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Cottonwood Heights Journal | June 2021

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June 2021 | Vol. 17 Iss. 06

FREE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE PRESENTS FINAL REPORT ON INVESTIGATION INTO THE MILL HOLLOW PROTEST LAST YEAR By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

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ast summer, the police response to a local protest drew national attention. A Dance Dance for Revolution protest met at Mill Hollow Park in Cottonwood Heights (2900 Hollow Mill Dr.) and traveled through neighborhood streets on Aug. 2, 2020. The Cottonwood Heights Police Department responded to calls from residents concerned about traffic and safety. Multiple protestors and officers were hurt when the encounter turned violent. An investigation into the incident was mounted by the Utah Attorney General’s Office by September. Over nine months later, on May 11, Special Agent Matthew Thompson presented the AG’s report to the Cottonwood Heights City Council without interruption. Councilmembers and other attendees were not able to make comments or ask questions. The investigation paid special attention to the following questions: Did the police have a need or a duty to respond (and was that response appropriate)?; Were the response and actions of the police commensurate with the actions of the protesters?; Did the protesters violate any laws or ordinances (specifically related to event permitting and public use of streets)?; and What role(s) did Councilmember Tali Bruce and Police Chief Robby Russo have in the incident? The AG’s Office found that the police response to the Aug. 2 incident was measured and appropriate. Even though there were certain aspects of the police response that could have been improved, the AG’s Office reported that a police Continued page 4 Over 42 hours of video were provided to the Attorney General’s Office for review. (Matt Thompson/Cottonwood Heights)

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Continued from front page response was necessary. “We did not see excessive force,” Thompson reported. “The uses of force in this sense were found to be necessary and justified to stop criminal violations of law, prevent escape from and interference with lawful arrests, and to protect the safety of other officers.” “In this case, we did not observe police officers act in any obviously excessive or punitive manner. Specific allegations against police…such as arrestees being needlessly slammed to the ground are unfounded. Allegations of officers beating a restrained prisoner are untrue. Allegations that an officer throatpunched a protester were found to be patently false,” Thompson said. Thompson shared the observed and documented effects of the violence. Both officers and arrestees (protestors) had scrapes, abrasions, muscle strain and eye irritation. Officers had objects thrown at them and took closed-fist strikes to the head and face; one officer reported a deviated septum and another reported a near loss of consciousness. Arrestees had puncture wounds from taser probes. This all occurred in 8 minutes and 27 seconds. “We found about 50 substantial and noticeable actions… including several assaults, a number of incidents of interference and a theft. There is evidence for more charges. We’ve seen it,” Thompson reported. In total, eight arrests were made, nine protesters were charged, and some are still under investigation. “There should have been more arrests…The police could have, and perhaps in some circumstances should have, made more arrests. They did not. They did not try to shut down the event altogether. They offered an alternative for the event to continue,” Thompson reported. One of the main misunderstandings which escalated this incident was the public use of sidewalks. As protestors walked on public roads from Mill Hollow Park up through the adjoining neighborhood, they began to block traffic. Event organizers believed they could take up the road for a protest of their size. However, the CHPD officers told all protestors to remain on the sidewalks. The AG’s Office researched the State Statute in Utah Code 76-9-102, finding it is illegal to walk in the roadway where there is a sidewalk available. In the absence of a sidewalk, it is illegal for two people to walk side by side in the road. While the majority of protestors, around 150 individuals, migrated from the public road and onto the sidewalks, a handful

Journals T H E

A handful of protests occurred at Cottonwood Heights City Hall after the Mill Hollow protest in summer 2020. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

of protestors continued to argue with police officers and did not leave the road. “It seemed as event organizers were prepared to deal with counter protesters and police,” Thompson reported. “Police made reasonable attempts to deescalate tense interactions. They made clear repeated attempts before taking arrest actions.” After arrests were made, officers provided protestors with aftercare. “Officers were observed making efforts to protect arrestees from the extreme heat of the day—placing them in shade and allowing other members to give them water. Officers were observed gathering arrestees personal property, such as sunglasses,” Thompson reported. In response to investigating the roles of CHPD Chief Russo and Councilmember Bruce, the AG’s Office found that both individuals had likely known about the event beforehand. Councilmember Bruce “was aware the group would take to the streets for this event but she did not communicate it to anyone at the city,” Thompson reported. Russo was aware of the event and that Lieutenant Dan Bartlett had a plan to handle the event. “It seems reasonable that Chief Russo should bear responsibility for the success or potential failures with this incident,” Thompson reported. During the event, Russo was observed acting as overwatch for arresting officers, escorting arrestees from the area and interacting with protestors. “Chief Russo’s actions while on scene with this incident were appropriate. He acted in accordance

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with his assigned duties as police chief and within his authority as a peace officer.” Even though Bruce was physically repelled several times by two police officers, “the officer who deals with Bruce was busy providing overwatch for an arresting officer.” “We hope it was helpful to those who marched that day to see it from another perspective,” Thompson concluded. “To residents, we hope it was helpful. We hope we can find common ground and return to peaceful and meaningful discourse.” Moving forward, the AG’s Office has recommended some improvements for the CHPD to consider and some policy updates for the Cottonwood Heights City Council to consider. The Cottonwood Heights City Council has submitted follow-up questions to the AG’s Office and intends to discuss the report in future business meetings. An independent investigation will likely be discussed in a closed meeting. As previously mentioned, some of the criminal charges are still ongoing. Residents began petitions to drop all charges from this event last year and are ongoing. The full presentation of the AG’s report is available through the Cottonwood Heights website (and on their YouTube channel). A downloadable pdf version of the PowerPoint slides is available through the public access website. The full print version of the AG’s report will be available publicly on the city’s website as well. l

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Ranked Choice Voting coming to Cottonwood Heights By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

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his year, voters will notice a few key changes to municipal elections as many communities will be incorporating Ranked Choice Voting. Ranked Choice Voting allows for voters to rank candidates by preference. In Utah, it will extend the filing date for candidates, create a shorter campaign season, and eliminate a primary vote. “This works toward a more democratic process. I see the benefit of shortening the campaign season and eliminating the summertime primary,” said Cottonwood Heights Councilmember Scott Bracken. Ranked Choice Voting allows for a different methodology to be used when tabulating votes. Instead of voting for one candidate, voters are asked to rank candidates based on preference. In counting, each voter’s first preference for candidate is recorded. If a single candidate receives over 50% of the vote, they are the winner. However, if there is no clear winner, the candidate that receives the least amount of votes is dropped from the running. The ballots of every voter who voted for the least popular candidate is revisited. Their second preference is counted and added to the current candidate counts. “Voters have more of a voice,” said Cottonwood Heights City Recorder Paula Melgar. “Preferences are counted for second and third choice. That vote doesn’t just go away.” For example, let’s say there are five candidates running for the same elected official seat. Red, Orange, Blue, Green, and Purple were all running for the mayoral seat and there were 100 votes cast. Red received 23 votes, Orange received 24 votes, Blue received 12 votes, Green received nine votes, and Purple received 32 votes. No one received the majority vote, so Green with only nine votes is dropped from the race. Every ballot that voted for Green is revisited to account for the second preference. Out of those nine voters, four marked Orange as their second preference and five

parked Purple as their second preference. Those votes are redistributed, so now Red has 23 votes, Orange has 28 votes, Blue has 12 votes, and Purple has 37 votes. Still no winner, so Blue is dropped from the race. The 12 ballots that had Blue marked as first preference are revisited to account for the voter’s second preference. Out of those 12 voters, two marked Orange as their second preference and 10 marked Purple. Those votes are redistributed, so now Red has 23 votes, Orange has 30 votes, and Purple has 47 votes. All of the 23 ballots with Red marked as first preference are revisited. Out of those 23, 10 marked either Green or Blue as their second preference. So their third preference is taken into account. Out of those 10, five marked Orange as their third preference and five marked Purple as their third preference. Those are added to the counts for Orange and Purple. The other 13 ballots have Purple marked as their second preference. That leaves Orange with 35 votes and Purple with 65 votes. A winner! Ranked Choice Voting eliminates the need for a primary election. City leaders believe eliminating the primary election will increase voter turnout and lead to a more representative result. Melgar explained how typically only one third of voters submit a primary ballot “It’s a lot of work (for candidates and city staff alike) for not a lot of people showing up at the polls.” This mean, there will be thousands of dollars of cost savings for cities throughout Utah. Cottonwood Heights is anticipating a $16,000 to $20,000 cost saving depending on how $2 million worth of funding from the state legislature gets divvied between cities. As Ranked Choice Voting was passed by the Utah State Legislature with House Bill 75: Municipal Alternative Voting Methods Pilot Project Amendments, candidate filing periods across the state have been extended until August. In doing so, the campaign season is anticipated to be shorter.

“I became interested in Ranked Choice Voting because it provides people a primary and secondary election on a single ballot,” said Councilmember Bracken. Bracken spent some time researching Ranked Choice Voting before discussing it with the city council. He found a well-documented case study where the city of Santa Fe utilized Ranked Choice Voting for their 2018 municipal election. Eighty-one percent of voters were extremely satisfied with the Ranked Choice Voting experience. The Mayor (Alan Webber) and City Manager (Brian Snyder) at the time noted a rise in voter turnout from 27.4% in 2014 to 38%. One of the main concerns voiced by Utah residents is the ballot has the potential to be confusing. FairVote New Mexico surveyed Santa Fe votes and 67% reported the Ranked Choice Voting ballot to be understandable. Many municipalities throughout the state of Utah voted to incorporated Ranked Choice Voting last year, including Cottonwood Heights, but Salt Lake County was not able to retrieve equipment and complete training before Election Day. The cities of Vineyard and Payson were able to utilize Ranked Choice Voting in their previous election, however. Bracken requested to view their ballots to see if concerns about a confusing ballot were valid. One of the additional benefits of Ranked Choice Voting noted by city leaders is the potential of having a less slanderous campaign season. Melgar explained how there’s typically less fighting between candidates because the focus becomes more on the campaign issues. “If you’re a smart politician, you’ll want to appeal to voters across parties,” Melgar explained how a candidate could win their election by being every voter’s second preference. After much discussion, the Cottonwood Heights City Council unanimously approved an Interlocal agreement with Salt Lake

Cottonwood Heights votes to use Ranked Choice Voting for this year’s municipal election. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

County for Municipal Election Services on May 4. Cottonwood Heights joins 23 other cities incorporating Ranked Choice Voting in 2021, including Draper, Bluffdale, Riverton, Millcreek, Sandy and Salt Lake City. The state dedicated explicit funding for resident education on Ranked Choice Voting. Over the next few months, there should be educational information on city websites, newsletters, social media and billboards. In the meantime, to learn more about Ranked Choice Voting in Utah, visit the Utah County Elections Division (www.ssl. utahcounty.gov), the Salt Lake County Clerk (www.slco.org/clerk/elections), or Utah Ranked Choice Voting’s website (www. utahrcv.com). l

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June 2021 | Page 5


Canyons School District introduces summer job partnership for students with disabilities By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

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ocal businesses have a chance to be part of a pilot program that employs Canyons School District students with disabilities, thanks to a two-year $111,000 pre-employment transition services grant from the Department of Workforce Services. “We wrote a grant, a sub grant, from the Department of Workforce Services who gives grants out to a variety of community providers,” said Nate Edvalson, who is the program administrator for secondary and transition in special education and an administrator for the Canyons Transition Academy. “The goal behind the program is for right now, to provide some services to 20 students this summer, providing so many hours of career exploration with them and figure out what they’re interest in post-high school is and then hook them up with a job that is related to that interest and getting involved in that job.” He said that this will create better outcomes for students with disabilities by helping them have summer work experiences that show them how the world of work relates to their educational experiences and how education is relevant to them. Canyons will provide skill job coaching for the high school juniors and seniors while area businesses will provide work experience in the Canyons Summer Work-Based Learning Program, Edvalson said. “We’re looking at punctuality, honesty, trustworthiness, appropriate attire, hygiene,

grooming and those kinds of things that make a good employee and the company will teach them the hard skills on the job, such as how to build something or how to design a computer program and those kinds of things they need to learn for that entry-level position or whatever position they’ve carved out for these students to have in work-based learning for about four weeks this summer,” he said, adding that he is looking into high school credit in career exploration for these students. Edvalson said the program is a win-win for both students and the community. “That gives students something to do and learn so once they graduate, they can contribute to the community and they’ll get paid from our partnership businesses, which many businesses are looking for summer help. The impetus behind it is trying to give students real-world experiences so that they understand the world of work and are more prepared for leaving high school, whether they go to pursue a college degree or some kind of post-secondary education or they go right into work. It’s specifically geared for students with disabilities and that is what the grant is funded for,” he said. As part of the grant, 11 staff members will be paid to run the summer program as each student will be assigned a job coach to help students, who may have “very severe to very mild disabilities,” he said. “They may need more intensive support

for the job coach to help them from doing this problem solving to maybe a student who just needs to check in. This allows them to have that someone there to watch them and work with the employer to see how this will best benefit the student and the organization,” he said. “It’s really customized to fit the student’s learning and the variety of businesses.” This summer, Edvalson is lining up businesses to become part of the program based on student interest surveys to try to match a job experience with the students’ career aspirations. The interest could range from STEM careers to business to catering to manufacturing, but the goal is to help them be prepared for meaningful employment. “We’d like to support the students and their goals, but also help our community. We’re hopeful to have some really good experiences. My eventual vision would be serving 20 to 60 students; I really think this would be an awesome experience and partnership,” he said, adding that the District has an option to renew the grant for a third year. Businesses should benefit from employing the diverse population, Edvalson said. “They’re going to benefit from different perspectives, different talents, different things to focus on making their business more friendly for employees that do actually have disabilities. They’re being more responsive to community and understanding that there’s a growing population of folks

that they need to be sensitive to,” he said. “Eventually, businesses will want to take on more of those specific targeted groups and there are tax credits available for businesses to do that. There are some incentives there for businesses who are interested in making this a part of their mainstays.” Edvalson hopes people will embrace this program and see the benefit. “I think people look at a student with disabilities often as stereotypically with autism or Down syndrome, but we have students with disabilities that people wouldn’t know. They may struggle with a reading disability, for example, but people wouldn’t be able to look and see it. But they do impact different facets of their life if overcome or if they had different accommodations from their employer, they’ll bring great things to the table,” he said. Businesses that are interested in offering a four- or five-week job should contact him at the school district, Edvalson said. Canyons School District has about 3,000 students who have been identified with a disability, with approximately 1,000 of those being in high school. “I’m excited about starting something,” he said. “I think that’s the coolest part is that we’re trying to do something different to engage students in a different way that they will hopefully benefit from.” l

Canyons School District to continue its meals to go By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

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hicken nuggets, hamburgers, sandwiches, carrots, raisins and more may be packaged into school lunches this summer. Area children, age 18 years and under, will be able to have free meals at select curbside school locations beginning June 1. The meals are for any youth those ages, not just Canyons School District students, and parents may pick up the meals without children present. The meals will be available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., or until the meals run out. Families will be provided enough food to cover the week. Two breakfasts and lunches will be given out on Tuesdays, and three breakfasts and lunches will be given out on Thursdays. Daily menus can be found at canyonsdistrict.nutrislice.com. The meals are provided at these locations: • East Midvale Elementary, 6990 S. 300 East, Midvale • Midvale Elementary, 7830 South Chapel St., Midvale

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• Jordan High, 95 Beetdigger Blvd., Sandy • Bell View Elementary, 9800 S. 800 East, Sandy • Butler Middle, 7530 S. 2700 East, Cottonwood Heights • Sandy Elementary, 8725 S. 280 East, Sandy • Willow Springs Elementary, 13288 Lone Rock Dr., Draper • Crescent Elementary, 11100 S. 230 East, Sandy • Midvalley Elementary, 217 E. 7800 South, Midvale • Copperview Elementary, 8449 Monroe St., Midvale Students enrolled in CSD’s by-invitation Summer Boost program will be served free breakfast and lunch Monday through Thursday, during the days of June 7-24, in the cafeteria of the school site they are attending. Breakfast for those students will be served from 8:30 to 9 a.m., and lunch from noon to 12:30 p.m. l Bell View Elementary will be one of the sites that will be distributing meals twice per week this summer. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Cottonwood Heights City Journal


Local youth historians to compete at national competition

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ike many other school activities, COVID-19 impacted Utah History Day Fair as the Canyons School District, Salt Lake Regional and state competitions were all held virtually. However, when the livestreamed results were announced, the reactions weren’t virtual. Throughout Canyons School District cheers went out as state champions were announced in four categories and special awards were named to several students. The state winners will compete in the National History Day Fair in June. Amongst those are Union Middle School eighth-grade students Allie Murray, Sara Russell and Ellie Glover who researched and created a group exhibit that illustrated their findings about women’s suffrage. The online exhibit included historical background of why women could not participate in politics and how they wanted to represent their values and opinions. It showed leaders in the movement and the protests, speeches and conventions they held to gain the right to vote. Tying in the History Day theme of “Communication and History: The Key to Understanding,” their conclusion illustrated how after the 19th amendment was ratified, more than 8 million women voted and has influence in determining the outcomes of issues and who holds office, including electing the first female U.S. vice president. The group won their school competition, Canyons School District’s history day contest and the Salt Lake regionals to advance to the state history day contest. Competitions were held virtually to ensure the safety and health of student competitors during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We worked on it preparing for each level as we advanced,” Allie said. “The hardest part was after we fixed it, we had to edit out words to fit to the word count or parts that weren’t as focused on our topic.” Ellie said that they hoped to make their project even stronger before nationals. “We want to make our conclusion and thesis statement stronger and then, connect some of our ideas to the theme more,” she said. While the girls knew it took the women 72 years to gain the right to vote, their research gave them more insight to the hardships and movement behind the privilege. “I learned about it a little in seventh grade,” Sara said. “We wanted to focus on that they secured women the right to vote now and also that women have roles in the government and in politics.” Ellie said that the 19th amendment wasn’t easy to pass. “I learned that they had to go through a lot of hardships to even get the right to vote and be understood,” she said, adding that

CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

Union Middle School eighth-graders Allie Murray, Sara Russell and Ellie Glover, who researched and created an exhibit that illustrated their findings about women’s suffrage, recently earned the state title in group exhibit in the state History Day Fair. (Ellie Glover)

with Kamala Harris as vice president, she wanted to delve deeper into the subject. “I wanted to see what they had to do in order to lead up to this point.” Sara said they were able to find some of the original speeches from women’s suffrage leaders like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton for their virtual poster board. With COVID-19, the group had to learn how to make a virtual board in Google Drawing and communicated over Zoom to work on the project together when they weren’t at school. “My favorite part is getting to work with my friends,” Allie said. “We went off a list we got from our teacher and decided to write certain parts first and divide up the sections. Before our research, we didn’t realize how many were opposed to the women’s suffrage movement, even some women, and included that as our counter argument.” The Union trio weren’t the only state champions who will advance to nationals from Canyons School District. Their classmate, Isabella Toledo, will compete in the individual performance category with “Quipus,” a way Incas communicate in South America. From Draper Park Middle, William Harrison will present his paper, “The Power of Television: How Televised Presidential Appearances Have Shaped American Histo-

Union Middle School’s Isabella Toledo will compete in the individual performance category at nationals with “Quipus,” a way Incas communicate in South America. (Screenshot)

ry” in the junior division. In the senior division, Jordan High’s Elsie Grow will present her paper, “For the Advancement and Betterment of Humanity: The Fight for Women’s Suffrage at Utah’s Constitutional Convention.” Grow was honored with special awards at state, including the American West Prize and the Glen & Caroline Miner Prize in Utah History.

Other state prize winners include Midvale Middle School’s Aeris Lau, Cody Su, Jacob Nelson, Kimiya Mavaddat and Max McFarland for their group documentary, “The Pony Express: The Most ‘Note’able Men” and Union Middle School’s Hannah Cecil and Maile Gonzalez for their group documentary, “Pony Express.” l

June 2021 | Page 7


Study of wildland urban interface can help policy making By Joshua Wood | j.wood@mycityjournals.com

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Your Community Champion: Eric Kraan

his month’s Cottonwood Heights Community Champion is Eric Kraan. Kraan was nominated for this recognition by Gay Lynn Bennion for being a passionately engaged citizen. “He attends almost all the city council meetings and researches ways to make our community safer and more sustainable,” Bennion said. “He writes to legislators regarding important bills and was instrumental in passing HB 142 this year, which allows bicyclists to yield but not stop at stop signs.” Increasing safety for bicyclists and pedestrians in the community has been a priority of Kraan’s. He has been involved with Bike Utah and the Bicycle Collective for

Page 8 | June 2021

over two years advocating for greater safety measures. “I try to be a voice to try to educate,” Kraan said. “There’s a need for instituting guidelines for creating a better understanding of bike safety. It’s important to have leadership that understands alternative transportation issues.” Kraan’s shop SkateNow supports skaters in the local community, another passion of his. During the pandemic, he has seen immense demand for skates but an interrupted supply. Kraan hopes he can serve as an example to others interested in civic participation. “He is involved in a civil, thoughtful manner and receptive to others’ views,” Bennion said. l

n the eastern edge of the Salt Lake Valley, Cottonwood Heights is more than the “City Between the Canyons.” It also lies near the wildland urban interface. This is the area where the living spaces of humans and wildlife intersect. In addition to convenient access to outdoor recreation, living in this area can also bring potential conflict with wildlife. Researcher Austin Green, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Utah, has led a study of wildlife along the Wasatch Front. He partners with the local nonprofit organization, Wild Utah Project, on the Wasatch Wildlife Watch Project. “My main goal for this project is to affect sound conservation policy and management,” Green said. “I hope that the research that we do can elucidate how human influence affects wildlife distribution and behavior so that wildlife managers and policymakers have accurate information in-hand.” Green hopes this information will help develop strategies for balancing recreation and wildlife conservation. Among the conservation and management policies affected by this research is the placement of underpasses and overpasses for wildlife to safely cross busy roads and highways. The growth of the area’s human population and the resulting spread of development can further encroach on wildlife habitat and migration corridors. “It is difficult to say whether or not human-wildlife interactions or collisions are becoming more common, but we can say that human recreation is increasing, especially during the crazy times of this past year,” Green said. “In that light, it has become increasingly more important to understand how this increase in traffic affects wildlife behavior and distribution because, without this information, we are essentially running blind with how we deal with wildlife conservation and management in this state.” Local residents occasionally spot wildlife not just on the nearby trails, but in their own backyards. That was the case for Cottonwood Heights resident, Gigi Jones, who watched a coyote walk through her yard earlier this year. “It just walked through,” Jones said. “The animals use the dry creek bed by my house and don’t concern me. The coyotes were here first.” Wildlife overpasses and underpasses have been used to decrease collisions on roads and highways by providing wildlife with safe means to cross roads. This helps

The Wasatch Wildlife Watch Project captures images of wildlife like this jumping coyote. (Courtesy Wasatch Wildlife Watch Project/Austin Green)

preserve habitat and migration corridors. Green’s work has helped detail the use of wildlife overpasses and underpasses along the Wasatch and has shown that they help connect habitat. “Throughout the Central Wasatch Mountain Range, the highest wildlife habitat usage is within our most protected areas, specifically Red Butte Canyon Research Natural Area,” Green said. “This is most likely attributed to the fact that Red Butte has been untouched by massive human recreation and/or development for nearly 150 years. This goes to show, and really highlights the importance of protected areas for establishing wildlife connectivity and source populations.” Source populations are areas where surpluses in population growth can help alleviate decreases in growth in other areas experiencing more human influence. Wildlife overpasses and underpasses help connect these areas with other habitat. The Central Wasatch Range is home to many species, but two stand out as the most prevalent. “Mule deer and humans dominate this landscape,” Green said. “It is amazing how well-adapted these deer are to both the Wasatch and surrounding Salt Lake Valley. However, we also see a fair amount of large predators, including mountain lion, bobcat, black bear and coyote, which is pretty amazing given how close these animals are to humans.” Cottonwood Heights residents like Jones can attest to the close proximity of predators and other wildlife in the area. “It’s nice living near nature,” Jones said. “Seeing nature is a nice change from living in Chicago.” l

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June 2021 | Page 9


Cottonwood speech team places second in region, becomes better communicators adapting to virtual competition By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

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ottonwood speech and debate team took full advantage of having its competitions virtual this year. “It went incredibly better than we anticipated,” coach Adam Wilkins said. “We learned the more we do over Zoom, the more experiences the kids could do; some did at least one dozen tournaments. They learned to talk into the webcam, have solid presentation skills, have good lighting and background and deliver. It’s a skill they learned and practiced.” For example, he said that students learned to communicate with their eyes and faces since that was what was showing on the screen. “We practiced our diction and expression, making sure we weren’t scrunching our noses or looking off. The judges were paying close attention to presentation of material as well as to the presenter,” he said. “This has helped students to become better communicators as they have the skills to be more articulate, have clear diction and be able to project when they speak.” That was an important lesson since the majority of the 30-member team is new due to graduations last year. “Many members of our team are new so together we learned both speaking and how to virtually compete,” he said, adding that the team

we are

even hosted their own virtual competition last fall. “It’s utilizing 21st century skills with Zoom calls to compete.” During virtual competitions, students could compete against teams locally or nationally, Wilkins said. “We could interact with students from across the country—Tennessee to Utah and learn different perspectives and options and hear different topics. It builds more camaraderie in the speech world. It opens up more ways to communicate and schools are more accessible,” he said. The team took what they learned to place second in their virtual regional competition. While Wilkins was happy with the team’s results, he knew it wasn’t a perfect year as there were glitches—technologically speaking. “Sometimes, there is a harder, unforeseen problem as there are glitches or the lack of technology keeps some kids from participating,” he said. “Still, I think the virtual tournaments and the preparation for those helped us learn more about honing our skills and improving how we do things from our research to our presentation. Our team wanted to compete and that meant our work ethic doesn’t change; we just learned to adapt.” l

The Cottonwood speech and debate team watch the sparring of fellow debaters. (Photo courtesy of Nizhoni Tsosie)

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Page 10 | June 2021

Cottonwood Heights City Journal


Dive into summer fun at Salt Lake County outdoor pools By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com

I

f you needed another sign that things were returning to normal, here’s a good one: the Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation outdoor pools opened Memorial Day weekend! The pools are scattered throughout the county and will stay open through the summer. The county advises patrons to check their website at www. slco.org for updates on COVID restrictions including mask requirements. In general, those who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks. Most of the pools have fun features like lap lanes, leisure areas, zero-depth entry, ADA accessibility, kids play areas, diving boards, sunbathing areas or slides. All have lifeguards on duty during operating hours. Opening hours, times and prices differ slightly for each location, so it’s wise to call ahead. And for an extra fun and exclusive event, many of the pools are available after hours to rent for private parties.

POOLS IN YOUR AREA • Crestwood Pool 1700 E. Siesta Dr. (7485 S.) 385-468-1683 • Draper Pool 657 E. Vestry Road 385-468-1995 • Liberty Park Pool 900 S. 650 East 385-468-1564 • Magna Pool 3270 S. 8400 West 385-468-1826 • Redwood Pool 3060 S. Lester St. (3100 S. Redwood Road) 385-468-1870 • SLC Sports Complex Pool 645 S. Guardsman Way 385-468-1925 • South County Pool 12765 S. 1125 West 385-468-1362 • Taylorsville Pool 4914 S. 2700 West 385-468-1740 • West Jordan Pool 8125 S. 2200 West 385-468.1941

Crestwood in Cottonwood Heights is one of nine Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation outdoor pools that opened Memorial Day weekend. (Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation)

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June 2021 | Page 11


Cottonwood Heights residents petition for open space on Doverhill Drive By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

T

he fight for open space continues in Cottonwood Heights. Residents are urging the owner of a former meetinghouse for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to donate their land to the city so it can continue to be utilized for open space. The property is located on 3625 E. Doverhill Dr. A main building fire on July 14, 2019 has led to the building being decommissioned for religious purposes. Church officials have decided to sell the property. Even with building damage from the fire, the open space continues to be utilized be residents and various community members, who hope church officials will consider donating the land to Cottonwood Heights instead of selling it. “City leaders and neighbors are urging officials from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to preserve a 3-acre park adjoining a fire-damaged church as open space,” writes Cottonwood Heights Communications Manager Lindsay Wilcox. Cottonwood Heights Mayor Michael Peterson wrote the Director of Business Process Improvement for the Church Scott Newbold on March 16 suggesting the park be set aside for public use, by way of donation of long-term lease. Residents are hoping for the donation.

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“The city would develop, operate, and maintain the open space. The meetinghouse parcel would still be sold and developed,” Peterson explained. Resident Joe Spataro started a petition titled “Preserve the LDS Meetinghouse property at 3625 E. Doverhill Drive” and is asking for at least 1,500 signatures from Cottonwood Heights and Salt Lake County residents on change.org. As of publication, 1,054 individuals had signed the petition. “While the property is managed and signed for religious purposes, its unofficial status as a park cannot be ignored,” writes Spataro, mentioning the parking lot, playground, climbing tires, grass hill and baseball field. The petition mentions how the property is in walking distance of the future Gravel Pit development, Ferguson Canyon Trail and the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. “We intend to demonstrate a very strong case for preservation of this property for the benefit of locals and visitors alike,” the petition reads. Councilmember Tali Bruce was one of the residents who signed the petition as she commented, “It’s been green space for the community from inception. The residents are invested in this area. Leaving it green is the right thing to do.”

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“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a nonprofit should be interested in giving back to the community. I support giving the park portion and a portion of the parking lot to the neighborhood,” resident Robbie Gale commented on the online petition. “We don’t need any more new homes for all these California transplants. We need open space and parks!” resident Lori Stahler commented on the online petition. “My yard backs up to this property. Both my kids learned how to ride bikes in the parking lot, we have worked on our baseball skills in the field, enjoyed sledding down the hills, and all the neighborhood kids seem to gather here. It’s perfect to socialize

with neighbors we haven’t seen in a while and get to know new ones,” resident Idie Atencio commented on the online petition. Cottonwood Heights City leaders and residents recently learned more about the property’s history. In 1975, 30% of the cost to construct the meetinghouse was contributed by church members ($191,000 at the time; $900,000 today with inflation). In 1976, residents donated land for a baseball diamond. The surrounding neighbors also helped to fund the adjoining park which includes the aforementioned swings, climbing tires and grassy area. To learn more about the resident petition, visit: www.change.org and search “Cottonwood Heights.” l

The swings and climbing tires on the Doverhill property have been a community asset for years. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has put a meetinghouse property up for sale in Cottonwood Heights. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

Cottonwood Heights City Journal


Numerous geologic hazards at gravel pit site discussed in May council meeting By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

L

ast month, Cottonwood Heights City Journal reported a general overview of the proposed development plans for the north end of the gravel pit (6695 S. Wasatch Blvd.). Since then, the Cottonwood Heights City Council discussed the geological hazards on site in more detail. On May 4, Community and Economic Development Director Mike Johnson reported with Geostrata’s Senior Geologist Tim Thompson on their findings of the geological and seismic hazards. “There are numerous fault lines and slope stability issues. Hillside reclamation will be an important part of the project,” Johnson said. The two major geologic hazards currently identified on the site are faulting and seismically induced slope instability. The developer (Rockworth Development) has identified ways to mitigate these known hazards including construction and grading. Such mitigation will be reflected in building plans and was based on original studies and sensitive land ordinances. Johnson explained to the city council how city staff members have been working through the Sensitive Lands Evaluation & Development Standards (SLEDS) (Chapter 19.72 of the Cottonwood Heights Code of Ordinances) process for this proposed development. “We require reports for each hazard on site which are then reviewed heavily with the Development Review Committee (DRC),” Johnson said. The DRC includes staff members from each applicable city department. The DRC for this specific proposed development site includes members from the planning staff, fire department (UFA), and Public Works Department. The DRC also meets with Geostrata and the water and sewer district as needed. The DRC reviews reports that document and analyze sensitive land hazards. They may require additional studies and reports until hazards have been thoroughly addressed. As plans for the proposed development keep circulating through city leadership and being updated with more detail, the developers will have to account for more mitigation as more is learned about the hazards on site. Some of the potential hazards and related mitigation can be accounted for based on the current understanding of the fault lines. There are four main fault lines running through the site, including the Wasatch Fault. Geologists can make assumptions about how the fault lines interact on site by mapping the faults and studying the angles in which they maneuver through the ground. However, more data analysis and trenching will be needed for a complete understanding for this site.

CottonwoodHeightsJournal .com

“The fault lines could be different. Sometimes, faults don’t dip in the way we anticipate them,” explained Thompson, detailing how it’s not uncommon for a fault line to be more shallow or steep than understood with surface-level data. Thompson emphasized the complexity of the site as he explained the history of the geology, the current understanding of the hazards on site and the developer’s incorporated mitigation, as well as additional data collection that will be needed. All of the gravel on site was deposited by either Lake Bonneville or from out of the canyon. This created alluvial fan deposits, some of which are out in the valley now because of the previous drainage patterns. Since there are no current sources of drainage, liquification induced landslides aren’t as plausible as the geological mechanisms needed for movement aren’t the same anymore. “The fan is just too thick. There’s not a practical way to trench so they’ve dug as deep as they can go for carbon dating,” Thompson said. In order to understand the geology in more complete detail, final grading will need to be completed. After which, the foundations for each proposed building will need to be trenched and observed. “We just don’t know where the faults could shift over excavation of this site so it needs to be a site where setback zones and other adjustments can be made,” Thompson explained. If there were to be a hazard identified on site that could not be properly mitigated and made construction unfeasible, an amendment of the PDD (Planned Development District) zone ordinance and site plan would be needed and plans would return to the Cottonwood Heights Planning Commission and City Council for review. Councilmember Tali Bruce asked if a ground motion study has been completed, as many geologists residing in the community have voiced the importance of such a study. “Those studies will be driven by needs,” Thompson replied. “The question is if they are going to find other hazards as they proceed with grading and final design. We need to see how they design the buildings. Those will be highly scrutinized. Geologists don’t want to be responsible for designing something that might fail.” Based on the current understanding of the hazards and mitigation on site, Geostrata and the DRC feel comfortable moving forward with the developer on planning the site. The developer has incorporated the recommend mitigation and will be required to do so as city planners study the site more with every phase of development. l

For each phase of a potential development on the gravel pit, trenching will have to occur before construction to mitigate potential hazards. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

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June 2021 | Page 13


Back together: Butlerville Days and community musical return this July By Joshua Wood | j.wood@mycityjournals.com

C

ottonwood Heights has approved plans to proceed with Butlerville Days and live performances of the community musical, “Matilda” in July. The events mark a resumption of in-person community events after their cancellation last year. Both are still subject to the potential of postponement should the pandemic worsen, but organizers have moved forward with plans for a return to live community events. “I’m excited, overwhelmed but excited,” said Cottonwood Heights Culture Manager Ann Eatchel. “The volunteers and public are excited. I’ve gotten a lot of calls from people about it.” Organizers have planned measures to help make the events safer for residents. For instance, “Matilda the Musical” has a double cast. The eight performances will be split evenly between the two casts to ensure that every part will have two fully-rehearsed cast members, and to reduce risk of COVID exposure for cast members during rehearsals. Cast members have alternated live rehearsals with virtual participation via Zoom. “The whole thing has been amazing,” Eatchel said. “We don’t want anything to

happen to anybody. We want to be safe.” “Matilda” will run from July 9-17 at the Cottonwood Heights Theatre in Butler Middle School. Butlerville Days will also include a number of safety measures. There will be no bouncy houses, carnival, or Ferris wheel to reduce the potential for COVID infections. “We’re constantly thinking about safety,” Eatchel said. Events will also be spread out over a week from July 19-24 with a rolling car show starting the week on Monday, July 19. Food will be available for purchase from local vendors from July 22-24. July 23 will also feature live music and a movie in the park at dusk. The pickleball tournament will run from July 14-23. The celebrations will culminate with the traditional parade, classic car show, and fireworks show on July 24. That final day will also feature live music leading up to the fireworks show. To celebrate the return of Butlerville Days, the organizing committee decided upon the theme “Good Ol’ Family Fun.” Old-fashioned games like three-legged races and water balloon toss will harken back to the old Butlerville Days. “We

The community musical “Matilda” will feature six evening performances and two matinees from July 9-17. (Photo courtesy Cottonwood Heights Arts Council)

thought, what would they have had back then, what would they have done,” Eatchel said. “So we’re going to do a lot of different things we haven’t done recently.” With the recent approval to go ahead with Butlerville Days, the organizing committee got a later start to get the festivities together. Despite the stress of moving at a faster pace than usual, festival planners are relieved that annual traditions will return. “It’s nice to have something for the Cottonwood Heights will celebrate the return of Butlerville Days with some “Good Ol’ Family residents,” Eatchel said. l Fun.” (Photo courtesy Ann Eatchel)

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By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

A

t the end of regulation, Butler Middle’s eighth-grade team, pictured here in blue, had done everything right—dribbling, passing, defending and scoring—yet they ended the first round of Canyons School District’s coed middle school intramural soccer tournament tied 3-3 with Indian Hills. It came down to penalty kicks where Indian Hills was able to connect first, defeating the Bruins. Albion Middle eventually took the eighth-grade title. Union Middle won the seventh-grade

bracket and Draper Park took the sixthgrade title. Last year’s event didn’t happen because of the soft closure of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Indian Hills’ eighth-grade team member Zach Lovell said, “The best part is that everyone can join. I got a couple friends, some who didn’t play, and we were passing the ball, laughing and just having fun.” (Julie Slama/City Journals) l

Cottonwood Heights City Journal


Cottonwood Heights residents anticipated to pay new storm water fee By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

F

or over six months, the Cottonwood Heights City Council has been deliberating on the implementation of a Storm Water Fee throughout the city. In March, the Cottonwood Heights City Journal reported on the context of the federal Clean Water Act and how that affects the city. There has been much more discussion since then as the city council ramps up to make a final decision. On April 6, Justin Dietrich and Emily Fica from Bowen Collins & Associates, along with Public Works Director Matthew Shipp, presented more information on a Storm Water Fee implementation to the council. “A storm water fee would help the city provide and meet its intent of being a responsible city and keeping the water clean,” Dietrich said. Their current recommendation would be to implement a $7.50 fee per ERU citywide. ERU stands for Equivalent Residential Unit which has been defined as 5,000 square feet of impervious surface area. A customer’s billed amount would be based on how much impervious area they have on their property. (Impervious surfaces are areas in which the natural landscape has been altered. When there’s precipitation, the water goes into the storm drain system instead of being soaked into the ground.) “Driveways, patios, roofs—that kind of thing,” Dietrich explained.

Since most typical single-family residences of lots under 0.5 acres have an average of 4,000 square feet of impervious surface, many Cottonwood Heights residents would likely pay $6 per month. “We need to have different language around the fee,” said Councilmember Scott Bracken. With a $7.50 per ERU fee, there would be five categories (classes) of customers within the city. The first being typical single-family residences as described. The next class would be large lot single-family residences, or single-family homes with lots larger than 0.5 acre with an average of 8,200 square feet of impervious surface. The Storm Water Fee for which would be around $12 per month. Then, the third and fourth classes would be stacked and non-stacked multi-family residences. This class would include condos, apartments, townhomes, and duplexes with 1,300 to 2,500 square feet of impervious surface. The monthly Storm Water Fee would be between $2.25 and $3.75. Commercial, institutional, civic, and mixed-use buildings would be the fifth class to be charged for storm water. This would include properties like schools, office buildings, restaurants, city buildings, parks, cemeteries, shopping centers and churches. A unique fee would have to be calculated for each property based on their

impervious area. For example, a church with 131,000 square feet of impervious area would need to pay $196.50 per month while a 7-11 store with 17,000 square feet would need to be $25.50 per month. A $7.50 per ERU Storm Water Fee would provide Cottonwood Heights with $1,406,403 of revenue annually. This would help pay for trip maintenance, storm water fund expenses, manholes, waterway replacement, and operational costs. $75,000 is needed for flushing out storm water manholes and inlets; $225,000 is needed for raising buried storm drain manholes; and $101,722 is needed for waterway replacements on Timberline Drive, Prospector Drive and Quicksilver Drive. $500,000 or more would be retained for any emergency repairs or for flexibility with future bonding. The remaining funds will probably go to a variety of maintenance projects, payroll and operational costs. Billing would be handled by Rocky Mountain Power as a Storm Water Fee would be billed quarterly to customers with regular utilities. A waiver program will be considered to give customers under financial duress a 12-month relief. Waivers would also be available for active-duty military. “We will be coordinating with Rocky Mountain Power, looking at the budget and

Residents will more than likely pay an additional $6 per month fee for storm water on their utilities bill. (Cassie Goff/City Journals)

available credits, finalizing a customer list, and continuing with public involvement,” Dietrich said. Further discussion between city councilmembers and staff may include fee amounts, customer classes, updated billing approach, credit and waiver explanations, and a review of public involvement. Resident comments will continue to be heard by the city council. In addition, residents can direct questions to publicworks@ch.utah. gov. l

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Brighton bows out in second round Photos by Travis Barton

2021 EVENING S ERIES Amphitheater Parking: 495 East 5300 South Ticket Info: 801-264-2614 or www.murray.utah.gov June 4 ................................. Les Miserables, Movie Sing-Along June 5 ................................................... Murray Concert Band June 17-19, 21-23 ........................ Disney's The Little Mermaid June 26 ...................................................... Murray Symphony

LUNCH CONCERT SERIES * Tuesday at Noon in Murray Park Pavilion #5, FREE June 1 - BD Howes ...................................................... Acoustic June 8 - Vaudeville Nouveau ................................... 50's - 80's June 15 - Wasatch Jazz Syndicate ........................ Jazz Quartet June 22 - Riding Gravity .............................. Surf & Rockability

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STOP IN FOR STORIES * Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday at 11 a.m. in Murray Park White Gazebo, FREE Murray City Library sponsored Storytelling * Location may change This program has received funding support from residents of Salt Lake County, SL County Zoo, Arts and Parks (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts and Museums, and Museums & National Endowment for the Arts.

Page 18 | June 2021

Top: Senior Brennan Potter unloads a pitch on senior day. The Bengals finished the year 14-14, bowing out in the second round of the playoffs to No. 2 seed Salem Hills. Brighton only graduates four seniors and sees plenty of contributors returning next year including its RBI leader in John-Luke Schroeder and two pitchers who got plenty of innings this season in Cale Silcox and Chase Elggren. Bottom: Freshman Easton Smith pinch runs during a region game. In a tough region, the Bengals finished 6-8 with the No. 18 seed. Brighton swept its playoff series against Springville 5-3 and 9-7 before losing to Salem Hills in the following round.

Cottonwood Heights City Journal


Brighton athletes compete at state track meet after region championship Photos by Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

Brighton High School had multiple athletes qualify for competition at the state track meet, held at Davis High School on May 18-19. The Bengals girls and boys teams swept the region titles the week prior with Caroline Rupper notably winning in both the 1600 and 3200 meters. l Top: Junior Peyton Wolvington competed in multiple events, including the long jump. Bottom: The Bengals had four runners compete in the 1600 meter final: Caroline Rupper, Lia Sealander, Analena Jacob and Jocelyn Summers.

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FUN DAYS SATURDAY, JULY 3rd ROTARY CLUB COMMUNITY BREAKFAST 6:30 - 10:00 am - Murray Park $6 Adults/$4 Child (12 and under) SUNRISE SERVICE 7 am - Murray Park Amphitheater Patriotic Address Sgt. First Class, Retired Layne Morris Music by Murray Concert Band CHALK ART CONTEST 6 am-2 pm 5K AND KIDS RACE Both races begin and end near Constitution Circle, Murray Park 8 am - 5 K Race, 9 am - Kids Race Ages 4-9 $20 early registration until June 18 $45 registration June 19-25 $10 for Kids Race by June 25 Register online at mcreg.com by June 25 - No day of registrations! CO-ED DOUBLES OUTDOOR VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT 8 am- 5 pm - Softball Field in Murray Park $30 per team - Adults, Youth, Parent/Child Divisions Register online at mcreg.com by July 1 - No day of registrations! PARADE 8:30 am - Begins at Fashion Place Mall - ends at Murray Park Grand Marshal, First Responders ACTIVITIES 10 am-4 pm - Car & Bike Show (behind swimming pool) 11 am-4 pm - Food Trucks & Game Booths 1 pm-2 pm - Bingo 12 pm-4 pm - Park Center Hours 12 pm-6 pm - Aquatic Center Hours ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS Near Children’s Playground 11 am-2 pm - Games: Money Scramble, Balloon Toss 11 am-2 pm - Fishing Booth, Face Painting (minimal fee) 12:00 pm - Strider Bike Race 12:30 pm - Firemen Squirt (free) DAYTIME ENTERTAINMENT Murray Park Gazebo 10:30 am - Superheroes vs. Villains Characters 11:15 am - Puppet Show "The Dinosaur Egg" 12:00 pm - Arts in the Park Musical Reviews 12:30 pm - The Flashback Brothers, Classic Rock EVENING ENTERTAINMENT Murray Park Softball Field 8:30 pm – High Society Party Band (pictured below) 10 pm – Fireworks (leave personal fireworks at home)

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June 2021 | Page 19


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Cottonwood Heights City Journal


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By Robert Spendlove, Zions Bank Senior Economist

O

ne year after the economic recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic began, Utah’s economy has emerged as one of the strongest in the nation. Utah’s unemployment rate in April was 2.8%, down from 2.9% in March and nearly as low as it was before the pandemic. Utah is now tied with South Dakota and Nebraska for the lowest unemployment in the nation. Utah also has the second-highest job growth in the nation, ticking up 2.5% in the last 24 months. This is just behind Idaho’s job growth of 3.9% in the same time period. In fact, Utah and Idaho are the only two states that have added jobs in the last two years. Utah added 35,600 jobs over the past two years, with professional and business services (+15,700) leading the growth. Other sectors that saw notable gains were construction (+11,900); trade, transportation and utilities (+9,800); financial activities (+8,800); and manu-

facturing (+6,900). However, the government (-10,500); leisure and hospitality (-7,600); and natural resources (-1,400) sectors have all lost jobs in the past 24 months. While the strong job market and low unemployment are very positive for Utah, our state is once again struggling with a labor shortage. Simply put, there are not enough people in the Utah labor force to meet demand for workers. If this continues for too long, it could constrain potential economic growth, especially for smaller companies that must compete with larger employers for these workers. Robert Spendlove is senior economist for Zions Bank, a division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A.

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Workforce is vital as we push for a strong economy

Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Council | District 3

There is great satisfaction in successfully providing for oneself and one’s family, but when someone falls upon hard times, shortterm government assistance can be helpful to get residents back on their feet. We must recognize, however, that government assistance shouldn’t be relied upon forever, and that helping people find jobs and contribute to their community is vital for them and the rest of us. We need the expertise and skills that our Salt Lake County residents have to offer. In the midst of the pandemic, when joblessness was on the rise, the federal government took measures to subsidize state unemployment payments across the nation. This was intended to keep jobless individuals and families afloat during a time of economic uncertainty. While some states are still struggling, Utah is performing exceptionally well. Our unemployment rates are among the lowest in the nation, and we are one of two states that actually had a net gain in jobs in 2020. In fact, many businesses are struggling to find employees to fill their open positions as they reopen and strive to return to pre-pandemic levels of business. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many “Help Wanted” signs and advertisements before. Because of the economic trajectory of

our state, Governor Spencer Cox recently discontinued Utah’s participation in those earlier mentioned federal unemployment subsidies. This was done, in part, to combat what are called “perverse incentives,” meaning incentives that attempt to solve a problem but actually prolong or worsen the problems they are meant to solve. In this case, federal unemployment subsidies were intended to help those who could not find employment, but by continuing these benefits in good economic times, we would be disincentivizing those who are unemployed from finding gainful employment in a strong job market. We want government to avoid perverse incentives, and instead encourage people to find a long-term path to success. There are certainly extenuating circumstances that make it difficult for people to work, but for those who can work, please know that there are plenty of people hiring and you are most certainly wanted! If you are looking for a job, I encourage you to check out any number of job posting websites. You can visit the state’s employment website at jobs.utah.gov and see if there’s a good fit for you. Our workforce is better with you in it. Our quality of life is better when we take an active role in contributing to our families, neighborhoods and communities.

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Judge and jury Before COVID, when the hubbie and I used to travel, I’d book us in places that provided breakfast, because I love me a good breakfast buffet. At one hotel, the breakfast bar offered freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and I couldn’t resist. I don’t usually drink fruit juice because it has so much sugar, which is hilarious because I have no problem downing an entire box of Milk Duds. Anyway. I poured myself a cup of beautiful, pink grapefruit juice and was walking back to our table when a herd of unruly children came dashing around the corner and crashed into me, spilling grapefruit juice all over my shirt and the floor. I stood there dripping and waiting for an apology that never came. The monsters ran past me to fill their plates with bacon. I eyed them scornfully, poured more juice and put on my Hat of Judgement. What kind of mother lets her kids douse perfect strangers with grapefruit juice? What heathen had failed to teach these kids manners? I got back to my table and told my husband to move so I could take his seat because he had a better view of the dining room. I needed to see the parents of these miscreants and judge them accordingly. If anyone can sip grapefruit juice with disdain, I can. I sipped and glared with ma-

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licious intent. Through narrowed eyes, I watched the kids eat all the bacon, touch all the bananas, grab several muffins and gallop back to their table, where their mom sat staring at her phone. My judgement level increased. This neglectful mother didn’t realize her childish baboons were running amok; she had no idea they spilled juice all over me, and she was too involved in her social media and texting to be a good mother. Verdict rendered. Guilty as charged. Gavel pounded. Oh, it felt good to be so superior. But then my stupid brain stepped in. “Ahem,” it said politely because it

doesn’t like to cause trouble. “Perhaps you’re being a bit harsh.” “Shut up, brain. I’m busy.” Instead of shutting up, my brain brought up a memory of my daughters. We were at an all-you-can-eat-buffet and the girls were not sitting like civilized humans. They were fighting, dropping food all over the floor, running back for seconds and thirds, and taking every single brownie from the dessert bar. They were animals. And I just sat there, so happy for the break from making dinner. I’d been that mom I was judging. My daughters had often run amok. If I’d had a cell phone when my kids were little, I would have been on that phone all the damn time. I slowly removed my Hat of Judgement and reevaluated the current situation. I turned to my husband and said, “It’s just juice. They’re just kids. She’s just a mom.” He didn’t know what I was talking about, but he chewed his bacon, nodded, and said, “That’s good.” Suddenly, I was teary-eyed and felt a camaraderie with this mother. She was in the trenches, doing her very best. Aren’t we all? The more I practice dropping judgement, the easier my life is. It’s exhausting calling out everyone’s behavior. There are better ways to spend my time, like drinking fresh grapefruit juice and remembering when my kids were wild animals.

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June 2021 | Vol. 17 Iss. 06

FREE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE PRESENTS FINAL REPORT ON INVESTIGATION INTO THE MILL HOLLOW PROTEST LAST YEAR By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

L

ast summer, the police response to a local protest drew national attention. A Dance Dance for Revolution protest met at Mill Hollow Park in Cottonwood Heights (2900 Hollow Mill Dr.) and traveled through neighborhood streets on Aug. 2, 2020. The Cottonwood Heights Police Department responded to calls from residents concerned about traffic and safety. Multiple protestors and officers were hurt when the encounter turned violent. An investigation into the incident was mounted by the Utah Attorney General’s Office by September. Over nine months later, on May 11, Special Agent Matthew Thompson presented the AG’s report to the Cottonwood Heights City Council without interruption. Councilmembers and other attendees were not able to make comments or ask questions. The investigation paid special attention to the following questions: Did the police have a need or a duty to respond (and was that response appropriate)?; Were the response and actions of the police commensurate with the actions of the protesters?; Did the protesters violate any laws or ordinances (specifically related to event permitting and public use of streets)?; and What role(s) did Councilmember Tali Bruce and Police Chief Robby Russo have in the incident? The AG’s Office found that the police response to the Aug. 2 incident was measured and appropriate. Even though there were certain aspects of the police response that could have been improved, the AG’s Office reported that a police Continued page 4 Over 42 hours of video were provided to the Attorney General’s Office for review. (Matt Thompson/Cottonwood Heights)

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