Goals for 2009-2010

Here are some of the goals I have for the upcoming budget year beginning July1, 2009:

Continue Working for a More Efficient Government. While other cities have had to reduce services, our city council and staff have worked hard to find ways to cut costs without reducing services. The council and staff have made an in depth review of our police services, our water system, our road improvement plans, the maintenance of our golf course and parks, our engineering services, and our justice court. As a result, we have found ways to cut costs while maintaining or even increasing the level of service we provide.

New Trails and Park Improvements. Residents will soon be able to enjoy a new trail where the old Denver Rio Grand rail line once operated. Additional trails will soon follow. Furthermore, we will be making improvements to our existing city parks and will be asking residents to propose locations for new park space. Most of these improvements will be paid for through the new RAP tax, which is largely paid by other residents of Davis County who shop at our commercial center.

Master Plan for the Legacy Gateway. For many years Woods Cross and West Bountiful have disagreed over which city should annex the land to the west of our city. For several years, this matter was disputed in court but never resolved. Instead of engaging in further court battles, Mayor Perry and I have agreed that our cities will work together on a joint community development agreement. The two cities will work together to develop a master plan that will protect and enhance the equestrian nature of the west side of our community.

Increase Environmental Protections. Although Holly Oil and Trinity Steel have both taken steps to reduce their impacts on our residential neighborhoods, we will continue to encourage them to further reduce the air pollution, noise and odors that impact our neighborhoods. The city council will be considering a new set of ordinances aimed at protecting air quality and reducing noise and odors. The city will also be purchasing its own equipment to monitor air quality. As Mayor, I will continue to use my influence with state and local governments to protect the city from the type of co-generation plant that was proposed for the Holly Oil Refinery earlier this year.

Consider Recycling Options. Due to the recession, the value of recycled goods has dropped so low that most recyclers can not sell their recycled materials. As a result, we have put our plans for a recycling program on hold. However, it is a good time to carefully considering the options available for when the market for recycled materials does recover. As a community, we need to decide whether to adopt a voluntary curbside recycling program similar to that offered in Woods Cross and Centerville, or whether to support the construction of a recycling drop-off center.

Others Issues. Some of the other issues that need to be addressed during the coming year include (1) the poor drainage of several of our neighborhoods, (2) the city’s approach to enforcing its nuisance ordinances, (3) the enhancement of the historic zone, and (4) drafting a new plan for addressing city beautification issues, and (4) the city’s emergency preparedness.

As always, we welcome your comments and questions regarding these important matters and encourage all those interested to participate on one of the many volunteer boards and committees that help the city move forward.

Public Works

1. Pages Lane Improvements.

A pipe has been installed on the west end of Pages Lane that puts the creek below ground. The street is wider now that the creek is covered. However, we need to make sure the material placed on top of the pipe is adequate for walking so that people are no longer tempted to walk out on the street. We may need to put down some type of road base material to make it suitable to biking and walking.