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Pursuant to A.R.S. § 38.431.02, notice
is hereby given to the members of the City Council and to the general public
that the City Council will hold a meeting open to the public on Tuesday, September 15, 2009, at 2:00 P.M. located in Phoenix City Hall Lobby, Assembly Rooms A, B,
and C, 200 West Washington, Phoenix, Arizona. Council members may participate by
telephone. As indicated in the Agenda,
the City Council may vote to go into Executive Session, which will not be
open to the public, for the purpose of discussing those matters listed on the
Agenda.
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THE TIMES LISTED
FOR AGENDA ITEMS ARE ESTIMATED. ITEMS MAY
BE DISCUSSED EARLIER OR IN A DIFFERENT SEQUENCE.
Action Taken:
Mayor Gordon called
the meeting to order at 2:07 p.m., with Council members Gates, DiCiccio, Johnson, Mattox, Williams, and Nowakowski present.
Vice Mayor Simplot joined the meeting via
teleconference at 2:17 p.m.
Councilwoman Neely was not present.
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ESTIMATED
1. 2:00
P.M.-
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COUNCIL INFORMATION AND
FOLLOW-UP REQUESTS.
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This item is scheduled to give City Council members an
opportunity to publicly request information or follow-up on issues of interest
to the community. If the information is
available, staff will immediately provide it to the City Council member. No decisions will be made or action taken.
Action Taken:
Mayor Gordon noted Mr. Ron Sims, Deputy Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was holding a press
conference to announce new HUD job and housing assistance in Phoenix. Mayor Gordon stated Mr. Sims would arrive at
the Policy session later and be part of the meeting agenda. Mayor Gordon also thanked members of the Paradise
Valley Community Center
for a quilt they made celebrating the city’s recent All-American
City award.
Mayor Gordon then presented Friends of Phoenix awards to
Council members Williams, Johnson, Nowakowski,
Mattox, Simplot, Neely, DiCiccio,
and Gates for their contributions to the city.
Councilman DiCiccio affirmed his
continued commitment to resolving high profile zoning cases in District 6,
noting he has assembled a diverse group of stakeholders to devise alternatives
for the Loop 202 project in Ahwatukee. He also thanked Camelback VW for helping to
save City after-school programs.
CONSENT AGENDA.
This item is scheduled to allow the City
Council to act on the Mayor’s recommendations on the Consent Agenda. The Consent Agenda has been publicly posted.
Action Taken:
Councilman Johnson moved approval of the Consent
Agenda. Councilman Mattox seconded the
motion, which passed unanimously.
CALL FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
A vote to call an Executive Session may be held.
Action Taken:
Councilman Johnson moved the City Council, pursuant to
Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 38-431.02.A, meet in Executive Session on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. in the East Conference Room, 12th
Floor of the Phoenix City
Hall, 200 West
Washington Street, Phoenix, Arizona. Councilman Mattox seconded the motion, which
passed unanimously.
AGENDA ITEMS.
This item is scheduled to give City Council members an
opportunity to ask questions about the Formal Agenda on September 16, 2009. If the information is available, staff will
immediately provide it to the City Council member.
REPORTS AND BUDGET UPDATES BY
THE CITY MANAGER.
This item is scheduled to allow the City Manager to report
on changes in the City Council Agenda and provide brief informational reports
on urgent issues. The City Council may
discuss these reports but no action will be taken.
Action Taken:
City Manager Frank Fairbanks noted two add-ons to the
Formal Agenda regarding contract approvals between the federal government and
the Police Department.
Councilman Gates commented on the opening of the new Police
substation at 7th Avenue
and Peoria, noting its importance
for residents of Sunnyslope.
Vice Mayor Simplot joined the
meeting at 2:17 p.m.
Mayor Gordon and Council members Johnson and Nowakowski left the meeting at 2:20 p.m.
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ESTIMATED
2. 2:30 P.M.-
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EMPLOYEE SERVICE RECOGNITION
ANNOUNCEMENTS (NO REPORT)
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Staff: Washington, Smith
(Presentation 10 min.)
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This item is for information only. No City Council action is required.
Action Taken:
Councilman DiCiccio presented an
Employee Service Recognition award to Mr. David Debevec
for 25 years of service with the City.
Councilman Gates presented an Employee Service Recognition
award to Ms. Patricia Earby for 30 years of service
with the City.
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ESTIMATED
3. 2:45 P.M.-
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GRAFFITI PROGRAM UPDATE
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Staff: Naimark, Miller
(Presentation 10 min.)
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This report provides the Mayor and City Council with an update
on the status of graffiti removal efforts in Phoenix
and the new volunteer program, “Blight Busters”.
This item is for information only. No City Council action is required.
Backup included in Council packet/City Clerk's Office.
Action Taken:
Deputy City Manager Rick Naimark
introduced Neighborhood Services (NSD) Director Jerome Miller and Deputy
Director Tim Boling to discuss the graffiti program and ways staff has
responded to budget challenges.
Mr. Miller thanked the City’s partners on the graffiti and
Blight Busters programs. He noted there
were increases last year in the amount of training given to volunteers for
graffiti removal, the amount of restitution received through the court system
from convicted graffiti vandals, and the use of graffiti flash cameras
throughout the city.
Mr. Boling described staff innovations to combating
graffiti, including paint sprayer training for residents and paint color
matching. He indicated 127 residents
received training last year, with this year’s number likely to exceed
that. He also noted increased sweeps of
major thoroughfares to identify and eliminate graffiti vandalism. Mr. Boling then discussed the Blight Busters
program, which graduated 22 residents in July trained to remove graffiti,
illegal signage, shopping carts, and other sources of blight. He stated volunteers have already contributed
over 200 hours of service.
Mr. Miller explained staff shortages have resulted in
slower response times to graffiti calls.
He added the department has adequate supplies for graffiti removal and
encouraged residents to contact the department if they would like to
volunteer. Mr. Miller also noted staff
continues to research other potential solutions to graffiti, such as citations
to property owners and increased fees for the purchase of certain types of
paint and markers.
Councilman Mattox asked about the results of the City
ordinance requiring that spray paint cans be locked up and kept out of reach of
minors.
Mr. Miller explained that, due to budget cuts, staff is
only able to respond to complaints about violations, rather than conducting
proactive inspections. He stated staff
was working on a mailing to educate vendors about the ordinance.
Councilman Mattox added part of the issue had to do with
surrounding municipalities not adopting similar ordinances.
Mr. Miller noted a similar bill in the state legislature
this year did not pass, but that Government Relations staff would continue to
work with neighboring municipalities on the issue. He also thanked the Council and volunteers
for their assistance finding creative ways to respond to graffiti and blight
issues during challenging economic times.
Councilwoman Williams asked how residents can contact
Neighborhood Services if they are interested in volunteering.
Mr. Naimark stated residents can
call #GONE from their cell phones or 602-495-0323.
Councilman Mattox noted his office has already received
calls from residents encouraging the City not to cut graffiti or Blight Busters
programs during the next budget cycle.
City Manager Frank Fairbanks stated resident suggestions
are taken into account during budget development. He added no cuts would be made without public
input through budget hearings.
Mr. Mattox thanked residents for volunteering, noting there
is always additional need.
Mr. Miller stated NSD has been contacted about the city’s
graffiti and Blight Busters programs by other cities nationwide, underscoring
the programs’ success.
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ESTIMATED
4. 3:10 P.M.-
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STATE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
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Staff: Fairbanks, Peters
(Presentation 10 min.)
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This report provides an update for the Mayor and Council
regarding State legislation of interest to the City.
This item is for information only. No Council action is required.
Backup included in Council packet/City Clerk's Office.
Action Taken:
Government Relations Director Karen Peters provided a
report on the end of the state legislative session, noting adopted bills from
the first special session take effect September
30, 2009. She explained a
third special session was called to address the state budget, with nine bills
being transmitted to Governor Jan Brewer for approval. Ms. Peters indicated the Governor first
signed House Bill 2014, and then signed the remaining bills, using the line
item veto to make changes. Ms. Peters
discussed the impact of the bills on the City of Phoenix,
including the maintenance of the vehicle license tax, changes to the commercial
property tax ratio, and the reinstatement of the state equalization property
tax. She noted the state still faces a
$1 billion shortfall for the current fiscal year.
Councilman Mattox noted the legislature also worked on
non-budget legislation during the special session, which they were not supposed
to do.
Ms. Peters explained the Governor has the power to define
the purpose of a special session and can set rules to limit the session if
needed.
Ms. Peters then discussed other aspects of signed
legislation, including changes to the impact fee program, new background check
and identification requirements to receive public services, and a two-year
freeze on new or modified building codes for buildings approved prior to June
1, 2009. She stated these changes would
become effective on November 24, 2009. She added Government Relations staff is
working with departments to help prepare them for any changes needed to address
the new laws.
Government Relations staff member John Wayne Gonzales
described a new two-year freeze on impact fees.
Councilman Mattox clarified that the freeze was not based
on calendar months but rather on each individual development.
Mr. Gonzales noted the freeze also requires local
governments to conduct additional studies as part of their impact fee
assessments.
Ms. Peters discussed the requirement for residents to
present valid identification when applying for government services. She indicated public employees could be
charged with a misdemeanor if they knowingly allow someone without proper
identification to apply for government services.
Councilman Mattox asked what sort of evidence was required
for someone to accuse an individual of violating this law.
Ms. Peters responded anyone is permitted to bring forward a
lawsuit, though a judge would rule whether or not sufficient evidence was
presented for the lawsuit to proceed.
Councilman Mattox asked City Manager Frank Fairbanks to
discuss where funding comes from to support the Law Department.
Mr. Fairbanks explained the Law Department was funded by
the General Fund and, like other departments, has experienced significant
budget reductions.
Councilman Mattox called for a recess, with the meeting to
reconvene at 3:30 p.m.
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ESTIMATED
5. 3:30 P.M.-
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5a. STIMULUS UPDATE
5b. UPDATE ON TIGER GRANT PHX
SKY TRAIN LINE
EXTENSION
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Staff: Zuercher, Krietor
(Presentation 20 min.)
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5a. This report provides the Mayor and
City Council with an update on the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), otherwise known as the federal
economic stimulus legislation, and community benefits realized to date. To date, the City of Phoenix has received nearly $240 million in stimulus
funding.
This item is for information only. No City Council action is required.
Backup included in Council packet/City Clerk’s Office.
Action Taken:
Mayor Gordon called the meeting to order at 3:26 p.m.
Deputy City Manager Ed Zuercher
provided an update on stimulus projects and funding in Phoenix. He explained the difference between formula
and discretionary funding and indicated the city has received approximately
$240 million for stimulus projects to date, as well as $24 million in low
interest loans. Mr. Zuercher
discussed some uses of the awarded funds, including projects related to public
safety, aviation, homelessness, housing, meals for
seniors, infrastructure, and sustainability.
He then showed a video that highlighted stimulus-funded projects.
Government Relations Director Karen Peters explained the
City continues to identify and apply for competitive grant funding. She also discussed stimulus transparency and
accountability at both the federal and local level. She indicated residents can view information
on stimulus projects in Phoenix at
the city’s website.
5b. This report provides the Mayor
and City Council with an update on the Transportation Investment Generating
Economy Recovery (TIGER) Grant Application for the PHX
Sky Train Line Extension project at Phoenix
Sky Harbor International
Airport.
This item is for information only. No City Council action is required.
Backup included in Council packet/City Clerk’s Office.
Action Taken:
Aviation Director Danny Murphy stated construction has
begun on the first stage of the Sky Train, which will connect METRO light rail
at 44th Street and Washington with Terminal 4 at Phoenix Sky Harbor
International Airport. He added the City
is applying for an additional stimulus grant to fund the $122 million extension
of the Sky Train to the remaining terminals.
Assistant Aviation Director Jane Morris provided an
overview of the Sky Train alignment, indicating a scheduled completion date of
December 2012. She stated the project
would create 6,000 jobs and produce an economic output of $730 million.
Mayor Gordon noted the number of jobs created by the
project is equal to approximately half of the City of Phoenix’s
workforce.
Aviation Special Projects Administrator Jay DeWitt
discussed the potential extension of the Sky Train to Terminals 2 and 3. He indicated construction could be
accelerated nearly eight years if the city is awarded additional stimulus
funding. He also noted the extension
would create an additional 1,954 jobs and more than $250 million in economic
output. Mr. DeWitt added the project has
received a wide array of support, including letters from Senators John McCain
and Arlen Specter, U.S. Representative Ed Pastor, and five mayors.
Mayor Gordon thanked staff for their work. He also thanked representatives from Pennsylvania,
including Governor Ed Rendell, for their support on the project. He noted both Pennsylvania
and Arizona would benefit from
the project and have forged a unique partnership.
ESTIMATED
4:10 P.M.- ADJOURNMENT
Action Taken:
Mayor Gordon adjourned the meeting at 4:04 p.m.
For further information, please call the Management Intern,
City Manager's Office, at 602-262-4449.
For reasonable accommodations, call the Management Intern
at Voice/602-262-4449 or TTY/602-534-5500 as early as possible to coordinate
needed arrangements.
Si
necesita traducción en español, por favor llame a la oficina del gerente de la
Ciudad de Phoenix, 602-262-4449 tres días antes de la fecha de la junta.
PHOENIX
CITY
COUNCIL MEMBERS
Councilman DiCiccio
Councilman Gates
Councilman Johnson
Councilman Mattox
Councilwoman Neely
Councilman Nowakowski
Councilwoman
Williams
Vice Mayor Simplot
Mayor Gordon