Tucson NewsNet Daily Digest - A Service of the City of Tucson
COVID-19 MONDAY UPDATE - As of today, Jan. 4, Arizona now has 561,542 positive coronavirus cases, with 5,158 new cases reported today (down from 17,234 yesterday). The total number of cases includes people who have recovered. Of that number, 74,963 cases are in Pima County (up 855 from yesterday). There have been 9,064 COVID-19 deaths in Arizona (3 reported today), and 1,084 of those occurred in Pima County (0 reported today). The City of Tucson and Pima County remind you to always wear a mask in public and avoid socializing with anyone outside of your household during the pandemic. Data Dashboard from the Arizona Department of Health Services City of Tucson COVID-19 website
UTILITY ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS - The Tucson Mayor and Council created a new utility assistance program, in partnership with Pima County and our community’s private sector utility partners, for qualifying residential utility customers who have experienced financial hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Awards can be made to help relieve up to 50 percent of delinquent service-related charges. Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis or until exhausted. Eligible utility customers must be within the City of Tucson or City of South Tucson limits, have been negatively affected by COVID-19, and must self-certify that they meet household income guidelines for the past 30 days. To apply for this assistance please visit https://www.tucsonaz.gov/UtilityBillsHelp, or call 791-3253. Additional utility assistance options and programs for residents of Pima County, as well as contact information for all of our region's utility companies, can also be found at http://www.pima.gov/UtilityBillsHelp. If you are concerned about your ability to pay any of your utility bills, act now to avoid potential shut-offs, and contact your utility company to make a payment plan to keep the utilities running and to apply for assistance. The City of Tucson and Pima County are committed to working together to provide as much assistance as possible.
DOWNTOWN LINKS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT: STONE AVENUE CLOSURE - Starting today, Jan. 4, Stone Avenue is closed to the public between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. This closure is scheduled to be in place until early March, while crews construct an underground storm drain that crosses Stone Avenue. Motorists will need to detour to Fourth Avenue or Granada Avenue/Main Avenue. Left turns onto westbound Sixth Street from northbound Stone Avenue are allowed temporarily and will only be permitted during this closure. The 30-month construction project is scheduled for completion in early 2023. Read the news release and detour map Project website
COMMUNITY MEETINGS BEGIN THIS WEEK FOR THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT - The Mayor and Tucson City Council and the Office of Economic Initiatives (ConnectTucson) will host seven virtual meetings in January to engage the community in co-creating a shared vision for the future of the Central Business District (CBD). Arizona statute ARS § 42-6209(c) grants the City of Tucson authority to abate property tax for up to eight years if a property is located within a designated CBD and meets other specific criteria that would improve the property for economic development purposes. The 90-minute meetings will inform the Mayor and Council about the future of the CBD boundaries and requirements for the Government Property Lease Excise Tax (GPLET). The first meeting is on Thursday, Jan. 7, at 5 p.m., hosted by Ward 3. Register for that session and others by following the link below. Register for CBD sessions ConnectTucson
TREECYCLE CONTINUES - The City of Tucson's annual TreeCycle program continues through Sunday, Jan. 17. Nine sites are open for collection. Residents are asked to remove all lights, ornaments, decorations, plastic tree bags, and tree stands before dropping off real trees at a TreeCycle site. Due to the pandemic, please wear a mask and practice social distancing when dropping off your tree. Please do not leave trees outside the collection time or area due to fire hazards. The City of Tucson will not collect Christmas trees from curbs and alleys. For more information on sites, hours, and locations, visit the link below. TreeCycle
|