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Get Ready for the 20th Annual Ward 4 Back to School Bash!
Join us on Saturday, July 24 from 8-10 AM at 8123 E Poinciana Dr.
Last year, we were sad to have to cancel our office's favorite event: the annual Ward 4 Back to School Bash. But as the number of vaccinated persons continues to rise, we are thrilled to be able to bring back the bash for its 20th year on Saturday, July 24. Out of an abundance of caution, this year's event will be held in a drive-thru format.
Starting at 8 AM, we'll be handing out 750 backpacks filled with school supplies to students who are present in the drive-thru line (don't forget - the student must be with you in order to receive a backpack). The event goes until 10 AM, but backpacks will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, so don't delay. The address is 8123 E Poinciana Drive.
A huge thank you to our sponsors who are making this year's bash possible: Cox Communications, Desert Toyota, Diamond Ventures, Eegees, Joe and Virginia Yee, Law Offices of Lazarus and Silvyn, PC, Reid Park Zoo, Southern Arizona Home Builder’s Association, Southwest Gas, Swaim and Associates, Tucson Electric Power, Tucson Environmental Services, Tucson Firefighter’s Association, Tucson Police Officer’s Association, and Tucson Water Department.
Hope to see you there!
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Important Dates:
- Saturday, July 17: KIDCO registration begins. Tucson Parks and Recreation's KIDCO Afterschool program will resume for the 2021-22 school year. Programming will be available from the time of school dismissal until 6 p.m. on all in-person learning days (excluding City holidays). Registration begins on July 17, at 6 a.m. for City-residents and 11 a.m. for non-City residents. Register online at EZEEreg.com or by calling Registration Services at (520) 791-4877. The Discount Program is available to city residents who qualify. Those who are interested can call that same number to schedule an appointment to apply. Any discounts must be applied prior to registration.
- Saturday, July 17: Unplug and Play Toy Giveaway hosted by the Tucson Police Department. Begins at 9 AM at the GEICO parking lot: 3050 South ML King Jr. Way, 85713.
- Friday July 23: Move Tucson Virtual Town Hall. 12:00 - 1:00pm - English; 1:00 - 2:00pm - Español.
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Saturday, July 24 from 8-10 AM: The Annual Ward 4 Back to School Bash! This year, the event will be in a drive-thru format. Join us starting at 8 AM at 8123 E Poinciana Drive. We'll be giving out 750 backpacks filled with school supplies to students on a first-come, first-served basis. Remember, the student must be present to receive their backpack. See you there!
- Wednesday, July 28: Public Hearing on proposed zoning change to allow Accessory Dwelling Units at 6 PM. The Planning Commission will hold a Public Hearing on the proposed amendment to the Unified Development Code. You can submit written comments or request to speak at the hearing by emailing PlanningCommission@tucsonaz.gov.
- Thursday, July 29 at 5:30 PM: Ward 4 Virtual Town Hall with Development Services. Register here!
- Tuesday, August 10, 2021: 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).
July 7, 2021 Mayor & Council Session Recap
American Rescue Plan Funding. At last week's Mayor and Council meeting, we received information and a presentation regarding the American Rescue Plan's framework, the amount of funds we will receive, eligible uses, and the timeline for spending the funds. We discussed Mayor and Council focus areas, including relief for families, essential frontline workers and small businesses, community reinvestment, workforce and youth development, investment in digital literacy and infrastructure, and affordable and stable housing. With crime and violence reduction being a priority for most Tucsonans, we directed staff to incorporate our priority of reducing gun violence into the plan.
Sunshine Mile Overlay District Update. At last week's meeting, it was moved by Council Member Kozachik, duly seconded, and passed to adopt the Overlay with the following changes:
1. In the midcentury subdistrict, remove the height incentive and cap it at 4-stories or 54 feet.
2. For affordable housing, stay at 15% at 80% AMI or lower, but remove the density bonus percentages, as long as the new construction follows the building envelope (height, setbacks, and massing).
3. Explore additional funding and partnership solutions to create more affordable housing.
4. Enlist the Housing and Community Development Department, when 25 or more households are displaced, eliminate the 25 number, and enlist HCD in the pre-application phase when anybody is potentially displaced.
Council Member Kozachik added the following:
5. The areas South and West of the corner of Broadway and Campbell to Park/Euclid West, South of Broadway, need to be excluded for the moment to allow his office to continue working with staff and the design team on public outreach in those neighborhoods and keep the public hearing open until the August 10th Mayor and Council meeting for this subdistrict only.
Council Member Uhlich requested that HCD also return on August 10th, with more specifics regarding affordable housing, displacement, and gentrification.
Children's Museum Enclosure. To protect public access to outdoor space outside the Children's Museum downtown, Mayor and Council voted to deny the museum's request to enclose part of the lawn and trees outside the building. We all want to support the progress of our wonderful Children's Museum; we look forward to helping support other options for its continued growth and success.
Out and About!
Speaking to the future of STEM at ACES Camp for Girls
Earlier this week, I was invited to chat with a room full of Middle School girls from Sunnyside Unified School District during the Applied Career Exploration in STEM (ACES) Camp for Girls. It was an absolute privilege to meet these bright young minds!
I spoke about my own STEM journey through the U.S. Air Force to the private sector in aerospace and defense, my time working in agtech, and now sitting at the public service table helping to lead the City of Tucson while managing my career at Raytheon Technologies.
My key message: there is a place for women in STEM in every industry. We need to be at the table as we're trying to solve some of the world's largest challenges and realize some of our greatest opportunities.
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Let me tell you: these girls are ON it and our future looks brighter than ever! Investing in our future STEM leaders will pay dividends and I left there full of hope.
This program was made possible by the generous investments of SARSEF, Sunnyside Unified School District, Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Pima Community College, Tucson Electric Power, The University of Arizona Health Sciences, and Sonora Quest Laboratories / Laboratory Sciences of Arizona.
A huge thank you to Danniey, Brooke, Chaunteal, Sherrie, and the entire ACES / SARSEF team for bringing this fantastic program to girls in our community.
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Move Tucson Public Input Wanted
The City of Tucson's Department of Transportation and Mobility is seeking public input on the proposed $5.7 billion Move Tucson transportation project list. The project list, developed over the last 18 months, consists of 234 individual projects ranging from major corridor and high-capacity transit projects down to smaller-scale neighborhood connections. These projects are intended to advance the vision of Move Tucson by improving safety, increasing transportation choices, and investing in the transportation system we already have. To review the proposed project list and share your thoughts, visit Move Tucson Virtual Open House or Casa Abierta Virtual.
While we don't anticipate having the funding to build all the projects within Move Tucson's 20+-year timeframe, the project list will provide the roadmap for how the city invests in its transportation system and will make sure we are in a strong position to take advantage of future funding opportunities.
Developing the project list is the last step of Move Tucson before the plan is prepared for adoption by Tucson's Mayor and Council this fall.
MOVE TUCSON VIRTUAL TOWN HALL Learn more about the Move Tucson process and project list by attending a virtual town hall session.
Move Tucson Virtual Town Hall Friday July 23, 2021 12:00 - 1:00pm - English 1:00 - 2:00pm - Español Microsoft Teams meeting Join on your computer or app https://bit.ly/MoveTucsonTownHall2 Or call in (audio only) +1 213-293-2303,,828736803# Phone Conference ID: 828 736 803#
QUESTIONS? Email Patrick Hartley, Complete Streets Program Coordinator, Department of Transportation & Mobility, at Patrick.Hartley@tucsonaz.gov.
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29th Street Corridor Survey
If you live or work on or around the 29th Street Corridor from Alvernon to Craycroft, we want to hear from you.
The Tucson Police Dept in this area has been involved in some crime preventative deployments that consisted of reducing gun violence and distributing drug abuse resources.
If you live or work in this area, the City wants your input. This data will give us an idea of what the community sees as a crime problem and if they feel safe in this area.
To take the survey, click here.
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2021 City of Tucson Election Information
The City of Tucson Primary Election is coming up on Tuesday, August 3. As a reminder, there is no primary election in Ward 4. Primary elections are taking place for City Council seats in Wards 3, 5, and 6.
All qualified voters in Tucson, including those in Ward 4, may vote in the general election on Tuesday, November 2. The registration deadline to vote in the primaries has passed. To vote in the general election on November 2, you must register to vote by October 4.
The City has put together a helpful webpage that includes important election dates and FAQs. Check it out for information about registration deadlines, offices up for election, and more.
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Bonanza Ave. Bike Lanes Construction
Heads up! Bike lanes on Bonanza will be under construction this month. The City does not have exact dates yet but the lanes are to be completed by the end of July. We will share the exact dates once we know them on the Ward 4 Facebook page.
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Child Tax Credit Expansion - Sign Up for Monthly Payments by July 15
A key component of the Biden Administration's American Rescue Plan is an expansion of the Child Tax Credit - $3,000-$3,600 per child. This can make a huge difference for so many families in our community. Parents can sign up for monthly payments at www.ChildTaxCredit.gov through July 15. I'm so glad to see this support for working families and an added tool for fighting childhood poverty in our community.
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Rent and Utility Assistance Available
The federal eviction moratorium is set to expire on July 31, 2021. Applications are still being accepted for the Eviction Prevention Program in Tucson. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program serves both Landlords/Property Managers AND Tenants. The program can help cover unpaid expenses incurred during the pandemic and three months of future rent. Learn more and apply online at tucsonpimaep.com or call (831) 292-4308.
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