Tucson NewsNet Daily Digest - A Service of the City of Tucson

CITY MOURNS FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER PAUL DURHAM - City of Tucson building flags are flying at half-staff after yesterday’s, Jan. 25, passing of former Tucson City Council Member Paul Durham. Durham was elected to represent Ward 3 in 2017 and resigned in 2021 to attend to personal matters. “It is with a heavy heart that I remember my colleague, Paul Durham," said Mayor Regina Romero. "He was an incredible partner to me in helping to accelerate our climate action and resiliency work. His public service and dedication to the constituents of Ward 3 and the Tucson community will always be remembered."
From Arizona Public Media

GEM SHOW SEASON BEGINS IN TUCSON - The 2023 Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Showcase officially begins this Saturday, Jan. 28, and runs through Sunday, Feb. 12. Several shows have opened already, and the Showcase will be in full swing by Tuesday, Jan. 31. The original public show that started it all, The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, operated by the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society, will open at the Tucson Convention Center on Thursday, Feb. 9, and run through Sunday, Feb. 12 (link below). This year’s TGMS Show theme is “SILICA - Agates and Opals and Quartz, Oh My!” The best information about all of the shows is available in the Official Gem Guide (link below). This guide is hosted and operated by VisitTucson and is developed in partnership with the City of Tucson every year. It provides clear information on show locations, hours, parking and transit connections, and if the shows are open to the public, wholesale only, or open to both. It is one of the most important ways that the City supports this annual international event in our region.
Gem Show Guide - Tucsongemshow.org
Tucson Gem & Mineral Show
Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase

INCENTIVE AGREEMENTS APPROVED BY MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR AMERICAN BATTERY FACTORY AND SION POWER - Tucson's Mayor and Council on Tuesday, Jan. 24, approved two Primary Jobs Incentive development agreements for American Battery Factory (ABF) and Sion Power. The Primary Jobs Incentive is a financial tool that supports the City’s efforts to attract quality jobs and investment. The incentive provides up to 100% reimbursement of construction sales tax to qualifying expenses, such as required public infrastructure improvements, offsets to impact fees, and job training. ABF intends to hire 1,000 new employees over the next several years, with an average salary of $65,000. The overall economic impact of the ABF project is estimated at more than $2.5 billion over five years. Construction is expected to start in June, with completion in late 2024. Sion Power has more than 100 current employees, with an average salary of $85,000, and intends to create more than 150 new engineering and manufacturing jobs with this expansion. The overall economic impact of the Sion expansion project is estimated at more than $85.2 million over five years. The new manufacturing facility is expected to be operational in late 2024. “The future of green jobs and battery manufacturing is right here in Tucson,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. “Our investment is a down payment on a more sustainable and thriving future.” Ward 5 Council Member Richard Fimbres added. "The renaissance of Ward 5 and the south side continues with the construction of ABF and the expansion of Sion Power, with more than 1,100 jobs being created in these fields of new technology and sustainability. Both companies will be working with the surrounding schools and educational institutions to help with creating educational programs and job training,” he said. The news releases with additional details about the companies and the incentives are linked below.
ABF news release
Sion Power news release

CITY OF TUCSON RECEIVES MORE THAN 15,000 PRE-APPLICATIONS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WAITLIST - The City of Tucson and the Housing and Community Development (HCD) department completed the first round of the reopened affordable housing waitlist on Monday, Jan. 24, and more than 15,000 pre-applications were submitted. The pre-application was preceded by several months of planning by HCD staff and collaboration with community partners. HCD’s partners made their computers available to residents who did not have access to computers or smartphones to complete their applications. The waitlist will remain open for applications, and lotteries will continue. HCD estimates it will take approximately 30 to 60 days to determine eligibility. The City expects to serve approximately 2,000 applicants in the first year, through December 2023. Contact HCD by email at [email protected], or call (520) 791-5840.
Application website
Read the news release

WATCH VIDEO FROM PLAN TUCSON KICKOFF EVENT - What do you want for Tucson? Your vision for the future of our community is needed as we update Plan Tucson, the City of Tucson General & Sustainability Plan (2013). The first open house about the plan took place last Thursday, Jan. 19, at the Tucson Convention Center (video link below) and more will be upcoming. During the first phase of community outreach this spring, Tucson residents will be asked to share their priorities and vision for the future of our City. This is an opportunity for the community to learn about the City’s recent efforts, assess challenges and needs, and guide Tucson’s long-term direction.
Watch the video
Plan Tucson
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