2026-09-23 - Community Services and Education Subcommittee

00:00development team, Lance uh Gray, I know

00:02he is here somewhere. There he is right

00:04in front of me. Uh he leads our capital

00:06improvement program. U so I just want to

00:08thank them. And then of course our city

00:10engineer staff. Uh I would also like to

00:13recognize Jenny Anne Sumar. She's right

00:15in front of me. She just Yes, please

00:18give her a round of applause. So So when

00:20I started in the parks department in

00:22November of 2021, I kept hearing this

00:24name Jennanne Sumers. Jenny Sum and I

00:26was like who is this Jenny Sumers? So I

00:29finally got a chance to meet her. She's

00:31very uh engaged in what goes on in her

00:34community. Uh not only this park but old

00:36cross um country canal. Uh so I just

00:39want to thank you uh for your

00:40partnership and uh just give me a call

00:43whenever you want to. Right. Okay. Thank

00:44you. Uh I know she will. Right. Um I

00:48earlier I met uh Dr. George Barnes um

00:51from the Balls Elementary School

00:53District. So I'd like to thank him. And

00:55then the mayor did mention um Gail

00:58Knight. she's over there uh right to the

01:00left there. Thank you for for your

01:02partnership and um Gail and I go way

01:05back. She's like a mentor to me and it's

01:07always great to to see you. So, thank

01:09you. Um I'd also like to highlight the

01:13efforts and leadership of Mayor Ggo. I

01:16know uh Vice Mayor Kesha Hajman cannot

01:18be here today, but without them and of

01:20course Councilman Robinson, their

01:22support for the parks department, none

01:24of this uh would be possible. Um, I also

01:28do want to mention, I do not see her,

01:29but my former boss and assistant city

01:32manager. Oh, there she is right there.

01:34Uh, Inger Ericson, and I'm sure she'll

01:37be ripping up the pickle ball courts

01:38here in a minute.

01:41My my current boss is right next to her,

01:43Deputy City Manager Dave Matthews. So,

01:45thanks for to your support.

01:48One of my assistant directors is over

01:50there standing uh next to my wife, uh,

01:53Brandy Barrett. I could not do this

01:55without her. Uh we laugh on a daily

01:57basis. We also cry on a daily basis

01:59running this running this department,

02:01but without you, I cannot do that. Um

02:03and then finally, she she might get me

02:05for this, but I'd like to thank my wife

02:07who joined me today, my wife, Julie

02:09Wickfield of over 30 years. Uh this

02:11morning, she said, "Honey, I'll go with

02:12you if you go to the grocery store with

02:14me after." So I I I've been falling for

02:16this trick for over 30 years. She said,

02:18"We won't even get a cart." I said,

02:19"Yeah, right." So thank you for that. Um

02:22the refreshed amenities you will see

02:24today uh build on the legacy of this

02:26park and as a welcoming destination

02:28where families can relax, connect and

02:30enjoy time. So thank you again for all

02:32being here part of this celebration. And

02:35without further ado, let's cut the

02:36ribbon and officially open the new

02:38sports courts. Thank you. [applause]

02:43>> 4 3 2 1

02:52>> [music]

02:59>> Semiconductor industry is becoming

03:00[music] the future of of the world.

03:02We're establishing something new in the

03:04country, something new that will

03:06generate the pipeline of [music] future

03:08talent for TSMC.

03:09>> Who doesn't want to be part of the

03:11probably the biggest company that's

03:12coming and plus I really needed a career

03:15and thankfully I've found my career

03:17here.

03:19truly been a privilege to establish

03:20[music] this apprenticeship program here

03:22at TSMC. We started with eight

03:25apprentices. The apprentichip program

03:26overall is between 18 [music] and 24

03:29months. The apprentichip is structured

03:31in two cycles. This is the completion of

03:33cycle one. [music] I'm a water

03:35apprentice. I'm really excited and

03:37looking forward to the next step or

03:39second phase [music] of the program.

03:41They have four departments here. We have

03:43electrical, water, mechanical, and gas

03:46and chems. And throughout the first

03:49phase of [music] the program, we moved

03:52around to each department for

03:54approximately 4 months. They show us a

03:56lot of the basics that we need to know

03:58getting into an industry like this. We

04:00have on the job training and we're also

04:03going to [music] school. School is over

04:05at Westmech. So, we get hands-on

04:07training over at school. And then here

04:10at TSMC as well, we're [music] working

04:12with our mentors, with technicians, all

04:15of our supervisors support us, help us,

04:18and [music] they give us everything that

04:20we need to succeed.

04:21>> The staff here is one of my favorite

04:23things. [music] They show you what it is

04:25to be in a team and they really [music]

04:28are welcoming and want to help you grow.

04:31>> We took individuals that had minimal

04:33industry experience and they're becoming

04:36industry experts. They are getting to

04:38learn a lot of the systems. They get to

04:40[music] learn and work on all of our

04:42equipment and truly truly become [music]

04:45part of our TSMC family. And when I

04:48joined here, I joined here in hopes of

04:51building my career

04:53like being set. I can't really tell you

04:55where I would be if I didn't have this

04:56position. So, I'm just thankful to be

04:59here and I just want to keep going.

05:00>> We are receiving a journeyman's [music]

05:02card through the city of Phoenix.

05:05They work with TSMC and it's the first

05:09of its kind in the nation.

05:11>> We love apprenticeships in the city of

05:13Phoenix as you know. We believe in them.

05:15We use them ourselves. We [music] took

05:16on the sponsorship role which means

05:18these programs are actually the city of

05:20Phoenix programs [music] and employers

05:21now can join us making folks like TSMC

05:25and other employers uh build this

05:28pipeline that will serve many different

05:30employers here in [music] our community.

05:31Semiconductor industry is becoming the

05:33future of of the world. It's important

05:35to have skilled people and people that

05:37are motivated to grow with the

05:39technology [music] that's innovating

05:40every day.

05:42>> We did it.

05:44I just want to thank TSMC [music] at the

05:46city of Phoenix, uh, Westmech, Stray

05:49Mountain Community College, uh, for

05:52coming together and giving us this

05:54opportunity and helping our career

05:56[music] grow and for everything that

05:59they've done and all the work that they

06:01put in.

06:16To kick off today, we really wanted to

06:18kick off with the uh person at the top

06:20who really makes it all happen, Mayor

06:22Kate Ggo.

06:25[applause]

06:31Well, welcome to Phoenix. I'm Phoenix

06:33Mayor Kate Geigo. To Jill, to Kyle, to

06:35the entire USA Gymnastics team. We are

06:38so glad to welcome this. Phoenix is

06:41ready for the Xfinity US Gymnastics

06:44Championships. We are committed to

06:47having an incredible event and

06:49showcasing the intalented American

06:51athletes. We have a world-class team and

06:55the city of Phoenix is so excited to

06:57welcome the incredible athletes,

06:59coaches, judges, industry leaders, and

07:02fans from across the country. It's one

07:04of those days when you're proud to be an

07:06American. and we're really honored and

07:08during America's 250th year to host Team

07:11USA here in Phoenix. We like to think we

07:14are championship valley. We have

07:16welcomed Super Bowls, NBA, WNBA,

07:20all-star games, Final Four, and more.

07:22And so, we like to think we're practiced

07:24and ready to show great hospitality to

07:27our gymnasts and to Team USA. We're

07:30excited to see such incredible talent. A

07:34phoenix is named for the mythical bird

07:35that rose from the ashes. And we hope so

07:38many of our athletes have major moments

07:40of their careers where they rise all the

07:42way to metal stands in Los Angeles.

07:47These athletes are America's best gymns.

07:50We are so excited to have Olympians,

07:52world champions, and rising stars

07:54chasing their dreams of representing

07:56team USA. I want to do a special shout

07:59out to our hometown Olympian, Jade

08:02Carrey. We're excited to have Jade uh as

08:05part of this incredible event. Uh one of

08:08the great things you get to do as mayor

08:09is declare citywide celebrations and

08:12back when uh she returned from the

08:15Olympics, we made August 17th Jade Cary

08:17Day in the city of Phoenix. So we'll

08:20continue to celebrate. Arizona has an

08:21incredible record with so many talented

08:24Olympians and they are part of the team

08:27welcoming us home.

08:30We hope that the 136 athletes registered

08:33to compete have incredible moments and

08:36that you enjoy your time in Phoenix. We

08:39have more acres of parks uh than any

08:41other big city in the United States and

08:43incredible restaurants, maybe not for

08:46our athletes, but the uh we Yelp's

08:49favorite ice cream and pizza we have uh

08:52not far from here. And the city cocktail

08:54is a tequila with chilapene and some

08:57Arizona citrus. So maybe celebrating

09:00after the event. Uh but the city of

09:02Phoenix is really excited to welcome

09:04you. We have an incredible team at

09:06Mortgage Matchup, the convention center,

09:08and more. So thank you to our major

09:10events team at the city of Phoenix and

09:12on our incredible partners at Visit

09:14Phoenix. Enjoy your time in our city.

09:18>> [applause]

09:21>> And speaking of Visit Phoenix, uh, as

09:23the mayor mentioned, lots of sports

09:24happening in Phoenix. And so toward that

09:26end, we wanted to introduce the

09:28executive director of sports and events

09:30for Visit Phoenix, Joel Kester.

09:39>> Well, thank you so much for that

09:40wonderful introduction and uh, thank

09:42you, mayor. Uh, again, you it's hard

09:44hard act to follow after that. Uh, but

09:46Visit Phoenix is beyond excited to

09:49welcome USA Gymnastics Championships to

09:51Phoenix, you know, for the first time

09:53ever. You know, this is a huge momentum

09:57boost to us as we continue to build our

10:00sports uh, you know, culture here. You

10:02know, I want to thank you first off uh,

10:04USA Gymnastics and Leadership for

10:06choosing uh, Phoenix uh, to be home to

10:09this championship. You know, again, this

10:11is is truly an honor. Um, and I would be

10:13remiss if I didn't thank our venue

10:15partners as well. Um, you know, starting

10:17with the Phoenix Convention Center,

10:20Mortgage Matchup Center, and our

10:21partners at Player 15 Group. Thank you.

10:24Uh, and again, you know, just like, uh,

10:26you know, um, you know, USA Gymnastics

10:28mentioned, we couldn't do this without

10:30the city support, and again, we just

10:32thank you, you know, for continuing to

10:33support our effort to bring youth,

10:35amateur, and professional sporting

10:36events here to Phoenix. Uh, but this

10:39week, we're especially honored to

10:40welcome Olympic gold medalist Jade

10:41Kerry. I mean, back home in front of her

10:44home crowd. How awesome is it going to

10:46be? It's going to be loud, electric, and

10:48I cannot wait to be in the building uh

10:50when she takes the floor. But this

10:52week's beyond competition. It's all

10:55about creating memories. Memories for

10:57the athletes and their families, but

10:59memories for local Phoenicians. Just

11:02imagine that some young girl or boy will

11:04be sitting in the audience this weekend

11:07and they're going to eventually become a

11:10future Olympic hopeful. based on what

11:12they're seeing, you know, take place out

11:14on the podium. So, it's really exciting

11:16for us. It's beyond economic impacts,

11:18beyond heads and beds. It's really about

11:20the experience again of these athletes

11:22being in front of our hometown. And

11:24again, that's what it's all about and

11:25that's what we're really excited about.

11:27Greater Phoenix is a sports destination.

11:30Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the

11:32US and one of the sunniest major cities

11:34in the world. Following NCAA Women's

11:36Final Four and leading into the 2027 NBA

11:40All-Star Weekend, this is another

11:42marquee event that we're proudly hosting

11:44and this reflects our commitment to

11:46providing an unforgettable experience

11:48for both athletes and the fans that are

11:50attending this event.

11:52We wish the best of luck to all the

11:54competitors and we hope this is just the

11:56beginning of your core memories here in

11:57Phoenix. Thank you.

12:02[applause]

12:04And for all those Phoenicians who may be

12:06interested, tickets are still available

12:07at ticket master. So we look forward to

12:09welcome welcoming as many residents of

12:12Phoenix as possible this weekend. Uh now

12:14every year at this opening press

12:16conference, we traditionally have a

12:18state of the sport from our president

12:19and CEO. And obviously a lot has

12:21happened at USA Gymnastics Gymnastics

12:23over the last few years. Last November,

12:26we introduced Kyle Alrech as our current

12:29CEO, president and CEO. Kyle started in

12:32January and the last seven months have

12:34been very fast-paced and really exciting

12:36about where we're headed. So, with that,

12:39I am honored to introduce Kyle Alrech,

12:42our president and CEO, to let you know

12:43what's been going on and where we are

12:45headed with USA Gymnastics. Kyle,

12:48[applause]

12:55well, good afternoon everyone. Uh, thank

12:57you so much, Mayor Ggo, Joel. Um, you

13:00know, the partnership in bringing us to

13:02Phoenix means so much and we can't thank

13:04you enough for all the support in

13:06getting us here today. Thank you to all

13:07the media for joining us here today and

13:09incredibly excited to uh be coming to

13:12you live from my first National Congress

13:15and Exfinity National Championships. Um,

13:18you know, I'm going to be speaking to

13:19our congress here over the next uh

13:22number of days as well as many committee

13:24meetings. And so I'd like to take this

13:26time today prior to some of those

13:27meetings to share a little bit about, as

13:29Jill said, what my first seven months in

13:31the role have been like and a look at

13:33where we're going as an organization as

13:35well. I can say I'm very fortunate when

13:37I walked into the offices at USAG that I

13:41was joining an or an organization that

13:42was stronger than it's been uh in over a

13:44decade. US teams are coming off

13:47double-digit medals coming out of the 23

13:49World Championships as well as the 24

13:52Olympic Games, including the return of

13:54the men's team to the medal stand. Our

13:56rhythmic program is winning its first

13:58medals at World Championships,

13:59trampoline and tumbling, having record-

14:01setting performances on the global

14:03stage, and a new era of both acro and

14:05parkour athletes breaking through and

14:07winning World Cup titles. USG membership

14:10is now exceeding 240,000 members and

14:13continuing to grow. and some of the most

14:15respected brands in the world are

14:17investing in the sport as our partners.

14:19We're well underway on our planning to

14:21LA28 and are bullish about the

14:23opportunities to sustain that growth as

14:25we look towards tremendous opportunities

14:27over the coming years like hosting the

14:292031 World Gymnastrada in Las Vegas.

14:32These are all meaningful indicators of

14:34the strength of our sport and the

14:36organization, but more so they reflect

14:38the tremendous work that's been done

14:40under our staff. The leadership under

14:42Lee Le Young, Katherine Carson, our

14:44board chair, the remainder of our board,

14:46the remainder of our staff, our

14:48athletes, and the broader gymnastics

14:49community. We have so much to thank for

14:50all of their work.

14:52Sorry. [snorts]

14:54Uh I feel fortunate to join this

14:56organization where the culture is so

14:57strong and we have a

15:56Good morning everyone. I'd like to call

15:57this meeting to order. Welcome to the

15:59September 23rd, 2026 community services

16:02and education subcommittee meeting. like

16:05to start off by introducing our city

16:08attorney

16:13to explain the role of public comment.

16:19Apologies, Vice Mayor. Um we're missing

16:21our city attorney. Um I'll I'll get

16:25someone here and maybe we can put that

16:27um

16:28>> later after the first item.

16:30>> Okay, perfect. We will move on to our

16:32interpreter.

16:37Is our interpreter Elsie Dorte available

16:40to provide a

16:42brief announcement?

16:47Thank you. Apologize. Um unfortunately

16:49there's um an issue with the uh audio on

16:52my end. I'll go ahead and introduce

16:56myself. Um thank you Madame Chair Haj

17:00Washington.

17:02My name is Elsie Dwart and I'll be

17:04providing Spanish interpretation during

17:06today's community services and education

17:08session. I will now take a moment to

17:10address our Spanish speaking audience.

17:46Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you so

17:47much for the for that information. We

17:50will get into our agenda item starting

17:52with item number one which is the

17:54approval of the cse minutes from the

17:56June 24, 2026 meeting. Do I have a

17:58motion?

17:59>> Move to approve.

18:01>> Second.

18:02>> So we motioned and second. All in favor?

18:05>> I

18:06>> I.

18:07>> Thank you. We will move on to item

18:09number two which is the Head Start birth

18:11to five monthly report for the month of

18:13July. Do we have any questions?

18:18Okay, we don't have anything from the

18:20public, so we'll move on to item number

18:23three, which is the uh overview of the

18:27Phoenix um chronic absenteeism data and

18:29the attendance uh matters Phoenix

18:31initiative that will include a social

18:33media kit to promote to improve um

18:37school attendance across Phoenix

18:38throughout the year.

18:42I'd like to welcome the Youth and

18:43Education Office Director Tim Valencia

18:46and the Valley of the Suns United Way

18:48Community Development Director Don

18:50Gerondo to the table.

18:53Good good morning, Vice Mayor and

18:55members of the subcommittee. Today we're

18:57sharing our newest initiative,

18:59Attendance Matters Phoenix. But first,

19:02I'd like to introduce Miss Don Garando,

19:04community development engagement

19:05director with Valley of the Sun United

19:07Way, who will begin um our overview of

19:10some of our statewide and maropa county

19:13initiatives.

19:19>> Thank you, Mr. Valencia, Vice Mayor, and

19:21members of the subcommittee. Thank you

19:22for the invitation to speak on chronic

19:24absenteeism and the work that we have

19:26been doing together with the city of

19:28Phoenix. Chronic absenteeism is defined

19:30as missing more than 10% of the

19:33scheduled school year. That adds up

19:35really quick. It is as easy as two days

19:38per month that can place a student

19:40becoming chronically absent. Attendance

19:42is closely connected to reading

19:44proficiency, academic success, social

19:47emotional development, and long-term

19:49education success.

19:52Chronic absenteeism affects students

19:54across grade levels, but especially

19:56concerning amongst our youngest

19:57learners. transitional grades and those

20:00historically underserved communities.

20:03Statewide chronic absenteeism rates for

20:052025 is 24%.

20:09Now, let's take a closer look at those

20:11Phoenix school districts data.

20:15Phoenix school districts have made

20:16notable progress in reducing chronic

20:18absenteeism. Following the pandemic, the

20:20rates were as high as 30% in 2022 and by

20:242025, the average fell to 22.5%.

20:29This improvement reflects strong

20:31collaboration among schools, districts,

20:33community partners, and families.

20:38Across Phoenix, elementary school

20:40districts vary significantly from 10% to

20:4234%. Union Elementary reported the

20:46highest rate while Murphy had the lowest

20:49rate. This variance highlights both the

20:51challenges and the opportunities for us

20:54to continue to focus. In May of 2023,

20:57Reedon Arizona convened a statewide

20:59chronic absenteeism task force to

21:02explore the root causes and identify

21:04strategies. Mr. Valencia and I both

21:06serve on the leadership team and

21:08developed resources, toolkits, and

21:10support statewide efforts to help reduce

21:13chronic absenteeism rates.

21:18In response to that statewide work, the

21:20attendance matter initiative was

21:22launched by Valley of the Sun United

21:23Way, Readon Arizona, Readon Phoenix, and

21:26the Southwest Valley. Together, we

21:28worked with those school districts,

21:30educators, and families to understand

21:33why children are missing school and to

21:35address the root causes on chronic

21:37absenteeism. Through coordinated

21:39community resources, schools and

21:41families now have access to tools such

21:44as messaging templates, educator

21:46supports, multi-ingual family engagement

21:49materials, and the resources to

21:52strengthen routines, improve

21:53communication, and ensure families have

21:56the support they need to help their

21:58child grow every day. Our shared goal is

22:02clear. reduce chronic absenteeism

22:04through consistent messaging, early

22:06intervention, strong family engagement,

22:09and community-based solutions. With

22:11funding from the Helios Foundation, five

22:14Phoenix elementary school districts,

22:16Baltz, Alhamra, Cartwright, Littleton,

22:19and Washington participated in a deeper

22:22coaching and analysis. These districts

22:25saw reductions ranging from 18 to 28%.

22:29Demonstrating the impact of strategic

22:31communitydriven work. I'll now turn it

22:34back over to Mr. Valencia to introduce

22:36the newest initiative aligned with

22:38attendance matters. [clears throat]

22:42>> Thank you, Don. Attendance Matters

22:43Phoenix is our newest citywide

22:46initiative that closely aligns with

22:47Valley Sun United Ways attendance

22:50matters efforts. This ensures that our

22:52local messages supports and stren

22:54strengthens the broader regional work.

22:57The initiative reinforces the importance

22:59of daily attendance by connecting the

23:00city's voice with the families here um

23:04from our schools, our school districts,

23:05and our community partners. By aligning

23:08our messages um with school-based events

23:10and community campaigns, we can deliver

23:13clear, consistent reminders that showing

23:15up every day sets students up for future

23:18success. Our overall goal is to elevate

23:21attendant expectations citywide.

23:24Really unifying this particular message

23:26that here today ready tomorrow will help

23:29families recognize that every school day

23:32truly matters.

23:35As part of this launch, we'll introduce

23:37a new website that is up today and a

23:40media toolkit. These tools will help it

23:42make it easier for city departments and

23:44even your offices to amplify the

23:46campaign across social media and other

23:49communication channels. City messages

23:52will strengthen early attendance habits

23:54in all of our programs like Head Start

23:56and provide families with culturally

23:58responsive multilingual and supportive

24:01communication.

24:03September this month is attendance

24:05awareness month which really provides

24:08our strong launching point. During this

24:10month, the city will share our unified

24:13message. Uh we'll we uh will issue the

24:16official proclamation from the mayor and

24:18then of course reinfor reinforce early

24:20year routines that help students stay

24:22strong. We'll also promote collaboration

24:25among schools, districts, and community

24:28partners to continue to build the

24:29momentum that has already started um

24:32throughout the school year.

24:35The social media kit is really to

24:38support that ongoing communication. This

24:40kit will have branded graphics. So, we

24:42do have a new graphic that we're really

24:43excited about. We have ready to post

24:46captions, multilingual materials, and

24:48templates designed to make consistent

24:50messaging easy and access accessible for

24:53partners uh citywide.

24:56The kit will also um highlight those

24:59critical times during the school year.

25:01One of those biggest challenges, summer

25:02learning loss. How important it is to

25:04not only stay in uh in school during

25:06May, but also begin the school year

25:09strong. Strong attendance in May helps

25:12minimize this learning loss, and

25:14returning on time helps reestablish

25:15those routines and rebuild learning

25:18momentum immediately.

25:20Consistent attendance before and after

25:22summer support stronger academic gains

25:24throughout the year.

25:27To launch Attendance Matters Phoenix,

25:29we're introducing a new opportunity for

25:31our Head Start families. Children who

25:34maintain strong weekly attendance will

25:36earn entries into um monthly drawings

25:38with bonus entries for sustained weekly

25:41attendance.

25:42With this initiative, we will provide up

25:45to 300 families will receive an annual

25:47pass uh to the Phoenix Children Museum

25:50to continue the learning outside of the

25:52classroom. This incentive promotes

25:55consistent attendance. It recognizes

25:57those families for supporting their

25:59children during learning times and also

26:01strengthens engagement through enriching

26:04uh community experience.

26:08So, how can you help? Each of you play a

26:11critical role in amplifying the

26:12attendant matters Phoenix campaign. City

26:15leadership can reinforce this message

26:17through social media, school visits, and

26:19community events. when you're out in the

26:20community. We can elevate multilingual

26:23messaging in multiple languages, partner

26:25with school districts and youth serving

26:27organizations that target specific

26:30populations like refugees and also

26:32highlight key periods uh such as

26:34September, our holidays and summer

26:37breaks. All those times either you know

26:40the day before holiday or after holiday

26:42break is when we see an increase in

26:44chronic absenteeism.

26:46So these efforts ensure our messages

26:48reach families where they are and

26:49strengthen our collective impact across

26:51Phoenix. In closing, attendance is one

26:54of our strong strongest predictors of

26:56student success and together we can make

26:58a a meaningful difference. We are proud

27:01to introduce Attendance Matters Phoenix

27:03initiative and through this clear,

27:05supportive um strong partnerships and

27:09communication, we can ensure every uh

27:11Phoenix students are here today and

27:13ready for tomorrow.

27:16Thank you. And uh if you have any

27:18questions, we'd be happy to answer.

27:22>> I'll start off. Councilman start.

27:25>> As far as a Head Start, I I understand a

27:29few of the school districts have their

27:30separate Head Start programs. Would they

27:33also qualify for this initiative?

27:36>> Within Head Start, all our educational

27:38providers will be part of this program.

27:40>> Okay. Thank you. And then just out of

27:43curiosity, and this is more out of

27:44curiosity, when you when you looked at

27:46the school districts, some of them

27:48overlap into other cities, did you

27:51separate the percentage by just city of

27:54Phoenix res?

27:55>> By City of Phoenix schools.

27:56>> Perfect. Okay. Thank you. Thank you so

27:58much. And congratulations to

27:59Councilwoman O'Brien because I know you

28:02are on the governing board of Deer

28:03Valley and they bode very well in the

28:06numbers here.

28:08>> I think they still have a little work to

28:10do. [laughter]

28:18Councilman Hernandez.

28:19>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, first just

28:21thank you so much, Tim, um, for all the

28:23hard work that, uh, you are doing on

28:26this and working closely with our office

28:28on ways to how we can support the youth

28:30in Phoenix. Um, you know, again, I also

28:32thank you for working with community

28:34partners and addressing some of the on

28:37how y'all are addressing some of the

28:39barriers um to attendance through family

28:41engagement, strong community support.

28:43So, really thank you so much for all of

28:45that. Um, you know, I know we know

28:47school attendance is so critical for our

28:48youth. Um, and I'm glad to see that we

28:50are launching this initiative. My office

28:52is looking forward to supporting this in

28:54any ways that we can. So glad to hear

28:56that we have the toolkit and other ways

28:58that we can be involved to really help

29:00um spread the message and spread the

29:01word on this. Um as you know, I was

29:04looking over the packet and the data

29:05shared on this item, I was struck by the

29:0830% absentee rate um at Phoenix Union. I

29:12think this is especially disturbing

29:14because the majority of the students at

29:16Phoenix Union um are black and brown

29:18kids, which means that it is black and

29:20brown kids that are missing school,

29:22missing opportunities, and being um

29:25placed more at risk for criminalization.

29:28So, we must take every opportunity to

29:30support these youth. We cannot just let

29:32them slip through the cracks and become

29:34another statistic. Uh, I am also fully

29:37aware that, you know, school absenteeism

29:40is also a direct result of ICE and

29:43Trump's terrorism in our communities.

29:45Families are afraid to go out and

29:47they're afraid to send their kids to

29:48school um if they feel threatened. So,

29:51of course, this is, you know, this is

29:52intentional by design. So, as a city, we

29:54should definitely look at how we can

29:56work more closely with our school

29:58districts to protect their students and

29:59their and their families um from ICE.

30:02And finally, I just want to make a note

30:04that absenteeism

30:06also threatens the sustainability of our

30:09public schools. And you know, in my time

30:11at the state legislature in the past,

30:14um, and continuing to now, the

30:15Republican uh, majority party has made

30:18it no secret that they want to defund

30:19our public schools. So, every time a

30:21child misses school, that is one less

30:23opportunity that that district um has to

30:26really tap into that state funding that

30:29is so critical to so many of our working

30:31families. So, our ability to keep keep

30:33kids from missing school also really

30:35helps us keep our public schools open.

30:37So, just again, thank you so much, Tim.

30:40Thank you so much, Don, for everything

30:42that y'all are doing um you know, on

30:44this initiative and how we're really

30:46going to combat this absenteeism. Um,

30:49and please know that we are here to

30:50support you and however we can be

30:51engaged. Thank you, Madam Chair.

30:55>> Counciloman O'Brien.

30:57>> Thank you, Chairwoman. Um, and I

31:00apologize. I was trying to quickly write

31:02some notes, but you talked about five

31:04districts that you're working with

31:06closely. Alhamra, Cartwright,

31:10>> Alhamra, sorry. Um, it was a Hambra

31:14Cartwright Baltz.

31:17>> Um, I forget which ones we all we

31:20actually have nine. I'm sorry, but these

31:22are the ones directly in the city of

31:23Phoenix. Okay.

31:24>> So, that's where I get jumbled on which

31:26ones that we have.

31:27>> Okay. Those four. And then, and so,

31:29thank you for this work that the data

31:32you have on the absenteeism. Does it

31:35delve farther into the reason for the

31:38absence?

31:40um so that you can provide maybe some

31:43more support or education to to our

31:45parents and and kiddos.

31:47>> Yes, vice mayor and members, we have

31:50really worked really strategically with

31:52those schools to have a dedicated

31:53attendance team that is drilling down

31:56into their data to understanding why

31:59those children are chronically absent.

32:01And what we do know is it comes from a

32:04plethora of needs, basic needs. It comes

32:06from things as easy as not having child

32:08care and having to stay home and take

32:09care of a sibling to getting

32:11transportation to come to school. What

32:13is unique is each district has a

32:16different set that spikes higher than

32:18lower from one district to the next. But

32:21the key that we found was really having

32:23that dedicated attendance team that

32:25looked at their data ongoing all the

32:28time to address chronic absenteeism

32:30before it became chronic. So what I say

32:33is we look at for an example we're about

32:35the 66th day of school on the average

32:38for most. How many children have already

32:40missed

32:4212 days?

32:44>> Those children are already on target to

32:46be chronically absent.

32:47>> So how do we address those? So sitting

32:49those strategic goals together and

32:51looking to what that root cause is

32:53because as Tim always and I always say

32:55it's about the relationships that the

32:58schools are building with those

32:58families.

33:00>> And that that's good to know. My concern

33:02is that we we're treating it um at the

33:0530,000 foot level, right? That

33:06absenteeism is apt absenteeism is

33:09absenteeism, which is not true as you've

33:12just stated. And and so I'm I'm glad to

33:13know that each district is able to work

33:15through and and maybe even within each

33:18school. Some of these districts are are

33:20rather large districts, so they could

33:22have different reasons at different

33:23schools so that you all are helping

33:25them. Have you also reached out to any

33:28of our um chambers? you had a obviously

33:31I'm excited about the nonprofits that

33:32are working on this but having our

33:35business community behind this I think

33:37would be also helpful have they shown

33:39any interest or so through the education

33:42coalition ran through valley of the sun

33:44United way we open it up to business

33:45partners community members and actually

33:47families and there have been several

33:48business partners that have actually

33:50joined our attendance action team

33:51meeting where we come down and listen to

33:53what those schools need action around so

33:56maybe we can learn from each other

33:57peer-to-peer district to district what's

33:59worked and what hasn't worked as well as

34:01how our business can contribute to

34:03helping us support the work as well

34:05because this is their future. [snorts]

34:07>> Excellent. And and thank you for that.

34:09That's amazing. Um are these all the

34:12school districts in Phoenix that are

34:15listed on this the data chart that you

34:17provided?

34:18>> Those are all Phoenix elementary school

34:20districts.

34:21>> All Phoenix elementary school districts.

34:23Okay. So the the best one is Murphy at

34:2510%.

34:26>> Correct.

34:27>> That is correct. All right. Thank you so

34:29much. Appreciate the information and all

34:31the work. Look forward to supporting um

34:33getting your message out and and

34:35supporting you in any way my office can.

34:37>> Thank you.

34:38>> Thank you, chair. Thank you. Um I do

34:41want to say thank you for the

34:42presentation. As you know, Tim, this was

34:44one of my priorities when I became the

34:46chair of the cse um committee

34:48subcommittee. I wanted to see what more

34:50we could do to address chronic um

34:52absenteeism. And I think this is a great

34:55step for us to continue to make

34:57meaningful strides. Um, many of my

34:59questions have been asked of my

35:00colleagues, but I do have a couple

35:02follow-up questions. Um, we talked about

35:05one of the questions was about

35:07identifying the the causes of

35:09absenteeism

35:10versus just looking at absent I'm sorry,

35:12ACT attendance numbers. Is there

35:14anything specifically that the city of

35:16Phoenix can or should be doing to help

35:18connect families to services that help

35:20address these barriers?

35:22>> Abs. Absolutely. And I'll give an

35:24example. In our Murphy school district,

35:26um we have one of our literacy hubs

35:28there um where we engage our families

35:31and we were talking to the principal and

35:33while the families through uh surveys

35:35what their needs were and so we had um

35:39what we called a workshop called rent to

35:42utility lit literacy. So, we brought

35:44resources from human services. We

35:47brought APS SRP because some of our

35:49families do not know about some of the

35:52opportunities they have to assist with

35:53their bills. And um it it was amazing.

35:57We it was one of our biggest family

35:59engagement opportunities because we had

36:01literally when I say we had 40 50

36:04families families that meant we had like

36:06a hundred you know individuals. We had

36:09to split them up and the um the students

36:12actually did a liter uh a financial

36:15literacy activity while their while

36:17their parents uh listen to a panel of

36:20opportunities um that we had not only

36:22internally but also with some of our

36:24partners like SRP and APS um and they

36:28helped them right on the spot. APS

36:30pulled out their computer, logged in and

36:32was helping them getting them enrolled

36:33in certain programs. So, those are the

36:35kinds of things that we are bringing to

36:37the school districts. Some of those

36:39opportunities that sometimes our

36:41principles do not know. They're so

36:43involved in the day-to-day operations of

36:45their school that we're there to help

36:47connect to resources not only that we

36:49have, but also what our community has.

36:51>> That is excellent. I think that shows

36:53that this initiative is focused on

36:55supportive and non-punitive messaging,

36:57which I think is excellent. Our families

36:59need to know that the city and our

37:00community partners are here to help

37:02them. I am especially interested in

37:04making sure that this reaches families

37:05throughout Phoenix, including families

37:07who may face transportation, child care,

37:10employment, or other challenges that

37:11sometimes make consistent attendance

37:13difficult. Um, I also wanted to um

37:17interested in making sure it was a

37:18follow-up to my question for my

37:19colleague Councilwoman Hernandez about

37:21the communities that are generally we

37:24see um

37:26with lower attendance. How are we

37:28ensuring that our messaging is going to

37:30be culturally responsive and

37:32multilingual outreach, especially to

37:35make sure it touches the families who

37:36don't regularly interact with city's

37:38programs or traditional school

37:40communication?

37:41>> Well, first we're just we're going to

37:42make sure that all the material that we

37:43provide are in multilanguages, you know,

37:46Spanish of course. Um, but we're going

37:49to work with those community based

37:50organizations that work with those

37:52specific populations

37:54um to help get the message out because

37:56they when it comes to chronic

37:58absenteeism, it's all about

38:00relationships that you have with the

38:02family so they can trust. And so if we

38:04if the school district doesn't have that

38:06trust built with a specific family, we

38:09need to figure out why. And then there

38:11is an organization that they have trust

38:13in. And so how we provide that

38:15information to those key community based

38:18organizations that we bring to the

38:20table, we are doing that now.

38:22>> That is perfect. Thank you. So glad to

38:24hear that. Um and I also I love the idea

38:26of connected attendance with positive

38:28experiences such as the Phoenix

38:30Children's Museum in District 8, if I

38:32might add. Um I think this gives us an

38:35opportunity to celebrate the entire

38:37family for building strong attendance

38:39habits while connecting children with

38:41enriching experiences. Um out of

38:44curiosity, how are we ensuring that this

38:49incentive is actually improving

38:51attendance and family engagement?

38:54>> Well, you know, uh Head Starter or human

38:56services department, they have unique

38:58identifiers on how they track uh

39:00performance specifically with

39:02absenteeism. So, we are definitely

39:04looking at those families who um did

39:07get, you know, the opportunity to uh

39:11receive the family pass for a year and

39:14look at that throughout the year. Did it

39:17make a positive change um with those

39:19families throughout the year? But that's

39:21something we're going to work with human

39:22services and develop when it comes to

39:24absenteeism because they already collect

39:26a you know a plethora of data. h how we

39:29look at that data specifically with this

39:31specific opportunity with Headstart

39:33families.

39:34>> I thank you for that. I um I'm also my

39:37last question is what is our anticipated

39:40end result or end goal right now? We

39:42currently have our absent absenteeism

39:44and average about 22 23%. What do we

39:47hope to be the gold at the end of this

39:49initiative? What is our goal post? Well,

39:52ultimately we want to um again continue

39:56to increase well I should say decrease

39:59chronic absent right but we want to

40:01increase those not only what the

40:02families are aware about the importance

40:04of attendance but also the the students

40:07are in the classroom. So first we'll

40:09track um through the attendance rates

40:12that the schools provide to show but

40:14specifically we want to track those

40:17specific districts that we provide

40:19resources to. And once we get up and

40:22running and identify those districts,

40:24then those performance metrics will be

40:26developed.

40:27>> Okay. Well, thank you for that. I look

40:29forward to seeing how we measure the

40:31impact of this initiative and continue

40:32to build on what we are already seeing.

40:34So, thank you both for your efforts um

40:37to move attendance matters Phoenix

40:39forward and I hopeful that we are next

40:41reporting on a continued decline in our

40:44chronic absenteeism here in Phoenix,

40:46Arizona. So, thank you.

40:47>> Thank you vice mayor and subcommittee

40:49members.

40:54Um, next we will move to item four,

40:56which is an update on the supplemental

40:59nutrition assistance program navigation

41:01support and flexible financial

41:03assistance. I'd like to welcome human

41:05resources director Jacqueline Edwards to

41:07the table.

41:18Good morning, chair and members of the

41:20subcommittee.

41:21Uh today I will be be sharing an update

41:24with you on initiatives that received

41:26one-time supplemental funding for fiscal

41:29year 2027 flexible financial assistance

41:33and supplemental nutrition assistance

41:36program or SNAP navigation

41:41to respond to reductions in federal

41:43funding and restrictions to federal

41:46social safety programs that households

41:49rely on for stability.

41:51The city council approved 3.15 million

41:55in one-time general funds to be used for

41:58flexible financial assistance with 2.9

42:02million being used for direct services

42:05and 200,000 for administrative costs.

42:08The human services department developed

42:11two programs to de to deliver flexible

42:14needs-based assistance that can avert

42:17crisis and maintain stability. The

42:20targeted one-time crisis assistance

42:22program is for Phoenix residents who

42:24lost their SNAP benefits on or after

42:28October 1st of 2025

42:31when federal program changes were made.

42:34Eligible residents can obtain a one-time

42:37payment of $600 to be applied toward

42:40their utility account and $100 in

42:43transportation assistance in the form of

42:45a gas card or a Valley Metro Transit

42:48Pass. Funds are distributed in this

42:51manner so households can make culturally

42:54appropriate food purchases close to home

42:57with the money saved on utilities. The

43:00second program is stability assistance,

43:03which is to support housing

43:05stabilization for Phoenix households

43:07through providing coaching and case

43:10management, where households develop

43:12specific goals and may be eligible to

43:15receive up to $2,500 in needs-based

43:18assistance payments.

43:22The targeted one-time crisis assistance

43:24program began on July 6th, and in the

43:28first two months, we received nearly

43:302,000 applications. Of those, 737

43:35households have been approved and have

43:37received over 480,000

43:40in utility and transportation

43:42assistance.

43:44381 applications are pending review and

43:48877 applications have been denied. Those

43:51denied are primarily due to applicants

43:54either being currently receiving SNAP or

43:58are not Phoenix residents. After the

44:01initial launch, we did modify our

44:04application to curb applications being

44:07submitted by current SNAP recipients and

44:10from non-Fenix residents. which resulted

44:14in an which resulted in a an approval

44:18rate increase to 76%.

44:21It is expected that we will serve 2,857

44:26households in this program.

44:30The stability assistance program began

44:32recruitment and enrollment of households

44:35in late August 2026. A household

44:39enrolled in this program must engage in

44:41a minimum fourmonth goal achievement

44:44process which focuses on establishment

44:47of goals to support stability based on

44:51each household's individual situation

44:53which may goals may include budgeting,

44:57benefits navigation, employment and

44:59education linkages and connection to

45:02community resources.

45:04funds will be used to support basic

45:06needs evaluated through this coaching

45:09and case management process, including

45:12employment, excuse me, employment

45:14related support, transportation support,

45:17and other basic needs for stabilization.

45:21Because our program is designed to uh

45:24provide focus, coaching, and case

45:27management to 360 households, we're

45:31prioritizing enrollment for residents

45:33already engaged in traditional case

45:35management, ensuring they receive

45:38consistent and seamless services.

45:40Therefore, if a household is wanting to

45:42engage in this program, they can visit

45:45one of our family service centers or

45:47contact um our family services centers

45:50and request a case management

45:52appointment. Households will be reviewed

45:55to determine which service is most

45:58suitable for their situation.

46:03Changes made to the SNAP program at both

46:07the federal and state level have made it

46:10increasingly difficult for residents to

46:12obtain and retain benefits. As such, uh,

46:16Mayor Ggo and C city council made

46:19focusing on supporting residents needing

46:22SNAP a priority, and city council

46:24approved $2 million in supplemental

46:27general funds for SNAP navigation.

46:31This fiscal year 2027 initiative is

46:34designed to support individuals and

46:37families through this four-part

46:39initiative.

46:41First, outreach, education, and

46:44partnership activities, which will

46:46include educating the community on SNAP

46:49and partnering with community-based

46:51agencies.

46:55Oh, excuse me. Next is to simply help

46:58residents complete their SNAP

47:00applications. For certifications, HSD

47:04staff will support residents by

47:06explaining documents they have received

47:09from the Arizona Department of Economic

47:11Security. We'll review their documents

47:14for submission and help upload

47:17reertification materials.

47:19And finally, through work requirements

47:22and compliance supports, we will assist

47:24residents in understanding the program's

47:26expectations,

47:28identifying qualifying activities, and

47:31certifying their participation through

47:34volunteer work and workforce development

47:36activities.

47:39Outreach is critical to ensure Phoenix

47:42res residents are aware of not only how

47:45to access SNAP benefits, but also the

47:48services available for them to do so. We

47:51are utilizing data through GIS mapping

47:54to both outreach to communities

47:56impacted, such as those with higher

47:59concentrations of households with lower

48:01incomes, as well as to specific

48:04households

48:06um known to have been SNAP recipients.

48:10Online campaigns are important as well,

48:13which includes a specialized snap

48:15navigation website as well as utilizing

48:18neighborhood apps like Next Door and the

48:21city social media accounts. A social

48:24media toolkit will be available to

48:26council prior to program launch.

48:30Finally, outreach extends to providing

48:32SNAP education through community

48:35assistance clinics as well as

48:38community-based presentations.

48:42So, how do residents access SNAP

48:45navigation services? When the program

48:48launches, residents will be able to

48:50access services in three ways. One, by

48:54attending a community clinic close to

48:56their home. two, by walking into one of

49:00our three family services centers, or

49:03three, by scheduling an appointment at a

49:06time of their choosing through our

49:08website. When scheduling an appointment,

49:11a few questions will be asked to ensure

49:14they receive the correct service. Once

49:17scheduled, the resident will receive a

49:19list of documents to bring with them

49:21from HSD staff. During the appointment,

49:25staff will work with the resident to

49:27complete what is necessary for where

49:30they are at in the SNAP process. And

49:33finally, the resident will be provided

49:35information on what are the next steps

49:38in their process and what they can

49:40expect. These meetings are not or these

49:44meetings are intended to primarily be

49:46one meeting only as the city does not

49:50determine eligibility for SNAP. That is

49:53the state's responsibility.

49:56Through this important initiative, we

49:58are expecting to meet the following

50:00targets this fiscal year. Over 4,560

50:06number uh four sorry 4560

50:11applications to be submitted by

50:14residents.

50:155,700

50:18um reertifications completed and over

50:212,000 work requirement submissions.

50:24Please note that there may be an overlap

50:27in support as a resident may receive

50:30more than one service.

50:35For more information on these programs

50:38or to access these services, please uh

50:41go to this QR code um or to phoenix.gov.

50:45/helping. Are there any questions?

50:50>> Thank you so much for the presentation.

50:51I'll start off with Councilman

50:52Hernandez.

50:54Thank you so much, Madam Chair, and

50:56thank you so much, Jacqueline, for this

50:57update. Um, the SNAP navigators, I

51:00think, is so useful, right? Like, if we

51:02can help folks because a lot of it is

51:04maybe they just don't understand the

51:06paperwork or they just need to know how

51:08to fill out a a form. So, I think any

51:10help we can get we can give to folks to

51:12get back on to the benefits programs

51:15that they, you know, were on that would

51:17that's great. Um, I do have a little bit

51:19of questions on the uh flexible spending

51:22or assistance side. Um, I know you you

51:25spoke about the difference a little bit

51:27about the differences on the one-time

51:30crisis assistance and then the stability

51:31assistance. Is there anything you can

51:33expound a little bit more on what each

51:35of those programs um the I guess the

51:39goal or the intention of each of those

51:40that you didn't already cover?

51:45>> Thank you, uh, Councilwoman Hernandez,

51:47chair, members of the subcommittee. um

51:49for the one-time crisis assistance as we

51:52shared this is a one-time payment uh as

51:57for these SNAP households

52:00because they have lost their food

52:03benefits and we're trying to uh provide

52:06a quick way to support those um

52:09households. So, this is really focused

52:11on the outputs and getting the funds um

52:14out to um households for the stability

52:17assistance. Um, our focus on on this

52:20program is really to um help households

52:24not necessarily who are in crisis right

52:27this moment. We want those households to

52:29be uh stabilized so that they can go

52:32through that goal creation process um

52:35and um help them move through and out of

52:37poverty and remain stably housed.

52:41>> Thank you. Um, and then my next question

52:42is, is there different requirements for

52:45each of the different um for each of the

52:48different buckets?

52:51Chair, Councilwoman Hernandez, yes,

52:54there are different uh requirements. So,

52:57for the one-time um crisis assist

53:00assistance, a targeted payment um the um

53:05household, they need to be, of course, a

53:08city of Phoenix um resident or receiving

53:10city water services and they needed to

53:14have a loss SNAP benefits on or after

53:17October 1st of 2025. that is those are

53:21the only benefits on on or I'm sorry

53:23that's the only eligibility requirements

53:25on that program for stability

53:27assistance. Um of course they need to be

53:30a city of Phoenix resident or be

53:32receiving water services but there are

53:35other criteria and um to be able to be

53:39eligible for this. Um and it's not each

53:42of these it's one of these. So there's

53:45different pathways through a household

53:48has to um either be at 200% of the

53:53federal poverty line or lower. So, for a

53:56household of four, that means they can't

53:57make any more than 60 $66,000

54:00a year or they need to live in a

54:04qualified census track or they need to

54:08have had lost SNAP benefits on or um

54:12after October 1st or they could be

54:15currently receiving SNAP, TANIF, um

54:19Medicaid or or Access. So, it's not that

54:22they have to be in all of those. These

54:25are just different avenues so that we

54:27can ensure that there's broad

54:30eligibility um but while still focusing

54:34on those households most in need in our

54:36community.

54:37>> Well, shout outs to your staff for

54:40having to navigate and being able to

54:41navigate so many different paths to help

54:43folks get connected to those services.

54:46Um that's a lot. I don't know if I would

54:48be able to retain all of that. So, good

54:49job on that. And I know you spoke a

54:51little bit about um you know like on the

54:54stability on the stability assistance

54:57where you are really focusing on a lot

55:00of the folks or residents that are

55:02already currently engaged with the

55:03process. What is the best way um for the

55:07like if they don't know that that's also

55:09an option? What is the best way for them

55:11to apply for that if they're already

55:13engaged or and like what's the best way

55:16for a new person like a new resident

55:18that hasn't been engaged to really apply

55:20like where would you encourage them to

55:22to go to I know you spoke a little bit

55:24you shared about how to apply for the

55:26navigation services um but can you

55:28expand a little bit on what is the best

55:30way for our residents to uh seek service

55:33or seek assistance in this in either of

55:35these two buckets

55:37>> chair Councilwoman Hernandez says uh yes

55:41uh happy to do so uh for to access

55:44services if they're currently receiving

55:47uh case management services through the

55:49human services department they will be

55:52outreached to and that process is

55:54already happening to see if they would

55:56like to um engage in in this stability

56:00assistance if they are a new household

56:03um or they're not receiving any um

56:05services from the human services

56:07department currently They can go into

56:10one of our three family service centers

56:12or they can contact um our uh mainline

56:17as well and uh request a case management

56:21appointment.

56:23At that time they will be a they can say

56:25that they've heard about the

56:27stabilization assistance and what our

56:29staff will do is to assess what is the

56:33best service for them. So even if they

56:36are not um end up being enrolled in

56:38stability assistance, we do still have

56:41other services that we can offer to them

56:44um to help reach their um both their

56:46short and long-term goals and address um

56:50any uh crisis that they might be

56:52experiencing as well.

56:54>> Okay. Thank you. And then um on the

56:56numbers that you know we've helped and

56:58you shared I mean seeing almost 2,000

57:02applications right when this was

57:04launched right uh for the onetime

57:06assistance was is really uh overwhelming

57:09I would imagine for you and your team.

57:12Also I think it just shows the it

57:14reflects the need that exists out there.

57:16Um so I'm seeing that you know out of

57:19that we helped

57:22over or 737 folks right so my only other

57:26clarifying question is for the stability

57:29assistance we are expecting to help 360

57:32households do we know how many we've or

57:35have we helped anyone in this program

57:37yet or is that the entire goal

57:41>> chair Councilwoman Hernandez for

57:44stability assistance yes We expect to um

57:47support and work with 360 households.

57:51That recruitment and enrollment process

57:53is going on currently and I will be able

57:55to report back both outputs and outcomes

57:59um as we get further into the fiscal

58:01year. For the targeted one-time crisis

58:04assistance, we are looking at um being

58:08able to provide uh service to over 2,800

58:12households.

58:13>> Okay. Thank you, Jacqueline. I mean

58:14those are amazing numbers and I think

58:16just right goes to show that we as a

58:19city really through a lot of advocacy

58:21through community members that they

58:22showed up throughout the budget process

58:25um you know they really we stepped up to

58:28help fill a gap that existed because of

58:30this federal administration. So, I just

58:33really want to thank you, Gina, and the

58:35entire HSD department for working so

58:38closely with our office, with community

58:40um advocates that again worked so hard

58:44to get the support for um you know, for

58:47our communities that are struggling. Um

58:50you know, I I know my entire team and I

58:52think so many of us are excited to see

58:54how much other ways we can support

58:56people. um

58:59you know they we heard through that

59:01process a lot that

59:04our families are struggling and they

59:06needed help and they were looking to us

59:08as city leadership. How are we going to

59:10help them get through these tough times?

59:13Um especially as they navigate, you

59:15know, Trump's war on on workingclass

59:17folks and poor and poor folks. It's just

59:20mind-boggling that this is happening.

59:23But I would I it would be I would be

59:26remiss to not thank you and your entire

59:28team for stepping up to that challenge

59:31when community brought us those concerns

59:33and figure out how are we going to

59:34really put this program together and get

59:36the funds out there to help folks. You

59:38know, a lot of sometimes I think

59:40families, you know, or community members

59:42get discouraged, right? Like in this

59:44last budget process, they really fought

59:46for getting they were going for $5

59:48million in in these flexible spending.

59:51Ended up with 3.6, six, which is a great

59:52start and it it's amazing wins for the

59:55community. Um I think sometimes it gets

59:58a little discouraging when we look at

1:00:00implementation um because sometimes

1:00:02right there's unintentional barriers

1:00:03that are created for folks to access

1:00:05those resources. Um so I you know I

1:00:09always like to push us um to think

1:00:11through that because folks are living

1:00:13you know we're in the middle of an

1:00:14affordability crisis. I think things are

1:00:16getting more expensive. Um, and the

1:00:20consequences from this administration's

1:00:24decisions are impacting our families

1:00:26every single day. Um, I think just this

1:00:29last week alone, you know, we learned of

1:00:3230 families who may be impacted by their

1:00:34shelter at Yum. Um, and we just learned

1:00:38that there's families living at the

1:00:39downtown YMCA that are also going to be

1:00:42facing displacement all because funding

1:00:44cuts are happening through this

1:00:46administration, right? And putting a big

1:00:48burden on us as a city to step up and

1:00:50figure out how we are going to support

1:00:52our residents. Um, in light of these

1:00:54actions, um, in gas is increasing. I

1:00:58mean, I think now it's at 450 a gallon

1:01:01or over 450 a gallon. So, our people are

1:01:03really financially hurting. So, you

1:01:06know, I it feels like it's only getting

1:01:08worse for them. Um, so I, you know, will

1:01:11push us to, uh, encourage us to think

1:01:13creatively. How are we, how are we going

1:01:15to think differently to so that we can

1:01:17get help out and resources to our

1:01:19communities, um, and to the people in

1:01:21need. So, I'm going to continue to push,

1:01:23you know, for more resources resources

1:01:25directly into our community. Um, I think

1:01:27it's a big responsibility on us to

1:01:30really care for them. um and just really

1:01:32make sure that the most vulnerable and

1:01:33most impacted in our city are getting

1:01:36the support they need from us um as as a

1:01:39city. So again, thank you so much,

1:01:40Jacqueline, for your continued

1:01:42involvement and engagement in this

1:01:44entire process and just collaborating,

1:01:46you know, not just with with my office,

1:01:47but with all the council offices. I know

1:01:51um vice mayor has been um was also very

1:01:55supportive in this process like how are

1:01:56we going to figure this out? um but most

1:01:58importantly for your willingness to

1:02:00engage with the community that really is

1:02:02relying on so many of these resources.

1:02:04So, thank you so much for everything

1:02:06you're doing and like I'm here to

1:02:08continue to support however we can.

1:02:10Thank you, Madam Chair.

1:02:11>> Thank you, Councilwoman. Councilman

1:02:12Start.

1:02:14>> Thank you. And I echo

1:02:18the councilwoman's sentiment. You guys

1:02:19are doing terrific work. I just a quick

1:02:22question. Um, when we have to deny

1:02:26someone because they're from another

1:02:28city or perhaps they're on SNAP, have we

1:02:32ever thought about giving out a a a

1:02:35information sheet saying perhaps you

1:02:38could go to this food bank, this might

1:02:39help supplement SNAP, or here's the food

1:02:43bank that serves the entire county. I

1:02:45mean, is there a way that we can at

1:02:47least soften the blow when we deny an

1:02:50application?

1:02:53Councilwoman Stark, Chair, members of

1:02:56the subcommittee. Yes, we do um provide

1:02:59the information um written information

1:03:02and if they're um outside of outside of

1:03:08uh the city of Phoenix sharing, you

1:03:10know, whether it's the Department of

1:03:12Economic Security's site information,

1:03:14whatnot, but we can go back and take a

1:03:16look at all of the details in there and

1:03:19make sure that we are directing folks to

1:03:22the broader resources. We always um

1:03:25recommend them going to 211 as well so

1:03:28that they can find services right in

1:03:30their local community.

1:03:32>> I figured you were probably already

1:03:34doing that. [laughter]

1:03:36But I think that's important that we

1:03:38still try to help people even though

1:03:40they may not qualify for this particular

1:03:42program because I agree with the

1:03:44councilwoman costs are out of control. I

1:03:48cannot believe how much a gallon of milk

1:03:50costs at the grocery store. And I I can

1:03:53certainly afford it, but people that

1:03:54can't, it's shocking. So, I think it's

1:03:57important when we have to deny something

1:04:00that we still try to supplement and help

1:04:02direct them to where they need to go to

1:04:05get assistance. So, thank you for doing

1:04:07that. I figured you were already doing

1:04:09that. It's you're such a smart person.

1:04:11Thank you, Madam Chair.

1:04:13>> Thank you, Councilwoman. I too want to

1:04:15extend my gratitude. I thank you for the

1:04:17pre for the update. To me, this is

1:04:19exactly what u this kind of work

1:04:21demonstrates how important our community

1:04:23services truly matter. Um to see 1,995

1:04:27applications received within two months

1:04:29of launching this program. Again, I it

1:04:32definitely exemplifies that this is a

1:04:34need in our community. Um and I'm

1:04:37grateful to hear that we are not just

1:04:38sending non-Feneticians in to deal with

1:04:41it on their own, but we are helping them

1:04:42by at least telling them where it might

1:04:44be a service for them. I just had a one

1:04:47I have a couple of questions but

1:04:48regarding it was slide number three

1:04:51where it says that we had 381

1:04:54pending applications. Um I was just

1:04:57curious as that was at the time of the

1:04:59at the time this report was prepared and

1:05:02what is our time frame of actually

1:05:04processing these applications because it

1:05:06is after all called crisis assistance

1:05:08and I I want to make sure that the those

1:05:10that are listening know that the

1:05:12response is in a timely manner.

1:05:17chair. Um yes, this was at time of when

1:05:21this report was taken. That number

1:05:24fluctuates um based on the the number of

1:05:26um applications we have currently in the

1:05:29system. Um what we when someone applies

1:05:33what we have done from the beginning is

1:05:35let them know um that it could take up

1:05:39to 15 business days for the process for

1:05:44um them to be contacted and for us to

1:05:46process that payment. It was um taking

1:05:51um uh I'm sorry I was um it was taking

1:05:56that amount of time in the very

1:05:58beginning because of the the the huge

1:06:02wave of applications. We are under that

1:06:04time frame and a lot of it is dependent

1:06:07on if at time of application all of the

1:06:10documents are submitted. Um, and so

1:06:13there's a handful that we're asking for,

1:06:16not many, but if they don't, then we do

1:06:18need to go back and forth with that

1:06:20particular resident to make sure we have

1:06:23um the information needed to make the

1:06:25payments.

1:06:26>> Okay, perfect. And if I my notes are

1:06:28correct, we anticipate being able to

1:06:31support 2,857

1:06:34households. And given what we've already

1:06:36funded, we anticipate, my bad math, I

1:06:38don't do it in public, but it's about

1:06:392120 um 2,120 households still left to

1:06:44um with potential funding. So to me,

1:06:46that does say that we still have some

1:06:48ways to go. There is for those that are

1:06:49listening, the opportunity to apply for

1:06:52assistance, presuming they are one,

1:06:54Phoenix residents, and two, they are no

1:06:56longer receiving SNAP, but they were in

1:06:58the past receiving SNAP benefits. So

1:07:00grateful to hear that. Um, I want to

1:07:03just, um, again, this to me it shows

1:07:05that when a family experiences a change

1:07:07in their SNAP benefits or faces an

1:07:09unexpected financial challenge, I'm

1:07:11grateful that we have this program so

1:07:13they don't have to navigate this

1:07:14complicated system alone. I am in also

1:07:18grateful to see the flexible financial

1:07:20assistance being used to address

1:07:21realtime expenses that can put a family

1:07:23in crisis.

1:07:25Um I am curious um what have we learned

1:07:28from the first few months of the finan

1:07:30flexible financial assistance program on

1:07:33what needs our families are presented

1:07:36with

1:07:38chair members at the subcommittee um

1:07:41what we have seen is just what all of

1:07:43you have have shared of um costs have

1:07:46increase so needs for families um

1:07:50continue to be there whether it's uh

1:07:52transportation costs cost, utility,

1:07:55rental, uh you know, other child care

1:07:59needs, employment needs. These these um

1:08:03things continue to be there. And that is

1:08:06why the stability assistance program is

1:08:08designed the way it is to identify um

1:08:12what could potentially be barriers to a

1:08:16continued stability.

1:08:18>> Okay, thank you for that. Um I have an

1:08:21additional question. Um the SNAP

1:08:24navigation program were expected to

1:08:25begin in January with a goal of um

1:08:27completing 4560

1:08:29application, 5,700 reertification and

1:08:322050 work requirement submissions. How

1:08:35will we track whether the residents are

1:08:37successfully receiving or maintaining

1:08:39their benefits rather than simply

1:08:41measuring the number of applications

1:08:43assisted with?

1:08:47>> Thank you chair, members of the sub

1:08:49subcommittee. One clarification, we are

1:08:52expecting to launch the snap navigation

1:08:55program in October. So, we will begin

1:08:59doing outreach and education early in

1:09:02October and then um our specific clinics

1:09:05and handson navigation will occur later

1:09:09in October. um at that to answer your

1:09:12other question, Vice Mayor, and how

1:09:14we're going to be tracking that, we um

1:09:17have requested this information uh from

1:09:21the state. We do have access um to the

1:09:25the SNAP application system um to see

1:09:29where someone's at, but because of the

1:09:32high volume, we are not going to be

1:09:34going back on each individual um

1:09:36application. They to see um where it's

1:09:40at, but rather um all of those

1:09:43applications, all of that assistance. We

1:09:45will be keeping track of those um

1:09:47households in our own case management

1:09:49system and um the state said that they

1:09:53should be able to provide us with the

1:09:55applications um that have actually

1:10:00been processed to receive benefits on

1:10:02those reertifications those that are

1:10:05successful as well as on the the work

1:10:08requirements um too. Um, another uh

1:10:12point on the uh work requirements uh

1:10:15because we are working with the city's

1:10:18volunteer office, we will be tracking

1:10:21volunteer hours um that um these SNAP

1:10:26clients um are able to um complete here

1:10:31in the city of Phoenix and we'll be able

1:10:33to report back on that and that goes

1:10:35towards them meeting the work uh

1:10:38requirement as well. Okay, that's great.

1:10:40I just want to make sure that we're not

1:10:42just measuring how many applications we

1:10:44assist with, but how many residents we

1:10:45are truly connecting to services and the

1:10:48benefits that they they need. Um, I have

1:10:50an also have another question. Um, how

1:10:53are we coordinating the SNAP navigation

1:10:55and flexible financial assistance with

1:10:57other city programs? meaning that our

1:10:59residents don't have to keep retelling

1:11:01their story multiple times or navigate

1:11:03several different departments or systems

1:11:06to ensure they get connected to help.

1:11:08Um, especially if it's a time where

1:11:11you're telling a story that you're

1:11:12probably not necessarily as proud about

1:11:15or you feel um it's not a positive story

1:11:19that you keep repeating. How are we

1:11:20ensuring that we are minimizing that for

1:11:23our residents?

1:11:26chair, members of the subcommittee, we

1:11:28are doing that in a number of different

1:11:30ways. One, we have uh launched a an uh

1:11:35intra departmental referral form. Um and

1:11:38so any city department staff can access

1:11:42this form and complete just very basic

1:11:45information selecting which program

1:11:48someone may be looking for assistance

1:11:50on. And this isn't just for SNAP um or

1:11:53the flexible financial assistance. This

1:11:55is any any of our uh programs and

1:11:57services in the human services

1:11:59department. And that information will go

1:12:01right to the subject matter e um experts

1:12:04in um HSD and they will be able to take

1:12:08that information provided by um our

1:12:11colleagues in one of the other

1:12:12departments and contact that um

1:12:15household. Another way um in which we

1:12:18are um outreaching and engaging our um

1:12:22sister uh departments um for example in

1:12:25stability assistance there's a number of

1:12:27households that are receiving

1:12:30case management services in the housing

1:12:33department such as through the um uh the

1:12:37self-sufficiency program. So, uh, we'll

1:12:40we're working with them to make sure

1:12:42that those flyers, that information gets

1:12:45out to those households and our staff

1:12:48then can connect with each other. So,

1:12:50those uh case managers in housing can

1:12:53share that the information um that they

1:12:56know of the household that they've been

1:12:57working with with HSD staff as well.

1:13:01>> Thank you so much for that. That is

1:13:02helpful to know that it's a continuous

1:13:04it's not like they're not segmented when

1:13:06it comes to the um supportive services

1:13:08that we provide. And then my last

1:13:10question is um I'm grateful to hear that

1:13:12we are providing the I heard three ways

1:13:15in which someone can get the

1:13:16navigational services that they can come

1:13:18to the cl they can go to uh the clinic,

1:13:20they can go to our family resource

1:13:22center, family services center or they

1:13:24can schedule an appointment online. I'm

1:13:25very grateful to hear that because not

1:13:27everyone is familiar with navigating the

1:13:29online process. Um, are there any

1:13:32additional are they what are the

1:13:34outreach strategies that we're going to

1:13:35use to make sure residents know about

1:13:37these resources? I think it was a great

1:13:40showin that we were able to get the word

1:13:42out on the crisis assistance, but um,

1:13:45what are the strategies we're going to

1:13:46use for similarly for promoting the SNAP

1:13:50navigation program, particularly for

1:13:52those that um, may not have realized

1:13:54that the city can help navigate with a

1:13:56federal program.

1:13:59Vice Mayor. Um, great question. Thank

1:14:01you so much. So, of course, our our

1:14:04typical um uh things in social media um

1:14:09engagement with community- based

1:14:10agencies uh will be we'll be utilizing

1:14:14all those strategies um that have been

1:14:16successful for um the human services

1:14:18department in the past. But what I'm

1:14:21really excited about is we are using GIS

1:14:25maps, so heat maps. Um and we know kind

1:14:28of on a couple of different points. One

1:14:31on um areas of the city that have higher

1:14:34concentrations of households with um at

1:14:38or below 200% of uh the federal poverty

1:14:42line. um will be able to take that

1:14:45information and knowing that these

1:14:47households may qualify um for SNAP and

1:14:51out um identifying um community

1:14:54community based agencies that are right

1:14:56in those neighborhoods that may be

1:14:58already interacting with um those

1:15:01families um as well as um what other um

1:15:05services are being provided. Is there a

1:15:07library that's there that we can go and

1:15:10set up a shop at? um we have a great

1:15:12partnership with um our library um and u

1:15:16making sure that we're able to to get

1:15:18out information that way. Another um

1:15:21another point that we have is we had a

1:15:24one-time snapshot of uh households who

1:15:28are currently receiving or at the time

1:15:30currently receiving SNAP benefits. Well,

1:15:33those folks will need uh may have work

1:15:36requirements now attached to them or

1:15:38they will need to do reertifications.

1:15:41So, we are also targeting those um

1:15:45households in those areas with the

1:15:47higher concentration of households to

1:15:49make sure that they know we are there to

1:15:52help support them. And again, um, using

1:15:56social social media or other, um, apps

1:15:58like I mentioned like Next Door because

1:16:00you can really get into, um, uh, making

1:16:03sure that households are aware that we

1:16:05will have services come October.

1:16:09>> Thank you so much for that. I I won't

1:16:11reiterate my colleague's comments about

1:16:12affordability, but affordability, I

1:16:14think, is one of the concerns that is

1:16:16affecting many of our residents here in

1:16:18Phoenix. And this is one way that we as

1:16:20C city or Phoenix are stepping up. And I

1:16:23just want to make sure we do a lot of

1:16:25good work. Your department um spareheads

1:16:28a lot of that. I just want to make sure

1:16:29that our residents know that there are

1:16:31resources that exist and how to access

1:16:33them. Again, I really appreciate the

1:16:35human services department work and look

1:16:37forward to seeing the impact these

1:16:39programs have on our Phoenix family. So,

1:16:41thank you so much.

1:16:43U

1:16:45see seeing no further questions, I will

1:16:47ask the city attorney to explain the

1:16:49role of public comment.

1:16:55Thank you, Madam Chair. During citizen

1:16:57comment, members of the public may

1:16:58address the subcommittee for up to three

1:17:00minutes on issues of interest or concern

1:17:02to them. Issues being addressed,

1:17:04however, must be on the subject matters

1:17:05that fall within the jurisdiction of the

1:17:07council and the subcommittee. The open

1:17:10meeting law permits subcommittee members

1:17:11to listen to the commence but prohibits

1:17:13members from discussing or acting on

1:17:15matters presented. Thank you, Madam

1:17:17Chair.

1:17:17>> Thank you so much. Um, I don't see any

1:17:20public comments, but I was going to ask.

1:17:22Okay, perfect. Seeing no public

1:17:24comments, are there any future agenda

1:17:26items?

1:17:28All right, seeing none, we are

1:17:30adjourned.

1:17:46weekly basis we would switch out their

1:17:485gallon bucket for their food waste. So

1:17:51we were collecting food waste from

1:17:53households and distributing the

1:17:55vegetables that are grown here on the

1:17:57farm. So full full circle. The third

1:18:00grant we've worked on is another

1:18:02resilient food