April 2022

Hello District 3 Neighbors!

I would like to remind you that my door is always open. I hope you know you can always reach out. One of my main goals as your Councilmember is to provide you, and our Mesa residents, with a great quality of life. Through my work on council, it is my goal to continue bringing a voice rooted in community and resulting in positive impact.

On a separate note, Mesa is starting to get busy with all kinds of exciting projects, developments, events and programs. I'm proud to announce that our Annual District 3 Spring Blast at Rhodes Aquatic Center will be returning this year on Friday, May 13th, from 5 pm - 9 pm. Scroll down for additional details!

As always, you can contact my office: District3@mesaaz.gov or 480-644-6275.

~Councilmember Francisco Heredia

SAVE THE DATE: SPRING BLAST!

Join us for Spring Blast at Rhodes Aquatic Complex!

I'm proud to announce that our Annual District 3 Spring Blast at Rhodes Aquatic Complex will be coming back this year! Enjoy free open swim and FlowRider rides, food, music and entertainment. Join us Friday, May 13th from 5 pm to 9 pm at Rhodes Aquatic Complex - 1860 S Longmore, Mesa, AZ 85202.

Check out my social media accounts for additional details coming soon: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Stay tuned!

ADVISORY BOARDS & COMMITTEES

Mesa’s Advisory Boards need you! Share your knowledge and experience with Mesa. One of the most effective ways to provide input to local government is through service on one of the City’s citizen advisory boards. If you are invested in the success of your community and looking for ways to get more involved, consider applying to serve on a committee or board.

The City of Mesa accepts applications on a rolling basis as members term out or cycle off at regular intervals. Applications and current openings are available at the Advisory Board & Committees Application Center. Applicants must first create a profile with login and password before applying. Board and committee members are appointed by the office of the Mayor and approved by Council. Unless otherwise noted, the term of service is three years.

PRCF SUMMER REGISTRATION

Mark your calendars for summer registration! Registration begins at 8:00 AM April 18 for Mesa residents and April 25 for non-residents. Preview our summer programming in our activity guide and all activities for summer are now visible online in our registration system. You can look forward to adaptive programs, swimming lessons, swim teams, summer youth camps, special interest classes, volunteer opportunities and more!

Be sure to go through and add your preferred programs to your “wishlist” so that you can register right away.

To add items to your “wishlist”, sign into your ActiveNet account, find the program you are interested in, and select the heart shaped button in the top right-hand corner of that program. Once you have all your programs added, you can see your wishlist from your account page and once registration opens for you, register for all the programs you want!

You may also be eligible for 50% off certain youth and adaptive recreation activities, so apply for the Mesa Recreation Scholarship today!

SMALL BUSINESS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Maya Bartlett is leveling up her food truck business through the help of Mesa's Small Business Technical Assistance Program. "They do really good things for the community and small business owners," said Bartlett of Maya’s Cajun Kitchen.

Through the program, Maya meets with a coach every other week for unbiased business advice. "I appreciate all my friends and family ... love them being a cheerleader for me, but sometimes I just need that person to be like an outsider looking in and telling you the rights and wrongs," she said.

Her coach helped her find resources to secure her current trailer and helped make her business appear more professional with a website design and business branding. And it's helping her get noticed.

Now she's on a mission to expose people to the flavorful world of Cajun food and prove that the vegan food she serves can be delicious.

Looking to level up your Mesa-based small business? Apply for technical assistance online! 👇🏽

Ready to level up your business? Mesa small business owners have access to a FREE webinar series – brought to you by Mesa Business Builder and the East Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. This training series takes place 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. via Zoom every Thursday from March 31 to June 9. Sign up for one class or the entire series!

Topics cover business planning, website creation, Canva, Instagram, profit and loss statements, etc. Classes offered in both English and Spanish.

DOBSON RANCH LIBRARY IMPROVEMENTS

The Dobson Ranch Library has reopened with regular hours and services following a temporary closure due to construction. Please excuse its appearance as exciting improvements are in progress. For construction updates, visit the Mesa Library page! 

Improvements are expected to be completed by August of this year. This project will expand the library's footprint by 1600 square feet, and will add a THINKspot makerspace for community innovation and networking. Additionally, the façade of the building will be updated. This improved entry will offer greater visibility and convenience for library users. I look forward to visiting once improvements are completed!

D3 RESTAURANT HIGHLIGHTS

Gracias Alan, for your hospitality. It was a pleasure getting to know more about El Pollo Correteado. Give them a try! I highly recommend this place! 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

OUT IN THE DISTRICT

WHAT'S HAPPENING

April 7 - Transform 17 Neighborhood Meeting

Mesa residents are invited to provide input on proposed plans for Transform 17. The project includes a mixed-use neighborhood of residential office and community related retail at the southwest corner of Mesa Drive and University Drive. The meeting will take place 4/17 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm at the Charles K. Luster Building Community Room - 640 N Mesa Dr.

April 9 - Mimosas and Palomas

Join the 4th annual Mimosas & Palomas Brunch! Brought to you by Mesa Arts Center's Creative Catalysts, this event is free to the public and includes live music, art-making activities, artist vendors, food, and of course, mimosas & palomas. The event will take place at the Mesa Arts Center on 4/19 from 9 am - 1 pm! 

April 9 - Celebrate Mesa

Celebrate Mesa is a FREE family event that brings the community together to enjoy games, carnival rides, entertainment and more. Planned by the City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. Join us at Pioneer Park on 4/9 from 10 am - 2pm!

Some of the fun family activities include: 

• Live Entertainment 
• Living Green Village (earth-friendly activities & exhibitors) 
• FREE Bounce Houses and Kids Games
• Visits from Encanto Characters
• Food Trucks 
• Carnival Rides ($5 wristband for unlimited rides. Age and height restrictions may apply)
• Painting classes (for ages 12 and up, must be signed up to participate)
• Archery Tag (for ages 10 and up, requires wristband)
• Petting Zoo
• Deb's Dragons
• Game Truck

April 14 - Community Blood Donation Drive

Give the gift of life! Civil Air Patrol's Falcon Composite Squadron 305 will host a community blood drive event for the American Red Cross on Thursday, April 14 from 8 am - 2 pm. Location: Civil Air Patrol building, 4730 E. Falcon Drive at Mesa's Falcon Field Airport.

To schedule an appointment, go to visit this site. In the ZIP or Sponsor Code box, type CAP. Choose the Falcon Field Civil Air Patrol sponsored event. Walk-ins will be accepted as the schedule allows.

April 26 - Resident’s Guide to Building Community

In this 90-minute class, you will:

• Create an action plan and walk away with tangible next steps to connect with more people in your neighborhood
• Learn how Block Watch, neighborhood clean-ups, neighborhood gatherings, and neighborhood registration can strengthen your community
• Receive guidance from key City staff about your neighborhood
• Receive an invitation to our exclusive online Neighborhood Network group
  
  

UPCOMING COUNCIL MEETINGS

The Mesa City Council holds two Council meetings a month, in addition to weekly study sessions. City Council and advisory board meetings will operate on a hybrid system. Public participation will be available using either blue comment cards found in the City Council chambers or by submitting an online comment card through the video and audio-conferencing platform Zoom. The process for citizens to participate in the meetings can be found here. 

Mesa will also continue to broadcast its council and study session meetings live on Mesa Channel 11's YouTube page and Facebook. 

The agendas are available here.

April Council Meetings
Monday, April 4 - 5:45 p.m.
Monday, April 18 - 5:45 p.m.

April Study Sessions
Monday, April 4 - 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 7 - 7:30 a.m.
Thursday, April 14 - 7:30 a.m.
Monday, April 18 - 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 21 - 7:30 a.m.
Thursday, April 28 - 7:30 a.m.

*- Meetings subject to start time changes

STAY INFORMED

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! For Council meeting info click here. Visit Mesa Channel 11 for more updates.

Phone: 480-644-6275 Email: District3@mesaaz.gov