Jordan River Update

West Valley City was the first city to sign on to the inter-local agreement in establishing the Jordan River Commission. Since the Mayor was out of town performing Sister City duties in Taiwan the duty and honor of signing this resolution was passed to me as Mayor Pro Tem. We had a signing ceremony where several interested legislators, municipalities, and other interested agencies attended. You can read more about that event here:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700046083/West-Valley-City-enters-Jordan-River-Commission.html

I was also invited to the Utah Watershed symposium to give an update of the proposal to the many various water experts in attendance. That event also saw many other municipalities sign onto the inter-local agreement. In semi-conjunction with this event I organized a Jordan River kayak trip for interested members of the City Council and Executive Staff. Many of West Valley City departments were represented on the trip as we paddled are way through the West Valley section of the river. We stopped mid way to take a break and to examine some of the challenges and opportunities by foot before continuing on. Since the trip everyone involved has expressed a better understanding and an increased appreciation of the Jordan River. West Valley City will continue to be at the forefront of preserving and promoting the Jordan River.

Subsequently, I attended West Jordan's City Council meeting where they discussed the merits of the Jordan River Commission. The West Jordan City Council was gracious enough to allow me some time to answers questions and give some perspective. As they continue to debate this measure I was pleased to see a ringing endorsement from KSL on the matter:

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=238&sid=11966959

We will continue to move forward in this process and look for collaborative efforts to enhance this natural amenity.