It's that time
again. Finally, the weather is cooler and the holidays are already here. District
5 has had a very busy summer and fall with our water safety efforts, addressing
the drought situation, participating in the sex offender study group, preparing
for the transition to the new District 5, and anticipating the response the
city will have to the budget crisis.
The District 5 staff members and I want to thank everyone for their support
and positive response to our district and neighborhood forums and mobile visits.
We will be hosting our District 5 breakfast in our new area and will be looking
forward to the mobile visits for next year. To the residents whose new districts
will be 4 and 7, we appreciate your support and hard work for our community
and will be available to assist in the transition to your new district.
Happy holidays from Vice Mayor Mattox and the District 5 staff (clockwise)
Rebecca Woods, Pat Severance, Derek Plasterer and Edward Olaya.
2003 brings more opportunity. The budget crisis continues and the city will
be looking very closely at the new legislature's response, with special interest
in protecting our state-shared revenues. We will re-submit the cruising legislation
and expect to have sex offender legislation ready to submit as well.
We expect everyone had a wonderful family Thanksgiving and wish you all a
safe and happy holiday and new year.
Pool Drownings.
I am happy to report that the drownings are down compared to last year's statistics.
At the end of the pool season (9-18-02) the number of water-related incidents
was 52, compared to 71 last year.
CPR Awareness.
The District 5 Council office held two CPR awareness classes taught by the
United Phoenix Fire Fighters. Twenty-seven residents participated in this
important training.
Green Pools.
District 5 continues to offer free draining of green pools. Just a reminder
that this covers draining only and not any other services, such as cleaning.
Cruising.
After the defeat last year of the cruising bill at the Legislature, we will
again be requesting Rep. John Nelson to introduce another cruising bill in
next year's legislative session.
Redistricting.
Just a reminder that the new Council district boundaries will go into effect
on Jan. 2. We have included a map showing which portions of the district will
become part of Districts 4 and 7. If you have questions about which district
you live in, please call 602-256-4357 or visit the city's Web site at phoenix.gov.
I am sorry to be losing several neighborhoods in this process, but I am committed
to continue working with the other council members to ensure that your issues
and concerns continue to be met, regardless of district boundaries. I also
look forward to the many new neighborhoods that will be joining District 5.
Sex Offender Committee.
The first meeting of the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Registered Sex Offender
Clustering Committee was held on Sept. 26 and was very productive. Rep. John
Nelson is the chair, and I serve as a member of the committee. DPS gave a
brief presentation on its role and Barbara Broderick, chief probation officer
for Maricopa County, gave a presentation on the role of probation with regard
to registered sex offenders.
These committee meetings at the Legislature are open to the
public. If you are interested in being notified of future meetings, please
call Rep. Nelson's office at 602-542-5872.
Blight conditions
in neighborhoods can negatively impact property values, encourage crime and
discourage other homeowners, business owners and tenants from maintaining
their properties. The following are the most frequent blight violations of
city of Phoenix ordinances:
Vegetation. Dead or dried vegetation on property should be removed,
and grass lawns must be maintained at six inches or shorter.
Inoperable vehicles. These vehicles must not be seen beyond the bounds
of the property. Tarps or car covers are not acceptable screening.
Junk, litter and debris. Junk, litter and debris must be disposed
of properly and not left in the yard.
Open and vacant buildings and structures. A property owner is responsible
for maintaining buildings and grounds. A property owner may be required to
board up a vacant structure. This boarding is a one-time, temporary option
and cannot exceed a year.
Outside storage. Outside storage, including auto parts, appliances
or scrap items must not be seen beyond the bounds of the property.
Fences in disrepair. Fences and screening walls must be sound and
made from the same materials. Fences in residential areas cannot be higher
than three feet in the front yard.
Parking. There are limits to the amount of area in a residential
yard that can be used for parking, and parking on a non-dust proof surface
also is a violation.
Graffiti. It's the property owner's responsibility to remove graffiti
from all sidewalks, walls, fences and signs.
To report blight in your neighborhood, call 602-262-7844. The city will work
with the property owner or attempt to clean it up or remove it altogether.
Work force development is a very important part of the economic development
strategy of District 5. In 2000, I hosted a workshop with the education and
business community to discuss the situation and how we can address the opportunities.
The main discussion centered around focusing our students on future employment
and the skills necessary to be competitive in a global job market. The direction
was developing partnerships between the education and business communities.
In 2001, we mailed a follow-up letter and asked for a progress report from
the participants. I was pleased with the partnerships that were being developed.
In November 2002, the city of Phoenix Community and Economic Development Department
and I hosted a follow-up breakfast to bring the business and education communities
together again. The dialogue was very productive and demonstrated that there
are strong partnerships with business and education in District 5, but we
can take it further.
Based on this meeting, we will be forming a School to Work Task Force to
move this to the next level of participation. Our youth are our future, and
we can positively affect their lives to insure our future.
The need for water safety awareness continues well beyond the summer pool
season. Indoor hazards like bathtubs and buckets continue to be the source
of child drownings and your backyard pool remains a threat year-round. There
is absolutely nothing that is more important than your children. Ignore the
phone and the doorbell and keep your eyes on them around water — inside
and out.
You can get all of your water safety questions and concerns addressed by
calling the city of Phoenix Water Safety Hotline at (602) 495-5555. You only
have to dial one number to get information about how to enhance your home's
water safety, to report a green or dangerous pool, or to find out about CPR
classes, to name just a few of the services the hotline provides.
Here are some
facts you should know about drowning right now that may save a life:
Children can drown in less than two inches of water.
Nearly every child or pediatric drowning would have been prevented if
someone had been watching the child.
Studies show there are two major causes of child/pediatric drowning:
(1) lapses in supervision and (2) lack of barriers.
You can save that child's life by dialing 911, then immediately administering
CPR.
Keep large objects such as tables, chairs, toys and ladders away from
pool fences.
Never leave any bucket of water or other liquid unattended when small
children are around.
When doing household chores, immediately empty out buckets when finished,
or move them to a safe place before taking a break. More information on
water safety and drowning prevention is on the city's Web site: www.phoenix.gov/fire.
I want to clear up any misconception that people may have about water availability
in Phoenix. Although we are currently in a drought situation, the city has
enough water to deal with future growth and drought conditions for many years
to come. This is because of decades of planning, acquiring water supplies,
implementing water conservation programs, building infrastructure, and engineering
flexibility into the city's water delivery and treatment facilities. Phoenix
has been in the forefront, nationally and internationally, with innovative
water banking agreements and underground storage and recharging programs.
The city also has had a water conservation program in place since 1985 to
help protect its water for the future.
I invite all Valley residents to join the city of Phoenix in demonstrating
good citizenship by conserving water. There are a number of ways to save water
and they all start with you. With some simple changes to your routine, you
can make a difference by doing the following:
Check your
water meter and bill to track your water usage.
Turn off water while you brush your teeth and save up to four gallons
a minute. (That's 200 gallons a week for a family of four.) Also, turn off
the water when you shave. It saves both water (100 gallons a week) and power
for heating that water.
Don't water your lawn when it's raining or immediately after a rainstorm.
When you do your fall planting, consider replacing some of your grass
with a low-water use plant for year-round landscape color.
Pass on growing a winter lawn this upcoming season. Save water and you
won't have to mow your grass.
Listen for dripping faucets and toilets that seem to flush themselves.
Fixing a leak can save 500 gallons each month.
According to
the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety, aggressive
driving is the number one safety concern of motorists. Drunk driving is number
two.
A study conducted for the foundation examined more than 10,000 incidents
of violent aggressive driving between 1990 and 1996.
The trend in "road rage" incidents has increased 7 percent
each year since 1990.
Reasons for the behavior range from the sublime ("I would have never
shot him if he hadn't rear-ended me") to the ridiculous (another driver
was playing a radio too loudly).
In 37 percent of the 10,000 incidents studied, a firearm was used.
How can you avoid a confrontation with another driver? The AAA suggests the
following:
When you change lanes, signal! If you cut off another driver, apologize
immediately.
No tailgating.
Using your car phone while driving? Don't let the phone call consume
all your attention.
If you encounter an angry aggressive driver, don't escalate the situation
with an angry reaction. Stay calm, keep it impersonal. If he/she threatens
you, get out of the situation immediately!
Keep your own behavior (and anger) under control.
Make the environment in your car as comfortable and soothing as possible
— listen to some music or a book on tape.
Put yourself in the other person's shoes. Maybe he/she's driving aggressively
— or what you think is irresponsibly — for a reason. He/she could
be a doctor en route to an emergency.
Chances are good that you will run into (no pun intended) a road rage
driver someday. Just accept this. Be alert. Stay cool!
"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 
It's that time
again. Finally, the weather is cooler and the holidays are already here. District
5 has had a very busy summer and fall with our water safety efforts, addressing
the drought situation, participating in the sex offender study group, preparing
for the transition to the new District 5, and anticipating the response the
city will have to the budget crisis. 
#1 Check
to make sure your home smoke alarms are working and have fresh batteries!
Blight conditions
in neighborhoods can negatively impact property values, encourage crime and
discourage other homeowners, business owners and tenants from maintaining
their properties. The following are the most frequent blight violations of
city of Phoenix ordinances: 
Here are some
facts you should know about drowning right now that may save a life: 
Check your
water meter and bill to track your water usage. 
According to
the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety, aggressive
driving is the number one safety concern of motorists. Drunk driving is number
two. 
