Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Phoenix City Council Meeting – January 22, 2026

City Council — Thursday, January 22, 2026

BodyPhoenix, Arizona

SessionCity Council

DateThursday, January 22, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:33:58

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:38

Good afternoon.

0:40

It is Wednesday, January 21st, 2026.

0:43

We'll begin today's meeting with an invitation from Police Chaplain Taylor.

0:55

Dear wise and loving father, thank you on behalf of all who are gathered here today.

0:59

We thank you for your many blessings, and we thank you for life itself.

1:02

Thank you for the freedoms that we enjoy in this great nation.

1:06

You have said that citizens should obey the governing authorities since you have established those very authorities to promote peace and order and justice.

1:13

And so I pray for our mayor for the various levels of city officials, and in particular for this assembled council.

1:20

I'm asking that you would grant them wisdom to govern, a sense of the true needs and welfare of our people, confidence in what is good, just and right, the ability to work together in harmony, personal peace in their lives, and joy in their work.

1:34

I pray for the agenda set before them today.

1:36

Please give them an assurance of what would please you and what would benefit those who live and work in and around our beloved city of Phoenix.

1:43

It's in your most blessed name I pray.

1:45

Amen.

1:47

Thank you, Chaplain.

1:49

Vice Mayor, would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance?

2:14

I'll now call to order the Phoenix Kitty Council meeting.

2:19

Will the clerk call the roll?

2:21

Councilwoman Guardado.

2:23

Here.

2:23

Councilwoman in Nandis.

2:25

Here.

2:25

Councilwoman O'Brien.

2:31

Here.

2:32

Councilman Pastor.

2:34

Here.

2:34

Councilman Robinson?

2:36

Here.

2:36

Councilwoman Stark.

2:38

Councilman Waring.

2:39

Vice Mayor Hodge Washington?

2:41

Here.

2:41

Mayor Gallego.

2:42

Here.

2:43

Mario Barajas and Elsie Duarte are with us to provide interpretation.

2:46

Mario, would you introduce your team?

2:48

Yes, Mayor.

2:49

Thank you.

2:50

Good afternoon.

2:50

My name is Mario Barajas.

2:52

I'll be working together with El C Duarte as Spanish interpreters for our residents.

2:56

I'll take a brief moment now to introduce ourselves to our Spanish speaking audience.

3:26

Thank you, Mayor.

3:27

Thank you, Mario.

3:28

Will the city clerk read the 24-hour paragraph?

3:31

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.

3:39

Ordinances number G7451 7476 and S52435-52543 through 52570.

3:56

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

4:01

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

4:54

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

5:00

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

5:05

Thank you, Mayor.

5:07

Thank you so much.

5:09

We'll go first to item number one, the July 2nd meeting minutes.

5:13

Vice Mayor.

5:16

Mayor, I move to approve the July 2nd, 2025 meeting minutes.

5:22

All those in favor say aye.

5:24

Aye.

5:25

Aye.

5:26

Any opposed nay?

5:29

Minutes pass.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Land Use███████████████████19%

Procedural██████████████████18%

Technology and Innovation██████████10%

Homelessness██████████10%

Public Safety██████████10%

Parks and Recreation████████8%

Economic Development███████7%

Animal Welfare██████6%

Affordable Housing████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Phoenix City Council Meeting – January 22, 2026

The Phoenix City Council met on January 22, 2026, to approve routine items, hear public testimony, and deliberate on several significant matters, including funding for the Arizona Diamondbacks stadium, a signage contract for parks, and a controversial data center development in Maryvale. The meeting included the swearing in of new commissioners and a municipal court judge. Key votes included an 8–1 approval of the stadium funding disbursement and an 8–1 approval of the data center waiver and site plan revision.

Consent Calendar

Approved the July 2, 2025 meeting minutes (unanimous).
Approved mayor and city council board and commissions nominations; new commissioners were sworn in.
Swore in the Honorable Alex Benezra as a municipal court judge (unanimous).
Approved liquor license items 4 through 19 (unanimous).
Approved items 20 through 55 en bloc, with exceptions for items 26, 30, 54, and 55 (vote 9–0). Items 26 and 30 were pulled for separate discussion; item 27 continued to February 4, 2026; item 35 withdrawn.

Public Comments & Testimony

Tony Harris: Spoke about homelessness not being a crime, personal struggles with employment due to shelter address on ID, and being on probation for three years.
Dorian Brendan (Fund for Empowerment): Called for sustained and increased housing budget, support for Housing First initiatives, and criticized the data center approval as lacking justification.
Elizabeth Venable (Fund for Empowerment): Urged the council to consider the scale of ICE enforcement in communities, recalled experiences during SB 1070, and asked Phoenix to be a leader in protecting immigrant families.
David: Supported affordable housing production, noted long waits for housing assistance, and warned of increased heat-related deaths.
Vita Galore (advocate): Requested funding for animal care, education, and cruelty prevention; cited safety and sanitation issues from overpopulation of cats; drew on personal experience as a trafficking survivor.
Raul Cordero (Proxima): Thanked council for Phoenix Feline Education Awareness Day but expressed disappointment that no council member attended the celebration; described a severe cat hoarding case and urged the city to implement cat welfare programs.
Salvador Reza: Addressed immigration raids at Home Depot, economic losses, and called on the council to demand businesses like Home Depot respond to ICE operations; referenced SB 1070 and potential international repercussions.
William Toronto: Reported an incident at Hance Park playground where a naked man was in a play structure; police could not act because he dressed before arrival; asked for ordinance clarity and expressed concerns about park safety and cleanliness affecting support for density and transit.
Ann Ender: Spoke at virtual public comment about Phoenix Police Department staffing crisis—40% recruit loss within first year, more than half of seasoned personnel leaving at retirement eligibility; requested transparent staffing reports by precinct, squad, shift, and response times by precinct and council district at each public safety meeting.

Discussion Items

Item 26 – Authorization to Disburse Funds Related to House Bill 2407 (Diamondbacks Stadium Funding): Councilman Hernandez opposed, stating he does not believe taxpayer dollars should subsidize millionaires. Councilman Waring questioned whether the city could avoid payment; city manager Ed explained the obligation under state law. Mayor Gallego noted that the city negotiated to cap its portion at $3.5 million and added protections against luxury items and land control. Councilman Pastor thanked those involved. Vice Mayor praised collaboration but criticized the coercive legislative process. The vote passed 8–1, with Hernandez dissenting.
Item 30 – Signage Contract for Parks: Councilman Hernandez asked if the contract would fund signage for the new park ordinance prohibiting certain activities (passed Dec 17) and medical treatment signage. Parks Director Martin Whitfield clarified the contract only covers current code of conduct signage. Hernandez expressed disappointment over the Dec 17 ordinance and its impact on vulnerable communities, citing harm to black, brown, and indigenous communities. He voted no, while others congratulated Whitfield on his new role. The vote passed 8–1.
Item 54 – Binding Waiver of Enforcement for Data Center Special Permit (Shealy/IDM): Councilwoman Guardado introduced the item. She questioned developer representative Jason about participation in SRP cluster studies: $180,000 already paid, additional $290,000 due. The waiver includes commitment to continue cluster studies. Guardado also highlighted community amenities: two soccer fields, restrooms, stands, and a park, privately maintained. She moved to approve with an added stipulation that the waiver does not constitute approval of on-site generation; a separate review would be required. The vote passed 8–1, with Hernandez voting no.
Item 55 – Public Hearing on Site Plan Revision for Data Centers (99th Ave & Thomas): Staff presented a request to modify a previously approved mixed-use development to allow two large-scale data centers and small-scale street-focused retail. The Maryvale Village Planning Committee voted 12–1 to recommend approval; the Planning Hearing Officer recommended approval with additional stipulations. Council members questioned developer on power availability: an SRP letter indicated earliest service date 2032, potentially 2040. Mayor expressed concern about unprecedented electricity demands and lack of known end-user (cited government service but NDA). Backup generation was discussed as possible but would need separate approvals. Councilwoman Guardado asked about next steps—site plan review and building permits. The vote passed 8–1, with Hernandez opposing. The mayor noted the waiver avoided a potential $112 million lawsuit under Prop 207.
Public Safety and Police Staffing: During public comment, Ann Ender raised concerns about Phoenix Police Department staffing crisis, calling for transparent reporting. The mayor noted an upcoming agenda to discuss public safety.

Key Outcomes

Approved July 2, 2025 meeting minutes (unanimous).
Confirmed board and commission appointments and municipal court judge (unanimous).
Approved liquor licenses (unanimous).
Approved consent calendar items 20–55 en bloc (9–0), with items 26, 30, 54, 55 handled separately.
Item 26: Approved 8–1 (Hernandez no) to disburse $3.5 million for Diamondbacks stadium improvements per state law.
Item 30: Approved 8–1 (Hernandez no) for parks signage contract; Hernandez cited opposition to Dec 17 park ordinance.
Item 54: Approved 8–1 (Hernandez no) binding waiver of data center special permit for Shealy/IDM, with added stipulation on on-site generation review.
Item 55: Approved 8–1 (Hernandez no) site plan revision for two data centers at 99th Ave and Thomas, adopting related ordinance.
Public comment period concluded after 30 minutes; two late speakers deferred to next formal meeting.
Council directed staff to follow up on park safety concerns raised by William Toronto (Hance Park incident) per previous ordinance updates.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon. It is Wednesday, January 21st, 2026. We'll begin today's meeting with an invitation from Police Chaplain Taylor. Dear wise and loving father, thank you on behalf of all who are gathered here today. We thank you for your many blessings, and we thank you for life itself. Thank you for the freedoms that we enjoy in this great nation. You have said that citizens should obey the governing authorities since you have established those very authorities to promote peace and order and justice. And so I pray for our mayor for the various levels of city officials, and in particular for this assembled council. I'm asking that you would grant them wisdom to govern, a sense of the true needs and welfare of our people, confidence in what is good, just and right, the ability to work together in harmony, personal peace in their lives, and joy in their work. I pray for the agenda set before them today. Please give them an assurance of what would please you and what would benefit those who live and work in and around our beloved city of Phoenix. It's in your most blessed name I pray. Amen. Thank you, Chaplain. Vice Mayor, would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? I'll now call to order the Phoenix Kitty Council meeting. Will the clerk call the roll? Councilwoman Guardado. Here. Councilwoman in Nandis. Here. Councilwoman O'Brien. Here. Councilman Pastor. Here. Councilman Robinson? Here. Councilwoman Stark. Councilman Waring. Vice Mayor Hodge Washington? Here. Mayor Gallego. Here. Mario Barajas and Elsie Duarte are with us to provide interpretation. Mario, would you introduce your team? Yes, Mayor. Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Mario Barajas. I'll be working together with El C Duarte as Spanish interpreters for our residents. I'll take a brief moment now to introduce ourselves to our Spanish speaking audience. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Mario. 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 G7451 7476 and S52435-52543 through 52570. 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. Such comments are disruptive and unrelated to the council's business. Any person who violates these rules may lose their opportunity to speak further and could be asked to leave.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com