Maricopa in Motion on My Fox Phoenix with Cory McCloskey! Just another example of AZCities@Work. Visit www.maricopa-az.gov for more info.

Learn what’s being done to bring Arizona’s cities and towns together to better serve their residents.

Tempe is the first city in the state to launch a centralized customer relations center to address questions/issues from community members, called Tempe 3-1-1. It is one of several ongoing efforts to improve technology in order to serve the Tempe community better.

Tempe 311 provides fast and easy ways for community members to connect with their city, making life easier and providing greater value and service. Community members can connect with Tempe 311 via phone (480-350-4311), Web, email and mobile app. The city receives an average of about 1,600 calls a week. What’s great about the program is that it’s the only resource residents need to remember – no need for phone directories and no getting bounced around to find the right place.

In addition, Tempe 311 makes city operations more efficient by helping the city to provide more responsive, efficient, cost-effective service by streamlining the process from the initial call to the resolution in the field.

The Payson Community Garden is a great example of an innovative idea from a local government at work for its residents. Started as a way to help citizens learn about water conservation while growing their own food, the Payson garden is now more than 4 acres large and rents up to 165 plots. The town of Payson partners with both private nurseries as well as the University of Arizona extension to offer a complete set of instruction courses for beginner gardeners.

The town asks that each plot donate 20 percent of their yield to the local food banks. Last year, more than 50 percent of the yield was donated to the local food banks.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.paysonroundup.com/search/vertical/news.story/?q=community%20garden

By R. J. Zeder, Chandler Transportation & Development Director

Chandler recently held its popular Family Bike Ride led by Mayor Jay Tibshraeny and several members of our City Council.

The annual event provides families with a great opportunity to get a little exercise and celebrate bicycling for recreation and as a way to replace automobile trips for commuting to work, school and other short trips.

For a number of years now, Chandler has been investing in infrastructure improvements that accommodate or encourage bicycling and has been recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists.

We recently constructed bike/pedestrian crossing signals at several arterial streets along our Paseo Trail in southeast Chandler and along our Western Canal Shared-Use Path in north Chandler. We also completed in November a major street reconstruction project near our mall at Chandler Boulevard and Price Road that added bike lanes beneath the Loop 101 Price Freeway.

In addition, construction has begun on a bike/pedestrian bridge that will cross the Price Freeway at Galveston Street, north of Chandler Blvd. This bridge will link bicycle paths on collector streets on both sides of the freeway, allowing for more access to parks, schools, employment and shopping centers. The project is administered and managed by the Arizona Department of Transportation and funded by a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant.

Bicyclists also are taking advantage of Chandler’s Park & Ride lot adjacent to Tumbleweed Park. Bike riders can connect to an Express Bus which leaves from the lot each weekday morning and travel to downtown Phoenix or catch the LINK bus which runs every day and travels along Arizona Avenue/Country Club Drive to connect to light rail. Riders can utilize the bike lockers at the lot or the bike racks on the bus.

Chandler also is involved in regional efforts to improve conditions for bicycling. City transit planners are participating in a Maricopa Association of Government’s Bicycle Counts project that will collect bicycle counts at a number of locations throughout the valley to better understand how bike routes and facilities are performing, what patterns exist, why trips are made and whether safety improvements are needed.

With the support of its citizens, Chandler will continue to develop the city’s bicycle system while striving to provide maximum safety, convenience, and comfort for bicyclists of all ages.

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

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.

By Erik Strunk
Glendale Parks, Recreation and Library Services, Executive Director

A healthy society is measured on how well it provides for its next generation of leaders and residents. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that neighborhood after-school and youth programs are critical to ensuring this success in each of our respective communities.

After school programs provide a safe place for children to go following the end of the school day.  Many times these programs provide much needed mentorship, study help and social opportunities not available at home or during school.  Parents may also sign up their children to participate in these programs to have peace of mind, knowing their children are having fun and meeting friends in a safe environment.

Youth programs offered through recreation programs and libraries provide a variety of opportunities for children to learn many skills and help with childhood development.  Libraries offer many different early literacy programs for all ages.  Story times and other special programs specifically developed to introduce stories and nurture a love of books are provided to engage children and their parents and start a habit of reading during their early years.  Recreational programs such as art, sports, music and dance provide opportunities to develop small and large motor skills, provide fitness opportunities, teach sportsmanship, foster social skills and build creative minds all through the form of fun.  Some youth programs are even offered for fun with safety in mind.  Learning to swim and water safety is one of the most important skills a child can learn. 

Check your local library and parks and recreation department to see all the opportunities and benefits your city or town provides to you.  These programs are provided to give you and your children a lifetime of learning and pleasure.

By Maricopa Youth Coordinator Rocky Brown

The city of Maricopa expanded its youth programming activities this year by adding a new program called Maricopa in Motion. Maricopa in Motion is a mobile recreation center on wheels that visits each of the local elementary schools. Our trained staff, which includes local high school students that serve as mentors, provide fun games, sports, arts & crafts and also educate kids about the dangers of drugs & alcohol. This opportunity is made possible by a unique partnership between the city, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office and the M.A.S.H. Coalition (a drug-free communities grantee). Each partnership entity provides different support to establish the program.

The Maricopa in Motion program has also developed a Functional Fitness component to help enhance physical activity for the participants. This includes the creation of simple exercises that are fun and can be completed on the school playground. To date, we’ve had 214 children complete the six-week training program. Overall, Maricopa in Motion has hosted 2,187 participants in more than 45 different school visits for an average of over 48 kids per day.

The city of Maricopa plans to continue offering the Maricopa in Motion program next year. This program will join other safe, fun recreational youth activities sponsored by the city including our Summer Fun & Fitness Camps, Open Gym Basketball, Super Teens and the Maricopa Youth Council.

By Wickenburg Police Chief Pete Wingert

Animal control is one of those government services we don’t often talk about, but that every city must choose how to provide for its residents, including those of the four-legged variety.

After losing its animal control officer position in the recent recession, Wickenburg struggled to find a new model. Partnering with a local nonprofit proved successful until demand exceeded available kennel space. And without an animal control officer, uniformed police officers had to be taken off the street to handle animal control duties.

After a thorough review process, the Town Council in January chose Maricopa County Animal Care & Control as its new partner agency. Working together, the County and the Town developed an innovative system that relies on social media to give lost or stray dogs the best opportunity for a second chance.

Maricopa County animal control officers dispatched by the Wickenburg Police Department carry mobile phone cameras that are used to take pictures of corralled dogs. Within hours, the picture is received by WPD, posted on its Facebook page with the case number, and broadcast throughout the community.

Although only three months old, the program’s results to date have been outstanding: nearly all animals have either been returned to their owners or adopted by a loving family.

Visit WPD’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wickenburgpd