Tempe City Council Regular Meeting - June 25, 2026
Tempe City Council Regular Meeting - June 25, 2026
The Tempe City Council held a regular meeting on June 25, 2026, at 6:00 PM (adjourned at 8:01 PM). The agenda included consent items, public hearings, zoning amendments, and farewells to two outgoing council members. Vice Mayor Garwood attended virtually. All votes were unanimous (7-0) except where noted.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes from previous meetings (7-0).
- Accepted board, commission, and committee minutes (7-0).
- Approved consent agenda items (miscellaneous, bids, contracts, resolutions) with three items pulled for separate consideration:
- 7C2 (donation of drink testing kits from No More LLC): Approved 7-0. Councilmember Keating noted the donation is nearly $50,000 for the Safe Bar Program.
- 7C6 (IGA with Tempe Union High School District for College Connect Tempe): Approved 6-0 (Councilmember Hodge abstained due to conflict).
- 7C11 (IGA for School Resource Officer program): Approved 6-0 (Councilmember Hodge abstained).
- Mayor congratulated Phantom Fox Beer Company on its liquor license approval.
Public Comments & Testimony
First Public Appearances (Item 6):
- Philip Amarosi (50-year resident): Opposed the Marshawn Spence student housing project, criticized the council for granting a six-month continuance after the developer failed to address concerns. He noted the city has already approved 4,458 student housing units and 721 other housing units, creating an "unhealthy imbalance." Encouraged the council to prioritize infill developers over student housing towers. Councilmember Keating responded, defending the need to increase housing stock due to supply and demand, referring to his own work on affordable housing.
- Mario Martinez: Raised concerns about a city database and alleged misconduct regarding personal identifiable information. Requested city emails and criticized the lack of transparency. Mentioned a future sales tax election.
- Edward Buffard: Requested a formal agenda slot to discuss a municipal animal shelter. Criticized the current county contract (Maricopa County), noting only 41% of dogs have rabies vaccinations and only 10% are returned to owners. Suggested a foster network and partnerships.
- Priyasha Vanhara (small business owner): Requested an integrated digital platform for public records to ease due diligence for small businesses. Suggested a two-stage bidding process and a task force for public participation.
- Deborah Ajack (North Tempe resident): Addressed declining trust in government, citing an example where a presenter avoided a direct question about tax revenue. Praised the mayor's announcement that charter officers would forego raises. Noted a consultant's fee increase from $6,000 to $7,000 per month.
Second Public Appearances (Item 10):
- Jevin Hodge (son of Councilmember Hodge): Thanked his mother for her service, highlighted her as the first Black woman on the council, and emphasized her advocacy for affordable housing and underserved communities.
- Darlene Justice (60-year resident): Thanked Councilmembers Adams and Hodge for their work, especially on county island annexation and police-community relations.
Discussion Items
Zoning and Development Updates:
- 8C1 – Tempe Oasis (1635 N Scottsdale Rd): Second public hearing for a planned area development overlay to convert a former motel into multifamily rental apartments. Applicant Deborah Silva (Camber and True Collective) presented plans to renovate existing buildings, add a retail coffee/sandwich shop, and improve security. Owner David Fan committed to enrolling in the Crime-Free Multifamily Housing Program and working with Tempe Police on a security plan. Police Sgt. Scott Warren testified that calls for service and crime have decreased under current management. Public speaker Michelle Brown (57-year resident) supported the project but raised parking concerns. Councilmember Chin moved to approve with two conditions: (1) enroll in Crime-Free program before COO and complete within six months; (2) submit a security plan approved by TPD before COO and maintain it. Motion passed 7-0.
- 8C2 – TOD Parking Update: Ordinance reducing parking requirements in the Transportation Overlay District. Approved 7-0.
- 8C3 – Motorized & Electric Mobility Devices: Code amendments. Approved 7-0.
- 8C4 – Animal Code (impoundment): Amendments to Chapter 6. Approved 7-0. Councilmember Hodge expressed excitement.
- 8C5 – Code Violations (Chapter 14A-11): Approved 7-0.
- 8C6 – Easement Abandonment (Sky Harbor Innovation Park): Approved 7-0.
Other Non-Consent Items (all approved 7-0):
- Annual CDBG action plan for FY 2026-2027.
- Industrial Development Authority bonds (up to $48.5M) for Residences at Dorsey.
- Contract renewals for employee benefits (medical, dental, pharmacy, stop-loss), temporary staffing, IT services, towing, fuel, water well maintenance, and architecture services.
- Introduction of ordinance for waterline easement abandonment (first hearing; final vote August 31, 2026).
Key Outcomes
- All voting items passed unanimously (7-0) except where abstentions occurred.
- Outgoing Councilmembers Jennifer Adams (40 years of public service – 8 on council, 32 as city employee) and Bernetta Hodge (two-term councilmember, former school board member) gave farewell speeches. Multiple council members and public speakers honored their service.
- Mayor announced that the three charter officers (City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk) will not receive pay raises for 2026.
- Appointments to boards/commissions were announced (Audit Committee, Development Review Commission, Human Relations Commission, Joint Review Committee, Merit Systems Board, Parks Recreation Golf and Double Butte Cemetery Advisory Board, Veterans Commission).
- A proclamation declared July 4, 2026 as "America 250 Day" in Tempe.
- Next regular council meeting: July 1, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Tempe City Council regular council meeting. Just a note, too, as people know. Uh uh Vice Mayor Garwood is also attending virtually this evening. The uh council meetings can also be watched in real time via Cox Campbell Channel 11 and at Tempe.gov/slash Tempe Eleven. Members of the public may also attend the meeting virtually through Microsoft Teams. If you have signed up to speak on items listed later on in the agenda, please know that as the presiding officer, I have the discretion to introduce items out of their regular order as listed on the agenda. I may change the order of items from time to time to accommodate scheduling to allow us to address items with a large number of speaker cards, so those wishing to speak on these items don't have to wait until later in the meeting or to otherwise expedite the business of the meeting. If you wish to speak on an agenda item and you haven't filled out a speaker card yet, please make sure to fill out and submit your completed card to the city clerk prior to the item coming forward for council discussion. I will call your name when it is your turn for public comment. Now I'd like to invite everyone who's able and willing to stand to join me in a moment of silence, followed by the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Stretches far beyond the boundaries of our city. Embodying cultural values that are integral to their identity and way of life. Sounds good. Next up, item number four, meeting minutes tonight, I'll be assisted by Council Member Adams. Council Member Adams. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I move to approve the City Council meeting minutes listed as items 4A1 through 4A3. Okay, it's been moved by Councilmember Adams. Do I have a second? Seconded by Councilmember Keating, please vote. And that item passes seven to zero. Next up, item four B, acceptance of board, commission, and committee meeting minutes. Councilmember Adams. Yes, I move to accept the board, commission, and committee meeting minutes listed as items 4B1 through 4B5. It's been moved by Councilmember Adams. I have a second, seconded by Councilmember Hodge, please vote. And that item also passes seven to zero. Thank you so much. Welcome. All right, next up, item 5, reports and announcements. Uh, 5A is mayor's reports and announcements. I only have one this evening. So just want to make sure that I can thank the residents of Tempe for their patience as we work through the issue of contracts for three of our appointed charter positions, our city attorney, city clerk, and our city manager. Appointed charter officers are employed through contracts. Those contracts do not expire. They only need to be added to Tempe City Council agendas if they are being amended, such as for pay increases or benefit changes. If there are no amendments, there is no reason to include them on a council agenda. The Tempe City Council and the three charter officers came together to discuss their contracts and annual performance reviews this month with conversations focused on the best outcomes for our community in these times. While they have all provided exceptional service to the city, the three appointed charter officer positions are not having their contracts amended. They have agreed to forego raises at this time. City Clerk Kara Durasty has navigated us through two elections, as well as one coming this November, while managing the records for 30 boards and commissions and ensuring every council meeting is well organized. City Attorney Eric Anderson serves as the chief legal advisor to not only the city council, but to all of our city departments, as well as managing our civil and criminal divisions. And City Manager Rosay has led the city to become one of the top cities in the world, as evidenced by renowned groups like Bloomberg Philanthropy, Intelligent Communities Forum, and more. She strives for excellence in every aspect of community building. With her leadership, our city crafted and strengthened our anti-discrimination policies, wrote the city's, the country's first ethical AI policy, and standardized the use of data to help us not only measure performance, but fund our programs and services. And I would just say to all three of our charter appointed officers, our city is better because of the three of you.
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