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.”

The Valley Metro and Valley Metro Rail transit boards have chosen new officers for fiscal-year 2013-14.

The regional public transportation authority for Phoenix, Valley Metro elected as its board chairman Scott Somers, who is a Council member for Mesa, AZ. Also elected were Chandler Council Member Trinity Donovan as vice chairman and Avondale Council Member Jim McDonald as treasurer.

Valley Metro Rail, which operates, maintains and expands the light-rail system in the greater Phoenix area, has elected Shana Ellis chairman and Dennis Kavanaugh, vice chairman. Shana Ellis serves on the Tempe Council and Kavanaugh, on the Mesa Council.

Read more about The Valley Metro and Valley Metro Rail transit’s new officers here:

http://tempe.gov/index.aspx?page=31&recordid=1668&returnURL=%2findex.aspx%3fpage%3d185

By Donyelle Kesler, Digital Information Specialist

Walking into the Queen Creek town hall municipal services building, the first person likely to greet you is Customer Service Coordinator Margie Payton.

Payton, who worked with the Queen Creek Water Company before joining the town five years ago, knows all about water services in Queen Creek and how to ensure residents receive excellent customer service.

“I really enjoy interacting with residents, seeing them in our lobby, talking to them on the phone, I just really love that part of my job,” Payton said. “I feel every person should be helped in the same manner. No matter how important the issue, how big or small the problem is, all of the calls that come through are important,” Payton said.

Payton works along with Customer Service Representative Lacy Heiney and Administrative Assistant Elizabeth Martin to handle customer payments, water service connections and disconnections, work with builders and utility field staff on work orders and hydrant meter information and placement, and answer all incoming telephone calls for the entire municipal service building.

“We all complement each other,” Payton said. “We all know what we needs to get done and what we need to do individually and that makes us a great team.”

“Margie does an exceptional job serving our residents,” Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney said. “She is sensitive to issues they may be undergoing and ensures that every interaction residents have with the town regarding services is a positive experience.”

Payton recently took part in and graduated from the Queen Creek Citizen Leadership Institute. She said that the Institute was something she wanted to take part in to become even more connected to the town’s inner workings.

“I loved being a part of the Institute,” Payton said. “I enjoyed being able to see what town staff does and see and experience things I hadn’t even realized in my five years were here. It was great to see that my fellow citizens enjoyed it just as much as I did.”

Payton considers herself a Queen Creek native. Her family moved to the community from Wyoming when she was 14 years old, and Payton notes the tremendous growth she’s seen in the community from street signals to new businesses. But she says despite that growth, the small-town feel and sense of community has not changed.

“When you go to the post office everyone is so nice, you know your neighbors, it’s a fun-loving community,” Payton said. “My favorite part of my job is when people come into the office when I’m working just to say hello. When people come in and say ‘I could have put this in the drop box but I wanted to say hi,’ I love that aspect of my job.”

Queen Creek Customer Service Coordinator, Margie Payton works to ensure that town residents receive exceptional customer service and support.