G O OD NE IG HBOR
NEWS
OCTOBER 2020
Paid for by the City of West Jordan
M AYO R ’S M E S S AG E Good things are happening in the City of West Jordan! I recently received a report from our Community Development Department, showing all the permits the city has issued throughout the last fiscal year (20192020). In total, the city issued 2,067 building permits, for a total valuation of $470 million. That is a record-breaking number for our city. This shows that we not only created more livable spaces for families, but also had a record year of creating non-residential square feet. Among the recently added square-footage is a brand-new Amazon facility. This fulfillment center is expected to bring nearly 1,000 new jobs to West Jordan. The 1.3 million-square-foot facility will spur economic growth in our city, but it’s just a small drop in the bucket. In this fiscal year the city has added more than 3.4 million square feet of new non-residential buildings. The last time the city came close to that high of a number was Fiscal Year 2006-2007, just over one million square feet. What does this mean for our residents? West Jordan is on the map. Businesses now have an eye on our city as more businesses continue to move in. This creates more jobs and more money within West Jordan that goes toward our roads, schools, and public parks. These buildings offer a place for residents to work and to shop, right here in our fantastic city. Healthy businesses means a healthy West Jordan. What does this mean for the future of West Jordan? The City of West Jordan is open for business! We as residents always knew what a great city we’ve lived in – now we’re getting the attention of national and world-wide businesses. We pride ourselves in continuing to make West Jordan a great place to live and a great place to work. With all this new infrastructure, we know some residents may worry about an influx of cars on the road, please know that traffic is on the top of our minds. Just over the last few years, we’ve expanded lanes on several miles of our roads. 7800 S and 4000 W are great examples of expanding lanes to make traveling easier in any direction. We’re also preparing for new family homes. A new water tank is being constructed just south of Mountain View Corridor. This water tank will hold thousands of gallons for the new homes being constructed in the most western part of our city. I’m excited to see what the future holds for us. As our population continues to grow, amenities must grow with it, and we are doing all we can to move forward and keep up!
Register to Vote – What you need to know to make your vote count! The General Election is just a month away. Remember to vote on or before Tuesday, November 3. Here’s a quick guideline of everything you need to know to make sure your vote counts. How can I vote? By mail: if you are an active registered voter, you will automatically receive a ballot in the mail. You must drop your ballot off at a drop box location before 8 PM on Election Day. To find a drop box location near you visit: vote.utah.gov. Vote via email or fax: Utah allows voters with disabilities to send and receive ballots via email or fax. To apply visit vote.utah.gov. Vote at an Election day voting location, drive-thru location: Polling locations have voting machines that offer accommodations for voters who have visual or hearing impairments. Due to COVID-19, there may be fewer in-person polling locations, and more drive-thru locations. Check vote.utah.gov for more information. When will mail ballots arrive? The Salt Lake County Clerk will mail ballots between October 13, 2020 and October 27, 2020. If you do not receive a ballot shortly after that time, contact the county clerk’s office: Phone: 385-468-7400 Email: got-vote@slco.org Address: 2001 South State St., #S1200; Salt Lake City, UT 84190
What is the deadline to register to vote? Your voter registration must be received by the Salt Lake County Clerk before 5 PM on Friday, October 23, 2020. However, you may register to vote at an early voting location or at a polling location on Election Day, but you will need to bring two forms of identification with you. What are acceptable forms of voter identification? • Utah driver license • ID card issued by the state of Utah or the US Government • Utah concealed carry permit • US passport • Tribal ID card You can also provide TWO forms of ID that, when combined, prove your name and current residence. Visit voteinfo.utah.gov/voter-idrequirements/ for a full list. Can I track my mail or provisional ballot? Yes! By visiting votesearch.utah.gov, and entering your information. From there, you can find out if your ballot has been counted yet. For more information including; updating your ballot mailing address, finding your voter registration information and to learn about the candidates and issues you’re voting on visit vote.utah.gov.
Sincerely,
Mayor Dirk Burton
WestJordanJournal.com
October 2020 | Page 15
GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER
PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN
West Jordan City Hall Hosts Salt Lake County on Announcement of Increased Support for Domestic Violence Victims COVID-19 has impacted our lives in many ways; our health, our economy, and our education systems. But this pandemic is also impacting thousands of people in a different way. Salt Lake County reports an increase in calls when it comes to Domestic Violence. Today, West Jordan City Mayor welcomed the County to hold a news conference surrounding increased support for domestic violence victims. West Jordan has been a long-standing partner with South Valley Services, a service that provides shelter, advocacy, and prevention services to victims. “For a number of years our city has partnered very closely with South Valley Sanctuary Services, a fantastic organization with a satellite office right here in West Jordan City Hall,” said Mayor Dirk Burton. “One of the reasons we found South Valley Services to be such a worthy partner, is their reach. They have served an average of 84 people a day.” Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson presented data showing that County prosecutors are handling 21% more domestic violence cases, the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition is seeing 25% more calls, and local public safety dispatchers are seeing a 30% increase in calls. “We recognize there are community partners in need,” said Mayor Wilson. “I’m so pleased to announce nearly $220,000 to the YWCA and to South Valley Services to help these organizations mitigate the tragedy of domestic violence during COVID-19.” If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there is help. South Valley Services offers a 24-hour helpline: 801-255-1095. They also provide a texting helpline: 385-266-6208. You can also visit: svsutah.org YWCA also offers a 24-hour crisis line: 801-537-8600. You can also visit ywcautah.org
Freshen up for Fall! We’ve all heard of ‘spring cleaning’ but what about ‘freshen up for fall?’ Our residents shared what’s playing in the background during a productive weekend. “Is KSL green house a tune? :D” – Councilmember Kayleen Whitelock “Hallmark channel” – Cheryl Heaps “You’re going down by Sick puppies” – Tiffany Bowen “Kickstart my heart – Motley Crue” – Kasey Dahl “1960s Motown” – Barbara Pringle “Shake it off ” – Jen Lee “80s greatest rock hits playlist on amazon music” – Angela Yates “HGTV” – Councilmember Melissa Worthen “80’s country music!” – Angela Bawden Telford “Disco tunes man!!” – Christine Hendricks Hodgson
Meet your new appointees! Tangee Sloan – City Recorder As City Recorder, Tangee will handle the local elections, local legislation, and public records. The City Recorder ensures that all actions taken by the city is in compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations. Tangee was born and raised in Utah. She’s worked for the City of West Jordan for more than two decades. She started working for the police department in 1997, before moving to IT where she stayed for 21 years. She’s served as the city’s deputy city recorder for a little more than 2 years. Tangee loves spending time with her family and her basset hound Barkley. Tyler Aitken – City Treasurer As City Treasurer, Tyler will manage the City’s cash flow and investments. Tyler started with West Jordan in 2017 as the Budget Coordinator for the Police Department where he managed the department’s grants and helped the police chief develop and manage the department budget. Before working for West Jordan, Tyler worked for the City of Tacoma, Washington in the Office of Management and Budget.
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Tyler is originally from Spanish Fork and but now lives in Eagle Mountain with his wife and four boys. Some of his favorite things to do are play games and watch movies with his family and plink around on his guitar. His favorite foods are mashed potatoes and gravy and pizza with pineapple on it.
West Jordan City Journal
GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER
PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN
Making a perfect – and safe – fire for S’mores in your backyard! Tips from the West Jordan Fire Department It’s a question the West Jordan Fire Department gets asked all the time: Can I have a cooking fire in my backyard? The answer is yes! However, there are a few rules that need to be followed: • Make sure your open pit cooking fire is 25 feet from any building, fence, deck, or anything else that will burn. • The pit needs to be 18 inches deep, if dug in the ground, or contained by a fireproof material such as brick or metal. • Ensure an adequate water supply is nearby. A fire should never be left unattended. • Always remember you are responsible for the smoke produced by your fire, so please be considerate of your neighbors. • Keep in mind that it is unlawful to burn leaves, tree limbs or rubbish in your cooking pit.
COUNCIL CORNER
The City Council would like to officially welcome Alan Anderson and Cindy Quick. As the city changed to the Council-Mayor form of government in January, it was necessary to create the Council Office department. The Council Office plans, organizes, and directs the administrative and support functions of the City Council. They support the City Council with public outreach, citizen engagement, and interface collaboratively with city administration and staff. They work to provide supporting background material for members of the City Council. The Council appointed Alan Anderson as Council Office Director. You may remember him from his service as City Council member in Nov. 2016 through 2019 representing District 4. With a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree, Bachelor of Finance degree, and Organization Management (IOM) certification, Alan will provide vital administration and organizational strength to help set the future of the Council Office. Previously, Alan spent four years as a Business Administrator for a charter school, handling HR and public finance duties. He and his wife Kristi of 26 years live in West Jordan and they have four children. He enjoys model railroading, camping with his family, and playing games. The Council also appointed Cindy Quick as
Council Office Clerk, previously working as City Recorder. Along with a Master of Municipal Clerk (MMC) certification she brings over 15 years of municipal government experience. Previously working for Highland City as their City Recorder. Whether she has been involved in city operations, public works, cemetery, community engagement, assisting the Mayor and Executive staff, Planning Commission, or City Council, she has a passion for bringing resolution to an issue and connecting with the community. Cindy is a mom of three amazing, handsome boys and wife to her best friend Jeff, an innovative entrepreneur. She enjoys road trips and traveling to new places soaking in the culture.
Manager receives National Recognition EXPLAINS HOW TO KEEP EMPLOYEES FEELING SAFE DURING COVID-19 Ben Roueche is a humble man with a passion for his community. He’s worked for the City of West Jordan for six years. Despite his trying to stay under the radar, Roueche has no problem with public speaking, making him a great target for journalists. When he found out he was being featured in a nationally published article from Government Fleet, Roueche said he was a bit surprised. “What I thought was a getting-to-know-you chat, ended up being an article!” said Roueche. “An hour later I’m sent a draft, and the next day BOOM there it is published.” The article, which can be found on government-fleet.com, goes into depth about Roueche’s importance of listening to your customers and treating your fleet department like a team. To understand what Roueche is getting at, you have to understand what the fleet department does. Anything that has a motor and is owned by the City of West Jordan is maintained and repaired by Roueche’s team. “From lawn mowers to fire engines, and everything in between,” he explained. While some stay home – his team had to modify Unlike many other employers who have been able to send their employees to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, this team doesn’t have that choice. “We’re essential. We’ve. com been here the whole time,” said Roueche. “We all just kind West Jordan Journal
of work with each other and lean on each other, while keeping our health in mind.” Roueche says it’s important for his team to have good morale and comradery. The team eats lunch together in the shop, which is like a giant garage, making it easy to social distance. One of the trials his team has had to overcome is something as simple as riding in cars together. “COVID-19 forced us into a one person per vehicle rule,” he said. “If we had a water main break, we had eight separate cars at the scene, because eight separate people were needed to get the situation under control.” This problem wasn’t just impractical, it was costing the city in gas and maintenance. That’s when the team came across a product made in Canada. “This company makes a partition out of a really bendy plastic,” said Roueche. “It’s a universal fit for work trucks. It goes between the front and the backseat and it connects, creating a sort of sneeze guard between the front and back seat.” The flexible plastic doesn’t interfere with airbags and can simply be pushed past in the case of an accident where the door gets stuck. The city purchased these partitions for their trucks in parks, water, streets, and storm water. Roueche said his team continues to adjust to make sure everyone feels safe. “Although we have to keep ourselves distanced from each other, we’ve stayed together. We don’t split up.” October 2020 | Page 17
GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER
PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN
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City of West Jordan Passport Office Expanding its Hours Whether you’re one-day old or 100-years-old, everyone who plans to travel outside of the country needs a passport, and the City of West Jordan is making it more accessible to get one. West Jordan first announced it was opening a passport office earlier this year. Since May, it’s only been open by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays. “Since we’ve opened, we have processed more than 130 passports,” Tangee Sloan, the Passport Program Manager, said. “While that may not seem like a lot, we’ve only been open twice a week for a few hours a day.” Starting this month (October 2020) the city’s passport office will now be open Tuesday – Friday from 11 AM to 5:30 PM. Visitors will still need to make an appointment ahead of time, but now have more options on scheduling a time to get inside the door. While now may not be the best time to travel, the State Department says it is the best time to get a new passport or renew an old one. The reason? The demand is much lower than usual. You should, however, expect a longer wait time. The Coronavirus has forced the State Department to stop issuing expedited passports, which speeds up the process of getting a passport by a few weeks. “We’ve gotten through essentially all of the backlog work, and now we’re getting back to a regular rhythm,” Ian Brownlee, the principal deputy in Consular Affairs, told the Washington Post. “If you’re thinking of traveling nine months out, why not apply now? The thing’s good for 10 years.” Some more good news coming out of the City’s passport office is also starting this month, doors will be open on Saturday’s from 9 AM to 1 PM, making this facility the only office open for passport processing on the weekend. “We are excited to be adding more hours,” Sloan said. “It’s clear by the number of appointments we’ve already had that the demand is there from our residents.” To schedule an appointment, call: 801-569-5033. To see a full list of all the documents you need to apply for a passport, visit: westjordan.utah.gov/passport-office. Those who visit the office must wear a mask and maintain social distancing. Please do not visit the passport office if you are feeling sick or live with someone who is feeling unwell.
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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 ctober
2020
West Jordan Police Dept. 8040 S. Redwood Rd. West Jordan, Utah 84088 801-256-2000 801-840-4000 Dispatch
West Jordan City Journal