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A Message from Prescott Mayor Marlin Kuykendall
It has been my privilege to serve the citizens of Prescott the past six years as Mayor, and as a City Councilman in the 1970's and 1990's. Since taking office as mayor, I've had the privilege to work closely with countless residents, municipal employees, elected officials, community leaders, and others to move Prescott forward. It was not easy, but together, we have brought incredible positive change to our city, and set the stage for this momentum to continue in the coming years.
I will always treasure the friendships and opportunities I have had serving Prescott. We have faced many difficult challenges and obstacles and I am proud that in every case, the welfare of the City has always been my top priority.
Working together with the Prescott City Council, we've accomplished a lot, including the Airport Water Reclamation Facility Expansion and the Park Avenue Utility Improvement, and we have worked hard to deliver top quality services. Prescott continues to attract visitors with its small town charm, and natural beauty.
I will always be grateful to City Staff for their expertise and support. I consider them all friends. Coming to the end of my term is a bit like sending your youngest child out into the world. Although things will never be the same, I will continue to care about the City of Prescott and its employees. Thank you for allowing me to serve as your Mayor.
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New Signs Encourage Wildfire Vigilance
L-R: Prescott fuels reduction worker Cody Kennedy, Prescott Fire Engineer Nate Seets, Prescott Fire Captain Scott Luedeman, Prescott Firefighter Nate Malm, PAWUIC member Everett Warnock, Prescott Street Maintenance Supervisor Dean Thompson, Prescott City Coumcilmember Charlie Arnold and Prescott Fuels Reduction Technician Ronnie Gamble.
To assist in keeping our community safe from wildfires, 44 new Firewise© Defensible Space signs have been installed in Prescott and the surrounding area by the Prescott Area Wildland Urban Interface Commission (PAWUIC).
The artwork for the signs, created by Stephan Markov, owner of Morgan Sign Company in Prescott, depicts a house with defensible space, a means of keeping fire away from the structure, and lists the phone number of the local fire department.
"PAWUIC and the City of Prescott are close partners in our joint efforts to keep communities free from wildfires," said Prescott Fire Chief Dennis Light. "The Prescott area has 28 subdivisions and neighborhoods that have earned the Firewise© designation, more than any other region of the country. The defensible space created will afford firefighters, should a fire occur, a reasonable chance for successful response."
"As a community, we get lulled into complacency because of the interval between significant fires," said Bob Betts, Chairman of PAWUIC. "Many years ago, wildfires were common in this area, and that's what eliminated the underbrush. For much of the first half of the twentieth century, we suppressed wildfires, but without natural reduction of the undergrowth it got thicker, and the trees multiplied. Today we are kept safe, in partnership with the Prescott National Forest and the Arizona State Forestry Division with their thinning and logging programs."
Twenty of the signs were installed in 2009, replacing the old signs that had become faded and illegible. All were made possible by the fundraising efforts of PAWUIC members, including member Everett Warnock who initiated the sign campaign. "After a distinguished Commission member, Gary Roysdon passed in 2014, we took up a collection in his honor and were able to purchase an additional 44 signs," said Betts.
PAUWIC chose "wildland-urban interface locations" for the signs where structures are in close proximity to the forest, and surrounded by natural growth, including Ponderosa Pines and Alligator Juniper. "It's a lovely setting," said Betts, "but you have to realize there is always a danger being in an area that contains highly flammable vegetation."
"We always want to be ahead of a fire, not following it," added Betts. "It's important for Prescott residents to be reminded of the 2002 Indian Fire, where the last line of defense for fighting it was at Copper Basin Road. Had the temperature not dropped and wind decreased, things might have turned out very differently. We were also fortunate that air tankers and heavy-lift Sky Crane helicopters from the U.S. Forest Service happened to be at the Prescott National Forest Fire Center at the Prescott Airport, and were able to respond quickly."
To learn more about Firewise communities click
HERE
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Prescott Fire Department Deploys New State of the Art
Cardiac Care Equipment
In its continuing effort to provide the highest level of emergency medical services to citizens, the City of Prescott recently purchased new electrocardiograph monitors/defibrillators to allow for the treatment of patients who suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting. All paramedics on the Prescott Fire Department are trained in the use of the new equipment and system, and every front line response vehicle is equipped with the new monitors.
"Our Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department routinely evaluates industry-best practices and implements highest standard emergency care that's best for the citizens of Prescott," says Prescott Fire Department EMS Chief Cory Moser. "This equipment is considered a leader in the industry, and the technology will help our paramedics and EMTs more effectively treat patients of all types."
The computer inside each monitor continuously captures snapshots of blood pressure, heart rate, pulse and how the patient is breathing, along with other vital signs. That data is transmitted to the Yavapai Regional Medical Center emergency room over an innovative web-based network.
The emergency room team can then see the patient information on the hospital computer screen in real time. At the hospital, the program consolidates all EMS transmissions on a patient into a single record, quickly providing a clearer progression of patient status without adding additional data management steps for hospital staff.
"In case of a heart attack, improved recovery rates, even survival, are dependent upon how quickly a patient receives treatment," said Moser. "Our first responders now have this new tool in their medical arsenal designed to provide critical medical information to waiting doctors at YRMC even before a patient arrives in the emergency room."
"We now have an integrated, system wide approach," added Moser. "Our local partner agencies had already purchased the same equipment, creating a more efficient community of responders in Yavapai County. We are all empowered by the ability to share important information across devices and organizations, and can stay connected to superior decision support as they work to save lives."
Prior to purchasing this new equipment, Moser says the Prescott Fire Department paramedics spoke with emergency room doctors by transmitting data over the radio using cumbersome and unreliable modems, and took pictures of the EKG data on their cell phones and emailed that read-out to the emergency room.
"Today, we hit one button on our monitor, and a high quality copy of the EKG is immediately sent to the Emergency Room where an alarm sounds so that it is reviewed immediately," said Moser. "Then, by hitting one button, the Emergency Room sends the image to the on-call cardiologist who is also alerted by special tone that he has just received a priority cardiac message." In most instances, the cardiologist is able to determine the course of treatment for the patient long before the patient ever arrives at the hospital.
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City Holds Park Avenue Appreciation Celebration
From L-R: Steve Guizzo, Inspectors Supervisor; Doug Debusk, Project Inspector; Craig McConnell, City Manager; Mayor Marlin Kuykendall, Craig Dotseth, PW Projects & Infrastructure Mgr., Henry, Steve Orosz, Bill Santiago-Fann Contracting, Erika Laster, Contracts Specialist, Gary Hickman-Fann Contracting, Tim Sherwood, Project Manager.
In appreciation of the patience and understanding shown by residents of Park Avenue over the past year of construction, the City of Prescott and Fann Contracting, Inc., held a small celebration on Thursday, July 30, 2015, at Lincoln Elementary School.
Mayor Marlin Kuykendall gave the crowd gathered a brief overview of the project, which began construction on June 4, 2014, and was awarded to Fann Contracting for $5.4 million. Of that amount, $3.5 million was from the 1% Streets fund, $988k was from the water fund, and $944k was from the wastewater fund.
The Mayor praised all who worked on the project, noting it was substantially completed on June 30, 2015, on time and under budget.
Public Works Director Henry Hash praised all of the approximately 165 Park Avenue and adjacent residents for their cooperation and tolerance of the improvement project.
Teresa Bruso, Principal of Lincoln Elementary School during the design and construction of the project, thanked Fann Contracting for working with the school to coordinate their work schedule with the drop off and pick up times for the students.
Much of the lighthearted discussion at the celebration focused on the approximately 2,000 Cubic Yards of blue granite rock that was removed, which required the City Council to approve of the blasting for removal.
Park Avenue during construction:
Park Avenue after construction:
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Prescott's Public Access Channel Switches to Channel 64
Prescott's local public access channel switched from Channel 13 to Channel 64, effective September 1, 2015, for CableOne subscribers. CableOne launched an all digital platform, phasing out analog cable, necessitating the change in channels.
The channel broadcasts City of Prescott meetings, including City Council, Planning and Zoning and the Preservation Commission, as well as special events throughout the year in Prescott, such as the Veterans Day Parade and the Annual Courthouse Lighting at Christmas.
For those residents who do not subscribe to CableOne, the meetings are streamed live online, and archived on the channel's
website.
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The City of Prescott 2015 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
The City of Prescott 2015 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report (for Calendar Year 2014) is now available.
In its effort to be fiscally responsible and conserve natural resources, the City has elected to distribute this report electronically as much as possible. Limited hard copies of the report are available at the Library and City Hall.
To request a hard copy of this report, contact Water Operations at (928) 777-1118.
You may also download the report
Here
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Water Conservation Starts With You
Water conservation, using water efficiently and avoiding waste, is essential to ensure that the City of Prescott has adequate water today and into the future. Our groundwater is the lifeblood of our community, but is a finite resource so we must use it wisely. Wise and efficient use of our water resources is up to all of us and it is as simple as making small changes. Make conserving water a daily part of your life, and remember when you save water, you save energy and money.
Does the City of Prescott conserve water?
The City of Prescott water customers have been conserving water since 1893 when the City council passed a resolution limiting water use for irrigation and businesses. Since then, due to community water conservation habits, the City has been resilient during the many dry times that are a common occurrence in Arizona.
Does water conservation really work?
In 2006, the City of Prescott through a citizen committee increased water conservation efforts and has seen big water saving results. Since 2006, the total groundwater pumped to serve water customer needs has reduced each year, even with a growing population. In fact, since 2006 the Water Conservation Rebate program has supported over 2,500 citizen conservation efforts that have resulted in an estimated water savings of 917 acre feet and counting. These savings include over 500,000 square feet of turf removal, the installation of almost 2000 low flow toilets, and the installation of almost 18,000 gallons of rainwater harvesting capacity to name just a few.
What can I do?
Water conservation is the responsibility of everybody because every drop counts. Did you know that during the summer months water use almost triples due to outdoor water use? Even as we enter fall, practicing a low water-use lifestyle outdoors significantly reduces water use but also saves money, reduces runoff, and is a fun way to create your own unique yardscape. Visit
www.prescottwatersmart.com to explore beautiful garden galleries with examples of local front and back yard landscapes, and look for plant recommendations that work best for our climate. Plus you'll find resources for landscape design, irrigation, and maintenance. Don't forget to check out the Water Conservation rebate program for big savings on water conservation.
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City of Prescott Hosts Arizona Law Enforcement K-9 Association
Sgt. Jeff Hemphill and his K-9 Partner Hercules
(second police dog team seen in video)
The Prescott Police Department K-9 unit held a demonstration of its work on July 14, 2015, at the Prescott Rodeo Grounds. More than one hundred police officers and their dogs from across Arizona were in Prescott for the week for training as part of a yearly certificate required by the Arizona Law Enforcement K-9 Association (ALECA). The public demonstration included 20-30 dogs and their trainers.
The Prescott Police Department K-9 Team consists of two police dogs and their trainers, Police Officer Dan Smith and his K-9 partner Corey, a Czech Shepherd, and Sgt. Jeff Hemphill and his K-9 partner Hercules, a Dutch Shepherd.
"Our dogs do things that their human partners can't," said Sgt. Hemphill. "Due to their keen sense of smell, sight, agility and other abilities, they are a very valuable tool in police work." The dogs have been trained to find people, both those hiding from law enforcement to avoid being taken into custody, as well as individuals who have become lost or are missing. Dogs can also be trained to detect various narcotics and explosives. By training with actual narcotics and chemicals used in explosives, the dogs are able to smell the very distinct odors given off by these items.
"Our dogs are trained to locate narcotics such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, as well as search for and apprehend high-risk criminals who have fled from law enforcement and/or concealed themselves to avoid capture," said Officer Smith.
The dogs have been through extensive training courses and are certified through the ALECA. Once the initial training and certification have been completed, the Prescott Police Department K-9 Team continues with frequent training to keep their skills sharp.
"The Prescott K-9 Team also provides canine demonstrations throughout the year for school programs, scout groups, community activities, businesses, and special interest groups," said Prescott Police LT Amy Bonney. "These demonstrations provide an excellent opportunity to promote a greater understanding of how and why canines benefit law enforcement and citizens in their efforts to keep our communities safe."
L-R: Police Officer Dan Smith and his K-9 partner Corey, a Czech Shepherd, and Sgt. Jeff Hemphill and his K-9 partner Hercules, a Dutch Shepherd.
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Newsletter Contest
The City of Prescott is extending the deadline to submit a title to this quarterly newsletter.
We are in the process of updating the look and feel of the newsletter, and we are asking for help from the community to come up with a creative title.
The title should be short and reflect the type of publication it is: an informational newsletter about the city.
The person who comes up with the winning suggestion will be featured in an upcoming edition.
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Fall Highlights
Yavapai Fair
The Yavapai Fair moved back to its old home at the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo Grounds this year, October 1, 2, 3 and 4, 2015.
Since 1913, the Fair features fun for the entire family including children's activities, entertainment, music, rides, commercial vendors, agricultural exhibits and a wide variety of food and attractions.
This year also featured the 4-H Future Farmer's of America Expo, displaying projects including small stock, sheep, swine and dairy goat showmanship.
Food vendors offered BBQ, ribs, turkey legs, Fry Bread, Kettle Corn, Snow Cones, fried Twinkies and much more!
Estimated attendance was 16,889 for all four days, October 1-4, 2015.
Prescott's Great Outdoors
Veterans Day Parade
The Parade will take place in Downtown Prescott on Wednesday, November 11, 2015, and will feature more than
80 entries.
The parade begins at 11:00 a.m. to commemorate the armistice between Germany and the Allied forces at 11:00 a.m., Nov. 11, 1918, which ended World War I.
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