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Ready to experience a TOTAL WIN-WIN for our community? Then have I got an idea for you! As you may already know, Millcreek is recognized for its active sense of community and volunteerism. Making good neighbors and friends is what we do! Several years ago, I saw opportunities to connect with refugee families attending William Penn Elementary. Many neighbors were quick to step up, volunteer, and help out. These opportunities to connect with families of different cultures, not only brought neighbors together but EVERYONE learned a lot and gained new friendships. Throughout the years, I’ve learned you don’t have to travel too far to experience and enjoy new cultures. I gain a lot by hearing the stories of bravery, courage, and resilience from our refugee neighbors. They inspire me to do better. Now I’m pleased to announce that the Gamar Refugee Resource Center is of ficially opening in June. Here are the orga nizations connected to the Center serving our refugee neighbors. Each organization would love to gain your support and help. Refugee Justice League Women of the World Their Story is Our Story Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains The ribbon-cutting and storytelling event will be held at: Gamar Refugee Resource Center Friday, June 18, 2021 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 415 E. 3900 S. Come tour the newly renovated building and enjoy storytelling experiences and photo galleries. This is an opportunity to connect with local refugee organizations and learn about ways to get involved with neighbors. If you can’t make it to the ribbon-cutting event, Venture Out! is hosting a World Refugee Day celebration at Big Cotton wood Park at 6:00 p.m. on June 18th. You won’t want to miss it. Hope to see you there! XOXO Millie Here’s Millie! MILLIE MILLCREEK MILLCREEK 3330 S 1300 E Millcreek, UT 84106 hile COVID-19 is not quite in our rear view mirror, there is hope that one day soon it will be. In the meantime the folks at Millcreek and Venture Out! sense that the time is right for a cautious and careful venture into the non-virtual world of Venture Out! again. Live music, art, delicious food trucks, LOTs of fun activities for families and kids, and car shows. All in the beautiful setting of our lovely parks and Millcreek Canyon with folks who might just be as adventerous as you. So join us and let's go have some serious fun! PRESRT STD US POSTAGE PA I D PERMIT 7148 SLC, UT At Last! It's That Tıme Again! W those redevelopment plans to be delayed or frustrated. Our landlord did our community a favor by renting City Hall to Millcreek at a well-below market rate and, given the opportunity cost as well as the good will in renting to us for a low rate, it would seem ungrateful to interfere with our landlord’s future plans by overstaying our welcome. City government needs to move. WHAT DOES THE PUBLIC THINK The survey of Millcreek residents conducted by Y2 Analytics revealed that a large majority of Millcreek residents under stand the long-term economic advantages of the city owning City Hall rather than renting again. Millcreek residents told Y2 that they would like to see public amenities that they could use in any new City Hall, and that City Hall should be located in the center of Millcreek, preferably near a park or open space. They recognize the current City Hall was temporary space. They want something to be proud about, but not ex travagant. They like the idea of co-locating our police cont. on page 12: Answers For some time, the City Council and staff have been exploring ideas about relocating City Hall. We have had a third-party consultant survey Millcreek residents and we have had an open poll advertised in the City’s paper and elec tronic newsletters on this issue. We have hired an architectural firm to advise us on the City’s future space needs and we have been thinking of incorporating our UPD Precinct headquarters into the project. With all this in mind, we are beginning to formulate conclusions that a new City Hall should be owned by the city, should be located next to open space, should be useful to the Millcreek Community, and should be located in the new Millcreek Common project area. What is the basis for all of this, why now, and can we af ford it? WHY A NEW CITY HALL This discussion is required because shortly (within three years) the city has to do something. The favorable lease of our current City Hall space will expire within three years. This space has been workable and adequate, however it has its problems (1960’s HVAC designed for an open retail space instead of offices and multiple staff members sharing cramped offices, to name a few). The owner of the current City Hall has plans to redevelop the half-vacant shopping center around us and there would be a cost to the city and its taxpayers in lost taxable value were MAYOR’S MESSAGE Answers About Our New City Hall JEFF SILVESTRINI THE FUN BEGINS ON PAGE 5 Millcreek, Connected by Nature I Volume: 5 Issue: 2 I June 2021 I millcreek.us ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 MILLCREEK NEWS Not only will Millcreek not increase taxes this year, but the city can also afford a bond payment on a new city hall WITHOUT raising taxes. This is thanks to prudent financial planning by city leaders, the highest bond rating a city of our size can have, histori cally low interest rates, and robust economic growth even during the pandemic. “Even with a sales tax backed bond to pay for the new city hall of around $39 million, Millcreek will still be leveraged far less than most cities in the Salt Lake Valley and be in a very enviable financial position,” said Jason Burningham with the independent munici pal financial advisory firm Lewis Young Robertson & Burningham. “It is so smart that the city is taking advantage of some of these historic tail winds to build a permanent home that they will own and not be stuck paying rent beyond their current lease,” he said at the April 12 City Council Meeting. The city is also saving millions by having a shared parking structure to accommodate both the needs of city hall and the anticipated visitors to Millcreek Common. Further economies of scale are also being realized by building a city hall as part of a larger mixed-use project with significant private investment. “We want to get this right and be as strategic as we can with our precious public dollars,” said Mayor Jeff Silvestrini. “Having a city hall with a ground floor pub lic market, a rooftop community room, and being right on our new town square—Millcreek Common—will be an investment that our community will benefit from,” he said. No Tax Increase Needed for New City Hall MILLCREEK CITY HALL P R O G R E S S U P D AT E ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 MILLCREEK NEWS MHTN ARCHITECTS, a leading design firm focused on providing architecture, interior, landscape, and plan ning services, presented a final visioning and program document on the proposed city hall to the City Council on April 12. Their work began with a 12-week pro gramming process in the fall. This included community workshops, an open house, and a sustainability summit. Public surveys and feedback were incorporated all the way through the process. “We are very excited at the way Millcreek’s future city hall is taking shape,” said Ryan Wallace, Architect & Director of Urban Design at MHTN. “As we docu mented the vision and needs of this unique community during the programming process, a building concept has been developed which is both functional and aspira tional, and aligns well with Millcreek’s goals. This will expedite the next steps of the process as we move into the architectural design phase.” Councilwoman Bev Uipi emphasized, “Assuring a robust public process for our residents’ feedback is criti cally important for the future sustainability of our city center, in our community. We will continue to incorpo rate public input as we strategically plan for the future of our community’s city offices.” City Hall Programming and Vision Presented CONSTRUCTION ON THE MOUNTAIR STREETSCAPE IS WELL UNDERWAY. Clearing and grubbing is complete and brick walls have been installed, with comple tion of the project scheduled for this summer. This beautification project of the run-down strip located on the east side of High land Drive between Elgin and Miller Avenues, across from Adib's Rug Gallery, has been an eyesore for years, with weeds overgrowing the unkempt and dying but once beautiful lilac bushes. This area sits at one of the main into Millcreek and will welcome visitors to our city with a beautiful streetscape that includes a number of features, including the brick privacy wall, a sheltered bus stop, public art, street lighting, and of course, lilac bushes. Cottonwood Residential, which is currently developing two projects on Villa Vista Avenue, purchased the property for the streetscape, and donated it to the City, along with a portion of the construction costs. Removal of the power poles is being coordinated between Millcreek and Cot tonwood Residential. Four power poles will be removed as part of the Mountair Streetscape, however they will not be removed until Cottonwood Residential com pletes the utility work on their project on Highland Drive, which will likely occur later this year. Residents of the Mountair neighborhood have been requesting improvement of the property since incorporation, not only for the aesthetics but also for the safety of their community. Once lined by beautiful lilacs, the bushes are now mostly dead. The frontage street, Mountair Drive, has been used frequently by people to park "cars for sale," which is illegal and sometimes dangerous. Each year a fire or two is ignited by the catalytic converters of these illegally parked cars, or by the flip of a cigarette butt. This past summer, a fire threatened homes and major power lines, and scorched the side of a parked car. Thank you to Cottonwood Residential, and to all those who have participated in discussions of what you would like the Mountair Streetscape to look like. Your in sights were invaluable. We are excited to see the finished product! Update On Mountair Streetscape ---PAGE BREAK--- 4 MILLCREEK NEWS PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF MILLCREEK'S IDLING REDUCTION ORDINANCE. There are many good reasons to not idle our cars. It saves gas, thereby saving money. It's quieter. It reduces greenhouse gasses thereby reducing global warming. And most importantly, it's healthier for you and your neighbors. In an effort toward contributing to cleaner air in the Salt Lake Valley and the better health of our residents, last year the Millcreek City Council adopted an anti- idling ordinance. The change prevents idling on public property and in the City right-of-way, but not on private property. If the outside temperature is warmer than 40 degrees or cooler than 90 degrees, then you shouldn't be idling your vehicle for any longer than two minutes There are a variety of common-sense exceptions, including: • While stopped at an official traffic control device, at an official traffic control signal, or stopped at the direction of a police officer • Idling when needed to operate heaters or air condition ers when the temperature is below 32°F or above 90°F as measured at the Salt Lake City Airport • Idling for a minimum amount of time to operate de frosters to clear windshields and windows • Idling to ascertain the safety of a vehicle’s operating condition as part of a vehicle inspection • Idling as needed for testing, servicing, repairing, main tenance or diagnostic purposes • Idling for the manufacturer’s recommended warm-up or cool-down period of a turbo-charge heavy-duty vehicle • Idling as necessary to operate auxiliary equipment such as operating transportation refrigeration unit • Idling to operate equipment for safe loading and un loading of goods or people • Idling to recharge a battery • Idling as needed for vehicles that house K-9 or other service animals • Idling by on-duty law enforcement personnel We'd like to remind you all, especially now when we all are doing more pick-up/take-out and tempera tures are rising that it is still important for all of us to care for our air-shed and limit unnecessary idling of vehicles. MILLCREEK IS A HEALTHY UTAH COMMUNITY. Millcreek is proud to have been recognized by Get Healthy Utah and the Utah League of Cities and Towns as a Healthy Utah Community. The award was presented to Millcreek, along with eleven other Utah cities and towns, on the final day of the Utah League of Cities and Towns April Conference. Millcreek’s official slogan is “Connected by Nature,” reflecting the many recreational opportunities available to our residents as well as the human connection between our diverse demographic communities. In the spirit of connecting to nature, Millcreek has implemented several strategies to promote health equity and outdoor recreation within our borders. An early initiative after incorpo ration was the Millcreek Promise Program, a unique collaboration with United Way of Salt Lake and volunteers throughout the city to support the success of Millcreek youth and families by making specific promises to improve the Education; Health & Safety; and Economic Well-Being of all Mill creek residents. The Promise Health & Safety Subcommittee promotes food equity and an active lifestyle. Sunnyvale Park, located at 4013 South 700 West, sits in a neighbor hood populated by many immi grant and refugee families. This small, older park has become the focus of improvements intended to promote a healthy lifestyle for surrounding residents. New futsal courts installed this past July are being enjoyed by the many chil dren that live in this area. Community garden boxes are being utilized in coordination with the IRC New Roots program. They provide a place where fresh and cultur ally unique produce can be grown. At Mill Creek Elementary, a food pantry was estab lished during the pandemic to help struggling families in need of groceries. This augmented the food pantry at Moss Elementary and the food pantry at Olympus High School. Millcreek is bordered by the beautiful Wasatch Moun tains to the east and the Jordan River to the west, allow ing plentiful opportunities for outdoor recreation right at our doorstep. Property along the foothills above Mt. Olympus has been purchased to be preserved as open space and work is underway to acquire property along the Jordan River in order to build an extension of the Jordan River Parkway along Millcreek’s border with the Jordan River. Plans are being developed in coordination with Salt Lake County and the Forest Service to provide transpor tation improvements in Millcreek Canyon and expanded parking at the Neff’s Canyon trailhead. Parking has also been expanded at the Grandeur Peak trailhead to allow residents to access the many trails located along our eastern border. Millcreek’s designation as a Healthy Utah Community is a great opportunity to showcase the work Millcreek is doing to support healthy living for all residents. For more information about the Healthy Utah Community designation and to view the 2021 April Healthy Utah Community Award video, visit GetHealthyUtah.org. MILLCREEK RECEIVES THREE BEST OF STATE AWARDS Millcreek has also been selected as winners of the Best of State Award in three categories! Mayor Jeff Silvestrini has received the Best of State Award in the Best Mayor category for his outstanding leadership since the city’s incorporation. The Millcreek Youth Council received the Best of State Award for Best Youth Organization and the Millcreek Economic Development Department was selected Best of State in the Economic Development Management category. We are incredibly proud of Mayor Silvestrini, the Millcreek Youth Council, and our Econom ic Development Department for the hard work that they do to make Millcreek a better place. Millcreek Receives Four Exciting Awards TURN YOUR KEY. BE IDLE FREE! MILLCREEK IDLE FREE CITY Clear the Air With Your Neighbors. Be Idle free. ---PAGE BREAK--- A big thanks to the community councils of Millcreek for their invaluable and long time support. A special thanks to the 2021 Venture Out! Planning Team: Aimee McConkie, Natalie Clawson, Rita Lund, Janie Daugirda, Selena Kontuly, Karen Akerlow, Nicole Handy, Robyn Kremer, Kim Angeli, Travis Warnimont, and Martin Fry. 5 VENTURE OUT!ORG After a crazy year, we are Venturing Out again...but safely. We’re working hard to bring you great summer experiences that adhere to health department event guidelines. Here’s the 2021 line-up of events. JUNE FRIDAY NIGHT FESTIVALS 6:00 pm to Twilight Friday night festivals are back in June! Enjoy uniquely themed events with live music, marketplace, food trucks, and activities. At dusk, get ready for the movie...lights, camera, ACTION! JULY MILLCREEK MOVIE NIGHTS 7:30 pm to Twilight As the day cools downs, join us at the park for a movie night. Bring a blanket, grab a snack from on-site food trucks, and then listen to smooth tunes from DJ Brady’s Beat Bus. At dusk, snuggle up for a movie under the stars. AUGUST ADVENTURES • Night Out Against Crime • Stroll and Roll Car Show • Camp Tracy Adventure Weekends New this year! Three weekends of fun and adventure for friends and families at Camp Tracy in Millcreek Canyon. MORE VENTURE FUN • Venture-At Home Virtual events at VentureOut.org • Food Truck Rally at Millcreek City Hall June through August Every Thursday 5-8 pm • Millcreek Summer Jam Concerts July through August Every Monday 7-9 pm • Millfreaks October 16 (Save the Date) 2021 FOR FUN VENTURE OUT! BEGINNING IN JUNE A BIG THANKS TO OUR VENTURE OUT! SPONSORS P L A T I N U M G O L D S I L V E R C O M M U N I T Y B R O N Z E P R E S E N T I N G S P O N S O R Millcreek is THE sponsor that truly makes Venture Out! possible. All our sponsors are invaluable but the instutional and financial support of Millcreek makes it happen. Brewster Insurance Group Inc MORE FUN TO COME t h r o u g h o u t U t a h g u i d i n g y o u H o m e Compass powered by Col Compass Group powered by Coldwell Banker ---PAGE BREAK--- 6 VENTURE OUT!ORG WATCH The Greatest Showman PG JUN 4 I 6 PM-TWILIGHT THE NIGHT CIRCUS CANYON RIM PARK 2900 E 3100 S EAT & PLAY Carnival Fun Buskers and Performances Magic Prizes Food Truck Rally LISTEN & DANCE Herban Empire is an alternative- reggae band hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah. Their smooth reggae combined with solid guitar and vocal harmonies give them a unique and refreshing sound that is sure to please. WATCH Ralph Breaks the Internet PG EAT & PLAY Kart Racing Reverse 4-Square Giant Jenga Food Truck Rally Time to get your game on and we can’t let all our space go to waste. We’ve got a little something for everyone because you’re never too old to go play outside. It’s game night and we’ve got games galore! Enjoy a groovin’ band as you strategize across the gameboard of our brand new location...Mill Creek Elementary! JUN 11 I 6 PM-TWILIGHT GAME NIGHT MILL CREEK ELEMENTARY 3761 S 1100 E Friday Festivals Brewster Insurance Group, Inc. Kandace Brewster, Agent Proud Platinum Sponsor of Venture Out! 6PM TO TWILIGHT I MOVIES BEGIN AT DUSK Proud Platinum Sponsor of Venture Out! Helping hard working people since 1935. We are always there for you. LISTEN & DANCE Peter Breinholt is one of the most beloved performers in the region, his debut record became the best-selling independently released CD ever in the state of Utah. “The noblest art is that of making others happy.” – P.T. Barnum Venture Out! The Night Circus is here. Join us for our opening night of thrilling sights, new experiences, and wonder. Weave your way through the stilt walkers and aerialists. Play nostalgic games to win prizes. It will be a night to remember. ---PAGE BREAK--- 7 VENTURE OUT!ORG Travel the world in your own backyard and celebrate World Refugee Day with us. Explore the cultures, food, stories, dance and art of the countries our local refugee communities come from. At 9:30 pm, gather with us and shine your own light at the park’s iconic chimney pavilion. We will light the night, and enjoy the opportunity to reflect on our collective efforts to learn about the experiences of others and think about our actions to create a more just, inclusive, and equal world. EAT & PLAY Ethnic foods Storytelling Fun cultural activities SPECIAL EVENT Gamar Refugee Resources Ribbon Cutting and Storytelling Event 415 E 3900 S Friday, June 18, 2021 10:00 am to 1:00 pm • Refugee storytelling experience • Photography gallery • Tours of newly renovated building • Meet partner organizations LISTEN & DANCE To a variety of international music and performances. WATCH Mulan 1998 G LISTEN & DANCE Memphis McCool Your feet will be dancing and your arms will be pumping as you groove to the soul stylings of Memphis McCool, an all original Rock and Soul band from Salt Lake City. WATCH Moana PG EAT & PLAY Giant Obstacle Courses Water Balloon Battle Royale Crossnet Championships Food Truck Rally Get ready to have your heart race and your blood pump. We’ve got a big lawn and big toys, which equals fun in the sun! Get excited for Millcreek’s first annual Crossnet Championship! JUN 25 I 6 PM-TWILIGHT PURE ADRENALINE CHURCHILL JR. HIGH 3450 E OAKVIEW DR JUN 18 I 6 PM-TWILIGHT SHINE YOUR LIGHT: WORLD REFUGEE DAY BIG COTTONWOOD PARK 4300 S 1300 E [PHONE REDACTED] compassgroupsellsutah.com COMPASS GROUP REALTY GUIDING YOU HOME THROUGHOUT UTAH compassgrouprealty compass_group_realty COMPASS GROUP REALTY GUIDING YOU HOME THROUGHOUT UTAH ---PAGE BREAK--- VENTURE OUT!ORG 8 MILLCREEK SUMMER JAM CONCERT SERIES at CANYON RIM PARK 3100 South 2900 East MONDAY EVENINGS @ 7:00PM JULY 5th - AUGUST 30th For Musical Applications and Scheduling visit WWW.MILLCREEKARTSCOUNCIL.ORG BROUGHT TO YOU BY SPONSORED BY Dancing & Responsible Social Distancing Encouraged! EATFood Truck Rally Venture Out! Is venturing into a different experience in July. No marketplace and games, just a classic movie under the stars and the Food Truck Rally. FRIDAY NIGHTS IN JULY SAVE THE DATE MILLCREEK MOVIE NIGHTS 7:30 PM TO DUSK THURSDAYS 6/3-8/26, 5:00-8:00 PM FOOD TRUCK RALLIES MILLCREEK CITY HALL Millcreek Movie Nights ---PAGE BREAK--- 9 MILLCREEK NEWS ARUP Blood Services and Red Cross Blood Donations have been working continually throughout the COV ID-19 crisis. PATIENTS IN OUR LOCAL HOSPITALS STILL NEED LIFE-SAVING BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS – FROM CAR ACCIDENTS, TRAUMAS, HEART SURGERIES, AND ORGAN TRANSPLANTS. Please consider donating blood, the need is great. ARUP and Red Cross recommend that you schedule an appointment in advance. ARUP is open 7 days a week with two locations—one in Sandy and one in Research Park. Visit UtahBlood.org or call [PHONE REDACTED] to schedule your appointment. Red Cross offers blood drives or you can schedule and go in. Visit redcrossblood. org. Thank you. Giving Blood Is Safe and Needed More Than Ever. LACEY BRUSCHKE, OBSIDIAN FITNESS “We love doing business in Millcreek because I was born and raised in Millcreek. In fact, I have lived here all of my life. Many of my instructors are also longtime resi dents. We opened Obsidian Fitness 12 years ago in Mill creek and enjoy serving the fitness needs of neighbors, family members and friends. We also enjoy supporting and promoting our neighboring small/local businesses. For us, it’s home.” ENCARNI GALLARDO, CHILDREN’S SERVICE SOCIETY “Children’s Service Society is thankful to be a part of the Millcreek community, and for those who help CSS support the safety and well-being of children throughout Utah!” MATT JACKSON, ELEVATION CHIROPRACTIC CENTER “I chose to open my practice in Millcreek because it’s a city surging to prominence after being a quiet suburb for years. Growing every year and working hard to cater to both its residents and business owners.” SUZI SANDS, AVIVA WOMAN "I love doing business in Millcreek because of the wonderful community and city leaders that genuinely care about the wellbeing and success of all businesses. This is shown in the communication, outreach, and col laboration resources the city provides.” BEN FOGEL, EPIC FITNESS “All of us at Epic Fitness love doing business in Millcreek because it is such a small, warm and close- knit community. Because of this, we are able to help our neighbors become the best possible version of themselves and get 1% better each and every day with a truly cus tomized and personalized fitness plan that fits their needs and goals!” MASON ATLAS, THE HIVE SLC “We love doing business in Millcreek because it is family. We aspire greatness for each other. There are high expectations, but Millcreek gives us the tools to succeed.” CAROL ELLIOTT, PALETTI “Paletti loves doing business in Millcreek because of location-location-location!” Why We Love Doing Business In Millcreek Zhennet’s Massage is one of the premier massage therapy clinics in Millcreek, offering unrivaled experience and skill! It is a dream come true for Zhennet Annamamedova of Turkmenistan, a little country in Central Asia, who dreamed of coming to the United States and opening a business. She was a massage therapist and a neurologist in both Turkmenistan and Russia for decades. Now licensed in the USA, Zhennet brings years of invaluable experience. She specializes in a range of massage techniques that focus on helping the body to heal itself by relieving pressure on tripped nerves, massaging out swelling and damaged tissue, and increasing blood flow to painful areas and injuries which can aid the natural healing process. She has many satisfied repeat customers who say that Zhennet helped to relieve them of their pain. They say that she made them feel fantastic, less stressed, more calm, and that her massage even helped them sleep better! BUSINESSES OF THE MONTH J A N U A R Y F E B R U A R Y M A R C H Epic Fitness founded in 2009 by Ben Fogel, exists to help each individual to become the best possible version of themselves and to get 1% better every day. We believe our members deserve a place where they can go and feel accepted, no matter where they are starting their journey. We understand the current fitness landscape, and how hard it can be to find a fitness home. That is why we strive to be the most supportive, positive, motivating and inclusive gym in the entire state! What makes us different is that we deliver your own unique program in a very small, semi-private team environment. We use a proprietary custom program design app that gives our coaches the ultimate tool to be able to get our members results in the shortest amount of time. AWARD SPONSORED BY Lone Pine Gear Exchange Ben Johnson and Katy Jackson founded 2nd Track Sports in 2009 and are excited to get the band back together in Millcreek at Lone Pine Gear Exchange. This time around, they wanted to create a different kind of a one-stop outdoor gear shop – one where customers not only find great deals on outdoor equipment but can also repair the gear they already have and love, resell gear they no longer use, or repurpose gear that may not be fixable at their inhouse gear repair department. Lone Pine also features a brand new Wintersteiger ski tune shop, bike serving, and boot fitting to round out their service department. The company was founded on the belief that small acts can have big impacts and Lone Pine plants a tree for every order placed online or in their shop. In addition, they have a refill station where customers can find plastic-free alternatives for everyday products like soap and dental floss. Ben and Katy's hope is that their collective actions add up to make a positive impact within their community and on the planet. SUPPORT BUSINESS ---PAGE BREAK--- 10 MILLCREEK NEWS A town square for Utah’s newest city CITY, COUNTY, AND STATE LEADERS BROKE GROUND RECENTLY ON MILLCREEK COMMON, a four acre city plaza extending north of 3300 South at about 1350 East. Anticipated for completion in November 2021, Mill creek Common will host a variety of exciting features including an ice-skating ribbon, splash pad, ground floor retail, a food truck park, and much more. At the groundbreaking it was announced that the popular 9th and 9th pizzeria Pizza Nono will be opening a second location as the first eatery on Millcreek Common this fall. Hogan Construction is already hard at work prepping utilities for the site, pouring footings and foundation for the ice skate rental and pizza buildings, as well as grading work for the ice ribbon and plaza. “We are pleased that our construction costs are already locked in and that we have one of the most experienced construc tion firms in the region building this,” said Mayor Jeff Silvestrini. In the weeks ahead ice ribbon preparation work will continue, as will the construction of the two structures on the plaza. “This is a great project on a great site,” said David Harris, Director of Planning and Landscape Architecture with EPG Design. “It has been a privilege for our firm to design what will be the premier public plaza in Utah for Millcreek,” he said. LONGTIME MILLCREEK RESIDENT AND VOLUNTEER Aimee McConkie has been hired to be the City Events Director and Executive Director of Millcreek Common. She is excited to help make Millcreek Common our city’s perpetual event destination! Aimee brings great experience as the founder of the Venture Out! event series, running numerous organizations and events, and recently overseeing the Spike150 event celebrating the sesquicentennial of the transcontinental railroad. Aimee is already hard at work building a schedule of year-round events on Millcreek Common. Do YOU have fun ideas that you would like to see in Millcreek Common? Contact Aimee at [EMAIL REDACTED] or [PHONE REDACTED]. Construction Begins On Millcreek Common Meet the New Executive Director of Millcreek Common MILLCREEK COMMON P R O G R E S S U P D AT E ---PAGE BREAK--- 11 MILLCREEK NEWS MT. OLYMPUS COMMUNITY COUNCIL DAVID BAIRD, CHAIR [EMAIL REDACTED] [PHONE REDACTED] CANYON RIM CITIZEN’S ASSOCIATION JEFF WATERS, CHAIR [EMAIL REDACTED] [PHONE REDACTED] MILLCREEK COMMUNITY COUNCIL ALLEN SOWARDS, CHAIR [EMAIL REDACTED] [PHONE REDACTED] — FOR ALL COUNCIL MEETING TIMES AND LOCATIONS PLEASE VISIT MILLCREEK.US AND GO TO CALENDAR — EAST MILL CREEK COMMUNITY COUNCIL NANCY CARLSON-GOTTS, CHAIR [EMAIL REDACTED] [PHONE REDACTED] CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 SILVIA CATTEN [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 2 DWIGHT MARCHANT [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3 CHERI JACKSON [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4 BEV UIPI [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] STAY UP TO DATE ON MILLCREEK SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER FOR INFOR MATION AND CITY MEETING AGENDAS: MILLCREEK.US/217/NEWSLETTERS JOIN US FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS EVERY 2ND AND 4TH MON WORK MEETINGS: 5 PM, REG MEETINGS: 7 PM MILLCREEK CITY HALL, 3330 S 1300 E MEETINGS ARE LIVE STREAMED AT MILLCREEK.US COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETINGS Due to Covid-19 Social Distancing, Meetings May be Cancelled. MAYOR, JEFF SILVESTRINI [PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] STAY IN THE KNOW AND MAKE YOUR VOICE KNOWN ON FRIDAY, APRIL 23RD, A GROUND BREAKING TOOK PLACE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW PATIENT TOW ER AT THE MOUNTAINSTAR ST. MARK’S HOSPITAL, located at 1200 E and 3900 S in Millcreek. Millcreek is fortunate to have this world class hospital in our city. It provides exceptional patient care to our residents and to people throughout the Intermountain West. The new patient tower, scheduled for completion at the end of 2023, will allow the hospital to increase the size of patient rooms while continuing to provide the wide variety of medical services for which it is known. The ER at St. Mark’s Hospital, and all patient care services, will remain open throughout the duration of this project. The temporary ER-Entrance is located just to the west of the old ER-Entrance Canopy. You can also access the Central Medical Office Building from this new entrance. Please use the St. Mark’s webpage at mountain star.com as a reference for how to enter the hospital, as well as to stay up-to-date on construction progress. With its initial six-beds, St. Mark’s was established in 1872 by Bishop Daniel S. Tuttle in a small adobe build ing close to downtown Salt Lake City. The hospital was relocated twice before beginning construction in 1970 at its current Millcreek location. Local lore says that when it was built in the early 1970s, St. Mark’s was the first hospital in the area with private patient rooms. But the cramped rooms are now one of the biggest complaints the hospital receives, so the new tower will have larger rooms for a better experience for patients, visitors and the medical staff. The Utah Institute for Robotic Surgery, located in the hospital, allows St. Mark’s surgeons to perform many types of procedures using minimally invasive methods. St. Mark’s explains, “The technology offers 3D, high-definition vision into a surgical site, utilizing instruments that bend and rotate further than any human hand and providing a level of increased precision.” The hospital also offers online classes ranging from “Ex ploring Weight Loss Options” to “Enjoying Your Birth Experience.” An amazing partner for Millcreek Emergency Man agement, the hospital has provided expertise, instruc tion, equipment and space for emergency preparation classes (online for now). St. Mark’s Hospital Breaks Ground On New Patient Tower ---PAGE BREAK--- in City Hall. They are concerned about cost and they want the city to explore cost sav ings through possibly locating City Hall in a mixed-use project, possibly in partnership with the private sector, if frugalities can be achieved by doing that. WHERE SHOULD IT BE LOCATED Based upon this input, city staff and the architectural firm we hired to advise us began searching for locations which would satisfy the public input we received as well as meet the city’s needs. Based upon this input, the City Council believes that the best location— in the center of the city, near open space and available for the city to build upon—is next to Millcreek Common. Building by Millcreek Common additionally offers the opportunity to explore a public/private partnership to save the city money as well as to create a “civic center” which will activate the Common and enhance its success as a gathering place for Millcreek residents. Millcreek residents have consistently indi cated that they believed our city was lacking a gathering place and a downtown. Locating City Hall on Millcreek Common will activate the Common as a civic center. You have told us you would like City Hall to be centrally located. The Common is in the center of our city, east to west, and has available space for building, unlike other areas in the center of Millcreek. Further, in connection with purchasing land required for Millcreek Common due to the way parcels of required property were configured, the city acquired property at the borders of the Common, bits and pieces of which are not necessary for the Common or for public parking. These can be exchanged with adjoining landowners or sold to obtain funds to purchase land nearby on which to build a City Hall. WHAT A NEW CITY HALL WOULD OFFER TO THE PUBLIC Millcreek residents have told us any new City Hall should offer community space. We have looked at innovative concepts for a City Hall located on a public plaza. Lenexa, Kansas is a good example of what our City Hall could be. The ground floor of Lenexa’s City Hall is a public market, which is both a new business incubation space and popular attraction for the community. Our vision for a new City Hall includes a public market on the ground floor, which could operate year- round and open onto the Common in warm weather as a farmers market. Given the lack of indoor community gathering and recep tion space that we currently face as a city, we envision a community room on the top floor to host civic events that could be rented out for private meetings and receptions. A community room on top of City Hall would be a valuable amenity. Most other cities have something like this as part of their City Halls, but none would have the remarkable views of the Wasatch Mountains to the degree that Millcreek’s would have. WOULD THE POLICE BE PART OF THE NEW CITY HALL We envision our City Hall would also incorporate Millcreek’s Unified Police Precinct. The current Precinct headquarters at 1500 East 3900 South is inadequate. Our Millcreek UPD precinct shares a space with a pediatric dentistry office in a cramped, dated building with no secure parking, and the space layout is far from efficient. Our city’s taxpayers pay the entire cost of renting the current building as part of what the city pays UPD for police services. Incorporating the police precinct into City Hall would put a robust police presence on the Common for public safety, promote efficiency in city gov ernment interaction with our officers and give them the additional space and facilities they very much need, including providing them (and city vehicles) secure parking. WHAT WOULD THIS COST AND HOW WOULD WE PAY FOR IT A new City Hall/Police Precinct building with the community amenities described above would not be cheap. Murray is building a new City Hall for an estimated $35 million. We estimate Millcreek’s new building would cost a similar amount. How could we afford it? Millcreek could finance a new City Hall with sales tax revenue bonds. This would be a 30-year mortgage (like for a home) secured by the sales taxes the city collects but paid for using current revenues. Millcreek’s sales taxes have been increas ing, even during the pandemic. Our financial advisory firm, Lewis Young Robertson & Burningham has told us, given how well our city has done building reserves and operating in a fiscally prudent manner (e.g. paying off the $10 million debt associated with cash- flowing our payments for police) that we would likely (again) obtain a favorable bond rating. Interest rates are at near all-time lows, so this is a good time to borrow. The city has the credit and cash-flow to pay this debt without requiring a tax increase. Construc tion costs will likely only go up in the future. Millcreek can afford a $35 million City Hall without raising taxes and now is the time to finance such a project while interest rates are so low. Building a new Millcreek City Hall is a bold move. To date, we have been a bold city. Bold, but fiscally prudent and sound. Our City Council believes this will be an invest ment in our future and that this will save the city money in the long run because interest rates are so low and owning is ultimately cheaper than renting. A City Hall on Mill creek Common will activate the space by creating a true civic center. Adding a Public Market and Community Room will be some thing generations of Millcreek residents and guests can enjoy, and it will make our City Hall more connected to our community than every other City Hall in the state. This will enhance the pride we have in our city: we will no longer be known as the city operating out of an old thrift store. Our present space was the prudent and correct thing for us to do at the time, but we have always known it was temporary. Projects are already lining up, so the opportunity to build on Millcreek Com mon will not last forever. The City Council believes it is time for a new Millcreek City Hall on Millcreek Common. 12MILLCREEK NEWS cont. from page 1: Answers millcreek.us Millcreek City Hall, 3330 S 1300 E Millcreek, UT 84106 Main: (801) 214-2700 DESIGNED BY BLUE CAIRN MEDIA Millcreek City Offices: [PHONE REDACTED] Public Works Operations 24-Hour Hotline (Snowplow ing, pavement management, streetlights): [PHONE REDACTED] Unified Police Department NON EMERGENCY Number: [PHONE REDACTED] Emergency Services (Preparation and Disaster Preparedness Programs): [PHONE REDACTED] Planning & Development Services (Code Enforce ment, Building Permits, Busi ness Licenses): [PHONE REDACTED] Animal Services (Adopt a Pet, Licensing, Pet Lost And Found): [PHONE REDACTED] Landfill (Trash & Hazardous Waste Disposal, Compost Sales): [PHONE REDACTED] Parks & Recreation: [PHONE REDACTED] Library Services: [PHONE REDACTED] Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling (Garbage and Recycling): [PHONE REDACTED] Aging Services (Active Aging, Meals on Wheels, Senior Transportation): [PHONE REDACTED] Youth Services (Counseling, Crisis Therapy, Substance Abuse Treatment): [PHONE REDACTED] Health Department (Birth & Death Certificates, Food Handler Cards, Immunization Programs): [PHONE REDACTED] Salt Lake County Jobs: [PHONE REDACTED] South Salt Lake Valley Mosquito Abatement District, [PHONE REDACTED] USU Extension Services (Gardening, Natural Re sources): [PHONE REDACTED] Weed Control: [PHONE REDACTED] important PHONE NUMBERS © 2 0 2 1 M I L L C R E E K N E W S Like to have a conversation with Mayor Jeff Silvestrini? He is available on Fridays from 2-4 p.m. for 15 minute virtual appointments. Please call the Millcreek Information Center at [PHONE REDACTED] to schedule an appointment. MEET WITH THE MAYOR Millcreek is full of beautiful neighborhoods with lovely landscaping and backyard gardens. Many of our residents pride themselves on their yards and spend hours outside mowing, weeding, pruning and digging in the dirt. We do, however, hear complaints about yards that are unkempt, with overgrown weeds and sometimes littered with junk. ACCORDING TO MILLCREEK ORDINANCE 9.60, IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR ANY PERSON OR LEGAL ENTITY OWNING OR OCCUPY ING REAL PROPERTY IN THE CITY TO LET THE HEIGHT OF WEEDS ON SUCH PROP ERTY TO GROW BEYOND THE MAXIMUM PERMITTED, WHICH IS DEFINED AS A HEIGHT OF MORE THAN SIX INCHES AT ANY TIME. THE SAME CHAPTER ALSO ADDRESSES REFUSE AND REQUIRES REMOVAL OF SUCH REFUSE. Our code compliance officers spend time responding to complaints related to weeds or junk. If a property is found to be in violation of the ordinance, the property owner will be given a written courtesy notice to clear the weeds or remove the junk. Property owners who receive such a notice are given no less than ten days from the date of service to remove either or both. Most property owners who receive a courtesy notice comply and clean up the property within the ten-day time period. We ap preciate that cooperation but if the work is not completed, there are additional steps that the city may pursue to resolve the problem. Residents may let the city know about problem properties through the "Report a Concern" button on the city website, Millcreek.us. Ques tions may be directed to Rita Lund at rlund@ millcreek.us or by phone to [PHONE REDACTED]. What About Weeds and Refuse? BE IN THE KNOW P E R M I T S I O R D I N A N C E S I P R O C E D U R E S