Attachment A - EDH Minutes 06.12.2025.pdf

Phoenix City Council 
Economic Development and Housing (EDH) Subcommittee 
Summary Minutes 
Thursday, June 12, 2025 
City Council Chambers 
200 W. Jefferson Street 
Phoenix, AZ 
Subcommittee Members Present     
 Subcommittee Members Absent 
Vice Mayor Ann O’Brien, Chair 
  Councilman Kevin Robinson 
Councilwoman Debra Stark 
Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington 
CALL TO ORDER 
Chairwoman O’Brien called the Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee to 
order at 1:04 p.m. with Councilwoman Stark and Councilwoman Hodge Washington 
present. 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC 
None. 
MINUTES OF MEETINGS 
1. Minutes of the Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee Meeting
Councilwoman Hodge Washington made a motion to approve the minutes of the May
28, 2025, Economic Development and Housing Subcommittee meeting. Councilwoman
Stark seconded the motion, which passed unanimously, 3-0.
CONSENT ACTION (ITEM 2)  
Item 2 was for consent action. No presentations were planned, but staff was available to 
answer questions. 
2. Annual Review and Updates to the Neighborhood Services Department’s Code
Enforcement Policy
Consent only. No councilmember requested additional information.
Councilwoman Stark made a motion to approve Item 2. Councilwoman Hodge 
Washington seconded the motion which passed unanimously, 3-0. 
INFORMATION ONLY (ITEMS 3-4) 
3. Head Start Birth to Five Monthly Report – April
Information only. No councilmember requested additional information.
4. City of Phoenix Naloxone Program Update: March 2025 to May 2025
Information only. No councilmember requested additional information.
ATTACHMENT A

INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION (ITEM 5)  
5. Phoenix Office of Innovation Update 
Office of Innovation Director Michael Hammett presented the item. 
 
Councilwoman Stark expressed that she would like to attend the next Hackathon, and 
the presentation shows how innovative the City of Phoenix is. 
 
Councilwoman Hodge Washington asked how future locations are being selected for 
the Chilled Drinking Water Initiative, and if there was any opportunity for Council input or 
more community input in the selection process. 
 
Mr. Hammett answered that the selection process was data-driven, and includes the 
results of surveys and community input, he also noted more input is always welcome. 
 
Councilwoman Hodge Washington stated that the two Hive locations provide one-on-
one guidance for various technologies and act as access points for technology to the 
communities. She asked how the City gathers input from the community on what they 
want to see on the City Manager’s Performance Dashboard. 
 
Mr. Hammett explained that staff had sent out surveys to communities, which resulted in 
a great response and good ideas.  
 
Councilwoman Hodge Washington asked if there is a way to make the data presented 
on the City Manager’s Performance Dashboard more cohesive and comparable. 
 
Mr. Hammett answered that the staff is moving towards achieving consistency in data 
reporting. 
 
6. Economic Development Review of Fiscal Year 2024-25 and Work Plan for Fiscal 
Year 2025-26 
Community and Economic Development Director Christine Mackay, Deputy Community 
and Economic Development Director Xandon Keating, Deputy Community and 
Economic Development Director Nathan Wright, Deputy Community and Economic 
Development Director LaSetta Hogans, and Special Projects Administrator Gretchen 
Wolfe presented the item. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien stated the City has not only been able to attract many businesses 
and jobs to the City but also attracted high-value industries and high-wage jobs, which 
have expanded and diversified the make-up of the City’s economy. She asked what the 
staff was doing to retain the small local businesses in the City. 
 
Ms. Mackay answered that the staff meet with small businesses through Small Business 
Programs to assist them.

Chairwoman O’Brien asked what Dress for Success is. 
 
Mr. Keating answered that their mission is to provide high-quality clothing for job 
interviews for people who do not have the resources as they enter the workforce. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien stated the growth in the urban core and investment in Transit 
Oriented Communities was ongoing and the results of the investment are yet to come. 
She asked what the economic impact of the investments was on these areas. 
 
Mr. Keating explained the difficulty of estimating the impact but anticipated a significant 
amount of development coming to the communities, especially along the recently 
opened South Central Extension of Light Rail. 
 
Chairwoman O’Brien stated there was a need to further develop relationships with 
school districts to educate students on existing opportunities. 
 
Councilwoman Stark remarked that tourism was important to the City’s economy and 
asked why tourism wasn’t included as one of the City’s economic development goals. 
 
Ms. Mackay answered the department partners with the Phoenix Convention Center 
and Visit Phoenix on various conventions, and the Strategic roadmap for tourism is to 
plan and execute according to the plans of the Phoenix Convention Center.  
 
Councilwoman Stark asked if there was a museum showcasing the culture of Phoenix is 
something that is being considered for development in the future. 
 
Ms. Mackay explained the Arts and Culture Director, Mr. Menchaca was working with 
the City Manager’s Office to propose potential sites for a museum. 
 
Councilwoman Hodge Washington asked what the City’s plan was to attract a medical 
facility in South Mountain Village, which is a demand expressed by residents as well as 
the Fire Department. 
 
Ms. Mackay answered that staff conducted a demographic study on the area and talked 
to Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of hospitals in the area and hospital planning 
organizations and catalogued existing vacant buildings that could be potential sites for a 
hospital. 
 
Councilwoman Hodge Washington stressed the need to promote Laveen and South 
Mountain tech corridors to be offered as potential sites for new companies. 
 
Ms. Mackay answered staff were prioritizing the areas for tech companies that are 
exploring the City of Phoenix for a new site due to their geographic advantage that 
comes from being located in the central area of the valley.

Councilwoman Hodge Washington asked for progress on bringing a new resort to the 
Gila Foothills. 
 
Ms. Mackay shared the staff created a marketing strategy and brought a delegation for 
a tour and a planning meeting. 
 
Councilwoman Hodge Washington asked how many of jobs added last year are 
accessible in terms of transportation, wages, and skill sets to our existing residents. 
 
Ms. Mackay answered there was prioritization in the jobs attracted to the City because 
they are multipliers that result in attraction of other jobs that are formed around the jobs, 
which are accessible to all citizens through various internships and training programs. 
 
CALL TO THE PUBLIC  
Pete Colarelli expressed his appreciation for the Bioscience Core and the medical 
community in Phoenix, which provides a variety of opportunities for current and future 
residents of the City. 
 
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 
Councilwoman Stark requested an update on Sister Cities to be added to the agenda 
for next meeting. 
 
ADJOURNMENT 
Chairwoman O’Brien adjourned the meeting at 2:57 p.m. 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
Brian Seo 
Management Fellow