Council Corner

By Council Member Dan Armstrong

The month of July is one of the happiest in my book. It is a month of celebration, both on a state and national level, and it is a month to remember and re ect.

The Fourth of July always brings grand festivities. I enjoy gathering with family and friends and celebrating the birth of our nation. In Taylorsville, our big rework shows take place during Taylorsville Dayzz in June, and we did it up big this year with a Birthday Bash in commemoration of our city’s 25th anniversary. Due to this year’s drought and dry conditions, we urge residents to use caution with reworks, which are often best left to the professionals. Enjoy the big, professional shows and consider limiting personal fireworks this year as a matter of safety. There are many other ways to celebrate — from backyard barbecues to simple gatherings with friends and family.

On this day, I like to re ect on our nation’s history. Each Fourth of July, we mark our independence and birth of the United States of America as a nation. The Continental Congress approved the final wording of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Representatives had been working on it for a couple of days after the draft was submitted on July 2 and finally agreed on all of the edits and changes, according to Oak Hill Publishing which prints facts about the U.S. Constitution.

July 4, 1776, became the date that was included on the Declaration of Independence that is now displayed at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Interestingly, however, it wasn’t until more than 40 years later that the day was celebrated. After the War of 1812, printed copies of the Declaration of Independence began to circulate again, all with the date July 4, 1776, listed at the top. The deaths of Thomas Je erson and John Adams on July 4, 1826, also may have helped to promote the idea of July Fourth as an important date to be celebrated.

Celebrations of the Fourth of July became more common as the years went on and in 1870, almost 100 years after the Declaration of Independence was written, Congress rst declared July 4 to be a national holiday as part of a bill to o cially recognize several holidays.

This month, we also celebrate our own state origins with Pioneer Day on July 24. The day commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847, where they settled after being forced from Nauvoo, Illinois, and other locations in the eastern United States.

“Determined to settle in an isolated region, the pioneers made their way across the plains and over the Rocky Mountains to Utah,” according to the Library of Congress. “They lost many of their party to disease during the winter months. By the time they reached Utah, the desolate valley was a welcome sight. Potatoes and turnips were soon planted, and a dam was built. With solemn ceremonies, the settlers consecrated the two-square-mile city, and sent back word that the ‘promised land’ had been found. By the end of 1847, nearly 2,000 Mormons had settled in the Salt Lake Valley.”

The Utah holiday has been celebrated in many ways, including large statewide Days of ’47 activities as well as community events, from games and music to parades and rodeos. Some even mark the day with “pie and beer.” Regardless the tradition, it is a day to celebrate our roots and history and all those who make up our state today.

We wish everyone a very happy and safe July Fourth and Pioneer Day. Thank you for all you do to make our community, state and nation so magni cent and worthy of celebration each year.

We Wish You a Happy and Safe July Fourth and 24th

LEFT TO RIGHT: Dan Armstrong (District 5), Curt Cochran, Chair (District 2), Meredith Harker (District 4), Anna Barbieri, Vice Chair (District 3), and Ernest Burgess (District 1)

Primary Election Planned for Council District 5 Officials Urge Caution with Fireworks this Summer

Although the races for Mayor and Council Members in Districts 3 and 4 are uncontested, there will be a primary election on Aug. 10 to determine which two of three candidates in District 5 will advance to the Nov. 2 general election.

Primary ballots will be mailed to registered voters in District 5 during the week of July 20. If you prefer to vote in person, you may do so on Election Day at Taylorsville City Hall, the Taylorsville Library, the Taylorsville Senior Center or any number of vote centers scattered around Salt Lake County.

Ballots for the general election will be mailed during the week of Oct. 12. For further information regarding elections, go to slco.org/clerk/elections

Due to the ongoing drought and resulting extremely dry conditions, re authorities and city o cials are urging extreme caution this year when handling reworks.

Each year, the Unified Fire Authority publishes an interactive Fireworks Restrictions Map. This year's map can be found at: https://unifiedfire.org/maps/2021 reworks-restriction/

Once there, you can zoom in and out or select a city or speci c area to see exactly where reworks are restricted. Generally, discharge is prohibited within 200 feet of waterways, trails, canyons, washes, ravines or similar areas such as designated wildland interface areas. Accordingly, the map shows reworks are prohibited along the length of the Jordan River. Personal reworks also are restricted at parks within the city and along the I-215 corridor.

By law, sales of legal reworks are allowed beginning on June 24 and ending on July 25. Discharge dates are the two days before, day of, and one day after July 4 and July 24. Hours of discharge are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. On July 4 and July 24, reworks are allowed until midnight.

It is an infraction carrying a ne of up to $1,000 to discharge reworks outside of legal dates and to use reworks in an area where reworks are prohibited. "We urge everyone to be extra careful," said Mayor Kristie Overson. "Particularly, with the drought and dry conditions, it might be best this year to forgo reworks and nd other ways to celebrate the July holidays."

She noted that Taylorsville's big reworks shows take place during Taylorsville Dayzz in June. "We hope residents consider leaving reworks to the experts this year and enjoy the professional shows rather than ignite personal reworks. It’s good to be cautious, especially this year.”

| www.taylorsvilleut.gov Our New Police Department Shines Bright

By Chief Brady Cottam

For the past several months, so many people within the community and city have worked exceptionally hard to bring together an incredible team of individuals, who will now collectively serve as your new Taylorsville City Police Department. As of this writing, o cers and sta support have integrated well with respect to bringing their talents and previous experiences together to ensure a positive culture within the department and quality services to the community. These e orts are encapsulated in our core values, which are: Transparency, Connection, Collaboration, Respect and Innovation.

I am con dent in our personnel. We have hired good, proactive people who are great problem-solvers — the epitome of our role within the community. They are doing good things in life, which I believe translates to doing good in their profession. In addition, they are “career orientated” not just “job centric,” which makes them not only better at their craft but fosters a long-term commitment to the profession as well.

As a department, know that we are “aiming for the stars” in all our e orts. We want this to be a department of which everyone within the city can be proud. In turn, we are con dent we will be a destination department for interested o cers in the future, not just a stepping-stone for those on their way to “bigger and better.” We are committed to rewarding our personnel for their positive interactions, but also holding them accountable for actions when things are amiss.

The City Council, Mayor and city administration are committed to the funding and continued support of our new department, thus providing our o cers with the tools and training needed so desperately in today’s world of policing. Bringing these components together, the community can be assured we are fully engaged and look forward to perpetual service to all.

Thank you so much for your support. We look forward to serving our Taylorsville community going forward for many years.

By John Purvis Taylorsville Green Committee Chair

The water situation is dire this year, with low snowpack the last several years, low reservoirs, an increasing population and too much grass. In declaring a state of emergency due to continued drought conditions, Gov. Spencer Cox noted that Utah experienced a record dry and near-record hot calendar year in 2020.

Over the years, my wife, Linda, and I have taken steps to reduce water use. We replaced our grass parking strip years ago with ground cover, lavender and other nice plants, and connected tubing and drip connections to existing water lines at less than $10 (and plugged the rest). It has saved me a lot of water use and looks great. No gas is required as there’s no mowing, and it’s low maintenance. We watch our watering schedule and water deep when we do. As time goes by, we’re also replacing grass with other stu . Grass is for recreation and pretty boring to look at. If you’re looking to make a change, Conservation Gardens is a lot of help and it’s free. Visit https://conservationgardenpark.org/

Now, something I didn’t expect. I don’t pay much attention to bills, but last year summer, we received an interesting one with our water use way high and a statement, "The water meter has registered a continuous ow of water to your property for more than 15 consecutive days. This may indicate a leak." It also provided a site helpful in nding this leak. (Leaks might include an outside faucet, sprinkler system valves, a stop and waste valve that is not fully on or o , a toilet flapper valve, a toilet running, faucet leaks, etc.). Once you look, you may be surprised to nd where the water is going.

Our leaks were at three locations. A toilet apper valve, which builds up calcium deposits after a while, was xed by simply wiping it o vigorously. Also found were leaks at the front and backyard sprinkler valve boxes. These were major leaks; combined, they amounted to maybe two drops a second. Not a big deal, but that adds up to over 800 gallons a year. It also makes the bottom of the valve box wet, muddy and a great place for spiders, centipedes and maybe a craw sh!

For grins, and because I’m an engineer and wanted to know about the bill, I rst called the Taylorsville-Bennion Improvement District, speci cally Director Dan McDougal at 801-968-9081. If you have questions about water use or leaks, TBID is a great resource. They are very nice and will help you out; they’ll even come by if needed at no extra charge. Apparently, their meters located on your park strip can detect leakage as low as 0.08 gpm. These units are transmitters and can be accessed by you, though you need a pentagon-shaped wrench or a decent pair of Channellock pliers. According to McDougal, someday, data may be available in real time on your computer. But for now, you can view your water meter. After all, if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. So, try reading it a few times with your sink or sprinkler owing and then everything o . Wait 30 minutes to an hour between readings.

You can nd step-by-step instructions on how to read your meter on YouTube, of nd the entire manual at https://www.neptunetg.com/products.

MOVIES IN THE PARK

September 11th 'Trolls World Tour'

City Hall West Lawn Movies start at dusk

July 10th 'Original Jumanji'

August 7th 'Onward'

City of Taylorsville Newsletter Water Conservation: If You Can’t Measure It, You Can’t Manage It

2600 West Taylorsville Boulevard • 801-963-5400 | PAGE 5 New Arts Center Marks Opening with Ribbon Cutting, Performances

From a ground-breaking ceremony two and a half years ago to a ribbon cutting on May 26, the MidValley Performing Arts Center is now complete and ready to welcome performers and audiences alike.

“It is beyond what we could have ever dreamt it to be,” said Taylorsville Mayor Kristie Overson. “The Performing Arts Center is simply beautiful.”

Taylorsville City leaders joined colleagues from Salt Lake County in celebrating the new facility. Prior to cutting the ribbon, remarks were given by Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, Mayor Overson, the county’s Division Director for Arts & Culture Matt Castillo, Salt Lake County Council Member Aimee Winder Newton, and Lynette Owens, executive director and artistic administrator of the Lyrical Opera Theater, which performed a “Classy Concert” as part of the program.

Mayor Overson noted that it has taken the work of many hands over many years, as well as their visionary commitment and leadership, to make the theater a reality. She also recognized the Namba family, who once operated a small farm on the site. “This area already comes with such a legacy that will only continue to grow well into the future,” she said. “We are fortunate to have access to this marvelous new facility and that it is right next door.”

In complement, the Arts Center and City Hall comprise Centennial Plaza that is now under construction and will also feature walkways, landscaping and public art, a kitchen and outdoor stage, green space and arbors, and waterwall signage.

“It will be a community space for all to enjoy – whether you are taking in a show or visiting in quiet leisure,” Mayor Overson said.

With 70,000 square feet, the Arts Center includes a 400-seat proscenium theater, the 200-seat Studio 5400 theater and a fully functional rehearsal space. It is managed by the county’s Arts & Culture Division, with ticketing through ArtTix. See www.saltlakecountyarts. org for the latest event information.