The Maricopa City Council will decide Tuesday whether to approve $60,000 to help fund the Maricopa/Ak-Chin Community Alliance Against Substance Abuse to provide youth programs in the community. CAASA formed nearly 20 years ago through a $5,000 seed grant from the state and is currently offering several youth programs at Maricopa Wells Middle School and Maricopa Unified elementary schools. Those programs include a leadership class, a puppet show about bullying, and violence prevention training.
The group came before council two weeks ago with a newly proposed budget totaling $131,000 annually, with $60,000 of this money being provided by the city. The money would fund the rental of a 3,600 square-foot facility, staff salaries, the purchase of a pool table, foosball table, televisions, video game consoles, snow-cone machines and more. “We would like to expand our reach to provide opportunities to all youth in the community and this money will help us do that,” said Priscilla Behnke, Maricopa/Ak-Chin CAASA program director. The city of Maricopa is not the only group stepping to the plate in an effort to help fund the non-profit organization. Pinal County Attorney James Walsh committed $15,000 through his office several weeks prior to help fund the organization’s new proposed budget. “When I became county attorney 2-½ years ago, I sat down with (then) Maricopa Police Chief Patrick Melvin and talked about the importance of youth programs,” Walsh said. “It is much more cost effective to prevent crime by providing opportunities to young people.” If council approves the funds, the city manager would work with the organization on a schedule for release and ensure the organization has a viable plan in place to implement youth services, explained Paul Jepson, assistant to the city manager. The group is looking to lease space from the Oasis Life Church, 19756 N. John Wayne Parkway, to host the teen center Monday through Friday from 2 to 7 p.m. According to Behnke, the issue that leasing space creates means the group would have to move in all of its supplies, pool tables, televisions, foosball tables, popcorn maker, snow cone machines, computer, etc., Monday prior to opening and then move it out again Friday night. To facilitate the storage, Behnke said the owner of the plaza has agreed to let the group store their supplies in an empty office space next to the center. “Oasis would act as a temporary home until we could find something more permanent,” Behnke said. One of the advantages of the center is the space is already “up to code and ready to go,” she added. “We have been asked to be up and running by Thanksgiving, but it may not happen until December,” Behnke said. In addition to approving the expenditure of the $60,000, other agenda items council will be considering include the sale of $20 million in bonds and sign-code revisions. To view the entire council agenda, click here. If you go: What: Maricopa City Council meeting
Where: Global Water Center, 22590 N. Powers Pkwy.
When: Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. (no work session scheduled) File photo |