Kevin's Ward 3 News and Updates

Friday, October 21, 2022

News and Updates 
Next Mayor and Council Meeting
Ward 3 Neighborhood Association and Coalition Meetings
Ward 3 Events
City Wide Events
Did You Know?

So Much Better Now!

In this newsletter on July 8th, I announced my diagnosis of throat cancer. I can now report that I completed treatment, am feeling so much better, and the prognosis is very, very good.

I have never been a smoker, which is a common cause of throat cancer. My cancer was caused by HPV (human papillomavirus), which I contracted in the 1980s. HPV can now be prevented by vaccines that until recently were only administered to young people. They are now available to anyone up to age 45.

I am well-recovered from the treatments of radiation (35 times) and chemotherapy (8 times) – a rough but effective protocol. I am working to regain strength and stamina, and I feel more myself almost every day. I hope to prove true the maxim of one of my heroes, Henry David Thoreau, who wrote, “There is one consolation in being sick, and that is the possibility that you may recover to a better state than you were ever in before.”

There is so much for which I am thankful. Foremost the strong and compassionate support of my wife and son. Thoughtful help came from family, friends, and neighbors. My doctors, nurses, and caregivers were the best. Ward 3 staff carried on the work of our office, with help of others in the City, without missing a beat.

I am especially grateful for the many get-well cards, postcards, prayers, and other expressions of best wishes! They really, really, really helped. One of the photos here shows all the get-well cards I received and other shows get-well postcards (I mentioned on Facebook that I would like to get postcards because I collect them). All these cheered me up when I needed it.

It’s so good to be back. Thank you!

- Kevin

Water and Environmental Services Fees Move Forward by Katie Bolger

On Tuesday, October 18th, Mayor and Council moved forward with a Notice of Intent (NOI) to increase water and Environmental Service (trash/recycling pick-up) fees. The NOI starts the process of public outreach and culminates in a public hearing before Mayor and Council on the first meeting in January 2023, at which point the Mayor and Council will vote on approving (or not) the proposed fee increases. If approved, the rate increase would take effect beginning in FY 23 (Summer of 2023).

Council Member Dahl has expressed support for the fee increase as necessary but also stated that water policy needs to be more than just approving across-the-board rate increases. At the meeting on October 18th, he proposed 3 items that were all passed unanimously; for staff to research and provide analysis of an alternate rate structure for Commercial water customers (currently these customers pay a flat rate for water regardless of how much they use), for staff to research and provide analysis of expanding the community garden water rate (provided to community gardens to encourage a locally grown food supply) to small scale and local food growers, and lastly, for staff to come back with an ordinance that would ban non-functional turf in all new development along with suggestions on how to remove existing non-functional turf.

More on all three of these proposals in up-coming newsletters.

According to a recent press release, Tucson Water is in its third year without a rate increase. Approval of the previous 2020 rate increase proposal was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, due to the increased cost of aging infrastructure and swelling cost of water as a result of the drought declaration on the Colorado River, a rate increase is essential so that Tucson Water can continue to provide the community with reliable, fresh, efficient, quality water.  

Over the last 12 years, EGSD has carried out operational changes to reduce costs and has deferred capital improvement projects. Despite best efforts and with new challenges every year, the EGSD Fund has become unsustainable.  

We recognize it is short notice, but please join Tucson Water and EGSD at the upcoming information session on Monday, Oct. 24, 6-8 p.m.at the Ward 3 Office 1510 E. Grant Rd, Tucson, AZ 85719. Tucson Water and EGSD would like to talk with members of the public and will provide helpful information about the Low-Income Assistance Program, conservation opportunities, capital investment projects, and future planning initiatives as part of the One Water 2100 master plan. 

If you are unable to make the meeting on Monday, there will be one in each Ward. 

Ward 3  
Monday, October 24th, 6:00- 8:00 pm
Ward 3 Community Room, 1510 E. Grant Rd. 

Ward 4  
Tuesday, October 25th, 6:00- 8:00 pm
William M. Clements Center (MPR), 8155 E. Poinciana Dr. 

Ward 2  
Wednesday, October 26th, 6:00- 8:00 pm
Morris K. Udall Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Rd. (Room 1-3) 

Ward 5  
Monday, November 7th, 6:00- 8:00 pm
El Pueblo Center, 101 W. Irvington Rd. Bldg. 9 (MPR) 

Ward 1  
Wednesday, November 9th, 6:00- 8:00 pm
El Rio Center, 1390 W. Speedway Blvd. (MPR 1)

Ward 6  
Thursday, November 10th, 6:00- 8:00 pm
Parks and Recreation Administration, 900 S. Randolph Way (Mesquite Room) 

Learn more about Tucson Water’s Low-Income Assistance Program:  
www.tucsonaz.gov/water/low-income-assistance-program 

Learn more about EGSD’s Low-Income Assistance Program: 
www.tucsonaz.gov/es/low-income-assistance-program 

Homeless Protocol Program by CJ Boyd 

Ward 3 staff recently met with Amaris Vasquez, who took over the role of overseeing the city’s homeless protocol in September. Vasquez has worked for the City of Tucson for 9 years, primarily within the Fire Department as the Community Risk Reduction Manager, and most recently as the manager of the Tucson Collaborative Community Care (TC-3) program. 

 “TC-3” is a partnership with Tucson Medical Center that has been in place since 2016 that offers assistance to frequent 911 callers. A frequent 911 caller often has some core issue that can not be addressed solely by police or fire personnel. TC-3 staff reach out to these residents and help them access resources, hoping to reduce their need for emergency services. This care is often able to substantially improve the life of the individual while also reducing the strain on our 911 system by addressing root causes of problems, which can be social, mental, or economic, and only secondarily medical. 

Her background makes Vasquez a great fit to oversee the homeless protocol. She has been tasked with improving our system by reducing redundancies and improving response times. Her appointment is part of the city’s continuing effort to address the rising number of people experiencing homelessness in Tucson, which is a nationwide crisis that has been exacerbated and accelerated by the nationwide housing crisis. 

Recently, several city departments have been working together to ensure resources are being used as efficiently as possible. Some of the improvements that have come out of this increased effort include the homeless protocol dashboard and a new tiered system for assessing priority and type of response needed. 

The Dashboard was developed over the last 2 years by Homeless Outreach Team Sergeant Jack Julsing from TDP and GIS Project Manager JessicaFraver from Information and Technology. The dashboard streamlines intake so the proper city department quickly and directly receives all relevant information, relying less on city staff passing along information from one department to another. 

There is also an assessment tool that Homeless Protocol will be using. It places homeless encampments into one of three categories. A tier 1 means that there is an abandoned encampment with no one currently living there. A tier 2 encampment has people still living there, but with no immediate danger to those camping or those around them. A tier 3 encampment is one in which there is a serious criminal or health risk that cannot safely be left where it is. 

This Dashboard tool will allow homeless protocol to assess each complaint the city receives, and assign it to one of three tiers and  alerting the appropriate departments. In tier 1 camps - Environmental Services is is assigned to clean up the site. In Tiers 2 and 3 - services will be offered to the people present. But as long as the city is not able to offer housing to the vast majority of people experiencing homelessness, tier 2 camps will be deprioritized and left in place as long as no danger is present. If a camp has received a tier 3 designation, that indicates there is either a health or safety issue involved, or a major criminal element, and these camps will be assigned to TPD. 

While criminalization of homelessness is still a major issue in Tucson and throughout the US, this tiered system does represent a substantial improvement in that it carves out space to not displace unhoused people who have nowhere else to go and who have committed no crime besides existing without the resources they need. The ward 3 office looks forward to working with Amaris Vasquez and the rest of the Homeless Protocol team to continue finding solutions to this housing crisis that put the dignity and wellbeing of housed and unhoused neighbors at the center. 

Small Business Certificate Program by Marlene Avelino

The Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona has a Business Certificate Program that just wrapped up, and our very own Mike Edmonds completed the program for a second time. “I love it! It’s my second time, the last time in 2018, and things have changed a lot. Which is why I took this opportunity to go back.”

The program is 3 hours once a week for 6 weeks and designed for small business owners and for those looking to start their own small business. There is a $300 fee, and full scholarships are available. Classes took place at the Berger Auditorium, featured guest speakers, and covered aspects of business management including mission, marketing, sales, legal, and finance and accounting. I asked Mike what he liked best about the program and he said, “the information and knowledge shared from experienced persons.”

For more information check out: https://eller.arizona.edu/departments-research/centers-labs/entrepreneurship/focus/small-business-economic-development

Next Mayor and Council Meeting 

The next Mayor and Council Meeting is on Monday, November 14th, 2022.
Once available, the agenda will be posted here: Mayor and Council Meeting Agendas

Ward 3 Neighborhood Association and Coalition Meetings

Country Glenn Neighborhood Association
Sunday 
October 23rd 
5:00- 7:00pm 
The Drawing Studio
2760 N. Tucson Blvd. 

Central Segments Safety Coalition  
Tuesday 
October 25th 
6:00- 7:00 pm
Ward 3 Community Room 
1510 E. Grant Rd. 

Jefferson Park Neighborhood Association 
Wednesday 
October 26th 
6:00- 7:00 pm
Ward 3 Community Room 
1510 E. Grant Rd. 
AND on Zoom

Amphi Neighborhood Association
Thursday 
October 27th 
6:15- 7:45 pm 
Literacy Connects 
200 E. Yavapai Rd. 

The Ward 3 office is open. Staff will answer phone messages, emails and requests for meetings by the next business day. Leave your message at 520-791-4711 or email [email protected].

Ward 3 Events

Ward 3 Cemetery Wash Monthly Clean Ups! 

Join Ward 3 staff and the City of Tucson for clean up events the second Thursday of each month from 8am to 10am through January 2023. That's November 10th, December 8th, and January 12th. Find us at N. Balboa Ave. and W. Delano Street ready with supplies to help us clean up the wash. Register HERE! 

Amphi Neighborhood Association Meeting on October 27th

The Thursday, October 27th Amphi Neighborhood Association Meeting will have guest speakers from Environment and Public policy and Tucson Clean & Beautiful, to discuss our plans for planting trees next spring, as well as the results of your Meet Your Neighbor Challenge! The meeting is from 6:15 pm -7:45pm at Literacy Connects (200 E Yavapai Rd.). 

Request for Donations for the Lapan Sunshine Casitas 

The current permitting system for the City of Tucson will be unavailable starting Oct. 20, at 4 p.m., through Sunday, Oct. 30, as the City of Tucson transitions to the new permitting system, Tucson Development Center Online (TDC Online). TDC Online is a self-service portal that will provide customers with a completely online process. It will provide customers transparency throughout the permitting process, complete with email notifications and a personal dashboard to track applications from submittal to issuance. Current customers should note that only emergency permit applications will be accepted during the above dates. All other permit applications, as well as payments, will not be accepted. Customers can still schedule inspections via the interactive voice response (IVR) line by calling (520) 791-3111, from Oct. 21-28. The IVR line will be retired on Friday, Oct. 28, at 3:30 p.m. TDC Online will be available to customers on Monday, Oct. 31, at 7 a.m. See the links below for more information:
TDC Online information
Permitting system FAQ

Commission on Equitable Housing and Development Committee Meetings 

HCD invites Tucson residents to participate in the meetings of the Commission on Equitable Housing and Development (CEHD). The Mayor and Council created the Commission two years ago to focus on housing issues and to advise Mayor and Council on policies that will help guide the City to create more housing opportunities for Tucsonans and to deal with historical barriers to fair housing.

The Commission is made up of 15 voting members and four ex-officio members. The Commission meets virtually on the first Thursday of the month from 4- 6 pm. In addition, there are three subcommittees: Affordable Housing which meets on the third Wednesday of the month, 4-5:30 pm; Housing First which meets on the fourth Wednesday from 4-5:30 pm; and Housing Segregation which meets on the last Thursdays from 1-2:30 pm. All meetings are set unless otherwise noted for a different day or time.

To find more information, virtual meeting links and current agendas, and past agendas and video recordings of Commission meetings, go to this site: https://www.tucsonaz.gov/hcd/cehd

Annual Bicycle and Pedestrian Count! 
Volunteers Needed October 17th through November 2nd 

Your help is needed this fall to count the number of bikes and pedestrians at key intersections. Pima Association of Governments uses this fresh data annually to help identify trends and informs local planning efforts.

PAG relies on a team of volunteers to spend two to three hours at a designated intersection to track how many non-motorized travelers pass by during that time. The 2021 count, for example, showed more than 70% of riders counted that year were wearing helmets, up from about 45% in 2013.

Volunteering is easy. The count runs Oct. 17 to Nov. 2, and each weekday shift is two hours long. Weekend shifts are three hours long, and you can sign up for as many shifts as you’d like.

Here’s how it works: 
-Visit the sign up page to see which locations and times are available. 
-Sign up for one or more shifts that work best for you. Weekday morning shifts are from 7 to 9 a.m., weekday evening shifts are from 4 to 6 p.m., weekend shifts are on Saturday or Sunday from 7 to 10 a.m. 
-Complete the online training. 
-Perform a count at your designated location. 
-Submit your tally by email or mail.

Sustainable Tucson 2045 Workshops on October 22nd & November 12th 

What’s your vision of Tucson in the year 2045? Sustainable Tucson is starting a new initiative: ST2045 - Envisioning our Sustainable Future. For this, we will hold two workshops this Fall (and two more in the Spring) for community members to work together to express their vision of the future we want for Tucson.  

You are invited to be part of one of these workshops. Led by UA Professor Kathleen Kennedy, workshop participants will use a creative and stimulating collage process to create images of Tucson now and the Tucson they expect and want to see in 2045.  

Following the workshops, you’ll also have the opportunity to be part of a “special interest group” to explore key visions further, focus on a specific issue of interest, and recommend first/next steps for action. The workshop results will also help Sustainable Tucson plan what to focus on next year, to help make our community’s vision a reality.  This year, ST2045 will take the place of the Envision Tucson Sustainable Festival.  

Workshops will take place Saturday, October 22nd, 2:00-4:00 pm, at the Murphy-Wilmot Library, (530 N Wilmot Rd), and Saturday, November 12th, 10:00 am-noon, at the Ward 6 Office, (3202 E 1st St).   We hope you can participate. If you’d like to be part of this new initiative, use the link below to register for one of these workshops.   For more information, please contact Tres English [email protected], and you can Register Here

Community Drive-Thru Toy Giveaway on Saturday, October 22nd 

On Saturday, October 22nd, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., the Tucson Police Department in conjunction with Toys for Tots will be hosting a community drive-thru toy distribution event in the Geico parking lot on MLK Way.  During this event, we will be giving away over 15,000 toys to families in our community.  The toys mostly range through the age of 14, but all are welcome and no prior registration is needed. 

Nominations Open: the Greater Tucson Leadership Community Impact Awards

Nominations for Man and Woman of the Year Award, Founders Award, and GTL Alumni Excellence Award are OPEN Now thru November 30th, 2022! It's a great opportunity to recognize people in our community who are making things happen! Click this link to make your nomination: https://greatertucsonleadership.org/form.php?form_id=39&c=1

Sign Up for Tucson's Climate Action Report! 

You can use this link to subscribe to the Climate Action Report through the City Manager's Office:https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/AZTUCSON/subscriber/new   

Build a Community Altar for Día de Los Muertos on Saturday, October 29th