City of Taylorsville Newsletter 2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400
MAYOR'S MESSAGE Dear Friends and Neighbors, Hopefully, you’ve heard our exciting news: Google Fiber is coming to Taylorsville! An agreement with the broadband provider was unanimously approved by the City Council this past month. At City Hall, we’ve been working Mayor Kristie S. Overson diligently to bring Google Fiber to Taylorsville because we know that cutting-edge technology is essential to our community. It’s especially important that we as a city plan for a high-tech future and offer a digital bridge. We know this is important to our residents, too. In working to bring Google Fiber aboard we recognize that families need more options for fast, reliable broadband; Taylorville’s business community desires to maintain a competitive edge; students need uninterrupted access to information; residents must be able to stream on all platforms in their homes, and everyone needs bandwidth at a competitive price. With the non-exclusive license agreement, Taylorsville is the first city on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley to bring Google Fiber to our residents and businesses. It will mean reliable internet service at lightning-fast speeds. For example, residents will be able to download 25 songs in one second. Or download a full, high-definition movie in just 36 seconds. In its coverage of our announcement, KSL News reports that residents and businesses will have “access to some of the fastest internet speeds available (since) fiber internet is much faster than its cable internet alternative.” It truly is a game-changer. With Google Fiber, we’ll be more connected than ever. Our central location right in the heart of the Salt Lake Valley already offers the perfect place for business — and our neighborhoods are close and thriving. Now in the coming months, Google Fiber will be expanding its network to bring its reliable, high-speed internet service to our city, and with it, even greater connectivity. The process uses fiber optic cables that are placed in the city’s utility right of way. On public streets, in the right-of-way, a narrow cut is made and the fiber is placed there. Then the fiber is run to the house once residents sign up for service. Micro-trenching is utilized to speed up construction and reduce disruption. As work gets under way, we’ll have more information, including what you need to do to receive installation and service. In the meantime, please join me in welcoming Google Fiber to Taylorsville! –Mayor Kristie S. Overson
WHAT’S INSIDE – MAY 2021 Frequently Called Numbers, Page 2 Council Corner, Page 3 TVPD Update, Page 6 Heritage Remembrances, Page 7 Environment, Page 8
www.taylorsvilleut.gov
May 2021
City Celebrates 25th Anniversary with the New Performing Arts Center The June 1 opening of the new Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center next to City Hall provides the perfect gift for the city’s 25th birthday. As the city marks its milestone anniversary this year, it will also celebrate the Arts Center’s completion with a Ribbon Cutting planned for the end of this month. Construction of the Arts Center began in January 2019 but it has been many years in the making. Indeed, it was only through careful planning and the foresight of many individuals that it became reality, noted Mayor Kristie Overson during a tour of the center with city leaders, both past and present, on March 30. “I’m a little bit teary because we have founders here,” Mayor Overson said at the start of the tour, recognizing those in attendance. “You had the vision of something great on this property. It’s not just one administrator or one mayor or one council member — and of course Salt Lake County. It took everyone, so I thank you.” In addition to Mayor Overson, those touring the center included former Mayors Janice Auger Rasmussen and Larry Johnson and former City Council Members Keith Sorensen, Brad Christopherson and Dama Barbour, as well as former Council Member and current state Rep. Jim Dunnigan. Rounding out the group were current Council Chair Curt Cochran and Vice Chair Anna Barbieri, and Council Member Ernest Burgess. They were joined by Salt Lake County officials Matt Castillo, Holly Yocom, Melinda Cavallaro, Jeff Gwilliam and Cami Munk.
ARTS CENTER CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
City of Taylorsville Newsletter Declaration of Candidacy Period Runs Through June 7
Police Department
801-840-4000
Interested in running for office? If so, declare your candidacy for Council Districts 3, 4, 5 or mayor anytime from June 1 to 7, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (An election for District 1 and District 2 will be held in 2023). To run for office, you must: • Be a registered voter • Be at least 18 years of age • Be a United States citizen • Have lived in Taylorsville for 12 consecutive months prior to the election date (Aug. 10, 2021) • Live within the boundary of the district you wish to represent (if running to be a member of City Council) • Be mentally competent
Dominion Energy
800 -323 -5517
For more information, contact City Recorder Jamie Brooks at 801-955-2006 or by email: jbrooks@taylorsvilleut.gov
More Than 2 Million Vaccines Administered in Utah Taylorsville Code Enforcement
EVENTS MAY & JUNE 2021 May 5 & 19 – 6:30 p.m. City Council Meeting @ City Hall and online. Watch a live-stream of the meeting on the city’s website, www.taylorsvilleut.gov
May 11 – 7 p.m. & May 25 – 6 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall.
May 31 – All day Memorial Day. City Offices are closed.
May through June 1 The Taylorsville Arts Council is seeking submissions for its virtual Art Show, commemorating Taylorsville’s 25th Anniversary. See Page 6.
June 19 – 8 a.m. to noon Annual Earth Day Collection @ Taylorsville High School. See Page 8.
June 19 – 7 p.m. A Night of Rock — Movies in the Park and live music @ Taylorsville City Hall west lawn. See Page 6.
June 24, 25 & 26 Taylorsville Dayzz @ Valley Regional Park. See Pages 4 and 5 of this section for a full schedule of events. Find our calendar of events every month on the city’s website, where you can also submit your own events for possible publication. Go to www.taylorsvilleut.gov
Utah has delivered more than 2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and is working to continue that momentum by increasing vaccine accessibility in more hard-to-reach areas and populations across Utah. State epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn, who has taken a position as executive director of the Salt Lake County Health Department where she will start this summer, said people who are still feeling hesitant about getting the vaccine should talk to their medical providers or reach out to vaccinated family and friends to make sure they are getting the best information available about the vaccine. "This is the way we're going to end the pandemic," she said at a news conference on April 22. As of mid-April, half of all adults in the United States had received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly 52% of all eligible people in Utah had received at least one dose.
May 2021
COUNCIL CORNER
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
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There’s So Much We Can Do to Keep Our City in Tip-Top Shape
By Council Member Anna Barbieri After a crazy, upside-down 2020, what a welcome site it is to see our beautiful city come to life again. Spring has sprung and summer is on its way. Taylorsville Dayzz is on the calendar and we’re excited for the opening of the new Performing Arts Center in the front yard of Taylorsville City Hall. Our team of city officials and employees are hard at work and determined to create the finest city for families, the community and our commercial partners. As always, there is still plenty of work to do, and I hope we can all pitch in to help maintain our beautiful community. Mark your calendar for Saturday June 19 as a day of clean up. Bring your household hazardous waste, discarded glass and paint, electronic waste (yep, those old computers and TVs stuffed in closets that shouldn’t go in the landfill) and gently used items for the thrift center to Taylorsville High School between 8 a.m. to noon, and we’ll cart it all away for you. This is a great opportunity to teach our kiddos the importance of organizing and cleaning up to maintain property values, happy neighbors and safe neighborhoods. Also, Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District (the same awesome organization that picks up our weekly garbage through rain, sleet and snow) will deliver a dumpster to your driveway. Simply go to their site,
https://wasatchfrontwaste.org, and reserve a date. Let your neighbors know and they can help you fill it up. Voila’, the next day, WFWRD picks up the filled container and you put your feet up knowing all that stuff you didn’t know what to do with is gone. Out of your life. I love this service. Speaking of projects, Taylorsville has many opportunities to serve. Taylorsville Dayzz is looking for volunteers to help with the parade, car show, petting zoo, carnival and concerts. What a great chance to meet wonderful friends in our community and help celebrate Taylorsville City’s 25th birthday. If outdoor activities are your thing, our parks, dog park, baseball and soccer fields could use a little TLC. With the help of Council Member Meredith Harker and the Parks and Recreation Committee, funding has been secured for much needed updates. We’re looking for help in planting water-wise foliage, trees and spreading sustainable ground cover. It’s one of the hidden gems of Taylorsville and if you haven’t visited this park, you really should plan your next kiteflying excursion or run through this beautiful oasis away from traffic and commotion. Feeling like you just need to get out and explore your neighborhood and surrounding areas? Take a garbage bag with you and exercise bending your knees and stretching your arms by collecting some of the
LEFT TO RIGHT: Dan Armstrong (District 5), Curt Cochran, Chair (District 2), Meredith Harker (District 4), Anna Barbieri, Vice Chair (District 3), and Ernest Burgess (District 1)
papers and grocery bags that escaped trash bins and collected in bushes and trees during the winter and windstorms. If we all pitch in a little, our city improves a lot. After all, Mom said, “Many hands make light work,” and I might add, they keep our taxes low and ensure they’re spent on much-needed infrastructure and enduring projects benefiting us all. If you or your group want to participate in any of these or other projects, give your City Council member a call or drop us a note and we’ll find just a project perfect for you.
ARTS CENTER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center Celebrates Grand Opening on June 1
The Arts Center is a county-owned facility operated by its Arts & Culture Division, the owner-operator of Abravanel Hall, Capitol Theatre, Eccles Theater, and the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. Taylorsville City partnered with Salt Lake County in making a financial contribution toward the venue and providing the land through a long-term ground lease. Salt Lake County's Arts & Culture Division will manage the facility and handle all event booking through ArtTix. In complement, the Arts Center and City Hall are situated on Centennial Plaza, which is now under construction and will feature a community space with walkways, beautiful landscaping and public art, a kitchen, stage, restrooms, green space and arbors, and waterwall signage. But long before the planning of the plaza and Arts Center began — and before City Hall built in 2002 was even an idea — the
site was a small family farm where vegetables were grown and the Namba family lived. “I remember their greenhouse and the berries they grew,” said Mayor Auger Rasmussen, who served as Taylorsville’s second mayor from 1998 to 2006. “There was a little house here and Mrs. Namba continued to tend a garden into her 90s.” Mayor Auger Rasmussen recalled how a friend would play in the fields that existed where Centennial Plaza will soon be. “The space already has such a legacy,” she said. See a photo gallery of the site and its history on the city’s website at www.taylorsvilleut.gov
The long-awaited Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center opens to the public on June 1. To celebrate the new venue, Salt Lake County Arts & Culture will host a series of public Open Houses on June 1, 3 and 5. Activities will include self-guided tours, short performances, and other events to be announced on the Arts & Culture website, saltlakecountyarts.org. “We can’t wait to welcome the public to this gorgeous new venue,” said Jessica Liebrecht, Arts & Culture’s Venue Manager for the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center. “In addition to performances and other events, Mid-Valley will serve as an important community arts space with two stunning public art pieces and an art gallery in the lobby.” For information about the MidValley Performing Arts Center and volunteer opportunities, visit the Arts & Culture website listed above.
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City of Taylorsville Newsletter
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
4-11 pm Carnival Bonus Night ($10 rides for $10) 7 pm
Utah Symphony 1812 Overture with Cannons nons s
7 am
5K Fun Run
9 am
Parade
11 am
Entertainment, Food & Craft Booths, Carnival, Pony Rides, Petting Zoo
Noon
Car Show
7:30 pm
Celine Dion & Neil Diamond tribute
8:30 pm
Skydivers
10 pm
Fireworks Extravaganza!!
11 pm
Carnival Closes
9:30 pm Movie TBD 4-11 4- pm Carnival Rides 6 pm
Taylorsville Orchestra
7:30 pm Elvis & Johnny Cash 10 pm
Expanded Fireworks!!
Don't miss the 5K Race at 7 am and Kids Fun Run at 7:45 am on Saturday, June 26. Register and find the route maps and other info at
www.taylorsvilledayzz.com
Jim Dunnigan 801-840-1800
May 2021
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
June 24, 25, 26 7:30 p m Joh nny C ash & Elvis – FREE!
phony, m y S h a t U ns! 7:00 pm ith Canno w e r u t r e BD 1812 Ov he Park T t in ie v o M 9:30 pm -
7:30 pm Celine Dion & Neil Diamond tribute – FREE!
We need help with parking, stage, etc. Go to Taylorsvilledayzz.com and click on the volunteer link, or call Jim Dunnigan at 801-840-1800
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City of Taylorsville Newsletter
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
TVPD Formal Swearing-in Ceremony Set for June 21
ROCK
Monthly updates on the formation of the Taylorsville City Police Department will be provided through July 2021. We are now entering the “homestretch” and pleased to report that our roster is full — to include patrol officers, detectives and office personnel. There will be various hire dates of some personnel depending upon their specific role, but all will be hired by June 14 and begin their orientation and training. The formal swearing-in ceremony for the officers will be on June 21. Except for a couple of remaining objectives that city administration will continue to address (e.g., permanent storage facility), all others have been completed in accordance with the original charter and timeline. For a complete listing, please visit the city website at: www.taylorsvilleut.gov/services/tvpd/new-department-timeline Specifically in the month of April, the following objectives were completed: • Interview/selection and background checks of remaining sergeant, officer, and support staff personnel • Selection of resiliency program (behavioral health and wellness) • Outfitting of personnel (vendor catalog for uniforms/equipment) • Formalize configuration/construction needs of office space at City Hall
Sponsored by the Parks & Rec Committee
At this point, the Transition Team has formally transferred all remaining action-items to the new Command Staff. This includes interface with VECC (dispatch), mobile radio programing, on-boarding and training of personnel, and the branding of vehicles. We express gratitude to all who have shared insights, engaged in the process, and worked diligently during the past year to bring about this transfer of responsibility. We also share our appreciation to the UPD administrative staff and officers who have served with dedication and professionalism for so many years and during this period of transition.
New Judge Christopher Bown Starts Work This Month
1996 ~ 2021
SILVER JUBILEE
Celebrate local artists. View the coming display of Taylorsville-themed artwork at City Hall!
Utah attorney Christopher Bown is expected to start this month as Taylorsville’s new justice court judge. He was appointed by Mayor Kristie Overson with ratification by the City Council on April 7. “Mr. Bown stands out among his peers, and I believe that he will represent our city well as jurist on the bench,” Mayor Overson said. “He is reliable, exercises good judgment and is comfortable interacting with a diverse group of people. I have every confidence in him and his abilities, and know that he will provide exemplary service to our community and compassionate advocacy for the rule of law.” Judge Bown, who has worked as both a prosecutor and defense attorney, has an estimated 17,500 hours in the courtroom, appearing before judges and juries. A partner for the law firm Stowell, Crayk and Bown, he has served as defense counsel both in private practice and as a public defender, as well as a prosecutor for the Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office. “I understand where both prosecutors and defense attorneys are coming from and the tools they have to make decisions and do what they do,” Judge Bown said. “Understanding that, I think I can get to the heart of the matter quicker.” Judge Bown said his first steps will be getting to know the court staff, learning the processes and procedures that are in place and assessing if any improvements are needed. He also anticipates that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic will pose an immediate challenge, requiring integrations of what has been learned from putting video appearances in place and minimizing delays for defendants. He was selected from a pool of nearly 30 applicants for the position to replace the Honorable Michael Kwan, who passed away last summer.
May 2021
Taylorsville Bennion Heritage REMEMBRANCES This month’s article highlights the Thomas Dimond, E. Castle, and LeRoy Wirthlin family home.
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
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TAYLORSVILLE SENIOR CENTER 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive
Senior Center Reopens with Virtual Programming You may have heard the good news! Salt Lake County Senior Centers have reopened as of April 19. However, a majority of programming is still being done through the Virtual Senior Center as staff navigates Health Department safety regulations. Over the next few months, the Taylorsville Senior Center, 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive, will slowly transition to having in-person activities. Pre-registration is required for all in-person activities and a mask will be required to enter the building. Starting April 19, drive-thru lunches will be served from 10:15 to 11 a.m. In-person dining will start at 11:30 a.m. and you may pre-register by calling 385-468-3370. You can access the latest news and receive updates on newly added programs by accessing the center’s newsletter online. Check their website, Facebook page, and sign up for their email blast to receive current updates: www.slco.org/taylorsville-senior-center
Don’t Miss These Library Events The Taylorsville Library has planned several programs during the month of May. You’ll want to mark your calendar for these events: This old lovely home was located on Redwood Road at 5959 South and has had three-plus owners during its lifetime. It was first owned by Thomas Dimond (1866-1946), who was the first bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Bennion Ward. During 1898, Mr. Dimond purchased 20 acres of fine land on what is known as Redwood Road, east of the Taylorsville Post Office. He built a two-story pressed brick residence, which contained 13 rooms, besides the basement, and had all the modern improvements (hot and cold running water, etc.). It was one of the prettiest homes in Salt Lake County. Mr. Dimond married two women with the last name of Bennion. (Nora was first and Laura, second). He was the director of a bank and West Side Water. He founded Dimond Coal and Feed on 4800 South. Both he and his two wives are buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Then, a family with the last name of Castle lived in the home for a time. Lastly, in 1950, the 20 acres of the old Dimond farm was purchased by Dr. LeRoy W. Wirthlin. Although he had a successful medical practice, he and his family also operated their new farm along Redwood Road. The family raised chickens, ducks, rabbits, a milk cow and a white-faced steer. Dr. Wirthlin was described as a common man but skilled surgeon. A new interstate belt route was proposed in 1955 as part of the Interstate Highway System that later became known as the Interstate-215 belt route. The Utah Department of Transportation began holding hearings about the construction of the proposed pathways in 1958. Dr. Wirthlin became the leader of the Bennion Community opposition. He continued to advocate for different routes of the interstate until his death in 1971. The I-215 belt route eventually won out, and the Wirthlin home was purchased by Fieldstone Homes and demolished in 1997.
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
Library Hours: Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.6 p.m.; Closed Sunday. Also closed: Monday, May 31 for Memorial Day I Spy Window | Birds Monday, May 3–Saturday, May 8 Find the hummingbirds in the library’s I Spy Window this week and earn a small prize. Virtual Adult Lecture | The 1001 Arabian Nights: Talking Fish, Drug-filled Polo Sticks, & Serious Matters Tuesday, May 4, 7 p.m. You must register for this event to receive the link to the WebEx Virtual Lecture. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/vu9udvsb Kevin Blankinship, assistant professor of Arabic at Brigham Young University, will present a fun, informative talk that addresses the 1,001 Nights as a popular folktale in the medieval Islamic world. A favorite but somewhat distorted window on the Middle East in modern Western culture. In addition to academic journals, his writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Times Literary Supplement, and more. Connect with him on Twitter @AmericanMaghreb. Virtual Adult Lecture | "I Am an American": The Long Reach of Japanese WWII Incarceration Monday, May 17, 7 p.m. You must register for this event to receive the link to the WebEx Virtual Lecture. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/xa2w832c Dr. Meredith Oda will put the Japanese American WWII incarceration into the long history of Asian Americans, before and after the war. Oda is associate professor of History at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her first book, The Gateway to the Pacific: Japanese Americans and the Remaking of San Francisco (Chicago, 2018), was a transpacific urban history of San Francisco. She is currently working on a book on Japanese American resettlement from WWII incarceration camps from 1942 until the 1952 Walter-McCarran Immigration and2021 Nationality Act.21 | Page May
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City of Taylorsville Newsletter
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
Drinking Water is More Than H20 8AM TO NOON @TAYLORSVILLE HIGH
NORTHWEST PARKING LOT For Taylorsville Residents only PLEASE DO NOT BRING: TIRES AND MATTRESSES COMMERCIAL DISPOSAL FREON IN APPLIANCES AMMUNITION MEDICAL WASTE LARGE APPLIANCES
You can take motor oil to some auto parts stores or Oil Change Stations. Just verify that they are a recycling center for oil.
WE WILL BE ACCEPTING: HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE GLASS AND PAINT ELECTRONIC WASTE DOCUMENT SHREDDING
PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE BULK WASTE GREEN-YARD WASTE RECYCLING DONATIONS OF GOOD QUALITY
Have you ever wondered why at times, water can have a differing odor, taste or appearance? These aesthetic characteristics usually do not pose a public health threat but may be noticed. One of the odors that can occur in drinking water is a chlorinous or “swimming pool” odor. Regulated chlorine in drinking water is not harmful, but some people are more sensitive to the taste and smell of chlorine than others. Chlorine is essential to protect public health and is therefore added to drinking water at the final stage of treatment. This is done to kill any harmful germs that may be present. The Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District keeps chlorine levels as low as possible while still keeping its supplies safe. Chlorine concentrations can vary throughout the day and throughout the seasons. The taste of chlorine can be reduced in water by filling a container, covering it and allowing the water to stand in the fridge until needed. You might also consider using a home treatment device such as a water filter. Generally, these are not necessary, but some customers like to use them.
Please call 801-955-2013 or 801-955-2053 or email eburgess@taylorsvilleut.gov or mmt200541@yahoo.com for more information.
QUESTIONS? Please contact Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District by calling 801-968-9081 or visiting www.tbid.org. You can also follow the district on Facebook and Twitter.
MAY WFWRD UPDATES IDEAS FOR CAN PLACEMENT ON WINDY DAYS When the wind is blowing, you may want to turn your can facing sideways to the street. This will help ensure that lightweight items, like plastic bags and loose paper, do not fly out and litter your neighborhood. We ask that you not place the can with the lid hinge toward the street. That makes it harder for collection trucks to successfully empty your can.
REMOTE RECYCLING EDUCATION FOR SCHOOLS So far, in 2021, WFWRD’s Sustainability Team has provided education to 31 classes at 13 different elementary schools throughout the district remotely. The team still has availabilities to conduct more remote classes. If you are a teacher, or know of a teacher, who is interested in this opportunity, please contact Sustainability Coordinator Ethan Morris,at EMorris@ wasatchfrontwaste.org or 385-468-6337.
RECYCLING As the recycling industry stabilizes, many organizations are creating new and innovative ways to recycle the materials we use daily. From paper to plastic to cardboard, Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District is working hard to find new opportunities to accept more materials and make sure they are being recycled in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Make sure to take the time to familiarize yourself with items that are currently recyclable by using WFWRD’s new recycling guides, found on their Facebook page and website. By reducing contamination, the district can continue to keep costs low for residents. Remember, when in doubt, throw it out! Page 22 | May 2021
Taylorsville City Journal