New Years Statement

The following is my open letter to the residents of West Valley City as published in ths January edition of The West Valley Journal:

Resolution Concentration

A message from Councilmember Corey Rushton

When the calendar is turned to a new year we inevitably associate this time with a clean slate and an opportunity to make some positive changes in our lives. Similarly, this is also true of your City government. We recently welcomed some changes and new members to our City Council. We have a remarkable blend of backgrounds and talents that will serve the City well. Later this month we will lock ourselves in a room at the Cultural Center (public and press welcome) to establish the yearly goals and priorities of West Valley City. In broadest terms, my New Year’s resolution is to concentrate on those things that are of the most importance, both in my personal life and as a representative of City residents. Now, what I know about concentration can best be summed up by something that my Grandpa Rushton taught me years ago while I was battling through a horrible Little League Baseball slump. He told me that, “Concentration was half confidence and half hunger.”

I often speak about the many good confidence indicators throughout West Valley City. Improved transportation options include refurbished roads, rapid transit bus, and the continued construction on the West Valley City TRAX line. The Valley Fair Mall continues to add dining and shopping options as more and more patronize the area. As the local economy improves, the Chamber of Commerce reported a record month for memberships. Our Police department continues to proactively investigate and prosecute crime.

As good as these things are, let me also assure you that I am equally hungry for positive improvements and progress. We need to witness further reductions in crime. We need to reinvest in our homes, businesses, and community. We need to conserve our natural environment and add quality parks and open space. We must also demand innovation and cost cutting strategies from our governments.

May we all individually and as a West Valley community be like Michelangelo, the great renaissance painter, sculptor, engineer, architect, and poet who said, “I hope that I may desire more than I can accomplish.” I challenge everyone to aim high with their goals this year and strive to achieve great things. Here’s to a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2010 permeating within West Valley City households and neighborhoods.

Memorable Week

This week has kept me very busy. On top of my normal schedule I undertook some mayoral duties as part of my responsibilities as West Valley City's Mayor Pro Tem. The Mayor was in Washington attending a conference and so I conducted my first City Council meetings. The regular meeting was eventful as we had a public hearing to discuss the Hunter Town Center general plan update. I was pleased to see so many friendly and familiar faces crowd into the council chambers to express their thoughts, ideas, and frustrations towards this new concept. Before the meeting the lobby of City Hall was filled with various residents representing their neighborhood associations. Once again, West Valley City was nationally recognized this year for their successful neighborhood night out festivities. It was great to be able to greet and address these resident that work in the trenches and have a deep commitment to our community. Later I accepted the national award on behalf of the City.

The next day I attended a celebration luncheon at Firestone building products. They were being recognized by the State for achieving a voluntary safety certification. They are only the fourth business in the state to receive such recognition. The staff includes many West Valley City residents who were pleased that the City was represented and in attendance to celebrate their achievement. I particularly enjoyed talking to the Firestone executives that had traveled from various other cities across the country to share in the recognition. These executives were lodging at one of the E-Center area hotels and talked about how impressed they were with our entertainment district. They also inquired about our various area business parks as I pointed out the advantages to any future expansion in West Valley City.

Last but certainly not least I was able to visit a longtime West Valley resident and friend of mine with a couple of players from the Utah Grizzles. He is one of their biggest fans and has been cheering on the team from their origins, but recently has been very ill. It is good to see that the team cares about West Valley City and the residents. I told the Grizz players that they were great ambassadors for our City and that I needed a win from them tomorrow as I will be bringing some Utah VIPs to their first Hockey game. I am sure that it will be a great game regardless, because the win or lose the Grizzles always play hard and are fun to watch.

Valley Fair Phase Groundbreaking

This morning business owners, developers, city staff, and the chamber of commerce gathered to ceremoniously break ground on the next phase of the Valley Fair Mall redevelopment. When the mall is completed the lease-able space for stores will jump from 782,641 square feet to over 1.1 million. It is estimated that the complex will boast 120 shops along with the theatre and including a plaza and children's play area. Finally, although TRAX will soon have a station across the street from the mall if you chose to drive to the mall there will still be 4,172 parking spaces to choose from once the construction is finished.

For more information you can visit the Mall's official site at:

http://www.shopvalleyfairmall.net/

Reawakening the Jordan River

The Utah Cultural Celebration Center played host to a luncheon today that centered around the past, present, and future of Jordan River. It was well attended by members of municipalities, businesses, academics, and river enthusiasts all eager to assist in bringing forth the true potential of the Jordan River. As City Councilman and co-chair of the Blueprint Jordan River committee I was able to give some welcoming remarks as well as give a brief overview as to the progress and status of the implementation committee. The main portion of the program was the introduction of the Jordan River photographs documentary (that will be featured at various places along the river in the coming months) followed by a keynote address from Dr. Karl Haglund. Dr. Haglund has Utah roots, but is currently an Urban Planner, Author, and Historian in Boston. He has done extensive research on the Charles River in Boston and drew parallels between the two rivers. Overall it was good to have so many people coming from different backgrounds attend today's event and continue the process of making the Jordan River corridor the natural amenity that we need. Soon the Jordan River committee will submit an inter local agreement to the various municipalities for their consideration in furthering the adoption of a Jordan River Commission.

Back to Business

Now that the lull of the Holiday season is over City business has begun to accelerate with plenty of new projects coming down the pipeline. First of all we will be updating the General Plan to include changes to the Hunter Town Center. This is the new name of the blocks immediately surrounding the intersection of 5600 West and 3500 South. The master plan of this area includes a pedestrian friendly design, transit oriented development, and a variety of commercial and residential additions. Although the realization of this plan may take years, it is beneficial to get the plan ironed out and officially adopted so we can move forward and work to make it a reality. Thanks go out to the many residents that have offered input and suggestion to the layout of this proposal. Also tonight the Council voted to approve funding for streetlight additions and improvements along the recently completed section of 3500 South. This will add to the character and overall safety of the main boulevard that runs the length of our City. Also, the City will also be using some federal funds to complete a safe routes to school sidewalk along the north part of 5400 West. The construction won't begin for awhile, but the last of the legal work has been completed and we will continue to look for additional way to reinvest in our community.

Regional Park Update & Open House

Intergovernmental Relations is an area in which I have worked hard to elevate West Valley City's profile and effectiveness. In order to have effective local government we must foster good working relationships with federal, state, and other local governments. One such instance that has led to success is the partnership with Salt Lake County on Lodestone Regional Park. The park and the proposed expansion lies chiefly in Salt Lake County, but is surrounded by West Valley residents that have been in need of some extra recreational amenities and open space. It will be located west of 5600 West on 6200 South in what is known as the Diamond Summit area. As a City we have extensively been in contact with the county and additionally entered into some agreements to further the development of this destination park, which would be like a Liberty Park for the residents of West Valley City. I will continue to watch this project and advocate for timely completion and quality planning. Subsequently, the county will be holding an Open House to receive park input from the nearby residents. The Open House will be held on Thursday, January 14th, 2010 at Thomas Jefferson Jr High from 6:30-8:30. Come and share your thoughts and ideas in making this park a haven for families and fun. See you there!