Great article on how the city of Phoenix is utilizing volunteers and engaging the community in its sustainability efforts.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20130504phoenix-mayor-stanton-cool-roofs-initiative.html

http://youtu.be/c-EJgfrTmTo

By City of Chandler Staff

The city of Chandler is developing a niche in the tech industry, and is laser-focused on the jobs those businesses bring to the community. During his State of the City address, Mayor Jay Tibshraeny announced that the city’s 2012 economic development efforts attracted, created or retained 3,600 jobs; the second highest number in the city’s history.

The city acts as a strategic partner with businesses, setting the stage for Chandler to lure such industry giants as the General Motors Innovation Center, Intel, ebay/PayPal and Infusionsoft. Chandler is earning increased recognition for the Price Corridor, a premier employment corridor with the infrastructure, workforce, open space and amenities that creative, high-tech companies require. Also, housing stock ranging from urban apartments to traditional neighborhoods and agrarian settings give companies a broad range of choices for their employees.

Chandler was recently named 4th in the country in startups per capita and has a broad strategy to nurture small business success. The city developed the Innovations Science & Technology incubator, and has partnered with Gangplank, a collaborative workspace in Downtown Chandler. In addition, TechShop is scheduled to open this fall in partnership with ASU’s Chandler Innovation Center, an engineering and technology-based education and research hub. TechShop is part of the entrepreneurial movement to allow individuals and early stage companies access to specialized equipment to further their product and design prototypes. The partnership will give students from ASU’s College of Technology and Innovation the ability to see their education in action, and bring up to 1,000 people to the city’s already vibrant Downtown.

By Surprise Staff

In the latest effort to engage young people in community affairs, Surprise youth are being asked to comment online about issues from city programs for youth to their transportation woes.

In the Web survey on the site of District 3 City Councilmember John Williams, young people are asked a series of five open ended questions from how their ability to get involved is affected by personal transportation issues to what the city should do to increase services for young people.

“The Council has been very active in youth engagement,” said City Manager Chris Hillman. “Recently, we have seen a renegotiated service agreement with the Dysart Unified School District, a stepped up presence for youth at the Arizona League of Cities and Towns Conference, and the formation of not only a Surprise Youth Leadership Commission but a West Valley Youth Council, among other initiatives.”

Councilman Williams is deeply focused on youth issues, organizing youth commissions and leading programs such as the recent Surprise Youth Leadership Conference, Hillman said. “John is even inviting Leadership Commission members to join him at the Council table during meetings,” he added.

Williams says the survey, which can be found on his section of the Council website at www.surpriseaz.gov, will provide information, which can help him work with staff and his fellow councilmembers to craft more inclusive policies and programs for young people.

Town of Queen Creek Geographic Information Systems Coordinator Shawny Ekadis knows where 90 percent of the streets in Queen Creek are. After 15 years with the town she says its second nature. “I look at them on a daily basis while addressing for the town and verifying locations from calls our office receives,” Ekadis said. But thoroughly knowing the town layout is just a fraction of the expertise Ekadis brings to her job with the town.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are designed to incorporate hardware, software and data in order to capture, manage, analyze and display data and trends in the form of maps, reports and charts. The information is used by the town in a wide variety of functions, including utilities, public safety, trash and recycling services as well as planning, zoning and other development resources.

Starting out as an intern with the town while working towards a bachelor’s in planning from Arizona State University, Ekadis worked on everything from an exotic animal ordinance to creating one of Queen Creek’s first zoning maps. Back then, she remembers the town as a much more rural community.

“It’s interesting looking back, there were not very many people and they had different concerns about the community’s growth then they do today,” Ekadis said. “Working in a small community you are able to do a number of different things and with the town’s growth you get a lot of opportunities to learn and work on projects you might not get to in a big city.”

Ekadis received her master’s degree in GIS from ASU in 2005 and began her current position as GIS coordinator in which she currently heads up addressing for the town, creates map products, conducts analysis of data and information for various departments and works with staff who collect GPS data for internal systems. She assisted in the creation of the town’s first Fire Department five years ago, and is now working closely with the department as they work to develop Queen Creek’s fire district.

“Shawny’s accurate mapping is absolutely vital to the town’s public safety efforts,” Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney said. “Her work with the Fire Department is critical and gives the department the resources they need to accurately and quickly respond to emergencies. We look forward to seeing the outcome of the projects she is currently working on and know that they will be invaluable both internally for staff and for the public.”

Ekadis is currently working on developing a series of interactive maps for the town’s new website, which will debut later this spring, that highlight school districts, Shop Queen Creek member information and an application for parks and recreation facilities, making it easier for the public to find and make reservations. She is also working on a website feature that will be used internally to easily locate town-owned property and existing records for each one.

“Hopefully I’ve done a good job in taking information and painting a picture that gives people a better understanding of that information,” Ekadis said. “That artistic element and the opportunity to work with different people on different projects is what I love about my job.”

Tempe: Get engaged in 2013-14 budget efforts!

By: Ken Jones, Finance and Information Technology Director 

The city of Tempe is in the midst of drafting operating and capital budgets for the 2013-14 fiscal year. They will not be finalized until June, but work is progressing to plan for what will be needed to fund city services and capital needs. In addition, the city is planning for the expiration of the additional sales tax approved by voters in 2010. The 2013-14 fiscal year will be the last year with the additional funding from the tax.

For updated details on the formulation of operating and capital budgets, links to the PowerPoint presentation from two February public meetings, as well as projected dates for City Council discussions and votes, visit www.tempe.gov/budgetplan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X3K8NSpsto&feature=youtu.be

The city of Kingman is readying to welcome a new employer: an assisted living project that will result in approximately 50 new jobs for the area. Check out this article from the Daily Miner for more on the project and a photo of Mayor Salem welcoming the organization to the community.

http://www.kingmandailyminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=55513

Check out this article highlighting some of the important work being done in the Gilbert clerk’s office:

http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/20130318gilbert-town-clerk-preserves-protects-paper-trail.html

Tucson Water and utilities across Arizona and the nation are promoting “Fix a Leak Week,” March 18 through March 24, 2013, as a time to bring attention to the amount of water lost through minor household leaks. Water loss through leaks exceeds one trillion gallons annually in America.

Tucson Water’s “Fix a Leak Week” web page at www.tucsonaz.gov/water/fix-leak-week offers the “Homeowners’ Guide to Using Water Wisely” booklet free by mail and downloadable learning activities for children. The page also has links to online tools for measuring home water use and calculating the impact of drips and leaks, and to videos on making simple household repairs, thanks to the Scottsdale Water Resources Department.

Mayor Jonathan Rothschild will issued a proclamation at the March 19 meeting of the Mayor and Council that encourages residents and businesses to be water wise and monitor for possible water waste.

“Due to the conservation rate structure used by Tucson Water, the water billing portion of a customer’s utility statement will rise dramatically when a leaking toilet flapper or faucets is left unchecked for a period of time,” said Fernando Molina, Tucson Water Public Information Officer. “While we offer some resources, customers should consult experts at local plumbing supply and home improvement stores for guidance on repairs and the right tools for the job.”