To help increase the Tree Canopy in our urban area, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) offer “Treebates” to offset part of the cost of planting a new low or medium water usage tree. The “Treebate ‘can also be used to help cover the costs of tree maintenance. As our communities grow, we see the increase in streets, roof tops, and parking lots, etc. All these hard, paved surfaces cause “the heat island effect” warming our cities by as much as 10 degrees. Trees are a great natural tool to help mitigate the heat island effect, and keep our cities clean, beautiful, and healthy! Choose from our list of 20 beautiful trees to increase your tree canopy! Visit www.505Outside for details.
First, we would like to wish our students and families a wonderful start to the new school year. We hope you had the opportunity to enjoy our city throughout the summer; whether that was paying a visit to our BioPark, dancing at Summerfest, or taking part in one of our many youth summer programs.
As summer comes to a close, we remain steady on our path to making Albuquerque the best place for families to live and work. This means not only investing in quality of life projects, but it also requires expanding career opportunities for Burqueños. This month, we announced the arrival of Maxeon Solar Technologies to Mesa Del Sol, which will bring over 1,800 jobs and $4.2 billion in economic impact. Our status as a sustainable leader is a major aspect of Maxeon’s decision to reshore to Albuquerque, and we look forward to working with them to create more jobs and spur economic prosperity in our community.
Heading into the Labor Day weekend, we also reaffirm our commitment to supporting our unions as they call for fair wages and safe working conditions. Earlier this month, we attended several union events including AFSCME’s hiring fair, the Local Carpenters Union’s Solidarity Day, and the Film & TV Expo. While all of these unions have their own focus, they are each a crucial part of our community, advocating for the folks who are literally building our city and keeping it running. We are grateful for their work, and will continue to do what we can at the City level to make sure our laborers – and their families – thrive here.
We hope everyone has a safe and restful Labor Day weekend. We look forward to all the promising possibilities the rest of the year holds.
The Albuquerque Police Department (APD), in conjunction with the McDonald’s at 5700 McMahon NW, is hosting a Community Resources Event this Saturday, July 29 from 10:00 am until 2:00 p.m. The public is invited and encouraged to attend, particularly families with younger children. There will be the Mounted Patrol Horse Unit, the K-9 unit, The Bomb Squad and SWAT Team units, officers from the Northwest Area Command, and many other safety and community resources.
Due to excessive heat in Albuquerque, the City’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) is making some temporary adjustments for the health and safety of its workers. Starting last Friday, July 21, through Sunday, August 20, the open hours at the Cerro Colorado Landfill as well as residential collection times will be shifting two hours earlier to avoid the higher temperatures of the afternoons.
The Cerro Colorado Landfill is normally open 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. But with this change, that means landfill customers will be able to utilize the facility starting at 5:00 am through 3:00 pm. No customers will be allowed in after 3:00 pm. The hours at the three convenience centers, Eagle Rock, Don Reservoir, and Montessa Park, will not be affected.
As well, collections drivers will also be coming in two hours early to help beat the heat. For residents, this means that their trash, recycling, or large items could be picked up as much as two hours earlier. The department recommends that residents who are typically serviced first thing in the morning on their regular collection day put out their trash, recycling, and large items the night before as the collections trucks could come up to two hours earlier. For more information, visit: cabq.gov/solidwaste
Let’s cut to the chase. We’re experiencing some of the hottest temperatures in our city’s history. While we’re working to provide immediate solutions through cooling centers and Operation Cool Down, we are affirming our commitment to keeping Albuquerque safe and healthy as we deal with the effects of climate change. We will continue investing in our future by building affordable and sustainable housing, reducing emissions, and making sure our green spaces are plentiful.
And it’s all part of making Albuquerque the best place for families. We are working each and every day to deliver on this promise. For instance, this evening we’re celebrating the completion of Phase I of the Los Altos Park improvements, taking a step forward in expanding access to quality outdoor spaces and recreation throughout our city. Later this week, you will also hear more about the vision for the Rail Trail which will connect our communities and provide more opportunities for Burqueños of all ages to work and play.
As we implement solutions for the now, we’re setting solutions for the future in motion. We are grateful to everyone who drives our city forward, and we will continue working to fulfill the promise of Albuquerque.
