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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,
October 28, 2008, at 2:00 P.M. located in the City Council Chambers, 200 West Jefferson,
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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AN EXECUTIVE SESSION WAS CALLED FOR THIS TIME AT THE
POLICY MEETING OF |
THE TIMES
LISTED FOR AGENDA ITEMS
Action Taken:
Mayor Gordon called the meeting to order at
|
ESTIMATED |
COUNCIL
INFORMATION |
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:
There were
no information requests.
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:
Councilwoman
Baier requested the removal of Item Three from the
Consent Agenda, to be continued to the Formal Agenda for
Vice Mayor
Neely moved approval of the Consent Agenda, noting the continuance of Item
Three until
CALL FOR
AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
A vote to
call an Executive Session may be held.
Action
Taken:
Vice Mayor Neely moved the Phoenix
City Council, pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 38-431.02.A, meet in Executive Session on Tuesday,
This item
is scheduled to give City Council members an opportunity to ask questions about
the Formal Agenda on
Action
Taken:
City Manager
Frank Fairbanks informed the Council of three add-on items to the Formal Agenda
for
REPORTS BY THE
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.
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ESTIMATED 2. |
EMPLOYEE
SERVICE AWARD ANNOUNCMENTS (NO REPORT) |
Staff: Washington, Smith |
This item
is for information only. No City Council
action is required.
Action
Taken:
Councilman
Stanton presented an Employee Service Award to Ms. Donna Friend for
25 years
service with the City.
Councilman
Mattox presented an Employee Service Award to Ms. Patricia Matus
for
30 years
service to the City.
Councilman
Johnson entered the meeting at
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ESTIMATED 3. |
CITYNORTH
– OPENING FIRST PHASE |
Staff: Krietor, Maxwell
|
CityNorth
will open its first phase, High Street, on
This item
is for information only. No City Council
action is required.
Back-up
included in Council packet/City Clerk's Office.
Action
Taken:
Deputy
City Manager David Krietor announced the completion
of Phase I of the CityNorth project. He emphasized the economic impact of the
project on the community, local businesses, and City revenues. He then introduced Paul Katsenes,
Assistant Community and Economic Development Director, and Tim Campbell, Vice
President of Development for CityNorth, before
showing a video presentation.
Mayor
Gordon noted the City and State of
Vice Mayor
Neely commented on the importance of the completion of the first phase of CityNorth and thanked staff for their work.
Mr. Katsenes stated the project has been 20 years in the
making, including the purchase of State land and development of surrounding
residential and commercial property. He
noted the efforts of the Thomas J. Klutznick Company
throughout this process.
Mr.
Campbell thanked the City for its support and noted the upcoming grand opening
celebration.
Councilwoman
Baier offered congratulations to Mayor Gordon and
Vice Mayor Neely for their leadership on the project. She mentioned the impressive scope and scale
of the project and encouraged all to attend the grand opening celebration.
Mayor
Gordon asked for clarification on the number of jobs created by the project, as
well as when Phase II would open.
Mr. Krietor indicated 500 permanent jobs would be created,
while 16,000 other jobs were created during the project’s construction.
Mr.
Campbell stated Phase II would open in September 2010.
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4. |
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Staff: Zuercher, Dorney, Miller |
This report
requests City Council approval to implement a Phoenix Neighborhood
Stabilization Program by receiving and awarding Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) funds resulting from the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008
(HERA), Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) to establish funding targets
for HERA activities, and to enter into contracts for services required to
implement HERA-related programs and strategies.
The Neighborhoods, Housing, Historic Preservation, Arts and Culture
Subcommittee approved this item at its
This item
is for information, discussion, and action.
Back-up
included in Council packet/City Clerk's Office.
Action
Taken:
Deputy
City Manager Ed Zuercher gave an overview of the
Phoenix Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
He expressed staff’s desire for Council direction on the implementation
of the program. He introduced a PowerPoint
presentation, noting the City had received a sizeable share of the funding
available from the HERA Act and that the funding was bound by stringent
regulations. He estimated the program
will only be able to assist 800 homeowners, though the City expects approximately
12,000 foreclosures this year.
Neighborhood
Services Director Jerome Miller continued the PowerPoint presentation and used
several maps to show the extent of foreclosures in the city. He cited a number of programs the City would
use to address housing and foreclosure issues.
He stated the programs had the goals of preserving good neighborhoods,
improving changing neighborhoods, and addressing blight.
Housing
Director Kim Dorney concluded the PowerPoint
presentation, focusing on four key strategies of the Neighborhood Stabilization
Program. She indicated the program would
devote 36% of the HERA funds to eliminating blight, 27% to connecting willing
buyers and sellers, 27% to preserving affordable rentals, and 10% toward
administrative costs. She estimated an
action plan for the program would be complete by December, with the funds
obligated by June 2010 and fully spent by December 2012.
Mayor
Gordon asked what it meant that funds may be recycled.
Ms. Dorney explained the City could re-use money it may earn
from the sale of rehabilitated housing, rather than having to return it to the
federal government. She also noted the
City will continue to work with community partners.
Mr. Zuercher requested Council authorization to accept the
federal funding, enter into any contracts or programs necessary to carry out
the goals of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, and move forward with the
amendment of the Housing and Urban Development Consolidated Plan.
Vice Mayor
Neely moved approval of staff’s recommendation made in the
Councilman
Stanton noted the challenge of finding sellers willing to sell at the
percentage required by the HERA Act.
Councilman
Johnson thanked staff for their work, including efforts to secure
Councilwoman
Williams avowed her support for the program and asked how quickly it could be
implemented.
Mr. Miller
responded staff hoped to have programs in place by March 2009.
Councilman
Vice Mayor
Neely encouraged staff to work with other organizations to remediate issues of
blight and maximize assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure.
Mr. Zuercher affirmed the importance of foreclosure prevention
programs, as well as stabilization programs.
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ESTIMATED 5. |
BUS
PROGRAM FINANCIAL UPDATE |
Staff: Callow, Cotton |
This report provides
City Council an update on Transit 2000 (T2000) sales tax revenues and the
overall financial status of the bus program and requests approval of December
bus service reductions as a first step in mitigating the impacts of rapidly
declining sales tax revenues. The
Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee reviewed this item on
This item
is for information, discussion, and action.
Back-up
included in Council packet/City Clerk's Office.
Action
Taken:
Mayor
Gordon noted the recent loss of two City of
City
Manager Frank Fairbanks outlined reductions in Public Transit revenues and
their impact on service levels. He
explained staff’s position on the need for service reductions and asked for
Council direction. He also noted the
restrictions on when Public Transit is able to alter the terms of its contracts
with private bus service providers and emphasized the necessity of addressing
the situation now, if Council desired any action to be taken.
Deputy
City Manager Tom Callow stated the City Council Transportation and
Infrastructure subcommittee did not offer a recommendation on the issue. He indicated staff was proposing three
alternatives for Council’s consideration.
Public
Transit Director Debbie Cotton explained the continued decline of Transit
revenues. She detailed the three
alternatives proposed by staff: ending bus service before
Councilman
Johnson left the meeting at
Assistant
Public Transit Director Lauri Wingenroth
gave a PowerPoint presentation depicting the impact of decreased revenues on
Public Transit fund balances. She noted
several causes for the decreased revenues and offered funding recommendations
to help improve the Transit fund balance.
Mr. Callow
explained staff’s current proposed service reductions are limited. He indicated staff would return to the
Subcommittee in the spring for guidance on future service reductions.
Mayor
Gordon inquired about the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RPTA) stance on
fare increases.
Mr. Callow
indicated RPTA is considering a fare increase in July 2009.
Mr.
Fairbanks explained RPTA must follow certain processes to alter fare rates,
although the organization is seeking to get fare increases approved and
implemented soon. He noted support for
fare increases may exist throughout the Valley due to the current popularity of
mass transit. He emphasized the City’s
high quality of transit service, in spite of possible reductions.
Mayor
Gordon noted RPTA is looking at a number of fare possibilities.
Ms. Wingenroth mentioned the City was exploring fare options
for transit services for which it is the sole provider. She explained the impact of the Transit fund
of the proposed revenue enhancements and service reductions. She requested Council approval of staff’s
recommendations.
Mayor
Gordon opened the floor for resident comments.
Ms.
Barbara McDonald, President of the Arizona Council of the Blind, expressed
oppositions to staff’s recommendations.
She emphasized the need for public transit by people with disabilities
and seniors. She also noted the need for
adequate service during difficult economic times.
Ms. Lisa
Dugan expressed concern that the service reductions would impact Dial-a-Ride
services. She stated the Transit 2000
initiative and Proposition 400 should have guaranteed adequate transit funding. She opposes the current reductions and any
future reductions.
Mr. Callow
indicated there were no proposed cuts to the Dial-a-Ride program at this
time. He also noted the Transportation
and Infrastructure Subcommittee would receive a report on Americans with
Disabilities Act funding in December.
Ms. Donna
Powers voiced opposition to staff’s recommendation. She explained transit services are important
to supporting the local economy.
Mr. Marcus
Schmidt stated services should not be cut when ridership
is increasing. He offered a number of
proposals to improve transit services and asked that cuts not
disproportionately affect people with disabilities and seniors.
Mayor
Gordon clarified there were no cuts to Dial-a-Ride at this time and noted
staff’s exploration of additional revenue sources to preserve transit
services. He encouraged residents to
work with the Maricopa Association of Governments and RPTA to get other local
governments to match the City’s funding contribution on a per capita basis.
Mr.
Fairbanks noted light rail funding is completely separate from other transit
funding.
Vice Mayor
Neely asked what the effect would be if the Council decided not to make cuts at
this time.
Ms. Cotton
stated an additional $500,000 in cuts would need to be made in March, if no
cuts were pursued now.
Mr. Callow
described the overall funding cuts to be proposed later in the year.
Mr.
Fairbanks explained if funding to Public Transit was not reduced, other General
Fund departments would experience increased funding cuts.
Mayor
Gordon inquired about the number of transit riders each year.
Ms. Cotton
responded 161,000 people per day and 54 million people per year ride public
transit.
Mayor
Gordon asked about the funding situation facing Public Transit.
Ms. Wingenroth stated the department may lose $60 million of
its fund balance this year.
Mayor
Gordon indicated RPTA may need to explore fare increases in light of increasing
ridership and the funding issues facing public
transit. He inquired whether the City is
able to opt out of RPTA.
City
Attorney Gary Verburg stated research would need to
be done on the question.
Mr. Callow
noted he did not think a legal agreement existed between the City and RPTA.
Gary
Corcoran noted Public Transit’s budget has increased since the passage of the
T2000 initiative and Proposition 400. He
expressed concern that services may be reduced, even as the department’s budget
has increased.
Mayor
Gordon stated the City continued to fulfill its commitments from the T2000
initiative. He added the City and
community must work together during this difficult budget time. He also advocated state and federal
government offer more funding to local governments.
Vice Mayor
Neely moved the approval of staff’s recommendation made in the
Mayor
Gordon requested the motion also include a request that staff issue a
memorandum on any future adjustments that would be made.
Vice Mayor
Neely added a request for staff to explore fare policy at the
Mr. Simplot then asked staff to provide information on expenses
and ridership of the DASH program.
Councilwoman
Baier asked that Vice Mayor Neely’s motion specify
proposed service reductions only be suspended, not permanently eliminated, and
to be restored when the budget permits.
Councilman
Stanton asked whether ridership was a prime
consideration in staff’s proposed cuts.
Mr. Callow
responded ridership was looked at, as well as ease of
implementation.
Councilman
Stanton clarified routes would not be affect, just the timing of service. He also noted the possible impact on RPTA if
the City takes a strong position on fare rates.
Councilman
Mattox asked for clarification on the impact of timing changes to routes.
Mr. Callow
stated no routes would begin before
The
motion, with noted amendments, then passed unanimously.
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ESTIMATED 6. 3: |
PROPOSED
REDUCTIONS TO THE STREET TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT’S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM |
Staff: Callow, Bearup |
This report provides
City Council with three options for reductions to the Street Transportation
Department’s Capital Improvement Program budget.
This item
is for information, discussion and action.
Back-up
included in Council packet/City Clerk's Office.
Action
Taken:
City
Manager Frank Fairbanks explained the importance of maintaining street
infrastructure, in spite of funding limitations. He asked for guidance from the Council on how
staff should proceed with Street Transportation Department Capital Improvement
Program reductions.
Street
Transportation Director Wylie Bearup gave a
PowerPoint presentation and outlined the three alternatives offered by staff
regarding street maintenance. He noted
staff’s recommendation that the enhanced maintenance alternative be
selected.
Vice Mayor
Neely moved to suspend the current program, opting for staff’s recommendation
for enhanced maintenance, helping streets return to their previous maintenance
levels. Councilwoman Williams seconded
the motion, noting her sentiment that maintenance had been cut too much in the
past.
Councilman
Mattox expressed interest in exploring other maintenance options, including the
use of chip seal.
Councilwoman
Baier queried whether the alternative selected by the
Council would adversely affect funding devoted to school safety.
Sandy
Remy, Street Transportation Department Management Services Administrator,
indicated school safety funding was equivalent in all three options presented
by staff.
The motion
then passed unanimously.
ESTIMATED
Action
Taken:
Mayor
Gordon adjourned the meeting at
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
Councilwoman
Baier
Councilman
Johnson
Councilman
Mattox
Councilman
Nowakowski
Councilman
Simplot
Councilman
Stanton
Councilwoman
Williams
Vice Mayor
Neely
Mayor
Gordon