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Outstanding Community Service and Today’s Emerging Leaders

District One’s campaign to recognize outstanding community service leaders continues this week as Councilwoman Williams would like to highlight Jack Pesnell’s contributions to the community: Jack has been a dedicated community volunteer at least since 1997. He was an integral participant in the facilitation of organizing the Westown Block Watch for the interest of preserving the quality of life for his community. Jack has been an active member in the citywide Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol Program since 1997, taking an active part in the continuing development of the block watch program and the PNP program. He has served the police department, particularly Cactus Park Precinct, as an area PNP coordinator and has played a part in PNP policy development. As president of Westown Block Watch, Jack has worked with his community to organize GAIN events and has edited a production of a neighborhood newsletter distributed to the residents of his community. Cactus Park Community Alliance benefited by Jack’s previous service as a board member and during his service as president of the organization. Jack has been a long time supporter of the City Council District One office, the Neighborhood Services Department and many other city departments and programs. Jack is a dedicated husband, father and grandfather. He is also an elder of his community church. Special thanks to Jack Pesnell for all of his hard work and contributions over the years and congratulations to him for being a Hero of District One!

*Special thanks to Robin Mofford for her contributions to this article.

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Looking for Volunteers for Village Planning Committees

The City of Phoenix is divided into 15 Urban Villages (see map). Each Village has a Village Planning Committee that is appointed by the City Council. The Village Planning Committees assist the Planning Commission in the performance of its duties. Village Planning Committee activities include: identifying areas or provisions of the General Plan text that need refinement and updating; identifying problems and needs related to implementation of the General Plan; defining in greater detail the intended future function, density and character of sub-areas of the village; and commenting on proposals for new zoning districts or land use districts. We are currently looking for volunteers in the Deer Valley, Rio Vista, North Gateway and North Mountain villages. You must live in the Village and also in District 1 as some of the villages share boundaries with other districts. If you are interested in being part of a Village Planning Committee and meet the location criteria, please fill out an application at http://phoenix.gov/pdd/pz/vpcomm.html.

Events District 1 Events:

North Gateway Transfer Station Tour

The city of Phoenix provides a number of recycling education and outreach opportunities to its customers. On Thursday, January 30, residents of District 1 are invited to take a tour of the North Gateway Transfer Station and learn about proper disposal methods including reduction, reuse and recycling. *If you plan to attend, please RSVP to council.district.1@phoenix.gov. Date: Thursday, January 30, 2014 Time: 10:00 a.m.

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Location: North Gateway Transfer Station, 30205 North Black Canyon Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85085 Directions: Upon entering the facility from North I-17 at the Dixileta Drive Interchange, proceed to gate #3, make a left and you will see signs for visitor parking. District 1 Community Breakfast

The Breakfasts are held on the last Friday of each month, unless a change is noted. The next District 1 Community Breakfast will be held Friday, January 31, 2014. Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. and the speakers will start around 7:45 a.m. Breakfast will be available for $4.99, not including tax or gratuity, and the District 1 office will pay for your drink. Date: Friday, January 31, 2014 Time: 7:30 a.m. Location: Deer Valley Airport Restaurant – 702 West Deer Valley Road Guest Speaker: Tom Remes, Director of Government Relations – Tom will be speaking about what’s happening at the Arizona Legislature and about the process of getting a bill passed.

Adopt A Street Clean-Up

What: The Glendale Community College (GCC) Exceptional Students Club is spearheading an effort to clean up the streets of Phoenix by hosting a street clean-up. When: March 1, 2014 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Where: Dunlap Ave. between 43rd Ave. and 35th Ave. Details: The Exceptional Students Club from GCC is currently looking for volunteers. If you are interested in participating in this event, please email James Deibler at jamesdeibler@icloud.com or Gerald Hailey at geraboajump108az@yahoo.com. For more information about the Exceptional Students Club at GCC, please visit http://www.gccaz.edu/currentstudents/studentactivities/clubs.cfm?id=75.

Public Meeting Notice – Northwest Phase II – Light Rail Extension to Metrocenter

Valley Metro will hold a public meeting to present an update on the Northwest Phase II light rail extension. The Phase II study currently in progress will identify a feasible connection across I-17 to the Metrocenter area. At the meeting, Valley Metro will provide information on a potential new multi-modal bridge that includes light rail, vehicles, bike and pedestrian access, as well as direct High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) access ramps to I-17. The presentation will also include

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information on the city of Phoenix Metrocenter Development Evaluation to identify an economic development program for the area. Questions and comments are welcome. Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (presentation at 6:30 p.m.) Location: Metro Plaza Hotel – Mesquite Room – 10220 N. Metro Parkway East Phoenix, AZ 85051 For more information, please contact Megan Casey, Community Outreach Coordinator, at 602-495-8274 or mcasey@valleymetro.org.

Spotlight on Deer Valley Rock Art Center

What: Deer Valley Rock Art Center When: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (October–April) Where: 3711 W. Deer Valley Road, approximately 2 miles north of Highway 101 and 2 miles west of I-17 Deer Valley Rock Art Center is an archaeology museum and 47-acre Sonoran Desert preserve. It has the largest concentration of Native American petroglyphs in the Phoenix Valley. For more information, please visit https://dvrac.asu.edu/. WESD Business Advisory Team Meeting

What: WESD Business Advisory Team Meeting When: Wednesday, Jan 29, from 9:00-11:00 a.m. Where: Washington Elementary School District Administration Center 4650 W. Sweetwater Avenue, Glendale 85304 PLEASE RSVP to jill.hicks@wesdschools.org by Jan 20. The Washington Elementary School District Business Advisory Team was formed to develop, enhance and maintain mutually supportive, strategic relationships between Washington Elementary School District and its surrounding business community.

• Bring a can of food to the meeting and get a raffle ticket.

• Person that brings in the most cans will be guaranteed a “Spotlight” 3 minute spot for the next meeting in April.

Educational Events:

Free Data Privacy and Security Lunch and Learn Session Jan. 31

Data breaches continue to make headlines and medical ID theft is the fastest growing form of identity theft. The city’s Information Security and Privacy Office (ISPO) will be hosting a free lunchtime session, “Data Privacy: Hackers and Headlines,” in recognition

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of Data Privacy Day from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, in assembly rooms A and B at Phoenix City Hall, 200 W. Washington St. Attendees are invited to bring their lunch and find out about data brokers and what to do if personal information is stolen. No registration is required - for more information, visit phoenix.gov/infosec or send an e-mail to ispo@phoenix.gov. More information about Data Privacy Day is available at staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day/about. Financial Fitness Workshop

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Community Events:

“Let’s Rock to Send Kids to Camp”

What: The Camp Colley Foundation is hosting an event called “Let’s Rock to Send Kids to Camp.”

When: March 8, 2014 from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Where: Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 2 (on 19th Ave. between Peoria and Thunderbird) Details: There will be a BBQ dinner, entertainment by Carvin Jones, numerous local small business vendors, and Texas Hold 'Em Poker. Ticket prices are $50 for an Individual Supporter and $25 for a Young Adult Supporter (16-20). For more information about this event and to purchase tickets, please visit www.rockcampcolley.com.

Camp Colley Foundation 9th

Annual Golf Tournament

What: The Camp Colley Foundation hosts an annual Golf Tournament which serves as the primary fundraiser for the year. Ninety-five percent of funds raised from this event go directly to supporting the programs of Camp Colley and benefit the children who attend camp. When: Saturday, April 26, 2014 Where: Aguila Golf Course, 8440 S 35th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85339 For more information about this event and to register, please visit www.campcolleygolf.com.

Annual Willo Home Tour

What: Annual Willo Home Tour When: Sunday, February 9, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Where: Willo is west of Central Avenue between Thomas and McDowell Roads from 1st to 7th Avenues The Willo Historic District Annual Home Tour will take place on Sunday, February 9, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This unique neighborhood tour welcomes visitors into some of Arizona’s finest historic homes representing a variety of styles-Tudor, Spanish, Colonial, and Bungalow-dating from the 1920’s through the 1940’s. One of Phoenix’s most beautiful, and oldest historic neighborhoods, Willo is west of Central Avenue between Thomas and McDowell Roads from 1st to 7th Avenues. Tickets can be purchased the day of the event at the neighborhood park at 3rd Avenue and Holly. Tickets are $20 the day of the tour. Presale tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at www.willohistoricdistrict.com

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Trolley cars will carry tour participants to various stops on the tour, or participants can enjoy the traditional tour method of walking from house to house. The street fair will offer more than 100 vendors offering hand crafted goods, unusual gifts, jewelry, antiques, local artwork and a variety of food options. There will also be live musical entertainment throughout the day. Don’t miss this fun-filled opportunity to visit architecturally significant, finely decorated homes while supporting Phoenix’s largest historic district. Mark your calendars NOW for the 2014 Annual Willo Historic District Home Tour and street fair. For more information on the Willo Historic District visit www.WilloHistoricDistrict.com Can-Am Cup Golf Tournament

Date: February 8, 2014 Time: Registration begins at 7:00 a.m., Shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Location: Papago Golf Course, 5595 E Moreland St, Phoenix, AZ 85008 Format: 4-person Scramble Details: $99.00/player Entry Fee includes: Green Fees, Cart Fee, Range Balls, Lunch, all taxes, and chances to win great prizes! Mulligans sold separately. Competitions will include the following:

• Putting Challenge

• Longest Drive

• Closest to the Pin

• Chip'N Challenge

• Hole-in-One Shootout Proceeds benefit Phoenix Sister Cities’ Calgary Committee Programs, including Youth and Education. To sign up go to www.phoenixsistercities.org, or call (602) 534-3751. Registration closes on February 1, 2014, or earlier if at full capacity. I Recycle Phoenix Festival

Join Paradise Valley Mall and Keep Phoenix Beautiful on Saturday, February 22 from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. to drop off almost all of your recyclable and reusable items. What can you bring?

• Electronics

• Cell Phones

• Car Seats

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• Document Shredding (up to 5 boxes)

• Hard Drive Shredding

• Phone Books

• Laptops and Desktops

• Writing Utensils

• Plastic Bags

• Ink Jet Cartridges

• Rechargeable Batteries

• Clothing and Household Donations

• Just about anything! Hazardous Waste such as paint, tires, and chemicals will not be accepted. Visit the City of Phoenix Website for Household Hazardous Waste collection events. Phoenix Chinese Week Celebrations Offer Cultural and Educational Events

Phoenix Sister Cities, Phoenix Sister Cities Chengdu and Taipei committees and the Phoenix Chinese Week Committee will celebrate Chinese Week 2014 and the Chinese New Year 4712, “The Year of the Horse” from Feb. 3 to 9, with cultural and educational events at a variety of Valley locations.

A highlight of the activities is a free, three-day Chinese Week Culture and Food Festival, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb 8; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb 9; at Margaret T. Hance Park, 1202 N. Third St., Phoenix. Parking is free.

The 24th annual festival features live entertainment including the dragon and lion dances, martial arts demonstrations, folk and traditional dances, musical performances, mah-jong booth, a Children’s Pavilion, the Chinese Culture and History booth, photo exhibit and art display, delicious Chinese food and much more.

Other Phoenix Chinese Week Committee events include a table tennis open, Taijiquan and volleyball tournaments and a 10-course Chinese Lunar New Year Banquet at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9, at the Great Wall Restaurant, 3446 W. Camelback Road. To purchase tickets to the banquet, call 480-650-2610.

For more information, visit the Phoenix Chinese Week website at http://www.phoenixchineseweek.org/ or call 480-406-7470. Follow Phoenix Sister Cities on Twitter @phxsistercities. Heart & Sol Festival On Saturday, March 8, 2014, the inaugural Heart and Sol Festival will take place in Downtown Phoenix. The Heart and Sol Festival focuses on health and wellness for the heart, mind, and soul. It will emphasize the importance of mental health awareness and

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will enrich the quality of life for our diverse communities by inspiring healthy lifestyle choices. The Heart and Sol Festival will feature exhibitors of a variety of health and wellness realms. Opportunities will be provided for people to lace up their sneakers to participate in exciting Zumba routines alongside experienced instructors and dance to the rhythms of a DJ. The event offers a broad range of niche sponsorship opportunities where participating organizations or businesses will experience face-to-face interaction with its target audience in a fun-filled festive environment. For more information and to learn how to become a sponsor of this event, please contact Joya Clarke at (602)999-0563 or joya@casaunltd.com. Next Week’s Public City Meetings

City Council Meetings

• City Council Policy Meeting – Tuesday, January 28 at 2:30 p.m. in the Phoenix City Council Chambers

• City Council Formal Meeting – Wednesday, January 29 at 3:00 p.m. in the Phoenix City Council Chambers

Planning Meetings

• Zoning Adjustment Hearing – Thursday, January 30 at 9:00 a.m. in Phoenix City Hall – Assembly Room C

For more information on these and all other public City meetings visit http://phoenix.gov/PUBMEETC/indxhtml.html. City Council meetings are live on Cox Cable Channel 11 and streamed live on phoenix.gov and facebook.com/cityofphoenix. Past City Council meetings are posted to youtube at http://www.youtube.com/cityofphoenixaz.

Community

Trivia

Every year on May 5, Mexicans celebrate the holiday of Cinco de Mayo. On that day in 1867, at the Battle of Puebla, the Mexicans defeated the army from which country?

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Weekly Bulletins and Neighborhood Newsletters

• Black Mountain Community Alliance (BMCA) has released its February 2014 newsletter. If you would like to begin receiving the BMCA Bulletin on a regular basis, please send an email to communityinfo@bmca200info.com.

• Cactus Park West Block Watch has released its January 2014 newsletter. If you would like to begin receiving the Cactus Park West Neighborhood News on a regular basis, please send an email to vickixnos@q.com.

• Visit http://www.sunburstfarmshoa.org/documents-and-newsletters.php to check out the Sunburst Farms HOA website and the latest edition of the Sunburst Farms News.

• This week’s Irish Cultural Center Newsletter is out! Check it out at http://www.azirish.org/index.php?topic=Newsletter.

City News

Luke AFB Expecting Arrival of F-35 Soon

Lockheed Martin delivered its 100th production F-35 which coincidentally was the first F-35 destined for Luke AFB. In a December 13, 2013 ceremony at Lockheed’s Fort Worth facility, a ceremony was conducted which marked the major milestone for both Luke AFB and its conversion to becoming the F-35A USAF Active Duty Training Site, as well as a delivery achievement for Lockheed Martin, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of the F-35A.

The specific date and time of arrival is not known as of yet and Luke AFB may only get 24 to 48 hours of notice. There has been speculation that it could be as early as next week, January 27-31.

Construction of Pinnacle Peak Road

Construction on Pinnacle Peak between 45 Avenue and 55 Avenue began on Monday, January 6th. The project is scheduled to last approximately 300 days with a completion date of November 6, 2014. The work includes the construction of a new box culvert, curb, gutter, sidewalk, storm drain, streetlights, new asphalt pavement, landscaping on the north side of the roadway, and will reconfigure the intersection at 55th Avenue with new traffic signals. Once complete, there will be two lanes in each direction with a center turn lane. Construction began with the removal of vegetation and grading in the detention basin on the north side of Pinnacle Peak Road.

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Bus Service and Bus Stop Changes

Effective on Monday, January 27, 2014, City of Phoenix funded Valley Metro bus routes will have changes. Public Transit staff regularly review service usage and efficiency. Changes are proposed twice per year and must be approved by the City Council before they can take effect. Route maps and schedules can be found at http://www.valleymetro.org/. A downloadable copy of the new Transit Book is available at http://www.valleymetro.org/planning_your_trip/transit_book/.

Phoenix Expands Communication Efforts on Nextdoor.com

The city of Phoenix is expanding the ways in which it communicates important information with residents and will now have a presence on Nextdoor.com, the private social network for neighborhoods. Similar to other social networks, city departments will have the ability to post relevant, neighborhood-focused information and answer residents’ questions generated by their posts. Besides the city’s main page, Nextdoor participants also will receive timely messages from the Police, Neighborhood Services and Public Works departments. The growing social network on Nextdoor encourages and helps facilitate communication among neighbors. Already, more than 400 Phoenix neighborhoods have joined and actively participate on Nextdoor. In addition to Nextdoor, the city of Phoenix and its departments share news and updates on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. For a complete listing of the city’s social media accounts, visit phoenix.gov/socialmedia. Metrocenter Planned Unit Development (“PUD”)

On Wednesday, January 15, a neighborhood meeting was held at Metrocenter to present and discuss the Metrocenter Planned Unit Development (“PUD”). The “PUD” meeting garnered positive reactions and support from the community members that attended. The information below provides a snapshot of the purpose and goals of the Metrocenter “PUD”: The Metrocenter Planned Unit Development (“PUD”) establishes the regulatory framework necessary to facilitate the proposed development of a core mixed-use development within this area of the North Mountain Village in order to provide a better, and more appropriate, land use pattern on one-hundred-and-seven (107) acres. The Metrocenter PUD compliments the existing and future development occurring within this area of the North Mountain Village, which was planned as an important regional employment, retail, housing and entertainment center or core area. Then City of Phoenix has invested significant infrastructure resources in this area too. The proposed

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development at this core will capitalize on and broaden economic development opportunities in this area by acting as a catalyst for additional development/redevelopment. The Metrocenter PUD represents the evolution of this property from regional mall to central core area with high density multi-family housing, employment, retail, and transit opportunities to build upon in the community. This PUD is designed to create the framework to allow for flexibility while protecting the adjacent residential areas. Thus, Metrocenter PUD provides for uses and development standards that fulfill the needs of both the community and the City of Phoenix. Purpose and Intent The Metrocenter Planned Unit Development (“PUD”) is consistent with the North Mountain Village Plan. The PUD encourages new development to be compatible with the surrounding area both currently and in the future. Then property is located directly adjacent to established retail, commercial and residential uses, major arterial streets, I-17 freeway, transit, and future light-rail extension. The PUD provides development standards for landscaping, screening, and building setbacks to buffer/transit from the existing residential areas while still allowing future employment/retail opportunities within close proximity to these homes, the existing freeway corridor (I-17), and a future light-rail transit extension. The primary goals of the PUD are to:

1. Facilitate development of a proposed mixed-use development. 2. Expand development options. 3. Create flexible and appropriate development standards that promote the City’s

goals/policies for the North Mountain Village Core. The PUD will ensure compatibility with surrounding properties; provide for a variety of services and employment opportunities; and generate new tax revenues to the City of Phoenix.

Changes Made to City’s Solid Waste Program

The Public Works Department initiated a strategic review of the City’s solid waste program to develop recommendations focused on meeting the diversion goal. The strategic review recommended four programs for residential customers to be implemented in the next two to three years that are anticipated to result in an increase of the current waste diversion rate to approximately 22 percent. On Tuesday, January 7, 2014, the Phoenix City Council approved changes to existing solid waste collection programs as follows:

1. Expand Trash Container Options - This will allow curbside collection residents to “rightsize” their trash container based on the amount of trash their household produces. This program is projected to be phased in starting July 2014. Instead of

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the traditional 90-gallon curbside container, residents will have the option to elect a smaller 60-gallon container at the proposed cost of $23.00 per month for curbside collection. Both the 90-gallon curbside and 300-gallon alley containers would remain available at the current cost of $26.80 per month. Expanding trash container options with lower fees have proven to encourage waste reduction and increase recycling. 2. Voluntary Green Organics Curbside Collection Service - A weekly curbside collection of containerized green organics (tan container) on a voluntary, subscription basis for an additional monthly fee will be implemented. The 90-gallon tan container enables residents to recycle grass, shrub, and tree clippings by placing them in a separate container to ensure it will be diverted from the landfill and then mulched and/or composted for beneficial use. This program is projected to be phased in starting July 2014. Public Works currently offers a containerized green organics collection program for curbside collection in select areas of the city. Staff’s approved proposal will expand this program with an additional fee of $5 per container per month. 3. On-Call Bulk Trash Program - The current pre-scheduled quarterly bulk trash collection program will be changed to offer four on-call collections each year. This modified program is projected to start in January 2015. The On-Call Bulk Trash Program will enable residents to request one bulk trash collection each quarter at their convenience rather than on a schedule determined solely by the City. The On-Call Bulk Trash Program will require residents to continue to place their materials in front of their residence (or in the alley for alley customers). In addition to current placement standards, residents will now be asked to separate green organic materials from bulky household trash items. This will allow solid waste staff to collect specific materials and divert green organics from the landfill. 4. Increased Efforts For Community Outreach - Studies have shown that successful solid waste programs include a strong community outreach, education, and compliance component to communicate with and engage residents about program goals and changes. Public Works will move forward with a more intensive community engagement campaign.

Staff will return by April 2014 with the specific solid waste ordinance and fee adjustments for these new services for Council review and action.

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Rising Phoenix Youth Summer Youth Employment Program

The City of Phoenix’s Community and Economic Development Department (CEDD), Business and Workforce Development Division, is seeking offers from youth-serving community organizations, faith-based organizations and public entities to provide summer youth employment services to youth ages 16-21, within the city of Phoenix. Request for Proposal applications will be available beginning January 16, 2014 through February 13, 2014. To be eligible for review, offerors must attend a mandatory pre-proposal conference scheduled January 30, 2014 at 9:00 AM; sealed proposals must be received by 2:00 PM MST on February 13, 2014. In Fiscal Year 2013-2014, $250,000 was authorized in the department’s budget to administer the program for 133 youth participants. Pending City Council adoption of the Fiscal Year 2014-2015 budget, contracting for the next summer youth program would commence in May 2014.

City Manager’s Weekly Report

Economic Development & Education

A ten-member urban development delegation, representing jurisdictions in and around Mexico City, Mexico, are scheduled to visit the City of Phoenix on January 17, 2014. They will be accompanied by an escort officer and interpreter from the US Department of State. International Relations Division staff has coordinated meetings for the delegation with the Planning, Street Transportation and Neighborhood Services Departments. Sister Cities International has announced that the cities of Phoenix and Chengdu, China will be awarded the 2014 U.S.-China Sister Cities Arts and Cultural Award at the U.S.-China Sister Cities Conference dinner in Washington, DC on March 27, 2014. The conference is jointly hosted by Sister Cities International and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The awards recognize the accomplishments of outstanding U.S.-China sister city programs and their contribution to building strong interpersonal relationships between the two countries. Mayor Stanton has been invited to serve on a conference panel composed of two mayors from the U.S. and China. A Self-Certification Building Plan Training was held on January 9 and 10. This brings the total number of self-certified professionals to 208. Training was expanded to include Electronic Plan Review, which is now mandatory for all Self-Certification submittals.

The City of Phoenix Youth and Education Office, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, AARP, Experience Matters, and local Phoenix superintendents met to discuss the opportunity to create a volunteer program in local school districts that need reading tutors. AARP Experience Corps is a national leader in engaging adults to become tutors to assist K-3 students with literacy, and Experience Matters concentrates on providing

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expertise and training on a unique engagement model for the baby-boomer generation to help assess schools needs and foster business and community relationships. The proposed program is seeking funding that will provide start-up funds to establish an Experience Corps Program in up to nine Phoenix schools and engage up to 100 volunteers. The proposal is seeking approximately $700k from AARP and Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust over a three-year period. On January 6 and 7, 2014, the Business and Workforce Development West Office held a customized recruitment for the Sears Glendale Outlet store for the following positions: Sales Lead Full-time, Sales Associates Part-time, Lead Service Support Full-time, and Warehouse Associate/Merchandiser Part-time. Interview cubicles were provided to the store manager for one-on-one interviews. Forty-six candidates were interviewed for these positions, and fifteen job offers were extended. The Amazing Arizona Comic Con will be held January 24-26 at the Phoenix Convention Center with an estimated 4,000 attendees and approximately 350 exhibits. This annual event returns to Phoenix featuring the very best in pop culture from the world of comic books, movies, video games and cartoons.

Financial Excellence

On Friday, January 10, Initiative Petition I-1-14 and an Amended Statement of Organization were filed with the City Clerk Department. The applications were filed by Citizens for Phoenix Pension. An Amended Statement of Organization was also filed. Because this petition and language replaces the prior petition related to pension reform, the signature gathering process must start anew. A total of 25,480 valid signatures are required for this Initiative Petition to be certified as sufficient. While the petition expires two years from the date of the application for the serial number (January 10, 2016), the signatures are only valid for a six-month period from the date they are secured.

Public Safety

A Community Prosecutor attended the Urban Plunge meeting at Palo Verde Middle School. Urban Plunge is a collaboration of various entities including school and Washington Elementary School District officials, parents, the faith community, Young Life College at Arizona State University, and the City Prosecutor's Office. The focus of the meeting was to discuss Service Day, which will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2014. During Service Day, the partners of Urban Plunge and approximately 60 Palo Verde students will participate in a clean-up of various locations around the school’s campus. The City made two dumpsters and two trailers available for the event.

Neighborhoods and Livability

Beuf Community Center began team practices for participants registered in the 2014 Winter Youth Basketball League on January 6, 2014. Coaches will assist with providing skill development for three different age categories. Thirty-six youth are enrolled in the 5

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to 6 year old division, 60 youth in the 7 to 8 year old division, and 60 youth in the 9 to 10 year old division. League Play begins in three weeks. The Deer Valley Community Center's fencing program began its Winter/Spring session of instructional classes and competitive workshops on January 7, 2014. The fencing program, instructed by volunteers from Southwest Fencing Club, is proud to celebrate its most successful registration session in recent years with a 74% increase in participation from 2013. This is a direct result of increased marketing from both Deer Valley Community Center staff and Southwest Fencing volunteers. Staff worked with colleagues in the Parks and Library Departments, Arizona State University, and representatives from Friendly House and the Phoenix Community Alliance to submit a National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” grant application on January 11, 2014. The project would engage the community with writers and storytellers to create stories, poetry and performances about community identity. The events would activate underutilized public spaces, and include the new ASU Herberger Institute in the Warehouse District.

The City’s Illegal Sign Abatement Program staff canvassed 145 miles of major thoroughfares and removed 433 signs from the right-of-ways. Staff referred no additional signs to the Illegal Signs Enforcement Team.

Infrastructure

Staff approved a new, modified concept design for a permanent traffic calming island at Desert Cove Avenue and 24th Street. The new design splits the circle into two islands and then relocates the islands away from the intersection. In addition, staff arranged a traffic committee meeting of interested residents along the street to discuss petitioning for speed cushions. The project to reconstruct the Greenway Parkway Bridge will begin in March. In order to expedite the bridge construction, Greenway Parkway will be closed from 19th Avenue to Seventh Avenue from March 3, 2014 to August 2014. The road closure will save a minimum three months of construction time. Traffic will be detoured to Bell Road or Thunderbird Road. The project delivery method is Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR). Construction began Monday January 6, 2014 on Pinnacle Peak Road. The contractor started clearing and grubbing the basin area at 47th Avenue. Water main vertical realignments will follow. Water Department crews recently added water valves along these mainlines to allow the realignments without major impacts to the community. This project includes full major street improvements on Pinnacle Peak Road, storm drain system, basin and box culvert crossing Pinnacle Peak Road, curb, gutter, sidewalk installation and new asphalt paving. Once complete, this project will provide two lanes in each direction, a center turn lane, and new traffic signals at 55th Avenue.

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The residents in this area have requested that staff investigate the possibility of installing permanent traffic calming measures at Dove Valley Road/52nd Place to Rancho Paloma/56th Street. Staff will be presenting traffic count results to the neighborhood representative. A neighborhood meeting will then be held to kick-off the petitioning effort process. Staff spoke with the Arizona Republic regarding the construction of a new three million gallon reservoir at the northeast corner of Pinnacle Peak and the future 56th Street alignment. Staff will continue to discuss costs, reasons for the structure and benefits to the community. The Law Department met with staff from the Planning & Development, Streets, and Finance Departments to discuss the possible condemnation of an access road in the area of 67th Avenue and Latham due to traffic concerns with a new development. The Real Estate Division will obtain an appraisal of the property and make an offer before the matter is sent to the Law Department for condemnation. Technology

Public Transit held a press event on January 9, 2014 to welcome 120 new 40-foot buses to provide service to Valley transit customers. Of the 120 buses to be received, 39 are currently in service. The new buses run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), while the remainder of the fleet operates on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and diesel fuel. The first new CNG bus began service in November. The remainder of the new fleet is currently being prepared for service, and riders can expect to see all 120 buses in circulation by the end of summer. The new vehicles will replace an equal number of buses that are being retired. A press release was sent out prior to the event. A number of representatives from City Council and departments and the Citizens Transit Commission spoke at the event. Four news stations attended the event and a live talkback with Channel 12 was held earlier in the morning.

Trivia Answer

France.

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