Starting in May of this year, I concentrated my efforts on pool safety. Pool
drownings have always been a critical issue to me and I was determined to
make a difference in this area. The City Council District that I represent,
which includes the Maryvale area, had the highest rate of pool drownings in
the Valley.
The Arizona
Republic first formed a child drowning discussion group focusing on Maryvale
in an effort to decrease the number of drownings in this specific area. Participants
included KPNX 12, District 5 residents and businesses and representatives
from the Phoenix Fire Department. The focus was the 85033 zip code, which
included 59th to 83rd avenues, Camelback to Thomas roads.
I then created the city of Phoenix Water Safety Task Force, which included
representatives from key city departments, including the City Council, Parks
and Recreation, Neighborhood Services, Development Services, Fire and Police.
In order to simplify customer service, a water safety hotline (602-495-5555)
was established as a centralized point of contact for the public on all water
safety issues. The hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and currently
receives more than 100 calls per day. In order to make this a reality, the
City Council, at my request, approved $133,000 to operate the hotline.
Some of the enhancements initiated by the task force include:
City pool "rest breaks" — City pool staff have all swimmers
exit the water for 15 minutes and conduct water safety instruction.
CPR awareness — Through a generous donation from Salt River Project,
15,000 English and Spanish CPR awareness tapes were made available to the
public, plus a $5,000 contribution to the United Phoenix Fire Fighters to
conduct CPR awareness classes has been made available for District 5 residents.
Free pool fences — The Phoenix Fire Department also teamed up with
the United Phoenix Fire Fighters Association and Leslie's Pool Supplies
and Sleep America to offer one free fence per week throughout the summer
until Labor Day.
Lock kits — The kits include locks for doors and windows, along
with installation instructions in English and Spanish. $2,500 has been designated
to Home Depot in order to buy the equipment for the lock kits.
Green pool awareness — Unmaintained pools continue to be a problem
in neighborhoods. $2,500 is available to the Pool Man Pool Service in order
to drain these dangerous pools free of charge.
I am happy to report that the number of drownings has decreased this summer.
Comparing the numbers for the same period of time as last year, total incidents
in 2001 were 80 and in 2002 total incidents decreased to 73. While this is
good news, we need to keep vigilant in our efforts to continue to prevent
these tragedies.
I am committed to keeping the Water Safety Task Force active year round.
Even though kids may not be in swimming pools when it is cool outside, our
efforts need to concentrate on bathtub drownings and other water containers
that are dangerous to children. Let's continue to work together to accomplish
this!
The Super Car
Show, held annually at Phoenix Civic Plaza, took place Aug. 10 - 11. The event
attracts thousands of car aficionados to the Valley, but it also results in
heavy cruising and traffic congestion in Maryvale in a cruising area known
as "The Loop."
To reduce the amount of cruising and some of the problems associated with
it, Phoenix Police's Cruising Squad implemented a barricade plan that included
blocking thru-traffic access to certain streets and not allowing U-turns in
particular areas. This greatly reduced the amount of cruising and cut-through
traffic in neighborhoods while maintaining access for nearby residents, emergency
and law enforcement vehicles.
Each night, approximately 155 police personnel were on patrol in and around
"The Loop" and made a variety of arrests which is typical for heavy cruising
areas. Police made 183 felony and misdemeanor arrests on Aug. 10 and 11.
We appreciate the patience and cooperation of the residents and commuters
in the areas of 43rd to 59th avenues, McDowell to Thomas roads.
For questions about special enforcement for cruising, call the Cruising Enforcement
Hotline at 602-534-2424, extension 8041.
Green swimming pools pose an additional water danger to children.
Just because a pool is not being used does not mean that it isn't dangerous.
In fact, unmaintained, unmonitored pools create yet another type of risk.
Vice Mayor Mattox has secured $2,500 to empty abandoned swimming
pools to try to reduce this problem. If you have a swimming pool that you
no longer can maintain, but also cannot afford to empty; or, if you would
like to report an unattended pool, please call the city's District 5 Council
Office at 602-262-7446. Each request will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Learning CPR
can mean the difference between life and death for a friend or family member.
It is a lifesaving skill that everyone should know how to perform. The Phoenix
Fire Department and Salt River Project are giving away free CPR awareness
tapes that contain adult, child and infant CPR demonstrations in Spanish and
English. Just call the Water Safety Hotline at 602-495-5555 to order your
tape today. And don't forget to share the tape with family and friends!
New
District 5 Boundaries to Take Effect Jan. 2, 2003
District 5 will take a slightly different shape in 2003, as a result of the
city's redistricting process (see map below).
Twenty years
ago, Phoenix voters passed legislation that established a district system
for City Council members. In order to maintain appropriately equal populations
in each district, the city's charter requires that districts be redrawn to
reflect population changes found in the
ten-year census.
This is important for District 5 residents, as there will be a City Council
election in the district, along with Districts 1, 3 and 7, in November 2003.
From September to December of last year, the city conducted more than 25
open houses to receive input from Phoenix residents regarding the redistricting
process and the redrawing of the city's City Council district map.
Despite gaining new residents and losing some to other districts, Vice Mayor
Mattox is committed to working with his fellow City Council members to ensure
that citizen issues and concerns continue to be met, regardless of district
boundaries.
For more information about redistricting or to view current and future maps
of all City Council districts, visit phoenix.gov/redistricting
or call the city's Public Information Office at 602-262-7176.
Safety Fiesta at Desert Sky Mall
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5
7611 W. Thomas Road
Free pool safety lock kits and demonstrations, CPR awareness training
and car seat inspections
Community Forum
6:30 - 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8
Fire Station 30, 2701 W. Belmont Ave.
(south of Northern Avenue)
Community Forum
6:30 - 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22
John F. Long Family Services Center
Conference Room
3454 N. 51st Ave.
Mobile Office Visit
10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9
Maryvale Park, 51st and Campbell avenues
"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 Vice Mayor
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 Vice Mayor Claude Mattox 
District 5 Community Events
The Arizona
Republic first formed a child drowning discussion group focusing on Maryvale
in an effort to decrease the number of drownings in this specific area. Participants
included KPNX 12, District 5 residents and businesses and representatives
from the Phoenix Fire Department. The focus was the 85033 zip code, which
included 59th to 83rd avenues, Camelback to Thomas roads. 
The Super Car
Show, held annually at Phoenix Civic Plaza, took place Aug. 10 - 11. The event
attracts thousands of car aficionados to the Valley, but it also results in
heavy cruising and traffic congestion in Maryvale in a cruising area known
as "The Loop." 
Learning CPR
can mean the difference between life and death for a friend or family member.
It is a lifesaving skill that everyone should know how to perform. The Phoenix
Fire Department and Salt River Project are giving away free CPR awareness
tapes that contain adult, child and infant CPR demonstrations in Spanish and
English. Just call the Water Safety Hotline at 602-495-5555 to order your
tape today. And don't forget to share the tape with family and friends!
Twenty years
ago, Phoenix voters passed legislation that established a district system
for City Council members. In order to maintain appropriately equal populations
in each district, the city's charter requires that districts be redrawn to
reflect population changes found in the 
