Congratulations to Sandy McGeorge! The Town of Queen Creek recently recognized Sandy for her dedicated service to the town, commemorating her 20th anniversary. 

The town has experienced many changes since Sandy McGeorge started in 1997. Initially serving as the Town Clerk, Sandy transitioned to the role of grant writer in 1999. As a young community, Sandy was instrumental in securing grants to help develop programs and services, particularly in the area of Parks and Recreation. She also assisted the communications area by coordinating community outreach events and the Citizen Leadership Institute. 

In 2007, Sandy began working on real estate matters on the Town’s behalf in addition to her other duties. In 2010, she became a Management Assistant II, focusing solely on real estate, where she is essential to the success of road improvement projects and economic development efforts. In 2012, she received the Senior Right-of-Way Agent distinction from the International Right-of-Way Association, the most prestigious professional designation granted to right-of-way professionals.

“Sandy plays an integral role within our organization,” stated Public Works Director Troy White. “Not only does she have a vast amount of knowledge related to real estate activities, her knowledge of Town history is invaluable.”

Learn more about Sandy, Queen Creek and read the full story by clicking here.

We love hearing the stories about the great men and women working in Arizona’s cities and towns!

Town of Queen Creek Park Ranger Ron Jones is just one of those exceptional individuals who is committed to delivering the best service and providing awesome quality of life for the residents of his community.

Ranger Ron is one of four park rangers in the town whose primary role is to patrol and be the eyes and ears of the town. They also serve as the direct link between residents and parks, interacting with the public, answering questions, and educating youth about parks programs. He has been with the town since 2004.

Read more about Ranger Ron and the many extraordinary individuals working in the Town of Queen Creek:  http://www.queencreek.org/Home/Components/News/News/10133/13?backlist=%2f

The Queen Creek Town Council recently approved the conceptual design for a new park, located on the West Park site a 196^th Street and Appleby Road, near Ocotillo and Sossaman roads. The 30-acre park will help meet the need for additional parks and recreational space in the community. The conceptual design includes lighted baseball/softball fields, lighted multi-purpose field (soccer, football, etc.), play and picnic areas, splash pad, wheel park, walking trail, lake, restrooms and concessions.   

“Approving the conceptual design takes us one step closer to having a new park in Queen Creek,” stated Mayor Gail Barney. “The conceptual design provides a framework for the park as it is developed. As a Town Council, we are very excited about the quality of the new park. Over the past several years we’ve seen a number of new homes being built in our community, and every new home results in impact fees that ensure that growth pays for the impacts of growth. We’re using our bank of impact fees that have been accrued over the years to pay for this much-needed new facility in our community. As a Town, we have to balance the needs for recreation opportunities with making sound financial decisions with taxpayer dollars.” 

West Park, which will be named as the park is developed, will be funded through a variety of sources. The park improvements will be completely funded through impact fees designated specifically for parks. The parking and streets associated with West Park will be funded through street impact fees and the two percent dedicated construction sales tax, and the lake will be funded with water and wastewater capacity fees and savings. Changes at the state legislature in 2011 dramatically impacted the use of development fees, restricting the use for new parks to 30 acres, and eliminating the use of impact fees to fund recreational centers larger than 3,000 square feet. 

The development of a new park is supported by feedback on the 2016 Queen Creek Citizen Survey and the 2016 Parks and Recreation Survey, completed for the Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update. In the 2016 Queen Creek Citizen Survey, more recreation opportunities and more parks were both in the top 10 most desired benefits. The 2016 Parks and Recreation Survey had similar results, with 53% of respondents indicating they felt Queen Creek needs more parks and 24 to 29% reporting they felt Queen Creek needs more fields (softball, soccer, baseball, and football). The development of West Park also supports two goals identified in the Town’s Corporate Strategic Plan, superior infrastructure and quality lifestyle.

View the full release and get more information by clicking here. 

Save the date for this unique annual event! Trunk or Treat provides a safe environment for families to enjoy an inexpensive evening of Halloween fun in a festival atmosphere! Children trick-or-treat by going from car trunk to car trunk on “Trunk or Treat Street” to get their bag filled with goodies. Individuals or groups sign up to host and decorate a trunk, and the Town provides all the candy to be given out at the event. Admission is free.

Ghouls, goblins and ghosts of all ages will enjoy a festival of activities. So come out and join us for some ghoulish games, frightening food and freaky fun.

Town of Queen Creek Recreation Assistant Christina Lopez recently received a monetary scholarship from the Arizona Parks and Recreation Fellowship. Lopez is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management from Arizona State University, and the $500 scholarship will go towards the degree. Lopez started with the Town in 2015 and currently oversees the senior program and assists with front desk duties at the Recreation Annex, community outreach and events.  

“We are very proud of Christina for working full-time and continuing her education,” commented Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney. “Our Town has exceptional staff, and it’s exciting when these talented individuals are recognized by state organizations.” 

The mission of the Arizona Parks and Recreation Fellowship (APRF) is to financially support parks, recreation and leisure oriented educational development and scholarships, research, advocacy and community enrichment. In addition to providing scholarship and support for advocacy and research, the non-profit organization assists the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association and Camp Colley. For more information, visit the Arizona Parks and Recreation Fellowship.                                                                                                 

“I am very honored and appreciative that I was selected as one of the scholarship recipients by the Arizona Parks and Recreation Fellowship,” Lopez said. “This will help me further my education and positively impact my career.”

For more information about the Town visit QueenCreek.org. To stay updated on events and activities in the community, follow the Town on Facebook.com/QueenCreek or Twitter.com/TOQC_official.  

Funds to rehabilitate Runway 30 Center first 1,000 feet

U.S. Congressman Matt Salmon announced Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport was awarded a total of $3,316,790 in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant funds to rehabilitate the first 1,000 feet of Runway 30 Center, the Airport’s main air carrier landing runway. The project includes the demolition, removal, and replacement of the existing concrete pavement surfaces, construction of cement-treated base, installation of new runway edge lights, signs, and new pavement markings. Construction is expected to begin August, 2015.

“This grant is further evidence of the FAA’s continued support of Gateway’s role as a commercial airport in the Phoenix-Metropolitan area,” said Representative Matt Salmon. “These funds will not only help boost aviation capacity, they will help ensure that Gateway continues to grow as a major economic engine for Arizona.”

The FAA grant requires an 8.94% match divided between the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority.

Town of Queen Creek Mayor and Airport Authority Board Chairman Gail Barney adds, “Gateway Airport generates over $1.3 billion in economic impact annually. The Airport continues to do an excellent job in managing its capital programs and maximizing its financial sustainability. We appreciate Congressman Matt Salmon’s leadership in securing these funds.”

The announcement means contractors will be able to reconstruct deteriorating concrete resulting from years of heavy commercial aircraft operations.

“Safety and efficiency are paramount at Gateway,” said City of Mesa Mayor and Airport Authority Board Treasurer John Giles. “With all the growth Gateway Airport has experienced, Runway 30 Center has received significant use and is in need of rehabilitation. A portion of the runway will be closed but Gateway has three long runways so impacts to passenger operations will be minimal.”

The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) is a federal grant-in-aid program that represents a major source of funding for airport development and planning. Funding is supported from user fees, fuel taxes and other revenue sources. Each fiscal year, the FAA apportions Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds into major entitlement categories. The FAA distributes the remaining funds to a discretionary fund. Airports throughout the nation compete for discretionary funding to help finance capital improvement projects. The FAA distributes these funds to projects that best carry out the purpose of the AIP, with highest priority given to safety, security, reconstruction, capacity and standards.

To learn more about Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, visit www.phxmesagateway.org.

When the Town of Queen Creek was first incorporated on September 5, 1989, it was an area with rich rural roots. 25 years later, those rural roots helped Queen Creek turn into one of the most innovative and family friendly home towns in Arizona. And now it’s time to celebrate!

2014 marks the 25^th anniversary of the Town of Queen Creek! The town will host a Founders’ Day event on September 26 to commemorate Queen Creek’s 25 years as an incorporated town.

To help celebrate this exciting time, residents are encouraged to submit photos to the town. These photos may be used for a booklet cataloging the celebration or may be used at other anniversary celebrations or within the town’s social media.

All photos may be submitted here: photo submission.

Queen Creek has been celebrating its 25^th year with special events, fun contests, one-of-a-kind Queen Creek keepsakes and grand openings of new amenities. The town has opened the Communiversity, Pocket Park for Pups and Spash Pad! The town will also break ground this year on a new Harkins Theater and begin to renovate many of its streets and town infrastructure to make its community an even better place to live.

It’s been a great anniversary year for Queen Creek so far, we can’t wait for the fun activities to continue!

Melissa Maddison loves living in the Town of Queen Creek and appreciates the clean and homey look of the community. It was partly due to those reasons that she applied for the position of Neighborhood Preservation Specialist when she made the decision to return to the workforce after staying at home to raise her three sons. Despite only having worked for the Town for slightly over a month, Melissa already understands the importance of her role in making the community look better.

“I like the neighborhood to look good, the Town to look good,” said Melissa. “I love helping to maintain the Town. It’s a nice place to be, to live, to shop.”

A typical day for Melissa includes taking in calls from residents, looking over complaints that have been filed using the mobile application “QC Connection,” and hopping in a Town truck to look for ordinance and code violations. Fliers advertising garage sales on stop signs and utility poles are often the biggest offenders in neighborhood preservation, and Melissa works face-to-face with residents to keep the community looking sharp.

“We also take care of any graffiti in Town and noise complaints,” said Melissa. “Our job is to help people understand the different ordinances in Town.”

“Having professionals like Melissa enforcing the Town’s regulations is an important piece of keeping Queen Creek a safe and beautiful place to live and work,” said Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney. “Her positive attitude and empathetic nature make her the perfect person for this role and a great representative for our community.”

Drawing from her previous career experience as a sixth grade teacher, Melissa says respectful communication is key to her work with Queen Creek’s residents. Her friendly smile and calm approach when confronting residents about complaints help make her job easier.

“I think if you go up and be nice to people they will generally be nice back,” said Melissa on her customer service philosophy.

As a resident of Queen Creek, Melissa is proud of her community and its history. She believes the most important aspect of her job is to preserve the history and to maintain the niceness of the Town and the community.

“I love being able to see crops and horses on my drives,” said Melissa. “It’s a neat place to come and live. As a neighborhood preservationist, I want to make sure it stays that way and to encourage people to be here, to do their shopping here and to live here.”

To learn more about the QC Connection program, visit QueenCreek.org/QCConnection. To keep up-to-date on all the Town’s activities and programs, follow us at www.facebook.com/QueenCreek, www.Twitter.com/TOQC_official and www.instagram.com/TOQC_official.

Written by :  Jen Snyder