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

Report identifies key performance metrics; promotes transparency and opportunities for increased efficiency

The town of Gilbert is pleased to present its first benchmark report, which is available online at http://www.gilbertaz.gov/home/showdocument?id=2862. Created as a component of the town’s performance management strategy, the report includes 83 measures across 17 departments, utilizing a total of 33 benchmarks in 15 states. Ten Arizona communities are listed as benchmarks.

Navigating the Report
Page 11 provides a map of the benchmark communities in each state; pages 12-15 include a matrix of the benchmarks and departments, as well as some high-level comparative data, such as median home value and per capita income. Department benchmarks begin on page 17.

Benchmark Uses and Benefit to Citizens
Benchmarks provide greater context to municipal operations and are a valuable tool in gauging performance. They allow a city or town to look outside its four walls to examine how it compares to other municipalities of similar size and function. Similarly, benchmarks offer citizens perspective on the various services their city or town provides. For example: How many acres of developed parks are in each community? What are average response times for fire and emergency services? How do local sales tax rates compare? What would an average monthly water bill cost?

These measures and many more are included in the report.

For the town of Gilbert, benchmarks were also designed to identify not only where the town is excelling, but also where the organization might look to incorporate demonstrated successes and process improvements that other organizations have explored.

As other cities and towns explore similar efforts, each will be able to share data and compare operations – all with the ultimate goal of determining the services and offerings that are best fit for each community. To that end, the town of Gilbert is a member of the Valley Benchmarking Cities group through the Alliance for Innovation and ASU, a group comprised of several Phoenix metropolitan area cities that meet monthly to share and discuss performance metric data. The member cities have been a tremendous help in sharing data and providing feedback on the Gilbert report. The town looks forward to continuing its work with this group.

Through these and other efforts, the town of Gilbert’s performance management strategy drives the organization to continually seek new opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of services.

Questions? Comments? Visit http://www.gilbertaz.gov/departments/management-budget.

Cities and towns in Arizona are safe places to live- thanks to the many who serve  daily on municipal public safety forces. We are grateful for the many first  responders who keep our cities and towns working day in and day out.

In the Town of Oro Valley, Police Chief Daniel Sharp keeps safety at the forefront.

Chief Sharp has served as Chief of Police since January 2000 and is an  extraordinary asset to the town. In addition to implementing a community  policing strategy, he has demonstrated a commitment to community programs  such as Adopt-A-Business, Project Graduation and the School Resource Officer  Program. In fact, under his leadership, the Oro Valley Police Department’s School  Resource Officers (SRO) Unit was chosen as a model SRO agency by the Arizona School Resource Officers Association.

In August, Chief Sharp was named recipient of the Greater Oro Valley Chamber of  Commerce 2013 Legacy Award in recognition of his long-term contributions to  the well-being of the Greater Oro Valley community.

Oro Valley Mayor Satish I. Hiremath add, “Not only has he created a safe environment in which we can thrive, but he has also taught our children the values of respect, honesty and integrity through public safety.”

Thank you, Chief Sharp! You are one of the many reasons why Arizona Cities and Towns work!

For nearly 10 years, the city of Goodyear has continued to fill a need through a program that has provided gifts to brighten the holidays for families experiencing financial and medical hardships.

For the 2013 Christmas season, the City of Goodyear’s Fill-A-Need Program was able to assist 21 families which included 100 children and also connected another eight families with a total of 28 children at Moose Lodge No. 2078 in Goodyear during its recent Annual Christmas with Santa Luncheon.

There were about 30 volunteers – including several city employees – who donated more than 250 hours wrapping the present on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 12-13 and passing out the gifts on Saturday, Dec. 14. The city of Goodyear sponsors the Fill-A-Need program, but also receives support from Black Bear Diner at 980 N. Dysart Road and Peter Piper Pizza (1463 N. Dysart Road), who donate a percent of the proceeds on certain days throughout the year to the Fill-A-Need program.

Veronica Holquin, chairman of the 15-member Fill-A-Need Committee who works in the city’s Information Technology Services Department, said everyone was excited and grateful to receive the gifts.  Each family also was provided with a Christmas tree, Christmas decorations, a food box, household items box, a Fry’s gift card and turkey to help with the holiday meals.

“The families were very appreciative of all the items,” Holquin said. “We had kids so excited to see presents being put under their trees and parents crying of happiness and hugging the volunteers as they dropped off the gifts. It was very touching.”

Each fall, the city receives referrals of families in need from schools, law enforcement and other agencies. Last year, the Fill-A-Need program was able to help 28 families with gifts, Holquin said. Overall, Fill-A-Need has been helping families in the community since 2005 on an average of 35 families a year.

Families submit information of why they are in hardship, a one-time application.  This year, there single mothers raising their children alone on one income, families with members that have disabilities or illnesses and can’t work, and families faced with mounting medical bills. “This year, the number of families was slightly less than last year, but that was only because we received less applications,” Holquin said. “That could be a sign that more families are doing better, and we hope that’s the case.”

To learn more about contributing to the Fill-A-Need program, please call (623) 882-7081 or e-mail your name and contact information to gyneed@goodyearaz.gov.

– GOODYEARAZ.GOV –

A native of Chandler, Mayor Tibshraeny began his service to the community in 1980 as a member of the City’s Planning and Zoning Commission. After six years, he ran and was elected to the City Council, where he served until he was elected Mayor in 1994.

In his first eight years as mayor, he championed the development of many of the city’s recreational facilities – providing an outstanding quality of life for residents. He was also instrumental in the development of a transportation system that links the city economically and socially to the region. ‘

Mayor Tibshraeny returned as mayor in 2011 and was re-elected in 2012 to an unprecedented sixth term. Since his return, he has focused on keeping neighborhoods strong through a number of successful initiatives. He also developed partnerships with both Arizona State University and University of Arizona, while working to retain and attract high wage jobs and enhanced regional cooperation.

Most recently, Mayor Tibshraeny was named the Municipal Leader of the Year by the American City and County magazine.

“This honor is in large part due to Mayor Tibshraeny’s role in economic development and specifically, creating, protecting and preserving the Price Corridor. The Price Corridor is Chandler’s major employment corridor and has been instrumental in attracting high wage technology jobs to the city (In Business Magazine).”

Price Corridor is a prime example in how strategic investments in long term planning can positively build a community.  Price Corridor hosts over 35,000 jobs, including 11,000 jobs that have arrived in the past 18 months. It is the home to large corporations like Intel, Bank of America, PayPal, Microchip Technologies, General Motors & Wells Fargo. “We are known in the Southwest United States as an innovation and technology hub… we work very hard to attract businesses…” says Mayor Tibshraeny.

There is no doubt that Mayor Tibshraeny’s role in economic development in the City of Chandler has resulted in the city’s tremendous growth, particularly over the past 18 months. A total of 12 projects have been initiated, representing more than $5.6 billion of capital investment. “Mayor Tibshraeny really understands the importance of keeping the construction of the corridor contiguous,” says Barry Broome, the head of Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), which promotes business in Maricopa County, which includes Chandler. “He’s not afraid to dig in his heels on issues.”

Thank you Mayor Tibshraeny for your dedication to the City of Chandler!

George Royer is a  key member of the Oro Valley Police Department as the Director of Volunteer Patrol for the department’s Citizen Volunteer Assistants Program.

George works every Friday at the front desk. He patrols weekly, and is part of the rotation for fingerprinting duty at the main station, and works special events including traffic control. Since 2003 George has donated over 5,594 hours of service to the department.

George has the “good guy” syndrome.  He is the person who knows everyone’s name and is always greeting every volunteer that comes in with a smile and hand shake.  He works hard to make the program a success by keeping an upbeat outlook, and being a “can do” type of role model for everyone involved in the program.

George is an even-tempered, helpful person with a positive attitude and a willingness to serve the Town of Oro Valley.  George is an upbeat guy who speaks so highly of others in the volunteer program and rarely receives credit for what he has done.

Many times, a resident’s main interaction with their city or town will involve making a  telephone call or taking a trip to a city facility to pay a bill. In the City of Prescott, there are five women who make sure this is always a pleasant experience for their residents.

The City of Prescott’s Utility Billing Crew is made up of four employees and a supervisor. Becky, Denise, Janne, Kim and Patty make themselves available all day, every day, to explain the services Prescott offers. They help residents set up accounts, let them know what can be done if there is a billing problem and explain how to look for water leaks.

Citizens who may be grumpy about their bills are welcomed with the kind, patient and compassionate voices on the other end of the phone. The Utility Billing Crew helps them through their problems; even offering staff to help find solutions to water overuse issues and leak detection. A smile can be heard in their voices, as well as seen on each of their faces daily.

Goodyear Mayor Georgia Lord has garnered one of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council’s (GPEC) top honors.

Mayor Lord has been selected as the recipient for GPEC’s Distinguished Service Award.   Mayor Lord has been active with Greater Phoenix Economic Council since she was first elected to Goodyear City Council in 2005.

“It’s quite an honor to receive the award and be recognized among my peers,” Mayor Lord said. “More importantly, it’s critical that communities throughout the Valley work together to strengthen the region through economic development while supporting legislation that allows cities and industries to remain strong so we can continue to provide strong services and quality of life for our citizens. GPEC has been a great asset to our communities.”

A strong supporter of the military community, in 2010 Mayor Lord was part of a group of GPEC members who was instrumental in securing the F-35A Lightning II Fighter Jet Training Program at Luke Air Force Base, which will be implemented next year.

Mayor Lord has been an integral part of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council over the years. In 2009, she became Chair of the GPEC Ambassadors and helped launch the Certified Ambassador Program, which allows members to raise an awareness of GPEC’s efforts to improve business climate and the state’s competitiveness. During that first year, seven Ambassadors earned their certification, and in the five years of Mayor Lord’s leadership, the program grew in popularity and this year, with nearly 1500 Ambassadors, 63 of whom earned their certification.

In addition to being an advocate for local policy issues that affect the economic development of the region, Mayor Lord has worked with GPEC representatives to advocate for the renewable energy industry by working on state legislation and by traveling to D.C. to testify in opposition to proposed federal tariffs on solar cells.

– GOODYEARAZ.GOV –

Contact: Mike Sakal, Public Information Officer

Office:  623-882-7053; michael.sakal@goodyearaz.gov

The Town of Gilbert’s  Development Services Department’s One Stop Shop is making services more accessible and convenient for residents and businesses. Since its opening in March, 49% of permits submitted for review were handled over-the-counter with the new programs, saving both time and money for businesses and residents.

To find out more about Gilbert’s “One Stop Shop,” visit: www.GilbertAZ.Gov.

Maintenance and Operations Supervisor Steve Gonzales works to ensure the Town’s high use, high visibility areas are maintained.

By Donyelle Kesler, Digital Information Specialist

When residents begin heading out to their favorite biking and hiking trails and Little League teams hit the ball fields, Maintenance and Operations Supervisor Steve Gonzales is working to ensure all Queen Creek parks and municipal grounds are in top condition and ready for their use.

Gonzales is responsible for the Town’s high use, high visibility areas and also oversees department-wide purchasing, works with contractors and takes lead when needed on Town improvement projects.

“Our parks and municipal grounds are important to establishing and maintaining the quality of life and vitality in our community,” Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney said. “We are lucky to have Steve and his team in our Maintenance and Operation division. These professionals are committed to maintaining the Town land and helping to enhance the quality of life in Queen Creek.”

Despite having multiple individual responsibilities, Gonzales possesses a team mentality and believes that it’s through the hard work of entire Maintenance Division that things run smoothly.

“Nobody does anything without each other,” Gonzales said. “We have a very strong team that takes a lot of pride in what they do. For us, projects are never finished. When people say the parks or projects are looking good, our response is ‘We’re getting close.’”

Gonzales supervises four part-time and six full-time technicians. He makes it a priority that each member of his team has the opportunity to attend the most comprehensive trainings to perform to the best of their ability.

“Watching the team members grow professionally is really rewarding,” Gonzales said. “Seeing them come in green and being able to help them, making sure they get the best training they can so they can do their best, that’s what I enjoy most about what I do.”

And Gonzales’ workload won’t slow anytime soon as he begins focusing on upcoming projects such as the Town’s planned dog park and splash pad, both of which he’ll will be working to create a maintenance plan from scratch. He also recently took lead on a project to implement a Town-wide computerized irrigation system.

“Everyone goes to Steve for everything,” Municipal Grounds Unit Superintendent Rich Purcell said. “He’s really the go-to guy in our division and is always the first one here and the last one to leave.”

Gonzales has worked with the Town for more than eight years and has an extensive resume with certifications in pest management, playground safety inspection and turf grass. He is also a certified arborist, and has received certifications from the International Society of Arboriculture, Professional Landscape Network and the University of Georgia, National Recreation and Parks Association and Arizona Department of Agriculture Office of Pest Management. The days he can use those certifications outside of the office are the ones he says he looks most forward to.
“Those are the days I really enjoy,” Gonzales said. “I’d much rather be out in the field doing work than sitting in the office.”