June Letter From the CWC
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. Please see below for the June report. By sharing these reports with you through the website, we hope to continue the tradition of transparency and engagement
June Overview
In June, the Central Wasatch Commission staff moved forward on the next draft of Congressional legislation, finalized an interlocal agreement with the University of Utah to bring the Environmental Dashboard project to completion, met with its Stakeholders Council, and continued interaction with Central Wasatch Mountain interests, community groups, and individuals. Central Wasatch Commission staff also moved into office space at the Gateway in Salt Lake City, hired a community engagement intern, and continued the hiring process for a Deputy Director.
Stakeholders Council
During the June Stakeholders Council meeting, Stakeholders Council Vice-Chair Dr. Kelly Bricker presented on definitions, concepts, and approaches to visitor capacity. She will present visitor capacity concepts during the July meeting of the Central Wasatch commission Board, followed by a discussion led by Uinta-Wasatch-Cache Forest Supervisor Dave Whittekiend.
Stakeholder Brian Hutchinson took action to draft a proposal for a Millcreek Shuttle Pilot Program. The Stakeholders Council created a subcommittee, comprising of eight stakeholders, to work towards creation and implementation of the pilot program.
The Stakeholders Council meetings are the third Wednesday of every month from 3-5 p.m. at Cottonwood Heights City Hall in the Community Room. These meetings are open to the public, and we encourage you to attend. If you would like to listen to these meetings, you may access the each meeting recording on the Utah Public Notice website.
Transportation
CWC staff continued to work closely with jurisdictional and transportation agency partners on the Little Cottonwood Canyon Environmental Impact Statement, and the Cottonwood Canyons Transportation Action Plan. Analysis for parking, tolling, transit, and other considerations continued through the month of June.
Central Wasatch National Conservation Recreation Area Act
Staff continued to meet with the Federal Delegation to discuss the Central Wasatch National Recreation Area Act. Work on a new draft of the legislation continued as staff and partners implement technical and possible substantive changes to the bill. After the new draft is released, staff will accept comments from the public.
Environmental Dashboard
Staff finalized an interlocal agreement with the University of Utah for the completion of the Environmental Dashboard project. The interlocal agreement, which has been signed by the University of Utah, stipulates the scope of services to be provided, timeline for work, and the designated research group housed within the University of Utah that will be primarily responsible for carrying the project to completion. Pending CWC Board review and approval, work on the Environmental Dashboard project will resume in July, led by DIGIT and Ehleringer labs.
Administration
Staff formally moved into the office space at the Gateway in Salt Lake City. Jesse Dean formally left his position as Deputy Director on June 4th, and CWC staff, Commissioners, and staff from member jurisdictions began the process for filling the vacancy. It is expected that the position will be filled by mid-late July. CWC staff hired Carly Lansche as Community Engagement Intern in June. Carly will assist staff with outreach, administrative and public involvement activities, and communications tasks.
CWC staff will deliver this report to the full Commission during the June public meeting, happening Monday, July 1st, 3:30 — 6 p.m. at Cottonwood Heights City Hall. We hope to see you there.
Sincerely,
Chris, Ralph, and Lindsey
