Below is a snippet of part of the written report that I presented to the City Council tonight regarding recent trip representing West Valley City in Washington DC:
COUNCILMEMBER RUSHTON
COUNCIL REPORT
MARCH 22, 2011
NLC CONFERENCE & FEDERAL MEETINGS
SUMMARY
During March 11-17 I attended and represented West Valley City at the National League of Cities Conference and during visits to the Utah delegation in and federal agencies in Washington D.C. The conference major speakers and presenters included Michelle Obama and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, among others. The conference at the Marriott Wardman began on Saturday and concluded Wednesday. Additionally, the steering committee I was appointed to was able to meet twice to discuss issues and set priorities for this year. The conference featured more than 30 workshops focused on economic development, safety, policy and programs. The Congressional visits with both staff and members of Congress were received well and West Valley City’s participation within the new political climate was explored earned praise for their partnerships and long term outlook. Meetings with Intergovernmental Affairs offices at the White House and Transportation Department were used to acquaint these offices with City Center development as the premier TOD in the region.
SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS WITH LOCAL INTEREST:
1. Conference focused on Infrastructure investment and preserving federal block grant programs.
2. Senator Hatch introduced new Grants Liaison position to help coordinate efforts with federal departments.
3. The Utah League of Cities and Towns arranged a dinner for Utah delegates. Additionally, a breakfast was held with members of Congress featuring a question and answer period.
AGENDA ITEMS:
a. Funding Requests included: West Valley City Center, Salt Lake Area Chief’s Alliance Forensic/DNA Lab, & West Valley City Cross Town Trail. Probed each member of Congress for willingness and methods for to support applications.
b. Preserve full funding for CDBG program at $4 billion to address community needs, including infrastructure, small business assistance, training, and employment.
c. Additional Secondary items included: Post Office, UTOPIA, gang prevention & violence against women programs.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
West Valley City Transparency Standard
Today in a full City Council chamber the West Valley City Council unveiled our transparency standard and received an A plus rating for website transparency. It is once again refreshing to see our City lead the way on important issues. Below are the listed points of how as a City we will work to keep West Valley City the most open government in the state:
West Valley City – Today the West Valley City Council announced a seven-point West Valley City Transparency Standard, an initiative aimed at making West Valley City the most accessible and transparent municipality in the state. Representatives from the Sutherland Institute and the Utah Foundation for Open Government (UFOG) were present, supporting West Valley City’s efforts.
The seven points of the West Valley City Transparency Standard are:
1. West Valley City has a long and rich history of being more open than state GRAMA laws require, and this tradition will continue. Texts, instant messages, and other electronic communications will still be considered public documents in our city.
2. We will continue to make government employee salaries and wages, and who those wages are going to, public, and feel that the people should know what they are paying those who work for them.
3. The Council’s schedule of public events shall be made public and posted on the city website.
4. All city elected officials using blogs or Facebook commit to keep their privacy settings as “open” so that in these popular social media setting their conversations will be public.
5. Because transparency is especially critical in campaign finances, we will change the “may” to a “shall” in our ordinances, so that those who fail to submit their campaign financial disclosures on time shall be removed from the ballot.
6. Occasionally the taxpayer is stuck footing the bill for large GRAMA records requests such as when a developer in 2004 required West Valley City to conduct a records gathering job that consumed $30,000 for which the city was only able to collect $10,000. We appreciate the Utah Legislature working on developing reasonable charges as part of the state GRAMA program that protects both the taxpayer and the right of the free flow of information in a free society.
7. We have worked to meet all ten recommendations for an open and transparent municipal website, becoming one of the first cities in the state to receive an A+ rating.
West Valley City – Today the West Valley City Council announced a seven-point West Valley City Transparency Standard, an initiative aimed at making West Valley City the most accessible and transparent municipality in the state. Representatives from the Sutherland Institute and the Utah Foundation for Open Government (UFOG) were present, supporting West Valley City’s efforts.
The seven points of the West Valley City Transparency Standard are:
1. West Valley City has a long and rich history of being more open than state GRAMA laws require, and this tradition will continue. Texts, instant messages, and other electronic communications will still be considered public documents in our city.
2. We will continue to make government employee salaries and wages, and who those wages are going to, public, and feel that the people should know what they are paying those who work for them.
3. The Council’s schedule of public events shall be made public and posted on the city website.
4. All city elected officials using blogs or Facebook commit to keep their privacy settings as “open” so that in these popular social media setting their conversations will be public.
5. Because transparency is especially critical in campaign finances, we will change the “may” to a “shall” in our ordinances, so that those who fail to submit their campaign financial disclosures on time shall be removed from the ballot.
6. Occasionally the taxpayer is stuck footing the bill for large GRAMA records requests such as when a developer in 2004 required West Valley City to conduct a records gathering job that consumed $30,000 for which the city was only able to collect $10,000. We appreciate the Utah Legislature working on developing reasonable charges as part of the state GRAMA program that protects both the taxpayer and the right of the free flow of information in a free society.
7. We have worked to meet all ten recommendations for an open and transparent municipal website, becoming one of the first cities in the state to receive an A+ rating.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Published Open Letter to WVC Residents
Below is a copy of the open letter to WVC Residents as published in Update section of the March 16th edition of the West Valley Journal. The basic premise of the narrative is illustrate how it is the City's job to make a place good, but only individual efforts can truly make a City great:
Great Cities
A message from Councilmember Corey Rushton
One of life’s most fulfilling endeavors involves the subtle rewards of turning something good into something great. One of my first memories of this marvel occurred when I was a young boy and wondered why the pancakes that my grandmother made were so much better than any other pancakes. Even as a youngster I understood that pancakes were a relatively simple recipe and that the flavor between makers didn’t differ much. However grandma’s creations were authoritatively delectable and the greatness of those pancakes was a mystery that my sisters and I would repeatedly try to explain. Theories between us ran rampant and details of greatness included speculation surrounding: the brand of butter, adjusting stove temperature, and even a careful analysis of the antique pancake pan that grandma had inherited from her pioneer grandmother.
Similarly the recipe for a great West Valley City lies within those hard to explain slight, but significant, contributions of the residents. Many of the obvious good things in our community are being put into place, but ultimately it is up to each resident to turn them into great things. We have been quietly raising the standard of expectations in West Valley City and need everyone to do their part. Thriving business and entertainment districts, efficient transportation, and clean, safe neighborhoods require everyone’s involvement. The means in which you could labor to make our City great are too diverse to mention. But, if you don’t know what your role is in a great West Valley City then please evaluate yourself, your property, and your neighborhood and I am confident that you will find new ways to contribute. Additionally the City’s website and WVC-TV offer many ideas, programs, and civic committees that could benefit from your participation.
I challenge all to incorporate this greatness principle on an individual level and I ask everyone to look for new ways to innovate, to reinvest in their homes, and to find new ways to be productive members of the community. As he tirelessly worked to reshape his country, Mohandas Gandhi noted that, “As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world; as in being able to remake ourselves.” Your slight, yet significant contributions will foster greatness in West Valley City for years and generations to come.
A message from Councilmember Corey Rushton
One of life’s most fulfilling endeavors involves the subtle rewards of turning something good into something great. One of my first memories of this marvel occurred when I was a young boy and wondered why the pancakes that my grandmother made were so much better than any other pancakes. Even as a youngster I understood that pancakes were a relatively simple recipe and that the flavor between makers didn’t differ much. However grandma’s creations were authoritatively delectable and the greatness of those pancakes was a mystery that my sisters and I would repeatedly try to explain. Theories between us ran rampant and details of greatness included speculation surrounding: the brand of butter, adjusting stove temperature, and even a careful analysis of the antique pancake pan that grandma had inherited from her pioneer grandmother.
Similarly the recipe for a great West Valley City lies within those hard to explain slight, but significant, contributions of the residents. Many of the obvious good things in our community are being put into place, but ultimately it is up to each resident to turn them into great things. We have been quietly raising the standard of expectations in West Valley City and need everyone to do their part. Thriving business and entertainment districts, efficient transportation, and clean, safe neighborhoods require everyone’s involvement. The means in which you could labor to make our City great are too diverse to mention. But, if you don’t know what your role is in a great West Valley City then please evaluate yourself, your property, and your neighborhood and I am confident that you will find new ways to contribute. Additionally the City’s website and WVC-TV offer many ideas, programs, and civic committees that could benefit from your participation.
I challenge all to incorporate this greatness principle on an individual level and I ask everyone to look for new ways to innovate, to reinvest in their homes, and to find new ways to be productive members of the community. As he tirelessly worked to reshape his country, Mohandas Gandhi noted that, “As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world; as in being able to remake ourselves.” Your slight, yet significant contributions will foster greatness in West Valley City for years and generations to come.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Public Transit Changes
With the coming of the West Valley and West Jordan Trax service the Utah Transit Authority will be making changes to schedules and service. As part of the planning process UTA has developed alternative service scenarios. With the impending changes UTA will be holding public hearings across the county to receive input and to fine tune final schedule arrangements. The public meeting held at West Valley City Hall will be Thursday March 17th from 5-7 pm. If you use transit attendance at this or one of the other meeting would be helpful not only for yourself, but for the decision makers at UTA. I am looking forward to expanding quality transit options in West Valley City
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