July 2020 | Vol. 7 Iss. 07
FREE CITY COUNCIL AVERTS TAX INCREASE AND EMPLOYEE FURLOUGHS WHILE PASSING NEW BUDGET By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com Editor’s note: On June 22 (after our press deadline), Taylorsville officials announced their intention to withdraw from the Unified Police Department on July 1, 2021. The upcoming August edition will have a full story on the matter.
S
everal months ago, a public opinion survey gave Taylorsville elected officials a mindboggling approval rating of nearly 90%. What the mayor and city council accomplished last month may only strengthened that number. The council unanimously approved a $22,447,047 Taylorsville budget for fiscal year 2020–21, which is 8.4% lower than the previous year. However, in doing so, council members avoided both a property tax increase and employee furloughs. The new Taylorsville budget also covers an estimated $500,000 fee hike for Unified Police Department services. “This is not a ‘bare bones’ budget, but we did have to make significant reductions,” said Mayor Kristie Overson. “We asked all department heads to look for places to reduce spending. Nobody was left without cuts.” After the mayor and her staff put together a suggested budget, city council members made only two significant changes. First, they restored $100,000 that had been cut from their reserve to cover potential police overtime costs. Second, the council returned $10,000 to the Taylorsville Arts Council budget, where a cut from $15,000 to $5,000 was originally proposed by staff. “It has been close to 10 years since we had a budget decrease,” Chief Financial Officer Scott Harrington said. “But
The Taylorsville Arts Council saw its budget from the city restored, as the group still hopes to present a show in this new arts center before the end of 2020. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
because the economy is down, our tax revenues are down. And the UPD cost is expected to go up 4.78%, from $10.15 million to $10.63 million. Through conservative budgeting, we have been able to do this. We’ve done well to avoid a tax increase.” “I am very supportive of this budget,” Council Vice Chairman Brad Christopherson said. “We froze projects; we
delayed projects. Our administration has been fantastic in adjusting to coronavirus issues. They did not propose a tax increase to mitigate virus issues.” Christopherson was also a strong advocate of the two restored budget cuts: police overtime and the arts council. Continued page 5
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Taylorsville City Journal
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July 2020 | Page 3
Massive ‘Beltway West’ development to feature five office buildings, 273,000 square feet By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
A 6-story, energy-efficient office building like this is coming to Taylorsville, one of five buildings to be constructed west of the belt route near 4250 South. (St. John Properties)
A
Maryland-based property developer has committed more than a half-billion dollars of construction spending in our state, with the most recent expenditure earmarked for five new office buildings in Taylorsville. Those kinds of economic development numbers were impressive to Gov. Gary Herbert even before the pandemic. Now, in the midst of the coronavirus, it’s enough to get him to participate in a company news conference. “Congratulations on what I am sure will be another strong project for your company,” Herbert said, during his brief Zoom appearance, hosted by St. John Properties. “Utah has found a way to address public health concerns during the pandemic. Moody’s Analytics has named the Salt Lake and Provo areas among the top 10, best-positioned metropolitan areas in the country to recover from it. We are so grateful you are coming to our state.”
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Actually, SJP has already been in Utah a couple of years. In 2017, the developer broke ground on a commercial development in Pleasant Grove. Subsequent land acquisitions have grown that site to 85 acres. During their online media event announcing the Taylorsville development, company representatives simultaneously announced another six-building project planned in Springville. St. John expects the two new projects to total $120 million. The company claims its total financial commitment so far in Utah is now half a billion dollars. Edward St. John founded St. John Properties in 1971, first as a commercial buildings’ developer and now a long-term real estate investment company. He, too, participated in the news conference. “Since starting the company, we have weathered an oil crisis, a bank collapse crisis, a dot-com crash, then the Great Recession of
Five energy-efficient buildings—featuring more than 273,000 square feet of office space— will configure like this, between I-215 and 2700 West in Taylorsville. (St. John Properties)
2008,” he said. “We are going to weather this COVID-19 crisis and come out stronger.” Construction work at both the Taylorsville and Springville sites is expected to begin this summer. SJP has dubbed the Taylorsville project “Beltway West.” The 19.5-acre Taylorsville site is adjacent (to the north) of the former American Express property, west of the belt route. State officials recently purchased that building to house Utah government offices. The “jewel” of the Beltway West development will be a six-story, 154,190-squarefoot office tower, making it one of the tallest structures in Taylorsville. The other four planned buildings are single-story structures, each about 30,000 square feet. Once fully occupied, St. John estimates about 2,000 people will work at the site. St. John takes particular pride in reducing energy consumption by constructing buildings
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that are favorably measured by the U.S. Green Building Council, through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification program. The LEED rating system for design, construction, operation and maintenance of green buildings is recognized worldwide. “SJP buildings are LEED certified and use 39% less in consumption energy, 12% less consumption in water, 35% lower greenhouse emissions and have 19% lower maintenance costs,” according to a company news release. “St. John Properties is the third-largest builder of LEED-certified buildings in the United States, with 70 currently certified.” SJP estimates its entire commercial development portfolio features about 20 million square feet of commercial space, with a total valuation of $3.5 billion. The company is not yet estimating when any of the five Beltway West commercial buildings will be available for occupancy. l
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Taylorsville City Journal
City council members restored $100,000 of overtime pay to its Unified Police Department precinct before finalizing their Taylorsville budget for the fiscal year that began July 1. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
Continued from front page “In a $22.5 million budget, we can find $10,000 more for the arts council,” he said. He was not alone in championing the city’s cadre of volunteer performers. “When the [Taylorsville] Arts Council performs its first show in the new [Mid-Valley Performing] Arts Center, I don’t want it to be a road show,” Council Chairwoman Meredith Harker said. “The arts council needs to know we support them.” Initially, Councilman Dan Armstrong was more hesitant. “We may want to consider [returning the $10,000 to the arts council budget] later,” he said. “About 28%of Taylorsville families have someone out of work. I am afraid we may have to cut city payroll if we boost budgets.”
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
However, City Manager John Taylor also told council members any numbers agreed upon now could be subject to change in the months ahead. “We think this will be a year when we will need to come back to discuss budget items multiple times,” he said. “For one thing, more revenues could become available through federal grants.” City employee training budgets, particularly for out-of-state conferences, is one area where deeper cuts were made. The May 20 council meeting , where the city budget was initially discussed at length, was the first official meeting held inside council chambers in more than two-and-ahalf months. Immediately after the world began going into lockdown, the Taylorsville City Council cancelled its March 18 meeting. Four subsequent meetings (April 1, 15, 29 and May 6)—one of them a more informal “Let’s Talk Taylorsville” session—were all Zoom meetings. “City council members chose not to wear masks (for that first meeting back in council chambers), but they sit pretty far apart,” Overson said. “I wore a mask; our recorder did and some others. It was a mixed bag. We also had one of our meeting presenters choose to do so over Zoom, which worked out fine.” Unless there is a new spike in Utah coronavirus cases, city leaders plan to resume all of its twice-monthly meetings in-
side theirto city hall council chambers. People How Avoid Costly Housing Mistakes Before and After a Divorce are encouraged to bringisand wear masks Taylorsville - Divorce rarely easy and if buy on your new budget? itoften makes thema more Social dis- To help you know what questions you means lot ofcomfortable. difficult decisions. One of the important is l should ask and how to arrive at the right tancing willmost also be stronglydecisions encouraged. what to do about the house. answer for your specific situation, a FREE In the midst of the heavy emotional and special report has been prepared by indusfinancial turmoil, what you need most try experts entitled “Divorce: What You is some non-emotional, straightforward, Need to Know About Your House, Your specific information and answers. Mortgage and Taxes”. Once you know how a divorce affects your To hear a brief recorded message about home, your mortgage and taxes, critical how to order your FREE copy of this decisions are easier. report call toll-free 1- 844-873-1717 and There will almost certainly be some enter 2226. You can call any time, 24 financial repercussions to your decision hours a day, 7 days a week. process. What can you afford? Can you Get your free special report NOW to find manage the old house on your new budout how to make this part of your current get? Is refinancing possible? Or is it better situation less stressful. to sell and buy? How much house can you The Huntington Group - Coldwell Banker
City council members restored $100,000 of overtime pay to its Unified Police Department precinct before finalizing the new 2020–21 Taylorsville budget. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
July 2020 | Page 5
Taylorsville bakery pitches in during the pandemic, two bread loaves at a time By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
“
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Those were among the wise words of advice Fred Rogers offered his preschool-age television audience on his long-running PBS program, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” And they are the same words the Borg family has included on the message of hope they have been putting on the plastic bags they’re using to seal and donate loaves of bread, two at a time. The Borgs own and operate Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage stores in three Salt Lake Valley locations, including Taylorsville. For three months, they have been donating bread to anyone who asks for it. “My mom would kill me if she saw the numbers; we are inching toward 50,000 loaves of bread (given away)—which normally cost $2 to $3,” said Brett Borg. “We
are accepting donations for the bread, but are only spending that money on ingredients. Our stores are covering employee costs.” Brett’s parents, Steve and Lucy Borg, own Schmidt’s stores in Taylorsville, Sugar House and South Jordan. Their Crossroads of Taylorsville shopping location (5664 S. Redwood Road) has been open the longest of the three, since the “mid-1980s.” Chelsea Pacheco is that store’s assistant manager. “Our manager will be out until mid-July so, for now, I am our only full-time employee at this location, along with about 10 part-timers,” Pacheco said. “We make about 180 loaves of the free bread each day. Sometimes there are a few loaves left over the next day, but most of the time it all goes. Some people make donations; some people buy other things while getting their free bread; and some just grab their two loaves and go, which is fine.” So why are the sourdough, French and Italian loaves given in pairs?
Steve and Lucy Borg started Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage nearly a half century ago. The longest running of their three current locations is in Taylorsville. (Brett Borg)
“My dad said if we only give one loaf of bread, then we are the only people who get to feel good about helping during this [pandemic] crisis,” Brett said. “But if we give two loaves and tell people one is for them, and one is to give to another person then others also get to feel good about what they are doing.” The bread giveaway has also allowed the Borgs to retain their entire 45-person staff (at all three locations), without any reduction of work hours. A Paycheck Protection Program PPP loan also assisted the Borgs in covering a couple of pay periods. “I have heard many emotional stories from our customers who are giving bread to others,” Pacheco said. “It makes me feel so good to work for Schmidt’s. Steve [Borg] is just a really great guy.” In addition to the in-store bread giveaways, Schmidt’s has also taken their show on the road a couple of times. “On May 17, we gave away 900 loaves of bread outside Cyprus High School in Magna, and two weeks later we gave out another 650 loaves at Kearns High,” Brett said. “Several members of our family were involved, particularly in that second giveaway.” In addition to both his parents still working full time for the stores, Brett’s wife, Jenny, is a cake decorator for them. His twin sister, April, also works for Schmidt’s, along with a Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage is giving away free loaves of bread, two at a time, complete with a message of hope younger sister (Kristi), an uncle (Ralph), and from children’s public television icon Fred Rogers. (Brett Borg) nieces and nephews.
Page 6 | July 2020
The stores’ flour providers—Ardent Mills and Honeyville—have each donated about 5,000 pounds of flour to the bread giveaway effort. In addition to accepting cash donations for their bread giveaways at their store locations, Schmidt’s is also accepting online donations through the mobile payment service Venmo. “Some of our tweets about the bread giveaways have been retweeted, even by national journalists,” Brett said. “We have received about $4,000 in Venmo donations from all over—New York, Florida, Canada. Another $2,000 to $3,000 have been dropped off at our stores.” As Fred Rogers’ mother would be quick to tell the former TV host, that’s a lot of “people who are helping.” l
In addition to giving away loaves of bread at their three store locations, Schmidt’s Pastry Cottage has also handed out hundreds of loaves at Cyprus and Kearns high schools. (Brett Borg)
Taylorsville City Journal
Award-winning teacher motivates AP Spanish students to humanity-inspired climbs By Kathryn Elizabeth Jones | k.jones@mycityjournals.com
R
yan Wells, an avid bicycle rider and teacher at Taylorsville High, doesn’t believe in doing anything halfway. He’d just returned home from a ride up Immigration Canyon. “I burned some calories and enjoyed the silver lining that has come as part of COVID-19,” he said. “It’s nice that there’s a bit of leniency with the schedule.” Wells, who typically spends his days teaching Advanced Placement Spanish, was surprised when, while on a bike excursion with his dad recently, blinking lights and a siren caused him to make a stop. It was the police. “I didn’t know what they wanted,” he said. “The cop from the car came up to me and asked if I’d seen any suspicious activities in the area.” Which meant he hadn’t seen the surprise coming his way. A few minutes later, Wells was awarded the 2020 Granite School District Teacher of the Year. Wells has been a Spanish teacher at Taylorsville High for eight years and teaches AP Spanish. In the beginning, there wasn’t such a program, but Wells has changed that. “I love it,” he said. “I like teaching students who know Spanish at home, and those who have had Spanish 1-4, jump into high-level learning.” What begins as a foreign language opportunity in the first few levels of Spanish, becomes a humanity-focused experience where all students learn about current events and culture and use their writing and debate skills to connect with what they are doing in their life. “AP Spanish helps students to thrive,” Spanish teacher Ryan Wells arranges trips for students to visit Spanish-speaking countries like this one to Machu Picchu in 2015. (Photo courtesy Ryan Wells)
Wells said. “Latino students who would not normally take an AP class can skip the beginning Spanish classes and speak and write in their language.” And every student can be a part of the college career path while still in high school. This is an “amazing and empowering” experience, Wells said. “AP Spanish is culturally enriching wherever the student comes from.” When Wells began his career, and there wasn’t an AP Spanish program currently in the works, Wells had to work at “growing” one. The first year, he had only 10 students. In the second year, the numbers doubled. Today, there are approximately 140 students involved in the program. Ryan Wells was previously named the World Languages Teacher of the “It’s my baby,” wells Year by the Utah Foreign Language Association. (Photo courtesy Ryan said. “Students are digging Wells) deep into cultural trends, and
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
they are talking and writing about the challenges they are facing today. Many are using their native language to express what they’re going through.” One such student, Joseph Louis Rivera De La Vega, is currently interning at the Utah Center for Legal Inclusion, hoping to “promote change with our legal system.” “I’m trying to target students of color to pursue law,” he said in a letter to the Granite School District of the Year Committee on behalf of Ryan Wells. De La Vega was a 16-year-old junior at Taylorsville High when he met Wells. He admitted that he was a “trouble-maker” and hung out with the “wrong crowd.” Spanish class pretty much ran the same way. But this teacher’s teaching style was different than any other he’d previously experienced. And it “motivated and intrigued” him. “When I misbehaved[d] in his class, he never punished me but checked up on me,” he said. “He one time told me to leave his classroom and wait outside for him. Two minutes went by and Wells asked, ‘What’s going on?’ He never assumed I was a bad student but asked me if I was OK. He constantly
motivated me; he sought for my well-being, and he showed me a potential that I didn’t know I could achieve: success.” Wells challenged the class in topics such as “philosophy, theory, morality and political discussions,” De La Vega continues in his letter. “Unlike other teachers that give you a lesson for 90 minutes, he taught and let us question the lesson. I looked forward to his class.” De La Vega finished the class with an A, the only A received in his junior year. Though the class wasn’t easy, he liked it and passed the AP Spanish exam. Wells, who believes in the success of each student as well as every district Spanish teacher, is currently recruiting them to AP Spanish. “I am more than willing to share my material with those who want it,” he said. “Let’s collaborate and brainstorm together.” l
July 2020 | Page 7
State health lab in Taylorsville playing critical role in tracking Utah coronavirus numbers By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
Coronavirus testers at the Utah Public Health Laboratory in Taylorsville recently received appreciation posters and donated lunches. (Leanne Geigle/PEHP)
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uring our seemingly endless coronavirus quarantine over the past 3 1/2 months, many people have described it as “boring.” But at one busy site in Taylorsville, 20 haggard employees only wish they had a moment to be bored. The Utah Public Health Laboratory (4431 South 2700 West) is one of only four primary labs in the state, determining whether each patient sample they receive is positive or negative for COVID-19. As of June 15, the number of positive diagnoses in Utah was 13,577. But only about 5% of the samples screened are found to be positive, meaning well over a quarter-million tests had been conducted in the state by that date. Nancy Arbon has worked at the Utah Public Health Lab nearly a decade and has been the agency’s customer relations manager since 2012.
“The first day we began keeping records of our number of COVID-19 tests completed at the lab was March 16, when we conducted 79 of them,” Arbon said. “Since that time, we have had to increase our hours in order to conduct more tests. Our capacity now is 1,116 tests per day. We have reached that capacity on many, many days.” That’s tens of thousands of coronavirus test results the local lab produced in fewer than 100 days. The other major Utah labs doing similar high-volume numbers are in Salt Lake, Murray and Orem. “We have 12 microbiologists and three interns working in the [coronavirus portion of the] state testing lab,” Arbon said. “They are working 10-hour days, frequently seven days a week. Others are 60 hours and six days per week. It has been crazy. My best guess is, the lab is 10-times busier than it was before the virus arrived.”
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Page 8 | July 2020
The Utah Public Health Laboratory in Taylorsville has been testing more than 1,100 coronavirus patient samples each day for months. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
Taylorsville City Journal
The Taylorsville Great Harvest store recently prepared lunches for 20 coronavirus testers at the Utah Public Health Laboratory. (Leanne Geigle/PEHP)
Great Harvest in Taylorsville recently provided lunches to 20 coronavirus testers at the Utah Public Health Laboratory. (Leanne Geigle/PEHP)
UPHL officials say no employees have quit due to stress or fatigue. But Arbon believes that could be coming. As the UPHL Wellness Council Chairperson, Arbon recently shared stories of her overworked staff with her Public Employee Health Plan Wellness Specialist Leanne Geigle. “Nancy called to suggest perhaps PEHP could provide a donated lunch to their 20-person coronavirus testing staff, which I thought was a wonderful idea,” Geigle said. “Honestly, it had not even been on my radar to help state labs until she called, saying something like that would boost morale. Since there are limits to government spending, I knew I would need to call around to see if I could find a store to donate, or at least discount, 20 meals.” Geigle began making calls, with one of her first to longtime friend Marlene Woolley, whose son and daughter-in-law had worked for the Great Harvest Bread Co. Bakery & Cafe in Taylorsville (6357 South Redwood Road), years ago. Marlene told Nancy that store would probably help out. She also wanted to be involved in delivering the meals to the lab employees, despite her personal virus challenge. “My husband, Bradley, recently underwent heart transplant surgery and later tested positive for coronavirus,” Woolley said. “He’s hospitalized on a ventilator, and I am not allowed to visit him. Getting involved in
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TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
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July 2020 | Page 9
Alumni help honor Warriors softballers By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
T
he Taylorsville softball team lost its season but came together for one last hurrah in what could be a new tradition. “We invited some alumni back,” Warriors head coach Jace Hymas said. “Some of them are still college players. We beat them. It was fun for old girls; they played well and hit well. It was a blast. I think we found a new tradition. Who knows.” The current Warriors beat the “old” Warriors 7-6. The game highlight was the first home run over the field’s new outfield fence. Katie (Greenberg) Iloilo, who graduated from Taylorsville in 2010, hit the shot over the leftfield fence. “Our alumni were certainly not rusty,” Hymas said. “They came in and played well.” Brooke (Roberts) Mckeever hit a ball into the outfield, rounded first base a little too far and was nearly thrown out trying to get back to the base. “I ended up with a couple of scrapes on my knees,” Mckeever said. “I forgot that the outfields are much closer in fastpitch than slow pitch.” After the game, the team and players shared a dinner and got season-ending awards. “We put off our season-ending banquet for as long as we could,” Hymas said. “I was hoping that this COVID thing would get over enough that we could have a senior night and honor the girls.”
The 2020 softball season was suspended and later canceled after the Warriors had played only eight games. They finished the season winless, with four of those losses coming in a Las Vegas tournament right be-
fore the suspension. The cancellation of the season impacted “We had great kids,” Hymas said. “We the players. played really well against some tough teams. “Of course, the girls were disappointed, I really think we would have turned it around but they are such good kids,” Hymas said. in the regular season if there had been one.” “Our four seniors deserved better. They were our leaders.” Three of the four seniors have signed letters of intent to continue playing softball after high school. Mailee Maka and Sadie Atkinson will attend Salt Lake Community College and suit up for the Bruins’ softball team, and Chanel Esparza is planning on attending a junior college in Texas. “Mary Schulte (the fourth senior) could play at the next level,” Hymas said. “She is a lefty second baseman, a slapper. She led our team in on-base percentage and was top three in batting average. She has not decided if playing ball is what she wants to do. She may just go to college for the education.” Maka hit the season’s only home run in the 7-6 loss to Woods Cross. In three years, she batted .406 and hit 10 home runs. In 2019, the Warriors advanced with one win in the state tournament. Hymas said he thought the team had the potential to improve on that performance. “These girls loved each other, and they sure bonded well with all of us coaches,” he Taylorsville’s 2020 girls softball team was able to play one last game and honor their seniors. (Photo courtesy said. “It was great that we could recognize of Taylorsville softball) our seniors. We had a good team.” l
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Page 10 | July 2020
Taylorsville City Journal
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
www.taylorsvilleut.gov
July 2020
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400
MAYOR'S MESSAGE Dear Friends and Neighbors, Like you, I find myself bracing against the recent challenges. Without a doubt, these times have brought with them difficulty and uncertainty. But I have also found myself pleasantly surprised. Recent trials have sparked a creativity and inMayor Kristie S. Overson genuity across our community that I was not expecting and yet appreciate more than I can describe. Throughout it all, our community has found unique ways to come together while staying apart. This past month, for instance, we were able to watch the Taylorsville Dayzz Fireworks Extravaganza from the comfort of our own homes or individually from other safe vantage points in our city. The Taylorsville Dayzz Committee grappled with holding any events at all amid gathering restrictions aimed at limiting spread of the novel coronavirus. They first thought they might be able to hold a very abbreviated evening of events, providing the state was moved to the “green phase” in its fight against the virus. But when that did not happen, committee members were saddened at the possibility they would have to cancel altogether. Then, residents commented, asking if they could at least put on the fireworks show for the community to watch from their homes. “We need a little joy and happiness right now,” one resident said. Committee members listened and worked out a way to launch the fireworks higher and eliminate those shot closer to the ground so that they could be seen across the city. Valley Regional Park was closed that night to discourage crowds, and we were asked to Stay Home, Look Up to see the fireworks light up the night sky. Another unique event this past month was the city’s first-ever Selfie Contest, which was organized by City Council Chair Meredith Harker and the Parks and Recreation Committee as a way to hold a community-wide event amid coronavirus gathering limits. Residents seized the opportunity to have a little fun and take pictures at landmarks throughout the city. See some of the delightful selfies on Page 6. The Taylorsville Arts Council also has planned several innovative activities, from last month’s Sidewalk Art Contest to the upcoming “COVID-19 Song” and Lego Art contests (see details on Page 2). The Taylorsville Dayzz 5K became a Virtual Run, and we enjoyed a smaller, casual Awards Lunch outside of City Hall over the lunch-hour instead of the traditional Awards Banquet held for the past 23 years (read more on Page 3). I know there are many, many more ways our community has met these challenges with creativity, and I am grateful. There is no place I would rather be in a storm than our Taylorsville home. –Mayor Kristie S. Overson
WHAT’S INSIDE – JULY 2020 Frequently Called Numbers, Page 2 Council Corner, Page 3 Public Safety, Page 4 Heritage Remembrances, Page 7 Environment, Page 8
City Leaders Check in on Area Businesses Affected by the Cornavirus
Taylorsville stores, shops and restaurants are open and ready to do business. As the novel coronavirus poses less of a risk to most people, Taylorsville businesses are doing their best to recover and move forward. While still taking precautions such as wearing protective masks and practicing social distancing, they want residents to know their wares and services are available. To show their support, Mayor Kristie Overson, City Council Chair Meredith Harker and Youth Mayor Kyndra Burnett spent a recent Friday morning, visiting about a dozen businesses across the city. "We want you to know how much we appreciate you and all you are doing for our community," Mayor Overson told business managers. "Thank you for staying open and pressing forward." "We love our businesses," echoed Council Chair Harker. "It has been a difficult time but they have persevered. I wish for every success for our businesses and that all of them will stay open." The city leaders inquired of each manager about how they have been doing and how the city can help. While all of the managers and owners expressed appreciation for the visits and concern, the effect of the pandemic has varied for each. Some of the managers said business is picking up. Others described their struggle and the hardship the virus has cre-
ated, yet their hope for the future. Still others said as customers are returning, they have found themselves very busy. "We want to encourage all of our residents to continue to support our businesses," Mayor Overson said. "It is so important that all of us shop local at this time." In addition to visiting with the business managers, the city leaders dropped off about 100 protective masks for the businesses to give to their employees or customers. The city has purchased 1,000 cloth masks from Taylorsville
BUSINESS CHECK CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
PAGE 2
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
Enjoy a Night Out at the Movies Two Movies in the Park nights are planned on the west lawn at City Hall this summer. They are: July 18 — Live Action Aladdin Aug. 8 — Movie TBA. Look for details on our Facebook page @TaylorsvilleCity The movies start at dusk (around 9 p.m.) Also, remember to practice social distancing. We will be taping off areas on the grass where families can sit 6 feet apart.
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EVENTS JULY 2020 July 1 – 6:30 p.m. City Council Meeting @ City Hall and online. Watch a live-stream of the meeting on the city’s website, www.taylorsvilleut.gov
July 3 – all day Independence Day observed. City Offices are closed.
July 4 – all day Independence Day.
July 14 – 7 p.m. & July 28 – 6 p.m. Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall.
Through July 18 Create a COVID-Song. It’s a contest by the Taylorsville Arts Council. See accompanying article for details.
July 18 – dusk Movies in the Park @ City Hall. Showing is Live Action Aladdin.
July 24 – all day Pioneer Day. City Offices are closed in observance.
July 29 – 6 p.m. Let’s Talk Taylorsville @ City Hall. Meet with your elected city representative in a less formal setting.
Show Off Your Art with Unique Events This Month and Next Express your creativity with a couple of unique events the Taylorsville Arts Council has planned for July and August. They are: July — Create a “COVID-19 Song” It can be your own music or make up new lyrics to an existing song. Send the Council your performance in an email to Susan Holman at holman.bruce@outlook.com by July 18 to be judged. August — Lego Art This is a great opportunity to show off your lego-building technique. Send the Arts Council an e-mail to holman.bruce@ outlook.com with a picture of your sculpture by Aug. 22 to be judged. All winners will win a $30 cash award, and there will be three categories of winners: Children
11 and younger
Youth
12-18
Adults
19 and over
Winners will be announced on the city’s web page and the Arts Council Facebook page. Your art will be posted in the Taylorsville Journal and on the Council’s Facebook page and city’s website. If you have any questions, please call Susan Holman 801-966-8376.
July 2020
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
PAGE 3
COUNCIL CORNER Count This Year’s July Holidays as Ones for the History Books By Council Member Brad Christopherson July usually means big celebrations with big crowds. Grand fireworks shows, parades, concerts and performances, food booths and picnics. This year, of course, the festivities will be much smaller as we continue to work at limiting the spread of the novel coronavirus in keeping our communities — including neighbors, friends and loved ones — safe and healthy. The Fourth of July fireworks won’t happen as they have in the past and the Pioneer Day events have been postponed to next year. But that doesn’t mean these summer holidays are any less important. Perhaps, smaller might even be better. It may give us time to reflect in quieter ways on why these days are meaningful and the number of sacrifices they honor. On the Fourth of July, we mark our independence and birth of the United States of America as a nation. The Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. They had been working on it for a couple of days after the draft was submitted on July 2 and finally agreed on all of the edits and changes, according to Oak Hill Publishing which prints facts about the U.S. Constitution. July 4, 1776, became the date that was included on the Declaration of Independence that is now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Interestingly, however, it wasn’t until more than 40 years later that the day was celebrated. After the War of 1812, printed copies of the Declaration of Independence began to circulate again, all with the date July 4, 1776,
listed at the top. The deaths of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams on July 4, 1826, also may have helped to promote the idea of July Fourth as an important date to be celebrated. Celebrations of the Fourth of July became more common as the years went on and in 1870, almost 100 years after the Declaration of Independence was written, Congress first declared July 4 to be a national holiday as part of a bill to officially recognize several holidays. This month, we also celebrate our own state origins with Pioneer Day on July 24. The day commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, where they settled after being forced from Nauvoo, Illinois, and other locations in the eastern United States. “Determined to settle in an isolated region, the pioneers made their way across the plains and over the Rocky Mountains to Utah,” according to the Library of Congress. “They lost many of their party to disease during the winter months. By the time they reached Utah, the desolate valley was a welcome sight. Potatoes and turnips were soon planted, and a dam was built. With solemn ceremonies, the settlers consecrated the two-square-mile city, and sent back word that the ‘promised land’ had been found. By the end of 1847, nearly 2,000 Mormons had settled in the Salt Lake Valley.” The Utah holiday has been celebrated in many ways, including large statewide Days of ’47 activities as well as community events, from games and music to parades and rodeos. Some even mark the day with “pie
Left to right: Curt Cochran (District 2) Ernest Burgess (District 1) Dan Armstrong, (District 5) Meredith Harker, Chair (District 4) Brad Christopherson, Vice Chair (District 3) and beer.” Regardless the tradition, it is a day to celebrate our roots and history and all those who make up our state today. We anticipate that this year’s holidays also will be noted in the history books, as part of an unusual time that we all are part of and now share. Together, we mark our past origins and strive to define the future.
Employees, Partners Honored at Casual Awards Ceremony The City of Taylorsville held a scaled-back awards ceremony outdoors at City Hall this year to honor employees and partnering agencies. The city has held an Awards Banquet every year for 23 years. But this year, of course, the coronavirus pandemic complicated efforts. Because of gathering restrictions, the city was unable to hold its traditional evening banquet and officials thought about calling off the ceremony altogether. "We still very much wanted to recognize the outstanding work of our employees," said Mayor Kristie Overson. "They are so deserving of this honor, perhaps now more than ever with the difficulties presented by the pandemic and recent earthquake that rattled our community." So city leaders decided to hold a small event outdoors at City Hall during the lunch hour on May 28. The outdoor setting allowed employees to spread out and limit close contact. Families did not attend this year, and half as many awards were presented. Instead, this year, it was a casual affair where employees brought their own folding chairs and canopies to gather on the grassy area behind the city office building. Local rock band De Novo, whose lead singer is City Attorney Tracy Cowdell, played a few songs and a food truck served up lunch. Mayor Overson also had printed
baseball T-shirts for Taylorsville employees, picturing a smiling house with a crack running down its side and the message, "I survived COVID-19 and the Utah Earthquake." On the back of the T-shirt were the words "Team Taylorsville" and the number 20, signifying the year 2020 when many planned projects in the city — including the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, Bus Rapid Transit line, new Bangerter Highway interchanges, the opening of a new Target store and other shopping centers and restaurants, and temple by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — are coming to fruition or getting under way.
"While we would prefer to gather together as we normally do, it was good to share some moments of happiness and camaraderie," said Mayor Overson. "There truly is none better than Team Taylorsville." She commended employees for their work to serve the community and rise to every occasion. "Our employees and partners have met every challenge with compassion for others, a willingness to help and a desire to serve and lift our community in any way they can. We are so grateful." In addition to the awards, Mayor Overson gave flowers to City Receptionist MarRae Boyer, who has worked for the city for 20 years. "MarRae is simply amazing," Mayor Overson said. "She keeps things running. She answers all the questions, and she is always smiling and friendly. We can't thank her enough." Those receiving official honors were the following. Brandon Boshard - Firefighter Award of Excellence Orin Neal - Police Department Award of Excellence Donny Gasu - Employee Award of Excellence Stephanie Snow - Employee Award of Excellence Go to www.taylorsvilleut.gov to see each of their pictures and details about their work.
PAGE 4
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
Utah Continues to Confront the Coronavirus Most of Utah, including Taylorsville, remained in the “yellow phase” in its fight against the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, meaning the virus generally poses a low risk to most people. Residents were encouraged to continue to practice social distancing and wear protective face coverings. The designation was put in place on June 12 by Gov. Gary Herbert in consultation with local health authorities and with the Utah Department of Health, and it remained in effect through June 26. At that time, the state was expected to reassess whether to keep most areas of the state at yellow or move them to green this month. On June 19, the governor issued an Executive Order moving Beaver, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Millard, Piute, Uintah and Wayne counties, in addition to Kane County, to the “green,” new normal health risk status. Bluff and Mexican Hat were moved earlier to “yellow,” while Salt Lake City remained in the “orange,” moderate-risk phase. Along with these changes the governor adopted updated guidelines for areas in the low and new
normal health risk designation. Residents were asked to limit social interactions to groups of 50 or fewer, and follow strict hygiene standards, including: • Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds • Use hand sanitizer frequently • Avoid touching your face • Cover coughs or sneezes (e.g. into a tissue, sleeve, or elbow; not hands) • Regularly clean high-touch surfaces (e.g. door handles, counters, light switches, remote controls, restroom surfaces) Cultural events and activities will now be allowed in areas that are in the yellow designation. Such gatherings in indoor venues will be allowed for up to 3,000 attendees, and outdoor venues will be able to host up to 6,000 attendees. "It gives us a pause," Herbert said. “All of us need to work together the best we can."
Remember Social Distancing and Fireworks Safety this Summer By UFA Capt. Richard Rich Summer is here and it’s a time of celebration. Communities are starting to open up, and family and friends are beginning to gather again. Still, this is not the time to let our guard down. With these family gatherings, social distancing should still be in our forethought, especially when these gatherings include members from outside our own homes. As for the celebrations, summer is usually full of them from the many town days, Independence Day and our very own Pioneer Day. These celebrations include the always popular fireworks displays. Unfortunately, many of the large-scale professional fireworks have been canceled this summer due to COVID-19, and the Fire Department’s usual advice to leave the fireworks to the professionals just doesn’t fit well this year. Thankfully, there will still be a few shows available in modified formats. Our fabulous Taylorsville Dayzz Committee was able to adjust the format of our very popular Fireworks Extravaganza so it could go forward this past month. If you choose to use legal fireworks at home, remember to never allow young children to handle fireworks, supervise older children, soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding, keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don't go off or in case of fire, and never use illegal fireworks. Also, be especially careful of sparklers. Twenty-five percent of the ER visits are children under age 5, and sparklers are a major contributing factor during this time of year. Additionally, according to the National Safety Council, in 2017 (the most recent statistics), eight people died and more than 12,000 were injured badly enough to require a visit to the hospital as a result of fireworks. And, fireworks start on average 18,500 fires each year. We are not immune to these national statistics. During the weeks surrounding July Fourth and July 24, we see a remarkable increase in the number of small outside fires as a result of fireworks. This year is expected to be no different and, in fact, it could be more dangerous due to dry and windy weather patterns coupled with an expected increase of home displays. So, as always, thank you for paying attention to these matters and stay safe!
Taylorsville Precinct Recognized by Unified Police Department The Taylorsville Police Precinct was recognized by the Unified Police Department with 15 awards for their excellent work and service. Mayor Kristie Overson noted the recognitions during the May 20 City Council meeting. The awards usually are presented at UPD’s annual banquet hosted by Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera but because of coronavirus gathering restrictions, the agency was unable to hold its traditional awards night this year. “It's really an honor to be at that banquet and see our UPD officers and hear what they've done,” Mayor Overson said. “Their efforts are remarkable in regard to public safety and keeping us safe in our city and throughout the county.” Those honored in the Taylorsville Precinct this year were: • Det. Scott Lloyd – Medal of Distinction • Sgt. Rich Wilson, Officer Nicholas Labuda, Sgt. Brett Miller, Det. Kresdon Bennett, Det. Orrin Neal, Det. Jason Albrecht – Sheriff ’s Star • Officer Nate Clark – Law Enforcement Officer of the Year • Officer Elayne Franco, Det. Orrin Neal, Det. Kresdon Bennett – Chief’s Award • Sgt. Aaron Lavin – Distinguished Unit Citation Award: Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) • Det. Elayne Franco – Distinguished Unit Award • Officer Daniel Christensen and Officer Herbert Allen – Team Citation Award “It needs to be said what a great precinct we have,” Mayor Overson said. “The fine, dedicated officers working there are deserving of every honor, and I am so happy to share this good news with you.”
July 2020
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
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BUSINESS CHECK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 resident Anna Barbieri, who is using her business to make 25,000 hospital gowns and 1,500 caps for health care workers. Normally, her business, White Elegance, makes dresses for baptisms, weddings or communions. The purchased masks were first distributed to city employees and their families. The city also received a donation of 120 masks from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. "We have enough to make sure that our businesses have what they need to open up," Mayor Overson said. "As you know, we’re concerned about our businesses large and small, and we really appreciate the generosity of all of those who are making masks." Mayor Overson also sent a letter to area church leaders, offering to give them some of the masks if needed for members of their congregations who may not have one. “We know that many churches and religious organizations are gradually returning to holding services,” she wrote. “Of course, those over age 65 and with pre-existing health conditions must continue to take extra precautions, and the wearing of protective masks and social distancing is still highly encouraged. We know that the health and safety of your congregations is of foremost concern at this time.” During their visit to the Mr. Mac clothing store at the Crossroads of Taylorsville shopping center, manager Scott Christensen said their suit manufacturer is also making masks, which the store is selling to customers at cost. "We are trying to keep them and us safe," Christensen said. The masks are high quality and can be washed up to 30 times. They are sold in packages of two, in light blue and white. Many customers are personalizing them but adding their own decals. See more pictures from the leaders’ visit to area businesses at www.taylorsvilleut.gov
Salt Lake County Announces New Grant Program at Carriage Square Salt Lake County officials visited Carriage Square in Taylorsville to announce a new $40 million grant program to assist small businesses in the county. The financial aid will help business owners most directly impacted by COVID-19 public health orders and subsequent closures. The Small Business Impact Grant program is funded through the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act, and individual businesses can receive up to $35,000. It is expected to benefit more than 1,100 small businesses and their employees, and the money does not need to be repaid. "We know it's been a rough, rough time," said Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson at a press conference held June 11 at Carriage Square, as several business
owners and employees from the shopping center in Taylorsville gathered behind her. "The federal government has granted a significant amount of money, and we are pleased that Salt Lake County can give these grants to small businesses." To be eligible, businesses must be based in Salt Lake County, employ fewer than 100 people, and not have already received federal, state or local COVID-19 financial aid. The business must also be a primary industry impacted directly by the public health order closures, such as restaurants and food services, salons, barber shops, gyms, yoga salons, private swimming pools, tattoo and piercing studios, arts and entertainment, and independent artists and performers. "These grants will greatly help our small businesses," said Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson, who gathered with Mayor Wilson at the press conference. "We are grateful that Salt Lake County officials are providing this assistance, and that they chose Carriage Square as the place to announce this new program. "Carriage Square is filled with fun shops, stores and restaurants that are locally owned," Mayor Overson added. "They are a vibrant part of our Taylorsville home, and we want to keep them all open and operating at full strength. We know how hard the pandemic has been on them and we commend them for their resilience and determination. We can't thank them enough for their contributions to our community." For its part, the City of Taylorsville is currently working with property owners in Carriage Square in developing a revitalization plan for the shopping center, including potential improvements to the parking lot, signage, new building facades, and added public spaces such as sidewalk cafés or a plaza. The goal is to make it a destination place to shop and eat, gather and simply enjoy some time.
Business owners in Carriage Square said the assistance will keep them afloat. “I want to continue because I love what I do. I like to meet people and make them feel right about themselves, that’s my happiness,” Violet Campos, owner of Luna Moon Salon and Barbershop in Taylorsville, told The Salt Lake Tribune. KUTV and the Deseret News also covered the press conference. Mayor Wilson said the county is focused on ensuring businesses most directly affected have hope and are supported. "With these funds, we have a deep commitment to help a multitude of small businesses in Salt Lake County." See additional information, including how to apply for the grant, and more pictures from the announcement at www.taylorsvilleut.gov
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| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
Residents Participate in City's First Selfie Contest Dozens of fun pictures were submitted to the city’s first-ever Selfie Contest, put on this year as a way to hold a community-wide event amid coronavirus gathering restrictions. Residents seized the opportunity to take pictures of themselves or their families at a number of landmarks throughout the city. They were asked to email pictures taken from at least five of the 10 listed contest sites in return for a package of Taylorsville swag that was awarded to them as a prize. The contest, which ended June 15, was sponsored by City Council Chair Meredith Harker and the Taylorsville Parks and Recreation Committee. Several of the pictures were posted online with the hashtag #TvilleSelfies.
July 2020
Taylorsville Bennion Heritage REMEMBRANCES Pearl Nichols was born July 16, 1901, and was raised and lived all her life in Bennion, Utah. At age 19, she married William Port Player in September 1920. He was a widower left with three children after his first wife died in childbirth. At that time, William had a severe case of diabetes and was not expected to live long, but Pearl married him anyway. They had a daughter before William died two years after their marriage. Pearl moved back to her parents’ home with the three orphaned children and her own daughter. Thomas Orren (Orr) Labrum was living not far from Pearl. He had lost his wife, leaving seven children for him to raise; the oldest was 14 years old. Eventually, Orr Labrum and Pearl Nichols Player met and married in 1925. Pearl took on two of William’s children, her own daughter and Orr’s seven children, for a total of 10 children to mother and care for. When Pearl married Orr, she was just 24 years old. Orr and Pearl together had five children of their own. They lived on the corner of Redwood Road and 5400 South where Harmon’s grocery store now stands. Orr was a farmer and also became the fourth bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Bennion Ward, three years after they married. Pearl was an excellent seamstress, and she remodeled and remade clothing for her large family. She baked eight loaves of bread each day and was a very good cook. She worked hard inside and outside her home, hauling water to the workers in the field and fixing noon meals for her family and the workers. Even with all those chores over the years, Pearl served in her church’s Relief Society, Primary, and as president of the youth organization for girls, then called YWMIA. Orr Labrum passed away in his field in 1950; they had just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Pearl was an amazing woman, selfless and giving. She raised healthy, honest, upstanding children, leaders in the community and their church. She died in March 1969, at age 68.
2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 |
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TAYLORSVILLE SENIOR CENTER 4743 Plymouth View Drive
Senior Center Implements Weekend Lunch Program Until further notice, Taylorsville Senior Center will remain closed during the COVID-19 opening phases; however, the Taylorsville Senior Center meal program will still be available from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in a drive-thru fashion. For questions or to reserve a meal for the following day, please call the Taylorsville Senior Center by 3 p.m. at 385-468-3370. Also, Taylorville Senior Center recently implemented a weekend lunch program. Please call the center by Thursday each week if you would like to pick up two weekend meals on Friday. Please check out the Senior Center’s website, Facebook page, and sign up for their email blast to receive current updates: www.slco.org/taylorsville-senior-center
Arrange to Pick Up Your Library Books Curbside The Taylorsville Library is closed to the public, but you can use the book drops to return materials and check out books with the County Library’s new Curbside Holds Pickups. Patrons can arrange for curbside delivery of materials placed on hold, by reserving a pick-up time at any library branches online. You can still place holds on the library’s physical collection while buildings are closed by searching the catalog and adding titles to your holds list. To do this, visit www.thecountylibrary.org and select "Place a Hold" to add the title to your holds list. Once the item has been transferred to the branch you select, you’ll receive a notification letting you know it’s available for pick up. Then, book an appointment to pick up your materials from your branch. Curbside pickup appointments are available: • Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Friday and Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Curbside service has been set up to be as contactless as possible. Library staff will wear face coverings, maintain 6 feet of physical distance and maintain a heightened cleaning and disinfecting schedule to ensure safety. All Salt Lake County residents are encouraged to do the same when visiting branches. Also, don't forget about the Library’s Summer Reading Challenge. You could earn a free book this summer by participating in the summer reading challenge. Visit www.thecountylibrary.org/ summer for all the details.
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| www.taylorsvilleut.gov
City of Taylorsville Newsletter
Continuous Flow? Take the Time to Repair Leaks JULY WFWRD UPDATES INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC BAG FREE DAY
Is your landscape sprinkler stop-and-waste valve or sprinkler valves leaking? Does your toilet tank continue to fill time after time? Is the kitchen sink doing that drip, drip, drip thing? If you received a notice in the message box on your bill it means the water meter has registered a continuous flow of water to your property for more than 15 consecutive days. This may indicate a leak in your system, small or large, that is increasing your usage. Take the time this summer to find and repair any leaks in your plumbing system, which will help you save water and money. If you have any questions regarding this article, please contact the Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District at 801-968-9081, or visit its Continuous Flow website page at www.tbid.org for additional information. QUESTIONS? Please contact Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District by calling 801-968-9081 or visiting www.tbid.org. You can also follow the district on Facebook and Twitter.
On July 3, Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District will join other organizations around the world in support of International Plastic Bag Free Day (www. plasticbagfreeday.org). There are a lot of good ways to celebrate, and the easiest requires a simple resolution from each individual. Even if just for one day, choose paper over plastic; or even better, bring your own bags to the retailers to pick up your goods. Some stores even offer discounts or other perks for the customers who bring their own.
FIREWORKS DISPOSAL The summer holidays are quickly approaching. Fireworks and barbecues are common ways to celebrate. The district reminds all residents that fireworks and fire pit/barbecue ashes must be completely cooled before placing them in the waste cans. Smoldering fireworks or embers will melt the can and create a larger fire hazard.
NEW MOBILE APPLICATION FOR WFWRD CUSTOMERS WFWRD has launched a free mobile app for its residents. It can be found by searching for “Wasatch Front Waste” on the Apple or Android app stores, and it is available in both English and Spanish. The app includes a “Recycle Right” lookup tool to find out if a material can be reused, recycled, composted or landfilled. It also provides a scheduling tool for residents to confirm their collection day, and it provides an option for customized reminders for their collection days.
Is Utah’s new high school playoff format working? By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com
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his year, the Utah High School Activities Association changed the way it runs state tournaments. First, it began allowing all teams to participate in the state tournament. Second, it began seeding the tournament based on a formula, the Ratings Percentage Index, or RPI, rather than on how a team finished in its region.
Why did UHSAA make these changes? Contrary to some Facebook commenters, it wasn’t for the purpose of giving every team a “participation trophy” in the form of a state tournament invite. The actual reason was to create a more competitive state tournament, as counterintuitive as that may seem. The question is, were they successful? Unbalanced Regions Prior to these changes, a team had to finish in the top four of their six-school region to make the state tournament. This meant that in certain deeper regions, a talented team with the potential to go far in the tournament wouldn’t even get a chance. On the flip side, the runner-up or even the winner of a weaker region might be bounced in the first round. Seeding the tournament based on region rankings sometimes led to anticlimactic tournaments in which the best two teams happened to meet in the quarter or semifinals, rather than the finals. The idea is that separating tournament qualification and seeding from region finish should ensure that the best teams make it into the tournament and are also seeded by how good they are, rather than geography. A perfect example of this would be this year’s Lone Peak boys basketball team. The Knights finished fifth in the very competitive Region 4 standings (only two games separated the second
TaylorsvilleJ ournal.com
place team from the fifth place team). In previous years, they would have been left out of the playoffs. However, the RPI formula (which considers a team’s record, its strength of schedule and its opponents strength of schedule) rated them the 12th best team in the 6A classification. They turned out to be even better than that, as they made it all the way to the semifinals where they lost by two to the No. 1 seed Davis. The difference between being left out of the tournament completely and being a basket away from the championship game was a change in tournament rules. Similarly in 5A, Provo High’s boys basketball team finished second-to-last in its eight-team region. However, they made it to the quarterfinals of the state tournament where they also lost by just one basket to Farmington (who themselves lost by one basket to the eventual champions). While Provo and Lone Peak show how the new format can work well, they were the exceptions this year. The vast majority of teams who finished in the bottom of their region didn’t do much at their respective state tournaments. In 5A football, the eight teams who finished in the bottom two of their regions went a combined 0-7 and were outscored by a combined total of 78 to 305 in the first round of the playoffs. The eighth team, Cottonwood High, declined their invitation to the playoffs after an 0-10 season in which they were outscored by a combined total of 579-13. Similarly in 5A girls soccer, the bottom two teams from each region all failed to advance past the first round and were outscored by a total of 2 to 38. These examples might lead some to question why weaker teams are being subjected to humiliating blowout losses for their final game of the season. One side effect of this change is that it makes region realignment a little easier. Under the previous rules, you wouldn’t want the six best schools to be in a region together, even if that’s what made the most sense geographically, because it would mean two of those six teams would be punished each year just for being in a better region. Now, UHSAA can form regions that make more sense geographically without having to worry as much about competitive repercussions. Competitiveness UHSAA Assistant Director Jon Oglesby told the Standard-Examiner before this year that “the goal of the RPI is to create a more competitive state tournament, which some coaches believe will be accomplished.” As previously noted, many of the lower-seeded teams experienced some pretty
lopsided losses in the first rounds of state tournaments this year, but that’s bound to happen in any tournament that seeds the best teams against the worst teams in the first round. But does the different seeding strategy result in more competitive games later on in the tournament? To try to answer that question, the City Journals looked at the scores of all the games in the boys and girls state basketball tournaments for both the 5A and 6A classifications comparing the average margin of victory (both by round and throughout the tournament as a whole) to last year’s tournament to see if there was a noticeable difference. On the boys side, there was almost no change at all. In 5A, the average margin of victory throughout the 2019 tourna-
ment. But because every team goes to the tournament now, Lone Peak still got to go and got seeded as the 20th best team, even though they were in fact much better than that. That was bad news for their first round opponent, No. 13th-seeded Riverton. Through no fault of their own, Riverton had to play a much better team in the first round than they should have and subsequently lost 37-8. Region races – Many coaches have bemoaned the fact that winning one’s region doesn’t matter as much anymore. It’s not a guarantee that a region winner will be seeded higher by the RPI system than the region’s runner-up, which is critical when considering that first-round byes are awarded to the three to five highest-rated teams.
The average margin of victory in the state basketball tournament from the first round through semifinals. (Graphic by Justin Adams/City Journals)
ment was 10.7 points. In 2020, the exact same. At the 6A level, the average margin of victory actually increased from 12.5 to 12.7 points. However, there may be some evidence that the seeding resulted in better matchups toward the end of the tournaments. In 6A, the average margin of victory during the semifinal round dropped from 9.5 to 4 points, while in 5A, it dropped from 8 to 2 points. (Granted, this is a small sample size of just two games per classification. We will have to wait for future years to say whether or not the new system consistently produces more competitive games in the late stages of the state tournament.) On the girls side, there was a little more evidence of increased competitive balance throughout the competition. In 6A, the average margin of victory throughout the tournament dropped from 20.5 to 18.5 points, while 5A dropped from 15.1 to 12.2 points. Quirks The new playoff format has introduced a few quirks that may or may not have been anticipated by UHSAA. Lone Peak sanctions – This fall the Lone Peak football team had five of its wins vacated due to a sanction. Under previous rules, that would have meant they would likely miss the state tourna-
Region rematches – The previous state tournament purposefully placed teams from the same region on opposite sides of the bracket. Now, with seeding being untied from region alignment, you get instances like the Timpanogos football team losing its regular season finale to region foe Timpview by a score of 52-23, only to then get matched up with them again in the first round of the state playoffs, losing by a similar score just one week later. l
July 2020 | Page 19
State Legislators and Salt Lake County leaders step up to improve mental health
Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Council | District 3
The worldwide pandemic and resulting quarantine has highlighted many of the areas in society where we can improve. Since mid-March, calls to domestic violence hotlines, the suicide hotline, and substance abuse hotlines have increased. Now more than ever we need access to good behavioral health services. Oftentimes we see law enforcement on the front lines of these battles. When an officer picks up someone who is in need of behavioral health services, they take them to the emergency room or the jail. Neither one is the best place for someone to get long-term mental health care or substance abuse help, and they are both expensive options. Salt Lake County has been on the leading edge of this work. As we’ve explored best practices in other states, we recognize that a receiving center dedicated to behavioral health is the least expensive and gives the best outcomes for our residents. Last year I had the opportunity to travel to Arizona as a member of the state’s mental health cri-
sis commission. We toured their receiving center and saw their comprehensive crisis services. Our commission and Salt Lake County supported a legislative appropriation to fund a receiving center pilot project in areas throughout the state. It passed! Salt Lake County stepped up to also partner with resources, and we are hoping to move forward with a receiving center in the near future, as long as the funds remain after the upcoming legislative budget cuts. (So tell your legislator to keep HB 32 funded!) In Salt Lake County we already have an incredible crisis line to take calls and texts 24/7, that number is 801-587-3000. We also pay to dispatch a Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) to those who are in crisis, recognizing law enforcement can’t be expected to be all things to all people. But we have a gap in treatment services. A receiving center will offer medical and psychiatric triage, clinical assessment, peer support, discharge planning, connection to community resources, and
referral services to treatment programs including in-patient care, medical care, and detox. Having a receiving center is a more cost-effective way to treat patients and takes the pressure off of emergency rooms and jails - which are currently the only options. It will create savings across the county in hospitals, law enforcement agencies, the county jail, and the court system. It will also save the state money as receiving center Medicaid bills will be less expensive than an emergency room visit. Behavioral health is a top priority and I’m hopeful we will see some meaningful improvements to the existing system which will give real help to those suffering, save tax dollars in the long run, and lighten the burden in jails, emergency rooms, and with law enforcement.
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Call Replenish Landscape Garden Products at (801) 262-5142
Twenty-five years is an important milestone for any business. In fact, only 20 percent of all businesses will survive to see their 20th anniversary. At Replenish, we believe our business model of providing top quality landscape materials, at a fair price, together with exceptional customer service, has provided the foundation of our success for these 25 years.
Page 20 | July 2020
Beautiful gardens, lawns, and landscapes all start with the foundation of quality, nutrient-rich soil. While that is easy to say, it is much more complicated to sort through the numerous companies that all claim to sell the best. Whether you are starting a new flower garden, or growing your own fruits and vegetables, Replenish Landscape Garden Products is here to help make your gardening goals a reality. Replenish (the compost) and Replenish the Earth Products (the company) were created by Connie Cannon in 1994 in the driveway of her home. She wanted to create a compost/mulch that would be high in nutrients, low in salts, as well as dark and rich in appearance. After seeking counsel from Peter Lassig, who had been the head landscape architect at Temple Square for over 40 years, she came up with the superior formula and blend for Replenish Compost. Mixing it together in her driveway, she would have her children put the compost in bags and sell it in their neighborhood. “Whether you are picking up material at our yard, or having us deliver or install material in your yard, the service is always outstanding and to your satisfaction. As our cus-
tomer, we have your best interest in mind,” said Mike Nitz, the current co-owner. The Cannons sold the company 10 years later to the current owners, Mike Nitz and Greg Bettinson. After purchasing the company in 2004, Mike and Greg gave it a new name – Replenish Landscape Garden Products – to better describe what the business was all about. They also moved the business from West Valley City to its current location in Murray, at 4660 S. 200 West. Over the past 15 years, they have grown the business by expanding the variety of landscape materials offered and expanding their customer base to cover the entire Wasatch Front. “There are a number of options when it comes to landscape materials, but they are not all created equal,” explained Greg. “We believe that in Replenish Compost we have the finest and most versatile compost available, period. To complement our signature Replenish Compost product, we have made it our focus to develop, or find, the very best soil blends, barks, mulches and materials available in the industry. Quality is what we sell.” Any of Replenish’s products can be picked up at their Murray yard, in either bulk
“Make your garden and yard work a successful, rewarding, and enjoyable experience.” or bag. They also deliver in bag, bulk, or in the 1-cubic-yard Super Big Bag, to homes and businesses from Brigham City to Price. One of the unique services Replenish offers is their “Blower Truck” service. With this truck they have the ability to install through a hose any of their products (except the rock and sand) directly into gardens, lawns or playgrounds. Make your garden and yard work a successful, rewarding, and enjoyable experience. Call Replenish Landscape Garden Products at (801) 262-5142 for any question you might have or for a free quote. l
Taylorsville City Journal
Reflection poems a winning art for this 12-year-old student By Kathryn Elizabeth Jones | k.jones@mycityjournals.com
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oshua Johnson, 12, knows a thing or two about poetry. His poetry has won the Reflections contest the past three years in a row, which is some feat. “To win at the national level, you have to first win at your school level, then the council
level, then the region level and then the state level,” said his mother, Carrie Johnson. Joshua, who has just finished sixth grade in an advanced learning program, has continued to excel in what he said is an opportunity to “tell a short story in a clever, captivating way.” “I enjoy writing poems and short stories because I love to read,” he said. “I enjoy feeling like I am part of a story.” Sure, there’s a lot of preparation in writing a poem, but Joshua doesn’t really “focus on putting out a great poem.” He is more interested in telling “a great story and creat[ing] a connection based on the emotions he is trying to convey that the reader can relate to.” “You’ll often hear him talking out loud while he is writing as he tests out alliterations, works through metaphor or just wants to hear the flow of the story he is trying to create,” Johnson said. No one else in the family enjoys writing poetry, she said, but everyone loves to read. The family “spends[s] a lot of time talking about words, books and telling stories. His third grade teacher, Mrs. Jennings, encouraged his interest in writing. She gave him a school dictionary and a pile of old books Joshua and his grandmother. (Photo courtesy Carrie from her classroom as a gift at the end of the Johnson) school year.”
This year, Joshua was prompted by his current teacher to use details in his poetry to “help create the picture in a reader’s mind,” Carrie said. “So, he tries to include little details that make the words come to life.” Joshua’s first winning poem is titled, “Creation Within Reach,” written about his grandpa who needed a kidney transplant. The second, “Heroes Around Me,” is about the heroes he sees at school. The third, this year’s theme of “Look Within” and titled “I Look Within to Remember You,” is a poem about his 89-year-old grandmother and his feelings about “his fear of forgetting her after she passes,” Johnson said. “The poem about my grandma took me about one week to create,” Joshua said. “I worked on it at school during my free time and after school for a few hours each day and made changes and additions to each draft.” Johnson said her son might come across as “introverted at first, but once you get to know him you discover his witty and clever personality.” He is particularly kind and calm, and in writing he is “extremely focused but also playful.” Because of COVID-19, the Reflections awards ceremony was virtual, but Joshua was excited to receive this year’s award from Utah’s PTA administrator representative, Dr. Martin Bates, and State PTA President Laney Benedict.
CELEBRATING
Joshua Johnson wins this year’s Reflections poetry award for the third time. (Photo courtesy Carrie Johnson)
Though still young, Joshua has an interest in medicine and in becoming a pediatrician or surgeon, Johnson said. But whatever he does, she is “confident reading and writing will be involved.” l
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What’s your legacy?
Dog and cat adoptions all the rage at the WVC-Taylorsville Animal Shelter By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com
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here’s no two ways about it, the West Valley City-Taylorsville Animal Services Shelter (4522 West 3500 South) is often bucking the trend, zigging when others are zagging, as it were. About a year ago, the economy was purring along and life was full of positive news. Taylorsville City Council meetings were never controversial. Well, make that almost never. About that time, one council meeting was filled with 50 or more advocates who were not happy with some of the practices at the animal shelter.
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There are a surprising number of empty dog and cat enclosures at the West Valley City-Taylorsville Animal Services Shelter, thanks to a run on pet adoptions during the pandemic. (Courtesy Maranda Weathermon)
That was about the time Animal Services Director Maranda Weathermon moved from Wyoming to assume her post. She may not have smelled the boiling tar or witnessed the chicken plucking, but somewhere it was happening. However, within weeks Weathermon was turning heads and building community alliances. Soon, the animal activists were on board, city council members were pleased
and it was back to “no pet news is good pet news.” Then along came coronavirus. And now, while virtually every bit of the news we hear is not good, the once-beleaguered animal shelter is making positive headlines. Weathermon and her staff just can’t seem to get in step. Salt Lake television news teams recently reported the innovative ways animal services is continuing to adopt out pets during the pandemic. Using social media and online adoptions, the WVC-Taylorsville shelter has been so successful that it had to scour the entire state and beyond to locate more stray dogs to adopt out. “We took in dogs from the Humane Society, Best Friends Sanctuary in Kanab, even animals from Wendover and Page, Arizona,” Weathermon said. “Our online adoptions were going so well that we were able to help these groups get their animals into homes as well. South Jordan and West Jordan also gave us dogs to adopt out. It has been very successful.” Additionally, the reputation makeover at the animal shelter is also leading to unprecedented donations from the public. During the pandemic lockdown, many people have donated to something the shelter is calling “Operation Food Drop.” “My entire shelter garage was full of dog and cat food, and kitty litter, from hundreds of donors,” Weathermon said. “We started asking for donations when so many people were losing their jobs. People can apply online, and we drop the pet food off on their porch.” Anyone needing a pet food donation should apply at wvcpets.com. WVC-Taylorsville Animal Services now employs 19 people. It needs two more parttime kennel technicians, but a West Valley City hiring freeze during the pandemic has
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Dog and cat food donations have been pouring into the West Valley City-Taylorsville Animal Services Shelter (Courtesy Maranda Weathermon)
Taylorsville City Journal
These short-legged animal beds, called kurandas, keep dogs and cats up off the cement floor. (Courtesy Lynette Wendel)
those hirings on hold. Now, exactly a year into her “new” post, Weathermon believes it is going well. “Both jurisdictions (Taylorsville and West Valley City) are being very receptive to the changes we are implementing,” she said.
“The staff here has been great. They are sharing the vision for what we want to do at the shelter, moving forward. Residents seem to be pleased as well.” Now, what to do with those hardened tubs of tar and bags of feathers? l
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First month of sales tax numbers show uneven impacts of COVID-19 By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com
T
he forced closure of many businesses in the Salt Lake Valley because of COVID-19 precautions was not only a concern for business owners, but also city governments whose monthly revenue is heavily dependent on sales tax distribution. However, there is a two month delay from the time the sales tax is collected to the time it gets deposited into a city’s account. That meant that city leaders around the valley weren’t able to see the initial economic impact of COVID-19 on their city budget until the month of May, when the Utah State Tax Commission released its report for the month of March. The report surprisingly showed that many cities in Salt Lake County saw increases in taxable sales relative to the same month in 2019 meaning people actually spent more money in spite of all the store closures. How could that be? Interestingly, it seems that the smaller a cities’ economy is, the better they have fared so far during the pandemic. Of all the municipalities in Salt Lake County, the nine smallest economies all experienced increases in sales from March 2019 to March 2020. Of the six largest, four experienced decreases (Salt Lake City, Sandy, Draper and Murray). Herriman City, for example, had less taxable sales than any other city in the county in March 2019, with just over $18 million. However, in March 2020, that number grew to $26 million. That’s a growth of 43%, the
highest in the valley. (Of a city’s taxable sales, 1% of the sales tax goes toward local government, with half being allocated based on where the purchase occurred and the rest being allocated to cities based on population. Because of this, the amount of sales tax funds a city receives isn’t exactly proportional to the amount of taxable sales in that city.) So what has caused cities with smaller economies to fare better during the pandemic? Basically, smaller cities have a higher proportion of “essential” businesses. In a smaller and younger city like Herriman, a larger portion of its businesses are things like grocery stores and fast food, which were able to not only stay open, but to even see record sales. Herriman Assistant City Manager Tami Moody told the City Journals that what many consider a weakness of Herriman (it only has fast food and grocery stores) turned out to be a strength during this time. “Herriman obviously has fast food and grocery industry. Those two have actually been the industries that have fared better than most. Fast food is already set up to have a drive-up window. When this all started, people were heading to the grocery store to make sure they had everything they needed,” she said. On the other hand, cities which saw the biggest decreases in taxable sales had a few things in common. One, large shopping malls that were forced to close. With the closures
Cities with smaller economies were more likely to see an increase in their taxable sales this March, relative to their sales from March of 2019.
of The Shops at South Town and Fashion Place Mall, Sandy and Murray saw -5.9% and -16.6% drops in taxable sales. Two, a couple of cities lost sales from the closure of venues for professional sports and other entertainment, such as Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy and the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City. Interestingly though, West Valley City which has both a shopping mall and a major sports/entertainment venue, yet
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was still able to produce more sales tax than it had in 2019. Of course, all these numbers come from March, the first month that the virus began to seriously impact the United States and people bought so much that they literally emptied grocery store shelves. The sales tax report numbers for April and May will likely yield more insights into the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on city budgets. l
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State parks offer social distancing with a view By Joshua Wood | j.wood@mycityjournals.com
U
tah’s State Parks welcomed more visi- itation was on the rise this spring. East Can- more people in April than in years past, acIn Southern Utah, campgrounds in state tors than normal this spring as residents yon, Deer Creek and Willard Bay all saw cording to Swalberg. parks have been full, while day use has also sought a safe escape from COVID-19 quarincreased. Kodachrome Basin State Park antine. With restrictions easing throughout reported full campgrounds in spring once much of the state and people looking for safe county-level restrictions were eased for state ways to get out, officials anticipate that visiparks. The appeal of open spaces has contintation to continue. To keep people safe during ued to attract visitors. peak seasons, officials encourage visitors to “Once you hit the trails, you’ve got room practice responsible recreation in state parks. to spread out and practice social distancing,” “We didn’t close any doors,” said Eusaid Nathan Martinez, park manager at Kogene Swalberg, public information officer dachrome Basin State Park. “I think people with the Utah Division of Parks and Recrewere tired of being cooped up. They wanted ation. “Many of the parks saw greater than to get outside and do some hiking, and this is normal seasonal visitation.” a great place to do your social distancing.” Initial lockdown measures restricted visUtah has 44 state parks and museums itation to Utah State Parks to county residents and over 2,300 campsites. Visitors can hike only in April. Then, as restrictions eased in or bike 324 miles of trails in state parks. The May, park visitation took off. The four state parks reflect the diverse landscape of Utah parks near St. George, for example, all saw and offer visitors the opportunity to get out. higher than normal attendance this spring A list of parks and COVID-related updates even with limitations in place. In fact, some can be found at stateparks.utah.gov. parks had to limit visitors on busy days as For those who journey to the parks, the parks like Quail Creek State Park filled up. Utah Division of Parks and Recreation en“Many reservations were canceled due courages visitors to be safe when visiting. to COVID for a period early on,” Swalberg “The buzz word is responsible recreation,” said. Reservations and day use then increased Swalberg said. “We encourage social disas restrictions eased and people looked for tancing, and for people to not congregate at ways to practice social distancing in the great trailheads, clean up after themselves, and to outdoors. stay home if they’re sick.” l Utah has 44 state parks and museums. (Joshua Wood/City Journals) Even in cooler Northern Utah, park vis-
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Pandemic: How to save money and support the local economy
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The world is a new place, at least for now there is a new normal. Many of us are waiting to see if the new normal will become the normal, or if the old normal will come back. Either way for now we have to live in this pandemic shaped economy. According to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis the personal savings rate hit a historic high of 33%. With the uncertainty of the current situation, and scars from the 2008 recession still fresh, it’s understandable that people would be very hesitant to spend. Not to mention how much toilet paper can one person stockpile? But there is another side of the story, the economy. If everyone stops spending then everyone would stop earning. So how does one balance the line, spend enough to keep the economy strong but save enough to be responsible. I propose that the answer to that question is not how much you spend, rather how and where you spend it. Here are five ways to balance the save money vs. build the economy problem. 1. Buy Local has to be a priority now. Over the last 10 years our economy has been strong. Its been OK, not awesome, but OK if people shifted some of their spending from local. But remember the more local you spend your money the stronger your local economy is. Now buying local is not as easy at it
sounds. Sure it is easy to make the choice to buy your products at a local store instead of Amazon or a website. But it goes deeper than that. Every shopping decision has a different factor of localness. For instance if you need to buy a power tool or some home improvement product, you can buy it from Lowes or you can buy it from a locally owned hardware store. Both Lowes and the hardware store create local jobs, and they both pay local taxes. but more of the profit at the hardware store will stay local. Look for local products. Harmons grocery stores does a great job at showing you what products are local. I wish all stores did this. Last month I was at a hardware store, OK honestly I was at Lowes, I needed a ladder. As I looked at the assortment I realized that Little Giant ladder systems were a Utah business, so it was an easy decision. 2. Buy Services not Products. If you are trying to help the economy you will likely do more good buying services rather than products. Let’s consider an example. When you purchase a lawn mower, the majority of the purchase price goes to the manufacturer which is probably not a Utah Company. But when you pay someone to mow your lawn, nearly all of it stays local. The person who is mowing your lawn is much more likely to do business with the business you work for than say Honda. 3. Launch a side hustle or two. I realize
that this is not really saving money, unless you consider the age old advice a dollar saved is a dollar earned, then this is just the flip side of that. In today’s world there are an abundance of ways you can start a side hustle. Sell some of your unneeded stuff on eBay, breed your dog (everyone wants some type of oodle these days), rent out storage on apps like Neighbor, drive for Uber or Lyft, I saw a new App to rent your RV, and there is one to rent your car, or second home, or bedroom in your first home. 4. Get rid of the storage unit. I laugh everytime I pass one of these storage unit businesses. I realize that there are certain legitimate reasons that one would need to rent a storage unit, but I don't think most people are using it for that type of reason. I remember my dad taking me to a storage unit that he rented. It was full of things, I don't know where it all came from but every few months we would go down and sort through some things, and take some new items to add to the collection. Even at a young age, I remeber sitting there on the back of his truck thinking, “if you put this stuff here because we don't need it, then why do we own it.” I implore you stop buying stuff you don't need and for sure stop paying for storage on stuff you don't use, and for most of you if you put it in the storage unit you probably don't need it, clean it out, sell it, and save that monthly storage unit fee. l
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This stupid pandemic has changed our relationship with food. With most restaurants and bars closed, people are looking for new ways to stay nourished and inebriated. Working from home for several weeks, we prepared three meals a day, plus snacks, for five people and a needy puppy. And by “snacks” I mean we pretty much ate all day long. We wore a groove in the tile from the living room to the pantry. When the lock-down started, I innocently said, “Think of the money we’ll save by not eating at restaurants. We’re going to lose so much weight not eating fast food!” Things went downhill fast. Not only do we spend a dump truck load of money for groceries each week, but we’re stress-eating 24 hours a day. I’ve baked cookies, cakes, muffins and brownies – and that was just this morning. My daughter and I take turns making meals. We try to find things everyone will enjoy, which is absolutely impossible. We have lots of pasta and rice dishes, fish sticks and take-out pizza. My daughter is a vegetarian, so her meals are full of veggies, chickpeas and quinoa, or
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what my husband calls “sadness foods.” One vegetarian dinner started the “Things I would never eat, even if I was going to die” conversation. My husband’s list is basically vegetables, but I have a bounty of foods I would never want to eat again. Things I was forced to eat as a child top my list.
mashed potatoes and my dad said, “Those are just the eyes of the potato” which gave me a potato phobia for several decades as I envisioned eating little potato eyeballs. My grandma made lima beans to spite me. She’d serve a big bowl of pale-green mushiness mixed with greasy, globular pork fat, then shame me for not
For not growing up in the Great Depression, my mom was adept at whipping up meals that could have been served in a Dickensian orphanage. She’d buy things at the grocery store and I’d cry because I knew what was coming. Jars of dried beef? Creamed chipped beef on toast. Sour cream? “Beef” stroganoff made with noodles, sour cream gravy and textured vegetable protein. Once I complained about lumpy
eating it. “When I was a little girl, I’d be happy and grateful for lima beans,” she’d say. “I wasn’t spoiled.” “Were lima beans invented when you were a little girl?” I’d ask, which usually got me another spoonful of the vile stuff. Stewed tomatoes, tapioca pudding (eyeballs again), my dad’s flour pudding (don’t ask), deviled eggs (obviously) and potato salad (eww) round out my
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list of things I’ll never eat again. But back to today, where my food choices are substantially subpar. If I’m going to die from a ridiculous coronavirus, I might as well eat what I want. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. And it’s not some murderous chef with a flamethrower. Following COVID-19 restrictions, some restaurants are opening again. The hubbie and I donned our face masks, took a swig of hand sanitizer, put on some plastic gloves and hit a Mexican restaurant for the first time in months. The chile verde almost brought me to tears. The margarita definitely did. It will be an interesting summer as picnics, BBQs, family reunions and vacations are being reimagined. So many of our celebrations revolve around food and sharing it with the people we love. The trick is finding the balance to do it safely. Our dishwasher runs nonstop. The grandkids (and husband) complain about eating asparagus. But we’re creating new recipes, experimenting with flavors and planting a garden. We’re finding new ways to stay nourished and inebriated. l
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July 2020 | Vol. 7 Iss. 07
FREE CITY COUNCIL AVERTS TAX INCREASE AND EMPLOYEE FURLOUGHS WHILE PASSING NEW BUDGET By Carl Fauver | c.fauver@mycityjournals.com Editor’s note: On June 22 (after our press deadline), Taylorsville officials announced their intention to withdraw from the Unified Police Department on July 1, 2021. The upcoming August edition will have a full story on the matter.
S
everal months ago, a public opinion survey gave Taylorsville elected officials a mindboggling approval rating of nearly 90%. What the mayor and city council accomplished last month may only strengthened that number. The council unanimously approved a $22,447,047 Taylorsville budget for fiscal year 2020–21, which is 8.4% lower than the previous year. However, in doing so, council members avoided both a property tax increase and employee furloughs. The new Taylorsville budget also covers an estimated $500,000 fee hike for Unified Police Department services. “This is not a ‘bare bones’ budget, but we did have to make significant reductions,” said Mayor Kristie Overson. “We asked all department heads to look for places to reduce spending. Nobody was left without cuts.” After the mayor and her staff put together a suggested budget, city council members made only two significant changes. First, they restored $100,000 that had been cut from their reserve to cover potential police overtime costs. Second, the council returned $10,000 to the Taylorsville Arts Council budget, where a cut from $15,000 to $5,000 was originally proposed by staff. “It has been close to 10 years since we had a budget decrease,” Chief Financial Officer Scott Harrington said. “But
The Taylorsville Arts Council saw its budget from the city restored, as the group still hopes to present a show in this new arts center before the end of 2020. (Carl Fauver/City Journals)
because the economy is down, our tax revenues are down. And the UPD cost is expected to go up 4.78%, from $10.15 million to $10.63 million. Through conservative budgeting, we have been able to do this. We’ve done well to avoid a tax increase.” “I am very supportive of this budget,” Council Vice Chairman Brad Christopherson said. “We froze projects; we
delayed projects. Our administration has been fantastic in adjusting to coronavirus issues. They did not propose a tax increase to mitigate virus issues.” Christopherson was also a strong advocate of the two restored budget cuts: police overtime and the arts council. Continued page 5
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