JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019
RIVERTON NEWS Chief Selected to Lead Formation of New Riverton Police Department Riverton City has selected Don Hutson as the new chief of police who will oversee the formation of the new Riverton Police Department. Hutson was appointed by Mayor Trent Staggs and confirmed by unanimous consent of the Riverton City Council in their meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 11. “We are thrilled to welcome Don Hutson as the new chief of police in Riverton,” said Staggs. “He brings with him the experience, skill set, and network needed to set up a thriving police department. I have no doubt he will serve the citizens of our city exceptionally well in this role.” Hutson serves currently as the City of Holladay precinct chief in the Unified Police Department (UPD), a role he has held since 2015. Prior to serving as precinct chief, Hutson served in a variety of roles with UPD and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office including as professional standards division commander, investigations division commander, media services unit administrator, and public information officer. Additionally, Hutson has been a drug enforcement task force officer, narcotics unit detective, gang
unit detective, S.W.A.T. Team member, and patrol deputy. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and finance from Utah State University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. “The opportunity of starting a police department from the ground up is something I couldn’t pass up,” said Hutson. “I look forward to creating a department that proactively serves the Riverton community, places high value on our officers, and provides the best law enforcement service for our citizens.” Hutson, who was selected out of a pool of nearly 60 candidates, will begin work as chief of police in Riverton shortly after the new year. At that time, he will begin putting in place plans for the city to stand up the new police department in a six-month period. “As we begin the process of forming our own police department, I’m confident Chief Hutson will help us achieve our goal of becoming the best police department in the state, bar none,” said City Manager Konrad Hildebrandt. “We don’t take this effort lightly. Under the leadership of Chief Hutson, the Riverton Police Department has a very
“I look forward to creating a department that proactively serves the Riverton community, places high value on our officers, and provides the best law enforcement service for our citizens.” -Chief Don Hutson
Riverton City Newsletter - January / February 2019
Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs (right) congratulates Don Hutson (left) on his appointment as chief of police in Riverton. bright future.” The decision to hire a chief of police came following Riverton City’s final decision to part ways with UPD on Oct. 23. The city had initially provided notice to the UPD Board of Directors that it intended to leave the department in July. This came as a result of contemplated changes the UPD Board had considered that would have had a detrimental effect on the investment and assets that Riverton taxpayers had contributed to the organization since its formation. Not long after notice was sent, the city identified several high-level concerns that needed to be addressed by UPD if the city were to stay, which included things like fiscal governance, service level, and transparency. Ultimately, those concerns were not addressed to
a level that was satisfactory to Riverton City Council members. “Now that a chief has been selected, we look forward to getting very aggressive in putting our new department together,” said Staggs. “We invite the best and brightest police officers from around Utah to consider applying for service within the Riverton Police Department when positions become available over the next several months, including those who have provided exceptional service to our community in the past.” It is anticipated that the Riverton Police Department will take over full law enforcement service in Riverton from Unified Police Department in July of 2019.
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MAYOR’S MESSAGE
Fighting for Responsible, Balanced Growth and Resources in Riverton and the SW Valley By Mayor Trent Staggs
Our city, and the southwest part of Salt Lake County is growing considerably. We have about one-third of the county population. And, with the bulk of undeveloped property left in the county, we could see that grow to over 40% of the total population in the next 30 years. Recently, a common theme put forth by some state and county officials, as well as some special interest and advocacy groups, is that the southwest part of the county needs to absorb the growth that is coming and be willing to allow high density housing options in our communities. This common theme, it seems, is coming largely from people who don’t live in our area, don’t understand the desires of our residents, or even understand what planning decisions we have already made. The first major attempt we have seen recently to make our communities bear the burden of growth for the entire county was the unveiling of the Olympia Hills development project last summer. The proposal would have add-
ed 8,700+ units on about 930 acres just to the west of Herriman; likely bringing in over 30,000 residents. This proposal brought several mayors in our part of the county together to draft a letter of opposition, due to the strain it would place on existing infrastructure, and to begin a more open dialogue on issues that affect our area.
Since that time, myself and mayors from Bluffdale, Copperton Township, Herriman, South Jordan, and West Jordan have been meeting monthly to discuss and identify our top, common priorities related to infrastructure, housing, transportation and other funding disparities with our state and county officials. What we have found as we have compiled data from each of our communities is that our respective municipalities have already planned for a considerable amount of multifamily or higher density dwellings. Taking into account all that is currently built and planned to be built, multifamily represents around 30% of all the housing stock in our SW communities. Herriman itself is over 40%. These numbers are at or exceed the composition of housing
in other cities in the county.
What we have also identified is that our communities, when compared to others in Salt Lake County, haven’t been provided with a proportionate or fair share of county and state resources to support critical infrastructure, transportation, and cultural/recreational options as we have grown. One need only look at the east-west connectivity problems we have, or the fact that critical overpass projects on Bangerter Highway remain unfinished and aren’t planned for years into the future in some cases. Public transportation options are woefully inadequate for our area, with only two core bus routes available south of South Jordan. And, although our communities comprise about one third of county population, our share of ZAP and TRCC funding is only around 7% of all county spending. This prolonged disparity exists despite the fact that our residents pay the same sales tax for the service that other communities in the county do. Now, my point is that southwest Salt Lake County communities should not
be treated disproportionally with state and county resources, nor should they be expected to bear the brunt of any perceived housing gap. Each community should be allowed to maintain planning decisions at the local level, that represent the desires of the residents who live in those communities. Looking to the future, Riverton and our neighboring communities hope to conduct an analysis on transportation and infrastructure issues that are regionally significant, and work toward common goals with a united front. We have already began engaging our state and county representatives about our needs and hope to work with them as we find solutions to our most pressing problems and seek to improve the quality of life in our communities.
COUNCIL MESSAGE
Tips to Minimize the Winter Blues By Councilwoman Tricia Tingey
With the start of new year, we’re not far removed from the holiday season. It can be a difficult time of year for some people. Some are dealing with the loss of loved ones and the memory of great times from the past. Others are dealing with financial difficulties and feel the stress of the season. The reality of less daylight hours also takes its toll on some. With life stress and this decrease in daylight hours, sometimes we find ourselves or loved ones dealing with “seasonal blues.” Some people withdraw, become irritated, gloomy or even put on unwanted weight. Salt Lake Health Department offers
this explanation: “Most people know that during exposure to sunlight, UVB rays enter the skin and are converted to Vitamin D. Exposure to sunlight also causes something to happen to specific chemicals in your brain. Just like during exercise, exposure to sunlight causes the release of important neurotransmitters called serotonin and melatonin. Reduced sunlight exposure can cause a drop in these brain chemicals, both having a significant role in regulating your mood and sleep patterns (circadian rhythm).” As we begin the new year and look to the future, we ask ourselves what can be done to minimize these seasonal blues, shorter days and other added
Riverton City Newsletter - January / February 2019
stresses? Here are some quick tips: • Get more exposure to the sunlight. Take walks, eat outside, or just sit outside to soak up some sunshine. • Exercise. This will reduce stress, anxiety and increase your energy and metabolism. • Eat smart. Eat more complex carbs, drink 8 cups of water a day, and avoid excessive intake of alcohol. • Get plenty of rest. Take time to destress during the day and make sure you get the rest you need to be alert and attentive during the day. Riverton City’s Healthy Riverton organization has been active in making sure citizens are aware of the need
for constant physical and mental health attitudes. This year they have been working hard with the community and Jordan School District to address the mental needs of our citizens. During January, Riverton High School’s HOPE Squad will be participating in a week of hope as we all tackle the issue of suicide in our area. All are invited to participate in the HOPE Walk which begins at Riverton High School on Saturday, February 2, at 9 a.m.
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2018: Biggest Impacts RLESA Begins Operations The Riverton Law Enforcement Service Area (RLESA) began operations, saving Riverton property taxpayers nearly $700,000 this year in what would have been paid to the Salt Lake Valley Law Enforcement Service Area.
Vision and Mission Developed Riverton City’s elected officials developed the first city-wide vision and mission statements, which guided the development of the city’s four-year strategic plan.
New City Logo Adopted Following a public design contest and a public preference vote, Riverton City adopted a new logo that represents both the city government and the community. The new logo symbolizes the past and represents the community’s future.
New City Manager Hired Konrad Hildebrandt began duties as the city manager in Riverton in April. The city manager oversees all day-to-day operations of the city government and implements decisions made by the Riverton City Council.
Business License Fees Eliminated Commercial business licensing fees were eliminated, beginning July 1. Following the move, Mayor Staggs declared Riverton as “Open for Business.”
Police Department Creation Begins
New Elected Officials Sworn In Mayor Trent Staggs and Councilmembers Tawnee McCay and Tish Buroker were sworn in to office. With these council additions, three out five council members are now women.
Animal Control Service Begins Riverton City re-assumed control of animal control responsibilities from Salt Lake County in February, a move that is saving the city well over $200,000 per year.
Communications Tools Added Riverton City began a twice-monthly email newsletter, the Riverton Recap, and launched the Riverton Connect mobile app. These new tools give residents more ways to connect with the city and find or receive the information they need.
Mountain View Village Opens Phase 1 of Mountain View Village opened in Riverton in June. A variety of excellent shopping and dining options are now available there. Phase 2 will begin construction in 2019.
School Police Officer Added A second, full-time police officer was added to Riverton middle schools. This change allows for both middle schools in the city to have a full-time school resource officer.
The Riverton City Council officially decided to part ways with Unified Police Department in October. Chief Don Hutson has been hired to oversee the formation of the Riverton Police Department, which will begin operations in July of 2019.
Riverton City Newsletter - January / February 2019
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PARK PAVILION & FACILITY RESERVATIONS All Riverton City park pavilion and facility reservations for 2019 begin in-person at City Hal on January 2 and online on January 3. rivertoncity.com/reservations
Winter Parking & Snow Removal Protocol • No vehicles may be parked on city streets during a snow storm or where snow has accumulated between Nov. 1 and March 1. • Major roadways, high-traffic areas, and school zones are prioritized in snow removal efforts as a matter of public safety. • Minor roads and cul-de-sacs are cleared if 4 inches of snow or more has accumulated once main roadways are clear.
Christmas Tree Drop Off
REMINDER
December 26 - January 31
Keep fire hydrants around your home, property, or business clear of snow. Fire hydrants must be accessible in the event of emergency.
Riverton City Rodeo Arena Monarch Meadows Park Centennial Park
Upcoming Events & Programs January
January 1 – New Year’s Day – City Offices Closed January 1 – Riverton Half Marathon and 4Life 5K General Registration Begins January 2 – Facility & Park Pavilion Reservations Begin In Person – City Hall January 2 – Mission Slim Possible Weight Loss Competition Begins January 3 – Facility &Park Pavilion Reservations Begin Online January 3 – Arts Council’s “Urinetown” Auditions – Community Center – 6 p.m. January 3 – Preschool Indoor Tennis Lessons Begin January 4 – Arts Council’s “Urinetown” Auditions – Community Center – 6 p.m. January 5 – Arts Council’s “Urinetown” Auditions – Community Center – 9 a.m. January 7 – !NEW! Hiatt Tae Kwon Do Class Begins January 7 – Mom and Son Night Registration Begins January 8 – ASAP Karate Winter Session Begins January 9 – Archuleta Vocal Academy January Class Begins January 10 – Planning Commission Meeting – City Hall – 6:30 p.m. January 14 – Utah’s Fastest Street Mile Early Registration Begins January 15 – City Council Meeting – City Hall – 7 p.m. January 16 – Volleyball Buddies Begins January 16 – Start Smart Basketball Begins January 17 – Healthy Riverton QPR Training – Fire Station #140 – 7 p.m. January 21 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – City Offices Closed January 24 – Planning Commission Meeting – City Hall – 6:30 p.m. January 28 – Live in Real Life: Part 2 – Riverton High School Auditorium – 6 p.m. January 29 – Just You & I Registration Ends January 31 – Christmas Tree Drop Off Ends
February
February 1 – Country Mile Early Registration Begins February 1 – Pickleball and Tennis Registration Begins February 2 – Ground Hog Day February 2 – HOPE Walk – Riverton High School – 9 a.m. February 4 – Riverton City Begins Accepting Vendor Applications for Events February 4 – Hiatt Tae Kwon Do February Class Begins February 5 – City Council Meeting – City Hall – 7 p.m. February 6 – Utah’s World War I Poster Exhibit Opens – Old Dome Meeting Hall February 6 – Hunter Education February Class Begins February 7 – Preschool Indoor Tennis February Lessons Begin February 8 – Just You & I: Daddy Daughter Night – Community Center – 6 p.m. February 11 – Pop and Picasso Paint Night – 6:30 p.m. – Old Dome Meeting Hall February 12 – World War 1 Exhibit Open House – Old Dome Meeting Hall – 6 p.m. February 14 – Valentine’s Day February 18 – Presidents Day – City Offices Closed February 19 – City Council Meeting – City Hall – 7 p.m. February 21 – Healthy Riverton QPR Training – Fire Station #140 – 7 p.m. February 21 – Mom and Son Night Registration Ends February 25 – Mom and Son Night – Community Center – 6 p.m. February 28 – Planning Commission Meeting – City Hall – 6:30 p.m. February 28 – Utah’s Fastest Street Mile Early Registration Ends February 28 – Riverton Half Marathon and 4Life 5K General Registration Ends
Find event and registration details at rivertoncity.com/calendar! Riverton City Newsletter - January / February 2019
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