The Arizona Museum for Youth is collaborating with Mesa Arts Center and the Arizona Museum of Natural History on the Ubuntu Project, a volunteer program for individuals over 55 that has been funded by a grant from The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust and the National Council On Aging. The partnership calls on community leaders to implement specific programs at each institution, leading to the recruitment and training of an active and diverse group of volunteers, which will be called Ability Experts. Set to be unveiled in the next year, the program will enable our organizations to conduct important research about arts participation in Arizona and increase our audience. An optional survey will be available at each organization beginning in December.

Sabena Airline Training Center
Airport Director Corinne Nystrom met with representatives of Sabena Airline Training Center, the Civil Aviation Flight University of China and the Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), which is China’s counterpart to the Federal Aviation Administration on November 13. The CAAC is reviewing Sabena’s operations to determine if they meet China’s requirements for training commercial airline pilots from their country. If Sabena meets the criteria, China will begin sending their pilots to Falcon Field for commercial airline pilot training.

 

Desert Banner Hospital Drainage Project
The proposed project will design a drainage solution to divert 737 cubic feet per second from overtopping the north side of Southern Ave from the Tempe Canal to 500 ft east of San Jose Street. The area that will primarily benefit from this project is the northern portion of the Desert Banner Hospital property. According to hospital officials, the northern portion of the property is essential to the hospital’s future expansion plans. The 737 cfs run-off translates into 10 additional acres of the hospital property in the floodplain. In July 2007, the City of Mesa requested MCFCD to analyze this issue and proposed cost sharing (35% COM and 65% FCD). In August 2007, MCFCD and COM met to discuss this project, FCD agreed to perform a conceptual level engineering study to identify potential drainage solutions. In October 2007, FCD completed a conceptual study that defined two drainage solutions—a partial solution (50 year protection) estimated to cost $1,000,000 and a complete solution (100 year protection) estimated to cost $5,000,000. On November 13, 2007 COM and FCD met to discuss two proposed solutions. FCD did not commit to any specific cost sharing at meeting, but related that project would need to be presented to Board of Supervisors for buy-in, and commitment to cost share. COM related that any solution would need to be for a 100-year protection that minimizes impact to future hospital expansion. The City of Mesa requested the engineering and cost information for the complete solution. The City of Mesa will review details and hold discussions with hospital officials for funding options.

Mesa Municipal Court
The architect submitted 90 percent construction documents for review and permitting. The permitting phase began on November 20, 2007 when submitted to Building Safety. The project is on budget, with a total project cost of $37.7 million and includes design, construction, fixtures, furnishings and equipment costs. This project will be delivered using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery method. Engineering anticipates bringing the Guaranteed Maximum Price proposal and construction phase contract to the Council in May 2008. Construction is anticipated to start in July 2008 and to extend to May 2010.

South CAP Reservoir and Pump Station
This project is the first phase of the South CAP Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to be constructed at this site. It includes an eight million gallon reservoir and pumping station. Future phases (by separate CIP projects) will include construction of drinking water treatment facilities capable of treating water from the CAP canal to drinking water standards for distribution to the city’s potable water system. The Construction Manager at Risk contractor and City staff completed the negotiations on the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) and construction phase contract. The GMP contract will be on the Council agenda for the December 3, 2007 meeting. Construction is anticipated to start in December 2007, with project completion in Spring 2009.

Storm Water Master Plan
Engineering staff is collecting available data including drainage reports and studies conducted for various areas of the city. Staff is planning to release a request for engineering proposals late January for updating the City Storm Water Master Plan. The last update of the master plan was completed in 1999 and it did not cover the entire city. The proposed plan will be used as a guide to identify future solutions to flooding problems and identify funding needs.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
The next HHW event is scheduled for Saturday, December 8, from 8 am to 12 pm. The event will be held at the Solid Waste Center Street yard, located at 2412 N. Center.

A half-dozen area neighbors joined over 65 volunteers from the Word of Grace Church November 17 for a community clean-up as part of the Building Strong Neighborhoods Initiative in Council District 2. Volunteers cleaned and painted playground equipment and safety zones at Hawthorne Elementary School while others put on their gloves to remove weeds and debris from vacant parcels under the power towers and adjacent alleys. The neighborhood basketball court received a fresh set of paint lines, a repaired/repainted basketball hoop and a new net. The Solid Waste department provided Clean and Green Sweep dumpsters for the event.

 

Pavement Management Group
The Pavement Management group has completed the 08/09 Forecast for street repairs and projects. The Forecast allows for the Department to plan for future projects by prioritizing projects, and scheduling resources and manpower for the 08/09 fiscal year.

Central Mesa High Capacity Transit Study
The City of Mesa in partnership with METRO held a public meeting on November 13 to gather public comment on alternative alignments and technologies being recommended for further study as part of the Central Mesa High Capacity Transit Study. Over 80 individuals representing residents, business owners and property owners attended the meeting to comment on the eight alignments and two technologies (light rail or bus rapid transit) that were presented.