Marana In the Media: 2019 Road Projects

Photo courtesy of Jeff Gardner/Inside Tucson Business

Inside Tucson Business wrote an in-depth feature on the Southern Arizona road projects on tap in 2019. The article covered Marana, as well as the City of Tucson, Oro Valley, Pima County, and state highways.

From the section on the Town of Marana:

Marana: Ina Road rebirth tops 2019 projects

The Town of Marana will be celebrating the completion of the Ina Road/Interstate 10 interchange this spring, along with a makeover of Ina Road itself.

Mo El-Ali, who serves as the director of Marana’s Public Works Department, highlighted some of the biggest improvements on the horizon in 2019. 

Topping the list for El-Ali is the series of improvements made along Ina Road, including the new bridge that spans the lanes of I-10, as well as the Union Pacific tracks next to the roadway. 

There’s also the bridge built by the consortium of the Arizona Department of Transportation, his department and the Regional Transit Authority. 

The Town of Marana budgeted $6.9 million to the Santa Cruz bridge development in the 2019 fiscal year, along with $4.3 million for the Ina Road re-pavement project that runs from Ulene Place and the Cañada del Oro Wash. 

For El-Ali, the Ina Road project, as well as the $307,000 re-pavement project along Avra Valley Road from Sanders Road to the town’s western limits and the $3.9 million sidewalk addition from Coachline Boulevard Twin Peaks Road are the most important efforts for residents. 

“Good roads are critical to Marana’s economy and it has a variety of infrastructure needs,” El-Ali said. “It’s going to be safe, and safe roads connect people to work, to schools, doctors’ offices, grocery stores, places that are vital to everyone’s well-being. So, they’re essential.”

El-Ali’s department is tasked with maintaining and improving the 520 lane miles of road in the Pima County town. 

The Town of Marana repaved 66 lane miles of road in 2018, according to El-Ali, comprising 13 percent of the town’s total roadway. 

Residents can expect further improvements, in the form of repaving and adding ADA-compliant ramps along Gladden Farms Road (2020) and a new four-way intersection with stop lights at Arizona Pavilion and the Walmart parking lot entrance.

Read the full story on the Inside Tucson Business website.



Marana In The Media: Ancient irrigation canals discovered in Marana 10 years ago

The Marana News had a good story about the 10-year anniversary of the discovery of ancient irrigation canals within the Town of Marana.

It’s been a decade since the announced discovery of the Las Capas irrigation canals, the uncovering of what would prove to be the oldest documented irrigation system in North America—and an answer to how ancient farmers grew corn in an arid and cactus-filled Sonoran Desert.

It was 10 years ago that Desert Archaeology began major excavations along the east bank of the Santa Cruz River, downstream of the confluence of the Rillito and Cañada del Oro tributaries as part of an expansion of Pima County’s water reclamation facilities when they found evidence of earlier waterways.

By earlier, according to excavation archaeologist James Vint, we’re speaking of dates from the Early Agricultural period (between 1200 and 800 B.C.) through the Hohokam and Protohistoric eras.

What they found was a network of canals and fields stretching over 100 acres.  According to the Society for American Archaeology: “There were more than 250 well-preserved canals of various sizes and over a thousand bordered fields in multiple stratigraphic levels occupied over a period of 800 years.”

Read the rest of the story, including information on Discover Marana’s Culinary Tours, here.

Overnight lane closures set for Interstate 10 near Ina Road Jan. 21-25

Motorists who use Interstate 10 near Ina Road should expect lane closures between Orange Grove and Cortaro roads for paving work the week of Jan. 21.

I-10 will be reduced to a single lane in each direction between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. starting the evening of Monday, Jan. 21. Work is expected to be complete by Friday morning, Jan. 25.

Ina Road is scheduled to close overnight between Camino de Oeste and Camino de las Capas for paving and barrier work. Ina will be closed in both directions from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly from Monday, Jan. 21, through Thursday, Jan. 24.

Ina Road traffic will detour to Camino de las Capas during the closures.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. For more information, please call the ADOT Project Information Line at 855.712.8530 or email Projects@azdot.gov. For real-time highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT's Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except when driving.

Marana In The Media: Positive news in year-end finances

Recently, the Town of Marana’s new finance director Yiannis Kalaitzidis briefed the Marana Town Council on the Town finances. In two briefs he covered both an independent audit, as well as giving them an update of the Town’s first quarter financials. Both were positive and the Marana News had a great re-cap of the presentations.

Marana’s budget is in good shape, according to new finance director Yiannis Kalaitzidis, who presented the town’s financial results for the most recent fiscal year and gave a new first quarter update to the mayor and council at their Dec. 18 meeting.

A group of independent auditors found no red flags in the town’s expenditures or revenues, which was great news for the finance department. Kalaitzidis, who began his leadership role in late October, went over highlights of the annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

He said this report is one of the most important because it’s a complete analysis of the town’s finances since its inception, and it communicates the financial health of the town’s government.

Read the rest of the story in the Marana News

MPD Citizen's Police Academy accepting applications

The Marana Police Department is happy to announce their next Citizen’s Police Academy. The Citizen’s Police Academy is designed to provide our citizens and business community with a greater understanding of the department and its operations through classroom instruction and hands-on experiences. This Academy is a 45-hour block of instruction taught by department employees that showcases several units in the department.

The program objective is to further our partnership with the community and make the Town of Marana an even better place to visit, work and raise a family.

TOPICS COVERED IN THE CLASS:

• Introduction of Command Staff

• Hiring and training academy information

• Patrol duties

• Motor units

• Volunteers in Police Service

• Firearms

• Criminal investigations

• K-9 (dog) unit

• To name a few

ACADEMY REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be 18 or older

• NO felony arrest or convictions

• NO misdemeanor arrests within one year of application

This academy is held every Wednesday from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm for 13 weeks. Classes start February 13th and go until May 1st, 2019. For more information, visit our webpage at (http://www.maranaaz.gov/citizens-police-academy). For further questions please contact the Community Resource Unit at 520-382-2051. Seats are limited so sign up today, but no later than January 30th, 2019!!!

Town of Marana now accepting nominations for Community Awards

Town of Marana is now accepting nominations for the Youth Legacy Award and Branding Iron Awards. These awards are presented to distinguished residents and businesses for their service in the community. Recipients will be invited to accept their awards at the annual Marana State of the Town luncheon held on April 18 at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain.

Youth Legacy Award

The Marana Town Council created the Youth Legacy Award in order to acknowledge youth in the community who make Marana a better place for everyone. Recipients of this award benefit others in the community through acts supporting:

Heart: promoting a healthy and supportive environment for youth;

Body: Fulfilling essential needs such as food, shelter, and safety; or

Mind: Creating educational opportunities enriching young minds. 

The person submitting the nomination cannot nominate himself/herself. Past award recipients are not eligible. The submissions may be awarded in memoriam.

Learn about last year’s recipient.

Branding Iron Awards

Marana Branding Irons are awarded to those who have made a "mark" on the community. Past recipients include former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, former Mayor Ora Mae Harn, Wheeler & Charlene Abbett, and Sargent Aerospace & Defense. 

• One in the Individual category (includes an individual resident or non-resident who works in Marana).

• One in the Organization category (includes civic groups, non-profits, and private businesses)

The person submitting the nomination cannot nominate himself/herself. Past award recipients are not eligible. The submission may be awarded in memoriam.  

Learn about last year’s recipients.

Make Marana 2040: Second round of workshops a success for General Plan update

View the PDF version of this report.

Workshop Overview

The second set of community workshops for the Make Marana 2040 General Plan were held on December 12 and 13, 2018 at 6:00 PM. The December 12th workshop was held at the Marana Municipal Complex and on the workshop on the 13th was held at the Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Library. The objectives for this set of workshops were to:

• Discuss the Map Atlas;

• Identify transportation priorities; and

• Develop land use alternatives.

What Happened?

19 people attended the two workshops. Upon arriving, each attendee was asked to identify on a map, generally, where they live or work in Marana. This was done to see what areas of the town were represented in the workshop results. Attendees at the December 12th workshop were primarily from in Dove Mountain and Continental Ranch. Attendees at the December 13th workshop were largely located west of I-10.

The workshop began with a short presentation informing attendees of the status of the General Plan Update, as well as an overview of the Map Atlas. Participants then split into groups to complete two exercises focused on transportation infrastructure and future development. The exercises and results are described on the following pages.

Exercise 1 – Transportation Planning

In the transportation planning exercise, each group of participants identified where transportation improvements in Marana should occur. Each group was provided a red marker and various colors of yarn used to represent different transportation improvements.

With the red marker, participants identified future intersection improvements, overpasses / underpasses, and I-10 interchanges. Most improvements were identified near existing I-10 interchanges. A new overpass was identified across the Santa Cruz River near Airline Road and new I-10 interchanges were identified at Moore Road and Avra Valley Road eastward.

Next, future roadway improvements and expansions were identified using one-inch pieces of orange yarn. Each inch of yarn represented one mile on the map. Most groups focused on roadway expansions connecting Dove Mountain Boulevard to I-10. Other expansions were noted at Avra Valley Road and Tangerine Road.

Participants then replaced five of their orange yarn pieces with five one-inch red yarn pieces. The red yarn pieces indicate improvements that should be prioritized. There were mixed results with the red yard, including improvements to Tangerine Road, Twin Peaks Road, and Cortaro Road.

Using yellow yarn, the groups identified new transit corridors throughout the town. Most groups created a circulating transit system through Dove Mountain and connecting the Town Center area, Gladden Farms, and the Marana Regional Airport, as well as Bus Rapid Transit routes along I-10.

Lastly, groups were provided blue yarn to locate future trail corridors. These were identified along Tangerine Road, along the Santa Cruz River, through Dove Mountain, and connections into the Saguaro National Park and Ironwood National Monument.

Photos of the complete Transportation Planning exercise results are shown on the following pages.

Exercise 2 – Scenario Planning

The second exercise involved scenario planning in two focus areas: the Marana Regional Airport and the Tangerine Corridor. Both focus areas were gridded into one-inch squares at a scale of 1” = ¼ mile, with each square representing 40 acres. Each group was provided a set amount of LEGO® bricks of various colors, each representing a different land use type as follows:

n 10 yellow bricks for low density residential units (1 du/a or 40 dwelling units)

n 15 orange bricks for medium density residential (5 du/a or 200 dwelling units)

n 5 brown bricks for high density residential (10 du/a or 400 dwelling units)

n 10 red bricks for commercial

n 3 blue bricks for employment

n 8 yellow flowers for community parks

The quantity of bricks was based on future growth projections and assumptions for Marana. Residential bricks were able to be swapped for an equal number of dwelling units. Additionally, four yellow flowers could be swapped for a green brick representing a community recreational facility.

Groups were asked to plan where each brick should be placed within the focus areas. Participants were allowed to stack bricks to increase density and intensity of uses, as well as draw future roadway connections to their envisioned developments. Following is a summary of each groups’ results.

Group 1

Group 1 envisioned development on the north side of I-10 near Tangerine Road. The area was comprised of commercial along the highway corridor, high density residential next to the commercial, and then lower density residential further removed from the interstate. A community recreational facility was placed along Tangerine Road placed next to commercial and high density residential .

Employment bricks and a commercial brick were placed near the Marana Regional Airport, envisioning this area as an employment hub.

Group 2

Participants in Group 2 focused most of their commercial uses along Tangerine Road east of I-10. Most residential uses are located in the Tangerine Corridor Focus Area, transitioning from higher densities nearest to I-10 to lower densities westward near Dove Mountain.

This group also clustered development east of the Marana Regional Airport with a mix of employment, commercial, and medium to high density residential uses, as well as a community recreational facility.

Group 3

Group 3 scattered developments across the two focus areas, with the most clustered activity located along Avra Valley Road east of the Marana Regional Airport. This area features a mixed-use center with employment uses nearest to the airport.

The Tangerine Corridor Focus Area contains clusters of medium- to low-density residential subdivisions north of Tangerine Road, near the Moore Road alignment. There are three individual mixed-use centers spread through the focus area, as well as a community recreational facility.

Group 4

Group 4 created a commercial district east of the Marana Regional Airport, along with a community park. Additionally, this group created a high-density activity hub in the Tangerine Corridor Focus Area, with the highest densities and intensities of uses near the Tangerine Road / I-10 interchange. This cluster of development features two high-intensity commercial districts, a community recreational facility, and three community parks intertwined with high-density and medium-density residential districts within a mile radius of each other. Residential densities decrease as they get farther away from the activity hub.

Overnight closures of Ina Road near I-10 set for Jan. 15 and Jan. 21-25

Ina Road is scheduled to close overnight between Camino de Oeste and Camino de las Capas for paving and barrier work the following dates:

• Westbound Ina Road is set to close from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, January 15. 

• Both directions of Ina Road are set to close from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly from Monday, Jan. 21, through Thursday, Jan. 24.

Ina Road traffic will detour to Camino de las Capas during the closures.

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. For more information, please call the ADOT Project Information Line at 855.712.8530 or email Projects@azdot.gov. For real-time highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT's Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except when driving.

Cherry Lawson appointed Marana Town Clerk

Town Manager Jamsheed Mehta has appointed Cherry Lawson as Marana Town Clerk effective Monday, January 14.

Lawson was educated in the Detroit Public School system. She received an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Human Service and Disabilities from Highland Park Community College. She received a BA in Psychology and a BS in Criminal Justice Science from Wayne State University in Detroit, later receiving her MS/MPA from Central Michigan University. 

Lawson is currently pursuing the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) designation of a professional manager, and is in the final application stages of receiving the International Institute of Municipal Clerk (IIMC) Master Municipal Clerk (MMC) designation. She is also pursuing credentialing as a Certified Records Manager through the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM). 

Lawson has served as a City Clerk/Elections Administrator and Records Manager for 18 years. Her previous titles include City Clerk for the City of Bloomington, as well as the City Clerk, Elections Administrator, Records Manager, and Cemetery Administrator for the City of Mesquite, Nevada, and as City Clerk and Records Manager for the City of Sedona.

Lawson has had a career in community mental health as a youth counselor/advocate for over 15 years.  Being a public servant was the career path Cherry wanted to pursue, as she saw it as an extension of being able to continue to serve the public beyond the community mental health field. 

“The Town of Marana is very fortunate to welcome Cherry onboard as the new Town Clerk,” said Mehta. “Her extensive experience will greatly attribute to the Town’s success as she upholds the department’s mission to provide excellent customer service to the staff and citizens of the Town of Marana.”

Isaac Abbs appointed Technology Services Director for Town of Marana

Town Manager Jamsheed Mehta has appointed Isaac Abbs as Technology Services Director effective Monday, January 14.

Isaac Abbs previously served as the Director of IT Enterprise Systems for Pima Community College (PCC), where he provided leadership and oversight for the College’s administrative and academic information systems.  He and his team were instrumental in looking for new ways to enhance business processes by properly aligning business needs with technology solutions. 

Prior to working at PCC, Isaac served in various roles with the City of Tucson for seven and a half years.  His last position was as the City Court’s first IT Manager.

“We are very fortunate to have Isaac on board here at the Town,” said Deputy Town Manager Erik Montague. “Isaac brings a diverse technology skill set from a multi-campus college setting.  Those experiences will be very helpful as we continue advancing the use of technology to enhance the value of Town services.”

Make Marana 2040: Third round of workshops seek input from the public

Building a town or city isn’t just an idea. Be a part of building your own community with the Town of Marana General Plan 2040. 

Town of Marana is hosting the third round of Marana 2040 General Plan public workshops on Wednesday, January 23 at the Marana Municipal Complex, and on Thursday, January 24 at Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Library.

Attendance is not required for both nights. Participants can choose between the two options to attend.

Attendees will have the opportunity to provide their input on a variety of policy alternatives relating to future growth, housing, transportation, parks and recreation, services, and the environment.

Interested in seeing the results of the first workshop and survey? Click here.

Interested in seeing the results of the second workshop? Click here.

Visit the official Make Marana 2040 project website.

Marana named one of the state's top-10 cities to live in

For the fourth straight year Marana was named one of Arizona's top-10 cities to live in by HomeSnacks.com, a website that uses recent data to paint a picture of what’s happening in a region.

Marana was ranked as the No. 10 Best City to Live In by the website. Marana was also ranked at the No. 8 Richest City in Arizona and the No. 13 Safest City in Arizona.

The website ranked each place in Arizona across a number of criteria from one to 54, with one being the best. Next, they took the average rank across all criteria, with the city posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Place To Live In Arizona”.

The criteria they used were:
Median Home Values
Median Income
Population Density (Higher better)
Unemployment Rate
Commute Time
Crime
Education Levels
Health Insurance Coverage
Poverty rates

Sources of criteria include the New Census Data and FBI Crime Data.

According to the website, “In Marana, everyone loves to call Marana home.”

The Town also earned an 8.5 SnackAbility Ranking, which looks at eight different metrics and scores then on a 1-10 score. Marana scored 8.0 or better in seven of the metrics, and earned 9.0’s for Diversity and Education. The score of 8.5 puts Marana in the top-20 percent of all communities in America.

HomeSnacks.com tries to paint a picture of what it's like to live in places across America. To do that, they gather data from around the web to help determine a wide array of factors about where people live including safety, desirability, and culture.

Full story

Egg Nog Jog kicks off a year of great races + Photo Gallery

Every year the Town of Marana kicks of the new year with their January 1st Egg Nog Jog, and every year the Town’s Parks and Recreation Department invites residents to #RunMarana.

The Town offers a variety of ways to run and hike. Whether you like 10Ks, fun runs, or running on the trails, Marana has a race for you.

The Egg Nog Jog is just one of three holiday themed races. May will bring the Mother’s Day 5k and Fun Run, while next November will see the Town host the next installment of the Turkey Trot.

This year we are adding a few new events to the slate. On March 9 Marana will host the first Cape Chase, which the first of its kind Superhero Adaptive fun run. This is a race for anyone and everyone who is ready to reveal their secret identities and conquer our course full of obstacles.

On May 9 the first Marana Meltdown will take place. The Meltdown is a Mountain Bike Time Trial on the Tortolita Preserve.

In addition to the races, there are other great opportunities to take in the great trails in Marana. There are monthly guided hikes and horseback rides and on March 2 the MOVE Across 2 Ranges, where hikers are invited to hit the trails and experience the challenge and beauty of Southern Arizona's premier hiking destinations in the Tortolita and Catalina Mountains all in one day.

For more information on these and all of the Marana Parks and Recreation events and activities CLICK HERE.

Town seeking event photographer for 2019

Every year, Town of Marana opens a request for quotes (RFQ) process for event photography and videography services for the calendar year.

Click here to learn how to apply and submit your quotes for the 2019 event series.

Interested parties should submit their formal quotes by end of day Thursday, January 31, 2019 to Communications Manager Vic Hathaway by email: vhathaway@maranaAZ.gov to be considered.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Photos by JD FItzgerald.

Photographs from events will be used in marketing materials including webpages, social media, digital advertisements, newspaper print advertisements, and the annual special events book.

Learn more about Town special events.

Flashing lights bring holiday joy at Banner-Diamond Children's Medical Center

Region-wide public safety agencies teamed up Thursday, December 27 to bring flashing lights to the children at Banner-Diamond Children’s Medical Center. Many of these children were unable to make it home to spend Christmas with their loved ones.

Officers parked on the top deck of the parking garage, and the children could look outside and see the light show from the medical tower. Additionally, officers were able to visit with children in their rooms and pass out police patches, stickers, and chat with the families. Thank you to the Banner child life specialists and Banner security for navigating officers through the hospital and from room to room.

Sergeant Chriswell Scott was in the hospital with the children during the light show.

“The look of pure delight in the children’s eyes as they looked out the window of the medical tower to the array of police  and fire emergency lights below will never be forgotten,” said Scott. “In that moment in time, it didn’t matter to them that they were hooked up to an IV or battling cancer or some other disease or injury, they got to be children again. The parents’ eyes lit up as well when they saw the joy that their children were experiencing. I was really a special moment.”

Thank you to Marana PD, Tucson PD, Oro Valley PD, Pima County Sheriff’s Dept, Pima Community College PD, University of Arizona PD, Union Pacific Railroad PD, Tucson Airport Authority PD, Tucson Fire, and US Border Patrol and Customs for their participation in this worthwhile endeavor. Marana PD Ofc. Gabe Tapia and Tucson PD Ofc. Leticia Parris took lead in coordinating the event.

“it really puts the concept and practice of “public servant” in perspective,” said Scott. “If we aren’t seeking out ways  to serve and help our community, we are doing policing wrong.”

Photos credit: JD Fitzgerald viia Tucson PD Air Support

RELEASE: Public Works crews to de-ice bridges in preparation of freezing temperatures

MARANA - In preparation of freezing temperatures, crews from the Town of Marana Public Works Department Streets Division have initiated de-icing of Town bridge decks to make sure they are free of ice, and are safe for motorists to drive over. Due to frequent weather changes, there will be no scheduled traffic alerts throughout the season, but motorists should always be aware of their surroundings and of crews working around the bridge deck crossings. Motorists are also advised to always drive with caution when the possibility of ice exists on the bridge.

Town crews will place “Wet Road Ahead” signs at bridge entrances and spray magnesium chloride on the bridge decks. Magnesium chloride lowers the freezing temperature of water and prevents ice from bonding on a bridge deck.  A light coating of magnesium chloride produces no negative effects on ground water, surface water or vegetation.  Magnesium chloride is an effective ice suppressant agent lasting for approximately 10 days. Rainfall diminishes its effectiveness.  

When temperatures warrant, six (6) Town bridge decks are sprayed and monitored throughout the evening and into the early morning to make sure ice has not formed at the bridge crossings.

Bridge Spraying Areas:

• Cortaro Road. at Santa Cruz

• Twin Peaks Road at Santa Cruz

• Ina Road at Santa Cruz

• Avra Valley Road Box Culvert West of Clayton Rd

• Sanders Road at Santa Cruz River

• Thornydale Road at CDO Wash

Town of Marana receives $15 million from WIFA to build treatment plants

On December 12th, the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (AZWIFA) approved the offer of a $15 million loan to the Town of Marana to address the issue of unregulated compounds.  The final loan agreement documents with AZWIFA will be brought to the Marana Town council most likely in January 2019 for final acceptance.

Marana Water has selected and is currently negotiating a contract with a design engineering firm to begin the process of design for the two advanced water treatment plants.  Each water system (Picture Rocks and Airline/Lambert) will have a treatment plant designed and constructed to significantly reduce or remove the discovered unregulated compounds (PFAs and 1,4-Dioxane).

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Town Council approved Resolution No. 2018-091 on Tuesday, September 25 authorizing the creation of the Picture Rocks water treatment campus capital project and the Airline/Lambert water treatment campus capital projects. View the proposed project timeline here.

Learn more about unregulated compounds and Marana Water quality.

Visit the Project Water capital project page.

RELATED ARTICLES

Two upcoming opportunities to meet your Town Council

Marana residents have two opportunities to meet their Town Council in early 2019 as part of the Council Connections event series. The public is invited to meet and mingle at two fun locations:

Home Plate Marana

Date: Wednesday, January 9

Time: 5-6:30 P.M.

Address: 8579 N. Silverbell Road | Marana, AZ 85743

Light refreshments will be provided.

Brought to you in partnership with Home Plate Marana.

Ora Mae Harn District dog park

Date: Saturday, February 9

Time: 1-3 P.M.

Address: 13250 N. Lon Adams | Marana, AZ 85653

Featuring Doggy Ice Cream Social

• Free rabies vaccinations for Marana resident dogs

• On-site dog licensing

Brought to you in partnership with Humane Society of Southern ARizona

EPA awards Arizona $30.8 million for drinking water and wastewater projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded more than $30.8 million to Arizona for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.

“These funds will be used for numerous local projects that will boost the economy while improving water systems,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “EPA is committed to investing in local infrastructure to benefit the communities we serve.”

The state’s Clean Water SRF, also administered by WIFA, received almost $11 million to support a variety of water infrastructure improvement projects, including The Town of Marana project to design and construct a new lift station and force main to convey sewage from the Adonis Neighborhood to the existing Town of Marana municipal system. Currently the sewage flows into two over-capacity lagoons, running the risk of overflowing in wet weather, potentially causing an environmental and health hazard. Once the project is completed, the sewage from the neighborhood will be treated at the recently completed Marana Water Reclamation Facility, allowing Marana to reuse the water in various ways.

MPD FOCUS: Lock it or Lose it

As the holiday season kicks off, be extra mindful of your surroundings and your belongings. Here are a few safety tips to help you through the holiday season safely:

WHEN SHOPPING

• REMOVE your valuables from vehicles

• Don't leave packages visible through vehicle windows

• Secure packages in the trunk when possible

• Pay attention to your surroundings when walking to your vehicle

• Don't leave your purse unattended in your cart (use purse strap to secure purse to cart)

• ALWAYS be aware of your surroundings

• ALWAYS lock your vehicle

• DO NOT leave valuables or firearms in vehicles

• Be mindful of boxes that can be seen from an open garage door indicating new purchases

• Verify ALL outside lighting is functional

• Report ANY and ALL suspicious activity

• Non-emergency (520)682-4032

• TAKE Your keys

AT HOME

• ALWAYS secure your garage door and close it at night

• Do not leave your vehicle open when unloading items

• Schedule delivery of internet purchases when someone is home

• Make sure vehicles parked on the property are locked and free of tempting items

• Trim the vegetation to the front of the house

• Leave the porch light on

• Let a trusted friend or relative know when you're out of town so they can check your residence