City Council voted to disperse $430,000 in funding to address coronavirus-related community and business needs. More than half of the funding will be allocated to a new Small Business Relief Grant program, with the rest supporting meal programs, water utility assistance, and homeless outreach.
The Small Business Relief Grant program seeks to distribute $250,000 to businesses in Surprise with fewer than 25 employees and less than $2 million in revenues. The businesses must have experienced economic distress and loss of revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic and closures compliant with Governor Doug Ducey’s Executive Orders. The city anticipates accepting applications on September 14. For more information, please visit www.surpriseaz.gov/smallbusinessgrant.
The remaining $155,000 in funding will be used in support of the following social service programs:
Surprise Senior Center Meal Program - $25,000 to continue free senior meal services at the Surprise Senior Center.
Home Delivered Meal Program & Group Supported Workers - $60,000 to a local non-profit delivering meal to homes and employing adults with disabilities.
Homeless Outreach - $55,000 to pay for non-profit homeless services provider to conduct outreach, provide services, and purchase a van to transport guests.
Water Utility Assistance - $15,000 to help qualifying residents pay their water bills. For assistance, please call the Surprise Resource Center HOPE line at 623.222.4673.
AZ CARES money distributed to the city of Surprise provides the ability to offer these programs.
Surprise Aquatic Center Mural
Thank you to everyone that voted on the new Surprise Aquatic Center mural. The winning mural, “Swimming with Porpoise” was recently completed. The Surprise Aquatic Center is located at 15831 N. Bullard Avenue. I hope that you get the chance to drive by and take a look!
Fall Sports Registration
Surprise Parks and Recreation is partnering with Bravous E-Sports to offer four different video game tournaments during the fall 2020 sports season. The tournaments are for participants ages 7-16 and will include Rocket League, Fortnight, Madden 20 and Super Smash Bros. For more information and to register, please visit secure.rec1.com/AZ/surprise-community-rec/catalog.
New in District 3
The Costco Wholesale gas station, 16385 W. Waddell Road, is now open! Costco Warehouse will open on September 24. If you’re not already a member, you can sign up on-site.
The community of Sterling Grove is hosting a Farmer’s Market! Sterling Grove Farmer’s Market begins on September 6 and will run every Sunday from 10 am – 2 pm through May. The Market will be located at 17193 W. Montpelier Street.
Business Resources
The AZ TechCelerator will be hosting a virtual educational series for businesses.
Upcoming topics will include:
Social Media for Small Business-Facebook
Social Media for Small Business-Instagram
Social Media for Small Business-Twitter
Patents
Copyrights
Trademarks
Keep an eye on the AZ TechCelerator website, aztechcelerator.com/ for more details as they become available.
Transportation Update
In August, I sat down with Mayor Hall and members of our Community Development department to discuss roadway concerns that have been shared with me by residents in District 3. One of the projects discussed was Greenway Road, which is anticipated to begin construction in late September or early October. The voter-approved General Obligation Bond made the Greenway Road project possible. This project will design and construct the full build- out of Greenway Road from Cotton Lane east to Sarival Avenue. The project includes constructing two additional travel lanes, adding bike lanes, sidewalks, street lighting and landscaping. In addition, there will be a traffic light at Greenway Road and Northwest Valley Parkway.
At the September 1 Council Work Session, Council was given a presentation on the status of the citywide transportation roadway network and current Capital Improvement Projects. A recording of that presentation is available on surprisetv.surpriseaz.gov/. I encourage you to take a moment to watch it. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have. I will continue to work with staff to find solutions for your concerns. You can reach me at patrick.duffy@surpriseaz.gov.
Residential Waste Cleanup Event
City of Surprise will be hosting a Residential Waste Cleanup Event on Saturday, September 12. Residents can dispose of a single load of residential waste, up to 2,000 lbs, at no cost. Waste will be accepted at the Northwest Regional Landfill, 19401 W. Deer Valley Road, and proof of residency will be required. Please note that no hazardous waste will be accepted.
Council Meeting Schedule
The next City Council meeting will be held September 15, at 6 p.m. Please note that the Council Chambers are still closed to the public but all meetings are carried live on Surprise TV and streamed online at surpriseaz.gov/surpriseTV. For instructions on how to comment on an item at the meeting, please visit surpriseaz.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=4802.
City Hall Closed
City Hall will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of Labor Day and trash pick-up will be delayed by one day all week.
Meet and Greet
My next meeting will be held on Sept. 5 at 9 a.m. at Spencer’s Place, 15341 W. Waddell Road, #B101. Due to the uncertainty regarding COVID-19, please check surpriseaz.gov for updates and cancellations to my Meet and Greet schedule. As always, please feel free to email me at patrick.duffy@surpriseaz.gov with any questions or concerns you may have.
Closing
Please continue to check the City of Surprise website, at surpriseaz.gov/ for updates to meeting schedules and other important announcements.
