Carefree Truth
Issue #507, August 19, 2016
Councilman Mike Farrar, Carefree's representative on the Regional Council of the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) for the past 2 years, presented the Council with an organizational overview and update. MAG is a council of governments and a metropolitan planning organization for the Phoenix metropolitan region. It plans the transportation system, including freeways, transit, arterial streets, and bike and pedestrian lanes. It covers all of Maricopa County, the Northern part of Pinal County, and all the tribes and municipalities therein, except the Tohono O'odham Nation. About two dozen committees focus on transportation, air and water quality, 9/11 administration, building codes, homelessness, and domestic violence.
Issue #507, August 19, 2016
Councilman Mike Farrar, Carefree's representative on the Regional Council of the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) for the past 2 years, presented the Council with an organizational overview and update. MAG is a council of governments and a metropolitan planning organization for the Phoenix metropolitan region. It plans the transportation system, including freeways, transit, arterial streets, and bike and pedestrian lanes. It covers all of Maricopa County, the Northern part of Pinal County, and all the tribes and municipalities therein, except the Tohono O'odham Nation. About two dozen committees focus on transportation, air and water quality, 9/11 administration, building codes, homelessness, and domestic violence.
A recent project that benefited Carefree in the area of transportation was the completion of the Cave Creek/Carefree bike lanes project on our arterial streets. This cost the 2 towns a total of $3,754,109, of which $3,538,480 came from a Federal grant, with $215,629 paid for by Cave Creek and Carefree, pro-rated by the number of miles of bike lanes in each town. Carefree, Cave Creek and MAG worked closely together to identify, plan, and execute the bike lane project.
A national leader in this type of work, MAG has a robust information services group that collects, produces and analyzes social and economic data for the region and state, and assists municipalities with collecting such data. Carefree sends staff members to participate in the Planners and Economic Development Partnership Exchange (PEPE) meetings. Gary Neiss attends the monthly management meetings. Discussions include regional employment clusters, labor force data collection, and regional housing. This helped the Baker Group formulate a downtown Master Plan.
MAG develops air quality plans to meet the challenges of managing dust. Member agencies have been effective in implementing measures to reduce dust. In March of 2015, the last 1/3 mile of unpaved road in Carefree was paved.
An Economic Development Committee was formed in October, 2010 to develop an opportunity specific and action oriented plan that fosters and advances infrastructure, especially infrastructure that would further economic development opportunities. There are a total of 35 members, including elected officials, businesses, universities, and 2 representatives from the Arizona Department of Transportation. They are always looking for ways to make the state and region economically competitive. Attention has been increasing turned to the "sun corridor" in Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima counties. This corridor is the economic engine for the state. The Joint Planning Advisory Council meets to discuss common areas of interest, infrastructure, and economic activity.
MAG has been looking at ways to enhance the state's #1 economic activity, tourism. While many visitors come from Canada, our biggest trading partner is Mexico. MAG is a leader in gathering statewide support and expanding border crossings, giving those with border cards the ability to access all of Arizona rather than being limited to 75 miles from the border, allowing Mexican tourists to spend their money on shopping and entertainment in the Phoenix area, visit the Grand Canyon, and ski at Snow Bowl. They are working with the Mexican state of Sonora to establish a mega-region approach to infrastructure and economic development.
Carefree is a contributing member of MAG. Our relationship fosters the betterment of our community and the region. Mayor Peterson added that Carefree pays $1700 in annual dues to MAG, which provides access to research and is an investment in a long term relationship that gives Carefree the ability to approach MAG with issues and concerns.
https://vimeo.com/178224476
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
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