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MAYOR’S MESSAGE March 2014 During the past year, I have had the opportunity to visit with many Murray City residents. We have discussed many issues of local concern, but the one issue that prevailed in every area of the city was UTOPIA. During my campaign, my stand on UTOPIA was not one of support nor opposition, but rather a position of finding the best solution to a problem the city has been facing for years. I have outlined personal goals to be accomplished in my first 100 days as Mayor. Finding a solution for UTOPIA is my number one priority only because it provides the financial means and flexibility for other priorities–providing top-notch services for residents in Murray City and employee compensation. Because of the financial commitment to UTOPIA, we are limited in both areas. As I looked at finding the best solution to UTOPIA, there were at least five possible solutions that needed to be explored extensively to determine which would be best. But, in December, before I was sworn in as Mayor, an additional option was placed into the mix—Macquarie Capital had expressed interest in forming a public-private partnership. Macquarie Capital is a private company and global leader from Australia and is the world’s leading infrastructure investor. Since there has been a timeline imposed for exploring the possible partnership with Macquarie Capital, this has become the number one focus. The 11 cities (Brigham City, Centerville, Layton, Lindon, Midvale, Murray, Orem, Payson, Perry, Tremonton and West Valley) that make up the UTOPIA network and Macquarie Capital have entered into a pre-development agreement to decide if a partnership should be made. This does not mean we are obligated to continue with the agreement. This simply means we have authorized exploration, and we are currently in Milestone I of this agreement. Through this process, Murray City will have access to consultant findings and in-depth research to give us more information to help determine the best solution. I know many of you have heard of the iProvo deal with Google and the recent announcement that Google is looking into the possibility of partnering with Salt Lake City. Many have suggested we take that route. But, the Macquarie model will be very different in that the infrastructure already in place in our city will remain ours. Thus, our residents will be able to have their choice of providers for their home services. I appreciate the conversations I’ve had with so many of you as they have helped me determine the priorities I should set for our city. I look forward to exploring all the options and working for the best solutions.