City of Tempe Vice Mayor Robin Arredondo-Savage has been honored with the 2017 Service Award as part of the third annual Mesa Community College (MCC) Hall of Fame. The Service Award is given to a community member who has provided exemplary service to the community.

“I am honored to receive this award and to be recognized by such a dedicated group of educators,” Arredondo-Savage said. “I remain committed to working towards better education, more economic opportunities and improved care for veterans across our city.”

Vice Mayor Arredondo-Savage was recognized for her years of service to the City of Tempe, the State of Arizona and our country.  She is a U.S. Army veteran and served on the Tempe Union High School District Governing Board for eight years, including two years as President of the Board. She has also been serving on the Tempe City Council since 2010.

As an advocate for veterans’ services, Vice Mayor Arredondo-Savage was instrumental in securing Valor on 8^th, Tempe’s first affordable housing community designed for veterans with families.  She also started Tempe’s College Connect program which helps students to apply and find the resources they need to go to college.  Vice Mayor Arredondo-Savage remains committed to serving the community by focusing on education, jobs and programs that help veterans.

This is the third year of the MCC Hall of Fame awards, which recognizes alumni, community members and MCC employees whose personal and professional accomplishments have made positive contributions to the college and the community. Other awards include Alumni Achievement, Outstanding Athletes and Excellence in Teaching.

A reception and awards program to recognize this year’s awards recipients will be held on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Mesa Community College Theatre. Click here for more information.

MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Quillard, 480-350-8808, Melissa_quillard@tempe.gov

Brigitta Kuiper, MMC
City of Tempe

How many years have you served as a clerk?  Six and a half years in Tempe. Prior to that, 12 years as city clerk in Yuma. 

Where are you originally from?  Charlotte, North Carolina

What is the most rewarding part of your job?  Working with community members to increase their knowledge of city government, programs and services, and seeing them become actively involved in their city.

What is your favorite memory as a city/town clerk?  My favorite memories are working with city staff and various election officials to coordinate election activities and working late into the night on election night to count ballots and distribute results.

Military veterans with high-risk health conditions who live in Tempe are getting health care in the comfort of their own homes thanks to a partnership between the Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department and the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System.  The two entities have joined forces to create a Veterans Telemedicine Program that has been helping some of Tempe’s more than 13,000 veterans conserve their health.  “Joined Forces”, a newly-produced video by Tempe11, highlights two of the veterans in the program.

The telemedicine program combines an old-fashion house call with modern technology to allow the Tempe fire department’s nursing team and the VA medical staff to concurrently monitor the program participants, who are selected by the Phoenix VA. The registered nurses provide the hands-on health assessment while a VA nurse practitioner consults with the patient via a video conferencing platform to determine their medical needs.

“Our city high-risk veterans now have an alternative to stressful and costly emergency room visits,” said Tempe Fire Chief Greg Ruiz. “We believe there are more veterans in our city who have health conditions that may benefit from this program.” Veterans can contact the Tempe fire department or consult with their VA doctor about the program, which has been in progress for about a year and was recommended to the fire department by Vice Mayor Robin Arredondo-Savage.

To read the full release on the City of Tempe website click here.

To learn more about the program, click here.

Tempe’s library complex is soaking up the sun with the completion of a new solar installation that will provide 35 percent of the complex’s power needs. To celebrate this renewable energy milestone, the  Mayor Mark Mitchell and several councilmembers will be “flipping of the switch” as power is moved to the solar grid on Saturday, April 30.

“This is exactly the type of project that makes Tempe great,” said Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell. “We have improved our library for the hundreds of thousands of visitors each year by providing much-needed covered parking and a wonderful shaded outdoor gathering place for neighborhood events while saving money and reducing pollution with clean energy.”

Project features

• Five solar carport canopies that will provide 262 shaded parking spaces for patrons
• Large, north side canopy can be used for shaded  parking or as a community gathering space for festivals, events,  farmers markets and food trucks
• 486 solar panels on top of the library building
• Savings of more than $95,000 in utility costs over 20 years
• Five shaded wheelchair accessible parking spaces near the library entrance
• Increases the city’s renewable energy use from 3 percent to 5 percent
• Panels will produce 1.3 million kWh of energy, which is equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by more than 900 metric tons and taking 190 vehicles off the road each year.

Tempe’s renewable energy commitment

In June 2014, the City approved a goal to power 20 percent of city operations with clean energy by 2025. This goal is an important component of Tempe’s long-term asset management strategy to reduce the city’s overall energy use and utility costs. The city is currently at 3 percent, marking significant progress since the goal was adopted. The addition of the library complex project will bring the city to 5 percent. Tempe’s existing solar projects include:

• 263 kW system at the Police/Courts building in downtown Tempe. The system provides 12 percent of the building’s power needs and has saved the city $14,000 in just four months.
• 924 kW system at its South Water Treatment Plant that produces 15% of the plant’s energy and will save $2.3 million in 20 years

Upcoming projects include a 900 kW system at the Johnny G Martinez (JGM) Water Treatment Plant. For more information, visit www.tempe.gov/solar.

Tempe City Clerk Brigitta Kuiper recognized as AMCA Clerk of the Year at Tempe City Council Meeting with Mayor Mark Mitchell and Councilmembers Lauren Kuby, Kolby Granville, Joel Navarro & Robin Arredondo-Savage.

Tempe City Clerk Brigitta Kuiper was named the “Clerk of the Year” by the Arizona Municipal Clerks’ Association (AMCA).  The award recognizes an AMCA member who has made significant contributions to the municipal clerk profession.

“Brigitta is one of the best city clerks I’ve known in my 15 years as an elected official,” said Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell.  “She is constantly looking at ways to make her office the most efficient it can be.  The City of Tempe is lucky to have her.”

Tempe City Manager Andrew Ching described Brigitta as a “24 hour professional” and emphasized that “the level of professionalism that Brigitta and her staff exhibits is the sort of silent service that all too often goes unrecognized.”

Kuiper was hired as the Tempe city clerk in June 2010.  She was previously employed by the City of Yuma for 18 years – 12 years as its city clerk.  She is an active member of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) and is past president of AMCA.  Kuiper holds a Master Municipal Clerk Certification through IIMC, and a Certified Public Manager designation from Arizona State University’s Public Manager Program. She is a graduate of Arizona State University. These accomplishments reflect her belief in advanced education and professional development through lifelong learning.

Iconic Mill Avenue serves up a collection of local businesses, new restaurants and nightlife that brings students and residents together in community. Photo from the City of Tempe.

Right in the heart of Arizona State University sits the eclectic and unique downtown of the City of Tempe. Boasting an iconic nightlife, an array of unique local businesses, tech companies, lakefront property and an unparalleled history, downtown Tempe is truly the place to be.

Downtown Tempe is home to the iconic Mill Avenue, a street marked with local businesses, new restaurants and nightlife that bring students and residents together in community. Just north of Mill Avenue sits Tempe Town Lake, a top attraction in the state of Arizona, drawing visitors to its water and waterfront parks for community events and recreational activities.

The newest location of Postino is housed in the former ASU Art Annex. Along with Snooze AM Eatery, this restaurant has led to a new crowd of visitors along College Avenue, expanding the idea of the Tempe Downtown. Photo from the City of Tempe

As Tempe continues to grow and evolve, the definition of downtown is changing. New businesses are coming to make the city home and development is continuing to change the blueprint of Tempe Town Lakefront. Up-and-coming local restaurants are claiming territory in Tempe, forever changing the landscape of downtown, like Culinary Dropout at Farmers Art District and the Postino Art Annex on College.

With new projects taking place daily and an eye towards a bright future, the Tempe Downtown will always be at the center of it all.

Tempe Town Lake light rail bridge connects the Phoenix-area METRO Light Rail with the downtown Tempe area. Behind, sits the Tempe Town Lake Pedestrian Bridge. Photo from the City of Tempe.

Tempe Town Lake and the Tempe Beach Park serve as the main gathering place in downtown Tempe, with concerts, festivals and events like Fourth of July Tempe Town Lake Festival occurring throughout the year. Photo from the City of Tempe.

As monsoon season continues to hit the Valley and other parts of our state, many cities and towns are offering programs and services to residents to help them prepare, stay safe, and clean up any damage caused by the storms.

The storm that hit Monday evening, August 31, hit the City of Tempe and caused downed power lines, transformer fires and damage from fallen trees and flooding.

Tempe Center for the Arts

To help residents continuing to clean up from storm damage, the city is offering a special green organics collection beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8 to remove storm debris and fallen trees in the hardest hit areas.

If you are a resident of one of these hard-hit areas and would like to find out how to schedule your pickup, please click here. 

For more information on staying safe in monsoons or preparing for the next big storm, visit www.tempe.gov/monsoons or your local city or town’s website.

Tempe Town Lake Pedestrian Bridge suffered damage during Monday evening’s storm. The bridge will be closed for several days for repair.

 Thursdays are special during the Summer Reading Program at the Tempe Public Library. Each Thursday in June and July from 2- 4 p.m., children’s entertainers, such as Wildman Phil and his desert animals, Mother Goose and the Arizona Science Center come in for a free, one-hour show. Children’s authors bring their books and library staff helps kids make fun crafts to round out their day. On some Mondays, the portable Stargazers Planetarium visits the library to show the galaxy of stars. The first Totally Tempe Thursday is tomorrow. Got fines? Through June 30, library patrons with overdue fees can bring in a case of water for Tempe’s neediest and the library will waive all your fines. Don’t miss a thing!
Get the library program schedule. 

Click the link below to learn more about participating cities across the county:

http://mcld.azsummerreading.org/

Tempe has a new goal to provide on-site recycling to 70 percent of all multifamily housing complexes by the year 2020. About 38 percent of Tempe homes are in complexes of five or more living units.

“Multifamily homes represent a significant portion of our city’s waste collection operations,” said Tempe Councilmember Kolby Granville. “Increasing the diversion rate will help us become better stewards of the environment while also saving money on landfill disposal costs.”

Tempe’s Solid Waste Division will work to reach the new goal by encouraging voluntary recycling programs in all city multifamily complexes. The strategy includes:

• Working with existing multifamily customers to start new recycling programs or to ensure their existing programs are meeting their full potential
• Developing customized programs that address the needs of multifamily residents
• Participating actively with developers and property owners to provide recycling and to encourage their residents to participate
• Ensuring that new multifamily complex projects include adequate space for collecting recyclables
• Continuing to educate residents and students about the benefits of recycling and why it is so important for the environment and the city’s bottom line
• Working with private haulers as needed to provide recycling programs to their customers to help reach the goal

“Tempe has a long history of taking on challenging environmental issues and coming up with solutions that create positive change,” said Tempe Councilmember Lauren Kuby. “The city’s commitment to sustainability has reached new heights with this recycling goal.”

In February 2015, Tempe City Council provided direction to form a working group to discuss multifamily recycling, which can often be more challenging than curbside because of space constraints on apartment properties and a lack of convenient options for residents. The working group included Tempe Vice Mayor Corey Woods, Councilmembers Kolby Granville and Lauren Kuby and several staff members with recycling and solid waste expertise. After several meetings and research, the working group developed a resolution proposing the new goal. The City Council adopted the goal at its June 10 Regular Council Meeting.

For more information on Tempe’s recycling programs, visit www.tempe.gov/slashthetrash.

Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer, Tempe History Museum and Tempe Public Library have amazing free activities for your kids featuring music, arts and crafts, children’s authors and entertainers. There are even a few special Mondays and Saturdays, too!

Music from Around the World Is Also From Your Hometown Sounds of Summer – Tempe History Museum Sounds of Summer at Tempe History Museum is an extension of the Tempe Sound exhibition, which features Tempe musical groups throughout the last century. From 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on most Wednesdays and some Saturdays, kids can play drums and other instruments, do crafts and watch shows featuring many local performing groups, such as Mariachi Corazon, Jam Pak Bluegrass, School of Rock’s Sugar Skulls, African drums with Keith Johnson and more. The first Sounds of Summer happens Wednesday, June 10. There is no admission to the Tempe History Museum.  Get the schedule.