REVITALIZATION OF TEMPE TOWN LAKE COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE_2-6-2026 MINUTES.PDF

Minutes of the Revitalization of Tempe Town Lake  
Council Subcommittee meeting held on February 6, 2026 at 2 p.m., Hybrid Meeting- 
Tempe City Hall, 31 E. 5th St. and virtually through Microsoft Teams. 
 
Members Present: 
 
 
 
 
 
Councilmember Nikki Amberg – Chair 
Councilmember Jennifer Adams  
Councilmember Berdetta Hodge 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
City Staff Present: 
Melissa Westbrook, Council Assistant 
 
Keith Burke, Deputy City Manager 
Lisette Camacho, Deputy City Manager 
Tanya Chavez, Mayor & Council Relations Director 
Eric Anderson, City Attorney 
Craig Hayton, Director, Community Health & Human Services 
Kris Baxter, Director, Communications & Marketing Office 
Eric Iwersen, Director, Transportation & Sustainability 
Velicia McMillan Humes, Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Office 
Tara Ford, Director, Public Works 
Shelly Seyler, Deputy Director, Transportation & Sustainability 
Craig Caggiano, Deputy Director, Public Works 
Ryan Levesque, Deputy Director, Community Development 
Mary Mezey, Deputy Director, Community Health & Human Services 
April Kroner, Deputy Director, Economic Development 
Alexander Jovanovic, Deputy Director, Community Services 
Shawn Wagner, Deputy Director, Community Services 
Julie Heitter, Administrative Manager, Community Health & Human Services 
Chase Walman, Principal Transportation Planner 
Savannah Driskill, Public Information Officer 
Vanessa Lopez, Council Assistant 
Quincy Carrillo, Council Assistant 
Kimberly Sotelo, Senior Management Assistant 
 
Stakeholders: 
Kim Gaffney-Loza, Desert Conservation Commission  
Minutes 
Revitalization of Tempe Town Lake  
Council Subcommittee 
February 6, 2026

Sue Rigler, Hundred Mile Brewing 
Roger Pawley, Arizona Yacht Club 
Robert Mayer, Tempe Boat Cruisin’ 
Maggie Soffel, Arizona State University 
Lori Foster, Downtown Tempe Authority 
Mike Martin, Tempe Tourism 
Phil Amarosi 
Sebastian Heeren 
Geroge Sheller 
Doris Marie Provine 
 
Agenda Item 1 – Call to Order 
Meeting was called to order at 2:02 p.m. 
 
 
 
 
 
Agenda Item 2 – Public Appearances 
No public appearances. 
 
Agenda Item 3 – Approval of the December 1, 2025 Meeting Minutes 
Councilmember Amberg called for a motion to approve the December 1, 2025 Revitalization of 
Tempe Town Lake Council Subcommittee Meeting Minutes. Councilmember Hodge made the 
motion to approve and Councilmember Amberg seconded the motion. The vote to approve was 
unanimous. 
 
Agenda Item 4 – Tempe Boat Cruisin’ Update 
Robert Mayer, owner of Tempe Boat Cruisin’, provided an update on the company’s launch and 
operations. The business has rebranded from Arizona Cycle Boats to Tempe Boat Cruisin’, 
including a new name and logo. Operations officially began following unanimous City Council 
approval of the contract on October 16, 2025. Since September, the team has worked closely 
with the City of Tempe’s Community Services Department and other City Staff to finalize 
logistics and implementation, including converting the boats to fully electric motor systems and 
transporting them from Alachua, Florida, to the Tempe Town Lake Marina. While the typical lead 
time to acquire boats of this caliber is one to two years, Robert was able to secure two vessels.  
 
A public announcement and media launch occurred on December 18, 2025 as the boats were 
delivered, tested, and crews completed training. The inaugural cruise took place on January 14, 
2026 and included Councilmembers, City Staff, and key stakeholders, followed by a two-week 
media blitz and a series of friends-and-family training cruises. The launch generated significant 
public exposure, with more than 30 local media stories, over 20 social media influencer posts 
and paid advertisements, and hundreds of thousands of impressions. Looking ahead to Spring 
2026, Tempe Boat Cruisin’ is expanding public cruise offerings, with more than 30 trips already 
booked, two boats currently operating on the lake with plans to add a third, increased marketing 
efforts, new single-seat and small-group options, the opening of a retail store at Vela, and 
continued partnership outreach to further establish Tempe Town Lake as a premier regional 
destination. Tempe Boat Cruisin’ also plans to coordinate with major Tempe events, including 
the Innings Festival and ASU football games, to enhance visitor experiences. 
 
 
Agenda Item 5 – Rio Reimagined Update

Maggie Soffel, Senior Director with ASU University City Exchange, provided an update on the 
Rio Reimagined initiative, a regional effort focused on restoring, revitalizing, and reconnecting 
communities along the Salt River corridor. Rio Reimagined spans more than 55 miles east to 
west and extends one to two miles north and south of the river, encompassing nine jurisdictions, 
including six cities, two Native nations, and Maricopa County. The initiative is guided by three 
core objectives: connecting communities, promoting sustainable development, and restoring 
healthy river systems. Work to date has occurred at regional, local, and hyper-local scales and 
includes ecosystem and habitat restoration, trail and bridge infrastructure, park enhancements, 
brownfield redevelopment, community outreach events, volunteer engagement, and long-range 
municipal, tribal, and regional planning efforts.  
 
Regional coordination is led collaboratively by the Maricopa Association of Governments, 
Arizona State University, and Greater Phoenix Leadership. Current key efforts include 
development of the Rio Reimagined Active Transportation Plan, which will create a unified 
vision for a multi-jurisdictional multiuse path network and identify preferred river path 
alignments, as well as the Rio Reimagined Vision Plan, a phased process currently concluding 
Phase One scoping that will establish the framework for a regional river corridor revitalization 
strategy. In addition, work is underway to establish a new social impact nonprofit organization to 
strengthen community engagement, support partner jurisdictions, and advance funding and 
project implementation, with a formal launch anticipated in Spring 2026. 
 
Agenda Item 6 – Upstream Bike Pedestrian Bridge 
Chase Walman, Principal Transportation Planner, and Eric Iwersen, Transportation and 
Sustainability Director, provided an update on the Upstream Dam Bike and Pedestrian Bridge 
project, which is a key component of the City’s long-term active transportation and river corridor 
connectivity efforts. The project has been identified in both the City’s General Plan and 
Transportation Master Plan and includes construction of a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge at 
the Upstream Dam, along with a new concrete multi-use path, lighting, landscaping, and public 
art improvements. The project has received multiple grant awards, including a $59,000 
preliminary design grant in 2017 and a $25 million RAISE/BUILD grant awarded in 2025 for 
construction. Related corridor projects include the Indian Bend Wash multi-use path, which is 
currently at 60 percent in final design and pursuing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting 
with construction anticipated to begin in Fall 2028, and the Rio North Bank Path, which is 
approximately 90 percent designed and in coordination with the Corps to allow the City to 
complete final design and integrate it into the larger grant-funded effort, with construction 
anticipated in Fall 2029.  
 
The Upstream Dam Bridge is at approximately 15 percent preliminary design, with a preliminary 
USACE permit submittal anticipated in Fall 2026; pending identification of additional funding, 
construction is anticipated to begin in early 2030. Once complete, the project will provide critical 
regional connectivity, directly linking the Novus Innovation Corridor, The Pier development, and 
Tempe Marketplace to existing and planned off-street paths extending into Mesa, Phoenix, and 
Scottsdale. The preliminary project cost is approximately $47.7 million, funded through the 
RAISE grant, anticipated private development contributions contingent upon execution of 
GPLET leases, and other sources. Extensive public engagement has occurred throughout the 
planning process, including multiple public meetings, Transportation Commission briefings, and 
letters of support from regional partners, neighboring jurisdictions, and federal and tribal 
representatives. 
Agenda Item 7 – Request for Proposal and Request for Qualifications Update

Due to time constraints, Councilmember Amberg moved this portion of the agenda to the next 
meeting, either in April or May 2026. 
 
Agenda Item 8 – Future Agenda Items 
Councilmember Hodge requested an update on Public Arts, which will be a part of the Request 
for Proposal and Request for Qualifications presentation at the next meeting. 
 
Meeting adjourned at 3:05 p.m. 
 
Prepared by:   Melissa Westbrook, Council Assistant, (480) 350-8635 
Reviewed by:  Tanya Chavez, Mayor and Council Relations Director, (480) 858-2215