G O OD NE IG HBOR
NEWS
JANUARY 2021
Paid for by the City of West Jordan
M AYO R ’S M E S S AG E Happy New Year! The year 2020 was one for the history books – not just because of a global pandemic, or a presidential election, but locally as well. For the first time in its history, the City of West Jordan moved to a strong-mayor form of government. I have proudly represented West Jordan as Mayor for a year, and I couldn’t be more delighted with all the progress our city has made. Stepping into this office last year, I knew there would be new challenges no Mayor before me has met in our city. Little did I know, just how difficult the coming year would be. Three months after taking office, we were hit with a virus that changed everything. Some businesses closed for a short while, several city events were cancelled, and schools were closed. The Coronavirus changed everyone’s lives in some way or another and it was no different for the city. We were forced to make some tough decisions, but each time we were faced with a difficult obstacle, we knew we had to rise up and figure it out. Through it all, we kept the city going. Our goal was to continue to provide city services without interruption. Our city staff has performed admirably. We’ve been able to continue our regular operations, along with accomplishing the following residentfocused initiatives: • Customer service calls are now answered by a live operator between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. • New, easier-to-read utility bills are being distributed to residents. • Adjustments were made to the water rate, to ensure greater equity in utility billing – you pay for what you use. • A new online bill system is being developed to ease payments to the city, decreasing the number of visits to City Hall. It will launch this year. • We passed a conservative 2020-21 budget, which will have limited impact on the city’s emergency funds, despite the challenging economy. • We maintained 100% staffing for police officers and fire fighters, amidst city-wide layoffs. • We’ve kicked off work on a new city website that will be launched in 2021. • We’ve expanded our economic development initiatives, under a newly appointed director. • Using CARES Act funds from the federal government, we were able to assist in offering grants to many local businesses. As we begin this new year, we will be met with new challenges – we will address them head on. I work hard to make myself available to any resident who needs me. I’ve been known to drop by homes or stop and chat with someone while out riding my bicycle. I will continue to work hard for the city and you, our residents. I look forward to what we can accomplish, together, in 2021. May you and your family have a healthy, and happy new year.
Mayor Dirk Burton
WestJordanJournal .com
The Season of Potholes – How to Easily Report them to the City Online Potholes can be considered the ‘pests’ of the roads in the winter months. A pothole that goes unfixed, can grow bigger, and eventually cause damage to unsuspecting cars driving through them. That’s why it’s up to you to report them to the city! How do potholes form? Potholes are caused by the expansion and contraction of ground water, after the water enters the ground under the pavement. Freezing temperatures become the perfect ingredient for that water to freeze and expand. This makes the road bend and crack, ultimately leaving a big gap behind. What is the City of West Jordan doing to try and prevent potholes from forming? West Jordan City crews fill about 1,400 potholes every year. In order to prevent potholes from forming in the first place, crews overlay and repave city streets each year. But, with more than 800 miles of streets, and a limited asphalt budget, it’s anticipated that some of those cracks will be missed. How do I report a pothole? In just five easy steps: Step 1: Go to http://bit.ly/WJSERVICE Step 2: Choose from the list until you find the request you would like to make Step 3: Click ‘Submit a report’ Step 4: Fill out the form Step 5: Click “Report it” You should receive a confirmation email following your submission. Someone from the city will be in contact with you throughout the process to ensure your request was completed. If you have problems filling out the form check out this video on the city’s Facebook page: https://bit.ly/howtoservicereq If you are still experiencing issues call 801-569-5174. How long does it usually take to get a pothole filled? West Jordan Public Works Operations respond to pothole reports within two working days after receiving the notification. If the pothole is dangerous or is causing problems with traffic, crews will respond immediately. January 2021| Page 15
GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER
PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN
West Jordan Target Store Offers Employees Relief During COVID-19 Pandemic The Target store in Jordan Landing is one of the city’s largest employers. During the holidays, the store hired seasonal workers upping their employee tally to around 180. Like every other shopping center, Target has had to change the way it’s doing business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jayme Mudrow has been the store director at the Jordan Landing Target for eight years. She said she, and her team, are doing everything they can to keep employees and guests safe. “I think that every little thing helps, we just want to do our part to make sure that everybody who comes through our store feels comfortable,” said Mudrow. But Mudrow isn’t just talking about guests. Target is also doing what it can to make employees feel safe and secure. Along with free access to virtual health care, daycare for
employee’s children, and a $200 holiday bonus, the shopping center has also upped its salary for employees. “So many of our team members are just working so hard,” said Mudrow. “At the beginning of COVID we did give everybody a temporary $2 raise, and then by the end of July we went ahead and just made that change to be permanent.” Regardless, Target’s goal was to get to a $15 starting salary by 2021. The pandemic gave them the opportunity to make that change early. Mayor Dirk Burton met with Mudrow and other store employees in December to show his appreciation about what Target is doing to make West Jordan a great place to live and work.
City of West Jordan Offering Curbside Christmas Tree Pick-up The holiday season is over. Many people are now returning gifts, making resolutions for the new year, and taking down their holiday decorations. The City of West Jordan offers its residents the option to pick up and dispose of their real Christmas trees. This year it is no different. Starting December 28th through January 29th, residents can place their Christmas trees curbside on their trash collection day. Residents may also opt to drop off their tree at a designated drop-off location. The three drop-off locations include: • The parking lot at the County Pool/Gene Fulmer Rec Center located at 8125 S. 2200 W. • The parking lot of Constitution Park located at the southeast corner of 3285 W. 7000 S. • The south parking lot at the West Jordan Soccer Complex located on the west side of 4000 W. at about 8070 S. Trees will be delivered to the Trans-Jordan Landfill to be composted. Please do not bag your trees, be sure that all your ornaments, tinsel, and other décor are removed. If your tree has been flocked (given a treatment to make it look like snow is on the branches) it will not be collected. This program is only for real trees, artificial trees will not be accepted. If you have any questions regarding this program, call: 801-569-5700.
Page 16 | January 2021
West Jordan City Journal
GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER
PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN
Want to Have a Say In Your Community? JOIN THE CITY’S SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE Providing the best possible future for West Jordan. That is what the City’s Sustainability Committee considers a top priority. “We’re focused on finding solutions to problems that impact all residents,” said committee member Mitchell Larson. “We try to find ways to reduce waste, be more conservative with water, and promote clean air here in the city.” Larson has been a member of the committee for a little over two years now. The group discusses issues from recycling and clean air to residential landscaping and toilet replacement. While the topics the group focuses on are about reducing our environmental footprint, it isn’t just about ‘going green.’ “While we do look for ways to help the city, we are also looking to create and find resources for residents so they can lower that water bill and cut costs each month,” said Larson. The programs Larson is talking about include rebates, such as, receiving up to $100 dollars just for replacing your old toilet, or offering 50-percent off a new ‘WaterSense’ smart controller for watering your property. Councilmember Kelvin Green is the council liaison for this group. Green said joining this group can give residents a better understanding of how the city makes decisions that impact them. “The more citizens can understand the way things work in the city, the better involved they become,” said Green. “Here you can learn ways to reduce your water usage and still keep your yard looking good. Becoming more waterwise helps both the city and the individuals’’ pocketbooks.” According to the Division of Water Resources, a typical Utah household uses twice as much water outside as necessary. All that additional water usage can add up substantially at the end of the month. “Last year we started working on getting a water conservancy educational program going that could be offered at local schools to community members,” said Larson. The group is also working toward introducing a clean air ordinance for the city, as well as events that could provide more education to the community when it comes to sustainability. Currently, the committee is looking to grow and is hoping to find new members who are passionate about their community – no particular background necessary. “If you have any extra skill sets to offer that’s helpful, but it’s good to get as many perspectives as possible,” said Larson. “I don’t have a background on working in these types of projects, while some of our other members do. We are just interested in different perspectives.” “If you want to help make our city an even better place to live, this is a great place to start,” said Green. “We need community involvement to help bring West Jordan together. We need neighbors helping neighbors.” The committee meets the third Thursday of the month, virtually for now. The meetings run about an hour, and individuals do not need to be a member to attend. If you are interested in joining this committee or have questions call: 801-569-5100 or email: mayor@ westjordan.utah.gov.
COUNCIL CORNER Happy New Year! Just one year ago, there were other stories that dominated the news. People were going places such as cruises, amusement parks, and movies. Businesses were merging, growing, and launching. How times have changed. The year 2020 saw earthquakes, windstorms, and changes in our lives right here in West Jordan. The year 2020 is now behind us and the City Council hopes that the holiday season was a time for reflection, for family, and for all the many little things that make a positive difference in our lives. 2020 for the City of West Jordan was also one of change; it was the first year navigating the new Council-Mayor form of government. In this form, the Mayor is the head of the Executive Branch and operations of the City. The City Council sets policy, oversees the financial structure of the City, and adopts and adjusts the Mayor’s proposed budget. City Council Members elected Council Member Chris McConnehey as the first Council Chair. As 2020 unfolded, the Council found itself streaming its regular public meetings on Zoom and YouTube. Using his years of personal experience with Zoom, Council Chair McConnehey stated, “It has been an honor to serve as Council Chair during this first year of a new form of government, especially during the ongoing
pandemic. I have enjoyed helping establish a new process to improve how residents can continue to provide public input in our City Council meetings.” The Council Office was even able to offer assistance with other cities as they launched virtual public meetings.
In 2020, the Council Office launched a 24hour comment line at (801) 569-5052 and email address at councilcomments@westjordan.utah. gov. When someone calls or emails using these sources their message is sent directly to all seven City Council Members. Council Member David Pack said, “These resources enhance the ability to provide contact outlets to the residents 24/7 without waiting for a council meeting. The Council desires to be available to the residents of the city whom we serve.” West Jordan City Council hopes your 2021 is a superb year! Thank you for being a resident of our great city.
GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER
PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
JA N UA RY
DECEMBER
DECEMBER
NEW YEAR’S DAY
HOLIDAY LIGHTS TOUR BEGINS
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Visit bit.ly/lightstourut for more information
Join virtually on YouTube 5:30 p.m.
JA N UA RY
JA N UA RY
JA N UA RY
PLANNING COMMISSION
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION DAY
WEST JORDAN INCORPORATED AS TOWN, 1941
JA N UA RY
JA N UA RY
JA N UA RY
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MLK JR. DAY
PLANNING COMMISSION
1
5
Join virtually on YouTube 6 p.m.
13
Join virtually on YouTube 5:30 p.m.
1
9
18
CITY OFFICES CLOSED
2
10
19
Join virtually on YouTube 6 p.m.
JA N UA RY
JA N UA RY
JA N UA RY
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
DATA PRIVACY DAY
HOT COCOA DAY
27
28
31
Join virtually on YouTube 5:30 p.m.
The City of West Jordan 8000 S. Redwood Rd., West Jordan, UT 84088 Join the conversation! (801) 569-5100 West Jordan – City Hall www.wjordan.com
West Jordan Named One of the Fastest Growing Cities in America
West Jordan Police Dept. 8040 S. Redwood Rd. West Jordan, Utah 84088 801-256-2000 801-840-4000 Dispatch
A new study from WalletHub has listed West Jordan as one of the fastest growing cities in America. Researchers compared 515 cities with varying population sizes. They looked at 17 different key measures including growth and decline, job growth, building-permit activity growth, and median house price growth. Researchers split cities up based on city size; large, midsize and small. The City of West Jordan was ranked 89 fastest growing midsize city out of 256 other midsize cities in the U.S. For some, this may come as no surprise. West Jordan is the fourth largest city by population in Utah and could become the third following the results of the 2020 census. The fastest growing large city is Henderson, Nevada while Bend, Oregon was named the fastest growing midsize city and Fort Myers, Florida was listed as the fastest growing small city. To read more about this study visit: wallethub.com