SPECIAL ELECTION MAY 16 ON TEP FRANCHISE AGREEMENT - Tucson's Mayor and Council voted last night, Jan. 24, to call a May 16 special election to put a new franchise agreement with Tucson Electric Power (TEP) before Tucson’s voters. The 25-year-agreement

would include a renewal of the existing 2.25% franchise fee on monthly electric bills of TEP customers within the city, as well as a new 0.75% Community Resilience Fee. If the agreement is approved by voters, the extra revenue generated would be used to cover the cost of undergrounding infrastructure and to fund efforts that support the City's Climate Action Plan. The projected monthly impact to TEP customers within Tucson city limits would be approximately $0.93 per month for residential and $2.65 per month for small business customers. You can watch a recording of the meeting (item 12) on the City of Tucson's YouTube channel, and you can also view the agendas by following the links below.
Watch the Mayor and Council meeting (item 12)
Mayor and Council agendas
More information about TEP's proposed franchise agreement
City of Tucson's Climate Action Hub

MEETING TONIGHT ABOUT PLASTICS RECYCLING FOR BUILDING BLOCKS - Tucson's Mayor and Council last night, Jan. 24, also gave direction to City Manager Michael Ortega to meet with ByFusion and finalize deal points for scaling up the plastic diversion program. A final deal could go to the council next month for a formal vote on using the program. ByFusion and the Ward 6 staff are hosting a community meeting tonight, Jan. 25, at 5:30 p.m., at the Ward 6 Office, 3202 E. 1st St., to share with the public the expectations about where this program is headed. The ByFusion CEO and a company staffer will share information about the program and take questions from the public. Vice Mayor Kozachik will also be on hand to describe the effort and answer questions about the plastic diversion

program. Since Aug. 1, Ward 6's pilot program partnership with ByFusion has collected more than 43 tons of non-recyclable plastic from the public. That amounts to 86,000 pounds of plastic diverted from the landfill.
Read the news release

CITY/COUNTY JOB FAIR TOMORROW - The City of Tucson and Pima County are hiring for dozens of jobs that potential applicants can explore at a job fair tomorrow, Jan. 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Kino Event Center, 2805 E. Ajo Way. City and County departments represented will include public works, courts, parks, animal care, finance, fleet services, human resources, information technology, and more. Many of the departments that are hiring will have staff members on hand to answer questions, and computers available for job seekers to apply on-site.
Read the news release
City of Tucson jobs

TUCSON PARKS AND RECREATION PAYS APPLICANTS TO GET LIFEGUARD CERTIFICATION - Are you or someone you know looking for a part-time job? Tucson Parks and Recreation is hiring lifeguards to operate and maintain the safety at city pools year-round. The minimum age to be a lifeguard is 15 years old. Pay starts at $16.75/hour. The City will pay applicants to get their Lifeguard Certification through the City’s certification path. The lifeguard class is an intense, fast-paced course, and strong swim skills are required. All applicants must pass a swim test to qualify. For more information on becoming a lifeguard or to register for the swim test, follow the links below.
Lifeguard Information

Swim test registration

CALL FOR HIGH SCHOOL BATTLE OF THE BANDS APPLICATIONS - Tucson Parks and Recreation is teaming up with Best Life Presents to host the High School Battle of The Bands. Bands with artists between the ages of 13-18 years old can apply now by following the link below for a chance to compete. All genres are welcome. Grand prize winners will get to record an album at Luna Recording Studios and host their own release show in Downtown Tucson, promoted by Best Life Presents. In addition, local boutique microphone company Cloud Microphones will be providing the People’s Choice award. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 5 p.m. The event will be held Saturday, March 26, at noon, at Gene C. Reid Park's DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center.
Battle of the Bands
Read the news release