Salt Lake City’s new mayor wants the city to develop an economic identity, similar to those used in areas to the north and south.
In her first “State of the City” address, Jackie Biskupski said a citywide economic strategic plan is needed for Salt Lake City to remain competitive in the nation and state and along the Wasatch Front.
Salt Lake City’s new mayor wants the city to develop an economic identity, similar to those used in areas to the north and south.
In her first “State of the City” address, Jackie Biskupski said a citywide economic strategic plan is needed for Salt Lake City to remain competitive in the nation and state and along the Wasatch Front.
“Nearby cities have already successfully developed identities to lure business to their areas,” Biskupski said. “‘Silicon Slopes’ to the south and ‘Outdoor Ogden’ to our north are prime examples — not just of missed opportunity, but how we can move forward.”
To help with the effort, Biskupski said she will elevate the city’s division of economic development to a department level and launch a national search for a director who can work with various stakeholders to build a stronger economy.
The director will be charged with aligning the city’s economic tools, including its airports, the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City, the arts and culture community, and colleges and universities. Biskupski also said the department will be better suited to develop partnerships with state resources, including the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, the Economic Development Corporation of Utah and World Trade Center Utah.
The mayor said the city “cannot lose sight” of its existing businesses and “innovative people across our city who need our help to succeed.” To better serve them, the city will audit its existing planning and business ordinances and recommend changes to the city council.
“Some of our city ordinances were adopted for a single, unique project completed years ago, but they remain on the books,” Biskupski said. “This creates confusion and project delays.”
She also noted that while the city will continue to develop downtown, “just as importantly, we will cultivate lively business centers in other communities that keep waiting for the attention they deserve.” She mentioned Rose Park, Poplar Grove, North Temple, Liberty Wells and Glendale.
Another economic element in the speech was the importance of having clean air. “Our poor air quality is a health crisis and will become a major impediment in Utah’s economy if we do not work collaboratively to make a real difference today,” she said.
The mayor said she will take steps to create a Department of Sustainability — it currently is a division — with air quality as its primary goal.
The first step in cleaning the air will be pushing state legislation to update Utah’s building codes. Buildings are the state’s second-largest contributor to air pollution.
“These codes have not been updated in years,” she said. “Failure to act this session will allow the cause of up to 30 percent of our air pollution to go unchecked for years.”
The city will do its part, she said, by making its utility sources carbon-free by 2032.
A transcript of the “State of the City” address is at www.slcmayor.com/news/2016/1/26/soc2016.
