City Hall – 7505 South Holden Street • Midvale, UT 84047
Marcus’ Message
801-567-7235
Rocky Mountain Power 877-508-5088
HOW IT WORKS
The Community Renewable Energy Program
Recently, our city council took initial steps to provide net-100% renewable energy to our residents and businesses through the Community Renewable Energy Program. In short, this program gives direction to Rocky Mountain Power (RMP) to match all electricity consumption by participating communities with renewable energy – wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric. Midvale City is the 19th community to join this program. In all, these communities represent about 25% of RMP’s customers in Utah.
The communities that are currently part of this program, called the Utah Renewable Communities (URC), will soon gather quotes from renewable energy companies to come up with a plan for how net-100% renewable energy could be provided to each of our municipalities. This plan will then be handed over to RMP to determine how much it will cost them to administer and connect this renewable energy into their current power grid. The current estimate is that the average RMP customer that is part of the program would see an increase in their bill of $2-$7 a month.
Fortunately, a unique aspect about this program is that by Midvale City joining, it merely creates the option for our residents and businesses to take part in the program. Individual customers can still optout and see no impact on their electricity bill.
Recognizing that it’s still unclear how much the program will cost and not wanting to ask our community to overburden themselves in support of renewable energy, about a year from now, once the cost estimates and program implementation details are nalized, each of the 19 communities will take another vote to determine whether they want to fully enter the program. At this point, the URC has stated that they are not interested in asking their communities to pay more than $7 a month for the average customer.
By Mayor Marcus Stevenson
itself has a say in the electricity system that we all participate in. Our options are essentially to create our own power company – such as what Murray does – or to contract with Rocky Mountain Power. When RMP decides they want to raise their prices by 18%, our residents have no say in the matter. By being part of the URC, we now have a seat at the table in the electricity system that we all participate in.
Improving air quality: While many di erent o set programs exist, many of them are o sets that could happen somewhere else in the world. Unlike those options, this program provides new renewable energy resources directly into the power grid that supplies electricity to all our houses and businesses. Further, the URC has a goal that the renewable energy is produced here in Utah – both creating jobs and directly impacting our air quality.
NEXT STEPS
Whether this program excites you or stresses you out, please know – we’re not there yet. While the Midvale City Council has voted to join the initial phase of this program, it won’t be for another year before another vote takes place to determine if we will fully join or not. During this time, we will learn more about how these new renewable energy sources will be created and delivered, and what cost that will add to each of our bills. While I believe this program is worth going through this process to genuinely explore what it would mean for our community, I also want to ensure that this program is the right t for our businesses and residents.
Next year, if our city council chooses to enter the program, multiple notices will be sent out to each RMP customer with the estimated amount the program will impact their bill based on power usage, and give them the opportunity to opt-out. While you can opt-out of the program at any time, the rst few months will have no opt-out fee, and after that it’s estimated to be $30 to opt-out.
Lastly, the program includes a low-income assistance plan. Customers who are eligible for low-income assistance, and stay opted into the program, will automatically see a monthly credit on their bill to o set the cost of participating.
WHY IT MATTERS
While it’s no guarantee that our city will ultimately join the program, I believe our strong consideration of the program is important for several reasons including the long-term cost of electricity, giving our community a seat at the table in our electricity supply, and supporting cleaner air.
Long-term cost: While this program is estimated to have an upfront cost to get the program up and running, as coal and other fossil fuels become more expensive, renewable energy should provide greater cost stability in our electricity supply. As of this writing, RMP is requesting an 18% cost increase to supply electricity to all their customers. This signi cant cost increase of delivering electricity is being seen across the country, and this program should help us keep costs more stable for our residents in the long-term.
A seat at the table: Currently, neither our residents nor the city
October 18, 2024 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tres Gatos Coffee 7567 S Main Street, Midvale
In The Middle of Everything
Did you know Canyons School District has some of the most extensive language immersion o erings in Utah? Twenty-one CSD schools o er dual language immersion programs in Spanish, French, or Chinese — and it’s nearly time to apply to enroll for the 2025-2026 school year. Applications for these popular programs are accepted online Monday, Sept. 30 through Nov. 26, 2024. Any kindergarten-aged student who will be starting the rst grade in fall 2025 may apply. A lottery will be held to determine entrance into the programs if the number of applicants exceeds the seats available. “Immersion programs are a great way to challenge students,” said Canyons Instructional Supports Administrator Kenna Sorensen. “Not only is this an e ective path to learning another language, being multilingual has been shown to improve students’ academic performance. The cognitive and cultural awareness skills these students acquire are in high demand by colleges and employers.” For more information, see canyonsdistrict.org/dual-language-immersion.
Apply Online for Canyons District’s Popular Language Immersion Programs Help Keep the Jordan River Clean!
Trash and debris from roadway curbs and gutters often enter the Jordan River, making it difcult to remove. Let’s make a habit of volunteering on the second Saturday of each month with friends, family, and our community to prevent garbage from getting into our beautiful river. The Jordan River Commission is hosting a #LoveYourWatershed cleanup event in Midvale.
Date: Second Saturday in October (12th)
Time: 10am to 12pm
Location: 7200 S near the Triumph Trail Head They will provide tools, water, and snacks. Just dress for the weather, come ready to have fun, and make a di erence!
OCTOBER 2024 CITY NEWSLETTER
MIDVALE. UTAH. GOV
HOWL-O-WEEN Pet Safety Tips
Salt Lake County Animal Services
Halloween can be a lot of fun for humans, but pets may not appreciate the costumes and candy. Protect your pets from Halloween dangers with these tips!
1. Keep candy out of reach: All forms of chocolate and arti cial sweeteners can be poisonous to dogs & cats. Call your emergency vet if your pet has eaten anything poisonous.
2. Keep pets con ned and away from the door: Dogs may be likely to dart out the door or become anxious with trick-or-treaters in costumes and yelling for candy. Put them in a crate or a backroom and keep everyone safe.
3. Close the blinds or drapes, disconnect doorbells: If your dog reacts every time someone walks by or rings the doorbell close the drapes and disconnect the doorbell.
4. Keep outdoor pets inside before and after Halloween: Keep dogs and cats indoors to prevent them from being injured, stolen, or poisoned as part of a Halloween prank.
5. Don’t approach dogs while in costume: Even if you know the dog, a strange costume or mask can frighten them. They may not recognize you in costume. If a dog escapes a house or yard and runs up to you, tell your child to stand like a tree, and wait for the owner to grab the dog.
6. Test out pet costumes before: Make sure the costume isn’t causing them distress or giving them an allergic reaction. It shouldn’t restrict their movement, ability to breath, bark or meow.
7. Leave them at home: It may be best with all the distractions to leave your pet at home while trick-or-treating. Take them for a walk earlier in the day before the ghosts and goblins come out for the night to spook them.
Find a lost pet? Call Dispatch 801-840-4000. Need to get your pet microchipped? Don’t forget all pets in Salt Lake County can receive a free microchip at our location. Email animal@slco. org for more info or visit AdoptUtahPets.org.
Midvale City Housing Programs
Midvale City RDA and NeighborWorks Salt Lake have launched two new housing programs for low-to-moderate income households
Down Payment Assistance: Provides homebuying education and up to $30,000 in downpayment costs for first-time home buyers to promote home ownership in Midvale City Home Repair Loan: Provides up to $15,000 in forgivable loans to homeowners for emergency repairs, safety issues, energy conservation, and housing preservation
Programas de Vivienda de la Ciudad de Midvale
801-539-1590
Midvale Utah gov/Housing
La RDA de la Ciudad de Midvale y NeighborWorks Salt Lake han lanzado dos nuevos programas de vivienda para hogares con ingresos bajos a moderados: Asistencia para el Pago Inicial: Proporciona educación sobre la compra de viviendas y hasta $30,000 en costos de pago inicial para compradores de vivienda por primera vez para promover la propiedad de vivienda en la Ciudad de Midvale Préstamo para Reparaciones del Hogar: Proporciona préstamos condonables a propietarios de viviendas para reparaciones de emergencia, problemas de seguridad, conservación de energía y preservación de la vivienda
