Attachment A - Draft 4.5.23 CCI Minutes.pdf

Phoenix City Council 
Community and Cultural Investment (CCI) Subcommittee 
Summary Minutes 
Wednesday, April 5, 2023 
City Council Chambers 
200 W. Jefferson St. 
Phoenix, Ariz. 
Subcommittee Members Present     
 Subcommittee Members Absent 
Councilwoman Betty Guardado, Chair     
Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari 
Councilwoman Debra Stark 
Councilmember Carlos Garcia 
CALL TO ORDER 
Chairwoman Guardado called the Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee 
to order at 10:04 a.m. with Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari and Councilwoman Debra 
Stark present.  
CALL TO THE PUBLIC 
None.  
MINUTES OF MEETINGS 
1. Minutes of the Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee Meeting
Vice Mayor Ansari motioned to approve the minutes of the March 6, 2023, Community 
and Cultural Investment Subcommittee meeting. Councilwoman Stark seconded the 
motion, which passed unanimously, 3-0.  
2. Minutes of the Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee Meeting -
Special Meeting from March 6, 2023
Vice Mayor Ansari motioned to approve the minutes of the March 6, 2023, Community 
and Cultural Investment Subcommittee meeting. Chairwoman Guardado seconded 
the motion, which passed unanimously, 3-0.  
CONSENT ACTION (ITEMS 3) 
3. Authorization to Request a Carryover of Head Start Birth to Five Program Fiscal
Year 2021-22 and Fiscal Year 2022-23 Grant Funds
ATTACHMENT A

Consent only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
Vice Mayor Ansari motioned to approve consent item 3. Councilwoman Stark seconded 
the motion, which passed unanimously, 3-0.  
 
INFORMATION ONLY (ITEM 4) 
 
4. Head Start Birth to Five Monthly Report - February 2023 
 
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
 
Councilmember Carlos Garcia joined the meeting at 10:08 a.m.   
 
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION (ITEMS 5-7) 
 
5. Naloxone Program Expansion 
 
City Public Health Advisor Nicole Witt, Public Health Fellow Emma Rutin, and Special 
Projects Administrator Yanitza Soto discussed item 5. 
 
Ms. Witt introduced item 5, noting that 750,000 individuals have lost their lives in the 
U.S. since 1999 due to drug overdoses. She added that in Phoenix, 991 individuals lost 
their lives in 2022 due to drugs or opioid-related overdoses resulting in $100 million in 
hospital costs.  
 
Ms. Rutin discussed the opioid crisis background, noting Arizona declared a public 
health state of emergency in 2017 in response to the opioid epidemic and joined 
multiple states and U.S. territories to file a lawsuit against drug makers that caused and 
perpetuated the opioid crisis. She added that Phoenix was one of the entities 
represented in the lawsuit and will receive a settlement of $41 million over the next 18 
years to use for opioid-related remediations. Ms. Rutin explained Naloxone medication, 
stating it is a life-saving opioid overdose-reversing treatment that restores breathing to 
individuals expressing an opioid overdose.  
 
Ms. Soto gave an overview of Naloxone distribution, stating that all states allow people 
to obtain Naloxone without a doctor’s prescription. She noted that the U.S. Food and 
Drug Administration had approved a Narcan nasal for non-prescription use. Ms. Soto 
provided additional information about Naloxone and the next steps for the Office of 
Public Health. 
 
Vice Mayor Ansari asked about Naloxone distribution programs in other cities. 
 
Ms. Soto replied that other large cities have their Naloxone distribution program in 
different departments, including parks and recreation, community centers, senior 
centers, and other locations with a public-facing presence.

Vice Mayor Ansari inquired if the City would train internal staff or volunteers to help with 
this program.  
 
Ms. Witt responded staff is working with internal departments to conduct an outreach 
assessment to evaluate community needs.  
 
Vice Mayor Ansari asked about measures the State or County are taking and how the 
City collaborates with them. 
 
Ms. Witt answered the City collaborates closely with Maricopa County Public Health and 
Federally Qualified Health Centers regarding opioid response and Naloxone-related 
policies and distribution. 
 
Councilmember Garcia asked if the Naloxone product has an expiration date.  
 
Ms. Witt replied Narcan’s nasal spray has an expiration date of three years.  
 
Councilmember Garcia inquired if Naloxone could harm people.   
 
Ms. Witt answered there is no harm associated with Naloxone.  
 
Councilmember Garcia recommended staff receive substantive abuse sensitivity 
training to ensure there would be no bias against users. 
 
Ms. Witt answered that there would be Naloxone training associated with the 
implementation of the program. 
 
Chairwoman Guardado commented on including employee union groups in the 
community outreach assessment and ensuring constituents provide feedback before 
rolling out the Naloxone distribution program. She asked about the best practices the 
City plans to follow for staff training regarding stigma and biases against users. 
 
Ms. Witt replied staff is collaborating with Human Resources and various labor groups 
to share information about the Naloxone program and how they can be part of that 
process. She added volunteers would be administering the program, and the City is 
looking at the practices of municipalities to develop training materials that meet the 
community's specific needs. 
 
Chairwoman Guardado noted the City is conducting community budget hearings and 
emphasized the importance of receiving feedback on the most effective way to launch 
this program. She asked what input staff has received about the Naloxone program.  
 
Ms. Witt answered staff plans to reach out to the community using a multi-faceted 
approach, including surveys, educational sessions, and opioid treatment pathways to 
ensure residents provide feedback before rolling out the Naloxone program.

6. Parks and Recreation Summer Programs 
 
Parks and Recreation Director Cynthia Aguilar, Parks and Recreation Assistant Director 
Martin Whitfield, and Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Tracee Hall give an 
update on item 6.  
 
Mr. Whitfield gave an overview of the City's summer camp program for children ages 6 
to 12, noting it is the least expensive summer camp in the Phoenix area. 
 
Ms. Hall discussed recent aquatic activities, stating that more than 200,000 residents 
visited the City's pools between 2021 and 2022. She stated ongoing lifeguard 
recruitment efforts through local schools, media outreach, and a $3,000 incentive pay, 
which resulted in a 76 percent return rate for aquatics employees. She discussed the 
upcoming aquatic seasons dates and plan and overall pool programming 
 
Councilwoman Stark asked how the City recruits people to manage the summer camp 
programs discussed above.  
 
Ms. Aguilar replied the positions are typically part-time and offered to work with 
Councilwoman Stark’s Office to provide that information. She added that residents could 
visit the City's website for available part-time recreation positions.     
 
Chairwoman Guardado asked when the City’s interactive splash pads open.  
 
Ms. Aguilar answered that splash pads open at the same time as the City's pools, which 
is Memorial Day Weekend.  
 
Chairwoman Guardado recommended the splash pads be opened May 1 and during the 
spring break starting next year for the various school districts.  
 
Ms. Aguilar replied staff would review.        
 
7. Shelter and Heat Relief Update 
 
Deputy City Manager Gina Montes introduced Director of Heat Response & Mitigation 
Dr. David Hondula and Office of Homeless Solutions Director Rachel Milne.  
 
Dr. Hondula gave an overview of the City's heat response plan, noting that excessive 
heat is a significant public health hazard in Phoenix and surrounding areas.  
 
Ms. Milne gave an update on the City’s shelter and heat relief efforts. She mentioned 
that 1,575 shelter beds were available around the Human Services Campus for 
individuals experiencing homelessness, including a mixture of emergency beds, hotel 
rooms and weather reliefs.

Vice Mayor Ansari asked about the Interfaith Hopeless Emergency Lodging Program (I-
HELP) and the number of shelter beds available through this service. 
 
Ms. Milne replied that the City is limited to 12 beds available on May 1, but staff is 
collaborating with Lutheran Social Services to secure additional beds.  
 
Vice Mayor Ansari inquired about ongoing plans to place tents and cooling stations for 
unsheltered individuals camped at or near the Human Services Campus site. 
 
Ms. Milne responded that staff plans to place additional tents on the Human Services 
Campus site near Jackson Street and 12th Avenue and Jackson Street and 9th Avenue 
on May 1.  
 
Vice Mayor Ansari asked if the City is prepared to put up tents and cooling stations if the 
City experiences heat wave days, especially for unsheltered persons not on the Human 
Services Campus site. 
 
Ms. Milne replied staff would work with the Human Services Campus to see if tents can 
be placed earlier than May 1.   
 
Councilmember Garcia asked about a recent preliminary injunction against the City 
regarding unsheltered people living in the “Zone” and how that has shifted the various 
plans staff discussed to address the homelessness crisis. 
 
Ms. Montes replied that the City is still evaluating the implication of the recent 
preliminary injunction around the Human Services Campus.  
 
Chairwoman Guardado acknowledged Councilmember Garcia, noting this was his last 
CCI Subcommittee meeting as a councilmember representing District 8.    
 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
None. 
 
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 
None. 
 
ADJOURNMENT 
 
Chairwoman Guardado adjourned the meeting at 11:10 a.m. 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Yusuf Dirow, Management Fellow