In The Middle of Everything MIDVALE CITY DIRECTORY City Hall Finance/Utilities Court City Attorney’s Office City Recorder/Human Resources Community Development Public Works Ace Disposal/Recycling Midvale Historical Museum Midvale Senior Center SL County Animal Services Police Dispatch Unified Fire Authority Fire Dispatch Communications
801-567-7200 801-567-7200 801-567-7265 801-567-7250 801-567-7228 801-567-7211 801-567-7235 801-363-9995 801-567-7285 385-468-3350 385-468-7387 801-743-7000 801-743-7200 801-840-4000 801-567-7230
MIDVALE CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS MAYOR Marcus Stevenson 801-567-7204 Email: mstevenson@midvale.com CITY COUNCIL District 1 - Quinn Sperry Email: qsperry@midvale.com District 2 - Paul Glover Email: pglover@midvale.com District 3 - Heidi Robinson Email: Hrobinson@midvale.com District 4 - Bryant Brown Email: bbrown@midvale.com District 5 - Dustin Gettel Email: dgettel@midvale.com
WHO TO CALL FOR… Water Bills Ordering A New Trash Can Reserving the Bowery Permits GRAMA requests Court Paying For Traffic School Business Licensing Property Questions Cemetery Water Line Breaks Planning and Zoning Code Enforcement Building inspections Graffiti
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EMERGENCY OR DISASTER CONTACT Public Works Fire Dispatch – Unified Fire Authority Midvale Police Precinct or Police Dispatch Unified Police Department EMERGENCY
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MAY 2022
City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047
CITY NEWSLETTER
Marcus’s Message
By Mayor Marcus Stevenson
It’s officially been over a quarter of the year since I’ve been our city’s Mayor. I almost can’t believe that much time has passed, but in that short amount of time, I’ve learned a lot about the interworking’s of our city and the many constraints our city has. In this month’s message, I’d like to talk about what I’ve learned so far regarding zoning laws, budgetary restrictions, and the importance of a city’s relationship with other entities.
ZONING LAWS Zoning laws are likely the most controversial area a city deals with. Though proposed development projects, such as a new restaurant, apartment complex, or office building, are likely to stir up emotions of all sorts, I’ve learned a lot about the realities a city faces when determining its future growth. Once an area is zoned for a certain type of development, such as single-family, high density, or business, the city has very little say in what exact project goes into a specific area. For a city, it can be frustrating to not have the say in a design concept as we try to plan our city, but the State of Utah and federal government have certain restrictions in place for fairness and equity reasons. As an example, if a city was able to choose each individual development that came into the city, it could put city employees and elected officials in a place to financially benefit their friends or their own businesses. Restricting a city to only being able to choose zoning creates a free market to determine how a city is shaped, which has both positive and negative consequences. It’s important to keep this in mind because even as an unpopular project goes through the city, we usually legally must approve those projects if they meet our zoning laws and other applicable ordinances.
BUDGETARY RESTRICTIONS Midvale City’s yearly general fund budget comes in at just over $20 million, which is more money than many of us can comprehend but is a smaller budget for a city. After you consider our contract obligations with the Unified Police Department, which takes about 50% of our entire general fund budget, it leaves our city with roughly $10 million to take care of most of the city’s needs over the period of a year. This money goes to essential services such as roads & sidewalks, parks, and other critical areas. I’ve now seen firsthand, as we go through this year’s budget process, just how tight our city’s budget is as we work to provide essential services while keeping taxes low. As our council, staff, and residents hope to see larger exciting projects come to fruition, such as a community pool or new recreation center, it’s important to keep in mind that our budget does not allow us to build these projects on our own, and instead need the help from other entities to secure the needed funding.
ENTITY RELATIONSHIPS In my few short months of being Mayor, I’ve had a focus of ensuring our city has strong relationships with entities that often interact with our city. These entities include our State Legislature, surrounding cities, Salt Lake County, and others. Other entities can be critical in helping to secure needed funding for large projects, collaboration on projects that may cross city boundaries, or even ensuring that impacts from outside projects either benefit our city or have a minimal negative effect. Much of my time has been spent building these personal relationships so that our city has a seat at the table, because as the saying goes, “if you’re not at the table, then you’re probably on the menu.” These relationships can help keep our taxes low, such as when working with the Unified Fire Authority or Canyons School District and can help secure funding for other projects, such as a recreation center through Salt Lake County, as I mentioned earlier.
“Name that Fire Station”
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE NAME FOR THE NEW UNIFIED FIRE AUTHORITY FIRE STATION #125 Construction of a new building to replace Midvale Fire Station #125, currently located at 7683 S. Holden Street, began in the Summer of 2021. The new station will be located at 655 W. Center Street and construction is anticipated to be completed in late August 2022. The new station will include three bays and 10 dorm rooms. This will allow space for Unified Fire Authority to increase staffing as the community and call volume increase in future years. Unified Fire Authority encouraged Midvale City to solicit input from the community to name the new fire station. On March 16, 2022, the city launched the “Name that Fire Station” campaign on Engage Midvale. Twenty responses were received. On April 19, 2022, the City Council narrowed the names down to four names. The following list of finalists has been shared with the community via Engage Midvale to choose the official name of the new building. JoAnn B. Seghini Station Midvale Memorial Station
Midvale Center Station Midvale Fire House on Center
The deadline to vote via Engage Midvale is May 11, 2022. Be sure to visit www.EngageMidvale.com to vote on your choice for the new station name!
In The Middle of Everything Life Balance & Wellness Conference and Chronic Pain Workshop Midvale Senior Center is hosting a Senior Life Balance and Wellness Conference on Thursday, May 26, from 9:30 am – 2:00 pm. The conference will start with a continental breakfast and a mindfulness session. Valley Behavioral Health and Salt Lake County’s Health Promotion Team will present the following topics: Living a Happy Life, Boosting Memory and Cognition, and Create a Life Worth Living. Register for one or more classes or for the whole day. Call 385-468-3350 for more information. A Living Well with Chronic Pain Workshop will be held Wednesdays, May 18 – June 22, from 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM. This six-week workshop is for people with long term pain and caregivers. Learn about self-management techniques and skills needed to manage chronic pain conditions. Call 385-4683350 for more information or to register. Special Thanks – The Midvale Senior Center would like to thank Arctic Circle and Humana for sponsoring the senior center’s Easter Egg Hunt in April. We are grateful for businesses willing to give back to the senior citizens of our community.
City Council Meeting Recap for April 2022 City Council meeting agendas are often difficult for people to navigate. Filled with jargon and legal requirements on how an item must be listed, it can be a challenge to determine what council members are discussing or deciding on. City staff prepares a summary of the agenda items in laymen’s terms. The Citizen’s Agenda is available on the City’s new engagement platform, www.EngageMidvale.com. The official published agendas and supporting materials are still available at www.MidvaleCity.org. City staff also prepare a City Council Recap for each meeting. The Recap includes updates on Public Hearings and Action Items.
WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG
City Council Adopts New Council District Map Every ten years, city council districts must be redrawn so that each district is substantially equal in population. This process, called redistricting, is important in ensuring that each city council member represents about the same number of constituents. Redistricting is based on data from the U.S. Census, which was released in August 2021. The Midvale City Council is responsible (per Utah State Code) for setting the city council member districts by May 16, 2022. Using state requirements and best practices, Midvale City staff prepared several redistricting map options, which the Midvale City Council narrowed to two for public consideration. Staff sought public comments on the initial maps using the City’s online engagement platform, as well as hosting two open houses. On April 5, 2022, the City Council held a public hearing to discuss the redistricting map options and review the comments provided by the public. Following the public hearing and deliberation by the City Council, staff was instructed to attempt to prepare additional redistricting options. Due to several limiting factors, developing viable variations of the redistribution maps proved unsuccessful. The limiting factors included: • City Council districts must be substantially equal in population • Districts may not bisect voting precincts established by Salt Lake County • Districts must be contiguous and reasonably compact • Districts must be drawn to create five districts • City Council Members must remain in their district On April 19, 2022, the City Council approved a resolution to adopt City Council District Map #2.
MAY 2022 CITY NEWSLETTER WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG
Midvale Arts Council thrilled to death to present uproarious musical comedy, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder Love (and death) will be in the air this summer as the Midvale Arts Council is very excited to bring to the stage “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”. This multi-Tony Award winning musical will run June 3-11 at the Midvale Performing Arts Center. “We’re just so happy to finally be able to get this show on our stage,” said MAC Board Member Stephanie Johnson. The show was on the Arts Council’s schedule before COVID hit and everyone had to wait until things cleared up. “But our audiences are really going to love this show,” she continued. The show is not exactly a “who-dunnit” but rather a “how will he do it – again and again”. The plot follows Monty Navarro who finds out that he is 8th in line for an earldom. Fearing that he will never outlive those ahead of him, Monty decides to go a much darker path – and try to not get caught in the process. And don’t forget, there’s love as well. “A Gentleman’s Guide...” has been called a “murderous romp” filled with unforgettable music and non-stop laughs. The New York Times called it an “inspired and highly entertaining musical comedy.” And if that’s not enough, one actor plays all eight of the poor victims-to-be who find themselves meeting their end in some very creative ways. “A Gentleman’s Guide...” received ten Tony nominations in 2014, winning four including “Best Musical”. The show also earned several nominations and awards from Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League – taking home “Best Musical” with all three of those organizations as well. Director Kristie Post Wallace and Musical Director Kathryn Thompson are both Midvale residents and are excited to be involved in the community and bring this show to “life”. Wallace is a Theatre/Media Arts Adjunct Faculty Member at BYU and has previously directed “Hairspray” and “The Drowsy Chaperone” for the Midvale Arts Council. Thompson is a choir director and a performer for Utah Opera. Tickets and more information will be available later at MidvaleArts.com.
Join the “We Foster Challenge” Salt Lake County Animal Services Foster and WIN! Foster a pet for Salt Lake County Animal Services May 1-31, and you will be entered to win fun prizes as part of our “We Foster Challenge!” Throughout the year, Animal Services sends hundreds of pets to loving foster homes. The foster home environment helps pets thrive and show off their personality, while giving them a quiet place to relax until their FUREVER Family adopts them. Fostering a pet can last from anywhere from a weekto even longer. You decide what works for you! Anytime a pet can spend outside of the shelter in a loving home, there’s a better chance of them getting adopted quickly. Visit “get involved” at AdoptUtahPets.org or email fosters@slco. org for more information.
Water Conservation Programs Midvale City purchases our water from the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District (JVWCD). Therefore, Midvale businesses and residents qualify for the programs offered by JVWCD. These conservation programs are designed to ensure a sustainable water supply: UTAH WATER SAVERS Ready to start saving water on your landscape or in your home? Visit www.UtahWaterSavers.com to create an account to view cash rebates and programs available to our community: • Toilet Replacement - Old toilets are a leading cause of wasted water in Utah homes. Rebates will only be given for replacing toilets that use more than 1.6 gallons per flush and were installed in homes built before 1994. • Smart Controller Rebates - Smart controllers can help save water by automatically adjusting watering schedules based on local weather and landscape needs. Ready to stop worrying about turning your sprinklers off after it rains? Rebates for smart controllers are available throughout the state. • Localscapes Rewards - Localscapes Rewards makes getting a landscape that thrives in Utah easier than ever. If you are looking to install or renovate a landscape, you may qualify for cash rewards and a free review of your landscape plan! • Landscape Consultations - Want to improve your existing landscape? Sign up for a free consultation to get expert advice about your watering practices, landscape, and sprinkler system. • Flip Your Strip - Park strips are one of the most difficult places for grass to thrive and for us to maintain. This program offers cash rebates to “flip” your park strip to be water efficient and beautiful. LOCALSCAPES The Localscape approach is a series of landscaping patterns and practices that considers Utah’s unique climate. It’s good landscape design, simplified. Now you can have a landscape that works for where you live. Localscape classes are taught at Conservation Garden Park in West Jordan. CONSERVATION GARDEN PARK, WEST JORDAN The Conservation Garden Park model’s the best use of water in Utah landscapes and empowers communities to make the most of our shared water resources. Jordan Valley Water’s Conservation Garden Park showcases landscapes suited for Utah’s unique climate that is not only beautiful and easier to maintain but are also designed to efficiently use water. Here you learn how simple changes can result in big water savings. With more than 8 acres of exhibits, pathways, and plants, Conservation Garden Park is Salt Lake County’s premier destination for learning about Utah’s unique climate and the role each of us can play in protecting our water supply. During your visit take a walk through a water pipe, explore a full-scale Localscape, see thousands of Utah-friendly plants, and learn how to create and maintain your own water-efficient landscape. EVENTS AND CLASSES Classes at Conservation Garden Park allow you to learn directly from experts in horticulture and waterwise landscaping. Topics range from landscape design to yard maintenance and upkeep. View the class schedule for details and registration. Search their database of more than 1,000 waterwise plants tried and tested at Conservation Garden Park. Learn about maintenance requirements, blooming seasons, and water needs before you make picks for your personal landscape. SOURCE: Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District (www.jvwcd.org)