Policy Session · 24 February 2026

1. 0:00:40Thank you for joining us on February 24, 2026.
2. 0:00:43Before we begin the meeting, I'll turn to Councilwoman Guardado for a recognition.

1. 0:00:48Thank you, Mayor, so much.
2. 0:00:50I want to take a point of privilege and for us to take a moment of silence and think about the crisis that Mexico is going through right now.
3. 0:01:00We know there's a lot of us that have family in Mexico.
4. 0:01:04We see the situation that is happening there right now.
5. 0:01:07And I would love for us to be able to take a moment of silence as we think of everyone in Mexico at this moment.
6. 0:01:28Thank you, Mayor, y gracias a todos.
7. 0:01:30Thank you, everybody.

Spoken in Spanish, transcribed as said

Some lines may be an automatic translation of Spanish speech, not the speaker's own words

1. 0:01:31Thank you, Councilwoman, for that important recognition.
2. 0:01:35We'll now call to the order of the meeting.
3. 0:01:37Will the clerk call the roll?

1. 0:01:56Here.

1. 0:01:57We'll begin with council information and follow-up requests, and we'll begin with Councilwoman Pastor.

1. 0:02:03Thank you.
2. 0:02:05I have many slides, so I'm going to go quickly.
3. 0:02:08How we do weekends in District 4.
4. 0:02:11Saturdays are filled with neighbors coming together to serve their communities and connect with one another.
5. 0:02:16We began Saturday morning with our monthly community cleanup near 35th Avenue McDowell.
6. 0:02:22Green Gables hosted their neighborhood tree planting.
7. 0:02:26Witten neighborhood, GAIN brought multiple neighborhoods together at Longview Park.
8. 0:02:31Witten, Longview East, and Idyllwild Park.
9. 0:02:34I want to really give a shout out to Josh and Fursan Shotfield for attending not only the cleanups, but also they're the organizers of the Witten neighborhood too, and they're neighbors from there.
10. 0:02:47Next slide.
11. 0:02:52Del Norte Place Block Party brought neighbors together for snacks, conversation, and connection.
12. 0:02:58I stopped by Jesse Holland's retirement party.
13. 0:03:01He just retired at the end of January as a City of Phoenix park ranger for 21 years.
14. 0:03:07He was very surprised to see me.
15. 0:03:10I attended the Arizona Science Center Galaxy Gala with some of my colleagues.
16. 0:03:14I want to thank Councilwoman Hodge Washington for the picture.
17. 0:03:17It was a great day in the community, and thank you to all the District 4 residents.
18. 0:03:23Next slide.
19. 0:03:24It's that time of year, District 4 historic neighborhoods are showcasing their homes, highlighting the unique historic architecture.
20. 0:03:32District 4 is home of the majority of Phoenix historic neighborhoods.
21. 0:03:35Willow and Coronado recently hosted their home tours.
22. 0:03:39Up next is Winders Square Home Tour on March 29th.
23. 0:03:42Hope to see you there.
24. 0:03:45I have heard many concerns from District 4 residents about the statewide required middle housing ordinance and the impact to historic neighborhoods.
25. 0:03:53District 4 is home of 30 out of 36 of our historic neighborhoods in Phoenix.
26. 0:03:59I spoke at the State Capitol to provide testimony in favor of HB 2375.
27. 0:04:04HB 2375 gives cities the flexibility to protect historic neighborhoods while still allowing responsible housing growth.
28. 0:04:14We need to expand housing options without losing the neighborhoods that define our city's history.
29. 0:04:20And I want to thank
30. 0:04:24Gress and Marcus for introducing the bill.
31. 0:04:27Next slide.
32. 0:04:29Creighton University's Health Sciences Campus has become a driving force in Midtown and the Phoenix Medical Corridor.
33. 0:04:36This newly renamed stop near Park Central reflects that impact.
34. 0:04:41Light rail connects people to opportunity and the station will serve as an important gateway for students and residents every day.
35. 0:04:49As the chair of Valley Metro Rail, I'm excited to see continued investment and growth in our light rail system.
36. 0:04:56Next slide.
37. 0:04:57Phoenix Chinese Week is an annual cultural celebration that highlights Chinese traditions while bringing our community together.
38. 0:05:05I kicked off the open reception and attended the cultural fashion show.
39. 0:05:09The fashion show featured artists from our sister city, Chengdu.
40. 0:05:13Thank you to President Eva Lee, the Phoenix Chinese Week Committee, Phoenix Sister Cities, and the many people involved who continue to make these events possible.
41. 0:05:23Events like these help strengthen our cultural understanding and showcase Phoenix globally as a connected city.
42. 0:05:33Every year, 1 in 10 hosts Fresh Brunch to reflect on their accomplishments and focus on the future growth of their youth programs.
43. 0:05:40I'm a longtime supporter of 1 in 10 and their advocacy work for the LGBTQ plus community and youth.
44. 0:05:48I am so excited to serve as an honorary co-chair for this year's Fresh Brunch.
45. 0:05:53We recently hosted an event to thank 1 in 10 staff and volunteers for all they do behind the scenes to ensure progress is being made.
46. 0:06:03ready to continue the work.
47. 0:06:05This Saturday, I'm hosting a listening session to discuss the proposed rate increase for solid waste services.
48. 0:06:11Join District 4 and the Public Works Department to learn more about the rate increase, 9 a.m. at Longview Neighborhood Recreation Center.
49. 0:06:19You can scan your code, and of course, if you have any questions, please contact my office.
50. 0:06:24Thank you, Mayor.

1. 0:06:26Thank you so much.
2. 0:06:29Councilman Guardado and then the Vice Mayor.

1. 0:06:32Thank you, Mayor.
2. 0:06:33We are thrilled to invite you to the Villa de Paz game event this Friday, February 27th at 5 p.m. at the Pendergast Community Center.
3. 0:06:41We are excited to join the Villa de Paz Block Watch for a wonderful gathering focused on fostering community spirit and safety.
4. 0:06:48Join us for a day filled with activities, games, and opportunities to connect with your West Valley neighbors.
5. 0:06:54This event promises fun for the whole family, including food trucks, kids activities,
6. 0:06:59and informative booths from local organizations and our amazing city departments.
7. 0:07:05Come and be part of making our neighborhoods a safer and more united place.
8. 0:07:09I'm also extremely excited to invite you all to be part of our momentous occasion as we celebrate the opening of Myrtle Avenue Walking Path
9. 0:07:18with a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 6th at 5.30 p.m. on North 32nd Avenue in West Myrtle.
10. 0:07:25This new walking path is designed to provide a safe and scenic route for residents to enjoy daily walks, jogs, or bike rides.
11. 0:07:33After years of community building and my office's continued support in activating the area, I am proud to see this come to fruition and celebrate with all of the neighbors and community members.
12. 0:07:45Join us for light refreshments, meet city officials, and be among the first to experience this beautiful addition to our community.
13. 0:07:54Also, come experience the vibrant culture of our Maryville neighborhoods at the Maryville Mercado.
14. 0:07:59Join us on March 7th from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Maryville Community Center for an afternoon of delicious food and lively entertainment.
15. 0:08:08The Mercado will feature a variety of vendors selling unique items, kids activities, and indulge in delicious food and enjoy performances by local musicians and dancers.
16. 0:08:19Mark your calendars and bring your friends and family out for a wonderful afternoon.
17. 0:08:23Thank you, Mayor.

1. 0:08:25Thank you so much, Vice Mayor.

1. 0:08:36Good afternoon.
2. 0:08:37I just want to take a moment to reflect on the many ways we've been able to connect with and celebrate our community over the past several weeks, from cultural celebrations like the Chinese New Year's Gala and the Matsuri Festival, to neighborhood gatherings such as our Levine Quarterly, coffee chats, and the Levine Barbecue.
3. 0:08:54These moments of engagement continue to ground our work and the lived experiences of our residents.
4. 0:09:00We are
5. 0:09:02I was honored to join the community in celebr... You're going too fast for me.
6. 0:09:05Can you go back to the...
7. 0:09:10Thank you.
8. 0:09:11I was honored to join the community in celebrating the Chinese New Year's Gala, recognizing the rich cultural traditions and contributions of our Chinese and Asian American communities.
9. 0:09:21Celebrations like this reflect the diversity that strengthens our city and reminds us of the importance of inclusion in both community life and public policy.
10. 0:09:30I was also proud to support the Mansouri Festival,
11. 0:09:33which showcase Japanese culture, heritage, and community pride in a vibrant and meaningful way.
12. 0:09:39Events like this highlight how cultural celebrations bring people together and reinforces our commitment to be in a city where every community feels seen and valued.
13. 0:09:48Next slide.
14. 0:09:53We also hosted our Levine Quarterly Meeting, creating space for residents, stakeholders, and city departments to come together for updates and meaningful dialogue.
15. 0:10:02These regular touchpoints are critical to transparency, collaboration, and ensuring the community stays informed and engaged in the decisions that impact them.
16. 0:10:10I was also honored to attend the Moreland groundbreaking ceremony, marking an important investment in housing and long-term community stability.
17. 0:10:18This project represents the kind of thoughtful development we need to continue supporting as we work to expand opportunity and strengthen neighborhoods across our city.
18. 0:10:27Next slide.
19. 0:10:31I was proud to attend the Levine BBQ and spend time connecting with residents in a relaxed and welcoming setting.
20. 0:10:38Gatherings like these strengthen relationships, build trust, and remind us that strong communities are built through consistent engagement and shared experiences.
21. 0:10:46I was also able to support the Phoenix Homestead tree planting event, which reflects our commitment to sustainability, neighborhood beautification, and environmental stewardship.
22. 0:10:56Investments in green space and tree canopy are investments in public health, quality of life, and the long term resilience of our community.
23. 0:11:05Next slide.
24. 0:11:11We also were able to celebrate with our Greater Phoenix Chamber Council Connection events and the Arizona Science Gala.
25. 0:11:19Each represented investments in economic growth and our continued investment in our cultural icons.
26. 0:11:28All of these experiences reinforce that policy is not abstract.
27. 0:11:31It directly impacts the neighborhoods, families, businesses, and public servants who make Phoenix what it is.
28. 0:11:37Next slide.
29. 0:11:40Lastly, I was honored to attend the City of Phoenix Employee Memorial, where we pay tribute to Frank Contreras, Anthony Mock, and all of the city employees who lost their lives in service to our community.
30. 0:11:51Their dedication and sacrifice remind us that public service is not just a profession, but a calling, and we remain deeply grateful for their lasting impact on our city.
31. 0:12:01Next slide.

1. 0:12:04as always if you need help with city services or notice an issue in your neighborhood please don't reach out don't hesitate to reach out to the district a team so please reach out that's all I have thank you mayor thank you so much any additional updates all right then we will go into our main agenda we'll begin with the budget update I want to start with the congratulations to
2. 0:12:30Amber, who has served as our longtime budget director and now serving as our deputy city manager and then our new budget director.
3. 0:12:40So welcome to Erin, but I'll turn it over to our city manager to introduce this item.

1. 0:33:32Wonderful.
2. 0:33:32We have one member of the public to testify, so we'll begin there.
3. 0:33:35Diane Barker.

1. 0:35:54Thank you, Diane.
2. 0:35:55We'll now go to council comments and questions.
3. 0:35:57We'll begin with Ann O'Brien.

1. 0:36:01Thank you, Mayor.
2. 0:36:02And thank you all for the presentation today.
3. 0:36:04You all put a lot of work into this budget every year and I very much appreciate that.
4. 0:36:12And thank you to the city manager's office for your leadership as well.
5. 0:36:16I do want to express my continued concern about our friends at the state legislature and their attempts to preempt especially charter cities and our ability to make the decisions that we need to make for the betterment of our citizens and the communities that they all live in.
6. 0:36:36It makes it
7. 0:36:38difficult at a minimum to properly plan and understand what we can do with that constant threat of preemption.
8. 0:36:49We have some options this year and I would like to see us consider making an additional investment into either our community land trust program or into offsetting some permitting fees around affordable and attainable housing given that planning and development is an enterprise fund and those funds are used to ensure that we have the proper resources
9. 0:37:12for folks who come through so we would if we could look at how we might offset some of those costs with some of the surplus I would very much appreciate that but again thank you for your your hard work on this budget look forward to the continued discussion and thank you for highlighting how although things
10. 0:37:31seem to be looking better with inflation coming down.
11. 0:37:34It has not come down so far that it is reversing the amount that has gone up.
12. 0:37:41So we are still paying more today and we continue to pay more every time that it goes up.
13. 0:37:46Thank you, Mayor.

1. 0:37:47Thank you, Councilwoman.
2. 0:37:49Councilman Hernandez.

1. 0:37:51Thank you, Mayor.
2. 0:37:52You know, my team and I, as this budget season is kicking off, which will be our first full budget season to be here in office, not just the tail end of it, but we take this budget, the city's budget priorities very seriously.
3. 0:38:06Since being sworn in, we have been meeting with budget and research monthly.
4. 0:38:11We've been engaging with community partners, talking to residents, communicating with other cities' budget departments and conducting our own internal research and assessment on best practices.
5. 0:38:21So it's really great to see that the city of Phoenix has a surplus so really really want to send a thank you to the budget team and all of the city staff who has worked so hard to keep us balanced and to find that extra money and making really good fiscal decisions for the city of Phoenix.
6. 0:38:41I would be remiss to say that and you know because of your very very hard work
7. 0:38:47and leadership, the city of Phoenix is seeing a $62 million surplus, which is 36 million in ongoing and 26 million in one time.
8. 0:38:56So again, just kudos to the hard work that you all do to really get us there as a city.
9. 0:39:01I'm also very, very glad that we are factoring in, that we have factored in OHS funding to make sure that that's accounted for so that we can continue the services that we have established.
10. 0:39:13We're talking about housing and homelessness, especially homelessness.
11. 0:39:16That's a critical piece that we need to maintain as a city.
12. 0:39:19So I'm very thankful and happy to see that that money has been identified so we can continue to make that long-term investment into homelessness and housing.
13. 0:39:29Just have a few questions, just really quick questions before I get into my overall thoughts.
14. 0:39:34but Ed can you explain the tax conformity for us and I ask because you know in the presentation or whoever wants to take that one the 2026-2027 fiscal year budget is really depending or will fluctuate depending on some of the actions that happen at the state legislature and how they respond to Trump's big beautiful bill or budget whatever trash he wants to call it so can you help my residents understand what tax conformity is?

1. 0:40:55Yeah, thank you so much.
2. 0:40:56I just want residents to understand that a lot of the fiscal decisions that are made at the federal level really do have an impact on our day-to-day lives and the services that us as a city are able to provide to our residents.
3. 0:41:09And that's funneled through state action,
4. 0:41:11and what happens down the street.
5. 0:41:14I also echo some concerns with legislation that is moving down there right now that has a negative impact, that would have a very direct negative impact to the services we're also able to provide to our residents, which thank you for highlighting some of those legislation pieces moving.
6. 0:41:29My next question is around,
7. 0:41:32and it wasn't talked about in this presentation, but as we kick off budget season, I wanna make sure I vocalize that early enough.
8. 0:41:38I have a question around lawsuit payouts.
9. 0:41:40When the city has to pay out a legal settlement, where does that money come from?
10. 0:41:44Is it from a department or is it like a legal fund and does the city resupply that legal fund and where do those funds come from?

1. 0:42:07Okay thank you Amber.
2. 0:42:09I really wanted to ask that because I was reminded a few weeks ago about potholes.
3. 0:42:14Potholes put our safety and our residents safety at risk.
4. 0:42:17They can cause car accidents, they cause residents time and money which that
5. 0:42:23Thank you.
6. 0:42:24Thank you.
7. 0:42:42Unnecessary lawsuits that, and our residents still remain unsafe.
8. 0:42:47So essentially, the way I'm hearing it is every lawsuit is eventually covered by the taxpayers.
9. 0:42:54And because the funds come out of the general fund,

1. 0:43:02All right.
2. 0:43:04Thank you so much for that.
3. 0:43:06Those are my two questions.
4. 0:43:07And, you know, once again, thank you staff for the very hard work on the budget.
5. 0:43:12As we really get into this 26, 27 fiscal year budget planning session and the entire cycle,
6. 0:43:19It really should come to no surprise to anyone that I will be focusing in on the police budget.
7. 0:43:24The Phoenix police budget remains the biggest department and the biggest investment in our general fund.
8. 0:43:29Police has the most programs, 66 programs, while most other departments average less than 10 programs.
9. 0:43:37Every year we see the city increase the money going into police.
10. 0:43:41In this last year's budget, a few items that we saw, the streets enforcement unit increased by 4.3 million, audits and inspections increased by 7 million, patrol division increased by 4 million, impound property and evidence increased by 7 million, and policing on public transit increased by 5 million.
11. 0:44:01We also saw our PPD aviation
12. 0:44:04get $16 million increase.
13. 0:44:06A new program came online, the field investigation unit, which got an extra $800,000 bringing that new program's budget to 3.6 million.
14. 0:44:18You know, PPD gets so much of the general fund.
15. 0:44:21It gets the majority of our general fund.
16. 0:44:23And ultimately this is an investment in criminalization, which means that criminalization is the single biggest investment this city makes every year.
17. 0:44:32And because, you know,
18. 0:44:34The way we see it is that criminalization does not create safety, so we spend all this money and don't get the actual results we want.
19. 0:44:45It costs other programs and costs other opportunities for investment in our communities.
20. 0:44:50Investments we could be doing into harm reduction, violence prevention programs, mediation centers, experienced de-escalator mediators and facilitators,
21. 0:45:00increased de-escalation skills and foster relationships among community members to support friends, family, and community experiencing unmet mental health needs, domestic and sexual violence.
22. 0:45:13We could be increasing our investments in human services and parks and libraries to subsidize where we have lost federal or state grants.
23. 0:45:23We could invest in early childhood education and family stability.
24. 0:45:26Just in 2024-2025, the Head Start program lost nearly $75,000 in federal and state grants, but at least five police programs have received between $4 million and $7 million each.
25. 0:45:42In housing, we could invest in community partnership programs, which is one of the areas that holds our community land trust, which I am very supportive of.
26. 0:45:51And that lost $2 million in federal and state grants.
27. 0:45:56We could also support more transitional and short-term housing that would help individuals experiencing homelessness to get off the streets, get on their feet, and get into housing stability and independence.
28. 0:46:08Instead, we have spent over $5 million to continue policing these communities who are looking for safety and comfort.
29. 0:46:15We could even increase our support for senior housing.
30. 0:46:19Right now, they only get $100,000 from the general fund to meet their needs when we could be doing so much more with better investments.
31. 0:46:27And thank you to one of my constituents just raised, maybe the opportunity to expand public transportation investments to deliver more multimodal forms of transportation
32. 0:46:38and finally, I know that I've got a lot of doubters and some individuals who are severely misinformed about policing that want to equate moving funds out of the police department and into other investments as an attack on police.
33. 0:46:53That's just inaccurate.
34. 0:46:55We are not attacking the police.
35. 0:46:57The goal is to create safety.
36. 0:46:59I think that's a goal that many of us can get behind.
37. 0:47:01And truth be told, every time we increase,
38. 0:47:05Phoenix Police Funding.
39. 0:47:07We are really defunding other programs that we truly need to stay safe.
40. 0:47:11Other cities have taken up this mantle successfully.
41. 0:47:14Since 2020, Minneapolis, New York, LA, Chicago, Seattle, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Baltimore have all moved to reinvest
42. 0:47:24Thank you so much mayor.
43. 0:47:30Thank you vice mayor.

1. 0:47:56Thank you, Mayor.
2. 0:47:57I want to start off by saying thank you to the city manager and this budgeted research team.
3. 0:48:02Erin and Amber, thank you for your assistance in presenting a comprehensive overview of our budget upcoming.
4. 0:48:09And I appreciate the disciplined planning that has positioned us to project a surplus in the fiscal year 2026 to 2027.
5. 0:48:16while also preparing for the uncertainty in some of the years projected.
6. 0:48:21For me, one of the things that I found, I guess, noteworthy were slides nine and 10.
7. 0:48:28They show volatility as you mentioned,
8. 0:48:32and we also see a decline or a weakening sales tax on our primary revenue.
9. 0:48:38I think when you layer this with what we're seeing on our, I'll call it the broader market in the country, whether or not it's tariffs or our stock market, we generally see a level of uncertainty that gives us some concern or gives me some pause.
10. 0:48:55I presume our projections based on all of that are more conservative in nature.
11. 0:49:00Can you talk a little bit about
12. 0:49:02how our projections account for some of that uncertainty, because you do mention it on slide 11, but I think it might be helpful to give a little more explanation on how you've accounted for some of that.

1. 0:50:12Thank you.
2. 0:50:14The other thing that you noted on slide 11 that I thought was noteworthy was the affordability concerns.
3. 0:50:20As a general matter, that's one of the concerns that we hear throughout our community.
4. 0:50:26I think each and every one of us will have residents that are facing more and more affordability.
5. 0:50:31So I want to say this, while I'm encouraged that we're seeing a $62 million surplus, I think it's important that we approach these resources thoughtfully.
6. 0:50:40Residents continue to feel pressure about rising costs, and I think one area that has generated quite a bit of concern in the last couple of weeks is the proposed public works trash pickup increase that is projected over the next three years.
7. 0:50:53As we consider how to allocate the mix of ongoing and one-time surplus funds, I would like us to explore whether a portion of these fees could be used strategically to soften or phase in those increases for our residents.
8. 0:51:06If we can provide temporary stabilization, particularly for our seniors, working families, and residents on fixed incomes while also protecting our long-term fiscal health,
9. 0:51:15I think it's a conversation worth having.
10. 0:51:18I am also very excited to see continued or anticipated investment in the housing trust fund as well as support in the office of homeless solutions that continues to be also a concern that we hear in our community.
11. 0:51:30So I definitely want us to ensure that, I want us to remain mindful of the forecast tied to some of the broader economic uncertainty but I also think we need to balance immediate relief with some structural stability
12. 0:51:43and I think if we have a surplus, we should see how we can maximize this impact.
13. 0:51:47So I look forward to continuing this conversation and discussion as we head into the trial budget presentation and identifying potential solutions that reflect both compassion and fiscal responsibility.
14. 0:51:59Thank you, Mayor.

1. 0:52:02Thank you.
2. 0:52:02Who's next?
3. 0:52:03Councilman Guardado.

1. 0:52:04Thank you, Mayor.
2. 0:52:05Once again, thank you guys so much.
3. 0:52:07Amber team, everybody, thank you for all of the hard work.
4. 0:52:11Erin, it's your first budget with us, so congratulations.
5. 0:52:15Hoping to see you around for a long time.
6. 0:52:18But with that being said, I love seeing the surplus.
7. 0:52:23I'm not sure what we're gonna see at the end of the fiscal year.
8. 0:52:27but as everyone here knows I'm always going to be looking out for the workers for the members for for all the different labor groups when I first came into office we saw the turnover we saw a lot of employees leaving going to other places where they would pay them a little bit more and I just want to make sure even though we I know that there's a big challenge right now
9. 0:52:51In terms of what is it that we can do for our employees, hopefully we can just keep that in mind that I would not want us to fall back to where we were at in 2019, where we were losing people, where we were not compatible.
10. 0:53:06And we have to figure out how do we stay on top of that and how do we make sure that we make...
11. 0:53:13and the people that make our city work full and we continue to pay them that respect.
12. 0:53:21I know that the class income study has done a lot of that, but hoping that we continue to see what other cities are doing and making sure that we don't get to a point where we losing our employees to other cities because of wages.
13. 0:53:36And I get it, I understand there's still restraints,
14. 0:53:40Thank you so much for joining us.
15. 0:54:02Thank you so much.
16. 0:54:22that in front of mind as we continue, as we continue to make these decisions.
17. 0:54:27But again, thank you guys.
18. 0:54:29Great job, everyone.
19. 0:54:30Love seeing this budget.
20. 0:54:32Thank you.
21. 0:54:32Thank you, Mayor.

1. 0:54:34Thank you.
2. 0:54:37Anyone, Council Member Pastor?

1. 0:54:39Thank you.
2. 0:54:41Amber, you've been doing this quite some time and congratulations on your retirement.
3. 0:54:50It'll be how many more months?
4. 0:54:53Five more months.
5. 0:54:54This is your last budget cycle.
6. 0:54:57So congratulations on keeping us moving and healthy and balancing the budget.
7. 0:55:03Welcome, Erin.
8. 0:55:06Right now, you're just stepping in.
9. 0:55:08We'll see you in 28, 29, 27, 28, see what that conversation's all about.
10. 0:55:14But thank you for taking that role.
11. 0:55:16As always, I am a supporter of our employees and staying competitive and being able to compete with other cities.
12. 0:55:27That would be one of my top priorities.
13. 0:55:32The other area that I'm looking at is the refugee and immigration support.
14. 0:55:43Let me get the right title.
15. 0:55:44It's the Office of Refugee and Immigration Support.
16. 0:55:47So looking at that and providing some funding for that area due to the fact that we have a large refugee population, about 6,000.
17. 0:55:59the total is probably eight to 10, but in our area.
18. 0:56:02And there are some benefits that are being cut.
19. 0:56:07And I think the city should assist in supporting like in rental assistance and food assistance and Lutheran services and IRC has been visiting many of us regarding that.
20. 0:56:23And so I'm just putting a plug and advocating for that.
21. 0:56:26Thank you again for the presentation.
22. 0:56:29Shout out to everybody in doing this.
23. 0:56:33Thank you.

1. 0:56:35Thank you.
2. 0:56:37Thanks so much for the presentation.
3. 0:56:39A lot of uncertainty right now in the economy, but it's good to have options.
4. 0:56:45Erin, you mentioned the sales tax is our biggest source of revenue.
5. 0:56:48Want to draw attention to the fact that in our economy, AI and data centers has been the fastest growing sector, and yet they get an incredibly generous subsidy on the sales tax side.
6. 0:57:00That hits public safety hardest in our community.
7. 0:57:04Data centers have often on-site diesel generation, on-site batteries, which can be very complex fires to fight.
8. 0:57:12They ought to pay their fair share.
9. 0:57:15They ought to pay at the same rate as the small businesses, which often have much less complex public safety needs.
10. 0:57:22So I think we need to really
11. 0:57:23focus on a fair tax code there are many proposals that would put us deep into a deficit budget that are still being considered at the legislature but there's also some bipartisan hope to make the tax cut that tax code a little bit more fair particularly in our fastest growing and wealthiest segment
12. 0:57:43Any additional comments?
13. 0:57:45All right.
14. 0:57:46Well, thank you so much for this important presentation.
15. 0:57:49We look forward to hearing from the community about what our residents would like to see in the budget and where your priorities lie.
16. 0:57:55Thank you.
17. 0:58:07We will have one hearing on agenda items
18. 0:58:15for related to heat.
19. 0:58:16This includes the city heat response plan, as well as some action items that will let us move forward on that heat implementation plan.
20. 0:58:28At the city of Phoenix, we think about heat year round.
21. 0:58:30We treat extreme heat as the public health emergency that it is.
22. 0:58:33And each year we learn from past summers and improve upon our heat relief efforts.
23. 0:58:38The City Council and I have one goal in mind when we invested funding and staff power for heat relief over the last few years to save more lives.
24. 0:58:48Even one heat death is still too many.
25. 0:58:49With the dedication of our team, you'll hear from today, as well as countless city staff, nonprofits, partners, faith community, and other leaders.
26. 0:58:58They've helped us reduce the number of heat-related deaths over the last two years.
27. 0:59:02Last summer, we hosted a 24-7 cooling center once again.
28. 0:59:05staffed with on the ground support teams that helped connect residents with resources and community services to end their homelessness, address substance use, or address housing instability.
29. 0:59:16Our hardworking staff were able to connect 751 individuals with life-changing resources.
30. 0:59:22We celebrate every life saved and every life changed for the better, and we continue to fine-tune our efforts.
31. 0:59:28Operating a 24-hour cooling center requires significant resources, and it's not just as simple as identifying an available building.
32. 0:59:37Not only does the city provide that building, but we must fund 24-hour security, staffing, increased custodial services, and other resources.
33. 0:59:45We know that saving lives is one of the best investments we can make in our community, but I want to be clear, Phoenix cannot do this alone.
34. 0:59:52More illnesses would be prevented and more lives saved with additional support from the state and federal government as well as other cities in the valley.
35. 0:59:59Heat does not stop at municipal borders.
36. 1:00:03I'm grateful to Mayor Kevin Hartke in the city of Chandler for recognizing the need and providing 24-hour cooling center in Chandler.
37. 1:00:10I'm proud that this summer, thanks to a partnership with Yuma, we'll be able to provide emergency shelter for families.
38. 1:00:16We'll also continue to push the frontiers of heat health innovation, and we'll soon have more resources to do so.
39. 1:00:22We're in conversation with the leadership team at ASU Health about opportunities to make their new downtown campus a hub for impact-driven heat health innovation.
40. 1:00:31I want to thank our Deputy City Manager Gina Montes, Chief Christ, Rachel, and Dr. Handla for your and your team's hard work and dedication.
41. 1:00:38I also want to thank our partners at Maricopa County Public Health for your expertise.
42. 1:00:43And now I'll turn it over to our Deputy City Manager to introduce her team.

1. 1:26:44Thank you so much.
2. 1:26:46We have one member of the public to comment.
3. 1:26:49Saul, the floor is yours.

1. 1:29:06Thank you so much for that testimony.
2. 1:29:08That concludes public comment.
3. 1:29:10We'll go first to Councilman Robinson.

1. 1:29:13Thank you, Mayor.
2. 1:29:15First of all, I have a comment, then a quick question for Dr. Staub.
3. 1:29:18But I want to thank you all.
4. 1:29:20I think it's an excellent presentation.
5. 1:29:22And, you know, I think what we're able to do as a city in the summer months is invaluable in the
6. 1:29:30and a discussion I had with city manager and deputy city manager Amber Williamson was that anything we can do with any surplus to move toward the office of homeless solutions because you guys are doing a yeoman's job.
7. 1:29:42Had a community meeting last evening.
8. 1:29:44That was a big part of it.
9. 1:29:45People asked a lot of questions.
10. 1:29:47So they're seeing an impact and clearly these are the most vulnerable.
11. 1:29:51And Dr. Stott, the question I have, it was on slide number eight, and it's more curiosity than anything else, and maybe it's something we can then focus our attentions on, but the folks who are dying from heat-related deaths involving substances, have we been able to narrow down what those substances are just yet, or is that still under consideration?

1. 1:31:30Okay, and I think you answered the second part of my question, the fact that you are zeroing in or at least identifying the fact that what those substances are and making sure that population is aware of it.
2. 1:31:44I say that because I know, I saw Chief Giordano in the back,
3. 1:31:48and I know it's something that he and his folks can, not necessarily from a criminality standpoint, but they're gonna know when these things are happening in certain areas, but it's probably something that they could probably use that information to help them in certain areas of town as they go about with doing their duties.
4. 1:32:08because it's you know there are certain things you know and my guess is our police officers are going to know some of those some of those areas that are hot spots for it and my guess is as you get together and talk and find out there's going to be some correlation there with where these deaths are occurring or at least where these people are picked up in certain areas of town that the officers are well aware of so with that again it was an excellent presentation thank you very much mayor thank you for the time thank you vice mayor

1. 1:32:36Thank you, Mayor.
2. 1:32:37I also want to say thank you to staff.
3. 1:32:39Thank you for the county for the very detailed presentation.
4. 1:32:42It highlights the importance of coordination and the urgency that reflected in this year's heat response plan.
5. 1:32:50We know extreme heat is not just a seasonal inconvenience.
6. 1:32:52It is literally a public health emergency.
7. 1:32:55and every year we're reminded that the stakes are higher and higher, particularly for our senior population, unsheltered residents, families with children and individuals with underlying health conditions.
8. 1:33:07I really appreciate that this plan builds on the lessons that we learned in 2025 and it continues to strengthen our partnerships with organizations.
9. 1:33:16I have a couple of questions, maybe helpful.
10. 1:33:19On slide
11. 1:33:23Nine, I believe.
12. 1:33:25Yes, nine.
13. 1:33:27What stood out to me was the number of individuals who had an air condition present, and yet it either was turned off or non-functioning.
14. 1:33:38My first question, if you can, is does AC present include swamp coolers?

1. 1:34:03And then my second question, I don't know if you have this detail, but I would be curious if maybe we could look into it as to when we say non-functioning, whether or not there are programs that if these individuals were aware of, we could have addressed the situation.
2. 1:34:22So for example, through neighborhood services or some other agency.
3. 1:34:28I'm just curious whether or not they meet the threshold.
4. 1:34:31I see everybody looking down, go ahead.
5. 1:34:34I'm sure there's, go ahead.

1. 1:36:10Thank you for that.
2. 1:36:12Because I would presume that if someone decides to either turn off or not repair their air conditioning during our, trying to find a nice word for our summers, summer heat, it is probably an affordability concern.
3. 1:36:27And I think some of this could be, maybe we could do a little bit more in educating the public about some of the options that are available.
4. 1:36:36So that was a point of trying to figure out whether or not these individuals that would have qualified and they did not know about what we have as a city.
5. 1:36:45So it's just whether or not this is an opportunity for targeted education.
6. 1:36:50I really wanted to say I also appreciated moving forward the emphasis or focus on our seniors and those that live in mobile homes.
7. 1:37:01I have heard some concerns from individuals in mobile homes within my community, and I think they don't fully understand all of their rights, so I think that's part of the conversation that might be helpful as well.
8. 1:37:18My other question...
9. 1:37:21had to do, I just wanted to understand a little bit between he caused and he contributed how that determination was made for slide number seven.

1. 1:37:57And if I recall correctly, there has been some criticism regarding how these numbers are calculated and when it is, what is it, unknown or undetermined, even though heat may have contributed.
2. 1:38:10Do you know if any adjustments have been made to the categories, I won't say categories, but the determination of heat, deaths resulting from heat?

1. 1:38:58Okay, thank you for that.
2. 1:39:02I just really wanted again to emphasize that I really appreciate the intentionality of this plan.
3. 1:39:07I really look forward to us measuring outcomes.
4. 1:39:10And maybe if you can talk a little bit about what are our performance metrics that we're looking at, not just for us as a city, but as our partners.
5. 1:39:17I mean, I think the number one metrics is a decline in heat related deaths, but I think it might be helpful to articulate if there are other additional metrics that we are looking at to determine
6. 1:39:26the success of our heat response plan.

1. 1:40:21I presume fire means the less number of calls that you have to respond to.

1. 1:41:38Thank you.
2. 1:41:39And I presume that our 2021 heat response overview continues to include the 211 as well as the right coordination to cool-in centers as we consolidate or reduce the number of sites available, we are still providing transportation to those in need to the actual cool-in sites.

1. 1:42:32And I would close by saying, given that we've seen the numbers of individuals who have air conditioning that are not working, I don't know if we want to include an information campaign to explain how dangerous it still remains to be in a home with air conditioning not working, not functioning properly.
2. 1:42:51Thank you, Mayor.
3. 1:42:51Those are my questions.

1. 1:42:53Thank you, Councilman Hernandez.

1. 1:42:55Thank you, Mayor.
2. 1:42:56And, you know, really thank you to all of the staff and partners that you are really doing the hard work of getting us here and building the plan on how we're going to meet the needs this coming year.
3. 1:43:10So truly, truly grateful.
4. 1:43:12Thank you for that.
5. 1:43:14I really appreciate the honesty in outlining how heat-related deaths are the number one cause of weather-related casualties across Phoenix and Maricopa County.
6. 1:43:26I also think it was very important that it was noted that being unsheltered, poor, homeless, or a person of color relieves that individual in a uniquely vulnerable position to heat-related death.
7. 1:43:40It's critical that we are very clear with them, very honest with the community about that.
8. 1:43:46Just have a few questions.
9. 1:43:48I think, David, you might take most of them, but I think you and Rachel might take some of them.
10. 1:43:53Our contract with UMOM, can you walk us through what that referral process is going to look like?

1. 1:45:18The increase in need for family support at the 24-7 at Tony West Jackson.
2. 1:45:24I think I was calling you.
3. 1:45:26I don't know.
4. 1:45:27I lost count of how many times I would have to call you for support there.
5. 1:45:31So thank you for that.
6. 1:45:33On the heat supplies contract, which I think is item number six, do we have paths to partner up with more community partners that would expand our financial resources?
7. 1:45:48to expand attainability for those heat supplies?

1. 1:46:55Thank you so much.
2. 1:46:56My next question on the supply, the heat supplies contract, can you walk us through what the 2.6 million will support?
3. 1:47:06You know, I don't think that's enough, but I know that that's where we're at.
4. 1:47:11And is that a one-time only amount?

1. 1:48:01Yeah, thank you so much.
2. 1:48:02I don't disagree with that.
3. 1:48:03I think if there's opportunity to find more resources, definitely would love to see that be shifted over to make sure we are providing the resources out to the community.
4. 1:48:14Can you walk me through how our heat relief plan intersects with our Shade Phoenix plan, if there's any overlap there?

1. 1:49:17Thank you so much for that.
2. 1:49:19Yeah, Phoenix gets hotter every year, so definitely have a lot of hard work in front of us.
3. 1:49:26My next question, what barriers exist that prevent us from opening up more city facilities to make water fountains more accessible or installing more water stations?
4. 1:49:39I think I have a guess, but would have staff answer.

1. 1:50:30And then another question, in the overall strategies, number six was listed as educate the community and engage with partners.
2. 1:50:39What does that look like?
3. 1:50:42Like, how are we starting that?
4. 1:50:43Where are we starting that?
5. 1:50:45And are we getting those services to the target population so they can navigate the heat cycle?

1. 1:51:53Thank you for that.
2. 1:51:54I think one area where I'm excited to see or looking forward to having more dialogue and discussion is around the hiking season rate in Phoenix, well, in the greater Phoenix area.
3. 1:52:05I know that the mountain rescues are very critical, but they also really put our fire responders into really precarious situations.
4. 1:52:16doing those rescues as well.
5. 1:52:18I know it's something, an issue that has been brought up in my community meetings, like how are we gonna address that?
6. 1:52:23So I just really wanna dive deeper into those conversations when we're talking about engagement in education out there with all of our visitors that don't really understand what the Phoenix heat season is, even at nighttime.
7. 1:52:37So just a lot of concern there.
8. 1:52:38That was all my questions, but really thank you all for this.
9. 1:52:43You are all really doing the work
10. 1:52:45to get this done in tackling a problem that we are way behind on bringing solutions to.
11. 1:52:51So please consider the D7 office and my entire team as a resource, as a thought partner.
12. 1:52:57I'm looking forward to supporting you and figuring out ways to best address our heat relief measures and just the program overall.
13. 1:53:09I really would love to see our heat relief program
14. 1:53:13lead the nation in innovation and solutions.
15. 1:53:18So just here to be a good partner with all of you and how we build that forward.
16. 1:53:23So thank you so much.
17. 1:53:24Thank you, Mayor.

1. 1:53:26Thank you.
2. 1:53:26Thank you, Councilman Waring.

1. 1:53:29Thank you, Mayor.
2. 1:53:30I'm on page four, panel, I guess it would be eight.
3. 1:53:35I'm not sure who was presenting when this came up.
4. 1:53:38The heat-related deaths involving substances.
5. 1:53:42So what does that mean exactly?
6. 1:53:43Does that mean you're on a substance then?
7. 1:53:45Or you have a history of substance abuse?
8. 1:53:49how is that determined?

1. 1:54:59maybe one marijuana cigarette or something, or the person got busted for DUI 10 years ago.
2. 1:55:05That's not what we're talking about, I assume.
3. 1:55:09I assume maybe they were doing autopsies or something.
4. 1:55:11It sounds like it's a little more based.
5. 1:55:13That's correct.

1. 1:55:40So I guess if I took away something from this, 64% of the people who passed away had weakened their system with, it sounds like some serious drug use over a period of time, if I hear what you're saying, had drugs in their system at the time, something like that.
2. 1:55:58But it ultimately was the actual heat that killed them.
3. 1:56:04Otherwise, maybe they shouldn't be on this list.

1. 1:56:41All right, so I guess part of my question is trying to get it, this is a tough nut to crack.
2. 1:56:46I mean, no offense, the eight, 10 of you sitting up here are not gonna prevent people from using drugs.
3. 1:56:51I know, shocker, trying to look too surprised.
4. 1:56:54So it is hard to overcome this.
5. 1:56:57$5 million isn't gonna do it.
6. 1:57:00But you can mitigate some of that damage by giving people a place to go.
7. 1:57:04If I was trying to frame this to a constituent like, well, what are we doing here?
8. 1:57:07I guess that would be it.
9. 1:57:10Trying to put people in a safer place than they might otherwise be left to their own devices.
10. 1:57:15Which brings me to, and I can see her cringe.
11. 1:57:19Hi, Rachel.
12. 1:57:20We've talked about this specific incident before.
13. 1:57:23I will hazard a guess.
14. 1:57:26You can tell me later in private.
15. 1:57:28You, Gina, and Jackie, who works with you, you probably don't catch any more calls from the guys up here than you do from me.
16. 1:57:37I've called about Scott, 300-pound, 70-year-old guy.
17. 1:57:41I know this because you've contacted him.
18. 1:57:43I've had police contact.
19. 1:57:45We talked about this recently, but since we've talked, he's still out in the media and he's still panhandling.
20. 1:57:50So he spent all last year panhandling at 110 degree heat.
21. 1:57:55You contact him.
22. 1:57:56He did accept services after quite a few trips out.
23. 1:58:00Police have, I guess, cited him now.
24. 1:58:02That was a little unclear, but they've certainly contacted.
25. 1:58:05And I saw him as recently as I think last Thursday.
26. 1:58:07Probably could see him every day.
27. 1:58:09If I left this meeting right now, I probably would.
28. 1:58:11He's usually gone.
29. 1:58:12I get home later than five.
30. 1:58:14So it's frustrating that, I don't know, might be more than 20 calls.
31. 1:58:19I just, I look at these statistics, I see a 300 pounds, 70 year old, who stands out, now it's not 110 right now, but it's gonna be 110 soon, and it is clear he is not moving, no matter what we tell him, no matter what we do, no matter what police tell him, he has rolled right through that for about a year and a half.
32. 1:58:40You did mention, when we talked about this in my office here recently,
33. 1:58:44that at some point he's a danger to himself.
34. 1:58:47Well, I've got some news.
35. 1:58:49It's going to be 110.
36. 1:58:50He's going to stand outside all day panhandling where he's not supposed to, illegal.
37. 1:58:55So even that's dangerous.
38. 1:58:58He's a danger to himself.
39. 1:58:59At what point do we step in so he doesn't become one of these statistics?
40. 1:59:02This is one that we can prevent whether it's through this program or just any of our programs.
41. 1:59:09but I have to tell you, if a citizen asked me how effective this is, well, I'm a citizen, I should count and we haven't been able to do anything with Scott.
42. 1:59:19So what would I tell them?

1. 1:59:31I did tell her this question was coming in advance, so.

1. 2:00:01That's good because I mean again I worry I just was sure I just happened to be going by a spot where he was sleeping I would see him I just thought one day he's not going to wake up and it just killed me every time so I called you pretty much every time and it just it
2. 2:00:19I see this and I think that's one that we could prevent from having this kind of end.
3. 2:00:24It just seemed like it was almost inevitable the way it was going.
4. 2:00:27So I hope you have good news, but what steps can you take if someone is simply not responding to anything?

1. 2:00:54Councilwoman Pastor.

1. 2:00:56Hi, thank you for all the good work.
2. 2:00:59And thank you to the mayor and council for supporting the work because it's greatly needed and shout out to the city of Phoenix and doing the work.
3. 2:01:10I want to
4. 2:01:16I want to explain something regarding families in the 24-hour heat relief area.
5. 2:01:28That became a challenge this summer because we had probably more families than what we thought.
6. 2:01:36There wasn't an area really to, an area for children to really
7. 2:01:45have an everyday life in that space.
8. 2:01:48I know that at that time family employees or we came up with a solution and tried to figure it out.
9. 2:02:00Also, what was the challenge in that space was also food, having food for them.
10. 2:02:08and so I'm happy to hear that UMOM is a partner with us because that's probably a better space and place for them to be.
11. 2:02:19There's also outside to play and not that you're playing in the summer but at least to get out in the evening and there's resources for them so I want to thank staff for really looking at that.
12. 2:02:33The other piece is
13. 2:02:36I think we're going to start to see more and more in the statistics is moving on our elderly population and either being evicted or some health crisis coming about and becoming a bigger population in our unsheltered arena.
14. 2:02:56I don't know, something's giving me allergies, in particular dementia arena.
15. 2:03:05So these are bigger problems and issues, but I just wanna put it in the forefront.
16. 2:03:14I wanna also talk about the air condition.
17. 2:03:23The air condition piece, yes, we have it.
18. 2:03:26I know I'm trying.
19. 2:03:27And the thing about it, it's very cumbersome to qualify and go through the process.
20. 2:03:35So I think as us as policy makers, we probably really need to look at the process in order for people to get the access that they need and be able to get the proper equipment.
21. 2:03:50So I would like to, I know that you can't, but I'm just dialoguing and be able to look at that.
22. 2:03:58One of the questions I have is it's 64% that people
23. 2:04:06famous page eight of heat-related deaths, how many are unhoused?

1. 2:04:30Yes, is that possible?
2. 2:04:31I don't know if it is.

1. 2:05:03and I think that's important to know to know what the challenge that we're going to face and I know that we're really pushing or have high expectations but to understand the challenges in front of us in order to try to move that number down.
2. 2:05:1980% is a lot and I think that also goes back to, back to really what's available to them
3. 2:05:33in that arena of rehabilitation and the possibility of rehabilitation and where you kind of meet them in the middle or meet them where they're at and trying to move them to where we need them or where we think they need to be.
4. 2:05:51And so I think it's important when we have this dialogue to understand the work that we're doing but also
5. 2:06:01Thank you.
6. 2:06:23to paint that picture as to that's where we're moving and going and another appreciation out to everybody that's doing the work.
7. 2:06:31And so thank you again for your time and the mayor and our council for really taking this on and have a great understanding about it.
8. 2:06:40So thank you.

1. 2:06:43Thank you so much.
2. 2:06:45All right, Vice Mayor, do we have a motion on items two through eight?

1. 2:06:48Yes, Mayor, I move that we approve items one through eight.
2. 2:06:51Second.
3. 2:06:52Second.
4. 2:06:53Two through eight.
5. 2:06:54No, I'm sorry.
6. 2:06:57One was the budget, so.

1. 2:07:00Two through eight.
2. 2:07:02Second.

1. 2:07:10Yes.

1. 2:07:14Yes.

1. 2:07:17Yes.

1. 2:07:20Yes.
2. 2:07:20Passes 9-0.
3. 2:07:22Thank you to our returning partners such as UMOM and CBI, and congratulations to Justice Center.