MPD Citizen's Police Academy accepting applications

The Marana Police Department is happy to announce their next Citizen’s Police Academy. The Citizen’s Police Academy is designed to provide our citizens and business community with a greater understanding of the department and its operations through classroom instruction and hands-on experiences. This Academy is a 45-hour block of instruction taught by department employees that showcases several units in the department.

The program objective is to further our partnership with the community and make the Town of Marana an even better place to visit, work and raise a family.

TOPICS COVERED IN THE CLASS:

• Introduction of Command Staff

• Hiring and training academy information

• Patrol duties

• Motor units

• Volunteers in Police Service

• Firearms

• Criminal investigations

• K-9 (dog) unit

• To name a few

ACADEMY REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be 18 or older

• NO felony arrest or convictions

• NO misdemeanor arrests within one year of application

This academy is held every Wednesday from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm for 13 weeks. Classes start February 13th and go until May 1st, 2019. For more information, visit our webpage at (http://www.maranaaz.gov/citizens-police-academy). For further questions please contact the Community Resource Unit at 520-382-2051. Seats are limited so sign up today, but no later than January 30th, 2019!!!

Town of Marana now accepting nominations for Community Awards

Town of Marana is now accepting nominations for the Youth Legacy Award and Branding Iron Awards. These awards are presented to distinguished residents and businesses for their service in the community. Recipients will be invited to accept their awards at the annual Marana State of the Town luncheon held on April 18 at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain.

Youth Legacy Award

The Marana Town Council created the Youth Legacy Award in order to acknowledge youth in the community who make Marana a better place for everyone. Recipients of this award benefit others in the community through acts supporting:

Heart: promoting a healthy and supportive environment for youth;

Body: Fulfilling essential needs such as food, shelter, and safety; or

Mind: Creating educational opportunities enriching young minds. 

The person submitting the nomination cannot nominate himself/herself. Past award recipients are not eligible. The submissions may be awarded in memoriam.

Learn about last year’s recipient.

Branding Iron Awards

Marana Branding Irons are awarded to those who have made a "mark" on the community. Past recipients include former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, former Mayor Ora Mae Harn, Wheeler & Charlene Abbett, and Sargent Aerospace & Defense. 

• One in the Individual category (includes an individual resident or non-resident who works in Marana).

• One in the Organization category (includes civic groups, non-profits, and private businesses)

The person submitting the nomination cannot nominate himself/herself. Past award recipients are not eligible. The submission may be awarded in memoriam.  

Learn about last year’s recipients.

Make Marana 2040: Second round of workshops a success for General Plan update

View the PDF version of this report.

Workshop Overview

The second set of community workshops for the Make Marana 2040 General Plan were held on December 12 and 13, 2018 at 6:00 PM. The December 12th workshop was held at the Marana Municipal Complex and on the workshop on the 13th was held at the Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Library. The objectives for this set of workshops were to:

• Discuss the Map Atlas;

• Identify transportation priorities; and

• Develop land use alternatives.

What Happened?

19 people attended the two workshops. Upon arriving, each attendee was asked to identify on a map, generally, where they live or work in Marana. This was done to see what areas of the town were represented in the workshop results. Attendees at the December 12th workshop were primarily from in Dove Mountain and Continental Ranch. Attendees at the December 13th workshop were largely located west of I-10.

The workshop began with a short presentation informing attendees of the status of the General Plan Update, as well as an overview of the Map Atlas. Participants then split into groups to complete two exercises focused on transportation infrastructure and future development. The exercises and results are described on the following pages.

Exercise 1 – Transportation Planning

In the transportation planning exercise, each group of participants identified where transportation improvements in Marana should occur. Each group was provided a red marker and various colors of yarn used to represent different transportation improvements.

With the red marker, participants identified future intersection improvements, overpasses / underpasses, and I-10 interchanges. Most improvements were identified near existing I-10 interchanges. A new overpass was identified across the Santa Cruz River near Airline Road and new I-10 interchanges were identified at Moore Road and Avra Valley Road eastward.

Next, future roadway improvements and expansions were identified using one-inch pieces of orange yarn. Each inch of yarn represented one mile on the map. Most groups focused on roadway expansions connecting Dove Mountain Boulevard to I-10. Other expansions were noted at Avra Valley Road and Tangerine Road.

Participants then replaced five of their orange yarn pieces with five one-inch red yarn pieces. The red yarn pieces indicate improvements that should be prioritized. There were mixed results with the red yard, including improvements to Tangerine Road, Twin Peaks Road, and Cortaro Road.

Using yellow yarn, the groups identified new transit corridors throughout the town. Most groups created a circulating transit system through Dove Mountain and connecting the Town Center area, Gladden Farms, and the Marana Regional Airport, as well as Bus Rapid Transit routes along I-10.

Lastly, groups were provided blue yarn to locate future trail corridors. These were identified along Tangerine Road, along the Santa Cruz River, through Dove Mountain, and connections into the Saguaro National Park and Ironwood National Monument.

Photos of the complete Transportation Planning exercise results are shown on the following pages.

Exercise 2 – Scenario Planning

The second exercise involved scenario planning in two focus areas: the Marana Regional Airport and the Tangerine Corridor. Both focus areas were gridded into one-inch squares at a scale of 1” = ¼ mile, with each square representing 40 acres. Each group was provided a set amount of LEGO® bricks of various colors, each representing a different land use type as follows:

n 10 yellow bricks for low density residential units (1 du/a or 40 dwelling units)

n 15 orange bricks for medium density residential (5 du/a or 200 dwelling units)

n 5 brown bricks for high density residential (10 du/a or 400 dwelling units)

n 10 red bricks for commercial

n 3 blue bricks for employment

n 8 yellow flowers for community parks

The quantity of bricks was based on future growth projections and assumptions for Marana. Residential bricks were able to be swapped for an equal number of dwelling units. Additionally, four yellow flowers could be swapped for a green brick representing a community recreational facility.

Groups were asked to plan where each brick should be placed within the focus areas. Participants were allowed to stack bricks to increase density and intensity of uses, as well as draw future roadway connections to their envisioned developments. Following is a summary of each groups’ results.

Group 1

Group 1 envisioned development on the north side of I-10 near Tangerine Road. The area was comprised of commercial along the highway corridor, high density residential next to the commercial, and then lower density residential further removed from the interstate. A community recreational facility was placed along Tangerine Road placed next to commercial and high density residential .

Employment bricks and a commercial brick were placed near the Marana Regional Airport, envisioning this area as an employment hub.

Group 2

Participants in Group 2 focused most of their commercial uses along Tangerine Road east of I-10. Most residential uses are located in the Tangerine Corridor Focus Area, transitioning from higher densities nearest to I-10 to lower densities westward near Dove Mountain.

This group also clustered development east of the Marana Regional Airport with a mix of employment, commercial, and medium to high density residential uses, as well as a community recreational facility.

Group 3

Group 3 scattered developments across the two focus areas, with the most clustered activity located along Avra Valley Road east of the Marana Regional Airport. This area features a mixed-use center with employment uses nearest to the airport.

The Tangerine Corridor Focus Area contains clusters of medium- to low-density residential subdivisions north of Tangerine Road, near the Moore Road alignment. There are three individual mixed-use centers spread through the focus area, as well as a community recreational facility.

Group 4

Group 4 created a commercial district east of the Marana Regional Airport, along with a community park. Additionally, this group created a high-density activity hub in the Tangerine Corridor Focus Area, with the highest densities and intensities of uses near the Tangerine Road / I-10 interchange. This cluster of development features two high-intensity commercial districts, a community recreational facility, and three community parks intertwined with high-density and medium-density residential districts within a mile radius of each other. Residential densities decrease as they get farther away from the activity hub.

Overnight closures of Ina Road near I-10 set for Jan. 15 and Jan. 21-25

Ina Road is scheduled to close overnight between Camino de Oeste and Camino de las Capas for paving and barrier work the following dates:

• Westbound Ina Road is set to close from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday, January 15. 

• Both directions of Ina Road are set to close from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly from Monday, Jan. 21, through Thursday, Jan. 24.

Ina Road traffic will detour to Camino de las Capas during the closures.

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.

Cherry Lawson appointed Marana Town Clerk

Town Manager Jamsheed Mehta has appointed Cherry Lawson as Marana Town Clerk effective Monday, January 14.

Lawson was educated in the Detroit Public School system. She received an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Human Service and Disabilities from Highland Park Community College. She received a BA in Psychology and a BS in Criminal Justice Science from Wayne State University in Detroit, later receiving her MS/MPA from Central Michigan University. 

Lawson is currently pursuing the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) designation of a professional manager, and is in the final application stages of receiving the International Institute of Municipal Clerk (IIMC) Master Municipal Clerk (MMC) designation. She is also pursuing credentialing as a Certified Records Manager through the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM). 

Lawson has served as a City Clerk/Elections Administrator and Records Manager for 18 years. Her previous titles include City Clerk for the City of Bloomington, as well as the City Clerk, Elections Administrator, Records Manager, and Cemetery Administrator for the City of Mesquite, Nevada, and as City Clerk and Records Manager for the City of Sedona.

Lawson has had a career in community mental health as a youth counselor/advocate for over 15 years.  Being a public servant was the career path Cherry wanted to pursue, as she saw it as an extension of being able to continue to serve the public beyond the community mental health field. 

“The Town of Marana is very fortunate to welcome Cherry onboard as the new Town Clerk,” said Mehta. “Her extensive experience will greatly attribute to the Town’s success as she upholds the department’s mission to provide excellent customer service to the staff and citizens of the Town of Marana.”

Isaac Abbs appointed Technology Services Director for Town of Marana

Town Manager Jamsheed Mehta has appointed Isaac Abbs as Technology Services Director effective Monday, January 14.

Isaac Abbs previously served as the Director of IT Enterprise Systems for Pima Community College (PCC), where he provided leadership and oversight for the College’s administrative and academic information systems.  He and his team were instrumental in looking for new ways to enhance business processes by properly aligning business needs with technology solutions. 

Prior to working at PCC, Isaac served in various roles with the City of Tucson for seven and a half years.  His last position was as the City Court’s first IT Manager.

“We are very fortunate to have Isaac on board here at the Town,” said Deputy Town Manager Erik Montague. “Isaac brings a diverse technology skill set from a multi-campus college setting.  Those experiences will be very helpful as we continue advancing the use of technology to enhance the value of Town services.”

Make Marana 2040: Third round of workshops seek input from the public

Building a town or city isn’t just an idea. Be a part of building your own community with the Town of Marana General Plan 2040. 

Town of Marana is hosting the third round of Marana 2040 General Plan public workshops on Wednesday, January 23 at the Marana Municipal Complex, and on Thursday, January 24 at Wheeler Taft Abbett Sr. Library.

Attendance is not required for both nights. Participants can choose between the two options to attend.

Attendees will have the opportunity to provide their input on a variety of policy alternatives relating to future growth, housing, transportation, parks and recreation, services, and the environment.

Interested in seeing the results of the first workshop and survey? Click here.

Interested in seeing the results of the second workshop? Click here.

Visit the official Make Marana 2040 project website.

Marana named one of the state's top-10 cities to live in

For the fourth straight year Marana was named one of Arizona's top-10 cities to live in by HomeSnacks.com, a website that uses recent data to paint a picture of what’s happening in a region.

Marana was ranked as the No. 10 Best City to Live In by the website. Marana was also ranked at the No. 8 Richest City in Arizona and the No. 13 Safest City in Arizona.

The website ranked each place in Arizona across a number of criteria from one to 54, with one being the best. Next, they took the average rank across all criteria, with the city posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Place To Live In Arizona”.

The criteria they used were:
Median Home Values
Median Income
Population Density (Higher better)
Unemployment Rate
Commute Time
Crime
Education Levels
Health Insurance Coverage
Poverty rates

Sources of criteria include the New Census Data and FBI Crime Data.

According to the website, “In Marana, everyone loves to call Marana home.”

The Town also earned an 8.5 SnackAbility Ranking, which looks at eight different metrics and scores then on a 1-10 score. Marana scored 8.0 or better in seven of the metrics, and earned 9.0’s for Diversity and Education. The score of 8.5 puts Marana in the top-20 percent of all communities in America.

HomeSnacks.com tries to paint a picture of what it's like to live in places across America. To do that, they gather data from around the web to help determine a wide array of factors about where people live including safety, desirability, and culture.

Full story

Egg Nog Jog kicks off a year of great races + Photo Gallery

Every year the Town of Marana kicks of the new year with their January 1st Egg Nog Jog, and every year the Town’s Parks and Recreation Department invites residents to #RunMarana.

The Town offers a variety of ways to run and hike. Whether you like 10Ks, fun runs, or running on the trails, Marana has a race for you.

The Egg Nog Jog is just one of three holiday themed races. May will bring the Mother’s Day 5k and Fun Run, while next November will see the Town host the next installment of the Turkey Trot.

This year we are adding a few new events to the slate. On March 9 Marana will host the first Cape Chase, which the first of its kind Superhero Adaptive fun run. This is a race for anyone and everyone who is ready to reveal their secret identities and conquer our course full of obstacles.

On May 9 the first Marana Meltdown will take place. The Meltdown is a Mountain Bike Time Trial on the Tortolita Preserve.

In addition to the races, there are other great opportunities to take in the great trails in Marana. There are monthly guided hikes and horseback rides and on March 2 the MOVE Across 2 Ranges, where hikers are invited to hit the trails and experience the challenge and beauty of Southern Arizona's premier hiking destinations in the Tortolita and Catalina Mountains all in one day.

For more information on these and all of the Marana Parks and Recreation events and activities CLICK HERE.

Town seeking event photographer for 2019

Every year, Town of Marana opens a request for quotes (RFQ) process for event photography and videography services for the calendar year.

Click here to learn how to apply and submit your quotes for the 2019 event series.

Interested parties should submit their formal quotes by end of day Thursday, January 31, 2019 to Communications Manager Vic Hathaway by email: vhathaway@maranaAZ.gov to be considered.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Photos by JD FItzgerald.

Photographs from events will be used in marketing materials including webpages, social media, digital advertisements, newspaper print advertisements, and the annual special events book.

Learn more about Town special events.