Fountain Hills Annual Report 2021-2022

2021 ANNUAL REPORT

Fiscal Year 2021/2022

July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022

Acknowledgements Acknowledgements

MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL

MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL

Mayor Ginny Dickey

Mayor Ginny Dickey

Vice Mayor Vice Mayor Gerry Friedel Gerry Friedel

Councilmember Alan Magazine

Councilmember Alan Magazine

Councilmember Sharron Grzybowski

Councilmember Sharron Grzybowski

Councilmember David Spelich

Councilmember David Spelich

Councilmember Peggy McMahon

Councilmember Peggy McMahon

Councilmember Mike Scharnow

Councilmember Mike Scharnow

TOWN ADMINISTRATION TOWN ADMINISTRATION

Grady Miller, Town Manager

Grady Miller, Town Manager

David Trimble, Deputy Town Manager/ David Trimble, Deputy Town Manager/ Administrative Services Director Administrative Services Director

Rachael Goodwin, Deputy Town Manager/

Rachael Goodwin, Deputy Town Manager/ Community Services Director Community Services Director

DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS

Aaron Arnson, Town Attorney

Aaron Arnson, Town Attorney

Amanda Jacobs, Economic Development and Tourism Director

Amanda Jacobs, Economic Development and Tourism Director

Bo Larsen, Community Relations Director

Bo Larsen, Community Relations Director

Chief Dave Ott, Fountain Hills Fire Department

Chief Dave Ott, Fountain Hills Fire Department

David Pock, Finance Director

David Pock, Finance Director

Joanna Elliot, Court Administrator

Joanna Elliot, Court Administrator

John Wesley, Development Services Director

John Wesley, Development Services Director

Justin Weldy, Public Works Director

Justin Weldy, Public Works Director

Capt. Larry Kratzer (MCSO)

Capt. Larry Kratzer (MCSO)

Linda Mendenhall, Town Clerk

Linda Mendenhall, Town Clerk

Robert Melton, Municipal Judge

Robert Melton, Municipal Judge DarkskiesoverFountainHills. PhotocourtesyofEagle MountainInn.

IN THIS REPORT

2021-2022 TOWN COUNCIL

Mayor Ginny Dickey

Vice Mayor

Gerry Friedel

Councilmember

Dave Spelich

Councilmember

Mike Scharnow

Alan Magazine

Councilmember

Peggy McMahon

Councilmember

Sharron Grzybowski

A YEAR-IN-REVIEW

TownAccomplishedandCelebratedinFiscalYear21-22

TownSurvey

The Town conducted a survey of residents to gather information on the level of satisfaction with Town services. The survey was conducted by ETC Institute of Olathe, Kansas. The data from the survey will aide leaders to make certaintheyaremakingdecisionsthatalignwiththeneedsof the town residents and prioritizing services that will positively impact the community. Overall, residents think the town is an excellent/good place to live (98.7%), retire (95.2%), visit (86.6%), raise children (73.4%), and overall quality of life is excellent/good. And, 97.6% of residents indicated they feel very safe or safe in their neighborhood. (Read the full survey report at www.fountainhillsaz.gov/town-manager)

FountainHillsCaresDiscussesImportantTopics

The Town conducted a community forum in the fall and spring, called Fountain Hills Cares. The purpose of this event is to bring experts in to lead important discussions on topics important to residentsinFountainHills.ThefirstCareseventheldinOctober, 2021,discussedaddiction,homelessness,suicideprevention,and racism. The Cares event in April, 2022, was a discussion on dementia and the caregivers who care for those who are living withthedisease.Botheventsattractedlargeaudiences.

RefreshedWebsite

Thenationalaverageforawebsitetoberefreshedisfour-to-five years. The Town’s site hadn’t been give an overhaul in nearly seven years. During FY21-22, the Town revised the www.fountainhillsaz.gov website with bolder, branded colors, and visuals that better reflected the quality of life in our beautifultown.Duringtheupgradingprocess,departmentpages were updated and new applications were added for improved transparencyandfunction.

A YEAR-IN-REVIEW

NewCitizenEngagementCommunicationsPlan

In early 2022, Community Relations Director Bo Larsen presented a communications and emergency communications plantoTownCouncilforadoption.Thenewplangivesastep-bystep roadmap in how communications between residents and Town departments will occur for the best engagement. Additionally, the Emergency Communications Plan is a tool for sharing the most important information during a public safety emergency.

20thAnniversaryof9-11

Fountain Park was the setting for 20th Remembrance of 9/11. The Rotary Club provided a specially crafted replica of the World Trade Center, and American flags surroundedthememorial.

REVENUE BY STORE PARK FACILITIES AND SERVICES

Community Services Delivers Recreation, Programs, Services, and More

The Community Services Department continues receiving national accolades for the quality and creativity of programs, services, and facilities. Last year, the departmentwasrecognizedbytheAmericanAcademyfor Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), with a 2021 National Gold Medal Awards for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management.In2022,thedepartmentwashonoredagain asafinalistforthisprestigiousaward.Thisrecognitionisa testament to the commitment given to the town's quality of life, health, and well-being of the residents of Fountain Hills.

TheCommunityServicesDepartmentoverseesandworks collaboratively with many community organizations by maintaining and providing services with town parks, trails, Community Center, parks and recreation, community arts programs, volunteers, special events, Home Delivered Meals,andmore.

New Rotary Splash Pad is COOL!

For towns without a community pool and fortunate enough to have a splash pad, at least children and some adults have a destination to cool off. Since 2007, the Rotary Centennial Splash Pad at Fountain Park in Fountain Hills has been the "cool" place to be during hot summer days. Constructionforthenewsplashpadbeganinthefallof2021.Duetothe widespread popularity of the splash pad, staff recommended Town Council increase the play area size to create zones for age-appropriate play. The expanded footprint allowed for additional play structures to accommodate the large volume of youth using the park. Some fun attractions include the Mega Soaker and Sneaky Soaker water buckets, Custom Cool Trane, Geyser, Tidal Wave, Froggie-O, Tidal Wave, and morethan30waterfeatures.

New Fountain Park Playground PARK FACILITIES AND SERVICES

The playground at Fountain Park for younger children, ages 2-5, was replaced last year. The five-year-old to 12-year-old playgroundequipmentbecameaninstanthit when it opened in Fountain Park last February. One of the new features includes a 30-foot climbing tower, which may be the firstofitskindintheU.S.

CommunityCenterReopens

After receiving a well-deserved facelift, the Fountain Hills Community Center reopened for programs and visitors in October. The center was closed for remodeling during the summer of 2021, though many programs and services remainedoperationalfromalternatelocations.

The Community Center remodeling, funded through the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), and the Facilities Reserve Fund,included:

Paintingthecompleteinterior.

Remodelingtherestrooms.

Installingnewflooringthroughoutthebuilding. Replacingandupgradingaudio-visualequipment. Newfurnishings.

Anewfrontdesk.

Newwaterfountainsandwaterbottlefillingstations. Improvements to the stormwater drainage system at the frontentrance.

PARK FACILITIES AND SERVICES

Four Peaks Park Receives Additional Upgrades

As part of a multi-year renovation, Four Peaks Park added new pickleball courts to the delight of many regionalplayers.Additionally,agameareawasadded,providingpermanentpingpongtables,picnictables andcornholegamesforusersofthepark.Thegamingareaiscovered,providingyear-roundshade.

Golden Eagle Park Experiences the Return of Tournaments

Thepandemicstruckoutmanyofthepreviousyear's baseballandsoftballtournaments,butduring2021, GoldenEagleParksawasignificantincreasein ballfieldusage.Parkstaffworkedhardtoremove invasivegrasses,andtheworkhaspaidoff.The attendingteamshavecomplimentedthequalityofthe fields,whichhashelpedincreasethenumberof tournamentsheldinFountainHills.

Anotherupgradetothepark,which benefitedallusers,wasthe upgradedrestroomsduringthe fiscalyear2021-22.

PARK FACILITIES AND SERVICES

PARK FACILITIES AND SERVICES

Desert Vista Receives Turf Treatments and Expanded Sidewalk

TurfrenovationandlevelingatDesertVistacontinuedin2022. Park staff leveled 400 tons of top dressing material across the entire soccer field area to help level the sports turf fields. The fields continued treatments to help mitigate the undesired weeds from returning. A new section of sidewalk was installed along the east end of the park to complete the .4 mile walking loop.

New Skate Park Lighting

AttheskateparkinDesertVistaPark,skatersmaynowrideat nightthankstoanewlightingsystem.Forthefirsttimesinceit opened, skaters can use the facility after dark in the summer when the temperatures are not as hot. The town realized a 25 percent cost savings with this lighting project thanks to the partnershipwithMuscoLighting.

New Mini-Pitch for Big Fun

The Parks Division had a busy fall with two much-needed features at Desert Vista Park. Thanks to a generous donation byMuscoLighting,aMiniPitch(outdoorsoccerfieldthatplays like an indoor soccer field) was installed. The gift saved the townnearly$100,000.

PARK FACILITIES AND SERVICES

Avenue of the Fountains Linear Park Keeps Cool in the Shade

The Avenue Linear Park got several new trees this past year. Some trees were removed and replaced due to safety reasons ormonsoondamage.

Mayor's Youth Council Hosts Community Center Take Over Event

Working with eight local organizations and businesses, the Mayor's Youth Council created an event that offered Fountain Hills teens an entirely free event. Some activities included inflatables, free food, drinks, tie-dye, video game tournaments, dodgeball, karaoke, raffle prizes, a dance party, and more! There were 125 teens in attendance for thisfirst-timeevent.

Dog Park Receives Shade Structures

Through a generous donation from an anonymous donor and the support of ADOG, the Desert Vista Dog Park has addedthreenewshadestructures.

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Home Delivered Meals Make a Difference for Those in Need

The Home Delivered Meals Program provide nutritional meals for individuals of all ages living in Fountain Hills who require meal assistance. This program assists residents recovering from illness or surgery and allows home-bound individuals to reside longer in the comfort of their own homes. Between July 2021 and June 2022, the program served 4581 meals. An increase of 179 meals from the previousyear.

Make a Difference Day

Make a Difference Day is the most encompassing national day of service, where millions of volunteers unite in a shared mission to improve the lives of others.

On October 23, 336 community volunteers heeded the call to help neighbors in need:

37 Residential Projects

336 Volunteers

Over 1600 Service Hours Contributed Countless Chuck Truck Debris Pickups

5 Dumpsters filled with Debris

Over 40 Volunteers helped beautify Fountain Hills Middle School Campus

Over 40 Volunteers planted 150 plants at Town Hall

Over 100 Holiday Greeting Cards were created by our Girl Scouts for Care Card

PARK FACILITIES AND SERVICES

TownEventsBackinaBigWay

The Independence Day Celebration started the fiscal year with a bang!FireworksatFountainParkwiththeworld-famousfountainas a backdrop is one of the regions must see 4th of July events. The first annual Spooky Blast (1) at the park kicked off with record numbers estimated at 3,000. Thirty businesses and organizations partnered with the town to provide a booth filled with games, activities, and candy. The Avenue comes alive during the spring and fallwiththe Concerts on the Avenue (2) series. This year kicked off with record attendance estimated at 400. This series includes two artists, a solo performer, and a band. The annual St. Patrick's Day celebration of Irish Fest (3) returned after a two-year pause. This event had record numbers in both attendance and sales. The estimated attendance was 8,000. The Greening of the Fountain (4) hasbeenheldeachSt.Patrick'sDaysince1979,attractingspectators from around the region to see the world-famous fountain dyed green. Music Fest (5) wasexpandedtoatwo-dayeventthankstoan Arizona Office of Tourism grant. The expanded format featured three bands each night, with an estimated attendance of 7,000 for bothnights.Ourfirstannual Earth Day Celebration (6) wasanevent for all ages. One of the featured contests for families was constructing a fort out of cardboard. Other activities included craft stations, dog toys created from old jeans, glass lanterns, jug faces, a water bottle mobile, rock painting, and a creation station. The Fountain Hills Skateboard Classic (7) was the first-ever skate event held in town. This event featured 31 enthusiastic skaters that participated from two different age groups. Nearly 250 people attended the event. The 31st Annual Turkey Trot (8) drew a large crowd of runners, walkers, and families building an appetite by circlingFountainPark. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

REVENUE BY STORE TOWN INFRASTRUCTURE

The Town of Fountain Hills Public Works Department takes pride in maintaining necessary infrastructure with limited financial resources. Always on-call, the department oversees roads, town-owned washes, and town facilities to ensure they are secure and safe for residentsandvisitors.Fiscalyear21/22sawasteadylist ofplannedcapitalprojectsgetstartedandcompleted.

The department consists of the following divisions: Streets, Engineering, Sidewalks, Rights-of-Way, and Facilities.

TOWN INFRASTRUCTURE

Municipal Campus Driveway Relocation

The Town completed improvements along El Lago Boulevard, east of La Montana Blvd, including realignment of the existing driveway to better connect to the existing parking and drive aisle, along with new sidewalk, curb and gutter, near the CommunityGarden.

Parking Lot Improvements at Four Peaks Park

The existing east parking lot was milled and overlaid with new asphalt, and the pavement area was expanded. The lot was regradedtoimprovesitedrainage.

The west parking lot was re-graded and paved to improve drainage conditions, and a new sidewalk connection was completedtotheexistingtenniscourts.

DesignatedPurpleHeartParking forVeterans

In February, the Town designated eight parking spaces in recognition of Purple Heart recipients. The spaces are painted purple wiht the Purple Heart insignia, as well as signs showing thatthespacesarereserved.

To improve the safety for those walking on the trail, drainage improvements were installed upstream of the entrance/exit to capture and divert storm water, reducing the amount of water flowingalongthewalkingpath.

RoadRepairsOngoing

The Highway Users Revenue Fund (HURF) pays for Streets personnel and contract work for street repairs. With only $2 million per year received from HURF funds, the road resurfacing of streets in Fountain Hills is a never-ending project for Public Works. The Town follows the recommendations of the 10-Year Pavement Management Analysis the Town adopted in 2018. This report provides a guideline for the Street Department in determining which roadways need the most attention for repair. The 2021/2022 fiscal year saw the milling, grading, and laying of new asphalt forneighborhoodfeederstreetsandthroughways.

Citizen's Streets Committee Committed to Town's Roadways

To help oversee street maintenance planning, and longterm town street needs, the Town formed an ad-hoc streets committee. The Citizens Ad-Hoc Streets committee consistsofengagedresidentswhoofferinputandguidance in how the Town can manage its streets and pavement repairs for the next 20-years. In addition, the committee willworkcloselywiththeTownManagerandPublicWorks Director in reviewing the Town's street needs and issuing its recommendations to the Town Council for addressing theTown'spavementmanagementintothefuture.

New Crosswalk Provides Safe Access to Desert Vista Park

Desert Vista Park offers many sought-after amenities for town residents but there are few homes in the area where residents can safely access the park on a bike or walking. A pedestrian crosswalk on Saguaro Boulevard at Tower Drive was added so residents have safe pedestrian and bicycle access to the park. The new crosswalk features an overhead solar Pedestrian Crossing Flashing Beacon system and street lighting to alertdriversofpeoplecrossingtheSaguaroBoulevard.

Managing Environmental Resources

Environmental Programs provide environmental regulatory compliance oversight to Fountain Hills operations and facilities. These programs include but are not limited to Storm Water and Air Quality programs. Environmental Programs are also responsible for coordinating recycling programs, energy efficiencyactivitiesandhelppromoteandimplementsustainableactivitieswithintheTown.

In November, the annual Household Hazardous Waste drop-off program at the Fountain Hills High School wasanothergreatsuccess.OtherrecyclingprogramsduringtheyearincludedtheElectronicsRecyclingDay heldinAprilandtheFriendsoftheLibraryannualDocumentShreddingDaywhichoccurredinMay.

Town Wash Improvements

The Town re-shaped, widened and fortified several washes in residential areas to improve drainage capacity and flow, to help reduce the risk of flooding toneighboringresidences.

REVENUE BY STORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Economic Development and Tourism Department continued its support of local businesses while marketing the town to attract new businesses and visitors.

The Town welcomed the following business

The Town welcomed the following business in FY21/22: in FY21/22:

Behaviorally, LLC. Behaviorally, LLC.

Good Living Greens Good Living Greens

The Havenly The Havenly Honor Health Urgent Care Honor Health Urgent Care

Lash A Gogo Lash A Gogo

Mountain View Kitchen Mountain View Kitchen

Mathnasium Mathnasium

FountainHillsChamberofCommerceheldaribbon cuttingceremonyforTheHavenlyonMarch10,2022.

New Economic Development Director

The Town of Fountain Hills hired Amanda Jacobs, MBA in March, 2022, as the new Economic Development Director. Ms. Jacobs previously served as the Economic Development Manager for the Town of Oro Valley since 2007, where she managed business attraction, business retention, annexations, regional community partnerships, and special events. During her last two years with the town,sheoversawthetown'sstrategicleadershipplanandlean/processimprovement.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Business Retention and Expansion Business Retention and Expansion

The Town of Fountain Hills and Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce have partnered on a Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) Program in Fountain Hills. The BR&E program will assist in analyzing our local economy and aid existing job creators as they hire more employees, add locations, invest in facilities, and continue to give back to the community. This partnership will foster relationships and maintain open linesofcommunicationwithbusinesses.

Theprogramhasthreefocusareas:Connect,CollectandCommunicate.

Connect – every week, representatives from the Fountain Hills Economic Development Department, Fountain Hills Town Council, and Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce will conduct site visits with businessestogaininformationanddatatoimprovetheFountainHillsbusinessclimate.

Collect – during weekly visits, information is gathered on the businesses’ operations, workforce, and the overallbusinessclimate.

Communicate – Fountain Hills Economic Development and Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce staff will identifyareasofstrengthandimprovementandfollowupwithbusinesses.

Theinformationgatheredwillbeusedtoidentify,design,andimplementstrategiesthatcanhelpstrengthen existingbusinessesandindustries.

TownNon-ProfitGrantProgram

The Town of Fountain Hills awarded 34 non-profit organizations with $5,000 through a Non-Profit GrantProgram.Thefundingwasmadeavailable fromtheAmericanRescuePlanAct(ARPA),servedasa one-time grant program to non-profit organizations within the Town of Fountain Hills that were impactedbyCOVID-19.

RepublicServicesandtheTownofFountain

Hills distributed $10,000 to five local nonprofit organizations. The Town of Fountain Hills and Republic Services have worked in close partnership to provide nonprofit organizations with communityfocused projects and programing funding foroveradecade.

FOUNTAIN HILLS TOURISM

Tourism

Fountain Hills Beauty Attracts National Audience

Tourism is one of Arizona’s most critical economic drivers, with people from around the nation and the world coming to enjoy Arizona’s weather and many events. Winter visitors and tourists are essential to the economy of Fountain Hills. In addition to the part-time residents, visitors come to Fountain Hills to experience the fountain, art festivals, special events, beautiful scenery, and hiking adventures. The Town helps to attract visitors through promotional campaigns and publications that ensure they know about the town when they visit.

Photo upper left: Ford GT Club met in Fountain Hills for photos before heading off on a tour of the state. Photo lower left: Concourse in the Hills attracted nearly 50,000 visitors to Fountain Hills last spring to marvel at more than 1,000 exquisite vehicles.

The Town was awarded a total of $87,985 in tourism grants from the Arizona Office of Tourism, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and Salt RiverPimaMaricopaIndianCommunitythatassistedinenhancingour tourism efforts throughout the year to include digital and print advertising, a new video to promote the recently remodeled community center and a language translator on our Experience FountainHillswebpage.

logoofgrants

REVENUE BY STORE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The Development Services Department provides various functions to ensure that the town grows smartly and safely. The divisions within the department include Building Safety, Planning and Zoning, Code Compliance, and Mapping and Graphics.

Building Safety: Processes applications for permits to construct homes, commercial buildings, fences, swimming pools, and other structures in a manner that is responsive and customer friendly.

Planning and Zoning: The division is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Fountain Hills through innovative, proven planning techniques. This division reviews site plans, plats, rezoning, and special use permits.

Code Compliance: The Code Compliance Division is actively involved in maintaining an excellent quality of life by addressing community issues such as abandoned vehicles, property maintenance, improperly maintained pools, illegal signs, improper parking on private property, and dumping or other destruction in town-owned washes.

Mapping & Graphics: The Division is responsible for providing internal and external customers with maps, graphic information and research.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

TownExperiencesSteadyGrowth

Building permits continued to indicate steady growth of new housing and construction projects in Fountain Hills. The department processed more than 675 residential building permit applicationsand200nonresidentialbuildingpermitsthislastfiscal year. These total included 145 new residential, 75 pool and spa, 128remodel/additions,and89solarpermits.

Proving to be the TOPPS

In September, the Development Services Department implementedanewelectronicplanreviewandpermittingsystem. TOPPS (Town’s Online Permitting and Planning System) allows developers and contractors to file an application or check on the status of an application electronically. The TOPPS online system allows the submittal of applications at any time. It also saves applicants time and money by not needing to print copies of their plans.

Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments Promotes Business

The Town passed two Zoning Ordinance text amendments aimed at further promoting the long-term viability of residential, commercial, and mixed-use development. These include the requirementofaCitizenParticipationPlanbytheapplicantsofall rezoning and special use permit cases, encouraging residents to provide input. Another text amendment was approved to allow for outdoor seating and entertainment on town-maintained sidewalks within the Town Center Commercial District with approvalofanencroachmentpermitfromTownCouncil.

Town Council Updates Sign Ordinance

Town Council approved an updated sign ordinance to help manage the proliferation of marketing and political signage aroundtown.

REVENUE BY STORE COMMUNITY PROVIDERS

Though the Town of Fountain Hills does not provide direct water, sewer, and trash collection services,thetownworkscloselywithpartnersto offer these utilities. By using these top-notch organizations to deliver utility services, residents are assured of the best service without paying additional taxes or fees to the town for equipmentmaintenanceandupgrades.

COMMUNITY PROVIDERS

EPCORProvidesWater

EPCOR, a Canadian-based company, provides water services to Fountain Hills and has existed since before the town's incorporation in 1989. The company is the largest private water utility in Arizona, and the southwest, serving approximately 770,000 people in 32 unique communities and 12countiesinArizona,NewMexico,andTexas.Intheeventof the main water rupture or other water supply issue, EPCOR willquicklyrespondtoresolvethesituation.www.EPCOR.com

Republic Services Provides Trash and Recycling Collection

The Town of Fountain Hills has an eight-year contract with Republic Services to provide household trash collection, recycling, and bulk trash removal. Republic Services Residents arebilleddirectlybythecompany.www.republicservices.com

FountainHillsSanitaryDistrict ManagesWastewater

Established in 1969, the Fountain Hills Sanitary District is a governmental entity that collects, treats, and disposes of wastewater and its byproducts within the Town of Fountain Hills. The Fountain Hills Sanitary District has successfully recycledwastewaterforbeneficialreusesince1974.

The Sanitary District prides itself on being good stewards of the environment and doing its part to protect the desert's limited water resources. All wastewater in town is treated and beneficiallyreusedforirrigationpurposes.Thereclaimedwater produced by the District's WWTP is used to fill Fountain Lake, andtoirrigateFountainParkandgolfcourses.

The State of Arizona has encouraged the beneficial reuse of safelytreatedwastewatertoreducetheirrigationdemandsoff thelimitedpotablewatersupplies.SinceFountainHillsisinthe desert, it is wise to conserve our potable water resources to supporthumanneedsandeconomicgrowth.

FINANCE DIVISION

REVENUE BY STORE

6 Grants = $4,296,135

In fiscal year 21/22, the Town received funding in the form of grants. These grants came from Arizona Office of Tourism, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and the American Rescue Plan. These funds were used towards public safety and special events to attract visitors to Fountain Hills.

Each year, the Town develops and adopts a balanced budget based on priorities identified by citizens, Councilmembers,andTownstaff.Thisprocessrepresentsnumeroushoursofworkanddedication.Theresult of this hard work can be seen when comparing the budgeted and actual amounts for the Town’s fiscal year 21-22operatingrevenuesandexpenditures.

The Town relies heavily on Transaction Privilege Tax to fund operations, and this revenue can be difficult to estimate since it is dependent on sales of products and services within the Town. Because of this, the Town takes a conservative approach in revenue forecasting in order to ensure adequate financial resources to coverbudgetedexpenditures.

Despitethepandemic,theTowncollectedslightlymorerevenueintheOperatingFundsthanwasbudgeted. In addition, the Town’s operating expenditures were less than the amount budgeted for the fiscal year. The resulting difference between actual revenues and actual expenditures was transferred to the Capital ImprovementFundattheendofthefiscalyear.

Awards

TheTown’sFinanceDivisioncontinuestoadd toitslonglistofawardsforfinancialreporting fromtheGovernmentFinanceOfficers Association,representingpublicfinance officialsthroughouttheUnitedStatesand Canada.

26thconsecutiveCertificateof AchievementforExcellenceinFinancial ReportingforitsComprehensiveAnnual FinancialReport

20thconsecutiveDistinguishedBudget PresentationAward

10thconsecutivePopularAnnualFinancial ReportingAward

REVENUE BY STORE PUBLIC SAFETY

Maricopa County Sheriff's Office

Keeps Fountain Hills Safe

The Town of Fountain Hills continues to utilize the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) as its contracted law enforcement provider. MCSO is committed to serving the residents and visitors of Fountain Hills. The town has some of the lowest crime stats in the state, making it one of the safest communitiesinArizona.

SheriffdeputiesworkingintheFountainHillscommunity have remained dedicated to proactive enforcement to promote safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists intown;understandingthattrafficenforcementisoneof thekeyfunctionstoachievethis.

Deputies also play a role in community outreach activities by hosting or participating in town events such as the Fountain Hills Cares event, Make a Difference Day, the Drug Take Back Program, Back to School Bash, working in partnership with the Fountain Hills Drug Coalition,amongstmanyotheractivities.

MCSO looks forward to continuing the strong partnership it has with Fountain Hills and service to the community.

Fountain Hills Fire Department

TheTownofFountainHillscontractswithRural-Metrotoprovidefireandemergencyservices.The Fountain Hills Rural Metro Fire Department is made up of a dynamic body of men and women who worktoensurethesafetyofFountainHills'residents.WhiletheTownownstheequipmentandfire stations, this relationship has proven to be cost-effective in providing emergency services to our residents.

LikeallFireDepartmentsacrossthecountry,FountainHillsRuralMetroFireDepartmenthashadto respond to and manage coronavirus cases in the community and in its own ranks. Because fire fightersarehighlytrained,theyeasilyadapttochangingcircumstances.

Over the last year, the department was able to replace aging equipment. Some of the new equipment includes battery-operated extrication tools (aka “the Jaws of Life”), lifting airbags, and mechanical struts used for lifting and stabilizing emergencies. Other lifesaving equipment the department acquired is thermal imaging cameras for searching, rescuing, and locatinghotspots.

Total Calls for Service - 4,268

Crisis Response Team - 42

Structure Fires - 3

Brush Fires - 0

Inspections - 757

Public Education Activities - 54