January 2019 | Vol. 16 Iss. 01
FREE
CALENDAR YEAR 2018: AS SEEN THROUGH budget line items By Cassie Goff | cassie@mycityjournals.com During the twelve months spanning 2018, a common thread weaved much of the city council’s interactions together. That thread was the Cottonwood Heights City budget. GENERAL GOVERNMENT LEGISLATIVE Mayor & City Council 2018 began with a new mayor and two out of the four council seats having new representatives. Mayor Michael Peterson took the seat of former Mayor Kelvyn Cullimore. Councilmember Tali Bruce took over the seat of former Councilmember Michael Peterson for District 3. And Councilmember Christine Mikell took over the seat of former Councilmember Tee Tyler for District 4. For Peterson, his first year as mayor was filled with social interaction, which was something he hadn’t quite expected. “There are more meetings and interactions; not just with residents, but with mayors, other councils, Salt Lake County, Canyons School District, and our Service Area,” he said. Getting things done within the city “is all about partnerships and collaboration. It’s knowing who to talk to and when to talk to them. I wanted to try and hit everything this first year to be effective in building those relationships,” Peterson said. Councilmember Mikell experienced a discrepancy in her expectations for the position as well. “Councilmember Tee Tyler warned me that it would be a lot of work, but I don’t think I realized that it would not only be physically exhausting (some meetings start one night and finish the next), but also mentally exhausting.” Councilmember Bruce has also experienced the mental challenge of her position, as she tries to constantly gain new knowledge. “It’s like going back to school. I’ve been learning a wide variety of topics and meeting new people. It’s been a lot of fun,” she said. Planning Commission Early last year, the city council asked to hold a joint meeting with the planning commission. On Jan. 16, the city council and planning commission discussed a proposed ordinance regarding ADUs (accessory dwelling units) during a regularly scheduled city council meeting. This was one of the only times the two governmental bodies held a collaborative meeting. Over the last few months, the planning commission has been working through specific development plans and permit requests. In 2019,
Three out of the five seats on the city council were occupied by newly elected representatives beginning in 2018. (Dan Metcalf/Cottonwood Heights)
they will continue to work through development plans, re-zone requests and permits, during their Wednesday night meetings. Legislative Committees Every member of the city council is appointed to serve on a number of different committees as the city’s representative or liaison. Mayor Peterson regularly attends the Conference of Mayors and Council of Governments (CoG), serves as the city’s liaison for the Canyon’s School District, and on the Salt Lake County’s Transportation Committee, Salt Lake County’s Cultural Facilities Committee, Central Wasatch Commission (CWC), Unified Fire Authority (UFA), and the Tourism, Recreation, Cultural and Convention Facilities (TRCC) Committee, Wasatch Front Regional Council, and the city’s Audit Review Committee. TRCC funds “helped the rec center pool’s changing rooms improve to be ADA accessible,” said Peterson. Councilmember Michael Shelton serves on Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications
Center (VECC), the city’s Audit Review Committee, IT Committee and Arts Council. Last year, the Arts Council experienced a change in leadership. “Jannalee Hunsaker is the new chair. She’ll continue to improve the great events, opportunities and experiences of art in the community. We are appreciative of all the past chairs that have meant so much to the arts in our community. Becky Henriksen did a great job at leading,” said Shelton. The Arts Council will continue hosting many events, like the art shows, photography shows, concerts and the annual play, which will be “The Little Mermaid” this year. Councilmember Scott Bracken leads the city’s Youth City Council, represents the city on CH2 (Cottonwood Heights Parks and Recreation Service Area Coordination Committee) attends Utah League of Cities and Towns (ULCT) meetings semi-annually, and serves as liaison for Wasatch Front Waste and Recycling (WFWR). “The cost of recycling will continue to be a worry with the new regulations China has. (WFWR Executive Director Pam Roberts) had in-
dicated that it may be one dollar more per month per household to continue to recycle as we have in the past and cover the extra costs. The long term costs of not recycling is more than processing what you throw away, it’s not just that narrow. What you recycle will be diverted from landfills, so there’s a cost saving there. Getting a new one started is not cheap. The idea is to pay a little more now in order to avoid paying a whole bunch later. That doesn’t make it easier if you are on a limited income,” said Bracken. Bruce serves on the Mosquito Abatement Board, and on the city’s Emergency Management Committee, Cottonwood Heights Business Association (CHBA), and Historic Committee. In July, the Historic Committee was finally able to publish The City Between The Canyons: A History of Cottonwood Heights, 1849-1953. “It’s been a big year for the Historic Committee with getting the book published,” said Bruce. The committee also provided a presentation “conducted by the Utah State Historic Preservation Office and Preserva- Continued on page 4...