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05-27-2022: PLAYING CATCH UP; VENTURE OUT; HISTORIC PRESERVATION; LIBRARY-ART RECEPTION; SURVEY; etc. View this email in your browser Announcements City offices closed for Memorial Day, 5/30/22 Public Meetings Canyon Rim Citizens Wed., 6/1/22, 7 pm City Hall, 3330 S 1300 E NEWS Playing Catch Up With Sidewalks, Street Lights and Speed Bumps A Message from Mayor Jeff Silvestrini We get many requests from residents all over the city for sidewalks, street lights, and traffic calming measures like speed bumps. Many of us have children or grandchildren we want to protect and we all like to feel safe when we walk on streets without sidewalks, particularly when it seems too many of us want to drive too fast. Any long-time resident of Millcreek is aware of our common semi-rural feel, due in part to decisions ---PAGE BREAK--- Join virtually HERE East Mill Creek Community Council Thurs., 6/2/22, 6:30 pm City Hall, 3330 S 1300 E Join virtually HERE made long ago by developers, residents and our then-county government to forgo sidewalks (and curb and gutter) when our beautiful community was built out. We are literally paying for those decisions now as we attempt to address the problems created as Millcreek grew into a full- blown suburban community. Because of the magnitude of these problems and the requirement that our new city provide a full range of other services and improvements, from police protection to road maintenance to parks to flood and stormwater control, we are required to prioritize how we spend our limited resources to get the most bang for the buck. Progress on sidewalks. We are still working to install full sidewalks on sections of 3300 South, 3900 South, 1300 East, 900 East and Highland Drive. These streets must be addressed first as they carry far more traffic at higher speeds than many of the other streets. I am proud we are making a difference in getting sidewalks on each of these streets in the five years since we incorporated and we will continue the process. New sidewalk was installed on Upland Drive, which serves three schools. We will be constructing sidewalk on Neff’s Lane this summer and we are in the process of negotiating right-of-way purchases along 3300 South to fill in additional sections of missing sidewalk. Improvements are planned for 900 East between 3300 and 3900 South. Traffic calming. In response to the many requests we receive, particularly for speed bumps, our city engineering department has prepared a Traffic Calming Program which explains the process to request improvements. One requirement is to have a petition signed by residents along the street who will be impacted by speed bumps and to ensure that we address the most serious problems first as well as ensure that when one person requests speed bumps on a street, we don’t get five people later asking for them to be removed. They are noisy at all hours, day and night, when cars’ springs creak traversing them. They can be unnerving to pedestrians when cars swerve to avoid them or take them faster at an angle and they also present challenges for drainage and snow removal. An application received through the Traffic Calming Program begins a process ---PAGE BREAK--- wherein our engineers set counters to measure speed, traffic counts and personally inspect to determine levels of pedestrian and bicycle use before we launch into a mitigation program. The information received enables us to use hard data to drive our prioritization of undertaking physical traffic calming measures on any specific road. We also depend upon Community Council recommendations about the locations of the worst areas, and we ask them to help prioritize our expenditures on things like speed monitoring signs and speed bumps. Getting your neighbors together and talking to your community council representatives may help move your request up the list of priorities. Stop speeding. A key component to traffic calming is enforcement. People all over our city (and our state) complain about speeders. Commonly these speeders are us and our own neighbors. Patrols and ticketing by the UPD may deter a few who get caught or who see others pulled over, but, we do not have enough officers to do speed patrols everywhere every day. That’s one reason for the suggestion in our booklet for neighbors to try being more proactive to resolve this speeding problem. Government can’t do this alone. People need to talk about it across the fence, at church, or while out walking. We all should make governing our own speed a priority. Impediments to progress. Right-of-way is often the biggest expense and impediment to progress, but supply shortages of materials and labor have recently further limited what we can do to make our city safer. For example, due to the pandemic and its fallout, it has taken us nearly a year to get an order filled for just 10 speed monitoring signs many many more of which have been requested by residents. We have so many situations in Millcreek where sidewalks do not exist or where traffic calming is recommended. The city council and our staff work hard to make difficult decisions about where to spend our resources and in what order. I urge patience and understanding from residents, but keep letting us know where you think the worst areas are. We are trying to give them priority when the data supports it.. VENTURE OUT! FUN BEGINS NE FR D ! ---PAGE BREAK--- NEXT FRIDAY! And don't miss Food Truck Thursdays every Thursday from 6 to 8pm at Millcreek Common ---PAGE BREAK--- SAVE THE DATE! The Millcreek Promise Program in partnership with Project Success, The Utah Black Artists Collective (UBLAC) and Nubian Storytellers of Utah Leadership (NSOUL) present the first Annual Juneteenth Celebration & Skate Night! Skate to the sounds of DJ Bangarang, watch live performances, and support local businesses owned by people of color. See you there!! ---PAGE BREAK--- Millcreek Common is officially open NEXT WEEK! 🎉 Starting June 2nd, come and enjoy all that the Common has to offer! A couple of things to note: - Weekday Playtivities will start Monday, June 6th. - Normal Ice Cream is officially open for business! Hours of operation: --5/27 from 12-10 PM --5/28 from 12-10 PM --Starting June 2nd, open from 12-10 PM daily! Don't forget to follow Millcreek Common on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for all the latest updates! ---PAGE BREAK--- Historic Preservation Commission Members Sworn In MILLCREEK. Last week, members of Millcreek's inaugural Historic Preservation Committee were officially sworn in. These members: Andrea Maxfield, Emily Johnson, Molly Enos, Tiffany Hunter Greene, Ryan Lufkin, Kaye Donahoe, and Peter Brinton, constitute a balanced representation of geographic, professional, neighborhood and community interests in Millcreek. After receiving some initial training and presentations from specialists, the members began working on by-laws and established a meeting schedule. The creation of an Historic Preservation Commission is the first step in making Millcreek a Certified Local Government, which allow our grants coordinator to apply for federal grants for historic preservation along with various other incentives and tax benefits to promote the preservation of historic buildings and sites. First tasks for the commission will include setting goals and objectives for the next few years. Meetings of the commission are open to the public and will take place on the second Thursday of each month at 6pm at City Hall (3330 S 1300 ---PAGE BREAK--- ---PAGE BREAK--- Planning Commissioners Needed Interested in helping the city plan for the future? If you are willing to spend time assisting in important decisions regarding planning and zoning in the city, please contact Francis Lilly at [EMAIL REDACTED]. Click HERE to take the Survey ---PAGE BREAK--- Click HERE to Apply ---PAGE BREAK--- Keep Your Dog Safe in Hot Weather A message from Salt Lake County Animal Services Be the best pet owner, and keep your dog cool this summer! Because both of you are too cool for hot cars, hot pavement, and hot patios/balconies. Hot Cars: Once outside temperatures reach 70-degrees, temperatures in a car can exceed 116-degrees within 10 minutes. Even on a mild 75-degree day, cracking a window in your car or parking in the shade doesn’t make a difference. Temperatures inside the vehicle are deadly. Dogs can suffer from heatstroke, irreparable brain damage, or even death. If you see a pet inside a vehicle, excessively panting, non-responsive, drooling, or listless, call Salt Lake County Animal Service’s Dispatch number immediately: [PHONE REDACTED]. Never break a window of a vehicle on your own to pull out a pet, you could be liable for damages. Take a photo of the pet, the license plate, and give that information to Animal Control Officers. Hot Pavement: Dogs can burn their paws on the sidewalk in the summer. When in doubt test the surface yourself: place the back of your hand on the pavement. If you CAN’T stand the heat for FIVE seconds, it’s too hot for you to walk your dog. Walk your dog early in the morning, later in the evening, and leave them at home when heading to festivals or ---PAGE BREAK--- farmer’s markets. Hot Balconies: Despite being covered, a balcony can get very hot, VERY fast. A dog left on a balcony may try to escape and injure themselves when they’re left alone and hot. A bowl of water is easily overturned, and the pet is left anxious, dehydrated, and in similar conditions as a hot car. If you see or hear a pet on a balcony that’s in distress call Animal Control: [PHONE REDACTED]. For additional information please visit AdoptUtahPets.org or email [EMAIL REDACTED]. Meetings with the Mayor Fridays from 2-4pm have been set aside for residents to meet with Mayor Silvestrini (virtually or by phone if you prefer). Please call [PHONE REDACTED] to schedule a slot. VISIT us at Click here to subscribe to this weekly newsletter Copyright © 2022 Millcreek, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Click here to subscribe to this weekly newsletter Forward Share Tweet