In March 2008, the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Board approved an annual $5 fee for the recreation membership program. The fee was approved to generate revenue to offset the proposed closure of community centers on Mondays due to budget reductions, and this budget solution was adopted by the City Council. To assist those who might find the fees a hardship, special funds were established through donations and/or fund raising to sponsor memberships. Through the efforts of Maricopa County District 5 Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox and Councilmembers Johnson and Nowakowski, the Host Marriott Inc. donated $13,250 through 10 businesses to sponsor recreation memberships for participants at community centers in Districts 7 and 8. Participating businesses include: El Bravo, Grand Isle Yogurt (Coldstone and Einstein Bros.), JD Hogg’s, Oaxaca, Phoenix Airport Food Services (Paradise In Flight), Sylterbran, Famous Famiglia, Yoshi’s, Flo’s, JMJ-LLC (Wendys), and Chilli’s.

OTHER INFORMATION

As stipulated by the donor, funds were distributed between fourteen facilities throughout districts 7 and 8 including: Barrios Unidos, Central, Harmon, Grant, Coleman, Coffelt - Lamoreaux, Luke Krohn, Sidney P. Osborn, Smith, Foothills Village, South Mountain, Hermoso, Hayden, and Playa Margarita. To date, nearly 1000 cards have been issued through the sponsored fund. Funds are still available at most locations. Signs have been posted at each location promoting the sponsorship program.

Many other community centers across the City have received donations for membership sponsorships from businesses, individuals, community associations and youth groups.

RECOMMENDATION

This report is for informational purposes only.

CITY COUNCIL REPORT
POLICY AGENDA
TO:	David Krietor Deputy City Manager Ed Zuercher Deputy City Manager	AGENDA DATE:		November 25, 2008
FROM:	Donald L. Maxwell Community and Economic Development Director Jerome Miller Neighborhood Services Director	ITEM:	4
SUBJECT:	NORTH I-17 CORRIDOR UPDATE

This report provides the City Council with an update on economic activity along the North Interstate 17 corridor within Council District 1.

THE ISSUE

Interstate 17 is the major north-south transportation corridor in the state of Arizona. The freeway also provides the north-south backbone for the freeway system in the Valley. Every day more than 200,000 vehicles travel within the city of Phoenix utilizing I-17.

The Interstate 17 freeway corridor is a critical component of transportation for businesses and residents within Council District 1. The freeway runs along the eastern boundary of District 1 and anchors many commercial and residential developments in the area. Council District 1 has benefited greatly from its proximity to this freeway corridor, and is positioned for continued growth and opportunity in part because of the incredible access to the District afforded by Interstate 17.

Business Development

Countless businesses have located along the Interstate 17 corridor over the years. USAA is the largest company to move into the area in recent years, employing 3,000 people on its 500 acre campus. Other major employers include Honeywell, American Express, Petsmart and the Deer Valley Airport.

Recreation Opportunities

The recreational opportunities available in District 1 are endless. From organized sports leagues to hiking and mountain biking, there are opportunities for all. The Parks and Recreation Department is involved in a number of initiatives in the area including a new community park at the Deem Hills Recreation Area.

The Ben Avery Shooting Facility, located at the northwest corner of I-17 and the Carefree Highway, provides another opportunity for residents to enjoy the unique amenities of District 1. Ben Avery is designated as a five-star rated shooting range by the National Association of Shooting Ranges. The property is owned and operated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and is the largest shooting facility in the country that is operated by a public agency.

Visitors and area residents are afforded an opportunity to travel back in time when they visit the Pioneer Living History Village located at I-17 and Pioneer Road. Pioneer Village includes 30 buildings that date from or are replicas of buildings from the 1880s through the turn of the century. Interpreters dressed in period costumes share insights into the history of the city and state. Pioneer Village celebrated its grand opening in 1969. Planning for this museum, which seeks to preserve Arizona’s western heritage, began in 1956.

Educational Opportunities

Along the I-17 corridor and throughout District 1, there are several colleges and universities available to those interested in pursing undergraduate and advanced degrees. The ASU West campus includes 19 buildings nestled on 300 acres with room for future expansion. The nearly 9,000 students enrolled at ASU West have 50 degree programs available to them at this campus.

Quality Neighborhoods

Council District 1 is home to well-established neighborhoods and newer residential communities. Numerous neighborhood groups and block watch organizations continue to make a positive impact on the area through the concerted efforts of residents working together. The Goldwater Block Watch group, near Deer Valley and 35^th Avenue, is an excellent example of the efforts that committed residents are making to maintain the quality of neighborhoods. This Block Watch has been successful in partnering with the business community in the area and working to clean up blighted areas, remove graffiti and to prevent vandalism in the neighborhood. Other active groups include Metro Neighborhood Block Watch, Cactus Park Community Alliance, and Alta Vista Neighborhood Block Watch.

Retail Development

Within Council District 1, there are more than 60 shopping locations totaling over nine million square feet. Destination retail centers in the District include the Outlets at Anthem, the Shops at Norterra and Metrocenter Mall, among many others. Recognizing the opportunities for growth in District 1, a number of retail developers have initiated new projects in the area, such as the shops at Norterra. Others are reinvesting in existing projects, such as the Outlets at Anthem, which recently completed an expansion of retail space at the property.

Metrocenter Mall, which anchors District 1’s southern border, has Arizona’s first mega mall. Open since 1973, Metrocenter recently completed an interior and exterior remodel. Anchored by Macy’s, Dillard’s, Sears and Harkins Theatres, Metrocenter features 160 shops, including Old Navy, G by Guess, American Eagle and more.

Sales tax revenue accounts for a substantial portion of the General Fund; therefore, the importance of maintaining and increasing this revenue source is critical to providing many essential City services, such as Police and Fire protection services, parks and libraries. The Community and Economic Development Department (CEDD) continues to make retail business development a significant priority because of the importance of the retail sales taxes generated by these businesses. Also, CEDD continues to promote its “Shop Phoenix” campaign reminding City employees and residents of the importance of shopping locally.

RECOMMENDATION

This item is for information only.

CITY COUNCIL REPORT
POLICY AGENDA
TO:	Rick Naimark Deputy City Manager	AGENDA DATE:		November 25, 2008
FROM:	Carolyn F. Bristo Acting Public Works Director	ITEM:	5
SUBJECT:	PLASTIC BAG RECYCLING UPDATE

This report provides an update to the City Council on the results of the one-year-old Bag Central Station-Where Plastic Bags Belong voluntary plastic bag recycling program. Staff requests the City Council approve continued implementation of the Bag Central Station where-Where Plastic Bags Belong program.

THE ISSUE

Film plastic bags create many challenges in the collection, processing, and marketing of recyclables. In addition, plastic bags are a major source of litter. To address these challenges, Public Works partnered with the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance (AFMA) and various Phoenix retailers to implement a voluntary plastic bag recycling program, Bag Central Station-Where Plastic Bags Belong. On December 5, 2007, the City Council passed a Resolution to implement the voluntary plastic bag program. Staff was directed to monitor the success of the program and report findings.

The Resolution assumes that grocery stores place a recycling container(s) for plastic bags in a prominent location inside their store(s) as well as incorporate a Reduce, Reuse, Recycle message on all carry-out plastic bags. In addition, retail establishments and Public Works agreed to provide ongoing education and marketing of the plastic bag recycling program to include encouraging the use of reusable carry-out bags.

OTHER INFORMATION

Public Works and AFMA developed measures to monitor the program’s success. AFMA measured the amount of plastic bags returned to stores for recycling and tracked the number of retailers offering reusable bags. Public Works monitored the volume of plastic bags coming into the City’s Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs). Both partners have worked to increase the number of retailers participating in the program.

There have been significant accomplishments over the past year. 1.2 million pounds of film plastic was returned to grocery stores for recycling. This correlates with recent audits of both of the City’s MRFs that have shown a 20% decrease in the amount of film plastic coming through the MRFs compared to the same period last year.

The sale and distribution of reusable bags by retailers and the City continues to increase. To date, over 653 grocery stores and retailers are selling reusable grocery bags. In addition to retail reusable bag distribution, Public Works has distributed more than 69,000 reusable bags at various events throughout the city.

Public Works and the members of AFMA continue to coordinate Bag Central Station presentations and publicity events. Public Works provided presentations on Bag Central Station to the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona League of Cities and Towns Conference.

Public Works provided outreach to the public through a variety of methods such as:

· Incorporating Bag Central Station information into school shows and activity books

· Providing new displays for use at grocery stores, libraries and other public venues

· Collaborating with the Valleywide Recycling Partnership (VRP) for a mass media campaign from mid-March to mid-May that included radio ads and a television promotion with station CW6

· Creating a website, bagcentralstation.com, in conjunction with the Arizona Recycling Coalition and Earth 911

Efforts are also being made to expand the Bag Central Station campaign to other retailers and other cities throughout the state, including Kingman, Tucson, Tempe, Globe, and Flagstaff. This includes expanding to retail outlets other than grocery stores, such as Westcor malls. Paradise Valley Mall, owned by Westcor, partnered with the City of Phoenix to advertise Bag Central Station at the mall, as well as distribute reusable bags and collect plastic bags for recycling on site for five months.

Staff has also reached out to the Arizona Retailers Association, to involve businesses such as Checker Auto, Home Depot and Big Lots in the program. The VRP will also be reaching out to Gannett Newspapers and the Arizona Republic regarding their use of plastic bags.

CONCLUSION

The Bag Central Station-Where Plastic Bags Belong voluntary plastic bag recycling program has been a model public/private partnership and a tremendous success. The partnership will work to solidify new partnerships and maintain the momentum achieved during the first year of the program.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff requests the City Council approve continued implementation of the Bag Central Station where-Where Plastic Bags Belong program. Staff will return with an update in June, 2009.

This item was recommended by the Parks, Education, Bio-Science and Sustainability Subcommittee at its October 8, 2008 meeting.

1.	Council Information and Follow-up Requests/Consent Agenda/Call for E-Session
2.	Employee Service Award Announcements (NO REPORT)
3.	Recreation Membership Program Sponsorships
4.	North I-17 Corridor Update
5.	Plastic Bag Recycling Update

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