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Karin’s Ward 3 News and Updates
Friday, May 7, 2021
News and Updates
Pet of the Week
Ward 3 Neighborhood Association/Coalition Meetings
Ward 3 Events
City Wide Events
Did You Know?
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Dear Tucsonans,
Significant actions were taken at the Mayor and Council meeting Tuesday.
Reid Park and the Zoo
Mayor and Council approved a hybrid option for the zoo expansion that will preserve Reid Park open/green space. It’s never easy to adjust course on such a significant project. My reasons for supporting the compromise include:
- Public process to date highlighted Zoo improvements, but not impacts/contraction of Reid Park
- Public consistently expresses to me that they’d rather see $2 well-spent than $1 spent poorly
- Compromise reflects the conservation priorities and values expressed in the City’s General Plan and the Zoo’s mission and value statements
- It’s best to ‘correct course’ once concerns and problems with a plan arise than to ‘stay the course’ on a contentious path yielding negative impacts
I appreciate the work of our Parks Department (along with the Center for Community Dialogue and Training program of the nonprofit Our Family Services), Zoo leadership, the City Manager, and many, many Tucsonans concerned about this project. Not only did we find a better path together, in my view, but we also reaffirmed the important lessons learned about how to better navigate the always challenging processes associated with ‘dual-party’ public investment (e.g. Rio Nuevo, Regional Transportation Authority and in this partnership, the Zoo).
City Budget and Employee Compensation
I applaud the City Manager for working across our employee groups and departments to prioritize needed market adjustments for City employee compensation. We need to show that we value our employees and strive to pay them fairly. It will help us recruit and retain top talent and mirror the dedication our employees offer day in and day out in their service to Tucson.
We also gave further direction to the Manager on his overall proposed budget. We have a historic opportunity to invest in the future of our community, including better delivery of core services (such as street repairs, community safety, parks) while also implementing core goals and values outlined in the City’s General Plan adopted by Tucson voters in 2013.
In this week’s newsletter we talked to three Ward 3 restaurant owners about the significant Restaurant Revitalization Fund which will provide needed dollars to reinforce our local restaurants, vital components and employers to our economy. And we offer up a recap of a virtual training session that our staff attended this past week on ways to improve security in your business and residence.
Happy Mother’s Day weekend everyone…celebrate the women in your life who’ve offered their wisdom, love and care!
Sincerely,
Karin
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Restaurant Revitalization Fund
Restaurant Revitalization
A couple of months after Lenny and Blanca Mark opened up their new restaurant in the same place that housed the well-known Club 21 Mexican restaurant for some seven decades, the wife and husband team felt they had a winner. In February 2020, their restaurant, El Chinito Gordo on North Oracle Road, grossed $90,000.
A month later their business fell through the floor. The Coronavirus had arrived.
“Our income went into a deep dive,” said Lenny Mark. The business was losing hundreds of dollars a day, he said. In the first three months of serving Mexican food and attracting more customers, the business seemed doomed as the pandemic lockdown and public health concerns became the priorities.
“It was crazy,” said Lenny. “It was a freefall.”
But through the pandemic year of 2020, Lenny and Blanca struggled on. The couple scaled down and with the remaining staff on the payroll, they kept the doors open, preparing food to go. Income from the family’s other business, a Chinese restaurant on the south side, helped sustain El Chinito Gordo.
Lenny said, “We’ve been fighting, doing everything we could.”
Still the business could use help. The clientele and income is not nearly equal to what it was early 2020.
A new federal program, however, could be the key to ensuring that Lenny and Blanca keep El Chinito Gordo going, as well as other restaurants and eateries of all kinds in Ward 3 and across the City.
On Monday, the federal Small Business Administration made available more than $28 billion in financial assistance through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. This fund is part of the historic American Rescue Plan passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden in March.
This aid program will provide restaurants with funding equal to what was lost during the pandemic, up to $10 million per business. It’s not a loan. It’s a grant but the money must be used for allowable expenses by March 11, 2023.
But there’s a catch: business owners must submit an application which can be daunting. There is help, however, to file the necessary paperwork and navigate the process.
The bottom line is, regardless of the process, “if you had gross losses, apply,” said Francisca Villegas-Braker, director of the Women’s Business Center at the YWCA of Southern Arizona. “If you started a business during the pandemic, apply. If you have a point of sale but you don’t think you have all the information, apply,” she urged.
It’s important to apply now. For the first 21 days, which began May 3, the SBA will prioritize funding applications from businesses owned and controlled by women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Following the three weeks all eligible applications will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis until the funding is exhausted.
There are several avenues to take to help you, the business owner, successfully apply for the funds. While the SBA is administering the program, it is not in a position to offer close one-on-one guidance. But certainly the SBA’s website is good place to start. The webpage provides various links that offer detailed information, including a phone number to call: 844-279-8898. You could also sit through a video presentation, which you can watch here, that explains the application process.
It is likely that few eligible Ward 3 businesses are aware of the rescue program.
At Smokey Mo on North First Avenue, Brandon Johnson, one of the owners of the barbeque restaurant, was unaware of it.
“Absolutely we could use the help,” he said Thursday afternoon. He estimated that business dropped about 20 percent last year, forcing the eatery to let go of “a few good employees.”
With government help, Brandon said Smokey Mo could re-hire the employees and reinvest rescue money in the building and its outdoor eating patio.
At Mario’s Pizza, on North First Avenue south of Ft. Lowell Road, owner Chhib Svay also did not know the funds were available. He also has had no government help during the pandemic. He didn’t apply for financial help through the Payroll Protection Program, one of the federal government’s first pandemic assistance programs last year. And he could have used those funds to keep the workers he let go or increase the hours of his part-time staff. He is the only fulltime worker and Chhib estimated his business took a 30 percent hit.
He didn’t apply in great part because the application process was cumbersome for him, a small business owner. “I don’t know how to do that,” he said.
There are options for business owners like Chhib who find the application process cumbersome and confusing.
At Chicanos Por La Causa, it’s small business arm called Prestamos, has personnel to guide restaurant and taco truck owners through the steps.
“We are asking people to go to our webpage and there they are directed to a specialist,” said Alex Magallanes of Prestamos Southern Arizona. He said his office has received a good number of calls inquiring about the program but he acknowledges that the application process can be slow. “For the mom and pop shops it can be difficult,” he said.
Another organization offering guidance on applying for the Restaurant Revitalization funds is Portable Practical Educational Preparation, commonly known as PPEP. “We would walk you through it,” said Pattie Mendoza.
For Prestamos of Southern Arizona go to https://www.prestamosloans.org/ or contact Alex Magallanes at alex.magallanes@cplc.org and his direct line is 480-750-1898.
For PPEP go to this site http://www.pmhdc.net/ or call Pattie Mendoza at 520-622-3553.
And to reach the YWCA Women’s Business Center go to ywcatucson.org/program/wbc/womens-business-center-wbc/ or contact Francisca at 520-447-8911 or Fvillegas@ywcatucson.org
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City Mask Mandate
As regular readers know, the City of Tucson Mask Mandate is still in effect.
You might be asking yourself: What does that mean considering the recent changes to CDC recommendations?
That’s a great question! The City’s mask mandate remains consistent with current CDC recommendations. It was drafted so that its requirements applied to the situations where wearing a mask is most important, while leaving room to engage in safer activities (like exercising outdoors) without having to wear a mask. From the beginning, the Mayor and Council recognized that the CDC is the expert voice on matters of public health. As more and more people get vaccinated and the CDC makes changes to their recommendations, the Mayor and Council stand ready to make sure that any City regulations, including our mask mandate, stay in line with that guidance. In fact, the Mayor and Council reaffirmed this at their meeting on May 4th, when they directed the City Manager and City Attorney to interpret and apply the mask ordinance, at all times, in a manner consistent with evolving CDC guidance.
So, what does that mean for you while moving about in the City of Tucson?
Excellent question! It means that you should do exactly what the CDC has directed. Here’s a link to the revised CDC guidance, which covers both vaccinated and unvaccinated persons:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html
And here is the CDC’s infographic that describes the safest and least safe activities for both vaccinated and unvaccinated folks:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/pdfs/choosingSaferActivities.pdf
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Eviction Prevention
The Ward 3 Council Office team took a collective gasp earlier this week we learned that a Federal Judge had vacated the CDC eviction moratorium. Our immediate concern was: what does this mean for housing insecure Tucsonans? Unfortunately, the answer for now is that we will have to wait and see. We expect that the Biden/Harris administration will appeal and, in the meantime, will ask that the order not go in effect pending the appeal.
The City of Tucson will be following this closely. In the meantime, if you or someone you know is facing eviction, please be sure to share that the first thing to do is to communicate with your landlord about your hardship and be sure to document that communication. Finally, seek help. Call the Ward 3 office at 520-791-4711 or go to the link below.
Emergency Rent and Utility Relief Program
The Covid-19 City of Tucson and Pima County Eviction Prevention/Emergency Rent and Utility Relief Program is open and taking applications. You can apply for this local program at https://tucsonpimaep.com/
Forbearance Moratorium
If you've experienced hardship related to the pandemic, apply for a forbearance on your mortgage up to June 30, 2021. This will delay your payments for the time being and may be able to be extended. You should reach out to your mortgage servicer to start that process. Visit the following site for more information: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/coronavirus/mortgage-and-housing-assistance/
Questions? Please email info@fhrinc.net
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Governor and Arizona Legislature action on Flat Income Tax
The Arizona Legislature is considering adoption of a 2.5% flat income tax rate that will cost the City of Tucson millions that currently cover services to Tucson residents while giving the wealthy an unfair tax break. There are competing legislative proposals that would result in reductions ranging from $18.2 million to $42.5 million during the first three years. The impact to the City will be a sustained structural imbalance that will require reductions in services.
Since the Arizona Legislature is now focusing on the budget as they close out the session, we could see action any time now. This flat income tax would take state shared revenues away from all 91 cities and towns in Arizona with more populous jurisdictions seeing the most severe cuts.
To signal the significant concern that this proposal causes for all Tucsonans, Mayor and Council passed a resolution on Tuesday calling on the Arizona Legislature to oppose income tax cuts and similar proposals that would significantly reduce voter-approved funding for public safety and other critical local government services. You can learn more about the proposal here and read the Mayor and Council resolution here.
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City of Tucson Budget Update
This Tuesday, City Manager Mike Ortega presented his proposed budget to Mayor and Council. This budget is preliminary and you may review it here. The budget is preliminary because Mayor and Council is continuing to provide feedback and, importantly, residents like you are also asked to provide input.
You can review the budget here.
Moving forward, there will be a public hearing on the proposed budget at the Mayor and Council meeting of June 8. There will also be an online tool posted soon that we will share on the Ward 3 social media (follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KarinUhlichW3 or on Twitter @KarinUhlichW3) and in the newsletter where you can have an interactive review of the budget and provide feedback on how dollars should be allocated. Feedback from the public hearing and online survey will be incorporated to the final budget recommendation.
The vote for budget adoption is anticipated to be on the June 22 Mayor and Council meeting.
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City of Tucson Compensation Plan
On Tuesday, Mayor and Council approved a new compensation plan that invests more than $30 million annually and includes the implementation of a market rate analysis. The market rate analysis determined that 81% of City employees are paid under market rate. This deficit was a result of the City tightening its belt during the Great Recession.
Thousands of dedicated employees have continued to deliver critical services even in this more austere environment and it is time to address these stagnant wages. It’s the right thing to do and critical that government lead by example in investing in its employees to be an even more exceptional workforce.
Last month, Mayor and Council took action to increase the minimum wage for City employees to $15 per hour. With Tuesday’s vote, all permanent employees below market rate will receive a pay increase to bring them to market rate and all employees will receive a 2% cost of living adjustment. These increases will be covered initially by savings from attrition and planned vacancies. This adjustment will not result in any cuts to service.
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CPTED
If you ever have added an exterior light in the yard or cut back some overgrown bushes too close to your residence or as a business owner you added an extra lock and reinforced a fence, all those measures are part of what is known as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design or CPTED for short.
CPTED, at its basic core, is to improve safety and deter crime through making changes to a home, apartment or business, all while improving the quality of life. Many people have made changes. More people can do the same.
Monday, the Ward 3 office participated in a CPTED presentation offered by a partner in the Thrive in the 05, the ASU Office of Community Health, Engagement, and Resiliency, which we refer to as OCHER. For the past two years, OCHER has been working with businesses in the 05 area of Ward through the Tucson Community Based Crime Reduction initiative, directed by Nadia Roubicek from ASU’s OCHER. Participants in the virtual discussion included Tucson Police officers from Operations Division West, who work in the 05 neighborhoods and other parts of the Ward, business owners and residents. The workshop was led by Matt Perkins and John Connelly, two crime reduction experts from the Local Initiatives Support Corporation.
While some believe that only police officers can prevent crime, the gist of the session is that many, if not most people, can contribute to crime reduction. Residents and business owners can play a role by following CPTED principles. If we consider three ingredients for a crime—an offender, a target/victim, and a place—we can alter those three components to make criminal activity more difficult or even erase the chances of crime occurring at a residence or business. The environment around a residence or business can be altered and the appearance changed to send out a key message.
“We send the message that we care about the place we live in,” Perkins said.
 The key principles of CPTED revolve around territory, access, landscaping and surveillance. The larger ideas that support effective CPTED are to create places for positive activities, creating trust among neighbors and establishing social cohesion.
In territory, physical changes and improvements or additions reinforces presence, or in other words the changes say “someone lives or works here, this is not public property.” Some changes include installing decorative fences, walkways, lights, flags and banners. The changes show that the home or business is not ignored or abandoned.
To limit access property, you can add deadbolts, alarms, window locks, fences. And surveillance measures include encouraging neighbors to spend time outside, trim bushes and trees to improve the sight lines in and out of windows, and maintaining well-lit areas.
“The goal is to replace negative activity with positive activity,” said Perkins.
If you have a business in Ward 3 or you live in the Ward, you can apply CPTED principles with advice from Tucson police. Contact Community Service Officer Erin Peters at erin.peters@tucsonaz.gov
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Sally
Look at this gorgeous girl. Sally is 10 years old and has been at Pima Animal Care Center since February. We heard that she has received the “Most Social” award. This adorable senior sweetheart craves petting, snuggles, and her own loving home.
If you are interested in meeting Sally or browsing the kennels, please submit an adoption survey and schedule an appointment using the link found in the survey confirmation email. Please email pacc.adopt@pima.gov with questions.
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Ward 3 Neighborhood Association/Coalition Meetings |
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Mountain/1st
Saturday
May 8
9-10:30 am
Zoom
Alvernon Grant Initiative
Tuesday
May 11
6 pm
ZOOM Meeting
If you would like to attend the January Zoom AGI meeting, send an email to paloverdena@gmail.com by Tuesday, May 11 at 12 pm. You will be sent the link to the meeting and the agenda.
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BICAS Art Mart
Sunday
May 16
9 am-1 pm
BICAS parking lot
2001 N 7th Ave
Join BICAS staff and volunteers to support local artists and make kids crafts with BICAS Art!
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Amphi Neighborhood Clean Up
Sunday
May 16th
8-9:30 am
Meet at Literacy Connects
200 E Yavapai Rd
The next scheduled trash pickup in Amphi will be Sunday, May 16th from 8-9:30 am. Family and friends are welcome. Meet at Literacy Connects at 7:45 am to get vests, gloves, grabbers, and trash bags. Groups will be split into 2 or 3 people. Wear masks and stay socially distant. Those who want to work on Prince Road can drive and park on a side street. All others will work on Yavapai starting in front of the LC campus. When it’s done, meet back at Literacy Connects to return your vests, etc. Trash bags will go into the Literacy Connects dumpster. Also, bring water, dress appropriately, wear a hat and put on sunscreen.
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Blacklidge Bicycle Boulevard Public Meeting in Ward 3
ICE CREAM SOCIAL & BIKE-IN MOVIE
(Pop-Up Open House + Ice Cream + FREE bike repair)
Saturday
May 22
6:00 - 7:45 pm
La Madera Park
2700 E La Madera Dr
Open house ends and family-friendly movie starts at 7:45 pm.
Bring a picnic and a blanket and enjoy the evening.
We will follow Covid-19 safety protocols including masks and physical distancing. Masks are required and will be available for free. Ice cream is pre-packaged in individual servings.
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Jefferson Park Plant Sale
May 7-9
8 am-2 pm
1641 E Waverly St
This is a fundraiser for the historic Jefferson Park neighborhood. Come out to get your plants, pots, tools, yard art and more!
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Proposition 102 Tucson Delivers Better Streets Improvements in Flowing Wells
Milling and paving work is scheduled to begin in early June. Neighbors will begin to see crews in the area before that date to construct ADA compliant curb ramps, lower the water valves and manhole covers along with tree trimming.
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Learn about a proposed zoning change to allow Accessory Dwelling Units
Attend a virtual public meeting to learn about a proposed code change to allow backyard casitas (also known as Accessory Dwelling Units) in Tucson. Hear how this housing option can provide affordable housing, help seniors age in place, and promote sustainable infill development.
PDSD staff will present a draft proposal for new zoning regulations to permit this housing type. This proposal was developed based on what we heard at public meetings held earlier this year, and input from a stakeholder group representing a range of viewpoints and expertise. Share your feedback and hear from other community members.
Meetings will be held at the following times:
You can find more background about the project here.
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Climate, Forests, and Fire in Southern Arizona
Tuesday
May 11
6:00 - 7:30 pm
Zoom (link available on website www.sustainabletucson.org)
The Sustainable Tucson May monthly meeting will examine “Climate, Forests, and Fire in Southern Arizona.” Donald Falk and Luke McGuire will present on these topics and help you understand the changing landscape we are already beginning to see in our region from what seems to be an intensifying fire regime. Their work has addressed issues including forest and fire ecology, post-fire impacts on soil and flooding, risks of erosion, and possibilities for restoration.
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Tucson Food Share New Hours & Location
2500 N Stone Ave
Mondays 6–8 pm
Thursdays 6–8 pm
Saturdays 8–10 am
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Pima County Interfaith Hosts Online Eviction Prevention Workshop
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