15 Aug Meeting Minutes August 2, 2017
Sugar House Community Council Trustee Meeting Minutes
Trustees Present: Mike Bagley, Sally Barraclough, Amy Barry, Laurie Bray, Landon Clark, Mary Clark, Melanie Heath, Deb Henry, Michael G. Kavanagh, Steve Kirkegaard, Will Kocher, Susan Koelliker, Larry Migliaccio, Dave Mulder, Benjamin Sessions, Judi Short, George Sumner, Chris Sveiven, Rawlins Young
Trustees Excused: Cameron Anderson, Teddy Anderson, Sue Ann Jones, Benny Keele, Dayna McKee, Jason Smurthwaite,
Trustees Unexcused: Tina Escobar-Taft, Lucy Hawes, Topher Horman, Eric McGill, Shane Stroud
The meeting was called to order at 7:09 pm by Landon Clark, Chair SHCC. This meeting was held at Westminster on the Draw due to recent flooding in the Sprague Library.
Motion to approve last month’s minutes was made by Judi, seconded by Steve. The motion passed unanimously with no corrections to the minutes.
Secretary Report: Sally Barraclough
There were no new trustee petitions submitted and no trustee petitions expiring this month. Judi Short and Larry Migliaccio have petitions that expire in September.
Treasurer Report: Larry Migliaccio
There is a balance of approximately $6,200 in the account.
Chair Announcements: Landon Clark
Landon thanked Westminster for allowing the use of their facility for our meeting. SHCC will continue to meet here until the Sprague Library is restored following the severe damage caused by the flood. There is a website set up to make donations to the library. Go to http://www.slcpl.org/friends to donate toward the replacement of the 1,000+ books that were lost.
Landon also thanked everyone who attended the Night Out Against Crime event that was held last night at Fairmont Park. The Bike Collective donated bikes to disadvantaged kids. The Sprague Library donated 250 books.
Landon recognized the Boy Scout troop that was in attendance at this meeting. Most of them attend Hillside Elementary.
Library Update: Cheri Koford
The Sprague Library flooded during the rain storm in the early morning hours of July 26th. There was 2½ inches of rain in 40 minutes. That much rain caused Parleys Creek to overflow into Hidden Hollow. The storm grate at the west end of Hidden Hollow filled with debris, so the water flowed over the top and into the man made creek behind Jamba Juice and from there into the basement of the library.
The library had 5½ feet of water in the basement, destroying books, archives, computers, and furniture on the lower level. At this point it looks like no books from the lower level will be salvageable. Even those that did not get wet are warped and starting to mold from the humidity. It took 2 industrial size pumps 8hrs to get the water out of the basement. A professional disaster cleanup crew has been utilizing large blowers/dehumidifiers to dry out the building. They are also removing wet carpet and damaged drywall. They started on the 28th and will continue until all of the damaged materials have been removed. The staff has been reassigned to other branches in the library network. At this point, no one is allowed in the building, including staff.
The library does not have funds for disaster relief and the library will be closed for a minimum of 3-6 months. The early cost estimate for the damage is $250,000 but that will likely increase. They have filed a claim with the insurance company but it may not be covered because it was a flood from an external source. The space utilization study that was conducted earlier this spring came up with 8 million dollars of recommended renovations. It is under discussion whether any of that work can be done as part of the repairs.
The book drops outside the library are being checked twice a day which is much less frequently than usual, so the public is encouraged to return books to the Anderson branch on Foothill or the Main Library downtown. Luckily 1/3 of the collection was checked out at the time of the flood. Library programs will be rescheduled for other locations in Sugar House.
Mayors Office –
Laura Briefer – SLC Public Utilities Director
The storm that occurred at 4:00 am on July 26th and caused the flooding of the Sprague Library was a 200yr storm event. 2½ inches was reported in the Sugar House area and up to 3 inches of rain fell in areas near the University in a 40 min period. The National Weather Service says a 200 yr storm means it’s a storm that statistically will only happen every 200 yrs. In addition to the Sprague Library, East High, Highland High, and multiple private homes also sustained damage.
The city activated it’s emergency operations center on Wednesday morning, which allowed the city to establish a unified command center with other entities of the city and county. Once the reports of extensive damage to public and private properties started coming in, Salt Lake City issued a “proclamation of emergency”. The local proclamation allows the city to apply for funds through state and federal agencies. It is not a guarantee that funds will be available but it assists in making the case.
The city also set up a Multi Agency Resource Center at the Horizonte School located at 1234 S. Main to answer questions from the public regarding flood assistance. The center is open from 12:00pm to 8:00pm for the next 3 days and may be extended as needed. 30 victims of the flood came in today. Volunteer organizations such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and LDS Church Services are assisting by answering questions and providing services. The State Division of Emergency Services has sent their insurance specialists and a legal team who are also available to answer questions. The Small Business Administration is also there to assist with arranging low interest loans.
Residents are asked to call and report damage, including raw sewage damage, to the city. Call (801)483-6700 Option #1 to report damage. Go to http://www.slcsevereweather2017.com to see answers to frequently asked questions. The issue of raw sewage coming up in basements through toilets and shower drains occurred mostly in the 2100 S. 1700 E. area. The city is investigating the relationship between the rain storm and the sewer system failure.
It is not correct that the city will be reimbursing emergency clean-up crews that are stating that the city will cover the invoice. The city is going to coordinate a debris pickup with city sanitation. Call the above number to schedule a pickup.
Nate Salazar, District 7 Community Liaison
The Tour De Utah Bike Race will conduct it’s final 7th stage in the avenues around the capital building on Sunday. This race is the second most watched bike race next to the Tour De France in the world. There are still volunteer opportunities.
Bike Collective – Sean Murphy, President of the Board
The Bike Collective is a non-profit organization that gave away around 60 bikes at the Night Out Against Crime event held in Fairmont Park last night. They also work with the Boys and Girls Clubs also to provide bikes to underprivileged kids. They provide bikes from their West Temple, Murray, Westminster, and St. George locations. This program teaches kids that bikes are good for transportation and healthy recreation. Bike education is also provided. Most of the bikes are given through a work/earn program. The kids learn how to repair and maintain their bikes before they take ownership.
The shops take donations of bikes and utilize a team of paid mechanics to refurbish bikes and to also do repairs and tuneups on bikes for the riding public. They sell refurbished bikes to the public for a very reasonable price. They have commuter bikes with fenders, racks, and lights for around $300. The goal is to get people on bikes who may not be able to afford a commuter bike.
They provide “open shop” hours where owners can bring in their bikes and do their own repairs under the supervision of a bike mechanic. They sponsor a women’s shop night and also have programs teaching young people who are in Juvenal Detention centers bike building and repair for future life skills training.
The Bike Collective is looking for bike donations, donations of time, and cash donations. They do not currently own the Salt Lake City location and would like to move to a more permanent location. Go to http://www.bicyclecollective.org or call (240) 994-4502 for more information.
Police Report – Josh Ashdown excused
As reported to Landon, the crime numbers have remained steady with no increases. The overall numbers for 3yr and 5yr are on a decline. Detective Ashdown will continue to monitor the effects of the push to clean-up the Rio Grande homeless area downtown. Since the effort is still in the beginning stages they don’t don’t know how it will effect Sugar House.
Fire Department – Darby Egbert, Fire Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator SLC
Darby took this position when it was created 1½ years ago. Prior to joining the Fire Department she worked for the Utah System of Higher Education and the Utah Education Savings Plan. She has master’s in Public Administration.
Darby is part of the newly formed community relations team which consists of herself, a firefighter development coordinator, a public information officer, and an administrative captain.
She is responsible for general recruitment and test preparation. There is a lot of interest in fire department jobs so Darby is working to increase the number of females and minorities who are recruited to join the department. She also oversees the community event and station tour event requests. There is now a formal process to file a request. Go to http://www.slcfire.com/contact to fill out the form. Requests should be made at least 2 wks in advance of the event.
She is also overseeing the youth camps called camp Athena for girls and camp Prometheus for boys. The camps are for teens ages 16-20 and the purpose is to introduce teens to career opportunities within the fire department. There is also a cadet post opportunity for youth who are interested in firefighting careers.
The new station #14 is under construction with a completion date of Oct 2017. Construction has started on Sugar House Station #3 with a completion date of Spring 2018.
Information regarding the fire department’s involvement with other community resources during the recent flood can be found on the fire department’s Facebook page. They are all working toward more consistent messaging during a disaster or fire event.
SLC Parks Off Lease Dog Project – Troy Baker, Parks Program Manager
Lee Bollwinkel – Associate Director for Parks and Public Lands
Troy and Lee discussed a pilot program for off leash dogs for Parley’s Park located at 2565 South and 2848 East. A petition was circulated to gather signatures to support the pilot program for Parley’s Park.
There are currently seven parks that are permitted off leash dog parks and several more that are working with the pilot program. For the pilot program, dogs are allowed off leash from 5am to 10am and again from 5pm to 10pm. The city installs signs and a dog bag station for use during the test period. There is no fencing during the test period.
The pilot program for Parley’s Park will last 6-12 months during which time they will take public comment on whether it is supported. After the test period is over a decision will be made whether to make it permanent or go back to on leash only.
Amy stated that the pilot programs were started at the direction of the city council to find off leash areas within every city council district in the city. The parks department looked at all the parks in each district and choose ones that were less likely to meet a lot of resistance.
The parks department relies on SL County Animal Control to provide enforcement of the leash laws. Unfortunately there are only seven officers to patrol all the parks. Call (801) 972-7800 for any issues regarding city parks.
Opioid Addiction Presentation – Beverly Neville, Director of Community Health Salt Lake County
Prescription drug overdose deaths have increased dramatically from 2002 to 2016. There are more overdose deaths in Utah than deaths from motor vehicle accidents, firearms, or falls.
For men the death rate is greatest in the 25-34 age group, for women it is in the 45-54 age group. 64% of the drug deaths were unintentional. In Utah, the rate of prescription drug overdose deaths far outpaces deaths from heroin overdoses. This is unique to Utah as most states have more heroin than prescription drug overdoses.
Some state agencies with sponsorship from Intermountain Health Care have started an educational campaign called “Use Only As Directed” to teach the public about the risk of becoming addicted to prescription pain medications. Speak Out, Opt Out, and Throw Out is the slogan being used for the campaign. Speak to your doctor to learn about the prescription. Opt Out encourages patients to investigate other forms of non-narcotic pain control. Throw Out teaches the proper way to dispose of narcotics, and encourages people to get rid of unused portions of their prescription. Drop boxes for unused drugs is the best way to dispose of drugs. Some of the pharmacies and the SL County Government center on 2100 South and State have drop boxes.
Naloxone (Narcan) is a overdose reversal drug that is now readily available to families who have addicted family members. The emergency responders also carry Naloxon with them.
Utah Stories – Made in Utah Festival Richard Markosian- Editor, Utah Stories
Richard started Utah Stories as an electronic magazine. In 2009, at the urging of the advertisers, it became a print magazine. The focus of the magazine is to highlight small business owners that have been able to create their own wealth, and to point out areas of market place where large corporations get a distinct advantage because of an unfair playing field.
The purpose of the Made in Utah Festival is to create a connection between the community and small businesses. The festival helps people recognize the advantages of buying from local businesses. The economic impact to the community that comes from buying local far outweighs the somewhat higher cost of the product. If everyone would shift just 10% of their purchases to buying local, it would have the same positive impact on the local economy as 5 outdoor retailer conventions. It would be a 1.2 billion dollar positive impact.
The festival will feature local breweries, wineries, and a sound stage. There will be 70 vendors located all along Rio Grande Street demonstrating and selling locally made products such as leather goods, wool, and wood crafted items. The emphasis is on small businesses and not so much crafters.
The Made in Utah Festival will be held Saturday, Aug 26th at the Gateway shopping area from 11am-9pm. This is a free event, children are welcome.
Spotlight on Business – Michael G. Kavanagh
Natural Grocers 1033 East 2100 South – Stacey Breidenstein, Store Manager
The store at this location opened on Sept 27, 2016. The family run company was founded 62yrs ago in Colorado by Margaret Isely. The founding principles are:
- Nutritional Education
- Quality of Products
- Affordable Pricing
- Commitment to Employees
- Commitment to the Community
They are currently working on a process to re-open the entrance located on 2100 South. They are looking at all the issues surrounding this change and hopefully will have it open soon.
On Thursday, Aug 17th all Natural Grocer stores will be celebrating their 62nd anniversary. There will be an ice-cream social from 4-6pm. There will be reduced pricing and demonstration tables in the store all day. There will also be free samples, gift baskets, and prizes.
Sugar House Community Council Website – Melanie Heath SHCC Trustee
Melanie is the Director of Communications for the State Board of Regents, and a trustee on our council representing the Garfield area. She is currently compiling the feedback she got from trustees from the survey regarding the SHCC logo and website. In the next few months, she will come back with some suggestions for changes to the logo, and ways to make the website more user friendly. Her goal is to get this done by the end of the year.
She is also hoping to add more trustees to the Community Outreach Committee. There are currently four members. Anyone interested should contact Melanie or Benjamin.
Parks, Open Space, and Trails – Sally Barraclough
This committee did not meet last month
Land Use Committee Report – Judi Short
Jolley’s Pharmacy wants to add solar panels to their roof. Judi recommended that it be approved.
There has been a petition to vacate an alleyway at 1249 Crystal Ave. The surrounding neighborhood was flier-ed and no one opposed the petition.
Agenda items for the August 21st meeting include a rezone petition for a boarded up duplex located at 1316 Downington Place. They want to rezone from R-1 7000 to RMF-30 which would allow them to build 3 town homes.
There is a project planned for the old Salt Lake Costume Store located at 1701 South and 11th East. They want to keep the original building but renovate it into 19 apartments. They will keep the historic sign.
The Planning Department is still working the the Historic Sign Ordinance and Lisa Adams has committed to see it revised before she leaves office at the end of the year.
The next LUZ meeting will be held at the Forest Dale Clubhouse.
The Boulder Ventures project has poured over 300 stabilizing piers. The Boys and Girls Club has offered their west parking lot for contractor parking.
The Mecham project on Highland Dr. (the Nixon Building) has been put on hold. The property has been leased to Boulder Ventures to stage their project.
The Wilmington Ave sewer project is supposed to start in June of 2018. In the mean time they will continue to patch the potholes. The gas line projects on 1700 South between 7th East and 13th East and the line on 13th East between 8th South and 17th South are ahead of schedule and should be completed soon.
Community Outreach – Ben Sessions
Go to the website to look for current events
Meeting Adjourned at 9:05
