Volume 01 | February 2020
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City Council Adopts Goals for 2020
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At its February 18th meeting, the Sandy City Council charted a course for the coming year by adopting its 2020 goals. The Council set an ambitious agenda for the City that
addresses some of the community’s most urgent needs
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In addition to goals focused on the City's wastewater system and next steps on the Community Campus, the Council identified economic development, childcare services, community resiliency, and affordable housing as important new priorities to address in 2020.
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Improvements to Begin on Wastewater System
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The City of Sandy’s wastewater system is in need of significant infrastructure and facility improvements. The condition of our existing treatment plant and sewer pipes, as well as our discharge into Tickle Creek, has left the City unable to meet State permit requirements. The existing system also doesn’t have enough capacity to handle and treat increasing wastewater flows from a growing community.
Engineering studies show
the best path forward for Sandy is to build a second wastewater treatment plant
that will discharge to the Sandy River, while also retaining the existing treatment plant and water recycling program. See the diagram below for details:
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The City is arranging financing through the State to fund the preliminary engineering and design work, but it was also necessary to raise wastewater rates to pay for the required system upgrades. The first utility bills reflecting the new rates were sent to customers in late January. The system improvements will begin this year with repairs to the City's leaking collection system.
Though customer bills have been kept as low as possible for many years, the City Council appreciates that these rate increases may have a meaningful impact on household budgets. That’s why at their February 3rd meeting,
the Council approved a Customer Assistance Program
that lowers bills for low income households.
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SAM Celebrates 20 Years of Service
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On February 15th, our innovative transit system,
Sandy Area Metro (SAM), celebrated its 20th anniversary!
Despite the rain, City leaders, current and past staff, and residents gathered to ring in two new buses (with SAM cowbells - check out the video), and reflect on 20 years of excellent service.
In the years since its founding in 2000, SAM has become an integral part of the greater Sandy community, connecting residents across our region. A system that began with one vehicle has grown into a fleet of 12, providing over 123,000 rides annually. SAM runs 16 hours per day throughout the week, and includes dial-a-ride buses, an iconic trolley, and a medical ride service.
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City Explores Solutions for Community Campus
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The City is continuing to work on a plan and explore opportunities to develop the Sandy Community Campus site on Pleasant Street (the former Cedar Ridge Middle School property). One option under consideration is asking voters to
form a new aquatics and recreation special district
, which would encompass the greater Sandy area. A special district could provide stable funding for aquatics and recreation programming in our area and would allow for renovation and re-opening of the Sandy Pool (Aquatic Center). It could also facilitate some of the improvements envisioned for the Community Campus, such as community meeting spaces and parkland improvements.
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Image from Google Earth - 2020
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Help Plan the Future of Sandy's Parks and Trails
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We need your input!
The City is hosting an open house on February 27
th
from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at the Sandy Community Center Auditorium (38348 Pioneer Blvd.) to gather the public's ideas and preferences for the Parks and Trails Master Plan update.
A master plan is a guide the City uses to make sure future projects serve the goals, needs, and hopes of residents. Sandy's full Parks and Trails Master Plan was last updated in 1997, so
the open house is a great opportunity to weigh in with your vision
for the future of our community's parks and trails!
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City Receives Distinguished Budget Award
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The City is proud to announce that
Sandy has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
from the national Government Finance Officers Association for our Biennial 2019-21 budget!
This award recognizes government agency budget documents that are easily accessible and understandable to both organization staff and the general public. A strong budget document serves as the backbone of an effective public organization.
The City of Sandy is committed to transparency and public involvement, and we welcome your participation in the budget process.
Contact us using the information below if you are interested in serving on the City's Budget Committee
, which will convene in spring 2021 to develop the City's next biennial budget.
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Be a part of the process!
Members of the public are always welcome at meetings of the City Council and other boards and commissions.
Click the image below
to access Sandy's public meeting calendar and learn more about everything your city government is doing to serve you better!
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