The South Mountain neighborhood is located in the southern part of the City of Phoenix in Maricopa County. The three zip codes of 85040, 85041 and 85042 comprise the bulk of the neighborhood and serve as the target area boundary for this report. South Mountain is a distressed community, with significant need and limited resources. It is an area that differs from most of the city, with a pre- dominantly economically disadvantaged Latino and African-American population. As part of Maricopa County’s efforts to identify the needs, the gaps in services and resources, and to use data to inform the County about making effective and meaningful policy changes, this report uses data collected as part of the ongoing AARIN project and economic measures derived from U.S. Census data to help examine and potentially guide restoration efforts in South Mountain.

For the 2008 AARIN study, 2,105 Maricopa County (AZ) arrestees volunteered to complete the survey instrument and to provide a valid urine specimen for testing. In addition, the arrestees responded to a series of questions related to methamphetamine use, including patterns of use, treatment, drug transactions, sales and manufacturing, and awareness of the Arizona Meth Project. Among those participants, 435 (20.7%) admitted to having used methamphetamine in the 30 days prior to arrest.

The purpose of this report is to examine methamphetamine use among adult arrestees and juvenile detainees in Maricopa County, Arizona. We relied on data from the Arizona Arrestee Reporting Information Network (AARIN) to address the following five questions:
1. What percent of adult arrestees are methamphetamine users and what are their social characteristics?
2. What is the relationship between methamphetamine use and arresting offense?
3. What is the relationship between methamphetamine use by parents and the presence of children in the household?
4. What percent of methamphetamine users are receiving treatment for their drug use?
5. What percent of juvenile detainees are methamphetamine users and what are their social and legal characteristics?

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport completed a comprehensive analysis of the cargo service opportunities of Phoenix metropolitan airports, specifically Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Phoenix Deer Valley, Phoenix Goodyear, and Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airports. The Study researched regional air cargo opportunities, forecasted regional air cargo demand, determined necessary facilities and infrastructure at Phoenix region airports, identified market opportunities and outlined approaches for further development.

In fiscal year 2012, Isaac Elementary School District’s student achievement was similar to peer district averages, and the District’s operational efficiencies were mixed, with much higher administrative and plant operations costs than peer districts’ averages but lower food service costs. Between fiscal years 2007 and 2012, the District decreased its classroom spending while it increased nonclassroom spending, primarily for administration and plant operations. At the end of fiscal year 2011, the District closed two schools to reduce costs, but its administrative and plant operations costs remained high, partly because of higher staffing levels. The District’s transportation program operated efficient bus routes but had much higher costs per mile and per rider than peer districts’, partly because it operated a smaller program but also because it offered more generous benefits. Finally, the District lacked adequate controls over user access to its computer network and systems.

In fiscal year 2012, Fowler Elementary School District’s student achievement was slightly higher than the peer districts’ averages, and the District operated efficiently. The District’s administrative cost per pupil was similar to the peer districts’ average, and it employed proper accounting and computer controls. The District’s plant operations costs per pupil and per square foot were lower than the peer districts’ averages primarily because of lower energy costs. Additionally, the District’s food service cost per meal was lower than the peer districts’ average, and the program was self-sufficient, in part, because the District paid the vendor that ran its program lower administrative and management fees than peer districts, on average. Further, the District’s transportation program was efficient, with lower costs per mile and per rider and efficient bus routes. However, the District did not accurately report its number of riders transported, which resulted in substantial overfunding for fiscal years 2011 through 2014.

The list was compiled by the Department of Water Resources in cooperation with the Landscape Technical committee of the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, comprised of experts from the Desert Botanical Garden, the Arizona Department of Transportation and various municipal, nursery and landscape specialists. Individuals wishing to add or delete plants from the list may submit information to the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources for consideration.

In fiscal year 2012, Osborn Elementary School District’s student achievement was slightly higher than peer districts’, and the District’s efficiency in noninstructional areas was mixed, with some costs higher and some costs lower than peer districts’. The District’s administrative cost per pupil was slightly lower than the peer districts’ average, and its food service program operated efficiently with a lower cost per meal, on average. However, the District’s transportation program operated less efficiently, and although the District made some improvements to the program in fiscal year 2013, better oversight is still needed. Further, the District’s plant operations costs were much higher than peer districts’, primarily because the District maintained a large amount of excess building space, even after closing a school at the end of fiscal year 2011. Lastly, the District needs to strengthen some of its computer controls.

The Arizona Drug Endangered Children Program (formerly referred to as the Meth and Kids Initiative) was established in 2000 to address problems associated with methamphetamine production in homes with children present. For the past three years the DEC Program has focused primarily on Maricopa County cases and Task Force members have provided training and technical assistance to agencies throughout the state. Representatives from the DEC Task Force worked together to formalize the multidisciplinary protocol to address the needs of children and ensure the safety of children who are present at an investigation of a methamphetamine laboratory.

This report presents the results of a study of vehicle occupancy conducted in Phoenix, Arizona to determine what factors have the greatest influence on having persons travel together to make trips in private vehicles. Although the data were collected in the Phoenix metropolitan area for the purpose of refining the MAGTPO mode split model for vehicle trips, the conclusions reached in this study of vehicle occupancy are also intended to be checked against data from other metropolitan areas.