Ward 2 Council Member Paul Cunningham
Paul's Note - February 18th, 2022
Posted February 18, 2022
When I was growing up, my friends and I would stop by a store near the neighborhood for sodas and snacks. It was run by a Holocaust survivor named Walter Feiger.
Mr. Feiger was imprisoned at several labor and concentration camps in Poland during World War II before he was liberated by Soviet troops. His travels landed him in Tucson in 1970. He loved it here. He often said that Moses picked the wrong desert.
Paul's Note - February 11, 2022
Posted February 11, 2022
Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood and Tucson Clean and Beautiful are looking for volunteers for a planting party.
The event is on Sunday, February 20th from 10 am to Noon at the corner of San Francisco Boulevard and Torino Avenue.
Paul's Note - February 4, 2022
Posted February 4, 2022
We had two big transportation issues on the agenda at this week’s council meeting.
Paul's Note - January 28, 2022
Posted January 28, 2022
We’ve had three major disturbing incidents of vandalism in our ward over the last month, including two targeting schools this week.
We had vandalism to both maintenance buildings at recreational facilities at Jesse Owens Park, followed by arson at Tucson Country Day School this weekend and criminal damage and attempted arson at Kellond Elementary on Monday night.
Paul's Note - January 21, 2022
Posted January 21, 2022
Last year, we had a situation with a well site in the Palo Verde Park neighborhood. It was basically an empty piece of hardscape that was an invitation to illegal dumping. The fact that it was hard-packed earth also meant that rain would run off of it and damage people’s property. Still, the neighbors wanted it to remain open. They had used it as a dog run for years and wanted to keep it that way.
Paul's Note - January 14, 2021
Posted January 14, 2022
Over the last few weeks, I’ve gotten some disturbing news about vandalism at Jesse Owens Park.
The maintenance compound at the park was broken into late last month and equipment and vehicles were vandalized. Later, a bathroom was also vandalized.
Paul's Note - January 7, 2022
Posted January 7, 2022
Happy New Year!
I’d like to announce a new member of my staff, Patrick Burns. Pat has previously worked for Mayor Rothschild and has already hit the ground running helping with grant applications. Welcome to the Ward 2 staff, Pat.
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Paul's Note - December 17, 2021
Posted December 17, 2021
This will be the last time I write you a note before the Christmas holiday, so I wanted to take the time to wish all of you that celebrate a Merry Christmas and a joyful holiday season to all of you.
2022 is only a couple of weeks away; can you believe it?
Paul's Note - December 10, 2021
Posted December 10, 2021
At Tuesday’s Mayor and Council meeting, my colleagues and I voted to make Deputy Chief Chad Kasmar the Chief of the Tucson Police Department as current Chief Chris Magnus was confirmed to lead US Customs and Border Protection.
Magnus has been a reformer at our police department. Things haven’t always been smooth or perfect, but he’s brought change and that counts. I know he’ll do a great job at the CBP.
Half-Staff Notification
Posted December 6, 2021
In coordination with the Presidential proclamation, Governor Doug Ducey has ordered flags at all state buildings be lowered to half-staff immediately until sunset on December 9, 2021 to honor former Senator Bob Dole, who died yesterday at age 98.
Paul's Note - December 3, 2021
Posted December 3, 2021
I can’t leave unaddressed the two incidents involving the Tucson Police Department this week. I’m limited in what I can say given that there are ongoing investigations, but I will say that both left me very concerned and angry.
Paul's Note - November 16, 2021
Posted November 19, 2021
El Tour de Tucson is this weekend. It’s our premier bicycle event in a city where we are often picked as a top bicycling destination.
It’s traditionally a big draw for out-of-town visitors. Estimates I’ve seen range from between $10 million and $12 million in economic impact for our city.
Paul's Note - November 12, 2021
Posted November 12, 2021
The old Pima County Courthouse is an icon, sometimes not necessarily of our community. It showed up in an establishing shot on an episode of the X-Files once and was identified as the San Diego County courthouse. It also stood in as the Cochise County courthouse on the show Sheriff of Cochise back in the 1950s. Long time Tucsonans can name a friend or relative that was an extra on the 1970’s drama Petrocelli, where the building served as the courthouse for the fictional city of San Remo.
Paul's Note - November 5, 2021
Posted November 5, 2021
There are some changes that the city is evaluating regarding several items in the Unified Development Code, the document that covers our city’s building code.
One of the items that is being evaluated is a change to our commercial parking requirements that would require electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This would apply to parking lots in multi-family and commercial developments, not to single family residences.
Paul's Note - October 29th, 2021
Posted October 29, 2021
I received an update from Police Chief Christopher Magnus about TPD recruiting. I wanted to share it with you.
Given our staffing challenges, we thought it might be useful for you to get a sense of some of our outreach and recruiting efforts. If you have ideas or suggestion about other opportunities to recruit new officers or CSOs, please let me know and we will happily follow-up on them.