On Thursday, March 3, Mayor Hall, City Manager Bob Wingenroth and I joined Sterling Grove for a private ribbon cutting. Sterling Grove held the event in honor of the opening of the Sterling Grove Golf and Country Club Clubhouse, located at 11530 N. Greenwich Blvd. Thank you for adding to the beauty of Surprise!
Village at Prasada
The Prasada Village development represents a new era for the West Valley – a suburban gathering place destined to become the heart of a vibrant and growing community. Offering an unparalleled opportunity for cutting-edge retail, power boxes, dining and a diverse range of entertainment concepts, this mixed-use development will come to define the center of the Surprise community. For more information, visit villageatprasada.com.
City Opens New Permanent Yellow Cooking Oil Disposal Station
A second permanent disposal station for yellow cooking oil has been opened in the parking lot of Fire Station 303, located at 15440 N. Cotton Ln. This is in addition to the disposal station located in the parking lot of Fire Station 305 at 15517 N. Parkview Pl. Both disposal stations are open year-round, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for used kitchen oil disposal ONLY. Motor oils are not accepted at this facility. The City hopes that installing this second location will encourage residents to Be Guardians Regarding Our Sewer System (Be G.R.O.S.S.) and properly dispose of yellow oils to help lower the cost of maintenance on city sewer lines and wastewater treatment infrastructure. Learn about proper fat, oil, grease and wastewater disposal in Surprise at surpriseaz.gov/BeGROSS.
National Read Across America Week
In celebration of Read Across American Week, I read to a Kindergarten and third-grade class on Monday, February 28, at Canyon Ridge Elementary and to two second-grade classes on Tuesday, March 1, at Countryside Elementary. Read Across America is an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association and is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child, in every community to celebrate reading. We all had a fun and great experience!
Spring Family Event
Spring Eggstravaganza is a free event that features fun for the whole family. Residents will enjoy inflatables, face painting and a special appearance by Mr. and Mrs. Bunny. Children 10 and under are invited to take the field in search of more than 50,000 plastic eggs filled with candy and toys! Food and drink are available for purchase and there will be a minimal fee for some activities. Spring Eggstravaganza takes place Saturday, April 16 from 7:30 - 11:30 a.m. at the Surprise Recreation Campus.
Summer Youth Employment Program
The City is offering a summer job program for Surprise teens between the ages of 15-19 who are income-eligible. Through the City Council approved Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), applicants must be available to work up to 25 hours a week for six weeks between June 6 and July 15. Chosen interns will receive professional development training, from shadowing engineers to working with youth and seniors, and earn $12.80 per hour. For eligibility requirements and how to apply go to surpriseaz.gov/syep. For questions, please contact Lord Garcillano at lord.garcillano@surpriseaz.gov or 623.222.1647.
Free Kids Event
The Human Service & Community Vitality Department invites you to KIDZ Jamboree! An event for kids aged 0-5, celebrating the Week of the Young Child. KIDZ Jamboree is on Friday, April 8 from 4 - 7 p.m. at the Surprise Resource Center – 12425 W. Bell Rd. This fun, family event will showcase early childhood programs and services available in the community, like resources, child care/preschools, libraries and more! For more information, please call 623.222.1600.
Annual Action Plan Public Hearing
Notice is hereby given that the Human Service and Community Vitality Department will hold a public hearing regarding the City’s Program Year 2022 Annual Action Plan on April 13 at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 16000 N. Civic Center Plz. This public hearing will be held in anticipation of receiving Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the Department of Housing in Urban Development. The Program Year 2022 Annual Action Plan will identify specific projects to be funded that meet the goals and objectives identified in the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan. Public comments received during the Public Hearing will be considered and included in the Plan. The City Council will take formal action on April 19, 2022. For questions regarding the draft plan or public hearing, please call Adam Lane at 623.222.3238 or email at adam.lane@surpriseaz.gov.
Retail Survey
We want to know how we can make our city a one-stop shopping and dining destination. The survey will help the City identify retail strengths within the community, as well as pinpoint opportunities to bring additional amenities closer to home. Every response helps the Surprise Economic Development Department better reach retailers you want the most. We also have a youth-only survey to better understand what our younger generation wants to see. The Shop, Eat & Play Youth Survey is for youth, under the age of 18, who live in Surprise.
Participating in the survey really does make a difference. Some of our residents’ top 10 most-wanted retail and restaurant picks that opened in Surprise were Costco, Bath & Body Works, Oregano’s Pizza Bistro, Texas Roadhouse and In-N-Out Burger! The Surprise Retail Survey runs through Sunday, April 24, and is available online at surpriseaz.gov/retailsurvey.
BBQ Event Rescheduled
The RibFest Throwdown scheduled for April 23 & 24 at Mark Coronado Park is being rescheduled for fall 2022 due to a potential scheduling conflict. The new event dates and ticket information will be released in the coming months. This live music and BBQ festival is presented by the City of Surprise in partnership with national event company, Forty8 Live!
Meet and Greet
My next meeting will be on May 7 at 9 a.m. at Spencer’s Place, 15341 W. Waddell Rd. Please check surpriseaz.gov for updates to my Meet and Greet schedule. As always, feel free to email me at patrick.duffy@surpriseaz.gov with any questions or concerns you may have.
