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Date: 06/07/2024

A Note from Karin

Hello Tucson,

Here are some updates from the week.

Team Transitions

It was so bittersweet to wish our City Manager Mike Ortega farewell as he marked his last Mayor and Council meeting with us on Tuesday. I served on the Council when he joined the City of Tucson, and I and the Mayor and my Council colleagues can all recount many impactful moments working alongside him. We will miss his steady, smart, compassionate leadership and wish him well in his next adventures. Thankfully, our new City Manager Tim Thomure, offers extraordinary experience (at the helm of Tucson Water and on the City Manager’s team) and a vision and temperament sure to serve our city well. He has the unwavering support of the Mayor and Council, well-earned. I look forward to working alongside him.

In the Ward 6 office we’re bidding farewell to Ann Charles, long-time Chief of Staff. Ann wants to take more time to enjoy her precious family and no doubt find new ways to keep helping Tucson. Ann served with former Councilmember Kozachik from day one and leaves a legacy of impactful efforts. As Ann transitions from our team in June, we are fortunate to have Diana Amado serve as Chief or Staff and to welcome Stacy Balstad to our team. Stacy most recently served in the Pima County Attorney’s office. She’ll be a valuable advocate for constituents and neighborhoods and a great addition to our staff. Stacy, along with our fabulous Aides Nadia Ispiani and Dora Maldonado and our devoted volunteer Mark Crum, will ensure that we sustain the outstanding reputation of the Ward 6 office and our services.

We hope you’ll join us the evening of Thursday, June 27^th for a night of Meet & Greet.  We would also like to honor Ann and welcome Stacy! see below for details. 

Mayor and Council Meeting Highlights from June 4th

Gun Violence Awareness

Mayor Romero proclaimed today Gun Violence Awareness Day to reinforce the vital importance of continuing our community’s commitment and efforts:

https://tucsonaz.hylandcloud.com/221agendaonline/Documents/ViewDocument/NATIONAL%20GUN%20VIOLENCE%20AWARENESS%20DAY.pdf?meetingId=1788&documentType=Agenda&itemId=72319&publishId=151174&isSection=false

Please find a way to participate in this cause, by donating time or funds, sharing information with your family, friends and neighbors, and voicing concern over the devastation of gun violence across our country. My thanks to the leaders acknowledged who accepted the proclamation, and who tirelessly day in and day out make a difference:

Gun Violence Awareness Day Proclamation. Guests: Oscar Medina (Community Safety, Health and Wellness), Lee Hopkins (Community Safety, Health and Wellness), Brittany Petersen (Community Violence Interruption Program, City of Tucson), Lance Meeks (Goodwill), Latefa Duhart (Goodwill), Dr. Andrew Tang (MD, FACS, is a professor with the University of Arizona Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Critical Care, Burn, and Emergency Surgery.), Christina Colosimo DO, MS (clinical assistant professor in the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Burns, and Acute Care Surgery with the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson.), Dr. Bellal Joseph (Martin Gluck Endowed Professor of Surgery, Professor of Neurosurgery, Chief of the Division of General Surgery, Chief of the Division of Trauma), Dr. Shamele Battan- Wraith (Resident/Fellow), Pete Plahmer (Trauma Outreach and Injury Prevention Coordinator Banner).     

Healthy Water and PFAS

Thanks to the strong advocacy and leadership of our Mayor and Council, City Attorney Mike Rankin and Tucson Water, the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued an Emergency Administrative Order for the Air Force and Air National Guard to take immediate action to remediate PFAS and protect our valley groundwater.

You can read the administrative order here:

https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024-05/pws-ao-2024-010-emer-admin-order-response-action-tucson-international-airport-superfund-site-2024-05-29.pdf

Tucson Water and the City Attorney will proceed with all actions needed, in concert with the EPA, the state Department of Environmental Quality and the AF and ANG, to see this through to implementation.

You can be sure that from the moment PFAS contamination was detected here, Mayor and Council and Tucson Water acted swiftly to build the needed treatment plant and processes needed to protect the public—not waiting for funds or actions from anywhere else to be confirmed. We did the right thing without delay. This binding order for the Air Force and Air National Guard will bring us the partnership and resources from them we have long awaited.

TEP Midtown Transmission Line Routing

Vice Mayor Kevin Dahl offered an excellent summary and overview of TEP’s application to the ACC in his newsletter last week:

After months of public engagement, Tucson Electric Power (TEP) has proposed new routes for two transmission lines to serve the Vine Substation located near Banner-University Medical Center, thus providing greater electric reliability in central Tucson, especially the University area.

TEP’s original plan to build an overhead 75-foot tall 138Kv line along Campbell Avenue would have violated Tucson’s Gateway and Scenic Corridor ordinance. TEP’s lawsuit to overturn the City’s decision to require underground lines is still in court.

Last Friday the utility applied for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility (CEC) to the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), which regulates TEP and must approve the routes.  The Commission’s Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee will hold a public hearing on the application on July 8, 2024, 5:30 pm, at the DoubleTree Hotel, 445 S. Alvernon Way.

The “Midtown Reliability Project” will upgrade the current 46Kv system to 138Kv, with routes connecting two substations – the DeMoss Petrie at Grant and I-10 and Kino at Kino and 36th Street – with the Vine Substation.

The new preferred routes will avoid Campbell Avenue. See the map for preferred routes and the alternatives that still might be chosen.

Preferred route segments are highlighted in yellow.

The Ward 3 office was provided with 2214-page printed copy of the application for public review. You can also download a copy on the TEP website, tep.com/midtown-reliability-project. The site includes an interactive map where you can take a closer look at the alternatives.

 The 2214-page transmission line application is available for public review at Ward 3 (and through the links on this site: https://www.tep.com/midtown-reliability-project/ ).

Underground Arizona (https://undergroundarizona.org/) has intervened in the quasi-judicial approval process because TEP’s application asks ACC’s permission to ignore Tucson’s undergrounding requirements. They contend that Tucson’s University Area plan would require some parts of the transmission approaching Vine Substation to be undergrounded.

Mayor and Council discussed the project in executive session on Tuesday. The City Attorney has been directed to represent Tucson as a party in the process. Along with Underground Arizona, University Medical Center has also recently filed as an intervener.

Budget and Employee Compensation

We adopted the FY25 budget, which sets our spending limit for the coming year. We also unanimously approved a 1.5% base salary increase for all city employees effective July 1, 2024. Mayor and Council did not want to delay compensation action until December as recommended by the Manager; we want to do everything we responsibly can to preserve the extensive work achieved over recent years to keep our salaries competitive and help employees cover their costs of living.

We’ll continue budget work over the coming months, especially on the revenue side of the equation.

Heat Action Roadmap

Tucson leads the way in planning and taking action to protect residents from the dangerous summer heat. Mayor and Council adopted the complete road map, which you can read here:

https://tucsonaz.hylandcloud.com/221agendaonline/Documents/ViewDocument/ATTACHMENT%20A%20-%20CITY%20OF%20TUCSON%20HEAT%20ACTION%20ROADMAP.pdf?meetingId=1787&documentType=Agenda&itemId=72312&publishId=150052&isSection=false

The Heat Action Roadmap was developed with input from approximately 250 community members, stakeholders, experts and city departments. Additionally, best practices and frameworks were reviewed and incorporated.

Transit Comprehensive Operational Analysis

Our Department of Transportation shared the data-driven plan for route and service adjustments in our system to occur in phases as outlined in the report. Kudos to the Department and Transit System leadership for modifying services to promote equity and efficiency as called for based on ridership demand.

You can review the full analysis and report at this link:

https://tucsonaz.hylandcloud.com/221agendaonline/Documents/ViewDocument/ATTACHMENT%20A%20-%20TRANSIT%20COMPREHENSIVE%20OPERATIONAL%20ANALYSIS%20FINAL%20REPORT.pdf?meetingId=1787&documentType=Agenda&itemId=71965&publishId=150048&isSection=false

Roadrunners Hockey

Thanks to the Rio Nuevo Board, Tucson will continue to serve as home for the Tucson Roadrunners hockey team for three more years. While Rio Nuevo made concessions to contribute toward some of the costs, we believe overall that retaining the games at the Tucson Convention Center will drive important economic activity and revenues for downtown and our city.

Additional Items

A renovated and expanded Walmart Supercenter was approved at the location on E Wetmore Road between Stone and 1^st Avenues. In addition a significant annexation plan in Ward 4 was approved. You can view the details at the link to our Regular Meeting agenda:

https://tucsonaz.hylandcloud.com/221agendaonline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=1788&doctype=1

LGBTQ+ Pride

As an out and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, I’m grateful to call Tucson home. Tucson has been at the forefront nationally of enacting protections for LGBTQ+ residents. Today’s Mayor and Council sustains that commitment.

I couldn’t offer better insights than those offered by Council Member Lane Santa Cruz in this week’s Ward 1 newsletter (I’m also humbled by their shout out to me here):

Celebrating Our Queer Neighbors

As we enter the sunny and warm month of June, we also embark on Pride Month! Pride Month began as a riot against police brutality at New York City's Stonewall Inn. On June 28, 1969, police raided the bar, enforcing outdated laws targeting transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. This time, they were met with resistance, sparking a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ+ rights movement. This month, we are reminded that every queer person deserves safety and freedom - additionally, we’re also met with an opportunity to ground ourselves in fights for the liberation of all those who are oppressed around the globe. To continue to lead and follow the footsteps of national powerhouses like Marsha P. Johnson, to local ones like Dr. Lydia Otero, Council Member Karin Uhlich, and others who have paved the way for us.

If you're interested in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in our community and are interested in joining the City of Tucson LGBTQ+ Commission please email: angela.reyes@tucsonaz.gov

Mayor Romero offered a proclamation on behalf of the city at our meeting which you can read here:

https://tucsonaz.hylandcloud.com/221agendaonline/Documents/ViewDocument/LGBTQ_%20PRIDE%20MONTH.pdf?meetingId=1788&documentType=Agenda&itemId=72219&publishId=151173&isSection=false

LGBTQA+ Pride Month proclamation guests: Members of the GLBT Commission Michael Webb, Peter Loya, Sam Cloud and Gayle Brickert. SAAF’s Executive Director, Beth Frantz, and amazing staff members Jaime Tadeo, and Monique Vallery. Senior Pride’s Executive Director, Mary O’Donoughue. Tucson LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce Board President Lisa Bowers and Board Member Melissa Cordero. TIHAN’s Executive Director, Scott Blades. Consul of Mexico in Tucson Rafael Barcelo Durazo and Consul de Documentacion Mauricio Mendoza.  Community members and activists: Daniel and Lizette Trujillo. City of Tucson’s Ward 1 Office staff member, Eddie Barron. Goodwill’s Education Coordinator, Michael Sandoval. Thrive in the ’05 resident, John Lopez. El Rio Health worker and small business owner, Humberto Garcia. Amity Foundation’s Vice President, Jess Losoya. Tucson Creative Comadres member, Fabiola Bedoya. And our allies Francisca Villegas, Giselle Coronado, and Narda Flores. 

Happy Pride Month Tucson!

Community Events and Resources 

Plastics Recycling Town Hall Reminder

Please join us next week on June 11 at 5:30 for the Town Hall on the Hard to Recycle Plastics  Program so that representatives from ByFusion, HeftyReNew, our leadership from Environmental Services. Click anywhere on the flyer for zoom link.

Casa Alitas Donations

We are still accepting donations for Casa Alitas, please see list of items needed. Anything you can help with is greatly appreciated.

City Offers Cooling Stations during Extreme Heat

With high temperatures expected to hover above 105 degrees for the next couple of days, with not much relief in sight over the next two weeks, the City of Tucson is offering cooling centers seven days a week, from noon-4 p.m. See link below for all locations. 

https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Departments/Housing-and-Community-Development/HCD-News/Cooling-Center-Locations-in-Tucson

Music Events with SteveK

If you are looking for some local, fun and family friendly music events, Please join former CM Steve K at Corbett's on June 15th, July 13th and August 3rd from noon to 3pm. Or if you want an evening event, please attend at Tohono Chul on July 6th from 6-9pm.

Shredding Event This Weekend

Borderlands Theater Event

Join Borderlands Theater on July 27, 2024, for their nationwide One Nation One Project celebration of arts and wellness. Swing by the Berger Theater for a concert sharing of Anita, the new musical by Borderlands Theater about the power of joy to create a sense of home and belonging. Go to their website https://www.borderlandstheater.org/home/art-is-vital-an-art-wellness-fiesta/ to purchase tickets, they also have free tickets to giveaway! After the concert, enjoy a community wellness fiesta focusing on the connection between Arts participation and Wellbeing, this event is free! See the flyer for more details!   

Ready, Set, Rec Ward 6 Van

Sincerely, 

Karin Uhlich
Council Member, Ward 6
ward6@tucsonaz.gov

City of Tucson Resources

• Report non-emergency problems at 311. You can call or use the link below to submit a request. https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Residents/311-Service-Request-Portal
• View completed, in progress/scheduled, planned Prop 411 projects.... : https://tucsondelivers.tucsonaz.gov