Monday, November 28, 2011

Councilwoman Thelda Williams Weekly Email Bulletin


Events







District 1 Community Breakfast






The next District 1 Community Breakfast will be held on January 27, 2012. Breakfast begins at 7:30, the speakers will start around 7:45. Breakfast will be available for $3.99 and the District 1 office will pay for your drink.






Date: January 27, 2012


Time: 7:30 a.m.


Location: Deer Valley Airport Restaurant – 702 West Deer Valley Road






Coffee with a Cop






Cactus Park Precinct:






Date: December 7th


Time: 8:00 am


Where: Mimi’s Café


Address: 10214 N Metro Pkwy West






Black Mountain Precinct will not be holding a Coffee with a Cop in December. The Black Mountain Coffee will return after the holidays in January.






A day at Phoenix City Hall






Join the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce for a day at Phoenix City Hall! Are you interested in learning more about what happens at Phoenix City Hall? Have you ever had a city related issue and wondered where to turn for help? If these topics resonate with you, mark your calendar for the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce’s “Day at Phoenix City Hall” on Tuesday, December 13th. Take this opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in Phoenix City Hall, learn what it takes to do business with the City of Phoenix and get to know some of the top decision-makers. The program will include an opportunity to meet with elected officials, hear from top levels of management on what’s new and improved, learn about the historical relationship of the Chamber and City Hall and share an in-depth discussion on how to leverage a Chamber membership at the City.






What: A Day at Phoenix City Hall


Date: December 13, 2011


Time: 9 am – 2:30 pm


Where: Phoenix City Hall – 200 West Washington St


Cost: $20 Chamber members / $40 non-members






To RSVP visit www.phoenixchamber.com/cityhall. For more information contact Amy Bratt at abratt@phoenixchamber.com or 602.495.6464






Next Week’s Public City Meetings






City Council Meetings


City Council Formal Meeting – Wednesday, November 30 at 3:00 pm in the City Council Chambers


Planning Meetings


Zoning Adjustment Hearing – Thursday, December 1 at 9:00 am in Assembly Room C, Phoenix City Hall


Board of Adjustment Meeting – Thursday, December 1 at 12:00 pm in the City Council Chambers


For more information on these and all other public City meetings visit http://phoenix.gov/PUBMEETC/indxhtml.html. You can watch City Council Policy Meetings on Channel 11 or on the internet at http://phoenix.gov/citygovernment/phx11/programming/policysession/index.html. You can also listen to all meetings held in the City Council Chambers by calling 602-495-0614.






Community






Trivia






What new name did U.S. Representative Lucas Miller of Wisconsin propose for the ever-expanding United States in 1893?






Public Records






The Public Information Office (PIO) teamed up with the City Clerk and Information Technology System’s PhxWeb on a "one-stop shop" webpage, using the short URL phoenix.gov/publicrecords, containing contact information for some of the most commonly requested public records, a link to City Clerk's online records search, as well a link to the PIO Public Records Request form.






This page has a high position on the website, accessible by only one click from the homepage via the "Search for Public Records" link in the red eServices promo box.






Season of Safety Patrol






Starting November 25th, the Cactus Park Precinct will increase the visibility and presence by using officers from patrol squads, neighborhood enforcement squads, the Reserve Bureau, and the Community Action Squad to patrol three popular shopping centers, in marked patrol cars, on bicycles and on foot. The patrol officers will patrol the shopping centers in their assigned area during normal business hours.






The precinct is calling upon the Cactus Park’s "eyes and ears" ie. The Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol (PNP), volunteers to help provide high visibility and increase the number of people watching the parking lots. This project will continue through Christmas Eve. Metrocenter Mall; Wal-Mart Center (3500 W. Bethany Home Road); Fry’s Electronics and Best Buy (I-17 to 3100 W. Thunderbird Road) will all be included in the increased patrols.






Holiday traveling tips






The holiday’s are here and traveling will be busy at the airport, so Sky Harbor is offering the following travel tips to make your trip easier and less stressful:


Get to Airport two hours before your flight departs, especially if you are parking in economy areas or checking bags.


Bring a snack or meal for the plane. Food may be carried through security and beverages may be purchased past security and brought onto the aircraft.


Liquids and gels must be in 3 oz containers or less to pass through security. Bring a zip top bag to consolidate small quantities of liquids. Larger quantities of medically necessary liquids are allowed only at the discretion of TSA screeners.


If you’re planning to park, visit skyharbor.com/parking for options, prices and space availability. You may also call the 24-hour parking hotline at 602-273-4545.


If you park in the Economy Parking lots, look for a sign to scan a QR Code. Use your phone to scan it and you will be sent a note reminding you where you parked.


If you have questions about security screening, visit tsa.gov or contact the Transportation Security Administration at: 866-289-9673 or TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov.


Wear shoes that are easy to remove at the checkpoint.


Remove large electronics from your carry-on bags and place them in their own TSA bin.


Have your claim check or ID ready at baggage claim when you return to Phoenix so that if you are approached by staff, you won’t be delayed looking for this information.


Mark your bags and electronics clearly so you recognize them immediately.


Use the free cell phone lots to wait for arriving passengers and avoid circling the terminals.






ASU West Park






In early 1995 the Parks, Recreation and Library Department was approached by the Vice Provost at ASU West concerning the possibility of a joint-use facility on the campus. At that time, ASU West had just completed a campus master plan and a recommendation of the planning process was to develop 40 acres in the southwest corner of the campus as a community park. The cities of Phoenix and Glendale were asked to participate. The three organizations formed a study group and in 1996, prepared a feasibility study. The study measured public interest, evaluated each entity’s ability and interest in the project, and presented a master plan for the park. In April 1996, the Parks and Recreation Board approved the feasibility study and authorized staff to negotiate an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) with ASU West and the City of Glendale.






In November 1997, the City of Glendale formally backed out of the agreement. The City of Phoenix continued to work with ASU West on the IGA. In April 2005, the official groundbreaking took place and kicked off the development and construction of Phase One ($1.1 million), which included two soccer fields, trail, open play area and other various park amenities.






The City and ASU previously entered into an Intergovernmental Agreement, dated November 5, 2004 to address the planning, development and operation of this property. The growth of the ASU West campus has created the need for the university to expand its infrastructure in order to fully serve its growing student population. Specifically, ASU West intends to develop two new multi-use intramural turf fields and expand its existing parking lot on the east portion of the parcel.






On May 26, 2011 the Parks and Recreation Board directed staff to inform the public of the proposed changes. Local residents and user groups received post cards and staff made phone calls to user group organizers. In addition, residents were invited to attend an open house event, hosted by the City of Phoenix along with ASU on September 20, 2011 at the ASU West Campus. One resident attended the meeting and staff received one email response. On October 27, 2011 the Parks and Recreation Board recommended the City Council approve amending to allow ASU to develop two multi use fields and to initiate a new IGA for construction of a new shared use parking agreement.






Based on the recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Board, the Seniors, Families and Parks Subcommittee recommended the City Council approve and amended IGA allowing Arizona State University West Campus to develop two new multi-use intramural turf fields and execute a new IGA to construct a new shared use parking lot.






City News






Home Detention Program






During Fiscal Year 2010/2011 and the first three months of Fiscal Year 2011/2012, persons were sentenced to the Home Detention Program for terms of 1 to 180 days. During this time, the Home Detention Program served a total of 1,960 defendants who served a total of 55,640 days of home detention. The program saved the City a total of $4,118,790 in jail costs.






One hundred four defendants had one or more monitoring violations reported to the City Court during this time frame. The most common violation was alcohol monitoring violations. In violation cases, the court sets an Order to Show Cause hearing for the next day, and the judge decides whether to remove the defendant from the program or allow the defendant to continue.






Since the program was implemented in April of 2006, the city of Phoenix has saved $10,162,218 in jail costs with another $1,722,528 in potential savings once defendants in the active and pending category conclude their Home Detention Program.






Berkshire Report


There are about a dozen recommendations from the Berkshire Report on Police Efficiency in which possible solutions have been identified, however, a final decision will be deferred until a new police chief is selected due to the nature of the recommendation and the level of organizational change involved. Some of the recommendations include shifting from a 4/10 work schedule in patrol to a 5/8 schedule or a 3/13 schedule; changing mandatory rotation of commanders from three to five years; civilianizing specific functions currently being performed by sworn employees; and reorganizing the Police Department along functional lines. Nonetheless, evaluations of these specific recommendations are being performed to aid in the eventual decision making process.






The Police Department has also started work on a comprehensive response document that summarizes the Berkshire recommendations along with the subcommittees’ evaluation summaries and the Department’s desired course of action for each. This report is expected to be completed by the first of the year.






Phoenix receives $2.9 million grant from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development






This week Ophelia Basgal, regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), announced a $2.9 million Sustainable Communities Grant to the city’s Planning and Development Department to fund a program to promote transit-oriented development along the light rail line. Congressman Ed Pastor, Mayor Phil Gordon, Mayor-Elect Greg Stanton and City Manager David Cavazos joined Administrator Basgal, community members, business partners and other stakeholders for the morning announcement at the light rail station at 24th and Washington streets.






The Reinvent Phoenix: Cultivating Equity, Engagement, Economic Development and Design Excellence with Transit Oriented Development Program includes area research, short- and-long-range planning, community engagement and development incentives to set the foundation that will encourage commercial and housing development along the light rail. The city of Phoenix received the fourth-largest grant amount during this funding cycle. HUD received more than $500 million in funding requests from communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico for the $96 million in available funding.






During the next three years, the Reinvent Phoenix Program will promote, encourage and provide incentives for transit-oriented development along the light rail line to provide all residents with safe, convenient access to quality, affordable housing, well-paying jobs, education and training programs, fresh food and healthcare services. Core partners include: Arizona State University, St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Luke’s Health Initiative, Mountain Park Health Center, METRO, Discovery Triangle Development Corp., Urban Land Institute, American Institute of Architects, American Society of Landscape Architects, Southwest Autism Resource & Research Center, Arizona Bridge to Independent Living, Phoenix Union High School District, Maricopa County Community Colleges, Art Link, Local First Arizona, Native American Connections, Gorman and Co., Inc., Cloudbreak Phoenix LLC, Bethel Development Inc., NRP Group, Desco Inc.






Youth Firesetter Program


The Youth Firesetter Program continues to be a success with its new features that include updated training material, new videos, parental involvement, educational material on fire related laws and recommendations for problem solving. The program team includes Karen Warrington, Captain Victor Campbell, Retired Captain Ron Howell, Abel Parra and Captain Ray Dyer. Below are some of the most recent comments from parents attending the program.


Ability to speak with fire personnel was very helpful and we enjoyed the very telling personal stories. It also helped making kids think about how fires affect others.


Preparing the fire escape plan was very helpful. We enjoyed the interaction with the children and like the ‘Truth and experience’ exercise.


Learning about penalties and fines was extremely helpful. It was also helpful showing the kids the trouble they could get into and the consequences.


The most important lesson for the children was that burn scars will never go away and changes your life forever.






Budget and Tax Committee


Government Relations staff attended Monday's Budget and Tax Committee at the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce. Three items were discussed: proposed sales tax factor changes for private educational long-distance services, the Arizona Tax Research Association's (ATRA) 2012 legislative agenda, and efforts by the Arizona Retailers Association to establish a nexus for online retailers for the purpose of collecting state sales tax.






Occupy Phoenix


The Phoenix Police Department continues to take prudent and thoughtful action in response to the Occupy protest in Cesar Chavez Plaza. Their actions since the beginning of the Occupy Phoenix movement have helped avoid issues that are facing other Occupy movements across the country. The removal of Occupy camps in New York, Oakland and Portland have caused problems for all three jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction allowed people to set up camps even though by law they were not allowed, giving protesters a foothold in public spaces. PD has also been using on duty resources, saving a considerable amount of overtime. PD continues to monitor upcoming events and are planning accordingly. On December 4, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) and the NAACP plan to march from the Convention Center to Chavez Plaza to support the Occupy Phoenix movement. PD Community Response Squad has been in contact with the organizers to ensure a safe event.






Terminal 4 Food and Beverage


Interviews were conducted and RFP proposals were reviewed for the Terminal 4 Food and Beverage Package 2 contract opportunity. Three proposals were received from Areas USA PHX, LLC, Host International, Inc., and SSP America, Inc. The evaluation panel evaluated the proposals based on published evaluation criteria and unanimously recommended SSP America, Inc. This recommendation will be presented to the Business and Development Subcommittee and the Phoenix Aviation Advisory Board in December and the Downtown, Aviation and Economy Subcommittee and City Council in January 2012.






New book store at airport to replace Borders


A new book store in the lobby of Terminal 4 (Level 3) is scheduled to open on November 18. The new book store, Hudson Book Sellers, will be operated by Hudson News and will replace the previous Borders book store that closed.






100 Years 100 Ranchers


Scott Baxter’s 100 Years 100 Ranchers exhibit has been installed in the Terminal 4 Gallery. A reception to celebrate the opening of the exhibit is scheduled for November 19. Approximately 100 people are expected to attend the event.






Solar at Paradise Valley Unified School District


Staff is coordinating a plan review and permitting for 13 new photovoltaic systems in the Paradise Valley Unified School District. The locations are throughout the school district and include installations of photovoltaic panels on parking canopies, shade structures, and rooftops. The plans will be submitted in groups of four locations, starting November 15, with permits for all locations expected to be issued by December 29. Funding for this project is dependent on the projects obtaining permits by this date, although construction is not scheduled to begin until February 2012. No estimated value was given at the meeting. However, past installations have been valued at approximately $1,000,000 per location.






Trivia Answer


The United States of the Earth. Miller reasoned that new states might join the union “until every nation on earth has become part of it.” There were 44 states in the union at the time.




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Council District 1, 200 W. Washington St., 11th Fl., Phoenix, AZ 85003 or call 602-262-7444.

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