People of Hope:
The Outreach Team has been meeting with leaders in our community, and on Wednesday, June 28, we met with our newly elected District 6 city council person Kevin Robinson. Along with his Chief of Staff Jennifer Wingenroth and Director of Constituent Services Cody Kellogg, Councilman Robinson carved out an hour to spend with us and answer our questions. His primary message to us was his desire to partner, to listen, and to solve problems together in our community.
More specifically, he asked us to be his “eyes and ears” in the community, to let him know when issues arise that he could assist in resolving. In order to facilitate connection, he encouraged us to sign up for his newsletter by going to his page on the City of Phoenix website: https://www.phoenix.gov/district6. When you get to the page, just click “Sign-up for Newsletter” in the middle of the page. As well, Councilman Robinson will be hosting coffee chats a couple of times per month around his district in order to get to know people and listen to concerns. I will make sure those opportunities are shared in the Esperanza newsletter so that you can attend if you wish.
As we got talking, questions were naturally raised on topics that are meaningful to members of the Outreach Team. Thinking about the presence and the needs of members of our community who are experiencing homelessness, the councilman shared that an unoccupied building at Elliot Road and 51st Street has been turned into transitional housing. Efforts are underway across the city to address the needs of those experiencing homelessness, including renovations of older buildings to create shelters. As well, the city council is trying to make the process easier for developers building affordable housing.
Here in Ahwatukee, developers often first seek approval from the Ahwatukee Foothills Village Planning Committee. As anyone who reads the Ahwatukee Foothills News knows, the planning committee has not been meeting regularly. According to Councilman Robinson, the reason is a lack of engagement. If you would like to learn more about what the Village Planning Committee does and when they meet, you can go here: https://boards.phoenix.gov/Home/BoardsDetail/3. If you are interested in serving on the village planning committee, you can follow the steps listed here: https://boards.phoenix.gov/. It does require you to set up an account on the City of Phoenix website and fill out a form online. Councilman Robinson is the one who reviews the applications, and he would love to see applications from people who wish to be engaged in the community!
During our time together, we also discussed the water situation in the city. The city has encouraged residents to take a few steps to reduce their water use, especially in watering landscaping (https://www.phoenix.gov/sustainability/water). Despite a push to use less water, those living within the Phoenix city limits will see a small increase in our water bills. Although this might seem counterintuitive, the city has not risen water rates for quite some time. Wingenroth, Robinson’s chief of staff, explained that, for the purposes of residential water metering, every household is charged a base fee for up to a certain number of gallons of water. Households that use less than that allotted number of gallons will see an increase of only $3 to $5 per month on their water bill. However, households that consume more than that allotted number of gallons will see a greater increase in their bill. Basically, when a household crosses the threshold number of gallons, their water rate will more dramatically increase than those staying within the allotted number of gallons.
Of course, my question was: What about water conservation on our public golf courses and public parks? The councilman assured us that the water used on public golf courses and parks is recycled water that is not suitable for drinking, so that water is not taking away from our drinking water supply. Still, the city has been making some architectural changes on public golf courses that require less grass and thus less water.
The councilman could not really answer our primary question, namely: What needs do you see in the Ahwatukee Foothills community? In the eight weeks he has served in his role, he is still learning the needs of the people here. However, we were invited and encouraged to keep in touch with his office. If you see a need here in Ahwatukee and think that Esperanza could help address this need, perhaps with assistance from the city, please do not hesitate to talk with me or anyone on the Outreach Team. Currently serving on the team are Linda Dickson, Judi Wold, Larry Hansen, Chris Armfield, Peggy Shepherd, and myself.
When Martin Luther wrote about the various vocations of the people of God, he named “citizen” as one of those vocations. To actively engage as a citizen is to seek the welfare of our neighbors without regard for their association with or benefit to us. Whether or not our neighbors ever find their way to Esperanza Lutheran Church is perhaps beside the point. God seeks abundant life for all, and we are part of God’s team!
With joy,
Pastor Sarah