NE Valley Times

Most city offices and facilities in Scottsdale will be closed on Monday, September 4, in observance of Labor Day. However, trash and recycling collection will proceed as usual. Residents are advised to place their containers by 5 a.m. on the day of collection or the night before.

The Scottsdale Trolley service will not operate on Labor Day, while Valley Metro's bus, light rail, and streetcar services will adhere to their Sunday schedules.

In recent developments, the Scottsdale City Council has approved a water exchange partnership with Tucson. This agreement allows Scottsdale to exchange up to 5,000 acre-feet of its Central Arizona Project (CAP) water annually for credits redeemable during shortages. "Scottsdale will store a portion of its CAP water at Tucson’s storage and recovery facility; this earns Scottsdale long-term storage credits," explains the release. Tucson can then use this physical water within its city limits, while Scottsdale retrieves a portion of Tucson's CAP supply directly from the canal for local use.

Scottsdale is actively addressing issues related to short-term rentals by proposing three measures to the Arizona League of Cities and Towns. These proposals aim to cap the total number of short-term rentals in communities, limit their density in specific areas, and establish separation requirements between them. The city's proposals will be reviewed by the Resolutions Committee at an upcoming conference.

The Scottsdale Civic Center improvements have received state and regional accolades. The Arizona Parks & Recreation Association awarded it as “Outstanding Facility” for populations over 100,000, recognizing it as Arizona's best newly constructed facility of 2023. Additionally, Engineering News-Record Southwest named it the best “Landscape/Urban Development” project in its region.

September marks National Preparedness Month with an emphasis on emergency planning for families. The city's Street Operations division maintains a 24/7 program to manage storm-related damage alongside other municipal teams.

Upcoming events include the Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival from August 31 through September 2 at WestWorld and the Arizona Black Rodeo on September 1-2 at WestWorld. Rewind ‘80s Night is set for September 2 at Scottsdale Civic Center.

The Mayor’s “We the People” Constitution Day Contest encourages participants to express American pride through various creative formats with prizes awarded across categories.

Finally, construction progresses on a new training center for the Scottsdale Fire Department thanks to voter-approved funding. Expected completion is January 2025.