On September 30th, Pinal County brought together elected officials from Pinal cities, towns, Native American communities, as well as members of our county’s state and Congressional delegations for an Economic Development Summit. In an effort to make sure that these officials had the latest information on the “how’s” and “why’s” of economic development, speakers from across the state were assembled to present a comprehensive picture of what economic development is, how it works, what we’re doing now, and how to take our efforts to bring jobs to Pinal County to the next level.

The sessions were recorded and copies of the DVD will be provided to our local governments to help brief newly elected officials as they take office. Drill down sessions on specific issues (i.e. transportation systems, utilities, workforce development, etc.) will take place later – but they, too, will be taped and distributed to the same entities.

Late last month, the State of Arizona and Pinal County received notice from the Environmental Protection Agency that they were promulgating their Non-Attainment Area Map for PM10 (particulate matter or dust in our air). As you may remember, it was about a year ago that we first learned that the EPA was looking at Pinal County’s air quality and measurements of dust particles therein.

Representatives from the county, production agriculture, dairy, cattle feeding and building construction industries joined folks from the sand, rock and gravel industry as well as local governments to offer our plan for mitigation to the EPA. A reasonable area was proposed in April. However, the proposed map released by the EPA labels most of the western half of Pinal County (excluding Native American lands) as being designated Non-Attainment for PM10.

The EPA’s “official” notice for this designation gets published in the Federal Register, starting a 60 day public comment period. Once that deadline passed, EPA will analyze those comments and then post their final notice in the Federal Register. That means that come March, 2011, much of Pinal County will officially be in Non-Attainment. After that, there’s an 18-month process for identifying appropriate mitigation strategies and adopting an enforceable plan for mitigation.

Before I move to a review of the October calendar, I’d like to share some other news. As everyone knows, County Manager Terry Doolittle will be retiring in mid-October. The Board of Supervisors mounted a nationwide recruitment and recently interviewed four very well qualified candidates for the post. After performing all due diligence, the Board unanimously offered the post to Mr. Fritz Behring. Mr. Behring has an impressive resume of governmental service and comes to us from Clay County, Florida which is located close to the Jacksonville metroplex and between Jacksonville and Orlando. I am impressed with Mr. Behring and believe he has the skills and experiential background to bring us through this time of economic turmoil and to the next level as we begin to build the Sun Corridor.

Now onward to the calendar. Everyone’s invited to two days of fun and festivities in Maricopa, October 8 and 9: it’s Stagecoach Days and there’s a Barn Dance on Friday night and loads of family-oriented things to do in Pacana Park on Saturday the 9th. For more information, go to http://www.maricopachamberofcommerce.com. Next up on your social calendar should be the fourth annual Grape Escapes on October 22nd. It’s a fund-raiser for F.O.R. Maricopa Food Bank with a twist. The prizes are delicious and the hors d’ouerves will be awesome. For more information, click on http://formaricopa.org/wine.

If you’ve driven down Jimmie Kerr Boulevard this year, you may have wondered about the really tall building being constructed next to the Fertizona plant on Peart Road, south of the UPRR tracks. On Saturday, October 23rd you’ll have a chance to tour the newly dedicated Cargill plant. Cargill is an international company that produces and markets food and agricultural products – Pinal is very fortunate and pleased to have them as a corporate neighbor.

Finally, it’s that time again! Against Abuse, Inc. will be putting on the 24th Annual Tasted of Casa Grande on October 24th – this year in the Robson Ranch Clubhouse in Eloy. Tickets are $40 apiece and the feasting, fun, and prizes begin at 1 p.m. lasting until 4 that afternoon. If you’re ready to sample the wares of 32 local restaurants, tickets can be purchased from an Against Abuse Board member or by calling 520.836.1239.

David Snider, Supervisor
Pinal County District 3

The K-12 Student Center, College Center and Adult Career Center from Tutor.com includes live, one-to-one tutoring, a real-time writing center and 24/7 access to worksheets, videos and tutorials in just about any subject.   Any patron with a Pinal County library card can access the new online services from the library or right from home.

The live, online tutoring and resume writing service is available every day from 1:00 pm until 10:00 pm.  The service is completely free for Pinal County library patrons.  To access the service please visit the library’s website at http://catalog.pinalcountyaz.gov.

“I’m pleased that we are able to offer a valuable service that helps both students and job seekers,” said Library District Director Denise Keller.  “The best part is that it is free to use for our library members.”

Students of all ages and job seekers can find the help they need by simply visiting the library’s website and looking for the Tutor.com graphic.   Tutor.com has a network of over 2,000 certified tutors as well as career specialists who are ready to help with just about any question you may have.  Here’s the type of help you can get in each center.

• K-12 Student Center:  Students can get help with homework, test preparation, skills and concepts they are learning in class and standardized test preparation and college entrance exams.  Subjects include math, science, social studies and English.

• College Center: Besides subject-specific help, students can prepare for the GED and get resume help or prepare for graduate school entrance exams.

• Adult Career Center: Adults going back to school can get subject-specific help, prepare for the GED, get resume help or prepare for the citizenship exam.

Each center also includes real-time writing assistance from English tutors or career specialists for adults working on resumes.   Students and job seekers get immediate feedback, writing tips and strategies as well as proofreading.  Need help at midnight?  No problem.  Each center includes 24/7 access to thousands of resources including study guides, worksheets, videos and more in  math, science, social studies, English, resume writing,  GED prep, Citizenship exam prep and more.

Technical information:

Household data:       (202) 691-6378  *  cpsinfo@bls.gov *  www.bls.gov/cps

Establishment data:   (202) 691-6555  *  cesinfo@bls.gov *  www.bls.gov/ces

Media contact:         (202) 691-5902  *  PressOffice@bls.gov

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION — JULY 2010

Total nonfarm payroll employment declined by 131,000 in July, and the unem- ployment rate was unchanged at 9.5 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statis- tics reported today. Federal government employment fell, as 143,000 temporary workers hired for the decennial census completed their work. Private-sector payroll employment edged up by 71,000.

Household Survey Data

Both the number of unemployed persons, at 14.6 million, and the unemployment rate, at 9.5 percent, were unchanged in July. (See table A-1.)

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for adult men (9.7 per- cent), adult women (7.9 percent), teenagers (26.1 percent), whites (8.6 per- cent), blacks (15.6 percent), and Hispanics (12.1 percent) showed little or no change in July. The jobless rate for Asians was 8.2 percent, not seasonally adjusted. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

In July, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and

over) was little changed at 6.6 million. These individuals made up 44.9 per- cent of unemployed persons. (See table A-12.)

The civilian labor force participation rate (64.6 percent) and the employment- population ratio (58.4  percent) were essentially unchanged in July; however, these measures have declined by 0.6 percentage point and 0.4 point, respec- tively, since April. (See table A-1.)

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes re- ferred to as involuntary part-time workers) was essentially unchanged over the month at 8.5 million but has declined by 623,000 since April. These in- dividuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job. (See table A-8.)

About 2.6 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force in July, an increase of 340,000 from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally ad-justed.) These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were avail- able for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the

4 weeks preceding the survey. (See table A-16.)

Among the marginally attached, there were 1.2 million discouraged workers in July, up by 389,000 from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally ad-

justed.) Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. The remaining 1.4 million persons marginally attached to the labor force had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance or family responsi- bilities. (See table A-16.)

Establishment Survey Data

Total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 131,000 in July, reflecting the departure of 143,000 temporary Census 2010 workers from federal government pay- rolls. Total private employment edged up over the month (+71,000). Thus far this year, private sector employment has increased by 630,000, with about two-thirds of the gain occurring in March and April. (See table B-1.)

Manufacturing employment increased by 36,000 over the month. Motor vehicles and parts had fewer seasonal layoffs than normal for July, contributing to a season- ally adjusted employment increase of 21,000. The industry had added 32,000 jobs in the first 6 months of the year. In July, employment in fabricated metals rose by 9,000. Manufacturing employment has expanded by 183,000 since December 2009.

Health care added 27,000 jobs in July. Over the past 12 months, health care em- ployment has risen by 231,000.

In July, employment in transportation and warehousing edged up by 12,000. Since a recent low in February, transportation and warehousing has added 56,000 jobs.

Mining employment rose by 7,000 in July, with the gain concentrated in support activities for mining. Mining has added 63,000 jobs since October 2009.

Employment in professional and business services was little changed (-13,000) in July. The number of jobs in temporary help services showed little movement (-6,000) over the month.

Employment in financial activities continued to trend down in July, with a decline of 17,000. So far this year, monthly job losses in the industry have averaged 12,000, compared with an average monthly job loss of 29,000 for all of 2009.

Construction employment changed little (-11,000) in July; 10,000 construction workers were off payrolls due to strike activity.

Employment in other private-sector industries, including wholesale trade, re- tail trade, information, and leisure and hospitality showed little change in July.

Government employment fell by 202,000 in July, largely reflecting the loss of 143,000 temporary workers hired for Census 2010. Employment in both state and local governments edged down over the month.

In July, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 0.1 hour to 34.2 hours. The manufacturing workweek for all em- ployees increased by 0.1 hour to 40.1 hours, following a decrease of 0.5 hour in June. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 0.1 hour to 33.5 hours in July. (See tables B-2 and B-7.)

Average hourly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 4 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $22.59 in July. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 1.8 percent. In July, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees increased by 2 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $19.04. (See tables B-3 and B-8.)

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for May was revised from +433,000 to +432,000, and the change for June was revised from -125,000 to -221,000

Can it really be true?  Is it really August already?  Yes, Virginia – it’s once again time to report to the classroom for another scholastic year of academic achievement and excellence.  For some the month of August is also the last gasp of summer vacations as at least one more trek into Arizona’s mountains or long weekend trip to San Diego is undertaken.  However, the one thread that’s common to all of us is the need to once again practice vigilance when we drive through school zones and crossings: slow down to 15 mph, don’t pass one another, and keep an eye out for children who don’t always wait for the crosswalk and a crossing guard.

Thousands of veterans in Pinal County recently dodged another bullet: this one coming from the State of Arizona.  The Department of Veterans Service lost its full-time Veterans Benefits Counselor for the Pinal County/Casa Grande office – and the rumor was that the office was to be shut down due to budgetary constraints.  A number of elected officials, including me, joined the swelling chorus of veteran voices urging the full restoration of staff and hours of service.  I, for one, had several conversations with senior staff in the Department who assured me that the office and vacant position would be restored as soon as the state’s bureaucracy released the recruitment and hiring authority.

Shortly after that first call, another call confirmed that the (full-time) position was being advertised and the office would remain open.  Our veterans deserve the best and having access to benefits counseling here in Pinal County is the least Arizona can do to say “thank you for your service to our country.”  And speaking of remembering our county’s veterans, a small but determined band of residents led by Cecil Ahliel, Joanne Galindo, and former Pinal County Sheriff Frank Reyes are seeking to construct a permanent memorial wall for our county’s fallen soldiers.  Their work is in the formative stages but expectations run high as they organize.  For more information, contact the Veterans Memorial Foundation at pinalcvmf@gmail.com or 520.466.0280.

Some of you Gentle Readers may know that the National Parks Service has been working with various local interests to enlarge the footprint of the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument so it incorporates more of the known Hohokam town sites in the Coolidge-Florence area.   The bill to expand the Ruins passed out of the full Natural Resources Committee of the House of Representatives in mid-July.  The bill can now be calendared for a floor vote of the full House or packaged with a number of natural resource bills (omnibus bill) and brought to the floor.  This is a measure that Rep. Kirkpatrick has been working on – it has the full support of local governments, land owners, and the Native American communities.

Returning for a moment to our hot and sweaty August environment – I’d like to remind everyone about the dangers in having standing bodies of water around your yard or patio.  This summer has seen the return of mosquitoes in a really big way.  Several locations in western Pinal County have been swarmed with these flying, biting critters but fortunately most of them are not carrying West Nile Virus.  County residents have been very helpful in the fight against West Nile virus.  Our Environmental Health staff relies on your help to spot potential mosquito breeding sites – especially green or abandoned swimming pools.

Unmaintained pools are an excellent breeding ground for mosquitoes of all kinds.  If left unattended, each one of these green pools has the potential to become a “mosquito factory” producing literally millions of mosquitoes in a short time.  By reporting green and abandoned swimming pools via the Mosquito Hotline (520.866.6200 or 866.287.0209 extension 6200) you can help reduce the number of mosquitoes in your neighborhood.  Please keep in mind that it would be helpful when reporting a green swimming pool, if you include the street address of the house with the green pool and your name and phone number in the event that additional information is needed.

In the meantime, hang in there everyone: there’s only 60 (or so) days left before fall and cooler (I hope, I hope, I hope!) weather.

David Snider, Supervisor

Pinal County District 3

http://www.azpost.state.az.us/SB1070infocenter.htm

The grant will provide funding for AzCI to purchase laboratory equipment, establish a “Mentor in Residence Program” and develop a commercialization training program that can be implemented state-wide. The grant is funded from federal stimulus dollars.

“This grant is a wonderful way to emphasize the importance of developing a technology based economy in our state by growing our own technology companies. We have the ‘idea’ assets with our universities and several strong industries, but need to develop a stronger infrastructure that supports the entrepreneur,” says Governor Brewer.  “Today, I am building on my vision for the new Arizona Commerce Authority – expanding the toolbox to help Arizona entrepreneurs, grow Arizona businesses, and create more jobs for Arizonans.”

The Arizona Center for Innovation provides structured business development for new technology companies. It works with University of Arizona students, faculty and staff in moving technology through the commercialization process to create new companies in Southern Arizona as well as entrepreneurs from the community. Founded in 2003, AzCI has assisted over 36 technology companies in the region.

“The Arizona Center for Innovation is pleased with the announcement of this grant as it will provide the funding to allow us to further develop programs to assist technology entrepreneurs in Southern Arizona and throughout the state,” says Bruce Wright, president of AzCI. “We have identified several needs where we could significantly enhance our programs and services for our clients, but were limited as a non-profit by a lack of funding and resources. This is a significant step in building the ‘Entrepreneurial Ecosystem’ in Southern Arizona and throughout the state of Arizona.”

The Arizona Center for Innovation (AzCI) is a non-profit, high tech business incubator located at the UA Science and Technology Park. The incubator promotes the development of high technology companies in Southern Arizona through a disciplined program of business development. Interested companies should contact the Center at 520.382.3260 or visit our website at www.azinnovation.com

Office of University Research Parks (OURP) plays a significant role in economic development with a focused approach on utilizing research parks and business incubators as technology development and commercialization tools.  OURP accomplishes this by creating environments that support and promote research, education, technology innovation and commercialization, and high technology business development and attraction.  OURP oversees the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park (UA Tech Park), Arizona Center for Innovation (AzCI), and the Arizona Bioscience Park (UA Bio Park).

The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) and its private-sector leadership board position Arizona to be more responsive to business needs and opportunities.  Governor Brewer will serve as chair of the board and will be joined by a prestigious and powerful mix of Arizona’s business leaders, all of whom are committed to securing a more complete global competitiveness strategy to advance Arizona’s economy and create quality jobs for its citizens by supporting, attracting and helping businesses in targeted, high growth, base industries.

On June 30^th, the Board of Supervisors adopted the final FY 2011 budget.  The Pinal County Budget is balanced based on the Board’s vision and strategic planning parameters.  The planning parameters for the year are:  Regional Leadership, Growth, Public Safety, Public Health, Transportation, Jobs & Economic Development, Accountability and Financial Responsibility.

The final budget is divided into five major components: General Fund, Special Revenue, Enterprise, Debt Service and Capital Projects.  The General Fund budget finances a significant portion of the day-to-day provisions of County services and totals $196,943,665.  The majority (70%) of those functions are mandated services.  The General Fund budget includes a Financial Stability Reserve that reflects 15% of general fund operating expenditures.  The Financial Stability Reserve is used to mitigate current, future risks (e.g., revenue shortfalls and unanticipated expenditures) and exposure to one-time and ongoing cost shifts from the State.

The FY 2010-2011 Pinal County Budget includes $7.1M in cost shifts, program increases and revenue sweeps from the State of Arizona.  In November, Arizona voters will be asked to approve the use of early childhood development and land preservation funding to close the State’s structural deficit.   If the voters do not approve the measure, we expect additional cost shifts from the State. The proposed primary property tax rate is $3.9999 per $100 of assessed valuation.  The primary rate consists of mandatory cost shifts from the State of Arizona, general government and funding for the Mary C. O’Brien School.  The rate reflects an increase $0.64 from the prior year – with approximately $0.28 of the increase is due to state cost shifts.

In answer to the question of where the property tax dollars are spent, 93% of property tax revenues will be used to fund Courts and Public Safety.  The remaining 7% will be used to fund cost shifts from the State of Arizona.  Despite statements to the contrary, the Board made some $500,000 in program and service cuts, and is using $5M from the Financial Stability Reserve or “Rainy Day” fund to balance this year’s budget.

The Board also took time during its June 30^th meeting to recognize and honor Maricopa middle school student Austin Pearce for his incredible commitment and contributions to his Maricopa and Pinal County community.  If you don’t already know, this seventh grader organized several events to raise both funds and food for the less fortunate in the Maricopa area: in addition to doing used book sales and “shopping cart derbies” over a four year period he raised more than $50,000 for food items that were distributed through F.O.R. Maricopa’s food bank.  At a national level, Austin was recognized by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards organization, given a $5,000 personal award and another $5,000 grant was given to F.O.R. Maricopa on his behalf.  We are blessed and very fortunate to have young people such as Austin in our midst!

In closing, I’d like to call attention to a quiet but heart-warming event that took place on June 22^nd in a Casa Grande neighborhood: a ribbon cutting ceremony for a newly remodeled home.  Not a big deal?  I beg to differ.  This extensive remodel was the result of a new partnership between the USDA/Rural Development, Congresswoman Kirkpatrick’s office, and the City of Casa Grande’ Neighborhood Revitalization Office under the able hand of Rosa Bruce.  The collaboration allowed the city to buy an abandoned house, renovate and expand it, and then turn it over to a deserving person who assumes a mortgage.

Barbara, a long term employee of a local business, was able to move her family of six into the home after renting for the last six years.  Everyone in her family and workplace pitched in to paint, clean, put in some landscaping, and generally help to spruce up the home.  The tears of joy were abundant – all the way around.

David Snider, Supervisor

Pinal County District 3

This team has committed to remove problem areas within 24 hours of reporting, if  they have the paint and color match of the buildings or walls. They have established a relationship with Sherwin Williams of Casa Grande with the assistance of Karen Moore (520.316.0745 office, 520.252.6886 cell), to purchase paint at a greatly reduced price.

Please contact Brian Duncan at (520) 568-9098 if you need to utilize this service.

May 4, 2010

Graduating ASU Seniors – Helping Maricopa Use “Tourism for the Public Good”

PHOENIX – An exciting partnership between ASU and the City of Maricopa is helping the City investigate ways to better their community by harnessing the power of tourism. Tourism is the largest industry in the World and this spring an ASU class in Tourism Development and Management has been researching the opportunities for its growth using the resources of the city of Maricopa.

Under the guidance of Professor Tim Tyrrell, the ASU class of 55 juniors and graduating seniors studied Maricopa as a case study in a tourism research methods course. The project looked at how eight different resources of the City could provide opportunities for future tourism development.

The findings of the research teams were presented to Mayor Smith, Vice Mayor Murphree and five members of the Maricopa Chamber of Commerce on May 4. Opportunities for the City identified by the students included serving current Maricopa residents and business travelers better, anticipating imminent growth in transportation systems, and forming stronger collaborations with the Ak-Chin community.

Terri Kingery, (Executive Director, Maricopa Chamber of Commerce) said of the project:

“The partnership developed with ASU during the development of this Tourism Project, will be instrumental in our Communities success in developing and promoting tourism in Maricopa which has become a key component in our City’s Economic Development strategy.”

Mayor Tony Smith of Maricopa said “Tourism and higher education are critical elements to be developed in the City of Maricopa.  By partnering with the Chamber of Commerce and ASU, we will accelerate our progress towards identifying the assets that promote Maricopa’s proud history and vision for a prosperous future.”

ASU Presentation

Power Point Presentation

The project was the first step in the tourism planning process and is expected to continue in the fall by another class in the School of Community Resources and Development under the guidance of Professor Rhonda Phillips.

The Maricopa Chamber of Commerce and Maricopa Town Council were the primary sponsors of the project. ASU sponsors included the College of Public Program (designer Felipe Ruiz) and the Megapolitan Tourism Research Center (which Dr. Tyrrell is the director).  A PowerPoint show and downloadable pdf report are available at http://MTRC.asu.edu/Presentations .

The Megapolitan Tourism Research Center is devoted to studying the role of tourism in community development in order to strengthen its contribution to viable economic, social and environmental systems, especially in megapolitan regions around the world. The center is part of the School of Community Resources & Development, located in the College of Public Programs at the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus. For information, visit: http://mtrc.asu.edu/portal.

Photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/43854577@N06/sets/72157623993752476/show/with/4579181571/

Image 1.

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SOURCE:

Tim Tyrrell
Professor, School of Community Resources and Development
Director, Megapolitan Tourism Research Center

602-496-0156
timt@asu.edu

MEDIA CONTACT:

Carey Ballard

Assistant Director, Student and Academic Affairs, ASU College of Public Programs

Carey.ballard@asu.edu, 602-496-0411

The new website features a Do-it-yourself video archive, news, sales & promotions, seasonal tips, and a Google Map™ store locations page. The new site is built on the cutting edge software Expression Engine—which also powers many large government and retail sites around the world. Factor 1 Studios worked with local Ace Hardware Phoenix staff to develop this beautiful, easy to navigate website. Visit the new Ace Hardware Phoenix website at http://www.acehardwarephoenix.com and see more work from Factor 1 Studios at http://www.factor1studios.com.

The Core design was planned around the focus of our unique location. Phoenix Ace Hardware stores have a different season of marketing than other states. They sell grass seed while other stores in the US sell snow salt. We had to make sure that the visitor knew they were local to Arizona. So We have a cycle of quarterly images to rotate into the background of the site, all with very clear Arizona landscapes.

The home is very short and to the point. We know the audience is not here to shop online, but to find a store, or watch video DIY tips and messages.

The locations page was built using Google Maps API for a dynamic store browsing experience. A user can pan and zoom to a location near them, or select a store from the list to see it pinpointed on the map.

Videos were a must. Ace Hardware Phoenix has several media relationships that keep the content rolling in on a routine basis. We built a system where Ace can simple add a new video, add the YouTube code, notes and any associated files, and our tools would sort them, newest up top, and rolling archives below. This makes management of the videos a breeze.

News operates similar to the videos page. Simply add a new news article title, description and content.