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District 2

Aly Cline: District 2 Newsletter — August 2022

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In this episode of Council Conversations, we talk water – from current conditions to planning and conservation measures. Guests include City of Surprise Assistant Director of Water Resources Management Michael Boule and EPCOR Water Resources Manager Doug Dunham. 

Watch the episode

Hydrant Hysteria 2022

Jessica Quintero (Water Operator II) and Amy Peterson (Water Resource Analyst) placed 3rd in the women’s division of a national water competition called Hydrant Hysteria. Hydrant Hysteria is a timed competition in which a team of two water utility operators assembles a fire hydrant from all of its parts as quickly as possible. A team of judges then inspects the hydrant for penalties such as crookedness and loose parts. The competition was held in San Antonio at the American Water Works Association’s annual conference and featured a Kennedy K81 Hydrant. Nine teams from around the country competed in the women’s division, and Surprise was one of only three teams that made it to the final round. Surprise’s 3rd place finishing time was 2 minutes, 11 seconds.

two women from Water Resource Management wearing hard hats and holding flags a group of people from Water Resource Management posing for a photo

Water Conservation Program

The City of Surprise Water Conservation Program is an important component of the City's water resource portfolio management strategy. Its purpose is to educate and promote the efficient use of water across sectors in the community including residential, commercial and industrial uses. Our goal is to realize reductions in per capita water use while balancing a healthy, sustainable quality of life for our residents. For more information go to surpriseaz.gov/WaterConservation

Drop off recycling

Surprise offers residents a drop-off recycling option to help ensure items are being recycled. Surprise has three locations to take material to throughout the valley, each of which the recycled goods do get recycled. 

 By staffing our drop-off location, we have built relationships with the vendors to ensure all material is 100% clean. There is a positive impact on both the City and the vendor by limiting the sorting the vendor has to do and helps in making sure the material will continue to be recycled and not diverted to the landfill. The goal for the drop-off location is to ensure we have 100% clean, recycled material. 

El Mirage Library ribbon cutting

On Tuesday, July 19, I had the pleasure of joining El Mirage officials to celebrate the opening of the 7,500-square-foot El Mirage Library located at 13513 N. El Mirage Rd. At the event, a new computer room was dedicated to longtime library advocate, El Mirage Councilmember Roy Delgado, who served on the former Maricopa County Library Citizens Advisory Committee for 14 years. In addition to a larger collection, the new library features a community room, full computer labs, study rooms, a children's area and ongoing events and programs. Congratulations to the City of El Mirage!

a group of people posing for a photo in the new El Mirage library

New City pool in planning stages; help design it!

The City of Surprise is asking residents for help designing our third City pool. City Council has earmarked funding to build a pool that will support all levels of competitive swimming in our community and provide a place to relax and cool off. The location and design have yet to be determined, so we want your input! There are a couple of ways you can weigh in.

  • Online: Take the New Pool Survey now! Available through August 26, this survey will take less than 5 minutes and gives you the option to enter a drawing to win a Family Pool Pass for 2023. The survey asks a variety of questions regarding location, if you currently use City pools, what features you’d like to see, etc.
  • In Person: Join us for a meeting with the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission where you can discuss and give ideas on the design and functionality of the new pool.
    Monday, August 22 at 6 p.m.
    City Council Chambers
    16000 N. Civic Center Plz.

Surprise Aquatic Center and Hollyhock Pool are currently open for swimming! Head to surpriseaz.gov/aquatics for more information.

Fight the Bite

We saw high numbers of West Nile Virus spread by mosquitos last year. Mosquito bites are more than an irritation—they can cause serious illnesses that sometimes turn fatal. Check out our updated website to get informed and learn what you can do to Fight the Bite this year: FightTheBiteMaricopa.org

Fight the Bite

Neighborhood Grant Program

Surprise City Council approved funding to support the Neighborhood Grant Program that provides eligible neighborhoods with small grants to fund neighborhood events, functions or community improvements. Recognizing an opportunity to encourage community engagement and further build strong relationships with communities in Surprise, the City designated $10,000 to support the grant program for FY23. 

To be considered, projects must meet the following program criteria:

  • Provide a public benefit
  • Result in a product, which benefits a neighborhood or the larger Surprise community
  • Be feasible for completion by June 2023
  • Involve the benefiting neighborhood in project identification, planning and execution
  • Emphasize neighborhood self-help; or be educational, community-building or a public physical improvement
  • Nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations are ineligible

For more information about the grant, visit surpriseaz.gov/ngp or contact Jodi Tas at jodi.tas@surpriseaz.gov or 623.222.1330.

Online crime reporting option for property crimes

The Surprise Police Department has partnered with LexisNexis® Coplogic to provide an online crime reporting option for victims of property crimes. The online option allows someone to make a report about certain property crimes, such as stolen items, much quicker than requesting an officer to take a report in-person. It also allows officers to stay on patrol and respond to emergencies.

The new online reporting system can be easily accessed from the Surprise Police Department webpage or directly at surpriseaz.gov/ReportACrime. The website offers a short video overview of the new system and the reporting portal offers an easy step-by-step process to submit the report by answering several questions. Users can also attach documents associated with the crime. Once completed, a victim is provided with a temporary report number and can print the report for their records or file a claim.

Each report filed through the online system is reviewed by a member of the Surprise Police Department within five business days. Victims are updated about their reports via email and will be informed if follow-up on their case is necessary. There are some circumstances where the online system cannot be used to file a property crime report, such as those involving an active crime or when the victim has suspect information. In these cases, or if the victim wishes to file a report in person, they are encouraged to call the Surprise Police Department’s non-emergency number at 623.222.4000.

Day of Service volunteers needed

The City of Surprise is currently seeking volunteers for upcoming Days of Service. Volunteers will assist with food sorting and packing at St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance in Surprise. Event dates are:

  • Wednesday, August 17
  • Wednesday, September 14

 There are two shifts available 7:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. To register please contact Larry Garcia at 623.222.1522 or larry.garcia@surpriseaz.gov

Performance Dashboard

We’ve launched an online performance dashboard that puts City data at your fingertips! The new dashboard monitors the effectiveness of City programs and services to ensure we are aligned with the City Council Strategic Plan. Our goal is to be successful within the five Council priorities: 

  • Transportation 
  • Economic & Cultural Vitality 
  • Community Livability & Life-Long Learning 
  • Stewardship 
  • Safe & Environmentally Healthy Community

There are 60 metrics within the dashboard that support those priorities. This data will be updated online monthly and includes such things as: number of new business permits, tourism tax revenues, recreation program participants, Fire-Medical call volume, Police calls for service and more! 

Check out the City of Surprise Performance Dashboard at surpriseaz.gov/dashboards..

City of Surprise performance dashboard

Stay connected

Want to get notifications about events, activities, City news and more? Don't miss out! Make sure you're signed up for City notifications! Head to surpriseaz.gov/subscribe now and pick which updates you want to receive via text or email. If you were previously subscribed, double-check that you are still connected with us by logging in. With the launch of our new website, an email was sent to subscribers to confirm information, but it may have ended up in spam.

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Meet & Greet

My monthly Meet and Greets will be at 6 p.m. on August 23 at Sun City Grand in the Pima Room, 19781 N. Remington Dr., and at 10 a.m. on August 26 at Arizona Traditions in the Ballroom, 17221 N. Citrus Rd. At these meetings, we will be handing out information and signing up residents for the Valley Metro RideChoice Program. There may be prizes for those who sign up! For more information regarding the RideChoice Program, please visit valleymetro.org/ridechoice. I look forward to discussing the latest City news and answering any questions you have. 

City Council Meetings

The next regularly scheduled Council meeting is August 16 at 6 p.m. You can also watch live on surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv, the Surprise City Gov Facebook page at facebook.com/cityofsurprise or on Cox channel 11.