By Nikki Lee
Welcome to spring. This is a great time to be grateful for all the natural beauty we have around us in Arizona and in our City. I love seeing families getting outside and taking advantage of our parks and trails. It’s also a great time to think about spring cleaning, not just for our homes but for our community as well. Below are opportunities to help keep our neighborhoods and City beautiful.
Join the Ward 4 Office for an Arbor Day Celebration. On Friday, April 30, the Ward 4 Office will be celebrating Arbor Day with a Tree Planting ceremony at our office at 8123 E Poinciana Dr. All members of the public are welcome. We’ll be celebrating growth and new life as we plant trees and highlight the next generation of leaders and doers in our community. Join us for hands-on learning opportunities. The event will start at 9:00 AM. RSVP on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CouncilwomanLee.
Apply for a Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) project in your neighborhood. On May 1, 2020, a new GSI fee was included on utility services statements for residents and businesses within the City of Tucson. This fee raises $3 million each year to build and maintain projects throughout the city that capture stormwater runoff from public streets and parking lots and divert it into vegetated water harvesting areas. This fee supports growing more trees and reduces flooding issues on neighborhood streets. Additionally, the GSI program provides various local benefits, including putting runoff to good use by irrigating plants, shading and cooling streets and sidewalks, and beautifying our neighborhoods. If you’re interested in starting a GSI project in your neighborhood, visit www.tucsoncleanandbeautiful.org/trees-for-tucson/neighborhood-stormwater-harvesting/.
Gather your neighbors for a neighborhood clean-up. If you and your neighbors would like to clean up your neighborhood, the Environmental and General Services Department (EGSD) can help. EGSD will provide roll-off containers (dumpsters) for your use and will haul away the debris at no cost. The request for a clean-up must come from the leadership of an incorporated Homeowner’s Association or a group of at least 10 neighbors, and 2 weeks advance notice must be provided. For more information and to schedule a clean-up, visit www.tucsonaz.gov/es/neighborhood-cleanups.
Participate in the Tucson Million Trees Initiative. Last year, Mayor Romero and the City of Tucson announced the launch of the Tucson Million Trees initiative. Through this program, the City pledges to plant one million trees by 2030 to increase the city’s tree canopy and help mitigate the effects of climate change, including reducing the heat urban island effect. Planting and maintaining desert trees has many benefits for homeowners; they help save on energy costs, increase property resale value, and prevent erosion and runoff. Visit www.tucsoncleanandbeautiful.org/trees-for-tucson/ and www.tep.com/trees-for-you/ for more information about how to order trees for as little as $5 for your home or community.
Reduce, Reuse…RECYCLE! As you clean out your attics and closets this season, don’t forget about all the recycling options the City of Tucson provides. Here’s a list if you’d like to have it handy:
Home blue bins: for plastic, paper, metal, cardboard. Go to www.tucsonaz.gov/es/recycle for more details.
Glass Recycling: bring your glass recyclables to a local purple container. We have one located at the Ward 4 office at 8123 E Poinciana Dr. For more locations, visit www.tucsonaz.gov/es/announcement/glass-reuse-plan.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW): for products labeled toxic, danger, poison, flammable, etc. Bring these items to the Los Reales Landfill or a monthly collection event. The next one is on April 10 at Pima Downtown Campus, 1255 N. Stone Ave. For more information, visit www.tucsonaz.gov/es/household-hazardous-waste.
Brush and Bulky Materials: Crews visit each of Tucson’s 26 residential trash service areas twice each year to provide Brush and Bulky collection. This is your opportunity to clean your yard, garage, or storage shed and get rid of any debris. Materials are collected throughout your collection week so please have materials set out by 6 a.m. on Monday. Your collection will be completed by the end of that week. To find your service dates or schedule your own pickup, visit https://www.tucsonaz.gov/es/brush-and-bulky.
Thank you for doing your part to keep our community healthy and beautiful. As a reminder, the next Ward 4 town hall is for the Mesquite Ranch neighborhood on Thursday, April 29 at 5:30 PM. Find event details on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/CouncilwomanLee. Stay safe, stay healthy, and I’ll be back next month with another Ward 4 update.
Sincerely,
Nikki
