Joe Forte

{"skills":"Key skills I’ve developed that translate directly to Tempe City Council work Land‑use & zoning literacy – Two years on the Development Review Commission reviewing PADs, use permits and design standards has given me a working grasp of Tempe’s General Plan 2040, zoning code, and site‑plan negotiation. Policy analysis & regulatory compliance – Comfortable interpreting staff reports, traffic studies, and legal conditions, then weighing trade‑offs to craft recommendations that withstand Council and neighborhood scrutiny. Community & stakeholder engagement – From leading 8,500+ volunteer hours with Keep Tempe Beautiful to coordinating 1,000‑volunteer festivals, I know how to listen, build consensus, and turn public feedback into action. Budgeting & fiscal oversight – Have managed six‑figure nonprofit and event budgets, balanced revenue vs. city permit costs, and delivered $160 k in net proceeds for youth programs—all skills transferable to City budgeting. Sustainability & climate‑action planning – Experience aligning cleanup and tree‑planting metrics with the Council‑adopted Climate Action Plan; familiar with zero‑waste event protocols and urban‑shade requirements. Intergovernmental & international relations – Board work with Tempe Sister Cities and Arizona Sister Cities has sharpened my ability to navigate Mayor/Council processes and build cross‑border partnerships (now pursuing six Arizona‑Italy ties). Public speaking & communications – Four years of twice‑monthly community presentations, plus Toastmasters training, have honed clear, audience‑focused messaging for hearings, forums, and media interviews. Strategic planning & data‑driven decision‑making – Set annual goals to add one new country and one new U.S. state; apply the same disciplined, metrics‑based approach to nonprofit impact tracking and policy projects. Event management & logistics – From Oktoberfest to Fourth of July, adept at securing special‑event permits, liquor licenses, safety plans, and vendor contracts while meeting Council‑stipulated conditions. Negotiation & consensus‑building – Regularly mediate between city staff, neighborhood groups, business owners, and volunteers to reach win‑win outcomes on land‑use cases, park adoptions, and international exchanges. Together, these skills equip me to navigate Tempe’s legislative process, collaborate productively with staff and residents, and translate policy goals into tangible community results.","achievements":"During my tenure on the Development Review Commission, I’ve helped evaluate and recommend more than two‑dozen rezoning, use‑permit, and design cases that ultimately won City‑Council approval. Those cases now feature stronger shade standards, added bike lanes, and public‑art set‑asides that enhance Tempe’s streetscape and align with the Council’s livability goals. As founder of Keep Tempe Beautiful, I negotiated park‑adoption and special‑event agreements with City staff, then mobilized nearly 8,500 volunteer‑hours across 95 clean‑ups and tree‑plantings. Together we removed 16,000 pounds of litter, diverted 2,100 pounds of recyclables, and planted 200 trees, metrics the Sustainability & Resilience Office references when reporting Climate Action Plan progress to the Council. In the events arena, I coordinate more than 1,000 volunteers each year for Council‑permitted staples such as Tempe Oktoberfest and the Fourth of July Festival. Our updated waste‑diversion and crowd‑safety protocols helped those events generate over $200,000 for youth programs championed by the Council, all while meeting every condition attached to their liquor licenses and special‑event permits. Finally, as a board member of Tempe Sister Cities and Arizona Sister Cities, I’m spearheading efforts to establish six new Arizona–Italy partnerships, including one for Tempe. While I haven’t personally presented those proposals to the Council yet, my role involves coordinating with City staff, Italian counterparts, and local stakeholders so that the groundwork is ready when each agreement comes before the Mayor and Council for formal adoption.","responsibility":"Since 2023 I’ve served as a commissioner on Tempe’s Development Review Commission, a Council‑appointed body that evaluates rezoning, use‑permit, and design‑review requests before sending our recommendations to the City Council for final action. Earlier, in 2020, I founded Keep Tempe Beautiful; because our large‑scale cleanups, tree plantings, and zero‑waste pilots take place on City property, I regularly brief the Council and staff on impact metrics and secure event approvals that align with the Council‑adopted Climate Action Plan. I also sit on the boards of Tempe Sister Cities and Arizona Sister Cities, where I draft briefing memos and appear before the Council whenever new sister‑city agreements or delegations require resolutions, travel authorizations, or ceremonial support. In the events sphere, I coordinate more than a thousand volunteers each year for Tempe Oktoberfest and the July 4th Festival—both City‑permitted events that must meet Council‑stipulated safety, liquor‑license, and waste‑management conditions—and I lead neighborhood cleanups that dovetail with Councilmember Berdetta Hodge’s “Breakfast with Berdetta” series and other Council sustainability priorities. Collectively, these roles give me hands‑on experience presenting to Council, collaborating with City departments, and translating policy goals into on‑the‑ground community outcomes."}

Strengthen public safety through community policing and mental health resources.

While Hodge brings important education perspective, Joe offers comprehensive city experience and proven implementation skills: Her Approach: Primarily focused on education policy with limited broader city experience. Our Contrast: Balanced experience across business, nonprofit, development board, and environmental initiatives. Her Vulnerability: Recent scandal involving son's resignation creates significant challenges as well as balancing dual roles between school board/council duties. Our Opportunity: Position Joe as a trusted, independent voice focused on measurable community improvement.