Mayor Becker’s First Six Months in Office Show Fast Movement on Key Campaign Promises
Becker Administration Has Made Progress on Every Item in 180-Day Plan
SALT LAKE CITY—Mayor Ralph Becker was sworn into office on January 7, 2008 and today marks the end of the first six months of his administration. Before Mayor Becker was elected, he outlined the projects his administration would initiate during these early months. Becker’s 180-Day Plan, which included 24 major initiatives, set the foundation for Salt Lake City’s priorities for the next four years.
The 180-Day Plan addressed five broad themes for Salt Lake City: education, equality, environment, engaging the community and excitement. Each item from the 180-Day Plan is detailed below; alongside each of those goals is the progress that has been achieved to date on that initiative.
| 180-Day Plan Items | Progress |
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Education |
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- Appoint an Education Partnership Coordinator. |
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- Create the Mayor’s School Summit. |
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- Work with the University of Utah, Salt Lake Community College, Westminster College, and Brigham Young University to create a “Salt Lake City is College-Bound” scholarship program. |
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Environment |
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- Accelerate the planning and funding for Salt Lake Bikeways. |
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- Initiate completion of the Jordan River Parkway. |
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- Address a comprehensive review of staff, land-use ordinances, and overall planning policies within the Community Development Department and Building and Housing Services. |
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- Revise Salt Lake City’s building codes to strongly encourage use of LEED (or LEED-equivalent) building standards. |
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- Require departmental carbon footprints. |
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Equality |
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- Pass a nondiscrimination ordinance. |
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- Establish a city registry for domestic partnerships. |
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- Change the city’s retirement plan to allow an employee to name a domestic partner or another designee as a beneficiary. |
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Engaging the Community |
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- Initiate “Salt Lake City Solutions.” |
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- Establish open communications with state government and neighboring communities. |
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- Strengthen security and neighborhood safety. |
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- Provide additional police officers. |
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- Encourage neighborhood involvement in public safety. |
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Excitement |
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- Implement elements of Downtown Rising and the Downtown Transportation Plan. I will prioritize action steps to implement the Downtown Rising plan and the Downtown Transportation Plan (which is currently in draft form). Upon taking office, I will immediately pursue the following: |
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1) the creation of a downtown cultural district, in coordination with Salt Lake County, which would include preservation of the Utah Theater and development of a Performing Arts Center; |
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2) the creation of a year-round Public Market; |
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3) working with the state of Utah for a Global Exchange Place; |
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4) the creation of a Downtown Parking Authority; |
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5) the initiation of a downtown transit circulator system; |
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6) capitalizing on the completion of commuter rail from the north and our Intermodal Hub Central Station with bike lockers, bike rental facilities and a safe bikeway system downtown; and |
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7) developing, in conjunction with the University of Utah, an extension of the campus to our downtown and along the transit lines of University Boulevard (also known as 400 South) with research, classroom and housing facilities in a manner that is compatible with existing neighborhoods. |
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Additional Successes
In addition to the priorities outlined and executed in the 180-Day Plan, the Becker Administration has achieved additional successes during the first six months in office. Those successes include:
- The signing of the Interlocal Agreement with UTA, which initiates the design and construction of the Airport TRAX Extension between downtown and the Salt Lake City International Airport.
- The initiation of efforts to establish the first in the nation, comprehensive sustainability ordinance, which will include transportation, energy, land use, water, natural resources and food security.
- The successful balancing of the toughest budget in the history of Salt Lake City through a collaborative effort with the City Council.
- The establishment of a positive and productive working relationship with the City Council.
- The creation with Governor Huntsman of the Air Transportation Promotion Alliance to address regional, state and city air travel issues.
- The reestablishment of relationships with the Utah Congressional Delegation and is pursing federal support for city initiatives.
- The touring of each of Salt Lake City’s 21 neighborhoods, known as the “Mayor’s Road Trip” in which Mayor Becker meets with community councils and visits local neighborhoods (to be completed in October).
- The site visits to each of Salt Lake City’s departments and divisions. For many divisions, this is the first time in recent memory a Mayor has visited.
- The hiring of Bob Farrington as the new Economic Development Director and Frank Gray as the new Director of Community and Economic Development.
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In reflecting on the first six months, Mayor Becker remarked, “We have been working with the City Council and others at a fast pace to prioritize the items outlined in the 180-Day Action Plan for Salt Lake City. While much has been done and is in progress, I’m looking forward to the future when we will see many of the items begun during the first six months come to full fruition.”
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Becker continued, “I am specifically looking forward to projects such as the Downtown Grand Theater, construction of the Airport TRAX line, continuing to make improvements in our land use (Planning and Zoning) decision-making and policies, and promoting local businesses and sustainability in Salt Lake City. In the weeks to come, we will be presenting a vision for the next year and for the longer term as well.”
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