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District 5

Jack Hastings: District 5 Newsletter — June 2021

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The city of Surprise welcomes our new Police Chief, Benny Pina, who has served as the Peoria Deputy Police Chief since 2014. Pina previously served 25 years with the Phoenix Police Department. Congratulations, Benny Pina, and welcome to the City of Surprise!

Gaines Park Dedication

A dedication ceremony was held on Saturday, May 15, to celebrate the completion of Floyd Gaines Park. The park, located at 16001 N. Nash St., in the City's Original Town Site, includes a lighted youth ball field, netting, fencing, restrooms, and a lighted and paved parking lot. Floyd Gaines was a pioneer in our community and an avid champion of its youth and parks and recreation services.

A baseball with a Floyd Gaines Park symbol.

City Pools Open!

Surprise Aquatic Center and Hollyhock Community Pool are now open for limited-capacity swim lessons and open swim. Open swim fees for residents are $2 for youth (6 months-17 years) and $3 for adults; the non-resident fee is $5 per swimmer. Children 10 years and younger must be accompanied by a guardian 16 years or older. For more information, please contact the Parks & Recreation office at 623.222.2000 or visit surpriseaz.gov/aquatics.

Surprise Aquatic Center pool

Surprise Rotary Club

The Surprise Rotary Club donated a new tree at Dick McComb Park near the splash pad. Our contractors planted the tree on April 29 in honor of Arbor Day. As a thank you, the city presented a plaque to the Rotary Club.

Surprise City Council presents a plaque to the Surprise Rotary Club.

Phased Re-opening at the Senior Center

The City of Surprise is re-opening programs at the Senior Center in a phased approach, with limited front desk access and exercise classes available now. The Center, located at 15832 N. Hollyhock St., is a hub for connection and activities for those age 50+ and adults with disabilities.

The Senior Center meal program has also returned to in-person sit-down meals. Call 623.222.1500 two days in advance to reserve your spot. A home-delivered meal option is available through Banner Olive Branch if you cannot participate in the in-person program. To see if you qualify, please call 602.264.4357.

Veterans’ Services

The Vetlink Foundation is offering a monthly Coffee for Vets event on the last Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the City of Surprise AZ TechCelerator located at 12425 W. Bell Rd. Come enjoy free coffee and bagels and build connections with other veterans. Each event will have a guest speaker who will discuss a veteran-related topic. RSVP by calling 623.303.4355.

New! “Council Conversations” Show

Please take a moment to watch my latest “Council Conversations” episode for an update on summer programming and special events. I interviewed Sports & Tourism Director Kendra Pettis and Interim Parks & Recreation Director Paul Frie about the fun summer programs and special events happening here in Surprise. You can find the video on my website at d5.surpriseaz.gov.

Council Conversations Show June 2021

Retail Survey Results

The 2021 Surprise Retail Survey Results are in! Did your retailer/restaurant make the list? The city uses the survey data to identify our retail strengths and opportunities to bring additional amenities closer to home. Select survey insights are listed below, and the full results are available at surpriseaz.gov/retailsurvey.

Surprise Retail Survey results

National Day of Prayer

I was humbled to have the opportunity to pray for our city at the National Day of Prayer on May 6. Dozens of worshipers joined as we gathered outside the Surprise Public Safety complex.

Councilmember Hastings gives prayer on a stage set up in front of the Surprise public safety building.

Surprise Water Update

Surprise Water Resource Management logo

You may have heard talk in the news media recently about the Colorado River and a potential shortage declaration. The Western United States, including Arizona and the Phoenix metropolitan area, has been experiencing a drought for more than 20 years, with an official drought declaration in June 1999. Drought is a normal occurrence in the southwest desert. However, as the drought in the Colorado River Basin continues to extend, the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Nevada along with Mexico may face reductions in their Colorado River water deliveries through a "Tier 1" declaration by the Bureau of Reclamation.

What does this mean for Surprise water customers? A Tier 1 shortage declaration will not affect Surprise's water allocation or its deliveries to customers. Although there will be no immediate impact on municipal water supplies, Surprise remains committed to water resource management and water conservation measures. Shortage on the Colorado River does not mean shortage for Surprise's customers at the tap. Being efficient with water has been part of our long-term water management strategy, and our water conservation program provides resources to assist customers.

Furthermore, Surprise is not directly delivering its Colorado River allocation. Instead, we use our Central Arizona Project (CAP) water allocation to recharge the aquifer, storing water for future groundwater pumping. As always, water users must follow water-efficient practices to protect our precious resources. Find out more information about drought and how it affects Surprise water customers on our Drought Resiliency and Preparedness website: surpriseaz.gov/droughtmgmt.

You may be wondering how you can save water. Here are some water-saving tips:

  • Visit Surprise's water conservation page surpriseaz.gov/waterconservation for water-saving guides, tips, and advice.
  • Surprise customers can track their water use through a WaterSmart portal and use real-time tracking to establish a water use baseline and set leak alerts. Customers can access the WaterSmart portal through the "pay my bill" option on Surprise's Utility Billing website surpriseaz.gov/waterbill.
    WaterSmart logo

Meet and Greet

Councilmember Hastings meeting thumbnail

Please join me for my Monthly Meet and Greet on June 12, at 9 a.m. at Chef Peter's Bistro, 17300 N. Sun Village Pkwy. I look forward to discussing the latest city issues and answering any questions you might have. You can also subscribe to my Notify Me mailing list on my city webpage at d5.surpriseaz.gov so that you never miss any important District 5 news.

City Council Meetings

The next regularly scheduled Council meeting is June 15 at 6 p.m. in the City of Surprise Council Chambers, located at 16000 N. Civic Center Dr. City Council meetings are open to in-person attendance or you may tune in on surpriseaz.gov/surprisetv, the Surprise City Gov Facebook page at facebook.com/cityofsurprise, or on Cox channel 11 to watch the meetings live. Instructions for virtual public comment will be available on the meeting agendas at surpriseaz.gov/agendas.