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 Community Newsletter
December 2022
Happy Holidays Neighbors!
I hope you had a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends and found some time to relax over the Thanksgiving weekend. I want to extend my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to continue to serve you as City of Mesa District 4 Councilmember for another four years. I look forward to continuing the work to make Mesa a premier city to work, live and thrive. Mesa Voters also approved a $157 million public safety bond, as well as Home Rule and two propositions. To learn more about Mesa ballot measures visit, Election Information.
I recently had the honor of receiving the inaugural Public Leadership in the Arts Award for City Council Leadership presented by Americans for the Arts and National League of Cities. As a champion for the arts, I have worked hard to ensure that the City of Mesa is one where art and culture is supported and celebrated. I will continue to advocate for advancing the arts, innovation, and creative economy of our community so we can ensure that the vibrancy and diversity of our city flourishes.
As always, if you have any questions, want to share about issues that are important to you, or if I can ever be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at district4@mesaaz.gov or 480-644-3004.
-Vice Mayor Jenn Duff
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Mesa's Merry Main Street is a great way to celebrate the season! The annual east valley holiday tradition returns to Downtown Mesa for the eighth consecutive year with several new attractions. Merry Main Street starts on Friday, November 25 and continues through Saturday, January 7, offering an exciting variety of holiday activities including the Winter Wonderland Ice Rink, Mesa's Christmas Tree, Gnome on the Roam, Visits with Santa, Mesa's Menorah, Reindeer Roll and Stroll and much more!
For a complete list of Merry Main Street activities, including dates and times, visit merrymainst.com.
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The Mesa City Council approved updates to the Mesa City Code regarding the permissible use of fireworks. The changes align the City code with recent changes made by the State of Arizona while strengthening Mesa's fireworks enforcement efforts.
Changes to the Mesa City Code include:
- Extending permissible use hours on New Year's Eve and the 4th of July from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. of the following day
- Adding the Diwali holiday to the permissible sale and use timeline. Sales are allowed two days before the first day of Diwali through the third day. Use is permitted on the second and third days of Diwali
- Creating criminal penalties for sale and use of illegal fireworks, and repeat violation offenders
- Updating civil penalty fines
For more information on the legal sale and use of fireworks in Mesa visit, fire.mesaaz.gov.
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The City of Mesa has partnered with several water agencies and providers throughout the West in a joint Memorandum of Understanding to protect the Colorado River system. Mesa has pledged continued commitment to water conservation, reducing water demands and maximizing the beneficial reuse of recycled water. Read the AMWUAblog article on this topic and the full press release.
In May of this year, the City of Mesa declared Stage I of its Water Shortage Management Plan. In response, drought messaging and outreach were intensified, and City Departments are working toward water use reduction across City facilities.
The City of Mesa recognizes the shared role in continuing to reduce demands on the Colorado River and will continue to build on current efforts to ensure a sustainable water future. To learn more, visit mesaaz.gov/water/water-shortage.
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Mesa has made the top 10 list among cities with populations of 500,000 or more in the Center for Digital Government's 2022 Digital Cities Survey and is the highest-ranked Arizona city in that category. This is the sixth consecutive year Mesa has made the top 10 list and the fifth in the category of 500,000 or more population. The annual survey recognizes cities using technology to tackle social challenges, enhance services, strengthen security and more.
The survey praised Mesa for several digital accomplishments:
- As part of the effort to close the digital divide, the City has expanded Wi-Fi in the downtown area and recently signed license agreements with four providers, including Google, to increase internet options for Mesa residents.
- The Real Time Crime Center, launched in May 2022, offers a host of innovative technology tools aimed at enhancing public safety.
- Payment kiosks were recently installed at Mesa Municipal Court to integrate with existing systems to provide more self-service capabilities for residents.
- More City departments are using the chatbot to improve community engagement. Fire and Medical, Police, Animal Control, Municipal Court, Transportation, Licensing and Library now use the tool with plans to add it to the main website. The chatbot has answered two-thirds of the thousands of inquiries it receives, while directing the remainder to staff to follow-up
- Using multiple vendors helped mitigate supply chain limitations that have plagued information technology (IT) operations nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
- A partnership with a local recovery company, ER2, gives the City credits for its older computers that are turned over to low-income residents in need of devices.
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The 14th Annual Turkey Tuesday hosted by City of Mesa Engineering staff and the United Food Bank was a great success! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to drop off a turkey, canned goods, and monetary donations. |
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It was a beautiful morning for the annual East Valley Veterans Day Parade in Downtown Mesa. We honor all of the veterans who have served our country to protect our freedoms. |
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Each year Mesa honors the 23 Royal Air Force cadets who lost their lives in training at Falcon Field during WWII. The memorial celebrates their lives, their families, and Mesa’s unique history with aviation. |
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Another great GAIN night in the books! Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods, GAIN, is an annual event that brings together neighborhoods and public safety with the common goal of keeping our community safe. It was a pleasure meeting neighbors and sharing all about what matters most to our community. |
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December 3 - Self Guided Reindeer Roll & Stroll
4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Join the City of Mesa’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program for the first ever sELF-guided Reindeer Roll and Stroll! Explore Downtown Mesa in this FREE and festive scavenger hunt for a chance to win great prizes, including a bicycle. Register HERE.
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December 6 - Resident's Guide to Community & Civic Engagement
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
In this 60-minute class, you will learn the ins and outs of City government and how to become more involved in decision making, and how to take on leadership roles beyond your neighborhood and into the community. Tour Mesa's Council Chambers and learn how to participate in Council Meetings!
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December 19 - Christmas Holiday Food Distribution
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
If you or someone you know is struggling to put food on the table this holiday season, attend the United Food Bank’s food distribution at the Mesa Convention Center.
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Every Saturday - Downtown Mesa Farmers Market
Hours - 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Located at the Mesa Arts Center Campus in downtown Mesa, you'll find fresh produce, delicious food and treats, beautiful handcrafted goods, live music and more! Stop by and support local small businesses.
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December Council Meetings
Thursday, December 1 - 5:45 p.m.
Thursday, December 8 - 5:45 p.m.
December Study Sessions
Thursday, December 1 - 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 8 - 4:30 p.m.
Audit, Finance & Enterprise Council Committee Meeting
Thursday, December 1 - 4:00 p.m.
*- Meetings subject to start time changes
The Mesa City Council holds two Council meetings a month, in addition to weekly study sessions. The process for public participation in meetings can be found here.
Mesa broadcasts its council and study session meetings live on Mesa Channel 11's YouTube page and Facebook.
Council agendas are available Here.
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