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Karin’s Ward 3 News and Updates
Friday, June 11, 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,
On Tuesday Mayor and Council unanimously voted to continue the public hearing on differential water rates until our June 22 meeting. Input to date has helped us to understand questions which need to be better addressed. For example, we directed staff to bring back details on how funds raised would be reinvested to assist and benefit Tucson Water customers across our entire service area, through our low income assistance measures, green infrastructure programs, and other core Tucson Water utility investments.
As was the case with charging development impact fees, we would be the last comparable city in Arizona to adopt a differential rate for customers outside the city limits. We’re working hard to tie our efforts to our broader water conservation and sustainability goals, and public participation has helped us already to consider the best way to accomplish that.
We will also take further action to adopt the annual budget. I’m hearing from many people the need for more clarity on our Community Safety Program and initiatives; how we plan to address safety through an improved Tucson Police Department and, as importantly, how we will handle broad safety concerns with responses beyond dispatching police officers (for behavioral health crises, homelessness, and other key concerns). I’ll continue to work with City staff and colleagues to develop a more detailed Community Safety framework and plan, and how it will be funded (in this coming year’s budget and beyond).
I attended the NAACP Tucson Chapter’s City Council candidate forum last night to hear the questions raised from the public. In addition to the Community Safety Program, and how that can evolve our approach to safeguarding all community residents, other topics raised included housing security and affordability, and our City’s track record on addressing racism and systemic inequities. I came away better informed and am grateful to our local NAACP leadership for offering the forum for our community.
In our newsletter this week we have information on the City’s Move Tucson initiative and a promising new program in Housing and Community Development—Neighborhood Ambassador.
The pace and intensity of our city’s efforts to recover from the pandemic and emerge with even greater equity and strength is noteworthy. I appreciate how engaged residents continue to be as we shape our future together.
Take good care and watch out for each other during this coming week’s dangerous heat.
Thanks all,
Karin
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Resource Fair Recap
This past Tuesday, the We Are Amphi Coalition and the Pima County office of Ending Poverty Now sponsored the Eviction Prevention Resource Fair at Literacy Connects in the Amphi neighborhood. With more than 200 people in attendance and 30 participating organizations, it a success as Tucsonans from across the city came to the center to seek financial aid, free covid vaccinations and information on a range of subjects.
“People could get assistance in everything from childcare scholarships to legal help and from internet discounts to dog food,” said Bonnie Bazata, program manager for Ending Poverty Now. “We knew people are coming through a period with so much stress and uncertainty, even trauma, so our mental health providers were critical, as well as the chaplains who were there just to listen and be supportive.”
Everyone was welcomed.
Despite the stress everyone has been under, people were kind and patient. The staff that represented their organizations were gracious and helpful.
Literacy Connects’ campus was the perfect location, both because it is in an area of high need and vulnerability, but also because it was such a great space with multiple rooms.
Ward 3 Chief of Staff Sarah Launius, giving a thumbs up, and Ward 3 Council Aide Ernesto Portillo
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Neighborhood Ambassador
Do you live or work in the 05 area of Ward 3? Would you be interested in serving as an ambassador for the 05 neighborhoods? Be a Thrive in the 05 Ambassador.
The City’s Housing and Community Development Department is looking to hire people who live or work in the 05 area to serve as ambassadors who would reach out to residents in seven neighborhoods that make up the Thrive in the 05 zone. For the past two years, HCD, along with ASU School of Social Work and Pima Community College and the Ward 3 office, have been meeting, communicating, planning with 05 residents and businesses, and other organizations on plans to transform the 05 neighborhoods.
While much of the planning has been done, there’s still work to be completed. And one of the major tasks is to continue to reaching out, contacting 05 residents and businesses, and connect them with a major project that promises to alter the 05 area with invigorated resident-centered projects and programs through HCD’s Transformation Plan.
“We’re interested in be being more intentional working with community and what people are facing,” said Alison Miller, HCD’s lead planner for Thrive in the 05. Ambassadors will solicit residents views on initiatives and challenges.
Going deeper in the neighborhoods make sense because, as Alison said, “residents are the experts in the community.”
Volunteer Ambassadors will be paid a stipend paid during and/or at the end of the program at an average of $15 to $20 an hour for a minimum of 5 hours and a maximum of 40 hours over the 8 week program. The volunteers will be engage in the following activities:
● Distribute flyers/information to neighbors
● Develop cultural and historical asset maps
● Collect oral history through interviews and story gathering
● Organize neighborhood participants in meetings and action activities in the 05.
The 05 boundaries are approximately Miracle Mile to the north, Speedway to the south, Stone Ave to the east, and I-10 to the west and include part or all of the following neighborhoods:
● Barrio Blue Moon
● San Ignacio Yaqui or Old Pascua
● Miracle Minor
● Ocotillo Oracle
● Coronado Heights
● Balboa Heights
● Flowing Wells
Ambassadors will begin work in late June or early July. There will be additional opportunities in the fall as HCD seeks to possibly expand the Ambassador program into a pilot effort. The long-term goal is to convert the pilot effort into a city-wide program, said Ann Chanecka, HCD deputy director.
“We’re trying to engage residents who don’t traditionally participate in local government and planning,” she said.
Thrive in the 05 is a collaboration of Choice Neighborhoods, Community-Based Crime Reduction, and Workforce & Economic Development in the Oracle Road / Miracle Mile area within the 85705 zip code. For more information and to sign up for newsletter updates, visit www.thriveinthe05.com. For questions or more information please contact Jeremiah Dean at: jeremiah.dean@tucsonaz.gov or (520) 837-5446.
Click here for more information and to apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting on Wednesday, June 16, 2021.
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Move Tucson
Move Tucson is the City’s long-range transportation and mobility master plan. The primary goal of Move Tucson is to identify and prioritize the City’s transportation and mobility investments, projects, and programs over the next 20 years. Move Tucson has been underway since October 2019 and is expected to be completed this summer.
The project team has now complied a prioritized project list. At the meeting this week the team presented at Mayor and Council for feedback.
This is an illustration of all 3 types of projects
Projects are organized into three categories, called Catalyst Corridors, Strategic Solutions, and Local Connections.
Catalysts Corridors are investments on major streets (arterial and collector) that modernize the entire roadway addressing improvements for multiple modes including: new pavement, pedestrian facilities, enhanced bike lanes, traffic signal and communications upgrades, roadway lighting, drainage, and landscaping. Strategic Solutions are smaller-scale projects, also on the major street network, that address deficiencies for one or two modes of travel, such as by adding sidewalks, enhancing bike lanes, or upgrading traffic signals. Finally, Local Connections are a collection of off-street greenways and improvements on local streets that make connections for people walking and biking. Local Connections projects are largely sourced from the Bicycle Boulevard Master Plan and the Pima Regional Trail System Master Plan.
The project team has identified at total of 234 named projects with an estimated cost to complete of about $5 billion.
Now the project team will be updating the virtual open house for public input. We expect that to go live by the end of the month with all of July open for public comment. Here is the link to the project website. We expect the team to come back to Mayor and Council in September with what as learned from the public input process, including a more refined project list.
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Arizona Daily Star op-ed
I want to share with you a guest editorial I penned for the Arizona Daily Star which was published Wednesday, June 9. I wrote it so that readers of the Daily Star would have an understanding of my position, and that of my Council colleagues, regarding Tucson’s sizeable role in the region. Critics of the Mayor and Council have attacked our review of the City’s role in regional transportation and Tucson Water services to unincorporated residents. I believe the Mayor and Council are looking out for the best interests of City residents while balancing how city residents underwrite projects important to the region. That is what local responsible governments do.
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The discussion regarding water rates will continue on June 22 at the Mayor and Council Regular Session which begins at 5:30 pm. The RTA discussions are ongoing. RTA members continue to develop what the RTA Next program will include and whether or how to bring it before voters in the coming years before the current RTA effort sunsets in 2026.
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Sunny
It’s a fact—rabbits are cute, cuddly, and make great pets! Here we have Sunny the bunny, an adult Dwarf rabbit.
Like all rabbits, dwarf breeds like Sunny require regular care. How do you take care of a rabbit? Sunny will need proper housing, grooming, and nutrition.
House rabbits live longer and healthier lives than outdoor rabbits. Sunny will need a litter box, nest box, bedding, and a cage.
How big should a cage be for a dwarf rabbit? A good rule of thumb is one square foot of space per one pound of rabbit. This is the minimum and bigger is always better.
Dwarf rabbits are small and low-maintenance, and they can become very loving and loyal.
To meet Sunny you can go to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona at the HSSA Main Campus at 635 West Roger Road.
You'll also find a large selection of dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, and pocket pets of all types there!
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Ward 3 Neighborhood Association/Coalition Meetings |
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SAMOS
Tuesday
June 15
6:30 -7:390 pm 6/15/2021 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Jefferson Park Safety Meeting
Tuesday
June 29
6 – 7 pm
Join
Next Safety meeting, September 28
JPNA June Neighborhood Meeting
Wednesday
June 30
6 – 7 pm
Join
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Free Vaccination Clinic
Sunday
June 13
8 am-12 pm
Sacred Heart Church
601 E Ft Lowell Rd
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Literacy Connects Blood Drive
Literacy Connects and American Red Cross are partnering to bring a blood drive to the Amphi neighborhood Friday, June 18!
You must have an appointment and spaces are limited - sign up for your time slot here.
All donors at this drive will receive a $5.00 Amazon.com eGift Card!
Literacy Connects is located at 200 E. Yavapai Rd.
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Produce On Wheels
Saturday
June 19
6-9 am
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
1145 E. Ft. Lowell Rd
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Volunteers Needed for Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Arizona is in critical need of 100 adult male volunteers or Big Couples to match with Little Brothers in our program. The agency is also actively seeking more Little Sisters ages 6 to 17 to pair with Big Sisters already in the program. To learn more about this life-changing AND fun way to help children, please visit their website.
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2021 Summer Sun Cooling Stations
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Transit Rides Will Remain Free Through December 31
Los viajes en tránsito seguirán siendo GRATUITOS hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2021.
According to a Sun Tran press release, fares will remain free through December 31, 2021 on Sun Tran, Sun Link, Sun Van, Sun On Demand and Sun Shuttle.
The City of Tucson pulled ride fees in March of 2020, with the onset of the pandemic. The move was an effort to avoid crowding at the farebox and to provide some fiscal relief to riders during a challenging economic environment. Federal grant money was used to cover the loss in revenue up to this point. While budget planning for fiscal year 2022, the Mayor and City Council members affirmed free transit service is a priority.
Las tarifas seguirán siendo gratuitas hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2021 en Sun Tran, Sun Link, Sun Van, Sun On Demand y Sun Shuttle.
La ciudad de Tucson retiró las tarifas de transporte en marzo de 2020, con el inicio de la pandemia. La medida fue un esfuerzo para evitar la congestion en la caja de tarifas y brindar algún alivio fiscal a los pasajeros durante un entorno económico desafiante. El dinero de la subvención federal se utilizó para cubrir la pérdida de ingresos hasta este momento. Si bien la planificación presupuestaria para el año fiscal 2022, el alcalde y los miembros del Concejo Municipal afirmaron que el servicio de transporte gratuito es una prioridad.
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Pima County Library Offers Summer Programming For Kids
 
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The Southern Arizona Heritage and Visitor Center Is Open
 Now open on the ground floor of the Historic Pima County Courthouse, you can learn about our region, culture, people, recreational activities and attractions. Open from Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Center includes various exhibits, a theater, gallery, gift shop and more. You can get information about the courthouse and more here.
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