Another exciting year has quickly passed, and we have made much progress
in West Phoenix and the city of Phoenix as a whole. I have enjoyed meeting
and getting to know many of you at the community forums and at your neighborhood
meetings.
Here are some highlights from this year:
Economic Development
In last year’s newsletter, I mentioned my commitment to cultivate partnerships
between our school districts and business communities in order to prepare
and equip our youth with marketable skills, as well as offer career opportunities
for our community. I have continued to work on this issue this year and economic
development continues to be a top priority for me. I am committed to bringing
new jobs and businesses to the Desert Sky core, Loop 101 Corridor and business
redevelopment in the Maryvale and Cactus Park areas of the district.
Happy Holidays from Councilman Mattox and the District
5 Council staff (left to right) Helen Soza, Rebecca Woods and Pat Severance.
Last month, I held a business roundtable breakfast in conjunction with the
city’s Community and Economic Development Department. This roundtable discussion
provides an opportunity for business owners to discuss key issues affecting
their businesses, including opportunities for expansion. Those businesses
that attended are pleased with the city of Phoenix’s involvement and are looking
forward to continued good relationships with the Community and Economic Development
Department.
One of my goals for 2001 was to create a business alliance in the northeastern
portion of the district. With the help of Officer J.R. Pool of the Cactus
Park Police Precinct and many others, this organization is becoming a reality,
and we will hold a kick-off breakfast in February. The West Phoenix Business
Alliance continues to be a vital organization in the western portion of the
district that diligently works to bring economic development to the West Valley.
Resident Involvement
and Outreach
At the request of many residents, the
District 5 Web site has vastly expanded this year to include up-to-date information
on liquor licenses, zoning applications and other critical information for
neighborhood leaders. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. If you
haven’t visited the Web site lately, look it up at www.phoenix.gov/district5.
The Web site is updated daily as information and updates become available.
In order to keep the lines of communication open and generate widespread
involvement on city issues from you and your neighbors, I hosted six community
forums this year at various locations in the district so that all residents
have an opportunity to participate. I bring city staff with me to the meetings
to address neighborhood issues and concerns. I truly enjoy these meetings
and hope you find them beneficial and worthwhile.
In addition to the district forums, I have started to host two breakfasts
per year to discuss city issues. The breakfasts rotate between the western
and the northeastern portions of the district. All residents are welcome to
attend. These breakfasts provide another opportunity for me to meet with residents
about any issues or concerns in their neighborhoods, as well as update residents
on current city services and programs.
I also conduct Neighborhood Leadership Forums, which are designed for neighborhood
leaders and provide a networking opportunity and continuing education that
they can bring back to their respective neighborhood groups.
In addition, each month I host a public affairs television show called “On
the Issues.” This half-hour program airs on Phoenix Channel 11, and I invite
guests who discuss timely issues of relevance to the district.
I continue to work on the issue of group homes as mentioned in my June newsletter.
We are working with federal, state, county and city entities to look at some
of the challenges these homes bring to neighborhoods. As I stated before,
I am an advocate of group homes in neighborhoods and would just like to make
sure that there isn’t a saturation of group homes in one particular neighborhood.
Neighborhood Issues
We have made great strides with the cruising issue in our district. The Maryvale
Precinct and the Cruising Enforcement Squad have done an outstanding job in
helping to control the cruising situation. As I am sure you are all aware,
the effects of cruising have increased violent crime in the area and caused
major public safety issues by the mass congestion of traffic on streets which
prevent emergency vehicles from being able to respond effectively. A barricade
plan was implemented to restrict cruising traffic to one lane in each direction,
while keeping the middle lanes open for emergency vehicles. The city continues
to look at creating a new city ordinance to deal with traffic congestion related
to cruising and drag racing.
I continue to search for new ways to reach out to the Spanish-speaking residents
in the district. The first phase of the Good Neighbor Program was completed
in the Sevilla Neighborhood this year, and the program is now expanding into
the SPARC and Tomahawk neighborhoods (see related article
on this page).
Another goal of mine this year was to improve the liquor license and use
permit/zoning processes. It has been an ongoing problem for businesses that
are applying for zoning or a use permit with the city’s Planning Department.
This is a separate and independent process from the City Clerk’s liquor license
application process. On some occasions, the city would approve the zoning
use only to recommend denial on the liquor license because of neighborhood
opposition. If the applicant contacted the neighborhood during the zoning
process, concerns could be identified and addressed or the applicant could
learn of the opposition and not spend thousands of dollars on the zoning or
use permit. At my request, I am pleased to report that a task force was formed
to review these processes and recommend improvements to the processes (see
specific changes in related article).
Subcommittee
Update
I continue to chair the Natural Resources Subcommittee and we’ve accomplished
many of our goals this year. We are currently focusing on new landfill locations.
The Rio Salado project is progressing excellently and Tres Rios continues
to receive national and international acclaim. I also continue to serve as
a member of the Housing and Neighborhoods Subcommittee and the Family and
Education Subcommittee.
District 5 neighborhoods continue to grow and expand. Since taking office,
we have added 35 neighborhood associations to the district, which brings us
to a total of 87 active neighborhood groups in District 5. In addition, the
District 5 council office opened 969 constituent cases this year and closed
878 cases.
There is much, much more that we accomplished this year and none of these
successes could have occurred without the help from the residents and businesses
who provide us guidance, feedback and input. I thank the hundreds of residents
in District 5 who dedicate their time and energy to improve the quality of
life in our neighborhoods.
Have a safe and
happy holiday season and, as always, if you have any questions, comments or
suggestions, feel free to call my office at 602-262-7446 or e-mail me at claude.mattox@phoenix.gov.
To continue efforts to reach out to Spanish-speaking residents
in our neighborhoods, the Good Neighbor Program will expand into the SPARC
(75th to 83rd avenues, Indian School to Thomas roads) and Tomahawk (75th
to 83rd avenues, Camelback to Indian School roads) neighborhoods. The
Good Neighbor Program’s goals are to welcome, inform and organize Spanish-speaking
families, and encourage their integration and active participation in
ongoing neighborhood improvement efforts.
Over 40 residents from the Sevilla Neighborhood graduated
from the Good Neighbor Program on July 18 at Sevilla Elementary School.
Many residents approached me last year and shared that several retailers
were becoming lax in locking up their spray paint. At my request, the Neighborhood
Services Department launched a new education and enforcement effort in District
5 as part of the city’s ongoing efforts to keep Phoenix graffiti-free.
The first part of the campaign was an outreach program to inform business
owners of the provisions of the Neighborhood Preservation Ordinance (NPO)
related to the display and sale of spray paint and broad-tip markers. Section
39-10-D requires that retailers selling aerosol spray paint or indelible markers
with tips wider than one and one-half inches make those products inaccessible
to minors.
The second part of the campaign involved informational visits to retailers
and increased inspections to ensure compliance. The department established
a database of Phoenix businesses that sell items regulated under the NPO.
Over 2,000 inspections were conducted to monitor compliance. Now, inspections
of these businesses are conducted on a regular basis as part of the neighborhood
inspectors’ caseload. This program has been very successful, but if you visit
a retailer and see that it is in violation, please report it to the Neighborhood
Services Department at 602-262-7844.
The economic slowdown of the past several months, coupled with decreased
spending by American shoppers, has had dramatic effects on our nation’s economy
and Phoenix is no exception. Sales taxes are an integral part of the city’s
budget. In fact, sales tax revenues generate 44 percent of the city’s general
fund revenues. To offset the shortfall in revenues, the city has recently
implemented some budget reductions.
City departments reviewed their budgets and identified areas where spending
could be decreased without significant damages to services. Additionally,
no reductions in public safety staffing or services has occurred. A total
of $21.7 million has been trimmed from the budget, and city officials will
continue to carefully monitor the city’s sales tax revenues and the status
of the economy.
In response to the events of Sept. 11, the Phoenix Police Department’s Cactus
Park and Maryvale precincts have implemented some minor staffing changes in
order to heighten security levels throughout the city. The Police Department
is committed to maintaining the service levels for all calls from the public.
However, since the Sept. 11 attacks, the department has focused its efforts
even more toward ensuring domestic security.
The police department will continue working with the community and providing
residents with the same seamless service they are accustomed to. The community
action officers remain available for neighborhood complaints and community
meetings during the hours specified by their particular area manager.
It’s that time again! Neighborhood associations and Block Watch groups are
eligible to receive grants for programs that fight crime and improve quality
of life. Applications for the 2002 Neighborhood Block Watch Grant Program
will be available in January at Phoenix Police Department Headquarters, 620
W. Washington St., at all police precincts and on the Internet at www.phoenix.gov/POLICE/nbwgrant.html.
Applications are due at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1.
In 2001, the city distributed $1.3 million to 187 Phoenix neighborhood groups.
For more information, call 602-262-6543.
The Cactus Park Police Precinct continues to work on the prostitution issue
along 27th Avenue between Indian School Road and Northern Avenue. The precinct
conducts six organized vice stings per year, and each sting produces 15 to
30 arrests. In addition, two patrol officers continue to patrol the area daily.
Thanks, Cactus Park, for all your continued efforts.
Councilman Mattox and Sevilla residents receive the “Celebrating Cultural
Awareness” award at the Nov. 16 WESTMARC’s Best of the West awards at the
Wigwam Resort. Pictured left to right are Ivan Johnson, vice president of
Cox Communications and Best of the West sponsor; Claude Mattox, councilman,
District 5; Socorro Villalobos and Vivian Valle, Sevilla Neighborhood Association;
and Janie Holmes, WESTMARC chair.
Maybe Phoenix could have been nicknamed the “Dusty City” in years past, but
have you noticed a decrease in dust levels lately? Phoenix has many air quality
improvement programs, one of which focuses on keeping the dust from streets
and alleys out of our lungs.
When I took office, one of my first goals was to address the dust problem
caused by dirt roads and alleys. Since that time, the Street Transportation
Department has implemented an extensive program to reduce dust. In 1999, the
very last unpaved city streets were paved. In the winter of 2000 and spring
of 2001, seven miles of street shoulders were paved.
Now, the department is working on a new ten-year project to dustproof all
alleys in Phoenix. Four miles of alleys were treated with various products
to determine the most durable and efficient method of paving. An additional
50 miles of alleys will be dustproofed in 2002.
For questions about the city’s dustproofing program, call the Street Transportation
Department at 602-262-6284.
Off-Road
Vehicles
Some residents have been affected by the dust generated from off-road vehicles
in the Aqua Fria River between Indian School and Camelback roads. I have met
with the Maricopa County Environmental Quality Department and Sheriff Joe
Arpaio to request their enforcement assistance, as this is in Maricopa County’s
jurisdiction. If this issue concerns you, please contact Maricopa County Supervisor
Jan Brewer at 602-506-7642. My office will continue to work with Maricopa
County to address this air quality problem.
December brings a change in the city code for collection of bulk trash –
large items, tree trimmings, or anything that cannot be placed in a garbage
or recycling container. The placement time for bulk trash will be shortened
from two weeks to one week. This means bulk trash must not be set out any
earlier than one week before the collection date. This will reduce the amount
of time bulk trash stays on the streets.
Please observe the bagging requirements
for all trash. The state, county and city all require garbage and grass to
be bagged and tied to protect your health and safety.
Be sure to place all your garbage containers out of the way of pedestrians,
for their convenience and safety.
If your commercial business uses a private contractor for garbage collection,
remember that they may not pick up trash between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to keep
nighttime noise to a minimum. For more information about solid waste service,
call 602-262-7251 or send email to pwserve@phoenix.gov.
Reminder about holiday collection: There will be no trash pick-up on Christmas
Day and New Year's Day. All Tuesday collection will move to Wednesday during
both of these weeks.
Did you know that you can now recycle your old telephone books without taking
them to a drop-off site? Used phone books may now be placed in the city’s
blue Phoenix Recycles containers. For more information, call 602-262-7251
or visit phoenix.gov/GARBAGE on the
Internet.
In an effort to get to know more of you, I will be visiting you in the city's
mobile office "van." Watch for a schedule in the near future. We will schedule
the van to be at parks throughout the district during certain hours on Saturday
mornings. Feel free to drop by anytime to discuss city issues or just to say
"hi.
New steps are being taken to provide additional information to applicants
during the liquor license application and use permit/ zoning processes. This
is a coordinated effort between the city’s City Clerk, Development Services
and Planning departments.
The enhanced notification includes:
The Development Services and Planning departments’ customer service counters
will disseminate Liquor License Application Process and Special Event Liquor
License informational brochures.
The Development Services Department will receive and review copies of
all liquor license applications (except person-to-person transfers). Development
Services will notify the applicant and the City Clerk Department of any
apparent code issues related to building permits, parking or occupancy,
and will work directly with the applicant on these issues.
Copies of all liquor license applications will continue to be sent to
Planning for evaluation of zoning and Use Permit requirements. Planning
will continue to work directly with applicants on these issues, but will
now also incorporate Development Services’ comments in that review process.
The City Clerk Department will revise and expand its Liquor Application
Questionnaire to include additional questions related to use permits, building
permits and parking matters.
Liquor applicants will be notified in writing regarding the number of
liquor licenses recommended for denial within a one-mile radius of their
business location within the previous three calendar years.
"Westside Story" is posted on the city's Web site at www.phoenix.gov.
For alternative format/reasonable accommodations, call 602-262-7176 or TTY
602-534-5500.
Your comments, suggestions and story ideas are welcome by calling Councilman
Mattox at 602-262-7446, e-mail claude.mattox@phoenix.gov
or mail to City of Phoenix, 200 W. Washington St., 11th Floor, Phoenix, AZ
85003.
Message from Councilman Mattox 
At the request of many residents, the
District 5 Web site has vastly expanded this year to include up-to-date information
on liquor licenses, zoning applications and other critical information for
neighborhood leaders. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. If you
haven’t visited the Web site lately, look it up at 
Have a safe and
happy holiday season and, as always, if you have any questions, comments or
suggestions, feel free to call my office at 602-262-7446 or e-mail me at 
Please observe the bagging requirements
for all trash. The state, county and city all require garbage and grass to
be bagged and tied to protect your health and safety. 
