[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6475523,"mediaKeyId","5733747-524b4a82d3ad379ae07c743252b4a9b2","parentId",5733747,"title","Avondale council hears data on speed safety camera program; staff to return with contract options in November","audioSeconds",3273,"startMs",1932000,"endMs",5205000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5733747-524b4a82d3ad379ae07c743252b4a9b2&start=1932&end=5205","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5733747-524b4a82d3ad379ae07c743252b4a9b2/thumbnail_1932000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6475523/Avondale/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Avondale-council-hears-data-on-speed-safety-camera-program-staff-to-return-with-contract-options-in-November","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475523-f7b45ed0dca062a670e30412a910d662/orig.mp4?Expires=1770430689&Signature=kjc4iA3~nAaWDjEyaUDEiKqwNJlFKMheW0viZY6PznBZxKTEoovBGabgbK5RVE2JnXFis3RLDDERTVvfVZaInVH33MFR2CTjoCiYwcSVxLLh~Zj78f821jiB6wRVC5f0YgpECzJof~yheJGCnurym2SmUBngn6fMYuIcrP2Y2p64spoMyTuBdyCLOMTqiHagWdLiVTGqJcHvZwnEBTXCB8c-1C0h6cGrZSB3Q7WiYfrQcVJEQp2yJnxu0PJZ56-~XNvvQbCTAxGE-opD3d0lbmiDasatZlDs7T4FLZn8Vc5ZaHEiAhserDwUdaCcvaP954YWtv8mfrw8F15f3iabdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Avondale","date","2025-09-08T00:00:00Z","article","The Avondale City Council on Sept. 8 received a joint presentation from the Avondale Police Department and Avondale City Court on the mobile speed safety camera program (photo radar), including deployment criteria, speed and crash data, vendor operations and court impacts. Councilmembers raised safety, labor and constitutional concerns and asked staff to return with contract termination costs and additional data in November.

Lieutenant Justin Iowen of the Avondale Police Department, who oversees patrol and traffic, said the program was approved by council in May 2022 and implemented in May 2024 with Vero Mobility under a five‑year contract. The city operates two movable units rather than fixed sites. Iowen described the city’s site‑selection criteria: accident history and trends from the Spillman and state tracking systems, officer and traffic bureau input, community requests to a traffic hotline, and Vero Mobility site assessments to ensure camera placement and signage requirements are met.

Iowen summarized evaluation data for Aug. 1, 2024, through July 31, 2025. He said one covert speed sensor deployment on Dysart Road (45 mph posted) recorded about 60,000 vehicles in one week; pre‑deployment 3,200 vehicles were recorded at 11 mph or more over the limit and post‑deployment that number fell to about 1,600—a roughly 50% reduction in vehicles exceeding the 11‑mph threshold. Iowen said Veri/Vero Mobility recorded roughly 45,000 violation events during the evaluation period; about 12,356 citations were issued and just under 33,000 events were rejected for reasons such as image quality or inability to confirm speed. The vendor processing and monthly device fees include $5,250 per unit per month ($10,500 for two units) and ancillaries: a $2 fee for citations above 500 per month, and process‑server fees (about $48 inside Maricopa County, $67 outside) when personal service is required.

Iowen noted operational challenges: image glare for some east‑west deployments at sunrise or sunset (Vero Mobility added sun visors), images unreadable due to windshield glare, and vandalism to units (spray paint on lenses five times and one instance of a device pushed into the roadway). He said vandalism costs are covered by the vendor. He described the city’s image‑review workflow: the vendor filters images then the police review team accepts or rejects images before cases are sent to the court.

Judge Craig Jennings presented court impacts and finances. The court received 12,356 filings from photo radar during the same period and 9,585 of those cases had been resolved at the time of the report. Of the resolved cases, Jennings said 2,504 were dismissed after offenders completed defensive driving school, 3,161 were dismissed (including for lack of service), and 3,920 resulted in responsible findings. About 2,771 filed cases remained pending. The court reported $391,269 to the general fund from sanctions (responsible findings) during the period and $287,960 to the general fund from defensive driving school fees; total revenue connected to the program was $743,665 for the 12‑month snapshot.

Staff also provided a budget projection. Iowen said two dedicated employees currently support the program (one PD, one court) with combined salary and ERE of about $176,000; staff recommended two additional positions and forecast total personnel costs of $352,000 for fiscal year 2026. Combined with device and vendor fees, staff presented an anticipated FY2026 program cost of about $561,482.

Councilmembers debated effectiveness, labor demands and costs. Councilmember White pointed to the Dysart sensor’s 50% reduction in vehicles exceeding the 11‑mph threshold as evidence of behavior change. Councilmember Garcia said she opposed the program on constitutional grounds and expressed concern about the financial burden on residents. Councilmember Condi asked that, if the program is discontinued, existing staff have other duties; the city manager said the positions would be reassigned if the program ends. Councilmembers also asked staff to compare citations issued by patrol officers and consider other engineering measures, such as additional fixed speed indicators and roadway design changes to lower speeds.

City Manager Ron said staff will bring back a report no later than November with answers to specific questions: the contract out‑clause and estimated termination costs (staff said termination would be a six‑figure fee, to be confirmed), updated speed measures for previously deployed locations and a plan to move a unit to gather new data. If council directs continuation through the Safe Streets planning process, staff said they will fill two vacant positions; if council decides otherwise, staff will present options. No council vote was taken Sept. 8; the presentation was for discussion and direction.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Avondale - City Council","oneSentenceSummary","City staff and the court presented a year of data on Avondale's mobile speed safety camera program (photo radar). Council discussed effectiveness, costs and staffing; staff will return in November with contract termination costs, updated speed measurements and other data to inform a decision.","taxTitle","Avondale, Maricopa County, Arizona","taxId",2567,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":44,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6475528,"Avondale approves SS4A grant agreement to fund Safe Streets action plan and demonstration project",418,1514000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5733747-524b4a82d3ad379ae07c743252b4a9b2&start=1514&end=1932","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5733747-524b4a82d3ad379ae07c743252b4a9b2/thumbnail_1514000.jpg","/articles/6475528/Avondale/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Avondale-approves-SS4A-grant-agreement-to-fund-Safe-Streets-action-plan-and-demonstration-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475528-590767d67d01345f22f4df0cac6ba81d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770430689&Signature=faUaFW~GHMPVqPtWSQ6iEtv2ulqrNzPBnt~X4Wqmn4s-9xjPIXg1Iz~D710DeG6D16j-0lHJpE0p~81n98YgaKc6pkJxPC3oRQsq3ZQ0zQrkELG8VpviduK0tGtK0vNAspU31kbFqLgf-fKH1LVxTdZcokYftCueyUoKvAmx1jwKDJauSRWdZJb8uCKx0rQ-zNHWVCi7MAOws26Ffb5cOhwNHsN9V7X~uVC5-p3iMgM5xi0RgkVzsa90Ro8ObMO335cJGwsDb9eAJx07gr~qYWymoTDGhoXleExdMupsOBTBa6s01dGgSTTnavMm7CAreq9XrjuVoyZbZl51S-9N9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Avondale City Council voted Sept. 8 to approve the revised Federal Highway Administration form agreement for the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) award, allowing the city to hire a consultant to prepare a safety action plan and a demonstration project.

Kim Moon (director) told the council the SS4A program helps local communities create an action plan and build a list of projects eligible for future implementation grants. Moon said the city’s application—which was prepared and submitted in 2023—reported 8,773 crashes in Avondale from 2017 to 2021 using Arizona Department of Transportation crash data, including 35 fatalities and 193 serious injuries; 11 of those fatalities involved pedestrians or bicyclists. Moon said five of the 35 fatal crashes and 56 of the 193 serious injuries were on Interstate 10 and the remaining crashes were on city surface streets.

Moon said the city was awarded the SS4A grant in 2023, the council previously approved a resolution related to the award in August, and FHWA subsequently revised the grant form agreement. The council returned the item to approve the updated FHWA agreement so the city can proceed with consultant selection, public outreach, data analysis and coordination required by the award.

Councilmember Condi moved to approve the resolution and Councilmember White seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote recorded in the meeting as \"item passes.\" Moon said approval will allow the city to qualify for future SS4A implementation grants and to focus on high‑risk areas for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

No cost or consultant award was finalized in the meeting; Moon said the work would include public engagement and that staff could return with additional project details.","The council approved a revised form of the Federal Highway Administration \"Safe Streets and Roads for All\" (SS4A) grant agreement to fund a community safety action plan and a minor demonstration project. The resolution authorizing the agreement was previously approved; staff returned with an updated FHWA form.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6475532,"Avondale proclaims Hispanic Heritage Month, outlines library and community events",305,1121000,1426000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5733747-524b4a82d3ad379ae07c743252b4a9b2&start=1121&end=1426","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5733747-524b4a82d3ad379ae07c743252b4a9b2/thumbnail_1121000.jpg","/articles/6475532/Avondale/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Avondale-proclaims-Hispanic-Heritage-Month-outlines-library-and-community-events","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475532-9285a68eaed4c80bafc4455bb5286d1a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770430689&Signature=lHN7QT4ONU6olmoDPYkZVhD7HH8BvTVdHtFmNNZL7JFjXa5GYLnEnwNN-CQFT6f4SpQ5w0TZx1u~lsY-2xpWhk645UtNtMb2IpFd0T1F6lqmeisrmDgvL7nPXMYWiA~gdQRUTCs5-1E4wWKf1-6cEoxOickfK~06duDdbZprtIsAk3G1vnh~JjffQ1wkCTGzASkfPlhlHUyWThoZYlICh8BjOJ03508Y1tZEX7f08ThY~ee85zrYCtJhMwoVzDGwQ5~N8ZNuxQVzgPz6AKgbNlFa~Q3GRbEm0f07ThHf3AZhDOn~1hMrNhUNMK5Bj7-Y4JoCYQ-60a6EwsyDa4z9LA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Avondale City Council on Sept. 8 proclaimed Sept. 15–Oct. 15, 2025, as Hispanic Heritage Month and heard a summary of planned cultural programming from the Parks, Recreation and Libraries Department.

Stacy Swainston, Assistant Director of Parks, Recreation and Libraries, described library and outdoor events planned across Avondale. Programs include family crafts and an Art in Mexico presentation at Sam Garcia Library by a Phoenix Art Museum teaching artist, bilingual story time with Ballet Folklorico Esperanza, a student art show and a community celebration called Tu Jurrencia on Sept. 27 at the Sam Garcia Library. The department also plans a new outdoor series, Mercados and Melodies, with a kickoff Hispanic Heritage market on Sept. 26 outside the Civic Center complex and a poolside Hispanic Heritage Splash Bash at the Avondale Aquatic Center on Oct. 12.

Swainston said the library and parks offerings will be promoted in print and online, including a full page in the current issue of The Rave and the city website. Mayor Pineda read the proclamation noting the national observance and the 2025 theme, “collective heritage, honoring the past, inspiring the future.”

The council recorded the proclamation at the meeting; no vote was required. Staff asked residents to consult the city website for event dates and details.","The Avondale City Council proclaimed Sept. 15–Oct. 15, 2025, as Hispanic Heritage Month and Parks, Recreation and Libraries staff described planned events, markets and arts programs across city facilities.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6475537,"Avondale proclaims National Suicide Prevention Month; resident credits first responders with saving his life",641,68000,709000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5733747-524b4a82d3ad379ae07c743252b4a9b2&start=68&end=709","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5733747-524b4a82d3ad379ae07c743252b4a9b2/thumbnail_68000.jpg","/articles/6475537/Avondale/Maricopa-County/Arizona/Avondale-proclaims-National-Suicide-Prevention-Month-resident-credits-first-responders-with-saving-his-life","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475537-96a08932a804130ee3d19c603ab13174/orig.mp4?Expires=1770430689&Signature=LfPGN6wmtjKWHuXa5jJluZRwdQ79nNXlX85f~0ldobYLjkQObg~eUmaYiZ2seO7bJE7oyqP1LUhnbx-~Ph1iklppw4MfMovlUL58cXZsMr1eujZGObgXBrvMNj5ImpuUu8pBnB34kE2cmUmeiVlCjwE-towm0WEAt7eatSZF6T2mGM8YLXCKiJM2TI-X0MQ0C4WneweqetBJMFaVDjby3-eR4r-ZqjccYrSxZ6k4NhkTlE8Juxa8pWcTxOajCW2LuKyJ6-FQuRM3Mc~NAH8H0u9g8eJYCjLfCGTYdfJeT9pi3FMDFdQH0BCTEBJ90Xs6f3PNkdgpG0L43fpYEwQE9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Pineda and the Avondale City Council proclaimed September 2025 as National Suicide Prevention and Action Month during the Sept. 8 council meeting and heard a personal testimony from a resident who credited first responders with saving his life.

Edith (Assistant Director, Neighborhood and Family Services) introduced community partners and the proclamation, saying the city is committed to “fostering a community where conversations about mental health are encouraged, stigma is reduced, and individuals feel supported and connected.” The proclamation directs city staff to share resources with employees and encourages residents to use crisis services including the 988 lifeline and 988lifeline.org.

Craig Buckland told the council that on May 19 he attempted suicide and that Avondale Police and Fire Department crews and 9-1-1 dispatchers intervened. “On the morning of 05/19/2025, I attempted suicide,” Buckland said. He described the response timeline using his home security footage and said the first officer arrived within three minutes and others arrived in under four minutes. Buckland said the bullet “traveled upward under my chin and exited between my eyes,” that medical staff and first responders helped save his life, and that he and his family were grateful. He identified specific responders by name and thanked Police Chief Espinosa and Fire Chief Rooney for departmental leadership.

Kathy Villa of Southwest Behavioral Health Services accepted the proclamation on behalf of the agency and thanked the council. Edith said the city’s Neighborhood and Family Services Department and Arizona Complete Health Avondale Resource Center will be sources for residents seeking support, and staff will distribute an internal memo outlining employee resources.

Council members offered public praise for Buckland’s decision to share his experience. Councilmember Garcia, who identified herself as a first responder, said Buckland’s story “could save a life.” Mayor Pineda said the council and staff will follow up with outreach materials and that a video from the mayor discussing the month will be released.

The council did not take formal action beyond reading and supporting the proclamation. The city reiterated that residents in crisis can call or text 988 for immediate, confidential help.","The Avondale City Council on Sept. 8 proclaimed September as National Suicide Prevention Month. A resident, Craig Buckland, described a May 19 suicide attempt and thanked Avondale police, fire and 9-1-1 dispatchers for life‑saving actions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Avondale council hears data on speed safety camera program; staff to return with contract options in November

Avondale approves SS4A grant agreement to fund Safe Streets action plan and demonstration project

Avondale proclaims Hispanic Heritage Month, outlines library and community events

Avondale proclaims National Suicide Prevention Month; resident credits first responders with saving his life