Re-planted Saguaros decorate Shared Use Path

Marana Parks and Recreation has worked with local developers and other Town departments to re-purpose cacti and other desert plants to decorate the new section of the Shared Use Path (SUP) in north Marana.

This past week they moved Ocotillos and Saguaros from in front of businesses and construction on Cortaro and Serius Stra and re-planted them next to the SUP. Due to a new turn bay being added at that location on Cortaro Road these Saguaros and Ocotillos had to be moved because they were a visual obstruction.

The project had to be coordinated between Marana Parks and Recreation, Engineering, and Public works.

“They are a nice addition to our nodes on the new section of Shared Use Path,” said Marana Parks and Recreation Director Jim Conroy. “I appreciate the on-going, good coordination of efforts, between our department and other departments and divisions within the Town. It was good Town of Marana teamwork and environmental awareness between Engineering, Public Works and Parks and Recreation.”

The Saguaros weighted between 1500 – 2000 pounds each and due to their position, traffic control was necessary, but was next to no problem thanks to the efforts of Donna Chambers and Nathan Jansky of Marana Parks and Recreation.

Marana Parks Superintendent Dave Herman said their efforts were vital in making the project safe, cost effective, and lessening the impact on motorists. He noted that similar traffic control in other jurisdictions could have run at least $1,000.

Signs and Markings Technician Rich Jacinto was able to temporarily remove a road sign, allowing crews safer access to one of the Saguaros, then replaced the sign as soon as it was safe.

Traffic Alert: Orange Grove Lane Closure

On Friday, May 10 Bestway Electric will be installing a water pump and servicing the Town of Marana's Orange Grove Pump Station on Orange Grove Road near the Interstate 10 interchange. Traffic may be delayed for a short period of time due to lane closures. Work is scheduled to take place between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and conclude that same day. 

For your safety and that of the contractor’s personnel, please comply with traffic control devices, flagging personnel, and/or detour signs.

Travel time through the project area may increase during construction so please adjust your schedule accordingly. Construction may restrict traffic lanes and create congestion. Taking alternate routes is suggested.

 If inclement weather or other events cause delays, the work may be rescheduled without further notice.

 Stay up-to-date on Town of Marana news, projects, and events. Visit MaranaAZ.gov, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

Expect lane closures on Orange Grove on May 10

Traffic Alert: Cortaro Farms and Hartman Lane

Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (RWRD) and their contractor, Achen Gardner, have begun installation of a 15-inch sewer interceptor line along Hartman Lane, between Linda Vista Boulevard and Cortaro Farms Road. The contractor began work south of the intersection at Cortaro Farms Road and is working northward toward Linda Vista Boulevard. The sewer installation along Hartman Lane is expected to take approximately 5 months to complete. 

Sections of Hartman Lane will be completely closed to motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists in the area where the contractor is working.  

On Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day - Cortaro Farms Road, at the intersection of Hartman Lane, will be reduced to one lane in each direction. These restrictions will be in place while the contractor paves portions of Cortaro Farms Road that were disturbed during the installation of sewer pipe across the Cortaro Farms Road intersection at Hartman Lane.

• Access to Hartman Lane from Cortaro Farms Road will not be permitted

Beginning Monday, May 13, access to the subdivisions located at the northwest corner of Hartman Lane/Cortaro Farms Road will be from Carriage Drive or Cerius Stavenue only.  Access from southbound Hartman Lane will not be permitted. (SEE MAP) This closure will be in place 24-hours per day.

• Cortaro Crossing Drive will be closed at Hartman Lane

• Local traffic only will be permitted south on Hartman Lane between Overton Road and Cortaro Crossing Drive. There is no access to Cortaro Farms Road from Hartman Lane north of Carriage Drive

• North and southbound travel on Hartman Lane between Cortaro Farms Road and Carriage Drive will be permitted

May 5-11 is Municipal Clerks Week

On Tuesday, May 7 the Marana Town Council official recognized May 5-11 as Municipal Clerks Week with an official proclamation.

The Municipal Clerk is the oldest of public servants in local government, along with the tax collector. The profession traces back before Biblical times. The origins of the Municipal Clerk stems from a time before widespread use of written language, and early keepers of archives were required to use their memory to serve as the public record .

In modern Hebrew, the term “Town Clerk” is Mazkir Ha'ir which literally translated, means “city or town reminder”.

This May, Municipal Clerks Week will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary, initiated in 1969 by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks and is endorsed by all of its members throughout the United States, Canada and 15 other countries. In 1984 and in 1994, Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, respectively, signed a Proclamation officially declaring Municipal Clerks Week the first full week of May and recognizing the essential role Municipal Clerks play in local government.

Although many of Marana’s clerks are not certified municipal clerks, they equally contribute to the organization by attending various educational opportunities, and are considered a municipal clerk.

Town of Marana Clerk Office

            Cherry Lawson, CMC, Town Clerk
            Hilary Hiser, CMC, Deputy Town Clerk
            Suzanne Sutherland, CMC, Executive Assistant
            Nolette Hernandez, Records Clerk (pending later this year)
            Emily Noeth, Records Clerk

Community Conversation Videos - Finance, Planning, Engineering

Principal Planner Steven Cheslak

The Town of Marana frequently hosts Community Conversation events where staff members interact with residents. These events allow staff to speak to the public about their area of expertise and answer any questions they may have.

This spring the Town of Marana hosted a trio of Community Conversations with talks by the Finance, Planning and Engineering. Here is video from the three presentations.

Finance Director Yiannis Kalaitzidis discussed the process the Town goes through to create the budget for the 2020 fiscal year as well as taking a detailed look at the numbers.

Principal Planner Steven Cheslak discussed the new businesses and building projects coming to Marana. Among the projects he covered were new businesses coming to North Marana, Cortaro, and near Marana Center and the Premium Outlets.

The Town of Marana's Assistant Director of Engineering Jennifer Christelman discussed a number of the Town's infrastructure projects. She went into detail on the Tangerine Corridor, Ina Road, and upcoming projects at Adonis Road and Lon Adams.

National Building Safety Month: Week 2 Ensuring a safer future through training and education

May is National Building Safety Month and all this month the Town of Marana will be focusing on the importance of building safety to the community. The second week’s theme is “Ensuring a safer future through training and education” and we look at how proper training and and further education ensure safe buildings and structures.

Week 2: Ensuring a safer future through training and education

Well-trained, motivated building safety professionals are key to creating and maintaining a successful built environment. Training is important because it helps code officials avoid mistakes and accidents and properly enforce the code. The building safety field encompasses a wide gamut of specialties and offers many excellent career opportunities that contribute to the safety of the built environment. Here are just a sampling:

• A building inspector inspects structures to determine compliance with the various building codes and standards adopted by the jurisdiction.

• A building official manages the development, administration, interpretation, application and enforcement of the codes adopted by their jurisdiction.

• A special inspector provides a specialized inspection of structural material fabrication and placement, such as poured concrete, structural steel installation and fasteners, etc.

• A permit technician assists in the issuance of construction and development permits to ensure compliance with the provisions of a jurisdiction’s adopted regulations and codes.

• A fire marshal develops and delivers fire prevention and implements public fire safety programs that provide for inspections of occupancies for life safety and fire issues in accordance with codes and standards adopted by their jurisdiction.

• A plumbing inspector inspects the installation, maintenance and alteration of plumbing systems complete with their fixtures, equipment, accessories, and appliances.

The Town of Marana makes sure all of that all of their building inspectors and officials not only have the proper credentials for the job, but are also continuing their education to keep up to date on the latest information in their fields.

Building Careers for Today’s Generation

The building industry will experience a loss of 80 percent of the existing skilled workforce over a 15 year period, according to a survey conducted by the National Institute of Building Sciences in 2014. In fact, the entire building industry, including code officials, is looking at a severe workforce shortage of qualified candidates. This is a tremendous opportunity for job seekers!

The Town of Marana has been proactive in trying to make sure young people today are considering building careers. Town staff works closely with programs like Pima County’s Joint Technological Education District (JTED) and often present at events like SkillsUSA CTE kids competition and Construction Career Days.

The Code Council has developed Safety 2.0 to welcome a new generation of members and leaders to the building safety profession. Programs include our High School and College Technical Training Programs and our Military Families Career Path Program — which promotes building safety careers for military personnel after service. If you’re a student or professional looking for a new career, check out the Building Safety Career Path.

Ina Road Celebration Weekend video and photo gallery

Marana Town Manager Jamsheed Mehta. Photo courtesy JD Fitzgerald.

On Saturday, May 4 the Town of Marana, the Marana Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Transportation Authority, and and a collection of Ina Road businesses came together for the Ina Road Celebration Weekend. The event was a celebration of the completion of three major road projects on Ina Road.

The weekend began with a business expo and cake cutting ceremony that included speeches by Marana Town Manager Jamsheed Mehta, ADOT District Engineer Rod Lane, Marana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Audra Winters, RTA Chair Mike Hammond, and Marana Mayor Ed Honea.

The rest of the weekend saw local businesses host a variety of events, including block parties, concerts, pony rides, and Kentucky Derby Parties.

The Ina Road Interchange project is in its final stages. The bridge that extends Ina over I-10 and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks is completed and the on and off ramps are open. Additionally the Town of Marana and the RTA teamed up to expand Ina west of the freeway to four lanes, which included building two new bridges over the Santa Cruz River. The Town of Marana has also completed the bulk of the work on the Ina Road Beautification Project, which completely milled and repaved Ina Road, added new sidewalks and ADA safety improvements, and added improved landscaping.

Photo Gallery

Photos courtesy JD Fitzgerald Photography

A large crowd was on hand to listen to the speeches and celebrate the opening of Ina Road.

Local businesses used a variety of promotions to advertise.

Northwest Fire brought out a few of their vehicles to the Ina Road Business Expo.

Mayor Ed Honea was interviewed by a local television station.

Marana Mayor Ed Honea.

Marana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Audra Winters.

Ina Road Celebration Weekend.

UPDATE: Coachline Boulevard Reconstruction Project

Coachline Boulevard Reconstruction Project – Twin Peaks Road south to Silverbell Road and from Twin Peaks Road north to Silverbell Road 

The Town of Marana is currently working on the Coachline Blvd. Reconstruction and Pedestrian Crossing Improvements. The work is being completed by Sunland Asphalt & Construction. 

On Monday, May 6, the contractor will re-open Coachline Boulevard to two-way travel from Silverbell to Armor Crest roads and will also begin the reconstruction of Coachline Boulevard from Armor Crest Road south to Twin Peaks Road. (See map) 

Due to the existing roadway width, this phase of work will require restricting traffic in a one-way (southbound) only configuration between Armor Crest and Twin Peaks roads. Northbound travel along this portion of Coachline Boulevard will be not be permitted. Work is expected to be completed in early June 2019. 

Construction-related issues to be aware of: 

• Northbound turn movements and through traffic at the Twin Peaks and Coachline Boulevard intersection will not be permitted 

• Access to side streets will be permitted from southbound Coachline Boulevard 

• Left turns only (southbound) will be permitted for motorists exiting side streets at Coachline Boulevard 

• There may be temporary side street restrictions while work crews pass in front of them 

• Bicycle traffic will not be permitted through the work area. 

• DO NOT park vehicles in the area of construction. They will be towed at owner’s expense 

• Watch for heavy equipment and large trucks entering and exiting the work area 

• North and southbound travel will be permitted from Silverbell Road to Armor Crest Road (see map – Phase 1)

Work during phase 2 will include: 

• Milling and removing the existing asphalt 

• New asphalt paving and striping 

• Side street paving at “tie-in” with Coachline intersection 

Residents and the traveling public should watch for heavy equipment in and near the construction area. For the safety of you and the workers, please comply with traffic control devices, flagging personnel, and detour signs. 

Scheduled dates are weather dependent 

Updates will be provided periodically. For additional project information, call Tom Houle, Town of Marana Project Manager at 520-382-2684 or Kathy at 520-885-9009. 

PRESS RELEASE: Governor’s Office of Highway Safety awards Marana Police Department three grants for FFY2019

Marana Police Department earns three grants worth $85,000 in overtime funding.

MARANA – For Federal Fiscal Year 2019, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) has awarded the Marana Police Department three grants that total $85,000 in overtime funding.

DUI/Impaired Driving Enforcement Grant – GOHS has awarded the Marana Police Department with $30,000 in grant funding to conduct DUI enforcement throughout the Town of Marana.  The goal of the funding is to reduce alcohol and drug-related driving, fatalities, and injuries through enforcement, education, and public awareness. 

Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) Grant – GOHS has awarded the Marana Police Department with $20,000 in grant funding to conduct speed and traffic enforcement throughout the Town of Marana.  The goal of this grant is to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries resulting from speeding, aggressive driving, red light running and other forms of risky driving behavior through enforcement, education, and public awareness. 

DUI Abatement/Warrant Detail Grant – GOHS has awarded the Marana Police Department with $35,000 in grant funding through the Oversight Council on Driving or Operating Under the Influence Abatement. With this grant, officers will conduct high profile warrant sweeps as well as participate in impaired driving/DUI activities including DUI Task Force details. The goals of this program are to reduce incidences of alcohol/drug related driving fatalities or injuries through enforcement, education, and public awareness.

The Marana Police Department would like to thank the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for continuing to help make the Town of Marana a safe place for citizens to live, work, and shop.

Things to do in Marana for May and Beyond

May 4 - Ina Road Celebration Weekend

Come celebrate the reopening of the Ina Road Interchange and Ina Road Beautification Project with a 9 AM ceremony on Saturday, May 4 and business block party throughout the weekend!

The Ina Road Celebration Weekend kicks off on Saturday, May 4 with a 9 A.M. cake-cutting ceremony featuring Town elected officials and staff, and representatives from Arizona Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation Authority, and Marana Chamber of Commerce.

The ceremony will be followed by the business block party that will last throughout the weekend with celebrations and sales at participating business locations throughout Ina Road.

May 4 - Free Music in Marana: Kate Becker

Bring your dancing shoes for a night of free music in the park! Kate Becker is a vocalist and writer of melodies and lyrics. Becker brings deep and soulful meaning to her original songs with an eclectic mix of funk, latin, rhythm and blues and jazz.  Her all-star band includes some of Arizona’s best musicians.

May 4 - Marana Meltdown

Join us in our first ever Mountain Bike Time Trial on the Tortolita Preserve. The course is  9.9 miles of single track with sand, hard pack, and some nice flowy sections. This is a semi-technical trail that meanders through the beautiful Tortotlita Preserve.

May 11 - Mother's Day 5K

Celebrate Mom the healthy way at the popular Mother's Day 5K in Marana. This event features a family fun walk/run beginning at the beautiful Gladden Farms Park. Every participant will receive a raffle ticket. Mom’s, Grandmothers, & Moms-to-be are the guests of honor and will receive a charm at the finish line.

May 15 - Coffee With A Cop

Come grab a cup of coffee and meet and interact with members of the Marana Police Department from noon to 2 PM on Wednesday, May 15 at the Starbucks located at 3951 W. Ina Road.

This is a great opportunity to meet Ofc. Ashley Espinoza, who is the new Community Resource Officer for the Marana Police Department, or just chat with any of the MPD staff on hand. 

May 18 - Free Movie In Marana: Emoji Movie

The Free Movie in Marana for May is the Emoji Movie, which will be shown at the Splash Pad at Crossroads at Silverbell District Park. Show starts at 7:30pm, once the sun has gone down. Bring something to sit on or borrow a chair or blanket from us. We will have a snack vendor present with movie treats for purchase.

June 1 - Free Music In Marana: The Drift

The Drift has been playing classic rock since before it was classic rock. The band was formed in 1982 playing guitar-based rock with influences like Foreigner, Boston, and Journey. They mix some of their originals, with rock in roll radio standards we all know and love.

July 4 - Star Spangled Spectacular

Come out to Marana's spectacular Independence Day celebration, the Star Spangled Spectacular at Crossroads at Silverbell District Park. Enjoy live music, dozens of food trucks, inflatables for the kids, a beer garden for the adults, and of course, a magnificent fireworks show.

On The Horizon

Jun 1 - Free Music In Marana - The Drift
Jun 15 - Free Dive-In Movie - A Wrinkle In Time
Jun 29 - Splash N Dash Aquathon
July 4 - Star Spangled Spectacular

Traffic Alert: Twin Peaks-Blue Bonnet Road Gravity Sewer Project

This is one of a series of traffic alerts that will be issued throughout the construction of the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department’s Twin Peaks-Blue Bonnet Road Gravity Sewer Project. These alerts will announce construction, detours and street closure information as it affects traffic. Please watch for updated traffic alerts as construction activities progress.

Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (RWRD) and their contractor, Achen Gardner, have begun work to install a 15-inch sewer interceptor line along Hartman Lane, between Linda Vista Boulevard and Cortaro Farms Road. The contractor will begin work south of the intersection at Cortaro Farms Road and work northward toward Linda Vista Boulevard. The sewer installation along Hartman Lane is expected to take approximately 5 months to complete.

The contractor has completed installation of the 15-inch sewer interceptor line across the intersection of Cortaro Farms Road and Hartman Lane. Pipe installation will continue north along Hartman Lane. During this phase of the operation, sections of Hartman Lane will be completely closed to motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists in the area where the contractor is working. 

On Wednesday, April 24 through Friday, May 10, Hartman Lane from Cortaro Farms Road to W. Cortaro Crossing Drive will be closed. Work hours will be during the day.

• Southbound turn movements from W. Cortaro Crossing Drive will not be permitted

•  Access to Hartman Lane from Cortaro Farms Road will not be permitted

• Local traffic only will be permitted on Hartman Lane south of Overton Road 

Residents and the traveling public should watch for message boards with detour information.

Emergency access will always be provided.

The above work schedule may be impacted by weather or mechanical failure.

During the sewer pipe installation, there will be extensive trenching and

large equipment entering and exiting the work area. Motorists should remain alert and use caution when driving near construction activities.

For your safety and that of the contractor’s personnel, please comply with traffic control devices, flagging personnel, and/or detour signs.Travel time through the project area may increase during construction so please adjust your schedule accordingly. Construction may restrict traffic lanes and create congestion. Taking alternate routes is suggested.

If inclement weather or other events cause delays, the work may be rescheduled without further notice.

Stay up-to-date on Town of Marana news, projects, and events. Visit MaranaAZ.gov, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.

Manager's Message: Ina Road corridor celebrates re-opening

Most of the work on the Ina Road Interchange Project has been completed.

Every month Marana Town Manager Jamsheed Mehta provides a Manager’s Message to the Marana News. This month the topic is the Ina Road corridor.

This weekend, the Town of Marana will welcome the community to the improved Ina Road corridor at the “Ina Road Celebration Weekend” on May 4 and 5. The public will be treated to a kick-off ceremony May 4 at 9 a.m. with Town council and guests from Arizona Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation Authority and Marana Chamber of Commerce, and will be held at the Lowe’s Home Improvement parking lot near the Ina and Thornydale intersection. 

Ina Road Celebration Weekend begins Saturday, May 4.

Businesses will then celebrate with a weekend-long block party, where everyone is encouraged to shop local and support their neighborhood businesses along the Ina Road corridor. I greatly encourage members of the public to join in the celebration as we look on with pride at what this region has accomplished together. 

ADOT’s Ina Road Interchange project involved rerouting local street access away from the interstate in order to reconstruct an entirely new interchange that stretches over both the interstate and the Union Pacific railroad tracks. This eliminated at-grade crossings and widened both Interstate-10 and Ina Road, effectively making the area safer and more accommodating for continued growth. 

The Town’s Ina Road Beautification project was done in conjunction with the Ina Road Interchange project in an effort to improve portions of Ina Road. The repaving project includes landscaping along both sides of the road and in the center median, and adding street lights and traffic signal improvements. Now, when people drive down this corridor, their first impression of our community and businesses will be a positive one. 

Projects such as these are tedious for everyone during times of construction, but the payoff is clear once the dust has settled. Improved infrastructure serves as the literal foundation for a healthy community.  

Marana has experienced a surge in growth in recent years, projecting consistently as one of the fastest growing communities in southern Arizona. In 2018, over 800 new single-family resident homes were built in our community. By our calculations, this means approximately 2,300 new people moved to Marana, bringing our overall population to exceed 47,000 people. 

Marana is a much larger town than it was a decade ago, and large projects like the Ina Road Interchange and Ina Road Beautification Project serve to help support the community we will become in the future. Now, as we end this 2-year construction period, our focus is on revitalizing our affected business community. 

The “Ina Road Celebration Weekend” kicks this effort off with a bang, and I look forward to joining the businesses as they welcome the community back to the corridor. 

Jamsheed Mehta is the Marana Town Manager.

National Building Safety Month: Week 1 Preparing for disasters: Build strong, build smart

May is National Building Safety Month and all this month the Town of Marana will be focusing on the importance of building safety to the community. The first week’s theme is “Preparing for disasters: Build strong, build smart” and we delve into how being properly prepared for disasters can keep your family and business safe.

Week 1: Preparing for disasters: Build strong, build smart

Natural disasters are increasing in severity and frequency. Even though Marana does not get things like hurricanes and earthquakes, it is still important to plan in advance for devastating events like floods, microbursts, and even wildfires. Planning ahead helps individuals and communities increase the health and safety of their population during a disaster, protects the local tax base, ensures continuity of essential services, and supports a faster recovery in the aftermath of a disaster. Here’s how you can help your family and community:

• Build to the latest codes

• Prepare your family

• Protect your home

• Benchmark your community’s resilience

The Town of Marana does many things to help protect homes and businesses, as well as Town infrastructure, from natural disasters. The Town has formally adopted the latest (2018) code editions to make sure everything is built to the latest standards and most of our projects take potential natural disasters into account. Our Public Works team hands out sandbags during Monsoon Season and are on call for storm clean-up during the wet months. We also have great community partners like the Northwest Fire District who are at the top of their game during these difficult times.

Learn More about Preparing for Disasters at the International Code Council’s website

Below are some resources the Code Council has to help you prepare your family and protect your home from natural disasters.

May is Building Safety Month in Marana

On Tuesday , April 16 the Marana Town Council officially recognized May as Building Safety Month with a formal proclamation.

The Town of Marana’s recognizes that the Town’s growth depends on the safety and economic value of the homes, buildings, and infrastructure, both in everyday life and in times of natural disaster. Building safety ensures that the structures are safe and retain their value.

Building Safety Month is a public awareness campaign celebrated by jurisdictions during the month of May. The campaign is presented by the International Code Council and its 64,000 members worldwide as well as a diverse partnership of professionals from building, construction, design and the safety community that all work together on promoting these concepts.  

This year’s Building Safety Month theme is “No Code, No Confidence.” The goal of Building Safety Month  is to raise awareness of the importance of safe and resilient construction, fire prevention, disaster mitigation, and new technologies in the construction industry.

Building Safety Month 2019 hopes to encourage everyone to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety of our built environment. The goal is also to shine a light on the importance of safety codes implemented by local and state agencies in keeping homes, businesses, and individuals safe.

The Town of Marana will be highlighting Building Safety Month  with a public information and outreach campaign. They will be putting up educational materials and on their website and social media accounts all throughout the month. They will host educational events Marana Lowe’s and Home Depot locations as well as making presentations in area schools about careers in building safety.

The ICC campaign consist of individual themes for each of the five weeks within the month of May.

Week 1: (April 29-May 5): Preparing for disasters: Build strong, build smart
Week 2 (May 6-12): Ensuring a safer future through training and education
Week 3 (May 13-19): Securing clean, abundant water for all communities
Week 4 (May 20-26): Construction professionals and homeowners: Partners in safety
Week 5 (May 27-30): Innovations in public safety.

Marana named Tree City USA for the fourth time

Marana planted Saguaros and other cactuses as part of their Arbor Day Celebration.

For the fourth straight year the Town of Marana has been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Jim Conroy and Dave Herman re-plant a Saguaro on Arbor Day.

Tree City USA is a national recognition program that began in 1976, and is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters. Marana joins over 3,400 other cities and towns across America, and 29 cities and towns in Arizona as Tree Cities.  Towns and cities that have received their Tree City USA recognition take pride in this distinction, and the people who live there enjoy the valuable benefits of having a greener, healthier community.

One of the requirements of being a Tree City USA is celebrating Arbor Day and the Town of Marana did that in several ways, including an official proclamation by the Marna Town Council at their April 16 meeting.  

“Arbor Day is so important for the community, for the Town, and for the country. Trees bring so much to everybody, it is a beautiful thing to be under a nice shade tree,” said Marana Parks Superintendent Dave Herman.

Herman is the Chairman of the local Tree City Board, who is behind the Tree City Designation, and also a member of the Southern Arizona Arborist Group (SAAG).

Hedgehog Cactus in Bloom

On Wednesday Herman attended the State of Arizona Arbor Day Celebration. In addition to accepting this year’s award he and other representatives planted a Pistachio tree on the back lawn of the state capital museum.   

The Town of Marana put its own Southern Arizona spin on this year’s Arbor Day celebration. Recently, Herman was able to relocate 20 saguaros from the construction site of the Dove Mountain Senior Living facility. While the building project is keeping many of the Saguaros, some had to be relocated and Herman and his crew took up the task.

This is the best time to harvest Saguaros because they are full of water after winter rains. It also makes it tricky to actually move them because the water makes them quite heavy. However, with all of this stored water they won’t be drought stricken before the summer monsoon hits.   

In addition to the Saguaros, Herman also rescued five Fishhook barrel cactus, 50 Pincushion cactus and 30 Hedgehog cactus which will be in full bloom this month along the Town's new 2.5 miles of the Shared Use Path on the Santa Cruz between Gladden Farms to CalPortland. The new cacti were planted at the five rest stops along the path where they’ll get moisture from the tree irrigation.
 
The Town of Marana will be using these Saguaro plantings as part of their annual Tree City USA Arbor Day” celebration.

“We felt that this was unique to Southern Arizona as not too many Tree City USA member cities could do this kind of planting anywhere else in the United States,” said Marana Parks and Recreation Director Jim Conroy. 

The Town of Marana has officially celebrated Arbor Day annually since 2006 with tree plantings involving volunteers, scouts, school groups, or special event attendees.  Most of those years have included an Arbor Day Proclamation signed by the Mayor.

Marana one of the most popular mid-size Arizona cities to relocate to

The Town of Marana has been named as one of the top-10 most popular mid-size Arizona cities to relocate to in 2019 by MoveBuddha.com. Marana comes in fourth on the list, tops among cities in Southern Arizona.

MoveBuddha.com is a moving information website and analyzed their Arizona move data from the past year to determine the 10 most popular mid-size cities with populations between 10,000 to 50,000.

“If more people want to move to a certain city, you have to assume something special is happening there,” said MoveBuddha.com’s Tyler Wood in a release.

Show Low was the top mid-sized city to relocate to according to the website’s data.

Full List

Paving complete on Ina Road

Paving is complete on Ina Road.

The paving portion of the Ina Beautification Project has been completed. The final mainline pave was the final step of the project that included a complete milling and repaving of the Ina Road and several side streets in the area.

Traffic control markers will remain in place through next week, though all lane restrictions and road closures have ceased.

Town of Marana crews will stripe and paint the roadways next week, but there will be no road closures or expected delays. Next month new light poles will be installed, but traffic restrictions are expected to be minimal. 

The Ina Beautification Project was a comprehensive beautification/improvement project is designed to make the area even more appealing for customers now that the Ina Interchange is accessible again.

Town of Marana did a complete mill and fill of the asphalt on both Ina Road and Aerie Road. All Town streets north of Ina Road, except Camino de Oeste, will have a surface treatment added.

Landscaping was added to bring additional color and plant life along the corridor. New street lights, sidewalks, and accessibility ramps will improve safety and visibility.

Recommended operating budgets presented to Town Council

On Tuesday, April 23, Town Manager Jamsheed Mehta and Finance Director Yiannis Kalaitzidis presented the recommended operating budgets for the General Fund, Bed Tax Fund, Highway User Revenue Fund, Water Operating Fund, Wastewater Operating Fund, and the Airport Operating Fund for fiscal year 2019-2020 to Town Council. Information and direction received from Town Council will then be incorporated into the Town’s tentative budget, which will be presented to Town Council for consideration on May 21.

Town staff worked to compile a summary of the recommended budget, and includes a section on operating capital and projects with descriptions of significant one-time items. The summary also formally lists the items requested to be carried forward into the 2019-2020 recommended budget. Staff anticipates that there will be adequate resources to support these requests.

The budgets presented on April 23 are the operating budgets for the General Fund and other selected operating funds. Special Revenue, Capital Project, and Dept Service Funds were not formally presented, but will be included in the overall tentative budget presented on May 21.  

Click here to view the full presentation file.

Click here to view the Town Council meeting video.

Click here to view the 2020 Manager’s Recommended Operating Budget.

Cortaro Road, eastbound Interstate 10 frontage road to close for paving April 26-27

Cortaro Road at Interstate 10 and the eastbound I-10 frontage road between Cortaro and Gillette roads are scheduled to close starting at 8 p.m. Friday, April 26, for paving.

The following restrictions will be in place from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday, April 27:

• Cortaro Road will close to all traffic at I-10. Vehicles will not be able to travel from the east side of I-10 to the west side, or from the west side to the east side. 

• The ramps between westbound I-10 and Cortaro Road will remain open, but vehicles will not have access to Cortaro Road west of I-10. 

• The exit ramp from eastbound I-10 to Cortaro Road will remain open, but all vehicles must turn right onto Cortaro Road. 

• The entrance ramp from Cortaro Road to eastbound I-10 will be closed. 

• During these hours, motorists needing to cross I-10 should use Twin Peaks or Ina roads.

The following restrictions will be in place from 8 p.m. Friday to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 27:

• The eastbound I-10 frontage road will be closed between Cortaro and Gillette roads. 

• Motorists who need access to businesses along the frontage road should take Arizona Pavilions to Gillette Road or Hartman Lane and wait for a flagger and pilot car to direct them through the work zone.  

Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. For more information, please call the ADOT Bilingual Project Information Line at 855.712.8530 or go to azdot.gov/contact and select Projects from the drop-down menu. For real-time highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT's Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.

Marana rejoins Sun Corridor

The Town of Marana has rejoined Sun Corridor after a seven-year absence from membership to the program. The Marana Town Council unanimously approved the move at their April 16 meeting.

“As a partner with Sun Corridor, the Town will receive access to top elected and business officials through exclusive meetings and updates; be presented with opportunities to weigh-in on development issues and attraction strategies; receive invitations to site selector road shows, media tours and business leadership trips; receive recognition at sponsored events; marketing services and inclusion in ‘confidential attraction projects,’” said Marana Director of Economic Development Curt Woody. “This will give us the opportunity to participate as a regional partner. It would give us the opportunity to help drive the discussions and strategies to help shape the economic development for not just the town of Marana, but for the region as well.”

“We’re thrilled to welcome the Town of Marana as a member of the board of directors,” said Sun Corridor Senior Vice President Laura Shaw in a release. “The Town of Marana will add its voice and expertise along with 71 other Board members (including the Towns of Oro Valley and Sahuarita, as well as the cities of Tucson and Sierra Vista) to aggressively  attract and expand  primary companies in Southern Arizona.”

Sun Corridor is a nonprofit organization focused on coordinating economic development within the Southern Arizona region. Covering Pima, Pinal, Cochise and Santa Cruz counties, the organization specializes in promoting STEM industries: aerospace and defense, automotive, bioscience, healthcare, renewable and mining technology and transportation and logistics. 

“Sun Corridor’s focus is on the business client and placing them in the best possible location in the region,” Woody explained. “This new model is good for the entire region. Regional momentum builds local momentum and Sun Corridor has put Southern Arizona on the national radar.”

Although Marana was not a formal member of Sun Corridor, the Town’s economic development team had a good working relationship with the organization. Joining Sun Corridor strengthens the Town’s relationship with the group, and gives the Town a formal voice on the board of directors and a larger presence in the business recruitment process.