I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of our residents who take an active role in our community and help make it a better place. I have been amazed since I came into office with the amount of initiative District 2 residents have shown to continually improve and maintain the quality of life in our community.
District 2 is a growing community and with more than 30,000 acres of State Trust Land here, we are bound to grow more. This abundance of state land presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities to us as a community, from providing streets and public transit to ensuring that infrastructure for sewer and water needs is being built. Although we may be a growing area, it is my goal to ensure that we are not left behind in receiving the funds and services that will allow District 2 to prosper.
I have spent a significant amount of time meeting with residents volunteering on block watches, village planning committees, homeowners' boards and many other groups. The work they do is indispensable to making our community a place we
can all be proud to call home.
I also want to thank all of the residents who have contacted my office with a question or concern or who have made an effort to attend one of our monthly Issues and Info Breakfasts. Hearing from you in person or via phone, letter or e-mail is important to me and lets me know how I can better serve you.
I look forward to continuing to work with all of you, and as always, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 602-262-7445 or e-mail council.district.2@phoenix.gov if I can assist you in any way.
I would like to thank those members of the Arizona delegation of the House of Representatives who recently approved
the $284 billion transportation bill that will help to fund transportation upgrades across the nation and Arizona.
Arizona will be receiving more than $3.7 billion from the bill for transportation projects throughout the state like roads, highways and light rail. These projects and improvements are vital to the growth and prosperity of Arizona communities,
and I want to extend my appreciation to Congressmen Hayworth, Pastor, Renzi, Grijalva and Kolbe for having the vision
to ensure Arizona is continuing to address the transportation needs of our growing communities.
Below is a list of items that the congressmen were able to secure for their districts:
Congressman Pastor ($18 million)
Rio Salado Pathway
$8,000,000
Pedestrian bridge
$3,000,000
Dial-a-Ride
$1,000,000
Heavy maintenance
$1,000,000
West Valley maintenance
$5,000,000
Congressman Hayworth ($106 million)
$90 million per year for fiscal years 2006 thru 2009 for light rail
$6.5 million for the construction of the East Valley Bus Maintenance Facility
$4 million for right-of-way acquisition and construction of an I-10 distributor road between 40th Street and
Baseline Road, a request from ADOT
$3 million for the construction of the Rio Salado Footbridge, to connect bicycle trails from Scottsdale and
north Tempe to south Tempe and Arizona State University trails across the Tempe Town Lake
$2.5 million for the construction of the Scottsdale Intermodal Center, the transit center at the new ASU
technology center on the Los Arcos Mall site
Congressman Renzi ($3 million)
$3 million for Tonto Creek - Gila County
Congressman Kolbe and Congressman Grijalva were able to secure $29.3
million and $16 million respectively for projects in their southern Arizona districts.
Congress will be working on many issues this year that will have a direct effect on District 2 and Phoenix residents. Funding for transportation and neighborhood revitalization are just a few of the items being discussed, and
I encourage you to contact your congressional representatives to ensure they understand our community's needs and concerns.
While the heavy rains the area has experienced the past few months have helped ease some of our drought conditions, they've also created some serious problems with the city's most common blight complaint - overgrown vegetation.
The city is urging residents to keep their weeds and brush trimmed so they do not create a fire hazard or become a nuisance to neighbors.
The Fire, Public Works and Neighborhood Services departments have teamed up in an effort to reduce the number of weed, brush and debris fires. Firefighters soon will be surveying neighborhoods for fire hazards and forwarding the location of possible violations to the Public Works and Neighborhood Services departments for city code violations.
Call 602-262-7844 to report possible overgrowth violations. You also can organize a community clean-up. Call 602-495-0323 and a city crew will loan your group the necessary tools.
The city is moving forward with its budget planning for fiscal year 2005-06. The City Council is scheduled to approve the final budget on April 5, to become effective May 23. By implementing the budget a month early, the city will realize 13 months of savings rather than just 12 months.
Although the economy appears to be improving some, the city continues to face difficult financial times that require tough budget decisions.
For the fourth consecutive year, city finance officials have had to propose a budget to the City Council that contains reductions in services and staffing.
The proposed budget, which is the subject of a series of public hearings in neighborhoods throughout the city, recommends reductions of $16.3 million, which would result in the elimination of approximately 200 city jobs and cuts in a variety of city services.
The reductions would affect the entire city organization, although no public safety services would be reduced.
The construction of new homes and the arrival of new residents to District 2 also bring improvement projects to city streets and services. One such project is the construction of a new traffic signal at Carefree Highway and 27th Drive in the Tramonto community.
As new residents moved into the Tramonto community, the Street Transportation Department planned for a series of traffic signals to be constructed over time to accommodate increased traffic along Carefree Highway. The first of these signals was constructed in August of 2004 at 33rd Drive. Currently, another traffic signal at 27th Drive is being designed and the Street Transportation Department has indicated the signal should be in operation by May 2005. The final signal planned for this area is at 19th Avenue, which is tentatively planned for installation in early 2006.
I also want to make sure residents are aware that due to the cooperative efforts of neighborhood residents, state representatives and city council offices, the Arizona Department of Transportation is no longer considering roundabouts at Carefree Highway and Interstate 17. ADOT is re-evaluating design alternatives for the project.
New places to enjoy our spectacular spring weather and a new book - you can find both now in District 2. Dynamite Park, Reach 11 Recreation Area and Desert Broom Branch Library are now in full operation.
The 22-acre Dynamite Park, 4550 W. Dynamite Blvd., west of Tatum Boulevard, features a variety of play fields and
facilities for family activities. Among them are lighted basketball and tennis courts, playground structures, a looped sidewalk with area lighting, drinking fountains and 10 acres of open turf.
Residents looking for hiking adventures will find plenty of them at Reach 11, a 1,500-acre district park north of the Central Arizona Project canal between Cave Creek and Scottsdale roads. The park offers 18 miles of multi-use trails that meander through a desert landscape abundant with native vegetation and wildlife.
Additionally, the park includes a paved, barrier-free access trail and a 90-acre equestrian facility.
Desert Broom Library, 29710 N. Cave Creek Road, is the city's newest library branch. It is expected to circulate more than 700,000 books annually. The library houses a teen center, public computers with Internet access, wireless Internet access and a community room that doubles as a children's story room. This is the first public library built in the city north of the 101 to serve this ever-growing community.
During the months of February and March, police officers from the Desert Horizon Precinct, representatives from the Public Works and Neighborhood Services departments and the Arizona State Land Department, Turf Paradise, other council offices and District 2 staff colloborated on an effort to reduce crime and blight and revitalize the 19th Avenue and Bell road area.
Some of the events included the formation of a 19th Avenue Business Alliance through the new Police Department's Safe Business Network, a cleanup of state land at the intersection and ongoing investigations by officers of the Desert Horizon and Cactus Park precincts to address the overall crime rate in the area.
I would like to thank all those involved with this effort. I look forward to continuing to work with residents, business owners and my fellow council members to revitalize this area of District 2.
Phoenix Police and District 2 are working to protect you from auto theft. Thieves steal one car every nine minutes in
Arizona according to the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority. We have the second highest rate of auto thefts per person in the country. But there are ways to improve your odds.
Our office can help set up programs in the community where officers chemically etch the vehicle identification number
(VIN) onto your car window. The VIN etching makes it more likely thieves will pass by your car, instead of taking it.
Call the District 2 office at 602-262-7445 or e-mail council.district.2@phoenix.gov to get more information. Other auto theft prevention tips include always locking your vehicle and taking your keys with you, never leaving an unattended vehicle running and always using steering wheel locks and other devices.
Have you ever wondered if your phone call to 9-1-1 or Crime Stop ever makes a difference? Here is just one recent example. Officers were experiencing a rash of burglaries in the Desert Horizon precinct.
Neighbors and witnesses had provided general information on the description of the car. For the next several days, precinct officers began to saturate the area in search of the vehicle at the likely time of the next occurrence. While in the area, a citizen provided information on the vehicle as it left another burglary.
Officers responded and located the suspect vehicle. The suspects were arrested and the property was located. Detectives from the Property Crimes Bureau became involved in the investigation. When all was said and done, we recovered $30,000 worth of property from 30 houses during the suspects' three-week crime spree. You may not always know it, but your information provided to 9-1-1 does make a difference.
You should be seeing fewer and fewer motorized skateboards and similar motorized vehicles on city streets and sidewalks these days.
The Public Safety Subcommittee approved an ordinance banning such play vehicles from public sidewalks, roadways, bikeways, equestrian trials or other shared-used paths. The City Council subsequently approved the ordinance and it became effective Jan. 1, carrying a traffic violation fine of $250. The Police Department suggested the ordinance, citing safety concerns of pedestrians and riders.
It does not affect motorcycles, motorized wheelchairs or electric personal assistive mobility devices.
For more information about the new ordinance, call 602-495-0964.
Movie fans will have an opportunity to see some of the top new independent films from around the world at the annual Phoenix Film Festival April 7 - 10 at Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theatres, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd. That's at Scottsdale Road, just south of the 101.
About 50 films, including 10 full-length features, 35 short films and a variety of foreign films are entered in the festival, which includes the Phoenix Film Office as one of its sponsors.
In addition to viewing the films, visitors will have an opportunity to attend festival celebrations and special question-and-answer sessions with filmmakers.
Tickets, which range from $10 for individual showings to $300 for a VIP Patron Pass to all events, can be ordered online at phxfilm.com or purchased through Ticketmaster.
The city of Phoenix's Fight Back program, with the support and participation of the community, provides relief to Phoenix neighborhoods that experience blight and crime. In 2004 I chose the Campo Bello neighborhood bounded by Bell, Union Hills, 32nd Street and Cave Creek Road as the next District 2 Fight Back neighborhood. It's called the Campo Bello II Fight Back. Residents have set several goals to improve their neighborhood: support gang prevention programs in neighborhood schools, add street lights, curb speeding, cleanup neighborhood blight and work with police to cut crime. I believe the partnerships among Campo Bello residents will enhance the quality of life in this neighborhood.
On Feb. 15, Assistant City Prosecutor Will Gonzalez, members of the Echo Mountain Neighborhood Coalition and
representatives from the Palomino School presented information and testimony before a city of Phoenix judge regarding 151 violations of the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance at Mountain Springs Terrace Apartments, 18202 N. Cave Creek Road. The court ruling imposed a total of $377,500 in fines on apartment-owner San Floriano LLC of California. That's $2,500 per count.
This is the largest fine the city of Phoenix Municipal Court has ever imposed. The hearing included testimony by a number of residents living nearby that described the significant level of criminal activity and deteriorating conditions at the property. This is a tremendous accomplishment and an example of the recent success our Police, City Prosecutor and Neighborhood Services departments have had in cooperating with community organizations in resolving crime and blight.
A true community leader, Dick Boyer, has decided to step down as chairman of the Northeast Phoenix Business Alliance (NPBA). Boyer, owner of Boyer's Electric, formed the NPBA in the spring of 2002 to help create solidarity among area businesses and reduce crime. During his tenure, the NPBA helped coordinate a neighborhood Fight Back program and
was instrumental in the denial of several problematic liquor licenses in the community. Boyer empowered a business community that led to positive change in northeast Phoenix. We are all saddened to see him go, but hope that his
retirement and golf game treat him well.
I am pleased to announce that Keenan Strand, of McDonald's at 24th Street and Bell Road, has taken over as chairman of what is now called the Northeast Phoenix Neighborhood Action Alliance. The Alliance meets the third Wednesday of every month
at 5:30 p.m. at the Palomino Elementary School I cafeteria, 15833 N. 29th St. Please feel free to call my office for more
information.
"District 2 Newsletter" is posted on the city's Web site at www.phoenix.gov.
For alternative format/reasonable accommodations, call (602) 262-7176 or TTY/TDD
(602) 534-5500. Your comments, suggestions and story ideas are welcome by
calling Councilwoman Neely at (602) 262-7445, fax (602) 495-0527, e-mail council.district.2@phoenix.gov or mail to City of Phoenix, 200 W. Washington St., 11th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003.
Congressman Pastor ($18 million)
