Redevelopment plan for Salt Lake City's Smith's Ballpark draws mixed reactions from neighborhood residents.
Hits & Misses
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Hit: Batter Up
After two years of gnashing teeth, Salt Lake City has finally come out with a plan for Smith's Ballpark—sort of. It will preserve a portion of the ballpark grandstand, creating "an entertainment venue with creative spaces and retail," said Mayor Erin Mendenhall. That means some kind of mixed-use urban space with a community park. Maybe a "festival street" with lots of music, concerts, farmers markets and, oh, that longed-after greenspace. It could be a whole lot of other things, too, depending on who ends up designing and developing it. The neighborhood, predictably, has mixed reactions—mainly because it's a concept that hasn't yet landed. How will it compete with surrounding businesses, and what can residents expect from the density? Maybe it will all be revealed before the bones of a deteriorating ballpark collapse.
Miss: Women's Work
It is truly unfair to womanhood that Republicans march out their female legislators to propose laughable bills meant to forward a social agenda. The most recent—HB158—comes to us from Provo Republican Rep. Lisa Shepherd, a former judge for the Miss America Organization, who starts her first term in the Legislature with a message for the world: You're not welcome here and we're not going to listen to you. Her bill, "State Sovereignty Amendments," is all about putting your fingers in your ears and chanting: "Nah, nah, nah." Listen up, international organizations, you do not have "any power, jurisdiction, or legal authority in this state," it says. Of course, this falls in line with the president removing the United States from things like the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accord. A lineup of right-wing women commented about how important the bill is, even as some lawmakers wondered if it would prevent the governor from heeding international research. "If we as a state want to wallow in our ignorance, then we should pass this bill," another commenter responded. Apparently, we do.
Miss: Access Denied
After lawmakers delayed making appointments to the State Records Committee, a bill now being considered could abolish that committee in favor of an individual appointee. The Legislature has been chipping away at the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) for the three decades since it was created. A few years ago, there were 83 exemptions to the law that classified records as protected, a KSL report said. Frankly, these exemptions are attempts to allow government to work in the shadows and deny public access. Most recently, cases involved release of the Attorney General's calendar and release of the criminal report on Tim Ballard, accused of human trafficking. Spanish Fork Republican Sen. Mike McKell is contemplating downsizing public access, while media attorney David Reymann notes that the system will be less accessible and more expensive.
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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