Johnny V. Melton: Surprise City Council District 4 — August Newsletter
As we welcome the month of August, I hope you and your family have enjoyed a wonderful summer and are looking forward to the season ahead. This time of year brings renewed energy as students head back to school, families settle into new routines and our community continues to come together through local events and programs. I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter and the updates on what's happening throughout our community.
CURRENT EVENTS
Community Meeting
My next community meeting will be on Wednesday, September 23, from 6 - 7 p.m. at Sun Village, Ocotillo Room 17300 N. Sun Village Pkwy.
You can find my Community Meeting schedule online at surpriseaz.gov/District4.
City Council Meetings
The next City Council Meetings are September 1 & 15 at 6 p.m. The public is welcome to attend in person, or you can tune in on surpriseaz.gov/SurpriseTV, the City of Surprise Government Facebook page at facebook.com/CityOfSurprise or on Cox channel 11.
Landscape & Water Efficiency Workshops
Water conservation classes are being offered to help residents understand desert adaptive plants and how to properly take care of them. Classes are held at the Surprise Water Education Center, 16126 N. Civic Center Plz. unless otherwise noted.
Registration is required to attend. For more information visit surpriseaz.gov/WaterConservation.
- Aug 29 | Landscape Design for Reduced Maintenance | 9 a.m.
- Sep 5 | Troubleshooting Common Home Water Leaks | 9 a.m.
- Sep 19 | Growing Roses in the Desert | 9 a.m.
- Sep 26 | Irrigation Maintenance, Troubleshooting, & Repair | 9 a.m.
Surprise Arts 2026 - 2027 Season Announcement
The City of Surprise invites the community to the 2026 - 2027 Surprise Arts Presents season, launching this fall at The Vista Center for the Arts. The lineup brings a range of live performances to Surprise, offering opportunities to experience music, comedy, dance and theater close to home.
Surprise Arts features professional touring artists beginning in September and continuing through May.
2026 - 2027 Season Lineup
The full season includes a mix of nationally recognized performers and unique live experiences:
- Sons of Serendip - September 26
- Jason Bishop: Straight Up Magic - October 17
- Ambrosia - October 24
- Greg Fitzsimmons: Comedy - November 6
- Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque - November 7
- Mariachi Herencia de México: A Mariachi Christmas - December 19
- Alfreda Sings: Divas of Soul with the West Valley Symphony - January 16
- The Little Mermen and the Princess Pals - February 13
- The Odd Couple: Produced by Arizona Frontline Theater - February 13 - 14
- Good Times Bad Times: The Led Zeppelin Experience - February 27
- Andy Woodhull: Comedy - April 16
- Convergence Ballet Company - April 17
- Good Co. - May 1
Get tickets at surprisearts.com!
Fire First Fridays
The Surprise Fire-Medical Department is offering free life-saving knowledge and training. These classes aim to provide attendees with basic emergency response training in a comfortable and stress-free environment so community members will know how to start helping while waiting for emergency crews.
Stop the Bleed & Narcan Classes – Participants will learn the basic skills needed to save someone in the event of a deep-penetrating injury and the proper technique needed to deliver Narcan. Classes are on the first Friday of each odd-numbered month. The next class is on September 4.
CPR Classes – Take a free non-certifying CPR class. Participants will learn the basics of CPR, including chest compressions, AED use and rescue breathing. Classes are on the first Friday of each even-numbered month. The next session will be on October 2.
To register and get more information, visit surpriseaz.gov/FireFirstFridays. Please note, registration forms open two weeks before the class date. The maximum class size is 40 people for each session. Participants must be 12 years old or older, and a registered adult must accompany attendees aged 12 - 17.
NEWS & UPDATES
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
The City of Surprise offers Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection for residents to help protect the environment by properly disposing of items that may contain harmful chemicals.
You can request an appointment for HHW collection pickups right from your driveway. Pickups are scheduled from February through November.
The collection of materials is split into two types and scheduled separately. One pick-up is for electronic HHW, and another is for all other HHW. Please review the list of acceptable and unacceptable items before scheduling your collection date at surpriseaz.gov/HHW.
Upcoming Pickup Periods
- Sept. 14 - 17, 2026
- Oct. 12 - 15, 2026
- Nov. 2 - 5, 2026
- Feb. 8 - 11, 2027
- Mar. 8 - 11, 2027
- Apr. 5 - 8, 2027
- May 10 - 13, 2027
- Jun. 7 - 10, 2027
Other options to dispose of household hazardous waste and latex paint
- Motor oil – Please contact your local auto parts store or shop. Typically, these establishments will dispose of your used oil free of charge.
- Propane tanks (grill) – You can drop them off at most propane refill or exchange locations.
- Latex paint – Properly dispose of small quantities of latex paint by removing the lid and letting it dry. When you are sure it's dry, place it in a bag and discard it with your regular household trash.
- Lithium-ion and rechargeable batteries (power tools, laptop batteries, etc.) – These are accepted for drop off at most big box hardware stores for no charge. A list of locations can be found at batterysafetynow.org.
JULY HIGHLIGHTS
Independence Day Celebration
The City of Surprise invited the community to celebrate Independence Day at Surprise Community Park and Mark Coronado Park with an evening of food, music and fireworks!
In honor of America's 250th anniversary, guests were entertained with a fireworks display that was bigger and better than ever.
Thank you to our Parks & Recreation team for putting on another successful Fourth of July event for our residents!
Keywords
Surprise, City Council, Johnny V. Melton, District 4
