OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Economic Developments and the Arts Subcommittee Meeting - September 10, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, September 10, 2025
BodyPhoenix, Arizona
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, September 10, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 32:20

Transcript — Verbatim
0:35

Good morning and welcome to Wednesday, September 10th, 2025 Economic Developments and the Arts Subcommittee meeting.

0:43

I'd like to call the meeting to order.

0:46

And then I will turn to our city attorney to explain public comments, please.

0:52

Thank you, Madam Chair.

0:53

Good morning, members of the subcommittee.

0:55

During citizen comment, members of the public may address the subcommittee for up to three minutes on issues of interest or concern to them.

1:02

The Arizona Open Meeting Law permits the subcommittee members to listen to the comments, but prohibits members from discussing or acting on matters presented.

1:11

Thank you, Madam Chair.

1:13

Thank you so much, David.

1:14

And then now I'd like to introduce our interpreter, Mario Barajas, who will say a few words.

1:21

Yes, Madam Chair, thank you.

1:22

This is Mario Barajas.

1:24

I'll be serving as a today's uh Spanish interpreter.

1:27

If uh I can be permitted to announce myself to our Spanish speakers that when a star de Mazmian Buenos días, you soy Mario Guarajas y Wayas está siguiendo como interprete a los de habla hispana.

1:40

Muchas gracias.

1:41

Thank you, madam chair.

1:43

Thank you so much, Mario.

1:45

Um my understanding is we have no call to public today.

1:48

Wonderful, we will move to item one, which is approval of the minutes.

1:52

Do I have a motion?

1:54

I move to approve.

1:56

And a second.

1:59

Um I I'm gonna recuse myself from the minutes only because I wasn't here.

2:04

Okay, during that time.

2:05

I I will second the motion.

2:07

All those in favor, please say aye.

2:09

Aye.

2:10

Aye.

2:11

Nope.

2:12

And um councilwoman Pastor is going to abstain.

2:18

Okay.

2:18

Great.

2:19

So the um, and there are no nays, so the motion passes.

2:23

Items two, three, and four are consent items.

2:28

Are there any questions or concerns from members?

2:33

No.

2:34

Hearing none, then we will move to item five, which is our fiscal year 2025-2026 bioscience healthcare strategic initiative.

2:45

And joining us for this report are Nathan Wright, the deputy community economic director, and Claudia Whitehead, the program manager.

2:53

Thank you for joining us this morning.

2:57

Madam Chair, I had a question.

2:59

Um is is items two, three, and four are they for action, consent action, or were they disinformation?

3:07

I apologize.

3:08

They are in consent.

3:09

I I skipped an important part.

3:12

Thank you for uh setting me cur straight, councilwoman.

3:16

No more.

3:16

I would take a motion to approve items two through four.

3:19

I move items two through four.

3:22

And do we have a second?

3:25

I'll second.

3:27

All those in favor, please say aye.

3:29

Aye.

3:29

Aye.

3:30

Aye.

3:31

None opposed.

3:32

So motion passes unanimously.

3:34

Now we will go to item five, and we are joined by Nathan Wright and Claudia Whitehead.

3:39

Thank you for being with us this morning.

3:41

Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the subcommittee.

3:44

I'm here with Claudia Whitehead, who uh leads our strategic initiative, bioscience healthcare initiative.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Economic Development█████████████████████████████████████████████72%
Procedural████████12%
Public Health██████9%
International Relations████7%
Summary of Proceedings

Economic Developments and the Arts Subcommittee Meeting

This subcommittee meeting primarily focused on the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Bioscience Healthcare Strategic Initiative. Members received an update from Deputy Community Economic Director Nathan Wright and Program Manager Claudia Whitehead on the initiative's accomplishments, including significant capital investment, job creation, and international recognition. The subcommittee unanimously approved the initiative's continued implementation, including participation in the AZ Bio Industry Association and the 2026 Bio International Convention, at a cost not to exceed $130,000. The meeting also included approval of minutes, consent agenda items, and a procedural vote due to a conflict of interest.

Consent Calendar

  • The subcommittee approved items two, three, and four (minutes of prior meetings, reports, and routine actions) unanimously as a consent agenda.
  • Councilwoman Pastor abstained from voting on the minutes (item one) because she was not present for that meeting. The minutes (item one) were approved with all other members voting aye.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public addressed the subcommittee.

Discussion Items

  • Approval of Minutes (Item 1): Councilwoman Pastor recused herself because she was absent during the meeting covered by the minutes. The motion carried with all other members voting aye.
  • Consent Items (Items 2–4): After an initial approval, the subcommittee reconsidered the entire consent agenda when Councilwoman Pastor disclosed a conflict of interest with item four. The subcommittee voted to reconsider and then approved items two and three unanimously. Councilwoman Stark seconded the motion for item four; Councilwoman Pastor abstained. Item four passed 2-0-1.
  • Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Bioscience Healthcare Strategic Initiative (Item 5): Claudia Whitehead presented:
    • Phoenix is now ranked as a top 20 life science market in the U.S. Arizona is second in the U.S. for life science job growth and eighth for clinical trial economic impact.
    • Since 2019, the city has seen over $6.7 billion in new capital investment, more than 8 million square feet of new facilities, and 14,000 new high-quality jobs (average bioscience salary is $20,000 higher than other private sectors).
    • At the 2025 Bio International Convention in Boston, the City of Phoenix was the only city with a pavilion; the delegation of more than 60 people held over 400 meetings and identified more than 180 opportunities.
    • A short film highlighted the MindCrowd study by TGen (now part of City of Hope). The study has more than 800,000 participants and aims to reach 1 million by the end of 2025. Over 100,000 people have taken the test since the June 2025 trade show debut.
    • The estimated cost for participation in the 2026 Bio International Convention in San Diego and AZ Bio membership is $130,000.
  • Councilwoman Stark expressed strong support, noting Phoenix's international reputation in biosciences. Councilwoman Pastor asked about the MindCrowd study's potential to examine younger brains for ADHD, ADD, or neurodivergence.
  • The Chair emphasized that 80% of Arizona's clinical trials occur in Phoenix, calling the bioscience investments a success.
  • Future Agenda Items: Councilwoman Stark requested an update on the Phoenix Sister Cities program, noting many international activities, including potential new sister cities in Africa. The chair confirmed a Sister Cities update is scheduled for November 2025.

Key Outcomes

  • Motion on Items 2–4 (after reconsideration): Approved unanimously for items two and three. Item four was approved 2-0-1, with Councilwoman Pastor abstaining due to a conflict.
  • Motion on Item 5 (Bioscience Healthcare Strategic Initiative): Approved unanimously (all members voting aye). The subcommittee recommended council approval for implementation, including AZ Bio membership and participation in the 2026 Bio International Convention, at a cost not to exceed $130,000.
  • Next Steps: The subcommittee will hear a presentation on Phoenix Sister Cities activities in November 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning and welcome to Wednesday, September 10th, 2025 Economic Developments and the Arts Subcommittee meeting. I'd like to call the meeting to order. And then I will turn to our city attorney to explain public comments, please. Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning, members of the subcommittee. During citizen comment, members of the public may address the subcommittee for up to three minutes on issues of interest or concern to them. The Arizona Open Meeting Law permits the subcommittee members to listen to the comments, but prohibits members from discussing or acting on matters presented. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you so much, David. And then now I'd like to introduce our interpreter, Mario Barajas, who will say a few words. Yes, Madam Chair, thank you. This is Mario Barajas. I'll be serving as a today's uh Spanish interpreter. If uh I can be permitted to announce myself to our Spanish speakers that when a star de Mazmian Buenos días, you soy Mario Guarajas y Wayas está siguiendo como interprete a los de habla hispana. Muchas gracias. Thank you, madam chair. Thank you so much, Mario. Um my understanding is we have no call to public today. Wonderful, we will move to item one, which is approval of the minutes. Do I have a motion? I move to approve. And a second. Um I I'm gonna recuse myself from the minutes only because I wasn't here. Okay, during that time. I I will second the motion. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. Aye. Nope. And um councilwoman Pastor is going to abstain. Okay. Great. So the um, and there are no nays, so the motion passes. Items two, three, and four are consent items. Are there any questions or concerns from members? No. Hearing none, then we will move to item five, which is our fiscal year 2025-2026 bioscience healthcare strategic initiative. And joining us for this report are Nathan Wright, the deputy community economic director, and Claudia Whitehead, the program manager. Thank you for joining us this morning. Madam Chair, I had a question. Um is is items two, three, and four are they for action, consent action, or were they disinformation? I apologize. They are in consent. I I skipped an important part. Thank you for uh setting me cur straight, councilwoman. No more. I would take a motion to approve items two through four. I move items two through four. And do we have a second? I'll second.

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