HEADLINE NEWS
Scottsdale City Council adopts water-saving landscape ordinance. The council took a significant step towards amplifying the city’s water conservation efforts by adopting an ordinance that limits water-intensive landscapes at new single-family homes.
Scottsdale Ordinance 4606 prohibits natural grass in the front yards of new single-family homes constructed or permitted after Aug. 15 – a measure supported unanimously by the City Council and a nod to Scottsdale’s collaboration with Colorado Basin Municipal and Public Water Providers to implement new water efficiency practices.
Feedback gathered from Scottsdale Water customers in June found that 86% support the initiative, prompting the adjustment to the city’s revised code.
In 2022, the city set out to reduce municipal water use by at least 5% and asked residents and businesses to do the same. In 2023, Scottsdale again challenged its water customers to save 5%. In the first six months of this year, city government operations led the charge, reducing water use by 9% when compared to the average past three years. Residents and businesses stepped up as well, reducing water use by 7% when compared to the average past three years and 5% better than last year. Those results combined to save about 657 million gallons of water.
Get more information about Scottsdale's water conservation initiatives, the newly adopted ordinance and water saving rebate options.
Monsoon season brings higher humidity, which can lead to thunderstorms, heavy rain, lightning, hail, high winds, flash flooding, dust storms and extreme heat. Prepare now so you know what actions to take when a major storm rolls in. Be Ready, Set, Go! Develop a household emergency plan and consider items you would need to take and routes you may need to travel in the event of an emergency evacuation. In the end, the “best offense is a good defense.” Your efforts now can make all the difference. Monsoon safety.
Action plan sets stage for Scottsdale’s transportation future. With a handful of major street and road projects underway, residents may wonder how these are planned. Enter Scottsdale’s Transportation Action Plan, a tool that contains the objectives, policies and guidelines for transportation decisions in Scottsdale.
The plan acknowledges significant changes in community priorities, traffic patterns, technology and funding and reflects a shift towards a more sustainable and active transportation system. It emphasizes flexibility and adaptability to recognize the needs and opportunities of Scottsdale’s different character areas – goals and values in the plan align with the voter approved Scottsdale General Plan. Read more.
The plan highlights the importance of preserving and improving existing infrastructure. A notable change in the city’s Transportation Action Plan was the reclassification of streets based on traffic volumes. This reclassification allows for the creation of “complete streets,” which are designed to move cars effectively and efficiently while improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists. By accommodating multiple modes of transportation, Scottsdale aims to promote active lifestyles, improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion. Learn more about the plan.
Scottsdale management associate receives the Gabe Zimmerman Public Service Award as the 2023 Emerging Leader from the Center for the Future of Arizona. Stephanie Zamora joined the city in May 2022 after serving as Management Fellow from August 2021 to May 2022. Previously, she served as public information officer for the Town of Guadalupe and advocacy director for the Colibri Center for Human Rights. She also studied at Arizona State University as a Marvin Andrews Fellow.
As Scottsdale Management Associate to the City Manager, Stephanie works with many city departments and staff to collaborate on innovative, sustainable, and equitable solutions. She is an articulate leader focusing on bettering the lives of Arizonans and a lifelong learner, having completed her undergraduate from the University of Arizona, and her graduate degree from Arizona State University, including additional executive education coursework from Harvard.
The awards honor Gabriel “Gabe” Zimmerman who died in the January 2011 shooting that killed five others and wounded 13, including Gabrielle Giffords, a U.S. congresswoman representing the Tucson area. Read more.
Get a head start learning about city issues, projects and activities by attending or listening in on the many public meetings we host. Here’s what’s coming up:
Mustang Library hosts “The Magic and Illusions of Eric Giliam.” Join us for a dazzling hour of magic, illusions and sleight of hand in this high energy show. The free program begins at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 19. Learn more.
Enjoy a family Sunset Swim. The fun takes place 6-9 p.m. Saturday, July 22, at Eldorado Aquatic and Fitness Center, 2301 N. Miller Road. Cost for residents is $2 for children and $3 for adults. Learn more.
Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West gets "reel” with Western Movie Matinees. Take the heat out of summer by watching cool classic Westerns. Free for members or with paid admission. Cost is $5 for those just wanting to attend movies. Screenings start at 2 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays in July and August. Here’s July’s schedule:
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Sunday, July 23 - Jews of the Wild West, Amanda Kinsey
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Thursday, July 27 - High Noon (1952), Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly
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Sunday, July 30 - Shane (1953), Allen Ladd and Gene Arthur
Grants available to spruce up neighborhoods. The Neighborhood Enhancement Grant Program provides funds to help maintain and revitalize Scottsdale’s mature neighborhoods. Eligible projects include landscape maintenance or enhancement, perimeter wall maintenance, limited alley improvements and neighborhood signage. Scottsdale’s Neighborhood Advisory Commission will review applications for consideration. Learn more and submit an application.
Scottsdale salutes our veterans. The city proudly honors those in our community who have served, and continue to serve, in the armed forces of the United States. Our veterans, those on active duty, and members of the National Guard and reserves are truly valued members of Scottsdale – we proudly salute them! The city’s Veterans Advisory Commission has initiated the Scottsdale Salutes program to publicly thank those who have worn the uniform – banners featuring veterans and those in military service will fly from street light poles in Old Town Scottsdale each November. Learn more and nominate a veteran.
Need to free up some shelf space? Paiute Neighborhood Center’s free little library could use some benefactors. This campus serves children up to sixth grade, so please consider donating any surplus children’s books and help encourage reading! Call the center at 480-312-2529 for more information.
Investing in Our Scottsdale:
Watch the latest Fast Five. Scottsdale earns gold certification in the What Works Cities program and you're invited to join us for fun, sun and safety at the annual Safety Luau – these are just a couple things happening in our community right now and highlighted in this month’s episode of Fast Five.
Scottsdale's July 4th Celebration at WestWorld welcomed thousands of visitors who enjoyed food, entertainment and a star-spangled celebration in the Scottsdale sky while participating in a more environmentally sustainable way. This was the 10th year of the unique indoor event/outdoor fireworks show, which welcomed a big crowd of nearly 8,000 (5,500 people inside the event and another 2,000 outside who came just for the fireworks). Scottsdale Solid Waste partnered with event producer M Culinary and Recycled City to make this one of the first largescale events in Scottsdale to include composting as a more sustainable waste option. All food, plates, utensils and napkins were compostable, which allowed event goers to divert more than 400 pounds of solid waste from the landfill. The compost was then returned to local farmers to help grow more food for a hungry Valley. Introducing this element to the event allowed Scottsdale Solid Waste to evaluate the public's interaction as the city seeks to create more effective reduced waste events in the future. This builds on the effort earlier this year, when the public attending Mayor David D. Ortega's State of the City address achieved a 93% landfill diversion through composting and recycling.
Job of the Week: Water Audit Technician: The successful candidate educates utility billing customers about water use and conservation issues by responding to high bill complaints, requests for meter tests and leak assistance. Benefits include: 12 paid holidays; sick leave; medical, dental and vision benefits; tuition reimbursement; participation in Arizona State Retirement System; and more. Learn more and apply.
