December OpenLine

Christmas Tree Recycling

Mesa residents choosing to purchase a fresh cut Christmas tree this year are encouraged to recycle it at the end of the holiday season after removing all nails, tree stands, lights and decorations.  Please remember that wreaths, snow flocked trees and artificial trees cannot be recycled and therefore are not accepted at any of the drop-off sites.

The following 24-hour drop-off sites will be available Dec. 26 - Jan. 16:

• East Mesa Service Center, 6935 E. Decatur St.
• Fitch Park, 651 N. Center St. (enter via 8^th St.)
• Superstition Springs Police/Fire Station, 2430 S. Ellsworth Road
• Mountain View Park, 845 N. Lindsay Road (enter via Adobe St.)
• Dobson Ranch Park, 2363 S. Dobson Road

For more information or for additional recycling options, please call (480) 644-2221 or visit MesaRecycles.org.

Holiday service reminder: Trash and recycle barrel collection service is provided on all holidays, including Christmas and New Year’s Day. Please have your barrel out for collection by 6 a.m.

Are my holiday themed items accepted for recycling?

Please remember that holiday lights, decorations, artificial trees, and many other Christmas themed items are not accepted for recycling. They are considered contamination in Mesa’s blue recycle barrel. To find out if an item is accepted, use the Recycle Right Wizard online search tool, available at MesaRecycles.org and on the MesaNow App.

Winter Energy Tips:  Stay Safe AND Warm This Holiday Season

Cold winter months usually mean increased use of fuel burning and electric heating appliances, including portable devices.  Here are a few tips to help you stay safe and warm!

• ALWAYS follow manufacturer instructions when using a heating appliance of any type.
• If you have a natural gas furnace or other gas appliances, make sure everyone in your household knows the sights, sounds, or smell (rotten eggs) of a gas leak or emergency.  Also, be sure everyone knows what to do if an emergency occurs: call 911 or 480-644-4277 from a safe location.
• NEVER use your oven or stove top to warm a room.
• Space heaters need space - keep all objects a safe distance away.
• NEVER leave a space heater running unattended! Turn off or unplug when not in use.

ABC: A Better Community Program

Mesa residents can make a better community by helping people in need during the holiday season and year-round. They are encouraged to give to the ABC: A Better Community utility donation program, which provides shelter, meals and other essential services to Mesa children, families and seniors facing challenges. For the 21/22 fiscal year, the City has allocated ABC grant money to three non-profit agencies:  

• Maggie’s Place – Shelter services at Hannah’s House
• Teen Lifeline – Crisis services
• United Food Bank – Emergency & Supplemental Food Assistance (E&SFA) Program

Donating to ABC is easy. City utility customers can contribute by automatically donating money with their monthly utility bill payment.

MLK Parade & Festival

The community is invited to join the City of Mesa and the Mesa-East Valley MLK Committee as we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, Jan. 17. This year’s celebration theme is “Tomorrow is Today.” The festivities will begin in downtown Mesa with a parade of community groups and organizations, businesses, churches and east valley cities. The celebration will continue with a festival featuring food, vendors and fun.

The Mesa-East Valley Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade begins at 11 a.m. on Center Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The festival will take place on Macdonald just north of Main Street from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. following the parade.

Organizers of the parade are currently recruiting event volunteers, community groups to participate in the parade and vendors for the festival. For more information, contact diversity.info@mesaaz.gov or visit www.mesaaz.gov/mlkparade.

NEW Mesa business license enables enhanced communication aimed at supporting businesses

To better serve and support local businesses, the City of Mesa will begin issuing a general business license on Jan. 3, 2022. The license will enable the City to provide timely information and essential news for operating a business, especially in times of emergency. It also will provide a starting point for obtaining other permits and code requirements to do business in Mesa.

The application fee is $10, and the application will be available online. Licenses are valid 12 months from the date of issuance. Most businesses that collect sales tax, service businesses and home-based businesses will need to obtain the license. Some exemptions apply.  

Make Sustainability a Part of This Year’s Holidays

This year, when choosing gifts for your family and friends, why not keep the earth in mind? So much of what we purchase eventually ends up in the landfill. Instead of stuff, give the gift of time or experiences. Offer to babysit or clean someone’s home, or purchase tickets to a museum, concert, or sporting event. Consumables are also a great option – think chocolates, coffee, local foods, fruit baskets, or gift cards for restaurants. Here are a few of our favorite Mesa-specific gift ideas: purchase a gift card at a local plant nursery, lease a garden bed at Mesa Urban Garden, gift a membership to one of Mesa’s many museums or the Mesa Art Center, donate a tree in a loved one’s memory, or treat someone special to dinner at one of our locally owned restaurants. This holiday season, create memories, not clutter.

Shop the New and Like-New Book Sale!

There’s little argument that books make great, versatile gifts for lovers of all things literary. Mesa Public Library has collected books and DVDs in new and like-new condition that are worth gifting this holiday season. Now through December 31, the New and Like-New Book Sale will offer discounted prices on quality items including children’s books, cookbooks, adult fiction and nonfiction, comics, Blu-ray movies and more. Shop the sale at the Main Library during regular library hours to find the perfect gifts for the bookworms in your life!

If you’re not able to stop in, Mesa Public Library also sells used books on Amazon.com and Ebay. All money raised from book sales goes to supporting library programs, improvements and services.

Ideas Inspired by Our Community to Improve the Environment

Mesa’s Climate Action Plan has set lofty goals to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and make Mesa greener and cleaner. Our six focus areas include energy, heat mitigation, air quality, water stewardship, materials management, and food systems. But this effort cannot be successful without your input and help. We are offering a fun and engaging platform at our Footprint for the Future website where you can share your ideas with us. You’ll also see what other community members have to say, and you can add comments or likes to those proposals. Be a part of the conversation.

Seeking Your Input for Our Future

It is time to make your voice heard! The Footprint for the Future Community Survey closes December 17! This survey is the next major public input phase of the two planning efforts to create Mesa’s Footprint for the Future. Help shape the future of your community and take a few minutes to fill it out. This is your chance to provide feedback on what you want to see in your community.

If you received an invitation by mail to complete the survey, please use the link that was sent to you.

Your input will help determine the future development of Mesa community parks, public spaces, recreation programs, and facilities, as well as how to implement Mayor and Council initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build resilience in our community, and address the negative outcomes of climate change.

Monterey Park Playground Ribbon Cutting 

We are ready to reveal the new Monterey playground!

Please join us for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Monterey Park Playground Improvements, December 16, 11:30 a.m. at 7045 E Monterey.