West Jordan City Newsletter | September 2021 by The City Journals

G O OD NE IG HBOR

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2021

Paid for by the City of West Jordan

M AYO R ’S M E S S AG E New census numbers from 2020 are in and they show that our great City of West Jordan is growing – we’re now the third largest city in the State of Utah. West Jordan has doubled in size since Janet, and I bought our home here almost 25 years ago. While I can’t halt development in its tracks, I am working diligently with staff to implement smart growth practices. This includes investments in our public safety division. Over the last year, many of you have reached out in support and deep appreciation of our police officers. I too am grateful for the important role they play in our city. They are tremendous. Last month, the city announced changes to the compensation plan for our police officers. This move keeps our department competitive with other cities and ensures they are being paid a living wage that allows them to both live and work in our fine city. The West Jordan Police Department consistently paves the way for other police forces in Utah. Our officers were the first in the state to participate in a training that specifically focuses on interaction with individuals on the autism spectrum, among other things. This is a department that is always looking for ways to improve and engage with members of our community. West Jordan is growing, and we must grow with it. Thank you for joining me in support of our fantastic officers, and their families who sacrifice so much. Sincerely,

Mayor Dirk Burton

Call for Crossing Guards!

New Census Data – West Jordan becomes Utah’s Third Largest City

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau notes the City of West Jordan is now the third largest city in the state of Utah. West Jordan, which now claims a population of 116,961, overtook Provo, whose population now clocks in at 115,162. In total, the new numbers show Utah’s population continues to grow. The beehive state has been dubbed the fastest growing state in the U.S. Top ten largest cities in Utah 1. Salt Lake City 2. West Valley City 3. West Jordan 4. Provo 5. Orem 6. Sandy 7. St. George 8. Ogden 9. Layton 10. South Jordan What do the growing numbers mean for West Jordan Residents? Participating in the census is important because politicians use that information to decide on how hundreds of billions of dollars of federal funds will be distributed. Those funds go toward things such as education, safety, roads, and housing. You can view the entire report from the US Census online, at www.census.gov

The West Jordan Police Department is looking for crossing guards to help get students get to and from school safely! We need crossing guards for the following schools: • Riverside Elementary • Oquirrh Elementary • Fox Hills Elementary (While Fox Hills is in the Granite School District, we help cross children into Taylorsville from Dixie Valley.) If you’re interested, apply online: https://bit.ly/Wejojobs (link is case sensitive)

WestJordanJournal .com

September 2021 | Page 15

GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER

PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN

West Jordan and Conservation Garden Park offering Free Localscape Classes Conservation Garden Park is teaming up with the City of West Jordan to help residents create a yard that works for them and thrives in our current dry climate. This 2-hour class will teach you how to apply the method correctly to ensure you achieve all the benefits a Localscape provides. We’ll cover the five steps in detail including landscape layout, an overview of irrigation, and planting bed basics. We’ll also teach you how to create a basemap for your own landscape plan, supplies provided. Register for the class by visiting: https://bit.ly/wjlocalscape

GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER

PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN

A Look Ahead – the West Jordan General Election The city of West Jordan held its Primary Election in August, where voters had to choose three candidates to move forward. In November, voters will have six candidates to choose from for the city’s three Atlarge seats.

WHO IS RUNNING? You can find a list of all the candidates who are running on the city’s website: www.westjordan.utah.gov/2021election

IMPORTANT DATES: National Voter Registration Day: September 28, 2021 Vote by Mail Ballots Mailed: Week of October 11th Voter Registration Deadline: October 22 Last day to request replacement ballot: October 26 General Early Voting: October 26-29 General Election: November 2

QUESTIONS? If you have questions regarding the election, you can call our City Recorder’s Office: 801-569-5116, visit our city website: westjordan.utah.gov, or the County Clerks website: slco.org/clerk

COUNCIL CORNER During a meeting on July 28th, Council offered their appreciation to employees and officers of the West Jordan Police Department who put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe maintaining and defending civil order in our community. Council consistently offer support and appreciation to the department and have designated May 15th as West Jordan Peace Officers Day. On August 11th Council discussed options to strengthen that support and in coordination with Administrative Services Director Danyce Steck and City Administrator Korban Lee developed a plan to retain and recruit the best officers in the valley. The plan proposed would include long-range compensation strategies which will be considered for adoption with the final budget later in August. Council Chair Zach Jacob stated, “We know that being a cop means something different now than it did just a few years ago. And West Jordan’s police department has the best of the best. It was important to the council that we acted quickly to not only retain our incredible officers, but to ensure that we continue to attract the very highest caliber cops. We hope that the new plan

ensures a high level of service for our citizens for many years to come.” Council Vice Chair Kelvin Green said, “When visiting with Chief Wallentine in early July, it was clear we needed to find a solution to recruit and retain West Jordan Police Officers. I am grateful to the leadership team who helped create the plan. I believe it will help retain officers serving in West Jordan. We offer our sincere thanks to these dedicated professionals and want to give them the support and appreciation they deserve.”

S E U S S I C AL Seussical runs Sept 3 - 13th, 2021 at the Midvale Performing Arts Center. Presented by the West Jordan Youth Theatre. Details and tickets available at buyyourtix.com The West Jordan Youth Theatre provides great live theatre experiences for the entire family. Children involved with youth theatre learn many life skills that they can take with them into the world. Special thanks to the City of West Jordan, ZAP grants, and the Cultural Arts Society of West Jordan for the increased resources through donations and grants.

POLICE PINNING The City of West Jordan swore in four new officers to join the West Jordan Police Department. Welcome to the family!

GOOD NEIGHBOR NEWS: WEST JORDAN NEWSLETTER

PAID FOR BY THE CITY OF WEST JORDAN

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SEPTEMBER

LABOR DAY

CITY SHRED EVENT

CITY OFFICES CLOSED

West Jordan City Hall 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

FOOD TRUCK ROUNDUP

SEPTEMBER

PLANNING COMMISSION