Mayoral Agenda. livability in salt lake city

Transcription

1 Mayoral Agenda livability in salt lake city MAYOR RALPH BECKER

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3 Mayoral Agenda livability in salt lake city MAYOR RALPH BECKER The Resilient Economy 7 Salt Lake City in Motion 16 A Wise Energy Future and Quality Environment 24 Innovation and Celebration of Education 32 A Commitment to Equality and Opportunity 36 Enhancing the Artistic and Cultural Life 40 ATTACHMents A B C D E Grading the Becker Administration Blueprints, Open Government Evaluation Matrix Joint Resolution #63 of 2009, Open and Transparent Government Open Government Initiative General Work Plan, 2009 Open Government Initiative 360 Day Progress Report, 2010

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5 INTRODUctiON In 2007, I outlined an agenda to guide Salt Lake City on a path to become a Great American City. Those blueprints for sustainability, social justice, neighborhood and downtown vitality, and education have helped shape our collective vision for where we live, work and recreate. In my first term, the City administration pursued those guiding principles and actions with success. 1 We responded to other important and urgent matters of city business, including addressing an unprecedented economic recession and City budget reduction, reconsideration and passage of the Public Safety Building bond, completion of a Parleys Historic Nature Park Plan, re-engaging the construction (in progress) of light rail/trax to the airport with a new viaduct and grand boulevard along North Temple, and addressing the effects from the Chevron Oil Pipeline spills. As we look at the positives amidst the challenges I believe Salt Lake City is experiencing a renaissance. These extraordinary challenges and opportunities of the last four years required us to systematically reexamine our priorities as a city, and to realign our use of limited financial resources accordingly. I remain committed to keeping the burden of taxes and fees on our residents and businesses competitive in the region, and I will continue to work creatively to find new ways to invest wisely in our long-term future. Livability has emerged as a unifying theme for framing our priorities. What makes one city more livable than another? It s not one factor. And a livable city means many different things to different people. We focused on making our City one of the greenest, most accessible, most inclusive and most economically viable municipalities in the country. 1 See Attachment 1, Grading the Becker Administration Blueprints,

6 City employees, neighborhood and civic advocates, business owners and organizations, religious and social institutions, and many others in our community have worked together to advance our common goals: social equality, public safety, access to and protection of natural areas and recreational opportunities, ease of mobility, efficient and accountable use of taxpayer money, urban agricultural opportunities, strong education systems, a healthy downtown and neighborhoods, and diverse arts and cultural offerings. A critical but often overlooked aspect of a livable city is good governance. Fostering open and accessible government has been a particularly compelling theme throughout my first term as Mayor. I, along with my administration, remain deeply committed to strengthening the ways our City engages residents, visitors and businesses in the City decision making process. 2 This agenda for the next four years builds on those efforts, informed by our successes and our struggles. It contains a range of specific initiatives, some of which are already in the early stages of implementation or planning, but most of which are new ideas that will spring from efforts under way. As with any plan, this agenda must be a living and dynamic document that will adapt to economic and political realities. We will revisit and reevaluate the agenda and periodically revise it accordingly, incorporating responses and new ideas that come from our dialogue. Along with the nearly 3,000 employees of our municipal government, I look forward to working with the residents, businesses and institutions of Salt Lake City as we continue to embody an ascendant urbanism that is a model for our state and nation. 2 Over the last four years, Salt Lake City has made great strides to open the doors and windows of government and advance community engagement as the norm in governmental practice. At the beginning of 2012, I will ask all of the City s department directors to engage in an in-depth analysis to determine how their areas of responsibility can better engage the public and whether our efforts thus far are in fact effective. See Attachments B-E for detailed information on the City s Open Government Initiative.

7 7 01 A Resilient EconOMy for Salt Lake City Salt Lake City is the center of one of the best business climates in the country. A resilient and diversified economy is what underpins a livable city. Salt Lake City was recently named a top-15 city in the world for business by Fortune Magazine, 3 as one of the top places for economic recovery by Newsweek, 4 and home to one of the best job markets in the country by Forbes. 5 Our combination of local, national, and international industries continues to be the envy of much of the country, and it supports a healthy education system, renowned cultural and recreational assets and a strong social safety net. My administration will continue to advocate for a balanced mix of economic activity in Salt Lake City. Our distinct advantages, including the University of Utah s research and innovation and our easily accessible International Airport, will be a source of partnerships for Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City s efforts and ability to attract big business do not minimize the role of smaller businesses that provide goods and services for residents and visitors on a very local scale. Building on four years of revamping our business assistance programs, Salt Lake City will pursue additional initiatives to bolster our local business community. This is particularly critical as we climb out of the recent economic downturn. Our economic development approach will be primarily geographybased. Our downtown is rapidly re-establishing itself as the center of our financial and commercial economic activity, and will be increasingly linked to the less-intense neighborhood business nodes in the City via strong mobility connections (a combination of rail lines, trails,

8 8 and shared-use roads) along development-oriented transit corridors. Strengthening these connections and developing the business nodes will be one of our highest economic development priorities. Neighborhood Businesses and Business Districts In support of our local economy, our neighborhood business nodes should first and foremost be geared toward the needs of the nearby residences. They should be home to most if not all of the services that a family requires on a daily basis grocery stores and restaurants, day-care centers and clothing retailers, hardware stores and fueling stations, entertainment and health care services. This will be my guiding principle for evaluating the success of a neighborhood business center. Consequently, we need to evolve the tools in the municipal toolbox to accelerate this vision. The City has many methods for initiating or facilitating the development of downtown and neighborhood commercial activity, but the two are not always in alignment. The City s economic development team will refine our toolbox so that we narrow our focus to support the development of business nodes in specific neighborhoods. We will: Reconfigure how the Redevelopment Agency s increment financing, property acquisition, affordable housing program and revolving loan programs are applied. Evaluate and realign the disbursement of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. Assess how we spend Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) funds and the Industrial Revenue Bond (IRB) program funds. Assess City investment in anchor services like libraries and neighborhood facilities to ensure that they are properly aligned; Prioritize annual Capital Improvement Program (CIP) spending accordingly.

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10 10 Small Business Support Here are additional methods by which we will support small business development:»» Initiate a program to aid local businesses in purchasing their buildings and properties. Helping local businesses to purchase their properties so they are not dependent on lease agreements would help stabilize many of our local businesses. We will identify three- or four-way partnerships among local or regional banks, the Small Business Administration, and city and/ or county/state governments so that local businesses may acquire the capital necessary to purchase their places of operations. Additionally, the City should make its own retail properties more accessible to startup retailers. We will develop a clear, straightforward program to make these spaces available to tenants for short-term use.»» Support the development of a local business incubator. In partnership with education institutions and the private sector, the City can provide support services required by startups to grow and become successful. This could mean help with a building or an area of the City, the provision of back-office services, or a formal/informal network where the Mayor serves as a convener. This connection between local businesses, startups, investors, legal and financial support, and other services can provide a cushion for businesses on a temporary basis.»» Evaluate and adjust the notification procedures to ensure that business owners are informed of potential zoning and landuse changes and are included in impact studies prepared in advance of City ordinance changes. Our departments will continue to refine their procedures so that local business owners in addition to the building owners are notified.»» Evaluate and reconstitute the 50/50 concrete program. Salt Lake City currently participates with residents in a cost-sharing program which aids in the cost of reconstructing our curb and gutter system in neighborhoods. We will evaluate its cost effectiveness and retool it to better meet the needs not only of residents, but also of commercial users.

11 11 Provide loans for energy efficiency projects through a new sub-fund of our small business revolving loan fund. Increasing Housing Options for Residents While Salt Lake City s population has grown modestly in recent decades, it has not kept pace with the surrounding suburbs. Numerous benefits are conferred on cities based upon their population, which is always measured in relation to neighboring areas. A decline in Salt Lake City s relative population will impact political representation, the distribution of federal dollars, and the allocation of population-based sales tax revenues. At the same time, current research indicates a strong and growing demand for an urban, walkable lifestyle among two large demographic segments: Baby Boomers and Millennials (also know as Generation Y those in their twenties and thirties). Together, these groups make up half of the U.S. population and are expressing a strong preference for urban living, and we must be ready to meet that demand with appropriately-priced, well-designed housing stock in a walkable, transit-oriented environment. In order for Salt Lake City to capture its fair share of regional population increases, we must have an innovative approach to increasing and diversifying our housing stock. I will: Develop a detailed plan for increasing housing options for all income ranges. Enable moderate density increases in existing neighborhoods with an emphasis on those served well by transit by permitting accessory dwelling units and moderate-density attached single-family multi-family developments. Aggressively pursue strategies for additional high-density residential developments in the downtown area.

12 12 Supporting the Local Food Economy Salt Lake City s network of community gardens has expanded significantly in the last few years. Salt Lake City has made City properties available for temporary gardens inside and outside the City, and has partnered with other governmental entities and the non-profit sector to establish new gardens and urban agriculture. As of today, at least two dozen community gardens exist, and many more are in the planning stages. We must continue to expand the community garden opportunities, support homeowner gardening, and teach our residents the benefits of urban agriculture. We will: Conduct a comprehensive community food assessment that will gather empirical data on the potential for local food production and consumption. Streamline the process for using City property for community gardens. Partner with the private sector and other government organizations to develop a City education center for urban agriculture. Propose further adjustments to our zoning ordinance to allow small livestock on smaller properties in certain zones. Accelerate the development of the yearround public market downtown.

13 Cultivating the Right Types of Industry in Salt Lake City Salt Lake City is home to a number of bourgeoning business clusters, such as online gaming technologies and outdoor recreation goods and services. We can attract and cultivate these industries and others in specific locations in our City. We will closely coordinate with the state s promotion of industry clusters to better align our use of resources and incentives so that Salt Lake City becomes fertile ground for the kinds of businesses and industry we seek in our City. This means that we will: Collect and analyze data that will give us a picture of how best to focus our resources for sustaining industry clusters. Conduct an analysis of the impacts of job growth in the City. Propose an incentive program for the Council s consideration to retain in and attract desired businesses to Salt Lake City.

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16 16 02 Salt Lake City in Motion Mobility gives Salt Lake City momentum in its ascendancy. Mobility offers connections for residents and visitors; connections to the downtown core, to our neighborhoods, our region, and to adjacent natural areas like City Creek Canyon and the Jordan River, as well as to the worldclass assets of the Wasatch Mountains and Great Salt Lake. The way we get around Salt Lake City is central to our identity as a City. Fostering mobility means we will also ensure that our Capital City economy remains competitive. We will soon welcome Salt Lake City visitors from the airport to town by the Airport TRAX, and we will continue to work with the private sector, public institutions and UTA to create more opportunities for visitors to experience our City and region with ease and enjoyment. Changes in our transportation approach can create anxiety; we will endeavor to follow a meaningful public involvement process as we consider the consequences of the new designs mandated by Salt Lake City s Complete Streets program. The Administration will work to further develop connections between the City s activity centers with a safe, clean and green travel network that will help us 1) use resources and time efficiently and wisely to get around town; 2) connect with our fellow residents through personal interactions; 3) foster stronger relationships with our local businesses, entertainment, and arts organizations; and 4) share and enjoy our parks and natural spaces.

17 17 Drive if you want to, but it shouldn t be your only or necessarily best option in town. Already nationally known for its efforts in developing TRAX and promoting cycling, Salt Lake City continues to expand and raise awareness of various transportation options. We will: Aggressively develop a neighborhood transit system with a streetcar network as its backbone. With the Sugar House line design underway (anticipated opening in 2013), and the downtown line in the planning stages, we have the beginnings of a streetcar network that can expand quickly to provide access to neighborhoods, their commercial nodes, and other major activity centers in town. This will form the backbone of a much-needed local transit system for Salt Lake City residents that will also require greater bus access and convenience. Continue to dramatically increase bikeways and safety measures for all road users in town. By filling in the connections between the various existing bike lanes and shared lanes, we will be able to vastly increase our biking opportunities and road safety in Salt Lake City. Education and enforcement will be an emphasis as we move forward. Evaluate the potential for an owl TRAX. I will work with UTA to provide a late night schedule for after last call to provide a safe ride home and enhance the attractiveness of staying late downtown. Create more festival-style streets. We will expand the practice of temporarily closing streets on a festival basis for events, providing for pedestrian friendliness in selected public rights of way. Develop a snowplowing plan for the needs of cyclists and pedestrians. This goal may require specialized equipment and perhaps additional staff, but we will prioritize funding for clearing snow from sidewalks and bike lanes in upcoming budgets.

18 18 Recommend a performance-based and progressive parking policy for downtown. Currently there are thousands of structured parking spaces that sit empty much of the time. Drivers repeatedly circle the block looking for an on-street space. We need a system for consistent and market-based pricing of parking that will discourage developers from building too many spaces, will provide fair and consistent pricing for the stalls that exist, and real-time information to the public on parking availability and rates. We will also adjust on-street pricing to ensure turnover and availability of spaces, and adopt policies to discourage the creation and perpetuation of surface lots downtown. Implement a plan for regulating parking in our neighborhoods. Residents who want to reserve a spot in front of their homes should be able to do so, by paying the market price for that space on an annual basis. Otherwise, the space is available to the general public. This program will self-fund through enforcement efforts, which will also help mitigate parking concerns associated with neighborhood commercial areas. Increase the availability of dedicated parking for motorcycles and scooters downtown. Make travel in Salt Lake City a user-friendly experience. Salt Lake City should lead the region in user-friendly applications that help people move around the city. We will: Partner to develop a Next Bus pilot program. Salt Lake City will work with UTA on a Next Bus program to supply realtime information about bus (and TRAX) locations and estimated arrival times for the next bus or train, starting with a single route for a small portion of the City. This could be on signs located at common transit stops or through a mobile application.

19 19 Put mobile technology to work. We will develop an application (or collect data for existing applications) for mobile device users as part of a Smart Salt Lake City program. While not limited to transportation, applications will include locations of car-share, bikeshare, parking pricing and availability, bike lanes and trail locations, alternative fueling locations, and more. This information will serve as a guide for visitors and an amenity for residents, and can also provide dynamic information to the public during City festivals and events. Revamp the City s wayfinding sign network. As City Creek opens to the public, new office space opens up, street cars bring more mobility to business areas and visitors come to Salt Lake City more frequently, the need for an updated wayfinding system is paramount. Improve trailhead signage. We will build public knowledge of Salt Lake City s network of trails through better trailhead signage, including available parking, maps and connections. Additionally, we will develop a green space map that complements these improvements and helps residents and visitors find trails and open space in Salt Lake City.

20 20 Use mobility as a defining feature to compete in the 21st century economy and environment. Mobility attracts visitors and businesses looking to relocate and innovators who want to start anew. Access to transportation options increases our competitive edge in the regional and national economy and also contributes to improved air quality, wise energy use, a smaller carbon footprint and a shared community experience. We will work to increase those options through the following initiatives: Advocate for a year-round Canyons Shuttle and Mountain Transportation System. Through an expansion of the recently established UTA bus route to Park City that may include Mill Creek and Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, our residents and visitors could have direct, yearround access from Salt Lake City to the Wasatch Canyons via transit. Salt Lake City s watershed and recreational goals and responsibilities dictate that we should be a leader in addressing the short- and long-term transportation needs in the Wasatch Canyons and preserve our remarkable mountain asset. Work with UTA to bring back the direct TRAX connection between downtown and the University of Utah. Develop a bike share program that includes hotels, the University of Utah, and the Airport. Focus on accessibility and management of the foothills, urban open space, and riparian corridors. (See #3, Wise Energy Use and Quality Environment section.)

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22 22 Ensure that traveling in Salt Lake City is a comfortable and pleasant experience Getting around Salt Lake City should feel secure and comfortable regardless of how you do it. We will champion policies and programs that foster a safe experience for all users of our roads and trails in the following ways: Undertake a pedestrian safety audit. Through surveys and data collection, we can find out what locations are unsafe or perceived to be unsafe. These would be published on the City website, and also used by City staff to better prioritize pedestrian improvement projects. Lower speed limits in selected corridors. Too often we have unnecessarily high speed limits on the streets that feed into our neighborhood business nodes. We will undertake a comprehensive audit of speed limits on those streets and reduce limits to levels that accommodate all users of our streets, sidewalks, and trails. Initiate a Don t Block the Box campaign. It is possible to increase the pedestrian and bicycle friendliness of major intersections by enhancing the visibility and importance of stop lines and crosswalks. Fund a grant for increasing driver and cyclist awareness. Many organizations that have developed excellent car/cyclist education and awareness campaigns. The City should develop a comprehensive campaign to increase mobility safety.

23 23 Explore adaptive traffic signal timing and other innovative traffic signal approaches. Rather than rely on pre-optimized signal timing, which is frequently rendered ineffective, we can experiment with adaptive signal timing that responds dynamically to existing conditions, rather than expected conditions. We will initiate a pilot program during off-peak hours. Build a better bus stop. Too often, our bus stops consist of nothing more than a sign. We will develop bus stops that are safe, inviting and entertaining places to wait. Develop a long-term plan to fund the backlog of maintenance, repair and upgrades needed for the City s roadways to ensure that they are usable and safe for all modes of transportation.

24 24 03 A Wise energy FUTURE and QUality environment Sustainability is a term that underpins what we do in Salt Lake City government. Specific initiatives that accelerate the efficient development and use of clean energy sources and other resources are of utmost importance as we look to the long-term livability of the region. Our spectacular natural setting and character, from the Wasatch Mountains to the Great Salt Lake and Great Basin, distinguish our community and offer unparalleled recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. We must capitalize on these assets and protect them for the long term. Our resources and innovative capacity should be used to make Salt Lake City the finest example of wise resource use in the nation. Transform all City government buildings into net-zero facilities By aggressively investing in renewable energy technologies and efficiency upgrades and encouraging institutional behavioral changes, We aim to have all Salt Lake City government facilities use only electrical power that comes from renewable, City-based power sources. There are ample opportunities for the City to develop solar farms, co-generation facilities and other sources of power that exist within City boundaries. We have begun this effort with our net-zero Public Safety Building (under construction), capture and re-use of gas at our landfill and wastewater treatment plant, and other energy-saving and use measures. New opportunities have presented themselves; Salt Lake City government should lead the way towards energy self-sufficiency. Accordingly, Any new City construction, as well as major renovations, will include a recommendation of funds for ensuring that facilities meet a net-zero energy standard.

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26 Streamline the process for accessing public funds for energy efficiency projects Many loan and grant programs that are not always fully accessed are available to individuals, businesses and institutions. City government can make that process easier by doing the following: Act as a clearinghouse for those programs and actively seek applicants for the various programs. Explore additional methods for supporting private energy efficiency and clean energy projects, such as property tax increment financing. Incentivize private development to go Beyond LEED Many buildings in Salt Lake City have undergone extensive alterations either at the design phase or during renovation to improve efficiency and lower operating costs through an internationally recognized building certification system called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Building on our success with an expedited permitting process that is based on LEED certification, we will: Direct our permitting and plan review agencies to come up with a strategy to further incentivize innovations in energy efficiency, materials re-use and recycling, and whole-building adaptive re-use to maximize the ability of private developers to build sustainably. Protect our Natural Assets As our population grows and the Wasatch Canyons and Great Salt Lake become better known internationally, the pressures on our natural and physical systems mount. Salt Lake City has specific responsibilities and interests in these environments, especially in the Wasatch Mountains where the City has extraterritorial jurisdiction and an obligation to protect watershed lands. Salt Lake City also has under-appreciated resources in the Jordan River, stream corridors from the mountains to the Great Salt Lake, and isolated spots like the Bonneville Bench that need and deserve special protection.

27 27 To maintain the remarkable assets that distinguish our community, Salt Lake City must build on a strong tradition of careful stewardship and provide for the array of experiences so treasured in our region. In the coming years we must increase Salt Lake City s involvement in issues affecting our natural treasures and providing for continuing use while protecting the qualities that uniquely place Salt Lake City in a rarified place for a large urban area. We propose the following actions by Salt Lake City, building from our rich engagement in the past: Place a conservation easement overlay on our City watershed and agricultural lands to permanently protect our water supply and potential food sources. Engage all parties in a specific plan to comprehensively address the Wasatch Canyons, including watershed protection, mountain transportation systems, wilderness protection, and a balance of uses that addresses needs while protection natural resources. Continue improvements along and protection of the Jordan River corridor, building on completion of all but a small portion of the Jordan River Trail, in coordination with other jurisdictions along the Jordan River and the newly-established Jordan River Commission. We will also finish the Planning Division initiative to evaluate the current open space/natural space zoning and land-use regulations along the Jordan River corridor, and will use it to evaluate future land uses and plan for additional land preservation along the Jordan River. Focus on accessibility and management of the foothills and riparian areas. Despite the proximity to Salt Lake City s urban community of our foothills, Jordan River trail and riparian areas along streams, our City does not systematically manage our foothills to clearly protect recreational trail access and open space and optimize opportunities for our public. Salt Lake City needs to complete networks, provide for multiple users, protect private property owners and take advantage of unparalleled local recreational access. Develop a Youth Conservation Corps that will assist with City conservation and restoration projects while also developing job skills and educating our kids about the local environment.

28 28 Complete the Northwest Quadrant Plan. Given the recent changes in land ownership, opportunities to preserve additional land between I-80 and the Great Salt Lake may accelerate. We will re-engage landowners and prepare a new draft master plan for the Northwest Quadrant, preparing for wise development of the City s undeveloped land. Plan for Climate Adaptation Scientific evidence continues to mount that the earth s climate is changing; these changes will have wide-ranging impacts on communities throughout the world and here at home. We must take proactive steps to plan, prepare and adapt to these changes so our community can continue to prosper economically, socially and ecologically. To ensure the long-term resilience of Salt Lake City, every department within the City will analyze where and how the City s operations and assets are vulnerable to a warmer climate marked by more frequent and severe storms and droughts. Based on this vulnerability assessment, by December 2012 the City will: Establish a comprehensive set of planning tools and strategies to adapt our infrastructure, operations, and emergency response network to future conditions. Solidify partnerships with critical local, state, and federal agencies to ensure that the health and welfare of the community will be protected under potential future risk scenarios Incorporate the results of the vulnerability assessment into all City plans and projects to account for changes in precipitation and temperature. Create an on-going process for reviewing, and revising our understanding for future conditions and risks. Identify potential economic and cultural/recreational opportunities created by the changing climate.

29 29 Move toward Zero Waste While Salt Lake City s current recycling programs reduced over 30 percent of the City s residential waste in 2011, a Zero Waste initiative will challenge and redefine our City s conventional recycling and re-use approaches. Zero Waste is a philosophy and design principle that goes beyond recycling, taking a whole system approach to the vast flow of resources and waste in our society and moving to eliminate waste. Zero Waste merges our current City programs that strive to limit consumption and waste, recover reusable materials, and design sustainable products into one integrated strategy. Focusing on Zero Waste simultaneously promotes a healthy local environment and creates local green jobs and sustainable sources of economic revenue. Consequently, the City will: Develop a strategy to achieve the goals of recycling 50 percent of Salt Lake City s waste by 2015, 70 percent of waste by 2025, and 100 percent by Lead the Region Toward Better Air Quality Salt Lake City will also continue to take the lead, as part of a regional effort in partnership with the Wasatch Front Regional Council and state agencies, to address unacceptable air quality. To be noted as having the worst air quality in the nation during our winter inversions and summer smog seasons is understandable given our valley basin topography and a failure of our collective effort to improve air quality as a region.

30 30 Salt Lake City represents about 1/10 of the population of the greater Wasatch area, but we serve as the hub of commerce and transportation. We will continue to look for ways to model sound approaches to improve air quality, including: Pursuing City initiatives like the idle-free campaign and ordinance, streetcar development, car share, bike share, LEED building standards, electric vehicle charging stations, and the Clear the Air Challenge that take concrete actions and raise awareness of how we can all participate easily in improving air quality. Continuing to develop a balanced transportation system that provides for shared use of our roads by nonpolluting vehicles, additional transit accessibility and convenience, bikeway improvements, and access to neighborhood commercial centers. (See #2, Salt Lake City in Motion.) Working with our regional neighbors to institute efforts to relieve congestion and prioritize actions that will improve air quality across the Wasatch Front. Educating downtown employees and others, through partnerships with individual companies, about ways that their actions can help to improve air quality in the region.

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32 04 32 Innovation and Celebration of Salt Lake City education Salt Lake City is the beneficiary of two tremendous assets that provide a foundation for the development of a world-class education system. One asset is the immense concentration of post-secondary and higher education opportunities in Salt Lake City (including the University of Utah, Westminster College, Salt Lake Community College, Utah State University, a growing BYU Downtown campus and a plethora of trade schools and certification programs). Currently, these institutions are seeing record enrollment levels as more and more students pick our City as their higher education destination. The second asset is a public school system that is the best in the state. Our goals are to partner with the Salt Lake City School District (SLCSD), our higher education institutions and the private sector to 1) support the SLCSD to become the region s leader in public education, 2) communicate effectively the message that Salt Lake City is home to the highest quality of educational experiences, and 3) institutionalize a fearless approach to educational reform and innovation. Ensuring Salt Lake City remains the state s leader in education The Salt Lake City School District is one of the state s leaders in education. In fact, West High School was recently ranked the #1 high school in the state and one of the top schools in the nation. But despite success, the achievement gap persists along ethnic and income classifications. Salt Lake City should bolster its partnership with the Salt Lake City School District as it builds a culture of educational excellence through educational innovation, accountability and results. Salt Lake City can begin addressing this issue in the following ways:

33 33»» Expand the Early Childhood Learning Action Team. Currently, this initiative focuses on improving literacy and education for young people. We will expand this effort to include college application assistance. The program could also lean more heavily on college student, faculty, and City personnel to provide tutoring, mentoring, and counseling for prek-12 students.»» Increase support for after-school programs. Salt Lake City has recently engaged the Salt Lake City School District to expand its after-school programs. The City will look for ways to better coordinate employment and recreational opportunities for students of all ages, especially among at-risk populations.»» Focus resources on developing a robust local environmental education program through the partnerships between the Tracy Aviary, area service providers, SLCSD and the business community. Our future depends on enlightened citizens who are motivated to understand local and global environmental issues and how they affect our cultural, political and economic livelihood. Our kids should viscerally connect to and understand the magic of the open spaces, waterways, mountains and deserts that exist right here in Salt Lake City. We will steer our Youth City curriculum and our educational grant programs toward those goals, and will pursue funding opportunities to develop effective environmental education programs that will integrate into the public school curriculum. Celebrating the Education System in Salt Lake City Salt Lake City should seek to build on existing partnerships and initiatives as it looks for new opportunities to promote SLCSD s success and track record for student achievement and the myriad of educational opportunities that exist with our higher education institutions. This can be done if we:»» Expand the scope of the Mayor s Office to explicitly include the promotion of SLCSD achievements and higher and postsecondary education opportunities. We will develop a detailed plan for communicating the value of Salt Lake City s educational offerings and work with the private sector to fund a campaign to implement that plan.

34 34 Involve college students in the functions of city government. We will continue to grow our undergraduate and graduate level internship program and will designate a Mayor s open-door day to talk specifically to college students about issues concerning their experiences as students in Salt Lake City. Additionally, our communications team will integrate links and connections to our educational institutions throughout our electronic media that will highlight each of the institutions along with other ways for college students to connect to Salt Lake City and City government. This can also serve as a portal for colleges and universities to link on their websites and promotional material. Define Salt Lake City as the region s College Town. A vibrant, active Salt Lake City requires an active student population. Salt Lake City needs to be a place where students want to live, work, study and play, and much can be done simply by working with the community to expand a number of programs, such as the upcoming bike-share initiative, PAC-12 celebrations downtown and student discount programs for local businesses. Facilitate regional and national advertising and promotional campaigns. Salt Lake City can play a key role in facilitating communication between the City s higher education institutions, the Salt Lake Chamber and Visit Salt Lake. As each of these groups launch advertising campaigns in regional and national markets, Salt Lake City should work to integrate messaging and communication to paint a holistic picture of why Salt Lake City is a great place to live, work, play and study. Innovating Toward a Better Way to Educate Our children s education is the key to equal opportunity and economic prosperity in our community. We have a responsibility as a City to explore innovative ideas about how our public education system functions, be it a specific teaching approach, a methodology for recruiting and retaining the best teachers, the design and location of facilities or the techniques for evaluating performance.

35 35 City government is not a substitute for our public education administration through the Salt Lake City School District, but the two are closely connected quality public education is central to a successful City and community. We will bring resources to bear on this issue and will advocate that we: Spearhead revolutionary change in use of technology to create new efficiencies and techniques for learning. We will do this by seeking out new ideas in the field of education and connecting them to our administrators and teachers within the SLCSD, and by working with the private sector to fund technology initiatives where possible. The Mayor s Office will also host a regional summit that showcases cutting edge teaching techniques. Work with the SLCSD to reward teaching excellence and develop effective teachers. We will highlight and reward teachers who are successful and advocate for a system that quickly identifies teachers need for support to be more effective. Implement evaluation methods that give clear indications regarding teacher and technique success or failure. Without good data and a comprehensive methodology for evaluating whether or not a teacher or a particular technique is effective, we cannot make the changes that are critical to having successful students. Focus on the achievement gap. Salt Lake City will work with our school district to accelerate the reduction in the achievement gap in our schools by developing specific goals and approaches to increase high school graduation rates, attendance and success in higher educational attainment, and better parental and mentoring engagement.

36 05 36 A commitment to equality and OppORtunity Salt Lake City government continues to elevate the protection of basic human rights for all Salt Lake City residents through policy, education, advocacy and celebration. 6 Principles of diversity, equal protection, and accessibility are all critical to well-functioning municipal government, and they are fundamental elements of a livable city. Building on progress with the Mutual Commitment Registry, Nondiscrimination Ordinances and other initiatives to bring justice and equal opportunity to all City residents, we will continue with an aggressive agenda in support of these principles. We will focus in particular on engaging traditionally under-represented populations and developing policies and initiatives that combat poverty. Improved Communication with Ethnically/ Linguistically Diverse Communities Despite outreach efforts, communication with and outreach to ethnic minority communities in Salt Lake City has not been satisfactory. In order to improve the City s involvement with those who traditionally have not been adequately engaged, we will: Foster stronger relationships with non-english media (television, radio and print). Expand the City s efforts to reach specific ethnic groups through regular breakfast meetings so that we can understand what is working well for them in City government and what is a challenge. Create guidelines for all City departments to use when designing outreach materials so that English language learners may understand the materials and feel included. 6 Mission Statement, the Mayor s Office of Diversity and Human Rights. See

37 37 Identify bilingual employees within City government who can act as a resource for non-english speakers who need to access City services, and market their availability to the specific communities that could benefit accordingly. Develop an outreach strategy for recruiting and retaining ethnic minority board and commission members. Addressing Hate Crimes Misinformation in the immediate aftermath of such a crime can lead to additional targeting and further victimization of both the community of the victim and the community of the alleged perpetrator. Establishing policies, procedures, and appropriate lines of communication in advance of an incident can help to mitigate panic and vigilantism. In addition to forwarding a proposal for a hate crimes ordinance, based on principles of restorative justice, we will also: Work with the Human Rights Commission and other appropriate stakeholders to create a response contingency plan in the instance a hate crime does occur. Fighting Poverty Unemployment, substandard housing, malnutrition, and a host of other factors contribute to and/or are the consequence of unacceptable levels of poverty in Salt Lake City. While some of these factors are present at disproportionate levels among certain ethnic and racial demographics, no particular ethnicity or race is immune to them. We will make sure that Salt Lake City does not inadvertently contribute to these factors through our policies and projects, and will address the following specific anti-poverty concerns:

38 38 Preserve low-income housing stock. In particular, manufactured housing is Utah s largest source of affordable, non-subsidized housing. Some of Salt Lake City s manufactured housing complexes could be vulnerable to rezoning and forced relocation. Many residents in these communities are `seniors living on fixed incomes, and displacing them carries the risk of them becoming subsidized housing tenants or homeless. We will make sure that any redevelopment of these facilities includes a re-housing plan for those who would be adversely affected by such a change. Ensure access to quality food. Salt Lake City will perform an analysis to identify food deserts and develop recommendations for how to increase accessibility to local, nutritious, and varied food sources throughout the City through either commercial or private sources. Increase employment opportunities. Building on recent Salt Lake City efforts, we will work with the Department of Workforce Services and others to expand the opportunity for seasonal and full-time employment within Salt Lake City government through state and federal grant programs. Build transportation accessibility. We will work with UTA, the University of Utah and other agencies and institutions to better align our transportation options with the needs of those who depend on transit for local service. To do this we will support a gap analysis that will collect empirical data on who uses mass transit and where we are falling short in providing it to residents of Salt Lake City. Aging in Place The changing demographics associated with an aging population bring unique challenges and opportunities. We will: Develop a plan for educating our City s policy makers and community leaders about issues related to aging in place. Propose a series of recommendations on how to better prepare for and accommodate the need for our older residents to remain in their communities.

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40 06 40 Enhancing the artistic and cultural Life More than any other factors, artistic and cultural offerings define a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city. They create the physical and emotional spaces that become a sense of place for residents and for visitors from the region and throughout the world. Enhancing these offerings and promoting them to new audiences will stimulate economic activity, support business recruitment and retention, increase residents satisfaction, and generally enhance the livability of Utah s capital city. Municipal government should play an active role in supporting both infrastructure needs as well as the human capital that generates the creativity and unique energy of Salt Lake City s longstanding tradition of arts and cultural offerings. 7 We will focus on supporting and promoting a culturally engaged population in our City. Developing the Audience The goal of audience development is to continually move audiences to a higher level of engagement with the arts. City resources will be directed to: Conduct research to evaluate consumer demand, market comparisons, and growth projections to expand content offerings to meet audience demand. Implement system-wide marketing and communications branding that increase ease of access and ongoing connections between audiences and content creators. Partner with local, county and state hospitality advocates to specifically promote Salt Lake City as a national destination for cultural tourism. 7 See Attachment 2 Blueprint for Enhancing the Artistic and Cultural Life of Salt Lake City for more details.

41 Cultivating Creators Independent artists, commercial promoters, business owners, and non-profit organizations all play a role in expanding the cultural competency of the City. Municipal government can be an incubator for these creators and also foster opportunities for emerging and established artists alike to develop and share their work. We will: Establish a micro-loan fund for individual artists and emerging arts organizations that will give breathing room for artists to explore and share their work. Develop a Storefront Studios program that will encourage artists to engage with the urban streetscape, both downtown and in the neighborhood business centers. This initiative will connect artists with owners of vacant street-level properties so that they may access prime retail space on a short-term basis that could serve as temporary studios, performance spaces, or galleries. Review the City s current arts and culture funding programs to ensure that audience development is prioritized in the decision-making criteria.

42 Evolving Venues Salt Lake City is home to a portfolio of world-class arts and cultural venues. The expansion, coordination, and evolution of our arts and culture physical infrastructure support arts and culture initiatives in our City and region. While we must manage for short-term success, we must also plan for long-term viability. Audience development should frame every discussion about what venues we need and how we administer their schedules and operations. We will: Partner with Salt Lake County to coordinate the expansion of venues in the cultural core of downtown Salt Lake City. Move forward with construction of the new Utah Performing Arts Center. Continue to support the planning and development of a new Utah Film and Media Center. Support the new Capitol Theatre renovation. Seek the best use and restoration of the Utah Theater. Find funding for a branding and wayfinding system and streetscape linkages downtown that enhance the experience for visitors and residents alike.

43 43 Increasing Stakeholder Capacity A robust arts and cultural sector contributes to the health and sustainability of other aspects of the City s economy, including retailing, hospitality, tourism, higher education, and real estate. Consequently, many disparate stakeholders have a vested interest in the success of arts and culture, and I will make sure that they are all aware of and involved in the City s efforts to support our initiatives. We will: Work closely with the Downtown Alliance to appropriately brand the cultural core for use in audience development and marketing efforts. Establish benchmarks and metrics for effective evaluation of our efforts. Convene a regular Stakeholders Roundtable to review initiatives with and solicit input from individuals who may not traditionally be as aware of the state of public and private sector arts and culture efforts.

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