Attachment A - March 2, 2022 Draft CCI Minutes

Phoenix City Council 
Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee 
Summary Minutes 
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 
 
City Council Chambers 
200 W. Jefferson St. 
Phoenix, Ariz. 
 
Subcommittee Members Present                    Subcommittee Members Absent 
Councilwoman Betty Guardado, Chair 
         
Councilwoman Debra Stark 
Councilmember Carlos Garcia 
Councilwoman Yassamin Ansari        
 
 
 
 
CALL TO ORDER 
Chairwoman Guardado called the Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee to 
order at 10:02 a.m. with Councilwoman Stark, Councilmember Garcia, and 
Councilwoman Ansari present. 
 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC 
Gary Kirkilas noted his opposition to efforts by a home developer to remove the desert 
character overlay zoning ordinance of the Sonoran Desert Preserve. 
 
Jeremy Thacker asked the subcommittee to put his previous citizen petitions on the 
next subcommittee meeting.  
 
MINUTES OF MEETINGS 
1. Minutes of the Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee Meeting 
Councilwoman Ansari made a motion to approve the minutes of the Feb. 2, 2022 
Community and Cultural Investment Subcommittee meeting. Councilmember Garcia 
seconded the motion which passed unanimously. 
 
CONSENT ACTION (ITEMS 2-3) 
2. Intergovernmental Agreement with Arizona State University’s (ASU) Rob and 
Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service 
No questions were asked.  
 
3. Head Start Birth to Five Program Purchase of Capital Equipment over $5,000 
No questions were asked.  
 
Councilwoman Stark made a motion to approve the consent Items. Councilwoman 
Ansari seconded the motion which passed unanimously.

INFORMATION ONLY (ITEMS 4-5)  
4. Head Start Birth to Five Monthly Report - January 2022 
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
 
5. Parks and Recreation Department Preliminary Capital Improvement Program 
Budget FY 2022-27 
Information only. No Councilmember requested additional information. 
 
Jeremy Thacker claimed there was misappropriated funds related to golf courses in the 
budget update. 
 
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION (ITEMS 6-7)  
6. College Depot at Phoenix Public Library 
Judy Reno, the Director of College Depot, discussed the mission of the program and its 
services, which included personalized college test prep and navigation of financial aid, 
group workshops and hands-on labs, and professional development opportunities. Ms. 
Reno also described the various apprenticeship options at College Depot and shared 
the experiences of past participants in apprenticeship programs. Ms. Reno described 
the online high school program aimed toward helping adults earn their high school 
degree. She noted the program has had 200 graduates. Ms. Reno spoke about the 
Graduating Ready, Independent and Tenacious program developed during the 
pandemic. She discussed the prior year winner of the Deborah J. Dillion Bridge Award, 
created to help students overcome barriers and achieve education goals. Ms. Reno 
highlighted the laptop and hotspot lending program and noted a potential for expansion 
through the second round of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.  
 
Councilmember Garcia asked how College Depot partners with already existing 
programs in the Workforce Development Department. He also asked if College Depot 
scholarships were available at the Workforce Development Department resource 
center. 
 
Ms. Reno replied College Depot works closely with other departments and noted 
College Depot scholarships were available at the resource centers.   
 
Councilwoman Stark highlighted the success of the apprenticeship program and 
thanked staff for including trade work in the College Depot program.  
 
Chairwoman Guardado thanked staff for their work providing professional development 
options for Phoenix residents. 
 
Councilwoman Ansari thanked staff for their presentation and spoke about her tour of 
Burton Barr and the College Depot center. 
 
7. Aquatics Update

Parks and Recreation Director Cynthia Aguilar and Aquatics Supervisor Becky Hulett 
provided a staff update on the 2022 aquatics recruitment effort. Ms. Aguilar provided an 
overview of the 2022 swim season, which spans from May 28 to September 5. She 
provided a comparison of the 2019 and 2021 pool season and noted City pools were 
closed in 2020 due to COVID-19. Ms. Aguilar stated the Parks and Recreation 
department provided free swim lessons in 2021 due to savings on pool closures in 
2020.  
 
Ms. Hulett described the lifeguard hiring process and required certifications. Ms. Hulett 
thanked the Phoenix Parks foundation for a $14,000 sponsorship, which reduced the 
cost of lifeguard certification to $20. She noted the department began early recruitment 
efforts online and in-person and created new recruiting solutions this year.  
 
Ms. Aguilar spoke about the current lifeguard recruitment, retention rate and staffing 
needs, noting the lifeguard shortage was a national issue. She discussed $1,000 
incentive pay offered for lifeguards and the requirements to receive it. Ms. Aguilar noted 
the final number of hired lifeguards would determine the number of pools available to 
open in 2022 and said the department would work with the Council to determine 
equitable coverage across the City. She spoke about the aging pool infrastructure in the 
City and discussed the closure of Sunnyslope and Eastlake pools due to aging 
infrastructure. Ms. Aguilar spoke about the aquatics advisory committee 
recommendations of upgrading pool infrastructure and providing year-round pool 
options.  
 
Chairwoman Guardado highlighted the importance of City Pools and stated the lifeguard 
pay should be raised to $20 per hour in addition to the $1,000 incentive. She said the 
City should provide $100 for each employment referral and cover the cost of training for 
new lifeguards.  
 
Councilmember Garcia stated the 28-hour training course with no pay was a barrier for 
some communities and asked staff to determine if the incentive payment should be 
given at the beginning or end of the swim season. Councilmember Garcia suggested 
staff hire lifeguards after the swim season for other positions at the City.  
 
Councilwoman Stark said lifeguard pay needed to be more competitive and noted she 
was open to the idea of instituting splash pads in place of aging pools.  
 
Councilmember Garcia asked staff to review transportation options from closed pool 
sites to open pools nearby. Councilmember Garcia asked staff to review whether the 
City could lengthen the swim season.  
 
Councilwoman Ansari asked when staff would know how many pools would be open. 
Ms. Aguilar replied there was some difficulty in understanding how many pools would be 
opened due to the training and onboarding of lifeguards. She stated staff would know in 
April.

Councilwoman Ansari asked if staff conducted earlier lifeguard training in previous swim 
seasons. 
  
Ms. Aguilar noted staff provided earlier trainings in previous swim seasons.  
Ms. Hulett stated staff offered multiple training sessions before and during the swim 
season but noted attendance was low. She explained staff would continue to offer 
training courses and stated the lifeguard academy program would be reinstated. 
Councilwoman Ansari said the City should be leading the way for lifeguard pay 
standards.  
 
Chairwoman Guardado asked Ms. Hulett what the City should be doing to hire and 
retain lifeguards. 
 
Ms. Hulett replied upgrading current pool infrastructure to provide the community with 
heated pools would allow facilities to stay open past the swim season and assist in 
hiring efforts. She noted lifeguard transportation would continue to be a hiring barrier 
and said the City would need to be more competitive with the lifeguard starting wage.  
Chairwoman Guardado asked if lifeguards completed the required 28 hours of 
certification while on the job or prior to being hired.  
 
Ms. Aguilar replied the certification training occurred before lifeguards were hired and 
was not paid. She noted the training does not require individuals to work for the City 
after completion and does not require participants to work for the City. She noted other 
cities do not pay for the lifeguard training. 
 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
No call to the public. 
 
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 
 
No future agenda items 
 
ADJOURNMENT 
Chairwoman Guardado adjourned the meeting at 10:59 a.m. 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Cooper Payne 
Management Intern