Your recreation Your recreation program guide is program guide is inside!inside! SURPRISEAZ.GO V/PROGRES SMA G • FALL 202 4 From special events to new shopping spots! The Holiday Issue: PLUS:CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS Held at: Surprise City Council Chambers, Surprise City Hall, 16000 N. Civic Center Plz. When: First and third Tuesday of the month•6 p.m. Work Sessions•4 p.m. Call: 623.222.1200•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•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 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 LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION 623.222.1036 Surprise Progress is published by the City of Surprise Marketing & Communications Department. Share it online at surpriseaz.gov/ProgressMag. Comments? Call 623.222.1431 or email us at communications@surpriseaz.gov. Amanda Steele Nichole Wiley WRITER | EDITOR Ambria Brown Lorena Cano Muriel M. Sawicki GRAPHIC DESIGN | PHOTOGRAPHY Virginia Mungovan CHIEF EDITOR FALL 2024 | Volume 24 | No. 4 VICE MAYOR, DISTRICT 1 Nick Haney DISTRICT 2 Aly Cline DISTRICT 3 Patrick Duffy DISTRICT 4 Ken Remley DISTRICT 5 Jack Hastings DISTRICT 6 Chris Judd MAYOR Skip Hall CITY MANAGER Bob Wingenroth - 623.222.1100 Jared Holland, Chair Ken Chapman, Vice-Chair Kevin Perry Anthony Spata CITY COUNCIL - 623.222.1300 Dennis Bash Matthew Keating Jay Leonard WATCH MEETINGS LIVE ON surpriseaz.gov/SurpriseTV/CityOfSurprise Printed on paper with a portion of post-consumer waste. Printed with soy inks. We have more local options than ever for finding the perfect holiday gifts! Plus, local sales tax helps pay for city services such as police, fire-medical, streets, parks and more. 2 surpriseaz.gov | FALL 2024 If you are looking for a way to serve your neighbors this holiday season, here are some opportunities: • Donate Food St. Mary’s Food Bank and Valley View Food Bank accept food donations year round. • Volunteer for a Day of Service The City has Day of Service events coming up on November 9 and December 14. For details on the projects and how to get signed up visit surpriseaz.gov/DayofService St. Mary’s Food Bank 13050 W. Elm St., Surprise stmarysfoodbank.org If you are in need of a helping hand this holiday season, or anytime throughout the year, the Surprise Resource Center offers services from food boxes to utility assistance. Here are some available programs: • The Emergency Food Assistance Program In partnership with St. Mary’s Food Bank, emergency food box distribution is available to help eligible low-income individuals and households supplement their nutritional needs. Pickup hours are weekly, Mondays and Thursdays, between 9 a.m. and noon at the Surprise Resource Center, 12425 W. Bell Rd. Suite 124. Valid identification and self-declared income status eligibility is required. Limit of one food box per individual or household per month. • Utility Assistance & Eviction Prevention Limited temporary utility assistance and eviction prevention is available for qualifying residents through the Community Action Program – a partnership between Maricopa County, Surprise and El Mirage that provides support services that foster self-sufficiency and stability during unexpected financial crises. Funding is limited and not guaranteed. Must meet eligibility requirements. Learn more about both programs at surpriseaz.gov/ResourceCenter Local Partner LOCAL FOOD BANKS OFFER FOOD BOXES AND/OR FOOD PANTRIES. CONNECT WITH THEM TO PICK UP FOOD OR VOLUNTEER TO HELP WITH FOOD DISTRIBUTION. OF YEAR FOR Giving & Receiving The holiday season typically brings more opportunities for the giving and receiving of assistance. In Surprise, it is a focus year round through the mission of our Human Service & Community Vitality Department, which runs Day of Service volunteer events and the Surprise Resource Center – a one-stop-shop for social services. FOR THOSE IN NEED Opportunities The Salvation Army 17420 Avenue of the Arts, Surprise northwestvalley.salvationarmy.org Valley View Food Bank 10771 W. Peoria Ave., Sun City feedingaz.org THE TIME FOR THOSE LOOKING TO SERVE FALL 2024 | surpriseaz.gov 3THE C OUNCIL UPD A TE As fall approaches and colder weather’s on the horizon, I’m looking forward to being outdoors with my family. This year, I especially look forward to the family friendly events our City hosts as this will be the first holiday season with our little girl. Beginning in October, we kickoff the festivities with Fiesta Grande, Sunday in the Park and G.A.I.N. Night. Then, November brings our new LIVE at Asante concert series, the Veterans Day Parade and SciTech Festival. To celebrate the holiday season, we have the magic of Surprise Party and Sparkling Surprise! These events are FREE and designed for you and your family to have fun and enjoy the amazing weather. Nick Haney Ken Remley Patrick Duffy Chris Judd Vice Mayor Aly Cline Jack Hastings Every fall, Surprise is buzzing with excitement! The City offers tons of free events that capture the essence of community spirit. But for those who crave the thrill of sports and rooting for the home team with a crowd of fans, you can catch college-level football right here in Surprise! Head to Spirit Field with your neighbors and support Ottawa University Arizona as they battle it out against opponents from across the nation. There are two home games left in the regular season, October 12 and November 2, so get your tickets at ouazspirit.com, and I’ll see you there! surpriseaz.gov/District1 There are countless stories I could share about how our Human Service & Community Vitality Department meets the needs of our most vulnerable populations every day. Over the past year, this team has harnessed mobile technology and key partnerships to help more than 160 people end their homelessness. To offer further support and maintain a safe community, we are working to update ordinances that will enhance public safety’s ability to offer assistance as well. As our city grows, I remain committed to pursuing different innovative ways to keep Surprise a great place to live, work and play for our entire community. Water is a precious resource, and I want residents to know Surprise’s water supply remains healthy even as we continue to grow. Our water department has new groundwater wells under construction. This provides redundancy within our water systems and allows us to keep up with future demand as we continue to replenish our aquafers with more water than we pump out. We also remain committed to innovation, building partnerships with our largest water users through a Water Resources Roundtable. This summer, we received encouraging news about the Colorado River system. It will continue in a Tier 1 shortage, meaning no reductions for Surprise in 2025. surpriseaz.gov/District5 surpriseaz.gov/District2 surpriseaz.gov/District4 surpriseaz.gov/District3 surpriseaz.gov/District6 As we approach the end of my term as District 2 Councilmember, I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to the community of Surprise. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you over the past four years. Together, we've accomplished great things! I'm committed to continuing to work tirelessly on your behalf as we head to the end of 2024, and after that, you’ll always be able to find me volunteering at the local library bookstore. I love this community and will never stop doing what I can to support Surprise! D 1 D4 D 3 D 6 D 2 D5 We’re excited to break ground on the new Surprise Community and Resource Center in our Original Town Site this winter! This is an important project for our district, city and entire West Valley! This future center will help expand health, wellness, workforce development, housing, homeless assistance, benefits assistance, veteran services, senior services, youth programs and library services. As I serve out my last couple months as your elected councilmember, I will enjoy watching it come to fruition as a testament to what we accomplished together. Thank you for allowing me to serve you and the city I love for the past eight years! 4 surpriseaz.gov | FALL 2024 THE C OUNCIL UPD A TE fter 20 years of public service to Surprise, I am in the final months of my last term, which ends this December. When I moved to Surprise, I had intended to retire. Instead, I was blessed with the incredible opportunity to help shape Surprise’s growth from a community of about 60,000 to more than 160,000. What a pleasure it has been to serve you! What an adventure it has been to watch the city grow. Together, we have focused our attention on everything from transportation to water supply to public safety to shopping, dining and enter- tainment amenities; and we have seen great transformation in all these areas. I remember when Surprise was primarily single- family homes with a few restaurants and retail stores mostly clustered on Bell Road. Now, we have a variety of housing options and commer- cial areas across the city that bring opportunity for date nights, family fun and shopping. Those amenities also brought jobs, as have the busi- nesses that have set root in our industrial district. Just this past September, we proudly welcomed Tricolor Auto, which will bring another 500 jobs to our city! As our population increases, and development progresses, we continue to pay great attention to building our water portfolio and to water con- servation efforts so we are prepared to support our residents and businesses into the future. We have also put a great deal of effort into expanding our transportation network and supporting public safety. Surprise voters have supported two bond measures since I have been in office that provided funding for improved roadways and police and fire-medical infrastructure. Your investment has been vital to the progress we are making across the city. Thank you for caring deeply about your community. Thank you for letting me serve you for all this time. It has been one of the great joys of my life. As I look back, I remember envisioning Surprise as a place to live, work and play. Today, I see that vision as reality – one that will only grow more robust each day of our city’s future. M ayo rSkip H all A surpriseaz.gov/ Mayor Follow City of Surprise on your preferred social media platform: + Plus, your Mayor and Councilmembers, Police, Fire-Medical and several other City departments have social media pages. See them all at surpriseaz.gov/Connect Text & Email Notifications Subscribe to e-mail and text message lists to keep up with Surprise news. You can subscribe to newsletters like: • Surprise City News • Newsletters from City Councilmembers • Commercial Project Reports • and more! Get started at surpriseaz.gov/Subscribe surpriseaz.gov/Connect @surpriseazgovcityofsurpriseSurpriseTV11@azsurprise@azsurprise Scan the code with your smartphone and enter your address to find out what district you live in. surpriseaz.gov/MySurpriseAddress FALL 2024 | surpriseaz.gov 5Important Dates Mayor: Kevin Sartor District 2: Earle Greenberg District 3: Patrick Duffy (returning) District 4: Johnny V. Melton The positions of Mayor and Council in Districts 2, 3 and 4 serve four-year terms that will expire on December 31, 2028. The elected members will assume office at the first meeting in January 2025 after taking the official oath of office. The Primary Election was held on Tuesday, July 30, resulting in some new and returning representatives on the Surprise City Council. OCT 7 OCT 9 OCT 25 Voter Registration Deadline Ballots Mailed/ Vote Centers & Drop Boxes Available Last Day to Request a Ballot in the Mail Last Day to Mail Back Your Ballot General Election Day Primary Election Results ..................... OCT 29 NOV 5 GENERAL ELECTION 2024 The U.S. General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. This election includes U.S. President, federal, state, county and local offices that are up for election as well as several ballot measures. To participate in this election, you must be registered to vote at least 29 days before election day. Register to vote online at: servicearizona.com/VoterRegistration or check your voter registration status at BeBallotReady.Vote. Election Day is November 5! Surprise City Hall is a designated vote center for any voter in Maricopa County. City Hall (Community Room) will be open for in-person voting and ballot drop-off beginning October 9! Oct. 9 - 25 | Monday - Friday | 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Oct. 26 & Nov. 2 | Saturday | 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 | Monday - Friday | 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Nov. 4 | 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Nov. 5 | 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. To find a list of additional voting locations and drop box hours, visit Locations.Maricopa.Vote. 6 surpriseaz.gov | FALL 2024 eneral Plan Voted In. M oving forward, the City will look to the 2040 General Plan to inform decisions on where and how to progress in the future. This includes examining what places best support growth and which areas need thoughtful reinvestment. One of the goals of the new General Plan was to recognize, preserve, protect and enhance the character and quality of life within Surprise’s existing traditional rural communities, while also allowing for compatible surrounding development. To meet this need, the City created a Rural Residential Overlay as part of the General Plan. The overlay notes areas that are private, large-lot residential lands characterized by reduced infra- structure, as compared to an urban or suburban community (such as sidewalks, street lighting or public water and sewer), and promote the keeping of livestock, farmland and open space. Now that voters have approved the 2040 General Plan, the City’s Community Development Department is seeking to develop and implement a Desert Rural Zoning Designation for long-established rural residential communities to opt into. The new proposed zoning district will help ensure that future development is buffered with natural or landscaped open space and maintains the physical integrity of rural lands. It will also limit the capacity of local-serving rural roads and enhance communications with rural residents. Public participation is vital to the process of building this new zoning district. Learn about up- coming community meetings and participation opportunities at surpriseaz.gov/DesertRural. To learn more about the Surprise 2040 General Plan, visit surpriseaz.gov/GeneralPlan2040. During the 2024 primary election, voters approved the Surprise 2040 General Plan. This new plan will serve as the overall roadmap for the city’s land use, transportation systems, environmental resources, open space and economy. It also establishes the structure for all other planning. Development of desert rural zoning designation begins. FALL 2024 | surpriseaz.gov 7 OCTOBER 5 Celebrating the vibrant culture and traditions that have shaped our city. Join us for lucha libre wrestling, authentic Mexican food, mariachi music, dancing, classic car show, piñatas and more! 5 - 9 p.m. | Mark Coronado Park 15960 N. Bullard Ave. surpriseaz.gov/FiestaGrande OUTDOOR EVENTS Let’s Party! ¡Vamos de fiesta! Get ready for a season filled with community spirit and festive cheer! Mark your calendars for these free, family-friendly events. A fun evening in the park with live musical performances, entertainment for all ages and food trucks to purchase yummy treats and delicious drinks. You can also get some shopping in from local vendors at an outdoor market! 3 - 7 p.m. Mark Coronado Park 15960 N. Bullard Ave. surpriseaz.gov/SpecialEvents OCTOBER 13 Music by: N-The-Mix, featuring Steven Powell NOVEMBER 10 Music by: Yachtzilla 8 surpriseaz.gov | FALL 2024 G.A.I.N. Night OCTOBER 26 ‘Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods’ Night brings neighbors together with police and fire- medical for kids activities, safety information, demonstrations and trick-or-treating. Costumes encouraged! 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. | Mark Coronado Park 15960 N. Bullard Ave. surpriseaz.gov/GAIN Veterans Day Parade NOVEMBER 11 Join us in honoring our service men and women at our 10th annual parade. Arrive early for a pancake breakfast served by Surprise Police Department; available for purchase from 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. If you are interested participating in the parade, register your band, team or float by November 1. Parade begins at 10 a.m. Bullard Avenue between Paradise & Tierra Buena lanes surpriseaz.gov/VeteransDay SciTech Festival NOVEMBER 16 This educational event features interactive science, technology, engineering, art and math exhibits and demonstrations. Science enthusiasts of all ages can engage with robotics presentations and fun experiments! 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Mark Coronado Park 15860 N. Bullard Ave. surpriseaz.gov/SciTech DECEMBER 6 & 7 Visits with Santa, foam snow party, drone light shows, balloon glow, kid’s zone, roaming entertainment, food, a shopping village and more! The traditional tree lighting with Mayor and Council is December 6 at 6:30 p.m.! 5 - 9 p.m. Surprise Recreation Campus 15960 N. Bullard Ave. surpriseaz.gov/SurpriseParty DECEMBER 6 - 31 Step into a world of wonder with our holiday light display! From the artic wonders of Polar Land and floating Christmas trees, to the festive cheer of Toyland and the charming Magical Forest; each area is meticulously designed to transport you into a different holiday dream. Bring your family and friends for an unforgettable night filled with joy. 5:30 - 10 p.m. Surprise Recreation Campus 15960 N. Bullard Ave. surpriseaz.gov/SparklingSurprise Surprise Party DECEMBER 11 - 13 | 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Get a photo with Mr. Claus! surpriseaz.gov/SpecialEvents Santa’s Workshop FALL 2024 | surpriseaz.gov 9Next >