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Time to Bundle Up!
Winter has arrived! Although I'm grateful for the rain and cool temperatures, I want to make sure everyone is taking the precautions needed to stay safe in this icy weather. Be sure to check road conditions before driving and prepare your pipes so they don't freeze. And with the rain and cold weather...comes potholes. To report potholes that need to be filled, please email tdotconcerns@tucsonaz.gov with the pothole location, or feel free to contact us at the Ward 4 office and we will be happy to report them for you. For more winter weather tips, click here.
Hopefully, this rainy, chilly, weather provides even more incentive to stay home and physically distant as we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health officials in our community are working hard to vaccinate quickly and safely - please see the vaccine distribution section below for more information.
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at ward4@tucsonaz.gov. We are happy to help you in any way we can.
Please see below for news and updates. Previous newsletters can be found here.
Have a great week!
Nikki
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Important Dates:
- Monday, February 1: Starting Feb. 1, glass will no longer be accepted in Tucson's blue bin recycling program, but will be collected at drop-off sites across the city. Click here for more information about the plan and drop-off locations.
- Wednesday, February 3 at 12pm: First meeting of the Commission on Equitable Housing and Development. Click here for more information about the commission.
- Tuesday, February 9: Mayor and Council Meeting. Click here and go to "Mayor & Council Meeting Live" to watch!
- Tuesday, February 23: Mayor and Council Meeting. Click here and go to "Mayor & Council Meeting Live" to watch!
- Thursday, February 25: Ward 4 Town Hall: Rita Ranch Neighborhood Association and Public Safety. Follow us on Facebook for event details - information coming soon!
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NEWS: National League of Cities Leadership Appointment
I am thrilled to announce I've been appointed Vice Chair of the National League of Cities' Military Communities Council for 2021. I am honored to serve Tucson's veterans, Servicemembers, and their families in this capacity. Click here for the press release!
January 20 Mayor & Council Session Highlights
At last week's Mayor & Council meeting, we heard from Diana Alarcon, Department of Transportation and Mobility Director, who answered questions on Prop. 101, Move Tucson, and RTA Next. She reported that through Move Tucson, there was a clear desire and request in opportunities for increasing travel choices, improving safety, and investing in a current infrastructure; over 200 specific projects were identified exceeding $3.4 billion for better crosstown mobility, improved safety for all modes, transportation options that support a sustainable city, better options for walking, biking or taking public transportation and improved maintenance of existing transportation infrastructure. She went into detail on community wants, community needs, Mayor and Council priorities, local and major roadway needs, and funding opportunities. We then discussed how to align the transportation interests of Tucsonans with City funds. We will return to this critical conversation in 30 days.
We also discussed the possibility of implementing a participatory budgeting tool where community members have a direct say in the allocation of City funds. I'm interested to see how this could work for our City, and specifically our Ward. Thank you, Council Member Santa Cruz, for introducing this topic. Staff have been directed to create a Work Plan that includes a step-by-step proposal for the FY 21/22 Public Budget process and a pilot Participatory Budget process and associated community outreach. Click here to learn more about participatory budgeting.
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Last Call for Ward 4 Constituent Survey: Deadline January 31
As part of our commitment to best serve our constituents, my team and I have put together this 2021 Constituent Survey. If you live in Ward 4, I hope you'll take a few minutes to complete the survey, which will close on January 31. Participation is 100% voluntary and most questions are optional. If you have any questions, please reach out to ward4@tucsonaz.gov.
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Vaccine Distribution 1B Soft Launch at Tucson Convention Center
Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to stop by the soft launch of the TCC COVID-19 vaccination center. This day was dedicated to fine-tuning the operations and ensuring the processes were safe and secure. When I arrived near the end of the day, I was blown away by how clear and efficient the distribution was. I'd like to give a huge virtual round of applause to Tucson Fire Department, Tucson Medical Center, Pima County Health Department, the Tucson City Manager's Office, and all city staff who volunteered to redeploy to help this critical effort.
The county is working hard to vaccinate quickly and safely. Registration for the first group of Phase 1B vaccinations is now open in Pima County. The first group includes people aged 75 and older; protective-service workers, education providers and childcare providers, followed by essential workers and adults in congregate settings with high-risk medical conditions.
Seniors 75 and older can register via telephone at (520) 222-0119 and online here. Be sure to watch the Pima County Health Department website for updates.
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Our office is looking to fill multiple City Board, Committee, and Commission seats. If you are interested in applying to one of the openings listed here, please email your resume along with your name, home address, phone number, email, and why you are interested in serving, to ward4@tucsonaz.gov. Positions will be filled on a rolling basis, so apply today!
Letters of Love
We are calling all kids and those young at heart to help make Valentine’s Day Cards for our Tucson elders isolated in senior facilities. During these difficult times it is important to make sure our seniors feel supported and loved. Kids can make their own cards, draw pictures, write letters or simply sign boxed Valentine’s cards. If you would like to participate individually, as a neighborhood, or a classroom, please email ward4@tucsonaz.gov and we will arrange pickup and deliver the cards to local senior care facilities. Thank you for supporting our elders during this critical effort to fight loneliness.
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Through Service
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left us a legacy of service, hope, and power. To honor him on MLK Day, I shared these words I feel are especially poignant given our current moment. We have been through such dark days recently, and those days are still ahead of us. But, we have also seen some of the best of humanity during these times. Thank you to the stars among us - to those who continue Dr. King’s work to this day.
In honor of Dr. King, the Ward 4 Council Office participated in the National Day of Service through virtual service activities like postcard writing. I'm glad we were able to honor Dr. King's legacy in this way just like so many of you did in our Tucson community that day. Thank you to all those who participated in the National Day of Service, and I hope we can keep up this spirit of giving back throughout 2021 and beyond.
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Ward 4 Central Business District Community Meeting
Thank you to everyone who joined our Ward 4 Central Business District Community meeting on Friday! I always value opportunities to hear the ideas and concerns of my constituents. If you missed it, you can catch the recording here.
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Honoring the Firefighters We've Lost
The 2021 Tucson Fire Department Firefighter Memorial took place this past Saturday. Thank you to all those who sacrificed their lives to save others in our community, and thank you to the firefighters that continue to keep us safe every day. You can watch the recording of this beautiful ceremony on TFD's Facebook page.
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A Note From Iskashitaa Refugee Network Regarding Citrus Donations
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Iskashitaa Refugee Network has worked to provide fresh, local produce from many new sources to many organizations including St. Francis' partners ICS, Casa Maria, CFBSA, various other food banks, schools, and shelters through Market on the Move, and Food Not Bombs as well as to several rural reservations. Our harvesting efforts have diverted over 90,000 pounds of produce away from the landfill and into the hands of our community. There are two ways you can help us glean even more fruit in 2021!
If you or your neighbors have citrus trees and can harvest themselves, please drop off fruit at the Iskashitaa office at 1406 E Grant Rd, Bldg 2 Monday through Saturday, 9am-5pm. If you need assistance harvesting, let us know through our Fruit Donor Form. Iskashitaa Harvesters will bring all our own equipment (crates, pickers, clippers, gloves), each volunteer signs a liability waiver form, and we leave the place as we found it- if not better as we try to compost fallen plant materials. Extra precautions are being taken to protect volunteers and residents from COVID-19. All communication can be done online, volunteers will wear masks at all times, and anyone feeling sick will be required to stay home. The pandemic has increased the community’s need for fresh, local produce, so your donations are more important than ever. It takes a village to feed a village and to stop colossal food waste!
We are looking for individuals that can help us coordinate harvests within their neighborhoods where citrus may be going to waste. Talk to your neighbors and advertise through listservs, NextDoor, bulletins, or hand out flyers and arrange for Iskashitaa to come harvest 5-10 properties for a designated Friday or Saturday in January, February, and/or March. By harvesting multiple properties at once, we can efficiently supply our community and other local organizations with fresh produce throughout the year. As a neighborhood harvest liaison, you will play a pivotal role in feeding our community!
If you are interested in donating your fruit, please fill out the Fruit Donor Form at www.iskashitaa.org/fruit-donor-form. Call the office number below if you have any questions.
If you are interested in becoming a neighbor harvest liaison, please email Allison Doty at harvesting@iskashitaa.org or call the Iskashitaa office at 520-440-0100.
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Ward 4 Pupdate
In honor of the Presidential Inauguration , the #Ward4Pups participated in the indoguration of Major Biden, the first rescue dog in the White House. Over 7,000 dog-lovers attended the event, and registration fees went to a good cause: helping pet-owners struggling to care for their pets during the COVID-19 pandemic and helping animals in shelters find their forever homes. Akari, Koda, and Kaiya were quite popular on the photo stream. Check them out in the top row of the "most viewed photos" category!
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How Can I Stay Updated?
There are multiple ways to stay updated with my office and the City's work:
- Looking for city updates? Follow the Ward 4 City of Tucson page to learn about core services, projects, events and helpful information about all things Tucson.
- Looking for me? Follow my Councilwoman Nikki Lee page to see what I'm up to around town, articles I write, official events I'm hosting, and more!
- Follow my Council Member twitter account: @CouncilwomanLee.
- Follow my Council Member instagram account: @nikkilee_az.
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