Lake Havasu City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to adopt a resolution opposing the permanent transfer of so-called "fourth priority" Colorado River water from GSC Farm LLC (Greenstone) to the Town of Queen Creek and approved a slate of city contracts and ordinance introductions including updates to local building and fire codes.

The council adopted resolution No. 25-3875 after a presentation from city staff and a short public comment period. Miss Gary, presenting the item, told the council that transfers of water entitlements from small on-river communities to benefit metropolitan areas with alternate water supplies "establishes a bad precedent, and places the local water supplies and economic future of rural jurisdictions at risk." A member of the public, Robert Fisher, urged the council to "keep objecting to these water transfers," citing poor reservoir forecasts for Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

Why it matters: the Bureau of Reclamation has issued a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) and set a target completion/record-of-decision date in April 2027. The city’s resolution communicates Lake Havasu City’s continued opposition and will be included with other local comments submitted during Reclamation’s EIS process.

Votes at a glance
- Consent agenda: Motion to accept the consent agenda as presented (mover: Council member Jenny Coke; second: Council member Cameron Moses). Motion carried 7-0.
- Resolution No. 25-3875: Adopted opposing the permanent transfer of fourth-priority Colorado River water from GSC Farm LLC to the Town of Queen Creek (mover: Council member Cameron Moses; second: Council member David Diaz). Vote: 7-0.
- Ordinance No. 25-1370: Introduced (first reading) to adopt the 2024 International Codes with local amendments to Lake Havasu City code chapter 12.08 (mover: Council member Jenny Coke; second: Council member Cameron Moses). Vote to introduce: 7-0. Effective date proposed: Feb. 1, 2026.
- Ordinance No. 25-1371: Introduced (first reading) to adopt the 2024 International Fire Code with local amendments to Lake Havasu City code chapter 12.12 (mover: Council member David Diaz; second: Council member Cameron Moses). Vote to introduce: 7-0. Effective date proposed: Feb. 1, 2026.
- Professional services agreement — Water Conservation and Reuse Improvements (design): Awarded to Corolla Engineers Inc. in the amount of $110,528 (mover: Council member Cameron Moses; second: Council member Jenny Koch). Vote: 7-0. Projected design schedule: ~5 months; anticipated completion April 2026.
- Professional services agreement — Water Treatment Plant filter software integration upgrade: Awarded to Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. in the amount of $167,875 (mover: Council member David Diaz; second: Council member Nancy Campbell). Vote: 7-0. Project duration: ~5 months.
- Cooperative purchase — Submersible sewage pump for North Regional WWTP: Approved purchase through James Cook and Hobson Inc. for $150,699 plus applicable taxes (mover: Council member Cameron Moses; second: Council member Jenny Koch). Vote: 7-0.

Discussion and context
- Water transfer: Miss Gary summarized the history of the Greenstone (GSC Farm LLC) application and related litigation. She noted Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) had previously recommended approval and the Bureau of Reclamation earlier issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) after an environmental assessment (EA); that FONSI was vacated by a federal court ruling that remanded the matter to Reclamation with instructions to prepare a full EIS. The EIS process has reopened public comment opportunities. Miss Gary stated the council’s resolution will be submitted as part of that comment record.

- Building and fire codes: Building official Stephen Blake and Fire Chief Palafis presented companion items to update local ordinances to adopt the 2024 International Codes (the National Electrical Code remains on the 2023 cycle). Staff said most local amendments remain unchanged from the 2018-to-2024 transition and described a 90–180 day phased implementation period for projects already in design. Staff recommended an effective date of Feb. 1, 2026 to allow time for training and outreach. Council members asked about specific amendment language (for example, sprinkler requirements and treatment of non-occupiable shipping containers); staff said amendments use a "common sense" approach and inspectors will apply amendments based on hazard and occupancy.

- Infrastructure and operations contracts: City staff described each item briefly: a design contract to extend reclaimed-water service to three parks (Rotary, Cypress, Jack Hardy), a software-integration upgrade to the water treatment plant SCADA/filter systems to modernize operations, and replacement of an aged submersible pump at the North Regional wastewater treatment plant. Staff explained the treatment plant SCADA upgrade is a process and user-interface modernization (not a primary cybersecurity package) and that testing and operator input lengthen the integration schedule.

Public comment and next steps
- Robert Fisher (public commenter) urged continuing opposition to water transfers, citing reservoir forecasts.
- The council’s resolution and comments from the city will be forwarded as part of Reclamation’s EIS scoping. The building and fire code ordinances were introduced and will return for final action at a later meeting; staff will execute the awarded contracts and return with project updates as work progresses.

Ending
The council completed its business with unanimous votes on the listed actions and closed without further amendment. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.