Attachment A - Oct. 14, 2025 Minutes.pdf

Phoenix City Council 
Economic Development and the Arts (EDA) Subcommittee 
Summary Minutes
Tuesday, October 14, 2025 
City Council Chambers 
200 W. Jefferson St. 
Phoenix, Arizona 
Subcommittee Members Present 
 Subcommittee Members Absent  
Vice Mayor Ann O’Brien, Chair     
Councilwoman Debra Stark 
Councilman Kevin Robinson 
Councilwoman Laura Pastor 
CALL TO ORDER 
Vice Mayor O’Brien called the Economic Development and the Arts Subcommittee to 
order at 10:00 a.m. with Councilwoman Debra Stark, Councilman Kevin Robinson, and 
Councilwoman Laura Pastor present.  
CALL TO THE PUBLIC 
None. 
MINUTES OF MEETINGS 
1. Minutes of the Economic Development and the Arts Subcommittee Meeting
Councilwoman Stark made a motion to approve the minutes of the September 10, 2025
Economic Development and the Arts Subcommittee meeting. Councilman Robinson
seconded the motion which passed unanimously, 4-0.
INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION 
2. Art in Private Development
Arts and Culture Director Mitch Menchaca, Deputy Arts and Culture Director Carrie 
Brown, and Planning and Development Director Josh Bednarek presented on the item. 
Katrina Kaylor shared her view on the importance of integrating art into private 
development as a citywide initiative. Ms. Kaylor stated the importance of expanding this 
effort through a formal City ordinance. She highlighted the strong community support, 
low risk, and high return on investment in making Phoenix a more creative, vibrant, and 
competitive place to live.  
ATTACHMENT A

Patrick McDaniel shared his view on art in private development as a key driver of 
downtown Phoenix’s growth, helping attract residents, businesses, and visitors. Mr. 
McDaniel encouraged the City to continue partnering with developers in innovative ways 
to integrate art as a tool for economic and community development. 
Vice Mayor O’Brien stated the need for more visible and accessible public art across all 
areas of the City. Vice Mayor O’Brien said art fosters culture, and culture builds 
community, making it essential to Phoenix’s growth and appeal as it attracts more 
residents and businesses into the City. 
Councilwoman Stark expressed her support for expanding art in private development 
and emphasized public art builds community pride and revitalization. She endorsed 
pursuing a citywide ordinance to further this impact. 
Councilwoman Pastor supported the idea of an ordinance but also stressed the 
importance of maintaining existing public art to preserve its impact and beauty over 
time. 
Councilman Robinson expressed support for expanding public art and recognized its 
power to transform neighborhoods and bring communities together. Councilman 
Robinson praised the presentation and emphasized art is essential to creating vibrant, 
inclusive spaces that benefit all residents across Phoenix. 
Vice Mayor O’Brien requested staff explore options for a citywide public art ordinance, 
including input from both the arts and development communities. Vice Mayor O’Brien 
asked staff when they would be able to come back and present on the request.  
Director Menchaca responded the department could return in the Spring with their 
findings.  
3. Smart City PHX Initiative Update  
Office of Innovation Director Michael Hammett and Information Technology Director 
Steen Hambric presented on the item.  
Councilwoman Stark requested a clarification on the Instant Language Assistant (ILA) 
program.  
Director Hammett explained ILA is a translation tool similar to a tablet which allows staff 
to communicate with residents in over 200 languages.  
Vice Mayor O’Brien expressed interest in receiving more information about the ILA 
program, particularly regarding technologies available to support individuals with 
hearing difficulties.   
Councilwoman Stark expressed appreciation for the item, noting it aligned with a similar 
request she had made at the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Planning (TIP)

Subcommittee. She referenced Prescott Valley’s smart meter rollout and inquired about 
Phoenix’s plans, acknowledging the City's larger scale.  
Councilman Robinson asked if this technology could enable location-based alerts to 
warn hikers about extreme heat at trailheads. Councilman Robinson acknowledged 
potential costs but emphasized the need to explore feasible safety solutions. 
Director Hambric noted potential privacy concerns with direct mobile alerts. He indicated 
alternative Smart City technologies could address the issue in less intrusive ways and 
committed to returning to the subcommittee with more information on feasible options. 
Councilman Robinson stressed the need to proactively warn the public to prevent high 
risk scenarios and reduce danger to firefighters on trails in City preserves. Councilman 
Robinson expressed appreciation for the discussion, presentation, and support for 
exploring solutions. 
Councilwoman Pastor inquired how the City ensures Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems 
are implemented with appropriate safety, security, and user accessibility measures. 
Councilwoman Pastor expressed concern over AI reliability, citing a personal 
experience with a non-emergency line, and recommended thorough testing prior to 
public deployment to avoid community frustration. 
Vice Mayor O’Brien thanked staff for their presentation and requested a future briefing 
to better understand how technology is coordinated across departments. 
4.Phoenix-Hermosillo Trade Office Results and Update  
Assistant Community and Economic Development Director Eric Johnson, Deputy 
Community and Economic Development Director Nathan Wright, and Economic 
Development Program Manager Juan Batres presented on the. 
Vice Mayor O’Brien requested additional information on the long-term economic impact 
of companies supported by the City. She also expressed appreciation for the 
presentation, commending staff on their recent successes. 
Councilwoman Pastor inquired about the meaning of soft landing in the context of 
business recruitment. 
Program Manager Batres explained it refers to support provided to companies with no 
prior presence in Phoenix, helping them enter the market through resources like 
coworking spaces, or workforce assistance. 
Councilwoman Pastor cited a past example of a business that struggled due to location 
and stressed the value of early engagement and tailored support. She emphasized the 
need for early support, such as market analysis and site selection, to help new 
businesses succeed and attract future investment.

Assistant Director Johnson acknowledged the need to strengthen outreach and 
communication regarding available business support tools. While resources are in 
place, he noted these are not always effectively connected with new businesses and 
committed to improving coordination efforts. 
5. Community and Economic Development Update on Disposition of City-Owned 
Property  
Assistant Community and Economic Development Director Eric Johnson and Deputy 
Community and Economic Development Director Xandon Keating presented on the 
item.  
Councilwoman Pastor inquired about the future of the Ed Pastor Transit Center’s name 
when the site is released for a Request for Proposals (RFP).  
Assistant Director Johnson stated they would coordinate with the Public Transit 
Department to determine the appropriate process regarding the naming of the Ed 
Pastor Transit Center during the RFP process. He noted specific procedural details 
were not available at the time. 
Councilwoman Pastor asked for clarification on the process and whether the existing 
name would be retained or transferred to another location. 
Assistant Director stated the naming of the location would require further coordination 
with the Public Transit Department, the Mayor, and City Council. He stated additional 
time would be needed to evaluate and determine next steps. 
Vice Mayor O’Brien requested staff to conduct additional research regarding the naming 
of the Ed Pastor Transit Center and provide an update to the subcommittee at a future 
time. 
Vice Mayor O’Brien inquired whether the American Institute of Architects contest at 7th 
Avenue and Washington includes all three parcels at the site. 
Deputy Director Keating noted the design should incorporate all three parcels, either as 
a connected concept or standalone elements, but integration of all parcels was 
expected. 
Vice Mayor O’Brien asked whether parameters were provided based on the area’s 
conditions and approved uses, to ensure proposals aligned with the contest 
requirements.  
Deputy Director Keating answered yes.  
Vice Mayor O’Brien expressed appreciation for the updates and presentation and stated 
she looks forward to the continued progress and the release of RFPs to help advance 
the City’s development.

CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
None. 
 
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 
None 
 
ADJOURNMENT 
Chairwoman O’Brien adjourned the meeting at 11:36 a.m. 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Dayana Rosas 
Management Fellow