Supervisor Jeronimo Vasquez District 2 Newsletter — 14th Edition

14th Edition

Supervisor Vasquez and Supervisor Horstman assisting in making sandbags to prepare for flood mitigation throughout the county.

• Message from Jeronimo
• Flood and Fire Resources
• District 2 Highlights
• Service Positions Open in District 2
• Services and Programs
• And more!

Hello Everyone,

As a community we have shown how we can come together during difficult times. Thousands of sandbags have been made by volunteers, the national guard, hotshot crews, state detention crews and of course by you, the residents. The burn scars have created new flow channels as seen in the recent monsoons. The natural alluvial fans are unraveling due to the impacts from the fires which is causing the transport of large sediment as seen in this photo from the Copeland neighborhood. The constructed alluvial fans have been working to move water, but with the impacts on the natural fans we are seeing a high velocity of water. Although we are within the majority of the impacted areas this water is also hitting entirely new areas of the county. The Flood Control District is assessing the changing landscape as we are still in monsoon season and have not seen the last of the impacts.

Throughout the start of the fires and now floods I have been present throughout the community and am thankful to everyone that has talked with me or my staff. We hear you and know your concerns during these difficult times. This is going to be a process that has changing variables, but know that I am here for you. I am one person who cannot be at everyplace at the right time, so I ask that if you have any concerns to continue to reach out. I want to hear the good, the bad and anything that needs to be brought to my attention. The County is doing their best with the resources we have and is working to help as many people as possible.

I also ask that if you have not signed up for the emergency notifications or for the email updates to do so ASAP. Since things are changing email is the best way to stay up to date on the next steps and what we are seeing in the assessments. I feel for everyone and know this is not what any of you hoped to be dealing with over the summer. I am learning from all of you, seeing the impacts first hand and am becoming well versed in this topic. As look at long term mitigation I will do everything I can to advocate on your behalf because everyone deserves to live in peace after such chaos.

As always, contact me whenever you need to. You can reach my office at 928 679-7162 or email me at jvasquez@coconino.az.gov

Museum-Flood-Guide-2022 (az.gov)

CC_SchultzPipelineFloodGuide22_0701 (az.gov)

Sign Up for Emergency Notifications

If you have not done so already, then please sign up for Emergency Alerts with Coconino County as soon as possible. The free Emergency Notification service provides alerts for emergencies such as wildfires, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flash flooding in the area. Sign up a cell phone number, email and/or home phone: http:// www.coconino.az.gov/ready or call 928-679-8311.

To receive the most current update on the happenings for the Pipeline Fire Flood Area is to sign up via email. If you have not yet signed up, then please send an email this address (pipelinefirefloodarea@coconino.az.gov) with “Add me to the Pipeline Fire Flood Area Email List” in the subject line to get added to this distribution list. You can also contact the Call Center at 928-679-8525 to provide this information. Please note that the County never shares or sells this information. If ever you wish to be removed from this list, then email us & we will make it so.

For more information about the pipeline fire, please visit www.coconino.az.gov/PipeLineFire

The Flood Control District (FCD) has set up multiple self-serve sandbag stations

Additional self-serve sandbag stations are scheduled to be open in Timberline and Wupatki Trails. Please note that the District is unable to load sandbags into private vehicles with forklifts, etc. for liability and insurance reasons.

Residents are asked to bring their own shovels and/or buckets to help them make sandbags at all self-serve sandbag stations.

All of these station can be found on a map located at here and at www.coconino.az.gov/2936/Sandbag-Information.

Although the District has significantly ramped up sandbag production, please note that the supply of sandbags is extremely limited right now due to high demand. Given this limited stockpile, sandbags are intended solely for mitigating flood risk to primary residences, and should not be used for outbuildings, corrals, etc.

For more information including a video of how to create a sandbag wall, please visit www.coconino.az.gov/2936/Sandbag-Information. Residents whose homes are identified for flood mitigation and who are elderly or disabled and cannot secure assistance through family or friends should contact the Call Center at 928-679-8525 and request assistance.

The Coconino County Flood Control District is working in conjunction with Coconino National Forest and other partners to analyze new impacts to flood risk due to the Pipeline Fire. For additional information and recommendations please see our links below. Also, sign up for emergency alerts at https://coconino.az.gov/2612/ Emergency-Notification-System and remember to be in READY status for potential emergencies.

• Protect your property from floodwaters and purchase flood insurance.
• Plan for sheltering where you are and for evacuation.
• Evacuate if advised.
• Seek high ground (flash floods) or stay on high ground.
• Avoid walking or driving in floodwaters.
• Depth and velocity are not always obvious; the ground or road may suddenly wash away and hidden dangers may exist; do not attempt to evacuate through flood waters.
• Know how to avoid injury from debris, contaminated water, carbon monoxide poisoning, electrocution, and damaged buildings and infrastructure.
• Seek professional review or inspection of structures and utilities before entering buildings that have been flooded.

• Do not attempt to cross floodwaters. The depth of the water is not always obvious. Moving water has tremendous power. Six inches of moving water has the potential to knock you off your feet, and a foot of water can sweep a vehicle—even a large SUV—off of the road.
• If your vehicle is trapped in rapidly moving water, stay in the vehicle.
• If water is moving at a high velocity and is rapidly rising in the vehicle, exit the vehicle immediately, seek refuge on the roof of the vehicle, and signal for help.
• If your vehicle stalls, leave it immediately (unless water is moving at a high velocity) and move to higher ground. Rapidly rising water can engulf the vehicle and its occupants, sweeping them away.

Sandbagging volunteers are needed right now. Anyone interested in volunteering to assist with sandbag production and placement, including organizations – sports teams, scouting, church groups, and other volunteer organizations – please sign up to volunteer via United Way of Northern Arizona’s Volunteer Hub at United Way of Northern Arizona (UWNA) Volunteer Hub.

Siren Warning System

Four elevated high power speaker arrays are installed throughout the Grandview Homes and Sunnyside neighborhoods to emit alarm sounds and voice messages when rain thresholds are triggered within the Museum Fire burn scar. When specified rainfall thresholds are met, the siren alerting system will emit an alarm sound, followed by a voice message repeated three times in both English and Spanish, concluding with a wind down siren sound signifying the end of that message.

When residents receive the Emergency Notification Alert text message (free and confidential signup at http:// www.coconino.az.gov/ready or hear the siren alerting system, they should immediately follow all safety instructions. Children should never play in drainages.

For more information about these and other projects please visit Museum Fire Flood Projects (museumfloodprojects.com)

Pallets of new sandbags and trash bins have been placed throughout neighborhoods downstream of the Museum Fire burn scar for residents to use for emergency sandbag mitigation. Click here to see the map of the sandbag placements.

If you are unable to make necessary repairs to your sandbag walls due to being elderly or having a disability, please call 928-213-2102 to request assistance.

Here are some tips for residents to keep in mind:

• Only broken sandbags on the outside of sandbag walls need to be replaced. Sandbags that are broken but are inside of a sandbag wall can remain in place.
• Flood mitigation should be continuous with no gaps. Removal of any sections of mitigation from an individual property may compromise effectiveness and result in liability if upstream or downstream properties are impacted.
• The maintenance of sandbag walls and the disposal of sandbags is exclusively the responsibility of residents.
• Residents are encouraged to enlist the help of family and friends in repairing their sandbag walls as there are limited staffing and volunteer resources available to assist residents. The City and the Flood Control District continue to work with the United Way and other partners to secure volunteers, but these resources will be directed toward residents who are elderly or have a disability.
• Residents are encouraged to review how to properly re-stack sandbags that are replaced. For more information on sandbagging, visit coconino.az.gov/2134/Sandbag-Information.

Congratulations to Lucinda Andreani, whom has been named to the federal Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission (WFMMC) to assist in improving federal policy surrounding wildfire management. Andreani sees her appointment as an opportunity to “influence numerous federal policies that can support expediting forest restoration projects, which are critically needed to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires and severe and repetitive post-wildfire flooding to our communities.” We are very proud of Lucinda as her dedication to this topic and fighting for our community at the federal is one of her amazing skills that continues to bring awareness to disaster impacts.

Coconino County celebrated Diversity Day on the courthouse lawn on June 22nd to celebrate what makes each person unique in their own way. Employees and the general public visiting different informational booths to learn more about diversity and enjoying entertainment and treats from various food trucks

United Way of Northern Arizona KinderCamp

Visited KinderCamp on June 29th, it was so great to talk with the kids, teachers, and staff on how this program has evolved through COVID and what practices are in place to make sure the kids get the highest benefit from the program.

This year, there are roughly 180 students participating in the program, which is free to families. During the four weeks, the children learn letters, numbers, and academic skills necessary for a successful transition into kindergarten. As a former educator I know how vital this is for our teachers, families, and community. Thank you to United Way and its collaborating partners for your dedication to early childhood learning.

To raise awareness of the risks of asteroid impacts, Lowell Observatory hosted an entire day of celebration where Supervisor Vasquez read the Coconino County proclamation designating June 30, 2022 as Asteroid Day. Thank you Lowell Observatory for creating space for our community to find love in the sky.

Timberline Fernwood Neighborhood Watch Meeting on July 5th, the key theme was community. The resources assembled together during the evacuations such as animal evacuation, clean-up, and mitigation were community efforts. This community support continues as we prepare for flooding.

Located in Sunnyside, is the Literacy Center. On July 7th, our office met with the center to find more ways to build connections in the community. The center provides literacy services to adults, teens, children, and families. They also help people from all over the world learn English and we also help native English speakers improve their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Tuition free, no legal documentation needed.

On July 9th, I went for a tour of the Tunnel-Pipeline-Haywire Fires potential flood area(s) to see the work that is currently being done and to discuss what needs to be done to address the potential issue long- term with Lucinda Andreani, Coconino County Flood District Administrator. At this time, we also filled sandbags to support to communities affected by the new flood paths.

County Employee Celebration Areina Contreras, District 2 Director, celebrated five years working at Coconino County. We are thankful for all of Areina’s dedication and personality.

Members of the community are invited to a public dedication and re- naming ceremony at the park, located at 703 E. Sawmill Rd. in Flagstaff, on Saturday August 13, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There will be speeches from local elected officials, live music, park tours, children’s activities, a book signing, and recognition of the new amenities at the park, including a new mural design.

Coconino County Parks & Recreation is pleased to announce the upcoming renaming of the Sawmill Multicultural Art and Nature County Park in honor of a former member of the Board of Supervisors and long-time member of the local community, Elizabeth “Liz” Archuleta. The first Latina to be elected to the Board, Liz served in her position for over 24 years. In that time, she also served as President of the County Supervisors Association and as Chairwoman of the National Association of Counties Public Lands Steering Committee, where she worked to bolster rural schools and forest health. Archuleta also served as Vice President of the National Association of Latino Elected & Appointed Officials and served on the Governor’s Arizona Statewide Water Advisory Council.

She currently serves in the Biden Administration as the Director of the Office of External & Intergovernmental Affairs at the United States Department of Agriculture. In this capacity, she serves as the department’s liaison to state, county, local, tribal officials, and other stakeholders. In her long legacy Liz also championed the creation of Sawmill Park because of its location, service to community, and historical importance. The Sawmill Multicultural Art and Nature County Park was built on a brownfield where one of Flagstaff’s first sawmills operated from 1908 to 1993. The logging and lumber industry shaped the structure of Flagstaff by attracting families of Mexican, African American, Swedish, Polish, and Italian descent to work at the mills. We are grateful to Liz’s contributions to District 2 and feel very proud to know she taking her passion for public service to the national level.

Below are details of the new park additions and resources already available like Willow Bend Environmental Education Center!

Parks & Recreation and The Literacy Center worked together to create a storybook path, featuring the book Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match by local author Monica Brown. Visitors may read the pages on pedestal displays along the path and the story is available on audio, in English, Spanish, and Navajo, through a QR code.

The mission of the Willow Bend Environmental Education Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, is to provide education outreach services that build environmental awareness and an ethic of responsible stewardship of our natural and cultural resources.

Wednesdays – Fridays, noon – 4:30 p.m. through July. Coconino County Health and Human Services 2625 N King St, Flagstaff (The clinic is located inside the CCHHS building) By appointment only Vaccine COVID-19 age 6 months and older including booster doses Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

To find other locations to receive a vaccine or to get more information, please visit coconino.az.gov/covid19. To find the latest information on COVID-19 vaccinations for infants and young children from the CDC, please click here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/planning/ children.html#covid19-vax-recommendations.

Services Now Available for Students and Families Impacted by COVID-19

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Coconino County Superintendent of Schools, Cheryl Mango-Paget, announced kindergarten through 12th grade students and families impacted by COVID-19 can now request wraparound support services, such as groceries, lodging, and laundry. Families who have been impacted by a positive COVID-19 test result after July 1, 2021 can fill out a request form to be reimbursed for short-term lodging, laundry services, and groceries. An itemized receipt is required for reimbursement. No receipt is needed for grocery reimbursement via gift card. To receive reimbursement or a gift card, families must fill out the COVID-19 Wraparound Services Request form along with proof of purchase. A printable form, that can be submitted through email, is available online.

For more information, please visit coconino.az.gov/K12COVID19, email kdonatell@coconino.az.gov, call (928) 679-8056.

Free Narcan

Naloxone, or Narcan, is a life-saving medication, that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. Having Narcan and knowing how to use it can save a life. Who should have Narcan? Anyone in Coconino County can obtain Narcan free of charge.

In Coconino contact (928) 679-7264 or email to receive a free naloxone kit and training about opioid overdose response.

Healthy Families is a voluntary, free support program serving families in their quest to be the best parents they can be. The program offers child development information, group activities, community resources, and ongoing supportive visits for up to five years in your home. The Healthy Families Arizona program will help you:- Be prepared for your baby’s birth- Be a successful parent- Communicate with and understand your baby- Help your child learn about the world through play. If you would like more information regarding eligibility and participation, please contact us at (928) 679-7216.

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_

Coconino Center for the Arts

NightVisions: Cultural Interpretations of the Night Sky is an international juried art exhibition at Coconino Center for the Arts in Flagstaff, AZ that seeks to explore and celebrate our deep connections with the night. Exhibition: May 21 – August 27, 2022

For more information go to Current & Upcoming Exhibitions — Coconino Center for the Arts (ccaflagstaff.org)