Town Manager's Weekly Update for December 17, 2021

For the Week Ending

December 17, 2021

Vigilance Needed as COVID Continues

This week, Mayor Jerry Bien-Willner and Town staff were invited to sit in on a presentation by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health regarding the current state of COVID-19. Here are some key points from that presentation:

People who are not fully vaccinated are 3.3 times more likely to get COVID-19, 4.4 times more likely to be hospitalized if they contract it, and 3 times more likely to die from the disease than fully vaccinated people

The percent of positivity is back near last year's peak of 13%
The Omicron variant has been detected in 20 states including Arizona, and is considered to be much more contagious; current vaccines are expected to protect against this variant
Vaccinations provide more effective and longer-lasting immunity than natural immunity from having had COVID

Maricopa County is seeing nearly 2,000 new cases per day

Maricopa County encourages everyone to get vaccinated. If you are vaccinated, the County encourages you to get your booster shot. And, even if you are vaccinated, you are encouraged to continue to properly wear a well-fitting mask when in public indoor settings. You can view the County's full presentation here.

Virtual Meetings to Continue for Now

On March 17, 2020, the full Council adopted Resolution 2020-8 directing staff to follow data-based recommendations by the CDC, the Arizona Department of Health Services and other public health agencies. We have been following the data weekly and the positivity rate and other benchmarks have been increasing since early July, 2021 as supported by the links below:

https://www.azdhs.gov/covid19/data/index.php#specific-metrics

https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/map/arizona

https://www.azdhs.gov/covid19/documents/data/rates-of-cov-19-by-vaccination.pdf

Based on the data and the Council's direction, the Town will continue to take the following precautions:

Public meetings--such as Town Council and Planning Commission meetings--will continue to be held virtually
Employees are required to properly wear masks unless seated alone in their office, or in a meeting where everyone agrees that it's okay to remove masks
While masks are not required when visiting Town Hall or other public buildings, the Town encourages everyone to mask up for their health and in consideration of our employees' health

Many Local Libraries are Distributing Free At-Home COVID Tests

Several local libraries have begun distributing BinaxNOW at-home testing kits at no cost. While these tests are not as accurate as going to a testing site, they will identify an active infection.

Please contact your local library to find out if they are distributing these tests, hours of operation, and other details.

Mayor and Town Council Candidate Packets Now Available

An election will be held on August 2, 2022 to fill the Office of Mayor and three seats on the Town Council. Candidate Information Packets, including all the forms and instructions necessary to run for office, are now available from the Town Clerk's Office. The deadline to collect signatures and file as an official candidate is April 4, 2022. Newly elected Council Members will take office on January 12, 2023.

The Town of Paradise Valley will host a Mayor and Town Council Candidate Orientation on January 11, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Boardroom and on Zoom to answer questions about running for office.

The Town of Paradise Valley is fortunate to have skilled and accomplished residents who routinely volunteer their time to the community. Whether it is in the form of a civic, religious, or charitable organization; one of the many appointed members of the Town's committees, commissions, and boards; or the all-volunteer Municipal Court, Town residents share a unique sense of community pride. Possibly the most meaningful and rewarding way to volunteer is to serve on the Town Council.

Running for public office can be daunting. The goal of the candidate orientation is to familiarize potential candidates with the campaign process, provide an overview of Town government and operations, and describe the expectations and time commitments for Mayor and Council Members.

Candidates must meet all of the following requirements to run for office:

Candidates must be at least 18 years of age.
Candidates must be registered voters (and registered in Paradise Valley) at the time of filing their nomination paper.
Candidates must have resided in Paradise Valley for one year preceding the Primary Election date.
Candidates must be able to speak, write, and read the English language.

For more information or to request a candidate packet, please contact Town Clerk Duncan Miller at 480-348-3610 or dmiller@paradisevalleyaz.gov.

Paradise Valley 2022 General Plan - Return Your Survey by January 3rd

The Town of Paradise Valley 2022 General Plan 60-Day Public Review Draft has been out for public review and comment since November 1st. The 60-Day Public Review Draft was shaped through a public outreach approach; one that provided multiple opportunities for public comment and involvement in the General Plan process. The required 60-day public comment period pursuant to State Law ends December 31, 2021.

From January until March, the Planning Commission and Town Council will hold Study Sessions and Hearings. During this next phase, all community input will be reviewed. This includes any public input at upcoming Study Sessions and Hearings. Town Council will make any necessary edits to the final Paradise Valley 2022 General Plan which would then be scheduled to be placed on the August 2022 ballot for voter ratification.

In addition to reviewing and/or downloading the 60-Day Public Review Draft Plan and sharing your comments on the project website (www.pvtogether2022.com), the Town also mailed the Town Reporter to every PV residence in November. The Town Reporter included an executive summary of the General Plan and contained a Resident Survey that can be completed on the project website, mailed back to Town Hall, or dropped off at Town Hall. Due to the New Year’s holiday and Town Hall offices being closed on Friday, December 31st, the Resident Survey may be returned no later than 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 3rd.

If you have any questions or wish to provide comments you can also contact Special Projects Planner, Loras Rauch by email at lrauch@paradisevalleyaz.gov or call 480-348-3595.

Galvan Appointed to Supervisor Chucri's Former Seat

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to appoint Thomas Galvan to the District 2 seat formerly held by Steve Chucri.

Galvan is an attorney with the Rose Law Group and a former chief of staff to the Arizona Corporation Commission. He was chosen from a field of seven finalists. His term ends in December 2022 and he is planning to run for reelection in August 2022.

Congratulations Supervisor Galvan!

ToPV Now Accepting Volunteer Applications

The Town of Paradise Valley seeks residents interested in sharing their time and experience by serving on one of the Town’s volunteer committees.

The Town of Paradise Valley has a proud tradition of volunteer service. In addition to the all-volunteer Mayor, Town Council, and Municipal Court Judges discussed above, more than 50 residents donate their time to serve on various other committees, commissions and boards. Currently, there are two vacancies on the Municipal Property Corporation, one vacancy on the Board of Adjustment, and two vacancies on the Paradise Valley Mountain Preserve Trust. Descriptions of these committees’ duties may be viewed on the Town’s website.

Applications may be completed and submitted online or you may submit a resume and cover letter to the Town Clerk's Office, 6401 East Lincoln Drive.

The application deadline is Monday, January 3, 2022.

PV Employees are Christmas Angels

Kristi Hillebert who works in the Town Engineer's office has been organizing the Salvation Army Christmas Angel program with Town employees for the past 4 years. Children in need complete a "tag" with requested gifts. Donators receive tags and buy those gifts.

PV employees have always been generous in their giving, and this year was no exception having donated 259 holiday gifts for 22 children.

In addition to the Christmas Angels drive, the Salvation Army also has a Forgotten Angels program for those kids whose requests have not been met. One anonymous resident provided 20 gifts for the Forgotten Angels.

The spirit of giving is alive and well in Paradise Valley! Nowhere is that demonstrated more clearly than with Kristi who happily takes on coordinating this effort. Thank you, Kristi, for your hard work and generosity. And a big thanks to everyone who contributed. You are all Christmas angels!

PVPD Updates

November Police Report Released

In 2021, overall crime is down 11%. Residential burglaries and theft from vehicles are down when compared to 2020 statistics. Resident vigilance on locking doors and removing valuables from view can help decrease these incidents further. See deterrence tips at #NineOClockWalk and #9PMRoutine.

Traffic collisions have increased slightly when compared to 2020’s pandemic influenced numbers. Speed continues to be the largest reason for traffic collisions. Lincoln Drive and Tatum Boulevard continues to be the geographic location of most collisions.

Construction Burglary Suspect Arrested

On March 20, 2019, the Paradise Valley Police Department was dispatched to a construction site in the 5100 block of North Wilkinson Road regarding a burglary that included the theft of approximately $100,000 in construction equipment and tools.

Through investigative techniques, Paradise Valley Police Department detectives were able to locate evidence linking the suspect to the burglary. On December 15, 2021, Paradise Valley Police Department detectives arrested and booked Jeffrey Stritenberger into the Maricopa County Jail on 3rd degree burglary, theft, and theft of means of transportation related to the incident.

Tomaszewski gets the Game Ball!

November’s Game Ball Winner, Jodi Wakefield chose to pass the football to Becky Tomaszewski.

In nominating for the game ball, Jodi states, “Becky welcomed me into the Department from day one. She has shown professionalism, guidance and a lot of patience in training me as a Photo Enforcement Technician. I have witnessed her hard work representing the Department with nothing but kindness and compassion to everyone she comes in contact with. She may be a part time employee but gives a full time effort. She has represented the Department as an expert in photo enforcement in court, with outside agencies and in contractual negotiations and agreements. Becky is truly an asset to this Town and the Department.”

Congratulations from your peers, Becky!