Wednesday, August 3, 2022
City News
Posted By Babs De Lay on August 3, 2022, 4:00 AM
Did you happen to see Salt Lake City Mayor Mendenhall hanging off a ladder for a press event as she changed a 25 mph street sign to one that reads 20 mph? Due to the high incidence of accidents involving cars and pedestrians each year, to help save lives, the mayor and city council decided to follow other cities around the globe and reduce the speed limit.
We can only pray this idea works, but with so few cops on the beat and so little time to attend to minor crimes, I doubt we'll see much change for the better. Likely by the time you read this column, almost 600 signs will be changed.
The bottom line when driving through town is to slow the f—k down! It's a $120 fine for going 1 to 10 mph over the limit, and more for higher speeds. Utah does boast some of the highest speed limits in the U.S.—with 80 mph on some state roads and highways—but it's now 20 mph in residential, neighborhood areas in our capital city.
In June, the Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR), Maverik and Big West Oil donated 200 smart thermostats to Salt Lake County's Green & Healthy Homes initiative, which serves low- and moderate-income families with health conditions that are worsened by their home environment. The thermostats will help families save 10% to 12% on heating bills and 15% on cooling bills. Those who don't qualify can find rebate programs from organizations like Rocky Mountain Power or Dominion Energy's ThermWise Program. Visit slco.org/green-healthy-homes to learn more.
Also, Salt Lake City's Department of Public Works wants locals to "adopt" a storm drain. You know, those grates on the street outside your house that get overwhelmed with trash and debris during and right after a storm? The city doesn't have resources to stay on top of all the drains but having locals watch them and keepthem clean can help us all, because dirty runoff goes into creeks and streams that dump into the Jordan River and eventually the Great Salt Lake. They don't want folks to actually lift the heavy grates but rather use shovels and grabbers to put the gunk into trash cans. To sign up for the program, visit slc.gov/utilities/adoptastormdrain.
Finally, tax notices have been sent to property owners. I'm getting bombarded by folks asking for help/data to fight the increase in their annual taxes. It appears that most homeowners are getting about a 20% to 25% increase in property taxes over last year—which is a lot! However, the county assessor hasn't kept up with increases in property values in the past few years, so this increase was expected. FYI—most of your property taxes go to fund schools.
About The Author
Babs De Lay
A full-time broker/owner of Urban Utah Homes and Estates, Babs De Lay serves on the Salt Lake City Historic Landmark Commission. A writer and golfer, you'll find them working as a staff guardian at the Temple at Burning Man each year.
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