In the event of a flooding emergency, the Town of Marana will distribute sandbags to Marana residents and businesses. Residents can be notified of flooding emergencies through MaranaAZ.gov, facebook, twitter, and the appropriate emergency communication channels.
Notes from an Internship: Part V
It’s everyone’s favorite quadrennial pastime: election season! Seriously, we’re more than a year away from the 2016 Presidential Election, but practically every major news outlet is following these candidates as if it were tomorrow. This year, as in many others, I’ve been hearing a recurring theme: every candidate is an outsider. I remain skeptical as to whether most of these candidates have actually managed to maintain that perspective, but nevertheless, there is substance behind why they’re saying it.
Leaders in government should understand the challenges faced by their constituents, and that’s no less true for presidents as it is for Town of Marana staff. This week, I’ve spent some time learning more about those perspectives and discovering how to solicit them more frequently.
Two weeks ago, I mentioned that I’m working to create a mentorship program for Marana business owners to share their expertise with other local entrepreneurs. This week, I’ve had several meetings with many of them to ask: How should we set up this program? Rather than designing a program and asking people to sign up, we want to make sure that whatever we implement is user-friendly and meets a clear need.
When I started sketching how this would look, I imagined the Town acting as middle man between the mentors and protégés, but the people I spoke with pointed out that our office might become a bottleneck, preventing a seamless connection between the two sides. Perhaps, they suggested, it makes more sense to allow information to flow directly from requester to mentor, with the Town acting as an overseer to ensure smooth operation and troubleshoot issues as they arise. We’re not yet ready to roll out this initiative, but hearing the feedback of potential users will surely better inform the final result.
Seeking citizen feedback on one specific program is great, but it is a far cry from acquiring a broad understanding of community needs. In the past, Marana has mailed out lengthy (and costly) citizen surveys to take the pulse of the Town. It’s great to have that information, but inevitably, such a large project can only happen occasionally, meaning the Town is not receiving the timely feedback it needs.
An on-going web survey, on the other hand, has the potential to provide a constant barometer of public opinion. What could be the downside of that? Well, not everyone fills out web surveys. If we rely on those responses alone, we’ll leave many groups in our community voiceless. Clearly there must be a balance between frequent responses and more in-depth, Town-wide feedback. In many ways, it’s a trade-off between quantity and quality, and I hope by engaging in this process we can derive valuable information from both ends of the spectrum.
In my first public policy class in college, almost 10 years ago, we read a case study about a government initiative in London. The city faced a problem with traffic, and wanted to resolve it by creating variable rate tolls that would change based on the severity of congestion. During the proposal and early implementation stages, the public hated the idea. After all, no one wants to pay extra money just to drive to work. A year later, though, public sentiment had entirely shifted. As drivers encountered fewer traffic jams and experienced much shorter commutes, they began to appreciate the now obvious benefits of the program. The lesson? Sometimes, public opinion doesn’t know best. Government employees have, after all, studied government extensively, and usually know how it works. Public opinion is simultaneously both critically important and potentially deceiving, and I’m glad for the chance now to feel my way through this process.
Chris Saunders is a Marvin Andrews Scholar who is interning with the Town this summer. He is writing weekly entries for Marana 365 through the end of August.
MPD aims for safe start to school year
The Marana Police Department reminds motorists that school begins this Monday. The department will have motorcycle and other patrol officers monitoring school zones and enforcing traffic violations. The zones include Marana High School, Marana Middle School, the elementary schools in the Continental Ranch area and Hendricks Elementary. Officers will be assigned to the school zones both in the morning and afternoon.
With the increase in traffic, it's important to pay attention to school zones, crosswalks and school bus stops.
The Town encourages motorists to pay attention to:
- School zones and occupied crosswalks when signs are present;
- Stop for school buses when lights and signs are displayed;
- Speed limits, especially in school zones.
The goal is to make sure everyone has a safe 2015-2016 school year.
Marana officer earns Optimist Club award
For Town of Marana Police Officer Kevin Litten, service to his community, especially youth, does not end with his on-duty work shifts. His passion and leadership for the Marana Police Explorer Program will be recognized by the Marana-Foothills Optimist Club during the Town Council meeting on Aug. 4.
The Marana-Foothills Optimist Club will honor Officer Litten by presenting him with its first “Bringing Out the Best in Kids” award. Marana Mayor Ed Honea, a member of the Marana-Foothills Optimist Club, will present the award. The Optimist club plans to continue choosing a recipient in future years, President Wally Smith said.
The recognition focuses on Officer Litten’s outstanding work with young people in the Marana area and for his leadership and mentoring of members of the Marana Police Explorer Program as the group's advisor.
Officer Litten describes the Explorer program as a hands-on, real-world law enforcement experiences through training taught by police officers and by participating in ride-alongs with the officers, other training opportunities, and competitions with other police Explorer programs. The Explorers often assist the police and community by volunteering at community events.
The program helps develop self-discipline, self-confidence, self-respect, leadership skills, teamwork and the desire to help others.
Explorers can range in age from 14 to 20 and must be enrolled in high school or home schooled and maintain a 2.0 grade point average. They can have no arrest or convictions that would prohibit later employment as a police officer. Like police officers they must be in good physical health and able to participate in physical activities. They attend weekly meetings and one weekend training a month.
Notes from an Internship: Part IV
A few months ago, I read a book that dealt with the tension between evidence-based decision making and the subjectivity inherent to human judgment. Throughout it, the author illustrates the sharp contrast between the widely felt pressure to let data and statistics drive action and the moral imperative to view people as nuanced individuals who cannot be described by a set of numbers.
What struck me most about the book, though, was that it wasn’t written by an admired leader of the Information Age. It was penned more than 150 years ago by Charles Dickens, and titled, appropriately, Hard Times. It would appear that times haven’t gotten any easier, and that delicate balance between facts and intuition is no easier to find. This week, I attended the Arizona City/County Management Association’s summer conference in Marana, and, surprisingly, found myself again thinking about Dickens, statistics and what the Victorians called “the Human Condition.”
Thursday afternoon, I settled in for a session on everyone’s favorite buzzphrase, big data. As I learned of creative ways to share analytics about water use and methods for implementing a performance management system, I started thinking about how best to employ concrete measures, and how their usage will affect behaviors. Metrics exert a powerful influence on how people act, since if we know we’ll be evaluated with certain parameters, very quickly we’ll gravitate toward maximizing our performance in those areas, often to the exclusion of other activities.
Sometimes, using a few measurements can be incredibly effective, especially in highly technical fields where outcomes are discrete and highly evident. At the Town of Marana, though, in rotating through every department, I haven’t met a single person whose job could be quantified by a rigid set of metrics. How can you objectively capture whether someone works collaboratively? What statistic accurately reflects employees’ respect for each other? The most effective users of our wealth of information recognize its limitations, and strive to reconcile the facts we know with the impressions we believe.
Great thoughts for a philosophy class, but what does all this have to do with my intern responsibilities? I’m glad you asked! Since my first week with the Town, I’ve been working on a project to connect local business owners with mentors who can provide guidance in their areas of expertise. I could conduct a literature review to learn the different ways these programs work elsewhere, and design a program reflecting that data.
While that information should certainly factor into what we set up, I also need to consider the local context. The relationships in Marana will figure tremendously into the success of this initiative, but I can’t plug them into a spreadsheet. Big data doesn’t convey trust, kindness or generosity, all critical ingredients in this project. Effective decision making relies on analytics and intuition, and learning that balance will come only with experience.
This internship is helping me accrue those experiences, in a sense providing me with bigger data, and therefore preparing me to navigate these issues in the future.
Chris Saunders is a Marvin Andrews Scholar who is interning with the Town this summer. He is writing weekly entries for Marana 365 through the end of August.
Citizens Police Academy sign-ups under way
The Marana Police Department is accepting applications for its Citizens Police Academy. The program runs Sept. 2 through Nov. 18 and offers Marana residents the opportunity to gain hands-on experience as they get an overview of the duties performed by police officers.
Classes are held Wednesday nights from 6:30-9:30 and registration is free.
More information can be found in the police section of the website.
Making a splash
Summer is about to get a lot cooler in Marana.
After a couple months of construction, the Splash Pad at the Marana Heritage River Park is opening July 31. Town Council will cut the ribbon in the morning and the pad will open at 10 a.m. with prizes and games for kids. The event is sponsored by Comcast.
The splash pad, which is located at 12205 N. Tangerine Farms Road near the Gladden Farms community, measures 4,500 square feet. The pad has an agrarian theme with water features including a tractor, windmill, horses and crops.
There is no admission fee and restrooms are on site.
The splash pad is part of the Town’s Heritage River Park, which features a barn, community garden, windmill, water feature and performance stage. The park on Oct. 10 is the site of the Marana Cotton Festival, a celebration of the crop that helped put the Town on the map.
During the splash pad opening, Comcast will have information about its Internet Essentials program. Internet Essentials provides low income families, those with children eligible to receive free and reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program, with Internet access for $9.95 a month, a voucher to buy a low-cost computer and digital literacy training in print, online and in-person.
For more about the program, please see our blog from last December.
Notes from an Internship: Part III
So there I was. Lights flashing. Firefighters running around. A peaceful Marana home suddenly engulfed in flames, but for the efforts of the Town intern.
OK, that may not all be true. It might have been only a little bit of smoke from an overworked AC unit, leaving only minor damage. I might have been standing a hundred feet back, far out of harm’s way. What I really got to see, though, was the highly coordinated efforts of Northwest Fire District personnel doing their job.
The call came in at the perfect time: throughout the morning and early afternoon, I toured NWFD’s training facility with Alex Sepulveda, spoke extensively with Community Affairs Manager Trina Motto, learned about emergency medical services with Sean Culliney, and finally visited stations throughout Marana with Battalion Chief Stu Rodeffer. Suddenly, I got to see theory turn into practice.
Experienced firefighters quickly executed a long-practiced routine, expertly preventing a minor issue from becoming a major conflagration. As I watched these men and women ply their craft, I remembered a comment from Alex a few hours earlier. “We put the wet stuff on the red stuff.” The simplicity of this statement about dousing fires belies Northwest Fire’s extraordinary coordination, but serves as a valuable lesson. Don’t overthink things. Keep the big picture in mind. Put the wet stuff on the red stuff.
When I got back to the office the next day, I started thinking about one of my current projects. With the recent rollout of the new Town website, many departments are still working to develop high-quality content for their pages. Since I used to manage my school’s website, I’ve found an affinity for this kind of work. When our new Assistant HR Director, Kisha McCabe, indicated that my help with her department’s page would be welcome, I started thinking of the elegant ways I could construct their site. How can I creatively display benefit information for prospective employees? What’s the most aesthetically pleasing way to design a landing page for current staff? As I dreamed up beautiful graphics and artful transitions, Alex’s voice cut through the fluff. Employees need straightforward information, so just plainly lay out their benefit options. Keep it simple. Put the wet stuff on the red stuff.
Clever heuristics have their limitations, and I know a certain degree of complexity is unavoidable with this job. Sometimes, however, it’s refreshing to be reminded of the larger task at hand. A teacher teaches. A firefighter fights fires. In the Manager’s Office, our overriding objective is to provide excellent customer service to Marana residents. Some days, figuring out how to do that will be a challenge, and other days it may be clearer. Every day, though, I’m learning more and more about how best to accomplish that goal. I’ll keep you in the loop with what I find out.
Chris Saunders is a Marvin Andrews Scholar who is interning with the Town this summer. He is writing weekly entries for Marana 365 through the end of August.
Road Improvements Week of July 20
The Town is working to improve roads and sidewalks across the community. Scheduled work for the week of July 20 includes:
Continental Ranch area, including Mountain Sky, Veridian, Sapphire, Safflower, Palm Brook, Clover Way, and Kiwi.
Patchwork and ADA ramp inspections
Dove Mountain/Moore, Sandra/Moore, and Coyote Howl/Moore
Road and shoulder grading
Tangerine, east and west of Thornydale
Shoulder work
Dove Mountain/Moore and Sage/Dove of Peace
Concrete improvements
Honea Heights
Dumpsters have been placed throughout the community for branches that come down during storms.
What's in store at the outlet mall
One of Southern Arizona's most significant developments in years took another step forward Monday when Simon Property Group announced several tenants for its premium outlet mall in Marana.
The first wave includes Aldo, Asics, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, Carter's, Converse, Express, Gap, Godiva, Helzberg Diamonds, Nike, Old Navy, Skechers, Starbucks, Tilly's, Tommy Hilfiger and Vans. Many more retailers have committed to space in the mall, which is opening in the early fall.
Stores will measure between 800 and 26,000 square feet. The mall will include 366,000 square feet of retail space and stores will offer discounts of between 25 and 65 percent off retail prices, according to Simon. While the final store count has yet to be determined, there will be at least 80 and potentially more than 90. The mall is expected to draw customers from across the region along with Northern Mexico.
Simon plans to hold a job fair soon for its retail partners. The Town will post news on this blog along with our Facebook and Twitter pages when the date and location are finalized.
The mall is located at the Twin Peaks Interchange on I-10. It's the first step in development of Marana Center, which will include at least one hotel, an auto mall, restaurants, a power center and entertainment venues. Marana Center is being developed by Vintage Partners from the Phoenix area.
Notes from an Internship: Part II
When I was teaching, I could witness the immediate impact of my work. Instantaneously, I saw the results of helping students learn a reading strategy or introducing them to a writing technique. However, I knew my transition to government work would mean waiting much longer to see outcomes. Projects take time, after all. This week, though, I get to claim two small victories.
The first one I knew would probably happen. In my initial week with the Town, I started scavenging for ideas to enhance the new website. With my background in education, my first thought was to better connect residents with schools. I wanted anyone to be able to easily see all the school boundaries so they could know which schools their children would attend. This may even help prospective homebuyers choose a neighborhood based on school zoning.
Thanks to lots of help from the Marana Unified School District, I was able to create these maps on Google, and then embed them on their own Marana page. After many phone conversations double- and triple-checking the accuracy of these lines, the maps are finally live. I’m passionate about creating a school system that prepares students to achieve educational excellence, and this page is a step (albeit a small one) in the right direction. Plus, I love looking at maps.
This week’s second accomplishment was a bit of a surprise. Marana has a venerable tradition of having the summer management intern design the Town booth at the League of Arizona Cities and Towns conference. The idea is to represent Marana in a fun and engaging way for conference-goers from across the state. I don’t want to give away all my ideas yet (never know who might be reading—looking at you, Wickenburg!), but the Town has a strong relationship with the local Coca-Cola distribution facility. So I was thinking…
I had discussed the idea with our contact at Coke a few times, but I had no idea we were this close. He brought it by on Wednesday, and boy, are these things great. I know it’s a silly promotion, but everyone needs to have a little fun, right?
What a week it’s been. I’ve finished my rotations, and I have a long list of projects I’m excited to tackle. These two early victories have only whetted my appetite for more, so stay tuned for what’s ahead.
Chris Saunders is a Marvin Andrews Scholar who is interning with the Town this summer. He will write weekly entries for Marana 365 through August.
Your Town podcast is live
Want to learn more about what's going on in Marana? Check out the Your Town podcast series, which features news and insight about our shared community.
The series includes programs about the Marana Regional Airport, premium outlet mall and building safety among many other exciting subjects. A new podcast will be introduced at least twice a month, so subscribe to the series to receive notification when a fresh episode is posted.
Water quality report
The Town of Marana Utilities Department delivers safe and reliable water to its customers. To see this year's water quality report, please click here.
El Rio Open Space update
The Town thanks everyone for their interest in the El Rio Open Space Preserve (sometimes referred to as Marana Lake, Coachline borrow pit or the Marana Disk Golf Course).
It has been incredible to watch the wildlife and birds that make this area their home or resting place. The Town is committed to creating and sustaining natural open space areas.
In order to achieve a long-term sustainable environment, the Town, in partnership with other entities, will be letting the lake area dry so that proper cleaning and removal of debris can take place. While this drying and cleaning phase is happening, an effort will be under way to design and construct a wetlands area that is more sustainable and achieves environmental standards that reflect the values and concerns of our community. These standards include mosquito containment, water quality and smell, and consistency with other regional wetlands and river restoration plans.
The Town will be working in close partnership with Pima County, the National Audubon Society, the Sonoran Desert Conservation Coalition, neighbors and other stakeholders to achieve a functional wetlands system with appropriate amenities. Citizen thoughts are welcome and will be included as part of the process moving forward.
There are many interests and property rights involved in this discussion, so while all ideas and thoughts should be presented, some may not be adopted or implemented.
Updates related to this project will be made available on the website, Marana 365 blog, Facebook and Twitter (search Town of Marana).
This is an opportunity to create a well-designed wetlands experience for our community and visitors. The Town and our partners look forward to working with the public as we create this amenity that will serve as an attraction for residents and visitors.
Notary services available at Municipal Complex
The Town offers notary services any weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Marana Municipal Complex (11555 West Civic Center Drive). Service is limited between noon and 1 p.m.
Those needing the service are asked to ensure that they have proper identification and completed paperwork. The notary public has the right to refuse services if the person fails to provide evidence of identity, if the document appears to be fraudulent or if the document does not comply with other requirements of the Arizona Secretary of State's Office.
The maximum state fee of $2 will be charged for each notary.
Customer service clerks are not permitted to provide notarial advice or forms.
Council approves temporary sales tax increase for new police facility
Image above: Town of Marana Police Department
Town Council on April 28 approved a temporary ½ percent tax rate increase for certain transaction privilege tax classifications for the purpose of funding the design and construction, and furniture, fixtures and equipment of a new police facility.
The new rate takes effect July 1 and raises the tax rate from 2 percent to 2.5 percent on amusements, job printing, manufactured buildings, timbering and other extraction, publication, hotels, commercial rental, leasing and licensing for use, rental occupancy, rental, leasing and licensing for use of TPP, restaurants and bars, retail sales, transporting and use tax purchases.
The rate for communications and utilities adjusts from 4 percent to 4.5 percent.
The new rate takes effect July 1.
| Classification | Current Tax Rate | Proposed Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Amusements | 2.00% | 2.50% |
| Job Printing | 2.00% | 2.50% |
| Manufactured buildings | 2.00% | 2.50% |
| Timbering and other extraction | 2.00% | 2.50% |
| Publication | 2.00% | 2.50% |
| Hotels | 2.00% | 2.50% |
| Commercial rental, leasing and licensing | 2.00% | 2.50% |
| Rental occupancy | 2.00% | 2.50% |
| Rental, leasing and licensing for use of TPP | 2.00% | 2.50% |
| Restaurants and bars | 2.00% | 2.50% |
| Retail sales | 2.00% | 2.50% |
| Communications | 4.00% | 4.50% |
| Transporting | 2.00% | 2.50% |
| Utilities | 4.00% | 4.50% |
| Use Tax Purchases | 2.00% | 2.50% |
Town needs Property Corporation members
The Town of is seeking qualified citizens for open positions on the Marana Municipal Property Corporation.
The Corporation consists of two Council Members and three citizens, and was created to provide a vehicle through which the Town could finance the cost of acquiring, constructing, reconstructing or improving buildings, equipment and other real and personal properties suitable for use by and for leasing to the Town of Marana. Applicants must be Marana residents.
Terms are for four years. The Corporation meets at the Marana Municipal Complex on an as-needed basis.
The application process is open until filled. All applications will remain active for one year from the date of receipt.
Applications are available at http://marana.seamlessdocs.com/f/boards and can be submitted online. Call 382-1960 for more information.
Marana's Five-Star Resort
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Marana earned an enviable distinction this week: It’s only the second resort in the state to earn a five-star rating from Forbes Travel Guide.
There are only 115 hotels worldwide that hold the honor, including the Canyon Suites at the Phoenician, a boutique hotel on the grounds of the Phoenician resort, has been a five-star hotel since 2013.
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain opened in December 2009 and has 253 rooms and suites. The resort features three swimming pools, a 235-foot water slide and splash pad, 27 holes of adjoining Jack Nicklaus signature golf, daily sunset vista cocktail hikes, guided rock art tours to discover ancient Hohokam petroglyphs, GPS-guided geocaching, morning nature walks, cactus discovery tours showcasing the rare and ancient Saguaro, astronomer-guided stargazing and access to miles of scenic and beautiful hiking, cycling and four-wheel drive trails.
The hotel has a spa with an open-air design, private serenity pool with tanning island, spa cabanas, day beds and treatments inspired by the healing therapies of centuries-old Native American civilizations.
Award-winning restaurants are complemented by weekend sushi in the lobby, the Roadrunner Food Truck that cruises the resort grounds with holiday weekend ice cream, acclaimed wine and spirits experiences and the resort’s own Dove Mountain Cuvée wine label.
Properties for the Forbes award are evaluated anonymously against up to 800 rigorous standards.
Making the most of Downtown Marana
Tonight’s Town Council meeting includes a proposal to realign future roadways in North Marana that would increase safety and stay consistent with the Town’s vision for economic development and a vibrant downtown in the Northwest area.
The first step toward an improved transportation network is to address the current traffic congestion at the intersection of Marana and Sandario roads. Marana Road, west of the intersection, needs to be relocated to a safe distance from the ADOT freeway ramps and frontage road. The relocation of Marana Road will help provide a safer environment for those who travel through the busy and expanding Main Street and future downtown area.
The long-term plan would extend Tangerine Farms Road from Clark Farms Boulevard to the Marana Road/I-10 exit. The planned loop road will extend the 3.8 mile road that is already built, and align with the I-10 interchange, thus creating a functional loop road system.
While several options for the road alignment have been studied over the past decade, Tangerine Farms Road provides the most balanced approach for circulating traffic in the Northwest area. Tangerine Farms Road provides the most efficient roadway access to the I-10 freeway for traffic generated by all of the planned developments and amenities in the Northwest area, including the Uptown, Marana Mercantile, Marana Towne Center, Marana Main Street, Marana Heritage River Park, a new Marana high school and a performing arts center.
Other streets intersecting Tangerine Farms Road will not only provide better and safer distribution of traffic, but also improve access to the larger Northwest Area, including locally owned businesses along Sandario Road.
The Town is committed to creating roadways that encourage the creation and retention of successful businesses. While the future Tangerine Farms Road alignment will not be constructed for several years, the Town must move forward with a plan that increases safety and satisfies the needs of the largest number of new and existing businesses.
The realignment of current and future roads requires a minor amendment to the Town’s General Plan. Town Council will hold a public hearing to discuss this and other roadway changes at a special meeting starting at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at the Marana Municipal Complex (11555 W. Civic Center Dr.).
Inside look at the outlet mall
By the time fall arrives, shoppers will be flocking to Marana to get their first glimpse of the new premium outlet mall project near the Twin Peaks exit off Interstate 10. Significant progress on the project is being made every day and the center is drawing closer and closer to opening day.
But the curious don’t need to wait that long to take an inside look. Chasse Building Team, the project’s contractor, has installed a webcam that gives viewers a peek at the work going on behind the scenes. The latest images show parking lots, landscaping and budding store fronts that soon will be the home to more than 80 high-end retailers, many of which are entering the Southern Arizona market for the first time.
Bookmark the site and check back often. Chasse has come a long way since breaking ground late last year and the mall is just months from welcoming people from across Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico. The premium outlet mall will be destination shopping like nowhere else in the region and the Town is proud to be its home.
