Council Corner

In Remembrance of 9/11, We Turn to Service and Hope

By Council Member Anna Barbieri

I remember getting ready for work on Sept. 11, 2001, while my daughters — 18 months and 3 years at the time — splashed in the tub next to me. I heard the television newscaster announce that a plane had crashed into one of the buildings of the World Trade Center.

I stepped around the corner to see the screen and watched as the second plane crashed into Tower 2. I remember the pink top I was wearing, how the sun was coming through the window and lit up the wood cabinet of the TV stand, the sounds of my girls giggling and splashing water as I watched in horror knowing our world would never be the same. But my most vivid memory of the bombing of the Twin Towers was the aftermath of hundreds if not thousands of people searching for their friends and family members lost in the rubble.

They stapled pictures to walls in areas around what was once two magnificent buildings that touched the skyline and within moments turned into a pile of concrete, glass and metal. Americans lined up at blood banks around the country willing to donate to what would surely be an extraordinary need for blood for all those injured. Tragically, very little blood was needed. The senseless terrorist attacks in New York City, the Pentagon and onboard United Flight 93 ended the lives of 2,977 innocent people. Four hundred and twelve of those who perished that fateful day were rst responders and emergency workers.

My sister took her kids to Manhattan as soon as ights became available, hoping that they would never forget what had happened to one of our great cities and all those who died just because they lived in the United States of America. Now in their 30s, they haven’t forgotten. For a brief moment Americans put their di erences aside and came together in love, support and unity determined to protect our precious country, our freedoms and this great land of liberty.

Twenty years and so many national and international con icts later, we’ve experienced a division in America not seen since the Civil War. It’s impossible to count the numerous excuses for our failure to maintain that brief period in time 20 years ago when we collectively bore the burdens of those who died on 9/11 and those whom they left behind.

I took the opportunity on the National Day of Service and Remembrance this past month to track down many of the groups honoring those who perished in the attacks on 9/11 by providing acts of service around our community. In just a few groups, there were more than 1,500 neighbors in Taylorsville and Kearns who spent their Saturday weeding yards of neighbors in need, cleaning and painting the fences of Millrace Park and creating a community garden near the Kearns Library. I stood in awe at the tables stacked with 400 birthday kits lled with cakes mixes, frosting, decorations and cards for those unable to a ord the simplest of life’s celebrations. I was especially touched by the 500-plus handwritten cards to veterans and rst responders, thanking them for their service. While the young men of the Kearns football team will not remember the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks in 2001, I think they’ll remember Sept. 11, 2021, when they stood in the pouring rain and pulled weeds out of cement cracks for residents tearful with gratitude. How grateful I am that I live in a place where we still come together to mourn, celebrate and serve on behalf of our little corner of the world where community matters.

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)

APA Utah Holds Fall Conference in Taylorsville

The Utah chapter of the American Planning Association held its fall conference in Taylorsville this past month. It was the rst conference of its size to be hosted by Taylorsville City, with more than 300 people attending.

Most of the presentations and workshops took place at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, next door to City Hall on the new Centennial Plaza campus. Mayor Kristie Overson gave welcoming remarks on the conference’s opening day, noting that the city has long shared APA Utah's vision of creating great communities for all.

“Yours is the rst conference of this size that we have hosted on the Taylorsville Centennial Plaza campus,” she said. “And we consider it serendipitous that this rst conference is for Utah’s American Planning Association. Like you, we know how important future development and re-development are to our community.”

The theme of the two-day conference was “Better Together: Creating, Belonging and Community,” and presentations addressed topics such as climate change, transportation and housing. Taylorville City Planner Mark McGrath said the conference was a success. Planners not only came away with greater knowledge from the conference itself but learned more about projects in Taylorsville, he said. During her speech, Mayor Overson highlighted several of those projects, including Centennial Plaza, the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, the West Point development mixed-use housing project that is replacing the Kmart Property at 5400 South and Bangerter Highway, the coming Midvalley Connector Bus Rapid Transit line, the planned redevelopment of Carriage Square, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Taylorsville Utah Temple.

“There are many more projects under way in Taylorsville but these are a few of the highlights. I hope that you will take some time to explore and see what we’ve been up to,” she told conference-goers.

McGrath said he was told attendance of around 325 people set a record for the conference and that organizers would like to return to Centennial Plaza again, possibly meeting on a rotation schedule that would bring them back every three or four years.

APA Utah is a non-pro t organization of professional planners, planning officials and citizen planners. It is made up of 500 APA members statewide.

| www.taylorsvilleut.gov City of Taylorsville Newsletter Meet Our Civilian Staff and ‘Team Taylorsville’

Get to know the new TVPD. Check this space each month for articles highlighting the units and employees that make up the Taylorsville City Police Department.

TVPD consists of several di erent units that make up its in-house organizational structure. The most recognizable unit is patrol. While patrol makes up the bulk of any police department, TVPD has several other support units, which include violent crimes, special victims, domestic violence, mental health, property crimes, directed enforcement, street crimes, training, tra c, and K9.

However, one support unit that is not mentioned above is our civilian staff. Our TVPD civilian sta consists of a seven-member team. Their roles include o ce manager, records manager, evidence manager, two office specialists, court liaison, and victim advocate. None of our civilian sta would be considered “rookies”; they have outstanding award-winning résumés. Several of our civilian sta members have served Taylorsville for about 37 years. Combined, all seven have more than 105 years of experience working in law enforcement. They come from various agencies including Uni ed Police Department, Salt Lake City, West Valley City and West Jordan police departments.

When not working hard at TVPD, these members can be found spending time with their families, watching baseball, participating in various competitions, cooking, dancing, sewing, attending concerts and camping

As officers, we know that without a great civilian staff to support us in our responsibilities we would be at a loss. When you call or come into TVPD, it’s one of these members who rst assist you. Anyone who has worked in a eld where they have “support sta ” recognizes how trivial that term is. Our civilian sta members are truly essential personnel.

We also greatly appreciate all Taylorsville employees. Since becoming our own TVPD, we recognize several Taylorsville employees have taken on extra responsibilities. We are proud to join Mayor Kristie Overson in stating TVPD is part of “Team Taylorsville!”

TVPD OFFICER OF THE MONTH: OFFICER LANDOLFI

Officer Matthew Landolfi was recently awarded Officer of the Month. Officer Landol has 15 years of law enforcement experience, which includes working at the Utah Department of Corrections, Adult Probation and Parole, West Valley PD and TVPD.

He is an exceptional leader who goes above the call of duty. While working with AP&P, he helped start a task force that reduced recidivism. Today, this program continues to have an 80 percent success rate. He has served as a eld training o cer, property crimes detective, and public order team member. He has received awards that include field training officer of the year, the distinguished service medal, unit citation award related to his service in the public order unit, o cer of the month, and has received several letters of accommodations from supervisors and citizens.

Officer Landolfi was recently provided a letter of recognition outlining his outstanding investigative and report-writing ability. This was reflected as he investigated a serious crime related to domestic violence. O cer Landol ’s direct supervisor couldn’t agree more and outlined his overall work ethic and leadership abilities in nominating him for O cer of the Month.

O cer Landol ’s hobbies include xing dirt bikes and restoring automobiles, and he especially enjoys spending time with his family and kids. We are proud to have O cer Landol as part of “Team Taylorsville!”

While on foot patrol at Vista Park this past month, TVPD O cer Anthony Jacketta and Sgt. Amanda Marriott got a nice surprise. They met a group of young baseball players, who with their coaches, form a team known as Utah’s Finest.

The team plays in the name of rst responders. So at every practice and game when the players gather for a team cheer, they yell “First Responders” in reply to “Who are we playing for?"

Not only did O cer Jacketta and Sgt. Marriott learn about the team but they were also given a baseball for the police department signed by all the players. "This made our day!" O cer Jacketta said.

The baseball and picture of the o cers with the team are displayed in the TVPD o ce lobby.

At around 2:40 a.m. on Aug. 3, one of our TVPD Patrol Officers discovered an individual cutting a catalytic converter o a car during a neighborhood patrol.

Car parts being stolen for cash has been a recurring problem nationwide. For instance, in a three-week crackdown in June, police recovered 87 stolen catalytic converters in Torrance, Calif.

To protect your car and property and prevent theft, we o er these suggestions: • Be on the lookout for individuals looming around or under vehicles. • Park your car in a garage, in a well-lit area, or in an area where there is a lot of tra c. • Consider installing security motion lights or cameras that will capture good snapshots of people’s faces and license plates as they come onto or pass by your property. • If you see a suspicious person looming around your neighborhood, you can always contact police.

Please also visit www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/vehicle-theft-prevention for more information and tips regarding vehicle theft prevention.

‘Utah’s Finest’ Baseball Team Honors First Responders TVPD Outlines Safety Measures to Protect Your Car from Theft