spring 2014 garfield residents attend 11th street ... · • 114 pedestrian-level street lights •...

Spring 2014

Garfield residents attend 11th Street celebration

NSD has dedicated staff to assist residents when they call with a question, report blight, sign upfor a Neighborhood College workshop or have other inquiries.

There are nine dedicated employees who work in the call center who serve more than 82,000customers each year. They are courteous and always willing to assist our callers with information

and answers. Most recently, Mindy Davis, who supervised the

call center, took another position with the city’sHuman Services Department. She spent nearly 20 years in the Preservation Division of NSD. Wewish her well in her new job and we’ll miss herleadership for this great group of employees whoare the “voice” of NSD!

NSD call center ready to assist residents

The project wasfunded by a $2.4million Federal TransitAdministration (FTA)Discretionary Grantthrough the Bus & BusFacilities LivabilityProgram with a localmatch of $600,000.

In addition to NSD,special thanks much begiven to the following city departments – StreetTransportation, Public Transit and Historic Preservation- for working closely together to support thiscommunity enhancement project. The improvementsdefinitely make a difference in the lives of ourneighborhood residents.

The community celebration wasattended by many residents!

In early March, Garfield neighborsattended a community celebration as

city officials dedicated the recentlycompleted 11th Street Pedestrian andTransit Improvement project in the historicGarfield Neighborhood Initiative Area.

The project is along 11th Street andspans between Washington andMoreland streets. It was completed withinput from the Garfield community andyears of planning. Project enhancementsinclude:• Wider sidewalks with new accessible

ramps to meet ADA specifications • 114 pedestrian-level street lights• 18 LED street light fixtures• Shade trees to reduce radiant heat

along the entire corridor• Upgraded bus shelters with new

seating, trash receptacles and bicycleracks

• Specialty pavement with 10 historicalelements respective to the historicGarfield Neighborhood near six busstops and four seating areas

• Upgraded landscaping and irrigationsystem throughout corridor

• New bike paths on 11th Street,running the entire length of theproject

City leaders with Mr. DanaJohnson (back, center), presidentof the Garfield Organization.

NSD staff who worked onthe 11th Street Project and community celebration.

Time for spring cleaning? Have a yard sale . . . . . . .2Code Compliance 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2On the Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Meet your new councilmembers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Going green has never been easier with help from NSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Spring showers bring May flowers … and plenty of weeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Connect with NSD on Nextdoor.com . . . . . . . . . . .4Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Thank you volunteers! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5New chair of Neighborhoods Subcommittee . . . . .5

Ins ide This I ssue

NSD call center staff.

Before AfterBefore After

City of Phoenix - Neighborhood Services DepartmentBelieving in Neighborhoods, Believing in People

Yard sales are an easy way to clean out yourclosets and make a little extra cash. But did

you know that residents are only allowed tohave two yard/garage sales every12 months? Here are someadditional guidelines to keep inmind if you plan to have a yardsale:

• Each yard/garage sale may notexceed three consecutive days.

• Yard sales can’t be on thestreet, sidewalk or a vacantlot. They should only be conducted onresidentially zoned properties.

• The purpose of a yard sale is to allowresidents to dispose of household items,clothing, furniture, etc. Residents may notuse yard sales to sell vehicles, new orcommercial items not intended forhousehold use.

Time for spring cleaning? Have a yard sale

Two NSD employees were recently highlighted in the city’s “On the Job” segment with CityManager Ed Zuercher. Both were personally selected by the City Manager after seeing

both of them in action while “on the job.” Kudos to Neighborhood Specialist Roberto Frietz and Graffiti Buster Roy Plunk for their

hard work organizing neighborhood groups and removing graffiti around the city. Bothsegments can be viewed on NSD’sFacebook page or on YouTube.

The “On the Job” series featurescity employees from variousdepartments to provide a glimpseinto the services employees providefor residents. To view additionalsegments, visit phoenix.gov/11 andclick on “On the Job”.

On the Job

NSD’s Roberto Frietz with City Manager Ed Zuercher. His segment can be viewed atyoutube.com/watch?v=FlsQzJUXyQM.

NSD’s Roy Plunk with City Manager Ed Zuercher. His segment can be viewed atyoutube.com/watch?v=ATSgM3RsfMk.

Are you worried about trash/litter, high weeds,dead trees, graffiti, deteriorated fences,

open/vacant properties or cars parked on non-dustproofed surfaces in your neighborhood?

The city of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department is hosting a free presentation onhow the code compliance process works to address violations in the community. Thepresentation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at Phoenix City Hall, 200 W.Washington St., first floor. Come meet code compliance staff and learn how to identify andreport common violations and other important ways to get involved in the process.

Attendees who join us will learn the step-by-step code compliance process and timeline,what happens if a case goes to court, how to use free mobile phone applications to reportblight and more.

A great neighborhood starts with you! Please bring your neighbors and join us. Toregister, call 602-534-4444 or visit phoenix.gov/nsd/neighborhoodcollege.

Code Compliance 101

• Community yard sales can take place atan apartment/condominiumdevelopment as long as it’s conducted

in an approved common areawith the permission of theproperty owner orhomeowner’s association(HOA). The landscaped areasurrounding a development isnot an approved commonarea. Anyone interested inhaving a yard sale at a multi-

family development should coordinatewith the property owner and/or HOAsince only two sales every 12 monthsare allowed per property.If your neighbors are having frequent

yard/garage sales, complaints can bereported to NSD by calling 602-534-4444or emailing [email protected].

New Phoenix City Councilmembers were sworn in

during a Jan. 2 inaugurationceremony at the historicOrpheum Theatre.

Four council members whowere elected late last year – JimWaring, District 2; Laura Pastor,District 4; Sal DiCiccio, District 6;Kate Gallego, District 8 – tooktheir oaths of office. During theceremony, the re-elected andnewly elected councilmembersgave remarks and were presentedwith an election certificate.

The inauguration ceremonycan be viewed on demand atphoenix.gov/11.


District 2 Councilman Jim Waringtaking the oath of office.

Meet your new councilmembers

Newly elected District 4Councilwoman Laura Pastortaking the oath of office.

District 6 Councilman Sal DiCicciotaking the oath of office.

Newly elected District 8Councilwoman Kate Gallegotaking the oath of office.

If going green has crossed your mind, you will be happy toknow that homeowners, who have purchased green

certified homes, would highly recommend it. According to astudy of 187 green homeowners, “94 percent of thehomeowners wouldrecommend a green hometo a friend and 92 percentwould purchase anothergreen home” (NAHB,2014).

“Not only is my homebrand new andimmaculate, but I can feelgreat about living in ahome I know uses lessenergy and reduces mycarbon footprint,” saysJuan Villagomez, a proudowner of a newly builtgreen home in the city ofPhoenix.

Villagomez purchasedone of fourteen newlybuilt, solar-powered greenhomes in a South Phoenixsubdivision, known asGordon Estates. Formerlya defaulted subdivision,abandoned during the housing crisis, the city of PhoenixNeighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) and developerpartner, Mandalay Communities acquired the subdivision andbuilt the homes to meet the National Green BuildingStandard Gold performance rating.

At Gordon Estates, the key design objective was to buildhomes that produce high energy efficiency and performance

Going green has never been easier with help from NSPoutput without sacrificing innovationand value, resulting in as little as $50per month to operate a home of1,990 square feet.

The benefits of buying a greenhome at Gordon Estates include:

• Advanced energy and waterefficient systems resulting inlower utility costs

• Healthier indoor air quality forimproved comfort

• Central location with access toresources, transportation, schoolsand shopping

While in the past, green technologywas seen as over-priced and out ofreach for average American families; astarting price in the 170s proves thatgoing green can be affordable andattainable.

In addition to the great value ofpurchasing a green home, eligible NSPhomebuyers can receive $15,000 inprogram assistance to use toward adown payment and closing costs atGordon Estates.

Currently, three green homes areavailable for sale at Gordon Estates.To learn more about the homesfeatures and how you can become anowner of an affordable green home,call 602-262-6602 or visitphoenix.gov/nsphome.


C A L E N D A R

APR I L

17 Landlord/Tenant Workshop:Know Your Rights6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Washington Activity Center, 2240 W. Citrus Way

MAY

1 Code Compliance 1016 to 9 p.m. Thursday,Phoenix City Hall, 200 W. Washington St., first floor

7 For The RecordLearn about the various types of official records stored by thecity, how long records are keptand how to find and request an official record.9 a.m. to noon WednesdayBurton Barr Central Library, Lecture Room

10 Paint Sprayer Training(Hands on!)8 to 10 a.m. Saturday,NSD West Facility, 3325 W. Flower St.

Spring showers bring May flowers … and plenty of weeds

To RSVP, view class descriptions or for more information on any of the Neighborhood CollegeWorkshops offered below, call 602-534-4444 or visit

phoenix.gov/nsd/neighborhoodcollege.

NSD is expanding the ways in which it communicatesimportant information with residents and now has a

presence on Nextdoor.com, the private social network forneighborhoods. Similar to other social networks, citydepartments will have the ability to post relevant,neighborhood-focused information and answer residents’questions generatedby their posts. Besidesthe city’s main page,Nextdoor participantsalso will receive timely messages from thecity and Police and Public Worksdepartments.

The growing social network onNextdoor encourages and helps facilitate communicationamong neighbors. Already, more than 400 Phoenixneighborhoods have joined and actively participate onNextdoor.

“Neighborhood Services already communicates withactive neighborhood leaders by distributingneighborhood-related news, events and workshopsthrough our neighborhood notification office listserve,”said Chris Hallett, director of the city’s NeighborhoodServices Department. “Nextdoor will allow us to targetmessages to specific neighborhoods as well as notify allmembers instead of just the organization’s leadership.”

In addition to Nextdoor, NSD also shares news andupdates on Facebook and Twitter. For a complete listing ofthe city’s social media accounts, visitphoenix.gov/socialmedia. We want to hear from you!

Connect with NSD onNextdoor.com

Spring is a beautiful season inPhoenix. The much needed April

rain can bring May flowers, but withthe flowers come the unsightlyweeds. Weeds can be one of thebiggest eyesores to ourneighborhoods. Not only are theyunattractive (and a pain to pull), butthey are a violation of city code. Weeds,tumbleweeds, grass and dead vegetation morethan six inches tall are a violation of the city code.This includes weeds on the property and on anyadjacent right-of-way sidewalk, alley or street.

In addition, during hot summer months, theonce green weeds become combustible dryvegetation and can present a fire hazard to thecommunity. When dry vegetation catches fire, theycan become spot fires that spread to neighboringstructures and foliage.

Take steps now to stay in control of weeds andto keep them from growing and spreading. Oneresource available to assist with the removal of

weeds is NSD’s Tool LendingProgram. Neighborhood groupslisted with the department canborrow tools free of charge forcleanup efforts. For moreinformation on this program orto list your organization, call602-534-4444.

If you observe weeds, grass and othervegetation more than six inches tall, report it assoon as possible. Call 602-534-4444, [email protected] along with an address ofthe property, use the free, downloadable“myPHXAZ” application on your smartphone orcomplete the online reporting blight form atphoenix.gov/nsd.


April is National Volunteer Month and NSD wouldlike to thank all of our volunteers for their

support throughout the year. We have many workingas neighborhood leaders,blight buster volunteers andothers who volunteerregularly for communitycleanups.

Did you know that NSD’sBlight Buster volunteersremoved graffiti from 8,113neighborhood locations andremoved 5,099 illegal signs,along with other fighting-

blight activities for a total of 2,408 volunteer hourslast fiscal year? How impressive!

We appreciate everything that all volunteers do tohelp keep our neighborhoods clean and beautiful. Ifyou are interested in volunteering, let us know andwe’ll connect you with opportunities to lend a handin your area or share when the next Blight Bustervolunteer program orientation is. Call 602-534-4444or email [email protected] today!

Thank you volunteers!

Blight Buster SuzanneThraen shares bestpractices with newBlight Buster volunteers.

Volunteers help with an alley cleanup.

Volunteers wipe out graffiti during a citywidegraffiti removal event.

Volunteers share their feedback aboutanti-graffiti legislation to their electedofficials at the State Capitol.

Blight Buster volunteers (Class 10) areready to hit the streets for blightbusting.

Residents at the Reinvent PHX community kickoffvolunteered their time to share their feedback tohelp shape a walkable future for Phoenix byattending a community design workshop.

District 8 Councilwoman Kate Gallego is the new chair of theCity Council’s Neighborhoods, Housing and Development

Subcommittee. Additional councilmembers on thesubcommittee include: Laura Pastor, Sal DiCiccio and Daniel T.Valenzuela.

This subcommittee provides policy guidance on issues relatedto: neighborhoods; housing; homelessness; historicpreservation; and planning, zoning and development processesincluding site plan, permitting and inspections. Thesubcommittee meets at 10 a.m. on the third Tuesday of themonth and can be viewed live (and on demand) at phoenix.gov.Tune in if you can!

New chair of NeighborhoodsSubcommittee

Kate GallegoDistrict 8

Laura PastorDistrict 4

Sal DiCiccioDistrict 6

Daniel ValenzuelaDistrict 5

NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DEPARTMENT200 W. Washington St., 4th Floor

Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1611

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDPHOENIX AZ

PERMIT NO 5715

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Mayor Greg Stanton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Jim Waring, District 2Vice Mayor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602-262-7445

[email protected]

Thelda Williams, District 1. . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Bill Gates, District 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Laura Pastor, District 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Daniel Valenzuela, District 5 . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Sal DiCiccio, District 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Michael Nowakowski, District 7 . . . . . . . [email protected]

Kate Gallego, District 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

To receive this information in alternative print/audio formats, contact the Neighborhood Services Department, 200 W. Washington St., 4th Floor, Phoenix AZ 85003.

Voice number 602-534-4444 | TTY 602-495-0685

Contact NSD Phoenix City CouncilNeighborhood Services Department . . 602-534-4444

or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Code Enforcementor Graffiti Busters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602-534-4444 or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Landlord/Tenant Counseling. . . . . . . . 602-534-4444 or . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Neighborhood College . . . . . . . . . . . . 602-534-4444or . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Neighborhood Stabilization Program . 602-262-6602or. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Shopping Cart Retrieval . . . . . . . . . . . 602-534-4444 or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

phoenix.gov/nsd/PhoenixNeighborhood

@PHXNeighborhood

City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services

spring 2014 garfield residents attend 11th street ... · • 114 pedestrian-level street lights •...

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