The City Council of Salt Lake City, Utah, met for a Press Conference on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at 10:39 a.m. at the Utah State Fairpark, 155 North 1000 West, Salt Lake City, Utah.
The following Council Members were present:
Kyle LaMalfa Charlie Luke James Rogers
Erin Mendenhall Luke Garrott
The following Council Members were absent:
Lisa Adams Stan Penfold
Others present: Angela Romero, State Representative/District 26
Conrad Jacobson, North Salt Lake City Council
Brian Horrocks, North Salt Lake City Council
Cindy Gust-Jenson, Council Executive Director; Ralph Becker, Mayor; and Cindi Mansell, City Recorder; were present.
10:39:30 AM Opposition - proposed Utah State Prison relocation within Salt Lake City
Councilmember Luke thanked all those in attendance. He said the Salt Lake City Council was unanimously opposed to the two Salt Lake sites located north of the Salt Lake City International Airport and northeast of I-80 and 7200 West for five reasons: 1) both sites are relatively underdeveloped and would require street lights, snow removal, and other costly infrastructure investment which would most likely be shouldered by taxpayers; 2) flawed reasoning to move the current Draper facility to allow for high-tech, high-skill, high-wage development in that such would be better served closer to the International Airport; 3) 42% of Salt Lake City already being tax-exempt property from which no tax revenues are realized; 4) Downtown population more than doubles each day with the City already subsidizing these services; and 5) Salt Lake City was already home to plenty of correctional facilities and adding another one would be unfair. He encouraged the State Prison Relocation Commission to reconsider their site selection process to consider these issues, cost benefits to Utah residents, and whether or not a new prison was necessary.
Councilmember Rogers, District 1, said both sites are in his District. He referenced the Utah slogan, “Life Elevated”, and said entryways into the capital city lined with a prison would be devastating to tourism. He said it would severely impact economic development and recent developments such as the Youth Soccer Complex, Airport Redevelopment and construction upgrades. He encouraged prioritization and further consideration of community needs versus Prison Relocation needs.
Councilmember LaMalfa, District 2, said he was also located on the west side. He said the entire process had considered the needs of so few against the needs of so many and was putting cities at odds against each other instead of focusing on the problem. He said the Prison Relocation Commission was using criteria that fails to account for its citizens and children and he would hate to see them growing up in the shadow of a prison fence. He encouraged investment in children, families, and classroom size, with the ultimate goal being to dwindle prison needs through this type of reform and education.
Mayor Becker said both Salt Lake City locations are “wholly inappropriate” and “wrong in every conceivable way” and said Salt Lake City officials have vowed to fight any plans for the facility to move. He said that naming several possible sites for a new prison was distracting communities from a broader debate about whether the prison should move and why it cannot be rebuilt at its 700-acre site in the Salt Lake City suburb of Draper on a smaller footprint. He said State officials signed off on moving the prison earlier this year, arguing the Draper facility is aging, too small, and eating up valuable real estate in a budding tech-corridor.
Mayor Becker said there are environmental and land-use issues, preserving wetlands, an important migratory bird flyway, potential flooding of Great Salt Lake or seismic or disaster considerations, and the designated Airport runway protection site consideration. He invited the community to view the Salt Lake City website for information, to make comments, and directions to contact the Prison Relocation Commission as well as Legislators. He said he was focused on bringing everyone together to devise the most effective strategy possible to support this effort. He said a strategy meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. this evening in Room 326 of the Salt Lake City & County Building and is open to the public and the media.
North Salt Lake City Councilman Conrad Jacobson said the proposed site affects North Salt Lake and into Davis County. He said the site was a half-mile from an elementary school in his community, three-quarters of a mile from three other elementary schools, and another one mile from the location. He read Resolution 2014-29R to be unanimously adopted this evening by the North Salt Lake City Council to proudly support Salt Lake City in opposition to both sites.
The meeting adjourned at 11:04 a.m.
This document is intended to serve as a full transcript as audio or video for entire content was not legally required.
This document constitutes the official minutes of the Press Conference held December 16, 2014.
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