January 2022 | Vol. 9 Iss. 13
FREE A QUARTER-CENTURY AFTER IT WAS ‘BORN,’ CITY COMPLETES ITS NEARLY $50 MILLION ‘FACELIFT’ IN 2021 By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
“I
f you build it, they will come.” That famous line from the 1989 film “Field of Dreams” proved true (OK, “Hollywood true”) when Kevin Costner transformed an Iowa cornfield into a baseball diamond. And perhaps more than anything else, over the past five years, that single line appears to have motivated both Salt Lake County and Taylorsville City officials, as nearly $50 million was spent constructing the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center (MVPAC, southeast of city hall) and Centennial Plaza (southwest of city hall). “Our Centennial Plaza is everything we thought it would be and something Taylorsville residents will be able to visit and enjoy for years to come,” Mayor Kristie Overson said Oct. 15, just prior to the early evening ribbon cutting. “This will be a wonderful place for movies in the park, a farmers market, outdoor arts performances and many other activities. We are overjoyed with how it turned out.” That fall ribbon cutting was the second in 2021. The first occurred just five months earlier, on May 26 and barely 100 yards from the plaza ribbon cutting inside the new $40 million MVPAC. “We are so pleased to open the new Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center today,” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson told dignitaries and media members that day. “This new venue is an important cultural asset in Salt Lake County and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting the arts and enhancing the quality of life in our valley. Taylorsville deserves a site like this.”
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On a brisk October evening last fall, Taylorsville City officials—current and past—finally put the finishing touches on a five-year facelift project outside city hall, when they cut the ribbon on their new $3.5 million Centennial Plaza. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
Overson addressed that May gathering as well. “It has been a thrill to watch this beautiful venue go up right outside our windows on the Taylorsville City Hall campus,” she said. “We are so proud to be a part of this project, and we look forward to welcoming visitors.” In exchange for siting the new arts center in Taylorsville, city leaders partnered with county officials in making a financial contribution and providing the venue’s land, through
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Referee shortage
a long-term lease. The city’s participation in the partnership is valued at $5 million. Because it is a county facility, city leaders are not involved in operating MVPAC. However, from the very beginning, after the project was first announced in December 2016, city officials participated in its design, serving on various adContinued page 4
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Continued from front page visory boards. For a couple of years, city officials hoped their Centennial Plaza would open simultaneously with the performing arts center. But various delays, most of them coronavirus-related, created the five-month gap. However, they were both completed in 2021, which is significant because the city spent the entire year celebrating its silver anniversary. Taylorsville was officially incorporated on July 1, 1996. Ironically, all of these Taylorsville City Hall campus changes that ended with ribbon cuttings in the city’s 25th year, first came to light during the community’s 20th anniversary year. Braving sub-freezing temperatures outside Taylorsville City Hall on Dec. 5, 2016, Salt Lake County’s Mayor at that time, Ben McAdams, said the new performing arts center would be designed in 2017, built in 2018 and 2019 and ready to host musicals, plays and other events by 2020. Of course, that was way before we’d heard of social distancing and COVID-19 delays. “Taylorsville is the perfect location for the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, because this southwest corner of the Salt Lake Valley is growing rapidly,” McAdams told the frigid 2016 announcement audience. “This will add to a vibrant community and help people feel connected.” McAdams explained at the time, the Salt Lake County tourism fund would provide $36 million for the project, while Taylorsville City would make up the balance, primarily by providing the land. Previous Taylorsville Mayor Larry Johnson was instrumental in getting county administrators to select the site adjacent to city hall, and also participated in the announcement news conference. “I feel like Santa Claus with my red cheeks, but this is worth it,” he joked. “Mayor McAdams and I have the same vision for Taylorsville City, and this center will be a great addition to our campus. I’ve lived in
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Taylorsville about 60 years, and this is one of the most exciting announcements I can remember.” Taylorsville native and Salt Lake County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton also spoke during that 2016 event, saying, “Tax funds from rental cars and restaurants will cover the county’s portion of the cost, not money from the general fund.” Between the two ribbon cuttings last year, city and county officials also discovered a lucrative additional use for the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center. In September, the venue hosted its first-ever professional conference. The Utah Chapter of the American Planning Association held its annual two-day fall conference inside the MVPAC, becoming not only the first professional conference in the new center but actually the first sizeable convention ever in the city’s 25-year history. APAUT is a nonprofit group of professionals, planning officials and resident planners who serve Utah communities. Taylorsville City Planner Mark McGrath is APAUT’s historian. “Like many other groups, we are trying to get back to normal, piecing things together after COVID,” McGrath said at the time. “This is our first face-to-face chapter conference in two years.” About 350 people participated in that conference, with room to spare in the MVPAC’s larger 440-seat auditorium. “Yours is the first conference of this size we have hosted on the Taylorsville Centennial Plaza campus,” Overson said. “We consider it serendipitous this first conference is for Utah’s American Planning Association. That’s because we, as a city, have long shared APA Utah’s vision. Like you, we know how important future development and redevelopment are to our community.” A final feather landed in the MVPAC’s cap late last year, when “Utah Construction & Design” magazine included it on its list of “2021 Most Outstanding Projects” (utahcdmag.com/UCD_2021_MostOutstanding-
The shiny, new $40 million Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center will finally get to host a full year’s worth of plays, musicals, art shows, business conventions, wedding receptions and a host of other activities in 2022. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
Projects). Just weeks after the MVPAC ribbon cutting, the Taylorsville Arts Council hosted its first official event inside the facility their members had dreamed about for a quarter century. A year after the group was originally scheduled to perform “Peter Pan Junior” (thanks again, COVID-19), Director Wendy Dahl-Smedshammer moved her cast of more than 50 kids, ages 5 to 18, into the arts center’s smaller theater, Studio 5400. “We were going to perform at Salt Lake Community College’s (Alder) Amphitheater; but the show got moved at the last minute,” she explained. “It was fantastic having so many different colored [spot] lights to work with, to change the feel and texture of the show. We had green rooms and a nice backstage area. Having bathrooms nearby was also magnificent.” Since that summer production, the Taylorsville Arts Council made use of Studio 5400 last month, with it’s three-night production of “Winter Wonderettes.” The group’s first use of the large, primary MVPAC auditorium begins late this month. “We will perform ‘Joseph [& The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’] for six nights, Jan. 31 to Feb. 5,” Dahl-Smedshammer said. “It’s a Utah favorite, and we have not performed it for seven years. We’ll be rehearsing five days a week in January. The cast (of about 50) is incredible; their chemistry is off the charts.” Taylorsville Arts Council Co-Chairman
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Howard Wilson said his performers will also make use of the new outdoor amphitheater in Centennial Plaza next summer. “Our youth members are scheduled to perform ‘Willy Wonka Jr.’ for three nights in the new outdoor amphitheater,” he said. “But we still have to work out some details. We aren’t yet sure how to restrict access (to the acre of grass in front of the amphitheater), to make sure only people with tickets attend. But we’ll figure it out.” Finally, before that summer performance, the Taylorsville Arts Council also plans to host its first in-person spring art show since 2019, this March. That annual show is scheduled to make its debut in the MVPAC. But, again, a few details need to be ironed out. “We know we won’t need to use either of the art center auditoriums,” Wilson said. “But we need to determine where to position the art displays to not block [foot] traffic, for people coming to other events [inside the MVPAC]. We’ll figure it out.” All of the Taylorsville Arts Council members are thrilled they are now down to working out “details.” After five years of hoping and waiting, their long-awaited venues are finally in place. A quarter-century after the city’s incorporation—and nearly 20 years after Taylorsville City Hall was built—the site finally now has the appearance many have dreamed of for a generation. l
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Kearns High coach tackles food scarcity with his athletes By Peri Kinder | peri.k@davisjournal.com players’ energy levels and physical development. More protein and fresh produce will help build muscle and speed, increase endurance and help with clearer thinking. “I think I will notice a difference in the next couple of months in the weight room,” he said. “I already notice kids showing up with more energy at practice. The next step is teaching athletes how to prepare the food that’s being donated. I can give a kid twoand-a-half pounds of ground beef, but what’s he going to do with it? Donations are random,
so one day we’ll have pork roast or sausage or bananas. How can we help them make a meal?” Rickards is talking with the KHS athletic trainer, coming up with solutions to educate students on food preparation and basic cooking skills, and Mayne will continue to shine a light on food scarcity issues in her area. “I don’t want people hungry in my senate district, but they are, and I know that,” she said. “This is happening and we need awareness.” l
The 2021–22 Kearns High Football team is making news on and off the field after the head coach started a food pantry for the athletes. (Photo courtesy Natoya Chung)
I
magine being a 200-pound lineman on a high school football team, fueling an intense practice with a bowl of Froot Loops. That’s the challenge Kearns High School Head Football Coach Matt Rickards faces as he prepares his team for competition each year. Starting as a KHS assistant coach in 2008, Rickards recently finished his ninth year as head coach with a 7-5 season and an appearance in the 2021 state high school football playoffs. But creating a championship team with athletes who don’t always have healthy food available is an ongoing challenge. “It’s always been an issue that our kids aren’t getting enough to eat,” Rickards said. “They’d come out to practice and didn’t have energy. I’d ask them, ‘Did you have breakfast or lunch?’ Some of these kids just don’t have enough food at their house.” When a volunteer at a local food bank heard about the problems faced by the athletes, he offered to bring food to the school twice a week. Now, every Thursday and Saturday, Rickards stocks a fridge at KHS with healthy foods to hand out to athletes or anyone at the school who might need an extra meal during the day. Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, found that 355,550 people in Utah, including 113,700 children, face hunger. Educators see that need every day in local schools. Utah State Sen. Karen Mayne heard about the KHS food pantry and said the situation brought her to tears. As a resident of West Valley City and a para-educator on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley for 20 years,
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
she knows her constituents struggle with food insecurity. Mayne took to her social media platforms to issue a call to action, asking residents and alumni of four west-side high schools to donate food or money to help address the problem. To start things off, she met with educators at Kearns, Taylorsville, Hunter and Granger high schools, donating $300 to each location to help students get the food they need. “This is a need. This is a real need,” Mayne said. “A lot of the time, high school kids are overlooked because they’re older, they’re proud and they are silent. I wanted my donation to stay in my senate district. People give money to me and they know I’ll keep the money in my district. I want to bring awareness to the problem of food scarcity. It’s prevalent everywhere.” Utah State Sen. Luz Escamilla introduced Senate Bill 141 in 2020 to create a task force to address food insecurity in the state. It’s not just the lack of food, but the lack of nutritional, healthy and fresh foods that the legislation hopes to address. Many students live off ramen noodles, sugary cereals and processed foods, which don’t contain the nutrients needed to fuel the brain and body. Also, many athletes on the west side come from homes where extended family members live together, and often the food just runs out. “I have kids trying to compete, but they can’t compete at a high level,” Rickards said. “We are competing against other athletes and teams that are fully nourished.” As his athletes are provided with healthier foods, Rickards hopes to see results in the
January 2022 | Page 5
Help wanted: Officials for youth sports By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
T
he number of high school referees and sports officials is declining rapidly across the country. Until recently, Utah had not experienced much of a decline, but this season it has finally hit home. Why is this happening, and what can be done to make sure athletes don’t miss games because of it? “If high school is in session I am doing a sport,” Harley Gold said. “I have officiated since 1967. I started because I was invited to a little league umpires clinic then, and I became an umpire. I enjoy all of the sports, and picking a favorite is like picking my favorite child.” Gold is not alone. Many of the officials started young and have continued for years. Former USA Hockey Supervisor of Officials Jim Mckenna started officiating youth and adult recreation hockey games in 1994. He continues working collegiate and junior league games as well as games in the ECHL. “I was looking for a way to earn some extra money back then,” Mckenna said. “I dealt with the assignment of officials and contracts with leagues and organizations and helped with training. It was a lot of work, but it was fun.” Both of these longtime arbiters enjoy what they do. “I like being around the game and with the kids,” Gold said. According to an Ohio University study, many states are reporting a decrease in officials. Oregon alone saw a 12% drop in registered football referees this fall. The shortage has finally hit our state. Two weeks before the boys basketball season began, the Utah High School Activities Asso-
ciation had 450 people registered for the job, nearly 250 less than what it needs to complete the season. In northern California, there has been a decrease of nearly 30%. Here in Utah, we have also increased the number of schools therefore increasing the number of games, making this a two-headed problem for officials. The lack of officials has forced postponement and cancellation of many sub-varsity games in the state. Some schools are moving games to make it easier to find people to help. “Every year in the last five or six years, we have seen a decline in the number of officials,” McKenna said. “The abuse from parents and players contributes. The younger officials wonder why they would want to go and get yelled at for two hours.” Sportsmanship has become a key in the decline of officials. It refers to virtues such as fairness, self-control and courage. In today’s sporting culture, it takes a back seat to winning and positive results. “We have really lost the sense of what is appropriate,” McKenna said. “It seems OK to scream at some official and tell them how crappy they are. Society is a lot less accepting and willing to come to an understanding,” In a National Association of Sporting Officials survey, adult recreation and youth competitive sports had the worst sportsmanship, and 47% of officials surveyed feared for their safety because of a fan, player, coach or administrator. “Sportsmanship is probably the No. 1 reason an official does not return,” UHSAA assistant director Jeff Cluff said. “We lose about 75% of first year officials. It is hard if you don’t have the personality to handle it. There is no place for bad sportsmanship.”
High school basketball referees work together to make sure rules are followed and the games are officiated correctly. (Travis Barton/City Journals)
In early November at a 13–14-year-old arrested for harassment. division hockey tournament in Colorado, Incidents of poor sportsmanship are nuRon Groothedde, a 25 year veteran referee, merous. was sprayed in the face with a large can of “I think it takes communication,” McKLysol by an angry parent. The suspect was enna said. “I see a lot of officials that get yelled at and they yell right back, and all that does is fuel the fire. Talking to a coach and explaining what you saw in a conversation and come to an agreement. Some of the younger officials are intimidated by the coaches.” The extra money of a part-time job like officiating was a big draw to begin with, but many potential officials have found other jobs that also pay well. In March of 2020, when the pandemic started, many games and competitions were cancelled. For six to eight months, officials sat at home. Many have not returned, citing COVID concerns and also a lack of interest. “We have tried a few different things,” United States Specialty Sports Association’s Utah Director Jerry Ong said. “We work hard on having good compensation, umpire treatLeft: Lone Peak’s girls basketball coach shouts instructions to her players and the officials in a recent game. (Greg James/City Journals) Right: Wrestling officials like ment and fan control. I know as an industry we have suffered with the loss of referees.” Devin Mc Dougal make $150 for an eight-hour tournament day in which they can judge multiple matches. (Greg James/City Journals)
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The UHSAA pay scale for officials varies by sport and level. A varsity football referee can take home $74, whereas a volleyball official makes $59. Some schools offer dinner and food stipends to help with travel expenses. The current pay rates have increased nearly 10% across the board. Some officials can get paid mileage to travel to an event. “Basketball and softball have been affected the most,” Cluff said. “We have games in rural areas that need to have officials. We are paying more to get guys to travel to those places. We are looking for ways to recruit new help.” The athletes and coaches of today are the officials of tomorrow. Cluff said getting them involved when they are young could help increase numbers. “Our coaches make the best officials,” Cluff said. “A basketball coach can be a great baseball umpire or football referee. They have great relationships with kids and know how to work positively with them. It also gives kids a better understanding of the game.” The UHSAA encourages its athletes to participate in little leagues and youth sports programs. Its older referees also attempt to persuade friends to join the organization. “You can never find a more fulfilling parttime job,” Gold said. “I get to set my own hours, work when I want to work. There is also plenty of help available. Training every
year and other mentors to keep you straight.” According to a recent NASO survey, 48% of all current officials started because of an invitation from a friend. There are also numerous other reasons why many people get involved. They include extra money, the love of sports, a way to stay active and giving back to a game they love. “I get to work the ECHL game,s and there are times that I think, ‘Why do I still do this,’” McKenna said. “I just got berated for the entire game, but there are times when the action is intense and the game is back and forth. It is awesome to be involved in a game that is back and forth and the guys are playing well. I have also worked with other officials that have gone on and had great careers in the NHL.” The hard work of officials does not go unnoticed. “I definitely think officials have the hardest job to do,” West Jordan boys basketball head coach Christian Wouden said. “No matter what they do, it will upset one side or the other. We have some great officials and they work extremely hard.” In 2021, Tammy Spencer and Lance Nielsen were awarded officials of the year by UHSAA. Many leagues offer training for new officials. The UHSAA has set up official associations and they provide constant training and are always looking for new hires to try Hockey officials such as DeOrr Wight stand right in the line of fire, as coaches and players have direct access it out. l to them throughout the game. (Greg James/City Journals)
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January 2022 | Page 7
Moments captured in Taylorsville 2021
WGU Strategic Partnerships Manager, Melissa Jensen, presents Elizabeth Ashby (right) with Resiliency Grant. (Photo courtesy Andrea McMillan)
Children in crisis can find about any toy they like at Taylorsville’s Family Support Center. (Family Support Center)
Left: Taylorsville restaurateur Winsten Asif was reunited with his wife and son, after nearly seven years apart. (Carl Fauver/City Journals) Right: School faculty, representatives from Taylorsville, members of the school board, students, and faculty surprise Johnson with the PTA’s Reflection Award. (Photos courtesy Joshua Johnson)
Page 8 | January 2022
Kearns senior Jacob Wood celebrates after scoring a run against West Jordan at Smith’s Ballpark, the home of the Bees. (Greg James/City Journals)
Taylorsville City Journal
Left: It seems you’re never too old to multitask, as this woman catches up on the news while exercising at the reopened Taylorsville Senior Center. (Taylorsville Senior Center) Center: Rugby is growing in popularity around the valley. To help its high school-aged teams Kearns has decided to begin a youth league team. (Photo courtesy of Kearns Rugby.) Left: Eddy Alvarez, a former speed skater and SLCC baseball player was a member of the U.S. qualifying team for the Tokyo Olympics this summer. (Photo courtesy of USA baseball.)
Left: Deputy Chief Todd Gray, Deputy Chief Brett Miller and Chief Brady Cottam (L-R) are at the helm of the brand-new Taylorsville Police Department, which officially began protecting city residents and property July 1. (Taylorsville City) Right: The grand new waterwall/gateway sign near 5400 South, illuminates at night to welcome visitors to the Taylorsville City campus. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
Left: The six-member Hasebroock family met with three city council members and Mayor Kristie Overson at the Taylorsville skateboard park earlier this summer, to discuss safety hazards at the popular site. (Mike Hasebroock) Right: A quiet moment for Jamii and Christa in their too-often chaotic lives as daughter Christa fights the genetic disorder BPAN. (Courtesy Jamii Stock)
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January 2022 | Page 9
(Less) writing on the wall By Darrell Kirby | d.kirby@mycityjournals.com
A
s West Valley City started to come of age in the 1990s, one of its growing pains was the presence of graffiti. While not the widespread blight that mars the cityscapes of America’s major metropolitan areas, graffiti was nevertheless a problem as West Valley City was maturing into urban adulthood and trying to shed its reputation, deserved or not, of being plagued by that type of vandalism compared to other area cities. However, a concerted effort that largely started in the mid 2000s has helped West Valley City gain a good measure of control over graffiti on buildings, walls, fences, utility poles and any other reasonably accessible surfaces (and even some not easily reached). “I would characterize graffiti in West Valley City as a low occurrence and pretty stable situation,” said Layne Morris, director of West Valley City’s Community Preservation Department, which oversees graffiti removal. For example, incidents of reported graffiti have tapered off to about 200 annually over the last five years. Before that, known occurrences of graffiti showed up around the city about 400 times West Valley City officials believe there has been a gradual decline in graffiti over the last 10 to 15 years, with a year. Those figures do not include graffiti incidents like this one along 3500 South becoming more sporadic. (Darrell Kirby/City Journals) that was cleaned up before it could be re-
ported and included in the statistics. Despite the gains made in cleaning up the illicit “artwork,” graffiti in the city has its ebbs and flows, but will probably never completely disappear. “Graffiti kind of happens in pulses, depending on the type of graffiti it is,” Morris said. “There’s always a new crop of junior high kids that want to try it out because it’s fun or interesting or whatever the attraction may be,” Morris said, adding that the culprits are not exclusively kids in their teens. Morris said gang graffiti, meanwhile, is an ongoing problem, but the city has made strides in controlling it. The tide started to turn in 2008 when the Community Preservation Department hired a full-time graffiti officer equipped with the means to remove spray paint, markers and other methods of defacing property. Morris said that residents are a key partner in tackling graffiti in West Valley City, especially on private property. City crews don’t have the time or resources to clean up markings left on residential or commercial buildings. “The way you win the war against graffiti is by having engaged residents who just simply don’t tolerate it,” Morris said.
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Taylorsville City Journal
“You can’t raise taxes high enough to have employees of the city go out and always remove graffiti,” he said. “If you just have city employees running around looking for it, you’re just never going to be able to address it quickly.” Plus, liability and other legal issues prevent city workers from entering private property to scour graffiti. Morris said timing is important in preventing the spread of graffiti. “How you get rid of graffiti is by addressing it quickly.” Ideally, it is hoped that it can be cleansed or painted over in no more than 24 to 48 hours. The longer it stays, the more likely it is to attract taggers and others who aim to outdo each other or mark their territory. “As a homeowner, if you train whoever’s putting graffiti on your fence that they’re going to put it on one night and you have it off the next day, they very quickly figure out they’re going to have to find another spot,” Morris said. To help residents and businesses remove markings from their premises, the Community Preservation Department provides cleaning supplies free of charge to anyone who needs them. They include graffiti wipes to remove and paint to cover up the blight. West Valley City fares pretty well on incidents of graffiti when compared to similar-sized cities around America. Statistics
provided by the Southern California-based firm Graffiti Tracker show that one city, population 122,000, had 7,748 incidents of graffiti reported in 2020. Another city with 127,000 people, recorded 815 complaints of graffiti. “What we saw with COVID is cities that said they were getting slammed” with graffiti, said Graffiti Tracker spokeswoman Alejandra Cabral, whose company is hired by cities to record and analyze their graffiti (West Valley City is not one of those communities). She pointed out, however, that it is not fully known if there truly was more graffiti or if it seemed like it because it stayed up longer because cities cut resources to fight it during the height of the pandemic and its economic impacts. Graffiti art—the more elaborate, complex murals usually found on public or private walls or sides of buildings—make up only a fraction of graffiti logged by those cities. “Less than 1% of the graffiti that we see and that we have so far recorded and tracked,” Cabral said. The remaining 99% is a combination of tagging and random graffiti. Utah code defines graffiti as "any form of unauthorized printing, writing, spraying, scratching, affixing, etching, or inscribing on the property of another regardless of the content or the nature of the material used in the commission of the act. Charges can range from a misdemean-
or when the damage caused is less than $300 to a second-degree felony when the damage exceeds $5,000. Penalties include ordering the convicted offender to pay restitution to “the victim in an amount equal to the costs incurred by the victim as a result of the graffiti,” according to state law. If the graffiti occurs on an overpass or underpass and removal requires that traffic be detoured in order to remove it, an additional $1,000 in restitution can be assessed to the guilty party. In West Valley City, graffiti offenders sentenced to community service might be required to fulfill that by cleaning up their handiwork. “When you have a kid who sees what it takes to clean up graffiti… they seem to kind of come around,” Morris said. Depending on the source, the costs associated with graffiti and its removal range from $15 billion to $18 billion a year in the United States. West Valley City spends about $12,000 a year for removal supplies for the public and $100,000 annually for its graffiti officer, his vehicle and equipment. West Valley City provides several ways for residents and businesses to report graffiti: Graffiti Hotline: 801-963-3467 Text message: 801-509-2702 Email: graffiti@wvc-ut.gov l
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January 2022 | Page 11
Amanda Brown revels in the snow with her son, 8-year-old Eli. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Brown.)
Sequoia loves winter and playing in the snow. (Photo courtesy of Bree Mooers)
Find joy in winter by embracing outdoor activities By Karmel Harper | k.harper@mycityjournals.com
I
n just a few weeks, Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania, will emerge to predict when winter will end. For many people who hate the cold days, grey skies, and treacherous icy roads, they hope Phil does not see his shadow and predicts an early spring. When Herriman residents were polled about how they feel about winter, 25% replied that they absolutely hate winter and are already counting down the days until spring. The cold and darkness are some of the factors why winter months trigger the onset of seasonal affective disorder or SAD, a type of depression that is related to a change in seasons. Herriman’s Celeste Barrow Bruening said, “About mid-October I start to notice a drastic change in my attitude and outlook on life. I get an overwhelming feeling of dread just thinking about the cold. I hate everything about it. Not necessarily the snow, just the cold. The short dark days are a struggle and the grey, cloudy atmosphere is depressing.” According to Mental Health America, Bruening is not alone as SAD affects over 10 million Americans a year. If you experience symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, please consult a mental health provider. With the milder Utah winters in recent years, even winter haters admit that the snow is necessary for summer water levels. Herriman’s Katie Jo Stratton said, “I don’t love the snow like I did when I skied. But I want it to snow like it did in the ‘90s so we can have all the water we need in the lakes to play!”
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Although most Utahns recognize snow is necessary for our desert state, the darkness, the cold, and the dangerous driving conditions incite a teeth-chattering, snow-shoveling, white-knuckle-driving tolerance of the season. However, many Utahns absolutely love winter and all of the beauty and outdoor recreation it brings. The Brown family from South Jordan look forward to winter every year as they are avid skiers. Amanda Brown even works at Park City Mountain Resort every season for the sole purpose of providing ski lessons for her four children who range in age from six to 12. Brown said, “Winter can be long and dreary if you allow it to be. We wanted to instill a love of the season in our children at an early age by enrolling them in ski lessons since they were very young. Now we look forward to it every year as we can get outside as a family and enjoy something active together.” Kaysville’s Margot Marrs Pauni said, “I absolutely hated winter and counted the days until it was over, and then I learned to ski. It made a huge difference in my attitude and mental well-being. Now I look forward to winter.” Pauni has been skiing for over 3 years. If gliding downhill at 20+ mph while dodging other people and trees is not your thing, there are a multitude of other winter activities to try to experience Utah’s famous “Greatest Snow on Earth.”. Exploring our spectacular mountains is extremely popular during the spring, summer and fall, but winter hiking is in a class of its own. A trail that you have hiked many times during other
seasons will look completely different when it is covered with snow and provides a new experience. Creeks will have frozen sections with icicles adorning rocky edges. Waterfalls will be partially or completely frozen, giving you a breathtaking and magical view. Trails such as Ogden’s Waterfall Canyon and Layton’s Adam’s Canyon offer awesome winter adventures with picture perfect vistas that Jack Frost will be proud of. Herriman’s Rachel Dekker Moody said, “There is something magical about going for a ‘snow globe’ run early in the morning and hearing the crunch of snow under your feet and knowing you are the first footprints out for the day!” Though cycling is typically a warm weather sport, winter riding has become popular since fat bikes emerged on the market. While standard mountain bikes have tire widths anywhere between 1.6” and 2.6”, a fat bike’s tires are 3.7” to 5”, allowing the rider to cruise through on snow-packed trails with greater traction and better handling. Various local bike dealers rent fat bikes so you can give it a try. Visit www.cyclingutah. com for suggestions on the best fat biking trails. Sledding or inner tubing is another popular winter activity, and you don’t even have to go up into the mountains to enjoy it. Even a local park or neighborhood with a good slope can serve as a decent sledding hill. Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City and Eaglewood Golf Course in North Salt Lake have awesome hills that are free to sled and tube on. Or visit a designated sledding park such as Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in
Midway or Woodward in Park City. Avid fishermen don’t need to pack up their poles for the season as ice fishing is popular in Utah. Frozen lakes such as Strawberry Reservoir and even local ponds such as Farmington Pond and Bountiful Pond attract anglers of all ages once the ice is thick enough. The website Best Fishing in America said, “The season typically starts in mid to late December in Utah, depending on the weather. There are years when the hard water doesn’t set in until mid-January, while other years, it can happen in late November. A good rule of thumb is that 4 inches is thick enough for an average person, 5-6 inches is suitable for a snowmobile or 4-wheeler, and 8-12 inches will support a truck.” Ice anglers use an ice auger with a 6-8” bit to drill a hole in the ice large enough to pull caught fish through. In addition to the appropriate fishing equipment, other gear such as ice tents and tent heaters can be used for additional warmth and comfort. The Watkins family from Davis County look forward to ice fishing every winter. Kaysville’s Shaylee Watkins said, “I love ice fishing because it’s fun to sit and snack out in a heated tent on the ice and get nice and comfy and kick your boots off.” North Salt Lake’s Challis Watkins said, “Ice fishing is like fishing but way better.” It is important to be prepared before venturing outside during the winter months. Tolerating the cold is much easier with proper clothing and gear. Dressing in layers is a good practice because you will warm up as your activity level increases and you will be much more comfortable removing or adding
Taylorsville City Journal
layers as needed. REI’s website suggests three basic layers: “1) Base layer (underwear layer): wicks sweat off your skin, 2) Middle layer (insulating layer): retains body heat to protect you from the cold, and 3) Outer layer (shell layer): shields you from wind and rain. Even if you don’t wear all three layers at the outset, it’s a good idea to take all layers on every outing. You can peel off layers if things heat up, but you can’t put on layers that you didn’t bring along.” Other important gear includes warm head and ear coverings such as beanies and ear muffs, scarves, and waterproof gloves. Proper shoes such as waterproof boots that provide warmth and traction are a necessity. For additional traction, particularly on steep icy terrain, use crampons or microspikes, a mechanism that typically consists of spikes and chains that fit over your shoes and can be easily slipped off and on the trails as needed. Driving during the winter is a big reason why many people hate the season so pre-
paring your vehicle for the cooler months is important. Tips for winterizing your vehicle include testing your battery and tire pressure as battery power and tire pressure drop when the air temperature drops, changing to winter tires, checking wiper blades and replacing if needed, and always keeping at least a half tank of gas. Tips for winter driving include driving slower, increasing your following distance, and accelerating and decelerating slowly. But if it is snowing heavily, the best practice is to stay home if you can and avoid unnecessary risks. Someone once said, “If you choose not to find joy in snow, you will have less joy in your life but the same amount of snow.” With proper gear, clothing, and other preparations to keep you warm along with an adventurous spirit to try something new, perhaps the multitude of winter activities Utah offers can coax your inner Elsa out as you declare, “The cold never bothered me anyway.” l
Shaylee Watkins and Cody Carter show off their ice fishing catches at Utah Lake. (Photo courtesy of Teal Anderson.)
Adam’s Canyon in the winter can be magical. (Karmel Harper/City Journals)
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
January 2022 | Page 13
Page 14 | January 2022
Taylorsville City Journal
City of Taylorsville Newsletter 2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400
MAYOR'S MESSAGE
www.taylorsvilleut.gov
January 2022 Year in Review: Building Blocks Define 2021 in Taylorsville
Dear Friends and Neighbors, As we look ahead to the new year, community engagement and strengthening our committees is expected to be a top priority. After all, “Where Community Connects” is more than our city’s motto; it is a reality. Engagement opportunities abound through various civic Mayor Kristie S. Overson and church groups, in dedicated volunteer committees, a variety of social events and gatherings, and in our thriving businesses — each providing a unique way to bond in our commonalities. So as we approach year 2022, I am especially pleased to announce our renewed commitment to connection and outreach. To assist in the continued fostering of relationships, we plan to integrate five main areas of focus that are expected to drive our outreach efforts. Created in harmony with our latest city survey completed this past month, those areas include: 1. Growth – To ensure responsible growth management regarding new- and re-development plans, with consideration to the long-term impact on our community. 2. Crime Prevention – To address issues of crime proactively and ensure response through proper funding of the police department, while respectfully engaging with residents in the prevention of crime and awareness as to potential concerns. 3. Traffic – To conduct ongoing research for relevant traffic study data, perpetually reviewing with city engineers and engaging with Salt Lake County and state planners to ensure continued maintenance of roads and improved traffic conditions. 4. Recreation – To provide a positive spirit of cooperation with business owners and recreation partners, thus providing opportunities for residents to explore and enjoy city amenities. 5. Communication – To perpetuate and enhance platforms of communication through various mediums within the city, allowing for proper dissemination or reception of ideas and opportunities throughout the community. All of us at City Hall are planning to incorporate these goals into every aspect of our community outreach program – thereby providing a framework for linkage and commonality among our various city departments, volunteer committees and working groups. We want to streamline our focus as we work together with shared purpose throughout this new year and beyond. Through these combined efforts, it’s our hope and intent that Taylorsville will continue to thrive as a wonderful place to reside, work and truly connect. We’ll provide more information as our outreach efforts get fully under way. Until then, I’m very much looking forward to this next year and all that it brings as we continue to work together in building our great community. –Mayor Kristie S. Overson
WHAT’S INSIDE – JANUARY 2022 Frequently Called Numbers, Page 2 Council Corner, Page 3 Getting to Know TVPD, Page 4 Heritage Remembrances, Page 7 Environment, Page 8
The City of Taylorsville saw the completion of many significant projects over the past year, marking success in key areas of Economic Development, Transportation, Public Safety, Arts Parks and Recreation, and Community Building. “It was an outstanding year for us,” said Mayor Kristie Overson. “From completion of the beautiful new Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center and Centennial Plaza to celebrating our 25th Birthday, overall, 2021 was a defining year.” While the coronavirus pandemic continued to create challenges, the city worked to move forward with vision in each of the five building block areas. “We believe by concentrating on these areas, both with our attention and resources, we can continue to expand on all of the city’s successes in making our city even stronger,” Mayor Overson said in her December column of this Newsletter. Some of the projects in each of these areas over the past year include: Economic Development. Perhaps most significantly in this area, plans have been approved to replace the old Kmart property with a new mixed-use development called West Point. A Thackeray Company project, the new development is planned for the southwest corner of 5400 South and Bangerter Highway and will feature 647 residential units, swimming pools, a clubhouse, retail space and other amenities. Also, in the area of Economic Development, Google Fiber has been working over the past six months, to install its highspeed, high-bandwidth internet services in Taylorsville. In a game-changing partnership, a resolution approving the agreement was unanimously passed by the City Council on April 21. Taylorsville was the first city on the west side of the valley to receive this service. And in September, two $15 Shop Local bucks were mailed to residents again this year to spend in Taylorsville. More than 50 businesses participated, postcards were mailed to 20,500 households, and more than 95% of funds were spent at local shops and restaurants. The 2021 Shop Local program was funded through a $180,000 grant from the city.
YEAR IN REVIEW CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
FREQUENTLY CALLED NUMBERS
PAGE 2
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
Emergency ...................................................................................................911 Police Department ..................................................................801-840-400 Poison Control Center .................................................... 1-800-222-1222 Animal Control Shelter ....................................................... 801-965-5800 Animal Control After House Dispatch ........................... 801-840-4000 Building Inspection ............................................................. 801-955-2030 Chamber West (Chamber of Commerce) ...................... 801-977-8755 Fire Department ................................................................... 801-743-7200 Gang Tip Line ......................................................................... 385-468-9768 Garbage/Recycle/GreenWaste Pick-up ........................ 385-468-6325 (Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling) Granite School District........................................................ 385-646-5000 Health Department ............................................................. 385-468-4100 Highway Conditions (from cell phone) .............................................511 Park Reservations ................................................................. 385-468-7275 Public Works (Salt Lake County) ....................................... 385-468-6101 Dominion Energy ................................................................. 800-323-5517 Rocky Mountain Power ...................................................... 888-221-7070 Salt Lake County Recycling/Landfill .............................. 801-974-6920 Taylorsville Bennion Improvement District................. 801-968-9081 Taylorsville Food Pantry ..................................................... 801-815-0003 Taylorsville Senior Center .................................................. 385-468-3370 Taylorsville Code Enforcement ........................................ 801-955-2013 Taylorsville Justice Court ................................................... 801-963-0268 Taylorsville Library ............................................................... 801-943-4636 Taylorsville Recreation Center ......................................... 385-468-1732 Swimming Pool (Memorial Day to Labor Day) ........... 801-967-5006 Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Center ........................... 801-281-0631 UDOT Region 2 ...................................................................... 801-975-4900 Utah Transit Authority (UTA)............................................. 801-743-3882
We Can All Help with Snow Removal With winter now here, snow removal is an important part of keeping our city going and everyone safe. We can all help out and do our part. Snow removal is also outlined in the city’s ordinances. They include: 14.32.100: SNOW REMOVAL; REQUIRED: It is unlawful for the owner, occupant, lessor or agent of property abutting on a paved sidewalk to fail to remove or cause to be removed from such paved sidewalk and any existing curb ramp all hail, snow or sleet falling thereon, within twenty four (24) hours after the hail, snow or sleet has ceased falling. 14.32.110: SNOW REMOVAL; CLOGGING GUTTER PROHIBITED: It is unlawful for any person removing snow from a sidewalk or curb ramp to deposit snow, dirt or other material in a gutter so as to clog the same, or prevent the free flow of water therein. 14.20.105: PLACING SNOW UPON HIGHWAY PROHIBITED: It is unlawful for any person removing snow, ice or other material from a sidewalk or driveway to place or deposit said snow, ice or other material upon any city road or highway in such a manner as to interfere with the proper use of the same or so as to obstruct travel or to endanger property or persons upon the same. 11.20.080: PARKING PROHIBITED WHEN: It is unlawful for any person who owns or has possession, custody or control of any vehicle or trailer to park or knowingly allow to be parked any vehicle or trailer on any street or highway: A. After any snow and/or ice accumulation, until after the street or highway is cleared of snow and/or ice. Thank you for keeping these codes in mind and stay safe this winter!
EVENTS JANUARY 2022 Jan. 1 – All day
Happy New Year! City Hall is closed.
Jan. 5 & 19 – 6:30 p.m.
City Council Meeting @ City Hall & online. Watch a live-stream of the meeting on the city’s website, www.taylorsvilleut.gov
Jan. 11 – 7 p.m. & Jan. 25 – 6 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall.
Jan. 17 – All day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day. City Hall is closed.
Jan. 18 – All day
Opening Day of the Legislature @ State Capitol.
Why I Usher Join our cast of ushers and
Find out your
“Why”
Jan. 31 to Feb. 5
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” presented by the Taylorsville Arts Council. Details, including time and location, to come. 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 Also, a standing event every Thursday, from 2 to 4 p.m., at City Hall is the “Mayor is In.” During this time, Mayor Kristie Overson has open office hours to meet with residents about any issue on their minds. Drop by and meet with the Mayor. All are welcome.
Ticket Takers,Ushers, Customer Service
VOLUNTEER TODAY
Friends love u s he r i ng toge the r!
wwww.saltlakecountyarts.org/jobs/usher/
January 2022
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
PAGE 3
COUNCIL CORNER Our New Year’s Resolution? Small Acts of Kindness & Service By Council Member Meredith Harker Well, friends and neighbors, we made it through another crazy year and are now looking forward to a brighter, healthier, more prosperous New Year in 2022 (or so we hope). According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of the Tiger promises to be a year of lucky changes. I am sure we could all agree that we could use some luck after the last two years. I know I start every year like most of you, making goals of how to take better care of my health, my finances, my mental health and other life obligations. This year though, I’ve decided to keep my list simple. What if this year we all just decided to be a little more kind to each other? What if our goals included smiling more, complaining less and being grateful for our circumstances, whatever they may be? Maybe we could decide to get to know a neighbor or volunteer for some service? I am a big believer that it is the small and simple things that will make the biggest differences. Vincent Van Gogh is given credit for saying, “Great
things are done by a series of small things brought together.” And former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin said, “While it may seem small, the ripple effect of small things is extraordinary.” Here in Taylorsville, we have seen the small and simple acts (and sometimes quite large ones) of so many of our citizens make a positive difference in our community. Such acts have ranged from taking the initiative to clean up portions of our freeways to trimming shrubs for a neighbor, as well as volunteering countless hours spent digging dirt at Labrum Park and collecting food on the part of our Youth Council to help needy families. I’ve heard of people bringing in treats and food to our new Taylorsville PD just to say thank you, and others have given advice and help on neighborhood Facebook pages. All of the little kindnesses we give daily is what will change the world. If we as a community decide that we are going to give a helping hand to others, treat each other with respect and follow the Golden Rule, then Taylorsville will continue to be a place that we will all want to call home for long into the future.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Dan Armstrong (District 5) Curt Cochran, Chair (District 2) Meredith Harker (District 4) Anna Barbieri, Vice Chair (District 3) Ernest Burgess (District 1)
Active Taylorsville Project Aims to Increase Pedestrian, Bike Mobility
The City of Taylorsville wants to better incorporate bicycle and pedestrian mobility into its transportation and recreational planning. Taylorsville residents have repeatedly expressed a desire to increase pedestrian and bicycle mobility within the city by developing active transportation (AT) improvements and pedestrian-oriented places. To accomplish these goals, the city started the Taylorsville Active Communities Plan, a study that will: • Create a comprehensive AT Master Plan that formalizes locations, types, and standards for active transportation routes, incorporating various regional plans and local connectivity objectives; • Develop architectural and site design standards in transit and pedestrian-oriented development and redevelopment areas; and • Update the city's current Transit Corridor zoning classification to reflect current development objectives and advanced construction practices. To learn more, provide your input and see a timeline of the project, visit ActiveTaylorsville.com. Salt Lake County also has been working to develop an Active Transportation Implementation Plan to identify and prioritize specific routes linking connections between communities. You can read more about that project and see the proposed bicycle network for Taylorsville at taylorsvilleut.gov under the News section. Pictured is work that has already begun on a trail in Taylorsville that will run east of I-215 along 5400 South and tie back into a neighborhood further north.
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City of Taylorsville Newsletter
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
School Outreach is an Important Part of TVPD Get to know the new TVPD. Check this space each month for articles highlighting the units and employees that make up the Taylorsville City Police Department.
TVPD has two Directed Enforcement detectives who serve part time as resource officers within the eight elementary schools located in Taylorsville. The officers primarily focus on working with fifth-grade students. Their objective is to encourage students to make good choices. They complete this objective through a program titled “Too Good for Drugs.” More importantly they complete the objective through positive interactions within the classrooms, at lunch and during recess. Having these officers within the elementary schools is, by design, meant to be a positive experience for all students. It is part of TVPD’s community policing efforts. These students have proven to be remarkable and are proof that our future is in great hands. Along with this program, each year, TVPD has given the fifthgrade students in Taylorsville the opportunity to design a holiday card. The two winning contestants’ drawings are used as the official TVPD holiday card. This year, more than 250 drawings were submitted. See some of the drawings with this article and visit our Facebook page @TVPDutah to see more. Also, check out our February Taylorsville Journal for information about our two winning contestants. We congratulate all of the students and thank them for their fantastic drawings. Truly, their artwork made us all smile throughout the holiday season.
TVPD Employee of the Month Please join us in congratulating Officer Daniel Christensen as our TVPD Employee of the Month. Det. Christensen is part of TVPD’s Directed Enforcement Unit and has more than 10 years of experience in law enforcement. He has worked with the Salt Lake County Sheriff ’s Office, as well as Unified Police Department and its Taylorsville precinct before continuing on with TVPD. He has worked in patrol and traffic investigations, as well as directed enforcement. Det. Christensen’s educational background includes an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Salt Lake Community College. In his spare time, he enjoys being with his family, camping, mountain biking, riding motorcycles, boating and watching movies. He was nominated as TVPD Employee of the Month by his colleague Det. Kyle Andrew for his efforts to help a man, Kit Kelley, who is confined to a wheelchair
and homeless. “Det. Christensen took it upon himself to seek out assistance for Kit,” which was no easy task, Andrew said. To obtain a spot at a converted hotel for Kelley to stay, Det. Christensen had to obtain ID for him, provide transportation, continuously communicate with the place of lodging and fill out myriad paperwork. Completing much of the documentation required Det. Christensen to sit with Kelley in the dirt underneath the Jordan River Trail Bridge at 4500 South, where he had been living. “As Kit’s health continued to decline over the past couple years, the fact he has been placed in a facility that will keep him well fed, warm and medically monitored, may have very well saved his life,” Det. Andrew said. “I was personally doubtful Kit would have made it through another winter on the trail. “Det. Christensen is a great example of someone who truly serves the community and genuinely cares about people,” he added. “It is an honor to work with him.”
January 2022
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
Kris Kringle Comes to Town for Saturday with Santa Event Santa visited Taylorsville over the holidays and found everyone on his Nice List. The annual Saturday with Santa event held at the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Museum marked its 16th anniversary this past month with plenty of fun for all, including children's crafts and games, choir performances and tasty treats. This year, Santa rode into the event on a fire truck. “We had such a great time, and the weather was perfect,” said Mayor Kristie Overson. “We couldn’t have asked for a better day.” As part of the occasion, the Youth Council collected clothing items for the homeless. Those attending also brought food to donate to the Taylorsville Food Pantry. Thank you to the Taylorsville Preservation Committee, as well as the Parks and Recreation and Cultural Diversity committees, for sponsoring another outstanding event!
Wonderettes Deliver Another Holiday Hit The Taylorsville Arts Council put on a smashing production of the Winter Wonderettes to kick off the holiday season with shows on Dec. 2, 3 and 4 at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center. This year's Wonderettes were Rachel Bates, Maren Abercrombie, Tiffany Boyle and KarLee SmedshammerWarburton. The Granger High Madrigals also provided preshow entertainment. Written and created by Roger Bean, the musical tells the story of four girls who use their talent and creative ingenuity to save the holiday party when Santa turns up missing. The production was directed by Taylorsville Arts Council Director Wendy Dahl-Smedshammer and featured ‘60s versions of holiday classics such as “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,”“Jingle Bell Rock,” “Run, Rudolph, Run,” and “Winter Wonderland.” The show’s Music Director was Granger High choir teacher Steven Broschinsky, and Nancy Henderson was the Costumer. Look for the Arts Council's next big production, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, coming up Jan. 31-Feb. 5.
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| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
YEAR IN REVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Transportation. Crews are nearing completion on the freeway-style interchange at 6200 South and Bangerter that will vastly improve commute times. Traffic on Bangerter Highway was shifted a month ago onto the new, grade-separated overpass and crews continue to work on concrete installation, sign foundations and noise walls. Also coming soon is the Mid-Valley Connector Bus Rapid Transit line and improvements along 4700 South. The BRT line will run from Murray Central Station to the SLCC Redwood Campus in Taylorsville to the West Valley Central Station. Work has begun, too, on a Taylorsville Active Communities Plan to better incorporate bicycles and pedestrians into transportation and recreational planning. (See Page 3 of this section for more information about this project).
Public Safety. The Taylorsville City Police Department launched on July 1 after a year of planning and transition. Led by Chief Brady Cottam and Deputy Chiefs Todd Gray and Brett Miller, the force numbers 70 people, including officers and civilian staff. In leading up to its start, the city received 289 applications for TVPD jobs; more than 125 interviews were conducted, and 72 background checks completed. The new K9 unit, including police dogs Koda, Cowboy and Turbo, was introduced, and a Community Advisory Board will get under way this year. The Unified Fire Department continues to valiantly serve Taylorsville. Notably this past summer, Taylorsville firefighters assisted again in fighting wildfires in California, and they helped hold a final-wish parade for a young man from Taylorsville who passed away from a rare brain tumor.
City of Taylorsville Newsletter Arts, Parks & Recreation. The City of Taylorsville celebrated the opening of the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center with a Ribbon Cutting on May 26 and a series of Open Houses in the first part of June. Right next to City Hall, the beautiful facility features the main 400-seat theater, the smaller Studio 5400 theater seating 200, dressing rooms, reception space, backstage area including the 14-foot “Jurassic door” for props, and more. In complement, the Arts Center and City Hall are situated on Centennial Plaza, which opened Oct. 15 and includes walking paths and greenery, an outdoor stage, arbors and picnic areas, a concessions facility and several installation areas for public art. The plaza was constructed by Hogan Construction and sits on 19.6 acres. With the opening of Centennial Plaza, the city also launched its Plaza +ART program that placed six sculptures by local and area artists throughout the plaza and will feature public art on a rotating basis. Additionally, in this area of Arts, Parks & Recreation, volunteers have been working diligently on a project called Loving Labrum Park that will bring water-wise landscaping and other improvements to the park at 6041 S. Jordan Canal Road, and new surprise signs with the history of the Cabana Club were installed at Cabana Park at 1566 Conifer Way.
Community Building. The city celebrated its 25th Birthday this year with a Birthday Bash to remember for Taylorsville Dayzz, complete with parade, petting zoo, carnival rides, food booths, concerts and 5K. The annual Collection Day, sponsored by the Green Committee, was more successful than ever and the Taylorsville Arts Council put on several productions and a Silver Jubilee Art Show in bringing the community together. “It’s amazing to me that as a city, working together, we accomplished so much this past year,” Mayor Overson said. “I love our Taylorsville home.”
January 2022 Taylorsville Bennion Heritage
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TAYLORSVILLE SENIOR CENTER 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive
Grab Lunch, Visit with Friends at the Senior Center The Taylorsville Senior Center, 4743 S. Plymouth View Drive, offers lunch daily from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Just get a ticket at the front desk, and view the menu, as well as a program schedule, online at www.slco.org/taylorsville-senior-center Remember becoming a member is free and it allows you access to the Taylorsville Senior Center and all the other county Senior Centers. Come in and see Daisy to fill out an intake form to get an access card.
Don’t Miss These Library Events The Taylorsville Library has planned several programs during the month of January. You’ll want to mark your calendar for these events: The Taylorsville Historic Preservation Committee wanted to feature some of our heirlooms from the museum this month. We chose the items pictured with this article because when we hosted the Saturday with Santa event on Dec. 4, they were some of the artifacts that were most commented upon. Those items are: • A wooden sock darning ball with a sock that has a hole in it and needs darning. Darning means to weave the thread back and forth, thus covering up the hole. • A unique tool that was used to curl wet Ostrich Plumes and feathers to put on top of hats. Marion Bennion’s mother, Ida Mae Racine Sears, was a hatmaker and used this fun tool. • Two ladies hat pins that were used to weave through their hair after they placed the hats on their head. They worked well on a mild windy day. (The pins were also probably used to defend themselves as needed if they were approached by an undesirable person. But, of course, you can’t get away with that nowadays, especially when going through metal detectors!) See these interesting items and much more by visiting the Taylorsville-Bennion Heritage Museum in person. We’re located at 1488 W. 4800 South. Winter hours are Wednesday evenings, 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturdays, 2 to 5 p.m.
ADULT VIRTUAL LECTURE Beowulf: Understanding the Men and the Monsters Monday, Jan. 10, 7 p.m. Beowulf is considered the oldest epic in the English language. J.R.R. Tolkien argued for its inclusion in literary studies. Andrew R. Bahlmann will highlight this first great work of English literature. He is an associate professor at Snow College in Ephraim and is author of the book The Mythology of the Superhero. Bahlmann has a master’s degree in Old English literature from the University of Colorado Boulder and PhD from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. ADULT VIRTUAL LECTURE Gary Larson's Weird Cartoons: The Cultural Significance of The Far Side Tuesday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m. Kerry Soper will discuss why Gary Larson’s hugely popular cartoon, The Far Side, was so controversial when it first upended the traditional comics page in the early 1980s. Soper, a professor in the Department of Comparative Arts and Letters at Brigham Young University, writes about the history of comedy and satire in comic strips, television, film and other popular media. His books include Garry Trudeau: Doonesbury and the Aesthetics of Satire, We Go Pogo: Walt Kelly, Politics, and American Satire, and Gary Larson and The Far Side. You must register for these events to receive the link to the WebEx virtual lecture. Go to: thecountylibrary.org/LectureSeries Winter Reading Jan. 1-31 Read and put the win into winter! Finish and receive one free book from your local County Library branch. The library will be closed on the following dates in January: Saturday, Jan. 1, all day Monday, Jan. 17, all day Happy New Year Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
January 2022 | Page 21
ANNUAL COLLECTION DAY PAGE 8
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
City of Taylorsville Newsletter Conservation Garden Park Offers a Taste of Spring
JANUARY UPDATES 2021 Rates and Fees WFWRD’s Administrative Control Board approved its Budget & Fee Schedule for 2022. The base fee for residential services will remain at $17 per month ($204 per year). Although there is not a fee increase to the residential base fee, the following have been approved for 2022: • New can fees will increase from $50 to $60 while discontinuing the $10 stand-alone delivery fee. • New home startup fees will increase to $130 to cover the costs for two new can purchases (garbage/recycling — $60 per can + $10 delivery = $130). • Damaged can fee of $70 for customer-caused damage of a can will be discontinued. All replacement can fees are $70. • Fees for a refurbished can will increase from $20 to $35. • New fee of $120 for a 14-yard roll-off container, requested by municipalities for cleanup events, which shall include the delivery of the container and up to two tons of disposal per container.
Excited to see those spring flowers? The Conservation Garden Park is offering free classes to inspire, educate and empower our communities to create and enjoy waterwise landscapes. Located on 10 acres in West Jordan the Garden Park is easily accessible from all Wasatch Front communities. The garden began with six examples of waterwise landscaping in a mock residential setting. It has since expanded to include interactive exhibits for educating the public on waterwise design, planting and irrigation — becoming one of Utah’s premier water conservation teaching and demonstration gardens. Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District, as a member agency of Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, encourages our customers to explore this valuable resource. Sign up for classes by going online to conservationgardenpark.org.
All of these fee increases are due to continually increasing disposal and operating costs. A complete listing of rates and fees, along with WFWRD’s budget presentation, can be found at: wasatchfrontwaste.org/rates-fees
Curbside Christmas Tree Collection Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District will be collecting Christmas trees during the month of January. For collection, place your undecorated tree on your curb. The trees will be collected the day after your regular collection day during the month of January. If drivers don't get your tree one week, they will be back the following week. Please call WFWRD, or chat with them on their website for additional information. • Please remove all snow off the tree. • Trees with decorations, lights, tree stands or flocking cannot be accepted. • Do not place the tree in your garbage, recycling or green waste can. • If the tree is more than 8 feet tall, please cut it into smaller sections. • Artificial trees cannot be accepted.
If you have any questions, please contact Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District by calling 801-968-9081 or visiting www.tbid.org. Follow TBID on Facebook and Twitter.
R E C Y C L I N G
Recycling Reminder As gifts and presents are exchanged this season, please remember that paper-based wrapping paper is recyclable but plastic or Mylar wrapping and bows/ribbons are not. Additionally, cards with foil elements or glitter are not recyclable.
Facebook/Twitter As we move into the cold, winter months; WFWRD sees the possibility of bad weather affecting the ability to provide timely service to your neighborhood. Their Facebook and Twitter pages are the best way for residents and customers to find out if there could be a delay in service due to weather or traffic complications. Please follow the district on Facebook and Twitter to stay apprised of these issues, and also to receive waste and recycling tips and updates. Page 22 | January 2022
Taylorsville City Journal
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A half year in, the newly created Taylorsville Police Department is keeping its promise of transparency by establishing a Community Advisory Board By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
A
year ago at this time, Taylorsville residents were still being protected by the city’s Unified Police Department precinct, although one of its top employees had just left the agency. With nearly a quarter-century of law enforcement experience under his belt, Brady Cottam departed UPD to accept the city’s new police chief post. Cottam and Deputy Police Chief Todd Gray, who came over from West Valley City PD, were approved for their positions by the Taylorsville City Council during their first 2021 council meeting. They were the first two hires in a department that is now 70 strong. “Chief Cottam has both an impeccable work ethic and moral compass,” Mayor Kristie Overson said at the time. “He understands the value of fostering relationships throughout the law enforcement community and is a natural and effective leader who cares about the people he serves. I am impressed with his forward thinking and strategic planning for the future. He is the right man to lead our police force.” “I am very humbled and never thought I would stand in this position,” Cottam told city council members. “I am very excited. This will be a great city for our officers to work in. I am grateful to my wife and family. I am also grateful to have Todd along my side.” At that time, the new department was still six months away from officially replacing UPD. After contracting for police
services with UPD for nearly a decade, the Taylorsville City Council finally made the decision to severe ties with the Salt Lake County agency in the summer of 2020, just a couple of months into our now nearly twoyear-long pandemic. Council members said at the time the issue was taxation without representation. “The four cities served by UPD (Holladay, Midvale, Millcreek and Taylorsville) represent 68% of the department’s budget and about the same percentage of total residents served by the agency; but those cities only have 33% of the votes on the UPD board of directors,” Taylorsville City Attorney Tracy Cowdell said to the council at the time. “This is not fair. Our citizens have a disproportional representation on the [UPD] board.” The Taylorsville City Council then sent a letter to UPD, notifying them of the city’s intent to discontinue contracting for its services, as of June 30, 2021. However, city leaders also left the door open at that time to perhaps salvage the relationship, if county officials were willing to change some of their practices. They were not, and the race was on to form the new department from the ground up, in a single year. One of the first moves city leaders made at that time was to hire recently retired Unified Fire Authority veteran Jay Ziolkowski to serve as the project management team leader to oversee police transition details. His duties in that role are now just about completed,
although he is still tending to a few final details. He has also since accepted a community liaison position with Taylorsville City. “I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience,” Ziolkowski said. “Although I was never a police officer, I did work very closely with them throughout my career. I can say with all confidence, Taylorsville taxpayers are better served with this change. City officials are now scrutinizing their police services much more closely. And the people they have hired are very dedicated and focused.” As it did from day one, six months ago, Taylorsville Police Department consists of 70 employees: 50 sworn officers, 10 sergeants, a chief, two deputy chiefs and seven civilian employees. There’s been 10% turnover among the officers (five of the original 50). Cottam said they all left because of the “wage war” that’s now going on among the many different law enforcement agencies throughout the Salt Lake Valley. “[Different police agencies] claim Taylorsville started the [police officers’] wage war and we are kind of proud of that,” Cottam said. “Four of the five officers who have left, returned to their previous agency—two to Salt Lake, one to West Jordan and one to South Salt Lake. The fifth officer who left us went to Summit County. In all five cases, they left to earn higher wages, which is also a big reason why they came to us. I’m glad our salary structure is forcing other agencies to take another look at theirs.”
Cottam reports the salary scale the Taylorsville Police Department established created in its new department has forced the other agencies to “keep up.” He believes that’s a good thing for all Salt Lake Valley law enforcement agencies and for the residents they serve. One of the biggest things now underway related to the new department is the creation of the five-member Community Advisory Board. In one of their final 2021 meetings, Taylorsville City Council members voted unanimously to authorize the board’s creation. Cottam says the five board members will be Taylorsville residents, unaffiliated with law enforcement. He said Overson will select the members, and his department will have no say in those selections. Cottam describes this as another step in his commitment to department transparency. “Once the five board members are selected, they will undergo training to learn more about the kinds of split-second decisions my officers have to make on the job,” Cottam said. “But the board will be independent from us and able to offer valuable perspectives. I look forward to working with them.” The Community Advisory Board will review Taylorsville Police incidents involving use of deadly force, vehicular pursuits and internal investigations. Members will examine specific details about these cases and offer disciplinary suggestions if they find
Mayor Kristie Overson (Center) and City Police Chief Brady Cottam (R) visited Calvin Smith Elementary School students at the invitation of teacher and city Councilwoman Meredith Harker (L). (TVPD Facebook page)
Page 24 | January 2022
Taylorsville City Journal
Mayor Kristie Overson was among the speakers last summer at the swearing in ceremony for members of the newly formed Taylorsville City Police Department. (TVPD Facebook page)
evidence an officer acted improperly. “I hope the board will include men and women, with minority representation,” Cottam said. “I really feel good about this program. I want [our residents] to know we are doing things properly.” Finally, another aspect of the Taylorsville Police Department that Cottam said is coming together more quickly than expected is the agency’s three-dog K9 Squad. The animals were recently “introduced” to Taylorsville City Council members at one of its meetings. They are not yet fully certified. But they are out working the streets sooner than the chief expected. “Our dogs have been certified as drug sniffers, but they are not yet certified to search for human suspects,” Cottam said.
“The unit’s supervisor is Sergeant Jake Palmer, who we hired away from West Valley City Police. We are ahead of the curve in getting the K9 Unit going. They are doing great.” Now six months into his position, Cottam admits to still being a little surprised and grateful to be in the post. “This is nothing I was ever expecting in my career,” he said. “Even hearing people call me ‘Chief Cottam’ still feels unusual sometimes. It’s been an adjustment, because I was never looking for it. But once I applied for the job, I felt pretty good about my grasp on what needed to be done. It’s been a lot of work, but I have never really been nervous about it. We have a great relationship with the city [council members and staff]. Things are Three police dogs—members of the new Taylorsville PD K9 Squad—were recently introduced at a city council meeting. (TVPD Facebook page) going well.” l
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These families open their hearts, homes to foster pets By Katherine Weinstein | k.weinstein@mycityjournals.com
T
he Spencer family gazed down with pride at the new mom, snuggled up in a makeshift bed with her nine healthy, week-old puppies. The Spencers took in the dog just before she gave birth as part of a fostering partnership with Nuzzles & Co. Pet Rescue and Adoption. The family is just one of many who open their homes and hearts to homeless pets in need. The Spencers have fostered a total of 23 dogs since they began working with Nuzzles & Co. last summer. “We always had dogs in our home,” said Misti Spencer. “I wanted to buy a home so bad so we could get a dog. I just have to have a dog in my life. I think I’ll be fostering forever!” Nuzzles & Co. is always seeking volunteers to foster pets. The organization has grown by leaps and bounds since its founding in 1990 and now includes a pet adoption center in Park City as well as a Rescue and Rehab Ranch. Nuzzles & Co. works with the Navajo Nation and the Ute Reservation to care for and find homes for the many homeless dogs and cats on the reservation. In 2020, the organization saved a grand total of 1,863 dogs and cats. There is a great need for people to foster dogs who are pregnant or nursing pups and the Spencers agreed to take on the challenge. Jonathan Spencer explained, “We help the moms to get back in good health, socialized and used to
Page 26 | January 2022
living indoors. We’re helping them to become a desirable family pet.” “We give the moms lots of love, they get a lot of attention,” said Ronan Spencer, a student at Corner Canyon High School. “The moms are often in bad shape,” Misti explained. “The first mom we picked up was so sick, they thought she was going to die. It felt so good to bring her back to life.” She recalled the joy the family felt watching their first foster dog play with her puppies in the backyard. That dog was later adopted by a family in Murray and the Spencers had the pleasure of seeing her again when the family brought her to Draper Dog Park. As a pet foster family, the Spencers are not responsible for finding forever homes for the dogs. When the puppies are eight weeks old, they are taken back to Nuzzles & Co. to be adopted out. However, the family often finds ways to keep in touch with their former canine charges. Emerald Spencer, a student at Utah State University, explained that a family friend adopted a couple of puppies that they had fostered. “We still get to see them, which is cool!” she said. Emerald described how her family helps to socialize the dogs which includes leash training them and taking them on walks. “We invite the neighbors over to play with the dogs,” she
The Spencer family fostered these three puppies through an arrangement with Nuzzles & Co. Pet Rescue and Adoption based in Park City. (Photo courtesy Emerald Spencer)
said. Jonathan added, “The kids bring friends over so that the dogs get used to teens.” Misti noted that having older kids who can help care for the dogs is a bonus when you’re a pet foster parent. She also explained that the key to being a good foster pet family is flexibility. “You have to be a problem solver,”
Misti said. “Every dog has its own personality and issues, their needs are so different. Every batch of puppies has its unique needs.” “There’s going to be some characters in this batch!” Jonathan said of the tiny, roly-poly puppies who are currently in their care. “There is a stigma on rescue dogs,” he continued. “But these are good animals, dogs that are going to love you forever because you gave them a home. The pets we’ve had have always been rescues.” “People pay a fortune for a purebred dog,” Misti said. “There are so many good dogs out there. Dogs make such an impact on peoples’ lives. That’s what I find so rewarding.” Ronan observed that dogs can become a key part of the family. He explained that while he enjoys helping to care for the family’s dogs, “I feel a connection with cats. If I ever see a cat, I have to go up to it and pet it.” There are many others in Draper who share that love of all things feline, including folks who foster cats and kittens. The Day family has fostered nine kittens so far since October 2020. “I had thought about fostering for a long time,” Becca Day explained. She began her journey as a foster cat mom when her mother found a tiny stray kitten hiding in her garage. Becca and her family cared for the kitten until it was adopted by a family friend. “We still get to see it,” she said with a smile. Becca joined Celestial Zoo Pet Rescue, a Facebook community based in Bluffdale. Unlike Nuzzles & Co., Celestial Zoo does not have a brick-and-mortar location. There are separate Celestial Zoo Facebook groups for those who foster cats and dogs. Through the online community, “the nice thing is that we can find other kitties that need help,” Becca explained. “They do a lot with feral cats. If a
Taylorsville City Journal
cat shows signs of being a potential good pet, we foster them. Really feral cats end up as barn cats.” The Celestial Zoo community often coordinates foster care for homeless cats and kittens found in the rural areas of southern Utah and brings them north where they are more likely to find forever homes. The first two kittens that the Day family fostered from Celestial Zoo were from a large cat colony in Utah County. At first, the black kitten later known as Jiji was very fearful of humans and would hiss when approached. Becca’s husband, Ben, helped to socialize Jiji by sitting with him and eventually had the kitten literally eating from his hand. “It was calming for me,” Ben said. “I gave him the opportunity to build trust with humans and form a bond.” Fifteen year old Oliver Day is a bit wary of getting too attached to the kittens but enjoys playing with them. “I really like cats,” he said. “They are always cute! I like the experience of raising them and finding them a good home.” For Oliver, the best part of fostering kittens is, “You get to have the experience of having a lot of pets and, if you like one, you get to keep them.” Currently, the Days are fostering a young gray and white cat who has bonded with their own older pet cat. The family is leaning toward adopting him, making him a so-called, “foster fail.” Becca admits that it’s hard not to keep all of their young feline charges. Sending kittens off to a new home can be bittersweet. “Of course you’re going to be sad at the end,” she said. “It’s because you care.” The cats and dogs being fostered through Ce-
lestial Zoo are advertised for adoption on Petfinder and the organization hosts weekend adoption events at PetSmart stores in Sandy, West Jordan and Orem. “Celestial Zoo really cares about who is adopting the cats,” Becca explained. Prospective owners need to complete an adoption form and are interviewed by the pet’s foster parents. Making sure that a prospective owner is not getting a pet on a whim is key as is determining the sort of home environment that the pet would be going to. Not every dog or cat has the temperament to get along with young children or other pets. “If the adoption doesn’t work out, the kitty goes back to the foster,” Becca said. She happily keeps in touch with some of her adopters. Becca would encourage others to foster pets if they have the time and capacity, but added that there are other ways people can help homeless pets. “Maybe you can volunteer to transport animals or make a donation,” she said. “Keep an eye on your neighborhood and if you see a cat that is clearly not someone’s pet or find a litter of kittens, contact a rescue group to help.” Both Nuzzles & Co. and Celestial Zoo are seeking people to foster pets and volunteer in other capacities. Nuzzles & Co.’s Pet Adoption Center is located at The Outlets, 6699 N. Landmark Drive, Suite B-103 in Park City. Call 435-649-5441 for more information or visit www.nuzzlesandco.org. Celestial Zoo Pet Rescue has a website as well; visit www.celestialzoo.org or find them on Facebook. l
Jonathan, Misti, Emerald and Ronan Spencer pose for a family holiday photo with their foster pups. (Photo courtesy Emerald Spencer)
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Utah organization celebrates 10 years of empowering local women
By Hannah LaFond | h.lafond@mycityjournals.com
G
uests gathered at Venue 6SIX9 in downtown Salt Lake City in November for a black-tie gala to honor nine outstanding women. Those celebrated women were the 2021 graduates from WoWUtah. “WoW” stands for “Women of Worth,” and the Utah-based nonprofit works to help women who have overcome difficult circumstances such as addiction, abuse or disease. The women selected for the program go through a year of workshops and training to help them gain self-worth and give them the tools they need for a fresh start. Each of the women is paired with a mentor, a volunteer who is there to help through the entire journey. Along with teaching them valuable life skills, each participant is given a makeover. According to WoWUtah’s Facebook page, they are gifted a collection of business attire and casual clothing selected by a team of stylists. “So she can feel confident and beautiful in her personal and professional life.” They also give each graduate formal wear and shoes for the gala event. While the program usually spans a year, the graduates at Friday’s event had been with WoWUtah for two years. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, workshops and
Page 28 | January 2022
classes that usually would have taken place in person switched to online. As a result, WoWUtah decided to keep the same participants for another year so they could better experience WoWUtah gala venue. (Courthe program. Gala at- tesy of WoWUtah) tendees enjoyed watching videos made by the 2021 graduates to highlight their achievements. Following their video, each graduate walked across the stage, just like in a classic school graduation. Then they were invited to say a few words about their experience, all of them finishing with the proclamation of “I am a woman of worth.” Barbara Moeller, who graduated from the program in 2012, now sits on WoW’s Chair of Mentees. Speaking about her experience, she said, “WoW helped me to find out how amazing it is to be myself. I had gotten lost under the pressures and circumstances in life. The program gave
Members of WoWUtah’s board with founder Judee Guay and husband, Lewie Guay, at the center. (Courtesy of WoWUtah)
me the tools to defend myself against challenges that eroded my self-worth. The magic is being paired with a mentor for a journey of self-discovery. I not only found my worth again but learned to be responsible and accountable for how I comport myself.” Along with honoring the 2021 graduates, the gala also celebrated the 10 years WoWUtah has been in operation. Judee Guay, who founded WoW and now works alongside COO Marie Jess to keep it running, spoke about the organization’s beginnings. She started WoW after she got a second chance at life. Guay recalled her years spent in an abusive marriage and how hopeless she’d felt. Hopelessness, only made worse by autoimmune diseases she was suffering from at the time. But, slowly, she was able to put the pieces back together. She left the abusive marriage, lost 100 pounds, and started to heal. Going through such a life-changing experience made Guay want to help other women overcome their struggles. So, she started WoWUtah in 2011. Though she had a vision, Guay said their first gala was nothing like the event that evening. “If anybody had told me that 10 years later this would be here, I wouldn’t have believed them,” she said, looking out at the crowd. The guests were also invited to participate in a silent auction to raise money for WoW’s continuation. The auction included prizes such as theater tickets, gift baskets, romantic getaways and several cakes. The evening presenter and a member of WoW’s advisory board, Ty Bennett, joked that
he’d won several cakes that his children had bid on for him. Speaking of how WoWUtah has operated and will continue to operate on donations, Guay said, “[WoW] has been supported by volunteers, including the directors, executive board and advisory board. No one has received remuneration, and it will stay that way with all donations going toward the women being served now and in the future.” After presenting the graduates, Guay and Jess took turns presenting awards to those who’d helped WoWUtah throughout its 10 years. One of the award recipients included Chad Hymas, a highly respected international speaker who is also on WoW’s advisory board. Hymas was given the Inspiration Award. Sheri Thompson, who’d come all the way from Arizona for the event, was given the Soul Sister Award. Guay told The City Journals, “Sheri's incredible connection with her WoW sisters and the mentees is why she is so deserving of this award.” They also surprised Bennett, the presenter, with the Legacy Award, for being with WoW from the beginning. Guay finished by surprising her COO Jess, and her husband, Lewie Guay, with the Founder’s Awards. After the awards, they finished the evening by inviting the women of WoW to perform a special musical number. They stood on the stage to sing “Breaking Free; Becoming My Best Me,” WoW’s official theme song, written by Nina Angela Lee, the president of Wow’s Executive Board. WoWUtah will be helping another group of women in 2022. l
Taylorsville City Journal
Measuring the impact of ranked choice voting By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com
T
his election cycle, multiple cities in the Salt Lake valley opted to take advantage of a pilot program for ranked choice voting, made possible by the state legislature. As opposed to a traditional election, where voters must select one candidate, RCV allows voters to rank any number of candidates according to their preference. Proponents of the method point to the benefits of making the switch, from encouraging more candidates to run and increasing voter turnout, to making elections more fair and less antagonistic. While some of these benefits aren’t easily measured, some of them can be. So, how did this round of RCV experimentation turn out? To get a sense of how much RCV impacted local elections this year, The City Journals took a look at the numbers for a few key metrics. First reporters compared the number of candidates and voter turnout to the same races held in 2017. Then reporters asked the question: did RCV actually change any of the election results? Number of Candidates There were eight cities which took part in the RCV pilot: Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Millcreek, Cottonwood Heights, Sandy, Draper, Midvale and Bluffdale. Riverton would have but only had one candidate for each election. Within those cities, there were 17 races that utilized RCV. (A couple races would have used RCV, but it ended up not being necessary because there were only two candidates.) There were 73 combined candidates who ran in those 17 races, an increase from 63 candidates who ran for those same positions in the primary stage in 2017. However, that increase is almost completely accounted for by one city, Sandy, which saw an increase of three to eight candidates in its mayoral race and from two to six candidates in its race for an at-large seat on the city council. Cottonwood Heights was another city that saw an increase in candidates, with five candidates competing in both its mayoral race and one of its city council races (compared to three in each race from 2017). Salt Lake City saw the biggest decrease in its number of candidates, with two fewer candidates vying for its second district seat and three fewer candidates vying for its seventh district. Voter Turnout How about voter turnout? Does giving people the chance to rank multiple candidates encourage more people to participate? Not according to this year’s races. Of the 17 races we looked at, there was a total voter turnout of 115,851. That’s up just a little bit from 2017’s turnout of 115,008. Recognizing that there are a number of possible variables that can impact turnout for a given race, here are a few of the outliers in this category. Remember, this is comparing
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
2017 to 2021. A Bluffdale race for two seats on its council increased from 1,418 ballots counted to 3,344. Salt Lake City’s first district race saw an increase from 1,621 to 3,381. Despite having seven candidates vying for two at-large seats, Draper’s voter turnout dropped 20%, from 10,853 to 8,610. Even in Sandy City, which had a hotly contested and crowded mayoral race, turnout decreased from 23,007 to 21,246. Did it impact results? Under RCV, the ballot counting process takes place over several rounds. After the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their ballots then revert to those voters’ second choices. This creates the possibility that whichever candidate receives the most first-place ballots, won’t actually win the election. You might have a candidate who receives the third-most votes in the first round end up winning the election because they built a broad base of support and was able to win the majority of the second place votes. So, did that happen in any of these elections? For the most part, no. In almost all the races, the candidate who received the most first-place votes went on to win the election. The one exception being Millcreek’s District 2 race, in which Jeremiah Clark held a narrow lead after the first round of votes, but ended up losing to Thom Desirant by nine percentage points. So what? Based on this initial look at some of these metrics, it might seem like RCV made a huge impact on this year’s elections. But Stan Lockhart, a spokesman for Utah Ranked Choice Voting, said that it’s too early to draw long-term conclusions about the effectiveness of RCV. “Twenty-three cities in Utah used ranked choice voting this year, and it was the first time for 21 of those 23 cities. We need to be careful in extrapolating too much,” he said. In regards to measurables like number of candidates and voter turnout, Lockhart said those have always been driven more by local issues. If there’s something controversial that’s taken place at the city level, like a tax increase or a land use decision, that’s more likely to drum up interest in an election than a change to RCV. A better measure of RCV’s success, according to Lockhart, is how voters felt about the process…a question that Utah RCV teamed up with Y2 Analytics to help answer. “I think the most important metric that we should focus on is voter satisfaction. How did the voter feel about the experience of ranking their vote. And the survey vote shows as high as 90% of the voters thought it was easy to use,” Lockhart said. Additionally, 62% of poll respondents
Election assistant Becky Overacker helps first-time voter Zyon Bruce in Draper where they held ranked choice voting for the first time. (Mimi Darley Dutton/City Journals)
said they liked voting with a ranked choice ballot. Learning curve Lockhart acknowledged that there can be a little bit of a learning curve when it comes to RCV, both for candidates and voters. For candidates, the implementation of RCV opens up another component of campaign strategy that they normally wouldn’t think about: coordinating with other candidates and forming coalitions. For example, a group of two or more like-minded candidates can encourage their voters to rank them in the top three spots. Lockhart said he didn’t see a whole lot of such coordination in the races which used RCV. One exception was for one of the council races in Salt Lake City, where two candidates jointly paid for a postcard advertisement, where one candidate was featured on one side, and the other candidate on the flipside. There’s also a learning curve for voters, who might not realize the power they have by taking advantage of the ranked choice feature. If a voter only ranks one or two candidates and those candidates get eliminated, that voters’ ballot becomes “inactive.” In a close election, a large number of inactive ballots represents voters who could have potentially swung the election one way or another. That’s exactly what happened in Sandy, where the top two candidates for mayor were separated by just 21 votes. However, there were over 4,000 inactive ballots (voters who had chosen to not rank either of the two finalists). If voting is all about using one’s voice, Lockhart suggested that fully ranking every candidate on the ballot is voters’ best way to maximize that voice.
“If those voters had ranked more candidates, they would have been more relevant in that round,” he said about that Sandy mayoral race. l
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Taylorsville City Journal
Home Makeover: COVID edition
Life
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by
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One morning I woke up and I’d had enough. The pandemic had forced us to look at our walls and carpet 24/7 and every day the chips in the paint got bigger and the stains on the carpet got wider. Was that blood or pudding? I couldn’t tell anymore. It was time to take action. My husband tends to overthink in a death-spiral sort of way, so our conversation went from “What kind of paint/flooring should we get?” to “What if we spend two weeks with our dog in a tent in a blizzard?” I let him ruminate for a while before moving to the next phase. We talked about painting the rooms ourselves and laughed hysterically for a couple of hours. We are not the DIY kind of people. We once assembled a bookshelf together so I knew we needed to hire a professional; either a professional painter or a professional divorce attorney. We reached out to our friend, Rick Hepner, who was delighted to paint our home, plus he got to enjoy our 4-year-old granddaughter following him around asking him what he was doing, why he was doing it, how long he’d be doing it and if he wanted to play Barbies. While preparing the walls, Rick discovered ecosystems behind our furniture where sentient beings lived in and breathed only dust. He waded through chest-deep dust like we were living in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl era, or
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maybe the sequel to Dune. Once the dust was hauled away and the walls were beautifully painted, we turned our attention to the floors. Our carpet crossed the prairie in the back of a handcart, survived nuclear testing in Southern Utah and was definitely sprouting tentacles. Time to toss it before it murdered us in our sleep. Then came the discussion of wood versus carpet. My husband is old school and likes soft carpeting, probably so he doesn’t break a hip if he falls. I like the clean line of wood. We compromised with me getting wood flooring in my office, and carpet everywhere else; except the bathroom. We’re not animals. When it came time to move furniture out of the house, I threw things away willy-nilly.
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I took bags of clothes and shoes and children to Goodwill. My husband followed behind me, taking things out of donation bags and hiding them. He has sentimental attachments to items like water bottles and lanyards and the blouse I wore when we saw the Blue Man Group in 2008. Finally, the walls were painted, flooring was complete, furniture was moved back and everything was right with the world. But our dog was hyperventilating. Before renovation (BR), she’d nap under the guest bed, which is now in another home. She wandered the halls, forlorn and lost, carrying her bone from room to room, trying to navigate her apocalyptic new world. Not only that, but the wood floor distressed her and she refused to walk on it. She slept on the couch until midnight. Then I heard her toenails clicking as she walked across the floor and threw herself onto her bed, sighing loudly, so we’d know she’d been inconvenienced. For a while, we played The Floor is Lava to keep the carpet looking bright and new. But walls get scratched and carpet gets stained because life is a messy, dirty, grimy experiment where sometimes you don’t know if the stain on the carpet is blood or pudding, and your dog needs therapy, and your husband unpacks the donation bags. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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