DECEMBER 2022
MAYOR’S MESSAGE Holladay’s First Holiday Last night I joined my colleagues on the City Council for a dinner of Chinese takeout before attending our regular City Council meeting. Afterward, I walked through our beautiful, wood-paneled City Hall, decorated for the holidays, past the food drive bins filled to overflowing with donations. Outside, the air was cold, and the lights were all ablaze in the trees lining the sidewalk and in the Village Center. As I drove home, I thought of the lines from Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” – “It is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices.” We often have a sweet nostalgia for those times in our lives when “Want was keenly felt.” Some of my most memorable holidays were spent in tiny student apartments with my wife and young daughters with very few presents under the tree. I also hold special memories of Holladay’s first holiday in 1999, when, as a newly elected member of the original City Council, I joined Mayor Liane Stillman and the other members of the Council in trying to create a new city government out of, literally, nothing. In stark contrast to the Abundance that Holladay City now enjoys—with experienced staff, outstanding police and fire, city parks, a City Hall, a working budget and prudent reserves—it was a time when “Want was keenly felt.” The mayor and five council members were sworn in at the State Capitol on Tuesday, November 30, 1999, in the ornate reception room next to the Governor’s office. We then filed our Articles of Incorporation, and the city was officially formed. Afterward, the six of us drove to the old, abandoned bank building at 4707 South Holladay Blvd., for our first City Council meeting. In contrast to the splendor of the Capitol, our first “home” was a gutted structure, little more than a construction site, with no heat and no furniture. We had brought our own lawn chairs from home to sit in and someone had provided a space heater to take the chill out of the air. We sat down and faced the daunting task of building a government structure from the ground up. We literally had nothing on that cold night—no money, no ordinances, no employees, and no city hall. The agenda that evening—and on many subsequent evenings in December 1999—was impossibly long. As a notary public, I first swore in our first appointed officials—City Recorder, City Treasurer and City Attorney. We then passed a model city code, a temporary zoning ordinance, approved “bridge” financing with Zion’s Bank to tide us over until the first revenues came in during 2000, and created the structure for a Planning Commission and Board of Adjustment. After meeting for several hours, we turned off the space heater, locked the door, and walked through the cold air next door to the Chinese restaurant for dinner. By Council Member Dan Gibbons, District 5
Be Safe This Holiday Season! By Chief Justin Hoyal, UPD Holladay Precinct As we approach the holiday season, we have found that there are those who put extra effort into spoiling your holiday season. We want to share a few tips with you to prevent people from taking your packages, breaking into your car, or defrauding you at this time of year. Many of us have packages delivered to our homes and even more so during the holiday season. Take time to track the packages and get them off your porch as soon as they are delivered. Suspects will spend a lot of time driving neighborhoods looking for unattended packages. If you are not home, talk to your neighbors about picking up the packages for you. You can also have the packages shipped to an alternate address. Lastly, many of the companies have a ship-to-the-store option if you are not going to be home, or are not able to pick up your package for an extended time. Check with your shipping company to see what other options may be available to protect your shipment. As you are out shopping, keep items and valuables out of plain view in your car. If you have to leave items in your car, make sure that they are out of view. Either lock your items in the trunk or put them somewhere that is not easily seen. Often suspects are looking for something they can grab quickly and be gone before anyone notices them. This also includes ensuring that your car is locked. An unlocked vehicle is the easiest way for someone to get in and out of a car quickly.
T hank You! It was a Christmas tree miracle this year, all because of the incredible team at Jackson & LeRoy! This year’s beautiful tree was donated by the Jackson & LeRoy company and was craned in by Diamond Tree experts and Larsen Crane. Without the generosity and time, our tree lighting event would not be possible, from all of us at the City of Holladay. THANK YOU!
Lastly, we do not want you to have to worry about being a victim of fraud or a scam. If you get a phone call, voice mail, e-mail or text message that is suspicious, do some research to see if it is real. Do not give out account information, personal information, credit card information or gift card information to those who reach out asking for it. It is most likely a scam. You can always call the police department, financial institution or business to see if they were actually calling you before you give out that information. Also, look up the number yourself for that institution and don’t call the phone number a scammer may give you. Please watch for suspicious cars in your neighborhood and those that may be following delivery drivers. As you are out shopping, watch for suspicious people that are looking into cars. Lastly, when it comes to scams, ask questions and be very careful when asked for personal information or account information. Remember the phrase, “If you see something, say something.” You can always call our non-emergency number, 801-840-4000 to report suspicious behavior. In an emergency, call 911. We want to continue to make the City of Holladay a great and safe city to live in, work in and recreate. We appreciate your support and help when you watch out for your neighbors and report suspicious activities. We at the UPD’s Holladay Precinct are wishing you have a safe and happy holiday season!