New parking and water rules for 2024: Here are new laws Phoenix is working on

Phoenix City Council is expected to vote on a slew of laws in 2024 related to parking, downtown and climate change.

New downtown design codes, changes to parking requirements at apartments, regulations for big water users and heat safety rules for workers are among the major ordinances the council will consider.

Here's what to know.

Downtown design codes

City staff are working on an amendment to Phoenix's downtown codes that aims to clarify what the council wants downtown to look like: more walkable, more shade. It would clarify what building frontages should look like and where utility infrastructure should go. The city will also be updating its "Downtown Strategic Plan."

When to expect it: Unclear.

Parking reductions at apartment complexes

For months, the City Council has been deliberating how and where to reduce parking requirements at apartment complexes in Phoenix.

The move is intended to improve housing affordability and help the environment by encouraging public transit use. But the change has sparked a debate over how far to take the reduction and whether it's appropriate citywide or solely near downtown and the light rail.

When to expect it: January.

Related reading:

● Phoenix considers allowing fewer parking spaces for apartments in push for public transit

● Phoenix residents debate proposal that would reduce parking requirements at new apartments

● Phoenix is rethinking lower parking requirements for new apartments after backlash

Big water user rules

The council will vote on rules that require new businesses that use a lot of water to submit water conservation plans and, in some cases, use recycled water.

The ordinance adds two tiers of regulations: rules for companies that use between 250,000 and 500,000 gallons of water per day, and rules for companies that use more than 500,000 gallons of water per day.

Users between 250,000 and 500,000: Must submit a water conservation plan that "ensures efficient water use."

Users above 500,000: Must submit a water conservation plan and also make recycled water at least 30% of their daily water use.

The ordinance builds off the city's "Sustainable Desert City Development Policy," which the Council passed in June. The policy set an expectation, while the pending ordinance would make those expectations enforceable.

When to expect it: Spring 2024.

Water shortages: Phoenix approves overhaul of water standards for new construction

Drought and new development rules

Mayor Kate Gallego said she's been working on new rules related to landscaping standards and the preservation of native vegetation. The new rules will also "address outdoor water use standards and introduce green infrastructure/low impact development provisions," Gallego said.

Prevailing wage ordinance

After City Council passed and then repealed an ordinance that would set a prevailing wage standard for certain city workers, City Manager Jeff Barton said he would return in December to propose a new, legally sound ordinance.

The rule would ensure construction workers hired for city projects in Phoenix be paid rates similar to others who do comparable work in the area.

The initial passage occurred in a contentious and controversial March meeting. First, a progressive minority on council used a procedural tactic to force the ordinance on the agenda. Then that group joined forces with former Councilman and conservative Sal DiCiccio to pass it on a narrow 5-4 vote.

This occurred just weeks before DiCiccio and former District 8 Councilman Carlos Garcia were set to depart office. DiCiccio was term-limited and replaced by Kevin Robinson, the mayor's hand-selected candidate. Garcia stunningly lost his bid for re-election to Kesha Hodge Washington, whom the mayor also endorsed.

City staff, at the time, warned of the legal risks and high costs.

Gallego called it "a terrible way to do public policy," noting the short timeframe she had to review the ordinance and bemoaning the lack of input sought from stakeholders.

The mayor said she wasn't opposed to a prevailing wage, but rather the hasty process by which that particular ordinance was forced upon council. She said she would support considering a more carefully thought out prevailing wage ordinance in the future.

Two days after they were sworn in, Robinson and Hodge Washington provided the critically needed votes to repeal the ordinance at their first meeting as elected officials.

Barton said he would return with a new proposal for council to consider by Dec. 13. That date has since shifted to early January.

But the state's repeal of the rent tax, which is a loss of roughly $90 million annually for Phoenix, could complicate consideration of a prevailing wage law as city officials scrounge for ways to cut costs and pinch pennies.

Controversial policy: Phoenix retreats on higher wages for workers. Here's why the policy could return

Worker heat safety ordinance

Vice Mayor Yassamin Ansari said she's pushing for a rule that would require businesses in Phoenix to outline heat safety plans they have in place to improve the lives of workers.

When to expect it: To be determined.

ADA accessibility rules

Ansari and Councilwoman Deb Stark are looking into updating a few regulations to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

One update would be to change ADA street parking guidelines in Phoenix's commercial areas. The other would be to require ride-sharing companies to have ADA-accessible options on their platforms, Ansari said.

Stark said as the population ages, it's important for her to make things more accommodating. Stark is interested also in ADA improvements in the home building process.

When to expect it: Before summer 2024.

Reporter Taylor Seely covers Phoenix for The Arizona Republic / azcentral.com. Reach her at tseely@arizonarepublic.com or by phone at 480-476-6116.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix politics in 2024: Laws on parking, heat and water coming