Midvale City Newsletter | November 2022

In The Middle of Everything MIDVALE CITY DIRECTORY City Hall Finance/Utilities Court City Attorney’s Office City Recorder/Human Resources Community Development Public Works Ace Disposal/Recycling Midvale Historical Museum Midvale Senior Center SL County Animal Services Communications

801-567-7200 801-567-7200 801-567-7265 801-567-7250 801-567-7228 801-567-7211 801-567-7235 801-363-9995 801-567-7285 385-468-3350 385-468-7387 801-567-7230

MIDVALE CITY ELECTED OFFICIALS MAYOR Marcus Stevenson 801-567-7204 Email: mstevenson@midvale.com CITY COUNCIL District 1 - Quinn Sperry Email: qsperry@midvale.com District 2 - Paul Glover Email: pglover@midvale.com District 3 - Heidi Robinson Email: Hrobinson@midvale.com District 4 - Bryant Brown Email: bbrown@midvale.com District 5 - Dustin Gettel Email: dgettel@midvale.com

WHO TO CALL FOR… Water Bills Ordering A New Trash Can Permits Court Paying For Traffic School Business Licensing Cemetery Planning and Zoning Code Enforcement Building inspections Graffiti

801-567-7200 801-567-7202 801-567-7213 801-567-7265 801-567-7202 801-567-7214 801-567-7235 801-567-7231 801-567-7208 801-567-7213 385-468-9769

PUBLIC SAFETY & EMERGENCY CONTACTS EMERGENCY UFA Fire/UPD Police > Non-emergency Unified Police Department > Midvale Precinct Public Works Rocky Mountain Power

911 801-840-4000 385-468-9350 801-567-7235 877-508-5088

NOVEMBER 2022

City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047

CITY NEWSLETTER

Marcus’s Message

By Mayor Marcus Stevenson

I’d like to think that we all understand the importance of libraries, especially in our own community. While the traditional library has changed through the advancement of technology and changing community needs, they’re still a critical part in the fabric of our society in providing free access to books, computers and internet, and a safe community space. Unfortunately, Ruth Vine Tyler Library (Tyler Library), located here in Midvale, but owned and operated by Salt Lake County, is near the end of its life and needs to be replaced. If needed funding is not secured, the library could risk closure and Midvale could lose its library. However, if we do secure funding, the Salt Lake County Library would like to move our library onto State Street and provide their Technical Services department out of this location. This would give us a larger, more visible library, with better programs, more materials, and an overall greater service to our residents.

WHY A NEW LIBRARY IS NEEDED

Salt Lake County built the Tyler Library in 1967, when Midvale City’s population was around 7,000 people. Today, our population is around 36,000 people and our library is both the smallest county-owned library (11,300 square feet) and the oldest county-owned library that has not been renovated (the West Valley Library was built in 1965 and was renovated in 2003).

Not only has our population grown significantly since the Tyler Library was built, but our current population data would suggest that a library is not just an important service, but one that is critical for the well-being of our residents and for the success of our community. In fact, as of the 2020 Census, about 7% of Salt Lake County residents live in poverty. In Midvale that number is doubled – 14% of our city’s residents live in poverty. Further, we have a lower median household income and higher crime rates. And while our library is small, it’s also mighty. In pre-pandemic levels, in 2019, the Tyler Library had 105,000 visitors, circulated 204,000 materials, distributed 4,300 meals to children, and provided over 6,000 computer sessions. The critical services our library system provides help ensure a stable food source and access to essential resources for our residents, especially those that need them most.

Unfortunately, while the Salt Lake County Library Facilities Master Plan does call for Tyler Library to be replaced, this takes needed funding approval from the Salt Lake County Council. This funding is not guaranteed, and there is no plan to continue long-term maintenance of the library. In short, our library is approaching the end of its life and it is unclear how long it will continue to serve our community. This could lead to the potential reality that our community will eventually lose our library if new funding is not secured.

WHY I’M ADVOCATING FOR NEW FUNDING

One of the major reasons why I’m advocating for new money for our library system is because Midvale City has played its role in provid-

ing for regional issues. First, and most notably, we are one of three cities in Salt Lake County (one of five in the State of Utah) that hosts a year-round homeless shelter. While we are proud of the role we play in addressing homelessness, there is no denying that hosting the Midvale Family Resource Center requires more resources to be expended than a community without one. Homelessness is a statewide problem, and our residents provide a regional service by helping to fund many of the mitigation efforts around the shelter.

Secondly, in 2017 (the most recent report) the Utah Department of Workforce Services released data showing that Midvale provided 7.5% of all affordable housing units in the county, while our population was only 3.4% of Salt Lake County that same year.

Further, we are one of the densest cities in Utah, based on our population size compared to our geographic size. Clearly, our community hits above our weight when it comes to providing affordable places for people to live.

Lastly, it’s important to note that our community can do hard things. We can provide shelter for the homeless and affordable housing for our low-income neighbors, but along with that, we deserve help to provide the basic social infrastructure that libraries give a community.

THE COST

In order to secure the funding needed, the Salt Lake County Council has proposed a property tax increase for the library system of $30 a year for a median priced home, which is their first increase to the library system in 10 years. While this increase may be difficult for some, our residents, through Salt Lake County property taxes, have helped pay for seven libraries in other communities since 2010 and I believe the negative impacts that losing our library would have far outweigh the price of the property tax increase. This new money will secure the future of our library.

MY ASK

I’m asking residents to reach out to their County Council members and ask them to support this property tax increase. We know that libraries serve everyone and are an essential hub in facilitating access to information, education, community connection, and are especially crucial in providing support and resources to underserved populations. We must do whatever we can to save our library and support these critical services.

In The Middle of Everything Jiffy Lube Offers Free Engraving Service to Track and Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft

Jiffy Lube, Unified Police Department, and the Utah Attorney General’s Office held a joint press conference at the Jiffy Lube in Midvale to announce they are joining forces to combat catalytic converter theft.

According to Sherriff Rosie Rivera, there were more than 1,200 catalytic converter thefts in Salt Lake County in 2021. That was double the previous year. She stressed identifying victims of the crime is imperative because law enforcement cannot prosecute thieves if they don’t know who the victim is. Therefore, Jiffy Lube announced a new free service to help prevent, deter, and prosecute the theft of catalytic converters.

Jiffy Lube is offering to engrave the vehicle’s identification number (VIN) on the catalytic converter and add a stripe of high-temp paint. The goal is to deter thieves from stealing catalytic converters as it will be easier to track and if they do end up getting stolen it will help law enforcement with the prosecution.

The free does not require owners to get their vehicles serviced to qualify for the branding. No appointment is necessary, and it takes about five minutes to complete.

The service is now available at all 79 locations throughout Utah. To find a location near you visit JiffyLubeUtah.com.

WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG

Midvale City Celebrates Groundbreaking for New Affordable Housing Mayor Stevenson and Council Members Dustin Gettel, Heidi Robinson, and Paul Glover attended the Sunset Gardens (now known as East 72) Groundbreaking Ceremony presented

by Housing Connect. Mayor Stevenson joined guest speakers from Zions Bank, Utah Housing Corporation, and Rocky Mountain Community Reinvestment Corporation to express his excitement for the project that will provide 89 units of affordable housing in the middle of Salt Lake County.

The original project, located at 7200 South and Fort Union Boulevard, included 12 duplexes that housed 23 affordable units. The new project, East 72, represents a unique opportunity to increase the number of affordable housing units from 24 to 89 and preserve the rent paid by the existing residents. The new construction will greatly improve the appearance and living conditions of the residents along with new amenities, including onsite client services by a variety of service providers.

The East 72 project will consist of one 3-story residential building with large floorplans (63 one-bedroom units, 23 two-bedroom onebath units, and three three-bedroom two-bath units). Twenty-five of these units will be set aside for the disabled (5), survivors of domestic violence (5), the homeless (5), and those with physical disabilities (10).

Affordable housing is a critical resource for all of Salt Lake County, specifically for Midvale City. About 7% of Salt Lake County residents live in poverty. In Midvale that number is doubled – 14% of our city’s residents live in poverty.

This $25 million development is possible thanks to funding from Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, construction financing through Zions Bank, permanent financing through Rocky Mountain CRC, the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund, Salt Lake County, and Midvale City.

“Midvale City has a long track record of doing the right thing to provide community resources and I’m so excited to be a part of continuing that,” stated Mayor Stevenson. Our city is incredibly supportive of this project,” stated Mayor Stevenson. “It is so important for myself and our City Council that everybody feels welcome in our community.”

NOVEMBER 2022 CITY NEWSLETTER WWW . MIDVALECITY . ORG

Winter On-Street Parking If there are cars parked on the streets, plows can’t fully clear the roads and run the risk of hitting parked vehicles.

Residents are not permitted to park any vehicle on city streets where one inch of snow has accumulated.

The parking prohibition shall remain in effect for 24 hours after the snow has ceased to fall, or until such time as the snow has been removed from the street. (Midvale Municipal Code Section 10.16.120). Residents should be mindful of the weather and make arrangements to park off the streets when snow is forecasted

Bad Holiday Foods for Fido The holidays are around the corner. Here’s a few quick tips on what to keep out of your pet’s mouth. Those tasty, fatty, rich foods from the holidays can cause some serious upset tummies, or even worse, a visit to the emergency vet.

AVOID: • Candy: Chocolate contains a substance, theobromine, that can be toxic to pets. Dark, semi-sweet, and Baker’s chocolate can be lethal to pets if ingested.

• Drippings: Those fatty leftovers from your meal can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

• NO BONES: Do not give your pet bones from leftover holiday birds, they can splinter once ingested and cause internal injuries, even death.

• Stuffing, pudding, relish, pickles, sauces, and anything with onions, grapes, raisins.

Your pet can eat some holiday foods in moderation BEFORE they’ve been prepared with spices: sweet potatoes, white potatoes, pumpkin (before adding fatty things like cream), cranberries, chard, kale, green beans, and a wee bite of turkey, ham, or other meats. If you have additional questions, please consult with your veterinarian.

Copperview Recreation Center – Junior Jazz League

Holiday Meals at Midvale Senior Center Midvale Senior Center will be serving a Thanksgiving Holiday Meal on Wednesday, November 16. It will be a traditional Thanksgiving meal (roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans, dinner roll, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie). Our Winter Holiday Meal will be on Wednesday, December 14. Heart and Soul will provide the entertainment for both holiday meals.

We will have two seatings for each meal. One at 11:30 am and another one at 12:30 pm. You are also welcomed to pick up a to go meal from the café at 12:00 pm. Please call 385-468-3350 to make your reservations.

Reservations for the Thanksgiving meal will need to be made by November 9 and for the Winter Holiday meal on December 8.

Copperview Recreation Center is now registering youth, ages K-6th grade, for the Junior Jazz League. Sign up online at slco.org/Copperview or stop by the Center, located at 8446 S Harrison Street. There are also sign-ups for 8-12th grade ages and full teams at slco.to/junior-jazz If you have any questions, you can call 385-468-1515.