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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Phoenix City Council Meeting Summary - December 3, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, December 3, 2025

BodyPhoenix, Arizona

SessionCity Council

DateWednesday, December 3, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:43:44

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0:37

Good afternoon.

0:38

Welcome to the Phoenix City Council meeting.

0:40

Before we begin, we will have a moment of silent reflection.

0:54

Thank you.

0:54

And now please rise for the pledge of allegiance.

1:01

I pledge allegiance.

1:21

Thank you so much for joining us.

1:23

Today is December 3rd, and we are pleased to call the meeting to the order.

1:28

Will the clerk call the roll?

1:30

Councilwoman Guardado here.

1:32

Councilwoman Hernandez here.

1:34

Councilwoman Hodge Washington.

1:36

Here.

1:36

Councilwoman Pastor.

1:38

Here.

1:39

Councilman Robinson.

1:41

Councilwoman Stark.

1:42

Here.

1:43

Councilman Waring.

1:45

Vice Mayor O'Brien.

1:48

Here.

1:49

Mayor Gallego.

1:50

Here.

1:53

Councilman Robinson is not with us today because he is leading the city's delegation on our first ever non-stop flight between Phoenix and Asia, which has just landed.

2:03

So today is a historic day.

2:10

And speaking of important news of today, we are so pleased to welcome Ginger Spencer, our newly appointed assistant city manager.

2:18

So welcome, Ginger.

2:24

Phoenix Native, Alhambra High School graduate and longtime public servant at the city of Phoenix, joining Laurie Bayes as our two assistant city managers.

2:34

So congratulations, Ginger.

2:36

We are thrilled with the news and welcome to your new chair.

2:41

Thank you, Mayor.

2:42

Thank you, Council.

2:45

Elsie Duarte is with us to provide Spanish interpretation.

2:48

Elsie, would you introduce your team?

2:51

Yes, Mayor, thank you.

2:53

My name is Elsie Duarte, and along with my colleague Oscar Monroy.

2:58

We will be providing Spanish interpretation during today's formal meeting.

3:53

Thank you.

3:54

Will the city clerk read the 24-hour paragraph?

3:56

The titles of the following ordinance and resolution numbers on the agenda were available to the public at least 24 hours prior to this council meeting, and therefore may be read by title or agenda item only.

4:05

Ordinances number G7450 through 7461 S52406, 52435, 52437 through 52481, and resolution 22348.

4:18

Thank you so much.

4:19

Will the city attorney explain the role of public comment?

4:22

Yes, thank you, Mayor.

4:24

Members of the public may speak for up to two minutes to comment on agenda items.

4:28

Comments must be related to the agenda item and the action being considered by the council.

4:32

General comments that go beyond the scope of the agenda item should be made during the citizen comment session at the end of the agenda.

4:39

The city council and staff cannot discuss or comment on matters related to pending investigations, claims, or litigation.

4:45

Additionally, any member of the public who appears before the council in their capacity as a lobbyist must, as required by Phoenix City Code disclose this fact before addressing the council.

4:55

The City Code states that speakers must express their comments respectfully and courteously.

5:00

Use of profane language, threats, or personal attacks on members of the public, council members, or staff are not allowed.

5:05

Such comments are disruptive and unrelated to the council's business.

5:09

Any person who violates these rules may lose their opportunity to speak further and could be asked to leave.

5:14

Thank you, Mayor.

5:16

Thank you so much.

5:18

And now we the good news continues.

5:21

We have a swearing in of our municipal judges.

5:24

Two individuals who are unanimously supported by the city council at our last meeting.

5:28

We will do two swearing-ins in alphabetical order, and each judge will have a chance to introduce the family members who are here with you.

5:35

So we'll begin with Brett Hutchinson.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural███████████████████19%

Historic Preservation██████████████████18%

Personnel Matters██████████████████18%

Public Engagement████████████12%

Parks and Recreation██████6%

Ethics And Transparency████4%

Affordable Housing███3%

Workforce Development███3%

Public Safety███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Phoenix City Council Meeting Summary - December 3, 2025

The Phoenix City Council convened on December 3, 2025, to conduct a series of routine approvals, honor community history, address labor negotiations, and consider housing infrastructure projects. The meeting featured the swearing-in of two new municipal judges and the welcome of a new assistant city manager. Significant public discourse occurred regarding labor contract transparency, park maintenance, and the use of surveillance tools for crime reduction.

Consent Calendar

Swearing-in of Municipal Court Judges Brett Hutchinson and Christine Mullino, both unanimously supported.
Approval of liquor license advisory items 2 through 10; item 11 (Hatcher Beer and Smoke Shop) was disapproved based on neighborhood protests and pending zoning compliance issues.
Approval of ordinances G7450-7461 and resolutions S52406, 52435, and S52437-52481, with specific items excluded for in-person public comments (33, 46, 48).
Approval of campaign finance reporting amendments (Item 16).
Approval of contract awards for Mountain Preserve Maintenance Services (Item 32), Stage Hand Services (Item 33), and leads online (Item 38, passed 7-1).
Approval of retroactive authorization to apply for Community-Based Violence Intervention funding (Item 39).
Approval of repaving projects at Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (Item 46) and Goodyear Airport (Item 48).
Adoption of the Phoenix 2025 Administrative Design Review Text Amendment (Item 71).
Adoption of the "Preserve Historic Phoenix 2025" update to the historic preservation plan (Item 72).
Approval of the Rezoning Application for the Metro North Corporate Park PUD (Item 76).
Continuation of Items 74, 75 (to Dec 17, 2025), and Item 77 (to Jan 7, 2026); Item 73 was withdrawn.
Approval of federal home ARP funding for the Salvation Army/St. Catherine Manor Affordable Housing Project (Item 30).

Public Comments & Testimony

Brian Willingham (Local 493 President): Expressed strong support for current union contracts but strongly opposed Councilwoman Hernandez's request for open, transparent labor negotiations. He argued that public involvement would cause stalemates, allow outside groups to cherry-pick provisions, and undermine the negotiation process, citing Chicago as a negative example.
Councilwoman Hernandez: Supported the need for greater transparency, directing staff to research negotiation practices used by other cities to determine if public participation is viable.
Councilman Guardado: Strongly recommended against open negotiations, aligning with Willingham's view that public scrutiny sabotages deal-making and could lead to union busting.
Tim: Expressed concern that park trails, specifically Echo Canyon, have been closed for two months due to erosion and lack of maintenance. He argued that the closure is a failure of management and urged immediate repair.
Jerry Van Gas: Opposed the proposed trail maintenance contract on the agenda, stating it was a "knee-jerk policy" without prior Parks Board review and noting the city had been without a formal maintenance program for six years since terminating the previous contract.
Cesar Corral & Bill Ruiz (Union Representatives): Expressed full support for the Deer Valley and Goodyear Airport paving projects, highlighting the value of union labor and apprenticeship programs for the local workforce.
Leonard Clark: Expressed support for union workers and called for a plaque to honor Ron Reidenhauer, a Vietnam veteran who exposed the My Lai massacre, to honor the values of American soldiers.
Rochelle Glenn: Stated she was appearing despite pending court issues regarding chickens, highlighting the difficulties of managing a backyard farm during monsoon season while disabled.
Ellen Israel (SBA): Provided informational testimony regarding disaster loans for microburst storm victims, outlining availability for homeowners, renters, and businesses.
Tim Sirikowski: Attempted to advocate against building Catholic and Mormon churches (claiming they are false prophets) and called for more lighting in downtown gay clubs and free filtered water at events; the Mayor interrupted to state these requests were not actionable by the City Council.
Amanda McGowan & Tammy Weaver: Expressed concern that the Ethics Commission inquiry process is inaccessible, capping the use of notarization and hand-delivery requirements as barriers that deter citizens from reporting ethics violations.

Discussion Items

KPHO Studio Historic Preservation: The Council discussed the historic status of the KPHO (Channel 5) studios, the site of the first Arizona TV broadcast. Testimony from Julia Taggart and Rita Davenport highlighted the cultural significance of the Wallace and Ladmo show. The Council unanimously recognized the site's role in broadcasting history and Arizona identity.
Labor Contract Negotiations: A debate ensued regarding the transparency of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) negotiation process. While Councilwoman Hernandez requested a staff study on making negotiations public, Union leadership (Brian Willingham) and Councilman Guardado advised against it, warning of negotiation gridlock. Human Resources Director Jason Perkheiser clarified that the "blackout period" for negotiations does not begin until March.
Park Maintenance (Echo Canyon): The Council addressed the closure of Echo Canyon trail due to erosion from torrential rains. Director Aguilar explained that the closure was due to safety concerns regarding large boulders. He provided updates on the drilling and grouting strategy used to stabilize the terrain, with an expected reopening within a week pending final engineering evaluations.
Data Center Rezoning (Item 76): The Vice Mayor noted the project includes no on-site power generation, addressing community concerns about proximity to transmission lines. The Council balanced economic development with community safety concerns.
Surveillance Tools (Item 39): Councilman Hernandez expressed opposition to the use of license plate readers and surveillance tools in Maryville, stating it criminalizes black and brown communities, though she voted in favor of the grant to pursue violence intervention programs under different circumstances.

Key Outcomes

Unanimous Approval (8-0): Swearing-in of Judges Hutchinson and Mullino; Liquor License approvals (2-10); Historic designation for KPHO Studios; Campaign Finance Reporting Ordinance; St. Catherine Manor Affordable Housing (Item 30); Mountain Preserve Maintenance; Stage Hand Services; Deer Valley Airport Repaving; Goodyear Airport Paving; Admin Design Review Text Amendment; Historic Preservation Plan Update (Item 72); Metro North Corporate Park Rezoning (Item 76).
Disapproval (1-0): Liquor License for Item 11 (Hatcher Beer and Smoke Shop) based on neighborhood protests.
Conditional Approval (7-1): Leads Online Contract (Item 38) and Community-Based Violence Intervention Grant (Item 39), with Councilman Hernandez dissenting on the latter due to concerns over surveillance technology.
Directives: Staff was directed to research public transparency practices for labor negotiations and report findings by February 2026.
Continuations: Items 74, 75 (until Dec 17, 2025) and Item 77 (until Jan 7, 2026).
Withdrawn: Item 73.
Public Resources: SBA disaster loan outreach established for microburst storm victims; Ethics Commission form accessibility concerns noted for future review.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon. Welcome to the Phoenix City Council meeting. Before we begin, we will have a moment of silent reflection. Thank you. And now please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance. Thank you so much for joining us. Today is December 3rd, and we are pleased to call the meeting to the order. Will the clerk call the roll? Councilwoman Guardado here. Councilwoman Hernandez here. Councilwoman Hodge Washington. Here. Councilwoman Pastor. Here. Councilman Robinson. Councilwoman Stark. Here. Councilman Waring. Vice Mayor O'Brien. Here. Mayor Gallego. Here. Councilman Robinson is not with us today because he is leading the city's delegation on our first ever non-stop flight between Phoenix and Asia, which has just landed. So today is a historic day. And speaking of important news of today, we are so pleased to welcome Ginger Spencer, our newly appointed assistant city manager. So welcome, Ginger. Phoenix Native, Alhambra High School graduate and longtime public servant at the city of Phoenix, joining Laurie Bayes as our two assistant city managers. So congratulations, Ginger. We are thrilled with the news and welcome to your new chair. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Council. Elsie Duarte is with us to provide Spanish interpretation. Elsie, would you introduce your team? Yes, Mayor, thank you. My name is Elsie Duarte, and along with my colleague Oscar Monroy. We will be providing Spanish interpretation during today's formal meeting. Thank you. Will the city clerk read the 24-hour paragraph? The titles of the following ordinance and resolution numbers on the agenda were available to the public at least 24 hours prior to this council meeting, and therefore may be read by title or agenda item only. Ordinances number G7450 through 7461 S52406, 52435, 52437 through 52481, and resolution 22348. Thank you so much. Will the city attorney explain the role of public comment? Yes, thank you, Mayor. Members of the public may speak for up to two minutes to comment on agenda items. Comments must be related to the agenda item and the action being considered by the council. General comments that go beyond the scope of the agenda item should be made during the citizen comment session at the end of the agenda. The city council and staff cannot discuss or comment on matters related to pending investigations, claims, or litigation. Additionally, any member of the public who appears before the council in their capacity as a lobbyist must, as required by Phoenix City Code disclose this fact before addressing the council. The City Code states that speakers must express their comments respectfully and courteously.

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