DECEMBER 2021
MAYOR’S MESSAGE Last summer our community joined with the Granite Education Foundation to support their goal of ensuring every child shows up on the first day of school ready to learn. Thousands of backpacks were assembled with essential school supplies and distributed to children in need. As always, the citizens and businesses in the District answered the call. They were able to meet their goal--- and then some! Justin Anderson, Chief Marketing Officer for The Foundation invited us to tour their facility last month. Channel 2 Sports Reporter and passionate Foundation Board Member, David James served as our tour guide. When asked about the primary mission of The Foundation he was quick to reply, “it’s simple, we want to eliminate any barrier to learning”. It may be a simple statement, but it’s a daily challenge that keeps their staff hopping.
DID YOU KNOW: • Granite District is the State’s 2nd largest (55th in the U.S.) • 90 schools & more than 64,000 students • 54% at or below the poverty line • 3.25 of 5 students are food insecure • 70% of Utah’ refugees live within District boundaries • 100+ languages & dialects spoken among students While touring the facility we ran across a volunteer assembling one of 5300 Santa Sacks they will deliver to children over the holiday season. To witness first-hand the level of need was at the same time heartbreaking and heartwarming. I was once again reminded how many members of our community generously donate their time and resources to those most in need. The passion and empathy of the Granite community is on full display within the walls of their warehouse.
The holidays bring out the best in us. It’s when we acknowledge the many blessings we share as citizens of this great land, a time we most want to share our good fortune with those less fortunate. If you’re looking for a charity to support in the coming weeks, I enthusiastically endorse The Granite Education Foundation as an organization worthy of your generosity. Simply log on to Granitekids.org to learn more about their mission, and if you’re so inclined, to donate. I assure you; they will leverage every $ to the maximum benefit of students in our District. Wishing you and your family abundant blessings this holiday season, and a new year filled with happiness, good health and prosperity!!! —Rob Dahle, Mayor
Holladay Historical Commission Book Sales The goals of the Historical Commission are to help people become aware of the local Holladay area history and to ensure that historical items and historical places are recognized and preserved. We make available books, stories, and photographs of this history. We are exploring the possibility of a museum to display historical items and we maintain our website as part of the “cityofholladay.com” Community section. History book copies currently available include HolladayCottonwood Faces and Places, ($10 per copy), and a DVD disc copy containing At the Foot of Mt Olympus, Cottonwood Early days, and Cottonwood Recollections ($5 per disc). These books would make a great gift for yourself or family and friends. Please contact Committee Members Sandy Meadows at 801-277-2857 or Lyman Losee at 801-277-1957 for book copies and additional information. We are also requesting Community help in obtaining additional donations of specific family histories and stories, and historical objects with area and time connections.
Happenings at the Holladay Library • All month: The art of David Johnson will be on display in the large meeting room • Dec 6th: Red Cross Blood drive o Come visit the Bloodmobile and help fellow humans! Schedule your appointment at redcrossblood.org or 1-800-RED-CROSS. • Outdoor Storytime: Every Tuesday at 10:15am. Outside on the North side of the building—dress for the weather. o Interactive early learning Storytime for preschoolers and their caring adult(s) with talking, singing, reading writing and play. • Take-and-Make Crafts for children: Monday through Wednesday, while supplies last • Teen Thursday activities: Dec 16, 23 and 30 at 3pm o Teens join us for fun activities, snacks, and hang out. Tuesdays at 3-4PM in auditorium. Ages 12-18 Only.
DECEMBER 2021
CITY INFORMATION
PAWliday Crafts for Kids!
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Salt Lake County Animal Services Join Salt Lake County Animal Services this holiday season for some fun, easy to follow along, virtual workshops between Dec 20 – 30. Keep your kids busy and have them make some fun things to either use around the home for your own pet or donate to Animal Services! Register at bit. ly/slcotrainings. Space is limited. Questions? Email events@slco.org. PAWliday Schedule: M-December 20: Book Buddies
M-December 27: Book Buddies
T-December 21: Book Buddies
T-December 28: Recycled Inventions
W-December 22: Paw Ornaments W-December 29: Cat House Th-December 23: Cat Wands
Th-December 30: Pupsicles
Welcome and Congratulations to our newly elected Council Member Ty Brewer - District 1 Congratulations also to Mayor Dahle & Council Member Paul Fotheringham - District 3 on their re-election. There will be a swearing in ceremony on: Thursday, January 6 at 6pm in the City Council Chambers.
Season of Giving: HELP PETS IN YOUR COMMUNITY Salt Lake County Animal Services Looking to give back to the community? The pets at Salt Lake County Animal Services could benefit from the spirit of giving this holiday season. More pets are ending up at the shelter and while they wait for their families to find them or get adopted out, staff members give them food enrichments to work their brain and fill their tummies. Want to create a pet treat drive to help homeless pets this winter? If so, the dogs would love: • canned food • soft treats • canned pumpkin • applesauce • large milk bones • peanut butter • AND squeaky toys! • Material to make new durable dog beds (Kuranda beds) Cats would love to see under their scratching tree: • canned cat food pate • soft treats • scratching posts & toys While pets wait at Salt Lake County Animal Services, staff does their best to treat them like family while they’re in the shelter. On average, the shelter houses 10,000 pets every year. There are a variety of volunteer and foster opportunities at Salt Lake County Animal Services. Email animalvolunteer@slco.org for more information. For more ideas visit, AdoptUtahPets.org. Donations can be dropped off at 511 W 3900 S, SLC 84123, Mon – Sat between 10 AM – 6 PM. Or visit Salt Lake County Animal Services Wishlist’s on Amazon.com.
Rob Dahle, Mayor rdahle@cityofholladay.com 801-580-3056 Sabrina Petersen, District 1 spetersen@cityofholladay.com 801-859-9427 Matt Durham, District 2 mdurham@cityofholladay.com 801-999-0781 Paul Fotheringham, District 3 pfotheringham@cityofholladay.com 801-424-3058 Drew Quinn, District 4 dquinn@cityofholladay.com 801-272-6526 Dan Gibbons, District 5 dgibbons@cityofholladay.com 385-215-0622 Gina Chamness, City Manager gchamness@cityofholladay.com
PUBLIC MEETINGS: City Council – first and third Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. Planning Commission – first and third Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.
CITY OFFICES: Mon-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. • 801-272-9450 4580 South 2300 East • Holladay, UT 84117 Community Development Finance Justice Court Code Enforcement
NUMBERS TO KNOW:
801-527-3890 801-527-2455 801-273-9731 801-527-3890
Emergency 911 UPD Dispatch (Police) 801-743-7000 UFA Dispatch (Fire) 801-840-4000 Animal Control 385-468-7387 Garbage/Sanitation 385-468-6325 Holladay Library 801-944-7627 Holladay Lions Club 385-468-1700 Mt. Olympus Sr. Center 385-468-3130 Holladay Post Office 801-278-9947 Cottonwood Post Office 801-453-1991 Holliday Water 801-277-2893 Watermaster - Big Cottonwood Tanner Ditch system - Art Quayle 801 867-1247
Holladay City implements new stormwater fee to prevent damages and build infrastructure In early 2022, citizens of the City of Holladay will notice a new charge showing up on their power bills. It’s a stormwater fee--a fee that Holladay decided to implement to help maintain existing drainage systems and construct new stormwater drains. If you aren’t familiar with the term, stormwater is the runoff from rain, snow, or sleet that doesn’t immediately seep into the ground. Normally, the water runs through gutters and into those giant grates off of sidewalk curbs, and everything drains normally. So why the change now? “One big reason behind this change is ultimately safety. The city cares about protecting people and property,” Mayor Dahle said. “In the past few years, we’ve seen heavy weather events get more severe, and they’re happening more often. We need to be prepared to repair damages, such as potholes in roads. We also want to be proactive and implement more drainage systems to prevent future disasters.”
Holladay isn’t the first city to use this approach-we’re actually one of the last in the area. Utah cities have used stormwater fees for decades to keep up with infrastructure costs and water demands. Millcreek adopted a stormwater fee in June 2020, and Cottonwood Heights adopted their fee in June 2021. In fact, most cities in the Salt Lake area already have something similar in place. Holladay and many of the surrounding communities have a common background: they are all areas that started as agricultural communities and have experienced explosive population growth. Forty years ago, rainwater was more easily absorbed into the fields and channeled through irrigation systems. As the area has grown in population, the infrastructure hasn’t kept up. The cities simply weren’t built to handle the severity of storms and the influx of people. “As we try to keep pace with growth, we need to invest in infrastructure,” said Gina Chamness, Holladay City Manager. “The stormwater fee will provide us with the capability to do a lot of things that are vital to the safety of the community. With this fee, we will be able to build more drainage systems, clean out storm drain pipes, and monitor pollution. This is a proactive approach to keeping our city clean and safe for everyone.” These objectives are reasonable, but community members are surely wondering what it means for their bank accounts. When people see the stormwater fee on their power bill, the amount of the charge will depend on the type of property and where it’s located. Here’s the breakdown of what people can expect to pay: • Class 1—$6.50 per month for Residential Area A. • Class 2—$16.25 per month for Residential Area B. • Class 3—This is for all nonresidential properties. Each Class 3 property will be surveyed to calculate the fee.
The intense weather events have already caused surprising amounts of damage. Anyone who saw the sinkholes on Tolcate Lane or Cottonwood Lane in recent years, can attest to how quickly a storm can erode roads and cause safety issues. And there are more long-term problems at stake too. Because stormwater isn’t treated, it carries any pollution it encounters with it wherever it goes. Stormwater seeps into streams, lakes, and groundwater. This affects plants, animals, and, of course, people. As Holladay’s population grows and its water consumption rises, the city needs ways to ensure that stormwater is directed away from homes and businesses and doesn’t get contaminated along the way. Stormwater fees are one way to provide the funds to do so.
You can see maps of the areas and learn more about this cost plan on the city’s official website. If community members have any questions, Holladay has several resources to help. Most curiosities and concerns can be addressed by viewing the FAQ document on the City of Holladay website. People are also welcome to email stormwater@cityofholladay.com or call the stormwater fee hotline at (385) 215-9321 from Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. “Safety is a priority for the city,” said Mayor Rob Dahle. “In addition to that, this is a way to create sustainability. The stormwater fee prepares the city to handle the growth we’re expecting to see in the near future. Our plans will protect businesses, homes, and roads while helping keep water quality safe.”