OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE CITY OF SURPRISE Your most desired retail & restaurants SURPRISEAZ.GOV/PROGRESSMAG • SUMMER 2021 Survey says: Residents Lo ve it Here! Fireworks, pool parties & more. See what events are back! PLUS:Please visit surpriseaz.gov/agendas for the latest information. CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS Held at: Surprise City Council Chambers, Surprise City Hall, 16000 N. Civic Center Plaza When: First and third Tuesday of the month•6 p.m. Work Sessions•4 p.m. Note: Council does not meet on July 6, July 20 and August 3, due to summer break Call: 623.222.1200•www.surpriseaz.gov/citycalendar PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION Held at: Surprise City Council Chambers When: First and third Thursday of the month•6 p.m. Call: 623.222.3154•www.surpriseaz.gov/pz-commission P&Z COMMISSION MEMBERS VETERANS, DISABILITY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION Held at: Surprise City Council Chambers When: Second Wednesday of the month•6 p.m. Meeting playbacks are available with Closed Captioning www.surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv Call: 623.222.3243 •TTY: 623.222.1002 PARKS & RECREATION ADVISORY COMMISSION 623.222.2240 ARTS & CULTURAL ADVISORY COMMISSION 623.222.3243 Surprise Progress is published by the City of Surprise Marketing & Communications Department. Read it online at surpriseaz.gov/progressmag. Comments or suggestions? Call 623.222.1422 or email us at communications@surpriseaz.gov! DEPUTY CITY MANAGER | MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Diane Arthur Virginia Mungovan Aisha Alexander Nichole Wiley Lorena Cano Muriel M. Sawicki PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS GRAPHIC DESIGNERS | PHOTOGRAPHERS MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER 2 SURPRISEAZ.GOV » SUMMER 2021 SUMMER 2021 | Volume 21 | No. 3 DISTRICT 1 Roland F. Winters Jr. DISTRICT 2 Aly Cline VICE MAYOR, DISTRICT 3 Patrick Duffy DISTRICT 4 Ken Remley DISTRICT 5 Jack Hastings DISTRICT 6 Chris Judd MAYOR Skip Hall CITY MANAGER Michael Frazier - 623.222.1100 LIVE TELEVISED MEETINGS YOU CAN WATCH ON Matthew Keating Ken Chapman Mitchell Rosenbaum Dennis Bash surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv/cityofsurprise CITY COUNCIL - 623.222.1300 Dennis W. Smith Scott Krous Kevin Sartor SURPRISEAZ.GOV » SUMMER 2021 3 Surprise Welcomes New Police Chief POLICE CHIEF BENNY PINA BRINGS WITH HIM MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND A HEART FOR THE COMMUNITY. Pina came from the city of Peoria, where he had served as Deputy Police Chief since 2014. Prior to that appointment, he was with the Phoenix Police Department for 25 years, rising through the ranks to the position of Police Commander. “I am truly humbled and excited to be the Surprise Police Chief and to join an excellent city-wide leadership team that values the entire community they serve,” said Chief Pina. City Manager Mike Frazier says Pina is a great fit for Surprise. “The Surprise Police Department has a mission centered on serving the community. Chief Pina not only has a wealth of experience and strong leadership skills, he also understands the value of community con- nection and serving with professionalism, accountability and respect,” says Frazier, who designed an interview process that connected the candidates with a variety of city stakeholders. The various interview panels included representatives from the com- munity, public safety profession, and city leadership. The candidates also met with the City Council and Surprise Police Department em- ployees. Pina fills the vacancy left following the promotion of former Police Chief Terry Young to City of Surprise Assistant City Manager in January 2021. PARKS & RECREATION DIRECTOR ANNOUNCEMENT COMING SOON Surprise has a variety of career opportunities available. See what’s open now at surpriseaz.gov/careers The city opened a search for a new Parks & Recreation Director in May, follow- ing the retirement of Director Donna Miller. Qualified candidate interviews with several stakeholders were scheduled for late June, with a final selection expected in July. Updates will be provided at surpriseaz.gov and on our city’s social media channels. Welcome to Surprise, Chief Pina! INTERESTED IN JOINING OUR TEAM?D D D 1 The Arizona housing market has been hot this year, and Surprise is seeing the effects. With District 1 containing a significant portion of our city’s planned growth area, homebuilders are eyeing our northern limits. In just the first six months of 2021, the city issued 894 single-family home permits in District 1; that’s 54% higher than the number of permits issued during the same time last year! Development brings new roadways. One of those is Happy Valley Road from 163rd to SR303, which is expected to be open by the time of print. It will be a huge benefit to this growing area! WINTERS JR.Cline ROLAND F.Aly http://d1.surpriseaz.gov D 4 REMLEYHASTINGS KENJACK School’s out and temper- atures are rising, which means it’s a great time to cool off at Hollyhock pool! I am excited that the pool is now available for open swim every day from noon to 4 p.m., including Fridays! Swim lessons and fitness classes are also offered. Register at surpriserec.sur- priseaz.gov or contact Parks & Recre- ation at 623.222.2000 for more infor- mation. Also, a reminder that our Senior Center has begun a phased reopening, and congregate meals have returned. The center offers a wide variety of daily programs, life- long learning classes and multiple wellness programs. See page 10 for details. Have a safe and happy summer! Surprise continues to score big with sports tourism, as more agencies look to city facilities to host their tournaments! This past spring, the city hosted the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Tennis National Championships at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex. Sum- mer brings a series of Perfect Game & USA Baseball events to the Surprise Stadium Sports Complex. More tournaments mean an increase in stays at our hotels and over- all tourism-related revenue. Plus, more people will have their eyes on Surprise as a destination, which helps fulfill the city’s five-year Tourism Strategic Plan! D 2 D 5 the council district update SCAN ME SCAN ME SCAN ME SCAN ME http://d5.surpriseaz.gov http://d2.surpriseaz.gov http://d4.surpriseaz.gov Volunteerism is key to a healthy community, and it’s also very important to me. Since moving to Surprise in 2002, I have volunteered 19,000+ hours within the city! Summer is a great time to get the whole family involved in volunteer projects, and the city has some wonderful opportuni- ties. Several Days of Service are planned at St. Mary’s Food Bank. You can get the details at surpriseaz.gov/dayofservice. You can also find opportunities at surpriseaz.gov/volunteer to plug in long-term as a volunteer coach, commission member, Citizen’s Patrol or Crisis Response Team member and more. Let’s get out and serve our community! 4 SURPRISEAZ.GOV » SUMMER 2021D 3 D 6 DUFFY judd PATRICK chris Summer is here, and I know many fam- ilies are looking for ways to get out of the house, but still stay indoors to beat the heat. Surprise offers a wide variety of indoor special interest classes like martial arts, dance, musical theater, LEGO classes and more! It’s also not too early to start thinking about fall sports like soccer, volleyball, softball, tee-ball and baseball. Registration opens July 6 and goes through July 23. You can register for any of these activities and sports at surpriserec.surpriseaz.gov. Looking for more fun things to do? Check out our Community Calendar on page 15. Let’s have a safe summer in Surprise by being responsible when in our nat- ural elements! Remember the ABC’s of Water Safety - Awareness, Barriers, and Classes! Surprise offers swim as- sessments and lessons for children to learn water safety. Sign your child up at surpriseaz.gov/aquatics. Remem- ber, two seconds is too long to be distracted. Planning some outdoor fun? Be sure to know the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion before you leave your home, and stay hydrated! Finally, Hot Cars Can Kill! Never leave children, pets or vulnerable persons in the car. t update vice mayor SCAN ME SCAN ME http://d6.surpriseaz.gov http://d3.surpriseaz.gov SURPRISEAZ.GOV » SUMMER 2021 5 I n July we kick off the new Fiscal Year 2022 (FY2022) budget cycle. I know, budget talk can make your eyes glaze and you begin to yawn. That said, approving our annual budget is perhaps one of the biggest responsibilities we have as a City Council. In Surprise, we utilize “fun facts” and information from you in determining how to fund the services that are most important to maintaining a safe, clean and friendly community and prepare for the ongoing growth that is happening all over Surprise. The FY2022 Adopted Expenditure Bud- get, adopted by the City Council in June, is $437.8 million, including transfers of $48.1 million, for a total of $485.9 million. Here are some of the highlights: • We’re building a new park! Countryside Park, at Greenway Road and Parkview Place, will help add field capacity and provide relief to our over-crowded sports fields. • The GO Bond-funded Fire Station 308, Cactus and Litchfield roads, is under construction and will be complete by the end of this year. The FY2022 budget in- cludes the money to support the ongoing operational costs once the station opens for service. • Meeting growth demands means adding key staffing positions to maintain our services. This budget includes 25.5 full-time positions in the General Fund, and eight new employees in water, sewer, sanitation, and sports and tourism enter- prise funds. • We’re addressing Capital Improvement Needs by allocating $121.5 million to sup- port infrastructure, renovations and con- struction of a police substation, fire sta- tions, municipal art projects, water and wastewater treatment facilities, as well as improvements to the quality of the city’s recreation centers, fields, parks, road- ways and drainage. I encourage you to take some time to explore your city budget and reach out to me if you have questions. The budget and all presentations are available at surpriseaz. gov/budget. www.surpriseaz.gov/ Mayor Contact your City Council: 623.222.1300 skip HALL mayor SCAN ME Scan the code with your smart phone and type your address. surpriseaz.gov/mysurpriseaddress not sure what district you live in? find out. D2 D5 D4 D6 D 1 D 3 NEW TO SURPRISE?6 SURPRISEAZ.GOV » SUMMER 2021 6 SURPRISEAZ.GOV » SUMMER 2021 Plus, FREE workshops are available to educate residents on efficient landscape design, installation, maintenance, watering and more. To learn more, visit surpriseaz.gov/waterconservation ARE YOU A SURPRISE WATER CUSTOMER? Use the WaterSmart® Online Water Use Portal to view your detailed water use and receive alerts for possible leaks or high water use. Click on the WaterSmart® logo in your Paymentus account. Installing WaterSense®-labeled irrigation controllers Installing low- water-use Xeriscape landscaping in new single-family residential yards Removing turf (Bermudagrass) at HOA, multifamily and commercial properties Rebates are available for: Surprise Prepared for Arizona Drought Conditions Drought is a normal occurrence in the desert southwest. In fact, the Western United States has been experiencing one for more than 20 years, with an official declaration by Arizona’s governor in 1999. The Colorado River System, one of Surprise’s water resources, is currently operating at a Tier Zero status. Findings in a study recently completed by the US Bureau of Reclamation suggest the Secretary of the Interior is likely to elevate the Colorado River System to a Tier 1 status for 2022, meaning less water supplies available to Arizona. Due to Arizona’s priority system, our municipal supplies will not experience a reduction. Surprise’s water managers have been preparing for a shortage on the Colorado River System for years, and have built a diverse and robust water portfolio, including renewable surface water, groundwater and reclaimed water. Surprise also has a comprehensive and strategic Drought Preparedness Plan outlining short- and long-term strategies for managing and sustaining our water portfolio. This will help reduce the city’s vulnerability to supply reductions and increase our portfolio’s resiliency. If the Colorado River System reaches a Tier 1 status, Surprise is likely to enact this plan for 2022. At this tier, customers can expect to see extensive messaging on ways to help Surprise conserve water. Learn more about the city’s water conservation program and drought management at surpriseaz.gov/droughtmgmt. WATER CONSERVATION Rebates, Workshops & More! Tribal Lands Agriculture Municipal & Industrial No Reduction No Reduction Reduced by 65% Anticipated 2022 Reduction to Central Arizona Project Users After Drought Contingency Plan Mitigation WANT TO REDUCE WATER USE AND SAVE MONEY? SURPRISE OFFERS FREE WATER EDUCATION, RESOURCES AND INCENTIVES FOR RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND HOA CUSTOMERS TO USE WATER EFFICIENTLY. Other Excess Reduced by 100% SURPRISEAZ.GOV » SUMMER 2021 7 Cake will save Surprise thousands of dollars annually, but it’s not the kind of cake you’d want to eat. That’s because it’s a product of wastewater treatment. Typically, when wastewater is treated, solids are sorted out from the liquid and hauled to the landfill. Water-soaked solids can be very heavy and expensive to haul and dispose of. That’s what led to the idea of a biosolids dryer. The city built a thermal solar-powered biosolids dryer that removes the liquid from the solids using a heated SURPRISE VOTERS WILL BE ASKED TO APPROVE A FRANCHISE EXTENSION WITH EPCOR WATER IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. Water Agreement Extension on November Ballot metal “hot plate.” This creates a biosolid product called “cake” that resembles dry coffee grounds. With upwards of 80% of the liquid removed by evaporation, this “cake” is much lighter to transport and cheaper to dispose of! The biosolid dryer launched in January and is being rolled out in phases. It is currently operating at one-third capacity, but it’s already saving the city thousands each month. At full operation, the goal is to reduce biosolid weight by 70% from approximately 27 wet tons per day to 8 dry tons per day! Translated to dollars, that’s upwards of half a million dollars in savings annually! Now, that’s some “cake” worth bragging about! Baking Biosolids: EPCOR is one of six water providers in the city of Surprise, and this election will not change EPCOR’s service area. Approval would allow EPCOR to construct, maintain and operate a potable water delivery system and a wastewater collection, treatment and disposal system throughout the city public rights-of-way. Voters approved a 25-year agreement in 1995, but it must be extended to allow for continued use. If approved, EPCOR would pay a 2% franchise fee to the city; the same percent they paid under the previous agreement. That money goes into the city’s General Fund, which pays for public safety, parks, street maintenance and more. EPCOR election y m a k i n g “ c a k e ” m e a n s b i g s a v October 4 October 6 October 22 October 26 November 2 Voter Registration Deadline Ballots Mailed, Drop Boxes Available & Replacement Ballot Voting Begins at City Hall Last Day to Request a Ballot in the Mail Last Day to Mail Back Your Ballot Election Day! For more information, visit surpriseaz.gov/electionnews This will be a mail ballot election. Here are some important dates: 8 SURPRISEAZ.GOV » SUMMER 2021 OVERALL PERCEPTIONS The following percentages are for resident ratings of Excellent or Good. We saw an increase in each of these areas over the 2018 survey. WHERE WE SHINE The following percentages are for resident ratings of Excellent or Good. Asterisk (*) indicates a rating above the national benchmark. 2021 NATIONAL COMMUNITY survey (ncs) 91% 82%66%96% 97% 88% 91% SAFETY in neighborhood ECONOMIC HEALTH of the city* CLEANLINESS of the city* PLACE TO LIVE QUALITY OF LIFE QUALITY OF CITY SERVICES CONFIDENCE IN CITY GOVERNMENT BACKGROUND: NCS is a scientific benchmarking survey that provides a comprehensive and accurate picture of livability and resident perspectives, as well as comparisons with hundreds of communities around the nation. The city of Surprise typically commissions an NCS every two years. The latest NCS was moved to February 2021 as to not conflict with the 2020 US Census. The last survey was in 2018. surpriseaz.gov/NCS VIEW THE RESULTS SURPRISEAZ.GOV » SUMMER 2021 9 City Funding Sources RESIDENT PRIORITIES RANKED Residents were asked to rank priorities for the city over the next three years. The following percentages are for ratings of High/Medium Priority. WHERE WE CAN DO BETTER The following percentages are for resident ratings of Excellent or Good. Asterisk (*) indicates a rating below the national benchmark. Residents were asked to rank their support/opposition of new funding sources to support increasing public safety, recreation and road capital improvement needs for our growing city. RECREATION WISH LIST We asked, “What is the single most important public rec amenity you think is missing from Surprise?” MUNITY survey (ncs) FUNDING SOURCE Go Bond .................................... 58% Primary Property Tax Increase ................ 37% Sales Tax Increase ........................... 37% New Dedicated Tax. ......................... 37% STRONG/SOMEWHAT SUPPORT 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. INVESTING IN WATER RESOURCES (97%) PROTECTING WHITE TANK MOUNTAINS (82%) COMPLETED STREETS (78%) PRESERVE OPEN SPACE IN GROWTH AREAS (78%) Internal circulator (52%) Build more parks/fields (51%) Connected trail system (44%) Community pool (32%) 7% 41% 47% ARTS/ CULTURE/ MUSIC* attendance opportunities TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM* overall quality (auto, bicycle, foot, bus) 6-MONTH ECONOMIC FORECAST will have a positive impact on your family 25% 17% 7% 31% Art/Entertainmment Dining/Shopping Parks/Trails Family/Youth Activities Sports Facilities/ Rec Centers Downtown, Local Economy & Infrastructure Improvements 9% 11% Responded “Don’t Know ”Next >