Looking ahead for Saratoga Springs
Lance Madigan - North County Staff
Each year at this time Americans take a moment to look back at what went right -- and wrong -- and then look ahead to the future hoping to build on things done right and correct shortcomings.
This is true for cities as well as individuals. Saratoga Springs is no different.
"This (2008) has been the most difficult year in the history of our city, which is somewhat ironic with it being our 10th anniversary," said Jefferson Moss, Saratoga Springs City Council member. "To say that the budget issue was difficult would be putting it lightly. ... But what happened next is what I think makes our city great."
He talked about efforts on the part of employees to trim costs and save dollars, as well as efforts by the city to enlist the help of volunteers to meet city needs.
"In order to save costs on our parks, we asked for volunteers to help us," Moss said. "We had residents from all over the city step up and put in the parks. This again saved the city thousands of dollars."
Another area volunteers are assisting the city is in financial reviews themselves.
"As a result of our financial situation, the council felt that it would be a great time to launch a finance committee made up financial experts in our city," Moss said.
The new Finance Committee was put in place in December, and will start meeting this month to review the city's revenues and expenses, and make recommendations to the council and administration to help prevent another economic crisis.
Bud Poduska, Saratoga Springs City Council member, added that there many new projects also ahead that would help ease financial burdens on homeowners by expanding sales tax revenues, including the opening of Wal-Mart, new Intermountain Healthcare and Alpine Pediatrics facilities, and a number of other smaller businesses and restaurants.
"The fall 2009 opening of our new high school and Fox Hollow elementary school will provide education for thousands of our children and job opportunities for hundreds of citizens," Poduska said. "These benefits will be even greater when the new middle school is completed the fall of 2010."
Poduska also noted that the Redwood Road expansion is scheduled for completion in the fall, and the east-west Pioneering Crossing from Saratoga to American Fork is expected to start anytime.
"These roads will make Saratoga Springs more appealing for residential development, commercial growth, and those looking for a new place to live," Poduska said.
Saratoga Springs has also sent out requests for citizens interested in helping plan civic events in the coming year. One position eliminated in last year's budget cuts was the civic events coordinator in the city.
Although some council members have tried to pick up the position's duties, they have other responsibilities and can't devote the time they feel it deserves.
The Saratoga Springs Web site states, "The city's objective is to continue to have this celebration (Saratoga Splash), but without expending city funds. Volunteers should have an interest in participating and leading events during the celebration. Some of the related tasks will be soliciting volunteers, putting teams of volunteers together for events, leadership of groups of volunteers, event planning, fundraising and generally donating time and energy to the city celebration."
The idea, according to Mayor Timothy Parker, is "to form a committee, put out the word, and sign up volunteers and put them to work." Those interested in helping can contact Valerie Christensen at vchrsitensen@saratoga-springs.net, or by visiting the city offices.
"We really do have an amazing city," Moss said. "I strongly feel that we will make it through these difficult times stronger and a better city."
Other council members made similar conclusions, saying that the strength of the city lies not in the elected officials or administration, but in each and every one of its citizens.
"It is not unheard of to have new people moving in talking about how friendly their neighbors are," Poduska said. "Thank you for being who you are, and making this citizen what it is."
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Eagle Mountain hopes for more help from state snowplows
Eagle Mountain hopes for more help from state snowplows
January 21st, 2009 @ 9:44am
By Randall Jeppesen
Talks over a lack of Utah Department of Transportation snowplows near Eagle Mountain are improving as the city and state try to find the most efficient way to keep the roads cleared.
Highway 73 is the one major road leading in and out of Eagle Mountain. When it gets pounded with snow, UDOT has only two snowplows working the big roads west of Utah Lake.
"We don't have any other snowplows to dedicate out to those roads," said UDOT Spokesperson Scott Thompson.
He says UDOT is working to find ways to clear the roads quicker. Eagle Mountain Mayor Heather Jackson had asked for a third plow.
"We're not getting the third plow," she said, "but it's not that UDOT didn't hear and isn't trying."
UDOT is adjusting the snowplow routes. It also has a salt storage area south of Saratoga Springs, which means the plows now don't have to leave the area to refill, which should help.
January 21st, 2009 @ 9:44am
By Randall Jeppesen
Talks over a lack of Utah Department of Transportation snowplows near Eagle Mountain are improving as the city and state try to find the most efficient way to keep the roads cleared.
Highway 73 is the one major road leading in and out of Eagle Mountain. When it gets pounded with snow, UDOT has only two snowplows working the big roads west of Utah Lake.
"We don't have any other snowplows to dedicate out to those roads," said UDOT Spokesperson Scott Thompson.
He says UDOT is working to find ways to clear the roads quicker. Eagle Mountain Mayor Heather Jackson had asked for a third plow.
"We're not getting the third plow," she said, "but it's not that UDOT didn't hear and isn't trying."
UDOT is adjusting the snowplow routes. It also has a salt storage area south of Saratoga Springs, which means the plows now don't have to leave the area to refill, which should help.
Contractor begins construction on Pioneer Crossing
Contractor begins construction on Pioneer Crossing
Cathy Allred - North County staff
Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs residents can breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Work began Tuesday on an alternative east-west route for motorists to get in and out of those cities and to access Interstate 15. Ground-breaking for the Pioneer Crossing project was held Tuesday afternoon.
The six-mile-long expressway project has been put on the fast track for completion, with 90 percent of the arterial expected to be finished by November.
"They will have this opened up to the Mill Pond Road," said Bryan Adams, Access Utah County director. "So you'll be able to go to the American Fork interchange or the Lehi interchange."
The second phase of the project from Lehi's 850 East to I-15 on American Fork's Main Street will be completed by fall 2010.
"I think it's great. I think it's long overdue," said American Fork Mayor Heber Thompson. "It helps significantly relieve the congestion on Lehi Main Street which all of us have experienced."
The Utah Department of Transportation has contracted Kiewit and W.W. Clyde and Co. for the $260 million project, which includes the I-15 diverging diamond interchange, the first of its kind in Utah. The design involves a major east-west artery that crisscrosses over the freeway with only two signals and a free flow of traffic on and off the freeway. The DDI interchange will replace the American Fork Main Street interchange.
Cathy Allred - North County staff
Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs residents can breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Work began Tuesday on an alternative east-west route for motorists to get in and out of those cities and to access Interstate 15. Ground-breaking for the Pioneer Crossing project was held Tuesday afternoon.
The six-mile-long expressway project has been put on the fast track for completion, with 90 percent of the arterial expected to be finished by November.
"They will have this opened up to the Mill Pond Road," said Bryan Adams, Access Utah County director. "So you'll be able to go to the American Fork interchange or the Lehi interchange."
The second phase of the project from Lehi's 850 East to I-15 on American Fork's Main Street will be completed by fall 2010.
"I think it's great. I think it's long overdue," said American Fork Mayor Heber Thompson. "It helps significantly relieve the congestion on Lehi Main Street which all of us have experienced."
The Utah Department of Transportation has contracted Kiewit and W.W. Clyde and Co. for the $260 million project, which includes the I-15 diverging diamond interchange, the first of its kind in Utah. The design involves a major east-west artery that crisscrosses over the freeway with only two signals and a free flow of traffic on and off the freeway. The DDI interchange will replace the American Fork Main Street interchange.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Construction underway on Pioneer Crossing
Construction underway on Pioneer Crossing
January 20th, 2009 @ 4:22pm
(KSL News) State leaders broke ground today for the Pioneer Crossing, a new road which will bring new east-west access to northern Utah County.
The road will bring much needed relief for those who live in Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain.
The highway will connect Highway 68, just south of the crossroads in Saratoga Springs with I-15 at the American Fork Main Street exit.
The road will have five lanes; two lanes each direction with a center turn lane. The speed limit will be 40 mph. It will also have six or seven stop lights from Redwood Road to the new American Fork Main Street overpass.
The project will also completely rebuild that interchange.
The construction project is moving forward, despite other cuts to the Utah Department of Transportation's budget.
Work on the road is expected to take just 11 months, and the new connector should be open sometime in late November.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Groundbreaking for Pioneer Crossing
The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is ready to begin
construction on Pioneer Crossing and invites you to celebrate at a
groundbreaking event.
DATE: Tuesday, January 20, 2009
TIME: 2 p.m.
PLACE: The construction site on Redwood Road, one mile south of the
Redwood Road/ SR-73 (Lehi Main Street) intersection in Saratoga Springs
Pioneer Crossing will be a new east-west road that will run from
Redwood
Road in Saratoga Springs through Lehi to I-15's American Fork Main
Street interchange. The project will also include reconstruction of the
interchange.
For more information about the project visit udot.utah.gov/pioneer or
call 877-222-3757.
construction on Pioneer Crossing and invites you to celebrate at a
groundbreaking event.
DATE: Tuesday, January 20, 2009
TIME: 2 p.m.
PLACE: The construction site on Redwood Road, one mile south of the
Redwood Road/ SR-73 (Lehi Main Street) intersection in Saratoga Springs
Pioneer Crossing will be a new east-west road that will run from
Redwood
Road in Saratoga Springs through Lehi to I-15's American Fork Main
Street interchange. The project will also include reconstruction of the
interchange.
For more information about the project visit udot.utah.gov/pioneer or
call 877-222-3757.
UDOT to Eagle Mountain: We cannot do more to clear snowy roads
UDOT to Eagle Mountain: We cannot do more to clear snowy roads
Caleb Warnock - DAILY HERALD
Concerned that icy roads could trap Eagle Mountain residents who have limited options when getting in and out of town, Eagle Mountain Mayor Heather Jackson has asked UDOT to provide a third plow for the two highways leading to the city.
UDOT has turned the city down, citing economic realities and the sheer number of residents on the road, making access for plows difficult.
"Right now we don't see that we have a way to put a third plow out there and do everything we have to do," said UDOT spokesman Scott Thompson.
Jackson said Eagle Mountain residents have become increasingly vocal in their dissatisfaction about the condition of roads on snowy days. Some residents realize the city has no jurisdiction to plow the highways, and some don't, she said.
Jackson said she met with UDOT a week ago to request the third plow, telling UDOT officials that when roads are dangerous, Eagle Mountain residents have few, if any, options.
"We feel it is critical to add an extra plow," Jackson said. "Our citizens have to travel both highways 68 and 73, especially if they work in the Salt Lake area. We get a lot of complaints about both of those not being plowed."
A third plow would allow UDOT to re-plow more frequently in heavy traffic areas, and especially when snow continues to fall, she said, noting that it now takes UDOT plows three hours to make a loop to clear the highways that are the city's lifeblood.
"They go out and finally come back and one side of the road has 6 inches of snow on it and you can barely tell they have been here," Jackson said.
The city is also trying to educate its residents about which roads the city has the responsibility to plow, and which are the purview of the state. In its most recent newsletter, the city devoted space to explaining the city's priorities in plowing streets, and which streets the state must care for.
UDOT has 11 plows in its Lehi maintenance shed, but the main priority for those machines is to keep clear up to 30 miles of Interstate 15, said Thompson.
"It takes seven of the 11 to do that and get all the lanes clear," he said.
Another plow has been ordered for the area but won't arrive in time to help with this season's snow clearing, he said.
Another reason the roads are so difficult to plow is because the highways leading to Eagle Mountain "are busy and congested on a good day in decent weather," he said. "So if there is a heavy commuter time, we have run into trouble getting our plows through traffic."
In the meantime, UDOT will consider whether there are more efficient plowing patterns that can be used as a short-term solution, Thompson said.
Caleb Warnock - DAILY HERALD
Concerned that icy roads could trap Eagle Mountain residents who have limited options when getting in and out of town, Eagle Mountain Mayor Heather Jackson has asked UDOT to provide a third plow for the two highways leading to the city.
UDOT has turned the city down, citing economic realities and the sheer number of residents on the road, making access for plows difficult.
"Right now we don't see that we have a way to put a third plow out there and do everything we have to do," said UDOT spokesman Scott Thompson.
Jackson said Eagle Mountain residents have become increasingly vocal in their dissatisfaction about the condition of roads on snowy days. Some residents realize the city has no jurisdiction to plow the highways, and some don't, she said.
Jackson said she met with UDOT a week ago to request the third plow, telling UDOT officials that when roads are dangerous, Eagle Mountain residents have few, if any, options.
"We feel it is critical to add an extra plow," Jackson said. "Our citizens have to travel both highways 68 and 73, especially if they work in the Salt Lake area. We get a lot of complaints about both of those not being plowed."
A third plow would allow UDOT to re-plow more frequently in heavy traffic areas, and especially when snow continues to fall, she said, noting that it now takes UDOT plows three hours to make a loop to clear the highways that are the city's lifeblood.
"They go out and finally come back and one side of the road has 6 inches of snow on it and you can barely tell they have been here," Jackson said.
The city is also trying to educate its residents about which roads the city has the responsibility to plow, and which are the purview of the state. In its most recent newsletter, the city devoted space to explaining the city's priorities in plowing streets, and which streets the state must care for.
UDOT has 11 plows in its Lehi maintenance shed, but the main priority for those machines is to keep clear up to 30 miles of Interstate 15, said Thompson.
"It takes seven of the 11 to do that and get all the lanes clear," he said.
Another plow has been ordered for the area but won't arrive in time to help with this season's snow clearing, he said.
Another reason the roads are so difficult to plow is because the highways leading to Eagle Mountain "are busy and congested on a good day in decent weather," he said. "So if there is a heavy commuter time, we have run into trouble getting our plows through traffic."
In the meantime, UDOT will consider whether there are more efficient plowing patterns that can be used as a short-term solution, Thompson said.
Utah County FrontRunner expansion on trac
Utah County FrontRunner expansion on track
Ace Stryker - Daily Herald
While recessionary concerns threaten to reduce or close government projects across the state, a planned commuter rail extension into Utah County is rolling along just fine.
"As far as budget cuts go, that is not an issue," said Carrie Bohnsack-Ware, spokeswoman for Utah Transit Authority, which is heading up the FrontRunner endeavor. "We are plowing ahead at full steam -- pun intended."
The FrontRunner South project will connect the new railway from its Salt Lake Central Station to an intermodal center at 600 South in Provo, with stops along the way in Orem, Vineyard, American Fork, Lehi, Draper, Sandy and Murray. It's part of UTA's $2.2 billion FrontLines 2015 program, a series of commuter and light rail projects funded by federal and local authorities. The expansion is well under way and could be open "if everything goes well" in 2012, said project manager Steve Meyer, though it's unclear what the final cost will be.
"There isn't an easy answer because of several factors," he said. "There are over 300 individual parcels of right-of-way that we're in the process of acquiring."
But it's more than that, Meyer said. Along the way, existing Union Pacific track must be moved, utility lines must be relocated, bridges must be built -- all of which depends on parties outside of UTA's control. He said it's a safe bet the final price tag will be significantly higher than FrontRunner North's, which topped $600 million for an equal length of track -- 44 miles -- between Salt Lake City and Ogden.
"That was good practice up north," said Meyer, who also managed the first half of the project. "This is the real deal."
The biggest difference between the two legs is the number of structures needed to make the southern route work, he said. The northern segment required just two bridges. The southern part looks to require at least 60 structures, including bridges, boxes and irrigation. Construction is already under way for a bridge over the American Fork River, and brush clearing and grading is being done at other spots along the future line.
"This year's going to be a big year for us to get a lot of work done," Meyer said. "We're dependent upon those third parties to get some of that work done to open up the corridor."
Utah County's FrontRunner stations will be positioned along the Interstate 15 corridor at high-population nexuses: Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, the new Main Street interchange in American Fork, the old Geneva site in Vineyard, west of Utah Valley University in Orem, and at University Avenue and 600 South in Provo. The Vineyard station won't open with the others, but will be added as the county continues to grow, Meyer said.
The Orem and Provo stations will be part of larger "intermodal centers" that will also offer commuters an option to finish their trips on special "bus rapid transit" lines. The buses are designed to move rapidly through city streets to popular stops such as Brigham Young University. It's all part of a larger plan to make it possible for county residents to leave their cars behind and be able to access faraway destinations -- like the Salt Lake International Airport, EnergySolutions Arena or the University of Utah -- using public transportation, said Gary McGinn, Provo's director of community development.
"That'll be a major link," he said. "Once we have that backbone of good, reliable bus rapid transit service in our city, then we can have more local bus service branching off that spine into other areas of our city."
McGinn said Provo's intermodal center is scheduled to open concurrently with FrontRunner South.
When FrontRunner opens, travel from Provo to Ogden -- the line's terminal points -- should take just under two hours, Meyer said. But it may not stop there: There are discussions about extending the line as far south as Nephi, with additional stops in Springville and Payson, and as far north as Brigham City. He said Springville has already picked a site, and Payson has created a transit-oriented zone in preparation for future expansion.
"That 120 miles encompasses about 80 percent of the state's population," Meyer said. "That'd be the spine of the Utah transportation corridor."
Ace Stryker - Daily Herald
While recessionary concerns threaten to reduce or close government projects across the state, a planned commuter rail extension into Utah County is rolling along just fine.
"As far as budget cuts go, that is not an issue," said Carrie Bohnsack-Ware, spokeswoman for Utah Transit Authority, which is heading up the FrontRunner endeavor. "We are plowing ahead at full steam -- pun intended."
The FrontRunner South project will connect the new railway from its Salt Lake Central Station to an intermodal center at 600 South in Provo, with stops along the way in Orem, Vineyard, American Fork, Lehi, Draper, Sandy and Murray. It's part of UTA's $2.2 billion FrontLines 2015 program, a series of commuter and light rail projects funded by federal and local authorities. The expansion is well under way and could be open "if everything goes well" in 2012, said project manager Steve Meyer, though it's unclear what the final cost will be.
"There isn't an easy answer because of several factors," he said. "There are over 300 individual parcels of right-of-way that we're in the process of acquiring."
But it's more than that, Meyer said. Along the way, existing Union Pacific track must be moved, utility lines must be relocated, bridges must be built -- all of which depends on parties outside of UTA's control. He said it's a safe bet the final price tag will be significantly higher than FrontRunner North's, which topped $600 million for an equal length of track -- 44 miles -- between Salt Lake City and Ogden.
"That was good practice up north," said Meyer, who also managed the first half of the project. "This is the real deal."
The biggest difference between the two legs is the number of structures needed to make the southern route work, he said. The northern segment required just two bridges. The southern part looks to require at least 60 structures, including bridges, boxes and irrigation. Construction is already under way for a bridge over the American Fork River, and brush clearing and grading is being done at other spots along the future line.
"This year's going to be a big year for us to get a lot of work done," Meyer said. "We're dependent upon those third parties to get some of that work done to open up the corridor."
Utah County's FrontRunner stations will be positioned along the Interstate 15 corridor at high-population nexuses: Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, the new Main Street interchange in American Fork, the old Geneva site in Vineyard, west of Utah Valley University in Orem, and at University Avenue and 600 South in Provo. The Vineyard station won't open with the others, but will be added as the county continues to grow, Meyer said.
The Orem and Provo stations will be part of larger "intermodal centers" that will also offer commuters an option to finish their trips on special "bus rapid transit" lines. The buses are designed to move rapidly through city streets to popular stops such as Brigham Young University. It's all part of a larger plan to make it possible for county residents to leave their cars behind and be able to access faraway destinations -- like the Salt Lake International Airport, EnergySolutions Arena or the University of Utah -- using public transportation, said Gary McGinn, Provo's director of community development.
"That'll be a major link," he said. "Once we have that backbone of good, reliable bus rapid transit service in our city, then we can have more local bus service branching off that spine into other areas of our city."
McGinn said Provo's intermodal center is scheduled to open concurrently with FrontRunner South.
When FrontRunner opens, travel from Provo to Ogden -- the line's terminal points -- should take just under two hours, Meyer said. But it may not stop there: There are discussions about extending the line as far south as Nephi, with additional stops in Springville and Payson, and as far north as Brigham City. He said Springville has already picked a site, and Payson has created a transit-oriented zone in preparation for future expansion.
"That 120 miles encompasses about 80 percent of the state's population," Meyer said. "That'd be the spine of the Utah transportation corridor."
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A new Saratoga police station proposed
A new Saratoga police station proposed
North County Staff
Lance Madigan
Five people using three desks in a 12-by-12-foot office. No permanent storage areas or personal space for staff. Working in a double-wide trailer that you are not only embarrassed to bring your family to but feel is unsafe because there is very little control to keeping potentially dangerous people in controlled areas.
These are just a few of the problems that Saratoga Springs Mayor Timothy Parker pointed out to the City Council last week when he expressed his concerns over the city's Police Department building.
In the end, the city manager Ken Leetham and his staff were instructed to continue investigation into costs and financing options for the first floor of the city building as well as investigate other potential sites. The City Council is scheduled to meet again Jan. 13 to continue the discussion.
With only one door into the facility, Parker explained at the Tuesday meeting that safety was a major concern.
"Anyone coming into the police department has to come in through that door," he said. He cited several cases in which victims of domestic violence came in, and were being followed by an abusive spouse. Parker explained that since the trailer is so small, it can be very difficult to keep individuals safely in separated areas. "Individuals come in an angry state, and there is no barrier. The risk there is tremendous."
There is also very limited space to secure evidence, creating the need to rent space from the Utah County Sheriff's Office in Spanish Fork. Besides the $8,000 a year to rent the space, someone that is authorized to handle evidence has to travel to Spanish Fork to pick up materials that are needed for investigations or trials. This can take more than three hours.
Parker's reason for expressing these concerns over the current police department facility was to propose the city move forward in acquiring new space for the officers.
Currently, the Saratoga Springs City offices are located on the second floor of a business building on Commerce Drive. The first floor is operated by medical service offices, including Alpine Pediatrics, which is constructing its own building and hoping to move out in the next few months. The mayor outlined a plan to have the police department occupy that space when Alpine Pediatrics leaves.
"Why am I bringing this up at this time? Why am I raising a claim of urgency of this situation? We started our police department a year and a half ago when we decided to go away from contract services. We made quite an investment. We made the decision to go above and beyond the bare necessities," Parker said. Besides startup equipment such as computers, cars, weapons and other tools of the trade, the officers and staff were paid at the high end of the going rate in Utah. With market adjustments, Saratoga police officers are now closer to the middle of the spectrum, he said.
Parker said that his concern is that police officers are now in great demand, and other departments are actively recruiting for personnel.
"I don't think it is an issue of salary, but the vision that they are given when they come in," Parker said. "Pay is very often not the deciding factor whether you want to work someplace or not. The important thing is in feeling valued, having the opportunity to grow, and your feeling of identity."
"The working conditions can be a deciding factor in our ability to recruit officers who will serve at the standard of expectations that we set," Parker said. "For an officer coming in before the (economic) crash, there was an anticipation of city growing. Maybe you had to go to work in trailer for a while, but there was opportunity to grow quickly. You were on the ground floor of something new."
"If my vision includes a much better facility, this trailer is tolerable," he said. "If my vision doesn't see a better facility on the horizon, this vision may be a deciding factor if I go here or somewhere else."
Parker said that when new city police departments were started in Carbon County and the sheriff started losing staff, the sheriff did a study that showed that it wasn't the people at the bottom or the incapable that left, but it was the best. "They estimated that it cost three years of the departing person's salary to bring the new person up to the skill level that they could fill that person's shoes."
"We are going to lose what we have invested in if we don't do something," Parker said.
"My biggest concern is finances," said councilman Jefferson Moss. "There is a definite need, but my concern is whether we can afford it. Fiscally, we need to consider if this is the right time."
"I just think about the tremendous change in the perception of the City Council and management when we shifted from the trailer to here," said Councilman Bud Poduska. "To me the safety of the city is one of the major concerns and the safety of the police officers."
The plan, as laid out by Parker, would be to convert the current Alpine Pediatrics offices into a workable space for the police department. "They could be here for 10 years, or 30 years," Parker said.
Because the city administration is still in negotiations with the building owners, the council went into a closed session to talk about costs and potential funding methods. Parker and the city manager said options such as leasing the space from the current owners, as well as purchasing the lower floor and renting the other parts of the building to tenants, were being investigated. The city already owns the second floor of the building.
Past plans had been to build a completely new City Hall with a space for the police department in the bottom. City Councilwoman Mia Love said she wanted to also investigate building a dedicated structure. "They could actually do all the infrastructure they need," she said. "If it costs a little more to build something that will work for years, that just makes more sense."
Parker said that while the owners would be willing to sell to the city, they also had contingency plans for the space. While the council didn't have to make an immediate decision, it was indicated that an intention needed to be made in the coming weeks to put plans into the works when the space became available.
North County Staff
Lance Madigan
Five people using three desks in a 12-by-12-foot office. No permanent storage areas or personal space for staff. Working in a double-wide trailer that you are not only embarrassed to bring your family to but feel is unsafe because there is very little control to keeping potentially dangerous people in controlled areas.
These are just a few of the problems that Saratoga Springs Mayor Timothy Parker pointed out to the City Council last week when he expressed his concerns over the city's Police Department building.
In the end, the city manager Ken Leetham and his staff were instructed to continue investigation into costs and financing options for the first floor of the city building as well as investigate other potential sites. The City Council is scheduled to meet again Jan. 13 to continue the discussion.
With only one door into the facility, Parker explained at the Tuesday meeting that safety was a major concern.
"Anyone coming into the police department has to come in through that door," he said. He cited several cases in which victims of domestic violence came in, and were being followed by an abusive spouse. Parker explained that since the trailer is so small, it can be very difficult to keep individuals safely in separated areas. "Individuals come in an angry state, and there is no barrier. The risk there is tremendous."
There is also very limited space to secure evidence, creating the need to rent space from the Utah County Sheriff's Office in Spanish Fork. Besides the $8,000 a year to rent the space, someone that is authorized to handle evidence has to travel to Spanish Fork to pick up materials that are needed for investigations or trials. This can take more than three hours.
Parker's reason for expressing these concerns over the current police department facility was to propose the city move forward in acquiring new space for the officers.
Currently, the Saratoga Springs City offices are located on the second floor of a business building on Commerce Drive. The first floor is operated by medical service offices, including Alpine Pediatrics, which is constructing its own building and hoping to move out in the next few months. The mayor outlined a plan to have the police department occupy that space when Alpine Pediatrics leaves.
"Why am I bringing this up at this time? Why am I raising a claim of urgency of this situation? We started our police department a year and a half ago when we decided to go away from contract services. We made quite an investment. We made the decision to go above and beyond the bare necessities," Parker said. Besides startup equipment such as computers, cars, weapons and other tools of the trade, the officers and staff were paid at the high end of the going rate in Utah. With market adjustments, Saratoga police officers are now closer to the middle of the spectrum, he said.
Parker said that his concern is that police officers are now in great demand, and other departments are actively recruiting for personnel.
"I don't think it is an issue of salary, but the vision that they are given when they come in," Parker said. "Pay is very often not the deciding factor whether you want to work someplace or not. The important thing is in feeling valued, having the opportunity to grow, and your feeling of identity."
"The working conditions can be a deciding factor in our ability to recruit officers who will serve at the standard of expectations that we set," Parker said. "For an officer coming in before the (economic) crash, there was an anticipation of city growing. Maybe you had to go to work in trailer for a while, but there was opportunity to grow quickly. You were on the ground floor of something new."
"If my vision includes a much better facility, this trailer is tolerable," he said. "If my vision doesn't see a better facility on the horizon, this vision may be a deciding factor if I go here or somewhere else."
Parker said that when new city police departments were started in Carbon County and the sheriff started losing staff, the sheriff did a study that showed that it wasn't the people at the bottom or the incapable that left, but it was the best. "They estimated that it cost three years of the departing person's salary to bring the new person up to the skill level that they could fill that person's shoes."
"We are going to lose what we have invested in if we don't do something," Parker said.
"My biggest concern is finances," said councilman Jefferson Moss. "There is a definite need, but my concern is whether we can afford it. Fiscally, we need to consider if this is the right time."
"I just think about the tremendous change in the perception of the City Council and management when we shifted from the trailer to here," said Councilman Bud Poduska. "To me the safety of the city is one of the major concerns and the safety of the police officers."
The plan, as laid out by Parker, would be to convert the current Alpine Pediatrics offices into a workable space for the police department. "They could be here for 10 years, or 30 years," Parker said.
Because the city administration is still in negotiations with the building owners, the council went into a closed session to talk about costs and potential funding methods. Parker and the city manager said options such as leasing the space from the current owners, as well as purchasing the lower floor and renting the other parts of the building to tenants, were being investigated. The city already owns the second floor of the building.
Past plans had been to build a completely new City Hall with a space for the police department in the bottom. City Councilwoman Mia Love said she wanted to also investigate building a dedicated structure. "They could actually do all the infrastructure they need," she said. "If it costs a little more to build something that will work for years, that just makes more sense."
Parker said that while the owners would be willing to sell to the city, they also had contingency plans for the space. While the council didn't have to make an immediate decision, it was indicated that an intention needed to be made in the coming weeks to put plans into the works when the space became available.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Saratoga scales back in 2007
Saratoga scales back in 2007
Lance Madigan - North County Staff
The topic that came up most often and dominated everything in Saratoga Springs in 2008 was the budget.
It actually began in the months leading up to this year, as the housing marketing started to stall throughout the nation, but particularly in Saratoga Springs.
It especially affected Saratoga, as one of the fastest growing cities in Utah. Saratoga Springs also had the double whammy that it relied heavily -- many would argue too heavily -- on revenue from new construction.
As early as February, the City Council was being advised by the administration that the city was experiencing a revenue shortfall. Early estimates put it at just over $1.1 million, but as the slump deepened that number more than tripled. And with a total operating budget in 2007-2008 of $8.2 million, that is a significant portion.
In an e-mailed interview, Jefferson Moss, Saratoga Springs City Council member, said, "As the fastest growing city on a percentage basis for seven years, we experienced tremendous pressure from our growth to keep up with the services that our city needed. With the housing collapse and credit crunch, our growth almost completely died. This left the city with a drastic shortfall in projected revenues, especially since our city had never raised property taxes once in our history. To say that the budget issue was difficult would be putting it lightly. As a council, we had to make very difficult decisions on what was the best for our city."
The City Council and Saratoga Springs administration rallied through the first part of the year -- cutting, trimming and even slashing in order to improve the numbers. Programs were scaled back. Projects were put on hold. Raises and benefits were affected. Staff were let go. Even the city's tenth anniversary Saratoga Splash celebration was slashed way back. By the time the new budget was due in June, the city was still short about $1.4 million.
Many felt that reliance on new construction fees and growth were the cause the city's financial woes.
"I was quoted in the press that I blamed the previous council for the shortfall. That is incorrect," said Denise Kelly, Council member. "I don't blame anyone. It is unfortunate that we haven't had previous increases, but it is no one's fault."
Others expressed concerns over the new police department and court the city had recently opened. As discussed over and over in the City Council, however, the city would have had to pay for public safety efforts regardless.
While the Saratoga Springs Police Department might have cost a little more than contracting through the Utah County Sheriff's office, the savings wouldn't have been significant.
"And the level of service we receive from Chief Hicken and his staff are far superior for the investment," said Brent Call, Council member.
So the City Council and administration hunkered down and reviewed the budget line item by line item.
"It was two, three meetings a week, going through every aspect of this budget," said Moss. "There were literally things we were knocking off for $50."
"We made significant cuts in the budget by laying off many of our great employees and asked those that stayed to take cuts in benefits," said Moss. "Doing this was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Even with these cuts, we were still significantly in the red."
It was then that the City Council started talking about one of the most dreaded words a politician or resident can ever hear -- tax increases.
"We determined that any additional cuts would do more long term harm than any short term gain," said Moss. "Going through the Truth in Taxation Process -- especially in this difficult economy -- was tough."
In the end, the city imposed a property tax increase of about 116 percent upon its citizens. For a home valued at $200,000, that was projected to be an increase of about $24 a month.
"We knew that we weren't doing the popular thing. However, we felt this was needed to ensure the financial stability of our city to provide the necessary services that our residents need. We did receive our fair share of criticism and complaints," said Moss.
Saratoga Springs also formed a new volunteer Citizen Finance Committee with the goal of helping the City Council and administration review and plan ahead for such situations in the future. The City Council was recently put in place, and will hold its first official meeting in January.
As the city moves into 2009, the Council members and administrative staff say things are looking better. The first quarter financial reports in September showed the city right on track in both income and expenses. The Council and administration still point out that the entire country is facing economic hard times, but are confident they will come out better in the end.
City staff and leaders plan to continue to incorporate more volunteer help and assistance. Saratoga Springs recently honored several volunteers that helped to put in two parks at a $22,000 savings.
The Council has also put out a call for volunteers to help plan and organize the city's summer festival, the Saratoga Splash. This was originally done by a paid staff person who was let go last year.
"We really do have an amazing city. I strongly feel that we will make it through these difficult times stronger and a better city," concluded Moss.
For more information about how citizens can contribute, the Council and administration encourage individuals to review the city's Web site at www.saratoga-springs.net.
Lance Madigan - North County Staff
The topic that came up most often and dominated everything in Saratoga Springs in 2008 was the budget.
It actually began in the months leading up to this year, as the housing marketing started to stall throughout the nation, but particularly in Saratoga Springs.
It especially affected Saratoga, as one of the fastest growing cities in Utah. Saratoga Springs also had the double whammy that it relied heavily -- many would argue too heavily -- on revenue from new construction.
As early as February, the City Council was being advised by the administration that the city was experiencing a revenue shortfall. Early estimates put it at just over $1.1 million, but as the slump deepened that number more than tripled. And with a total operating budget in 2007-2008 of $8.2 million, that is a significant portion.
In an e-mailed interview, Jefferson Moss, Saratoga Springs City Council member, said, "As the fastest growing city on a percentage basis for seven years, we experienced tremendous pressure from our growth to keep up with the services that our city needed. With the housing collapse and credit crunch, our growth almost completely died. This left the city with a drastic shortfall in projected revenues, especially since our city had never raised property taxes once in our history. To say that the budget issue was difficult would be putting it lightly. As a council, we had to make very difficult decisions on what was the best for our city."
The City Council and Saratoga Springs administration rallied through the first part of the year -- cutting, trimming and even slashing in order to improve the numbers. Programs were scaled back. Projects were put on hold. Raises and benefits were affected. Staff were let go. Even the city's tenth anniversary Saratoga Splash celebration was slashed way back. By the time the new budget was due in June, the city was still short about $1.4 million.
Many felt that reliance on new construction fees and growth were the cause the city's financial woes.
"I was quoted in the press that I blamed the previous council for the shortfall. That is incorrect," said Denise Kelly, Council member. "I don't blame anyone. It is unfortunate that we haven't had previous increases, but it is no one's fault."
Others expressed concerns over the new police department and court the city had recently opened. As discussed over and over in the City Council, however, the city would have had to pay for public safety efforts regardless.
While the Saratoga Springs Police Department might have cost a little more than contracting through the Utah County Sheriff's office, the savings wouldn't have been significant.
"And the level of service we receive from Chief Hicken and his staff are far superior for the investment," said Brent Call, Council member.
So the City Council and administration hunkered down and reviewed the budget line item by line item.
"It was two, three meetings a week, going through every aspect of this budget," said Moss. "There were literally things we were knocking off for $50."
"We made significant cuts in the budget by laying off many of our great employees and asked those that stayed to take cuts in benefits," said Moss. "Doing this was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Even with these cuts, we were still significantly in the red."
It was then that the City Council started talking about one of the most dreaded words a politician or resident can ever hear -- tax increases.
"We determined that any additional cuts would do more long term harm than any short term gain," said Moss. "Going through the Truth in Taxation Process -- especially in this difficult economy -- was tough."
In the end, the city imposed a property tax increase of about 116 percent upon its citizens. For a home valued at $200,000, that was projected to be an increase of about $24 a month.
"We knew that we weren't doing the popular thing. However, we felt this was needed to ensure the financial stability of our city to provide the necessary services that our residents need. We did receive our fair share of criticism and complaints," said Moss.
Saratoga Springs also formed a new volunteer Citizen Finance Committee with the goal of helping the City Council and administration review and plan ahead for such situations in the future. The City Council was recently put in place, and will hold its first official meeting in January.
As the city moves into 2009, the Council members and administrative staff say things are looking better. The first quarter financial reports in September showed the city right on track in both income and expenses. The Council and administration still point out that the entire country is facing economic hard times, but are confident they will come out better in the end.
City staff and leaders plan to continue to incorporate more volunteer help and assistance. Saratoga Springs recently honored several volunteers that helped to put in two parks at a $22,000 savings.
The Council has also put out a call for volunteers to help plan and organize the city's summer festival, the Saratoga Splash. This was originally done by a paid staff person who was let go last year.
"We really do have an amazing city. I strongly feel that we will make it through these difficult times stronger and a better city," concluded Moss.
For more information about how citizens can contribute, the Council and administration encourage individuals to review the city's Web site at www.saratoga-springs.net.
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