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Hayden: District 2 Newsletter — August

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The August heat is certainly upon us, and with all the uncertainty that surrounds us, at least we can count on our beautiful, but hot, Arizona weather.

I hope this message finds you safe and healthy. Please keep yourselves hydrated. There are many positive things happening in Surprise, and I am glad that I get this opportunity to share them with you.

The 2020 Census is currently underway. If you have not completed a survey, there is still time. Respond online, at my2020census.gov, by phone at 844-330-2020 for English, and 844-468-2020 for Spanish, or by mail, if your household received a paper questionnaire in March or April.

Information collected from the Census helps with the planning of critical infrastructure like roads and hospitals, determines our congressional representation and local political boundaries, and determines our share of the money distributed to states annually. It is crucial that everyone responds.

If a household has not responded to the Census by August, workers will begin visiting homes to interview households.

All Census takers have official ID badges that will include their name, photograph, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark, and an expiration date. Census workers have also been provided with personal protective equipment, and been trained to practice physical distancing when interacting with residents.

Please remember that the Census Bureau will never ask for social security numbers, bank information, donations or credit card information. If fraud is suspected, call 800-923-8282 to speak with a local Census Bureau representative.

Drop-off recycling is now available. Surprise residents can now drop off plastic bottles #1 and #2, cardboard, and aluminum and tin cans, at the Public Works North Yard, located at 17274 N. Litchfield Road.

Materials will be accepted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 8-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Proof of residency will be required, and a city staff member will be available to help residents with sorting and ensuring recyclables are not contaminated.

The city of Surprise has been working hard to find a curbside recycling solution that is both cost-effective and sustainable. The city’s recycling program was temporarily suspended last August due to the rising operations costs and the decreasing value of recyclables.

Drop-off recycling is the first step to resuming the city’s recycling program. For those of you that have Parks and Sons for your recycling provider, please note that you can also use the drop-off location, if you choose to.

The Kansas City Royals held a groundbreaking event for their new housing facility on July 9. The facility is generally located north of Greenway Road and east of Bullard Avenue, south of the Texas Rangers housing facility which was finished earlier this year.

When built, the building will contain 47 units, a pool, BBQ area, fire pit and ramada. A separate 4,000-square-foot storage facility will also be built as part of this project.

I know that many of you have questions and concerns regarding COVID-19. The city of Surprise has a COVID-19 webpage that is updated frequently with the latest information related to the pandemic.

Please visit this page, at surpriseaz.gov/COVID-19 for updated information about the Governor’s executive orders, as well as for links to COVID-19 case data, facility closure information and much more.

For information on COVID-19 testing, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health recommends calling the COVID-19 Hotline. The hotline number is 844-542-8201, and can be called for information about testing availability in your area. A link to the AZ COVID-19 Hotline is also available on the City’s COVID-19 page.

Lastly, I would like to thank all the frontline and essential workers who continue to serve with bravery during this pandemic, including our Surprise Fire-Medical and Surprise Police departments.

I am proud of their dedication to professionalism and commitment to building partnerships with our residents. I would like all of our residents to know that your public safety teams are always here to serve you and answer any questions that you may have.

Please be sure to tune in for our next City Council Meeting on August 18 at 6 p.m. Meetings are broadcast live on Surprise TV surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv and on the Surprise City Gov Facebook page at facebook.com/cityofsurprise. As always, I am happy to hear from my constituents.

Please email me at nancy.hayden@surpriseaz.gov with any questions or concerns you may have. Please also check the city website at surpriseaz.gov/ for important updates and information