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Date: 03/20/2023
Topics in This Issue:
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In Memory of Mel Zuckerman
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LIV Golf and Saguaro Desecration
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Sister Jose Benefit
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PFAS Update
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Refugee Donations
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Tucson Wildlife Center
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Sex Trafficking Forum
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Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse
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Plastic Program
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InterVol – 700,000 Maxi Pads
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TEP Franchise Agreement
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Palo Verde Art Walk
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Mayor and Council Salaries
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Arizona Inn Audubon Bar and Patio
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Tucson Residents for Responsive Government (TRRG)
In Memory of Mel Zuckerman
We at the ward 6 office wish to extend our most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the entire Zuckerman family for the loss of our wonderful community icon Mel. While he’s most well-known for founding Canyon Ranch, his philanthropic work in the fields of poverty, youth, health, education and the arts has, and will continue to touch the lives of thousands. Most of the people he has had a positive impact on will never know who blessed them – and isn’t that the best kind of giving!
While Mel rests in peace we wish peace and only fond memories for family and friends as they reflect on what Mel brought to their lives.
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LIV Golf and Saguaro Desecration
LIV Golf is a new professional golf circuit. They’re challenging the traditional PGA golf organization by offering professional golfers on the PGA tour significant amounts of money to jump over and compete in LIV tournaments. Within the golf world LIV has created quite the stir. One does not upset tradition by poaching world class players with a bigger paycheck.
LIV held their tournament out at the Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain last weekend. The reason LIV should be boycotted has nothing to do with poaching players. It’s the fact that in order to make room for a couple of temporary hospitality tents, they cut down 2 old growth saguaro’s. Every time I see somebody butchering our landscaping, I wonder what they’re thinking. In this case it’s even more maddening considering these fools were taking a chainsaw to two saguaro cacti, each of which was probably nearing 100 years old. Neither The Gallery Golf Club nor Santa Rita Landscaping secured the proper permits to take them down. But the larger question is why they simply didn’t find another location for their tents.
 Thanks to Jerry Parker for having the presence of mind to pull out his phone and video these guys cutting down the cactus. It’s 1:15 minutes of a head-scratching episode of lunacy.
In case you’re curious, here’s Jerry’s video: chainsawing down two Saguaro cactuses
I hope there are criminal charges brought for the desecration of these regal protected species.
Sister Jose Benefit
Thank you to all who came in support of Sister Jose women’s shelter. Our benefit event at Feast last Monday saw a full house. In fact, the response was so significant that we are going to do a repeat event on Monday, April 3rd – at Feast once again. The link for attending is here: http://evite.me/vDW9K4JSHd
This month Jean Fedigan is featured in an AARP article related to seniors and homelessness. Here’s the full text of the article. Jean lays out the challenges well. I point to some of the legislative roadblocks we face in trying to address the issue. Thanks to Joyceen for sharing the article with me.
Here’s a link to the article in case you’d like to share it.
https://states.aarp.org/arizona/rising-rents-fuel-homeless-crisis-for-older-residents
As was true for the first event we’re limited in space. As I write this, we’re well over ½ full for this second event so please click the evite and get signed up. The work being done at Sister Jose is lifesaving, as is your support of their operation. Doug Levy – owner of Feast – has contracted with local vineyards and will have a variety of local wines to go along with his 5 Star meal. I’ll enjoy once again being off to the side providing some music throughout the evening. My staff and I hope to see you there.
PFAS Update
For the first time the EPA is issuing what’s called a Maximum Contamination Level (MCL) for PFAS. That’s significant because up until now the product manufacturers and the DOD (major users of the product) have been hiding behind the façade that there was only a ‘health advisory’ issued for the toxic chemicals. Now that an MCL is going into place the rock they’ve been hiding behind is about to be kicked out from in front of them.
While it’s very good news that there’s an MCL, the level the EPA is setting it at is troubling to me. A few months ago, the EPA issued a health advisory that said if you can detect PFAS at any level, it’s a health risk. Prior to that the EPA advisory level was 70 parts per trillion. In Tucson with the drop in the health advisory level we shut down wells if we find any concentration of the chemical. Why? Because prior to the new MCL being issued the EPA had set a health advisory level below amounts for which we can even test using their own approved methods.
The reason I’ve got mixed feelings about the new MCL is that the EPA is setting it at 4 parts per trillion for the two most common PFAS chemicals. Just weeks ago, they said any level is worth issuing a health advisory. Now they’re saying we’re good up to 4 parts per trillion. At least we can test for that level – but they hurt their own credibility by raising the MCL to several times the level for which they themselves had issued a health advisory.
The MCL is significant because it comes with a financial commitment to help clean and treat water systems like ours that has been affected by PFAS. Tucson Water already has over $50M committed to managing the issue. The Tucson solution will end up costing in the hundred million dollar ++ range before it’s under control.
The new MCL is not in place yet. The EPA will be holding public meetings through early May where members of the public can voice their opinions on the proposed MCL. So can members of the manufacturing industry and the DOD. So, if this matters to you please take a moment to submit your thoughts. There are several ways to do that. You can submit comments through the public docket, identified by Docket ID number EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0114. Use this link for that: www.regulations.gov.
The EPA will also be hosting an informational webinar about the proposed change. That will take place on Wednesday, March 29th from 2pm until 3pm eastern time. You can sign up for that using this link:
Finally, the EPA will be holding a public hearing on May 4th where you can register to attend and give your thoughts. You have to register for this one – do that by April 28th. Use this link to get yourself signed up for that public hearing:
I said throughout the last campaign for this position that water security is our top issue. And PFAS is a potential existential threat to our groundwater if we don’t get it addressed. Tucson Water is footing the bill right now. The responsible parties are 3M and the DOD. We’re actively going after them for funds to remediate the mess they created.
Refugee Donations
The folks running the Alitas Welcome Center come by weekly to gather up the donations you bring into the ward 6 office. The weekly trips are necessary because they continue to get 300-500 new arrivals daily at Alitas. That’s daily. Where are they all coming from? Cuba, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Haiti, Venezuela, some from Eastern Europe – all over.
The creature comforts we enjoy are totally lacking throughout the journey’s the Alitas guests make to get here. The conditions they’re leaving ‘back home’ are life threatening. The conditions they suffer during transit often result in robbery, rape, illness, hunger, and injury. I’m focusing on the Alitas arrivals this week in order to extend a special note of thanks to the many volunteers who keep the place running. Just as was the case when we were operating out of the Benedictine, volunteers are greeting guests, making contact with next of kin, providing medical care, providing meals and clothing. The volunteers are making the arrivals feel welcome for the first time in forever for many of them.
If February, there were just under 35,000 apprehensions in Arizona. That’s down from above 50,000 we were seeing, but it’s still a huge number to manage.
So, thank you if you’re serving in any of those roles out at Alitas, and thank you for continuing to support that work through your donations. The needs continue to be new underclothes, lotions, sunscreen, hygiene products, kid’s toys, and warm jackets. Thanks for helping.
Tucson Wildlife Center
My bride and I are grateful to Jan Vasilius and the Kaimas Foundation for inviting us to take part in the Tucson Wildlife Center gala last week. All of us in the ward 6 office are supportive of the restorative work they do out at the center.
The event was emceed by KOLD’s Erin Christiansen. Here you can see her auctioning off the chance to take part in some training involving the TPD K-9 unit. I’m not sure I’d bid to pay for the opportunity to get in a ‘bite suit’ and let the dog chew on me, but people did. And the TWC was the beneficiary of lots of other bidding that took place on other items throughout the night.
The Center takes in roughly 5,000 animals yearly. Every one of them is in some sort of distress when they arrive. Just as is the case with many of our non-profits, TWC relies to a large extent on the great work of their volunteers. In this case they’ve got several veterinarians to help with the animals’ medical needs. Thanks to Lisa Bates and her team for running the place and helping injured animals back to their natural habitat. If you’d like to get more information on the work, they do at TWC, check this link: https://tucsonwildlife.com/
Sex Trafficking Forum
My office continues putting the plans in place for our sex trafficking informational forum. I’m grateful to KGUN9’s Reyna Preciado for staying on the issue while we put the finishing touches on the event. Here’s a piece she ran as a follow to the one I had linked in last week’s newsletter. As you’ll see in the story this is a topic that hits home in far too many families throughout Tucson – and throughout the country.
https://www.kgun9.com/news/local-news/human-trafficking-movement-how-you-can-get-involved
We’re working with expert in the field Dominique Roe-Sepowitz. Here are her credentials.
Last July Dominique’s team conducted a 10-day data collection effort. It was a series of anonymous surveys that were completed by participants in 2 Tucson agencies who deal with vulnerable populations. They had 107 homeless young adults respond – 2/3 from Tucson and 1/3 from Phoenix. About 2/3 of the respondents were young women averaging 20 years old.
The 20-year-old average age didn’t tell the real story though. Here’s when these youth first became homeless:
Over half of the people taking the survey reported being involved with drug use. Between 10% and 15% suffered either drug and/or alcohol addiction. Remember, these are people who are mainly under 20 years of age.
Add to the substance abuse the fact that 2/3 of the respondents reported some current mental health issue, and 35% reported a history of having attempted suicide.
More is revealed when you look at the backgrounds from which these young people come. Note the two lines I’ve highlighted. Being abused sexually was a relatively normalized experience early in their lives.
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Now look at these 3 questions – they're drilling more deeply into the whole notion of the respondents’ having been trafficked. I’d add that it is illegal to have sex – consensual or otherwise – with a minor. At the very least it would be statutory rape. We have some local officials who failed to act when situation came to their attention that fall under that sole criterion, much less other dynamics of the ‘relationships’ I’m aware of. We’ll be maybe educating some enforcement people through this forum as well as the general public. Anyway, the youth focused on these questions as a way of self-identifying as having been trafficked. Fully 38% reported having been trafficked. We prosecuted zero in Tucson last year.
Why do homeless youth end up in these vulnerable situations? Here’s what they told us during the survey:
When you’re needing a place to sleep, clothes, food or feeding an addiction, the sex is simply a survival activity. These young people are being victimized simply for trying to survive.
More on this to come as we pull together the details on the forum. Everybody who has access to the internet is vulnerable to being trafficked. Please be aware of what sites your kids are on.
Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse
The issue of sex trafficking is directly tied into the issue of domestic abuse. For anybody who has paid much attention to the whole domestic violence issue you know that men play a significant role. That means boys and how they’re socialized does too. Emerge clearly knows how those dynamics play into DV situations, and they’re bringing a forum to help shed light on that side of the issue.
On Saturday, April 8th our friends at the Loft Cinema will host a presentation titled “Responsibility and Repair; A Conversation With Men.” The event will take place from 10:30am until 12:30pm. You’ll see a series of short videos featuring men who have been through the Emerge Men’s Education Program. There will be a panel Q&A to follow.
The data shows that many people involved in abusive relationships have come from environments where aggression is a normalized behavior. This Men’s Education program addresses that head-on and takes the next step of addressing the need for men in those circumstances to take responsibility, and to begin a healing process. We at the ward 6 office have a long relationship with the team at Emerge. We’re happy to help promote this important event. You can register by using this link:
https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ejo6kvqaf6d7af48&oseq=&c=&ch=
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Plastic Program
There were several great contacts last week in support of the plastics program. This is a picture of the fund-raising event held out at TROT (Therapeutic Riding of Tucson.) I’ve written about their wonderful work in the past. In this case they included the ByBlocks in their event – we're hoping to build them a new tack room with the plastic blocks. That’s a part of what they were raising funds to pay for.
And on Oma’s 98th birthday, I joined her daughter Jo-Ann in building her a new bench that’s sitting on her patio. Oma’s my hero. She’s out riding her trike every day, twice a day pretty much rain or shine. She’s an inspiration, and she’s also a big supporter of the plastics program. |
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On Saturday I joined Luke Cole from the Sonoran Institute and Elizabeth Baldwin from the UA College of Government Policy for a League of Women Voters forum that had a distinct environmental focus. Dr. Cole’s presentation centered on the restoration efforts happening on the Santa Cruz. Dr. Baldwin spoke on the challenges involved with managing buffelgrass. I was asked to share what’s happening with the plastics program. Clearly the whole topic of climate change and zero waste stream is an important community and region-wide topic. The word about this program has spread more quickly than many of us anticipated when the ‘pilot’ started in August.
If you’d like to watch the video of the meeting, you can find it on the League website at https://www.lwvtucson.org/. And as a side note, one of the slides Dr. Baldwin shared was this graphic showing where the known clusters of buffelgrass are located. Clearly, we’ve got a problem in the Catalina’s and other areas around Pima County.
Congregation M’Kor Hayim had their collection day on Sunday. They filled two pickup trucks with plastic for the program and are going to make this a regular part of their community work. We’re grateful for their involvement now and moving forward.
We’re still gathering between 2 and 3 tons of plastic weekly at the ward 6 office. That says to me the news of the two new drop off locations isn’t widely known yet. Please pass on the word.
Ward 4 city council office - 8123 E. Poinciana Drive
Fire Station 15 at 2002 S. Mission Road
Both taking plastic now. As is the case with our rolloff here at ward 6, all the sites are available 24/7 for drop off.
Our running total since last August is now 61.84 tons of plastic. We are not aggressively pursuing commercial partners until ByFusion is here to manage those arrangements. So, the 61+ tons is all from residents, plus the businesses and non-profits who are bringing their material over to the ward 6 office. Over 120,000 pounds of plastic is impressive – and a bit distressing since it reflects the unavoidable nature of this stuff in our lives. Plastic is a useful product – it just needs to be managed better.
We’re still waiting on the lawyers to check the final boxes on our service agreement with ByFusion. They clearly don’t have the sense of urgency that I do, but we’ll get it done. Over the weekend the ByFusion attorney forwarded what I hope to be the final draft over to the city attorney’s office. We’re close. This delay is also causing a delay in starting to fabricate the blocker, construction of the building ByFusion will operate it from, and the stack of plastic we’re storing continues to grow. Hopefully we’ll see the final draft this week.
Finally, this – every week we pull styrofoam out of the rolloff. It is not plastic. It cannot be used in this program. It is contamination when you put it into the rolloff. Please don’t.
But here’s an option for you. They’re located up in the Phoenix area. Ward 6 is not taking styrofoam for The Perfect Block, but if you’ve got a bunch and you’re headed to Phoenix anyway, take it with you and give it to them.
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They’re using styrofoam to make building material. I’m not vouching for its structural or any other building code credentials, but they’re up and operating so you’ve got this as an outlet for your styrofoam. I pulled this image from their website. |
The company is called Eco Building Systems. They’re located at 8960 W. Larkspur Drive in Peoria, AZ. Their drop off hours are M-F from 8am until 4pm. If you’re taking a truckload, they want you to confirm your arrival ahead of time. If you’d like to reach out to Eco you can call them at 623.271.1173.
Here’s an image of one of their structures. You can check their website at https://www.theperfectblock.com;
The ward 6 team is not chasing this use of styrofoam down. We’ve got our hands full with your plastic. We are grateful for your support of that program.
InterVol – 700,000 Maxi Pads
My office is not going to start a styrofoam crusade, but we are directly engaged with the non-profit InterVol. Keep reading – I think you’ll want to get connected with this group too.
InterVol began in 1980 when their founder, Dr. Ralph Pennino was doing volunteer medical work in some developing countries. What he saw was the things they most needed for medical care were things he and others in the U.S. medical community were throwing away. When you go in for a medical treatment the medical staff has ‘kits’ of supplies. For example, in surgery a kit might include a scalpel, clips, bandages and other things. If the doctor only uses the scalpel and a couple of bandages, the rest gets thrown away. Dr. Pennino saw the need and formed what was to become InterVol. Their mission is to get unused medical supplies and equipment into the hands of people who need it.
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During the Tucson Wildlife Center event I sat with Nicole Jones Seftleben. She’s the E.D. for InterVol. They’re in Tucson now distributing a variety of medical equipment and supplies. The ward 6 office is committed to helping them in that effort.
One item (actually 700,000 items) we’re helping pass the word on is their oversupply of Maxi-Pads. Nicole and her team are right now storing the pads with a local diaper bank. They are looking for groups who can put them to good use – preferably in large quantities. This is an agency-level distribution since they’re working with such a large quantity. There are of course more supplies and equipment coming, but distributing this is our immediate need.
If you’re a non-profit that can put these to use, please reach out to us at the ward 6 office and we’ll make the connection for you, or you can reach out directly to Nicole at Nicole.jones@intervol.org. And if you’ve got a medical background and would like to get involved with InterVol we’ll make that connection for you as well. I pulled these bullet points from their website – they show the commitment to relationship that InterVol is built on. To volunteer you can also call them at 585.922.5810.
- We reduce our carbon footprint by keeping usable medical supplies and equipment out of the landfill.
- We foster volunteerism across the generations, as they work side-by-side.
- We use our skills to provide medical consultation and treatment in areas with limited access to care.
- We make a lasting impact by building long-term partnerships with healthcare providers worldwide
TEP Franchise Agreement
Earlier this year the M&C voted to place the extension of the TEP franchise agreement on the ballot for a May election. Beginning around April 17th you’ll start seeing ballots arrive in your mailbox. The election is set for May 16th. On Tuesday, April 11th we’ll be hosting an informational meeting here at the ward 6 office. We’ll start at 6pm. The meeting will be both in-person and virtually. Here’s the link for you to sign in if you’re not able to come and take part in person.
Topic: TEP Franchise Agreement
Time: Apr 11, 2023 06:00 PM Arizona
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81333623339?pwd=NnU0Q0oyK1VuVWs0K1hHR1VaeGJQdz09
Meeting ID: 813 3362 3339
Passcode: W@rd6
The franchise agreement is an extension of TEP’s current ability to place their poles and lines in the public right of way. It lasts 25 years. The agreement does not prevent others from also signing a franchise agreement (FA) to provide electricity – or other services. The current TEP agreement expires in 2026. By law it's the voters who have to approve an extension. The city does not have the unilateral authority to do that.
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The proposed agreement is in response to the requirement we have in place for undergrounding new utility lines in our gateway and scenic corridors. TEP is proposing to use the FA to identify a funding source. That will be a .75% increase in the fee they’re charged that will be earmarked for undergrounding plus some additional climate-related activities. The fee will raise about $5M annually so by itself it’s not going to fund much underground work. It’ll likely be used for debt service on loans they secure to pay for the construction.
I’ve met w/TEP and indicated many people would like to see a broader measurable commitment to climate-sensitive activities than what’s being proposed in the FA you’ll be voting on. While there are broad statements pulled from our own climate action plan, it’s not a series of written binding agreements to pivot more quickly to renewables. In response the TEP folks pointed me to their on-going public meetings in which they’re developing an Integrated Resource Plan. That plan is their roadmap pointing towards greater uses of wind, solar and energy storage systems. I pulled this statement from their current plan. The Plan will:
target resources to support TEP’s 2020 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which calls for TEP to reduce its carbon emissions by 80 percent and to supply more than 70 percent of its energy to retail customers from renewable resources by 2035. It calls for building an increasingly sustainable resource portfolio by retiring coal-fired power plants and replacing them with a significant expansion of renewable resources and energy storage systems, backed by existing and efficient natural gas-fired generators.
If you’d like to access their site and dig more deeply into their IRP, here’s a link that’ll take you directly to that page: https://www.tep.com/resource-planning/
Come and take part in the informational forum we’re hosting on the 11th. TEP will be presenting what’s in the proposed FA, why they need it, and they’ll answer questions about commitments to renewables as well.
Palo Verde Art Walk
On Saturday, April 1st the Palo Verde neighbors will be showing off their local artists and green thumbs. Meet at 11am in the NW parking lot at the Loft and head off with the group to see over 20 local artists and 10 gardens located within Palo Verde neighborhood. They’ve got some talented folks – everything from painters to ceramics, rock carving and mixed media. If you love the arts, you will certainly find this a fun way to spend a part of the afternoon on the 1st.
All of the proceeds from sales of art will go to the artists involved. There will be a raffle to be used as a fund raiser to help renovation of some traffic circles the ward 6 office is working with PVNA on. And what would an event like this be without a food truck. The event is scheduled to end around 4pm, but of course people may peel off anytime they feel the need. Thanks to the Palo Verde board for pulling this community building event together.
You can get details of the walk at www.paloverdeneighborhood.org/events/art-in-the-gardens.
Mayor and Council Salaries
By Charter a citizen group is formed every two years to make recommendations on M&C salaries. The commission operates completely independently from the M&C and the council has no authority to alter their recommendation or to refuse to place it on the ballot. Our job is purely ministerial; that is, we vote to call the election. What goes to the ballot is up to the commission.
The current salary for the mayor is $42,000 annually. Council members are paid $24,000 annually. The commission is recommending the mayor’s salary be increased to $95,750 per year, and council members would be paid what the Board of Supervisors are paid, $76,600 per year effective July 1st, 2024. There would be an automatic increase for council members that’s already laid out in state law for Supervisors. That’s scheduled to go to $96,600 on January 1st, 2025. The mayor’s salary would be $120,750.
This will be on the November ballot. I cannot use city resources to advocate in either direction for ballot measures.
Arizona Inn Audubon Bar and Patio
I opened with an invitation to come to the Feast Restaurant event in support of Sister Jose. Another Tucson and ward 6 iconic business that I’ve got a special affinity for is the Arizona Inn. The Inn is located at 2200 E. Elm – between Tucson Blvd and Campbell. Most of you have been there.
My affinity is built on having had numerous out of town guests of mine stay at the Inn. It’s a sure-thing recommendation. I’m honored to have the opportunity to play some music in their Audubon bar and patio each Wednesday evening during April. I’ll be there from 5pm until 8pm so come by and have some dinner or relax with the drink of your choice in a really cool historic setting.
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They serve food in the bar and out on the patio. The Inn is hiring employees to staff both front and back of house so they can open the dining area. If you know of people who’d like to work in a fine-dining environment, please have them check in at the Inn. The place was built by Arizona’s first congresswoman Isabella Greenway in 1930. I hope to see you there.
Tucson Residents for Responsive Government (TRRG)
While I was on the LWV panel talking about plastics last Saturday, Diana represented our office in a TRRG meeting out in the community room. We had a full house. She was joined on the panel by Kevin Dahl and the city neighborhood liaison Rebecca Ruopp.
TRRG was ‘a thing’ for several years back pre-COVID. More recently they’ve been trying to reinvigorate their membership. Saturday’s event was an indication that many neighbors want the engagement and that COVID isn’t a hinderance. It was nice to see a great mix of familiar TRRGers and new members sitting together talking about neighborhood priorities.
People in attendance ranked items related to the preservation of neighborhood character. Some of the areas they listed included architectural compatibility of new development, effective use of buffering, recognition of threats to single family ambiance, neighborhood stability and ‘neighborhood streets for local use.’ They’re compiling the data and will provide how these, and other topics were ranked. I’ll share that information with you – and with my staff – when it’s ready.
During the meeting the attendees also commented on how responsive they feel their ward office is. That’s a big deal here at the ward 6 office. We take pride in being accessible and responsive. I’ve got a great team here and while we’re not always able to deliver on your specific request, your calls and emails are not ignored. Attendees also commented on how the city is doing more broadly in terms of providing notice for various meetings and hearings. Those responses will also be passed along to city staff.
It was great to see the interest from our neighbors. We’re happy to continue hosting these events and help to serve as a conduit between residents and city leadership.
Sincerely,
Steve Kozachik
Council Member, Ward 6
ward6@tucsonaz.gov
City of Tucson Resources
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