Video: Tangerine Sky Community Park grand opening

On Friday, August 10, the Town of Marana opened Tangerine Sky Community Park with a grand opening ceremony. The ceremony attracted between 250-300 residents, employees, and stakeholders in the new park.

Marana Parks and Recreation Director, Jim Conroy, emceed this event and thanked all those who made the project possible, as well as giving some facts about the park and the project.

Marana Mayor Ed Honea discussed the importance of the park to this portion of Marana.

The Marana Town Council, several shareholders, and area children participate in the ribbon cutting.

KVOA previewed the opening.

KGUN 9 was also on hand for a sneak preview and had two live reports from the park.

Spaces open on Marana Citizens’ Forum

The Marana Citizens’ Forum (Forum) brings residents, business owners and community partners together to study and address multidisciplinary issues facing the Town. The Forum also functions as a focus group for special projects.   Outcomes and recommendations are presented to the Town Council.

The Forum meets for two sessions each calendar year.  Each session consists of six 1 ½ hour meetings, held every other Thursday in the Conference Center at the Marana Municipal Complex beginning at 5:30 p.m.  The next session will begin September 20, 2018.  

All applications will remain active for one year from the date of receipt. 

Applications are available at under Community/Marana Citizens’ Forum.  Applications can be submitted online.  Call 382-1960 for additional information.

PRESS RELEASE: Tangerine Sky Park grand opening August 10

MARANA — Marana Parks and Recreation Department will hold a grand opening ceremony on Friday, Aug 10 at 9:00 A.M. to commemorate the opening of Tangerine Sky Community Park. The 17-acre park located just south of Tangerine Road near Dove Mountain Road is Town of Marana’s newest park, and the biggest park in the northeast portion of Marana. 

“We are very excited to give the residents in this area of Marana a great park,” said Marana Parks and Recreation Director Jim Conroy. “There is a little something for everyone, people are going to love coming to this park.”

The grand opening ceremony will be the public’s first opportunity to set foot in the park. Attendants will experience a short ribbon cutting ceremony, refreshments, and an opportunity to be the first to try out the many amenities.

Tangerine Sky Park has two dog parks and two playgrounds. The playgrounds are designed for children of different ages, one for preschoolers and the other for older kids. One of the features unique to the area will be a zipline-themed swing that will travel a length of 30-feet.

“The park is surrounded by mountain views on all sides,” Conroy added. “It will be a very unique experience.”

Other features include a basketball court, three ramadas, a perimeter walking path with connectivity to the multi-use path on Tangerine, as well as connections to the Tangerine Sky neighborhood.

INVITATION:

Marana News: Marana Regional Airport to receive $5.5 million grant

Photo by Tucson Local Media.

The Marana Regional Airport will receive a $4.5 million grant to repair an aircraft parking apron, and a $1 million grant to repair a taxiway.

The news came as part of U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announcement that the Federal Aviation Administration will award $770.8 million in airport infrastructure grants, the third allotment of the total $3.18 billion in Airport Improvement Program funding. 

“These Airport Improvement Grants are investments in our country’s critical infrastructure,” Chao said.  “These grants are down payments to ensure Marana Regional Airport remains an economic engine as demand grows...”  

Press Release: Sandbag distribution in Marana during monsoon season

Originally published June 15, 2018. Edited August 6, 2018

MARANA — In anticipation of monsoon, Town of Marana will be handing out sandbags to Marana residents every Tuesday through the end of the rainy season beginning June 19 from 8 AM – 2:30 PM. The last day for regularly scheduled sandbag distribution will be Tuesday, August 28, but additional distributions will be scheduled if the need arises.

Sandbag distributions will be located at El Rio Open Space (10050 N. Coachline Blvd) and Marana Heritage River Park (12280 N. Heritage Park Drive). Public Works staff will load pre-filled sandbags into the vehicle.

"The Public Works Department provides services that are vital to our community’s health, safety, and comfort," said Public Works Director Mo El-Ali. "We provide this service to our community to help keep Marana residents safe."

Limit of 10 sandbags per vehicle. In the event of increased weather, additional distribution dates will be added to the schedule. For more information, please contact Public Works at (520)382-2536, or follow the Town of Marana on Facebook and Twitter.

Public safety a team effort in response to flood events

On July 10, a rainstorm swept through southern Arizona in the early afternoon and left a wave of destruction resulting in multiple lane closures, flooded streets, stranded motorists, and a train derailment.

Responding quickly to minimize the lasting impact on the community and its citizens, Town of Marana immediately activated the Emergency Operation Center, which placed Marana police officers and Town staff on the ground while answering to a centralized command center located at the Marana Municipal Complex. 

"The Emergency Operation Center is vital to addressing community-wide impacts involving all departments at the Town," said Marana Police Chief Terry Rozema. "We are able to streamline our response units and align our efforts with those of Public Works, Northwest Fire District, and other agencies working on the ground to make sure all possible issues are addressed."

Marana Police Department took the lead, managing emergency phone calls and coordinating road closures with the Public Works Department. As news of more and more water rescues and flooded intersections reached the Emergency Operation Center, Marana Police Department knew they had to bring more people into the field. 

With two patrol squads on board, Marana police officers spread their resources across the community. Altogether, the Emergency Operation Center addressed over ten road closures and nine stranded motorists or swift water rescues. The train derailment added to the complexity of the afternoon, requiring 

"As a police officer, I was ready for anything to happen," said Marana Police Officer Nelson. "I knew people would have questions for me, so I tried to be as informed as possible. There were many tasks that need to be completed, and I feel that we came together for the community to accomplish those tasks very quickly."

Officer Nelson had covered a lot of ground on July 10, assisting to block flooded roadways and communicating with stranded drivers to make sure they were safe. After the Union Pacific train derailed at Twin Peaks Interchange, he stayed at the scene until the Union Pacific security arrived. 

"Multi-tasking is something we have to do as police officers," said Officer Nelson. "Command was very good at organizing where people needed to be."

Lead Police Officer Fane served as Deputy Incident Commander for the southern half of Marana, and worked to coordinate officers and resources responding to the flowing washes and flooding. 

"We were able to adapt because of the quick activation of the Emergency Operations Center," said Fane. "Fortunately most of us have had some experience working through heavy rains and are familiar with which areas of town are impacted the most."

Marana Police worked alongside Northwest Fire Districts for most of the swift water rescues and stranded motorists. 

“Days like July 10th tend to test the capabilities of emergency response services on the grandest of scales," said Northwest Fire Chief Brad Bradly. 'Meeting this and other similar challenges within our community requires the commitment and focus of all agencies and services towards a common mission.  It is with this understanding and through the development of critical relationships over time that allow us to perform as a unified front during difficult situations, ensuring the safety and well-being of our citizens.” 

“Emergency response is a team effort and the events of July 10th brought the best out in all of the agencies involved," said Northwest Fire Captain Brian Keeley. " Responders throughout the region worked together, without concern for their own safety, to guarantee the safety of our citizens.  By the end of that day, not a single life had been lost, despite the magnitude of that day’s events, and for us, that is the mission we are called to serve.”

Wastewater treatment plant will allow Marana to grow in future

Originally written as a Manager Message for Marana News. Photo by Tucson Local Media. 

July 1 is the start of the new fiscal year for the Town of Marana, and it is always an exciting time for us. Not only does the new budget go into effect, but it is a period where we start to look forward to the next year and beyond. Less than a week before the new fiscal year began, the expansion to the water reclamation facility was complete and impacted not only the near future for North Marana, but the long-term growth of our community. 

With Marana being one of the fastest-growing communities in the state and north Marana seeing most of the future development, it was vital that we expanded the facility. Marana took over the facility from Pima County in 2012 with the ability to treat 500,000 gallons per day. In 2016 the facility was operating at 70-75 percent of capacity under normal, everyday conditions. Over the following two years, the Saguaro Bloom community linked to the system and the facility came very close to reaching capacity. 

Of the 818 single-family residential permits issued in the prior fiscal year, 287 were for Northwest Marana.

The Town Council voted to fund the expansion in 2016  and the project went on line two years later this June. Now, the wastewater facility can treat triple its previous capacity, equating to a total of 1.5 million gallons per day. Marana can now handle up to 10,000 new homes or businesses coming into the area.

The previous treatment process was being challenged by continuous growth and changing influent conditions. The new facility is providing a cleaner final product and in a more efficient manner. 

The new process, called conventional activated sludge treatment, uses bacteria and biological matter to break down waste and help purify the water. The facility utilizes two separate treatment trains that can treat up to 750,000 gallons per day each. The two treatment trains also allow for redundancy should maintenance be required.  This expansion was designed to allow further expansion with room for additional basins, which was another reason that they selected this process.  

Even though the new facility is able to treat more water than the previous process, the new system will actually be smaller than the original lagoon. Maintaining the square footage and the value of the property was very important to the Town.

The reason Town Council decided to enter the sewer business was to enhance Marana’s water portfolio. The recharge facility, when finished, will recharge 100 percent of the effluent from the new water reclamation facility.  Marana will receive recharge credits for 100 percent of the water stored in the facility from the Arizona Department of Water Resources. These credits allow the town to provide safe, reliable and sustainable resources to our customers, who invest so much in our community.

We are in the final stages of this expansion project and could not be more excited to see everything come on line. Over the next few weeks we will get final approval to fully turn on the the recharge basin and in the early fall we will be hosting a formal ribbon cutting to celebrate the project and all of the benefits it will provide to Marana. 

This wastewater expansion was necessary to ensure that North Marana can continue to grow and thrive. We are thrilled that we can play such an important role in the future of the community. 

John Kmiec is the Marana Water Director. Scott Schladweiler is the Town’s Deputy Water Director.

KVOA: Town of Marana makes push to become movie shoot destination

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Marana has a rich film history. It is known for its beautiful classic landscaped mountains and iconic saguaros--- a  picture perfect backdrop for Hollywood movies. 

"I couldn't believe how much was going on currently and also what the history was of filming since 1939 since the movie 'Arizona' was filmed here,"' said Laura Cortelyou, the Town of Marana's Tourism and Marketing Manager...

Inaugural Youth Citizens Police Academy a success

The Town of Marana had some new and much younger faces around the Marana Municipal Complex during the week of July 16. The Marana Police Department conducted their first Marana Youth Citizens Police Academy, and it was a huge success. The young participants showed a thirst for knowledge when it came to learning more about law enforcement and the workings of the Marana Police Department.

“The Marana Youth Citizens Police Academy is designed to promote and enhance our teens’ understanding and awareness of the many duties and responsibilities of the Marana Police Department and the law enforcement community,” said Marana Police Department Community Resource Officer David Danielson.

Cadets of the Youth Citizen Police Academy had the opportunity to become familiar with the day to day operations of the Marana Police Department, which enabled them to gain a better understanding of the policies and laws that guide an officer's decisions as well as their own decisions as citizens.

The cadets witnessed a number of presentations made by police department staff on a multitude of topics including the Marana Police Department’s mission, ethics, crime prevention, community oriented policing, crisis negotiations, officer safety techniques, and more.

In addition to lectures, cadets were involved in physical activates each day that provided quite a challenge and helped them build skills in areas such as teambuilding, leadership, critical thinking, trust and health and fitness.

They participated in simulated traffic stops, role playing as both the drivers and the officers, and received immediate feedback on their performance by MPD officers.

Follow the Town of Marana and the Marana Police Department on social media for more information on future Youth Citizens Police Academies. 

Traffic Alert: Continental Reserve Loop

The Town of Marana pavement preservation project will continue on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 through Friday, August 3, 2018 with crack fill along Continental Reserve Loop. This work will occur during daytime hours beginning at 7:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Expect moving lane closures and lane shifts.

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.

START DATE:  7/31/2018                                           END DATE:  8/3/2018
DAILY START TIME: 7:00:00                                  DAILY STOP TIME:  17:00:00
SEVERITY: MODERATE

PROJECT CONTACT: For questions related to this specific project, please contact Town of Marana Public Works Office at (520) 382-2536.

An Intern's Perspective - Local Elections

July 20th 2018

 In recent years there has been a large push and multiple campaigns with a mission to get voters to acknowledge the importance of local government elections during election seasons. Although there are many arguments about how this level of government can directly address your community, there are two important considerations of a local election that are often missed. One consideration is the significance of casting a vote during the primary election. The second is the importance of voting every two years since the Town of Marana has staggered elections for Town Council.

Historically, the primary election determines the winners of open council seats for the Town of Marana. This means candidates for Marana Town Council may be voted in during the primary election without the need of a run-off election at the general election. In the 2018 election there are four seats open for Marana Town Council and the four highest vote-getters will win the election. The exception would be if there was any sort of tie that would require a run-off vote. In the event of a run-off vote, only the individuals in that instance of a tie would then move to the general election ballot so that voters can determine their remaining victor(s).    

Arizona is a semi-closed primary in which registered voters can only vote for candidates in their own party. Being semi-closed still allows independent voters the ability to cast a ballot. However, there are more steps required for independent voters.

Independent voters are technically considered “party not designated” so when partisan ballots arrive for individuals registered for a party then the independent voters will also get a notification that they can vote. Independent voters will then need to reach out to Pima County Recorder’s Office, (520)724-4330, to request either a municipal-only ballot or a partisan ballot. Choosing a partisan ballot in this instance would not change the overall status as an independent. Independent voters constitute 31% of the overall registered voters in Pima County.

Each election, Marana residents are able to vote in three or four of the seven council seats. One common question pertains to the purpose or motivation behind staggered elections. Marana Town Council is a body of seven non-partisan members elected by voters with staggered terms. Staggering terms means that every two years there is an election and only a certain number of seats are open. This is compared to non-staggering terms that have all positions open at once every four years.

In the 2018 primary election there are 4 seats open for Marana Town Council, while in 2020 there will be two council seats along with the Mayor’s seat for election. The implication of having staggering terms every two years is that there is more consistency in policy setting.

The Town of Marana has a Council-Manager form of government, which is different from the Strong Mayor form of government. In a Strong Mayor form the Mayor is in charge of both the creation of policy along with Town Council members in addition to the management of day-to-day operations. Within the Council-Manager form of government the Town Council creates policy while the Town Manager implements policy per Council instruction and manages the day-to-day operations. The Town Manager in a Council-Manager form of government is an appointed position by the Town Council and is an at-will employee.

Policies may be difficult to implement if all the elected officials are constantly changing every four years in the event of non-staggering terms. By having staggering elections it provides more policy consistency by having a certain number of council members remain in office. 

If residents in the Town of Marana are looking to make a large impact, then they may consider voting every two years in the primary election regardless if it is a presidential-election or not. Currently, there are four seats open on Marana Town Council in the 2018 primary election. The Town of Marana’s official candidate filings, in alphabetical order, include: Mace Bravin, Patti Comerford, Jeff Gray, Herb Kai, Jack Neubeck, John Officer, and Jon Post.

 If you would like to participate in the primary election (August 28th, 2018) and have a voice in your local government, please register by July 30th, 2018. The link below contains information for residents who want to register to vote, find their polling stations, request an early ballot, see Town Council candidate filings, and see more information regarding independent voters:

http://www.maranaaz.gov/voter-information

            If you have additional questions about this year’s local election please reach out to the Town of Marana Town Clerk’s Office at 520-382-1962

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Andrea Sirois is a post-graduate intern at the Town of Marana during summer 2018. 

Arizona Daily Star: Arts thrive in Marana

The Arizona Daily Star had a terrific article on the Marana Community Music Theater and their performance this Friday of The Wizard of Oz, as well as how the arts are thriving in Marana. 

Nearly 70 cast members, when you include the full orchestra, have spent weeks this summer getting ready for a one-night-only performance on Friday, July 27.

 For the past six weeks, they have filled one of the conference rooms of the Marana Senior Center next to Ora Mae Harn Park two nights a week. For several hours on those nights, they follow the direction of MCMT founders Sarah Ross and Heidi Barker to prepare for that performance.

But this is about more than a night at the theater…

“If this is something that brings pleasure and gets people involved because you’re going to have young and old and every ethnic group and every neighborhood involved, we invest in our people,” said Mayor Ed Honea.

The town places artwork by high school students and area artists in its parks. One of the most ambitious recently was steel statues of a deer family designed by Tucson artist Trevor O’Toole and crafted by welding students from Marana High School that was installed on Tangerine Road as a centerpiece of the upcoming Tangerine Sky Park. It also hosts school choirs for performances at town events, from Founders Day to the Fourth of July.

Read the FULL STORY

Eastbound I-10 off-ramp at Cortaro Road closed night of July 26

The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers to plan for an overnight closure of the Interstate 10 off-ramp at Cortaro Road on Thursday, July 26.

The off-ramp is set to close at 9 p.m. and reopen at 7 a.m. the following morning while crews install an overhead sign structure.

Motorists on eastbound I-10 should use the Twin Peaks Road interchange and follow the frontage road to West Pavilions Drive to reach Cortaro Road.

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 Project Information Line at 855.712.8530 or email Projects@azdot.gov. 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 when driving.

Input wanted on the Marana Sign Code

Town of Marana is undergoing a review of its Sign Code in anticipation of the next update. They are interesting in what the public has to say regarding the Sign Code.

The Town would like to invite the public to participate by submitting review comment(s) to the Draft Sign Code Regulations. Please submit your comments using this ONLINE FORM. Forms will be accepted until August 24,2018.

For more information and public meeting dates, please visit http://www.maranaaz.gov/ldcinformation.

An Intern's Perspective - Police and technology

June 7th 2018

“Are you going to the Kentucky Derby?” A police officer asked Management Intern Andrea Sirois. The intern was wearing a long blue flowery shirt and large summer hat to observe a day-long training at the shooting range. In hindsight this might not have been the most practical outfit for her to don, but this was Andrea’s first time in a shooting range and just her second day at the Marana Police Department as part of her month-long shadowing of all the Town Departments.

“I am going for best dressed!” the Intern responded, matching the officer’s friendly banter.

Marana’s Police Department definitely has a positive attitude and healthy sense of humor, which tends to be important since they typically deal with emergencies and crisis management on a daily basis. It also plays well when interacting with the public in non-emergency situations.

“Community policing” is the approach Marana Police Department embodies when interacting with Town of Marana residents. This philosophy follows the ideals that these public safety officers are ambassadors for our cities and towns, and participate in direct involvement with citizens.

This philosophy manifests in organized events like Coffee with a Cop or Dispose-A-Med, or during casual situations like making a joke about the Kentucky Derby to put a nervous Intern at ease. These interactions create personalized relationships between public safety officers, residents, and local organizations.

Shadowing the police department this week has brought up great conversational pieces and perspectives. Within two days it provided hands-on experience from observing a police ride-along to weapons training in the shooting range. It was also an opportunity to speak with the police records department, crime scene investigations, and emergency dispatch divisions of the police department.

One of the more remarkable observations during the police ride-along was discovering the evolution of technology in the public sector. Officer Goering, who has 13 years of experience in public safety, explained methods used in the past before vehicle laptops were readily available. When dispatchers would give information, some officers would pull over on the side of the road to take notes on a notepad while others would take a dry erase marker to their window to jot down the critical information.

This happened just 13 years ago.

From a resident perspective, 2005 was a time of so much available technology. Most residents had access to the Apple IPod Classic, and the Xbox 360 was launched that same year.

The police records division was especially enthusiastic about the advancement of police laptop access because it meant they no longer had to decipher the police officers’ handwriting for written reports. Although one officer admitted that they still like to provide reports in handwriting, if only it were still an option.

Having in-vehicle laptops significantly helped improve communication between dispatchers and officers, created more efficiency in the records division, provided information to court systems, and provided more accurate and timely reports.   

Overall, the Marana Police Department is very interesting. The range and scope of what they do day in and day out is fascinating, and more far reaching than one would assume from the outside.  While keeping the community safe is the primary goal, there are far more methods of accomplishing that than what we may see on television procedurals.  

If you are interested in getting involved with Marana’s Police Department and would like to learn more about the pressing issues of the department or interact more closely please look into the Citizens Academy Police Department: http://www.maranaaz.gov/citizens-police-academy/

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Andrea Sirois is a post-graduate intern at the Town of Marana during summer 2018. 

Traffic Alert: Storm Cleanup on Silverbell Road

START DATE:  07/16/2018                                          

END DATE: 07/20/2018

DAILY START TIME:  6:00:00                                  

DAILY STOP TIME:  19:00:00

SEVERITY: MODERATE

PROJECT CONTACT: For questions related to this specific project, please contact Town of Marana Public Works Office at (520) 382-2536.

Travel Impact:  Light delays

Granite Construction will be preforming storm clean up on Silverbell Road between Cantamar Street and Continental Reserve Loop. Traffic may be delayed for a short period of time due to lane closures. Work will continue through this week.

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.

Town of Marana Pavement Preservation Program: Continental Reserve Loop

The Town of Marana pavement preservation will resume on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 through Friday, July 20, 2018 with crack fill on Continental Reserve Loop. This work will occur during daytime hours beginning at 7:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Expect moving lane closures and lane shifts.

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.

Storm clean-up may cause brief delays

The Town of Marana will be preforming storm clean up at multiple locations including Silverbell Road., Twin Peaks Road., Tangerine Road., Coachline Road., Camino de Manana, Linda Vista, Hartman, Thornydale Road., Moore Road., Sandario Road., and other Marana roads within our jurisdiction. Traffic may be delayed for a short period of time at each location.

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.

START DATE:  07/11/2018                                           END DATE: 07/20/2018
DAILY START TIME: 08:00:00                                  DAILY STOP TIME:  2:30:00
SEVERITY: MODERATE

PROJECT CONTACT: For questions related to this specific project, please contact Town of Marana Public Works Office at (520) 382-2536.

Flash Flood Safety Tips

The National Weather Service has provided some great tips for Flash Flood Safety:

On average, more people are killed by flooding than by any other single severe weather hazard, including tornadoes, lightning, and hurricanes. Most of these deaths occur at night, when it is more difficult to recognize flood dangers, and when people are trapped in vehicles. Do you and your family know what to do in case of a flood?

Remember…

• DO NOT drive onto a flooded roadway.
• DO NOT drive through flowing water.
• If you approach a roadway that is flooded, TURN AROUND - DON’T DROWN.
• Drive with extreme caution if roads are even just wet or it is raining. You can lose control of your vehicle if hydroplaning occurs, which is when a layer of water builds up between your tires and the road, causing there to be no direct contact between your vehicle and the road.

If a Flash Flood Warning is issued for your area…

• If advised to evacuate, do so immediately! Act quickly to save yourself, you may not have much time.
• Get out of areas that are subject to flooding and move to a safe area before access is cut off by flood waters. Low spots such as dips, canyons, and washes are not the places you want to be during flooding!
• DO NOT camp or park your vehicle along streams and washes, particularly during threatening conditions.
• DO NOT drive if not necessary. If driving is necessary, do not attempt to drive over a flooded road, as the depth of the water is not always obvious, and the roadway may no longer be intact under the water. Never drive around a barricade, they are placed there for your protection! If your vehicle stalls, leave it immediately and move to higher ground before water sweeps you and your vehicle away.
• DO NOT try to walk, swim, or play in flood water. You may not be able to determine if there are holes or submerged debris, or how quickly the water is flowing, and you may be swept away. If water is moving swiftly, as little as 6 inches of water can knock you off of your feet! There is also a danger of hazardous materials polluting the water. Also remember that water is an electrical conductor, if there are power lines down, there is a possibility of electrocution.
• Always continue to monitor the situation through the National Weather Service website, your NOAA Weather Radio All-Hazards, or favorite local television or radio stations.

Why is “Turn Around - Don’t Drown” so important?

Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other severe weather related hazard. The main reason is people underestimate the force and power of water. More than half of all flood related deaths result from vehicles being swept downstream. Of these, many are preventable.

More flood safety tips can be found on the National Weather Service website. 

Additional sandbag distribution date set for Friday, July 13

MARANA — Town staff has added Friday, July 13 as an additional day for sandbag distributions. Residents can collect their sandbags from 8 AM - 2:30 PM.

Sandbag distributions will be located at El Rio Open Space (10050 N. Coachline Blvd) and Marana Heritage River Park (12280 N. Heritage Park Drive). Public Works staff will load pre-filled sandbags into the vehicle.

Limit of 10 sandbags per vehicle. In the event of increased weather, additional distribution dates will be added to the schedule. For more information, please contact Public Works at (520)382-2536, or follow the Town of Marana on Facebook and Twitter.

During monsoon, Town of Marana will be regularly handing out sandbags to Marana residents every Tuesday through the end of the rainy season beginning June 19 from 8 AM – 2:30 PM.

"The Public Works Department provides services that are vital to our community’s health, safety, and comfort," said Public Works Director Mo El-Ali. "We provide this service to our community to help keep Marana residents safe."