City Council Formal Meeting - Regular Meeting

Instead switch to like a self-serve where people just served kind of enough salsa or what salsa they thought was enough for their food. We produce 60% less salsa now which means that we're probably saving 60% salsa production in general.

One of my favorites has been Project Reduce. I loved how the chefs were able to improve their bottom line but also the taste of their food.

I love it when doing the right thing for the environment also improves the bottom line financially and the taste of the product.

Seeing that food waste prevention can create really simple, tangible solutions, why don't we offer restaurants the funds to do that in whatever way that makes sense for them? And so that really is what formed Project Reduce Part 2, which is a micro-grant program for restaurants in the downtown Phoenix area to implement those food waste prevention strategies in their kitchen. No matter what it is, it's really dependent upon what works best for them. And so right now we are distributing up to $10,000 to six different restaurants on a variety of different strategies.

With the pandemic funding, we certainly had millions of dollars to work with, and that funding is coming to an end. However, it gave us the opportunity to create our own city food systems program.

We're going to keep doing some of the most impactful programs from RFSI. The Backyard Garden Program, Project Reduce, and the food system transformation grants. These three programs received the most positive feedback and really helped generate the impact that we wanted to create in the food system by empowering other organizations to do the work that they wanted to do with food system transformation grants, really working with residents and helping them to grow food, increasing their access, and also having the opportunity to share with their community. We want to make sure that everyone has opportunities to be part of programs like these. We have so many different projects

that have become really national models and our nonprofits have innovated so much through challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, but also just making sure we grow our food systems in a more sustainable water friendly way. And so it's great to see that work.

This work is personal to me because I grew up in Phoenix. I started off at ASU as a journalism major, but I ended up switching into sustainability and when you kind of adopt that mindset about sustainability, you realize every issue is a sustainability issue. I was exposed to a whole new world. in sustainability as it pertains to food systems and we're really not the experts or at least I'm not an expert and so I learned so there's so much from these people and they're so fascinating and interesting and they're really they're really the people that are changing Phoenix and we're just here to help.

The outcomes have been, I mean, far greater than I was expecting. You know, never in my wildest dreams would I think that there would be a food team at the city of Phoenix. And to see the commitment that we as a city have made with our climate action plan and our food action plan and really recognizing this, This local food as an important solution to a challenging problem has been so rewarding to work on. The neighborhood I grew up in is actually a food desert.

So seeing people benefit from these programs that remind me of my friends and my family is very rewarding. It's very rewarding. It's very close to home. So in my family growing up, food was always the center of conversation, was always the center of gatherings. It was a way to spend time with each other, whether it was in the kitchen or in the garden with my grandpas. And I really found that experience to be powerful, not just because it brought me and my family closer together, but because I realized that everyone can relate to food. And so in the sustainability world and in this big abstract system, everyone has daily experiences with food, whether you're eating it, you're growing it yourself, you're throwing it away, whatever it is, you're interacting with food on a daily basis. And so it's a great way to bring people into this work and into this movement because everyone has some sort of personal connection with it. And so to me, that's why I think food systems and sustainability work is so powerful. And I just really want to create opportunities for people to get involved and get excited about it and share food stories, because that's where a lot of the passion and excitement can come from.

Those memories of when you start talking about and thinking about food, it takes you back to that wonderful home place and that place where you feel great and warm and comfortable. And working in this arena makes me feel like that all the time. It's just fantastic to see all the different kinds of impact that we have. I get that chance to do that every day.

so Thank you.

Phoenix isn't just a city. It's a community. Diverse, vibrant, and always moving forward. At Phoenix TV, we bring you inside City Hall and beyond. From the services you rely on, to the stories that connect us all. Watch live meetings, local stories, and updates that matter to you. Phoenix TV, your city, your voice. Subscribe on YouTube.

What a wonderful day it is to be here as we welcome China Airlines with the first ever nonstop service from Taipei to Phoenix, Arizona. What a great day it is.

It was an honor to be on that inaugural flight from Taipei, Taiwan to Phoenix. It is indicative of what I know is a tremendous partnership that is really going to propel this region, the relationship between the two countries. This new route is more than just a connection between two cities. It's a bridge between two dynamic regions. The economic impact of this year-round service is expected to exceed $100 million on an annual basis. Passenger traffic between Phoenix and Taipei has surged by more than 400% since 2019, highlighting the growing demand for this connection. We are thrilled to welcome travelers from the Silicon Island to the Silicon Desert. The future is bright, and this is just the beginning.

This flight is not only about tourism, it's about forging more collaboration in our industries, in our technologies, in our exchanges in education and in all fronts.

We truly believe in this city's potential and look forward to building even stronger partnerships together in here. The milestone is possible because of your dedication.

You had the confidence to make sure that this day happened, and I just want to thank you and the entire China Airlines team for allowing us to make that today possible.

Phoenix isn't just a city. It's a community. Diverse, vibrant, and always moving forward. At Phoenix TV, we bring you inside City Hall and beyond. From the services you rely on, to the stories that connect us all. Watch live meetings, local stories, and updates that matter to you. Phoenix TV, your city, your voice. Subscribe on YouTube.

Step into history. And into the future. In the heart of downtown Phoenix, the Orpheum Theatre opened its doors in 1929. Having hosted theater productions, concerts, comedy shows, movie premieres, high-profile speakers, and more, the Orpheum Theater has shown versatility. And almost a century later, we ask, how could we transform the Orpheum for the next generation? It starts with immersion. Taking a step back in time, we looked at the Orpheum's original hand-drawn plans They gave us context of a grand design and an intent to fully immerse the audience. An atmospheric garden oasis was beautifully created in this space. Surrounded by Spanish medieval baroque style architecture, murals of mountains and forests under a deep blue dome sky. It was hailed an architectural and artistic marvel, expressing modern theater at its finest. We were inspired to marry today's technology to that original intent. Taking a step forward, we gathered sounds that are true to Arizona. Mixing and layering hours of recordings, achieving realism to surround our audience. The dome sky is further brought to life where advanced lighting and visuals are meticulously synced to captured sounds. Witness dusk till dawn and the expanse of our universe. All this magic to honor the Orpheum's original intent for audiences to lose themselves in this garden oasis and be drawn closer to the performance. These efforts are a nod to the Orpheum's history and performances past, present, and future. As stewards of this historic space, we look forward to welcoming you and walking beside you one step into history, one step into the future.

Welcome to Fillmore Gardens. We're excited to be with you here today to celebrate a new investment in water conservation. A huge thank you to Titus Matthews and the Housing Department for welcoming us to Fillmore Gardens. Nearly three years ago, we announced a similar program at Sunny Slope Manor. The program is a toilet leak detection program that helps maintenance crews learn in real time when residents had a toilet leak so that they could stop it right away. The program has already saved close to 850,000 gallons of water, reducing the amount of water used at Sunny Slope Manor by nearly 20%. That's more water than an Olympic-sized swimming pool, all from addressing leaks. Today, I'm excited to share that we'll be expanding the pilot here at Fillmore Gardens. Thanks to a public-private partnership fostered by 50L Home, we're joining forces with Target, Sensor Industries, and the Pacific Institute to install toilet leak devices in all 120 units at Fillmore Gardens. Thank you to Nicole Kuhn with Target, Cora, our great partner at the Pacific Institute, Nick Benz, and the Sensor Industries team. I also want to thank each of these partners for stepping up and investing in practical solutions that will make a real difference for our residents and for our city. We're also lucky to be joined today by Dr. Max Wilson, our City of Phoenix Water Resource Manager. Even the smallest leak can make a major impact. A single leaking toilet can waste thousands of gallons of water each year, and most of the time those leaks happen quietly. Residents and maintenance staff may not know there is an issue until a significant amount of water has already been lost. That's why this technology matters. Phoenix is a desert community. We have a culture of conservation, and we understand that every drop matters. If you've heard me speak before, you know that water conservation is very important to me as mayor. Water is central to every decision we make at the City of Phoenix. Whether it's economic development, infrastructure, housing, or long-term planning, we at the City of Phoenix are always thinking about how we can manage our water resources more sustainably. The Southwest is facing a serious drought, and communities across the region are being challenged to think differently about water. Phoenix has taken that responsibility seriously for decades. Even as our population grows, water use per person in Phoenix has dropped by nearly 30% over the last 20 years. That progress reflects years of planning investment and a strong culture of conservation across our community.

We understand that water

Underground is, we're investing in a wide variety of important policies. We have water underground as a strategic reserve for the future. We're investing in infrastructure that gives us more flexibility to use water where it's needed. We're investing in three advanced water purification facilities, the largest of which will serve cities across the metro and bolster resilience for the region. And we continue to work with partners across Arizona on collaborative water solutions for the future. But conservation is not only about large-scale infrastructure projects. It's about finding smart, practical ways to prevent waste in our community every day. We're so thankful to have partners, including Target, who understand our values as a community and who want to make sure their philanthropy is strategic and really makes a difference. This program will do that. I'm excited to introduce our next speaker, who has also made water a huge priority, Vice Mayor Keisha Hutch-Washington.

Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Mayor, and thank you to all of our partners from the Water Services Department, Housing Department, Pacific Institute, Sensor Industries, Target, and everyone who helped to make today possible. It is great to be here in Fillmore Gardens to highlight a project that may seem simple on the surface, but represents something much bigger for the future of Phoenix. When people think of water conservation, they often think of large infrastructure, projects, reservoirs, pipelines, or major policy decisions, and all of those are important. And those investments matter, but today's event is a reminder that some of the most meaningful conservation efforts can happen in very practical, everyday ways. In this case, we are talking about something many people may not even notice, hidden toilet leaks. A leak in toilet may seem minor, but over time even a small leak can waste thousands of gallons of water every year. Multiply that across large multi-family housing communities and the amount of wasted water and wasted money becomes significant. That is why this project matters. By installing smart leak detection technology here at Fillmore Gardens, we are helping maintenance teams identify leaks faster, respond more efficiently, and prevent unnecessary water loss before they become a larger issue. And importantly, this technology works quietly in the background. Residents do not have to change their routine. They do not have to change their daily behavior to participate in conservation. This system simply helps us operate smarter and more efficiently. This is a powerful example of how innovation can support sustainability while also improving operations and protecting resources. This project also demonstrates something else that is very important, collaboration. Today's event brings together city department, nonprofit organization, private industry, and community partners around a shared goal, that is conserving water and strengthening the long-term resilience of our city. No single organization can solve this problem alone. It takes partnerships like the ones represented here today. Phoenix has spent decades preparing for drought and invested in long-term water reliability. Our city has built a strong culture of conservation, and our residents have already made tremendous progress in using water more efficiently over the years. At the same time, we know we must continue to find new ways to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and modernize the systems we rely on every day. Projects like this do help us do exactly that. I also want to acknowledge the importance of bringing these types of investment into affordable housing communities like Fillmore Gardens. Conservation and sustainability should benefit every neighborhood and every resident in Phoenix. By reducing hidden waste water, sorry, hidden water waste, and improving maintenance response time, we are helping protect valuable resources while also supporting the long-term efficiency of city housing operations. That is good for residents, it's good for taxpayers, and it's good for the future of our community. Today's event builds on earlier work completed at Sunny Slope Manor, where the city and its partners launched a similar leak detection pilot program. That effort helped demonstrate the value of this technology and showed how practical conservation solutions can make a measurable difference. As we continue addressing the long-term challenges facing the Colorado River and the Southwest, every gallon conserved matters. And while there is no single solution to our regional water challenges, projects like this remind us that practical tools, strong partnerships, and thoughtful planning can help communities adapt and thrive. I again want to thank everyone involved for their leadership and partnership, and I especially want to thank the staff members who will help implement and support this technology moving forward. Phoenix will continue leading with innovation, collaboration, and smart conservation strategies that help our future for generations to come. Thank you. I now get to introduce Dr. Max Wilson, the City of Phoenix Water Resource Manager. Thank you.

Good morning, everybody, and thank you, Mayor and Vice Mayor, for your inspiring words this morning. My name is Max Wilson. I'm the Water Resource Management Advisor here at the City of Phoenix, where I'm privileged to be able to advise mayor, council and city leadership on critical water resources issues and help develop the city's water resource strategy. To be clear, the Colorado River Basin has a problem. We're facing decades of overuse and river flows that are at historically low levels that have brought our reservoirs at Lake Powell and Lake Mead to historically low levels, threatening their ability to convey water and power. We're saddled with the Department of Interior that refuses to lead and headwater states that refuse to try anything above and beyond what they're doing today. So yes, the Colorado River Basin has a problem. But luckily, Phoenix and its partners have a plan. And what we're talking about here today is part of that plan, developing new and innovative conservation measures to ensure that even the smallest water wastes do not occur in our community, especially in places where our residents may struggle to detect them. In settings like these, in affordable housing projects, we have elderly residents who may not know if their toilets are leaking. And that's where technologies like what we're deploying here in partnership with the Target Sensor Industries and the Pacific Institute have an immense ability to change how much water we need to thrive here in the desert. Phoenix has led for generations on these issues and will continue to lead. And we are so grateful and thankful to be able to invite Target, Sensor Industries and the Pacific Institute into this family of collaboration and problem solving for the next generation of water challenges. And with that, I'm happy to hand it over to Nicole from Target.

Good morning, everybody, and thanks for being here. I'm Nicole Kuhn from Target. I'm the group vice president, and I oversee all of the stores, including all 50 here in Arizona. I want to start by thanking Mayor Gallego, Vice Mayor Hutch Washington, the City of Phoenix, the Pacific Institute, Sensor Industries, and everybody who helped bring this initiative together. Partnerships like this matter because no one organization solves big community challenges alone. Real impact happens when businesses, cities, nonprofits, and community leaders decide to work together. And that's exactly what today represents. Water conservation has always been important here in Phoenix, but we all know it's becoming even more critical for the future of our communities. That's why we're proud to support this project here at Fillmore Gardens. I've been with Target for 19 years and have had the opportunity to work with stores and teams across the country. One of the things I'm the most proud of at Target is that we truly believe we should do more than just operate in the communities. We should actively invest in them. That investment can look different depending on the needs of the community. Sometimes it's supporting local schools. Sometimes it's disaster relief. Sometimes it's volunteerism and team member service. But today it's helping address water conservation in Arizona. Last year in Arizona, Target gave $8.7 million in product and cash donations statewide, and our team members volunteered more than 21,000 hours in their local communities. This is just one component of a much larger commitment that Target has to contribute to the communities that we serve. I also want to recognize the residents and community members here at Fillmore Gardens. This initiative is ultimately about supporting the people who call this community home, helping create smarter, more sustainable living environments for today and for the future. And at Target, we are proud to be a part of this effort. Thank you again to everybody who made today possible, and thank you for allowing Target to be part of something that will make a real difference here in Phoenix. I'd like to hand it over now to Cora Snyder, Senior Program Manager for Pacific Institute.

Good morning, everyone. My name is Cora Snyder, and I'm with the Pacific Institute. We're a nonprofit organization that works with partners around the world to advance research-based solutions to tricky water problems. In the next few minutes, I want to reiterate three of the key themes that have come up from our speakers today. The value of water, the power of small actions, and the need for unlikely alliances. So first, the value of water. Every Phoenix resident knows the value of conserving water in the desert. But as temperatures rise and long-term drought becomes a stark reality, every drop of water becomes even more important. And the water in Phoenix is too valuable to waste. But finding and fixing leaks is not always easy. You can imagine sprinklers on the sidewalk. That's an easy way to identify water waste. But leaky toilets, imagine a large building like Fillmore, 120 units. Finding that leaky toilet with just one water meter, this is a big challenge. It's like trying to find a needle in the haystack, which is why the leak detection technology that's getting deployed here at Fillmore today is so important. Second is the power of small. As the Vice Mayor mentioned, often when we think about water solutions, we think about big infrastructure projects. But I'm here to tell you that small solutions matter too. Small actions to save water can add up to profound impacts on our overall water supplies. Fixing one leaky toilet may seem inconsequential, but multiply that across the city and you end up with millions of gallons of water savings. The EPA estimates that about a trillion gallons of water are wasted to household leaks across the country every year, and toilets are the number one culprit here. So right now, city housing is paying for invisible water waste, and this project will help them reduce their water costs and free up money to spend on their mission of providing quality, affordable housing. Third and final is this need for unlikely alliances. We are in an all hands on deck moment on the Colorado River. We must work together across sectors to come up with creative ways to solve the Southwest water crisis. In this project, just within the Phoenix city government, you have the mayor's office, city water department, and housing all working together. You have sensor industries providing this great technology, Target coming in to fund and support this work. And the role of Pacific Institute is really to bring all of these partners together to make this happen. And we are not just doing it here. In the last five years, Pacific Institute has worked with a coalition of partners to deploy this solution in 14 affordable housing properties across California and Arizona. And I'm really thrilled to be adding Fillmore to that list today. So to wrap up, this project leverages a small, simple, but powerful solution to tackle a problem that we can all relate to, leaky toilets. Right now, we're literally flushing water and money down the drain. And this project saves the city water and money, which benefits all residents.

ADOT Connecting Arizona From the snow-capped mountains of northern Arizona to the arid desert and lush farmland of the central and southern regions of our state, Arizona's natural beauty is diverse and breathtaking. Residents and tourists alike certainly enjoy our scenic state. Unfortunately, sometimes a closer look reveals litter.

I found a lot of socks.

ADOT spends about $8 million a year cleaning up litter along our state highways. Removing litter from our roads and highways is a time-consuming and costly job that threatens to get worse as Arizona's population grows.

Thank you for participating in the Adopt-a-Highway program.

So we greatly appreciate the help of Arizona citizens like you who volunteer in our Adopt-a-Highway program.

Give yourself a hand.

Your group has graciously agreed to clean up litter along a specific section of highway for a period of two years. As you begin your efforts, please keep in mind that a public highway can be dangerous and some basic safety issues must be considered before you start work. So, are you ready to tackle the trash?

We ready.

It is important that you properly prepare yourself for the work day. Proper clothing and hydration are two priorities. When it comes to water, ask yourself these questions and plan accordingly for your water supply. How many people will be in your group? How many hours do you plan to work? How many miles do you plan to cover? What is the forecast temperature for the day? Now, think about your location. Does your cell phone get service where your adopted road is in case of emergency? How far is the nearest medical facility? Next, think about what to wear. Since most everything in Arizona has thorns, long-sleeved shirts and pants are recommended because of the harsh terrain, cactus, reptiles, and insects you may encounter. Wear protective gloves and strong-soled shoes or boots. Avoid sandals or loose-fitting shoes. Don't forget your sunscreen, and you'll probably want a hat, too. Congratulations! You're ready to pick up trash. Your group should carpool as much as possible to keep the number of cars on site to a minimum. And always remember to park as far away from the roadway as possible. Next, your group coordinator will conduct a safety meeting for all group members. Each person must wear a safety vest at all times. Safety vests along with trash bags will be supplied to you by ADOT. Remember, no children below the age of 12 or pets are permitted in the program or in the work area. For your safety, do not utilize music players. Your ears are often the first thing to warn you of imminent danger. Appoint a lookout for your group. Work facing oncoming traffic, and remember to stay at least five feet from the pavement edge. The fewer distractions for the traveling public and your group, the better. Now, when it comes to trash, know what you're picking up. If you cannot identify it, don't pick it up. This brings us to the topic of hazardous waste.

Methamphetamine is the number one drug abused in the United States and Arizona today and is responsible for a lot of our violent crime. Each pound of meth that is manufactured produces five to six pounds of hazardous materials as waste. So when you're out here on the roadway, don't pick up things that have tubing that is red, ice chests that are red, or red chemical bottles. Bad guys throw them out here because they don't want to get caught with them. Also, leave those corroded propane bottles alone. Used car batteries, needles, syringes, or anything that you don't know what it is. The best rule of thumb is if you are uncertain, don't touch it and inform local law enforcement. Remember, be alert.

Also, do not enter pipes or culverts. The danger is too high, so let the pros deal with that. You should pick up small items made of paper, cardboard, plastic, styrofoam, wood or rubber. Glass items in small empty containers are okay if they do not have sharp edges. Tie your bags securely shut and place the filled bags at least six feet from the pavement edge. Do not overfill or overstuff the bags. ADOT workers must lift these bags into their trucks. Place large or heavier items like tire debris or any items that would tear a bag near the filled bags. Remember, don't move anything that could cause you or your team members physical harm. ADOT will remove your filled trash bags from the roadside after the cleanup is complete. Avoid overexertion and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. Adopt-a-Highway program encourages recycling, so collect the recyclables and take them with you. Make sure your group has enough water and that on-site first aid is available. Leave snakes alone. People are bitten because they try to kill a snake or get a closer look at it. Keep hands and feet out of areas you cannot see. Don't pick up rocks or firewood. Be cautious and alert at all times. If you or a group member is bitten, wash the bite with soap and water. Immobilize the bitten area and keep it lower than the heart and get medical help. Remember, you signed a permit to do this. That permit has terms and conditions. It is very important that you read and abide by them. Inform your ADOT Adopt-a-Highway contact at least five days prior to the cleanup effort. We need to make sure your dates don't conflict with other highway uses, so it's very important to know who your Adopt-a-Highway contact is and that they have your contact information. We need to know as quickly as possible if a new coordinator is appointed or if you change any of your contact information. Make sure everyone in your group fills out a volunteer registration form before each cleanup. The Arizona Department of Transportation wants this to be a rewarding and safe experience for all of you. Volunteers like you make this program successful by giving your time and energy to make a positive impact on the environment. Your efforts are appreciated, very much so, not only by ADOT, but also by the citizens of Arizona and the visitors who will enjoy a cleaner state because of your hard work. So spread the word. Arizona, keep it grand.

Hi, my name is Brian Tice. I'm a water service technician for the City of Phoenix Water Department. My role as a technician is to provide excellent customer service to our residents in the city of Phoenix. As a water service technician, we deal with leaks, turn on, turn offs of homes with customers moving in and out of their residence, replacing meters, and replacing stops. For me, the most rewarding part, I grew up in the city of Phoenix. I went to grade school, high school. So for me, being able to come back and provide the service to the community that I grew up in is very important to me. I believe the water service technician position is important to our division because we are the first people the customers see.

Semiconductor industry is becoming the future of the world. We're establishing something new in the country, something new that will generate the pipeline of future talent for TSMC.

Who doesn't want to be part of probably the biggest company that's coming? And plus, I really needed a career, and thankfully I found my career here.

It's truly been a privilege to establish this apprenticeship program here at TSMC. We started with eight apprentices. The apprenticeship program overall is between 18 and 24 months. The apprenticeship is structured in two cycles. This is the completion of cycle one.

I'm a water apprentice. I'm really excited and looking forward to the next step or second phase of the program. They have four departments here. They have electrical, water, mechanical, and gas and chem. And throughout the first phase of the program, we moved around to each department for approximately four months. They show us a lot of the basics that we need to know getting into an industry like this. We have on-the-job training, and we're also going to school. School is over at Westmec, so we get hands-on training over at school. And then here at CSMC as well, we're working with our mentors, with technicians, all of our supervisors. support us, help us, and they give us everything that we need to succeed.

The staff here is one of my favorite things. They show you what it is to be in a team. and they really are welcoming and want to help you grow.

We took individuals that had minimal industry experience and they're becoming industry experts. They are getting to learn a lot of the systems. They get to learn and work on all of our equipment and truly, truly become part of our TSMC family.

When I joined here, I joined here in hopes of building my career. Like being set, I can't really tell you where I would be if I didn't have this position. So I'm just thankful to be here and I just want to keep going.

We are receiving a journeyman's card through the city of Phoenix. They work with CSMC and it's the first of its kind in the nation.

We love apprenticeships in the City of Phoenix. As you know, we believe in them. We use them ourselves. We took on the sponsorship role, which means these programs are actually the City of Phoenix programs, and employers now can join us, making folks like TSMC and other employers build this pipeline that will serve many different employers here in our community.

Semiconductor industry is becoming the future of the world. It's important to have skilled people and people that are motivated to grow with the technology that's innovating every day.

I just want to thank CSMC, the City of Phoenix, Westmec, Stray Mountain Community College for coming together and giving us this opportunity and helping our career grow and for everything that they've done and all the work that they've put in.

Hello, Leslie Nielsen here. The city of Phoenix is asking you to make water conservation a way of life. Now please, think about water. Every time you use it, don't make me come out to your house. I do police work, you know.

Oh my goodness, Mr. Nielsen, that was better than last time.

Good afternoon and thank you for joining us. Today is Wednesday, August 26th. We'll begin today with a recognition for a member of our community from Councilwoman Guardado.

Thank you, Mayor. Today I want to take a moment to honor Ken Duvall, who recently passed. He was a cherished resident of Phoenix's District 5, whose quiet dedication and commitment left a meaningful imprint on our community. For more than 22 years, since 2004, he generously shared his time and perspective on the Maryville Village Planning Committee. always striving to make his neighborhood a better place for everyone. I extend my heartfelt gratitude for his steady service and offer my condolences to his family. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you so much for that important recognition. I'll now turn for the invocation. Chaplain Harry Sexton will provide an invocation in keeping with the tradition of legislative prayer for the council. Participation is entirely voluntary. Anyone may remain seated or step outside. Chaplain Sexton, thank you for joining us.

Madam Mayor, honorable council members, ladies and gentlemen, My prayer today is based upon Proverbs 16, 3, which says, commit your activities to the Lord and your plans will be established. Let us pray. Oh God, we come into your presence today by your command to give you our thanks for the continued mercy and blessing that you have bestowed upon us. We know from your word that every breath that we take is a direct gift from your hand and we are grateful. Lord, you have placed these men and women into these positions of leadership to oversee a portion of your creation, and we thank you for them. Now, Lord, we ask for your wisdom and guidance in these endeavors that they intake. Allow them to follow your word and commit their activities to you so that their plans will be established for the good of our entire community. Lord, we ask for protection physically, mentally, spiritually, and spiritually for both this council and all those that serve this city. Continue to show us both your mercy and blessing as we do so for one another. Amen.

Councilman O'Brien, will you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? I'll now call to order the formal meeting of the Phoenix City Council. Will the clerk call the roll?

Councilwoman Guardado? Here. Councilwoman Hernandez?

Here.

Councilwoman O'Brien? Here. Councilwoman Pastor? Here. Councilman Robinson?

Here.

Councilwoman Stark? Here. Councilman Waring? Here. Vice Mayor Hutch Washington? Here. Mayor Gallego?

Here. Mario Barajas and his team is with us to provide Spanish interpretation. Mario, will you introduce yourself and your colleagues?

Yes, Mayor. Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Mario Barajas. I'll be working today with Elsie Duarte and Oscar Monroy as interpreters for the simultaneous interpreting I'll now take a moment to introduce ourselves to our Spanish-speaking audience. Buenas tardes. Yo soy Mario Barajas y voy a estar trabajando con mis compañeros de trabajo, Elsie Duarte y Oscar Monroy. Quisiéramos repasar brevemente con ustedes un par de puntos, lo cual se nos va a facilitar a proveerles los servicios necesarios para recibir una interpretación exacta. Primeramente, si es que van a estar dando un comentario público, favor de evitar distracciones de fondo. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you so much. Will the city clerk read the 24 hour paragraph?

The titles of the following ordinance and resolution numbers on the agenda were available to the public at least 24 hours prior to this council meeting and therefore may be read by title or agenda item only. Ordinance is number G7533 through 7535, S53090 through 53142, and resolutions 22391 through 22392.

Thank you so much. Will the city attorney explain the role of public comment?

Yes, thank you, Mayor. Members of the public may speak for up to two minutes to comment on agenda items. Comments must be related to the agenda item and the action being considered by the council. General comments that go beyond the scope of the agenda item should be made during the citizen comment session at the end of the agenda. The city council and staff cannot discuss or comment on matters related to pending investigations, claims, or litigation. Additionally, any member of the public who appears before the council in their capacity as a lobbyist must, as required by Phoenix City Code, disclose this fact before addressing the council. The City Code states that speakers must express their comments respectfully and courteously. Use of profane language, threats, or personal attacks on members of the public, council members, or staff are not allowed. Such comments are disruptive and unrelated to the council's business. Any person who violates these rules may lose their opportunity to speak further and could be asked to leave. Thank you.

Thank you so much. We next move to boards and commissions. Vice mayor.

Motion to approve the mayors and city council boards and commission nominations. Second.

We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any opposed, nay. Passes unanimously. We're so thankful to our residents for serving in these important positions and we'll conduct a swearing in ceremony now. If you'll please come forward. Please raise your right hand. I state your name. I state your name. Do solemnly swear. Do solemnly swear. That I will support the Constitution of the United States. That I will support the Constitution of the United States. And the Constitution and laws of the state of Arizona. And the Constitution and laws of the state of Arizona. That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.

That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.

And defend them against all enemies. And defend them against all enemies. Foreign and domestic. And that I will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office of, state your office. According to the best of my ability. So help me God. Wonderful. Congratulations. Thank you for serving our community. Thank you again to our new commissioners. The City of Phoenix provides an advisory role to the State of Arizona on liquor licenses, and we'll move to that portion of our agenda. Vice Mayor, do we have a motion?

Motion to approve items two through 45. Second.

We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed, nay. Passes unanimously. City Clerk, are we ready for ordinances, resolution, new business planning and zoning? Yes, Mayor. Vice Mayor, do we have a motion?

Yes, motion to approve items 46 through 130, except for the following items 57, 84, 90, 100, 106, and 111, noting that items 127 is as revised. Item 128 is continued to October 21st, 2026 agenda. And can the clerk confirm if there are any other items that should be excluded for in-person public comments?

Yes, Mayor, Vice Mayor, also excluding item 83. That's item 83. Second.

We have a motion and a second. Roll call.

Guardado? Yes. Hernandez? Yes. O'Brien? Yes. Pastor? Yes. Robinson? Yes. Stark? Yes. Waring? Yes. Hodge-Washington? Yes. Gallego?

Yes.

Passes 9-0.

Thanks so much, and some very important items on our agenda, including helping grow our economy and public engagement. And we next go to customer engagement software number 57. Vice Mayor, do we have a motion? Motion to approve item 57.

Second.

We have a motion and a second. We'll turn to Councilman Hernandez for comments.

Sorry, thank you, Mayor. Just a quick request for, sorry, we're on 57, right? Okay, thank you. Just a quick request for you, Ed. Is it possible to send my office a list of all the city departments, department contracts with Zen City, and the dollar amount that we are paying for each of that contract?

Mayor, Councilman Hernandez, yes, I believe that the only contract we have is through the Communications Office, but I'll make sure that there aren't others that have other contracts with them.

Okay, thank you so much. Mayor, I just have a couple comments. It's really been brought to my attention around this item by several residents that emailed and called our office that Zen City is an Israeli company that is actively providing services in support of the Israeli genocide in Gaza. I have serious concerns with our city financially supporting the murder of innocent people. I hope that we can continue to be intentional about who we are contracting with as a city because it is a huge reflection in our values. So I won't be able to support this item today. Thank you very much.

Roll call.

Guardado? Yes. Hernandez?

No.

O'Brien? Yes. Castor? No. Robinson?

Yes.

Stark? Yes. Waring? Yes. Hodge-Washington?

Yes.

Gallego?

Yes. Passes 7-1. Item 83 is next, which is a development agreement with Civic Group LLC for the adaptive reuse and rehabilitation of the security building and annex building. Vice Mayor?

Motion to approve item 83.

Second.

Motion and a second. Council Member Hernandez?

Thank you so much. I believe we have folks to speak on it. I'll wait until after public comment.

Margaret Schultz.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. My name is Margaret Schultz. I live in District 4, just north of downtown. I'm here today to comment on the process of how this development came tonight, this afternoon before the Council. It is concerning to me that the Council is voting on a development agreement without a draft of the actual agreement available for the Council and for the public. to review. I think the public deserves to be made aware of exactly what are the details of the deal, the structure of the tax reimbursement, and exactly how the money is benefiting the city and the community at large. I also want to just flag that this item came up without having been discussed in a previous public council meeting or public subcommittee meeting. So this means this may be the first time members of the community are hearing about this item as it's being voted on. It seems to me that when potentially tax dollars for reimbursing a private development are at stake, the city has a responsibility of transparency to make sure that members of the public are fully aware and have plenty of time to review before the actual deal is voted on. So I'm here, I'm not standing in opposition to this project, but more kind of commenting on the process and the way these things come for the public. and asking in the future for reconsideration of how we move these development agreements forward and how we can do so in a way that maximally engages the community and make sure that they're present at the table as these are discussed. So thank you so much for your consideration and for the opportunity to speak. Thank you so much, Council Member Hernandez.

Thank you so much, Mayor. I believe the applicant is here. If he could, would you mind sending him to the podium? Just have a quick question for you. And while you get up there, you know, thank you so much for the community members for being engaged and following along. Here are your concerns, and I think I'M CONFIDENTLY SPEAKING FOR MYSELF AND FOR OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM. WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE OUR PROCESS. SO DEFINITELY GOING TO TAKE YOUR INPUT AND WE WILL LOOK AND SEE HOW WE CAN BETTER OUR PROCESSES SO THAT WE ARE FULL OF TRANSPARENCY WITH YOU ALL AS RESIDENTS. CHRIS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MEETING WITH MY OFFICE TODAY. I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND YOU ON THE ENGAGEMENT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THERE ARE MULTIPLE GROUPS THAT HAVE SENT IN SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT. I'M EXCITED FOR THIS PROJECT. I THINK IT BRINGS A LOT OF REALLY GOOD THINGS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. ESPECIALLY THAT WE ARE PRESERVING THIS BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC BUILDING THAT SO MANY PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO SEE PRESERVED. THIS WILL BE A HUGE ADDITION TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY. and bring an additional hotel, right, that is really needed in the area that we're seeing that, you know, throughout. Quick question, just, you know, provided we heard a little bit of concerns in the process. I asked you this when we met in my office, and I shared with you how important community voices in everything that we do. If, you know, this project is approved today, would you be willing to commit to continue the conversations to have further conversations with the community and with my office to discuss ways in how this project can partner with the community on issues that are important to them.

Mayor, Councilwoman Hernandez, yes, thank you and your office for your engagement on this likewise. And you name the place and time, like I said in your office, we'll be there. I mean, this building is one of our last links to the upstart city of Phoenix of 100 years ago. And so in many ways it belongs to the community. and so i'm eager to continue engaging the the broader community on this as we have to this point as we move along and so thank you for your question uh but sincerely we look forward to continuing to talk to you and other members of the public as we move along and thank you so much for for making yourself available to answer questions and for the community to hear directly from you at this starting point thank you thank you mayor

Thank you so much. And Chris, will you stay there? I was thinking during the boards and commissions portion in my early days as a village planning commissioner, there was the Phoenix Urban Research Lab at the roof of this building or the top story. And so I got to see the building. For those people who haven't been there, can you describe the building and a little bit about its history and particularly that space on the top, which is a special historic place in our city?

Certainly. So the security building was built by Dwight Heard, who's probably a name that many of you know, Heard Museum, Heard Building, one of the founding fathers of Phoenix. And it was to accommodate some of the first businesses in Phoenix. So it had 50 tenants when it opened in 1928, doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers, also representatives of the major agricultural interests that used to prevail in the state. And so it was getting written up in New York architectural magazines in an era where people in New York didn't know where Phoenix was. And it has these incredible old world finishes. It has a beautiful marble lobby. It has a well-restored 1928 historic ballroom on top. Walter Bimson, who used to be the CEO of Valley National Bank, put his penthouse right on top of the ballroom. I think back before there was a planning department, you could just do that. If you owned the building, you just put your penthouse on top. And so members of the public have not been broadly invited into this building And so we look forward to restoring the historic features of this building in addition to the 1960 annex, which was built by Mr. Murdoch and his team, which is a mid-century modern building just to the west. And so we look forward to revitalizing this building. We're approaching the centennial of this building. We look forward to giving it at least 100 other years of life. But this is the crown jewel of historic Phoenix. And like I said, in many ways, it belongs to all of you. It's not just our project. It's one that's going to matter to everybody. And so we're excited. We thank the Department of Economic Development and council members who have been supportive of this. And of course, the many members of the community who have written in in support of this project. We're really eager to get started.

Thank you. Wonderful. Thank you so much. I think that's it. Roll call.

Guardado? No. Hernandez? Yes. O'Brien? Yes. Pastor? Yes. Robinson?

Yes.

Stark? Yes. Waring? Yes. Hodge-Washington? Yes. Gallego?

Yes.

Passes 8-1.

Item 84 is authorization to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with Phoenix Union High School District to administer a youth outreach program. Vice Mayor, do we have a motion?

Yes. Motion to approve item 84. Second.

We have a motion, we do have several members of the public to comment. I will start with in-person and then go to virtual. We will begin with Carol Berry followed by Pamela Neal. then we'll go with Roland Harris and then Anthony online.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. I'm so grateful for this opportunity to speak to you on behalf of the Office of Accountability and Transparency Youth Program. Some of you know I'm a retired Phoenix Municipal Court judge and I'm also a resident of District 6. I'm here to request that you authorize the office to expand the South Mountain High School Poly Program to every school in the Phoenix Union High School District. I had the pleasure of meeting some of the officers and some of the leaders of the program. They attended a community fair at my church, Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, in 2025. And many of the officers are lifetime Phoenix residents, graduates of South Mountain High School, and dedicated to the prosperity of all the youth in the city of Phoenix. They demonstrated courageous passion about the possibilities of the pilot youth program. I accepted their invitation to serve on the system panel for the youth outreach program because they shared my passion to encourage and inspire young adults. I became a lawyer and a judge because community professionals took the time to come to my school, my church, my Y, and to inspire and encourage me. I grew up in South Central Los Angeles, and there were no lawyers in my family. My parents were not college educated, but they were extremely hardworking. But these volunteers encouraged me, told me I could succeed, and I didn't have to worry about paying for college if I got good grades, because colleges would come after me. And it's because of these people who sowed a seed in me that I enjoy doing the same thing for other youth. The system... Finish your sentence. Okay. The systems panel that I've served on consisted of an immigration lawyer, a minister, judges, and other community volunteers where we engaged with the program. We oversaw the curriculum, and we actually went to the schools ourselves and sat down with the students and had sessions and encouraged them. And so we never know what effect these kind of things will have on us.

grateful for your service. Thank you so much. Pamela is next followed by Roland.

Hi, my name is Pamela Neal, and I am with Safe Schools Youth Programs. I also do a program called Team Court. We've been partnering with the city for the past probably 20 years. So I just want to say that I'm here in support of the Office of Accountability as well, and the program that was started at South Mountain High School. I'm an alumni from South Mountain High School as well, and many of the young people that are in the program, they want to learn about the court, they want to learn about the law, and they want to be involved in the law in a positive way versus a negative way. And so by having the Office of Accountability go into the school, which is something that I've been doing for years, I feel like it's gonna be helpful and change the trajectory of some of the young people's lives. I've spoke or had the opportunity today to speak with some of the young people that were in the program because they're part of teen court as well. And they wanted you all to know that they have a voice and they want their voices to be heard and they want to learn about the law so that they can positively serve in positions of leadership like what you all are doing. So I just wanted to say that I was part of the planning committee as well, as well as other people that may be in the room. I know Mr. Khalil Rushtan is here, and so he was a part of that committee as well as others. But again, it's a great program, and it's helping the young people to learn about the court, the law, and be a part of the law in a positive way versus a negative way. So it really needs to be in every school in the Phoenix Union District, and I'm hoping that you guys approved this years ago. You will keep that approval today and allow them to do what they need to do. Thank you for your time.

thank you for that testimony roland is next uh councilman stark uh did you want to do the question for the speaker i just wanted to know if she was going to give us that gavel oh that is an awesome gavel And Roland is next, followed by Anthony.

I'm here to speak against the program, against the IGA. We were told that no children would be excluded from this program. That was a lie. These kids are actually being graded and scored and qualified for this program. In the own documentation, it's a 15 to 18 is strong finalist who highly align. 10 to 14 points is potential finalist. And below 10 points is not recommended for the program. So that shows me that they're able to control and skew the numbers to make this program, Mama State Club, seem like it's a success. This is not a program. Even in the documentation application, they make these kids fill out. It's referred to as an after school club, not as a program. So I understand that certain council members want to see this happen at Maryville High School. There was a very unfortunate tragedy that happened at Maryville High School, but this program would not have prevented that. As a matter of fact, off of this scoring, those young men wouldn't even have qualified for this program. This program is meant for them to be pro-police. One of the questions they ask, is the student pro-police? And if they are, they would score three on that questionnaire. So I'm not saying that maybe we don't need a program like this in schools, but not this program, not at this time. We're prepared to give authorized oath to pay $180,000 to the Phoenix School District to have a after-school club where this club, all it pertains to is them bringing in guest speakers each week to speak to these youth. I PERSONALLY FILED THAT FOR YOU TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION ON THIS PROGRAM. I RAN THROUGH ALMOST 100 AND SOMETHING DOCUMENTS SO I KNOW THIS PROGRAM FORWARD AND BACKWARDS AND IT'S NOT A PROGRAM, IT'S A CLUB. AND THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT ALL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.

MAYOR. CAN WE GET AN ANSWER TO WHAT MR. HARRIS SAID ABOUT THE QUESTION? Cause that's a little concerning if that's a question on the form.

And Anthony, we're going to take some questions and then we'll go to you.

Good afternoon, Mayor, members of council. No, that's not correct. That is not a question on the form. And in terms of questions regarding kids' perspectives, that's just to see if they're willing to thoughtfully engage about the topics. There's no exclusion for being pro-police, being anti-police. If they were to note that, that wouldn't rule them out of participation. Okay.

Thank you. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you. Anthony. Oh, I'm sorry. Okay. Anthony's not with us? Okay. Shannon, young people have wanted the opportunity to ask our officers different questions and to learn about police procedures. Could you give us an example of some of the questions that young people have asked through this pilot program?

Mayor, members of council, Mayor Gallego, yes, absolutely. One of the best opportunities that this program provides is an opportunity for kids in a de-escalated setting in the safety of the school community to ask real officers questions like, why would you want to be a police officer? What are their rights and responsibilities? Can we record? Questions even specifically, can a male officer do a pat down of a female student? Can we call our parents before we have to talk to you? What are we allowed to say no to? Do we have to stop if you're just saying, hey, do you mind if I can talk to you versus lights and sirens? All of those sorts of things that kids may have understandings about anecdotally, but they can ask an officer. In addition to asking the officer, the curriculum supports the actual law-based and reasons for those rights and responsibilities. So it's not just simply an officer saying, this is my perspective about what you would do, but this is what the law requires. This is what the rights and responsibilities are. Another question, if I'm not comfortable talking to you and I want to talk to your supervisor, do you have to bring a supervisor out? They don't have to, but is that best practice? Absolutely. And then on top of that, in educating kids about how and how interaction should go with law enforcement, it also is teaching kids where they can go if those interactions don't go the way that they... So Officer Cheatham is who came and spoke to the kids at South Mountain in the fall of 2025. And so what that does is he's saying, this is how police officers should be responding in your community, and then this is where you go if that's not how it's happening. These are the resources that you can access. You can call OAT. You can call your council member. You can talk to school, a trusted adult. So it's a holistic perspective, and it gives them that opportunity really with officers and that one-to-one interactive perspective in a safe setting to ask those questions. And then also, if kids are not comfortable interacting with law enforcement, They don't get docked for not coming to that session. They're told in advance that's what's going to be there that day. If they have questions but they're also not comfortable asking an officer, our staff will ask the questions as well. So we do everything we can to make sure that that's done in a safe and respectful way and values and is trauma-informed so kids can get the answers to those questions from an actual officer.

Thank you so much. Council, Vice Mayor.

Thank you so much, Mayor. I had the opportunity to attend the culminating ceremony for the students that participated in the pilot at South Mountain High School. And I just wanted to share a little bit about my experience and hear from you. I would say in addition to public safety, I felt like the students also walked away with a new sense of responsibility when it comes to civic engagement and community advocacy. Amongst the topics that I recall hearing from the students included climate change. There were some concerns about immigration and interactions with law enforcement and what they needed to do and didn't need to do. They talked about heat equity. Is there anything else you would like to share about what students gain from participating in the youth outreach program?

So one of the best aspects about this program, obviously anything related to OAT, we have to be related to policing. That's our existence within the city fabric. And so there is the aspect of that, but part of it is not just about law enforcement, it's about civic opportunities and civic engagement and ways that they can enact change. One of the biggest aspects is that they understand their roles and values as community members and their value as community members and the value that they have in contributing to shaping the world around them. and they learn about civic responsibility restorative justice advocacy communication what those channels are to enact change they use they get the opportunity to understand how they can use their voices to identify issues and develop solutions one of the great things that you're talking about that goes through as throughout the program is they identify a community challenge initiative so something that they're seeing that they say hey i really don't like the way this is happening in my community so like you said um in 2025 they're talking a lot about immigration enforcement Snap benefits being cut some of the things tangible to the city. They talked about shade equity Why do our parks not have any trees right? We've had streetlights that have been out for several years We don't feel safe our buses aren't clean and safe that we have to ride we have to engage in public transportation to get to our jobs or to get to school and So they they see the needs of their community, even though we're talking about kids who are 14 15 16 They're not kids. They are valued community members. And so they learn through this program and that their voice matters. And one of the things that we've talked about as we've developed this program and one of the lessons that we learned is that as city employees, as part of the amazing network of the city, we have the opportunity to connect these kids to the leaders within the city that can help them enact that change. So the shade equity issue. I happen to have Dr. Handula's cell phone number, right? I happen to know Felipe. I happen to know the people in leadership that can help these kids. And I also happen to have a little bit easier access to y'all. So if we have those initiatives, our plan is to collect those community initiatives and then put them into a report for you to take a look at and say, hey, that's a great idea. And then we've talked about how we can then use those reports and that connectivity not only within the city staff, but in elected officials to say, hey, District 8 really wants to adopt this initiative. Youth, would you like to participate? How can we connect through those projects?

Thank you for that. It was actually a highlight. I enjoyed speaking and meeting with those young people to hear their perspective. There was a variety of opinions presented on, for example, just on how we address the equity concerns. There were varying opinions presented by the students that participated in the program. I'm just curious, is there anything that we learned from the first group of students that completed this program and how are we using what we've learned to help strengthen this program and continue to build on the successes?

Well, I think anybody who works with kids or has kids understands that sometimes we forget, especially as adults, is that we need to listen before teaching and listen before speaking and let them tell us what it is they need from us. So one of the things that's central to this program is we do a survey to understand what is it that the kids want to know about. So that's the way the juvenile justice jeopardy aspect was structured, or what are the things that kids want to know about? What are their rights and responsibilities for them? And in those other weeks where we're bringing in members of the community to speak, it's about what the kids want to know about. Do they want to know about immigration enforcement? We do also make sure there's educational opportunities, access to mental health resources all of those sorts of things and so really what we also learn is when we lead first with listening that then also builds trust and that allows the students to feel safe engaging with us because then they know we're leading based on their interest they know that they're being respected they know they're being valued and then when we are having those hard conversations about what does policing look like for you in your community in your family in your home How can that be different? It's creating that safe space and that respect and value with them so that they're comfortable having those conversations with our staff and with the folks that come in so that we can continue to improve the program to make sure we're meeting the needs of those kids.

Thank you. And then my last question is, this is, it would be in collaboration with the school district. I think it, maybe it's nice to ask this way. The school districts are not forcing the students to participate. This is completely discretionary and it is up to the school district as to how it is implemented to a certain extent, correct? Or can you share a little bit more about how that partnership works?

So after the pilot, we wanted to make sure that we could meet whatever expectations there were for the district in continuing to be on their campus. Obviously, between the city being a very large entity and the school district and schools being large entities, we have to make sure that we're following the law and the rules and procedures to be able to present to students and to youth, right? There's a lot of protections for kids. The importance of having this collaboration with the district is it allows us to have somebody that can be in place at each of the schools. So for example, the sponsor teachers to help us facilitate those interactions. Having the partnership with the schools also allows us to really connect to the school communities. We are not part of the school community. The teachers, the district, the administrators, they are part of those school communities. They can help us assess needs. They can also help direct certain students to the program if they think that they would benefit from it. We're doing everything we can to protect the privacy and rights of the students so we don't have access to their information. We don't have access to their disciplinary records. We don't have access to any of that sort of stuff. But if the school says, hey, you know what? This is a kid that I know may be best served by this program, the school can direct those to us rather than us coming in and having it be kind of a cold interaction. Also, working with the school and the district The schools generally are a place of trust and safety for the students, and that also facilitates us having these challenging conversations.

Okay. And then I know we're just in this, we just completed the pilot, but are there any opportunities that we are foreseeing for graduates to continue to stay engaged in these types of activities or community advocacy or any type of leadership opportunities? So it's not a, I wouldn't say a one and done opportunity for them?

Absolutely. So in fact, this is part of the conversation I had with Councilwoman Guardado this morning, is we don't want this to be a one and done, right? Like a graduation from the program doesn't mean you're done. Okay, you've graduated from Reform Rising, therefore no more contact. So one is that continued connectivity through the community challenge initiatives. maintaining that activity. We also talked about, for students that have gone through that, that opportunity to participate on youth advisory boards. What are those other opportunities and how can we connect through the resources throughout the city? As Ms. Pam talked about with the teen court, several of the kids that were in our program also participate in teen court. And so our community engagement team has done a remarkable job connecting to various community organizations and opportunities throughout the city. and even throughout the state, some of our contiguous cities that touch us, of how we can keep connecting kids to those things so that they can have that advocacy role. Where can they engage in additional leadership and connecting kids? Because that's really the thing, is that we don't have the intention of we come in, you learn this, and then you're gone. We also, one of the initiatives that one of the students mentioned was they would love an opportunity to have kids from other schools, right? So at South Mountain, they're like, we would love to have kids from Arcadia come spend time with us at our school for the day. And we'd like to go see what it's like to go to school at Arcadia, right? And so kind of building those connections of leadership across schools and within the student communities. And so just that ability to interconnect students across the city of Phoenix, right? So you're not isolated to your particular neighborhood and understanding those perspectives. That also allows them to understand bias, what community policing looks like. This community has a very different experience of shade equity, transportation, law enforcement than we do, and what does that mean? And then how do we enact change meaningfully based on the differentiation of experience?

Thank you for that. I do remember exactly that conversation with the young men that presented that. Again, I think the Office of Accountability and Transparency appreciated the opportunity to speak and attend their first graduation program. I think it was incredible to see these students and witness some of their enthusiasm for this program. the civic engagement and the community leadership. I saw them as positioning themselves to be a part of the solution for the many, I would say the concerns that we have in our community. So I really appreciate Oath for creating this opportunity. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you. Thank you, Shannon. Our young people have really important questions and I'm glad we've given them another opportunity to ask them. Councilman Guardado and then Councilman Hernandez.

Thank you, Mayor. Yeah, thank you, Shannon. I know you and I had a very deep conversation on how do we continue with these young leaders as they are finishing the program. And I'm very excited to see the type of information that we're giving to a lot of our students. But one question that I didn't ask you earlier, the students that just went through the program, can you just talk a little bit about in terms of ethnicities, ages, the students that just went through this program?

I don't have the specific demographics of the students at this time. That's not something that we evaluate because we want to make sure that it's unbiased in terms of the selection process. There is a portion of the IGA that we're asking for aggregate data for the demographics of the students because we don't want it to introduce bias potentially into the selection process for who comes in. But it is open to all students that apply the application. There is an application process, and the application is just to assess interest. Do you have an interest in learning about these types of things? It's scored because we get more applications than we have spots for, so we have to have some way to distinguish. And so if a student writes one sentence, that's going to have a different scoring than somebody says, hey, I had this experience, and it's not based on... Is it grammatically correct or is it a research level paper? It's do you have an interest? What is it that you want to learn from this? Is there something that you think that you can take away from this program?

to add to what Shannon has said, we can provide information, but I also went and observed the pilot as well. And so what I can add to the conversation is the majority of the students were Hispanic and majority were female. There were other ethnicities represented and there were also male students, but that's what the majority were.

That's great. No, I mean, I just think this is a really great program. I think we're trying to serve a purpose. I know that we're not perfect, right? I mean, it's not, you know, this is just the beginning of something that I think can definitely elaborate I DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONNECT SOME OF THESE STUDENTS TO THE YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD. AS A CITY, WE CONTINUE TO SEE SO MANY PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY. WE HAVE PHOENIX TEENS, THEY CAN BE LIFEGUARDS, SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS. I JUST HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT All the opportunities where we can have them grow, where they can either continue to grow in the city or they can continue to grow somewhere else. You know, we have, especially in a lot of the high schools that you're going into, you know, there's some of these students that don't have a plan after high school. And they really don't. And the reason I care so much about this program is because I was a product of one of those programs, right? That I was able in high school and to enter into a program, you know, that took me, you know, to, you know, two years in college, took me, and then really honestly took me to where I'm at today. and so i am a big advocate for this program as being the oldest of three and having to be the one leading the charge for the two little ones behind me i i know that this is important i know that these programs help and they work inside of the schools i know that we cannot help the WHAT ARE MANY STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT PHOENIX UNION, BUT IF WE CAN HELP SOME FOLKS, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT, AND I THINK, DAVE, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE CONNECT THEM INTO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, RIGHT, WITH THE THOUGHT THAT figuring out the connection between Ode and our police officers and teaching them what their rights are and what they can and what they should do and what they should not do. I think that's also incredibly important. As someone that has a 15-year-old, I'm curious about him going through this program as well, just because I think education is key as we continue to move forward as a city and as much that we can do that. I am very supportive of that. And we continue to evolve. And I know we're having more meetings with Lori and with other folks and with the with the chief about how do we continue to expand that? How do we make this an opportunity where our students continue to grow not not just during the school year, but you know, they have a path once they graduate high school. So, you know, you're doing a really great job. And I really love everything that we're doing here. Thank you, guys. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Councilman Hernandez, followed by Councilman Pastor.

Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to come back to the question that we heard based off of Mr. Harris's comments. And I'm reading straight off the rubric. Under the perspective imbalance, it says demonstrates openness to multiple viewpoints, including pro-police and reform-oriented ideas. So based on how that question is structured on the rubric, I would disagree that Mr. Harris's comments were inaccurate. Because the way it's framed, right, if whoever's scoring this rubric you're giving them two choices on how they're being scored. So is that the accurate rubric? Is that what is being used to when someone applies for it? Because words matter, right? And so if we are only saying, if we're only grading a student on their response to multiple viewpoints but narrowing it down to pro-police or reform-oriented ideas, I think we're doing the youth a disservice by that.

I agree. The rubric is a guide of what the types of things we're looking for. That's not the question. It doesn't ask, are you pro-police? Are you anti-police? It's to just show an example of the openness to other perspectives. That's the point of education. Are you open to receiving information that may be different or that may challenge your perspectives? And so we could have a student that says, absolutely, all police are bad and nothing's going to change my mind. we need folks that are willing to engage and have the conversations. I don't think we've had that.

But wouldn't you agree, then shouldn't that rubric change in the language by removing that, those two terms, like making it broader? Because I think you can ask, I think it would be fair to ask the question, if you are open to a multitude of viewpoints, and that's full stop, right? I don't think we need to add to further divide it into either or. I mean, Would that be an option here?

Mayor, members of council, absolutely. And thank you for that feedback. I can absolutely see how it can be interpreted the way that you and Mr. Harris interpreted it. I can tell you that's not what the intent was, but I understand that intent and impact are two different things. And so absolutely, we will revisit that and we will ensure that the explanatory paragraph there about what they're looking for in evaluating encompasses an openness to all viewpoints, not simply these particular viewpoints. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilwoman Pastor. I want to ask one question to Julie. I'm currently running for Phoenix Union School Board, but I can still have a conversation and vote, correct? There's no conflict of interest.

Mayor, members of council, councilwoman, pastor, whether you believe that you have a conflict of interest is up to you. Okay, but legally I don't have a conflict of interest. I wouldn't be able to state that without having more information beforehand.

While I'm running for Phoenix Union School Board, this is a vote. I'm not officially on the school board. I don't get any financial support. Pieces from it, I'm just asking, because then I won't join the conversation.

Thank you, Councilwoman. Based on what you're telling me, it doesn't sound like you would have a legal conflict.

I just need a solid, I'm not going to go with that. I just need a solid or I'll back myself out of this conversation.

Councilwoman, you know, again, based on what you're telling me, it doesn't sound like you would have a legal conflict.

I'll conflict myself out.

Thank you. Thank you.

Does anyone wish to comment? All right. Noting that in an abundance of caution, Councilwoman Pastore will not be participating. Roll call.

Yes, and then this may explain my vote, yes, thank you it's no secret to all that I have some serious concerns about this curriculum in this contract. Primarily the fact that our local youth and advocates educators and leaders were not involved in the development and implementation of the program. in the way that I think would be the best serve for this community. The content of the program does not do its due diligence in properly addressing the safety of our youth. Instead, it teaches our youth how they need to be the ones that behave properly in the presence of police. However, there are no guarantees that even if they behave properly, they will actually be treated safely by our officers, especially in South Mountain High School, which is in South Phoenix, which is serviced by South Mountain Precinct. Let's say a student is driving home, they are pulled over, and all of a sudden they find themselves in a very violent altercation with our officers. I want us to really think about the message we are sending to our youth as a city when we feel the need to warn them on how to act around people who are supposed to be keeping them safe. It should be the grown adults who put on the uniform each day and pledge to keep these youth safe and that hold the responsibility of actually doing that. The onus should not be on our children and our youth. Unfortunately, the DOJ report repeatedly documented, and as I have multiple times reminded us, there is a pattern of practice of excessive force used against kids by our police department. To quote the report, Phoenix Police Department's problematic tactics and unlawful conduct can have particularly harmful consequences for children's physical and mental well-being, including higher post-traumatic stress, increased levels of depression, and diminished academic performance and sleep. I, for one, really think we need to begin looking at and considering civilian positions to engage with our youth, not sworn officers with a violent history and a pattern of misconduct against them. That would be how we truly keep our youth safe. And with that, I vote no.

O'Brien? Yes. Robinson?

Yes.

Stark? Yes. Waring? Yes. Yes. Gallego.

Yes.

Passes 7-1.

We next go to item 90, critical incident psychological services contract. Vice Mayor.

Motion to approve item 90. Second.

We have a motion and a second. Councilwoman Hernandez.

Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. I have a couple questions for our police department on this item. All right, thank you, Chief. Wanted to really start with, you know, specific to this item and to what we're trying to do with this, what qualifies as a critical incident in association to this item?

Mayor Gallego, Members Council, Councillor Hernandez, thank you for the opportunity to talk about this, a very important project to me. Mental health is the forefront of everything we do, I believe, with our officers. I brought some people with me. I brought Assistant Director Court Hood, who oversees our Employee Assistance Unit, as well as Sergeant Jeff Pluta, who's the expert in this field. If you'd be okay, I'd allow him to, I'd prefer if he answered those questions for you.

Absolutely.

Thank you, ma'am.

Councilwoman Hernandez, just to address your question in particular. A critical incident is anything that occurs during the line of duty. It could be anything from a child crime to a show of force. It could be anything that we deem that is critical in the eyes of the employee that's involved. It's key to also remember that this is not just for the sworn. This is for all City of Phoenix employees and potentially even their family members that could be affected by the incident.

OK, thank you so much. My next question, what are the success metrics to determine if the psychological evaluation services were effective?

So in particular situations, when someone goes through a critical incident, they're evaluated throughout the entire protocol. THEY'RE RELEASED BY THE INDEPENDENT PSYCHOLOGIST OR PSYCHIATRIST TO RETURN BACK THE DUTY. SO IT'S ALL TAKEN CARE OF BY THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDER. THE RECOMMENDATION IS MADE TO US AS A DEPARTMENT THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO RETURN. SO IT'S A SELF ASSESSMENT THROUGH A MEDICAL DOCTOR.

OKAY. AND I GUESS CAN YOU REVIEW WHAT STEPS WE ARE TAKING TO REVIEW THE PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH OR THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR OFFICERS OUTSIDE OF CRITICAL INCIDENTS CURRENTLY.

That's a great question. We are proactively doing educational sessions, so every single police officer that's sworn gets a five-hour block of stress management that's taught by myself. On top of that, we are also implementing wellness checks based on If you are in specific assignments that we deem high risk, for instance, internet child or crimes against children or child crimes or specific units, if you have a propensity to run into situations that would be a higher risk of critical incidents, then we're providing you proactive measures throughout the course of the year, either one to two sessions with a licensed mental health professional.

Thank you. And kind of same question as or another question. How do we measure the success in those measures? Because and I'm asking because our department continues to place officers on the streets that attack and are violent to my residents in District 7. So kind of curious on how we're measuring success in the current in the current tools.

So with this particular section, you're looking at mental health services, which are provided by licensed professionals. Those are all HIPAA-protected services, just like if you were to go to the doctor. So we're really relying on the mental health professionals to give us the recommendation, and then we're proceeding with those recommendations. It's almost a third-party independent assessment, if you can kind of look at it that way.

Okay, thank you. And I mean, understandable, right? There's HIPAA laws, so there's going to be guardrails, or there's going to be limited information we get back on these evaluations. So can you speak a little bit more about the process once those are received? Like, what does that process look like to determine if our, specifically, I want to talk about officers, sworn officers, and how they, like, what the process looks like for them?

So it's a great question. So the process itself is multiple layers. From the incident itself of the critical incident, they are immediately assessed by a mental health service provider. Then they are brought in into a group setting, which is called a CISM debrief. In that CISM debrief, they're allowed to have an opportunity to speak about it. Because we know that if you compartmentalize and you keep it down, it's just going to end up building and you're going to get some form of effect or some form of symptom that's going to come out later. Then they have two psych appointments with a licensed mental health professional. Then they are cleared by that person. Then they go into several other steps like familiarization with firearm independent meetings. And then it ultimately is sent up to the police chief who then makes the determination to send them back to duty or not.

And thank you so much for answering my questions. You know, I don't disagree that we really need to focus on the mental health of all of our employees. I was pretty proud that when I was at the state legislature, we expanded around services to our dispatchers, right? And I was supportive of that. I still have some concerns, though, on how we're actually keeping officers that need more services more JUST MORE SERVICES OFF OUR STREETS. SO STILL HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS ON THAT. BUT I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP WITH SOME ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS AT A LATER TIME WITH YOU ALL. BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU MAYOR.

THE COUNCILWOMAN PASTOR.

THANK YOU MAYOR. CHIEF YOU AND I HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THIS IN AN and I worked on this in the past of making sure that there were services for public safety in general, police and fire, and making sure that the services were broad enough that if there was an incident, they go through this whole process and to be evaluated and to determine if, to come back, not to come back, but to start their regular schedule or daily schedule. And one of the things that in doing the work is that I discovered a lot of them wanted to go to services, but services outside of the City of Phoenix, meaning they didn't have to go through this process. And that their services were private and didn't have to be reported back. And there's a whole culture in that space that I learned. As you and I spoke, I also said that through the evolution of this process and doing the work that needed to be done in order to provide wellness, well-being, mental health, all the way around, emotional, spiritual, that we discovered in the numbers an increase of acceptance of doing it. And I think that's one of the bravos or applauses to the city evolving to where it is today so that more and more, not only public safety, but a lot of our, all our employees and 911 do, be able to take these services and not feel, I'm not sure what the right term is, but not to feel like I'm doing something wrong or I'm embarrassed because I want to talk to somebody and I want to talk about something that I've experienced. I want to heal and I want to heal in a way where I understand what is happening to me emotionally and physically. And so I'm proud at the fact that we're at the space today that that's available for everybody. I'm also very proud of the 911. area, the quiet room, the well-being room. So our 911 operators or dispatchers are able then to step away on a phone call that they received that has really hit the core of them and be able then to kind of release and then what happens is we go back on that phone. And so I'm really proud of where we are. And I said it in a long-winded way, but we made it to a certain place where we always can improve and we always can build upon it. But I want to thank the city, the city manager, the deputies for understanding and caring for our employees. So thank you.

Thank you. Roll call.

Guardado? Yes. Hernandez? No. O'Brien? Yes. Pastor? Yes. Robinson? Yes. Stark? Waring? Yes. Hodge, Washington? Yes. Gallego? Yes. Passes eight, one.

We next go to item 100, which is the fare policy amendment for public transit. Councilwoman O'Brien, I'll turn to you.

I move to approve item 100 as presented in the council report, excluding the provision authorizing four days per year when fares will not be required to allow for additional time to determine what criteria will be used to identify the proposed four free fare days understand what the projected revenue impact will be to the City of Phoenix, and to work collaboratively with Valley Metro to establish programs that promote ridership.

We have a motion and a second from the Vice Mayor, Councilwoman O'Brien, and then Pestor.

Thank you. I just want to say that I want to be clear that I support public transit, and as our city's representative on the Valley Metro Board, I'd like to see more investment and more riders. My concern is with one specific piece of this update, the new provision allowing the up to four days of free fares annually. And I'm not opposed to that concept, but as written, we don't know which four days, we don't know whether it's the same four days every year, and we don't know what the projected revenue loss would be to the city. Without that information, I don't think we can responsibly say yes to this piece today. I'd like to bring the specific provision back once we have that detail so that we can make an informed decision. Again, I bring this up not because I oppose the idea, but because good policy requires knowing what we are actually authorizing. Tomorrow, I'll note that the Valley Metro Board will be voting on the same item, and I intend to raise the concern there. I look forward to working with staff and Valley Metro to get the answers that we need. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Councilwoman Pestor.

Yeah, I just wanna say thank you for bringing this forward, but also the free fair days have been discussed for over, I wanna say three years at Valley Metro. And I sat on those years as a study has come about, and a study came about and asked for the free fair days. I do agree that this could assist ridership and encourage residents to be out and about. I look at days of, for fair days, election day, where it's civic duty, 602 day, when the summer is hot and we want people out and about to our small businesses, even promoting civic engagement day, and really to bring community connectivity and getting people onto the line to see that the transportation is important and to start using it at another level in the sense of every day. I think that's very important. So I'm excited to see our work on the fair collection system modernization project come to life. I want to thank Councilwoman O'Brien for wanting to determine what those days look like and the cost. I believe there has been an analysis in that packet, but I think it's very important. Thank you.

Thanks so much. Councilwoman Hernandez.

Thank you, Mayor, and I just have a question for Councilwoman O'Brien, just to need a little clarification. Your motion would be to go back and look at what four days would be selected and then bring that back to the Council before we make a decision?

Days and financial impact, so to understand more the financial impact and if we are going to look forward what those days would look like and be centered around, because it is not just for Phoenix, it's also for the entire Valley Metro region. But yes, I would like to bring it back. I want more information to really evaluate it. Okay, thank you.

Thanks, and Councilman Pester, what would be the four days that are considered?

There weren't four days, what I was doing is using an example of like election day, where there's civic engagement and we want riders on there and going to the election box, at least voting. I came up with 602 day, 602 day was a strong impact for our small businesses, it's in the summer, we need riders, items like that, but I think it's good. My question to Councilwoman O'Brien is, The motion is we are voting for the four fair days and then you're gonna come back with the economic impact and how days are selected. I'm trying to get clarity.

The motion is to remove that piece right now and have it come back at a later time to approve the rest of the motion but to remove that provision from this motion.

Thank you. Vice Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor. And I also, the way I understood the motion is that we would be taking it out to determine the financial impact. For me, once I understand the financial impact of it, we can determine whether or not four or some other number of days makes more sense. So that's my understanding of the motion. Is that correct? Okay, perfect. Thank you.

Mayor.

Councilwoman Guardado.

The only thing, Councilwoman, I would say that we put a timeline on it of when we wanted to come back, because I wouldn't want it to be something that's just going to drag. Is there a time that you think we'd be ready to bring this back?

I need Valley Metro's cooperation in that too. So I guess at this point, we could put a date on it. I just would maybe have to ask for it to potentially be extended depending on their resources. So I'm open to a date if you have a section.

Do you think two months is good enough?

We can just say the December 31st, the end of the year? Sure. Okay. So could I modify my motion to include a date to bring it back by the end of the calendar year?

Yes, Mayor, members of Council, Councilwoman, yes, you may. I believe the Vice Mayor was the second. And I will second that.

Thank you.

Thank you. And I think I called Councilwoman Hernandez and then I'll go back to Councilman Pastor.

Yeah, but Councilwoman Guardado actually covered my question. I was wondering about the timeline, so. Thank you, Councilman Pastor.

When we're discussing Valley Metro, are we discussing light rail and buses? Yes. This item does discuss both, cover both. So the free fare piece, the impact, the city would determine on the buses. And then Valley Metro would do the calculation for the light rail, am I correct?

Mayor, Councilman Pastor, actually, the city and Valley Metro would have to do those both together. Right. Valley Metro more on the rail side because they solely operate the rail, but the city has bus operations and Valley Metro has bus operations. So on the bus side particularly, they would have to work together. On the rail side, Valley Metro would have all that information.

Well, I just want to be clear for constituents to understand that we run the buses. Even though we branded as Valley Metro, we run the buses. So those calculations would come from the city. And then the light rail piece will come from Valley Metro. And of course, we have to always work together because it's a city and Valley Metro running the transit system. So that's why I want clarity.

Okay, thank you. Did that answer the question or did you need, okay, great. All right, everyone. And I guess Councilman, if you know the financial impact, I mean, do you have that? No, I don't sit on Valley Metro anymore. Okay, you just had mentioned that you'd been to a lot of meetings on it.

Okay, we had meetings on the, we did have meetings discussing it and we did have meetings discussing the plan.

Wonderful. I think then we are ready for a roll call as amended.

Guardado? Yes. Hernandez? Yes. O'Brien? Yes. Pastor? Yes. Robinson? Yes. Stark? Yes. Waring? Yes. Hodge-Washington? Yes. Gallego? Yes. Passes 9-0.

We next go to item 106, which is a citywide general construction job order contracting services amendment. Vice Mayor.

Motion to approve item 107. Second. Apologies, 106. I apologize, second. All right.

And we have one council member wanting an individual vote. Any comments? Roll call.

Guardado? Yes. Hernandez? No. O'Brien? Yes. Pastor?

Yes.

Robinson?

Yes.

Stark? Yes. Waring? Yes. Hodge-Washington? Yes. Gallego? Yes. Passes 8-1.

We next go to 111 Van Buren Street from 7th to 24th Street, Signal and Pedestrian Improvements. Vice Mayor.

Motion to approve item 111. Second.

And I'll recognize the Vice Mayor for comments.

Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to take a moment to show my support for item 111, because I truly believe that investments like this are more than about infrastructure. They are about creating safer and more accessible streets for the people who live, work, and travel through District 8. This project will upgrade eight traffic signals across Van Buren Street between 7th Street and 24th Street, while also reconstructing sidewalks, driveways, curb ramps, and improving street lighting. These improvements will benefit pedestrians, drivers, transit riders, people with disabilities, and everyone who uses this important corridor. Better signal, safer pedestrian infrastructure, improved lighting, and accessible curbs can make a meaningful difference in how residents experience their neighborhoods every day. I appreciate the federal investment support in this project and the city's commitment to continue to improve safety and mobility in District 8. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, roll call. Guardado? Yes. Hernandez? Yes. O'Brien? Yes. Pastor? Yes. Robinson?

Yes.

Stark?

Yes.

Waring? Yes. Hodge-Washington? Yes. Gallego? Yes. Passes 9-0.

We next go to the final portion of our agenda, which is citizen public comment, and I'll ask our city attorney to introduce this portion.

Thank you, Mayor. During citizen comment, members of the public may speak to the city council for up to three minutes on issues of interest or concern. However, the matters addressed must be within the jurisdiction of the Phoenix City Council and on which the council has the authority to act. The sits and comments session is limited to 30 minutes. The Arizona Open Meeting Law allows the city council to listen to comments but prohibits council members from discussing or acting on the issues presented. However, council members may respond to criticism. Thank you.

Thank you, and if we do not have time for everyone, we will take those people first at the next formal meeting. We'll begin with Bill Monk, followed by Jessica Staggers.

Good afternoon, my name is Bill Monk. My wife and I were the original homeowners in the 215-unit Monarch subdivision across from the Menlo Data Center. I'm here today to talk about that. There are homes within 150 feet of this site. There are preschools, a church, and local businesses as well, including medical professional offices. Menlo sent out a letter. They didn't have to. They legally sent it and told people that they were going to be building a state-of-the-art tech center that was going to be built. That's deceptive. It's not true. It's a data center. It is not state of the art. They're gonna be using what is the least efficient, the least benefit to cool their servers called forced air. Forced air will be using fans. They're gonna need over 5,000 fans to do a one million square foot units. Those fans will generate each 88 to 90 decibels each, which far exceeds the 55 decibels currently the city of Phoenix allows. Data centers began in 1945, if you're not aware of that. 2010, the hyperscales began. The city waited 14 years for some reason to decide that there's a problem. That problem allowed 34 approvals to get through before your laws were enacted. Everybody knows this industry is already overbuilt. New technology is already making this obsolete faster than ever. The players in the game still don't even know how to scale this to make money with it. They're using nothing but investment money. The biggest data center to date right now is Opus One. BlackRock, an investment firm, used their money to build it. Tax laws come into play. In six years, this property can be completely depreciated out. From what I know, the knowledge is the city has no guarantees they're even going to be around for 10 years because you've given them a tixier tax abatement. Nobody in the city has talked to us about nuisance laws. You're gonna be exceeding the decibel levels before it's even began. Nuisance laws can be enforced prior to build, during the build, and after it's built. Please take a look at that. Finally, the city has not been a good neighbor to the Gila River Indian Tribe. The tribal lands border one and a half miles from this property. the noise from this property can bounce out five miles in either direction. If you're not aware, the tribal land has three species or more that are already protected by the federal government. This ambient noise is going to make an impact through not only the humans, the animals and everything else. That's all I wanted to say and thank you for your time.

Thank you so much. Jessica is next. followed by Clarissa Peterson.

Hello, my name is Jessica Staggers and good afternoon, mayor and council members. I am a bartender at Aramark at the convention center. I'm struggling to keep a roof over my head because the convention center only gives a few shifts a month to me and many of its employees. I have two other jobs that are similar event space and I'm still struggling. I have to rely on intervention programs from our communities just to keep a roof over our head. Meanwhile, companies like Aramark collect billions in annual revenue, including through contracts like the Cities of Phoenix. A citywide minimum wage ordinance for contractors and leases like Aramark would be helpful to all employees by raising the standard of service workers in Phoenix. Our city thrives because of tourism and hospitality from service workers like myself. If the city is thriving because of this, then the workers should be able to thrive as well. I don't think that they should be struggling. And I hope that you do create a minimum wage to ensure that they have a fair share and that the city isn't continuing to give money to companies like this without actually the companies taking care of their people. We should not be on public assistance or community aid in order just to survive. Thank you.

Thank you. Clarissa is next, followed by Brenner. Clarissa will be first, and then Brenner. Hello.

Council, mayor, vice mayor, council members. I have a citizen petition funds for empowerment, and I stay at the SOS. And... The aim for petition is to improve the quality and effectiveness of our shelter systems. Form working group or have external study of how shelter systems can be improved. HIRE PROFESSIONAL STAFF AND COMPETE FAIRLY SUCH AS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH TECHNICIANS, NURSE, EMERGENCY, MEDICAL TECHNICIAN, LICENSED MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK, COUNSELORS, GROUPS, OFFER MORE PROGRAMS IN THE SHELTERS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS EFFECTIVELY AND CONTROVERSELY. OFTEN THERE IS VERY LITTLE PROGRAMMING AND STAFF ARE DISRESPECTFUL. Set up a working group to ensure quality among the guards so that security secures also the safety of the residents, not just staff. Quality control security guard. Consult an outside expert to tour and report on areas of ADA noncompliance and facilities repair or redesign all facilities to be fully ADA accessible. And from myself, I'm speaking on behalf of everybody. I had a medical emergency on the 12th, that's two weeks, Wednesdays ago. And they had me to do an emergency eye appointment, and this is regarding medical transportation. The staff went and... We usually have the medical transport waiting outside the gate. And my ride was being told that they couldn't wait there. So somebody gone to that ride or they're being told that they can't park there for our medical appointments or surgeries or whatever needs to be done. And that's the only thing that I have to say.

Thank you. Thank you for that testimony. Brenner is next, followed by Emmanuala.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. My name is Brenner . And I have been a helper for for about four years. I am here today because, yet again, I was last week. For years, we worked in teams of two. That second person was the helper. They were a second pair of eyes watching for traffic on a chaotic tarmac. They were a safety net when working 15 feet in the air. Now, LSG Skyshafts is expanding a single operator protocol, forcing one driver to do the work of two. They did this despite the 2024 death of our colleague who fell from a truck while working alone. In the investigation that followed, Osho was clear. The company's actions had created a realistic possibility that a serious injury could result. On top of the dangers that this practice can cause, It also puts us in danger of something else, losing our jobs entirely. Sky Chefs laid off nearly 180 workers over the last year after they lost their contract with American Airlines. I was recalled a month ago back to Sky Chefs, quit my job at Sky Cafe, only to have been laid off from Sky Chefs last year. Now I don't have a job because Sky Chefs wanted to save some money. This is not right, and we are asking the council to step in and do something about it. This is your airport. You should want to ensure it can operate safely without the threat of being laid off. I was laid off twice in less than a year, and I am here today asking this council to pass a worker retention order so that other workers don't have to face the same disruption to their jobs. Thank you.

Thank you. Amanullah is next, followed by Richelle Travis. Amanullah Muhammad Ali. Okay. Someone in the audience let me know that he had to depart, so we'll do Richelle next, followed by,

ELCIA. GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS ROCHELLE I'm a mother of four, born and raised in Flint, Michigan. I moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 2018 and have lived here ever since. In 2023, I resided at Behavioral Systems Southwest, a California-based company here in Phoenix, a federal halfway house in District 8, following a term of imprisonment with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In May 2023, I was raped by Morris Hibbett Jr., who was the security supervisor at the time. I reported the incident the following day. For months leading up, months leading after, I was demoralized and degraded by staff officials, including the director. I was given numerous write-ups and infractions for the purpose of sending me back to prison. My abuser eventually served a 14-month sentence in federal prison. Meanwhile, the behavioral system Southwest received only a slap on the wrist. I am before this council today to inform the members in the community of these issues occurring right in our own backyard. I want the council to know that I was not just a number. I'm a person. I'm a mother. I'm a wife and I'm a daughter. I have paid my debt to society. What happened to me should never have happened. to anyone else. Yet I fear it will unless we take action. I am also a member of the Survivors Council for an organization called Just Detention International, an organization dedicated to ending sexual assault and detention, they truly stand by their mission and they have impacted my life in such a positive way. A friend of mine once told me, thank God that you still have your mind. I thank God every day that I still have my mind and that I can sit before you today to tell you that I will never stop talking about what happened to me. I will continue to advocate to end sexual assault and detention. As a community, we must understand the kind of people and companies we are allowing to occupy our backyards in our neighborhoods. I am one of many, but I stand for all. Thank you so much for your time, respectfully.

Thank you for the important testimony, Vice Mayor.

I was gonna ask one of my members of my staff to connect with Rochelle, please, before she heads out. Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you. Elsia is next, followed by William Kirkland. And happy to bring a microphone to you, if that would be.

Would you, if you, yeah.

Good afternoon. I just want to thank you, Mayor, for the ADA bathrooms at SOS over there, and they finally got in, but could you do something about the, they keep running out of power, and so those of us that are in what we call the X rooms, we have to go sleep inside the day rooms. And it happens quite often. And it's a big ordeal. But I guess thank you for the day room to sleep in it. And also, if you could do something about the burning steam, hot water in the showers, and get a little bit of cool water. That's all I have to say. Thank you.

Thanks for letting us know. William is next followed by Tim Surakowski.

Evening, Council. Evening, Mayor. What she just said, just about what I was going to say. Everybody there, thank you very much for the new bathrooms and new showers. They're a godsend. But you can't use them until 2 in the morning, 3 in the morning, 4 in the morning, because they're just too hot. I'm not talking hot. I mean hot. But thank you for that. And I did keep so much of this, like, last month. Every other day, the power went out. We had to gather up everything, go in the room, and they got no new vents and all in there. That ain't near as cool as what it was. I thank you all for everything you're doing. No, it ain't easy, and it doesn't go enough. There's nothing to solve, Georgia boy. But, yeah, I don't know, maybe a shelter over them, but I don't know what's causing them to be so hard, whether they're leaving the propane on or it's just the pipe length. and the sun's doing i don't know but uh it's really hot you know they're it's like you're sitting here like oh man i want that i want that but you know you can't you got to wait till two or three o'clock in the morning because it's absolutely too it's too hot but thank y'all very much and you're doing a good job thank you for that testimony tim is next followed by ansel huggins hi there good afternoon tim surakowski thank you so much for allowing me to speak today

I wanna talk about the communication that is taking place between some of the cities and the Parks Department. As you know, they're thinking about putting up a new gate at Echo Canyon. And the problem with the new gate is that It's going to create a traffic jam at 4.30 in the morning. And no one from the Parks Department has talked to Paradise Valley. They haven't talked to anyone on the council at Paradise Valley. They have really talked to no one. They haven't talked to the police department. And these questions really need to be addressed because they're going to be directly affected by the traffic jam. buildup around Echo Canyon. So we need to really address that problem. We need to ask if there's been a traffic survey done so that they can know exactly how much traffic is going to be in the area at 4.30 in the morning. I think there's a pattern here with communication between people because I realize that the parks department, the upper management is not talking to any of the rangers at the present time, and they're not getting the input of the people that are on the ground in the park system. And these are the individuals that have the most impact and can give you the best information because they're in the parks on a daily basis. So we need to start asking if the communication in the parks department is really working, and what we can do to really affect change so that all this information can really help make our park system a lot better. So I just wish that the communication was much better between upper management and lower management communication between the Parks Department and the Paradise Valley Council people and the Police Department so that they are clearly informed of what the City of Phoenix is going to do and the Parks Department with putting up a gate at Echo Canyon. I also think we need to address the time that Echo Canyon, they keep switching the time at Echo Canyon to be opened. Last week it was opening up at five o'clock. This week now it's 4.30. I'm just trying to figure out who's making the determination of hours at the parks at the present time. I realized from the city charter that the parks department They do not control the time, but the Parks Board does. So I'm just trying to figure out who's in control of doing what. Maybe once again, if we had better communication here, they would have a clearer understanding of the time and communication with the other people involved. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Ann Selma is next, followed by Jeremy Thacker.

Good afternoon, council, council members, mayor, vice mayor. My name is Anselm Huggins. I live in the Evan Churchill District. I work as a baker for the Phoenix Convention Center. I also work for a baker at the Phoenix Arena. As we know, the summer is a very hard time for the hospitality industry. It's hard to pay our rent because there's no work. I'm trying to figure out how to get things going. I just barely got out of being evicted this month. I got three more weeks to go before I could get that notice again. But the stress of fighting this out, the stress of dealing with this, the hypervigilance is tearing us up. We're not getting paid enough. We're not getting paid enough for our jobs, and we're not getting paid enough to take on a three to four month absence of work. I've been closely addicted for the last three months. I work at this convention any time there's work. I work at the Phoenix Arena any time there's work. I have work with the temp agencies. I have work with other organizations as well. But the work is far and few between. What I'm asking you to do is to make sure that we have a living wage, a non-starvation wage here in Phoenix. Right now, 22 hours an hour doesn't make it enough. $18.65 is starvation wages. This has to stop. I'm tired of having to go through this every single summer. As a professional in this industry for 30 years, I have to deal with this every year. This year is far worse. July is the worst. We are now double the average of the nation in evictions, and this is hitting my industry the hardest. I need your help to pass a living wage bill. We need to have a living wage here in Arizona. We need to have a living wage here in Phoenix so we can survive these four, the three-month downturn. I'm not my wits end. I'm tired. I'm hungry. I'm tired of dealing with this all the time. We got to do something. Please, just think about it. I thank you for your time.

Thank you. Jeremy is next. followed by Elizabeth Venable.

Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. Jeremy Thacker with Good Goat, and I'm here to speak about Echo Canyon as well. In summer, the trail closes at 8 a.m. for heat, and a round trip can take up to three hours, two hours, two and a half hours to get up the mountain back for some people. So the park's been opened at 4.30 for the last, I don't know how long. All of a sudden they started opening the gates at 5 a.m., and it's caused a lot of issues. You've got people that are backing up on the road, causing traffic issues. It's illegal to park on the road there. They're doing it because it's been what the standard is and there's been no rule changes. It's not been announced that we're now opening at 5. So we got people lining up, ready to go hike, and no notice of it, no changes. Also, the rules say that it's from sunrise to sunset. It's not true, that's not how it's operated. So if that is the rule, then let's keep it at that. But if we are moving it to five and it's been at 430 as the standard, we should also stick and be consistent with it. And if we're gonna change what we've been doing consistently, there needs to be notice about it. So either we've gotta, if we're pushing people to hike at a better time and to keep people safe, then earlier the better. And we've got 3PI money coming in at $60 million a year to pay for ranger time. And we've got gates going in that open automatically. No reason the gates shouldn't be opening at 4.30 if people want to hike that early.

That's all I've got to say. Thanks. Thank you so much. Elizabeth is next, followed by Frank Urban.

Elizabeth Venable, Fund for Empowerment, and thank Thank you, Clarissa, for just introducing our citizens petition. Basically, it's an aim, the aim of the petition is to increase professionalism within the staff and of the shelters, and especially the SOS, but also, I would imagine, throughout the other shelters. And so, In that, they don't really have very professional staff. They have a lot of peer staff, and then they have a security company that doesn't generally protect the people that are residents of the shelter. It's generally for the protection of the CBI workers and not the residents. And so there are some things that are really problematic about the behavior of some of the employees and the character of the shelters, especially with certain contractors over others. And so this is not, you know, everything that you could put in a petition, but it's examples of where they don't have professional physicians, there's no behavioral health technicians, there's no EMTs, there's no counselors, you know, and some of these people can help with, you know, the effectiveness of the programs and finding out solutions for, you know, you know, improvements that can make it more efficient. And then also, you know, a lot of it is just having outside experts maybe look at the running of the facilities to give you ideas, you know, that might not be self-evident. especially with the ADA facilities and data collection is an important part of that, but it could be reinterpreted really in a variety of different ways, but it's some ideas for how to improve the shelter system. So, thank you.

Thank you. Frank is next, followed by Dorian.

Hello, City Council. I'm Frank Urban with Fund for Empowerment. I'm here to speak on heat relief and also on the bill you guys passed a couple of months ago about the parks. Now I know you guys, the city of Phoenix is doing great as far as the heat, as far as heat relief goes, but I think you guys could try to coax the other cities into helping out as well for the heat relief. And to my other point, it's just utterly ridiculous that bill you passed for the homeless. I mean, two petitions per park in Phoenix per month you might as well say they can't even do it at all. So what happens when there's a family of four out there and a little girl has to watch her dad go through a heart attack because it's not the correct day that you guys specified? And that's all I have to say. Thank you.

Thank you. Dorian is next, followed by Lee.

Hey, everyone. Fund for Empowerment, Dorian Brendan. Just wanting to reinforce the need for funding for heat relief in all forms, you know, like we have the cooling stations, you know, assistance with water, 211, all that good stuff. But basically, it does need to be a collaborative effort as well, not just Phoenix. And I know we all understand that, that it does go just beyond the borders, that the heat doesn't stop at the city limits. And we don't want the municipality to become overwhelmed as like a single source of it and everything like that. So as Frank was mentioning, not just like coaxing, but also like collaborative efforts with surrounding cities, basically a valley-wide effort for heat relief as well. It's kind of a goal to keep in mind that way that we don't become overwhelmed on all of our fronts of relieving that heat for some people and having everyone come here. Other than that, thank you guys. Have a good day.

Thank you, Lee Ellis.

Thank you for your time. I just wanted to thank you for everything you guys are helping us with in the SOS. I just wanted to implement if maybe we can work on getting some more programs like the worker or anything to help us benefit on job searches as well as more funding for housing. But yeah, thank you for all the help that you guys have given us.

Have a great day. Thank you. David Morgan.

I'm David Morgan. I'm with Funds for Empowerment. I also live at the SOS. I almost died two weeks ago because I didn't have any magnesium or potassium in my system. That is not a dehydration issue. You do not get potassium and magnesium out of water. You get it out of the substances you eat or the lack thereof. Due to my current health situation and financial status, I have been living at the shelter for two years, and I almost died two weeks ago because I didn't have any potassium or magnesium in my system. I don't know how else to address that. The food issues at the shelter need to be looked at, and it is shelter-wide. It is not just the SOS. It is all of the shelters that the food is provided by St. Vincent de Paul. You cannot live on a five-year-old's portion of food.

Thank you for that testimony. We have hit our time limits. When we reconvene, Terrell, Jerry, John, and Noah will be our first speakers.

We are adjourned.

Dear friends, as I alluded to earlier, we're grateful for the partnership of the city. And we're blessed and privileged to have here with us the mayor. So let me introduce to you Mayor Gallegos. Come on up. We want to thank her for her support of the Salvation Army and this great city.

Thank you so much. I'm Phoenix Mayor Kate Gyago, and it is a pleasure to be with you here today as we celebrate the expansion of the family shelter. I'm thrilled to be here with Vice Mayor of the City, Councilwoman Keisha Hodge-Washington, who also represents this area on the City Council. The City of Phoenix is so grateful to the Salvation Army for this important investment. Unfortunately, we see too many families with unstable housing. And this investment will help not just mom and dad, but kids as well. The city is proud to partner and we have been able to invest at the $8 million level. We are so thankful to. We are so thankful to Salvation Army for focusing on families in particular and designing a product that makes sense. This will have flexible bedroom configurations. Unfortunately, so many of the shelter units we have are just one room. And we know going through a housing challenge like this,