Tempe City Council Work Study Session - October 23, 2025
Tempe City Council Work Study Session - October 23, 2025
The Tempe City Council convened for a work study session focused on community recognition, federal and state legislative priorities, social service impact reporting, and park safety updates. The meeting featured the presentation of five proclamations, a detailed review of fiscal year 2024-2025 Community Health and Human Services outcomes, and updates on the Park Ranger program, alongside standard subcommittee updates.
Consent Calendar
- No formal consent calendar items were processed; the meeting proceeded directly to announcements and public proclamations.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Noah James Markham: Addressed the Council regarding Item 4C. He expressed concern that the City's housing assistance programs disproportionately exclude disabled individuals who cannot meet work requirements to qualify for Section Eight or other services. He stated he personally experienced inability to receive rent assistance in the past due to household income calculations involving other members engaging in gambling, despite his own disability and unemployment, which he described as having a negative impact on his mental health.
Discussion Items
Item 2: Announcements and Proclamations
- Tempe Works Graduation Recognition: The Council recognized five graduates of the Tempe Works employment initiative. Program staff highlighted stories of resilience for Scott Barker, Daniel Donnen, Paige, and Bobby Barnett. A posthumous recognition was given to Adam Softic. Position: The City Council expressed full support for recognizing the life transformations and community contributions of these individuals.
- Proclamations: The Mayor issued four proclamations: "Lights on After School Day" (Oct 23, 2025), "Thrive in Tempe Day" (Oct 23, 2025) celebrating a partnership among the City, school districts, and ASU; "Hindu Heritage Month" (Oct 2025); and "Advocates for Children Week" (Oct 19-25, 2025).
- Community Initiative: Mayor Corey Woods announced that Bumblebee Air Conditioning owner Lisa Bain pledged to replace the Tempe Women's Club's broken air conditioning unit for free after the Council was informed of the $13,000+ cost and the club's financial constraints.
Item 4A: 2026/2027 Federal Principles
- Government Relations Update: The Government Relations Director reported on the shifting federal landscape following recent elections, including a new administration's focus on tax cuts, reduced federal spending, and workforce reductions (specifically referencing the "Department of Government Efficiency"). The District noted a current government shutdown driven by disputes over Affordable Care Act subsidies.
- Impact on Tempe: The presentation highlighted risks of delays in federal grant funding, potential reductions to SNAP and WIC programs starting November 1st (with Arizona as a state expected to reduce benefits), and the impact of the shutdown on special education services.
- Council Position: Councilman Bramberg expressed concern regarding the potential cancellation of the Streetcar funding, specifically the FRA grant, but was reassured by the Transportation Sustainability Director that the grant, awarded under the previous administration, remains finalized under the current one.
- Document Updates: The Council noted updates to the principles document, including removal of references to the Inflation Reduction Act (repealed) and new language on park equity.
Item 4B: 2026 State Legislative Principles
- Discussion: The Director discussed anticipated state legislative efforts to preempt local control, specifically regarding photo radar enforcement and license plate scanners. The Council supported language to maintain local building and fire codes.
- Council Position: Councilmember Bramberg requested the inclusion of language to protect the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) funds for new water sources due to shortages. Councilwoman Bramberg recommended retaining the term "equitable" in the principles document, rejecting concerns that the term is a political buzzword, while maintaining local policy goals.
Item 4C: Community Health and Human Services Impact Report
- Overview: The City presented a joint report with the Tempe Community Action Agency (TCAA) and Tempe Community Council (TCC), detailing over $37.3 million in City-invested programs.
- Key Themes: Staff presented data across social determinants of health, noting a 89% positive exit rate for the SUSE Spazio Bridge Shelter (exceeding the 85% goal), 99% of VIDA program clients reporting improved financial management, and 97% parent satisfaction for Kids Zone.
- Council Position: Council members expressed strong support for the report's transparency and the high return on investment. Councilman Adams and Councilman Bramberg praised the "walk the walk" approach demonstrated by the hard numbers and successful outcomes.
Item 4D: Park Rangers and Park Safety Update
- Program Status: Presented data for FY25 showing 20,769 ranger reports, with the majority being proactive patrols. Rangers made 292 connections to the "Hope Team" for homelessness support.
- Incident Highlights: Rangers shared stories of successful interventions, including the recovery of a stolen firearm, connecting a homeless mother (Michaela) with shelter and employment, and assisting a woman (Crystal) in turning her life around after detecting life challenges.
- Safety Enhancements: The Council discussed the implementation of permanently mounted cameras, mobile solar cameras, and the testing of body-worn cameras. Staff announced that rangers will soon carry collapsible impact devices for safety against aggressive animals or humans.
- Council Position: Councilmembers Adams and Garland expressed full support for the program, citing the life-saving nature of the interventions and the effectiveness of the camera installations in reducing park issues.
Key Outcomes
- Proclamations Adopted: October 23, 2025, declared Lights on After School Day and Thrive in Tempe Day; October 2025 declared Hindu Heritage Month; October 19-25, 2025 declared Advocates for Children Week.
- Funding Acknowledged: The City accepted the verbal commitment from Bumblebee Air Conditioning to donate an AC unit to the Tempe Women's Club.
- Future Agenda Items Requested:
- Update on the recent ADU design competition open house (Requested by Councilmember Chin).
- Update on the downtown Tempe refresh project (Requested by Councilmember Amberg).
- Subcommittee Updates: Schedules were set for the Age-Friendly, Animal Welfare, Community Engagement, Drink Spiking Education, Mixed Use Space, Motorized Mobility Device, and Tempe Town Lake revitalization subcommittees.
- Adjournment: The meeting was scheduled to conclude at 5:43 p.m., with the next work study session set for November 13, 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the Tempe City Council work study session agenda. I don't remember what is called order. Council meetings can be watched in real time via Cox Cable Channel Eleven and at Tempe.gov slash Tempi Eleven. Members of the public may also attend the meeting virtually through Microsoft Teams. I'm gonna go here to item number two announcements from the mayor and or city manager. I should ask, Madam City Manager, do you have any announcements? Because I know I have quite a few. So no, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Okay, wonderful. Thank you so much. All right. Um we're gonna go and do some of these down here, and I think my colleagues are going to join me for all of them, so we're gonna go up front. I love it. Thank you. All right. Got quite a few of these this uh afternoon, so I want to make sure that we can get through them. All right, uh, first of all, we're gonna go item two A. Tempe Works graduates recognition. So uh my council colleagues are all gonna be down here for this one as well as all the other ones that are coming up this afternoon. So I'm gonna now uh invite up uh Binta Coker from our so our social services senior social services coordinator of the Tempe Works program, who's actually going to be leading us through this recognition. So I'm gonna hand the microphone off to her. Thank you. So thank you, Mayor and Council, for the opportunity to recognize this very special group of individuals who represent the heart of the Tempe Works program. Tempe Works is an employment initiative launched through the vision of Councilmember Randy Keating in 2017. Since its inception, the program has grown significantly, now encompassing five designated city positions and proudly boasting 49 49 graduates to date. Today we take a moment to recognize some of the incredible individuals who have successfully completed the TempeWorks program. Each participant has faced and overcome unique challenges, demonstrating resilience and strength. We are proud to honor their accomplishments and celebrate their journey while being reminded of the impact opportunity, support, and community can have on an individual's life. Barbara Level. Scott Barker. Oh can I know you know you come up with the Barbara Scott Barker? Scott self-referred to Tempe Works while in TCAA's iHealth program. He began working in Solid Waste in April 2025 and completed 90 days of employment. Scott Connected with CBI's SSVF Rapid Rehousing Program, receiving veteran-specific housing support and a move-in kit from Tempe Works. Scott obtained stable employment on his own and graduated in July 2025. Thank you, Scott. Yeah, Scott. Oh, we're going to get a picture taken. Congratulations. Oh, am I supposed to? No, no, no. Daniel Donnen. All right, Daniel. Daniel approached Tempe Works while in TCAA's IHELP shelter and began work at Solid Waste in September 2024, where he completed 90 days of employment. With support from TempeWorks and Care 7, he transitioned into housing. Daniel secured stable employment after going through the program, and he became a graduate in January of 2025. Thank you, Daniel. One three years.
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