Construction Contract for New Tremont Pool Heads to Council

After many months of resident input, planning and design work, a construction proposal is ready for Council review

If the proposed construction bid for the new Tremont Pool is approved by City Council, the team at Palmetto Construction Services stands at the ready to complete the project in time for a 2017 Memorial Day Weekend opening. Staff will be presenting details of the proposal at the Tuesday, September 6 Council Conference Session, with Council Action anticipated at the Monday, September 12 City Council Meeting. Both meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Municipal Services Center, 3600 Tremont Road. Click here for details.

Proposed Parks & Recreation Comprehensive Plan

In direct response to resident feedback, the City is preparing to embark on a comprehensive review of its parks, park facilities, sports and recreational programming opportunities

It's well known that UA loves and makes full use of its parks and the facilities within them. It’s also well known that the demand for sports fields, facilities, and programming exceeds what is currently available. As recent proposals for Northam Park and elsewhere were prepared, resident feedback made it clear that the development of a comprehensive plan would be beneficial to help guide future improvements for all the City’s parks and facilities. Building on that sentiment, the Parks & Recreation Department determined that a comprehensive review process would best serve the community if it included recreational programming, an assessment of indoor recreation needs of residents and the status of the Senior Center.

The proposed comprehensive plan process to be shared with Council will include extensive input from the public, while using established practices to evaluate all City parks, facilities and programs and to analyze community needs, interests and more. The resulting plan will include recommendations for recreation programming, general improvements to all parks and facilities with an emphasis on our six major parks, year-round recreation programming space, facility needs for the Senior Center, budget estimates for major improvements for the Capital Improvement Program, and implementation strategies and prioritization of planned improvements.

Staff will present the proposed review process to City Council at the Tuesday, September 6 Council Conference Session, with Council Action anticipated at the Monday, September 12 City Council Meeting. Both meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Municipal Services Center, 3600 Tremont Road. Click here for details.

Police & Fire Pension Levy on November 8 Ballot

The City has placed a replacement levy of .97 mills on the November ballot to provide continued funding for the state-mandated retirement and disability fund for fire and police personnel

Community survey results consistently confirm the importance of safety to many residents, with our police, fire and emergency medical services receiving near perfect approval ratings, however the costs for providing these services represent almost 50% of the City's general budget each year. 

The City has funded its Police and Fire pensions through property tax for the past 40 years, with residents voting to approve eight, five-year ballot issues. All previous levies have been set at or close to 1 mill, with the 2012 levy approved at 1.08 mills and due to expire at the close of 2017. Issue 38 has been placed on the ballot to replace the existing levy at a reduced rate of .97 mills. Check here for additional details and to see the breakdown of annual costs to homeowners.

NewsBites

2016 U.S. Senior Open Championship Street Light Banners
The City has a limited number of 2016 U.S. Senior Open Championship street light banners available for purchase for $25 each. Check here for details and to order your banner before they are gone!

Thank you to all who attended the U.S. Senior Open Championship in late August. In addition to bringing world class golf to UA, it is estimated that the event benefitted the region by more than $10 million, from hotels to entertainment to dining. Congratulations to Scioto Country Club on a wonderful tournament!

Coffee with the Safety Chiefs
Sit down with our new Police Chief, Tracy Hahn and Fire Chief Jeff Young for coffee and conversation about safety in UA—from the very real threat of heroin and drug abuse to Internet safety, from providing our elderly and special needs residents with a safety support network to emergency readiness. Two dates are left in September:
 

• 10 a.m., Wednesday, September 7: Senior Center, 1945 Ridgeview Rd.
• 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 14: Starbucks on Henderson Rd.

Leadership UA Accepting Applications for 2017 Class
If you are serious about making a difference in your community and you have interest in personal and professional development, the Leadership UA program provides a unique means to enhance your leadership skills and gain a greater understanding of the inner workings of your hometown, while networking with like-minded, soon to be friends. Applications are currently being accepted for the class of 2017. Learn more about the program and apply here.