants, and action on funding recommendations for those applications. That meeting is agenda-only in the records provided; minutes have not been published, so no outcome is available.

Coming up

The Boards and Commissions Nominations Committee meets Oct. 13 to interview and review applicants for city positions: Audit Committee (1 vacancy, 2-year term), Board of Trustees (1 vacancy, 4-year term), Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission (1 vacancy, 4-year term), Judicial Selection Advisory Commission (2 positions, 4-year term), and Public Safety Retirement System Police & Fire (1 position, 4-year term).

Surprise Veterans Commission re-elects leaders, names parade grand marshal

The Surprise Veterans, Disability and Human Services Commission re-elected Michael Tree as chair and Julie Kent-Partridge as vice-chair at its Aug. 12 meeting, both by unanimous 7-0 votes. The commission also approved the June 10 meeting minutes, selected Community Legend Award recipients, and named Rick Kreiberg as the 2026 Veterans Day Parade Grand Marshal. All actions were taken by unanimous votes.

Veterans, Disability and Human Services Commission (Aug. 12)

The commission, meeting on Aug. 12, took the following actions, each approved 7-0:

• Re-elected Michael Tree as Commission Chair.
• Re-elected Julie Kent-Partridge as Commission Vice-Chair.
• Approved the June 10, 2026 meeting minutes.
• Approved Community Legend Awards: Hadley Gray (Youth), Veterans Affinity (Organization), Louis O'Brien (Volunteer), and Debbie Lee (Individual).
• Approved Rick Kreiberg as the 2026 Veterans Day Parade Grand Marshal.

Library Commission (Aug. 20) – Agenda Only

The Library Advisory Commission met Aug. 20, but minutes have not yet been published. The agenda included approval of June 11, 2026 minutes, selection of a Chair and Vice-Chair, a staff report on the American Library Association 2026 Annual Conference, and discussion of the 2026 Summer Reading Program, themed “Unearth a Story.” No decisions are reported.

Planning and Zoning Commission (Aug. 20) – Agenda Only

The Planning and Zoning Commission met Aug. 20 with a full agenda of public hearings, but no decisions have been published. Items on the agenda included:

• Conditional Use Permit for Clean Freak carwash at the southeast corner of Cactus Rd and Sarival Ave (case FS24-1579).
• Conditional Use Permit for Circle K fueling station at the same location (case FS24-1580).
• Comprehensive Sign Program Amendment for Asante Trails at the southwest corner of 163rd Ave and Pat Tillman Blvd (case FS25-1042).
• Minor General Plan Amendment for Happy Valley Biz-Tech Park (7.52 acres) near the southwest corner of Happy Valley Rd and 157th Ave (case FS25-1081).
• Rezone of the same property from Rural Residential to Regional Commercial with a PUD overlay (case FS25-1081).

The agenda also included an executive session.

Coming up

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission meets today, Aug. 24, at a public hearing to approve June 29, 2026 minutes, receive a presentation on the FY27 budget, and review program overviews, including waitlists and resident versus non-resident fee structures. Public comment is scheduled.

Surprise planning commission backs battery storage rules; arts commission elects leaders

The Surprise Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval of a zoning text amendment for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), including a 100-foot separation distance. The recommendation now goes to the Mayor and City Council. In other recent action, the Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission elected new officers.

Planning and Zoning Commission

The commission voted 5-0 on Aug. 6 to recommend approval of the BESS zoning text amendment (Case FS23-1041) with a 100-foot separation distance. The item will be considered by the City Council at a future meeting.

The commission also tabled approval of its July 16, 2026 meeting minutes until the next meeting. The vote to table was 4-0 with one abstention.

Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission

The Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission met Aug. 5 and elected Hassan Rasul as Chair and Katherine Dunphy as Vice-Chair. Both elections passed 5-0 with two abstentions. The commission also approved its June 3, 2026 meeting minutes by the same vote.

The commission discussed deaccessioning artwork and adding artists to the muralist roster, but took no formal action on those items.

City Council meeting (Aug. 4)

The City Council met Aug. 4, but minutes have not yet been published, so no decisions are available. The agenda included:

• A rezone of 3.11 acres from Rural Residential to Community Commercial at 163rd Avenue and Happy Valley Road
• Liquor license recommendations for Vogue Bistro, The Grove Restaurant and Bar, Arizona Traditions Golf Club, Great Eagle Golf Club, and Circle K Store #9616
• A GOHS grant award for DUI enforcement and a $58,500 budget amendment
• An Original Townsite Incentive Program payment of $22,405.69 for Shaughnessy Promenade
• A Wireless Provider Master License Agreement with Cox Communications Arizona, LLC

Veterans, Disability and Human Services Commission (Aug. 12)

This commission met Aug. 12, but minutes are not yet published. The agenda included selection of a chair and vice-chair, approval of June meeting minutes, discussion of Project 24 Seven, and selection of the 2026 Veterans Day Parade Grand Marshal.

Coming up

Library Commission – Aug. 20. The agenda includes approval of June 11 meeting minutes, selection of a chair and vice-chair, and staff reports on the American Library Association 2026 Annual Conference and the 2026 Summer Reading Program, “Unearth a Story.” No public hearings or major financial decisions are listed.

Planning and Zoning Commission – Aug. 20. Public hearings are scheduled for:

• A Conditional Use Permit for Clean Freak carwash at the southeast corner of Cactus Road and Sarival Avenue (Case FS24-1579)
• A Conditional Use Permit for a Circle K fueling station at the same location (Case FS24-1580)
• A Comprehensive Sign Program Amendment for Asante Trails at the southwest corner of 163rd Avenue and Pat Tillman Boulevard (Case FS25-1042)
• A Minor General Plan Amendment and rezone for Happy Valley Biz-Tech Park (7.52 acres) near the southwest corner of Happy Valley Road and 157th Avenue (Case FS25-1081), from Rural Residential to Regional Commercial with a PUD overlay

The agenda also includes approval of minutes from two prior meetings and an executive session.

Surprise arts commission elects new chair, vice-chair; council agenda includes rezone, liquor licenses

The Surprise Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission elected new leadership at its Aug. 5 meeting. Hassan Rasul was chosen as chair and Katherine Dunphy as vice-chair, each by a 5-0 vote with two abstentions. The commission also approved the minutes from its June 3 meeting by the same margin. No other formal action was taken; the commission discussed deaccessioning artwork and adding artists to the muralist roster but did not vote on those items.

City Council agenda (Aug. 4)

The regular City Council meeting on Aug. 4 was held on an agenda-only basis; minutes have not yet been published, so no decisions are recorded. The council considered several items, including:

• A rezone of 3.11 acres from Rural Residential to Community Commercial at 163rd Avenue and Happy Valley Road.
• Liquor license recommendations for Vogue Bistro, The Grove Restaurant and Bar, Arizona Traditions Golf Club, Great Eagle Golf Club, and Circle K Store #9616.
• A GOHS grant award for DUI enforcement and a $58,500 budget amendment.
• An Original Townsite Incentive Program payment of $22,405.69 for Shaughnessy Promenade.
• A Wireless Provider Master License Agreement with Cox Communications Arizona, LLC.

These items were up for consideration but no votes or outcomes are available in the published record.

Planning and Zoning Commission (Aug. 6)

The Planning and Zoning Commission met Aug. 6 with an agenda that included a public hearing on a proposed Zoning Text Amendment (Case # FS23-1041) related to Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The commission also had on its agenda approval of the July 16, 2026, meeting minutes. As with the council meeting, minutes from this session have not yet been published, so no decisions are recorded.

Coming up

No upcoming meetings are listed for the next 14 days. Residents can check the city's official meeting calendar for future agendas and minutes.