Know Tucson

A newsletter from the Office of Council Member Lane Santa Cruz

Earth Week Spotlight: Tylee Nez

We met Tylee over a year ago and had the honor of having her as part of the campaign and youth team that helped get us into office. Tylee is currently a senior, and we’re super proud that she got into Tuffs University and UC Berkeley, and that she’s planning to study environmental engineering and public policy. 

Tylee has also been active with the Arizona Youth Climate Coalition, and as part of Earth Week we wanted to use this platform to let her share some of her work.

Hello everyone!

I’m an advocate for environmental justice. I’m a member of the Arizona Youth Climate Coalition, which is a full youth-led statewide movement advocating for climate justice across Arizona. I’ve been part of amazing actions organizing climate strikes, working with politicians for climate justice, and much more. This past Wednesday was Earth Day, and this week was Earth Week with different actions each day. A few of the organizations involved are Sunrise Tucson, Defenders of Wildlife, High Schoolers for Climate Justice, Arizona Youth Climate Coalition, and Sierra Club. A few of the actions this week are phone banking, email floods to politicians at the local and state level, educational webinars, live streams, and digital climate strikes. 

The Arizona Youth Climate Coalition’s webinar on the Latinx Community & the Climate Crisis is Friday, April 24th from 6:30-8 p.m. There is also an Asian American & Pacific Islander webinar is Saturday, April 25th from 2-3 p.m. Follow their movement toward climate justice on Instagram. The action with AZYCC - 50th Anniversary of Earth Day Interviews is available on YouTube & transcribed in both English and Spanish. Happy Earth Week!

Tylee Nez (second from the right in both photos) and Mackenzie Moore reached out to Council Member Lane Santa Cruz in February to sign the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge.

Mayor and Council Meeting
April 21, 2020

On Tuesday, April 21, Tucson Mayor and Council held a study session and regular session ​meeting. The primary focus for both meetings was the FY 2020/2021 budget. A brief recap of the meeting is included down below: 

  • The city is reevaluating projections on revenue shortfalls shared at the Mayor and Council meeting last week. The city projected a 25% decrease in revenues for the general fund through the end of the fiscal year from March 1 to June 30, and a 15% decrease in revenues for FY 2020/2021. However, given recent data, these projections may be too optimistic. 

  • The CARES Act provides the city with $95.6 million in Disaster Relief Funds, but funding can only be used to reimburse certain expenses, and cities are unable to use it to recoup loss in revenue.

  • In response to recent cases of individuals disrupting crime scenes, including a case where a suspect driving under the influence was able to drive away, Chief Chris Magnus requested the Mayor and Council consider passing the following city-wide ordinance:

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with enforcement activity, investigations, and other police-related activities by knowingly engaging in conduct that materially inhibits, obstructs, hinders, or delays any Police Officer or Community Service Officer in the exercise of the Officer’s official duties.

B. The acts of recording police activity or engaging in constitutionally protected speech alone shall not be considered prohibited conduct under this section.

  • The ordinance was approved as a pilot program. Community impacts will be assessed once the ordinance is in operation for a term of 12 months.

The upcoming Mayor and Council Meeting is scheduled for May 5. See below to access the agenda once it’s released.

Small Business Owners - We Want Your Feedback

Numbers are critically important to tell the collective story of the COVID-19 virus impact on our business community locally. For that reason, we want to encourage you to participate in the COVID-19 Business and Human Impacts Survey. 


Take the Survey in English

Take the Survey in Spanish

The aggregate results of this survey will be used to inform local and state elected officials, government agencies, and others of the economic and human impact of the COVID-19 virus here in Tucson.

Small Business Resources

SCORE business counselors are also offering free webinars to help you shore up your business so you can go from surviving to thriving!  Weekly webinars in Spanish and English start Wednesday, April 22 at 10 a.m. 

Presented in collaboration with the City of Tucson, the Women's Business Center and Octavia Social Media Strategies. Click the link below for more information and to register. 

SCORE Business Webinars

Somos Uno/We Are One
Small Business Loan Fund

Additional funding for small and local businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will be available through the Somos Uno/We Are One Resilience Fund developed by the City of Tucson Mayor and Council and our community partners. Small business loans will be administered through the Business Development Finance Corporation (BDFC). 

Visit the BDFC website for more information and updates on when the small business loan applications will go live.

Know Tucson Podcast - Episode 4

Listen to a discussion between Lane, Liz, and Antonio on the South 12th Avenue Improvement Project, the Coronavirus on the Navajo Nation, and a community spotlight on youth climate activist: Tylee Nez.

South 12th Avenue Street Improvement Project

After two years of conversation and planning with community, La Doce/South 12th Avenue Improvement Project is set to begin on May 4th.

This project stretches from Irvington Road to Drexel Road and will be completed in 120 days. It embraces a “Complete Streets” approach to roadway design and will include constructing sidewalks, improving safety for bicyclists and pedestrians and streetscape and landscape improvements.

Business owners and residents, we invite you to join us for a virtual town hall.

The Department of Transportation and Mobility, along with Ward 1 and Ward 5 will host a virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday, April 28, at 3 p.m. This will be recorded, and a link will be provided for anyone to review later.

COVID 19 Updates

We are appreciative for the City of Tucson Housing and Community Development (HCD) and Pima County for creating action that produces results.

HCD has begun placing community members who can self-isolate in local hotels. Pima County has established a hotline to help with rental assistance during COVID-19.

The hotline number is (520) 724-2505.

This hotline to serve those seeking aid from COVID-19 Rental Eviction Assistance Program funded through the Arizona Department of Housing. Continue to shelter in place and limiting your interactions, if you can.