January Letter from the CWC

January 2019

During each monthly public meeting, the CWC Executive Director delivers a staff report to the Commission on all that CWC staff accomplished or made progress with during the preceding month. We’re starting 2019 off by sharing those staff reports with you here on the CWC website, and as a newsletter sent out each month. If you don’t yet receive the CWC newsletters, you may sign-up by scrolling to the footer of this page and submitting your email address. By sharing these reports with you through email, we hope to continue the tradition of transparency and engagement.

 

January 2019 Overview

In January, The Central Wasatch Commission staff convened the first meeting of the Stakeholders Council, continued progress with the Little Cottonwood EIS and the Cottonwood Canyons Corridor Plan with UDOT, and the Environmental Dashboard. Staff met with jurisdictional lobbyists in preparation for the current Utah State legislative session. Continued interaction has occurred with Central Wasatch Mountain interests, community groups, and individuals..

Stakeholders Council Meeting

The Stakeholders Council convened its first meeting on January 17th at the Salt Lake County Government Center. CWC Chair and staff welcomed the stakeholders and briefed them on policies and procedures for the Stakeholders Council and background information on Central Wasatch Mountain conditions and decision making. Greg Summerhays and Dr. Kelly Bricker were confirmed as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Stakeholders Council, respectively. Greg is the President & CEO of the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce and Dr. Kelly Bricker is the Director of the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department at the University of Utah. Stakeholders Council meetings are public meetings and will be noticed in accordance with the Utah Open and Public Meetings Act.

Environmental Dashboard

CWC staff made progress with the ongoing environmental dashboard project. A team from ESRI made an in-person trip to Utah to present new applications to CWC staff. The new application, called “Hub” would transform how the public would be able to interact with the data presented in the environmental dashboard.

A meeting with the ESRI team and the consultants from The Brendle Group is scheduled for February 5th (tomorrow), where roles for the ESRI team and the consultants from the Brendle Group will be defined and agreed to. Next steps for the project will be defined during the February 5th meeting.

Transportation Work

Commission staff and UDOT staff met with stakeholders and affected jurisdictions throughout the month of January to address transportation concerns. During these meetings, the scope for the updated LCC EIS and the Cottonwood Canyons Corridor Transportation Action Plan were presented to and discussions were held with each stakeholder group.

CWC and UDOT staff drafted a call for proposals and selected HDR as the consultant group to manage the Cottonwood Canyon Corridor Plan. HDR has been connected to the Little Cottonwood Canyon EIS, and brings the historical knowledge of the project, as well as existing working relationships with UDOT and the CWC to the table.

The Corridor Plan will provide a prioritized list of actions for future improvements for implementation by the CWC and other partners to address long-term transportation solutions and topics that span the Central Wasatch Mountains. Incorporating past and current studies of the Millcreek Canyon area is also being considered. The Corridor Plan will include, but is not limited to: tolling, water quality, traffic congestion, transit, parking, and pedestrian and bike facilities in Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons.

Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area (CWNCRA) Congressional Legislation

CWC staff have been working to prepare a new draft of the Central Wasatch Conservation and Recreation Area legislation to reflect the adopted changes by the CWC Board and prepare a bill for Congressional consideration. It is expected that a new draft of the CWNCRA bill will be ready for public review in February.

2019 Utah Legislative Session

Commission staff attended the January meeting of the Commission for the Stewardship of Public Lands and addressed the Commission during the public comments portion of the meeting. Staff and Commissioners met with members of that Commission and Legislature, and will continue to work with State legislators during the legislative session.

CWC staff met with CWC jurisdictional lobbyists in order to coordinate and best utilize resources at the Capitol during the Legislative Session.

Administration

The staff and CWC Chair have continued to work towards moving into new space. Beginning in December, the CWC offices closed pending the new space being completed for occupancy. It is anticipated that the CWC will be able to move into the new space by March, 2019.  Chair McCandless has provided free office space for CWC staff in the interim.

The staff has continued to work closely with the staffs of CWC member jurisdictions, who have generously offered their time and expertise to the CWC.

Additional GRAMA requests have been responded to, public comments have been recorded and responses prepared, and administrative costs have been carefully monitored.

 

CWC staff will deliver this report to the full Commission during the February public meeting, happening Monday, February 4th, 4:00 — 6:00 p.m. at Cottonwood Heights City Hall. We hope to see you there.

 

Sincerely,

Chris, Ralph, Jesse, and Lindsey

    

    

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