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Pursuant to A.R.S. § 38431.02, 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, June 17, 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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THE TIMES LISTED
FOR AGENDA ITEMS ARE ESTIMATED.
ITEMS MAY BE DISCUSSED EARLIER OR IN A DIFFERENT SEQUENCE.
Action Taken:
Councilman Johnson convened the meeting at 2:13 p.m. on behalf of Mayor Gordon who was
absent. Vice Mayor Neely was present via
conference-call and Council members Baier, Stanton, Mattox, Nowakowski and Williams
were 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:
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:
Councilman Stanton moved
approval of the Consent Agenda. Councilwoman
Williams seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
CALL FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
A vote to call an Executive Session may be held.
Action Taken:
Councilman Stanton moved that the Phoenix City Council,
pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 38-431.02.A, meet in Executive
Session on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 1:00 p.m.; Tuesday, July 1, 2008, at 1:00
p.m.; and Tuesday, September 2, 2008, at 1:00 p.m. in the East Conference Room, 12th
Floor of the Phoenix City Hall, 200 West Washington Street, Phoenix,
Arizona. Councilwoman Williams seconded
the motion, which passed unanimously.
INFORMATION REQUESTS ON FORMAL
AGENDA ITEMS.
This item is scheduled
to give City Council members an opportunity to ask questions about the Formal
Agenda on Wednesday,
June 18, 2008. If the information is available, staff will
immediately provide it to the City Council member.
Action Taken:
None.
REPORTS 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 stated there were six add-on
items to the Formal Agenda. He noted the
following add-ons: 1. Acquisition of Parcel for SR51,
2. Authorization to enter into an Amended and Restated
Operating Agreement with the Phoenix Art
Museum, 3. Agreement with Red Oak Consulting, 4.
Agreement with R.W. Beck, Inc. and Stratus Consulting, Inc., 5. Willo
Neighborhood Streetscape Improvement and 6. Phoenix Indian School Memorial Hall
interior Renovation.
Mr. Fairbanks presented a PowerPoint presentation on the
status of the 2007 – 2008 Sales Tax Revenue.
He covered the Retail and Contracting Sales Taxes by Month in addition
to the Local Sales Tax Revenue Growth Through May 2008. He also covered the State Sales Tax Revenue
Growth Through April 2008
Mr. Fairbanks indicated the overall sales tax revenue
projection and current estimate are down, but the organization is not in a
panic mode due to the Council’s strong action early on to balance the
budget. He noted the downtrend was still
continuing, but was confident the Mayor and Council would work with staff to
preserve the high-quality of services.
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ESTIMATED
2. 2:30 P.M.-
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EMPLOYEE SERVICE AWARD
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 Johnson and Councilman Stanton presented the
Employee Service Award to Mr. James Kiernan for 25 years of service with the Phoenix
Fire Department.
Councilman Johnson and Councilwoman Baier presented the
Employee Service Award to Ms. Virginia Moreno for 30 years of service with the
City of Phoenix. Ms. Moreno is currently with the Municipal
Court.
Councilman Johnson and Councilwoman Williams presented the
Employee Service Award to Mr. Ray V. Gallego, Jr. who is currently with the
Parks and Recreation Department for 30 years of service with the City of Phoenix.
The Phoenix Sister Cities Commission will report on the May
2008 delegation visit to Ramat-Gan, Israel. The objective of the visit was to explore the
potential of educational, cultural and economic projects and exchanges that
will showcase the sister city affiliation and strengthen the ties between the
two cities and their communities.
This item is for information only. No City Council action is required.
Back-up included in Council packet/City Clerk's Office.
Action Taken:
Councilman Stanton provided a brief history as to how the
Sister Cities partnership/relationship was developed with Ramat-Gan,
Israel.
Ms. Paula West, Protocol Program Administrator – Phoenix
Sister Cities, stated the visit to Ramat-Gan was an opportunity to explore the
potential of educational, cultural & economic projects in addition to
exchanges which would highlight the Sister
City relationship as well as
strengthen the ties between two cities and the communities. She congratulated the Ramat-Gan committee
under the leadership of Ms. Vicki Cabot for an exceptional trip. Ms. Lisa Takata, Executive Assistant to the
City Manager, was present.
Ms. West introduced Ms. Vicki Cabot, Chair of the Ramat-Gan
Committee, and Rabbi Robert Kravitz to present the highlights from the trip.
Ms. Cabot indicated the delegation to Ramat-Gan in May
consisted of 24 people and acknowledged Ms. West and Ms. Misty Cisneros,
Phoenix Sister Cities Office, for making the trip possible. She presented a PowerPoint slideshow to
highlight the trip.
The PowerPoint slideshow consisted of the following pictures:
downtown Ramat-Gan, Professor Ari Zibon (Nanotechnology Lab), School
of Performing Arts, care facility
for Alzheimer’s patients, the zoo, Israel
Center for Disabilities, formal
dinner with
Mayor Phil Gordon, Ramat-Gan Mayor Barr, Ramat-Gan
City Manager David Benjamin.
Ms. Cabot indicated the trip was a success in terms of
strengthening the partnership with Ramat-Gan.
Rabbi Kravitz thanked the Mayor and Council for giving him
the opportunity to represent the City of Phoenix
and the Phoenix Sister Cities Commission at the International Sister Cities
Commission in Jerusalem in
March.
Rabbi Kravitz indicated he was able to join over 760
delegates from 43 countries at the Jerusalem
event. He noted two high school youth
ambassadors will visit Ramat-Gan soon and the commission hopes to continue the
plan for collaboration with Ramat-Gan and the Disability Awareness Committee
dealing with wheelchair basketball and other issues.
Rabbi Kravitz presented a gift for Mayor Gordon as a token
of appreciation.
Councilman Johnson noted the visit to Ramat-Gan was
rewarding. He indicated the
nanotechnology lab on the cutting edge of technology.
Councilman Stanton indicated the relationship with
Ramat-Gan was very important. He noted
the similarities between Phoenix
and Ramat-Gan. He also invited people to
volunteer for a worthy cause.
Councilwoman Baier thanked the delegation and staff.
This report informs the Mayor and City Council of the results
of the 17th Annual International Women’s Day Luncheon Celebration
held on March 6, 2008 at the
Phoenix Convention
Center.
Members of the International Women’s Day Steering Committee
and event sponsors will be recognized for their contributions to the success of
the event. Scholarship funds raised
through the event will be presented to ten local educational institutions by
the Phoenix Women’s Commission.
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 Ed Zuercher acknowledged the Phoenix Women’s
Commission in addition to the individuals from the private sector who are
committed. He acknowledged Ms. Kristine
Hedlund, Publisher – Phoenix Magazine, and Ms. Sue Glawe, Vice President for
Community Relations – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, for their leadership
and effort to advance opportunities for women.
He introduced Equal Opportunity Department Director Lionel Lyons.
Mr. Lyons thanked the Mayor and Council for the opportunity
to talk about the Equal Opportunity Department and its 17-year partnership with
the International Women’s Steering Commission, The Phoenix Women’s Commission,
the Finance Department and the Public Information Office.
Mr. Lyons acknowledged Ms. Glawe and Ms. Hedlund for their
leadership and involvement as Honorary Chairs of the 2008 luncheon. He indicated the City’s commitment in
supporting a better quality of life for women in the community is evidenced in
the results that will be shared today.
He acknowledged the 27 departments for offering support by participating
as volunteers as well as the attendance of over 470 City employees.
Mr. Lyon gave a special thanks to Ms. Carolyn Gall, who
served as the Interim Equal Opportunity Director. He introduced Ms. Andrea Moreno, Phoenix
Women’s Commission Vice Chair, to continue with the presentation.
Ms. Moreno thanked the Mayor and Council for the
opportunity to present. She indicated
Ms. Terri Jackson, Phoenix Women’s Commission Chair, could not attend the
meeting today, but wanted to share with everyone her appreciation and honor to
serve as the Commission Chair.
Ms. Moreno provided a PowerPoint slideshow on the 2008
International Women’s Day Celebration.
She stated the International Women’s Day recognizes the continuing
struggle of women to improve their lives and provide the opportunity for women
from all over the world to come together and renew their commitment to equality
and justice.
Ms. Moreno gave a special thanks to the 2008 co-Chairs and
indicated as a result of their commitment, many women will benefit by getting
the opportunity to further their education.
She noted as Program Committee Development Chair she was able to bring
together all of the elements of the program with the help from the Phoenix
Women’s Commission and the International Women’s Day Steering Committee.
Ms. Moreno indicated since 1991, the International Women’s
Day Scholarship Program has awarded all event proceeds to re-entry women who
seek the advantage of an education. She
noted this year the figure reached $800,000 and introduced Ms. Glawe and Ms.
Hedlund.
Ms. Hedlund thanked the Mayor and Council for nominating
her and Ms. Glawe as co-Chairs. She
noted that it was an honor to serve the City of Phoenix
and the women of the community. She
indicated the mission this year was to provide and help raise sponsorships with
a goal of $100,000, but exceeded expectations with an additional $25,000 from
this year’s luncheon.
Ms. Hedlund noted a Memorandum of Understanding was signed
with 10 local colleges and universities.
She stated the colleges and universities will receive a total of
$125,000 for the International Women’s Day Scholarship Program Fund for the
2008 and 2009 scholastic year.
Ms. Hedlund thanked the many sponsors and Ms. Glawe for
their hard work. She indicated there are
10 scholarships that will be presented as a result of the hard work from staff
and the sponsorships.
Ms. Moreno noted this year’s event attracted approximately
1,300 attendees representing a cross-section of the community. She noted Ms. Martha Beck, keynote speaker,
delivered an inspiring and motivational address. She indicated the theme for this year’s event
was “Women of Courage Create the Vision.”
She thanked the media sponsorships and the supporters of the event.
Mr. Lyons asked the members of the Council to join him at
the podium for the presentation of the scholarships.
Vice Mayor Neely stated the event was outstanding and
congratulated everyone for their hard work.
This report seeks approval, guidance and direction from the
Mayor and Council on State legislation of interest to the City,
The Mayor and City Council may provide direction to staff
on actions necessary to implement new State laws.
This item is for information, discussion and possible
action.
Back-up included in Council packet/City Clerk's Office.
Action Taken:
Intergovernmental Affairs Coordinator Karen Peters provided
a PowerPoint presentation on the State Legislative Update. She noted this meeting would be the last
update before the adjournment of the session.
Ms. Peters acknowledged the Mayor’s Office and City staff
for the continued support. She also
thanked the legislative liaisons for the continued support. She noted this year there were 1,527 bills,
which translates to over 3,000 requests for comments to the City staff. She stated staff responded with over 9,385
comments this year on the legislation.
Ms. Peters indicated today was the 156th day of
the session and there are only a few days left in the state’s fiscal year that
expires on June 30, 2008. She noted so far in the session there were
270 Bills signed and 26 vetoes.
Ms. Peters indicated the budget shortfall for the state has
grown to $2 billion and the options are difficult to discuss.
Councilman Stanton asked if the state can pass continuing
resolutions if they are not able to come up with a budget in time as it is at
the Federal level. Ms. Peters indicated
this has not happened before, but could be an option.
Ms. Peters talked about House Bill 2643 (Liquor; Restaurant
Licenses; Continued Operations), which was signed by the governor. She noted House Bill 2643 is a combination of
a number of other Bills dealing with liquor related issues.
Ms. Peters noted as of January 1, 2009, the bill will take away the judge’s
discretion to suspend a portion of the mandatory jail sentence for first-time
extreme DUI offenders. She stated this
will essentially cost the City money because the County operates the jail. She indicated the City pays the County $84
each day for most of the inmates that
are transferred to the County.
Ms. Peters noted the Prosecutors informed her that the
impact of this additional jail time on the City is an additional $6 million
each year.
City Manager Frank Fairbanks stated the additional jail
time is required for the misdemeanor offenders and under Arizona
law, the City has to pay the jail time.
He indicated currently on the water bill is $1 charge that is for jail
fees and the City collects about $6.8 million each year. He stated the City currently pays $11.5
million for jail fees and will have to add an additional $6 million.
Mr. Fairbanks proposed
as part of the legislative report for the Council to authorize staff to
do some work and to consider raising the $1 charge on the water bill to help
cover the cost.
Vice Mayor Neely addressed two concerns. She stated not everyone pays the water bill
and the City should look into the privatization of the jails. She indicated this could be a long-term
solution.
Councilman Mattox indicated the Public Safety Subcommittee
staff would be responsible for researching private jails and prisons. He asked Assistant City Manager Alton
Washington to do some research on the private jails for future discussions.
Councilman Mattox stressed the importance of educating the
public as to the potential increase on the water bill mainly to address the
issue of the unfunded mandate from the State of Arizona.
Councilwoman Baier requested staff to look into other
revenue options in addition to the City working with the insurance companies as
they will benefit from the situation.
Councilman Johnson stated the City has to really explore
options for generating revenue in order to prevent more services from being
cut.
Councilman Stanton asked if the discussion of privatizing
jails included multiple cities coming together to partner for cost-savings.
Mr. Fairbanks noted at this point staff will look at every
angle and if other organizations want to join, then it would be their
prerogative. He stated if the private
jail is an option, it would take approximately 3 to 4 years.
Councilman Mattox made a motion to direct staff to look at ways to generate revenue necessary
to meet the $6 million unfunded state mandate in addition to looking at all
options that have been put on the table for consideration and bring a
recommendation back to the Council.
Mr. Fairbanks noted if staff reviews all of the options, it
would have to be after break, but then the City would lose two months of
revenue potential. He noted staff will
proceed according to the Council’s decision.
Councilwoman Williams suggested staff come back with some
option to implement within a 30-day period in addition to looking at other
options.
There was no second on Councilman Mattox’s motion.
Councilwoman Baier indicated there is a sense of urgency
given the January 2009 deadline to come up with $6 million. She recommended staff to consider the charge
on the water bill for the first year, but continue to research whether there
are any more narrowly tailored responses to the need for additional revenue
going forward.
Mr. Fairbanks noted there is not enough data to determine
the following year’s budget outlook until about September and at that time
staff will come back with a comprehensive zero-based budgeting review. He indicated it would be difficult to come up
with a level of cuts prior to September.
Councilman Johnson wanted to clarify the motion that was on
the floor. He indicated the motion was
to authorize City staff to look at an option to deal with the $6 million, which
includes an increase to the water bill.
He also noted staff would look into the privatization of jails through
the Public Safety Subcommittee and other ways to generate revenue.
Councilwoman Baier inquired about the different population
of inmates. She indicated there may be
some greater propensity to collect from DUI offenders.
Councilman Stanton wanted to know if the Prosecutors factored
in the deadbeat nature of people who were convicted when they did the budget
analysis.
Ms. Peters stated the Prosecutors did not include the
analysis of recouping jail costs.
There was a second on the current motion.
Councilman Johnson asked Ms. Peters to continue with the
presentation.
Management Assistant Thomas Remes continued with the
PowerPoint presentation by covering two additional Bills. He stated House Bill 2381, which adjusted the
administrative fees from 3 to 5%, was enough to allow the City of Phoenix
and the regional 911 center to keep their GIS
staff.
Mr. Remes stated staff is in the process of adding the
City’s language onto House Bill 2701, which is the County’s Graffiti Abatement
Bill. He indicated staff is hoping the
Bill gets a hearing in the committee of the whole soon.
Councilman Johnson wanted to know what is holding up Bills
related to public safety. Ms. Peters
indicated there are political considerations that come into play with the
legislation.
Councilman Mattox inquired about the status of shared revenue. Ms. Peters indicated the budget negotiations
are closed-door negotiations. She noted
the shared-revenue topic is not on the table at this time. She stated there is no information related to
shared revenue to report.
ESTIMATED
4:00 P.M.-
ADJOURNMENT
Action Taken:
Councilman Johnson adjourned the meeting at 3:46 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
Councilwoman Baier
Councilman Johnson
Councilman Mattox
Councilman
Nowakowski
Councilman Simplot
Councilman Stanton
Councilwoman
Williams
Vice Mayor Neely
Mayor Gordon
