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Supporting & Serving Our Community
Last week, I sat in on the APIDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi American) Community Conversation hosted by Mayor Regina Romero and Council Member Steve Kozachik. Thank you to all who joined and shared their experiences. I was there to listen and was grateful for the opportunity to hear so many brave, powerful stories about the APIDA experience in Tucson. We are lucky to have an increasingly diverse population here in Tucson, but this also comes with the responsibility to continue learning and educating ourselves about how we can best support our neighbors.
I'd also like to thank the Rita Ranch community for organizing a fantastic cleanup along Valencia Road on Saturday morning. More information on this event can be found below. Additionally, thank you to the 135 participants and facilitators who joined the Gene C Reid Park / Reid Park Zoo Community Conversation on Saturday afternoon. This is an important issue to our community and we appreciate you taking time out of your weekends to provide feedback to the City.
Please see below for more updates and information, including a full schedule of our 2021 Ward 4 Town Halls. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at ward4@tucsonaz.gov with any questions or concerns. We are happy to help you in any way we can. Previous newsletters can be found here.
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Important Dates:
- Thursday, April 15 at 5:30 PM: Ward 4 Residential Road Repair Discussion. On January 29, 2021 the Mayor and Council authorized an additional $14 million to be use on local neighborhood road repairs. The $14 million dollars is divided equally between the Mayor and 6 Wards. $2 Million will cover approximately 7 lane miles of road reconstruction with the worst residential road areas in Ward 4 prioritized. We invite our Ward 4 Community members to a virtual meeting to hear a presentation from the Tucson Transportation and Mobility Department providing the current neighborhood road condition data and allow the community to discuss potential options for the Ward 4 residential road reconstruction funds.
- Monday, April 19: The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation department will open three extended-season pools and splash pads in addition to four pools previously opened. Pools will continue to be open with limited capacity for adult lap swimming only, one lap swimmer per lane. Masks are required at the facility when not in the water.
- Locations opening:
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Archer Pool: 1665 S. La Cholla Boulevard
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Quincie Douglas Pool: 1563 E. 36th Street
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Udall Pool: 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road
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Catalina Park Splash Pad: 925 N. 4th Ave.
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*NEW* Clements Splash Pad: 8155 E. Poinciana Drive
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Naida Jane Baker Splash Pad: 2536 N. Castro Ave.
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Palo Verde Park Splash Pad: 355 S. Mann Ave.
- For more details on facility hours, locations, and phone numbers, visit the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation website.
- Tuesday, April 20: City Council Meeting. Click here and go to "Mayor & Council Meeting Live" to watch! (To watch past meetings, visit the City of Tucson YouTube page. This is also where future meetings will be live streamed).
- Thursday, April 29 at 5:30 PM: Ward 4 Virtual Town Hall with Mesquite Ranch Neighborhood Association.
- Friday, April 30 at 9 AM: "Planting for the Future," an Arbor Day celebration at Lincoln Regional Park. Join us for tree-planting and a family-friendly celebration of growth and the future. More details below! RSVP on Facebook here.
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COVID-19 Update
Vaccine eligibility in Pima County is open to everyone 16 years and older. While there are no more restrictions on eligibility other than age, only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for 16- and 17-year-olds. Pfizer is available at the state-run site on the University of Arizona campus, at Banner-South, and potentially at local pharmacies. Those under 18 who are getting vaccinated need a parent or legal guardian with them to complete the consent forms. The only exception is if an accompanying adult brings a notarized letter stating that the parent allows the accompanying adult to complete the consent forms.
Walk-up COVID-19 registration available in Pima County. If you are having trouble making a COVID-19 vaccination appointment online, Pima County is offering alternatives.
There is on-site registration at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave., for all appointments at that walk-through location. The staff can also help register individuals for the other major vaccination sites in the County, including at Banner-South Kino, Tucson Medical Center, the University of Arizona and eventually the new location at Kino Event Center.
People who register on-site at the TCC and already have a MyChart profile through Tucson Medical Center may be able to receive a same-day appointment at either site, depending on vaccine availability. You also may be able to get a same-day appointment even if you don’t have a MyChart profile.
The TCC vaccination center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. There is free parking at the garage off Church Avenue (east side of the TCC).
The indoor site at El Pueblo Center opened April 5 and is designed for same-day, on-site registration and vaccination. The site, 101 W. Irvington Road, is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
For all of the registration options in Pima County, visit the COVID-19 vaccine information page at www.pima.gov/covid19vaccine.
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April 6 Mayor & Council Session Recap
City of Tucson Budget: As the Fiscal Year 2022 Public Budget Process continues, the Mayor and Council received information and presentations on the American Rescue Plan, American Jobs Plan, Eviction Moratorium, City Employee Market Rate Analysis, General Fund Five Year Projections, and Budget presentations from the City Clerk, Information Technology and Police Departments.
Smoke Shops: Thank you to Council Member Fimbres for bringing forward his concerns to surrounding businesses and neighborhoods around Smoke Shops. Tucson Police Assistant Chief Kevin Hall provided additional information regarding the sale of illegal substances with over 1700 calls for service to smoke shops in Tucson since January 2019. The Mayor and Council voted to have staff review the current process and report back to the Mayor and Council in sixty days on making improvements and changes to the current system, including a background or investigative process for applicants, distancing from schools and from other smoke shops, saturation of smoke shops in areas and hours of operation.
Water Differential Rates: The Mayor and Council voted to start the publication of the Notice of Intent with the State of Arizona and schedule a Public Hearing for June 8, 2021 to discuss water differential rates. Tucson Water staff will file all necessary documents with the City Clerk and all of their actions to allow the Mayor and Council to consider differential rates.
Medical and Adult Use Marijuana: The Mayor and Council voted to amend the Unified Development Code (UDC) to reflect the changes required for the State of Arizona voter passed Medical and Adult Use Marijuana policies. The UDC changes included a 500 ft setback for residential treatment facilities, schools, parks and libraries, and 2000 ft. separation between existing dispensaries.
BizTucson Rising Star Award
I am honored to have been named one of BizTucson Magazine's 2021 Next Gen Leaders - Rising Stars. I am beyond grateful to be recognized among such a fantastic group of visionaries in our community. Thank you to BizTucson for this huge honor. I'm excited to continue working toward a better, brighter Tucson. Read the Spring 2021 BizTucson edition online at https://biztucson.com/.
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Rita Ranch Road Cleanup
I am always amazed by what we can do as a community when we come together. Thank you to everyone who spent their Saturday morning last weekend cleaning up our desert along Valencia Road. Together, we filled a large garbage roll-off to capacity. Special thanks to Al Wiruth and the Rita Ranch Neighborhood Association, Tucson Clean and Beautiful, City of Tucson Environmental Services, and one of my favorite restaurants, Saing Thai Cuisine, for keeping everyone hydrated with delicious Thai Iced Tea.
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New York Times Highlight: Tucson as a Role Model for Recovery
I'm proud to see Tucson highlighted as a leader in revitalization planning in this recent New York Times article. Our strong community partnerships make us a national role model for recovery. Thank you to all our private and public partners for keeping our city ahead of the game. I'm grateful we are well-positioned for an smooth transition back to "normal" in our city.
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Join the Mayor’s Water Challenge
Mayor Regina Romero invites you to participate in the Wyland Foundation’s 2021 National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation. It takes less than a minute to go to mywaterpledge.com to complete a short survey to commit to saving water and other natural resources. Take the online pledge and be entered to win hundreds of eco-friendly prizes. Pledge online by April 30. Make Tucson a winner AGAIN in 2021! Watch Mayor Romero's video here.
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Ward 4 Pupdate
We're happy to say our last Ward 4 foster pup, Guero, was adopted last week. There's now a new girl in town, and her name is Oreo. Oreo is being fostered temporarily by a member of the Ward 4 team but would love a longer-term foster or, more importantly, a forever home. She's a beautiful spotted pup who just turned 5. She loves long walks and lounging on the couch. If you're interested in Oreo (A634744), contact Pima County Animal Center. Check out their website to find hundreds of adoptable animals.
Additionally, Pima Animal Care Center is collaborating with the LovePup Foundation and Pima County’s District 2 to hold a microchip and supply distribution drive this Saturday, April 17, from 1-4 p.m., at the Abrams Public Health Center, 3950 S. Country Club Road Suite 100. Check out the Facebook event here.
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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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