District 2 Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez — District 2 Newsletter 6th Edition

6th Edition

Photo of Supervisor Vasquez visiting the Killip FACTS after school program.

• Message from Sup. Vasquez
• Redistricting Public Input Wanted
• COVID -19 Vaccines
• USFS Press Release
• Services and Programs
• And more!

Hi Everyone,

Happy Native American Heritage Month! Lots of important decisions will be made in November. Please stay informed and engaged. The county was awarded 27.7 million dollars in ARPA funding. We plan on spending 5 million dollars on external community projects/ partnerships to provide funding in the following areas:

• Housing
• Vulnerable Population Support
• Education
• Impacted Business Support
• COVID Impact
• Behavioral Health

Right now, we are taking letters of interest from potential community partners.

Please email me at jvasquez@coconino.az.gov and we will pass your letters on to county staff for consideration.

We are slowing making progress in getting additional funding for the Museum Flood Area mitigation. With the change of season, I am concerned about the snow melting and those impacts to the community. Please remain vigilant and safe year-round. I also want to remind people that there is still some funding available for those effected by the floods. More information is available further in the newsletter where you will find information and the application to apply. With wintry weather also brings the influx of the flu. This means getting your annual flu shot is more important than ever since we are still dealing with COVID. Please get vaccinated to help decrease the community spread. We need to protect ourselves and those around us from the harms of COVID and the flu. Continue to vaccinate, mask up and stay mindful of social distancing. Please stay safe and be healthy.

If you would like to receive our notices and newsletters, email District 2 and we will add you to our database. We will not share your information. I hope that you contact me whenever you need. You can reach me at 928 679-7162 or email me at jvasquez@coconino.az.gov or contact Areina Contreras, District 2 Director at acontreras@coconino.az.gov.

The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) will be hosting a public meeting Wednesday, November 10 at 6pm at High County Conference Center. There are only a few more upcoming meetings to give comments. Why is this important? Voting districts determine what district a resident will vote in for representation in the United States Congress and the Arizona State Legislature. To make a comment you will need to attend a commission meeting. Or join virtually and submit virtual comments. Let your voice be heard! For meeting details visit https://irc.az.gov/public-meetings

The draft maps from the AIRC, Congressional District Map 7.1 and Legislative District Map 10.0, will affect how Northern Arizonans elect candidates and choose representation before Congress and the State Legislature. The County feels that the proposed districts from AIRC are not competitive and split several communities of interest. The map proposed by the Coconino County is competitive in that we recommend that Camp Verde, Sedona, and Cottonwood are part of the same district as Flagstaff, with Navajo county and Apache county in a district with the Navajo Nation.

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors has remained engaged on the AIRC’s work in adopting new legislative and congressional district maps for Northern Arizona. Members of the Board of Supervisors submitted comments during the Commission’s Public Listening Tours. Northern Arizonans and their representatives also submitted comments to the Commission. In those public comments to the Commission, Northern Arizonans asked the Commission to:

• Keep cities whole, specifically the City of Flagstaff and the City of Sedona.
• Keep communities of interest whole – specifically in relationship to our workforce, watershed, natural resources, and ranching communities; to adhere to the requirement of Proposition 106 to establish competitive districts to the largest extent possible.
• Keep the Verde Valley communities whole as a community of interest, and with Flagstaff, which is reflective of most of the testimony for this area.
• Allow for Native American and Hispanic communities to elect candidates of their choice, while respecting the voting age population they have held in the past, establishing a minority/ majority district reflective of the large American Indian population in northern Arizona.

Considering these comments from the community, the proposed draft maps do not reflect the Commission’s mandate. The Coconino County Board of Supervisors proposed an alternative map for the proposed Legislative Districts 5, 6 and 7, pictured and submitted a letter along with new proposed draft maps for Legislative District 6 and Legislative District 7 during their October 26, 2021 meeting. The Board contends these maps better reflect the constitutional mandates of Proposition 106 that require drawing competitive districts to the extent practicable and to maintain communities of interest. The Board also believes these maps better reflect the public input from Northern Arizona.

For more details and information please visit coconinio.az.gov/ redistricting

Supervisor Vasquez attended the Exchange Club First Responder of the Year Luncheon. Thank you to all of our men and woman who serve in the first responder profession and to those who were honored at the event.

Weather Forecast: Be aware of the weather forecast as a way to outlook activity in your area. For up-to-date, local weather, visit https://www.weather.gov/fgz/ For the latest Museum Fire scar weather conditions and NWS notifications please visit https:// www.weather.gov/fgz/MuseumFireFloodRisk

Debris Information: If you have debris on your property, then you should move the debris to the street if you are able — only when the water has stopped flowing. Putting Debris in the streets will help County and City Public Works crews remove the debris with their heavy equipment. If you live on one of the streets that has debris as a result of the flood, please do not park your car on the streets.

Clean Up of Interior Flooding: Here you can find tips and areas to check post flooding. https://www.coconino.az.gov/2437/After-a- Flood-Event

Stay In Touch: Coconino County and the City of Flagstaff are providing updates on our websites and social media: coconino.az.gov, twitter.com/coconinocounty, and facebook.com/coconinocounty The Museum Flood Area Call Center number is 928-679-8525. The call center is a place to report any damages, request a site assessment, request sandbags or to give general information about what you are experiencing when your area is flooding.

Weatherizing your home for winter is important. A conventional home can lose up to 40% of its heat due to air infiltration. Learn more here about you can make your home energy efficient with simple weatherization measures. Click here for tips: https:// coconino.az.gov/ DocumentCenter/View/5526/WeatherizationTips?bidId=

Due to the high-demand for children’s COVID-19 vaccine, the new CCHHS vaccine site at the Flagstaff Mall will now ONLY be serving children ages 5-17. No adult COVID-19 vaccines will be administered. Adults can easily find a COVID-19 vaccine at most pharmacies, and may visit this website to find vaccine locations: https:// www.coconino.az.gov/2580/COVID-19-Vaccination-Locations

There are many locations in Coconino County that offer the COVID-19 vaccine including pharmacies. Check this site for the most current information regarding vaccine availability prior to coming to the vaccination location: https://bit.ly/36hOFUS

The 22nd Annual Rural Transportation Summit is a unique opportunity to network with those working to improve and enhance transportation needs in Arizona. Sup. Vasquez is on the Rural transportation Advocacy Council (RTAC) board and attended on behalf of Coconino County along with the RTAC Chair, Sup. Matt Ryan and Council member Regina Salas.

The Summit is a signature event for Rural Arizona, in which elected and appointed local government officials, transportation professionals, our legislators, and other guests convene and engage in solutions to improve & enhance transportation in Greater Arizona. The Arizona Rural Transportation Summit provides unprecedented opportunities to connect directly with Rural Arizona’s transportation decision makers.

Don’t Forget Your Flu Shot!

Getting your annual flu shot this year is more important than ever. The flu can be serious. COVID-19 and flu patients use similar resources, meaning hospitals could be overwhelmed if enough people aren’t vaccinated against the flu this winter. Flu vaccinations are available Wednesdays from 10 am – 1 pm and 3 – 5 pm and on Fridays from 10 am – 1 pm. A special clinic for those ages 65 and over is being held each Friday from 8 – 10 am. Flu shots are also offered at many of our Pop-up COVID-19 vaccination events. Flu Vaccines are $30 at a CCHHS clinic – cash and check payment or insurance accepted. More information is available at www.coconino.az.gov/fighttheflu.

Notifications of upcoming prescribed burns are provided regularly by news releases throughout the season and by the following online resources:

Coconino NF’s Twitter account: www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF

Coconino NF’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/coconinonf

Local services list: This is a list of local organizations with details about their offerings for assistance. Please look over for yourself or to refer to people you may know that need help. https:// www.coconino.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/35228/COVID-19- Social-Safety-Net-Services-Coalition-Resource-Guide-V9_

Volunteer for the biggest food drive of the year! Sat & Sun Nov 13 & 14 at 3 Safeway locations.

Sign up at https://hotfood.volunteerhub.com or contact Jason (jason@hotfood.org / 928-526-2211)Volunteers will handout shopping lists and collect donations. Volunteer times are 10AM-12PM, 12PM-2PM, 2PM-5PM each day.

More info at: https://www.facebook.com/events/260984156074053