Yes, sir, I can hear you.

Fantastic.

Thank you.

We hear you loud and clear.

Thank you so much.

Do I have to use this one?

I have always wanted to do that.

All right.

So welcome everybody to our work studies session today.

Council meetings can be watched in real time via Cox Cable Channel 11 and at Tempe.gov forward slash Tempe11.

Members of the public may also attend the meeting through virtually through Microsoft Teams.

Guidelines for conduct at City Council meetings are on the table near the entrance for those in attendance at tonight's meeting.

We will now play a video with the proper protocol for ensuring the appropriate conduct at City Council meetings.

Behavior that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of any city council meeting is not helpful and is not permitted.

This includes behavior both inside and outside of the council chambers.

Should individuals inside the council chambers become disruptive so that city business is not able to be conducted.

If there is no cooperation after asking and two verbal warnings, then the mayor will ask security officers to remove only those individuals who are causing the disruption.

Security personnel should not engage in any way, but only escort them from the council chambers.

If individuals refuse to leave, security personnel shall warn them that they are trespassing and that the next step will be arrest by a Tempe police officer.

Tempe officers may have to arrest if individuals refuse to leave.

Charges for trespass and disorderly conduct may apply, as well as other charges.

Should anyone be asked to be removed, the mayor will recess the meeting.

Councilmember Woods, um, our mayor woods.

Good as I just demoted him.

It only took five minutes.

Sorry about that, Mayor.

Umorts is online, and Councilmember Keating um had surgery, and he will not be attending this meeting right now today.

Before we move um into the call for um to the audience portion of the meeting, I want to take a moment to address campaign-related activity, especially as we are now in the 2026 election season.

City council meetings are open to the public and are a vital form of civic engagement.

We welcome all individuals, including candidates to speak on matters of public concern during the public comment portion of the meeting.

However, because this is an official city council meeting that is both televised and live streamed using city resources.

We ask all candidates, including any current council members, to refrain from electiering or campaign-related activity while participating in this meeting.

That means no discussing your candidacy, asking for votes or signatures, or displaying campaign materials such as signs, t-shirts, or literature while you are speaking.

Thank you for helping us maintain the integrity and neutrality of our public meetings.

So the city council welcomes public comment at this time for the issue review session and committee of the whole items on this work study session agenda.

There is a three-minute time limit per speaker.

And as of right now, I have one speaker, David Sokoleski.

Do you have him online?

All right, David, you can go ahead and unmute and mute, unmute or moot.

Hello, can you hear me okay?

Yes, we can.

Okay, my name is David Sokoloski.

I live in Tempe.

Tempe's efforts to reduce homelessness won't be a long-term solution unless the city reduces the housing shortage.

Seniors are going to be 80% of the homeless population because Social Security doesn't meet the income requirements to rent an apartment.

Tempe's data shows we need to preserve 11,000 lone communits, and we shouldn't wait for people to end up on the street because they can't meet the requirement.

Tempe loves data until it's inconvenient, and then it's time to ignore it.

The city needs to reserve needs 15,000 loan communities today, and we need to prioritize it.

The city isn't planning for the future, but I'm estimating 15,000 more.

That means the city needs to preserve or create at least 41,000 units.

That's my medium estimate, but at least I'm trying.

That's more than the city of Tempe.

One thing is very clear.

Another thing, achieving the desired outcome is absolutely all about the money.

When the city accelerated pavement, we put 5 million, and then it was increased to 7 million.

Now the city is spending 200 million to pave every street, and some people still want more.

Council members Adams and Keating, do you want us to pave every street every single year?

I'm laughing when the city says we can't spend all our money in one place.

That's ironic.

Seven million is more than hometown for all.