Summary Sheet- WSS ISSUE REVIEW SUMMARY

MEMORANDUM – ISSUE REVIEW SESSION
TO:
Mayor and Council
THROUGH:
Doreen Garlid, Vice Mayor, (480) 350-8796
FROM:
Doreen Garlid, Vice Mayor, (480) 350-8796
DATE:
6/11/2026
SUBJECT:
Community Engagement and Connection Council 
Subcommittee – Final Report Recommendations
AGENDA ITEM: 5B2
PURPOSE:
The Community Engagement & Connection Council Subcommittee (CEC) objective was to examine the 
city’s methods and activities related to community engagement and connection. The subcommittee 
focused on strengthening community relationships and connections to foster positive outcomes in areas 
like community involvement and collaboration, increased participation in boards and commissions, and 
the community’s overall health and wellness.
RECOMMENDATION OR GUIDANCE REQUESTED:
Seek Mayor and Council consensus on recommendations to forward to the City Manager for 
implementation.
CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PRIORITY AND RELATED PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
2.15 Participating in City Decisions, 2.21 Satisfaction with Availability of City Information, and 3.34 
Community Health and Well-being.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The CEC Council Subcommittee held six formal meetings and hosted five public input sessions in 
conjunction with an online community survey administered by Neighborhood Services. Throughout the 
process the subcommittee reviewed methods and practices from Communications and Marketing, 
Neighborhood Services, and Information Technology departments while incorporating youth perspectives 
into discussions. In addition, the subcommittee analyzed community engagement practices in peer cities 
and hosted a presentation on Civic Engagement and Community Health, a collaborative project with the 
Flinn Foundation, Vitalyst Foundation, and the Center for the Future of Arizona. The subcommittee also 
received information from the Arizona State University School of Social Work regarding the effects of 
loneliness on community discourse and overall well-being.
The subcommittee’s analysis of its research, public input, and discussions identified seven consistent 
themes that served as the foundation for its final recommendations. 
Key Findings:
1. Residents are more likely to engage when they feel heard and can clearly see how their input 
influences decision-making. A perceived lack of visibility and limited follow-through into outcomes 
reduces trust and discourages future participation.
2. Many residents express willingness to engage but identified barriers such as unclear processes, limited 
awareness of opportunities, and difficulty navigating available information.
3. Although information is publicly available, it is often dispersed across multiple platforms, overly 
complex, or repetitive. These challenges limit awareness and reduce effective participation despite 
relatively strong performance in information availability metrics.

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4. Residents consistently expressed a preference for more localized and informal engagement 
opportunities such as neighborhood events, meetings, and shared community spaces.
5. A sense of belonging is more strongly associated with relationships, inclusion, and community identity 
rather than formal engagement processes alone.
6. Renters, seniors, and newer residents reported lower levels of engagement, often due to accessibility 
barriers related to scheduling, meeting formats, and outreach methods.
7. Results from the 2025 Community & Business Survey identified city websites, water bill newsletter, 
and city mailings as the top three preferred communication channels. However, 62.1 percent of 
respondents to the CEC online survey accessed it through email, 18.2 percent on Tempe social media, 
and only 13.6 percent through the city website, indicating a need to refine and better align outreach 
strategies with resident behavior.
Recommendations:
1. Create a civic engagement academy to inform residents about how the city works and consider a high 
school module to educate students in partnership with the Tempe Union High School District.
2. Focus on streamlining training and meeting standards for Boards and Commissions to include 
pathways to increasing their involvement with advising and informing City Council on city policy and 
budget decisions.
3. Empower the Neighborhood Advisory Commission to act as liaisons with Neighborhood Associations 
and Home Owners Associations to facilitate discussions and elicit feedback on community issues and 
concerns to be shared with City Council.
4. Elevate community correspondence to strengthen the perceptions of being heard by City Council and 
City Staff on issues and concerns affecting city residents.
5. Enhance the community feedback loop to ensure residents understand how their input was used in 
shaping city decisions on policy, programs, and projects.
6. Develop a multi-family residential complex outreach program that informs renters on city business and 
educates them on how to engage with the city.
7. Consider new technology platforms that improve community engagement and communications; and 
examine ways to improve accessibility and search tools on existing digital platforms.
Council Subcommittee and Stakeholders:
Vice Mayor Doreen Garlid
Councilmember Arlene Chin
Councilmember Nikki Amberg
Kris Baxter, Director of Communications and Marketing
Shauna Warner, Director of Neighborhood Services
Jared Morris, Director of Information and Technology
Dr. Velicia McMillan Humes, Chief Diversity Officer
Kara DeArrastia, City Clerk
Tanya Chavez, Director of Mayor and Council Relations
Julie Kent, Community Member
Franklin Zyrek, Community Member
Candyce Lindsay, Human Relations Commissioner

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Lane Carraway, Neighborhood Advisory Commissioner
Suri Wall, Neighborhood Advisory Commissioner
Braden Casteneda, Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commissioner
Grace Wombacher, Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commissioner
Dr. Elisa Kawam, School of Social Work, Arizona State University
Parrish Spisz, Council Assistant
Zeena Kilani, Council Subcommittee Research Intern
FISCAL IMPACT or IMPACT TO CURRENT RESOURCES:
N/A
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 06.11.2026 CEC_FINAL_REPORT_PRESENTATION.PDF