|
Mask up Utah! As we continue our battle against COVID-19, Utah Hospital Association President and CEO Greg Bell told us on Monday’s town hall that wearing masks will make the biggest difference in preserving our personal and economic health. The good news this week is that our economic position is stronger than many states. The bad news this week is that our case count continues to climb which affects both personal health and consumer confidence. Let’s do our part and mask up! You can see more info about the Mask Up Utah campaign below, as well as a link to the materials from Monday’s town hall, our political intel from Congress, an update on the Love, Listen, Lead approach and state announcements around potential police reform, a couple of interesting reports about housing and an update from the Land Use Task Force and Commission on Housing Affordability, and our new podcast on the impact of COVID-19 on telecommuting.
Annual Convention Update: 2020 should be our inaugural year at the Salt Palace. However, the Salt Palace was supposed to re-open on July 1 but public health data in Salt Lake City delayed the re-opening to August 1. We are still working toward a hybrid convention--some in-person with health and safety precautions and some online--but request your input based on the public health trends. Even if you filled it out in June, please submit anew. Please submit this SURVEY by July 23.
COVID-19 Congressional Update
As mentioned in our Monday Town Hall with the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Congress is on the cusp of considering new legislation. Congress returns to DC on Monday, July 20 and our sources tell us that the negotiations on a 4th stimulus package about COVID-19 will begin in earnest. We have distributed a letter to Utah’s congressional delegation outlining the principles that our Board of Directors adopted about a 4th stimulus--direct appropriations to municipalities of all populations and flexibility and clarity in the use of the funds--as well as the fiscal impact of COVID-19 on Utah’s cities and towns. We urge you to communicate directly and immediately with our delegation about the specific impact of COVID-19 on your city or town. Stay tuned--DC is about to get much hotter next week.
Legislative Advocacy
 |
|
Yesterday, your correspondent attended the joint meeting of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission and the Multicultural Affairs Commission where Governor Gary Herbert and Lt. Governor Spencer Cox outlined the administration’s approach on police reform. Department of Public Safety Commissioner Jess Anderson announced the results of stakeholder meetings since the commissions last met in June and identified 19 potential areas for discussion. The League and the Chiefs of Police Association (UCOPA) expected the list which you can review HERE . Commissioner Anderson and the Multicultural Affairs Commission leadership both expressed their desire to work with ULCT an UCOPA. |
|
Land Use Task Force
The Land Use Task Force has started meeting and created working groups for a variety of issues to tackle this interim. Those groups include:
- Mandatory, annual land use training
- Standards of review
- Impact fees
- Water district/provider and subdivision plats
- Public infrastructure districts
- Annexation
- Low impact design
- New requirements after vesting
- CUP loopholes
- Gravel pits
|
|
 |
Commission on Housing Affordability
The Commission on Housing Affordability has also been meeting and the chairs created subcommittees to focus on housing preservation (focusing on COVID rent issues) and land use. The land use subcommittee, which consists of a select group of commission members, will first look at planning and building fees and fee transparency. As the subcommittee’s work progresses, ULCT is reaching out to members of the subcommittee and the commission chairs to share information on the progress cities have made implementing SB 34 and data-driven policy to help with affordable housing.
Speaking of housing, here are two fascinating reports from the week. First, Envision Utah released a check in REPORT about the implementation of the Quality Growth Strategy over the last twenty years.
Second, the Utah Housing Coalition and the National Low Income Housing Coalition released their 2020 Out of Reach report which you can read about HERE.
All signs point to more focus on housing policy in the 2021 legislative session.
Spotlight
When word initially spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, city halls and businesses, alike, quickly modified the way employees do their work. We went from the official office to a home office. And the result… cleaner air in areas that normally would see seasonal pollution. Improved air quality is one of the few positives the pandemic has brought is as wide-spread teleworking began. In the latest edition of ULCT’s #CitiesWork podcast, UCAIR’s Executive Director Thom Carter shares the results of a recent survey analyzing what people think of working from home, as well as its impact on the quality of our air.
If you’d like to see UCAIR’s complete survey results and learn more about grant opportunities, contact UCAIR's Thom Carter at thom@ucair.org.
|
ULCT Upcoming Events
Be sure to mark your calendar for the next ULCT Town Hall- COVID Economic Impact set for Monday, July 27, from 3:00-4:00 pm. We'll address economic trends with Juliette Tennert from the University of Utah’s Gardner Policy Institute, COVID-19 impact on people of color, federal advocacy, and the new "In Utah" campaign promoting local sites, businesses, services, and goods, and educational opportunities.
2020 ULCT Annual Convention
Is your schedule marked for the ULCT Annual Convention? We’re planning a “hybrid” in-person/virtual opportunity this year to discuss important issues in our cities and towns and learn new ways to manage in these challenging times. We’re also partnering with Wasatch Front Regional Council and American Planners Association Utah Chapter for this year’s event. Plan to join us September 23-25 at the Salt Palace Convention Center or for similar “virtual” sessions during that same time period. We have your health and safety in mind as we plan a conference like no other.
For those who plan to join us in person, you may consider the new conference host hotel, the Salt Lake Radisson at 215 West South Temple, adjacent to the Salt Palace. They are offering a conference rate of $99 per night. There are about 80 rooms left per night at this rate. To book your hotel room, give the Radisson a call directly at (801) 531-7500.
Watch for more information regarding the 2020 Annual agenda and the opening of registration soon.
Nominations Open for Brent and Jennie Taylor Service Award
 |
|
August 7th is the deadline for one of the most prestigious honors awarded by the Utah League of Cities and Towns. The Brent and Jennie Taylor Service award is a way to recognize public servants who exhibit an extraordinary commitment to our cities and towns. It is named in honor of the late ULCT Board member and North Ogden Mayor Brent Taylor and his wife, Jennie, who dedicated their own lives to the service of others. ULCT proudly awarded the first annual Taylor Service Award last year to long-time Sandy City Council Member Steve Fairbanks. If you know someone deserving of this honor, we invite you to submit your nomination by clicking here. |
Deadline for nominations is 5pm on Friday, August 7, 2020.
Resources and Training
Webinar: Magna, Utah Earthquake Reconnaissance Briefing
Thursday, July 23 at 11 am PT / 2 pm ET Cost: Free (PDH hours included upon request)
REGISTER HERE
This Learning from Earthquakes webinar will provide an overview of the impacts from the M5.7 March 18, 2020 Magna, Utah earthquake. Don't miss this multidisciplinary webinar, where you'll gain insights covering science, engineering, and response aspects of the earthquake. You will also learn how the earthquake affected the natural and built environment, as well as about current mitigation efforts in Utah.
The Newstand
|
|
