City News

NewsNet 12-12-14

Posted December 12, 2014

RTA BOARD ENDORSES CITY'S RECOMMENDATION TO WIDEN BROADWAY TO SIX LANES - The Regional Transportation Authority Board (RTA) yesterday approved $1.5 million in funding for the City of Tucson to proceed with the roadway corridor design to widen Broadway Boulevard from four to six lanes, from Euclid Avenue to Country Club. The design will include bus pullouts, bike lanes and sidewalks. The RTA plan allocates $42,120,000 to the Broadway project. Another $26,222,000 will come from regional funds, including $25 million from 1997 Pima County Transportation Bonds, and $3 million from the City of Tucson via already-collected impact fees. The estimated cost to complete the design and final alignment of the corridor, including right-of-way research and estimating, is $2.5 million. The City of Tucson is contributing $1 million to complement the RTA's $1.5 million. Read the news release.

PLENTY OF DOWNTOWN PARKING FOR 2nd SATURDAYS AND 4th AVENUE STREET FAIR - Depending on the weather, this weekend will be busy in the downtown area and along 4th Avenue, but there are plenty of places to park. The Centro, Depot Plaza and Pennington Street garages all are within walking distance of the Sun Link Tucson Streetcar. The Fourth Avenue Merchants Association is no longer running free shuttles from the Main Gate and Pennington Street garages to the fair, due to the existence of the streetcar. The 4th Avenue Winter Street Fair is open from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. today through Sunday, and 2nd Saturdays Downtown begins tomorrow with gallery shows at 9 a.m. Live entertainment has been canceled at the main stage due to the rainy weather forecast, but some performers and vendors may be at the Ronstadt Center if it doesn't rain. Visit @2ndSatTucson on Twitter for updates.

PUBLIC MEETINGS CONTINUE FOR INPUT ON POSSIBLE CHARTER CHANGES - Tucson's Charter Review Committee is asking for public comments as it reviews and makes recommendations about possible amendments to sections of the Tucson City Charter. A public meeting will be held Monday at 4 p.m. at City Hall (255 W. Alameda, 1st floor). Potential amendments to the City Charter may be on the Nov. 3, 2015 City ballot. All comments should be made via email to the City Clerk’s Office, cityclerk@tucsonaz.gov.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR REAL CHRISTMAS TREE FROM DRYING OUT OVER THE HOLIDAYS - Real Christmas trees bring the holiday spirit to life for many, but they start to dry out as soon as you take them home. Tucson Fire Captain Barrett Baker has a few safety tips to keep your holiday from going up in smoke, such as keeping your tree away from heat sources and candles.

REDUCE CLUTTER AND GO PAPERLESS WITH CITY E-BILLING - Go paperless with your Utility Services Statement. Set up an eBill account to pay your bill, get notification of your billing statement, view water usage, and read Tucson Water's newsletter.
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NewsNet 12-11-14

Posted December 11, 2014

FOURTH AVENUE STREET FAIR BEGINS TOMORROW - The Fourth Avenue Winter Street Fair opens tomorrow and runs through Sunday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. each day. The event takes place on Fourth Avenue between Ninth Street and University Boulevard. The street fair includes more than 400 arts and crafts booths, more than 35 food vendors, street musicians, food, jugglers, street performers, and a hands-on art pavilion for kids. There also will be face painting, balloons, demonstrations, sidewalk entertainment, and other activities. For the first time, you can ride the Sun Link Streetcar to the fair. Please note there will be temporary route adjustments. The streetcar will operate on the east end of the route from the eastern terminus at Helen Street to University Boulevard and Third Avenue and back. On the western terminus, streetcar will operate from Avenida del Convento through downtown to Fourth Avenue and Eighth Street and back. Sun Tran buses will be used to shuttle streetcar passengers from temporary end point stops at Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street, and University Boulevard and Third Avenue. Follow the links below for more information and a map of the route adjustments.

SUN LINK STREETCAR JOINS 'STUFF THE BUS' EVENT - Sun Tran and KGUN 9 News are partnering again this holiday season for the annual “Stuff-the-Bus” event benefiting the Salvation Army’s Christmas Gift Distribution Program. This year, Sun Link will be part of the annual event by stuffing a streetcar. Tucsonans are encouraged to donate new, unwrapped toys for children 12 and under. Cash donations also will be accepted. This year’s event will be held from 6 a.m. to  6 p.m. tomorrow at two Walmart stores (Speedway/Kolb and Arizona Pavilions) and the streetcar stop at Helen Street and Warren Avenue.

TCC READIES FOR ARENA GRAND REOPENING - The Tucson Convention Center (TCC) is less than a month away from unveiling the complete $7.8 million renovation of the arena. In this video, Tucson 12 shows some of the new additions and the outlook for the future from those who played a part in the project. The public unveiling and celebration of the renovated TCC is set for Saturday, Jan. 3, with an 8 p.m. concert by the Beach Boys. Tickets are still available at the TCC Ticket Office, 260 S. Church Ave., and Ticketmaster.

SOUTHWEST NUTCRACKER HAS THREE PERFORMANCES AT TCC MUSIC HALL - This original full-length classical ballet translates the traditional Nutcracker to Tucson in the 1880s, complete with coyotes, cavalry, and rattlesnakes. The Saturday and Sunday performances feature a live orchestra, colorful costumes, professionally designed sets, and dancing. Tickets are available at the TCC Ticket Office, 260 S. Church Ave., and Ticketmaster.

GET THE LATEST TUCSON NEWS AND INFORMATION ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER - "Like" the City of Tucson on Facebook to get the latest news, community updates and fun facts about Tucson local government and our community. You can also "Follow" the City of Tucson on Twitter for timely, concise updates throughout the day.

NewsNet 12-10-14

Posted December 10, 2014

MAINSTREET PROGRAM EARNS COMMON GROUND AWARD - The Regional Transportation Authority's (RTA) MainStreet business assistance program, which provides free consulting services to businesses located within a quarter-mile of RTA projects, was recognized for its efforts with a Common Ground Award from the Metropolitan Pima Alliance (MPA). "For the past seven years, the Tucson Department of Transportation has relied heavily on the expertise of MainStreet's business assistance staff to help mitigate the impacts that our roadway improvement projects have on local businesses," said TDOT Director Daryl Cole. "Local businesses are the fuel that feeds the economic engine of our community, and our partnership with MainStreet is responsible for making sure our community continues to thrive down the road."
 
CITY COUNCIL DOESN'T RAISE BUS FARES, BUT CHANGES SOME ROUTES - The Tucson City Council yesterday voted 5-2 to adjust a handful of bus routes that would save the City about $110,000 dollars for the rest of this fiscal year and $264,000 next fiscal year. When the current year's budget was written, it factored in $1.2 million in transit savings through fare hikes and route adjustments. To cover the resulting budget gap, the City will apply gas savings and push some purchase contracts into the next fiscal year, Interim City Manager Martha Durkin told the Council. Mayor Jonathan Rothschild and Councilman Steve Kozachik cast the dissenting votes. Read the agenda materials.
 
CITY OF TUCSON HOLDS WORKSHOPS ON LICENSE AND SALES TAX REPORTING - Learn your rights and responsibilities for Transaction Privilege (sales) Taxation by attending a Tax and License Workshop sponsored by the City of Tucson Finance Department. Questions will be answered, and written materials will be available. Samples of sales tax records, worksheets, and monthly returns will be explained. You should bring a calculator and a pencil. A workshop for retail and contracting questions will be held tomorrow, 10:30 a.m. -  noon, at the Martha Cooper Branch Library, 1377 N. Catalina Ave. Another workshop will be held Thursday, Dec. 18, 10:30 a.m. - noon, at the Eckstrom-Columbus Branch Library, 4350 E. 22nd St. Read the news release.
 
LECTURE TONIGHT ON GEOTOURISM - Hear about a new vision of Southern Arizona as a destination for international tourism by preserving and celebrating our region’s unique culture heritage, history, geology and biodiversity. University of Arizona College of Science Dean Joaquin Ruiz will speak from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Playground Bar and Lounge, 278 E. Congress St. Tonight's lecture is presented by the UA Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry as part of its Show & Tell series.
 
'HOT SHOT HOOPLA' THIS WEEKEND - City of Tucson Parks and Recreation and USA Youth Sports are hosting the 2nd annual "Hot Shot Hoopla" basketball competition on Saturday. Contestants will be given two one-minute rounds to shoot from six spots to accumulate their highest score. All participants will receive a ticket to the Jan. 3 University of Arizona Women’s Basketball game. Players will be grouped based on age and gender. Participants must be 12 and under and register onsite from 8-9 a.m. at the Randolph Recreation Center, 200 S. Alvernon Way. The registration fee is $1, and the competition is limited to the first 100 kids. Read the news release.

NewsNet 12-09-14

Posted December 9, 2014

CITY RECEIVES 'PROJECT OF THE DECADE' AWARD FOR STREETCAR - The Metropolitan Pima Alliance (MPA) recently presented the City of Tucson with the "MPA Project of the Decade" award for the Sun Link Tucson Streetcar. The streetcar was honored as one of 22 exceptional projects in the community during the MPA's 10th annual Common Ground Awards ceremony last week. The awards honor community leaders, projects, and events that overcame great obstacles through collaboration. The $196 million streetcar project, co-managed by the City of Tucson and the Regional Transportation Authority, is considered to be Tucson’s largest and most-complex transportation construction project in city history.
 
RESIDENTS NEAR RAILROAD TRACKS MAY GET SOME QUIET - The Downtown Links construction project will upgrade four railroad crossings in the downtown area. Part of the third phase of the project, set to begin in 2016, includes installing new safety features to four rail crossings, and that would make the area eligible to be a federally-approved “quiet zone” where trains wouldn’t have to sound their horns as much. The upgraded crossings at Main Avenue, Fifth Street, Ninth Avenue, and Seventh Avenue will have additional fencing, lighting, and signage to warn pedestrians of approaching trains. The crossing at Sixth Street will be eliminated completely and replaced with an underpass. When all of the work is finished, the City of Tucson can submit a proposal to the Federal Railroad Administration to have the quiet zone approved. Read more from the Arizona Daily Star.
 
TUCSON POLICE FOUNDATION AWARDED GRANT TO TEACH TEENS HOW TO DRIVE - State Farm Insurance will present the Tucson Police Foundation (TPF) with an $18,750 grant at a presentation tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. The TPF and the Tucson Police Department (TPD), in partnership with State Farm Insurance, run the Safe Teen Accident Reduction Training (START) classes. They say motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Seven teens between the ages 16 to 19 die every day from motor vehicle injuries. START training classes take place on a closed course at the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Center in Tucson. Classes are taught by TPD professional driving instructors. The four-hour classes are offered at no charge, with a suggested donation of $50 to the Tucson Police Foundation.
 
JOB OPPORTUNITY: TUCSON WATER SYSTEM OPERATOR - Tucson Water is recruiting for three Water System Operator positions in the Instrumentation & Control Section of potable, reclaimed water systems. The section is responsible for the central control operations of the potable and reclaimed water systems. Rotating shifts, weekends, and holidays are mandatory. Experience and certifications are required. The application deadline is Dec. 31.
 
WATCH A FOX CHASE BUBBLES - Fennec fox Amir is a demonstration animal at Reid Park Zoo. He is featured in education programs and presentations, and educators keep him socialized by interacting with him frequently. In this session (see video), Amir gets some exercise, and some fun, by playing with bubbles.

NewsNet 12-08-14

Posted December 8, 2014

FOURTH AVENUE STREET FAIR TO ADJUST STREETCAR ROUTE - The Fourth Avenue Street Fair runs this Friday through Sunday, with more than 300,000 people expected to attend. To accommodate the street fair booths, there will be a temporary route adjustment for the Sun Link Tucson Streetcar, and Sun Tran buses will be used to shuttle streetcar passengers from temporary end point stops at Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street, and University Boulevard and Third Avenue. The streetcar will operate on the east end of the route from the eastern terminus at Helen Street to University Boulevard and Third Avenue and back. On the western terminus, the streetcar will operate from Avenida del Convento through downtown to Fourth Avenue and Eighth Street and back. Read the news release.
Map of route adjustments and shuttle bus route and stops
 
AGENDA SPOTLIGHT: GATEWAY HACIENDA ANNEXATION DISTRICT - A public hearing will be held at tomorrow's Mayor and Tucson City Council Regular Meeting regarding the proposed annexation of nine acres of vacant land at the southeast corner of River Road and Hacienda Del Sol Road. The area is slated to be the future home of Hacienda at the River, a state-of-the-art site with adult assisted living, nursing care, a medical office, and a hospice facility. The new development is anticipated to create 167 jobs, 52 of which will pay more than $55,000. View tomorrow's Mayor and Council agenda, and watch a Tucson 12 video about how annexation works.
 
SENIOR OLYMPIC FESTIVAL REGISTRATION UNDERWAY - Tucson Parks and Recreation presents the 31st Annual Senior Olympic Festival, Jan. 12 - Feb. 1, at several venues throughout Tucson. The festival is a celebration to promote fitness, health, and an active lifestyle among adults 50 years of age and older. Some of the events include volleyball, bowling, bridge, racquetball, basketball shoot, pickleball, archery, golf, tennis, horseshoes, badminton, and more. You can register through Dec. 31 (link below). You also can register between Jan.1-10, but there will be a $3 per event late fee. More than 2,000 people are expected to participate in the competition. Read the news release for registration details, and watch Tucson 12 video of the training for the games.
 
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LUNCH WASTE GOES GREEN - Every day, Manzo Elementary School students sort their leftovers into compostables, recyclables, chicken food, or trash, minimizing the TUSD school's contribution to the waste stream. In addition, fellow students run and supervise the process from start to finish, which is considered an honor. Composting is one area the City of Tucson is using to divert waste from landfills. The City's Environmental Services Department collects food scraps from local restaurants and grocery stores as part of Compost Cats, in partnership with the University of Arizona. Watch a short video (via Facebook) of the sorting process at Manzo.
 
FROM THE ARCHIVES: CAPTAIN AWESOME! - Join an artist and her partner, a size 3T superhero, on their adventures at Tucson's playable parks. This video was produced last year by Tucson 12.

Fourth Avenue Street Fair Sun Link StreetCar Temporary Route Adjustments

Posted December 8, 2014

Fourth Avenue will be the host of the annual Fourth Avenue Winter Street Fair this weekend.  The Fourth Avenue Winter Street Fair begins on Friday, December 12, 2014 and is open daily through Sunday December 14, 2014 from 10 a.m., until 6 p.m.  Attendance for the Street Fair is estimated to be approximately 300,000 people, so please adjust travel plans accordingly.

Sun Tran 2014 Holiday Toy Drive - Stuff the Bus

Posted December 8, 2014

Sun Tran and KGUN 9 News are partnering again this holiday season for the annual “Stuff-the-Bus” event benefitting the Salvation Army’s Christmas Gift Distribution Program. This year Sun Link will be a part of the annual event by stuffing a streetcar. Tucsonans are encouraged to donate new unwrapped toys for children ages 0-12; cash donations will also be accepted. This year’s event will be held from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, December 12, at the following locations:

NewsNet 12-05-14

Posted December 5, 2014

CITY SEEKS COMMISSION MEMBERS TO REVIEW AND RECOMMEND SALARIES FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL - The City of Tucson is accepting applications for the Citizens' Commission on Public Service and Compensation, a panel that reviews and recommends salaries for the Mayor and Tucson City Council. Commission members serve a two-month appointment and must be registered voters living within Tucson city limits. They cannot be employees of the City of Tucson, nor a parent, sibling, spouse, child, or dependent relative of an officer or employee of the City. The Commission’s salary adjustment recommendations may be placed on the Nov. 3, 2015 election ballot. To nominate a person, or for more information, please contact Monica Perez in the City Manager's Office, 791-4204. The deadline to apply is Friday, Dec. 19. Read the news release.

REID PARK ZOO HOPES TO SET ATTENDANCE RECORD - Reid Park Zoo is hoping to set a new record for its highest annual attendance. The previous record of 606,884 occurred in 2012 following the opening of the Zoo’s state-of-the-art Expedition Tanzania exhibit. With already 535,887 visitors to the Zoo through the end of November, the record is well within reach. The Zoo is particularly popular this year due to the Aug. 20 birth of Nandi, the baby African elephant. A mild winter that started off the year also brought more people than normal to the Zoo, and camel rides are now being offered. Reid Park Zoo officials also expect big crowds at this year's Zoo Lights celebration, which begins tonight. Zoo Lights will be open from 6-8 p.m. every night, through Dec. 23, with an encore Dec. 26-28. Admission is $6 for adults and $4 for children under the age of 14. Zoo members receive special discounts, including 50 percent off from Dec. 5-11.
 
DECORATE FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH SAFETY IN MIND - If you'll be one of the many people decorating for the holidays soon, keep in mind that Christmas lights run a lot of extra electricity through your home, potentially creating hazards. Tucson Fire Captain Barrett Baker demonstrates how to hang decorations for a safe and happy holiday.
 
WRIGHTSTOWN LANE CLOSURE POSTPONED - The bank protection project on East Wrightstown Road, originally scheduled for today, has been postponed due to yesterday's storm. Crews from the City of Tucson Department of Transportation Streets and Traffic Maintenance Division will conduct the bank protection work when the saturated wash bank dries out. The work will take place on the south side of East Wrightstown Road between Sarnoff Drive and Camino Seco. When the work begins, the eastbound travel lane on Wrightstown Road will be closed. Since that part of  Wrightstown Road has one travel lane in each direction, motorists will use a single lane for both eastbound and westbound travel. Flaggers will be present to help direct traffic through the work zone. Read the news release.
 
NEED HELP STARTING OR EXPANDING A BUSINESS IN TUCSON? CALL THE SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE LINE - The City of Tucson's Small Business Assistance Line, (520) 837-4100, is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Help is available in both English and Spanish. Staff from the City Manager's Office of Economic Initiatives answer the calls. The Small Business Assistance Line is one of a number of City initiatives, along with 21 new business incentives, streamlined permit processes and more, to make the City of Tucson more business-friendly.

Wrightstown Travel Lane Closure - POSTPONED

Posted December 5, 2014

The bank protection project on East Wrightstown Road scheduled for Friday, December 5, 2014, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., has been postponed due to inclement weather. Crews from the City of Tucson Department of Transportation Streets and Traffic Maintenance Division will conduct the bank protection work when the saturated wash bank has dried out. The work will take place on the south side of East Wrightstown Road between Sarnoff Drive and Camino Seco.

Wrightstown Road Travel Lane Closure - Postponed Due To Weather

Posted December 4, 2014

The bank protection project on East Wrightstown Road scheduled for Friday, December 5, 2014, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., has been postponed due to inclement weather. Crews from the City of Tucson Department of Transportation Streets and Traffic Maintenance Division will conduct the bank protection work when the saturated wash bank has dried out. The work will take place on the south side of East Wrightstown Road between Sarnoff Drive and Camino Seco. 

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