Good afternoon. It is Wednesday, February 4th. Thank you so much for joining us. We'll begin with an invocation. Please rise if you're able. >> You are welcome to join me in prayer. Almighty God, thank you for this beautiful day and the gift of life. We are truly blessed. It is the wise who invite you into the affairs of this city. So we thank you for wise leadership as over one and a half million people are affected by the decisions made of this body. May we all strive to serve beyond our own interests to act justly for all to love mercy and to walk humbly in you. You are our strength and our help in times of struggle and in times of blessing. Humble the proud, raise up the humble, protect our protectors, defend the helpless, and fulfill your purposes in and through each of us. For we pray this in your most holy name. Amen. >> Thank you so much to police chaplain Bob Fezmeer for your great words and in leadership at our city. Please join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge of the stands nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice. >> We'll now call to order the formal meeting of the Phoenix City Council. Will the clerk call the role? >> Councilwoman Ward >> here. Councilwoman Hernandez >> here. >> Councilwoman O'Brien >> here. >> Councilwoman Pastor >> here. >> Councilman Robinson >> here. >> Councilwoman Stark >> here. >> Councilman Wearing. >> Vice Mayor Hodgej Washington >> here. >> Mayor Gayo >> here. >> Mario Barahus and Elsie Dwarte are with us to provide Spanish interpretation. Would you guys introduce yourself? >> Yes, Mayor. Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Mario Vahas. I'm going to be serving along with Elsie Dwarte as Spanish interpreters. I'll take a moment now to introduce ourselves to our Spanish speaking residents. Claraas. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you so much, Mario. Will the city clerk please 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 G7471, 7477 through 7483, S52517,52563, 52571 through 52594 and resolutions 22363 and 22364. >> Nicely done. I'll turn to our city attorney to explain public comment. >> Yes. Thank you, mayor. 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. General comments that go beyond the scope of the agenda items should be made during the citizen comment session at the end of the agenda. The city council and staff cannot discuss or comment on matters related to pending investigations, claims, or litigation. Additionally, any member of the public who appears before the council in their capacity as a lobbyist must, as required by Phoenix City Code, disclose this fact before addressing the council. The city code states that speakers must express their comments respectfully and courteously. Use of profane language, threats, or personal attacks on members of the public, council members or staff are not allowed. 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. Thank you, mayor. >> Thank you so much. We'll begin with the formal meeting minutes. Councilwoman O'Brien, do you have a motion on item one? >> Mayor, I move to approve the minutes for August 27th, 2025. >> Second. >> Motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. Any opposed? Passes unanimously. We next move to boards and commission nominations. Vice Mayor, do we have a motion? Motion to approve the mayor and city council board and commission nominations. >> Second. >> We have a motion and a second. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. Any oppose? Nay. >> We will conduct a swearing in ceremony. Please raise your right hand. I state your name. >> I family >> do solemnly swear >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution and laws of the state of Arizona >> and the Constitution and laws of the state of Arizona >> that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. >> I will bear true allegiance to the same >> and defend them against all enemies. and not all duties, >> foreign and domestic. >> foreign and domestic. >> And that I will faithfully and impartially >> That I will faithfully and impartially >> discharge the duties of the office of >> discharge the duties of the office of >> state your office >> according to the best of my ability. >> according to the best of my ability. >> So help me God. >> So help me God. >> Thank you for your service to our city and congratulations on your unanimous appointment. Congratulations again to our commissioners and the good news continues. We have a very special swearing in and uh vote today related to interim presiding judge for our municipal court system. And I'll turn to the vice mayor for a motion. >> Thank you, mayor. Motion to approve the appointment and swearing in of the honorable James P. Hernandez as interim chief presiding judge of the Phoenix Municipal Court. Second. >> We have a motion and a second. We want to congratulate Judge Taylor on his appointment to the superior court. The governor chose wisely and we are so excited. We have such a a deep bench, no pun intended, at our municipal court and and today get to vote on a longtime public servant taking over leader interim leadership of our court. A few of my colleagues wanted to provide comments. I'll start with Councilwoman Hernandez. No relation. >> Yes, thank you, mayor. I was going to say that. Um, well, first, congratulations, Judge Taylor. That's amazing to see you uh take a next journey and also looking forward to voting on uh the appointment of Judge Ednandez. No relation. Um just really had a question for staff more. I got a few inquiries like what is the process for this? So, um you know, I want to make sure that our residents are assured that there is a process for appointing the permanent presiding judge. So, if anything you can share with the public about what the process looks like and timeline. >> Yes, Mayor Councilwoman Hernandez. Um, I'm going to ask Dave Matthews if he's got that with him or I'll I'll give it my best shot. Uh, you will be soliciting for a permanent chief presiding judge publicly. That will be posted for at least 30 days. The names will come to the judicial selection advisory board who will forward to the council names. the council uh will select then from those candidates. This is one of two positions that the council has authority uh alone to select and appoint. >> Okay. Thank you so much. And just wanted to make sure uh the residents are very assured that we have a process for that. Um and if there's any opportunity for them to weigh in or watch any of the process unfold, is there a a place for that or how would that go? So the council meet the judicial selection advisory board is a public body that meets in public. Uh I'm certain that it's uh probably its interviews uh could be held in executive session. The council also would uh conduct interviews. You would likely hold those in executive session but then you would vote publicly uh on any recommended uh name any recommendation that you would have for the permanent position. So there is a public process for that through the judicial selection advisory board and through the city council. >> Okay. Thank you so much. It's also my first uh uh process this way. Uh had a little experience at the state senate. So very excited to uh go along this process now at the city level. So uh again congratulations Judge Hernandez. Uh congratulations Judge Taylor. Just really excited to work with the both of you and see uh how we move the city forward. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Judge Hernandez has served our city in multiple capacities from public defender and helping those who are most vulnerable to serving as a judge and then helping our courts as we've set up uh new policies and procedures tried to help those who are most vulnerable and try to make sure people understand our judicial system. So, thank you for what you have already accomplished. Would anyone wish to comment? Uh, Councilwoman Pastor, >> I just want to congratulate Judge Hernandez in this interim position. Uh, you're stepping up for the courts and for the city of Phoenix. Uh, I want to say goodbye to Judge Taylor and best of luck uh because you have done a a great job. I was part of their when um Judge Taylor was uh placed as uh the presiding judge. So, uh, thank you. And you probably mentored and he knows what he's doing. So, thank you, >> Vice Mayor. Thank you, Mayor. I too wanted to extend my congratulations both to Judge Taylor as he makes his next step as well as to Judge Hernandez. Congratulations. Uh, the comment that stood out the most to me as we were preparing for this is your desire to conduct yourself in your courtroom in a way that always instills confidence in our community. I think that says a lot. Um, as someone who has been in numerous courtrooms, I know it's not a place where many people feel um, comfortable. They already uh, approached court with a little uneasiness. Um, so I think that really means a lot. Uh, your desire to continue to make the courtroom somewhere where despite the circumstance, everyone feels respected and heard. So, I just want to say congratulations and thank you for your service. >> Thank you so much. With that, roll call. Valvo, >> yes. >> Ernnandez, >> yes. >> O'Brien, >> yes. >> Pastor, >> yes. >> Robinson, >> yes. >> Stark, >> yes. >> Wearing, >> yes. >> Haj Washington, >> yes. >> GGO, >> yes. >> Passes 90. >> Wonderful. Congratulations to Judge Hernandez and the entire family. And we will now ask the uh family to come forward and and support the swearing in ceremony. Turn that on the west wing. >> And why don't we while the judge puts on his robes, uh, we'll pass the microphone and you could tell us who you are. >> I'm Angela Sylvia. I'm Judge Hernandez mother. Congratulations. >> Thank you. I'm >> Gary Hernandez. I'm his brother. >> I'm Giana Hernandez. I'm his niece. >> I'm Jose Alanise. I'm her boyfriend. >> I'm Alex Judge Hernandez grandson. >> Mark Hernandez, his son. >> Christian Hernandez, also his favorite son. Well, we're so pleased to have you supporting in such an important day and and excited to welcome you to this new role. But special congratulations to mom. >> Oh, I have to raise my hand. >> Yeah. All right. Please raise your right hand. I, James P. Hernandez >> James P. Hernandez. >> Do solemnly swear >> do solemnly swear >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> that I will support the Constitution of the United States >> and the Constitution and laws of the state of Arizona >> and the Constitution and laws of the state of Arizona. >> that I will bear fe That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same >> that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same >> and defend them against all enemies. >> and defend them against all enemies, >> foreign and domestic. >> foreign and domestic. and that I will faithfully and impartially >> And that I will faithfully and impartially >> discharge the duties of Phoenix Municipal Court Judge >> discharge the duties of Phoenix Municipal Court Judge >> according to the best of my ability. >> according to the best of my ability. >> So help me God. >> So help me God. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you very much, Mayor. Appreciate it. >> All right. Thank you very much. I appreciate you, mayor. Thank you. Absolutely. I'll do my best for you at all times. Thank you. >> Oh, you need to send this. Anybody wants to come? Come on. Well, what a special day for our city and our municipal court system. Next, we go to the liquor license portion of our agenda. We provide an advisory role to the state of Arizona on liquor licenses. Vice Mayor, do we have a motion on this portion of our agenda? >> Yes, mayor. Motion to approve items 4 through 16. >> Second. >> We have a motion and a second. We do have a few speakers available to speak if necessary. All in favor of the items. All those in favor, please say I. I. >> Any oppose? Nay. Passes unanimously. got some small businesses growing and and some great special events coming up soon. All right, city clerks, are we ready for ordinances, resolutions, new business planning and zoning? >> Yes, mayor. >> Vice Mayor, motion to approve items 17 through 54 except the following. Items 27, 30, 32, and 54, noting that item number 30 has additional information. Items 33, 52, and 53 are continued to February 18th, 2025. >> I'm sorry, 26. Sorry. And can the clerk confirm are there any other items that should be excluded for inerson public comment? >> Yes, mayor. Vice Mayor also noting that item 54 is as revised and also nothing else to remove from the ominabus. Thank you. >> Second motion and a second. Roll call. Wardo, >> yes. >> Hernandez, >> yes. >> O'Brien, >> yes. >> Pastor, >> yes. >> Robinson, >> yes. >> Stark, >> yes. >> Wearing, yes. >> Hodgej Washington, >> yes. VGO, >> yes. >> Passes 90. >> Next is item 27, which is related to the art artist design and construction contract for the 35th Avenue Grand Avenue overpass public art project. Do we have a motion? Motion to approve item >> 27. >> 27. Sorry. Second. >> Second. >> We have a motion and a second. I'll turn to Councilwoman Pastor for comments. >> I'm just excited that uh we are going, this is going to be part of the art design and construction on the oversight of the 35th Avenue and Grand overpass. Uh I share this with Councilwoman Wardado and uh very excited that the the artist has been chosen and we can get going. Thank you. >> Thank you so much, Councilwoman Gordado. >> Thank you, Mayor. This our project highlights our commitment to creativity and urban beautifification. We are delighted to commission artist Danielle Meyer to design and oversee the construction of artwork on the bridge barriers and fences of two overpasses along Grand Avenue spanning Indian School Road and 35th Avenue. The artwork will serve a dual purpose, enhancing infrastructure functionality and providing visual appeal. These overpasses will act as a gate as gateways to the Alhhamra and Mville neighborhoods, contributing to the identity of the Grand Avenue corridor. This project will create a welcoming atmosphere for residents and visitors alike. The artwork will symbolize our community's vibrant culture, marking the entry to our neighborhoods and celebrating our local heritage and artistic spirit. The 35th Avenue Grand Avenue overpass public art project exemplifies how art can transform public spaces and unite communities. It reflects our vision for a city that values creativity, inclusivity, and beauty. This project will leave a lasting legacy and become a cherished landmark in our cityscape. Thank you to Deputy City Manager Frank Mchune, Briana from Streets Transportation, and Carrie Brown of the Arts and Culture Department for your work on this item. We look forward to seeing this project come to fruition. Thank you so much, Mayor. >> Thank you so much. Congratulations to our council districts that will see this moving forward. Roll call. Ordado, >> yes. >> Hernandez, >> yes. >> O'Brien, >> yes. >> Pastor, >> yes. >> Robinson, >> yes. >> Stark, >> yes. >> Wearing, >> yes. >> Haj Washington, >> yes. >> Gayo, >> yes. >> Passes 90. >> We next go to item 30, which is related to the heat ordinance, and I'll ask the city clerk to read the title. Item 30 is for ordinance G7483, an ordinance amending Ordinance G7241 to include proposed revisions to Phoenix City Code Chapter 18, article 11 sections 18-413A and 18-415 related to the heat safety plans. >> Thank you so much. And Councilwoman Gordado has been working very hard on this issue. I'll turn to her to introduce the item. >> Thank you so much, Mayor. I will start with a motion if that's okay. Um motion to approve item 30 with the following change. Section 18-413 subsection 4 should read as follows. Access to air conditioning in vehicles will with enclosed caps beginning on April 1st, 2026. All contractors shall regularly monitor vehicles to ensure all vehicles with enclosed cabs have properly functioning air conditioning per the manufacturer specifications. The heat safety and mitigation plan shall include how the contractor will monitor vehicle air conditioning to comply with this subsection. >> Second. Thank you so much. We have a motion and a second. Any comments or questions before we go to members of the public? Councilwoman, >> oh, go ahead. Quick question. >> Yes. >> I just want to clarify that we are actually moving on amendments today and not the actual entire ordinance. Correct. >> Correct. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, that's uh very important. So we are arguably a city that really needs to lead on heat and this has been a long process where we have already created and implemented a heat ordinance but we continue to refine it. Uh there the city manager had appointed an ad hoc committee uh staffed by a deputy city manager and council Gordado spent a lot of time on that issue. Thank you. We have several members of that committee who are here and uh thank you for your service. We know we have to keep working on heat and so we are going to appoint a new committee soon an an ad hoc committee that will continue this work uh in that area and we will we will be uh interested if folks are interested in applying um for that we will be appointing a new group and if you are interested boards.and.commissions phoenix.gov gov. Uh you can email you should be able to also find that email address online but wanted to read it because the periods are very specific. So we'll continue to work on this area and we also try to monitor efforts at the state and federal level so that we can make sure we are not duplicative but that we protect people in our community during our hot summers. We so appreciate the people who work hard to power this city and those who work outdoors. We want to make sure they are able to do so safely. So, uh, Council Verado, >> thank you so much, Mayor. So, I I just I am very thankful for the discussion and thankful to everyone that has been part of putting, um, this ordinance together. I want to bring this back to why this ordinance exists in the first place. In Phoenix, extreme heat is not hypothetical. Every summer, workers are hospitalized and some do not make it home. There are preventable injuries and sometimes preventable deaths caused by conditions we know will occur year after year. This amendment does not invent new expectations. It reflects what every major city contract already requires. Compliance, certifications for safety, wages, and basic protections. Heat safety should not be treated differently simply because it has been normalized. What we are asking for is straightforward. That contractors document the protections they say they already provide. That workers can report unsafe conditions without fear. And that basic safeguards like functioning air conditioning are verified. A minimal record confirming those protections is not excessive when the consequences of failure is heat illness, hospitalization, or worse. I've heard concerns about administrative burden, but from the city's perspective, the greater risk is failing to act when the hazard is known and the harm is real. And while we already emphasize education and compliance, this amendment ensures the city has clear authority when protections are not followed. This is not about punishing good actors. It is about making sure no worker on a city-f funed project is asked to risk their health. or their life because accountability was optional. This is about more than compliance. It's about creating a culture of safety and respect. Every outdoor worker deserves to know that their health matters, that their concerns will be heard, and that the city stands behind them. For those reasons, I will be supporting this amendment. Thank you, Mayor. >> Thank you so much, Councilwoman Hernandez. >> Thank you, Mayor. Um yeah, this is a great thing. It's really great to have a really good thing on the agenda. Um I'd like to we've heard a little bit about the amendment. Um but I want to make sure that uh highlight a few of those changes that are stronger language to protect um against retaliation. A key one which is ensuring air conditioning is functioning, a consequence mechanism to keep employers accountable. This is really a win. I'm glad that the city took the step to make this stronger. these updates um in this amendment reflect real concerns that were expressed by our workers. Um and I'm glad to see that we as a city took that very seriously and that we've come with the stronger um amendment just to strengthen what the work that has already been started over the years. Um these amendments create this amendment creates more protection for workers and healthier and safe working environments and this is a serious step forward. So, thank you to all the partners who really worked so so hard on this and made this these changes possible and I will also be supporting this. >> Vice Mayor, >> thank you, mayor. I also wanted to just say thank you especially Councilman Ba Gallardo. I always put your name. I probably >> did good. You did good. >> Um and for all of the efforts that went into this uh city manager's office, especially um deputy city manager David Matthews. And I also wanted to say thank you also to the contract workers heat safety ordinance advisory committee. Um thank you for the effort that you put into this as and to everyone that lent their voice to ensure that we crafted a policy that was um that protects more of our community. I am happy to support I'm thankful that we're bringing forward these updates. Um extreme heat is a daily reality in Phoenix. Even in our cold days, sometimes we have um and it's our responsibility to ensure that the people doing the work are protected. These revisions strengthen clarity, accountability, and worker safety, especially for those exposed to dangerous conditions. As a city, we continue to lead by example, and this item reinforces that worker safety is a priority and not an afterthought. I appreciate the continued commitment to approving these protections, and I am also proud to support this item. Thank you so much. We'll now go to members of the public for comment. We'll begin with Michael Martinez, followed by Maxwell. >> Hello, my name is Michael Martinez. I am a union organizer with Unite Here Local 11, a union representing hundreds of food service workers at Sky Harbor Airport, including around 250 workers at LSG Skyfest, who prepare the food eaten on Sky Harbor flights. Last summer, two Skyfest drivers whom we represent, Filip Filibberto Lades and Binium Halo, came forward to the council to allege that the air conditioning units in the Skyfest trucks were still not adequately functioning over a year after the heat ordinance was passed. As many of you remember, during his testimony, Philip Bberto, who couldn't be here today, discussed how he was afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation. Barely a month after he spoke to the council, Philipperto was suspended from work and only returned after the union and community members protested and wrote in support of him. Not all workers have that, which is why the retaliation protections being introduced here today are so important. Today's reforms to Phoenix contract worker heat ordinance are a major victory for our members and workers working in the heat across the valley. I want to thank the council, particularly Councilwoman Betty Guardalo and her staff for working with our members closely on getting these reforms done. In the future, we're hopeful that further measures can be pursued to beef up these protections like upfront collection of contractors heat safety plans and stronger protections for subcontracted workers. Hiring someone to the vacant airport heat safety officer position created this summer will also help with enforcement. Finally, we also believe that a broader worker retention policy is essential to ensuring workers um have job security they need to come forward with complaints and so that the city preserves workers jobs even as it takes actions against the contract violations. Thank you again for your work and for listening to our members. We look forward to working with you to make sure all workers stay safe in the heat. Thank you. >> Thank you. Max is next, followed by David Martin. >> Good afternoon. Good afternoon, council. Uh my name is Maxwell Ulan. I'm a staff attorney withite here local 11 as well. um and also a former member of uh Phoenix's contract worker heat advisory committee that uh the vice mayor so uh so kindly uh mentioned her remarks. As a former outdoor worker myself and now a union member uh union staff member, I want to express my appre my appreciation to the council and particularly Councilwoman Guardo and her staff for hearing workers and responding to their concerns with real meaningful changes to this ordinance today. As you know, members of our union alleged last summer that Sky shafts still had not installed adequate AC systems into trucks over a year after the ordinance's passage. Truth be told, the organizers and I actually struggled to get workers to come forward and speak up at that meeting. And that's because drivers were afraid of retaliation. When a month later, one of the two drivers who testified, Filipes, was suspended from work and only brought back after public pressure mounted on the company, we filed claims with the IND industrial commission with ADOSH. But even though the union filed those claims, because Sky Chefs uses trucks of over 10,000, state OSHA protections, retaliation protections do not actually apply in Filibberto's case. This is why the retaliation protections being passed here today are so essential. As a former advisory committee member, I would also want to to just uh encourage the council to consider additional steps in the future that will help strengthen these protections. hiring someone to the open heat safety officer position in the aviation department for example, creating a new advisory committee, and also some of the reforms that Mike mentioned about subcontracting protections and also worker retention to ensure that workers can feel comfortable coming forward about the issues they're facing without a fear of their jobs potentially being eliminated. So with that, I want to thank you so much and uh thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Dave is next, followed by Nile. >> Good afternoon, mayor, members of the council. My name is David Martin. I represent the Arizona Chapter Associated General Contractors. I believe they have to say that I'm a lobbyist. Is that correct? Um just quickly um this is a qualified opposition and if you look at the memo that you all received uh prior to the meeting you'll see pretty much of the issues revolve around process and that was really the issue for our members was how do we how do we as an organization uh regulate ourselves along along with the city. We stand committed to worker safety 100% like the folks in this room and are willing and ready and able to work with the council on advancing these things to protect the workers. Any questions? >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Nile is next followed by Vanessa. Thank you, Mayor and Council. Hello, my name is Nile and I am here actually on behalf of myself as a Phoenix resident. I just want to take a moment to say again, thank you to Councilwoman Gordata for and your staff for all the support on this. As someone who has worked uh outside myself during the summer months and has lived in Phoenix for several years, I have seen how hot of course the summers get as we all have. The new measures in the proposal are vital to address the issues that have been raised by workers this past summer over proper vehicles with proper functioning AC and the excuse me and the tougher penalties for companies who are found to violate the ordinance will help hold firms accountable. The retaliation protections being introduced today will also ensure that workers can feel safe coming forward without fear of work retaliation and losing their job as no one should have that fear going into work. We are hopeful that additional reforms can be considered in the future to further strengthen the protections being uh raised here today. It would also be helpful to have a worker retention policy for city contracts because this would help allow workers again to come forward safely because ultimately again no one should feel like they have to be in those conditions going to work. And with that, I want to say thank you for taking the initiative and moving forward with this life-saving reform and I look forward to hopefully working with you in the future on this. Thank you. Thank you so much. Vanessa is next, followed by Jorge. And while they come up, if we could ask our deputy city manager, David Matthews, who's been working on this, to come forward. >> Good afternoon, council members. My name is Vanessa Spinazola. I'm the director of Southwest Campaign Strategy for the National Employment Law Project. We are a nonprofit advocacy organization committed to building an economy where all workers can thrive in good jobs. We're here in strong support today of the ordinance. Um, we thank you for being a leader in the country in protecting workers from heat and illness. Phoenix has an opportunity with this ordinance today to create conditions where workers can speak speak up and prevent injury, illness, and death resulting from extreme heat. We particularly support the retaliation provisions. They are critical to bridge the fundamental power imbalance between workers and employers where employers can and do retaliate against workers who assert their rights with devastating economic consequences. My organization has conducted studies and focus groups with workers, particularly in New York and California, and we found that Latinx workers are much more likely than other workers to report potential employer retaliation as a barrier to taking action against unsafe working conditions. Nationally, the same is true for black workers. We urge passage of the ordinance and like my colleagues, I ask that council to consider in the future um stronger protections for subcontractors, the worker retention policies, and filling the heat safety officer position at the airport. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Jorge is next, followed by Trina. >> Jorge or George. Oh, I'm so sorry. Good afternoon everybody. My name is George Williams. I'm a cabin cleaner at Sky Harbor Airport and I'm here in behalf of all of my workers that are here that we work in extreme heat. The heat ordinance, I'm glad city council has taken the effort to correct this situation and and modify it. We work in extreme heat in the day and the night and it's not getting any better. We all know it's coming. I've had co-workers literally dehydrate, pass out, can't come to work, which makes it harder for us to do our jobs. We make this airport run smooth. We clean the planes, we do weapon searches, make sure everything's safe for passengers coming in and out of Phoenix on the airlines. We just want to be able to have the options that are there for us as far as being hydrated with water, hydrated drinks, making sure that everyone's understanding they're safe in doing what we do. The ordinance definitely needs to be mandatory. These companies that they need to be able they need to be held accountable for the things that they do. We need to have everything in place so that we can do our jobs in a timely manner and everybody's getting what they need to do. There are situations where at night when we clean planes at night, if that plane has to be towed, that plane is extremely hot. There's no air because they tow it to another gate. Something needs to be done about that. All of your help, I'll be greatly appreciated by all my co-workers. We we greatly appreciate everything, all the help you can do. Thank you very much for your time. Have a good day. >> Thank you so much, George, for that important testimony. Trina is next and and then Jasmine. >> Good afternoon. My name is Trina David. I am an airport worker with the major airline at Sky Harbor Airport. And I, as an airport worker, know firsthand about the heat dangers on the ramp. It becomes so hot that the ground beneath you feels like an oven door. But at this time, I'd like to thank the city council for all their efforts, especially Councilwoman Betty Gdardo and her staff and for all the reforms that were here today. These measures matter. Retaliation protections matter. Functional vehicle air conditioning matters. and tougher penalties will finally give this ordinance real enforcement power. But major gaps remain. We need stronger safeguards so every company on the airport follows the same safety and heat standards. Filling the long vacant airport heat safety officer position would approve accountability and provide enforcement. A worker retention policy would ensure that when the city holds employees employers accountable, workers are not the ones who are punished. Meanwhile, companies can't even agree on what functional air conditioning means. And still, companies deny that Phoenix is an extreme heat station, even after three straight years of record heat. In 2023 alone, we had 113 days at or above 100°. 55 of those days were at or above 110, which we all know on the ramp it's 20 to 40° higher. So, that means it's 150°. Those conditions are life-threatening. Heat exhaustion begins at 101. Heat stroke, a medical emergency, begins at 104. The signs of a body shutting down. And when that happens, workers get injured. Planes get damaged. People are left with long-term health issues. We're not asking for anything unreasonable. We're asking for basic common sense protections. Water, cool, mandated breaks, and the bare minimums required to keep people alive. And if 113 days over 100° and workers ending up in ERS and body bags aren't enough to move you, then the problem isn't the heat. The problem is the refusal to protect the people for this state running for this people who keep the state running. I just like to say thank you. Um we need enforceable heat standards because the time to act is now. Thank you very much, >> Mayor. >> Counciloman Gordado. >> Thank you so much. Um, I just want to add a little bit of clarification. Um, so I just have a question. I don't know if this is for Chad or for Dave. Can you guys give us an update on the aviation heat ordinance coordinator? >> Whoever wants to break the good news, >> mayor, members of council, um, Chad can break the good news as well as on the specific date, but that position was recently filled at the city. >> So, we have hired someone specifically for the airport. >> Yes. Mayor and uh Councilwoman Gordado, members of council, Grant Harrison has filled the role of the vacant position for um the heat safety coordinator. He's been with us for one week now, so we're letting him get himself kind of uh put together. He's already uh very been very active in meetings uh including uh with uh with David here and others to kind of get an understanding of the ordinance, what's important. We're giving him orientation tours of the airport. So, we're doing all of this in preparation obviously for the heat season ahead of us. >> Perfect. Okay. Thank you. Hope that helped as clarification as people coming in and giving their comments. Thank you guys so much. Thank you, mayor. >> Thank you so much. Uh Jasmine is next, followed by Alandre. >> Hello. Good afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today, mayor and council members. My name is Yasmin Moreno Dominguez. I'm here as a Phoenix resident, but first and foremost, as a daughter of someone whose father works construction, I want to begin by expressing my appreciation to the council for all the work you have done regarding heat safety and the meaningful work you've done to strengthen these protections. Many of us in this room have seen what this ordinance looks like outside of city hall in work sites, on job sites. I know we have workers here, including Trina, at the airport. And through this experience, we've learned where it's protecting workers and where there are still gaps. We recognize and appreciate and support the important reforms presented here today and in the past. However, this policy and your efforts um for truly for them to reach their full potential need continued improvements. In addition to the proposed amendments today, this includes strengthening protections for subcontracted workers who are often the most vulnerable and adopting worker retention policy so that employees are not punished or laid off when the city holds employees accountable. Strong policy does not end with its passage. It grows through listening, evaluation, and revision. These updates reflect communities and workers and what they're experiencing every day and what they need to stay safe in extreme heat. Thank you very much. >> Thank you so much. Alandre will be our next speaker. Good afternoon, Mayor and City Council. Thank you all so much for holding this hearing and also for getting back to us. Um it's been a long since six months since we were here um last advocating for airport workers. Um by the way, I'm here on behalf of the community and myself. Um, and I want to elaborate too that um, this morning I was sitting in and hearing some testimonies from workers all over different fields from demolition to construction. Um, of course to the airport workers were there as well. Um, farmers all over Arizona. And one thing is clear, although you have great intentions, um I reiterate what Jasmine said, there are still some gaps in order to reach the full potential of the ordinance in order to protect workers properly. Um we are hearing a lot of stories from also researchers, nurses, the lung health association of all the factors that really play into how it affects workers from heat to the environment to the air quality to everything that's in the air and around them. And so that means that somebody in Yuma might be experiencing heat differently than someone in Phoenix simply because there are different environmental factors to consider. Um, with that being said, I will reiterate some of the gaps that um are in the ordinance. Um, and I'll start by saying that we need stronger protections for subcontractors. We also need to fill that ba vacant heat safety officer position at the airport. And lastly, we need a policy on worker retention so that workers don't risk losing their job when they are coming and saying what their concerns are. And thank you. >> Thank you so much. That concludes the public comment on this item. Roll call. >> Ward, >> yes. >> Hernandez, >> yes. O'Brien, >> yes. Pastor, >> mayor, may I explain my vote? Please do. >> So, um, in March 2024, um, I voted yes on this ordinance because every worker deserves a safe place in our extreme heat. We strengthen it once again July 2025 to make protections more practical. And today's amendment further protects workers from retaliation, improves vehicle safety, and raises the bar for contractors doing business in Phoenix. In a city where heat can be deadly, protecting our residents and workers is a key. I will be voting yes. >> Robinson, >> yes. >> Stark, >> yes. >> Wearing, yes. >> Haj Washington, >> yes. >> GGO, >> yes. passes 90. Thank you to everyone who worked on this ordinance. We'll next go to item 32, which is related to a 100 Club of Arizona uh grant. Vice Mayor. >> Motion to approve item 32. >> Second. >> We have a motion and a second. Councilman Hernandez. >> Thank you, Mayor. Just have a few questions for uh our police department and chiefs. I don't know which one gets the lucky drew the lucky number today to answer my questions. >> Councilwoman Chief Kennedy is happy to answer your questions. >> Thank you. Um okay so I just want to understand a few of the things on these vests but also uh trying to understand the impact or if any on the general fund. Um how are you measuring the need for vests? Mayor, members of council, councilwoman Hernandez. So vest reimbursement is provided to every officer in the department. These vests provide a higher level of protection than what those vests that officers currently carry have. So we have officers in positions such as these, the neighborhood enforcement teams that are involved in search warrants and high-risk events where these higher ballistic protection vests are required. >> Okay, thank you. Um, and how are we or how are we tracking how af how often um they were used to save someone or is there are we able to track that? >> Councilwoman Hernandez, um, we could track it by looking at specific events. Okay. >> Um, obviously if there was a situation there was a down person that we had to rescue and we had these vests available, we would utilize them at that time. So there are situations where we would use them outside of, you know, the normal search warrants and arrest procedures. It just it'd be on a case-byase basis depending on the situation and if they were available. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, and do they have like a certain is there a certain amount of time that they're able that one vest is able to be used or they like are we're I guess I'm trying to ask is do they ex is there like a way that they expire or they're just how long are those used? >> Councilwoman Hernandez, yes, there is an expiration period. It's typically between five and seven years. >> Okay. And we um can we just can you share any light or any information on how we come how we come to be in need of more of these vests? Councilwoman Hernandez. So there's always needs in the department that expand beyond what we can put in in the police department's budget. So that's where grants like this come in handy so we can meet those needs and we always try to take advantage of those opportunities when we can. >> Okay. Thank you so much. Um, and so actually picking back on that, so we don't set aside funding to cover these specific vest in through the regular police department budget. >> Councilwoman Hernandez, for these particular vests, we do not. For other ones, we do. >> Okay. And so for these particular vest, um, how much would this grant amount be able to provide in number of vests? Councilwoman Hernandez. Uh I would have to look to see what the specific cost of each vest is. It's they're usually several thousand dollar. Um so it will provide us quite a few vests, but we would need more beyond this and that we've been working on this for some time. >> Okay. Thank you so much. Thank you, mayor. >> Thank you. Roll call. >> Or >> yes. >> Hernandez, >> no. >> O'Brien, >> yes. >> Pastor, >> yes. Robinson, >> yes. >> Stark, >> yes. >> Wearing Hajj Washington, >> yes. GGO, >> yes. >> Passes 81. >> We next go to item 54, which is a public hearing and ordinance adoption related to 2400 Builtmore Residential PUB at the northwest corner of 24th Street and Builtmore Circle. We'll begin with a staff report. Then I'll open the public hearing. The applicant and the appellant will each have 10 minutes. After those presentations, anyone signed up for public comment will have two minutes each. We'll begin uh with our planning and development team and I believe Trish will be presenting on this item. Thank you, mayor, members of the council. Yes. Item 54 is Z-44-25-6. It is a request to reszone 7.68 68 acres from C2PCD to PUD to allow mixeduse multif family residential office restaurant and the PCD removal. The subject site is a commercial office development zone C2 PCD. To the north is a commercial office and as well as to the south. To the east is a single family residential and to the west is commercial office surface parking and a water treatment uh plant. The PUD initially proposed to redevelop the site with a new six-story mixeduse building with 203 multif family residential units and ground floor space for a restaurant and offices. The Camelback East Village Planning Committee heard this item on November 4th, 2025 and recommended approval per the staff recommendation with additional stipulations by a vote of 13 to 5. The planning commission heard this item on January 8th, 2026 and recommended approval per the staff memo dated January 7th, 2026 with additional stipulations and with direction by a vote of 5 to three. The planning commission recommendation was appealed by a member of the public on January 14th 2026. The memo dated February 3rd, 2026 from the PDD director addresses the revised conceptual site plan which reduced the number of units from 203 to 195, reduced the office space from 11,000 square ft to 7,000 square ft and increased the north setback from 50 ft to 200 ft and added driveway access on to 24th Street. In addition, the memo addresses revisions to the elevations and renderings to reflect changes to the site plan and requirements for a terrace retaining wall on 24th Street. With that, staff recommends approval of Z-44-25-6 per the memo dated February 3rd, 2026 from the planning and development director and adopt the related ordinance. Happy to answer any questions. >> Any questions before we All right, we will welcome Nick Wood on behalf of the applicant. Mayor, members of the council, Nick Wood, Snelling W East Washington Street, and I represent JDM. Take my clicker. Thank you. Still don't have it up. I can't see it on my screen or on the big one. >> One moment. We We're working on getting it up. Thank you. >> Thank you. For me, it's usually user error. Okay. Property is located at the northeast corner of the intersection of 24th Street and uh Arizona Builtmore Circle. Um immediately north of us is the Best Western headquarters. East of us, Builtmore Square. Um then across the golf course hole number 13, Builtmore Courts 2 and then up above that Builtmore Villas 2. Property is currently zone C2 and we have a PUD application. North of us is all CO. Um the property has some challenges with respect to development. What you see here is contours. Basically these are 10T contours. Um from the northernmost to the bottom it's a 40ft fall. So basically it's built on a slope and the slope continues as it goes north. It goes uh up 24th Street. It continues to climb as Best Western McCarthy building and all the way up to Pasua Peak. Um as far as a height map is concerned as you can see we have uh six stories 66 ft on the east side because it's on the side of the golf course and residential. Uh we step it down to five stories and we step it down again to four stories. Uh and everything on the west is six stories. where we were is the one on the left. Uh we took this to village. Village recommended approval by a vote of 13 to five and um as you can see it's designed to be a single loaded set of units around basically the parking structure and then we had access out the Arizona Builtmore Circle in two locations. one is out in the front um and then the other is on the east side. In our continuing discussions after village uh we spent a lot of time with Best Western and we spent quite a bit of time with other neighbors and of course height was an issue so and so is traffic. Now we're only 195 units which doesn't generate a lot of traffic but it's still traffic and Arizona built more circle gets busy when the resort gets busy. So as a result we did two things uh when we came to planning commission. Number one, we have a curb cut now on 24th Street. Um that plan was submitted to streets and street has accepted that uh that additional study. In addition, we chopped off 150 ft on the north side of the building. By doing that, we removed 30 units because basically it was six stories, but we created a 200 ft setback which now makes it much smaller. The important thing is the north part of the site is the tallest. That's where it's up on top of the slope. So by removing that we remove a lot of the height which again responded to some of the uh objections by the neighbors and we worked very closely with Best Western who now is no longer in opposition to this case. Um here's an example of the effect of that. So this was what we took the village and this is what we have today. So again we chopped off 150 ft but you can see how it actually shortens the profile of the building um and it reduces um the visual impact as well. Um, also on 24th Street, we have the building set back significantly from 24th Street with a lot of tearing, a lot of landscaping. Um, and again, uh, this is where the the site rises. Um, but we removed that top section. This would be 24th Street, uh, in the future, lots of shade again with the setbacks. And, uh this, of course, is the fourstory element that I mentioned that's along the golf course. So, with that, mayor, if I may, oh, by the way, we're uh fine with the stipulations we've worked out with staff uh and um uh with Councilwoman Robinson and uh um Mayor, if I may reserve the rest of my time for rebuttal. >> Sounds good. And we'll do that after all public comment or after >> After all comments. >> All right. Thank you, >> Mayor. Councilwoman Stark, >> can I ask a question um about the hype? I I recall I I was the planning director when you did the Builtmore PUD. We did increase the hype at the actual Builtmore. Correct. >> Yeah, Mayor Housewoman. Um, Stark. Yes, we actually when back in 2009 I did the PUD for that and we do have a 66 foot tall set of buildings in that project. They haven't been built yet. >> Yeah. >> But they are permitted and that was really in essence the center of the Builtmore area. Yes. >> Okay. That's what I thought. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. Uh Lyn Lagard or her designate on behalf of the appellent and I'm just waiting for the uh >> we will not start the clock until your presentations come up. >> Okay, I think we're there. Thank you, Mayor Ggo, members of the council. My name is Lynn Lagard. I live at 6190 North, 28th Place, and I'm basically speaking on behalf of the over 500 neighbors that are represented in these communications to the council. And at an earlier hearing, the applicant said, "Well, some of those were just responses to an email alert. they are still legitimate expressions of opposition by the people who live in this area. So we appealed this narrow planning commission approval 5 to three on behalf of these 100 neighbors who all disagree that this project is either consistent with the general plan or compatible with the neighborhood in which we live. This is an established low-scale one and twostory homes and office neighborhood. There is no building this massive anywhere near our area except at 24th in Camelback. You can see the contrast in the images on the screen. The left is existing. The right is proposed and this has not been changed. This is the applicant's rendering. This large building is looming over the con over the corner and over the neighborhood. The 48 ft is not next to the neighbors. It's in the middle of the project next to the neighbors. It's still six stories 66 ft. This is an enormous totally out ofcale 66 foot six-story building. And with the terrace retaining walls that go up to 24 ft, you add 66 ft of building. This building is going to tower 90 ft, approximately nine stories over the grade of 24th Street. It's about 600 ft long even with the reduction. That's two football fields. That's more expansive than any building I've even seen in the Camelback corridor. We did an elevation study that shows that this building will be higher as high or higher than the Wrigley mansion. The Wrigley mansion is at 1320 ft elevation. The highest part of this site is 1280 elevation. You add 66 ft, you're at 1346 ft elevation. This is a very, very big building, very out of character with our neighborhood. And it is very insensitive to the preserve because, as this slide shows you, it blocks views of the preserve of the mountains that were bought and are loved by Phoenix residents. The next slide, please. This is a massing study that we did before the northern part of small part of the building was taken off. It shows how huge this building is. How it will tower over everything in our area and stick out as an eyesore in this low-scale neighborhood. The hundreds of neighbors in opposition are pleading with you that it belongs in the Camelback Carter, not in the neighborhood they love. And you would likely feel the same if this were in your neighborhood. And then I'd like to see the general plan language. That's the next slide. The language of general plan 2025 recently a adopted by the council makes clear that this project is not consistent with the general plan. The general plan designates cores for the greatest height and intensity the tallest buildings and the reason for that is to protect neighborhoods from this kind of inappropriate development. Neighborhoods on the other hand are supposed to have new development that quote maintains existing character and scale has stepped down building heights setback consistency and is integrated into the context. Most importantly, the plan says residents should have quote a level of certainty of compatibility of new development. This building is in no way compatible with our neighborhood, with the place we live. Uh the stipulations, please. We are asking you to deny this totally inappropriate project or at the very least make it more compatible by adding the stipulations that we've proposed to limit height at a 75 ft setback from the property line which is the center line of the street which means a 50 foot back of curb setback which is consistent with the area. We would ask you to impose a limit of four stories of 48 feet. That would make the building less imposing on the corner and less towering over the neighbors. At 175 ft from the center line, we would allow the building to go up to 56 ft. That's the height that is allowed for buildings to the north. And so we've made this what we think is a very reasonable compromise. Although the developer has adamantly refused to compromise and the only thing the developer has told us is they can't reduce the height because it won't pencil. We all know that that means it won't make as much profit. But our neighborhood and no city neighborhood should be disrespected and its character ignored solely for greater profit and approval without this height reduction that we are asking for. We're also asking for, I'm sorry I missed this, retaining walls no greater than eight feet, specific conformance to the plans and elevations, and notice of any stipulation changes. Excuse me. An approval of this reduction of this project without a height reduction sets terrible precedents for not adhering to the general plan that you just adopted. For putting tall buildings outside of the core and ultimately into all Phoenix neighborhoods and for putting more tall buildings on 24th Street that will further block views of the preserve. Again, hundreds of neighbors are asking you to please respect our neighborhood, deny or reduce the height of this outrageously out of character proposal. That concludes my remarks. A little bit early. Thank you. Nicely done. We will next go to public comment. We have quite a bit of residents who are uh here to provide testimony as well as a few online. We'll begin with Nirvana followed by Michael Early followed by Jean Heckler Heckler. Hello, I'm Nirvana. I work in the area and would love to live closer to my job. Originally, there were concerns with traffic, but the revised plan shows clear reductions and smarter smarter decision choices. This kind of responsiveness matters. We need housing for professionals who already commute here daily, and this project does that while respecting the existing neighborhood. Thank you. >> Thank you so much for your testimony. Michael is next, followed by Jean. Good afternoon, U mayor and counselors. My name is Michael Early. I am a Phoenix resident and I work uh in the Builtmore area. I appreciate the opportunity to speak today. As far as the planning perspective, um I do appreciate the developer has reduced the height and and the footprint as well as address the traffic impact all after the feedback of the community. And I feel that's exactly how this process should work. As a young professional who lives here, uh works here. Um this provides appropriate housing for people like me who are looking for uh with or looking for um without the burden of the infrastructure in the area. So, thank you. >> Thank you so much. Gan is next, followed by Heather. >> Mayor, Council, thank you for the opportunity. My name is Jean Heckler. I've lived in the Builtmore area for eight years now, and I'm opposed to this project. Due to time constraints, I think I just want to paraphrase and relay some comments from one of the board members that we listened to we presented to earlier. He said that he had never visited the area and uh he felt that he should go see that before uh taking a look at this proposal. He went out take a look, came back, looked at the drawings and said this doesn't fit. This is just not a fit for this neighborhood. And I couldn't agree more. Lynn's already told you about the hundreds of neighbors who've already written in to oppose this project. I would also like to remind you that these standards that you're being asked to um to wave uh were developed by a number of your citizens over a lot of lot of hours of volunteer time. And now you're being asked to throw that throw all that work out. And why? Well, we believe it's strictly for the financial interest of these investors. We don't think that's a good reason. So, we ask you to vote no on this project. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Jane Heather is next, followed by Patricia McGrath. Hello, Mayor and Councilman Robertson. Uh, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I am a mother and a licensed realtor who works directly with families and working professionals in this community. Um, every day I do see a growing disconnect of what's available in well-located areas like 24th Street and Builtmore. Um the lack of attainable, professionally designed housing is pushing families farther away from their jobs, schools, and their support systems. Um this project directly addresses that shortage. From a real estate perspective, developments like this are proven to strengthen the neighborhoods by increasing housing supply, responsibly, stabilizing the prices, um also and supporting nearby businesses. Uh from a mother's perspective, it means uh safer communities, uh shorter commutes, and more family time. Um the project is not speculative. It's needed and it is well planned and it serves the people who keep the city running. So I just respectly respectfully urge you to support the 24th Street and uh Builtmore development. Thank you. >> Thank you. Patricia is next followed by Andrew. Hi there. My name is Patricia McGrath. I've lived at 6192 North 29th Place. I've lived in this community since 1991 with my husband Gary's Woolinger, who is no longer with us, unfortunately. Um, this is my ne I've lived in two houses in this neighborhood. It's the best neighborhood in in the valley. this ha these people that are talking about affordable housing. This is not this is going to be millions and millions of I can't remember Lynn told me what this square each square foot is but it's ridiculous to think this is at any point other than millionaires and Jerry Coangelo has already ruined the adobe. The food is terrible. I've lived you know again I've lived in this neighborhood forever. The food he's already trashed the wish you won't do let him do this to my neighborhood. Okay. Thank you so much. >> Thank you so much. Andrew Chill is next, followed by Edwin Sanchez. Good afternoon, Mayor and Councilman Robinson. My name is Andrew Chill, and I'm a Phoenix resident and a registered nurse. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. Um I was also here during the during the last meeting regarding this manner in January. Um I'm here in support of this project because the number of young professionals only continues to grow and they don't all necessarily want the same things as other demographics. Some want flexibility, security, and amenities without excuse me uh maintenance burden of a single family home. uh this development meets that need for people um and expands job and housing opportunities. Um that's all I have. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Edwin is next followed by Helica Salas. >> Hello city council members. Thank you for allowing me to speak today. I'm Edwin. Um, and I support the 24th Street Buildmore development because it represents responsible strategic growth towards the future. This project means an urgent need for housing designed for working professionals while housancing the area. It's also been very thoughtfully processed and planned and I think it's very honorable that I'm still continuing to work with the Billmore um group to make it towards um their requirements. Um but also um this promotes density in the right location which reduces the commute strain and keeps our workforce rooted in the city. This type of a development is what um pushes the community forward with diversity and inclusion and I strongly encourage you your approval. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. And Helica is next followed by Haley. Hello, mayor and council. My name is Anelica Gas Salas and I've been a resident in the Builtmore area for a few years now and this community truly feels like home to home to me. I'm sorry. I'm at a stage in my life where I'd like to buy or live long-term in the same area where I already rent. And right now, options like that are very limited. I appreciate the developer reducing the building height and addressing traffic concerns. It shows that growth is being approached thoughtfully and with respect for the neighborhood. Thank you for allowing me to speak today. I really appreciate the opportunity. Thank you. Haley is next, followed by Kaylee Johansson. Good afternoon. Thank you for letting me speak. Uh my name is Haley. I've rented all over the valley throughout the last 5 years. Not only am I invested in this project, as a future home buyer who's dreamt of living in the Builtmore area, an area that hasn't had residential development since the 80s and currently has a very limited supply, but also as an administrative office manager who works for Earth Moving Construction. This project invites growth while only enhancing the character of this neighborhood. I'd also like to add that the current state of the corner, it's not that great. It could be improved. There's a misconception that luxury automatically means exclusion. In reality, highquality housing attracts long-term residents who care about the neighborhood, maintain their homes, and contribute to local businesses. The thoughtful, well-designed development like this raises the standard for the entire area without changing its character. Thank you. Thank you. Kaylee is next, followed by Jeannie Swindle. Good afternoon, Mayor and Councilmen. I'm Kaylee Johansson. Um, I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to speak today. Um, I am a member of this community for the last six years. Um, I've lived here, I shop here, I walk the streets, I support the local businesses. Um, and as my life continue and career continue to grow in this area, I don't want to be pushed out of it. Um, I'm already invested in it and this project gives people like me a chance to grow within our neighborhood. Um, cities that thrive are ones that plan for who their residents will be in 10, 20, 30 years from now. Um, and so supporting projects like this ensures that our community remains dynamic, competitive, and livable for the next generation. Thank you. >> Thank you. Jeie is next, followed by Taylor Schmidt. Good afternoon, mayor and um council people. My name is Jeannie Swindle. I am a 28-year resident of um Phoenix, proud resident, and have lived um at the same address in the Builtmore Highlands area, which is northwest of this area. Um I must also say I'm on the executive council of the Phoenix Mountains Preservation Council. I am in opposition of this development as is actually the PMPC which is the mountain council and predominantly in addition to the safety and the traffic issues that need to be looked at. Excuse me. There is a characteristic of Phoenix that's valued and that is your mountain views and we preserve the mountain and you know Phoenix is so fortunate to have thousands of acres of preserve designated preserve land and parks but the view of these I almost challenge you to find one brochure from the tourist bureau or the city of Phoenix that doesn't have a beautiful mountain view. The building that is proposed even with the stipulations is an assault on that character definfining important element of Phoenix and I am very very concerned with the precedent that the resoning and the continu the approval of this project represents to Phoenix. I can't deny density is an issue and and what is going to be looked at and population growth is gonna continue and vertical building is is going to happen. But we need to be smart and I don't think this particular development even with all of the stipulations is um is responsible and certainly in protecting our mountain views and what we love about Phoenix. Thank you. Thank you. Taylor is next, followed by Oriana. Good afternoon, mayor, vice mayor, council members. My name is Taylor Schmidt. I'm a general uh contractor. I'm a superintendent. Uh, so I'm here on behalf of the hundreds of uh, bluecollar workers whose mouths will be fed with a project just like this. I see it all the time. 5,000 ft² up to 200,000 ft². Um, there's not a lot of new buildings going into the Phoenix area. Uh, especially something just vacant. We don't have to de demo anything. It's just clean up the ground, do some dirt work, throw in some utilities, and then you trade sub subcontractors after subcontractor. Um, and these are guys that live here. They go to Cardinals games, they vote, they buy lottery. You know, they're contributing to this community. They are the community. You know, we heard from some of the other guys here today. You know, we're real people. Um, and I don't know about affordable. They are expensive. But maybe that guy from Silicon Valley moving here takes one of these condos instead of a home that I'm looking at that I might be able to afford. You know, I'm 28 years old and I'm it's getting hard for us out here, you know, as as a younger generation, you know. So, um it's nice to to see maybe a trickle down effect, but not only the housing, you know, there's an office space and a restaurant space, I believe. you know, maybe there's a local restaurant that is looking to expand or go somewhere a little bit nicer, you know, and even the neighborhood right next door gets a brand, you know, rent nice new restaurant. So, I think uh things like this are important, you know, growth. We can only go so far out. I don't know about you, but I I don't want to buy a house and cost a grand to do work in Scottdale. So, uh it's just stuff like this is exciting, especially for us. Um this is what we look forward to. a lot of old buildings here, old guts, old air conditioners. So, uh it's just nice to see we're looking into the future. I appreciate your time. Thank you. >> Oriana is next, followed by Patricia Hawkins. >> Hello and good afternoon, council. My name is Oriana and I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to speak. I'm here as a Phoenix resident in support of the 24th Street and Builtmore project. This de development directly serves working professionals who are essential to our city's success. This includes teachers, healthcare workers like myself, first responders, and young professionals who want to live near where they work. The project strengthens our local economy, increases housing options at a critical time, and keeps talent invested in our community. Approving the development is a smart forward-thinking decision that supports growth without sacrificing quality. Growth is inevitable. I respectfully urge you to support this project. Thank you. Thank you. Patricia is next, followed by Phil Tibby. Okay. Good afternoon and thank you, mayor and council members, vice mayor. My name is Patricia Hawkins. I live at 5332 North 24th Place. I've been a resident of the Builtmore area for over 45 years. But before I begin my remarks, I really wanted to thank the mayor, the council, the planning offices, everything that develops this city because I have lived there 45 years and I have watched the Builtmore Hotel and all of its surrounding neighborhoods be developed gorgeously and it's really because of the work of the council and all of these staff people. So, I thank you for that. I am here in support of this pro particular project. I live here year round. I've watched with great pride the beauty of this area improve over the years. I'm constantly at the hotel, the Wrigley mansion, the Adobe Golf Course that everyone adobe golf club which everyone loves mostly. These are all my neighbors and friends. Seven years ago, I testified against the project and the same site. It was a larger site and it was too dense. Finally, this one came along and it is smart and they have made some incredibly good changes to it and I personally feel it is a sensitive design. My late husband Jasper who was involved with so much of the planning aspect of the Builtmore area would truly call this a sensitive design and built moresque. Lastly, I have to say and I am probably the oldest one testifying. I'm 80 years old and I do believe in change. And quite frankly, if we didn't have change, we'd still have the Christmas tree lot, which I bring up all the time at 24th Street in Camelback where we all bought our Tim Mitchell Christmas trees. I want the change. I want the beauty. And this is a gorgeous project, and I urge you to please approve it. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mayor. Can I just say very quickly, Patricia's husband was a great architect. I worked with him for many years. He was a lead architect at Dell Webb. He was such a talented man. Um, he did a lot of great things for Phoenix. So, it's good to see you here, Patricia. I miss him. >> Thank you. Phil is next, followed by Howard. >> Good afternoon, Mayor Gyos and council members. Um, my name is Phil Tibby. I've been a residential real estate broker and uh residents now for over 31 years in the Builtmore serving the Builtmore area and I'm I've seen this neighborhood evolve over the past few decades and it's and it keeps evolving. I remember the controversy over the development of the newly renovated Builtmore Adobe uh restaurant golf shop. I don't know about the food, however, it's a beautiful beautiful area and uh it certainly um it certainly has improved values over time. Um I was the sales manager of two Builtmore Estates condos. Several residences were against that renovation and today it's one of the most um the the two Builtmore is one of the highest values in in the area. Um also as president of the Builtmore area partnership now for three years we meet once a month and proactively discuss various issues within our Builtmore neighborhood. issues including beautifying our neighborhood, working together with other businesses and neighbors, making our area vibrant, informative, and safe. There has not been any new Builtmore residential construction since the luxury condos of two Builtmore estates, and most homes are now over 40 years old. As one of our speakers said, there's going to be more housing and for those uh uh those younger crowd to be able to afford other homes within the Builtmore area. And yes, we may have a CEO um come in and purchase uh purchase one of these condos. Um I strongly feel that JDM will once again revive our luxury built more housing, ensuring neighborhood values and demand. Currently, I am the sales manager of a project on 32nd Street just south of just just south of Campbell Avenue. I'm sorry, just south of Indian School. Those are trilevel units selling for 800 and $900,000 and they're 1,400 square feet to 2,000 square feet and we're selling them. That means that the demand is there for housing. Thank you. >> Thank you. Howard is next followed by Jason Deont. >> Thank you also. I appreciate the opportunity. I'll be very brief. I haven't heard too many comments that address one of the great issues not not only here but in the United States about affordability and I just have not heard a lot of people stand up here and say I can put down 2 million without a problem. Uh which I understand and I can be corrected later if somebody wants to. I don't think I saw too many people come up here who said I they have 2 million in their pockets and that's difficult. I'd like to see affordable units. That would be wonderful. Uh but affordability is a crisis. Americans do not feel confident in their ability to buy homes and to achieve the American dream. And I think that kind of is a setback. Uh if we're going to develop something there, I'd like to see it maybe a little more affordable and certainly uh a lot less of a distraction. So, thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Jason is next, followed by Joselyn Stroop. >> Good afternoon. My name is Jason Deont. I'm a member of the Aiva board of directors. Aiva is the homeowners association that comprises the 1800 homes that surround the Arizona Builtmore Hotel and includes the property that JDM Partners wishes to develop. The Abiba board of directors has voted unanimously to request a 90-day continuence of the city council vote on the project. This decision was not made lightly, but is necessary in light of the board's belief that there are material differences between what JDM JDM has represented to AIVA and what the planning commission has approved. A 90-day continuence will provide the time for Aiva and the city staff to audit the current site plans against the representations previously made by JDM's representatives. Thank you. >> Thank you. Joselyn is next, followed by Carla. Carla Kaitlin. >> Good afternoon and thank you for allowing me this opportunity to share my thoughts relative to my concerns with this project. My name is Jocelyn Stroop and I've been a commercial interior designer for over 40 years. My husband and I have been residents of the Builtmore area. We bought in uh Builtmore Courts about 13 years ago. And one of the things that attracted us was this unique environment within the city. It really is quite a gem. There's nothing like it that I can compare in many many cities across the country. The overall scale of the community is designed on a human scale. A tall building such as the one being proposed is completely out of character with this neighborhood. Throughout my professional life, I worked for one of the largest architecture firms in the United States, and I've worked on numerous large-scale projects all over the US. I have not seen a process with so little transparency or regard for the residents that really have to bear the impact of such a large-scale project as being proposed. All the discussion thus far is focusing on the adjacent commercial properties and the relationship of this building to them. But there's been very little discussion about the impact of those who live here. It's not going to improve our community. It's not going to enhance it or make our lives better in any way as residents. This community is our home and such a major change will not be for the betterment of the residents. A project of such such significance deserves more time and a review of all the details and to listen to the concerns of everyone who's affected. Thank you for considering a continuence. >> Thank you so much. Carla is next, followed by Wayne Zemer. and I extend my thanks very much. Um, I'm also a resident of the Builtmore area. My corporate office was once on this site that we're discussing and when I purchased my home in the Builtmore Villas, um, I was aware this partial was zone C2 and so I knew at some point there'd probably be a fourstory building there, which is fairly large. Um, I was also the time that I've lived there became more familiar with the city of Phoenix planning language and became more confident that as a neighborhood center that it would be in character with our area. I was not concerned when I heard it was moving forward. I was actually looking forward to becoming more a part of the community and much like the one and two and threetory buildings JDM has done in this area. Um you can imagine I was shocked I guess to learn that after owning the property for three decades JDM's request for reszoning at 50% higher and at 50% increase in occupancy rate than what is zoned was seriously being considered. There's not one like it that's not on the camel black corridor and within close proximity to Pasco Park, it seemed the most unlikely location for a break with that president. Um, at the other committee meetings I've attended, including this one, there was a lot of discussion about affordable housing and the need for affordable housing, and I don't think any of us disagree with that. But at the square footage rates that have been quoted to us, um these will be well north of $2 million. There are properties right now in the Belmore area that are available for less than that if people really are looking to purchase there. Um this does not even nod to that need. Um, oh, I just want to conclude with saying, um, at the minimum, a continuence with the ability to foster more understanding, um, except and foster more of a compromise could produce a win-win situation here. Thank you. >> Thank you. Wayne is next, followed by Ron. Thank you. I would ask that before the uh timer starts um I had submitted aside along with Lynn that kind of um addresses what I speak to, but if in if that can't happen, can this be distributed to the mayor and council? Um this is a very simple it was a one-page PowerPoint that was Let's restart the timer. Yeah, what is getting handed out here is simply a comparison between what is currently zoned versus what is asked as part of the PUD and a comparison of that. So if everybody has a copy um okay so under you know honestly this building could be built as of right under the C2 zoning right it allows for residential building as Nick has pointed out there's 365 uses under uh C2 and you know the proposed PUD is condominiums with limited uh uh restaurant and office you know the C2 allows four story max as both Lynn and Carla had mentioned. You know, that's the expectation that's there. Um they're asking for 66t height, right? Six stories, 50% higher than what's currently allowed. And there's no six-story buildings within 2 miles of this site. So, it's totally out of character. Um the C2 zoning is consistent with the general plan. It's a neighborhood center with you know which is considered low intensity per the general plan of two to four stories and as stated as the stated goal under the um general plan under certainty and character is that every neighborhood and community should have a level of certainty ensure that redevelopment supports and reinforces the character and the identity of each unique uh community and neighborhood. This does not do that. And you know, this proposed PUD opens the door to uncertainty within all of Phoenix. You if you so kind of going to the PUD, it's not consistent with the general plan. You know, it it would be what would classify as a major urban center under the general plan. Medium to high intensity, four to six stories. And honestly, it's going to be higher as high or higher than the Wrigley mansion, which is a historical monument. And it's a it sets a dangerous precedent because the adjacent uh properties will use this as a reason to allow um their height to be increased as well. And one last item that I would have on here, is the plans that I just received from Nick Wood last night, late last night actually, um if they were able to lop off what is, you know, identified as the eighth level, the top floor, it would only reduce the the number of units by six. and that would make it a much more acceptable project. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh Ron is next and then we have uh virtual public comment. Celeste, >> good afternoon, mayor, council. Uh my name is Ron Lacron. I am the president of the Builtmore Villas 2 HOA. I've been a resident for 23 years and my family has been in Arizona for since the 80s. I'm in speaking of strict opposition to the proposed 2400 Builtmore residential building. Uh the building is a massive structure. It dwarfs all the neighborhoods in that area. The Builtmore Estates, the Builtmore Squares, the Builtmore Hotel, which has received a multi-million dollar renovation, and the Arizona Builtmore Golf Course. And of course the views of the of the uh mountains there. And this would really destroy the charm of the area. The in the spirit of of low buildings of uh clear horizons and it uh destroys the sunsets and the general character of the Builtmore corridor which brings millions of visitors to our valley in the wintertime. Secondly, I would want to address the traffic. Uh, as someone who travels to the airport almost every day. That area 24th in Lincoln is a nightmare even anywhere close to that uh rush hour time. And putting a structure there would only aggravate that. The traffic would extend all the way down Lincoln as far as you could see. And it's already a crisis and I would hate to see that to happen. And what I would like to ask is the council to pause and reassess, please, the approval for this project for it will forever change the historic charm of the oldest and most prestigious resort in Arizona history. And once it's changed, it will never come back. It is setting a dangerous a really dangerous president. and it will be devastating for our area for years to come. Thank you for your time and allowing me to speak. Thank you so much. We'll now go to virtual public comment. We'll have Celeste followed by Esther. Uh we'll go to Esther and then we'll come back to Celeste. >> Thank you. My name is Esther Badock and I am a resident of Builtmore Square which is the closest community to the development and asking the mayor and the city council to please listen to the researched the professionals the volunteers who have put in hours and hours in opposing this development as we see it. We also have as you were presented presented a plan that could be reasonable that we would support the Phoenix Village plan which has been around for many years. This project is in clear contradiction to what the city wants. And so just by that alone there should be objections and a vote no against this. Also, Aiva, which is the homeowners association from 32nd to 24th, Camelback to Lincoln has asked for a continuence. Please consider that. We do know that the verification of facts and the community review and the good faith dialogue has not been clear from JDM. We have all experienced news that we thought, well, this is going to be great all to find out. it was never approved by the city or there really wasn't that type of plan in place. So, my voice, please be heard by the opposing um statements. Council people and mayor, please take that as the strength of why we are all here today. >> Over 500 people have been involved in this opposition. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. So, I believe that concludes public comment. Uh we will return to Mr. uh Wood. If I could have my presentation back up, please much has been said about I get it back up on that screen. There we go. Much has been said about height and we spent quite a bit of time with respect to height. By the way, these were all of the major meetings we had with folks over the past year. Like everything else, right, height is evolved. Height for height's sake is no longer a major issue. height. Really, the conversations really go to things like privacy, how height of a building being next door to another building, how it affects that other building and or homes or other things. So, what you see here on this map is our relationship to the closest people that have been in opposition. So, if you take a look at the one on the bottom, um that 310 ft is the closest person who has opposed this project. Everyone else that's closer to us is not here in opposition. Hasn't been here in opposition either at the village or at the planning commission. The next one is up 550 ft away. Next one's up 1,250 ft away. And by the way, someone mentioned um uh football fields. The closest one to us that's opposing us is over a football field away. And again, here's another relationship with respect to the fourstory corner of the building as well. significant distances away. And what we did is we did sight lines, right, for people who are in opposition, who are the closest to us in opposition. So up on number one, right, this is a photo from right by their backyard. And this is a computer rendering of what it's going to look like from their backyard. The next one is number two, right right across the golf course. This is the existing shot and this is what it'll look like from their backyard. And then third, the one who's closest to us at over 300 ft away. This is a shot and they actually allowed us to go into their backyard. Here's a shot from their backyard looking toward the site. And here's what it'll look like from their backyard. And we intend to actually plant a couple of trees for them because they asked for that. But at the end of the day, where we are with this project is we have done significant modifications to the site plan uh in comparison to what we had before and you can see the significant distances and heights particularly with respect to the fact that the highest portion now has been removed from the site. We have support from staff. We had strong support from the village under the old plan. We had support from planning commission. I understand that people don't like change. But we do have a housing crisis. And it's not just a housing crisis for entrylevel housing. It's a it's a waterfall, right? In order for people to move up from the housing that they have, right, they have to have somebody else selling that house. So it's not that this is going to be entry- level housing. Obviously, it's not. But again, people need to buy homes in the Builtmore, which is almost 900 acres, right? Essentially, there's only been 103 new uh condominiums built in the Builtmore in the last 40 years. The population of City of Phoenix has doubled since then, but that's it. And those were the condominiums that were built right next to the golf course back in the early part of the 2000s. This is an appropriate project. It's appropriate scale. We've done a lot of work. We've made a significant number of changes all in response to the issues. We've lowered the density. It's now only 195 units. That's not going to generate a line of traffic. And of course, we solved even the issue of traffic by adding a curb cut on 24th Street. So, under the circumstances, we're very satisfied with the stipulations. We've worked very hard on this project over the past year and a half. Um, and uh, we respectfully request approval subject to the stipulations and I'd be happy to answer any questions that you might have. >> Thank you. Do we have any questions? Councilman Robinson. >> Thank you, Mayor. At the moment, I don't have a question for Mr. Wood, but I do have a question for either Trish or Josh. A couple things were said about um, the building being 90 feet overgrade. Can you explain a little bit or give us a little bit of a better understanding of how the city of Phoenix measures the height of a building, especially on a on a site like this? >> Yes, Mayor, Councilman Robinson, members of the council. Um the height would be measured at the finish grade. And so, um at each tier of the building, it would be measured from the finish grade up to the top, which is the 66 ft. Uh, I think when it's commented that it's 90 feet, you're looking at if you were standing at the bottom of Arizona Builtmore and looking all the way up, that would be um a total of 90, but the way height is measured is from the finished grade. >> Okay, that's perfect. Thank you for that. Um, and then another clarification along those same lines with regard to adherence to the general plan or maybe one of my um, colleagues may want to chime in on this who have a good understanding of it, but um, with regard to the general plan, is this in conformance with it? I I I want a better understanding of that as well. Mayor, Councilman Robinson, members of the council, grateful for all the discussion about the general plan at this hearing and throughout the hearing process. The general plan provides a comprehensive set of policies to evaluate resoning applications just like this. And just like all zoning applications, there's some alignment and and some places where it doesn't align. I I think in the staff report you'll find that we find the uh the proposal is is consistent with general plan policies related to housing in appropriate locations and in this instance in close proximity or within an employment center and along major transportation infrastructure in this case an arterial street like 24th Street. No case is able to check every single box in the general plan and and again those considerations are vetted through the hearing process. In this instance, uh there was enough there with respect to its proximity to jobs and and and being housing that we found consistent with the general plan to recommend approval. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Councilwoman Stark, who was once our planning director. Yeah, I I I did want to just chime in and maybe you can clarify some more on the core issue because there are parts of our city that are not in cores but they enjoy great heights. For example, Kieran comes to mind as an example, but also as we go along light rail, I think you're seeing it in district four and five, you're starting to see height along light rail, but it's not necessarily in a core. So I think you spoke a little bit about you look at all the goals and policies when you're determining and your analysis. So could you speak a little bit to that? >> Mayor, councilwoman stock, members of the council. Yes. As you highlighted, there are several parts of our city that fall out that have height let's say above four stories that fall outside of our village cores like Karland, like Phoenix Children's Hospital, like so many projects along the sevens. Again, when a project goes through a resoning case, we look at a variety of factors and Phoenix as a a fast growing city. Uh trying to make the the best determination uh and and alignment with as many policies as we can. Uh the in this case 66 ft and 25 units per acre per acre is is relatively low from a intensity uh from dwelling units and height compared to what you see in our village cores which is really generally 100 feet and up. And so again, uh, based on the analysis we found with its proximity to jobs, location to next arterial street, and the relatively low intensity and scale, we felt it was appropriate this location as we have other similar projects outside of our village course. >> Thank you. And and just again as a reminder, uh, we did approve additional height at the actual Builtmore Hotel. It just has not been constructed yet. I believe it was 66 feet. >> Mayor, Councilwoman Spark, members of the council. Yes, that is correct. >> Thank you. Thank you, mayor. >> Thank you. Uh, are we ready to close the public hearing? >> Yeah. >> All right. Uh, um, Councilwoman Hernandez. >> Thank you, Mary. Just have a couple questions. I don't know if this first one is for Josh or for Nick or for staff or for Nick. What is currently on the site right now? I think I heard it in some of the testimony, but I can't confirm. >> Mayor, Councilwoman, Councilwoman Hernandez, members of the council, it is uh currently zone C2 and it has a commercial office. >> Sorry, let me rephrase my question. Is the site vacant right now? Do we know? I don't think so. >> I think Nick can take that one. Um, mayor, members of the council, um, Councilwoman Hernandez, um, is partially vacant. There were two buildings that were built over 40 years ago that were basically low scale, one in twotory, uh, office. Uh, one of them has been demolished and the other one is virtually empty except for JDM's office. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, have another question and I think I heard it also in some of the public comment. The condo units will be for sale. Yes. Um, Mayor, Councilwoman Hernandez, yes, these will be for sale product. In fact, uh, we have a stipulation that requires a minimum of,500 square feet for the units. Again, if you have apartments, typically apartments are, you know, much, much smaller, 400, 500, 600 ft², but these are for sale product. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you for that. And I wanted to ask that question just to confirm because I did hear a lot of comments about some of the younger professionals that work in the area that are looking for an opportunity to uh become homeowners um and want to live near where they work. So, thank you for that. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. I'll turn to Councilman Robinson who represents the area for a motion. >> Thank you, mayor. Before I get to a motion, I I think everyone has sat through this and I really appreciate it. I I think there should be a little bit of um background given so you understand. I was approached about this particular project I think about two years ago maybe a little bit more. And upon talking to the developer and Mr. Wood my initial ask and that's exactly what it was. It was an ask is they get with the neighborhoods. They they talk to all of their neighbors both business and residential. And I wanted there to be a healthy exchange as to whether or not something like this would be acceptable or not. Just, you know, the whole process. And Mr. Wood did show uh all the meetings and I know there was some disparity from time to time as to whether or not folks received those notices and such, but it had gone on for a while and and I appreciate that. You know, one thing I can say about district 6, the entire district 6, is you folks are engaged. You you care about your neighborhood and this Builtmore neighborhood specifically, you truly care about. I think it also deserves to be mentioned that when I took office, one of the things I moved to do was to change the composition of the camel back east village planning committee because I felt it was weighed too heavily in favor of developers. I think that's way it was set up. I see some head shaking with some residents in the area. I heard that from you when I was campaigning. I understood it. I took a hard look at it and I agreed with you. And what I have done since then is I've replaced a lot of folks. I've tried of a more more of a balance with more residents, more folks who live in the Calbeck East Village planning area so that there was more skin in the game. And I think we've accomplished that. We still have a few more I think a few more changes we want to make in this coming year as people's terms um come up. But I mention that because I'm faced with this particular dilemma. And what I did have is I had two of the advisory boards who who give me advice on what I should do in these situations all come back in favor of this particular project. And upon doing that I had conversations with um Best Western Hotel. It's their corporate headquarters. They were not happy. They were not happy with the project itself. I voiced those concerns with the de developer and Mr. Wood. um they came back and changed that and made that portion of the project palatable to um Best Western to the point where they are no longer in opposition of this. So I say all this because this has been going on for some time and I recognized that whatever decision I made, not everybody was going to be happy. And I wanted to make sure folks understood that background or had that. And there are newer stipulations that have been outlined in the memo that are in the packet that I will refer to in my motion. But before I get to that, you know, in the spirit of compromise, I have a few additional stipulations that I will add as my part of the motion. And mayor, if I could, I'd like to make a motion to approve item 54, Z-44-25-6 per the memo dated February 3rd, 2026 from the PDD director and adopt the related ordinance as modified by the following. Replace stipulation 1.D. 1.D. Add an exhibit 10 with the building height step plan date stamp January 30th, 2026 attached to the staff report. Replace stipulation 1. K 1. K page 12 D1 development standards row C building setbacks. Delete all of the average setbacks. Change the south, east, and west setbacks to 25 feet and change the north setback to 200 feet. Replace stipulation 1 Q. 1 Q page 27, comparative zoning standards, row B, building setbacks. Remove the words average. Revise the south, east, and west setbacks to 25 ft and revise the north setback to 200 ft. Add stipulation 8. 8. The developer shall notify the Arizona Builtmore Village Estates Association by mail a minimum of 30 days prior to any planning hearing office officer request to modify stipulations. The notice shall include the date, time, and location of the meeting the hearing. Add stipulation nine. The developer shall consult with the Arizona Builtmore Estates Village Association regarding traffic mitigation or calming on Arizona Builtmore Circle prior to final site approval site prior to site plan approval. Any agreed upon modifications to the private street will be funded, constructed, and maintained privately and be viewed be reviewed and approved by the planning development department. In addition, the developer shall provide them the following outreach documentation. A detailed explanation of the proposed traffic mitigation features proposed by the applicant and approved by the Arizona Builtmore Estates Village Association. A certified copy of the letter sent out to the surrounding property owners. A mailing list of the property owners contacted. a map delineating the properties that were contacted and a timeline of all applicant outreach including meeting dates and summaries. >> With that, mayor, that would be my motion. >> A second. Thank you. We have a motion and a second. And thank you, Councilman. That was a really impressive motion, but we really appreciate you trying to get so many of the items we heard today in there. Does anyone else wish to comment? Roll call. >> Yes. >> Ernnandez. >> Mayor, may I explain my vote? >> Please do. >> Thank you. Um, I think that not I think I know that change is uncomfortable sometimes. Um, and as Phoenix sees growth, that comes with change, which does make some of us uncomfortable. However, we are in a housing attainable situation. It's a crisis. Um, and I say attainability for a specific reason. It's not just about the need for affordable housing. It's housing that people can attain, that working professionals can attain, that the the people that need more options and housing are trying to that need to attain. Um, and I think this is a very well thoughtout project that's going to bring more of that attainable housing to some of the young professionals that spoke here today, but overall to the community. Um and it will I really believe that the character of a neighborhood isn't in the people that are in that community. Um so with that I am supporting this u item and I vote yes. >> O'Brien >> yes. >> Pastor >> yes. >> Robinson >> yes. >> Stark. >> Yes. >> Wearing. >> Hodge Washington. >> Yes. GGO. >> Yes. >> Passes 90. >> Thank you so much to everyone who gave their time to make this a better case. That concludes our agendaized item and we will now move to the final portion of our meeting, citizen public comment. I'll turn to our city attorney to end uh introduce this portion. >> Thank you, mayor. During citizen comment, members of the public may speak to the city council for up to three minutes on issues of interest or concern. However, the matters addressed must be within the jurisdiction of the Phoenix City Council and on which the council has the authority to act. The citizen comment session is limited to 30 minutes. The Arizona open meeting law allows the city council to listen to comments but prohibits council members from discussing or acting on the issues presented. However, council members may respond to criticism. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. So, we have half an hour of citizen comment. If we do not have the chance to get to everyone, we will take you first at the next meeting. We do ask when you attend the next meeting if you could sign up so that we know you are here and if you could let us know that you should be able to go first. Uh we did have two individuals who did not get to speak at the last meeting who will get to begin our public comment today. We'll begin with Max Maxwell followed by Ezra. >> Hi again everyone. Uh first off, just congrats on uh the motion earlier today to improve heat protections for workers. Um I'm going to let some of the workers speak. Um and take most of the time, my time. Um, but I want to uh just note uh as many of you know, we've represented our union, Unite Here Local 11, has represented workers at Sky Shafts, many of whom then were displaced in their jobs when uh company Sky Cafe and its subcontractor Aramark took over the space um for the American Airlines contract uh last year. Um what we are going to be or what our members are going to want to be talking about is that there's been some um serious allegations of uh wage uh wage theft and wage non-compliance with uh the subcontractor that Sky Cafe secured which is Aramark and um and we've filed six complaints with the A and five complaints with the attorney general's office regarding these wage violations or these alleged wage violations. Um, the only reason why I was looking to comment at the prior meeting is that I think something important for the council to note is that under the Arizona Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act, municipalities like Phoenix are expressly authorized to consider violations of the state's minimum wage law in their decisions to award or renew contracts or licenses to companies. This would include contracts like uh the one Airark holds for food service at the Phoenix Convention Center. It would also include permits like the cup licenses that are given out to companies to operate the airport. So we want to strongly urge the council to consider the workers pending wage claims and our future any future deliberations about these types of uh contracts or awards. We also will continue to urge the city to adopt strong worker retention language and policies for these contracts to make sure that the kind of displacement that happened for these workers and that they continue to be experiencing uh does not happen again. So with that I I think I will yield to the uh >> Maxwell I'm I'm sorry. Um they need to be signed up to speak. >> So if you want to take up your time that's great but if not if they're signed up to speak they will speak. >> Oh okay. I I think it's just the next speakers. Yeah. >> Okay. Oh, perfect. Okay. I do have one clarifying question. You indicated there were a number of complaints that have been filed. I presume all of the complaints are still investigatory status. Thank you. >> Correct. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Ezra is next followed by Elizabeth Venal. Hello, my name is Ezra Davis. I'm an airline passenger assistant at Sky Harbor International Airport. Every day I help passengers who need wheelchair assistance like the elderly. I'm only paid the minimum wage of $15.15 an hour plus tips which aren't reliable. Do you think someone's grandma who who lives on a fixed income should be responsible for supplementing my low wages by tipping them by tipping from the kindness of their heart? Or should it be on the responsibility of the multi-billion dollar airlines who depend on me to keep their passengers safe? We need the city council and the mayor to do the right thing and ensure we are all paid a a real living wage of $25 an hour. Low wages mean high turn turnover, which makes everyone less safe. Corporations greed is hurting everyone. The city council needs to stand up for us the working people who are the backbone of Sky Harbor. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Elizabeth is next, followed by David Morgan. >> What? >> Oh. Oh, okay. Um, >> I think it was my number, but he >> No, if you can just be your turn, please. >> Not sure. >> Sabir is. Okay. The city clerk has let me know that it should have been Sabir who didn't get to speak last time, so I apologize. >> Yes. Uh good afternoon my uh council members. My name is Esra Sabir and I am an organizer with unite here local 11. I am here to speak on behalf of these workers beside me. We came to you month ago uh raised concern about uh Sky Cafe uh Fordio uh company of Atlantic Street uh street capital and how they were handling the transition of the American airline contract. Unfortunat unfortunately we are uh here today because worker allegation appear to justify our concern. We are also here because instead of addressing workers concern, Atlantic Street Capital is selling Sky Cafe and trying to cut um run from the problem. It's at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Since November in November uh when Sky Cafe took over uh the American airline contract, six workers of Sky Cafe uh subcontractor Airmark have come forward to um alleged uh alleged that they were they were only fed the portion of the hours they worked. As a result, six wages um the complaint have now been uh filed with uh the industri industrial commission of Arizona. For five of these workers missing wages are substantial that their total con uh convention for hours um work uh falls below state minimum wages. For this for this reason, we also moved to file a minimum wage complaint with the Arizona Attorney General office against both companies. At the same time, many experienced worker um who laid off were never hired or even uh offered a job opportunity despite being fully capable and qualified to do the work. These are trained airport worker who already know the job the security requirement and the standards expected at Sky Harbor sky cafe license of city of Phoenix. It is special privileged to be allowed to operate on airport property. The city should be extremely concerned if one of its license is uh failing to follow labor laws and leaving workers unfed. We are asking the city to take these violations seriously hold Sky Cafe um uh accountable and ensure that any company operating at uh at our airport follow the law and treat the worker fairly. Thank you for your time. Thanks. >> Thank you so much. And Elizabeth is next, followed by David Morgan. Okay. So, I'm just going to um do what I normally do, which is advocate on the budget issues and and um talk about need for shelter. It's a little redundant, but I I want to give you guys some more ideas of of how productive um investments and maintenance of investments of infrastructure of shelter and permanent housing, permanent supportive housing can be for um communities. Um, according to a um uh national study uh in a in medical journals, I have a couple of of uh uh sort of dollar fordollar results and and economic tie-ins um for shelter. And so we don't just get a reduction in police activity or need for police when we put people into shelter. We already I've already discussed how they're accrediting that Denver study there's a onetoone cost savings for um emergency fire and police when you have one shelter bed. Okay. Both cost about $1,500 per individual to police versus to put in shelter. But there are a bunch of other ancillary benefits that come with shelter. For example, um economic benefit. For every $1 spent on uh permanent supportive housing, you get an $180 back in economic return. Um you increase the employability of people who have access to housing and it enables them to um uh find employment increasing by 24 percentage points from when they're unhoused. and and people aren't unhoused because they don't want to work. If that were the case when they got shelter, they wouldn't get new jobs. Okay? But sometimes they have barriers um and they need resources to be able to um fully be productive members of society. Um also time spent in jail by participants is reduced by 130%. And um sometimes, you know, we look at costs on one end and and we don't look at how we could be defaying those costs by investing. So, you know, even though I know it's probably like outside of the budget to increase, you know, you look at what is the turnaround and what is the what are the externalities too and what do you get back off of every investment of every dollar, right? And um I would just offer that um obviously it's my position that every facility that was uh opened from I 2022 till present that is cityrun should be maintained because the um economic benefits of the public safety benefits but also you know it'd be worth it to consider expanding it considering the need. There's a lot there's a lot of need. Okay. Uh, thank you so much for that testimony. Uh, Mr. Morgan is next, followed by Diane Barker. >> In the last meeting, I spoke about the fact that being homeless in itself is not a criminal act. More shelters are definitely necessary. Um, there are those in authority who've made it so. That's just a sad fact. The current legislation/ consequences for being homeless are a $500 fine or up to 180 days in jail or both. Thus, the homeless persons are either forced to give everything they have or lose everything they have to go to incarceration. Then upon release, they get returned to homelessness. It creates a revolving door effect. Habitual criminals, I don't think so. The people with special needs actually have nowhere to turn to for help except us. Ra we got simply put there are no assisted living facilities available for them and their number is continuing to grow exponentially in our current shelters. The need for more shelters is obvious. So is the need for more assoc assisted living facilities. Now, I know that there are many u unoccupied buildings and lots available in and around our city. I see them all the time. Um I'm sure they could be put to use for these purposes. I mean, in in our country as a whole, as United States, all men are to be considered equal. Does this no longer apply for our homeless, our poor, or our special needs? >> Thank you for that testimony. Diana is next, followed by Theo. Good sunny afternoon, Mayor, Council, Staff, and public. I am celebrating our Valentine's month and it happens to be also on February 14th, the birthday of our state of Arizona of which Phoenix is the capital. So, we have a lot to celebrate this month. I'm here because of mobility, fortunately. I I do live downtown. I've lived in greater Phoenix in seven cities and gotten around in what we call uh multimodal transportation. I used to say it feels good and make a display a cartwheel until I got stopped. But it was just because uh I was over at Maricopa Association government wanted to show them you can be healthy and move. And that's what we found out when we go to the gym. you're supposed to hurry up and then slow down. I said, "That's like taking transit. You got to chase that bus and then you sit down." So, um, I noticed that you had the 35th Avenue, a great big project, over $200 million that's going to be redesigned so that there are overpasses over the railroad track, cut down on um accidents. So I'm for that. I'm for transportation increasing in the west valley. I was went to that meeting out at Alhamra and when I came out it was 2 minutes of 50. Bus was there. It took me over to 7th Avenue. I got on the light rail and I got downtown only to come here to city council and to have testimony. We need to get from Maryville downtown. We don't have any way. So, you need to build a light rail. Just start fixing the bus stops. You've we for years, the city of Phoenix has led in mass transit. We have plenty of north,southeast, west lines running all through the West Valley. And they're new buses. They're so cold in the summer. I have to get off to just get regulated in the heat. People said, "Oh, I can't be, you know, out there in the summer, but you do need some shelters, and I'd like to see that in Mville." I went out. Plenty of cars over there in Walmarts. I had a hard time finding a bicycle rack. But if you could make the infrastructure today, today. Not wait till 42. And by the way, if you're going to start building light rail out there is you're going to need to prove the wrership and you need to make the infrastructure so that it is multimodal. It feels good. Thank you so much. Theo is next, followed by Nicole. I report Uganda. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Fore Mercy. Hello, my name is Theo Theophille Bangan Gabo. I'm here asking Mayor Ggo and the city council to make Phoenix Sky Harbor better for working people and passengers by swiftly taking action to establish a living wage for airport service workers. I work two full-time cleaning jobs at the airport. I'm 64 years old from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I spent 20 years in a refugee camp in Uganda after conflict broke out in my country. I came to the United States 10 years ago to build a better life for my family. But it has not been easy. I live paycheck to paycheck. I can't afford healthcare. Some days I only get two hours of sleep. I'm away from my family so much. Everything I do is for them. I want them to be happy and live a good life. $25 an hour would allow me to spend time with my family and live a better life. Thank you. >> Thank you so much for that testimony. We'll next go to Nicole followed by Jana. Good afternoon everyone. My name is Nicole Ray and I'm a passenger service agent at Sky Harbor International Airport. I'm one of the workers you see assisting Southwest passengers who need wheelchair assistance. I love my job, but you you know what I don't love? That I had to stop taking medications because I depend on that. I depended on because I can't afford them. It was either medicine or food for my two young sons. As a single mother, the choice was easy. You know what's even worse? The major airlines supported the legislation that slashed access to health care for millions of working people like myself. While the airlines make money off my back, they are actively working to make my life worse. So, I want to know, does the city council side with major corporations who hurt working people or the working people who keep Sky Harbor running? A $25 an hour living wage would mean my children don't go hungry and that I can provide for my family. It would mean our essential jobs are valued and that the airport can attract and retain a stable, experienced workforce to assist passengers. I hope the city council is brave enough to do the right thing. Thank you. Thank Thank you. Jana is next, followed by Trina. Afternoon, mayor, city council members. My name is Jana Vanderkirk and I'm a t ticket agent at the Sky Harbor International Airport. I've spoken at city council member meetings in the past. I've shared stories about how airport service workers who keep the airport running are suffering. I'll keep speaking until you take action and support a $25 an hour wage standard as part of the Phoenix Sky Harbor commercial use permits. The major airlines hire the contractors we work for and those contractors compete against each other for the airlines work. The contractors cannot individually decide to raise wages without losing the contracts contracts they must bid on. I have no reason to believe contractors will voluntarily raise wages and risk losing contracts or that the airlines will give the contractors more money for wages on their own. So, we need the city to be brave and make them. The law must demand change. Last night, I did a quick search on the computer about the cost of living in Phoenix, and I'd like to share with you some of what I found. This is from Phoenix New Times, March 25th, 2025. It's from an article there. A March 10th report from the travel website, Upgraded Points, quantifies how much more expensive living in Phoenix has become. Between December 2020 and December 2024, wages in the Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale Metropolitan has increased by 21.6%. That's well above the national average, but not high enough to keep up with the costs, which jumped by 25.4%. That means real wage growth in Phoenix went down by 3%. This is from livingcost.net. Uh uh for 2026, average rent of one-bedroom apartment in City Center, 2100. Average rent of a one-bedroom apartment outside city center, $1,800. Average monthly cost of public transport transport pass $86. Average monthly cost for essential utilities in a 915 foot apartment, almost $300. Finally, a person working 40 hours a week at Arizona's minimum wage of 15.15 $15 cents an hour earns around 2700 monthly before taxes. By having a standard that permits that all permittes must follow in order to do business at the Sky Harbor, uh we can ensure that workers have fairer wages, reducing turnover and stabilizing the workforce. Do you want Sky Harbor to be a place where people want to come and work and continue to be the friendliest airport? Then stand up and make this change. Thank you. >> Thank you. John is no Trina is next followed by John. >> Hi, welcome back. Right. So, my name is Trina David and I'd like to speak on two things. one, the parking increase for employees at Sky Harbor Airport, and two, I'd like to show my support for all the airport workers to get a decent livable wage. So, I do, as as many of you have heard earlier today, I am a crew chief with a major airline at at um Sky Harbor. And the decision to raise employee parking from $15 to $30 and from 7 to$17 is not just unreasonable, it's completely disconnected from operational reality airport workers face every day. Airport workers work every shift imaginable. Late nights, early mornings, double, split shifts. Many of us start and end when the public transit isn't running, when other transportations are unreliable, or when it simply isn't safe to walk long distances in the dark. For thousands of workers, driving is not optional. It's the only way to get to work. And as of right now, the sky train maintenance, reduced service, and ongoing reliability issues cause many difficulties for employees. And they have no choice but to park in the terminal garages. Not because we want to, but because we have to. The system that is supposed to move us from employee lots is inconsistent and unpredictable. The delays can take up to 20 minutes or more just to get a train to the employee lot. That's before we even begin the long walk to our work areas. I am a fast walker. I park at the west economy on the far end. It takes me 30 minutes to park my car, take the sky train from terminal 3 and go to terminal 4 and do the time clock. The delays don't stop there. Airport employees do not have a dedicated TSA line. So depending on the time of day, we face long security lines just to get to our work areas. Again, we do not have anything over control over that. And here's the part that makes sense that makes this increase even more unacceptable. If we arrive late because of the sky train delays, TSA backups, overcrowding, or maintenance issue, things completely outside of our control, we're penalized. And those penalize can escalate into job loss. And the only thing we get from our companies or our employers is you need to provide better and leave earlier. That's inexcusable. And and to make matters worse on this matter, Sky Harbor has provided no justification. We do not control the sky train. We do not control the TSA lines. We do not control the maintenance schedules and we do not control the employee lot maintenance. We're asking for this increase to be paused, reversed, or re-evaluated with worker input. And we're asking for transparency, fairness, and leadership that understands the difference between a revenue stream and a workforce. And in addition with the livable wage for all the airport workers, Sky Harbor cannot function without them. The airlines cannot function without them. And the traveling public cannot function without them. They deserve better. Thank you. >> Thank you. John is next. >> Hello. Good afternoon. I don't know how to follow from that, but I'll I'll do my best. My name is John Depipa. My name is John Depipa and I'm the Phoenix base representative for the flight attendants of Southwest Airlines. I know I've met many of you and those I haven't officially met. Hello. And I want to thank all of you for allowing me the opportunity to speak. Originally, signs have been posted notifying airport and airline employees of some very steep rate hikes for airport parking. Currently, we pay $7 a day for East Economy and $15 a day for terminal parking with their ID. Um, it's increasing significantly in March. I know each view with a picture of the sign and uh my person just woke before me had listed the prices. Uh my fellow flight attendants are very concerned about the significant price increase and the potential trouble with parking availability once employees return to the employee lots. Southwest Airlines flight attendants who call Phoenix home love parking at America's friendliest airport. However, with these significant increases, that might no longer be an option. I've spoken with Alana Billingsley, who's the Phoenix base coordinator for the American Airlines Flight Attendance Union, and she has heard similar sentiments from her members who are also constituents. Alana and I have also spoken with our respective pilots union representatives about this as well and they're also concerned about the significant price increase. I'd like to bring this concern to your attention and ask that you advocate on behalf of us with the aviation department to find some suitable relief for our members facing significant out-of- pocket costs just to go to work starting in March. I do want to thank though uh to give a thank you to uh aviation director Macowski. He's actually going to be meeting with us uh on with several of the unions on Monday. So I do want to thank you for that. That is appreciated. That is a good step in the right direction. I just wanted to thank you all for your time. >> Thank you so much. Leonard Clark will be our next speaker. Thank you, mayor and council members. Uh, I really appreciate it and I uh I'm thanking the union brothers and sisters that were just speaking because my father was a carpenter in the union for like 50 years here in Arizona. So, solidarity, but um now I know this will be uh controversial, but I do feel as the sorry about that. as the attorney, it's as the attorney stated that things be put on the, you know, be spoken to as a citizen that could be within the jurisdiction of the city of Phoenix. And I I think this is very germanine and very apppropo to the jurisdiction of Phoenix. I'm asking that the mayor of Phoenix do as the mayor of Chicago has done because as has done because we are under a siege right now and I'm asking that the mayor of Phoenix or some citizen who would speak because I'm not a citizen of Phoenix to qualify under the charter of the city of Phoenix to get the the council to vote on it. I'm asking that this the mayor of Phoenix do as the mayor uh mayor Brandon of Chicago has done and that is sign an executive order that mayor signed an executive order directing the Chicago police department to document and refer alleged illegal activity such as at uh zips the spraying of a person with on the soil of Phoenix just driving by one of these unconstitutional uh employees uh spraying an innocent person standing on the side of the road Everybody talked about it. Everybody saw it. So, I'm asking that the the mayor of Phoenix, please, if you could uh sign an executive order such as the mayor of Chicago, and I know I've got a big target on my back, but that's all right. They didn't kill me in Iraq. So, a lot of people didn't make it back. I made it back and I'm not going to let the Constitution leave. Not in the city of Phoenix. So, I'm asking you please uh sign an executive order, Mayor Ggo. You know, basically referring alleged illegal activity by federal agents such as they did in Cook County, to our excellent uh secretary of state, Chris Mays, who's got a website set up, and our governor of Arizona, who's also got a website for these abuses. Follow. Also, I'm also deeply concerned. The vote is coming up and all this controversy is going on across the street in Maricopa County. I'm concerned that my fellow citizens, we're hearing talk about the elections being federalized unconstitutionally. The constitution is clear on this. Article 1, section 4, clause one, the states shall regulate the elections. But we have people close to the the so-called president stating that election places in Phoenix all around should be surrounded by ICE and military. This is clearly in violation of the Constitution. I ask that you please ensure that the citizens of Phoenix will not be harassed, that brown people, that black people, poor white people, whatever, whoever they are, uh, not be harassed. This should not be 1950s, 1940s America, certainly not in Phoenix. Um, and, uh, you know, I really want you to check into that mason zips. And I'm also asking if you could come up with a resolution thanking the VA employees for the great work they do. God rest Alex Peri's soul. Thank you. Uh thank you all for that important testimony. We have uh hit the end of citizen public comment. There were a few individuals who did not get to speak at this time and so if you could sign in at our next council meeting, we will have you go first. We are adjourned. as we have in in all the floors. Um, this is going to be one of three floors that's assigned to our communications bureau,