Tempe City Council Work Study Session - June 11, 2026
Tempe City Council Work Study Session Summary - June 11, 2026
This work study session included a tourism update, public comments, and updates from several council subcommittees. The council approved the formation of a new subcommittee on livability and well-being, expanded the scope of the term limits subcommittee, and closed multiple subcommittees after receiving their final reports.
Public Comments & Testimony
- David Sokolowski (Tempe resident) expressed disappointment that the e-mobility subcommittee proposed changes without including input from the Transportation Commission, and asked when the Transportation Commission would be included before final recommendations.
Discussion Items
- Tempe Tourism Update (Item 3A): Michael Martin, President and CEO of Tempe Tourism Office, presented the annual update. Key statistics for 2025: 4.48 million visitors (compared to 4.46 million in 2024), direct spending of $1.13 billion, 0.1% increase in hotel occupancy (the only submarket in the region to see an increase), average daily rate of $147, and total hotel revenue of $256 million. Notable events included MLS Next which brought 7,000 room nights. Martin highlighted strategic planning imperatives and community partnerships. Council members commended the office's work, especially support for local events like Tempe South Little League.
- Proposed Council Subcommittees (Item 5A):
- Vice Mayor Garland proposed the Community Solutions for Livability and Well-being Council Subcommittee to conduct an environmental scan of human services needs, including housing and homelessness strategies. Members: Vice Mayor Garland, Councilmember Amberg, and Councilmember-elect Bobby Nichols (effective after July 1, 2026). Approved by consensus.
- Councilmember Keating proposed expanding the scope of the existing Term Limits Policy Review Subcommittee (Item 5B9) to include analysis of a district-based system and ranked-choice voting. Approved by consensus.
- Age-Friendly Tempe Action Plan (Item 5B1): Megan Wilson and Mary Maisie presented the final 2026-2030 plan, developed with AARP's eight domains of livability. Key findings from 317 surveys and 5 listening sessions: residents want to age in place, need better resource awareness, and have concerns about rising costs. Goals include creating the first and largest dementia-friendly park in the United States, installing buddy benches, and expanding home modification supports. The plan aims to raise Tempe's AARP livability score from 50 to 55 by 2030. Subcommittee closed.
- Community Engagement and Connection Subcommittee (Item 5B2): Parrish Spies and Zina Kalani presented the final report. Tempe scored 9 out of 14 on a peer city scorecard. Recommendations include creating a Civic Engagement Academy, establishing clearer pathways for board/commission involvement, empowering the Neighborhood Advisory Commission, and improving the community feedback loop. Focus groups and an online survey showed residents desire trust-building and government responsiveness. Subcommittee closed; Vice Mayor Garland requested a follow-up work study presentation in six months.
- Other Subcommittee Updates:
- Animal Welfare and Cruelty (Item 5B3): Closed; ordinance changes scheduled for first reading.
- Drink Spiking Education and Prevention (Item 5B4): To close after a meeting on June 12, 2026.
- Federal and State Advocacy Review (Item 5B5): Next meeting June 23, 2026.
- Mixed Use Space (Item 5B6): No update.
- Motorized and Electric Mobility Device Safety (Item 5B7): Closed; ordinance changes scheduled for first reading.
- Revitalization of Tempe Town Lake (Item 5B8): Next meeting in August 2026.
Key Outcomes
- Approved formation of the Community Solutions for Livability and Well-being Council Subcommittee.
- Expanded scope of the Term Limits Policy Review Subcommittee to include district system and ranked-choice voting.
- Closed the following subcommittees: Age-Friendly Tempe, Community Engagement and Connection, Animal Welfare and Cruelty, Motorized and Electric Mobility Device Safety.
- Accepted the Age-Friendly Tempe 2026-2030 Action Plan and the Community Engagement and Connection final report and recommendations.
- Scheduled future meetings: Federal/State Advocacy on June 23, 2026; Tempe Town Lake in August 2026. Next work study session is September 3, 2026.
- The meeting adjourned at 3:49 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. Welcome to the Tempe City Council work study session. Item number one is call to order. Council meetings can be watched in real time via Cox Cable Channel 11 and at Tempe.gov slash Tempe Eleven. Members of the public may also attend the meeting 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. The public appearances portion of the Tempe City Council agenda welcomes people to address the Tempe City Council on city related issues. Speakers will generally be taken in the order in which they have signed up to speak. No visual aids or pre-recorded materials are allowed. People may speak once during public appearances for up to three minutes. If there is a large number of speakers, the mayor may limit the amount of time allotted for each person. The city council as a whole is prohibited by state law from discussing, responding to, or taking action on matters that are not on the current agenda. However, an individual council member may respond to criticism made by those who have addressed the public body, may ask the staff to review a matter, or may ask that a matter be put on a future agenda. The City Council rules of procedure provides everyone with an opportunity to speak. However, rules of decorum are in effect and behavior that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of any city council meeting is not permitted. This includes behavior at the podium inside or adjacent to the council chambers. Speakers shall refrain from name-calling, making personal or insulting comments or slanderous remarks while addressing the city council or while attending the meeting. Should a speaker become disorderly, action will be taken. First, the mayor may issue a verbal warning, and if the speaker continues disruptive behavior, the speaker will forfeit any remaining time for public comment and will be asked to leave the podium. Further disruption beyond that may result in removal from the council chambers, and the mayor may ask security officers to remove the speaker. If the speaker refuses to leave, security will warn the speaker that they are now trespassing, and the next step is an arrest for disorderly conduct, trespassing, or both. If necessary to maintain order, the mayor may recess the meeting. Your right to address the Tempe City Council is important to us. These rules are intended to create an atmosphere that is conducive to thoughtful public speech. Thank you. Thank you very much. Item number two is call to the audience. 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. Uh, let's see. Madam Clerk, I have one call to the audience. Is he in the virtual room? Yes, he is, and he can unmute his mic. Okay, so our first speaker here is David Sokolowski. Mr. Sokolowski can hear me. Can you hear me? Yes. You have three minutes. My name is David Sokolowski. I live in Tempe. I'm disappointed the e-mobility subcommittee is proposing changes without including the Transportation Commission. I think meeting with the Transportation should have been the first priority. And I assume the city would include the Transportation Commission before the final recommendations. When is the city going to include input from the Transportation Commission? Thank you. Thank you very much. Uh Madam Clerk, any other speakers. Not at this time.
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