Avondale Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers unveiled the city’s new logo/brand during her State of the City Address on May 8.

The launch of the new city logo was the result of a year-long process that involved considerable input, engagement and extensive research regarding Avondale’s identity from more 2,000 citizens from the community.

“Avondale is a community where people share a deep sense of pride in what has been accomplished and how far we have come today,” Mayor Rogers said. “In Avondale, there is strong belief that the blending of cultures comes from a true sense of harmony throughout the community, not mere rhetoric about diversity.  In Avondale, people and businesses are welcomed with open arms and supported in a way that exemplifies a progressive, intelligent and driven city.”

The fresh new look of Avondale’s design keeps up with the tempo of the city’s up-and-coming growth in population and businesses, and is, in a sense, a reward to the hard-working citizens of the city who strive to maintain Avondale as an “aspiring, achieving, and accelerating” city, as Mayor Rogers said.

“The new brand is flexible and multi-faceted, and reflects all that is positive about our community,” said Dan Davis, Economic Development Director for Avondale. “The new brand celebrates Avondale’s most powerful assets: its people, diversity and sense of optimism.”

Mayor Roger’s office has said that the city will ensure fiscal responsibility, and use a phased-in approach to implement the new brand over the next few months.  The focus is on launching the logo through digital communications and incorporating it wherever possible in public outreach and marketing materials, which are already factored into the current city budget.

Avondale will also work with a variety of community  solidify and reinforce a strong and positive identity, “to build a brand which sets us apart from other cities in the region and country and contributes to community pride, appeal and economic prosperity,” Mayor Rogers said.

For more information, visit www.avondale.org, or www.avondale.org/branding . Also, take a moment to view the new video, which shares the Avondale Story from the view of our residents and businesses.

The summer months are here. And as tempting as it might be to keep cool in the pool or hang by your favorite lake, stop and remember to watch those around water who may be susceptible to drowning. Since January 2014, Arizona has had 19 drownings, 8 of which were children. As temperatures in Arizona go up, let’s keep the statistics down!

While there are several ways to prevent water hazards, here are some main points to keep in mind:

1. Staying close, being alert and watching children in and around the pool

• Never leave a child unattended in a pool or spa and always watch your child when he or she is in or near water
• Teach children basic water safety tips
• Keep children away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments
• Have a telephone close by when you or your family is using a pool or spa
• If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first
• Share safety instructions with family, friends and neighbors

2.  Learning and practicing water safety skills

• Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim
• Learn to perform CPR on children and adults, and update those skills regularly
• Understand the basics of life-saving so that you can assist in a pool emergency

3.  Having appropriate equipment for your pool or spa

• Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and spa and use  self-closing and self-latching gates; ask your neighbors to do the same  at their pools.
• Install and use a lockable safety cover on your spa.
• If your house serves as a fourth side of a fence around a pool,  install door alarms and always use them. For additional protection,  install window guards on windows facing pools or spas.
• Install pool and gate alarms to alert you when children go near the water
• Ensure any pool and spa you use has compliant drain covers, and ask your pool service provider if you do not know
• Maintain pool and spa covers in good working order
• Consider using a surface wave or underwater alarm

Additionally, take a look what various cities and community departments have provided in order to heighten water safety awareness:

• City of Scottsdale: Offers several tips, including CPR class opportunities here.
• City of Casa Grande: Some great tips, resources, and informational video on water safety is provided here.
• City of Maricopa: The city has released some great tips on water safety. Take a look here.
• City aquatics departments: SRP Safety Connection partners with city aquatics departments in Maricopa County during the summer to sponsor free or reduced-price swimming lessons at selected Valley public pools. This year, SRP will sponsor free swimming lessons through the city of Mesa’s Making Waves program and reduced-price swimming lessons through the city of Phoenix’s Kool Kids program.
• City of Yuma: With several facts and statistics, Yuma illustrates the importance of water safety and provides several resources and tips as well, here.
• City of Tucson: Provides the “ABC’s” of water safety with helpful pointers on supervising children around water, here.
• City of Chandler: With their slogan “Eye to Eye to Supervise,” Chandler rallies water safety through helpful videos and tips here.
• Salt River Project: Here is a special video provided by SRP on water safety and how to use life-saving techniques in the event of a water incident: http://youtu.be/wK5xkel_GUQ

Let this month serve as a reminder to always practice water safety – no matter what time of year it is!

May 18- 24 is Public Works Week! This annual event celebrates public works professionals of our Arizona cities and towns who work tirelessly to keep street lights blinking and water running, among many other responsibilities.

Communities across Arizona are taking time to recognize individuals who dedicate services to cities and towns, which include road construction, cleaning and maintenance services, sanitation and recycling, fleet services, and various other community provisions.

Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney recognized Public Works Week through a proclamation at last week’s council meeting. “During National Public Works Week, I ask all residents and businesses to become familiar with the issues involved in providing our public works programs and to recognize the contributions which public works officials make every day to our health, safety, comfort, and quality of life,” he said.

The theme for this year’s Public Works Week is “Building for Today, Planning for Tomorrow,” representing the classic idea of stewardship embodied by the profession of public works and the professionals who commit themselves to those services.

Since 1960, and sponsored by the American Public Works Association, the event celebrates the more than 28,000 members in the United States and Canada who contribute to public works in the daily lives of city and town citizens.

Thank you to all our public works professionals in Arizona, who are just some of the many reasons Arizona cities work!

54th Annual Public Works Week

The Town of Gilbert celebrates its 2014 Playful City USA status. Gilbert is one of four cities in AZ to receive the award eight consecutive times.

KaBOOM! recently announced its Playful City USA honorees: communities that are leaders in “playability,” the commitment to providing balanced and active play to children.

The KaBOOM! Playful City USA program honors cities, towns and communities across America that are taking bold steps to ensure that all children, especially the 16 million American kids living in poverty, have easy access to balanced and active play in their communities. 212 cities nationwide have been recognized this year, 12 of which are in Arizona.

Playful City USA honorees include major cities such as Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Chicago. In Arizona, these honorees include cities and towns across the state. They range from eight-time honorees like Chandler, Gilbert, Tucson and Yuma, to first-time recipient Prescott Valley.

Tempe is once again recognized by KaBOOM! as a Playful City USA community for its commitment to keeping kids active through accessible playspaces and youth sports programs.

These Playful City USA communities are making a commitment to transform their communities to become more playable by developing unique local action plans to increase the quantity and quality of play in their community.

Playful City USA Honorees in Arizona: 

Buckeye
Casa Grande
Chandler
Coolidge
Gilbert
Maricopa
Mesa
Oro Valley
Prescott Valley
Tempe
Tucson
Yuma

To see the full list of the 212 communities named 2014 Playful City USA honorees, or for more information on the Playful City USA program, visit www.playfulcityusa.org.

The Tree City USA program is a national program that provides the framework for community forestry management for cities and towns across America.

Communities achieve Tree City USA status by meeting four core standards of sound urban forestry management. The first is maintaining a tree board or department, and the second is having a community tree ordinance. These communities must also spend at least $2 per capita on urban forestry and lastly, celebrate Arbor Day.

Participating communities have demonstrated a commitment to caring for and managing their public trees. Together the more than 3,400 Tree City USA communities serve as home to more than 135 million Americans.

Arizona’s very own City of Scottsdale has been a Tree City USA community for an impressive 32 years, the highest of all of Arizona’s other cities and towns. Pine-Top Lakeside, however, isn’t far behind at 29 years, with Phoenix following at 28 years. Congratulations to the Town of Patagonia, who just joined the list this past year.

To see a full list of Arizona cities and towns with Tree City USA designations, visit: http://www.arborday.org/programs/treeCityUSA/treecities.cfm?chosenstate=Arizona

This week is the 45^th Annual Municipal Clerks Week!

Municipal Clerks Week is a week-long event aimed at increasing the public’s awareness of municipal clerks and the vital services they provide for local government and the community.

Municipal Clerks Week has been sponsored by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks since 1969. In 1984 and in 1994, Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, respectively, signed a proclamation officially declaring Municipal Clerks Week the first full week of May and recognizing the essential role municipal clerks play in local government.

City or town clerks have a variety of functions, including preparing agendas, taking minutes, maintaining ordinance and resolution files, keeping the city or town’s historical records, and processing permits. In addition to keeping records and maintaining the city’s documents, a clerk is responsible for administering local elections.

Municipal and Deputy Clerks’ main function is to serve as the council’s foundation. Other duties include, but are not limited to, preparing agendas, taking minutes, maintaining ordinance and resolutions files, keeping the municipality’s historical records, processing permits and serving as the clearinghouse for information about the local government. They also record the actions of the various commissions and committees appointed by the council. Many serve as financial officers or treasurers, and in small municipalities, may act as chief administrative officers. Another important responsibility is administering part or all of the local election functions.

Thank you, Arizona city and town clerks, for all that you do. You are some of the many reasons why Arizona Cities and Towns work!

The rapidly growing Town of Marana has launched an advertising campaign that highlights the quality of life its residents are offered.  From posters to videos, the completely “in house” production covers all that makes this charming community a truly special place to live.

Boasting everything from its scope of fun activity and impressive range of advanced economic opportunity, the launch remains overwhelmed with resident delight.

Impressively enough, “in house” producing included not only subject recruitment, but scheduling, photography, and even graphic design.

What makes Marana your town? Click the above video to see a variety of residents and even summer vacationers discussing their different, yet very pleasant, experiences of Marana living.